All you need to do is take a look around to see we are living in perilous times. Nothing has brought this truth to the forefront like the onset of global jihad. We can hardly pick up a paper, browse a website, or turn on the world news without hearing about another act of terrorism. The politically correct pundits, politicians, and even some pulpits are quick to view these acts as isolated events that are perpetrated by lone wolves or extremists. Living in denial and not addressing the core issue that fuels this hatred is dangerous. My concern is that some inside the church are trying to “fix” the problem and address the Muslim world with manmade efforts that are certain to fail. The reality is this: True Christians need to see that there are people in the Muslim world who are trapped in darkness. No other name can save souls, including those in the Muslim world, but Jesus. Acts 4:12
I clearly remembered the horrible events of September 11, 2001, and was shocked by what I saw as I’m certain you were too. What was just as disturbing to me was what I observed via the media in the months just after the attack. Many well-known pundits and talk show hosts would feature programming to ask the all-important question in their mind: Why do they hate us? I couldn’t believe the amount of self-loathing, guilt-driven, dribble coming from the media. They were searching for answers to the hatred the jihadists have in their heart toward the west. Some chalked it up to colonization, exploitation, poverty, and others to jealousy because of the great wealth by comparison in the western world.
Here we are over a decade later and hundreds of acts of terrorism have been committed since then. The politically correct folks are still trying to find answers while the Islamic world foments hatred. I’m not surprised by the rose-colored glass-inspired rhetoric coming from the people who want peace at all costs. I am surprised by the conversations taking place in and around so-called Christian churches and ministries promoting the fabricated bond between Christianity and Islam.
The great matter at hand seems to be finding common ground with Muslims. This issue is making great strides even among some in the evangelical church. The “find common ground” issue can range from embracing our differences and going all the way to recognizing our shared beliefs! In between those issues are unbiblical notions that the God Christians worship and Allah are the same. It doesn’t matter what name you call God. We have shared goals.
***There are credible sources that note: Christians from Arabic lands were calling God ‘Allah’ centuries before the beginnings of Islam in the sixth century. They deem this to be a legitimate use of the word Allah in Arabic but do differentiate that the god of Islam isn’t the same God as the God of the Bible. I understand the issue and I get that the word Allah predates Islam, but that doesn’t negate the fact that the word Allah and the teachings in the Koran are almost always viewed and thought of in a cohesive way around the world.
I love the fact that there are good Christian ministries that desire to present the gospel of Jesus to Muslims. My only concern is that using the word Allah for the God of the Bible may lead to confusion, especially for a person truly seeking the one true God or a newly converted Arabic Christian.
This isn’t a matter of personal preference or semantics because the Koran means something very different than the Bible in relation to who God is.
The Koran makes it clear in its teachings that Allah does not have a son. Surah 19:92 -And it is not appropriate for the Most Merciful that He should take a son.
Here is a link to an article by Michelle Vu of the Christian Post in which Dr. Albert Mohler refutes the notion that the name Allah and the God of the Bible could be used to mean the same thing. Click here to see the article featuring Dr. Mohler.
I want our readers to know that this ministry will not compromise the message of the gospel for the sake of popularity, to seem loving and tolerant, or to bridge the gap between Christianity and Islam. Tony Campolo, Rick Warren, and other evangelical ‘leaders’ can promote the message of common ground all they want, but it only serves to exacerbate the hatred in the (real) Muslim world and dismisses the message of the gospel.
“When Jesus sent the disciples into a village, he said, “Find the man of peace.” And he said, “When you find the man of peace, you start working with that person, and if they respond to you, you work with them. If they don’t, you dust off your shoes; you go to the next village.” Who’s the man of peace in any village—or it might be a woman of peace—who has the most respect, they’re open and they’re influential? They don’t have to be Christians. In fact, they could be Muslims, but they’re open and influential, and you work with them to attack the five giants. And that’s going to bring the second Reformation” – Rick Warren
There is a push for understanding and cooperation with people of different religious backgrounds and it is usually paraded under the banner of good works and social justice. That idea of embracing common ground between Islam and Christianity is a far cry from helping widows, orphans, and the least of these in Jesus’ name. I don’t understand how a minister of the gospel or a person who self-identifies as a born-again Christian can find common ground concerning matters of God with a Muslim.
It should be clear to anyone who reads the Bible, understands it, and has the Holy Spirit living inside them: We are not worshipping the same God. I would suggest that one could take a child from a country that hasn’t been exposed to any set of religious beliefs and let the child read both the Bible and Koran. I’d be willing to bet the farm that even a child could see a clear distinction and know that the God of the Bible and the God of the Koran are not the same. 2 Corinthians 11:3
Why are some ‘Christians’ trying to bridge the gap when the Bible clearly tells us what message we should be spreading? Some may think finding common ground with Muslims is a loving thing. But the most loving thing we can do as believers in Jesus is to present Him and the beauty of the gospel to the Muslims with our lives intersecting. The term “Chrislam” is a synonym for merging Christianity and Islam.
