On the 67th episode of the Paul Cardall podcast, Author and Pastor Fouad Masri talks with Paul about sharing Jesus with Muslims. Fouad discusses growing up in Lebanon during a civil war between Maronite Christians and Muslims. He talks about how much hate was in his heart until the words of Jesus inviting people to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Fouad says doing this began to change his heart. They talk about about differences between Islam and Christianity and how the messages of each religion is misunderstood by both groups. Most muslims have never met a Christian or read the Bible.
ABOUT THE EPISODE:
On the 67th episode of the Paul Cardall podcast, Author and Pastor Fouad Masri talks with Paul about sharing Jesus with Muslims. Fouad discusses growing up in Lebanon during a civil war between Maronite Christians and Muslims. He talks about how much hate was in his heart until the words of Jesus inviting people to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Fouad says doing this began to change his heart. They talk about about differences between Islam and Christianity and how the messages of each religion is misunderstood by both groups. Most muslims have never met a Christian or read the Bible.
GET THE BOOK:
https://www.amazon.com/Sharing-Jesus-Muslims-Step-Step/dp/0310093147
Author and lecturer Fouad Masri was born and raised in the war zone of Beirut, Lebanon. As a third generation ordained pastor, he has a passion for sharing the love of Christ with Muslims and has been reaching out to Muslims and inspiring others to follow his example since 1979.
After coming to the United States to attend seminary, Fouad realized the urgency for teaching American Christians to reach out to the growing population of internationals, particularly Muslims.
In 1993, he founded Crescent Project to nurture transformational relationships between Christians and Muslims and to rally the Church to reach out to Muslims to share the Good News of Christ.
Since then, he has trained more than 21,000 Christians to sensitively and purposefully share their faith with Muslims through both the Bridges One-Day and Sahara Challenge training experiences. He has served as a guest instructor at several universities and Christian ministries and has been featured in several media publications including Christianity Today, Newsweek, and Mission Network News. He has appeared on CBN, TBN, the Janet Parshall Show, and Prime Time America.
He is the producer and teacher in the DVD study, Bridges: Christians Connecting with Muslims. In Bridges, he further exposes Christians to the urgent need for a deeper understanding about Islam and Muslims.
Fouad has authored 14 books including Outreach Magazine’s 2015 Cross Cultural Resource of the Year Connecting with Muslims: A Guide to Communicating Effectively. He holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communication and an M.A. from Fuller Theological Seminary in Islamic Studies.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://fouadmasri.com/
CRESCENT PROJECT: https://www.crescentproject.org/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/authorfouadmasri/
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Audio file
Fouad Masri - Sharing Jesus with Muslims.mp3
Transcript
Announcer
You're listening to the Paul Cardall podcast. Please show your support by subscribing along with leaving a review.
Paul Cardall
Hello I am Paul Cardall. Welcome to my podcast. My guest today has written a book called Sharing Jesus with Muslims, step by Step Guide. He says, "Since the terrorist attacks of September 11th. 2001. Relationships between Christians and Muslims have been defined by fear. My wife was working on Wall Street in Manhattan on that horrible day. And you know, we could have a podcast alone of her experience and how horrific it was. So the increasing violence. In the Middle East has caused Islam to be associated with persecution and terrorism and has led many Christians to view Muslims as the enemy. For the Christian, the Bible provides a clear instruction to move past fear and share the gospel with all people. According to my guest, every Christian can be an ambassador of Christ to Muslims, even without becoming an expert on Islam, we will enjoy this conversation. with Fouad Masri.
Announcer
This is the Paul Cardall podcast.
Fouad Masri
Good morning.
Paul Cardall
How you been? Yeah. Since I saw you since you.
Fouad Masri
Good, good. We did the book signing Sunday. We had some more contacts with people from overseas. And then I got a call with somebody who. Has become a believer, Iraqi background, he has become a believer in Christ for last about 8 years and he's sharing with another. Sunni Muslim, another friend of hers, about the uniqueness of Christ. How do? You get salvation. And this is the month of Ramadan. So a lot of Muslims are thinking about religion, about God, about eternity.
Paul Cardall
It's interesting. You know, you grow up with that lens, the Christian lens, and then there's those that have never been exposed. Obviously to Christianity the same. Way that Christians have never been exposed. To Islam and so there's all these preconceived notions you talk about it in your book. There seems to be this fear. Towards one another and. Basically get to the. Heart of the book sharing Jesus with Muslims. But I think in order to do that, give us a quick background. You know, being born in Lebanon and here you are in Nashville, TN today.
