Muslim Evangelism Training Sessions - Friday's Schedule

Friday, October 19^th

Reaching Out to Muslims Training Session
10-11:30am in Room 5 at Phoenix Seminary
4222 E Thomas Rd. Phoenix, Arizona
Pastor George and his outreach team from California will be teaching on how to reach out to Muslims in love, including how Christian women can reach out to Muslim women for Christ.
Please RSVP with Vocab vocabmalone@gmail.com to attend or assist.

Lunch 11:30am-1pm

Mosque(s) Evangelism 1:15pm

5-6pm
-Evening Training Part 2 at Roosevelt Community church
- 924 N 1st St. Phoenix ARIZONA 85004
http://www.rooseveltchurch.org
NOTES: George is preparing the team a traditional Sudanese meal.
Please come early to help and clean up after before we go out.

THIS FRIDAY! Witnessing @the Mosque - Training & Outreach Event

http://www.ps.edu

Friday, October 19th, 2012 @PHOENIX SEMINARY
Correction: 10-11:30AM (NOT 11:30PM)
FACEBOOK INVITE PAGE - https://www.facebook.com/groups/310978935608790/

Training @10am @Phoenix Seminary
4222 E Thomas Rd. Phoenix, Arizona

Reaching Out to Muslims Training Session
Friday, October 19th
10-11:30am in Room 5 at Phoenix Seminary

Pastor George Saieg and his outreach team from California will be teaching on how to reach out to Muslims in love, including how Christian women can reach out to Muslim women for Christ.
Please RSVP with Vocab vocabmalone@gmail.com to attend or assist.

Mosque Witnessing Report

NOTE: Some of the audio quoted in this piece can be downloaded right here, on a radio broadcast I did on the topic. Some of the names and such have been changed.

Sometimes I assist a ministry called Christian-Islamic Dialogue, which seeks to discuss Islam and Christianity with Muslims with the purpose of having all peoples call Jesus Lord and be saved from their sins. On Friday, December 16^th, 2011, I was passing out copies of the Gospel According to St. John on a public sidewalk near the masjid (mosque) north of Orangewood and east of 27^th Ave. in Phoenix, Arizona.

I usually ask the men leaving prayer (who are on the way to their vehicles) if they have read the Holy Injil. Most people pass on by but sometimes they take one and say “thank you”, other times they say “no” – in so many words or less. However, if they stop or inquire further I say, “This is Gospel According to Saint John in Arabic and English”. Then sometimes we talk more … one such man was named 'Miraj', who was visiting Phoenix from the midwest. We spoke for about one full hour. The first 50 minutes were very cordial, for example, I told him he was nice and respectful numerous times and even apologized once for cutting him off in my excitement. He was very patient and understanding. This is not to say I was not troubled by some of the things he said. For example, he told me that Muslims had proof for their beliefs while Christians utilized “blind faith”, that mosques had been burnt down in the United States, and that persecution in countries such as Pakistan and now even Ethiopia was not bad at all (in fact, he claimed the laws there usually protect Christians). Most troubling of all was this, though:

Me: “What if I said anything like that [like what a Muslim apologist I had just quoted had said about Jesus] about Muhammad in an Islamic country?”
Him: “You cannot say that because the punishment is very clear, like if you say that such thing, you will be beheaded – that’s the punishment and it is clear - there is no two opinions about it – that’s very clear.”“My name is Mark, what is your name?”
“Miraj.”“Miraj?”
“Yeah.”“We just shook hands and we’re talking, we’re calm, I’m not making fun of you, you’re not making fun of me – this is good. But right now if I said something dirty about Muhammad what should happen to me?”
“Well, because here I don’t have all the …”“What should happen to me under God’s law?”
“Well, then in Islamic law, it’s clear, if you insult Prophet Muhammad, then the punishment is you should be beheaded”.

