Giving Thanks For The Gift of Faith!

Nothing in life is as important as one’s faith.

The Bible says “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8

The Bible says, “Faith comes from hearing the Word of God.” Romans 10:17

I believe knowledge of the Bible, God’s written Word, is extremely important for building one’s faith, but I also realize that Jesus is The Word of God Who became flesh and He is able to speak a Word into the heart which inspires or creates faith. (God’s spoken word will always line up with His written Word.)

He has spoken significant Words into my heart many times. Both His written Word and His spoken Words have drawn me in faith to the “salvation by faith in the blood of Jesus” wherein I stand.

In the following passage the Bible encourages those who have received Christ Jesus the Lord to live their lives “established in the faith… abounding in thanksgiving.” What better season to be reminded of this passage?

Colossians 2: 6-7 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

First of all, one must receive Christ Jesus the Lord to be saved. Accepting a Jesus who is merely a human prophet who did good works will not lead you to salvation. Only Bible truth can set you free from the bondage of sin and give you faith, by the grace of God, to be born again into the kingdom of God.

Faith is available to you! God’s grace will create faith in your heart if you choose to believe that Jesus Christ of Nazareth died for your sins. Jesus is, as He said He is, “The Way, The Truth and The Life.” (John 14:6) Jesus said that no one can come into relationship with His Father except through relationship with Him. They are ONE. Jesus is the Door to reach God the Father. There is One Faith, One God, One Spirit, One Body of Believers in Jesus.

If you don’t have peace with God, please turn to Him now. Jesus is as close as the mention of His name. “Those who call upon the name of the LORD will be saved,” Acts 2:21

To be rooted, built up and established in the faith, one must know the Word of God. I urge all of you who have access to the Holy Bible to spend time getting to know it. We are living in perilous times. Those without roots and foundations will not find themselves established enough in the faith to spiritually survive the last days of the era we are living in.

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

Many deceivers are abroad in the land today. They have believed a lie and they are peddling those lies to others. Don’t allow manmade ideas to deceive you. The traditions of men are temporal not eternal. Ideas not based in the wisdom of Jesus Christ are empty and devoid of life. Worldly principles may sound good but they will lead to death. You must guard your heart and mind to save your eternal life in Christ!

Colossians 2:9-10 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

There is a common misconception being spread around about Jesus which I have already alluded to. Liberal theologians and Muslims alike, deny the deity of Jesus Christ. They are willing to admit He is a historical figure. They will agree that He was a good man, and a good teacher, and possibly a prophet, and maybe even a worker of miracles. But their support ends there.

They will not confess Him as God. Some deny His virgin birth. Some deny His sinless life. Some deny His death on the cross as a propitiation for sin. I believe all of those who deny His deity also deny His resurrection followed by an ascension, but I dare not refer to all liberal theologians as if all are peas in a pod.

Note: Muslims believe in the virgin birth and perhaps the sinless life of a man called Isa, son of Maryam, mentioned in the Qur’an. They refer to him as if he is the same Jesus we believe in, but they deny he was crucified for sin and that he was resurrected from the dead. They believe Allah took him to heaven in his mortal body and that he will soon return in his mortal body as an assistant to their 12th Imam (The one we know as the Anti-Christ.) The Muslim Jesus will tear down all crosses, slaughter pigs and force everyone to convert to Islam or forfeit their lives. As verse eight says, BEWARE!

Now, back to our scripture.   For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;

This verse  clearly procliams that Jesus is God. Let me restate it for further clarity.

All the attributes of the Godhead dwell completely in the physical body and personality of Jesus! He is Unique! No one else possesses all the characteristics and abilities of God in a physical body. This means He alone is able to reveal the invisible God to mankind, which is why He told His disciples, "If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father also." The Son bears the image of His Father in heaven. They are ONE.

We are the limited ones, not Jesus. We lack the capacity to relate to Who God is in Himself! We could search for Him through all eternity and never find Him if He did not choose to reveal Himself to us because God is a Spirit. He Exists in Himself without a physical body!

He came as Jesus, in the flesh, to be with us! That is the meaning of His name Emmanuel! God with us! What grace! What love!

