Posted in
Vulnerability and me by Seth Barnes on 5/25/2008
One of our missionaries brought a story back from her travels to Muslim nations. But when I checked
www.Snopes.com there was this statement: "
no news reports have
surfaced in Egypt about a man's murdering his wife."
When I questioned my coworker on it and reported the Snopes.com comment, she said, "
We know the facts,
and the person who told us was in contact at the time with the people who
experienced this and had the true facts."
So, I'm not sure what to believe. Sometimes, we Christians, in an effort to be more zealous in our faith, buy into absolute hoaxes. On this one, I'll let you decide for yourself. Let me know what you think. Here's the story:
One of
AIM's missionaries
recently returned from the Middle East having heard the following story while
there: I just got an email today from another source sharing the same story.
A Muslim man in Egypt killed
his wife because she was reading the Bible and then buried her with their
infant baby and 8-yr old daughter. He buried them alive. He then
reported to the police that an uncle killed the kids. 15 days later, another family member
died. When they went to bury him, they
found the two little girls under the sand - ALIVE!
They brought the case before a magistrate, and apparently, the country is outraged over the
incident. Word is that the man will be executed.
The older girl was asked how she had survived. "A man wearing shiny white clothes, with
bleeding wounds in his hands came every day to feed us. He woke up my mom so she could nurse my
sister," she said.
She was interviewed on Egyptian
national TV, by a veiled Muslim woman news anchor. She said on public TV, "This was none other
than Jesus, because nobody else does things like this!" Muslims believe Isa (Jesus) would do this,
but the wounds mean He really was crucified, and it's also clear that the child
could not make up a story like this, and there is no way these children could
have survived without a true miracle.
So... what do
you believe? Could this be real?
For more on this topic, check out:
I believe this most likely happened and we will see more! God is wanting to pour out His Spirit, but unfortunately anytime reports of such things happening there are many who refute it. A woman was raised from the dead in this country last week and AOL was the only report that I saw. The family had contact with someone who had been to Lakeland and nine family members have come to Christ. What is wrong with people that we have to have a big debate over if it's God or not? If He is getting the glory then He can use it for His purpose!!!!! Come Holy Spirit come!!!
Is this a true story?
I find that it's always the same issue between God and we humans since the dawn of time. Adam had the opportunity to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or bow down at the tree of life. At the end of the day, trying to understand God and his ways without humility is a fool's errand.
Because we embrace the "miracle" portion of the account and ignore the part that totally bashes and insults another's love for their children without any proof whatsoever, doesn't excuse us for being so willing to accept that a father would do such a thing.
The love of God doesn't need any help from spurious propaganda and made up miracles. God is soverign, God is omnipotent. He doesn't need nonsense like this. Son't spread rumpors; "Go into all the world and spread the Gospel."
Today you see in the word,these fanatics blow themselves up in the midst of women and children,We see these fanatics and lunatics propagate violence and then you ask the question why would a man do this to his wife and children....Hold on to your belief whoever you are but beware...........
This story was not on any local or international press release and allso not on egypt national tv.
I am a christian, but not a fanatic.
And my opinion is that stories like this are not helping people like me to be strong believers. of course its good propaganda for people who are allready fanatic believers.
In fact I think its feeding fanatics all over the world to stand against each other.
I don not think the bible teach us that.
I am a christian, and half believe it (the story), but I couldn't find evidence that it actually happened, and I do not know if it is true, or some weirdo person did it.
It also says some things about please let this story be shared. If it's in a newspaper, why would they want people to share it?
I have read this back in 2004 when it was published, this is very old news. This is right up there with the two Caucasians finding the shrine wraps of Jesus Christ back in the 90's.
The story presented is basically a hoax, or fib without no substantial evidence. I as a Muslim will not speak on the mental aspect of the person who wrote this or started this, but I do question the mental fanatical rhetoric that push this propaganda. It's almost like being beguiled to " If you aren't believing in Christ Jesus you will not make it to Heaven". The Bible made it very clear to be righteous and believe and do righteous deeds you will enter The Kindom.
PROVERBS 21:21
He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.
Muslims believe in Jesus/Yeshu'a/Isa Pbuh the Son of Mary very much so, that he was a mighty messenger[he gave the GoodNews/Gospel] and a Miracle worker,[Healing, multiplying food etc], the miraculous birth from Mary and a wonderful Prophet,[Prophetic sites] this is said in the Qur'an. Allah gives proper knowledge to this man and what happened to him in his time. No one else of other faiths believe in him not even the Jews, who are so called " the Chosen People" yet they suppose to be of him. That's another topic. It is a misconception that all Christians have the same take on Jesus/Isa pbuh being God, Son of God, part of the Trinity etc. I have learned this through my experience as a Muslim and through thorough schooling with scholars and doctors alike. So again, I say Muslims believe in Jesus/Isa pbuh and whoever don't understand this is in great error. We differ on the fact of him being crucified as the Qur'an say he wasn't killed or crucified, so that is where we differ. So the reason I brought this up is to bring facts to the table not what someone said, this mere story is a fabrication of an individual. We as Muslims follow the very Commandments of the Old Testament, if you study Islam as Muslims study Christianity and Judism you will see the similarities that are exactly identical. Jesus/Isa himself said he followed the law/Old Testament.
Matthew 5:17-20
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
-
I can bring up so many points but individuals who would like to know just ask, and we can have a valuable discussion on facts of what I have said and the knowledge of it in a wonderful conversation. A man asked Jesus/Isa pbuh how can he obtain eternal life[Salvation] and he told that man:
Matthew 19:17
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.
