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Because we talk about the Kingdom so little, many are confused about what the Kingdom of God is. Dr. George Ladd, Professor of Biblical Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary, reminds us, “When the Word refers to God’s Kingdom, it always refers to His reign, His rule, His sovereignty, and not to the realm in which it is exercised.” In other words, the Kingdom of God is not heaven, or the Church, or some future millennial reign (although God’s Kingdom can be expressed in and through all of these). The Kingdom of God is wherever the authority of God is exercised.

Again, Dr. Ladd makes this clear for us, “The Kingdom of God is His kingship, His rule, His authority. When this is once realized, we can go through the New Testament and find passage after passage where this meaning is evident, where the Kingdom is not a realm or a people but God’s reign. Jesus said that we must ‘receive the kingdom of God’ as little children (Mark 10:15). What is received? The Church? Heaven? What is received is God’s rule. In order to enter the future realm of the Kingdom, one must submit himself in perfect trust to God’s rule here and now. We must also ‘seek first his kingdom and his righteousness’ (Mt. 6:33). What is the object of our quest? The Church? Heaven? No; we are to seek God’s righteousness — His sway, His rule, His reign in our lives.”

Sometimes the Kingdom of God is presented in such an esoteric way, we wonder how we would teach it to mature believers, let alone discuss the Kingdom with unbelievers. Perhaps this is because we have a tendency to discuss theory rather than nuts and bolts reality. If God is ruling today (in any form whatsoever), then I need to know not the theoretical meaning of His rule, but what is He doing? What does He want me to do? In what way does His rule affect my life?

If we teach the Kingdom of God as a theological theory or as a set of royal rules for redemption, then we have missed the entire point. The Gospel of the Kingdom of God is good news. It is good news because for the very first time we can identify the rulership of God and become loyal citizens in His Kingdom. But what does this mean to unbelievers? Is there anything here beyond the message of, “Repent and believe?” Yes, there is.

God is not only the ruler of the universe, He is its creator. Many of His laws are as much descriptive as proscriptive. In other words, I should not pour sugar into my gasoline tank, not only because the manufacturer says this is wrong (proscriptive), but because it will ruin my engine (descriptive).

E. Stanley Jones points this out when he says, “This Kingdom is built … within the structure of your being. You are built to obey the laws of the Kingdom. If we obey the laws written within us we are fulfilled; if we go against those laws we are frustrated and, if we persist we are broken. All is Love and all is Law. God doesn’t have to punish you if you break his laws written in you. … You don’t have to punish the eye for having sand in it, nor the body for having a cancer in it, nor the soul for having sin in it. As Augustine said, “sin and its punishment are one and the same thing.”

If we will share the teachings of the Kingdom of God with our Muslim friends, they may begin to apply them in their lives. Many of the principles of the Kingdom do not require that I be a citizen of the Kingdom in order for them to be effective. If a foreign spy were to come to America, it would not require that he become a loyal American in order for him to obey the speed limit. Furthermore, life will go better with him if he does obey the speed limit. When a Muslim obeys the principles of the Kingdom of God, it will not save him. But it will help him to see that God’s Kingdom principles do work.

Most of the teachings that our Lord gives us about the Kingdom are self-evident. Even when people deny the truth of Christ’s teachings, they cannot help but believe them. When I first arrived in a Muslim country, I spoke with a very hardened Muslim woman. She was a language teacher and had apparently encountered many Christians attempting to share their faith with her. She would have none of it. She was a Muslim and would not entertain even the smallest criticism of Islam. One day we were talking about life in this country. I asked her, “What is it really like for a family with more than one wife? Is this helpful with the household chores and raising of the children?” She sharply replied, “No, it’s not helpful. It’s hell!” She could deny the validity of the New Testament, but she could not deny its teachings which are woven in to our very nature.

When a Muslim considers trusting Christ, he contemplates a very costly act. Following Jesus could cost him his job, friends, family, freedom or even his life. How will he know if Jesus is trustworthy? How can he be sure that Christ’s claims are true? The same way that you and I learn to trust others – by observing how their words correspond with reality. If Christ’s words can be trusted, then He also can be trusted.

PRINCIPLE # 5 SEIZE THE INITIATIVE

Often, as evangelists, we are paralyzed with passivity. We are unable to talk to our Muslim friends because the opportunity does not come up. We find ourselves stymied by cultural limitations, linguistic limitations and even geopolitical events over which we have no control. In small ways and large alike, we often act as the victims of circumstances beyond our control rather than victors in Christ.

Like most of us, Zig Zieglar greets people with the familiar, “How are you?” When someone responds, “Fine, under the circumstances,” he retorts, “What are you doing under there?” This is more than just a snappy answer to a stupid question. This is a Biblical truth. We are not to be “under the circumstances.” We are to use the circumstances to further the Kingdom of God.

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it” (Mt. 11:12). The Kingdom of God is advanced by men who use the circumstances to the advantage of God. This is true whether we are talking about the circumstance of a bus ride or a circumstance of prison. It was said of the Apostle Paul, that, “he was in Caesar’s prison, but he was not Caesar’s prisoner.”

Prison opened up new opportunities for Paul to speak before the kings of the Gentiles and to share with those who guarded him. “As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ” (Phil. 1:13). To an outsider it seemed that God had given Paul lemons. Paul, however, decided that God wanted him to make lemonade. He did not passively wait for the right opportunity to show up. He made the opportunity show up.

