It is True and Everyone Ought to Know It (Muslim)

Greetings to you, my brothers. You do not know me but I want you to know that I am a friend who wants to talk to you as a true friend. I want to share some real good news with you. Please listen very carefully.

Perhaps you have sometimes asked yourselves questions like these: * How did the world begin? * Why am I here on earth? * Why do people and animals die? * I am told (or I believe) that there is one God, but does He care for me? How can I know Him? Who can tell me?

Well, my friends, I can tell you and what I am going to tell you is true. Please listen to this message right to the end. You may find true happiness for your life.

First how did the world begin? Who made the sun, the moon, the stars in the sky? Who made the birds that fly, the fish and the water, plants, animals and all the people on the earth? What was there in the beginning? Some people reply, "Nothing was there!" That can't be true, because nothing comes out of nothing.

Others say, "There was something. There was a little speck of dust, and bit by bit it turned into the world we are looking at now." That answer is not right either.

As we all know, a house cannot be built by itself. A house is built by someone who makes a plan. Then they follow the plan until there is a house that people can live in.

In the same way the world was also made by Someone. He made a plan and followed it until there was the world that we see around us. In God's Book (the Bible) we read: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." God spoke and the world was there. He said, "Let there be light; and there was light." Everything was created by the Word of God.(1) (2)

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GOD EXISTS! We cannot see God, but we can see what He has created. God has always existed. He was always there, and He always will be there. He has no beginning and no end. He is eternal.

GOD IS THE LIVING GOD! He is not like idols, like statues made from wood or stone. They are blind and deaf and dumb, without life. He is the only God. There is no other true God.

GOD IS HOLY. He is separate from all evil and has no contact with sin. He is the only one without evil.

GOD IS LOVE. He loves every person in the world equally. He loves each of us just as we are.

GOD IS EVERYWHERE. He is where you are right now.

GOD SEES EVERYTHING. He sees all people in every place.

GOD HEARS. He even hears what you say.

GOD SPEAKS. He can speak to people. His words are written in the Bible. Because He is God, what He says is true.

GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING. He knows every thing about you. He knows what you are thinking.

GOD CAN DO EVERYTHING. Nothing is impossible to God. In the beginning, God made the first man and the first woman, Adam and Eve, and gave them life. In the Bible it is written: "God made man in His own image." (3) God is not a human being. It is not our faces and bodies that are like Him. It is our personality that is like Him. God has a personality and He made us with personalities. Because He is alive forever He has put inside our bodies something which will also live forever: it is called the soul. Just like God, we can think, speak, love, invent and make things. What God can do and we cannot is to make something out of nothing. Only God can create like that. God has never made two people exactly alike. Nobody is quite like you. You are unique. God created you for Himself. He loves you and wants to bless you.

He has a plan for you and wants you to know that there is a real purpose for your life.

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Everything God does is always good. So everything He made in the beginning was good and beautiful. Adam and Eve were very happy in the beautiful garden, where God had put them. But one day, someone came to spoil God's perfect work. This was Satan, who is called the devil.

Before Satan became evil, he was beautiful, one of God's good spirits (angels). But one day he wanted to be equal with God.

He became filled with pride and rebelled against God, because he did not want to obey Him any more. In his rebellion against God, he influenced many other good spirits that God had created. Satan won them over to his side. He also tried to cause Adam and Eve, our first parents, to disobey God. And he succeeded.

In the beginning, God, Adam and Eve were friends. They used to meet together in love, joy and peace. God had said to Adam: "You can eat freely the fruit of every tree of the garden, except one. You must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. In the day that you eat of it, you will certainly die." (4)

But one day, Satan, the enemy of God, came near to Eve in the form of a snake and said to her: "Has God really said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" And Eve answered him: "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat: but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" Then the devil said to Eve: "You certainly shall not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (5) (6) (7)

Eve saw that the fruit of the forbidden tree looked good and that it must taste delicious. Then she took one and ate it. She also gave one to her husband who ate it.

