One question that was always on my mind in regards to the arrest of the “Dearborn Four” (David Wood, Nabeel Qureshi, Paul Rezkalla, Negeen Mayel) was: Under what grounds and what reasons were involved as to why the other Christians present in the ArabFest did not experience any conflict with security, Muslim attendees and/or the Coordinators of the event? Why is it that (as it were) it is only the brethren from the Acts 17 Apologetics group that experienced such mistreatment in the event?

Well, the video below from one Josh McDowell pretty much explains why:

Now compare that video with what Acts 17 Apologetics did:

Notice the difference? One was actually making a defense for the hope that is within him in gentleness and reverence (2 Peter 3:15-16), while the other was not. One was actually laboring to proclaim the gospel (Mark 16:15), while the other was not. One was actually convinced that it is through the folly of what is preached that pleases God to save those who believe (1 Cor 1:21), the other was not.

I cannot know what truly is in the heart of Josh McDowell and other Christians like him who are in the same situation, and I cannot fully know the whole extents of what he really did. But how can any Christian person say they are “proclaiming” the gospel without, uh, proclaiming the gospel? It defeats the very purpose of it. Serving people without verbalizing the truth of God’s word is not at all loving. In fact in the very root of it, it’s hate. It’s the fear of man and an absence of confidence in God who is able to make Himself known to men in the heralding of His Word of Gospel.

Is this how many of us seek to proclaim the gospel to the lost world? Trying to build relationships first and not mention a word as to why they need to repent of their sins and trust in the Savior, the second person of the triune God, the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins? Don’t get me wrong, relationships are important and are very helpful indeed. But should relationships trump gospel proclamation? Is it the suggestion of many our brethren that we should not and must not preach the gospel to people without first creating relationships and friendships with them? If that’s the case then the apostle Paul was a very, very bad witness. Much less the martyrs that gave their lives for the sake of the Gospel. Not to mention even the Lord Jesus Christ who unashamedly proclaimed the kingdom to the unbelieving world?

Brethren, for the honor and glory of our God in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, we cannot default to cowardice and shut our mouths to men and women that are a step away from hell. Open your mouths and proclaim the gospel that saves. Give yourselves to study, deep study, to know what that gospel really is. Labor to equip yourself to be able to give a defense for the hope that is in you.

Or is it that many of us who profess Christ are actually lost, which is why we have no problems with grabbing just enough of Christianity to be in the “in” crowd?

Here are some final thoughts from Dr. James White of Alpha and Omega Ministries in response to Josh McDowell’s video and the Arrest in Dearborn ArabFest 2010:

Muslims need to hear a clear, clarion, bold, and authoritative proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They need to hear about a Jesus who is King of Kings, Lord of Lords, their Creator, about Whom they cannot be ambivalent. They do not need a Jesus, or a Christianity, that is soft and warm and gooey and unchallenging to the Islamic denial of its very heart and soul. There is everything good about pursuing relationships with Muslims. But do not confuse that process with evangelism and proclamation.

It is the gospel that saves, a gospel that has been clearly proclaimed in a language the target audience can understand. And that is what Nabeel Qureshi was doing when the Dearborn PD decided to arrest him for so doing. And after all the proper lawsuits have taken place, and justice (please Lord!) prevails, there is one sobering thought to keep in mind: woe be to any man, any woman, who stands in the way of the heralds of the King. A day of judgment is coming when that King will sit enthroned. Justice will, indeed, be done, if not in this life, surely in eternity itself.

Read the whole of his post here, highly recommended.