Exloring Life Eternal

The main thing most people here know about our Lord is that He went about doing good works and showing compassion to the people He met. As a part of our witness and faithful following of His ways believers have the chance to join in different ways of showing Love to people in need. There are several openings at this time for believers to demonstrate their Faith in this way, often leading to a chance to explain the Source of this love.

Please ask for faithfulness to continue in these works on a
regular basis and ask for open hearts to receive the God of
Compassion.

<><
MJH: Also pray that in the midst of the good works, the First Love of God will open the eyes of many & the ears of many!

MIDDLE EAST - SOUNDS OF HOPE - ASSIST News Service
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/s06050012.htm
May 3, 2006 == By W. Terry Whalin

When it comes to the Middle East, the news media often tells
the public about events related to Jews or Muslims. In contrast,
little news or silence is heard about the 15 million Middle-Eastern
Christians in this birthplace of Christianity.

This spring the silence was broken through a conference, Sounds
of Hope (http://www.soundsofhope.net), co-sponsored by Venture
International (http://www.ventureint.org) and by the Billy Graham
Center on the campus of Wheaton College. The event fulfilled
a dream of Venture founder Leonard Rodgers to bring Christian
leaders together from the East and the West.
...

TOPICS:
Words from Egypt
A Voice from Bethlehem
Religion in Lebanon
What Is God Doing in Iraq?
What about Women?
The Ancient Church
God Through Us

I received this today from an email list:

==
Gary Glenn, chairman of the Campaign for Michigan Families and co-author of the state marriage amendment approved by voters in 2004...says Republican leaders in Michigan are right 'to publicly condemn (Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow) for thumbing her nose at the vote of the people of Michigan -- but cannot in fairness fail to publicly condemn Republican Senator John McCain for voting the exact same way.'
==

I disagree with Mr. Glenn.

#1. Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. He NEVER told us to condemn people. Condemn is the harshest possible judgement that I know of: to curse people to share in damnation. Today, it is very popular for various officials to condemn this person or that person for whatever reason. Sadly, the land is in a state where the wicked condemn the righteous for speaking what is right many times. But a Christian cannot condemn others, or even claim to, & yet be faithful to Jesus at the same time. We ALL sin!

#2. Both Debbie Stabenow and John McCain are siding with bad laws, true enough (see 1 Timothy 1:5-11). Any civil law which does not outlaw homosexual & other perverse behavior is wrong. Those who pass & approve of laws which would give refuge to people who love evil, do not understand their role in office. On this, I believe that both Mr. Glenn & I would agree: homosexual behavior is wrong & unhealthy & dangerous to society.

#3. What is needed though is not "public condemnation." This is something that God alone has the right to do: condemnation. What is needed is:
a. Prayer for various people in authority.
b. Witness to those in authority, at all levels & through many means.
c. Wisdom for all those who vote for various officials.
d. Repentance from dead works & a return to the First Works & our First Love: Jesus!!

That is why I am not a politician in the sense of the world. I desire a polis that is not of this world. I desire to see the Kingdom of Heaven in its fullness & to see Jesus reigning fully over my heart & the hearts of all.

Peace,
Mert Hershberger

Often Throughout the Arab World, people search the internet and come across sites leading them to a greater knowledge of the Truth. These sites are increasingly popular and access is relatively unhindered. Computers remain expensive so the majority of people use internet cafes to surf the web, these are available on every street even in the smallest towns.

Pray for those running these sites to have wisdom as they seek to
communicate with an unseen audience, to know how to meet their
needs and to be encouraged as they work without the encouragement
of face to face contact with their audience.

There is an old phrase about, from Kalamazoo to Timbuktoo ...
M.Q. said, "Today, we are correcting human history from here, in
Timbuktu." (cf. http://www.memritv.org/# )

Sounds like the Gospel Mission of Kalamazoo needs to send some saints
to Timbuktu in order to help Qadhafi get a few facts straight in the Q.
document. http://www.kzoogospel.org/what_we_believe.php

They clothe the naked, feed the hungry, shelter the cold, comfort the
weary, strengthen the broken hearted ... & give a correct account of
the Life of Jesus by doing the ministry of a bar-nabas: Encouraging!!

I personally never found the Quran or Muhammed's other stuff in line
with Barnabas' gift of encouragement. If you wish to get the Word of God to the folks in Timbuktu & help Qadhafi find the true Word of Encouragement:
http://www.worldshare.org.uk/pages/timbuktu.html


Peace In Christ,
Mert H.
ptap@srginc.org
www.pray-ap.info

Here is a summary of my response the the question of whether or not it is better for a saint to live & be called crazy or to die & be forgotten, editted slightly.

=====
I minister mostly among the "mentally ill" & the "disabled" & the poor. With a clear conscience, I can say that often God is most glorified among the weaker brethren. Paul the apostle wrote to the saints in Corinth, "Not many of you were strong, not many of you were wise ... yet God has chosen the weak of this world to confound the proud, the things which are not to confound the things which are."

Do not belittle the little! Remember where you yourself have come from! If Abdul's life continues, he has time to share the love of Jesus in word & deed, whereever he may be. Governments come & go. The public standards of sanity change. But love & life & light endure.

I have seen those who were poor far outgive the rich!
I have seen the faith of children accomplish far more than the learned!
I have seen the weak & infirm glorify God far more than the strong &
healthy!
I have seen the kindness & love of "sinners" far exceed the love of the pious!

I write that to my own shame: for in each of those instances, I was "the rich, the learned, the healthy, & the pious."

Even the mouths of pagans are shut when they see that the saints love the least & the little as well as the lost. But if the insane are living rationally & kindly with their neighbors, then what remains for the "sane" who kill each other? The mouth of the lion will be shut & the lyin' will one day cease altogether. When God's people are called "wretched" by the world, yet live holy by the power of the Lord then the Spirit vindicates Himself.

