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).

From Answering Islam

My Questions to Muslims

Pressure and Pretence

What would you think if your professor, or your employer said to you: "Please be completely honest with me, but don't dare to disagree!" ?

In the last article on the issue of "taqiyya" we have seen how Muhammad made it cheap to be a Muslim. As one might expect, there is also the other side of the same coin, i.e. Islam makes it expensive to those who are not Muslims.

According to the Sharia, wherever Islam takes power the choice for the pagans is conversion to Islam or death. The choice for the people of the book is conversion or oppression in various forms.

In any case, refusing to convert to Islam means to pay dearly for this decision.

The Sharia law is not executed in full anywhere today, but as every religion we can't judge Islam for the positive effect coming from the failure of its adherents as well as we do not condemn Islam itself for the negative consequences stemming from the failure of its followers to live up to its positive aspects. We have to evaluate any religion foremost by looking at its teachings.

I agree that the Qur'an speaks out against hypocrisy in various passages, some references are listed here.

Very few people have a desire to suffer. Nearly all will try to avoid suffering as much as possible. If resisting Islam means suffering and they have no great positive motivation to not be a Muslim the threat of oppression and disadvantage will easily convince them to confess Islam with their lips even though they couldn't care less about it in their hearts. Even if they have reservations and don't believe Islam to be true but have no other loyalty to God [as those who are truly Jews or Christians] or to another religion or conviction that is of great meaning to them, they will become Muslims if refusal to convert brings as many disadvantages as any non-Muslim in an Islamic state has.

Even though the Qur'an seems to speak out against hypocrisy, the fact that Islam applies pressure on all people in its realm of power to profess faith in Muhammad automatically creates many hypocrites. Islam recognizes that hypocrisy is a problem, the Qur'an condemns hypocrisy, but the actual sharia laws drive people to become hypocrites because it rewards any profession of faith and punishes honest unbelief.

Hypocrisy is only condemned verbally, apostasy is punished by death. It is for you to guess how many apostates choose to be apostates in their heart only and will continue to be Muslims with their lips as consequence...

The death penalty for the apostate, the dhimmi laws, etc. have been discussed here before and if need be I can back this up with references. In the interest of shortness they are omitted for this article.

God's Word in the Bible tells us this about the issue of hypocrisy:

None of the Israelites were forced to leave Egypt with Moses. This was their free choice. When they reach Mt. Sinai and God makes a covenant with them and gives them his law, they are again asked if they want to accept this covenant. Then, after the land of Israel is conquered at the end of the book of Joshua, God asks Israel yet again through his servant Joshua, chapter 24:

13   So I gave you a land on which you did not toil 
     and cities you did not build; 
     and you live in them and eat from vineyards and 
     olive groves that you did not plant.'
14   "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. 
     Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond 
     the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.
15   But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, 
     then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, 
     whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, 
     or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. 
     But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Not: Don't you dare choosing other gods! But: Freely choose now.

Jesus has very much the same desire. He does not want any followers who stay with him for the wrong reasons. In the Gospel according to John we read in chapter 6, after Jesus spoke some very tough truths:

66   From this time many of his disciples turned back and 
     no longer walked with him.
67   Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?"

Jesus did not pronounce any judgment on those who left him. He only asks his inner group of disciples whether they want to leave too or stay.

God clearly prefers the honest disbeliever over the those who practice religion in pretence or half-heartedly.

In the book 1 Kings 18:21 we read:

     Elijah went before the people and said, 
     "How long will you waver between two opinions? 
     If the LORD is God follow him; 
     but if Baal is God, follow him.

The book of the prophet Amos, chapter 5:

21   "I hate, I despise your religious feasts; 
          I cannot stand your assemblies.
22   Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, 
          I will not accept them. 
     Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, 
          I will have no regard for them.
23   Away with the noise of your songs! 
          I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24   But let justice roll on like a river, 
             righteousness like a never-failing stream!

