Signs of the End Times

We are living in exciting times! The crisis in world financial markets are marking the end of the world economic system as we know it. The actions of government are unprecedented. The US has taken over banks to "shore up" the US banking system. This is leading to a one world economic system supported by the world economic leaders called the G8. Many would say the economy is running its cycles. The government will not allow the cycles to run. Instead the Federal Reserve announced it would infuse hundreds of billions of fiat money into the banking system. If you do not know what fiat money is, just google it. (or click here.)
The coming of the Lord is drawing nigh. Nobody living has ever seen a global financial crisis such as we are seeing today.

This is only the beginning of the end times signs. Now Jewish settlers are making plans to fulfill a great Bible prophecy. Jesus said,

Matthew 24:14-15 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

Recently, Jewish settlers have begun to hold prayer in a "lost" synagogue near the temple mount. This is very significant because this is where the temple will be rebuilt before Messiah returns.

Restoration began with the return and rebuilding of the Second Temple under Zerubbabel in 515 B.C. (Ezra 1-6), but because of continued covenant violations (cf. Ezra 9; Neh. 13; Mal. 1-4) the Millennial restoration envisioned by the Prophets (cf. Ezek. 40-48) was postponed (cf. Hag. 2:1-9).

Half a millennia later, perhaps a decade before Jesus was born in Judea, the Second Temple was in such severe need of repairs that the reigning king Herod the Great refurbished it completely, even expanding its size. Although newly restored, it was still subject to the old terms of the covenantal contract, and with the Nation's rejection of Jesus as Messiah the Temple was again doomed to desolation.

All of Jesus pronouncements of the Temple's destruction (Matt. 24:2/Mk. 13:2; Lk. 21:6, 20-24) must be viewed in this light, and not as a rejection or replacement of the Temple as a legitimate institution. In fact joined immediately to Jesus' own pronouncement of the Temple's desolation (Matt. 21:38) is His promise (in the word "until") of Israel (and the Temple's) restoration (Matt. 23:39). This and Jesus' positive statements concerning the Temple elsewhere (Matt. 12: 4; 17:24-27; 23:16-21; Jn. 2:16-17) and especially in His Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24:15; Mk. 13:14) hold out the prophetic promise that the history of the Temple would be continued in the future.

The plan, according to Tuvia Sagiv's Research Papers is to rebuild the temple at the temple mount location. Locations A, B & C show the proposed sights.

We are in the season of the Lords return and all eyes are upon Israel for this momentous event.

Are you ready for the Lord's return? Have you repented of your sin and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? Why not receive Him today? Write to me and I will send you a free correspondence Bible study course.

Are you a Baptist Brider?

I am a Baptist and have been for 28 years. I make no apology for my stand as a Born again Baptist. Evangelist Al Lacy once said,"Every drop of blood in me is Baptist blood! If I ever find a drop that is not, I'll get a transfusion!" Amen! I know God has led me to the New Testament Church and we have found the organization that Jesus established during His personal earthly ministry. He placed me into the body as it pleased Him.

There is a position among Baptist they call "Baptist Briders". I do not care much for titles unless they are biblically based. Phrases like born again, saved, sanctified, saint, church, member, washed are all examples of scriptural titles.
There are pejoratives given by the world. Christian, Bible thumpers, etc. There are also perjoratives given by other baptists e.g. Baptist briders.
Not long ago I was accused of being a Baptist Brider by some well meaning Christian. I also came across the title when answering a questionnaire to be listed on a famous independent Baptist church directory. Here is a direct quote from Brother David Cloud's Church Directory Questionnaire:

1. Do you reject Baptist briderism?
2. Do you believe a born again believer who is not a member of a "proper Baptist church" is a part of or will be a part of the Bride of Christ?

All through my Bible college days I heard of Baptist briders but never really studied the doctrine. I know what I believe about the New Testament church is Biblically based and sound scripturally. Now I am challenged to understand what we mean by Baptist Bride. Consider this definition from biblebelievers.com:

A "Baptist Brider" is an extreme Baptist who believes that "The Baptist Church" is the Bride of Christ. All other Christians supposedly make up the FAMILY of God, but are not part of THE BRIDE. The details of this heresy differ from one group to the next, but the general teaching is that The Baptist Church(whatever that is!) has existed since the time of Christ (some say John the Baptist) and that "approved" water baptism actually places a believer into the bride. Water baptisms that are not approved are considered "alien" baptisms and are not honored by the Baptist Bride churches. This leaves "aliens" like Bob Jones Sr., John Wesley, George Whitfield, and Martin Luther out of the bride, while the Bridegroom rides off into the sunset with His proud and conceited Baptist sweetheart. However, finding someone who will ADMIT to being a "brider" is not an easy task. Just like the Campbellites, they hate the name, but love the doctrine.

Can you feel the vehemence and distain for the Baptist bride position? Comparing a Baptist Brider with a Campbellite? Such heresy! I want to describe my position on the Bride of Christ (a biblical term). If I am off please try to correct me. Let's keep the discussion in a Christian tone. If it is not your comments will not be published.

