Summary of Evangelistic Insights on Sharing the Gospel with Muslims

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Summary of Evangelistic Insights on Sharing the
Gospel with Muslims

• Gökhan Kaya, December 30, 2005_at_ Abrahams
  Children Conference in
• Washington DC

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Big Picture of the Seminar

• Concise history of the Internet Ministry
• Internet Evangelism and its dynamics
• Results
• Key is Human Nature in Islam Image of God ?Works
  of Francis Schaeffer
• Problems
• Theoretical Level
• Christian Worldview
• Marxist Worldview
• Islamic Worldview
• Secular Worldview
• Practical Level
• Sins against a Muslim Abuse, violence, inability
  to communicate well, arrogance, pride etc.
• Sinned Muslims sin Unforgiveness, bitterness,
  gossip, sorcery etc. (works of the flesh) is
  Islams generational curses which contributes to
  its worldview. Common denominator in Islam is
  abuse.
• Solutions
• Theoretical Level Christian Worldview
  Lordship of Christ in every area of life
  (Integrating Worldview i.e. economy, marriage,
  work, church, etc.)
• Practical Level Christians personal commitment
  to Fear of God along with Holiness and Love of
  God should be offered to Muslims (truth and
  grace) done by abiding in Christ daily.

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Scope of this information

• Scope of these insights have been withdrawn from
  observing Muslims, Christians and including my
  life as a former Muslim not only Islamic doctrine
  itself.
• Its based largely on folk Islam not formal or
  official Islam
• Its gained over five years of period mostly
  through online evangelism from Canada to Turkey
• Pragmatically, it works and explains dynamics in
  Islam and why Muslims are doing the way they are
  living.
• There are many factors involved with evangelism.
  I have touched on few of them here. This
  information should not be considered
  comprehensive and full solutions to every way of
  doing Muslim evangelism.

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Summary of the my ministry

• The Beginning
• Francis Schaeffer Encounter
• Visiting Canadian Labri and discovering Samuel
  Schlorff
• Meeting with my true enemy in Islam Plato
• Strength of evangelism Abiding in Christ and
  having Biblical Worldview

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Goals of this seminar

• Theoretical Level
• To understand Worldviews and develop skills use
  Christian Worldview formula in your evangelism.
• To understand and know why Gods Big Picture is a
  good strategcy to use.
• To understand Muslims and culture based on
  pleasing people instead of God.
• Practical Level
• To understand why Christians are no different
  then a Muslim by nature - works of the flesh,
  fear of man, self-love etc.
• Developing skills to interpret and understand
  people of different cultures through Worldviews
  so that, you could communicate the gospel
  effectively.
• Developing Fear of God is important element of
  evangelism. Apply the gospel to yourself before
  you take it for evangelism by repentance and
  faith in Christ.

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The Monkey and The Fish

• A typhoon had temporarily stranded a monkey on an
  island. In a secure, protected place, while
  waiting for the raging waters to recede, he
  spotted a fish swimming against the current. It
  seemed obvious to the monkey that the fish was
  struggling and in need of assistance. Being of
  kind heart, the monkey resolved to help the fish.
• A tree precariously dangled over the very spot
  where the fish seemed to be struggling. At
  considerable risk to himself, the monkey moved
  far out on a limb, reached down and snatched the
  fish from the threatening waters. Immediately
  scurrying back to the safety of his shelter, he
  carefully laid the fish on a dry ground. For a
  few moments the fish showed excitement, but soon
  settled into a peaceful rest. Joy and
  satisfaction swelled inside the monkey. He had
  successfully helped another creature.
• What was monkeys motivation?
• Why did the monkey help the fish by taking it out
  of the water?
• What did the monkey assume about fish worldview?
• How do you think the fish felt about the help it
  received?
• What advice would you give the monkey for future
  situations where he would like to help?

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What is Worldview?

