Journey to the Kingdom :: Following the Signs of God

Table of Contents ::
The Straight Path & The 1st Sign.1
The 2nd Sign: A Rescue.....3
The 3rd Sign: A Substitute..4
The 4th Sign: Escaping Death..5
The 5th Sign: Songs for the King.6
The 6th Sign: The Big Fish..7
The 7th Sign: Turn Around..9
Entering the Kingdom....10
Glossary of Names :: we will use interchangeable English and Arabic names for the characters in this
book.
God : Allah Adam & Eve : Adam & Hawa Noah : Nuh
Abraham : Ibrahim Moses : Musa David : Da-ood
Psalms : Zabbur Jonah : Yunus John : Yahiya
Jesus Christ : Isa al Masih
Index ::
Week 1 - Quran 1:1-7, 2:30-41, 7:19-26 // Proverbs 3:5-6, Genesis 3, Isaiah 61:10-11
Week 2 - Q 7:59-64, 11:25-49 // Genesis 6:6-8:20, 9:12-17
Week 3 - Q 37:83-113 (note v.107) // Genesis 22 (note v.8-14), Romans 4:1-22
Week 4 - Q 7:135, 79:20 // Exodus 11:4-5, 12:23-24, 12:29-32
Week 5 - Q 21:105-106 // Psalm 45:6, 47, 139
Week 6 - Q 37:139-148 // Matt 12:38-42
Week 7 - Q 6:85 // John 1:29, Luke 3:4-6
Week 8 - Q 3:45-55, 43:61, 4:171, 21:91, 2:87, 19:19, 19:33-35, 5:110, 5:117 // The Gospels :: Matthew,
Mark, Luke, & John
The Straight Path & The First Sign :: Covering Shame
There once was a kingdom that stretched far and wide. At the center of the kingdom was a beautiful royal
city. The walls and gates were high, and everyone inside the city lived in peace and safety, because the
city was the home of a great king. One day, the king declared that a census be taken - a great count of all
the people in the kings land. One person from every family had to go to the royal city inside the kingdom
walls to represent his family. This was how he would know who all was in his kingdom.
In a small village of the kingdom lived a boy named Amir. Amir loved to play soccer and games, but
more than anything Amir loved his father. There was something very special about his father. He showed
kindness to everyone- including strangers, he had a peace that could not be explained, and he was the
most respected man in the village. Amir also noticed that his father would pray to God - or Allah in
Amirs language, many times every single day. He would pray early in the morning and late at night.
Amir had seen many people pray before, but with his father it was different. It was as if his father truly
wanted to know God.
One night Amir asked his father, What do you pray about when you talk to God?
His father responded, I pray many things. I pray for you and your sister, that Allah would protect you
and make you grow strong, and that He guide you on the straight path on your journey to the kingdom for
the census!
Amir wondered what he meant about this straight path, The straight path, he asked, what does that
mean?
Life is a journey that God has given each one of us. his father replied, It is our task to follow the path
of God, the path straight to Him.
Amir then asked, How will I know which path is the right one?
Allah has given us signs to follow. His signs keep us on the path. Ask God, and he will show you which
signs are from Him. He will make a way.
Amir thought of the signs in the village that pointed the way to other villages, like stop signs and street
names. And though he did not know the way to the kingdom by heart, he trusted that God would lead
him. So that night as he fell asleep, he asked God to show him the straight path to the Kingdom.
The next morning, Amir awoke, packed, and began his journey. However, he felt overwhelmed and
afraid. How will I know where to go? What if I get lost? he asked.
His father placed his hands on Amirs shoulders and said, I know you can do this. Look for the signs,
like I told you yesterday. First you will cross the desert, then a river; you will walk through fields, pass
through a small town, over a mountain, and when you smell the ocean air, you will know you will enter
the kingdom the next day! The signs will show you the right path to the kingdom. It will not be easy, but
continue to ask God to help you see the signs that point to the straight path to Him as well. He will show
you. He wants to show you. With faith, all things are possible. His father hugged him, Amir said
goodbye to his family, and then he went in search of the kingdom.