Therefore, Adam and Eve chose to disobey God. Evil came into their hearts. Because of their sin of disobedience, God had to punish them. He had to send them out of the beautiful garden, where He used to talk with them. Their sin separated them from God and their spirits (relationship with God) died. Later their bodies would die.

All of us are the descendants of Adam and Eve and are born with spirits that are dead. Like Adam and Eve, we all disobey God and are separated from Him because of our sin. Since that time, evil has passed on into everybody's heart. Fear, sadness, wickedness, quarrels, hatred, wars, death have all come into the world. We don't need to go to school to learn how to be angry, or lie, or be disobedient, cruel, lazy or selfish, because evil has already been in us since the day we were born.

God had to punish Adam and Eve because He is without sin and cannot allow sin to go unpunished (unjudged). However, He still loved them. Before sending them away from the garden, He gave them a wonderful promise. This promise is for all people. He told them that one day He would send a Saviour from Heaven. This Saviour would offer to be punished in our place and would give His life for us so we could be forgiven of our sins. In that way we would be able to come back to God to be His friends again.

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Until Jesus Christ, the Saviour, would come, God said that people could draw near to Him by sacrificing an animal without defect. The guilty one had to be punished or had to find a substitute who would be punished in his place. By putting his hand on the head of a well-chosen animal which was sacrificed, he could be forgiven. The animal was his substitute and died in his place. God's plan was that blood had to be shed because it represents life. However, the blood could not really take away the sin, but only cover it. It was a figure (picture, symbol) of the perfect sacrifice which Jesus Christ was going to be later on.

God gave Abraham a clear picture of the sacrifice to come. One day God said to Abraham "take your son...whom you love and offer him up for an offering in a place where I will show you." Abraham was very surprised. I'm sure he was sad because he loved his son. But God had spoken, so Abraham obeyed. He and his son climbed to the top of a mountain. There Abraham tied his son up and laid him on an altar. Then he took out his sharp knife and raised it above his head, ready to sleigh his dear son. At that point God called out to Abraham and said, "Stop! Don't hurt the boy." Abraham turned and in the bushes found a lamb that God had provided to take the place of his son. Abraham caught the lamb and it became the sacrifice place of his son.

God prepared the coming of Jesus Christ for many years. First, He gave us ten main laws which are for all the people of the world. These are called the Ten Commandments.

Here they are: "I am the true God. You must not worship another god." "You must not carve wood or stone or anything, to bow down to it." "You must not say God's name in a bad way" "One day a week you should keep special and cease from your work." "Children should respect their parents." "You must not murder another person." "You must not lie with another person's mate." "You must not steal" "You must not tell lies about another person." "You must not be jealous and want things for yourself that other people have." "You must not want their house, their mate, or anything belonging to them." These laws are good but our hearts are not good and no one is able to obey these laws at all times.

Before God's Son, Jesus, came into the world God also sent prophets. These are men God spoke to by His Spirit and who then told the people what He had told them. For instance the prophet Isaiah announced that the birth of Jesus Christ would be a miracle: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel" (9). (The name "Emmanuel" means God With Us). Isaiah also announced that Jesus Christ would suffer a great deal for our sins. By letting Himself be punished in our place, He would become our Saviour and make peace with God for us. But when will He come?

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About 2,000 years ago, God sent an angel to a young lady living in Palestine. She was called Mary and was engaged to a carpenter named Joseph. And the angel said to her: "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus". (10) (The name Jesus means "God saves.")

Since Mary had not lived with Joseph yet, as she was not yet married to him, she asked how this was going to happen. Mary knew that every baby has a mother and a father. But the angel said that this birth was going to be different from all others, because the baby will have no human father.

In order to be born, a miracle must take place in Mary's body.

The Spirit of God will do this miracle. The angel said to her: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy child shall be called the Son of God." (11)

Mary accepted this humbly, though she did not understand. She knew that nothing was impossible for God to do and answered: "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said." (12)

It is obvious from this account that the term "Son of God" is used not in a physical but in a spiritual sense. No, God did not take a wife and have a son, for such a thing is utterly impossible and unthinkable.

