About Ramadan
30-Days of Prayer Booklet 2009:
Ramadan 2009 / 1430 – The Muslim Month of Fasting
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. It is during this month that Muslims observe the Fast of Ramadan. Dates for Ramadan 2009 (or 1430) are 22 August – 20 September.
Coinciding with Ramadan, we produce a booklet for the Christian world called, “30-Days of Prayer for the Muslim world” (which can be ordered here ).
The first evening of Ramadan
In many places around the world Muslims will be looking to the heavens this evening. They will be interested in knowing if they will be able to see the crescent moon. If it is visible this will be the signal for the beginning of the month of Ramadan. (In most countries religious authorities will make a proclamation concerning the beginning of Ramadan). No fasting will take place till tomorrow morning. Muslims will rise early to eat their breakfast before the day begins. Afterwards they will not have anything else to eat or drink till nightfall. This will be their daily experience during the next 30 days.
Fasting – Ramazan
Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of the religion of Islam and one of the highest forms of Islamic worship. Abstinence from earthly pleasures and curbing evil intentions and desires is regarded as an act of obedience and submission to God as well as an atonement for sins, errors, and mistakes. Called Ramadan (or Ramazan), Muslims fast during this holy month from the moment when it first starts to get light until sunset. Muslims fast as an act of faith and worship towards Allah, seeking to suppress their desires and increase their spiritual piety. Fasting together as a worldwide community – Ummah – affirms the brotherhood and equality of man before Allah.
Islamic Calendar
The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle. The month of Ramadan is the ninth month and begins with a combination of the sighting of the new moon and astronomical calculations. The exact time of Ramadan sometimes varies from place to place as some rely heavily on the moon sightings while others depend on science. An Imam (Muslim holy man) will declare the exact time of Ramadan just prior to its commencement. The fasting period ends upon the sighting of the next new moon, which occurs after 29 or 30 days.
The lunar cycle changes each year. For example, this year Ramadan will be 22 August-20 September, but last year the dates for Ramadan were 01-30 September. (See our Islamic Calendar article for details .)
The Meaning of Ramadan
The name Ramadan is derived from the Arabic word ramida or ar-ramad, denoting intense scorching heat and dryness, especially the ground. From the same word there is ramdaa, meaning ’sunbaked sand’ and the famous proverb Kal Mustajeer minar ramadaa binnar – to jump out of the frying pan into the fire. Some say it is so called because Ramadan scorches out the sins with good deeds, as the sun burns the ground.
The Special Feeling of Ramadan
Ramadan brings out a special feeling of emotional excitement and religious zeal among Muslims of all ages. Though fasting is mandatory only for adults, children as young as eight willingly observe fasting with their elders. Children look forward to the excitement of sighting the moon and eating special meals with their families. Adults appreciate the opportunity to double their rewards from God and seek forgiveness for past sins. As Ramadan emphasizes Muslim brotherhood and community all feel a particular closeness.
Muslims have to change their whole physical and emotional selves during this 30 long days of fasting. A typical day of fasting begins with getting up early, around 4:30a.m. and sharing a meal called Sahur together before the fast begins at dawn, about 5:10a.m. As dawn breaks, the first of five daily prayers, Fajr, is offered.
As the day proceeds, fasting Muslims are constantly bombarded with messages from their stomachs that it is time for breakfast, snack, lunch, and so on. And each time, Muslims remind themselves that they are fasting for the sole purpose of pleasing Allah and seeking his mercy. They offer the second and third prayers during early and late afternoon, respectively.
Fasting helps one to experience how a hungry person feels and what it is like to have an empty stomach. It teaches one to share the sufferings of the less fortunate. Muslims believe that fasting leads one to appreciate the bounties of Allah, which are usually taken for granted – until they are missed!
Throughout the day Muslims are encouraged to go out of their way to help the needy, both financially and emotionally. Some believe that a reward earned during this month is multiplied 70 times and more. For this reason, Ramadan is also known as the month of charity and generosity.