We need that same “forceful” mind set. We need to seize the initiative. We should do this in two ways. First, we need to use the opportunities that God has given us , even making opportunities where none seem to exist. Second, we need to press people to decide for Christ by inviting them into the kingdom.

SEIZING THE INITIATIVE BY BOLDLY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES

Finding opportunities to share the gospel begins with prayer:

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Col. 4:3-6)

Paul asks the Colossians to pray that he would have opportunities to share and that he would be effective in his sharing. He goes on to encourage the Colossians to to “be wise” in how they act towards unbelievers so that they can “make the most of every opportunity,” to share the Gospel. In other words, Paul tells them to “keep their eyes open” for opportunities to share the Gospel. It is because they are to be sharing the Gospel that their speech is to be “full of grace, seasoned with salt.”

We must pray for opportunities to share the Gospel. James tells us, “You do not have because you do not ask God.” How often are we asking for opportunities to share the Gospel that day? And if we do ask, do we act as if God is going to answer? Do we act wisely towards Muslims we meet everyday in order to make the most of every opportunity? In other words, are we ready when God answers our prayers?

Paul challenges Timothy to be constantly ready to share the Good News: “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Tim. 4:2). We also need to be ready at all times to talk about Jesus. There is no such thing as an inappropriate place or inconvenient moment to speak about the Kingdom of God. We must eat, sleep, breathe and dream Jesus and His Gospel. Only then can we be ready, “in season and out of season.” Paul not only prayed for opportunities to share the Gospel, he prayed for boldness: “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should” (Eph. 6:19-20). Fear paralyzes us. Boldness liberates us.

The Disciples faced situations remarkably similar to our own. They were threatened with beatings and imprisonment for sharing about Christ. They were watched by the police and the future did not look good for them. How did they respond? Did they whine, “O for the good old days, when we could preach freely in the streets, when thousands came to Christ, before the authorities closed Jerusalem down to evangelism”?

No! They prayed for boldness: “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness” (Acts 4:29). How did God respond to their prayer? By giving them boldness and saying, “Well done,” in His own unique way: “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (Acts 4:31).

What characterizes our lives, boldness or paralysis? Are we the kind of people who can know someone day after day, week after week, year after year and never talk about Christ? Or, are we the kind of people who can be heard to say, “Speaking of baseball, what do you think about the Messiah?” If we are bold, people may think we are weird or rude or both. But, they will be presented with the claims of Christ and some will believe.

SEIZING THE INITIATIVE BY USING QUESTIONS AND OCCASION

Of course there are smoother ways to bring up the Gospel than the “natural” transition from baseball to Christ. Our Lord “seized the initiative” by His use of questions and His use of occasion (that is, natural events happening around Him).

Our Lord constantly used questions: ‘”But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” (Mt. 16:16). “Why do you call me good?” (Mk. 10:18). “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?” (Mt. 9:4). “Haven’t you read in the Law?” (Mt. 12:5). “Which is lawful on the Sabbath?” (Mk. 3:4). “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mk. 10:51). “Do you want to get well?” (Jn. 5:6).

We can use bold questions not only to answer spiritual discussions, but to direct their content. “Are you afraid of the fire when you die?” not only begins a spiritual discussion, but also directs it in the area of assurance, “Why do you think the Messiah is called the ‘Word of God?’” opens up a Christ centered discussion, and “Does God usually answer your prayers?” focuses us on our experience of God.

Our Lord also used everyday occasions as springboards to present spiritual truth. As an example, He used the occasion of a dinner invitation to teach about forgiveness and judgmentalism: “Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him . . . a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume . . . When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know . . . that she is a sinner.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Simon, I have something to tell you’” (Lk. 7:36-50).

Jesus used many other occasions as doorways into spiritual conversation. He used a well-wisher’s religious sloganeering to teach about the true nature of the Kingdom of God: “When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, ‘Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God’ Jesus replied: . . . {with teaching about the Kingdom of God}.” (Lk. 14:15-16). Misplaced bread became an opportunity to discuss Phariseeism: “The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. ‘Be careful,’ Jesus warned them. ‘Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod’” (Mk. 8:14-21). And, a traveler’s thirst became a vehicle to present eternal life: “Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well . . . When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, ‘Will you give me a drink?’ . . . Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water’” (Jn. 4:6-10).

Using questions and occasion to make opportunities for spiritual discussion is not easy. To do this effectively requires skill. But, this is a skill which can be developed through practice. We will try, fail, evaluate our failures and try again. God will bless our efforts, and after a time, these skills will become second nature. Once we have developed the ability to seize the initiative through questions and occasions, any situation can be made an opportunity to share the Gospel.

SEIZING THE INITIATIVE BY USING INVITATION

“It is not enough to teach the gospel; we must urge men to embrace it” (John Stott). Beginning a conversation about the Gospel in a meaningful way is a good start. However, victory goes not to he who starts well, but to he who finishes well. To finish well, we must invite men into the Kingdom, warn them of the coming wrath and urge them to obey God without delay. Proclamation without invitation is spiritual abortion.

