Lesson 1 Introduction and Overview
- 1. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” 1 A Special Topic Course Presented by: www.IslamicStateOfAmerica.com Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This Lesson 1: Introduction and Overview “Why this course?” and “Why now?”
- 2. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” Welcome! • My background – Huntsville resident since 1998. Retired Naval officer – Active with Choose Life and local homeless ministries – Author of 6 novels, poetry, and technical articles – Islam course began with research developed when writing a novel for Oliver North • This course – 16-week overview of Islam, designed to prepare you to understand Islam and to share your faith in Jesus – Newly updated material for recent Islamist expansion, wars in the Middle East, and terror against America – Fast-paced presentation, questions encouraged! – Outside reading strongly recommended • What You Need to Know About Islam and Muslims, by George Braswell • It Is About Islam, by Glenn Beck • Dreams and Visions by Tom Doyle Austin Boyd austin@austinboyd.com http://www.austinboyd.com 2 You are welcome to use and to share this course
- 3. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” Why This Course? • Equipping the Saints – A chance to prepare yourself to share Jesus without fear – A chance to stretch your understanding of Islam – Are you ready to be ‘equipped?’ • Understanding Islam – A chance to learn more about a complex subject that all people of God need to understand . . . particularly today – A quick overview of Islamic history, and why it matters – An opportunity to grasp many nuances of the Islamic faith, from Muhammad through today’s revolutions – An opportunity to see Christianity through the eyes of Muslims, and learn about Muslims who accept Christ By the end of our class . . . I pray that you have a passion to share the good news of Jesus Christ with Muslims, and the understanding of their religion to accomplish that goal. 3
- 4. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” Why This Course? • Islamist terror is on our doorstep. We cannot defeat the threat by pretending that it does not exist, or by complaining that “it’s too hard to comprehend.” • We cannot ignore the reality that Islamic terror is grounded within a strict fundamentalist interpretation of Islam. We must proclaim the truth. By the end of our class . . . I pray that you understand what the Islamists seek in terms of global domination. I pray that you understand your role as a citizen and as a child of God in confronting this evil, while professing the saving power of Jesus Christ. 4 • The evil I taught about in 2014 has come to pass. • Everyone must understand Islamist terror and it’s religious roots. • We must take action, and speak out without fear.
- 5. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” Why Now? 5 International terrorism, domestic evil, slavery, human rights abuses, murder, and battleground savagery of epic proportion. The worst humanitarian and refugee crisis since World War II. All perpetrated in the name of Islam. Do you understand “why?”
- 6. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” Course Overview - 1 6 • #1 Introduction #1: “Why This Course?” and “Why Now?” • #2 Introduction #2: Do we worship the same god? Are all Muslims the same? • #3 Foundations of Islam #1 – Abraham, Ishmael, and the Ka’aba • #4 Foundations of Islam #2 – Muhammad, the Qur'an, Hadith • #5 Foundations of Islam #3 – The Caliphate, the origin of terror • #6 Foundations of Islam #4 – Sects, splinters, and a messiah • #7 Foundations of Islam #5 – “Superpowers” Iran & Saudi Arabia • #8 Foundations of Islam #6 – Sex, marriage, divorce, and Sharia • #9 Rise of terror #1 – Salafism, Wahhabism, Muslim Brotherhood • #10 Rise of terror #2 – “The Seven Sons of Satan” • #11 Rise of terror #3 – Unspeakable evil and savagery
- 7. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” Course Overview - 2 7 • #12 Rise of terror #4 – Islamism on the rise in the western world • #13 Rise of terror #6 – The Muslim Brotherhood Revealed • #14 Rise of terror #5 – Insidious change: Islamist agenda in USA • #15 Christ at Work #1 – Reaching Muslims for Christ • #16 Christ at Work #2 – Muslims Come to Christ! Don’t stress over missing a week. I will have copies of handouts available every week, and after February 1st will post all lessons on-line. Use this course as your chance to understand Islam. Be in prayer daily for how God is calling you to action.
- 8. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” For Such A Time As This • Mordecai requests Esther's help – Esther 4:13-14 – Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not imagine that you in the king's palace can escape any more than all the Jews. 8 – "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's house will perish. – And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?" • God calls us all to action in “such a time as this.”
