I.S.L.A.M. I Sincerely Love All Muslims

I.S.L.A.M. I Sincerely Love All Muslims, do you?
I have really been challenged by the testimony and ministry of [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother_Andrew]Brother Andrew[/url] and [url=http://www.opendoorsusa.org/Display.asp?Page=home]Open Doors[/url]. I really encourage you all to [url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=38]listen to his messages here at SermonIndex[/url] and also to [url=http://www.amazon.com/Light-Force-Stirring-Account-Crossfire/dp/0800731042]read his book Light Force[/url] in which he shares about the need for evangelism and love towards Muslims.

For my own part, in the last week I’ve been on my own little crusade against a shallow understanding of the heart of God in this matter. This shallowness has infected many Christians, even some on this forum, and is being used by Satan to drive a wedge between Christ’s people and the lost world!

Right now there are millions of Muslims being lost to eternity because the followers of Christ are not only too afraid to reach out to them, but also because they’ve been brainwashed to think that they are unreachable, or that they are satanic murderers. These ideas are all just that, they’re brainwashing, a tool of the devil to deceive us from saving those that Jesus desires us to reach out to.

But some may say that Muslims are villains, they only understand bloodshed. This is how Jesus commands us:

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: [b]Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven [/b]. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matt 5:43-48)

This isn’t just some nice teaching that Jesus wanted us to think about, [b]this is a COMMAND[/b]! We are commanded to love our neighbor, as Children of Light this is not just a pretty teaching, this is our duty!

And if the words of Jesus were not enough, I know how much most of you on this forum adore the Apostle Paul.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary:
[b] "If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.[/b] (Romans 12:17-21)

Once again, [b]these are not suggestions, they are commands[/b]! Although the Muslim world may seem entirely unlovable because of 9-11, or the situation in Israel, all the more we are commanded to love them. If we are wronged in the process it is God who will do the judging, our job is simply to obey his commands unswervingly and be his ambassadors to a lost and dying world, so that by our obedience some may be saved.

Deas iansmith,

Good word. I am reminded once again of Rolland and Heidi Baker's ministry in Pemba Mozambique
www.irismin.org They have a tremendous ministry to muslim villages in Africa. They have been threatened with death, had stones hurled at them and machetties waved in their faces. However the power of God has called out the deaf and blind and healed them right in front of whole villages of muslims and the entire village has been converted to Christianity. They have no argument for this kind of power. They are willing to listen if the message is anointed with His presence.

If you read their books or listen to their messages you will be quite happy to see it all happens because of love. Glory. [color=990033]Jesus means what He says in the sermon on the mount![/color][color=990033]

* I would like to add after the Moderators comments these Muslims were presented the saving gospel of Jesus Christ and converted by that word.[/color]

That means preach to them brother and not simply love them, the act of preaching the gospel to Islam is a show of love for if we have the truth and do not share it, it would be crinimal and a vast lack of love on our part.

John 13:34-35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Love first, preach later! How can we even dare to say a word to them without first proving our love for them! Greg, I respect you, and agree with your desire to share the Gospel, but our witness isn't just in words but also in action! Yes we need to preach to them, and Brother Andrew does, but first we must be witnesses in our action -that means extending a hand of fellowship.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing[/b]. (1 Cor 13:1-3)

We can preach about Jesus all we want to the Muslim world, but if our actions don't show the love of Jesus then we are useless to his work!

Brother Greg

I fully agree with what you have said, the only true way to demonstrate love for a Muslim or any other lost and unsaved person is by sharing the truth of Jesus with them. We can do all kinds of loving acts for a person but if we never speak the Word of God to them, never share with them that they are eternally lost without Jesus then our kindness is no love at all.

God Bless
Maryjane

We need to love "oneanother" meaning Christian brethren so that the world will know that we are disciples of Christ.

If we love those that love us, what gain is there -why should I simply love my Christian Brothers... no, thats not the love Jesus is talking about! They'll know that we are his disciples when we love dirty, stinking, rotten, worthless, evil, hateful people! Because thats what Jesus did.

Jesus came to me with love even though I was his enemy, even though I was a harlot, one who despised righteousness! Can you imagine that, perfect and holy, Jesus the lamb of God came to Ian Smith, a wicked man, a harlot, a slanderer, a liar, a thief, a murderer, a scoundrel... and Jesus said 'I come not to condemn you!' What! Like the woman caught in adultery, he said 'than neither do I condemn you.'

Jesus loved an entirely unloveable people, he loved an entirely unloveable Ian Smith... so much that he gave his life, and then he asks, no he demands that to be his disciple I do the same!

This teaching is no where found in the scripture. No where are we exhorted to "win the right" to tell people about Jesus. This is what the modern church teaches. And while they are "loving people" to win the right to witness to them some of them go to hell. Our actions and preaching go "hand in hand" - not one before they other.

Really, you sure Jesus didn't say anything about this?