And in the prophet Isaiah, the whole chapter 58 is about the reasons why God has rejected the false fasting of Israel and what true fasting is about. And in Matthew 6, Jesus talks about true and hypocritical giving of alms, true and false prayer, true and false fasting. And probably the harshest words of Jesus were against those who are religious leaders but hypocrites. Matthew 23 you will find those.

Paul also talks about the danger of counterfeit faith, "having a form of godliness but denying its power" and he advises "Have nothing to do with them." (2 Timothy 3:5). Jesus also speaks about this issue and taught that the measure to be taken is to excommunicate the willful and unrepentant sinner from the church community, but there is no authority given to the leaders to do any physical or material harm to them. (Matthew 18). Nor is there any kind of punishment for those who leave the church out of their own initiative.

One of the clearest passages on God's opinion in regard to hypocrisy and apostasy is found in Revelation, chapter 3:15-16.

      I know your deeds that you are neither cold nor hot.
      I wish that you were either one or the other. So, 
      because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - 
      I will spit you out of my mouth.

This is clearly showing God's preference for an honest atheist or even polytheist [cold] over somebody who is "believing" but living his "faith" half-heartedly, i.e. without a full submission and obedience to the Lord out of true love for him [hot].

God is the God of truthfulness and honesty and desires the same from his creation. The Islamic law that condemns hypocrisy and at the same time forces people into hypocrisy is inconsistent and unworthy of the God of truth. Therefore this is another issue that creates doubts that it comes from the God of truth as I know him from his word, the Holy Bible.

In a nutshell:

It is hypocritical to condemn hypocrisy but to deny the freedom of dissent by punishing those who do.

Based on the above observations, Islam seems to be a system which is inherently hypocritical. How can this be solved? If it cannot be solved, then this is a strong indication that it is not designed by the God of truth and truthfulness.

Copyright © 1997 Jochen Katz. All rights reserved.

My Questions to Muslims: Table of contents
Answering Islam Home Page

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.

Thunderous About-Face

At about noon as Saul and his group neared Damascus, a bright light flashed around them. Saul fell to the ground stunned, and he heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He was mystified: “Who are you, lord?” he asked, not knowing what had thrown him to the ground. Then he heard, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Saul’s traveling companions had seen the light, and they heard noises afterward, but they couldn’t make sense of it. As they helped Saul up, they discovered he couldn’t see at all. They had to lead him by the hand the rest of the way to Damascus.

Saul didn’t eat or drink for three days, though it’s not clear whether this was a self-imposed fast or the result of trauma. On one of those days, he experienced another vision, in which a man came to him and laid hands on him in prayer. Then the vision came true: a man named Ananias came and prayed for Saul. That’s when, as the historian Luke put it, “Something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes.”
Saul gained not only eyesight but a new religious outlook. He was convinced that Jesus, the executed Nazarene itinerant, was alive and calling him to special service. Astonishingly, Saul—a devout, ethnocentric Jew—now believed his life mission was to talk about Jesus to non-Jews.

Saul submitted to baptism, the rite of initiation for followers of The Way. He then disappeared into Arabia for three years, from about A.D. 33 to 36. Where he went and what he did remains a mystery, but during this time, he received revelations. He said Jesus came to him and taught him a message of forgiveness and salvation through faith.

Saul decided to visit the leaders of the The Way in Jerusalem, especially Peter and James. They taught him about the emerging movement, the details of Jesus’ life and teachings, and their own encounters with the resurrected Jesus.

Still, Saul would later make it clear that nobody taught him anything about the gospel, the fundamental message of Christ. His message and calling, he argued, came by direct revelation from Christ, negating any contribution of even key figures like Peter and James. Saul’s type-A personality and his love of personal superlatives (e.g., he once called himself the “chief of sinners”) remained characteristics throughout his life.

During these years, Saul’s life was in danger. On two occasions, devout Jews—perhaps former colleagues—tried to murder him. And despite his dramatic turnaround, Saul remained unknown and distrusted by The Way’s adherents in Judea. Rumors circulated that Saul’s conversion was a fake, a clever ruse to ferret out more members to put in jail. Joseph of Cyprus (known as Barnabas) gained a welcome for Saul by introducing him to churches. Still, Saul seems to have felt more comfortable in his home town, and he stayed in and around Tarsus for the next decade.

