I haven’t been able to listen to Dr. Brown’s broadcast yet. In the city where I live, a Prince from Dubai in the United Arab Emirites has purchased a huge tract of land here. He intends to bring his horses as we are well known as the ideal place for equestrians and many from the northern states board their horses here in the winter. There was a write up in our local paper about it. I don’t know what to make of it.
I was especially surprised to the convert mention in the video that they come to the U.S. and set up where there are the most Christians. I live in a part of the country known as the Bible Belt. And we have one of the premier nuclear power facilities in the country only 20 minutes from our town. I just finished doing a personal study on the UAE because when I was comparing ancient maps of the various empires,beginning with Eygpt, and through the Assyrian, Babylonian, Medes and Persians, Greece, Roman and Ottoman, I decided to lay them over each to compare what they had in common. The reason I did this was to figure out the areas that the Muslim world occupies now. Turns out it’s quite a bit! I noticed that the UAE was obviously “very, very” modern with beautiful architecture and many foreigners go there to “play”; I guess? The lesser people are very poor. Two of the highjackers involved in the 9/11 attack where from the UAE.
Anyway, they practice sharia law while at the same time making allowances for the vices of their tourists only in certain areas.
The video you shared is a marvelous testimony to the transforming grace of God! Thanks.
Praise the Lord! I feel the Spirit of the Lord moving in a powerful way lately.
I’ll have to listen to the broadcast tomorrow.
Be Well.
Dr. Brown mentioned that Allah is not the same as our God and I agree. My nephew said to me once, “Allah is just another name for God.” I told him, “No, it’s not”. And I went on to explain to him about the history of the various dieties that were worshipped before Muhammad settled on the moon god whose name was Allah. We talked about the differences between the muslim belief that it was Ishmael who Abraham was to sacrifice and that, by changing the word of God from the very beginning of the scriptures, they then went on to change the entire story line and the promise of Messiah from the descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We talked about the promised Madhi, the Islamic false prophet and their end time belief that he will only come when they have thrown the world into utter chaos. So, my nephew brought up the point that Christians believe that Jesus will only come when the world is in chaos too. So, I said, “yes, that’s true, but, neither their Allah, nor, their Mahdi died for them, they are dying for him.” “Does that sound like the same God?”
I was afraid of how my nephew got this idea that they were the same! Is my nephew’s generation being indoctrinated to accept this? It worries me.
I wouldn’t have a clue as to how to witness to a Muslim. Not a one.
Hi Sheila,
Keep your nephew in prayers and do not worry, God is with you. I think you did the right thing but keep in mind our, hmm not sure how to word this but.. Our main “objection” to Islam or to Muslims would not be the name of God. I think there are many other major factors.
(Also just a quick note: Arabic speaking Jews and Arab Christians use the word “Allah” when referring to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Yemenite Jews who chant the Sh’ma in Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic do say Allah too.)
Very useful and full of great information. May the Lord bless you!
Ruth, I tried to watch the video but my computer was too slow. I think I may have heard this man before. He seems familiar. To see Jesus in a vision is to see the Father also. (John 14:9)
I’m wondering if Muslims teach repentance.
Ray, yes, they do.
It sounds to me like the term Allah is the best term to be used for God when someone is translating the Bible for Muslims based on what I heard on this audio.
If they do so, I hope they put in a brief explanation as to why they chose to do it that way somewhere in the pages. I believe it helps to explain things like that.
Restaurants often put pictures of a hamburger on the menu so one may know better what he is about to get after he orders one.
How would you like a Bible where God is translated Trinity, and where the words the Son of God is changed to God the Son?
I would to God that all men would worship Jesus according to their understanding even as he is right now, today, a glorified man who is put over all of the things of God, being his only begotten Son, born of a woman, brought into this world by God through his overshadowing Mary, a virgin.
Even if that’s all he is, I shouldn’t be ashamed to worship him. But I believe he is much more than what I can put into words in such short space.
If all Jesus is to any of you, is a man who was born by divine conception, I encourage you to go ahead and worship him anyway. I trust you will find out more about him later on. I trust I will not be abhored by your worship if it is in spirit and truth, but if your worship is corrupt, dishonest, unclean, and devilish, I might be abhored by it. I think that’s one reason why some people don’t like to sing some of the words which have come about by the doctrine of the Trinity.
I saw Jesus in several visions. Do you know what he looked like? He looked like a glorified man to me. He looked like the fruit of the spirit. I will tell you that if you see Jesus in a vision, you have seen God. (John 14:9)
I wonder if Anthony Buzzard would accept that? That might be a good question for Anthony to be asked by Dr. Brown if they discuss these things again.