Now ask what is the greatest law according to Jesus/Isa pbuh?
Matthew 22:36
36 Master, which [is] the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
-
Then Again Jesus/Isa pbuh him said again in the Bible:
Mark 12:28-30
And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment.
So lets see what Qur'an say in the Matter of One God/Allah:
Qur'an:
ALLAH IS ONE SURAH IKHLAS 112
1. Say: He is Allah, The One and Only,
2. Allah, The Eternal, Absolute,
3. He beggeth not nor is he begotten,
4. And there is none like unto him.
Bible Verse to back up Qur'an.
Bible:
Isaiah 45:21
21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside
me.
So in essence, Muslims believe the first commandment that there is only One Lord Allah as Jesus pbuh did also as the Bible presents. Jesus/Isa pbuh in fact didn't call the Creator God[Anglo Saxon origin], but called him Elah, Or Elohim. Elah and Allah if you look at the two are basically the same, no so God. This is the first pillar of Islam to believe in One Deity who created the heavens and the earth in six days[periods], just like the bible say. I can go on and on, but I had to let those who don't know anything about Islam know a few things. If you want to know more, just email me, no problem.
One who is claiming to be Muslim would be insane to believe in killing someone over reading the Bible. Let me tell you, I have 11 different bibles, and study with various Muslims and scholarly Christians alike, am I dead? NO! Haven't had one death threat. Imams in Islam study and read the Bible, do you hear any claimed factual stories of Imams who are the leaders in Masjids around the world coming up dead? NO! I myself have 11 different Bibles ranging from Arabic to English, 14 Bible Dictionaries from dates of 1838 to modern times, and I haven't been threaten not once because I read and study them. In Islam we are encouraged to study everything we get our hands on, The beloved Prophet Muhammad pbuh said study also. So if this was true, there wouldn't be any Muslims around, we would all be dead. Common sense should kick in once they said the 8 year old said "a man in a white sheet took care of us". Common sense should of kicked in, 15 days under the earth and lived? An eight year old, being young and lungs not a full size plus panic, the child would of died instantly, in minutes, that would be a psychological horrid for a child of that age to bare, let alone a BABY! You can almost laugh at the folly of the story but truth be told this is not funny, this is very serious.
Lets say that this 8 year old child did see Jesus/Isa pbuh, why would she describe him in all white with hands bloody? It's been two thousand years since he descented to Allah, wouldn't he have cleaned up by now? Plus it was alleged the girl said he woke up her mother to fed the other child. Stop! Red flag! If he fed the 8 year old, why would he wake up the mother to fed the infant? He could of fed both! Once you are dead physically and never come back you are spiritualized as Jesus pbuh said himself in the Bible. Yet the mother remain DEAD because it shows no reports she was alive only the two girls.
Short and simple “WHERE’S THE EVIDENCE”. In court you can’t have a case by mere hearsay, you must produce EVIDENCE! If you don’t have evidence you will lose your case. So I ask, how can you believe something if there is no evidence? Show evidence of the Egypt papers and documents of this happening. If you can’t show it, then, you will waddle in falsehood.
Be careful what you read, everyone is entitled to their own belief, if you have a problem within your own belief that's something you would have to take up with the LORD and yourself, I am perfectly where I am suppose to be and blessed, and wouldn't have it any other way. Again if you have any questions just ask and I will respond.
Jesus said
“The truth shall set you free”
Qur’an:
“Truth will make falsehood perish, the very nature of falsehood is forever perishing”
My personal quote:
“An enslaved mind will believe in anything and question nothing”
My thing is if Christians need to mission themselves to someone, it shouldn't be the Muslims, we believe, it's like trying to teach someone righteousness when they are already righteous. Go to those that DON'T BELIEVE IN JESUS/ISA PBUH AT ALL!
Rahim.
I just wanted to say, this is a wonderful site you have here. I hope in the future the Muslims and Christians can have wonderful dialogue here and share knowledge.
rahim4412@yahoo.com
Rahim
I have a favourite quote:
"For those who believe no proof is necessary, for those who do not believe no proof is possible"
FAITH itself is a gift from God...and we need to ask for more. We cannot take His wonderful grace for granted.
Jesus is my KING
Here's the 'article': http://mail.google.com/mail/?attid=
0.1&disp=emb&view=att&th=11b53c36cb87c4ac
Also, to the Muslim man who wrote that you can get into Heaven by doing good deeds. Rebuke your selfish and evil ways for you ARE NOT RIGHTEOUS. For Jesus said Himself when one called Him "Good Master": Why call you me good? For there is only One who is good even God. We as man are wholly evil and there is no salvation in mankind. Obviously! Look around you for five minutes at the strife that is in this world. Ask yourself what does God allow me to do. God has only given us the ability to discern between right and wrong, good and evil. With the ability comes the choice. Since we can discern we are allowed to choose and experience the consequences of our actions, whether the consequences are delayed or immediate matters not. Moreover, we as humans are born such that our hearts, our passions and inclinations, are not at peace with God... thus we sin. For verily verily I say unto you except a man be born again he will in no wise enter into the kingdom of Heaven. Christ said this, He knew that naturally we are at war with Him. Since every single person who has lived (save Jesus the Christ) has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God we must all die. For the law (the Decalogue) states if you sin (do contrary to the perfect will of God) you MUST die. The "degree" or magnitude of the sin does not matter for sin is sin period. Now at this point our race is in quite a predicament seeing as we cannot save ourselves and that all of our "good works" are but filthy rags in the eyes of God. Therefore, this situation obviously points to the FACT that there is a Savior needed! For a better understanding of how our good works or righteous ways cannot save us read the book of Job. It is Christ Himself in the whirlwind who rebuked Job for thinking that he was righteous! There are only 2, that's right, two religions existing. The one class of religions are those which men have invented, in all of which man saves himself by ceremonies and good works. The other is that one religion which is revealed in the Bible, and which teaches man to look for salvation solely from the free grace of God.
