Something(s) to think about


I have just finished reading the book Secret Believers by Brother Andrew and Al Janssen and it has opened my eyes to many things regarding Islam and how I as a Christian respond to its spread and activity worldwide. The book is written as a narrative, yet it tells the true story of Muslim Background Believers (MBB's) in a Middle Eastern country and their struggle to survive while they spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to other Muslims.

At the end of the book is a section on what is happening in the church in Afghanistan. You might not know this but there are thousands of Christians living in Afghanistan and, just because the Taliban has been ousted from power, their struggle for survival is just as difficult as it has ever been. As a result of the time that he has spent in Afghanistan and other Muslim nations, Brother Andrew has gleaned invaluable insight into the world of Islam and its grip on people. Yet he asks us as believers in Christ some hard questions to consider regarding Islam, questions we must answer if we hope to not only win Muslims to Christ but also stop the spread of Islam worldwide:
  1. Do we view Muslims as enemies? Or are we seeking to win them to Christ?
  2. Are we going to seek revenge when we're attacked? Should we not offer forgiveness instead?
  3. What would happen if we accepted the challenge of Islam by striving as Christians to imitate Christ?
  4. Are we really convinced that we are engaged in a spiritual war? If so, shouldn't we commit to a life of prayer? In this war are we willing to do anything, even lay down our lives, if necessary, to advance the kingdom of God.
These are very difficult questions to answer, especially for those of us who have grown up in the West and don't understand the nature or depth of Islam in other countries. We react to events such as 9-11 with anger, yet do we truly want to see Muslim radicals changed by the power of Jesus Christ.

I realize that in my own life I have viewed Islam in probably the wrong way. Typically I have seen Islam as a threat, but what threat is this religion to me? Instead, why can't I be a threat to Islam by praying for Muslims worldwide and by engaging and befriending any Muslim that I may meet here in America.

Northern Sudan has been an area of the world that has gripped my heart and I will continue to pray for those men and women there who are caught in the unfulfilling grip of Islam as well as the MBB's who courageously live out there faith on a daily basis. Visit the Secret Believers website and learn too how you can be an agent for change in the lives of Muslim men and women across the world.

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