Quran chapter 3, Family of Imran

Quran chapter 3,  Family of Imran

1. Alif, Lam, Meem.
2. God, there is no god but He, the Living, the Eternal.
3. He sent down to you the Book with the Truth, confirming what came before it; and He sent down the Torah and the Gospel.
4. Aforetime, as guidance for mankind; and He sent down the Criterion. Those who have rejected God's signs will have a severe punishment. God is Mighty, Able to take revenge.
5. Nothing is hidden from God, on earth or in the heaven.
6. It is He who forms you in the wombs as He wills. There is no god except He, the Almighty, the Wise.
7. It is He who revealed to you the Book. Some of its verses are definitive; they are the foundation of the Book, and others are unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow the unspecific part, seeking dissent, and seeking to derive an interpretation. But none knows its interpretation except God and those firmly rooted in knowledge say, "We believe in it; all is from our Lord." But none recollects except those with understanding.
8. Our Lord, do not cause our hearts to swerve after You have guided us, and bestow on us mercy from Your presence; You are the Giver.
9. Our Lord, You will gather the people for a Day in which there is no doubt. God will never break His promise.
10. As for those who disbelieve, neither their wealth nor their children will avail them anything against God. These will be fuel for the Fire.
11. Like the behavior of Pharaoh's people and those before them. They rejected Our signs, so God seized them for their sins. God is Strict in retribution.
12. Say to those who disbelieve, "You will be defeated, and rounded up into Hell - an awful resting-place."
13. There was a sign for you in the two parties that met. One party fighting in the way of God, and the other was disbelieving. They saw them with their own eyes twice their number. But God supports with His help whomever He wills. In that is a lesson for those with insight.
14. Adorned for the people is the love of desires, such as women, and children, and piles upon piles of gold and silver, and branded horses, and livestock, and fields. These are the conveniences of the worldly life, but with God lies the finest resort.
15. Say, "Shall I inform you of something better than that? For those who are righteous, with their Lord are Gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they will remain forever, and purified spouses, and acceptance from God." God is Observant of the servants.
16. Those who say, "Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us our sins, and save us from the suffering of the Fire."
17. The patient, and the truthful, and the reverent, and the charitable, and the seekers of forgiveness at dawn.
18. God bears witness that there is no god but He, as do the angels, and those endowed with knowledge - upholding justice. There is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise.
19. Religion with God is Islam. Those to whom the Scripture was given differed only after knowledge came to them, out of envy among themselves. Whoever rejects the signs of God - God is quick to take account.
20. If they argue with you, say, "I have surrendered myself to God, and those who follow me." And say to those who were given the Scripture, and to the unlearned, "Have you surrendered?" If they have surrendered, then they are guided; but if they turn away, then your duty is to convey. God is Seeing of the servants.
21. As for those who defy God's revelations, and kill the prophets unjustly, and kill those who advocate justice among the people - promise them a painful retribution.
22. They are those whose deeds will come to nothing, in this world and in the Hereafter; and they will have no saviors.
23. Have you not considered those who were given a share of the Scripture, as they were called to the Scripture of God to arbitrate between them; then some of them turned back, and declined?
24. That is because they said, "The Fire will not touch us except for a limited number of days." They have been misled in their religion by the lies they fabricated.
25. How about when We gather them for a Day in which there is no doubt, and each soul will be paid in full for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged?
26. Say, "O God, Owner of Sovereignty. You grant sovereignty to whom You will, and You strip sovereignty from whom you will. You honor whom you will, and You humiliate whom you will. In Your hand is all goodness. You are Capable of all things."
27. You merge the night into the day, and You merge the day into the night; and you bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living; and You provide for whom you will without measure.
28. Believers are not to take disbelievers for friends instead of believers. Whoever does that has nothing to do with God, unless it is to protect your own selves against them. God warns you to beware of Him. To God is the destiny.
29. Say, "Whether you conceal what is in your hearts, or disclose it, God knows it." He knows everything in the heavens and the earth. God is Powerful over everything.
30. On the Day when every soul finds all the good it has done presented. And as for the evil it has done, it will wish there were a great distance between them. God cautions you of Himself. God is Kind towards the servants.
31. Say, "If you love God, then follow me, and God will love you, and will forgive you your sins." God is Forgiving and Merciful.
32. Say, "Obey God and the Messenger." But if they turn away - God does not love the faithless.
33. God chose Adam, and Noah, and the family of Abraham, and the family of Imran, over all mankind.
34. Offspring one of the other. God is Hearer and Knower.
35. The wife of Imran said, "My Lord, I have vowed to You what is in my womb, dedicated, so accept from me; You are the Hearer and Knower."
36. And when she delivered her, she said, "My Lord, I have delivered a female," and God was well aware of what she has delivered, "and the male is not like the female, and I have named her Mary, and have commended her and her descendants to Your protection, from Satan the outcast."
37. Her Lord accepted her with a gracious reception, and brought her a beautiful upbringing, and entrusted her to the care of Zechariah. Whenever Zechariah entered upon her in the sanctuary, he found her with provision. He said, "O Mary, where did you get this from?" She said, "It is from God; God provides to whom He wills without reckoning.".
38. Thereupon Zechariah prayed to his Lord; he said, "My Lord, bestow on me good offspring from Your presence; You are the Hearer of Prayers."
39. Then the angels called out to him, as he stood praying in the sanctuary: "God gives you good news of John; confirming a Word from God, and honorable, and moral, and a prophet; one of the upright."
40. He said, "My Lord, how will I have a son, when old age has overtaken me, and my wife is barren?" He said, "Even so, God does whatever He wills."
41. He said, "My Lord, give me a sign." He said, "Your sign is that you shall not speak to the people for three days, except by gestures. And remember your Lord much, and praise in the evening and the morning."
42. The angels said, "O Mary, God has chosen you, and has purified you. He has chosen you over all the women of the world
43. O Mary, be devoted to your Lord, and bow down, and kneel with those who kneel.
44. These are accounts from the Unseen, which We reveal to you. You were not with them when they cast their lots as to which of them would take charge of Mary; nor were you with them as they quarreled.
45. The Angels said, "O Mary, God gives you good news of a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, well-esteemed in this world and the next, and one of the nearest.
46. He will speak to the people from the crib, and in adulthood, and will be one of the righteous."
47. She said, "My Lord, how can I have a child, when no man has touched me?" He said, "It will be so. God creates whatever He wills. To have anything done, He only says to it, ‘Be,' and it is.".
48. And He will teach him the Scripture and wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel.
49. A messenger to the Children of Israel: "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I make for you out of clay the figure of a bird; then I breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by God's leave. And I heal the blind and the leprous, and I revive the dead, by God's leave. And I inform you concerning what you eat, and what you store in your homes. In that is a sign for you, if you are believers."
50. And verifying what lies before me of the Torah, and to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you. I have come to you with a sign from your Lord; so fear God, and obey me.
51. God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path.
52. When Jesus sensed disbelief on their part, he said, "Who are my allies towards God?" The disciples said, "We are God's allies; we have believed in God, and bear witness that we submit."
53. Our Lord, we have believed in what You have revealed, and we have followed the Messenger, so count us among the witnesses.
54. They planned, and God planned; but God is the Best of planners
55. God said, "O Jesus, I am terminating your life, and raising you to Me, and clearing you of those who disbelieve. And I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve, until the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me is your return; then I will judge between you regarding what you were disputing.
56. As for those who disbelieve, I will punish them with a severe punishment, in this world and the next, and they will have no helpers.
57. And as for those who believe and do good works, He will give them their rewards in full. God does not love the unjust."
58. This is what We recite to you of the Verses and the Wise Reminder.
59. The likeness of Jesus in God's sight is that of Adam: He created him from dust, then said to him, "Be," and he was.
60. The truth is from your Lord, so do not be of those who doubt.
61. And if anyone disputes with you about him, after the knowledge that has come to you, say, "Come, let us call our children and your children, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves, and let us invoke God's curse on the liars."
62. This is the narrative of truth: there is no god but God. God is the Mighty, the Wise.
63. But if they turn away - God knows the corrupt.
64. Say, "O People of the Book, come to terms common between us and you: that we worship none but God, and that we associate nothing with Him, and that none of us takes others as lords besides God." And if they turn away, say, "Bear witness that we have submitted."
65. O People of the Book! Why do you argue about Abraham, when the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed until after him? Will you not reason?
66. Here you are - you argue about things you know, but why do you argue about things you do not know? God knows, and you do not know
67. Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a Monotheist, a Muslim. And he was not of the Polytheists.
68. The people most deserving of Abraham are those who followed him, and this prophet, and those who believe. God is the Guardian of the believers.
69. A party of the People of the Book would love to lead you astray, but they only lead themselves astray, and they do not realize it.
70. O People of the Book! Why do you reject the revelations of God, even as you witness?
