Christian, live up to your name

Christian, live up to your name. After long years of war and persecution, Christians seldom see Muslims as people whom God loves and for whom Christ died.

God loves Muslims (photo by Bill Hunt).

  

The Cross and the Crescent (excerpt continued):

Lack of love for Muslims

After long years of war and persecution, Christians seldom see Muslims as people whom God loves and for whom Christ died. It is clear the Christians need a new filling of the Holy Spirit to love those who disagree with them. The greatest expression of love is to share with them the most precious thing a Christian has, which is the good news of the salvation of Jesus Christ.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Mathew 5:43-45 NKJV).

Lack of doctrinal knowledge

Most Christians do not know how to explain their faith to non-believers. They have received the salvation of Christ, but they cannot defend their basic creeds. According to the apostle Peter, we should always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks us a reason for the hope that is in us.

Yet, most Christians could neither answer a Muslim's questions, nor refute a Muslim's attacks against basic Christian doctrines. They haven't even got to grips with Muslim vocabulary. How many Christians, for example, know that Muslims refer to the Holy Spirit as the angel Jibril (Gabriel)?

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1Peter 3:15 NKJV).

Lack of faith in God

Most Christians simply do not believe that God will save Muslims. Many Christian ministers in Muslim countries have not seen a single Muslim come to Christ. At the same time, they have probably seen hundreds of Christians converting to Islam. Jesus Christ has full authority in heaven and on earth-and the Christian evangelist should never lose sight of that fact.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matt 28:18 NKJV).

Lack of security in a Muslim state

Christians refuse to witness to Muslims because they fear persecution. Some of the Muslims who ask Christians to explain Christianity to them are spies for the police or for fundamentalist Muslim groups. The reluctance of Christians to welcome new converts makes those converts more likely to backslide to Islam under pressure from family and friends, after which the backsliders may report Christian activities to the authorities.

– Abdul Hadi

International Bible scholar,

apologist and evangelist

Dare to Pray with Faith Power for the Nations

of the World. “Your Kingdom come, your Will be

done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”

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Pakistan Lahore Christians Attacked

Over 170 homes are reported now burned and families are asking you for prayer.

Mob burning household (photo per Bishop Anjum).

Dearest in Christ,

Very sad to tell you about this incident that happened in Pakistan. Today, (March 9, 2013) around 158 houses belonging to the Christian community were vandalized and burnt by a mob in Badami Bagh area of Lahore. This is over an alleged blasphemy committed by a Christian man.

SSP Operations Suhail Sukhera and the SHO of Badami Bagh were also reportedly injured when the mob pelted a police party with stones.

On Friday, a mob of almost 3,000 people forced the Christian community to flee for their lives, leaving behind their houses and possessions unprotected.

The charged group gathered around Joseph Colony on Noor Road, led by Shafiq Ahmed, in search of the accused Savan, alias Bubby. The mob attacked Savan’s house, setting it on fire and pelting it with stones. Other houses in the locality – homes to about 150 Christian families – they also attacked. Many residents, including women and children, hastily fled to save themselves.

Savan has been arrested and taken to an undisclosed location.

We request all of you to please pray for them and share with your Friends.

Remember Savan Masih, his family, and all the Christian community of Joseph Colony, Badami Baghe, Lahore, in your prayers.  

They lost their homes, households, and everything they have. They have nothing to wear, to eat, or a place to sleep. They totally depend on help and prayers.

Please pray for them.

In Him,

Bishop Anjum

Pakistan

Christians Should Be Creative

Christians should be a creative—the salt of the earth, the light of the world, and the leaven that leavens the whole lump.

Pastor teaches country church (Photo by S.A.).

(The Cross and the Crescent) Muslims can understand as little about Christianity as many Christians understand about Islam. Yet both are evangelistic religions. Christianity practices evangelism, and proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ. Islam practices Da'wa (a Call) inviting all to accept its faith. Against such a background, the message... can be summed up in a single statement:

That if God calls us to evangelize the Muslim world, He will give us everything we need to do it successfully. For God never orders us to do the impossible.

To start with, though, we need to ask what difficulties underlie the task of evangelizing Muslims, and why it is that many Christians have effectively “given up” the challenge. I suggest there are two factors at work. These have to do, first, with the weakness of the Church, and second, with the resistance of Islam.

1. Lack of obedience to the Great Commission

The greatest impediment to the evangelizing of Muslims lies in the Christian Church. A weak and lukewarm Church neglects its first duty, which is missions. Divided believers have much time to fight—and no time to witness. Many congregations are self-satisfied. They prefer the cozy atmosphere of their closed fellowships to the challenge of going out to reach the lost. The result is that believers “lose touch” with the surrounding world. They actually drive sinners away because nobody wants to be like them.

By contrast, the Spirit-filled and Spirit-obeying believer witnesses to God's saving power, and thus leads others to know Christ as personal Savior.

2. Lack of confidence in the Christian faith

In almost all countries where Christians are a minority, they exhibit a lack of confidence, both in themselves and in what they believe. The act like the ten spies who returned to Moses from Canaan and declared that the proposed invasion should be called off (Num 13:28-33).

In Muslim states, this behavior is reinforced by social attitudes dating back to the seventh century Covenant of Umar. A major purpose of the Covenant was to protect the life and property of non-Muslims—particularly Christians and Jews—who were resident in Muslim countries. But it did so on strict conditions. First, that Christians put no obstacles in the way of a fellow Christian who desired to become a Muslim. And second, that Christians make no attempt to convert Muslims to Christianity.

Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab used the Covenant to consolidate his conquests. He would present it to Christians in subject territories and demand they sign....

Centuries later, the terms of the Covenant remain deeply embedded in the way Christian and Muslim communities relate in Islamic nations.

Against this background, it is important for Christian minorities in Muslim countries to know what is expected of them. They should be a creative minority—the salt of the earth, the light of the world, and the leaven that leavens the whole lump (Matt 5:13,14; 13:33).

(Continued later.)

--Abdul Hadi

The Cross and the Crescent (excerpt)

Abdul Hadi is an international Bible scholar who has lectured and taught in several countries around the world; a Christian apologist, evangelist, and international authority on Islam.

Dare to Pray with Faith Power for the Nations

of the World. God will bless your Nation in

Return. “Your Kingdom come, your Will be

done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”

Follow me on Facebook: “Bill Hunt, World Afire”