Fouad Masri
I like Nashville reminds you of growing up and. Yeah, they don't have a sea or an ocean, but the mountains are very much like the Lebanese mountains, rolling hills. I grew up three blocks from the city. I would walk to the beach and Lebanon is a small country. If our audience is from United States, it's the size of Connecticut. It's not a very big country. I can drive from Beirut, Lebanon, to Damascus, Syria. An hour and. 1/2, But just briefly, about the growing up in Lebanon. Grew up during the Civil War and the Civil War cannot awaken in my heart that we have a problem today. People, people used to think politics will solve everything, and I used to believe that and it didn't solve anything in Lebanon, people thought, you know, somehow if we tell people not to shoot each other, they will stop shooting each other. And that's not the case at least. I was growing up. I was in my early teens and I'm thinking to myself why people still killing each other. Why can't they stop and? The gospel message had come to our family because my grandfather ran away from the Ottoman Turks and went through Ellis Island to Toledo, OH, where he heard the gospel. He became a believer and he decided to become a pastor. He died in. I don't know him, never met him. But he brought the gospel to our family. So there was a gospel message in our family, but during the war I thought, you know, hey, this is there is no God. If God really exists, he's not a good God I. Don't wanna believe. In him, I don't wanna follow him. My best friend Wiley died at age 18 Saturday morning, 9:00 o'clock. He was killed by the Muslim militia, the PLO, the Palestinians. So as a Lebanese, I hate them for killing my friend there. You hear that? Israelis and the Jewish people are your enemies. So I'm a young man growing up in that the. Ned Zone of wood and murder and hate and you know you start picking people by religion, by politics, by culture, ethnicity. You know, we had Iranians, we had Iraqis, so my heart was filled with hate and kind of racism to others. Through that, I decided to study the religions because I thought, well, you know, I heard. About Jesus started studying different religions and it struck me that as I comparing to scripture to the Bible, Christ was different. So give you a quick example. Jesus says love your neighbor. As yourself, what everybody likes that until you think love them as myself like. You know, there's a cost here. So we living in Lebanon, you know, that was a problem. They were not really loving their neighbor. The second Jesus thing, he said. That's powerful. I'll see you said love, your enemies do not repay. Evil with evil, but to be evil, with good. What I was hurt. I mean, in Lebanon the the in. The war they. Said eye for an eye. Tooth for two. And so, you know people. Were killing each other trying to get revenge? I myself had hate. How can I pray? For the Israelis. How can I pray for the Palestinians? How can I do that? There's so much hate in my heart. So Christ's words were speaking. The second thing that Christ spoke to me is when Jesus says in. John, 1515. I no longer call you slaves because the slave does not know what the master is doing. I call you friends and in the Greek it's very clear it says. I'll call you best friends or beloved friend. Because I've told you everything from my father and that struck me. All religions, all religions says try try. Oh God, is the master. God is the king. Christ is saying no. God is your heavenly Father. God is your loving friend and God wants to you to be in his family. It was a different understanding and I'm. And I read the. Mahabharata I did study. I did the part of the Vedas. I I looked into. The Krishna, the Hari Krishna, he looked into Buddhism Torah for sure the Jewish religion and then Islam. I did the Quran now more than three times in Arabic. And so the struggle for me is Christ was different and he is asking change based on coming to him, following him all religious text. Will give you a rule. The only thing about the Bible which is different is that really whole text is about the person of God. And that God has come to us. So to make this quick, because I. Know our listeners might like to know the conclusion is a situation happened to our friends who died in a bombing. The guy lost his wife and three kids. He survived and that was the trigger. I went to my room. I knelt by my bed and this is how I prayed I. Said God, thank you for sending Jesus. Forgive me because. I hate Jewish people and I hate Palestinians. Forgive me that I'm living my life away from you. I want to follow Jesus. And until I day I die. You forgive my sins and change me and Paul. This is what is our message. I'm speaking from experience. God changed my heart. I started praying for the Jewish people. I started praying for the palestinain. I start praying for the Iranians. I started seeing people or God as God's creation. And when I share with someone about Christ, I'm not sharing because it sounds good or, you know, this is an idea that I like. God changed my heart. Jesus did something different in my heart and I've seen him do something different in. Other people's lives. So when we are inviting people today, whether they're Muslim or not, we're inviting them to meet the Savior, the Messiah, Jesus of the Bible, Jesus, who who is ready to take him into his family and invite them to the greatest relations. If ever.
Paul Cardall
It's amazing for Americans when we think of Lebanon, we're thinking Islam. We're not thinking that there are Christians. At least for those that do the research and know that there are Christians in Lebanon and there are Christians spread throughout the entire Middle East, Afghanistan, everywhere, and there's pockets of these communities. There's also, I think you had a statistic on your website that there are 1.8 billion followers of Islam, but and four million in the United States, but 50% have never been associated or know or are familiar with Christianity. And for Christians? Here that are listening, we also have Muslims that listen. This for Christians that are listening that may not fully understand Islam because the media has kind of defined what it is with all the fear. And and and. It's associated with terrorism. Can you? Can you break down Islam? Because I I know there's so many different. Varieties and most people assume it's just one group and then you got like the Taliban. And all these ultra Orthodox fundamentalists.
