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Posts Tagged with Islam

I Am He

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I’ve been preaching through the book of Isaiah for over a year and a half now. I have come to the forty-third chapter and the great news of the unchangeable Gospel is as strong as one can find anywhere in the sacred text of the Holy Bible, the only authoritative word to know God.

In the middle verses of this chapter Isaiah paints a word picture of all the nations gathered together and all peoples are given the opportunity to state their case on who their god is. He instructs those who have given themselves to false or strange gods to declare what their gods have done. He instructs those who are His people to declare what their God has done. He welcomes all to present their case so they might be justified and that their god gets to be fairly presented.

This is not something that the Almighty God is required to do, it is more that those who are blind or deaf to truth can see that their false gods are just that, impostures. It is a kindness from God to extend His mercy to those who have given themselves to the counterfeit.

This fabricated, propped up god, comes in many forms. Perhaps you have given yourself to one of the many pretend gods?

God has been kind to give a witness of Truth. He has given the nations a people who bear His name to advance His glory to all, the church. And of course He has given His only begotten son, Jesus the Christ, as described by the Bible, to stand as a witness of His glory to all nations. In Isaiah forty-three He also even shows his triune nature by revealing to the reader that there is one, and only one, God. He is identified by God as “My Servant” and He declares that “Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, and there is no savior besides Me.” (Isaiah 43:10-11)

That one phrase, “I am He”, is not to be missed or passed by so quickly.

In the New Testament when Jesus asked the Roman officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees who they were looking for, they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” Jesus answers “I am He.” This alone is not that unusual, unless the reader keeps reading. The New Testament book of John records that Jesus said, “I am He” the Roman offers “drew back and fell to the ground (John 18:5-6).” This is a witness to the nations that this Jesus is unlike all others.

Whatever fake god you have been bowing down to has been exposed for the sham that it is. Only God can have this kind of impact on a people when He bears witness of deity. His eternal deity. Not a man who became God or earned the right to become a god. Not a god who was once a man. No, this eternal deity “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, by emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:6-7)

This coming Lord’s Day I hope you will find yourself willing to examine truth without the fear of what men might say about you. The Magic Valley is blessed with many Bible believing, God fearing churches who will open their Bibles and preach this truth this weekend. Gather in one of those churches and be set free from the bondage of your sin. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, as described by the Bible, and be saved from the idolatry of following a spoof. If you don’t have a church to gather in this weekend then consider gathering with Eastside Baptist Church, 204 Eastland Drive North, Twin Falls, Idaho.

On Monday, September 9, 2019 there is an opportunity to hear what several religions think about the person and nature of God. At 6:30 p.m in the Shields building room 118 on the campus of the College of Southern Idaho there will be an open forum discussion among many different religions about God. Come hear the difference. Learn that the god of Mohamad, the god of Joseph Smith, the god of Humanism, and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are entirely different.

Come hear and see.

Vandalism, the Voice of Cowards

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The vandalism at the Islamic mosque in Twin Falls is no way to treat a neighbor. To call anyone a neighbor is not to say one agrees with the religious tenants of that same neighbor. There are civil ways to communicate ones political, religious, or philosophical positions. Throwing a rock through a window is not that way.

Engage with kindness, respect, courage, and bold words,  not by cowardly throwing a rock at personal property.

One has to also be sure not to use works as verbal rocks. Right now it’s not clear if the rock thrown through the window at the Islamic mosque was a direct “hate” crime of one religious/political person against another. It could as well be the activity of unsupervised hooligan activity.

In either case, it is the activity of cowardice foolishness. No self respecting person can defend that activity as right or respectful of a neighbor.

To be sure, where I hold that the God of the Bible is an altogether different god of the Koran or the Book of Mormon, I do not agree with this kind of juvenile behavior.

The Nature of God

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NOTE: This is the print version of my defense on the Biblical nature of God at an inter-religious dialog group I belong to. This is a monthly gathering of different religious leaders of different religions intended to have honest dialog about what we believe. Not an exercise of universally ecumenical platitudes of different ways of looking at the same god. This is an honest discussion of what we believe based on our religious texts. For me, this is a place where I have engaged in fair debate of what I believe.

Tonight (March 19, 2018) I have the responsibility to give a discourse on the nature of God contrasted by the Muslim and Mormon gods. It promises to be an exciting exchange. I wish you could be there with me. For now, most of the conversations are closed to the dialog group.