In the Injil Jesus is also called the "Word of God." While the title "Son of God" expresses His closeness to God the Father and His oneness with God the Father, the title "Word of God" tells us that it is through Jesus Christ that God speaks to man. It is therefore written: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men... And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." (13)

This passage means that God, Who had previously revealed Himself through prophets and their books, finally revealed Himself perfectly in a perfect, human person. That person is much greater than a prophet, and is truly One with God. This passage from the Injil tells us that that person is the Word of God, and is the Son of God. He was from the beginning one with God, and through Him all things were created. Then, at the appointed time, the Eternal Word of God put on the garments of humanity in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and became Jesus Christ.

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Now you may wish to ask, "How is it possible for Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and one with God since God is One?" This is indeed a mystery too great for our minds to fully comprehend, for who can fully know the nature or character of God, except God Himself? But we must remember that God is Almighty, and nothing is impossible for Him. Let me give you an illustration.

Look at the sun in the sky - it is so great and so hot that if it should come nearer to the earth we would all die. And so the sun sheds forth the sunlight, which is really one with itself, and, through it, lights and warms our earth. In a similar way our great God sends His Light which is one with Himself, into our world to give us life. God calls that Light His Word and Jesus Christ said, "I am the Light of the world: he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (14) When we see the sunlight we see the sun, and likewise when we look at Jesus Christ we see God. Jesus once said: "He who has seen me has seen the Father." (15)

HALF WAY POINT (Side B)

Now let us go back to the story of the birth of Jesus Christ on this earth.

When Jesus was born in the little town of Bethlehem, an angel appeared to some shepherds who were guarding their sheep at night in the fields near by. He said to them: "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Saviour, Who is Christ the Lord.

And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger. (16)

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of angels from heaven praising God, and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." (17) And when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about." (18) Then they hurried there and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby Jesus, lying in a manger.

Like all other children, Jesus grew up.. He ate, He slept, He played and He learned. He helped His mother and His father. But Jesus never committed any sin. He is sinless. He is the Word of God Who came from heaven to live on this earth as a man.

When Jesus was twelve years old, His parents took Him to the temple in Jerusalem for the great feast of the Passover that was attended by many boys of His age. There, He listened with great interest to readings from the law of God and He heard what the prophets had said.

After the feast, Mary and Joseph started to travel back home along with many friends, but on the way they realised that Jesus was not with any of them. So they hurried back to Jerusalem and found Jesus in the Temple in the middle of a discussion with the religious teachers of Israel. He was listening to them and asking them questions. When Jesus saw how astonished Mary and Joseph were, He reminded them that His Father in heaven had given Him a big task to do on earth. He said to them: "Did you not know that I must be about my Father's business?" (19)

After that, Jesus returned home with His parents and submitted to them. He grew and progressed in every way, and God was pleased. So was everybody who knew Him.

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When Jesus was 30 years old, He started to show openly that He was no ordinary man, but the Son of God Who came to earth. He healed sick people. He made blind people see and deaf people hear. He made paralysed people walk. He healed lepers. Everybody tried to touch Him because power was going out from Him and was healing them all. They said, "Everything He does is wonderful." (20)

In the town of Capernaum lived a man who could not walk. Four of his friends took hold of the mat on which he lay and carried him to a house. A large crowd had gathered to listen to Jesus. The four friends couldn't get through to Jesus because of all the people, so they climbed up onto the flat roof. They then made an opening in the roof, tied ropes to the mat, and lowered the sick man down before Jesus. When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he exclaimed, "My friend, your sins are forgiven!" (21) "What? Sins? But we've brought this man here to have his body healed!" Jesus knew that, but He also knew that sin in a person's heart is much more serious than sickness in his body. "...Who but God can forgive sins?" some of the people thought. They did not want to believe that Jesus was God.

In order to prove he had authority to forgive sins, Jesus commanded the paralysed man, "Rise, take up your bed and go home" (22) At once the man got up, rolled up his mat, and went home. Can't you see him jumping for joy? He was given two wonderful presents: forgiveness of his sins, and healing of his body. His heart was filled with love for Jesus.

