Discipling Muslim Background Believers

“SHOULD I NOT BE CONCERNED?” - Chapter 1

When Christians think of Muslims, many think of terrorists, burned churches and religious oppression. They think of “those Muslims” as their enemies. Such Christians joyfully receive the blessings of God for themselves. Their leaders are like Jonah, who energetically prophesied blessing for his people, the Israelites. The Israelites restored their boundaries from Lebo Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah “in accordance with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah” (2 Kings 14:25).

But when God sent Jonah to prophecy to the Ninevites, Jonah balked. Jonah knew that God is a merciful Gad, but he did not want God to be merciful to the Ninevites! After all, the Ninevites were Israel’s enemies. They had raided their farms, taken slaves, burned their houses, and mistreated them in many ways. Jonah wanted God to be angry with the Ninevites, as he was, and destroy them. He did not want to bring the Good News to the Ninevites!

You can read the complete story of Jonah in the Bible book by his name. God compelled Jonah by way of a storm and a fish to go to Nineveh and warn the people that judgment was coming. God wanted them to repent and be forgiven. Jonah wanted them punished immediately! He agreed to say only that in forty days Nineveh would be destroyed, and he wanted it so!

The people of Nineveh, even the king and the nobles, repented at Jonah’s preaching. They gave up their evil and violent ways. They asked for God’s mercy. But Jonah was not happy. How could such quick repentance be genuine? How could God forgive them so generously? What if they were only pretending? They might soon go back to their old ways of mistreating the Israelites again. God was much too easy on these people, Jonah thought. God ought to make them suffer for all the bad things they had done. Jonah did not like God’s mercy to the Ninevites at all.

God did not like Jonah’s attitude. God enjoys showing mercy. He is quick to forgive at the first sign of repentance. He wanted Jonah to love the Ninevites as He did. But Jonah’s resentment against the Ninevites prevented him from seeing them with eyes of love.

Many Christians today are like Jonah in their attitude towards Muslims. They are deeply resentful because of all the wrongs some Muslims have done to them. They remember burning of churches, killing of relatives, exploitation, political oppression, the denial of their rights to education and advancement. Their eyes and hearts are so full of resentment that they cannot bring Muslims the Good News of forgiveness in Jesus. When they hear stories that Muslims have repented, they suspect they cannot be genuine believers. When a Muslim tells them he wants to follow Jesus, they doubt him and do not accept him as a brother in Jesus. They think like Jonah.

But not all Christians think like Jonah. Some think like Elisha. Like Jonah, Elisha preached to the Israelites and blessed them. But, unlike Jonah, he also blessed others, even their enemies. In the time of Elisha, the enemies of the Israelites were the Arameans. The Arameans treated the Israelites cruelly, plundering their farms and taking their girls as slaves. One day the commander of the Aramean army, Naaman, came with a letter from his king to the king of Israel. You can read the whole story in 2 Kings 5:1-19. In the letter the King of Aram said that he was sending Naaman to the King of Israel so that he might cure him of his leprosy. The King of Israel exploded with fear and anger. He thought that the King of Aram was only trying to pick a quarrel with him. But when Elisha heard of what had happened, he sent a message to the King of Israel saying that the king should send Naaman to him. Elisha saw Naaman’s coming as a divine appointment.

What do we do when Muslims come to us? Do we see them all as tricky people trying to set traps for us, as the King of Israel did? Or do we allow that their coming may be a divine appointment and in the plan of God?

If Elisha had had resentment in his heart, he might have said something like this to Naaman: “You have taken one of our girls as a slave in your house. Bring her back to her parents before we heal you.” But Elisha did not say that. Neither had the young girl. She had forgiven Naaman for making her a slave in his house. When he got leprosy, she did not thank God for punishing him, as a resentful person would have done. Instead she felt compassion for him and pointed him to her God and His prophet who could heal. Elisha saw God’s plan in what was happening and worked with God to show Commander Naaman how to be healed. He refused to take anything from Naaman as payment. As a result, Naaman decided to follow the God of Israel who had healed him. God in heaven rejoiced that His young daughter and Elisha had worked with Him to heal the Aramean commander.

Can you imagine the report that Naaman must have brought home? We don’t know how many others came to know of the God of Israel through his testimony. But God’s name was honored in the nation of Aram.

Every time God’s people give up their resentment against Muslims, God rejoices. He brings Muslims in trouble to Hhis compassionate people for blessing. When they bless these Muslims and do good to them, the name of Jesus becomes honored in the Muslim community.

There was once an old malam (Muslim religious teacher) who was severely persecuting Audu, a new convert. Audu told his Christian friend and together they went to visit the old man. An ulcer was growing on the back of his neck. Now this was strange because the old malam was a traditional healer and had never been sick before in his life. When Audu and his friend asked if they could pray for him, he said no and sent them away. But the third time they came to greet the old malam, the pain was excruciating and he said they could pray for him in the name of Jesus. They did and he was healed. The old malam later asked to hear more about Jesus.

Many times I have seen that Muslims who oppose Christians get into trouble. That is the time when Christians have the opportunity to return good for evil and even bless their enemies, as Jesus taught us to do. God often uses the love of Christians to soften the hearts of Muslims and open their ears to the Good News about Jesus.

Sometimes it is fear that paralyzes Christians so that they do not bring the Good News to Muslims. Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, was like that. One day an Aramean army came against Elisha and surrounded his home town. You can read the whole story in 2 Kings 6:8-23. Gehazi was terrified. But Elisha did not fear. He knew that God and His angels were protecting him. He faced the enemy, and with the power of God he confused them. They became like blind men. They could not do the evil they were planning to do.

Next Elisha took them to the King of Israel. When the king saw them, he wanted to kill them. But not Elisha! Elisha had a better way of winning a victory over them. He told the king to prepare a feast, to feed their enemies and return good for evil. The king obeyed the word of the Lord in the mouth of Elisha. He prepared a great feast for the Aramean troops and let them go. What was the result of using the power of God to confuse the enemy and then return good for evil? “So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory” (2 Kings 6:23).

The Bible says that “perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). It is also true that fear drives out love. We cannot fear Muslims and love them at the same time. We do not need to fear Muslims because God and His holy angels are with us to protect us. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, even death (Romans 8:38-39). One of the most remarkable stories of returning good for evil is the story of Stephen and Saul of Tarsus. Saul was among those who wanted Stephen killed because he was preaching Jesus. But even when Stephen was being stoned, he said, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). Stephen died, but later Saul repented and suffered much to bring many people to faith in Jesus. We need this kind of love for God and Muslims that drives out fear and helps us to return good for evil and bring them the Good News.

Some Christians who have not experienced any opposition or exploitation from Muslims have a different attitude towards them. They see them as brothers from a respected monotheistic religion. They are not aware that in spite of some of the good teachings in Islam, there are also some very dangerous ones. The Qur’an denies that Jesus was crucified for our sins and raised for our eternal salvation. So religiously speaking, we cannot be “brothers” with no significant differences who can agree and cooperate in everything. This does not mean that we should not love Muslims. We should. But in addition to being harmless as doves, we should also be as wise as serpents in regards to what their religion teaches them (Matthew 10:16).

Before the time of Elisha, King Asa of Judah made a treaty with Ben-Hadad, the King of Aram, so that the Arameans would help him fight against Israel! God sent a prophet to King Asa to tell him that he had done a foolish thing in relying on Ben-Hadad, who did not even worship Jehovah, for protection, instead of on Jehovah Himself. The result of such an reliance, the prophet predicted, would be constant war (2 Chronicles 16:1-9). There have been times in history when Christians have welcomed Muslims to help them in their fight against other Christians. This usually ended in the Muslim state becoming dominant and subjugating the Christians on both sides into second-class citizens, the dhimmi under Shari’ah law. Under Shari’ah law Christians have no right to witness to Muslims about their faith, and no Muslim has a right to become a Christian, on penalty of death.

When Ben-Hadad later attacked Israel, God gave Ahab victory over the Arameans. But then Ahab did a foolish thing. He made a treaty with Ben-Hadad, calling him his “brother” without first calling him to true worship of Jehovah (1 Kings 20:32-34)! Ahab was like Christians who say, “My religion is good for me. Your religion is good for you. Let us just try to respect each other’s religion and work together in peace from now on.” In the next battle with the Arameans, Ahab was killed (22:38). It wasn’t until the time of Elisha that the Israelites began to learn to deal with the Arameans the way God wanted them to, relying on God’s power when attacked, returning good for evil, blessing the Arameans in the name of Jehovah, and evangelizing them until, like Naaman, they also started following the way of Jehovah.

What about you? Are you like Asa and Ben-Hadad? You don’t see Muslims as enemies, but you don’t evangelize them either. Or are you like Jonah with your heart filled with resentment against Muslims? Are you like the King of Israel whose resentful and fearful heart made him suspicious, even wanting to kill? Are you like Gehazi, paralyzed with fear? Or are you like Elisha and Stephen who saw the coming of even an enemy as an opportunity to share the power and love of God and who saw the coming of someone from a different religion as an opportunity to evangelize them?

If our hearts are still full of resentment towards Muslims, or we are in fear of them, we need to change. We need to confess this resentment and fear to God for the sin that it is. We need to hear God’s questions to us, “Should I not be concerned about that great number of people who are Muslims? Did Jesus not die for them as well as for you? Do you not want their salvation as I do?”

We need to answer God, “Yes, Jesus died for them as well as for us. Jesus’ blood covers even the sins they have done against us. Lord, forgive them and give them the gift of repentance and faith in Jesus unto everlasting life. Take away my fear. Love them through me.” Christians who answer God in this way are then ready to evangelize Muslims.

If we see Muslims as our friends, but make no efforts to share the Gospel with them, we need to repent of that as well. We are called to pray for them, bless them, love them, and disciple them carefully. By all means possible we should work with our God, the Father of Jesus Christ, who does not want any to perish, but everyone, including Muslims, to come to a knowledge of the way, the truth, and the life.

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 1

1. Explain in one sentence the attitude of these people to the nations who did not worship Jehovah.

• The attitude of Jonah
• The attitude of Joram (King of Israel)
• The attitude of the Israelite girl slave and of Elisha
• The attitude of King Asa and King Ahab

2. Explain how each one of these four attitudes is like attitudes different Christians have towards Muslims today.

3. In your opinion, what percentage of the Christians in your church hold each of these four attitudes towards Muslims today? (The total of the four percentages you give should be 100%.)

4. Write your personal response to this lesson. (Read the explanation on how to answer this question below.)

Note on personal responses. Sit back and ask yourself what one thought during your study of this particular lesson was the most meaningful to you, the most exciting, the most startling, the most horrifying, the most unexpected, or the most important. Write less than one half page. This answer is “you.” There are no right or wrong answers. You can’t be graded up or down on content, but you can be graded up or down on how much thought went into your answer. Try to be as specific as possible.

MAKING CONTACT - Chapter 2

There is no doubt that God is concerned about Muslims. The Bible says that one of the reasons that Jesus has not yet come back is that God is being patient, “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Paul urges us to pray for everyone because this pleases God, “who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). All men include Muslims. At this time about one of every five people in the world is a Muslim. These Muslims are spread all over the world and speak many different languages. But in Revelation 7 we have a mighty promise of God. In heaven there will be people from every ethnic group and language, including the Hausa, the Fulani, the Kanuri, the Arabs, and others.

• "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes….they cried out in a loud voice: 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits in the throne, and to the Lamb' (Revelation 7:9-10)."

From these verses we know that God intends to save people out of every people, including Muslim peoples, and take them to heaven. We need to join God in His concern and love for Muslims.

Just before He went to heaven, Jesus told His followers to go and disciple all nations, or ethnic groups, and promised that He would be with them (Matthew 28:19-20). We all need to have a part in fulfilling this command. As for discipling of Muslims, some of us have a head start. Some of our relatives and friends are Muslims. We can start with them. This book will give you many ideas on how to disciple them.

Others of us see Muslims in school or in our work places. These Muslims need to hear about salvation in Christ. Perhaps that is one of the reasons God put us in that school or work place. Daniel of Bible times went to school and later worked in a place where those who feared Jehovah were in a small minority. Daniel 1 – 6 shows how he witnessed in such situations. In Daniel 6:25-27 we read how Daniel’s faithful service to the government of King Darius and his victory in persecution made Darius order the whole kingdom to respect the God of Daniel. Daniel was an effective witness for the Lord both in school and in the work place. We can learn much from him.

Others of us have no Muslim relatives and friends. There may be Muslims near where we live, but they speak a different language and have different customs from us. We do not work in the same places with them. They are not yet our friends. We need to study 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 carefully in order to learn how to share the Good News with these people. Paul said that for the sake of the Gospel, he “made himself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible” (19). To make oneself a slave, or servant, of people is to look for ways to help these people, even if it is at inconvenience to ourselves. I remember asking Ibrahim, the son of a limam (Muslim “pastor”), when he first started thinking of becoming a follower of Jesus. He told me what had happened years before. His mother had just had a baby at home, but the placenta had not come out and she was bleeding badly. His father was not at home. Ibrahim tried to get a car or taxi to take his mother to the hospital, but no one would help him. Then he remembered a neighbor whom he knew as a kind Christian nurse. He went to her and told her about the problem. She quickly went to the hospital and got some supplies and then came to Ibrahim’s home and helped his mother there. Ibrahim never forgot that kindness, and it was one of the things God used to influence Ibrahim to become a Christian. We need to look for opportunities to help Muslims when they are in need. Our love to them will open up contacts for discipling.

Paul also said that when we give the Gospel to people who are different from us we need to respect their customs, or ways of doing things, as much as possible. When Paul shared the Gospel with Jews, he became like the Jews and obeyed their cultural rules as much as he could in order not to offend them unnecessarily. When he wanted to win non-Jews, he kept to their ways of doing things, in order to win them. Paul became “all things to all men so that by all possible means he might save some” (21-22). If Paul were alive today and among Muslims, he would become all things to them too. He would follow their ways of doing things as much as possible in order to win them. So should we. Here are some of the rules that many Muslims observe.

1. They dress modestly, covering their arms and legs. Women put a scarf over their heads when they go out, and men wear hats.

2. They take off their shoes before entering into a house, or a place of worship. They often sit on mats.

3. They do not stand up when urinating, but always squat down.

4. They do not eat meat that has not been killed properly. The animal must be killed with a certain prayer and with cutting its throat.

5. They never eat pork because to them pork is haraam, or “unclean” meat. They eat only meat that is halaal, or “clean.”

6. The one walking by should greet someone sitting down.

7. In Islam the right hand is used for “clean” purposes like greeting, eating, and giving or receiving something. The left hand is only for “unclean” purposes.

8. Dogs are considered unclean and should not be petted.

9. Some Muslims consider it rude to sit cross-legged.

10. Muslims give and receive hospitality. To refuse to give or receive hospitality could be offensive.

11. There is separation between the sexes. In general, women interact mostly with women, and men with men, except for close relatives.

Now read these rules again. Which of them are also rules in your own culture? Which of them are different? If many of the rules are the same, it will be easier for you to make friends with Muslims and disciple them. If many of the rules are different, you will need to learn to adjust. We must be willing to give up our own customs that are offensive to Muslims when we are among them. If we keep doing things that are offensive to them, they will not listen to us when we share the Gospel. We need to learn to do things the way they enjoy, so that they will also listen when we share the Gospel.

If something they do is a sin, we must of course not join them in sinning. We should rather explain kindly why we cannot do it. For example, some Muslim may wish to give us a charm to protect us, but we know that using such a charm would be a sin against God (Deuteronomy 18:10-14). We could thank the Muslim for being concerned about our safety, but explain that Jesus gives us all the protection we need. The Muslim may want us to give a daughter in marriage to his son as a sign of friendship, but we know that marrying our daughter to a Muslim would cause our daughter to be unequally yoked, something the Bible commands us not to do. (2 Corinthians 6:14) We can thank the Muslim for other ways of showing friendship, but explain that we want our daughter to marry a Christian so that their children will also be trained as Christians.

Many of the “strange” things we see Muslims do, however, are not sins, but just different. In these kinds of things, we should adjust to their ways when we are among them, and not expect them to change and become like us. We should dress modestly, serve them food they consider halaal, and take off our shoes before entering their homes. Once we have a friendly acquaintance in the Muslim society, we can ask him or her to tell us more about their cultural rules, explaining that we do not want to offend their people unnecessarily. Of course, as Paul said, we are always subject to the law of Christ, the law of love. We should keep our own lives clean from anything the Bible shows us is sin, such as dishonesty or rude behavior. We want Muslims to see us as decent people, people they can enjoy being with, people they can trust. They will be more likely to hear the Gospel from a “clean” life.

Perhaps the Muslims around us do not want to hear the Good News even if we do live clean lives and try not to offend their customs. We need to pray according to Psalm 2:8 where God gives His children an astounding promise. "Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession."

There are no exceptions in this promise. God does not say except for the Fulani of Sokoto, the Kanuri of Maiduguri, the Hausa of Kano, or the Arabs of Mecca. No, we can ask for God to pour out His Spirit on all peoples, including the Muslims around us and even those farther away (Acts 2:17). Sometimes we have not because we ask not (James 4:2).

When we ask God to pour out His Spirit on Muslims around us, He will, because we are praying according toHhis will. We will begin to see signs that God is working in their lives. Sometimes they get into trouble and contact us for help. Sometimes people who were not interested before begin to listen to what we have to say. Sometimes they start asking us questions that they never asked before. Sometimes they come and ask us to pray for them. These are all signs that God by His Spirit is working in their lives. We can become co-workers with God, helping them, praying for them, and beginning to disciple them. God will give us many ideas on how to disciple them, and in this book we will share some of the insights God has given.

As we mentioned earlier, there are groups of Muslims all around the world. Perhaps God may ask you to be a missionary among Muslim peoples. If so, I hope that this book will help prepare you.

It takes a missionary team to work among Muslim peoples. The missionary cannot do it alone. Others from sending churches can get involved in supporting the missionary financially, as those in the Philippian church did with Paul (Philippians 4:16-18). Financial support will free the missionaries to use all their time in the work of the Gospel and to have enough money also to help converts in desperate need. Money will help to get the Bible translated into a new language and buy materials needed for discipling. Missionaries need emotional support (2 Timothy 1:16). Letters and visits will keep up their morale and comfort them when they get discouraged or lonely. Missionaries need our help spiritually (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2). They are on the front line of the battle against evil spiritual powers. Curses may be put on them or their families or the converts. We need to help them with prayer at all times.

When one missionary I know started working among Muslims, she got sick with five diseases at once. She took medicine for all those diseases and got better of none until she asked other Christians from her home church to pray for her. Then she was healed and continued her work among Muslims. Many working among Muslims have found themselves and new converts attacked by powerful temptations to confusion, discouragement, fear, and immorality. Their personal prayers may not be enough to gain victory over such temptations. They need other Christians to pray for them. Christians who pray need to hear from their missionary how God has answered their prayers. This will encourage these prayer warriors to work hard at prayer day and night.

In Acts we see that the church at Antioch set aside Paul and Barnabas for the work God called them to do, the work of taking the gospel to places far from home (Acts 13:1-3). The church prayed for them and encouraged them on their way. When Paul and Barnabas came back from their travels, they reported to the church what God had done through their work (Acts 14:25-27). The report strengthened and encouraged the Antioch church. Any church that sends out missionaries will be blessed. Because the Philippian church faithfully supported Paul in his missionary work, Paul said that this promise was especially for them: “My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). If we send out missionaries from our church to Muslim peoples, certainly God will bless us—and them.

So all of us can play our part in co-working with God as we contact Muslims. Those of us who already have Muslim relatives and friends have a head start. Others of us can start to love and serve our Muslim neighbors or those with whom we go to school or work. Still others can become missionaries to Muslims or support those who do so. We can all have spiritual contact with Muslims near or far by praying for them. How will we start making contact with Muslims? Let’s make this a matter of prayer and discussion alone with God and also with close Christian friends.

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 2

1. What percentage of the world population is Muslim?

2. What is the basis for our sure hope that our evangelization among Muslims will be successful? Give a Biblical reason.

3. Give two lessons we can learn from the life of Daniel on how to witness in places where those who fear the true God are a small minority. Be specific in your answer.

4. What do we need to make ourselves in order to win as many Muslims as possible? Give a Biblical reference for your answer.

5. Look once more at some of the cultural rules of many Muslims. List the ones that are also rules in your culture. Then make a second list for those that are different from those of your culture.

6. If we want to witness among Muslims, what should we do with these rules when we are with them in their communities?

7. “Sometimes we have not because we ask not.” How does this apply to work among Muslims?

8. Write four different ways of being part of a missionary team. Remember a team includes those who go and those who send.

9. Write a personal response to this lesson.

THE NEED FOR PRAYER PARTNERS - Chapter 3

A school teacher came to his pastor. "You encouraged us to be kind to our Muslim neighbors and share with them the Good News of Jesus. But once I started to do that, bad things started happening to me and my family. We have had one sickness after another. Someone broke into my house and stole from us. Often there is a heaviness on me that seems to press me down, especially when I try to pray for Muslims, or share the Gospel with them. What is happening? Is God trying to tell me not to work among Muslims?"

The pastor opened his Bible to Exodus 17:8-16. "What you are saying sounds to me like what happened with Moses and the Israelites. They were in the center of God's will. They were on the way to Canaan, where God had told them to go. Yet they had one trouble after another. In this passage they were being attacked by the Amalekites. Joshua and some chosen men went into the valley to fight. Moses went to the top of the hill to raise up his hands in prayer to God. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but when he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning (Exodus 17:11).

"After a while Moses' hands got so tired that he could not hold them up any more. Now who should be getting more tired? Joshua, who was fighting hard in the valley? Or Moses, who was 'only praying' on the hill? We see it was Moses who got tired first, even though he was a physically strong man to the end of his life (Deuteronomy 37:7). Why was Moses so tired? Why is it that we can talk to a friend for hours and not get tired, but when we try to pray we get tired in fifteen minutes and find it hard to continue? It is because when we pray, there is a lot of force coming against us to stop us from praying. This force is coming against us from the devil, whom Jesus called ‘the prince of this world,’ (John 12:31) and his demons. The Bible clearly tells us that we need the strength and power of the Lord in our fight against the devil and his schemes. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but ...against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12)." These dark powers in the unseen world were coming against Moses and trying to stop him from prayer. These dark powers were the gods or demons of the Amalekites, the ones who stirred up the Amalekites to hate and fight against the Israelites.

“Back in Egypt Moses had faced similar dark supernatural powers. It was not just Pharoah and his soldiers from whom the Israelites needed to be freed, but also the gods of Egypt. On the night of the Passover, God said, 'I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord (Exodus 12:12).'

“Moses knew that the way to overcome the Amalekites was to ask God to bring judgment on their gods. That is why he lifted up his hands 'to the throne of the Lord' (Exodus 17:16). He also asked God to strengthen Joshua and the soldiers. But he himself got tired and his hands came down. And when his hands went down, the Amalekites got stronger and the Israelites weaker.

"Aaron and Hur were watching what was going on that day. They could have left Moses alone on the hill, taken swords, and helped Joshua fight. But instead they supported Moses in his work of prayer. They became prayer warriors with Moses for Joshua and the soldiers in the valley. 'When Moses' hands grew tired...Aaron and Hur held his hands up--one on one side, one on the other--so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword (Exodus 17:12-13).'

"When we begin to pray for Muslims and witness to them, the dark powers that have blinded Muslims against the full truth of the Gospel of Jesus come against us to try to stop us. So we need to pray, reaching up to the throne of God for victory against these dark powers. And we need to ask for prayer warriors, for people like Aaron and Hur, to help us in prayer.

"I, for one, am encouraged by what you have told me. The fact that trouble has increased since you started witnessing to Muslims shows me that your work is starting to be very effective. That is why the dark powers are coming against you to stop you. They know that if you continue, many Muslims will leave their kingdom of darkness and come into the Kingdom of Jesus. But I also realize how much more I need to pray for protection for you and your family. You cannot do this work alone. Every work among Muslims needs faithful prayer warriors on the hill with their hands continually lifted up to the throne of the Lord. We have already looked at the passage in Ephesians 6 where Paul warns us that we are not fighting against flesh and blood, that is, Muslim people, but against powers of darkness in heavenly realms. Paul goes on to tell us to put on the armor of God, the very strength and power we get from God Himself. He closes this discussion on armor with urging us to pray. 'And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18).'

“You yourself need prayer, daily, as Paul himself did. Paul specifically asked people to pray for him, as we see in the next words of Ephesians 6, verses 19-20. Your family needs prayer. The Muslims you are witnessing to need prayer. New converts need prayer. Every Friday noon there is a small group of Christians that come together to pray especially for Muslims and those taking the Gospel to them. Please come, and we will pray for you too and for those to whom you are witnessing. We will keep confidential information you give us, and take it only to the throne of God for action."

The school teacher thanked the pastor for his encouragement. "I really do want to continue to reach out to Muslims. Some of my own relatives are Muslims. I am so encouraged to hear about that small group of Aarons and Hurs who pray for those of us working with Muslims. I will come. Will you please pray for me now before I go home?"

"Certainly. Our Father in Heaven, Ruler over all the rulers on earth and in the heavenly realms, we thank You for drawing us into the Kingdom of Light. We pray that You will draw many Muslims out of the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of Jesus, our Savior and Lord, including those whom my brother here knows personally. We thank You for asking us to work with You in having Your Kingdom come among Muslims also. Bring judgment, oh God, on all evil forces that come up against You and against us. Destroy their works and plans against my brother and his family. Bring healing and protection to this family, I pray, and strengthen them in their desire to see Muslims set free in Christ. Equip them with every good thing they need for this work, we pray. Keep prayer warriors strong and faithful. Thanks be to You, our God, who gives us the victory in Christ Jesus, our Lord. In His name we pray. Amen."

Friday afternoon the school teacher joined the pastor and other prayer warriors. They had come from different churches. There were other pastors, businessmen, nurses, farmers, and government workers. During the meeting they shared how God had answered their prayers.

"Last Saturday," said one of the businessmen, "at around 10:30 in the morning God pressed the name of our brother John on my mind. I just knew that he was in serious trouble. I did not know what the trouble was, but I called our brother Luke here and we prayed together on the phone. Just this morning someone brought me a letter from John. You know he is working in a clinic in a Muslim town in the northwest. The letter said that on Saturday morning the taxi he was in had been held up by robbers. Two of the passengers were killed, but he escaped alive with only minor bruises. The time of the holdup was the same time that God moved me to call Luke and pray!" The whole group thanked God for protecting their brother John!

The businessman continued. "There was another answer to prayer in that letter. Remember three months ago John asked us to pray for Aliyu because his wife had left him after he became a Christian. Well, God has answered our prayers. A week ago his wife came back to him and she has decided to become a Christian too. God sent her a dream where she saw herself and her husband together in heaven with other Christians!" Once again the group burst out in thanksgiving to God for answering their prayer. They prayed that God would keep both Aliyu and his wife steadfast and help them grow in their knowledge and love of Jesus.

The pastor introduced the school teacher to the group. The teacher explained how God had put it in his heart to witness to Muslims, including his relatives, and how some of them had started to listen to him. But then all kinds of problems had hit his family. At that moment his wife was in the hospital very sick, but the doctors had not yet found out just what was wrong with her. The group became very concerned. One of the government workers explained that the same kind of thing had happened to him when he first started praying for Muslims. Suddenly he had three different diseases all at once. He took medicine for all of them, but was not getting better. He lost his job. But when he asked people to pray for him, God healed him and he got a new job as well. Immediately the group started praying for the school teacher and his family. Two of them promised to go with him to the hospital after the meeting. The group also prayed that God would shine in the hearts of the Muslims to whom the teacher was witnessing "to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Another pastor reported that there were plans to lip synch the Jesus film into the language of an ethnic group of around four million people, 99% Muslim. The group thanked God for the Jesus films and videos already available in Hausa and Fulfulde. They thanked God for the plans of the film-making crew to do yet another language and asked that God would fulfill every good purpose of theirs and every act prompted by their faith. They prayed this so that the name of the Lord Jesus might be glorified (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12).

The group spent several hours together, lifting up their hearts and voices and hands to the throne of God on behalf of those who were working among Muslims. They sang songs of praise to the King of kings and Lord of lords. Sometimes the Holy Spirit reminded them of certain promises from the Bible and they would pray for these promises to come true in the lives of the people for whom they were praying. The time went quickly. They knew that Jesus was present with them, as He promised. "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them (Matthew 18:19-20)."

After the meeting, the government worker and a farmer went with the school teacher to the hospital. They laid hands on the wife and prayed for her healing. The teacher thanked them for encouraging his heart in the Lord. "We live near to you," they said. "Follow us home and meet our families. Then if you need prayer at any time of the week, day or night, please come right over. We promise to be prayer warriors for you in your work among Muslims." Tears of joy rolled down the cheeks of the Christian teacher. He felt the love and encouragement of God Himself coming through these new friends. He knew that God would answer their prayers for him.

