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Are "Allah" and "God" the same?  This is one of the questions I receive the most as I travel and speak across the United States.  This question is asked by Christians and Muslims.  In Malaysia it is presently a hot topic that has even invoked violence.  In January, 2009 the government of Malaysia declared that Christians could not use the word "Allah".  On September 11, 2009 over 15,000 Bibles were confiscated for translating "Allah" for "God".   The Catholic Church appealed the decision and on December 31 the court ruled that "Allah" was legal for Christians to use in referring to the "God" of the Bible.  Since that decision some fundamental Muslims have burned, ransacked or completely destroyed eleven churches.  Fundamental Muslims argue that "Allah" of the Qur'an is not the same "God" of the Bible.

Christians have also divided sides on this issue.  There are some who argue for "Allah" being the same and others who say no.  The title "Allah" is not found in the Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek texts.  The revealed name of God is YHWH and is usually rendered as Yahweh.  So what is the answer?

"Allah" was a name for "God" in pre-Islamic days.  In fact Muhammad's father's name was Abd-'allah'.  There is some evidence that Christians of pre-Islamic Arabia even used the title.  Therefore, "Allah" is a legitimate pronoun for a supreme being.  

When the Arabic Bible was first translated it used the Hebrew  "Elohim" (self exsistant one) for "Allah" and the Greek "Theos"(supreme being) for "Allah".  In the same way the English word "God" is not found in the original texts of scripture.  The word comes from Anglo Saxon and Germanic roots as a generic pronoun to mean supreme being.  In the scriptures "Elohim and Theos are translated as "God" for English.

When I was in Iraq visiting the Christians and Muslim background believers in Jesus, I heard them use the word "Allah" in their worship and prayers.  I worshiped with them as I recognized this Allah as the Son of Righteousness and they quoted scriptures from the Bible. 

Historically "allah" and "god" were titles referring to pagan or idol deities. Man has created many "gods" or "allahs" in the world.  The translation of these words for Elohim and Theos were actually a redemptive work by connecting the idol names to the God of the Bible.  The real issue is which allah is a person referring to? The Allah of the Bible or the Allah of the Qur'an.

While there are many similarities between the Allah of the Bible and the Allah of the Qur'an the ultimate issue is what are the differences and can they be reconciled?  The real problem is the difference in their character.  Allah of the Qur'an demands that Muslims fight (jihad) on behalf of Islam while Allah of the Bible commands that vengeance is His and that followers of Christ should not seek revenge.  Allah of the Qur'an commands Muslims to resist their enemies.  Allah of the Bible commands believers to love, bless and pray for their enemies.  Allah of the Qur'an cannot be known.  Allah of the Bible is known and reveals himself in the form of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Allah of the Qur'an is a war god and his greatest commandment is obedience.  The Allah of the Bible is love. The greatest commandment of Allah of the Bible is to love God and love others.  

These differences cannot be reconciled.  Therefore, the Allah of the Qur'an is a different God of the Allah of the Bible.  Next time someone asks you if "Allah" is "God," ask them which "Allah"?  The Allah of the Bible or the Allah of the Qur'an?

If this article is helpful to you we encourage you to share it with others and even share your thoughts on our blog.   If you would like to have me speak at your church please contact me.  If you would like to donate to this work please click here.

Muslim worldwide are seeking an eternal hope

Hope comes to every soul who is born of the spirit of God through Jesus Christ.  Muslims are experiencing a new hope across the world by finding faith in the Son of God.   "Muslim" means slave or obedience to Islam.  Muslims are obedient to Islam out of fear of Allah.  Fear is the spirit that perpetuates Islam.  According to the Qur'an the weapon of Allah is to inflict "terror" upon the infidels. (Surah 3:151)  Islam teaches that a Muslim cannot have assurance that they are going to heaven, so all Muslims fear judgment day before Allah.  When Muslims become a new creation through Jesus Christ the old spirit of fear is replaced with a new spirit of HOPE.

