–Pastor Ward Clinton
“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8
Okay, I realize the statement in the picture is not quite right because Muhammad is, technically, the messenger of Allah but the other part is absolutely correct.
Does Allah answer your prayers? The God of Father Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob answers my prayers. I follow and listen to the holy one of God who is the true “messenger” of the one true God and you can begin to learn the truth about Him by reading the Injil Markus, called “Mark” in the Holy Bible.
The Truth will set you free
–Pastor Ward Clinton
If you do not resist the devil and his lies he will keep you from being able to know the truth. Listen to the voice of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as He calls you out of the darkness and into His light.
–Pastor Ward Clinton
–Pastor Ward Clinton
–Pastor Ward Clinton
Last week a sobering report was issued to the House of Lords in the United Kingdom stating that ISIS could wipe out Christianity in Iraq in just five years. Imagine Christianity being extinct in the country where historians say the Garden of Eden was, where Abraham lived, where Noah built the ark, and where Daniel was in the lion’s den! The report is named “Persecuted and Forgotten?” and Prime Minister David Cameron was not afraid to tell the truth—he said, “Every day in countries across the world, Christians are systematically discriminated against, exploited and even driven from their homes because of their faith.” The goal of the Islamic State is the same in Iraq, Syria, and everywhere around the world—erase every other religion besides Islam at whatever cost. Pray for Christians trying to survive in the Middle East. – Franklin Graham
The Holy Bible is The Word of God. It contains the Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Don’t like that fact? Dial 1-800-TEL-LGOD
–Pastor Ward Clinton
One of the big arguments atheists sometimes use and Muslims frequently use to deny the divinity of Jesus is the claim that Jesus never claimed to be God. The argument, which is even found in the Quran, states that Jesus never came right out, point blank, and said, “I am God” therefore He must not be God.
This argument is ridiculous on two grounds. First, it is simply not true. We see very clearly Jesus saying in John 8:58, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM.” When Moses was sent by God to go rescue the people of Israel, he asked God, “What is your name that I might tell them who sent me?” God responded, “I AM. Say this to the people, I AM has sent me to you.” This is the very name of God and Jesus point blank uses it as His own. It is found all over the Old Testament but except for in Exodus 3:14, when it is used, we have instead the word Lord all in caps. (see Genesis 2:4, Exodus 3:2, Leviticus 1:1 and about 6,500 other times)
Not only does Jesus use the very name of God as His own, there are also many other times where either another calls him God and he does not correct them or Jesus is speaking of Himself and the people listening understand clearly that He just referred to Himself as God. An example of the former is when Thomas says, “My Lord and my God” and Jesus responds, “You believe because you have seen. Blessed are those who have not seen yet still believe.” An example of the latter is found right here in John 10. Jesus had just said, “I and my Father are one” and now the crowd is picking up stones because, “You, a mere man, claim to be God.”
See more at the blog link provided above.
What you do with Jesus today determines where you will spend eternity.
Know Jesus Know Heaven
No Jesus, no Heaven
–Pastor Ward Clinton
Injil Markus 2:13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.
2:14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.
As He was walking by the lakeside He was teaching. This was a common way for the Jewish Rabbis to teach. As they walked the roads from one place to another their disciples grouped around them and walked with them and listened as they talked. Therefore Jesus was doing what any Rabbi might have done.
The tax collector’s booth where Jesus found Levi was on the major international road that went from Damascus through Capernaum to the Mediterranean coast on to Egypt.
It was a saying that “Judea is on the way to nowhere; Galilee is on the way to everywhere.” The great Road of the Sea led from Damascus, by way of Galilee, through Capernaum, down past Carmel, along the Plain of Sharon, through Gaza and on to Egypt. Another road led from Acre on the coast across the Jordan out to Arabia (Petra not Mecca) and the frontiers of the empire, a road that was travelled by the regiments and caravans.
Capernaum was by its very nature a frontier town; because of that it was a customs center and the import and export taxes were collected there. That is where Levi worked. While it is true that he was not like Zacchaeus, working directly in the service of the Romans; he was working for Herod Antipas, and therefore he was a hated tax-collector, also referred to as a publican.
Levi was not a good person or he would not have been a tax-gatherer. Still the Messiah choose to call this person to be part of His core group. This does serve to demonstrate to us that Jesus can change the character of anyone if they will only commit themselves to Him in following and obeying. The Scripture also tells us about another person who was also chosen by Jesus but who offered excuses for waiting until a more convenient time and therefore he lost out on his unique opportunity. Levi did not risk the chance of having the offer pass him by to become a disciple of Jesus but responded immediately, wholeheartedly, and without reservation.
2:15 And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.
In 1st Kings 19:21 Elisha gave a farewell feast for his friends when he went to follow Elijah.
Of all the disciples Matthew is the one who gave up the most at the very outset in his making the commitment to follow Jesus. Matthew in giving a farewell feast for all his friends shows thereby that with cheerfulness and thankfulness to God he has committed himself completely, and without reservation, to Christ.
Andrew and Simon and James and John could easily go back to their boats but Matthew had burned his bridges behind him as far as his livelihood was concerned and could never go back. He left everything but his pen. He obviously did try to invite his friends to join him in the journey and maybe some of them did later on but probably not at that particular point in time. Some of Matthew’s friends may have been among those converted at Pentecost; we won’t know until after our own arrival in heaven. His friends were no doubt curious and some of them would have tried to talk him out of this move even as they may have themselves wondered whether there were any hope for them and Jesus’ presence and demeanor at the feast no doubt gave them a glimmer of hope that they also were eligible to be included in God’s forever family.
