An American and a Lebanese man go to a Mexican Restaurant in Germany

I continue to not believe in coincidences, I believe God puts us exactly where he intends when he intends. I recently missed a connecting flight due to weather and was the recipient of a nine hour lay-over. I knew that God would somehow use that layover to his glory and so I prayed fervently to be an obedient servant.

I recently read the biography of Brother Andrew, and while I admire his boldness, his “derry-doo”, and his consistency, the constant mysticism of the book wore on me. Simply defined, Andrew’s mysticism frequently told him to go to embassies for visas, call a certain young lady, and visit specific people. That is not the way we hear from God and, while I don’t doubt Andrew’s veracity for a moment, I think such writing leads others to wonder why God is not speaking so specifically and accurately to them. That said, on my rescheduled connecting flight just after takeoff I had the very definite mystical feeling that I would not survive the flight. It was creepy to say the least, and it led to an excellent time of prayer including confession, commitment of my family to God’s sovereign care, and an inventory of my ministry and affections.

Needless to say, I survived the flight and my feeling was not a premonition from God. But I determined to redeem my layover, and indeed my entire trip for the glory of God. Landing in Frankfurt I purchased a train ticket to the city centre, I missed the first train by seconds and had to wait twelve minutes for the next. It is nice to know when the end of a public sermon is coming for the sake of time and brevity and clarity, and so I waited until a crowd formed on the platform for the next train and, using a tactic of Brother Andrew, I gave them greetings from the United States and from the Kingdom of Heaven. When the train arrived I was less than thrilled with the response, but several dozen people heard the gospel and then boarded the train.

Arriving at the city centre I was impressed with the city planning and the beautiful small parks throughout, but there were no crowds, so I made my way towards a Frankfurt landmark I recognized from somewhere, a beautiful round glass building. To my surprise and happiness I also found the river, which has a long meandering park on either side of its bank. I walked a few hundred yards until I found people lounging on the grass in any direction, and I preached on the authority of the Christian to preach and the imperative of the hearer to be reconciled to God from 2 Corinthians 5. While many listened, I was again disappointed with the response.

I knew I could spend the entire day on this expanse of river so I walked down about a half mile until I found a large crew unloading trucks into a large pleasure yacht for what looked like a sizeable and expensive party. I set up facing the yacht in hopes that my voice would echo from the yacht for greater distance. As I preached many stopped to listen, and as I finished my new friend Thorsten Winters approached from the newspaper and asked if he could ask me some questions. On the plane I literally had just read Albert Mohler’s wisdom on the broadcast power of the news media. Not only had my voice echoed off the yacht, but it was also going to reverberate from a newspaper! See Thorsten's Article Here. After a quite pleasant conversation I decided I would find something to eat then continue my circuit down the river.

But as I came up into the city centre again I found a beautiful park that has the largest metal EU (European Union) logo I’ve ever seen firmly posted on stilts at the entrance. There were Japanese tourists, Chinese tourists, Arabic tourists, and many locals drawn to that giant logo. The park was crowded so I started to look for my best location, when I noticed a beautiful little hill almost directly at the center. As I ascended the mount I was pleased to note that the wind would at my back if I was facing the largest concentration of people and thus carry my voice over the crowd.

As I preached the response was what every open-air preacher hopes for. Everyone turned their attention towards me, passers by stopped walking and sat on benches or in the grass. At least three listeners started to record the sermon. I preached on peace with the Kingdom of Heaven, and after I called for repentance and faith I thanked the recorders for recording the sermon and encouraged them to watch it again later and post it to the internet. I concluded that I would love to have a reasoned conversation with anyone who would like to and that I had approximately four hours to catch my flight. A group of four middle-eastern college aged young men who I thought at first were hostile to the preaching all gave me enthusiastic thumbs ups.

I considered heading over to them when a young man named Eddins waved and called me to speak with him. Eddins was in his mid-20s and spoke English quite well, I expected him to be hostile because his first question was what I thought of the United States Army. But he was ready for a reasoned conversation and we both agreed that the lack of faith in the United States Army has led to terrible outcomes. A young Christian jumped into the conversation and encouraged me for the sermon but also rebuked me to spend more time forming relationships. I half laughed and said, “Brother, I have nine hours to preach to this whole city.” He saw my point and I encouraged him to keep building relationships and preaching the gospel and that faith comes through hearing and hearing the Word of Christ.

