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Author's Journal Transcripts for Dr. L. Wesley Jones |
Dr. L. Wesley Jones has served as the KNLS Director of Follow Up Teaching since the late 1980's. Dr. Jones brings a great deal of experience to his ministry, having served for many years as a Christian evangelist throughout the United States and Canada. He also served extensively as an overseas missionary, most notably in the world's most populous Muslim nation, Indonesia. Following the September 11 attacks on the United States by Islamic militants, Mr. Jones began writing a series of messages that are designed to promote greater understanding and respect between Muslims and Christians.
As we search for understanding between Christians and Muslims we notice a very prominent feature of Muslim life: everything a Muslim does, says or thinks is part of Islam. Islam, which means surrender, that is surrender to Allah, is all-encompassing. No part of a Muslim’s life is outside his faith. He is encouraged to continually repeat or think
There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.
If one is getting his first glimpse of Islam it may seem this is a form of extremism. One may react by saying, "All of the Muslim’s life is his religion, his total life is his relationship with Allah?" Yes, that is what Islam teaches. Home, family, professional life, education and entertainment are all included in the Muslim’s faith. Hummm..
Well, why should a Christian find that so strange? The Christian is taught to
That whatever he does in word or deed is in the name of Christ.…pray without ceasing.
These are all encompassing. The Christian’s citizenship, his family, his daily work are all to be done with an attitude of prayer and in the name of Christ!
As I ponder these things I wonder how many Christians know this about Muslims and how many Muslims know this about Christians. Would it not be good if we each knew this about each other? But I think we would all agree there is a problem:
In each religion, Christianity and Islam, there are so many of us who do not live up to this ideal.
Some of us have pledged our loyalty to God who do not live as if we had made that pledge.
I believe that is true of some Muslims and some Christians. There are some called Christians whose behavior is very different from their founder, Jesus Christ. Some of these amass wealth and depend on material things for their security. Some of these dishonor the name of Christ with alcohol and gambling and still call themselves Christians. There are groups of people called Christians who are at war with each other as in Northern Ireland.
Regarding Muslims there are some who are brutal. Some extremists among Muslims will destroy lives and property in the name of their religion. Some will supply financial support to their religion by growing poppies from which comes Opium, by which many become addicted to drugs for life.
Some of us who are Christians are embarrassed by the behavior of some who are called Christians. I believe there must be some Muslims who are embarrassed by the behavior of some of their Muslim brethren.
What is the answer? I would like to know what you think is the answer, dear listener. I have studied both the Bible and the Qur’an and I do not believe this hypocrisy and extremism is justified by either. I do believe that Christians and Muslims should be in a dialogue with each other, getting to know each other and studying the true and faithful ways to God.
If you want to write me about this message or others, please write to
KNLS, Anchor Point, AL 99556 USA
Salam Aliakum
Would you like to return to Dr. Jones list of articles, or would you like to return to the Author's Journal page?
As we greet our Muslim friends today from KNLS our theme is mercy. Such mercy is one of the characteristics of Allah or God. While we seek his mercy, and mercy from one another in daily life, it is in the final judgement we will all throw ourselves on the Mercy of God. The Qur’an says:
and that would be (Salvation), the obvious fulfillment of all desire.On that day if the penalty is averted from any, it is due to Allah’s Mercy,
Or as the Indonesian Qur’an reads
sesungguh Allah telah memberikan rahmat kepadanya, dan itulah keberuntungan yang nyata.Barangsiapa yang dijauhkan azab daripadanya pada hari itu, maka
It is obvious that none of us is worthy to be in the presence of God, whether now or in the final
day. It is clear therefore that we must depend on the mercy of God.Both the Qur’an and the Bible tell us of the great flood in the days of Noah. The Qur’an gives a story of one son of Noah who refused to come into the ark. He told his Father that he would go on a high mountain away from the flood. Noah told his son,
whom He hath mercy.On this day nothing can save from the command of God , any but those on
Tidak ada yang melundungi hari ini dari azab Allah selain Allah saja, yang
Maha Penyayang.The old hymn to which we were listening at the beginning is entitled, "O God, Our Help in Ages Past, Our Hope for Years to Come." As God was merciful to those who entered the ark before the flood, so he will be merciful to us who enter his way today.
There are two other things about Mercy we should notice: First, Mercy means we have hope without having performed perfectly. If we did everything perfectly God requires of us we would have no need for Mercy. God is our hope for years to come, even in the judgement, because he is a God of Mercy. The New Testament says,
Mercy triumphs over judgement.
A second thing to be noted as we conclude today is that, while Mercy is a gift from God, and we depend on his Mercy for our salvation, Mercy is also something we must practice with each other. What right do I have to ask God for His Mercy if I am not ready to be Merciful to each of you, to my family members, my neighbors and all the citizens of the world? This is not to say it does not matter what one believes as long as he is peaceful. It is rather to say, if we are peaceful and respectful, if we show mercy to one another we may join in the pursuit of truth, and if you and I are merciful with each other, we can make a giant step toward creating a peaceful world in which to learn more about Allah. Allah Ahkbar.