Here is the print version of what I will say:
__________________________________________________

I hold to the historic Baptist confession statements on the nature of God.

To speak of the nature of God, I hold to the sufficiency of the Holy Bible. To say “Holy Bible”, I mean the Old and New Testament only. I receive it as a certain and infallible standard of knowledge of God, faith, salvation, and holiness.

“The light of nature and the works of creation and providence so clearly demonstrate the goodness, wisdom, and power of God that people are left without excuse; however, these demonstrations are not sufficient to give the knowledge of God and his will that is necessary for salvation. Therefore, the Lord was pleased at different times and in various ways to reveal himself and to declare his will to his church [His people]. To preserve and propagate the truth better and to establish and comfort the church with greater certainty against the corruption of the flesh and the malice of Satan and the world, the Lord put this revelation completely in writing. Therefore, the Holy Scriptures are absolutely necessary, because God’s former ways of revealing his will to his people have now ceased.”

2 Timothy 3:15–17; Isaiah 8:20; Luke 16:29, 31; Ephesians 2:20. Romans 1:19–21; Romans 2:14,15; Psalm 19:1–3. Hebrews 1:1. Proverbs 22:19–21; Romans 15:4; 2 Peter 1:19, 20. (1925 New Hampshire Confession)

I hold agreement with confessional statements throughout history that place the Holy Bible as the only reliable authority to know God. All of the Holy Bible was given by inspiration of God to be this authoritative word of God. This is not a position of opinion, this is an exercise of intentional investigation using the rules of logic to defend all opinions of God against this reliable standard.

From the 1689 Second London Confession: (similar to the Westminster Confession)

The Lord our God is one, the only living and true God. He is self-existent and infinite in being and perfection. His essence cannot be understood by anyone but him. He is a perfectly pure spirit. He is invisible and has no body, parts, or changeable emotions. He alone has immortality, dwelling in light that no one can approach. He is unchangeable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, in every way infinite, absolutely holy, perfectly wise, wholly free, completely absolute. He works all things according to the counsel of his own unchangeable and completely righteous will for his own glory. He is most loving, gracious, merciful, and patient. He overflows with goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. He rewards those who seek him diligently. At the same time, he is perfectly just and terrifying in his judgments. He hates all sin and will certainly not clear the guilty.

1 Corinthians 8:4, 6; Deuteronomy 6:4. Jeremiah 10:10; Isaiah 48:12. Exodus 3:14. John 4:24. 1 Timothy 1:17; Deuteronomy 4:15, 16. Malachi 3:6. 1 Kings 8:27; Jeremiah 23:23. Psalm 90:2. Genesis 17:1. Isaiah 6:3. Psalm 115:3; Isaiah 46:10. Proverbs 16:4; Romans 11:36. 13Exodus 34:6, 7; Hebrews 11:6. 14Nehemiah 9:32, 33. 15Psalm 5:5, 6. 16Exodus 34:7; Nahum 1:2, 3.

To start with the authority of the Bible is of importance to me because this is the place that identifies what standard I would use here to define the nature of God as defined by the Bible. If the Bible is true then I must consider what it says, not only about the nature of God but also the nature of other gods. If the Bible is not true then logic would require that I declare the God of the Bible to not be a true god at all. Logic requires that the reader of the Bible accept its claims as true or false. I receive it as true and satisfied to use is to address the nature of God.

My use of the English word “God” is to mean Yahweh. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (arguably not at all the same deity of Islam or Mormonism.)

  • The God of the Bible is defined as one, only one. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 43:10-11, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Jude 4, etc…)
  • The God of the Bible is defined as a jealous God. (Exodus 34:14, An almighty God is not arrogant to be jealous of worship being given to another. Logic would say that the most high is not irrational to make exclusive claims about a loving God. A loving God would want all to worship the true God. A loving God would not love if he shared His glory with any lesser.)
  • The God of the Bible is described as a God with no equal. There is no other. (Isaiah 45:5)
  • The God of the Bible is described as a spirit. (John 4:24)
  • The God of the Bible is described as an eternal God, not having a beginning or an end. (Job 36:26, Isaiah 57:15)
  • The God of the Bible is described as an immutable God. (Malachi 3:6, Numbers 23:19, Hebrews 13:8)
  • The God of the Bible is described as an all knowing God. (Psalm 147:5, 1 John 3:20)
  • The God of the Bible is described as an all present God. (1 Kings 8:27, 1 JOhn 3:24)
  • The God of the Bible is described as a triune being. (see references on Baptist Faith and Message)

James White, of Alpha and Omega Ministries, argues that to speak of the trinity it is necessary to define and distinguish the terms “being” and “person.”