If a person sees God in Jesus, is he really nothing more than a glorified man?
Thank you Dr. Brown for telling me that Muslims do teach repentance. I had wondered about that since my friend got a phone call from one man he befriended where he worked and the man got into some small trouble with the law (of man) and had to face the judge and was requesting prayer.
The man wasn’t a Christian but was religious by some other faith. I think he may have been a Muslim but I’m not sure.
We asked him if he would take any guilt to God in prayer and repent of his errors that he knows of, telling him about about Jesus and the cross.
This man didn’t want to do that but yet wanted us to pray for favor for him in the courtroom. We did not pray for such favor. It didn’t seem like we should have. So we didn’t.
I don’t know how it turned out. I’m thinking he likely paid the fine or whatever. I suppose he got by without our prayers or blessing.
God is greater than any legal or religious problems we may have and is able to bring us help and guide us through the way we should go because of Jesus.
Hi Sheila,
Tons of thanks for all you’ve shared. I just got your post addressed to me — I’ve had to step back from blogging for awhile (to spend more time in intimate contact – prayer – at my Lord’s urging) and I have missed much in the blogosphere; I still want to read your other posts.
May the Lord be gracious unto you, et.al.
(:
Thank you, Ruth.
Sometime, maybe a little more than a month ago, I started searching for some way to interact with fellow Christians and because I had stumbled across several of Dr. Brown’s “Think it Thru” programs, I thought I might like to see what was going on here.
I came to repentence about five years ago and immediately after “that day” I spent between 6-12 hours a day totally absorbed in the study of my Bible. I bought the older commentary series by Matthew Henry and sermon series from Spurgeon and then I found the Gateway Bible site, the Blue Letter Bible site, and I just couldn’t get enough. I found the Serve-a-Verse Hebrew with English transliteration site, which led me to learn the Hebrew alphabet and then I purchased an old Hebrew Lexicon (Gesenius) that some student had used in 1884 at Seminary and I was so engrossed in the Word, that I didn’t lift my head for five years! I have an entire bookshelf full of various books I’ve read in those years. I have been blessed with a lot of free time. You’ll understand why in a minute.
Before that time five years ago, I thought I was saved. After all, I was raised going to Church and was baptised when I was put into a foster home at about five years old; I had my confirmation Bible with my name on it, and I would read it from time to time. Little did I know, salvation didn’t work that way!
I was in two very bad car wrecks. I was the only one involved in them, no other vehicle. Well, I should say, in the one where I laid pinned under my car for nine hours all night long, that “Jim Beam” was also involved in that one. That was in 1987. What happened that night was incredible, but, that will have to wait for another time, perhaps. (I do believe in angels…) Suffice it to say, that I was thrown out of the car and the car came to rest on top of a Pine tree which were both resting on my right bisep! They had to get a tow truck to lift the car into the air before they could get to me and the surgeons had to cut my arm open from the palm of my hand to the bisep because the flow of blood had stopped and I was in danger of loosing my arm. (“If your right arm offends you, cut it off”, although, I had no idea of that verse at the time!) They managed to save my arm, but, I spent years in surgeries and physical therapy, eventually things got back to “normal”. Then, in 1993, I was driving down a country road and was startled and lost control of my vehicle after sliding onto a sandy shoulder of the road. I slammed into an embankment just short of a telephone poll and I broke my back in that wreck. As I was careening out of control, I said outloud, “Oh God, No, Not Again!” And, then, about five years ago my back just “collapsed” and has caused severe limitations due to intensive nerve damage and pressure. While I thought it was the end of the world, little did I know, it was only the beginning!
I thought I knew who Jesus was. I thought He was a kind Savior who let every one that did good into some place called Heaven…I didn’t know anything! I was “really” mad at God for a very long time, yet, when someone asked me if I believed in God, I said, “yes’. Then, it dawned on me, that I didn’t even know what it was I believed or who He was that I believed in. And I didn’t realize that these “accidents” were not really “accidents’ at all, but, that God was chastening me; trying to draw me back to Him. And so began my quest in December, 2005. What my husband and I thought would be detrimental to our income and lives has turned out to be the biggest blessing we could have ever received! The “mountain” didn’t come to me–I had to go to the mountain! And I can say, “Thank God for my infirmities”! They saved my life and my soul and the life and the soul of my husband.
