Annihilate the Annihilators....

[Guest bluesun]

Dear nebula,

I could say that God 'inspired' my to go to study at university x, because at university x i've befriended with muslims, through whom i got to know the Truth...and ultimately saving me from Hellfire.

I could say that God 'inspired' be to buy something to eat, by which i've just missed my bus which was later involved in an accident [with fatalities], thus saving my life.

But I have no solid basis for these specific claims, except my personal assumptions, and subjective perceptions and maybe wishful thinking.

If i was a sinner, I could interpret these events as Satan having 'inspired' me, thus saved my life, thus increasing my sins in this life, thus increasing my punishment in the Hereafter.

Islam teaches us [muslims] that when the soul is 'brought' to the baby in the womb, the soul is also being informed by the angel where and when s/he will die.

When we do not know what course of action to take (x, y or z?), we are commanded to pray to God to make possible only that course of action, which does not involve any sin and is good. If God responds to our prayer, we don't necessarily have an inspiration from Him as such, although later, with hindsight, we might realise that the course of action we finally took was good [i.e. no sin involved and good consequences].

How has He sustained you?

God is the Creator, Originator and Sustainor: He sustains everything He has created: He created the universe ans still sustains it [it is still there, with its laws], He created the Sun and Earth and sustains it [they still exist]. He created us both, for instance, and sustains us because we still exist.

Has He brought you comfort in the mindst of pain? Peace in the midst of confusion and despair? Assurance that you are not alone? Freedom from fear?

Have you ever felt His presence? How would you describe the feeling of His presence?

If I am in pain/confusion/dispair etc., I pray to God. Praying to God makes me at total peace. I know that my life is in His hands and that the journey is to Him and that I myself might not realise that what is good or bad for me.

God informs the believers in the Koran that what we might perceive to be good for us might in fact be bad for us [e.g.:alcohol/drugs are bad but often perceived to be good] and that what we might perceive to be bad for us might in fact be good for us [e.g.: giving away our money/possessions to those in need, i.e. charity].

I can give you two events that happened not to me but to two of my friends:

One of my friends went to Umrah [pilgrimage ot Mecca]. There she had the following inspiration: "When you are back in your house [i.e. hometown], go to town 'x', street 'y', streetnumber 'z', and tell 'm' that he will go to Heaven". So when she returned to her home a few days later, she went to town 'x', street 'y', streetnumber 'z' and asked to speak to 'm'. Those who opened her the door were surprised that she wanted to speak to 'm' [his name was abdurahim]. It turned out that he was addicted to drugs, which prevented him from having any kind of decent life. She told him that while at Umrah, somehow she was 'told' to go to this address and tell him that he would go to Heaven and left [giving her telephonenumber]. About ten days later, abdurahim's relatives called her and said that he was dead. That after he got her news, he did 'ablution' [purification with water], prayed, grew himself a sligt beard, went to the mosque every single day for every prayer [5 times a day] and did not take drugs since she left.

The other friend once went by bus to work, as every working day. Near him sat a young woman who wore very revealing cloths [very short skirt, belly not covered, etc.]. Behind her sat a religious muslim who advised her not to wear such revealing cloths, [God commands both the believing man and the believing woman to 'lengthen their sleeves and dress modestly']. She got angry, took her mobile and held it towards him exclaiming "God? Who and where is God? Here, speak to your God! C'mon! Who is God to tell me how to dress? etc.". He started to cry somewhat and left the bus at the next bus station. At one of the following bus stations that young woman got off the bus, and when she did so, she just collapsed, stopped breating.

Thess experiences increased their faith very much.

With all due respect, Bluesun, you are wrong.

I know it was the Lord because I am still alive

I am sorry, if I have offended you. This was not my intention. I was just expressing a thought.

Muhammad (pbuh) told the believers to go to graveyards, if one does not fear God. Because there one becomes conscious of the vital importance to recognise God in this world, as it is the deeds and faith we have in this life which will determint Heaven or Hell in the next life, which is eternal. Because only at the graveyard one recognises to the full extent that this life is very short and could end at any time, today, tonight or tomorrow.