Can any person except for Christ truly say that they have constantly and continually done those things which please God, and have never sinned? No.
Remember and keep in your mind foremost; perception IS NOT reality! I implore all to humble themselves and find the Lord for He is not far from any one of us. Have faith in Christ our Lord, true faith. For true faith begets repentance. And true repentance leads to a change in lifestyle. The fact is we only have 2, that's right again only two, choices of whom we will serve. It is either Christ, or Satan. Our Creator, or a like creation who seeks glory for himself. Personally, I choose life and the Lord our God!!
May the Lord bless every one who reads this with His Holy Spirit and convict them of their need of Him! May the Lord bless you and keep you and be gracious unto you now and forever more.
John 16:13
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.,
If you study the Greek, the word is Paraclete, which the means "One who is Praised worthy" which in Hebrew is "Ahmed" which Muhammad's pbuh name comes from which is FACT! You can check history. Greeks put a corrupted word of Paracletos, from Paraclete.
There are six He’s and one Himself, showing these words are masculine pronouns. There isn’t another verse in the 66 books in the Protestant Bible or in the 73 books of the Catholic Bible with seven masculine pronouns, or even seven feminine pronouns, or with seven neuter genders. Now can seven masculine pronouns fit the characteristics of Ghost or Spirit?
Men and women are spirits covered with flesh. You do remember God said in the bible John 4:24 "God is a spirit and THOSE that worship him must be in spirit and truth". Who was that referring to? Pigs? Goats? Fish? MAN! men and women, must worship in spirit and truth, it didn't say flesh. I can go on and on, and I will, now if you can prove me wrong then I would love to see you try that.
Even though You said I am not righteous though I make prayer to Allah/Eloi/Elah who Jesus pbuh called and not God, I will still say Peace be upon you, in the universal greetings Jesus used and Muhammad and all the Prophets pbut and I can prove that in your bible also.
Peace be upon you and may you sleep well.
Firstly, no I am not telling you that you are going to hell. I judge you not, it is not my place.
Secondly, I serve Jesus Christ and God. How can I serve them both? For they are of the same will. Jesus the Son of God perfectly reflects the character of God and God gives to Christ all of His power in Heaven and in Earth because of His perfect reflection!
You say that everything Christ did Muslims do. This is obviously not the case through your own words. Yes Christ cared for the poor and fed them, healed them, and helped them. Not only the poor but anyone who needed His help. This is not the miracle though. His true miracle was releasing mankind from the bondage of sin by being the perfect example of what we are supposed to be. Christ, the Son of God put aside His infinite power that God has delegated to Him only, stepped down from His high position in the universe and came to live as man. Why? That He may show us the truth. His life is a testament that we in fact are never forced to sin. In other words there is never a need to. He showed us that no matter what our emotions are no matter what our circumstances are we never HAVE to sin. You claim to know a great deal about the Bible. Yes, you may have knowledge of it but you have shown yourself completely devoid of it's wisdom. Did Christ not say that the only way to God is through Him? Right there in plain sight (in the Bible) is put forth the ordained pathway to God. It is not through our works. It is through Christ's merits, through His works, His righteousness, His holiness. Why? For it was He who through God's power created all things and it is He who reflects perfectly the will of God. Can you say the same of yourself? That you constantly and continually every moment every second of every day only do what God wants you to do? I cannot remember who but it was either Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob that said on his deathbed: short and evil have my days been! All three of these men were accounted exceedingly righteous in the sight of man, it matters not who said it for they all realized the same point, there is nothing in mankind to recommend us to God, we are not righteous. For who can say that they are on the same plane, the same level as the Lord? We are nothing compared to God. Every one of us needs God daily to give us life and even to be righteous. We absolutely cannot be righteous without the Lord. Put it far from you to compare yourself to God.
After the tragedy that Job went through and the ensuing conversation that followed with his
three good friends and Elihu; Job, in his dialogue, says that he cannot understand why God has forsaken him because he always fed the poor, the widow, and kept care of everyone needful. What did God say to him when He answered him in the whirlwind?
Job 38:1-7 "Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that
darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will
demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast (were) you when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all
the sons of God shouted for joy?"
The Lord proceeds to ask Job more along the same lines, I implore you to read the entire dialogue. But let us skip ahead to when He requires an answer from Job. (For your own edification the ending "eth" = "s or es" ex: contendeth = contends)
Job 40:1-5 "Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said, Shall he that contendeth with the
Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it. Then Job answered the Lord,
and said, Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea; twice but I will proceed no further."
Our good works will not save us, there is need of a Redeemer and this is the reality which we
are born into. Am I advocating not doing any good work period? No. Absolutely not. But none
can perform any good work of himself. Except that the Lord put it in his/her heart to begin
with. We have not ordained what is good or what is evil. But through having faith in the Lord
our Savior are we able to essentially start our lives over and live in Him and keep His commandments and His precepts and live as He wants us to. The bottom line is being a righteous man does not mean doing good works. It means that we must try to live how God created us to but not only just try but actually live how we were made to for Christ gives us the power although every one of us is completely and utterly undeserving.