Read this article first: http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/areyou.htm

I agree with David Cloud's position on the Church:

"I believe the church began during the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, that it was empowered on the day of Pentecost, and that it was organized and established by the apostles as recorded in the book of Acts and the Epistles. Why do I believe the church began during the earthly ministry of Christ? (1) There is no statement in Scripture that supports the common view that the church started on the day of Pentecost. (2) In Matthew 16:18, Christ said he would build His church. Christ is the Founder and Rock of the church. I can see no biblical reason for not assuming that He began building the church during His earthly ministry. (3) Matthew 18:17 implies that the church already existed during Christ’s earthly ministry. (4) Acts 2:41 says those saved on the day of Pentecost were “added unto” the congregation which already existed. I believe Pentecost was not the birth of the church, but was the anointing of the church. I also do not see this as a fundamental issue one way or the other."

I also quote Brother Cloud here in describing the Bride:

"There is endless speculation about the bride of Christ, but the Bible says very little about it. It appears to me that there are five passages that deal with the “bride” in the New Testament, though only three actually use the term. One of these is in the Gospel accounts in which Christ is called the bridegroom of the bride (John 3:29). In this passage, John the Baptist calls himself the friend of the bridegroom. It appears, therefore, that John the Baptist and other Jewish saints prior to the establishment of the church, were not a part of the bride. Ephesians 5:32 says the husband and wife picture Christ and the church. This language obviously implies a bride and tells us that the church is the bride. Whatever the church is, both now and in eternity, that is what the bride is. Revelation 19 describes the “marriage of the Lamb,” which refers to a bride, the Lamb’s wife (v. 7). The passage doesn’t say anything more about who the bride is. She is adorned in fine linen, which “is the righteousness of the saints.” In Revelation 21:9 the term “bride” is applied to the eternal city. This does not mean that the city itself is Christ’s bride. It means that the city is the dwelling place for His bride and not only for the bride but for Israel (the names of the 12 tribes of Israel are written in the 12 gates, Rev. 21:12) and the saved of all ages. It is the bride’s city, but all of the saints of all ages are at home there. The final passage is Revelation 22:17, where the bride invites sinners to God’s free salvation in Jesus Christ."



I believe the Bride of Christ is made up of only FAITHFUL, Born again, members of a scriptural New Testament church. The bride must be faithful. She must be chaste, she must be a virgin.

2 Corinthians 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Consider this from Barnes notes:
"That I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. The allusion here, according to Doddridge, is to the custom among the Greeks "of having an officer whose business it was to educate and form young women, especially those of rank and figure, designed for marriage, and then to present them to those who were to be their husbands; and if this officer through negligence permitted them to be corrupted between the espousals and the consummation of the marriage, great blame would fall upon him." Such a responsibility Paul felt. So anxious was he for the entire purity of that church which was to constitute "the bride, the Lamb's wife;" so anxious that all who were connected with that church should be presented pure in heaven."

Ephesians 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Is the Bride a Baptist bride? I do not think she has the name "Baptist." She is simply called the "Bride of Christ" so that she does not take any of the glory from the King of Kings. She is made up of Born again, Blood bought, faithful, chaste, obedient, baptized believers. The preceding statement says alot about the bride.

• Born again-Regenerate Bride
• Blood bought - Redeemed Bride
• Faithful- Reliable Bride
• Chaste- Respectable Bride
• Obedient- Restrained Bride-
  

The very idea of the bride being comprised of all church members is un-scriptural.
A backsliding, or unfaithful, or even unregenerate church member could never fulfill this requirement of the Bride. There are unregenerate members in the body. Jesus had one in His day-Judas. So not all members will be in the bride. The word bride is exclusive by definition.

There have been churches faithful to the Word of God throughout all ages as Jesus promised. Were all these Baptist churches? They were called Paulicians, Waldenses, etc. in early church history.

Rabbit Trails.

Some things I learn while researching for other things. I call them rabbit trails because these things lead to who know where?

The expression "Son of man" is used eighty-eight times in the New Testament, and always means the Messiah, and not man generally.
It comes from:

Daniel 7:13-14 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

The Pharisees know this verse sufficiently. That is why they were filled with "madness":

Luke 6:11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

Forgiving ones self?

This an interesting article I came across while doing research for a sermon last week. You may find the complete article here:

Forgiving One's Self? It May Not Be A Big Deal, But... by Jerry D. Locke, Pastor Lake Worth Baptist Church 4445 Hodgkins Road Fort Worth, TX 76136

It may not be a big deal (and if it is not I will probably get straightened out), but something has been bugging me. I assure you I am not trying to win an argument or to straighten someone out. It is really a genuine concern of mine that little by little we are getting further and further away from the Bible without even realizing it. Here is what I am talking about.

I received a publication in the mail recently from a sound fundamental Baptist church with an article by a deceased preacher entitled, Be Forgiving, Both of Yourself and of Others. This preacher was quoted, "Learn to forgive yourself. Everybody makes mistakes. The problem is not failing, but failing to take advantage of the provision God has made for our failures." He then quotes 1 John 1:9 and continued, "When we confess our sin to Christ, we may know that we're forgiven and cleansed, because that is exactly what He promises in I John 1:9. Once God has forgiven you, then forgive yourself. Assure yourself that God not only forgave you but cleansed you, and the wrong no longer exists; it is gone. So why keep punishing yourself for something that God has forgiven and forgotten?"

Another well-known and respected Baptist "pastor-TV preacher" has written a booklet distributed by Focus on the Family entitled, Freedom Through Forgiveness, the last half of which is given to the idea of learning to "forgive one's self."

