CHRIST IN THE MODERN WORLD

Why do people have such a problem with Christ Jesus? You have a very modernized friend and sit down, try to explain the Gospel to him. He reacts uneasily and nods at every word you speak, but he desperately tries to avoid the subject. Your friend, it seems, does not seem interested in the Gospel at all but acknowledges that Christ truly was a great teacher.

Another day and you try to explain the Gospel to a Muslim friend. He is very excited about it but stands up and starts to say that Jesus was indeed a great prophet. But he gives you a hint that he has a better understanding of these things than you yourself.

The thing is that in today's world of career opportunities, reputation, successes, and prosperity (that is the goal of the masses); people are not interested in Jesus. Why? The modernized person will not accept Jesus because he has far too many promotions and business reputation at stake. The Muslim will dare not touch the Gospel because of fear of his community. The Hindu has somewhat the same feeling.

In a world of aggression, shrewdness and competitiveness, Jesus has no place. The Christ came to this world two thousand years ago and preached the brotherhood of man. He preached forgiveness, compassion, salvation and above all "LOVE." The Lord was of humility unlike the world.

Another thing could be that once a person has accepted Jesus then that person has to set God’s will above all things in his/her life. Remember Jesus said “LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR OWN DEAD” and to “TAKE THE CROSS AND FOLLOW HIM.”

And above all these words “No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

SOPHIE SCHOLL'S STORY

During World War II, In Nazi Germany, Adolph Hitler was systematically murdering the entire Jewish race. No one in Germany dared to speak against him. Only a select few chose to stand up against Hitler for his crimes against humanity. Remember the time when Abraham asked the Lord if He found only one good man in Sodom would He still destroy it and the Lord answered no?

One of the few who stood against Hitler was a teenage girl, Sophie Scholl. Sophie Scholl knew about the concentration camps and the slaughter of the Jews. She knew that Hitler's plans were an act of evil against God. At a time when opposing the Nazis were considered almost instant death, she stood up for what was right. She decided to protest peacefully by distributing leaflets with her brothers and friends. The name of this peaceful movement was called "the White Rose."

If we, today, find out that our government was acting on the basis of evil what would we do? What kind of a decision should we make? Sophie Scholl was able to make her decision because of her faith in Christ and her firm belief in the resurrection of our Lord. And as a result she and her friends were executed. She died because she knew God loves all of us. A great dictator like Hitler could not recognize that.

Remember Jesus words:“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).

STRIVE TO BE FIRST CENTURY CHRISTIANS

The churches of Christ strive to be in one unison spiritually with the first churches of the Apostolic era. We Christians nowadays need to question ourselves: "Are we supposed to Christians in a modern liberal era or are we supposed to be die-hard fired up Christians of the time of the Apostles?

A Greek named Aristides, in AD 125 wrote to a friend about the new religion called Christianity: “If any righteous man from among the Christians passes from this world, they rejoice and offer thanks to God, and they escort his body with songs and thanksgivings as if he were setting out from one place to another nearby.

Jesus said:
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." Matthew 5:12-14

About the Quran

My earlier report about corruption in Quran is to show the Muslim brother that lot of text has been added or subtracted from Quran by the 1st century followers of Mohammed (SAW) in hopes of rationalising it into a religion which may keep their forefather religion alive. They have also added chapter to keep their goddesses names alive with Quran. (Sura-e-Tuba). Because of uncertainty of real Quranic messages after him(SAW), the follower of Prophet (SAW) got divided and started internal war of capturing the power of Islam. That's why from 3rd Halifa, Usman Ghani (RATU) onward were killed by internal competitors. Thus Islam of Mohammed's (SAW) times did never existed after him(SAW). What we see today is virtual Islam not the real Islam. Follower of such Islam are ready to fight any moment. For example once Zakir Nayak instigated shia muslim by advising sunni muslim to honour the murder of grandson of Mohammed(SAW). Unfortunately the time was not right, for he was planing to hold his international conference in the same month. Therefore he apologised to shia muslim, because they had declared not to allow the conference to be peaceful. What is real Islam ? The real Islam can be understood only when one follows all the books teaching or known as WORD of GOD. May it be Zaboor, Taurat , Injeel or Quran. follow those word which you understand and try to learn those word which you do not understand.
If you can not understand the meaning of Alif_laam_Meem why dispute it. Do not dispute WoG (Wallaho Yalamoon) because God knows everything..

CONTRADICTIONS IN THE KORAN

This is for Muslim debaters who argue that the Bible is corrupted and the Koran is pure.