The argument about the "mentally ill & retarded" being the only ones who believe in the Truth is the same argument that people in Secular Academia use against the gospel & that Marxism uses. But why do we need to pretend that we are all powerful or all wise? God is far more glorified through the weak than the strong! Don't despise the day of small beginnings! Jesus did not come to break a bruised reed or put out a smoldering wick, but to strengthen & to fan into flame.

In one country where the good news is now going forward with power though there are & were _few_ Christians of any sort from the west, one of the key markers that indicated a harvest was about to come:

A young man was put out of his home because he was apostate. He had
been very badly mistreated. In time, a measure of reconciliation came. He would visit his family from time to time & stayed at his parent's house as long as possible. Finally, his father was annoyed & asked why he lingered there when he knew he was no longer a part of the family. The son then told about the young men at the house who had taken him in. They would pair off each night & tried to get him to do the same. The son did not believe this was right in God's sight nor his father's, but if he had to leave his father's house again that night, he would. His father could no longer hold back his compassion, he told his son to bring back home all his possessions. He could stay at the family home.

The worker who shared the story said, "While Chistians may not be as "good" as ordinary citizens, they are not as "bad" as homosexuals. So, that is progress."

Even in the Philipines, the end of Marcos' regime of terror came when elderly nuns, priests, and the lame & infirm were put in the first row against the line of tanks. The tanks could have plowed over them. The people were not strong and were not armed. Very different from the Greco-Roman hoplite phalanx. They were weak & dependent & retarded & disabled. But God used them to take back the Philipines. And that is merely a modern secular revolution, but it was a change of government that happened _peacefully_, unlike anything the world had known. The talking heads on radio & TV still don't understand the power of the Gospel. (Church planting & evangelism was & is going forward there & beyond.)

Yet, if you read the _minor_ prophets, you will remember that the Lord said that the lame & infirm would go up on Mount Zion. (Micah 4:1-7; Zephaniah 3:16-20). Mephibosheth (who had both a weak body & a shameful name) was welcomed at the table of David. This is like God's love.

Let the nations mock us.
Let the Lord vindicate.
We will honor the Lord,
& He will honor us.

With Christ as King,
Mert Hershberger

Serving with: International Fools for Christ
Proverbs 17:24; Zechariah 4:20; 2 Chronicles 16:8-10

Today I asked some folks where I work a simple question:

What is the simplest thing you have ever learned?

Some responses:
How to breathe.
How to walk.
Language.
How to love.
How to eat.

For me, the most important/simplest thing I have learned was:
The answer to this question:

"Whose ya Daddy?"

To know God as our Father is such a joy.

He gives us breath.
Fills us with love.
Enables to speak.
Feeds us with His Word.
& Has shown us how to walk.

MIDDLE EAST: GROWING INTEREST IN GOSPEL
from: Mission Network News (http://www.mnnonline.org) - January
30, 2006

Throughout the Middle East, Christians are quietly and faithfully
living for Christ despite opposition and persecution.

In countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran, there is a growing phenomenon
of interest in the gospel of Jesus, and Lee DeYoung with Words
of Hope (http://www.woh.org/about.php) says the interest is in
response to efforts to promote hostility toward Christians.

"Efforts to suppress and to vilify Christians, for some people,
actually produce a reaction that increases their curiosity and
their interest. And thankfully, we've heard accounts of people
who quietly share, Christians sharing with Muslim neighbors who
ask them about their faith and why they believe what they believe."

Many Muslims really are seeking after God. They have a hunger
to know him, and as they have opportunities to talk with Christians,
they find a common quest to discover God. Many are finding Jesus.

DeYoung says that as attempts are made to spark antagonism, there's
a growing curiosity, and people are saying, "'Well, what is it
about you that causes people to be so opposed in my country,
or among others who share my religion?' And that leads to opportunities
for dialogue, or it leads to interest in hearing radio programs."

Source here (http://www.mnnonline.org/article/8253).

Contrary to teaching of some who have heard about the confidence & assurance Christians can have: our salvation is not a license to sin, but it means we are sent ... "Go & sin no more." In other words, salvation is salvation from sin. To be "once saved & always saved" is essentially a freedom from the curse of the Law, which is death, damnation, and destruction. We are saved from sin. We are not saved to sin.

To be blessed, is to be turned from sin. Any other secondary material blessings actually derive from that primary one.

There is actually a great judgment facing those who go on in sin after coming to a knowledge of the Truth: Hebrews 10 talks about this in the New Testament.

So, if you claim to know the truth, why are you continuing in Islam if you have not thoroughly studied the Word of God, which can be found in the canonized & Holy Bible if you look for Jesus & seek eternal life?

If you do know the Good News & realize the fact that the path to wisdom begins by living in light of the Reality & Rule & Reconciling nature of the Lord, then Why are you not following Jesus?


Having read some stories of "christians" who "converted to Islam," I found NO real evidence of any such conversion. As Muslims suggest, they were at best, already muslim: under the law.

The only reasons or motives I found on websites had to do with the sins of some who bore the name of Christ ... & NOTHING to do with the Bible. Essentially, some people who did not want to seek the Lord with their whole heart&mind fell for some cultural miscellany that certain forms of Islam offer (obedience to a certain cultural pattern & traditions, that is Law.) ... & that they believe that there is one (1) God.

The demons also know that there is one God. (James 2:19) So, what does faith that only 1 God exists prove? One has intelligence comparable to that of demons/jinn. Note that when James says it is "good" that his audience is aware of the existence of God, it is a sarcastic comment and does not indicate the moral perfection of his readers. In other words, it is "good" compared the "folly" of denying the existence & efficacy of God [& His Word].

Christ died on the cross, as prophesied through the willingness of Abraham to offer up his son. The tomb is now empty. ... Now that is an obedience that is both powerful & proving, convincing & conquering!!
(Reflecting Christ in our lives results in real knowledge of God & wisdom from God, not merely knowledge about God based on human wisdom.)