“It would be a contradiction, obviously, to say that there are three beings within one being, or three persons within one person. So what is the difference? We clearly recognize the difference between being and person every day. We recognize what something is, yet we also recognize individuals within a classification. For example, we speak of the “being” of man—human being. A rock has “being”—the being of a rock, as does a cat, a dog, etc. Yet, we also know that there are personal attributes as well. That is, we recognize both “what” and “who” when we talk about a person.”

“The Bible tells us there are three classifications of personal beings—God, man, and angels. What is personality? The ability to have emotion, will, to express oneself. Rocks cannot speak. Cats cannot think of themselves over against others, and, say, work for the common good of “cat kind.” Hence, we are saying that there is one eternal, infinite being of God, shared fully and completely by three persons, Father, Son and Spirit. One what, three who’s.”

NOTE: We are not saying that the Father is the Son, or the Son the Spirit, or the Spirit the Father. It is very common for people to misunderstand the doctrine as to mean that we are saying Jesus is the Father. The doctrine of the Trinity does not in any way say this!

The three Biblical doctrines that flow directly into the river that is the Trinity are as follows:

1) There is one and only one God, eternal, immutable.

2) There are three eternal Persons described in Scripture – the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. These Persons are never identified with one another – that is, they are carefully differentiated as Persons.

3) The Father, the Son, and the Spirit, are identified as being fully deity—that is, the Bible teaches the Deity of Christ and the Deity of the Holy Spirit.

The most critical claims of Jesus are of interest in the Biblical claims of who God is. If We get Jesus wrong we get everything wrong.

For Jesus to say, “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) one has to search who this Jesus is.

His nature, according to the Bible, is eternal. Meaning; not created, not an offspring, not a representation of, not another god, not simply a view of God.

His nature, and Biblical claims, demand that we view him as eternal God.

God is not an unknown, unsearchable essence. God is not a higher reality of humanity. God is not many. God is not human. God was never less than He currently is and He will never be greater than he is (if this were possible he would not be God to begin with).

What does it mean to say “Jesus is God incarnate” or “Jesus is God in the flesh”?
This is a most important question. It is not to say that God ever stopped being God. It is not to say that this is when Jesus became a god. God the son, Jesus, never gave up being God and he never “became” God. This simply means that in order for God to be in the flesh, he would need to be born with flesh, incarnate. Not by natural means. If by sexual intercourse, then he would not be of divine nature but a fleshly nature. This would have to be done by supernatural means. A supernatural work of God, ruling over His creation and entering His creation to redeem humanity.

This is intended to be a starting place for a longer and larger conversation on the nature of God.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me for more discussion. Paul Thompson (208) 410-2529 or idahopaul@gmail.com

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.” (Isaiah 55:8) Meaning, we need God to tell us who He is if we are to accurately know who He is. Otherwise we will create a god in our own image and not know Him at all.

Primary Sources:
Psalm 50
1 The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken,
And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God has shone forth.
3 May our God come and not keep silence;
Fire devours before Him,
And it is very tempestuous around Him.
4 He summons the heavens above,
And the earth, to judge His people:
5 “Gather My godly ones to Me,
Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6 And the heavens declare His righteousness,
For God Himself is judge. Selah.

7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak;
O Israel, I will testify against you;
I am God, your God.
8 “I do not reprove you for your sacrifices,
And your burnt offerings are continually before Me.
9 “I shall take no young bull out of your house
Nor male goats out of your folds.
10 “For every beast of the forest is Mine,
The cattle on a thousand hills.
11 “I know every bird of the mountains,
And everything that moves in the field is Mine.
12 “If I were hungry I would not tell you,
For the world is Mine, and all it contains.
13 “Shall I eat the flesh of bulls
Or drink the blood of male goats?
14 “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving
And pay your vows to the Most High;
15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”

16 But to the wicked God says,
“What right have you to tell of My statutes
And to take My covenant in your mouth?
17 “For you hate discipline,
And you cast My words behind you.
18 “When you see a thief, you are pleased with him,
And you associate with adulterers.
19 “You let your mouth loose in evil
And your tongue frames deceit.
20 “You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.
21 “These things you have done and I kept silence;
You thought that I was just like you;
I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes.

