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6 Tips for the Aspiring Writer – the Road to Publishing Your Book
May 28th
6 Tips for the Aspiring Writer – the Road to Publishing Your Book
I had the opportunity to query a selection of authors about their respective paths to publication. These authors were generous in their advice. They opened up with regard to their trials and hardships, as well as their victories, both major and minor. I sincerely acknowledge and thank these authors for their contributions: JB Kohl, Frank Johnson, David David Katzman, and A.T. Miller.
I asked the authors the following question. For the person hoping to be published, is there a single piece of advice you would like to pass on? Here’s what they had to say.
Take the Time to Enjoy the Writing
Frank Johnson, author of Roseanna’s Reply, says, “Don’t put yourself under some difficult self imposed deadline. There is certainly a line that has to be drawn for those of you out there who lean too far the other way and tend to be such perfectionists that you never finish, but it is important to stay flexible.”
The point is well taken. One online author claimed to have worked on her first novel for ten years before finally self-publishing. Possibly this author was in no hurry to see her book published, or she is an extreme perfectionist. Conversely, a famous young-adult fiction writer says she wrote her first novel in three months in her spare time. It’s hard to fault the success of this multi-million selling author, but she is probably the exception on the other side of the spectrum.
I believe Frank’s position is that there is a happy medium. I tend to agree. Frank expands on his point, “After my first draft, I did a major revision to the book and took out 80 pages. That was a little hard to swallow but I got over it in a couple of days and then tried to enjoy the challenge of getting the re-write right.” (emphasis mine)
So enjoy the labor of writing your book. King Solomon said, “…I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work…” As Frank Johnson stated, “Take the time to enjoy the writing.”
Find Yourself, Find Your Voice
The author of Exordium of the Faerie: Io’s Exodus, A. T. Miller says it is necessary to, “…find yourself. Find your voice, something original, and build upon that. You must write from what you know, and in your own way. That is what makes a good writer and a good work.”
Don’t merely imitate another author’s style. There is only one you in the world. Allow your unique self to show through in your writing. How would it feel to be compared to great authors like Addison, Andersen, Longfellow or Poe? What a compliment to be likened to Angelou, Austen, Bronte or Christie. All are brilliant authors.
Have you ever thought of what it would feel like to have someone else compared to you? It would be fine to hear a critic say, “I love his/her unique and original style of writing.” Like A. T. Miller says, “Find yourself. Find your voice.” (emphasis mine)
Always Be Focused on Your Craft
David David Katzman gives advice that’s in sync with Johnson and Miller. Artist, and author of Death By Zamboni, Katzman advises aspiring authors to, “Always be focused on your craft, never the end goal.” This is sound advice because it encourages you to remain focused on what’s most important. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by the big payoff. This ensures the best of you goes into your creation. Dreaming about the payoff does not contribute to your creation. It’s the creation that ultimately provides the big payoff, so you want your efforts targeted toward your creation.
Miller approaches this subject from a more technical angle: “…work on your craft. If you are not a strong writer, get out your grammar guide. Make it your Bible.” More good advice: know your weaknesses. If you want to be your best, use all the tools at your disposal.
In the movie/play, Glengarry Glen Ross, the sales slogan was, “ABC-Always Be Closing.” When it comes to writing your book, I like David David Katzman’s advice, “Always be focused on your craft…”
Develop Thick Skin
Expect rejection. Expect harsh, critical reviews. All authors have received rejections and poor reviews, deserved or not. These are growing pains; don’t take them personally. A.T. Miller advises, “Look in the mirror and call yourself all manner of derogatory names. Find your worst weak points in writing and skewer yourself with them. Get used to it, because you are not the only one who will be doing it.”
I have read many book reviews and artist reviews. Even Stephen King has a bad day now and then. As you develop your craft, bad days will become fewer and farther between. When they do come, your experience and perseverance will have thickened your skin.
Don’t Count On Someone to Notice You
The publishing industry has changed dramatically from back in the day. Although traditional publishers abound, the competition is stiffer than ever. Unless you’re a seasoned veteran or popular multi-umpteen-selling author, there is a burden on you to make yourself known. Especially for your first book, it’s up to you to get noticed because at this point, you’re virtually anonymous. You can look at it as a setback that you have to market yourself, or you can see it as an opportunity.
Until you’re established as an author, don’t quit your current job. David David Katzman advises, “Don’t count on someone to notice you. Send it out, but if no one responds, do it yourself. Remember Van Gogh. Not the ear-cutting-off part. The never-supporting-himself-financially-from-his-art part.”
Keep Submitting
Finally, you can measure the thickness of your skin by how you handle rejections of your inquiries and manuscripts. Again, don’t take the rejections personally. The reasons for rejection are many. Sometimes your submissions are rejected because the agent or publisher has been there done that: your book is nothing new or different. Sometimes you haven’t done your research and the publisher receives your romance novel when they specialize in science fiction. Revamp your inquiry letter. Re-research the agents’ and publishers’ requirements. When you’re sure you have it right, submit again. And again. JB Kohl, author of The Deputy’s Widow, encourages, “Keep submitting. It’s the one sure way to end up published.”
Telecommunications Engineer, freelance artist and writer, Les Anderson has been published in business-related, telecommunications technical trade journals.
Formal education aside, his best artistic education comes from personal studies under Hollywood portraitist, Alexander Rosenfeld, and Southern California watercolorist, Margaret Hunter.
Canvas and Pen,
motivation and inspiration for writers and artists.
Canvas and Pen Blog,
a little edgier, with your feedback.
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Who Said Woe Unto Me? in the Sacred Books
May 28th
Who Said Woe Unto Me? in the Sacred Books
According to the Bible, King David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Job, Micah, the Philistines and, the daughter of Zion said, all of them said: Woe is me or Woe unto me.
King David said: Woe is me! Because I dwell in the tents of Kedar! – Isaiah said: Woe is me! Because I am a man of unclean lips and mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts – Jeremiah said: 1) Woe unto us! For we are spoiled, 2) Woe is me because I am borne a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! Every one curses me, 3) Woe unto us! For the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out, 4) Woe unto us that we have sinned! – The Philistines said; God is come into the camp. Woe unto us, who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? And the daughter of Zion: Woe is me now! For my soul is wearied because of murderers.