Let me encourage you, fear God & understand the Word of God!!

Get a Bible
Read Genesis-Exodus 34.
Read Deuteronomy-2 Kings, Ezra-Esther.
Read the Psalms, Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes.
Read Isaiah - Malachi.
Read the whole new Testament, with particular to Luke-1 Corinthians.
Study Galatians-Colossians.
Read the letters to Timothy & Titus,
Don't neglect to read James, 1 Peter, 1 John & certainly Revelation.

While you would do well to read the whole canon of Scripture, these are books that particularly outline the main purpose of God in human history.

Don't be afraid of what your peers, family, & leaders will think. Read the Bible & follow Jesus who died for you out of love for you. You will be glad you did.

If you care to write: "Mertaka at everybody dot org."
Mert Hershberger

Here are a couple of Christian Singers who sing the Gospel I commend for you to check out:

Mo Leverett not only sings about Life in Christ, but practices it. If you are interested in supporting the work of recovery after Katrina, check out this site & consider purchasing some CD's. Mo is vitally involved in sharing the love of Christ with the whole person of those he serves. Please visit:

http://www.justiceroad.com/
Genre - blues, soulish, country, rock-a-billy type folk music, often with New Orleans artists in the band.
====


Bekki Smith & her husband Jeff are committed to Jesus. She desires to prepare the way of the Lord through song & he preaches it. She is not a country singer because of her love for the Lord:

http://www.bekkismith.com/
Genre - country-western, southern pop type solo music.

After the cartoon thing cooled down, I heard about civil laws established after the war in Europe banning questioning the historical reality of the Holocaust of the Jews during WWII.

Is anyone familiar with any law in force banning the questioning the historicity of the crucifixion & the resurrection of Jesus?

[ I do not believe that is the way to spread the good news or even that such laws should be enacted. ]

The reality that Jesus lived, committed no sin, did wonders & healed the sick, died on a Roman cross under Pontius Pilate & rose again in a way that He could be touched & that He could prepare & eat food on the third day is a true fact that is historically evidenced by prophesy, fulfillment, and an movement (from which numerous heretical movements have daparted) that remembers His past ministry and anticipates His future return in a reliable collection of documents and customs which celebrate the freedom of Jesus' Lordship & the salvation found in His kingdom.

So, if there is no law banning the study of Jesus (& the odd/false ideas that abound), why should an honest / description of Muhammed be exempt? *

If there is no law banning the study of Jesus from the sourced documents (i.e. the Gospels, the Law, the Prophets, and Psalms), then why not study them for yourself? [Keeping in mind that studying the life of Christ is best done by putting into practice what he said to do.]

ON THE OTHER HAND, if there is a law preventing people from following Jesus, who is Life, then why are people permitted to follow Muhammed, Guatamma, and the various other historical and semi-historical figures that abound?

A serious examination of both the Bible & the historical context of the Biblically recorded events and subsequent history will show that prohibitting people from pursuing Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit freely is the surest way to bring about social & moral chaos, typically resulting in genocide and perversion.

On the other hand, when the civil state requires allegiance to Jesus, one does not foster genuine joy.

+ Notice:
A. The Gospels (Injil) give a much better description of Jesus than the Quran does of Muhammed.
B. The Quran & Islamic traditions describe Jesus as having much higher moral character than Muhammed.
==> Because of the inferior moral & theoretical quality of Muhammed's teachings & the fact that he does not qualify as a true biblical prophet, I am referring to Jesus as the Prophet, The Messiah. "The Prophethood of Muhammed" is perhaps a poetic way of stating that he had an impact on Arab cultures, but I do not endorse it as true.

PAKISTAN: MESSIANIC MUSLIM CONTINUES LONELY MARCH
From: ASSIST News Service - February 3, 2006

By Mark Ellis

His houses along the Pakistan and Afghanistan border have been sprayed with bullets. Yet his unconventional approach to reach Muslims is winning converts. “It’s been an uphill battle,” says Brother John, a full-blooded Pashtun, and founder of a ministry devoted to presenting biblical Christianity within an Islamic context. His houses near the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan are lined with prayer rugs and have the feel of an Eastern worship center.

... “The moment I say he’s the one and only, God Almighty in human
flesh, the trouble begins,” John says. “You have to take things
one step at a time.” Many Christians will not understand John’s strategy because it sounds like compromise. “To some degree it is,” he admits. At
the same time, he emphasizes his main thrust is to prove that
Jesus Christ is God in human flesh. “We worship him as the Creator
and the Savior.”

Full story here (http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/s06020013.htm).

----------------------------------------------------

ERITREA: MILITARY JAILS 75 PROTESTANT CONSCRIPTS
from: Compass Direct - February 2, 2006

Eritrean military authorities jailed 75 Protestant Christians
yesterday (February 1, 2006) at the Sawa Military Training Camp
for “reading Bibles and praying during their free time,” local
sources in the small East Africa nation confirmed. Most of the
newly arrested evangelicals, 37 of them women, are students doing
their compulsory national military service at Sawa, a remote
center near Eritrea’s mountainous western border with Sudan.

... The jailed Protestants are routinely subjected to physical beatings
and severe psychological pressure to deny their religious beliefs.
Police and military authorities continue to demand that the prisoners
return to one of the three “official” Christian denominations
recognized by the government.

Full story here
http://www.compassdirect.org/en/newslongen.php?idelement=4184

===
Excerpts from

Missions Catalyst News Briefs: WORLD NEWS BRIEFS --
Wed Feb 15, 2006 -- Edited by Pat Noble <mcnews@cproject.com>
Published by Caleb Project --
Equipping the Church to Reach the Nations -- http://www.calebproject.org

Erland Nord forwarded some things that help reduce conflict / confrontation when they are presented right up front in dicussions. Perhaps these will help others as well:
========

These things have been used to reduce the level of conflict initially (though this may or may not be the best way to approach things:)

A. INITIAL "INVITATION" FROM GOD:
Use the Quran 9:111 text: Allah (god, but no name) saves you if you give yourself to him to kill others. Quran 9:5: to force them to observe prayers to Allah until all the world gives in to Islam. Quran 8:39 permits all manner of war to be used in this.
VERSUS
Bible: Romans 6:23: Christ saves you to God (name: YHWH) by giving up His own life, body & blood, for your salvation ... this is a free gift.