Amir had been walking all day, but he had not seen any signs for the kingdom. He stopped to rest and
asked God to show him a sign to the kingdom. A few minutes later, Amir finally saw it: a sign for the
kingdom, pointing towards the desert! So Amir began the long journey through the desert. After walking
all day under the hot sun, he saw people, and he heard voices calling out to him. Amir introduced himself
and told a man named Khalid that he was looking for the kingdom, but he didnt know how to get there.
Join my family for dinner, Khalid said, and stay the night at our camp. I think I can help you on your
journey.
Amir gratefully accepted the offer. After dinner, Khalid appeared from his tent with a sheepskin blanket
and placed it on Amirs shoulders, and they began talking by the fire. Khalid began to tell him a story
about creation, When Allah created the world, he also created the first people, our ancestors: Adam and
Hawa, or Adam and Eve. God had given them everything they ever needed and more, but He told them
not to eat from one tree for their own good. That was when Satan came along to try to confuse them.
After Satan was thrown out of heaven, he convinced Adam and Eve that God was lying to them. Even
though they knew the truth, they began to think they knew better than God. They ate from the forbidden
tree. This disobedience has affected every generation since Adam and Eve. Everytime we eat fruit that
God has forbidden us to, or anytime we do something that he told us not to, that is disobedience. When
we disobey God, it is called sin, and sin brings shame to every person. Adam and Eve knew they had
done something wrong, so they made clothes out of leaves and tried to cover their shame. But they
realized no outward piece of clothing could remove the shame they felt in their souls. Only God could do
that.
Amir then asked, So what did God do about their shame? Did he remove it?
God is loving and forgiving, and he is the only One who could remove their shame, so God promised to
show them mercy. He gave them a garment (Leader, hold up a blanket), a garment just like the one I
placed over you, as a picture of the great Garment of Righteousness. The Garment of Righteousness that
God gave would cover their shame.
This was the first sign from God that began to guide Amir to the Kingdom!!
Group prayer: God show me how to obey you! Amen.
The Second Sign :: A Rescue
The next day, Amir set out in the direction of the kingdom. While travelling, he saw a sign pointing
towards the kingdom on the other side of a big, loud river. Amir realized he couldnt swim across it.
Looking around, he saw a man with a boat further up the river. He asked the man, named Hamsa- which
means hand of God, for a ride across. About the same time, another man also asked Hamsa for a ride
across. So they both jumped in the boat. As the boat sailed across the big, loud river, the other man
grabbed Amirs bag of coins and jumped out of the boat. Amir and Hamsa tried to chase him. They ran as
fast as they could, but they did not catch the thief. Shaking his head, Hamsa said, That was as evil as the
times of Noah
Confused, Amir asked, What does that mean?
Noah, (or in his language Nuh), was a great prophet of God. In those days, there had never been rain,
there had never been thunder, and there had never been rainbows. People were mean, bad, and evil.
However, God knew that even though there was so much evil in the world, Noah was one man who truly
wanted to obey God. Allah spoke to Noah and told him that he was going to bring a flood to destroy the
evil on the earth. So, God told Noah to build a big, big boat, and to warn people and invite them onto the
boat. But the people chose not to listen or believe his warning, because they did not understand. Instead of
the straight path, they trusted their own evil ways, but Noah trusted God. The boat Noah was building was
a sign of Gods mercy to those who trust Him. If they trusted God and did what He said, they could be
saved from drowning in the flood. Only Gods solution could keep them from the waters. Gods rescue is
the only rescue. Even if you do not understand it, get on the boat! This is a sign from God.
Another sign! Amir thanked Hamsa for the ride and the story. He continued on and thought about this
second, new sign. He started to understand then that when Gods people went away from the straight path,
God made ways for them to come on the straight path again, and Amir continued on his journey towards
the kingdom.
Group prayer: God, show me how to follow your straight path. Amen.
The Third Sign :: A Substitute
After crossing the river, Amir entered into a field of grass. After walking all day through the grass under
the hot, hot sun, he came upon a shepherd herding his sheep. Amir watched in amazement at how the
sheep responded to shepherds commands. As he approached, he said, Sir, it is amazing how the sheep
obey you! They do everything you ask them to do.