Are we followers of "The Way" today, or do we follow our own way ? Jesus said, 

" Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

  John 14:6 (King James Version)

Please Pray for peace and understanding in the Holy Land.

God bless you.

The Dawn of Civilization ( circa 3000 - 1500 B.C. )

"The transition from pre-historic Neolithic culture to civilization seems to have involved in every case two things combined : the establishment of settled agricultural communities instead of nomadic food-gathering communities and, in those settled communities, the development of urban centers with literate religious and social hierarchies in control of irrigation projects. The first condition is found ( independently, so far as is now known ) in at least four centers : Mexico and Central America; the great bend of the Niger River in Africa; the Yellow River Valley in China; and in Mesopotamia ( the "land between the waters" of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers ). Priority in time belongs to Mesopotamia. And there also the second condition of civilization, the urban center, first emerged." *

We sometimes see images on television of the emaciated bodies of starving children in Ethiopia in central eastern Africa, and I have, like many others, changed the channel after a brief prayer or moment of sadness for these people. I am afraid that it will take quite a bit more than this to help relieve some of the suffering of these people. A people loved and cherished by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As he said;

" Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." Matthew 5:3-7.

He loves these people so much. He has a special blessing for them that He affirmed over two thousand years ago. Who among us is ready to stand and deliver? His light is shined through our vessel on to the other hurting ones that He died for. Those poor broken mothers burying their dead children; is there any consolation or any healing? Those poor Christians holding on to their faith when they are being killed and tortured and worse every single day. We go to the shopping mall or the football game one and spend more in one day than they will, or CAN make in one year. People don't have clean water. Cholera and Polio, ( which we have almost no instance of in America), are ravaging the people there. Aids is rampant because basic information is not available. Who, I ask myself, are "the merciful" ? Ask yourself this also.

Ethiopia Facts *

Total land area : 435,184 Sq. miles. ( somewhat smaller than Alaska )

Land use : 10 % arable land, 1% permanent crops. 89 % other.

Population : 78,254,090 ( July 2008 est. )

Religions : 61 % Christian, 33 % Muslim, 4.6 % traditional

Government type : Federal Republic ( oldest independent country in Africa, and one of the oldest in the world - at least 2000 years ) with executive branch, bi-cameral legislature and judicial branch.

Chief crops : cereals, pulses ( beans, legumes ), coffee, oilseeds, hides, and cattle.

Labor force : 27.27 million; 80 % agriculture and animal husbandry, 12 % government and services, 8 % industry.

"Ethiopia played an important role in the Red Sea trade of the classical world and was mentioned by the Greek historian Herodotus in the fifth century B.C. According to legend, the Ethiopian monarchy was founded by Melelik I, son of Israel's king Solomon and the Queen of Sheba ( Sab'a, i.e., North Yemen ). Coptic Christianity became Ethiopia's dominant religion in the forth century A.D. Ethiopia successfully resisted Islamic invasions in the seventh century except in areas along the red sea coast but was cut off from the rest of the Christian world by the Islamic states of North Africa and the Middle East." *