One day Jesus climbed into a boat with His disciples to cross Lake Galilee. He was tired and fell asleep on the cushion in the stern. Suddenly a violent wind blew up. The waves were high and water poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. The disciples were terrified. They wakened Jesus roughly and cried, "Teacher, don't you care that we are about to drown?" (23) Jesus stood up. He spoke sharply to the wind and water:

"Peace! Be still!" (24) At once the storm stopped and the lake was smooth as glass. Amazed, the disciples asked, "Who is this man, that even the winds and the waves obey Him?" (25)

This man, as we know is the Son of God and the Word of God. So why be surprised? It was natural for Jesus to be Master of the things He made - the wind, the sea, and all of nature.

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Jesus did many other wonderful things. He even conquered death. One day, Jairus, a religious leader, threw himself down at the feet of Jesus, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so she may be made well. (26) Jairus' daughter was only twelve years old. Jesus agreed to go with Jairus, but on the way something happened. A woman who had been sick for twelve years and whom the doctors could not help came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of His garment. Immediately she was healed and Jesus stopped and talked with her.

During this time the young girl had been getting worse and messengers brought bad news to her father. They said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further? (27) But Jesus said to Jairus: "Don't be afraid, only believe. (28) When they arrived at Jairus' house, Jesus went into the daughter's room and took with Him the father and mother of the little girl, and three of His disciples. He took the little girl who was already dead by the hand and said, "Little girl, get up!"(29) Immediately life returned to the body of the girl and she got up and started to walk. Jesus had made her live again!

While He was on earth, Jesus brought several people back to life. He said, "I am the resurrection and the life!" (30) In this way He announced His death which will be followed by His resurrection. He also announced that some day all people will be raised to life. Those who have believed on Him - and only those - will be with Him forever. Those who refuse to believe on Him during their life on earth will be separated from Him forever. It will be hell for them.

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Jesus said: "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for His sheep. (31) The time came when Jesus put these words into practice. He knew that God had sent Him to this earth to accomplish a painful task. By accepting to become like us, He accepted to take upon Himself the sin which separates all men, all women and all children from God. He knew that there was no other solution for us to escape from the judgment of God and the eternal condemnation which we deserved because of our sinful condition. Because He loved us and wanted to bring us back to God like a Good Shepherd, He knew that He had to give His life for us.

Though Jesus only did good deeds and never committed sin, not even once, one of His friends betrayed Him and sold Him for money to those who would not accept His holy and righteous teachings. They were sinful religious men who did not want to turn from their evil ways.

So He was condemned to death. His hands and His feet were nailed on a wooden cross. How He was suffering! But as always, He thought of others first. He began by praying for His enemies, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (32) At mid-day, (noon) suddenly the sun was darkened. There was darkness all over the earth. This was the most terrible moment for Jesus: He was punished for the sins of all people. By accepting to take our sins upon HIM, He accepted to be punished by God in our place. Therefore, Jesus became the Saviour Whom God the Father had promised to Adam and Eve and to all their descendants.

Of course being God, Jesus could have come down from the Cross, but He didn't. If He had, He would not have been able to become our Saviour. According to the plan of God, a perfect man (a second Adam) without sin had to die in the place of imperfect and sinful men (and women, and children!) Only Jesus, the Son of God, could be that perfect Man. Therefore He remained on the Cross. By His sacrifice on the Cross, no one - no man, no woman, no child - needs to draw near to God through the blood of an animal any more. By dying on the Cross, Jesus shed His blood once for all. He became the Lamb of God Who accepted to be sacrificed for the forgiveness of our sins. His sacrifice was perfect and God accepted it. God will not accept any other sacrifices. What about you, dear friend, won't you accept it too?

