I was so excited to see the calendar for December this year! To see that Christmas Day actually fell on a Sunday was wonderful! I guess it was NOT wonderful for many people – including some Pastors who are not holding service or taking an “easier” route like an Online Service for those who want to stay home. I am not sure what is going on these days… why wouldn’t you want to spend Christmas Day — of all days, at church with the body of Christ?
I guess it’s messed up priorities? Some say “Well, I have these traditions with family that take priority,” while others say “Christmas morning means lounging around in our matching family PJs, drink hot chocolate and listen to Christmas music.” That’s fine if you are not a Christian, but what does it mean to be a professing follower of Jesus Christ?
There is nothing magical about Sundays… other than it is the Lord’s Day. It is the symbolic representation of the risen Lord. He did on Good Friday. After 3 days, he rose again from the dead (Jewish days begin in the evening) …so Friday, Saturday, Sunday = Resurrection Day.
When we come together as the Body of Christ, we proclaim His resurrection and return. We gather together in hopes and anticipation of His promise. He is coming back to judge and to take those who are His own.
Why would you exchange that glorious truth to stay at home and lounge in your PJs? Are we that numb to the reality of what Jesus Christ suffered on our behalf on the cross? Or do we even stop to think of His voluntary humiliation to descend from the throne and come as a child, born of a virgin? Does that matter to “Christians” anymore?
Have you stopped to ponder what Christmas Day represents? Yes, I know that it may not be the EXACT day Jesus Christ was born, BUT we have this day that is set aside to acknowledge the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ. If it is a Sunday and it’s Christmas Day, then I would challenge you to think about this — it is DOUBLE the Lord’s Day.
How about you set aside your comfort zone of traditions and cling tightly to the Word of God? How about clinging to Christ – not for the blessings He brings, but just for the sheer joy of who He is.
Born of a virgin, sinless, suffered and died on the cross for our sins, raised again from the dead, victorious over both sin and death, returning to judge the quick and the dead.
There is no one worthy to worship, other than Christ Jesus. The Messiah, the Son of the Living God.
If we believe that God is Sovereign and that God has ordered and ordained things from eternity past, then it is safe to say that He ordered and planned for me to speak at the First Baptist Church in Wainwright Oklahoma today. It is very humbling to think that the Lord of the Universe, Creator God would deign to see it fit that I would go out and share my testimony about Him to a tiny, teeny little town in Oklahoma.
That’s exactly what took place today.
I got to drive 2.5 hours there and 2.5 hours back. Honestly, I was not relishing the thought of the long drive and then speaking all day. However, I have a very sweet and faithful church family that prays for me (and for my attitude). Their prayers helped to sustain me and so I set off with my daughter to Wainwright. On the way, we saw a beautiful sunrise and God’s creative handiwork. I was reminded of His lovingkindness towards us.
Sunrise over Oklahoma
At the church, I got to meet such sweet women who want to be obedient to Scripture and to learn how to share the Gospel with others. I was truly blessed and reminded of the family of God who worship Him together in Spirit and Truth (John 4:24). I also had to opportunity to share what God has done for me. I have written about September 11 many times on my blog (see this post and this one). However, 9/11 is a very tangible part of my testimony. It was these jarring events that shook up the United States 20 years ago that helped to shape my testimony of God’s saving grace upon me. Instead of fearing September 11 (and yes, the terrorist attacks were designed to instill fear), the day marked the beginning of the Lord waking me up to how He was orchestrating my life.
September 11 shook me up on a very personal level because while I was born a Muslim, I did not truly understand Islam. I had never read the Quran until that time or even prayed five times a day. It was these events that prompted me to learn more about my beliefs and to find out why the terrorists did what they did and why the Muslim world was relatively silent about condemning the perpetrators of that crime.
When I read the Quran, I learned about Isa Ibn Maryam (Isa = Iesous (Greek) = Jesus) in Surah 19. As I read about Him and found myself curious about His special place in the Quran. Why was He so special as to be born of a virgin? Why did He do so many miracles? Why was He the one to come back on Judgment Day? Why, why, why? All these questions and confusion.
I was not able to answer any of these questions because no one had shared the Gospel of Good News about Christ. It wasn’t until several years after 9/11 that the Gospel was shared with me and my husband. The moment the words of the Gospel hit our ears, we believed. As I share during my testimony, we walked into an office as dead people and through the miracle of God, we walked out new creations in Christ.
There are a lot of things happening around the world right now. Islam is at the forefront again with Afghan refugees coming to the United States. We can either react to this news with fear or we can welcome it as yet another opportunity from the Lord for fulfilling the Great Commission He gave to His children in Matthew 28:18-20 “18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Will you go even if it means getting out of your comfort zone? Will you go to a tiny town where no one really famous lives? Will you go to your next door neighbor?