To a Muslim, fasting not only means abstaining from food, but also refraining from all vice and evils committed consciously or unconsciously. It is believed that if one volunteers to refrain from lawful foods and sex, they will be in a better position to avoid unlawful things and acts during the rest of the year.
Breaking The Daily Fast During Ramadan
The fast is broken at sunset. The Prophet Muhammad recommended breaking the fast with dates. Muslims are urged to invite others to break the fast with them. These gatherings are called Iftar parties.
Just after breaking the fast, and before dinner, Muslims offer the fourth of the five daily prayers, which is called the Maghrib prayer. After dinner, Muslims go to their houses of worship, called Mosques, to offer the Isha prayer, which is the last of the five daily prayers. The day ends with a special voluntary prayer, the Taraweeh, offered by the congregation reciting the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam.
The Last 10 Days of Ramadan
The last ten days of Ramadan are considered highly blessed, especially the 27th night which is also called the ‘Night of Power’, or the ‘Night of Destiny’. It is believed that on this night the prophet Muhammad received the first revelation of the Qur’an. For many Muslims, this period is marked by a heightened spiritual intensity and they may spend these nights praying and reciting the Qur’an.
After 30 days of fasting, the end of the month of Ramadan is observed with a day of celebration, called Eid-ul-Fitr. On this day, Muslims gather in one place to offer a prayer of thanks. It is traditional to wear new clothes, visit friends and relatives, exchange gifts, eat delicious dishes prepared for this occasion, and wait patiently for the next year.
What the Bible Says About Fasting
In the Bible, we do not find any one method of fasting required of us, but the Lord Jesus did say however, “when you fast…” (Matthew 6:16), seeming to assume that His followers would imitate His own example. We fast as an outward symbol of our devotion to God, being willing to deny ourselves food for His sake. Fasting adds intensity to our prayer, and often leads to breakthroughs. We do not fast to convince or persuade Him, but rather to identify with His broken heart and with His desire for all mankind to know Him. “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free and that you break every yoke. Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out.” (Isaiah 58:6 &7)
You can order our new prayer booklet coinciding with Ramadan here …>>
We also have a special version “Just for Kids” and families:
Just for Kids 2009 edition
kak i give up lets stop “fighting”
if you know what i mean–you believe in Christ and ill believe in Allah hopefully we will meet each other in paradise.
I LOVE YOU KAK but i still believe in Allah………always and forever
OK, but I will be praying for you that God will touch your heart and you will discover the amazing love given to God’s children that is only through Christ. This is not about me being right and you being wrong, it is about the perfect love that God has for us that He gave to us through the gift of Himself, Christ!
Grace to you and peace through Jesus Christ, the Lord!!!
Hello, I am a Christian and I am curious as to why the Muslims fast as a group. This article quoted Matthew 6 however it goes on to say “But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”(Matthew 6:17-18). When fasting as a group it becomes obvious to eachother, and to the world when it comes to Ramadan, that you are fasting. So Im just curious if there is a reference to promote fasting in this manner.
hek yea Kak ill 4give you…No big deal:) i was just like heyy whats going on??? but i thought it was you..its like your “voice” if you know what i mean by that and to jhonny i dont know that much, im still young and there are things that are kept from me(anyone whos wondering im 16) but i do know that when i fasti do it out of love for Allah…it makes me feel good..as for the oil..no clue
Eos, I do not tell where I live online. That is not even important, what is important to me is the hope that I have in Christ. The time difference can be accounted for by the fact that I do not always have time to write, but I write when I can pray, read God’s word, and spend time understanding the answer to different topics that have arisen so far in our conversations.
You see, I do not write to you out of haste, superior knowledge, or sly arguments. Instead, I desire to take the time to talk to you so that I can bring glory to God in my answers and write what He would have me to write, as found in the Bible, not what sounds good to me at the moment.
