Posts by: Staff Writer

Commitment: Ballet and Outreach

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What does it take to be a professional ballerina? Extreme commitment and hard work!
Then, what does it take to do Christian outreach?

Here, Cynthia compares the commitment and suffering needed to dance beautifully to Christian commitment in sharing the good news about Jesus.

In her bestselling book, “Dancing on My Grave,” Gelsey Kirkland describes the kind of physical and mental commitment it took her to become a prima ballerina. For example, each morning she would divide an apple into four parts, eating a mere quarter for each of three meals, plus one snack. All of her money was spent on various treatments to make her a better dancer.

As with any serious ballet dancer, while beautifully bound in her satin toe shoes, underneath, Gelsey’s feet were injured, bleeding and ugly. Obsession and pain were the cost of bringing beauty to the stage.

How often do we Christians take our service to this level? Do we take it in stride as part of pleasing the Lord? Do we rejoice when we are injured and tired because we have wounds to show? When we’ve emptied our pockets do we feel it well invested?

In Isaiah 52:7 & Romans 10:15, the Bible tells us that the feet of those who bring good news are beautiful! In the ancient world travel usually meant walking long distances on rough roads and risking robbers, resulting at least in dusty, damaged feet. So, were the feet literally beautiful? Not likely! But it was so wonderful to hear a hopeful message, that the injuries and scars of the journey became precious to the hearers. Perhaps it is a little like the wounds of Christ for us.

Along with hockey, which we discuss in our “Risks” video, ballet gives us an example of commitment and perseverance to achieve an earthly goal. How much more important is our sacrifice for a heavenly goal? (I Timothy 4:8)

In Romans 8, Paul reminds us that nothing can separate us from God’s love. And just before his ascension to heaven, Jesus reminded us that he is with us always. God’s love and presence give us the courage to commit to his work.

How Muslims Deceive with the Bible

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Can you deceive by using the Bible? Yes. Muslims do.

Quoting verses out of context and changing their meaning is a trick commonly employed by Muslim debaters and da’wa evangelists. By doing this, they hope to keep Muslims contented within Islam and attract outsiders, like nominal Christians, to it.

Previous generations of Americans, and to some degree Europeans, were very Bible literate. Reading was emphasized by leaders of the Christian Reformation, beginning in the 1500s. They wanted people to read the Bible for themselves and come to understand the ways of God. Printing presses were developed around this time, bringing greater access to the Bible across the Western world. Protestants not only became Bible literate, but their literacy led to greater education, and the establishment of institutions of higher learning, like America’s Ivy League schools.

As a result, Christians were reading and memorizing the Bible. Its teachings not only brought salvation to believers but influenced the way they lived. Biblical teachings and expressions became common knowledge. The values of the West in the past several centuries resulted from that, and explain why people from around the world come here.

But within the past 2 generations, knowledge of the Bible has rapidly declined. Only those very dedicated go on to study and live what used to be common knowledge and custom.

This ignorance presents a great opportunity for those who want to misuse Bible! When people don’t thoroughly know it and its message, it is easy to twist what it says.

For example, Muslims INCORRECTLY say that:

  • The Bible and the Quran have the same message, return to one God
    • Not so, besides that the Bible has “progressive revelation.” It has prophecies which Christ fulfills, and other special messages not in the Quran.
  • Examples in parables are literal
    • Like misquoting that the king in a story commanding the sword was Jesus’ command.
  • Paul taught a different message than the other apostles
    • Yet if you read the other writings – gospels and letters – they have the same message.

We don’t try to tell Muslims that the Quran does not support their claims about Prophet Mohammed. However, they are bold enough to tell us their version of what is in the Bible; and they usually get away with it because, so few people know what it really says.

Christians beware. Know your Bible. Don’t believe what Muslims say about it.