Please tell me, what does Allah have for me that could have kept me from killin gmyself? Would He have surrounded me with His love and with His presence? What can I find in Him that I have not found in Jesus?

Why did you not say: Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit? This just a thought.

Al-lah means God in arabic. The arabic Bible says Al-lah [God].

God says that killing oneself is not allowed.

If you hold on to Him in times of desperation as in times of well-being, He will reward you with the good things in this life and the good things in the Herafter. What exactly this would translate into in your life, I am not in a position to tell. Only God is.

Since I have converted however, I am at peace with myself in every aspect of my life. If there is a problem, no matter how big or small, i trust in God, I know that this life is only a test and that the real/eternal life will be in the Hereafter, I know that Satan tries to lead astray mankind and try to be steadfast. As God 'said' in the Koran: "after every hardship comes ease".

hope you are well,

regards,

marianne

[nebula]

Why did you not say: Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit?

I'll answer with these verses.

John 1: 1-18

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God.

3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.

8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 John testified about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'"

16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.

17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

John 10:30

[Jesus is speaking] "I and the Father are one."

John 14:8-9

8 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."

9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? (13) He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

John 20:28-29

28 Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

29 Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? (43) Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."

How do you interpret these verses?

[nebula]

BTW, Marianne

I appreciate your convictions. Really.

However, if God was so impersonal to me as what I see being described from your experience - I couldn't have made it. If I had to pull my own self out of the mud to find God, I couldn't do it. One of the reasons I hated myself so much was because I knew I could never be good enough to earn God's favor. But He's been showing me that it's not about me - it's about Him. He gives me His favor because He is good, not because I am good.

It's His kindness that leads me to repentance, not His threat of judgment. Because He poured out His love on me, I want to love Him back. I didn't chose Him, He chose me. All I did was to accept and receive Him.

My desire to be a better person and to help others comes from my love for Him, not from my desire for a better afterlife. Granted, we will be rewarded based on our deeds. But I seek not my own glory. My glory is to lay my crown at His feet.

Revelation 5

8 When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

9 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

10 "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands,

12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."

13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."

14 And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped.

Blessings!

[Guest bluesun]

Dear Dave,

You have stated that Islam say's rightly Mary was virgin. How then did she conceive?

God states in the Koran:

"The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam, he created him from dust, then said to him: 'Be' and he was" [3:59].

God s able to do anything He pleases and He alone is able to create from nothing, because He is the Originator, the Creator.

In order to create, He just says

[Matthitjah]

Bluesun,

Let's take your summation on Adam. Yes Adam was created. He was Created in the image of God. To have dominion over the earth. To be God's agent on the earth. The only way he could do this would be to be in direct communion with God. To know God's will. This He could do by conversing with Him. Now God was God and Adam the man. So in order to be God's agent . He must be obedient. Ah' but Adam fell from his place. By being disobedient. By believing the original lie. That he himself could be in control of his own manifest destiny. To be God himself. God wanted Trust and Love. So therefore Adam had Free will. He wanted Adam to be obedient out of Love. He didn't desire a puppet. He desired a creative free agent who would use that very creativity for the same purpose God had. To Glorify His Holy name. So Adam falls. All men after spring forth from Adam. Adam himself came from God. Everyman after came from Adam. So they like Adam inherited Adams disobedience his sin. Not God's perfect will. Adam in sin caused a seperation between God and himself. He was cast out. No longer God's agent. He freely gave up his agency. His communion with God. His sin seperated him from the presence of God.

(Rom 5:12-15)