To finish up with this passage let’s look at verse 10a.  "and you are complete in Him,"

Just as the Godhead indwells the physical body of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ dwells in His people!

Just as Jesus, in the flesh, could only reveal a small portion of the Fullness of the Godhead to such limited creatures as we presently are; we can only realize a small portion of the completed perfection which will be revealed in us when we receive our immortal bodies. We are mere seeds in the womb of our experience, as it were, not yet fully formed eternal children of God.

However, this passage says we are complete in Him. Though our bodies and our actions are not perfected in this life, our salvation has been bought and fully paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. We are complete, finished, matured, born again members of the body of Christ once we have truly placed our faith in Him.

I am truly thankful for this saving faith!

To finish up with this passage let’s look at verse 10b.  "who is the head of all principality and power."

Jesus, the Son of God, in Whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells in physical form, is the Final Authority over all created authorities in the universe apart from and subject to the One and Only Creator Godhead Who eternally exists in Three Persons; namely, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

If you are complete in Jesus Christ, you are complete. There is no other authority that can stand against you. As Paul said, “If God is for us, who can stand against us?” Romans 8:31

No other religious faith is equal to the Christian faith because no other Faith embraces Jesus Christ as the only God and Savior Who loves us and gave Himself for us.

So, during this Thanksgiving season, I’m Giving Thanks For The Gift of Faith.

Dr. David Livingstone's Character



Stanley found Livingstone on 10 November 1871, in Ujiji near Lake Tanganyika in present-day Tanzania, and may have greeted him with the now-famous, "Doctor Livingstone, I presume?"  wikipedia

I recently had the pleasure of reading The Final Journals of David Livingstone by Dr. Livingstone and The Personal Life of David Livingstone by W. Garden Blaikie, D.D., LLD. Then, because of the controversy about whether Dr. Livingstone gave an accurate account of a massacre he witnessed, I decided to get another perspective on his character by reading  Henry Morton Stanley's: How I Found Livingstone In Central Africa.
                                       
Before I get into what Mr. Stanley reported about Dr. Livingstone's character, let me share with you some background information on how and why they met.

Dr. Livingstone first went to Africa as a missionary in 1840. During his years there his interests expanded far beyond the spreading of the gospel. He sought a cure for the African fever, known today as malaria, which sickened and often killed humans and domestic animals. He studied the plant and animal life, as well as, the lay of the land and its productivity.

He also named Victoria Falls and Lake Lincoln. (Dr. Livingstone honored President Lincoln for ending slavery in the United States because Dr. Livingstone longed to see the end of slavery throughout the world during his lifetime.)

Dr. Livingstone kept detailed journals covering diverse subjects. He wrote about medical treatments he found effective. He mapped his travels using astronomical instruments. His journals were a log of his many discoveries. They are filled with fascinating descriptions and drawings of previously unknown types of insects, fish and animals. His many maps helped the Victorian cartographers produce more accurate travel guides for Central Africa- especially noting the positions of many lakes and rivers. He also shared the names, customs, characteristics, languages and locations of many previously unknown tribes which eventually helped other missionaries in their endeavors to share the gospel with them.

His final mission in Africa was to discover and document the source of the Nile River. He spent many years in that endeavor and was lost to the outside world for much of that time. After a lengthy silence, Mr. Stanley, a journalist and explorer, was sent to Africa as a correspondent of the New York Herald newspaper to find Dr. David Livingstone- dead or alive- so the world might learn more of his work and know his fate.

Mr. Stanley had never met Dr. Livingstone. He had heard many things about him and actually feared that Livingstone might not want to be found. But, nothing was farther from the truth. Dr. Livingstone had suffered many setbacks, both physically and financially, and was in need of a Good Samaritan at the very time that Stanley found him. Looking back on all the problems and delays he had suffered in getting there, even Stanley believed that their meeting was indeed providential.

Mr. Stanley was on assignment. He was paid to find Dr. Livingstone and to report on his health and whereabouts. He was not required to like him. But, his comments about Dr. Livingstone reveal that he came to think very highly of him during their four months together: from November 10th, 1871 thru March 14th, 1872. (Dr. Livingstone had but 13 months to live when Mr. Stanley took leave of him in Africa.) 

