Remember September 11th – About the Muslims – Part 1

By Dianne E. Butts –

Next month will mark the tenth anniversary of the attack on America on September 11, 2001. In the days following September 11^th, many of us were looking for answers. And we had a lot of questions.

We knew little about Muslims, what they believe, or the religion of Islam. I set out to find answers to some of my questions. And in the days following the attacks, as a writer what could I do but write? I ended up with my small book, titled Dear America: A Letter of Comfort and Hope to a Grieving Nation (still available on Amazon.com).

One chapter is a Q&A section. This month and next I’ll share some of those questions and answers.

Q: Everyone claims their religion is the true religion. How can we know what is true? 

A: The Bible actually proves itself. How? First God tells us what he is going to do, then he does it.

For example, in Ezekiel, God promised to restore Israel as a nation saying, “I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD” (Ezekiel 27:14, emphasis mine).

God tell us what he will do before he does it for two reasons: 1) so that we will know he is the one who did it, and 2) so when we see things going on around us, we won’t be afraid because we know God is at work bringing about his promises.

Another example is in Genesis 3:15 where God promised to send a man (the offspring of the woman) who would crush Satan. This promise was fulfilled when Jesus was born, died on the cross, and was resurrected from the dead destroying Satan’s death grip on us and paying the penalty of death for sin.

A third example is the birth of Jesus Christ being foretold in Isaiah 9 and his death being described in great detail in Isaiah 53. But here’s the kicker—the prophet Isaiah lived and wrote more than 700 years before the birth of Christ!

Only the True God can foretell these things and then see them through to completion.

Q: Who are the Muslims? 

A: Muslims are the descendants of Ishmael and those who follow the religion of Islam.

God made an everlasting covenant with Abraham promising him several things: a son and countless descendants, that he would be the father of many nations, he would be given a land (the “Promised Land,” Israel), and God would bless all the people of the earth through him.

When Abraham and his wife, Sarah, remained childless, Sarah, according to ancient customs, gave Abraham her maidservant to bear him an heir. Hagar bore him Ishmael.

However, Ishmael was not the son of the promise. Later, Sarah bore Abraham a son, Isaac, and God made it clear that Isaac, the son with Abraham’s wife, was the son of the promise (see Genesis 17:18-21). Abraham’s descendants through Isaac are the Jews, God’s chosen people.

The Muslims, however, believe they are God’s chosen people descended through Ishmael, and cite their own book, the Koran. Can you now see why there is such a great conflict between these two peoples?

Q: Where did the religion of Islam come from?

A: Around 570 AD, Mohammed was born near the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. When he was 40, Mohammed claims he had a vision of the archangel Gabriel in a cave near Mecca. Mohammed wrote down the instructions he received and these writing form the basis of the Koran (also spelled Quran).

The word “Islam” means “submission,” indicating submission to Allah, the Muslim’s word for God.

Whatever Mohammed saw and received, though, was not from the True God if it does not lead followers to the True God—and Jesus Christ is God come “in the flesh.”

What’s Wrong Here?

By Kathi Woodall –

I have been temporarily working in the office of a local Christian school. Most of my time is spent either in the lobby answering telephones or updating files in the back room. I haven’t spent much time in the main office area. However, on my second day, a question regarding a phone call sent me back to an open area where four desks sit, with the office of the school director just beyond them. I walked in and asked my question but while we were discussing it, the director, while on her way to her office, walked into the open area and started laughing. I hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary in the office so I was surprised by her laughter. To explain her laughter, the director said, “You are all in the wrong place; you usually sit here, you are usually over there, and you sit right here!” I was new and barely even knew everyone’s names. I definitely didn’t know which desk belonged to which person. The director, used to seeing them each at their own desk day after day, knew immediately when something was off.

