Making Sense of Surah 2v79

Intro

We live in an an age when lots of books are being written about the Bible, about the Quran about both at the 

same time. There are lots of commentaries available about both books, Islam has secondary  scripture called 

the Hadiths which are the words and deeds of Muhammad and many provide context for the Quran and when 

certain Surahs and ayat were revealed. 

Obviously in the first century when the Gospels were written the epistles of Paul and Peter and John and others 

and they serve as a commentary and an explanation of the gospels in relation to the Old testament and the 

prophecies of Jesus and became part of the Scriptures because they were closely associated with the events as 

they happened.

But the epistles are letters to the early church as it was spreading as faith  and persecution of believer was taking 

the church far and wide and they explain doctrine  and to guard the church against heresies and false teachings. 

Although  much of the Quran came from the memories of Muhammads companions there was also some 

written down as aids to memory by his followers but because of the many battles muslims who could recite 

large sections of the Quran as recited by Muhammad were dying. So it was apparent that the Quran needed to 

be in book form but this didn’t even begin to happen until 20 years after Muhammads death. 

The following verse comes from Muhammad essentially accusing jews and christians of writing books and calling 

them Scripture and also to make money, and he is warning against it the woes are saying “you are doomed to hell 

for doing so.

Lets read Surah 2v79 and look at it 

So woe to those who write the "scripture" with their own hands, then say, "This is from Allah ," in order 

to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what 

they earn. Sahih International

So woe unto those who write the book with their hands, then say, “This is from God”, that they might sell it 

for a paltry price. So woe unto them for what their hands have written and woe unto them for what they earn. 

Study Qur’an

To me this is more about the Quran it claims to be God’s word and claims to be confirming the previous 

scriptures, namely the Torah “given to” Moses, the Pslams “given to” David and the Gospel “given to Jesus. 

But it doesn’t. At all. 

Muhammad doesn’t understand the nature of “revelation” The Bible is inspired by God not “sent down” as he 

claims the Qur’an was, it was inspired by God men wrote the scriptures down. God has preserved his word from 

the days of the prophets  and apostles right until today with no sign or evidence of corruption. Only the Quran 

is the contradiction because it claims to “correct  and confirm” the Bible but only contradicts it. I’m sure a lot of 

money has been made by caliphs and publishers in producing the Quran to Muslims who only use it to recite the 

Arabic but cannot translate  or understand it in their own tongues. Only Imams and sheikhs and apologists seem 

to know the Quran and are selective what they tell their followers. 

We’ve seen many times that the Quran only affirms the Torah and Gospel as the previous revelations of “allah” 

but the Quran and Muhammad only contradict them ultimately denying the only salvation available. The Quran 

says great things about Jesus as the Messiah but doesn’t seem to know why he has that title, it says he is holy 

and sinless, but doesn’t know why, nor does it explain why Muhammad who was not sinless or holy, why he 

recited verses from satan and had no miracles to back up his message, or why he misunderstands all the major 

Bible doctrines he aims to “correct”. He doesn’t understand the trinity or the divinity of Christ, or “allah” himself 

if he’s the God he claims to be, and “allah” doesn’t help him because he isn’t God. According to the Quran 

“allah” can’t have a son because he has no partner, he is not a father so he has no son and you can only be 

a slave of “allah’ never a son or daughter. These are the basics of the Quran that contradict the previous 

revelations of the Bible well established even in Arabia long before Muhammad claimed to be a prophet claiming 

to have the same message but with him at its centre. 

For the record I don’t believe Muhammad had anything to do with the Quran at all. He may have been deluded 

to think he was a prophet, but it was his followers and the Muslims claiphs like Uthman who compiled the first 

standard Quran after his death and burnt all evidence of anything else he could. Then Abdul Malik who built the 

original dome of the rock in Jerusalem and minted coins introducing Muhammad as a prophet and the terms islam 

and Muslim. He created the identity of Islam for Arabs. Muhammad said and did  many things and the Hadith cover 

them and they come hundreds of years after so they have little reliability as they are not eye witness accounts, 

perhaps only those of Aisha and his other wives and his closest companions can be said to be Sahih’ which means 

good and trustworthy. But many of these put Muhammad in a bad light many are embarrassing for Muslims to say 

the least

But its really the stuff of legend quite unlike the Gospel accounts which are eye witness accounts from the same 

century of Jesus Christ who the WHOLE Bible is about because its the story of the only redemption The way the 

truth and the life.

Surah 2v79 is claimed by many Muslims to show that Bible is corrupted but we see no such thing and 

actually backfires on islam  because there was no “allah” before islam came on the scene, much of its history 

is borrowed from the bible to give credibility to Muhammad as a prophet and two exalt him over even the Messiah.

Outro

Something Strange / Trials Refine Us!

Intro 

1 Peter 4v12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as 

though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, 

that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, 

you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a 

murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be 

ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of 

God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 

18 And

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
    what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

There is no question that trials will come on us as christians, not just persecution but obstacles, illness, 

Slander but they should have a positive effect of strengthening and encouraging us and building us up in our faith. 

We don’t learn anything if we don’t suffer, or have trials, we just get comfortable.

1 Peter1v6,7  In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by 

various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though 

it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Our faith is more precious than gold because its truth, its not religion but relationship, and our relationships 

are tested to see if its genuine, are you really seeking God continually or just comfortable, do you go to church 

to keep up appearances, do you read your bible when you feel like it or in a meeting, do you pray only when 

things get hard for you? 

God tests us in how genuine we are. In the book of Job, God was proud of Job because

he was faithful but Satan accused God of hedging him in and claimed that Job was only faithful because he 

was blessed and had Gods protection, but if it was taken away he would curse God. 

Guess what he does the same on us, Satan the devil the accuser of the brethren so the best way to prove 

God is to be faithful in relationship to God, don’t allow anything that may become an idol. Read as much as 

you can because the word is God’s primary way of communication with us he won’t say anything that contradicts 

it, so in your prayers pray according to the word, don’t ask him to make you a special case to  contradict it. Be 

faithful in relationship do all you can to give him glory keep away things that don’t . 

You want to please him don’t you?

These verses say not only we are to bear our trials but rejoice in them, be grateful for them, as hard as that might 

be, because as long as you have breath you are a witness of Gods salvation in Christ

Acts 5v38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or 

this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might 

even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, 40 and when they had called in the apostles, they 

beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the 

presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And 

every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the 

Christ is Jesus.

The Jewish leaders recognised that if what the apostles were doing is of man, it would fail, but if of God 

nobody could stop it. They beat the apostles threatened them not to speak in Jesus name and let them go. 

o the apostles knowing their commission is from God, continued to preach and spread the gospels. The 

principle still applies, we can still be threatened, and beaten, many are in some countries. We are not of the 

world we are born of God to do his work. Rejoice and keep on speaking don’t let illness, threats or even any 

obstacles, other relationships even good ones stop you from being a voice for your saviour Jesus Christ. 

Trials refine us because our faith is more precious  than gold, because God himself gave us the faith and 

the grace to trust him, and receive the salvation and sonship we have in Jesus death on the cross for your sins 

and mine, and its our mandate to let others know, no-one os too lost to be saved, after all he saved a wretch like you!

Judgement begins with the church so if we are accountable with such refining, think how harsh judgement will be 

for those in the world when we are supposed to be reaching them? The world is under Gods wrath because they r

Reject Jesus Christ the only way of salvation, we are saved because we know he saved us and we’re to persuade 

them and snatch them from hell. We need to know what we believe and why and persuade others of the truth of 

John 3v16

Outro

Making Sense of Surah 7v157

Intro I’m reading ing from Sahih International

Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the 

Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful 

for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles 

which were upon them. So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the 

light which was sent down with him - it is those who will be the successful.

It’s often been said that Muhammad was illiterate, that he couldn’t read or write, and its irrelevant if he is 

a prophet because his companions wrote down the things he said whether they were revelation or not and 

some memorised them

There are volumes of his sayings and doings written down whether inspired or not in the Hadith which were 

collected around 200-300 years after his death from oral traditions.

By the time of Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham it was assumed by Arabians that Muhammad was a prophet to the 

Arabians  because the Quran had been compiled by 3rd caliph Uthman. 

The Quran is what was collected of Muhammads supposed revelations from “allah” as he claimed. Uthman 

gathered all he could use and burnt everything else he knew of that couldn’t to create an official Quran, some 

of Muhammads closest companions would not give up to Uthman what they had of the Quran, and even today 

there are 30 Arabic unofficial Qurans available in addition to the ‘official” one finalised in 1985 for the world. 

The Quran calls Jews and Christians, “people of the Scripture” or “people of the book” meaning the Bible. 

Many times it gives this term and even affirms the Scriptures as revelations given to the previous prophets by 

“allah” himself. 

There is no question of corruption because the Arabic uses the term bayna yadayhi which means that 

which is between their hands, in possession roof the people of the book. Surah 18v 27 says that no-one can 

change the words of “allah” except himself as he contradicts the Bible on a large scales, and the Quran with self 

contradictions  or abrogations through his prophet Muhammad.

7v157 calls Muhammad the unlettered prophet  but that doesn’t mean he was illiterate, but that he wasn’t a 

person of “the book” the previous scriptures. Modern Muslims claim that the Quran is miraculous because he 

was illiterate and yet gave these “revelations” but he doesn’t need to know anything if he is giving true revelations 

from a true God. What matters is consistency and The Quran is not only inconsistent in itself, but Muhammad 

contradicts  the previous revelations he claims to be confirming.

He wasn’t a Jew, which made him a Gentile, and because he wasn’t a Christian either, Muhammad was a 

pagan like his fellow Arabians who already worshipped many idols and false gods in and around the Kaaba in 

the 7th century.

Here “allah” claiming to be the God of the Bible  says that Muhammad is spoken of in his previous scriptures

But he doesn’t say any more he doesn’t specify which passages of the Bible he is mentioned, which would 

make it a whole lot easier for muslims to find. But neither Muhammad or “allah” ever quote the Bible specifically to 

show where these revelations concerning the “prophet” might be, almost as if they don’t know! Again this is 

excusable for Muhammad, but if ‘allah” is God he should know! Why doesn’t he know where his new prophet 

is mentioned in his own incorruptible words?

Poor Muslims have been scouring the Bible for 14 centuries for their prophet mentioned, without success. 

Even with modern scholarship, the Islamic apologists have to twist passages to shoehorn a mention of Muhammad 

in the Bible. This is made further troubling when they claim the bible has been “corrupted” though they can’t 

say who how why or where or when this took place, and “allah” only affirms the bible as his revelation!

‘Allah” offers no help, why? 

Simply because he is not the God of the Bible he claims, in fact through Muhammad he unfortunately denies the 

most important aspects of the Torah and the Gospels, in the previous scriptures he affirms.

Muhammad not only denies the deity and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, there are many doctrines 

that not even “allah” understands while claiming to “refute” them.  Again it doesn’t matter that Muhammad 

doesn’t understand as he is only “reciting” revelations, but it DOES MATTER that “allah” does not understand the 

very teachings he claimed to have revealed previously through earlier prophets. 

The verse goes on to say that those who follow the “unlettered prophet” are successful ones. 

How can he command what is right or forbid what is wrong if he doesn’t know the Torah including the 

10 commandments, the law, or the Gospel he claims to be confirming? 

If Muhammad is illiterate he is well aware of the jews and Christians around him and even if he couldn’t read their 

books he could have asked. Surah 10v94 encourages him that if he is induct about his revelations to ASK the 

people of the Scripture. But he chooses not to and ‘allah” doesn’t or can’t help because he isn’t the God of the 

Bible. The Qur’an shows that he continued in ignorance  and instead puts words in the mouth of Jesus and the 

prophets that they would not have said. Surah61v6

I would submit The Quran is Muhammads understanding of God, the Bible and life and eternity itself. Yes he 

Knew some vague things but was very limited and his understanding of what he heard is very humanistic. He claims 

to be confirming Scriptures he doesn’t know, and because he doesn’t know he doesn’t properly understand the things 

he thinks he knows. He doesn’t hear directly from God despite his claims of revelation, but worst of all he rejects 

the salvation given in the gospel, causing all you Muslims who follow him to reject it too! He didn’t and couldn’t 

Replace because he wasnt hearing directly from the true God as previous prophets and Christ the messiah did!

Remember the Quran is a controlled message because Uthman collected all he could use to compile it, 

and burnt everything he couldn’t so we don’t know everything Muhammad really said, there is no eye 

witness testimony and oral tradition is only as reliable as the pair its not written on!

Salvation is only found in Jesus Christ. John 3v16

Outro

Don’t You Know?

Intro using NIV today because its my favourite Study Bible

Roman 6v1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! 

We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who 

were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through

baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, 

we too may live a new life.

There is a question and answer in verses 1& 2 while 3 & 4 explain the answer this passage follows on from 

chapter 5v20

20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased 

all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to 

bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The law highlights our sin and its severity and our need for redemption. Grace highlight show fallen we are and 

should increase our continued need of repentance and our contact trust in Christ and his words that are the lamp 

to our feet.

We live in an age that promotes self and unique identity even if its flawed. It celebrates diversity even if that 

diversity is against ones own gender and if you state the obvious you are bigoted and narrow-minded and 

even oppressive.

We should be dead to our sin and take up our cross daily dying to ourselves as believers we must decrease 

and he must increase in our lives. Jesus death on the cross shows us how wicked we are and how gracious he is.

Baptism is not just a public testimony that we have died to sin and that we have new life in Christ.

Also we are supposed to be baptised as soon as possible after coming to Christ because as quickly as we repented 

and gave our lives to the Lord we have entered into new life. Its quick and simple and radical! WE have been adopted

into Gods family! Its His doing not ours he gives us the grace and faith to repent and trust in him. Which means he 

wants us in relationship with him, not religion!

In the New Testament baptisms happened very quickly, John the Baptist would baptise on confession of sins 

in the River Jordan, it was like if you’re going to do it do it now! He didn’t point to his own ministry but of the one 

to come Jesus who he also baptised. Jesus didn’t need to repent or be baptised but he was setting the example 

as he is sinless. 

In the book of Acts people were baptised very quickly after coming to faith, Philip baptised the Ethiopian reading 

Isaiah 53, Peter baptised Cornelius the Roman centurion and his family after he preached the gospel, and Paul 

who was baptised by Ananias later baptised the jailer and his family instead of escaping prison. 

So its good to be baptised as soon as possible after you become a Christian. Its unfortunate that many churches 

are very slow on this and like to see how a new believer “progresses” in their church, before they will baptise, and 

like to wait until there are a few people who want to be baptised for “logistical” reasons. I don’t know about you but 

I had to wait for 9 months before I was baptised. What about you? Let us know in the comments. We as believers 

should be ready to baptise new believers although its a shame there arent so many watery places convenient to do 

so in many places., and obviously you’d need a change of clothes because baptism is full immersion not a sprinkle!

The thief on the cross is the exception to the rule because he was literally going to die on the cross but he did so 

having died to self and trusted in Christ before he physically died! 

Romans 6v5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him 

in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin 

might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has 

been set free from sin.

I’ll encourage you to read all of Romans 6 because it is all about dying to sin and new life in Christ.

Believing

Intro

Texts from NIV unless stated

John 20v30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in 

this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that 

by believing you may have life in his name.

There are over 30 recorded specific miracles in the Gospels, most are recorded in the synoptic gospels., Matthew 

Mark & Luke, 8 signs recorded in John’s Gospel, some not in the synoptics 3 raised from the dead, not including 

Jesus himself. There are many more generalised miracles that are not recorded with details

Matthew4v23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news 

of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all 

over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, 

the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.

All of these miracles are to point us to belief and trust in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Messiah, the word of 

God in flesh.

John21v25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even 

the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written

Can you imagine how much bigger the New Testament would be if everything Jesus did was recorded, and even 

more so every time he said anything, so the gospels we have are selective in all his sermons and teachings, because 

no doubt he kept the message simple and repeated it many times, wherever he went in Israel.

Here’s how the amplified Bible translates the verses. 

John20v30 There are also many other signs (attesting miracles) that Jesus performed in the presence of 

the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe 

[with a deep, abiding trust] that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of God; and that 

by believing [and trusting in and relying on Him] you may have life in His name.

Believing is deep abiding trust, trusting and relying on Jesus the person, its not religion its relationship, 

its no wonder he also said the I AM sayings in John especially that he is the way and the truth and the life. 

Faith is trust in Christ, the living word of God who became flesh to show us the nature of God, and lay down his 

sinless flesh as the lamb of God who takes on the sin of the world including yours and mine. 

We become born again by turning from our sin and making him Lord of our lives, we enter into relationship with 

the eternal Son, once we trust in Jesus we also trust the Father who sent him to redeem us. 

Its not about works or our good deeds outweighing our bad, we can never measure the depth of our sin, nor can 

we measure the overwhelming grace. 

Even the grace and the faith is given to us when we acknowledge our sin and repent of it, we 

put it behind us and trust that Jesus blood on the cross covers our sin and that he can transform us 

and give us new life, 

We now trust in his righteousness, as we know ours can’t do anything because sin is our default nature, 

Jesusis always holy and righteous because he is born from above by the Holy Spirit, of God the Father, 

the trinity are all involved in our salvation, and our task to reach out with the good news.

John 5v24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will 

not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 

Note the word HAS, present tense, we HAVE eternal life in Jesus Christ because he only HAS done everything to 

obtain salvation, so everyone who trusts relies upon him HAS crossed from death, from under the wrath of God into eternal life. 

 1 John5v11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever 

has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you 

have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according 

to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what 

we asked of him.

If we are trusting relying and abiding in him we have confidence in him and will ask things according to his will 

not ours! We will ask things in light of eternity like seeking souls and praying for them and opportunities to share 

the good news of the gospel. Because God wants as many as possible to hear and receive the gospel! 

Outro

Making Sense of Surah3v54

Intro

And they (the disbelievers) schemed, and Allah schemed (against them): and Allah is the best of schemers. Pickthall

And they schemed and Allah schemed, and Allah is the best of schemers 

The Critical Quran

And they plotted and God plotted. And God is the best of plotters. 

The Study Qur’an

And the disbelievers planned, but Allah planned. And Allah is the best of planners 

Sahih International

See how the term has been diluted?

Scheming seems to be the better word because it implies conniving deceit cunning tricking as the original Arabic 

word Makir describes. 

Are they then secure from Allahs scheme? No one thinks of himself as secure  from Allah’s scheme except 

people that perish 7v99

And when those who disbelieve plot against you, to wound you fatally, or to kill your drive you out, they scheme, 

but Allah schemes, and Allah is the best of schemers 8v30

This verse also relates to Surah 4v157,8

Abdul Mannan Omar translation of this verse 3v54 says this

And they (- the persecutors of Jesus) planned (to crucify him) and Allâh planned (to save him) and Allâh 

is the best of the planners.

The islamic story “discusses” that in only ONE verse of the Quran according to 4v157,8

And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah ." 

And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, 

those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. 

And they did not kill him, for certain.

Rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise. Sahih International

The gospels are clear that Jesus WAS crucified and taken down and placed in the tomb but didn’t stay dead, 

he rose again, which is why he is worshipped as god the son. It was all planned out! It was not a scheme or trick 

God knew all about it before the foundation of the earth because the triune God is all knowing. Father son and 

Holy Spirit organised it together despite mans sin, to redeem us all. John 3v16 in a nutshell!

What makes me laugh about Surah4v157 is that there are so many problems with this verse that we would need 

several episodes to look at it. But the alarm bells ring when it says several things here

Indeed, we have killed the Messiah. Jews wouldn’t brag about killing the messiah they were waiting for!

they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him. Romans made sure that scourging and crucifixion would kill

but [another] was made to resemble him to them, Who? Which disciple? Judas Or was it Barabas or Simon 

of Cyrene, I’ve heard these actually suggested! A careful reading of the Gospels outrules them all!

Those are for another time to look at but particularly this statement

They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. 

But this requires assumption and conjecture to speculate what actually happened because the gospels 

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John clearly show that the Jews and Romans DID crucify Jesus and the disciples and 

his mother clearly SAW Jesus on the cross crucified, Isaiah 53 and David Psalm 22 prophesied it. It was seen by EYEWITNESSES.

For 14 centuries Muslims have speculated what actually happened so its actually them using conjecture, 

Not Jews and Christians, their scriptures are clear its not even “Allah” but the confusion is Muhammads!

Just because he was illiterate and ignorant it doesn’t mean all Muslims have to be,  its all there 

in the Gospels from four different eyewitness points of views to different audiences, jew and Gentile!

If Muhammad were right, the burden is on him to prove what actually happened and he can’t and 

Allah cannot back him up because he is actually speaking against what “Allah” had already revealed, which 

means the Quran is from Muhammads mind not God’s, proving him to be a false prophet, we saw that according 

to Surah69v44-47 he died in the same way “Allah” said he would if he fabricated false sayings as God’s

It is ONLY Muhammad, 7 centuries later and 100’s of miles away who never knew or read the gospels that 

denies it. So he throws the prophets and disciples and Mother of Jesus under the bus for his opinion which he 

could never back up, he even throws “Allah” under the bus if he’s God because “Allah” is the one he speaks for, 

and he claims to have “revealed” the Gospels that say Jesus was crucified. 

History shows that many figures outside of the Bible testify to the crucifixion as historical fact. 

So in conclusion although its Allah who looks to be the divine trickster and schemer of all things doing the work 

that Satan normally does, bringing confusion division, twisting Scripture as he has done since the beginning of 

creation in genesis 3 in the Bible, its actually Muhammad in his ignorance of scripture, making things up as he 

goes along as an obvious false prophet that has caused all the confusion that the Quran brings. We have already 

seen in past episodes that the Quran only affirms the Bible as truth, but its the things that Muhammad says 

In the name of God that causes all the confusion Muslims are in today, kissing a black stone bowing and circling 

a black box that was a pagan ritual before islam, because Muhammad did and included it in his religion. 

Not to mention the things he said and did using a generic name of God (never in the Bible) to justify his immorality 

on many levels. Muslims are having to be quicker to defend Muhammad rather than God himself! 

No rest for the Wicked

Intro

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

2 but his delight is in the law[ of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Last time we looked at Psalm 1v1-3 today we’re looking at verse 4-6

4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Chaff is easily blown away by wind  and its removal is cleansing Psalm 150 there are no wicked it 

speaks of what heaven is like

Isaiah 40v22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;

23 who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.

24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

Our lives are short in comparison with God who is eternal. He has known all the leaders of the earth, 

we remember our leaders for either the good or the bad in world war 2 we remember Hitler for his 

execution of Jews but we remember that England under Winston Churchill helped to put an end to 

his empire. We remember the Wicked so the same mistakes aren’t made and as a warning, but we 

would rather forget them we remember the heroes as we do our soldiers who fought to give us freedom 

as a nation against dictators or tyrants, so how much more will God punish them?

Jeremiah 13v24 I will scatter you like chaff driven by the wind from the desert.

25 This is your lot, the portion I have measured out to you, declares the Lord,

because you have forgotten me and trusted in lies.

Jeremiah was warning Israel that they would go into captivity because of their disobedience and 

going after the idols  of other nations and rejecting the laws given to bless them. 

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

Psalm 35v18 I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.

Psalm 26v12 My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the Lord.

The Righteous are those who order their lives according to his will and his word, trusting in Jesus Christ as their 

Lord and saviour born again. We are to honour him in all aspects of our lives with all our hearts minds soul and 

strengths, using our talents and abilities and skills, natural and spiritual  in domestic social political religious 

and intellectual areas to bless NOT exploit

The wicked are those who exploit others  and will not be able to stand Gods wrath when he judges, 

get right with God today. 

Jesus came to save us from our sins if only we accept his salvation when he died for our sins on the cross. 

6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish

Psalm 145v20 The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

Nahum1v7 The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.

8 But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries

    and will pursue his enemies into darkness.

Leviticus 26v 37 They shall stumble over one another, as if to escape a sword, though none pursues. 

And you shall have no power to stand before your enemies. 38 And you shall perish among the nations, 

and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.

Psalm 9v6 The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins; their cities you rooted out;

    the very memory of them has perished.

Its a fearful thing to fall into the hands of God, judgement will be an awful day. Do not reject the goodness and 

salvation of the Lord he has been gracious to you when he could have destroyed you, and while you live now you 

have time to repent. You may think you’re a good person but if you’ve even thought about lying stealing harming 

others you are a sinner under gods wrath but god had offered salvation in his Son Jesus Christ, receive it while 

you can. Now is the day of salvation!

Delighted

Intro

[Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of 

the wicked [following their advice and example], Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers).

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night.

3 And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season;
Its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity].

4  The wicked [those who live in disobedience to God’s law] are not so,
But they are like the chaff [worthless and without substance] which the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand [unpunished] in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the 

righteous.

6 For the Lord knows and fully approves the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked shall perish.

Lets read it from the ESV and go through it

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

2 but his delight is in the law[ of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Blessed is the happy condition of those who trust in God it comes from the Hebrew word ashrei which means 

the blessedness of and denies the joy and satisfaction of knowing one s right with God. 

Ps 40 4 Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust,

who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!

Ps119 1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!

2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,

3 who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!

Ps 89 15 Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,

16 who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted

Walks not in - or  orders his lifestyle according to

Counsel - the deliberation or advice of

Sinners - those for whomever is habitual, wickedness is their way of life sin is their default setting 

without Christ

Mockers  - those who ridicule God and those who trust in him. They reject his word and laws. 

Ps 26 4 I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites.

5 I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked

Proverbs 4 14 Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil.

15 Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on.

V2 but his delight is in the law[ of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Ps 112 1 Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!

 Ps 119 33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.

34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.

35 Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.

36 Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!

Jos 1 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to 

their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the 

law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you 

may have good success[a] wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, 

but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written 

in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not 

commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the 

Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

We are to meditate on the word read it well chew on it feed on it it and in doing so you won’t go astray. It will 

keep us out of trouble temptation and sin

V3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

Ps 52 8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God.

I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.

Ps 128 1 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!

2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around 

your table.

Matthew 7 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man 

who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and 

beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who 

hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the

sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, 

and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

We’ll look at verse 4-6 next time. 

Outro

Making Sense of Surah3v31/4v65

Intro

Was Jesus a muslim? 

And We did not send any messenger except to be obeyed by permission of Allah . And if, when they 

wronged themselves, they had come to you, [O Muhammad], and asked forgiveness of Allah and the 

Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah Accepting of repentance and 

Merciful

But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning 

that 

over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you 

have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission.

Surah 4v64,65

Believer have no actual faith unless they make Muhammad the judge of any disputes they have among themselves, 

to seek any other independent judgement is discouraged. The majority Sunni have this in their Qur’an’s but the Shi-ite

tradition goes further to say you must respect first the judgement of Muhammad and his family in order to obey Allah.

Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah , then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your 

sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."

Say, "Obey Allah and the Messenger." But if they turn away - then indeed, Allah does not like the disbelievers.

Surah 3v31,32

Allah only loves believers in him and his messenger which is why he is not the God of the Bible. 

In the Bible God loves all even sinners but those who come to him in repentance and faith in Jesus Christ the son 

and saviour they cannot continue in sin. Jesus laid down his life for all sins because we all sin only he didn’t. 

Allah in the Quran says believer should not associate anyone with himself but he does the very same thing which is 

shirk the unforgivable sin! A muslim cannot obey Allah without obeying Muhammad.

Ibn Kathir says that defiance of the messengers way  constitutes Kufr (unbelief) even if he says he loves Allah but 

does not agree with the prophet the final messenger. 

All this is interesting because Muslims today insist that there is nothing of Muhammad in the Qur’an and he is only 

a warner and messenger just like the others before him, but he is clearly exalting himself as the best because he 

is the last and for simply saying in order to obey Allah you must listen to me.

Outro

Lost or Found

Intro

Last time in True/False we looked at two sons one who repented of his sin and was restored to sonship, while 

the older brother assumed he was good, and had no need of repentance, and was judgemental and when his 

brother returned to the home.

Today we look at the story of a rich man who was not like other rich men in the New Testament unwilling to give 

up their wealth for God’s kingdom

Luke 19v1-10

He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a 

chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd 

he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree 

to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said 

to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came 

down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest 

of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods 

I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, 

“Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to 

seek and to save the lost.”

1.Zaccheus was unliked because of his profession he was corrupt as a tax collector and was seen as a traitor to 

Israel working for the Romans, and gained great wealth from it.

2.other rich men in the gospels sought to justify themselves, but Zaccheus had a child like faith willing to climb a 

tree to see Jesus he didn’t care what other s thought he’d obviously heard about Jesus and was eager to see him

3.It was a divine appointment Jesus knew who he was and was seeking him and called him out. If you are 

genuinely seeking God he will come to you, whoever you are however corrupt you are even if you feel trapped in 

a bad profession. 

There’s been pimps, porn stars, criminals and terrorists who have come to Christ, he will come to anyone 

who recognises him not just those who think they are good, because that’s pride! Jesus invited himself to 

Zaccheus home and he was not only ready but welcomed him. This is important because no doubt he not only 

invited Jesus and his disciples, but many people because he had wealth and influence. Like Matthew did.

Some moaned and complained at Jesus going to his house, no doubt Zaccheus was aware of how he was viewed 

too. The NLT says the pharisees asked why does he eat and drink with such scum in Luke 5v30

4 Zaccheus was willing to give up publicly and fraud he’d committed and recognised his sin because he saw 

something far more important, having his state cleaned his sins forgiven and becoming a disciple of Christ. He 

showed true fruits of repentance.

5.Jesus said salvation has comer to this house because many jews assumed that they were automatically 

Found because of their heritage, but no, salvation is individual, you must be born again. 

6.This incident reminds me of a song from Sunday school I don’t remember the verses but just part of the chorus. 

And regardless whatever your status as a human wealth, profession intellect class you need to come to Christ 

and have your own personal sins forgiven and make Jesus Lord of your life as an individual whether your family friends 

are or not! He died for each and everyones sins that’s why you have to repent and confess them (the ones you are 

aware of) because there are many you’re unaware of, until after you are born again. 

7.Be like Zaccheus seek God acknowledge your sin and rebellion and ask him to make himself known to you 

and he will if you are genuine. Today is the day of salvation. There is nothing better than knowing your sins are 

forgiven it has higher value than anything in this world and enables you to trust in Christ for the rest of your life, 

because his righteousness is your trust not your own, when you are born again you have a new nature!

Outro.

Making Sense of Surah69v44-47

Intro

And if Muhammad had made up about Us some [false] sayings,

We would have seized him by the right hand;

Then We would have cut from him the aorta.

And there is no one of you who could prevent [Us] from him.

Sahih International

This statement only appears once in the Qura’n it could have been Muhammad assuring people who were 

unconvinced by him that he was a prophet of God. 

We’ve seen in previous weeks that many questioned the validity of his “revelations” some said they were tales 

of the ancients, things they’d heard before,

Despite his claims that what he was saying the the Qur’an confirmed the Scriptures before, the Jews 

and Christians could clearly see he was obviously contradicting them

But if this statement came from the true God, Muhammad didn’t realise that it concerned his impending 

doom and would cause him to admit he was a false prophet. 

Many of Muhammads revelation didn’t suit anyone but himself and his own indulgences, they had nothing to do 

with his message that God is one, or of salvation, the Qur’an is filled with nonsense that if Allah were God he 

would not reveal because they are clearly false and contradict his earlier revelations we have in the Bible.

You have to wonder if Muhammad actually forgot that he “revealed” these verses when on his death bed and many 

times in his illness he kept saying “I feel my aorta being severed” which admits he was a false prophet. 

Some Muslims have argued it proves he’s a true prophet because he prophesied this correctly, but if this comes 

from God it says that if Muhammad was a a false prophet this is what would happen and it did!

The true God let him die a long horrible death because he was contradicting the Bible, disgracing his name, 

denying the deity of Christ and his death and crucifixion  and ultimately salvation, exalting himself as a prophet 

yet claiming to confirm Scriptures he did not know at all. His lifestyle became more aggressive against Jews 

and Christians because they understandably rejected him as a prophet.

The background to the long drawn out agonising death of Muhammad begins when Muhammads army killed the 

male relatives of the Jewess who poisoned him, her uncle her husband and son or father, she even gave him the 

benefit of her doubt asa prophet. The story displays the self indulgence and arrogance of Muhammad a bit of 

stupidity and he had no conscience, and the woman must have known this when she cooked this special meal for him. 

I don’t know about you, but if I killed a few members of your family, id feel guilty to accept a gift from you after what

 I’ve done, it would cause me to be suspicious wouldn’t it? I’d be fearful of revenge, id have run a mile I wouldn’t accept 

it id be asking why you’re doing it, but if i’d done good for you I would accept it as a gift of gratitude

So this is how Muhammads death occurred according to Hadith the most trusted sources of the life and 

words of Muhammad…

This version adds: So a Jewess presented him at Khaybar with a roasted sheep which she had poisoned. 

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ate of it and the people also ate.

He then said: Take away your hands (from the food), for it has informed me that it is poisoned. 

Bishr ibn al-Bara' ibn Ma'rur al-Ansari died.

So he (the Prophet) sent for the Jewess (and said to her): What motivated you to do the work you have done?

She said: If you were a prophet, it would not harm you; but if you were a king, I should rid the people of you. 

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then ordered regarding her and she was killed. He then said about the pain of 

which he died: I continued to feel pain from the morsel which I had eaten at Khaybar. This is the time when it 

has cut off my aorta.

Sunan Abi Dawud book Hadith 19,

Bishr was as friend of Muhammad who started eating tasted the poison but carried on eating because 

he saw Muhammad was about to eat and didn’t want to put him off so carried on eating fell out of his chair 

and died, then Muhammad seeing this decides its time to get a “revelation” and says to everyone stop 

eating because the leg of sheep has told him its poisoned rather than Bishr dying in front of him. Thats a 

sure sign of a false prophet and that his revelations were a show of importance. V20 says this when Bishrs mother 

came to visit him

On the authority of his father: Umm Mubashshir said to the Prophet (ﷺ) during the sickness of which he died: 

What do you think about your illness, Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)? I do not think about the illness of my son except 

the poisoned sheep of which he had eaten with you at Khaybar. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: And I do not think about 

my illness except that. This is the time when it cut off my aorta

Sunan Abi Dawud book Hadith 20

So he admitted he’s a false prophet by saying he is dying in exactly the same way he would do if he were 

making up false. Sayings about God

The Prophet (ﷺ) in his ailment in which he died, used to say, "O `Aisha! I still feel the pain caused by 

the food I ate at Khaibar, and at this time, I feel as if my aorta is being cut from that poison."

Sahih alBukhar 4429 book 64 Hadith 450

So the question I have to you Muslims is why are you following Muhammad? he died a horrible death because he is 

a false prophet he died at the hands of jewess whose family he killed and he said women were stupid and deficient 

in religion, rich coming from a man who lusted after women and married around 13. So did he take advantage of 

their stupidity? The revelations of the Quran show they come from his wild imagination not from God.

True / False

Intro

We’ll read the full story then go through a few points about both sons and the father

11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, 

‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 

13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and 

there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine 

arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to[b] one of the 

citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with 

the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than 

enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 

“Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. 

Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still 

a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 

21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy 

to be called your son.’[c] 22 But the father said to his servants,[d] ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put

 it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and 

let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And 

they began to celebrate.

25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music 

and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said 

to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him 

back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 

29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your 

command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when 

this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf 

for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was

 fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

Its a story about God the father and two converts one true and one false

1 he came to his senses or he came to the end of himself he came to the point of despair knowing he’s wasted

 his life in vanity and nonsense and vain self indulgence gained friends and lost them and then he realised all 

he was missing out on at home. V17

2 he saw his unworthiness as a sinner not just against God but his father who he forced into giving his inheritance 

a highly disrespectful act especially as he wasn’t the firstborn son. He was truly repentant. V18,19

3 The father had always been looking out for him  since he’d left home but never gave up hoping for his return. 

He went out to look for him but never over rides his will its the same for you. He was so excited to see him coming 

back and ran to meet him. This is the grace of God - not looking at the sin because we are all sinners but the heart 

that returns to him and he knows when we are genuine. The son was coming to him in repentance and faith knowing 

he was unworthy and that his own works can’t save him. V20

4 in pride the son could have back track but he knew it was best to go back to the father even as a servant. 

He kept up his confession all the way home and had an overwhelming welcome. There is a great celebration because 

v10 says

10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

5 the other son was a different story he didn’t care about his other brother and didn’t even regard him as a 

brother,

As his father was looking out each day he brooded and grumbled and wondered why he wasted his time even if 

he should come back he didn’t want him too so was furious when he did. V27

6 he was stubborn and self righteous wouldn’t join in the celebrations. He had an entitlement and works mentality 

not realsiing he was still at home also by Gods grace. He was in judgement over his brother and his thinking 

hie should be punished not celebrated he already decided and assumed what his brother was guilty of and 

made exaggerations he could never prove v29

7 he even was resentful of his father not rewarding him for his perceived faithfulness 

8 he didn’t examine himself he was self righteous because he knew the law but didn’t realise he violated it in his 

attitude. He had no humility and no grace and no repentance or gratitude. 

9 his father had to remind him that his brother was dead  and lost but was now alive and found, but he was lost 

and dead without realising it. He was like the pharisees that Jesus address many times

Making Sense of Surah2v23

Intro

These verses in the Quran are supposed to convey the beauty and eloquence of the Qur’an and that 

it’s incomparable. Its the idea that because it looks and sounds good in Arabic it must be from God. 

Muslims all over the world recite prayers in Arabic five times a day but ask them to translate  into their 

own languages what they have prayed, 85% won’t be able to tell you! So just because the Arabic recitation 

sounds good it doesn’t necessarily make sense. 

Even if it does make sense what’s the point in reciting it in Arabic if you can’t translate it to your own language? 