The fact is is that your religion relies on nothing more than faith in mankind itself and is therefore completely empty as all other religions are. Truly your religion fits the bill of being a "form of religion but denying the power (Christ) thereof".If you truly thirsted after righteousness God would bless you with His Holy Spirit and show you, from His perspective (true reality), how much of nothing every single one of us is compared to our Lord.
You may say:
"I can say as a well learned Muslim man you don't know that book. I can tell you know and ask you questions and I bet my life on it, you aren't doing anything Jesus/Yeshua pbuh did. Let me let you in on a little secret,...", "I can go on and on, and I will, now if you can prove me wrong then I would love to see you try that."
If you truly had God in your life you would not be self-righteous. You would not say I know this and I know that. For who allows you to have this knowledge? Nay! Who gave it to you and created it? For it was not you. You would realize your own unworthiness to even live, eat, breath, sleep, or have any pleasure or joy of any sort! A little fact for you... only you can defile your own soul, no one can make you sin. Therefore, you will be held accountable by God for every single one of your decisions and actions. But if you grasp onto Christ through faith and live and reside in Him then and only then will you be saved. For then you have an advocate in Heaven to plead your case with the Almighty!
Unfortunately for you, you are not fighting with me. You are fighting against your own Creator. This is not my knowledge or wisdom. For the Lord of all has given me these abilities. I realize my own unworthiness to even live. But I am not in despair for I have an advocate in Heaven and blessed be the name of the Lord. It is not my righteousness that will save me but the Lords mercy upon me (and you, if you so choose)! The choice is simple... and it is left to you. Rahim tell me: Do you love God more than you love yourself? Who are you currently serving yourself or God?
Its not a new gist that Jesus can raise the dead and help the helpless.
He's the same yesterday ,Today and Forevermore. He will still do much more than you can imagine...Have Faith
This should not bring a contest between Christains and Muslims cos we all know the resultant effect...VIOLENCE.
We've had enough here in Nigeria, we don't need more
When the Gospel of Barnabus and Jeehova witness itself says that Jesus was not crucified, can we expect the others to beleive that Jesus was crucified and that the child dreamt he had bloody hands.
Pls stop this. God is so loving. We dont need to spread this type of rumours.
You chose a curious text to refute a Christian with. As I understand it, the Gospel of Barnabas is such a late work, Spanish or Italian, depending on which scholars you prefer, but never accepted as an orthodox Christian work. The slant of its arguments suggest a very strong Islamic background, which I imagine may be your own background too?
To also equate Jehovah's Witness theology as a good proof argument suggests no-one has ever explained to you the huge difference between that and orthodox/evangelical Christian belief. These evidences you quote carry little weight outside of a Muslim context, but do strongly echo the traditional Muslim view that Jews and Christians distorted the orignal texts of the Bible.
I am delighted to read that you think God is loving. Not all Muslims would name that as a primary attribute to the "unknowable Allah." Your faith requires more than mine - to believe God is compassionate and loving without seeing the demonstration of that in the flesh of Christ. You are so right that God is loving and His love right now is towards you as you read this. Bless you, Sharon. xxx
How mistaken you are. I am not from muslim background as you assume. I am presently studying all the versions of the Bible and it is not surprising that you catagorize me to be a muslim as I have written only what I have studied about.
I still dont understand the view of the orthodox christians and then what about the catholics. There is such a big difference when it comes to all the saints that are being worshiped by them.
As a student and adult I dont want to argue on any other religion nor condemn any. But I still dont understand why that we christian always look down on muslims as you have stated unknowable Allah. Lets follow our religion and let them follow theres. We dont need to be critizing any since what ever has been revealed to us in the old testament are being strictly followed by those of the muslim faith. After all we are all from God who is loving.
Sharon
When the world is facing crisis such as food, war, financial etc we are arguing unnecessarily.
Lets all unite and work toward uplifting mankind.
As we all know that the loving God is with us if we do the right thing.
Lets be sensible. Think of the innocent people suffering today.
I am sorry for making an assumption about your background from your writing. As you say, you have only written about the areas you have studied so far.
My stance is a simple one - Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life and that no man comes to God the Father except through Him. His love is for the whole world, regardless of background or religion. Criticism is not the intention at the heart of a follower of Jesus, but expressing His love for the people He made.
True Christianity is less of a religion, more of a relationship with the living Christ in person. Jesus doesn’t look down on Muslims and neither do I. He loved and died for them the same as for me. I found as I studied it myself that His claims were impossible to ignore - either Jesus was crazy to make such a big statement, or He was deliberately misleading us, or what He said was true. Mad, bad or God?
Keep studying - it’s a rewarding thing to do. And may the loving God you are so drawn to show you more of Himself as you do.
Bless you, Sharon. Carol xx
I dont think people who have faith need any justification of whether Jesus ever existed, nor the person with no faith will start believing just by reading this in his email or some blog.
Love you all,
Ask yourselves these questions? Does God protect his word? Does he watch over his word? Does his word return void? Is he the same God he was yesterday? Will he be the same God tomorrow? So basically it doesn't matter if I believe it or not. He will perform his word without my approval!! This woman was reading HIS word in a brutal enviornment!!
So we should all check ourselves and not become like the religious leaders back in the day!!
It was a hoax
The additional bits of killing his wife over reading a bible was added almost four years later to that story.
No doubt someone trying to trash another persons belief and making christianity look desperate.
