1. Islam is a religion of Love.

2.Islam is a religion of Peace.

3. Allah is just another name for [the Judeo-Christian] God.

4. We worship Jesus just like you do.

5. The Koran is the divine word of Allah.

If you have a spare 30minutes, this is an interesting look into Islam from a Jewish perspective, though it doesn’t fully cover all 5 points in this clip. I would recommend his other lesson for a more indepth study: The Two Houses of Islam. Unfortunately I could not find a YouTube link for that one. Certainly it is worth buying the DVD or downloading the MP3 of this.

Avi Lipkin in his lessons from The Two Houses of Islam suggests that Ishmael’s conduct was sexually inappropriate.

Genesis 21:9 – 11

9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, 10 and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”  11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.

The word “mocking” is derived from the Hebrew word “tsâchaq” (צחק). In English this word is often translated as “laugh, mock, play, and make sport.”

In Hebrew however, the word has the possibility of having a “sexual” connotation.

The word “tsâchaq” is mentioned 13 times in the bible.

8 times it is clear that the meaning is to “laugh” or “make sport”.  E.g. Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed… Gen 17:17

A further 4 times it is clear to have a sexual connotation. E.g. And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time , that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac [was] sporting with Rebekah his wife.

Come to your own conclusion.

For further research:

Definitions and Instances of the word tsâchaq: http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H6711&t=KJV

A good easy read on the topic: http://graspingmashiach.wordpress.com/2007/02/20/a-laughing-matter/

A interesting read on the topic: http://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/vayera/maoz.html

Anyone with any Rabbinical sources please feel free share. Thanks.

The following excerpt is taken from the Sahih Muslim, Book 019, Number 4294.

“Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war…
…If they refuse to accept Islam, demand from them the Jizya. If they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold off your hands…
If they refuse to pay the tax, seek Allah’s help and fight them.”

From this, a non-Muslim must either pay a Jizya (tax) or fight (die).

2. Islamic nations are peaceful.

“The list of Muslim-on-Muslim violence in recent history is endless, and it predates the events of 9/11. For instance, in the case of Pakistan, we can go back to early 1990s to see scores of instances of violence between rival militant organizations of the Sunnis and Shias. For eight years, Iran and Iraq, the two Muslim countries, fought a full-fledged war. Whether Iraq enjoyed the backing of the West for the purpose is a different thing, and it cannot evade the bitter fact that the victims in both cases were Muslims. Similarly, the intra-Afghan fighting that has gone on in Afghanistan since the late 1980s has also claimed primarily Muslim lives. In the process of spreading a bigoted Hanafi Sunni creed throughout Afghanistan, the Taliban victimized not only fellow Sunnis but also Shia Hazaras and Tajiks.” Muslim-on-Muslim Violence, Ishtiaq Ahmad, Weekly Pulse April 8-14, 2008
“In the 1990s violence occurred between Muslims and non-Muslims in Bosnia,  Kosovo, Macedonia, Chechnya, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Kashmir, India, the  Philippines, Indonesia, the Middle East, Sudan and Nigeria. Mujahedin fighters from  the Afghanistan war were central participants in many of these conflicts as well  as in Muslim terrorist organizations in countries throughout the world. In  the mid-1990s, roughly half the ethnic conflicts in the world involved Muslims  fighting each other or non-Muslims…According to the International Institute of Strategic Studies, 32 armed  conflicts were underway in 2000; more than two thirds involved Muslims. Yet  Muslims are only about one fifth of the world’s population.” Samuel P. Huntington, The Age of Muslim Wars

3. Islamic countries are tolerant of other religions.

“Indonesia boasts of being the largest Islamic nation, and from 1995 to this writing, religious jihads have burned and drestroyed 1,000 churches, killed 5,000 Christians, siezed or destroyed 100,000 shops and homes and produced 500,000 Christian refugess… Since 1983, over 1 million Sudanes Christians have been slaughtered in their own country by government-sponsored jihad.” Pray to God: Chapter 4: The Clash of Religion

Jericho (Bet Yerah, “the House of the Moon God”) was the capital of the strongest of the seven nations then occupying the land of Canaan.  (It is interesting that it is again, even in our day, the stronghold of Israel’s enemies!)

