The Resurgence of Islam: The Response of the Church!

Islam in America: What do You Need to Know?
To be effective witnesses of Christ, we need to understand and face the challenges posed by other religions and cultures. Islam is a growing force in America today, so we asked Pastor Lutzer to outline a Christ-centered response and some steps we can all take to increase our awareness of Islam.
Q: Your article for the beginning of this newsletter was very pessimistic about the future of the church and the resurgence of Islam. Can you give us a little bit of hope?
A: I can. At the conference I learned that Muslims are turning to Christ in large numbers—in Afghanistan, and even in the Sudan and Iran. For example, in the Sudan it is estimated that one million Muslims have converted to Christianity since the year 2000! Pastors are being trained in caves, and Bible studies are held in homes throughout the country.
Incredibly, even though there were only about 500 known converts in Iran in 1979, the estimate today is many hundreds of thousands. I’m told that when Muslims saw the events of 9/11, many of them realized they were seeing the true Islam and now they are ready to want Jesus.
Q: What else can we do to help Muslims see Christ as the Savior of the world?
A: We need to develop strategic networks. Churches need to have conferences together to discuss Islam and dialogue with adherents of the Muslim faith. We must be willing to sponsor debates on Islam (not everyone can do this well, but it has proved successful on university campuses, etc).
Most important, our seminaries and Bible colleges must develop courses on Islam, teaching the students how to dialogue with Muslims in a way that will provoke their interest and lead them into a serious consideration of Christianity. We need able scholars who can give a reasoned response to the challenge of other religions and the radical ideas that are posted on websites throughout the world.
Q: As you pointed out, the situation in Europe is much more ominous than it is in America. Do you foresee a day when threats and intimidation from the Islamic community will affect us here in America?
A: Definitely. A few years ago we had a very knowledgeable missionary to the Islamic world present us with a seminar on Islam here at The Moody Church. He suggested that we not publicize it too widely lest Muslims show up and disrupt the meeting. The same was true when we had a convert from Islam give his testimony.
One convert from Islam whose expertise is Islamic law warned us as believers that the day will come when Christians in America will have to learn the art of martyrdom. Just as hundreds of thousands of Christians have been killed for being Christians in Islamic countries, the same might happen here in years to come.
Q: Can you end on a more optimistic note?
A: Yes! First, if we pray and seek God, He might graciously protect us from the Muslim threat. God often reverses the trends of history ... we don’t know what He has in mind for His Church. So, when we speak about the future, it might turn out much brighter than my pessimistic remarks.
Second, we in the West forget that it is a great honor to suffer and die for Christ. Thus, what we consider to be so terrible—and it is when looked at from the standpoint of human suffering—might actually be a blessing. Luther understood it well:
The body they may kill
God’s truth abideth still
His kingdom is forever.

Messages From Heaven: Is God Unfair?

Messages From Heaven: Is God Unfair?: The Great White Throne Judgment When Terrified Multitudes Stand Before God Unprepared There is no topic as terrifying as the Great Wh...

Is God Unfair?