God had a plan though to solve this. All men must be born again. In the image and likeness of God . Not Adam. One man created ,fallen in sin, fathered the human race. Now you have admitted that Mary was virgin. (Luke 1:28-35)This is true. She was impregnated by the Holy Spirit. To carry the New man in whose image we were to be reborn. This man was God Himself. He Himself, His Father and the Holy Spirit bore witness of this fact. (John 5:31-39)He came to restore all things. He came to take away our sin. So that we may again have communion with God. So that we may again be God's agents. Taking away our sin by His shed Blood. Which is pleasing to the Father. (1 John 1:7)He imparted His Righteousness to us. For our righteousness is filthy rags before the Lord. (Isa 64:6) The Lord is pleased with Jesus for Jesus was an Obedient Son. He came not to live His own life but to do the will of His Father. Without sin. This man Jesus born of God. Remained sin free.For He was not born of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, nor by blood.(John 1:13)Those who believe on Him? He gives the right to be children of God by a new birth. Not of a mans flesh, nor by a mans will, also not by blood. It is impossible for us alone to reach heaven. Or to be forgiven our sin by our own actions. For we are born of the flesh and of Adam. Of the will of man or blood. We can say we are Abrahams children. Yet Abraham was Adams son. He became God's son by Faith. By a Promise which he believed. This was accounted to him for righteousness.(Ga 3:6 and Rom 4:1-25) He believed that God would provide a sacrifice. That the land would be his and His childrens for an inheritence and that he would live to see it.(John 8:56-58) We are then Abrahams children by Faith in Christ and not by blood nor the flesh nor the will of man. So this man born of a virgin coming from God having no sin. Professing to be God. (John 8:58)(John 1:48) Forgiving sin (Only God can do that). Performing miracles. Goes to the Cross and dies for our sin. He then is ressurected by the Power of the Holy Spirit. Showing that He has the power to lay down His life for our sins and also restore it. The Promise is good. If we believe by Faith and profess His namasking forgiveness for our sins. He is Just and Righteous Faithful to His Word. To follow thru. We then are born again not of the Created man of the flesh. But of the begotten man from above. Born of the Spirit and not of mans will, flesh , or blood. We have the same promise as Abraham by Faith that we will live to see His day. More than that we will be transformed on that day into His likeness. More than that also our communion with Him is restored and thus our agency. For we are born of incorruption from above. Not corruption from below born of disobedience.

Wow, my head hurts. LOL

"And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness. Honor thy father and [thy] mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go [and] sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come [and] follow me."Matthew 19:16-21.

In the blue bit, Jesus (pbuh) refuses to be called good, because only God is good. As I understand this sentence, Jesus (pbuh) does not want to be called good because he is not God [thus not good].

Jesus was saying to a young man who denied His deity. That calling Him good teacher was inferring a title to Him that was not true lest He Jesus came from God. Which this lad did not believe. For this lad would not even call his own Pharisaical teachers good. Now read on as the lad say's," I have kept all the law and yet I lack." He knew in his young heart that he lacked. He was unsure. What did he lack? He Loved his richs more than God. If he would sell them and give showing Charity and True Religion? Then follow Jesus? For Jesus is the Way, Truth, and the Life. He would lack nothing. Ah' but his richs stood in his way.

According to Islam, God [Arabic=Allah, Aramaic=Alaha], forgives all sins, except one: shirk [associating a partner with Him].

Jesus is not God's partner. He is One in being with the Father.

I try to ask for forgiveness of my sins [both those I have committed knowingly and unknowingly] every day.

If you've committed them unknowingly?And this is true?

if you believed in Him and asked for forgiveness for your sins and repented.

You have to ask for forgiveness and to sincerely repent.

How will you then repent of them. Like the rich young ruler, do you lack?

So how then are all your sins forgiven? Suppose there are some unconscience ones? How do you know? What if there is that one you committed when you were like 7 years old and you can't recall? I'm not trying to be funny either. I'm serious.

Where does the Bible say that all of mankind have sinned because of Adam having sinned (original sin)?

Rom 5:12, Ge 2:17, Eze 18:4, 1Cor 15:21, Rom 3:23, 1 John 1:8-10

Why do some Muslims believe that if they blow themselves up that they will go to heaven? If allah forgives all sins?

Peace,

Dave

[Guest bluesun]

Dear nebula,

God is not impersonal to me. He is very personal to me. i pray to Him directly. I ask Him for forgiveness, directly. I praise Him, directly. Inside my heart, I feel overwhelmed by His Power, His Mercy...all of His attributes. But at the same time, i acknowledge that I cannot possibly know everything He does. I put my trust in Him, know that He guides to the straight path and that our journeying is to Him [i.e. all of mankind will meet Him on DoJ]. I look out of the window and see His creation [sun, moon, stars, birds, grass, trees, sunlight, electrons, water,etc.]. I am constantly aware of Him. It is impossible to describe this powerful feeling with words, as I am sure you know yourself.

