The Biblical Exodus occurred when the people Israel were enslaved in bondage to Egypt for 400+ years crying out for God to deliver them and so He did as it is written in Exodus 26:8 And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm,... exiting from a bad situation to the best solution, God himself; from self reliance to God dependent, from cruel slavery to freedom, from death unto life, from separation to relationship with God and from weakness to God's power.
So it was in my experience when I being a catholic came out by God's doing, it was from uncertainty to surety, from lies to the truth, from darkness to light, from works to freedom in faith. I asked the Lord to show me the truth, show me why I did not feel his presence in the beautiful catholic buildings, the mass and to find out who really was Jesus. The Lord did answer me by revealing His truth in the biblical scriptures within 2 Gospel Chick Tracts (This Was Your Life) and (Last Rites)...www.chick.com The Bible came alive and Jesus(Isa) was real and I needed to repent of my sins and be saved!
I bring before you the stark contrast of Islam and Christianity because I want muslims to see and believe the truth and have eternal life and enter into Heaven and be forgiven of their sins because of what Jesus(Isa) did for them on the cross 2000 years before; two very different beliefs BUT ONLY ONE IS RIGHT and ONE IS WRONG. One brings love and the other hate. One brings life and the other death. One brings forgiveness and the other murder. Thank you Chick Publications, Brother Mohammad Al Ghazoli and David Daniels for such a great reference to the comparison of Christianity and Islam in the book...Christ, Muhammad and I.... http://www.chick.com/catalog/books/1259.asp
Muhammad's Calling from God?
When Muhammad was getting revelation around 600+ A.D. to be a prophet of Allah listen to the documented reactions from the angel?? messenger to him by Muslim scholars.
Al-Halabi wrote: "Muhammad was afraid that the one who was bringing down the revelation to him was a demon, but Khadija(his 1st wife) assured him saying, Satan does not have any control on you."
Malek bin Nabi: "The prophet used to reveal his anxieties to his compassionate wife, and to complain to her that he was touched by insanity that was caused by some evil witchcraft; Khadija reassured him, saying, Allah will not confound you, but you will strengthen the weak."
Al-Suyuti recorded: "Muhammad was afraid that the one who was appearing to him in the desert was a demon, and he could not believe it was an angel of God, for this reason, he used to be clad with fear and terror; his body would tremble and his color would change. He would say to Khadija, I am afraid of the demons for my life, but she would reassure him, saying, you are not one who can be touched by the devil.
Not only was Muhammad having these reactions to the visits from the messenger but that angel or demon was not satisfied by just appearing and telling him the information but also attempted to squeeze his neck and choke him almost to death. When the angel?? came to him, he used to suffer a nervous attack and even passed out as in the following descriptions:
Ibn Ishaq said, "the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad) said, 'Gabriel' came to me and said, Read. I answered, I am not a reader. He choked me until I thought I was dying. Then he let go. He said again, Read. I said to him, I am not a reader. He choked me again until I thought I was dying. Then he let go. He said to me for the third time, Read. I said, What shall I read? He choked me until I thought I was dying, then he said, Read in the name of thy lord...
Al-Halabi recorded: "Whenever (parts of) the Quran came down upon Muhammad, he would pass out after he trembled and shuddered. His eyes closed and his face was dreary, and he would snore like a camel. Those things happened to him before the revelation came down upon him......At the time of the coming down of the revelation upon him, Muhammad's forehead would drip with sweat, even in cold days; and his eyes became red and wither like a drunk man. Muhammad used to say, 'Every time I received the revelation, I thought I was going to die'."
Do you see the fear in this man's reaction to these visitations and revelation? He was terrified as a dead man for his life! Would God force hurt on one of his prophets to do what he says or else? God forbid! Here is another fact:
Al-Halabi wrote: "Some interpreters mentioned that Muhammad had an enemy among the demons called the White, and he used to come to him in the form of 'Gabriel'."
This messenger from Allah to Muhammad was supposedly to be the angel Gabriel but let's see the real Gabriel in action.
He appeared unto Mary in Luke 1:28-30..."And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God."
I have to say that a demon or Satan himself seemed to be giving the revelations to Muhammad causing him to fear for his life with epileptic attacks and not the real 'Gabriel'. Gabriel brings blessing from God and reassurance to NOT FEAR. Let's see how this compares with Jesus's affirmation of His Ministry from God.
Jesus's Confirmation from God the Father and the Holy Spirit of His Ministry
When John the Baptist(who was a Prophet) was preaching in the wilderness of Judea he bear witness of the miracle God would show him when Jesus was baptized. Look who is present at Jesus's baptism?
Matthew 3:13-17..."Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
Mark 1:9-11..."And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
Luke 3:21-22..."Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased."
John 1:26-34..."John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
Wow! Did you see who was there? The Holy Trinity! God the Father spoke his voice from Heaven confirming Jesus is His Son and God the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and lighting upon him. This is true confirmation that God was pleased and confirmed the Ministry of His Son(God in the flesh) Jesus to give His message, the Gospel or Good News of Repentance just as the prophet John the Baptist was preaching.
Muhammad never preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins that God hates. He never had confirmation that God was with him in his beliefs or calling even in the beginning based on his own fear for his life, bodily attacks and demonic presence, yet in stark contrast, Jesus had God the Father and the Holy Spirit as a witness with the Prophet John the Baptist that He was indeed confirmed as HIS SON for all the people to see and hear and that he would be the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world as John the Baptist declared.
I want muslims to come to a saving knowledge of salvation as the truth is in Jesus(Isa), the Bible is His Word and enter into Heaven one day.
Part 2 would be next posting....stay tuned!
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