Muslims: Don’t grab a few verses without knowing the passage, and don’t twist its words. We know it is difficult to accept the straightforward teachings of the Bible, because they differ from your faith. Yet the Quran says that the Bible has “guidance and light,” and that God’s words can’t be changed (Surahs 5:46 & 6:115). Rather than pretend they are alike, ask yourself why they are different, and the significance of that. Think about that and ask Creator God to show you which is true.

PALM Training 2: Introducing Islam with 3 Big Questions

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Engineer apologist Luke P specializes in science and philosophy apologetics and polemics, but has much experience with Islam from ministry, business, and family relationships.

Here he reviews for conference goers the basics of Islam by answering a few of Christians’ most common questions about it:

  1. What do Muslims believe?
  2. Why are some Muslims nice and others violent?
  3. Can there be a reformation in Islam, similar to that in Christianity?

These are presented from the Christian viewpoint, with some explanation in how they are the same or different from Christian views on that topic.

To clarify a few points that arose but might not have been clear in the presentation:

  • The Kabaa in Mecca can be visited by Muslims for religious credit year-round. The actual “Hajj” is an annual event on the lunar calendar, after Ramadan. Otherwise, the pilgrimage is called “Umrah.”
  • About holy books: in theory Muslims believe that there were many prophets who brought holy books, some besides those mentioned in the Bible and Quran. These however, they believe have disappeared or been corrupted, leaving the Quran as the final, perfect revelation from Allah. (Our other videos refute this claim.)

NOTE: This video was made at our Level 1 PALM Project Training. If you are taking the course online in order, it is #2. If you already know a lot about Islam, you may skip to the next presentation, #3. Conference attendees received a manual with greater depth on each subject.
This intro to Islam is also covered in more depth by Dr. Cynthia in our video, “Introduction to Islam for Christians,” and many of our other videos.

The Historical Background to Muslim Openness, with Georges Houssney

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Georges Houssney is from the Middle East, is expert in Arabic, has been in charge of several Bible translations, and directs large ministry concerns in the Middle East, USA, and Europe. Here, he traces for us how the history of Islam has led to the current environment of worldwide Muslim openness to the gospel. We are seeing Muslim conversions to Christianity like never before!

First, we learn about the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed, especially regarding violence and expansion of Muslim rule. We see what happened in the early days of Islam under the first 4 caliphs, Mohammed’s successors. These are followed by powerful Islamic dynasties in various parts of the Middle East, North Africa and Southern Europe. Areas previously considered “Christian” were overrun in all of these expansions.

Following these, for several hundred years the Ottoman Turks established an empire encompassing much of the land of prior dynasties. They also captured parts of Southern Europe, like Constantinople and parts of the Balkans.

Of course, there was infighting within and between dynasties, but on the whole, the successful expansion of Islam was considered by Muslims to be an affirmation by Allah of their faith.

Within the last hundred or so years the situation dramatically changed:

The Ottoman Empire fell with the First World War. Europe and America then started to gain influence in portions of the world which were previously thought to be solidly in the hands of Muslim rulers. Muslim leaders could not understand how this reversal of power could occur. One response was to dig deeper into the Muslim sources, Quran and hadiths. This response leads to either more extreme behavior, because that is what the documents teach, or abandonment of the faith.

Groups like the Muslim Brotherhood developed an extreme ideology to counter the growing influence of the West in Muslim lands – for example in the 1970s women in Palestine and Iran commonly wore short skirts and no hijab. Fundamentalists felt that Islam was losing territory and a punishment for not following Islam rigidly enough. And so, a backlash movement began imposing the sharia and enforcing it with violence and terror. As a result, even liberalized Muslim countries, like Iran, have become strictly Muslim.

Several significant things have happened in the past few decades that have opened Muslim hearts and minds to the idea that Islam might not be the truth:

  • Experience with the brutal legalism of Islam which stifles freedom
  • Greater contact with the West and its freedoms, which they see as coming from Christianity
  • Dreams and visions sent by the Holy Spirit

These things have combined to make many Muslims very open to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Georges encourages us to take advantage of this openness. In the West we now have many Muslim students, immigrants and refugees. We don’t need raise money to move overseas or learn a foreign language to share with them. God has made it easy for us to reach out to them where we live. Let’s do it! We show you how, step-by-step in our other videos.

