The Call for Muslim Evangelism

I’ve been putting together some goals and plans for the upcoming year and thought I’d share a few of them with you.

Our team, Project North Africa, has several opportunities for people from both North and South America to get involved. Married couples can get involved full time with our “Seven Cities Project,” we need single men who can learn Arabic and travel all over the continent to meet with our contacts interested in the gospel, single women will not lack any opportunities working with the Muslim women, and college students can get involved with our summer internship.

As you can see, just about anybody can jump in and have a part in reaching North Africa with the gospel.

Since, I’ve finished language school; I’m looking more at raising up laborers from South America than before. This coming year, I plan on traveling a lot looking for people to partner with us. I’m looking at presenting the ministry in North Africa to churches in Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Paraguay.

We would like 14 families in the next seven years to be in major North African cities planting churches, and at least two teams of single women and single men to head the field in the next year.

After preaching in chapel last week, six Bible college students told me that they wanted to know the next step in working with us.

Next week I will be starting a Muslim prayer group for those who are interested and give them as much material as I can to keep them thinking about and working towards getting to the field.

I’ll be teaching on missions at the Peru Bible College which will give me even more opportunities to get students excited about all of the possibilities out there for them to get involved.

Please pray for more laborers to go to the field. That is the only recorded prayer request of Jesus Christ in the entire Bible, so I think we should take it pretty seriously. Let’s take a risk and see what God can and will do through us in the Muslim world.

Indonesia is the fourth largest country in the world with a population of 235 million.

203 million of the people are practicing Muslims.

Though freedom of religion exits there, freedom of religious speech does not.

A good friend of mine has accepted the challenge of taking the gospel to these people and recently started his own blog.

Click here to see what God is doing in the country of Indonesia.

A friend of mine has been working with Muslims in Southeast Asia for several years now.

Check out his blog Ministry of Grace, and get some exciting news about his ministry and learn how you can be more effective in your outreach to the world of Islam.

South America is moving from a mission field to a mission presence in the world.

A good friend of mine who works as a vital part of our team in Morocco now has his own blog in Spanish.

We need more Latin Americans like him to give their lives as missionaries in the Muslim world.

If you know anybody who speaks Spanish, this is a blog they need to subscribe to.

Click here to read Luz al Mundo Musulman and learn from the experiences of a South American living in North Africa.

A good friend of mine from South America is currently working in the Muslim world.

We both strongly desire to see more Latin Americans give their lives to the cause of Muslim Evangelism.

He has started a new blog in Spanish to share his experiences and challenge the Spanish speaking world to take an active part in what he is doing. Together we will turn the world upside down for Jesus Christ.

Click here to check out “Evangelizando Musulmanes.”

The following was taken from the Vision News blog. Click here to see the comments posted.

Read and enjoy this article taken from Mission Network News

Since we have friends working in that part of the world I thought you might enjoy reading this:

North Africa (MNN) — The increase in terrorist activity in the name of Islam is actually having a positive affect on the number of people coming to Christ in Islamic nations. According to Partners International, that’s especially true in North Africa.

For security reasons we’re calling our contact Joseph. Joseph works with Partners International in North Africa. He says, “The number of Christians there has grown significantly in numbers, in some countries like 1000-percent. I’m assuming that most of it is because some Muslims are not happy themselves are not happy with what other Muslims are doing.”

According to Joseph, one-on-one evangelism is about the only way to share their faith. He tells us about a man who wanted to know more about Christ. “He took my friend an hour way into the desert where they could be alone and after a couple of hours of listening the guys said, ‘I want to be a Christian.’ And, like him, there are many.”

With the large number of people turning Christ, are authorities putting pressure on Christians? Joseph says, “Not yet. I believe the authorities are staying away from all this. I believe they don’t want to cause problems with the west by targeting Christians. So, at this point we’re sensing more and more freedom.”

Since these are Muslim countries, being a converted Christian is difficult, especially in your own family. “Imagine you are a mother and a father, you’ve converted, you are now a Christian, but it’s difficult and almost impossible to share this with your children. Obviously your children don’t have the same security concerns, so they are going to talk to their friends. And, I believe that’s the most difficult thing for these parents.”

While one-on-one evangelism is the best way to share their faith, Joseph says those opporunities come through, “Holistic humanitarian activities. So, in a sense we are showing our love and that caries a lot of weight.”

Partners International is doing that by drilling water wells, helping disabled children learn to get around and teaching them a trade, building latrines, and providing literacy training. All of these efforts require prayer and financial support.

CBNNews.com - JERUSALEM - The Muslim call to prayer resounds through a large part of the Earth, where more than one billion people call themselves Muslims. 

Throughout the Islamic world, many Muslims from Gaza to London are also responding to the call to global jihad, where the goal is to take over the world for Islam. It’s a clash of civilizations with the Christian faith in the middle.