Despite the declarations of the well-known song, who really “fought the battle of Jericho”?  It wasn’t Joshua!  It was Jesus, in an Old Testament appearance.

What else makes the battle of Jericho so remarkable?  It wasn’t just the walls falling down!  Almost every ordinance of the Torah seems to have been violated.  The Levites were not supposed to go to war, yet they led the march.  The Israelites were supposed to work only six days – and rest on the seventh, the Sabbath.  Yet here they do seven times as much on the seventh day.  And they are not to shout during the various marches, but to keep silent (except for the trumpets) until the seventh time on the seventh day.

Those familiar with their Bible can’t help but notice that preceding the seven trumpet judgments in Revelation, there is silence in heaven for half an hour.Perhaps here’s a clue.

One of the main goals of Islam is the creation of a single Muslim nation with no geographical borders within it.

…Muslims believe… ‘When you meet the unbelievers strike off their heads until you have massacred the,’ says the Koran. ‘Fight in the cause of Allah!… Kill them wherever you find them.  Until they surrender. ..’

Most Western people do not realize that jihad is not new. From its inception and for 500years thereafter, Islam established itself by the sword. From A.D. 632 until the time Europe responded with the Crusades, Muslim armies wiped out Christian communities from Morocco to Iraq.

Muhammad taught in the Koran “The hour (of Judgement) will not begin until the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them. A Jew will hide behind a rock or a tree, and the rock or tree will say ‘O Muslim, o slave of Allah! There is a Jew behind me, come and kill him!’” (al-Bukhari 2926; Muslim 2921-2)” Pray to God: Chapter 4: The Clash of Religion

Water baptism – ie. full immersion is a requirement for entering the Kingdom of Heaven.

Evidence provided:

1. Jesus says in John 3:3 “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [Side note: being "born again" is different to being "water baptised" ... however please read on to 2]
2. Jesus says in John 3:5 “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” [Note: VERILY, VERILY!!!]
3. Jesus actions in Matthew 3:13-16 “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptised of him. But John forbade him, saying “I have need to be baptised of thee, and comest thou to me?” And Jesus answering said unto him “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.” Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptised, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him…” [Note: If Jesus and John needed to be baptised in water, how much more so do we?]
4. Saul’s (Paul’s) events in Acts 9:18 “And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptised.” [Note: Saul/Paul wrote most of the New Testament. If he needed water baptism, how much more so do we?]
5. The new believers in Corinth in Acts 18:8 “many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.” [Note: The early church promoted water baptism]
6. After Philip preached unto the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:38 “…and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptised him.”
7. Every act of conversion in the book of Acts was followed with water baptism “Acts 2:38-41; 8:12, 13, 38; 9:18; 10:48; 16:15, 33; 18:8″

James 5:15 “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise-him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him”

KH “I believe that I receive my healing, I believe that I receive my healing from the top of my head to the soles of my feet.”  Then I began to prause God because I believed that I received my healing.

KH “I want to announce in the Presence of Almighty God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the holy anges present in this room, and I want to call the devil to record and all eveil spirits that may be present in this room, that according to Mark 11:24, I believe that I receive my healing.”

Have faith in the fact that your faith in God works.

Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

Our educational philosophy is based on Greek thinking, as opposed to Hebrew thinking.

Greeks could never synthesize the physical with the spiritual.

Hebrews say: Our God who is spirit, made the physical.

Western Thinking: A physical event cannot have a spiritual effect.

BUT the bible is full of tie-ups between the physical and spiritual: E.g. Eating of the tree of knowledge has spiritual effects.

Hebrew thinking: Physical things can effect the spiritual.

E.g. The tree of life was physical that had an eternal effect.

E.g. The occult through Ouija boards, physical actions connect with the spiritual.

How can a physical act, have a spiritual effect? E.g. Using our bodies in worship.