Shortly after this, a very tall young man came in and interrupted us. I had already spoken with this young man last week briefly – he was not very well informed and rather rude. I did my best to get the conversation with Miraj back on track. I even asked this tall man to please refrain from interjecting and just let me talk to him again next week instead.  He said he was going to leave but then did not and dominated the conversation. He also put his rather large hands on me several times as well. Whenever he told me to stop and listen to him, he would place his hands on my shoulders in a semi-less than gentle manner. This other man encouraged him and said the following to Miraj:  

“Good job, brother. You handle it. Yeah, just stick to the truth like that.  Don’t worry. Don’t be like salty Muslims and be like, ‘oh, no in Islam we don’t have these things’”. 

I responded with this to the tall man: “No, no, he said I should I should be beheaded if I say something dirty. He said this; so you would be happy about him.” 

The tall man said back to me: “Well, of course - you can’t. In a Muslim state that’s the punishment no one talk about the messenger of Allah.”

I noticed Miraj became much more aggressive the minute this other man arrived. He began saying things like this to me: “It doesn’t matter what you like and don’t like, what matters is what God likes and what he wants. Your opinion doesn’t count – you are no one.” This comment was in regards to my distaste for Sharia Law. This may not seem like a very big deal but Miraj was not saying things like this before then; at one point he even said that Pakistan applied some of its blasphemy laws in an unfair manner against Christians. We continued on like this for a few minutes and the tall man quickly lost whatever patience he had and said the following to me:

“Here’s what: Islam is the fastest growing religion no matter if you like it and it’s going to dominate the whole world – no matter if you like it. You’re going to be paying the jizyah when that time comes. You’re going to be paying the jizyah.”I replied: “And you know who is going to judge you?”
“God. Only God.” “Yes—”
“You’re going to be paying the jizyah, buddy. It’s going to dominate the whole thing.”“And this is your dream.”
“It’s going to dominate everything.”“And this is your dream.”
“It’s not a dream, it is already happening. Yup, it’s already happening.”

 Shortly after this, an older man stormed out from the mosque and demanded to know what church I was from. He asked me if I was from Calvary and did not believe when I told him I was not. He told me I could come and talk about Jesus but then he asked me not to quote anything from the Qur’an. He went on further and said I had to make sure people knew what they were getting was not Islamic. He told me I was deceiving people. I asked Miraj if he knew what he was getting and he would not give a straight answer – it did not help that the tall man was throwing his two cents in there. I pointed out that the one article I had actually had printed on it answering-islam.org. He asked me why it had verses from the Qur’an on it. I told him because they could not throw it away that away. Then he got right up in my face and ripped up the paper (five times!) I had given to Miraj. As we continued to speak, he accused me of being a liar several times. He then said I was not welcome here. I told him I was on a public sidewalk and as long as there was no Sharia Law I was allowed to be there. The older man had been present for about five minutes and then turned and left – the other two followed suit and that was that.

After listening to the audio, there are definitely things I would have done differently. For example, I noticed when the man downplayed Islamic persecution of Christians all over the world, I became agitated. He even mocked the idea and said Christians do the exact same thing. Even though this issue is dear to me, I can not let his misinformation cause me to become rude! Still, on the whole, I do want to continue to be bold with these folks and give them a chance to hear the truth in love. I have provided the last five minutes of the conversation so you can hear the bad ending for yourself. There are also a few clips from the parts I referenced in this little report. I have the other parts of the convo; if someone wants it, just ask!

Should Christians Witness to Muslims at the Mosque?

My friends and I often wait outside on the public sidewalk to give the message of the gospel to Muslims as they are leaving Friday prayer. Should we do this? Yes and here is why:

Matthew 28:19–20
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Acts 1:8
… “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

WHAT IS THE APOSTOLIC MODEL FOR EVANGELISM?
a big part of what the early church was evangelize AT THE JEWISH SYNAGOGUES.
It seems that mosque evangelism is a parallel case ...

Acts 9:20, 22-23
20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” … 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. 23 When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him …

Acts 13:4–5 Saul and Barnabas
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. -The rest of the chapter tells how they did the same thing at Antioch in Pisidia

Acts 14:1-7
1 Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. 5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.

