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The great preacher John Wesley said, “If we suffer persecution and affliction in a right manner, we attain a larger measure of conformity to Christ … than we could have done merely by imitating his mercy, in abundance of good works.”This statement reflects the church in Cuba today. Recently a Global Initiative team traveled to Cuba for a week of training. We visited two new areas where Fidel and Raul Castro were born and raised. This strong communist area of the island has demonstrated the greatest resistance to the church, but the Holy Spirit continues to strengthen the church and,…

People praying for Muslims may be familiar with the “Persecution Watch List” published annually by Open Doors ministry. In any given year, Muslim nations are approximately 40 of the top 50 countries which persecute Christians. Part of the reality in these contexts is a spirit of fear which keeps people from seeking Jesus. Perhaps you have gone through a experience at a school where secular humanism prevails. Our maybe it’s a “toxic environment” at work which may include ridicule of those who exhibit faith in God. If so, you may be able to better relate to Muslims who may want…

A U.S. missionary, Akhmed,* a former Muslim who is now reaching Muslims with the gospel, shared this story that took place in Virginia: Last summer I was driving through a neighborhood in Alexandria. There I saw six or seven middle school Muslim children selling muffins. I parked nearby and began a conversation with the ordinary Muslim greeting. They were very polite, so I inquired about the very tiny muffins they had for sale. To my disbelief they were asking $2.00 for each muffin. I responded back, “No way!” and we began bargaining like good Middle Easterners, but they would not…

Did you know that many mosques in America have established “Sunday School” as part of the services they offer? While many of these systematic classes were established for training Muslim children, many other Muslim “Sunday Schools” intentionally reach out to non-Muslims in the their communities. These Sunday School programs often promote the ethical and family values of Islam which, in our post-Christian pluralistic society, resounds with great appeal.  Should this alarm us as the church of Jesus Christ? At a minimum, it should cause us to reflect and pray regarding how we should respond. Ultimately, it should challenge us to…

Did you happen to miss a day of Eye On… The U.S. this week? Catch up here with our weekly round up! Monday: Muslims Are Not Our EnemiesTuesday: Muslims Are Not Our Enemies, But the PrizeWednesday: From Islam to ChristianityThursday: Alabama Laymen Build Bridge with Muslims

“When Rob Bensinger was at the North American Mission Board’s SEND Conference three years ago God struck him with a realization. He didn’t know any Muslims. That realization came after Bensinger, a member of Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Vestavia Hills, heard two things at the conference that changed the trajectory of his thoughts. “One is that God has brought the nations to us—you don’t have to go on an international trip to find them,” Bensinger said. The second was that if you’re waiting on your ministry to start when you go overseas, there’s nothing magical about a plane ride—intentional gospel…

“Farah and Mahmoud Nagib walked to their car and found another note on the windshield telling them to go home. The Muslim couple had left Iran to study in the United States, and the adjustment had been difficult. Besides leaving threatening notes, Americans were letting the air out of their tires. Afraid, the young couple tried to shelter themselves beneath their cultural heritage and their prayers to Allah. They had been born Muslims and planned to live their entire lives as Muslims. But an unexpected crush of events forced Farah and Mahmoud to look past their culture and re-examine their…

“On paper, David Nasser isn’t someone who should be sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, let alone a vice president at Liberty University. As a child, Nasser moved from his native Iran to the United States with his culturally Muslim family during the Iranian revolution. Several years later, his parents became owners of a restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama. Members of a local church were patrons of the restaurant, and noticed that Nasser’s father was running low on staff. They rolled up their sleeves and began waiting tables. One of those church members, who happened to be the worship leader at…

“I was absolutely shaking, sitting in the front seat of my minivan packed full of six girls. Next to me sat a Muslim who I had just met five minutes previous. We were having a church roller skating event and I had decided to call and invite the international students from our local community college. Not only had this particular student said yes, but she also had asked for a ride. I shook with fear because I was so out of my comfort zone. I had a couple of other Muslim friends, but none of them covered their heads with…

Did you happen to miss a day of Eye On… The U.S. this week? Catch up here with our weekly round up! Monday: Black Muslims in AmericaTuesday: Second Generation Muslim AmericansWednesday: Rejecting StereotypesThursday: Guidelines for Conversation Check out this month’s ministry update, “Prayer is the difference”!