So, I am just now coming out of communion with God after five years holed-up in my den learning. If I don’t study at least two hours a day, I feel somewhat out of sorts. I wake up thinking about God and I go to bed with prayers on my lips and I’ve never felt more at peace in my life. I tossed “Jim Beam” out of my house “that day” five years ago and he’s never been back! I love learning something new everyday, it’s a journey that never ends. Every day is a blessing with “the image in the glass” getting a little clearer each time. So, I understand perfectly that longing of communion with only the Lord.
But, I think I’m ready; and I’m excited to be able to interact with other people of faith. I don’t bring any particular “school” of religion to the table. I wasn’t taught by anyone other than the Spirit and the Word. I’m trying out what I’ve learned myself and sharing as I’m led to respond. I can’t get out like I used to, so, this is a great outlet for me. I’ve discovered my “Jewish Roots” and my Messiah and I have developed a love for the Jewish People that I can only explain as an extention of my Love for Jesus. It’s been a marvelous awakening. I now have Messianic Jewish friends who live in Israel and there is a bond of brotherhood with them that is so very important to me.
I was sincerely honored that you found something of value in one of my posts. I had to immediately humble myself after reading your post about copying one of my comments. I know how powerful words are and how important it is to weigh them carefully and diliberately and that’s what I try to be mindful of when replying. “Your words” did more “for me” than you know!
By the way, I’m not good at all with spit-fire debates. This took me an hour and twenty minutes to compose. 🙂
Blessings to you, Ruth.
Your Sister.
P.S. I love how that little smiley guy just pops up after making the cheapo sign with my keyboard!
Eric,
I truly appreciate that information. I realize I wasn’t prepared with an adequate answer at the time my conversation with my nephew came up. I do know that’s he’s developed an affinity with the Palestinians and was voicing slanted views about Israel. There is much that concerns me about the media’s version of things. I want my nephew to come to understanding himself, but, I feel obligated to guide him the best I can. Which means I need to first educate myself!
Thanks for your guidance and correction. I’ll view the website sites you suggested.
Your Sister.
Sheila,
Thanks for posting very interesting information about your walk with Jesus the Messiah. Justified, redeemed, adopted as you are.
# 7. Dr. Brown, Since the Bible teaches repentance from dead works, and sins, as well as takes to task one’s very nature by the atonement for “sin”, how does Islam differ in its notion of repentance? It seems that a notion of repentance that does not go to the cross of Jesus Christ, or, long ago to the Temple sacrifice requirements could not indeed involve an actual repentance. Please comment on this.
When it comes to using Allah in the Bible, I remember a friend I met at a Messianic congregation telling me about what they did in the evangelical/underground church in Iraq. He was from a Muslim background, native Arab speaker raised in America and he joined the army and was in the invasion of Iraq and used that oppurtunity to witness and became involved with the underground church. They had a meeting with all the leaders and they came up with a new name since they were all from Muslim backgrounds and knew that Allah was not the same Deity as the Scripture speaks to in the Bible. So they came up with an ancient name that I believe was Aramaic. The first part of the name was ‘EL’ and I want to say the name was ‘El Roi.’ I could be wrong, but it would be interesting if that was it, since Hagar, the matriarchial mother of the Arab nations and peoples, and thereby the matriarch of those who have adopted the Arab originating faith of Islam, was the first to call G-d by name in the Tanach and this, ‘El Roi,’ was the name she used. It is an interesting discussion, those most opposed to using ‘Allah,’ in the Bible translation and prayers seem to be those of Muslim/Isalmic backgrounds who have been converted out of the religion into an ‘evangelical’ type faith, maybe we (including missionologists) should listen to them rather than seeking to be politically correct.
Shalom, Chris
I wonder if Muslims have dictionaries that are not religious by nature. In America we have many dictionaries and they are not religious by nature. They are simply commonly used books we use to find the meanings of words that are commonly used and how to spell them.
In my dictionary I can look up the word “god” and find it can be used in several different ways and have several meanings, one of which means “God” (with a capital “G”) the creator and ruler of the universe, regarded as eternal, infinate, all powerful, etc, in monotheistic religions.
I was once at a small meeting of Christians who met in the home and a new person arrived and prayed with us. He was not yet a Christian but he joined in the prayer time by refering to God as the “creative universalism” or something like that.
At least that’s who I thought he was addressing. I thought he was speaking to God by using whatever terms he was accustomed to by his background, philosophy, or belief system.
I remember reacting something like, “Well, well, what have we here? (thinking to myself) One of these is not like the others.” I had never heard this kind of language before in a prayer group.
I didn’t find “creative universalism” in my dictionary, but did find “universalism”. It speaks of universality or a particular theological doctrine.