We must invite a men to “come, taste and see that the Lord is good.” The man that we are sharing the Gospel with, may not be in the Kingdom simply because we’ve never invited him. We must not lose any opportunity to invite a man to participate in the life of Christ. This was John Wesley’s methodology. When asked, “What is the best method of preaching?” He replied, “(1) To invite. (2) To convince. (3) To offer Christ. (4) To build up; and to do this in some measure in every sermon.”

We are almost as squeamish about inviting men to enter the Kingdom of God as we are in opening up spiritual conversation in the first place. Many times we share the Good News with an individual, we respond to their objections and we even feel that there may be a hunger for Christ – but we do not invite them to follow Christ. This is tragedy!

Paul was not confused about his role as an evangelist. He pleaded with men: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). What argument, logic and evidence will not accomplish, passionate, love inspired begging will. We must never be too proud to beg a man into heaven or too civilized to scare him out of hell.

Speaking about the horrors of judgment seems to be out of fashion today. We must revive this forgotten emphasis. Unbelievers are unaware of the imminent danger that terrorizes their souls. They may be ignorant of their state, but we are aware that, “They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power” (2 Th. 1:8-9). General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, wished that all Christians could take a vacation to hell. He believed that they would return from hell with an unmatched sense of urgency in their evangelism.

It is not only essential that the importance of our message be reflected in our intensity, but also that we help the unbeliever “get off the dime.” There is a natural tendency among men to put off until tomorrow what can be decided today. We must not tolerate this. As John Wesley said, “There is always a blessing when we cut off all delay, and come to God now by simple faith.” This is why the author of Hebrews reminds us, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion” (Heb. 3:15).

It is our job as evangelists to help people understand that God has not promised them the rest of today, let alone tomorrow. This may, in fact, be their only opportunity to believe. No decision, is a decision not to follow Christ today. Finney understood this principle. It was said of him, “that he preached for an immediate verdict and not simply for contemplation. He made abundantly clear that you may do whatever you wish concerning the message of God – that is, accept it or reject it – but you will have to decide. Always he prayed and preached with such urgency as to convince his hearers of the extreme and eternal import of his words.” Often, we speak with such indifference so as to convince our hearers that our words could not possibly be of any eternal importance.

If we are to see Muslims come to our Lord Jesus we must seize the initiative by praying for boldness, praying for opportunities and watching expectantly for God’s answers to our prayers. If we are to see Muslims hearing the Gospel and putting their faith in Christ, we must seize the initiative by asking thoughtful questions and using God given occasions to present the Kingdom of God. If we are to see Muslims deciding to follow our Savior, we must seize the initiative by inviting them to experience life, begging them to escape hell and demanding that they not delay their decision.

PRINCIPLE # 6 SOW THE WORD

There is a famine in the Muslim world today. I am not talking about the many international disasters that plague the third world. I am talking about a “Gospel” famine. Look at what our Lord says about this famine, “I will send a famine through the land — not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD” (Amos 8:11). Unfortunately, most of us are not in the famine fighting business. People are craving the “pure milk” of God’s Word and we are giving the dry dust of our words.

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus instructs us how we are to labor in His Kingdom: “Then he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop–a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear’” (Mt. 13:3-9).

The first lesson that we can learn is that we are to sow the Word of God: “The farmer sows the word” (Mk. 4:14). The farmer does not sow his own words, even his own truthful words about the Kingdom. The Bible is clear on this. God’s Word is powerful. He has promised to bless His Word, He has not promised to bless our ours. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isa. 55:9-11).

God’s Word is powerful and He has promised to cause it to bear fruit. His Word will achieve the purpose for which He sent it. Do you ever feel that the person you are speaking to is hopelessly opposed to the Gospel, that his heart is as hard as a rock? God has an answer. His Word can break open that rock. “‘Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?’” (Jer. 23:29).

The Word of God must be prominent in all of our conversations with our Muslim friends. Charles Finney understood this. As Robert Cook reminds us: “The Word of God took first place in Finney’s thinking and sermon preparation. He says on one occasion, ‘I read nothing all that winter but my Bible.’ . . . This, of course, made his preaching immensely practical and on occasions terrifyingly pointed.”

I am not saying that we should debate the inspiration of the Scripture or talk about its value, but rather that we should do battle with the sword of the Spirit An open Bible should be the hallmark of our conversations with Muslims. This is what exemplified the ministry of Jonathan Goforth: “Never was he known to stand before a Chinese audience without the open Bible in hand, constantly referring to it as ‘The written Word of the One True God.’ In later years when asked by young missionaries as to the secret of his power in winning converts his reply was: ‘Because I just give God a chance to speak to souls through His own Word. . . That was Luther’s secret, it was John Wesley’s and never did man make more of that secret than D. L. Moody.’ “

The second lesson we can learn from the Parable is to “sow the seed” of the Word. Sowing is not the same as planting. The dictionary defines sowing as, “scattering seed over the land for growth.” This is different from what most of us think of when we hear the word planting. Planting is a much more deliberate and careful operation. I look for a specific place. I dig a hole. I plant the seed. I water the seed and in time, a plant grows. Normally, I expect one plant from one seed. Sowing, on the other hand, means scattering my seed, without a great deal of care as to which kind of soil it falls on (in fact, I may not even be able to identify the different kinds of soil).

