Is the Bible Really God's Word

There is no denying the fact that the Bible has had more of an impact upon the world throughout history than any other document, whether one believes what is says or not. A superficial examination of the scriptures might even make it seem like any other book, but it’s revelations are deep enough for adults to contemplate for a lifetime, yet shallow enough for a child to understand. Opponents have attacked it’s teachings, but it’s moral concepts have positively influenced cultures in every generation. Skeptics have viewed it as mythological, but archaeology has confirmed it’s accuracy. Some from the various fields of science have tried to refute it, but it’s truths are just as relevant today as when they were written. Despite all attempts to discredit, corrupt, or destroy it, the Bible has remained immutable and accurately preserved through the ages. Jesus Christ said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Mark 13:31).

The Bible consistently claims to be God’s word throughout the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT). It’s written in II Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is God breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness”. However, there must be evidence to take such extraordinary claims seriously. There should be supernatural characteristics that prove it is more than just an accurate historical document. The timeless unity of the writings, fulfilled prophecy, hidden substance, and transformative power all definitively confirm a transcendent source.

I. Timeless Unity

The scriptures were penned by over 40 different authors, on 3 different continents, in 3 different languages (the OT in Hebrew and Aramaic - the NT in Greek), over a period of about 1,500 years, with no contradictions and 1 perfect theme; the glory of God as manifested through His son Jesus Christ. Salvation is first mentioned in Genesis, developed by promises throughout the OT, fulfilled in the Gospels, explained in the epistles, and brought to completion in Revelation. To accomplish a task of such magnitude is beyond the invention and capabilities of mortal man, everything had to be organized and directed by a being who exists outside of time. It’s important to understand that God did not actually put pen to paper, but He inspired the human authors through His Holy Spirit to record without error His revelation to humanity utilizing each writer’s own style and personality; not because He had to, but because He chooses to have a relationship with His people.

II. Fulfilled Prophecy

Prophecy can be defined as the foretelling or prediction of events through a divinely inspired utterance. Only God knows the future because He has foreordained it and only He could divinely inspire the writers to record it. God declared, “I have also spoken by the prophets and have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets” (Amos 12:10). No other religious book or writing can compare to the perfect record of fulfilled prophecy from the Bible, and as a side-note, it would be wise to consider the prophecies recorded that are yet to be fulfilled because of that perfect record. Scholars estimate that approximately 27% of the Bible is prophetic. Biblical prophecy can be divided into 3 categories: prophecy regarding Israel / Judah, prophecy regarding nations or cities, and prophecy regarding the Messiah. Although there are 1,817 scriptures that are considered prophetic, in the effort to remain concise only a handful will be examined but each category covered.

Jeremiah prophesied to the people of Judah from 627 BC until it’s destruction in 586 BC. His 70-year prophecy was specifically given to the people about their future captivity, but also applied to the surrounding nations.

Jeremiah 25 verses 11-12 reads:

11 This whole land will become a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12 Then it will come to pass, when the seventy years are completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, says the Lord.

This prophecy is detailed and separated into 3 parts; the desolation of the land (Judah), the nations who would serve the king of Babylon for 70 years, and the punishment of Babylon afterwards. The domination of Babylon began in 609 BC when the last Assyrian king from the previous dynasty was captured until exactly 70 years later in 539 BC when the Babylonian Empire was “punished” and fell to the Medes and Persians, thus fulfilling that part of the prophecy. The conquest of Judah began in 605 BC when a 1st deportation occurred that included all those who possessed unique skills. A 2nd deportation occurred in 597 BC where King Jehoiachin and 10,000 more were taken to Babylon. Finally, in 586 BC, the rest of the population was removed in a 3rd deportation after the Babylonian army broke through the nation’s final defenses at Jerusalem and burned the city as well as the temple, which was the heart of national culture. The land of Judah remained “desolate” until Zerubbabel was given permission by King Cyrus II of the Persians to leave for Jerusalem with a group of captives to begin rebuilding the temple, and interestingly enough, it was in the year 535 BC which was also 70 years from the 1st deportation. Another interesting timeframe of 70 years can be calculated from the date when the first temple was destroyed in 586 BC, to the time that the second temple was completed and dedicated in 516 BC. The fact that each of the three events were important to God’s people and each transpired as a 70-year span is no coincidence.

