30-Days of Prayer for the Muslim World | www.30-days.net » How To Witness http://www.30-days.net What Christians should know about Islamic background, history and culture. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:11:00 +0000 en hourly 1 When witnessing to Muslims… What to Avoid http://www.30-days.net/islam/howto/to-avoid/ http://www.30-days.net/islam/howto/to-avoid/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:29:48 +0000 TDI http://www.30-days.net/reveal/to-avoid/ witnessing-30-days-net

God created us in His image. We can reflect the Trinity by our manner of communicating, by our friendship and our shared love. We are not called to fight Islam but to make every effort to make Jesus known!

What should we avoid?

1. Do not attack the person of Mohammed, but do not accept him as a prophet either.

2. Do not criticise the Qur’an (Koran).

3. Avoid politically-sensitive subjects and praising Israel.

4. Do not insist on Jesus as being the Son of God. A Muslim will not understand or accept this affirmation. Later, when he has read the Bible or the gospels, you can give him the necessary explanations.

5. Do not enter into discussions about pork and wine. We, as Christians, are sent to proclaim Jesus.

Specific guidelines

1. Initially focus on areas of agreement.

In your first contacts with Muslims and even later it is useful to be in agreement as much as possible with Muslims about our common beliefs. They believe that there is one God, the God of Abraham. In Arabic the word used for God is “Allah” (Christian Arabs also use this word for God). Muslims believe that God made the world, that He knows all things, that He is all wise and very powerful. Muslims do not believe in the Trinity. They believe in angels and in prophets such as Abraham, Moses, David, Noah and Jesus. They believe in the last judgment. In a general sense we can agree on these points, without forgetting the differences. Muslims often feel rejected by Westerners. Affirming our common beliefs enables them listen to us with greater understanding and openness.

2. Have a simple and clear way of presenting Christ.

For instance, take a passage of the Bible. John 5:24 and Romans 6:23 have been used with good results.

3. Use stories.

It is important to tell the stories about the life of Jesus and other men and women mentioned in the Bible. Muslims often use stories in speaking about their own faith. Most Muslims have never had an opportunity to read the Scriptures (many have never fully read their own book, the Qur’an). Learn to use parables, stories and examples from daily life to share your message. In this way your Muslim friends will also retain your words better. It is important to understand their culture, their way of thinking and their historic and religious background. Learning some of their language could be very useful as well.

4. Literature.

Keep an assortment of Gospels, the “Jesus” film, cassettes, CDs and DVDs available in various languages.

5. Seek them out.

Do not be afraid to visit them in their homes and invite them to your own home. If you invite them for a meal buy your meat in a Muslim butcher shop or serve fish. Do not serve alcoholic beverages to Muslims.

6. Argument.

You have little chance of convincing Muslims by reasoned argument. Western logic does not carry the same weight with Muslims and may not even be understood by them. Love your Muslims friends and avoid getting into discussions which push them to defend Islam.

7. The Qur’an (Koran).

You may read it, but do not necessarily use this as the unique basis of witness. Muslims need to meet the Jesus who is revealed in the Bible. If you reads the Qur’an or visit a mosque it is advisable to pray for God’s protection and understanding (Ephesians 6:10-18).

8. Men witness to men and women to women.

Extended witness across gender lines is discouraged, even by correspondence.

9. Prepare them for their first visit to church.

It is advisable to prepare Muslims for their first visit to a Christian church or gathering. You need to explain to them briefly what will happen and what they should and should not do.

10. Opposition to Christianity

When speaking to Muslims they will probably raise objections that our faith in the Messiah is unacceptable for them. Believers need to know about these objections and be prepared to deal with them correctly. Web sites exist for this purpose.

Listen to the Podcast – Helping Muslims Discover the Messiah – What To Avoid

Video: Out of Control

Out of Control from DanStevers.com on Vimeo.

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]]> http://www.30-days.net/islam/howto/to-avoid/feed/ 18 When witnessing to Muslims… http://www.30-days.net/islam/howto/general/ http://www.30-days.net/islam/howto/general/#comments Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:33:31 +0000 TDI http://www.30-days.net/reveal/general/ Contrary to what is often thought, it is possible to lead Muslims to Christ. Christian witness to Muslims needs to take into account the context of Muslim culture and religion. In that sense our witness to Muslims will be different from that to other people. The message is the same, the means of proclaiming it is different.