Your prayer is vanity simply because you don’t understand what you are actually sajying! 

You’re talking gibberish to someone you think is God who tells you what to say in a language 

you don’t understand, that sounds gibberish to those you are trying to provethat you’re religious to!

Sahih International  

And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant [Muhammad], then produce a 

surah the like thereof and call upon your witnesses other than Allah , if you should be truthful.

But if you do not - and you will never be able to - then fear the Fire, whose fuel is men and stones, 

prepared for the disbelievers. 2v23,24 (The Cow)

These verses  offer a challenge that makes no sense because who could evaluate 

anything  that could be said is “like” what Muhammad is “reciting” as “Revelation” when even he 

doesn’t know what to recite until he “reveals” it, supposedly from Allah?

Who is he offering the challenge to? Jews Christians or fellow Arabians?

Allah often said about those often said about those who heard some of his “revelations”

Or do they say [about the Prophet], "He invented it?" Say, "Then bring forth a surah like it and call upon 

[for assistance] whomever you can besides Allah , if you should be truthful." 10v38 Yunus (Jonah)

Or do they say, "He invented it"? Say, "Then bring ten surahs like it that have been invented and call 

upon [for assistance] whomever you can besides Allah , if you should be truthful." 11v13 (Hud)

And when Our verses are recited to them, they say, "We have heard. If we willed, we could say [something] 

like this. This is not but legends of the former peoples." 8v31 (The Spoils of War)

If the Arabians all believed in “Allah” Muhammad wasn’t able to give proof that what he was saying was from 

God because he made the excuse that “even people in the past didn’t believe despite miracles”  but he didn’t 

realise that in the Bible when miracles happened authenticated the teaching and that the prophet was speaking 

from God Who in the Bible was never called “Allah”. 

The Arabians around Mecca were mainly pagans and found it difficult to follow him as a prophet until he 

gave “revelations” that appealed to them and their idols or motivated them to side with him promises of a 

carnal paradise etc.

We talked about this in previous episodes.

Jews and Christians could simply point out that all Muhammad was saying did not line up with all they had in 

their scriptures that the was claiming to confirm.

Jews could say that anything they had in their Torah was much better than he was “revealing” and never 

improved upon their Scriptures and could ask him “what are the Ten Commandments?” Muhammad did not know 

the torah so he would say “allah” knows excusing the fact he couldn’t quote anytime he was certain of for himself.

Christians could have asked him anything about the New Testament and the basic gospel message like 

John 3v16 and Muhammad would have said “allah knows” and especially when he also denied that Allah is a father 

and can’t have a son because he has no wife, (6v101) and that “isa” is only the son of Mary but yet is a holy son 

(19v19)

Also, supposing Jews or Christians quoted to Muhammad any of their scriptures would he have said “oh yes 

that’s like the Qur’an” if yes he would see that some of what he was passing off as ‘revelation” was actually

contradicting what he had affirming as guidance and light.

If instead he said “that’s nothing like the Qur’an” he would be throwing “Allah’ his god under the bus 

because Muhammad is claiming that all that he is revealing comes from the same god who revealed their 

scriptures.

This Is the islamic dilemma we’ve been illustrating each week.

So the challenge is hollow and makes no sense. There is a Chapter Surah109 which sounds very tolerant of other 

beliefs but it was abrogated much later by surahs’s that introduced the concept of Jihad where Muhammad 

commanded the Muslims to kill convert or charge financially those in subjection to the Muslims for ‘protection” 

that is anyone who does not believe “Allah” or his messenger.

Secret Things

Intro

Deuteronomy 29v29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed 

belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

There are some things we don’t or will never know until we reach eternity, some things we may never 

know even there, there are some things we won’t know until Jesus returns for his church, for example no-one 

knows the day or hour when he will return,. Various people have “calculated” when the day it will happened 

and have come home disappointed, because they didn’t read that scripture that says we can’t know.

But there are far many things we can know than those we can’t because God has given us plenty in his word 

to discover. There are 66 books here and we can learn so much from them if we search them out. 

Over many years more and more study bibles are appearing trying to help us discover more of God’s truth 

but more importantly the Holy Spirit is our teacher, and if we ask him to help us as we read we can find more 

not just about God, but ourselves. We can make great discoveries in the word if we look and search diligently, 

that takes persistence and patience and hunger and our goal is to share the gospel, and the more we learn in 

our studies we can share it better and answers the questions people have.

The secrets of Gods word are not hidden from us but for us, but the bible is written for believers not unbelievers.

Unbelievers will never understand until they know the author for themselves by being born again.

Mark 4v10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 

11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside

everything is in parables, 12 so that

“‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
    and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”

Here Jesus is talking to disciples, followers, its been given us to learn and know the secrets because we are 

following him we are looking to the shepherd we are dependent upon him. Why would Jesus give secrets of his 

kingdom to those who don’t believe him and don’t trust him

I wasn’t around in world war 1 or 2 but I’ve seen the posters from the war and one of the prominent ones was 

‘careless talk costs lives’ and although it was for the general public in war time it was also a reflection of the

Government policy to keep quiet in case enemy spies overheard information that could aid them and be disastrous 

for the home country. Our governments today could learn a lot about this instead of blabbing and spouting lies 

and nonsense while the political correct brigade believe everyone is entitled to know everything as if nothing 

should be secret. There are things we don’t need to know, things we ought to know and we need to discover ourselves.

Matthew 16v13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, 

and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon 

Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, 

Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And 

I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 

19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in 

heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the 

disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

This is an important passage because Jesus didn’t want everyone including his enemies who he is except 

by revelation. Peter was the first to get that revelation and Jesus was telling him that his confession was 

foundational to the kingdom of God. 

Jesus didn’t go round saying “I am God, or worship me” because of the political climate in Jerusalem, the 

Roman rulers believed caesar was one of many ”gods”  and again because he wanted his followers to come to 

him by recognition of his words and his works, get a revelation that He is who he was obviously claiming and 

showing himself to be. Also he was making himself clear to Jews that he is not the father they knew

but the Son , and those that did worship him did so because of that he said and the things he did to back up 

his words. He didn’t have to demand worship because those who recognised his deity did worship him, like 

his first disciples, those that were healed and delivered etc. even demons recognised him!

So the secrets of the kingdom of God are only hidden from those who don’t believe and are too lazy to search them 

out by reading the word and instead just listening to teachers and not checking out what the say. 

Acts 17v11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with 

all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 

We discover more of God by reading his word not just for learning but for life, the Bible is the terms and 

conditions of life for the born again believer. All the examples in the old and new are for us to learn from 

so we don’t have to make the same mistakes because we trust its all inspired by God. 

The secrets are not hidden from us but for us. Stay ion the word daily and ask God to help you understand 

him better.

Making Sense of Qur’an Special Edition

Intro

Sahih International  

Ali Imran (Family of Imran 3v3,4

He has sent down upon you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth, confirming what was before it. 

And He revealed the Torah and the Gospel.

Before, as guidance for the people. And He revealed the Qur'an. Indeed, those who disbelieve in 

the verses of Allah will have a severe punishment, and Allah is exalted in Might, the Owner of Retribution.

Al An am (the Cattle) 6v92

And this is a Book which We have sent down, blessed and confirming what was before it, that you may 

warn the Mother of Cities and those around it. Those who believe in the Hereafter believe in it, and they 

are maintaining their prayers.

Yunus (Jonah) 10v37

And it was not [possible] for this Qur'an to be produced by other than Allah , but [it is] a confirmation of 

what was before it and a detailed explanation of the [former] Scripture, about which there is no doubt, 

from the Lord of the worlds.

Fatir (Originator) 35v31

And that which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], of the Book is the truth, confirming what 

was before it. Indeed, Allah , of His servants, is Acquainted and Seeing.

Al Ahqaf (The wind curved Sandhills) 46v30

They said, "O our people, indeed we have heard a [recited] Book revealed after Moses confirming 

what was before it which guides to the truth and to a straight path.

Al A Raf (The Heights) 7v157

Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written in what they have of 

the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong and 

makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil and relieves them of their burden 

and the shackles which were upon them. So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported 

him and followed the light which was sent down with him - it is those who will be the successful.

In these verses you find the words ‘what was before its” and ‘what they have”

In Arabic these words are from the phrase Between their hands, or what they have in their possession

Present tense in 7th century. 

They are ‘Bayna yadayhi”

It refers to something they still have because they are between their hands - in the hands of jews and 

Christians, they still possess them 

This makes sense only if they still have value, it wouldn’t make sense if they had been changed or 

corrupted, and especially if the Qur’an is a confirmation of the Scriptures.

Why does the Qur’an confirm the previous Scriptures? Because “Allah” claims to have revealed these 

Scriptures, and the Qur’an being an additional revelation is supposed to confirm those scriptures.

We’ve already said in previous weeks that Muhammad doesn’t need to know anything of those previous 

Scriptures, and being illiterate, he obviously didn’t, he is only concerned with reciting the Quran. But Allah, if 

he’s God should know them and obviously doesn’t either, because all that he supposedly says through his 

“prophet” obviously contradicts the Torah and gospel he affirms in the verses we’ve looked at.

Let’s have a look at a couple of more verses

Al An am (The Cattle) 6v114,115

[Say], "Then is it other than Allah I should seek as judge while it is He who has revealed to you the 

Book explained in detail?" And those to whom We [previously] gave the Scripture know that it is sent 

down from your Lord in truth, so never be among the doubters.

And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. None can alter His words, and 

He is the Hearing, the Knowing

Al Kahf (the Cave) 18v27

And recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book of your Lord. There is no 

changer of His words, and never will you find in other than Him a refuge.

We looked at that last verse in one of our recent episodes, but both say none can change his words

So if modern Muslims like to say the Bible has been corrupted they are actuary throwing “allah’ and 

their prophet and the Quran under the bus in favour of what they like to believe, and must say that if 

someone was able to corrupt those previous Scriptures they have more power than Allah, who they 

claim is God.

There is no verse in the Qur’an that says even just the Torah and the Gospels have been corrupt. 

If we look at 7v157 the Quran claims that there are prophecies of Muhammad in the bible, but for 14 

centuries none have been found. This is another reason modern Muslims want to say the Bible is corrupt, 

but if it had been corrupted why would they want to find prophecies of Muhammad in a book they don’t 

want to believe in? If they say its corrupt because jews and christians took out the verses, they are still 

throwing 

their god prophet and book under the bus because their Quran says they are there present tense! Isn’t the 

Quran supposed to be Allahs eternal word? And if it confirms previous scriptures they must be too! Or allah is 

not god!

This brings us to the islamic dilemma. You’ll see at the end, and its in our previous episodes of making sense 

of the Quran, so please have look at them.

Outro

There’s no I in Church

Intro

Since Covid-19 and the lockdowns many haven’t returned to the church, but why not? You don’t have to wear 

those useless ineffective masks any more. And if you’ve been vaccinated you allegedly shouldn’t catch it or spread 

it according to the hype. 

But if you are born again, you are a part of the church that Jesus Christ is building, the true church is his body 

of believers, and if any ministry, cult, or religion is trying to build their version of of the church, its is faulty if its not 

based on  peter’s confession in Matthew 16, the Rock on which Jesus is building the church, he is the son of 

John 3v16, you need to believe in so that you don’t perish and enter eternal life. Jesus Christ is eternal life and 

without him you have no life, and only a fearful expectation of God’s wrath.

Hebrews10v23-25

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet 

together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day 

drawing near.

I hope you noticed the words us and our and you. They are plural. There is no I in church, we are meant to 

be together, we are family and team, we are meant to share life in Christ. We may have personal differences, 

and our own tastes, opinions and ideas but our foundation is the word of God, Jesus himself, his words are 

our instructions and the terms off conditions of our lives, but we have a corporate responsibility to each other.

Did Jesus not say that the world will know we are his disciples through our love each other. 

Did he not say where two or three are gathered together in his name he is in our midst, and that if we agree 

concerning anything we ask, he will do, because its in his will.

There are no lone rangers, or lone wolves in the kingdom of God. 

Yes there are lots of wolves, but they are false converts using Jesus name to get a name for themselves, 

prestige and wealth through their false gospels, that aren’t the gospel at all.

V25 is clear that we are not to neglect meeting together, and note it says its a bad habit, neglect because our 

role in the church is to motivate encourage  and stir each other up and serve the church. You can’t serve, encourage 

or use your gifts even natural ones or anything else if you aren’t meeting, and neither can they serve or encourage 

you if you won’t  attend meetings or even come and worship or hear Gods word. 

If you are neglecting meeting with other believers, you’ve either fallen into apostasy, or into a particular sin, 

or in rebellion against God in this instruction here. If its any of these run TO God not away from him.

Repent and be restored as soon as possible. 

If you aren’t being fed spiritual food find somewhere that you will, don’t make an excuse to stay away

Find a body of believers who believe the Bible without compromise and join in!

If you’ve been hurt, felt unwelcome or unloved, don’t be bitter and use it as an excuse, you are a part of church 

and restore any relationships, chances are they don’t realise they hurt you, remember there’s no I in church, we 

are to overlook offences, and serve the body of Christ.

Isolation is not good for you naturally and certainly not spiritually. You won’t be able to motivate encourage stir 

up or bless your brothers and sisters and they won’t be able to either, in the natural or spiritual things.

If you isolate yourself from church it can be because you think yourself above them which is haughty and self

important or if you feel not good enough its self pity, false humility, pride. Either way Repent and get back that’s 

true humility! There is no I in church.

If you neglect meeting together with believers its giving up the right to be an encourager, or be useful in serving 

or helping, and you are depriving others of doing the same for you. 

Its selfish to feel entitled but won’t contribute.

Meeting together is an exciting opportunity to stir up in our worship faith and spreading the good news, by 

our encouraging each other you may help change someones life and attitude and boost faith in the builder of the 

church Jesus Christ. The church isn’t responsible to go chasing after wandering believers, we are to go on serving 

and following the shepherd according to his word, so don’t expect the other sheep to come looking because they 

could potentially fall into the same trouble of isolation from the flock as you, whether it be in sin rebellion or unbelief. 

Thats why if you are separated for the flock if you know the shepherd you bleat you pray you call out to him yourself, 

that repentance and faith.

The word of God has no private interpretation, you can’t make t say what it doesn’t or make excuses to twist it 

to suit your feelings for circumstance. The wolves I mentioned earlier try to do that, they like to deceive because 

they themselves are deceived, they won’t be accountable to others, they see themselves as unique teachers 

but only exploit for their own gain in this material world, its only those with itching ears who like to hear it 

because it makes them feel good but they don’t test it with the Bible itself. False converts lead others. 

If the blind lead the blind both fall into the ditch.

Being in the true church keeps us humble although we are individuals, as born again believers we are part 

of the body of christ, he is building the church, the father draws us, Jesus saves us through his death and 

resurrection, his righteous blood saves us from our sin stained lives and the Holy Spirit is the gel that enters 

us and unites us, and enables us to encourage us to help each other become more like him through the word.

The terms and conditions of our life in him. Remember this there is no I in church, assemble yourselves and more 

so as his return approaches

Making Sense of Surah 25v41

Intro

I’m using the Critical Qur’an today which uses the most authentic early Muslim sources about the meanings 

of the Quran, we’re going to look at a few verses today relating to this one.

25v41

And when they see you (O Muhammad) they treat you only a a jest (saying) Is this he whom Allah 

sends as a messenger? Pickthall

And when they see you, they treat you only as a joke, is this he whom Allah sends as a messenger? CQ

This is supposed to be revelation form Allah who is supposed to be God, so Muhammad is reciting it 

to the people, it doesn’t sound like something he was supposed to say out loud does it? It sounds like 

something private to Muhammad, like Look theyre going to mock you for saying these things but don’t 

be discouraged, but keep on speaking, they mocked previous prophets too. 

43v6,7

How many prophets did we send among the men of old/ And a prophet never came to them except 

they used to mock them 

In the Bible a few prophets were mocked, but most were rejected because they didn’t like what they 

were hearing from God because they were already disobedient to God.

Unbelievers mock because they don’t believe in God, but the Jews and Christians did not reject 

Muhammad because of what he was saying, but because it didn’t line up with their Scriptures 

he was claiming to confirm in his new “revelation” the Qur’an.

46v12

When before it there was the book of Moses, an example and a mercy, and this is a confirming 

book in the Arabic language, so that it may warn those who do wrong and bring good news for 

the righteous.

The book of Moses is the Torah and then Quran claims to confirm it, except it contradicts it.

Many Muslims claim that Muhammad is like Moses based on Deuteronomy 18v18, but we’ll look at 

what the criteria is of being like Moses. 

We have to ask why would anyone Mock Muhammad, he seemed sincere, and he seemed in his early 

years to acknowledge the gods of the polytheists even though it was by mistake? I would say that from 

 the jews and christians point of view that “allah” did not confirm any of Muhammads revelations with 

signs or miracles to authenticate his message

obviously much of what he said contradicted their scriptures. 

It must have sounded to them that Muhammad didn’t know their Torah and Gospel even though 

he claimed his revelations confirmed them, he was obviously appealing to them to believe he was a 

prophet like theirs, but could produce no proof of what he said that they could compare

The interesting part is at the end of the verse 46v12

so that it may warn those who do wrong and bring good news for the righteous.

The Old Testament prophets did warn people to come back to the law, and demolish their false 

idols, but also promised the messiah to come, the new testament is about that Messiah Jesus, and 

although many jews rejected him and had him crucified, many others became disciples because of his 

miracles and especially rising from the dead, they were the first christians. The gospels the good news 

comes from them, but the Qur’an  rejects the essential message of the gospel, yet “allah” claims he 

revealed those gospels to his apostles and prophets. The Quran denies the deity of Christ and even his 

death and resurrection, which even in secular history is an established fact!. So Allah is not God if he 

denies his own revelations. This is why modern muslims claim the previous scriptures have been corrupted, 

yet its obvious that Muhammad and especially “Allah” doesn’t know them at all.

So what was the criteria for being like Moses? 

Deuteronomy 34v10-12

10 And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 

11 none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, 

to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and all the 

great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel

Muhammad never spoke face to face to God or even heard from him, but what he assumed to be 

the Angel Gabriel, (because someone told him that’s who it was, not God himself) and God never 

authenticated his messages at all, ever.

The only true message Muhammad gave is that the previous Scriptures were true and authoritative

Thats the only take away message we can get from the Quran. Otherwise it contadiicts the Bible

this brings us once again to the Islamic Dilemma

If the Bible IS corrupted then Islam is false because the Qur’an directs believers to 

false Gospels as Allahs own revelations, which it shouldn’t if they are corrupted Scriptures

OR 

If the Bible is NOT corrupted then Islam is false because the Quran 

contradicts the Gospels it refers to as Scripture, truth and guidance and light!

Outro

License to Sin

Intro

Matthew 7v21-23

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does 

the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy

in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then 

will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

This passage shows that believer will think their works or ministries will impress Jesus, pointing to them as

Signs or demonstrations ion their faith. We said recently that Judas was one of those who went out with the

12  healing the sick and casting out demons, but he wasn’t faithful to Jesus, he was thieving and loved money 

and this life more than Jesus as Messiah. So its not the works that save you because the miracles only 

supported the message and authenticated it as from God.