71. O People of the Book! Why do you confound the truth with falsehood, and knowingly conceal the truth?
72. Some of the People of the Book say, "Believe in what was revealed to the believers at the beginning of the day, and reject it at its end, so that they may return."
73. And trust none except those who follow your religion." Say, "Guidance is God's guidance. If someone is given the like of what you were given, or they argue with you before your Lord, say, "All grace is in God's hand; He gives it to whomever He wills." God is Bounteous and Knowing.
74. He specifies His mercy for whomever He wills. God is Possessor of Sublime Grace.
75. Among the People of the Book is he, who, if you entrust him with a heap of gold, he will give it back to you. And among them is he, who, if you entrust him with a single coin, he will not give it back to you, unless you keep after him. That is because they say, "We are under no obligation towards the gentiles." They tell lies about God, and they know it.
76. Indeed, whoever fulfills his commitments and maintains piety - God loves the pious.
77. Those who exchange the covenant of God, and their vows, for a small price, will have no share in the Hereafter, and God will not speak to them, nor will He look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them. They will have a painful punishment.
78. And among them are those who twist the Scripture with their tongues, that you may think it from the Scripture, when it is not from the Scripture. And they say, "It is from God," when it is not from God. They tell lies and attribute them to God, knowingly.
79. No person to whom God has given the Scripture, and wisdom, and prophethood would ever say to the people, "Be my worshipers rather than God's." Rather, "Be people of the Lord, according to the Scripture you teach, and the teachings you learn."
80. Nor would he command you to take the angels and the prophets as lords. Would he command you to infidelity after you have submitted?
81. God received the covenant of the prophets, "Inasmuch as I have given you of scripture and wisdom; should a messenger come to you verifying what you have, you shall believe in him, and support him." He said, "Do you affirm My covenant and take it upon yourselves?" They said, "We affirm it." He said, "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses."
82. Whoever turns away after that - these are the deceitful.
83. Do they desire other than the religion of God, when to Him has submitted everything in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him they will be returned?
84. Say, "We believe in God, and in what was revealed to us; and in what was revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Patriarchs; and in what was given to Moses, and Jesus, and the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit."
85. Whoever seeks other than Islam as a religion, it will not be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.
86. How will God guide a people who disbelieved after having believed, and had witnessed that the Messenger is true, and the clear proofs had come to them? God does not guide the unjust people.
87. Those - their penalty is that upon them falls the curse of God, and of the angels, and of all mankind.
88. Remaining in it eternally, without their punishment being eased from them, and without being reprieved.
89. Except those who repent afterwards, and reform; for God is Forgiving and Merciful.
90. As for those who disbelieve after having believed, then plunge deeper into disbelief, their repentance will not be accepted; these are the lost.
91. As for those who disbelieve and die disbelievers, even the earth full of gold would not be accepted from any of them, were he to offer it for ransom. These will have a painful torment, and will have no saviors.
92. You will not attain virtuous conduct until you give of what you cherish. Whatever you give away, God is aware of it
93. All food was permissible to the Children of Israel, except what Israel forbade for himself before the Torah was revealed. Say, "Bring the Torah, and read it, if you are truthful."
94. Whoever forges lies about God after that - these are the unjust
95. Say, "God has spoken the truth, so follow the religion of Abraham the Monotheist; he was not a Pagan."
96. The first house established for mankind is the one at Bekka; blessed, and guidance for all people.
97. In it are evident signs; the Station of Abraham. Whoever enters it attains security. Pilgrimage to the House is a duty to God for all who can make the journey. But as for those who refuse - God is Independent of the worlds.
98. Say, "O People of the Scripture, why do you reject the Revelations of God, when God witnesses what you do?"
99. Say, "O People of the Scripture, why do you hinder from God's path those who believe, seeking to distort it, even though you are witnesses? God is not unaware of what you do."
100. O you who believe! If you obey a party of those who were given the Scripture, they will turn you, after your belief, into disbelievers.
101. And how could you disbelieve, when God's revelations are being recited to you, and among you is His Messenger? Whoever cleaves to God has been guided to a straight path.
102. O you who believe! Revere God with due reverence, and do not die except as Muslims.
103. And hold fast to the rope of God, altogether, and do not become divided. And remember God's blessings upon you; how you were enemies, and He reconciled your hearts, and by His grace you became brethren. And you were on the brink of a pit of fire, and He saved you from it. God thus clarifies His revelations for you, so that you may be guided.
104. And let there be among you a community calling to virtue, and advocating righteousness, and deterring from evil. These are the successful.
105. And do not be like those who separated and disputed after the clear proofs came to them; for them is a great punishment.
106. On the Day when some faces will be whitened, and some faces will be blackened. As for those whose faces are blackened: "Did you disbelieve after your belief?" Then taste the punishment for having disbelieved.
107. But as for those whose faces are whitened: they are in God's mercy, remaining in it forever.
108. These are the revelations of God. We recite them to you in truth. God desires no injustice for mankind.
109. To God belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth, and to God all events are referred.
110. You are the best community that ever emerged for humanity: you advocate what is moral, and forbid what is immoral, and believe in God. Had the People of the Scripture believed, it would have been better for them. Among them are the believers, but most of them are sinners.
111. They will do you no harm, beyond insulting you. And if they fight you, they will turn around and flee, then they will not be helped.
112. They shall be humiliated wherever they are encountered, except through a rope from God, and a rope from the people; and they incurred wrath from God, and were stricken with misery. That is because they rejected God's revelations, and killed the prophets unjustly. That is because they rebelled and committed aggression.
113. They are not alike. Among the People of the Scripture is a community that is upright; they recite God's revelations throughout the night, and they prostrate themselves.
114. They believe in God and the Last Day, and advocate righteousness and forbid evil, and are quick to do good deeds. These are among the righteous.
115. Whatever good they do, they will not be denied it. God knows the righteous.
116. As for those who disbelieve, neither their possessions nor their children will avail them anything against God. These are the inhabitants of the Fire, abiding therein forever.
117. The parable of what they spend in this worldly life is that of a frosty wind that strikes the harvest of a people who have wronged their souls, and destroys it. God did not wrong them, but they wronged their own selves.
118. O you who believe! Do not befriend outsiders who never cease to wish you harm. They love to see you suffer. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their hearts conceal is worse. We have made the messages clear for you, if you understand.
119. There you are, you love them, but they do not love you, and you believe in the entire scripture. And when they meet you, they say, "We believe;" but when they are alone, they bite their fingers in rage at you. Say, "Die in your rage; God knows what is within the hearts."
120. If something good happens to you, it upsets them; but if something bad befalls you, they rejoice at it. But if you persevere and maintain righteousness, their schemes will not harm you at all. God comprehends what they do.
121. Remember when you left your home in the morning, to assign battle - positions for the believers. God is Hearing and Knowing.
122. When two groups among you almost faltered, but God was their Protector. So in God let the believers put their trust.
123. God had given you victory at Badr, when you were weak. So fear God, that you may be thankful.
124. When you said to the believers, "Is it not enough for you that your Lord has reinforced you with three thousand angels, sent down?"
125. It is; but if you persevere and remain cautious, and they attack you suddenly, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand angels, well trained.
126. God made it but a message of hope for you, and to reassure your hearts thereby. Victory comes only from God the Almighty, the Wise.
127. He thus cuts off a section of those who disbelieved, or subdues them, so they retreat disappointed
128. It is no concern of yours whether He redeems them or punishes them. They are wrongdoers.
129. To God belongs everything in the heavens and the earth. He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills. God is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.
130. O you who believe! Do not feed on usury, compounded over and over, and fear God, so that you may prosper.
131. And guard yourselves against the Fire that is prepared for the disbelievers.
132. And obey God and the Messenger, that you may obtain mercy.
133. And race towards forgiveness from your Lord, and a Garden as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the righteous
134. Those who give in prosperity and adversity, and those who restrain anger, and those who forgive people. God loves the doers of good.
135. And those who, when they commit an indecency or wrong themselves, remember God and ask forgiveness for their sins - and who forgives sins except God? And they do not persist in their wrongdoing while they know.
136. Those - their reward is forgiveness from their Lord, and gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein forever. How excellent is the reward of the workers
137. Many societies have passed away before you. So travel the earth and note the fate of the deniers.
138. This is a proclamation to humanity, and guidance, and advice for the righteous.
139. And do not waver, nor feel remorse. You are the superior ones, if you are believers
140. If a wound afflicts you, a similar wound has afflicted the others. Such days We alternate between the people, that God may know those who believe, and take martyrs from among you. God does not love the evildoers.
141. So that God may prove those who believe, and eliminate the disbelievers
