Saturday Song: Berlin, "Take My Breath Away"

Whenever I hear this song, it brings back all the feelings and experiences to mind from August of 1986. I went to a hospital in the town of Stony Plain to have an operation on my right eye.

What made this operation frightening for me was that it was the only eye I could use to see. My left eye went blind in 1974 so I felt great trepidation about this one also losing sight.

Hear Berlin's song here.

At the time, I attended a house church which insisted that people with enough faith could be healed. Since my eyes never improved during the many prayer sessions, the elders assumed I lacked the faith to receive such a gift from God Almighty.

Consequently, I felt petrified. What if God let me go blind? What would I do for work because my job involved a lot of reading? These and other worries hounded me day and night.

Worse yet, a bubble formed on my retina but the doctor didn't explain what caused it. I feared that my distorted vision would be permanent.

When the doctor told me a week later that the bubble was dissolving, I felt chagrinned. All that worry was for nothing. My eye recovered and I was employed for another nine years at my job.

In all the years at that church, nobody explained about God's providence to me. No matter what happens, our heavenly Father does everything for our eventual good and his glory. That's why Scripture says in 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV)  "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

Did you like the song and what I wrote? Please tell me in the box below. But if you'd rather not comment, have a wonderful weekend anyway.

God's Providence Vs. Allah's

As I've pointed out before, God and Allah are poles apart when it comes to their characters. They can't possibly be the same being. This shows up as true when it comes to providence.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ pointed out god's kindness to even unthankful people. Matthew 5:45 (KJV) says, "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."

But sura 2:172 says, "O you who believe! Eat of the good things
We have provided for you, and give thanks to Allah, if it is Him that you serve."

Our God doesn't have a fast-burning fuse either. Joel 2:13 (KJV) says, "And rend your heart, and not your garments, and  turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow  to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil."

But take note of sura 2:201-202 which reads, "And among them is he who says, 'Our Lord, give us goodness in this world, and goodness in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.' These will have a share of what they have earned. Allah is swift in reckoning."

How nice it is that 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV) assures us, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

This is one verse I will love to add to my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? The Qu'ran claims that Allah is merciful but it contradicts itself. Properly understood, the scriptures don't.

Sin in the Bible and Qu'ran

Both the Bible and the Qu'ran preach against sin. Even so, the attitude is starkly different regarding transgressing commandments.

Sin grieves God. Psalms 78:40 (KJV) reads, "How oft did they provoke him in the  wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!"

And as I pointed out before, God doesn't enjoy punishing people. Lamentations 3:33 (KJV) states, "For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve  the children of men."

Jesus also wept over Jerusalem and the people who refused his salvation. He knew what would come in A.D. seventy when he said in Matthew 23:37 (KJV), "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!"

But what does the Qu'ran say about sin? Sura 40:40 says, "Whoever commits a sin will be repaid only with its like. But whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, and is a believer—these will enter Paradise, where they will be provided for without account."

Furthermore, Allah is claimed to be merciful and forgiving but rejecting the message Mohammad brought is a grievous and unforgivable sin. Sura 6:49 states, "But as for those who reject Our revelations, torment will afflict them because of their defiance."

Throughout the Qu'ran, Allah is pictured as a distant and uncaring deity. Not so with the God of the Bible. This is one reason I'm writing a book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? People need to know that rejecting God is to reject the greatest love one could ever find.

Saturday Song: Eric Burdon & The Animals, "Sky Pilot"

I remember feeling offended by this song when I heard it in the spring of 1968. To me, Eric Burdon was saying that God was inept and that prayers were futile in the face of monstrous carnage. Because we, through Adam and Eve, chose to do things our way, God let us suffer the consequences.

Hear Eric Burdon and the Animals' "Sky Pilot" here.

I now understand what Eric was getting at. He was examining the matter of how God could let horrors like war happen. But not being instructed by the Holy Spirit, he couldn't comprehend the vast plan God has for each human life.

How wonderful it is that we aren't stuck with this damaged world forever. Isaiah 65:17 (KJV) promises, "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind."

And as the Lord says in Isaiah 66:22 (KJV), "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain."

Here's another assurance of the good eternal life to come for believers. The Bible says in 2 Peter 3:13(KJV) that, "Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."

So, what memories come to you when you hear Eric's song? And what do you think of what I wrote? Please leave me a comment in the box below. Or if you don't wish to do that, have a wonderful weekend anyway.

Weakness Vs. Strength in the Bible and the Qu'ran

Another point on which the Bible and the Qu'ran differ is on strength. While the Bible shows that God uses our weakness, the Qu'ran shows Allah's hatred of it.

The Apostle Paul certainly learned this value of yielded weakness. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV) he wrote, "And he said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Furthermore, there were times when the Lord fought for Israel. He did so to show them he could save by many or by few. Look at what 2 Chronicles 20:17 (KJV) says. "Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you."