I also see “universalist” and one of it’s definitions is about members of former U.S. Protestant denomination now merged with the Unitarians.
I only saw this man once at these meetings. He was told by the man in charge to not come back. In the view of the leader, the man was only trying to disrupt the meeting and cause harm.
Maybe so. Maybe he was but it seemed to me that a man should have more than one chance. I don’t know how much of the gospel he was offered and if he refused it and his reasons why. I don’t know if his reasons were addressed or not. I only know that shortly after the meeting he was gone and we never saw him at these meetings again. I just don’t know his background.
I assume those from a Muslim country have a term for “Father”. I assume they have a term meaning “heavenly” or from heaven, but I don’t know. It seems to me that they could use these terms if they are Christians when they pray. Though I don’t know their background, I right now don’t see any reason for objection to it.
I really know very little about Muslims and those who grew up in Muslim countries. I don’t know their customs, manners, or how they think. I’m no expert on this subject for sure.
I think acceptable terms for addressing God in the group I was with (the one where the odd man showed up) would be “God, Father, Heavenly Father, Lord, and Jesus.”, though none in the group prayed to Jesus in public meetings.
I include Jesus in the list not because I have a doctrine saying he is God, necessarily, but because I understand that Jesus is prayed to and that he is one with the Father, that he is our Lord and Saviour, the Son of God, the Christ, etc.
I’ve made it a habbit to pray to God the Father in a few terms as I have listed above and do not pray to Jesus in public meetings, though at times I have spoken out my petitions to him in times of distress. I’ve often prayed with people who pray to Jesus in public meetings and prayed with them having no strong objection to it, though I prefer that people pray to God the Father in public meetings for reasons I have found in the Bible.
Thanks for sharing your story, Sheila. It’s wonderful that these experiences led you into a deeper relationship and awareness of His love. Proof again that suffering sometimes results in amazing fruit. Happy you found this forum. By the way, what is the “cheapo” sign on the keyboard?
Regarding the topic of the name of Allah, I read this morning in the Qu’ran an interesting verse. It comes from Chapter 17, titled “The Children of Israel,” verse 110:
“Say: ‘Call Him Allah or call Him Ar-Rahman; whichever the name you call Him by, all His names are beautiful.’ Do not say your prayers too loudly or in too low a voice, but follow a middle course. And say: “All praise be to God who has neither begotten a son nor has a partner in His kingdom; nor has He need of any one to protect Him from ignominy. So extol Him by extolling His majesty.” [Al-Qur’an, A Contemporary Translation by Ahmed Ali, Princeton University Press, 1984, pg. 249]
“…neither begotten a son…” Definite denial of Jesus’ sonship, and even of his atoning power.
Now Ar-Rahman is explained in a footnote this way: “Allah and Ar-Rahman (generally translated as the Merciful) are names of the same Supreme Deity as this verse clarifies. The Northern Arabs called Him Allah, which emphasies His qualities of Lordship, omnipotence and majesty; and Ar-Rahman, perhaps an Arabised form the Hebrew word Rachman, was used by the Southern Arabs, which emphasised His qualities of mercy and benevolence, as in Rahim, the ever-merciful. This, however, gave rise to confusion in the minds of infidels that they were two separate deities, to which verse 60 of Surah 25 refers. In the Qur’an, Allah is used 2698 times and Ar-Rahman 51, mostly in the Makki Surahs, and only twice in Surah 2, The Cow, an early Madani Surah, apart from its use in the invocation that heads all the Surahs except 9, where it has been used an an adjective, but is really a proper noun with Ar-Rahim, which is another name of God.” [Ibid., Ch. 13, Thunder, pg. 214]
Correction:
Should be: “…Arabised form of the Hebrew word…”
Wow, how knowledgeable you are. I’m just beginning to read up on Islam. I admit my complete ignorance on the subject. Eric pointed me in the right direction.
The “cheapo” sign is to first type the “colon”, it looks like this : and then use the “right parenthesis” sign. It looks like this ). Put them together one right next to the other, and “whalah” a smiley guy! 🙂
Oh Sheila ~ no ~ I am NOT knowledgeable about Islam, but I am learning about it. I am very drawn to having a better understanding of it.
Thanks for the ‘smiley’ technique. I always wondered how some people got that in there! 🙂 I’ll see if it works.