Daniel was taken as one of the captives to Babylon during the 1st deportation in 605 BC and he quickly rose to a position of prominence as a counselor to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel was a prophet who was also given the gift of prophetic dream interpretation. Around the year 600 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar experienced a dream that troubled him and Daniel was not just able to tell him the dream he had, but also give him the interpretation. Daniel, in the ensuing verses, goes on to explain that the image in the dream represented the sequence of empires that would dominate the region for centuries.

Daniel 2:32-43 says:

32 This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. 36 “This is the dream. Now I will tell the interpretation of it before the king. 37 You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; 38 and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—you are this head of gold. 39 But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. 41 Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.

Daniel explained to King Nebuchadnezzar that “you are this head of gold” and that his kingdom was one of “power, strength, and glory”. The “chest and arms of silver” identified another kingdom that would rise, but would be “inferior”, as silver is inferior to gold. The kingdom of Babylon remained in power from 609 BC until 539 BC, when they were conquered by the Medes and Persians as previously mentioned. The Medo-Persian Empire did not have the glory of the Babylonian Empire because it had two divisions as represented by the two arms and suffered severe struggles over succession each time an emperor died. The “belly and thighs of bronze” corresponded to a third empire as fulfilled by Greece when they defeated the Medes and Persians in 331 BC and it’s worth mentioning that the soldiers of the Grecian Empire wore armor made from bronze. The Roman Empire conquered the Greeks in 168 BC and typified the “legs of iron” that Daniel said would be “strong like iron” and “crush all others”. There is no disputing the fact that the Roman Empire was one of the most powerful forces in history. It was also separated into two halves, an Eastern empire governed from Constantinople and a Western Empire governed from Rome, as symbolized by the two legs. The power of Rome gradually disintegrated due to the attacks from various Germanic barbarian tribes and the city was finally sacked in 476 AD. The “feet of iron and clay” with 10 toes that would be “partly strong and partly fragile” represented the 10 Germanic tribes that occupied the region after the fall of Rome and included the Alemanni, Suevi, Visigoths, Vandals, Franks, Burgundians, Angles/ Saxons/ Jutes, Heruli, Ostrogoths, and the Lombards. Some of the tribes gradually consolidated power, evolved into the Holy Roman Empire, and eventually became the European nations that are more recognizable today. The Holy Roman Empire lasted in various forms until 1806 AD when Francis II abdicated after a military defeat by the French under Napoleon Bonaparte. France was then defeated in 1814 by Britain and Prussia which led to the Council of Vienna where Britain, France, Prussia (later Germany), Austria, and Russia would be recognized as the great world powers. The Council of Vienna would provide the framework for European international politics until the outbreak of World War I. The victors of World War I, with the exception of the United States, formed the League of Nations in 1920 to manage alliances between the nations until 1946 when it evolved into the United Nations (UN) after World War II. The UN governs all international relations and currently includes 193 member states, with 5 nations retaining the most power as permanent members who have the authority to veto. The numerous alliances between the nations that evolved from the Roman Empire have always been strained throughout history and “partly fragile”, but there have been times of "partly strong" and resolute cooperation.

Daniel finally goes on to explain the end of the dream which is a Messianic prophecy that will be fulfilled when Jesus Christ returns at the end of the age. Since most of this detailed prophecy has already been accurately realized, it would be prudent to take the last part that is yet to be realized seriously.