Throughout the nearly 1,400 year history of Islam, Muslims have resisted the Christian Gospel. Many Christians tried to reach them with the good news, but with little success. 

But according to many reports from the Middle East and around the world, that history is changing. 

“I see many, many Arabic-speaking people turning to Christ, accepting Him as Lord and Savior,” said Nizar Shaheen, host of Light for the Nations, a Christian program seen throughout the Muslim world. “It’s happening all over the Arab world. It’s happening in North Africa. It’s happening in the Middle East. It’s happening in the Gulf countries. It’s happening in Europe and Canada and the United States-in the Arabic-speaking world. Everywhere, people are accepting Jesus.”

“What’s happening nowadays in the Muslim world has never happened before,” said Father Zakaria Henein, an Egyptian Coptic priest who is one of the foremost evangelists to the Muslim world. He says a cross-section of Muslims are accepting Jesus Christ. “Young and old, educated and not educated, males and females, even those who are fanatic.” 
 
One fanatic Muslim who came to faith in Jesus Christ is Samer Achmad Muhammed. He studied for years to become a Wahhabi sheik, one of the most virulent forms of Islam. He hated Christians and the church, but his heart changed when he heard the Gospel. 

“I dedicated my life to Jesus Christ, Jesus forgave me for my sins,” he said. “He gave me eternal life and peace. And the second thing, I really suffered in my daily life, but I had peace, I had joy because Jesus entered my heart.”

Muhammed is just one of many who are coming to Jesus. Heidi Baker of Iris Ministries sees thousands of African Muslims receiving Jesus and getting baptized.  

“It’s probably the only place in the world where they are coming so quickly,” she said. “Many people are having dreams. They see Jesus appear to them. Probably half our pastors were leaders, imams in Moslem mosques. They were leaders in these mosques, now they’re pastors.”

Another significant evangelistic movement among Muslims links China and Jerusalem. Chinese house churches plan to send at least 100,000 evangelists from China through many predominantly Muslim nations all the back here to Jerusalem.

This quiet but powerful movement of itinerant evangelists is bringing the story of Jesus Christ into the heart of the Muslim world. Technologies like satellite television and the Internet also penetrate the world of Islam. 

But beyond technology, many say a supernatural dimension is at work throughout the Islamic world.

“There is an end-time phenomenon that is happening through dreams and visions,” said Christine Darg, author of The Jesus Visions: Signs and Wonders in the Muslim World. “He is going into the Muslim world and revealing, particularly, the last 24 hours of His life - how He died on the cross, which Islam does not teach - how He was raised from the dead, which Islam also does not teach – and how He is the Son of God, risen in power.”

“We receive lots of letters about people who have had dreams about the Lord, visions, even miracles,” Shaheen said. “When they watch the program, they say yes, we had a dream or a vision, and they accept Jesus as Lord.”

But Muslims who accept Jesus face persecution, discrimination or even death. Despite the dangers, many continue to live out their faith and lead others to Jesus Christ.  

“Jesus loves all people, Jesus changes all people and Jesus is the One who places love and peace,” Shaheen said. “I was not like this but Jesus changed my life and I am not scared to talk about Jesus because praise is unto Him.”

Some believe the Church’s response to jihad must be a fearless proclamation of the Gospel to Muslims. Through prayer and evangelism, many see an unparalleled opportunity for the Gospel. 

“I anticipate that very soon – perhaps within two or three years-we are going to see the greatest harvest in history,” Shaheen said.

Click here to watch the CBN news cast online.

Personal testimony of How Sami, a Moroccan Muslim, accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. 

It was a question that I had been asked on more than ane occasion after converting to Christianity. I had heard this question from both Christians and Muslims. From the Christians it was a question of curiosity or emotion upon seeing how God had changed my life. As for Muslims, it was a question which was directed at offending and humiliating me. For the Christians, they wanted to know how and when I decided to follow Jesus Christ. But for the Muslims the question was, “You are a Christian?” (MASIHI in arabic). When I heard this question, in the begining it was dangerous and complicated for me, not because it was difficult or incomprehensible, but rather because it put me in the middle of a confrontation between my soul and the challenges around me. And because of this, the question required a sincere decision in order that I might experience my new point of view conscienciously.

…It was in 1976 that I turned 12 years old. That year with my best friend, we bought a Moroccan newspaper in Arabic. At the time I did not know why we bought this newspaper and furthermore at an age so young to read it. But now I understand that God was preparing the way for me to get saved using this newspaper.

What was in this newspaper? Well, my friend and I found an ad in Arabic that said, “If you want to receive a Bible Correspondence course and a Bible, write to this address.” It was the address of a Ministry in France that was focused to North Africa.

The two of us decided to write to the address in Marseilles, France. After waiting about two weeks, the first course about creation came in the mail. Both of us were really happy to receive these lessons in the mail.