One of the reasons I hated myself so much was because I knew I could never be good enough to earn God's favor.

Islam teaches us [muslims] that Satan, the accursed, tries to lead mankind astray [away from the straight path]. One of his methods is to make people believe that we are not good enough for God or that He would not forgive our sins. However, God describes himself as the Most-Merciful, Most-Forgiving and Most-Compassionate.

But He's been showing me that it's not about me - it's about Him. He gives me His favor because He is good, not because I am good.

I think Islam agrees with your [christian] statement about God: God created us [mankind] to worship Him. God forgives our sins because He is the Most-Merciful, Most-Forgiving. No human being is perfect, however, we can at least make an effort to follow God's commandments [don't sin, do good].

It's His kindness that leads me to repentance, not His threat of judgment.

I cannot speak for my fellow muslims, only for myself. When I repent and ask for forgiveness, it is because I know i've done something, which displeased God. I feel very bad, thus repent and ask for forgiveness.

I'd be lying, if i said that i am not afraid of the Day of Judgment. This is because every single one of us will stand before God and be judged by Him according to his/her deeds. God will put peace in the hearts of those who believed in Him. But still, the thought of standing in front of the Creator, the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth and everything that is between them, the Supreme, just is very awe-inspiring to me.

According to Islam, this life is a test [belief in God and righteous deeds]. Only mankind accepted from God the offer to be tested [animals etc. having rejected that offer]. On the Day of Judgement every soul will be rewarded according to its deeds and belief. Thus, it makes sense to do good deeds. The more good you do, the more at peace you are [because God sends down calm and peace in your heart]. God created us and knows what is best for us. The more we sincerely and truly follow His commandments, the more at peace and at one with Him we will feel.

My desire to be a better person and to help others comes from my love for Him, not from my desire for a better afterlife. Granted, we will be rewarded based on our deeds

My desire to do good, help others and improve my character, too, comes from my love for Him. I want Him to be pleased with me.

At the same time, given that the life in the Hereafter is the eternal life and this life only a test, I wish to enter Heaven. Both are not mutually exclusive motives.

In response to your other post:

Jesus: "I and The Father are one." (John. 10:30). 

John

[Guest shiloh357]

Greetings bluesun

May interject into this conversation? I wanted to hit upon the diety of Jesus.

The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is God from the Old to the New Testament.

Let's look at some examples.

Isaiah 7:14

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

Matthew 1:23

"Behold, the virgin shall be with CHILD, AND SHALL BEAR A Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which translated means, "God with us."

As I understand it, the Koran correctly identifies Jesus as being born of a virgin. Here the Scriptures say that He is called "God with us." Here is what the Scriptures say further about this virgin born child: Isaiah 9:6

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;

And the government will rest on His shoulders;

And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Now those are quite interesting titles for someone to hold. Here is Jesus is referred to as both the "Eternal Father," and "Mighty God." I would like to point out that God is jealous for His glory. He will not share His glory with anyone else. He will not allow anyone but Himself to be venerated as God.

Isaiah 42:8

"I am the Lord, that is My name;

I will not give My glory to another,

Nor My praise to graven images.

Calling Jesus Eternal Father, Mighty God, would amount to giving Him Glory that God reserves for Himself alone. Since it is God talking in Isaiah 9:6, that means that the child being Glorifed in that verse,must therefore be God.

Furthermore, Jesus is called both Lord and Savior. Luke 2:11

for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Titus 1:4

Acts 5:31

"He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 13:23

"From the offspring of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus,

to Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

In Isaiah it is also written,

Isaiah 43:11

[nebula]

Hey, bluesun!

I'd like to go back to an older point for a bit.

It's a recorded song that played on the radio, but the song just filled my thoughts. I knew the Lord was singing that song over me! Wow! I felt so loved by Him and my trust in His care over me was refreshed and strengthened.

How can you be so sure that 'the Lord was singing that song' over you?