On the other hand, the Quran says that when an unbeliever sees his book that recorded his deed he will say: ‘Woe to me would that my book had not been given to me! And the Unbelievers will say: 1) Woe for us! ‘Who has roused us from our graves? This is what Allah promised; the messengers have spoken the truth! ‘, 2) Woe to us! This is the Day of Judgment! , 3) Woe to us! We did wrong indeed!” and 4) ‘woe to us, truly we were insolent
——-
Before dealing with the topic of “Woe” in Quran versus Bible versus sciences, it is compulsory to remember that the total words in the Bible are 788,280 while the total words in the Quran are 77,473. It follows that, the Bible is more than 10 times the Quran word-wise. “Woe” is mentioned 104 times in the Bible and 34 times in the Quran, i.e. the Bible mentions “Woe” more than three times as does the Quran. In other words, the Bible has the potential of more than 10 times (word-wise) and seven times (subject-wise) than the Quran to talk about “Woe”. The subject of “Woe” is too big, that it why it will be classified into parts, this is the first pat, “Who said Woe unto me?”
——-
Who said Woe unto me? In the Bible
King David: Woe is me! Because I dwell in the tents of Kedar! (Kedar is the son of Ishmael).
Psalm 120:5
Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!
Isaiah: Woe is me! Because I am a man of unclean lips and mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
Isaiah 6:5
Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
Isaiah: woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously
Isaiah 24:16
From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous? But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.
Jeremiah: Woe unto us! for we are spoiled
Jeremiah 4:13
Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.
Jeremiah: Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous
Jeremiah 10:19
Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous; but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it.
Jeremiah: Woe is me because I am borne a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! Every one curses me
Jeremiah 15:10
Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.
Jeremiah: Woe is me now! for the Lord has added grief to my sorrow
Jeremiah 45:3
Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.
Micah: Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits
Micah 7:1
Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the first ripe fruit.
The Philistines said; God is come into the camp. Woe unto us, who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods?
1 Samuel 4:7
And the Philistines were afraid, for they said; God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.
1 Samuel 4:8
Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
The daughter of Zion: Woe is me now! For my soul is wearied because of murderers.
Jeremiah 4:31
For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.
Jeremiah: (Prepare ye war against her) Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.
Jeremiah 6:4
Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.
Jeremiah: woe unto us, that we have sinned!
Lamentations 5:16
The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!
Job: If I be wicked, woe unto me
Job 10:15
If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;
——-
Who said Woe unto me? In the Quran
‘They will say:’ Woe for us! ‘Who has roused us from our graves? This is what Allah promised; the messengers have spoken the truth! ‘
Surah: 36, Verse: 51-54
[51] And the horn is blown, and, from the graves they rush forth to their lord.
[52] ‘Woe for us! ‘They will say. ‘Who has roused us from our sleeping place? This is what the merciful promised; the messengers have spoken the truth! ‘
[53] It will be no more than a single blast, when lo! They will all be brought up before us!
[54] Today, no soul shall be wronged a thing. you shall not be recompensed except according to your deeds.
When the unbeliever sees his book that recorded his deed he will say: ‘Woe to me would that my book had not been given to me!
Surah: 69, Verse: 25
But, he who is given his book in his left hand will say: ‘Woe to me, would that my book had not been given to me!
Woe to us! This is the day of judgment!”
Surah: 37, Verse: 16-21
[16] What, when we are dead and become dust and bones, shall we then certainly be raised and resurrected?
[17] What, and our forefathers, the ancients! ‘
[18] Say thou: “yea, and ye shall then be humiliated (on account of your evil).”
[19] It will be but one shout, then see, they are watching
[20] They will say, “Ah! Woe to us! This is the day of judgment!”
[21] (A voice will say,) “this is the day of sorting out (judgment, separation), which you belied.
They will say, “Woe to us! We did wrong indeed!”
Surah: 21, Verse: 46-47
[46] If but a breath of the wrath of thy lord do touch them, they will then say, “Woe to us! We did wrong indeed!”
[47] we shall set up scales of justice for the day of judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least, and if there be (no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, we will bring it (to account): and enough are we to take account.
They said ‘woe to us, truly we were insolent
Surah: 68, Verse: 31
They said ‘woe to us, truly we were insolent! (we have indeed transgressed!- we were outrageous , we were inordinate) ‘
Back to the main topic of my series of articles (1- 79); this is my question to you smart readers: “Is the Quran quoted from the Bible “?
Professor Dr. Ibrahim Khalil
Prof. of Clinical and Chemical Pathology,
Head of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control Unit,
Ain-Shams University. Cairo, Egypt.
And,
President of the Egyptian Society of Inventors.
Member of the Egyptian union of Writers
Nicu Preemie Baby Book
May 28th
Nicu Preemie Baby Book
This book contained the answers to questions I had while my baby was in the NICU. As a second-time parent, I was especially concerned with attachment issues with my baby that might arise from being hospitalized. This book, written by the attachment-parent gurus helped to alieviate some of my fears as well as give tips for encouraging attachment.
Preemie Chronicles: Our NICU Experience
After reading many reviews, I finally ordered 3 books about premature babies. This book was definetly the BEST. I read through it daily and it answered many questions. I especially recommend it if your baby had no problems and was only in the incubator to grow up.
My beautiful first grandson was born on Thanksgiving Day 2006, 1 day prior to being in the womb for 27 weeks, he weighted 2lbs 2ounces. My daughter-in-law’s water broke when she was pregnant for only 25 weeks and she had be in the hospital, laying flat on her back for 2 1/2 weeks. The doctors had us prepared for the worst, however, my grandson who is now 8 weeks old is doing great and so far no major problems. He is still in the hospital but we expect that he will be home soon. The Premature Baby Book was great, I bought a copy for my daughter-in-law at a well known bookstore, but was unable to find a copy for me so I went on line and found it at AMAZON. This book answered all of the questions that we had while traveling this journey of having a premature infant in your life from infections to how to deal with nurses you are not sure that they have your childs best interest when taking care of them along with what to expect of your baby. I highly recommend the book because it sure gave us alot of peace. Since my children were full term babies, I am learning so much and having the pleasure of seeing our precious preemie thrive outside the womb and is doing so well. We are blessed that he is in a great hospital with wonderful staff and the book serves as a great guide and is very informative. If you or anyone you know has a premature baby, by all means give them this book, you will give them a peace of mind to know that almost all of their questions are answered in this book.
How to write book proposal?
May 28th
How to write book proposal?
You are a first-time writer and you have just finished writing your book, your first book, your dream, your ticket to success, fame, and glory. You feel terrific and on top of the world, don’t you? I know. I have been there, being a writer myself.
But hang on. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your job is done. It’s only half done, or maybe even less than that. What remains to be done is the critical part of finding a publisher for your book. To do that, you have to write a book proposal, and this article will help you with just that. So here are the steps of writing a book proposal.