I thank you for saying that you have forgiven me for the mistake I made and that you really do love me instead of hating me, just like we should. However, I cannot be truly sure that you do forgive me unless you show it to me through actions.
show it to you how?? by believing in Christ??? what actions kak ??? i hate it when i hurt people or accuse people of doing something…. i forgave you, you accepted it and i waited for you to do it and FYI i wasnt asking for your street adress so relax….sorry i was curious
“You see, I do not write to you out of haste, superior knowledge, or sly arguments. Instead, I desire to take the time to talk to you so that I can bring glory to God in my answers and write what He would have me to write……….and spend time understanding the answer to different topics that have arisen so far in our conversations. ”
Ditto
Oh Eos, the reason that I said that I would not be sure that you forgive me unless you show me through your actions was to try to demonstrate what God did when He sent Christ to us. I know that it is/ was a poor example, but that I was only trying to help you see why God would ever come in the form of a humble person and use that as the only way to really get to know Him. You see, Christ did not necessarily HAVE to come, but God, being great in mercy sent Jesus (a part of Himself) to the world so that we would see how great the Father’s love for us truly is!
God gave us proof of His love for us in Christ. Because of this, His children can truly know what it is to love and be loved. However, there is a sad thing that happens all of the time, we “Christians” do not love with the same love that Christ had for us when He served the people around Him and eventually humbled Himself to the point of death. Philippians 2:4-11 says:
4.Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5.Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6.Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7.but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8.And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death–
9.Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
10.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.
You see, God humbled His holy self so that he could serve others- this He did as an example and as a payment for the evil sins that we have committed.
Now, again here we are at the idea of forgiveness. God came in the form of a man so that He could show us the Way and show us how great His love for us really is. In 1 John 4:9-11 it says:
9.This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
10.This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
11.Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Now, I desire to talk about how when the scriptures talk about Jesus being the “Son of God” and why it does not just say that Jesus is indeed God if that is true, but I would first like to ask you these questions:
Is God holy enough that He can Love Himself above all things and still not be sinning because He is God?
I hope we agree on this one.
I understand that you were not trying to invade my privacy with your question, I just do not think it wise to answer. Not out of fear that you are not my friend, but because I have been told many times that it is not wise. So, that is my answer.
Assalamu’alaikum Wr,Wb
Ramadhan mubarak to you and your family, may Allah accept your fasting ibadah , and all muslim ini your country
Is God holy enough that He can Love Himself above all things and still not be sinning because He is God?
can i say i dont know how to answer that??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB8fPJ6zds8
heyy watch this–its on you tube its about a new movie called Religulous
hey kak im not sure if u ever check back here anymore but just wanted to say heyy–miss out litle discussions..haha ; )
Eos, my friend!
I hope things are going well! I have been praying for you when I remember!
Forgive me, I have been busy. Have you met Christ?
And I miss the discussions too they helped me think. .. oh, and to answer your other question, I have not checked back here for awhile, until now.
KAK!!!
I’ve also been praying for you…not to change- i completely respect your beliefs..ivee been hoping they lead you to good wichever we believe is God, He will ALWAYS love us for our good deeds… and that day i put the message on Nov 11th was when i suddenly thought of you..i was feeling a bit down when i remembered something you said..cant recall what though…
no i still believe in Allah
Now, I desire to talk about how when the scriptures talk about Jesus being the “Son of God” and why it does not just say that Jesus is indeed God if that is true, but I would first like to ask you these questions:
Is God holy enough that He can Love Himself above all things and still not be sinning because He is God?
I hope we agree on this one.
we never finished this conversation
i got bored..so i was re-reading it
Oh, yes! I almost forgot about that! I wanted to hear what you had to say, but since you were unsure I will just say that God is God. No sin can be found in Him because He is perfect. There is no one like Him and all that He does is right even when we cannot understand why He does some of the things that He does. Do you agree? So, I would assert that God, being unable to sin, holy, amazing, beautiful, powerful, just, full of love…can and does love Himself and we should praise Him for that. You know, most of the Bible is focused on praising God and Psalm 150 is a wonderful example of praise. If He did not love Himself a lot, why would he want us to praise Him?