Daniel 2 verses 44-45 states:

44 And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. 45 Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.

Messianic prophecy refers to the compilation of predictions regarding Jesus Christ as the Messiah of the Jewish people and the Savior of all mankind. Although many Jews did not accept Jesus as their Messiah, there were many that did, and along with believers from other cultures they became the sect known as Christians. Christianity spread rapidly throughout the Roman Empire during the 1st Century partially due to the completion of so much prophecy. Most Messianic prophecies have already been realized in Christ’s first appearance, but some will come to fruition at His second coming. The predictions were written by numerous authors, over a period of approximately 1,400 years, yet many find their absolute fulfillment in the short 30-year lifespan of one person, with a significant number being fulfilled in one day. The discovery and dating of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the reliability of the Septuagint Version of the OT have proven that the prophecies were written during the era before Jesus walked the Earth. Scholars have estimated there to be over 300 scriptural revelations that have found perfection in Jesus Christ. The statistical odds of one person fulfilling just 8 prophecies is 1 in 10^17, which is 1 chance in 10 with 17 zeroes behind it; the chances of one person fulfilling just 48 prophecies is astronomically 1 in 10^157, yet there are over 300. To put it into perspective, mathematical impossibility is 1 chance in 10^50. One or two fulfillments could be dismissed as coincidental, but when all are counted, the statistical probability of Jesus as the Messiah quickly reaches the point of statistical certainty. The following handful of examples are some of the many predictions regarding Jesus Christ that were directly dependent upon the actions of others to find completion.

Prophecy - Micah 5:2

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you will come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel whose coming forth is from of old, from everlasting.”

Fulfillment – Matthew 2:1

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King”

*Joseph and Mary were in Nazareth at the time of Mary’s pregnancy, but had to travel 80 miles to Joseph’s hometown of Bethlehem to take part in a mandated Roman census that happened with perfect timing.

Prophecy – Isaiah 35:5-6

“Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing.”

Fulfillment – John 11:47

“So, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, what are we to do, for this man performs many miracles.”

*The specific fulfillment of each healing mentioned in Isaiah 35:5-6 and others can be found in the scriptures throughout the Gospels such as Matthew 9:27-30, Mark 7:32-35, Luke 5:24-25, and John 5:3-9.

Prophecy – Isaiah 53:5

“He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”

Fulfillment – John 19:1

“Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged Him.”

*The prophecy of Isaiah 53:5 references more than just the scourging of Jesus. The entire fulfillment can be found in all four Gospels where the crucifixion is described in detail – Matthew 27:27-35, Mark 15:16-25, Luke 23:22-33, and John 19:1-18

Prophecy – Psalm 22:16

“For dogs have surrounded me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet.”

Fulfillment – Mark 15:25

“And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.”

*Psalm 22 was written centuries before crucifixion had ever been conceived.

Prophecy – Psalm 16:10

“For You will not leave my soul in the grave, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption.”

Fulfillment – Matthew 28:5-6

“But the angel answered and said to the women, do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

*Jesus was seen by over 500 people after His resurrection, even showing some of them the wounds He sustained during the crucifixion

III. Hidden Substance

The Bible is an integrated message system that can only be the result of supernatural engineering. Every number, every word, and every detail have been placed in the scriptures by deliberate design for a purpose. The most basic and important truths are the clearest and most relevant; however, there are concealed truths that can have an impact as well when they are perceived. It’s remarkable how many subtle discoveries lie just beneath the surface of the material that presents implications beyond the immediate context. “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings to search out a matter” (Proverbs 25:2). The revealed name of God, the Genesis 5 genealogy, and the Psalm 22 worm are a just a few OT examples of hidden substance in the scriptures that point directly to the person and work of Jesus Christ centuries before His birth.