Fouad Masri
So part of the reason we I started the Minister Crescent project and the major reason why I wrote the book sharing. This is today we have the. Lack of understanding of each other and part of the problem is we do not hear the message, so it's easier for somebody telling me all all Muslims are terrorists. Well, that's not true. Now, yeah, the jihadis are Muslim too. There is a problem, but not all Muslims are jihadists. The flip side today, Islam does not teach Christianity correctly, so they teach in the mosque. They teach you that most Christians worship three gods. Well, that's not true. We worship one. The other teaching that's false is they teach them that Jesus is called the son of God because we Christians believe that there was a sexual act. Well, that's an insult to 2 billion Christians. We don't believe that we believe it's a miracle birth which is mentioned in the Quran, by the way. So the Islam brought it. From you know. Borrowed it from Christianity so the the struggle is they know. Look at us as false religion. The other thing that is a problem Hollywood and the media. Their goal is to make money through entertainment, but many Muslims today have never met a crucial they've ever read the Bible. Even the Bible is illegal in many Muslim countries. It's illegal in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, so many times Muslims don't know what we believe. They collect the information, maybe from a. Movie they watched. Or, you know, they show maybe a picture of the Pope with with an with an imam. So this information, the information. That is, is missing. It's like there's static, there's, there's distractions. Now you add to it politics. You add to it terrorism, you know, and not just. So since September 11 is a huge issue, the Muslims don't understand the Christians. The Christians don't send the Muslims and Christians tend to be nice. They don't want to offend anybody. So what happens is we don't share, we don't talk. It so it. Adds to the the myth that Christians are mean or false. I was in a train ride from Casablanca to Marrakech and the gentleman said to me. Where do you live? I said in United States of America, it goes all Americans are ignorant and bunch of cow herders. And I said, have you been to America? He goes. No, I said, how do you get this information? He goes, oh, I watch movies and I watch television. So his window, his window was in the movies, the television. And I said to them, so there are more than 3000 mosques in the. America, he was really America allows Islam. I said, yeah, we have freedom of religion because it's illegal to build a church and be a Christian in Morocco, you cannot be a Muslim who becomes a Christian. You cannot be baptized, and so this is the 21st century. And there are countries that does do this, so it's banned. So there's this. The problem which I call it a crisis of information, they don't know. The next thing is the crisis is with so much fear in our heart that we don't reach. Now, So what is in a nutshell, Islam came because Muhammad, who was born in Arabia, was fed up with paganism and he felt that the Jewish faith and the Christian faith have a better message. So his first message was we need to worship one God, no idols, and we have to be merciful to each other. Which was message already been taught by the Christians, and then he he said that not only we have to show the idols, but he said that life should be about praising God and use the word hump. Hump means to be grateful to praise God, so these thoughts were great. And when you study Islamic history, you find that the first part of Muhammad's life in Mecca. Was very pro Jewish pro Pro Christian and where he was were living together when he moved to Medina. Some of the Pagan tribes converted to Islam and in Medina there's a shift that happened 622AD and the shift Islam becomes more of a political structure. So at the core of Islam is a political structure. God gives you a leader. You follow the leader and throughout Islamic history there have been conflict. Who is the leader? See, this is something why I decided to follow Jesus on Friday when Christ died and was buried. The small band of disciples dispersed. Everything was over. Sunday morning, Christ rose from the dead and the what we call the church, the community of Jesus started. It hasn't stopped. It cannot be stopped because the leader is still alive and Islam we have a problem. Muhammad died. He was the leader who takes over. That's why there's been conflict. So it's split suddenly Shia and then. The Shia have branches and the chimneys have branches. So right now if you add the two feet. 30 card you. Have at least 200 different denominations long now with the terrorist groups that we started seeing after September. 11 they go back to something very important and that will help our listeners. They want to live like the days of Muhammad, the best days in their mind are the days of Muhammad. So Muhammad lived fighting the pagans, fighting other tribes, making Jewish and Christians passia. If they want to live under Muslim communities. They're in the Muslim community so that the issue now they are coming up. It doesn't matter if they're Qaeda or Boko Haram doesn't. They're gonna still come up because the best days of it. All the the days of Mohammed, so they want to go back. That's why we use words like osolin, the concept of fundamentalist. The idea is we want to go back to our roots with the Christian faith, is forward-looking because Jesus told us something very important. I am leaving you now, right? He said this because I'm preparing a place for you. But how can I? Come back. So for us, we always look forward. What is happen? Tomorrow, how today God is gonna use us. And the book highlights. The idea that we have the role. As followers of Christ. In our community, in our history. So when I meet a Muslim, my number one priority is to build bridges. We wanna build bridges, not walls.
Paul Cardall
Let me ask you a question. I I took some theological classes in seminary classes in, in the faith that I grew up, which was Latter Day St. and and the question was. Just you know, there's so many Pagan gods that God may have used Mohammed and Islam to break down paganism. What's your? Thought on that.
