False temples and Jesus mosques

We are told in the New Testament that Saint Paul used the Greeks' own monument to an unknown God to preach Christ to them. He spoke of becoming a Jew to the Jews, a Gentile to the Gentiles:

"...so that by all possible means I might save some" (1 Corinthians 9:22).

Methods haven't changed much. Christian evangelists the world over are motivated by Jesus' final instructions to his disciples:

"All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:18-20)

This is the origin of the Great Commission- a divine duty to save as many people as possible from disbelief. It is serious business, demanding careful planning, formidable logistics and most of all, money. The whole salvation project runs like a mini-World Bank, in fact.

Where do these resources go to? What is being set up? How does the Great Commission manifest itself in the lives of ordinary heathens like us?

It's dangerous to stereotype, of course. Different denominations go about the Great Commission differently- the most gregarious being modern-day Charismatic and Episcopalian churches. While most of them are headquartered in the United States, they tap into an extensive network that spans the globe.

Outreach programs are tailored to confront different nationalities and religious groups, with the most elaborate aimed toward the two other monotheistic faiths, Judaism and Islam.

Rabbi Tovi Singer, for example, remarks on the growth of false synagogues whose sacred trappings are deliberately yet deceptively familiar.

No Sunday services take place here; this congregation meets only on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. You will never see a cross or an altar; there is an Aaron Hakodesh (holy ark) with a star of David adorning its velvet cover, and a Bimah (stage for prayer services) in the center of the sanctuary.

The majority of the men who worship here wear kipot, and their tzitzit hang down the sides of their pants. This congregation's rabbi, among many other functions, reads from the Torah and makes Kiddush every Shabbat. Most of the women are modestly dressed. Joyous shouts of "Shabbat Shalom" and "Baruch Hashem" can be heard as young couples greet each other. The sanctuary pulsates to a modern Israeli musical beat.

If this sounds like a description of a traditional Jewish house of worship, think again. The above is actually a description of any one of the hundreds of Messianic "synagogues" which flourish throughout the world. Confused? Many are.

Such congregations are designed to appear Jewish, but they are actually fundamentalist Christian churches which use traditional Jewish symbols to lure the most vulnerable of our Jewish people into their ranks. Messianic "rabbis," many of whom are Jewish by birth, are committed to bringing the Jewish people to know Jesus. Their agenda is to make Christianity more palatable to the uneducated Jew, and to the astonishment and horror of the Jewish community, their marketing ploys are proving to be successful...

Messianic congregations will never be listed in the Yellow Pages under churches. They are always listed with the synagogues. Additionally, the Messianic movement has created a remarkable tool for Jewish evangelism called a "communications card." This card carefully guides evangelicals on how to talk to a Jew in a manner that will not alienate them as potential converts. A two-column card which is usually wallet-sized for easy transport and access reads:

* Don't say Jesus Christ; Do say Messiah Yeshua,
* Don't say convert; do say Messianic, completed, fulfilled Jew.
* Don't say Christian; do say Bible believer, etc.

In essence, the Messianic movement's fundamental approach seeks to blur the distinctions between Judaism and Christianity in order to lure Jews who would otherwise resist a straightforward Christian message.

One such Messianic group- the catchily-named Jews for Jesus- recently launched a legal blitz against Google Inc, saying a Web log hosted through the Internet search leader's Blogspot service directly infringes its trademark.

The offending blog is conveniently parked at http://jewsforjesus.blogspot.com. A cursory reading will reveal why members of the actual JfJ aren't too happy with it.

Then there is the other set of monotheists- Muslims- who present a whole new range of problems. In most Muslim countries, after all, blatant preaching is frowned upon if not completely banned. Some fundamentalist states even recommend death for Muslims who choose to desert Islam.

Naturally, evangelists tread carefully where Muslims are concerned. Ingenuity and daring must take the place of plain-old preaching.

Enter Jesus Mosques.

From ubiquitous domes and minarets, down to the sparsely-decorated prayer halls; Jesus Mosques are tucked into nondescript corners of Muslim cities. Mission Frontiers proudly describe the worshippers who attend services in these special mosques:

They leave their shoes at the door, and ritually wash their hands, feet and heads. They kneel on mats in unison and bow their heads to the ground. They recite chants in Arabic, pray five times a day, and worship on Friday, not Sunday.

These Muslims look and sound like other Muslims the world over. Except they worship the God of the Bible, believe Jesus is the Messiah and only source of salvation, and follow Him. When they pray, they face Jerusalem, not Mecca.

No stone is left unturned in the quest to save as many souls as possible from hellfire. The salvation project therefore works closely with developed nations to be the first on the scene whenever a natural catastrophe happens anywhere in the world. Some are confident enough not to hide their motives, believing that the groundswell of gratitude would erase any questions about their tactics.

Thus, a few days after the Indian Ocean tsunami devastated the Indonesian province of Aceh, a Virginia-based missionary group immediately declared that they would be air-lifting 300 'tsunami orphans' from the city to Jakarta, where they would then be placed in Christian foster homes.

In an appeal for funds on its website, the group blithely revealed:

"Normally, Banda Aceh is closed to foreigners and closed to the gospel. But, because of this catastrophe, our partners there are earning the right to be heard and providing entrance for the gospel...These children are homeless, destitute, traumatized, orphaned, with nowhere to go, nowhere to sleep and nothing to eat. If we can place them in a Christian children's home, their faith in Christ could become the foothold to reach the Aceh people."

The modern age demands modern methods of propagation. Christianity all over the world is facing challenges from three fronts- secularism (in the West), Islam (in Africa) and its own internal schisms. With exponentially more money and human resources at hand, the Great Commission is brought to a whole new level. At the very least, it seeks to unify and focus the church toward common goals.

The good that some missionary groups have done is beyond reproach. However, and this is the key point, Jesus neither hid his religion nor instructed his followers to use deception to spread his teachings. Why should we expect anything less from those who revere him as God Incarnate?

If in future you are unsure about the religious identity of a stranger who begins to talk to you about religion, ask him directly if he is a believer in Jesus.

His answer, or non-answer, will prove instructive.