Well, replied the shepherd, theyve heard my voice a lot and they trust me. They know I am going to
lead them to fresh streams of water to drink from, green pastures to eat from, and they know I will keep
them safe from wolves.
This made Amir curious. He then asked the shepherd, How do you know they trust you? Sheep cant
talk!
Because they do what I say, the shepherd explained, even when they have no idea where I am leading
them.
Amir thought about his fathers trust in God and said, Id love to trust God like those sheep trust in you.
The shepherd responded, We have great examples of people who trusted God with their whole heart. Just
look at Ibrahim! He really, really wanted a son. And after years of praying, waiting, and trusting, God
gave him a son. But then God asked him to do something he did not understand. He told Abraham to
sacrifice his son. Even though it made him sad and he did not understand, he took his son up to an altar as
a sacrifice. And just as Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, God spoke to Abraham and told him to
stop. God was testing Abraham to see if he trusted Him and would do what He said. It is kind of like how
the sheep trust and follow me anywhere I go. When God told Ibrahim to stop, he sent a ram- a big, boy
sheep, to the altar to be sacrificed instead. This ram was a substitute, he took the place of Abrahams son.
God did a wonderful thing! This is a sign from God. It shows that God provides a substitute in our place
so that we can live.
Another sign! That night, Amir watched the sheep sleep, and he could not forget the shepherds stories.
He wondered if he could trust God as much as the sheep trusted the shepherd? And he wondered if God
would ever have to provide a substitute for him? He could not wait to find more signs of the Kingdom!
Group prayer: God, show me the substitute that you sent for me. Amen.
The Fourth Sign :: Escaping Death
Last week, Amir left the shepherd's home and continued to follow signs towards the kingdom. After
walking several hours, Amir came to a small town. As he walked through the town, Amir smelled freshly
baked bread. Amir followed the smell to the front door and into a bakery. The sweets that were displayed
looked so yummy! As he looked for his coin bag to buy something, he remembered it had been stolen
when he crossed the river! He explained his situation to the baker, and the baker kindly offered to give
Amir the bread and a little more money if he would paint the door red. Amir happily agreed. The red paint
was beautiful and bright, and he began painting. Later, the baker came outside and said, I bet this is what
the doors must have looked like before Allah freed His people from their slavery.
Amir stopped painting and asked, What are you talking about?
The baker then began to tell Amir a story, A long time ago, Gods people were forced to be slaves to the
egyptians. God sent Moses- Musa (in his language), to give a few signs to Pharaoh, the leader of the
Egyptians, to tell him to let His people go! But Pharaoh still did not believe. So God sent more signs,
called plagues, as warnings to hear and obey God. There were ten plagues that God sent against Egypt.
Swarms of Locusts, tons of lice, and frogs were everywhere! But instead of listening, the Egyptians still
chose to go their own way! So God sent the greatest and last sign: the plague of the blood. God instructed
Moses to tell Gods people to sacrifice a pure, spotless lamb, and wipe the blood of the lamb on their door
frames. The spirit of death was going to bring the plague of blood to every home that did not have blood
on its door frame.
Their doors probably looked a lot like the one Amir had been painting for the baker!
The blood was protection against the spirit of death. This was a sign that God would bring freedom to
His people. The blood of a pure lamb was necessary to escape death, judgement, and slavery. After the
final sign of the blood, Gods people were freed!
Another sign! Amir could not believe all the signs that God had shown him so far! Every sign seemed to
be another clue in Gods plan to have His people follow Him and be saved. Amir finished painting the
door, got his money and bread, and continued on his journey to the kingdom.
Group prayer: God, show me your true freedom! Amen.
The Fifth Sign :: Songs for the Kingdom
After leaving the town, Amir heard the sound of singing. He followed the sound over a mountain and saw
an elderly woman with her grandchildren. The children were holding hands, dancing, and singing songs
about the king. Amir exclaimed, Wow! They are singing praises to the King!!
Hearing him, the grandmother responded, Yes! But they are singing about a King that is even more
powerful than the one that you know.