Yesterday, as I was driving home on the Broadway Extension in Oklahoma City, I had to slow down to get a photo of this billboard. As a former Muslim, these are the things I used to believe. Now, I know better.
This billboard is the handiwork of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) which is a militant organization under investigation by the FBI according to terrorism expert Steven Emerson, and according to Discover the Networks, is linked to radial Islamic movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood, the pro-Sharia organization (like Hamas and al-Qaeda).
Emerson is quoted as saying “The ICNA’s hatred of the Jews is so fierce that it taunted them with a repetition of what Hitler did to them… The ICNA openly supports militant Islamic fundamentalist organizations, praises terror attacks, issues incendiary attacks on western values and policies, and supports the imposition of Sharia.” They hold extreme views on women, slavery and gays as well.
My aim in this blog is to save you the trouble of going to their website and answering the frequently asked questions about Islam:
What does “Islam” mean?
Islam means
“submission” to the will of Allah (as defined in the Quran). It
absolutely does not mean “peace.” Many will tell you that the root
word comes from the Aramaic/Hebrew “shalom” for peace, but it does
not. It comes from the word “silm” (seen-lam-meem) which means
“submission” or “surrender.” The Quran says:
[2:136]
Say (O Muslims): We believe in Allah and that which is revealed to us and that
which was revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the
tribes, and that which Moses and Jesus received, and that which the prophets
received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to
Him we have surrendered. [Arabic “Muslimoon”]
What is the One Message of Islam?
The singular
message of Islam is the Shahadah. The Shahadah is the Muslim declaration of
belief in the oneness of God and on Muhammad as his final Prophet. It is
required that the Shahadah is recited daily. It is the first of the five
pillars of Islam and is also the first of the five beliefs.
Isn’t Islam the same as Christianity?
No, not at all. While there are similar people mentioned in the Quran as in the Bible, both teach different things. The Gulf Times (a Muslim periodical) says that “Allah clearly explains that our Deen [religion or divine law] has been perfected, and that it does not require any addition or deletion. That is why Allah sealed the office of Messengership with the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). The fact that He has chosen Islam as our Deen, means that he does not accept other than Islam from anyone:
“And Whoever
seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted or him, and on the
Last Day he will be one of the losers. (Qur’an 3: 85)”
Clearly, one cannot go to Paradise if they are not Muslim and don’t believe in Islam. It is exclusive. The article goes on to say that the One Message of Islam includes “The Rights of Allah on His Bondsmen: To worship Allah alone, and associate none with Him in worship. The rights of man on His Creator: To permit people to Paradise if they worship Him properly.” Islam is based upon works. Christianity relies on the grace of Jesus Christ as Savior – faith alone, Christ alone.
Are we One Family? Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad?
Both Abraham
and Moses certainly appear in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. That is where
the similarities end. While there is an entire Surah dedicated to Isa (Jesus
the Messiah) in the Quran, Islam denies the deity of Christ and denies the
Trinity – God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit. Christianity is
based upon the death on the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Quran
unequivocally denies both and says it is not true. That’s a huge difference! We
Christians worship One God in Three Persons. The Quran says that’s blasphemy.
How do we share the Gospel with Muslims?
In the book
of Genesis, the Bible teaches us that all human beings are created in the image
of God. We need to remember that when interacting with Muslims. We cannot take
for granted that the Muslim person in front of us knows what is taught in the
Quran or that they espouse any of the militant extremism of Islam. Many of my
Muslim friends are so very dear to me. They welcome me into their homes with
love and I try to return their hospitality in the same way.
Muslims are not a “pet project.”
The Gospel
Coalition gives this sound instruction “Muslims come
to faith by a supernatural work of God, by which the Holy Spirit opens their
hearts (Acts 16:14) and grants them the gift of repentance (2 Tim. 2:25). We believe that a Muslim coming to faith is not
intrinsically connected to our form of contextualization, but rests solely on
God’s divine intervention (Dan. 4:35; Ps. 115:3; John 6:64-65) and our humble obedience to proclaim the gospel (Acts 1:8; Matt. 9:38, 28:19-20). God is not concerned with glorifying a method; he is
concerned with glorifying his Son. Strategies are useful and necessary, but
none of them offers the “key” to Muslim evangelism.”
The words of
the Gospel message bring good news to those who are perishing. We need to share
the actual words that Jesus Christ came to the earth as God in the flesh. He
was crucified for the remission of our sins, He was dead and buried in a tomb.
After three days, He rose again from the dead and sits at the right hand of God
the Father Almighty. He will come back once again to judge the quick and the
dead.
Christ died for those He called. He does not need our “good works,” for the only work that will get us to Heaven is the work done on the cross by our Lord and Savior.
May that be the Good News that goes out to the nations!