142. Or do you expect to enter Paradise, before God has distinguished those among you who strive, and before He has distinguished the steadfast?
143. You used to wish for death before you have faced it. Now you have seen it before your own eyes.
144. Muhammad is no more than a messenger. Messengers have passed on before him. If he dies or gets killed, will you turn on your heels? He who turns on his heels will not harm God in any way. And God will reward the appreciative.
145. No soul can die except by God's leave, at a predetermined time. Whoever desires the reward of the world, We will give him some of it; and whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter, We will give him some of it; and We will reward the appreciative.
146. How many a prophet fought alongside him numerous godly people? They did not waver for what afflicted them in the cause of God, nor did they weaken, nor did they give in. God loves those who endure.
147. Their only words were, "Our Lord, forgive us our offences, and our excesses in our conduct, and strengthen our foothold, and help us against the disbelieving people."
148. So God gave them the reward of this world, and the excellent reward of the Hereafter. God loves the doers of good.
149. O you who believe! If you obey those who disbelieve, they will turn you back on your heels, and you end up losers.
150. God is your Master, and He is the Best of Helpers.
151. We will throw terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, because they attribute to God partners for which He revealed no sanction. Their lodging is the Fire. Miserable is the lodging of the evildoers.
152. God has fulfilled His promise to you, and you defeated them by His leave; until when you faltered, and disputed the command, and disobeyed after He had shown you what you like. Some of you want this world, and some of you want the next. Then He turned you away from them, to test you; but He pardoned you. God is Gracious towards the believers.
153. Remember when you fled, not caring for anyone, even though the Messenger was calling you from your rear. Then He repaid you with sorrow upon sorrow, so that you would not grieve over what you missed, or for what afflicted you. God is Informed of what you do.
154. Then after the setback, He sent down security upon you. Slumber overcame some of you, while others cared only for themselves, thinking of God thoughts that were untrue - thoughts of ignorance - saying, "Is anything up to us?" Say, "Everything is up to God." They conceal within themselves what they do not reveal to you. And they say, "If it was up to us, none of us would have been killed here." Say, "Even if you Had stayed in your homes, those destined to be killed would have marched into their death beds." God thus tests what is in your minds, and purifies what is in your hearts. God knows what the hearts contain.
155. Those of you who turned back on the day when the two armies clashed - it was Satan who caused them to backslide, on account of some of what they have earned. But God has forgiven them. God is Forgiving and Prudent.
156. O you who believe! Do not be like those who disbelieved, and said of their brethren who marched in the land, or went on the offensive, "Had they stayed with us, they would not have died or been killed." So that God may make it a cause of regret in their hearts. God gives life and causes death. God is Seeing of what you do.
157. If you are killed in the cause of God, or die - forgiveness and mercy from God are better than what they hoard.
158. If you die, or are killed - to God you will be gathered up.
159. It is by of grace from God that you were gentle with them. Had you been harsh, hardhearted, they would have dispersed from around you. So pardon them, and ask forgiveness for them, and consult them in the conduct of affairs. And when you make a decision, put your trust in God; God loves the trusting.
160. If God supports you, there is none who can overcome you. But if He fails you, who is there to help you after Him? So in God let the believers put their trust.
161. It is not for a prophet to act dishonestly. Whoever acts dishonestly will bring his dishonesty on the Day of Resurrection. Then every soul will be paid in full for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged.
162. Is someone who pursues God's approval the same as someone who incurs God's wrath and his refuge is Hell - the miserable destination?
163. They have different ranks with God, and God is Seeing of what they do.
164. God has blessed the believers, as He raised up among them a messenger from among themselves, who recites to them His revelations, and purifies them, and teaches them the Scripture and wisdom; although before that they were in evident error.
165. And when a calamity befell you, even after you had inflicted twice as much, you said, "How is this?" Say, "It is from your own selves." God is Able to do all things.
166. What befell you on the day the two armies clashed was with God's permission; that He may know the believers.
167. And that He may know the hypocrites. And it was said to them, "Come, fight in the cause of God, or contribute." They said, "If we knew how to fight, we would have followed you." On that day they were closer to infidelity than they were to faith. They say with their mouths what is not in their hearts; but God knows what they hide.
168. Those who said of their brethren, as they stayed behind, "Had they obeyed us, they would not have been killed." Say, "Then avert death from yourselves, if you are truthful."
169. Do not consider those killed in the cause of God as dead. In fact, they are alive, at their Lord, well provided for.
170. Delighting in what God has given them out of His grace, and happy for those who have not yet joined them; that they have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.
171. They rejoice in grace from God, and bounty, and that God will not waste the reward of the faithful.
172. Those who responded to God and the Messenger, despite the persecution they had suffered. For the virtuous and the pious among them is a great reward.
173. Those to whom the people have said, "The people have mobilized against you, so fear them." But this only increased them in faith, and they said, "God is enough for us; He is the Excellent Protector."
174. So they came back with grace from God, and bounty, and no harm having touched them. They pursued what pleases God. God possesses immense grace.
175. That is only Satan frightening his partisans; so do not fear them, but fear Me, if you are believers.
176. And do not be saddened by those who rush into disbelief. They will not harm God in the least. God desires to give them no share in the Hereafter. A terrible torment awaits them.
177. Those who exchange blasphemy for faith will not harm God in the least. A painful torment awaits them.
178. Those who disbelieve should not assume that We respite them for their own good. In fact, We only respite them so that they may increase in sinfulness. A humiliating torment awaits them.
179. God will not leave the believers as you are, without distinguishing the wicked from the sincere. Nor will God inform you of the future, but God elects from among His messengers whom He wills. So believe in God and His messengers. If you believe and practice piety, you will have a splendid reward.
180. Those who withhold what God has given them of his bounty should not assume that is good for them. In fact, it is bad for them. They will be encircled by their hoardings on the Day of Resurrection. To God belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the earth, and God is well acquainted with what you do.
181. God has heard the statement of those who said, "God is poor, and we are rich." We will write down what they said, and their wrongful killing of the prophets; and We will say, "Taste the torment of the burning."
182. This is on account of what your hands have forwarded, and because God is not unjust towards the creatures.
183. Those who said, "God has made a covenant with us, that we shall not believe in any messenger unless he brings us an offering to be consumed by fire." Say, "Messengers have come to you before me with proofs, and with what you asked for; so why did you assassinate them, if you are truthful?"
184. If they accuse you of lying, messengers before you were accused of lying. They came with the proofs, and the Psalms, and the Illuminating Scripture.
185. Every soul will have a taste of death, and you will receive your recompense on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is swayed from the Fire, and admitted to Paradise, has won. The life of this world is merely enjoyment of delusion.
186. You will be tested through your possessions and your persons; and you will hear from those who received the Scripture before you, and from the idol worshipers, much abuse. But if you persevere and lead a righteous life - that indeed is a mark of great determination
187. God received a pledge from those who were given the Scripture: "You shall proclaim it to the people, and not conceal it." But they disregarded it behind their backs, and exchanged it for a small price. What a miserable exchange they made.
188. Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have done, and love to be praised for what they have not done - do not think they can evade the punishment. They will have a painful punishment.
189. To God belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. God has power over all things.
190. In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, are signs for people of understanding.
191. Those who remember God while standing, and sitting, and on their sides; and they reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth: "Our Lord, You did not create this in vain, glory to You, so protect us from the punishment of the Fire."
192. Our Lord, whomever You commit to the Fire, You have disgraced. The wrongdoers will have no helpers.
193. Our Lord, we have heard a caller calling to the faith: 'Believe in your Lord,' and we have believed. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, and remit our misdeeds, and make us die in the company of the virtuous.
194. Our Lord, and give us what You have promised us through Your messengers, and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Surely You never break a promise.
195. And so their Lord answered them: "I will not waste the work of any worker among you, whether male or female. You are one of another. For those who emigrated, and were expelled from their homes, and were persecuted because of Me, and fought and were killed - I will remit for them their sins, and will admit them into gardens beneath which rivers flow - a reward from God. With God is the ultimate reward."
196. Do not be impressed by the disbelievers' movements in the land.
197. A brief enjoyment, then their abode is Hell. What a miserable resort.
198. As for those who feared their Lord: for them will be gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever - hospitality from God. What God possesses is best for the just.
199. Among the People of the Scripture are those who believe in God, and in what was revealed to you, and in what was revealed to them. They are humble before God, and they do not sell God's revelations for a cheap price. These will have their reward with their Lord. God is swift in reckoning.
200. O you who believe! Be patient, and advocate patience, and be united, and revere God, so that you may thrive.

