"Be ye therefore doers of the Word and not hearers only."

Submitted by Lactantius Jr. (European Union), Sep 13, 2007 at 05:19

Dear Joe Christian

Thank you so much for writing in the way you have. Whenever I think or talk about Muslims, especially after the horrors of 9/11 and other acts of Islamic terrorism, I remind myself that Muslims are not devils, they're not demons, they're not angels either, they're perfectly ordinary people just like you and me. People with all the same human characteristics as we have, people who experience the same range of emotions as we do, people who experience the same range of illnesses as we do, people who......................people who have the same range of problems as we do, and people who have the same massive problem as we do, they're sinners who need a Saviour, and His Name is Jesus Christ, and praise His Name, increasing numbers of Muslims are hearing and responding to the good news of the Gospel of Christ.

You Coptic Christians know about persecution, having endured it under Islam for the last 14 centuries, thank you so much for your faithful witness to the Gospel that teaches us to:-

"Be sincere in your love for others. Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good. Love each other as brothers and sisters and honour others more than you do yourself. Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying. Take care of God's needy people and welcome strangers into your home.

Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them. When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad. Be friendly with everyone. Don't be proud and feel that you are smarter than others. Make friends with ordinary people. Don't mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others, and do your best to live at peace with everyone. Dear friends, don't try to get even. Let God take revenge. In the Scriptures the Lord says,

‘I am the one to take revenge and pay them back.'

The Scriptures also say, ‘If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat.

And if they are thirsty, give them something to drink.'

This will be the same as piling burning coals on their heads.

Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good."

Romans 12:9-21

The Scriptures also instructing us:

"But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it."

James 1:22-25

And by the Grace of our God we will do what the Word says.

Your brother in Christ Jesus

Lactantius Jr.

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