22 “Now consider this, you who forget God,
Or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be none to deliver.
23 “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me;
And to him who orders his way aright
I shall show the salvation of God.”

Baptist Faith and Message
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God the Father
God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in his attitude toward all men.

Gen. 1:1; 2:7; Ex. 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11ff.; 20:1ff.; Levit. 22:2; Deut. 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chron. 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isa. 43:3,15; 64:8; Jer. 10:10; 17:13; Matt. 6:9ff.; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Rom. 8:14-15; 1 Cor. 8:6; Gal. 4:6; Ephes. 4:6; Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 1:17; Heb. 11:6; 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17; 1 John 5:7.

God the Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself the demands and necessities of human nature and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, partaking of the nature of God and of man, and in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.

Gen. 18:1ff.; Psalms 2:7ff.; 110:1ff.; Isa. 7:14; 53; Matt. 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16,27; 17:5; 27; 28:1-6,19; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18,29; 10:30,38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:7-11; 16:15-16,28; 17:1-5, 21-22; 20:1-20,28; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5,20; Rom. 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3,34; 10:4; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8,24-28; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; 8:9; Gal. 4:4-5; Ephes. 1:20; 3:11; 4:7-10; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thess. 4:14-18; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Heb. 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28; 9:12-15,24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Rev. 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16.

God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the assurance of God to bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

Gen. 1:2; Judg. 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isa. 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matt. 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10,12; Luke 1:35; 4:1,18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Rom. 8:9-11,14-16,26-27; 1 Cor. 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11; Gal. 4:6; Ephes. 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thess. 5:19; 1 Tim. 3:16; 4:1; 2 Tim. 1:14; 3:16; Heb. 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Rev. 1:10; 22:17.

The Apostles’ Creed: 140 A.D.
“I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The Holy catholic [meaning, church throughout time and in all places] Church, the Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

The Nicene Creed: 325 A.D.
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe one holy catholic [meaning, church throughout time and in all places] and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Ecumenical Universalism is not the same as Religious Freedom

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Full disclosure: I was not personally present at the event I’m writing an opinion about…

What took place on Saturday morning in Twin Falls appeared to have been more of an ecumenical attempt of universalism that amalgamated pieces of many beliefs into essentially a castrated god of nothingness.

To speak up for religious freedom does not mean we put our gods aside and pretend we are worshipping the same god. When that happens you are not at a religious freedom rally, you are at an ecumenical worship service where every god but the God of the Bible is worshipped.

Religious honesty is needed today.

We can sit down at the table and dialog of our differences without compromising our convictions and setting truth outside the door.

Where I am an advocate of religious freedom for all, I in no way support or participate in universalism disguised as religious freedom.

As a pastor of a biblical ordered church, I do not support any event that is not intellectually honest or biblically true as a valid voice for true religious leaders.

I will be brief in my response to what was called a religious freedom rally at the Twin Falls City Park on Saturday, December 2, 2017.

Granted, again, I was not present…

Prayer cannot be mutually given to whatever god you want to say you are praying to. For example: if a Muslim man is praying to his god, Allah, the Mormon man cannot at the same time say amen or agree with his neighbor on whose God is being prayed to. If a Christian man is praying in the name of Jesus, the Mormon and Muslim must inquire if he means the Jesus of their books.

If a religious freedom rally is what you want with people of differing religions and you begin with prayer you have at that moment acted against your conscience by putting your religious freedom upon the alter of universalism. You have ceased being who you say you are and stopped believing what you profess to believe.

I’ll stand for religious freedom all day long. But I will not put my conscience aside to pray with someone to their god in hopes that my God will understand. In a day where religious integrity is needed most, religious leaders should be articulating with greater clarity.

This pastor preaches a Triune Godhead. No honest Muslim would ever join me in a prayer to this God. No honest Mormon would submit himself the the authority of this God. To do so, both would be required to repent of their worship of their current gods, unless they are secretly ecumenical universalist, like many other false professors calling themselves Christians.