That must be what makes it so hard to believe that God, being so amazing, could come to earth, still being God but in the form of a man (Philippians 2:6-11). Because I think that we would also both agree that we are below God, we should also both agree that although it is NOT impossible, it sounds stupid for God to become like man so that He could die and then “break the chains of death and Hell” so that the sin of any who would believe that Jesus is the Christ could live with Him forever without suffering Hell (the punishment that all sinful beings deserve).
Sounds crazy, but that’s what God’s love for us is, crazy. He, being holy and perfect and sinless, came to the earth (and was still holy and perfect and sinless) and died in the place of those who He has had mercy on because they believed in his Son. Yes, it’s hard to “swallow” at times because it actually sounds too good to be true, but the life of Jesus screams to the people who see it that He is God and He did love the world (way more than just human love) and He died and rose again!
Now, before I really move on any further and get into exactly why He (Jesus, the Messiah) is indeed God, I must ask you another question: What do we deserve for our sin, like what is the payment that we deserve? Or, to word it differently, if sinning is kind of like our job here on earth… and God is perfect and wonderful, then what do we deserve for our sin? Surely we cannot just have the occupation of sin here on earth and then when we get to heaven be ok when we see this completely merciful, wrathful (against people who oppose Him), powerful, just, right, holy God.
To Kak: I can finnaly answer your question now.
What do we deserve for our sin, like what is the payment that we deserve? Or, to word it differently, if sinning is kind of like our job here on earth… and God is perfect and wonderful, then what do we deserve for our sin? Surely we cannot just have the occupation of sin here on earth and then when we get to heaven be ok when we see this completely merciful, wrathful (against people who oppose Him), powerful, just, right, holy God.
Theres this story, about Muhhamed (peace be upon him) and his friends. They were out in the city one day when they saw a woman becoming frantic, searching for something. They soon realized that it was a mother searching for her lost child. The moment she had found him she took him in her arms and held him there, showering him with kisses and affection. So Muhhamed turned to those around him and said “Could you ever imagine that mother burning her child?” The reply was “No.” He went on with “Imagine the mercy of that mother to her child. Now imagine that mercy multiplied infinitly. The mercy of Allah is even stronger than that!”
So then Kak, the child strayed from its mother. He made a mistake? So should she punish him? It was unintentional, he did not mean to cause her stress, but in his curiosity he brought chaos. God wont punish you as long as you come back to Him and call out to ONLY Him. Only to Allah. He would have accepted even Pharoah, a disbeliever who thought he himself was god, only if Pharoah would have called out …
That is the mercy of God. And NO! We were NOT put here to sin. Earth, is a filter per se. God put us here as a test, to see who the good and bad were. And yes we all do good and bad. But the “best” are the ones who follow God. Do you see now? He will always forgive us. Long as we ask.
oh kak… i dont know were to start. what IS your religion .. christainity, but what offshoot??
– we should also both agree that although it is NOT impossible, it sounds stupid for God to become like man so that He could die and then “break the chains of death and Hell” so that the sin of any who would believe that Jesus is the Christ could live with Him forever without suffering Hell (the punishment that all sinful beings deserve).–
i understand God’s love for us but i do NOT believe that 1- God came to earth or 2-Jesus was the son of God. God SHOULD NOT have to sacrifice himself for us. Jesus was a prophet hust like Muhhammed and Abraham and all the others. Jesus sacrificed himself FOR God, for HIS own love of God and love for his people. Jesus modeled himself after God and what he thought that the rest of the people should be, and to prove to people that God does exist he went so far, that in the end he was crucified. In turn God may or may not have ressurected him. didnt it say that he went up to heaven to be with his “Father”….isnt God the “father” of us all. He created everyone and everything so maybe it ment that Jesus went to heaven to be with his creator ..and wasnt exactly ressurected in flesh and blood…im not sure if you understand but i dont want to get too in depth because i myself dont understand..