In 1492 Ferdinand and Isabella, the "Catholic Kings" ( two cousins married on a forged document and without the essential Papal dispensation needed for that union to occur ) re-secured Castile ( Spain ) from the grasp of Islam, initiated the great Inquisition that tortured and killed tens of thousands of "heretics" (even the Muslims who had converted to Christianity were not safe), expelled the Jews who had sought refuge there from the onslaught of the Islamic conquest of the Levant ( Middle East ), Sent a crazy dreamer name Christopher Columbus on a quest to find an eastward passage to the Indies, and commissioned  another ( unsuccessful ) Crusade to expel Islam from the Holy lands. They sent missionaries to Ethiopia with Portugal who established trading stations on the Red Sea coast in 1493. After a century of religious strife ( I don't think they liked the Coptic Christians either ), all missionaries were expelled from Ethiopia in the 1630's. They successfully resisted an Italian invasion in 1880, and were then occupied by Italy in 1936 ( Mussolini ? ) until driven out with the help of Great Britain in WW II. Civil unrest broke out in 1974 with the monarch, Haile Selassie  being disposed and Monarchy abolished. The Coptic Church was sharply curtailed, land reform was instituted and a socialist state proclaimed. In 1977-78 a period of "red terror" resulted in the arrest and execution of thousands of the regimes "opponents". A military assistance agreement between the U.S.S.R. and Ethiopia ended an earlier agreement with the U.S. Years of civil war and devastating famines have Ethiopia in ruins. The country's first multi-party elections were held in 1992. In 2007 Ethiopia sent a large number of troops to Somalia to successfully stop Islamic militants from seizing power.  

At the beginning of this article I thinking of why the country of Ethiopia was almost, well... like in the stone age. After reading their history I am starting to understand a little of why. The wars and famines have curtailed the abilities of the people to rely on their agricultural base. They have nothing else. The rate of illiteracy and lack of education keeps them in darkness on an intellectual level. The social constructs and value systems have been destroyed by communism and years of civil war along with their infrastructure . The Church has nearly been extinguished. There is no food, no water, no medicine and very few hospitals, and there is for many, I am ashamed to say, no hope. As followers of Christ we are obligated to help those in need. Please pray about this and put your sympathies into action. For the love of God.

" Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Hebrews 13:1-2

" If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 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 ? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." James 2:15-17

May God richly bless you from His great riches in Christ.

Feed The Children

International Red Crescent / Red Cross Relief Aid

United Nations Humanitarian Relief

* 2009 New York Times Almanac

"For the Scripture saith,Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Romans 10 : 11-13

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.

Boundary Breaker

During the closing years of Caesar Augustus’s reign, a boy was born to a Jewish family in Tarsus, capital of the Roman province of Cilicia (in modern-day Turkey). The family traced its descent from the tribe of Benjamin, and they named their son after the most illustrious member in their family’s history: Saul, the first king of Israel. As a Roman citizen, the boy had three names, by one of which he became famous: Paulus.

Tarsus was ancient and prosperous; Saul described it as “no ordinary city.” Industries in Tarsus included weaving and tentmaking—a craft Saul would use later to subsidize his travels.

His Roman citizenship implied that his family owned property. It also carried with it privileges—the right to a fair trial, exemption from degrading punishments like whipping, and the right of appeal.

Early on Saul learned a trait that would stand him in good stead in later life: how to cross cultural boundaries. Though born in a center of Greek culture, Saul was sent to school in Jerusalem, where he studied the Jewish scriptures and religious law under renowned rabbi Gamaliel “the Elder.”

Gamaliel was a member of the Jewish ruling council (the Sanhedrin) and grandson of the famous rabbi Hillel. Gamaliel was gracious. When the Sanhedrin raged against members of a local sect who taught that Jesus of Nazareth, recently executed, was Messiah, he counseled forbearance. The council demanded the death penalty; Gamaliel convinced them to enforce a lesser punishment and let the cult members go.

Saul, however, did not adopt his teacher’s moderation, especially toward members of this messianic sect. Saul joined the growing number of Jewish leaders who steadily harassed and even killed followers of “The Way,” as it was called.

Saul could not help but be passionate—a great deal was at stake. He was devoted to his Jewish heritage and traditions, and his sharp intellect quickly perceived that this new sect threatened everything he stood for. So he joined wholeheartedly in restraining measures against The Way.

During one meeting of the Sanhedrin, a follower of the Way, Stephen, appeared before the council. His replies infuriated the members, who began taking off their cloaks and picking up rocks. Saul volunteered to watch their cloaks as they pummeled the radical to death.

