Monday, March 29, 2010

Reaching Muslims for Christ VII

This post is a continuation of a series. The prior blog posts of abbreviated interviews introduce some of the challenges that Islam brings to the church even, or especially, in what is considered to be a western, Christian church environment. The two prior posts about fallacies related to reaching Muslims will help sharpen the church's efforts.

Additional advice to the western church would include the following:

Intentionally welcome Muslims into your midst.

Overcome the stereotype that Muslims are the enemy. Lostness is the enemy.

Reach Muslim immigrants in the western world as though they were still in their home countries! Become a wide- eyed realist by accepting the fact that Satan may hold more tightly to those whom he has a greater chance of losing. Pray in their neighborhoods, and around schools and homes and places of business. Shop where Muslims shop. Learn about their countries of origin and become conversant in the current events from their home countries. Ask often concerning family members remaining in their country of origin. Be a respectful learner of culture.

Implement families reaching families, seeking to reach the leaders of the family and Muslim community. Make every effort to share meals, break bread, in the homes of Muslims. Make them welcome in your home. Let them have a clear look into Christian homes. Be sure always to include single adults in your outreach to Muslim families. Many Muslims in the United States admit that they are lonely in our midst.

Learn all that you can about Islam. Make it a habit to take gifts to their homes, especially during Islamic holidays.

Prepare converts from Islam for the biblical reality of persecution. Persecution is not geographically specific. Persecution is absolutely normal for those who become the first believers in Jesus from their family and religion wherever they might live.

Lose the—attitude that says, "You are in America now; speak-English." Agree-to
teach your Muslim friends English and American culture — and then ask them to teach you their language and culture.

Understand that young Muslims are often attracted to the forbidden. They are often "low hanging fruit." Work through this, doing everything that you can to use these young seekers as an open door into their extended families. Be careful not to circumvent Muslim parents in the sharing of your faith. Be wise and bold in your witness to those with status within Islamic communities.

Within your own church, be careful in publicizing ministries to Muslims. Choose team members carefully. Treat what you talk about publicly as if it were originating in Somalia, Turkey, or Afghanistan. Take care not to treat any Muslim converts as public trophies. Win families and social units without publicity or fanfare.

Be seen as a believer who loves only One God and His Bible. From the beginning, be known as a holy and moral person. Express genuine love for your body of Christ while avoiding church property-based ministries.

Bathe yourself in prayer. Prepare for spiritual warfare. Go in two's for strength and accountability.

Muslims are coming to our country and neighborhoods in unprecedented numbers. Often they fear the corrupt influences of the West and are isolated and lonely. They can be made to feel like they are "a lion in a den of Daniels." Think about it: our "Jerusalem" is their uttermost parts of the earth." A loving witness, incarnated in their language and culture and centered in homes, will partner with the Holy Spirit. This kind of witness will allow Muslims residing in the West to have a clear choice in regard to Jesus.

May God teach us as we share the gospel with Muslims in the West so that they may hear, understand, believe, be baptized in their family settings, start churches in their homes, and export their faith appropriately back to their home countries.


Nathan

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