We are to sow the Gospel, not plant it. We are to take every opportunity to present the claims of Christ from His Word, expecting that He will bless. This is why Paul exhorts Timothy, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Tim. 4:2).

What keeps most of us from sowing? Some of us, frankly, are ashamed of the Gospel. We don’t really expect that a Muslim, hearing this Good News for the very first time, might say to us, “Hear is water, what prevents me from being baptized?” But Paul says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Rom. 1:16).

The power of salvation is not in us, it is in the Word of God – it is in the Gospel. Some of us are waiting until we can share the Gospel well. We think that if our language can improve enough, if our grasp of the Word can improve enough, if our technique in sharing the Good News can improve enough, then we can be fruitful. But the power of salvation is not in our presentation. If we share the Gospel frequently (but with little skill), some will believe and receive life. It is more important to share the Gospel often than it is to share it well.

Look at what the author of Ecclesiastes says, “Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. [In other words, if we look at the potential problems, we will not get the job done.] As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. [Because we do not understand the process of God's work, we should simply be obedient to His commands.]

Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well” (Eccl. 11:4-6). Let us sow our seed diligently, frequently, and faithfully trusting that God will give the increase.

The third lesson we can draw from the Parable of the Sower is to observe the soil. What is the response of our hearers to the Word of God? Are we investing most of our time with those who are rocky soil, unresponsive and even resistant? Or, are we always looking for those who are open and eager to believe? Among those who have believed, do we invest most of our time with the fearful and the worldly? Or, are we giving ourselves to those who will reproduce thirty, sixty or ninety fold?

I am not suggesting that we only talk to those who, in our judgment, will be responsive to the Gospel. We are not omniscient. We never know when a Saul might be transformed by the Holy Spirit into a Paul. However, it would be foolish to invest most of our time with those who are most resistant, we should invest MOST of our time with those in whom God seems to be working at the moment. How do we find the balance?

We can picture our ministry as having three concentric circles. In the outer circle are those people we are meeting with but who have very little interest in the Kingdom. We should keep a relationship up with these people, always watching to see if God is working in their lives, but not investing a large amount of time with them. In the next circle are those whom God has clearly calling to Himself, but they may not be responding eagerly to His call. They should receive more of our time and prayers. Finally, in the inner circle are those whom God is calling and they are responding eagerly to His call. They should receive the lion’s share of our time, prayers and energy. In this way, we will receive the maximum benefit from the time that we have invested.

As we seek to sow the God’s Word, let us be sure that it is His Word that we are sowing, that we are sowing frequently and to as many as possible and that we are watching the soil in order to cooperate with the Holy Spirit.

PRINCIPLE # 7 THE FLAME OF ZEAL

Leonard Ravenhill says, “The symbol of the church should not be a cross, but a tongue of fire.” Certainly what marks out those who are greatly used by God from those who are just in the race is their zeal. Zeal (fire) characterized our Savior’s life. He is the one John the Baptist said would, “baptize in fire” (Mt. 3:11). In fact He Himself was baptized in fire. “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Lk. 12:49).

Zealous fire is the very nature of our God: “for our “God is a consuming fire” (Heb 12:29). It should also be the nature of His servants: “In speaking of the angels he says, ‘He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire’” (Heb. 1:7).

It is not only angelic servants who are to be known by their fiery zeal, but we also are to be marked by flame. Because the Spirit of the zealous God lives in us, we must be careful to cooperate with His nature: “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire;” (1 Th. 5:19). Furthermore, we must work to develop our zeal: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Rom. 12:11). The picture here is like stirring up a fire. The logs are there, the heat is there, it just takes a little work to make the fire burst into flames.

The flame of zeal is essential for the evangelist in at least three areas: prayer, leadership and usefulness.

THE FLAME OF ZEAL IS ESSENTIAL FOR: PRAYER

E.M. Bounds reminds us: “No erudition, no purity of diction, no width of outlook, no flowers of eloquence, no grace of persons can atone for lack of fire. Flame gives prayer access as well as wings, acceptance as well as energy. There is no incense without fire, no prayer without flame!” Prayers that would move the hand of our zealous God must be zealous prayers.

Yet, we are uncomfortable with emotion filled prayers. We want our praying reserved and dignified. Tear-filled shouting seems to us mere emotionalism. But, what was the pattern of our Savior? What example did He leave us? “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission” (Heb. 5:7).

There is nothing reserved about a fire. Fire is hot and visually “loud”, fire can hurt, but fire has no substitute. Passionate fire can move the heart of God in a way that the most learned arguments cannot. God loves zeal and He expects us to be zealous. This is why Jesus says, “Because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Rev. 3:16). Lukewarm prayers are given third-class priority in the Kingdom of heaven. Because we lack fire, we pray for the lost Muslims and see no results. Our prayers are not heard because we do not burn for the lost. “The world is headed for hell fire because the church has lost Holy Ghost fire” (Leonard Ravenhill).

We must learn to anguish for those in sin. This was the example that Paul gave us. He says, “Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?” (2 Cor. 11:29). In an even more telling passage, Paul declares his willingness to betray his own salvation for the souls of others: “I speak the truth in Christ–I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit — I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel” (Rom. 9:1-4).