B. SUBSEQUENT "SUBMISSION" TO THE LORD:
Allah then calls you to a life of slavery & evil in all forms of war & violence to enforce worship & submission to "Allah."
VERSUS
Christ saves you to a life lived in the freedom & power of the Holy Spirit, to love, & to self-discipline. We are reborn, being changed from the inside. (see John 3; Romans 5:1-5; Galatians 5:1, 6, 13, 22-26).

C. SO THEN:
According to Quran 9:111; 9.5; 8:39, evil pleases "Allah" so he will give you paradise if you give yourself to do evil & harm.
HOWEVER:
Only rightousness pleases the God of the Bible who saves (YHWH, Yeshua = The Lord Saves). For example, in Exodus 20 we see the Ten (10) commandments to be done (see also, Leviticus 18:5). This sacrifice had to be done by Jesus Christ to undo the devil's work (see Genesis 3:15; I John 3:8; Romans 7:13-25; 3:19-31)

D. WHAT IS THE BASIS FOR CLAIMING TO BE GOD & HAVING THE TRUE WORD?
Quran: we can't see God with our physical eyes to check.
Bible: we can go by Jesus' test: the deeds which are seen (John 10:38). We can also ask the one claiming divine power & authority to tell us what will be & what has been from the beginning to the end (see OT prophet Isaiah 41:21-24). In Deuteronomy 18:21-22, the tests include: a prophet is never false. They bear true witness (Deuteronomy 19:15). They direct people to the same God (Deuteronomy 13:1-3) ... thus there must be a correlation between what the Bible says about God & what the "prophet" says. There must be consistence & agreement, not discord (Jeremiah 28:7, 8, 9).

E. _WHO_ SHALL WE SERVE?
The "Allah" of the Quran gives no name, just a claim to being God.
VERSUS:
In the Bible, God is YHWH, Elohim, Adonai, El Shaddai, El Elyon, and many others. He is the Lord who Saves = Yeshua / Jesus. He is God With Us / Imm-anu-El. The Law, the Prophets, & Psalms prove the saving power of God & are preserved true.
Examples of fulfillment in the Bible:
On Christ / Messiah
- At the time of arrival, Roman governors replaced kings & tribes; thus the Kingship belonged to Jesus (Genesis 49:10).
- The place of birth was in Bethlehem (see Micah 5:2).
- The time of the Lord's death was prophesied in Daniel 9:24-26.
- The place of the death of Jesus was foretold in Isaiah 46:13: Jerusalem, Zion.
- The Name given is "My Salvation." Christ Jesus means "chosen salvation" or when interpretted, the Lord's appointed salvation & rightousness.

Reasons that Muslims should see the movie: "End of the Spear"

1. It shows revenge cycles mark primitive rather than civilized peoples.
2. It shows how to interrupt the revenge cycle.
3. It presents the Gospel in new ways.

-Bruce
bruce@oprev.org

To introduce the topic:
IT IS OKAY FOR A MUSLIM TO PRAY IN A CHURCH IF THERE ARE NO STATUES OR PICTURES.
Bukhari vol.1 chapter 54 p.254

=====
In recent weeks, there has been a controversy:
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/004446.htm

This article views the "spontaneous outrage" as an attempt to grab power & attention of hte media by having huge rallies & rages. In otherwords, more hype than holiness. More about style than substance.
http://www.answering-slam.org/NonMuslims/islam_above_criticism.htm

Another person's opinion on the significance of all this:
http://www.danielpipes.org/article/3360

It is not about images of Mohammed. In late 1994 _THE SUN_ in Muslim Malaysia published an image on the cover which portrayed Mr. Mo:
http://www.al-qiyamah.org/images/prophet_muhammad_3_S.jpg
What people object to is ridiculing or being sarcastic about Muhammed.

Cartoons about a cartoon (mostly from the USA):
http://www.cagle.com/news/Muhammad/9.asp

Cartoons about a cartoon (mostly from Europe ... the original 12 controversy stirrers.):
http://blog.newspaperindex.com/2005/12/10/un-to-investigate-jyllands-posten-racism/

A purely rational call to not fear Islamic imperialism & terrorism:
http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/wfbuckley/2006/02/03/185252.html

The Bible advises us in 1 Corinthians 9:19-24 about living with consideration for your neighbors.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%209:19-24;&version=31;

It is also good to remember: 2 Timothy 2:24-26.

An excellent reminder about the Cross in all of this:
http://www.desiringgod.org/library/fresh_words/2006/020806.html

As to caricatures of Jesus & Christians, there are plenty out there. I often see one or two in the Sunday paper.

Christian cartoons at this link often depict Jesus, apostles, & saints. About 4 new ones are available weekly for use in bulletins & literature:
http://www.reverendfun.com/

However, there is an excellent Bible that is done for kids using cartoons:

The Picture Bible, Deluxe Edition. By: Iva Hoth
ISBN: 0781430577
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=30588&event=CF#curr

Sadly, too often our lives are merely charicatures of real Christianity. May the Lord's mercy daily draw us closer.

I'm not a big fan of the Veggie Tales (mashing together of Bible stories with American fiction & food groups). When Aaron & the Israelites bowed to a bull rather than the Only Begotten, they committed idolatry (even though they used the right name.) But God can use this, if He so chooses, perhaps. Some people in the middle east watch similar programs that are for that region. Jews for Jesus has long used cartoons in their broadsides & seen some fruit in terms of changed lives.

