I realize that "Crusade" is very much a charged, or sensitive word for many of my Muslim friends. The Crusades of the Middle ages were in my opinion a sad part of the collective Christian history, doing much more harm to the cause of Christ than good, while totally ignoring the real message of Christ, to wit, " Love thy neighbor as thy self".

The Campus Crusade for Christ is a Christian organization that functions to serve the underprivileged of the world and to bring the good news of Christ that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.

This article is from their website Campus Crusade For Christ .org

Overcoming Fear in Evangelism

5 steps to get past "hello" and talk about your faith

I was prepared to serve, but I didn't think I would have to once more wrestle with the elephant in my heart -- that ever-present fear to talk to others about my faith.

By Greg Stoughton

21 . January . 2009

And to think we almost went to Disney World.

Should we ride rides and see shows -- absolutely nothing wrong with such times of family fun -- or serve others at a holiday food distribution project? The leading of the Holy Spirit this day came in a well-timed e-mail reminder from our pastor about a need for volunteers.

I was prepared to serve, but I didn’t think I would have to once more wrestle with the elephant in my heart -- that ever-present fear to talk to others about my faith.

The Challenge to Reach Out

My wife and children busied themselves in needed work as I worked to look busy.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Again, it was Pastor Rick. He pointed to the 100-plus people who stood waiting for a turkey and said, “How ‘bout if you float among the crowd and talk, encourage them, and maybe tell some about your faith.”

My thoughts: I am a professional -- equipped to help take the gospel to the world. But I write about doing this; I don’t so often do it, Lord. I’m afraid. Can’t I just carry turkeys today?

5 Steps I Took to Overcome My Fear

1. Prayer

I can approach people that I don’t know, but the thought that I could be rejected -- especially were I to offer some spiritual truth -- initially paralyzed me.

I asked God to replace my felt anxiety with a faith and confidence that, I knew, He could provide.

Prayer didn’t change the situation. It began to create change within me.

2. Perspective

In Witnessing Without Fear, Bill Bright writes, "Understanding success and failure can free you from the fear of being rejected."

He defines successful witnessing as, “taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit,and leaving the results to God.”

I needed to remember that it isn’t up to me to make someone a Christian. Only God is able to change a heart to embrace Christ.

3. Power

Through prayer, I invited God’s Holy Spirit to embolden me and direct my path. Lord, with whom would You have me to speak? Guide me in what to say.

Fueled and ready, yielded from making my time an exercise in self-effort, I felt able to take my first step.

4. Purpose

As I walked, I redefined my purpose. I made it my aim to relationally connect with others the best I could in what time I had. Remembering God’s promise that “perfect love expels all fear” (1 John 4:19, New Living Translation), I repeatedly breathed, Lord, what is needed to help move this person one step closer to You?

With some, that meant I just needed to listen to stories of rough circumstances and empathize as able. With others, I offered prayer. I gave a small handout to one person. And, in certain instances, I felt led to dispense a nugget of spiritual truth. I even got to carry groceries a time or two.

As I sought to be faithful, my activity became fun -- more about others, less about me -- and was largely void of fear.

5. Permission

Once I sensed someone felt heard, I would say, “Thanks for letting me into your life. Would it be okay if I told you a bit of my story?”

Courtesy was given in return as I communicated my personal testimony and the main points of the Four Spiritual Laws booklet.

How God Moved Through my Faithfulness

I crossed paths with Sterland about 30 minutes after an initial encounter. A friend at his side left on an errand. We found ourselves alone.

Earlier, I had prayed with Sterland in a small group, been thanked and talked about some of my journey toward Christ. This time I breathed upward, then asked, “Sterland, would you have interest in hearing how you could experience God’s forgiveness and become a follower of Christ?” He jumped at my offer.

Relaxed, at peace and full of faith -- not fear -- I talked for 20 minutes with Sterland about the gospel. That day he prayed to begin a relationship with Christ.

Thankfully, we went to Disney World another day.

They also have an article about the very urgent need for food in Zimbabwe at this time. It is heart breaking to see those beautiful little children and think that many of them will not eat tonight or maybe tomorrow either. Always check references, then, if you can please give a little to help the suffering of someone else. I think that God is well pleased with these small sacrifices. God Bless you all.

Just a few words to update the readers as to what I've been doing lately.  I'm not too sure if there are any regular readers as no one ever leaves a comment, but in case there are one or two, I will let you know what I've been up to. I started out with this blog as an attempt to reach out to:

1.) My Christian Brothers and Sisters in the hopes that they would find some love in their hearts for the one and a half billion Muslim people of this world, to the end that some of these may come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. And,

2.) To those same Muslims to let them know that ALL Christians are not hateful hypocrites that would rather see them dead and in hell, and to show them from the Bible, ( which by the way for the Christians that don't realize it, is also considered "from God" to them, though they think we've corrupted it, and they on the other hand, have corrupted their own message of the Qu'ran by private interpretation. ), that Jesus is who He said He is. ( though they don't say that He said that, but if you were reading the last couple of months, you might understand a little of the arguments of both sides. LOL. )

I feel, by the negative responses I've engendered from the few "Christians" that have cared to comment or correspond with me, that my efforts have been largely a waste of my time. I have no Muslim readers that I am aware of. I have reached out the hand of friendship to them, but only in my daily life with several face to face encounters have I been successful.

I have been talking to a few people on Face Book and reaching out with a greater success there to Christians and Muslims alike. I did not plan to use this as my primary medium, but God has steered me into that direction. I would not have you think that I have gotten no positive feedback from my brothers in Christ, just sparingly. I thank the Lord for what I have. Praise you Jesus.

I told my best Muslim friend that I intended to go to a Conference in Atlanta to learn about being a missionary to the Muslim people, to bring Christ to them. His reaction was not exactly as I had expected. He was not very happy about it. Before you laugh and say " see, I told you so ", hear me out. He was not concerned so much that I was wrong and his religion was right. He knew by my conversation with him, that some may be converted to Christianity by my working with them. He also knew that I am not yet prepared to do this. I am not fully able to expound my own belief system and though I know a lot about theirs after a couple of years of study, and have a beginning knowledge of the Arabic language, I am still not ready to attempt to ask someone to change their life, leave their God by committing the "unpardonable sin" of "shirk", or as we call it, apostasy. Thereby forsaking family, friends, home, country, and possibly their very life. In several Muslim countries it is a capital offence punishable by death to convert out of Islam. In others, it is not the "official" policy but a very real threat. He is concerned for me taking my life in my hands by committing to this also. Do I have a right to ask these human beings to put their lives on the line for something I'm only a novice at ? I mean, does one go and attempt to de-fuse a bomb after one has read a book about it ? This is real life, real consequences, in the real world folks. You can't go on a holiday missionary excursion for a couple of weeks, turn someone's world upside down, then go home back to your safe warm condo to watch cable TV and drive to church on Sunday in your BMW. What about the ones you've left behind ? Does anyone understand what I'm talking about or am I deluded ? I want to be correct in my relationship with God. I don't really think it's important what man thinks about me but I understand I have been wrong so many times in my life. His thinking, I believe was that 1.) maybe I was not indeed, counting the cost and also, (though he knows me pretty well and does not doubt my sincerity of conviction), 2.) He may have been actually concerned about the state of my faith and what would the end of my journey bring me in my relationship with God.

He also brought to my attention the fact that someone who is starving, naked and homeless will come to your religion quite easily when you have food, clothing, and shelter. You have in essence, become their savior. He asked me " Is it fair, are you not taking advantage of these people in order to gain favor with God ?" I had not thought of it that way and I could not answer him.

In the process of rethinking your religion, your faith, your soul and your very existence, you go from rejection of the new, to questions of your own, to rejection of parts of either and various fluctuations and doubts about both. Many Muslims do not make the jump from Islam to Christianity, but rather land in the void of atheism  between the two. Is it better for them to have never been messed with, (for my lack of a better term), and left with some belief in one God, (the God of Abraham), or belief in nothing ? Many of my "Christian" friends will reply that it doesn't matter that both are going to hell anyway. I do not subscribe to that fatalistic and unkind ideology. If as Jesus taught, a house built upon an unsound foundation will fall, what about a half built house abandoned and left to weather in the elements on it's own ?