Although Mr. Stanley did not profess to be a Christian, he knew one when he saw one. I'm sharing a few quotes from Mr. Stanley's book to add another perspective to the current charges against Dr. David Livingstone. Coming from the pen of one who actually knew him, I think they should be given more weight than baseless suppositions by suspicious, and possibly jaded,contemporary researchers.

Speaking of Dr. Livingstone's travels and experiences, Mr. Stanley said:

 "His lips gave me the details; lips that never lie."

"I defy anyone to be in his society long without thoroughly fathoming him, for in him there is no guile, and what is apparent on the surface is the thing that is in him."

"Livingstone was a character that I venerated, that called forth all my enthusiasm, that evoked nothing but sincerest admiration."

"I grant he is not an angel, but he approaches to that being as near as the nature of a living man will allow."

"In him, religion exhibits its loveliest features; it governs his conduct... towards his servants, ... natives, ... Mohammedans, and all who come in contact with him."

"Religion has... made him a Christian gentleman... a man whose society is pleasurable."

"His gentleness never forsakes him; his hopefulness never deserts him. No harassing anxieties, distraction of mind, long separation from home and kindred, can make him complain... he has such a faith in the goodness of Providence."

"An extreme love of truth is one of his strongest characteristics..."

"... he has, through his uniform kindness and mild, pleasant temper, won all hearts. I observed that universal respect paid to him (by all classes of the natives and the Mohammedans alike)."  

To repeat:

"An extreme love of the truth is one of his strongest characteristics..."

This is not a characteristic that one suddenly abandons after years of habit without a total collapse of the character. Mr. Stanley even recalls Mr. Livingstone sharing the cherished stories of his family history regarding honesty.

Therefore, based on David Livingstone's life and testimonials on his character, I reject the recent claims made by researchers that he lied about the Manyeuma massacre.  

If you like history or just good adventure stories, I recommend you read Mr. Stanley's book, How I Found Livingstone in Central Africa.

Hope you enjoyed this blog.

God Will Destroy Nations That Come Against Jerusalem

This blog is a combination of several comments I made on another blog about the negative observations made about Netanyahu by French leader, Nicolas Sarkozy, and President Obama. The author of the blog I read approved of the remarks made about Netanyahu.

He said the leaders of the world are "sick of Israel" and he called Israel "evil" and a "scumbag." He accuses Israel: of abusing Muslim and Christian citizens, of stealing land, of building a wall to block humanitarian aid from the Gaza strip and to cut off their water supply, and of dishonorably attacking the activists who were trying to break a blockade of Gaza. He further accuses Israel of cruelty, brutality, injustice, murder, and Nazi behavior (genocide).

I find myself unable to remain silent when faced with blatantly false and defamatory statements. I am sharing my lightly edited responses in the remainder of this blog. Some of my comments have been stated before but truth must be often restated when lies abound.

The accusations being made against Israel are totally false.

If Israel is as bad as is mentioned, there would be no need for a wall in Israel because no Muslim Arabs would even survive there. The truth is that Israel welcomes people of all faiths. Only Islamic countries regularly ban, persecute, and slaughter people of other faiths.

If you haven’t read my article on Israel’s Forever Land, I encourage you to read it.

Israel does not block humanitarian aid to the “Palestinians.” She spends millions helping support them — as we in the USA do. But, there is no appreciation from Muslims, only more attacks. Israel allows humanitarian aid from other countries to go to the Arabs in Gaza. She only tries to keep out additional weapons of destruction for use against Israeli citizens. Any rational country would do that.

The attacks on Netanyahu are shameful. What did he lie about? Sarkozy and Obama should both be ashamed of such juvenile conversation. As world leaders, they are the ones who look bad for talking about Netanyahu behind his back.

“You shall not follow a crowd to do evil...” Exodus 23:2

No matter how many nations or their leaders turn against Israel, they are wrong and will not bring her down because she is under God’s protection.

The most powerful Muslim nations surrounding her tried to destroy her in 1948, 1967 and 1973. They failed! Why? Because she is under God’s protection.

Many nations will come against her again in the not too distant future and will bring destruction on themselves. The Bible predicts this situation and the Bible’s predictions never fail!