You diverted from the subject matter and went into another argument altogether. I am so disgusted and feel sick that you call yourself a christain and make ill comments about other denominations in christianity especially the Catholic church.
Its a shame that you claim to be studying the Bible and dont know much about it. The Bible is not a NOVEL, so you need the guidance of the Holy spirit to understand it. To say that catholics worship saints shows the extent of your naivity and primitive thinking towards christaindom. I suggest you desist from making unguided comments especially about the catholics if you dont know what you are talking about. You are not in any position to judge any Church and should keep your silly thoughts to yourself.
Then we, as Catholics, might suggest to them to check out how the Bible came into existence by reading the actual Council of Rome 382 AD, long before Muhammad came into existence. The Council of Rome also demonstrates that the Bible did not just appear one day like Manna falling from Heaven.
We can also help them understand that Jesus Christ placed all authority in His Church (16th Chapter of Matthew) and that 1 Tim. 3:15 states that the "Church" is "the Pillar and Foundation of Truth." Oh yes, the Church is filled with sinners, like you and me, but this is precisely why Jesus Christ founded His Church - to heal us and save us from our sins & disobedience to the One True God in Christ Jesus, who said, "Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father." However, the Church cannot herself be in error, because it was founded by Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead, and is "The cornerstone and Head of the Church." (There is still much more to learn and teach about the infallibility of the Pope in matters of faith and morals - yet he remains a sinner in need of confession just like us - through the sending of the Holy Spirit who will lead Christ's Church into all truth.)
Thus, one cannot separate Jesus Christ (who is the Truth) from His Church (Matt 16 & 1 Tim. 3:15). And yes, there are many websites that discredit and misrepresent Biblical facts & Christ's Church, but let's continue to pray, because the Word of God, in the 4th Chapter of Eph. commands all who dwell upon the face of the earth to be of "One Baptism, One Faith, One Hope, One Body (known as the Church in Col. 1:24), One Lord Jesus Christ, One Holy Spirit, & One Heavenly Father over all." - these verses are spoken of as the "Seven Unities of the Kingdom of Heaven" by the Fathers and Doctors of the Church.
Jesus performed miracle, after miracle, after miracle, up to a certain point in the Gospel Message. But despite the light of Christ's miracles shining forth...man did not believe, and kept asking for more proof. God does not have to answer to anyone! He is the Creator, we the Created.
We, mankind, must give a "Yes" or "No."
Humility is everything!
Jesus groaned deeply from the depth of His Spirit, and said, "Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation."
Finally, whether the story of the Muslim man, his family, and the miraculous appearance and saving help of Jesus Christ is true or not, what counts most is that mankind "CHOOSES" to believe in Christ, His words and works, for the Bible states that "It is impossible to please God without Faith."
"Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned."
Of course, the Church, which came into existence through Christ about 350 years before the Canon of the Bible was decided upon (Matt. 16), also teaches that striving to know and live the truth counts for much at the final Judgment - the Last Four Things. For there may be many Catholics (in name only) who did not seek the truth and live the faith that may perish as well.
Peace and Truth of Christ to all.
I have a blog of my own and nearly cut and paste the story, but I wanted to verify it first.
I wasn't trying to verify it because I didn't believe it could happen, but because everytime a christian does something silly, like posting a story that isn't so, it makes all christians look silly. Being that I am a christian, that is to say that I believe in Christ as my personal saviour, I find falsehoods very unamusing.
One argument I see in here is the question of which means more, works, or faith. The Bible tells us that works without faith is dead. After all, if you believe something to be the truth, don't you act on it? If you give works without faith, how can it be for the Glory of God?
Who here believes in the Power of God? Then let him know that God owns his own word. To make all of this even more interesting, I am a decendant of Edward Lively. He was appointed by King James1 to assist in the translation of the Old Testament. I do not believe that these men completed such an awesome task without the Power of God.
1. Of all the humans that have lived and died throughout the history of the world.....what percent% will make it to heaven and how many to hell(Jesus eternally tormenting with fire)???
my mum and bro say about 5%heaven (or a handful as the bible says) 95% hell.
2. If there is even a 1% chance that my beautiful child will end up in hell because of a wrong decision (decisions made from watching the madness of religion) what is the incentive to bring more human life into this world???
should not christians protest against bringing new life into this world(at least if aborted they instantly go to heaven) , and making those lives have to choose?
As to whether this is true, that is another story. For me it does not matter if this particular story is true or not. What I will say though is Christians do not need to resort to propaganda to call attention to their faith.
Just live a life pleasing to God i.e. loving your neighbour as much as you love yourself then you will call attention to your faith and possibly lead others to God.
Of course Jesus can do these things (that were told in this story) and even greater things. He said WE CAN DO EVEN GREATER WORKS THAN HE DID! THAT IS IN YOUR BIBLE!
I love you all and do not intend to offend anyone!
First let me say I have PERSONALLY experienced miracles and believe in Jesus Christ, The Holy Ghost, and His teachings! I take commDAILY (He said "do this often in remembrance of Me") To me often means just that. Not just the third Sunday of the churches convenience or budget.
By communing with Him daily I have gained great peace and prosperity in the tangible sense. For example after six months behind on my mortgage, my home is now paid off and I am practically DEBT FREE! I have been delivered from death, diseases and other problems as well. All of this took place supernaturally! (Trust me banks do NOT love you!) There is no logical reason for me to be as prosperous as I now am. This would not have happened without my faith and belief and love for my Lord Jesus!