Since I didn’t have the day after day exposure to what was correct in the office, I didn’t recognize when people were out of place. I just knew all of the right people were in the office. Similarly, someone with a surface knowledge of Christianity might walk into a church, read an article, or listen to a spiritual message where all of the right elements are present and not be able to discern that the elements are out of place. God is mentioned although the name of Jesus may never come up. Prayers are said but they bounce off the ceiling. Perhaps, Bible verses are even read, albeit out of context.

The director knew what she was seeing was off because she was in the office every day. The Bible is the source of what is correct and true. Like the school director, when we read and study the Word of God on a regular basis, we can walk into a church, read an article, or listen to a spiritual message and recognize when things are out of place. We will be able to discern the truth.

David wrote in the Old Testament, “Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long” (Psalm 25:4-5 NIV). We often long for God to show us His way, to teach us or guide us. We want to know right from wrong and truth from false teaching. We want to be like the director who walked in the room and immediately recognized something was off. The Holy Spirit will “guide you into all truth” (John 16:13 NIV) but He uses Scripture to do it. Unless we are regularly spending time reading, studying and memorizing His Word, we will be as oblivious as I was when I walked in the office and everyone was out of place.

Blackberry Patch

By Kathy Carlton Willis –

I love imagining myself in a scene from The Secret Garden. The very idea of escaping to a peaceful area of God’s creation through nature’s maze excites me to the core! One of the hidden benefits of our Kentucky home was discovering we owned the woods behind our fenced backyard. My husband Russ cleared the brush to create various paths. One thing he didn’t clear out was the wild blackberry brambles. Partly because those brambles are prickly, but partly because we anticipated the fruit of the vine. During the entire process we eagerly watched the blackberries mature and ripen. First we saw the blossoms, then the fruit appeared and finally the mature fruit was ready to be picked.

I noticed something in the maturation process. Blackberries don’t all mature at the same rate. Some berries ripen slower than others. Some of the fruit is smaller than others. Worst of all, some fruit never ripens, but dies on the vine before it ever matures into a plump juicy flavorful berry.

We evaluated all the variables and came to some conclusions. The berries in the sun ripened quicker and produced a better fruit. The berries choked by other weeds and plants dried up rather than becoming luscious mature fruit. And berries in the shade eventually ripened with smaller fruit, depending on the amount of rain.

When we consider Christian growth by using the lessons of the blackberry patch, we can understand our own ripening process better. We mature, based on just the right circumstances occurring at the appropriate time in the process. We need the Son to mature into the best fruit, as designed by the Creator. The water of the Word rains down just the right amount of moisture needed so we can become succulent to Jesus. Even in partial darkness (focus on self), with some Son the fruit will grow, but at a much slower rate, and often with an inferior finished product. Sadly, other Christians allow the cares of life to choke out their spiritual growth, much like the weeds overcame some of our wild berries by wrapping around the brambles and cutting the berries off from nourishment.

I desire to grow into the best fruit. Not for reasons of pride, but because I want my Creator to be well pleased. By allowing the Son to shine fully into my life, ignoring my shady self-desire and avoiding the choking cares of the world, I’m determined to ripen into fruit pleasing to the Taster. May He savor me and be glorified by my growth.

Letting Go of the Wheel

By Candace McQuain –

Apprehension about the future, questioning the past and merely surviving the present, are all very exhausting and unproductive places to be. This is, unfortunately, the state of many of us right now. Our rush hour lives and society based, unrealistic goals and ambitions are a factor, but in truth we are our worst enemy.

We simply can’t let go of the wheel and let our Creator drive.

There is hope for us though. Whether we realize it or not, we are all driving one of those “student driver” cars and the Lord has got His foot hovering over the break and His hand firmly placed on the steering wheel.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).

Now you may be thinking, “It’s so great that the Lord has got all these plans for me and that they will give me hope and a future, but can I please get a hint as to what these plans are and when they will be presented to me? I’m ready Lord!”