• Prodigal Son according to NT Luke 1511-32
• Islamic interpretion of Prodigal Son
• Why is there different results in actions between
  Muslim and Christian?
• What is Worldview?
• A Worldview is a set of presuppositions (or
  assumptions) which we hold (consciously or
  subconsciously) about the basic make-up of world
  James Sire.
• Ideas and values it embraces always seem logical
  and obvious to the people of the particular
  culture.
• Anthropologists often say that people of
  different cultures live in different worlds.
• In evangelism, count every person as a different
  planet. Hence, It is better to focus on
  understanding people before telling your ideas in
  the long run. James 119 Know this, my beloved
  brothers let every person be quick to hear, slow
  to speak

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What is Worldview?

• People are reluctant to change their worldview
  unless it proves totally inadequate to help them
  cope with their current situation.
• You only become aware of it when you come in
  contact with someone who is different from
  yourself.
• Everybody does not need to know philosophy but
  everybody must have a worldview.
• Because we are limited cultural beings we cannot
  comprehend all reality so, we must construct
  mental models (paradigms) in an attempt to cope
  with the life which we know and experience.

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Worldviews in Corporations

• How International Corporations Work
• Explained with the Help of Cows
• Traditional CapitalismYou have two cows.
  You sell one and buy a bull.
• Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.
  You sell them and retire on the income.
• An American CorporationYou have two cows.
• You sell three of them to your publicly listed
  company, using letters of credit opened by your
  brother-in-law at the band, then execute a
  debt/equity swap with an associated general offer
  so that you get all four cows back, with a tax
  exemption for five cows.
• The milk rights of the six cows are transferred
  via an intermediary to a Cayman Island company
  secretly owned by the majority shareholder who
  sells the rights to all seven cows back to your
  listed company. The annual report says the
  company owns eight cows, with an option on one
  more.
• Sell one cow to buy a new president of the
  United States, leaving you with nine cows. No
  balance sheet provided with the release.
• The public buys your bull.
• A French CorporationYou have two cows. You go
  on strike because you want three cows.
• A Japanese CorporationYou have two cows. You
  redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of
  an ordinary  cow and produce twenty times the
  milk.
• You then create clever cow cartoon images called
  'Cowkimon' and market them World-Wide.
• A German CorporationYou have two cows.
• You reengineer them so they live for 100 years,
  eat once a month, and milk themselves.
• An Italian CorporationYou have two cows, but you
  don't know where they are.
• So you break for lunch.
• A Swiss CorporationYou have 5000 cows, none of
  which belong to you.
• You charge others for storing them.
• An Indian CorporationYou have two cows.

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Christian Worldview

• Its not enough to teach young believers how to
  have a personal quiet time, follow a Scripture
  memory program, and link up with a Christian
  campus group. We also need to equip them to
  respond to the intellectual challenges they will
  face in the classroom. Total Truth by Nancy
  Pearcey. Pg.126.
• It is not sufficient to teach someone how to
  share the gospel. The person needs to know
  Christian Worldview and opposing views of the
  culture to which he is called to.
• We need conceptual tools by which to judge other
  ideas, thoughts accordingly.
• To be effective in equipping young people and
  professionals to face the challenges of a highly
  educated society, the church mission
  organizations as well needs to redefine the
  mission of pastors and youth leaders to include
  training on apologetics and worldview.Total
  Truth by Nancy Pearcey. Pg.127

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Christian Worldview

• Part of the task of evangelism is to show people
  where they fail to stack up against reality and
  therefore, moving them to despair, hopelessness,
  and at the end towards the fear of God.
• Construction of Christian worldview
• 1. CREATION Every worldviews has to have an
  origin Where did it all come from? Who are we,
  and how did we get here?
• 2. FALL Every worldview also offers a
  counterpart of the source of evil and suffering.
  What has gone wrong with the world? Where is
  there warfare and conflict?
• 3. REDEMPTION Finally, people would need hope by
  the Redemption of the Gospel and Reconciliation

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Application of Christian Worldview

• Applying Creation, Fall and Redemption to
  Marxism.
• CREATION Ultimate creative power is matter
  (static). Matter is God
• Prime mover is embedded to materialism. Static
  materialism was converted to dialectical
  dynamic materialism. Universe is Self-originator,
  self-creator, self-operator.
• V.I.Lenin said, We may regard the material and
  cosmic world as the supreme being, the cause of
  all causes, the creator of heaven and earth
• FALL How did humanity fall from the state of
  innocence into slavery and oppression?
• Marxism says, Through creation of private
  property. The fall was economic, evils of
  exploitation and class struggle.
• REDEMPTION What is hope or restoration?
• Destroying private ownership of property.
• Redeemer is proletariat, the urban factory
  workers, who will rise up in revolution against
  their capitalist oppressors.