God gave Himself many titles in The Bible, such as El-Elyon meaning God Most High and El-Shaddai meaning God Almighty, but the revealed proper name to His people was YHWH, also called the Tetragrammaton. It is not known exactly how to pronounce the name and it was considered too holy to verbalize or write. The title Adonai meaning lord or master was often used instead of using the 4 consonants and was translated into English as LORD (all caps) in the Bible. "God said to Moses, this will you say to the children of Israel: the LORD (YHWH) God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you; this is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations" (Exodus 3:15). The name YHWH was used whenever God wanted to express His personal relationship with His people. The ancient Hebrew alphabet was originally written using a pictographic script that conveyed form, sound, name, and meaning before it gradually evolved into the corresponding letters of the current alphabetic system. A deeper understanding of the name YHWH can be understood when the meaning of each letter is examined. YHWH written in Hebrew would be יהוה which is the 4 letters Yod, Hey, Vav, Hey. The pictogram and letter for Yod carries a meaning of arm/ hand/ work/ deed/ worship. The pictogram and letter for Hey carries a meaning of behold/ reveal/ breath. The pictogram and letter for Vav carries a meaning of nail/ secure/ add/ and. The meaning of all four consonants together carries the meaning hand, behold, nail, behold or as spoken in plain English “behold the hand, behold the nail”; they could also mean work, reveal, secure, reveal or as spoken in plain English “the work revealed, (eternal) security revealed”. The book of Exodus was written by Moses approximately 1,445 years before the birth of Christ, yet the revealed name of God at that time pointed directly to the future redemptive work of Jesus Christ at the cross.

The Genesis 5 passage chronicles the lineage of Adam as the first man down to his descendent Noah and records the number of years that each person lived during the centuries before the great flood.

The collection of verses from Genesis 5:1-29 that gives the name of each descendent reads:

1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Adam when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.

6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh.

9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan.

12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel.

15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared.

18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he fathered Enoch.

21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah.

25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech.

28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son 29 and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the Lord has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands”.

It’s easy to read through, or even skip over the text in Genesis 5 and view it as an insignificant passage with no possible application for today, but there is a deeper revelation to be uncovered in the names themselves. The etymology of a name refers to the distinct origins and meaning of that name. Although it's not completely clear why each set of parents chose every name with their related meanings, it's possible that the names referred to the circumstances at their birth. For example, the name Adam means man and it’s written, “He (God) created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Adam when they were created” (Genesis 5:2). The name Seth means appointed and Genesis 4:25 states, “Adam knew his wife again and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said God has appointed for me another offspring”. The meanings of the other names listed in the genealogy are as follows: Enosh means mortal; Kenan means sorrow; Mahalalel means Blessed God; Jared means shall come down; Enoch means teaching; Methuselah means his death shall bring; Lamech means despairing; Noah means comfort/ rest. When the meaning of each name is connected it reads, “Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow (but), the Blessed God shall come down, teaching His death shall bring (the) despairing comfort/ rest”. The book of Genesis was written at the same time as Exodus, around the year 1,445 BC, yet the Gospel message that would find complete fulfillment through Jesus Christ centuries later, is encoded in the 10 successive names of Adam’s lineage from the beginning.

Psalm 22 is a remarkable chapter written by King David, and in a small way could be ascribed to some of his experiences, but there is no situation where he went through any trials to the degree described in the writing. David goes beyond himself and prophetically describes in detail the suffering of Jesus Christ at the cross and His ultimate victory. It was written approximately 1,000 years before Christ’s birth and hundreds of years before crucifixion was ever known. The psalm contains 31 verses, 12 fulfilled Messianic prophecies, and there is one small word tucked away in one of the verses that hides profound meaning. Psalm 22:6 relates, “But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people”. The Hebrew word generally used for worm is rimmah, but in this verse the word used is tola, which refers to a specific worm in the Middle East called the crimson worm. The physical life cycle of the crimson worm is unique and coveys a message of deep spiritual significance. During the life of the crimson worm, the time comes for the female to give birth, so she seeks out an oak tree to climb and securely attaches her body which turns into a hard-crimson shell. The clutch of fertilized eggs is laid beneath the protective shell until the larvae hatch and feed on her body for three days. As the mother dies, she secretes a scarlet fluid that not only stains the tree red, but also stains her children red for life. It is at the secretion stage that the worm can be detached from the tree to gather the fluid for a fabric dye that has been used for thousands of years, including the dyeing of the high priest’s garments in Ancient Israel. The crushed worm was also used for medicinal and anti-bacterial purposes. After three days, the mother’s body loses its crimson color, turns into a white wax, and falls to the ground like snow.

