Mission Plan Book

2004-05

Thomas Wright

The young man at the mall was very nice. He shared his faith very clearly and sincerely. He asked if we would like to become Muslims too.

Islam is a major world religion with almost a billion followers, who are called Muslims. Almost 8 million Muslims live in the United States.

Islam began in Mecca, Saudi Arabia in 622 AD. Muslims believe that their founder, Mohammed, was the last and greatest prophet of God. They believe Islam should replace all other religions, including Christianity.

Muslim churches are called mosques. The god of Islam is called Allah. He is very different from the Creator God in the Christian Bible. The Qur’an (also spelled Koran) is the sacred book of Islam. It is very different from the Christian Bible. Muslims claim that the Qur’an was dictated in Arabic by the angel Gabriel to Muhammad. Throughout their history, Muslims have followed the Qur’an’s teaching that Muslims can use war, called "jihad," to kill the enemies of Islam (Surah:5).

Islam teaches the importance of "5 Pillars." They are: Confession of Islamic Faith, Prayer, Giving money, Fasting, and a Pilgrimage to Mecca sometime during their life.

Visit www.namb.net/interfaith for more information about Muslims and Islam.

The Bible says in Luke 19:10 that Jesus came to "seek and to save that which was lost." People who go the wrong way get lost.

Jesus said in John 14:6 that "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me." We know that Jesus is the only way to the creator God because He died and came back to life again. Other religions are trying to find God but without Jesus they are going the wrong way.

Dr. Cky Carrigan is a Southern Baptist North American Missionary serving in interfaith witness. He teaches that "Since Muslims reject the Jesus of the Bible, it is clear that Muslims are outside the body of people who have been redeemed. Muslims may not know it, but they desperately need you to share the Jesus of the Bible with them."

The first step is to begin praying for your Muslim Neighbor. The Holy Spirit will soften hard hearts. He will make them receptive to the gospel.

Pray for their spiritual eyes and ears to be opened to the truth of Christ. In 2 Cor. 4:4 the Bible says "the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God" (NASB).

Visit www.praytimer.org or www.lifewaystores.com for the PrayTimer software and Bible study. It provides a 30 day prayer guide for a Muslim neighbor. It also provides missionary birthday lists, specific prayer requests from North American and International missionaries and the prayer grams from both entities.

Dr. Carrigan suggests, "Ask your Muslim neighbors to explain their understanding of Islam to you, then ask if you can explain Christianity to them."

Your Muslim neighbor may be interested to know that the Qur’an mentions Jesus. It also refers to the gospels as the "Injil." Use the gospels then to present the teachings and resurrection of Jesus. Show them in the Injil that God is love, humankind is lost in sin, and that God provided a sacrifice for our sin. Jesus died on the cross to pay for all of the sins of the world. Jesus is the bridge from our holy creator God to sinful humans.

This truth about Jesus is revealed in the Injil in John 3:16. Even the Qur’an says in Surah 3:55 that "Allah said: O Isa [Jesus], I am going to terminate [to put to death] the period of your stay (on earth) and cause you to ascend unto Me."

One of the unreached Muslim people groups is in Palestine. There is a lot of information in the news about the Muslims in Palestine and Israel. Knowing more about them will help us pray for them every time we hear or read a news story about Israel or Palestine.

Palestine is located in Gaza and the West Bank near Israel and Jordan. It is in an area considered sacred to Muslims, Jews, and Christians. About 2.3 million Palestinian Arabs live there.

There are some very important Islamic landmarks in the area. One of them is the "Dome of the Rock," the most famous mosque in Jerusalem. The mosque is where Muslims believe their prophet Muhammad left earth for heaven on a winged stallion.

There is a long history of fighting between Jews in Israel and the Muslims in Palestine. Many Muslim Arabs see Israel as a threat to Islam and want to destroy Israel. After the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, the Israelis took control of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in order to protect Israel. Missionaries and Arab Christians that live there need our prayers.

Unreached people groups are also called Last Frontier groups. To adopt a Last Frontier people group: Call the IMB at 1-888-462-7729.

It is a blessing from God to have a Muslim neighbor. God has placed you there to be a friend and to be a witness to them. Learn about their faith so you can help them learn about Jesus. Pray, care, and share Jesus with your Muslim neighbor.

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