The Great White Throne Judgment
When Terrified Multitudes Stand Before God Unprepared
There is no topic as terrifying as the Great White Throne Judgment…but what do we really know about it? Let’s look at Revelation 20:11-15 together.
Who is on this majestic throne?
We can be sure that Jesus is sitting on this throne, for God has “committed all judgment unto the Son” (John 5:22). Jesus is now the Judge of all the unredeemed. His throne is great, majestic, and being white, signifies His holy justice and impartiality.
Who are the defendants standing in line?
John continues, “I saw the dead, small and great stand before God.” They were summoned from all parts of the world, raised from the dead to give an account to God. John explains, “and the sea gave up the dead who were in it…” The ancients believed that if you died at sea or were cremated and your ashes thrown into the sea, the gods could never find you so you need not fear an afterlife. But God knows every particle of matter in the universe and thus summons all bodies, regardless of circumstances, to appear before Him.
John writes, “Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them…” Hades is the abode of the souls of all unbelievers who have died and who will die in the future. The souls in Hades are joined with their resurrected bodies that are fitted for eternity—bodies, I might say, fitted for the lake of fire.
The small and the great are there: the king stands among slaves; rich with poor; religious zealots with atheists. No doubt all religions are represented: Protestants, Catholics, Hindus, Muslims, etc.
On what basis are they judged?
A book is opened that details all their works. The basic principle: they will be judged for what they did with what they knew. To the pagan who has never heard of Christ, God will never say, “you will be thrown into the lake of fire because you didn’t believe in Jesus.” As M.R. DeHann wrote, “Hell for the pagan headhunter who has never heard the word of God is going to be heaven compared to what it will be for those who have heard the pleading of the gospel and rejected it.” But all who are at this judgment will fall short, for all lack the one requirement needed to enter heaven. Since their names are not found in the Book of Life (that is, the Book of the Redeemed), they are cast into the lake of fire.
For more on the justice of God’s eternal judgment, turn to page 4.
Is God’s Judgment Really Fair?
God’s judgment of unbelievers—especially those who have never heard the Gospel—is one of the most controversial doctrines in Christianity today. In fact, even many Christians have rejected the idea, choosing to believe that “everyone finds their own way to God.” So can a loving God condemn people to hell? Pastor Lutzer explains.
Q: You said that all the people at the Great White Throne Judgment lack the one requirement needed for entry in to heaven. I assume you mean belief in the Gospel?
A: Yes, and more specifically, they lack not only the forgiveness of God, but the gift of righteousness whereby we are declared to be as perfect/holy as God. The only person qualified to give us this gift is Christ; therefore only those who trust Him come under the shelter of His protection and are welcomed into heaven.
Q: Could you clarify what standard is used in this judgment?
A: Paul taught that those who do not know the Gospel will be judged by their own conscience and the light gleaned from nature. This judgment will show that no one has lived up to what they intuitively and rationally knew to be right. Now, as for those who have heard the Gospel, that is a different story. Jesus said that it will be more tolerable in the day of judgment for Sodom and Gomorrah than for those cities that rejected Him when He was on Earth. Clearly, those who heard the Gospel and rejected it—or those who had access to the Gospel as we do in America—will be more strictly judged.
Also, those who did evil will be given a lesser punishment than those who not only did evil but also influenced others to do the same. For example, Jesus said of the person who causes a little child to stumble, it would be better for him if he had a stone tied around his neck and drowned. It is one things for a man to be immoral; it is quite another when he publishes a pornographic magazine read by millions that entices people to be immoral. Judgment for such people will be immeasurably severe.
Q: Is the lake of fine the same as hell?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you believe in a literal fire in hell?
A: We can’t be sure because hell is both spoken of as a lake of fire and also a place of “outer darkness.” Perhaps those two ideas seem incompatible to us. The point is that even if these are figures of speech, what they represent is frightful and terrifying.
Q: It seems that eternal punishment is profoundly unjust. Okay, so these people knowingly did wrong, but after all, they were born sinners along with the rest of us. Temporary punishment yes, but eternal punishment sounds like overkill. Doesn’t eternal punishment fly in the face of common human compassion and fairness?
A: You have stated the dilemma exactly! I’m not sure I have an entirely satisfying answer to this question, but let me give some perspective. What if, as Jonathan Edwards said, the greatness of a sin is determined by the greatness of the being against whom it is committed? To throw a snowball at a mailman is one thing; to throw one at a policeman is another. And if you throw a snowball at the President of the United States, you will be arrested. Using that analogy, think of the infinite crime of sinning against an infinite God. Sin is much more serious to God than it is to us.
Also, because we are eternal beings, those who are in the lake of fire bear the consequences of their personal guilt forever.
Q: What do you say to the person who has a spouse or a son or daughter who has died as an unbeliever?
A: It comes down to this: God is repeatedly described in the Scriptures as meticulously just. We honor Him by believing and trusting in His justice, knowing that someday we will agree with all of His decisions and forever sing, “Just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints!” I have no doubt that those who are in the lake of fire will agree that they are being justly punished. After all, the sin they committed on Earth will be present to their mind and consciences. This in itself would be a form of hell. Difficult doctrine to be sure, but God is more incomprehensible than we generally believe Him to be.

Messages From Heaven: Oprah, Osteen, Jakes and Homosexuality!

Messages From Heaven: Oprah, Osteen, Jakes and Homosexuality!: I discovered a surprising silver lining to the recent controversy over Bishop T.D. Jakes "evolved and evolving" comments about...

Oprah, Osteen, Jakes and Homosexuality!

I discovered a surprising silver lining to the recent controversy over Bishop T.D. Jakes "evolved and evolving" comments about homosexuality, beginning with his unequivocal reiteration of his view "that marriage is ordained by God as a union between a man and a woman" and "that all sex outside of that sacred union is sin and that would include but is not limited to, homosexuality."