God really does love Muslims. God loves those who do not love Him. God loves Christians. But there is no peace for the wicked, hence the reason why so many must resort to violence just because of some silly little cartoons. Let us rather look to Jesus! He is our help & our hope!!

After all, if it is wrong (shirk) to "associate" what is not God with God, then why should any consistent monotheist associate Mohammed with God? If the Arabian poet is not God, but a sinner like the people you meet on the street (I am the worst sinner I know), then is it not clear that he needed a savior?

Jesus can save. He is in fact "the Lord who Saves." He will save His people from their sins. Christians are simply the people of Jesus, regardless of nationality or background: Jewish, Gentile, Muslim, Mongolian, rich or poor. But to be saved, you need to be part of the people of Jesus.

In view of God's mercy then, REPENT & follow Jesus! Be baptized & turn from the love of this world. There is one God & one Lord. Apart from Him there is no hope, but only death.

This calls for wisdom.

Mert H.
mertaka@everybody.org

====
A friend wrote:
The hadiths do not single out Mohammed's picture. Rather, they go farther and prohibit all pictures, which would include pictures from a camera.

"Are you criticiziing what non-Muslims do based on the hadiths, when you as a Muslim break the same hadiths?"
...
Following is what the hadiths say about pictures.

Regards,
Steve Morrison
www.MuslimHope.com
=====================

No pictures allowed. Sahih Muslim vol.3 book 22 no.5245-5252 p.1157-1158

No pictures includes those from a camera. Sahih Muslim 3 footnote 2519 p.1160 (What about TV?)

Angels do not enter a house with a dog or a picture. Sahih Muslim vol.3 book 22 no.5246-5252 p.1157

Photographs are prohibited pictures too. 'Allama Muhammad Munir (or Damascus) Sahih Muslim 3 footnote 2520 p.1161

No pictures, even of animals. "Narrated 'Aisha: The Prophet entered upon me while there was a curtain having pictures (of animals) in the house. His face got red with anger, and then he got hold of the curtain and tore it into pieces. The Prophet said, 'Such people as paint these pictures will receive the severest punishment on the Day of Resurrection.'" Bukhari vol.8 book 73 no.130 p.82-83

Narrated 'Aisha, the mother of the faithful believers: I bought a cushion with pictures on it. When Allah's Apostle saw it, he kept standing at the door and did not enter the house. I noticed the sign of disgust on his face, so I said, "O Allah's Apostle (Please let me know)
what sin I have done." Allah's Apostle said, "What about this cushion?" I replied, "I bought it for you to sit and recline on." Allah's Apostle said, "The painters (i.e. owners) of these pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection. It will be said to them, 'Put life in what you have created (.i.e. painted).'" The Prophet added, "The angels do not enter a house where there are pictures." Bukhari vol.3 book 34 no.318 p.180

Bukhari vol.7 book 63 no.133 p.101 says that women are not to have wigs of artificial hair. No pictures of people or animals according to Bukhari vol.4 book 54 no.447-450 p.297-299.

"Narrated 'Aisha : Allah's Apostle said, 'The painter of these pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to them, Make alive what you have created.'" Bukhari vol.9 book 93 no.646 p.487

Narrated Ibn 'Umar : The Prophet said, 'The painters of these pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to them, 'Make alive what you have created.''" Bukhari vol.9 book 93 no.647 p.487

Angels do not enter a house with a picture, a dog, or a person who is sexually defiled. (Sexually defiled here does not mean immoral; rather it is a person who has not yet bathed after intercourse.) Abu Dawud vol.1 book 1 no.227 p.55-56

Angels do not enter a house where there is a picture or a dog or a junubi (Someone who is unclean because of sex). Sunan Nasa'i vol.1 no.264 p.240

A'isha had a curtain with pictures. Mohammed prayed in that direction and asked her to remove it. She cut it up and made pillows out of it. Sunan Nasa'i vol.1 no.764 p.471

No pictures allowed in a house. Ibn-i-Majah vol.4 book 29 no.3359 p.489

Angels do not enter a house with a dog or picture. Ibn-i-Majah vol.5 book 32 no.3649-3652 p.108-109

On the other hand, children playing with dolls is OK; they do not fall under the category of prohibited pictures of animate objects. Abu Dawud vol.3 no.4913-1914 footnote 4288 p.1373.

FEBRUARY
11 Iran (Islamic Republic Of), Victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran
23 Brunei Darussalam, National Day
25 Kuwait, National Day

These are the national days of some countries of particular interest.

Today I met some folks, who call themselves "Jehovah's Witnesses."

I had seen them trapsing through the apartment a few times, preying on single women, trying to "teach" them something. When they announced what was occuring within the apartment adjacent to mine.

Before I go any further, I have to admit something: I believe Jesus came to save sinners & that I am the worst, (In other words, I am a person who sins against the truth God has shown me.), but for that very reason, Christ came, so that in me, the worst, He might display _His_ limitless patience, to the honor of the only wise God, immortal, invisible, eternal, to our Father in Heaven be all dominion, authority & majesty forever & ever, Amen!

My neighbors have this in common with me then: we watch TV at times. Apparently this is a heinous crime. I suppose that I should report it to my supervisors at work. There is a TV at work & I have watched it for some number of minutes (which I cannot specify here due to a lack of ability to track such a statistic, I do after all have a job to do.) So, probably I am a worse sinner than my neighbor:

1. I sometimes look at the TV at work. Only God can forgive me of this sin, would say the Pharisees. (If you do not detect a hint of sarcasm, perhaps you should play a laugh track from a TV show.)

2. Though I at times desire to watch TV, I have not been able to afford the latest greatest model of TV from the local electronics store. Again, these "Jehovah Witnesses" would surely point out once again: that their Bible includes the term, Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Will Provide // God will See to It (A translation using a title for the Lord GOD who is my Savior & street / "common" language.)