There is a work that can save you…

John 6v27-35

 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man 

will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to 

be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom 

he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work 

do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread 

from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the 

bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who 

comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes

in me shall never thirst.

Jesus speaks from an eternal perspective, as he is himself eternal, he didn’t come into existence when he 

became human, he always is! 

In this passage, Jesus had fed the 5000 (and many more with women and children) and after the crowd had 

dispersed  and Jesus had walked on the sea to his disciples in the storm, many had chased after him looking 

for food  and providence. Yes Jesus will provide for your if you trust in him, but as Christians we worship him for 

who he is, and that he has saved us from sin and given us eternal life. 

I can tell you lots of stories how God has blessed and provided for me in my daily life and business, I made a 

short video just the other day about that, but its because I am born again and I have trusted him Jesus Christ as 

my lord and saviour, that his word is my guide and terms and conditions of life. Its not about things, though I am 

blessed its about him and being a carrier of his gospel.

V29 says that the only work we have is to believe in Jesus Christ as the son. Only in him we have eternal life, 

any other way is theft and robbery, robbing God of the glory that belongs to him. If your ministry is about  prosperity 

and help yourself and being the best you can be it doesn’t glorify Jesus, its works based and is not the gospel, the 

only gospel is the one we should share John 3v16 its that simple! That was his great commission.

If its anything else its not the gospel.

The work of God is to believe in Jesus Christ as the Son, who he is what he has done, in this passage what 

he was about to do, die for the sins of mankind including yours and mine!

The work is to trust in rely on and adhere to abide in him, as your source  of life saviour and redeemer, 

its not about miracles, though they may happen, healing, or freedom from demons, habits bad lifestyles etc, 

because we are all under Gods wrath as sinners until we repent and trust Christ. He may authenticate our message 

if its the gospel, but he doesn’t need to because its already been authenticated by Jesus and the original apostles!

Matthew 10v22 

and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Matthew 24v12,13

And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures 

to the end will be saved. 

We may have to endure hardships, trials, illness, and persecution, but its not our things, or storms that define 

us but our foundation in Christ.

Wickedness will increase and the world will hate us because we trust in Christ and his words that will never pass 

away

That is the big difference between false gospels and trusting in Jesus for your salvation. The world loves those 

who prosper or are self made successful people, it has nothing to do with faith in God, even if he blesses you, 

because you aren’t spreading the true message. 

But its those who endure in Christ that will be saved not those who sell out for the world and this life.

False teachers accumulating wealth in this world and not using it for the gospel but their own benefit 

will give an account, many are false coverts or have strayed choked by wealth and cares of this life. 

They are bad soil don’t sow into their ministries. Their message isn’t the gospel of John 3v16.

1 John 5v4,5.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has 

overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that 

Jesus is the Son of God?

We must be born again to overcome this world of sin and materialism. By faith in Jesus Christ our only 

hope of relationship with god

V11,12 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 

12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and saviour believing him and trusting in him for your salvation is eternal life, 

there’s no other name that can save you, your works or any leaders, popes, gurus self appointed apostles or 

prophets cannot or did not do anything to save you, only Jesus did. 

Outro

Who is This?

Intro

There are many cults and religions of the world, some of them come to your door occasionally like the 

Jehovahs witnesses and mormons, but more often these days you will see them on the high street.

You’ll find that they say they believe in the Bible but they have other writings which they place over the Bible

And its usually because of interpretation issues and  because of the authority the cult leaders have and their 

writings that they claim “correctly” interpret the Bible. 

JW’s have their New World translation of the Bible and their watch tower magazines. The mormons have the 

Book of Mormon which Joseph smith claimed he found on gold plates in reformed Egyptian  and the revelation 

That he was given to by Jesus Christ in America. Mormons have modern day prophets.

If you’ve been following our series “making sense of the Quran” you could say that islam is also a cult, 

because you cannot follow “allah’ without first obeying and following Muhammad. Muslims are supposed to 

follow the bible as the Quran says it is  Allahs revelation but actually contradicts it. But we’ve seen that 

Muhammad nor allah has any idea what is in the bible  but assumes it says exactly what it doesn’t. 

The more modern cult leaders are aware of what the bible contains but dismiss it in favour of their own theology

And all of them demote Christ and his salvation and his deity. They use what suits them and add or subtract 

from scripture as to what suits them

Because they demote Jesus Christ and his salvation and deity they are all lost and the cults are satans 

diversions away from true salvation. Cults and Religion are his ways of making you feel good about earning 

your salvation and making you feel that you are honouring God, when actually you’re working against him. 

Some cults say you can become a god or are exclusive in some way

There is no power in your works because you’re a sinner. Thats why Jesus Christ came!

The Bible is clear that salvation is not by works but by his grace through repentance and faith. 

So when you meet a cult representative show them scripture and ask who is this?

Lets look at a few examples

“Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called!

I am he; I am the first, and I am the last. Isaiah 48v12

Also henceforth I am he; there is none who can deliver from my hand;

    I work, and who can turn it back?” Isaiah 43v13

The Bible is Trinitarian in nature and some cults look at it from a unitarian view which doesn’t work

 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will 

never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me,

is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

John 10v27-30

Here’s an interesting one that also points out the trinity

Isaiah 41v4 Who has performed and done this,

    calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 1v8

Cults will be quick to point out that this is Jehovah, yahweh, yah or allah but show them this

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, 

I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the 

keys of Death and Hades. Revelation 1v17,18

This can only be Jesus Christ claiming to be God, but only he died and rose again

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life

Revelation 2v8

Later in revelation we find this

And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. 

To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. Revelation 21v6

Did not Jesus say on the cross it is finished, the work of salvation for the sins of the world by his sacrifice?

It reminds us of Isaiah 55 and this passage in John 7

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to 

me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as[f] the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of 

living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as

 yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7v37-39 Isaiah 55v1

It is the son who is appointed to be judge  and the one who will return warning us to be ready

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 

13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” 

Revelation 22v12,13

There can be no doubt that throughout the New Testament especially johns writings that Jesus is God 

in the same sense that the father and the Holy Spirit are but it is through believing in (adhering to trusting 

relying upon) Jesus we have salvation. The Bible is about him. Cults make scripture man centred and even 

some so called christian churches are going the same way, just watch many TV speakers.

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him 

who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life

1 John 5v20

And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the 

Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5v11,12

Finally you can show the cultist this verse 

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” John 8v58 Eigo Emi I AM

In reference to 

God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

Exodus 3v14

And as your witness to the cultist you can say 

“I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”

John 8v24

So memorise these verses have them at hand if you come across a cult at your door or high street

No doubt they will try to reinterpret these verses but you have to let scripture define itself. Anything else is 

often adding to or subtracting from, also forbidden in the Bible Revelation 22v18,19 

So stand strong know your Bible and point them to the one they are avoiding Jesus, their only hope.

Outro

Making Sense of Surah 6v101

Intro

Surah6v101

This verse is a problem whether it’s Allah speaking if he’s God or even if it’s just Muhammad’s words

There is supposed to be nothing of Muhammad in the Qur’an, he is simply reciting the “revelations” given 

to him by the Angel Gabriel from “Allah”. If Allah is God almighty is he so limited that he needs to have a 

partner or wife to have a child like his lowly creation?

We’ve been saying in past episodes in this series that “Allah” claims to have revealed the Torah and the 

Gospels that Jews and christians the people of the book HAVE in the 7th century when Muhammad was 

“reciting’. The same Gospels say that Mary had a baby, Jesus the Messiah without having a husband. 

She was engaged to Joseph but was still a virgin when God told her she would have a Holy Son. Quran 

confirms this S19v19. 

Did Allah forget this? If he forgets, then he doesn’t know his own power or his own revelations or scriptures, 

if they are his as he claims. If he’s forgets he’s not perfect or all knowing and not God

If Allah is God, surely he knows that he doesn’t need to have sex to produce a child, and as the Quran 

says he only needs to say “be and it is! He is not human like his creation of mankind.

Now we can understand that Muhammad did not know anything, he doesn’t need to because he is only 

claiming to reveal what Allah has given him, he assumes its from God, but last time we saw that he also 

revealed verses from Satan, which, he nor the angel  or Allah noticed  until later on in “revelation”. None 

Of them knew the difference until it was too late! S53v19-26

We can tell from this verse that Muhammad is excited to praise Allah as God, but doesn’t know the scripture 

or Allahs  power, or the power of the real God, and if Allah is God he never corrects him!

If Allah is all knowing and wise as the Quran constantly says why does he not know either his own revelations 

or his own power over all things, and why does he think 7 centuries after his previous revelations that he 

needs a wife Or partner to have a child on the earth? 

If ‘Allah” created all things and is aware of all things, surely he is aware that he doesn’t need to  have a 

sexual Partner to produce offspring like his creation does?  The Bible “his scriptures” are very clear about this, 

and after all if “Allah” is God he knows that Jesus is his eternal son and became human through the miracle 

of the virgin birth, sex never came into it! Jesus is the Word who became flesh, if God is all powerful, that’s very 

possible isn’t it? Its very possible he can be triune too, the god of the Bible is clearly plural but Allah claims 

he is singular, but address himself as we and us, showing he’s confused or that the Quran is from Muhammads 

understanding and imagination and humanistic view of God. The Quran confirms the gospel, that Allah claims to 

have revealed. The Quran only affirms the Torah and gospels as true as we’ve seen in previous episodes.

So once again Allah is obviously not God and Muhammad then is a false prophet, as he is only reciting  what he hears 

from someone who is unaware of his own revelations of scriptures, or his own ability as god. 

This brings us once again to the Islamic Dilemma

If the Bible IS corrupted then Islam is false because the Qur’an directs believers to 

false Gospels as Allahs own revelations, which it shouldn’t if they are corrupted Scriptures

OR 

If the Bible is NOT corrupted then Islam is false because the Quran 

contradicts the Gospels it refers to as Scripture, truth and guidance and light!

Nothing to Fear

Intro

Some people are afraid of different things for different reasons, the dark, heights, enclosed spaces, 

spiders, you name it, there’s a name for it! Eg Arachnaphobia is a fear of spiders. 

Criminals are usually afraid of getting caught, burglars wear masks so they don’t get recognised. They 

don’t fear God in order to be doing those things, breaking the law, but they fear man in the sense of being getting 

caught, being exposed, especially in media, they fear being shopped by friends, family and previous victims. 

But breaking the law of God has much more severe punishment than going to to prison. Some criminals don’t mind 

going to prison because the law of the land is so soft its no longer a deterrent, and to many its an easier life in 

prison than being at home near families and those that know them for their wrongdoings.

Sin is breaking the law, its rebellion, missing the mark, disobedience, nothing can cover it because its not 

just against neighbour but against God himself. The one we should fear!

We shouldn’t fear man because they can’t do anything against us any more than we can against them.

We shouldn’t fear God as in being scared of him, but  be in awe and reverence of him because he is holy, and 

he sees our behaviour and doesn’t like to look on it. He sees our Thoughts our words and our deeds, whether 

in darkness or in a mask, and he is able to punish us eternally. 

Not just in this life. We should be in awe too because Only he has the solution to sin

What does the Bible say about fear?

Proverbs 29v25

The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

Don’t seek to please man, don’t let anyone put you under their spell, blackmail you, or influence you 

so much that they can gain any control over you, verbally, physically, psychologically. Know God’s word 

be humble before God, not man, be bold and confident in the righteousness of Christ, not yours.

Proverbs 28v14

Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

Moses wasn’t confident before God most of the time, but he was confident before pharaoh in the name 

of his God. Pharaoh on the other hand hardened his heart, he thought he was a god! He was arrogant 

and proud, and didn’t want to relinquish his power over his Israelite slaves in Egypt, so he was incredibly 

stubborn against Moses demands despite the plagues and no doubt the objections by the Egyptians.

God also hardened pharaohs heart to make an example of him, but God overthrew his kingdom in the 

Exodus but let him live to see the calamity when his army as destroyed in the Red Sea miracle.

Proverbs1v7

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction

God created the universe he runs it, we can be confident in him completely, especially if we have 

experienced his salvation as born again children in Jesus Christ. Its fools that say there is no God, 

they claim a wisdom that is actually folly. Those that refuse instruction are proud unteachable.

Matthew 10v28

26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 

27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both 

soul and body in hell. 

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?[i] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 

30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 

31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 

32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,

33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

If you say you have confidence and testify to your salvation in Christ, don’t double down or deny him for anyone!

Can you imagine the shame and embarrassment if Jesus denied you before the Father and the angels as you fall 

into eternal hell? 

Then think of how blessed you will be to be acknowledged proudly by Jesus to the father as a good 

and faithful servant? The difference is immeasurable! If you do deny him repent and turn back to him as soon 

as possible, Peter was restored. Don’t be like Judas who was so proud and found no place to repent. Jesus said 

it would be better if he hadn’t been born, he hung himself while the other thief, on the cross did repent and found 

himself in eternity at death.

1 John 4v18

16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love 

abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the 

day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts

out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 

19 We love because he first loved us. 

Fear of God is true love, because we love him who we don’t see because we know that he first loved us  

and sent his son to be the sacrifice for our sins, and we are able to give testimony for his love because

he saved us from the wrath of God, by our repentance and faith in Jesus.

Outro

Making Sense of Surah 18v27

Surah18v27

Although this verse may have been specifically given to Muhammad as Qur’an - which means recital, 

because it is a recital, recorded and written down, it is for all Muslims, because it was spoken and memorised 

And became part of the written Qur’an after his death. 

All the Qur’an is dependent on whatever was memorised by the earlier Muslims, his companions and 

followers. Anything that was written down on leaves, stones, bones and other objects was done so as an aid 

to jog the memory of those who had memorised large sections of what they heard.

From the Hadiths we know that many who had memorised the Qur’an died in battles, so many sections of it 

were lost. There must have been still a lot being written down because some of  Muhammads 

companions had their own Quran’s copied down by the time of the third caliph Uthman who compiled  a 

Standardised Quran, because anything that was gathered but not used was burnt! 

The Qur’an as we have it now is based on Haf’s translation and became the standard for students in Cairo in 

1924 and was so popular and successful that in 1985 it became the worldwide standard Arabic Qur’an on which 

all modern translations are based on. There are other Arabic Quran’s available unofficially. 

Like me So many of you are older than the official Qur’an!  

The Qur’an today has 114 chapters. According to Hadith stories, one Muslim who was a companion of 

Muhammad said his Qur’an had only 111 Surahs because 3 were prayers, and could not be from Allah. 

After all, who does Allah pray to if he’s God? Answers on a postcard email or comment below!

Another said his Quran had 116 chapters. Others including Muhammads wife Aishah said large sections were 

missing or forgotten, or lost in memories and after Muhammad died, a tame sheep came and ate some of a copy!

The historic context of Surah 18v27 says that the Mecca’s who were pagans, were not happy with Muhammad 

revealing the Quran and saying that “Allah” was God, because to them he was just one of around 360 idols at the 

Kaaba that they worshipped, so they wanted something more to their liking. This verse was his response to them.

It’s interesting g that at some point while still in Mecca  he did acknowledge 3 of their goddesses, Al-lat, al uzza, 

and manat, and “revealed” that they could carry the pagans prayers to “Allah” so their intercession was 

accepted. At this all the pagans bowed down, and Muhammad and the muslims bowed prostrate. However only 

a short time later Muhammad then “revealed’ that this was interjected by Shaitan, the devil. This, also 

Muhammad “revealed’ was “abrogated’ by ‘Allah”. Surah 53v19-26 known as the Satanic verses is hinted at in  Qur’an!

Question… Why did Gabriel, the angel who allegedly spoke to him, or Muhammad himself not know the 

difference between Satans revelations and God’s?. And if Allah is God, why did he allow such a 

polytheistic revelation to come through? Answers on a postcard, or an email or comment below!

The most interesting part of the verse is “none who can change his words”

We’ve been talking in past episodes about how “Allah” claims to have revealed the previous scriptures. He affirms

them in the verses we have looked at so far in Surah 5v47, 68 and 3v3. He tells Jews and Christians to judge by 

them, so they must carry his stamp of approval, if ‘Allah’ is God, or even if not.

Just as the Qur’an repeatedly affirms the Bible, specifically the Torah and the Gospel, he also says none can 

change his words in 6v115, and 10v64. In 10v94, ‘Allah” through the “angel Jibril” (Gabriel) says that if 

he, Muhammad is in doubt about his “revelations” to ask those who have the Scriptures before, jews and christians, 

also known as “People of the Book or People of the Scriptures” in the Quran. If they have changed or corrupted 

them as modern Muslims claim, they cannot be people of Scripture can they? And if they make this charge they 

are actually throwing ‘Allah and Muhammad under the bus, aren’t they? Because the Qur’an never says they 

are changed or corrupted.

So the author of the Quran cannot be God, because he is assuming that not only the Bible is the standard, 

but that his “new revelation” confirms it, proving he doesn’t know what it actually says!

In the Hadith, it says that Muhammad laid his hand on a copy of the Torah, and spoke to it saying “I believe in 

you and the one who revealed you”, but how can he agree with something if he hasn’t even read? he was 

illiterate! And if he’s agreeing with something he doesn’t know, he is pretending to Jews to earn their favour as 

a “prophet”. So the jews who gave him that copy of the Torah, would assume he knows what it says, if he’s 

giving it that reverence, and affirmation but it still doesn’t mean they have to accept him as a prophet. 

They didn’t. He also broke most of the commandments, shows he had little knowledge or regard for them.

The fact is that the Qur’an affirms the Bible but flat out contradicts it, in doctrine, in history, and especially 

that it denies the deity and death and resurrection ion Jesus Christ the messiah.

Finally the last part says ‘you will find no refuge besides him. The Quran points to the Bible as God’s word, it 

has his authority, yes it is a refuge to anyone who repents of their sin and trusts Jesus as lord of their life, 

because he died for all sins. To the Christians, the Bible is the terms and conditions of life. “Allah”  claims it is 

his revelations but does not know the Bible at all, The Jesus of the Qur’an, ISA is not a person but an 

argument for ‘monotheism”. He is not The Jesus of the Bible, and “Allah” is not god because he does not 

understand the Bible’s Monotheism, and as we’ve said before doesn’t know the Bible very well at all, showing 

he didn’t reveal it as he claims!

We will see in future episodes that Allah claims to be One, but is actually one of, in the Quran he claims to refute 

the trinity of the bible, but agrees to it in the Qur’an, because if not, why does he call himself we and us if he is 

absolutely one? Makes no sense! The author of the Qur’an copies and pastes the very little he knows, but doesn’t 

realise the implications it has for islam as a whole!

This brings us once again to the Islamic Dilemma

If the Bible IS corrupted then Islam is false because the Qur’an directs believers to 

false Gospels as Allahs own revelations, which it shouldn’t if they are corrupted Scriptures

OR 

If the Bible is NOT corrupted then Islam is false because the Quran 

contradicts the Gospels it refers to as Scripture, truth and guidance and light!