"If the spirit of fear was removed from the Islamic world today half of the Muslims worldwide would become a Christian." shares Mujahid El Masih, a Muslim background believer from Pakistan.  An American worker to the Muslim world shares that former Muslims testify they enjoy the colors and smell of flowers for the first time after being born again.  This report may sound random, but a divine hope gives a new perspective on life, even the enjoyment of flowers.

Romans 8:24  "For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?"

SOM has supplied camels to transport the gospel

What exactly is the hope that Muslim background believers are finding?  These new believers share their answer with me all the time. In essence they testify that it is the love of God demonstrated by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.  Like a woman waking from a coma is the Muslim who comes to faith in Christ.  Their world is changed.  The hope they hold is too great to hide.  It must be shared with others.  These believers begin witnessing their faith to other Muslims.  They experience rejection, torture, imprisonment and all sorts of persecutions but the hope they have is greater than their suffering.  They are truly martyrs of love with a growing fearless hope.

Abraham is a Christian I meet in Egypt.  He had little hope because peace with God had evaded him.  He was desperately seeking God reading the Bible and the Qur'an.  Both books conflict with each other on the nature of Jesus.  In his testimony he shares, "All these thoughts bombarded my mind and fought in my heart.  I was afraid of God's wrath that came upon infidels.  Whenever I knelt down for prayers, I cried from the bottom of my heart, Oh, God, show me the truth.  If Mohammed is right, I will follow Him until I die.  If Christ is right, I will follow Him until I die. I would give my whole life to you and serve You at whatever the cost may be.  I kept repeating this prayer until Christ came to me in a vision.  He said to me in His kind voice, I love you."

"...I was so happy, dancing like a small child and praising God.  Being a fair judge, God sentenced His Son to die in our place so we don't have to spend eternity in hell." Into the Den of Infidels, with permission from The Voice of the Martyrs. {This book is available at our outreach web site}  Abraham has experienced much persecution for his faith.  He is a faithful witness of Christ and continues to share his testimony with others.

Spirit of Martyrdom, in partnership with The Voice of 

the Martyrs, Youth 4 the Kingdom and other ministries, support the living martyrs like Abraham.  We serve by providing testimonies to encourage the underground Church. Spirit of Martyrdom is engaged in equipping the Church to courageously witness the gospel to Muslims.  We do this through speaking engagements, materials, and web education.

 

Thank you for your relationship with us through prayers, advocacy, and support.  What can you continue to do?  Foremost our brothers and sisters in Christ need your prayers to stand strong in the midst of persecution. Second, help your church family grow in their passion for God's worldwide work by inviting us to come speak.  God is advancing His kingdom.  Consider being a partner with us in ministry.  Your monthly sponsorship empowers us to increase the eternal hope to a hurting world.

in Africa

Aissatu (I Sa' Tu) is joyful, full of life, and vigor. She is a Muslim background believer in Jesus from Guinea Bissau,(GB) Northwest Africa. Her testimony is a story of sadness and pain to joy and fearless love.

  

At three years old, she was orphaned and taken in by her aunt. Aissatu was treated by them as a second class citizen, a level above a slave. Growing up she knew very little love. As a Muslim she was taught about Allah--he was the supreme being and demanded obedience. Muslims aren't taught the sacrificial love (Agape) of Yahweh (God of the Bible)--it's not taught in the Qur'an and unknown by Muslims.

Aissatu married a Muslim man and bore four children. Her husband was a hard man who would beat her and withheld food and money from her and the children. Aissatu had to forage food for her family to survive. Finally, he threw her and the children out. He divorced her and married two other women.

[Living as a single mom in Guinea Bissau, Africa is difficult. In July 2006 the World Bank reported GB the sixth poorest nation in the world. Nearly eighty percent of its citizens make less than $2 a day. The life expectancy is 48 years old. There's no central electricity, water, sewer, and trash services. There's no central banking. The roads and the floors of homes are dirt. One day during our visit it took five hours to drive 60 miles in a Toyota Land Cruiser. The eastern part of Guinea Bissau is 90% Muslim population. We were told, by our contact, that there are over 1000 villages and only 100 of these have seen the Jesus movie or heard any proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.]