Three days later his wife felt better and the doctor said she could go home. The next Friday the group rejoiced in this added answer to prayer.

During the meeting the businessman read from another of John's letters where he thanked the group for their prayers. John had quoted the words of the Apostle Paul. "He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set out hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many (2 Corinthians 1:10-11)."

In John’s letter there was also his request for prayers on behalf of three new Christians in his town. One of the pastors in the group said, "I suggest that we go through the letters of the New Testament and memorize the prayers that Paul, Peter, and others prayed for new Christians. Then we will learn better how to pray." The whole group agreed. They decided to memorize a prayer that Paul prayed for new believers he had not yet seen, a prayer found in Colossians 1:9-14.

Once again, the school teacher went home encouraged to keep on witnessing to Muslims. He also looked forward to learning how to pray for new believers by memorizing Paul's prayer for the Colossians. He thanked God for these prayer warriors who had become his partners in taking the Good News to Muslims.

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 3

1. Why did Moses get more tired than Joshua during the battle with the Amalekites? Who helped Moses, and how?

2. If troubles in our lives increase when we start discipling Muslims, what is most likely the reason? What should the disciple-maker do in such a case?

3. Someone has said that the most important members of any team working among Muslims are the prayer warriors. Give your reason for agreeing or disagreeing with this statement.

4. Prayer warriors on a team working among Muslims should be praying for what four kinds of people?

5. Memorize 2 Corinthians 1:10-11.

6. Where in the Bible do we find a prayer that Paul prayed for new Christians he had never met and only heard about? Give three important things he prayed for them.

LOOKING AT MUHAMMAD - Chapter 4

As the school teacher listened to Muslims, he realized that they often referred to the teaching and life of their Prophet Muhammad as an example for them to follow. So he became curious about who Muhammad really was. How did Islam get started? This chapter presents a very brief history of Muhammad and the beginning of the Islamic state. For more of what Muslims think about Muhammad and how Islam began, I suggest that you buy some Islamic Religious Knowledge textbooks used in schools in your country. Then you will find out what Muslims in your area are being taught.

Very briefly, then, here are the basic facts. Before the coming of Islam, the Arabs believed that there was one Most High God, or Allah, but they also worshipped the stars, the planets, some angels, and other idols. Their main worship center was the Kaaba in Mecca where there were 360 idols in one place. The Arabs made pilgrimages to the Kaaba to worship these gods. Also in Arabia before Islam there were Jews and Christians who were preaching about the one God and the judgment day. But there was no Bible in the Arabic language and most of the Christians were not well trained in their faith. Many had heretical beliefs about Jesus and God.

By the time Muhammad was born, Arabia had become important for world trade. Constant wars between the Byzantines and the Persians farther north had made the overland trade routes through Persia too dangerous for the silk trade between the east and the west. There developed an alternative route by boat from China and India to the southern end of the Arabian peninsula. Once goods were unloaded from the boats, they were put on camel caravans which passed through Mecca before going farther north where the routes branched to Persia, Byzantium, and Egypt and North Africa.

At the southern end of the Arabian peninsula was the land of King Abraha of Saba (the Biblical Sheba, now Yemen). The king was a Christian. His country was benefiting from being on the world trade route. He decided to build a huge cathedral. The night before he was to dedicate it, some pagans, whom he concluded were from Mecca, came and desecrated that cathedral. In turn King Abraha decided to go with his army to destroy all the idols in the Kaaba in Mecca. When the Meccans saw this army coming, Abdul Muttalib, the caretaker of the Kaaba and its 360 idols, prayed to a leading god of the Kaaba for protection. That night a terrible plague came upon the attackers and many died. The rest of the attackers retreated, and King Abraha himself died of the plague when he got home. The Meccans celebrated that the gods had protected their house of worship and became more confirmed in their idolatrous beliefs. Since King Abraha had come with a huge elephant, from that time on the Arabs celebrated A.D. 570 as the “Year of the Elephant.” Thinking over this history, we need to ask what might have happened if King Abraha had sent missionaries instead of engaging in a “holy war”.

It was during that same year, A.D. 570, that Muhammad was born in Mecca into an illustrious family of the Arab tribe of Qureysh, which traced its ancestry to Ishmael, the son of Abraham. His grandfather was the very Abdul Muttalib who was caretaker of the Kaaba. Years before Abdul Muttalib had married but had no sons. He had gone to a god in the Kaaba for help. Through a diviner the god said that he would give Abdul Muttalib sons, but then in return Abdul Muttalib would have to sacrifice a chosen son to him. Abdul Muttalib then had ten sons, and the son chosen for sacrifice was Abdullah. But Abdul Muttalib did not want to sacrifice his son, so he went to the diviner of his god to negotiate until the god said that he could offer one hundred camels instead. Abdul Muttalib did so. Abdullah lived long enough to marry and impregnate his wife Amina. But before the child was born, Abdullah died. The child was Muhammad.

According to the custom of the Arabs, his mother Amina sent Muhammad to a wet nurse in the desert. Her name was Halima, of the tribe of Sa’ad. In the desert Muhammad learned to keep sheep and goats. When he was four, Muhammad went back to his mother. She died when he was six, and his grandfather, Abdul Muttalib, lovingly cared for his grandson. Two years later, the grandfather died, and Muhammad’s uncle, Abu Talib, took care of him. Muhammad often accompanied his uncle on caravan journeys, traveling afar. During these journeys he heard different teachings from the Jews and Christians of his time.

Even as a young man Muhammad was known for his reliability and ability to settle disputes. When he was twenty-five, Muhammad was working for a wealthy widow named Khadija. They married, and she bore him six children. With the exception of Fatima, a daughter, all these children died young.

When Muhammad was nearly forty, he used to go to a cave where he would think about the idolatry of Mecca and what he had heard from Jews and Christians about one God and the final judgment. While thus meditating in the cave, one day he started receiving revelations from someone he took to be the angel Gabriel. This spirit being almost choked him three times while giving him the first revelation. Muhammad went home feverish to his wife, not sure what kind of spirit had appeared to him. His wife Khadija assured him that God would not allow any bad spirit to come near him since he was such a good-living man. She also went to her Christian cousin named Waraqa to ask what he thought of her husband’s revelations. When Waraqa heard that Muhammad had been told to preach that God was one and that all idols should be destroyed, he said that God had raised up a prophet for the Arabs as Moses had been raised up for the Jews. Waraqa apparently did not use the Scriptural command in 1 John 4:1-3 to help Muhammad test the spirit coming to him, to see if it really was of God.

Encouraged, Muhammad began sharing the content of the revelations with others in his home town. Abu Bakr was the first man to be converted to Islam, and Khadija, Muhammad’s wife, the first woman. Islam spread quietly at first but in A.D. 612 the call to follow Islam became public. Muhammad called the people of Mecca to stop worshiping idols and follow his teachings which went against many of their traditions. “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his Prophet and Messenger,” he announced again and again. Muhammad and his growing number of followers experienced much persecution in Mecca. Muhammad sent around one hundred of them to take refuge for a while among the Christians in Abyssinia, or Ethiopia. Muhammad himself was protected by his powerful uncle. But in A.D. 618 both his uncle and his beloved wife died, and persecution of Muhammad and his followers increased.

In A.D. 622 Muhammad and his followers migrated to Yathrib, or Medina as it was later called, where he was warmly welcomed. This migration, called hijrah in Arabic, marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar year. This was the beginning of Islam becoming a powerful state. Muhammad set up a model community in Medina based on religion rather than tribe. He taught that all Muslims were brothers, no matter what tribe they had come from.

In Medina there were three Jewish tribes. At first Muhammad tried to win the Jews by making concessions to some of their beliefs and practices. He told Muslims to prostrate five times a day in the direction of Jerusalem. Muhammad also said that Islam was a restoration of the original religion of Abraham. This was another attempt to win Jews and please Christians, who see Abraham as the father of all those who have faith in God’s promises of blessing. This emphasis on “the religion of Abraham” also pleased the Arabs because they saw themselves as the descendants of Ishmael, also a son of Abraham. Muhammad hoped to win for himself the allegiance of Jews and Christians as a prophet in the line of Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus. But the Jews refused to follow him as a prophet and ridiculed him instead. When Muhammad became more powerful, he turned against the Jews, plundering and even killing many of them. He told Muslims to face Mecca when they prayed, not Jerusalem, as at first.

While Muhammad was in Mecca, he spoke of Christians as those nearest in love to Muslims (Qur’an 5:85). He commended Christians as people of the book, to be respected. But later in Medina his attitude changed. At one time the Christians from Najran (now in Yemen) sent a delegation to assess what Muhammad was teaching. Muhammad conceded that Jesus was born of a virgin, healed the blind and the leper, and even raised the dead. But He was not crucified and He was not the Son of God. When the Christians refused to follow Muhammad as the final prophet after Jesus, Muhammad said that they should all gather together with their women and children and he would invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie (Qur’an 3:61)! Two weeks later he sent soldiers to force those Christians to come under his control. At another point in the Qur’an Muhammad urges Muslims to fight Christians until they surrender, and to curse, even kill, those of them who call Jesus the Son of God (Qur’an 9:29-30). To understand such differing attitudes toward Christians reflected in the Qur’an, we need to know the history of the different periods in Muhammad’s life and which verses go with which period.

In the last years of his life Muhammad taught the beliefs and developed the practices of Islam, made alliances with those who accepted Islam, and fought many battles against those who opposed him, or who refused Islam. He ambushed and plundered the caravans of pagan Arabs, especially those from Mecca and their allies who refused his message, in order to provide food for the Muslims in Medina.

In A.D. 628 Muhammad and 1000 of his followers decided to make the annual pilgrimage to Mecca during the Arabs’ sacred month. The Meccans sent a delegation to stop him and negotiated with him that he should go back to Medina and not try to visit Mecca until the next year. The next year Muhammad and 2000 of his followers did visit the Kaaba. Muhammad entered the Kaaba, touched the black stone, and walked seven times around the Kaaba, just as the pagans did. When he ignored the idols there, the Meccans felt less threatened by his coming. But the next year in A.D. 630 when Muhammad came again, this time with 10,000 Muslims, he asked for and accepted the peaceful surrender of the city. When he came to the Kaaba, he again touched the Black Stone and shouted, “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greater). He went on to destroy all the idols inside and outside the Kaaba. He pardoned all his former enemies who became Muslims. Then he returned to Medina.

After this, desert tribes from all over Arabia submitted to Islam and the rule of Muhammad, either willingly or under force. Muhammad and Muslims came to see Islam as universal, not just for Arabs. Under Islam, Jews and Christians could keep their religions as long as they did not try to spread their religion, submitted to Muslim rule and restrictions, and paid taxes to the Islamic state. Islam had become not just a religion, but also a political state.

In A.D. 632 Muhammad made the pilgrimage to Mecca, instituting the rituals of Islam associated up till today with the Muslim pilgrimage. He gave a famous sermon in which he admonished all Muslims to be brothers to one another. After his return to Medina, when he was 62 years old, Muhammad became sick and died.

Since his death many Muslims now spread around the world have come to look up to him as the final prophet from God. His life became an example for them to follow. When we look at the life of Muhammad we see a vast range of experiences with which his different followers can identify. At one point he was a fatherless orphan; at another the father-leader of a large community. The herdsboy in the desert, the itinerant trader, the settled statesman—all such people can identify with him at different points in his life. He composed beautiful poetry and the most prosaic legalese, so both mystics and judges can say Muhammad is their man. He was for many years faithful to one wife, but after her death he polygamously married fourteen more women. Both peacemakers and violent terrorists can justify their actions by pointing to some part of Muhammad’s life. He pardoned many of his persecutors when they became Muslims, and yet ambushed caravans for plunder and sponsored cruel killings. There were other contradictions in his behavior. He destroyed the idols in the Kaaba and declared the worship of one God; yet he kept the kissing of the Black Stone as part of the ritual pilgrimage in Islam. He borrowed from Biblical teaching, and yet denied the heart of it—salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Within only 100 years after the death of Muhammad, Islam became dominant in great areas of Asia, Africa, and Europe. Islam has now spread over the world. Today one out of every five people in the world is a Muslim. All of them look to the teachings and life of Muhammad for guidance.

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 4

1. Where was the center of idol worship in Arabia when Muhammad was born?

2. What had made Mecca an important world city at this time?

3. How did King Abraha react to the desecration of the cathedral he had built? What happened to him? Why do you think this happened to him? What could King Abraha have done differently? What might have been the result if he had acted differently?

4. What position did Abdul Muttalib have? How had a god he served both “helped” and “harmed” him and his family?

5. Give three important influences on Muhammad’s life before he was 25 years old.

6. How did the first revelation come to Muhammad?

7. Who was Waraqa? How did he evaluate the revelation that came to Muhammad? What is your opinion of this evaluation? Explain.

8. Why was Muhammad’s message so offensive to the pagan Arabs of Mecca?

9. Where did Muhammad send his Muslim converts when the persecution became severe? How were they treated? How do you think this affected his attitude to Christians?

10. When does the Islamic calendar begin? Why?

11. Muhammad claimed that Islam was the religion of Abraham. What three groups of people did he hope this teaching would bring together in Islam?

12. What two opposite attitudes towards Christians are found in Muhammad’s teaching? Explain the difference?

13. In three successive years from A.D. 628-630 Muhammad tried to visit Mecca. Explain the difference between what happened the second time and what happened the third time?

14. “Muhammad is a man for all kinds of people.” Evaluate this statement.

15. Write a personal response to this lesson.

LOOKING AT THE QUR’AN - Chapter 5

We have learned that Muhammad received revelations which he in turn preached to those who would listen to him. Some of those who heard him wrote down what he said, and these sayings were collected into a book in Arabic that is called the Qur’an. Muslims believe that the original Qur’an, the “mother of the book,” is with God in heaven. It was given in installments to the angel Gabriel to pass on to Muhammad throughout his prophetic ministry.

Scholars make two major divisions of verses and chapters in the Qur’an: the Meccan and the Medinan. The Meccan verses are mostly poetic preaching on calling people to leave idolatry, do good, and get ready for the judgment day. The later Medinan verses came when Muhammad had become more of a political ruler and law-giver. These verses are more prosaic, giving many laws on how to practice Islam and on how the Islamic state is to be governed.

Muhammad borrowed much from the teaching of the Jews and Christians, but twisted a lot of it in the process. There is a mixture of what sounds very close to and very different from Biblical truth. So what should be our attitude to the Qur’an and to the Muslims who sincerely believe it contains only revelations directly from God?

Some Christians point out to Muslims the inconsistencies in the Qur’an and the life of Muhammad. They see no good in Islam at all. They say all Muslim teaching is bad, but they are not very successful in motivating Muslims to get into the Bible. They do not even see the references in the Qur’an that originally came from Jewish and Christian teaching.

Other Christians are like the wise missionary Paul when he went to Athens. Paul found much that was spiritually repugnant in all the idol worship in Athens (Acts 17:16). But when he started talking to the people of Athens, he did not talk about the untruths of their religion. He simply said, “I see that in every way you are very religious” (22). Later he pointed out tidbits of good teaching from their own poets. “For in God we live and move and have our being…We are his offspring” (28). Paul then went on to use this tidbit to invite them to reason with him more deeply about what God is really like. He invited them into the teaching about Jesus and the feast of wisdom waiting for them inside the Bible.

To give another illustration, Paul used something familiar to his audience as a “bridge” over which to take them into the truth about Jesus Christ. Paul had obviously spent time studying the Athenian religion and the teaching of its leaders. "For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you (17:23)." So Paul used the “bridge” of the concept of the unknown God to make the Athenians curious to hear the truth of what the Creator God was really like and His plan for mankind.

Just as it was important for Paul to observe how the Athenians worshipped and to listen to the Athenian poets and teachers, so it is important for Christian disciple-makers among Muslims to observe their religious practices, read their writings, and listen to their teachings. When I began to become interested in working among Muslims, I read a translation of the Qur’an from cover to cover, writing down what was similar to the Bible and what was different. What was similar I could use as bridges to bring Muslims into the Bible. What was different needed to become topics for discipleship later after the Muslim became a follower of Jesus.

As a trader, Muhammad heard many stories told by Jews and Christians. A lot of those stories found their way into the Qur’an. Some of these stories are very close to the Biblical versions, but others have significant changes from the original story. Some come from apocryphal Jewish and Christian literature. But we can often use something in the Qur’anic version that is similar to the Biblical version and then invite the Muslim to read or listen to the Biblical version. I encourage you to read through a translation of the Qur’an and pick out for yourself the “bridges” and “tidbits” that you want to use.

Here are some of the bridges and tidbits that I have used often:

· The names of the prophets talked about in the Qur’an such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, and Jesus. Even if you do not read the whole Qur’an, you can use an index to look up what the Qur’an says about these men. Many Muslims give their children these names. Sometimes I have said, “You gave your child the name of an important prophet. What do you know about that prophet?” Then I just listen to whatever they say and pick out something in what they have said that is similar to what the Bible says. When they are finished, I say something like this. “That is interesting. I have read something like that in the books of the prophets in the Bible. The Bible also mentions some other interesting things about this prophet. Would you like to hear (or read) about it?” Often they will.

· The Qur’an talks much about Jesus. He was born of the virgin Mary (3:47). He healed the blind and the lepers and even raised the dead (3:49). He was called Word of God (3:45) and Spirit of God (21:91).

· The Qur’an has a lot to say about the Judgment Day. How to get ready for that day makes an interesting comparative discussion.

· The Qur’an says that Muhammad came to confirm the revelations given earlier to Moses (the Tawrat), to David (the Zabur), and to Jesus (the Injil). God even tells Muhammad that if he has questions about what was revealed to him he should ask the Jews and the Christians who had revelations before he did (10:94).

There are many more bridges. Read a translation of the Qur’an and find your own examples. Some of the most respected translations are The Meaning of the Glorious Qur’an by Marmaduke Pickthall and The Holy Qur’an, Text, Translation, and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. It is good to buy a diglot version with the Arabic text in one column and the English in another. Then Muslims who read Arabic can read the Arabic while you read the English. You can discuss the meaning of the verses in English or some other language you have in common, such as French, Hausa, Fulfulde, or Kanuri.

But one warning! For those of us who have not studied the Qur’an in Arabic since we were young, and who cannot speak Arabic fluently, it is very important that we do not come as authorities on the Qur’an and say, “This is what the Qur’an says.” Some Muslims may even take offense if we hold the Qur’an. Non-Muslims should not even be touching that holy book, according to very strict Muslims. We do not ritually purify ourselves before touching it. Also many Muslims believe that translations have no authority, but only the Qur’an in the original Arabic.

For those of us who are not recognized authorities on the Qur’an, we can come to Muslims as learners interested in finding out something about their teachings. We can say something like this, “I have read a translation of the Qur’an in English, but since I do not know Arabic, I am not sure of the real meaning of some verses I read. Could I please show you these verses, and would you be so kind as to read them in Arabic (or find out their meaning in Arabic) and let me know their meaning?”

Once I made a list of references to Jesus in the Qur’an and then also made a parallel list of where to find similar teachings about Jesus in the Bible. I gave this list to one of my friends and asked him to consult with another man learned in Arabic. What did these verses in the original Arabic really mean? Later my friend’s learned malam (Muslim teacher) came to me and asked for an Arabic Bible. God had used that simple list as a bridge from the tidbits about Jesus in the Qur’an to the full revelation of Jesus in the Bible.

There are, of course, many differences between the teaching of the Qur’an and the Bible. These points are also important for a discipler to know. They help him to understand why a Muslim thinks and acts the way he does. But usually it is better for the teacher not to bring up these differences in the beginning stages of his witness to Muslims because that often starts arguments. Some of these points need to be discussed when the person is thinking of becoming a follower of Jesus.

One year a teacher in a secondary school spent a lot of time with the Muslim students in his school studying the stories of the prophets, starting with what they already knew from the Qur’an and traditions and then taking them to the Bible versions. Early one morning, a student named Yusufu came to him and asked whether Islam and Christianity were so much alike that either one would do. The teacher answered him carefully. “Yusufu, there is much in Islam that I can appreciate. But there is one main reason that I would never become a Muslim. The Qur’an teaches that Jesus was not crucified. The Bible teaches that through his death on the cross and resurrection I get forgiveness from my sins and new life. This work that Jesus did is so precious to me. I know I am going to Heaven because he died for me on the cross. I could never join a religion that denies eternal salvation through Jesus. That is why I remain a Christian and would never become a Muslim.”

Yusufu read the verse in the Qur’an that says the Jews did not kill Jesus (4:157) and said, “I too believe that Jesus died on the cross to save me. I choose to become a Christian.” He joined Bible classes at school. He went into the restaurant and was satisfied.

After a Muslim has decided to follow Jesus, he needs to change many of his ways of thinking. The disciple-maker needs to help him be transformed by the renewing of his mind (Romans 12:2). That is what Jesus meant in the Great Commission when he told his disciples to “make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Later in this book we will talk more about these differences and how to disciple Christians on these topics as they come out from Islam.

But the main point of this chapter is that when we start talking with Muslims we should not start with the differences. We must not think that just because Muhammad was a false prophet there is nothing of value in the Qur’an. We must realize that God can use even false prophets to speak His word at times. Think of Balaam. Balaam had a reputation for being able to curse people! That’s why Balak the king sent for Balaam (Numbers 22:6). God clearly told Balaam not to go with the messengers to curse the Israelites (22:12), but when Balak offered to reward Balaam handsomely (22:17), Balaam tried to get God to let him go anyway. Surely, in his heart, Balaam was more interested in material rewards than in following God’s will. Later on he gave advice on how to curse the Israelites indirectly by tempting them to sin (Numbers 31:16). Balaam was definitely a false prophet.

Yet at one point God spoke through Balaam’s mouth. Balaam said words he never intended to say, including a beautiful prophecy of the coming of the Messiah.

I see him, but not now;

I behold him, but not near.

A star will come out of Jacob;

A scepter will rise out of Israel. (Numbers 24:17)

It is interesting that Balaam came from the east, on the Euphrates River, and was a diviner of international reputation. Years later other notables from the east came to worship Jesus, born king of the Jews. They had seen His “star” in the east. Very likely God’s prophecy through Balaam helped these easterners to find Jesus.

This prophecy from Balaam’s mouth reminds me of something in the Qur’an. "Behold! God said: 'O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme; I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject faith, to the Day of Resurrection….'” (3:55)

In other places the Qur’an teaches things that would keep people from following Jesus. But at this point God certainly overruled and put of His own light into the Qur’an. It is not the full light of the sun (Son). It is like a moon or lantern or a torch, but it is there. We need to be thankful for these moons or lanterns because they can make Muslims curious to find out more about Jesus.

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 5

1. Where do Muslims believe the Qur’an originally came from? How do they believe it came to Muhammad?

2. Give two of the “bridges” that Paul used when trying to disciple the Athenians.

3. Mention one Biblical character other than Jesus who is mentioned in the Qur’an. Use the index of a translation of the Qur’an to find three things that the Qur’an says about this person. Then take each of these three things and explain how this teaching is similar to or different from Biblical teaching.

4. Write down Qur’anic and Biblical references for the following:

• Jesus was born of the virgin Mary.
• Jesus healed the blind.
• Jesus healed the leper.
• Jesus raised the dead.
• Jesus was called Word of God.
• Jesus was called Spirit of God, or Life-giving Spirit.

5. What do Muslims call the revelations, or books, given to the following:

• to the Prophet Moses.
• to the Prophet David.
• to the Prophet Jesus.

6. How can those of us who do not know Arabic use chosen references to the Qur’an as bridges into the Bible?

7. When we start talking with Muslims, should we start with the similarities between our teachings, or the differences? Explain why.

8. When is it important to deal with differences? Explain why.

9. Think about the story of Balaam. Was Balaam a true or false prophet? Explain.

10. What surprising prophecy did Balaam make concerning the coming Messiah? What evidence do we have that many years later this prophecy helped to lead easterners to Jesus?

10. Write a personal response to this lesson.

MORALITY IN ISLAM - Chapter 6

Once we make contact with Muslims, we soon learn that they have very definite ideas about what is right and wrong. The word Muslim in Arabic means one who submits, that is, one who submits to God and obeys his laws. There are five main things Muslims must do to practice their religion. They call these things the five pillars of Islam. Any Muslim who does not do these five things knows that he is not practicing his religion properly. The five pillars are: confessing the creed, praying five times a day, giving the poor tax, fasting during the month of Ramadan, and making the pilgrimage to Mecca.

The first pillar is confessing the creed. The creed is called the shahada in Arabic. To become a Muslim, a person must believe this basic creed of Islam and recite it out loud in Arabic:

La ilaha ill Allah, Muhammad ur-Rasul Allah.

It means: "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his messenger." There are many times when Muslims recite the creed. They recite it every time they pray. They whisper it into the ear of a new baby, and say it at the time of death.

The second pillar of Islam is saying prayers at five set times each day. The Arabic word for this is salat (or sallah). Muslims have to wash their faces, hands, heads and feet before they pray. Prayer is done in a mosque (Muslim place of worship) if possible, but may also be done at home or elsewhere in a clean place. The salat involves certain body motions of showing honor to God, words of praise to God, and petitions for his blessings. The words of the salat are prescribed and in Arabic. If for some reason a Muslim cannot do the prayers at the right time, he must make them up later.

The third pillar of Islam is giving the poor tax. There are two kinds of giving that Muslims do. The first is zakat. This is a tax paid once a year. The amount depends on how rich a person is. A Muslim should give one tenth of his harvest and one fortieth of his money and other property. The food and money collected are used to help the poor, to support Qur'anic teachers, and to encourage new converts to Islam. The tax can also be used to help spread Islam in ways like building mosques, fighting holy wars, and starting schools. Some of it pays the people who do the collecting. The second kind of alms is called sadaqat. This is giving privately at any time to help someone in need.

The fourth pillar is fasting during the month of Ramadan. The Arabic term for fasting is saum. The Muslim calendar counts the months by the moon. That is why Ramadan can come at different times of the year according to the calendar that most Christians use. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims are to not to eat, drink, or have sex during daylight hours. At night they break their fast and resume again before dawn. Sincere Muslims spend much time reciting and studying the Qur'an during this month as well as saying special prayers.

The fifth pillar is making the pilgrimage to Mecca. A pilgrimage is a special journey to a holy place. The Arabic word for pilgrimage is Hajj. Mecca is holy to Muslims because it was Muhammad's home town and he started his preaching there. The holy place of worship in Mecca is called the Kaaba. Prayers made on the Hajj are believed to be very effective. Every Muslim who can afford it and is healthy enough is supposed to go on the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca at least once in his life. In Nigeria, a man who has gone is called Alhaji. A woman is called Hajiya.

Muslims believe that these five duties are what they must do in order to obey God. On the final judgment day everyone will be judged with a set of scales. His good deeds will be put on one side and his bad deeds on the other. If his good deeds weigh more than his bad deeds, he will have a better chance of going to heaven, but Allah will make the final decision. A Muslim cannot really be sure of going to heaven until the Last Day. That is when his deeds will be weighed and the decision made.

In addition to these five pillars of Islam, the Qur'an gives many other laws of Allah to obey. Here are just a few of those teachings. Honor and be kind to parents (Qur'an 17:23). Do not drink intoxicants or gamble. These are an abomination (5:93). True righteousness includes spending for orphans and the needy (2:177). Tell the truth (2:42). Avoid suspicion and backbiting (49:12). Forgiveness takes a courageous will and brings resolution (42:43). If we repel evil with good, former enemies can become intimate friends (41:34). Eat food over which God's name has been pronounced (6:118). Do not defraud (26:183). There are many more such teachings.

Some Muslims know some of these rules from the Qur'an itself, but not all of them do. Many, especially in countries where Arabic is not the mother language, cannot read the Qur'an for themselves. They rely on their religious teachers, or malams, to tell them what is right and what is wrong. Some of these teachers hold more closely to the Qur'an than others. Others mix the teaching of the Qur'an with teaching things that the Qur'an itself prohibits, such as certain superstitions and black magic (6:140, 113:4).

Every Muslim knows that somewhere, somehow, he has failed to live up to what he already knows is right and wrong. Every person in the world, if he is honest, knows this. Islam teaches that Muslims should do something good to outweigh, or cover up, the bad they have done. The Qur'an teaches that especially good deeds will be an "atonement" or "cover-up" for bad deeds. For example, if you conceal acts of charity and give to those really in need, that is not only good, but "best," and it will remove from you some of the stains of other sins. (2: 271) The Qur'an teaches that there is place for the retaliation of an eye for an eye. "But if anyone remits the retaliation by way of charity, it is an act of atonement for himself” (5:48, italics mine).

This kind of teaching about morality leads Muslim scholars to divide all possible human actions into those that are prohibited, those commanded, those neutral (neither prohibited nor commanded), and those that are supererogatory (for extra credit). A Muslim can say extra supererogatory prayers besides the five prescribed prayers in order to earn more credit with God. Sometimes fasting can be used as atonement. If, for example, a person kills another believer by mistake and is too poor to pay compensation,or to free a believing slave, then he can fast for two months by way of repentance to God (4:92). If a person cannot keep an oath he made, he can feed ten poor persons, or clothe them, or give a slave his freedom, or fast for three days. "That is the expiation for the oaths ye have sworn," says the Qur'an (5:92).