(NOTE: This lesson was taped as a bonus to our PALM Project Level 1 training in Colorado, July 2024. If you want to learn more about the training, watch other videos posted on our website or YouTube Channel, or email us to schedule a training near you!)

Why Outreach?

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Why should Christians do outreach?

Wouldn’t we prefer if people came to us as Christians, complimented our radiant lives and asked us what we believe? Rarely that does happen – especially in restricted nations. But overall, it is neither reality nor what Jesus told us to do. He came to “seek and save the lost,” and tells us to do the same! Jesus went into public to find people, get their attention, and share truth with them.

Christians wonder how we come across the internationals that we lead to Christ and disciple. Here Dr. Cynthia shares how. She and her teams reach out every way that you can imagine – outreach events, immigrant communities, campuses, ethnic festivals, mosques, temples of various religions, street festivals, community events and online videos. We share materials in their languages, often along with gifts or a coffee card. Plus, every day we take small stashes of materials in various languages with us about town.

However we connect, we let them know that we are Christian. This way they know the source of our love, concern, and smiles: there can be no charge of deception (2 Corinthians 4:2).

As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:14, we spread the fragrance of Christ in triumphal procession everywhere we go. Those who respond positively to our message we invite to meet with us again.

This, then is how we make disciples – OFF:

  • Outreach
  • Follow-up
  • Friendship

Outreach with Style

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Elsewhere we talk about why Christians should reach out to others. Here Dr. Cynthia explains that reaching out in a warm style helps receptivity. We should be confident, smile and be pleasant. Our actions should show that the message we share is good: it is important to us, and we bless them in sharing it!

We believe Acts 17, where it says that God moves people around so they can get to know him. And so, we consider that we are put in certain places at certain times to be agents of God in fulfilling his will that everyone come to know him. We may not be perfect, but that makes us his anointed.

These thoughts grant us courage to reach out in kindness and love, with a power beyond our usual personality.

Risk: Hockey and Outreach

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Hockey is an exciting sport! In fact, the games are known for engendering disputes and violence – both on the ice and among spectators.

Most hockey violence is unavoidable: players hurl across the ice at top speeds resulting in high-impact collisions. Pucks are propelled to tremendous speeds by sticks which could serve as weapons in peasant uprisings. Woe unto those who get into the path of either!

Dr. Cynthia’s mother was Canadian with a typical fondness for hockey. Understandably, several members of the family play hockey. As a result, not only have they dedicated much of their free time to games and practices – after school and summer camps – but their bodies bear the scars.

 Broken bones and teeth, a ripped ear, and concussions with overnight hospital stays were taken as part and parcel of playing – even for teens. After decades of playing, a brother needed hip replacements because they were worn out from forceful skating.

Being a mother, aunt, and medical doctor, Dr. C recoils at such injuries for a mere game. Her dismay is in stark contrast to what one nephew told her a few days before he left town to join a minor league hockey team,

“I expect to get broken bones and teeth, and head and flesh injuries. But then, I play hockey.”

His casual acceptance of bodily injury shocked Dr. C. She couldn’t help thinking then, and still now, that Christians are such wimps in comparison to hockey players!

How many of us say, “Yes, I expect broken bones and injuries, but then, I’m a Christian?” or “I am an extreme sport Christian and do outreach, so I know I’ll get hurt.”

No! In America we never expect such kickback from practicing or sharing our faith. Even Dr. C admits she has had very little physical persecution.

As we reflect on the dedication of hockey players and the risks that they take for sport, let’s ask ourselves, “Are we willing to take risks for our Savior?”

Upfront Right Off

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When do you come out and tell people you are a Christian?

Dr. Cynthia tells us that on outreach in America, she lets them know as soon as they meet. She is “upfront right off.”