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Matthew 25:31-46 (NIV)

iansmith wrote:

We need to love "oneanother" meaning Christian brethren so that the world will know that we are disciples of Christ.

If we love those that love us, what gain is there -why should I simply love my Christian Brothers... no, thats not the love Jesus is talking about! They'll know that we are his disciples when we love dirty, stinking, rotten, worthless, evil, hateful people! Because thats what Jesus did.

Jesus came to me with love even though I was his enemy, even though I was a harlot, one who despised righteousness! Can you imagine that, perfect and holy, Jesus the lamb of God came to Ian Smith, a wicked man, a harlot, a slanderer, a liar, a thief, a murderer, a scoundrel... and Jesus said 'I come not to condemn you!' What! Like the woman caught in adultery, he said 'than neither do I condemn you.'

Jesus loved an entirely unloveable people, he loved an entirely unloveable Ian Smith... so much that he gave his life, and then he asks, no he demands that to be his disciple I do the same!

Ian,

I to have to agree with Greg. Greg is well aware, just as many of us are, that we are to love the lost, hurting, dying, and needy, however, the Scripture for which you exemplified, does apply to believers.

Who is your neighbor? I am well aware of the CONTEXT that the verses I have used were made in... but I'm not interested about their context as to whom Jesus was talking, his audience, but instead about what it tells me about his heart!

We can read the bible a hundred times, but if we're not searching for the heart of God we'll just end up with a bunch of information!

Matt 22:37-39 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. [b]And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[/b]All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Who is your neighbor - maybe even someone with the name Mohammed!

I know that going to bat against Greg on this forum is like picking a fight with Mike Tyson... but in this one place I seek to be right, that is in my knowledge of the Father's heart! I really don't care about the words themselves, I want to know the heart behind them! If Jesus was walking through Seattle streets today, he may not attend any of our churches but may instead go to share himself with the local mosque... It's not the healthy that need a doctor but the sick.

Do you think that Jesus' disciples gave to the poor as an afterthought or a foremost part of their ministry. How many times did Jesus feed people, heal people, give to people! Sure he taught too, but Jesus was very much involved in a humanitarian ministry too! Did Jesus ever say "stop and listen to me give a sermon before I heal you..."

You are twisting it to make it say something it doesn't.

I see people twisting verses to their adgenda all the time to support hatred, corrupt governments, foreign wars, intolerance, and many other non-christlike things... but to twist verses from the bible for the sake of love... this has to be a first, I'll gladly accept your condemnation on this matter!

I read your message, started to reply, then closed the window and asked Jesus when he ever showed love and didn't preach, Jesus took about 5 minutes to answer but I heard it.

[b]Ten Lepers[/b]

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." (Luke 17:11-19)

Jesus met them on the road... they asked for healing. Jesus healed all ten of them, not demanding anything from them, not preaching to them, but simply telling them to goto the temple to be certified as clean.

He didn't even care about the fact that there was a foreigner among them, they could have all been foreigners, but most likely some were jews and didn't recognize their messiah.

Jesus certainly desired that they all know him and made light of the fact that only one returned -he would have liked for all of them to come and know him. But here's the heart, God healed them, without a sermon, without condemnation, probably even knowing that they would be ungrateful... why? Because of love. And he demands this love be shown in his disciples too... not just to fellow disciples, but also to men like these 10 lepers; diseased, disgraced, foreigners. There is no guarantee that they will know Jesus as savior, but Jesus still healed them none the less, and we are commanded to do likewise.

And guess what, one came back and fell at his knees before Jesus -I have no doubt that this man became a disciple of Jesus and may have been used to plant churches among the Samaritans. I'm sure he listened to much of Jesus' teachings after his healing. Jesus did heal him first -he would not have even been able to attend a meeting as a leper, but Jesus broke down that wall.

Let us break down the walls of leprosy between ourselves and the people that Jesus wants us to reach. Let's reach out our hands and in Jesus' strength heal those people... and then when they are healed of their afflictions, when they see our genuine desire to love them and share Jesus' love, then we can share Him!

iansmith wrote:
I read your message, started to reply, then closed the window and asked Jesus when he ever showed love and didn't preach,

Ian,
I first want to say that love,teaching and healing all go hand in hand. Think about it this way - I can't hate someone and say, "In the name of Jesus, you are healed." That goes against everything Christ lived and preached.

What does the Scripture say for which you quoted?:

"Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

Jesus loved the lepers, and yes, he did heal them, but it was more then Christ's love that healed them, it was their FAITH.

I have provided some Scripture that will provide some background for which we have been trying to present to you:

24"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”
John 5:24

63The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 64Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.
John 6:63-64

24The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
25Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, 26but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:24-27

18"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. 23He who hates me hates my Father as well. 24If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.' John 15:18-25
1Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:1-6
13It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken."With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, 14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
2 Corinthians 4:13-17

As you see, in each Scripture, there is some form of preaching and teaching going on. We can't love on them and then later tell them about Christ. Our own lives must be living proof that Christ exists and we must exhort the non-believers to have faith and believe in what we are preaching and teaching, and in doing this we, in the process, exude love and compassion. Again, it all takes place hand in hand.