Identify the publishers that you want to send your proposals to.
Go to the websites of these publishers and read the guidelines for manuscript submission carefully.
Typically, different publishers have different guidelines.
But most publishers will want a brief synopsis of the book, information about you and your past writing experience, and 2 or 3 sample chapters.
Some publishers accept proposals of books that are complete or close to complete. They do not accept proposals of books that are in the very early or early stages.
Some publishers do not allow simultaneous submissions. Typically, these publishers will be big and good publishers, and if they don’t allow simultaneous submissions, chances are that their turnaround time will be quick too. So it might be worth it to send your manuscript to them and wait till you hear from them. If you get a negative response, you can submit to other publishers.
Some publishers do not accept unsolicited manuscripts and book proposals. Check if this is the case with one of the publishers that you have identified, and if yes, do not send your book proposal to them since there is no point in doing that.Write a good synopsis of your book.
Organize your thoughts.
Write about your book’s subject, theme, plot, and message, and why it will appeal to the readers.
Write a few things about your writing style.
Highlight the main target audience of your book.Write about yourself. This should be fairly straight-forward.
Write about your past writing experiences. This should be fairly straight-forward as well.
Mention all the items that you have attached with your book proposal.
Close the proposal with a cheerful and optimistic “Hope to hear from you soon.”
Restrict the overall proposal to at most two pages only.
Choose the best two or three chapters from your book to send along with the proposal.
If the publisher wants you to send a hard copy to them, take a printout of the letter, sample chapters, and make sure to include a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) in the proposal.
If the publisher accepts the book proposal by email, then just ZIP all the contents in a ZIP file and send it to the appropriate address.
That’s it! You are done! Follow these guidelines and your chances of getting a positive response will increase dramatically.
Of course, it has to be said that, ultimately, the response is likely to be positive if your book (as judged by your sample chapters) is good. Most first-time writers get rejected because the quality of their English is just not up to the mark. Being a publisher I have had to read such bad language that it is unbelievable that the writers actually believed that their proposal would be accepted. Even if the books are published, they have very little chance of selling the first edition. Sometimes, if the language is acceptable, the subject matter or the plot is un-cooked or half-cooked. So make sure that you do your absolute best with your book before you submit it to a publisher. Get help from professional editors if you have the means. Even if you find their charges a bit too high for your taste, good editors are worth their weight in gold. They will point out mistakes that you wouldn’t and couldn’t have imagined.
I have written enough. I will now sign off wishing you all the very best for your book proposal and the book.
<!–[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 </xml><![endif]–> <!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –> <!–[if gte mso 10]> <! /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:”"; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”;} –> <!–[endif]–>Prashant Karhade is the founder of APK Publishers.
Does the Lord Repent? in the Sacred Books
May 28th
Does the Lord Repent? in the Sacred Books
The definition of Repent according to the Linguistics, Psychiatrists, Sociologists and Theologizes
To Repent means to feel sorry for an imprudent act, To feel remorse for what one has done or failed to do, To feel regret for past conduct of intemperate behavior , To cause to feel remorse or regret.
Psychiatrists say that to repent means to feel sorry, self-reproachful, or contrite for past conduct; regret or be conscience-stricken about a past action, attitude, etc.
Sociologists say that to repent means to feel ashamed of a fault as to be disposed to change one’s life for the better.
Theologizes say that to repent means to feel sorry for sin ; to make a change for the better as a result of remorse for one’s sins. We all must repent or perish. God will throw those who refuse to repent into unquenchable fire.
Does the Lord Repent? In the Bible
The Lord commands the Israelites to Repent from all their transgressions.
However, the Bible says that they did not Repent.
Instead, the Lord himself was the one who always repents.
Moses said to the Lord: repent and do not bring disaster on your people, Then the LORD repented. David said to the Lord: Repent, Have compassion on your servants, Then the LORD repented. Joel and Jonah said to the Lord: repent of the evil, and God repented of the evil. The Lord sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it, Then He repented. Also, the Lord said: If the people repent and obey, I will repent.
However, it seems likely that the Lord usually repented. Nevertheless, the Lord asks: Should I repent? But, What if the Lord does not repent? He will bend and string his bow and struck down nations in fury subdued with aggression. The nations should be careful because the Lord have decided and will not repent.
Nonetheless, the Bible says that God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent
The Lord commands the Israelites to Repent from all their transgressions.
Ezekiel 14:6
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
Ezekiel 18:30
Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
Moses said to the Lord: repent and do not bring disaster on your people, Then the LORD repented.
Exodus 32:12
Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; repent and do not bring disaster on your people.
Exodus 32:14
Then the LORD repented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
David said to the Lord: Repent, Have compassion on your servants, Then the LORD repented.
Psalm 90:13
Repent, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants.
Psalm 106:45
for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he repented.
The Lord sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it, Then He repented.
1 Chronicles 21:15
And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil,
Joel and Jonah said to the Lord: repent of the evil, and God repented of the evil.
Joel 2:13
And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
Jonah 3:9
Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
Jonah 3:10
And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
Jonah 4:2
And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
If the people repent and obey, the Lord will repent
Jeremiah 18:8
and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will repent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.
Jeremiah 26:3
Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will repent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done.
Jeremiah 26:13
Now reform your ways and your actions and obey the LORD your God. Then the LORD will repent and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you.
Jeremiah 26:19
“Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah fear the LORD and seek his favor? And did not the LORD repent, so that he did not bring the disaster he pronounced against them? We are about to bring a terrible disaster on ourselves!”
However, it seems likely that the Lord usually repented.
Amos 7:3
So the LORD repented. “This will not happen,” the LORD said.
Amos 7:6
So the LORD repented. “This will not happen either,” the Sovereign LORD said.
Nevertheless, the Lord asks: Should I repent?
Isaiah 57:6
The idols among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion; they, they are your lot. Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings and offered grain offerings. In the light of these things, should I repent?
What if the Lord does not repent?
He will bend and string his bow and struck down nations in fury subdued with aggression.
Psalm 7:11
If he does not repent, he will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow.
Isaiah 14:6
which in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows, and in fury subdued nations with repentless aggression.
The nations should be careful because the Lord have decided and will not repent
Jeremiah 4:28
Therefore the earth will mourn and the heavens above grow dark, because I have spoken and will not repent, I have decided and will not turn back.”
Ezekiel 24:14
I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord GOD.
It follows that, it is confusing to know that the Lord repented, and then He asks if He should repent. Then He decided not to Repent.
The puzzlement will great if we know that the Lord is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent. Now the question is: who was the one who kept repenting in the preceding verses?
Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Does the Lord Repent? In the Quran:
The Quran declares that Allah cannot be questioned for His acts, but they will be questioned (for theirs); and He never ever repents. It is the man who will be asked about his acts. Also, the Quran gives three examples of the most famous Historical Repents and they are 1) Adam’s son, 2) People after Noah and 3) Thamud people. Also, the Quran says that the Hypocrites will certainly repent in the Afterlife. And, the Quran gives an advice to the Believers in order not to repent.
Allah cannot be questioned for His acts, but they will be questioned (for theirs). This verse says that Allah is above all, no one can ask or question Him about His acts, and He never ever repents. On the other hand, it is the man who will be asked about his acts at the Day of Judgment.
Surah 21:23
He cannot be questioned for His acts, but they will be questioned (for theirs).
The most famous Historical Repents:
1) One of the Adam’s sons killed his brother; the murder became full of Repent.
Surah 5:30-31
[30] The (selfish) soul of the other led him to the murder of his brother: he murdered him, and became (himself) one of the lost ones.
[31] Then Allah sent a raven, who scratched the ground, to show him how to hide the shame of his brother. “Woe is me!” said he; “Was I not even able to be as this raven, and to hide the shame of my brother?” Then he became full of regrets (Repent).
2) People after Noah
After Noah, Allah sent many Prophets and Messengers that we do not know exactly how many they were. This is the story of each of them.
Surah 23: 31-42
[31] Then We raised after them another generation.
[32] And We sent to them a Messenger from among themselves, (saying), “Worship Allah! Ye have no other god but Him. Will ye not fear (Him)?”
[33] And the chiefs of his people, who disbelieved and denied the Meeting in the Hereafter, and on whom We had bestowed the good things of this life, said: “He is no more than a man like yourselves; he eats of that of which ye eat, and drinks of what ye drink.
[34] “If ye obey a man like yourselves, behold, it is certain ye will be lost.
[35] “Does he promise that when ye die and become dust and bones, ye shall be brought forth (again)?
[36] “Far, very far is that which ye are promised!
[37] “There is nothing but our life in this world! We shall die and we live! But we shall never be raised up again!
[38] “He is only a man who invents a lie against Allah, but we are not the ones to believe in him!”
[39] (The prophet) said: “O my Lord! help me: for that they accuse me of falsehood.”
[40] (Allah) said: “In but a little while, they are sure to be sorry! (Repenting)”
[41] Then the Blast overtook them with justice, and We made them as rubbish of dead leaves (floating on the stream of Time)! So away with the people who do wrong!
[42] Then We raised after them other generations.
3) Thamud people
The people of Thamud disobeyed, denied then repented; but it was too late.
Their Messenger is called “Salih”. This story is not found in the Bible.
Surah 26: 141-158
[141] The Thamud (people) rejected the Messengers.
[142] Behold, their brother “Salih” said to them: “Will you not fear (Allah)?
[143] “I am to you a Messenger worthy of all trust.
[144] “So fear Allah, and obey me.
[145] “No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds.
[146] “Will ye be left secure, in (the enjoyment of) all that ye have here?
[147] “Gardens and Springs,
[148] “And corn-fields and date palms with spathes near breaking (with the weight of fruit)?
[149] “And ye carve houses out of (rocky) mountains with great skill.
[150] “But fear Allah and obey me;
[151] “And follow not the bidding of those who are extravagant,
[152] “Who make mischief in the land, and mend not (their ways).”
[153] They said: “Thou art only one of those bewitched!
[154] “Thou art no more than a mortal like us: then bring us a Sign, if thou tellest the truth!”
[155] He said: “Here is a she-camel: she has a right of watering, and ye have a right of watering, (severally) on a day appointed.
[156] “Touch her not with harm, lest the Penalty of a Great Day seize you.”
[157] But they ham-strung her: then did they become full of regrets.
[158] But the Penalty seized them: Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them did not believe.
The Hypocrites will certainly repent in the Afterlife. Then the Quran gives an advice to the Believers in order not to repent.
Surah 5: 52
Those in whose hearts is a disease, thou seest how eagerly they run about amongst them, saying: “We do fear lest a change of fortune bring us disaster.” Ah! Perhaps Allah will give (thee) victory, or a decision according to His Will. Then will they repent of the thoughts which they secretly harboured in their hearts.
Then the Quran gives an advice to the Believers in order not to repent.
Surah 49:6
O ye who believe! if a wicked person comes to you with any news, ascertain the truth, lest ye harm people unwittingly, and afterwards become full of repentance for what ye have done.
Again, It should be emphasized that Islam consider saying that the Lord repents or repented as a big unforgiving offense in respect to the Lord the Almighty Creator.
Anyone who believes that the Lord the Almighty Creator has repents or repented put himself in the category of unbeliever and he is responsible for himself at the Day of Judgment when the Lord the Almighty Creator asks him:” Do I repent? Did I repent?
The wise one should prepare his answer for that big day.
Back to the main topic of my series of articles (1- 44); this is my question to you smart readers: “Is the Quran quoted from the Bible “?
Professor Dr. Ibrahim Khalil
Prof. of Clinical and Chemical Pathology,
Head of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control Unit,
Ain-Shams University. Cairo, Egypt.
And,
President of the Egyptian Society of Inventors.
Member of the Egyptian union of Writers
An animated Interpretation of the book of Jonah. Yes Jonah is a girl. Quite fitting really, since he was a big girl and was too scared to go to Nineveh. Feel free to download and use. thedanw.webs.com
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Bible Versus Quran Versus Sciences, (26) the Locusts
May 28th
Bible Versus Quran Versus Sciences, (26) the Locusts
The Locusts are mentioned in the Bible 36 times and in the Quran two times, i.e., the Bible cites the Locusts 18 times more than the Quran does.
Furthermore, the total words of the Bible are 788,280 while the total words of the Quran are 77,473. It follows that, the Bible has the likely of more than 10 times than the Quran word-wise to talk about the Locusts. In addition, the Bible has the prospective of more than 35 times than the Quran topic-wise to utter about the Locusts.
The Locusts in the Bible:
The LORD punished Pharaoh and Egypt with Locusts:
Exodus 10:1
[The Plague of Locusts] Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among them
Exodus 10:4
If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow.
Exodus 10:12
And the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over Egypt so that locusts will swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields, everything left by the hail.”
Exodus 10:13
So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the LORD made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts;
Exodus 10:14
They invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again.
Exodus 10:19
And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt.
Locusts as food:
Leviticus 11:22
Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper.
