Islam and the Bible

Forward to Islam and the Bible
by Erwin Lutzer

You are holding in your hands a book that will help you be a witness to the millions of Muslims God has brought to the United States and Canada.

Just this week in Charlotte North Carolina, I had a taxi ride with a Muslim driver. I pointed out to him that in the Koran, Jesus is purported to have done greater miracles than Mohammed, and he agreed.

“Yes”, he said, “Jesus did greater miracles than Mohammed; it's in our Koran.”

From there I was able to direct the conversation to reasons why this man should consider Jesus as the only one who is able to forgive our sins and represent us before God. We parted as friends, not antagonists; I can only pray that my witness led him a step closer to accept the Savior we love.

This is why I am so glad to endorse this book by my good friend David Goldmann. As someone who has lived in North Africa for 24 years, David and his wife Mary Lou know the value of friendships in the Muslim community. Many years ago, I was able to observe first hand their love of people, and their sincere desire to build bridges with their Moslem friends. Through their lives and witness Muslims have come to know Christ and other believers in these countries have been strengthened to share their faith.

This book will not only help you understand Islam; it will also give you the knowledge you need to befriend the Muslims who are in your neighborhood. Whatever you might think of Islam as a religion, the fact is that there are thousands of people who are followers of Mohammed who will never know Jesus as Savior unless believers become their friends. Long ago I learned that we can never make Jesus attractive to Muslims if we antagonize them.

Here is a suggestion: Read this book with someone else; your spouse, your prayer partner or even a casual friend who wants to learn more about the Muslim faith. Then interact with one another, discussing what you have learned and role playing with Muslim/Christian dialogue. I promise that you will benefit and actually look forward to the next opportunity of meeting a Muslim whether in a taxi cab or in your home.

I write this with a prayer that God will use this book widely to equip his people to be effective representatives of Jesus Christ in our diverse culture. We’ve spent millions of dollars and untold manpower to send people overseas to share the gospel with Muslims. Now that they are on our doorstep, God is calling each of us to be a loving witness to those whom we meet and befriend.

With this book you are embarking on an adventure that just might change your life and the lives of the Muslims we are privileged to reach with the good news.

Pastor Erwin Lutzer
Moody Church
Chicago.