How To Avoid Being Fooled

Youthquake just recorded this radio show on Daniel 9 and praying for repentance revival.(Which also faced spiritual attack as it wasn't able to be uploaded on the Youthquake site for a while because of computer glitches.) It meshes with what I've said about the need for a repentant heart, like here, and reconciliation.

Part of that is avoiding deception, too. It's vital to know what's real so you can avoid being tricked, because if you fall for the wrong trick, it can be fatal. It's like if you think your road is clear when there is invisible ice and you wind up skidding and crashing into a tree or slipping and breaking something while walking. The ice can't be seen since your senses (which, being human, can be wrong) may say it's not there, but your faith(trust in what you know of driving) tells you to be careful.

Yes, our senses are faulty at times. Even places like this secular article suggest there are dimensions beyond what we perceive, thus explaining the spiritual realm. The devil uses tricks I'll discuss to turn people away from God.

However, God has unconditional love for each of us and is always longing for people to come to Him for salvation. You are only a single, sincere prayer of repentance from eternal life.

He made this world without suffering or sin in it. However, mankind brought sin in by choosing to rebel(Rom. 5:12), and things have been declining since. Still, each of us - you - have God's Word: You are "fearfully and wonderfully made"(Ps.139:14), a special creation of God here for a special purpose. The devil wants you to think you have no purpose or design, but you do - to show God's love to everyone once you are saved from your sin. While we've all sinned and come short of the glory of God, and we earn spiritual death - separation from God's perfect love forever - because of our sin, God has given each of us the free gift of eternal life by simply trusting Him to save us from our sin.

Indeed, if you or anyone else were the only person ever on the face of the earth. God still would have come to this world, and Jesus Christ, God in flesh, would have died to take the punishment for your sins and risen again. He wants to give each of us life more abundantly, with eternal rewards that will last forever. You can go here to talk to an online mentor who can help guide you in your walk with God.

God reveals His truth so we can avoid deceptions, just like something that can reveal when that invisible ice is there so we don't slip driving or walking.

What Counterfeits Can Trick Us?

Some things have been discussed, like how to pray the devil doesn't counterfeit things in a revival. Others haven't. I'll mention them later, but first, the need to understand and follow sound Doctrine is vital. There are many traps that sound good but aren't. A milkshake might sound great, but one little bit of dog food will make it very yucky and you won't want to eat it. At least I hope not. Yet if it is only called a milkshake and you don't investigate it, you won't know till it's too late that it has dog food in it.

That's why, as some are famous for saying, there are no counterfeit $47 bills. There aren't any real ones. Sound Doctrine comes from the inspired Word of God, and even the original Antiochan texts have been counterfeited. (This is why, while we know the Bible is fully reliable, in places like this,  I've mentioned it's important to use the King James; others come from the Alexandrian texts.)

No, I'm not talking about some weird place that serves dog food milkshakes. If only I was talking about something that simple. It would be funny. However, the devil tricks us with much different things, things which look very satisfying on the outside but are destructive inside, just like having a $5714 bill might feel satisfying till you try to use it and find out it's worthless.

One of those things is the ecumenical movement. Many churches in it do not preach sound Doctrine. That in itself should turn you off. They may be nice people, but they are deceived as to what is most important. God is most important. We can't create a perfect world because we are sinners who come woefully short of the glory of God. God's ways will always be better than man's ways, as posts like this on God's justice shows, and this on His ways versus the world's.

It's just one of the things I warned about here. It's leading to the One World Religion of Revelation which even the devil will fight (2 Thess.2:3-4) before this world of sin is destroyed by God. We must lovingly warn people away from it in a spirit of compassion so God can protect them. It will be the devil's way of trying to draw many to destruction. They are trying to create a world in their image by making works the most important thing, but nobody can overthrow what the Bible says,. The Bible says salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.(Eph. 2:8-9,John 3:16,etc.) It is available to everybody, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.(Romans 10:13.)

Others focus only on the world. They think that God will give us worldly things. However, this idea doesn't even make sense logically. God wants us to focus on treasures that can never grow old, can never wear out, and so on. In wanting what is best for us, God doesn't let everyone become rich with worldly things because He knows those will never last. If a person happens to be rich with them, God expects them to use that for His Glory by giving to missions, tithing, and so on. Sure, he provides their needs, but many people have lived for Him while facing poverty, persecution, and so on - the case of George Muller and how he had to pray and have God provide that day's food that very morning at times is a perfect example. He says, "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."(John 16:33)

The above factors are important to take into account whenever we pray for revival. There is another solemn assembly being called September 21, but we must be repentant and not just call on God without turning from our wicked ways in our own hearts and lives. We can't say, "Turn this wheel and let me drive North" as we continue to push the gas pedal to the floor and speed South.