Harassment of The Way now intensified, and Saul secured official papers from Jerusalem’s high priest requesting that Damascus synagogues extradite members of The Way to Jerusalem for trial. On his way to Damascus, however, Saul’s plans, and life, were changed.

God has a way of changing our plans around. When we go about this life trying to institute our own righteousness, it all too often goes astray. Thank God that we have a map and a plan that the eternal God / Creator has defined and never changes. May God do a miracle in your life today. Praise Him in everything you do. God bless you.

Here are a couple of thoughts for the believer.

"What a comfort it is to have the approbation of one's own conscience! If there be peace within the soul, the blustering storms of slander which howl around us are of little consideration. When the little bird in my bosom sings a merry song, it is no matter to me if a thousand owls hoot at me from without."

Charles H. Spurgeon

"It is difficult (saith a late ingenious writer) even to a miracle to keep God's commandments and evil company too." How suddenly after your soul refreshments in your closet communion have you lost all your heats and spiritual fervencies, which you had in secret, and have instantly cooled by going forth into cold and corrupt air! When a saint hath been in private ravished with the love of God and the joys of heaven, and afterwards meets with company, which neither doth nor can speak one word of such matters, what a damp it is to him! What a quenching, as it were, of the Spirit of God in him! Nay, is not that true which one saith, that "the people of God do generally lose more by worldly men, that are of a blameless conversation before men, than they lose by wicked and profane men"?

Lewis Stuckley

"In His law doth he meditate." (Psalm1:2) "In the plainest text there is a world of holiness and spirituality; and if we in prayer and dependence upon God did sit down and study it, we should behold much more than appears to us. It may be, at once reading or looking, we see little or nothing; as Elijah's servant went once, and saw nothing; therefore he was commanded to look seven times. What now? says the prophet, "I see a cloud rising, like a man's hand;" and by-and-by, the whole surface of the heavens was covered with clouds. So you may look lightly upon a Scripture and see nothing; meditate often upon it, and there you shall see a light, like the light of the sun."

Joseph Caryl, 1647.

Let us go into the house of the Lord. (Psalm 122:1) "Let us go, " spoken by one hundred men in any city to those over whom they have influence, would raise a monster meeting... But who among those who thus single out the working classes, have gone to them and said, "Let us go--let us go together into the house of the Lord"? The religious adviser, standing at a distance from the multitude, has advised, and warned, and pleaded, saying, "Go, or you will not escape perdition; ""Why don't you go?" The Christian visitor has likewise used this kind of influence; but how few have taken the working man by the hand, and said, "Let us go together"? You can bring multitudes whom you never can send. Many who would never come alone would come most willingly under the shadow of your company. Then, brethren, to your nonattending neighbour say, "Let us go"; to reluctant members of your own family say, "Let us go"; to those who once went to the house of God in your company, but who have backslidden from worship say, "Let us go"; to all whose ear, and mind, and heart, you can command for such a purpose say, "Let us go--let us go together into the house of the Lord."

Samuel Martin (1817-1878), in a Sermon entitled "Gladness in the Prospect of Public Worship."

Be at peace, justified by faith. Nothing wavering.

James 1:6

"....For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."

Keep from the company of ungodly people.

Genesis 49:6

"O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall."

Stay in the Word of God.

2 Timothy 2:15

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Make God's House your refuge and sanctuary.

Deuteronomy 16:11

"And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there."

If you emphasize these four things this year, coupled with prayer and service, you will find a closeness to God that will carry you through whatever trials may arise and difficulties that may present themselves in the coming year. If you have never tried fasting, indeed, try it. Especially when Satan attacks you as he inevitably will when you start to flourish under God's loving hand. Expect that God will prune the tree of your soul to increase your yield of fruits to Him. He cuts off the dead that new growth can occur. Let us leave behind the weight of sins that we have had to carry before times so that we are more able to move onward and upward in our journey to that Heavenly city. By all means bring as many with you as possible. Throw out a life line to someone drowning in sin, and on their way to hell. Pray for the Holy Spirit to be magnified in your soul. God bless you and keep you under the shadow of His wings.