Several people with whom I have talked in my years of pastoral counseling have expressed a feeling of shortcoming and their need to somehow forgive themselves. "I know the Bible says God has forgiven me. My husband says he has forgiven me. But I cannot seem to forgive myself!"

Before going any further let me say I am all for people getting out from under the guilt of their sin, unhooking themselves from the emotional chains that blind them, and leaving the baggage of the past behind them. Yet, what I am about to say goes against the grain of a lot of current Christian preaching and teaching. It may surprise you. It seems to me that this idea of...

Forgiving One's Self is Unscriptural!

Look through your Bible. Read it from cover to cover. This is what you will find. There is not a single scripture in the Bible that incites, invites, or implies the act or need of self forgiveness. There is not a single story in the Bible that even remotely points to such a thing.

Someone might say, "But it sounds so Christian. After all, forgiveness is a good thing." Now, be careful. Biblical words can be used without confining them to their biblical definitions. What can be found in the Bible? In the Bible you will find people receiving God's forgiveness. There are mountains of people who accepted God's offer of forgiveness. You will also find people responding to others with God's forgiveness. There are people in the Bible record who were for given by other people. And in the Bible you will find people seeking forgiveness from others when they sinned against them. But, among all the verses in the Bible, I am yet to find one verse on forgiving ourselves.

It is revealing that the preachers of the past who are now considered great men of their times never speak of forgiving one's self. Not Spurgeon, Moody, Torrey, Beecher, Brooks, Finney, Carroll, Robertson, or Scarborough. Not a single sermon, not a sentence in a sermon is given to this idea. Before our present generation, the idea of forgiving one's self seems to have been unknown in Christian theology.

Further the idea of...

Forgiving One's Self is Unreasonable.

It seems to be a misuse of energy. It addresses the wrong problem and seeks a solution in a wrong source. Forgiving one's self is not a real. It is not attainable. It is not reasonable.

Consider this about forgiveness.

When I sin against God, who is the sin against and who forgives? When I sin against God, God forgives me.

When I sin against others, who is the sin against and who forgives? When I sin against others, others forgive me.

When others sin against me, who is the sin against and who forgives? When others sin against me, I forgive them.

But can a person sin against himself and then forgive himself?

Baptists are people of the Bible. We say if it is in the Bible, we believe it. If it is not supported by the teaching of the Bible, Baptists do not believe it. Some subtle changes have entered into current theology. They have crept in through repeated cliches and catchy words. And, they can be passed on from generation to generation with no biblical basis whatsoever!

Allow me to attempt to uncover the root problem and hopefully point to the real solution. What is it that people are trying to deal with?

It is GUILT.

Guilt is a horrible thing. Since it is mental, emotional, and spiritual, coming at us from the inside, it is impossible to escape its unrelenting abuse. Day and night, when you are feeling good or when you are feeling bad, it bears down on you. You have never been on a trip, until you go on an extended "guilt trip." It is definitely not traveling first class!

But all guilt is not bad and harmful. It can be a powerful motivation for responsible behavior. A husband goes to work, instead of fishing, simply because he knows his wife and children need the money. The process of Christian conversion begins with a sense of guilt.

There seems to be three levels of guilt when our sins are unforgiven, or when we are not sure they are forgiven.

First, there is conscience-level guilt produced by the human conscience. A poll was taken among children ages five through nine on the question, "What is the conscience? One 6-year-old girl said a conscience is the spot inside that "burns if you're not good." A 6-year-old boy said he didn't know, but thought "it had something to do with feeling bad when you kicked girls or little dogs." And a 9-year-old explained it was a voice inside that says "NO" when you want to do something like beating up your little brother. She said her conscience had "saved him a lot of times!" Actually, the conscience is the nerve-center of the soul. Even the most backward native has a conscience (Romans 2:15). The conscience is like a thermometer, registering the conditions, not a thermostat, which controls or modifies its atmosphere.

Second, there is conviction- level guilt produced by the Holy Spirit as man is exposed to the Word of God. Jesus said in John 16:7-11 that the Holy Spirit would make mankind aware of sin, righteousness, and judgment. THE SIN which the Spirit of God reveals is the attitude of unbelief and rejection of Jesus Christ. In concert with the Word of God, the Spirit of God compels the sinner to make a choice between his sin and the Saviour. The Holy Spirit also convicts the believer of his sins after salvation.

Third, there is condemnation-level guilt produced by Satan, the unholy spirit. 2 Corinthians 11:14 informs us that Satan pawns himself off as representing God. And in the name of God, Satan uses the conscience to accuse, torment, and berate his victims. It is like the little boy whose pet cat died. He put the dead cat in a shoe box, got all the neighborhood children together, and had a funeral for the cat. They enjoyed the cat's funeral so much they decided to leave the cat's tail sticking out of the grave so every few days they could pull it up and have another funeral. That went on for some time, until finally, one day when the boy pulled, the tail broke off, and the dead cat stayed buried. That is what Satan does to us--he digs up our sins, reminds us of how bad we are, and condemns us with them. Satan accuses us before God, Revelation 12:10. But God will not hear it, I John 2:1,2. Romans 8:1, 34. Jesus is our Advocate and He has never lost a case! The devil is always trying to reopen cases God has closed for us on Calvary's cross. That does not work, so the devil moves on by accusing us before others, 1 Timothy 3:11. Christians should not be a part of doing the devil's work. As a last-ditch effort, Satan accuses us to ourselves. What better weapon for spiritual discouragement could there be than feelings of guilt which need not to be forgiven because they do not represent genuine disapproval from God?