Eddins professed to be a Muslim, but admitted that he had not found time to read the Koran. We spent quite a bit of time on textual criticism of both the Bible and the Koran. He said he found the Koran too hard and deep to understand, to which I responded that the Koran itself claims to be a light and perspicuous book. We both agreed that it is not. I helped him to understand that the Bible we are reading today is the Bible that was originally written thousands of years ago. He seemed pleased but didn’t want to let the conversation go, so I invited him to lunch (it was now dinner time).

As we were eating I did form a relationship with him, talking about his upbringing and his career and his aspirations, all the while answering and discussing the things of God. He told me that the name Eddins is a variation of Adam, but that he did not know why his parents had named him that because he had no family members named Eddins. I took him to the story of Zechariah naming his son Johannes despite having no ancestral precedent for it, but that God would be gracious to John in the future. I asked Eddins what he knew about Adam and he knew the story of the fall, then I asked him about the Second Adam, of whom he did not know that was a title of Isa, the Christ. I implied that perhaps his parents had named him Eddins on God’s promptings so that someday he would put his hope in the Second Eddins.

It was then that Eddins told me he was supposed to leave Frankfurt the day prior but his bus had broken down, and that he had been sitting in the park wondering how he would spend his afternoon before his bus left at the same time I needed to get on a train for the airport. He was very pleased that we had met and he told me he didn’t think it was a coincidence.

I don’t think it was a coincidence either. Pray for my friend Eddins!

Beautiful are the Fingers that Type the Good News

God asked Job, “Canst thou send forth lightnings, so that they go and say to you, Here We Are?"

It only took three thousand years, but we can momentarily take our hand from our mouth and say, “Yes, God, we can.” Don’t forget to firmly clamp your hand back over your mouth after saying as much.

Jesus Christ said that when he returns, some would be out working in the fields, and others would be home sleeping, but he said that everyone would see the Second Coming. Isaiah makes it clear that the world is round, Jesus knew this, after all, he created it. How then do we expect everyone to witness the return real time? If he manifests himself over Jerusalem, then California will be in the eclipse, if he begins his reign over England, then Australia will wonder what’s going on. How will everyone see this happening real time?

Television and the Internet, that’s how. You are currently reading this on a tool for the prophecy completion of the Second Coming.

I have a ministry to Muslims. If I stood in front of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem or on the Moon Rock in Mecca and preached my message, I would be sans head pretty quickly. But using the relative safety of the internet, I have been able to preach at hundreds of Muslims with a very offensive message, and in this respect the internet has been a wonderful tool. Click Here

All things are good if used lawfully. This is true even for the Bible. The Bible can be used maliciously and for bad just as easily as the internet, consider the ministries of Benny Hinn, Joel Osteen, and Jim Jones. Each is deadly in its own rite, some only to spiritual death, others to the death of both body and soul, truly these men are murderers of souls.

Paul tells Timothy, “Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent.”

Paul laid out six of the 10 Commandments explicitly, the other four are in there, although not quite so explicitly. I won’t judge you, but I do ask you to judge yourself. Have you ever told a lie? Does that make you a liar? Do you believe the Bible when it says that all liars will have their place in the Lake of Fire? Have you ever used God’s name in vain? This is called blasphemy, and God will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain. Have you ever killed anyone? Did you know that Jesus said that if you just hate someone, you will be judged as a murderer at heart?

The internet is lawful, if used for good. It is good for expanding your knowledge, for keeping in touch with long lost friends, for a lot of good things. But it can also be used very unlawfully. Children are propositioned for and exposed to all sorts of evilness every day, and you’ve heard it said of old, thou shalt not commit adultery, but Jesus said at the Sermon on the Mount, “Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in their heart.” Have you ever done that? If so, you will be judged as an adulterer at heart. I won’t even ask if you’ve taken it farther, to rape or fornication at heart.

I can’t judge you, I don’t have that authority, but you have an appointment once to die, and then THE judgment, by Jesus Christ as your judge. How will you look? God knows the thoughts and intents of your heart, deeds done in darkness will be brought to the light, and you will give an account for every idle word.