What do we deserve for our sin, like what is the payment that we deserve? Or, to word it differently, if sinning is kind of like our job here on earth… and God is perfect and wonderful, then what do we deserve for our sin? Surely we cannot just have the occupation of sin here on earth and then when we get to heaven be ok when we see this completely merciful, wrathful (against people who oppose Him), powerful, just, right, holy God.
in the Quran it says that we are punished for our sins and rewarded for our good deeds. not everyone will STAY in hell forever. some people stay in The Heights until they see that they almost slipped up and went to hell. sinning isnt our job here on earth our job is…well our job is to ….do good??? …to surrrender ourselves to Allah ..and the way of Allah, to be Muslim. Surely Jesus wouldnt only count your sins, but also your good deeds, doesnt light ALWAYS prevail over darkness?? im not trying to say you’re wrong, i just want to compare our religions, in the end its all the same…isnt it??? even if we did believe in the “wrong” religion wouldnt God reward us for being good?
oh and something completely random popped into my head
what if you died and went to heaven, and in heaven you met God, what if..what if he sneezed??? what would you say?? God bless you?
What do we deserve for our sin, like what is the payment that we deserve? Or, to word it differently, if sinning is kind of like our job here on earth… and God is perfect and wonderful, then what do we deserve for our sin?
or do you mean that we dont deserve heaven or to see God because we sin???
Oh dear Kak i dont know if you have any hobbies or what it is you do as your career but one of mine is drawing. i love to draw, sketch, paint everything. I would never create anything unless i thought it to be beautiful, and if i mess up along the way i erase and start over. mistakes are natural. Davinci, picasso, einstein all have been the little bits of light shining through, they found their niche and developed it further, worked for it harder, trying to perfect it. there is a reason we are here. God wouldnt have created us if he didnt think we were perfect, though it may sound dumb to say maybe we are perfect –in Gods eyes. He cant make mistakes, He would never create something that He thought did not deserve to be…..and did not deserve to be forgiven….i think something troubles you???
My dear friend Eos,
What kind of a Christian am I? I am the kind that loves God, who has been so ridiculously kind to me that he would even die for me… even though He is perfect and deserves all of our admiration. I am the kind who follows Jesus because, yes, He did claim to be God and He proved Himself over and over! I am the kind of Christian that loves to read the scriptures (the Bible) because it is inspired by God and it speaks to me… I do not know how else to explain the truth I find while reading the Bible. I want to be able to say with the apostle Paul, “I just want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection.”
I want to know God and worship Him, and how He has revealed Himself to us. Not because I am great, but because “He demonstrates His own love toward us in this; that while we were still sinners, Christ died for the ungodly.” I believe that if you look back to my other posts, I actually did explain more about exactly how Jesus did all but say the words in the sequence of “I am God.” So I do not feel the need to kill the dead animal again, you just need to understand what I was telling you (and what Jesus was saying) all along.
You are an artist? So am I, but we are not like God in all respects. I don’t know about you, but I am not sovereign, nor am I always loving, or always merciful or perfect… God is perfect. He has a plan in all things. Although there is a sense of His allowance of different things that seem disastrous at the time, but in the end those same “disasters” that He allowed end up showing God’s glorious power and greatness! As I said, I don’t know how these things exactly work, but we were made in God’s image, it is a sad day when we start trying to make Him in our image as a finite being who “must have messed up” if we humans can’t understand something.
In fact, my lack of understanding of how God, being perfect, could allow Adam and Eve to sin that first time causes me to be so much more amazed by Him. Or how He then would come and save us from that state that He allowed us to fall to.
What Jesus did at the cross was a super amazing demonstration of God’s mercy and His desire to be in relation to His creation, fallen as we are. Again, I can’t explain these things beyond what I am saying now because my brain is like a small bottle in the ocean that can only be filled with as much as I can hold, but I am tiny.
And no, nothing troubles me except the souls of those who cry out against God, the One who created the earth, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5). The one who brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, “Now I want to remind you, although you once fully new it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.” (James v. 5). That same God that I have just explained was also the one who came to earth to show His love, “Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, ‘Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.’ But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.’ And he said, ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (which means God with us). He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kinds you dread will be deserted. The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father’s house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah-the king of Assyria.” (Isaiah 7:10-17, the rest in-between is important too) and again, “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this” (Isaiah 9:6 and 7).