- 9. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” Foundational Concept • An understanding of Islam first requires that you clearly distinguish between Allah, the god of Islam… and Yahweh, the God of the Bible. – They are NOT the same • Christianity and Islam are both “Abrahamic Covenant” religions, but… – Islam is a devious, insidious, and dangerous distortion of God’s truth. • Beware of the modern “feel good” myth that “we should all just get along because we’re following the same god, but on different paths.” – Islam states that the modern Bible is corrupt and is inferior to the Qur'an – Islam denies that Jesus is the divine Son of God – Islam states that a belief in the doctrine of the Trinity is the worst of sins – Islam denies Jesus’ death on the cross and denies His resurrection – Islam denies that Jesus is a mediator between God and man. – According to Islam, Jesus cannot atone for man’s sins 9
- 10. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” God’s Word • “A household divided against itself will not stand.” – Matthew 12:22-28 – Islam condemns the fundamentals of our Christian faith. It cannot be a path to salvation as we understand God’s word. Allah cannot be the God of the Bible. • “Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.” – 1 John 2:22 – Islam denies the divinity, Lordship, and atoning grace of Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, we will die unforgiven and destined for judgment • “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse.” – Galatians 1:8 – The Qur’an wrongly declares that it is the final and authoritative word of God 10
- 11. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” 11 Video: THE TRUTH ABOUT ISLAM - Is Allah the Same God As YHWH? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5asxkx8q9ww
- 12. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” Some Background • Islam is the fastest growing religion today with 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide • “Islam” means “submission to God” and “Muslim” means “one who submits” • Islam is a works-based religion. Your entry to heaven is based on the balance of your good works versus bad works in this life • Islam is a missionary religion, energized by a theocratic world vision. All aspects of life are subsumed under its laws, broadly referred to as “Sharia” • Islam is a mobile religion, bridging many nations. Its simplicity of belief and its practice of the “Pillars of the Faith” makes it attractive to many cultures • Islam is a militant religion. It is founded on principles of struggle against self, against infidels, and against the enemies of Islam • Christians have maintained their distance from Muslims for centuries, doing little to understand them or evangelize them. Islam represents the greatest challenge to Christianity today… and a critically important mission field 12
- 13. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” 13 All Muslims Are Not the Same • Secularists – Reject Islam as a guiding force in their lives • Modernists – “West is best” approach to Islam • Traditionalists – Islam as a source and treasure to be wisely adapted to the modern world • Fundamentalists – Literalists who strive to obey the Quran and Hadith, while ignoring or rejecting many of the classical traditions of Islam • Jihadists – Militant Muslims to espouse violence to force all peoples under Sharia law. Any Muslims who resist are apostate and even violence is warranted to coerce their submission Secularists Modernists Traditionalists Fundamentalists Jihadists 1.6B Muslims worldwide 10% identify with “jihadists” Islamists > 50% (Pew Research Center)
- 14. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” The Layers of Islam 14 Jihadist Islamist Secularist Islamist: Emphasize the implementation of Sharia (Islamic law); of pan- Islamic political unity, including an Islamic state; and of the selective removal of non- Muslim, particularly Western military, economic, political, social, or cultural influences in the Muslim world that they believe to be incompatible with Islam. Source: Wikipedia > 50%
- 15. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” Islam and Islamists • Glenn Beck, “It Is About Islam” (2015) – “Islamism is the supremacist political ideology that insists on imposing Sharia, or Islamic holy law, on the world.” • Ayan Hirsi Ali, best-selling author on Islam (2009) – “Islam is not a religion of peace. It's a political theory of conquest that seeks domination by any means it can.” • Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, Muslim reformer (2015) – “Muslims aren’t making it clear that we’re not Islamists. And we’ve been painfully silent,” Jasser said, adding, “We need to have that room to differentiate between Muslims who are against theocracy and (the) Muslims who are Islamists that are part of the problem.” Source: http://www.glennbeck.com/2015/09/29/muslim-reformer-articulates-dangers-of-islamism-which-candidates-get-it/? 15
- 16. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” 16 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSPvnFDDQHk Video: By The Numbers - The Untold Story of Muslim Opinions & Demographics Presented by The Clarion Project http://www.clarionproject.org