But in Islam, its weak people are supposedly strengthened so they can fight for Allah. Sura 8:66 reads, "Allah has now lightened your burden,  knowing that there is weakness in you. If there are a hundred steadfast among you, they will defeat two hundred; and if there are a thousand of you, they will defeat two thousand by Allah's leave. Allah is with the steadfast."

Sura 8:15-16 explains the war-like nature of obedient Muslims. "O you who believe! When you meet those who disbelieve on the march, never turn your backs on them. Anyone who turns his back on them on that Day, except while maneuvering for battle, or to join another group, has incurred wrath from Allah, and his abode is Hell, what a miserable destination!"

These are just some of the verses and suras which show the infinite difference between Christianity and Islam's deities. I'll be mentioning more differences between all other religions verses Christianity in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Only Christianity is based on the fact that we can't save ourselves. Only God through Christ's sacrifice on the cross is able to save us.

God Takes No Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked

As I've written before, the Bible and the Qu'ran differ as to the role of who avenges wrongs. But the Bible goes further by saying that God doesn't enjoy the death of sinners.

Certain critics of Christianity claim that the Old Testament God was vengeful and petty. If so, why did he command one of his prophets to say what he said? Ezekiel 33:11 (KJV) reads, "Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"

But some folks will point to verses such as Deuteronomy 7:2 (KJV) which says, "And when the LORD thy God shall deliver  them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them;  thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto  them:"

People neglect to remember the context of this and other verses which command genocide. The descendents of Israel were weak and prone to worship idols. The seven nations in the Promised Land were extremely cruel, even roasting their babies alive to appease their demon god Molech.

Leviticus 20:2 (KJV) shows how seriously God took this barbaric practice. "Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel,  Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that  sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall  surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with  stones."

I've written before about Christ's command to love our enemies and do good to them but Islam contradicts this. Sura 3:118, as one of many examples, reads: " O you who believe! Do not befriend outsiders who never cease to wish you harm. They love to see you suffer. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their hearts conceal is worse. We have made the messages clear for you, if you understand. "

This "convert or suffer" mentality is at odds with the Bible. That's why I'll point this out in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Those who assume we worship the same deity as the Mohammedans need to see how different the two of them are.

Saturday Song: Al Wilson, "The Snake"

What a story this song tells. A woman has pity on a poisonous, half frozen snake. So she places him by the fire to warm up and then leaves for work. But when she comes home, she ends up being betrayed by the very one she helped.

Hear Al Wilson's song here.

This is so true of life. Though we Christians are commanded to love our enemies, we must also exercise prudence. As Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 10:16 (KJV), "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."

Satan is also described in Scripture with metaphors such as a serpent, Leviathan, a dragon, and a ravenous lion. He never physically became  any of these creatures, as some folks allege. These metaphors are use to describe the nature of the Devil, not his physical form. He's only a spirit and spirits have no mass.

As for me, I can relate well to this song. People who I thought were my friends just wanted something from me. Once I was of no use to them, they discarded my friendship.

I'm also sure that we all have had people who we helped suddenly turn on us. If you feel up to it, please post your experiences in the comments box below. If you don't feel like doing that, have a wonderful weekend anyway.

Hadiths Vs. Epistles, Their reliability

Another factor regarding the New Testament and the Islamic writings is their authorship. We know that the nearer the writing was done after an event, the more accurate it is.

In the case of the gospels and the epistles, they were written as early as thirty years after Christ's resurrection. Once the disciples and apostles realized that Christ wasn't immediately returning, they began to write down all that transpired during his incarnation.

Furthermore, people copied the epistles and sent them to others who copied them. There was no central authority which dictated what went into them, apart from the Holy Spirit of course.

Luke 1:1-4 (KJV) shows exactly what was going on at that time. "Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed."

We don't know what happened to Theophilus but we do know about Timothy, Philemon, and other gospel workers who received letters from eyewitnesses of Christ's ministry. This, by the way, is what determines which books are canonical, meaning reliable as written by the apostles or people associated with them.

But the Qu'ran, supposedly the next installment of God's revelation to humanity, was gathered in a different way. The following information comes from an article on www.bible.ca. After Mohammad died, Muslims noticed that there were divergent views on what Mohammad said. So a man named Abu Bakkr  set out to piece together a standardized version of Mohammad's sayings. He also ordered the destruction of all other versions which people had. Therefore, the Qu'ran isn't exactly what Mohammad claimed to have received from the angel Gabriel.

A collection of stories of Mohammad and his companions was also compiled into volumes of books later on called the Hadith. Its purpose was to explain the Qu'ran and is held as the second-most authority on Islam by Muslims.

Having heard arguments on God and Allah being the same deity, I feel compelled to add this subject to my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? People need to know that God and Allah are polar opposites in every possible way. Only faith in the saving work of Christ will gain us access to eternal life in heaven.

The Role of Government in Islam Vs. The Bible

God and Allah differ greatly on the role of government. Christians understand that the government is given by the Lord to punish evil and to reward obedience.

The best example of this is found in Romans 13:1-8.

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good.