My Thanks to the wonderful people at ewordtoday

Please pray for peace in Gaza with me. Lord please bring Christ's love upon these people. If this violence is justified by God, we pray it will be over soon. I just don't see how it corresponds with what Jesus taught. If it is not acceptable to God, look for Judgement on Israel. God is not mocked, what a man soweth, so shall he reap. Death sown in hate can only grow evil.

Isaiah 5 (King James Version)

1 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:

2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?

5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:

6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

8 Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!

9 In mine ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.

10 Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah.

11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!

12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.

13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

15 And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:

16 But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.

17 Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.

18 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:

19 That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!

20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:

23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

25 Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:

27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:

28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:

29 Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.

30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

Hebrews 12

5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

This is part of a fantastic booklet from the

Center for Ministry to Muslims

2032 E. Kearney, Suite 205
Springfield, MO 65803
U.S.A.

What Christians Need to Know About Muslims
by David K. Irwin

Muslim Beliefs About Christ and Christianity

All biblical references are from the Holy Bible: New International
Version  1984, International Bible Society. All Qur’anic references
are from The Holy Qur’an: Translation and Commentary by A. Yusuf
Ali  1977, Amana Corporation.

Several basic issues dominate a Muslim’s attitude about
Christianity. First, he believes that Jews and Christians
have deliberately distorted the Old and New Testaments to hide
the predictions of the coming of Muhammad.
Second, the Muslim assumes that the Christian believes in
three gods. The Qur’an teaches that the Christian Trinity is
composed of God, Mary, and Jesus. Also, it rejects Jesus as
the Son of God.
Third, the Muslim believes that Jesus did not die on the
cross, but another, such as Judas Iscariot or Simon of Cyrene,
was crucified in His place. The Qur’an says, “That they
rejected Faith; that they uttered against Mary a grave false
charge; that they said (in boast), ‘We killed Christ Jesus the
son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah’—but they killed him
not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to
them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with
no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of
a surety they killed him not—nay, Allah raised him up unto
Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise” (Qur’an 4:156-
158).
The Muslim believes that God saved Jesus from the cross
in order to spare God’s honor. In other words, it would have
greatly shamed the name of God if He had allowed Jesus to die
on the cross. Therefore, God took Jesus from the cross and
made it appear that He died, but someone else took His place.
Obviously, if the Muslim believes this, he can have no true salvation
because he has no Savior.
The Muslim’s concept of sin and salvation is radically different
from that of the New Testament. In fact, a great deal of
confusion exists in Islam about what constitutes sin, and the
Qur’an is alternately severe and lenient in its attitude toward the
punishment of sin. The only exception is the sin of associating
another god with Allah (shirk). This sin cannot be forgiven.
To the average Muslim, sin is failure to live up to the Islamic
moral code and failure to perform the requirements of the five
pillars of Islam. He feels that he is not a sinner if he abides by
these ritual standards. He merits salvation if his good works
outweigh his failures.
However, fear permeates Islam. The Muslim mystic fears
hell fire, or purgatory. He knows that he has not lived up to all
the requirements of his faith. He believes that no man can pay
for another’s sins. Therefore, he must suffer for his own sins,
but he will eventually be rescued from purgatory because
Muhammad intercedes for him. However, the unbeliever who
has associated any other god with God will suffer eternal punishment.
The biblical concept of sin and salvation is contrary to that
of Islam. The New Testament clearly teaches that all men are
sinners and that Jesus Christ alone has the power to intercede
on the behalf of sinners. He has this power because of His
death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.
Salvation is by faith in Christ, a gift of God’s love and grace, and
is not merited by any work that man can do.
The Muslim’s attitude toward the Christian’s belief about
Christ is deeply ingrained in his subconscious and preconditions
his attitude toward Christians and what they share with
him. He feels that Christians have been deceived, and that he
has an obligation to lead them into the truth of Islam.

