Satan Doesn't Care How He Deceives

As Long As He Can Steer You From The Truth

The following video is making its rounds on the Internet as testimony of a Muslim's conversion to Christianity. Integral to this man's conversion was information he found about Jesus in the Qur'an.

First, let us not fall into the trap of believing that God needs validation from sources that are not inspired by the Holy Spirit and merely reflects the wisdom of men (James 3:15).  While things that are true may be found in any writing, the standard of truth are the Scriptures.

Yet, much of the information cited from the Qur'an as validating the identity of Jesus Christ is inaccurate and unbiblical.   These are reportedly the things that are said of Mary, mother of Jesus, in the Qur'an:

• Mary was ever-virgin
• Mary was born without sin
• Mary never sinned
• Mary was ascended bodily into Heaven

While there are also a few things said about Jesus in the Qur'an as well, more seems to be said about Mary; even having a book of the Qur'an named after her.

What some may not realize is that the statements above about Mary are part of the false doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church.  Why would Islam be so supportive of false Catholic doctrine?

AWAKE!

"As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness." Psalm 17:15

The above verse is just beautiful to me.  "I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness".

We should be satisfied each day to be in the presence of the Lord.  He should be the first whom we seek in the morning and the last whom we seek at night.  We should be in constant communion with Him (I Thessalonians 5:17).

Yet, as I read that verse yesterday, God put upon my heart an additional meaning.  "I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with [to possess] your likeness".  I shall be satisfied when I finally find myself transformed into the image of Christ.  Is that not the goal?  To be like Christ?

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." Romans 8:28-29

As this verse implies, it is by beholding the face of Jesus that such a transformation occurs.

"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." II Corinthians 3:17-18

You Say You Have Received the Lamb

But Will You Recognize the Lion?

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD." Deuteronomy 6:4

You might be surprised to realize how many Christians have splintered the image of God in their minds.  God the Father is considered to be the relentless tyrant, but Jesus Christ is seen as the merciful Savior.  

They do not realize that when we see Jesus, we are seeing a revelation of the Father.

"All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." Matthew 11:27    (Also Psalm 40:8; Luke 10:22; John 1:18, 14:7-9; I John 2:23)

Jesus does not perform His own will; He does the will of the Father alone.

"For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." John 6:38    (Also Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42; John 5:19-30)

Neither did Jesus come to do a separate or different work than the Father; He came to complete the Father's work.

"Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." John 4:24    (Also John 14:10, 17:4)

Jesus does not speak His own words, but only what the Father speaks.

"For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak." John 12:49-50    (Also John 8:28)

Jesus is the Creator of all things, but He will also be the Judge of all things.

"For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:...And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man." John 5:22, 27     (Also Matthew 25:31-46; Act 10:42; Act 17:31; Romans 2:16, 14:10; II Corinthians 5:10; II Thessalonians 1:7-10; II Timothy 4:1; I Peter 4:5; Psalm 9:7-8, 96:13; 98:9; Revelation 20:11-12)

We are reconciled to the Father by the Son, but it is the Father who gives us to the Son.

"As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him...I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word...Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." John 17:2, 6, 24    (Also John 6:6-44, 10:29)

The Pleading of the Lord

Many times, the Church paints an image of Jesus that is effeminate, weak, defeated, and docile; begging to be received by sinners.  Yet Scripture paints a different picture. It shows a God who is pleading with sinners via "the fire and His sword" (Isaiah 66:16; Jeremiah 25:31), and the Lord's pleading is often associated with pending judgment (Isaiah 3:13).

plead: shaphat; to judge, govern, vindicate, punish

Yet, some may ask, "Isn't Jesus up in Heaven interceding for all sinners?"

"And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." Romans 8:27 

 "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." Hebrews 7:25 

 "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine...Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word." John 17:9, 20

Jesus' primary focus in intercession is for believers.  Does this mean that He doesn't care for the lost? Not at all.  It is God's desire that all would be saved (I Timothy 2:4).  The reason that Jesus prays for the Church is because such is God's vehicle for proclaiming Christ (Matthew 9:38; Luke 10:2; Romans 10:14-15). Jesus prays for the Church so that we will be an effective witness to the world and a powerful army against Satan; the empowerment of the Church is to be a key focus of our prayers as well (Colossians 1:9-11; Ephesians 6:18-20; I Thessalonians 5:25; II Timothy 1:3; James 5:16).

In the same way, Jesus came primarily for the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 10:5-6; 15:24), but it was for the benefit of the whole world.  God deals primarily with His people, because it is His people through which He brings the deliverance.  This is rather different than the picture of intercession painted by much of the Church, because much of what is preached these days is based on carnal emotion - what people want to believe - and not Scripture.

But They Could Not Show Their Father's Seed

To Whom Do You Belong?


"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." I Peter 1:23 

In the book of Ezra, God begins to gather His people who had been captured and taken away into bondage in Babylon.  The story of God's deliverance of His people here is amazing.  It starts with the Lord moving upon the heart of the Persian King Cyrus to declare God as Lord and calling for God's people to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.  All that had been stolen from the temple of God and given unto idols, Cyrus collected so that they could be returned to the house of the Lord.

Israel had grown to substantial numbers in captivity.  Not all Israelites chose to return to Jerusalem because their spirits would not be stirred by God (Ezra 1:5; Luke 13:34).  However, of those who were stirred, they came forth as priests, singers, porters, servants...their lineage was made clear so that they could show evidence of a rightful inheritance to possess the land.  Yet, there were some who could not produce this evidence.

"And these were they which went up from Telmelah, Telharsa, Cherub, Addan, and Immer: but they could not shew their father's house, and their seed, whether they were of Israel: the children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two. And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name: these sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood." Ezra 2:59-62

polluted: Hebrew word ga'al; to be to defiled, polluted, desecrated