We have all gone aside, turned to our own lusts, and all of us have transgressed an infinitely holy God, and thus will face the infinite punishment of Hell. But it is not God’s will that you should perish, but that you should turn from your sin and turn towards him. He has made a way for you to be forgiven; 2000 years before the Internet and invitro fertilization were invented, Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, God manifested himself in the flesh to be subjected to this world which we have broken, he was tempted just as we are tempted, but he didn’t succumb, and he gave himself up to be hung on the cross in your stead, charged and scourged on the claim of being God. What he did not steal, he came to repay, and he paid your fine in his own life’s blood. But because he is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living, on the third day he defeated death and rose from the grave to live forevermore.

Once you have repented (turned from iniquity to God) and placed your trust in Jesus Christ to save you, you will be forgiven, born into the family of God, where you will inherit eternal life, and though your body will pass away, your spirit will never perish.

Today is the day of salvation, the Bible says faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of Christ. Today you have heard him call, don’t put this off, be reconciled to God, and then thank God that we can send forth lightnings, so that they go and say to you, “Repent and believe, for the kingdom of God is at hand.”

Happy Holy-Days

In Responce to On-Faith's question, Why are many holiday family gatherings marked by tension and unhappiness?

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I've spent Thanksgiving apart from my family in England, France, Sicily, the Middle East, and now, the East Coast. I've eaten all sorts of things for Thanksgiving dinner, in Palermo I ordered camel, in Paris, the closest they could get to turkey was squab, and we just decided to drink Thanksgiving Dinner in England, after all, it was a four-day weekend. I've been served Thanksgiving dinner by Muslims, eaten it with atheists, Buddhists, and Christians, had it brought to me in a Styrofoam box as I rewired the countermeasures set on an F-15. Probably my worst memory is the pumpkin pie in Qatar, it was so processed and old that my plastic fork shattered in the process of trying to eat it. But I was thankful that I had people to care about, and people that cared about me in each place.

It puts a whole new perspective on things when the most you have to worry about is if everyone is pulling their own weight in getting the meal ready. We should ask ourselves, "What did Jesus do?"

Lets go see, the date is AD 28, the town is Bethany. Jesus and his disciples are welcomed into the home of His good friend, Lazarus, and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. Martha is busy with serving, and is visibly upset that Mary is content to sit and hear the amazing teachings of Jesus. Martha consults Jesus, she reprimands Jesus, "Do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone! Tell her to help me!"

But Jesus answered, "Martha, you are anxious and troubled by many things, when only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen this thing, and it shall not be taken away from her."

The greatest Commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. If you do this, everything else will follow. The next time we see Mary and Martha, in AD 30, they both have jobs to do and are content with their roles, and the result is much rejoicing at dinner.

Now, of course, this rejoicing may have been spurred on by the fact that they now knew that death had lost its sting, that the Messiah had come and would indeed take away the sins of the world.

How many of us are guilty of placing the creation above the Creator? Martha sought to please her guests by her own doing, by serving an impeccable meal, which was sure to impress everyone. When it wasn't going the way she expected, she got angry, and the meal was almost ruined. But Mary was content to trust in God, not to strive to please men, but only to please God, and she was rewarded for this.

How many of us are guilty of wanting just a little more? When God gives us enough, we want just a little more? How many of us have come to this Thanksgiving and wish we could have afforded that new car this year, or are disgusted that we couldn't buy an X-Box because gas prices drained our wallets? What an insult it must be to God, who has given us life, knowledge, breath, love, food, and this beautiful country, that we would say it's not enough, could I have just a little more?

We've succumbed to the fallacy of equality, that I am at least as good as everyone else and therefore I deserve to be happy, to have a new car, and to have an X-Box. Martha was working hard and believed that it was only fair that if she was working hard, Mary should be working hard. After all, she set herself up as the measurement of how much ought to be being done.

But just how good are we? The Bible says "there is none good," then in order to drive the point home, it finishes the sentence, "no, not one." How much do we deserve? Job tells us, "Know that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves." What guilt? I don't have any guilt...or do I?

Have you ever taken God's name in vain? The Bible is clear that God will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain.

Have you ever committed adultery? Jesus said, "Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in his heart." The Old Covenant punishment for adultery was instant death, today you get a few more years before the wages of sin are exacted upon you.

The truth is, we're all going to die someday, just like a criminal waiting to see the judge, we are in a holding cell. On this beautiful Thanksgiving we should be grateful that our holding cell is so huge and has such a beautiful blue ceiling and wonderful fresh air, but be assured of this, Alcatraz and San Quentin have nothing on this holding cell, because no one has escaped yet.