One Gospel

Intro

When you switch on the Tv or the radio, before long you will hear a news bulletin.

Usually the news starts with  the big or “bad news”,  wars or rumours, a disaster, 

pestilences, murder, government news or decisions that will effect our lives, then at the end of the news we 

get the “good news”, celebrating the death of a well known movie or music star, awards, a sports team or 

person winning or losing a tournament, and then the expected weather

Then in the middle beginning and end we get adverts telling us that we really need this or that product or service.

All these things are  obviously about this short life. News is geared to prepare us or scare us. Just as the ads 

are if we don’t believe or buy their stories or products.

We hear all about the same news from different channels from different angles, so that we can find the truth 

Of the stories, or the quality of the products before we buy them, if we bother to do the research.

Similarly We have the Bible the terms and conditions of life so we can easily find out the truth, 

rather than just relying on what someone says that it says, claiming to prophesy or speak and we can test it 

with the logos the written word.

It’s great that we have choice, but we. Especially in the west are spoilt for choice.

The 4 gospel narratives are portraits of Jesus Christ to point us to salvation through him, but there is 

one gospel or good news, that Jesus came to save us from sin. It is simply laid out whether you are a jew or 

a gentile. Its so simple that there is really no need to change it or add or take away from it. 

The choice of death or life is not just for this life but for eternity!

You can accept God’s rule for your life, obeying him and trusting him with it, or the DIY route of autonomy, 

trusting in your own righteousness and morality. Both have consequences good or bad.

Just read the first 11 chapters of Genesis to see the consequences of choices for those who lived for God, or 

those who didn’t after the fall. 

Although Satan the devil is the god of this world since Adam’s fall, he has always been limited, he cannot 

make us do anything, he can only entice or tempt us, but God has given us free will so we can still choose to obey 

trust and love him, OR to do our own thing, go our own way and face the consequence of rebellion or disobedience. 

Adam and Eve had everything they needed for life and godliness in the garden for eternity before they ate of the tree. 

Satan will mock us or make us feel condemned whatever we do.

He doesn’t mind us being religious, proud of our works and achievements and being self righteous, going to 

church and being “nice” even helpful at times, as long as we aren’t all out to please and serve God, denying 

ourselves and seeking to reach the lost with the message of salvation with the real good news. He doesn’t

mind substitutes or alternatives that sound “Christian” or “biblical”  you can can be “economical” with the

Truth or twist it and make a career out of it as long as you don’t take it too seriously!

He likes false teachers telling us how to be “blessed” and “prosperous”. He likes them diluting truth, 

Telling us how to find own righteousness rather than Jesus, saying our sins are just “mistakes” or 

“habits”  he even likes anyone getting busy singing dancing preaching that sounds ‘christian” as long as 

they aren’t in line with Scripture, the will of God, speaking about sin, repentance, salvation in 

Jesus Christ, reading the word rather than their opinions and ideas and books and tapes about what it means, 

and again praying or seeking to reach the lost. 

Why?

Satan covers his ears when he hears the truth about Jesus, and especially the death and resurrection, because it

reminds him of the impending doom, especially as its written in revelation, he knows it well!

He’s happy about apostasy, cults and other religions that deny the truths about Jesus eternal nature as God the

Son and deny that he died for all the sins of the world because he is perfect and sinless. He’s happy to exalt proud 

men, false prophets and teachers and apostles deceiving people and robbing them, telling them they are Christian, 

and they don’t need to change, God made them that way, “Jesus loves you, he knows how you feel” 

Yes he does know, and however sincere you may be you are still sincerely wrong! He is the truth not 

your feelings and emotional experiences, according to his word! He is the eternal word Luke 21v33

You are born into sin, and are under God’s wrath and you need to repent and be born again!

Seeker Sensitive churches are like plasters covering a deadly wound, - Sin! They help no-one!

There is only one gospel, one way, truth and Life his name is Jesus, which means Saviour, the Christ, Messiah, 

Son of god and son of man as in Daniel 7. 

He was eternally with the father, became human, fully god and fully human so he could experience true humanity, 

lived a sinless life, told us and showed us how to live and died at the hands of men guided by Satan, (including

 Judas, and the religious elite) who had him crucified, but he died for the sins of mankind past present and future,

 including yours and mine. Because he was innocent, death couldn’t hold him  and he rose again from the tomb

 and appeared to many before ascending back to the father. This is the grace of God in action!

Anyone who repents of their sin and accepts that Jesus paid the penalty for their sin by dying on the cross 

and makes him lord of their lives is saved from sin and is born again. 

We are then free from sin and because we are now in relationship with God, so when we sin again we can go straight 

to him and ask forgiveness, sin is no longer our default because he gives us the Holy Spirit to enable us to live for 

him according to his word, the Bible. He empowers us to live for him and spread the good news of salvation we 

have received. You see there is one Gospel not many! Its about salvation not about survival in this world!

2 Corinthians 5v17-21

16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded 

Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a 

new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through 

Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God 

was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us 

the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal

 through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be 

sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

We will talk more about these and much more next time as we look at the One Gospel

Outro

Hey Jude

You can be forgiven for thinking this is going to be about the Beatles 1967 Hit from the thumbnail but its not

It’s not even about Jude, the last epistle before the revelation at the end of the Bible, even though Jude was 

a younger step brother of Jesus through Joseph.

Lets read a few short passages about this person so it becomes clear

First in Matthew 26

14 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, 

“What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 

16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

In Mark 14

10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 

11 And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity 

to betray him.

In Luke 22

3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4 He went away 

and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. 5 And they were glad, 

and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in 

the absence of a crowd

Nobody calls their children Judas any more because of this character, they might call them Jude like the 

song did for Johns Son Julian, another popular name. We call someone a Judas when 

they score for the opposing team, or stab us in the back, somehow, or report us for doing something 

however trivial or serious.

What do we know about Judas from the gospels?

He was called Judas Iscariot to distinguish him from the other Judas in the 12 disciples, also known as 

Thaddeus (Matthew 10v2-4)

He was the son of Simon Iscariot, which means man of Kerioth Hezron or Hazor (Joshua 25v15)

He was not a Galilean like the other disciples. He was treasurer of the disciples, but was also a thief and 

according to John 12v4 he helped himself to the funds. He probably wasn’t accused because it could have 

been seen as racism, like it would today

Despite being chosen by Jesus he was not committed or transformed, although he was named among the 

disciples he was a false convert, he knew the power of Jesus he even went out with the 12 and the 70 in 

Luke 9 and 10 casting out demons and preaching and healing the sick. He never became an Apostle

He sought power prestige and wealth by being associated with Jesus until he realised that Jesus wasn’t about 

to overthrow the Roman Empire or that his kingdom was not of this earth but was spiritual and eternal, and that he 

was going to be crucified, that was when he went to see the chief priests about handing him over to them. 

1 Timothy 6v10

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered

away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

He loved money more than Jesus, and perhaps thought if he wasn’t going to get the prestige of the kingdom, 

he’d at least maybe make something out of him right then by his betrayal. We don’t know for certain his motives.

When he realised the magnitude of what he’d done having heard Jesus sentence to death, he brought back the 

money to the priests who said, “that’s your problem, not ours”. Though he was pricked in his conscience he 

killed himself rather than asking forgiveness which he have could have done when Jesus was on the cross, 

like the other thief on the cross next to Jesus, who did.

Why did Jesus, choose Judas among his disciples, knowing what he would do?

All the disciples had a choice wether to go on following him or not, many left him when he said controversial 

things, like at the end of John 6. Judas could have left any time, but he waited right until the last supper. He 

partook of the Lords supper. Yet Jesus was always gracious to him right up to the garden when he went to kiss 

him to identify him to the guards and crowd.

We all have the choice to follow or not, we all have the choice to let Jesus transform us or be religious, 

go through the motions, or act to be seen by others for their praise, if you do that you’ve had your reward!

Judas to me is like many of the modern TV preachers, who say some of the right things that sound christian 

or biblical but aren’t, they miss the gospel in their preaching and teach false ones which aren’t at all, prosperity, 

self help, etc. they use the name of Jesus and mix their false theology to make money seize prosperity 

and prestige by association, they even prophesy in his name to be recognised and twist scriptures and make them 

out to be about giving to them, or helping yourself. They are false converts themselves, beware of their leaven, 

their teaching, know God’s word well so you can better discern truth from error! 

Satan entered Judas before he went to see the chief priests to betray him for the price of a slave, 

30 pieces of silver, this proves he was a false convert, he was a slave to sin, and wouldn’t change, he continued 

to steal even though at least John was suspicious of him (John12) He complained about waste when Mary broke 

he bottle of perfume for Jesus. He thought of the expense and worth of the flask rather than the love and generosity 

and thoughtful gesture she made. That was the last straw, and John revealed that he was a thief

The other time Satan entered Judas was at the last supper in John 13v21-30. He went out to go to gather 

the crowd who went to arrest Jesus in the garden, no doubt.

In all this Jesus knew all along that Judas was the betrayer, sure the others were suspicious only occasionally. 

Satan thought he’d thwarted God’s plan but didn’t realise that Judas was part of his plan of salvation for all the 

wrong reasons. 

Be a vessel of use for honour than working against him

Be wheat not a tare, they are allowed to grow together but even the angels will know who to gather for fire and for eternity

be a sheep not a goat, sheep hear the shepherds voice and follow his path, goats are stubborn, they hear 

God’s words but are stubborn and do what they want, 

be a disciple not a convert, a disciple is one who hears Jesus and follows denying himself, confessing your sins 

and willing to be continually transformed, but a convert knows right and wrong but just agrees its right but continues 

in his sin and won’t change. Like Judas. You may not be exposed now but you will so repent of your sin and 

make Jesus Lord of your life Jesus isn’t a religion he’s a person who is eternally God, 

who died for our sins to save us, so that we can be like him and live eternally with him, as opposed to being 

under the wrath of God as a pretender, a false convert, a sinner who has rejected his salvation. 

Don’t be a Judas! Be true to Jesus! Make him lord to day, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6v2)

Surah 3v3

Intro

Sura3v3,4

It seems obvious here that Muhammad  is claiming to be receiving a revelation in front of others

Note in v2 that he is making a proclamation as if he were praising “Allah”, but Muhammad is only the messenger, 

Because in the Qur’an it is only Allah speaking, so in effect Allah is praising himself before he continues in v3 and 4

Here in v3 this revelation to Muhammad is the Qur’an, and is the truth confirming the Scriptures previously revealed

Allah is saying that the Quran is revealed in the same way that that the Torah and the Gospel were, but if Allah 

was God  he obviously knows that this is not the case. In the Old and New Testaments that include the Torah 

and Gospels the writers were inspired by the Holy Spirit , they were never given revelations to recite 

When we looked at Surah 5v68 we saw that the Qur’an does affirm the Torah and Gospel, but also 

contradicts them.

Allah claims to have revealed the previous Scriptures as guidance to mankind. 

Most Muslims believe that the Criterion is the Qur’an itself because of the modern belief that the Torah and 

Gospels have been changed or corrupted by Jews and Christians so that only whatever agrees with the Qur’an 

is preserved. No Muslim has ever been able to say when, why, how or even where the Bible has been corrupted 

its an assumption. A claim without evidence.

It could be argued that the Criterion could be the law, as in the 10 Commandments, contained in what 

Muslims believe as the Torah and which jews and christians agree with as the standard for right and wrong

Although believing Jews accept the torah and the prophets, Christians believe both and the gospels and the 

epistles as Scripture because Jesus Christ fulfils them all in his life death and resurrection. Islam denies his 

Deity and death and resurrection. 

If the Qur’an is the criterion, why does Allah tell jews and christians to observe their Torah and gospels, 

and that they have nothing to stand on if they don’t? surely that makes their books their criterion for judging

 the Qur’an or any revelation or Scripture that comes after them.

If they are doing that then they have no need to listen to What Muhammad is saying, even if he is claiming 

to speak from the same God, especially when all that he is saying contradicts what they already have in 

their possession to follow.

The last part of v4 us puzzling. Jews and christians are observing their Scriptures that supposedly came from 

“Allah”, but they cannot consistently  observe them and what the Qur’an has to say through Muhammads

supposed revelations.

Remember that Muhammad does not need to know anything about any Scriptures, apparently there is nothing

 of Muhammad in the Quran according to Muslims, he only recites what Allah gives him to say. He doesn’t need 

to know anything of what the Bible says, he’s just a messenger. We could go and say that there are clear examples

 in the Quran where his recitations are to do with his own life rather than anything to do with God, but we’ll do that 

in future episodes

But if Allah is God he does need to know the previous revelations simply because he is the one who supposedly 

revealed them as his own, according to his eternal tablets in heaven. if the Quran is written on eternal tablets in 

heaven, why not the Torah and Gospels

From what Muhammad recites as revelations it is clear that Allah is not God. He has no familiarity with 

the previous scriptures of the Torah and Gospels, which he should do., and if he were confirming them as truth 

as Allah so often does in the Quran, he should know them very well, right? But there are no direct quotes at all 

from those scriptures. No evidence of a good knowledge of the previous scriptures he supposedly revealed.

The New Testament on the other hand is filled with quotes from the old to clearly display that Jesus Christ 

is the messiah, the saviour that was promised. Yes the Quran calls Jesus messiah but gives no reason why,

or any meaning to the title if he is just a messenger, so inadvertently depends on the Bible for more informations, 

perhaps that’s why it so often affirms the bible? 

The Quran not only doesn’t quote anything of these previous Scriptures, it denies many of its major teachings, 

and basic theology which makes no sense if they are a still guidance to anyone, let alone Jews and Christians, 

because after all it is by Allahs instruction that they are to be their criterion for judging everything,

including the Qur’an too.

Once again we can see there is no evidence of any kind of corruption in these verses. 

The whole idea of changes or corruption is a claim made only by modern Muslims, that was not made in the 

earliest Islamic sources. Such as Sahih Muslim, Sahih Bukhari or even Ibn Kathir Why?

Because there are existing copies of the Bible that predate islam, and during and since Muhammads days 

in the 7th century that show no doctrinal changes, teachings or beliefs are evident.

This charge of corruption has come about with the increasing realisation of the extent to which the Quran 

contradicts the previous Scriptures, and obviously muslims would rather hold the Qur’an as the criterion 

than the consistent Bible that  highlights the Qurans obvious flaws and lack of connection with the Bible 

that it claims to have in its affirmations

On top of that with the the availability and much easier access to the most authentic Hadiths and earliest 

sources on the internet it is getting more difficult for Muslims to hold to their beliefs when they contradict 

facts in science and history, not just the Bible. I’m only one of many brining it to your attention

This brings us once again to the Islamic Dilemma

If the Bible IS corrupted then Islam is false because the Qur’an directs believers to 

false Gospels as Allahs own revelations, which it shouldn’t if they are corrupted Scriptures

OR 

If the Bible is NOT corrupted then Islam is false because the Quran 

contradicts the Gospels it refers to as Scripture, truth and guidance and light!

Outro

Game Over

Intro

I’m sure you know about or have been following the story of the Titan submersible that went down to view the

Wreck of the Titanic but imploded on its way down killing all 5 of its passengers including the designer and CEO

of Ocean Gate.

It was a tragedy that could have been prevented and avoided. 

The sub looked good on the outside but it was poorly made using different materials not compatible 

with each other and more importantly not suited together for the pressures of 12,500 ft depths where 

Titanic lies.

The implosion was inevitable, it was a matter of when rather than if. 

The CEO made some of the sub from off the shelf components and carbon fibre and titanium and with a porthole 

of glass that was also only suitable for depths not even of a military submarine. It was controlled by a game 

controller. 

Worst still advice and expertise was dismissed, as was safety, and it was not tested enough to ensure its 

durability, especially for a commercial and tourism  with a 250k price tag. Although there were a few successful 

trips to the wreck

Most previous trips were aborted because of different issues, including loss of communication, plus the actual 

capsule where the passengers would be would have been compromised and deteriorated, making it more 

dangerous each dive

The whole episode shows us that money can buy you many exclusive and adventurous items and pursuits 

but not wisdom. From the video from last year that shows the inside of the sub, it looked flimsy uncomfortable 

and sparse, and the game controller looked out of place, even the reporter was astonished. In reflection a few 

who went on previous trips expressed  concerns and how frightening and uncertain they felt, and their relief 

of luckily escaping. Despite the CEO seeming confident and proud and defensive, he was flippant and indifferent 

about safety and expertise, plus it didn’t look up to the job in comparison to other submersibles that are at least 

well equipped/.

Foundations in any business, building, vehicle or any  enterprise are essential especially when it comes 

to safety and emergency measures, and more so when it is being sold to the public as an attraction or commercial venture.

When we go on trips or holidays or excursions and especially adventures we prepare well and check everything 

for safety insurance and back ups and emergency and worst case scenarios before we go. But what about 

every day life?

Do you have a strong foundation in life? We’re going to look at a couple of parallel passages in Matthew & Luke 

Lets read Matthew first

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his 

house on the rock. 

25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, 

because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does 

not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the 

floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

You notice that what matters most here is the foundation it’s what the house is built on, rock or sand

46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears 

my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug 

deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house 

and could not shake it, because it had been well built 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is 

like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, 

immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Here in Luke its more a case of how well built the house was, and how it was able to withstand the stream. 

one house has a strong foundation the other has none. 

So we need a good foundation but also we have to build well. A weak foundation is better than none, 

but even on a weak foundation it should be well built.

This Titan sub did not only have poor foundations, the CEO was a maverick, a wannabe, he was too cavalier

And careless, he wanted to do it on his own more or less with only his company behind him he ignored basics 

on building submersibles according to the standards of tried and tested experts, he was proud and ignored 

and dismissed expertise of other “50 year old white guys” in favour of young innovators who would 

take notice of his enterprise and leadership he didn’t care for health and safety and said “if you want to be 

safe don’t get out of bed” he was flippant. Even as a confident salesman. 

It was not built well because it had not been tested nearly enough  and would have been seriously compromised 

in previous trips, most of which had been aborted due to issues, not least communication to the boat above. 

One employee had been fired from Ocean Gate for raising safety concerns about the vessel. The CEO Stockton

Rush was  proud and would not even listen to advisers about their concerns of his operations. 

Pride is never good with any kind of foundation. God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.

So we should build well on good foundations in this life, but there is only one sure foundation for eternity 

and that is Jesus Christ. So whatever happens in this life, and whatever we build and however well we build, 

and what we build on in this life, aim for an eternity because Jesus is the only way to escape the wrath off a 

Holy God because he paid the price for our sins. Acts 4v12.

The implosion of the Titan sub would have happened in just milliseconds, they may well have known 

it was coming but not known until it came, lets hope even in that short time they called upon the saviour 

even in their probable distress and fear. You needn’t wait until an awful time near death like these 5 

passengers, call on the saviour while you can today. 

Outro

Carry On Askin’ Seekin’ Knocking’

Intro

I loved carry on films didn’t you? They were cheaply made but the characters were funny 

and well acted by a great familiar team of comedy stars in their own right, 

It was very British Caricature and comedy, no complicated plots  but all good simple fun based on language, 

situations even history with some great gags and nods to other movies and genres but we can relate to them! 