People need to experience GRACE.

Mark 2:5-7 declares only God can forgive sin. Even the Pharisees had this right. Do you know that? There are so many great verses on God's forgiveness: Psalm 32:5; Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 38:17; Isaiah 44:22; Jeremiah 31:34; Micah 7:19. According to these Scriptures God carries away, cast off, covers up, cleanses away, and cancels out our sin by Jesus Christ.

"But, I don't feel forgiven sometimes?" What must God do to convince you? That may be part of the problem. We are working off our "feelings" instead of our "faith" in the promises of God.

Forgiveness is really about GOD, not about you!

I am not going to fall out with people who insist on the idea of forgiving one's self, but forgiving one's self is really a phantom--something that exists only in the mind, an illusion. The need is not to give your time to some illusionary concept of forgiving yourself, but rather to seek God's forgiveness His way. And then, to live in the blessing of the realization of God's forgiveness.

Believe the Facts. God has forgiven you! Joseph's brothers would not believe that Joseph had truly forgiven them, Genesis 50:15-19. Did they need to forgive themselves? No. They just needed to believe Joseph had truly forgiven them, as he had said. Psalm 86:5 assures us, "For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive."

Receive God's On-Going Forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 teaches, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Accept what God does for you when you confess your sins. Can you explain it? Maybe not. Can you experience it? Absolutely. What God condemns, we confess. What we confess, God forgives. What God forgives, He forgets. What God forgets, we have no need to remember.

Build your life on solid biblical Theology instead of shaky humanistic Psychology. Forgiving one's self is a philosophy of man, influenced by psychology and psychiatry. It is fantasy, not fact. Don't measure God's Word by your beliefs, measure your beliefs by the Word of God! And don't twist God's Word to make it agree with such pseudo-truths.

If we need to do anything, it is to confess, "Lord, I have a better memory of my confessed sins than you do. Lord, I have more rigid requirements for forgiveness than you do. Lord, I am harder on myself than you are on me. How foolish of me. Lord, all I need to do is experience and enjoy your forgiveness. It is complete. And instead of focusing on my failure, from now on, I am going to focus on your forgiveness!"

The Baptist Muse

Friends:

To conserve the space, please see the rest of the debate below HERE:

http://www.baptistmuse.com/forum/

Check the Debate and Discussion section. My User name is Jude.

A Debate with a Muslim:

I have had an ongoing debate with a Muslim scholar on another internet forum. I am posting it here for a wider audience. Please comment. My off debate interjection will be in RED.

Here is the first installment by the Muslim who goes by Adam. I am going by my user name Jude.

Hi
we should first know that when we express ourselves,we often have a background of our attitudes.But what is important is to look for the truth in spite of the background.The passages you mention is true.But not of all non muslims.It is for those non beleivers who were fighting our prophet.because our prophet when he started to tell about his message,he was strongly fighted and they killed his follows.At that moment god asked him to fight those who wanted to stop his message.
But if you think that i have right to hate you or kill you because you are non muslims then you are wrong.
Islam do not ask us to do that.I want you to understand that the verses you mean is only when muslims were killed.So they have right to defend themselves as God said.Defending youself is a nutural instinct.But becarful there is bad interpretation of quran which want show that Islam is a violent relegion.
i would like to answer my question.do u beleive that quran is a book from God? I thinks its better to discuss basic things.I dont mean that what you said is a basic.But lets start from the top.

do u beleive that quran is a book from God?
Adam

Here is my response:

When two ideas oppose each other, they both cannot be truth. One is a lie and the other is truth. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ arose from the dead, the Koran says He did not. Which is true? There is evidence both empirical and circumstantial that support the facts of Gods Holy Word the Bible. I put my faith in the Holy Bible. Not the Koran. The Koran can contain truth but does not actually make the entire book true. We must consider the evidence. Jesus Christ was either GOD in the flesh or He is the biggest fake phony and fraud, liar, lunatic that ever walked the earth. He claimed to be GOD. He said where He would die and by what means. He declared Himself to be God and was crucified, risen and coming again for all who believe. That friends is the truth. Nobody has or ever will successfully refute that fact of history.

Oops. Your boat has a hole in it.

I think I may have hit a nerve because now the debate heats up:

hi
we moslims we beleive in the bible.but there is a great part of it was rewritten.and our schoolars proved that when they have debate with yours schoolars.and those schoolars confess that it is true.so since its true that the bible is rewritten in a certain time,why we dont say that its them who say that jesus in the son of god?
i read about the bible but nothing touched me to it.and the langauge it is wretten is bad.that means human hands.i have question about ur relegion that i dont understand and its impossible to be understood.Why should God have a son?!!when you say that,it means that you look to God as human being.but Godness can never be humanity.if jesus is the son of God,why he is the only son.He should have 2/3 or 4 children.i notice that in the bible jesus is more important then God?!!and a preist want to convert someone all he says,you have to love jesus.but love here is metaphore.because you can never love someone you have never seen.love here means to follow what he asked us to do?so do christian do what the bible say to them?
you say that God sacrifies his son.why God wait all this time to send his son to forgive the sins?since the sin is commited God must send his son after the si directly.what about the people lived before jesus.how their sins would be forgaven?why God waited this long time?!!!and there is no way God forgave the sins only to let savage human kill his son?!!!a God crucified on the cross?!!is this god?!!!!!!
god watching on his son crucified?!!!!!!!!!!!!
there is no logic in the bible.only a mixture of illusions.i am sure you have never read the quran.you will never find answers of this question if you dont read quran.the bible makes a person very cunfused simply there is no logic?
Can you tell me why islam is the only relegion, people convert to?
can you tell me why a lot of preist and preachers who spent their life teaching the bible and in a moment they convert to islam?!!!!!!!!are they mad?
can you tell me why chritians are abetting people to convert.most of them give money?!!!take money but please convert to chritainity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the quran will help you to understand the universe and the truth of the bible
at least this may help you
http://www.islam-guide.com/
http://www.islamreligion.com/
if you think my boat has a hole in it. i tell you think twice


note:suppose your son was playing at home and by accident he killed himself by a knife, will you keep this knife and make it a symbol to you?instead you hate the cross you put on you necks!!!!!
Adam

My response:
My dear friend:
It is you who are deceived by your lack of true logic. You speak out of both sides of your mouth when you say "we muslims believe the bible." then you say "the Bible is rewritten so it cannot be true." How do you reconcile this dizziness? You have no record of any debate where true Christian scholars ever admit to believing a rewritten Bible. The fact of the matter is the Bible has been perfectly preserved through the centuries by people to whom the Bible was entrusted. It is the Koran that was written 600 years after the death, burial and Resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ. How could the prophet know these things when he was so far removed from the actual events? The Bible was written by eye witnesses to the actual events. This very fact proves the Koran false and the Bible to be the Word of Almighty Jehovah GOD!

Nothing touches you in the Bible because you have the preconceived notion that the Bible is false. You do not have any evidence. Just suspicion, superstition and conjecture.

God sent His only begotten Son into the world to save the world from their sin. Ever since the Garden of Eden God began promising His Son. See Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
The reason for this because all of mankind are sinners.(Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;) This sin must be paid for. (Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.) Since you nor I could ever make the atonement God sent His Son to make the sacrifice.(Titus 3:5-6 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;) It is this sacrifice that was prophesied throughout the entire Old Testament into the time of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament people looked to God for atonement by offering the blood of animals. When Jesus came, the sacrifice ceased because He became the once and for all redemption for our sins. He was 100% man and 100% God. It is the only way to have our sins forgiven. If you do not accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour you must make the payment for your sins. This you could never do. Those who reject this will be cast into the Lake of Fire where their worm dieth not and the flesh is burned for ever and ever. We are all deserving of punishment but God is merciful and loving to send His Only Begotten Son to take away the sins of the world.

Most people that convert to Christianity for money are not true converts to Christ and will be punished for their misdeeds.
Maybe you live in a country or nation where Christianity is unlawful and not in the majority. I can tell you where I live, we see converts coming to Jesus Christ all the time. Yea some Muslims are converting to Christianity. See here: http://jude3kjb.blogspot.com/

The cross is a symbol. I do not worship the cross or wear one around my neck. It symbolizes the love of God had for me. I will cherish that old cross as a memory of His great sacrifice. I hope you can understand this. My prayer is that the darkness of your eyes will be enlightened to receive this wonderful gift of Salvation through the shed Blood of Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings to be worshipped and adored forever and ever.

Adam said:

dear freind
i wonder how you dont understand what i mean when i told that we beleive in the bible.i mean we moslims beleive in the bible that is from God.but when it was time to write it down on papers,here at this moment a lot of verses added by human hands and other verses delated.if you think that is impossible then you are deceiving yourself.why not impossible?
your answer about money given to people to convert to chritainity was not good.you all did is show me the result of people accepting money without real faith.no,i want you answer me why preachers give
money to people to convert to chritainity?!!if you convert we will give you money?!!!why money?
you should that when we give money,that means that we know already that the target person will not accept to do what we want him to do,sowe use moneymost preachers choose poor people to convertwhy?!!is chritainity only for poor people?!!you chritains dont beleive in our prophet.because it is not mentioned in the bible.is this a logic reason?!!our prophet is mentioned in the bible but as i told you, the bible is distorted.(distort is something and to deny all is somthine else)
Mohammad in the bible http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/6377/index.htm
and if mohamed is not a prophet, where did the Quran come from?!!what about scientific truth in the Quran?!!!http://www.islam-guide.com/. is mohamed able to say this truths 1400 years ago?!!!!!!!!!!!!
do you know what does it mean 1400 years ago?.this truths are discovered in the 20th centry!!!
but please be clear and explaine me?the prophet mohamed tell us about scintific truth.if you dont unswer me, i think there is no need to go forwards in our debate.
jesus is god according to you.the son og god.jesus himself said"i and the father is one.it means i am the father and the father is me.ok. when jesus god die for the tree days,who was controling and arranging the world?!!! who kept the three heavens to fall down?!!!