We must cultivate the flame of zeal in our prayers. When we can cry out, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Gen. 32:26), and mean it because we burn for the millions of lost Muslims, God will answer us. If we have this kind of fire, we will be unstoppable in our prayers. We will not take “no” for an answer. If we want to see fruit, we must follow the admonition given in Isaiah and “Never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth” (Isa. 62:6-7).

THE FLAME OF ZEAL IS ESSENTIAL FOR: LEADERSHIP

Leadership without zeal is like a car without headlights. It is dangerous because you cannot see where it has been or where it is going. A zealous man may not be popular, but he is understood. In battle, popularity is not an asset. It is an irrelevancy. “If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?” (1 Cor. 14:8). If we are zealous, there is no doubt in the minds of our followers about who we are, what we believe and what we want to accomplish.

A young man once asked the great preacher, C.H. Spurgeon, “Sir, how can I communicate the Gospel as effectively as you do?” Spurgeon replied, “Douse yourself in kerosene, light a match and the world will come to watch you burn.” Fire communicates to those who would follow us by believing on Christ. When C. T. Studd said, “God speaks to me of a new Crusade, it burns in my brain and heart” no one was in doubt about what he wanted to accomplish. His zeal lit the pathway for others to follow him in founding the World Evangelism Crusade.

Zeal compels us to communicate the truth. Jeremiah, frustrated with the plan of God, tried to keep the truth of God to himself – but to no avail. “But if I say, ‘I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,’ his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot” (Jer. 20:9). In the same way, Paul takes no credit for his preaching. His zeal compels him to share the Gospel. He says, “I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:16). Peter and John give the same testimony. The threat of prison or suffering could not silence them. In their zeal they declare, “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).

Sometimes we are afraid of zeal. We do not want to have “zeal without knowledge” . We look on with horror at the zeal of Muslim fundamentalists. We may think, “If this is zeal, I want no part of it.” However, that reaction is wrong. Zeal is not bad. The object of our zeal can be bad. The expression of our zeal can be bad. But zeal, like love, is a holy emotion given by God. Zeal is the natural expression of inward reality.

People instinctively know that if heaven and hell are real, and if we truly know the living God, our zeal for Him and His Kingdom should be infinitely greater than our enthusiasm for anything else in life. Coolness and restraint are neon signs that tell the unbeliever that we live for this present world. Flaming passion tells the world that we live for eternity. Many Muslims will ask, “Why?”.

Unbelievers will be drawn from the coolness of lukewarm religion by the fire of our zeal. Unfortunately our lack of zeal can leave a vacuum that others will fill. Young Muslim men fall into fundamentalism because they do not find zealous people proclaiming the Truth of Christ. In America, most young people ensnared by the cults come from lukewarm Christian backgrounds. They needed to follow a zealous leader, but found only lukewarm religion in the church.

If we wish to attract the masses of Islam, we must “douse ourselves with kerosene” and burn brightly. Muslims are a zealous people. If we do not speak the language of zeal, we will never be heard above the noise of Islamic fanaticism. Only the passion of Christ burning in us will attract Muslims to our Lord.

THE FLAME OF ZEAL IS ESSENTIAL FOR: USEFULNESS

World changers are always men and women of fire. If we wish to accomplish the impossible, we must be consumed by zeal for God. It is through the zeal of God that His Kingdom is established and increased. “Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this” (Isa. 9:7).

In bringing the Gospel to Muslims, we face almost insurmountable obstacles. How can they be overcome? Only by God Himself. Who will God use to overcome these obstacles? Only the man or woman who burns with passion for God. There is nothing more significant, and more needed, in the Muslim world today, than a zealous man of God. D.L. Moody once heard a man say, “The world has yet to see what God can do through one man wholly committed to Him.” Mr. Moody decided to be such a man. He became the greatest evangelist of the 19th century. A zealous man wholly committed to God can be used by Him to crash through the very gates of hell. Only a zealous man can change a sin-sick world: “Give me a hundred men who love God with all their hearts, and fear nothing but sin, and I will move the world” (John Wesley).

Fire will also drive us to work on when others would quit. Because of His zeal, our Lord preferred sharing the Gospel to eating: “Meanwhile his disciples urged him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’ But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about.’ Then his disciples said to each other, ‘Could someone have brought him food?’ ‘My food,’ said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work’” (Jn. 4:31-34).

The additional drive that zeal provides is significant. The last ten percent of effort often makes the difference between success and failure. How many souls are lost to the Kingdom because we prefer the bed to the Bible? How often are we playing when we should be praying? How much of our time is occupied with television rather than telling others? The Baptizer in Fire is still looking for a man of zeal to accomplish His will on earth.

Give me a man of God – one man, Whose faith is master of his mind, And I will right all wrongs And bless the name of all mankind.

Give me a man of God – one man, Whose tongue is touched with heaven’s fire And I will flame the darkest hearts With high resolve and clean desire. Give me a man of God – one man, One mighty prophet of the Lord, And I will give you peace on earth, Bought with a prayer and not a sword.

Give me a man of God – one man True to the vision that he sees, And I will build your broken shrines And bring the nations to their knees.

George Liddell

Fire is powerful, but it is also costly. Are we willing to pay the price? The flames will consume all we possess – even our very lives. Our flesh fights against being a torch for God, but that fire will accomplish the work of God. We must put to death the desires of the flesh in order for the life of Christ to shine through us.