But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

But in the Qu'ran, the commands of Allah are more important. Sura 4:59 says, "O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you dispute over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is best, and a most excellent determination."

Since Islam is a theocratic religion, only what Allah and his prophet said applies. Sura 5:47 instructs, "So let the people of the Gospel rule according to what Allah revealed in it. Those who do not rule according to what Allah revealed are the sinners."

In Christianity however, only laws preventing us from worshipping the Lord or commanding us to do something contrary to his commandments are what we must disobey.

I'll be writing more about this in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? In all matters other than what Christ has taught us, we must obey our secular leadership. We don't take the law into our own hands as the Qu'ran prescribes to the followers of Allah.

Saturday Song: 'Tar and Cement' by Verdelle Smith

Even though I was only nine years old when I heard this song on my mom's radio, it still touched my soul. This was because I had been sent from my home in the town of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta to a school for blind children in the metropolis of Vancouver B.C.

In this song, the person left the familiarity of the small town for the money and excitement of the big city. Like many people, the grass seemed greener on the far side of the fence.

When the protagonist returned to that once-small town, it had become acres of tar and cement. Gone were the lilacs which perfumed the air. Gone was the child-like joy of running through the grass and enjoying merely being alive.

Fort Saskatchewan is now a city. Where a farmer's field and the town dump used to be is now a conglomeration of big box stores. And half of the forest at the creek where I used to play has become a parking lot for fast food joints and industries.

Even the vibrant downtown has been subdued because of big box stores siphoning off customers. And the Fort Hotel, one of my favourite landmarks, burned to the ground back in 2010.

As I've pointed out before, we can't relive the past. So what can we do? Follow the Apostle Paul's example. Philippians 3:13-14 (KJV)reads,  "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

But Christ Declared All Foods Clean

Here again is another discrepancy between the Bible and the Qu'ran. The Old Testament had prohibitions against certain foods but those were only for the Israelites and procylites. It was given to them by God to keep them separate from the idol-worshipping nations around them, as were the other ceremonial laws.

But Jesus blasted the Pharisees for turning common sense health rules into onerous religious duties. Mark 7:18-23 (KJV) shows that food doesn't make a person spiritually unclean.

"And he saith unto them, 'Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?' And he said, 'That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.'"

But the Qu'ran seeks to limit the diet of people and to make rules as a religious test again. Sura 2:172-173 says, "O you who believe! Eat of the good things
We have provided for you, and give thanks to Allah, if it is Him that you serve. He has forbidden you carrion, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and what was dedicated to other than Allah. But if anyone is
compelled, without desiring or exceeding, he commits no sin. Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."

Apart from carrion, which only a starving and desperate person might eat, we don't have to worry about what goes into our mouths as Muslims and orthodox Jews do. It's more important to be spiritually clean than to abstain from certain foods to make oneself look holy.

And neither were the health laws of the Old Testament meant as a punishment but a blessing to Israel. Look at what sura 6:146 says. "For the Jews We forbade everything with claws. As of cattle and sheep: We forbade them their fat, except what adheres to their backs, or the entrails, or what is mixed with bone. This is how We penalized them for their inequity. We are indeed truthful."

Perhaps one reason for prohibiting pork is found in sura 6:146. "Say, “Shall I inform you of worse than that for retribution from Allah? He whom Allah has cursed, and with whom He became angry; and He turned some of them into apes, and swine, and idol worshipers. These are in a worse position, and further away from the right way."

I'll be writing more on this subject in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Far too many people wish and hope to be in paradise when they die but only those who know Christ personally will go there. This is why I feel compelled to write about this crucial truth.

No Salvation in Islam?

If God and Allah are the same person, as some allege, why is there such a contradiction between the Bible and the Qu'ran regarding salvation? It makes no sense to have Christ die for our sins and then nullify what he did on the cross.

Acts 2:38 (KJV) is one of many Bible verses which show that it's only faith in Christ's atonement which saves. "Then Peter said unto them, 'Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.'"

Neither can we work to earn heaven. Look at what the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8 (KJV). "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"

Even in the Old Testament, the Lord planned for Christ to be the agent of salvation. Zechariah 9:9 (KJV) reads, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." This came to pass on what we call Palm Sunday.

Acts 4:12 (KJV) reinforces the fact that Christ alone is our saviour. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

But the Qu'ran contradicts the Bible by saying in passages such as sura 39:61, "And Allah will save those who maintained righteousness to their place of salvation. No harm will touch them, nor will they grieve."

Sura 5:84-85 also claims, "And why should we not believe in Allah,
and in the truth that has come to us, and hope that our Lord will include us among the righteous people? Allah will reward them for what they say, Gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they will stay forever. Such is the reward of the righteous."

Sura 7:56 also says, "And do not corrupt on earth after its reformation, and pray to Him with fear and hope. Allah's mercy is close to the doers of good."

I could include so many more verses and suras showing the stark difference between the God of the Bible and Allah. I'll save that for my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Those who believe our heavenly Father and the harsh-natured Allah are the same entity will be in for a rude awakening on Judgement Day.