Fouad Masri
God is sovereign. God is on the throne. God is powerful. The coming of Muhammad in Arabia was helpful to get rid of the idols. The other thing most Muslims don't read the Quran. Majority of Muslims today are non Arabs. They're Pakistanis. They're Punjabis, Pashtu, Indonesian, Malay. They don't know Arabic or Senegalese. They don't. They don't read the Quran in Arabic, they may be heard, it chanted to read it. So many Muslims don't know what the Quran says. So many of the Quranic verses are very pro, the Bible, even Jesus and the Quran. Is elevated among all prophets. He is called Kalimat Allah the. Word of God. You know now in Islam they. Elevate Muhammad and respect Jesus. But the Quran elevates Jesus and respects Muhammad. He says the Quran, the Book of Islam which was collected later basically after death of Muhammad, but we. Godless Jesus has mentioned by name more than Muhammad's mentioned, and there are 93 Quranic verses just on who is Jesus. He's born in Virgin Mary. He he does miracles. He raises the dead. He is called Kalima. To love the word of God. He is sinless from birth and he is going to be one of the judges. In the end times and there is 2 verses that they do not like to. And uh interpret correctly in Islam because 2 verses say that Jesus died and it's coming back again. Ohh, so I was talking to the Imam in Albuquerque, Mexico, New Mexico and I said to him is Jesus coming back? He goes, oh, yeah, he's coming back. I said, would you like to read that in jail? Would you like to read the Bible to be ready to meet? Jesus, since he's gonna come back. And he looks like he goes. Oh, you're a smart. Man, yeah, I like the Bible. I gave a Bible and and the the whole New Testament Arabic. And because he can read Arabic and the funny part in that conversation is I wasn't attacking Mohammad. I was not backing Islam. I was not thinking, you know, the Middle East or whatever. I was just talking about who is Jesus? And from the conversation you can bring it to the uniqueness of Christ. So yes, the Quran speaks highly of Jesus. There are some verses we disagree on, absolutely, but there are a lot of verses. We agree I recommend. That every Christian reads the Quran once you can download it free. I recommend you read it backward cause the shorter chapters on the back you feel like you finish more. But then I ask Muslims to read the Angel one. Read the New Testament once. Why not? Why not? We read their book and they read our book. What's wrong with that? Let's build. Let's build bridges and you find that many times Christians in our ministry they call Safad. I just. The more I read the Quran, the more I felt I want to share with us from my Muslim friends because the basis of the Quran is Allah is the master and we are the slaves. You are attaining your salvation. While the basis of the gospel, we start our prayer, our father, who are shallow, being name and holy holy is your name. And so this is this is very important distinction between the Quran and the Bible.
Speaker
So is it true?
Paul Cardall
That you know. Obviously, in Christianity, we believe we need a savior. We we need atonement. We need redemption, but in. Islam, the idea that God. Needs some type of atonement. Or needs to die or sacrifice. That's just they believe that God's love and God's power is more powerful than that. He. That thought. Which appeals to a lot of people because this idea that God is going to be weak. God is going to be, you know, tortured. It goes against kind of this whole idea of God being all powerful, yet Christians believe it's all powerful, so it can get kind of confusing there. But Muslims do believe. Jesus was virgin. They do believe he's. You know he is what he was, except that the atonement and that he is literally God. I mean. Yeah, that's it.
Fouad Masri
Yeah, the issue, the biggest issue with Jesus is. The atonement and the divinity.
Speaker
Of Christ, OK.
Fouad Masri
The the divinity of Jesus is a problem. And thanks for both for bringing that up, because many times we think this is new, it's not that was the problem with the Pharisees. That was the problem. The Jewish leaders, they're thinking we talk. But you mean the table of God is gonna welcome people from the east and the West and the north? So this is not a new problem. Even Islam teaches that you're Muslim. Your superior culture than the other. So this idea of superiority has been there like any other religion. So the problem for us today is most people, when we talk about. Because they think religion, what do I do? What is the structure? What is the system? No, no, no. Christ broke all that. It it it John? 15 is a powerful text because Christ gives a small image. I am the vine. You are the branches, the branch supposed. To do what? To give fruit, but Jesus doesn't command that branch to bring fruit. It says you are the branches. Abide in me. Then you bird food. See, this is. This is why I'm a fellow of Christ. Because it's a I am not full of Christ because I want to go to church on Sunday. Or I want a fast land. You know no. No, no, that's a totally different conversation. So when it comes to the atonement, this is the issue that I will come to this. In a minute. But in the book, we deal with the atonement, the reason we need atonement because the work system doesn't work in Islam. They teach you there's a scale you got to put the good works on one side. The bed works on the other side and I was speaking at Wayne State University and this sweet Indian Muslim engineer, he goes, you know, for odd life is a test you can pass with 51%. 