The Hebrew people worshiped the Lord with their bodies, clapped, danced, etc.

They laid hands on people. E.g. the normal way to receive the Holy Spirit was to have hands laid.

Every Christian needs two baptisms:

- in water: deals with your past, and leave you clean, and empty.

- in spirit: deals with your future, and leaves you filled.

It is dangerous to be an empty Christian, because you clean one demon out, and then it comes back with 6 of its friends. Therefore it’s important to see sins out of a persons life, and then see it filled with something else. Nature abhors a vacuum.

Sin is a pleasure… for a season. But if it is not replaced, you will become miserable.

I am to be Crucified with Christ, Buried with Christ, and Raised with Christ, and Filled with Christ.

Receiving the Holy Spirit is not the same thing as repentance.

Receiving the Holy Spirit is not the same thing as believing.

If nothing happened when someone was supposed to receive the Holy Spirit, then the apostles did not believe that the person received the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is definite, and everyone should know.

We have wrongly transferred the identity of the Holy Spirit to Jesus.

From the day of Pentecost onwards, we are told to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is no longer on the earth in flesh, he is in Heaven seated on the right hand side of the Father.

Believing in Jesus is not the same as receiving the Holy Spirit.

You cannot know if a person has been justified or received by God until they can manifest His Holy Spirit. This is the proof that you belong to Christ.

God does not give His spirit to the world, only a true believer can receive.

It is possible to believe in Jesus and NOT be accepted by God (Act 8, Acts 19). In Samaria after they heard the gospel, they repented, believed in Jesus, were baptized in His name, BUT none of them received the Holy Spirit. How did anyone know they hadn’t received the Holy Spirit?

ONLY if the reception of the Holy Spirit was accompanied by outward evidence.

Baptism and Receiving the Holy Spirit is a definite event.

Receiving the Holy Spirit often happened shortly after baptism, sometimes before, but never during.

Receiving the Holy Spirit is NOT the same as water baptism. It is a separate event.

“The Peter Package”

Nouns used in the reception of the Holy Spirit:

Promise

Gift

Deposit – God’s first down payment from heaven. The rest will follow.

Renewal – God restoring us to our original condition.

Lord I ain’t what I am meant to be, I’m not what I should be, but thank God I’m not what I was.

Verbs used to describe the reception of the Holy Spirit:

Given

Received

Baptized = plunged/dipped into the Holy Spirit

Filled

Fall on

Come upon

Poured Out upon

(- Very fluid words used)

Seal – a commercial word, E.g. When a person purchased a property, he received a seal.

Anoint – As the OT kings and priests were anointed with oil, we are anointed with the Spirit.

A person will know if they have received the Holy Spirit.

How do you know when a person has received the Holy Spirit? What is the outward expression?

• when it overflows

• you only know when a person is full, when they overflow

• It will come out of the mouth from the heart. Your mouth will overflow.

• E.g. When you are full of joy, you laugh.

• E.g. When you are full of sorrow, you howl.

• E.g. When you are full of anger, you swear.

• E,g, When you cry our involuntarily. It is something overflowing from the mouth.

Tongues – the word is foreign languages.

• is the only gift that helps yourself.

• is the only gift that edifies/helps yourself.

Paul use to pray in tongues often, and that’s what helped him to get through shipwrecks, whippings, prison, etc.

That spontaneous spiritual speech is the proof that you have received the Holy Spirit.

When did baptism start?

Started with John the Plunger/Dipper – the word Baptism came later

As far as we know, we don’t know anyone that baptized before John.

Baptism is defined as someone who plunges someone else into something.

Levitical Priests were washed with water and anointed with oil.

We are now a priesthood of believers.

We are now washed in water and anointed with the Holy Spirit.

John the Baptist, baptized people into repentance.

You must be in repentance (i.e. produce fruits of repentance) before I will baptize you.

Baptism brings what you are already in, to a climax and consummation.

E.g. Prove to me that you are in love, and I will marry you into love. Marriage doesn’t start the love, but it brings it to its complete expression (climax and consummation).