General Principles

1. Prayer.

Pray for Muslim friends and acquaintances. We cannot emphasise enough our total dependence on the intervention of the Holy Spirit.

2. Have a specific goal.

God wants to use us to make Jesus Christ known to Muslims through the gospel. Our goal should be to make the message understandable and accessible to our Muslim friends.

3. Be open to personal and human contact.

We must love Muslims sincerely, manifesting our love through kindness and respect in our relationship with them. Our goal should be to establish a genuine friendship and share our faith in that context. As with all true friendships we need to take time to understand, appreciate and help our Muslim friends.

4. Be patient.

While we can speak freely of our faith from the beginning of our relationship with a Muslim, we should keep in mind that most Muslims will need to hear us many times before they even begin to consider believing in Christ. Do not be discouraged by objections.

5. Explain the gospel in a very simple manner.

Use words and terms which will be understandable to Muslims. Explain the Christian meaning of terms such as sin, prayer, God, Son of God and faith. These often convey another meaning for Muslims.

6. Give your friend a New Testament or a Bible.

Reading these books give Muslims new perspectives on Christianity. Encourage a regular reading of the Gospels in particular.

7. Emphasise God’s perfect holiness.

God calls for righteousness. Man is generally unrighteous and in slavery to sinful attitudes. Neither education nor moral teaching can change this situation. Man needs to have a new birth.

8. Speak of God’s interventions in our own lives.

Tell of His faithfulness, His love, His justice. Muslims do not understand God as one who gives and keeps promises. Your testimony of a real and active faith is very important.

9. Answer objections with kindness.

Do not let yourself be carried away into passionate discussions.

10. Do not be naïve if our Muslim friends express a belief in Jesus Christ and the Bible.

In one sense Muslims do believe in Jesus and the Bible; however, their faith is very different from what the Bible teaches us. They do not believe that it is possible to be in a real relationship with God as we believe. Jesus said that eternal life is to know God (John 17:3). It is not just knowing certain things about God, but to know Him personally.

11. Introduce Muslims seeking the Messiah to a community of believers

Muslims will sometimes be more interested in seeing our believing communities than hearing our best words about the Saviour. As they see our communities may God help us to be the weak and helpless ones who are strong in Him. We all need others. Loving others is right. (1 John 3:14-15) Muslims who coming to faith in the Messiah need others.

12. Depend on God, who is truth, to anchor people in reality

Sometimes we all have been or are deceived. We need clarification and liberation. Only God can give us and Muslims real eyes to see and ears to hear.

Respect, Kindness, Gentleness

These qualities are essential to reach Muslims with the message of the Messiah.

Caring, genuine hospitality may have more to do with helping a Muslim discover the Messiah than many logical proofs and arguments.

Listen to the Podcast – Helping Muslims Discover the Messiah

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]]> http://www.30-days.net/islam/howto/general/feed/ 11 How to Interest Muslims in the Bible http://www.30-days.net/islam/howto/bible/ http://www.30-days.net/islam/howto/bible/#comments Mon, 20 Sep 2010 09:21:22 +0000 TDI http://www.30-days.net/reveal/bible/

By Georges Houssney

Here is an approach which has proved useful in showing the value of the Bible to a Muslim.

This activity takes between 15 and 30 minutes. I typically open the Bible to Genesis chapter one and begin by showing the story of the Creation. I take a few moments to point out the wisdom of God in the process of creation and the progression from day to day. I continue by giving them glimpses of the whole book of Genesis. “Look, here is the story of Cain and Abel … Here’s the story of Noah. Did you know that the genealogy of Noah is here in full? Were you aware that all the peoples of the earth today can be traced back to Noah’s three sons? Do you know the details of the events of the flood? Oh, I know that the Qur’an makes a brief reference to it, but here in the Torah is the full story.” (It is good to use the term “Torah” because it is also mentioned in the Qur’an). I go on to Abraham, pointing out the geography and history (use the maps at the back if your Bible has them).