An account of Mary's birth was given in this chapter of the Quran in verses 35 and 36.

Birth Of Jesus - Bible vs Koran

Jesus was born in a manger.
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. (Luke 2:15-16 NIV)

Jesus was born under a palm tree.
So she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a remote place. And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, "Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten." But he called her from below her, "Do not grieve; your Lord has provided beneath you a stream. And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates. So eat and drink and be contented. And if you see from among humanity anyone, say, 'Indeed, I have vowed to the Most Merciful abstention, so I will not speak today to [any] man.'" (Surah 19:22-26 Sahih International Version)

Phúc Âm

Vì Đức Chúa Trời yêu thương nhân loại, đến nỗi đã ban Con Một của Ngài, để ai tin nơi Ngài sẽ không bị hư mất nhưng được sự sống vĩnh phúc. (Giăng 3:16)
Vì tiền công của tội lỗi là sự chết, nhưng tặng phẩm của Đức Chúa Trời là sự sống vĩnh phúc trong Chúa Cứu Thế Giê-su, Chúa chúng ta. (Rô-ma 6:23)

Have you ever wonder why the Gospel to China is brought by drug traffickers and not some righteous scholars?

The Main Theme of the Bible - 3

The whole Bible can be summarized with four words - creation, fall, redemption, restoration. This is the overall theme of the whole Bible.

Our world today is in its third stage - redemption.
The Bible described creation in two chapters (Genesis 1:1 - 2:25).
The Bible described the fall in one chapter (Genesis 3:1 - 3:24).
The Bible described the restoration in one and a half chapters (Revelation 21:1-22:5).
The bulk of the Bible give details of God's redemptive work with the following sub-themes:

1. A king and redeemer anointed by God;
2. A people and nation to be redeemed;
3. A kingdom's promised land for the redeemed (including the place where God will be worshipped).

The Promised Messiah
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15 KJV)

The Redeemed People
Say therefore to the people of Israel, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. (Exodus 6:6 ESV)

The Promised Land
Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:1-3 ESV)

