Month: January 2021

Witness to Muslim Friends

~ Sobhi Malek ~ Leave a comment

Friday, January 29, 2021

Time and again the Lord puts Muslims in our paths. He wants us to be witnesses to his love and bring them to the Kingdom. Often Muslims are searching. I have encountered situations where they were just waiting for someone to tell them about Jesus.

Yet our enemy tries to intimidate us. He has many tricks to stop us from witnessing. For example, I may think it is sufficient for me to witness through my actions, no words needed… I’ll wait till I know more about Islam… I do not want to offend my friend… I am too shy; and so forth.

After years of imprisonment and torture by the communist authorities, a pastor said to a visiting American missionary: “Don’t ever give up in freedom what we would never have given up in persecution! That is our witness to the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!”[1]

Wherever you are, whatever the nature of your relationship with your Muslim friend or the kind of preparation you have received, if you’re a Christian you need to witness.

Prayer

Great and merciful Father, forgive me for my shortcomings and the times I have failed to witness to people. Anoint me with your Holy Spirit to be your mouthpiece to a needy Muslim this week.

Give me courage and wisdom to speak the truth with love. Give me compassion and power to minister to them—spirit, soul and body. Keep me from ridiculing or despising Muslims and from saying anything that does not glorify Christ.

Open my mouth to express a heart full of God’s love for lost souls. Help me to be an encourager to the discouraged, a comforter to the downcast, and to point all people to the Way. Use me to minister to people through words of truth, acts of compassion and mighty works of the Holy Spirit.

Surprise me by helping me to lead a Muslim to your light, peace and life.

Promise

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will bear witness for me (Acts 1:8, REB). I have put my words in your mouth… Get up and tell them whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you afraid before them. (Jeremiah 1: 9, 17 Sharif Bible)

Footnotes

[1] Nik Ripkin, The Insanity of God, p. 196.

Fear of the Message of Christ

~ Sobhi Malek ~ Leave a comment

Friday, January 22, 2021

God’s Word is powerful. Many Muslims have seen friends or relatives converted to Christ after reading his Word. Often these Muslim onlookers mistakenly attribute the conversion to a bewitching power in the Gospel. There are countless stories of Muslims who have burned or shredded a Bible or a New Testament because they were afraid to read or hear what it said.

My friend Ismael told me that when he saw one of his friends turn to Christ he thought it was because of some magic power in the “Book of Christians.” Another friend told me that her mother would never allow her to mention the name of Jesus. That mother was always afraid that “somehow” she herself would become Christian if she heard about Christ.

Prayer

Our God, we thank you for the message of life and freedom that you sent us through Christ our Lord and Savior. Thank you because he has set us free from sin and given us life eternal. We pray for Muslims, O Lord. They do not know the value of Christ’s message.

Although the Gospel is a stumbling block and foolishness to Muslims, I pray that you will open their eyes and minds to see in it the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:23-24).

Instead of fear, give them peace. Instead of alarm, give them calm. Instead of darkness, send the light of your word into their hearts to brighten their beings with meaning and purpose in Christ. In the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, set them on the right path. Christ is the Way.

In the name of Jesus, your Son, our Lord, we pray.

Promise

Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way (Psalm 25:8-9).

Eight Countries

~ Sobhi Malek ~ Leave a comment

With the Largest Muslim Populations

Friday, January 15, 2021

While the Church has been “looking the other way,” there has been an explosion of Muslim population in the world! Christians have not been careful to obey Christ’s command to bring all people, including Muslims, into the Kingdom. Today, there are more than 1.6 billion Muslims in the world. More than one billion of those can be found in only eight countries! They are:

  • Indonesia, 220 million
  • Pakistan, 190 million
  • India, 185 million
  • Bangladesh, 144 million
  • Nigeria , 90 million
  • Egypt, 83 million
  • Iran, 77 million
  • Turkey, 75 million

(The numbers are rounded, compiled from various sources.)

Prayer

Father in heaven, I bring these large nations and their peoples to you. These numbers are staggering; they represent precious souls for whom Christ died on the cross. What can we do, Father, to even make a dent in that ocean of humanity? We have done so little; and we feel overwhelmed, Lord God.

We know you are telling us: “There are still very large areas of land to be taken over” (Joshua 13:1). Give us fresh courage. We cannot climb this mountain on our own or cross these heights by ourselves. Giants are in our way. Fill us with your Spirit, so we can go forward with enthusiasm and strength as never before.

By faith we want to see millions of Muslims come to Christ and sing praises around his throne (Revelation 5:11).

Empower us with your Word. Help us bring in a great harvest from every tribe, language, people and nation. For the glory of the name that is above every name, amen.

Promise

I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you (Joel 2: 25, NLT).

The LORD can win a victory with a few men as well as with many… one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the LORD your God fights for you (1 Samuel 14:6, GW; Joshua 23:10, NLT).

Backsliders

~ Sobhi Malek ~ 1 Comment

Friday, January 8, 2021

These are believers who have turned their back on the Lord Jesus. Muslims who put their faith in Christ often suffer persecution and abuse. The cost of following Christ is indeed high. Many believers persist and endure suffering and remain faithful to the Lord no matter the price. Others, however, give up and fall away when they sin or face persecution, rejection, or some other difficulty or temptation. Backsliders are not happy people: they once saw the light and tasted Christ’s goodness, but they are once again in the pit of miry clay.

Prayer

Loving and compassionate God, we come to you with tears and heavy hearts. We pray for Muslims who once acknowledged Christ as their Lord and Savior but have now turned away from Him. I pray that by your Holy Spirit you will convict them and bring them to repentance.

Dear Savior of all mankind, cause backsliders to realize the seriousness of rejecting Christ. May they never be satisfied with the “pods” that pigs feed on. Help them to come back to the Father’s house. Hear their confession, accept their repentance, and forgive their sin.

May they feel Your loving fatherly embrace and kiss as you welcome them back home (Luke 15:20). Empower them with the Holy Spirit and with God’s Word to withstand Satan’s attacks and live victoriously for Christ. Set their feet upon the Rock and put a new song in their mouths. Protect them from turning their back on Jesus ever again.

In his precious name I pray, amen.

Promise

A righteous person will live by faith. But I will have no pleasure in anyone who turns away… I will forgive them for leaving me and will love them freely (Hebrews 10:38, NLT; Hosea 14:4, NCV).