I do plan to continue to study in the living Word of God, and concentrate my efforts towards the missionary field and apologetics. I still need to learn more about my Master, Jesus, and what He wants. I will try to help with feeding the poor and helping their physical and emotional needs as my Lord has commanded me to. I specifically want to reach out to the Muslim people we have seem to forgotten about, except in caricatures of hate. The days of the black faced Vaudeville buffoons and images of "Black Sambo" and the other racial stereotypical epithets of our not too distant past seem to have re-appeared in a lighter shade. It is still evil. Paint your racism any way you like, God will be the judge.

Pray for me if you have a mind to and may the Lord of Heaven bless you with His Riches in Glory. MaSalaama.

Leftovers are good the second time around too.  LOL !

Commentary Courtesy of Matthew Henry's Concise Bible commentary from e-wordtoday

James 2:14-26 (King James Version) Courtesy of BibleGateWay.com

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

James 2

Verses 14-26 Those are wrong who put a mere notional belief of the gospel for the whole of evangelical religion, as many now do. No doubt, true faith alone, whereby men have part in Christ's righteousness, atonement, and grace, saves their souls; but it produces holy fruits, and is shown to be real by its effect on their works; while mere assent to any form of doctrine, or mere historical belief of any facts, wholly differs from this saving faith. A bare profession may gain the good opinion of pious people; and it may procure, in some cases, worldly good things; but what profit will it be, for any to gain the whole world, and to lose their souls? Can this faith save him? All things should be accounted profitable or unprofitable to us, as they tend to forward or hinder the salvation of our souls. This place of Scripture plainly shows that an opinion, or assent to the gospel, without works, is not faith. There is no way to show we really believe in Christ, but by being diligent in good works, from gospel motives, and for gospel purposes. Men may boast to others, and be conceited of that which they really have not. There is not only to be assent in faith, but consent; not only an assent to the truth of the word, but a consent to take Christ. True believing is not an act of the understanding only, but a work of the whole heart. That a justifying faith cannot be without works, is shown from two examples, Abraham and Rahab. Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. Faith, producing such works, advanced him to peculiar favours. We see then, ver. 24 , how that by works a man is justified, not by a bare opinion or profession, or believing without obeying; but by having such faith as produces good works. And to have to deny his own reason, affections, and interests, is an action fit to try a believer. Observe here, the wonderful power of faith in changing sinners. Rahab's conduct proved her faith to be living, or having power; it showed that she believed with her heart, not merely by an assent of the understanding. Let us then take heed, for the best works, without faith, are dead; they want root and principle. By faith any thing we do is really good; as done in obedience to God, and aiming at his acceptance: the root is as though it were dead, when there is no fruit. Faith is the root, good works are the fruits; and we must see to it that we have both. This is the grace of God wherein we stand, and we should stand to it. There is no middle state. Every one must either live God's friend, or God's enemy. Living to God, as it is the consequence of faith, which justifies and will save, obliges us to do nothing against him, but every thing for him and to him.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Matthew Henry,  (18 October 1662 – 22 June 1714), was an English non-conformist clergyman.

Life
He was born at Broad Oak, a farmhouse on the borders of Flintshire and Shropshire. His father, Philip Henry, had just been ejected by the Act of Uniformity 1662. Unlike most of his fellow-sufferers, Philip possessed some private means, and was thus able to give his son a good education. Matthew went first to a school at Islington, and then to Gray's Inn. He soon gave up his legal studies for theology, and in 1687 became minister of a Presbyterian congregation at Chester. He moved again in 1712 to Mare Street, Hackney. Two years later (22 June 1714), he died suddenly of apoplexy at the Queen's Aid House (41 High Street) in Nantwich while on a journey from Chester to London.
Works
Henry's well-known Exposition of the Old and New Testaments (1708–1710) is a commentary of a practical and devotional rather than of a critical kind, covering the whole of the Old Testament, and the Gospels and Acts in the New Testament. After the author's death, the work was finished by a number of ministers, and edited by G. Burder and John Hughes in 1811. Not a work of textual criticism, its attempt at good sense, discrimination, its high moral tone and simple piety with practical application, combined with the well-sustained flow of its English style, made it one of the most popular works of its type. Matthew Henry's six volume Complete Commentary, originally published in 1706, provides an exhaustive verse by verse study of the Bible. His commentaries are still in use to this day.

Henry's commentaries are primarily exegetical, dealing with the scripture text as presented. Henry's prime intention was explanation, not translation or textual research.

His Miscellaneous Writings, including a Life of Mr. Philip Henry, The Communicant's Companion, Directions for Daily Communion with God, A Method for Prayer, A Scriptural Catechism, and numerous sermons, were edited in 1809 and in 1830.

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

From  MSN Encarta

John Wesley (1703-91), English theologian, evangelist, and founder of Methodism.

Wesley was born in the rectory at Epworth, Lincolnshire, on June 17, 1703, the 15th child of the British clergyman Samuel Wesley. He was educated at Charterhouse School and Christ Church, University of Oxford. Ordained deacon in 1725 and admitted to the priesthood of the Church of England in 1728, John Wesley acted for a time as curate to his father. In 1729 he went into residence at Oxford as a fellow of Lincoln College. There he joined the Holy Club, a group of students that included his brother Charles Wesley and, later, George Whitefield, who was to become the founder of Calvinistic Methodism. The club members adhered strictly and methodically to religious precepts and practices, among them visiting prisons and comforting the sick, and were thus derisively called “methodists” by their schoolmates.

In 1735 Wesley went to Georgia as an Anglican missionary. On the ship to Savannah he met some German Moravians, whose simple evangelical piety greatly impressed him. He continued to associate with them while in Georgia and translated some of their hymns into English. Except for this association, Wesley's American experience was a failure.

On his return to England in 1738, he again sought out the Moravians; while attending one of their meetings in Aldersgate St., London, on May 24, 1738, he experienced a religious awakening that profoundly convinced him that salvation was possible for every person through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

From Christianity Today

John Wesley

Methodical pietist

"About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed."

In late 1735, a ship made its way to the New World from England. On board was a young Anglican minister, John Wesley, who had been invited to serve as a pastor to British colonists in Savannah, Georgia. When the weather went sour, the ship found itself in serious trouble. Wesley, also chaplain of the vessel, feared for his life.

But he noticed that the group of German Moravians, who were on their way to preach to American Indians, were not afraid at all. In fact, throughout the storm, they sang calmly. When the trip ended, he asked the Moravian leader about his serenity, and the Moravian responded with a question: Did he, Wesley, have faith in Christ? Wesley said he did, but later reflected, "I fear they were vain words."

In fact, Wesley was confused by the experience, but his perplexity was to lead to a period of soul searching and finally to one of the most famous and consequential conversions in church history.

Timeline

1678

John Bunyan writes The Pilgrim's Progress

1687

Newton publishes Principia Mathematica

1689

Toleration Act in England

1703

John Wesley born

1791

John Wesley dies

1793

William Carey sails for India

Religious upbringing

Wesley was born into a strong Anglican home: his father, Samuel, was priest, and his mother, Susanna, taught religion and morals faithfully to her 19 children.

Wesley attended Oxford, proved to be a fine scholar, and was soon ordained into the Anglican ministry. At Oxford, he joined a society (founded by his brother Charles) whose members took vows to lead holy lives, take Communion once a week, pray daily, and visit prisons regularly. In addition, they spent three hours every afternoon studying the Bible and other devotional material.

From this "holy club" (as fellow students mockingly called it), Wesley sailed to Georgia to pastor. His experience proved to be a failure. A woman he courted in Savannah married another man. When he tried to enforce the disciplines of the "holy club" on his church, the congregation rebelled. A bitter Wesley returned to England.

Heart strangely warmed

After speaking with another Moravian, Peter Boehler, Wesley concluded that he lacked saving faith. Though he continued to try to be good, he remained frustrated. "I was indeed fighting continually, but not conquering. … I fell and rose, and fell again."

On May 24, 1738, he had an experience that changed everything. He described the event in his journal:

"In the evening, I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death."

Meanwhile, another former member of the "holy club," George Whitefield, was having remarkable success as a preacher, especially in the industrial city of Bristol. Hundreds of working-class poor, oppressed by industrializing England and neglected by the church, were experiencing emotional conversions under his fiery preaching. So many were responding that Whitefield desperately needed help.

