World Religions. Only in the Bible

 Jesus and the world religions.

Only in the Bible will you find an almighty God who loves you from His heart.

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 1 Jn 4:16 NIV

The God in the Koran is Creator and Judge, but in the Islamic scriptures there is no Father God.

And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 
For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. Lk 12:29–30 NIV

Only in the Bible will you find an almighty God who loves all people.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jn 3:16 NIV

This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, 
who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
Only in the Bible will you find an almighty God who loves his enemies. 1 Tim 2:3–4 NIV

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. Lk 23:34 NIV

This is what Jesus prayed when he was hanging on the cross and dying.

For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Rom  5:10 NIV

Only in the Bible do we find an eternal, almighty Father God who sacrifices his eternal Son to pay our debt so that we may have eternal heavenly life through repentance and faith.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23 NIV

Repentance and Mercy

 There are Christians who want to think positively, but their thinking is not Christian.
Someone is involved in porn and they are trying to think positively.

‘God is merciful. I am saved by God's grace alone. Jesus promised never to condemn me. I can stay in my filth, but I expect a heavenly future.’

What does the Bible say about this?

Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites,

thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Cor 6:9–10 NRSV

Jesus and Paul were extremely positive.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jn 3:16 NIV

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Rom 5:1 NIV

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Rom 8:1 NIV

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? Rom 8:31 NASB95

But Jesus did not come to comfort us in sin and misery, but to save us from sin and misery.

Did Jesus view sinners negatively? Not at all.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Mt 11:28 NASB95

Prostitutes are also stressed and often traumatised. All troubled women and men are invited without reservation. Jesus also loves Nazis and human traffickers.

Jesus sees wonderful potential in every person.

“For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Lk 7:47 NASB95

Jesus cast hundreds of devils out of a wild demonised man. He immediately became an evangelist.

Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.

He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!”

For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” Mk 5:5–8 NIV

Immediately the poor man was set free and became completely normal.

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him.
Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. Mk 5:18–20 NIV

God's Amazing Protection in Wartime

 1944 was a terrible time in Germany. The war was as good as lost, but the Nazis were still in power. British and American air raids became more and more intense. Day and night, thousands and thousands of civilians lost their lives.

During this traumatic time, a German preacher, Hermann Zaiss, lived in Solingen, a neighbourhood in Wuppertal. He had suffered a lot in his life.

He was a prisoner of war for 4 years during the First World War.  Then he served as an evangelist in Germany, but he was persecuted by the Christians because he was a Pentecostal. Then his wife became mentally ill, chronically psychotic.

His heart was broken. He could no longer bear it. He decided to turn away from God. He still believed, but he told God he wanted nothing more to do with him.

“I told God: ‘If you are alive and have an interest in me and your love for me is so great, then come and get me again after 20 years!’”

He divorced his mentally ill wife, became very successful as an entrepreneur and remarried.

Then came the terrible bombing raids in Germany. Everyone was gripped by panic and despair.

As early as 1939, his wife Clara had found her way to God through prayer for her seriously ill daughter. God had healed her daughter and she begged her husband again and again to resume his ministry and help the suffering people.

On 22 July 1944, exactly 20 years after turning away from God, Hermann and Clara knelt down in the bombed-out Protestant church in Ohligs and prayed: ‘Lord, if you want us back, here we are.’ He received a clear commission from God to preach the gospel boldly and with power.

Schneider, Peter. Lame dancing under the pulpit: signs and wonders in the church services of Hermann Zaiss (German Edition) . Asaph Publishing House. Kindle Edition.

Hermann started a house group and God blessed this small beginning. Many desperate neighbours sought Gods help.

The meetings grew larger. They prayed together and trusted God to protect them from the bombs.

In November 1944, Solingen was bombed and thousands lost their lives. Then Hermann Zaiss heard on the radio that the bombers were on their way to his neighbourhood in Ohligs. He went into the garden and prayed for protection and peace.

Shortly afterwards, he heard again on the radio that the bombers had turned away for no apparent reason.

There were also faithful Christians on the British side who prayed for protection.

Colonel Whittlesey was the commander of a British regiment in the Second World War. He was a Christian. He ordered his soldiers to recite Psalm 91 every day. The regiment was in fierce fighting for five years and not a single man was killed.

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. Ps 91:7 NIV

If God protected many German civilians from bomb attacks during the war and also saved British soldiers, you can be sure that He can also help you during this time and wants to save you.

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.

For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. Ps 91:1–3 NLT

God Transforms your Past

 Not only Jesus himself, but also John the Baptist lived a holy life from an early age.

When the priest Zechariah was serving in the temple, he was visited by an angel who announced the birth of John the Baptist.

... he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 

He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. Lk 1:15–16 NIV 

If you have lived close to God from an early age, you can praise and thank God for that, but that is not my story.

But God has planned my life. He has also woven the failures and missteps of my childhood and youth into his plan for my Christian life. That's his way of doing things.

Milly Bennitt's parents were deeply committed Christians, but she was a rebellious party girl.

When she was about twenty years old, her father was dying. She came home to say goodbye. Then God miraculously answered her parents' prayers.

As her father passed on to the next life, he raised his arms and his face shone with the glory of God. Milly was deeply touched and became a believer.

She fell in love with Jesus, but Milly still had no time for rigid religious conformity.

She often sat in the garden, smoked a cigarette and had loving conversations with Jesus. One day Jesus said to her, ‘You don't need those cigarettes anymore,’ and she was able to give up smoking without much difficulty.

She loved Jesus with all her heart, but she was not a conventional young Christian. She was passionate about driving her sports car, but she was much more excited about heavenly visitations and miracles.

God had a plan for this party girl. He sent her as a missionary to a tourist island in Thailand where there was no church and no mission.

She didn't plant a church. She was just friendly. As a former party girl, it was not difficult for her to make friends with all kinds of people, whether Muslims, Buddhists or secular tourists.

Her mission was so successful that Muslims became Christians. Then she was harshly persecuted by strict Muslims. They wanted to murder her. One day she was ambushed. She stared death in the eye, but instantly became invisible.

Is that biblical? Yes, it is.

When Jesus preached in his hometown, he was cruelly rejected.

All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this.

They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff.
But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. Lk 4:28–30 NIV

I once went to an excellent Christian conference where the senior pastor was converted in prison and the outstanding guest preacher had been a gangster and a pimp.  

A very sinful woman was devoted to Jesus. How did He respond?

Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Lk 7:47–48 NIV

Does your past still trouble you in some way? 

 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Ps 147:3 NIV

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Rom 8:28 NIV