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Marxist Worldviewaccording to Creation, Fall,
Redemption

• CREATION
• Q What is Marxisms ultimate origin of
  everything?
• A Self-creating, self-generating matter.
• FALL
• Q What went wrong according Marxism which
  brought evil and suffering to the world?
• A The rise of private property.
• REDEMPTION
• Q Whats Marxisms solution to restore the
  world?
• A Revolution! Overthrowing the oppressors and
  recreate the original paradise of primitive
  communism.

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Islamic Worldviewaccording to Creation, Fall,
Redemption

• CREATION
• Q What is Islams ultimate origin of everything?
• A Impersonal, holy Allah
• FALL
• Q What went wrong according Islam which brought
  evil and suffering to the world?
• A Mankind is lack of guidance and knowledge of
  Allah. Man is weak and forgetful. Man is born
  Muslim but does not know it.
• REDEMPTION
• Q Whats Islams solution to restore the world?
• A Submission to Quran and Sunnah traditions.
  Caliph religious leader will unite the world
  through submission of people to Islam and will
  bring peace to the world.

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Worldview of RousseauModern Western Secular
Society

• Homework Read the page on Rousseau and find out
  the worldview yourself
• CREATION
• Q What is Rousseaus ultimate origin of
  everything?
• A
• FALL
• Q What went wrong according Rousseau which
  brought evil and suffering to the world?
• A
• REDEMPTION
• Q Whats Rousseaus solution to restore the
  world?
• A

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Why Rousseau?Man is born free, but everywhere
he is in chains Social Contract

• Most of ideologies that bloodied the twentieth
  century were influenced by Rousseau. His writings
  inspired Robespierre in the French Revolution, as
  well as Marx, Lenin, Mussolini, Hitler, and Mao.
  Even Pol pot, who massacred a quarter of the
  population in Cambodia, was educated in Paris and
  read his Rousseau. So, if you get a grip on
  Rousseaus thinking, you have a key understanding
  much of the modern world. Total Truth, Nancy
  Pearcey.
• Man is born free but everywhere he is in
  chains says, Social Contract by Rousseau. The
  chains are not political but relational in nature
  like marriage, family, church, and workplace.
• The reason social relationships are oppressive
  is that they interfere with the individuals
  freedom to create himself.