If i know one thing about God, then that no-one has ever seen Him, no-one knows His 'thoughts', and that He knows everything about us (thoughts, secrets, good and bad deeds, whereabouts etc.) but we know about Him only what He revealed to us through His prophets (peace be upon them all). The Bible contains a statement by Jesus (pbuh) which expresses similar description of God. So i am personally rather cautious in assigning this or that to God. I prefer to do so only where and when i can be sure that it is God's action (e.g. sustaining everything He has created, leading people to the right path).

There's a verse in the Prophets.

Zephaniah 3:17

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

This is one of the reasons I knew it was the Lord! He promised such. :il:

Islam teaches us [muslims] that Satan, the accursed, tries to lead mankind astray [away from the straight path]. One of his methods is to make people believe that we are not good enough for God or that He would not forgive our sins. However, God describes himself as the Most-Merciful, Most-Forgiving and Most-Compassionate.

I am wondering if your religion and our religion has a different perspective on the severity of sin. In our Bible, it says that "The wages of sin is death" (Ro. 6:23). Sin has a price that needs to be paid. The Law of God requires it. Sure, God desires to forgive, but the price for sin must still be paid.

In the Old Testament, God provided a way through the blood of sheep and goats bulls and such. Their blood would pay the price for the sin of the people.

But this was only a type and shadow of what was to come.

Hebrews 12

11When Christ [Jesus] came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

15For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

16In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep." 21In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

23It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. 25Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

This is why the prophet John the Baptist addressed Jesus this way:

John 1

26"I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. 27He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."

28This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."

32Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." (emphasis mine)

That being said, I will attempt to address your question:

How do you interpret the following verses?

Psalms 2:7 "I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me (King David, King), Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee."

Well, if you look at the whole Psalm:

Psalm 2

1 Why do the nations conspire

and the peoples plot in vain?

2 The kings of the earth take their stand

and the rulers gather together

against the LORD

and against his Anointed One.

3 "Let us break their chains," they say,

"and throw off their fetters."

4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs;

the Lord scoffs at them.

5 Then he rebukes them in his anger

and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,

6 "I have installed my King

on Zion, my holy hill."

7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD :

He said to me, "You are my Son;

today I have become your Father.

8 Ask of me,

and I will make the nations your inheritance,

the ends of the earth your possession.

9 You will rule them with an iron scepter;

you will dash them to pieces like pottery."

10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;

be warned, you rulers of the earth.

11 Serve the LORD with fear

and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry

and you be destroyed in your way,

for his wrath can flare up in a moment.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

King David himself was a prophet. This Psalm is a prophecy of the One to come. I don't have time to do the research now, but several of the expressions in this Psalm are Messianic references (that is, references are given that are known to refer to the coming Messiah). This is how we know this Psalm is a prophecy of the Messiah and not speaking of King David.

Luke 6:12: "And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God."

"God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?", Numbers 23:19

"And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." John 17:3

You are addressing one of the mysteries of the Godhead. How can God be One and yet be manifested as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? I puzzle over this myself, but I accept it by faith.

Jesus, God the Son, constantly interacted with God the Father through prayer while He was here on Earth.

As for the Numbers passage. God is not a man, but He became man for us.

Phillipians 2

5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

6Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

7but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

8And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death--

even death on a cross!

9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Romans 8

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

What do you make of these verses and passages I quoted?

Blessings!

[Matthitjah]

Bluesun,

Jesus was our sacrifice. Therefore we do not need to sacrifice our sons and daughters neither ourselves. Just like Abraham. God has provided.

What does Islam teach about blowing ones self up? Is it a sin?

What of Jesus being born from above?

Peace,

Dave

[Guest bluesun]

Dear shiloh357 and nebula,

thank you for your posts. I will try to respond to them by tomorrow, insh'Allah [God willing].

Dear Dr. Luke,

Thank you as well, for your long post :-). I appreciate your effort.

These are some of my thoughts:

Jesus was saying to a young man who denied His deity. That calling Him good teacher was inferring a title to Him that was not true lest He Jesus came from God.

This is not how I would interpret this section [from a neutral position, i.e. neither Muslim nor Christian nor Atheist].