Avoid "Science Falsely So Called"(1 Tim.6:20)

 Superstring theory shows that extra dimensions beyond our three physical and time can exist. There is a spiritual realm; we know that from the Bible.What we take in should be tested against God's perfect, inerrant truth.(John 17:17)

Creationism isn't a requirement for salvation, you just have to trust that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose from the dead and call on Him by faith to save you and make you new, putting all your trust in Him to do so. Still, the devil uses what the Bible calls "science falsely so called" to trick people a lot. This Bible quote shows the Bible supports science but doesn't support pseudoscience, things that are based on false assumptions, etc..

For isntance, even secular Discover Magazine had this article on Neanderthals, for instance, debunking a lot of evolutionists theories about them. Actually, their DNA is present in many Europeans and Asians today, and could easily be said to have just had normal diseases. Much about them has been debunked by science, which keeps changing, whereas the Bible's comments about science, such as here and here, have been true since time began. God told of them thousands of years before we discovered them

 Evolutionists use time to try to prove things, but they claim the simple becomes more complex without an outside force, when it can't, any more than a bunch of airplane parts can form an airplane.Cave paintings of dinosaurs and dragons, all of which are remarkably consistent, seem to indicate - along with some Out of Place Artifacts - that people lived with them and were much more intelligent than we credit them with being.

Let's leave that aside, though, because some are now claiming it was aliens because they can't explain it any other way. This leads to the spiritual realm and an even more dangerous deception. This link is around 2 hours long, but it's a video from December, 2011 that talks about how demonic creatures may appear from other realms pretending to be aliens, but they are not. That link, starting at about 29 minutes, starts talking about string theory and why there are multiple dimensions we can't see. Starting about 1 hour, you'll hear the connection to Genesis 6 and the evil Nephilim.

Even Worse Tricks To Avoid - Occult, etc.

Those are big problems. However, the occult is an even bigger one since there is so much spiritual warfare. In fact, the devil does so much to get into our minds that I've chosen not to link occult stuff; it's not good for even adults like me who are strong in their faith, let alone those who struggle. Event he strong should do lots of prayer and even fasting, immersed in God's Word, before searching the 'Net about it. It is vital to recognize some things are real problems. One video tells of something which clearly exists and speaks of a desire to limit human population to 500 million; this lack of concern for life goes against God, who values each person individually, as I shared above and have blogged in places such as here. He is personal and wants a relationship with you to not only save you from sin and hell but to be a trusted guide, comforter, helper, friend, and so much more.

The devil makes things very enticing, drawing people into it, if they're not careful. People who refuse to accept God's unconditional love will fall for a strong delusion someday in order to continue doing wickedly. The Bible says it's coming. We don’t know what that delusion will be. However, we know two things for certain:

1. Every spirit must be tested, to see whether it is of God.(1 John 4:1) In fact, 1 John 4:1-3 – along with 2 John 7 – show why a certain question from the Bible is important to ask any creature.

2. Today is the day of salvation. Whether or not that delusion involves demons posing as aliens - mentioned in part of this radio show from Youthquake - the greatest evil is being restrained. That delusion will come full force on those who remain after the restrainer (the Holy Spirit) is taken out of the way (2 Thessalonians 2:7) as believers are caught up in the Rapture. Jesus’ return is imminent. He could come at any time.

Superstring theory proves there is a spiritual realm, as noted. The devil could use the idea of aliens when it is really demons appearing to people. Thus, this warning is issued.

There is a lot more out there than we can see, including spirits. Those who experience strange, supernatural things generally view them as scary, and have dabbled in occultic stuff beforehand. These are NOT aliens from other worlds. They are demons. These people did not test things to see if they were of God. They got caught up in evil instead.

That's why this question will allow that person to know for sure if something can be trusted. It must be answered “yes.” Such a question is important.

Before the question - a summary of what the devil/demons are

The Bible warns that God has an enemy, the devil. The devil can masquerade as an angel of light. He hates humans. Why? We are God’s creation, formed in God’s image.

God created everything in the beginning, and gave angels freedom. However, in his pride, the devil – an angel named Lucifer - tried to overthrow God, and become like the Most High. Instead, the devil was defeated by God’s perfect love, goodness, etc.. Now, the devil works with fallen angels which followed him to deceive God’s creatures. That deception is what led to the fall of Adam and Eve, which is when sin came into our formerly perfect world. It’s also what leads to those spooky sightings, if those sightings are of evil spirits and not some experiment.

God is a God of love, though, as well as one of justice. He wants us to believe and follow Him willingly. He gives us free choice. He doesn’t want us to be mindless robots. Still, He wants us to be in His perfect Heaven someday. We can’t get there ourselves, because we are imperfect. We say, think, and do things that displease God; that’s what sin is. We can’t earn our way there, because we can never be perfect. Only perfection can be in Heaven, because it is a place with no pain, no suffering, no tears, no decay, no death. We, as imperfect people, can’t see, hear, or even imagine the wonders that await us. But, we will always have that sin on us unless something is done for us.