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Rousseaus Philosophy

• Nature vs. society
• Rousseau saw a fundamental divide between society
  and human nature. Rousseau contended that man was
  good by nature, a "noble savage" when in the
  state of nature (the state of all the "other
  animals", and the condition humankind was in
  before the creation of civilization and society),
  but is corrupted by society. He viewed society as
  artificial and held that the development of
  society, especially the growth of social
  interdependence, has been inimical to the
  well-being of human beings.
• Society's negative influence on otherwise
  virtuous men centers, in Rousseau's philosophy,
  on its transformation of amour de soi, a positive
  self-love, into amour-propre, or pride. Amour de
  soi represents the instinctive human desire for
  self-preservation, combined with the human power
  of reason. In contrast, amour-propre is not
  natural but artificial and forces man to compare
  himself to others, thus creating unwarranted fear
  and allowing men to take pleasure in the pain or
  weakness of others. Rousseau was not the first to
  make this distinction it had been invoked by,
  among others, Vauvenargues.
• In "Discourse on the Arts and Sciences" Rousseau
  argued that the arts and sciences had not been
  beneficial to humankind, because they were
  advanced not in response to human needs but as
  the result of pride and vanity. Moreover, the
  opportunities they created for idleness and
  luxury contributed to the corruption of man. He
  proposed that the progress of knowledge had made
  governments more powerful and had crushed
  individual liberty. He concluded that material
  progress had actually undermined the possibility
  of sincere friendship, replacing it with
  jealousy, fear and suspicion.
• His subsequent Discourse on Inequality tracked
  the progress and degeneration of mankind from a
  primitive state of nature to modern society. He
  suggested that the earliest human beings were
  isolated semi-apes who were differentiated from
  animals by their capacity for free will and their
  perfectibility. He also argued that these
  primitive humans were possessed of a basic drive
  to care for themselves and a natural disposition
  to compassion or pity. As humans were forced to
  associate together more closely, by the pressure
  of population growth, they underwent a
  psychological transformation and came to value
  the good opinion of others as an essential
  component of their own well being. Rousseau
  associated this new self-awareness with a golden
  age of human flourishing. However, the
  development of agriculture and metallurgy,
  private property and the division of labour led
  to increased interdependence and inequality. The
  resulting state of conflict led Rousseau to
  suggest that the first state was invented as a
  kind of social contract made at the suggestion of
  the rich and powerful. This original contract was
  deeply flawed as the wealthiest and most powerful
  members of society tricked the general
  population, and so cemented inequality as a
  permanent feature of human society. Rousseau's
  own conception of the social contract can be
  understood as an alternative to this fraudulent
  form of association. At the end of the Discourse
  on Inequality, Rousseau explains how the desire
  to have value in the eyes of others, which
  originated in the golden age, comes to undermine
  personal integrity and authenticity in a society
  marked by interdependence, hierarchy, and
  inequality.
• The Social Contract
• Perhaps Rousseau's most important work is The
  Social Contract, which outlines the basis for a
  legitimate political order. Published in 1762 it
  became one of the most influential works of
  abstract political thought in the Western
  tradition. It was a continuation of his earlier
  work, especially the article Economie Politique,
  contributed to Diderot's Encyclopédie. Rousseau
  claimed that the state of nature eventually
  degenerates into a brutish condition without law
  or morality, at which point the human race must
  adopt institutions of law or perish. In the
  degenerate phase of the state of nature, man is
  prone to be in frequent competition with his
  fellow men while at the same time becoming
  increasingly dependent on them. This double
  pressure threatens both his survival and his
  freedom. According to Rousseau, by joining
  together through the social contract and
  abandoning their claims of natural right,
  individuals can both preserve themselves and
  remain free. This is because submission to the
  authority of the general will of the people as a
  whole guarantees individuals against being
  subordinated to the wills of others and also
  ensures that they obey themselves because they
  are, collectively, the authors of the law. While
  Rousseau argues that sovereignty should thus be
  in the hands of the people, he also makes a sharp
  distinction between sovereign and government. The
  government is charged with implementing and
  enforcing the general will and is composed of a
  smaller group of citizens, known as magistrates.
  Rousseau was bitterly opposed to the idea that
  the people should exercise sovereignty via a
  representative assembly. Rather, they should make
  the laws directly. It has been argued that this
  would prevent Rousseau's ideal state being
  realized in a large society, though in modern
  times, communication may have advanced to the
  point where this is no longer the case. Much of
  the subsequent controversy about Rousseau's work
  has hinged on disagreements concerning his claims
  that citizens constrained to obey the general
  will are thereby rendered free.Source URL
  http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseau
  

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Worldviews in ethics

• How Do We Know that Adam and Eve were not
  Chinese?
• Simple, when temptation reared its delicious
  head, they would have thrown away the apple. Both
  of them would have eaten the snake instead.

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Whats Worldview condition of Turkey?

• There are at least three main worldviews
  dominating Turkey.
• Islamic Worldview (Strongest in culture and has
  powerful influence on government)
• Secular Worldview (Strongest in government,
  supported by artists like Yasar Kemal,
  intellectuals, journalists like Murat Belge,
  newspapers like Radikal Newspaper)
• QUOTATION from a well known journalist, Murat
  Belge on Cosmology Origins of in Turkey
• As I had written before, Turkey is living its
  religion out of obligation. Of course there are
  reasons for it. Its Ottoman history has religious
  emphasis. Tough it is a social religion at the
  same time, we need to add the fact that it is not
  only on the area of personal belief but also
  its sphere is every area of life.
  Modernization is being added to it. Hence, it is
  resulting with various forms of life within the
  society and causing many struggles. We have not
  been able to get over it but I think, we are
  getting close to the eve of the last stage of
  finding a balance.
• Prime Minister Erdogan said on an
  occasionPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
  has said that, Ataturk has not preached a doctrin
  or ideology. He said that he does not need to
  feel to rest himself on an ideology and
  continued," The foundation of his Ataturk
  worldviews is rationalism.
• 3. Marxist Worldview (some government and some
  culture)

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Atonement in Christianity and Islam
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Whats the purpose of a Muslim?

