Conquest of the World

“No great world religion espouses Murder” – Secretary Colin Powell.

A question was asked of Dr. Caners: “Does Muslim eschatology depend upon conquest of the World?” Their answer was a little surprising. They said that they were taught, as most Muslims are, that the infidels (anyone not Muslim) would become Allah’s. They are taught that fighting them is how you accomplish this. Dr. William Lane Craig added to this by stating that in the 9th Surah, it talks about Muslims laying in wait to ambush and exterminate unbelievers, again anyone not a believer.

There are 100 levels of Heaven in Islam and the highest level is for those that Martyr themselves, and supposedly the only guarantee of attaining Heaven at all. There is still the argument that Allah, who can do anything, even lie and deceive, could ultimately change his mind on the way to heaven. For the Muslim your good must out weigh your bad to get into heaven and then hope that Allah sees it that way as well. On the other end there are 7 levels of Hell and the lowest levels are for Jews and Christians, and especially for those that turn Christian from the Islam faith.

It starts to demonstrate why Muslims have no fear of killing themselves by strapping a bomb to themselves and walking into a hotel, or taking over a plane and flying it into a building, because they believe they are martyrs for the sake of Allah. Most will say that this is the extreme side of Islam, but not according to many that have left the Muslim religion and become a Christian. It is not uncommon to be taught this. If the Koran is to be followed, then by any means necessary is the world to become under the rule of Islam.

They gave an example with Israel and the PLO and compared it to the Klansmen. They asked if the Klan started bombing children’s centers and asked for land, would we give it to them? Of course we wouldn’t, but why do we do this with Muslims that use violence to attain what they want. This is exactly the same thing as what is going on in Israel today. These terrorists according to many I have listened to and read are considered the purists of the faith, the truly orthodox followers of the Koran.

This is important to understand because when we are dealing with countries like Iran and other Muslim based countries, we need to understand what is behind every decision they are making. Their religion and politic is completely integrated together, and there is no division. The goal is to bring in the 12th Imman and take over the world for Allah. They will deceive in order to attain this, because there is no problem in deceiving infidels.

Islam did not begin until the 7th century and they rewrite history continually to fit their eschatological view. There are many Muslims that refuse to believe that Desert Storm ever took place, because it was a loss for Islam and they never believe that they could lose a war.

All one needs to do is read the Qur’an themselves to see how violence is propagated. Many will show that in the beginning that it shows peace, but that is because it was written early, and the rest was written later. The Koran was not written all at once, but over a period of time, you can see how Muhammad’s eschatology changes and becomes more violent towards those that will not follow Allah.

Like anything else, do not always drink the “Kool-Aide” because someone says it on television, or in a blog like mine for that matter, but go to the source and read for yourself. That would be the Qur’an.
John 8:31-32, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Realize What You are Asking

Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

I want to start off with a warning in regards to this blog, because first I am going to continue to discuss the Muslim faith and we can easily get angered or frustrated or make poor or ill comments when thinking on this matter, but we must remember that we all have fallen short. Not one of us came perfect to Christ, so they need the grace of God just as much as you do, and Jesus died for them as well. When reading remember to read so you understand and not to pass judgment. My intention is to arm for and warn in witnessing with a Muslim and not to make the Muslim to be evil, but the actions that are done because of their faith.

Both Dr. Caners, like many other young Muslims growing up, were taught that Christians are vile and hate Muslims, so they are tainted about their view right from the beginning. They were taught that our Bible is corrupted, because they believe Jesus was one of the 25 prophets, but not the Son of God. As a matter of fact, the key points within our Gospel are considered some of the highest sins to Islam.

Muslims believe that if Jesus ever said that He was God then He is not worthy of being a prophet. Atonement for Muslims is by your own blood and not through the work of Jesus or someone else. You must atone for yourself. The interesting part is they will accept the virgin birth, never dying, and the returning of Jesus, but the returning is not as the Son of God, but He will come back to marry and to die and be buried in Akbar. This will of course be done in accordance to Allah’s timing. Jesus is considered the next best prophet next to Muhammad.

What was interesting during their talk was the percentage of stringent Muslims, the strictest Muslims that come to Christ. Meaning that those that come to Christ out of the Muslim faith, 66% of the Muslims were actually very strict in their walk with the Muslim faith and not of the more nominal Muslims. The harder part to absorb and which requires a lot of patience is that it takes on average, seven years for a Muslim to become a Christian.