60% I say my brother, the Bible says we all fail. We all fail the test because if you break one of the commandments, you broken all of them. You know it. That's the power of the gospel, is that we are all have a 0 on this test. Now, most of the people who want to do work, work, salvation, they can answer a few questions one. Are our physical works here enough to cover? His sin that insulted the divine God. Than a human effort cover a divine act. It doesn't. We are humans. So like like. If I hate somebody or I kill. Somebody or I? And then what do I do? Do I go pay? Money to the Masjid or to the church. What do I? Do like go on on. It doesn't. It doesn't equal. The second thing is, what if on Judgement Day your good works and your back works and and bad words are equal? So if they are equal, what do you? Do it is your problem. And I remember Mohammed and other NBA student. Had a great conversation at a Barnes and Noble, and I asked them what happens if your works are 5050 equal? So he felt a little bit and goes well. My name is. I said what we need. He goes well, God. Loves Muhammad the prophet. So he won't keep me in hell for too long. And I'm like. So he started. And you notice that this seeping through Islam, the concept of purgatory, the concept of, you know, I'll go to hell a little bit and then I'll come back to heaven that that's not in the Quran by the way. Everybody will be judged by the works. So one of the things about the atonement, the atonement, is that no human can save another human, and no human is righteous enough to God found a way out. Now this is something our listeners might not know. Ramadan is the small feast, the great feast in Islam is called Adha Qurbani. And Karmani is made borrowed from the Syriac Christians. Korban means offering. Or redemption. So the idea of the big feast is 70 days after the end of Ramadan. Muslims will kill sheep and feed the people around or the family, and you ask them why. And they say to remember that Abraham's son. Was exchanged with the sheep. See, that's the power of the gospel God found the Redeemer. Now most people think, oh, this means I can send as much as I want. No, that's where you have to look at Scripture and find out that there was a redemption. And then John, 15, we are abiding in Christ now in the divinity of Christ. This is very powerful. There is a chapter in the book on this on sharing. Jesus, because the Koran calls Jesus calling out Allah the Word of God. The big question that Islam cannot answer or let me put it this way, they try to answer and it's a straw. Is there a difference between God and his word? Imam Al Gazali in 1100 said that there is no difference because Imam Gazali said if we believe in Allah and his word that there are two divine beings, then we are duelists. We are not monotheists, so his dissertation in the in the Arabic book. The main cause of the lot the code is. That Allah and his word are one God is words one. So for us, if Jesus is God's word here, then whatever Jesus says is exactly what God wants us to know. See that the incarnation is the power of the good news, and this is in the Duke of John. In the Bible John one one. And then in John 114. Tells you about the incarnation. Thanks for asking that question because the the this is a core point that we need to discuss now for our listeners, God bless you. Brothers and sisters. It's very important to share with these things in your loving way in your welcoming way now. Argument you can we can always try to win the argument with us. That's not the goal. The goal is to help our Muslim friends understand our faith. If they want to join the faith, Hallelujah. Praise God. If not, it's OK. Our faith is open. Jesus invites people. We don't go Earth people.
Paul Cardall
And we will be right back. Friends, I'm excited to. Tell you about a. New song I've made available, it's called Love One another. As part of an album that I'm going to. Be releasing this. Fall and I want to get you some of these songs before the album comes out. So go to my website paulcardall.com, all of the information is there or you can just go to Spotify or Apple. Or maybe you listen to your music. And search Paul Cardall love one another. The invitation was you. Know it's always there, he said. Coming to me, all the labor and her heavy laden and I will give you rest. But this idea of working towards salvation, I love the faith. I grew up in. And often as a child. It would be in this form of Christianity is if you do. Everything you can and then. God will meet you halfway well.
Fouad Masri
That's a.
Paul Cardall
Legalistic form of Christianity. To where it contradicts what happened in the Bible, which is Jesus fulfilled the law. Now in Islam to my understanding and correct me if I'm wrong, they do believe they're descendants of Abraham, yeah.
Fouad Masri
There's no lights here.
Paul Cardall
Yeah, because Hagar poor Hagar was a victim of of Sarai. This is before God changed her name. She basically human trafficked her slave to Abraham, who then had a child. Because Sarai was trying to force God's hand, which you can't do, but they repented, God forgave them, and this is the beauty of Christ, forgave them and changed their hearts. They were born again. They were given new names. And then this covenant was made. It was. Reaffirmed, reaffirmed. And then it passes down. Through the generations and for Christians, it comes through the 12 tribes of Israel. Everyone's pretty much knows about Joseph and the amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. And that story of of the the roots of Abraham. Being promised a Messiah? Well, in a lot of Christian churches that are Restorationist churches, they believe they have to restore. What was once? Pure and so like Islam, it's it's similar. And the beauty in what I've discovered is what is right there, plain and clear in Matthew. When Jesus says I have fulfilled the law which is completed the covenant. And he is the. New and everlasting covenant. He is the temple that has promised to stop building temples. He is the. Only high priest and and yet there's this confusion even in Christianity, about the fulfillment of that covenant. And of course, when we get our lives turned over to Christ, we make a covenant with him, and that covenant is between, you know, it continues, but it's not the Abrahamic covenant, it's a personal covenant. So what are your thoughts on on that with the confusion even within Christian denominations?
