Category Archives: Islam

When Persecution Comes Home

Culture, Daily living, Government, Homosexuality, Islam,

An American preacher is being held in Iran, charged with violations of national security. Specifically, Saeed Abedini  was sentenced to 8 years in prison for converting from Islam to Christianity. According to his wife, Abedini was offered freedom if he would renounce his faith in Christ. He refused.

This horrible affair strikes at the heart of Americans because we deeply value our freedom to practice whatever faith we choose. Many of the first settlers to these shores came to escape religious persecution in their homelands. Freedom of religion is enshrined in the Bill of Rights as a foundation to the the freedoms we enjoy in the United States. Freedom of religion is one of the most sacred cherished freedoms we enjoy.

At least, it used to be.

At Lackland Air Force base in San Antonio, Texas, a 19 year Air Force Master Sargent has been arrested, given his rights, and ordered to face charges in a court martial proceeding because he filed a religious discrimination case against his commanding officer. The CO wanted to punish a subordinate because the man had expressed faith-based reservations about homosexuality. Monk disagreed and was ordered to reveal his personal opinions about homosexuality. He refused and was relieved of his duties. He filed a religious discrimination complaint against the CO and was then ordered to face the court martial. The religious persecution story can be read in its entirety. I encourage you to so.

Others have faced persecutions for decades and we have been insulated. No more. Opposition to the sin of homosexuality is now sufficient reason to ignore the Bill of Rights and attack Christians. You will notice in the story that not only are homosexuals now a protected class, so too are Muslims.

For the Christian, we must remember the words of Jesus:

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10)

And,

“Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10)

There is no reason to believe that our time here will become any easier. Evil men will grown worse and worse (2 Timothy 3:13). But our glory is not here. It is with Christ who is risen. Let us be in prayer and in preparation for difficult days.

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

Hatred Is Easy, Prayer is Hard

Church Bulletin, Culture, Daily living, Government, Islam, , ,

I confess. I am pretty angry at the way things are going in the world. People who reject Jesus as the Son of God are violently attacking people and places in the name of a false prophet. Representatives of the country that assures my (and their) freedom to worship are brutalized and murdered. Yes, I am angry. The challenge for me is to avoid stepping downward from anger to madness and hatred. It is not easy.

God filled man with emotions which run from ecstasy to melancholy to despair and grief and then to hatred and rage. Joy and ecstasy come only when a life is brought under the full control and submission to Jesus. It requires effort to purge the old life out and bring in the new. Part of the process, according to Paul is the mortification of sin in our lives (Colossians 3:5). That is hard but required if we are to find complete and pure joy.

Conversely, hatred is easy. All that is required to hate is to release the restraint on ourselves and allow nature to take its course. Suspend righteous judgment (Matthew 7:1-5), ignore the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) and swirl deeper into rage. It really is not hard at all. For me, a few minutes watching videos from the Middle East is all it would take. But there is something better.

A Way Better Than Hatred

The Bible instructs us to pray for those in authority so that we might have a peaceable life. But the same text includes a broad admonition to make prayers for “all people.”  The reason? So that  “we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (2 Timothy 2:1-4). To pray for our enemies is hard but we are so instructed (Matthew 5:44). Likewise, we are instructed to leave vengeance to God (Deuteronomy 32:35; Psalm 149:4-9).

Jesus taught that we are to seek better and higher motives. Paul encouraged disciples then, and now, to focus on good thoughts:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

When one considers that Paul wrote those words while facing execution it becomes all the more remarkable that he could even suggest such a focus. Paul had every reason to be angry with Rome and with the Jews for putting him in chains. Paul struggled with hatred just like the rest of us.

The people assaulting our national interests are to be pitied. They are hopelessly lost and condemned to face the wrath of a God they barely know. They have been deceived by their spiritual leaders, robbed and impoverished by their secular leaders and enraged by their own uncontrolled madness. While I hope they will be punished in this life,  I cannot bring myself to cheer for their eternal damnation. Such is a penalty too horrible to consider.

Pray people, pray! Pray often and continuously for the salvation of all men, even the maddened protesters. Jesus rules and God will hear our prayers.

