Worshiping Jesus in the Mosque
When you are talking to one person you [are also] talking to his community. He represents the whole community. What we say to one will go back to all the rest. So we want to reach a whole community and bring community transformation. The content of church is from heaven, but the form of the church should be from the ground, the culture. The church should reflect Muslim culture, not Muslim theology.
How do the people in your movement view Muhammad? Is there confusion?
First, we cannot rule out syncretism at the beginning of a new believer's life. The purpose of discipleship is to separate their old beliefs from their new beliefs. So when they put their faith in Jesus, they may have at the same time Muhammad in their heart. But when they start to pray in the name of Isa for their own need, they experience joy, assurance, and peace. And when they pray in the name of Jesus and find people healed and demons cast out, they completely stop thinking about Muhammad. It is a process of the Holy Spirit.
[We should] categorize people in how they relate to Jesus: Where are these people, and where is Jesus in their life? We should ask, "Does this person accept Isa as Lord of their life?"
But what about Muhammad?
Before [they believe in Isa], Muslims acknowledge Muhammad as the final prophet of God. Then we tell them about Isa al Masih. They already know that Isa al Masih was a prophet that raised people from the dead. They know that Isa al Masih did miracles and that he will come as the sign of the Day of Judgment.
Even though they know all this, they are not intentionally thinking about Isa; they are thinking about Muhammad. But when we tell them the gospel, they begin to think about Isa intentionally as the one who will save them from the Day of Judgment, from Satan, from antichrist, from death.
At that point, they mix Muhammad with Isa al Masih. Before, Isa was not the issue. Muhammad was the issue. But when they hear about Isa, they start to bring Isa up to the level of Muhammad. Before, Muhammad was the one who controlled their life.But when they hear the Good News of the kingdom of God, they start to think about Isa. Now syncretism has started; before there was no syncretism. If missionaries don't ever want problems with syncretism, then just leave them with Muhammad [grins].
But syncretism did not start with us. It started even in Paul's time. That was the reason Paul wrote the Epistle to the Galatians. It is not [an] issue because we are Muslims; syncretism starts because people normally start with their own religious background. When people start to think about Isa intentionally, the Holy Spirit has room to lead them into all truth, even if they first mix Isa and Muhammad. The Holy Spirit through time will glorify Isa al Masih in their lives.
So after the new birth, the Holy Spirit begins to open their minds to understand more fully the Messiah.
Yes, of course. Before they believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit will convict them about sin, righteousness, and judgment. As soon as they give their will to Jesus, they will receive the Holy Spirit and be born again and become a child of God. Then the Holy Spirit starts to live in them. Because the Holy Spirit lives in them, he will lead them to all [the] truth of Jesus. Then the Holy Spirit will give them revelation, and they will say that Jesus is Lord.
Star Trek Into Darkness
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Hussein wario
... I don’t know what Scripture you quote in justifying your position about your public sins which should be dealt with publicly. Are you claiming you should not be challenged for publishing an article full of misrepresentations about your interviewee’s native country in a leading evangelical magazine? I have Abu Jaz’s position paper, which he has shared publicly. The paper is full of distortions and based on my experience interacting with you would probably claim defamation if I make my response public. Why resort to this tactic?
Hussein wario
Gene Daniels, you are a master at evading questions. You claim that I say “anything” I “can to defame Abu Jaz and cast doubt on him” while my comment had nothing to do with defaming your interviewee but bringing up a question he was asked after he had given a speech in a public setting and his inability to answer it. You have made claims about his movement having “thousands” of members. He was challenged in a public forum and you are complaining again I am being unfair to him. You have not answered any question regarding the misrepresentation of your interviewee’s native country, the state of the church in his native country and now the number of converts which your interview cannot even defend in front of his native people who know him. (By the way, he now denies the content of your interview of him.) How can pointing out distortions of facts in what you have published and in a public speech your interviewee has given rumor mongering? [Continued...]
Gene Daniels
Hussein, As for rumors of "paying converts." I have worked in the Muslim world for many years. These kinds of rumors are a common way for Islamic leaders to explain why people are converting. As long as poor people convert, there will always be suspicion about why they converted. But you and I both already know this, so why are you repeating this stuff? I'll tell you why, you are saying anything you can to defame Abu Jaz and cast doubt on him. This comment is a perfect example. You offer a supposed quote from Abu Jaz, and then try to make it smell corrupted without any intrinsic connection. That is, by definition, rumor-mongering, and my brother it is sin. You need to repent! And furthermore, if you were there to hear his speech in person, why didn't you act according to Scripture and speak to him face to face about your concerns?