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Islam
Perhaps The Most Neglected Mission Field
In The World
Islam Challenge
Of The 20th Century
Islamic Radicals need Christ, They
have a set of beliefs that are evil.
Christ is the answer, let us send the
Gospel. Bombs will not change the heart.
But the millions we spend on war could
put a Bible, television and Christian
videos in every Muslims home. We could
build Churches by the hundreds, the
gospel could go to every home. Maybe
our focus should be God's focus, not
our agenda.
The millions spent for war would
support the largest crusades ever to
come to these nations. We could use
the best Christian music, Greatest Preachers
Etc.. Is it wrong to bring healing to
a nation that needs Christ?
"When you say Islam" - Immediately
the world thinks of the Middle East,
the Arab Block, Political Tension, Oil
Cartels, World Turmoil... but the Christians
cry ought to be "Lost Souls, People
without Jesus, World Evangelism."
"Islam!" "What is it?
Other than perhaps the most neglected
mission field in the world, it has also
become the world's fastest growing religion.
According to statistics in my study,
in 1976 there were 300 million Muslims
in the world, in 1981 they numbered
450 million, and by the end of 1985
they boasted a phenomenal 900,000,000
adherents to the religion of Islam,
since then it has trippled and growing
fast.
One-fifth of the world's entire population
is Muslim, yet the average Christian
knows very little of the meaning of
Islam, and even fewer are doing much
to reach them with the Life Changing
Power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We need a spiritual revolution to take
place in the ranks of Christianity,
to mobilize the church to reach the
Muslim world with the Love of the Living
Lord.
Islam is more than just a religion,
it is an all encompassing way of life
which influences the thinking and actions
of its followers. "Islam"
literally means "submission to
the will of God." A Muslim is one
who submits to Allah, and holds to the
Islamic faith.
THE PROPHET
MOHAMMED
The beginning of Islam revolves around
one central figure, Mohammed, born around
570 A.D., in the city of Mecca in Arabia.
By the age of 40, the then religious
Mohammed began having visions. He questioned
whether these revelations were Godly
or demonic in origin, until his wife
Khadijah encouraged him to believe that
had come from God. These visions and
subsequent writings of the prophet (occasionally
accompanied by ecstatic seizures) were
recorded and later formed the Qur'an
(KORAN), the Muslim holy book.
When Mohammed and his teachings were
rejected in his home town of Mecca,
he fled to Medina in 622 A.D. He was
also rejected by the Jews and Christians,
and so, in militant power, he returned
and captured the city of Mecca in the
name of Allah, enacting his own teaching,
"Take what you can by love and
take the rest by the Sword!" The
three cities, Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem
are all esteemed holy to the Moslem
today. Mohammed died in 632 A.D., leaving
behind a religion that has currently
grown to encompass one-fifth of the
world's population, and pursues a goal
of total global domination.
ISLAMIC TEACHING
To understand the Muslim, one must know
something of what he believes.
The main articles of the Islamic faith
are briefly summed up here.
There is one true God and his name is
Allah. Allah is not a personal God as
the Christian knows, but an aloof Omnipotent
Being whose emphasis is on Judgment
not grace; on power, not mercy. A Muslim
does not see himself as a child of God
the Father, but as a slave of Allah.
God has predestined his life, so there
is no sense in trying to change it,
because Allah has willed it so. Hence
a strong "Fatalism" exists,
and every circumstance of life is to
be accepted as the will of God, for
Allah is the source of both good and
evil and his will is supreme. No precautions
or safety features need be employed.
What will be, will be!
The Koran is the authoritative scripture
of Islam. About four-fifths the length
of the New Testament, it is divided
into 114 Surahs (chapters) and believed
to be the supreme Word of God for mankind.
Mohammed taught that God had given previous
revelations, and these ironically were
from the Bible. These main books are
the TORAH
(of Moses), the SUHUF
(books of the O.T. prophets), ZABIN
(Psalms of David) and the INJIL (the
gospel of Jesus).
Sounds good, but here comes the devil's
insidious twist. They say that the Koran
supercedes all other revelations, both
fulfilling ahd replacing them, for the
Bible has been corrupted almost beyond
recognition. The New Testament as we
have it is not believed to be the gospel
of Jesus, but only words about Jesus.