As one who had asked him publicly and privately for clarification, I want to thank him publicly, just as I thanked his representative who texted me his statement privately.

But that's not the surprising part of the story.

Instead, what's of real interest to me is that Oprah Winfrey has actually been criticized by gay activists for having Joel Osteen and T.D. Jakes on her network, since both of them affirmed on her airwaves that homosexual practice is sinful in God's sight. Yet she continues to welcome them to speak for her and does not consider them homophobic bigots.

Some would say, "But the reasons for that are obvious. They're both Word of Faith prosperity teachers, they don't preach repentance when appearing before secular media, and Bishop Jakes enthusiastically supported pro-abortion, pro-homosexuality candidate Barack Obama for president. These men are of the same spirit as the world, therefore the world loves them (John 15:18-23)."

I certainly understand those criticisms, but that is not the focus of this article.

What I want to emphasize is that today, there is no subject more volatile than the subject of same-sex "marriage" and the normalizing of homosexual practice, and the moment you say something as benign as, "I believe God designed a man to be with a woman" or "I believe it's best for kids to have a mom and a dad" you are labeled a homophobic bigot.

And if you say those things because you are committed to the Word of God, you are reviled in even uglier terms. You are just not a hater, but you are a hypocritical, fundamentalist, extremely dangerous hater, part of the "Christian Taliban." (This is just a small sampling of what you will be called.)

So I find it fascinating that, with all the criticisms that have come their way, both Pastor Osteen and Bishop Jakes held their ground when asked about homosexuality. Respectively, they told Oprah on her Next Chapter show, "I believe that homosexuality is shown as a sin in the Scripture" and "I think that sex between two people of the same sex is condemned in the Scriptures, and as long as it is condemned in the Scriptures, I don't get to say what I think. I get to say what the Bible says."

In spite of this, Oprah continues to welcome them.

Now, to be perfectly clear, I believe my appeal to the Osteens is as relevant today as it was when I wrote it last year, and I do hope that Bishop Jakes will be more careful when speaking to the secular media about these issues.

But I also find it significant that, on this significant moral and cultural issue, neither of these men have changed their viewpoints in order to appease the spirit of the age and neither of them have been rejected by Oprah (and, it appears, most of her audience).

Of course, you could make the case that if they rebuked sin and called for repentance the next time they were on Oprah (just as John the Baptizer, Jesus, Peter and Paul did; see Luke 3:1-14; Luke 13:1-9; Acts 2:36-40; 17:30; 20:21; 24:24-25; 26:20) that would be their last appearance on her network, and that could well be the case.

But for the moment, I'm going to use this all redemptively and, with a wink, tell a non-believing critic, "Hey, if Joel Osteen and T.D. Jakes believe that God loves all people but that homosexual practice is sinful and Oprah doesn't call them homophobes, then you've got no right to call other Christians homophobes because they believe the same things."

So, the next time someone tells you that you're homophobic for speaking the truth in love, tell them to take it up with Oprah :-). 

And in all seriousness, regardless of what you think of Oprah, Bishop Jakes and Pastor Osteen, the lesson here is that if you are a genuinely caring Christian, the better someone knows you, the harder it will be for them to reject you as a homophobe.

Messages From Heaven: A Sincere Question For Those Who Identify as Trans...

Messages From Heaven: A Sincere Question For Those Who Identify as Trans...: If you identify as transgender and have read my previous articles or book chapters dealing with transgender issues, you almost certainly ...

A Sincere Question For Those Who Identify as Transgender!

If you identify as transgender and have read my previous articles or book chapters dealing with transgender issues, you almost certainly count me as an enemy, not a friend, a transphobic bigot lacking empathy—or even worse.

And I understand why you feel like that.

After all, I still refer to Bruce Jenner as Bruce and use male pronouns when speaking about him.

That alone would brand me as a transphobe in your eyes.

But what if there is something wrong with today's understanding of transgender identity? What if our current approach is not the best approach? What if God has a better way?

Over the last 10 years, as I've interacted online or face to face with transgender men and women, some have been gentle, fragile souls, having suffered much over the years and are obviously very sensitive about such deep-seated, painful, and personal issues.

Others have been angry and hostile, to the point of posting violent threats and ugly wishes, reminiscent of the male-to-female transgender who threatened Ben Shapiro on national TV a few weeks back. (I had a similar, but less extreme, experience a few years back when a transgender "woman" challenged me in very male, macho terms. Somehow, "she" had not lost "her" masculine side.)