Others have faced the same struggle: “Am I ignitable? God deliver me from the dread asbestos of ‘other things.’ Saturate me with the oil of the Spirit that I may be a flame. But flame is transient, often short-lived. Canst thou bear this, my soul — short life? In me there dwells the Spirit of the Great Short-Lived, Whose zeal for God’s house consumed Him. ‘Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God’” (Jim Elliott).

May God help us to count the cost, pay the price, and be men and women of fire serving our God of fire in a combustible world.

‘O God my words are cold: The frosted frond of fern or feathery palm Wrought on the whitened pane — They are as near to fire as these my words; Oh that they were as flames!’ Thus did I cry,

And thus God answered me: ‘Thou shalt have words, But at this cost, that thou must first be burnt, Burnt by red embers from a secret fire, Scorched by fierce heats and withering winds that sweep Through all thy being, carrying thee afar From old delights. Doth not the ardent fire Consume the mountain’s heart before the flow Of fervent lava? Wouldst thou easefully, As from cool, pleasant fountains, flow in fire? Say, can thy heat endure or can thy hands be strong In the day that I shall deal with thee?

‘For first the iron must enter thine own soul, And wound and brand it, scarring awful lines Indelibly upon it, and a hand Resistless in a tender terribleness Must thoroughly purge it, fashioning its pain To power that leaps in fire. Not otherwise, and by no lighter touch, Are fire-words wrought.’

Amy Carmichael

PRINCIPLE # 8 FAITH

Pointing to the Bible, Leonard Ravenhill said, “Some day someone is going to believe this book and put us all to shame.” The Bible is a supernatural book. Those who believe it should be characterized by supernatural activity. Our Lord Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (Jn. 14:12). Are we doing greater things than Jesus? Are we even doing things like the works of Jesus?

We have a carefully cherished collection of excuses to explain our lack of faith. Some of those excuses are spiritual (i.e. Miracles ended with the Apostles. We have the Bible today, we don’t need miracles; etc.). Some excuses are social (i.e. Supernatural answer to prayer is for the naive – those who are not spiritually mature. We don’t want God to answer our prayers supernaturally, people might begin to trust in experience more than in God). Some excuses are silly (i.e. God answers prayer in three ways, “Yes,” “No,” and “Not right now.”). But, whatever the category, excuses are like armpits – we all have them and they all stink.

If we are not to be experiencing supernatural intervention by God as a regular part of our ministry, and we wish to excuse this, then we must re-write the Bible. If we are not to be experiencing miraculous answers to prayer as a normal part of our ministry, and we believe this is God’s will, then Jesus has deceived us. He clearly promised time and again that He would work on our behalf in a tangible, miraculous, supernatural way.

If these promises were only for the Apostles or only for the Apostolic era then we must join the Muslims in believing that some scriptures are abrogated by others. If miracles stopped being a part of normal Christian ministry at the end of the first century, then we have every right to ask God why He left the book, First Abrogation, out of the Holy Scriptures. Without a guide, how are we to know which promises are valid for today and which were valid only in the early church?

The promises of God are valid for today and are essential for Christian living. “Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Pet. 1:4). The promises of God are for us and are to be used by us. “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God” (2 Cor. 1:20).

Many have taught that God answers prayers in three ways, “Yes,” “No” and “Not right now.” This is one of the most ridiculous teachings that we have developed to excuse our lack of power. This teaching reminds me of an “executive decisionmaker”. An “executive decisionmaker” is a machine that will respond with a “Yes,” “No” or “Maybe” when a question is asked. This is not Biblical prayer. Let me illustrate how our praying is like an “executive decisionmaker”. If I say to a light bulb, “O light bulb, please let it rain tomorrow,” there will either be rain tomorrow, no rain or it will rain sometime after tomorrow. The fact that the light bulb is an inanimate powerless object has no effect on my “prayer relationship” with it as long as “Yes,” “No” and “Not right now” are all acceptable answers.

If this “executive decisionmaker” theology is our normal experience with prayer, then our prayer relationship with God is no different than the Muslims’ prayer relationship with God. In fact, it is no different than an agnostic’s relationship with a “Higher Power.” If this theology is true, we must re-write the Bible, “Ask and it might be given to you. Seek and you could find. Knock and the door could possibly be opened to you. For some people who ask receive; sometimes those who seek find; and to those who knock the door is occasionally opened” (Matthew 7:7-8 Executive Decisionmaker Version).

If we want to see large numbers of Muslims coming to Christ, we must repent of our faithlessness. Our Lord did not rebuke His disciples for many things. The Gospel records seem to gloss over many of the failings and shortcomings of the disciples. However, a lack of faith was sternly and frequently rebuked: “He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’” (Mt. 8:26). “‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’” (Mt. 14:31). “He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith’” (Mt. 17:20).

The reason that many of us are not seeing God move today has nothing whatsoever to do with theology. It is due quite simply to a plain, old fashioned lack of faith. This makes us uncomfortable. We would like to believe that God will accomplish His work regardless of my faith. The Scriptures contradict this. Faithlessness severely limits what God can do through our lives. Jesus could not work greatly among people who had no faith. “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith” (Mt. 13:58).