Only the Koran, God's most recent and
final word to man is infallible. (Of
course the finding of the
Dead Sea Scrolls intellectually
refutes the argument of changed manuscripts,
and the Miracle
Power of God's Word spiritually blows
the argument. Our book the Bible works.
God confirms His Word.)
It is taught that every Muslim has two
angels, one to record his good deeds
and one to record the bad. One day of
judgment each man's deeds will be weighed
out. If the bad deeds outweigh the good,
he will be tormented by Satan forever,
but if the good is greater, the Muslim
will enjoy a sensuous life in Paradise.
. . "where they will recline on
soft couches quaffing cups of wine handed
them by the Huris, or maidens of Paradise,
of whom each man may marry as many as
he pleases."
MUSLIM PRACTISE
There are five foundational practises
which every Muslim must observe. These
form the five main Pillars of the Faith.
1. THE CREED
- "There is no God but Allah and
Mohammed is the Prophet of Allah."
This is the bedrock of Islam and the
statement one must publicly make in
order to become a Muslim.
I prefer Peter's declaration to
Jesus, "Thou art the Christ, the
Son of the Living God!" (Mt. 16:16)
2. PRAYER -
is central to a devout Muslim. Muslims
ritualistically pray five times a day
(upon rising, at noon, in mid-afternoon,
after sunset, and before retiring.)
The worshipper recites prescribed prayers
while facing Mecca. The call to prayer
is sounded by the Muezzin (a Muslim
crier) from a tower called a Minaret
which is part of the mosque, (the place
of public worship).
DAVID of the Bible said, "Seven
times a day do I praise thee,"
and then added, "At midnight I
will rise to give thanks unto thee.
. ." Ps. 119; 164 & 62. 0 Christian,
you that truly know the Living God,
how often do you pray?
3. ALMSGIVING is
considered a part of one's salvation
and it is the giver's responsibility
and duty to give. To the Christian,
giving is also important, but our salvation
cannot be bought. It is paid for in
full by the blood of Jesus Christ. (1
Pet. 1:18-19)
4. FASTING
is practised by faithful Muslims, from
sun up to sun down each day for one
entire month of the year, to develop
self control and consecration to God.
During the month of Ramadan, no food
or drink may be enjoyed during the daylight
hours, but many Muslims still eat two
meals a day, one before sunrise and
one shortly after sunset. Again, fasting
cannot earn salvation. I have heard
many belittle the Muslim fast because
of its after hours eating and granted,
that really makes it several short daily
fasts, but, 0 Christian, how many meals
have you missed to pray for personal
consecration and world wide revival?
5. THE PILGRIMAGE
(HAJJ) to the holy city of Mecca
plays an essential part in Muslims gaining
salvation. It involves a set of ceremonies
and rituals too numerous to name, which
serve to heighten and solidify Islamic
faith. Thank God, the trip we need to
make can be made right where we are,
on our knees, in the Spirit of Repentance
to the cross of Christ.
6. There is a sixth
religious duty known as "JIHAD,"
the "HOLY WAR," which
we hear much of today. This duty requires
that when the situation warrants, men
are required to go to war and spread
Islam or to defend It against infidels.
One who dies in a Jihad is guaranteed
eternal life in Paradise. Hence, in
today's troubled society, the readiness
of a few radical zealots to go on Suicide
Missions.
MOSLEM SALVATION
, reasons for 911
We have briefly touched on Muslim history,
doctrine and practise to enable the
reader to pray more knowledgeably and
fervently for the salvation and blessing
of these precious people.
We must acknowledge that the Muslim
does have some very commendable points.
He is fiercely monotheistic and abhors
idols or any replica of God. Nevertheless
the Muslim operates under a legalistic
system and attempts to earn his salvation,
which depends on total obedience to
the will of Allah, and in no way resembles
Biblical salvation. He does not believe
that Jesus was the Son of God, but merely
another prophet who didn't actually
die on the cross. The key doctrines
of the Christian faith. . . the Trinity,
the Diety of Christ, Christ's Crucifixion
and Resurrection, the Sin of man, and
Salvation by God's grace alone through
faith in Christ, are all rejected. Muslim
salvation must is earned. True Christian
salvation is God's Gift and is availableto
all who come to Jesus. (Eph. 2:8-9)
In conclusion, Islam was founded by
a dead prophet; CHRISTIANITY
was FOUNDED BY THE LIVING SAVIOR! The
Love of God is available and stretched
out to every Muslim today. To everyone
whose heart cry is to know the Living
God, I have important news. "His
Name is not Allah! It is the Lord Jesus
Christ!" Hallelujah.