“Chrislam” is invading the church and it seems that many are blind to the probable outcome. The Bible makes it clear that a time is coming when a one-world religion will be present. It shouldn’t be hard for any true Christian to see the beginnings of this one-world religious system even in our day. Apostate Christianity will merge with other world religions and eventuate the system of worship of the antichrist. This bridge building extends to the Vatican as well. Last Fall, Pope Francis traveled to Turkey and prayed alongside the Grand Mufti of Istanbul in the city’s Blue Mosque. Here is a quote:
“It is essential that all citizens – Muslim, Jewish and Christian – both in the provision and practice of the law, enjoy the same rights and respect the same duties,” the pope added. “They will then find it easier to see each other as brothers and sisters who are traveling the same path, seeking always to reject misunderstandings while promoting cooperation and concord.” -Pope Francis
To see the article on the Pope’s visit, click here. The message of the Bible glorifies God. It has nothing to do with the religion and message of Islam. These efforts are setting the stage for the religious system that will be in full force during the Great Tribulation. John 14:6 I find it very naive for a person to think the message of Islam is a peaceful one. Looking at a few selections from the Koran will quickly show that if a person follows its teachings, being moderate is not an option. Here is an example of the kind of “common ground” Islam wants to share with Christians and Jews:
Koran 9:29 “Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.”
I recently heard a profound statement that sums up the truth about moderate Muslims: Moderate Muslims aren’t Muslims at all.
Franklin Graham was interviewed recently on Fox News and took a bold stand for the gospel. He also said plainly that Islam is not a religion of peace.
If you have spent any time at all reading the Koran, Hadiths, or the history of Islam…..you can only arrive at one logical conclusion. It is that the teachings of Islam found in the Koran are anything but moderate. You just need to look at what is happening in Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, North Africa, and dozens of other areas. There you will see jihadists killing so-called “moderate Muslims” because they believe these moderates are not followers. What about state-sponsored violence? Try to convert in Saudi Arabia or Kuwait; the outcome is severe, to put it lightly. Honor killings, Sharia Law, and violence is the norm in the Muslim world and is justified by governments and individuals via the Koran.
I could devote whole articles and whole volumes for that matter and document the teachings of Islam. For now, I would advise you to steer away from the pop-media op-ed and look into the facts for yourself. Suffice it to say that Islam has no other goal but to reign supreme and conquer the globe. The ideology of forceful domination the jihadists use is directly from the pages of the Koran.
It’s not my intent to go into detail about the goals of Islam. My intent is to warn you if you are a Christian. I want you to understand that we as Christians (are not) here to make war with Islam. It is also counterproductive and worldly to spew vitriolic words toward people who believe in a different God. On the other extreme and just as harmful is the flawed idea of ecumenism:
We are not here to build an ecumenical religious community focused on the greater good of mankind because it’s unbiblical.
We are also not here to find a way to help Muslims understand us. Here is the reason why: It won’t work. As believers, we are to reach out in love, be kind, and have compassion on lost people. But we must not take our cue from the watered-down religious types who only seek to cause confusion and cloud the core message. I want to make an observation:
For 2,000 years true Christians have made the core message about Jesus. When the Lord spoke to the Pharisees, He said “I AM” When Paul spoke to the men of Athens, he proclaimed the gospel. You can find believers in the early centuries of Christianity, through the Middle Ages, and right up to this moment not compromising the message of the gospel. Whether it’s the Pharisees at Jerusalem, Men in Athens, Martyrs under the ruling church, early missions to the nations, or a group of Christian children in Iraq last month who wouldn’t renounce Christ and perished at the hands of Islamists, the core message is Christ and Him crucified.
Isn’t that an amazing truth? Christians have witnessed to hundreds of different ethnicities, sects, and people of various religious backgrounds for the last twenty centuries and the gospel was what brought some of them to a saving knowledge of Jesus. Why do some in “Christian” circles want to do things differently? What do they hope to achieve? I don’t have the answer because the motive seems to be something other than the gospel.
Presenting Jesus and the simplicity of the gospel is done through boldly proclaiming the word. It is done through a life full of compassion and love that points directly to God. It is opening up to people who identify themselves as Muslims and sharing the good news of Jesus. Change happens in individuals and that comes only through the work of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life.
Some people in the Muslim world are hungry for hope and salvation. Jesus Christ is the hope and salvation they need. He is not an impersonal God, but rather the God who stands at the heart’s door and knocks. Some in the Muslim world will open the door and ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. We must realize that all the ecumenical, social, and harmonious bridge-building will not add one soul to heaven. We shouldn’t support or team up with people who water down the gospel, we should run from such nonsense.
True Christians including myself love the people in the Muslim world. The purpose of this article is to present a choice to people: Choose Jesus or reject Him, because the teachings in the Bible and the teachings in the Koran leave no room for ‘common ground.’ John 3:16
The only thing that will matter in 100 years will be your relationship with God. Jesus said that He was the only way. The message of Jesus and His gospel will save souls in the world, including the Muslim world. Time is short and Jesus is coming soon. There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved, that should be our message. We have readers from all over the world including the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. He loves you and if you are reading this article please know that He is the only way to salvation. If you desire to know more about Jesus and eternal life with God click here.
All for Him,
Howard