O.K. On to the warning! This story is most likely FALSE and a LIE! Just like when crusaders LIED saying they had to KILL non believers to get Jerusalem ready for Jesus to return. Jesus NEVER said to Kill or bother anyone in any way who did not believe. He said to brush the dirt from your shoes and go along with your own business and tell others about Him...RIGHT?!!!
By the same thinking, Jesus does not like LIES spread in His Name to spread His Holy Word! Here is the real scoop on this fabrication! It boils down to this...The Love Of Money is the root of All Evil!
Understand I have over 25 years tech experience and work with internet security and such. Unscrupulous people and businesses love to generate vast e-mail lists. These lists are worth a great deal of money! Particularly if the lists are TARGETED. Meaning, in this case a list of people who have an interest in Jesus Christ. The list is brokered and sold to many other people who will be include your e-mail address into their marketing campaigns. Of course there are other UNSCRUPULOUS uses for a list like this as well!!!
THAT IS WITH 99% CERTAINLY WHAT IS GOING ON HERE! THIS TYPE OF SCAM IS ONE OF THE OLDEST AND MOST LUCRATIVE ON THE INTERNET!
The "hook" to the story is the word "Muslim" because of 911 and such people are more likely to read an e-mail that has a title with this word in it, particularly if it is anti-Muslim. The emotional impact is undeniable! So you see, You have all been scammed and sold at the click of a mouse button at the speed of light, across the internet and around the world!!
Another dead giveaway that the story is bogus and a marketing ploy is the insistence that "you mail this to everyone you can" It is called VIRAL MARKETING because YOU act as the VIRUS by spreading this e-mail!
some OF YOU MAY SAY, "what's THE HARM? it's A GOOD STORY!" The harm is that it is a LIE! Jesus does not condone lying!
Another dead giveaway is the message is ambiguous. No names of anyone involved and no way to corroborate anything said in the e-mail! True accounts of supernatural events are not that hard to VERIFY! For example the bank had NO REASON TO LET ME KEEP MY HOME AND LAND, AND EVERY RIGHT TO TAKE IT AND PROFIT FROM IT! I did what God instructed me to do and said what He instructed me to say to them. Even though the people involved NEVER MET ME BEFORE they gave me EVERYTHING I ASKED FOR INCLUDING.
#1) NO MORE COLLECTION CALLS
#2) REFINANCING ME AT A MUCH LOWER RATE
#3) NO CHARGE FOR THE REFINANCING, NO CLOSING COSTS, NO FEES OF ANY KIND!
#4) ALL PAST DUE FEES (THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS) FORGIVEN, PERIOD!
#5) I ASKED TO BE ALLOWED TO NOT HAVE TO MAKE ANY PAYMENTS FOR SIX MORE MONTHS BECAUSE I WANTED TO START MY OWN BUSINESS. THAT MEANS A FREE RIDE FOR ME FOR A WHOLE YEAR FROM THE BANK!
THEY GAVE IT ALL TO ME!
In addition, I had no money at the time to start a business with. Most businesses fail within the first year! Most businesses do not turn a profit for at least a year! I followed the Holy Ghosts instructions and my business made money, real profit within 30 days! In about 5 years my mortgage was paid off! I paid cash for my last 3 cars as well!
I could go on to tell you of other tangible supernatural deliverances I and my family have experienced. Including TOTALLY FREE SURGERY FOR MY SON (about $40,000) who is now a healthy happy young man teaching abroad. Totally free surgery for my sister, who is now healthy happy retired and SOLD HER CONDO IN CALIFORNIA, EVEN IN THIS DEPRESSED REAL ESTATE MARKET, FOR NEARLY $400,000.00!
Yes! God is Good and miracles ARE real!
Do not be surprised by the flood of unsolicited e-mails you will begin to receive in the coming weeks, months, and YEARS.
When you forward e-mails like this you are only helping unscrupulous people who do NOT LOVE JESUS to profit from His Name!
I hope none of you are hurt by my words. I love you all. But you need to know the truth and the truth, even if it is painful will set you free! Remember He said "My people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge!"
Please take care of yourselves and STUDY HIS WORDS USING A CONCORDANCE SO YOU WILL REALLY KNOW WHAT HE SAID! SEEK CHRIST IN EVERYTHING YOU DO! TRUST HIM. HE IS NEVER FAR AWAY!
God Bless you all.
In Jesus Mighty Name!
Amen!
Bert from Barbados
If the story is false, or only partly true, it will be a loss of cred for Christians.
Therefore, it's very important that it be verified before sending it viral all over the internet. Records are, tho, this has been making the rounds since 2004. The one I got said it was "broadcasted in CBS". A quick check there revealed nothing, as I suspected.
There is not one SHRED of info in the story that can be verified. Good journalism includes who, what, when, where, and why. Nothing in the story supports it.
It is a very BAD thing to keep spreading a false story, just because it has Jesus' name in it. That doesn't make it true!
We have already been warned about False sightings etc. in the Bible per End times eschatology. WE HAVE BEEN WARNED!!