When you stand before the just Judge of all the Universe, how will you plead? The book of your conscience has recorded every thought, word, and deed, and it will be opened by your prosecutor. Deeds done in darkness will be brought to the light; every idle word will require an account.

Your guilt is assured, the evidence is overwhelming. What will you say? I have done good deeds? Good deeds do not commute sentences on earth, and they will not help in front of the Great White Throne in Heaven, at best the Judge will ignore this insult, at worst He will multiply your sentence for trying to bribe Him.

Will you repent and ask for forgiveness? To what avail? The Judge will say that your repentance is good, you should be sorry, you've done terribly wicked things to the detriment of all of humanity and creation, but the punishment requires payment. The Judge reads your sentence:

"But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the fornicators, the adulterers, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

This punishment is almost assured, but here is the Good News, the eternal reason to be thankful. Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, was born of the Spirit through the virgin Mary. He lived a perfect sinless life, He was tempted but He didn't succumb, He was perfect in every way. Love hath no greater man than this, that he would lay down his life for his brethren. Not that you loved Him, but that He loved you, Jesus Christ willingly gave Himself up to be crucified in your stead. Your fine was amassed, Hell awaited, but Christ stepped in and took your lashes, and died in your place so that you can be absolved.

Now the Judge can look at you and say, it is good that you have repented, and because your fine is paid, you are free to go.

Today as we remember what we are thankful for, I am thankful that I didn't get justice, because justice is what I deserved. I am thankful that I received mercy, because mercy is not getting what I deserved. But I am the most thankful for grace, that I get what I don't deserve, that being the righteousness of Christ attributed to my sake, so that when God looks at me, He no longer sees an enemy, but an adopted child.

Mary and Martha were rejoicing that death had been defeated, Jesus Christ first showed that this was possible by raising their brother Lazarus, but made it permanent by raising Himself on the third day, He defeated death and will live forevermore, and so will we if we will approach the throne of grace in humility, and repentance, and absolute trust.

On this beautiful Thanksgiving, I ask that you don't let another day go by without being reconciled to your Creator. He has provided the means, please reach out and receive this gift which was purchased at such a price. I cannot promise you that after you are born into the family of God, that you encounter prosperity or persecution, but I will bet that your Thanksgivings and Christmas' take on a whole new meaning after you do.

The Gospel According to Mohammed

Islam means “Submission to God”, as God has told us, “The Lord lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

So the submissive will indeed go to Heaven, as long as they submit to God’s will.

One verse that jumps instantly to mind is, “This is the will of God: Your sanctification,” God’s will includes demonstrating His righteousness, having upright followers, and that justice be done; but the most important from our earthly standpoint is that wrongdoers are rectified to Him, “he commands all men everywhere to repent."

Islam is in majority alignment with the Biblical understanding of Heaven and Hell; I think this is illustrated nicely in Surah 43 (Adornments), verses 70-77. Heaven is nice, and Hell is hot and eternal.

Where Christianity and Islam divide is how to get to Heaven; but how to get to Hell is the same in both religions.

Surah 43:74 tells us that “Sinners will be in the punishment of Hell, to dwell there forever.”

Surah 83 speaks of our conscience, the Sijjin, a register fully inscribed that will be open on the Day of Judgment; woe to the sinner, his conscience records his wrongdoings.

God knows the secret thought life, and has appointed a Judgment Day for all mankind. The Koran accepts Moses as a prophet and the Law of the 10 Commandments which were given to him. “God gave Moses the Scripture and the Criteria between right and wrong.” – Al-Baqara 2:53

If all sinners will have their punishment in Hell, it’s in our best interest to find out if we’re sinners.

Answer these questions truthfully and you’ll know:

Have you ever told a lie? What does that make you?
If I rape one girl, I’m a rapist, if I murder one person, I’m a murderer. A single lie makes me a liar. The Koran says to, “Invoke the curse of God on those who lie!” – Al-Imran 3:61
The Bible promises that all liars will have their place in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.

Have you ever stolen anything? What does that make you?
Both the Koran and Bible have very strict punishments for thieves. Maida 5:38 tells us, “As to the thief, cut off his or her hand(s).”

Have you always kept the Sabbath?
The Koran demands that you remember God on Friday, leaving off business and travel. – Assembly 62:9
Whosoever does any work on the Sabbath, he will surely be put to death. This is in order to make sure you worship the Creator above creation.