This type of teaching leads to legalism of the kind that the Pharisees in Jesus' times laid upon people. There has been a multiplication of rules and regulations that has become part of the Shari'a, the system of Muslim law. Every new situation requires the applying of old rules or the making of new ones by those schooled in Islamic law. We will talk more later about how to disciple Muslims bound by legalism.

But, as mentioned before, there are different kinds of Muslims. Some of them are really trying to obey all the Muslim laws, but they are not sure whether they have done enough. Alhaji Aminu was like that. He prayed five times a day without fail, even getting up at night to do extra prayers. He did extra fasting. He gave many alms, even welcoming the blind and lepers to eat and sleep in his house. Yet he was not sure he had done enough. One day he prayed, "I am willing to give away everything I have if only I can be sure I am going to heaven."

Other Muslims are sure they have made it. Malam Ali was like that. He was the limam (muslim pastor) of a battalion of soldiers and taught them the Qur'an and Shari'a law. He was sure his good deeds would outweigh his bad deeds.

Still others do not even try to keep all the rules. They say that God will do what he will do on the Judgment Day. What will be, will be. So they just do as they please. We all know of people who call themselves "Christians" and think the same way. Muslims who talk this way are not serious Muslims.

As wise disciple-makers among Muslims, we need to find out how serious a Muslim is about trying to please God. We will not deal with every Muslim in the same way. When one Christian teacher heard about Alhaji Aminu, he knew he was not far from the Kingdom of God. The Alhaji was trying to please God in the best way he knew, but he knew he was not good enough. He had no peace in his heart. The teacher prayed for the Alhaji and then went to visit him.

When this missionary met Alhaji Aminu, he said to him, "What I have heard of you reminds me of someone I have read about in the Book of Jesus in Acts 10. His name was Cornelius. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly (Acts 10:2).

"But God sent an angel to tell Cornelius that he should send for Peter. When Cornelius heard and believed what Peter told him, a great blessing came upon him and his household. I have brought a copy of the Jesus video which includes what Peter told Cornelius about Jesus. I pray that as you and your household watch this video, the same blessing will come upon you."

That very night Alhaji Aminu and his family and guests watched the story of Jesus, how He forgave sins and promised eternal life. Alhaji Aminu and others decided to become followers of the One who had suffered so much for them.

But Malam Ali was different from Alhaji Aminu. This limam was sure his good deeds were more than his bad deeds, and that he was going to pass into heaven on the Judgment Day. So the teacher had to say something that would shake his faith in his good deeds. The teacher decided to talk to this malam about the story of Adam and Eve. The story in the Qur'an is similar to the Biblical version.

"Malam, how many years were Adam and Eve in Paradise before God put them out?" asked the teacher.

"Some say hundreds of years, others less. We really do not know exactly," replied the limam.

"During this time they were doing only good deeds, isn't that so? How many sins did Adam and Eve do before God put them out of Paradise?" the teacher probed.

The limam moved suddenly as he thought about it. "Only one," he answered.

"When I think about that," said the teacher, "I am troubled. Only one sin and they were out. I have already done more than one sin. There is another thing about this story that makes me think. If I should happen to get to Paradise the way I am now, how long would I stay there if one sin tipped the scales and I were out again? I am so glad to know that there is another way of getting to heaven, other than the way of the scales. I would never make it that way," said the teacher. "Jesus told us of another way."

The limam left, but the next morning he was back at the teacher's house. "I did not sleep all night. You said there was another way to heaven, other than the way of the scales. What is that way? I want to hear about it."

So the teacher explained the way of salvation in Jesus the Messiah who died for our sins and gives us his Spirit who re-creates us and helps us to do what is right. The limam left with a Bible and called his disciples from the battalion to read it with him.

Learning about Islam, we find that the Qur'an teaches many good things. The difference between Islam and Christianity is not so much the difference in the moral code. But the difference comes in what we do when we break God's law and commit sin. How do we find forgiveness? How do we get the power to do good and stop doing evil? Muslims try to do good works to cover up their bad works and balance the scales. The Bible teaches that no good works can cover up bad works already done. God's standard is perfection. But the Bible also teaches that there is forgiveness in Jesus plus the power to live a truly righteous life in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the Good News that all Muslims need to hear.

How about us? Have we experienced forgiveness of our own sins? Have we learned to receive daily the power of the Holy Spirit for living a truly righteous life? There is no reason for Christians to excuse sin in themselves. "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." (2 Peter 1:3)

It is only as we experience the reality of this power coming true in our own lives that we have truly Good News to share with Muslims who, like the rest of us, often know what is right and wrong, but need forgiveness for when they do wrong and the power to do right the next time.

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 6

1. What does the word Muslim mean?
2. What are the five pillars, or duties, of Islam?
3. Give the translation of the basic creed of Islam in English.
4. What will scales be used for on the final Judgment Day, according to Islam? Are the scales the only determining factor for deciding whether someone will go to heaven or hell?
5. Give three other laws written in the Qur’an that teach Muslims to be morally upright.
6. According to Islam, what is done to atone for sins?
7. The legalism of the Muslims is most similar to the legalism of which group of people in the New Testament?
8. What was the difference between Alhaji Aminu and Malam Ali as to what they thought would happen to them on the Judgment Day? How did the teacher talk differently to each one based on their different ways of thinking?
9. In response to the Islamic teaching about the scales and atonement through good works, what is the Good News that Muslims need to hear?

10. Write a personal response to this lesson.

THE HADITH - Chapter 7

In addition to the Qur'an, a secondary source of Muslim teaching developed called the Hadith (records of what Muhammad said and did), or Sunna (the practices of Muhammad and his community). From this word Sunna comes the name the "Sunnis," the orthodox Muslims who claim 80 % of the Muslim world. Muslims refer to a verse in the Qur'an that says, "In the messenger of Allah you have a good example" (33:21). Thus whatever Muhammad did became a rule for all Muslims to follow. The Hadith provides guidance for Muslims for all aspects of life--social, political, spiritual, and material--based on illustrations of what Muhammad and his nearest companions did or did not do.. The Hadith is important because it supplements the Qur'an. For example, in the Qur'an believers are told to pray, but not exactly how . The Hadith supplies these details. In the Qur'an believers are told to give alms, but the detailed rules are given in the Hadith.

Since it was necessary to receive guidance from the actions of Muhammad, details of his life and conversations were collected from different sources. These traditions were compiled by different people after Muhammad's. Commentary on the Qur'an also entered the Hadith. Some people started forging traditions in order to support factions and new doctrines. Many scholars spent much effort sifting the false traditions from the true ones. A system was worked out to determine whether or not a certain tradition was valid, whether it could really be traced to Muhammad or not. According to this system, the people relating each tradition had to state the name of their source, or sources, all the way back to the original person who said it. Then it was judged whether or not these people were reliable. This process of verification was called isnad, or "backing." Each tradition that was entered into a collection of the Hadith started with a chain of reporters of each hadith all the way back to the original narrator. Eventually, over a period of about three hundred years, six standard collections of the Hadith emerged. One of the most respected is that of Al-Bukhari (A.D. 870), with 2762 different hadiths in it.

Some of the traditions teach high ethical standards.

• "On the authority of Anas Ibn Malik who said: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'None of you is really a believer until he wants for his brother what he wants for himself'" ( The thirteenth hadith of al-Nawawi).
• Bukhari 24, Hadith 50: "If one of you should take his rope and bring a bundle of fire-wood on his back and then sell it, with which Allah should save his honour, it is better for him than that he should beg of people whether they give him or do not give him."

It can be interesting to share Biblical parallels with a Muslim who knows these hadiths. Jesus taught in Luke 6:31 the Golden Rule of doing to others as we would have them do to us. Paul warns the Thessalonians to work for their food, and not to become burdens to others (2 Thessalonians 3:6-13).

Other hadiths explain how to cover up bad deeds with good deeds.

• On the authority of Abu Dharr and Mu'adh Ibn Jabal, who said: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'Fear Allah wherever you are, follow the evil deed with the good deed so that it my erase it...'" (Transmitted by Attirmidhi).

According to the following hadith, good deeds and intentions count more positively than evil deeds do negatively.

• On the authority of Ibn Abbas who said: "The Messenger of Allah related for his Lord His saying: 'Allah certainly has decreed the good deeds and the evil deeds and explained that. Therefore he who intends to do a good deed and does not do it, it is recorded for him by Allah as a complete good deed. If he does it, it is recorded for him by Allah as ten deeds up to seven hundred deeds and up to many more than that. But, if he intends to do an evil deed and does not do it, it is recorded as a complete good deed. If he intends it and does it, it is recorded for him by Allah as only one evil deed.'" (Transmitted by al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Commentators say that this tradition shows how merciful God is to human beings. But this kind of "mercy" does not take sin as seriously as does the Bible. And it does not take one sin as seriously as does the story of Adam and Eve, even in the Qur'anic version. According to the Bible, the mercy of God includes His willingness to send His Word to become a human being called Jesus who suffered the consequences of sin Himself so that others could be forgiven.

There are traditions that expand more about Jesus according to Islam, including what supposedly happened when He was born.

• Abu Huraira says: "Satan touches every child which is born, and when he has done so, the child raises its voice and screams. This is what happened with all children except Jesus, son of Mary. Read the word of Allah: 'I will protect her and her offspring from every cursed satan'" (Al-Bukhari).

This tradition parallels the Qur'anic teaching that the angel announced to Mary the gift of a holy son (Qur'an 19:19). But then there is also this tradition on what Jesus will do when he returns.

• Abu Huraira claims the Messenger of Allah said: "I swear by him who holds my soul in His hand, that the son of Mary will come down to you as a just judge. He will break all crosses, kill all swine, abolish taxes, and distribute the wealth so bountifully that a single prostration during the ritual prayer will be seen as a blessed one, as the whole world and what it contains." (Al-Bukhari)

According to this tradition, Jesus Himself denies the need for a cross and backs a "prosperity gospel." But according to the original Gospel, even the resurrection body of Jesus has the marks of the nails in his hands and of the sword in His side (John 20:25-27). Jesus even told His followers to take up their cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24).

There are many other traditions and we will mention more of them as we consider further topics in this book. It should be noted, however, that Muslim scholars primarily used the Qur'an and the Hadith, both considered infallible, for developing the law, or Shari'a. And this Shari'a covers every aspect of human life. It legislates what is allowed (halal) and what is forbidden (haram), what is recommended and what is not advisable. Forbidden, for example, are wine, pork, gambling, usury, the making of images, fraud, perjury, and slander. Detailed laws govern dowries, marriage, divorce, the guardianship of orphans, business, politics and inheritance.

Within two hundred years after Muhammad, four orthodox schools of law emerged: the Hanafi school (Iraq in A.D. 767), the Maliki school (Medina in A.D. 795), the Shafii school (Egypt in A.D. 820), and the Hanbali school (started in Iraq in A.D. 855, but revived in Arabia in the 18th century as the Wahhabi school). Today the school dominating north and west Africa, as well as Syria and upper Egypt, is the Maliki. The Hanafi school dominates in western Asia, lower Egypt, and Pakistan. The Shafii dominates in Indonesia. Arabia is dominated by the Wahhabi school. These different schools of law differ in some details. For example, penalties for different crimes are stipulated in all the schools, but they vary a bit from one school of law to another. The Hanbilites and Hanafites say that a murderer should be killed by the sword. The Malikites and Shafi'ites say he should be killed in the same way he killed the other person.

Learned doctors of the law are called the Ulama. When new situations come up in modern society, it is the duty of the Ulama to make judgments of right and wrong using analogies based on the Qur'an and the Hadith. The Shari'a law encompasses almost all possible details of human life, so Muslims constantly refer to the experts in Shari'a for knowing what is right and wrong in everything they do. And these laws are seen as the laws of Allah himself. Disobedience to them is disobedience to Allah. Definitely, Muslims live "under the law," as Paul would say.

Since the early times of Islam different "denominations" arose, each with its own set of traditions and laws. One such major split-off was the Shi'ites, who originally wanted Ali as Caliph and were grieved when he was killed. When they were driven underground after Ali's death, they developed some religious doctrines that differ greatly from the Sunni. The Shi-ites consider authentic only those hadiths traced back to Ali and his followers. The Shi-ites believe that even now God chooses an imam who is divinely inspired, guides Muslims, and is ruler of the Muslim community. The Ayatollah Khomeini claimed to be such a leader. The Sunnis disagree with this doctrine, seeing it as blasphemous. Shi-ites believe in the coming of the mahdi, the leader who will lead people out of suffering and remove tyrants from the earth. Since the emergence of this doctrine many different leaders have claimed to be the mahdi. Many of them are calling for revolution because their countries have become over-Westernized. They are motivated by the success of the revolution in Iran. In Nigeria, for example, a movement started with youth who call themselves "brothers" and wear black turbans. Al-Zakzaki from Zaria has emerged as an influential leader among them. He and his followers are calling for revolution.

Over the years there have also been reformist sects in Islam who try to purify Islam from false doctrines and corrupt practices. Often they advocate going back to the Qur'an and the Sunna only. The Izala, a strategic and indigenous sect in Nigeria, are an example of this kind of reforming Muslims. Their official name is Jama'at Izalatil Bidiia wa Izamatus Sunna (the movement against negative innovations and for orthodoxy). The Izala emphasize preaching and teaching. They condemn feudalism and ceremonies that give too much honor to men rather than God. These reforming Muslims sense that something is wrong with how Islam is being practiced and they are dissatisfied. They are trying to go back to the "pure" faith of Islam. But some of them in their search have found that the "purity" they are looking for is found only in Jesus. He is both Savior from sin and the Perfect Example who can wash us clean and empower us to live a pure life of love for God and love for our neighbor.

This brief history of the development of traditions and schools of law within Islam makes one thing very clear. We cannot assume to know in advance what our Muslim friends believe, since different Muslims have some different beliefs and practices. We need to listen to them very carefully. Then God will help us find bridges into the Bible from what they already know.

Sometimes the bridge may not be part of the authentic traditions at all. It may be more like a folk tradition, such as this one that someone from central Nigeria told me.

• "There was once a black man who was very hospitable to the Prophet Moses. One day the Prophet Moses asked the black man what he could do for him. The black man asked him to go up the mountain and ask God what would happen to him on the judgment day. The Prophet Moses did so, but when he came back down he was quiet. The black man pressed the Prophet Moses to tell him what God had said. Reluctantly the Prophet Moses replied that God had said that the black man would go to hell. The black man was silent for some time. Then he asked the Prophet Moses to go up the mountain once more and ask God to make him very fat. When the Prophet Moses asked the reason, the black man said that he wanted to be so fat that he would fill all of hell so that no one else would have to go."

Do you see the bridge in this story? There is the lack of assurance of salvation for even good Muslims. There is the longing for and admiration of a Savior who would suffer hell so others could go free, if that were possible. But what the black man in this folk tradition could not do, and what Moses in the Bible could not do (Exodus 32:32), Jesus did. He bore our sins in his body, He suffered the pain of hell, so that those who believe in Him do not have to go there (1 Peter 2:24).

Many Muslims are mystics. They do not follow the Qur'an or the traditions or the Shari'a law closely. Through different practices they try to make contact with God or some prophet or saint, practices which more orthodox Muslims would condemn. Our aim is not to get Muslims to become more orthodox Muslims, or to know their own Qur'an or their own history or traditions better. Our aim is to find bridges in whatever particular Muslims may be thinking or feeling, so that we can help them into the Bible and a living relationship with God through Jesus. In a later chapter we will learn more about the mystics and how to make disciples of them.

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 7

1. What is the Hadith?
2. What is the Sunna?
3. Who are the Sunnites?
4. How does the Hadith supplement the Qur'an?
5. What is the isnad and what is its importance?
6. Give one tradition that teaches a high ethical standard, and give a Biblical parallel.
7. How does the Hadith rate the value of a good deed as over against a bad deed?
8. How does the Islamic idea of "mercy" differ from the Christian idea of "mercy"?
9. What interests you most in the two traditions recorded by Bukhari concerning Jesus? Why?
10. What is the Shari'a?
11. Which school of Shari'a governs West Africa?
12. What is the name for the modern experts in Shari'a law? What responsibility do they have?
13. What was the first major split-off from orthodox Islam? How did this split-off come about?
14. Give two ways in which the teaching of these Muslims differs from the Sunnis.
15. Give an example of a reformist sect of Muslims in Nigeria. Why are some of them ripe for the Gospel?
16. If a Muslim told you the folk story of the black man and the Prophet Moses, how would you respond?
17. Write a personal response to this lesson.

LOOKING AT THE JESUS IN ISLAM - Chapter 8

According to Islam, Isa Almasih (Jesus the Messiah) was a highly respected prophet. When we read the references to Jesus in the Qur’an and compare them to the Bible, we realize that they contain a mixture of truth and error. It is not our job to point out to Muslims all the errors in the Qur’an about Jesus. Rather, we want to get Muslims to hear and read the Biblical version, the original truth about Jesus. Often the best way to do this is to take something true that they know about Jesus and use that as a bridge to bring them into the full truth of the Bible. One such bridge is that He was born of a virgin.

In the Qur’an the birth of Jesus was announced to Mary by angels. "O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to God….” (3:45) Mary wonders how this can happen when no man has touched her (3:47). The angel answers that God plans and does what he will (3:47).

Later this chapter in the Qur’an says that Jesus was like Adam. God created him from dust, and then said to him “Be” and he was (3:59). Again and again the Qur’an denies the divinity of Jesus, or that Jesus was the Son of God. There is no need for us to get angry with Muslims when they say Jesus is not the Son of God. It is what they have been taught to say. Five times a day they say in their ritual prayers that God was not born, neither did he give birth to anyone. When Muslims object to calling Jesus Son of God, they often misunderstand what we mean by the phrase “Son of God.” They think we mean that God had a wife and slept with her as men sleep with their wives, and that is how Jesus came to be born. The Qur’an says that Christians imitate the unbelievers or pagans of old whose gods sometimes slept with women and had children or who tuned some human being into a god (9:30).

Sometimes when Muslims accuse us, we feel attacked. We know that the Bible does not teach what they say it teaches. Jesus is the Son of God in a spiritual sense. And it is not that a man became God. No, the eternal Word of God became man (John 1). When Jesus spoke, the very Word of God was speaking through a human body.

But even though we know all this, we must be very careful not to get sucked into a heated argument where both sides become angry. We need to follow what Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:24-26.

• And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil who has taken them captive to do his will.

Throughout this book we will be suggesting gentle answers to give Muslims at whom it is easy to get provoked. If we find ourselves becoming angry, it may be good to smile and say, “Please, I do not want to quarrel. Let us try to understand one another better.” Our aim should not be to defeat someone in an argument and show him where he is wrong, or stupid. A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still. Our aim is not to win an argument, but to love the person and help him into the Bible and a living relationship with Jesus Christ. This we do better through gentle questions and careful explanations than through forceful arguments. Even if we feel we or the Bible or Jesus have been insulted or slandered, we should answer with kindness and blessing. (1 Corinthians 4:13, 1 Peter 3:9). A soft answer today may make possible a calm discussion tomorrow. We should keep praying that God will bless people with the ability to see the truth, repent, and come into a living relationship with God. God will answer these prayers, sometimes more quickly than we think. Let me share some examples of this from experience.

Let us go back to the story of the angels coming to Mary. Even if the Qur’an does not call Jesus the Son of God, there is still a question we can ask based on what Muslims do know from the Qur’an. Why the virgin birth? One time I asked a malam, “I understand why Adam had to be created in a special way by God. He was the first human being. But at the time of Jesus, there were many people already. Why was he born without a human father?”

The malam answered me in typical Muslim fashion, “God knows. He does what he wills.” But a short time later he asked me, “Does the Bible have the answer to this question?”

Yes, it does. I showed him Matthew 1:21 where the angel tells Joseph, “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” The malam asked me for a New Testament and went home to read more for himself.

One of my co-workers was a Christian who had come out of Islam. He taught me how to use another bridge in the Qur’an. One day he told me that a Muslim had come to him trying to convince him to come back to Islam. My co-worker simply asked his friend, “What does it mean when the Qur’an calls Jesus the Word of God?” When the friend answered, my co-worker said the answer did not satisfy hm. No other prophet in the Qur’an was called Word of God. How can a word be separated from the person who spoke it? The more his friend tried to explain, the more confused he himself became. After only a week of discussion (and our praying to God to give him understanding), the friend decided to follow the Word of God, Jesus the Messiah, the One who had a name above all names.

There are many other bridges concerning Jesus in the Qur’an and the traditions. One such bridge is a verse where Jesus says,” And I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the dead, by God’s leave” (3:49). One Muslim said to me, “I know that Jesus healed the blind, but I would like to know more details. Do you have the name of the blind man and where he came from?”

This reference in the Qur’an and the question of this Muslim man could easily become a bridge into the Bible. So I showed him Mark 10:46-52 and invited him to read the story of Bartimaeus for himself. Once he read that story, he wanted to read more and asked to borrow my Bible. In the next weeks he eagerly read stories about Jesus healing lepers, raising a man named Lazarus form the dead, and many other stories about Jesus that he had never heard of in Muslim teaching, some that even contradicted what he had learned as a Muslim. But as he read, the Holy Spirit helped him understand and eventually he decided to become a follower of Jesus himself.

Whenever Muslims tell us they do not agree with some Christian teaching, they have a reason. We should try to find out what that reason is and bring a gentle explanation that God can use to open their eyes to the Truth. We need to get them to read the Bile for themselves.

Some of the stories about Jesus we find in the Qur’an were originally told by ignorant Christians! At the time of Muhammad the Bible had not yet been translated into Arabic. Very few Christians had copies of the Bible in any language. As the Christians themselves told the stories about Jesus, some of them changed the stories and added things that were not in the Bible. These stories are called apocryphal literature. Some of these apocryphal stories Muhammad heard and they became part of the Qur’an. For example, one apocryphal story we find in the Qur’an tells how Jesus made the figure of a bird, breathed into it, and it became alive and flew away (3:49). We do not read this story in the Bible. But we do read that through His Word God created all things! That same Word became flesh and was named Jesus (John 1:1-3, 14).

As we have said before, when we see the mixture of stories in the Qur’an about Jesus, it is not wise to start by pointing out something with which we do not agree. That may only start an argument and quarreling. It is wiser to pick out the tidbit of truth we find and then take our Muslim friend away from the Qur’an and into the Bible, where he can find the full menu of truth, unmixed with any apocryphal or false accounts of what Jesus said and did.

As we have seen, the Qur’an agrees that Jesus healed the blind and the leper and even raised the dead. But there is one huge difference.

• "But they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not. Nay, God raised him up unto Himself; and God is exalted in power, wise." (4:157-158)

When I first read this passage, I asked myself a question. Why, six hundred years after Jesus had died on the cross, would a religion come along and deny that it even happened? Why? The Qur’an talks about martyrs who were killed for witnessing to the truth and even honors them (3:140). Why should it be different in the case of Jesus? Why bring up the topic of the crucifixion only to deny it? It became obvious to me that the spirit that encouraged Muhammad to say these words was not the Holy Spirit of Jesus, the crucified and risen Lord. It also became obvious to me that the spirit(s) behind Islam did not want Muslims forgiven through what Jesus did in his death and resurrection, and so deceived them by denying the crucifixion.

One day a Muslim named Garba stopped me and said, “We Muslims respect Jesus highly. We know that wicked men wanted to dishonor him and crucify him, but God prevented that from happening. When the wicked men came to crucify Jesus, God beamed him up to heaven. Then he sent an angel to Judas, the traitor. The angel put his hand over Judas’s face and Judas took on the appearance of Jesus. Then the wicked men grabbed Judas, thinking he was Jesus, and crucified him instead. That is how God showed his cleverness and power. Jesus was safe and Judas was punished.”

I said nothing because Garba had a puzzled look on his face, as if he wanted to ask a question. Finally, he did. “You Christians say Jesus is your prophet and leader. Why do you also say that Jesus was crucified?” Suddenly I understood what was going on in Garba’s mind. When people make up stories about a leader they respect, they usually make up stories about him talking as an infant, or doing a miracle, or winning a battle. But it does not make sense that people should make up stories about a leader they respect being beaten, shamed, or crucified. Why would we Christians say Jesus was crucified if he wasn’t? Garba asked me to come the next day to his house and give him an answer. He would call his malam and friends.

The next day I started by showing Garba and his friends that Muslims were not the only ones who thought Jesus should not be crucified. When Jesus told his disciples that he was going to suffer and die at the hands of wicked men, one of Jesus’ own disciples named Peter said, “This shall never happen to you.” (Matthew 16:22) Peter was sure that there would be a miracle to save Jesus from such wicked men.

But, surprisingly, Jesus rebuked Peter, “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (16:23) Jesus was referring to something that Peter had forgotten, or ignored. Seven hundred years before, long before Peter and Jesus had been born, there had been another prophet who had predicted what would happen to God’s servant the Messiah. I invited Garba and his friends to listen to what God had inspired that prophet to say. In Isaiah 53 I read about how the suffering Messiah would bear the sins of many so they could be forgiven. Jesus the Messiah knew that He had come to fulfill this prophecy. He knew that suffering at the hands of wicked men was also part of the work God had given Him to do.

Garba and the others were listening closely. Next I took them to the account of the crucifixion in Luke where Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). A few verses later we read how Jesus forgave a repentant thief and promised him he would be with Him in paradise. I explained to Garba that the Bible teaches that Jesus was crucified as a momentous sacrifice for our forgiveness, and that God raised Jesus from the dead to confirm this. Garba asked for a copy of the New Testament, and in the next two weeks he read from Matthew through Hebrews. As he read, he got to know Jesus better and better.

So far we have been talking about Muslims who know something about Jesus from the Qur’an. But many Muslims do not know what the Qur’an says about Jesus. It is not our work to tell them what the Qur’an says about Jesus. We can simply introduce them to the Jesus we know from the Bible. We can share what Jesus has done for us personally. Perhaps a Muslim is afraid of death. We can tell him how Jesus conquered death! Perhaps he wants to be forgiven. We can tell him that is what Jesus came into the world to do. We can share with him the story of the real Jesus with drama or pictures or the Jesus film or video. By all means possible, we want to introduce all Muslims to the true Jesus. We need to encourage all Muslims who have become followers of Jesus to keep sharing the Good News about Jesus with other Muslims in a wise and gentle way.

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 8

1. Why should we not become angry with Muslims when they say that Jesus is not the Son of God? What should we do instead?
2. What is one name for Jesus that appears in both the Qur’an and the Bible which suggests a close relationship between Jesus and God?
3. According to this lesson, one Muslim asked a question about the name of the blind man that Jesus healed. How did the Christian teacher make a bridge from this question into the Bible?
4. Who in the Bible denied that the crucifixion would happen to Jesus? In what verse? Why did he make that denial? Who did Jesus realize was really the spirit behind that denial?
5. Where in the Qur’an is the crucifixion of Jesus denied?
6. What do most Muslims believe happened instead?
7. Why do you think the Qur’an denies the crucifixion of Jesus?
8. What Old Testament passage can help Muslims (and us) understand the reason for the crucifixion of Jesus?
9. Must we always use what is in the Qur’an as a bridge to talking to Muslims about Jesus? Give a reason for your answer.
10. What are some other ways we can introduce a Muslim to the Jesus we know from the Bible?
11. Write a personal response to this lesson.

MORE ABOUT THE REAL JESUS - Chapter 9

As we have already learned, the Qur’an teaches that Jesus healed the blind and the lepers and raised the dead. But there are many things we know about Jesus that are not in the Qur’an. The disciple coming out of Islam needs to learn these things about Jesus.

The Qur’an says that God gave Jesus the Injil, or the Gospel, just as God later gave the Qur’an to Muhammad. But exactly what Jesus taught is not repeated in the Qur’an. To find what Jesus really taught we need to take a new disciple to the first four books of the New Testament. Pray for him that the Holy Sprit will give him understanding. He may especially like the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 and the parables of Jesus, including the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15.

As for the life of Jesus according to the Bible, we have already talked about the crucifixion of Jesus and how through His death on the cross Jesus redeemed us from sin. Many Muslims think that the crucifixion was a shameful thing because it would mean that Jesus was defeated. But the story of Jesus did not end with His crucifixion. He rose from the dead. His resurrection turned something that appeared shameful into a glorious victory!

It reminds me of a story about a man who said he was stronger than the prison and all its guards. The guards went to search for this man and show him that they were the stronger. But the man ran away. Was this man stronger than the prison and its guards, or not? Some might say yes, because he was able to run away.

