Brian

To witness that Jesus does hear and that He does answer, may I share an experience that I recently had? Earlier this year, I had the privilege of meeting an Author with a PhD who wrote several books. One of his books proclaimed that there are many ways to God. "All roads lead to Rome," he told me.

In his book, he stated that it would be dangerous to take John 14:6 literally (even though Jesus clearly says He is the way). "After all,” he said, “70% of the world’s population is non-Christian. Surely God wouldn't be so exclusive."

His reasoning seemed compassionate and compelling. Do you ever just want God to confirm what you believe in faith? So we will be emboldened? I am just an ordinary, old Christian man. I know what it is like to stumble and yet stand again in faith. So I took this to Jesus and asked a yes or no question. Are all religions on a common road to God? Like so many people are saying today?

Then, not really sure if or how I would receive an answer or understanding, I waited. In the middle of the night, I woke up, and I heard a word spoken within me. AKBAR. I repeated it over and over so I would remember, since it was foreign to me.

It meant nothing to me. It came as a name, but I didn't know whose name it was. I wondered if this single strange word was an answer. In the morning (curious to see if I was losing my mind), I Googled AKBAR. I was shocked at what I found.

First, I found out that Akbar was a real person! Emperor Akbar was a mighty ruler, the third Mughal emperor in India. Second, I discovered that he is famous for trying to unite the various religions in his empire. He was Muslim, but had religious tolerance and encouraged public discourse among the beliefs.

Akbar was so convinced of the commonality of all religions that he created a syncretic religion, Din-i Ilahi, in the 16th century. It was an attempt to merge different faiths, including Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism, into a single faith. See "Religious Policy of Akbar", Vikramjit Singh, April 3, 2024 (This attempt failed and only had about 18 followers).

Such an amazing answer! I believe that I heard a definite NO to my question as to whether all beliefs are on a common road to God, but a compassionate no.

I had asked Jesus a yes or no question. So why did I get a name for an answer? Thinking on it further, I realized that if all I heard was a yes or no, then how would I know for sure where the answer came from or whether or not it was a figment of my imagination?

But I got a name of someone I didn't even know existed. And their life spoke exactly to the question I asked. What are the odds of that? Who knows all of history, all the people, and all the content of their lives to formulate a fitting answer? As I reflected on this, I realized that as Christians, we should embrace religious tolerance with our neighbors and not be afraid to discuss things openly. We should share what we have found to be the truth of Jesus.

In a letter to King Philip II of Spain, Akbar laments that so many people do not investigate their religious arguments, stating that most people will instead blindly "follow the religion in which [they] were born and educated, thus excluding [themselves] from the possibility of ascertaining the truth, which is the noblest aim of the human intellect."[7] (from Wikipedia)

I fell on my knees with flooded eyes when I searched my mind and could find no other explanation as to how I received AKBAR. (Which I shared in real time with the author.)

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6.