I’m wondering if anyone reading this has seen this video detailing this Muslim man’s supernatural revelation:
http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/vod/AL32v1_WS
Hi Ruth,
I haven’t been able to listen to Dr. Brown’s broadcast yet. In the city where I live, a Prince from Dubai in the United Arab Emirites has purchased a huge tract of land here. He intends to bring his horses as we are well known as the ideal place for equestrians and many from the northern states board their horses here in the winter. There was a write up in our local paper about it. I don’t know what to make of it.
I was especially surprised to the convert mention in the video that they come to the U.S. and set up where there are the most Christians. I live in a part of the country known as the Bible Belt. And we have one of the premier nuclear power facilities in the country only 20 minutes from our town. I just finished doing a personal study on the UAE because when I was comparing ancient maps of the various empires,beginning with Eygpt, and through the Assyrian, Babylonian, Medes and Persians, Greece, Roman and Ottoman, I decided to lay them over each to compare what they had in common. The reason I did this was to figure out the areas that the Muslim world occupies now. Turns out it’s quite a bit! I noticed that the UAE was obviously “very, very” modern with beautiful architecture and many foreigners go there to “play”; I guess? The lesser people are very poor. Two of the highjackers involved in the 9/11 attack where from the UAE.
Anyway, they practice sharia law while at the same time making allowances for the vices of their tourists only in certain areas.
The video you shared is a marvelous testimony to the transforming grace of God! Thanks.
Praise the Lord! I feel the Spirit of the Lord moving in a powerful way lately.
I’ll have to listen to the broadcast tomorrow.
Be Well.
Dr. Brown mentioned that Allah is not the same as our God and I agree. My nephew said to me once, “Allah is just another name for God.” I told him, “No, it’s not”. And I went on to explain to him about the history of the various dieties that were worshipped before Muhammad settled on the moon god whose name was Allah. We talked about the differences between the muslim belief that it was Ishmael who Abraham was to sacrifice and that, by changing the word of God from the very beginning of the scriptures, they then went on to change the entire story line and the promise of Messiah from the descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We talked about the promised Madhi, the Islamic false prophet and their end time belief that he will only come when they have thrown the world into utter chaos. So, my nephew brought up the point that Christians believe that Jesus will only come when the world is in chaos too. So, I said, “yes, that’s true, but, neither their Allah, nor, their Mahdi died for them, they are dying for him.” “Does that sound like the same God?”
I was afraid of how my nephew got this idea that they were the same! Is my nephew’s generation being indoctrinated to accept this? It worries me.
I wouldn’t have a clue as to how to witness to a Muslim. Not a one.
Hi Sheila,
Keep your nephew in prayers and do not worry, God is with you. I think you did the right thing but keep in mind our, hmm not sure how to word this but.. Our main “objection” to Islam or to Muslims would not be the name of God. I think there are many other major factors.
(Also just a quick note: Arabic speaking Jews and Arab Christians use the word “Allah” when referring to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Yemenite Jews who chant the Sh’ma in Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic do say Allah too.)
As to witnessing to Muslims,
Dr. Michael Brown interviewed Sam Shamoun earlier this year in February, I really recommend listening to the show: http://lineoffireradio.askdrbrown.org/2010/02/17/february-17-2010/
and Sam Shamoun’s website: http://www.answering-islam.org/
Very useful and full of great information. May the Lord bless you!
Ruth, I tried to watch the video but my computer was too slow. I think I may have heard this man before. He seems familiar. To see Jesus in a vision is to see the Father also. (John 14:9)
I’m wondering if Muslims teach repentance.
Ray, yes, they do.
It sounds to me like the term Allah is the best term to be used for God when someone is translating the Bible for Muslims based on what I heard on this audio.
If they do so, I hope they put in a brief explanation as to why they chose to do it that way somewhere in the pages. I believe it helps to explain things like that.
Restaurants often put pictures of a hamburger on the menu so one may know better what he is about to get after he orders one.
How would you like a Bible where God is translated Trinity, and where the words the Son of God is changed to God the Son?
I would to God that all men would worship Jesus according to their understanding even as he is right now, today, a glorified man who is put over all of the things of God, being his only begotten Son, born of a woman, brought into this world by God through his overshadowing Mary, a virgin.
Even if that’s all he is, I shouldn’t be ashamed to worship him. But I believe he is much more than what I can put into words in such short space.
If all Jesus is to any of you, is a man who was born by divine conception, I encourage you to go ahead and worship him anyway. I trust you will find out more about him later on. I trust I will not be abhored by your worship if it is in spirit and truth, but if your worship is corrupt, dishonest, unclean, and devilish, I might be abhored by it. I think that’s one reason why some people don’t like to sing some of the words which have come about by the doctrine of the Trinity.