But let us look at a second man. He also said that he was stronger than the prison and all its guards. The guards went to capture him also. When the second man saw them coming, he came out to meet them. The guards handcuffed him and took him back to their prison. They beat him and tied him up with the strongest chains they had. They dragged him past all the other cells and threw him into the deepest and darkest cell in the prison. They locked the door securely and posted guards. Then they went back to their office at the gate of the prison and laughed. Where now was the man who had said he was stronger than they were?

But they did not laugh long. Soon they heard ominous sounds coming from the depth of the prison. They went to look. They saw something they had not expected. The man had torn the chains from his hands and legs. He had pushed open the door and come out into the corridor. Any guard who tried to stop him he flattened against the wall with one swing of his powerful arm. As he walked along the corridors of the prison, he opened all the cell doors, calling to those inside: “Come, follow me!”

Some of the prisoners followed him immediately. Other were afraid. They knew that if this man did not succeed in his escape, he and all those who followed him would suffer when the guards caught them again later. But other prisoners watched what was going on for a while and reasoned, “Look! They already did the worst that they could do to him. They beat him senseless. They bound him with their strongest chains. They locked him in the strongest cell. And yet he got free. He is flattening one guard after another. I’m following him out of here. He is strong enough to save me from the rest of the guards! I do not want to spend the rest of my life in this prison.”

The man did make it out of that prison. He took those who followed him to his beautiful place where they lived in freedom and love forever.

When the devil and his wicked one came to take Jesus, He did not run and hide. He did not ask God to help him escape to heaven. Instead He allowed them to do the worst that they could do: mocking, beating, torture, even the deep dark cell of death. But Jesus arose from death with new strength! And He invited everyone to follow Him out of the prison cells of sin to newness of life. That is good news! No other prophet of any religion has risen from the dead the way Jesus did!

But when Jesus rose from the dead, that still was not the end of His story. Jesus spent forty more days on earth with His disciple, teaching them more about the Kingdom of God. He also told them to go into the whole world to share what they had seen and heard from Him.

Then after forty days Jesus ascended into heaven. The disciples saw Him going up into heaven until a cloud hid Him from their sight. There is a prophecy in the Old Testament about what happened when Jesus reached heaven. This prophecy was given in a vision to the prophet Daniel.

In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all people, nations and men of every language worshiped him His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed (Daniel 7:3-14).

The New Testament also talks about this time.

• "God raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way (Ephesians 1:20-23)."

When Stephen was dying, he saw Jesus the Messiah in His place of honor. "But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55)."

I remember explaining to a new disciple out of Islam what happened to Jesus when He ascended into heaven. That was when Jesus as Son of Man was crowned King over all powers and titles on earth and in the heavenlies. He was made King of kings and Lord even over all evil spiritual powers. I’ll never forget his first response. “Of all the festivals that Christians have, the one celebrating the ascension of Jesus must be the biggest one of all!”

Bu there is even more that Jesus did after he got to heaven. From there He poured out gifts to His followers still on earth. He sent the Holy Spirit to live in the hearts of each one of them. The Holy Spirit helps them understand the Bible as they read it. He guides their thinking and gives them strength to do the right. When they do wrong, He warns them and makes them feel uncomfortable until they repent and confess and receive forgiveness. When they follow His gentle leading, they feel peace in their hearts. The Holy Sprit also distributes different gifts to different believers as He sees fit. He gives the ability to teach, or to heal the sick, or to serve, or to go into different cultures with the Gospel. The Holy Spirit helps Christians to love each other and even to forgive their enemies.

This is the time in history when we are now living. Jesus is in heaven as King of kings. His Spirit is with us living in our hearts to help us do the work of making disciples of all nations, including different societies of Muslims.

And there is still more to come. One day this same Jesus will return from heaven just as the disciples saw him go up into heaven. He will come with the angels and with the spirits of those who have died in the Lord. At that time all the dead bodies will rise! The spirits of the Christians who come with Jesus will be reunited with their bodies but their bodies will be changed to glorious, beautiful bodes that will live forever. As for those Christians who are still alive when Jesus comes, their bodes will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. They will rise to meet Jesus in the air and go to live with Him in the place He prepared for them—forever.

Some years ago we had a big problem. An Alhaji (someone who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca) in a different city had accepted Jesus as his Savior and Lord, but soon afterwards he died. My co-worker told me that his sons were upset because he had been buried like a dog. The Muslims had refused to bury him because they knew he was no longer a Muslim. The Christians in the town did not know he had become a Christian. But we knew that Muslims have a custom. Seven days after the death of someone, the relatives and friends come to say prayers for the dead and take care of other matters such as paying back debts and dividing the inheritance. Many Muslims spend a lot of time praying for God to be merciful to the one who has died.

But we knew that as Christians we did not have to pray for God to be merciful to the Alhaji. Instead we could be thankful that God had already forgiven his sins in Jesus the Messiah! So together with the Alhaji’s sons, we prepared a reading for use in a memorial service with relatives and friends on the seventh day. We included verses that talk of the reasons for the hope that Christians have at death. We made enough copies for everyone to have one, using two different language in two columns. We put in the Bible references so that people could look up the verses in a Bible later.

When we prepared the first draft of this reading, we put in different responses for the audience in darker letters, or bold print. But later someone suggested that it would be better to keep the response the same. Then even those who could not read and write could join in. What a great idea! So we changed all the responses to Thanks be to God.

This Alhaji had been known for his generosity. He offered food and lodging to lepers and other beggars. He had a large home in the city and always welcomed guests. So in our reading we referred to this generosity. We put in a verse from Proverbs 19:17. “He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done.”

In addition to using this reading with those who came, we also showed the Jesus film video to those who stayed overnight. God used this memorial service to open the eyes of more Muslims to see the grace of God in Jesus the Messiah. Some decided to follow Jesus that day, others some time later.

We began to use this reading more and more for funerals and memorial services because we saw that it both comforted Christians and witnessed to Muslim relatives and friends. We were thanking God for the forgiveness He had given the dead person rather than still praying for it. And we Christians were thanking God that we would be seeing our loved one again to live in heaven forever with Jesus.

For each reading we chose verses that applied especially to what we knew of the person’s life. For the Alhaji, we had chosen something referring to generosity. Some years later Baba died. Before he became a follower of Jesus, he had done sorcery. But after he decided to follow Jesus, the Holy Sprit cleaned out his heart and he became an evangelist. He was beaten many times, and suffered much for the Gospel. But because of his witness many Muslims became followers of Jesus. So for his memorial service we included words from Daniel 12:3 and 2 Timothy 4:7-8: “Those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars for ever. Baba fought the good faith, he kept the faith. He will receive his crown.” Thanks be to God.

At the end of this chapter is the English part of the reading we used in Alhaji’s memorial service. You are welcome to use any part of it that you wish.

We have seen how Muslims know a little, but very little, from the Qur’an about what Jesus really said and did. When we make disciples of those coming out of Islam, we need to bring them to the Bible so they can learn to know Jesus more and more. At the same time we need to help the new disciple keep witnessing to his Muslim friends and relatives about what he is learning. Making up this memorial reading together with new Christian disciples was one of many ways we found to do this. We can ask God to help us take advantage of every opportunity we have along with new disciples for explaining the hope we have in Jesus the Messiah.

QUESTIONS ON LESSON 9

1. Are the teachings of Jesus reported in the Qur’an?
2. Take your Bible and skim through Matthew 5-7. Pick a passage in which you think Muslims might be especially interested. Explain why you think this passage would interest them.
3. How is the story of the first man who said he was stronger than the prison like the Qur’anic version of what happened when evil men came to crucify Jesus?
4. Give three ways that the story of the second man who said he was stronger than the prison is like what happened when evil men came to crucify Jesus, as well as what happened later, according to the Bible.
5. What words in Daniel 7:3-14 suggests that this might be a prophecy of the ascension of Jesus?
6. What passage in the New Testament talks of Jesus’ promotion when he went to heaven as man as well as Son of God?
7. Why do you think that the Christian who came out of Islam assumed that Ascension Day would be the most important Christian celebration?
8. What are three of the gifts that Jesus through the Spirit poured out on the followers He left behind on earth?
9. Give two differences between what will happen when Jesus comes back according to the Hadith (Lesson 7) and what will happen when Jesus comes back according to the Bible.
10. Read carefully the liturgy for the memorial service for the Alhaji. (See below.) Give two ways that this liturgy is different from what Muslims usually believe or say seven days after a Muslim dies.
11. Write a personal response to this lesson.

====================================

READING FOR THANKSGIVING FOR THE LIFE OF ALHAJI

(Date)

Naked we came from our mother’s womb, and naked we shall depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. (Job 1:21)

Thanks be to God.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 6:3)

Thanks be to God.

Blessed are the dead who die belonging to Jesus Christ. They are now with Him in Paradise. (Rev. 14:13; Luke 23:42)

Thanks be to God.

Those now in Paradise will come with Jesus Christ when He comes down from heaven with the trumpet call of God. (1 Thes. 4:14-16)

Thanks be to God.

Then all of those belonging to Jesus who are still alive will be caught up in the clouds to meet Jesus in the air. (1 Thes. 4:17)

Thanks be to God.

On that day all who belong to Jesus will be changed, in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. We will have bodies that are fit for heaven, ones that will never die.

(1 Cor. 15:50-53)

Thanks be to God.

Then Jesus will take us in our new bodies to the place He has prepared for us, where we will live with Him forever. (John 14:3)

Thanks be to God.

There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (Rev. 21:4)

Thanks be to God.

All the prophets testify about Jesus that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name. (Acts 10:43)

Thanks be to God.

We thank God for the life of Alhaji Wane. We thank God for the grace given him in Christ Jesus. (1 Cor. 1:4)

Thanks be to God.

He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done. (Proverbs 19:17)

Thanks be to God.

Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he dies, he will live. (John 11:25)

Thanks be to God.

Now, to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. (1 Tim. 1:17)

Amen. Amen.

==================================

RULES VERSUS RELATIONSHIP - Chapter 10

One day Shu’aibu came to his teacher with a list of questions. “What are the Christian rules about prayer? What are the Christian rules about fasting? What are the Christian rules about inheritance? What are the Christian rules about marriage and divorce?"

His teacher knew where the questions were coming from. Everything, yes, everything in Islam is covered by rules. There are rules on how to pray, how to fast, how to sleep with your wife or husband, how to do business, how to do everything. When seasoning cubes called maggi cubes became available in the market, the scholars of Islamic law had to decide whether this was a clean or unclean food, whether or not Muslims could use it.

According to Shari’ah law, all actions are to be divided into five categories. An action that is wajib is compulsory, such as the five daily prayers. If a Muslim skips even one of these prayers and does not make it up later, he is to be punished. An action that is mustahab is rewarded, but the omission is not punished. This would include extra prayers in the middle of the night. An action that is mubah is permitted, but is legally indifferent. Eating with a spoon has been put in that category. An action that is makrah is disliked and disapproved, but it is not under any penalty. There is a reward for not doing it. Eating cat meat has been put in that category. An action that is haram is forbidden. It is punishable by law. Adultery and even drinking beer have been put in that category.

So when a Muslim thinks about becoming a Christian, he wonders what the new rules will be. He wonders which deeds will bring rewards, which deeds will bring punishment, and which are indifferent. That is the system that has governed his life to that time.

Shu’aibu’s Christian teacher had to ask himself some questions. Is Christianity primarily a religion of rules? What people in the Bible were very concerned about rules and more rules? What did Jesus say to these people? He asked Jesus for wisdom to answer Shu’aibu’s questions.

“Shu’aibu,” he said, “your questions are important questions. Let us start with the first one. There was a time when the disciples of Jesus asked him, ‘Lord, teach us how to pray.’ (Luke 11:1) They wanted to know the rules for prayer.

“Jesus said to them, ‘When you pray, say: “Father….”’ Jesus pointed them away from rules to a new relationship. As for those who receive Jesus and believe on his name, God gives them the right to become his children. (John 1:12) Prayer is children talking with their Heavenly Father. Let me ask you something. What would you think if every time your son came to talk to you, he said exactly the same words in exactly the same way?”

Shu’aibu groaned. “I would think he was not very bright.”

The teacher looked at Shu’aibu earnestly. “Shu’aibu, you are very bright. God made you that way. But if every time you talk to God you use the same words in the same way, you are not using the bright mind that God gave you. Through faith in Jesus you have become a child of God. Talk to God as you would want your son or daughter to talk to you.”

Shu’aibu thought over this new teaching. Of course, he wanted his children to show respect when they talked to him. But he also wanted to hear his children talk about what had happened to them in school, especially little Hadiza. He enjoyed watching his children’s joy when he brought things home for them. He wanted his children to tell him their problems so that he could help them. He was pleased when Haliru asked him to teach him how to work with him as a carpenter. He enjoyed teaching Haliru and just being with him. Is that what prayer was supposed to be like with the Heavenly Father?

The teacher continued, “There are times when all your children come to you and greet you together in the special way that you have taught them. But there are other times when you just talk. Sometimes Christians come together and greet God together in a special way. Many groups greet God with songs, as did David and the children of Israel. Some of those songs of praise and greeting we find in the book of the Psalms in the Bible. But another way to pray is just to talk to God alone about everything in our heart. When we talk to God, we need to also spend time listening to Him through reading His Word, the Bible, and listening to His impressions on our heart. Prayer involves both talking and listening to God. Remember, prayer is not so much following rules as it is growing in a relationship of love with God through talking with Him.

“There was once a man like yourself who was concerned about obeying the rules of God. He said to Jesus, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’ (Mark 12:28)”

“Jesus gave him a very interesting answer. Let us look at it in Mark 12:29-30. Jesus said, ‘The most important one is this: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’” You know how it is when you really love someone. You want to be with him. You talk with him. When something good happens, you want to tell him. When something bad happens, you want to tell him. You talk well of him to others. You enjoy doing the things that please him. Solomon pleased God when he asked for wisdom (1 Kings 3:10). Luke 15 talks of how God rejoices when sinners repent. If you love someone, you try to avoid doing the things that grieve him, or give him pain. Ephesians 4:30-32 tells us not to grieve the Spirit of God by keeping anger or bitterness in our hearts toward each other. Have you ever thought about what it means to love God? As you read the Bible, you will learn more about what God is really like. You will learn more about how much He loves you. You will learn more about doing the things that please Him and the things that grieve Him. The things that really please Him may be different from what you were taught before. As you read and pray alone with God and with other Christians, you will get to know God more and more.”

Shu’aibu was thoughtful. He knew he had a lot to learn about God and His ways. As a Muslim he was taught that he was only a slave of God. Good deeds were a way of filling up the good side of the scale on the Judgment Day. What he did affected his own future, but it did not really pain God, or bring God joy. But was the heart of God toward him really like the heart of a father to his children? Was he paining or pleasing God by what he did?

The teacher continued. “Notice that Jesus said we are to love God with all our mind. Sometimes when we repeat the same prayer over and over, our mind does not work any more, or it wanders to think of other things. That is why Jesus said in Matthew 6:7 that we should not keep repeating the same words over and over. We will not be heard because of our many words or long prayers, as some think. God listens to those who love Him from their hearts and think when they pray, using different words to express all their different thoughts and feelings, sometime joyful words of thankfulness, sometimes urgent calls for His help.

“Jesus said more about the most important of the rules. Let’s read Mark 12:31. He said there was a second one like the first one. ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’ That is why when we pray, we should not ask for things only for ourselves. Jesus taught his disciples to pray, ‘Give us (not just me) each day our daily bread’ (Luke 11:3). In our prayers to God we should take time to ask God to bless others as we want Him to bless us.

“Some Christians call these two great commandments the Golden Rule. Jesus himself said that all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments (Matthew 22:40). That means, Shu’aibu, that you need to think through everything that you have been doing in the name of religion. If doing something helps you to love God more, and other people more, keep doing it. But if it does not, stop it. Do something else instead out of the love you have in your heart for God and for other people.

“The Bible teaches that men will be judged not just by their outward actions, but especially by the secret motives in their hearts (1 Corinthians 4:5). Jesus talked about people who outwardly honor God with their lips, but their heart is far from God (Matthew 15:8). People can be shouting or singing about the greatness of God, and yet at the same time planning to do evil in their hearts. Jesus taught that ‘out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man “unclean”’ (Matthew 15:19-20). Whatever a man does out of an unloving heart is haram before God, right from the heart where it started. But when the Holy Spirit of God gives a believer a new clean heart, then out of his heart come “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). His actions will be halal, right from a loving heart where they started.

“So the most important thing, Shu’aibu, is to ask God to give us clean and loving hearts. That is what David prayed after he had sinned and asked God’s forgiveness.

• "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me (Psalm 5:10-1)."

“This is what we need to pray whenever we sense a sinful heart rise up inside us. I remember a time when I was very angry with someone. I went to my room alone to talk to my Heavenly Father. I said, ‘Father, I am angry with this person. I know you do not want anger to stay in our hearts and become sin. Father, please take this anger out of me and replace it with your love for this person.’ God answered my prayer. The next time I saw this person, I was able to talk kindly to him out of the love that God had put in my heart.”

Shu’aibu said to his teacher, “You have given me much to think about. Please pray with me that God will give me this new heart that you are talking about so that I can be really good from the inside out.” Together Shu’aibu and his teacher prayed, using the words of Psalm 51.

As Shu’aibu walked home, he thought deeply. All those prayers he had prayed five times a day—was he loving God when he prayed them, or was he really more concerned that he might be punished if he did not do them? He remembered some times when he had skipped the prayers because no one else was around to notice, no other Muslim, that is. Had he really been doing his prayers out of love for God? And what if God did not even enjoy all that repetition to begin with? Should he keep doing it? And if he were going to pray from his heart, what language would he use in prayer? Should it not be his heart language? He did not know how to express many things that were in his heart in Arabic. He had watched his teacher use their own home language when he talked to God, and he knew God had heard and answered his prayers even though his teacher did not know Arabic at all!

How about the other things that he had been doing because he thought he would get rewards from God? Fasting, for example. Did fasting make him love God more? Or was he most glad when the fasting was over? Did fasting make him love other people more? Especially in the late afternoon? Or did it make him more angry with others than usual? Was this kind of fasting something that pleased God? What kind of fasting really pleased God?

What about inheritance laws? What did Jesus say about that? Would Jesus want brothers fighting in court over who should get money from their dead father’s estate? Was this kind of thing coming out of a heart of love?

What about divorce? Shu’aibu had seen so many divorces. His sister Aisatu had just come to live in his house because her husband had divorced her. He felt sorry for her and her two children. But he himself had divorced Lami five years ago. He wondered now whether he had done this out of a heart of love, according to the teaching of Jesus. He knew he had not. Could Jesus give men new hearts to live in love with their wives?

Shu’aibu had many, many questions. There was something in him that just wanted to give up trying to learn the ways of Jesus and just go back to the old rules. But there was also something in him that wanted the new way, the way of loving God and loving others from the heart. He was tired. He would think more about it tomorrow.

After Shu’aibu left, the teacher got on his knees and thanked God for the opportunity to talk with Shu’aibu. He prayed that whatever he had said that was from the Holy Spirit, God would keep reminding him. Anything not of God, would God please cause Shu’aibu to forget it. The teacher prayed again that God would create in Shu’aibu a clean heart, help him to see the Truth, and give him the strength to do the right from the inside out.

QUESTIONS ON LESSON 10

1. What five categories can all actions be divided into, according to Shari’ah law? Give an example for each one.
2. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, what did He consider more important than rules?
3. According to Islam, can what men do pain God’s heart? Explain.
4. Does the Bible teach that what men do either pains God or gives Him joy? If so, give one example from the Bible that speaks of men giving God pain, and another of men giving God joy.
5. Why will Matthew 6:7 be an important teaching to a new Christian coming from Islam?
6. On what two commandments did Jesus say all the Law and Prophets hang? Show how the model prayer Jesus gave in Matthew 6 fulfills both of these commandments.

7. According to the teaching of Jesus, where do haram and halal actions start?

• Give a Bible reference that talks of things coming out of an unclean heart. List three such things that are haram.
• Give a Bible reference that talks of things that come out of a clean heart. List three such things that are halal.

8. If someone from Islam asked you how he could get a clean heart, what would you tell him?

9. Choose one of the questions that Shuaibu asked himself as he walked home that you would like to discuss with him. How would you use this question as an opportunity to disciple him? What passage from the Bible would you discuss with him?

10. Why do you think Shu’aibu was so tired?

11. How did the teacher help Shu’aibu after Shu’aibu had left his house?

12. Write a personal response to this lesson.

FASTING - Chapter 11

According to the Qur'an, Allah tells adult Muslims to fast for one month out of the year, the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. During this time Muslims must not eat or drink or have sex between sunrise and sunset. Fasting is both a physical and spiritual act. Fasting is meant to make Muslims think more about God and strengthen their character to keep from sin. Through fasting, they hope to resist temptation and achieve self-control. They are training to become disciplined people who are prepared to deal with the sufferings they may have to endure in Islam. According to Islamic teaching, fasting makes all Muslims share in the suffering of the hungry and prompts them to be kind to the poor. At the end of the fast, Muslims give a tithe to help the poor. The Hadith teaches that the Muslim who keeps Ramadan will have his sins forgiven.

Fasting becomes compulsory for children over the age of twelve. Expectant or nursing mothers are not asked to fast. Those sick or those travelling may make up later the days they did not fast. Those old or chronically ill can feed one hungry man for each day they did not fast.

At night during Ramadan there are special prayers in the mosque. Muslims believe that during this month God gave the Qur'an to the Prophet Muhammad. During this month Muslims recite and listen to the Qur'an being explained by their teachers.

The day following the end of the month of Ramadan is a day of festival and rejoicing called Id al-Fitr. On this day Muslims thank God for the blessing of the Qur'an. Many trust that through fasting they have been cleansed of their sins. At this celebration Muslims wear new clothes, give and receive gifts, and visit friends and relatives.

In the Qur'an, the rules concerning the fast are prefaced with these words: "O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you..." (2:183). "Those before you" refer to the Jews and Christians. Was fasting prescribed to the Jews and Christians?

There is only one fast prescribed in the Bible: the fasting on the Day of Atonement, that day once a year when the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies with the blood of an animal to make atonement for the sins of the people (Leviticus 16:29). There were other fasts that were not prescribed, but commended.

· The Ninevites fasted in repentance (Jonah 3:7-10).

· Daniel fasted for three weeks as he confessed the sins of his people and prayed to God to fulfill his promise to rebuild Jerusalem. During this time he took no choice food, or meat, or wine (Daniel 10:2, 3).

· Ezra fasted as he mourned the sins of the Israelites (Ezra 10:6).

· Esther and her people fasted for three days before she went in to the King to ask for their deliverance from death (Esther 4:15-16).

· Jesus did not say that his disciples must fast. In fact, he said that he came to bring something that was more like a feast (Matthew 9:15). Yet he also said that when people fasted in secret, the heavenly Father would reward them (Matthew 6:16-17).

· While the elders at the church of Antioch were fasting and worshipping God, the Holy Spirit told them to send out the first missionary team of Barnabas and Paul (Acts 13:2-3).

From these passages in the Bible, we learn that while fasting is not mandatory for Christians, it can bring blessing when it is done for God.

One time a malam (a Muslim teacher) became interested in following Jesus. He asked a Christian teacher what were the Christian rules for fasting. Now the Christian teacher had to be very careful not to give him a Christian legalism to replace the Muslim one. Jesus did not come to give us a new list of rules, but a new relationship. So the Christian teacher told him that once we receive the Spirit of Jesus into our lives, we have a new relationship with God. We are no longer slaves, but sons, and God is our Father in Heaven who loves us very much.

The Christian teacher explained, "Jesus said that all religious rituals and practice must hang on the two greatest commandments of all: Love God above all and our neighbor as ourselves. If the kind of fasting we are doing energizes our love for God and love for our neighbor, we should keep doing it. Personally, if I do not eat or drink anything all day in a hot climate and still go about my regular work, by the time late afternoon comes around, I become irritable, thinking only about when I can take a drink. I am loving neither God nor my neighbor. But for another person, this kind of fasting may cause him to love God and his neighbor more. The main question we each have to ask ourselves is this: Is this fasting (or feasting) helping me to love God and my neighbor more? If so, we should do it. If not, we should stop it."

Now this malam had a daughter named Hadiza. So the Christian teacher asked him a question. "What would you say if you came home and found out that your daughter was miserable and irritable because she had not eaten or drunk anything all day? When you asked her to explain, she said that she was trying to please you. You might tell her to get up, eat some food, help her mother in the kitchen, and be thankful that you had gone out to work to bring food home. Don't you think our heavenly Father might feel the same way? He made all the different grains and vegetables and fruits so that we could enjoy them, become strong, and thank him. Do you think not eating them and becoming miserable is the way to please him?

"On the other hand, if your daughter answered that something had happened in school, and she was so upset that she couldn't eat, then you would listen to her and try to help her. Sometimes Christians are upset by problems too big for them to handle. They just go to God their Father in prayer until they get help from him. They do not even bother about food.

"In other cases, Christians want to set aside some special time to read God's Word and pray. They may fast as Daniel did, taking only simple food and drink, so that they will be distracted neither by severe hunger or thirst, nor by the deliciousness of what they are drinking or eating. When we fast in a way that gives us special time with God, there are special blessings. Daniel got special visions from God while he was fasting, as well as a special personal promise (Daniel 10-12). For Daniel fasting was a way to spend concentrated time with God, not a rule to follow. So it can be with Christians.

"In Isaiah 58 God talks about a kind of fasting that he does not like, and a kind of fasting that he does like. The Israelites were once doing a kind of fasting that caused them to quarrel. God was not pleased. Instead he said that they should fast by sharing what they had with others. To fast in this way is to give up something that is ours in order to show love to someone else. We can fast money, food, time, clothes, or space in our house in order to help someone else. This kind of fasting God will bless in the special ways listed in Isaiah 58:8-12.

“From a Biblical perspective, the rules of fasting are not as important as a desire to spend time with God and to show love to our neighbor. Fasting is good when our fasting energizes us to love God and our neighbor more, even if we fast in different ways."

The Muslim inquirer thought about this teaching carefully. He also asked about sex and fasting. In Islam, married people should not have sex during the day during the time of fasting, but at night they may come together again. The teacher explained that Christians too can fast from sex, but the Bible emphasizes that marriage partners may not deprive each other, even for prayer, except by mutual consent and for an agreed length of time (1 Corinthians 7:5).

The Muslim inquirer still had one more question. In Islam extra fasting beyond Ramadan can be an atonement for certain sins. For example, fasting for two months can be the compensation for a poor man who kills another believer unintentionally (4:92). A poor person can fast for three days as expiation for an oath that he did not keep (5:92). The teacher explained that, according to the Bible, Jesus died on the cross as the atonement for all of our sins. Forgiveness is the free gift from God through Jesus the Messiah. For the Christian fasting is never an atonement for sins, but it can be one way to concentrate on our relationship with God and to show love to other people.

=========================

During Ramadan we should not of course offer Muslims food or drink during the time they are fasting. Out of consideration for them, we should not eat or drink in front of them. Fasting, after all, is not a sin. During this time many Muslims think seriously about God and how to please him. God may provide us good opportunities to witness during this month.

One time a Christian secondary school teacher offered to help Muslim students during Ramadan. The teacher agreed to help in three ways: with breakfast food, with stories of the prophets, and with prayer. So every night during that month of Ramadan, these Muslim students came to the teacher's house to eat breakfast food. Then the teacher used a picture Bible story book for teaching about the prophets (Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Jesus). The teacher also prayed about all the things that concerned the students. Some of those students later became followers of Jesus.

During Ramadan fanatic Muslims may be easily angered, so it is wiser to share the Gospel with interested Muslims in private. Recently one Muslim said privately to a Christian friend "I’m fasting, but it is not doing for me what it is supposed to do." This certainly was an opportunity for this Christian to share how he got peace in his heart not through fasting, but through faith in Jesus the Messiah.

We must realize that many Muslims are earnestly seeking an experience with God during Ramadan. They have been taught that Muhammad first received divine revelation during a “night of power”. According to the Hadith this “night of power” occurred during the last ten days of Ramadan. Many Muslims believe that staying awake during this night and offering special prayers will bring special blessings from God. We can certainly pray that during the month of Ramadan God will give revelations in dreams and visions to those Muslims that are earnestly seeking him.

How should we disciple Muslims who have accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord? Should they keep fasting during Ramadan? We need to give them the full teaching of the Bible on fasting and then let the decision about whether or not to fast to be between them and God. We must not insist that these Christians coming out of Islam follow our traditions concerning fasting. If they disagree among themselves, we must teach them to respect each other's decisions. Paul was very clear about this in Romans 14.

• One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God....You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. So, then, each of us will give an account of himself to God....For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit....Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification....So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God (Romans 14:5-6, 10, 12, 17,19, 22).

In Christ there is freedom, including whether or not to fast, and if so, how to do it. We do not bribe God to give us something by fasting. On the other hand, if God calls us to a certain type of fasting, he also intends to bless us during that time and use our prayers to further his Kingdom.