All 30 of them!

Here’s a passage in the Bible we can all relate to…

Today we are looking at a short passage from Matthew 7

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 

8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 

9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 

10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 

11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, 

how much more will your Father 

who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

There’s a similar parallel passage in Luke 11

9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 

10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 

11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 

12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good 

gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

This is yet another example where we need to go back and see what the “and’ is there for going back to verse 5

The NLT and the Amplified Bible’s put it more accurately, this is the NLT

5 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s 

house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 ‘A friend of mine has 

just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, 

‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 

8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, 

he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.

9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and 

you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, 

receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened

Notice that the friend won’t give him anything because he’s his friendship, but because of his insistence. 

The man calling knows its a bad time , he knows his children are in bed, he knows the inconvenience of coming 

at that time, but the need is greater.

His isn’t asking once, he is pleading because the need is real, he is embarrassed that this situation 

has come up so his need for help is real, so he’s asking seeking and knocking on the mans door, several times. 

God loves it when we are shameless and persistent, it shows that what we want is important to us, 

and its in the will of God because its not about ourselves but to help and give to others. 

Its a mature person not a child who just wants a certain toy or sweet

Notice Jesus puts the listener in the situation, how much do you need something?

If so you don’t just ask once, no, you keep on asking, seeking and knocking.

When you lose something like a wallet or your phone, you don’t just check your pocket, you look in every 

possible place you’ve had it, or been to, or likely to put it, you’ll even look in silly places, just in case. Why? 

Because we need it there and then and have woken up to our carelessness, so now we become diligent to 

look in all the right places and the wrong ones we could have dropped it or put it for a second! 

God is always the one to go to, he doesn’t want us to ask once, but many times, seek him everywhere 

we are in every situation and keep knocking on the door, we aren’t being a nuisance, 

but it shows our love and dependence of God and our willingness to stay in his will when we acknowledge 

him at all times. Proverbs 3v5,6

If we go back to Matthew we see that Jesus assumes our depravity as humans, he saw it right back at the flood

11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your 

Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

But he knows that even as sinful as we are we can give good things and be beneficial to one another

When we give gifts or simply give what someone asks us, we won’t give the opposite or something we 

know they would hate or has no benefit to them, no we give what they ask for, we don’t give damaged goods

or something that is useless, but we should give our best like we are to give our best to God, 

because he is our Father and Jesus who is our saviour is also our judge! We want to please him, 

and it pleases him when we love him in loving our neighbour, why? Because we want them to know Him too!

12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

This Golden rule is found in rabbinic Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and even Greek and 

Roman ethics, but always in the negative sense. As in Don’t do to others what  you wouldn’t want done to you, 

this is where the idea of Karma comes from. Jesus puts it in a positive sense because its about serving God, 

and loving our neighbours is part of that.

In Luke 10 he tells us what loving our enemy is with the tale of the Good Samaritan. 

We would say its more blessed to give than receive, forgive if you want to be forgiven, love your enemies, 

bless those that curse you and persecute  which Jesus had already said in the same sermon on the mount.

To end, lets look at this passage in 1 John 5v13-15

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you 

have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according 

to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the 

requests that we have asked of him.

The central theme of all this message is living according to his will the Bible, the terms and conditions of life, 

and if we aren’t living according to his will, we can’t expect to ask or see or knock confidently

and get answers. Why should God answer if we ignore him, and would we know if he’s answered if we normally

 take no notice of him? 

Jesus calls us evil because he knows what we are like as much as he loves us. If you asked “why doesn’t 

God stop all the evil in the world?’ What if he turned round and asked you, ok. Let’s start with you” ? 

You wouldn’t like it would you? But Jesus was killed by the evil of his day by the religion and self righteous

but he knew it was coming, he laid down his life because only he never sinned to be the perfect sacrifice for your 

sins and mine. You can lay all your sin at the cross today and receive his forgiveness if you accept that Jesus 

died for them, and make him Lord of your life and be Born again. it only takes a real short prayer from the heart 

and if you are genuine he will transform you. If you do that please let us know!

So carry on askin’ seeking’ knocking’ not for your own life but for the life and salvation of others!

Outro

Surah 5v68

Intro

Say O People of the Scripture! You have nothing (of guidance) till you observe the Torah 

and the Gospel and that which has been revealed to you from your Lord. That which is revealed 

to you (Muhammad) from yourLord is certain to increase the rebellion and disbelief of many of them. 

But grieve not for disbelieving people.

In the Qur’an, “Allah” is telling Muhammad to make a proclamation to Jews and Christians.

He calls them people of the Scripture which assumes that the Torah and gospel cannot be corrupt, 

they must be valid and have authority, and they are called Scripture 

because “Allah” is the one who claimed to have revealed them. He claims to be God.

The verse is telling jews and Christians that they have nothing of guidance unless they observe 

the Torah and gospels.

But if they were not observing them, they wouldn’t be Jews or Christians, and therefore could not be 

called people of the Scripture. 

it’s logical that if I say I’m a Christian and don’t believe the Gospel or that Jesus

Is Lord I’m not a Christian, am I? It doesn’t matter if I was raised in church or where I live if I don’t 

observe the Gospel Or if I stoped believing I’m an apostate!

In the same way If you as a Muslim don’t believe the Qur’an, or that Allah is god and Muhammad is

 a prophet you’re not A muslim either! even if you were raised as one where ever you live. If you stop believing

 You’re an apostate, and according to the Qur’an you should be killed. 

If the Torah and gospels are sufficient for Jews and christians, they don’t need the Quran, or 

Muhammad to be a prophet, it’s not necessary to them, which is why they rejected him, because

what he was saying as the ‘revelations” of the Qur’an did not line up with what they already knew. 

So they don’t need to say the shahada and become Muslims either!

The verse assumes that the Torah and the Gospel were “revealed in the same way that the Quran was, 

but if “Allah” is God he would know the Bible well enough to know this is not the case. 

Moses wasn’t given a book, the prophets and Jesus the Messiah didn’t carry books about. 

According to the Qur’an there were thousands of prophets, all with books, nearly all lost

The New Testament that includes the Gospels say that Jesus IS the word of God, eternally the Son, 

Who became a man and he fulfils the law and the prophets, and he died for the sins of all mankind 

You know as Muslims God cannot die, the Bible says Jesus is eternal. He had two natures, he was 

Eternally Fully God the Son, he became fully man eating and sleeping and going to the toilet and 

allowed that part of him, his humanity his flesh to be killed, not suicide, but as the sacrifice for your sins 

and mine, he was virgin born and Born of the Holy Spirit which is why he was sinless and could be the 

sacrifice for sinners like you and I

Even the Quran says so! John the Baptist called him the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world 

John 1v29. 

Long before, Abraham also said God would provide a sacrifice (Genesis 22v8) 

And many other prophets in the OT mention the coming messiah. 

Now if “Allah” were God should know this, as its part of his revelation

The Quran assumes that it is in line with the Torah and Gospels which is why it affirms them as true, 

because they are supposedly “revelations. It does correctly say that the Gospel  confirms the Torah, 

but the Quran itself affirms but contradicts both.

The author of the Qur’an assumes that the Torah, Gospel and the Quran all have the same message, 

because he does not have any familiarity with the Old and new testaments. We can expect this of Muhammad

who picked up stories here and there not realising that some were not Biblical, but we cannot expect 

it of God who in the Qur’an has a very limited knowledge even of his previous revelations

He knows little of the Biblical accounts, and all it says of the previous Scriptures is at best vague and 

Incomplete, only the story of Joseph is anywhere near complete. 

Allah can’t be God if the Quran shows such little knowledge or recollection of the Torah and Gospels, 

but it does explain why it contradicts them so often in key teachings.

Not least the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ addressed in only one ayat (verse) which we will 

look at in future videos

There are no quotes of the old or new testaments in the Quran, and the nearest is “an eye for an eye” 

which would have been common knowledge as a phrase by 7th century Arabia as it was in first century Israel

But Jesus addressed this in the gospels to say we are not to exact revenge but bless those who curse us

And pray for those who try to use us.

So Jews and Christians must observe  the Torah and Gospel and have nothing if they don’t, then it says 

“And that which is revealed to you from your Lord” which is claiming that the Qur’an is an additional revelation, 

but they don’t need one if what they have is sufficient. The Bible’s God says do not add or take away from it.

Jews had enough in their scriptures for them in the law and the prophets to recognise the promised 

Messiah when he came. It was the Religious leaders who knew the Old Testament Scriptures best who rejected 

Jesus Christ  because they were so caught up in their traditions and religious customs instead of the 

God who gave the commandments. They were self righteous and hypocrites. God doesn’t want either

Read the sermon on the mount n Matthew 5-7 and Matthew 23  

The first Christians were Jesus followers and were Jews who did recognise him as Messiah and also many 

Gentiles (non Jews) came to be followers too before he died and rose again and then through the preaching 

and teaching of Peter and Paul and the other apostles as the church grew.

Jews and Christians in the 7th century rejected Muhammad a s prophet simply because all that he was

Saying as a revelation from “Allah” did not line up with the Scriptures of the God they already knew.

Jews already knew God was one. (they also knew he had  a plurality) through Abraham and David

well before the eternal Son of God arrived as Jesus Christ 

they already knew God as their father, Jesus told and showed them he is not the father, but the son

and that they were One, that’s why he didn’t go around saying “I am God worship me” 

and they (father and Son) would be sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in believers after 

his death and resurrection and ascension. Which he did. 

The Bible is clear that we do not believe in three Gods, but one God who is triune. 

In any case even Allah gets the trinity wrong in the Qur’an  which further proves he is not God. 

Surely if Allah is God he would know from his previous revelations say the the trinity are 

Father Son and Holy Spirit, and Mary is not or ever was one of them! 

The Qur’an also denies that he is a father and has no sons let alone the One Son Jesus! Proving he does 

not know the previous scriptures he supposedly revealed

The reason why Muhammad was rejected by the Jews as a prophet was simply that all the prophets 

from Isaac onwards were Jews sent to warn Israel to come back to God through obedience to the law and 

and the warnings given by the true prophets or suffer the consequences and they often did. 

The bible records this history the desert wanderings and 1 Samuel - 2 chronicles and the prophets

Christians rejected Muhammad because in the Gospels (all 4 of them) Jesus was the Messiah 

they were waiting for who fulfilled all the Old Testament promises and died for the sins of all despite 

being rejected. He said and did things only God could say or do supported with great miracles, 

and despite being betrayed and rejected by Jews died and rose again as he promised. 

Mark 8,9,10. The first disciples including over 500 at one time saw him risen from the dead. 1 Corinthians 15

Allah affirms the Gospel, good news as his own revelation, yet he denies it because he doesn’t know 

it, which means the Qur’ans ultimate author isn’t God, because the Quran contradicts all the Bible it affirms

Allah is not God if he forgets what he revealed!  if he forgets himself or contradicts himself, he 

isn’t all knowing or wise.  He is not God if he deceived everyone? 

Did he make everyone think Jesus died on the cross just to create Christianity 

just so that 7 centuries later he could start from scratch with a new religion, Islam? 

Makes no sense since he revealed the original scriptures that say Jesus was killed by crucifixion!

The God of the Bible is not a deceiver, Satan, the devil is!

So the second part of verse 5v68 is really revealing with not much more to add

That which is revealed to you (Muhammad) from your Lord is certain to increase the rebellion 

and disbelief of many of them. But grieve not for disbelieving people.

Its obvious that what is being revealed in the Qur’an by Muhammad is going to bring rebellion and 

disbelief inJews and Christians, because it contradicts everything they already have in their scriptures 

which they are observing as their guidance.

Qur’an contradicts everything they know, as Scripture and why they don’t think Qur’an is Scripture. Even now!

If they were told NOT to observe their Scriptures, and instead observe the Quran they would not be Jews 

and Christians they would be Muslims. But because Allah does not know their scriptures that he supposedly 

revealed to them and Assumes the Qur’an confirms them, instead of actually contradicting them 

(and itself several times) proves Allah is not wise, or all knowing and certainly not God.

This brings us again to the Islamic Dilemma

If the Bible IS corrupted then Islam is false because the Qur’an directs believers to 

false Gospels as Allahs own revelations, which it shouldn’t if they are corrupted Scriptures

OR 

If the Bible is NOT corrupted then Islam is false because the Quran 

contradicts the Gospels it refers to as Scripture, truth and guidance and light!

Outro

No Milk Today

Intro

Do you remember when we used to have milk delivered on our doorsteps and if you 

didn’t want any one morning you would leave a message for the milkman No milk Today

Today we are looking at a short passage in Hebrews 5v11-14

11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic

 principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is 

unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for 

those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

The writer of Hebrews had just  been writing about how Jesus Christ was a high priest in the order of melchezidek

But then paused to address some of his audience, because he noticed that some were still struggling with the 

basic principles of their new found faith, and especially as Jews the law and prophets had been part and parcel off their lives. 

They’d heard it every sabbath in their synagogues

Although they were now Christians that were excited about Jesus but they knew very little about him 

and weren’t growing but content to keep drinking milk. Just relying on the little they knew and having to 

be reminded of the basics they knew because they weren’t established in them

The basic principles are in Hebrews 6v1,2

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a

 foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about 

washings,[a] the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment

The principles

1 Repentance 2 Faith in God 3 Instructions of baptism 4 Laying on of hands, 5 Resurrection of the dead

6 Eternal judgement

These are basic Christian 101 and every gospel tract includes most of them if not all in order to reach people

Maturity is moving beyond knowledge of these - progressing in spiritual life with sound judgement 

and discernment, learning more about christ following and obeying his words coming further away from the default 

Of sin and closer to him. We mature by experience and learning more of scripture and how we apply it in life

Milk - the new Hebrew disciples weren’t getting it, they were very shallow being excited about coming to Christ, 

their lives had been changed knowing they had been transformed and born again by repentance and making 

Jesus Lord  and many had been baptised and they could tell their friends and family about it but that’s it! 

We live in an age now where the modern church experience is about emotionalism and feelings 

where believers have no discernment and don’t read the bible and dont know what spirit they are hearing 

and their lives are up and down and many that do read interpret and measure the word by their experience 

instead of the other way round measuring their experience against the word of god, and sadly many false 

teachers say that’s ok, when they should know better.

This is milk these believers go around in circles and up and down because they don’t ground themselves 

n Gods word and just want the same warm fuzzy feeling again and again and if they don’t get them 

they are discouraged or seek more ‘highs” and their ears Start itching for something they want 

to hear and call it Christianity.

1 corinthians 13 says this

11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. 

When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 

James 1 says this showing the difference between milk and maturity

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer 

of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 

24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 

25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, 

being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing

The great commission of Jesus says we are to baptise and teach all that he commanded because Jesus has all authority in 

Matthew 28v18-20 and he sends us out with the good new of the gospel that Jesus transforms lives

We live in an age of dumbing down not just in social media, but in the news media, everything is filtered and 

simplified to distract from the more important things going on in our world. The attention span of most is very 

short so any message given has to be made short even at the expense of truth just to hook people into the interest of 

any topic, however trivial.

The media seeks to shock, scare, scandalise, manipulate using headlines and soundbites to sensationalise or advertise. They always have an agenda

God anticipated this age well because the gospel message is short sweet and universal. It was 

John the baptists message, and the first public words of Jesus ministry 

Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 4v17

We know it better as John 3v16

16 “For God so loved the world,[i] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should 

not perish but have eternal life.

We shouldn’t be stuck on knowing how to be a saved and telling others, that’s basics we can get tracts 

on the basic gospel message and give them out as we talk to people, but we need to know more, the how’s 

and why’s the details of living for God according the terms and conditions here in the Bible. We need to 

grow and mature learn from our mistakes and experiences and in serving in churches, we also need to find 

more ways to explain the gospel to different kinds of people with different backgrounds, cultures languages and intellects.

We are to deepen our faith in Christ and as his ambassadors or representatives through his word,

 prayer and be able to answer the hard questions people ask

People ask awkward and challenging questions, they challenge our integrity and truthfulness and sincerity

Are we going to dilute or compromise  what we believe or stand up for Biblical truths strong and resolute?

This is where the discernment  and the ability to distinguish good and evil come in. Why are these 

questions being asked? Remember the pharisees and sadducees in Matthew 22 asked questions in 

order to incriminate Jesus to find something they could accuse him with like blasphemy and get 

him arrested, they weren’t genuine questions

They had an agenda, just lime the media we spoke of earlier

God has never changed his message in all earths history, so we should stick to his plan and his standards 

because he is holy and he is just, no-one gets into heaven by sneakiness or tricks or manipulation because 

he knows the motives of every man woman or child, and that’s why there is only one way, his name is 

Jesus Christ his son.

As believers we have to challenge ourselves to find new avenues and ways to communicate the 

same message of the gospel and explain why it is always relevant to all in the face of other world views, 

all must be born again, he doesn’t want anyone to perish! We may not win everyone but we are at least 

to be watchmen carrying the message and giving the warning of God’s wrath in this age. Jesus is coming 

soon, and so is judgement. So watch, pray and study the word of God to be approved.

Recently I mentioned the parable of the sower, and when Jesus told this first of his parables he asked

 his disciples ‘if you don’t understand this parable how will you understand all parables?” Why?

Parables require listening thinking personalising and applying. Even the Pharisees understood when 

some parables were about them exposing their hypocrisy and false teachings. We can use the word 

and create modern day parables or analogies based on all Jesus said and matters in todays age, in love 

ofcourse and like the 4 soils in the parable of the sower there will be different reactions and results each time.

Reading the parables and their context of what Jesus was saying and doing at the time will help you to 

move from milk - the basics to maturity. Don’t be contention being fed milk or just the diet your 

church gives you each Sunday, hunger for more by reading your word and let it be live with you so 

that the Holy Spirit can move in you too! So remember No Milk Today!

Very Itchy Ears

This is a follow up to Last time when we looked at this passage in 2 Timothy we only got to verse 2 

So before we carry on let’s read it again…

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the 

living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 

2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, 

and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming 

when people will not endure sound[a] teaching, but having itching ears they 

will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will 

turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, 

do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

We’ve seen so far that whatever we do we do unto him, we are always in his presence

Its not about works but about faith because he saved us, we have an attitude of gratitude, 

not trying to earn his favour Ephesians 2v8-10

We’ve seen that Jesus return is imminent, Paul expected his return in his life time, 

so how much more should we? So we should be at work looking for opportunities to save 

people from gods wrath and eternal torment in the fires of hell

We’ve seen that we should preach and teach the word of God and more importantly 

share the Gospel whether its convenient or not, whether its welcomed, or not accepted 

or rejected, as it is never convenient for unbelievers, including ourselves at some point

In verse 3 Paul is predicting another imminent occurrence - that people would 

switch off from sound biblical teaching or doctrine  stop reading the bible 

and instead gather themselves teachers who will tell them what they want to hear 

that suits them and their lifestyles instead of changing their lifestyles to fit God’s word,

The have itchy ears

Many church  gatherings  are like pop concerts, 

and songs that sound worshipful and atmospheric and spiritual but are often self centred 

Rather than God centred. 