Really? Amir replied, I did not know such a King existed. I thought our king was the most powerful of
all!
Well, the woman explained, he is the most powerful man in the kingdom this path follows, but there is
another Kingdom much bigger and more wonderful than this one, the Kingdom of God!
Where is this Kingdom, Amir asked, and how do I get there?
The woman responded, You have to know the King.
And is that the King they are singing about? Amir asked.
Yes, it is! We know about this King because God gave a man named David- Da-ood (in his language),
special dreams about the King! David made these dreams into a book of songs called the Psalms, or the
Zabbur. These Psalms point us toward the true King.
Amir then asked them to teach him their favorite song.
Leader, now you will sing the song:
And now I am going to teach you guys the special song! *insert Rileys
song here*
This song talks about our King who rules over the whole world and knows
everything about you and me!
Humming his new song, Amir continued on his journey to the kingdom.
Group prayer: God, show me that you are the King who is all-powerful and knows everything
about me. Amen.
The Sixth Sign :: The Big Fish
As Amir continued on his journey, he began to smell the salt in the air. He remembered what his father
had told him:
When you smell the ocean air, youll know you will enter the kingdom the next day!
Amir was only one day away from the kingdom walls! As he continued to follow signs towards the
kingdom, he saw the great sea and the fishing village where he could stay the night. As he walked along
the coast, a fishing boat pulled into the shore. Amir couldnt believe his eyes when he saw what was
aboard the boat- a huge fish!! Amir called out to the fisherman, Did you just catch that?
Yes! The man replied, Can you believe how big this fish is? Ill give you some fresh fish for dinner if
you will help me carry this back to the village.
Amir and the fisherman wrapped the big, big fish in the net and carried the catch into town on their
shoulders. Amir exclaimed, I am surprised this giant creature didnt pull you into the water!
If he did, I would probably be in his belly tonight instead of him being in mine. the fisherman joked.
Amir laughed, Yeah but it couldnt really swallow you, right?
The fisherman said, Well, I wouldnt want to give the fish the chance! Do not forget about what
happened to Jonah!
Amir knew the name Jonah, or Yunus in his language, was very familiar, and then suddenly, he
remembered! He told the fisherman, My father told me the story of Jonah when I was young. God sent
Jonah to a certain place to tell people to stop going their own way and follow God. But he disobeyed God,
and took a boat in the opposite direction. He was thrown overboard in a storm and was swallowed by a
big fish, right?
The fisherman nodded, Yes, and he was in the belly of the big, big fish for three days and three nights
before he prayed to God to save him.
That sounds awful, Amir responded, I would much rather eat a fish than the other way around.
The fisherman agreed, Yes, but you dont want to miss the sign in the story. Jonah was swallowed by the
big fish because God punishes all disobedience towards Him. He does this because He is just, which
means He has to make right the things that are wrong. There is also another very important sign that came
from this story that was not understood until hundreds of years laters when a man named Jesus walked the
earth. The people wanted Jesus the Messiah, or Isa al Masih, to show them a sign from God. He told those
people that the only sign he would give them was the sign of Jonah.
Amir did not understand what Jesus said either. This man Jesus said people would only get to see the sign
of Jonah? Amir was very curious, because he was looking for signs, too! As Amir ate a big fish dinner, he
wondered what other signs he would see, and tried to remember stories his father had told him of Isa.
Somehow, it seemed that he was an important piece of the puzzle.
Amir laid down to go to sleep on a full belly and knew he needed to get some good rest, because
tomorrow he would finally see the kingdom!!
Group prayer, God, show me the wrong things in my life that need to be made right. Amen.
The Seventh Sign :: Turn Around
Amir woke up early the next morning. He was so excited to enter the walls of the kingdom after his long
journey! Hurrying out of the fishing village, he thought about his conversation with the fisherman. He had
said one thing that really bothered Amir: Jonah was swallowed by the big fish because God has to
punish all disobedience towards Him. He does this because He is just, which means He has to make right
the things that are wrong.