• To submit to will of Allah by means of pleasing
  Allah!
• Pleasing Allah (Allahin Rizasini Kazanmak in
  Turkish) is the most important accomplishment/meri
  t for a Muslim. Knowing that Allah is pleased
  means that, the assurance of his faith proven and
  therefore, heaven is opened up to him. He is the
  most happy man and blessed.
• The way to please Allah must go through pleasing
  Ummah or community of Muslims. Once he gets
  approvals of others, he is the happiest person
  and most honored among others. Losing his honor
  is a great displeasure, disgrace or shame.
• Shame is directly related to identity not
  behavior only. Hence, it is Islam is ethnical
  i.e. being a Christian for a Turk means, he
  became a foreigner i.e. American etc. His
  identity has changed.
• Pleasing Ummah from a Secular cultures view
  called Co-dependency, Peer Pressure" or
  Christian version of word is Fear of Man as in
  Sauls, Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned, for
  I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD
  and your words, because I feared the people and
  obeyed their voice. 1 Sa 1524

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Did Jesus please God?

• There are many verses and passages which can be
  used to proof of the place where Jesus had come
  from Heaven. How do we know it? By showing a
  Muslim from the Scripture, that Jesus had already
  pleased God the Father even before he started his
  ministry on earth
• Mat 316-17 And when Jesus was baptized,
  immediately he went up from the water, and
  behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he
  saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and
  coming to rest on him and behold, a voice from
  heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I
  am well pleased."
• Why do Muslims seek to please Allah? Because
  God/Allah is angry and displeased/dissatisfied
  with Muslim
• Rom 118-20 For the wrath of God is revealed
  from heaven against all ungodliness and
  unrighteousness of men, who by their
  unrighteousness suppress the truth So they are
  without excuse.
• Rom 27-8 to those who by patience in well-doing
  seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will
  give eternal life but for those who are
  self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey
  unrighteousness, there will be wrath and
  fury.Rom 210 but glory and honor and peace for
  everyone who does good, the Jew first and also
  the Greek.
• Muslims are unable to do good according to the
  law of God revealed in the O.T. Hence, they know,
  they are under wrath of God/Allah by virtue of
  people who represents impersonal Allah in a
  personal way, they can never please man! Pleasing
  man/Ummah is to please Allah, because Allah is
  being represented by community of Muslims.

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Right way of Pleasing God Propitiation
satisfying Gods Wrath

• Rom 321-26 But now the righteousness of God has
  been manifested apart from the law, although the
  Law and the Prophets bear witness to it the
  righteousness of God through faith in Jesus
  Christ for all who believe. For there is no
  distinction for all have sinned and fall short
  of the glory of God, and are justified by his
  grace as a gift, through the redemption that is
  in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a
  propitiation by his blood, to be received by
  faith. This was to show God's righteousness,
  because in his divine forbearance he had passed
  over former sins. It was to show his
  righteousness at the present time, so that he
  might be just and the justifier of the one who
  has faith in Jesus.
• Propitiation means, an atoning sacrifice that
  satisfies (GK pleasing God or gaining the
  pleasure of God) the wrath of God on behalf of
  those for whom it is made.
• Propitiation starts with Gods Holy character.
  Since Allah is impersonal, on theory only holy
  but in reality is not, therefore, Muslims can
  never please God so long as they stay Muslim.

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Are you pleasing man or God?