Rethinking Trouble

Culture, Government, Islam, News, Web sites, ,

I’d like to point you to an article I saw this morning from Forthright Press. It concerns the trouble in the Middle East and, I think, puts an interesting perspective on the religious clashes now taking place. Author Michael Brooks is a Christian who writes from Bangladesh which is not particularly friendly to religious diversity. I think Michael makes some fine points that have been lost in in all the news coverage.

See Call for peace in the Middle East.

Was Jesus A Muslim?

Culture, Islam, Jesus, ,

“Was Jesus A Muslim?” is the topic of a discussion sponsored by the Muslim Student Association at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. The meeting is set for tonight at 6:30.

The quick answer would seem to be “no.” But I suspect the Islamic group will instead focus not on Islam but on the underlying meaning of the word “Muslim.” The word, of Arabic origins, literally meant “one who surrenders.” Now in that sense, Jesus was muslim – he was one who submitted to his Father, Jehovah God (John 4:34; John 6:38; Matthew 26:39). But Jesus was not and would not be a practitioner of Islam!

Presently “Muslim” is almost exclusively used to denote a person who practices the Islamic faith. From a marketing standpoint it is probably a good title for their lecture. But the truth is Jesus was never Islamic and is actually denounced powerfully by the Koran, which is the revered book of Muslims.

Consider the clash between Jesus’ own words and those of the Koran:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotton son, that whosoever believeth  in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

“No son did Allah beget, nor is there any ilah (god) along with him…” (Sura 23:91)

“And the Jews say: Uzair (Ezra) is the son of Allah and the Christians say: Messiah is the son of Allah. That is their saying with their mouths, resembling the saying of those who disbelieved aforetime. Allah’s curse be on them, how they are deluded away from the truth” (Sura 9:30)

Hear the condemnation of Scripture against those reject the Sonship of Jesus Christ:

Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also (1 John 1:22-23)

Hear the inspired words of John against the words of Mohammed:

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:1-3).

“He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and who has begotton no son and for whom there is no partner in the dominion. He has created everything, and has measured it exactly according to its due measurements” Sura 25:2

These are just a few verses you are not likely to hear tonight at the USA meeting. Christianity and Islam are not the same and are not compatible with one another. We must live in peace with those who profess these doctrines but make no mistake, the teachings of Islam are false and  lead to destruction. Let us teach the simple gospel of Jesus Christ to our Islamic friends and show them the true peace of God.

Was Jesus a Muslim? He was submissive to his Father. Was Jesus Islamic? No!

 

One Way – Only One Way to God

Bible General, Culture, Evangelism, Islam, John, Missions, Salvation, , , ,

druid practitiionersSometimes people say, “There are many paths to God.” Sometimes people worship without regard to Jesus the Son of God. Jews honor Jehovah God and Muslims honor Allah through the teachings of Mohammad. Some pay homage to Buddha, some practice Hindu while others look to Shinto for their faith. Still more practice a form of witchcraft called Wicca. The common thread among all of these faiths, and more, is the rejection of the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth.

While some like Judaism and even Islam give a nod to Jesus as a teacher or rabbi, they do not acknowledge him as the Messiah.

Let me be very clear: There is no path to God and no hope of salvation to those who reject Jesus Christ. Continue reading One Way – Only One Way to God →

U.S. Government Burns Bibles

Bible General, Culture, Islam, , , , , , ,

Yes, it is true. To avoid offending muslims the U.S. Army burned Bibles written in the language of the Afghan people. Here’s the link to a report.

Now I have a few questions:

  1. Who gave the order?
  2. How many Korans should we burn?
  3. Has the Army ever, at any time deliberately burned a Koran?
  4. Are soldiers expected to jettison their faith when they enlist? If so does that raise any serious questions for anyone else?
  5. Simply – why?

I assure you I have my own opinions but I want to hear yours.

Add your comments below and speak out boldly!

Islamic Document Passes the UN

Culture, Islam

The United Nations Human Rights Council Thursday passed a resolution condemning discrimination and hatred aimed at religions. Of course that sounds good until one realizes it singles out only one religion: Islam.

There is a quick report at Religion Clause and you can read the complete text of the resolution here. The resolution was largely supported by Muslim countries and was introduced by Pakistan. Western governments tended to vote against it. The United States is not part of the Human Rights Council.

The resolution is non-binding so any impact is minimal but I offer it here to show just how far the world is drifting towards official acceptance, support and protection of Islam.