Posts by: Staff Writer

PALM Project is what we use to win Muslims to Christ. PALM stands for Pursuing And Loving Muslims. It also is a good symbol for loving Muslims because many live where palm trees grow – the Middle East, North Africa, and tropical regions like Indonesia. It is also an ancient symbol for Victory!

Dr Cynthia tells us in this video that some Christians think that they can be so good that Muslims will just come to them wanting to be Christians. Yes, Jesus said that we are to be lights. But he also said that he came to “seek and save the lost.” And his disciple John said that if we follow Jesus we walk as Jesus did.

Pursue means to go after. This doesn’t exactly mean that we chase them. But we do keep an attitude of awareness to them and try to connect.

PALM Project teaches that any time a Christian is with a Muslim – actually anyone – they should do one of these three things:

1. Build Bridges
2. Share Truth
3. Challenge Falsehood

Our videos teach you specifically how to BUILD BRIDGES that connect with Muslims and lead them to the gospel. There are many bridges. We hope you find some that seem natural to you.

SHARE TRUTH: The most important Truth we need to share is the gospel. For that we use “The Path of the Prophets,” because it uses Bible characters and events that they know, so that it finally makes sense to them why God became a man to suffer for their sins. On the Resources page of our website, you can download these booklets/tracts in multiple languages, with more coming. We also have an English video with the words of the tract, on our website and YouTube, and a full video lesson with study guide Lesson on the topic.

Part of Sharing Truth is to sprinkle Bible truth into everyday experiences that you share with Muslims, and of course everyone else you know. Our videos teach how to do that.

CHALLENGING ISLAM: We are not primarily about Challenging Islam. Plenty of other channels do that. Although Christians are used to being challenged in everything they believe, that is not the case for Muslims. They are not used to it and so are very sensitive to it. We take that into account.

But we understand that unless Muslims know that Islam is not true, they will not have the strength to walk away from it: very much is at stake for them. So, our videos and study guides include essential Apologetics and Polemics (meaning defending our faith and challenging others). We do this in some short videos, but also in our full lessons as they apply. Challenging needs to be done in the right way for the setting one is in.

Christian friends, thank you for listening to our vision to bring Muslims to Christ. We hope that you join PALM Project, learn about Muslims, and start reaching Muslims for Christ.

And Muslim friends, you are most welcome to watch our videos, because they are especially aimed at your way of understanding. We even disciple a former Muslim in real time, so that you can see and hear Muslim questions and responses which resemble yours.

Mostly, Christians think outreach needs a team or group. They may refer to Jesus sending out his disciples two by two. But that is only part of the story.

Dr. Cynthia now shares with us something you will rarely hear: Christians should consider doing outreach alone. Here you learn reasons for that.

First, remember that Jesus sent his disciples two by two at a certain time for specified reasons. This was before Jesus’ death and resurrection, before the Great Commission, and before the empowerment by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. It was not given as an everlasting procedural command.

By way of contrast, the Old Testament prophets often served alone. In her several decades of experience doing outreach, Dr. C has found that insisting on a group dramatically slows down outreach activities. It inhibits rapid spread of the gospel to the immigrants flooding the West from regions which have never heard it. And it gives an excuse for staying home.

Dr. C does love to have an outreach partner. They pray together before and after outreach and share their experiences for mutual encouragement. But in our busy lives it is very difficult to arrange, even if we can find other interested Christians. So, should we forsake outreach, or limit it to once or twice a year?

Our master Jesus commands us to share. God sent people from remote and restricted regions to live near us in the West so that they could hear and experience the gospel (Acts 17). He gave us the Holy Spirit to empower us, and to convict us to share the gospel of love with them. Yet we find many reasons not to.

In this video, Dr. C presents three big benefits of doing outreach alone:

   * Flexibility – it takes a lot of time and effort to coordinate a schedule with a team, or a single other outreach partner. Even then, cancellations complicate the plans and can shut them down. Going alone avoids this frustrating waste.

   * Short Notice – if we bear in mind the idea of outreach as a part of our lives and are prepared to go alone spiritually and physically (with materials), when time unexpectedly opens up in our day we can easily fit in an hour or more of outreach.