you say god and son and holy trinity is one.how can three things be one(3=1)?!!!!if you tell me that 1+1+1=1,then you must go to a psychologist.
if i put in front of you a glass of water and a glas of tea and a glass of cofee,then i tell you how many of them?
if you say it is one,i have also to tell you to go to a psychologist.and if you say that its three glasses, then i ask you how could 3 be 1.

if you say that god is compound.THEN WHO COMPOUND GOD BEFORE HE BECOMES COMPOUND,and he is the creator of the universe?!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i think you dont beleive in logic.if you dont beleive in it.thats your problem.
thats why i advise you to read quran.you will find answers of all your delima question.
all people converted to islam say that we had bad image on islam and they say that the only source of information about islam was TV.and the channels which spread islamophobia are very known
brother i advise you to look for the truth but not from TV
may allah help you to know the truth
Adam

My response:

Dear Adam:

Sir, you give no evidence for your stand against the Bible. Just conjecture and opinion. It really means nothing. It seems you get all your information from youtube. I wonder why you will not debate in a logical manner. Where is your evidence for God's Word the Bible? What is your basis for your opinions about the Bible? Your premise is confusing. I concede it is very possible to add words to the Bible. Just like Mohammad did when he wrote the Satanic Verses. But my God preserves His Word to believers. Your god writes them, then rejects them as "satanic". I have in my possession, the 1611 Authorized King James translation that is proven to be historically accurate for the last 500 years. Before that they had the Hebrew and Greek and Aramaic manuscripts that were jealously guarded from any misquotes or mistranslations. I agree that there are many perverted texts out there but they were all from the Alexandrian texts that were polluted.

The devil is very clever to not only pollute God's Holy Word but also to counterfeit and dilute true Christianity. The devil has many of his disciples going to and fro, up and down in the earth to deceive many. Many masquerade as Christ's disciples but they are not.

Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

I am not aware of anyone anywhere that takes money to become a Christian. Perhaps in your country there are desperate few that will accept money to convert but not here the US. Those that give money to convert are not true preachers of the Gospel and will perish with their money.

Mohammad in the bible? More lies conjured up to try to legitimize your religion. I read the link. The Hebrew word here is

machmad

. It means exactly as the translation-LOVELY. But the verse is not talking about your prophet. That is absurd just because the word machmad and Mohammad sound the same does not make them equivalent. The context speaks about Solomon's beloved and prophetically the beauty of Jesus Christ. The Book is a divine allegory that describes Christ and His Beloved.

There are many vague scientific examples you have given. How about these absurd "scientific" findings in extra-Koranic writings? Muhammad said that upon awakening one must blow his nose three times to rid himself of the Devil, who spends the night in a man's nostrils (Sahih Bukhari IV, 516; Muslim I, 462), that yawning is from Satan (Bukhari IV, 509), that if a Muslim falls asleep praying Satan urinates in his ears (Bukhari II:245), and people who pray with their eyes lifted toward heaven might have their eyes snatched away (Muslim I, 863). Many of the "scientific" discoveries in the Koran were already understood and propagated through the Bible. Your hind sight is always 20/20. I would like to see the prophecies of the Koran come true. Where is the light of that proof. You have similar experience of the false prophet Nostradamas. You use vagueness but we use the Bible. It is true that ALL the prophecies of the Bible have come to pass or must shortly come to pass.

Jesus is GOD> He is God manifest in the flesh. You do not understand because you have a god in you mind. Let go of your notions to see the God that created the universe could certainly manifest Himself as a man and still control everything from Heaven. He is triune. You reject the true God because you have a finite understanding. God is infinite and may manifest Himself in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. You may ridicule and mock me but your time is short because Jesus Christ will return to this earth again soon. If you have not received Jesus Christ you must be punished.

I became a Christian when I was in my 40s. I was a religious zealot like you but I had no knowledge of saving faith in Christ. When I understood my plight, I repented and believed upon Jesus Christ for my salvation.. This means I changed my mind about my false religion and turned to Jesus Christ for the keeping of my soul.

If you humble yourself and receive the Lord and acknowledge your error, you will be saved. You have watched youtube too long. Get out your Bible and READ!

I am awaiting Adam's response. I will post more as it develops. IF I hear from Adam again. Your comments are appreciated.

Salvation Testimony of Surit Mondal

Friends:
Below is the testimony of Surit Mondal. I am publishing this testimony in his own words to preserve the hearts message. The english is not perfect but the heart is right. He is a convert by the ministry of my dear missionary friend Nathaniel Hazra, missionary to Bangladesh. See his blog here: http://suvationbd.blogspot.com/

The Testimony of Surit Mondal:

Last January 12th 2008 my own effort I arranged a meeting in my home. Purpose of that meeting was to my invited neighbor and parent the facts of my past life occurred and give my testimony that by the grace of God how I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and my Saviour. And the same time Bro. Nathaniel preached that what will be the last judgment seat of Jesus Christ. Those who are lost will be stand front of Him. First time Jesus came by grace and truth.