OBSTACLES TO
CONVERSION
It is not so simple as to just inform
the Muslim that Christ is the true Savior.
Islamic thought and culture is woven
into almost every part of their society.
In fact, Islam is thought of more as
a cultured heritage than a religion.
Even though a Muslim may not go to the
mosque regularly, the thought of becoming
a Christian would, in his thinking,
mean becoming a traitor to his people
and his country. For a Muslim to confess
Christ publicly almost always involves
a complete rejection from his family
and friends.
When the cost of commitment is so dear,
it is obvious that it will take more
than just a Sunday School sermon to
convince the Muslim. Something powerful
must jolt him to make him so aware of
the Living Christ, that he is willing
to pay the price of ostracism to know
the True God. That Something is the
Mighty Power of the Living God, manifested
in healing, delivery and blessing the
sick, diseased, bound and oppressed,
which goes far beyond either Mohammed's
and Allah's capabilities or will; to
reach down in love and get involved
with mankind at his point of need. Thank
God, our Lord is not just a God afar
off, but a very present help in time
of trouble.
Devout Muslims
accepting Christ. - Pakistan.
BREAKTHROUGH
AMONGST
MUSLIMS - PAKISTAN
Pakistan has 801,000 square kilometres
and almost 90,000,000 people of which
97% are Muslim (only 1 % are Protestants).
There is a government declared intention
to make the country a fully Islamic
Republic, but there is at present full
religious freedom. Pakistan is not glamour
or flamboyancy, nor on the other hand
provast harvest field with few harvesters.
Thank God for every Christian worker
laboring there, but the need is great,
the fields are white, the doors are
still open, the time is now. We must
do all we can while the country is open
to the Gospel.
Higher Praise has a vision for the Muslims
and supports missionaries to PAKISTAN
and other Muslim nations. Hundreds of
emails come in from Muslims around the
world . We have made it a point to keep
all items free on Higher Praise for
these that are seeking so they will
find Christ. We are now seeing the fruits
of labour after years of trying to reach
the muslims, PTL. The true and living
God is dealing with these in need of
Christ, they are coming to the Lord
in secret. Please pray with us as we
lead these to the Lord. We are needing
interpreters to write articles for us
in Arabic. Please contact Higher Praise
if you would like to work in this part
of our ministry.
On short notice Recently Pastors From
Pakistan George Rakha and Rev. Samuel
Azariah arranged a campaign in Karachi
with Len Linstrom a Brother In Christ
and dear friend from my years in Bible
Collage. The first crusade night began
with about 400 people, then 600 and
as God's Power was manifested, within
a few days the crowd was estimated at
25,000 people.
The Spirit of the Lord was mightily
released upon these peoples during the
altar calls. Thousands were transfixed,
rivited in place, and then, in unison
cried out earnestly to God for forgiveness
of sins. Harold Hanson was at the back
of the crowd night after night. He described
how elderly and middle-aged Muslim men
were so engrossed in the message, praying
with all their hearts, tears rolling
down their cheeks in repentance, as
they committed their lives to the Living
Christ. This was not up in the front
where you would expect such repentive
activity from the more zealous, but
at the back and throughout the crowd,
a good 100 yards from the platform.
The Spirit of the Lord was making Christ
real to the multitudes.
The same earnest desire and faith was
released during the mass prayers for
healing. As precious newly converted,
ex-Muslims cried out to the Living Christ,
deaf ears popped open, speech was restored,
blind eyes opened, crippled limbs were
made whole and the Buddhist, Hindu,
Shintoist, Taoist, Muslim or nominal
Christian, all long for a True God,
when the precious Pakistanis saw and
experienced the reality of the Living
God. The Good News rapidly spread and
by the fifth night 25,000 were gathered
on the church grounds. Every night,
an estimated 75% of the crowd arrived
as Muslims and left changed, having
prayed the sinner's prayer.