May 5, 2019 begins Ramadan for the Muslim world. If you type “Ramadan 2019” into the search bar, there will be a myriad of results – from recipes for the first breaking of fast to what the requirements are to keep a Ramadan fast. For those who may not know, Ramadan is a month of fasting AND feasting! It is a celebration for the entire Muslim community. However, when I was a Muslim, I was not like some of my friends who looked forward to this time. I dreaded the month and it made me anxious.
There were good reasons for me to be anxious, for I was not a good Muslim. I would think about food all day long, I would find reasons not to fast and then, I would just plain give up after about a week (if that!). Of course, I didn’t tell people about this sad state of affairs and lack of dedication. I simply added on to my scale of bad deeds and lied to people that I was indeed fasting.
There are many rules of what to do and what not to do during the 30 days of Ramadan. There are even rules for the NON-MUSLIM (as spelled out here from an article from Saudi Arabia, the arbiters of what goes and what does not go for Islam) who lives in a Muslim country! The article says that even though one might not be a Muslim, they still need to adhere to the laws – no eating or drinking in the public while the sun is shining, no chewing gum, no smoking, etc.
just stay home…
For the Muslim person, there are many rules that spell out how to behave and how to begin and end your day. I was told that drinking a small amount of water from rinsing my mouth after brushing was haram (bad deed) and could technically break my fast. I was also told that anger or being mean to my family (= being “hangry”) would also nullify my fast. So many rules!
from: Masjid Daar as Sunnah
Many Christians want to know – what does Allah want from Muslims during Ramadan? There are many things, but here’s a chart for quick reference. Notice under the “5 Quick Tips” on number 5, it says “Follow up a bad deed with a good deed.” I believe that just about sums up Ramadan. It is a time for Muslims to try to please Allah… but with all those bad deeds, can one actually please him?
So what does the BIBLE say about pleasing God?
According to the website gotquestions.org In the New Testament, the apostle “Paul reminds the believers in Rome that “they who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). So the first step in pleasing God is to accept the sacrifice for sin that He provided in the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Only then are we “in the Spirit” and not “in the flesh.” We do this by faith because “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). “
All of us who have confessed that Jesus Christ is the only sinless one who could pay the price for all the sins (bad deeds) in a perfect sacrifice that was pleasing to God become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). In order to please God, we have to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit who is given to us and who lives in us, instructing us daily how to walk according to the ways of God as revealed in the Bible (the word of God). We also have to live by faith, live and love according to Jesus’s command (John 14:21) which is to love Christ and love one another.
I believe that is one of the biggest differences I found in leaving Islam and accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. There was a peace in knowing and accepting that I could not please God from my own works. I kept messing up daily — I would think a bad thought, reply in anger at the driver who cut me off, or lie about something. I kept sinning and falling short of the rules I was supposed to abide by. The beauty of Christianity is not in us DOING things, it is in what Jesus Christ DID already for us on the cross.
May those who are fasting for Ramadan seek the one True God who is revealed in the Bible as the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6) AND may those of us who belong to Christ pray for the next 30 days for Muslims around the world to find peace through the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN.
Week one was tough! I hope you had a chance to see my struggles in the video I uploaded. My daughter who’s been helping me has already memorized several verses and she didn’t even sign on to do this!
I thought I’d share my Memory Cards today and show how my mind works. Last week I posted a few cards. Here they are again.
Ephesians 1:1
On day 4, I realized that I was not saying the verse number or address. Now, it’s a part of the verse.
Ephesians 1:2
The numbers rhyme on verses 2 & 3:
“One-two, Grace to you…” that’s a Hershey kiss for chocolate, which equals grace to me (part of my testimony).
“One-three, Blessed be…” I also circle/box words that are duplicates. I’ve been circling the word “in” because it keeps tripping me up!
Ephesians 1:4
Verse four was more confusing- no rhymes, so I used the first word “even” that has 4 letters & is even. There are also 2 “BEFORE “ in it (reminded me of “four”).
Ephesians 1:5
I had to be more creative with verse 5. The last line for me in pictures is “accordion “ to the “porpoise” (that’s supposed to be a dolphin & not a banana with a tail, per my daughter) of His “will.”
Ephesians 1:6
More of the same… nothing to rhyme with “one-six.”
Ephesians 1:7
Got to use color for this one! Another accordion and not much to rhyme with “one-seven.” Boo hoo!
Ephesians 1:8
Only thing I could come up with today was that the word “lavished” has 8 words…
Hope this helps a bit! I’m finding that reading the verse aloud 10 times and then closing my eyes to repeat it 10 times is working. The pictures help me to get a visual reminder. Also, I’m repeating all verses up to date in the morning before I get out of bed, and at night.
Even when you don’t feel like it, push through and focus on the discipline of doing this! That’s what I’m saying to myself!