Aissatu found a job repairing roads under the hot African sun. She had to break rocks into 

smaller pieces and patch pot holes. In 2001 she was at a breaking point. She was starving, grueling under heavy work, and faced the daily difficulties of raising four young children. One night after exploding in anger at the children she ran out of her shanty home, onto the road, and threw herself to the ground. She cried out for help to the only God she knew,  Allah. Suddenly she heard an audible voice say. "Go to the Christian leaders and they will help you." The next day she sought out a pastor. He gave her a bag of rice and a Bible. He explained how the bag of rice would soon be gone but what she needed for life and eternity was a personal relationship with Jesus. He would never forsake her. That day Aissatu gave her life to Christ.

  

When the pastor would pick her up for church, Aissatu would lie on the car floorboard in fear of persecution from other Muslims. It took several months before she overcame her fear. She began to work as a cook for a Christian couple. In the beginning she was a timid, frightful person. The first night after she cooked and served their meal, she went out back to eat by herself.  Immediately, the couple invited her in to eat with them.  She felt unworthy. The Christian couple explained how we are all equal before God. That night they ate together. This was a turning point for Aissatu. She saw God's care for this couple. If God, truly, loved all people equally then He would take care of all her needs too.  God's love dissipated her fears.

The Scriptures declare in II Timothy 1:7-8  "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God."

Today, Aissatu testifies to the fearless love of Jesus Christ. She shares her faith with Muslims at great cost and risk. The love of Jesus has given her boldness. She is a living witness of love conquering fear. Spirit of Martyrdom (SOM) was able to give her a portable DVD player to show the Jesus movie. She visits Muslim homes for personal viewings. Once, she was booked two months ahead with families who had requested a viewing. Until this year she had to walk many miles to visit Muslim homes. This year she received a motorcycle to reach more Muslims. This spring she showed the Jesus movie to a small Muslim village. They wanted to know more. When she brought back a pastor, who shared the gospel, over half the village responded to receiving Christ by faith. Many Muslims she has prayed with for salvation have been kicked out of their homes. To help these new believers she asked God for a field to plant crops so she could feed the persecuted Christians. A chief in the area heard she was helping the poor and wanted to help--he gave her a plot of land.

 

Last year, a man stole from her property. He was caught, but instead of pressing charges Aissatu hired him to harvest the fields. She said, "if he was that desperate to steal, then he needs a job."

 

If you would like to donate towards the witness of Christ in believers like Aissatu please click here: www.SpiritofMartyrdom.com/purchase.php

Richard Wurmbrand was a Romanian Jew who found faith in his Messiah at the age of 27.  He became a pastor and a great Christian leader in Romania.  Ultimately, he suffered three years in solitary confinement, tortured, and 14 years in prison for his faith in Jesus.  The Communist starved him and served him drugs.  His body and mind became very weak.  Despite his difficult conditions, Pastor Wurmbrand would begin each day with the Lord's Prayer.  One day he could only remember the first two words of the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father."  He wept bitterly as he felt that the Communist had stolen his mind.  "How can I be a good pastor now and not remember the sacred prayer of Jesus," he thought.  Suddenly he remembered the greeting of his son Mahai. Each day when he returned home from work at the church,  "Papa!" Mahai would squeal with joy as he ran to his daddy.  Nothing more needed to be said to bring Richard joy at the sound of his son.    At that particular moment in the prison cell, he knew God was pleased to hear only his name.  Peace, joy and love flowed over his body as he repeated the words, "Our Father, my Father, Papa."  

Islam declares that there are 99 holy names of Allah.  "Father" is not one of them.  You cannot find the word for Father to describe Allah in all the Qur'an or Hadith.   Allah is judgmental, distant and unknowing.  