Moving through the Old Testament

As I flip the pages somewhat more quickly through the rest of Genesis, I stop at the story of Joseph and point out a synopsis of his life and journey to Egypt, and how God gave him the strength to stay faithful to Him even in difficult circumstances. “We go now to Moses …” and there I show how God gave Moses the Law and briefly look over the Exodus story. From there I begin to flip through book by book and call out the names of key prophets of God. Psalm 19 is a good choice. I point out that this is the “Zabur” (Psalms) mentioned in the Qur’an. The Bible has the full text of all 150 songs of praise, worship, prophecy, and teaching. Then I jump to Jonah, pointing out that the Qur’an mentions him as the Prophet Younus. Daniel is also mentioned as a prophet in the Qur’an. Then I go on to the New Testament.

New Testament

I show them the genealogy of Jesus and how it covers many centuries and includes several major prophets and kings. “The entire life of Jesus is recorded right here for us.” I then read several texts from the Sermon on the Mount. I go on to describe how Christianity spread in the early years (Acts and the Letters). I point out in Acts 2 how Arabs, Kurds, Egyptians, Libyans, Turks and other peoples from the Middle East were converted. I read a few verses from the Epistles, especially 1 John, emphasising the love of God. Finally, I move on to the book of Revelation and point out that the Bible has prophecies which are yet to be fulfilled. “Here are some of them.” In conclusion, I show how the Bible begins at the beginning and ends with the end.

Practical Points

Finally, here are a couple of practical points. Almost always, the listener attempts to take the Bible out of my hands, but I hang on to it until I have finished my presentation. Muslims need to know that there are treasures within the Bible, but I do not recommend that we only talk about the Bible. Also I do not recommend asking people if they want a Bible: ideally they should ask for it. When they do, it shows that they are serious. I do not want to give a Bible to someone who does not value it as a present, hoping that somehow they will come to value it later. I like to make them hungry and thirsty for God’s word.

Editor’s note:

Our personal sharing with Muslims are dynamic events involving interaction. It is certainly probable that one might not totally finish this presentation or that it might be wise to spend more time on some aspects of it than others.

Video: DanStevers.com

Elijah from DanStevers.com on Vimeo.

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]]> http://www.30-days.net/islam/howto/bible/feed/ 3 How to Share your Faith on Campus http://www.30-days.net/islam/howto/campus/ http://www.30-days.net/islam/howto/campus/#comments Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:21:11 +0000 TDI http://www.30-days.net/reveal/campus/

Students need good friends…

Every year hundreds of Muslim students travel from all over the world to study in the West. Most are keen to experience local western culture and to make real friends and to hear the message of God’s love for them.

How to share your faith – Pray Down Strongholds

Find others who have a burden to reach out to Muslim students and pray together regularly. Prayer is the most important aspect of reaching out to Muslims and there is power, wisdom and encouragement in a group that prays together and supports each other. Through intercession, strongholds holding Muslims in spiritual blindness can be torn down. You can pray for opportunities and ways to befriend Muslim students, to meet their felt needs and to share about Jesus with them.

- Sharing your life and faith

Always treat your Muslim friend with deep respect and find out what their views are on issues. Rather than looking for opportunities to ‘share the truth’, be natural and open about sharing your life: the blessings, difficulties, challenges, and where appropriate, how God has helped and guided you through these in answer to prayer. Muslims are also trying to find a faith that is real. Never ridicule Islam or Mohammed the Prophet, but show them who Jesus is and what He has done.

- Share God’s Word

This can be as simple as sharing how God is speaking to you through the scriptures, to doing Bible studies with them. Muslims accept the Bible as having come from God, but have been told that it has been altered. Some students would prefer to do this individually while others may want to join a Bible study group with other international students. It is helpful for them to read testimonies about others who have come to Christ. Reading good books on Christian apologetics is also useful to help answer their genuine questions. Seek wisdom from those who have experience in leading Muslims to Christ and in discipling them.

- Protect their growth

For some students taking the step of becoming a follower of Jesus could mean being sent home, persecution or even death. Do not pressure them to be baptised or to make a public declaration of their faith. Continue exploring the Bible together and allow the Holy Spirit to show the new believer what steps of obedience they are to take. It is essential to have a long term commitment to pray with them and for them, and to link them in with Christian friends.

