Books released next week
God willing, I will release books next week.
Keyword: MBB discipleship, MBB materials
Your story can effectively reach Muslims for Christ
Using apologetics can be an effective way to reach Muslims, but it can be difficult for the untrained. There is an easier way – your story.
Apologetics is the art of using reasoning to defend religious doctrine. In common usage, the word has morphed into also convincing others of the soundness of that doctrine. It requires love, much training and rigorous discipline to be used effectively. Some Christians use it effectively. Many others try, and end up in useless arguments. It’s not necessary to argue with people or put their beliefs down in order to tell them of yours. Your story is powerful enough.
The story of your life before knowing Jesus, how you came to follow Him, and what changed as a result, cannot be naysaid. You are an eyewitness. Others may not believe you, but they cannot diminish the reality of your story. The power of Jesus in your life, whether dramatic or simple and steady, points to the reality of the gospel – the good news that Jesus, God in the flesh, died on the cross, rose three days later, and offers eternal life to those who repent of sin and follow Him as Lord and Savior.
God has made all Christians capable of living under the new covenant, part of which is to tell others that they can also be part of God’s family and enjoy the benefits of His kingdom.
4Such confidence we have through Christ toward God; 5not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God; 6who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 WEB
Telling your story is simply telling how things were before you followed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, how you came to follow Him, and the changes in your life. You may also want to consider prayer and spiritual warfare. All of these things are described more fully in my soon to be published book, Discipling Muslim Background Believers. It comes out in January 2019.
Let God continue to pour His Spirit out on you and tell your story as He leads. Leave the results to Him. That is what the untrained but caring college students did with me, and I became a Christian and have followed Him for more than 35 years.
Keywords: Muslim ministry, your story
MBBs are facing isolation because of ostracism and persecution
Many MBBs are facing isolation and loneliness because their Muslim communities shun them and persecute them. There are many examples. One of the MBBs mentioned in my upcoming book tells of many family gatherings he was unaware of until, after the fact, finding out that he was intentionally not invited. Sometimes, when he would go, his relatives would say, “Here comes Satan.”
There are two more testimonies in the following article. They are not of an extreme variety, and do not include physical torture or death, both of which are faced by MBBs across the world.
Keywords: MBB, isolation, ostracism, persecution
Population changes are changing the way Christians should minister
This article describes population changes that Christians will need to take into account. Christians are not interacting with faiths most responsive to the gospel, including Muslims. The author, Dr. Todd Johnson, is a leader in his field, and I highly recommend his article which remains relevant more than a decade after it was written.
http://www.etnopedia.info/world-christian-trends-update-2007-by-todd-johnson