Dr.Yousuf Estes, an American convert to Islam

Thanks to one of our Muslim friends, I’ve now heard about Dr. Yusuf Estes,¹ an American convert to Islam.

He is described as an active Christian who converted to Islam. By the way, the Muslims like to call such people “reverts” instead of converts because they say everyone is born a Muslim in submission to Allah.

You can read about Dr. Estes here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yusuf_Estes

Here is a link to one of his lectures:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7657333391410735923&pr=goog-sl

Maybe some of my Christian friends can help do some research about Dr. Estes and post their findings here. It would be helpful to have some explanations for our Muslim friends about a biblical perspective of “Christians” converting to Islam.

¹Yousuf can also be spelled Yusuf.

A large photograph of Kaaba, Mecca, Saudi Arabia

In many Muslim households and business locations owned by Muslims, there is a photograph of the Kaaba. The Kaaba is the cube-shaped structure located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is the central location of Islamic devotion. Every mosque in the world is built so that the direction of the Kaaba is clearly indicated and so that Muslims face the Kaaba when performing their ritual prayers at the mosque.

Several years ago I visited Haji Talib in his home. The title haji is reserved for those Muslims who have traveled to Mecca to perform the pilgrimage required by Islamic religious law and ideology.

When I visited Haji Talib in his home there was an unusually large photograph of the Kaaba and the mosque complex surrounding the Kaaba in the living room. It was so large that it covered most of the wall. The imposing photograph leaned out from the wall in order in order to have enough space to clear the ceiling and hang on the wall. It was obvious that Haji Talib was serious about his devotion to Islam and Mohammed.

Over the years, I’ve kept up with Haji Talib. One of his relatives became a follower of Christ many years ago. Haji Talib began visiting a Christian church at the invitation of his Christian relative. His experience at the Church, which is attended by many former Muslims who are now Christians, gave him the opportunity to see how Christians relate to one another compared to how devout Muslims relate to one another.

Haji Talib experienced kindness and acceptance by the Christians, even though he was a devote Muslim. The Christians talked to him about their faith in Christ. Haji’s relative continued to talk to him about Christ and brought him to church as often as possible.

Now I’ve receive word that Haji Talib himself has become a follower of Christ! The large photograph of the Kaaba still is in his living room. Haji is facing pressure from his family. I suspect that as the Holy Spirit guides Haji Talib, that the photograph of the Kaaba will be taken down and discarded. Haji’s family will see the peace and love of Christ in him and several more will become followers of Christ.

Please join with me in praying for Haji Talib and his Christian relative. They are the first fruits of new life in Christ for this large extended family of Muslims. They are piercing spiritual barriers within the Muslim community by living the life of Christ among the people.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”

Listen to the words of Jesus:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.”

The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to the Apostle Matthew, Chapter 11, Verses 28 to 30

The Role of the Mosque in Society

The book called The Mosque Exposed by S. Solomon and E. Alamaqdisi describes the role of the mosque in society. A summary article of the book can be read on the Truth For Muslims site here:

The Role of the Mosque in Society

Islamic Charity and Jihad

I hadn’t heard of the book Alms for Jihad: Charity And Terrorism in the Islamic World, by J. Millard Burr until someone sent me a newspaper clipping of a column by Mark Steyn from the August 5, 2007 edition of the Orange County Register.

Islamic Idealogy and Christianity

I often teach about the core differences between Islam and Chrsitianity.

I actually address the core teachings of Islamic idealogy based on the creed, “There is no deity but God and Mohammed is God’s messenger,”¹ contrasted with the core teachings of biblical theology based on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

You can listen online to one of my public speaking/teaching opportunities at:
http://www.ccfred.com/audio/guest/2007-0606-islam.mp3

¹ As translated by: Maududi, Sayyid Abul A’la (1960). Toward Understanding Islam, translated by Khurshid Ahmad (1977). Lahore: Idara Tarjuman-ul-Quran.

The Quran and the Toilet

Over the past couple of years, it seems that we’ve heard a number of stories about someone putting a copy of the Quran in a toilet.

A few years back, there was false story about a United States miltary member flushing a Quran down the toilet at Guantanamo Bay. At the time the story seemed silly. After all, even if it was possible to flush a book down the toilet, wouldn’t the plumbing system get backed up? What’s the purpose? A garbage can would be a better way to get rid of the Quran, or maybe just burn it.

Now at Pace University a student has been arrested and charged with a “hate crime” for putting a Quran in the toilet.

Groups like the Muslim Student Association (MSA) and the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) support the prosecution of such “hate crimes.” They want to use the legal system in the United States to promote the cause of Islam. A step in that direction is to use any means possible to shut down criticism against Islam and Mohammed. The next step is to get us to give preferential treatment to Islam and the “religious  sensibilities” of Muslims.

Whether it’s King Abdullah of Jordan complaining about cartoons of Mohammed before a group of Evangelical Christians at the National Prayer Breakfast (and, by the way, recieving a standing ovation for his remarks) or MSA and CAIR pressing for arrest and prosecution of someone who puts the Quran in a toilet, the objective is still the same: the submission of non-Muslims to the teachings of Mohammed, which is Shariah Law.

Muslim background believers (MBB)

Back in 2001 the idea of Muslims becoming Christians was something that was always denied by Muslims. These days more and more Muslims are becoming believers in and followers of Christ. One of the terms used for these former Muslims is Muslim background believer, or MBB.

And right now more MBBs are making themselves publicly known.

Two such examples:

MBB Convention:
http://www.mbbconvention.org

Jesus For Muslims
http://www.jesusformuslims.org

Jesus in the Quran

I finished developing another seminar for 44TRAINING. This one is called Jesus in the Quran.

As with all the other 44TRAINING seminars, the content is presented using PowerPoint.

Jesus in the Quran explores what the Quran actually says about Jesus, his names and titles and his actions. The Jesus of the Quran has some similarities to the biblical Jesus, but the seminar also brings out the stark differences.

Quranic referecnes are used throughout the presentation and the official footnotes from a version of the Quran published and distributed by Saudi Arabia.

Getting started

I’m just getting started here. Visit http://www.truthformuslims.com to learn more for now.