Yes, I am actually Fed UP! Not with control issues like the shirt implies, but with the Christian slogans I see pasted all over T-shirts at stores. I’ve been reading R.C. Sproul’s book “The Holiness of God.” He starts with the prophet Isaiah who has a vision of the throne room of God (Isaiah 6). As soon as he catches a glimpse of His majesty and glory, he falls to his face and says “Woe is me, I am a man of unclean lips!”
That’s NOT what the average American church-goer seems to experience. I don’t see people falling down to worship the majesty of God nor give Him the honor that He deserves. Instead, I see a casual attitude (casual clothes are one thing, it’s the attitude I’m talking about) that bleeds over into a casual approach of Christianity and a cavalier handling of the Holy Bible. In the book, R.C. Sproul reminds us that “The idea of holiness is so central to biblical teaching that it is said of God, “Holy is his name” (Luke 1:49). His name is holy because He is holy. He is not always treated with holy reverence. His name is tramped through the dirt of this world. It functions as a curse word, a platform for the obscene. That the world has little respect for God is vividly seen by the way the world regards His name. No honor. No reverence. No awe before Him.”
This is one of the main reasons why I have had a difficult time with T-shirts that say “I love Jesus but I cuss a little” (by the way, I couldn’t even bring myself to add a photo of that one) or another one I saw someone actually wearing “I love Jesus but I drink a little”… or a lot?
What is that message saying about you? What is that message saying to others out there about what it means to be a Christian? I brought this up to a woman I know and she said with a smile on her face that I was “too judgmental and that you need to accept the fact that no one is as perfect as you.” First of all, I don’t think any true follower of Christ would ever say that they were perfect. In fact, most of us understand the need to be forgiven for the heinous sins we’ve committed against our Holy God and thus receive His mercy and grace. Secondly, why shouldn’t we judge those who say they are “Christians” yet treat Jesus’s name in that shameful manner (1 Corinthians 5:1-13). I don’t think you would EVER find a Muslim person wearing a shirt that says “I follow Muhammad but I cuss a little!” Blasphemous!
Why is it then considered to be self-righteous to condemn “cutesy” versions of false Christian doctrine? These are the very things that get repeated by others and catch on like “I am not a sinner because I have Jesus.” Well, we only need to go to the Bible to see 1 John 1:8 that says “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.” It’s not just the T-shirts – it’s Christian Pop songs as well. There was one on the radio that made me wonder if the artist was singing about Jesus or her boyfriend (by the way, yes there is a T-shirt that also says something about Jesus being your BFF, Bro, or BAE). Horrid.
Before I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I had a great respect for Jesus as one of Allah’s prophets. I would have never thought to use his (or any other religious figure’s) name as an exclamation or use it in any way that would bring shame upon Allah, Islam or any of the prophets. When I became a Christian, I did not see this respect by many. There were some who regard Jesus as who He is – the second person of the Trinity, fully equal to God the Father. However, much to my distress, there were the majority who did not seem to have this type of reverence. I was surprised one morning when a woman brought her cup of coffee into the sanctuary… I thought when you were in the sanctuary to worship, you were supposed to be in the presence of God Himself? I would never think to bring in my coffee cup to come into the presence of a CEO for work, much less bring it in to worship the maker of the heavens and the earth.
Where is the reverence gone? Is it because of the secular approach to Jesus? Is it because we focus more at Christmas time on Santa than on Christ? Is it because we think about his humble birth as a baby and less (if not at all) about the price he paid on the cross for the remission of our sins? Should we continue to watch as we and other Christians continue to sin without remorse?
Let’s start holding one another ACCOUNTABLE as Christians. Let’s stop conforming to the standards of the world and be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). We are all sinful, that’s true BUT we should still be working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) and not have a casual attitude about things that might cause others to stumble. I want to end with another thought by R.C. Sproul:
“The simplistic way of not conforming is to see what is in style in our culture and then do the opposite. If short hair is in vogue, the nonconformist wears long hair. If going to the movies is popular, then Christians avoid movies as “worldly.” The extreme case of this may be seen in groups that refuse to wear buttons or use electricity because such things, too, are worldly. A superficial style of nonconformity is the classical Pharisaical trap. The kingdom of God is not about buttons, movies, or dancing. The concern of God is not focused on what we eat or what we drink. The call of nonconformity is a call to a deeper level of righteousness, that goes beyond externals. When piety is defined exclusively in terms of externals, the whole point of the apostle’s teaching has been lost. Somehow we have failed to hear Jesus’ words that it is not what goes into a person’s mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of that mouth. We still want to make the kingdom a matter of eating and drinking.” ― R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God
This Christmas, the best gift you could give yourself, your friends and your family is to ask them to hold you accountable and to ask the Lord for forgiveness for treating things that are His without the respect that He deserves. That is also my own challenge and daily prayer. Amen.