Hymns had proper sound doctrine and theology based on the word are being phased out

For emotionalism and mindfulness

Many speakers have big personalities and egos, especially on TV, claiming they have

special anointings or God given authority or new revelations, 

they barely have a scripture or if they do its twisted to fit their agenda for offerings

or to honour their ministries in some way, drawing people to minister rather than Jesus

And their supposed revelations, are taking from or adding to Scripture, (Revelation 22v18,19)

 its all done trying to convince you you’re closer to God if you listen to them rather than 

read the Bible and pray.

Also these people with itching ears never want to hear 

about sin and repentance and faith, and hell or the essentials of the gospel, 

because its not comfortable to them 

We arent in church to be comfortable but to be taught Gods word that challenges us

further away from our sinful old selves and more like Jesus Christ our saviour, 

Many teachers speak about being blessed and prosperous and healthy 

and if you aren’t  obeying their instructions about giving or healing it won’t work or you have no faith.

Others talk about positive thinking and looking good and doing your best, 

as if someones 

going to say he’s doing well and looks good he/she  must be a christian, that’s nonsense! 

Sinners prosper too but it will only last until they die, they don’t know who will get it all

The joy of the Lord is our strength whatever little we have if we have his word and an 

ongoing relationship with him through his word and prayer and trust - that’s faith!

They talk about  being nice, sincere,  tolerant, and compromising

Nice isn’t a fruit of the spirit

You can be sincere as you like but be sincerely wrong or in error from what the Bible says

You can be tolerant  of people but we should not be tolerant of sin especially in ourselves

because we are saved from sin if we are born again

We should not compromise Gods word, but we should be gracious and forgiving

Unlike metals Truth doesn’t change or bend in any temperature its solid

So  we should be in Gods word! Church should never compromise its standards on 

Biblical teaching, diluting or compromising its message, or being ‘seeker sensitive” 

Sinners cannot demand the church change its rules to accommodate sin 

Sinners must go to God and  allow him to change them to be like his Son Jesus Christ

Who died to save us from sin. He is the way the truth and the life! (John14v6)

Jesus never compromised his message for which he was going to give his life

We should never compromise our gospel to peoples objections and issues.

We must give good reasons for what we believe and why! 

The apostles did.  they died spreading the gospel because they saw him die and 3 

days Later saw him risen from the dead. Over 500 people saw him risen

1 Corinthians 15v3

V4 

There is nothing mythological about the gospels because the eyewitness accounts of 

Matthew, mark Luke and John are too close to the events and could be verified or discounted 

by other eyewitnesses, Luke interviewed many on his missionary journeys with Paul.

They are actual events no embellishments, some accounts even give embarrassing details 

about the apostles, some expressed unbelief, and doubted, not just Thomas, even in the light 

of Jesus radical teachings, death and resurrection. The Gospels are honest and transparent.

Myths are false ideologies, viewpoints, philosophies in various forms that oppose ‘sound doctrine’

Like some of the things dealt out by false teachers that are political or based on a case or agenda

Myths are often allegorical and symbolic stories that contain some truth but are so far fetched 

like the greek mythology where there are stories of many gods who are obviously human at war 

or having complicated affairs with each other in order to convey a message of morality or one of 

many philosophies, greeks loved to hear new teachings and word views.

The Gospels are matter of fact obviously eye and ear witness stories of all that Jesus and the 

apostles said and did. The miracles verified The message to show its from the one true God. 

What is sound doctrine? 

Well the gospels are like the highlights (and lowlights) of Jesus life, the message and the miracles

And how they fulfilled the Old Testament law and prophets and the promise of the Messiahs coming

They are all about what Jesus did for us as sinners to bring us back to God, whether we are unbelievers,

 religious, rich, poor, sick or healthy.he lived and died to bring us back to relationship with him

The true God. Its not about religion or creating a belief system its about knowing him and following Christ

Taking him at his word, he’s a person the Word of god who became flesh, so not only can we trust him 

But he is our salvation and righteousness because we can’t be holy or righteous of ourselves as 

sin is our default stuff since Adams disobedience

V5. 

So finally we are to keep calm and carry on trusting God, taking him at his word, he has given 

us and his Holy Spirit to enable us to live for him if we have repented of our sins making Jesus Lord 

of our lives and accepting the free gift of salvation accepting that he died for our personal sins.

Jesus never said we would be blessed and prosperous or that he has ‘ a wonderful plan for our lives” 

but he said he would look after us and our needs if we seek first his kingdom but we would be 

hated and persecuted for sharing our faith in him and the gospels, but its still good news, 

because we are saved from Gods wrath, and have eternal life in Christ. 

So stay in the word, pray and ask for opportunities to share the gospel, refresh your memory daily

 in the word of god- 

Thats why the Bible was divided into chapter and verse, they weren’t inspired by God but designed to 

Help us memorise the word, the word itself is inspired by God. Jesus is the word who is God

We are disciples and ambassadors its a great commission and privilege!

Let your ears be itching for Gods truth not what someone says about it by reading it yourselves

Itching Ears

2 Timothy4v1-5 ESV

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the 

living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 

2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, 

and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming 

when people will not endure sound[a] teaching, but having itching ears they 

will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will 

turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, 

do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 

I like the way the Amplified Bible puts this so lets read it there too. 

2 Timothy4v1-5 Amplified

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, 

who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 

2 preach the word [as an official messenger]; be ready when the time is right and 

even when it is not [keep your sense of urgency, whether the opportunity seems 

favorable or unfavorable, whether convenient or inconvenient, whether welcome 

or unwelcome]; correct [those who err in doctrine or behavior], warn [those who sin], 

exhort and encourage [those who are growing toward spiritual maturity], with 

inexhaustible patience and [faithful] teaching. 3 For the time will come when 

people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges 

them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], 

they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] 

to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, 4 and will turn their 

ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions 

[and will accept the unacceptable]. 5 But as for you, be clear-headed in every situation 

[stay calm and cool and steady], endure every hardship [without flinching], 

do the work of an evangelist, fulfill [the duties of] your ministry.

Lets go through the passage verse by verse 

One

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, 

who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:

A charge is a command and encouragement because its in God’s presence!

Paul is addressing Timothy here but ultimately he is addressing all of us as believers

Be conscious of God’s presence and that of Jesus Christ your Lord and Saviour 

in whatever you do from rising up about in bed to laying your head down at night

Paul believed Jesus return was imminent 2000 years ago and he urges all 

believers who read his letters to act and behave and work with the same attitude, 

with diligence, devotion and in service as if he is to return any time now, if Paul 

thought and wrote as if his return could occur at any time now, 

how much more should we?

See Philippians 2v5-11

We also need to be urgent because there are a  lot of lost souls and 

as we will see in this passage a lot of Christians getting lost and straying away, 

and instead of keeping in the word, they are either being enticed by the world, 

or following false teachers of the Bible or simply personalities who are entertaining

Two

preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, 

and exhort, with complete patience and teaching

It says preach the word, and it also says  teach it, not your testimony or your experience 

or opinions, make sure your message is full of scripture and theology so its not about you, 

and so that people can check what you say with scripture, so when you quote 

scripture make sure its in context and in line with the gospel message, use 

the law use the warning of wrath, and God’s love

In this verse we can see why the amplified translation really breaks it down,

its not about the natural seasons

preach the word [as an official messenger]; be ready when the time 

is right and even when it is not [keep your sense of urgency, whether 

the opportunity seems favorable or unfavorable, whether convenient 

or inconvenient, whether welcome or unwelcome]; correct 

[those who err in doctrine or behavior], warn [those who sin], exhort 

and encourage [those who are growing toward spiritual maturity], 

with inexhaustible patience and [faithful] teaching

There’s no good time or bad time to share the gospel but there are times 

to preach it, obviously he was talking to Timothy a young but very knowledgable 

church leader who was a preacher, Paul recognised his gift and wrote him 

two letters to equip and encourage him and encourage us today

Today we also have the Holy Spirit if we are Born Again and our Bibles  

we should use both, that means study and trust the Holy Spirit to give 

us the right words to speak precisely to anyone we encounter, and the wisdom how

People who hear the gospel either receive it or reject it, 

some straight way some may have to hear it several times before they finally repent 

and make Jesus Lord of their lives. 

I heard a few presentations of the Gospel from 

my school years but it wasn’t until after I graduated college that I came to the point 

of believing being convicted enough to repent and come to him. 

Have answers to peoples questions about God, you don’t need to know everything 

but you must know and should at least b seek to learn the basics of what you believe and why, 

and that part of it can include your

testimony, this is Apologetics, its defending the faith from 

1 Peter 3v15

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared 

to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that 

is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

So its always with sowing the seed of Gods word, you never know when 

it will take effect on a person, just keep at it. 

Its not always convenient for us to share or preach but when 

we became Christians it wasn’t convenient for us, it never is, 

but the gospel message arrested convicted us, its the work of the Holy Spirit

Correct those who have misconceptions of Christian teaching, and be aware of what others believe

and obstacles they might have and learn about them so you can address them

And/or have obvious sinful lifestyles which are also obstacles

We are to try to remove obstacles without compromise

So we are to Warn those in obvious sins, telling them about the wrath of God, 

using the law that convicts  us as guilty from the 10 commandments!

Exhort and encourage those who have become Born again , encourage them 

in the word, give them literature or Bibles or tools to help and encourage them 

to read and pray so they come closer to God rather than be discouraged, 

its much easier now with the internet, online Bibles and sources like this or other channels, 

And obviously with complete patience, people hear and understand faster than 

others, including ourselves, to some the gospel is too simple or too complicated because 

of blockages in thinking or some think they have to earn salvation

You might be wondering what’s that got to do with itching ears? 

Some people want to be told they are good and that their sins are ok, just mistakes, 

they will listen to those who tell them what they want to hear

Accomplished

We’ve recently been looking at Hebrews 4v12,13 and the powerful active word of God 

in the New Testament, but what does the Old Testament say about it? 

Turn with me to Isaiah 55v10,11

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

    and do not return there but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

11 

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

    it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

We said before about when a sentence starts with the word for we

 should go back and see what its there for 

so lets go back to verse 6

“Seek the Lord while he may be found;

    call upon him while he is near;

7 

let the wicked forsake his way,

    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,

    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

8 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

9 

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are my ways higher than your ways

    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Its one of the great passages of the Bible where God through Isaiah the prophet who actually 

saw the Lord in chapter 6,  calls the nation of Israel to repentance and faith

God’s word has purpose and an aim and its chief aim is to bring his creation of man, 

made in his image back to him, 

because since the garden of Eden they have been rebellious, we still are by default! We are sinners, 

no-one is righteous not one! 

Lets concentrate on the first verses we mentioned. In verse 10 

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

    and do not return there but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

Every single raindrop and snowdrop has a purpose, but it’s never on his own, 

it arrives with many thousands and millions of others to fulfil its purpose, 

As the church we can never be lone sheep we are part of the Shepherds flock and though we all each 

follow the same shepherd Jesus Christ individually but we need and support each other as we follow him! 

We must not forsake the assembling of ourselves, so if you are born again Christian and not part of a 

church find one, join in make yourself available to them and serve, its not about them serving you, 

its always about serving him, Jesus Christ, he is your salvation righteousness saviour and redeemer

Rain, you may love it or hate it, we need it, it rains on the just and the unjust, it is essential for 

everything we eat our need for paper and books, especially the Bible so we can read it and it can read us. 

I live in Manchester and its long had a reputation of being a rainy city of the North, when it rains it pours!

When it rains we get generous portions of it, we often don’t appreciate it, but after say a long hot summer and the government start limiting water and announcing hose pipe bans as the reservoirs start to empty we find great relief when it rains again, its refreshing.

When rain first came it had a great purpose judgement!

It came in the flood in the time of Noah, it not only poured down, but also fountains of the deep burst open like 

volcanoes causing the water to rise quickly covering the highest mountains to show that was a worldwide flood, 

the evidence of this is found in the varying levels where fossils of humans and prehistoric and other animals have been found. Almost every human apart from Noah and his wife and his sons and their wives perished, and the animals in the Ark were 

saved as their boat floated over the mountains until the rains stopped and the waters abated. The fold only benefitted 

Noah and those on the boat, but also the abundant  vat array  of sea life that fills the oceans even today. 

The flood destroyed everything that had gone wrong on the earth so early in its story because of sin, 

and disobedience and rebellion

Rain waters the earth making it good for the growth of trees plants, fruit and vegetables and all the things 

that we take for granted. Even the medicines we use come from plants, some sadly use certain ones to get high, 

instead of going to the most High, God himself!

So verse 11 makes the comparison that gods word like rain and snow does not return empty but accomplishes the purpose 

for which it is sent. 

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

    it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

The word is like a seed to be planted in the hearts of all. Its meant to grow it needs too be fed, watered and exposed to light to enable it to increase and grow. That’s what God’s word does within us as we read it and let it read us and transform us each day looking to the light of Jesus Christ, our example our light and our salvation. 

In the parable of the sower in Mark 4 the seed of Gods word the gospel lands on different kinds of soil, 4 different kinds but only one of them produces fruit, only the good soil is able to produced fruit in different amounts. God spreads his word generously on different soils but how fruitful or not you are depends on you and how you receive the message of the gospel. 

We’ll maybe look at the parable more closely in future. 

So do you take in the word as you read it, do you let it read you? Do you let it examine you with its simple but profound truth? 

We should because the word has purpose in our lives to strengthen us spiritually, our testimony about him and also it should be passed on because it is beneficial to everyone.

2 Timothy 2v15

The word of God is truth, and if its true for me its true for anyone! Its universal. 

If a truth is only true for certain people then its a cultural belief not an absolute

Truth is nothing to do with taste or opinion if its true for everyone.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is true for everyone, and works for everyone who repents of their sin and receives him as lord and does so with all their heart. The ones who say they “tried that and it didn’t work” are false converts, because they were either just going through the motions at a gathering following what others were doing or looking for an experience or because they were trying to “be christian” through formula religion or ritual based on their own works. 

It works only if you are genuinely repentant and are truly looking to God with all your heart and believing that Jesus did pay the penalty for your sin, because he did!

It works for everyone no matter your background, upbringing education IQ career or none at all, because its a work of grace. 

The grace of god according to his word will accomplish all that it sets out to do in a persons life to anyone who genuinely 

receives and believes, adheres, trust relies upon and commits himself to the Lord. 

The good news of the gospel is what God did for mankind as a solution to the sin that separates us from a just and Holy God. Jesus Christ the eternal son became human lived a perfect sinless life and paid the penalty of death for all sin so that you, I or any sinner can be pardoned if we accept the fact he paid our debt. All we have to do is receive this free gift of salvation, you can’t buy it earn it and you certainly don’t deserve it, but god loved you enough to let his son willingly pay the price to remove sin, and he gives us his righteousness, all to bring us into relationship with him. Its all his doing but its the greatest deal available ever! All we have to do is accept the free gift of salvation. 

Let the people of the Gospel judge by that which Allah has revealed in it. 

Who judges not by that which Allah has revealed, such are evil livers.

I’ll read  the same ayat from the Study Quran (show)

This is supposedly God speaking through Muhammad to Christians, or fellow Muslims about Christians. 

Christians are to judge all things, including Muhammad, Allah and the Qur’an by the gospels they have

Why? Because Allah claims to be the God who revealed them.

If Allah revealed the Gospels, they cannot be corrupted, as no-one can change his words (18v27)

Also Allah is NOT saying they are corrupt by the very fact that he is telling Christians to 

judge by them so in the time of Muhammad they are still preserved and have authority

If the Gospels were corrupt why would he tell anyone to judge by them?

What has Allah revealed in the Gospels?

Remember they were revealed 7 centuries before Muhammad 

Jesus Christ is his son, he is eternally the Son who became flesh and died for the sins of the world.

 Islam denies both 

According to the Son Allah can’t have a son because he has no wife / consort / partner (6v101)

So Mary can have a son without a partner, but Allah  can’t because he doesn’t.

 So Mary is more powerful that Allah? Then Allah is not God.

The Quran however believes Jesus was born miraculously but for no reason 

if he is just another messenger. 

If Muhammad is the greatest and the seal of the prophets why isn’t there anything 

remarkable about him, 

anywhere, even the Quran says he’s just a Warner

Surah 4v171 says Jesus is his word, and his spirit sent by Allah 

Incidentally according the the Quran Mary was the sister of Aaron, 

the brother of Moses, both of which historically and biblically lived 1500 

years before Mary the mother of Jesus. 

Allah confirms the authenticity of the Gospels and claims to have revealed them, 

but his new revelation the Quran he not only contradicts them in its history and 

theology but shows no familiarity with them at all.

Next it says He who judges not by that which Allah has revealed are evil livers

So that must mean Christians who do not live by the Gospels are evil, 

We as Christians would agree with that. because the Gospels reveal who Jesus Christ is, his deity and that he came to save mankind from sin. 

Thats why we follow him as our Lord. 

So if Christians must live by the Gospels, then Jews and Muslims should judge 

and live by the Gospels too, I’d agree with that too

So Muslims can rightly judge by the Gospels too, but in doing so they will see that 

the Quran contradicts those very Gospels it affirms as truth

So here in the 7th century the Gospels cannot yet be corrupted if Allah is 

God and according to his revelations he is directing its believers to judge by them.

In Surah 5 v43 the same chapter Allah says to Muhammad about the Jews

How is it that they come to you for judgement when they have the Torah,

 in which Allah  has delivered judgement (for them)? Yet even after that they turn away. 

Such people are not believers.

So here Allah is saying that no-one needs to come to Muhammad for a word from God 

because they already have their own Scriptures, and Christians have the Gospels, 

so there is no need for another prophet or the Quran either!

According to the Quran the Gospels confirm the Scriptures before it in the Torah and 

the Psalms (it makes little mention of any of the prophets) and Gospels. The Quran mentions there 

were 124000 prophets presumably all with revelations and all of them lost, 

Allah does not have a good track record, he can’t seem to 

preserve his word well if only 2 of his 124,000 revelations are still preserved 

and even the last one is not consistent with those two that are that he affirms!

This means that those who live and judge by the Gospels and the Torah are true to 

Allah if Allah is God and anyone doesn’t is evil. Why? 

Because if you cannot live by the Gospels you can’t really judge by them. 

We as Christians live by the words of Jesus Christ who is the final prophet to us, 

he is King and  Messiah and saviour who died for the sins of all mankind past present and future.

He is God he had two natures, that of God which he is eternally, but he also took on flesh

 2000 years ago for 33 years to pay the ultimate penalty for sin as the perfect sacrifice, 

for your sins and mine. 

To us there is no need for Muhammad, because according to the Bible all prophets were 

Jews sent to warn the jews (children of Israel - Jacob) to come back to God when they went 

astray, and the Messiah Jesus was promised throughout the Old Testament. 