The pastors conservatively estimated
that over 20,000 Muslims came forward
during the campaign to accept Christ
as their Lord and Saviour. WHY? What
could shake these devout people from
their zealous commitment to Islam? The
Answer was simple. They had heard Truth.
They had seen Reality. They had experienced
God. Jesus had manifested His Love and
Power to them. (Jn. 10:37-38) Regardless
of religion, be it Buddhist, Hindu,
Shintoist, Taoist, Muslim or nominal
Christian, all long for a True God,
who cares enough to get involved, to
meet the basic cry of the human heart
for reality, purpose and meaning to
life, and to intervene supernaturally
in the natural realm of their world.
Christ's Power meets and fulfills that
cry, even for the Muslim.
REACHING MUSLIMS
IN INDIA
On to India with its 268,000,000 square
kilometres and approximately 800,000,000
people of which 80% are Hindus and 11%
are Muslims (almost 90 million) and
only 1 % are Protestant (many in name
only).
Dr. Jesumani Sigamini arranged the campaign
in Katpadi. Tremendous miracles took
place and multiplied thousands received
Christ as Lord and Savior. On one Sunday
alone, over 80 deaf and/or dumb were
instantly healed, plus numerous others
of blindness and crippledness. Among
the converts and recipients of miracles
were a great number of Moslems, proving
again that the quickest and most effective
way to reach the Muslim is with the
Mighty Power of the Risen Christ.
Undoubtedly, Muslim numbers diminished
by the thousands in these 2 campaigns,
and each soul is worth more than the
whole world, but that barely scratches
the surface. There is need of thousands
of these campaigns all over the world.
We are not talking about glamour or
flambouyancy, nor on the other hand
proseletizing or a religious shift.
If Allah or Mohammed could save, I would
say, "Don't bother the Muslim world,"
but the truth of the matter is that
only Christ can save a human soul. (Acts
4: )
Consequently, this Christian life is
not a game we play with. It is spiritual
warfare, a battle for the souls of men,
and it is time that we as Christians
became serious about it. We have an
awesome responsibility, and we cannot
win the battle sitting on the sidelines.
We must get involved and have a God
Focus of these people.
THE CHALLENGE
One thousand Muslim missionaries are
said to be trained in Cairo each year
and many of them are sent to Europe
and North America as well as other lands.
Thousands of Muslim missionaries are
streaming into Africa. Arab oil wells
are pumping out petrol dollars to finance
massive thrusts for the Muslim faith.
Islam is undoubtedly on the March!
Furthermore, it is commonly said that
Islam is a closed door to the gospel.
Almost the entire Arab world of North
Africa, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon,
Iraq, Saudi Arabia, North and South
Yemen, the Arabian Gulf Nations, and
also the non-Arab lands of Turkey, Iran
and Israel, plus the Asian Muslim nations
such as Pakistan, Malaysia, and Indonesia
pose an almost impregnable barrier to
the Gospel, and present the Christian
missionary and the Christian church
world wide with one of the.biggest challenges
of the 20th Century and to the completion
of the job of world evangelism.
Do you like a challenge? There it is!
Get involved! Let's go for souls! Let's
be Real Christians! Let's do what God
said - Fulfill our Mandate - Evangelize
this World! Time for Luxury, Comfort
and Relaxation later... in Heaven...
Let's get on with the Job Now!
But, you ask, what can I do? PRAY -
pray for Revival in the Muslim world.
SUPPORT - help to finance someone that
is laboring amongst them. GO - Respond
to the call of God and go as a missioanry.
Remember, today Islam, with its zeal,
nationalistic fervor, and petrol dollars
is the fastest growing religion in the
world. But, we have something better.
WE HAVE GOD!!! That far over-balances
the situation in our favor! If you and
l, and other Christians like us begin
to ardently do their part, by God's
Grace and Power, we will get the job
done! Then Christianity can become the
fastest growing "REALITY"
in the world. We as Christians can reach
the Muslim world today! Let us not miss
the "Golden Opportunity" God
has placed before us.
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