3. I did not invite the two strange ladies wandering through the apartment building into my apartment. (Ladies, if you are offended by that & reading this, please understand: I do not desire for you to disturb the peace of my home. A. My wife was not at home. B. Don't bother my wife even if she is at home. You are not welcome in our apartment. I gave you a business card. It included this web address. You insisted that you could see, though you could not even read my name on the card, despite repeated attempts to justify yourself. If you need glasses to see, please wear them. I care about my own mother enough to ask her to wear glasses if she needs them to read, so when I am writing this, I am not saying anything I wouldn't say to my own mother: if you need glasses to read the Word of God & cannot afford them the Church of Ann Arbor is willing to help you purchase them. If you need medicine to heal the ailments, again, the Church is willing to hear your confession that Jesus is the Christ & that you, like all other humans (even us who know Jesus are in the church), make mistakes daily & moment by moment in need of God's grace ... please forgive me the "wrong" of caring enough about my own household to desire a safe apartment dwelling for my wife & any future children we might have, Lord willing. ... Please forgive me the wrong of seeking your own welfare & good health. It seems strange that you _claim_ to believe it Jehovah Rapha ... The Lord who Heals ... yet you do not obey His commands. He said, it is not the healthy who need a doctor / medicine / glasses, etc., it is the sick. In other words, if you insist that you know Him, listen to Him. He desires Mercy NOT a 1,000,000,000 year fast from TV before you can hear any of the Good News or be regarded as a civil human being. My neighbor has caused much less disturbance at the apartments than I have. There are others who party into late into the night at times & keep me & my wife awake & there are people out there killing, raping, committing arson, incest, & forms of perversion that I do not care to list on this site ... & you come into "our" space griping because 1 person watches TV. Please forgive me the wrong of saying wondering who you were in apartment. Is it wrong to say hello to a stranger in the State of Michigan, or does one have to be stamped, sealed, & certified with a certain JW code of ethics before you can smile with a pleasant layer of make up. BTW: None of the women in my family need make-up to be attractive or pleasant, & while they don't necessarily always put up a good front as you have been dutifully trained to do, my wife fears God & trusts in His Son: Jesus Christ, our Lord. I am not sure why you put on a Tammy-Faye-like masque. I am not sure who bewitched you into thinking like you do with odd ideas about God. [Does anyone know of anywhere that it states in the Bible that Hebrew as recorded in the Law, the Prophets, & the Writings, was the language of Adam & Eve in the Garden? That is a claim to knowledge which I do not see anywhere in the Bible. If it is true, it would seem imperative to me for all members of the Watchtower Society & all those who profess to go out as "Witnesses" on behalf of "Jehovah" to know Hebrew & repent of speaking "pagan" languages.) I have digressed, but I think you see where the line of legalistic reasoning gets a person: trapped & hopelessly bound in trying to perform little rituals such that you lose sight of eternity.

I asked them who they were, and they introduced themselves by what would be called a title. Later they asked me who I was, and I said, "Mert." I don't remember their names, quite honestly. I got little sleep last night & so am a little emotionally tense right now, as you perhaps notice from reading. It has been a much fuller day than expected.

I talked to a man in the group, who wore glasses. He didn't pretend to be able to see & then not see. He was honest enough to wear glasses. Praise the Lord! He can be healed! But those people that claim they are "doing good" & put on a cosmopolitan front, while in fact they don't know the One they speak of ... I have little patience for them. Praise God I have a wife who not only talks about Jesus, but cares enough to clothe & feed & keep a decent house when I am at the office or at the university.

I pity the man whose wife goes around all day "witnessing" for the Lord only to come home & condemn him because he watches a little news or is actually interested in watching a TV preacher tell him how to _know_ the Lord. I would rather eat no earthly food than talk to such a woman day after day. Again, Praise the Lord Jesus that He has shown favor by giving me a wife who is not fearful of eternal condemnation just because she glances at TV once in a while or of reading the Bible for herself, without the help of strangers. I am so thankful that she has listened to me as I sought to explain some passages of scripture to her, as we follow the One Teacher, the Lord.

(Again, I name no names here, I do not recall names & I merely list this out, because: A: time after time, this has been the pattern of Jehovah Witnesses: send out women to bother people at the gates of the city while the men cower in fretful worry in their ivory towers. It is also a pattern of some Muslims. It annoys me. When Jehovah Witnesses & Muslims must resort to shoving "fine young ladies" into public to defend God's name, it has already become obvious: they do not know God. These women know less than the men, because at least the men tend to discuss the writings in a rational way (I mean mere human reasoning, not the full reason of the Wisdom of God, but better human reasoning than human impulse for that is a sure road to hell.) So, as I think about it, probably, the lady was just doing what she was told to do by the bishop, boss, or whatever the head honchos of the Watchtower Society told them to to. So, perhaps in this way, she was doing the best she could. My apologies for any offense ma'am. I hope that one day you too will find peace in the Lord Jesus Christ)

ON THE OTHER HAND:
The friend I spoke with is so near to the kingdom I could hear it in his voice. God loves that man. The Lord Jesus heard him as he expressed a desire to "save" me. Praise God! The dude who held a Watchtower certified Bible cares about my eternal salvation enough to study the Scriptures with me. Praise the Lord. He apparently has better things to do with his time. He was kind enough to give me a business card. If it is God's will, we will meet, as the man said he wanted to. He was not ashamed to talk to me in broad daylight, which indicates that he is actually more bold than the women & more bold than nicodemus.

Two notes:
A. The title which rightfully due to Jesus as "the Firstborn over all creation" does NOT mean he is the first "created" being. There is a semantic trick that the devil plays on those who buy into this sort of pharisaical thinking ... namely: firstborn implies an actual "birth." This is to do what muslims call "associating" things with God. Jesus does not just say "I will associate with God" because he feels like & vaunts himself over all creation in a proud & arrogant way (actually, that is what satan did & tries to get us to do: to be "buddy-buddy" with God on our own terms). Nor does the Church "associate" Jesus with God, as in loose associations, i.e. a symptom of psychosis & other nervous disorders. No, that would be an impotent form of idolatry in reality, though it could also appear "as a from of godliness."