In some way that I find difficult to comprehend, faith releases the power of God to work in our lives. Because of her faith, a woman received healing from Jesus for her daughter. “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted” (Mt. 15:28). Jesus clearly teaches that God works in our lives in proportion to our faith. He will give us what we believe Him for: “According to your faith will it be done to you” (Mt. 9:29). In fact, because faith is so essential to the supernatural work of God, Jesus sometimes said that faith (rather than God) healed someone: “‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’” (Mt. 9:22).

Jesus has promised to do virtually anything we ask in His name. “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (Jn. 14:13-14). This is not some obscure quotation taken out of context. This is at the heart of our Lord’s teaching. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (Jn. 15:7). “Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name” (Jn. 15:16). This promise is repeated more than a dozen times.

Yes, there are some conditions. But God forbid that we should articulate the conditions in such a way that we castrate the promise. It is clear from the words of our Lord that He wants His promises to fill our horizons. He shares conditions with us in order that we can more effectively use the promises – not to nullify those promises. Some of us use the conditions of God’s promises in order to explain why He is not moving our our behalf. However, the main condition to the promises of God is faith. The main reason that we are not seeing God bringing Muslims to Christ through our lives, is our own lack of faith.

Like Peter, we look at the waves and sink. But unlike Peter, we do not recognize that the problem lies in our own lack of faith. Hudson Taylor pointed this out: “How often do we attempt to work for God to the limit of our incompetency rather than to the limit of God’s omnipotency?”. God has given us carte blanc access to His omnipotency. Let us not shrink back from this authority in fear. Yes, there are conditions to His promises, let us learn to meet those conditions in order to see the salvation of our God revealed among the Muslims peoples of this generation.

How can we lay hold of the promises of God? How can we see Him move powerfully on our behalf? Here are seven practical steps that we can take:

1. Believe big. God’s primary purpose for working through our lives is not to use us. He is not working through our lives because He cannot find better channels for His grace. He is working through our lives to bring glory to His name. The little things, the insignificant things, the meaningless things that we often ask God for do not bring glory to His name. Listen to the challenge of Dawson Trotman, the founder of the Navigators: “Do you know why I often ask Christians, “What’s the biggest thing that you asked God for this week?” I remind them that they are going to God, the Father, the Maker of the Universe. The One who holds the world in His hands. What did you ask for? Did you ask for peanuts, toys, trinkets, or did you ask for continents? I want to tell you, young people, it’s tragic! The little itsy-bitsy things we ask of our Almighty God. Sure, nothing is too small – but also nothing is too big. Let’s learn to ask our big God for some of those big things He talks about in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto Me and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things that thou knowest not.”

Ask for things that are going to get God excited. God is anxious to answer our really big requests. “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chr. 16:9). Reverently speaking, God is sitting on the edge of His throne looking for people who will believe Him for great things. When He finds them, He will not disappoint their faith. “Attempt great things for God. Expect great things from God” (Wm. Carey).

2. Believe in small steps. It is a noble thing to believe God for a million Muslims to come to Christ. However, a million of anything is unreal to most of us. Some people who have high and lofty faith goals will wake up one day realizing that they have accomplished nothing. It is easy to go on “believing God” for big things because they are far away in the future. I can never know if God is responding to my faith now.

In order to see a million Muslims come to Christ, you must see a thousand believe. In order to see a thousand Muslims believe, you must first see a hundred born again. In order to see a hundred born again, you must first lead ten to Jesus. In order to lead ten to Jesus, you must first be used by God to bring one to faith. Believe God for great things, but believe Him in steps. Believe God for small steps that you can verify, steps that will increase your faith as you see God moving on your behalf. Small steps do not take the place of big goals. You cannot see a million Muslims come to Christ until you have seen one.

3. Believe specifically. If we are going to experience power with God, then we must be brutally honest with ourselves and others. General, vague requests become a haven to protect us from the reality of unanswered prayer. Our prayers must be specific in order that we may know if they are being answered. If our prayers are not being answered, then we can seek God as to why. But if we never know whether our prayers have been answered because the request was so vague.

“Faith must be definite, specific; an unqualified, unmistakable request for the things asked for. It is not to be a vague, indefinite, shadowy thing; it must be something more than an abstract belief in God’s willingness and ability to do for us. It is to be a definite, specific asking for, and expecting the things for which we ask. Note the reading of Mark 11:23 ‘And shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatever he saith.’ Just so far as the faith and the asking is definite, so also will the answer be” (E.M. Bounds).

Asking God for a Muslim to come to Christ is a vague request. Any Muslim who comes to Christ through any ministry at any time can be considered an answer to that request. I cannot grow to those types of requests. A better prayer would be, “Lord, lead one Muslim to Christ through our ministry in this city by the end of November.” This request will stretch my faith. At midnight on the 30th of November, I will know whether God answered my request or not. If He did, I can rejoice. If not, at least I can honestly go back and ask why. Let us resolve that we will no longer walk in the darkness of duplicitous generality, but rather our prayers will be characterized by honest specificity.

4. Believe according to God’s promises. Hold God accountable to what He has told you. This will mean getting some long hours before Him in order to hear what He wants to promise you regarding evangelism, Muslims and fruit. If I have a million dollars in the bank, but I am unaware of that fact, I cannot spend it. The promises of God are worth more than all the money in the world. However, if we do not know what these promises are, we cannot claim them. If we know them, but they are not rooted in our hearts, we cannot hold fast to them. Only by claiming and holding fast to the promises of God do we see Him move in a mighty way on our behalf.