Our job is to be watchful, not spread hoaxes because we believe, "YEAH, I can see my God pulling that off". That is pure crap, from the Devil! Even he believes, but he's not above using all kinds of dirty tricks to discredit Christians and their Faith. He hates God because he totally rejects the Divine plan of Creation, which means he also hates us, even the atheists and satanists. Don't be fooled by him again!
seems that if a child has the presence of mind to note and report the activities in which she was involved during this understandably harrowing fifteen-day period, she's probably enterprising enough to get help. and why is there a statement to the effect that it's "clear that the child could not make up a story like this"? children are universally known to have lively imaginations. why couldn't she have imagined a man in white with bleeding wounds coming to her aid, even if she has no knowledge of christianity?
and more important is something several others have mentioned. why is it necessary to accept as fact any fascinating story that's been tagged a "miracle" if it has the name of jesus attached to it? if you truly believe in him, you don't need to close your eyes to the possibility that someone made this up. the story lacks so many of the standard characteristics of a newspaper article, things that should make anybody question its veracity. why no more details on just where these children were buried? the story is far to vague to have been printed this way in a newspaper.
i'd say the true miracle in this story is that any compassionate being, especially jesus, could find two children buried in the sand and come by regularly to feed them but not get them out and find shelter for them.
and another thing: are any of you aware that it isn't possible to find out the name of the newspaper in which this story appears? also, consider where you're hearing this. It's. The. Internet. can you say "photoshop"? like several others, my research turned up the fact that the story has been making the rounds online for at least five years. mine came to me in an email that had as its subject line, "it's time to wake up!" indeed.
please understand that no matter how you interpret the story about adam and eve being forbidden to eat from the tree of knowledge, willful ignorance can be a dangerous thing.
peace.
really? do you suppose that any of the people who died trying to escape hurricane katrina were believers? could it be that little kids who are raised by christian parents and are abducted and brutalized do not pray to god to save them and get them back to their parents? and how about the prayers of their devout christian parents? is that how god shows his love? by pretending not to hear while those who belive in him pray for the safety of their loved ones? or could it be that keeping some from harm isn't a part of "god's plan"? and of course there are the wars that are waged (often in god's name) by the men who run this world? when they don't see eye-to-eye, countless others lose their lives. and i don't suppose you've heard about the interesting things going on in taiwan right now.
perhaps i'm being presumptuous, but i think you're probably one of those people who will close your ears to any statement that doesn't "give god the glory".
i have a suggestion for you and anyone else who believes that story about the little girls being left in the sand for fifteen days. read your bible. not just the parts your minister points out to you, or the ones that you've come to rely on to give you comfort in times of need. read it all. the whole thing. and read it with an open mind and an open heart. that is the only way to know god. read the book that was written by "god-inspired men". that's how you'll know what god really is.
i will say again that it isn't necessary to believe absurdities in order to believe in god.
Now to the muslim Rahim who wrote so much about the Bible, I find it astounding that with all the knowledge he claims to have he has forgotten that when Jesus said the Spirit of Truth will teach us all things and remind us of the things Jesus taught then, He meant that the teachings will not vary. So, if Jesus taught that divorce is not right, why did Mohammed and the Islamic religion accept divorce as okay? If Jesus taught that there will be no marriage in heaven, why did Mohammed teach the concept of a sensual heaven with unintoxicating alcohol and wide eyed houris? If Malachi spoke by the Holy Spirit and said it is wrong for a man to beat his wife, why did the quran teach that a man can beat his wife? If throughout the whole of the old testament, there was no law where Moses wrote that when a man is caught stealing his hand should be amputated, but rather that he should restitute, why then does sharia prescribe amputation? If Jesus taught that the primary thing God demands from us is love for God and for others as Rahim proudly quoted, why did Islam tell us five pillars and none of those pillars include love? Jihad, zakat, ramadan, five times prayer, holy pilgrimage? The five pillars of islam! No righteousness, no love, no holiness? If Jesus taught that judgement is by the book of life (other books will be opened but the book of life is the main determinant), why does islam teach that people's good and bad will be weighed and they will gain points (thawab)for their good or bad so that whichever outweighs the other determines one's final destination? If Jesus taught an eternal hell, why did islam teach a temporary one which will last for a while and people will be transfered to heaven? If Moses's law called a second wife 'a rival wife' to show God's distaste for polygamy, why did islam say a man can marry a mximum of four wives? If Jesus taught that there is a standard for determining whether a man will make heaven or not, why does islam teach that a person will only be able to know where he is going after his good and bad has been weighed at Judgment; and that allah only can decide what weight a good deed carry and what weight a bad one does? So, how can it be true that paraclete was used to replace paracletos? Some false islamic teachers wanted to fool the muslim populace and they had to teach something like that. Were they there when the replacement was done? Besides, islam only started so many years after Jesus advent to the earth. I guess, Rahim and other muslims will say I am a follower of Paul. That is what muslims have been made to believe; that Paul invented the 'nonsense' we read in the Bible. Do they think God is not capable to watch over his word tha no man corrupt it? Oh they think God only woke up to that reality when the quran came up? Let the faithful muslim question his religion and study all of the 'holy' quran before reaching a conclusion on his religion. I have questioned so many things in the Bible just to gain an understanding and I have found out that nothing is better and I repeat, nothing is better than the Bible! The Holy Spirit is my teacher and He lives in me. You cannot compare the teachings of islam with that of Christ and the Church, the varaition is very great. Can you refer to God as an 'it'? Can you refer to His Spirit as an 'it'? So, the only option Jesus had was to refer to the HolySpirit as 'he' and he said he will comfort the disciples who had died long before Mohammed was born about 500 years later. I guess Rahim and his teachers have decided to pick out those places in the Bible that seem manipulable and seem to suit them and discard as lies other explicit places that cannot be manipulated by them. Look at the facts, the teaching s of the old testament and the new testament are widely at variance with that of Mohammed, the quran and islam as a whole. I think muslims should pay attention to their quran more and see the errors they follow sincerely rather than try to get support for themselves in the Bible. Even some hinduists do such. Every true muslim should ask himself these questions after all they were advised to seek knowledge. Or are they accepting the teachings of Paul are far better than Mohammed's (since they claim all the additions in the Bible are Paul's)? (which incidentally is the truth).