There are numerous parallels that can be drawn between the crimson worm and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The attachment of the worm to a tree is similar to His attachment to a cross made from the wood of a tree; the apostles explained to the religious leaders in Jerusalem, “the God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging Him on a tree” (Acts 5:30). The way the larvae feed on the mother’s body is reminiscent of when He "took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said take, eat; this is my body” (Matthew 26:26). The scarlet staining of the infant worms can be likened to believers being covered in Christ's redemptive blood; as it’s written in Revelation 1:5, “Unto Him that loves us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood”. The crushed worm being used by ancient cultures for medicinal purposes is symbolic of the healing secured by Jesus “who himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). The final three-day interval for the worm matches the timeframe that He “was buried and that He rose again on the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:4). The crimson color of the worm turning white and falling can be compared to what God says about sin. “Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). The fact that so much meaning is found in one word written approximately 1,000 years before it would ever be realized is nothing short of astonishing.

IV. Transformative Power

The Bible’s supernatural power and authority can be seen in the way countless lives have been transformed; hate has turned to love, hardened criminals have been reformed, and addicts have been set free. God has promised, “a new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). One might be skeptical of the Bible’s claims if it impacted relatively few people in a single culture or during a certain time period, but the message of salvation and reconciliation to the Creator has dramatically changed men and women of all ages and races throughout history. Undoubtedly, there are examples of people whose lives have been positively changed by committing to other belief systems after reading their respective writings, but true love, hope, joy, and peace can only be found in the One who abundantly gives it and expresses it through His living word. All other belief systems revolve around man seeking a relationship with God, but Christianity is about God seeking a relationship with man. The following are just a few testimonies of lives miraculously transformed by the word of God.

Atheist Doctor Studies Bible to Expose Christian "Hypocrisy" but Finds God's Peace Instead

From the outside, Dr. Greg Lehman was success personified: He had a highly profitable practice, a wife and two kids, a luxurious home, fancy cars and all the money in the world to buy nearly anything he wanted, but this atheist doctor was still unhappy because he lacked something that his money couldn't buy: contentment.

"What's wrong with me? Why am I not fulfilled? Why don't I feel like I have achieved what I worked my whole life for?" he asked himself. He easily got irritated with people, even his own wife and their Christian neighbors, whom he labeled "hypocrites" for living a lifestyle that he thought didn't conform with the teachings in the Bible.

To expose their Christian neighbors' hypocrisy, he decided to study the Bible so that he could slap the Scripture on their faces, but then something strange happened. While reading the Bible, he was struck by the Gospel's claim that Jesus was God in the flesh sent by His Father to redeem mankind from sin by sacrificing Himself. But this would not hold true and Christianity would be meaningless, if not for His eventual resurrection.

He forgot all about his neighbors and immersed himself in further studying the Bible to prove that the resurrection of Jesus was just make believe. "The apostles could have stolen the body. It could just be hallucination," he mused. But after weighing all the information he could gather, Lehman came to a stunning conclusion: Jesus actually rose from the grave.

Luke's account of Jesus' resurrection impressed him. Here was a fellow doctor, a man of science, attesting to the truth about the miracle of Jesus' resurrection. Paul's account of the miracle was the clincher. "He's killing Christians. He has nothing to gain. What in the world could make this guy go and be the greatest evangelist ever?" Lehman said. "There was only one explanation and that was that he saw the risen Lord Jesus Christ. When I looked at the evidence and I looked at these guys and their changed lives, I said, 'I have to believe it.'"

His Christian awakening completely changed Lehman's life. It culminated in him breaking down, crying and asking God for forgiveness. An exuberant feeling of tranquility swept over him, completely vanishing the discontentment and emptiness inside him. "I was completely peaceful," he said.

His wife, Ruth, could never be happier. "I feel like I've got a new husband," she said.

(https://www.christiantoday.com/amp/atheist.doctor.studies.bible.to.expose.christian.hypocrisy.but.finds.gods.peace.instead/104135.htm)

Former Nation of Islam Follower Turns to Christ

Omar Muhammad had always believed in the solidarity purported by the Nation of Islam, but while being groomed for the Muslim elite, violence against his own family and the death of major Muslim leaders made him question his faith and ultimately turn to God.