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]]> http://www.30-days.net/islam/howto/campus/feed/ 0 How to Understand Arabs http://www.30-days.net/islam/howto/how-to-understand-arabs/ http://www.30-days.net/islam/howto/how-to-understand-arabs/#comments Sun, 25 Jul 2010 10:14:40 +0000 TDI http://www.30-days.net/reveal/how-to-understand-arabs/ Muslims are found in hundreds of different ethnic groups around the world. Possibly three-quarters of the world’s Muslims are not from an Arabic background; however, Mohammed’s Arab lifestyle and cultural background have profoundly influenced Islam. Knowing that Islam has such deep roots in Arabia, Christians need to understand that God really loves Arabs.

Ishmael

Arabic biblical heritage is often forgotten by or unknown to many Christians. We may be aware that Ishmael became an Arab prince and the founder of several Arab tribes, but often our knowledge of Arab biblical heritage ends there. The fact is, Ishmael’s name is a revelation concerning God’s person and character, meaning “God hears”. God clearly heard the distress of Hagar when she called out for help in the desert (Gen 16:1-16). He responded by sending His angel to Hagar with a significant message. Also, Ishmael’s name has a divine origin: it was God who designated it, giving the name to the boy as an everlasting testimony to the fact that God pays attention to the weak, the afflicted and those who are unjustly treated.

God made promises to Abraham concerning Ishmael that he would bless him exceedingly (Gen 17:18-27). God’s covenant to bless all the nations did not come through Ishmael but rather through Isaac. However, God did not forget Ishmael. Ishmael’s descendants are participants in God’s promise to bless all the nations (all ethnic groups around the world) through the seed of Abraham (Gen 12:1-3; 18:18; 22:18; 24:4; 28:14). This promised blessing was eventually fulfilled in Jesus.

The Bible is a major source of information concerning Arabic genealogies. Arabs are Semites (descendants of Shem) just as much as Jews (Gen 10.21-32). There are at least three types of Middle-Eastern Arabs: the Joktanites, the Ishmaelites and the Keturahites.

The descendants of Joktan

Many Arabs see themselves as descendants of Joktan (Arabs call him Kahtan). One of the famous tribes descending from Joktan was Sheba, whose descendants founded the kingdom of the Sabeans in Yemen – and included the renowned Queen of Sheba (called Bilquis by the Arabs). Her visit to Jerusalem during King Solomon’s reign is an example of how God’s people had an influence on Arabia even in Old Testament times. Solomon writes one of the so-called Messianic Psalms (Ps 72) partly with Sheba in mind (see verses 10 and 15). Jesus speaks positively about the Queen of Sheba (Matt 12:42). Apparently, at least some of the Semitic tribes worshipped the God of Shem even if they did not know Him fully.

The descendants of Ishmael

The descendants of Ishmael seem to have settled predominantly in northern Arabia. Nabajoth (Nebaioth), one of Ishmael’s 12 sons, fathered the tribe which eventually became the head of the Nabatean kingdom, with its famous capital, Petra (in present-day Jordan). Muslims believe that Mohammed was descended from Nabajoth. (www.nabataea.net/12tribes.html has excellent information about the other sons of Ishmael).

The descendants of Abraham through Keturah

After Sarah’s death Abraham took another wife (or concubine) named Keturah (Gen 25:1-3). Abraham had six other sons through Keturah after the birth of Isaac (Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah). The text does not suggest that Abraham despised his other sons. If we learn anything about Abraham we should know that he loved his sons and greatly desired good things for them. Abraham’s fatherly love for his son Ishmael is clearly expressed in Genesis 17:18. Abraham gave gifts to Keturah’s sons and sent them to live in the East, just as he had done with Ishmael.

All of Keturah’s sons eventually became the heads of Arab tribes. One of these tribes was Midian. While the Midianites did oppose Israel through the false prophet Balaam, not all Midianites were against the Hebrews. Moses married Zipporah the daughter of Jethro (Exod 2:16-22). Jethro is called the priest of Midian: he recognized the true God and even gave Moses good advice which apparently pleased the Lord (Exod 18). Certainly, the Midianites had some revelation of God through their father Abraham.