God not only made the way, he gave Himself for us. God couldn’t just say “Sin is forgiven” from up in Heaven. He had to come to this world, be born as a baby, and live a perfect life, before He died on the cross as the perfect, sinless substitute for our sins. He took the punishment for each of us, the punishment we deserved. He had to be human in order to die for us humans, to take human punishment. And yet, He was also God the Son, so after He died, He then rose from the dead. God the Father sent God the Son to die for us, but at the same time, God the Son came willingly. He lives in every believer through God the Holy Spirit, and intercedes on our behalf before God the Father in Heaven.

This is why I emphasize salvation so much. We need God's protection from that evil, since we are powerless against it ourselves.

Even the devils – the fallen angels – understand who God is. That’s why in Matthew 8:29, and elsewhere, they cry out that Jesus is the Son of God. This means that he is God. It’s just like James and John were nicknamed the “sons of thunder” because of the way they acted, or Barnabas, the “son of consolation.” The devils feared God, and trembled. However, there is one important difference between those evil spirits and good spirits.

Evil spirits deny that Jesus Christ is God in flesh. That is the spirit of antichrist, as the Bible says. It poses great danger. They deny that Christ’s salvation cleanses from sin. They try to lead people down another path, a path that seems good to people. But, it’s a path that ends in destruction.

That’s why we must test the spirits, to see if they are of God. And, why we are warned so emphatically about the spirits that deny that Jesus Christ is God in flesh. They must *never* be followed, because they lead man away from our perfect, loving, yet holy and just God.

So, what is the question which must be asked?

After all that, i imagine you can guess it. It is this: “Is Jesus Christ God in the flesh?”

What does this have to do with aliens? See, claims of life on other planets would change all of society. However, we’d have to be sure the “aliens” were not lying spirits, since we wouldn’t know what their inside was. It's just like we need to gauge whether a person is saved by how they act and not just by their words. I can say I'm the King of Belgium but it doesn't say anything about the real King of Belgium. And, I sure wouldn't want Belgians thinking I was their king. (Though they do make great waffles. :-) )

Another reason is that strong delusion God warns of in 2 Thess. 2:8-12. That strong delusion could, possibly, be devils disguised as aliens. They could also be the Nephilim of Geneses 6:1-4, about which there is much debate, but which some believe to be part demon, and part human.

Is there intelligent life on other planets?

No, it will be up to those who have been saved from their sins to explore the cosmos once we get to Heaven.

Here’s why: 1. Creation began on Earth, no other planets are mentioned; 2. Jesus died once for all. He didn’t die in several places; 3. God never changes, he is always faithful and true; he wouldn’t have one plan of salvation for one planet, another for another – even in the Old Testament, salvation was always by faith; 4. Jesus’ talk of others “not of this flock” refers to Gentiles, as His followers then were all Jews; 5. God wiped all flesh from the Earth during the Flood, save for those in the Ark, because of the gross evil – in His mercy, He gave them one last time to repent as the waters rose. There is no sign people built spaceships before then. Even 10 Edisons and Einsteins living centuries couldn’t create all that would be needed for interstellar travel. So, that eliminates that option.

Even if there could be, though, that brings us back to the question that must be asked, and why they'd have to say "yes.":

God had a perfect relationship with Adam and Eve until the Fall of Man. If creatures never fell from grace, they’d have a relationship like angels who remained loyal to God. He’d tell what He had done for humankind. Since Jesus died once for all, and Jesus is God, they would know. They would clearly say “Yes, Jesus Christ is God, and He came in flesh as mankind’s Savior, for all who receive Him, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord (Jesus) shall be saved.” They’d testify that the Bible was true. We’d know they were friendly. And, they’d be people. They’d see common history from the start of Genesis. The Word of God is swift, and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, and can easily pierce the hearts of His creation – us. (Hebrews 4:12)

God can’t lie. It’s impossible. When He says something exists, there it is. He tells the story of Creation, the Fall, Redemption and through it all, His great love for His creation. When the fullness of time was come, He came into this world to die once for all of His fallen creatures. He would not leave His fallen creatures without the possibility of salvation.

The Bible is our authority for everything. Jesus Christ alone should be followed, as He alone is perfect love and goodness. Only He provides salvation, as He is God in flesh; only He was the perfect, sinless sacrifice for our sin. The Bible has an answer for everything. One key passage is James 1:5, the promise that God will give wisdom to anyone who asks; He will give cheerfully, and never complain about it. Go to Him with all your questions, and all your problems, because He can help you like noone else.

Jesus is, after all, God, Who came in the flesh; He is well acquainted with our infirmities, yet was without sin, so He could take our punishment when He died on the cross, and then rose triumphantly from the dead. The Bible clearly shows (in Revelation 19) how He’ll come after the Battle of Armageddon, and rule and reign on this Earth.