What an amazing, unexplainable God He is! There is none like Him and no one to completely understand His ways, but what I do know is that Jesus is one and the same, nothing else could even begin to explain why talked like He did, why He walked on water, why He was perfect, how He could have so much love, and why I can pray to Him and He answers me still today. Oh, and not forgetting that He did indeed claim to be God.
I will leave you with some more kind of philosophical questions since you do not begin with the assumption that the Bible is God’s word…
What if you are wrong about your idea about how God views humans? What if you are missing the mark and at the end you realize that God really did send Jesus, a part of Himself, so that your sin could be like you did not sin and so that God could then accept you. What if you realize after you die that God’s mercy was actually found in Christ’s death and resurrection, that anyone who believes in Him (Jesus as their savior) are the ones who will “not perish, but have everlasting life?” (John 3:16)
*You are an artist? So am I, but we are not like God in all respects. I don’t know about you, but I am not sovereign, nor am I always loving, or always merciful or perfect… God is perfect.
Thats really great i love people who have a respect for art and yes the only one who is
perfect is Allah.
*What if you are wrong about your idea about how God views humans? What if you are missing the mark and at the end you realize that God really did send Jesus, a part of Himself, so that your sin could be like you did not sin and so that God could then accept you. What if you realize after you die that God’s mercy was actually found in Christ’s death and resurrection, that anyone who believes in Him (Jesus as their savior) are the ones who will “not perish, but have everlasting life?” (John 3:16)
i answered you two different ways the first time, kak you know i dont believe that Jesus is God…and i still dont understand you completely..here are three more then
Barry Lopez :
How is one to live a moral and compassionate existence when one is fully aware of the blood, the horror inherent in life, when one finds darkness not only in one’s culture but within oneself? If there is a stage at which an individual life becomes truly adult, it must be when one grasps the irony in its unfolding and accepts responsibility for a life lived in the midst of such paradox. One must live in the middle of contradiction, because if all contradiction were eliminated at once life would collapse. There are simply no answers to some of the great pressing questions. You continue to live them out, making your life a worthy expression of leaning into the light.
Some men see things as they are and say, “Why?” I dream of things that never were and say, “Why not?”
Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day.
*So I do not feel the need to kill the dead animal again, you just need to understand what I was telling you (and what Jesus was saying) all along.
Ouch
……. kak, when you start preaching i stop reading. you get so off topic sometimes that i dont understand you…..i dont understand
im sorry but i really dont know how to answer you
oh and not all the qoutes are not by barry lopez and neither 3 are by me, i just couldnt think of what to tell you, the other two i have no clue who they are by
yea and what if your wrong and Christ isnt God and Allah is???? sometimes you have to look at things both ways….you cant believe in every god you come across, find the one that you believe in the most…if u get wat im saying…many people convert and they have their reasons..just as those who dont
Kak??
heyy its been 2+ weeks..i dont know what happened sorry if i offended you but please answer.
Oh, no Eos, it was not because I was mad that I did not reply, but because I was busy. In fact, I will not reply to any more because of my schedule and the fact that I know that my silly arguments cannot change your heart, only the word of God (the Bible) and God’s work in your heart.
I will forever hold to the fact that Jesus is Lord of all and I will always be hoping and praying for you. May you find true peace and rest within your soul in Jesus the Messiah!
Love always through Jesus Christ, Kak
please read this:
oh…alright ill miss talking to you. i didnt really see them as arguments as much though, you were right when you said they make you think. aaahhh i think i just started crying… geez, i really liked talking to you. probably because no one else listens…or understands.
and i really do hope you ALWAYS remain at peace, not just on earth but in heaven also, where you belong, …you’ve been a great friend.
with MY love always and forever, Eos <3
its quite odd how someone you dont even know can have sich a strong impact on you
Quiet Emotions
by Judy Burnette
I always wanted more from you
than you were willing to give;
So now we’ve gone our separate ways
each with different lives to live.