Fouad Masri
I became a believer. Hallelujah, almost 40 years, and let me share with you for our listeners, you know some experiences. I had one of the struggles for me. I'm Lebanese, you know, we have issues as Lebanese is we don't know where we cannot play God. Today, there are many promises in the Bible. And God has a plan for the Jewish people in God has a plan for every nation. That's why Christ gave a Great Commission. The Great Commission was. All authority has been given to. Me. That's how it starts. All authority has been given. To me, where in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations I was growing up as a believer and think, wait a second, I would like this to happen. I'd like this to happen. Who's going to restore the temple? Who's this? Christ already told us. He's got the authority. He's got the play timetable. Not I. Even last October, something happened. I was watching on the news. I'm like, Lord, what? When are you going to do this and the Lord? Said to me. God, you do your. Job you do your job, I'll. Do my job. Many times we wanna. Play God and we split the church. And we split people. When I meet a Muslim, I'm not thinking or he's. Muslim and Christian. You know he's he's on one camp on another camp. That's what everybody does. Look, look how we separating us. They're separating us by skin color and education and money. And how did one guy said to me, how did you vote last election? Come on, Jesus doesn't want to separate. Christ wants to bring people together. Absolutely, according to truth. But your question is so important because we spend so much time discussing things. One we don't. Have the power. We're not God's. God is the God. 2nd, it's a timetable that he sent. Not, we said. It's so disheartening. Today in the 21st century that with all this technology, all this history, all the the information we have, that humans are not becoming more humble, they're becoming more proud full and you know, they don't want to believe in God. They don't wanna even obey God. Even you know, some churches want to change the text, the one guy said to me, well, we wanna take this verse out because, you know, really it doesn't fit our generation. You can't do that. You can't mom. God, God is God. And I I think today in the 21st century, we need to. Be more humble. And see God's power, God's salvation, God's change, us. You can't tell people to do something if they don't have the power to do it. I mean, you can speak, you can say I love your neighbor, love Muslims, you know, they just had an. By combating Islamophobia day. OK, well, great. How about combating jihad day? You know it. It's it's. You can't stop people from acting according to their nature because their nature is hateful and evil. You gotta bring something from outside that changes life. So your question is when there's. I don't know. My job is to be an ambassador for Christ. One of the things I like to highlight is Philip was not a very learned man, but Philip knew that he had something to share. So he broke the faniel. Then he went to the Samaritans. But one of my favorite story is when. The Holy Spirit. Else, fill up, go down to Gaza and as he's going there, he sees the Ethiopian treasure. Now you know the Ethiopian treasurer, he's not traveling by himself. There is a carriage and there's guards and everything, and then the Holy Spirit says to fellow walk closer. If you were just. The average Jewish fisherman. And you're trying to approach the carriage of the treasurer of the Empire. You could have been speared. You could have been cut your head off, you know. But he obeyed the. Holy Spirit and. He approached and he heard the man reading Isaiah and it says beautiful, he says. Do you understand? See one of the things that the book pushes and I want to highlight this. The last 30 years living in the US and doing ministry across the across this planet, the church has said. Set in the back seat and let someone else speak for us. People who have no business representing the Christian Church, the number one person that represents us is the person and the life of Jesus Christ and his teaching. He is the one we want to talk about. He's the one we want to put to the forefront. People say, oh, did you hear what this guy said? What this guy? I'm not invited him to follow that person. I'm invited him to follow Jesus and in the in the push today for us as followers of Christ, if you are listening and you follow Christ, my brother, my sister, there are neighbors who need to hear the message of Christ. They could be Muslim. If they're not Muslim, great. There are so many people, nominal Christians. Today, they need to understand the gospel. And so the push of the book is, let's be like Philip. 30 seconds of courage can change someone's life.
Speaker
Just 30 seconds to.
Fouad Masri
Say good morning. How are you? How can I help you? Could be a neighbor coming. Moving and you'll. See that moving truck? Say, oh, I'm gonna get them pizza tonight. Because they're probably busy moving or somebody you know comes and you know you have an accent like me, you'll say, oh, you have. An accent where you from? OK. Hey, you say? Well, yeah, looks. Like you're weren't. Born here. Oh, I'm. I'm a refugee from. Afghanistan. Oh great. Welcome to America. How can we help you? Or there are people now on our in our ministry involved in Europe and Africa and Asia? Yeah, I just returned from India. These people are hurting. And Christ says a beautiful verse come to me. All come to me, all who are tired and heavy burdened and I will give you rest. It's a it's a messenger that's giving us a beautiful message. It's a savior that's delivering to us the greatest hope that he is with us. He will solve the problem for us.
Paul Cardall
He is the Prince of Peace. I want to read. Some words I want to read something that's in the introduction of this incredible book and I'm I'm halfway through it. You just barely gave it to me, but in the introduction you say Muslims who managed to obtain a copy of the injil their Bible and read it for themselves are ecstatic to learn of its principles of justice. Because they're big about justice. But grace. And mercy, the concept of the equality of all people in the sight of God is refreshing to Muslim refugees escaping these sectarian wars. The Bible is clear that before God we all need salvation, whether Muslim or non-muslim, Sunni or Shiite, Arab or non Arab. God loves all people, and it's fascinating to me. How some believers like we're talking about, it's interesting the way they have perceived Jesus. And again it goes back to Muslims not reading the Bible. So they don't know what? It's about and there's a vast and and. How you say? A lot of Muslims have never read the Koran. It's the same with Christians. A lot of versions have never read the Bible, and so they believe a Jesus that is presented to them by a pastor. I think it's all misunderstanding. It's all about education. I want to talk about Gandhi for a minute because Gandhi, I think Gandhi is an example. Of how to bring peace, we're going to say temporarily. Peace to a nation where there is a there is a power that is that they're tired of. That's oppressing the people. They want to have freedom. They want to have grace. They want the ability to to do it. And he was a small, fragile man who would. Fast and he was extremely controversial. You would agree with me. But he created a nation for a time. Then Martin Luther King junior. If if you go to the museum where Martin Luther King Junior is married, you'll see that he was obsessed with Gandhi and the Gandhi movement. And Martin Luther King was a non violent Christian. And so why do we have? A problem as Americans. Feeling like and I I I I'm not a politicians. I don't understand enough. But why do we? Still, the need to stockpile weapons to protect ourselves. Is it fear?