CHARLES H. SPURGEON QUOTATION

"As an arrow which falls short of the mark, as a fig tree which yields no figs, as a candle which smokes but yields no light, as a cloud without rain and a well without water, is a man who has not served the Lord. He has led a wasted life--a life to which the flower and glory of existence are lacking. Call it not life at all, but write it down as animated death."

Joshua 24:14 (King James Version)

Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

Bob Dylan has a verse in his song " Slow train coming " that says, " talk about a life of brotherly love, show me someone who knows how to live it ". It is all too sad that we, as Christians, so often don't show the love that we have received from our Lord. We make pretenses and prop them up with excuses. Half hearted efforts and time wasted away never to be regained.  There are people out there dying for the lack of what you possess spiritually and physically. I've heard it in church before when the preacher asks if anyone has anything to thank God for, someone will stand up and thank Him for getting them a better job or that they are saved and not going to hell. Don't get me wrong, we should thank Him for everything, but many of  these same people have never told anyone about Christ, or shared any of what He has blessed them with in material wealth. It's like someone who was going down with a sinking ship in the middle of the ocean, with absolutely no hope of living another hour and someone appears out of nowhere with a life boat and pulls them in. They then sit there drying themselves off and thanking the captain for saving them while neglecting to throw out a life line to the others drowning around them. Can't you see people? We have to show people the way. It is vital. Their lives depend on it. One of my "Christian" friends was talking with me about Iran and the radical Muslim clerics there and made the statement, " we should just kill them all ( the whole country). I asked what about the innocent women and children? What about the tens of thousands of Christians that live in Iran suffering already under terrible persecution? He begrudgingly nodded but I really don't know if it made any difference at all. For that matter, Christianity is not new in Iran either. It has been in Iran since the beginning of the Church. Elamites (Persians), Medes, and Parthians were present at Peters speech at Pentecost. According to some historians, the Church of St. Mary in Northwestern Iran is the second oldest church, after the Church of Bethlehem. The Armenian Apostolic Church, Assyrian Church of the East, and The Chaldean Catholic Church, ( he hates Catholics too), trace their roots to the early centuries of the church. ( from The Coming Fall of Islam in Iran, by Reza Safa, ISBN 1-59185-988-3 ) There is an awakening to the Gospel of Christ in the Muslim countries like never before in History. People are meeting in peoples houses, back rooms of store fronts, and anywhere that they can, in the face of torture and imprisonment. For a Muslim to leave Islam, she also loses her family, job, and friends. It is terribly difficult for them once they decide to come to the Lord. And the Muslims that Christ died for also - They are human beings. They have lives, hopes and dreams just like us. They have a right to live in peace. They are not all terrorists or even hate the American people for that matter. We demonize a whole race because they are different than us. Didn't we learn anything from the civil rights struggles of our former years? Pray for peace and God's Wisdom and Love to be shed upon us all. God bless you all.

Jude 1:3

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Some basic differences between Christianity and Islam concerning salvation :

In Christianity, salvation is offered to all.

Romans 10:13

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

In Islam, who is saved is strictly up to Allah.

" Allah forgives whom He pleases, and punishes who He pleases, for Allah has power over all things."

Surah 2:284

In Christianity, salvation is a gift of God's Grace.

Ephesians 2:8-9

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast."

In Islam, salvation is based on works.

"For those things that are good remove those that are evil"

Surah 11:114

In Christianity, one can have confidence that salvation is irrevocable.

John 10:28

"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

In Islam, Jihad is the only eternal security.

"And if you are slain, or die in the way of Allah, forgiveness and mercy from Allah are far better than all they could amass"

Surah 3:157

In Christianity,salvation is never forced.

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

In Islam, Allah forces worship.

"Fight against them until there is no dissension, and the religion is for Allah."

