How to Witness to a Muslim
Aug 06Wed,2008 / Category: Answering The Challenge /
As many of you know I am currently hosting a week of radio broadcasts which focuses on understanding Islam. I have been very concerned about the extremism that I often find in Christian circles concerning this religion. On the one end of the spectrum are those who are totally passive about the radical differences between Christianity and Islam believing that for the most part both religions are fundamentally the same. On the other end of the spectrum are those who are so paralyzed by irrational fear that although they recognize the stark differences between the two faiths they won’t dare evangelize those beautiful Muslim people who they know lack saving faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior. My hope is that through my radio program Christians will become more informed and increase in both their courage and compassion as it pertains to witnessing to Muslims. In my personal experience I have had some success in sharing my faith with those who I love which are a part of the Muslim faith. I have found most of them to be very reasonable and open to intellectual dialogue. However, I believe that, like most Christians, many of them do not properly understand what there religion teaches and therefore often argue on the basis of emotion and not doctrinal beliefs or absolute truths. Even worse is the fact that far to many of them have a totally distorted view of Christianity and therefore fall prey to the stereotypes and false perceptions of popular culture. For me the key to witnessing to a Muslim is to be informed, courageous and loving. I am convinced that when a Muslim encounters a Christian who possesses a knowledge of the teachings of the Bible, a commitment to the rational interchange of ideas and a genuine desire to see them come to the knowledge of the truth of God’s love they are very reachable. There is one more thing that I believe is crucial to our effectiveness to understanding how to witness to Muslims and that is the fact that they are a highly relational and community oriented people. This means that cold tactics like street witnessing or track evangelism typically won’t work when it comes to reaching them with the gospel. Ideally Christ should be shared in the context of genuine relationships and intimate friendships. I find the closer the relationship the more open they are to honest criticisms of their beliefs. Without these sincere connections disagreements can easily escalate to hostility. My prayer is that more Christians would have the boldness to share their faith with Muslims with whom they share a relationship. I would also love for some of you to leave comments on tips and recommendations for witnessing to Muslims. Thanks and let’s keep the conversation going!
Pastor Chris
13 Comments :Kenneth Martin I know for a fact, Pastor Brooks that the Muslims are highly community oriented people. They take care of their own. I have found that many of them love the the Muslim Faith for that reason alone, (the looking out for one another deal) attracts many. Snatcher The nation of Islam is attractive because of the unity it represents among the brethren. Sadly, Christianity does not hold itself up in comparison to such a high esteem. Nevertheless, the Muslim faith’s leader is the not so honorable Elijah Mohammad. We must compare him to our Lord and the true savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Mohammad is a fallible man. The uniqueness of Christ is what makes Christianity the only living faith with the power of the living God to back our claims. I rest my case with Muslims, on Christ and what He did on Calvary! No one has or ever will do what he’s done. It is finished!!! Jacqueline I have an ex-brother in-law who is a muslim and I thank God for the teaching, because he made a comment about, as long as you have a faith, its all good. This woke me up to the fact that he wasn’t referring to me, but justifying his faith. Thank you, because the Holy Spirit convicted me, regarding his lack of the truth in the Word of God. Jay Pastor, your article has given me some fuel for my Christian fire. I recently have become engaged in what looks to be a long-standing business relationship with a Muslim. He is a nice man, seemingly very informed and has even written a book. We have had a couple of theological conversations here and there and he knows where I stand as a Christian and I know where he stands as a Muslim. As I stated above, he is a nice fellow, loves paying for folks’ meals, doing nice things for folks, etc. However, I have started to wonder if I should continue our business relationship because he is a Muslim and I don’t want to be influenced by his beliefs. I have even prayed to the Lord about it but have yet to receive a definite answer to my prayer. Your article has helped me to decide that not only will I continue our business relationship but I will pray and prepare to witness to him. Hopefully, God will soften his heart and use me as an instrument to bring him to Christ. Khalil Shabazz As Salaam Alaikum I’m a follower of The Honorable Elijah Muhammad and I listened to Pastor Brooks radio show about The Nation of Islam and The Honorable Elijah Muhammad. My opinion of it is that the “Black” Christian Preachers analysis of The Nation of Islam is no different from the devils. But what Pastor Brooks and others fail to do is show us the WORKS of a Black Christian Pastor, Bishop, Prophet, Evangilist or what ever whose WORKS in the name of Jesus are equal or are greater than the works of The Honorable Elijah Muhammad! You can’t do it!!!!! The only people who respect Black Christian Ministers enough to listen to or follow them are other Black Christians! Their messages never have touched the hearts of Brothers outside of the faith! BUT the men who The Honorable Elijah Muhammad raised (Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Minister Farrakhan and others) gets the respects of Black men from all walks of life! Not just Muslims! Why is this? Because the teachings of The Honorable Elijah Muhammad is the ACTUAL FACTS about the REALITY of our situation! Christianity is not REALITY!!!! Everything in Christianity is SOMETHING YOU CAN TALK ABOUT BUT NOTHING YOU CAN SHOW ME!!!!! The Honorable Elijah Muhammads teachings wasn’t given to him by our enemy to blind us to the REALITY of things like Christianity was! Salaam! Jay To Bro. Khalil, Your message seems to be well-intended but in all actuality, there are millions of people who are not Black Christians who listen to Black pastors. That is how many people become Christians in the first place. At one point in time Brother Khalil, I was considering becoming a Muslim and I investigated the NOI. I found what they have done with prisoners and other neglected groups interesting. And I agree that racism is alive and well in America, even today. But I also found their message to be loaded with rhetoric and hate