Uniting in God's truth, and the all-important "begotten"

You might wonder why "begotten" is called all-important, but first, a question. Are people united to commit crime united in a good work? Of course not.

Speaking of unity, this is also going up on the Youthquake ministry site which I link below, for those wondering why they see this twice. :-)

Examples of when uniting wonderful

Jesus often asks questions to help listeners think about the answers to their own questions. While it is not the focus of this post, the parable of the Good Samaritan is a great example - we often ask, "Who is my neighbor?" Muslims are one answer to that - we need to share with them how to have a personal relationship with a loving, gracious God who gave Himself for them, so He can save them from their sins and make them new inside. This post shares good tips and resources that are vital to "snatch them in pity from sin and the grave" as the hymn - and much more sensible title - goes.

Of course, there is a wonderful way to show how to unite for positive things. The Jews and Samaritans couldn't stand each other in those days. I don't know if it inspired him, but Daryl Davis has made a life out of befriending people who don't like him.  However, we do need to be careful to be united in a Godly work, such as peacemaking.

I've said many times in this blog that God's Word proves we are all one race, the human race - something acknowledged in secular media, too. However, there are times when we can't pretend there are no differences. this is why that word - "begotten" - will come up, because it doesn't just mean "only." it means of the same essence, the same substance.

Clearing up misconceptions

This is a misconception that Muslims have about Christians. Let me start by pointing out a few things from the post I linked.  Some people think Muslims and Christians worship the same god, but we don't, and "Sonship is one big reason. Muslims say Allah had no son because they only think of physical relationships when they think of a son. They don't realize that Sonship In the Biblical sense is the Arabic "ibn" - this means a perfect likeness, having every attribute of the original.

This Arabic word, "ibn," shows that Jesus is a perfect likeness, He is God in flesh(John 1:14, etc.) because in Him(Jesus) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.(Col. 2:9) There is also a way or two to explain the Godhead which will help. Here is a site that might help with a few misconceptions. Also, simply explaining "I am a father, a son, and a brother - one man, three attributes is a start. The point is that we can agree that God is one god, and go fromt here to show how He manifests Himself.(As that first one does with talking about how God manifested Himself to Moses, etc..) As this site on answering Islam shows, unique is even a better translation than "only," since monogenes has no direct translation into English, but "only" is surely incorrect. Only begotten is even better, though, than unique, because Begotten means having all the attributes in a way unique doesn't.

So, clearly there are times when we have a truth to stand on - what "Sonship" means - that needs to be explained to eliminate misunderstanding. It wouldn't do to pretend that difference doesn't exist, because bringing it to light improves understanding of what the Bible says.

Philippians 4:2-3 - where Paul tells two ladies, Euodice and Synteche, to be of one mind "in the Lord." However, that phrase, "in the Lord," means to put aside petty differences and follow Christ. Their argument might have been heated - Paul asks others to help them, those who were perhaps able to help to mediate the dispute by helping them talk things out. But, they were not disagreeing about fundamentals of the faith.

In other words, just like explaining Sonship above increases understanding by pointing out what truth is, Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, clearly insists elsewhere that we must be unified in sound Doctrine and not allow false Doctrine to enter our churches. Because, sound doctrine increases understanding.

This post from a ministry blog I do goes into more detail after a while about the sound doctrine we need to hold fast to because the points are connected with God being a personal, loving God who took the punishment for our sins when He died on the cross and rose again. It also has more links to our radio shows - which can be found here - though this post in the blog you're reading has different things regarding supporting what we believe and support, not just what we are against. So, both are good to read.

However, I'm going to come at one in particular from an unusual angle, because it will help to end confusion in a number of areas.

So, what's with the word "begotten"?

So, you might be thinking, "Okay, so the point about "begotten" is that it points to Christ's Deity." That's a major part of it, yes. The meaning is so much deeper than something simple like only.

Begotten shows that all attributes of God were passed on. Jesus had "all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."Col.2:9 We are adopted as children, as Romans 8, John 1;12, and others show. However, we don't get every single attribute of God, we don't become all-powerful for example. We will never have that kind of attribute. There are a few which we don't have on earth because of our sin nature, but in Heaven we shall become sinless, have perfect love, etc.. However the Lord will never share all His attributes Jesus Christ only has all of them because he is God in flesh.

And yet, in His love God does give us the power to become the sons of God if we believe on His name(John 1:12) - that is, trust Him and call on Him by faith to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Begotten, then, shows the difference between a believer and the Lord, yet also shows the Deity of Christ and allows us to, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath given ucto us," that we, too, can be called the children of God.

This incredible love is something people in other cultures often don't understand or even have access to - people all over the world seek freedom from sin, from guilt, from shame, and from fear. These things leave them in bondage to the world's system, one that tries to work one's way to Heaven.

"Okay," you might say, "the Deity of Christ, God's love for us, and the freedom we have in Him are wonderful to unite behind. They are all present in that word Begotten the way they are not in the word only. But, is that the only problem with versions that don't use begotten?

