However it was a bit long so I thought I'd stick it on a new thread here
QUOTE (pointus @ Aug 5 2008, 07:43 AM) 
How do we know the Koran and the bible are the words of god?
Keep asking God to let you know. Here's my story of how I found out 10 years ago.
I was struggling with my faith as an atheist [occasionally when really stuck I'd even pray to God]. I realised being an agnostic was more honest since I wasn't really sure that God wasn't there. Sometimes it seemed crazy to think I was just a chemical reaction - Having progressed to be an agonistic I would sometimes look for God here and there - One time I even found a bible up and started reading a gospel - I quite liked what Jesus said but when it got to some bits about hell I put it down and stuck my head in the sand.
Just after my eldest daughter was born when I looked into her face I kind of had this real sense I was looking at God and that God was good. I thought about God quite a bit for a couple of weeks, but I couldn't get my head round him. If he was real then he would have to be so big as to be in-comprehendible. Around that time I was smoking outside the backdoor and I was thinking that if God was out there and he was God then it would be possible for him to communicate himself to me and so I asked him to and to let me know who he was. I had this sense of peace that he would answer that prayer.
After that things got pretty messy for about 9 months - I see this as a kind of difficult spiritual pregnancy. During that time I started to really want to know if God was there and if he would help me. I tried meditating and emptying my mind like the Buddhist way, but every time I did this I kept thinking of God - one God who is personal and powerful - it didn't fit it in with the "impersonal Buddhist God is everything"
- I became convinced during my attempts at Buddhist meditation that either the Jewish, or Islam or Christian "Personal One Almighty God" was the way.
For a little while now I was a bit stumped - as I thought if I pray to one of these religion's God, but he is not the real God then I will make him Angry with me.
I knew [from growing up in a Christian bible based cult] all these religions claimed their roots in the old testament [via Abraham], so I prayed to the God of the old testament fathers of faith - The God of "Abraham, Isaac & Jacob". That I thought would not offend God and I hoped he would understand I was trying to be honest with him whilst not offending him whilst I found out who he is.
I'd had this job delivering curries. As I drove round in the curry van I would be praying to God and from time to time I would have words in my mind from the bible - things like this
"Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, blessed are those who weep now for they shall be comforted, blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God"
"those who love their life will lose it, but those who hate their life will find it"
"ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you,
It was like Jesus was speaking to me - through the bible I had learnt as a child in the Christian Cult – and it was very comforting. But it seemed too good to be true and so I thought maybe this is my mind playing tricks on me. I have done too much drugs and now I am really going crazy.
[BTW I was separated from my DW [Bessie] at this time but she had been seeking God herself at this time and had been going round this Baptist Church asking everyone there to pray for me]
I knew that the Christian faith required that I believed that Jesus was the Son of God. That God actually became a man and walked around on earth. This was blasphemy to Jews & Muslims. I thought if such a tremendous event had taken place then surely God would have left some evidence behind. I thought I would go out and research this. But my mind was too blown away from drugs and anxiety. I couldn’t even concentrate on reading a page of book let alone go and carry out research. I prayed that God would somehow show me this evidence.
In my hostel room I felt I was wrestling with God like Jacob in the Old testament – these words were on my mind.
“Ask whatever you want and it will be given to you”
I asked God to speak to me in a way I could be absolutely sure it was him. With a real voice not just in my mind. So i would have no doubt.
"faith is a gift from God"
I asked God for faith
One night I had this vision. I didn’t see anything but I had this sense of God’s presence. I heard God speak these words “I love you”. How do I know it was God? It was eternal – there was no sense of time whilst God said this – just three words seemed to last forever and be so full of love. Whilst it was happening I had these kind of thoughts running through my mind.
So God is the Christian God after all
God is good
God wanted me to tell people about Jesus
Suddenly I thought of my friends and having to tell them about Jesus and I was afraid. “I am not getting involved in that business I said”. As I said that I instantly regretted my rash speaking – how foolish I was – God’s presence was withdrawing – he was still there but I didn’t feel him so strongly.
“I’m sorry” I said, “please don’t go”. God’s presence returned but not as strongly as before. I heard these words “if you want to make it hard for yourself that’s up to you” there was not the same sense of eternity as before but God’s presence was still there.
After this vision I had a sense of peace I hadn’t had before. I knew for sure God was real and that he loved me. After a few days I thought I should take some positive repenting action and stop smoking pot. This had bound me for several years but now I found the addiction didn’t have the same hold on me. I only smoked it a few times after this and found increasingly that I didn’t really enjoy it anymore. I found some other sins that had held me in bondage dropping off fairly easily too.
For some reason I didn’t immediately embrace Christianity. I think I loved God but I think I wanted to be a Christian least. Now that I had stopped the drugs my mind quickly became much clearer. I was able to go and read. I started off reading an English translation of the Koran at the Library. I read about one chapter, but there was nothing in it that made me think this was from God – God wasn’t speaking to me through it.
I spoke to a muslim at the curry place where I worked delivering curries. He suggested I read the bible so I started doing that. I got one off my DW and I started reading through the books of Kings in the old testament. It was quite racey. I enjoyed it. Some real good stories, but more than that. Regularly God was intervening in the sorry – sometimes miraculously and my heart believed that what I was reading was true. God was communicating himself to me through the bible – truly the word of God.
Then my DW had another book Josh McDowell “evidence demands a verdict” It is a long small print highly unreadable book. But I devoured it in just a few days. I prayed this prayer it suggested at the end and asked Jesus into my life. Nothing really happened. I told my DW and she told her friend who’d lent her the book I’d done this but I didn’t feel any different. Her friend said that didn’t matter – it’s not about how we feel, but I didn’t like these doubts I was getting.
I was walking back to the hostel from my DW’s house. As I was going I was telling God about these doubts I was still getting. I asked him please can he take away these doubts - I did believe Jesus was his Son, but these doubts keep coming along. Please would he take them away once and for all. As I finished praying these words from the Old Testament came straight into my mind:
“They pierced my hands and my feet”
It was definitely the Lord pointing to a prophesy that pointed to Jesus on the cross. It came from the Jewish bible and showed that Jesus was who he said he was. The old testament is also recognised by the Koran as Gods word, but here it was clearly pointing to Jesus being crucified on the Cross something contrary to the Koran. I thank God he has been so faithful in leading me to him.
As I headed home I felt this evil presence behind me, but I trusted in God and it passed. Back at the hostel I got down on my knees before God and really worshipped him. He is an awesome faithful God.
I am sad that I was foolish in God’s presence and am now learning many things the hard way, but I trust that God will somehow fullfill his plans and that I can be a faithful witness to Jesus. If you have read this I pray that in some way you will be blessed and encouraged in God’s everlasting love and faithfulness.
Blessings
Littlefaith