I saw Jesus in several visions. Do you know what he looked like? He looked like a glorified man to me. He looked like the fruit of the spirit. I will tell you that if you see Jesus in a vision, you have seen God. (John 14:9)
I wonder if Anthony Buzzard would accept that?
That might be a good question for Anthony to be asked by Dr. Brown if they discuss these things again.
If a person sees God in Jesus, is he really nothing more than a glorified man?
Thank you Dr. Brown for telling me that Muslims do teach repentance. I had wondered about that since my friend got a phone call from one man he befriended where he worked and the man got into some small trouble with the law (of man) and had to face the judge and was requesting prayer.
The man wasn’t a Christian but was religious by some other faith. I think he may have been a Muslim but I’m not sure.
We asked him if he would take any guilt to God in prayer and repent of his errors that he knows of, telling him about about Jesus and the cross.
This man didn’t want to do that but yet wanted us to pray for favor for him in the courtroom. We did not pray for such favor. It didn’t seem like we should have. So we didn’t.
I don’t know how it turned out. I’m thinking he likely paid the fine or whatever. I suppose he got by without our prayers or blessing.
God is greater than any legal or religious problems we may have and is able to bring us help and guide us through the way we should go because of Jesus.
Hi Sheila,
Tons of thanks for all you’ve shared. I just got your post addressed to me — I’ve had to step back from blogging for awhile (to spend more time in intimate contact – prayer – at my Lord’s urging) and I have missed much in the blogosphere; I still want to read your other posts.
May the Lord be gracious unto you, et.al.
(:
Thank you, Ruth.
Sometime, maybe a little more than a month ago, I started searching for some way to interact with fellow Christians and because I had stumbled across several of Dr. Brown’s “Think it Thru” programs, I thought I might like to see what was going on here.
I came to repentence about five years ago and immediately after “that day” I spent between 6-12 hours a day totally absorbed in the study of my Bible. I bought the older commentary series by Matthew Henry and sermon series from Spurgeon and then I found the Gateway Bible site, the Blue Letter Bible site, and I just couldn’t get enough. I found the Serve-a-Verse Hebrew with English transliteration site, which led me to learn the Hebrew alphabet and then I purchased an old Hebrew Lexicon (Gesenius) that some student had used in 1884 at Seminary and I was so engrossed in the Word, that I didn’t lift my head for five years! I have an entire bookshelf full of various books I’ve read in those years. I have been blessed with a lot of free time. You’ll understand why in a minute.
Before that time five years ago, I thought I was saved. After all, I was raised going to Church and was baptised when I was put into a foster home at about five years old; I had my confirmation Bible with my name on it, and I would read it from time to time. Little did I know, salvation didn’t work that way!
I was in two very bad car wrecks. I was the only one involved in them, no other vehicle. Well, I should say, in the one where I laid pinned under my car for nine hours all night long, that “Jim Beam” was also involved in that one. That was in 1987. What happened that night was incredible, but, that will have to wait for another time, perhaps. (I do believe in angels…) Suffice it to say, that I was thrown out of the car and the car came to rest on top of a Pine tree which were both resting on my right bisep! They had to get a tow truck to lift the car into the air before they could get to me and the surgeons had to cut my arm open from the palm of my hand to the bisep because the flow of blood had stopped and I was in danger of loosing my arm. (“If your right arm offends you, cut it off”, although, I had no idea of that verse at the time!) They managed to save my arm, but, I spent years in surgeries and physical therapy, eventually things got back to “normal”. Then, in 1993, I was driving down a country road and was startled and lost control of my vehicle after sliding onto a sandy shoulder of the road. I slammed into an embankment just short of a telephone poll and I broke my back in that wreck. As I was careening out of control, I said outloud, “Oh God, No, Not Again!” And, then, about five years ago my back just “collapsed” and has caused severe limitations due to intensive nerve damage and pressure. While I thought it was the end of the world, little did I know, it was only the beginning!
I thought I knew who Jesus was. I thought He was a kind Savior who let every one that did good into some place called Heaven…I didn’t know anything! I was “really” mad at God for a very long time, yet, when someone asked me if I believed in God, I said, “yes’. Then, it dawned on me, that I didn’t even know what it was I believed or who He was that I believed in. And I didn’t realize that these “accidents” were not really “accidents’ at all, but, that God was chastening me; trying to draw me back to Him. And so began my quest in December, 2005. What my husband and I thought would be detrimental to our income and lives has turned out to be the biggest blessing we could have ever received! The “mountain” didn’t come to me–I had to go to the mountain! And I can say, “Thank God for my infirmities”! They saved my life and my soul and the life and the soul of my husband.