Acts 17:1–8
1 …they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things.

Acts 17:10, 16-17
10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. …
16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.
17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.

Acts 18:1, 4, 19
1 After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.
19 And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

Acts 18:26–28
26 [Apollos of Alexandria] began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
27 And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed,
28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

Acts 19:8–9
8 And he [Paul] entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.
9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.

Masjid Witness [video]

Mosque Evangelism: Calling Muslims to True Repentance towards the Triune God at the the Mosque.

Mosque Evangelism from Backpack Radio on Vimeo.

Conversations w/a Muslim

BELOW is pasted in convo I had w/a Muslim man I met at the mosque one day while witnessing.

It's weird - he was very friendly in personal interaction but is much less so in our e-mails back and forth. Anyway, I thought it would be helpful so you can get a window into his mind, which may be representative of many other Muslims minds...


===========================


FROM Vocab Malone TO "Ozzmi":

I am not 100% sure if this is you.
Are you the one I met last Friday at the Phoenix masjid?
I was handing out Injils there ... I never did get your e-mail!

Please respond if this is you because I felt like we got cut off ...

Blessings,

Vocab


===============


FROM "Ozzmi" TO VOCAB MALONE:

Whatever happens, happens for the best. It is so because you are not sincere in your argument, but rather biased, prejudice and deep hatred, animosity, and hostility towards Islam and Muslims. What you intend to achieve through this request? I know water cannot fall and stay in already fill pot, similarly a student who is willing to learn cannot have mind make up about something he/she willing to learn and have no knowledge of the subject and whatever little is known to him is false. Mind has to be neutral and let the facts speak for itself.


===================


FROM Vocab Malone TO "Ozzmi":

Are you the same gentleman I spoke with last week then?
If so, I am glad to hear from you!

I am saddened to hear you say I have hatred, animosity, and hostility towards Muslims. I love Muslims - otherwise why would I spend the time to speak with them at the masjid? I desire to see my Muslim friends repent and turn to the True and Living God - that can only be motivated by love, not hate.

Also, I may not be an Islamic scholar but to say I have no knowledge of Islam except falsehoods is a bit of an overstatement. If you recall, I had some familiarity with relevant ahadith as well as certain surahs.

Lastly, how can you say that I must be be neutral when no Muslim I know is neutral? It seems like a double standard to tell the Christian they are not open to truth while acting as if the Muslim is unbiased.

I have already sanctified Jesus in my heart as Lord, per 1 Peter 3:15, and when I interact with my Muslim friends I do so under the Lordship of Jesus. No one else is Lord, so I can not act as if they are.

What I hope to achieve with this request is threefold:

A) learn more about Islam
B) gain a Muslim friend
C) share the gospel with said friend

Blessings,

Vocab


======================


FROM "Ozzmi" TO VOCAB MALONE:

When you hate Muhammed (SAW) You do not love Muslims, friend is one who love what he love who hate what he hate.

You only memorized Hadith to create confusion in the minds of Muslims.

We Muslims are not biased we know what is truth and what is falsehood, it is you who is biased. There are numerous evidences to prove our argument.

You have not sanctified Jesus, but you follow your whims and evil desires.

Only allah knows what is in your heart, all I see is you are hostile to Islam and Muhammed and hence to us Muslims, never the less I will approve your request.

=======================================

I posted this in another place and here were some of the comments:

"Wow it is interesting to see how we are viewed. I wonder why such a strong contrast from in person? To appear loving? I think his use of words were very extreme hence a reflection of what they are taught."

"Wow. Only a couple of inches apart physically, but a WORLD apart mentally. Great insight."

Reaching Your Muslim Neighbors

a workshop...

Friday, October 21^st

9-11am

“The Path of the Prophets” -Dr. Cynthia Pettross

“Do’s and Don’ts” -Pastor George Saieg

Phoenix Seminary - 4222 E Thomas - classroom 5
info – vocab@vocabmalone.com

After the training, you will be invited to go with a group to a local mosque to witness