Wesley accepted Whitefield's plea hesitantly. He distrusted Whitefield's dramatic style; he questioned the propriety of Whitefield's outdoor preaching (a radical innovation for the day); he felt uncomfortable with the emotional reactions even his own preaching elicited. But the orderly Wesley soon warmed to the new method of ministry. 

With his organizational skills, Wesley quickly became the new leader of the movement. But Whitefield was a firm Calvinist, whereas Wesley couldn't swallow the doctrine of predestination. Furthermore, Wesley argued (against Reformed doctrine) that Christians could enjoy entire sanctification in this life: loving God and their neighbors, meekness and lowliness of heart, abstaining from all appearance of evil, and doing all for the glory of God. In the end, the two preachers parted ways.

From "methodists" to Methodism

Wesley did not intend to found a new denomination, but historical circumstances and his organizational genius conspired against his desire to remain in the Church of England.

Wesley's followers first met in private home "societies." When these societies became too large for members to care for one another, Wesley organized "classes," each with 11 members and a leader. Classes met weekly to pray, read the Bible, discuss their spiritual lives, and to collect money for charity. Men and women met separately, but anyone could become a class leader.

The moral and spiritual fervor of the meetings is expressed in one of Wesley's most famous aphorisms: "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."

The movement grew rapidly, as did its critics, who called Wesley and his followers "methodists," a label they wore proudly. It got worse than name calling at times: methodists were frequently met with violence as paid ruffians broke up meetings and threatened Wesley's life.

Though Wesley scheduled his itinerant preaching so it wouldn't disrupt local Anglican services, the bishop of Bristol still objected. Wesley responded, "The world is my parish"—a phrase that later became a slogan of Methodist missionaries. Wesley, in fact, never slowed down, and during his ministry he traveled over 4,000 miles annually, preaching some 40,000 sermons in his lifetime.

A few Anglican priests, such as his hymn-writing brother Charles, joined these Methodists, but the bulk of the preaching burden rested on John. He was eventually forced to employ lay preachers, who were not allowed to serve Communion but merely served to complement the ordained ministry of the Church of England.

Wesley then organized his followers into a "connection," and a number of societies into a "circuit" under the leadership of a "superintendent." Periodic meetings of Methodist clergy and lay preachers eventually evolved into the "annual conference," where those who were to serve each circuit were appointed, usually for three-year terms.

In 1787, Wesley was required to register his lay preachers as non-Anglicans. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, the American Revolution isolated Yankee methodists from their Anglican connections. To support the American movement, Wesley independently ordained two lay preachers and appointed Thomas Coke as superintendent. With these and other actions, Methodism gradually moved out of the Church of England—though Wesley himself remained an Anglican until his death.

An indication of his organizational genius, we know exactly how many followers Wesley had when he died: 294 preachers, 71,668 British members, 19 missionaries (5 in mission stations), and 43,265 American members with 198 preachers. Today Methodists number about 30 million worldwide.

v

When I was studying Computer Assisted Design several years ago, I learned on a program that was then state of the art called Auto-Cad. It was full featured, having all the "bells and whistles" as they say. I wanted to buy the program so I could work at home with it, but it was very expensive. I looked into it and found that I could buy a "stripped down" version of it called "Auto-Cad Lite" for home use. It did not have all the features, and was not quite as powerful an application, but it had the "bare essentials" to do the job. It was also a whole lot cheaper.

I see that society is obsessed with all things "lite" these days. Lite bread; take out the calories and you can eat without having to exercise ! Light mayonnaise; a lower calorie fat source. Lite beer; get just as drunk with a smaller "beer belly". Etc., etc. The Idea basically is that you can cut down or condense something so that you get all of it's "good" qualities or attributes while excluding the "undesirable" ones.

I see a lot of people who have carried this concept over into their worship of Christ. Christianity - Lite, I call it. You take the "good stuff" and the easier practices from Biblical Christianity and leave the "hard stuff", or things that take too much faith, belief, or effort, behind. People think that they can pick and choose like they were at a salad bar or something. "Oh, I'll take some salvation, some charity, and a little bit of worship music. " they seem to be saying. God's plan as revealed to us is an integrated, self standing platform. Fully functional and not meant to be taken piecemeal. Those that saw Jesus face to face even had trouble "swallowing" the entire Word. Many came just for the miracles, or to "see the show", so to speak. We need to ask ourselves today, are we here to see a miracle, or be a miracle ?

John 6:24-69

"When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. "

We must dig a little bit deeper brothers and sisters. To sit contented with our own lives while the rest of the world is on a rollercoaster ride to hell is not what the Lord intended. Tell someone about what the Lord has done for you today. It may be your or their last chance.

May God Bless you with His Abundant Riches in Glory.

Genesis 8:15-22

"And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

Noah offers sacrifice, God promises to curse the earth no more.

Noah was now gone out into a desolate world, where, one might have thought, his first care would have been to build a house for himself, but he begins with an alter for God. He begins well, that begins with God. Though Noah's stock of cattle was small, and that saved at great care and pains, yet he did not grudge to serve God out of it. Serving God with our little is the way to make it more; we must never think that is wasted with which God is honoured. The first thing done in the

new world was an act of worship. We are now to express our thankfulness, not by burnt-offerings, but by praise, and pious devotions and conversation. God was well pleased with what was done. But the burning flesh could no more please God, than the blood of bulls and goats, except as typical of the sacrifice of Christ, and expressing Noah's humble faith and devotedness to God. The flood washed away the race of wicked men, but it did not remove sin from man's nature, who being conceived and born

in sin, thinks, devises, and loves wickedness, even from his youth, and that as much since the flood as before. But God graciously declared he never would drown the world again. While the earth remains, and man upon it, there shall be summer and winter. It is plain that this earth is not to remain always. It, and all the works in it, must shortly be burned up; and we look for new heavens and a new earth, when all these things shall be dissolved. But as long as it does remain, God's providence

will cause the course of times and seasons to go on, and makes each to know its place. And on this word we depend, that thus it shall be. We see God's promises to the creatures made good, and may infer that his promises to all believers shall be so.

From Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary.

"Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer." Goes the song "At The Cross" that we sing in my little Baptist Church here in East Tennessee. It is so true that we must start and end everything with Him. Our Alpha and Omega, beginning and ending. A man or woman who has started and ended her day in prayer has built a rampart in front and behind her protecting from satan's "pre-invasion" bombardment, and his parting shots as he cowardly flees to easier targets.

Philippians 4:5-7

"Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

From Christianity Today

Major Crusades to the East: Christian History Timeline
October 1, 1993

1071
Seljuk Turks defeat Byzantine armies at Manzikert

1093-1109
Anselm serves as archbishop of Canterbury

1095-99
The First Crusade

1100
Baldwin I becomes King of Jerusalem

1113
Crusader military order, the Hospitallers of St. John, recognized

1115
Bernard founds Cistercian monastery of Clairvaux

1118
Order of Knights Templar founded to protect pilgrims

1121
Abelard shocks theologians with his “Yes and No,” seemingly contradictory statements of theology

1144
Turkish chief Zengi takes Edessa from crusaders

First Crusade
(1095–1099)

Mission
· Defend Eastern Christians from Muslim aggression.
· Make pilgrimages to Jerusalem safer.
· Redirect knights’ aggression.
· Recapture the Holy Sepulcher.

Leaders
· Pope Urban II, who called for the crusade in November 1095.
· Peter the Hermit, preacher who recruited a first wave of crusaders, mostly peasants.
· Baldwin of Boulogne, Godfrey of Bouillon, and other French princes who led a second wave.

Outcome

The first wave, an unauthorized “people’s crusade,” massacred Jews and plundered Eastern Christian territory, before being slaughtered by Muslims near Nicea in 1096.

A second wave, led by princes, moved into Asia Minor that summer and won strategic battles at Nicea and Dorylaeum. After a seven-month siege, Antioch was captured in June 1098.

With great violence the crusaders captured Jerusalem in the summer of 1099. Four crusader states were established in the Holy Land.

1145–48
Second Crusade

1155
Carmelite order founded by 11 crusaders who live as hermits on Mt. Carmel

1167-68
Oxford University founded

1169
Saladin becomes vizier in Egypt

c. 1173
Peter Waldo, founder of Waldensians, begins to preach

1174
The tower of Pisa built

1187
Saladin’s forces crush Christian army at Hattin and take Jerusalem

Second Crusade
(1145–1148)

Mission
To regain crusader capital of Edessa, which had been overrun by Muslims in 1144.