B. Jesus is the Firstborn over all creation. What this does mean is that He is the Heir. I.e. in hebrew & other cultures which practices primogeniture (primo = first; geniture = born) inheritance, the firstborn inherits the blessing & right to rule. This is how English Kings are typically selected, for instances. HOWEVER, in order to display His Mercy, God appointed Jacob as the firstborn heir of Isaac. Esau was physically stronger & physically exitted his mother's body first. However, what mattered in the end was: 1. God's decree which was revealed to his mother Rebekah before the two were born and 2. Jacob's faith-filled struggle to find favor with God & man in his actual day-to-day life. The reality of Jacob's faith was displayed in that he wrestled with God & was "wounded" walking with a permanent limp the rest of his life. ==> What do we see, struggle is NEVER evidence of a lack of faith, but may indeed be the greatest evidence of faith. For faith which is seen, is NOT faith. Faith is ALWAYS future oriented.

I. ==> ETERNITY WILL BE AN EVER INCREASING ENJOYMENT OF THE PRESENCE & LOVE OF GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, RISEN & REIGNING FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE.

II. ==> ETERNITY WILL BE AN EVER-AGONIZING TORMENT FOR THOSE WHO ARE CONTENT WITH THE ABSENCE OF GOD IN THIS LIFE.

III. HOW THEN DOES RECONCILIATION COME?

POINT I. ABOVE IMPLIES THAT DAILY DIFFICULTY IS ULTIMATELY SOURCED IN THE REALITY OF HUMAN SIN & THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF GOD'S GRACE

(WHICH SOME HAVE DESCRIBED AS A "DANCE,"
BUT IS MORE APTLY DESCRIBED AS -WRESTLING- SINCE WE MUST NOT ONLY PLEASE GOD, BUT HAVE OUR OWN SELVES & THE EVIL WITHIN CONQUERED! SOME WOULD SAY THAT THIS SOUNDS AWEFULLY ORTHODOX, THEY ARE CORRECT. BUT GOING TO A BUILDING WITH INCENSE, BELLS, WHISTLES, PAINTINGS, STATUES, SECURITY SYSTEMS, ETC. WILL NOT -INHERENTLY- GET YOU CLOSER TO GOD. TALK TO THE PEOPLE THERE ... LIKE A JANITOR.)

POINT II. ABOVE IMPIES THAT DAILY COMFORT & A LIFE OF EASE IS -NEVER- AN INDICATION OF FAVOR.

BOTTOM LINE: ALL WHO -CALL- ON THE NAME OF THE LORD & CRY OUT TO THE LORD JESUS FOR SALVATION WILL GET EXACTLY WHAT THEY ASK FOR: SALVATION,HOPE, ETERNAL LIFE, PEACE, JOY, RIGHTEOUSNESS & ALL OTHER GOOD FRUIT THAT START FROM A GOOD SPRING. A SPRING SOURCED IN THE TRUE & LIVING LORD, NOT MERE TEXTUAL ANALYSIS.

Dear friends,

I hate email forwards so much that I don't forward anything myself except once in a great while, but I have found a worthy occasion for a forward this week. I want to recommend that you watch the movie, _End of the Spear_ which hit theaters in the USA this past weekend.

In case you have not heard, it is the story of the five missionaries,
including Jim Elliott and Nate Saint, who went to the Auca/Waodani tribe in South America and were speared to death. The movie tells the story from the perspective of Nate Saint's son, Steve, starting with the story of his father, then moving to the story of the Elliott and Saint widows who moved in to live with the tribe and share the Gospel with them. It shows the transformation of the tribesmen as the Holy Spirit changes their lives. The ending is powerful, as Steve, the rightful heir by tribal custom to avenge the killing of his father, as a grown man, finds out which man speared his father and hears the rest of the story directly from his lips.

From a technical standpoint, the movie is good. I was particularly enthralled with the spectacular aerial photography shots in the Amazon. I was also pleased with how the tribal actors worked out. The movie-makers found a way to make the tribal costume look believable without female nudity, and, although the male near-nudity didn't bother me, some women may find it a bit shocking. The tribe speaks in their own language, which is translated through sub-titles, so if you bring children, they need to be able to read. Whether through the intent of the movie-makers or through weakness in the acting or script, during the tribal scenes, I experienced a realistic cross-cultural confusion of not understanding everything that I was hearing and seeing (although it was easy enough to understand the main plot).

I was touched by the way the movie dwelt upon the relationship between Nate Saint and his son, Steve. Seeing the emotions of the little boy as he learned how much his daddy loved him, as he faced the death of his father, and as he lived in the vaccuum of being fatherless brought home the reality of the events of the movie.

The movie has definite pre-evangelistic potential. I was suprised at how veiled the gospel message was - it is not stated explicitly, and the name of Jesus is not spoken. However, the concepts of God as authoritative in ethics ("Thou shalt not kill."), as self-revelatory in the Bible (God's carving), and as transformational in people's lives comes through loud and clear, as does the concept of gracious forgiveness of sin modeled by the missionaries. These are topics you could discuss after the movie with someone you wanted to expose to the Gospel. For Christians, it raises the question, "Do I dare to make contact? Am I willing to leave my home and risk death in order to share the gospel with those who are dying without ever having once heard the good news about Jesus?"

I plan to take my four boys to see it (Ages 14-8), but I don't want my little girls seeing it due to the male nudity, the graphic violence in the martyrdom scene, and the emotional trauma of losing a husband/father that the main characters go through.

I hope you will see it and take others to see it, too!

~Nate Wilson
Director of Development
The TentMaker Project
www.TentMakerProject.org

"Do Muslims have the Strongest Argument after All?"
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110007760
---
+ + + + + + + +

No.