The bond will always be there
the friendship always intact;
But the time for us has come and gone
and the pages of time, you can’t turn back.
I will always be a friend to you
and wonder how you are;
The smiles and laughter I will remember
and our fights have become painless scars.
Sometimes on those busy days
when you’ve a thousand things to do;
Please let me glide slowly through your mind
and spend some time with you.
In that quiet moment
when you’re surprised to find me there;
Just remember even with the distance between us
I am still someone who cares.
Hi Eos,
As someone reading your posts. I just wanted to say that I’m sorry your christian friend has stopped talking to you. Surely relationship is what is needed most between Christians and Muslims. You seem very thoughtful and spiritual. Did you find a new christian friend to discuss your ideas with? I hope so.
May God lead you in the straight path and reveal Himself to you.
Jane
Surely relationship is what is needed most between Christians and Muslims. … Jane you could not have said it better. I didnt realize thats what I was feeling. I guess its a subconcious thing. No I have not, but and I havent come back since now. Ive been re – reading things, and its amazing how your views change and how you learn new things so quickly. Thans for your concern
Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and the life and whoever believes in me will not perish but live forever”
Dear EOS, I was reading some of your comments with KAK, and they do sound thoughtful.
I believe in the God of the Bible and not Allah because from a personal relationship with God. He saved me, He cares for me, and He answers my prayers!!! So God is real!!
He knows every problem that I face in life and whats on my heart and even when Im not living my life right… and every time I have something thats worrying me I pray to my God and I feel His presence and HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO GIVES HOPE AND JOY
NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE OR THINK JUST COME TO JESUS HE WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE, He changed my life NOW I HAVE A POINT IN LIFE…
thanx and God bless u!
Is it Ramdan? I thought it is Ramzan.
it depends on which country you are from. Europeans use Ramazan/Ramzan, while Turkey/Middle East/ USA is Ramadan
This article was very insightful. I am looking at possibly doing full-time mission work in a Muslim country. It seems that Ramadan is an excellent way to connect to Muslims. The Bible talks a good deal about fasting. I am passionate about Christians being Christians in their own cultural context. For the Muslim who turns to Christ, the month of Ramadan can be a month of spiritual renewal and intimate devotion to God through Jesus Christ. Instead of fasting so that maybe God will save them, the Christian can celebrate Ramadan as a way of thanksgiving for what God did for them in Jesus Christ.
Adam, I think you are absolutely right. And as a full-timer myself, let me encourage you to go!
To Kak: I can finnaly answer your question now.
What do we deserve for our sin, like what is the payment that we deserve? Or, to word it differently, if sinning is kind of like our job here on earth… and God is perfect and wonderful, then what do we deserve for our sin? Surely we cannot just have the occupation of sin here on earth and then when we get to heaven be ok when we see this completely merciful, wrathful (against people who oppose Him), powerful, just, right, holy God.
Theres this story, about Muhhamed (peace be upon him) and his friends. They were out in the city one day when they saw a woman becoming frantic, searching for something. They soon realized that it was a mother searching for her lost child. The moment she had found him she took him in her arms and held him there, showering him with kisses and affection. So Muhhamed turned to those around him and said “Could you ever imagine that mother burning her child?” The reply was “No.” He went on with “Imagine the mercy of that mother to her child. Now imagine that mercy multiplied infinitly. The mercy of Allah is even stronger than that!”
So then Kak, the child strayed from its mother. He made a mistake? So should she punish him? It was unintentional, he did not mean to cause her stress, but in his curiosity he brought chaos. God wont punish you as long as you come back to Him and call out to ONLY Him. Only to Allah. He would have accepted even Pharoah, a disbeliever who thought he himself was god, only if Pharoah would have called out …
That is the mercy of God. And NO! We were NOT put here to sin. Earth, is a filter per se. God put us here as a test, to see who the good and bad were. And yes we all do good and bad. But the “best” are the ones who follow God. Do you see now? He will always forgive us. Long as we ask.