Leaders
· Bernard of Clairvaux, revered monk, who preached the crusade.
· King Louis Vll of France.
· Emperor Conrad III of Germany.

Outcome

Because of bickering and ineffective leadership, the German crusaders suffered a major defeat at Dorylaeum (1147). Badly weakened, the crusaders abandoned any hope of retaking Edessa.

Instead, they besieged Damascus. But following a strategic blunder they failed in their siege and were forced to retreat (1148).

Christians were devastated that a crusade preached by a moral exemplar and led by royalty would fail.

1187–1191
Third Crusade

1191
Order of Teutonic Knights begins

Third Crusade
(1187–1191)

Mission
To retake Jerusalem, which fell to Muslim general Saladin in 1187.

Leaders
· Frederick Barbarossa, Holy Roman Emperor.
· Philip II, King of France.
· Richard I, later king of England.
· Pope Gregory VIII.

Outcome

Barbarossa (“Redbeard”) set out with an army in 1189 but drowned crossing a river en route.

In 1190, Philip II of France and Richard I (Lion-Heart) of England gathered their armies. On the way, Richard captured Cyprus from a rebel Byzantine prince. Meanwhile, Philip II laid siege to Acre, and after Richard arrived, it fell. Richard also took Jaffa and negotiated Christian access to Jerusalem.

1198–1204
Fourth Crusade

1199
Innocent III attempts to launch first “political” crusade, against a German opponent

1208
Francis of Assisi renounces wealth

1208–18
Crusade against Albigensians, first against heretics in Europe

1212
Children’s Crusade, one of several popular uprisings that fails to reach Holy Land

1215
King John of England seals the Magna Carta. Fourth Lateran Council affirms transubstan-tiation

1217
Cambridge University founded

Fourth Crusade
(1198–1204)

Mission
To defeat Egypt, center of Muslim power.

Leaders
· Pope Innocent III.
· Enrico Dandolo, Doge of Venice.
· Byzantine prince Alexius IV.
· Boniface de Montferrat.

Outcome

The crusaders contracted with Venice, the shipping power, to sail them to Egypt. When they couldn’t pay the bill, the crusaders agreed to conquer for the Venetians a Christian city along the Adriatic Sea.

Then Alexius IV, son of the former Byzantine emperor, asked the crusaders to restore his father to power. In return he’d pay huge sums of money, reunite the Eastern church with Rome, and supply a crusade to the Holy Land. Most crusaders agreed, and against the pope’s orders, attacked Constantinople, the capital of Greek Christendom. When the restored Alexius couldn’t fulfill his promises, the crusaders attacked the city again. The resulting three-day massacre soured relations between Eastern and Western Christians for centuries.

The crusade never reached Egypt.

1217–21
Fifth Crusade

1225
First cotton cloth made in the West

1226
Teutonic Knights commissioned to conquer and convert Prussia

Fifth Crusade
(1217–1221)

Mission
To defeat Egypt, center of Muslim power.

Leaders
· Pope Honorious III, who organized the crusade called for by his predecessor, Innocent III.
· John of Brienne, early leader of crusaders.
· Cardinal Pelagius, papal legate.

Outcome

In 1218, crusaders successfully took a strategic tower in Uamietta, on the Nile. More troops arrived with Cardinal Pelagius, who assumed leadership. Though Muslims offered to give up the kingdom of Jerusalem, he continued the siege and took Damietta in 1221. Then an advance inland failed, forcing crusaders to retreat with nothing gained.

Only bright spot: during the siege of Damietta, Francis of Assisi crossed enemy lines to preach to the Muslim sultan.

1228–29
Sixth Crusade

1244
New group of Muslims recaptures Jerusalem and defeats Christian settlers

1244–50
Pope Innocent IV crusades against Frederick II, one of many European political crusades

Sixth Crusade
(1228–1229)

Mission
To retake Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

Leaders
· Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor.
· Pope Gregory IX.

Outcome

Frederick II, who had vowed to participate in the Fifth Crusade, pleaded illness as the Sixth set out, so the pope excommunicated him for not fulfilling his vow.

Nonetheless, Frederick joined the crusaders in the Holy Land and soon negotiated with Muslims for Christian access to Jerusalem (except for the Temple area). The treaty was denounced by the devout of both faiths and lasted but ten years.

Ironically Frederick was again excommunicated for making peace rather than pushing for military victory.

1248-50
Seventh Crusade

1253–68
Pope Innocent IV launches a crusade against Conrad IV in Germany

1261
Byzantines reconquer Constantinople

1263–71
Muslim Baybars overrun Nazareth, Jaffa, and Antioch

Seventh Crusade
(1248–1250)

Mission
To defeat Egypt, Muslim political center.

Leaders
· Louis IX, King of France.
· Pope Innocent IV.

Outcome

As soon as he heard Jerusalem had fallen to Muslims, the devout Louis IX of France volunteered to lead a new crusade. After four intense years of planning, the well-financed army of crusaders took the Egyptian city of Damietta in 1249.

But on a subsequent move toward Cairo, Louis’s forces were surrounded, and he was taken prisoner. Louis was ransomed for a huge sum in gold and the city of Damietta.

Louis then went to the Holy Land for four years and rebuilt many Christian fortresses.

1267–72
Eighth Crusade

1271
Marco Polo journeys to East

1273
Thomas Aquinas leaves “Summa Theologiae” unfinished

1291
Crusader forces defeated at Acre, and Christians expelled from the Holy Land

Eighth Crusade
(1267–1272)

Mission
To retake Holy Land fortresses and cities that had recently fallen to Muslims.

Leaders
· Louis IX, King of France.
· Charles of Anjou, brother of Louis IX.
· Prince Edward of England.

Outcome

Louis’s second crusade got sidetracked into attacking Tunis in North Africa. Typhus and dysentery spread through the crusader camp, killing Louis. His brother Charles negotiated a treaty.

Edward arrived too late to join Louis. Still, he proceeded to Acre, where soon the crusade was abandoned.

In 1291, the crusader city of Acre fell, and the Christian presence in the Holy Land ended.

Some of my fellow "Christians" subscribe to the "kill 'em all ! " theology. I pray today that the love of Christ will pour over them and show them who Jesus actually is.

This is from my favorite outreach project The Crescent Project .

At the present there approximately 1.5 BILLION ,( with a B ), Muslims in this World. There is about 1 missionary to every 1 Million Muslims. Lost, and loved by Christ, yet hated by the majority of people who claim to represent His name. If you read this and see that " O.M.G.! he watches Al-Jazeera ! ", don't be offended, please read on and if you will, look at the site and read the Mission Statement. This Lord with whom we have to do is no respecter of persons, and this Body of believers, His Church, that we belong to is no exclusive country club folks. God bless you all, and keep you by the Power of His Word. No man can pluck you from His hands ! Hallelujah !

Who Is My Neighbor?

Dear Partner in Prayer:

Several years ago my wife leveled with me. She said, "Fouad, we're falling into the American Trap. We're becoming people who disappear into their garages."
Okay...
What she said next made me do a double-take: "Maybe life would be better if the garage door opener and the TV remote were combined. Then, as you close the garage door, Al-Jazeera could switch on too!"
My wife was not being facetious. I know as well as she does that I'm a news junkie and that sometimes it gets the best of me. But her point was clear, so our family decided together to put a leash on our dog Sadie (whose waddle makes us think she is more pig than dog) and walk around the neighborhood.
Hello, my name is...

You won't believe how many people we met while "waddling" Sadie around our neighborhood! Two doors down, there was a Filipino watering his lawn. We introduced ourselves and went on. Across the street lived the Owusu's, a Tanzanian family. Around the corner (you won't believe this one) I met a Lebanese woman who grew up down the street from me in Beirut!

The world was living in our little suburban neighborhood...and we didn't even know it. It was as easy as saying, "Hello, my name is..."

Who is my neighbor?

"But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?'" (Luke 10:29)

Who is my neighbor? Sadly, most of us don't have an answer. Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan was shared in order to show the young, self-justifying man that all people -- both Jews and Gentiles (and I would add, Muslims!) -- are deserving of our compassion, of our going the "extra mile."

