God keeps our tears in a bottle

You keep track of all my sorrow
You have collected all my tears in your bottle
You have recorded each one in your book
               (Psalm 56: verse 8)

It has been a very busy week for me! My new Book, "Shining Star: a light in the darkness of Iran, " has just been released and I am preparing for my book signing on February 19. I have also been back and forth to the post office sending the book out to all my Muslim friends around the world. In the midst of it all, I have also been working on the outline for the new book, "Tears in a bottle: seeing through their eyes." It was then that I noticed that it was time to update my blog. But what to write on? Hmmmmm. Then it dawned on me. What not preview the upcoming book?
.The title of the book, "Tears in a bottle" is drawn from a psalm that David wrote. David poured out his heart to God in both praise and tears. So he knew what he was talking about. David teaches us that our hurts, fears, laments and tears really matter to God. He knows about them and doesn't brush them aside or forget about them. He's not too busy running the universe to take time out and recognize our hurts and pains. This little verse says so much about God. It says God keeps track of our sorrows and is intimately concerned about them. In short, God knows when we hurt and doesn't forget about our pain.

 In the upcoming book, A Shite Muslim woman named Esther uproots her family and leaves Tehran bound for New York to begin a brand new life here in America. What she experiences and see with her own eyes is the cause for many tears. It's open season on Muslims because a group wants to erect a mosque near the site of where the world trade center once stood. Esther thought she was coming to America for a new life of freedom and prosperity and instead she encounters hatred, discrimination and a lot of sorrow and tears.Thus the reason for the subtitle of the book: Seeing through their eyes. In my upcoming book, we will begin to see and experience through the eyes of Esther, what it feels like to be hated, stereotyped and discriminated against. God will collect many tears in a bottle for Esther. Enough said, You'll have to wait until November to find out more. In the meantime, think about what I've just wrote and keep in mind this. God really does care about our hurts and sorrows. He is not a distant, faraway God. He's a God of love and compassion and remembrance.

Jesus saves us from the Judgment

The two predominant themes found in the Koran are Prophets and judgment. Allah has sent prophets to guide us on the way and.prepare us for Judgment Day. That means every Muslim that reads the Koran is paying close attention to the message of the Prophets in order to shape their lives in preparation to meet Allah.
What is the prophetic message of the Bible? What is it saying to every curious seeker?
Isaiah 40:3 says, "A voice cries in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord: make straight in the desert a highway for our Lord!"
This is the very message John The Baptist proclaimed to the people. The Bible's prophetic message to us is to prepare our hearts for the coming Messiah.
And The Messiah came over 2,000 years ago. The Koran declares that Jesus is the Messiah, but teaches that He was only a prophet. Yet The Bible teaches that we need more than a prophet, more than a message of warning. We need a Savior to save us from God's Judgment.
And That Savior came!
The Angels joyfully proclaimed to the weary band of Shepherds that first Christmas night, "Fear not, for behold I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
This Savior was Jesus Christ. He came to bring us life and hope and healing and forgiveness. He came to save us from God's judgment and his message to all of us, including Muslims is one of love and forgiveness. He boldly declared, "Whoever hears my Word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and does not come into the Judgment but has passed out of death into life." (John 5:24)
This Christmas, God has a special message of Hope to all Muslims. He has sent a Savior from heaven that all of the Biblical prophets prophesied about. This Savior bore our judgment and invites us to His banquet table for a feast. He has the words of eternal life and His words are worthy of paying close attention to.

The sacrifice

Muslims worldwide participate in The eid-al-adha celebration which takes place after the hajj, which is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. The celebration of Eid is based on Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael. God however intervenes and provides a ram for the sacrifice and thus spares Ishmael's life. The story of the sacrifice is found in the Quran, chapter 37, verse 107, "Then when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he said, "O my son son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what is thy view (the son) said: O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou wilt find me If Allah so wills one practicing patience and constancy.
          So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah) and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice) We called out to him, O Abraham! Thou hast already fulfilled the vision! thus indeed do we reward those who do right. For this was obviously a trial and we ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice.
It is worth noting that the Quran uses the words sacrifice and ransom in this story. Ironically, the Bible uses the very same words to explain the atonement of Christ: For example, "The Son of man did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28)  Christ our passover lamb, has been sacrificed (1 Corinthians 5:7) The point is the words that the Quran uses to describe God providing a sacrifice for Ishmael, are the same words used to describe Christ's death on the cross.
God has provided the ultimate sacrifice by sending Jesus from heaven to ransom us from spiritual death and lay down his life as a holy sacrifice .Christ's sacrifice on the cross removes all of our guilt and cleanses us from all sin. If God can intervene by providing a sacrifice and sparing the life of Ishmael, one person, what then would prevent him from providing a sacrifice to save the entire human race.
            This is exactly what God did in sending Jesus from heaven. "This is real love-not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
                                                                                                      (1 John 4:10)

Respect

   I Peter 3:15 exhorts us as Christians, "And If someone asks you about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way."
   Respect, this seven-letter word is sadly neglected. Recently, a Christian pastor made the headlines all over the world, threatening to have a Koran-burning party. Instead of respecting those he disagreed with , he introduced another word other than respect,, SHAME. He brought shame to Christ and shame to himself.
     I have a very important question. Where is the respect for Muslims these days? Muslims have come to America to fulfill their dreams and to have freedom and instead of treating them to the Christian ideal of "Loving your neighbor as yourself," we treat them with contempt and ridicule. So, my next question goes right to the point of the matter. Who is behaving like the terrorists? This should shame all of us..
      The big controversy this day is where should the location of the mosque in New York be? I would suggest this answer. The deeper question God is asking each of us is, Where is the location of your heart? I would like to see more respect and dignity shown to our Muslim friends. When we do, they may even listen to what we believe and then we can share our hope in a respectful way.Our problem is we are too eager to preach and not listen.
       In closing, Be respectful to our Muslim friends. This is the ultimate human apologetic. Who knows? You may even develop a friendship with them that will be life-changing and pleasing to God.
       I am interested in your thoughts and comments, so please scroll down the page and let me hear from you! Thank you. I respect your right to your opinion.

The Cross In The Desert: Jesus will satisfy your hunger and thirst

The Cross In The Desert: Jesus will satisfy your hunger and thirst

Jesus will satisfy your hunger and thirst

The cross in the desert represents hope and healing in a land that is dry and parched.
If you are thirsty, come to the living waters:
                "Those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life." (John 4:14)
If you are hungry, come and feast and be filled:
                  "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:35)
God desires to satisfy your life with Himself. Come and drink
 and eat and be filled with Him today!
                   "O God, you are my God.
                    I earnestly search for you.
                     My soul thirst for you:
                    My whole body longs for you
                     In this parched and weary land
                     where there is no water.
                     Your unfailing love is better than life itself.
                      How I praise you!

                                                    (Psalm 63: 1-4)
















              


                  

The Cross In The Desert: This is a page reserved for Muslims. If you are a ...

The Cross In The Desert: This is a page reserved for Muslims. If you are a ...