Jesus himself never baptized others, because He did not want the focus to be on the baptizer. Neither did some of the disciples.

The importance is not on the baptizer, but on the act.

In the New Testament church, all believers were baptized.

Jesus commanded: Go forth and baptize.

How was Baptisms done in the New Testament?

Definition: drench, dunk, douse, deluge, soak, sink,swamp, steep, and saturate.

John 3:23 John was baptizing near… because there was much water there.

They had to choose somewhere there was much water.

The eunuch went down into the water, and came up from the water.

The Greek Orthodox baptize babies… but the Greeks could not “baptize” with sprinkling, because it defies the definition of the word. Baptism means to dunk!

Baptism has a double meaning:

1. a bath for the dirty

2. burial for the dead

Sprinkling of water does not and cannot represent a burial.

It was assumed in the New Testament church that a person responding to the gospel, would be baptized.

Why was it done? New Testament reasons:

31 reasons why:

• The answer is not what man will do for the Lord, but what the Lord will do for man.

• The NT talks about what Baptism effects

Mark 16: He who believes and is baptized will be saved.

John 3: Nicodemus asked, How can a man be born again? Jesus said: You need to be born again out of water and spirit.

Peter on the day of Pentecost asked: What should we do? Repent and be baptized each one of you for the forgiveness of your sins. That’s what it’s for!

Brother Saul, what are waiting for? Rise and be plunged, and have your sins washed away!

Eph5: Jesus has cleansed his church by the washing of water with the word.

Heb 10: Let us approach the throne with full assurance of faith having our bodies washed with water, and our conscience sprinkled.

1 Pet 3:21 Baptism now saves you, not by washing dirt from your body, but by an appeal to God for a clean conscience.

All the apostles treat Baptism as an event, not merely as a symbol.

Paul says: Baptism is like crossing the Red Sea to the Jew. Pharaoh was left behind, Moses was now in Charge. When you are baptized, sin has no more dominion on you. You are delivered from the territory of Satan. Baptism is a deliverance. Like all of Pharaoh’s soldiers were drowned, all your demons are drowned.

The burial/baptism is the final end of your old life. I have no further relationship with my past sins.

Peter likened it to Noah’s flood. Just as the flood marked a new beginning for Noah, so it is for you who gets baptized.

An amazing testimony of a Hell’s Angel member who had a tattoo of the devil that was washed off hi body when he was baptized.

As the Jew’s look to the Passover to celebrate their liberation, so we Christian’s look at our baptism/burial.

I have been crucified with Christ/Him.

I have been buried with Christ/Him.

I have been raised with Christ/Him.

What about Baptismal regeneration?

Baptismal regeneration believes that baptism of itself saves.

- This is not a biblical belief.

What about infant Baptisms?

• not applicable or can be applied to the NT.

• If Baptism is a bath for sinful/dirty people, how can it be given to a baby?

• There’s no point in baptism till somebody is dirty or dead.

• Pure symbolism is dangerous.

All the Protestant reformers, saw that infant baptisms were not biblical? How could a person be saved by faith if they were saved by baptism.

They called baby baptisms wicked and profane.

Baptism has nothing to do with getting you out of hell, but out of your sin.

Baptism is God bringing your repentance and your faith to its climax. None of this can be applied to a baby.

]]> http://biblestudiez.wordpress.com/2008/11/07/david-pawson-a-normal-christian-birth-baptism-in-water/feed/ 0 biblestudiez http://biblestudiez.wordpress.com/2008/10/28/building-great-relationships-rick-warren/ http://biblestudiez.wordpress.com/2008/10/28/building-great-relationships-rick-warren/#comments Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:23:30 +0000 biblestudiez http://biblestudiez.wordpress.com/?p=32 Continue reading →]]> Definitely one of the best sermons on love I have ever heard.

Love is an action. You are commanded to love.

So what is love? Read on… listen on… love on…
Notes can be found here: Building Great Relationships

Audio can be found here: Building Great Relationships

Site Location: Saddleback Church