In the latest edition of my Podcast, I share three ways you can reach Muslims in this New Year. One of them is to befriend one Muslim, maybe a neighbor! Listen to Podcast
"You are the first neighbor to visit us..."
A Christian woman named Rachel told me her incredible story of befriending a Muslim. Not long after she had moved to a new neighborhood, she decided to welcome herself to the neighborhood by meeting her neighbors. One door she knocked on was opened by a friendly woman with an accent.
After introductions, Rachel found herself being invited in by the Egyptian Muslim woman, Leila, and her daughter. As they laughed, shared stories, and exchanged details about their families, Leila paused. She looked at Rachel and said, "We are honored to have you as our guest. You are the first neighbor to visit our home, and we have lived here 9 years."
Nine years! Can you believe it? For Rachel, it was second nature to meet her new neighbors. For me, my wife had to prod me to become more intentional. What will it take for you to start the new year by befriending one Muslim?
Today, you can start by praying to not fall into the "American Trap." Instead, ask God for one Muslim neighbor to meet and show the love of Jesus.
Reaching Muslims for Christ, 

Fouad Masri

President, Crescent Project

P.S. Don't miss the newest edition of our Podcast, "New Year Resolutions." Our Podcast has gone through an "earlift," so to speak, so subscribe today and get the latest on Muslim issues and beliefs as we learn together how best to share the Hope with Muslims. Listen to Podcast

Brothers and sisters in Christ, please pray for peace in the Middle East. There are so many dead and hurting people there now. I would not think that this is what our Lord wants. Jesus wasn't a killer. I could put some pictures of the dead babies or the heartbroken families on this site as I have already done, but to some, it makes no difference. I have a friend who is from Palestine whom I have been praying for. He is a Muslim and I first tried arguing the Gospel with him. I have been shown by God that I will not reach him that way. He has let me understand that I am to express the love of Christ to this precious one. My friend's aged father lives in Gaza with some of his extended family. This man is very old and has no way to hide from the bombs and shells and bullets. Pray for him. There are babies who did not vote for Hammas who are being maimed and killed. Pray for them. There are women, (who by the way have virtually no rights under Islam and do basically what their husbands tell them to do), who are being bombed and burned alive with white phosphorus. They have nowhere to hide. The borders are sealed and they are being exterminated; like shooting rats in a trash can. I hear "good Christian" folks that shill for the Israeli government's blatant disregard for human life contending that, " it's Hammas' fault that the kids are getting killed. They are using them as human shields." Ask yourself, if a killer was caught in your community and as the SWAT team arrived, he grabbed your three year old daughter and used her as a "human shield"..., and the police opened fire with automatic weapons killing both the killer and your child...., would you say the cops were "justified" ? Come on folks. If you don't have love in your hearts, you better do a serious self inventory and rethink whether you've even really been saved. I will pray for you. God bless Israel with Peace and understanding. Shalom.

From  Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary

Genesis 6
“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.
And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.”

“It is easy to be religious when religion is in fashion; but it shows strong faith and resolution, to swim against the stream, and to appear for God when no one else appears for him; Noah did so. All kinds of sin were found among men. They corrupted God's worship. Sin fills the earth with violence, and this fully justified God's resolution to destroy the world. The contagion spread. When wickedness is become general, ruin is not far off; while there is a remnant of praying people in a nation, to empty the measure as it fills, judgments may be long kept off; but when all hands are at work to pull down the fences, by sin, and none stand in the gap to make up the breach, what can be expected but a flood of wrath?” 

Matthew Henry. 1662-1714

It’s funny that religion was in fashion in the seventeenth century much as it is today. In fact I don’t think there has ever been a time in our history that it hasn’t been. Why do you think that is so ? I would postulate that it is man’s inherent condition which leads to his proclivity to seek out a “higher power”.

Romans 1:18-20  " For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." (KJV)

We have a need to cleave unto God. The Apostle Paul noted to the Athenian’s when he was in Greece, the “intellectual capital” of the world at that time :

Acts 17:16-32
“Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.
And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.”

And also testifying of his kinsmen, the inheritors of the promise :

Romans 10:1-4
“Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

So we see the Pagans and the children of the promise both looking for God. The heart, like the needle of a compass pulled to the direction of true north. God has not left us without a clue. The believer has the Bible, the Living Word of God, as a roadmap for his soul. And you, unbeliever, that small still voice in the darkness of your loneliness…  is Jesus calling you. You my friend are dead. You may feel like it too. I know I did when I was outside His Love and Forgiveness.

“But God commendeth His Love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”       Romans 5:8.

We as sinners, do not deserve to have fellowship with a Holy and Righteous God.

“For the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23.

You need to do something right now because it is time.

“For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.”
Romans 3:23

Get on your knees and ask the one who died to give you life for forgiveness of your sins.

“ For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13

Right now, with the simple faith of a child, ask the lord Jesus Christ to come into your heart and save you :

“ Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner, I know that Jesus died on the cross for me. Please forgive me of my sins, come into my heart and save me. In Jesus name. Amen.”

God bless you my friend. If you prayed and sincerely meant it, you are covered by the Blood of Christ. Saved from hell. You will notice some changes in your life for the better. It won’t all be “peaches and cream”, or “easy street”. It takes some effort to grow as a Christian.  You need to do some things to help you in your walk with the Lord.

1. Make a public profession of your faith. ( this Sunday in Church would be best.)
Matthew 10:32
“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.”
2. Follow the Lord in Baptism.
Acts 2:41
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
3. Read your Bible daily.
Psalm 119:105
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
4. Pray every day.
James 5:16
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
5. Attend a Bible believing Church.
Hebrews 10:25
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Remember that we will not be perfect. We sin all the time. God is Holy, but we are not. However, remember that if we do sin we have an advocate with the Father whom we can turn to.

1 John 2
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” And,
1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

If you have let Jesus fill the void in your life today, please write to me here so that I can rejoice with you and pray for you. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. God loves you and I love you.

From Christianity Today

Paul of Tarsus crossed all types of barriers to gain followers for Jesus of Nazareth.
James D. Smith III, pastor of Clairemont Emmanuel Baptist Church and adjunct professor of church history at Bethel Seminary—West, both in San Diego, California, is an adviser for Christian History.

Fighting the Good Fight

As with most incidents in Paul’s life, even the journey to Rome could not be uneventful. The Alexandrian grain ship that carried Paul encountered a hurricane that wrecked the vessel. Passengers, clinging to planks or pieces of the ship, swam to the nearest island, Malta. After a delay of three months, in the spring of A.D. 60, Paul and his guard finally reached Italy.

In Rome, Paul was put under house arrest, but he invited Jews to come to his rented home, and he debated with them. As usual, when they stopped giving him an ear, Paul turned his message to the Romans. For two years, he continued teaching any who visited.

We do not know the results of Paul’s legal hearing, which probably took place in A.D. 62. Early tradition says he was martyred by sword during Nero’s persecution in July 64. It is highly possible, however, that he was released, and after further missionary work (perhaps in Spain), was imprisoned again in Rome before being executed.

In this case, his final confinement would have been harsh. This may well be when he wrote his letters to Titus and Timothy: in them, he referred to being deserted by former companions and wrote, “I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

To keep the faith is to put it mildly. Paul had done so in the face of jailings, floggings, death threats, murder attempts, and the constant anxiety for the churches he founded—not to mention what Paul called his “thorn in the flesh”—a chronic and debilitating weakness.

Still, Paul had carried his message to people of many religions and cultures. Preacher P.T. Forsyth once said, “You must live with people to know their problems and live with God in order to solve them.” Paul networked an entire empire in life and letter, sharing his soul and Christ’s message with Jew and Greek, bond and free, male and female. He once said, “I have become all things to all men, that I might win some.” It’s clear that nobody’s done it better.

What an awesome example of faith we have been so blessed to have recorded for us. He took his example from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let us take courage in Paul's sufferings.

Hebrews 12

1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

Brothers and sisters, treat your salvation as a garden. Plow the hard rocky soil of unbelief and old and unprofitable patterns of thinking. Plant seeds of Righteousness, which are spreading the Gospel and doing the work of Christ. Fertilize the ground with Prayer which brings growth. And water it with the Living Word of God that it may flourish and bring forth fruit.

Please continue to pray for peace in the Middle East.

God bless you all .

Rediscovering Apologetics

Even in a postmodern culture, Christians must still be prepared with a logical response.