No, and that's the big problem.

Stick with the Antiochan Greek

 When you use "Begotten" you're using a word translated from Greek. Gotquestions has a good explanation here. The Bible was originally written in Hebrew(Old Testament), Greek(New Testament) and a little bit of Aramaic that is not important for this discussion.

the original Greek manuscripts, from Antioch, were written first, with Greek from Alexandria used a century later. That Greek from Alexandria made changes that confused thigns and caused problems with doctrine. the King James Version is the only one straight from the Antiochan texts. Here is a great post from someone else about it.

To sum up what the above link says, other versions - which take from Alexandrian texts - have many problems like this. We as Christians aren't perfect, as I noted in another post. We are all still growing closer to Christ and needing Him to battle our flesh nature. Salvation is an instant event,(Rom.10:9-10,13; Acts 16:31; etc.) but as this show reveals. (This is why one must beware of modern Bible versions that use the Alexandrian text, modern texts do things like changing 1 Peter 2:2 to make it sound like you grow in your salvation when the King James, from the original Antiochan texts, shows clearly growth is through the Word of God and is only in one's sanctification.

 Another good link that shows what some other big differences are is here. Our Youthquake site even had a book noted which founder/director Sal Varsalone wrote exposing a lot of problems - see "No Counte4rfeit Bibles" here.

One of those easy to notice is in Luke 2:33 and Luke 2:44, where the King James says "Joseph and Jesus' mother."Mary was, biologically, Jesus' parent, but Joseph was not. to say "Jesus' father and mother" is also an attack on Jesus' Deity. While it's true that Philip says "the son of Joseph," he is merely making a human mistake because of his excitement at finding the Messiah. He wasn't taking time to think that Messiah had to be God in flesh. Those verses in luke, though, are part of something the Holy Spirit is revealing to us as Scripture. Luke was inspired to write - in his very meticulous style - "Joseph and Jesus' mother" becase that's what God wanted people to understand, that Jesus was not related biologically to Joseph, and that He was born of a virgin.

You can hear shows about the Deity of Christ, the Virgin Birth, and other vital doctrines in our shows here.

The Bible is totally reliable, though, when you look at the original texts, as this site shows. And, one of the most important parts of that is that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died to take the punishment for each of our sins and rise from the dead. He was the perfect sacrifice that was necessary to pay the entire price for our sins. And, each one of us must simply trust Him by faith, calling on Him to save and forgive them from their sins. Here is a more detailed explanation of God's simple plan of salvation where you can talk to online volunteers to understand more.

"Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave," showing Muslims God is love

That line, part of the great hymn "Rescue the Perishing," embodies what we must pray God uses us to do for everyone in America and everywhere else - especially Muslims, in the wake of the recent shooting of a Philadelphia policeman. There are many who are struggling with things - guilt, shame, fear, agony, etc. - who need Jesus because the enemy, the devil, is filling them with these things and keeping them from the freedom God has for them. Each saved person must have pity and show that love and forgiveness to them, giving them a chance to receve it just as they were given and received. Just looking at Paul's life beforehand and his understanding of grace shows what a great change God can make in someone.

So, just as the next one about youth will be important for everyone to share bit will be a bit more specific, this is, too.

Three things are clear. 1. ISIS is influencing people and for months has drawn even Americans to it, as well as many in other countries, with horrible results in those nations as told in the latter half of this prophecy update. 2. Most Muslims are still not influenced by ISIS or other radical groups, and in fact are coming to Christ in record numbers. And, 3. The Holy Spirit can influence people toward the God of love, mercy, and forgiveness as shown in the New Testament. It's up to us to make sure everyone, including Muslims, understands this and believes it, because radicals like ISIS want to lure the US into war.

However, we must be dedicated to honoring the Lord with our hearts, not just our lips, because if anything keeps people away from the Lord, at times our biggest enemy is us. If I say I'm King of Belgium, whatever i do has no impact on what the real King of Belgium is like; however, it will make it harder for some to know the real King of Belgium.

As noted in a few other posts, the Holy Spirit can help. He is there, as Jesus promises(John 16:7-12) to work in nonbelievers' hearts, too. However, we don't want to make it harder for the Spirit to work. Jesus calls us to love our enemies and bless those who persecute us.(Matt.5:43-48,Roamns 12:20-21,etc.)

So, what do we do? Here are some ideas and resources.

Showing God's love to Muslims

A common response to the old saying, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink" is that "You CAN make him thirsty."

Are we making Muslims thirsty? Or anyone? Look at what Jesus did in John 4(woman at the well). She knew she was thirsty, and he knew it, but He didn't come right out and say she was thirsty. Instead, He got her interested, so much so that when He says He has living water that will spring up into everlasting life, she asks, "Evermore give me this water." Her reply wasn't prompted by anything but a sincere desire to quench her thirst.