The tomb is still empty.

Further rambling follows which contradicts all human reasons for
hopelessess:
Summary: the Lord is God, the Lord alone.
==> Let's love Him with our all everything.

...
The article had 1 major flaw: in reality trees don't have a much
better fate than people in Islam. (Have you ever seen a photo of a
lush garden in Mecca? The most famed fotos are of people whirling
around a vieled black building ... much like a mosh pit.). Pick fruit
from the wrong tree & the whole garden starts to shrivel. Mere
demography is death. Democracy unrestrained _always_ leads to
degenerate mob rule, just ask _anybody_ who has read classical works on
political science.

However, there is another City that is not governed by confusion. In
it there is a tree of Life, that always has fresh fruit. Perhaps you
know with crystal clarity the Road of gold I speak of?

Be fruitful & multiply, make disciples. Why be afraid merely because a
few people desire to have kids & impose law? Cannot every one of those
kids be redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ?

Remember, if we DO NOT LOSE HEART BUT REMAIN ALERT, WATCH & PRAY, we
could see a greater work come to Europe than in legendary days of Old.
See, God is doing new things even today. Look around you, yes. & Look
above you.

In the "historic heartlands" of Islam, the Good News is starting to
advance against the nonsense of Islam. Islam will fall. Not because
we possess better arguments, but because the earth is the LORD's.

NEVER get afraid because of a little war. Jesus said these things
would happen (Matthew 24). But he said, DO NOT BE DISTURBED!! Our
confidence is not in our DNA but in our Deliverer.

Missions were going along great & many were hopeful ... until WWI ...
then people thought "Oh, no ... people really are sinners. How can we
ever share the gospel?" The church began to drift. Some lost all hope
for the church in Russia as Communism was established under Lenin.

Slowly a little hope picked up between the battles, some folks started
getting excited about the Lord's work in China ... then WWII cam along
.. as did Communism .... then people though, "Oh no, ... people really
are sinners! No one seeks God, no not one. How can we ever share the
gospel & expect people to respond?" The church began to drift, people
lost hope for the church in China. The same sense of hopelessness set
in for many regarding Eastern Europe, after all, they had godless
leaders.

Yet, in other places & times, people were hopeful that there, surely there the gospel could spread. Meanwhile, the good news was really starting to take root in the very places that people had lost hope. The faith of Abraham was being displayed: a hope against hope. God's promises are so much more sure than man's certified & credentialed
doubts.

Iran fell to an Ayatollah ... and people thought, "Oh no, Muslims are sinners, too ... and secular governments cannot save us. Oh no, how will we ever save the world? We have propped up secular governments with our hands and now another has fallen. How ever can the gospel of Christ stand against such infamy?" Hopelessness again. More people became disappointed in the gospel.

The same thing has been happening again since 9/11 in the USA. Alas, we built these tall towers, but the fell. They weren't supposed to fall! Why did this happen? Just a few people? So religious? Oh me, O my, we are sinners, whatever will we do? We must build not two towers, but one big tower, a taller tower. We must send out bigger guns, bigger planes, bigger boats, a war to end all wars. Let us wave banners higher & sing our songs louder & die bravely on the battlefield." Yet people are finding that these & all their own methods & concepts do not win over Muslims. We are finding that sin still affects the vast majority of the sons of Adam. We are finding that sinners beget sinners, whether they wear the name Muslim or Buddhist, Hindu or Communist, Tribal or Tyrant. What ever will we do?

Across the earth, shame covers the face of so many who look in the mirror. Who will clothe us with dignity & strength? What are these few among so many? It would take years & years of wages to feed & clothe, much less save so many.

After the Tsunami in Aceh & affected areas over a year ago, people were distraught. Many died. Some were angry at God. Some were philosophical. Many were suffering. Some were faithful. Since then, what has happened? New openings for real, honest, down-to-earth service. A ceasefire has been called. New beginnings. And, for those who are climatologically inclined & can tell the difference between when it is raining & when it is not: It was raining more in Aceh than in had in a long time. Last I checked, these are the kinds of things the Lord God does.

So what does Jesus say, "You feed them. Go out as sheep among wolves. Take up the cross. Could you not stay awake & watch with me just one hour?"

Again, what does the Lord say? Watch & pray so that you don't enter into temptation / trial. If there are but two or three, I am in their midst.

So let us love one another, and watch & pray ... and we will see the salvation of our God.

Walking with the Lord,
Mert H.
mertaka@everybody.org

(Watch & pray does not equate to "Watch CNN & worry." Prayer implies faith in God's desire & ability to act decisively on behalf of those who look to Him.)

ERITREA: CHRISTMAS RAIDS ON CHRISTIAN BUSINESS OWNERS
from: Release Eritrea (http://www.release-eritrea.org.uk) - December
26, 2005

Release Eritrea has been informed by sources in Asmara that,
over the last few days, the government of Eritrea conducted a
series of raids on Eritrean businesses owned by evangelical Christians,
arresting owners and staff and closing establishments.

Many other people including Mr. Berhane, the director of industrial
issues, are reported to have gone missing. Mr. Berhane was at
work in the ministry of trade and industry at the time of his
disappearance. Our sources indicate that many unknown people
have also gone missing from their homes, work places, and streets.
It is estimated that as many as 150 people could have fallen
victims of this latest purge on Eritrean Christians.

A source close to many of those arrested stated, “In this Christmas
many people are celebrating their freedom in different churches
around the world for the birth of Jesus Christ, but for the Eritrean
Christians this is a dark day.”

Eritrean Christians have urged Release Eritrea to let the world
know what is happening to them. One such sentiment was expressed
in the brother who told us, “Let the world know what is happening
in this suffocated nation without press and democracy. Many families
are in danger. Please pray for us.”

Full story here (http://www.release-eritrea.org.uk/node/41).