Matthew 3:4
John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
Mark 1:6
John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
Locusts devour, 12 verses tell that Locusts devour the fields which is a common knowledge that anyone knows:
Deuteronomy 28:38
You will sow much seed in the field but you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it.
Deuteronomy 28:42
Swarms of locusts will take over all your trees and the crops of your land.
2 Chronicles 7:13
“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,
Psalm 78:46
He gave their crops to the grasshopper, their produce to the locust.
Isaiah 33:4
Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young locusts; like a swarm of locusts men pounce on it.
Jeremiah 51:14
The LORD Almighty has sworn by himself: I will surely fill you with men, as with a swarm of locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you.
Joel 1:2
[An Invasion of Locusts] Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your forefathers?
Joel 2:1
[An Army of Locusts] Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand-
Amos 4:9
“Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards; I struck them with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the LORD.
Amos 7:1
[Locusts, Fire and a Plumb Line] This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the second crop was coming up.
Nahum 3:15
There the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down and, like grasshoppers, consume you. Multiply like grasshoppers, multiply like locusts!
Lift up this banner in the land
Jeremiah 51:27
“Lift up a banner in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations for battle against her; summon against her these kingdoms: Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz. Appoint a commander against her; send up horses like a swarm of locusts.
The Bible says that Locusts are countless; however, we can count the bacteria nowadays!
Judges 6:5
They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it.
Judges 7:12
The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.
Psalm 105:34
He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number;
Jeremiah 46:23
They will chop down her forest,” declares the LORD, “dense though it be. They are more numerous than locusts, they cannot be counted.
Nahum 3:16
You have increased the number of your merchants till they are more than the stars of the sky, but like locusts they strip the land and then fly away.
Again, this verse says that the number of merchants are more than the stars of the sky; this statement is impossible from the scientific point of view.
One event that is repeated twice; Read and Compare:
1 Kings 8:37
“When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come,
2 Chronicles 6:28
“When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when enemies besiege them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come,
Although the two verses talk about one event, however, in the first verse, there is one enemy; this enemy became many enemies in the second verse. Could one enemy multiply like that?
No rain if the heavens are shut up!
2 Chronicles 7:13
“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,
The scientific relation between the Horse and a locust:
Job 39:19
“Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?
Job 39:20
Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting?
The locust shakes off:
Psalm 109:23
I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.
The locust is one of the four smallest creatures on Earth, and has no king!
Proverbs 30:24-30
24 “Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise:
25 Ants…, 26 Coneys…
27 locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks;
The Bible classifies of the Locusts into locust swarm, young locusts, great locusts and other locusts:
Joel 1:4
What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left other locusts have eaten.
Joel 2:25
“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm — my great army that I sent among you.
When the sun appears the locusts fly away, and no one knows where:
Nahum 3:17
Your guards are like locusts, your officials like swarms of locusts that settle in the walls on a cold day— but when the sun appears they fly away, and no one knows where.
This verse is not appropriate scientifically.
Locusts came down out of the smoke:
Revelation 9:3
And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth.
The locusts looked like horses:
Revelation 9:7
The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces.
The Locusts in the Quran:
Five plagues in one verse versus one plague in six verses:
7:133
so we sent (plagues) against them the flood and the locusts and the Lice and the frogs and the blood – a succession of clear signs. but they were arrogant and became a guilty folk.
In one verse, the Quran says that Allah Punished Egypt with five different plagues that are the flood, the locusts, the Lice, the frogs and the blood.
Five plagues are mentioned in one verse in the Quran while one plague (the Locusts) is mentioned in six verses in the Bible.
At the Day of Judgment, the unbelievers will spread abroad out of their graves as if they are Locusts:
54:6-8
[6] Therefore, (O Prophet) turn away from them. The Day that the Caller will call (them) to a terrible affair (a painful thing).
[7] With downcast eyes, they come forth from the graves, spread abroad, as they were locusts
[8] Hastening, with eyes transfixed, towards the Caller! “this is a hard day!” the Unbelievers will say.
This meaning is not found in the Bible.
I do not know why the Bible is not interested to tell us about the Day of Judgment which is a very important issue in the Quran.
Back to our main issue; this is my question to you smart readers: Is the Quran quoted from the Bible? And which book contradicts with the sciences? The book which says: the Locusts are countless, the merchants are more than the stars of the sky, the locust is one of the four smallest creatures on Earth and/or when the sun appears the locusts fly away, and no one knows where or what do you think?
Professor Dr. Ibrahim Khalil
Prof. of Clinical and Chemical Pathology,
Head of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control Unit,
Ain-Shams University. Cairo, Egypt.
And,
President of the Egyptian Society of Inventors.
Member of the Egyptian union of Writers
Related Book Of Nahum Articles
Aromatherapy Books Store the Chronicle of Natural Benefits
May 28th
Aromatherapy Books Store the Chronicle of Natural Benefits
Books, what for they are? Are they merely for a reading or to grab some knowledge? Andrew Lang said, “You can cover a great deal of country in books”. Apt said indeed, because books carry knowledge and age old wisdom which is of immense importance. Aromatherapy Books are just like that. They carry forward the wisdom and knowledge of the age old practice of aromatherapy that uses nature as the prime force behind. With aromatherapy books, you can save a lot of time and money which you might have to spend for going through a full aromatherapy learning session.
Aromatherapy is the practice of ancient days. But the practice has gained a new momentum in today’s world when everyone has got conscious enough about the health. In today’s frenzied life, you can’t help but looking for a viable solution for your health. So, that’s supplied by aromatherapy massage and skin care and other natural and herbal aromatherapy cure systems. These all are enclosed in books and to read and suck the knowledge about it, you don’t need to know Sanskrit or Mandarin (Chinese). These books are available in almost all the popular languages now including the English versions. Moreover, further research is also being done in terms of aromatherapy and all these are included in several books. So, books are not the best friends, they are guides too and aromatherapy books not only guiding you, but also they provide you the best ways to combat your stress, mental or physical.
Some of these aromatherapy books are really well-researched and these are available in common stores too. Or, you can also look for aromatherapy books in the nearest library. They must have raked up some books for you.
Aromatherapy has got many special abilities mainly because it is based on natural ingredients like essential oils which are the extracted oils from the plants and herbs. There are particular essential oils for particular uses. There are again blends of essential oils which are used to heal and create an aroma of natural cure. Information about all these you can easily get from the aromatherapy books and enhance your knowledge base, simply to improve yourself, your health.
Well, if you don’t have enough time to find the best store and the best books on aromatherapy, there are sure shots online too. There are stores online from where you can easily pick up your choice of aromatherapy books. “The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy” by Valerie Ann Worwood is one of the best books for the beginners while “Advanced Aromatherapy” is another book for those who know it already. There are other great books too. And, these books are worthy enough to let you know enough about aromatherapy.