Mahathir Acknowledges Weakness of Islamic Government

Quoted from the article, "At KL Summit, Dr M acknowledges failures of Islamic governments" in Malay Mail:
QUOTE
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 - Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has acknowledged the weaknesses, failures and decline of Islamic governments worldwide, amid vilification of Islam and Muslims by Western powers.
In his keynote address at the KL Summit 2019, the Malaysian prime minister pointed out that no Muslim countries were classified as developed and many have been accused of being authoritarian states lacking in concern for human rights.
"We can accuse the non-Muslim world for being biased, and unjust in their assessments. But we cannot deny the facts that there are fratricidal wars in several Muslim countries, that many are beholden to the powerful non-Muslim nations, that Muslims are running away from their own countries to seek refuge in non-Muslim countries.
"We cannot deny that we are largely dependent on the non-Muslims for most of our needs.
"In fact, although the Quran enjoins upon us to be prepared to protect the Ummah, we are unable to do so because for a long time we cannot even equip ourselves with the means to ward off the attacks by others. We depend upon our detractors to supply us," he said.
Dr Mahathir said that today, Muslim nations have lost the respect of the world and were no longer the source of human knowledge or model civilisations.
Despite being independent sovereign states, many Muslim countries have regressed to the point of being dominated by and dependent on their former European colonial masters, he said.
The world’s oldest prime minister also criticised the acts of terror many Muslim terror groups have resorted to in the belief that this represented jihad or Islamic holy struggle.
He pointed out that the acts of terror have instead harmed the religion and resulted in more Muslims being oppressed instead of freeing them.
"We are being expelled from our own countries, rejected by asylum countries, oppressed and condemned. We have caused fear of Islam to the point of Islamophobia being created.
"Yes, some, in their anger and frustration, have resorted to indiscriminate acts of violence. Innocent people have been killed, including their fellow Muslims. They have not exempted the countries which have given them refuge. Indiscriminate acts of terror were also perpetuated there.
"These are facts. Yes. We are angry and frustrated. We cannot wage a conventional war. No country would help us. But even so, what do we gain by such indiscriminate violent acts. Nothing. If at all the situation has become worse. We can declare that Islam does not advocate such violence.
"But for as long as we act in anger, as long as we do things that frightens people, and worse still if we proclaim that we are performing Islamic jihad, the fear of Muslim and Islam will not be diminished," said Dr Mahathir.
He added that that non-Muslims will not care or understand that such terrorist groups were not representative of Islam.
Dr Mahathir observed that as long as there are Muslim groups carrying out their murderous "jihad", Muslim nations will never receive the blessing of Allah.
"Yes, we claim we are carrying out the jihad. But is doing anything forbidden by Allah the way of our jihad? The al-Quran expressly forbids killing, above all killing a fellow Muslim.
"But Muslim are killing each other indiscriminately; killing innocent people, including fellow Muslims. Is this a jihad for Islam?
"I think you will agree that these killings, these fratricidal wars are not the jihad advocated by Islam. If they are not, then we are not doing what is needed to warrant help from Allah.
"Our prayers will not be answered by Allah S.W.T. We need to do what is enjoined by Allah S.W.T. in the Quran," he said.
Dr Mahathir recalled Islam's history when it was highly respected up till the 15th century when its decline started due to restriction of the pursuit of other disciplines such as mathematics and science in favour of Islamic studies to the point of exclusivity.
This had triggered the creation of the various sects as Islamic scholars began to develop different interpretations of the holy Quran and its teachings.
Before the 15th century, Islam was highly respected because its scholars and scientists were well-versed in all fields of knowledge, including the sciences and engineering, especially the manufacture of goods.
He also observed pointedly that many Muslims will console themselves that they have a better world in the afterlife or Akhirat, forgetting that Allah has also taught them to focus on living a good life as well.
Dr Mahathir reminded the dignitaries that Allah's promise to protect His believes in the material realm is conditional on the fact that Muslims must strive to help themselves first before receiving divine help.
"It is also a fact that Islam was a great civilisation when its adherents had observed the true teachings of Islam, when they were united, hardworking and keen to learn and explore the world in search of knowledge.
"And that pursuit for knowledge did not have any restrictions, limitations or caveats that only cater for the study of religion and divinity.
"Hence the reason why we are gathered here today. We gather some leaders from a few Muslim nations because we do not want the start to be unwieldy, when the differences in our perceptions are so great as to be unimplementable.
"We are hoping that we will be able to spark a sense of purpose to pursue specific ventures and tangible programmes that the few nations involved can start working on them," said Dr Mahathir.
The KL Summit was first held in 2014 and is presented as a platform for global Muslim discourse.
UNQUOTE

Islam and communism are the same. As long as Islamic societies do not follow the Koran strictly and communist countries do not follow Marx, Lenin and Mao strictly, they will prosper. But when they do, they will suffer.

It does not matter whether the cat is black or white, a cat that catches mice is a good cat. But if you insist in a green or red cat, you will be in trouble.

The Bible Gives Objective Verification

Quoted from this article, "The Christian Difference Is the Foundation of Our Christian Duty" in Cold Case Christianity:

QUOTE
Christianity is distinct in the nature of its claims and the value it places on reason, intelligence, and evidence. Some religious systems are based purely on the doctrinal, proverbial statements of their founders. The wisdom statements of Buddha, for example, lay the foundation for Buddhism. Hinduism is based on the revelations of the ancient sages as revealed in the Vedas and the Upanishads. Confucianism is established from the wisdom statements of Confucius. In all these examples, the statements of these religious leaders exist independently of any event in history. In other words, these systems rise or fall on the basis of ideas and concepts rather than on claims about a particular historical event.

Although Christianity makes its own ideological and philosophical claims, these proposals are intrinsically connected to a singular validating event: the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Why should anyone believe what Jesus said rather than what Buddha, the Hindu sages, or Confucius said? The authority of Jesus is grounded in more than the strength of an idea; it's established by the verifiability of an event. When Jesus rose from the dead, He established His authority as God, and His Resurrection provides us with an important Christian distinctive. The Resurrection can be examined for its reliability, and the evidential verifiability of Christianity separates it from every other religious system.
UNQUOTE

It is therefore not surprising that modern science came from the Europeans and not from the Muslims, the Indians or the Chinese. Objective verification is what science is all about and the Bible always insist on objective verification in key doctrines.

It is not enough to preach that Jesus died for our sins. Jesus bodily resurrected to prove to us that His death is special (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

It is not enough to tell people not to worship idols. But God Himself descended on Mount Sinai to speak to the Israelite, so that when Moses asked the Israelite not to worship idols, he appealed to their objective observation, "You saw no form of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. (Deuteronomy 4:15)"

Muslims like to boast of the Koran as a miracle because their prophet is illiterate. But I see this as a double audit issue. The prophet cannot verify what his followers wrote and his followers cannot see angel Gabriel.

Buddha preached about 8-fold path to attain nirvana but did not provide objective proof of reincarnation.

"Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth. (Deuteronomy 4:15-18 ESV)

Quran Chapter 19, Maryam

Quran chapter 19, Maryam

In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful.