2:16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
Not all the teachers of the law were Pharisees and not all of the Pharisees were hypocritical even though it sort of seems that the majority of those whom Jesus came into contact with were that way when we read the Scripture.
2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Jesus calmly responds directly to the Scribes and Pharisees. A self-righteous (self-justified) person does not recognize his need for a savior. There are many sin-sick souls who have no clue regarding their actual situation. We find the self-righteous everywhere but the one place we rarely find them is in a Christian Church. An admitted sinner does tend to recognize his need for a cure. Part of truly living righteously does include showing mercy to others who seek righteousness. Although we followers of Christ do need to be very careful in how we keep company with ungodly men lest we become re-corrupted. We do need to show and have love for their souls while attempting to convince them they also need to join us in the journey of following Messiah Jesus. Our good Physician had the power of healing in Himself and was in no danger of contracting the disease of sin. However, we need to keep in close contact with Him to avoid sin.
For unfortunately there is more hope for a fool than for one who is wise in his own conceit (see Proverbs 26:12) Even when such a one is on the side of truth he remains as fickle as the children of falsehood.
Follow Jesus who is the truth and the way and the life because he is the holy one of God.
–Pastor Ward Clinton
2:23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
2:24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?
Deuteronomy 23:25 allowed the disciples and the people to do this. Tradition established by that time and the Mishnah said they could not do this on the Sabbath as though their tradition were greater than the Law given to them by Moses. This is quite similar to claiming the Hadith is greater than the Koran by certain Muslim teaching for if it is then, the Quran, is diminished in value beyond measure and perhaps an admission that the present day Koran has been corrupted.
The Pharisees had quickly pounced and pointed out the multiple transgressions they believed the disciples had committed. It was obvious they expected Jesus to reprimand His disciples and command them to stop. Instead He spoke to these “Imams” in their own language and chastised them in His own way which may be a wee bit hard for us to see because we are, fortunately, not under their traditions and rules although we must remember that we are not at liberty to do as we please because we ought to obey the one who is Lord of the Sabbath which is the kalimat Allah, Isa. The one true God made the day of prayer to make our lives better and fuller.
2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Religious tradition had so multiplied and twisted the restrictions, rules, and requirements for keeping the Sabbath that the burden became almost unbearable. However living a holy life is not simply the keeping of requirements but the seeking of the One who set the requirements in order that He might be found. The requirements set forth in the first covenant were not intended to drive us from Him but to make us understand our need for Him. Likewise the first six chapters of Romans in the New Covenant are intended for the same purpose.
3:1 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
3:2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
3:3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
3:4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
3:5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
3:6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
This, 3:1-6, is a demonstration of the truth proclaimed in 2:28. The Pharisees were plotting evil against Jesus while Jesus was ready to do good, therefore it is obvious who was guilty of breaking the Sabbath although the people probably did not realize it at the time because of the erroneous teaching they had long listened to. (What if Abu Bakr did not teach accurately?) What if the one who compiled and created the Quran was a friend of the djinn and was sent to deceive and empower himself under the guise of preserving truth? We are told he faithfully re-produced the accurate words but where is the proof? Why is there more than one version, in Arabic, of the Koran?
3:7 But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,
3:8 And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.
The geographical list shows that people were traveling great distances, for that day and age, to see and hear the holy one from God. Will that generation rise up and condemn this generation at the last day for its lack of effort to seek out and learn Isa’s teaching? Many Muslims claim they respect and honor Isa but they are actually guilty of insulting Isa because they do not read or pay any attention to what he taught when he was healing and teaching the people. Mohammad said the Injil is not corrupt. The Quran says the Injil is not corrupt. Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas said the Al-kitab (Holy Bible) is not corrupt. Muhammad Abduh Sayyid Ahmad Khan (died 1905) said “As far as the text of the [Holy] Bible is concerned, it has not been altered.” Furthermore, Muhammad Abduh said the “charge of corruption of the Biblical texts makes no sense at all.” The problem with “the Al-kitab (Holy Bible) has been corrupted” argument is that those who make that claim are ignorant of first century history and/or the whole text of the Injil (New Testament portion of the Holy Bible).
It is not wise to insult Isa. He has the words of life from the one true God. It is true that many who claim to be his followers (Christians) are corrupted but that is only because they do not truly follow his teaching as revealed in the Holy Bible but that is no excuse, it does not excuse you, for not knowing and studying the words of Isa as preserved in the Injil.
The reason some of those who call themselves “Christian” do not seem to know much about the Holy Bible or genuine Christianity is because they actually are not Christians as is proven by their lives. As a Muslim, almost all of what you have been told by the Imams about Christianity is taqiyya. But do not be angry at your Imam, because they lied to him to. Even among those who actually regularly attend a Bible-believing Church one must look carefully to see how their life matches up to the teachings of Isa in the Injil. So how can one know? First pray to the God of Father Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and then become familiar with the New Testament portion of the Holy Bible and then request, in prayer, to the one true God of Father Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for assistance in knowing the truth; this is not done by simply using a memorized prayer. He’s listening because He does care about you. Because God cares about you the Injil is not corrupt, it may be hard to understand, at first, but ask Him to help you and to direct you. Ask the one true God to help you find real followers of Jesus.
Know Jesus, Know Heaven
No Jesus, no Heaven
–Pastor Ward Clinton
pastorwardclinton 