Speaker
Right.
Paul Cardall
What is it because these other countries have had great leaders that have been able to bring peace through nonviolence.
Fouad Masri
One of the struggles that you really have a very important part is the lack of knowledge. The people perish because they don't know the word. So you're right, there's fear if I know the word some 91 at all, and the power of movies like in the media, like the chosen is, it's bringing up the word of God. And something that we understand. So praise the Lord for that and we're praying for more of this to happen, because those who don't want to pick up a Bible and read it, you know, they were raised maybe in a Christian home. Maybe they did the prayer at some point had a prayer of salvation. At some point. But they're not getting deeper because we get distracted, so movies and let bring out the word of God. Bring out these concepts that. Salvation is in the Saviour, not in politics. I'm not saying not to protect. Our country, so. Please, we need to pray for our nation and what I like about the believers. We have believers in in many Muslim countries and they pray for their own leaders who are Muslim and a Christian. But we, as believers are called to pray for our leaders, whether we agree with them or not. So you are absolutely correct. There is a. Lack of and disdain in the gospel. There is fear. The second thing that's happening today. They is, we think somehow we can help Jesus out. People come to our ministry even they think we're trying to help Jesus out. Christ is on the throne. The reason I'm in this ministry in this world because Jesus called me the people who are involved with us, whether they're from at any denomination, whether from America. This God is moving, so there's this lack of understanding on the character of Jesus, though I like the Constitution in United States. I like it, but. But you can tell me to love my neighbor. You can tell me we're all equal. But I might not treat them as equal. So the issue is not the rule, the law. The Thinker members are amazing, but people who break. In the 10 commandments. So it's this idea of Christ is the power. So and I like how. You read in the beginning because. I can share a couple of stories. Just happen one story, a Sunni from Kurdistan was given a Bible. And he's reading it. And every few hours he's calling on the cell phone to the person who gave it to him. And he's like, hey, did you know that Jesus says this in? The summer and the mouth. You know the and then he hangs up and. You know an hour. Later or they get a text. Did you know? Gina says this. And this is. The power of why we want them. To hear the. Words and Isaiah 55. It says my word doesn't come void. It it changes people, it doesn't matter your background and what you're saying. Yeah, maybe whatever you call these Christian nationalists and they need to hear the words of Jesus and some of them maybe consider themselves Christian. OK, what does the Christian mean? Christian means Christ in the person or Christ showing through that person. So it's very important to come back to the text. Come back to the words. That's why I'm very big on. Asking Muslims to read the Bible and making all their decision, this Islamic teacher, she told Islam in Damascus. But she ran away from the war. She was a refugee in Lebanon. I met her in the Bible study. The reason she joined the Bible study somebody gave her, they were giving rice and sugar bags. You know, the refugees. And they gave her a a New Testament in Arabic, and she started reading Matthew 1 Matthew 2. She gets this summer in a month. And she said to me, for I I told Islam I never read the Bible and I just reading and she's. But I don't know, but I'd love this Messiah. I want this Messiah and and that's what I like about the chosen. There've been other movies, but that the chosen series, the power of it, is we look in the text. I know they do creative things around the text, but the text comes alive in the drama and it speaks louder than anything. That's why. The word is is important for us, but the other thing I wanna make sure that people know is you don't have to get a PhD in this law. To share what you know about Jesus, whether the person you're talking to is whatever nationalist or Muslim background. Certainly Shia, whether they're Hindus, you know, Gandhi is known to have said to the British. I want. I want you, Jesus, but take your Christianity. I want your Christ to take Christianity. And I've seen that. Movie is very good and I was in January in his museum. He was a Gujarati and I was in the Museum of Gandhi. It's a wonderful to see how Christ impacted people who were educated. Gandhi was studied in the UK like. And then came back and said, look what's happened here is not right. But he took the Christ approach. Same with the civil rights movement, you know, thank God for a person like Doctor King because, you know, we could have all started shooting each other eye for an eye, tooth for tooth and never ended the the war. Now it's ended. Yes, you can't. Changed the heart. Only Jesus can, but the society has changed and it's in. Standing of how we live together and the slave trades, even the the the way that slave trade stopped was by godly men who loved Jesus, godly men and women who took a stand. I mean, it took forever for the Muslim world to even discuss that issue. It it took him at least 14, fifteen 1400 years, less than 1400 years. And now they say slavery is banned, but we're not sure. But Islam allows slavery, and that's another problem we deal with. So bring people to the word of God, these people who consider themselves nationalists and whatever say, hey, what does Jesus say about the stranger? What does Jesus say about working together? Christ says something very important that he has come to reconcile us with. God, we are supposed to be people of reconciliation, you know, not people of hate and killing. And So what is democracy? Democracy is to reconcile our differences for our common good. My bachelor's degree was in journalism. In media, I don't know what happened to American news, but. You you listen to the news and you get tired because you really not getting the news you're getting. You're getting the views, everybody's view, but they're getting the real problem. And so again, we go back to this, you and I us against them. And this is so sad, brother. What you what you brought up is the words changes the heart. Christ changes the heart and we need to speak up. We cannot let someone else speak on our behalf. So our we have a a big training coming here to Nashville called Saher Challenge. It's all about reaching Muslims, but our challenge for pastors, workers, teachers and 1st responders, nurses, if you are a. Father of Christ. You speak up for Jesus. Don't let someone else speak for us. It's we don't want to move it. Speak for us. We don't want somebody who's whatever invented something to speak for us. We have the words of. Christ, that speak for themselves.