Now, she was thinking only of physical water at first, but the important thing is, Jesus' attitude made her want what he had.

This, as an aside, is why funerals are often the best times to reach someone. They are not only thinking of the fact they, too, will die and/or wanting answers, but for the Christian, they can be sure that loved one is in Heaven. Muslims have no guarantee of Heaven, because they are taught they have to work their way there. Indeed, all religion is about man trying to reach a perfect, holy God on his own, whereas true Christianity is a relationship with Jesus Christ saving a person through His own shed blood, and making that person new inside, constantly working in them to make them more like Him - more loving, gentle, compassionate, etc..

It is certainly good to point out such facts, and not to attack their beliefs openly,. Instead, as noted, "make them thirsty" by remarking about the joy, peace, comfort, etc. that relationship with Christ provides.

A testimony is simply telling what Christ has done in your life, after all. The devil - the god of this world - has blinded people to the truth(2 Cor. 4:4) - another reason we must show there's a difference between us and the world, and not be hypocrites. And, since the devil has put spiritual blinders on them, we can't remove those blinders by worldly means alone. We need the Holy Spirit to work in each person's heart.

We are called to be in the world, but not of it. Romans 12:2 says "Be not conformed to this world..." In other words, if you would struggle with other faiths as a newer believer, a ministry to Muslims might not be for you because you might be tempted to compromise on basic fundamentals of salvation in trying to witness to them - those being that Jesus Christ is God in flesh, born of a virgin, lived a perfect, sinless life, died on the cross to take the punishment for each of our sins, and rose bodily from the dead. However, if you would be able to stand firm on those, then it's important to be sharing your faith in love.

Of course, it seems rough at times when you look at what the most radical are doing, but remember that, first, many of these people are not radicalized but are simply living in terror themselves because of what they are taught, and second, that Jesus died and rose fromt he dead in triumph over such terror. A triumph He wants each of these people to have. And, many times they don't realize how God can truly give them victory over it. This is true of Muslims and of anyone who is not saved and followed a system where they try to be perfect and fall woefully short.

A few of numerous resources

Of course, there are other things we can use, too, to help Muslims understand the Gospel. It's just that it should be done as a friend helping them understand, not to attack. However, we must realize that the god of Islam is NOT the God of the Bible. Here is a good 2-part sermon series on Islam if you prefer something audio that is simple. 1, 2.

A few of the truths in those, among many which show Allah is not the God of the Bible...

For instance, the meaning of Sonship is different. They say Allah had no son because they only think of physical relationships when they think of a son. However, there is an Arabic word, "ibn, which can be used to help them understand Jesus is a perfect likeness, he is God in flesh(John 1:14, etc.) because in Him(Jesus) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.(Col. 2:9)

There is also a way or two to explain the Godhead which will help. Here is one that might help with a few misconceptions. Also, simply explaining "I am a father, a son, and a brother - one man, three attributes is a start. The point is that we can agree that God is one god, and go fromt here to show how He manifests Himself.(As that first one does with talking about how God manifested himself to Moses, etc..)

Part of Muslim culture, however, prevents them from seeking unless the Lord intervenes. because they fear that God will punish them for ever doubting. Whereas, the Bible shows that God welcomes questions and praises those who seek wisdom. this is something to point out slowly, as the Spirit leads - or perhaps more quickly as you are talking, however God leads. Again, we don't know how many others have been witnessing to a person or how effective they have been. But, the Holy Spirit does.

So, be patient and do however much the Lord leads you to do. Once a Muslim person trusts Christ as Savior they often face terrible discrimination, ostracism, and being disowned from their families. So, they will need you to be there for them to help encourage them. But that will be easy, they will be brothers/sisters in Christ then, learning to grow spiritually just like you.

All is not okay - there is a horrible battle brewing, as this prophecy update shows. The devil wants to take them to hell with him, and also wants to take all those who refuse to accept God's great love and salvation from their sins.

What we stand for, not just against

It can be easy to forget to show what we are for if we spend so much time attacking sin - there must be positive messages, too; especially in this era where there is so much criticizing in our attack culture, instead of forgiving and loving, being thankful for what we have. It is that thankfulness and encouragement which we should be using to combat our attack culture, instead of some of the things we do. I'll link to several half-hour radio programs which will hopefully encourage you, too.

(If you prefer reading, you could even read a fun "Full House fanfic (what one writer saw as the best 200th episode if they'd have a 9th season) here if you want, it got a great compliment about how it presents the Gospel and what Christians believe.)

Of course, the last post and a number of others were needed because we, as a nation, must repent of our sins for the last 400 years, not just 40. However, in being light to a dark world, we must shine our lights so that God may be glorified, through how we care for others, help them through things, bear their burdens, and so on as Jesus commands: "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven."(Matt. 5:16) Not so people can see what we are against, but what we are for. God wants us to be edifying - building others up - and the world needs positive things.