This frightened Amir because he felt bad about some things he had done. One time, he had lied to his
father about doing some of his chores when he did not really do them. Another time he was mean to his
sister. Amir knew that lying and being mean were not ways to obey God. If God was just like the
fisherman said, would God have to punish Amir for doing those things? Would someone have to make
right the things that Amir had done wrong?
In all of his worrying, Amir looked up and realized he was lost!! The only thing to do from there was to
look for a sign to get him back on the straight path! He then saw a man walking towards him in the
distance. The man walked up to Amir and said, You look very lost! Where are you trying to go?
Amir, very embarrassed, said, The kingdom
The man said, Well, then Repent!
Amir, confused, asked, What does repent mean?
The man explained, Repent means turn around! The kingdom is in the opposite direction. I am headed
there now. Would you like to come with me?
After walking together for some time, Amir asked the man, What was that word you said again?
Repent?
Yes, the man explained, repent is from the story of a man named John, or Yahiya. He came as a
prophet, a messenger from God, to point people towards the straight path. He travelled around telling
people, Repent, for the Kingdom of God is near. which means, Turn around! Change the way you think
and act; Gods kingdom is around you! This prepared the way for the glorious king- Jesus the Messiah,
Is al Masih.
Amir had goose bumps, Is Jesus- Isa, the King that is in the songs of David?
Yes, he replied, he also described Jesus as the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Now, Amirs goosebumps had goosebumps!! The lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world?
Does this mean that Jesus is like the ram in the story of Abraham that was the substitute for his son? But
for thewhole world?!? He wanted to know more about this King. Amir and Ali walked and thought, until
the walls of the Kingdom appeared on the horizon
Group prayer, God, show me how to turn around towards your kingdom. Amen.
Entering the Kingdom
This was it!! After the long journey through the desert, Amir had finally made it! The signs he followed
and the friends he made along the way pointed him to the straight path. The kingdom was like nothing
Amir had seen before! Tall, tall walls! A big, grand gate!! With every step, Amirs excitement grew. But
when he got to the kingdom gate, it was closed. The gate keeper then explained, The kingdom doors will
open when the sun rises over the horizon.
Amir was disappointed, but he quickly realized just how tired he was from his long journey. So he rested
his head against the kingdom walls and fell asleep As he slept, Amir entered into a dream that changed his
life forever
Amir saw a man dressed in white. Just seeing this man gave Amir peace and joy. The man spoke to Amir
and said, Let us look back on your journey together. Before you left, you prayed that Allah would show
you signs that point to the straight path. The Garment of Righteousness for Adam and Eve points to me,
because I cover the shame of sin. The big boat that saved Noah is a sign that points to me, because I save
the people who follow Gods way. The ram for Abrahams son points to me, because I am the substitute
for everyone, so people can live with God forever in paradise. The songs of David that spoke of a King
who knows his followers better than they know themselves points to me because I am the King, and I
know everything about you, and I love you. The blood on the doorframes in Egypt points to me, because I
am pure and perfect, and I died for you. My blood brings people freedom from sin and death. I am the
sign of Jonah, because when I died I was in the grave for three days and then rose again to life, just how
Jonah was in the belly of the big fish for three days. The message of John was a sign that points to me,
because I am the King of the Kingdom he spoke of, and I am the lamb of God that takes away the sins of
the world. I am Jesus the Messiah, Isa al Masih. All the signs and all the prophets have pointed to me. I
am greater than a sign and more than a prophet. I am the Word of God, God expressed on earth. I am the
straight path into the Kingdom of God. No one can enter the Kingdom except through me. Let me cover
your shame like the Garment of Righteousness; trust in me as your rescue boat; let me be your substitute
ram; let me save you from death and free you from slavery. Accept my death and blood that was shed for
you. Believe that I am your King who knows you better than you know yourself, and that I am the Lamb of
God who takes away your sins. Read my words in the Holy Injil, the Bible, and accept the gift of
forgiveness that I offer you. Put your faith in me.
Amir could hardly speak, but softly said, I believe.
Then, Jesus replied, Now, follow me.
Amir suddenly awoke to a loud sound! The kingdom gates were opening wide!
Group prayer, Jesus, I trust in your forgiveness. You alone are the straight path into Gods
Kingdom! Amen.