Religious freedom is not what is celebrated at an ecumenical, amalgamated gathering, of confused religious leaders.

I suport religious freedom. I denounouce any other kind of false representations of misleading wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Lost in the Conversation

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For more than a week the conversation of the local community is about some refugee children who have been charged with sexual assault. At this point, it is an open investigation and we must trust the law enforcement and prosecution process to do its duty.

In the mean time; there are many things lost in the conversation.

  • the depravity of humanity is active in the corrupt heart of all citizens. This is not a condition that is owned exclusively by men or women. Obviously it’s not something that U.S. Citizens are immune to.
  • any sexual assault acted out on a child is of serious weight in any community. This happens more in our neighborhoods than most know about and is not a new problem just because of the refugee center. Listen, you don’t even have to be an active church goer to be sickened by the sexual perversion.
  • this is first a sin issue – first and before it being a psychological issue, long before this being a refugee issue, or an Islam issue, this is a sin issue.
  • It’s even possible that your sons and daughters are exposed to sexually deviant behavior this summer at any given church camp.

Church, where are you in the conversation? Parents, Hopefully you’re not lost in the weeds of this being the kind of thing that other people’s children do.

Sin did not come to the city gates because of refugees. Press the law enforcement to do her duty, expect the city council to not be naive, but hold your church accountable to preach the word and your pastor to be the pillar and buttress of truth.

Sexual deviancy will not flee because you’ve signed a petition to shut a federally funded agency down (and I support the shutting down of federally funded agencies that don’t allow the citizens the privilege of accountability.) Sexual assault isn’t snuffed out because law enforcement and judicial prosecution exist (and I’m in favor of both.) But do not expect any change in the heart condition of humanity without the faithful proclamation of the gospel by biblically faithful preachers in God glorifying churches filled with forgiven sinners seeking the face of God.

Preacher, to your pulpit! Church, to your duty! Christian, be an ambassador of Christ’s reconciliation. All men, everywhere, repent!

What Does A Church Do?

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News of intentional attacks against non-Muslims in Pakistan on Easter Sunday and reports growing of the number of worshipers dead continues to climb leaves a mind of a follower of Christ in relative peace at a juxtaposition.

Especially a local church putting the final touches upon a building process. What does a church do? What is a right response? What is a fair reaction? Is it alright to rejoice in temporal things while others suffer bodily harm or even loss of life all together?

The weight of what the apostle Paul says “to live is Christ, to die is gain” causes one to ponder what really is important. (disclaimer note: where it is reported that the attack on Easter Sunday (3/27/16) in Pakistan was directed toward Christians, one needs a bit more help knowing what is meant with the use of the word “Christian”. At this point, we interpret it as we might with understanding that the media really doesn’t know the definition of the word or its proper use in reporting. Irregardless, a religious group was attacked by another religious group. I is right to weigh it as such with care.)

Here are some things I am processing through my mind this morning as the flooring in our new meetinghouse is being installed and news of 70 Christians dead and over 300 wounded begins to take center stage on world media outlets.

  • “Behold the kindness and severity of God…” (Romans 11:22) Look at His kindness and severity.
  • Be careful how we interpret His kindness (Is the installation of flooring the kindness of God?).
  • Be careful how we interpret His severity (Is it harsh of God when a loved one dies?).
  • Even though the landscape of the church in America is quickly changing, Christians in America have experienced a long season of peace.
  • Even thought few churches in the United States are marked like those in Pakistan were over the weekend, that reality is more the norm in most of the world.
  • Mourn when it is appropriate to mourn.*
  • Rejoice when it is appropriate to rejoice.
  • Refuse to live in fear.
  • Enjoy temporal events in light of eternity.
  • Endure hardships in light of eternity.
  • Pray for those in difficult situations for boldness more than removal of their hardships.
  • Ask God for strength when the hardship comes our way.

Today, this preacher will look with pleasure as floor covering begins on a temporal meetinghouse, godly sorrow for those suffering in Pakistan, and a sober reality that there is a growing hate for followers of Christ in our land and set my gaze to the kindness and severity of God.

After all, the book of Hebrews chapter 11 starts with a beautiful retelling of the kindness of God to give increasing faith to those who historically walked in the light of the favor of God and then closes with the telling of saints who suffer greatly in this world for their following of Christ. It is a chapter filled with an apparent juxtaposition much like today.