Paul Copan | posted 11/07/2008 in LeadershipJournal.net

Once, while giving a Muslim friend a ride, I asked him, "Tamir, why should I become a Muslim?"

"To have a community," he said, and "to enjoy a sense of purpose."

I replied, "I can find these in Christ."

"Well, why should I become a Christian?" he said.

"Tamir," I exclaimed, "I thought you'd never ask!"

Unfortunately, many Christians aren't equipped to answer Tamir's question because they are intimidated by potential intellectual challenges. What about evil? How do Christians understand the many world religions? But with some guidance, and armed with the knowledge that their faith can withstand intellectual scrutiny, Christians can converse engagingly with doubters and skeptics.

Pastors should use the pulpit and the classroom to equip their congregations with the basics of apologetics. Consider preaching a sermon series on some of the apologetic material in the Gospels, Acts (which uses words like "eyewitnesses," "(make a) defense," "persuade," "reason"), and 1 Corinthians 15. Preach a series on the major objections to Christian doctrine. Teach a world religions class and then visit a mosque, temple, or synagogue to listen and learn. Meanwhile, identify church members with a passion for apologetics and empower them for ministry.

Another important opportunity for apologetics training is among the church's students. Research has shown that the North American church is losing more and more young people. One major reason they're leaving is that they've never been equipped to handle the challenges to their faith they encounter in college. To counter this trend, we need to equip the next generation to be thoughtful idea-engagers.

I attempt to do this with my own children. My wife and I regularly have Q&A times with our kids around the dinner table. We discuss the religious pluralism and relativism they regularly encounter in school. My oldest daughter, in her first few weeks at a secular art college, is already encountering these challenges. She just sent me an email that said, "It is cool how many times the topics of religion and belief systems come up. I get to see how all these different people see the world, earnestly listen to what they have to say, and, Lord willing, challenge their way of thinking in some way and point them to a Savior still unknown to them. I love these deep conversations."

A final consideration includes a matter of the heart. Christians must not merely proclaim the gospel; they must also embody it. A Christian's life should be marked by love and integrity, and he should engage with non-Christians in relationship and respectful conversation. To do that, we must be good friends and careful listeners who earn the right to offer our perspective; having cared enough to understand our friends' journeys, we're better positioned to discuss Jesus. In fact, if we listen carefully, we'll often find ourselves agreeing with our non-Christian friends—there are hypocrites in the church, evil is a gut-wrenching problem, and the Scriptures can be perplexing! But with a little training, we will also be prepared to give an account for our faith.

Paul Copan is professor of philosophy and ethics at Palm Beach Atlantic University and author of When God Goes to Starbucks: A Guide to Everyday Apologetics (Baker, 2008)

Copyright © 2008 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal.

1 Timothy 1:5-7

"Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm."

"The ministry is a warfare against sin and Satan; carried on under the Lord Jesus, who is the Captain of our salvation. The good hopes others have had of us, should stir us up to duty. And let us be upright in our conduct in all things. The design of the highest censures in the primitive church, was, to prevent further sin, and to reclaim the sinner. May all who are tempted to put away a good conscience, and to abuse the gospel, remember that this is the way to make shipwreck of faith also."

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary, courtesy of BibleGateway.com

We need to examine ourselves daily by prayer and study in the word of God to make sure we are not headed for the rocks in our Spiritual journey.

Hebrews 4:12-13 (King James Version)

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."

Not as Pilate " examined" Jesus, which meant a cruel scourging ( see Acts 22:24 ),nearly to the death of the subject.( An "enhanced interrogation technique" if you will), But rather a thorough introspective into the very desire and intent of our hearts.

"And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. "

Luke 23:13-15

Sisters and Brothers, We have been given such a dear and precious gift. A ransom of such momentous price that we could never be worthy of it. What right do we have to keep it to ourselves ? He has given us the Bread of Life, that we should never hunger again, Water to drink that we shall never thirst again ! Why would we muddy it with our sin and prejudices and hatred? Paul understood that he needed to be the friend of all men that by some means some may be saved. Our Lord was condemned by the Pharisees' for eating with sinners and talking to, and healing Samaritans and other "unclean" people. Are we becoming modern day Pharisees' ? Have the lepers now been cast as the gays', the Muslims', the drug addicts', the prostitutes' and any other group you wouldn't have at your dinner table tonight. I praise my Lord and thank Him that He let a wretched thing like me come to His table ! Hallelujah ! I hear it all the time, " oh we love them, it's the sin we hate." My friend, Love is an action, it is not an idea. If Christ had loved us in the way that some of you "love" your neighbors, we'd be dead in sins still, and without hope. Praise His name. My church likes to put down the Catholic people. I do not agree with every teaching they have, and probably never will , but they teach the same salvation in Jesus Christ only, and many of the same teachings I believe. They are bringing people into the Kingdom of Heaven ! They are doing so many good things for the hungry, hopeless and afflicted of this world. I thank my Lord for them. If they have made some mistakes, God will show them as He will show me mine. I understand that no one worships our Lord Jesus Christ by the devil. Is Beelzebub divided ? How indeed will his house stand ? The psychology of "the other" is one of the sharpest knives in Satan's tool bag. When you hold a precious little baby in your hands, do you think of what color it is, or if it's eyes don't look just like yours, or if there is a vowel at the end of her name? Are they any less beautiful ? God holds us in His strong and mighty hands with a fathers precious and tender love. Love your Brother !

"For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. "

1 Corinthians 11:23-31

Our Heavenly Father, thank you for our daily Bread. Teach us to eat it in humility and thankfulness. Forgive us for our many sins. Not in the same manner in which we forgive others, but in your Holy Mercy, casting them into the Sea of Forgetfulness, never to charge them to the account that was taken care of by your Son Jesus. Father give us the desire to do your Will and not our own. To seek your Wisdom, and not our own. Father lead us into paths of Righteousness for your Names sake. Build a hedge around us to protect us from Satan's attacks as he does as soon as we start to work in your Will. Father I ask in Jesus Name that you give a special Blessing to each one of your Children who reads this Prayer. That your Glory is evidenced and confirmed so that by any means someone close to Perdition will be Saved. Hallelujah, thank you Father. Amen.

Johann Arndt (1555-1621), German Lutheran theologian

"Give me ... a compassionate heart, quickly moved to grieve for the woes of others and to active pity for them, even as our Lord Jesus Christ beheld our poverty and hasted to help us. Give me grace ever to alleviate the crosses and difficulties of those around me, and never to add to them; teach me to be a consoler in sorrow, to take thought for the stranger, the widow, and the orphan; let my charity show itself not in words only but in deed and truth."

From Christianity Today

Paul of Tarsus crossed all types of barriers to gain followers for Jesus of Nazareth.
James D. Smith III, pastor of Clairemont Emmanuel Baptist Church and adjunct professor of church history at Bethel Seminary—West, both in San Diego, California, is an adviser for Christian History.

Death Threats

Paul returned to Antioch, then revisited churches in Asia Minor and settled down in Ephesus for more than two years (from about A.D. 52 to 54). Then he was off to Jerusalem. In part, he wanted to deliver a famine-relief fund he had been collecting from Gentile churches for Jerusalem Christians, to show them the solidarity of Christians elsewhere.

But Paul was a realist, and he recognized his reputation among Jews in Judea would likely lead to more persecution and perhaps arrest. When his friends tearfully tried to dissuade him, he forged ahead. He said he felt “compelled by the Spirit” to go so that he could “complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”
After a delay—due mostly to another plot against his life—Paul and companions arrived in Jerusalem in about A.D. 57. Since his reputation was shaky among many Jewish Christians, the Jerusalem elders asked Paul and his companions to partake in Jewish purification rites. As with Timothy’s circumcision, though it was against Paul’s principles, he complied for the sake of harmony.

He may have accomplished harmony in the church, but within a week, the city was in an uproar. Some Jews recognized Paul in the temple area one day, and they began shouting, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place.” People came running from all directions. They seized Paul and dragged him from the temple. They were about to kill him when Roman troops showed up and arrested Paul and chained him. When it was discovered that Jerusalem Jews were still plotting Paul’s murder, Paul was transferred secretly by night to Caesarea.

The main charge, disturbing the peace, was enough to keep him jailed for three years as Roman authorities tried to figure out what to do with this troublemaker. Paul used the time to meet with Christians who visited him in prison, and to write letters to churches he had founded.