Both Dr. Caners said that one of the best ways to reach a Muslim is through talking about the doctrine of eternal security, because unless they martyr themselves, there is no eternal security for the Muslim. Another concept is unconditional love and grace within the Christian faith. You must explain that grace for us is that Christ died for us, because grace to a Muslim is that Allah has not killed them. When you talk about grace you need to be sure to define it for them as well.

We must have patience and persistence in prayer and in talking with our Muslim friends. Ask them about their faith as well, because it is always a show of respect in their culture then to ask you about your faith. Then remember what you are asking them to do. Islam is considered a “cradle to the grave” religion and to leave it means you are leaving everything. Many are disowned, killed and lose everything when they become a Christian. Where today we don’t have that much worry, even a U.S. Muslim believer faces losing their family. As you witness don’t forget that they are truly sacrificing for Jesus.

Next time I will talk about their eschatology and why that is important when dealing with a Muslim no matter what area of life you are talking with them about.

Matthew 5:44-45, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;”

68,000 A Day!

Exodus 3:6, “Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”

I listened to a series by Dr. Ergun Caner and Dr. Emir Caner, who are converted Christians and now both have earned doctorates. One is the President of Liberty University and the other is Dean at Southern Baptist Seminary. They were talking together about their Muslim faith and the Muslim faith in general, which is very eye opening. These two gentlemen know first hand what it is to be Muslim and then what it is to leave the faith.

The first statistic they gave was very eye opening and scary to say the least. They said that there are 68,000 converts to the Muslim faith every day. Every twenty four hours, sixty eight thousand people are turning away from their faith, whatever it is and turning to the Muslim faith. And if this is not enough, the Muslims have a goal to proselytize every American by 2013, and they have a 3 billion dollar commitment from Saudi Arabia to make this happen.

Both Dr. Caners were disowned by their father, and said that this is an act of mercy and probably only because they were in the U.S. at the time. In many countries still today it is a crime to convert from Muslim to Christianity. The penalty is that you are buried up to your waist and then you have a death cloth wrapped around you and then they stone you to death. They were talking about how this still happens today in countries like Turkey, North Africa, Afghanistan, United Emirates and Indonesia. One other country it happens in is a country we are trying to now befriend, Iran, which in my opinion is a very big mistake. If you want their reasoning then read their Surah 112, as that is considered the greatest Surah of the Qur’an.

I also liked how they talked about that the Muslim God is not the same as the Christian God, no matter how much the Christian wants to try to rationalize in some fashion that it is, because they claim Abraham as well. It is not the same God. First of all not one Muslim scholar would agree with the Christian trying to do this. We are trying to make something up that would not even be believed by the Muslim. Allah is not seen as a Father, and He makes decisions as he pleases and not based on what we believe because of God’s nature.

You have to look at the theological complexities between the two and not the linguistic aspects of these faiths. You may be able to find some words that line up and appear to seem like we are talking about the same God, but theologically we are millenniums apart. We have a Trinity, a Father, Son, Holy Ghost, and they have none of those and to espouse it is heretical. The closest they get to a name that says Allah is close is saying that he is next to your jugular, which is not because he loves you, but because he can kill you at any time. There are no intimate terms for Allah in all 99 of the names given to him by the Muslim. You live in fear within the Muslim faith and you live in freedom and peace in the Christian faith. They are nothing alike.

What I found interesting is their comparison of the Mormon faith and the Muslim faith. They say that Muslim is Medieval Mormonism. Mormonism has copied just about everything the Muslim faith has. Both say that all other religions are corrupted and both said they found tablets of gold. Muslims and Mormons teach that Jews and Christians lost their way, and they both teach works as a way to their heaven. Both make Jesus a celestial brother and that women in the end will be sexual servants. Lastly, they both teach that their leader, Muhammad or Joseph Smith, is the final prophet. They say that Satan just uses the same old tricks over and over again.

The Muslim faith is not the same faith as the Christian faith, and definitely does not have the same God. The question is, are all Muslims wanting death to the kafirs or infidels, those who do not turn to their faith? Well, you have to look at their eschatology, which I will do in the next blog. Then how do we reach them for Christ? What should you expect in witnessing to a Muslim? Again, we will be using the testimony of two Doctors who left the faith and paid heavy prices for it.

Acts 4:12, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name [Jesus the Christ] under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”