 

 

*edited for spelling/grammar

Michael Moore is Wrong (again)

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No, Michael Moore, we are not all Muslim! We may be more rightly called Americans.

It is a wrong, illogical, and even an unconstitutional conclusion you have come to to assume this American a Muslim.

This American was once a hell bound sinner; but now, by the grace of God, is a born-again, follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, as described by the Holy Bible, not the Qur’an, Book of Mormon, Watchtower, or emotionalism.

No Muslim would say they are Christian and still be a Muslim. Nor do I argue it would be a helpful thing to ask them to do so.

No Christian will join your publicity campaign.

Just saying.

Sunday Nights at Eastside (tBC017)

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(updated with audio on 12/08/2015)

Part 1
How Firm A Foundation

The author of this hymn is a bit of a mystery. It is unclear who the author was. What is clear is that this is a rich hymn filled with the influence of Scripture.

Pastor of the New Park Street Chapel in England, John Rippon, published a hymn book entitled A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors. In this book he included “How Firm a Foundation” and credits the author as “K”. It is difficult to determine who that refers to.

Two likely individuals:

  • R. Keene – the music director at New Park Street Chapel
  • George Keith – is credited as the author in the Broadman Hymnal but not in later later editions of the Baptist Hymn books.

Regardless, this is a hymn worth some time for consideration. (More information HERE.)

Full Text

1 How firm a foundation you saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent Word!
What more can he say than to you he has said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

2 “Fear not, I am with you, O be not dismayed,
for I am your God, and will still give you aid;
I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

3 “When through the deep waters I call you to go,
the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow,
for I will be with you in trouble to bless,
and sanctify to you your deepest distress.

4 “When through fiery trials your pathway shall lie,
my grace all-sufficient shall be your supply;
the flame shall not hurt you; I only design
your dross to consume and your gold to refine.

5 “The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no never forsake!”

Final thoughts and observations on this hymn:

All five verses are rich with Scripture…

  • v1: 1 Corinthians 3:11.
  • v2: Phil. 4:12-13.
  • v3: Isaiah 41:10
  • v4: Isaiah 43:2
  • v5: Isaiah 43:2, Romans 8:35-39, Hebrews 13:5, Deut. 31:6

Many newer publications don’t include v4. I especially like the conclusion of the song… “The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose I will not, I will not desert to its foes; that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no, never, no never forsake!”

Part 2
Islamic Terms

(the majority of the content is from www.4Truth.net)
.pdf document of terms (HERE)

 Allah: This is the only Arabic word for god. This makes translation of the bible into Arabic problematic. Not because there is not a word in Arabic for god. An Arabic speaking person reading the bible in his/her language would use the word allah when they read your English word ‘god’.

In an English speaking context, we have a general word ‘god’ and a specific word for Yahweh [‘God’]. Translators generally note this with a lower case ‘g’ and an upper case ‘G’.

The necessary duty for a believer is to have a working knowledge of the definition according to the doctrine (teaching) of the different faiths.

One of note here is that the god (Allah) of Islam and the god (Yahweh) of the bible are not the same gods. Yahweh reveals Himself as triune, Allah is similar (in definition) but in no way a triune being. This is important in knowing why a Muslim is confused when you refer to Jesus as Deity (God). To a Muslim, you believe in multiple gods.

There is more, but this is a start.

Allahu Akbar: Arabic for “Allah is most great.”

Caliph: Successor of Muhammad as leader of the Muslim community. (four caliphs of Muhammad)

Is a form of Islamic government led by a caliph (a ruler considered a politico-religious leader of the Islamic community of believers, and rules in accordance with Islamic law.)

A caliphate is a political state without separation of religion and government ruled by a religious leader called a caliph. This politico/religious ‘state’ may or may not be recognized by the community at large as legitimate. In Islam, it doesn’t need to be recognized by others, they just are and do.

Fatwa: This is an Islamic legal ruling or edict.

Hadith: A collection of Muhammad’s sayings and deeds, known as the Traditions, which is commonly taught as a part of Islamic theology. Hadiths are explanations and interpretations of Muhammad’s living example.