It can be so frustrating when we want something to move in our lives. When we really feel in our heart that we are heading towards something wonderful, something that we feel is so obviously blessed by the Lord, but in the end it all fizzles away. We then feel stuck again and ask, “Why?”

It’s because we are trying to make our plans, His plans and although our intentions are sincere, when we do this we are pushing an imaginary override button and delaying the Lord’s blessings and the correct path He wants us on.

It all comes down to trust. Our Father longs for us to feel secure in our faith and in the fact that He’s got everything under control. He wants us to let Him take the wheel, and allow Him put His “super” in our “natural.”

It’s a team effort though. A great example would be, asking the Lord to keep you healthy. Definitely a fair request, but you can’t sit around eating Ho-Ho’s and Twinkies while never taking any effort on your part to keep yourself healthy. Not only do we need Him to look after our health supernaturally, like only He can, He needs us to take care of our health in an earthly manner, like only we can.

The same can be applied to our jobs, our home and just about every other aspect of our life. Our Father needs us to be willing to do our part while He’s doing His. He’s not keeping secrets from us or playing Simon Says. He’s teaching us, preparing us and most importantly, He’s showing His love for us.

With a faithful and obedient heart, listen closely to the Lord, He’ll tell you what His plans are for you. Piece by piece, day by day you will get a better understanding of what He has in store for you and how He wants you to proceed. Just be sure you are an active listener and then get ready to move!

Children’s Book Leads Ladies to Jesus

By Pam Kumpe   –

Do you wonder if you are making a difference? Or have you asked how certain events will impact the future for others?

Ten year ago, I wrote a story about a dog named Schade who tasted the foot of Jesus after he followed the shepherds to the manger. The premise for the book was based on Psalm 34:8 taste and see that the Lord is good.

In my original manuscript this stray dog becomes Jesus’ first pet—only much like the story which got tucked away inside of a box, we often feel like strays in life, wondering if we matter.

Encouraged by a series of events last year, I wanted to bring my story out of the archives, and I wanted to look at reworking the tale, to see what I might do with the poor lost dog that never made it into a storybook.

As I dusted off the pages, an amazing journey took place and Schade who seemed lonely was given a new friend, Priscilla, a sheep with an annoying personality trait of talking too much. She also thought she was called to do a makeover on Schade. He was her new project.

It’s like I heard Schade and Priscilla talking in my head, the playful way Priscilla would speak to Schade, and then in return I’d hear this gruff sounding dog sneeze at being allergic to Priscilla as he tried to run her off, to get her out and away from brushing his tail.

This children’s book took on new life; the banter between best friends jumped from the pages.

Then, I needed an illustrator and through another series of events I hired Ron Wheeler to draw my characters. He captured them exactly as I’d pictured and the book became a 32-page tale of tasting the goodness of God and discovering the makeover of the heart—comes from Jesus.

On May 11, 2011 the books arrived, and I took a copy to the Recovery Center where I hold Sunday morning church service. I shared the tale with my ladies, to take them to Ezekiel 34 in the Bible and how God is like our shepherd and how he is looking for the stray sheep.

By sharing this story from my book and then by using God’s Word to match our hearts with the love Jesus has for the stray, well—the altar call at the end of the service changed my own heart.

C-girl, one of the ladies in recovery came up to me, and she wanted to give her heart to the Lord. I prayed with her, our tears mixed with joy and she was spiritually renewed. Then, in a move that I credit to the working of the Holy Spirit, some 20 ladies also gave their hearts to Jesus as they wanted to make sure they were God’s kid, his child, that they were a part of the family.

I have only one thing to say about this entire story about Schade and his best friend Priscilla—the Lord is after the stray in all of us.

Never underestimate how God can use a story, how God can touch a life, how Jesus loves us—too much—to forget about us. He’ll never toss our life story away, or tuck it away in a box. He’s ready to bind our hearts with hope and give us a tasty life with Him, and it’s all about God’s timing!

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