Mike Shreve, Special to the ASSIST, shares good advice…
Last month many worldwide grieved with the people of Paris who suffered such a tragedy last week at the hands of Muslim extremists. I believe that attacking ISIS militarily is right and should have been done in greater fury long ago.
However, I would urge Christians everywhere to also respond to Muslim-related terrorism a completely different way.I am issuing a call to all of my fellow soldiers in the army of God to build up an arsenal of spiritual weapons and launch a spiritual attack, not against people, but against the spirits that hold Muslims bound (precious souls for whom Jesus died) and fight against the false ideology of Islam by “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).
Woman being comforted after the Paris terrorist attack
I urge every sincere and compassionate believer to do the following eight things:
1. Reach out to Muslims in your community
Be kind and express the love of Jesus to them. When you see them, try to strike up conversations with them. Ask them to explain to you what they believe.
Act genuinely interested and concerned. I’ve done it many times in the past and plan to do it more in the future. You might be surprised by the positive response you get. They are humans too and have feelings.
One Muslim woman I spoke to recently in a gas station broke down crying, thanking me for showing her kindness.
2. Order The Jesus Film on DVD
Order it in the primary Muslim languages and carry them with you to give to followers of Islam whenever you meet them.
I carry different versions of The Jesus Film DVD with me everywhere I go, in all the languages of India (to give to Hindus) and in all the major Muslim languages (to give to Muslims).
Just go to www.jesusfilm.org and order yours. They give 10% discount to ministries. They have an amazing app to o download to your smart phones. Do a search for JESUS FILM MEDIA.
3. Order the book Jesus and Muhammad
Authored by Mark Gabriel and published by Charisma House, I have found this to be one of the most powerful books you can give Muslims to influence them toward Christianity.
It is written respectfully by a former Muslim who taught in a prestigious Muslim university. Then he had an encounter with Jesus that changed everything. It contrasts the lives and messages of Jesus and Muhammad. www.amazon.com/jesusandmuhammad
4. Learn what Muslims really believe
Then you can hold an intelligent conversation with them. You can visit my outreach website, www.thetruelight.net , and discover the primary beliefs of Islam.
For instance, did you know where the symbol of Islam, the Crescent Moon, got its origin, or the five mandatory things that a Muslim is expected to do in order to be saved? Or how does their belief in the Second Coming of Christ differ from ours?
We need to know these things.
Or you can order my book In Search of the True Light, that compares the beliefs of twenty different religions in seven areas of doctrines from my website www.deeperrevelationbooks.org.
5. Watch this phenomenal conversion testimony of a former Muslim
The link is www.youtube.com/formermuslim . You can share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms.
6. Ask God to give you the wisdom and passion to be a soul winner
Proverbs 11:30 says, ‘He who wins souls is wise.’
God did promise if we lack wisdom and ask for it, he will give it to us liberally (Jas. 1:5). So few Christians are really passionate about winning the lost. One of the few things Jesus actually asked us to pray about is that the Father would send labourers into his harvest. He lamented, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few’ (Matthew 9:37).
7. Pray that God will give you influence among Muslims
And that he will birth an even greater revival than is happening presently among Islamic people. John Wesley declared, ‘God does nothing except in response to believing prayer.’
After you pray, believe and watch God open up opportunities.
8. Confess every day before you go out into the world
Confess that ‘I and the rest of the body of Christ are the light of the world!’
Jesus has passed this responsibility to us (see John 8:12, Matthew 5:14). Now what are we going to do about it?
We must take on the mindset of soldiers, fighting to rescue the perishing, committed to a cause, willing to even risk our lives for the greater good.
A real revival of Muslims finding the Lord will be one of the greatest deterrents to the evil and darkness of radical Islam filling our world.
Mike Shreve was converted to Christianity in 1970 out of yoga and New Age spirituality and has a heart to reach true lovers of God who are lost in the darkness of false religion. A prolific author he has worked in evangelism and mission work for 45 years and presently also pastors The Sanctuary, Cleveland, Tennessee. Link: www.shreveministries.org.