I am not against Muslim people, or even against the Arabs trying to steal Israel's land. I truly desire their salvation, but it will not happen if they persist in persecuting Israel.

As this debate rages, there are no facts which will convince eyes which refuse to see or ears which refuse to hear. Truth seekers find truth. Truth avoiders surrender themselves to a strong delusion.

The Turkish-led attempt to break through Israel’s blockade was not to deliver humanitarian aid. It was to make Israel look bad in the eyes of the world. And, because of one-sided reporting by the media, it seems they have been successful in painting Israel in a bad light.

Israel offered to assist the liberal activists (blockade runners) in delivering any humanitarian aid they had brought with them. They only boarded the ship to inspect for possible weapons. The Israelis who boarded the ship were brutally attacked with knives and pipes by the prepared activists -- and then blamed for the outcome!

Note:   "U.N. investigation concluded that Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, and thus its intervention to stop a Turkish-led flotilla last year, was legal."  Washingston Post Sep 12, 2011 Entitled: Once Again, Israel Is Scapegoated.

Israel is the Jewel of the Middle East. No other country offers the freedoms she guarantees her population of Jews, Muslims, Christians, etc. Over a million Arabs live peacefully within her borders and have all the rights of citizenship. No Muslim country offers such benefits to non-Muslims.

It's true God cares for the oppressed and God condemns all forms of unrighteous behavior whether one is rich or poor. We do not always see clearly; but, in the end, Jesus will make all things right.

At present, however, the wicked often prosper. God does not bribe people to serve Him by always providing immediate benefits. And, God uses wicked nations to “discipline” His people. This is clearly revealed in the writings of the Old Testament prophets. The prophets lamented when God used nations more wicked than Israel to discipline her. It was hard for them to understand. But, God assured them the wicked nations would not prosper forever and would be punished in due time. And they have been, and will be.

Only a self-deluded world can see Israel as a wicked nation.The entire Middle East doesn’t automatically belong to Muslim Arabs. When the Ottoman Empire collapsed the land was divided and almost all of it was given to the Arab nations. Only a small part of the Jews original land was returned to the Jews and, even at that, they didn’t get it all for free. If anyone had a claim at all and wanted to sell it, the Jews bought the land from them. Otherwise, those living on the land stayed. Arabs were never forced out. No land was stolen from Arabs (falsely calling themselves Palestinians).

The area was a desert wasteland. The Jews who returned labored hard to restore it to a productive condition and, finally, they became a modern nation. The Arabs who lived among them were not asked to leave and many stayed– even when Israel was attacked by her Muslim neighbors in 1948 and 1967. Only about 350,000 Arabs fled the country during the war. It was their choice. And now, when most of the self-made refugees are dead, the Arab world claims that 5 million Arabs should have a Right of Return! Never in the history of the world has such an outrageous claim been made on behalf of refugees.

At least twice as many Jews were forced out of Arab nations in 1948. They fled to Israel and were accepted there. The Arabs who left Israel could have settled in Jordan, which is a “Palestinian” state, or in other Arab nations which are much larger than Israel. The Arab world created the refugee problem just to punish Israel and make her look bad. I am sorry for the problems faced by the “refugees” but they should have been absorbed by the Arab nations long ago. Even King Hussein of Jordan said that was true.

The Jews need a homeland. God gave the land of Israel to them. Trying to make them into the bad guy when all they are trying to do is survive in their own land is injustice on a very large scale. Again, over a million Arabs live peacefully in Israel. If she is so wicked, that would not be the case.

The Bible foretold that God would bring the Jews back to their homeland and He did. The Bible says it is theirs forever and they will never be forced out of it again. God will defend them! The Bible is God's Word and God does not lie. So, those who are trying to destroy Israel cannot win.

See Zechariah 12: 6-9

"In that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while the inhabitants of Jerusalem again dwell on their own sites in Jerusalem.  The LORD (YEHOVAH) also will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be magnified above Judah.  In that day the LORD (YEHOVAH) will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD (YEHOVAH) before them. And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem."

If you doubt God's Word, I pray you will open your mind and ask God to give you an understanding of the truth. 