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 11

1. a) What are the rules for the Muslim fast of Ramadan?

b) According to Islam, what benefits does such fasting bring?

2. In what two different ways can Muslims "make up for" the days of Ramadan in which they did not fast?

3. What is the relationship between Ramadan and the Qur'an, according to Muslim teaching?

4. What is the name of the festival at the end of Ramadan? How is it observed?

5. a) For how many days was fasting prescribed in the Bible? When? Give a Biblical reference.

b) Give three examples of fasts that were commended in the Bible, with references. Give the

reason for each fast.

6. What main question did the teacher give for testing whether or not to do a certain kind of fasting, or feasting? Give a Biblical reference.

7. How was the fasting of Daniel different from the Muslim way of fasting?

8. What kind of fasting does Isaiah 58 teach us to observe?

9. What is the Christian teaching about married people fasting from sex? Give the Bible reference.

10. Give two kinds of sins for which fasting can atone, according to the Qur'an. Give references.

11. Explain three ways how a Christian should be wise in his witness among Muslims during Ramadan.

12. In what chapter of the Bible does Paul teach Christians not to judge each other over how they fast, or do not fast?

13. Write a personal response to this lesson.

HOW TO BECOME CLEAN - Chapter 12

“Why don't we Christians wash our hands and feet before we pray?” This was the question Abdul asked himself as he was reading the Bible his Christian friend had given him. He was reading from Exodus 30:17-21 where God himself commanded people to wash themselves before they went in to the Holy Place to pray. According to these verses, God commanded the people in the time of the Prophet Moses to make a bronze basin with water for washing in the courtyard of their place of worship. Abdul knew his brothers who were still Muslims always had water available for washing near their mosque. Muslims believe that they must wash and be clean before they pray to God. Abdul became confused. If God told his people in the Holy Bible to wash their hands and feet before they prayed, why were his Christian friends not serious about washing before they prayed? Abdul decided to ask his Christian teacher this question.

Abdul found the teacher resting at home in the evening. After the greetings, Abdul asked why Christians did not wash their hands and feet before they prayed as the Bible told them to do.

The teacher answered thoughtfully. “That is a very good question. To answer that question, we need to look at different passages from one end of the Bible to the other. Let us start with the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. After they sinned against God, Adam and Eve hid from God because they felt ashamed and dirty inside. Have you ever felt unclean when you did something wrong?"

Abdul felt uncomfortable. He thought of the time when he had slept with Fatima. It was pleasurable at the time, but later it bothered him and he felt unclean. Also since he had become a Christian, whenever he told a lie to someone, he felt as if he was unclean inside.

The teacher continued. "God tells us in the Bible that our sin makes us dirty and unclean (Lamentations 1:8). Sometimes people forget that. God told people in the Old Testament to wash before they prayed. He knew that water on their skin would not clean out their hearts and minds, but he wanted to keep reminding them that they were dirty from sin and needed cleansing. When as a Muslim you washed before you prayed, did you really feel clean inside? Or did the sins you had done keep coming back to your mind as if they were still there? Sometimes it seems that the more we wash outside, the more dirty we feel inside!

"God had a wonderful plan for cleansing people from their sin. This plan is not easy to understand, but God can help us to understand. The Prophet David wanted God to cleanse him from the inside out. There was a time when he committed some very serious sins. He slept with a woman who was not his wife and then arranged to have her husband killed. Later David felt so dirty because of his sins. So he prayed. 'Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin....Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:2, 7).'

"Now what did David mean when he asked to be cleansed with hyssop? Hyssop in the Old Testament was a tree whose branches were used for sprinkling the "water of cleansing." Numbers 19 describes how this "water of cleansing" was to be prepared. A red heifer was to be killed. Then the heifer was to be burned together with some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool. After everything has burned up, the ashes were taken to a special clean place. When needed, water could be mixed with these ashes for use as the "water of cleansing." This "water of cleansing" was for "purification from sin" (Numbers 19:9). The priest could sprinkle people who were unclean with this "water of cleansing" and they would become clean. In some cases the person would also be told to wash himself and even his clothes (19:19).

"Hebrews 9 tells of how Moses used a kind of "water of cleansing" to purify the people and the place where they worshiped.

• When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people....In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:19-22).

"The same chapter, Hebrews 9, explains how these ceremonies with water and blood and ashes 'were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper,' but they were 'an illustration' of something that could (9). Ceremonial washings were 'external regulations applying until the time of the new order (10),' Hebrews explains.

"What then was the new order? Hebrews explains that too.

• 'He did not enter by means of the blood of goats, and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!...now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself....Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people...(Hebrews 9:12-14, 26, 28).'

"This is Good News for everyone, including Muslims! Through his sacrifice on the cross and through the cleansing work of his Spirit in our hearts, Jesus does something that the washings were only meant to illustrate. Jesus cleanses those who believe in him from the sin that is deep in their hearts!

"Let me tell you what happened to me one day. I was riding in a taxi with Muslims. At 2:00 pm we stopped near a village mosque. We all got out and did the alwala (ritual washings) together. The Muslims went into the mosque to do their salat. I went off behind the mosque under a tree and prayed in the name of Jesus. When we all got back to the taxi, the Muslims were curious. 'You did the alwala with us, but you did not go into the mosque. What did you do?'

"I told them that I was doing my type of prayers. They asked me what type that was. I told them that if they really wanted to know, they could give me their address and I would come and explain it to them. When we reached our destination, three Muslims gave me their addresses.

"Some days later I visited one of them. 'Do you know why we were so curious about what type of prayers you were doing?' he asked me. 'We all did the same washings with the same water, but when you came back to the taxi your face was shining, and none of ours were.'"

Abdul smiled. He knew what kind of people have shining faces, according to the Qur'an. They are those whose sins have been forgiven, those favored by God, those who will go to heaven (Qur'an 3:106-107; 83:24)!

The teacher continued. "I knew why this Muslim was so surprised to see my face shining. He knew God would make a man's face shine on the Judgment Day to show that his sins were forgiven, but he did not think it could happen before then. Only on the Judgment Day can a Muslim really hope to know whether or not his sins have been forgiven. But my face was already shining! So I explained to this Muslim that I prayed in the name of Jesus the Messiah, the one to whom God had given the power to cleanse from sin. We do not have to wait for the Judgment Day, or even for death, for this cleansing. We can have it today if we decide to become a follower of Jesus.

"That is such Good News, Abdul. Our Muslim brothers are still doing ritual washing with water before they pray. It is good to have a clean body, but ritual washing only keeps reminding us that we are dirty because of sin. It was meant to be an illustration of the cleansing that only the Spirit of Jesus the Messiah can do in our hearts.

"I know that when I sin, I feel dirty again. I know I must quickly confess that sin in prayer to God and ask him to forgive me in the name of Jesus the Messiah. God promises that He will be faithful to forgive me my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7-9). That is why I can now sleep peacefully. I do not have to fear the Judgment Day. That is why God caused those Muslims that day to see my face shining. He wanted them to learn the way to become clean before Him forever, clean on the inside and even shining on the outside! You can have that cleansing, too, Abdul, every time you pray to God in the name of Jesus.

"You may remember from your Qur’anic studies how Allah told the Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son. You also remember how Allah provided a ram to die in the place of that son. Muslims remember that story every time they celebrate Idu'l-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice. But do you remember what Allah said about what happened, according to the Qur'an? 'And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice...(Saffat 37:107).'

"Now think about that. What is so momentous about a ram? Even in the animal world it is not as large as a bull, or a camel. But that ram was momentous because it was an illustration of a truly momentous sacrifice that would ransom many men from death in their sins. Two thousand years later John the Baptist, or Yahaya, as the Qur'an calls him, pointed to Jesus and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world’(John 1:29)!

"The sacrifice of Jesus is what the killing of rams illustrated. This is what all the ritual washings in the time of the Prophet Moses illustrated. Muslims keep killing rams and keep washing because they do not realize that Jesus the Messiah fulfilled all these illustrations once and for all by his death on the cross.

"Most Muslims have never heard of the promise that Jesus gave to a woman who was very dirty with sin. He promised that if she asked him for it, he would give her 'living water' that would become in her 'a spring of water welling up to eternal life' (John 4:10, 14). That was Good News for the Samaritan woman, and it is Good News for Muslims. Jesus can put inside of them a spring of water that will cleanse their hearts from sin and keep them clean for all of eternity! Ritual washings are only an illustration of what the Spirit of Jesus does in the heart of His followers. I have heard the testimonies of Muslims who have become Christians. Many of them talk about how when they were doing alwala and salat, they felt that there was still some stain that was not completely washed away. But when they put their faith in Jesus, they felt perfectly clean in their hearts for the first time in their lives.

"So you see, Abdul, Christians no longer do ritual washings for the same reason they no longer do animal sacrifices. The last book of the Bible talks about believers in Jesus being washed in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14). According to God’s plan, through his death and resurrection Jesus "provided purification for sins" (Hebrews 1:3). The Spirit of Jesus inside believers is like a spring of water that cleanses them from sin and gives them eternal life (John 4:14). So now believers in Jesus no longer have to concentrate on ritual washings because they have the real thing that the ritual washings were pointing to!"

Abdul listened carefully. This was such Good News. He felt joy in his heart because the Jesus he had decided to follow was such a wonderful Savior. Together he and his teacher thanked God for providing the way of getting clean through faith in Jesus the Messiah.

As Abdul walked home that night, he thought about all his Muslim relatives and friends who were still doing ritual washings, just as people were doing in the time of Moses. He asked God to give him wisdom to explain these wonderful truths to them. He decided to start with Jesus’ wonderful teaching in John 4:14. He asked God to help them to understand. He thanked God for his teacher who had explained the truth to him from the whole Bible in such a patient and careful way.

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NOTE WELL: Not all Muslims will agree with the above explanation concerning the killing of the ram as redemption for the life of the son of Abraham. They may say that the killing of the ram only showed that the Prophet Abraham was a pious servant of God. Do not argue over this point. Just concentrate on the part of this lesson that talks about the need for cleansing. What can cleanse our hearts? Share the promise of Jesus the Messiah to put within us "living water" that will cleanse us from a guilty conscience and well up to eternal life! (John 4:14) Share your own personal testimony about the joy of a cleansed conscience.

BIBLICAL REFERENCES ON CLEANSING

Exodus 19:10-11. The Israelites at Mount Sinai washed themselves before God talked to them.

Exodus 29:4-9. Aaron was washed before his ordination as a priest.

Exodus 30:17-21. The priests were commanded to wash with water from the bronze basin before they prayed.

Leviticus 16:29-34. Once a year on the day of atonement, the blood of animal sacrifices was taken into the Holy of Holies to cleanse the people of Israel from their sins.

Numbers 19. The water of cleansing.

Psalm 51:2, 7. David asked God to cleanse his heart.

Isaiah 59:20-60:3. The Lord prophesied that the Redeemer would come to those who repent of their sins. Then these people would shine because the glory of the Lord would be on them. Nations would come to their light.

Jeremiah 2:22. The Israelites washed with soap, but the stain of their guilt was still there.

Lamentations 1:8. Jerusalem sinned greatly and so became unclean.

Zephaniah 3:9. God prophesied that he would purify the lips of the peoples, that they might call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder.

Zechariah 3. Joshua the priest was given clean clothes to replace his filthy clothes of sin. God prophesied that he would remove the sin of the land in a single day.

Zechariah 13:1. The Lord prophesied of a day when a fountain would be opened to cleanse people from sin and impurity.

Malachi 3:3. God promised that he would purify the Levites. (Compare this prophecy with Acts 6:7.)

Matthew 27:24. Pilate washed his hands to try to cleanse himself from the guilt of ordering the crucifixion of Jesus.

Mark 7:1-23. Jesus explained that uncleanness came from the heart of man.

John 4:14. Jesus said he could put inside the Samaritan woman a spring of living water welling up to eternal life.

Acts 6:7. A large number of priests, the very people who were in charge of enforcing all the ritual washings, became obedient to the faith and found eternal cleansing in Jesus.

Acts 22:16. Ananias told Saul to get up, be baptized and wash his sins away, calling on the name of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Paul listed many kinds of people that had been dirty because of their sins. But then he said they were washed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God.

2 Corinthians 4:6. God has caused the light of knowing Jesus to shine in our hearts.

Philippians 2:15. We are to shine like stars in a depraved generation.

Hebrews 1:3. Jesus provided purification for sins.

Hebrews 9:13-14. The blood of Jesus cleanses our consciences.

Hebrews 10:2-4. The sacrifices done over and over did not actually cleanse the people from sin. They only kept reminding them that sin led to death!

James 4:8. James commanded sinners who washed their hands to also purify their hearts!

1 John 1:7-9. If we confess our sins, the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin.

Revelation 7:14. Believers have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 12

1. a) Whom did God command to wash with water before they went in to pray? Give the Biblical

reference.

b) Why did God command them to do so?

2. Why does this rule for washing with water before praying no longer apply to Christians?

3. What chapter in the New Testament explains in detail how the rituals of cleansing and sacrifice in the Old Testament were only illustrations?

4. a) What does it mean to a Muslim if he sees someone's face shining?

b) Give the reference to a verse in the Qur'an to support your answer.

5. a) To whom did Jesus talk of giving "living water" that would become inside a person "a spring of water welling up to eternal life"?

b) Give the Biblical reference.

6. a) What does the Qur'an say about the ram that was offered in place of the son of Abraham? Give the Qur'anic reference.

b) What prophet in the New Testament called Jesus "the Lamb of God"? Why? Give the Biblical reference.

c) What name does the Qur'an give to this prophet?

7. Study the Biblical References on Cleansing carefully before answering these questions.

a) In what Psalm does the Prophet David ask God to cleanse his heart?

b) Where in the Bible do we read of people who will "shine" after they repent of their sins and the glory of the Lord comes on them?

c) Which minor prophet prophesied of a day when a fountain would be opened to cleanse people from sin and impurity?

d) What New Testament verse talks of many priests (who were doing ritual washings) who later became followers of Jesus?

e) Which New Testament writer encourages the Jewish Christians to be more concerned about purifying their hearts than they are about washing their hands?

f) Did the sacrifices of animals in the Old Testament really cleanse people from sin, or only remind them of their sins? Explain, giving a Biblical reference.

g) Which New Testament passage promises cleansing for those who confess their sins? Explain how God is "faithful" and "just" when he forgives those who confess.

LEARNING TO CONFESS - Chapter 13

Hassan was disturbed. He had gotten up in the middle of the night and prayed. But that lie he had told kept coming up in his mind, again and again, even while he was praying. The next morning when he opened his Bible to read he could not concentrate. The only thing he could think about was the lie he had told. He gave some alms to beggars and orphans, but still the memory of that lie did not stop tormenting his mind. What more could he do to atone for that lie and make it disappear from his mind? He decided to fast for three days. But still the lie was there and he had no peace in his heart. Finally Hassan decided to go to his Christian teacher and ask him what more he should do to atone for his sin.

When Hassan told his teacher what was bothering him, the teacher said, “Hassan, there are no good deeds that you can do to atone for your sin and cover it up. You have been trying to bury your sin by covering it up with shovelfuls of good deeds. But, you see, you are not really burying it at all. You have planted it. And the more you try to cover it up, the more fertilizer it gets to grow. What you need to do is to dig it up and expose it to the hot sun of God’s glory where it will dry up and die. You need to confess it. That means you need to bring it to God in prayer, naming the exact sin, and ask God to take it from you and kill its power over you. The Bible talks about this. 'If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.' (1 John 1:8-9)

“So when we lie, we need to come to God and tell him, ‘God, I lied and this is what I said. Please forgive me. Take that lie from me and burn it up. Help me to tell the truth.’

“Some sins are only between us and God. But other sins involve other people. Did you tell this lie to someone else? If you did, the Bible says you need to confess your lie to him as well. 'Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.'" (James 5:16)

Hassan became very uncomfortable. “Yes, I did lie to someone else. It was my wife. But if I tell her that I lied to her, she will not respect me any more. After all, a true man never admits a mistake, does he? To make a mistake and to say you made one is to make two mistakes, isn’t it?”

The teacher smiled. “That is what we used to be taught. We were taught that to admit we did something wrong was a weakness. All we had to do was to try to do better the next time. But that is not what the Bible teaches. Unconfessed sin is like poison inside us. We need to vomit it out of our mouth in confession so that it does not keep destroying us on the inside. At one point in his life the Prophet David found it hard to confess his sin. Let us read how he felt. 'When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer (Psalm 32:3-4).' David was miserable, just as you are. The more good works he did to cover up his sin, the worse it got. His sin remained between him and God (Isaiah 59:1).

“But finally David humbled himself and admitted his wrong. Look at how he says it himself. 'Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’—and you forgave the guilt of my sin (Psalm 32:5)."'

“What a change came in his life when he confessed his sin. He had joy and peace in his heart again. His sin was gone! 'Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit (Psalm 32:2)….As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgression from us (Psalm 103:12).' For us Christians, it is true that Jesus died for all our sins on the cross. But in order for us to experience the blessings of that forgiveness we need to confess the specific sins that the Holy Spirit brings to our minds.

“Many times we do not experience the full blessing of forgiveness, the joy and the peace, until we also confess to those we sinned against. I know that from experience. There was a time when I lied to my boss at work. He did not know what I said was a lie. I did not lose my job. But every time I tried to read the Bible, I remembered that lie. I confessed to God, but even after I had done so, that lie still bothered me. Do you remember what Jesus said about this? 'Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift (Matthew 5:23-24).'

"God will not answer our prayers when there is a sin between us and another person that we have not confessed. That includes our wives. 'Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as…heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers (1 Peter 3:7).'

“Those that marry the daughter of an emir need to be very careful in how they treat her. If they do something wrong to her, she may run to her father. Her father may get angry with the husband unless he changes and treats the daughter well. We need to remember that our wives are daughters of the King of kings. How we treat them affects very much what the King thinks of us. If we come and ask this King for something in prayer, He may say to us, ‘First go and make things right between yourself and my daughter. You have hurt someone very dear to my heart.’

“The Bible tells us very clearly that telling a lie to someone is sin. We have already learned that the second great commandment is to love others as ourselves, to do to others what we would want them to do for us. How do you feel when someone lies to you? The Bible talks specifically about lying to each other. 'Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body (Ephesians 4:25).' Your wife is your closest neighbor and one body with you. You sin against her as well as against God when you lie to her. I sinned against both God and my boss when I lied to him. I confessed to God only and got no relief. God’s hand was still heavy on me. I suffered a full year. It got worse and worse until I did not want to read the Bible or pray anymore, because every time I did I felt the guilt of that lie.

“Finally, I told another older Christian. She advised me to confess both to God and my boss. She showed me the same verses I have shown you. That was really hard to do, so I asked God to help me to do it. By this time I had moved to another town. So I wrote out my confession in a letter and took it to the post office. The minute I put that letter in the slot, the burden of that lie lifted from my heart. I was filled with joy and peace.

“So I want to encourage you, Hassan. You are experiencing something that many Christians have experienced. It is called the ‘discipline’ of your Heavenly Father. Before you became a follower of Jesus, you could lie and it would not bother you. But your father at that time was the devil. He is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44) He covered up for you when you lied and encouraged you to lie even more But now you have a new Father, the Father of Truth. 'God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:10-11).' You see, Hassan, God not only burns up the poison of the sin we confess, he also sows in our cleansed hearts seeds from His Word that produce a harvest of peace and good thoughts and deeds to others. This includes telling others the truth.

“As for your wife, if you sit down with her and share with her all that you have learned today, she may be very surprised at the change God is making in you. She may respect you more than before. But even if she does not, you have done what God is disciplining you to do. The wonderful joy and peace of the Holy Spirit will return to your heart. You can ask God for the ability to tell the truth to your wife and others until they learn that what you say can be trusted. You will also be setting an example for your wife on how she can be free of her own sins that God is disciplining her about. She may confess some sins that she has done against you and God right away. Be sure to forgive her as God forgives you. But it may take some time before she learns to confess. Don’t force her. Let God discipline her heart as He has disciplined yours and keep loving her.

“In the future, God may remind you of other lies you have told to others. Confess them all one by one, as painful as that may be, so that you may experience the blessedness of one who has confessed his sins and is experiencing the full joy of forgiveness.

“Don’t worry about sins you can not remember. If there is any more you need to confess, God will remind you when you ask Him to. We can pray as David did. 'Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24).' Then when God brings any offensive way, or sins, to mind, we can confess them and become clean. It is something like breathing out and breathing in to stay alive. We breathe out the dirty air of our sins when we confess them. Then we can breathe in the pure clean air of the Word of God to give us the energy we need to live a clean and fruitful life.”

As Hassan went home, he was afraid to confess his lie to his wife, but hopeful at the same time that God would bless him and his marriage if he did.

After Hassan left, the teacher prayed for Hassan. He used words he had read just that morning in his daily Bible reading from Hebrews 13:21. "Lord, please equip Hassan with everything good for doing your will [including confession of his lie], and work in him what is pleasing to you [telling the truth] through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

Note well: The teacher not only taught Hassan about confession. He also modeled it. He told of a time when he too had lied, God had convicted him, and he had found freedom and joy after he confessed to God and the one to whom he had lied. Perhaps that is what Paul means when he says, “I became weak to the weak” (1 Corinthians 9:22). We are not better than these new believers coming out of Islam. We too are weak and sin at times. But we can share the forgiveness and strength of Jesus with them!

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 13

1. Give two things that Hassan did to try to atone for the lie he had told. What teaching from Islam encouraged him to do these two things?

2. Hassan thought he was burying his lie, but the teacher said he was really planting it. Do you agree? Give your reasons.

3. The teacher advised Hassan to confess his sin of lying to whom and to whom? Give one Bible reference for each.

4. Before the teacher discipled him, what had Hassan thought characterized a true man?

5. Why did the teacher compare unconfessed sin to poison? What prophet suffered from unconfessed sin? Give a Bible reference.

6. What happens when there is unconfessed sin between a man and his wife (or a wife and her husband)? Give a Bible reference.

7. How did the illustration of marrying an emir’s daughter help Hassan to understand that how he treated his wife affected his relationship with God himself?

8. Before he became a Christian, Hassan could lie and it would not bother him. Why not?

9. But now that lie he told was bothering him. Why? Give a Bible reference.

10. What would you tell someone who is worried about sins he did that he may have forgotten?

11. How did the teacher help Hassan after Hassan had left him and gone home? What Scripture passage did he use, and how did he apply it to Hassan?

12. How did the teacher become “weak” to Hassan when Hassan lacked the courage to confess his sin of lying?

13. Write a personal response to this lesson.

DISCIPLING VERSUS GOSSIPING - Chapter 14

John was a Christian who was witnessing to Muslims One day a Muslim named Saidu came to John and said that he wanted to become a Christian. John prayed with Saidu to accept Jesus as his Savior. But later Saidu told John some things that John found out were lies. John was angry. He went straight to his pastor and said that he was going to warn other Christians to be very careful of Muslims like Saidu who only pretend to become Christians. Most of the time they are just deceivers.

The pastor looked at John thoughtfully and then said, “Jesus gave us a very specific command as to the first thing we should do when we see someone doing something wrong.” He asked John to read about it in Matthew 18:15. "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over."

“To report bad things about someone else without talking to the person face to face is called ‘gossip’ or ‘backbiting’ or ‘slander.’ Paul includes gossips and slanderers in a list of those who do not know God, who are filled with wickedness, who deserve death (Romans 1:29-30). The Bible says that ‘slanderers’ will not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:10).

The pastor continued his explanation. “If you go and tell other Christians that Saidu told you a lie without talking to Saidu himself first, you are gossiping. If you say that because Saidu lied to you he is not a Christian, and even more, that most Muslims who want to become Christians are only deceiving, you are slandering. These are serious sins before God.”

The pastor went on to explain that when a person first begins to follow Jesus, he does not immediately stop doing all the bad things he was doing before. Just because Saidu told some lies does not mean he is not a Christian. But he does need to be discipled. The person who led him to Christ needs to teach him what is right and wrong and then help him get forgiveness and the power of the Holly Spirit to change. This is a very challenging, but rewarding, work.

But this work must be done carefully. The pastor asked John to read Galatians 6:1. "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted (Galatians 6:1)."

The pastor and John talked about what it means to be “spiritual” when we try to help someone stop sinning. We need to work with the Holy Spirit. We need to pray for the person. We need to be gentle. We need to share with the person who has sinned that we too have sinned, but that we have found forgiveness and the power to change. The pastor asked John to go home and thank about what he should do next. How could he restore Saidu gently?

That night John prayed for Saidu that the Holy Spirit would give him the gift of repentance and the desire to become like Jesus. John realized he needed gentleness and wisdom when he went to talk with Saidu. He asked God to help him.

The next day John went to Saidu. “Saidu, I thank God for you and your faith in Jesus. Now we are brothers with the same Father, our Father in Heaven. There are some things that I had to learn about our Father after I became a Christian. One time I lied to my friend. He asked me if the radio I had asked him to fix was mine. I said yes, but it wasn’t. I had borrowed it. My friend did not realize I was lying. But I soon found out that my Heavenly Father knew, and He was not happy with me. Whenever I tried to pray or read the Bible, I remembered the lie I had told. For a long time I had no peace in my heart. Finally, I told a Christian brother what was happening. He advised me to follow 1 John 1:8-9. 'If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).' I had already confessed many times to God what I had done. But that was not enough. Paul said that he tried to keep his conscience clear before God and man (Acts 24:16). So I went and told my friend that I had lied. Once I did this, my heart became clean, and I had peace and joy again. That is how I learned from experience what our Father in Heaven is like. He does not cover up our sins, as Satan would. He keeps reminding us about them until we confess. That is because He wants us to become truthful like Jesus, the Truth.”

Saidu looked at John and said, “I know what you are talking about. I lied to you last week, and it has been bothering me ever since. Will you forgive me?”

“Yes,” John replied, “for two reasons. Jesus taught us to ask God to forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. If I don’t forgive you, I’m in trouble with God. And, second, I love you and it is not hard to forgive someone you love. God also has heard your confession and forgives you. Please read 1 John 1:8-9 again. It is for you.” John gave Saidu his Bible to read these verses for himself.

John continued his discipling of Saidu. “Saidu, I learned that putting the Word of God in my heart by memorizing Bible verses helped me to stop sinning. Let’s read these verses together: John 8:44; Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9-10; and Revelation 21:8. Then we can choose the one that you think will help you the most and memorize it together.”

That evening John went back to the pastor and told him all that had happened. John shared how a joy surged through him when he told Saidu that God forgave him, and so did he. The pastor said that probably John had been rejoicing right along with the Holy Spirit inside of him. God really enjoys forgiving. The pastor rejoiced that John was becoming more like his Father in Heaven.

Then the pastor asked John to think of what might have happened if John had not followed Matthew 18 and had gossiped about Saidu to other Christians instead.

· John would have tempted other Christians to gossip as well.

· The more the Christians gossiped about Saidu, the more exaggerated the stories about him would become. Satan would have a chance to put thoughts in their minds about Saidu that were not even true.

· Other Christians might have become afraid of Saidu and not welcomed him as a Christian brother.

· Saidu would eventually hear about the gossip and feel bad about it. He might get angry and resentful against Christians who were talking about him behind his back.

· It would be much harder for Saidu to repent and find forgiveness if people had already gossiped about him and ruined his reputation in the Christian community.

· Saidu might go back to Islam and Muslims would give him a welcome.

The pastor said he knew of cases where Christians had gossiped about new converts and these exact things had happened. What a tragedy!

The pastor also warned John that not all new Christians would be like Saidu who repented so quickly. It might take longer. But John should keep asking the Holy Spirit to work repentance in the heart of the person. If after some time the person refused to listen to John, John could choose one or two more people whom the person respected to go along, just as Jesus said (Matthew 18:16). They should pray together before going and use all the love and wisdom that the Holy Spirit would give them.

The pastor advised John to be careful when other Christians told him bad reports about other converts from Islam. Some of these Christians might even be ex-Muslims. He should ask these Christians whether or not they had talked to these converts face to face. If they had not, he should show them Matthew 18 and the other verses about ”gossip” that the pastor had shown him before. The pastor emphasized how much God hated gossip and slander because they work against repentance and change, the very things Jesus died to give people.

The pastor added, “If gossiping Christians refuse to listen to you, come and call me to go along with you and I will help you talk to them. I want our people to learn how to disciple rather than to become like hyenas who tear new Christians apart with gossip and slander.”

John thanked the pastor for his encouragement. That night he thanked God for a pastor who was wise and knew how to disciple. He asked God to help him disciple rather than gossip.

More to think about

Why is it that slander is such a problem among converts from Islam? Perhaps there are some theological reasons. In traditional religions, sin is relational. The sinner realizes that he has offended someone (living, dead, or spirit) and must make things right with that person. Sometimes even blood sacrifices are needed. But Islam destroys the idea of sins being relational and turns them into something to be weighed against good deeds on a scale. So if I am a Muslim, I am not taught to confess specific sins and ask for forgiveness from God or other people. Rather, I get up in the middle of the night to say some extra prayers to cover them. Muslims do ask God to have mercy on them, but they are not taught to confess specific sins regularly. They have no concept of a close personal relationship with God in which sin actually grieves God. There is no assurance of forgiveness, because the final weighing will be done on the Final Judgment Day, and nobody knows before then what the outcome will be.

