Php 1:12 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, 13 so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, 14 and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.
Below are excerpts from James White's analysis of Josh McDowell's video of his appearance at an Arab Festival. You might recall the recent arrest of four Christians in Dearborn, Michigan, for sharing the Gospel with Muslims there. At that link, you can see the video, which was finally released by the Dearborn PD.
Excerpts from Sharia Love? What is that? By James White
Let's leave aside, for the moment, the inappropriateness of the background music. The accusation that has been repeated for the past number of weeks is simple. How can folks like Josh McDowell get along just fine at the Arabic Festival but Nabeel Qureshi and David Wood can't? I mean, they are all Christians, and clearly, since we have video and audio, even Josh McDowell had cameras and recording equipment, just like David and Nabeel. So how come David, Nabeel, Paul, and Nageen ended up in the slammer, and nobody else did? They must have done something wrong!
Let me be clear here: Nabeel Qureshi handled that situation perfectly. I can only hope that in some small way I helped to prepare him to do that. Nabeel, well done brother.
This leads me to the odd statement made by Josh McDowell in the video posted above: "In two and a half days...not one argument, not one person has raised their voice, not one conflict. Yet every person walking out of here knowing that I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and I'd like them to know Him too. That's what makes it all worthwhile." Was Nabeel having an argument? If you call answering those questions an argument, then it must follow that McDowell never explained to anyone what it means for him to "believe in the Lord Jesus Christ" in a way that they can understand how that differs from their own profession of belief in Isa. The fact of the matter is, there is a conflict between Christianity and Islam. All you have to do is read the Qur'an and you will know this. Those young teenagers standing around Nabeel knew it. Their questions reflect it. If you are not talking about the things that separate us, just what are you talking about? In other words, loving, truthful speech to Muslims will be speech that involves conflict. That conflict can be handled with grace, like Nabeel did it, and like I try to to do it as well, but when you avoid the conflict, you are no longer speaking in Christian love.
But here is my real concern.Two times now Josh McDowell has posted a video with the phrase "Sharia love" in it. There is no such thing as sharia love. Ask the persecuted believers languishing in Islamic prisons around the world. Ask those who live in fear of death every day in lands where sharia is practiced. Ask those are beaten for proclaiming the gospel in Muslim lands. Sharia and love do not go together. Sharia is law, sharia is obedience, sharia knows no grace. It is an insult to the persecuted church to pass out fictional literature at an Arabic festival in the United States of America and call it "sharia love." True love, God's love, speaks the truth with clarity. Nabeel Qureshi was showing love to those young Muslim teenagers. May I boldly suggest that to be "nice" to those young men, while allowing them to continue in their soul-destroying deception, is anything but loving? You may well say, "Oh, but we hope to get a chance to talk to them later, in a better context." Who are you to boast about tomorrow? And what is more, please, pray tell, give me some biblical precedent for this. Where did the Apostles engage in the proclamation of the gospel in such a fashion? It seems to me that many of those criticizing Nabeel and David would have criticized Paul for going to Mars Hill, or right into the synagogues (which got Paul arrested, and even beaten, in the most civilized culture of the day, I might add).
Muslims need to hear a clear, clarion, bold, and authoritative proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They need to hear about a Jesus who is King of Kings, Lord of Lords, their Creator, about Whom they cannot be ambivalent. They do not need a Jesus, or a Christianity, that is soft and warm and gooey and unchallenging to the Islamic denial of its very heart and soul. There is everything good about pursuing relationships with Muslims. But do not confuse that process with evangelism and proclamation. It is the gospel that saves, a gospel that has been clearly proclaimed in language the target audience can understand. And that is what Nabeel Qureshi was doing when the Dearborn PD decided to arrest him for so doing. And after all the proper lawsuits have taken place, and justice (please Lord!) prevails, there is one sobering thought to keep in mind: woe be to any man, any woman, who stands in the way of the heralds of the King. A day of judgment is coming when that King will sit enthroned. Justice will, indeed, be done, if not in this life, surely in eternity itself.
End quote. For the full article and video from McDowell's ministry, go here.
Seems to me it was just an opportunity for Josh McDowell to sign autographs. I agree with what James White. There is huge conflict between Islam and Christianity. In fact, Islam has literally declared war on Christians, as well as Jews, according to the quran itself, not to mention the haddiths.
I have dealt with many Westernized Muslims online and I can tell you they claim to have a Jesus they call Isa, but that man was a Muslim prophet, not the Lord Jesus Christ who is God the Son, the Second Person in the Trinity, who died on the cross for sinners and rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures. You tell them that, you tell them who the real Jesus Christ is, and all bets are off. You tell them the truth about Islam and its false god and works religion, and they get angry. They hate the Bible and they hate God.
McDowell seems to infer that any conflict with Muslims previous to him was because they did something wrong and that he did it "right". I sense him gloating with an attitude of, "See, WE did it right! They love us! We had no problems! Aren't we great!" all the while merely signing books. Seriously, it reeks of PRIDE and false love.
Also, it appears that McDowell thinks that conflict is BAD. That's pretty typical of the American "Christian". However, that was not typical of Christ Jesus nor His disciples and the apostles. In fact, Jesus promised conflict. Really, He promised far worse than that. If conflict is bad, pray tell, what does he think about persecution? Where does that come in to play? Is that then, the fault of the evangelist? Listen to the words of Jesus and compare them to McDowell's gloating of "not one voice was raised, not one conflict":
Joh 15:18 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
Joh 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Joh 15:20 Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
Mat 24:9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.
Mat 5:10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:11 "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Mat 5:12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Mat 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
Mat 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Mat 5:15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
Mat 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Joh 15:21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
Jas 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Joh 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
Apparently then, according to Scripture, conflict for the sake of Christ is not bad; its expected and it is good. Its good because it means that we are proclaiming the Gospel clearly and boldly. Its also good because it means we are representing Christ Jesus well enough so that they identify us with HIM. Its good because it causes us to look to the sufficiency of Christ and God's grace, which will mature us in Him.
Conflict---persecution allows the Gospel to go forth out to the world.
Think about this: with the persecution of Nabeel Qureshi, David Wood, and the few others with him, came great exposure of the Truth!
With the compromise and silence by Josh McDowell, there was nothing. No one has heard a peep. It didn't make national nor international news headlines. It didn't catch the interest of senators or others in leadership.
Like Paul's unfair arrests, Nabeel and his group's arrest was actually for the furthering of the Gospel, starting with: the police who had to review the tapes, moving on to the news organizations, law-makers, bloggers, etc.
What a contrast!
I also note that the worldly, fleshly, inappropriate music for McDowell's video is another indicator of where they were at. It wasn't Christ honoring. It was an attempt afterwards to try to show the "unprofessionals" how its done. He was blowing his horn, patting himself on the back...thank GOODNESS he's not like Nabeel or David! Whew! It was truly a Rick Warren moment.
But what they did, as indicated on their video, wasn't just a pride issue, it using a song about worldly love and having the time of their life in that erros, and applying it to what they did at that festival. That, folks, isn't of God at all. No wonder the Muslims weren't offended by their "Christianity". Erros is the love the Muslims seek (they are motivated by sex with 72 virgins in paradise; they are allowed to have up to four wives, not to mention the absolute demonic perversion of Muhammad). Dumb Westerners are easily swayed by anything except the truth--and the Muslims---count on this---know it. This IS how they infiltrate the West. Arrogant, ignorant, silly "Christians" declaring fleshly love to a group of God-haters caught up in a demonic religion that has NO PROBLEM slicing thei throats....you couldn't get more absurd if you tried.
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