MUSLIM - NYOBS 29.23

RABBIT TRAIL FROM NYOBS 29 - THE CASE FOR CHRISTIANITY

MUSLIM – RABBIT TRAIL

• About a year ago in my Bible Study group, Majid my Muslim friend gave his testimony about how he came to embrace the Christian Faith and he made this STUNNING statement that took me back; “YOU ARE BORN INTO A RELIGION”.
• I leaned forward in my chair, the room became silent.  Majid shared that he had been a devout Muslim all of his life, studied the Koran and prayed five times a day,  and held to the Five Pillars of Islam, but still had a yearning in his heart for God. – WHY WAS THAT?
• The Five Pillars of Islam are five basic acts considered mandatory by believers and are the foundation of Muslim life. They are summarized in the famous Hadith. They make up Muslim life, prayer, concern for the needy, self purification and the pilgrimage. They are:

1. Shahadah: declaring there is no god except God, and Muhammad is God's Messenger
2. Salat: ritual prayer five times a day
3. Sawm: fasting and self-control during the blessed month of Ramadan
4. Zakat: giving 2.5% of one’s savings to the poor and needy
5. Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime if he/she is able to do so.

• MUSLIMS worship the God of Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar; a slave woman.
• CHRISTIANS worship the God of Isaac the son of Abraham and Sarah his wife – Both claim the Covenant Promise of God - Majid thought; “BOTH CAN’T BE TRUE”.
• Majid bought a Bible and studied in SECRET to see what Christianity was all about.
• What Majid found was far different than that of the Koran and he went back and forth trying to grasp the simplicity of Christianity and its teaching to love your enemies.
• At some point Majid came to believe that the Bible held the MOST TRUTH and knowing the cost, he gave his heart to Jesus Christ.  For the Muslim to convert to Christianity was considered blasphemy and he was worse than an INFINDEL and the penalty was DEATH.
• Majid made a PUBLIC PROFESSION of his faith and took a Christian wife.  - His family disowned him and he received death threats.  What he had to give up becoming a Christian made me sit back in my chair STUNNED; I gave up nothing; obviously this is a BIG DEAL.
• Think about the family you were born into – If your family believes in a god, you would believe in the same god that they did. -  I don’t have a testimony of redemption.  I was born into a Christian family and knew I wanted Christ at the age of Nine and a half although I didn’t fully understand the Virgin Birth of Jesus; His death and resurrection or even how His dying on the cross could take away my sins; BUT I believed it did. - I would be 35 before I put it all together.  I was born DEAD IN MY SINS and God put the Holy Spirit in me and opened my heart TO DESIRE HIM.
• It was GOD that PUT THE DESIRE in Majid’s heart; and he accepted knowing the cost could be his very own life. – What an INCREDABLE DESIRE for God – It cost Majid everything.
• The Koran teaches to KILL the infidel and all unbelievers of Allah - NYOBS 14:22 Muslim Messiah
• The Bible teaches to love God and love your enemies. NYOBS 22.02 Armageddon  Ishmael & Isaac

Hadith 9:57 – Whoever changes his Islamic religion should be killed.

Sura 9:5 – When the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, seize them; lie in wait for them.

Matt 22:37-40 – Only TWO Commandments

37 "`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the FIRST and greatest commandment

39 And the SECOND is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' 

40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Luke 6:27 – Love your enemies

27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, NIV