Since Muslims are not in the habit of confessing sins to one another and forgiving one another, many are insecure. Insecure people tend to make themselves look good by making others look bad. Thus slander becomes common.

When Muslims become Christians, they may not automatically stop slandering. We may assume that all ex-Muslims will defend and support each other. The opposite is probably closer to reality, at least until they are well discipled. How many times have I heard and read that the biggest problem with new believers from Islam is disunity and discord among themselves. It is only when they learn how to confess to one another and forgive one another that this can change.

Practically, this means that those who work among Muslims must not accept gossip from one convert about another. Sometimes the slanderer says, “I am only telling you this because I do not want you to be cheated. This common form of slander traps many. Too often, instead of getting rebuked for gossip and slander, the “warner” gets thanked for his “warning.” Who wants to be cheated?

But the worker among Muslims might better say something like this. “I am not as much concerned about being cheated as I am about why you are telling me this. Is it the truth? Even if it is, have you gone to the person you are telling me about and tried to help him repent and be forgiven? If you haven’t, you yourself have committed a serious sin. I have gossiped many times myself without even realizing that it was sin, but I realize now that I need to confess it as sin and change.” We need to insist that the gossiper face the person he is talking about. We need to disciple people to take Matthew 18 seriously.

Personally, I have seen former gossipers and slanderers change to loving supporters of one another as the Holy Spirit transformed them in the context of consistent discipling. I have also seen whole programs and churches ruined when gossip and slander went unchecked.

Since some Muslims are experts at intrigue and slander, they may even try to sow suspicion between the new Christians from Islam and those who are discipling and helping them. They may come and say, “You know, when Ali is with you, he says he is a Christian, but when he is with us, he talks against you. You are just being deceived. We want peace in this place, so we are just warning you for your own good.” Such “warnings” need careful handling. Maybe what they say is true. But it is more likely that those Muslims are only trying to separate Christian teachers and helpers from a genuine convert who has the potential for leading many other Muslims into the way of Jesus.

As the writer of Proverbs warns us, gossip may seem right to swallow, digest and become energy for action. But it often acts as poison, separating those God meant to be close friends and co-workers in His Kingdom (Proverbs 18:8 and 16:28). Let’s take this warning from God’s Word seriously. Let’s concentrate on discipling instead of gossiping.

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 14

1. Why was John angry? In his anger, what did he do?

2. How did the pastor describe what John had done to him? Choose one of the Bible verses that mentions this sin that John committed. Write out the words of this Bible verse along with the reference.

3. What should John have done instead?

4. Read Galatians 6:1. What does it mean to be “spiritual” when we restore someone? How should we restore the person?

5. Was John gentle when he tried to restore Saidu the next day? Explain.

6. Which Bible character talked about keeping a clear conscience before God and man? Give the Biblical reference.

7. Read the four verses John shared with Saidu as he discipled him. If you were Saidu, which of those verses would you choose to memorize? Write out the words of the verse.

8. John told the pastor that there was a time that joy filled his heart and mind. Just when did this joy come to him? Why?

9. Give three of the things that might have happened if John had gossiped to other Christians about Saidu. Choose the three you think are the most serious.

10. What should we do if one ex-Muslim tells us a bad report about another ex-Muslim?

11. Why does God hate gossip and slander?

12. How is gossiping the opposite of discipling, and discipling the opposite of gossiping?

13. To what kind of animal did the pastor compare Christians who gossip? Why?

14. Why do insecure people often slander? Why are many Muslims insecure?

15. What kind of people should we disciple former gossipers and slanderers to become?

16. What is often the purpose behind the “warning” that other Muslims may give us about how a convert is “deceiving” us?

17. Write a personal response to this lesson.

WHAT IS ALLAH REALLY LIKE? - Chapter 15

Umaru asked his Christian teacher a very important question. “Do Christians believe in al-nasikh wal mansukh, the law of abrogation? According to the law of abrogation, there are some verses in the Qur’an that were later canceled by other verses which say something different. So the first verses were abrogated, declared no longer valid.”

The teacher waited to tune into what God would bring to his mind before answering. Then he said, “Let us look at what Jesus Himself says about this idea of abrogation.

• 'Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished (Matthew 5:1-18).'

Jesus talked about the law of fulfillment, not the law of abrogation. From the first verse in the Bible which God moved the Prophet Moses to write, all subsequent verses build on the earlier ones and add to them, without contradicting them. God led forty different men in writing the Bible over 1500 years, but none of them contradict each other in what they wrote. God does not contradict Himself. God keeps His words to His people from one generation to the next.”

Usman thought a while and then said, “Jesus indeed taught something different about God than what Muhammad taught. Muhammad taught that God is God, and he will do what he will do. If Allah chooses to abrogate something he said before, he does so. You are making me think more about what Allah is really like.”

The teacher replied thoughtfully, “Usman, the word ‘Allah’ was used before the time of Muhammad. The Arabs worshiped many different tribal gods in the form of the sun, moon, and stars, or stone statues, or other objects in nature. But many Arabs also talked of an invisible god that was above all their other gods. They called him al-ilah, which means “the god.” Arab poets before the time of Muhammad used the name “Allah” in their poetry to refer to a supreme deity. Muhammad’s own father was named Abd-Allah (slave of Allah). The Kaaba was known as beit-Allah or “the house of Allah,” the Supreme God. As Lord of the Kaaba, Allah was not represented by a statue like the 360 idols inside the Kaaba were. Allah was greater than all those other gods, or idols. The declaration Allahu Akbar means “Allah is greater.”

“Arab Christians themselves used the name ‘Allah’ as the Arabic word for the one true God. Perhaps they were learning from the wisdom of Paul. When Paul saw an altar marked TO AN UNKNOWN GOD, he said, ‘Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you’ (Acts 17:23). Paul went on to explain that not only was this unknown God the Creator of the universe and the ruler of men and nations, but He also would judge all men through Jesus, the man He had appointed, whom He raised from the dead. Arab Christians also taught that this God, or Allah, whom the Arabs thought was unknowable, had actually revealed Himself in various ways through creation, through His acts in history, as recorded in the Bible, and finally through His own Word become man. On hearing this teaching, some of the Arabs received this wonderful truth with gladness and became Christians. But not all Arabs at the time of Muhammad had heard this truth. The Bible was not yet translated into their language. Some heard, but refused to believe.

“Before Muhammad others such as Hud, Salih, and Shua’yb preached that the Arabs should worship only the invisible most high Allah, and stop worshiping other visible idols. Those called the hanif taught that the Arabs should return to the religion of Abraham who left idolatry to worship the one God. Some of these hanif later became Christians, including a cousin of Muhammad’s first wife.

“But Muhammad never became a Christian. He did preach about Allah, the most high invisible God, who created the heavens and the earth. But in many other ways his teaching concerning God differed from Biblical teaching. We have already mentioned one of those ways. Muhammad said that Allah is free to abrogate his word. The Bible teaches that God does not even want the ‘freedom’ to abrogate His word. He wants to be faithful to His word, and will not contradict Himself.

“In other ways what Muhammad taught about Allah did not change that much from the older Arab ideas about what the Most High God was like. For Muhammad Allah remained not only invisible, but also non-relational and essentially unknowable. In no way was he like a human being, nor were human beings like him in any way. Man was not made in the image of God. Many Muslim theologians say we should not even try to know God personally because he is so different from us. We must try to keep all the laws he sent down through his messengers for our own good, but the idea of having a close relationship with God himself is out of the question. People can at most be slaves who obey the laws of their master without question.”

“That is what I was taught by my Muslim teacher,” Usman agreed. “My teacher always emphasized the doctrine of tawhid, that God is one, that he has no partners. No one is or can be like him. I remember how surprised I was to read what Jesus once said: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect’ (Matthew 5:48). But please explain more about what you mean by God being relational.”

The Christian teacher answered, “Someone who is relational does not want to be a loner. He wants to cooperate with others. He wants to love and be loved back. God is relational from eternity past. God existed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus talked about the wonderful relationship of love and cooperation between Him and the Father as existing long before He became a human being, before the creation of the world (John 17:24). This God who wants to live in relationship made human beings in a special way, “in his image” (Genesis 1:27). He did this so that God and human beings could live in a give-and-take relationship of love. God did not make human beings equal with Himself, of course, but He did want them to be fellow workers, or co-regents, with Him in ruling and developing the world He had created. Later in Genesis 3 we read that these human beings decided to be partners with Satan instead of fellow workers with God Their close relationship with God was broken. They had to leave the beautiful home God had made for them. From then on most of their descendants to the time of Muhammad, even up till today, have sensed that God is somehow distant from them. Most did not even try to develop a personal relationship with Him. Only a few have been like Enoch, who “walked with God” (Genesis 5:22). Sin had come between men and God (Isaiah 59:2).

“Muhammad was right when he observed that he had no close relationship with God. He did not even claim to talk directly with God, but with some spirit being whom he thought came from God. But Muhammad gave a different explanation of why man had no direct contact with God. He taught that this distance between God and man had always been there from creation. The best human beings could ever do was to accept guidance from God through his messengers. Muhammad never understood or accepted the explanation of the Bible that there was once a close relationship between God and man at creation, but that this relationship was destroyed when man chose to cooperate with Satan and rebel against God. Muhammad never taught how God planned a way to reverse that partnership with Satan and fully restore His relationship with man.”

Usman was interested. “Maybe Muhammad himself never heard a clear explanation of this plan. Or maybe he refused to accept it. But just how did God plan to restore his relationship with man?”

“The Bible tells us,” answered his teacher. “Out of love for us, God sent His very own Word, or Son, to become a human being in order to pay for our sin. Once this was done, He sent His very own Spirit into those who believe in Jesus to restore His image in them, to give them the power to become sons of God. This Holy Spirit gives men the power to break off all connections with sin and evil spirits, and connects them to God Himself! They become born again into God’s own personal family. The very life of God becomes the source of their own living. Peter was so excited about this good news that he wrote about it as the Spirit moved him.

• 'His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires (2 Peter 1:3-4).'

“Muhammad never understood or taught this wonderful plan of God accomplished through Jesus. Muhammad, as others before him, did know that there was one supreme deity. But he thought that the oneness of God was an exclusive oneness. Muhammad did not benefit from the full teachings of Jesus. Jesus taught about the inclusive oneness of God. He said that He and the Father were one (John 17:22). The Father sent His very own personal eternal Word, who became a man to live among us as Jesus (John 1:114). Jesus, the Word of God, taught, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). In order for this to happen, God planned a way to break the partnership between people and evil spirits, to help people put to death their corrupted sinful nature, and to give them a new nature that could be filled with His very own Spirit. Then people could learn how to live in ‘the fellowship of the Holy Spirit’ (2 Corinthians 13:14).

• 'Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship….The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory (Romans 8:15-17).'

“Jesus Christ, the Word of God, showed us what God is really like and how God really wants us to worship Him in a relationship of a Father with His beloved children. This close relationship of love Jesus calls “being one.” It is an inclusive, not an exclusive, oneness. Jesus prayed that all His followers would share in His oneness with God. This relationship involves having direct contact with God, not through some other spirit being, or even through a set of detailed laws, but directly, our own spirit joining with the Spirit of God himself. God’s Spirit moves us to do things that please God in a way much more powerful than any laws alone could ever do. This kind of oneness with God also enables you to become one in love with other followers of Jesus, as Jesus Himself prayed would happen (John 17:20-26). Usman, only the Spirit of God can teach you Himself the reality of this wonderful relationship, this oneness with God and others who have the Spirit of God living in them. He is willing to do so, if you ask him.”

Usman answered thoughtfully. “I do not yet completely understand all that you have said. I still have some questions. But one thing I do know. I want to learn more. I have watched you talk to your Heavenly Father. I can feel the love and peace between you and God. I want that kind of a relationship with God. Thank you for teaching me how we can depend directly on the God who does not contradict Himself and keeps all His promises. I can see why you enjoy obeying such a God. If God wants to fill me with His own good Spirit so that I can become more and more like Jesus, as I see you becoming, that is something I want with my whole heart. Then maybe other Muslims will learn from me something of what Allah is really like, as I am learning from you.”

The Christian teacher read Ephesians 3:14-21 and asked Usman if he would like him to pray that prayer for him, as Paul had prayed for the Ephesians. Usman agreed. The teacher put his hand on Usman’s shoulder and prayed for him, using these words, that Usman would come to know how much God loved him, and that he would have the image of God fully restored in him, becoming filled to the measure of the fullness of God Himself.

After Usman left, the Christian teacher thanked God for giving him the opportunity to cooperate with Him while talking with Usman. He personally thanked God for making His light shine in his heart to give him the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). He spent time just worshiping God, praising Him for His faithfulness and love!

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 15

1. What do Muslims mean by “the law of abrogation”?

2. What is the difference between the “fulfillment” Jesus talked about and “abrogation”? From your own knowledge of the Bible, give an example of such fulfillment.

3. How many different men were involved in writing the Bible? During how many years? Why are these two facts significant for our view of the Bible?

4. How does the name of Muhammad’s father show that Muhammad was not the first to use the name Allah.? How was the name Allah used before his time by pagans? By Christians?

5. What did the hanif believe?

6. What does the doctrine of tawhid teach?

7. From your knowledge of the Bible, how is the Muslim idea of the oneness of God different from the Christian understanding of the oneness of God?

8. What was Muhammad’s own explanation for Muslims having no close relationship with God? How is that different from the Biblical explanation? Include Bible references in your explanation.

9. What was God’s wonderful plan to restore the relationship between Himself and human beings? Include the part that both Jesus and the Holy Spirit had in this plan.

10. Read all of Ephesians 3:14-21. Was this a good prayer for the teacher to pray with Usman in response to what Usman said at the end of their conversation? Explain.

11. In what way have Muslims been deceived about what God is really like? Answer with something you learned from this lesson.

12. What teaching or insight from this lesson causes you to love and praise God more than before? Explain.

13. If someone asked you whether or not Muslims and Christians are worshiping the same God, how would you answer? Reflect carefully on this lesson before answering this question.

14. Write a personal response to this lesson.

DREAMS AND VISIONS - Chapter 16

Nuhu came to his Christian teacher with a question. “I had a dream last night, but it was not from God. Last month I planted corn where the Principal told us students we could farm. Yesterday when I went to work on the farm, the corn was growing nicely. But someone came to me, very angry, and said that the place belonged to his grandfather. The farm was his! I became quite angry, and we almost fought. Then last night while I was sleeping some spirit came to me and called me by name. He told me that he had seen what had happened. If I would do certain things he told me, something bad would happen to the person who wanted my farm, and I would not have to worry about him again. But I sat up in bed and said, ‘No, I cannot do that! I belong to Jesus!’

“This vision surprised me. The spirit was giving me a formula for doing some powerful black magic. Usually only people who go through certain initiation rites and long training from another black magician get these kinds of visions from spirits. I have not gone through such training. Why did I get such a vision?”

The teacher thought a while and then answered, “Nuhu, I think Ephesians may help us understand what happened to you. ‘In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.' (Ephesians 4:26-27) Did you take your anger and give it to God before you went to bed? Did you ask God to work on your behalf and give you ideas about what to do? Or did you go to sleep with the anger still in your heart?”

“To tell the truth,” said Nuhu, “I went to bed with the anger still in my heart.”

“Then according to this verse,” said the teacher,, “you gave the devil a foothold. Nuhu, you are now in Bible school getting training in the Word of God so that you will be more equipped to take the Gospel to your people. The devil is looking for opportunities to turn you away from doing this. You gave him one when you went to bed with anger in your heart. If you had done what the evil spirit told you to do, it could be that something bad would happen to that farmer. But you yourself would come under the power of the spirit that taught you to curse. How thankful we can be that God’s Spirit was in your heart to warn you!”

“Yes,” said Nuhu. “It must have been God’s Spirit in me who helped me realize that this was an evil spirit talking to me. I t must have been the Holy Spirit who reminded me of that verse in Romans 12:14 that says we should bless those who persecute us, and not curse. I will talk to God about the corn I planted. If God wants me to have it, he can work out a way for me to keep that farm. If not, he will give me something better in its place.”

A week later Nuhu returned to tell the teacher what had happened. The local government had announced to everyone that the land close to the Bible school had been given to the students of the school for the next two years. So Nuhu and other students were free to farm it

But Nuhu had more good news. “Yesterday one of my Muslim friends came to me. He told me a dream he had. In this dream my friend saw someone near him, ugly and mean, someone with chains ready to tie him up. But on a hill, farther away, was a white shining person taking care of sheep. That shepherd called my friend by name three times. That was the end of the dream. My friend asked me if I knew what the dream meant.

“The first thing that came to my mind was a passage from John 10. So I asked my friend if he wanted to read about the Good Shepherd who called people by name. He said he did. So we read John 10:11-18 together. I told my Muslim friend that he was very blessed to get a dream like this from God. Would he like to learn more about the Good Shepherd, Jesus the Messiah? He said he would. I have been praying for my Muslim friend for a long time. He would never listen to the Gospel before. But now, after this dream, he is ready to listen!”

The teacher saw the joy in Nuhu’s face and rejoiced with him. “What has happened to you is what the Bible talks about, Nuhu. At different times in the Bible, God gave dreams to unbelievers and then gave believers the interpretation of these dreams. Think of Joseph who explained the dream that God gave Pharoah about the seven lean cows eating the seven fat cows and not getting any fatter. God gave Joseph not only the meaning of the dream, but also a plan to save the lives of the Egyptians, the Israelites, and many others during a time of severe famine. Thank also of how God gave Daniel the interpretations of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams. After what was predicted in the second dream came true, Nebuchadnezzar wrote a decree honoring the Most High God, the Revealer of Mysteries. He even sent copies ‘to the peoples, nations and men of every language, who live in all the world’ (Daniel 4:1).

“In the New Testament, at Pentecost, Peter said that God would continue to give dreams and visions to people in the last days. 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dreams dreams’ (Acts 2:17). These dreams and visions will come not just to Christians, but to all kinds of people, even Muslims. And God will equip His sons and daughters, like us, to give the meanings of these dreams and visions. Giving such meanings is a form of prophecy. God has used you just as He used Joseph and Daniel in Bible times. What a privilege to work with God!

“There was a time when a Muslim woman told me that three nights in a row someone had been putting the sign of the cross on her forehead. Just that morning she had woke up trying to rub it off. I asked her if she wanted to know the meaning of the sign of the cross. She said she did, and I shared with her how it was a sign of forgiveness of sins. If God wanted to forgive her sins through Jesus, did she really want to rub that sign off? Or would she now want to accept it with thanks? God used this dream and the explanation He gave me to lead this Muslim woman to faith in Jesus. For those of us who work among Muslims, we know that God often gives Muslims visions that point them to Jesus.

“One of my friends gave an old Muslim scholar a copy of an Arabic Injil, or New Testament. After he had read it, he had a vision. A voice out of a bright light said to him, ‘I know of that evil thing you have done. But if you follow Jesus the Messiah, you will be forgiven of that sin, and all the others you have done.’ The old scholar became a follower of Jesus, burned his black magic stuff, and shared the Gospel with others until he died.

“Another young Muslim preacher listened to the testimony of his friend who had become a Christian, and he became confused. So before he went to bed, he asked God to show him the truth. That night in a vision he saw himself surrounded by wild beasts ready to eat him up. He called out in the vision, ‘God, if Islam is the true religion and Muhammad is your prophet, save me!’ But more wild beasts came. He called out again, ‘If Christianity is the true religion, and Jesus is your prophet, save me!’ And in his vision he was taken away from the beasts to a beautiful safe place. There he heard a voice say to him, ‘Jesus is Savior in this world and the next. Follow him.’ The next day this young Muslim preacher decided to become a follower of Jesus. Since then he has led many others to Jesus, his Savior and Lord.

“Sometimes we can even ask God to send dreams and visions to people, especially those that are very resistant to the Gospel. There was a time when I was discipling a young man who had just become a Christian. His father beat him repeatedly, and even had him put in prison on false charges. The young man was getting discouraged and talked about going back to Islam. So I prayed, ‘God, we have shared the Gospel with this father, but he will not listen. We have shown him respect and kindness, but he still will not listen to us. God, please send him a vision.’

“That night God sent the father a vision. Two bright angels came to him and said, ‘You have beat your son; you have imprisoned him. If you touch your son again, you will de. He is telling you the way of salvation. Listen to him!’ The next morning the father called his son and asked him to tell him the way of salvation.

“We who work among Muslims could write books about all the different dreams and visions that God has used to cause people to learn more about Jesus and follow Him. We thank God for each one. But we must never forget that the Holy Spirit of God is not the only one who gives dreams and visions. Evil spirits can give dreams and visions too. We must help new Christians to test the difference between dreams from God and dreams from evil spirits. Dreams from God will always lead people to faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. They will not tell a person to do something that goes against what the Bible teaches.

“Some people have genuine dreams and visions from God. But then they start to rely on getting all their guidance through dreams and visions. Often God wants them to get more guidance from studying His Word, learning how to apply His commandments to their lives without dreams and visions. But they keep asking for dreams and visions. Many times such Christians start getting dreams and visions from evil spirits. I remember one Christian who told us that God told him in a dream to divorce his wife and marry a younger woman. We tried to tell him that such a dream was not from God because it went against one of God’s commandments in the Bible. But for him dreams and visions had taken the place of the Bible. For him every dream was of God. He was not testing whom the dreams and visions were coming from. So he was easily deceived.

“I John 4:1-3 tells us not to believe every spirit, including those that give visions, but to test the spirits to see whether they are from God. The Spirit of God will always glorify Jesus as God come in the flesh to save men from sin and the devil. Other evil spirits will deny this, and lead people away from the truth in God’s Word, the Bible.

“We need to remember that dreams and visions are only one of the ways God speaks to people. And it is not the most intimate way. Dreams and visions are like special effects that God uses to get our attention, often when we are not listening to His Word. That is why they often come to unbelievers who are not yet into reading His Word for themselves. Sometimes God sends visions to stubborn Christians, like Peter, who need the Word of God in special effects. Jesus had made it plain in word and action that the Gospel was for non-Jews as well as Jews. But Peter needed a special vision to prepare him to take the Gospel to Cornelius, a non-Jew (Acts 10:9-48).

“At other times, God gives visions to people whom he has chosen for a specific work, as when Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him to come over and help them (Acts 16:9). When I started working among Muslims, God gave me a special vision to encourage me. Then I learned by personal experience that a vision is different from an ordinary dream.

“But God did not keep sending me visions. He did something even better. He talked to me in the ‘gentle whisper’ that Elijah came to recognize as coming from God (1 Kings 19:12). Through His Holy Spirit He kept putting gentle impressions on my heart. Often when I was reading the Bible, the Spirit would make something there ‘come to life’ and have special meaning for me. Often when I talked with others, God would bring to my mind some verses that would help, just like He brought John 10 to your mind when your Muslim friend told you about his dream.

“Since Jesus ascended to heaven and sent His Spirit to live inside the hearts of His followers, this ‘gentle whisper’ often comes as a gentle impression on our hearts and minds. Sometimes we do not recognize it as from God until later. But every morning we can read the Bible, listen to what the Spirit impresses on our mind, and pray something like this: ‘Lord, today my mind is yours, my mouth, my eyes, my hands, my feet. Today I want to keep in step with the Sprit (Galatians 5:25). Guide me and use me.’ God will answer such a prayer. This is the way to intimacy with God, working so closely together with God that He does not always have to use special effects to get our attention. We will learn to recognize His gentle voice and His ways, and not be so easily deceived by the voices or visions of other spirits. May God give us discernment and true intimacy with him.”

“Amen,” said Nuhu fervently.

QUESTIONS CHAPTER 16

1. a) Why was Nuhu surprised when he got a formula for powerful black magic in a dream? Who usually

get such dreams?

b) How had Nuhu given an opportunity to the devil?

c) The demons do not give formulas for black magic to all Christians who get angry. Why do you think they gave one to Nuhu?

d) What spirit helped Nuhu to say, “No, I cannot do that! I belong to Jesus!”?

2. a) According to Romans 12:14, what should Nuhu have done to the one who was trying to take his farm?

b) If he did so, who would provide for Nuhu because of his obedience to this command?

3. How did God create an opportunity for Nuhu to show his Muslim friend John 10:11-18?

4. Give an example from the Bible, with reference, when God created the same kind of opportunity for one of his Old Testament servants to witness to a non-believer.

5. According to Acts 2:17, what will cause young men and old men to see visions and dreams in the last days?

6. This chapter gives four more examples of dreams that God gave to Muslims. Which one is most interesting to you, and why?

7. How can we tell the difference between a dream given by God and a dream given by an evil spirit?

8. According to Acts 10:9-48, why did Peter need a special vision from God?

9. How did a special vision help Paul in Acts 16?

10. Do visions from God always indicate that we are closer to God than people who do not have visions from God? Explain.

11. Write a personal response to this lesson.

SIGNS AND WONDERS - Chapter 17

Audu came to his Christian teacher with a question. “So many of my people are against me since I have become a follower of Jesus. I have been thinking of getting some maganin farin jini (magic for popularity) so that I may have favor with them. Then they will listen to the Gospel from me. What do you think?”

The teacher answered carefully. “Audu, you already know that black magic used for causing harm is evil. But now you are asking about white magic, the magic that does “good” things to make us popular, or protect us from accidents, or even heal. But the main question we have to ask ourselves is not whether or not the magic works, but who is giving the power behind the magic. Think of a kidnapper of children. He calls a child and offers him something the child wants, like food or a video. He convinces the child that he loves him and the child comes to trust him. Once the child trusts him, the kidnapper can do what he wants with the child. He can sell him, or even use his body parts for black magic. The “good” things that the kidnapper gave in the beginning were only a trap.

“Audu, you know that white magic is done by those who do not really praise Jesus as their Savior and Lord. For this kind of power your forefathers gave sacrifices and had contact with spirits other than the Holy Spirit of Jesus. Paul tells us that at times “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” in order to deceive us (2 Corinthians 11:14). There is always a price to pay when we get “help” from those who do white magic. The biggest price we pay is that we open up ourselves to “demons of light” who give us the things we want in order to kidnap our souls. These demons are really out to destroy us in the end. The “good” things they give us are only bait to entrap us.

“Even the Old Testament warns us about getting deceived by magic that works.

• 'If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, “Let us follow other gods”…you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere.' (Deuteronomy 13:1-3)

“Jesus Himself warned us. 'For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time (Matthew 24:24-25).'

“In Thessalonians 2:9-12 and Revelation 13:13-14 we read of how people will be deceived by signs and miracles done with the power of evil spirits, both black and white magic. I have known church members who went for white magic for healing. Some of them got healed of their sicknesses, but afterwards they lost their interest in Bible study and often went into sins that got a strong hold on them. We know from the Bible that some sickness is caused by the evil one. The one who put the sickness on people can also take it off, if doing so will cause people to follow him. But often the physical sickness gets replaced with a spiritual blindness that blinds them to the truth about Jesus and His love for them. They have come into the bondage of deceptive spirits. Muslims talk of good and bad jinn, or spirits, but none of these jinn praise Jesus as Lord. Often a man who works with them does both white and black magic.

“But, Audu, there is something else we must talk about. You are concerned that you have lost your popularity with your people since you followed Jesus, so they will not listen to you when you share the Gospel with them. The Bible explains what is really happening. 'The 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 (2 Corinthians 4:4).' It is as if your people have spiritual cataracts that prevent them from seeing the truth about the salvation in Christ that you have seen. If we try to solve this problem by using white magic, that power will not take away their spiritual blindness. And we ourselves will be harmed in some way by the demons we have asked for help. Those demons, even those giving power for white magic, hate Jesus and work against Him.

“But there is a better way to help those spiritually blind. We can keep serving, or loving, our people and pray that God will do for them what He did for us.

• 'For 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 4:6).'

After all, the power of God is stronger than the power of any black or white magic. Jesus talked about the power of God to draw men to Himself. 'No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him (John 6:44).'

“And that is something that we can ask God the Father to do for specific people that we love. God encourages us to ask for people, even nations (Psalm 2:8), that they may be drawn into the Kingdom of His Son, the Messiah. We can pray that God will pour out His Spirit on certain people. When the Spirit comes to a person, He convicts him of sin, righteousness, and the judgment (John 16:8). We can ask that God will create in them a pure heart (Psalm 5:10). The Spirit of God is stronger and more effective than any spirit of white magic. He can create opportunities for you to use God’s power to help your people. Only He can turn their hearts to Jesus and to you. Shall we pray together now?”

