01 Dec Let us reach out this Christmas
“She will bear a Son; and you will call His name Jesus for he will save His people from their sins.”
Matthew 1 v 21
When you think of Christmas what are the first things that come to mind? Christmas for everyone is a time of celebration where families come together to give and exchange gifts. On Christmas morning we enjoy watching the children open their presents and then the visit of relations is followed by the family meal. There is however more to Christmas than our family traditions. When I think of Christmas, when I consider what God has to say about the season I always come back to what the Angel said to Joseph.
The Angels announced the coming of Jesus with the primary purpose of saving people from their sins. God gave his only begotten son that if we believe in him we would receive the gift of eternal life. Many people know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem but do you know that the Angel proclaimed that it was Jesus that would save his people from their sins. For many years of my life I was familiar with the Christmas story and even went to Church at Christmas but never received anything from God the Father. Sadly my familiarity caused me to show contempt to the very truth that we celebrate and as a consequence I never received the gift that had been bought for me.
God sent his son Jesus to die on a cross for my sin so that I could be forgiven and receive a new life. It took me nineteen years to realize that the Christmas message could change my life. There is a pop song from my childhood that says, “I wish it could be Christmas everyday”, if you give your life to Jesus you won’t need to look forward to Christmas every year because you will have Him in your heart every day.
Approximately 40% of people in the United Kingdom will visit a Christian service or event over the Christmas period this year. People are more open to visit Church at this time of year than at any other time. As a consequence a lot of work and effort goes in to our outreach events over the Christmas season to give you the opportunities to reach out to the sphere of relationships you have. I would ask you to prayerfully consider how you can best respond to the opportunity the season gives us by reaching out to someone you know. To those you exchange gifts with this Christmas perhaps you should consider how best you could reach them with God’s gift of new life. Let us reach out to someone with something eternal this Christmas.
I trust you have a wonderful holiday,
Alex
Mathew ali
Posted at 22:53h, 25 DecemberDear Brother/Sister in Humanity,
Peace be upon you,
I hope this message finds you well.
I am writing to you in a spirit of sincere dialogue, mutual respect, and shared concern for truth. This is not a message of debate, but an academic and theological invitation to reflect upon the foundations of faith, especially the concept of pure monotheism.
1. The Core Message of All Prophets: Worship One God
Islam teaches that all prophets — Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon them all) — came with one essential message:
the worship of God alone, without partners, intermediaries, or divine offspring.
This principle is clearly stated by Jesus himself:
«“The Lord our God, the Lord is One.”
(Mark 12:29)»
The Qur’an affirms the same doctrine with absolute clarity:
«“Say: He is Allah, One.
Allah, the Eternal Refuge.
He neither begets nor is born,
Nor is there to Him any equivalent.”
(Qur’an 112:1–4)»
2. Mary (Peace Be Upon Her) in the Qur’an
As a Catholic, you hold deep reverence for Mary, the mother of Jesus.
It may interest you to know that Mary is highly honored in the Qur’an, to the extent that an entire chapter is named after her: Surah Maryam (Chapter 19).
The Qur’an states:
«“Indeed, Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds.”
(Qur’an 3:42)»
Islam affirms her purity, chastity, and miraculous virgin birth — by the will of God alone.
3. Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him): Messiah and Prophet, Not God
Muslims believe in Jesus (ʿĪsā) as:
– The Messiah
– A prophet of God
– Born miraculously without a father
But not as God, nor the son of God.
The Qur’an states:
«“The Messiah, son of Mary, was not but a messenger; messengers passed away before him.”
(Qur’an 5:75)»
Jesus himself consistently prayed to God and submitted to His will, as seen in:
«“Not my will, but Yours be done.”
(Matthew 26:39)»
4. The Question of Christmas and the Birth of Jesus
From a historical and academic perspective, many Christian scholars and clergy acknowledge that December 25th is not the actual date of Jesus’s birth, but a later date associated with pre-Christian pagan festivals.
The Qur’an, however, provides a significant detail regarding the season of Jesus’s birth:
«“And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you fresh, ripe dates.”
(Qur’an 19:25)»
Fresh ripe dates (rutab) grow only in summer or early autumn, not in winter.
This strongly indicates that the birth of Jesus did not occur in December.
5. Direct Worship Without Intermediaries
Islam emphasizes direct worship of God without priests, saints, or intercessors:
«“And your Lord says: Call upon Me; I will respond to you.”
(Qur’an 40:60)»
This aligns with the practice of Jesus himself, who prayed directly to God.
If you believe in:
– One Supreme God
– The prophethood of Jesus
– The purity of Mary
Then you are already a Muslim but you need other step
Then Islam invites you to consider the completion of this monotheistic message.
I respectfully invite you to read the Qur’an directly, especially:
– Surah Maryam (19)
– Surah Al-Ma’idah (5)
– Surah Aal ‘Imran (3)
These chapters speak extensively about Jesus, Mary, and the true concept of faith and worship.
May God guide all sincere seekers to the truth,
and grant us wisdom, clarity, and humility in our search.
Peace be upon you.