Sensational Headline Slanders Dr. Livingstone

David Livingstone by Frederick Havill.jpg

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

      Dr. David Livingstone (19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873) was a Scottish medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. (wickipedia)

I just finished reading Dr. David Livingstone's Final Journals. I was doing some research to learn more about his life when I came across an article in the UK based newspaper, The Telegraph. 

I was surprised to see the headline below:

Dr Livingstone 'lied in famous account of slave market massacre'



The headline was taken from the following statement from the article, which was bad enough, but look at the cheap twist accomplished by leaving out "may have." This is shoddy journalism against someone who cannot defend himself. 

"Dr David Livingstone may have lied about his famous account of a slave market massacre, a new study into a faded 140-year-old diary has suggested."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2056528/David-Livingstone-Discrepancies-explorers-account-Zanzibar-slave-massacre.html#ixzz1d4HeE2YZ

Project Director, Adrian Wisnicki of Indiana University of Pennsylvania said Livingstone's party may have been involved in the massacre. He admitted that it's just a theory and not thoroughly researched; neverthless, he proceeded to make unsubstantiated negative suppositions about Dr. Livingstone's character. 

I find this accusation disturbing. Dr. David Livingston was a follower of Jesus Christ. He came from a Christian family with a history of honesty for many generations. In The Personal Life of David Livingstone by William G. Blaikie, the author says, "the only tradition he himself felt proud of was that of the old man (his grandfather) who had never heard of any person in the family guilty of dishonesty, and who charged his children never to introduce the vice." 

Based on his sterling reputation as a Christian and the many observations he made in his journals concerning the grief he endured because of the dishonest and unethical behavior he encountered in his travels, I believe he was an honest man who would have recorded events accurately or not at all.

In addition to what's known about his character, it is also known that he personally denied that his men were involved in the massacre. So, it's not just a matter of comparing various written accounts or trying to discern if an innocent bystander could be as morally outraged and as emotionally devastated as Dr. Livingstone was by the horrific event, it's a matter of accepting or rejecting who he was and all he stood for!

Noting another inaccuracy, let me say, it wasn't even "a slave market massacre." See the complete article at the link below.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8863964/Dr-Livingstone-lied-in-famous-account-of-slave-market-massacre.html

I believe this article is very misleading. As I said, the massacre was not at a slave market. It was a village market in Nyangwe, in the Congo, where 1500-2000 Africans (mostly women) met to sell their wares.

Dr. Livingstone said he saw the Arab slavers enter the market with their guns. Shortly thereafter, he heard shots and saw the Arabs attacking the people. They were so terrified by the guns that they ran in a panic to the river, hoping to escape in their canoes. The panic and confusion increased as they fled from more Arabs who were firing on those in the water. Several canoes were overloaded and sank from trying to save those in the water. The river was crowded and Dr. Livingstone said he thought more natives drowned in the deep, rushing water than died from gunshot wounds. The scene horrified Livingstone. His inability to save the natives caused him deep remorse.

Someone read into the story that he "may have" felt guilty because some of his hired ex-slaves "may have" been involved. I saw no indication in any of his journals that his men were involved.

It was not his practice to arm his workers. He only carried guns to hunt for game for their meals. If any of his party had acquired guns, without his permission, he would not have allowed them to carry them into the market. And, it is highly unlikely they would have risked their salary by openly defying his authority.

He related in his journal that he was deeply disturbed by the slaughter and by finding himself among Muslims who engaged in such demonic behavior. He was ashamed to face the natives who survived the massacre and came to him for help. He wanted to get as far away from those Muslims as he could and still complete his geographical research.

I consider the following statement to be slander.

"Livingstone would never have published this private diary in his own lifetime. In particular his attitude to the liberated slaves in his entourage is one of disgust - an attitude greatly at odds with his public persona as a dedicated abolitionist."

His abolitionist attitudes are clearly expressed throughout his journals. In thoughts, prayers and actions, he detested slavery and longed for the day when it would be totally abolished.

His attitude toward the liberated slaves had nothing to do with their status as free men. It had to do with the disgusting behavior they had learned from the slavers and their time in slavery. Their association with their captors and captivity had ruined their characters.