1. Before Mohammed invaded Macca., and almost half a century before his birth, there came king from Yemen invaded Macca to convert the grand temple into idol-less worshiping place, to spread monolithic religion of worshiping God. Somehow he was defeated. This event is reported in Quaran as follow. (Book 30:Aam, Chap As-habilfeel)

Do you not remember how we defeated the army of elephant when they came to destroy the grand temple of Macca. The small birds, bats carried small stones in their beaks. They dropped those stone on the head of elephant and God defeated them all.

One may wonder how can God change his mind in just half a century and Mohammed becomes successful invader of Macca.
(Walla-ho yalamoon) and God knows everything.

2. We all know, from the bible, of miracle "blind man getting his eye sight" due to Jesus. Jesus had also declared that that blind man was born blind so that he perform the miracle of giving eye sight to him.
Once in Mohammed's times some Christian told this Bible's story to a blind man. Therefore, that blind man was encouraged, for being his believer he had great hopes in Mohammed, and approached Mohammed for performing the miracle of "Blind man getting his eye sight" However contrary to his faith and hopes Mohammed ignored him and continued talking to a worshiper of idol in hopes of wining him to his side. Few days after this event the blind man reconverted into his old religion,

Sura: Aabasa came on Mohammed this a Chapter called "Aabasa:" in Book 30:Aam of Quran. where God is rebuking Mohammed for practicing discrimination.

Unfortunately that blind man was later beheaded by Mohammed's army when they captured Mecca. (Alla-ho-akbar)

Credit to Brother 'W' for this article

ORIGINS - Part 1

POPULAR MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CHRIST - His likeness

Did Jesus have long hair or blue eyes? Is he the person portrayed in countless images, icons or movies?

To say the truth, no hard evidence exists of the physical likeness of Jesus, despite all the claims about the Shroud of Turin, the so-called earliest depictions by saints, etc. Jesus in my point of view will always remain a Man of authority, assertiveness, and complete control yet humble and compassionate towards the oppressed. The images you have seen throughout your life contradicts all the above mentioned and instead paints a very different picture of a person who looks like a rather poetic, alienated, and intellectual man.

When the temple soldiers came to arrest Jesus in Gethsemane, they had to confirm His identity and hence they asked, “Who among you is Jesus the Nazarene?” Jesus answered them, “I am He.” Doesn’t that mean Jesus looked like a common Jewish man of His times? I’m sure there wasn’t anything in the looks of Him that suggested the very incarnation of God on earth. What did satisfy the disciples that Jesus was the Son of God was the way He preached and the authority He proclaimed.

28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. – Matthew Ch. 7

Another thing we should consider is that Jews of the time of Jesus thought it shameful to keep long hair. Why then would Paul speak against the very thing in 1 Corinthians Ch. 11?

14Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,

Many try to dispute that Jesus was a Nazarite and therefore he did not put a razor on his head.
There is however a sharp difference between a ‘Nazarite’ and a ‘Nazarene.’

GRAN TORINO

A couple of days ago, I saw a movie called ‘Gran Torino.’ The movie was directed by legendary action star Clint Eastwood and Eastwood starred in it as well. The movie is rated ‘R’ for its language and it is totally unsuitable for children, but unusually (and please don’t start throwing eggs at me) I would recommend every mature Christian to watch this movie for its general theme.

Eastwood plays a Korean war veteran, who knows much about deaths in life more than life itself. Being a soldier who once killed ruthlessly, he is a violent man and someone who wants to be left alone. After his wife’s death, some Hmong immigrants move in next door. At first Eastwood’s character does not like his new neighbors at all, but events cause him to grow very close in friendship with a Hmong boy. As the friendship grows, the Hmong boy’s family is harassed by gang members daily. Now Eastwood’s character is concerned about the family, and at first, immediately tries to solve it with violence. But violence brings more violence and the family ends up traumatized and Eastwood’s character is left in shock as to how much more trouble he has brought with violence.

Eastwood now sits alone in the dark with a priest and quietly decides in his own mind that he must end this once and for all. At this point, the viewer is left thinking that Eastwood wants to kill all of the gang members. Remember that the character knows more about death than life. But shockingly, he instead sacrifices his very own life --- for the safety of the Hmong boy with whom he became friends, landing all of the gang members in jail for murder before a lot of witnesses. At the end of the movie, the protagonist has stated that he “is at peace.”

Sacrifice is something that we Christians tend to dissociate ourselves from. We praise a lot about our Savior’s valuable sacrifice for our sins, but in stark contrast forget the Lord’s saying in the gospel of John.

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

How many of us do not take this literally but instead flee when our friends and loved ones are in need.? Yes, sometimes Jesus’ words are very demanding of our lives, but we should realize that the moment we arise from the water in baptism, our lives are His and not our own. Sacrifice is indeed a very demanding word and sometimes it may mean death. But God is with us and he is ready to reward us always.