For the next few years, he was dragged before one Roman official after another. On such occasions, he often described his conversion and called those present to repent and believe in Christ. With deft use of his rights as a Roman citizen, he avoided being whipped.

When Paul stood trial before Festus, Roman governor of Judea, Jewish leaders were unable to prove the accusations they were making. Paul said, “I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” Festus, anxious to please the Jews, tried to get the trial moved to Jerusalem, which was under Jewish jurisdiction. Such a move would certainly end in Paul’s death. So Paul pulled out his trump card.

“I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried,” he said. “If the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

With that, Festus’s hands were tied. As a Roman citizen on trial for a capital offense, Paul had the right to a hearing before the Emperor. “You have appealed to Caesar,” said Festus. “To Caesar you will go.” The appeal helped Paul accomplish one of his long-term goals: a visit to Rome.

Just a reminder : Please pray for Peace in the Middle East.

James 3:17-18

"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."

From Christianity Today

Paul of Tarsus crossed all types of barriers to gain followers for Jesus of Nazareth.
James D. Smith III, pastor of Clairemont Emmanuel Baptist Church and adjunct professor of church history at Bethel Seminary—West, both in San Diego, California, is an adviser for Christian History.

With this issue settled, Paul invited Barnabas on another journey to see how their new converts were faring. Barnabas insisted on taking John Mark, an early companion of their first journey. But Paul balked. John Mark had deserted them after their first stop, and that, insisted Paul, disqualified him.
Paul and Barnabas argued so sharply, they parted ways. Barnabas and John Mark sailed for Cyprus; Paul took a new partner, Silas, and went through Syria and Cilicia, delivering the results of the Jerusalem Council.
Along the way, Paul picked up a convert named Timothy, whom Paul circumcised! Why the seeming turnabout? Apparently, Paul didn’t see this as a requirement for salvation, but he didn’t want to offend local Jewish Christians who were still uncomfortable with the Council’s decision. Later Luke, a Greek physician who wrote a history of the movement, also joined the group.

Perhaps the most significant incident of this journey occurred when Paul was mysteriously prevented from further travel in Asia Minor. Luke says obliquely, “The Spirit of Jesus would not allow them” to go further. This revelation or circumstance was accompanied by a dream in which Paul saw a man from Macedonia (modern northern Greece) who said, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Paul concluded he was called to preach there and sailed for Macedonia. The Christian message had crossed another boundary, moving out of the Middle East and into Europe.

On this leg of the journey, Paul founded churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea, among other places. Paul’s longest stay was in the large commercial city of Corinth, where derisive treatment by the synagogue again led him to begin work among Greeks. During his more than eighteen months there (from A.D. 50 to 52), a charismatic and volatile church was born.

One city where he failed to establish a church became, ironically, the scene of his most famous sermon. Athens was the cradle of democracy, the home of philosophers Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, and Zeno the Stoic, and was graced by magnificent architecture and sculpture.

Paul must have been deeply disturbed by Athens’s pagan temples, altars, and images. Yet, as he preached on Mars Hill, he decided to enter the intellectual world of Athens. He affirmed the traditions of the Athenians: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious,” and quoted Greek poets and philosophers approvingly.

Then he gently but firmly called his audience to Christian faith: “The God who made the world and everything in it … does not live in temples built by human hands.… We should not think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill. In the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead!”

At the mention of a resurrection, some listeners sneered, and Paul’s speech came to an end. Only a few Athenians became Christians.

Still, this speech better than any other illustrates Paul’s ability to cross all sorts of boundaries to get his message across. Historian Henry Chadwick wrote, “Paul’s genius as an apologist is his astonishing ability to reduce to an apparent vanishing point the gulf between himself and his converts and yet to ‘gain’ them for the [authentic] Christian gospel.”

 Even though we may disagree at times with other believers, it is important to remember that we are brothers and sisters in Christ. All members of the same body, differing in uses and abilities, but all useful and ordained by God. We should not question His Providence or Election of us into a said ministry. Should the clay say to the potter, " why has thou thus formed me ?" And as Paul told Timothy by the Spirit, " Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands." 2 Timothy 1:6. Use your gift for Heaven's sake. You may be the difference of one precious soul going to eternal reward, or eternal damnation. You Do matter. To God and to me. May He bless you above all that you could think, or ask for. Hallelujah! 

Father, I pray that you stir up in us our gift and our calling and let love abound in our lives that the lost may come to a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus to your Glory and Honor forever. We praise you, for your Mercy endureth forever. Amen.

From Christianity Today

Paul of Tarsus crossed all types of barriers to gain followers for Jesus of Nazareth.
James D. Smith III, pastor of Clairemont Emmanuel Baptist Church and adjunct professor of church history at Bethel Seminary—West, both in San Diego, California, is an adviser for Christian History.

Breaking the Law

About this time, some Jewish Christians arrived in Antioch and insisted that Christians had to obey the laws of Moses, including the injunction that males be circumcised. Greek converts naturally balked.
Paul and Barnabas were furious—to them, the requirement sabotaged their message of grace. So the church of Antioch appointed Paul and Barnabas, among others, to go to Jerusalem to settle the matter.
After Peter, James, and the Jerusalem elders gathered, a heated discussion ensued. Peter made an impassioned speech against the advocates of circumcision, concluding, “Why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Then Paul and Barnabas talked about the many Greek conversions they had witnessed. This had a powerful effect on the assembly.
Then James concluded, “It is my judgment that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” He limited the requirements on Gentile converts to just four areas of abstinence: food sacrificed to idols, sexual immorality, meat from strangled animals, and meat juices. Two Jerusalem delegates, Judas and Silas, were sent with Paul and Barnabas to deliver the ruling to the Antioch church.
Though the issue was formally settled, Paul would battle it for the rest of his life. (At one point, he had to confront Peter when he temporarily retreated from the council’s decision).
Sermon of a Lifetime
With this issue settled, Paul invited Barnabas on another journey to see how their new converts were faring. Barnabas insisted on taking John Mark, an early companion of their first journey. But Paul balked. John Mark had deserted them after their first stop, and that, insisted Paul, disqualified him.
Paul and Barnabas argued so sharply, they parted ways. Barnabas and John Mark sailed for Cyprus; Paul took a new partner, Silas, and went through Syria and Cilicia, delivering the results of the Jerusalem Council.
Along the way, Paul picked up a convert named Timothy, whom Paul circumcised! Why the seeming turnabout? Apparently, Paul didn’t see this as a requirement for salvation, but he didn’t want to offend local Jewish Christians who were still uncomfortable with the Council’s decision. Later Luke, a Greek physician who wrote a history of the movement, also joined the group.

Perhaps the most significant incident of this journey occurred when Paul was mysteriously prevented from further travel in Asia Minor. Luke says obliquely, “The Spirit of Jesus would not allow them” to go further. This revelation or circumstance was accompanied by a dream in which Paul saw a man from Macedonia (modern northern Greece) who said, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Paul concluded he was called to preach there and sailed for Macedonia. The Christian message had crossed another boundary, moving out of the Middle East and into Europe.

On this leg of the journey, Paul founded churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea, among other places. Paul’s longest stay was in the large commercial city of Corinth, where derisive treatment by the synagogue again led him to begin work among Greeks. During his more than eighteen months there (from A.D. 50 to 52), a charismatic and volatile church was born.

One city where he failed to establish a church became, ironically, the scene of his most famous sermon. Athens was the cradle of democracy, the home of philosophers Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, and Zeno the Stoic, and was graced by magnificent architecture and sculpture.

Paul must have been deeply disturbed by Athens’s pagan temples, altars, and images. Yet, as he preached on Mars Hill, he decided to enter the intellectual world of Athens. He affirmed the traditions of the Athenians: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious,” and quoted Greek poets and philosophers approvingly.

Then he gently but firmly called his audience to Christian faith: “The God who made the world and everything in it … does not live in temples built by human hands.… We should not think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill. In the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead!”

At the mention of a resurrection, some listeners sneered, and Paul’s speech came to an end. Only a few Athenians became Christians.

Still, this speech better than any other illustrates Paul’s ability to cross all sorts of boundaries to get his message across. Historian Henry Chadwick wrote, “Paul’s genius as an apologist is his astonishing ability to reduce to an apparent vanishing point the gulf between himself and his converts and yet to ‘gain’ them for the [authentic] Christian gospel.”