Now my life is a blessing life. But once time I had no hope in my life. My behavior was so bad that can not think about it. My heart was so dark and covered by scandal. I wanted to explain what was happened my past life before coming to Christ life. I have born in a Muslim family in 5th October 1977. Born in Choudhuray family and bearing this title means influential and extraordinary majesty and honors (Choudhurey is high class family title). But nothing happened any of those in my life. Though my father's was respected and renowned by his people, but my own condition was very low. My name was 'Afsarul Islam Choudhury', it is Muslim name. When my age was 6 my father turned out my Mother. My father insulted my mother front of every body and expelled her. That time my brother age was 6 month, and my mother took my bother with her and gone away, and my father kept me with him. My habit was slept with my mother. Every day my mother was kept me lull to sleep with her loving touch on my head. Be hurt or pained my mother caress and console me. But within a minute my mother's caress and console ceased. After my mother left next day my father did not keep me his house, sent me my uncle's house. I became alone, born too father and mother's blood that I have nobody. No bodies hear my crying, only blue sky can hear. Dark cloud covered my beautiful life. No body love me, caress me, affection me, every now and then my uncle lay hands on me, beat me. By the advice my father my uncle admitted me a orphans Madrasa (it is a muslin/Quranic orphans school). Many kind of and many manners boys are hear. There's many boys have no fathers and mothers or only have father or mother. But in my life both have but I did not got them in my life in my present. Like grow up like a vagabond. I used to go my uncle house when my Madrasa vacation or closed. One day I told my uncle that please kindly don't sent me again to Madrasa and admit me to regular school, then he angered and by forced he feed me his spittle and he bind/tie me with a rope and hang up me top of the roof beaten me front of his children. My father first wife's (My mother was my father's second wife Muslim can marry and keep with him four wives) children used to go good school, but they sent me Madrasa to be a Muslim priest, only the reason that I was born in Christian mother womb. One day I got a change to visit my father's new house. The house is very beautiful, and every person's have separate room but they arranged me to sleep in floor. I got silent and astonished about their behave to me. My father's first wife's children is his children and I am also his child, but my place is different then them. My step brother always complaint against me, and according to that accusation my father and my step mother time to time excessively beat me. Day by day I grow hated to my father. All everything I became entirely different. I understood I have no one of mine. When my age was twelve then to erase of my Father's identity I gone unknown way to left everything. When I got tried to walk in different place in Banani, Dhaka, I laid beside the road. At night I slept beside road, and in the morning I looking for food and some job. I got a job in house and after finished my job I ate those food full of stomach by tears of joy. I survived like this life about three years.

Suddenly I met a man of very close of father's. I scared, but he consoled me and told me that he will take me to my mother. I gladly revealed my zeal to go with him, and he took me to my uncle and aunt's house (my mother's brother and his wife) and it was 1992. When we gone their house, at first sight my aunt thought me that I am a bagger or street-boy and did not wanted to allow me into their house. After got my identity everybody of them joyfully accept me. My uncle called my mother and after nine year we both met together. My mother brings me to her peace at Jessore District where she worked in a School as a teacher. All we satisfied to get each other. In 1993 my mother took me a local church where I was teaching about Bible and Jesus Christ. But suddenly Devil became a wall between us, my father left his first wife and came to us in 2000. I could not accept him. But my mother and my brother accept him and for that I got pain and distressed. I lost many year in my life only the reason of that father and every of my family accept him! I could not accept it. My bother said that he never seen father, now he got his father. My mother said I got back my husband. For that reason the situation became too hard and worse between my mother and my brother. My mother forgot the past fact that her husband turn away to her with her six months baby, but I could not forget it. I became alone. I could not sleep and could not close attention to my study. My light of hope is becoming blowing out.

Last 2001 Bro. Nathaniel came in Jessore for preaching and got acquainted with. I was feeling very better to his preaching and teaching. I tried to change my life according to his preaching. I always was keeping relation with him. Several time he invite me to Dhaka and went there for group Bible study. I was good man but I never meet any good man like him. In my life nobody loved me, nobody wanted to hear and to listen my agony/heartache. I needed a man in my life like Bro. Nathaniel. Only God provided like this godlyman to me. I love very much to Bro. Nathaniel Hazra. But I acquainted with him by this time I got married. My wife's name is Ripa. Now I have a son and his name is Arnab. I love my wife and my son so much. I teach my son about Jesus and he knows His name. Any way my life condition suddenly causes to stop. I never and anyway I could forgive my father. Bro. Nathaniel said that I have to forgive him because God forgive all of us who believe Him. In this condition I became Godless and gone far away for Him. For that I could not get any peace in my mind and no joy in my heart, and filled my life with sorrow and evil day.