We're not perfect - Christians are all still growing closer to Christ. Salvation is an instant event,(Rom.10:9-10,13; Acts 16:31; etc.) but sanctification  is a process. (This is why one must beware of modern Bible versions that use the Alexandrian text, modern texts do things like changing 1 Peter 2:2 to make it sound like you grow in your salvation when the King James, from the original Antiochan texts, show clearly growth is through he Word of God and is only in one's sanctification. This page gives a great description of sanctification and shows it's different from salvation.)

We are human, and thus still sinners saved by grace. If a person who says they are saved doesn't show any fruits of the Spirit, they might not be saved, but they also might be saved and simply struggle for a variety of reasons; including only slowly grow because of things from their background that stunt them, too. While we each must participate in resisting temptation, ultimately we must humbly accept God's guidance in doing so, since we can't do it on our own. God is the one who keeps us saved.(John 10:28-30,Romans 8:36-3,Jude 24,etc.)

Also, anyone can lie and say they are Christian just like I could lie and say I am the king of Belgium, and yet whatever I do has nothing to with what the real king Belgium is like. Jesus says we'll be known by our fruits, we should be known by our love, etc..So,one should look at God's Word for the truth.

One thing we know from His Word is that God is gracious, loving, and personal. He desires a relationship with each of us. He manifests Himself in three ways, but this is just like me saying I am legally blind, male, and of medium build. Three attributes, one person Jesus is God in flesh, as shown here and here, among other places. The Holy Spirit is also God. That's why the Word is so important, and why the term "begotten" in John 3:16 is so meaningful. It means a perfect likeness, having all the attributes; Jesus as the Son of God is like the Arabic Ibn, not Walad, because it does not imply physical relations. Jesus is Son of God and also God in flesh; He just manifested Himself as a person because he had to become man to die to take the punishment for our sins. Yet because he was also God, He was sinless and He could rise from the dead, His resurrection shows we are free from the penalty of sin once we trust Him and call on Him to save us..(Note - that is a different link, there are 2 shows on the resurrection)

God's grace is full and free. We can't do anything to earn or deserve it.Just as we can't keep ourselves saved, we can't do anything to earn our way to Heaven, because it is "by grace through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast."(Eph.2:8-9) This is why true, Biblical Christianity(as opposed to the traditions some churches have) is all inclusive. God's gift is free and full for everyone, no matter what - good people by the world's standards and people who have messed up, because if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new."(2 Cor.5:17)

That person, like the Apostle Paul, who trusts in Christ has the Spirit in them and the holy Spirit will constantly work in them to turn them toward the things of God and away from sin. They must fight that temptation, but the Lord will be there to continually help,guide,comfort,etc. He will give wisdom whenever a person asks. And, that person will eventually go to heaven where there can be no sin - it'll be impossible for them to sin in heaven because Jesus will change them and they won't have the flesh nature anymore.

Christians are to be ambassadors for Christ. We see more and more signs that the world is spinning out of control, and we must show who He is to a world searching for answers. our home is Heaven, but we are here to save sinners from a lost and dying world. WE should participate in making things better, but ultimately, we must realize this isn't our final home. .  I don't know if you've ever thought about how our closest allies felt about Watergate - this article provides a glimpse into British thought. Ambassadors of friendly nations tend to be reserved when it comes to internal problems, but a nation powerful enough to help will certainly offer to help whenever there is a natural disaster. Just like we must help others when the disasters caused by man's sin hurt them.

(Speaking of which, the first of this series (why there is suffering) on Apologetics does a great job of discussing why bad things happen. Also, you will enjoy shows 2, 3, 4, and 5.

God will never leave or forsake a believer.(Heb.13:5) he will discipline - just like He disciplined His people Israel when they kept wandering from Him, including following false gods and doing horrible thigns like sacrificing children to the false god Molech. God will again deal with Israel as His chosen nation one day, and almost all Bible scholars believe that 1948, when Israel became a nation again, was the starting point to where God would eventually do this during the Tribulation.

Here are five shows on the Millennium, and before that the End Times, showing God still loves Israel - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

There are others, of course, at this page, including a summary of each show. Speaking of man's ways versus God, for instance, here are 4 shows on how Catholicism strays from Biblical salvation and other Bible doctrines. 1, 2, 3, 4. The truth is told in love in every show, as with others where false doctrines are exposed, with the intent to share Christ's love and forgiveness as it is shown in the Bible. These have been linked here as excellent shows where doctrines are discussed if you, the reader, wish to listen.

So, why do some Christians focus so much on attacking? Part of it is human nature, and the general attack culture we have, whereas Jesus says to love one's enemies, and the Bible says a soft answer turneth away wrath. Part of it is that social media increases the temptation to just lash out rather than construct a well-reasoned discussion and explain one's points and listen to counterpoints. Part of it is that we don't trust God to be the one to change people who are engaging in certain sins. However, we can't change others, we must rely on the Lord to work in their hearts. And, part of it is that in some areas - like the way some people used to bash lefthandedness - we don't understand that the Bible doesn't label certain thigns as sins, we just do because of that sin nature.