though passionately and intelligently delivered. However, you should know as well as I do that: Brother Khalil, I pray that you do the research for yourself. Do not be afraid to ask questions of your Muslim faith and I encourage you to seek true answers about Christianity as well. Peace be upon you as well, (In Jesus’ name) Jay Janet Sumpter Dear Pastor Chris, I became friends with a daughter of Islam. Her father Bishop Jingles spoke and traveled with Mr. Farrakhan. Her whole life was being a good daughter of the nation, however she no longer believes in everything it stands for. I believe partly to her friendship to me. I am white, 61 years of age, brought up as a Quaker and and Christian Missionary Alliance. My mother and father were very active in different kinds of missionary work. The worked with they worked with the American Indians helping (physically) building church camps for Native American children. In my walk with Christ I have had an opportunity to witness to many people of different faiths. I have answered all my friends questions to the best of my limited knowledge. In Christ, She has started going to an apostolic church with a friend of her’s. Paul Bahleda Pastor Chris and bloggers, I think the best way to witness to anyone regarding the Christian faith is through my own personal experience and the effect those experiences have had on my behavior. Khalil, in a sense you are correct, there are not a lot of people of any faith that can show true change in thier nature. Jay, we can point out all the differences in the world between Muhammed and Jesus to a Muslim yet if he sees us lie, cheat and steal what is he to believe? The same is true, Khalil, of a Muslim believer. I can use the “screw driver, of faith” Jay, to build a house or stab someone, this is true. But the real measure of the effectiveness of that tool is wether I can use that “screwdriver” to correct and realign the interior mechanism within me to match Gods. Bear with me while I relate my own experience. may the love and changing influence of Christ Jesus be with you all, Paul Khalil Shabazz As Salaam Alaikum To Brother Jay, I hear the sincerity in what you are saying but you are being miss lead. Look at how your white Christian Sister Janet openly admits on what seems to be a Black Christian site that she was raised a Quaker and her parents where missionaries to Native Americans and this doesn’t offend anyone! Black people have been put so sound asleep by Christianity that White people who have destroyed us feel free to post on Black Christian sites and openly tell our people what they are and what they have been doing and ask for advice on how to continue to destroy our people. Do the history on Richard Pratt (http://home.epix.net/~landis/histry.html) and Carlisle Indian Institue. Read about how the White missionaries “Americanized” the Indian using Christianity and got the Indian to hate himself and his way of life to love the White man. The Indians began to look at their natural way of life as savage. They began to look down on their Brother and hate the ones who didn’t assimulate to the white man. The white man doesn’t hide these facts from you! Ms Janet, your white Christian Sister can now come here and ask Black Christians for advice on how to destroy a Sistah. The sad thing is that she will get all the help she wants from you. She, like Richard Pratt will use Jesus’ name to sheild their true intentions. It has always been in the name of Jesus! You emediately find wrong with The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, a man who taught Black people to love themselves but a white woman can come here and tell you that she was raised a Quaker and her parents where Missionaries to Indians and you find nothing wrong with that. If Sistah Makeda is close friends with this white woman and has a close personal relationship with her then she’s already a Christian, she just hasn’t made it offical yet! The question is, if Sistah Makeda becauses a Christian what difference would it make! What difference has Christianity ever made! Ask Sistah Mekeda what has Jesus ever done for us, Black people. Ask her to tell us when was the time in our histroy where a Black man came in the Name of Jesus and got the kind of Respect from our enemies, friends and foughs The Honorable Elijah Muhammad got. Ask her what Leader did Jesus raise among black people that had a solution to our problem that produce results for us here on this earth. No Christian can show me ANYTHING that Jesus of 2,000 years ago has done for the Black man and woman! If the devils didn’t promise us a Heaven after we die Christianity would be worthless. Salaam! mark Excellent site, It was pleasant to me. Zashkaser Good to see you’re doing some research to fill in the ??? TJensen Hey very nice blog!!….I’m an instant fan, I have bookmarked you and I’ll be checking back on a regular….See ya Leave A Comment |
Many of the Black Christians of way yonder went on to establish most of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities. These are institutions that have turned out many a Black scholar over the years.
Jonathan Huff
August 6th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Greeting Pastor Brooks!
You share very critical truths and tips regarding evangelism towards those of Islamic faith! Thank you for the fruitful information! In my life personally, there are no close friends or family members who are Islamic. However, I continually await for doors of utterance to be opened for dialogue with them to humbly dicsuss their faith, my faith and how they contrast to the supremecy of Christ as Lord. In doing so, I see truthfulness of your remarks on the importance of a ginuine walk with Christ seeing how many members of the Islamic faith project a strong sense of morality along with he abstaining from most sinful activity. It is almost as if their faith is solidified not so much in it’s theology but the works therein. This is no surprise as we know how the enemy sets out to pervert the things of God. We see in our own Bible how James tells us how faith without works is dead (James 2:17). In the next verse he challenges the reader to show him faith without works and he would show his faith by works. He goes further in verse 21 to say how Abrahams’s faith was made perfect by works. While some argue he contradits Paul in Epesians 2:8, I beleive there is no contradiction in that Paul speaks to salvation and James to faith. Faith in itself can’t save, it works towards the salvation of a believer but it begins with grace. However, when faith is present works are also. Islamic people back their faith with works. But is it possible for one to have “living” faith (that is, faith with works) in an unliving God? And if so, how much more effective would a living faith be in The Living God? Saying this, I believe that one of the biggest impacts while LOVINGLY evangelizing Islamic people will be the sincerity in our personal walks with Christ.