The Slave Gang (relates to Livingstone) by The London Missionary Society

This article appears to be trying to rewrite history by slandering a Christian explorer who found himself in a very difficult position trying to do his work in areas overrun with Portuguese and Arab slave traders. And, by making Livingstone look bad, they apparently hope to call his reports concerning slave traders in Africa into question, possibly whitewashing such activities from history.

You may notice there is no condemnation of the Muslim slavers who carried out the massacre of the Manyema people The only criticism in the article falls on Dr. David Livingstone who witnessed the massacre, brought it to the attention of the world, and thereby helped close the Zanzibar Slave Market.

Researchers often see what they are looking for. Before you let sensational and inaccurate headlines affect your opinion of this famous and revered explorer, who literally laid down his life to open the heart of Africa to the Gospel, I hope you will read his journals for yourself!  If you are interested in the day of the massacre, I've included the link below.

http://livingstone.library.ucla.edu/1871diary/letter_massacre.htm

Prayer That Gets Results

 Icon of James
called James the Just, James the Righteous and James the brother of God
wikipedia image

The Apostle James was a very practical teacher. The book of James, which he wrote, is filled with down to earth instructions for Christian living.

He covers dealing with trials and temptations. 

He gives instructions for proper listening and speaking and controlling anger.

He forbids favoritism and promotes loving one's neighbor, extending mercy, showing one's faith through good deeds, controlling the tongue, displaying humility, walking in godly wisdom, being a peacemaker, and living in submission to God.

He warns against boasting and oppressing the weak and the poor.

He also encourages patience through hard times and the absolute avoidance of swearing.

And finally, in chapter 5, using the prophet Elijah as his example, he teaches on prayer, which is my focus in this blog.  

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. James 5:16b-18

Aspects of Prevailing Prayer

1.  Prevailing Prayer is Fervent. It is an energetic (working, active, powerful) exercise. It requires sincere concern for the accomplishment of God's will.

    ... he prayed earnestly (pleaded)

2.  Prevailing Prayer requires a Righteous Person. The one praying must be one whose thoughts, feelings and actions are wholly conformed to the will of God.  A righteous man is righteous because he has confessed his sins, been forgiven, and lives by faith in God. When he prays, he prays according to the knowledge of God’s will gained from His written Word and through revelations from His Spirit.

I realize that some Christians believe praying according to God's will is a cop out. They think it leaves one free to excuse unanswered prayers as "not God's will." Well, it does open that door because God usually only answers prayers if they are prayed in agreement with His will.

3.  Prevailing Prayer Avails. It always produces extraordinary results which are only possible as a result of the intervention of God. Why? Because prayer made according to God’s will always accomplishes God’s plans.

      ...it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.        And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

In this story from the Book of Kings, God sent a three year drought as a punishment for their wickedness and God was ready to let it rain again at the end of the three years.

He led Elijah to pray for rain so that the unbelievers would see Elijah's relationship with God was genuine and that God was the giver of the rain. (And, also as a confirmation for believers that the rain was from God.)

God was demonstrating His power through His prophet. He delights in working through His people and in revealing His benevolent nature to mankind.         

For more details, read the entire story found in 1 Kings chapters 17 and 18.

According to James, effective prayer always flows out of a relationship with God through the Holy Spirit Who reveals and then fulfills God’s will in this world in general and in our lives in particular.

Julian of Norwich claimed she received this same principle from the Lord, "I am the ground of your beseeching: first it is my will that you have it, and then I make you desire it, and after I make you beseech it; how should it then be that you should not have your beseeching?"

What an encouraging word!

If we want answered prayers we should always seek to pray according to His will.

After all, He knows best!

Slavery and Islam

Islamic Slave Market (wikipedia)

If you want to learn about Islamic views on slavery and the historical practice of slavery in Islam and what the Qur’an teaches on the subject, I recommend starting with the Wikipedia article Islamic views of Slavery or Slavery in the Quran.   This Wikipedia article has in-depth coverage of Islamic views on slavery. It discusses 1400 years of the practice of slavery in Islam. It mentions the number of verses in the Quran dealing with slavery and many laws regulating slavery under Sharia Law.