The Arabs were involved in gross idolatry for many centuries, but then so too were the Jews – and God gave them scriptures and prophets to bring them back to repentance. Mohammed (570-632 AD) sought to turn the Arabs from their idolatry to worship the God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus, but he did not have a full revelation of God. His distorted understanding led his people into error, resulting in present-day Islam.

Hope of salvation for Arabs

There are already hundreds of thousands of Arab Christians scattered around the world (for instance, in Lebanon, Israel, and Egypt). Besides the texts already cited, other scriptures give great hope that many more Arabs will eventually be saved. Isaiah 60:1-7 speaks of a time when the glory of the Lord will be manifested:

1 “Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the Lord will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you.
3 Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.
4 Lift up your eyes round about and see; They all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar, And your daughters will be carried in the arms.
5 Then you will see and be radiant, And your heart will thrill and rejoice; Because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, The wealth of the nations will come to you.
6 A multitude of camels will cover you, The young camels of Midian and Ephah [descendants of Abraham through Keturah]; All those from Sheba [descendant of Joktan] will come; They will bring gold and frankincense, And will bear good news of the praises of the Lord.
7 All the flocks of Kedar [descendant of Ishmael] will be gathered together to you, The rams of Nebaioth [descendant of Ishmael] will minister to you; They will go up with acceptance on My altar, And I shall glorify My glorious house.

From Pentecost till Today

We also find encouragement to believe God for the salvation of a multitude of Arabs from the story of Pentecost. God makes a strong statement in the Pentecost account about the Gospel being proclaimed to all ethnic groups. Jesus says that Christians will receive the Holy Spirit and be His witnesses even to the remotest part of the earth (Acts 1:8). Later we read that on the day of Pentecost some of those who were filled with the Spirit spoke in Arabic of the mighty deeds of God (see Acts 2:11).

This text makes it obvious that God wants His message to go out to the Arabs. The Gospel was proclaimed in Arabic before it was ever proclaimed in English, French, or Spanish! Arabs can also be blessed with Abraham through Christ.

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]]> http://www.30-days.net/islam/howto/how-to-understand-arabs/feed/ 1 When witnessing to Muslims… Opposition will come http://www.30-days.net/islam/howto/opposition/ http://www.30-days.net/islam/howto/opposition/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:26:39 +0000 TDI http://www.30-days.net/reveal/opposition/ When you witness to Muslims they will probably raise objections which form the basis of their conviction that the Christian faith is unacceptable for them. Christians need to know about these objections and be prepared to deal with them correctly.

Common problems:

1. The Bible.

Muslims believe that the Bible has been altered and corrupted. They will deny its authority because they see it as not being authentic.

2. The Trinity.

Muslims believe the Holy Trinity implies a belief in three gods. Many Muslims believe that the Christian Trinity is made up of the Father, Mary (the virgin) and the Son (Jesus).

3. The divinity of Jesus.

They believe it is blasphemy to affirm the divinity of Jesus and to give Him the title “Son of God”. Many believe this implies that God had sexual relations with Mary and that a son was born physically through this relationship. (This idea is also unacceptable for Christians.)

4. The cross.

Muslims believe it is impossible that God would allow His prophet Jesus to die on the cross. For Muslims, the cross is scandalous and foolish. One should not speak of the cross without speaking of the resurrection. Christ was victorious over sin, death and the devil.

5. Knowing God.

Muslims believe that God is the God of Abraham, but also that God will not allow people to draw near to Himself or know Him in the Christian sense.

6. Christians are deceived.

Muslims often believe that Christians are deceived and that they have an obligation to lead them to the truth of Islam. For many Muslims, the word “Christian” signifies materialism, a lack of spirituality and moral failure. Because of this they reject many things that come from Western society and which they consider perverted. For Muslims, alcohol consumption, pornography, a liberal lifestyle and a lack of religious practice are sure signs of the failure of Western countries. Muslims associate Christianity with Western culture.

On the other hand, many Muslims do not practice their own religion. They find themselves torn between Islam and Western culture. The relationships between Muslims and Westerners are often very tense. Each has attitudes of suspicion, rejection and feelings of injustice toward the other. In many situations this leads to hatred.

The differences between the two cultures are the cause of many problems and misunderstandings. May God cause Christians to become people who make peace (Matt 5:9).

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