Audu agreed. Audu repented of thinking that he needed the help of some white magic spirit to do something better than what God’s Spirit could do! He asked God to send His Spirit into the hearts of his people, remove the spiritual blinders, and draw them to the truth in Jesus. The teacher prayed that God would honor His name by answering their prayers and drawing more people into the Kingdom of Jesus. He prayed for God to give endurance to Audu during the time his people still persecuted him, and that Audu would get the power to keep forgiving and blessing them. He asked God to give Audu opportunities to show love to his people, and so work with God in the process of changing their hearts. He thanked God for hearing and working to answer their prayers.

A week later Audu came and told his teacher about his Aunt Rakiya. She had been the fourth wife of a businessman. The man’s first wife had paid someone to curse Rakiya. Rakiya had become a crippled hunchback who could not even stand up and walk. She had left her husband’s house to live with her mother. Her mother had taken her to many places but no one could heal her. But the Spirit of God had impressed Audu to go and pray for this aunt. He wanted his teacher to join him n prayer.

One month later Audu came to report that God had sent a vision to his aunt in answer to their prayers. In her vision Rakiya saw Jesus with hands outstretched to her. The hands had nailprints in them. The next day his Aunt Rakiya started to straighten up and walk. The Christian teacher was full of joy. Rakiya later became baptized, joined the church, and worked in the Christian maternity center where she could share the story of what Jesus had done for her with many other Muslim women coming there.

Six months later one of Audu’s old Muslim teachers became very sick with an ulcer on his neck. That was strange, because this old man also was a healer and had never been sick before in his life. This old man had bitterly opposed Audu for becoming a follower of Jesus. But when Audu heard that the old man had become sick, he asked his Christian teacher to come along and greet him. Audu offered to pray for the old man in the name of Jesus, but the old man refused. Other Muslims brought all kinds of medicines for the old man, but none of them worked. The ulcer kept getting worse until the old man could hardly talk. Finally after three weeks, the old man allowed Audu and his Christian teacher to pray for him in the name of Jesus. After prayer he healed quickly, and the ulcer left not even a scar! The old man stopped persecuting Audu and started listening to the Gospel.

As Audu and his Christian teacher were talking together later, Audu said, “This old Muslim teacher has been healing with white magic all his life. But only Jesus could heal his ulcer. The power of Jesus is greater than any white magic. And he now listens as I tell him more about Jesus. Only the Spirit of Jesus can open my people’s eyes so that they see salvation in Jesus and receive eternal life from Him. Thank you for being patient with me and showing me what the Bible says about the danger of white magic. I have so much to learn. I want to learn more and more about walking in the powerful love of Jesus.”

A month later Audu came to a prayer meeting at his teacher’s house with a very serious situation. “I have been praying for my neighbor who is known for his magic against thieves. If someone has something stolen from him, he goes to my neighbor. My neighbor does his kind of magic and the thief becomes very sick. His stomach starts swelling up and he will die unless he brings back the things he has stolen. Some weeks ago God impressed on me that I should give a Bible to my neighbor. So I did, and my neighbor received it and started reading it. But last Monday my neighbor started talking strange as if he were going mad. Now he can not eat anything and is flat on his back in bed as if he is dying.”

The Christian teacher became very concerned. “It sounds like the demons of magic that your neighbor has partnered with want to kill him before he accepts Jesus as his Savior. Let us all join hands and pray for Audu’s neighbor.” Together they prayed that God would send His power to loosen the hold of the demons on the neighbor’s life. They prayed that God would send His Holy Spirit into the neighbor’s heart to help him receive Jesus as his Savior. They prayed for the gift of repentance, that the neighbor would be able to destroy all the magic paraphernalia he had and break all his ties with spirits that had helped him to do both black and white magic. They prayed all this in the powerful name of Jesus.

After the prayer meeting, Audu and the teacher went to the neighbor’s house. They found out that while they had been praying the neighbor had gotten up and was now in his right mind. Together they prayed with him. They talked with him about how the spirits he had been working with had tried to kill him. They urged him to pray to Jesus for help and salvation. The neighbor saw the danger he was in. He asked Jesus to come into his heart and save him. He took out his magic paraphernalia and burned it while Audu and his Christian teacher joined him in prayer. For the next weeks Audu and his teacher kept visiting the neighbor, praying and answering the questions the neighbor had about what he was reading in the Bible.

Months later the neighbor told Audu of a problem. Years ago he had done black magic on two people. They were now walking about naked and not in their right minds. He could not get them and their misery out of his mind. And he knew he was responsible. Audu took his neighbor to his teacher and together they joined in prayer. They helped the neighbor confess what he had done as sins, and assured him that the blood of Jesus purified him from all sin (1 John 1:7). They assured him that the Spirit of Jesus was stronger than any other spirit (1 John 4:4) and could force the evil spirits out of those people he had cursed. The neighbor went into the forest and destroyed what he had used for cursing these people, and prayed for the Holy Spirit of Jesus to heal them. That very day both people came back to their right minds and put clothes on again. Later the neighbor went and asked them for forgiveness, helped them with new clothes, and shared with them the Gospel. God healed their minds completely, and the Holy Spirit opened their eyes to see the truth of Jesus, in whom they found eternal life.

Audu, his teacher, the neighbor, and those healed all rejoiced in the wonderful name of Jesus, the name above all names, whose Spirit is most powerful and yet loving at the same time. They determined to keep helping others escape from the clever traps of demons that masquerade as angels of light, but are really kidnappers of our souls. They determined to keep coming for help to Jesus in whom is life abundant, life eternal.

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 17

1. How is “white magic” like bait to entrap us?

2. According to Deuteronomy 13:1-3, what is God doing to us when false prophets who do signs and wonders appear among us?

3. According to Matthew 24, who will false Christs and false prophets try to deceive with signs and miracles?

4. Unbelievers like Audu’s people often did not understand when he tried to explain the Gospel to them. Why were they not able to understand? How can we pray for such people?

5. Aunt Rakiya was one of Audu’s people who eventually became a Christian. How had Rakiya become lame? What did God use to heal her?

6. What experience showed Audu that the power of Jesus was stronger than the power of white magic?

7. Witnessing to his neighbor got Audu involved in real spiritual warfare. What happened when the man who had “medicine” against thieves started reading the Bible that Audu had given him? What did the Christian teacher do in this serious situation? What kind of curse had this neighbor put on some people before he became a follower of Jesus? What did the Christian teacher and Audu help this new convert to do about those curses?

8. How are “angels of light” really kidnappers of our souls? Give one example.

9. Write a personal response to this lesson.

THE REVERSAL OF THE APOSTATE LAW - Chapter 18

One day Saleh and his Christian teacher were reflecting on what had happened in the last five years. “Do you realize how many times God has reversed the Apostate Law?” the teacher wondered.

Anyone who works among Muslims comes to know what the Apostate Law is. This law is quoted in a secondary school textbook published by the Islamic Publications Bureau in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1974, called Islamic Religious Knowledge for West African School, Book 3, Hadith. "Shedding a Muslim’s blood is not permissible except in three cases: Married persons committing adultery, life for life, and leaving the religion and the society (p. 70)." Commenting on this law, the book says, “Any Muslim who secedes from Islam is given three days within which to repent and come back; otherwise he is given a capital punishment because he is a danger to the Muslim community” (p. 71).

The teacher continued. “This law has paralyzed many Christian workers and converts from Islam with fear. But over the past five years, I have come to look at this law in an entirely new way. Why the ‘three days within which to repent’? During these three days Muslims are supposed to try to bring the ‘apostate’ back to Islam. That is more honorable than killing him. Relatives disown and disinherit him. Muslim scholars try to reason him back into Islam. Rich men come to give him money. Those into the occult use curses to bring him back into Islam, or turn him mad if he does not come back. Some use kidnapping and torturing as a last resort for some before killing him.

“But if at the end of three days the follower of Jesus has not yet come back to Islam, some Muslims may say, ‘Wait, we haven’t tried this yet.’ Or, ‘So-and-so tried to get him to come back and did not succeed, but if we were given a chance, we would succeed.’ So the three days often gets extended to three weeks to three months to three years and even longer. And some Muslims never stop trying different ways to get him back.”

Saleh nodded in understanding. “Over the past five years, different Muslims have tried all these ways to bring me back to Islam. As for my family, my mother cursed me, saying that I should return to her all the milk she had ever fed me. But last year when she became sick to the point of death, she called me. I prayed for her in the name of Jesus and she was healed. Later she became a follower of Jesus too!

“Five years ago one of my scholarly friends that I had gone to school with tried to come and reason me back to Islam. But after our discussion, my friend had a vision from God that showed him that Jesus was Savior in this world and the next. Instead of my returning to Islam, he became a follower of Jesus with me!

“Three years ago a committee of Muslims came to me with a check for a large sum of money. They told me that I could keep and cash it if I came back to Islam. I took the check and told them I would give my answer the next day. After they left, I brought it to you, remember? We discussed how we could use this check as a witness to them. Then I wrote on the back of the check these words: 'What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? What can a man give in exchange for his soul?' (Mark 8:36-37) We made copies of the check front and back, one for each member of the committee. I also crossed out the front of the original check. The next day I gave the original and the copies back to them. One of them later came to me at night and asked me what that verse meant.

“Last year a powerful sorcerer of black magic called me and said, ‘Saleh, we have done to you all the curses that we know. But none of them has worked. You just keep getting fatter and fatter. I know that what I inherited from my father is evil, doing all these black curses. But until now I never hoped that I could stop doing this black magic and stay alive. Others can do no more to me than they have done to you, and you are still alive. So please get everyone who prays for you to pray for me. I want out!’ During the next weeks we helped this former black magician burn his sorcery stuff. When he lost the house a rich man had given him, we helped him move to a village where he could farm. Since then, he has led many others to Jesus.

“This year, as you know, I was kidnapped and tortured. At the time I asked God to just let me die because what they were doing to me was so painful. But instead God gave me strength to endure. He brought to my mind the pictures of the suffering of Jesus on the cross that I had seen in the Jesus video. I knew that I was suffering for Jesus and a certain joy filled me even as I felt the pain. I know that at least some of those who tortured me will come to find salvation in Jesus, because I have asked God to forgive them.”

The teacher agreed. “Yes, God loves you very much, Saleh. He would never allow others to tempt and torture you unless He wanted to use your witness and forgiveness as a channel for His grace to enter them and change their lives. That is probably what Paul meant when he said, 'Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church (Colossians 1:24).' Because of Paul’s faithful witness through temptations and persecutions, the church kept growing with new believers in many different places.”

“Even those who die have caused the church to grow by the way they died,” added Saleh. “Do you remember Dawuda? They took him and tortured him severely. God has healed others who were tortured when we prayed for them, but God did not choose to heal Dawuda. As he was dying, his mother went to some black magicians in their town and pleaded with them. ‘If you are the ones who cursed my son and that is why he is not getting better, please come and lift the curse.’ The black magicians replied that they had not cursed her son, but they would come.

“As they came into the room where Dawuda was, God gave Dawuda strength to use his voice one more time. He said, ‘I have finished the work God gave me to do. As for those who tortured me, I forgive them. Do not try to get revenge on my behalf.’ A few minutes later he died. The next day those two black magicians decided to become followers of Jesus.”

The teacher was quiet a few moments. “Saleh, you have just given us six examples of how God turned something that was meant for evil into something good. As Joseph said to his brothers, 'You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives (Genesis 50:20).' The Apostate Law was intended to bring back or kill all those who leave Islam to follow Jesus. But God has turned it upside down again and again.

“After you became a Christian, Saleh, Muslims kept coming to you, paying their own travel expenses to come! Their intention was to bring you back to Islam, or even to kill you. But God’s intention was that they should confront His grace in Jesus the Messiah, whose Spirit lives in you. Zechariah talks about something like this in the Old Testament. 'Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Zecharaiah 14:16).' Nations come with the intent to conquer and destroy God’s people. But instead many in those nations become followers of the King of kings and survive to joyously celebrate their salvation. Think of Naaman of Syria (1 Kings 5) and Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9). Those that refuse to repent and follow the King of kings do not survive; they are eventually destroyed.”

The teacher became even more enthusiastic as he reflected on the expansion of the Gospel and the “survivors” from Muslim society who now had eternal life in Jesus. “It is very important that the Muslims who become followers of Jesus remain strong. If they compromise or go back to Islam, the rest of their people will not see the power of the Gospel. We need to keep strengthening their hearts in the promises of God, and praying for them. Then when friends and relatives and other Muslims implode on them to try to bring them back to Islam, they can keep witnessing in courage and love. The Muslims may come from up to hundreds of kilometers away. As we help Christians pray for those Muslims who come to them, some of those Muslims will accept the Truth and explode with new life back to where they came from. Then the whole process will start all over again in that new place. In this way the Gospel can spread over a large area very quickly. Think of how many places now have new believers because of this implosion-explosion pattern of expansion!”

Saleh agreed. “There is another pattern of expansion that I have seen,” he said. “When one Muslim becomes a follower of Jesus, he gets called in by those in authority over him to answer questions. At that time he is given what to say by the Holy Spirit, as Jesus promised (Matthew 10:19-20). Sometimes the authorities may mistreat and persecute the Christian for his witness. But if the new Christian forgives these authorities, and blesses them, often one or more of them becomes the next believer. Then that person is questioned by someone in higher authority over him until we eventually reach the top authorities in the land. As for some of the authorities, even though they may not become Christians themselves, they do start protecting others who do.

“In the case of those doing black magic, the same type of penetration occurs. If a lower-level black magician puts curses on a new Christian and they do not work, he wants to find out why. When he finds out about the power and forgiveness of Jesus, he may decide to follow Jesus himself. Then those with greater black magic powers curse him, but each one who curses comes up against the powerful and bright light of Jesus that protects his followers. These encounters keep progressing from one level of black magicians to the next until we eventually reach those doing the most powerful curses. Remember the case of that powerful diviner? When he helped kidnap some of us and had us taken to their occult center, we prayed for him. God gave him a vision that turned him to Jesus. Later he too burned his magic stuff, confessed his evil deeds, and became a follower of Jesus!”

“That reminds me of the black magicians in Ephesus,” said the teacher.

• 'Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power (Acts 19:18-20).'

“Our God is so great. In these past few years, he has reversed that Apostate Law many times to bring many Muslims in our country to the Gospel. What was meant to stop the Gospel, God has used to spread it. We have mentioned only a few of the many times this reversal has happened in the last five years. Hallelujah! Let us pray together that God will continue to reverse this Apostate Law to His glory until the Gospel reaches into every corner of West Africa and around the world. Let us pray that God will keep disciples of Jesus strong so that from the heart they may continually set apart Christ as Lord, always ready to give a good witness to those who try to pull them back into Islam (1 Peter 3:15). Let us pray that Muslims keep encountering the transforming power of the Spirit of Jesus in Jesus’ faithful disciples. So God’s kingdom will come. ‘Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen’” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 18

1. a) What does the Apostate Law teach Muslims to do to those who leave Islam?

b) Why do you think Muslims consider the apostate a danger to the Muslim community?

2. a) What is the purpose of the “three days” before killing the apostate?

b) Why may the three days be extended?

3. a) Give five different ways that Muslims may use to bring an “apostate” back to Islam.

b) Which one do you think would be most effective? Why?

4. a) God often reverses the apostate law when we pray. What is meant by the “reversal of the apostate

law”?

b) Give three examples of reversals of the apostate law from this chapter.

c) Which example interests you the most, and why?

5. According to the Christian teacher, why does God sometimes allow others to tempt and torture His beloved children?

6. What verse in the Bible states that in order for the church to be extended, some people must be willing to fill up the sufferings required?

7. When God turns something meant for evil into good, what is often accomplished in the end, according to Genesis 50:20?

8. Read Zechariah 14:16. Where do we usually look for survivors, among those attacked, or among the attackers? In this case, who were the “survivors”? What did the survivors do? How does this verse apply to evangelism among Muslims?

9. Briefly explain the implosion-explosion pattern of expansion of the Gospel in Muslim society.

10. Give a second pattern of how the Gospel can penetrated deep into Muslim society.

11. According to Acts 19:18-20, what did converted black magicians do that caused the Word of the Lord to spread widely and grow in power?

12. Of all the Scripture passages mentioned in this chapter, choose the one that you think would be most helpful to a Muslim convert you have discipled, or might disciple in the future. Give your reason for choosing this passage.

13. Write a personal response to this lesson.

FORGIVEN TO FORGIVE - Chapter 19

Saleh was angry—and scared. He showed his Christian teacher the envelope. On the outside was written his name, then the word Kafir meaning infidel, pagan. No one had ever called him that before in his life. Inside were written all kinds of things about him that were not true.

The teacher smiled and said to Saleh, “Let us look at what Jesus said about what to do when something like this happens to us.

• Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:11-12).

“Jesus told us that people would insult and slander us when we follow Him. But he also said that he would turn each insult and slander into a blessing and reward for us. Three insults, three blessings. Three slanders, three rewards! If those who wrote you this letter knew this truth, they would probably stop insulting and slandering you. They do not want you to get blessings and rewards from God as a result of what they are doing. They do not know that. But now you know it. Jesus said it and Jesus never lies. So as you think about the blessings and rewards in heaven that are piling up for you, you can rejoice, as Jesus said.”

Saleh thought about that and started smiling too.

The teacher continued. “In Romans 12 the Bible gives us very clear teaching about what to do when people mistreat us.

• 'Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse….Do not repay anyone evil for evil….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: ‘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 (Romans 12:14, 17-21).'

“God loves you very much, Saleh. You are His son. He would never allow someone to hurt you and not do something about it. You can trust God to avenge on your behalf. You do not have to avenge yourself. We can put in God’s hands whoever wrote this letter for God to deal with him.

“But let me ask you a question. Was there not a time when you insulted those who were not in Islam? What if God wants to forgive those who wrote this letter and change them from the inside out as He has forgiven and changed you? Are you willing to work with God so that this can happen to them too? God asks us to bless those who persecute us. Are you willing to bless those who wrote that letter?”

Saleh said that he would think it over.

A week later Saleh came back smiling He told the teacher that he had blessed the ones who wrote the letter, even before he knew just who they were. A few days later an Alhaji had called him to come He confessed that not only had he written the letter, he had also employed a black sorceror to bury rams alive to curse him. But the curse had come back on him and he was very sick. He asked Saleh to pray for him. Saleh prayed for him in the name of Jesus and the next day the Alhaji was up and working again. Saleh and the teacher rejoiced together.

A few hours after Saleh left, Abdu came. He was furious. He blurted out what had happened. “My friend Iliya was going to his farm when someone came from behind and hit him over the head with a machete. I just found out that he is in a hospital 200 kilometers from here. They don’t know whether he will live or not. We don’t know who did it, but we will find out, and deal with him!”

The teacher knew what Abdu meant. Before he became a Christian, Abdu had been a sorceror. He could make a guilty person’s stomach swell up and even cause him to die.

The teacher knew he had to do some careful explaining. “Abdu, you are now a follower of Jesus. What would Jesus want you to do in this situation? Do you remember what Jesus did when people were pounding nails in his hands and feet to put him on a cross to die? Please read what he said here in Luke 23:34."

Abdu read, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

The teacher continued, “Abdu, why did that man try to kill Iliya? Shari’ah law says that someone who leaves Islam should be killed. Why are you so surprised that someone tried to do it? Just last year you were one of the Muslim teachers who taught other Muslims that apostates must be killed. The man who tried to kill Iliya may have heard your teaching and is only carrying it out!

“But there are two things we can do now. We can pray for Iliya in the name of Jesus the Messiah who has the power to heal people and even raise them from the dead. And we can pray for forgiveness for the man who tried to kill him. God can change his heart, just as He changed yours. Do you agree for us to pray these requests together?”

Abdu agreed. As he and his teacher prayed together, the anger left him. He said thank you to his teacher and went off to get a taxi to go visit Iliya.

Four days later Abdu came back to report what had happened. As he walked into the hospital room, Iliya opened his eyes for the first time since his injury and said, “Is that you, Malam?” Abdu laid his hands on Iliya and prayed for healing. Iliya healed quickly.

Even more amazing was the change in Iliya’s father. When Iliya had first listened to Abdu’s witness and become a Christian, the father had sent Iliya out of his house and disinherited him. But now he said, “From history I know that those who are the most persecuted are usually on the side of truth. When my son gets well, we are going to follow Jesus together!”

The teacher rejoiced with Abdu. “You have done what Jesus told us to do and God has blessed you. You have broken the cycle of revenge with forgiveness. When Jesus was about to return to heaven, he said something very important to his disciples. Let us read it together.

• Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven’ (John 20:21-23).

We know that God could do his work on earth without involving us. But he has chosen to involve us. God could do his work in other people’s lives without our prayer, but he has chosen to work through our prayers. He could forgive those people who hurt us without involving us if he wanted. But he has chosen to use our forgiveness as the channel for his forgiveness. If we do not forgive them, he does not just go around us and forgive them anyway. And when we forgive them, as Jesus said, we have the power of the Holy Spirit to forgive them with. That means that those whom we forgive experience the powerful grace of God in a way they have probably never experienced it before. They often become convicted of sin, righteousness, and judgment as the Holy Spirit works in their heart (John 16:8). The Holy Spirit may point them to forgiveness in Jesus even through a dream. He often gives them the desire to come to us and find out more.”

As the teacher and Abdu were discussing this important work Jesus has given us to do, Abdu’s friend Hamisu joined them. Hamisu told them that he was very worried. “My father just cursed me,” he said. “Last month he took away from me all the cows that I was to inherit. That made me sad, but I bore it. But now he has cursed me. The curse of a father is very serious and could make me go mad. My father is a powerful sorceror. I want to go back to Islam until my father dies. Then I will be a Christian again.”

The teacher smiled and said, “I feel more concerned about your father than I do about you, Hamisu. Since you have become a follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit of Jesus is living inside you. The Holy Sprit is much stronger than any other spirit, including those your father used to curse you (1 John 4:4). You will not go mad. But that curse may return to your father and torment him. Let us do what Jesus said we should do. Let us forgive your father for taking your cows and for cursing you because he does not know what he is doing. He is only doing what he was taught to do and what other Muslims re pressuring him to do. Let us look at what Jesus told us to do with those who curse us. 'Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you (Luke 6:28).' Let us pray together that God will cause things to happen that will help your father see the truth. Let us bless him with the gift of repentance, with forgiveness, with love for you, with courage, and with whatever blessing you can think of. A blessing is praying that God will give something good to someone we are forgiving. How about that?”

Hamisu smiled, “I would like that.” So the three friends united in prayer for blessing Hamisu’s father. And Jesus was with them (Matthew 18:19-20). Every day the three friends met to pray for Hamisu’s father. Sometimes Saleh joined them.

At the end of two weeks, the father sent for Hamisu to come to him. Before Hamisu got to his father, neighbors told him that his father’s cows had been dying one by one in the middle of the night. His father had not even had a chance to sell any of the cows because there had been no chance to drain the blood out before the cows died.

After Hamisu greeted his father, the father said to him, “Son, God knows those who are doing the truth. But when people want to reconcile, they do not ask too many questions.” Hamisu smiled. He knew that God was answering his prayers for his father. Over the next months Hamisu kept sharing the Gospel of Jesus with his father. Before he died, the father too became a follower of Jesus.

Some years later Saleh heard that some of his friends had been kidnapped to a place where some fanatics had started torturing and even killing those who would not stop following Jesus. Saleh came to his teacher and asked that they use Psalm 51 for their Bible reading that morning. The teacher was surprised. What did Psalm 51 have to do with this situation? Saleh said, “I want us to pray the words of Psalm 51 for them, the torturers.”

So the teacher prayed for them from Psalm 51, including these words.

• Have mercy on them, O God…blot out their transgressions. Wash away all their iniquity and cleanse them from their sin….Create in them a pure heart, O God…Do not…take your Holy Spirit from them. Give them the joy of your salvation….Save them from bloodguilt, O God…and their tongues will sing of your righteousness (Psalm 51:1-2, 10-12, 14).

After the teacher had finished this prayer for the persecutors, Saleh smiled. “When (not if) God answers that prayer, they will stop persecuting!”

Indeed, no more of those kidnapped were killed after that. God moved the hearts of some Muslim leaders who worked to set all those Christians free. What power there is in forgiveness! The very power of the Spirit of God is in our forgiveness of those who mistreat us. The Spirit can set these people free from their spiritual blindness and sin, and change them from the inside out. What a privilege it is to work together with God in getting people forgiven, even the worst of sinners, the worst of persecutors! What a defeat for Satan as God rescues people like Saul of Tarsus from the dominion of darkness and brings them into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14).

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 19

1. How did Jesus encourage those who were persecuted and lied about for His sake in Matthew 5:11-12?

2. If someone does us evil, how are we to overcome that evil, according to Romans 12:21?

3. How did Saleh bless the Alhaji who had employed a black sorceror to curse him?

4. Why should Abdu not have been surprised when someone tried to kill Iliya? What two things did the teacher advise Abdu to do as a follower of Jesus?

5. At the end of each gospel we find a different version of the Great Commission. What activity does the version of the Great Commission in John 20:21-22 emphasize? Why is this activity so important in our work among Muslims?

6. Why did Hamisu want to go back to Islam until his father died? What did the teacher disciple him to do instead?

7. Why did Saleh want to pray Psalm 51 for those who had started killing his friends? What was the result of this prayer?

8. Give one example from your own experience of the power in forgiving someone.

9. Write a personal response to this lesson.

FORGIVING OTHER CHRISTIANS - Chapter 20

The Christian teacher noticed Abdu was not talking to Saleh. So when Abdu came to visit him, the teacher told him a story.

“Abdu, I want to tell you about something that happened to me. A couple of years ago I started feeling pain in my chest like tight bands. I went to the doctor and they did tests on me to find out what was wrong. But when they did not find anything wrong medically, I began to ask myself whether it was something spiritual causing these pains. I read an important verse in Ephesians. 'In your anger do not sin. Do not let he sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:26-27).'

“Suddenly I remembered something. A short time before the pains had started, someone had written a slanderous letter about me and sent copies to church leaders. Weeks later someone showed me a copy of the letter. Many leaders believed the lies that this man was telling about me. Others did not and came to encourage me. I got angry at the man that wrote that letter, but I kept that anger in my heart. I put the letter in my file. Because of all the trouble this slander caused, I lost my job and moved here. God blessed me in my new work, but I still had the chest pains.

“One day God made it very clear to me that the anger I still had against that man had become a foothold for the devil. I wondered if that anger was the cause of my chest pains. So I took that letter out of the file and went behind my house to the place where we burned the trash. I prayed, “God, I choose to forgive this Christian who slandered me. I pray that you will bless him and his family with all good things.” After I had pronounced on him as many good blessings as I could think of, I concluded, “In the name of Jesus, amen.” Then I burned the letter.

“You know what happened, Abdu? My chest pains were healed. The devil no longer had that foothold in me because of the anger I had held in my heart overnight, even over months. Later I realized that when I did not forgive that Christian who had slandered me, it was as if I was saying to God, ‘What that man did to me was not included in the sins that Jesus died on the cross for. I want my sins forgiven, but not his.’ That was serious. That is why God allowed those pains in my chest to discipline me. Abdu, let me ask you a question. Do you have any signs of demonic affliction in your life?”

Abdu answered, “Yes. Every night snakes come in my dreams to torment me.”

The teacher probed. “Have you given a foothold to the devil? Are you angry with anyone?”

Abdu’s face showed he was. “What Saleh said to me two months ago really pained me. He should not have said that. I can not forget it.”

“When did the dreams with tormenting snakes start, Abdu?”

Abdu thought intently. “About two months ago.”

“Could it be that your anger became sin when you kept it in you over night and over months? Could this be what has given the devil a foothold in your life so that he can torment you in your dreams?”

Abdu nodded. “Saleh is not in town now and I have to make a trip tomorrow. But I will write a letter to him and give it to his wife to give to him. Please give me a piece of paper.”

Right then and there Abdu wrote a note to Saleh saying that he forgave him for what he had said to him, and that he loved him as a brother in Christ. He promised to pray every day that God would bless Saleh, his family, and his work.

The teacher rejoiced. Abdu’s nightmares of snakes stopped, and he experienced greater blessing in his work. Even his wife got better from a sickness that she had had for two months. Abdu learned, as had his Christian teacher before him, how dangerous it is to hold anger and unforgiveness in our hearts because in so doing we give the devil a foothold in our lives. Forgiving and blessing those Christians who have hurt us takes that foothold away.

When Saleh got the letter from Abdu, he was at first confused. He did not realize that what he had said had hurt Abdu so much. But when he saw Abdu again, they confessed to each other and prayed together. Once again they felt the love of Jesus join their hears in love for one another.

But Saleh himself was feeling some bitterness with other Christians. He finally went to his teacher and talked to him about it. “I have been a follower of Jesus for over a year now. But many Christians still do not believe that I am really a Christian,” he said. “They do not welcome me. Perhaps they are afraid I am a spy. When they see me with Muslims, they think I am plotting with Muslims against Christians. They want me to cut off all contact with my Muslim relatives and friends in order to prove that I am really a Christian. But if I do that, how would my people ever hear about Jesus? Many Christians are suspicious of me, even afraid of me. I don’t think they love me. Even if I visit them in their homes, they do not return my visit.”