If you want to write me about this message or others, please write to
KNLS, Anchor Point, AL 99556 USA
Salam Aliakum
Would you like to return to Dr. Jones list of articles, or would you like to return to the Author's Journal page?
Greetings Muslims Friends. Among the those to whom Allah has spoken, as recorded in the Qur’an and the Bible, is Adam. The Qur’an records the Adam story at creation in Surah 2:30-39. Allah said to Adam:
things therein as where and when ye will, but approach not this tree, or ye run into harm and transgression.O Adam, dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden; and eat of the bountiful
This language of the Qur’an is very similar to what we read in the Bible in Genesis 5:17:
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
Thus the Bible and the Qur’an record the story of the first human pair, the temptation by Satan, (he is called Iblis in the Qur’an), and the entrance of sin into the world. The story of the two sons of Adam and Eve is recorded in Genesis chapter 4, and in the Qur’an in Surah five. Both proclaim the creation story and the entry of sin into the world.
In the Bible there are further references to the story of Adam. Hosea 6:6-8, for example. God is rebuking his children for their unfaithfulness in actions as well as attitudes, and refers to Adam as an example of their unfaithfulness:
8 Gilead is a city of wicked men, stained with footprints of blood.6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. Like Adam, they have broken the covenant-- they were unfaithful to me there.
Adam’s sin is key to understanding the new story, the good news of salvation. In Rom 5:12-15
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-- 13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!
The effects of the sin of Adam were far reaching. Death entered into the world and reached us all. The effects of the grace of Christ are "much more" and they overflow to many. That gift does more for us than simply erasing the effects of physical death. That gift provides eternal life.
It is for this reason that the Apostle Paul writes further:
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
This is in 1 Corinthians 15:17-26. It is because of this declaration that Christians begin with the story of Adam in Genesis and continue with it through the story of the Second Adam in whom all are made alive.
If you want to write me about this message or others, please write to
KNLS, Anchor Point, AL 99556 USA
Salam Aliakum
Would you like to return to Dr. Jones list of articles, or would you like to return to the Author's Journal page?
Greetings, muslim friends. Allah Akbar! God is great!
From KNLS we greet you once again. In this series we are addressing our Muslim friends with respect. It is our opinion that dignity and respect should characterize all of the relationships between in Muslims and Christians.
Today I share a story from the Qur’an Sura 19, and from the Gospel of Luke chapter 1. Zakariya and Maryam are both old, and Zakariya desires for someone to carry on his mission in life. The
Qur’an , sura 19, ayat 4 and 5, record Zakariya’s prayer. Here is a portion of it.
glisten with grey; but never am I unblest...so give me an heir as from thyself."O my Lord! Infirm indeed are my bones, and the hair of my head doth
In response God promised Zakariya a son whose name would be John or Yahya Both the Gospel and the Qur’an tell us that Zakariya questioned God. How would he know this promise would be fulfilled? The Indonesian New Testament reports the following in the Gospel of Luke 1:18:
Lalu kata Zakaria kepada malaikat it: "Bagaimanakah aku tahu, bahwa hal ini akan terjadi? Sebab aku sudah tua dan isteriku sudah lanjut umurnya." Jawab malaikat itu kepadanya: "Akulah Gabriel yang melayani Allah dan aku telah diutus untuk menyampaikan kabar baik ini kepadamu."
When God promises a son to Zakariya and Maryam he gave Zakariya a sign. He would lose his ability to speak and hear until the child was born. The couple need not have doubted, just as we need not doubt the promises of God when he works out our problems.
If we are guilty of fretting about someone to carry on the work we are doing, our professional work, our ministry, our trade, our family future, these can be committed to God and he will provide.
When the child was born to Zakariya and Maryam, he was named John or Yahya and, as you may know he was the great John the Baptist. Jesus said of him, in the Gospel of Luke 7:28:
John the Baptist...Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than
We should also notice what John or Yahya said of Jesus in the Gospel of John 1:29:
dan berkata: "Lihatlah Anak domba Allah, yang menhapus dosa dunia.""Pada keesokan harinya [Yahya] melihat Yesus datang kepadanya,
In the English Bible,
the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look,
We notice in closing what the Qur’an says about the character of John the Baptist. Allah is the speaker in sura 21:90 . Of John or Yahya Allah said,
[He] was ever quick in emulation, in good words; [he] used to call on us with love and reverence and humble [himself] before us.
At the beginning of today’s Greetings to Muslim Friends, we spoke of Christians and Muslim regarding each other with respect and dignity. In that spirit we have today studied the story of Zakariya and Maryam and Jesus. We have taken note of the character of John as recited from the Qur’an – he was a man of reverence and respect for the way of God. It was such a one as John who proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God who had come to take away the sins of the world.
Safe to say that all of us, speaker and listeners, are in need of the removal of sins, that is, sins taken away. Please write to me about today’s program and this subject of sins to be removed. Let me know if I have correctly represented the Qur’an and if I have spoken with respect for my Muslim Friends.