• Purpose is to discern the patterns of a person's
  motivation. The questions aim to help people
  identify the ungodly masters that occupy
  positions of authority in their hearts.
• What do you love? Hate?
• What do you want, desire, crave, lust, and wish
  for? What desires do you serve and obey?
• What do you seek, aim for, and pursue?
• Where do you bank your hopes?
• What do you fear? What do you want? What do you
  tend to worry about? Sinful fears are inverted
  cravings. If I want to avoid something at all
  costs loss of reputation, loss of control,
  poverty, ill health, rejection, confrontation I
  am ruled by a lustful fear (Matt. 625-321322).
• Where do you find refuge, safety, comfort,
  escape, pleasure, security? This question digs
  out your false trusts, your escapism that
  substitute for the Lord. (Ps. 23,27,31,46).
• Whom you must please? Whose opinion counts? From
  whom do you desire approval and fear of
  rejection? (Prov. 179102925John 1243 etc.)
• How different are you pleasing God in comparison
  to those of Muslims behavior of pleasing people
  for the sake of pleasing Allah?
• Are you really living different life then a
  Muslim when it comes to pleasing God instead of
  pleasing man?
• Do you have indefinable mixture of reverence,
  fear, pleasure, joy and awe which fills your
  heart when you realize who God is and what He has
  done for you?

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Why Fear of God?

• In Christian discipleship with MBBs, it is very
  suitable to be used.
• Fear of God guards the heart of a Christian from
  fear of man. The fear of man lays a snare, but
  whoever trusts in the LORD is safe. Pro 2925
• In The Joy of Fearing God, Jerry Bridges says,
  In order to render heartfelt worship to God, we
  smut be gripped in the depth of our being by His
  majesty, holiness, and love otherwise our praise
  and adoration may be no more than empty words
• Fear of the Lord is a sure element in the
  assurance of Christian sonship with his Heavenly
  Father.

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Muslim EvangelismThe fear of the LORD is the
beginning of wisdom Pro. 910

• Evangelistic tools from the Scripture
• Fear of the Lord, not fear of man.Better is a
  little with the fear of the LORD than great
  treasure and trouble with it. Pro 1516
• Humility, not arrogance.The fear of the LORD is
  instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before
  honor. Pro 1533
• Satisfied work, not restlessness. The fear of the
  LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests
  satisfied he will not be visited by harm. Pro
  1923
• Multiplied work, not a dry ministry So the
  church throughout all Judea and Galilee and
  Samaria had peace and was being built up. And
  walking in the fear of the Lord and in the
  comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. Act
  931
• Motivation strength for Evangelism, not
  discouragement weakness Therefore, knowing the
  fear of the Lord, we persuade others. 2Co 511

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How Should We Then Evangelize?

• Abiding in Christ is the most important element
  of Muslim evangelism.
• Focus on your sinfulness and Gods greatness
  awe.
• Gods Holiness Your Humility in Christ
• Surrendering your desires and will to Him or
  dying to self and alive in Christ daily, not
  once.
• Daily repentance and belief in the gospel.
• Youre no different than a Muslim without daily
  surrendering yourself to Christ.
• Live what you evangelize.
• Point yourself and others to Christ not the
  things about Christ.
• Live before the face of God- Coram Deo

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Gods the Big PictureAnd beginning with Moses
and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in
all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luke 2427 (ESV)

• Kingdom of God is our worldview. Hence, we need
  to use Gods Story of the Bible, not only
  Jesus.
• Islam is a communal culture, not individual.
  Hence, it is better to start from Gods Big
  Picture then Jesus.
• Islam has no division of Sacred/Secular or
  Private/Public life before the face of community
  of Muslims Coram Ummah instead of Corem Deo,
  but in personal lives tough. It covers all
  spheres of life. Therefore, It is better to give
  them total truth of the gospel in all of life
  rather than bits and pieces of Jesus life.
• Gods Big Picture Tracing the Story line of the
  Bible by Vaughan Roberts is the best book to use
  it in evangelism to Muslims. I have been given
  permission to translate by the author and the
  publisher. The only need is finance to translate
  and distribute it in Turkey for those who are
  interested in promoting it.
• Ozgur and I have a plan to translate the Turkish
  flash animation to English. You may benefit from
  it at a later time after the English translation
  done. Those who want to see Turkish A Story of a
  Kingdom animation, may visit http//www.hristiyan
  .org

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Gods Big Picture