EXPLORE. EQUIP. ENGAGE. Muslims Are Searching
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SAHARA CHALLENGE MANUAL 2020 EXPLORE. EQUIP. ENGAGE. Muslims are searching. Go prepared. WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY FOUAD MASRI © 2020 Crescent Project. All rights reserved. No portion of this manual may be repro- duced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Published in the United States of America. Quotations from the Qur'an are from The Quran Translation, 7th Edition, by Abdullah Yusef Ali (Elmhurst NY: Tahrike Tarsile Quran, Inc., 2001 ). All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – Jesus (John 10:10) Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I welcome you to Sahara Challenge, an intensive, practical training program de- signed to prepare Christians for a Biblical and effective ministry among Muslims. Crescent Project is an interdenominational Christian ministry focused on helping fulfill the Great Commission to the Muslim world. Our goal is to see every Muslim have an opportunity to respond to the Gospel and be connected to a true follow- er of Jesus. Our mission is to inspire, equip and serve the Church to reach Muslims with the Gospel of Christ for the Glory of God. The challenge for the body of Christ in this generation is to take the gospel message to the hearts of thirsty Muslims. They are in need of the living water, our Lord Jesus Christ. I trust you will meet the challenge! Make the best use of your time. Equip yourself. Enjoy the teachers, the discussion time, and the fellowship with other believers. I pray God will use this course as fire that refines your soul and make you useful as a chosen vessel to offer refreshment to all who are thirsty. Reaching Muslims for Christ, Fouad Masri President/CEO, Crescent Project SAHARA CHALLENGE CONTENTS PART ONE: THE BIBLE PART FIVE: CULTURAL SKILLS 1: No God but God .................................................................11 1: God Defined Cultue.......................................................... 86 2: The Book God Breathed ................................................14 2: Cultural Transition ............................................................91 3: God’s Historic Heartbeat ..............................................16 3: Incarnational Ministry ....................................................94 4: Gender Do’s and Don’ts .................................................97 PART TWO: ISLAM 1: Islam Rising and Falling ................................................22 PART SIX: LEADERSHIP 2: Islamic Belief System ......................................................27 1: Motivational Leadership ............................................101 3: The Pillars: A Shaky Structure ....................................30 2: Ministering as a Team .................................................102 4: The Spiritual, The Powerful, The Occult.............. 32 3: Conflict and ommunication .....................................104 5: Tipping the Scales .............................................................34 4: Character of a Leader ..................................................105 6: Behind the Veil ....................................................................36 APPENDIX PART THREE: SPIRITUAL FORMATION A Guide to Prayer Walking .....................................................110 1: New Life in Christ............................................................... 41 A Visit to the Mosque .................................................................113 2: Spiritual Warfare ................................................................44 Arabic Phrases to Use ................................................................114 3: Stewardship of God’s Assets .......................................45 Your Evening with the Lord ....................................................115 4: Daily Disciplines .................................................................48 After My Evening with the Lord ...........................................116 What Does the Bible Say about Jesus? ...........................117 PART FOUR: MINISTRY SKILLS The Parables of Jesus ................................................................122 1: Compelling Evangelism................................................. 53 Jesus in the Bible and the Qur’an....................................... 124 2: Is the Injeel Corrupted? .................................................58 Jihad: An Islamic Perspective................................................ 126 3: God’s Final Revelation? .................................................61 What do Muslims think of America?................................. 136 4: What Do You Think of Muhammad? .....................63 Recommended Reading...........................................................141 5: Is God a Trinity? ..................................................................65 Bibliography ....................................................................................142 6: Who is Isa bin Maryam? .................................................67 Glossary of Terms .........................................................................143 7: Who Died on the Cross? ................................................69 8: The Arab-Israeli Conflict ...............................................71 9: Gospel of Barnabas ..........................................................73 10: The Christian Shahada ...................................................76 11: Adha in the Injeel ..............................................................78 12: Discipling Believers ..........................................................80 13: The Church Plant ...............................................................82 4 © CRESCENT PROJECT 2020 SAHARA CHALLENGE “Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground a bubbling stream.” MORE THAN 1.8 BILLION MUSLIMS TODAY movement conquered many lands and gained LIVE IN A SPIRITUAL DESERT AND DO NOT converts, it has deprived its followers from spiritual EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF THE LIVING satisfaction. Islam offered an intricate religious system but failed to offer salvation or peace to its WATER, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. followers. Democracy and education might temporarily Sahara – or “sahra” in Arabic – means desert, and heal some Muslims’ open wounds, but spiritual it describes the spiritually dry state of the Muslim transformation will come only with the knowledge world today. Our vision through Sahara Challenge and lordship of Jesus Christ. He alone will bring is to equip Christians to become vessels in the streams in the desert. hand of God to pour out fresh spiritual blessings on the Muslim world. Christ alone is the true living The goal of Islam has always been to create a water that can quench the thirst of many Muslims. community of the faithful replacing the body of Christ. Although Islam as a political and religious © CRESCENT PROJECT 2020 5 SAHARA CHALLENGE THE PURPOSE BEHIND THE CHALLENGE Ministry to Muslims has been described as end up offending those we set out to reach! We all challenging, fruitless, and even unnecessary. aspire for our ministry efforts to be informed by Of course that does not dissuade us from love, discernment, and truth. trying to share the Gospel with Muslims, but it is a disheartening report. Is the task really as Crescent Project believes that for those ministering impossible and hopeless as it seems? among Muslims, practical training is a must. Sahara Challenge is an intensive, innovative course When Christians seek to minister to Muslims, designed as a blueprint for anyone called to serve whether in the United States or abroad, what among Muslims. With a practical approach to preparation have they received? Are they ready training that focuses on challenging, informing and spiritually, mentally, and personally – or just equipping Christians to witness to Muslims, Sahara intellectually? Could it be that the “lack of fruit” in Challenge has instilled hope in Christian workers Muslim ministry is partly due to Christians’ lack of from Bangladesh to Boston since 1999. training? We are here to turn your burden into a joy. We Sometimes we try to learn about Islam by hope you leave this place knowing that reaching osmosis, or by self-study with pamphlets or books. Muslims is possible, the Word of God is powerful, Unfortunately, we often learn the hard way and and Jesus Christ is worth it! “I HAVE READ SEVERAL BOOKS AND WEBSITES THAT DEALT WITH REACHING MUSLIMS, BUT EVERYTHING THAT I STUDIED ONLY LEFT ME FEELING THE BURDEN OF THE TASK BEFORE ME. Sahara Challenge removed the burden and turned the ‘task’ into a joy. It set my wife and I free to openly and intentionally engage Muslims in conversations about Christ. You will not only leave Sahara Challenge with a wealth of information on how to reach Muslims, but also with great faith that the job can be done.” Keith, Sahara Challenge graduate and Christian worker among Muslims 6 © CRESCENT PROJECT 2020 SAHARA CHALLENGE WHAT WE'RE ABOUT • A CONCERTED PRAYER EFFORT We challenge Christians to unite in prayer for the Muslim world every Friday at noon. • PERSONAL OUTREACH We work to connect you with mobilization