Much of the time people learn she is Christian because of the gospel material she gives distributes (more on this in other videos.) If it is a holiday outreach or back to campus outreach people will receive a gift card along with a tract fit to the occasion. The situation is similar with the everyday tract she takes with her everywhere to give with a coffee card to whoever connects with her.

If someone receives a packet, they will soon find out that Dr. C is a Christian. So, her first goal is to make a good connection so that they accept the packet, and so that they think well of Christians once they have read the tract.

If you are in a church or working in a Christian booth when you meet people, they will automatically associate you with Jesus, so you don’t need to announce it.

What if you are in a place where you can’t easily give out tracts or talk about Jesus, like in a Muslim or other restricted nation? One thing you can do is wear a cross. Simply your smile and love from the Holy Spirit will shine Jesus through the cross. In fact, sometimes in a medina Dr. C will touch her cross and move her hand toward the people there with a smile, as if she is saying without words that Jesus loves them.

Dr. Cynthia gives us two important reasons that we let people know we are Christian when we meet them, or at least early on in a relationship. We talk about “The Esther Bridge” in our training. That is when you invite someone for coffee or other setting in which you can build a relationship. That is how Queen Esther approached presenting an important topic to the king. If someone already knows that you are a Christian when you invite them to meet with you:

  • they can’t say that you tricked them
  • if they are not interested in connecting with a Christian they won’t meet with you. That means you are freed to meet with someone else who is truly interested – or do anything else on your list.

WARNING: Dr. C is talking about meeting people in America or Europe, or in a restricted nation if you are clearly American. In the Middle East or restricted nation, one must great caution before being a vocal Christian – especially if you are a former Muslim. When to come out as a Christian in these situations is a topic addressed elsewhere.

Make Their Day

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Let them Taste and MAKE THEIR DAY!

As a Christian, when you meet someone, you can “Make their Day!”

We hear “you made my day!” over and over – almost every time we bless someone with a kindness packet. Sometimes it brings tears to their eyes.

Psychology says that before you can trust someone you must know that they are good. That is probably a reason why the most common verse in the Bible affirms that GOD is GOOD (ex: Psalm 118:1).

Psalm 34:8 tells us to, “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” Dr. Cynthia tells us that it is especially important now to let people taste and see that God is good, because there are surrounded by sources telling them that God is NOT good. And there is little Bible literacy in society to counter that by explaining how God IS Good.

And so, daily, wherever we go we pass out a brief tract explaining how God is good. To some degree it is damage control against the lies people hear daily and readily believe. When we pray the Lord’s prayer we say, “Hallowed be your name.” This means that we should want God to be known in the right way – that he is holy and worthy. And so, when we show people that God is good, we fulfill this scriptural prayer.

Remember how Jesus drew a crowd? He provided something for their bodies so that he had the chance to touch their souls. For example, he healed or fed them. It was a way that he had them taste God’s goodness. We can do that too, if in a very small way.

Perhaps you are shy of sharing with strangers. But often you will find that they speak to you or do some kind service. Then you would naturally want to thank them. By having a small snack bag with this little leaflet and a coffee card with you, you can easily bless them. Sometimes it is even a great way to bring the gospel to someone you already know but have had trouble sharing with. A small packet can brighten their way during a difficult period.

By giving this brief message of love and salvation along with a direct gaze, smile, chocolate, a coffee card or gift card, you affirm to someone that God is good, and that someone cares about them. You really do “Make Their Day!”

On our Resources page you can find links to this bilingual tract in: English, Spanish, French, Punjabi, Hindi, and German, with more coming, Lord willing!

Learning to Balance Small Talk and Big Talk

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What are “small talk and big talk?” These words define almost anything that you say during the course of a day. For example, talking about the little details of life is considered small talk: the weather, what you ate, and what you might do for the weekend.

On the other hand, “big talk” is talking about things that really matter in the long run – either on earth or after we die: science, politics, religion, and big dreams.