Suddenly postman came to me and gave me a big envelope. I open it and got "SUVATION" magazine published by Bro. Hazra. Very earnestly I was reading it and looked a article at the page number 4 the Bengali translation of "Dr. Law and Dr. Grace" by late Evangelist Lester Roloff, and the first paragraph writing was Titus 2:11-14. I like that Bible versus very much. At first my family matter was the main cause for me to separation from God. My father is Muslim and my mother is Christian and these points I always got shocked in my life and for that I did not get peace in my mind. But the Bible verse from the article of "Dr. Law and Dr. Grace" of Suvation magazine very clearly matched to my life taht "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way . . . Isaiah 53:6. That means I kept God to far from my life and I always blaming to my Muslim father and mother, and that thing is wrong thought and nonsense and that is the cause of my frustration. Actually main problem is my heart. I know myself. I know my work, my though and my acts. I could not blame myself, and should be blame myself. From "Meeting with Dr. Law" I knew that serious trouble is in my heart. I am suffering, and that is heart problem and I am seriously sick. My before old carnal condition that means not being spiritual man, without having Holy spirit I do not getting regain consciousness. My heart happened a serious damaged for that like it is happing. I felt most critical frustration stage. My father Muslim, my mother Christian, my heart is sinful. So I was looking a way of remedy or repair of it. And what is that way? To know of it to go Dr. Religion and associates, come back to Dr. Law than go Dr. Grace then I entered deep in my heart and saw my heart is blackest, so terrible, notorious, stink, stigmatized and ugly and know body knows of my family and friends but I know. After finished the reading this article "Dr. Law and Dr. Grace" I cried, I wept. To looked to my heart I noticed the main cause of my fickle-mindedness and impatience. Dr Law showed me my all improper acts and guilt and to make my life genuine, sincere and became new by Holy Spirit Dr. Grace Lord Jesus Christ regain consciousness. October 5th 2007 I closed my room door and started to pray and said my Lord that I do not wanted to die, though I can die in bodily but I wanted to live in spirit with you. Same day and same time I confess my sin to Lord Jesus Christ, I repented from my sin, I wanted forgive my own sin to Christ, and then by the Holy Spirit I understand I got saved. I believe by the grace of God the Father and precious blood of Jesus Christ same day I got saved. In my heart great excessive joy came to my heart, came peace in my heart. All my sin washed away, Amen. In the same time I called my Bro. Hazra in my cell phone. Spiritually I became strength to give my testimony publicly. Last January 12th 2008 Bro. Hazra came to our place and front of around 80 of my relative, friends and neighbors I gave my testimony that by the grace of God and through Lord Jesus Christ I got new life. Through me presence of Holy Spirit is revel. In my work, my righteous, my family, every side now my life in Christ is fulfilled joyful by God. I completed the lesson of "Now that you've believed" Very soon I am going to be baptized through Bro. Hazra

But my testimony day my father and my mother was not present, and they did not like this meeting and did not expected Bro. Hazra in hour house. Bro Hazra was one night in our house.

I am now God's new Creature, His Children and right of His realm. Amen

Did Jesus Die on a Friday?

Good Friday is the day which many around the world observe as the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Catholic Encyclopedia describes Good Friday as "the Friday on which the Church keeps the anniversary of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ." Now, I really never could figure out how anyone could put Jesus' death on Friday. Do the math. Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, not Friday. Do not be deceived blind followers of the blind. Do your homework. I created the following timeline to help us understand:

	Wed 14	Thu 15	Fri 16	Sat 17	Sun 18
6:00 PM	Nisan 14 Starts Sunset 6:19 PM	Nisan 15 Starts Sunset 6:19 PM Passover	Nisan 16 Starts Sunset 6:20 PM	Nisan 17 Starts Sunset 6:21 PM	Nisan 18 Starts Sunset 6:22 PM *Jesus raises from the dead between now and sunrise.
7:00 PM	*Jesus has His Passover after sunset (Mar 14:17-25) (Matt 26:20)	Night 1 - Feast of Unleavened Bread a Sabbath (Num 28:18)	Night 2 -	Night 3 - the weekly Sabbath	Both Marys go and buy spices after sunset when the Sabbath ended (Mar 16:1)
8:00 PM
9:00 PM	*They go to Gethsemane (Mar 14:26-42) (Matt 26:30)
10:00 PM
11:00 PM
12:00 AM
1:00 AM	*After 3 hours Jesus is arrested (Mar 14:37-42)
2:00 AM	*Jesus is brought to the Sanhedrin and falsely judged
3:00 AM
4:00 AM					The women find Jesus is "taken" before sunrise. (Mar 16:2) Great Earthquake- The Veil is torn in two. (Matt 28:1)
5:00 AM	Sunrise 5:32 AM	Sunrise 5:31 AM	Sunrise 5:29 AM	Sunrise 5:28 AM	Sunrise 5:27 AM
6:00 AM	Day of Preparation - (John 18:28, 19:14) Jesus is brought to Pilate (Matt 27:1-2)	Day 1	Day 2 - Feast of First Fruits "...in the morrow after the Sabbath..." (Lev 23:11)	Day 3
7:00 AM
8:00 AM
9:00 AM	Jesus is Crucified (Mar 15:25)	*At some time after the Day of Preparation the Pharisees went to get Pilate to put guards at the tomb "until the third day". (Matt 27:62-66)			* This would have been the time when the guards would have left, if they hadn't witnessed the Resurection. The Pharisees' "Third day" (Matt:27:62-66)
10:00 AM
11:00 AM
12:00 PM	Darkness over the Earth (Luke 23:44) (Matt 27:42)
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
3:00 PM	Jesus yielded up the ghost (Mark 15:33-37) (Matt 27:46)
4:00 PM					Jesus meets with the two walking to Emmaus. (Luke 24:29-30)
5:00 PM	*Jesus is buried in haste (John 19:42)				*The two run back to the 11 and tell of their meeting with Jesus and Jesus appears to them all. (Luke 24:36) (John 20:19)

* These are approximate times as the times are not explicitly mentioned in scripture; mentioned to show the flow of events

So what's the big deal? So what if Jesus was crucified on Wednesday or Friday.? What does it matter? Just this: God wants us to worship Him in Spirit and in truth. John 4:24

Apostasy begins in the slightest of error. We must be careful what we believe. Jesus admonished the Pharisees for this.
Matthew 15:3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.