How did you become a Christian?
Ravi Zacharias: I became a Christian as a teenager in India, the country of my birth. Have I struggled with many things in my life? Especially those who failed and let my family down. There were a number of events, but the highlight was when I tried to kill myself. It was in this suicide bed that they brought me a Bible. I heard John 14 reading, especially verse 19. Jesus said, “For I live, you will also live. “In this crisis, I called Jesus and received him as my Lord and Savior. That was the beginning.
How did God use his Indian education in his ministry?
RZ: All this general change? The search for answers has become a very real platform, to which we must approach with understanding and experience, what these worldviews teach, and why, more than ever, Jesus Christ’s answers are relevant and true. India’s spiritual struggles, brain drain?India, as its brightest minds head westward, have economic and worldview reasons and implications. They provide gospel-ready ground, probably like never before in history. Being an Indian of birth and education, and my ancestors of the highest caste of the Hindu priesthood, it is a story to tell. The audience of the entertainment world, academic or commercial classes is more open than before.
What can RZIM offer the church today?
RZ: RZIM is now based in ten countries and our team of apologists and teachers in spiritual disciplines performs evangelism in some of the most hostile environments in the world. As a result, people in churches are encouraged to obtain our material and use it. We also work in partnership with selected churches to help train members. Our Oxford Centre for Christian Apology (OCCA) is now accredited with curriculum at Oxford University. In the long run, it will produce a significant number of Christian apologists on the world stage. Strict attacks by antitheists and other factors have made apologetics an indispensable necessity in our time.
Do you have current or future plans you’d like to talk to us about?
RZ: My most recent book, Who is Jesus?, opposing his truth to the false spirituality of the time, is a book that can respond to a timely need. Also, pray for the whole team and their families as we serve political leaders. and those who shape our culture. We have great academic centers and, once again, I will speak at the United Nations prayer breakfast this year. Surprisingly, we have received many invitations from Islamic countries. We have amazing answers. Some of these countries cannot even be mentioned. Pray for these meetings.
How can we overcome our fears of spreading the gospel among followers of other religions?
RZ: It is very important to understand these other worldviews, in addition, to be patient when listening to someone of another religion, but you must know how to defend your own beliefs. If we cannot answer their real questions, we will “confirm” in their minds, which often, through brainwashing, leads them to believe: that Christianity is intellectually flawed. That’s what they’re saying. You don’t need to have all the answers, but you need to know where they are.
Why is it so difficult to evangelize Muslims and what can we do about it?
RZ: It is very difficult to reach the Muslim community. In countries where young people are tired of Islam being forced to swallow their throats, the powers under control govern them with threats and terror. For many Muslims, there are two brutal facts. First, you simply cannot criticize your beliefs or qur’an without fear of inflamed or inciting violence. Secondly, it is often not even possible to chat with a Muslim. It’s a fact.
Therefore, the best hope is to convince them through the patient friendship and love of Jesus. This is the winning truth, because love is a scarce good in the Islamic faith. Almost all people of Muslim origin who have come to the faith will say that it was Christ’s love that attracted them, or, in a wonderful way, that God has reached them through visions and dreams. It seems to me that when human powers block the message, God can climb its walls.
But it is essential that when they come this way, they receive effective education, discipline, and assistance in their apologetics so that they can answer questions from their family or friends; In the end, it is the Word of God that they will need, not just an experience that can easily be misused or scandalized.
How can we equip young people to remain committed to Christ in a secular and non-Christian world?
RZ: The Bible reminds us that we must maintain our doctrine and behavior. Our young people know firsthand what the world has to offer. They must reach out to them younger because of the world of the Internet that breaks the minds of young people sooner than ever before. an important force in our churches today. Looks like we thought we should entertain them in church. However, what you’re trying to accomplish is usually what you end up achieving.
They can quickly perceive an empty faith. Their minds yearn for coherence and meaning, they want to think about things. They want to know why the gospel is true and exclusive. None of these problems are usually addressed. I think this is the most serious crisis for our young people who attend church today. His faith is more of a desire than a reality. We have a special responsibility to young people. We will continue to do so as we try to reach them. It’s a difficult world for young people.
What are the three books every Christian should read?
RZ: I prefer to name authors. Authors like C. S. Lewis, John Piper, Tim Keller, yes, and my dear friend R. C. Sproul, but there are many more. One of the best books ever written is John Pilyan’s The Pilgrim. For devotional studies, Oswald Chambers and one of my favorites, G. Campbell Morgan, these are great options. We also have a bibliography on our website. Sorry, there are more than three.
What are the two most important department lessons you’ve learned over the past decade?
RZ: The hardest lessons I’ve learned are: first, how important it is to have the right people around you, and second, learn to deal with criticism and opposition (often those who should be more understanding) without allowing them to deviate from your closeness to the Lord and his call. When you do very little, no one will bother you. But when you make an impact, the enemy of our souls finds emissaries ready to attack him. Keep calling. Stay close to the Lord and do not allow critics to suppress a call that a merciful and sovereign God has shaped.
As difficult as the battle is, it is true that everyone is called to be on the front line. Our call, to use a metaphor for war, is “special operations. “It’s full of dangers, but it’s vital to win hearts. men and women around the world. In this sense, God has immensely blessed the work of RZIM, now in his twenty-seventh year. I am very grateful for all the opportunities and blessings we enjoy. We have seen some of the most stubborn people come to Christ. It’s worth it. One last thing, knowing that there are departments like Ligonier and many good ones, is comforting: although the challenges are great, God does great things in the world.