Dr. Cynthia talks about her work in the medical field as an example of big talk. It could be discussing a patient’s condition with another doctor, ordering more tests to clarify the diagnosis, or talking about medical and scientific discoveries in the doctor’s dining room.

For much of Dr. C’s life, big talk was easier for her than small talk. Airing everyday little concerns seemed like a waste of time. That was a weakness.

But when Dr. C started focusing more on relationships, especially with internationals, she learned that in order to share the most important big things, she needed to improve on talking about small things.

Think about your own life: how do your conversations fall into small talk and big talk. Which do you need to improve on more in order to be a better communicator?

Apologetics: Handling Negative Responses

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Apologetics: Handling Negative Responses

Apologetics: Handling Negative Responses

Handling Negative Responses well is something that every practicing Christian needs to learn.

While sharing and defending the gospel and challenging other faiths we get negative responses every day. But in today’s world, just being known as a Christian brings criticism your way. As with so many things in life, expecting something and knowing how to respond makes a big difference in how you act, and the stress that you feel doing it.

Here Luke and Dr. Cynthia discuss how they handle negative responses. Luke reminds us that it is natural to a get negative response on any topic, not just religious. Here are some types of negative responses:

  • Respectful disagreement: although they disagree with a point, they agree with a lot of what is said, and the idea of talking about it.
  • Moderate disagreement: “You’re wrong” and here’s why…
  • Hateful or “toxic” disagreement: includes insults, and often anger.

QUESTIONS about RESPONSES:

  1. LOGIC: Dr. C asks Luke, “What if you are being logical, but are accused of being illogical?”

Luke responds that they might disagree on the facts and genuinely think that we are illogical. So, don’t get angry. Especially in person, ask them why they think this way so you can understand and respond.

In general, Luke says, we want to maintain a calm demeanor, more so that theirs. Try not to escalate the tensions, which can be tricky. Luke finds that in person, people are more inclined to be respectful than online, which lacks personal connection.

“As ambassadors of Christ, sometimes we need to take a beating,” says Luke. When we are out sharing, we need to expect resistance, even insults, “Just don’t make the bad things they say about you true!” he cautions.

  1. PERSONAL ATTACKS: What if they attack you personally? Shrug off insults. Jesus said they would hate us because they hated him first (John 15:18). The goal is to bring attention to the issue without escalating the confrontation.

But if it is really bad or distracting, consider finding a reasonable way to highlight how they are treating you. For example, saying, “I’m glad to talk to you but I’m not going to talk to you if you do this.”

You always have the option to stop talking and walk away. It is better than having a blow-up. In public, hopefully those watching will see that it was a reasonable option.

  1. REPEATING QUESTIONS and ANSWERS: What if they keep asking the same question over and over, rejecting your answer? You may sense that they are insincere and perhaps should discontinue the discussion. Online you might not want to keep repeating, “I already answered that” over and over. It makes a boring post. It is OK to have a focus in the post or conversation and divert attention back to it because you have “bigger fish to fry.”
  2. GOAL: There is so much to say on this complex topic, because of the large variety of responses that you may get. So, keep your goal in mind.

Are you trying to win the argument? In a public setting this could be the goal. Do we want to make a specific point or share the gospel? Then keep on track with “the main thing the main thing.” But we need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and consider the needs of the person arguing as well.

Can Muslims Question Islam?

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“Doubt is a sin. Allah will not be pleased with you. You just need to believe!” an Imam told a troubled Muslim who came to him, “Just take the Quran at face value.”

Georges Houssney opens the video with the story of this Moroccan young man. On his extensive travels throughout the Muslim world George has met hundred – even thousands – of Muslims who have been told the same thing: to be a good Muslim you must not question Islam.

Dr. Cynthia, another frequent presenter on this channel, has met the same response. For example, when a Fulbright Scholar, now internationally famous Ph.D. “Madam X”, stayed with her for a week. Besides exploring the region and discussing plans for the future, Dr. C asked her some challenging questions about Islam, for example on women’s rights. The response was, “In Islam, we are told not to question our religion.”