Mia Bilkins is working with the New Directions AU. He has also been involved in research on plants and oils for a long time. To find Aromatherapy books, Botanical, botanical skin care products, floral water, raw materials you need to visit http://www.newdirections.com.au
The God of Ishmael – a Sermon on Genesis 21
May 28th
The God of Ishmael – a Sermon on Genesis 21
We’ve been working our way through the story of Abraham for some time now – stories about Abraham & Sarah, Abraham & his family, Abraham & his descendents, Abraham and the promises God made to him – Abraham the ‘father of faith’.
We started the story when this aging Bedouin figure had the word of God come to him and, at the age of 72, climbed up onto his camel and headed out into the unknown.
If you have a very good memory, you may remember that Abraham rode from his homeland in Ur up to Haran in the North, then down into Canaan in the South West – to a land that was one day to be named after his grandson, ‘Israel’. And Abraham pitched his tent in that land and he claimed that land by faith, as the rightful homeland of his descendants, even though he was 75 years old and had no descendents.
If you know the story, you will remember that a strange event then took place. Three mysterious men came to visit Abraham and Sarah and shared a prophecy – that these two would have a child of their own within a year.
Abraham at this stage was 99 years old, we are told, and Sarah was well past ‘the way of women’. So she laughed when she heard the prophecy – a laugh of cynical disbelief. But her cynical laugh became a laugh of surprised joy when the baby was born as predicted, and so she called him ‘Isaac’ – meaning ‘she laughed’ (though God knows how she could have been laughing after giving birth in her old age).
It was a great miracle nonetheless. It would be a great miracle if it happened today. Today we have girls as young as 12 in Sydney getting pregnant and giving birth, but not women as old as 70 or 80. That sort of thing only happens in church!
But just when you thought that the story of Abraham was looking like a religious version of The Waltons, we find that things start to turn nasty. Sarah decides to do away with Abraham’s other son Ishmael, along with Ishmael’s mother, Hagar, and Abraham goes along with the plan and more or less condemns the two to death.
It is a grizzly scene. Sarah tells Abraham to get rid of them because she does not want this son of a slave woman to be his heir. Abraham is upset with Sarah because she’s talking about his son. He doesn’t appear to be too worried about Ishmael’s mother, Hagar, who had been his lover. At any rate, he complies and sends them both away.
And you’d think that he’d give them a camel and enough money and supplies to set themselves up somewhere else. He could have done that.
Abraham was a wealthy man. He could have given them enough food and provisions to last them for the rest of their lives. He doesn’t do that. Instead he gives them a loaf of bread and a bottle of water – one bottle of water between the two of them – and sends them off into the desert.
Hagar and Ishmael are not given enough to survive. They are given enough to get far enough away from the camp so that Abraham won’t have to see or hear them die. Well, that’s how it must have been perceived by Hagar and Ishmael at any rate. From the perspective of the author of the book of Genesis it’s not quite that simple.
You see Hagar and Ishmael aren’t simply innocent victims of Sarah’s irrational rage. Hagar used to work for Sarah before she became the mother of Abraham’s heir. This meant that if Abraham died, that Ishmael would be in charge of everything, which would mean that Sarah, if she survived Abraham, would find herself subject to Ishmael and to Hagar. And it’s clear from the story that Hagar has already worked this out, and has started acting a bit too big for her boots.
And Ishmael is not just a happy smiling toddler at this stage. He’s a stroppy young teenager, about 14 years old. And the story suggests that he’s already starting to throw his weight around with young Isaac, as teenagers are apt to do. Isaac gets his revenge of course, more so than he probably expected (or even desired).
And Abraham carries out the grizzly task under protest. He prays about it and gets assurance from God that God will take care of Ishmael (if not Hagar).
Even so, Abraham appears to be almost too faithful in the way in which he leaves it all to God – making no realistic earthly provision for his son or his son’s mother whatsoever. Certainly Ishmael would remember the day when his dad kissed him on the head and said ‘best of luck’, and sent him off into the desert with his bottle of water and with no other means of survival.
Sarah of course comes across as about as endearing as the wicked queen in Snow White when she orders the expulsion of the child, even if her own place of authority in the family was at being placed at risk.
I suppose Isaac had reason to be pleased, though I suspect that he mourned the loss of his brother. I’m sure Abraham shed some tears. Perhaps Sarah laughed again as she saw her enemies leave camp. Perhaps she felt pangs of guilt. We don’t know.
It all has the makings of a good soap opera – one man, two women, multiple children, jealousy, greed and murder. If only we had got the whole crew on Jerry Springer before it reached its tragic climax, with Hagar leaving Ishmael to die under a tree.
Ishmael should have been a strapping young lad by that stage of course, full of energy and young muscularity, and yet he apparently faded even faster than did his mother. Perhaps the emotional shock of it all was more than he could take. At any rate, we’re told that she couldn’t stand to watch him die, so she goes off a distance to die alone. But God ‘hears the cry’ of the boy and He comes to save both mother and son from death.
This is the surely most beautiful verse in the story:
“God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he isâ€. (Genesis 21:17)
It reminds me very much of another word from God that appears a little further down the track of the Biblical narrative, where the descendents of Isaac ‘cried out to God because of their slavery’ in Egypt. And we’re told,
“God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.†(Exodus 2:24)
God, it seems, tends to have his ears open to the cries of the vulnerable. As it happened in Exodus, so it happens here! God hears the cry of the boy and He remembers His promise, not to Israel this time, but to Ishmael!
God had plans for Ishmael! God had made promises to Ishmael. God was going to build out of Ishmael a mighty nation! The interesting thing of course is that this man and these promises and this mighty nation do NOT form any central part of the ongoing Biblical narrative as we have it. This all becomes a part of another story. Dare we say it – it becomes part of the story of Islam!
I think this is why I have never seen a stained-glass window depicting the life of Ishmael.
In our Bibles, the story of Ishmael more or less finishes here. In the Koran though we read of Ishmael going on to Mecca and building a Mosque there. He becomes the physical father of the Arab peoples, and spiritual father to the Islamic community!
Now it’s not my job to tell you whether the account you read of in the Koran is true or false. And it’s certainly not my job to tell you whether you should like or admire Ishmael. What I must tell you though, from Genesis chapter 21, is that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, – the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ – is clearly also the God of Ishmael!
What do we do with that?