- 17. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” What Are We Called to Do? • Let the past be the past. The past is for learning and understanding. Forgive for past hurts and move forward. Seize the present to prepare for the future. • Distinguish between different kinds of Muslims. There is a spectrum of belief, and we need to understand the differences. It is critical to understand and recognize the agenda of the Islamist and the insidious creep toward Sharia. • Understand the basics of Islam. Learn what it teaches and understand its varied interpretations. Equip the saints of God to love, and also to be wise. • Prepare for Muslims’ misunderstanding of us. Christians are not crusaders, polytheists, warmongers, or cannibals. Pray for God’s revelation to all men. • Prepare to share your faith with Muslims. The Qur'an teaches that Jesus is messiah, word of God, prophet of God, and born of the virgin Mary. We must witness in love, with understanding. Be “Jesus with skin on” through your works. • Plant churches among Muslim peoples. Whether in western cultures or abroad, we must take the Gospel to Muslim people. It won’t be easy, but they will listen. 17
- 18. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” Did You Know…? • Jesus is referred to 97 times in the Qur'an – Jesus is: Messiah, word of God, spirit of God, speech of truth – He performed miracles, healed the sick, raised the dead • The Qur'an teaches that Jesus was born of virgin Mary (Surah 3:42-49) – She was pure and chosen above all women – Jesus was Allah’s messenger to the children of Israel • The Qur'an teaches that those who follow Jesus will be made dominant over those who reject Him, until the day of Judgment. (Surah 3:55-57) – Jesus has been given a special place with Allah in heaven – Those who disbelieve in Jesus will be chastised severely in eternal torment. • The Qur'an teaches that everyone will one day stand before God in judgment. (Surah 17:13-14) • Islam teaches that Jesus will return during a period of global upheaval to conquer the anti-Christ, then rule the world (Hadith: Sahih Muslim 2/58) 18
- 19. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” Also, Did You Know... • European birth rates are so low that, with the influx of Islamic refugees, Europe will be majority Islamic by 2030 • Key Islamic scholars in Iraq and Saudi Arabia published core teachings to educate warriors in savagery tactics (Title: Management Savagery) • The Administration’s terminology of “ISIL” for Islamic State means “Islamic State of Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Israel” • The Muslim Brotherhood, identified by the Obama Administration as “moderate Muslims” in the Syrian war, has been supplied weapons and $$ • The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has been designated a terrorist organization (one of 82 including ISIS) by the United Arab Emirates • The Muslim Brotherhood published a “manifesto” in 1982 that outlines a 100-year strategy for the overthrow of the United States. • ISIS has emphatically declared its intention to attack the US, claiming over 70 sleeper agents are in the US today preparing for war 19
- 20. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” What Are We To Do? • How do we reconcile the scriptural command to evangelize the world, including Islamic peoples, in light of the current threat? • How do we reach savage, barbaric people who seek the complete annihilation of the Western world? • How do we stand up to an insidious Islamist agenda to implement Sharia law in all nations, when we are termed “racist” and “Islamophobes”, or when our livelihood is threatened? • How do we forgive the taking of innocent lives by Islamists on our own country’s soil? • How do we reach out to persecuted Christians in the Islamic State, thousands of sexual slaves under ISIS rule, and desperate Syrian refugees fleeing the horrors of Bashar al-Assad and ISIS? • How do we make an impact for Jesus in this time of severe crisis? 20
- 21. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” Remember Queen Esther • Her Jewish people were threatened with mass execution across all of Persia (Iran) • Her life was in peril if she spoke up before an all-powerful king • Her status and worldly goods could be stripped from her if she spoke out • Yet, hearing of the impending demise of her people, Queen Esther plotted a strategy to be bold, to confront the evil, and to speak out 21 "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” Esther trusted in God, and stood for truth. We must do the same.
- 22. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” We are called to witness! Be part of an awakening that is transforming the Muslim world. Jesus is at work. We have proof. 22
- 23. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” 23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW6Ith0h6Vo Video: Dreams and Visions: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World
- 24. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” 24 28 “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. Joel 2:28-29 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 Pray for these people!
- 25. Understanding Islam: For Such A Time As This “Why this Course?” and “Why Now?” Next Week • “Do we all worship the same god?” – Allah, Yahweh, and Jesus – An important understanding of what Islam is – An eye-opening insight into what Islam is not • Handouts of the course bibliography – Recommended reading and reference texts • Pray for wisdom. Pray for Muslims to know Jesus. 25