Somehow, despite training in the USA with its system of open inquiry and critical thinking about everything, Madam X’s brain was so programmed by Islam that she became unable objectively inspect it. As a result, Madam X has been teaching Islam, culture, and Arabic all over the Western and Arab Worlds, presenting at high level international conferences and commenting television without having taken time to seriously evaluate the religion that she is promoting.

Sometimes, however, this approach backfires, as it did with a Sudanese student. He wondered why he must pray in Arabic. He spoke several languages; surely a true God could as well. His Imam forbade his questions on this and other topics. Yet he and his friends talked about them. One friend wrote a poem questioning Islam, and as a result was killed. “If Islam were true, it would not need to protect itself like this,” thought the student. He kept on questioning and eventually found the truth in Christ.

What then is the reason for walling off questions? The Quran has various passages that discourage inquiry, such as 5:101, which says not to ask if it would cause you to doubt. Western Muslim apologists try to deny that is what the passage means, yet that is how it is practiced throughout the Muslim world.

In contrast, the Bible applauds inquiry. In the New Testament, or Injeel, in Acts 17:11 we learn of a group of people in Berea, Greece, who were skeptical of the gospel when it was first preached to them. So, they searched the prior scriptures every day to confirm if the gospel message were true or not. Because of this they were called more noble than other groups that did not research.

And friends, the fact that the Bereans searched the scriptures points out that:

  • Questioning the truth of what we are told is important.
  • The prior writings of scripture were available.
  • They confirmed the gospel message, since the Bereans believed after examining them.
  • They were not considered corrupt, as Islam claims in order to support its different message.
  • God purposely kept them free of significant changes so that they could be one of the 3 major proofs of who he was that Jesus gave in John chapter 5, of the Injeel.

Why If They Stayed With Muslims?

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Did you know that several times in history Christians came close to Muslim leaders and were invited to stay and teach their people, but left? If they had stayed with Muslims, how might the world be a different place now?

Let’s look at three examples:

SAINT FRANCIS: is famous for his gentleness and love of animals. In 1219 A.D. Francis crossed battle lines to take the gospel to Muslims. He was captured, insulted, beaten, and nearly killed. But he reached his goal: the Sultan of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria – al Malik al Kamil.

Francis showed love for the Sultan. But he was also bold. He preached the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Because Francis had suffered to deliver this message, the sultan defied his imams and refused to behead him.

Francis stayed there a few days. The sultan implored him to stay longer. But Francis left to write up the rules for the Franciscan order – and he also wrote a manifesto for evangelizing Muslims. The church accepted his rules, but it smothered his manifesto. Muslim evangelism was shelved for centuries.

MARCO POLO: The second example occurred a few years later on the other side of the globe where Marco Polo, his father and uncle spent years in the court of the Mongol Chinese Emperor Kublai Khan.

The Great Khan had an enormous realm which included peoples of many races and religions. Despite his violent past, the khan was always looking for ways to better his kingdom. Himself an idolator, Kublai Khan nevertheless was interested in all the religions in his ream. Islam, he felt, provided a legal basis for the practice of vices that he did not want in his empire. He decided that Christianity was the best of all for the fairness of its teachings and the lives of its people.

And so, he requested that the Polo family return to Italy and have the pope send to him 100 missionaries to teach him and his people, answer their questions, and lead mass conversions into the faith.

Sadly, the Catholic Church lost this opportunity. The request came during a change of popes. When they finally sent missionaries, only two went. Guess what? They turned back fearing war – far from China. In this backwards situation, the Polos, who were only merchants, had more courage than the missionaries. Despite the risks, they went back to China.

Kublai Khan said if they had sent the missionaries, he would bring more Christians into the fold than those already in it around the world!