Surah 2:193, (see also Surah 9:29)

I would not want to take any verse from the Qu'ran out of context in trying to bring these differences to light. There are others also. If you need further proofs I would suggest you read the book that I got most of this material from, " Unveiling Islam", by Ergun and Emir Caner from Kregel Publications. It won the Gold Medallion Book Award for excellence in evangelical Christian literature. It is written by two brothers who were raised as practicing Muslims, then found faith in Christ, and later earned Doctorates and P.H.D.'S in Theology. Their story is quite moving, and a good read especially if you would like to understand what the Christian Church is facing in these last times. God bless you with Wisdom, Understanding, and most of all... Love, without which any of the others are useless. Shalom.

Please pray for the bloodshed to cease. Hammas are killers without conscience, and alas, the Israeli government have sunk to their level and increased evil upon evil. Christ taught differently. We need to show the Love of Jesus now more than ever. You can help by sending a donation to the International Red Cross / Red Crescent Society.

You can designate where your dollars will go. There are over 200 volunteers on the ground in Gaza now helping the injured, displaced, and hurting people there.

Matthew 2:18 (King James Version)
In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

Let us be of some comfort and assistance if we can. Share the hope of salvation to the hopeless when God blesses you with the opportunity.

Matthew 5:3-5 (King James Version)

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

 May God bless you abundantly from His riches of Glory in Heaven.

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools

Martin Luther King Jr.

Human Dignity has gleamed only now and then and here and there, in lonely splendor, throughout the ages, a hope of the better men, never an achievement of the majority.

James Thurber (1894 - 1961)

From quotationspage.com

I don't have much to say. The pictures speak far more than my words could ever say.

The fragile peace between Israel and the Palestinian people was shattered the day before yesterday with bombs and rockets rained on Gaza in retaliation for rocket attacks by the militant group Hammas from Palestine. The terrorist's from Hammas are intent on killing innocent Israeli's, and the Israeli government is intent on killing innocent Palestinian's. These bombs and rockets from both sides are directed into urban areas populated by innocent men, women, and children. Over 220 are dead in Gaza as of this writing. Many are children. This is terribly wrong and inhumane. It doesn't matter who is right or wrong. Civilized people do not kill innocents. Please join with me in prayer, until this stops, that God's mercy will prevail and the killing will stop. Father God, please forgive us for our sins and inaction where we could do something, even if it is only to say a prayer for these folks. Lord please let your Love abound in our hearts and in the hearts of these people on both sides of the divide. Lord please heal your people Israel, and the Palestinian people who you love so much. Lord we pray that your peace will come to these people. Thank you Lord in the sweet and precious name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Ephesians 6:12 (King James Version)

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Bombs and bullets don't just kill terrorists and oppressors.

If America is to be the beacon for freedom in this world and the standard for justice, let it begin in the hearts of the American people. Write to your congressman and pray to your God.

From eword today 

CHARLES H. SPURGEON QUOTATION

"He is no Christian who does not seek to serve his God. The very motto of the Christian should be 'I serve.'"

We can serve God in many ways. We can serve Him where we are, and we should ask Him to put us where He can use us the most. We all have gifts or special abilities to serve God's Kingdom and our fellow man.

Ephesians 4:7-9 (King James Version)

7But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

Some of us Can sing or play instruments, some can teach, some are good builders, some may be good at working on cars, or good at languages. Some are simply endued with an abundance of Love in their hearts, or faith in their Spirit. These are all gifts that God has enabled us with to do His work. Fitting one piece to another, so many dissimilar abilities making the composite or completing the puzzle. Desire that God will show you how to use your gift in conjunction with the different gifts He has given other Christians to realize His greater plan for humanity. This great puzzle is missing your piece. You will not see the picture until you add your piece to the others. I pray that God will touch your life today and show you how to use your gift.

1 Corinthians 12 (King James Version)

1 Corinthians 12

1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

2Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

3Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

4Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

6And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

8For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

9To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

10To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

11But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

12For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

14For the body is not one member, but many.

15If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

16And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

17If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

18But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

19And if they were all one member, where were the body?

20But now are they many members, yet but one body.

21And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

22Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

23And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

24For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.

25That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

26And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

27Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

28And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

29Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

30Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

31But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

Thanks also to BibleGateWay.Com