Paul Cardall
So many. Are abandoning Christ. There were raised Christian and I. No, it's because. They haven't read the Bible for themselves. They haven't read the words of God, they've been told. How to how to live, how to be and and that's what's so important. I I believe everybody at some point with their beliefs, need to clear off the table completely. They need to clear the table. Off they need to. Have no bias. They need to put the New Testament. You know, if you want to go back and read the Old Testament, but they need to put the New Testament on that table and. Begin reading and. We notice Jay Warner Wallace, who is, you know, a well respected author and Christianity, but he's as a homicide detective and he was on. We have a podcast episode with him, but he said, look, the four Gospels disagree. On the details, but they Alltel the same story. Jesus set it up so there are four accounts. Usually it's out of the mouth of two or three witnesses, but there's four that we have, and if you go in and you dive in and you read those four gospels. You know, and then you continue on. You see a Christ that is the real Christ. Void of anything you've ever. Been taught you start to learn that relationship. Between you and him and. I think it's so powerful for Christians. Read the scriptures because then. They understand, they know. Christ in such a powerful way that they. Are able to share. With Muslims now, years ago you created Crescent Project and this is a ministry that educates. You mentioned you're coming to do a training here in Nashville and I guess more than 400,000 Christ followers have been a crit. Equipped through your ministry like that's almost half a. Million, which is mind-blowing. So kudos to you. Tell us more about Crescent and if people want to come to a training or how they can get more information, they need to buy the book. I couldn't recommend this more, but yeah, tell us about the Crescent project.
Fouad Masri
The book has a lot of principles. And the Bible that apply to even non-Muslims we found out that's the case in our ministry. I pray praise God to report that as of. March 1st, we have broken 500,000 mobilized believers. We are now in 96 countries. So through all our activities with the online materials resources, our finding is the following. The people who are saying we're leaving to Sherry, they're really leaving the church structure, the church. Uh, step. Englishman in America. We've lived in a society that's free and open, so we haven't. We haven't been really persecuted like other countries, but we're seeing in other countries we're seeing an increase in people following Jesus, not less. Now I can report a lot on other countries that are not working in, but in 96 countries that we are in, we're seeing an increase of coming. Now we haven't reached critical mass, but the website iscphope.org or Crescent project.org or cphope.org people can come. There's a ton of materials, there's QR codes. You can download things. Also, the training is on how to begin a conversation. And then how? To see a movement. Of the Holy Spirit in your in the community, we. Call that Sahara challenge. It's very fresh program with up-to-date information. It's designed like Ted talks like short messages, people who sign up can get more resources. But my challenge for us as believers is we need to get it revival in the church that the church is prioritizing more the activities. So everybody thinks church is you go, you know, one hour, God forbid, the pastor takes it longer, one longer message and then, you know, after that we go to lunch and then we go home, watch something. Sports or football? Something that is the way we designed it here in this country. But this is just because it fit our schedule. That is not what church is. Church is acts 2. 42 we come together when you're overseas. I love church overseas because it's not one hour. It could be the whole day they come. They fellowship, they bring. Their meals and and this is what you are seeing today, the new generation of love, Gen. Z and the students, because what they're asking. We want truth. We don't want falsehood. We don't want acting. We don't want somebody on stage jumping and you know, making theatrics. What is the gospel and? I praise God because God will never lose it. Generation never God will never lose a general. That movie Jesus Revolution, it's it's been going on for years. It just happened that we saw it in California. But the Jesus Revolution keeps going and Christ said the harvest is white. But as a good farmer, any any farmer listening knows that you don't harvest every feed, all the fields at.
Paul Cardall
The same time.
Fouad Masri
So God is moving. My chance for listeners, God loves you. Has a wonderful plan for your life. You matter to God, my sister. You matter, my brother. You matter. God has created you in the womb, and he has a wonderful plan for you to be sharing him with everybody. Especially if you meet. A Muslim person.
Paul Cardall
Thank you. Appreciate all your knowledge, your information and everyone the book is sharing Jesus with Muslims. Go to. Fraud's website. I will put all the information in the notes. One last thing I want to say is that Ephesians 4 is so critical to understanding the organization of Christ. And why we go to church. I want to echo what you said. Church is a. Building together of unlikely friends of strangers under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, therefore church. Meant to. Be a heavenly society, utterly unique in the. World Place where? The rule of. The Prince of Peace is realized imperfectly, but truly, and that is the beauty. Hi, priests. It's Jesus Christ. You go and you are shepherd. In the community you want. To get plugged in to fellowship. And you know, this is how we. Met we there was a fellowship with men. And you don't have to do it in the church structure, but it. Was so beautiful. So thank you. God, I appreciate. You and excited to learn. More about what you're doing, so thank.
Announcer
You so much.
Fouad Masri
Thank you, Paul. Great to. Be with you.
Paul Cardall
Alright, we'll see you soon.
Announcer
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