It talks about the racist aspect of slavery in Islam which led to the freeing of Arab slaves by Muslims in Arabia. It says this practice actually led to the enslavement of more people outside of Arabia to keep up with the demand for slaves in Arabia– which is horrible because so many died during the capture and transport process.

It explains that Islam allows for sexual exploitation of slave women (based on the Quran) and notes that 2 female slaves were imported into Muslim countries for every male slave because of that practice while noting that most slaves shipped across the Atlantic were males because they were needed for plantation work.

It quotes Islamic scholars who justify the enslavement of Non-Muslims even today.

It thoroughly and succinctly covers the subject of Islamic slavery.

David Livingston is mentioned as a witness to the enslavement of blacks in Africa in the late 1800s. (I just finished reading David Livingston’s Final Journals and he gives detailed accounts of the murder and destruction engaged in by Arab Muslim Slavers in their African slave trade.)

Approximately 17 million Africans were enslaved by the Arab Muslims and many more millions (perhaps 85 million) perished in the process.

The number who perished seems hard to believe; however, it is based on eye witness accounts of capture events. Often, more natives perished in the slaving forays than were captured. Add to this the fact that most African males captured suffered radical castration. The procedure killed 80 to 90% of its victims from blood loss. Also, huge numbers of captives died from diseases to which they lacked immunity. Many perished from maltreatment during transport. And, finally, some actually died of heartbreak. David Livingston said many Africans died from nothing other than broken hearts when they were taken from their homes and families.

I am also reading a book called Captives, about the Barbary Pirates who enslaved over one million Europeans– also mentioned in the Wikipedia article. Untold millions more Europeans and Asians were enslaved throughout the centuries of Islamic colonialism.

Muslims claim the Qur'an values human rights because some verses in the Quran mention setting a slave free to redress a wrongdoing by a Muslim, but setting a slave free is only possible if one owns slaves and the Qur'an encourages owning slaves.

Another verse cited as humanitarian for forbidding the prostituting of slave girls ends by saying, but if you do, Allah is merciful! That ending annuls the prohibition and actually encourages the sexual exploitation of slaves by mentioning it.

Let’s look at some more verses from the Qur’an on the subject of slavery:

Qur’an (33:50) – “O Prophet! We have made lawful to thee thy wives to whom thou hast paid their dowers; and those (slaves) whom thy right hand possesses out of the prisoners of war whom Allah has assigned to thee”

This verse has Allah allowing sex slavery.

Qur’an (23:5-6) – “..who abstain from sex, except with those joined to them in the marriage bond, or (the captives) whom their right hands possess…”

Qur’an (4:24) – “And all married women (are forbidden unto you) save those (captives) whom your right hands possess.”

This verse allows for the rape of married women captured in war. Some of the women Muhammad, himself, freed from slavery and took as wives were war captives. He killed their husbands the very day he enslaved them, freed them, and then married them. That is not benevolent behavior. Think how painful that would be for a woman– if you can even imagine it.

Muslims have no abolitionists among them. Islamic slavery has been slowed and limited and even outlawed in some of their countries because of Western human rights activists– and for no other reason. Islam still endorses the enslavement of Non-Muslims and some Muslim countries still practice slavery openly today.

In contrast, Jesus said,

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed,   Luke 4:18

Thus, Christians have an example in Jesus, and a teaching against slavery. In early America, some nominal Christians transgressed that prohibition, but Christians have historically stood for freedom and many great abolistionists have arisen from their ranks. 

Read the wikipedia article if this subject interests you and you want more details.

May All Find Freedom in Christ Jesus Our Lord!

Islam's Days Are Numbered

Swords into Plowshares

Most of the visits to my blog of late have been from readers interested in my Islamic blogs, and based on world events, I can understand why.