So, I am just now coming out of communion with God after five years holed-up in my den learning. If I don’t study at least two hours a day, I feel somewhat out of sorts. I wake up thinking about God and I go to bed with prayers on my lips and I’ve never felt more at peace in my life. I tossed “Jim Beam” out of my house “that day” five years ago and he’s never been back! I love learning something new everyday, it’s a journey that never ends. Every day is a blessing with “the image in the glass” getting a little clearer each time. So, I understand perfectly that longing of communion with only the Lord.
But, I think I’m ready; and I’m excited to be able to interact with other people of faith. I don’t bring any particular “school” of religion to the table. I wasn’t taught by anyone other than the Spirit and the Word. I’m trying out what I’ve learned myself and sharing as I’m led to respond. I can’t get out like I used to, so, this is a great outlet for me. I’ve discovered my “Jewish Roots” and my Messiah and I have developed a love for the Jewish People that I can only explain as an extention of my Love for Jesus. It’s been a marvelous awakening. I now have Messianic Jewish friends who live in Israel and there is a bond of brotherhood with them that is so very important to me.
I was sincerely honored that you found something of value in one of my posts. I had to immediately humble myself after reading your post about copying one of my comments. I know how powerful words are and how important it is to weigh them carefully and diliberately and that’s what I try to be mindful of when replying. “Your words” did more “for me” than you know!
By the way, I’m not good at all with spit-fire debates. This took me an hour and twenty minutes to compose. 🙂
Blessings to you, Ruth.
Your Sister.
P.S. I love how that little smiley guy just pops up after making the cheapo sign with my keyboard!
Eric,
I truly appreciate that information. I realize I wasn’t prepared with an adequate answer at the time my conversation with my nephew came up. I do know that’s he’s developed an affinity with the Palestinians and was voicing slanted views about Israel. There is much that concerns me about the media’s version of things. I want my nephew to come to understanding himself, but, I feel obligated to guide him the best I can. Which means I need to first educate myself!
Thanks for your guidance and correction. I’ll view the website sites you suggested.
Your Sister.
Sheila,
Thanks for posting very interesting information about your walk with Jesus the Messiah. Justified, redeemed, adopted as you are.
# 7. Dr. Brown,
Since the Bible teaches repentance from dead works, and sins, as well as takes to task one’s very nature by the atonement for “sin”, how does Islam differ in its notion of repentance? It seems that a notion of repentance that does not go to the cross of Jesus Christ, or, long ago to the Temple sacrifice requirements could not indeed involve an actual repentance. Please comment on this.
When it comes to using Allah in the Bible, I remember a friend I met at a Messianic congregation telling me about what they did in the evangelical/underground church in Iraq. He was from a Muslim background, native Arab speaker raised in America and he joined the army and was in the invasion of Iraq and used that oppurtunity to witness and became involved with the underground church. They had a meeting with all the leaders and they came up with a new name since they were all from Muslim backgrounds and knew that Allah was not the same Deity as the Scripture speaks to in the Bible. So they came up with an ancient name that I believe was Aramaic. The first part of the name was ‘EL’ and I want to say the name was ‘El Roi.’ I could be wrong, but it would be interesting if that was it, since Hagar, the matriarchial mother of the Arab nations and peoples, and thereby the matriarch of those who have adopted the Arab originating faith of Islam, was the first to call G-d by name in the Tanach and this, ‘El Roi,’ was the name she used. It is an interesting discussion, those most opposed to using ‘Allah,’ in the Bible translation and prayers seem to be those of Muslim/Isalmic backgrounds who have been converted out of the religion into an ‘evangelical’ type faith, maybe we (including missionologists) should listen to them rather than seeking to be politically correct.
Shalom, Chris
I wonder if Muslims have dictionaries that are not religious by nature. In America we have many dictionaries and they are not religious by nature.
They are simply commonly used books we use to find the meanings of words that are commonly used and how to spell them.
In my dictionary I can look up the word “god” and find it can be used in several different ways and have several meanings, one of which means “God” (with a capital “G”) the creator and ruler of the universe, regarded as eternal, infinate, all powerful, etc, in monotheistic religions.
I was once at a small meeting of Christians who met in the home and a new person arrived and prayed with us. He was not yet a Christian but he joined in the prayer time by refering to God as the “creative universalism” or something like that.
At least that’s who I thought he was addressing. I thought he was speaking to God by using whatever terms he was accustomed to by his background, philosophy, or belief system.