   * Approachability – when we go up to someone alone and with a smile, we are less intimidating. It is easy for our smile to be seen as well-meaning, and easier for our materials to be received. The connection is more immediate. Conversations are congenial. Word and Esther Bridges are more easily formed. (More on these bridges in other videos)

The MORE the LONGER: The more Christians are open about their faith, and the more Christians that share it, the less we can be marginalized and silenced. We will have the right longer.

Jesus told us to go everywhere and share his teachings. Regions that do not allow the open exchange of ideas create a dilemma for Christians. In Muslim and communist countries, Christians are very restricted in where, when, what they can say about the Bible, the gospel, and their faith.

Traditionally America and parts of Europe have been bastions of the Freedom of Speech. Although constitutionally protected by the First Amendment in America, more and more topics are being forbidden as “hate speech.” As the West becomes increasingly post-Christian, restrictions come our way. Take for example, pastors. For expressing Biblical opinions, they face accusations: some are actually arrested, as in Finland.

Average Christians are being characterized as unkind, extreme, unloving and intolerant. Sadly, you can often guess the criminal in a show by looking for who wears a cross or goes to church. Some televangelists and street preachers do come across as judgmental. This taints all Christians.

In this video, Dr. Cynthia points out a way that we can fight against negative Christian stereotypes: if Christians bear the fruit of the Spirit and are openly share their faith, it will be more difficult to marginalize us. Let’s let the Holy Spirit fill us with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 6:22). And let’s take the “good news” wherever we go.

Do you have reluctance or anxiety about reaching out to Muslims – or anyone? If so, Dr. Cynthia tells you in this video, “Take it Easy!”

Let’s face it, no one wants to reach out. The mere thought is intimidating! It’s much easier to keep going on our way, fulfilling the duties of the day. If we do have some free time, we take what enjoyment we can.

Getting started in outreach can be really hard. But to truly follow Jesus we do need to share his words and gospel with others – even though we don’t feel like it. Are you surprised that Dr. C never feels like going on outreach? When the time arrives, she’s tired or ill, or just doesn’t want to do it. She expects it now. That expectation helps overcome it.

Maybe you are the same. We’re not saying to spread a contagious disease. What we are saying is that our own natures, and our invisible enemy, will try many things to discourage us from reaching out.

How can we confront this reluctance? Here’s Dr. C’s way:

• calm yourself with reassuring thoughts
• remember, it is God’s work, not yours
• make baby steps
• tell yourself “take it easy” – that you won’t push too hard, or stay longer than you can handle
• think, “I will simply show up. If God wants to bring me someone, or empower me distribute or speak, I will.”
• just step out in faith and let God do the rest

And do you know what? If you do step out in faith like this, you will gain strength, increase your faith, and experience minor miracles.

For example:

• feeling tired or ill immediately vanishes when you arrive
• people connect and want to talk to you
• you learn
• at times you make long-lasting connections that lead to salvation and discipleship
• you may hear back years later, as we have, of the impact that you made in one moment

As Psalm 126:6 says,

“Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.”

Jesus’ last command to his followers was to go into all the world and make disciples. In previous centuries that often meant leaving a “Christian” country and traveling a great distance to bring the gospel light to people who had no access to it.

 But now a remarkable thing – almost a miracle – has happened: people are coming in throngs from all over the world to America and the West. We now have access to them in our own country. We believe that God brought them here to bless them with safety, prosperity, liberty, and the gospel. (Bible, Acts 17) As a result, you can bring the gospel across the world without leaving America! Sometimes you might go with a team on a short trip to where many immigrants are; but often a mission field is simply in your own neighborhood or across town.

In this video, Dr. Cynthia speaks to us from where she is on outreach – a public walking street with people from around the globe. She encourages us to look for places like this nearby where we live. Find out what language and religious groups live or visit there. Take appropriate materials, perhaps with small gifts, and go to them! (Materials are available for free download in a variety of languages on our website. Another video will cover this in more detail.)