With the USA having spent in the neighborhood of one trillion dollars in the last 10 years fighting wars against Islamic terrorism in Muslim countries;

And, with Palestinians trying to bypass peace negotiations with Israel and force the UN to recognize them as a nation state without even having to agree that Israel has a right to exist;

And, with Islamic rebels having been brought into power in Libya with NATO assistance using their new found powers to slaughter black African Sudanese Christians among other atrocities;

And, with newly empowered and emboldened Muslims in Egypt stepping up the persecution and killing of Coptic Christians in Egypt;

And with Tunisia and other countries coming under Islamic control since Obama came into office;

And, with Islamic jihad bombs regularly exploding around the world in an attempt to force countries to bow to Islamic demands:

And with anti-Semitism on the rise again;

It's not a wonder that people worldwide are interested in Islamic blogs that expose the truth:

Especially when so many of our western political, religious, academic and media talking heads around the world and in the USA are complicit with Muslim leaders in describing Islam as a "Religion of Peace." (They expect us to believe the BIG LIE they are telling us-- simply because they keep repeating it. That tactic worked in Nazi Germany. We had better hope and pray we have learned something from history!)

I'm only one voice but I want to use the freedom of speech we still enjoy to speak the truth which political correctness is trying to deny us.

Contrary to all the reassuring voices abroad in the land today, Islam is not a religion of peace. Rather, it is a tool of the devil. Islam will have no peace with any other belief system, religious or otherwise, because Islam demands submission from all to Allah and his requirements. And since even Muslims differ about what those requirements are, they can't even make peace among themselves-- much less will they ever bring peace to the world. Again, Islam is not a religion of peace.

Islam not only lacks peace, it also lacks the freedom it purports to offer. According to Islam, its followers have been set free from all the requirements of all other religions and the traditions of men. The catch is, all the world must live under the Sharia Law of Allah, and those laws are strictly enforced with all the authority of the government.

Yes, Islam is a tyrannical religious/political system. It favors Muslim males. Its laws are especially hard on women and Non-Muslims (second class citizens who are denied basic human rights and only allowed to live as long as they honor and obey Muslims, and pay the special taxes required of them), but no one is truly safe under such a system. Corrupt officials endanger the lives of all who find themselves subject to Sharia Law and there is no higher authority to appeal to.

Islam not only lacks peace and freedom, it fails to place a high value on human life. Islam is not grounded in moral teachings from a God who values all human life. Rather, it is a religion that glorifies death! Its adherents rejoice when "unbelievers" perish. And, they celebrate the death of their own who die killing others. Untold millions have already perished globally in the 1400 years since this bloody, tyrannical system was developed in the desert land of the Hagarites, known today as Saudi Arabia. How many more will be destroyed before the light finally conquers this malignant force of darkness?

Islamic jihadists kill without provocation. They kill randomly and they kill based on the clear teachings of the Qur'an and as the obedient warriors of Allah. They are not Islamic extremists. They are actually Islamic fundamentalists. In fact, following the example of their prophet, they kill without compassion or remorse and even rejoice in the name of their god; before, during and after their deadly attacks.

And, jihadists believe they will be blessed for the murders they commit. Those who die in the act of killing are considered to be martyrs and have been promised they will bypass any suffering in hell and go straight into the arms of 70 virgins prepared especially for them. They also hope to be able to deliver a few close relatives from hell, as well. That is quite an incentive! (Without Jesus to save them, they have no other hope of avoiding suffering.)

What kind of a god makes promises of such base sensual gratification to his followers for laying down their  lives to murder unsuspecting innocents who aren't even given an opportunity to repent? It's not a loving God like Yahweh, of the Holy Bible, Who is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance!" It sounds more like the being described by Jesus when He said, "Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy." Who but Satan could be behind such a deceptive, destructive religious/political system?

Yes, Satan is the god and father of Islam. He, like a roaring lion, goes about seeking whom he may devour.

The world will have no peace until Jesus Christ, the Jewish Prince of Peace, comes to conquer the destroyer and beat the swords into plowshares as He rules the world in peace from Jerusalem. That's why Satan, working through Islam, hates Israel and seeks to destroy it. But don't worry, Islam's days are numbered and Jesus is coming soon!

New Living Translation (©2007)
The LORD (Jesus) will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. Micah 4:3

I urge all readers of my blog to seek eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone. He died on the cross of Calvary for the sins of all mankind to set us free from sin's penalty and to give us abundant life now and forever!  Please turn to Him. He loves you! Today is the day of salvation!

New Living Translation (©2007)
For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, the "right time" is now. Today is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2