1. Kaf, Ha, Ya, Ayn, Saad.
2. A mention of the mercy of your Lord towards His servant Zechariah.
3. When he called on his Lord, a call in seclusion.
4. He said, "My Lord, my bones have become feeble, and my hair is aflame with gray, and never, Lord, have I been disappointed in my prayer to you.
5. "And I fear for my dependents after me, and my wife is barren. So grant me, from Yourself, an heir."
6. To inherit me, and inherit from the House of Jacob, and make him, my Lord, pleasing.
7. O Zechariah, We give you good news of a son, whose name is John, a name We have never given before.
8. He said, "My Lord, how can I have a son, when my wife is barren, and I have become decrepit with old age?"
9. He said, "It will be so, your Lord says, 'it is easy for me, and I created you before, when you were nothing.'"
10. He said, "My Lord, give me a sign." He said, "Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three nights straight."
11. And he came out to his people, from the sanctuary, and signalled to them to praise morning and evening.
12. O John, hold on to the Scripture firmly, and We gave him wisdom in his youth.
13. And tenderness from Us, and innocence. He was devout.
14. And kind to his parents; and he was not a disobedient tyrant.
15. And peace be upon him the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the Day he is raised alive.
16. And mention in the Scripture Mary, when she withdrew from her people to an eastern location.
17. She screened herself away from them, and We sent to her Our spirit, and He appeared to her as an immaculate human.
18. She said, "I take refuge from you in the Most Merciful, should you be righteous."
19. He said, "I am only the messenger of your Lord, to give you the gift of a pure son."
20. She said, "How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, and I was never unchaste?"
21. He said, "Thus said your Lord, `It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign for humanity, and a mercy from Us. It is a matter already decided.'"
22. So she carried him, and secluded herself with him in a remote place.
23. The labor-pains came upon her, by the trunk of a palm-tree. She said, "I wish I had died before this, and been completely forgotten."
24. Whereupon he called her from beneath her: "Do not worry; your Lord has placed a stream beneath you.
25. And shake the trunk of the palm-tree towards you, and it will drop ripe dates by you."
26. "So eat, and drink, and be consoled. And if you see any human, say, 'I have vowed a fast to the Most Gracious, so I will not speak to any human today.'"
27. Then she came to her people, carrying him. They said, "O Mary, you have done something terrible.
28. O sister of Aaron, your father was not an evil man, and your mother was not a whore."
29. So she pointed to him. They said, "How can we speak to an infant in the crib?"
30. He said, "I am the servant of God. He has given me the Scripture, and made me a prophet.
31. And has made me blessed wherever I may be; and has enjoined on me prayer and charity, so long as I live.
32. And kind to my mother, and He did not make me a disobedient rebel.
33. So Peace is upon me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the Day I get resurrected alive."
34. That is Jesus son of Mary - the Word of truth about which they doubt.
35. It is not for God to have a child - glory be to Him. To have anything done, He says to it, "Be," and it becomes.
36. "God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path."
37. But the various factions differed among themselves. So woe to those who disbelieve from the scene of a tremendous Day.
38. Listen to them and watch for them the Day they come to Us. But the wrongdoers today are completely lost.
39. And warn them of the Day of Regret, when the matter will be concluded. Yet they are heedless, and they do not believe.
40. It is We who will inherit the earth and everyone on it, and to Us they will be returned.
41. And mention in the Scripture Abraham. He was a man of truth, a prophet.
42. He said to his father, "O my father, why do you worship what can neither hear, nor see, nor benefit you in any way?
43. O my father, there has come to me knowledge that never came to you. So follow me, and I will guide you along a straight way.
44. O my father, do not worship the devil. The devil is disobedient to the Most Gracious.
45. O my father, I fear that a punishment from the Most Gracious will afflict you, and you become an ally of the devil."
46. He said, "Are you renouncing my gods, O Abraham? If you do not desist, I will stone you. So leave me alone for a while."
47. He said, "Peace be upon you. I will ask my Lord to forgive you; He has been Kind to me.
48. And I will withdraw from you, and from what you pray to instead of God. And I will pray to my Lord, and I hope I will not be disappointed in my prayer to my Lord."
49. When he withdrew from them, and from what they worship besides God, We granted him Isaac and Jacob. And each We made a prophet.
50. And We gave them freely of Our mercy, and gave them a noble reputation of truth.
51. And mention in the Scripture Moses. He was dedicated. He was a messenger and a prophet.
52. And We called him from the right side of the Mount, and brought him near in communion.
53. And We granted him, out of Our mercy, his brother Aaron, a prophet.
54. And mention in the Scripture Ishmael. He was true to his promise, and was a messenger, a prophet.
55. And he used to enjoin on his people prayer and charity, and he was pleasing to his Lord.
56. And mention in the Scripture Enoch. He was a man of truth, a prophet.
57. And We raised him to a high position.
58. These are some of the prophets God has blessed, from the descendants of Adam, and from those We carried with Noah, and from the descendants of Abraham and Israel, and from those We guided and selected. Whenever the revelations of the Most Gracious are recited to them, they would fall down, prostrating and weeping.
59. But they were succeeded by generations who lost the prayers and followed their appetites. They will meet perdition.
60. Except for those who repent, and believe, and act righteously. These will enter Paradise, and will not be wronged in the least.
61. The Gardens of Eden, promised by the Most Merciful to His servants in the Unseen. His promise will certainly come true.
62. They will hear no nonsense therein, but only peace. And they will have their provision therein, morning and evening.
63. Such is Paradise which We will give as inheritance to those of Our servants who are devout.
64. "We do not descend except by the command of your Lord. His is what is before us, and what is behind us, and what is between them. Your Lord is never forgetful."
65. Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is between them. So worship Him, and persevere in His service. Do you know of anyone equal to Him?
66. And the human being says, "When I am dead, will I be brought back alive?"
67. Does the human being not remember that We created him before, when he was nothing?
68. By your Lord, We will round them up, and the devils, then We will bring them around Hell, on their knees.
69. Then, out of every sect, We will snatch those most defiant to the Most Merciful.
70. We are fully aware of those most deserving to scorch in it.
71. There is not one of you but will go down to it. This has been an unavoidable decree of your Lord.
72. Then We will rescue those who were devout, and leave the wrongdoers in it, on their knees.
73. When Our clear revelations are recited to them, those who disbelieve say to those who believe, "Which of the two parties is better in position, and superior in influence?"
74. How many a generation have We destroyed before them, who surpassed them in riches and splendor?
75. Say, "Whoever is in error, the Most Merciful will lead him on." Until, when they see what they were promised - either the punishment, or the Hour. Then they will know who was in worse position and weaker in forces.
76. God increases in guidance those who accept guidance. And the things that endure - the righteous deeds - have the best reward with your Lord, and the best outcome.
77. Have you seen him who denied Our revelations, and said, "I will be given wealth and children"?
78. Did he look into the future, or did he receive a promise from the Most Merciful?
79. No indeed! We will write what he says, and will keep extending the agony for him.
80. Then We will inherit from him what he speaks of, and he will come to Us alone.
81. And they took, besides God, other gods, to be for them a source of strength.
82. By no means! They will reject their worship of them, and become opponents to them.
83. Have you not considered how We dispatch the devils against the disbelievers, exciting them with incitement?
84. So do not hurry against them. We are counting for them a countdown.
85. On the Day when We will gather the righteous to the Most Merciful, as guests.
86. And herd the sinners into hell, like animals to water.
87. They will have no power of intercession, except for someone who has an agreement with the Most Merciful.
88. And they say, "The Most Merciful has begotten a son."
89. You have come up with something monstrous.
90. At which the heavens almost rupture, and the earth splits, and the mountains fall and crumble.
91. Because they attribute a son to the Most Merciful.
92. It is not fitting for the Most Merciful to have a son.
93. There is none in the heavens and the earth but will come to the Most Merciful as a servant.
94. He has enumerated them, and counted them one by one.
95. And each one of them will come to Him on the Day of Resurrection alone.
96. Those who believe and do righteous deeds, the Most Merciful will give them love.
97. We made it easy in your tongue, in order to deliver good news to the righteous, and to warn with it a hostile people.
98. How many a generation have We destroyed before them? Can you feel a single one of them, or hear from them the slightest whisper?

Note the difference between Quran and Bible:
Name of John the Baptizer
In 19:7 the Quran said that John is a new name never used before. In the Bible in Luke 1:59-61, the people protested that the name John was not used among Zechariah's relatives.

Mary's lineage
The Quran said in 19:28, Mary was the sister of Aaron and Aaron was the brother of Moses (19:51-53). This made Jesus a nephew of Moses and Aaron.

Take Up The Cross

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:38 ESV)

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24 ESV)

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Mark 8:34 ESV)

And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23 ESV)

Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:27 ESV)

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13 ESV)

The Gospel Is Not Always Acceptable

Sometimes it is just absolutely amazing how people find the good news of Jesus Christ unacceptable. Here is a reaction from a Sikh in a YouTube video "Christian Challenges the Existence of Karma!"

QUOTE
I think it is not a good thing we do sins and Jesus paid a price for that. If we do believe him, if we do, then we should never do a wrong thing because from inside we know whatever we doing is wrong or is right. It is the internal voice from our soul, right? But sometimes we turn off the voice of right and turn on the voice of the guilty thing when we do that just because for ourselves.
UNQUOTE

Our problem
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23 KJV)
For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. (Romans 7:19 ESV)

God's solution
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6 ESV)
I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. (1 Corinthians 15:3 NLT)

No other way
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6 NKJV)

Trade Deals

Many countries are doing trade deals. Canada, United States and Mexico just concluded a trade deal. China and United States are in the process of negotiating a trade deal. So is United Kingdom and European Union. Everyone is trading and hoping to prosper. However, this is what will happen soon. The trading system of the world will collapse.

The merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods. (Revelation 18:11 NLT)

Greatness Without Truth Is Limited

In this YouTube video "What Does Democracy Mean To The Chinese? [Street Interview]" by Asian Boss, the Chinese people interviewed genuinely felt that they were free. They accepted the limits imposed by their government and think that the great firewall as something good for them as it kept out bad influences.