There is no mention or promise of a prophet who is not Jewish, certainly not an illiterate 

who did not even know the law or even the 10 commandments, and broker most of them.

Why would any Jew listen to anyone who did not speak in the name of YHWH 

to them about the law and the prophets. 

Jesus did both and he claimed to be the Son of their father god, 

and did the very same things he did, 

and ultimately died because they rejected him as Messiah, 

but he rose again as he promised he would (John 2).

The Quran also calls Jesus (or Isa son of Miriam) Messiah, 

but gives no meaning to the title because again the author of the Quran 

does not know the Gospels. Messiah is Hebrew in the Old Testament for the anointed one, 

and in Greek Christ, and always refers in the New Testament to the Son of David, 

Son of man (a divine title from Daniel 7) and Son of God, 

if Allah is God why does he not know this?

So anyone who judges by the Quran (Muslims) must be evil livers because 

it contradicts the very Gospels its author who claims to be God tells Christians to judge by.

The very idea that the Gospels have been corrupted is a modern Myth simply 

because of the numerous ways that the Quran contradicts them but there is 

no evidence of corruption especially since the Bible is the same now as it was before 

and during islam and since the Quran was supposedly “sent down” through Muhammad form 610-632.

The Quran is at least clear that the torah and Gospels are authoritative and preserved 

at least at the time of Muhammad, there is no indication or suggestion that they have been corrupted. 

None of the Bibles essential teachings or theology have changed. Only the Quran denies them. 

The Quran only mentions the prophets of the OT and Jesus simply to give Muhammad credibility, 

but is very vague in its details of them. The Honest Muslim must go to the Bible for the History 

of its figures from Adam to the Apostles it mentions. 

Only the Quran denies the teachings, deity and death by crucifixion and resurrection of 

Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God, and therefore contradicts the very teachings it 

directs christians to judge by in Surah 5v47.

Where when and how were the gospels corrupted and by who? 

It cannot be Paul who transformed from Zealous jew when he saw the resurrected Christ, 

and as we’ve seen the Quran affirms the Gospels that he helped to spread in the first century. 

Remember the verse confirms the Gospels as good for Christians to judge any 

later revelation by! That includes Islam

This brings us to the Islamic Dilemma

If the Bible IS corrupted then Islam is false because the Quran directs believers to 

false Gospels as Allahs revelation, which it shouldn’t if they are corrupted Scriptures

OR 

If the Bible is NOT corrupted then Islam is false because the Quran 

contradicts the Gospels it refers to as Scripture, truth and guidance and light!

Inside Out

Last time we we began talking about Hebrews 4v12,13  and we looked at how the written word is living and active, just like the eternal word Jesus Christ is

Lets read it again to remind ourselves and so we can press on in the passage

Read Hebrews 4v12,13

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

The Bible is the LOGOs the written word, but it is also the Rhema word, it is living and active strong and powerful able to read us as we read it

It forces us to examine ourselves, our hearts and minds, our conscience.

Have you sinned in thought word or deed today? If you say you haven’t we know you’re lying (1 John 1v8-10) and if you are lying you have sinned!

So if you have, and we all know you have, you can confess it to God in prayer and ask him to help  you not to think say or act in this way again.

I spoke last time how the word of God is living and active and how we should read it regularly because it strengthens our testimony and keeps it fresh  because we need to keep the gospel fresh for ourselves so we can deliver it fresh to everyone we speak to, we don’t give stale bread to our neighbour or out of date food, we are to give our best! The Gospel is new every morning if we feed on his word. And trust him with the day ahead!

We see that the word is Sharper than any two edged sword

In first century Israel  a sword did not just refer to a long sword as a weapon for fighting in wars battles and duels

There were short swords, more like knives used for domestic and outdoor everyday use, in every day life as most people were craftsmen shepherds and fishers farmers  carpenters. These swords were used for hunting animals cutting meat, shearing sheep and harvesting vegetables and fruit and gathering them, making articles of clothing, mending them. Some of the disciples were fishermen, Peter Andrew James and John would use them to mend their nets and sort out the good fish from the bad and in general everyday use in work and home

These swords would be sharpened on stones and would have to be cleaned in water as they had varied uses in work and in the home, and also could be used as defensive weapons only if absolutely necessary, I’m sure David would have perhaps had one handy as well as a sling and stone when defending his sheep against wolves  and lions and bears

In the garden Peter cut off the ear of Malchus, the high priests servant who came to arrest Jesus in the garden. Jesus healed him immediately, he said those that live by the sword will die by the sword , here he is talking about living in aggression offensively with or without weapons. 

The word of God cuts sharper and deeper than any sword Jesus said his word the truth would divide families, households. Gods word separates his truth from falsehood, and deception, error and fiction. The better we know Gods word the more grounded and steadfast and zealous we become for truth, and better discerners, and we need to be when many churches are diluting the biblical truth and mixing it with other agendas like social justice critical race theory and LgbtQ etc and with other beliefs and philosophies religions and new age ideas. 

A sword penetrates it cuts to the heart, if you’ve ever been stabbed you know about it. Words can also cut to our hearts so we must be careful how we speak to others , as they too are made in the image of God.

Also remember that before Jesus Christ came, swords and knives were used to quickly kill and efficiently prepare animals for sacrifices for sin and guilt offerings in the temple at Jerusalem and in the tabernacle at the time of Moses. But because Jesus laid down his life for all sins past and present and future there is no need to sacrifice animals he is the lamb of God without blemish to take away the sins of the world. 

Even though the Jews did not accept Jesus as Messiah, Caiphas the high priest of the time said it was necessary for one man to die for the nation

The Word is discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. The word with the witness of the Holy Spirit in the born again believer convicts us of our bad attitudes thoughts words and deeds. You may not have actually killed or been sexually immoral but if it you have even entertained it your heart and mind you are as guilty. The Ten Commandments were our guardian until we came to christ, and now we have his spirit in us to enable us to live in his righteousness, instead of our own sinful selves. We read Galatians 2v20 last time why not read it again in your own time?

Id recommend reading the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 how many of them do you know? Refresh yourselves on them

Also read the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. There Jesus tells us what the law says, then says but I say to you, proving that he carries the authority of God as the Son and his word! The pharisees had diluted the law to outward appearances to make them look good and their own traditions instead of the  original meanings of the laws. Jesus often confronted them about this.

v13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

This takes us back to John1v1 

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

Nothing escapes His attention you can’t outwit him or surprise him, he knows what you will do in every situation in obedience or not. Theres no place you can run to to get away from God so its better to run to him!

He will bring you back to his purpose for him if you are generally obedient to him, as he did with Jonah. Even though Jonah didn’t want Nineveh to hear Gods warning because he knew they would repent,  God orchestrated everything in his plan to  bring him back to his purpose so that going on a boat in the wrong direction, the pagan sailors realised he was disrupting their journey, so he told them to throw him overboard, then he provided a great fish to swallow him, brought him back to life and to Nineveh spitted him out on the beach there.

Read JONAH in the Old Testament, its only 4 short chapters!

If You’re ever given a task to do don’t run away, embrace it and ask God to enable you to do it well for his glory not yours, because it will include an opportunity for the gospel its never about you or your ministry  but its a privilege to be used by him!

Also God knows every aspect of the universe and the biggest galaxies and suns and planets he made. He fills them all, and he’s familiar with smallest insects and tiniest bacteria, but he cares most about you, yes you, and he wants you in relationship with him, not religion, not mindless robotic ritual, but actually serving and worshipping him in freedom spirit and in truth

 all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 

Everything is uncovered to God he sees everything that goes on in the natural and spiritual realms, darkness is as light to him

To him everyone must give account 

Philippians 2 says this

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Its so important that you are born again because otherwise you are under Gods wrath, that’s not a threat that’s what his word says. He wants you to acknowledge your sin, repent and trust Jesus as Lord of your life, because he died for all those sins in thought word and deed that separate you from God. Only Jesus has done everything to satisfy Gods justice in becoming human living a sinless life to dies for your sins and mine. 

Buddha, Confucious or Muhammad couldn’t offer salvation, and did nothing or said nothing in assurance of their own, and they all died. But Jesus Christ the eternal word became human lived died and rose again so we can be absolutely sure of salvation in him. 

Heres what he said in Revelation 1

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Jesus Christ is the eternal son who became flesh lived 33 years and died for your sins and mine but rose again so we can live in his righteousness, forever! Come to him today and let us know if you do!

Fully Known

Last time we ended looking at Hebrews 4v12,13 so lets read it again

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Before we get into it, notice first that it starts with the word FOR. As a writer You don’t start a sentence with the word For or Therefore or And unless you are continuing a thought process in a passage or a topic. So we need to go back and see what the For is there for. so lets see what verses 9-11 say

Hebrews 4v9-11

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. 

You can actually read from 4v1 which talks about entering into God’s rest, but in these verses we can see that as believers in Jesus Christ we have rested from our own works that can never save us,  and we trust in his righteousness whose works in life and death  enabled him to rise again, because he was sinless. the eternal son, and the eternal word God became incarnate and to save us from our sin and give us new life in him, 

We are born again through repenting of our sins casting down our sinful lives at his cross  and trusting him as our Lord and saviour, because he is God who laid down his life as we saw last time. 

By the way  the writer is writing to Jews, some who had become Christians, but many who  had not quite made the step into faith in Christ and he was persuading thereabout Jesus Christ from the OT  Scriptures they knew. 

1 Peter 1v23 NIV

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God

Notice how Peter also starts his sentence with the word FOR, because he is continuing his talk about trusting in Jesus Christ being separate from the world while in it, and becoming Holy. I used the NIV because the verse  stands out as one short sentence and is not spread out over a few verses.

This verse is about our status as born again believers having rested from our own works that can never save us but in Jesus Christ the imperishable incorruptible word

Lets now go to Galatians 2v20

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

 We live by the Spirit that came into us when we were born again  so we crucified our fleshy desires and let the Holy Spirit who is God guide our lives honouring the Father and the Son who sent him (John14-16)

Although as believers we are dead to sin officially we are by default sinners living in a sinful world that is why we are to die to ourselves and abide in him the word of God,  Jesus and Scripture the written word, which is everything he wants to say to us, Gods will,  the terms and conditions of life!

We saw last time that Jesus is eternally the word and that he’s God you can also see that in Hebrews 13v8 and Luke 21v33, he is eternal his word never ceases

But also Scripture testifies that as well as being the person of the Son  it is also  the written word of God what we call the Logos But the Word of God, like Jesus is living and active, the Rhema word, all powerful, creative (as we saw in Genesis 1) its a powerful word that keeps and sustains all of creation. The universe and ourselves. 

It can heal deliver and transform us

If ever you want to hear what God is saying read the word of God, the Bible. If you want to hear him audibly read it out loud!

It doesn’t mean that you are God, it means that his word carries the power to transform and convict you and those around you. 

As we read, it also reads us, as it was written ultimately by the Holy Spirit who moved and inspired all its writers over many years. Its supernatural. 

This is what these two verses in Hebrews 4 are about

God knows absolutely everything about us inside out, better than we know ourselves

If you ever try to convince yourself you’re a good person, and in our pride we often do, read the 10 commandments Exodus 20

Worst still if we hear a pastor or supposed Bible teacher or preacher telling us we are all basically good, stop listening because they didn’t get that message from the bible, they certainly didn’t hear from God, its not in his word, he never lies, no-one is good not one! That’s why we need a saviour!

Whenever we hear what we think is God check it with scripture he will never contradict his word.

So Let’s focus on Hebrews 4v12,13 a little more. 

The word of God is living and active

There’s nothing laid back or relaxed about it, no apathy or indifference, no its constant , always moving, always fresh, every time we read it it says something new or different or takes us deeper into it, its loaded with fresh manna, food to chew on and meditate on , new revelation in the knowledge of him, our lord and saviour and what it means for us! It deepens our joy in his salvation, and enables and challenges us to trust him more. 

Its also fresh because we are meant to share it, give it out, especially the gospel message we are commissioned with, the word is meant to strengthen our testimony and keep it up to date and as lively as it was when we first came to Christ! That’s partly why we must feed on it 

Don’t you love it when you put a new mint sweet or chewing gum in your mouth? It cools and freshens your mouth straight away like toothpaste does when you clean your teeth

The word of God is to be fresh in our mouths and again especially the gospel and our testimonies because it has to be appealing enough to captivate others. The word has to be fresh in our minds and hearts, thats why we should read at least a little daily! So we have at something to chew on or think about. 

Obviously you wouldn’t take that sweet or chewing gum out of your mouth and give it someone, because its not hygienic and because you’ve chewed or sucked all the freshness and life out of it, that was unique for you, no they need a fresh mint or a fresh word so they can appreciate the goodness you found in Christ. 

If its in you, its meant to come out! That’s the word not the food, when someone spits its because they’ve tasted something they don’t like! Some people don’t like the truth they only

So we should freshen ourselves the word daily like having a wash or cleaning our teeth

Our testimonies and gratitude to God should never run dry If we feed on Gods word. We should never let our reading become a chore or a religious habit. We should feed on it with the same hunger we have for 2 to 3 meals a day! And a few snacks in between won’t run-in your appetite!

Joshua 1v6-9

6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Feed on Gods word meditate on it that is chew on it think about it what does it say what does it mean  historically and how do I apply it to my life?  How does it or how can I make this word relate to my life and attitude and work and my day here and now? Let it motivate you, examine yourself with the word, take up your cross daily following him, the living and active word, Jesus Christ! 

Larger Than Life 

JOHN 1v1-5 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it

We see in the first verse that God has a plurality, the person who is the Word is not the father God, even though he always existed with the father

He is a separate person, as is the Holy Spirit and the father, but they are one in essence and being. They are all separate persons but they share the one being God, they are triune but are united in purpose

John was using Greek terminology to describe not only the spoken word and living word Logos and Rhema but also the unspoken word  still in the mind Reason

It’s The ultimate rational mind that governs all things which to the Jews was God the father but in his description of the word John  is making clear the distinction that the son or the word is not the father they knew as YHWH, even though the Jews  were familiar with his plurality from the OT Genesis 1v26

John was also appealing to the Gentiles - that is non jews which included Greeks Romans Egyptians Syrians from the surrounding nations

Romans Greeks and other nations had many gods small g in 1st century Middle East. Israel was being governed by the Romans 

Greek was the prominent language after Alexander the Great while latin had grown with the expanse of the Roman Empire  but in Israel Hebrew, greek and Aramaic were commonly spoken languages

Jesus and the apostles spoke these languages so it made sense for them to communicate and write the New Testament gospels and epistles in Greek 

Although Greeks loved poetry and mythical stories they were also very interested in hearing new teachings and philosophies

In John 12 he tells us about some Greeks who wanted to meet Jesus who then knew that the time of his sacrifice for the sins of the world was fast approaching

Because Jesus isn’t just another truth, or another way fo life his is The way, the truth and the life, he is God

The first century is very much like today, there’s nothing new under the sun 

There’s lots of people groups organisations religions and cults claiming exclusive revelations and to be the way to godhood, heaven, nirvana etc 

Here in John 1v1 we have the first of many bold statements that the word is an eternal person who is equally God with the father and the Holy Spirit 

The word has a distinct purpose that was spoken of in 

ISAIAH 55v10,11

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

    and do not return there but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

    it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

We see in the NT that Jesus did accomplish all he set out to do as the eternal son who became incarnate as Jesus Christ and is still doing so, building his church as promised in the OT. We don’t “go to church” we are the church if you are born again having repented of sin , making him lord of your lives as disciples.

Jesus the messiah (or Christ in greek) is the one like a son of man of Daniel 7 promised through the OT he isn’t the son of a man he’s God son who eternally existed but became flesh and therefore looked like the son of a man, but he has two natures fully man and fully god, he was willing to take on flesh and also lay it down as the perfect sacrifice because he alone was sinless

JOHN 1v14 See also ISAIAH 7v14 and 9v6,7 about the promise

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John recalling Jesus words and his signs or miracles shows throughout his gospel that he was claiming to be God  but also emphasised to the Jews that he is  the son , not the father they were familiar with , and that they worked together as one dependent on each other and glorifying each other

What about you? Does the work you do or the words you say glorify God? We glorify God by doing our best for him and for our neighbour. Do you put God and others before yourself? 

Have you ever caught your thoughts going astray where they shouldn’t or stopped yourself saying something you shouldn’t that is faithless or undermines another person? If you have thats good, a sign of a God consciousness. Always engage your brain  and your heart before you say something and if you still fumble with the words and make a mistake you can still apologise or say what you meant and ask forgiveness if it was the wrong thing to say. Be tactful.

Saying less is better than saying too much

Peter the apostle often made blunders during Jesus ministry, he was full of zeal and enthusiasm and said things that sounded noble and devoted, but came out as too religious or lacked focus and were misguided. On the mount of transfiguration, (Matthew 17) he James and John were confronted in a cloud by the Father saying “this is my beloved son listen to him!” 

Johns gospel is clear that we are to abide in Jesus Christ, believing according to the amplified Bible is adhering to trusting and relying upon him fully, there’s nothing religious about it, its true relationship, if we love him and obeying we are also loving the the father, they re one. In being and purpose!

Jesus  christ is the word, the very word that created the universe and us so we are to listen to what he says and obey! Be faithful full of faith in him in every circumstance and situation, don’t try to do it on your own  or earn his favour, Jesus has already paid the price, we earn god favour by trusting in the righteousness and the penalty Jesus paid in dying on the cross  for your sin!

Listen to what he says he is the bread of life 6v35 the light of the world  8v12 the good shepherd 10v11 the resurrection and the life 11v25 the way the truth and the life 14v6 

In his epistle John says this 1 John 5v11,12

And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

In John 6 many disciples walked away from Jesus they though he was going too far in his teaching and was expecting too much of them

Jesus is looking for true disciples not false converts, he wants crew not passengers he doesn’t want fair-weather friends but those whop fully trust and are committed to him who listen and obey like the first apostles who went to their deaths spreading this gospel, they only had word of mouth - the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony, we have that and Scripture we are privileged and have no excuse JOHN 6v60-69

Back to JOHN 1v2,3 Jesus is the Word of God who was in the beginning before creation taking us back to Genesis 1

Nothing was made without the word being spoken he has creative power 

One of the descriptions of God in English Dictionaries  has been  - “one who must be worshipped as having supernatural ability” he created from nothing but his words

JOHN 1v4,5 

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

His words are spirit and life I urge you to read Genesis 1 and see all the array of wonderful creation he made as the word! All the creatures were created fully formed ready to produce after their kind no evolution needed just the need to multiply and be fruitful with the seeds of life within themselves to go on and on to this day. We were made by a spoken and nw written word, LOGOs and the RHEMA word which is living and active/

GENESIS 1v3 says  the first creative words spoken by the word were “let there be light”  and there was light and god separated the light from the darkness, but even darkness is light to God because nothing is hidden whatever you get up to in the dark, whatever no-one else sees God does see, light also dispels darkness in the natural and exposes it in the spiritual world,. That’s why we are to be children of light! 

This brings us to our last scripture and a personal favourite HEBREWS 4v12, 13

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

God bless. Eric