1 Samuel 15:22 (King James Version)

"And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."

Hosea 6:6 (King James Version)

"For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."

This is an excerpt from " The Cross and the Crescent " by Collin Chapman, InterVarsity Press 

Extract from Chapter 3 EXAMINING OUR ATTITUDES

Once we have begun to develop genuine relationships with Muslims and to appreciate their culture, we may need to look more closely at our attitudes towards them and their religion. Some of these attitudes are related to theology and what we believe as Christians, since this is a religion which challenges Christianity at many points. Others, however, are related to culture and politics, since we are dealing here with the gut reactions of Christians in the West to a growing community of Asians and Arabs who have settled in our midst, whose way of life is very different from that of secular Westerners, and whose rhetoric often has profound political implications.
If we are honest with ourselves and can articulate these attitudes, we can try to reflect on them and examine them in the light of the gospel. The following, for example, are comments which are often made by Christians.

‘Look at the way they persecute Christians!’

Christians in Pakistan have suffered for many years as a result of the so-called Blasphemy Laws, which have been used unscrupulously by some Muslims to convict Christians in courts of law. Although Christians in Iraq felt reasonably safe under Saddam Hussein, since the war of 2003 they have suffered from kidnapping and murder at the hands of Islamist extremists, and many churches have been attacked. There are many countries in the world where Muslims who want to convert to Christianity (or to any other religion) experience severe harassment from their families, communities or the police, and sometimes lose their lives. The Law of Apostasy, which says that Muslims who renounce their Islamic faith forfeit the right to live, has been enshrined in traditional Islamic law for centuries, even though it is not always practised in every situation today.

It is important that both Christians and Muslims – as well as secular governments – should be willing to acknowledge that in some Islamic contexts there is real persecution of Christians taking place today. We need to be careful, however, that we do not allow the fact of persecution in these situations to create very negative attitudes in our minds towards all Muslims. In trying to understand these situations of persecution and working out how Christians outside the situation should respond,these are some factors which we need to keep in mind.

There is a wide range of attitudes among Muslims towards Christians. At one end of the spectrum are Muslims who regard Christians as ‘unbelievers’ or ‘idolaters’, using the strong qur’anic word kuffar (plural; kafir singular) and mushrikun (literally ‘associators’, who put created beings on the same level as God). They therefore see them as little different from the polytheists and idolaters who are so strongly condemned in the Qur’an (see 5:17, 72–73; 9:30). At the other end of the spectrum are Muslims who point to several verses in the Qur’an which are very positive towards Christians (e.g. 2:62; 5:82–83), describing them (along with the Jews) as ‘People of the Book’ because they possess written scriptures.Since there are also many positions between these two approaches, it is never possible to sum up the attitudes of Muslims to Christians in one sentence, as if all Muslims everywhere have the same attitude towards Christians (see further chapter 27, ‘The qur’anic view of Christians’). Christian Troll, a Jesuit Islamic scholar, comments:

"It is precisely this ambivalence that has determined the character of Muslim attitudes to Christianity right up to the present. The ways in which Christianity and Christians are judged – whether as unbelievers or as ‘People of the Book’ and monotheists – thus depend to a considerable extent on the peaceful or tense co-existence of Christians and Muslims, exactly as in the time of the Prophet."

As I continue to study Islam and the Muslim peoples ( many and different in culture, practice, and degree of devotion to their faith ), I am starting to get past the initial "culture shock" that western Christians experience when approaching the unfamiliar and sometimes threatening. I had first thought that they were almost unreachable or at least the hardest to reach with the Gospel of Christ. I'm finding that it is not the case. Satan would like us to believe that so the Christian would be discouraged in his or her attempts.

As my dad once said about someone I had been scared of, " he puts his pants on just like you do, one leg at a time. " When we get past the racial, ethnic, and language - culture differences, the outside sensory perceptions, ( i.e. what we look like, sound like, and the differences in how we practice being human ), We are confronted with human beings. Human beings are created in God's image and have the natural longing in the soul to be reunited with Him. As a blank sheet of paper, we still bare the watermark of his authorship on our being. We have created idols and gods to define our ideas of what He should be. Even the atheist or agnostic defines God by not defining Him. ( They have cut Him out, but His silhouette remains ! )They accept themselves as the ultimate authority without explanation of anything, thus leaving an unresolved chord in the melody.

Matthew 10:27-29 (King James Version)

"What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father."

2 Timothy 1:7-8 (King James Version)

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God."

Endeavor to reach these people in some way for the Lord. We are more than able through Christ who strengthens us. We are all sinners saved by His unmatchable Grace and unfathomable Love. If indeed you have made any progress on this journey toward that Heavenly city, get up from your resting place and again take to the path. God loves you and so do I. May His love be shined on you and through you.

From Christianity Today

Paul of Tarsus crossed all types of barriers to gain followers for Jesus of Nazareth.
James D. Smith III, pastor of Clairemont Emmanuel Baptist Church and adjunct professor of church history at Bethel Seminary—West, both in San Diego, California, is an adviser for Christian History.

Outward Bound

By the mid-40s, The Way had spread north to Antioch in Syria. Its members, many of whom were “Greeks” (i.e., non-Jewish), had become known as “Christians.” Barnabas, one of the leaders, traveled to Tarsus to get Saul. Together they spent a year teaching converts in Antioch.

The leaders, apparently impressed with Paul and Barnabas’s work with Greek converts, determined that these two should take the Christian message to Cyprus and Asia Minor. So they departed on what has become known as Paul’s first missionary journey.

Several aspects of this trip deserve notice. First, Saul began using his Roman name, Paulus. Second, early on, perhaps on Cyprus, Paul became the leader of the mission—Luke, who chronicled their journey, no longer writes of “Barnabas and Paul” but of “Paul and Barnabas.” Finally, on this journey Paul’s missionary style blossomed, particularly his drive to win followers for Jesus Christ and his willingness to cross political, cultural, and religious barriers to do so.

His experience in Pisidian Antioch (in Asia Minor) would become typical. “On the Sabbath,” Luke records, “they [Paul and Barnabas] entered the synagogue.” After the Hebrew scriptures were read, the leaders of the synagogue, as was customary, turned to the guests and said, “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.”

Paul rose and said, “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me!” Then he reviewed the history of the Jewish people, finally coming to the point that the long-awaited Messiah had come: “We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers he has fulfilled in us, their children, raising up Jesus.… Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.”

Throughout the town, word spread of the unusual visitors, and on the next Sabbath, “almost the whole city” turned out to hear Paul. This time, though, some Jews argued abusively with him. He abruptly halted the debate and revealed his strategy.
“We had to speak the word of God to you first,” he said. “Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.” Paul believed that although he was called to spread the message of grace among Greeks, he was still obligated, as a Jew, to offer it first to his countrymen.
Many of the Greeks joined the fledging Christian church there. Still, Jewish dissidents convinced city authorities to run Paul and Barnabas out of town.
In the next city they visited, Iconium, a plot was hatched to kill them. In Lystra, Paul was stoned till his attackers thought he was dead. Still, Paul and Barnabas established a number of churches in Asia Minor, filled with both Jews and Greeks. By A.D. 48, Paul and Barnabas were back home in Antioch and spent a lengthy time recuperating.
Breaking the Law
About this time, some Jewish Christians arrived in Antioch and insisted that Christians had to obey the laws of Moses, including the injunction that males be circumcised. Greek converts naturally balked.
Paul and Barnabas were furious—to them, the requirement sabotaged their message of grace. So the church of Antioch appointed Paul and Barnabas, among others, to go to Jerusalem to settle the matter.
After Peter, James, and the Jerusalem elders gathered, a heated discussion ensued. Peter made an impassioned speech against the advocates of circumcision, concluding, “Why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Then Paul and Barnabas talked about the many Greek conversions they had witnessed. This had a powerful effect on the assembly.
Then James concluded, “It is my judgment that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” He limited the requirements on Gentile converts to just four areas of abstinence: food sacrificed to idols, sexual immorality, meat from strangled animals, and meat juices. Two Jerusalem delegates, Judas and Silas, were sent with Paul and Barnabas to deliver the ruling to the Antioch church.
Though the issue was formally settled, Paul would battle it for the rest of his life. (At one point, he had to confront Peter when he temporarily retreated from the council’s decision).