Can a society achieve greatness and golden age without pursuing truth? Can we progress when we have no desire to know if the world is round or flat?

Yes. We have examples of the Chinese, Indian, Greek and Roman civilizations achieving great heights. But they were limited by the lack of interest in truth. And in their success were the seeds of failure.

For this reason, science is discovered by Christian-based Europe which has this desire to search for truth for the sake of truth, and not by the rest of the world, which is only interested in peace.

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32 KJV)

The Messianic Kingdom

A Messianic Kingdom will be established after four earthly kingdoms was first prophesied by Daniel.

Daniel gave us an overview of the future (Daniel 2:24-45). After four Gentile empires, the Messianic Kingdom will be set up. The King will be the Branch (Isaiah 11:1-9). A recreation of heaven and earth (Isaiah 65:17-25) will follow.

The Messianic Kingdom comes in four phases.

Phase 1: Unobserved (now)
Now it started small (Matthew 13:31-32) and unnoticed. It is invisible, a spiritual kingdom existing within the hearts of believers (Luke 17:20-21). Outwardly, it is in a mixed state, having both true and false citizens (Matthew 13:24-30).

Phase 2: Physically established (end of tribulation)
At the end of the great tribulation, Satan will be cast into the bottomless pit and the Messianic Kingdom will be physically established, when the Jesus the Messiah (i.e. Anointed One) reign as King on this earth (Revelation 11:15).

Phase 3: Millennium rule on the old earth
The Messiah will reign for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4). Then Satan will be released from the bottomless pit and he will led a second Gog and Magog rebellion (Revelation 20:7-10). Then it will be followed by the great white throne judgement (Revelation 20:11-15).

Phase 4: Eternal existence on the new earth
After the great white throne judgement, God will create a new heaven and new earth where the saints will dwell forever in eternity (Revelation 21:1-4).

No Hope in Hell

Three things will last forever - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT)

But these three things will not be found in hell. Hell is eternal. There is nothing to look forward to. So there is no hope. Without hope, faith is not needed. What is found in hell is the wrath of God. There is no love.

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41 ESV)

Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15 NIV)

God's KPI For Eternal Life

Jesus told them, "This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:29 NLT)

God's KPI for eternal life is very simple, clear and direct. The only key performance He requires from you is to believe in Jesus.

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 NLT)

The criteria for eternal life is to believe in Jesus.

Belief And UnBelief Is Life And Death

For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," and, "A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message - which is also what they were destined for. (1 Peter 2:6-8 NIV)

The same Jesus, when you believe, is your precious saviour. But when you do not believe, He is your stumbling block.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. (1 John 5:1 NLT)

And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. (1 John 2:22 NLT)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2 ESV)

Election And Luck

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. (Proverbs 16:33 ESV, NIV)

The same law of physics determine the casting of lots, whether it is for gambling or for the election of an apostle.

Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:26 NIV)

Politics From Biblical Perspective

I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:3 NIV)

Those who support Israel will be blessed. Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the American embassy there and America became great again.

If this history were to be written in the Biblical style of Kings and Chronicles, maybe it may go something like this:
"President Donald Trump moved the embassy to Jerusalem and it greatly pleased the LORD. He then caused his enemies to be confused and they were unable to war against him. And he greatly prosper America."

But from a secular perspective (and even Biblical history has secular perspective if you care to dig), Donald Trump is a person who dared to act out of the box. Acting out of the box does not guarantee success. Donald Trump acted out of the box at an opportune moment.

Everyone said if the American embassy were to be moved to Jerusalem, Middle East will be on fire. But Donald Trump moved the embassy at a time when the Gulf Arab countries were facing a hostile Iran. They prefer not to anger America over Jerusalem.

Everyone said if there is a trade war with China, the whole world will suffer and there will be no winner. But Donald Trump launched the trade war with China at a time when Xi Jinping thought that China has become a great power and was demanding respect from everybody. Internally, he imposed Maoist Communist policies to consolidate his political power. Externally, he started throwing his weight around and bully the small nations, making China very unpopular. His Maoist economic policies began to worsen the already declining economy of China. His great power mindset made him react wrongly to the trade war.

The success of a country, company or a person is only because of ability, but also the inability of the competition. Microsoft can take over the personal computer OS because of IBM's inability. Apple iPhone can win the smart phone war because of Nokia's inability. Google's Android can take over the smart phone OS because of Microsoft's inability.

Donald Trump's out of the box actions succeed only when God made the eternal environment suitable for success.

Difference Between Bible-Based Christianity and Other Religions

Many people always say, "All religions are the same. They teach you to be good." But there are two important difference between the Bible-based Christianity and the other religions of the world.

1. Love
   In Bible-based Christianity, God demonstrates His love for us by words and deeds. In all other religions, love is something spoken about.
   But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NASB)
2. Salvation
   In Bible-based Christianity, you are saved by what God did for you. In all other religions, you are saved by what you do.
   For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

Biblical Salvation By Works

Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:9 KJV)
The Bible is very clear. Salvation cannot be obtained by works. But there are many who call themselves Christians still insist in doing some good works for salvation, just in case their faith is not enough.

Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" (John 6:28 NIV)
Good news for those Christians who want to be saved by works. There is a biblical way to do so.

Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:29 NIV)
The only work you need to do to save yourself is to believe in Jesus.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)

The Unforgiveable Sin

Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:31-32 ESV)

"Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" - for they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit." (Mark 3:28-30 ESV)

And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. (Luke 12:10 ESV)

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. (Hebrews 6:4-6 NIV)

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:26-29 NIV)

Belief Not Performance

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17 ESV)

God told Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or he will die. Adam did not believe God, ate the fruit and died.

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2 ESV)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

God then made provision for the salvation of men by making His Son Jesus the propitiation for our sins that whosoever believe in Him shall have eternal life.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV)

The Christians of the church in the Corinth, who used to be gross sinners, believed and they inherited eternal life.

For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." (Galatians 3:10 NIV)

Eternal life is about belief, not performance.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:36 ESV)

Adam Is In Hell

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17 ESV)

When we get to heaven, there is one person we won't see. That is Adam, the first man.

What has Adam done? He committed the one unpardonable sin, the sin of unbelief. Adam did not believe in God even though he received the command from God personally.

We were not told that Adam was sexually immoral or worshipped idols or steal, cheat and lie. He did none of these sins which is now common among men. His sin was unbelief.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV)

On the other hand, the Christians of the church in the Corinth were really bad sinners. They were sexually immoral, they worshipped idols, they stole and cheated and lied. However, they repented and believed that Jesus had die for their sins. And they were saved because they believed.

And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. (1 Timothy 2:14 NIV)

Adam did not believe God and sin came into the world.

God made provision for the salvation of men by making His Son Jesus the propitiation for our sins that whosoever believe in Him shall have everlasting life.

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2 ESV)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

Eternal life is not about performance. It is about belief.

Salvation By Works

They asked, "What must we do in order to accomplish what God requires?"
Jesus replied, "This is what God requires, that you believe in him whom God sent." (John 6:28-29 CEB)

We always heard that we are saved by grace through faith. Can we prove from the Bible that we are saved by works?

Yes. And the only work that God requires from us is to believe in Jesus. If we refuse to believe in Jesus, nobody can save us. Jesus died for all sin, except for the sin of unbelief.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)

Unbelief Is Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. (Matthew 12:31 NIV)

Jesus died for the sins of the world. But there is one sin that Jesus did not die for. That is the sin of unbelief. Unbelief is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. We know that a person has committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit when he refuse to believe in the Word of God even when he draw his last breath. As long as he has breath, he can still repent.