My initial post was to share with you a challenge to live after the heart of God in a certain area where many American Christians in particular are not living up to his commands. I didn't intend for this to become a digression into verse warfare -instead I had hoped that you would listen to the messages by Brother Andrew and read his literature and be encouraged to take the Gospel to the unreached people -namely to Muslims.

In the last several posts I have been challenged to produce a verse that shows God would take action first before preaching to us. I have already said that I wasn't looking for a particular verse that would solve all our disputes for all time, but that I was looking for the heart of Jesus behind the words on the paper... so to best explain myself I won't use the bible, I'll use the Gospel according to Fyodor Dostoevsky.

If you haven't read the ‘Idiot’ by Fyodor Dostoevsky I suggest you stop reading this post now because it will quite soften the blow of the whole nature of the book before you've read it.

The book the ‘Idiot’ is about a man, a poor impoverished prince who is returning to Russia from a sanitarium in Switzerland, the man has no guile, hatred or any evil in him; he is as an innocent child. On his way to Russia, and after his arrival in St. Petersburg, Dostoevsky parades a seemingly endless line of wicked people into the Prince's life.

He meets a harlot to whom he says that he could see through all of the malice into her soul, and underneath of all of the pollution on the surface, he saw perfection. This prince, a pauper without a ruble to his name proposes marriage to the harlot even as she is being offered the hand of a millionaire whom only desires her for her body.

The harlot knows that the Prince is without guile and that his intentions are pure... then it is suddenly revealed that he is not so poor either -he is fabulously rich. He himself had offered to marry the harlot, without judging her, without holding any grudge against her for her past... and now he was not only a poor pauper, but also an amazingly wealthy noble.

What do you think happened next? Well Dostoevsky isn't a romantic, and he was also telling this as a parable... the harlot refused the hand of the prince and went away with the scoundrel, full well knowing that she was picking the perfectly evil man over the good one. She couldn't believe that a good man like the prince could ever truly forgive her for her past, and she also wanted to continue in her lustful life. So she left with the rogue.

But as the harlot left with the rogue, the prince ran after her... that is where the end of the first book of the ‘Idiot’ ends, but this is where the Gospel begins!

You asked me to tell you where in the bible there was a passage about Jesus coming to us without preaching, but simply offering love in action. That is the bible, in its whole. That is Adam and Eve through the end of Revelations... you could say a picture is worth a thousand words, you could also rightly assume that a man sold out for the Lord is worth a thousand sermons! What about a God that would make himself a man and go to the cross for your sin, without ever saying a word, silent like a sheep before the shearers... all before we were born, all before we could listen to any of his teachings. All before the beginning of time!

Jesus did it all first.

My whole point from beginning to end is that we do a lot more to tell them about Jesus by the way we act and the things we do than by the things we say. Of course they have to hear the Gospel, I'm not saying that, but there needs to be an open door.

A picture is worth a thousand words, a Christian sold out for Jesus is worth a thousand sermons. Someone with a strong testimony in action will speak the Gospel through his actions to a thousand people!

There are countries with open doors, where we can walk around freely and speak openly and hand out bibles -but all too often we fail even here. Then there are countries closed to all of these activities where we cannot hand out bibles openly, there we have to be the bible in our daily lives!

As for your comment whether we have to EARN their trust or respect to preach the Gospel... I did imply this, but I don't think you need to have a bible verse to believe the truth in this. If you see a man on the side of the street kick a dog, smoke a cigarette, take a swig of gin and then walk in the back door of a church and start giving a sermon, you certainly wouldn't want to goto that church!

The same thing is true of our witness with Islam and Muslims... if we call them dogs, if we kick them where they are weak, if we are not a strong witness in love then we've showed them just how legitimate our Gospel is.

I want to make something clear, as far as humanitarian aid goes, Muslims are some of the most generous and charitable people on earth, to the point of being pharisees! They give more to charity on average than most westerners, they are more welcoming, and in a worldly sense often more gracious people!

But all of these things are the works of man! Islam is against alchohal, so you won't find a drunk or a drug user in most of the middle east. They're protective of their families, they're concerned more about western pop culture and it's bad influences than most western Christians are.

Jesus said that the teachings of the pharisees were flawless as far as their teachings were concerned, it was the pharisees themselves that were the problem. The same can be said of Islam, as far as morality is concerned, many Muslims live more upstanding lives than western Christians... but they're not getting to heaven.

So how do you approach someone who is morally upright, generous, gracious and kind but still doesn't know Jesus. Well you are definitely not going to get anywhere, if you're morally slanderous, ungenerous, ungracious and filled with hate! Your Gospel will smell like garbage!