MARY FISHER: She never attained the fame of St. Francis or Marco Polo, but then she wasn’t trying to. Like St. Francis, Mary also sensed God calling her to share the gospel with the sultan of her day. Already persecuted in England and America, she was prepared for difficulties. After many adventures, in 1658, Mary arrived on foot in Turkey where the sultan was stationed with 20,000 men.

Boldly, Mary claimed to be an emissary from the Most High God. She claimed and persisted and claimed and persisted until finally, the Grand Vizier allowed her to meet Sultan Mahomet IV.

Mary shared salvation through Jesus. Impressed, the sultan invited her to stay; with his people and teach them more. But as with St. Francis, she also departed. The regional English authority then forbid further Muslim evangelism in the region.

Did these brief encounters bring any benefit? After all, the leaders and their people did not clearly convert.

Actually yes! Even these brief encounters made a difference. Sultan al Kamil and Mahomet IV treated Christians better after his meeting with St. Francis. One report even claims that al Kamil made a deathbed conversion.

What if St. Francis had stayed with the Sultan? What if 100 missionaries had gone to Kublai Khan? What if the church had been more interested in Muslim evangelism than monasticism? What if Mary Fisher had stayed? What if others had followed in their steps? Isn’t it possible that the world would be different now if they had?

Muslims are willing to lose their lives to promote Islam. What risks are we willing to take to share the gospel? We are assured of heaven. Can we be faithful where others have failed?

“In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths… Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Proverbs 3:6, Matthew 28:19, Joshua 1:9

Why I Rejected Islam

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Raised in a Muslim country with Muslim friends and culture, Georges had many opportunities to convert to Islam. His family was Christian in name only, so his thinking was influenced by the Muslim culture. He had Muslim views and didn’t know the difference between it and Christianity.

Out of this confusion, he began wondering what religions taught, and if any religion were actually true. This started him on a quest. He studied and compared Islam and Christianity with Buddhism and Hinduism. And he took courses in comparative religions.

Georges recommends that everyone do this: don’t simply accept what you grew up with – take an honest look at the teachings and proofs for whatever you believe is true. He points out the verse in the Quran, 2:170 which he reads for us in English and Arabic. It tells people not to keep a faith just because their forefathers did.

After study, Georges became convinced that the Bible is the Word of God. Because it:

  • is historic in its scope. It has over 40 human authors with a consistent message. This is in contrast to the Quran which has only one.
  • has over 1,000 prophecies, most of which have been fulfilled, and some of which are still future.
  • has a spiritual aspect. Its message drew him to it:
    • God made people in his image and loves them.
    • explained why Georges was attracted to do many bad things.
    • God did not leave us in evil. Even in the beginning he promised Adam and Eve that a savior would come.
    • shows that God accepts a substitute sacrifice as he did with Abraham and Isaac. (Georges says most people don’t understand the prophetic meaning of this, the holiest of Muslim holy days.)
    • tells us that as prophesied, God came once to earth in human form to take our punishment, as Jesus did on the cross. If we believe in him, we can have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

This message of “the gospel” attracted Georges more than any aspect of any other religion. He accepted it and began following Jesus over 60 years ago. He has never regretted it.

You might find this lesson helpful, or other videos on our YouTube channel.

Does Arabic Prove the Quran?

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Islam claims that the Quran is both in perfect Arabic and inimitable. In fact, these are given as major criteria that the Quran gives for its authenticity.

The other proof is its claim that Christians and Jews should be referred to for its authentication. This, of course, as we have seen in other videos, they do not do.

So, we have in this video an Arabic expert reviewing the topic for us. Georges Houssney not only grew up speaking Arabic but is one of the main translators of the Bible into Arabic. Houssney reminds us that the Arabic of the Quran was that of the 7th century Qureshi clan in Saudi Arabia.

Surah 2:23 challenges anyone to make a surah equal to those of the Quran. This is a problem, because evaluating the beauty and power of writing is what we call “subjective,” meaning that it is not absolute, like the number 5 is. No, different people will see it differently. For example, one person may like a song that another person thinks is ugly.

