What every Muslim wants

What average Joe American should know about Average Joe Muslim.

Doug, stay out of it. Don’t get involved. That’s what I’ve been telling myself these days. But...

I can’t help it.

   

I never really gave it much thought until now. But, we see it on the news and hear about it on the radio. ISIL this ISIS that. It’s something we can’t avoid—rather than pretend it doesn’t exist or hope and pray it goes away—I figured I ought to pull my head out of the sand and put my hands in the dirt.

So, I dug in, and in my humble opinion these are some things we ought to know.

Islam is moving into our lives whether we like it or not.

What’s Islam?

Islam is to Muslims what Christianity is to Christians. Islam is the name of the religion and those who follow it are called Muslim.

The word Islam means peace.

There are three types Muslims:

1. Secular – The majority of Muslims fall into this category. They are those who are not real dedicated, they don’t follow the faith real close—they don’t pray or study the Quran. Think nominal Christian. Someone who says they’re Christian but doesn’t give God much thought; doesn’t pray or read the Bible or go to church—nominal Christian. (Most so-called Christians?)  

2. Traditional – Those who go through the motions but are not committed to the literal interpretation. They don’t want to go to extremes such as trying to make converts.

3. Fundamentalist –These are the news makers. They do what they read in the Quran about taking over the world for Allah. They will kill for Allah.  A later post will address: Does the Quran teach violence.  But for now we will stick to what Average Joe needs to know.

What is the Quran?

This is to Muslims what the Bible is to Christians.  Muslims believe that every word of the Quran was dictated by Allah to Gabriel who then revealed it to Muhammad. (Gabriel is the archangel who appeared to Mary, Zacharias, and Daniel in the Bible. Allah is the Islamic name for God.)

Muslims believe the Bible was from God but over the years it had become corrupt so Allah (God) gave Muhammad the Quran to make things right.

Christianity verses Islam.

I was surprised to find out that much of Islam sprung from Biblical beliefs. Many Muslims believe their faith is an extension of the faith of Abraham.  

Islam is a religion of works. If good works out weigh the bad you are permitted to heaven. They pray five times a day, show hospitality, are against abortion and drinking and try to live similar to that which is outlined in the Ten Commandments.  They are afraid of hell.

Muslims want the answer to these three questions:

1)      If God is one how can He be three?

2)     How can God have a Son?

3)     Why would God let Jesus die on the cross?

Not acknowledging God as Father creates the schism in every Muslim’s heart. They declare repeatedly: “Allah is one and Muhammad is his prophet.”  

Sounds similar to what Jesus said. “The first of all the commandment is: ‘Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.”  

How can you explain The Trinity? God is one and yet He is three?

I have to keep it simple for my little brain to get it. For me it’s a matter of the truth told in the very beginning. God created man in His image. Okay. I am created in God’s image. God is three in one. I must be too.

I break it down like this: I am a spirit. I have a soul. I live in a body. Three in one.

My spirit is the eternal part of me that knows and longs for God. My soul is the eternal part of me that expresses my unique character through my mind will and emotions. My body is the temporal part of me that walks this earth and is subject to death.

Likewise God is a spirit. His Soul is the Holy Spirit who expresses His unique character and His Body is Jesus Christ the part of Him in the flesh who walked this earth and suffered death.  

How can God have a Son?

Muslims struggle with this for at least a couple reasons: If God is one—how can He have a Son? A Son represents an extension or multiplication of Himself. Furthermore, having a child is associated with having intercourse. And they say God wouldn’t do such a thing.

Understanding God’s Son is the very essence of who He is. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)

Islam is a religion of works and leaves followers suffering from an orphan spirit because they do not see God as Father.

 The only way to the Father is through the Son. Jesus Christ will lead them to knowledge of The Father’s love. But, if they don’t believe in the Son, how can that be done? This leads us to the next question:

Why would God let Jesus die on the cross?   

Islam teaches that Jesus was a prophet. Not the Son of God. But a prophet of God—like Moses and Abraham and…best of all Mohammad. Therefore they claim that God would not allow one of His prophets to be killed on a cross. They hold that God put someone else there in His place—someone like Judas. 

Interesting concept is it not? God having someone else die on the cross in His place.

What can be done to dispute this claim? How can you convince someone that Jesus really died on the cross?

Ask God to show them. And He does.

Muslims take dreams and visions very seriously. Since 1984 a group of Christians have prayed every Friday (Muslim holy day) for Muslims to receive dreams and visions. Multiple reports of Muslims having dreams of Jesus on the cross have led to their coming to Christ. Statistics show that in the last twenty years more Muslims have turned to Christ than in the preceding 1,400 years since the birth of Islam.

What does every Muslim want?...To be love by The Father. Don’t you too?  

Christianity is not religion it’s relationship with Jesus Christ.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)

Solution to IS is I AM

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