Articles

Many in the world celebrate Christmas; however, I sometimes wonder how many remind themselves of why Jesus came into the world. Often, we may say, yes, we know. A reminder is a vital aspect of our lives.  Jesus came into the world for one reason: to make it possible for us to be forgiven of our sins and go to heaven when we die. Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). This forgiveness is not automatic. We must ask for it. It is free, but there is a condition: Repentance. Sadly, only a few churches today emphasize this crucial requirement. Often, I think about how very pleasing it is for the devil to see humans forget about sin and its ability to destroy marriages, families, churches, ministries, and even society.

The Bible is Changed – Really?

Some Muslims believe that Christians have corrupted the Bible, whereas their book, the Qur’an, upholds the same Bible, treating it as the word of God.

 God revealed them

The Qur’an uses the following terms to refer to parts of the Bible: -

Tawrat – Torah, the first five books of the Bible

Zabur – the Psalms

Injil – the Gospel

Saha’if – the books of the prophets

 The Tawrat, the Zabur, and the Saha’if are known as the Holy Scriptures of the Jews. Christians call them the Old Testament. The Injil referred to as the  Holy Scriptures of the Christians is the New Testament. The Qur’an accepts them as God’s revelation: ‘... confirming that which was (revealed) before it, even as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel’ (Sura 3:3).

Indeed, this life is given once, and we should use it to the full for his glory. A general misunderstanding of Jesus’ teaching on persecution is that believers humbly do nothing while being attacked or assassinated. Certainly, retribution and hostility are not, at all, part of a biblical response (Romans 12:19; John 18:23-40); it does not mean that believers should not seek to escape harm when possible. Jesus told his followers to flee persecution in one town by moving to another (Matthew 10:23). This way, the good news about faith in Jesus will spread throughout the towns and cities. In the book of Acts, we see how the religious leaders launched the first great persecution against the church in Jerusalem after stoning Stephen. This caused the disciples to scatter through the “regions of Judea and Samaria” (Acts 8:1-4), but they preached the word wherever they went. They did not become secret believers; they still shared the gospel.

The Bible states, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission” (Hebrews 5:7). Some 'friends' claim that Jesus' plea was heard and was rescued. Is that so?