This is the opening sentence of an article describing what President Barack Obama said in an effort to "improve relations with the larger Muslim world." The statement of the President may be true, but he doesn't take into consideration that much of the Islamic world is at war with the U.S. and the world. Everybody is familiar with the attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., on September 11, 2001. Over 3,000 people were murdered on that day. A day my generation will never forget. While some have claimed it was America's "chickens coming home to roost," a swipe at the foreign policy of the U.S., I believe it is just another in a long list of attacks against freedom loving people around the world. I think people forget that 9/11 was not the first time that the United States had been attacked by these terrorists.
- November 4, 1979 - Hostages taken at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Fifty-two American citizens were held hostage for 444 days by radical Muslims.
- April 18, 1983 - Bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. Sixty-three people, 17 of which were Americans were murdered when a truck filled with explosives was rammed into the U.S. Embassy by members of Hezbollah, a militant Islamic group.
- October 23, 1983 - Bombing of Marine barracks in Beirut. Just seven months after the embassy attack, 241 U.S. Marines were murdered when a suicide bomber set off another truck full of explosives at the barracks located at Beirut International Airport.
- February 26, 1993 - The first attack on the World Trade Center. Six people were killed and 1,000 more injured when Al-Qaeda operatives blew up a truck at the base of one of the Towers.
- October 12, 2000 - U.S.S Cole attack. Seventeen sailors were murdered when their Navy destroyer, the U.S.S. Cole, was attacked by members of Al-Qaeda who detonated a boat full of explosives next to it.
There are countless other attacks on the United States and other countries. According to TheReligionofPeace.com, there have been 13,011 deadly terrorist attacks around the world since 9/11! It is no secret that the world is under attack by individuals claiming to be acting in the name of Islam. Scholars can debate about the true teachings of Islam. The President can say the U.S. is not at war against the religion. But, somebody forgot to tell those carrying out these attacks that they are not at war. If you notice, the two main countries that are threatened and attacked are the United States and Israel. Why? Because both countries are populated by Christians and Jews.
It was Jesus who said, "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 (John 16:2)." He may not have been referencing Islamic terrorism when He uttered these words, but they are very applicable. One of the reasons it is so difficult to combat Islamic terror is because those perpetrating the attacks believe they are "offering a service to God" when they attack Christians, Jews and any other non-Muslim. Although, they are not doing it in the name of the one true God of the Bible. How can you negotiate with someone who believes they are on a mission from God to destroy you? You cannot. Unfortunately, you have to stop them before they destroy you. If in fact, nobody is killed in the struggle, you can then try and talk some sense into them after you have subdued them. Christians are often criticized for what some call, "turn or burn" evangelism. But, in most cases it is not anything that threatens the safety, much less the life, of the one being evangelized. That is not the case with this morbid sort of evangelism conducted by the terrorists. You rarely get the opportunity to "turn," but you will definitely be "burned" if you don't.
The United States and Israel are arguably the most free countries in the world, with America being the dominant world power. The envy and hatred of those who do not like what these countries stand for is at the root of much of the violence these countries endure. One need look no further than the nicknames bestowed on the two countries by their enemies; Great Satan (U.S.) and Little Satan (Israel). Jesus also said, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first (John 15:18)." Jesus Christ is the foundation of Christianity and, although He is God, was a Jew in His earthly form. Now, you begin to see why the two countries, and those that sympathize with their values, are hated so much. As a Christian we shouldn't be surprised. After all, the terrorists don't know the Lord and act accordingly. But, as believers, we must keep in mind that Satan does not reside in the U.S. or Israel. Satan is at work in the hearts and minds of evil men who murder people, and even kill themselves, in the name of their god.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12)." It is not only the evil that men do in the name of Islam that we are at war against. It is the "powers of this dark world" and the "spiritual forces of evil" that we fight against. Satan is controlling these people who love death more than they love life. Just as a Christian loves others because God first loved us, so it is the opposite with Islamic terrorists. They hate because the "god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4)." We are at war. It may not be with Islam, as the President suggests, but it is definitely with the forces of evil that motivate so many to take the lives of others as a service to their god. Freedom isn't free and it must be defended. If Christ died to set us free from sin and death, the least we can do is fight against those evil forces who have embraced it.
No comments:
Post a Comment