I remember telling a friend of mine, when discussing my faith in Jesus Christ, that if I had discovered that the way to getting to know God was to become an Islamic terrorist, then give me my explosives and tell me what to do. Of course, I was being a bit tongue and cheek when I said this. My point was that there is only one truth when it comes to knowing God. It seems that for many, God is so vague in revealing to us His plan for salvation that He lets us determine how to get there on our own. However, this is something that smells of satanic influence. The fact that people believe there are more ways than one to Heaven stops them from questioning much of what passes for religion. There is a sense that since they believe all religions lead to Heaven, "who am I to question what one believes?" Unfortunately, this same belief rears its ugly head when fighting the "War on Terror." The fact is that there is a segment of Islam dedicated to wreaking havoc on most of the world. Those fighting it must realize that the Islamists are fighting a religious war whether we want to call it that or not. Just look at excerpt from an Associated Press article on the recent attacks in Mumbai, India:
Orange flames and black smoke engulfed the landmark 565-room Taj Mahal hotel after dawn Saturday as Indian forces ended the siege there in a hail of gunfire, just hours after elite commandos stormed a Jewish center and found at least eight hostages dead. The bodies of New York Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife, Rivkah, were found at the Jewish center. Their son, Moshe, who turned 2 on Saturday, was rescued Thursday by an employee who scooped him up as she fled the building. At least two Israelis and another American were also killed in the Jewish center, said Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin, a spokesman for the Chabad Lubavitch movement, which ran the center. In Jerusalem, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said eight bodies had been found in the center and officials were investigating whether there is a ninth victim. Among the foreigners killed in the attacks were six Americans, the U.S. Embassy said. The dead also included Germans, Canadians, Israelis and nationals from Britain, Italy, Japan, China, Thailand, Australia and Singapore.
Germans, Canadians, Israelis, British, Italians, Japanese, Chinese, Thais, Australians and natives of Singapore. This attack was, in a sense, global. There was no discretion showed in who was targeted. From my standpoint it was an attack on everyone and everything that didn't line up with the terrorists worldview. How many belief systems were represented among those killed in the attack? We know for sure that Jews were attacked. This is not surprising given the hatred that many Muslims have towards Israel and the Jewish Nation. I heard reports early on that the terrorists were specifically targeting Jews, Americans and Westerners.
""All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you." John 16:1-4
Jesus warned His disciples of the coming persecution they would face because of their faith in Him. And we know all too well the trials that those in the early Church endured for the faith. It is not any different today. The goal of the Islamic terrorists is to use violence and fear to influence others to submit to their will. And, time after time, they attack those who they feel are Christian and or sympathetic to the Christian faith. That is why you see the United States, Israel and their allies consistently attacked. The attacks are often said to be due to foreign policy or economic issues. To me, that is just a cover to avoid calling it was it really is, a religious war! When the Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001, do you remember the pictures of sympathetic Muslims celebrating in the streets? This is because they see the United States as the "Great Satan." Well, the term Satan is a religious term for the Devil, the embodiment of evil. And what is at the foundation of our country? Our country, the United States, was founded on Judeo-Christian values taken directly from the Bible. Secondly, what is Israel called by most of the terrorists and radicals? Little Satan. The same thing applies to Israel as well. The Jews are God's "chosen people." The land they inhabit was given to them by God. Is it any wonder they are so hated? The Muslim terrorists believe they are doing God's work when they murder innocent people around the world. It behooves us to understand that this is a religious war to them even if we try and say it is not.
"When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. "You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." Matthew 5:7-13
We should not be surprised at what we see going on. The world is in an uproar trying to figure out diplomatic solutions to all the problems going on. And, I pray that these things will begin to calm down. However, these are all signs of the end of the Age. Jesus warned His disciples of wars, earthquakes, famines and being hated by all men. These are signs of His return! The reason we must stand firm in these times and take on the evil of the world, specifically Islamic terror, is because they and much of the world are lost and in need of salvation. We need to endure these times, create and protect environments that allow us to proclaim the truth of the Gospel to all the world. We must proclaim it to the terrorists as well as many of the victims of terror. We should not lose heart when we see these things coming to pass, but look at them as an opportunity to be a witness to the world of the hope offered in Christ. The contrast provided by Islamic terror reveals the difference between their faith and that of a Christian. Their god offers fear, hatred and violence as a means by which to win converts. Our God, the one true God, offers faith, hope and love in the person of Jesus Christ. As people fight against, and flee from, the religious tyranny of the Islamists, we can be thankful that their actions force people to turn to something else. That something else being faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, the next time you see a report of another terrorist attack somewhere in the world, pray for those involved, but, most importantly, be thankful that it is yet one more sign of the imminent return of our Lord!
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