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[DATE]
IMI
Fellowship Night - Saturday 7th November @
7:30pm
 Mark it in your diary now!
Dr
Mark Robinson, former missions director for Bible College of Queensland
is speaking on The
Appeal of the Christian Faith in Modern Contexts.
Mark's knowledge on Islam and the Church in Indonesia and
South East Asia is quite remarkable. This is not to be missed!
More information is available here - maps
& directions
US Trip
Daniel & Mariat are currently ministering
in the US amongst 6 churches who are reaching out to Muslims with the
Gospel. These groups are getting together to share ideas,
stories and suggestions for engaging Muslims and proclaiming Christ to
them.
Amazing Testimony of Barket
Since our
last newsletter we have been visited by Barket Masih (his Christian
name) who was born to an extremist Muslim family. Needless to say,
Christians and the Bible were presented in a very negative manner.
While at school Barket secretly completed a Bible
correspondence course. However, he was severely disciplined when the
material was discovered and he was told never to visit that subject
again.
Barket Masih went on to complete an engineering diploma with a growing
zeal for Islam, but the Scriptures he learnt at school kept challenging
his beliefs.
Medical problems with his wife and daughter led him to ask questions
about healing and a visit to a doctor saw him attend a Church service
during which he called out to Jesus to heal his daughter. She
was healed when he arrived home that day and her healing and a
comparative study of the Qur’an and the Bible showed Barket that he
must trust Christ. His conversion brought problems
and imprisonment but the Lord promised that he would be released - and
so it happened! Later his wife was also converted. You can read more of his testimony here.
Now Barket is seeking training in order to serve his people
effectively. Your financial gift to help him come to IMI
next year for this training would be greatly appreciated. If
you're interested in supporting this project,  .
Coming Events
7th November - IMI Fellowship
Night
2010
Febuary to April - Teaching in Africa & Asia.
Christians have begged Daniel & Mariat to come and
train them. About half the costs have been met.
September - USA (to be
confirmed)
If you're interested in Daniel or
Mariat speaking at your church, please contact our office.
Ramadan
Recently,
Muslims around the globe have celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr i.e. the
end-of-Ramadan Feast. Ramadan (Islam’s fasting month) is the holiest
month to Muslims around the globe. Fasting is Fard – a religious duty
for all healthy Muslims. Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of Islam
and one of the highest forms of Islamic worship. For Muslims, it means
abstaining from food/drink, sex with their wives, concubines and slave
girls during the day and refraining from all evil acts committed
consciously or unconsciously. It is to cleanse the soul.
According to
Islamic belief, during Ramadan, Hell’s doors are closed and heaven’s
doors open; it is an important and blessed month because the Qur’an was
brought down from heaven to Muhammad.
Sura 2:185 “The month of Ramadan in which
was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of
the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). … all previous
sins are forgiven.”
Ramadan is the
ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which is based on the lunar cycle.
The lunar cycle changes each year so that Ramadan appears ten to eleven
days earlier each year. The fast starts at dawn and finishes at sunset
and, during this month, hundreds of millions of Muslims observe it very
eagerly. However, women with monthly courses are considered unclean and
unfit for fasting.
The exact time
of Ramadan varies from place to place as some rely
heavily on the moon sightings while others depend on science. An Imam
(Muslim priest) will declare the exact time just prior to its
commencement. The fasting period also ends upon the sighting of the
next new moon, which occurs after 29 or 30 days. It is
considered that probably the 27th night of Ramadan is the “Night
of Power” called Lailat al-qadr. During this night many Muslims recite
the whole Qur’an in the mosques/homes. After these thirty days of
fasting, there is the big Eid al-Fitr celebration.
Although in
Islam there is no Saviour/Redeemer, nevertheless the arbitrary Will of
Allah decides the fate of Muslims on the Day of Judgment. Their good
deeds give them some hope of salvation, which depends on performing of
all the Pillars (confession of faith – Kalima; prayer – Salat; fasting
– Sawm; alms giving – Zakat and pilgrimage – Hajj; Jihad – the holy
war) but they do not address the sin of mankind. We know that worship,
confession, fasting, prayer and almsgiving cannot deliver us from our
sins. We are separated from God not because we do not perform them, but
our iniquities have separated us from our God (Isaiah 59:2).
The Bible does
not subscribe or command any one method of fasting but,
in Matthew 6:16, the Lord Jesus taught us to imitate His own example.
We fast as an outward symbol of our devotion to God i.e. willing to
deny ourselves not only food but self. Fasting adds intensity to our
prayer, and often leads to breakthroughs. We do not fast to convince or
persuade Him, but rather to identify with His broken heart and with His
desire for all mankind to know Him. “Is this not the fast that I have
chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to
let the oppressed go free and that you break every yoke? Is it not to
share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the
poor who are cast out?” (Isaiah 58:6-7)
In the light
of the teachings of the Qur’an and Hadith, there is no assurance of
salvation for Muslims, including Muhammad, except if they fight or die
for the cause of Allah. Sometimes there is a vague hope of salvation if
they have more good deeds than evil deeds. Other times, Allah says that
all will go to hell and later he will deliver those who do not commit
any evil.
We can see
the dilemma that in the Qur’an the redemptive work – the atoning death
of Jesus Christ – is rejected. Hence by rejecting the only Saviour,
Muslims have no hope of salvation. It is our responsibility to “love
our neighbor as ourselves” and share with them the saving grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
Christmas Tracts
Christmas is just around the
corner and IMI is looking for submissions on Christmas tracts.
If you've got an idea for a Christmas tract, or any tract for
that matter, submit your idea or tract - you're part of this
ministry too.
For any more information about
the ministry, feel free to contact us on the details below.
Please remember Daniel
& Mariat in your prayers.
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