Omar had grown up in the prestigious Muslim elite, watching his father perform his duty as a captain leader at the Newark, New Jersey mosque and enjoying dinners with close friend and leader of the Nation of Islam, Minister Farrakhan. One day that peaceful family life would end and the unity he had once known within the African American brotherhood would be shattered.

It started out like any other day. Omar, his brother, and his father were unloading produce for the family store. But something was strangely amiss. Omar noticed a limping man approach them. At first Omar could not decipher what was going on. Then, everything became frighteningly clear. Without reason, the man whipped out a sawed-off shotgun and attempted to shoot, but the gun would not fire. Seeing the unsuccessful attempt, a cohort exited a parked car with a handgun. Before the cohort was able to shoot, he slipped. Fortunately, Omar's father got away. Omar was shaken that the man who was trying to murder his father was an African American.

After the incident, Omar's father moved the family to Maryland. Omar was understandably depressed at the change, especially since it meant losing close Muslim friends and attending a public school. In the midst of his suffering, Omar learned of the death of James Shabazz, the minister of the Newark mosque. Omar took the news very hard and began questioning his faith, but nothing could be more disillusioning than the death of Elijah Muhammad, the Nation of Islam's “eternal lamb of God”. This death was the icing on the cake for Omar. "That's what really showed me that maybe Islam or the Nation of Islam wasn't as binding as I thought it was," he says.

Omar turned to drugs and drinking to drown his sorrows. Because of his rebellious behavior, Omar's parents threw him out of the house after high school. Out on his own, Omar was forced to sell his plasma to survive. In his desperation, Omar searched the Koran for answers, but his religious fervor only led to a deeper depression. Then one day, a friend suggested Omar read the Bible instead. So, Omar did, but found the Bible difficult to understand. "The spirit of Islam, I would like to say, put on me a spirit of ignorance and almost deafness and dumbness. I could not really hear any real faithful words of Christians. I just couldn't hear them," he says.

His understanding needed the enlightenment of Jesus Christ. Seeing his despair, Omar's Christian friend suggested he pray for wisdom and understanding from God just as he had prayed to gain insight into the Koran. So, Omar prayed, and God answered his prayer. "I'll never forget one time I read the 23rd Psalm. And that Psalm just comforted me, because at this time, brother, I have to tell you the truth that I considered suicide," says Omar.

Omar continued to read the Scriptures. One day while studying the Word of God, Omar sensed God talking to him. At first, he chose to ignore God's voice, but the Holy Spirit was insistent. Omar remembers God saying, "You have been spending a lot of time with my Word lately." To this statement, Omar responded affirmatively. Then Omar remembers God's next response, "Well, I just want you to know I'm going to judge you by what you know." Omar was compelled to pray and to follow God, although he didn't know exactly what that meant. Soon after this special encounter with God, someone gave Omar a tract explaining the Gospel message. Omar began to compare Islam to Christianity. Islam teaches that good deeds outweigh bad deeds. But Omar knew that with his marred record, his deeds would never save him. God's plan for salvation was quite different. By simply trusting Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior, Omar could be saved. Omar considered Islam's 50/50 plan for salvation. He then considered Christianity, which offered 100% assurance of salvation. Omar ultimately chose to pray the sinner's prayer and give his life to Jesus Christ. Instantly, Omar understood the Bible and man's need for a Savior.

Omar studied theology and now works as an adult education instructor with the Los Angeles Mission. "I have a great fishing ground for fishing for souls, because at the mission, we can pray with the people, we can counsel, we can encourage, we can teach. You know, we don't have any problem with sharing Jesus Christ with them," he says.

Omar believes being a Christian has made a major difference in his life. He no longer lives in darkness. "Present-day Nation of Islam is primarily powered by will, but Christianity is powered by a living, quickening spirit."