Have you ever worshipped money, power, science, or possessions above God?
“Let not your riches or your children divert you from the remembrance of God. If any act thus, the loss is their own.” – Hypocrites 63:9
This you know, no idolater will see the kingdom of God.

Have you committed adultery?
The prophet Jesus said, “Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in his heart.”
The Koran is clear, “Do not come near to adultery: for it is a shameful deed and an evil, opening the road to other evils.” – Israelites 17:32
Clearly “coming near to adultery” is the same as Jesus taught, that a lust-filled glance is seen by God as shameful. Take note that the word for adultery in Arabic is sometimes translated as “Fornication”, sex outside of marriage.

Have you ever used the name of God in Vain?
“Those before them also devised many a blasphemy, but God took their structures from their foundations, and the wrath befell them without them perceiving from whence it came.” – Bee 16:26
God will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain.

If you’re like me, you’ve broken every one of these, and these are only six of the 10 Commandments. The Bible says that we have stored up wrath for ourselves on the Day of Judgment. The Koran is nearly identical, “On the day when heat will be produced out of the fire of Hell, and it will brand your forehead, your flanks, and your back, 'This is the treasure which you stored for yourselves: you then taste the treasure you amassed!'" – Immunity 9:35

There is a minor difference in the Hell of the Bible and the Hell of the Koran. In the Bible it says that we will beg for a drop of water, but none will come. The Koran says that we will have an overabundance of water, albeit it will be superheated past boiling and we will be forced to drink it, and it will wreak havoc on our insides. Either way, Hell is not somewhere I want to go, nor do I want you to go there.

There is a way to be saved from this punishment we have earned, it is the Injeel which according to the Koran was given to the prophet Jesus. Injeel means, “Good News”, and avoiding such a terrible place as Hell is definitely good news.

Some think that the good news is that we can work our way out of Hell. Both the Koran and the Bible refer to God as a just judge, so lets see how an earthly judge might relate. Imagine you stand before a judge, there are six clear evidences of your guilt, and the judge puts on you a fine that you cannot possibly pay. You offer the judge your good works, you’ve given to charity, you pray unceasingly, you are nice to people, you ask for forgiveness daily, you help little old ladies across the street, and to top it all off, you washed the judges car on the way in to court. The judge tells you, you should do good things, but you've broken the law; he cannot let you go, because despite all of the good you’ve done, justice is due. You cry out in repentance and sorrow, and the judge tells you it’s good that you’re sorry, but there is a fine to be paid, and if you cannot pay it, you will be thrown into prison.

This is the earthly judge, how much more Holy and Just is the Judge of the Universe? Payment is due for your transgression, and the Bible and the Koran clearly state that the fine is the eternal fire of Hell.

But here is the good news, God gave us the gift of a holy son (Maryam 19:19), born of the virgin Maryam, this son’s name was Jesus, and because he was holy, He lived a perfect unblemished life, he was tempted but didn’t sin; in the writing of Moses about the Passover Lamb, the lamb must be without blemish, a male, taken from amongst its brethren (Exodus 12:5). Another name for Jesus is the Lamb of God (Revelation 5:12). Jesus was offered as the sinless sacrifice to take away the sins of the world (Johannes 1:29). Jesus was hung on the cross outside of Jerusalem on Calvary hill, a hill not two miles from where Ibrahim offered his son as a sacrifice 1700 years prior. Jesus died in our stead, he paid our fine in his own life’s blood. The wrath of God was poured out upon him and it pleased God to crush him. Jesus faced the wrath of God so we wouldn’t have to; in an infinite showing of love God sacrificed Jesus so that we can be forgiven, he was the propitiation for our sins.

Jesus said that, "Blessed are the pure at heart, for they shall see God (Mathias 5:8)." The Koran says that our sins are a stain on the heart, (Al-Mutaffifin 83:14); Maryam 19:60 says that if you’ll repent and believe, then you will see Heaven. Mohammed was quoting the prophet Jesus who said, "Repent and believe the Gospel, for the Kingdom of God is at hand" (Mark 1:15), in other words, repent and believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the atonement for your sins. Once you have done this, your sins will be forgiven, your stained heart will be replaced with a new heart (Ezekiel 11:19), and you will be born again into the family of God.

If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. – 2 Corinthians 5:17