Isn’t the Bible the story of God’s salvation of the world through His chosen people, the descendents of Abraham, the Jews, and through that special descendent of Abraham, Jesus? Yes, it is, surely, and through Jesus, we ourselves trace a spiritual link directly back to Abraham.
St Paul would say that Abraham is the father of all of us who have faith. He is the founding father of the people of God, as we count ourselves to be a part of the people of God. Abraham’s people were God’s ‘chosen people’. And now we have been called to be part of that ‘chosen people’ who live by the grace of God in the cross of Christ.
We share a spiritual identity with Abraham and his descendants. Abraham is the father of faith. His story is our story. His people are our people. His God is our God. And yet in Genesis 21, it appears that our God is also Ishmael’s God!
Hagar and Ishmael are persons with whom we do NOT naturally share any spiritual identity. Hagar and Ishmael are NOT the mother and father of faith. Hagar and Ishmael are NOT chosen by God in the same way that Isaac and Jacob are. Surely these people are NOT our people, their story is NOT our story, and yet … OUR God turns out to be THEIR God too!
I don’t know if you feel uncomfortable at the thought of your spiritual connection to Ishmael. If it doesn’t irk you particularly, try to see it from the perspective of the ancient Jews, who were the first intended recipients of this Biblical story. Think about it from the perspective of a modern Jew! For it is the Palestinian people who are the modern descendents of Ishmael.
Most Jews do not feel a great sense of natural kinship with their Palestinian brethren: “Your history is NOT my history. Your people are NOT my people. This land is NOT your land.†And yet … here in Genesis 21 we are straightforwardly reminded that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is their God too!
I don’t know if you’ve met many Ishmaels. I’ve met a few. You don’t meet many here in church on a Sunday morning. They’re not generally at church, any more than they’re at the synagogue. You’ll find Ishmael and his buddies down at the mosque. They are a different people, different history, different religion. And yet … they are children of the same God!
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that all religions are the same (that’s what you say when you don’t take anybody else’s religion seriously). And I’m not saying that it doesn’t’t make any difference how you think of God or how you speak of God or how you respond to God. Of course it does. What I am saying is just what Genesis says: that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendants is also the God of Hagar and Ishmael and their descendents.
God loved Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and He loved Ishmael and his children too. God had a special plan for the life of Abraham and his descendents, and that He had a special plan for the life of Ishmael and His descendents as well.
“Hear O Israel†Moses would later say “Hear O Israel that the Lord thy God, the Lord is one.†There is only one God. He is the God of both brothers – Isaac and Ishmael. He is the Lord of both nations – both Jews and Palestinians. Ultimately He is the Lord and heavenly father of us all!
God ‘heard the cry’ of young Ishmael as he lay dying under the tree, just as God later ‘heard the cry’ of the Israelites under bondage in Egypt, just as God hears our cries and our prayers, as He hears the cries and the prayers of those who have nothing to do with us – those who are not part of our church, and not part of our religion.
We may well understand more of God than many of our neighbours. It may well be true that many here have a deeper experience of the presence of God than would most of our neighbours. It is almost certainly true that most of us here are serving God more deliberately and faithfully than are many persons in our community. And yet, in the final analysis, our God is their God. Their God is my God. The God who loves me and bleeds for me is the same God who loves and bleeds for them. Because the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the God of Ishmael too!
Rev. David B. Smith
(the ‘Fighting Father’)
Parish priest, community worker,
martial arts master, pro boxer, author, father of threewww.fatherdave.org Get a free preview copy of Dave’s book,Sex, the Ring & the Eucharist when you sign up
for his free newsletterat www.fatherdave.org
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. (The Book of Genesis 1:11) And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (The Book of Genesis 1:12) Prohibit the use of coca leaves and marjuana is just a gesture of Anti-Semitism and an insult to the book of genesis.
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Books In Sync Recognizes For A Second Year Author Allen Epling
May 28th
Books In Sync Recognizes For A Second Year Author Allen Epling
Who holds the truth: Science or the Bible?
Beyond Genesis: The Untold Story of Man’s Origins by Allen Epling
With all the public fascination lately with ´Bible Codes´, the author has uncovered ´hidden´ messages in the book of genesis that could not have been understood until the present age of understanding. With a refreshingly new interpretation, based on present day knowledge, Allen Epling presents new evidence that the events in Genesis are real and that there is a genetic link to the patriarchs of the Old Testament.
Beyond Genesis offers an alternative explanation for the origin of man that is unique and different from either side in the familiar Creationism versus Evolution debate. The author believes the truth revealed in this book was not meant to be understood completely until the present age of information and reason. He reveals new insights which uncover a storyline in Genesis that has previously gone unnoticed. He offers timely new explanations for all the “myths” of Genesis. All hypotheses are based on sound, recent science and the field of genetics, and are supported through references to the original sources. The central theme of the entire book is that the book of Genesis is accurate historically, and that modern man is a product of BOTH the evolutionary processes, AND a unique, separate line of man, the one referred to in Genesis. The book also reveals the ultimate “plan” for man and that it is not finished.
Beyond Genesis Book Review:
In Beyond Genesis, author Allen Epling attempts to solve the decade’s long debate between science and religion, Creationism versus Evolution. Epling proposes that the book of Genesis is historically accurate. The problems lie in the interpretation and translation of ancient text originally written in Hebrew. Epling goes on to suggest that if interpreted correctly, the Book of Genesis would fit with what is considered true in scientific data.
Epling draws on his considerable formal education and life long study and research of religion, history, and the work of earlier religious scholars to explain the mysteries of Genesis. He explains how the first two chapters of the book of Genesis describe two different creation events: the first around 12 billion years ago when God creates Heaven and Earth in a burst of light known as the “Big Bang,” with man-like creatures (Neanderthals, etc.) beginning nearly 2 million years ago.
The second Creation Event took place around 6 thousand years ago when God created the Garden of Eden, Adam and domesticated animals. Epling uses new discoveries in genetics and science as evidence to back his hypothesis that both scientific theory and religious belief about creation are correct.
Is Allen Epling’s interpretation of Genesis the true version? As of now, we have no way of knowing for certain. His theories are as believable as anything presented by academia, science, or religion. I urge you to pick up a copy of this compelling argument, to keep an open mind, and to make your own decision.
I highly recommend Beyond Genesis to anyone open to alternative religious theories and to those who have allowed science to cloud their faith.
Reviewed by WR Potter for Reader’s Choice Reviews.