Yet every boy and girl, young and old, yearns to have a loving relationship with their human and divine father. "Like father, like son."  The Scriptures tell us that they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. (John 16:3)  Jesus is referring to the persecution and martyrdom of his children.  Muslims' spiritual father is Allah.  Allah is the god of war and violence.  

Like rejected and angry orphans, fundamental Muslims persecute Christians because they reflect their distant father.  When Muslims become new creations through faith in Jesus Christ they give up the ways of their old father and now bear witness to their perfect Heavenly Father.  

    Jesus declares three verses before 16:3 that His disciples will bear witness or testify to the Son and the Father.  John 15:27 is directly in the middle of Jesus' discourse on the world hating him, the Father and the persecution of the Church. This Greek word for witness is martureō.  The tense is present perfect and is related to the Greek word Martus-modern 

word for martyr. (The inspiration behind the name of Spirit of Martyrdom ministries.)  In other words, Christians are to continually bear an honorable testimony representing our Heavenly Father.  

We all would like to ease and stop the persecution of Christians.  There is a way.  Bear witness of Jesus Christ to our enemies!  If the love of our Heavenly Father will abide inside the hearts of Muslims, persecution will stop.  The God of the Bible loves fundamental Muslims.  Muslims are aching for acceptance and forgiveness of sins from their true Creator- Father.  Please join us in testifying of His love.  You can find testimonies to share with Muslims at www.MuslimEducationCenter.com. 

This month we are highlighting the book, I Dare to Call Him Father.  This book demonstrates the Father heart of God.  It tells the powerful story of a Pakistani Muslim woman finding faith in Jesus Christ and experiencing intimacy with our Heavenly Father.  

If you found this article to be helpful share this link with a friend.

The word "Christian" is found only three times in the Bible.  The word "disciple" is used 260 times.  God not only calls us to be disciples but to make disciples in the image bearing life of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Then in John 15:27 Jesus declares to the disciples, "And you also will bear witness"  As disciples of Christ we cannot help but proclaim the witness of Christ.  The name of our ministry comes from this Greek word translated as witness which is pronounced as martus.  Martus is where we get our modern English word "martyr". Therefore the heart of Spirit of Martyrdom ministries is pouring fuel on the bold witness of the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.

These students range in age and have radical testimonies of their past lives and now they are radical witnesses for Christ. The seminary's population is a mixture of past arch enemies. 

One student is named Fernando and was a police officer who turned bad. He shares with us that he became addicted to murder.  He could not go to sleep at night unless he had his adrenaline fix of killing someone.  The last year before he was caught and convicted of murder he had killed over 100 people.   When meeting him you would not know of his past violence.   Jesus has completely changed him. Today he is gentle, full of love and has a joy in Jesus.  

Another classmate is Julian.  

Julian was a hit man for Pablo Escobar in Medellin.  He was paid up to $50,000 to kill a cop.  Julian has started a church in a very violent and volatile area while he studies in the seminary.  

Another student is Freddy.  He used to be a guerilla with the FARC.  They are a violent Marxist rebel group fighting to take control of the government.  Fernando, Julian and Freddy would have killed each other in the past. 

Today they are serving Jesus together and risking their lives for the witness of Jesus Christ.  

Spirit of Martyrdom is sending small construction team to help in the maintenance of this Bible seminary campus.  You can help us support and strengthen the witness of Jesus Christ of the students of this seminary.  The seminar has sent us a list of supplies.  These supplies are very expensive to buy in Colombia.  Our hope is to put as many of these items in the suit cases of the worker who will travel to do the work in Colombia. Find Out More.

Quote from Fearless Love page 101 

Martyrdom is the ultimate act of love to all the disciples of Jesus Christ! The call of Biblical martyrdom is the antithesis of the call of Islamic martyrdom. The motivation of Biblical martyrdom is love. "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) Jesus was called a friend of sinners.