But even in the case of those who are angry and hostile, I recognize that there is often pain behind the anger, and in their eyes, people like me have played a big role in their suffering.

Someone very close to my family whom I have known all my life came out as transgender a few years back, and I reached out to him, telling him I wanted to hear his story in detail, without responding or arguing.

But after sharing a little with me via email, explaining decades of secret fears and shame and tears, he cut me off, wanting nothing to do with me anymore.

Others have reached out to me as followers of Jesus, asking about God's will for their lives after having sex-change surgery, while still others have spoken to me about their fulfillment as transgender Christians. And yet the longer we interact, the more pain and uncertainty I hear, almost as if they must continue to prove to themselves (and others) that they did the right thing. (Again, you can chalk this up to systemic "transphobia" or you can ask yourself if there are other factors at work.)

My question, though, is very simple, and I ask it not to be antagonistic but rather to foster discussion: What is the definitive test that demonstrates you are transgender?

I'm not talking about being intersexed or having an identifiable chromosomal abnormality.

I'm talking about someone who is a genetic male but believes he is a female (or the reverse).

What is the definitive test that confirms this identity?

It is true, of course, that I am not a medical or psychological professional, but I have consulted specialists in the field who have worked with transgender-identified individuals for decades, and I have read studies confirming what I believe as well as challenging what I believe.

I have seen the academic studies saying that there are brain differences between transgender individuals and straight individuals. I have read other studies that they say there are no such differences. And then I have read still other studies that claim that any differences in brain structure are due to the plasticity of the brain (in other words, they are the result of a transgender focus rather than the cause of it).

I'm quite aware of the pitched debate that took place within the American Psychiatric Association over the classification of gender dysphoria (formally gender identity disorder), and it's clear that politics were involved as much as science.

And I've talked with transgender individuals who are sure that, if tested, they would have a chromosomal abnormality or a clear difference in their brain, yet those I interacted with have transitioned without undergoing any such test.

I'm also aware that there have been no comprehensive brain studies of children who identify as transgender, charting their development over a period of years. (And let's not forget that studies indicate that many, if not most, children who identify as transgender, no longer do so after puberty and many of them subsequently identify themselves as gay.)

Recently, a transgender individual referred me to a trans-friendly website, Trans 101 for Trans People, thinking it would present me with useful information. (Actually, what I read there confirmed what I already understood.)

The very first question was: "Help! I think I'm trans. How do I know for certain?"

The answer said, in part, "You very well might be trans. At this time there is no test that will give you a definite 'Yes' or 'No.'"

And that is exactly the point I am making.

For the vast majority of trans-identified people, they are sure they are transgender not because of a verifiable, external test, but, ultimately, because their perception is their reality.

Where this can lead (and has led) is obvious, with people switching back and forth between genders by the day or hour, with others living as "gender outlaws," with others claiming multiple genders, with others choosing not to identify as any gender, and still others not identifying as fully human—all because of deep-seated perceptions.

Is it really so hateful, then, to suggest that we invest more time and energy and prayer to understand why some people, even beginning as little children, believe they are trapped in the wrong bodies?

Is it really transphobic to say that the very best solution is to help people find wholeness from the inside out?

Whenever I address these subjects in a church setting, I urge those attending to welcome everyone who visits their congregation with warmth and love, be it two gay men holding hands as they worship or, to all outward appearances, a man wearing a dress.

And I call them to pray for God's wisdom, power, and grace to have answers for those who struggle, being sure that there is a better way than celebrating transgender identity, putting children on hormone blockers, then subjecting them to the radical act of sex-change surgery, only to live on hormones the rest of their lives.

There must be a better way than this, and true love does not celebrate Caitlyn Jenner. Instead, true love prays for Bruce to find wholeness and peace.

You can call me hateful and transphobic if you like, and you can ridicule me as uneducated and bigoted, but if we all agree that growing up and living with the perception that you're trapped in the wrong body is painful and difficult, then let's join together and find God's best way to make you whole.

Today, we look back at old surgical and medical practices with shock, amazed at what was considered "scientific" and "cutting edge" back then.

Perhaps in the not too distant future, we will look back at today's "solution" to gender dysphoria—sending a girl to school dressed like a boy, putting her on hormone blockers, then prescribing sex-change surgery and more hormones for life—as utterly primitive and outmoded.

Perhaps we will find a better way.

Is it really "transphobic" to hope and pray and work towards this goal?