Dr. C has been doing outreach for over 40 years. She tells us that she knows it can be difficult getting started and sticking with it. So she will be doing a series of short videos with helpful hints and encouragement to make it easier. Today she reminds us that Christians don’t need a special call to share the gospel because Jesus commanded his followers to do that. You need a special call NOT share it. If you don’t feel called, as has been said, “Put your ear to the Bible and listen!”

In both the Bible and the Quran there are books named after the Prophet Jonah (Yunas in Arabic). God told Jonah to do something undesirable and nearly unthinkable: go to his nation’s sworn enemies and preach repentance to them. Assyria was known for being aggressive and violent. As you may have heard, Prophet Jonah took a boat the opposite direction. But after a dramatic turn of events, Jonah did go to Nineveh, Assyria’s capital.

In this video, Dr. asks Christians if they have a similar reaction to reaching out to Muslims? God had compassion on the Assyrians because they did not “know their right hand from their left.” They did eventually attack and destroy the Northern Kingdom of Israel, but due to Jonah’s obedience, Nineveh did repent. God did not destroy Nineveh at that time, and Nineveh likewise delayed in attacking Israel.

What difference might it make if you reach out to those who have threatened your country or your people?

Some Christians fear reaching out to Muslims either because they are “the enemies of God,” or that in loving them they curse Abraham, and will so bring curses upon themselves. We call this “The Abraham Dilemma.” In this video Dr. Cynthia address the issue to help Christians overcome it.

Working with Muslims we have many adventures. We also see the Lord work in a fantastic way! In order to inspire people to reach out to Muslims, we share some of these stories. But this can lead to problem. People can get the idea that we are more special than they are, and that we can do things that they can’t. So they give up before trying.

In this video, Dr. Cynthia dresses up with a silly crown to convince us that everyone is special and called by God. She shares with us that Bible heroes like David who did great things were considered insignificant. I Samuel 16 & 17)

We believe that any interaction with a Muslim, and indeed anyone should fall into one of three categories:

1. Build Bridges
2. Share Truth
3. Challenge Falsehood

BUILD BRIDGES: In this video Dr. Cynthia shares with us two types of bridges – to a person and to the gospel.

SHARE TRUTH: Sharing Truth should ultimately mean sharing the gospel of salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice in our place on the cross. But it can also be simply sharing a small bit of salt, a bit of truth from the Bible, as we share life with others.

CHALLENGE FALSEHOOD: Finally, although most of us are not comfortable with it, there comes a time when we should challenge the falsehoods that people believe. To truly believe the gospel and become a Christian, people need to be convinced that it is true, and that beliefs they previously held are false. This is especially true if someone is leaving a religion like Islam, which means that one’s whole life and support system will change.

Usually, we prefer to build, share, and challenge in that order; but in some settings, for example a debate, the order may be scrambled. We call this method PALM Project: Pursuing And Loving Muslims, for Jesus.

In our other videos you will find more information and many examples to help you reach out and Build Bridges, Share Truth, and Challenge Falsehood.

Dr. Cynthia tells Christians in this video that they need to open their eyes to the Muslim and other immigrants around them. We need to reach out to them with the gospel, in word and in deed.         Why? She gives us three important reasons:

1. Jesus told us to in what is called “The Great Commission.” If we are truly Christians we will follow the main two commands that Jesus gave us before he left earth: to Love and to Share his message.
   • “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”  Matthew 28:18-20
2. The Bible tells us that God moves people around to make it easier for them to get to know him. 
   • “…he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.” Acts 17:26, 27
   • In the West now, Christians don’t need to go overseas, learn a foreign language, risk getting killed or even getting parasites to share Jesus with people from around the world. God sent them to us to make it easy for us. If we fail to obey Jesus by reaching out when it is this convenient, how will we be able to face our master in heaven?
3. If the gospel does not change the immigrants, the immigrants will change the West. Since immigration law changed in 1965, immigrants have been flooding into America from countries that are not familiar with the gospel and the God of Love. They bring worldviews very different from that of Christians. Their worldviews differ even that of those who are not Christians, but were raised in the West and hold some Christian values.
   • Without realizing it, the very reasons that Muslims and others come to the West will change as their worldviews become incorporated there.