What Must I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 10:25 NIV)

A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 18:18 NIV)

Two person came to Jesus to ask Him what they must do to inherit eternal life. One was a Jewish lawyer (Luke 10:25-37) and another a rich man (Matthew 19:16-22, Mark 10:17-22, Luke 18:18-23).

Jesus did not give them right answer directly, which is, "You can do nothing to inherit eternal life."

Instead, He asked the rich man to give away all his wealth and the lawyer, who was a Jew, to love the Samaritan. To both of them, it was an impossible task. The rich man went away disappointed. We were not told of the lawyer's reaction.

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith." But the law is not of faith, rather "The one who does them shall live by them." Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us - for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree" - so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:10-14 ESV)

Only Jesus can save. We can do nothing.

Be Lucky

My wife always say to me, "Be hardworking."
I always say to her, "Be lucky."
I think I have the Bible on my side.

Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. (Proverbs 23:4 NLT)

I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don't always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time. (Ecclesiastes 9:11 NLT)

Moses And Islamic Logic

Allah does not speak to men directly.
It is not fitting for a man that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by the sending of a messenger to reveal, with Allah's permission, what Allah wills: for He is Most High, Most Wise. (42:51 Yusuf Ali version)

Allah spoke to Moses directly.
Of some messengers We have already told thee the story; of others We have not;- and to Moses Allah spoke direct;- (4:164 Yusuf Ali version)

Logical conclusion:
Moses is not human.

Jacob The Supplanter

Esau said, "Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing." Then he said, "Have you not reserved a blessing for me?" (Genesis 27:36 ESV)

Has it ever occurred to you why did God allowed Jacob to cheat his brother Esau's birthright and blessing? Why didn't God just made Jacob the first born? Then Jacob would just inherit Isaac's birthright and blessings legitimately.

And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad - in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls - she was told, "The older will serve the younger." (Romans 9:10-12 ESV)

The Sons Of Jacob

The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant: Dan and Naphtali. The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram. (Genesis 35:23-26 ESV)

These sons of Jacob, other than Joseph, were no exemplary characters. The Bible wrote these about the sons of Jacob:

1. Reuben slept with his father's concubine Bilhah (Genesis 35:21-22).
2. Simeon and Levi are violent characters who killed men in anger (Genesis 34:25-26) and tortured animals for fun (Genesis 49:5-6).
3. Judah looked for prostitutes after his wife passed away (Genesis 38:15-19).
4. Jacob's sons also sold Joseph to the Midianites (Genesis 37:28) and took part in looting Shechem (Genesis 34:27-29).

What can we learn from all these bad examples?

The first thing we learn is that God's will cannot be stopped by the sin of men. The success of Israel is never dependant on the goodness of Israel, but on the faithfulness of God.

For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6 KJV)

The next thing we can learn from these bad examples are there is no one is so bad that he cannot be saved. Hell is reserved for those who think that they are good, not for those who know that they are bad. Whosoever who know that they are bad and believed that Jesus can save them will be saved.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

True Versus Provable

Can something be true and yet not provable? We look at the following is a quote from "What is Gödel's proof? - Scientific American"

QUOTE
Kurt Gödel's incompleteness theorem demonstrates that mathematics contains true statements that cannot be proved. His proof achieves this by constructing paradoxical mathematical statements.

To see how the proof works, begin by considering the liar's paradox: "This statement is false." This statement is true if and only if it is false, and therefore it is neither true nor false.

Now let's consider "This statement is unprovable." If it is provable, then we are proving a falsehood, which is extremely unpleasant and is generally assumed to be impossible. The only alternative left is that this statement is unprovable. Therefore, it is in fact both true and unprovable. Our system of reasoning is incomplete, because some truths are unprovable.
UNQUOTE

I said in my haste, All men are liars. (Psalm 116:11 KJV)

Believe And Be Saved

Peter's words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?"

Peter replied, "Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away - all who have been called by the Lord our God." (Acts 2:37-39 NLT)

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:16 ESV)

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:36 ESV)

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:12 ESV)

Other religions said do good and be saved. Jesus said, "Believe me and be saved."

Not Fulfilling Lust

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:14 ESV)

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16 ESV)

Visible Act Of God

So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations (גּוֹיִ֣ם). Then they will know that I am the LORD. (Ezekiel 38:23 ESV)

God has not intervened in the world in such a manner that the world recognize His action for a very long time. At this moment, God's will is driven through forces of nature, acts of humans, social forces and random chance. It is the will of God, but it is not recognized as such.

But the prophet Ezekiel mentioned that an event will happen and God will make Himself known to all the nations of the world. Please keep watch for this event.

Why is Jesus Qualified to be the Savior?

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,

"Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,

"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" (Revelation 5:6-12 ESV)

Good works cannot cancel out sin. But can one be punished on another's behalf?

Suppose a man killed another and he has to pay for the sin by his life. Can he get someone to die on his behalf? No. The person who sins is the one who will die (Ezekiel 18:20).

Suppose a man committed an offence and was fined a huge sum of money. He was unable to pay. Can someone pay the fine on his behalf? Yes. Since only money is required so justice is satisfied.

Money is a creation of men. When money is needed, who can come up with the money? The creator of money, man.

Life is a creation of God. When life is needed, who can come up with life? The creator of life, God.

So what qualifies Jesus to die for the sins of the world?

1. Jesus is God and the creator of the world. Through Him all things were made (John 1:3).
2. Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3), thus fully human, to fulfill the Law (Matthew 5:17) and was sinless (Hebrews 4:15).
3. The wages of life is death (Romans 6:23) but because Jesus is sinless (2 Corinthians 5:21), He paid for our sins once by His death (Romans 6:10) and was able to be resurrected because He was sinless and death cannot hold Him (Acts 2:24).

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4 ESV)

For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17 NIV)

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV)

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15 CSB)

Good Works Cannot Cancel Out Sin

Recently a convicted undergrad molester escapes jail time because the judge cited that his academic results showed he had the "potential to excel in life" and "He was 22 years old when he committed the offences... and the nature of the acts (is) relatively minor." But Singaporeans were outraged that the offender can get lighter sentence because of good grades.

If a person who drove for forty years without breaking any traffic offence, can he be pardoned if he is caught dashing through a red light for the first time?

If a person was involved in a charity that saved thousands of lives, is he entitled to murder one person?

It is strange that some people think that it is just if God will put good works and bad works on a scale and then reward according to which is heavier. If this is justice, why are people angry that the NUS undergraduate molester got a lighter sentence? The judge put his good grades and molesting deeds on a scale and found his good grades heavier than his molesting act.

Good works cannot cancel sin. Justice demands that every sin has to be punished. God is just and is obliged to punish every sin. Otherwise God would be unjust. But God is merciful. How can God pardon the sinner without being unjust?

God does not pardon sinners for free. He sent His only begotten Son Jesus to "the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:2)" so that God can now freely pardon any sinner that turn to Him for mercy. Thus justice and mercy can be reconciled and God can be "just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:26)"

Consequences Of Rejecting Truth

For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. (2 Corinthians 13:8 ESV)

What happened if you refuse to accept the truth? Pastor Yeow Koon Tin, former senior pastor of Pasir Panjang Christ Church, gave two outcomes. Either you become a victim of the unbelief or you become a liar that spread falsehood.

If we reject truth, we will get lies. There is no such thing being neutral to both truth and lies.