The teacher shared Saleh’s pain. Some of the teacher’s own Christian friends had left him because he would not break up his friendship with Saleh. He said to Saleh, “What you are saying reminds me of the story of Jonah in the Bible. God told Jonah to go and preach to the Ninevites. Jonah did not want to go. Didn’t God know what those Ninevites were like? They had raided the Israelite farms and taken their people as slaves. They were the most cruel people on earth. After a huge fish vomited out Jonah, he went to Ninevah. But all he could preach was, ‘Forty days and Ninevah will be destroyed’ (Jonah 3:4). There was no love in his heart for those cruel Ninevites. But in spite of Jonah’s lack of love for the Ninevites, the Ninevite king and all his people repented.

“When God saw their repentance and did not destroy them, Jonah was angry at God (Jonah 4:1-2). I can imagine what Jonah might be thinking. ‘God, how can you forgive people so readily? Don’t you know what they’ve done to us? How do you know their repentance is genuine? If you don’t punish them now, they will just come back and exploit us again later. You’ll see.’

“God was not pleased with Jonah’s attitude. No matter how wicked the Ninevites had been, no matter how much exploitation they had done to Jonah’s people, God wanted to forgive them and help them to repent and change their ways. His Spirit could work within those Ninevites and change them from the inside out! Then they would stop their evil ways. But Jonah could not forgive those Ninevites for what they had done to his people in the past. He did not believe in the wonderful power of God to save people and change them from the inside out.

“In this country, Saleh, some Muslims (not all of them, of course) are like the Ninevites. They despise those who are not Muslims and exploit them. In the past they raided villages and even took slaves. Many Christians are like Jonah. They would rather see God punish these people than forgive them. If a Muslim says he has decided to follow Jesus, many doubt if his repentance is genuine. They fear he is a spy who will cause trouble later. They become suspicious even of genuine converts and refuse to accept them in love.

“But, Saleh, God is offering you Muslims the gift of repentance and eternal life! You would be foolish if you threw away salvation in Jesus because there are some Jonahs. What the Jonahs feel is not right, but it is understandable. How would you feel toward a tribe whose leaders not many years ago were raiding your farms and taking your people as slaves? A tribe whose leaders exploited your people and tried to keep all the political power for themselves? It would be hard to forgive them, wouldn’t it? In addition, some Christians are afraid to be your friends because they fear what other Muslims will do to them if they help you. Some of them experience demonic attacks when they try to help you. Sometimes demons put wicked or fearful thoughts about you in their minds. Sometimes the demons threaten to harm them.

“But we can also be encouraged that God Himself is not pleased with the Jonahs. Look at God’s last words to Jonah: 'Ninevah has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city (Jonah 4:11)?'

“Saleh, you and your people can accept the free gift of eternal life directly from God through faith in Jesus. Do not let the Jonahs stop you. Don’t go back to Islam because some Christians do not accept you. Keep your eye on Jesus. He is the author and the perfecter of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus will never, never forsake you (Hebrews 3:5).”

“Yes,” said Saleh. “I know that Jesus has never done me wrong. He is the one I am following, not other Christians. I can see that God has already worked for good in my situation. When some Christians did not accept me, I led other Muslims to Jesus so that I would have other Christians with whom to fellowship!”

The teacher smiled. “Yes, but also, for Jesus’ sake, forgive the Jonahs and keep blessing them from your heart. God loves them too and is trying to change them as he tried to change Jonah. Don’t let the devil get a foothold by keeping anger against other Christians in your heart, no matter what they do to you.

“Before he died, Jesus gave this command to his disciples. ‘Love each other as I have loved you’ (John 15:12). If some other Christian does not love you, that is not a reason for you not to love him. We are to love all other Christians because Jesus told us to love them. Jesus knew that such love would not be automatic or easy to do. That is why he prayed for that kind of love for his disciples. In his prayer for his disciples, Jesus did not pray for them alone.

• 'My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one….May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me (John 17:20-21, 23).'

“There was a time when one of Jesus’ disciples named John did not have such love. ‘Teacher,’ said John, ‘we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us’ (Mark 9:38).

“Jesus rebuked John. 'Do not stop him….No one who does a miracle in m name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward (Mark 9:39-41).'

“So let us keep loving even Christians who do not think you belong. Let us keep being kind to them in any way we can for Jesus’ sake. Some of these Christians experience demonic attacks when they try to help you. Sometimes demons put wicked or fearful thoughts about you in their minds. Sometimes the demons threaten to harm them if they help you. That has happened to me. But I know Satan is just trying to break up the relationship of love between us. If such attacks come, I reaffirm my love for Jesus and for you, and the devil cannot outwit us. I know that God is going to use our friendship as a source of encouragement for the work He has called us to do. Our relationship is very precious to me. It is an eternal relationship. Some Christians do not understand this. They are being deceived. Let us forgive them and pray for them. John, the prejudiced disciple, later realized his mistake. To the end of his long life, he himself kept teaching all believers in Jesus to love one another” (1 John 3:11, 16-18).

Saleh thought deeply. “We have ministry on three fronts. We need to take the Gospel to other Muslims. We need to teach new Christians coming out of Islam about the Way of Jesus. For Jesus’ sake, we also need to keep loving other Christians, even those who fear us, those who do not understand and accept us.”

Together Saleh and the teacher prayed that God would equip them to do all three ministries in wisdom and in love, in God’s time and in God’s way. They joined in prayer that more and more Ninevite-like Muslims would come to repentance and forgiveness in Jesus, and that Christians from all backgrounds would learn to love one another.

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 20

1. How did the teacher “become weak to the weak” in the case of Abdu? In other words, why did he tell his own experience of being weak?

2. What caused Abdu’s nightmares of snakes to stop? Explain with reference to Scripture.

3. What were some Christians doing that was tempting Saleh to feel resentful?

4. Give two ways that some Muslim leaders have been like the Ninevites.

5. Give two ways that some Christians have been like Jonah.

6. When Saleh was discouraged because of the “Jonahs” among the Christians, his teacher discipled

him. He advised Saleh to keep his eyes on whom? What Scripture did he use? What did he advise Saleh to do about the “Jonahs”? What Scripture did he point to?

7. a) Saleh realized he had to minister to three groups of people. What were these three groups?

b) How was he to minister differently to each group?

c) Which ministry do you think would be the most difficult for Saleh, and why?

8. Write a personal response to this lesson.

BLESSED TO BLESS - Chapter 21

One day Saleh came to his Christian teacher, quite upset. Some Christians had come and told him that they had heard that some Muslims were planning to kill him. They had come to warn him and to help him leave town. “But,” said Saleh, “I do not want to run away and leave my family. I was taught as a Muslim that if I learned something from God, I was first to share it with my family.”

The teacher waited for God’s prompting and then replied. “The Bible also says that we are to share good news from God with our family. Someone once asked Paul and Silas what to do to be saved. Read here what they said in Acts 16:31.”

Saleh read. “They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household’” (Acts 16:31).

The teacher continued. “Saleh, you have decided to become a follower of Jesus. Would you like us to pray with you that this promise come true in your case, that your whole household become saved with you?”

Saleh beamed with eagerness. “Yes, please, let us do so.” The teacher and Saleh prayed together that God would move in the hearts of others in his family to open their eyes to see the truth of Jesus. They prayed for protection from the evil one, and that God’s Kingdom would come into his entire household.

Early the next morning Saleh came to tell his teacher what had happened. “Last night I called my two wives and told them what I was intending to do. They told me that I was the learned one in the family. What did they know? They would follow whatever I taught them.” The teacher and Saleh rejoiced together. The teacher urged Saleh to teach his family everything he was learning from the Bible and to keep praying for them day and night.

The teacher went on to explain more from the Bible about how God works with one man to bless his family and even others. “As you know, God called Abraham to leave the idols of his fathers and worship Him, the one true God. But why did God call Abraham? 'For I have chosen him [God said], so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by dong what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him (Genesis 18:19).'

“When God calls a man to follow Jesus, he gives him many blessing and promises. What are some of those blessings and promises God has given you, Saleh?”

Saleh answered quickly. “I know that I have salvation in Jesus, that my sins are forgiven, and that I have eternal life. Jesus is preparing a place in heaven for me.”

“Yes, God has given you rich blessings in Jesus. There are many more lessons that you will learn as you read the Bible and walk more in the ways of Jesus. John, who was with Jesus for three years on earth` said that from the fullness of the grace of Jesus they all received ‘one blessing after another’ (John 1:16). You are the first one of your people to start getting these blessings through Jesus. But God does not want you to be the last. Just as with Abraham, he wants your household to receive these blessings too. God is encouraging you to teach the ways of Jesus to your household.

“God even wants these blessings to spread beyond your household. Look at the promise God gave concerning Abraham. ‘All nations on earth will be blessed through him.’ (Genesis 18:18). God was referring to the blessings that would come through Abraham, and especially through his descendant Jesus. God wants these blessings to keep spreading out to more and more families, peoples, and nations. God wants those with new life in Jesus to multiply. When God created Adam and Eve, He blessed them and commanded them to multiply (Genesis 1:28). When we become new creations in Christ, God blesses us and wants us to multiply. Do not be afraid, Saleh. God wants to bless many people through you. That is why God chose you first among your people, so that through you many more could be blessed. Do you have some names of people that you want us to pray for specifically this morning that God may bless them? If you know of any who might be planning to harm you, bring their names too.”

Saleh gave his teacher the names of his wives and children, his parents, and some other names that God brought to his mind. Saleh and his teacher together prayed that God would bless each one of them, that God would shine the light of Jesus into their hearts and help them to repent and receive eternal life.

Later that evening a Christian businessman came over to tell the teacher that he and some other Christians were making plans to help Saleh escape from their city. “We must help him,” he said. “We must not allow him to be killed by his people. You know they have this law that if someone leaves Islam, he must be killed. We heard them talking about it.”

The teacher answered carefully. “Yes, that law is there. But will that law necessarily come true for Saleh? Who or what has the power of death and Hades? Do the dark powers behind the Apostate Law really have the power of death over believers in Jesus? What does Jesus say about that? Let us look at Revelation chapter one. 'Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades (Revelation 1:17-18).' The dark powers behind the Apostate Law claim to have the power of death over people like Saleh. But who really holds the keys of death and Hades?”

The businessman answered thoughtfully, “Jesus himself.”

“Yes,” affirmed the teacher. “Not Muslims, not even the dark powers behind the Apostate Law. By his death and resurrection Jesus frees those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15) We need not be slaves to fear that Saleh will certainly die by the hands of Muslims, as some have already threatened. We can pray for Jesus to protect him even while he is among his Muslim people. We can pray as Jesus prayed for His disciples. 'My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one…Sanctfy them by the truth; your word is truth (John 17:15, 17).'

“We need to strengthen Saleh in the promises of the Word of God and encourage him not to be controlled by fear of what Muslims may do to him. That does not mean that Saleh, or we, should not be careful. Jesus Himself told us to be innocent as doves, but shrewd as snakes (Matthew 10:16). Jesus also warned us that at times we would be hauled before authorities, but that we should not fear because the Holy Sprit would give us what to say (Matthew 10:17-20). We need to pray that God will teach both Saleh and us how to work with His Spirit in these difficult, and at times dangerous, situations. In many of these situations we will have opportunities to witness to other Muslims. God will protect us and give us discernment and guidance. We just need to keep in touch with him at all times through His Word and prayer. The book of Acts and the epistles, especially 1 Peter, give much teaching on how to live among people who oppose us and even threaten to kill us. God does not want us to isolate Saleh from his people, but rather to help Saleh bless his people, even those opposing him, and to lead them to salvation in Jesus.

“I am reminded of how we once helped a young nomad named Ardo. He was wasted away from terminal tuberculosis. His people knew he was almost dead. But we kept praying for him and treating him in the name of Jesus. After a few months, he was healed. When he became a Christian, he came to live with us because his people would not give him food. But when others of his relatives became very sick, they started coming to our place for help. We helped Ardo bless them by returning good for evil and praying for them. Many of them were healed. After a year, the elders of this clan made a decision that no one should persecute Ardo anymore or anyone else who wanted to follow Jesus. They themselves said that the way of Jesus was a good way. Ardo later married a girl from his own people who became a Christian with him. He trained to become a medical worker, and went back to live among his people and share the blessings of Jesus. Others from this Muslim clan became followers of Jesus with him. Just as Romans 12:21 says, ‘Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.’”

“You have given me something to think about,” said the businessman. “I am interested to learn more from the Bible about how we can help Saleh be a blessing to his own people. I see now that if we take Saleh away from them, they may never hear the Gospel. But if we pray with Saleh for his people and strengthen him in God’s Word, many of his people may be saved. It may take some time and much effort, but it will be worth it. And Saleh will not die unless Jesus says it is time. The keys of death are in the hands of Jesus.”

A week later Saleh came back to the teacher, asking for some Christian books. “My brother-in-law has come,” he explained, “to see if the rumors that I had Islam were true. He had many questions and I have been trying to answer him prayerfully and carefully. The Holy Spirit is really working in his heart. Do you have some more of that Arabic and Hausa literature that you gave me? I want to give him some before he goes home.” The teacher brought out the books that Saleh wanted. They prayed together before Saleh left, asking God to bless the books and give Saleh’s brother-in-law understanding as he read.

A month later Saleh reported to his teacher, “Although I did not know just who was threatening to kill me, I have been praying that God would bless any such people, just as you taught me to do. This morning the secretary of the Muslims in this town came to see me. He told me that he had arranged with others to kill me. He told the others to wait until he came before setting the ambush. But when the time came to go and meet the others, he could not move. This morning it was like there was a fire in him pushing him to come to my house and confess what he had done. I asked him if he would like to know who it was that pushed him to my house to confess. He said yes. So I told him it was the Spirit of Jesus. After I explained more, I gave him a New Testament and he promised to read it! Blessing those who try to kill us is really powerful!”

“I am glad, Saleh,” said the teacher, “that you have learned from experience how important it is for us to keep blessing your people in the name of Jesus. We blessed your relatives in the name of Jesus, and now God brought your brother-in-law from over 100 km away so you could share with him the blessings you have found in Jesus. We blessed those who were planning to harm you, and God caused one of them to confess to you and receive a New Testament to read. Peter explains more in detail about how important it is to keep blessing even those who want to harm us.

• Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing….even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear what they fear [the threats of men, or death]; do not be frightened.’ But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord [Lord of all, even death and curses]. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect….(1 Peter 3:9-15)

“Saleh, you did right in blessing those who were even trying to kill you. You were really working to bring these people to God. You have suffered some for following Jesus. There may be more suffering to come. It is not easy work God is giving you to do among your Muslim people. But don’t fear. God’s Spirit is with you, even in you. And you are starting to see the results. Some of your people are listening to the Good News of Jesus that you are sharing with them. There will be more. We will keep praying for you—and for them.”

Saleh went home encouraged in the Lord. He wondered where Jesus would show His power and grace next!

SELECTED VERSES ON BEING BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING

Genesis 12:2-3. God promised to bless Abraham and his descendants and make him a blessing to the nations. This promise was reaffirmed to Abraham in Genesis 18:18-19 and 22:17-18. In Genesis 26:2-4, God reaffirmed this promise to Isaac. In Genesis 28:13-15, God reaffirmed this promise to Jacob.

Acts 3:25-26. Peter reminds his Jewish listeners of this same promise. This blessing includes turning people from their wicked ways.

Galatians 3:8-9. Paul quotes this promise for Gentile believers, Abraham’s spiritual descendants.

Numbers 6:22-27. God gave the priests the words with which they were to bless the people of Israel. We can use these words to bless others.

Psalm 2:12. In the context of rulers gathering together against God and His anointed, the Psalmist says, “Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.”

Psalm 322. The Psalmist describes the blessedness of the man whose sins are forgiven.

Isaiah 44:3. God’s blessing includes the pouring out of his Spirit.

Matthew 5:10-12. Jesus talks of blessing specifically for those who are persecuted.

Luke 6:27-28. Jesus himself commands us to bless those who curse and mistreat us.

John 1:16. John talks of receiving from the fullness of Jesus’ grace one blessing after another.

Ephesians 1:3. Paul talks of how God the Father has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

1 Peter 3:9-18. Peter talks of the value and practical results of returning evil and insult with blessing.

QUESTIONS ON LESSON 21

1. How were some Christians trying to “help” Saleh? Why did Saleh not want this kind of “help”?

2. The teacher helped Saleh in a different way that Saleh appreciated. What did he do?

3. Where in the Bible did God promise Abraham that he would bless him so that Abraham in turn could be a blessing to others?

4. What mistake did the Christian businessman have in his thinking? How did the teacher gently correct him?Which prayer of Jesus did the teacher suggest that they pray for Saleh? What other kind of prayer did the teacher suggest they offer for Saleh’s people?

5. How did God answer the prayers for blessings on Saleh’s relatives? How did God answer the prayers for blessings on those planning to kill Saleh?

6. Choose two of the selected verses on “Being Blessed to be a Blessing” that you would use to disciple a Muslim convert. Give your reasons.

7. Write a personal response to this lesson.

DISCIPLING THE CHANTERS AND MYSTICS - Chapter 22

John asked his Christian teacher for prayer and advice. “This morning my Muslim neighbor came to me to tell me what happened last night. Eight of them were sitting around a white cloth on the ground chanting the names of God. Suddenly they all heard a voice say to them, ‘This is not the way to worship me.’ Next they saw the cloth move away and in the sand was drawn the sign of a cross. My neighbor has seen the sign of the cross on Christian churches, so this morning he asked me how we Christians worship God. He invited me to come to his house tonight to give him and his friends an answer. Please pray for me and also give me some advice on how to answer them.”

The teacher rejoiced. “First of all, let us thank God. We have been praying that God would give us all an opportunity to witness to our Muslim neighbors. God has answered our prayers! The sign of the cross brought them to you as a Christian. You in turn have the opportunity of taking them to Jesus as the way to God. Jesus Himself said, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Up till now these Muslims have been worshiping God in the way they have been taught, through dhikr, repeating the names of God. They have been taught that the blessings of God come to those who repeat His names again and again. God is giving you the opportunity to share with them the secrets of all the blessings that come to those who worship Him through Jesus. I do pray for you that God will fill you with His wisdom as you speak to them. I pray too that God will open their hearts and pour out on them the Holy Spirit so that they may understand the mystery of the Gospel of Jesus.”

The next day John came back to tell his teacher what had happened. “The men asked me what the cross meant. I took them to Luke 23:32-49. I emphasized how when Jesus was on the cross He spoke words of forgiveness. Jesus told the thief who believed in Him that they would be together in Paradise that very day! I also explained to them that God raised Jesus from the dead and took Him to heaven to show that following Jesus was indeed the way to God. I told them that if we read the whole book of Luke together, they would get a better idea of who Jesus really is and what He taught. They asked me to come every night for an hour to keep teaching them. They said they had many questions. I would like to show them the Jesus video in Hausa. What do you think?”

The teacher agreed enthusiastically. “I have a copy that you can borrow. After you finish the book of Luke, you might like to study with them the book of John. John explains the spiritual meaning of the signs and miracles that Jesus performed. He explains how we can experience God through knowing Jesus.”

John showed his teacher a book that his neighbor had given him called Ninety-Nine Names of Alllah. The introduction taught that God wants to come into the hearts of men, but that men must first clean their hearts by dhikr, which means “remembering,” usually by repeating the names of God. Dhikr is the key to the secrets of life, the book said. Together John and his teacher looked at the list of 99 names at the back of the book. “Some of the names look like names that we Christians might use for God as well,” said John. “Names like the Merciful, the Holy, the Protector, the Creator, the Forgiver, the Provider, the Resurrector, the Truth, the Giver of Life, the Eternal. But other names we would not think of using for the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, like the Creator of Death, the Distresser, the Subtle One, the Compeller.”

“Yes, and there is another difference,” added the teacher. “The names for God in the Bible are given in the context of God interacting with His people at certain times in history. God says to Abram, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward” (Genesis 15:1). God gave these names to Abram just after he had fought a battle to rescue Lot. God thus assured Abram that although he and his men were comparatively few in number, God would personally protect him from a retaliatory raid and provide for him. In Genesis 16 we read the story of how the Lord spoke to Hagar after she ran away from Abram’s household. ‘She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me”’ (Genesis 16:3). These names of God are relational names; they show God interacting with His people. The names of God in the Bible often include the words ‘my’ or ‘your.’ The Psalmist addresses God with different names: my God (3:7); my King and my God (5:2); my shield (7:10); O Lord, our Lord (8:1); O Lord, my strength, my fortress, my deliverer (18:1-2); my shepherd (32:1); and many more. Jesus Himself taught us to say, ‘Our Father in heaven’ (Matthew 6:9). The words ‘my’ and ‘our’ and ‘your’ suggest a close relationship with God.

“The 99 names of Allah in this book do not include ‘my’ or ‘our,’ but only ‘the.’ The names seem to be more abstract than personal. This book shows how to ‘use’ the names of Allah in certain formulas to cause certain things to happen. Look here on page 21. It says that if a person repeats YA-RAHIM (The Merciful) 100 times after each early morning prayer, he will find everyone to be friendly towards him. He who repeats YA-SALAM (the Source of Peace) 160 times to a sick person will help him get better (24). The soul of him who repeats YA-QAHHAR (the Subduer) will conquer the desires of the flesh and gain inner peace (34). As for the name YA-KHAFID (the Abaser), those who fast three days, and on the fourth day read this name 70,000 times in a gathering, Allah will keep from harm by their enemy (41). He who would like to have a child should repeat YA-AWWAL (the First) 1,000 times for 40 Fridays (92). Each of the 99 names in this book, except for one, has a formula for using it.

“The introduction to this book on the 99 names of Allah teaches that it is important to learn and use the formulas under the supervision of a sheik, a ‘holy man’ who has become expert in using spiritual power. This book gives some suggestions of the kind of things that a sheik may prescribe, such as not eating meat, washing the body, choosing a ritually clean place, and saying the shahada 700 times before starting to repeat a name of Allah. The sheik may instruct his disciple to repeat the name alone and at night. At other times he may give instructions to repeat the name in a group. Using the names in a wrong way and without the supervision of a sheik may be dangerous, says this introduction. Harm may come to the person himself or to his family. Therefore a person should become a member of an order, or organized group, founded by a sheik who possesses special knowledge and powers.

“This type of mystical Islam is called sufism, named after the woolen garment (suf) of itinerant holy men. Muhammad did teach that God has 99 names, or attributes. But he did not specify just which ones they were. Different Muslims since his time have come up with different lists. Muhammad himself taught that he who memorizes and repeats the names of Allah will get into paradise. But many sufis after him have added more and more variations to his teaching. Some sufis came to venerate Muhammad so much that they regarded him as the mediator through whom alone God may be approached and known. Other Muslims say this is blasphemy. Today many living local saints claim to be descended from Muhammad in some way, physically or spiritually. Many sufis have even come to consider a local saint as more important then Muhammad. After a saint’s death, they travel to his grave to get blessing.”

“My neighbor told me that while chanting they hoped that the spirit of Muhammad or some other saint would come, or that they would even experience Allah himself,” said John.

“Over the years,” replied the teacher, “different sheiks have arisen and attracted followers, each with his own tariqa, or way to God. The tariqa is organized around different stages (maqaamaat) that lead to God. I have talked to many darika Muslims, as they are called in our country. The Qadariyya believe that through self denial, fasting and reciting the names of Allah it is possible to achieve fana, or absorption in God. They also believe that certain angels can help them achieve this absorption. They have special litanies which they claim are the only ones through which one can be absorbed into the presence of God. These litanies were given in dreams and visions.

“The Tijjaniya order, on the other hand, teaches that the believer needs a link with God via the Wali, a living saint, who is a deputy of Muhammad. The Wali has access to hidden knowledge and power that is not available to ordinary Muslims. He is a source of baraka (blessing and power). People will try to touch a Wali in order to get blessing from him. A Wali gathers disciples around him who become loyal to him and to each other. The Wali is thought to be a friend of God who intercedes with God on behalf of his disciples, who blesses them, and who reveals to them the ritual path of blessing.

“Considerable rivalry often arises between the orders. The Qadariyya and the Tijjaniya may not pray in the same mosque. Even within the same order, there can be rivalry over who possesses the most powerful baraka, or spiritual power. The authors of this book your friend gave you seem most impressed by someone who disappeared and then reappeared while saying ‘la ilaha illa’llah’ (there is no god but God). They say that this person ‘knew the truth of God and had reached it through his heart’” (16).

John asked, “I have heard of many strange and powerful things that these people do. Some of it is amazing and there are many witnesses. Can these men really do miracles?”

“Yes, many of them can, and that should not surprise us,” replied the teacher. “Jesus himself warned of men who would perform great signs and miracles and try to deceive even Christians, if possible (Matthew 24:24). Paul talks of ‘the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing’ (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). We need to learn the difference between true miracles done in the power of Jesus and counterfeit miracles done in the power of evil.

“I have talked with some of these holy men, or malams, who later became Christians. Much of what they did involved not only repetition of names, but sacrifices as well. While they were doing these things they thought that they were in control. The enjoyed the power they had over other people. But upon reflection, they realized that they were not really in control. At times the spirits that were giving them power tormented them, especially if they were displeased by something the malams had done. They came to realize that the spirits giving them these experiences and powers were not just names or attributes of the one true God. Satan and his demons, pretending to be servants of God, sometimes usurping the names of God, had deceived them. After visions from these demons, some men got involved in horrible practices that are too evil to talk about. When these men repented and tried to follow God in the way of Jesus, the demons tried to harm and even kill them. But as we prayed with them, helped them confess their sins, and taught them the truth about the loving power of Jesus, they were delivered from the torment of deceiving spirits. They began to experience what it means to be one with God through Jesus, the only mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). They learned to test everything they were doing with the teaching in the Bible. With the new heart God gave them, they learned to really love God and others. They learned to serve people, rather than try to have power to control or harm them. They learned to accept good and perfect gifts of blessing and healing for themselves and others from our Father in heaven (James 1:17).”

“When I look through the formulas in this book, I realize how much my neighbors have been deceived,” said John. “They were taught to call on God by one of His names--AL-KHALIQ, the Creator. It is true that God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. But then they are taught to take the word for ‘Creator’ in Arabic and keep repeating it so that God will create an angel who will do good works that will be credited to them on the judgment day (30). This teaching steers them away from trusting in Jesus, the only one who through the Holy Spirit can come into their hearts and make them truly righteous from the inside out. When they become angry against someone and want to get revenge, this book teaches that they can call on God as AL-MUMIT (the Creator of Death). They can say this name over and over until their enemy is dead (80). When they repeat this name, an evil destructive spirit comes to fulfill the revengeful desires of their hearts. What a difference from the Spirit of Jesus who teaches us to forgive our enemies and bless them with the grace of God which can change them from the inside out.

“Even those who want good blessings form God are steered in the wrong direction. The book teaches that those who repeat YA-MUTA’ALI (Oh Most Exalted) many times will gain the benevolence of Allah (97). What a difference that is from Psalm 136 in the Bible! The most common expression that Muslims repeat again and again concerning God is ‘Allahu Akbar,’ meaning ‘God is Greater.’ The Biblical Psalm teaches the congregation of worshipers a different refrain: ‘His love endures forever.’ This phrase is repeated 26 times in this Psalm, but it is not repetition to gain the love of God. Rather it is a refrain for praising and thanking God for the many different ways He has already shown His love to His people throughout history. The Bible teaches us to present our requests together with thanksgiving, not repetition” (Philippians 4:6; Matthew 6:7-8).

“Yes,” agreed the teacher. “Let us together pray for your Muslim friends who have received this sign of the cross in the sand. May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that they may get to know Him better. May the eyes of their heart be enlightened more and more as you study the Bible together (Ephesians 1:17-18). May they come to know Him who is the way, the truth, and the life. To God be the glory!”

(Quotes are taken from The Ninety-Nine Names of Allah by Shems Friedlander, published in 1978 by the Islamic Publications Bureau, Lagos, Nigeria, reprinted in 1989.)

QUESTIONS ON LESSON 22

1. What is dhikr? Write two things that Muslims are taught will happen when they do dhikr.

2. According to Islam, how many names does God have? Choose two of these names that we Christians might use for God. Choose two of these names that we Christians would never use for God.

3. Which of the formulas for a name of God in this chapter is most interesting to you? Why?

4. Under what conditions would using these formulas be dangerous, according to Muslims? Under what conditions would it be safer?

5. What did the word suf mean originally? Give two ways in which sufi teaching differs from orthodox Muslim teaching.

6. What does the word tariqa or darika refer to?

7. Give three teachings of the Qadariyya order.

8. Give three teachings of the Tijjaniya order.

9. What is the Arabic word for spiritual power, or blessing?

10. Give three changes that occur when sufi holy men become followers of Jesus.

11. What is the difference between the repetition taught in The Ninety-Nine Names of Allah and the repetition in Psalm 136?

12. Write a personal response to this lesson.