Houssney tells us of a hadith about a man who thought someone was quoting the Quran, when he was just speaking in the style of it. Ancient Arabic poetry is as powerful and beautiful as the Quran. Other people have indeed written chapters and books very like the Quran. So this challenge has actually been met many times.

But there is a more important issue here. The New Testament, or Injeel, of the Bible is written in the everyday Greek of the time – not fancy academic Greek. That is because God wants his Word to be in language that people understand.

This is an important difference between Islam and Christianity. Christians do not need to read, memorize, and quote the exact words of the original languages of the Bible. This is because it’s not the actual words that have the power, as the words of the Quran are believed to have. What is important about the Bible is its message, and that is the same in any language.

Women Prophets Challenge The Quran

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There is a little-known, but important disagreement between the Quran and the Bible on whether or not women prophets exist. It may seem like a small thing, but actually the reliability of the Quran partly stands upon this issue. This is especially so because the same Quranic verse which says prophets are only men, says to ask those who had Scripture before – the Jews and Christians (Quran, al Nahl 16:43)

The opening segment features Arab Christian Georges Houssney reading the Quranic verse in Arabic and English. He then reads a passage from the Bible about a famous woman prophet, Deborah. Deborah was a judge, a leader, and a poet. Georges points to this as evidence of the esteem women have in the Bible.

Dr. Cynthia then recounts her experience with Quran 16:43. One day she was reading the Quran alone when she came across this verse. She compared the Arabic and English in her bilingual Quran. Dr. C’s Arabic is very basic; but it did seem to say that indeed all prophets were men! Then she called her tutor to ask if that was really what the verse said. The tutor confirmed it. Dr. C was very surprised and explained the Bible’s view to her tutor. (This tutor later became a Christian.)

At that time in her studies of Islam, Dr. C knew that Islam claimed to accept the prophets of the previous monotheistic religions. So, she believed that they also would accept the women prophets. Instead, the passage seems to be totally ignorant that Jews and Christians had women prophets, because the second part of the verse actually refers the reader to them for confirmation!

Jews and Christians know very well that there ARE women prophets. Many are mentioned in multiple books in both the Old Testament of the Jews and the New Testament of the Christians. In fact, a popular name for women of both Christian and Jewish women is “Deborah.” Between 1950-1970 Deborah was one of the top 20 names given to baby girls in America!

Dr. C says this creates a significant problem that must be addressed by Islam. It can’t be overlooked or ignored, for it is not a small or insignificant detail. In the video she puts forth these 4 challenges:

  1. Does the Quranic verse in al Nahl, 16:43 really mean that there are no women prophets?
  2. If Islam is related to the prior monotheistic religions, why does it not have women prophets?
  3. When were the scriptures of the Christians and Jews changed to add women prophets?
  4. If Allah knew what was in the prior scriptures, why does the Quran say to ask Christians and Jews about women prophets?
  5. Why do Christians accept the women prophets of the Jews, but the Quran and Islam do not?

Dr. C discusses these 5 challenges. The Quran does not condemn the Bible. On the contrary, it points to it as guidance and light. The Codex Sinaiticus is a nearly complete Bible from hundreds of years before Mohammed. Dr. C checked, and it includes the verses about women prophets.

Dr. C says that the existence of these women prophets challenge Islam. Islam is telling them that they do not exist, and that Christians and Jews can confirm this. Dear friends, check the evidence for yourself. With this huge mistake, can you reasonably believe that the Quran is totally reliable?

REFERENCES cited: BIBLE:

https://CodexSinaiticus.org

Genesis 1:27; Judges 4:4,5 & chapters 4-6; Exodus 15:20-22; 2 Kings 22:14; Joel 2:28; Luke 2:36; Acts 2:17 & 21:9; I Corinthians 11:5

QURAN: Surahs 16:43; Surah 5:43; Surah 10:94; Surah 2:170