I remember reacting something like, “Well, well, what have we here? (thinking to myself) One of these is not like the others.” I had never heard this kind of language before in a prayer group.
I didn’t find “creative universalism” in my dictionary, but did find “universalism”. It speaks of universality or a particular theological doctrine.
I also see “universalist” and one of it’s definitions is about members of former U.S. Protestant denomination now merged with the Unitarians.
I only saw this man once at these meetings. He was told by the man in charge to not come back.
In the view of the leader, the man was only trying to disrupt the meeting and cause harm.
Maybe so. Maybe he was but it seemed to me that a man should have more than one chance. I don’t know how much of the gospel he was offered and if he refused it and his reasons why. I don’t know if his reasons were addressed or not. I only know that shortly after the meeting he was gone and we never saw him at these meetings again. I just don’t know his background.
I assume those from a Muslim country have a term for “Father”. I assume they have a term meaning “heavenly” or from heaven, but I don’t know. It seems to me that they could use these terms if they are Christians when they pray. Though I don’t know their background, I right now don’t see any reason for objection to it.
I really know very little about Muslims and those who grew up in Muslim countries. I don’t know their customs, manners, or how they think. I’m no expert on this subject for sure.
I think acceptable terms for addressing God in the group I was with (the one where the odd man showed up) would be “God, Father, Heavenly Father, Lord, and Jesus.”, though none in the group prayed to Jesus in public meetings.
I include Jesus in the list not because I have a doctrine saying he is God, necessarily, but because I understand that Jesus is prayed to and that he is one with the Father, that he is our Lord and Saviour, the Son of God, the Christ, etc.
I’ve made it a habbit to pray to God the Father in a few terms as I have listed above and do not pray to Jesus in public meetings, though at times I have spoken out my petitions to him in times of distress. I’ve often prayed with people who pray to Jesus in public meetings and prayed with them having no strong objection to it, though I prefer that people pray to God the Father in public meetings for reasons I have found in the Bible.
Thanks for sharing your story, Sheila. It’s wonderful that these experiences led you into a deeper relationship and awareness of His love. Proof again that suffering sometimes results in amazing fruit. Happy you found this forum. By the way, what is the “cheapo” sign on the keyboard?
Regarding the topic of the name of Allah, I read this morning in the Qu’ran an interesting verse. It comes from Chapter 17, titled “The Children of Israel,” verse 110:
“Say: ‘Call Him Allah or call Him Ar-Rahman; whichever the name you call Him by, all His names are beautiful.’ Do not say your prayers too loudly or in too low a voice, but follow a middle course. And say: “All praise be to God who has neither begotten a son nor has a partner in His kingdom; nor has He need of any one to protect Him from ignominy. So extol Him by extolling His majesty.” [Al-Qur’an, A Contemporary Translation by Ahmed Ali, Princeton University Press, 1984, pg. 249]
“…neither begotten a son…” Definite denial of Jesus’ sonship, and even of his atoning power.
Now Ar-Rahman is explained in a footnote this way:
“Allah and Ar-Rahman (generally translated as the Merciful) are names of the same Supreme Deity as this verse clarifies. The Northern Arabs called Him Allah, which emphasies His qualities of Lordship, omnipotence and majesty; and Ar-Rahman, perhaps an Arabised form the Hebrew word Rachman, was used by the Southern Arabs, which emphasised His qualities of mercy and benevolence, as in Rahim, the ever-merciful. This, however, gave rise to confusion in the minds of infidels that they were two separate deities, to which verse 60 of Surah 25 refers. In the Qur’an, Allah is used 2698 times and Ar-Rahman 51, mostly in the Makki Surahs, and only twice in Surah 2, The Cow, an early Madani Surah, apart from its use in the invocation that heads all the Surahs except 9, where it has been used an an adjective, but is really a proper noun with Ar-Rahim, which is another name of God.” [Ibid., Ch. 13, Thunder, pg. 214]
Correction:
Should be:
“…Arabised form of the Hebrew word…”
Wow, how knowledgeable you are. I’m just beginning to read up on Islam. I admit my complete ignorance on the subject. Eric pointed me in the right direction.
The “cheapo” sign is to first type the “colon”, it looks like this : and then use the “right parenthesis” sign. It looks like this ). Put them together one right next to the other, and “whalah” a smiley guy! 🙂
Oh Sheila ~ no ~ I am NOT knowledgeable about Islam, but I am learning about it. I am very drawn to having a better understanding of it.
Thanks for the ‘smiley’ technique. I always wondered how some people got that in there! 🙂 I’ll see if it works.