5. Believe personally. Believing in God’s ability to answer prayer is not a mark of spirituality. “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder” (Ja. 2:19). Satan believes God answers prayer, but he is not spiritual. The difference between intellectual belief and faith is personal. Intellectual belief says, “God can do this” (i.e. heal the sick, raise the dead, bring Muslims to Himself, etc.). Faith says, “God will do this thing for me.” If we are going to see Muslims come to Christ, we must believe not only that God can save Muslims, but that God will save Muslims through me.

6. Believe God for what HE WANTS to accomplish. In John 14:13-14, John 15:7 and John 15:16 we have three of the most remarkable promises from the Word of God. We have already looked at them. They promise us anything – but do they really?

“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (Jn. 14:12-14).

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (Jn. 15:7-8).

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit–fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name” (Jn. 15:15-16).

John 14:13 says, that we can ask for anything in Jesus name, but John 14:12 says that we should be doing even greater works than He did. John 15:7 says that we may ask whatever we wish, but John 15:8 says that we should ask in order to bear fruit. John 15:16 says that the Father will give us whatever we ask in His name, but John 15:15 says that this promise is to be used in our family business – the business of bearing fruit.

The great promises of God were not given to us simply to meet our personal needs. When we entered the Kingdom of God, we came under the authority of a King. Our King has given us resources to aid Him in His work. As Greg Livingstone says, “The family business of God is saving souls. Most of us are pleased to be in the family, but we don’t want anything to do with the family business.” Prayer works on the same principles as a family business. The Father’s resources are there to help us with our personal needs. However, if we want to be entrusted with more resources, we must be sure the lion’s share of our resources are being used to further our Father’s business.

7. Believe in a costly way. If we wish to see God do mighty works on our behalf, we must, in obedience, place ourselves in situations where God’s mighty work is needed. I often ask groups, “How many of you would like to see me part the Red Sea?” Of course, most believe that I cannot part the Red Sea. But, I assure them that I am speaking hypothetically. Once they understand it’s hypothetical, all the hands go up. Everybody wants to see a miracle – and a big miracle is better than a small miracle. I then ask, “How many of you would like to be surrounded by Pharaoh’s hostile armies, with your backs to the Red Sea and without a fighting chance?” No hands ever go up. But this is exactly where we must be if we want to see the Red Sea parted.

God does not do magic tricks. He does not perform miracles to impress us with His supernatural powers. We will see God move in a mighty way when we are in a position where we must see God move in a mighty way. We cannot “hedge our bets” with God. If we are trusting God to move mightily on our behalf, we cannot have a plan “B ” in case He does not. God will honor this kind of costly faith.

We face an immovable object. We need an irresistible force. Hudson Taylor understood this: “We are asked to do an impossible task, but we work with Him who can do the impossible”. Now that we know that faith is the key to seeing God do impossible things, we may be tempted to cry out with the Apostles, “Lord, increase our faith!” (Lk. 17:5). But He told them, that they did not need more faith, they needed to exercise the faith that they had. “He replied, ‘If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you’” (Lk. 17:6).

As we face the impossible mountains of the Muslim world, let us obey the admonition of our Lord and “have faith in God”. “‘Have faith in God,’ Jesus answered. ‘I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours’” (Mk. 11:22-24).

PRINCIPLE # 9 LOVE

I once heard Lorne Sanny, past President of the Navigators, give his three secrets for evangelism: “The three overriding principals in evangelism are: number one – love people; number two – love people; number three – love people”. He was right. Without love, every principle of evangelism recorded in this booklet is useless. We may be spirit filled, embrace the cross, preach the Word, offer our testimony and believe God for miracles, but without love, it is nothing.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love

1 Corinthians 13

We should make it a practice to meditate on 1 Corinthians 13 regularly. The stresses and strains of cross-cultural living, as well as the combative nature of Islam, make it very difficult for us to consistently exercise love. Yet this is exactly what is required, if we are to be effective evangelists among the Muslim peoples. As evangelicals, we specialize in theological correctness and commitment. And yet, our Lord did not say it was by our theology that men would know us. “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (Jn. 13:35). Love identifies us as followers of Jesus.

Love is difficult enough to express in any situation. But, we face an even greater challenge. We are expressing love cross-culturally, and we begin on an historically uneven playing field. The history of Muslim-Christian relations is filled with oppression, bigotry, greed and violence. It is not the job of the evangelist to judge what was started by whom, when. Instead, we must strive to understand and feel the pain of those with whom we would share the Gospel.

In the minds of most Arab Muslims, no historical event so typifies Muslim-Christian relations as the Crusades. To an Arab mind, events that took place a thousand years ago can be as politically explosive as an event taking place today. Their view of history is fuller and deeper, in many cases, than our own. Most of us have only the vaguest notions of what the Crusades were, when they took place and why they took place.

The Crusades Through Arab Eyes, is a book that every Muslim evangelist should read. It may be especially helpful to look at description of the siege of the city of Ma’arra. Although this passage is long, no other incident recorded in this book so powerfully explains the historic undercurrents of antagonism between Muslims and Christians.

Next

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