So, I'm sorry if some have acted too judgmental. Just remember that God's Word is the key, not what people say, and in it we are all called to be saved and then to go out and tell others about that wonderful saving grace. And, as clumsy as I am in doing it, hopefully I have reached someone. Finally, if you want to ask more questions, you can not only e-mail that ministry site, you can talk (well, type) with a volunteer at a site like www.Godlife.com/gospel.com or, in Spanish, here.

Finally, this may become part of a post in the ministry's blog I do, in case you see this elsewhere I figured I'd better edit this and let you know why it looks familiar.

Why the Bible is true - witnessing to Muslims

I want to respond to those who might consider the Islamic faith by explaining that the Bible is true. It is for every tribe, every nation, every tongue. It is for people of any creed, because god loves each of us even though we are sinners.

Let me begin by teaching you some Arabic, because I doubt many readers know the language. There is a word, walad, which means a child through physical relations. There is another word, ibn, which means a child that is the same substance the exact likeness of the parent.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God in the Arabic ibn meaning. He is God in flesh, as we see in many places, John 10:30 being one of the key points but also all of the I am statements and other things. His disciples, and eventually quite a few of the Pharisees, knew he was God.

Yes the Pharisees, they didn't want to admit he was God but they knew he was claiming to be God and quite a few came to trust Him as Savior after the resurrection as we see in Acts chapter 2 and beyond. The Old Testament claims he is God, as we see in John  12:10 and other places; that first says that they shall look on me whom they have pierced. This is God talking, telling us that in the future the Jewish people would look on him and recognize that He, Jesus Christ, is the promised Messiah. Then, they shall realize that the one they were following is not God but the Antichrist. The Jewish people who trust in the Messiah during the Tribulation will be saved and enter the Millennial Kingdom.

That of course is a totally different topic. For now let me also explain that one of the problems Muslims have is with the Trinity. Well, that word is not in the Bible but God had is. The Godhead is used in Colossians 2:9, where we see that Jesus Christ is God because in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

The Godhead is simple. We worship one God, just like them. However, God in the Bible is a personal God, a loving God who desires a personal relationship with His creatures. Yes, He hates him but He loves the sinner. He does not want to always be condemning. That is the error that Muslims make, they don't realize that Jesus Christ is God in flash and that he loves them and WANTS a relationship with them so he can forgive their sins and make them new inside.

So, what is the Godhead? It is simple. I am a male. I am hungry, so I plan to have a small snack of a few strawberries. I am also a blogger right now. So, I am a male blogger who is hungry for some strawberries. Does this make me three different people? Of course not, I am one person who is relating to you in three ways. In the same way, God manifests Himself in three persons - God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The page is in a different context, refuting another false doctrine, but this is an excellent site to explain how all three are equal persons in the Godhead and still God is one God.

Sure, people have claimed to be Christians and done bad things, but if I claim to be King of Norway and do a bunch of horrible things does that have any impact on the real King of Norway? Of course not. God promises to punish those who do wickedly in His name. Meanwhile, the Koran promises blessings to those who do wickedly in Allah's name.

But, which is God? Jesus Christ, God in flesh, is the Creator and sustainer of this universe. You can find many other great sites showing more about why the God of this universe, a personal, loving God who sees all as equal and who desires a relationship with each of us if we'll only turn to Him to forgive us of our sins, is the true God. Here is a good one. Also, here is a great end times site by someone who knows the Islamic faith and midnset intimately.

But, remember, too, to use the King James Bible, because it has thigns that make it much clearer for Muslims to realize that Jesus is God. For instance, the word "Begotten" in John 3:16 means more than just "only," it means a perfect likeness. Just like that Arabic ibn. Also, another great example is found in Genesis 22:8. "God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering." Notice the wording - it's not saying God will provide one Himself, it says "God will provide Himself." Meaning God himself will be that lamb, as John 1:29 says, "Behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world."

God himself provided the way for all people to be saved. he is calling on those of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation to repent of their sins and call on Him. You are only a single, sincere prayer of repentance to Jesus Christ away from eternal life. Simply admit you're a sinner - and we've all sinned and come short o the glory of God - believe that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died for your sins and rose from the dead, and call on Jesus, choosing to trust Him to save you and come into your heart and make you new inside.

Then, you can grow in Him and talk to him anytime, anywhere, about anything. I recommend going to Godlife.com - though their verses aren't KJV it's a good study and you can contact someone in the online missions team who will answer questions, pray with you, etc.. A great site with the simple Gospel message is Godlife.com/gospel or en espanol http://www.godlife.com/es or in Arabic http://www.godlife.com/ar