Would you like to return to Dr. Jones list of articles, or would you like to return to the Author's Journal page?
Biblical Prophecy For Mohammed?
Greetings muslim friends. In this series we have spoken of Muslim beliefs and Christian beliefs. Usually we have turned to the Qur'an to discuss Muslims beliefs and to the Bible to discuss Christian beliefs. Sometimes we have emphasized beliefs held in common. Sometimes we have described differences.
As always we are eager to know what you as a listener are thinking. Today is no exception. This will be one of those times when we speak of differences between Muslims and Christians. It would be unfair for me to present a Christian viewpoint without inviting you to present your viewpoint. Listen for my address at the end and write to me, if you choose. As this series continues we want to have your thoughts.
Very special people called PROPHETS are important in both the Bible and the Qur'an. Both Christians and Muslims consider PROPHETS to be special messengers of God -- those who speak the message of God. Moses was one such PROPHET, highly regarded by both Christians and Muslims. In his old age he said
The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. From Deut 18:15
That verse in the Indonesian Bible reads as follow:
Seorang nabi dari tengah-tengahmu, dari antara saudara-saudaramu, sama seperti aku, akan dibangkitkan oleh Tuhan Allahmu; dialah yang harus kamu dengarkan.
If we are good students of this sacred literature we must ask, Of whom did Moses speak?
The apostles of the New Testament stated clearly that Moses was speaking of Jesus. You may read in Acts of Apostles 3:19-26.
19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you-even Jesus. 21 He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22 For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.'
The credible PROPHET Moses passed the mantle of prophetic authority to Jesus. Of course, there were other PROPHETS, trusted and honored. Just now we speak of Moses and Jesus.
The question arises, was there another such PROPHET to follow Jesus? Was there to be another divine revelation through another PROPHET, from God, from Allah, to the human race?
Muslims say that Mohammad was such a PROPHET who brought further revelation from heaven, revelation beyond the New Testament. The Muslim view is that one cannot know the complete will of Allah without that further revelation which the Muslim reveres as the Qur'an.
Furthermore, Muslims say that Jesus himself promised another PROPHET. He was one who would guide us into all truth. Jesus is quoted in the Qur'an in the following manner, reading first from the English translation and then from Indonesian:
And remember Jesus, son of Mary, said: O children of Israel! I am the Apostle of God sent to you confirming the law which came before me, and giving glad tidings of an Apostle to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.
This is found in Surah 61:6.
Now the Indonesian rendering of the same passage from the Qur'an:
Dan ingatlah ketika Isa putra Marjam berkata: "Hai Bani Israel, sesungguhnya aku adalah utusan Allah kepadamu, membenarkan kitab yang turun sebelumku , yaitu Taurat dan memberi chabar gembira dengan datangna seorang Rasul yang akan datang sesudahku, yang namanya Ahmad.
In fairness to Christians, is there any such promise from the lips of Jesus in the New Testament? Does Jesus anywhere say that another Apostle or teacher would follow him? All of these are opinions based on such verses as the gospel of John 14:16, 17. In English these verses are as follows:
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
Who is this Spirit promised by Jesus? The Greek word which is used in the original New Testament manuscript is paracletos. Here is an opinion offered by the Muslim scholar, Muhammad Yusuf Ali. This scholar says
"Ahamad or Mohammad, the Praised One, is almost a translation of the Greek word paraclytos." He continues that Muslims scholars "contend that Paracletos is a corrupt reading for Paraclytos, and that in the original saying of Jesus there was a prophecy of our Holy Prophet by name."
So, lest I confuse you, let me rehearse: Jesus promised a paraclete to follow him. In Greek, a paracletos. Muslims believe Christians have allowed the Scripture to be corrupted and that Jesus actually said Paraclytos which is a word which "almost" means Mohammad.
What do Christians believe about the promise of Jesus? That Jesus was speaking of the Holy Spirit, sometimes called the Spirit of Truth. They believe that world renowned Greek scholars have translated the Spirit from paracletos. They believe the text is not a corruption, but a glorious truth which honors Allah. In fact in these passages from the gospel of John, Jesus spoke of this Holy Spirit in the following manner in chapter 14:26:
But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you.
The Holy Spirit , the paracletos, was sent by Allah. The Indonesian New Testament says,
"Roh Kudus, yang akan diutus oleh Bapa dalam namaku…"
Here is indeed a matter requiring careful study. Christians must continually examine the Bible text to be sure of its integrity. Muslims must look carefully at Bible texts when the texts are quoted by the Qur'an and Qur'anic scholars. Christians feel a great need for the help of the Holy Spirit as promised by Jesus, and as coming from Allah. Thank you for listening so carefully, and remember I will be blessed if you will write to me.
Would you like to return to Dr. Jones list of articles, or would you like to return to the Author's Journal page?
The New Life Station is pleased to provide transcripts online for a number of KNLS programs. Please note that all scripts are the property of World Christian Broadcasting and/or SeedSower Productions. They are provided here for your personal enjoyment only and may not be disseminated in any fashion without prior written permission.