(http://www1.cbn.com/onlinediscipleship/former-nation-of-islam-follower-turns-to-christ)

A Gideon Testament Helps Lead a Hindu Guru to Jesus Christ

Born into A Hindu Priestly Caste

I was born into the Hindu religion. In the religion, there is the Caste System, and I come from the Brahman Caste. It is the Royal Caste, the priestly caste, and Brahmans believe that they are divine. I have ancestors who are yogis, swamis, priests and gurus. Guru means “divine master,” or “divine teacher” – basically, it means “God.” Our whole family line was made up of devoted Hindus going back more than 2,500 years.

My father’s one desire was to reach the highest goal of Hinduism in this life – to become as a god. One day after his marriage to my mother, he made a number of very religious vows. He vowed not to work anymore. He vowed not to go anywhere, so he stayed in the same room, in the same position with his hands clasped and eyes closed all day long. He vowed not to speak to anyone. He vowed not to cut his hair or his beard because it was sacred. He was a strict vegetarian, and ate no meat, no fish, and no eggs.

He lived like that, uncompromising, for eight long years. According to my mother, they were only together as man and wife for one day, and that is how I was born. I grew up in this atmosphere, and my memories of him are as if he were just a stone Buddha statue. I would go to his bedside and try to talk with him, but I never once heard his voice because of his vow of silence. I understood it and accepted it in good faith.

Religious but Empty

As a young Hindu, and due to the uncompromising dedication of my father, I was also very religious, and I prayed to the many different gods of my religion. We bought a cow, not for the milk, but to pray to and worship the cow because it was considered sacred and holy. I meditated and practiced yoga.

One day a doctor ordered my father’s very long hair to be cut for medical reasons. The moment they cut it off, he fell backward and died on the spot. I had never once heard my father’s voice, and he was now dead. For me that was a great loss, and a great tragedy. At the very young age of 7, I took my father’s place. By the time I was a teenager, people were bowing at my feet, bringing me their gifts and offerings, and seeking my blessings. They were worshiping me and praying to me as they had my father. I remember it well.

Yes, I had religion, but deep in my heart I was empty. More than anything else in this world, I wanted to come to know the true and living God, but I didn’t know how. I tried only within the realms of Hinduism.

An Introduction to the Real God

Then, my grandmother became sick and was in the hospital for many months. While she was there, someone gave her a Gideon Bible, and she came home and secretly read it. My grandfather hated Christianity and he hated the Bible. When he came home and found my grandmother reading that Bible, he grabbed it, tore it up, and threw it out the window. The Bible was not allowed in our home, but I believe my grandmother was something of a secret believer.

One day, at a time in my life when I was desperately looking for answers and searching for the truth about God, my cousin came home from high school with a New Testament in his hands. That was unheard of, because the Bible was absolutely not allowed in the home of anyone in our family. He opened it up to John 3:3, and he asked, “Do you know that you need to be born again to get to heaven?” I tried to give what he said a Hindu interpretation because I believed in reincarnation, but the Holy Spirit would not let me falsely interpret that verse. The Holy Spirit showed me through that little Testament that a lost Hindu like myself needed to be born again.

Through this Testament, and through the witness of others in my life, I learned that Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) The Holy Spirit convicted my heart and I got on my knees. Right then, I asked Jesus Christ to forgive all my sins, to come into my life and save me, and to change me and make me a child of God.

I have now had the privilege of preaching the message of the Gospel in over 1,000 cities and in over 100 countries around the world.

-Rabi Maharaj-

(http://blog.gideons.org/2011/07/testimony-a-gideon-testament-helps-lead-a-hindu-guru-to-jesus-christ/)

The Bible is a demonstration of God’s great love for us because He has revealed who He is, what He has done for us, and how to have a relationship with Him. We might not understand everything written in the scriptures during this present age, and that is to be expected, because we are finite beings trying to understand an infinite being. The LORD even disclosed, “for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9). However, the foundational principles are clear, so disbelief and disobedience come from an act of the will and not a lack of knowledge. Consequently, the limitation of knowledge cannot be used as excuse to reject Him. If the Bible is truly God’s word, then it is the final authority on all matters of faith and morality….and always will be.

“For this cause we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard of us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually works also in you that believe.”

1 Thessalonians 2:13