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Details:
ISBN13: 978-1-4257-0414-8 (Trade Paperback)
ISBN: 1-4257-0414-X (Trade Paperback)
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ISBN: 1-4257-0415-8 (Hardback)
Pages: 110
Subject: HISTORY / Ancient / General
Subject: HISTORY / Civilization
Subject: RELIGION / Antiquities & Archaeology
Subject: RELIGION / History
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What Nations Which Get Woe in the Sacred Books?
May 28th
What Nations Which Get Woe in the Sacred Books?
Nations that deserve Woe in the Bible:
There are many Woes to the Israelites that are mentioned in six verses, Woes to Jerusalem, the bloody city! In five verses then there are another five Woe that are allied to the Israelites ; and they are Woes to: 1) the shepherds of Israel, 2) Ephraim (one of the Israelites’ tribes), 3) Ariel, the city where David dwelt, 4) Zion and 5) the daughter of Zion.
Woes to the Israelites (in six verses):
Jeremiah 4:13
Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.
Jeremiah 6:4
Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.
Lamentations 5:16
The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!
Hosea 7:13
Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
Hosea 9:12
Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!
Jude 1:11
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
Woes to Jerusalem, the bloody city! The filthy, polluted, and oppressing city! (In five verses):
Jeremiah 13:27
I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?
Ezekiel 24:6
Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it.
Ezekiel 24:9
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great.
Nahum 3:1
Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;
Zephaniah 3:1
Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
Woe to the shepherds of Israel
Ezekiel 34:2
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
Woe to Ephraim (one of the Israelites’ tribes).
Isaiah 28:1
Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!
Woe to Ariel, the city where David dwelt
Isaiah 29:1
Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.
Woe to them that are at ease in Zion
Amos 6:1
Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!
Woe to the daughter of Zion
Jeremiah 4:31
For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! For my soul is wearied because of murderers.
In addition, then there are a dozen of Woes that are distributed unto 1) Moab, 2) Philistines, 3) Assyrian, 4) the land which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, 5) those who go to Egypt, 6) Babylon, 7) Cherethites!, 
the land of the Philistines, 9) Unrepentant Cities, 10) Chorazin!, 11) Bethsaida and 12) the multitude of many people.
Woes to Moab:
Numbers 21:29
Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites.
Jeremiah 48:1
Against Moab thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed.
Jeremiah 48:46
Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives.
Woe to the Philistines
1 Samuel 4:7
And the Philistines were afraid, for they said; God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.
1 Samuel 4:8
Woe unto us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? These are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
Woe to the Assyrian
Isaiah 10:5
[God's Judgment on Assyria] “Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath!
Woe to the land which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
Isaiah 18:1
Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia:
Woe to those who go to Egypt
Isaiah 31:1
Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!
‘Woe! Woe to Babylon, the great city, the city of power
Revelation 18:10
Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: “‘Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!’
Revelation 18:16
And cry out: “‘Woe! Woe, O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!
Revelation 18:19
They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: “‘Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!
Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites!, the land of the Philistines,
Zephaniah 2:5
Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the Lord is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.
Woe on Unrepentant Cities
Matthew 11:20
[Woe on Unrepentant Cities] Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.
Woe to Chorazin! And Bethsaida
Matthew 11:21
Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
Luke 10:13
Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
Woe to the multitude of many people
Isaiah 17:12
Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
However, the most interesting feature is that there are three Woes (Woe, Woe, and Woe) to the inhabiters of the earth and to the entire world
Woe, Woe and Woe to the inhabiters of the earth
Revelation 8:13
And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
Revelation 12:12
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Woe to the entire world
Matthew 18:7
Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
Also, there are three more successive Woes!
Revelation 9:12
One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
Revelation 11:14
The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
==================================
Nations that deserve Woe in the Quran:
Although the Bible mentions Woes in relation to specific nations and places e.g. Israelites Jerusalem Ephraim Ariel, Zion, Moab, Philistines, Assyrian, Ethiopia, Egypt, Babylon, Cherethites, Chorazin, Bethsaida etc., however, the Quran never mentions any specific nation and/or place in relation to Woe. Allah is warning some kinds of people with Woe. Such people may be found in any nation and in any place.
Woe to the unbelievers for a terrible punishment, Woe to the unbelievers because of the Fire! Woe then to the unbelievers for their Day which they were promised! , Woe to those who disbelieve for the scene of a Dreadful Day, Woe to the idolaters, Woe to those who did evil among the punishment of a Painful Day and Woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say: ‘This is from Allah, ‘ in order to gain a small price for it. So Woe to them for what their hands have written, and Woe to them for their earnings. It is obvious that the Quran is interesting in teaching us about the Day of Judgment and the Afterlife.
Woe to the unbelievers for a terrible punishment.
Surah: 14, Verse: 2
Allah to whom belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Woe to the unbelievers for a terrible punishment.
Woe to the idolaters
Surah: 41, Verse: 6
Say (Prophet Muhammad): ‘I am only a human like you, to whom it is revealed that your God is One God. Therefore be straight with Him and ask Him to forgive you. Woe to the idolaters,
Woe to those who disbelieve for the scene of a Dreadful Day.
Surah: 19, Verse: 37
But the parties have fallen into variance among themselves, then woe to those who disbelieve for the scene of a Dreadful Day.
Woe to those who did evil among the punishment of a Painful Day.
Surah: 43, Verse: 65-66
[65] Yet the parties differed among themselves. So woe to those who did evil among the punishment of a Painful Day.
[66] are they looking for anything except the hour (to overtake them). it will come upon them all of a sudden while they do not perceive!
Woe to the unbelievers because of the Fire!
Surah: 38, Verse: 27 -28
[27] It was not in falsehood that We created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them. That is the thought of the unbelievers. But Woe to the unbelievers because of the Fire!
[28] Are we to make those who believe and do good works the same as those who corrupt the earth? are we to make the righteous as the wicked?
Woe to them for what their hands have written, and Woe to them for their earnings
Surah: 2, Verse: 79
Woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say: ‘This is from Allah, ‘ in order to gain a small price for it. So Woe to them for what their hands have written, and Woe to them for their earnings.
Surah: 51, Verse: 60
Woe then to the unbelievers for their Day which they were promised!
Back to the main topic of my series of articles (1- 81); this is my question to you smart readers: “Is the Quran quoted from the Bible “?
Professor Dr. Ibrahim Khalil
Prof. of Clinical and Chemical Pathology,
Head of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control Unit,
Ain-Shams University. Cairo, Egypt.
And,
President of the Egyptian Society of Inventors.
Member of the Egyptian union of Writers
Listen and Read the King James Version video bible. Produced through the help of the Almighty God by the Members Church of God International. ( www.mcgi.org ). For questions regarding faith and salvation that are written in the bible please visit http and esoriano.wordpress.com
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