But I was especially happy to the point of selfishness over the matter. It made me feel really important. I didn’t want anyone else to discover this address. I only wanted that they write to me and that no one else share this experience. After about two years, my cousin discovered that I was having correspondence with Christians. And he warned me that if the police discovered this, they would throw me in jail. I was just 14 years old and jail was something I feared. So from that moment on I began to ask myself, “Why do the people turn away and don’t accept information concerning Christianity?”

For fear of going to jail, I stopped my correspondence. As time went by, I began to forget it all. But for God, nothing is forgotten. One day I was looking for a radio station and I discovered an Evangelical program in Arabic called NUR AL NUR (”Light Over Light” in Arabic). It was broadcasted from Monte Carlo. I could then listen because no one knew that I was in contact with the “Good News”. And thanks to the radio, I discovered many addresses that offered me the Gospel…

…It was a continiouse battle in my life, both inside of me and outside. Inside I had doubts about what the truth was and I could not rest because I worried about what people would think of me if they knew I was in contact with Christians. And if they discovered that I was studying the Gospel, what would happen to me? Meanwhile I had a battle going on outside of me because it was difficult to deny the religion of my family and my grandparents. And if it came to this, the people would reject me and I would bring shame on my family like a prodigal son, a disobedient atheist. As a consequence of this terrible battle, I decided to stop doing the Bible correspondence courses and stop listening to the Evangelical Radio programs.

But God would not leave me alone…

…In 1983, once again something moved me to listen to a radio program that came from Monte Carlo but was broadcast from Malaga, Spain. In that particular program they anounced an address in Modena, Italy to receive Bible correspondence courses. The person that wrote me was a Moroccan believer. He visited at my own home in Morocco; and one year later, another Moroccan believer visited me too. Both they told me about their faith in Jesus Christ, and about the Bible. I continued to correspond with them. During their visits, I asked them a lot of questions concerning my doubts about Christianity, not in order to humiliate them nor did I want answers to my doubts. Instead I wanted these new friends of mine to see that they were mistaken in being Christians. But they gave me good answers to my doubts…

…During this time one of these Moroccan believers gave me a Bible as a gift and asked me to begin to read it. While I read, I had some discussions with some of my friends im my neighborhood. We discussed issues like whether or not Christianity is true and whether or not the Bible is authentic. And while I was studying the Bible I also read the QUORAN. I made comparisons between the two. And to tell you the truth, during this time I found myself in total confusion with no way to get out. The QUORAN said that it was the last and the only truth inspired by God. But on the other hand, the Bible said the same thing: Jesus said in John 14:6 that he was the only way to salvation. I was perplexed and I asked myself the question, “What is the TRUE way?”

…Before, I practiced the Islamic laws - The “Pillaars of Islam” - without being sure of my celestial future nor did I know how I could fix the matter of my being separated from God because of my sin. But in Christ I found the solution to this problem and I realized that in order to be saved, I needed to accept Christ and follow him as my only Lord and Saviour. I recognized that I was a sinner, that I had broken God’s laws and that by believing in Christ and accepting the price that he paid for me by dying on the cross for my sins that I could receive God’s pardon and forgiveness for my sins, as John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

So, in 1985 I made the decision to accept and follow Jesus Christ as the Lord of my life.

Click Here to Read the Rest of Sami’s Testimony

The Lord has given me the privilege of working alongside of some of the most passionate and mission hearted Christians of our generation. The people of Vision Baptist Church in Alpharetta, Georgia have determined to change the world by starting in their own backyard.

Last Sunday night one of my good friends headed a campaign to reach out to one of the most mistreated and forgotten people groups…the Kurds of northern Iraq, Turkey, and Iran.

A large number of Kurds have moved to Atlanta after fleeing from their homes in northern Iraq under the oppression of their former dictator Sadam Hussein. They have been looked down upon by almost every country they have lived in before and in Iraq their entire civilization was threatened by attempted genocide. One of their own epigrams states, “Nobody loves the Kurdish people except the mountains and America.”

Vision Baptist Church was determined to prove that they too love them and so does their Creator. Last Sunday night over 20 Muslim Kurds gathered together at the church and experienced the love of God through the people of Vision.

Please continue praying for the Kurdish outreach of this church.

 Click here to view pictures of Kurdish night at Vision Baptist Church.

Do you have trouble approaching your neighbors about the gospel? Are you looking for an effective way to present the gospel without watering down its content?Would you like to learn how to illustrate some of the essential biblical concepts?If you answer yes to even one of the above, we can help you. GoodSeed would like to present to you the
Alberta TERM Seminar coming up from April 26-28 , 2007. At the TERM Seminar, you will have an unique opportunity to be equipped to share your faith with the following focuses:

• Starting in the Old Testament
• Focusing on the stories relating to the gospel
• Assuming people you teach know little or nothing about the Bible

 Read on…