Hajj: * Pilgrimage to Mecca during the twelfth month of the Muslim lunar calendar. Muslims are required to perform hajj at least once in their lifetime, if means and health allow.

 Imam: A religious leader or head of a local community, or a spiritually qualified leader. He also leads in community political affairs.

Jihad: This is a struggle or effort in god’s cause. The great jihad is the inward struggle against the passions. The lesser jihad is a defensive or legal war, to protect the interest of Islam. It is mistakenly called holy war. Jihad is the Muslim obligation to strive to teach, explain, spread, and protect the message of Islam.

Ka’ba: A cubic stone structure where the black stone is housed. Located in the center of the Great Mosque at Mecca, Muslims believe that it was the first house of worship built by Adam, which was later reconstructed by Abraham and Isma’il. It is also spelled ka’aba or ka’bah.

 Mosque: A place or house of prayer-literally, a place of prostration. (make no mistake, if your community has an Islamic Center your community has a Mosque.)

 Muslim: A person who submits to Allah and practices the religion of Islam.

Qur’an: The Arabic word for recitation. Koran: The anglicized form of Qur’an-holy book or sacred scripture. Muslims believe that it was revealed to Muhammad through angel Gabriel, or Jibril. The Koran was not fully composed at one time. Rather, it was revealed piecemeal over a period of 23 years. It is composed of 114 surahs.

Shahada: * Confessing or bearing witness to god’s unity and Muhammad’s role as messenger. “I testify that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his Prophet. A person must recite the shahadah to convert to Islam.

This is the Islamic profession of  faith…

“There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger”

Shari’ah: Shari’ah is Islamic law-the way or divine path of obedience to god. It comprises the writings of the Qur’an and hadith and serves as the guide for worship and ethical living.

Shi’ite: Partisan or follower who believes that leadership should come from descendants of Muhammad’s family.

 Sunni: Ninety percent of Muslims are Sunni. This name is derived from sunna (tradition) for one who follows the tradition of Muhammad (who did not designate a successor). It is the belief that leadership should come from among the Quraish Arabs (Muhammad’s tribe).

*Indicates one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

New Terms:
ISIS: Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS is not considered a legitimate government by world leaders. A caliphate does not need legitimacy by others.)
ISIL: Islamic Stat of Iraq and the Levant (Iraq/Syria/ash-Sham/Libya/Nigeria/Afghanistan (On June 29, 2014, the group proclaimed itself to be an Islamic state and worldwide caliphate, with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi being named its caliph, and renamed itself ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah “Islamic State” (IS).
DAESH: The French were the second to begin calling ISIS DAESH because they thought ISIS was too offensive. Arabs have referred to ISIS as DAESH first. (http://www.france24.com/en/20140917-france-switches-arabic-daesh-acronym-islamic-state/)

You will hear many people today talking about this being a type of holy war and that the United States should not declare war on a religion. We must remember, in Islam, there is no separation of religion and state. Islam is a political ideology.

“There may be peaceful Muslims but there is no such thing peaceful Islam.” (S. Hadian)

Our Love/Hate Relationship with the Media

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A few passing thoughts to remind myself of how to read and listen to news reports on ‘breaking news’ issues.

  • Read and listen to as many primary source outlets and learn discernment when you are reading/hearing secondary sources and commentary.
    • Here’s what I mean by primary, secondary and commentary
      • Primary: Press releases, unedited speeches, manuscripts of speeches and uncut interviews.
      • Secondary (most secondary news is commentary): Any, and all, news outlet anchors are speaking biased opinions. Any report that shows short clips are possibly using a short clip to make a point in support or against spoken or unspoken agendas.
      • Commentary is anyone speaking about an event as an observer, they are ‘commenting’ on how they see things as they see things.
    • Examples of Each (generally):
      • Primary: Uncut interviews, live press conferences, manuscripts of speeches, auto-biographies, written and/or audio/video of a person expressing an opinion (secondary and commentary becomes primary sources when that source is in question.)
      • Secondary: Newspaper, magazine articles, network news, talk radio, opinions (become primary sources if discernment is exercised by the listener), biographies, wikipedia.
      • Commentary: Newspaper, talk radio, monologue, conversations.
      • In short, any source that describes, comments on, or analyzes primary sources is not a primary source. (My blog  is largely a secondary/commentary source. It becomes a primary source when my thoughts are the subject of interest.)
    • It is not easy to find primary sources. But they are available. Here are a few sources I have found.
      • C-Span (as long as it is pure streaming of an event, not an anchor commenting or analyzing the event.)
      • look for any live (or recorded live) press conferences.  Be a discerning listener so that when you form an opinion you are speaking, thinking, acting as closely to truth as possible.  Form your opinion based on what people are saying with their own words. To form an opinion based on another’s opinion is not an exercise of being a fair and balanced commentator.
    • Research and look for manuscripts of speeches and interviews. Here is where a news outlet becomes our friend. This is where they become a distributor of a primary source. (even this may be secondary information based on who is speaking.) This is what I look for in when breaking news happens. The information dispersed in a press conference is at least vetted with caution on information.
      • Two press conferences of interest related to the recent shooting in California that were of interest to me are listed below. I listen for content and context to the subject and listen for other agendas that seem to be more the reason for the release. I do listen for factual data and compare and contrast that with secondary sources …

