bestcurrentnews 2023 Ramadan Prayer

10 Things the Qur’an Says About Christians

The Qur’an has much to say about Christians. 

  1. Christians believe in three gods and should be punished for their belief. Sura 5:73: “They have certainly disbelieved who say, ‘Allah is the third of three.’ And there is not god except one God. And if they do not desist from what they are saying, there will surely afflict the disbelievers among them a painful punishment. 
  1. Christians are deluded and should be destroyed. Sura 9:30: “The Jews say, ‘Ezra is the son of Allah’; and the Christians say, ‘The Messiah is the son of Allah.’ That is their statement from their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved [before them]. May Allah destroy them; how are they deluded?”
  1. Christians believe in idols and false gods. Sura 4:51: “Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture, who believe in superstition and false objects of worship and say about the disbelievers, ‘These are better guided than the believers as to the way’”
  1. Christians are defiantly disobedient. Sura 5:59: “Say, ‘O People of the Scripture, do you resent us except [for the fact] that we have believed in Allah and what was revealed to us and what was revealed before and because most of you are defiantly disobedient’”
  1. Christians hid and overlooked their scriptures. Sura 5:15: “O People of the Scripture, there has come to you Our Messenger making clear to you much of what you used to conceal of the Scripture and overlooking much. There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book.”
  1. Allah has stirred up hatred and animosity among Christians. Sura 5:14: “And from those who say, ‘We are Christians.’ We took their covenant; but they forgot a portion of that which they were reminded. So We caused among them animosity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection. And Allah is going to inform them about what they used to do.”
  1. Allah has cursed Christians. Sura 4:52: “Those [Christians and Jews] are the ones whom Allah has cursed; and he whom Allah curses – never will you find for him a helper.”
  1. Christians will burn in hell. Sura 5:72: “They have certainly disbelieved who say, ‘Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary’ while the Messiah has said, ‘O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.’ Indeed, he who associates others with Allah – Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers and helpers.”
  1. Muslims cannot be friends of Christians. Sura 5:51: “O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you – then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.”
  1. Christians must believe what Allah revealed to Muhammad or they are cursed. Sura 4:47: “O you who were given the Scripture, believe in what We have sent down [to Muhammad], confirming that which is with you, before We obliterate faces and turn them toward their backs or curse them as We cursed the sabbath-breakers. And ever is the decree of Allah accomplished.”

PRAYER POINT:

Although most people believe Christians and Muslims worship the same God, Islam is the opposite of Christianity. As we are nearing the end of Ramadan for this year, we must see Muslims through the eyes of Jesus and continue all year to pray for their salvation. They will be lost eternally unless they realize that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. We remember that Jesus instructed Christians to “love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44). May God use our prayers to bring change to lives around the world for His glory!

bestcurrentnews 2017 Ramadan Prayer

Love in the Qur’an

Please note that “love” in the Qur’an is quite different than the unconditional love of God in the Bible. Because the Qur’an says Allah loves not unbelievers, his love is only for good, righteous, just Muslims. Allah’s “love” is completely conditional on obedience to his laws even for Muslims.

 

BCN Love in Quran Ramadan 2017

bestcurrentnews 2016 Ramadan Prayer

Your Prayers Are Making a Difference

2016 Ramadan GraphicRamadan, Islam’s holiest month, has been filled this year with multiple terror attacks killing over 1,600 people in 31 nations around the world. Fear and anger are normal reactions, but as Christians we must respond to Muslims from God’s perspective, separating the Muslim people from the system of Islam. The prayers that we pray corporately have the ability to speak God’s life, light, truth and love over horrendous situations. As the body of Christ, may we all seek Him so that we may change the atmosphere of terror and threats and advance God’s Kingdom on the earth as we speak His life and send forth His light in the midst of this darkness.

God is moving despite the darkness of Islam. Open Doors reports Muslims in the Middle East are turning to Jesus in unprecedented numbers. David Garrison, author of A Wind in the House of Islam, says, “we are living in the midst of the greatest turning of Muslims to Christ in history.” Some estimates say that there are now more than 1 million Christians in Iran. CBN quotes Heidi Baker of Iris Ministries regarding African Muslims, “Many people are having dreams. They see Jesus appear to them. Probably half our pastors were leaders, imams in Moslem mosques. They were leaders in these mosques, now they’re pastors.”

As we conclude this series, we thank you for all your prayers during the Ramadan 30-days of prayer for the Muslim people. It is important to remember that James 5:16b (NLT) tells us, “When a believing person prays, great things happen!” Please continue throughout the year to pray and declare scriptures over the lives of Muslims. As we co-labor with God in prayer, we believe He will remove spiritual blindness, bring them signs and wonders to reveal His heart, and bring them to salvation in Christ.

BCN Ramadan 2015 Day 30 Pray Without Ceasing

bestcurrentnews 2016 Ramadan Prayer

Genocide of Christians and Yazidis in the Middle East

2016 Ramadan GraphicWho is Daesh? Daesh is the jihadi group known as ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), or ISIL (the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) or as the group likes to refer to itself as simply the Islamic State. Some western leaders feel using Daesh, an acronym formed from the Arabic, challenges the legitimacy of the group.

On March 17, 2016, U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry announced, “My purpose in appearing before you today is to assert that, in my judgment, Daesh is responsible for genocide against groups in areas under its control, including Yazidis, Christians, and Shia Muslims. Daesh is genocidal by self-proclamation, by ideology, and by actions – in what it says, what it believes, and what it does. Daesh is also responsible for crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing directed at these same groups and in some cases also against Sunni Muslims, Kurds, and other minorities.” This announcement came after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a nonbinding resolution by a 393-0 vote condemning ISIS atrocities as genocide.

John Kerry’s statement coincides with the European Union’s resolution in February 2016 that also declares Daesh commits genocide. The term genocide is defined in Article II of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. There are two elements of the crime of genocide:

  1. The mental element, meaning the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such” and
  2. The physical element which includes five acts:
    1. Killing member of the group
    2. Causing serous bodily or mental harm to member of the group
    3. Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part
    4. Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group
    5. Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

The Islamic State or Daesh has committed all the elements of the definition above. By asserting that Daesh is guilty of genocide, the United States and European Union have a legal duty to prevent the campaign of genocide and punish those who are committing the acts of genocide.

One would think that Christians, Yazidis, and even Shia Muslims would receive preferential treatment as refugees since western state departments have recognized that these groups are being targeted for genocide by the Islamic State, yet since the beginning of the Syrian conflict, approximately 96% of the refugees from Syria that have been admitted to the United States have been Sunni Muslims. Because ISIS has its roots in a puritanical form of Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslims are not threatened by genocide like the other groups.

Between January 2016 to May 2016, 2,099 Syrian refugees were admitted to the United States. That is almost as many as were admitted for the entire year of 2015. Out of the 2,099 refugees, only six are Christians and ten are Yazidis.

Prayer Point:

Pray for the Christians, Yazidis, and Shia Muslims who have been targeted by ISIS for genocide, and pray that western governments will fulfill their legal obligation to prevent the genocide of these groups.