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After Jesus died on the cross, He was buried. Three days later, four women came very early to the place where Jesus was buried. What a surprise they got! Jesus was not there! The tomb was EMPTY! An angel of the Lord, dressed in white clothes, said to the women, "Don't be frightened! I know you are looking for Jesus Who was crucified, but He isn't here! For He has come back to life again, just as He said He would...Go quickly and tell His disciples." (33)

Filled with joy, the women ran to share this marvellous news! That same day all the disciples except one, called Thomas, met together in a room in Jerusalem and Jesus appeared to them, saying: "Peace be unto you." (34) Afterward when Thomas heard their report he said, "Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." (35) A week later, Jesus appeared again to His disciples and Thomas was with them. He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Then Thomas said, "My Lord and my God." (36) Jesus showed Himself to many people. His body was now different from the one He had before His death. For instance, He could enter a room when the doors and windows are closed. He has a new body, a body that cannot die any more.

All the religious leaders whom men have followed over the years, are dead. Jesus is the only One Who can say: "I was dead, and behold, I AM ALIVE FOREVERMORE." (37) Forty days after He came out alive from the tomb, Jesus went back to Heaven, where God has highly exalted Him and given Him a name above all other names, "That at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW...And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (38)

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Some day, Jesus is coming back again, to take His own people - all those who have accepted Him as their personal Saviour - to be with Him in heaven forever. When He is coming, "every eye will see Him." (39) And all those who do not belong to Him will be judged and condemned because they did not accept Him as the only Saviour. The one Whom God had promised would reconcile them with Him.

Don't wait until Jesus Christ comes back as your Judge. Come to Him now and He will receive you. He said, "Whoever comes to me I will never drive away." (40) When God provided a substitute to take the place of Abraham's son on the altar, Abraham accepted the substitute, and his son was saved. If Abraham had been a proud man and refused God's gift, his son would have died needlessly. Even though the sacrifice had been provided. God also provided a substitute for you. Jesus Christ has become the sacrifice so you won't have to die for your sins. But if you refuse His sacrifice (in your place) you will still die needlessly for your sins. The prophet John wrote, "He who believes in Him is not judged, but he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the only begotten Son of God. (41)

Jesus is now the only sacrifice for your sins. In the Injil we read, "If we go on sinning wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment." (42) Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think He will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?" (43)

If you decide to come to Jesus Christ now and accept Him as your Saviour, you can pray to Him in this way, "Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for dying for me and shedding your blood for the cleansing of my sins. I acknowledge my sins and turn away from them. I turn away from them and ask you to please forgive me. I want you to be my Saviour. Please cleanse me and create in me a new heart. I want to follow you and obey you all the days of my life. Amen." If you pray this way, Jesus will hear you and come into your life. Then when you die, He will take you to Heaven to be with Him always. You will not fear death, judgment or condemnation any more.

Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (44)

BIBLE REFERENCES:

1/ Genesis 1:1 2/ Genesis 1:3 3/ Genesis 1:27 4/ Genesis 2:16, 17 5/ Genesis 3:1b 6/ Genesis 3:2,3 7/ Genesis 3:4b, 5 8/ Exodus 20:3b, 12-17 9/ Isaiah 7:14 10/ Luke 1:31 11/ Luke 1:35 12/ Luke 1:38 13/ John 1:1-4, 14 14/ John 8:12 15/ John 14:9 16/ Luke 2:10-12 17/ Luke 2:13, 14 18/ Luke 2:15 19/ Luke 2:49 20/ Mark 7:37 21/ Mark 2:5b 21a Mark 2:7b 22/ Mark 2:11 23/ Matthew 8:25b 24/ Matthew 8:26b 25/ Matthew 8:27 26/ Mark 5:33 27/ Mark 5:35b 28/ Mark 5:36b 29/ Mark 5:41b 30/ John 11:35a 31/ John 10:11 32/ Luke 23:34 33/ Mark 16:6 34/ John 20:19B 35/ John 20:25 36/ John 20:27 37/ Rev. 1:18 38/ Philippians 2:10, 11 39/ Rev. 1:7 40/ John 6:37 41/ John 3:18 42/ Hebrews 10:26-27 43/ Hebrews 10:28-29 44/ Matthew 11:28