      • The most interesting for me as a pastor was the press conference last night (12/2/2015) from CAIR (the Council on American-Islamic Relations) I watched it in its entirety last night but could only find portions of it today.

   

If you listen to this, exercise discernment as you listen.

Listen for what is helpful, listen for truth (this means you must become informed about the truth of Islam). Listen for what is unhelpful. Listen for sincerity. Listen for cover-up. Listen for truth speakers. Ask yourself questions based on facts and truth. Listen for confusing statements and listen for lies. In my opinion (commentary warning) This press conference has some of all of this. It is clear that the brother-in-law is sincere, the Islamic leaders want to communicate Islam as a peaceful religion, and the other faith leaders are wolves in sheep clothing, liars! (I warned you of my commentary.)

The natural next thing I do is exercise caution in how I speak about the breaking news.

  • Things I strive to do:
    • Be informed and build an opinion on my own first.
    • Pray to God for victims. (I don’t “send my prayers” to anyone, I pray to God for them)
    • Inform others.
    • Be kind and graceful.
    • Live an informed and responsible life with my hope fixed on Christ.
  • Things I strive not to do:
    • Send my thoughts to others… (I don’t have any idea what that even means.) I think about the people and the issue they may be dealing with, but I think it dangerous to engage in sending ‘positive thoughts’ as some kind of a spiritual activity.
    • Be cruel.
    • Speak without compassion.

Helpful Islamic Terms (tBC016)

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In today’s BridgeCast I give some helpful terms in regard to Islam and the cultural storm of money following the Thanksgiving observation.

In this day it may be helpful to have an increased knowledge of Islamic terms. When you read or listen to a ‘news’ report and a term is used that you’re not familiar with, find a good dictionary or reliable source to help give you a working definition of how that term is defined and used.

Allah: This is the only Arabic word for god. This makes translation of the bible into Arabic problematic. Not because there is not a word in Arabic for god. An Arabic speaking person reading the bible in his/her language would use the word allah when they read your English word ‘god’.

In an English speaking context, we have a general word ‘god’ and a specific word for Yahweh [‘God’]. Translators generally note this with a lower case ‘g’ and an upper case ‘G’.

The necessary duty for a believer is to have a working knowledge of the definition according to the doctrine (teaching) of the different faiths.

One of note here is that the god (Allah) of Islam and the god (Yahweh) of the bible are not the same gods. Yahweh reveals Himself as triune, Allah is similar (in definition) but in no way a triune being. This is important in knowing why a Muslim is confused when you refer to Jesus as Deity (God). To a Muslim, you believe in multiple gods.

There is more, but this is a start.

Jihad*: This is a struggle or effort in god’s cause. The great jihad is the inward struggle against the passions. The lesser jihad is a defensive or legal war, to protect the interest of Islam. It is mistakenly called holy war. Jihad is the Muslim obligation to strive to teach, explain, spread, and protect the message of Islam.

Caliphate** is a form of Islamic government led by a caliph (a ruler considered a politico-religious leader of the Islamic community of believers, and rules in accordance with Islamic law.)

A caliphate is political state without separation of religion and government ruled by a religious leader called a caliph. This politico/religious ‘state’ may or may not be recognized by the community at large as legitimate. In Islam, it doesn’t need to be recognized by others, they just are and do.

*4truth.net
**Wikipedia

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