The major problem of gullibility, illiteracy and naivity follows the religion islam all around and I challenge muslims with earnest love to question what they follow with an intent desire to understand and they will see that they are sincerely on the wrong path. God loves them and he really wants them saved.
The real issue is whether Christians are willing to repeat the unsubstantiated words of someone that they do not even know & who may not even be a Christian.
The author of this story is anonymous and none of the supposed facts of the story can be verified. If we move this from the email/Internet into everyday communications, then repeating such "tales" would be equated to giving a false witness.
Jesus said, (John 3:21, NIV), "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
Someone commented near the top of this list that the story was "incredible." Although they seemed to mean that in a positive sense, the literal meaning is more correct - "In-credible" - meaning it has no credibility!
Reading through these comments (and the ones on my website http://chiefshepherd.com/2008/04/children-buried-alive) is enlightening about people. Too many Christians confuse belief in Christ with having to believe every story that mentions His name (1Ti 1:4).
I believe that one of the hallmarks of a Christian is INTEGRITY (compare Job 2:3). We should live (and speak) things that are TRUE.
It would be difficult to absolutely disprove that such a story as this ever happened. But if it cannot be substantiated, Why should a Child of God repeat it since it MAY be false.
This story is not a quote from the Bible. The Bible was written by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. And even the writers of the Bible identified themselves and gave proofs of what they said (compare 1Co 15:3-8).
For my part, I believe that integrity REQUIRES me to say and do things that are true and that bring Glory to God. There are too many TRUE (and credible) stories of God's omnipotent power for me to spread rumors that may even prove to be false.
Then I asked myself "If that is so, then why do people keep forwarding this story?" Then I came to the conclusion that the "forwarders" are good people with good intentions but woefully ill-informed.
I certainly wish that the story could be supported. I believe that miracles still happen. In 2006, I was visited in the Dem. Rep. of Congo where I HELD a baby that had been dead but the local pastor and his wife prayed earnestly for the baby to be restored to life. One hour later, warmth returned to its body and it revived. That story can be substantiated but this one cannot.
The Internet is such an easy way to "share" stories with almost everyone we know - Christian or non-Christian. It SEEMS that forwarding such a story would be a simple and easy way to testify of the awesome power of our God.
The reality is that God does not need our help if it requires us to do something that is QUESTIONABLY HONEST. Unless we are CERTAIN that what we say is true, we should remain silent.
Whether you believe in "speaking in other tongues" or not, the procedure found in 1Co 14:28 seems to be appropriate in this case.. "But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God." If there was no interpreter (or some means to explain, support, or substantiate the matter), then the speaker is to remain silent.
In Christ,
Ray
I just love Him,
Carol.
No... as far as fiction goes, I actually prefer the bible more. At least it's authors used their imagination a little, yay?
Merry Solsticemas, everybody!
But I really don't believe that this story is real, cause you don't find a bit of evidence in any news site. A real news story also don't use general words like "A muslim man" (no name) "Middle East" (No exact location) No date, No news agency name, ETC,
Once again I really don't believe in this particular story, but I do believe in JESUS CHRIST as a HEALER, as someone Capable of RAISING PEOPLE OUT FROM DEATH, etc, etc.
But I believe this story is made up. A phrase that says that its a real story cause the girl would not lie....mmmh. Why someone has to say "THIS IS REAL, BELIEVE IT OR NOT" A real story don´t need this...
God Bless You all...
The story is a crock. And I say that as a Christian. But it is. And, AS a Christian, I am insulted by those who think they need to come up with this drivel either to support--or, FAR more likely, to undermine my faith and its testimony in the world.
The Truth isn't served by lies.
How right you are. This story has been around for many years. As with most scams there are no names, legitimate places, dates or reliable information to check, it's a good test for all those forwards friends keep sending! Please send it back to whoever sent it to you with information that can be found on www.snopes.com, truthorfiction.com or hoaxslayer.com, and encourage people to stop spreading malicious lies more likely written to smear muslims, whom God loves also, or make a mockery of the true power of the gospel to all who will believe. Post No. 44 by Mr. E gives insight into the reason some of these emails are created.
Viral Marketing may be behind the promotion of this kind of rubbish and other such stories. "Hooks" such as "Muslim" or "little children rescued by Jesus" get gullible people in. I have found many emails I get have so called "local content" i.e. in a car park near where I live such and such happened, send this on to all your contacts, but when I check the main story it originated in another country years ago, they are so wicked they even provide phone numbers which don't connect anyway. (I rang my local police station after an email was sent to me and the police were in "crisis mode" because of a fictious story. Our wonderful police are there for the community and don't need this malicious rubbish. I sent this information back to the sender and haven't had another one since. Sadly, Christians, who should know better, are the worst offenders.
I have said previously that if someone tried to convince me about Jesus with a story like this, and when I investigated, found it to be spurious, I would NEVER TRUST THEM AGAIN or THEIR JESUS!!
Preach the Gospel and make disciples of all nations was Jesus command but liars will not enter the kingdom of God, be careful what you (allow your ears to) hear.
Add Your comments:
Use this form only to comment on the article that you just read.
If you have a question, please click here to use the Contact form instead. Thanks!