As I write my article for my blog, a number of issues are prominent in the news. On an international level, Muslims are lobbying for the UN to pass a resolution making it a criminal offense to speak against their faith (which by definition includes witnessing for Christ).
In Wichita KS, a pastor and his people were arrested for passing out Gospels of John on a public street near a mosque.
In the state of Oklahoma, a federal judge has issued a judicial stay on a state amendment which expressly upholds the Constitution of the US as the rule of law. The issue is Muslim’s in that state want Sharia law to be added to the court system. Ibrahim Hooper stating that it was his hopes that “America’s Government would be Islamic sometime in the future,” And Omar Ahmed adding that he wanted “the Koran to be the highest authority in America.”
In a suburb of Detroit, a federal court ordered a Christian church to stop ringing it’s bells at noon, since the tunes were distinctly Christian, while a week later that same court ruled that the Muslim Mosque was within their rights to broadcast over a PA system their noon prayers for all to hear.
The Ground Zero Mosque continues to be a great debate. Some argue that it is not actually on the site of the World Trade Center complex but we must remember that the reason this is so important to the Muslim community is because in Muslim tradition, Mosques are built to commemorate great victories. That is the real issue here–more than actual location. That aside, what we are not hearing in these diatribes is that a large portion of the funding for the Mosque is our federal tax-dollars at work.
I could go on and on, mentioning the Isalmic public school in Minnesota (totally funded by our tax dollars,) or the myriad of school systems across our Country who, while forbidding Christian prayers on campus allow and promote Islamic public praying in cafeterias and classrooms.
As we approach this Christmas season, we do so with the awareness that these two great world religions–Christianity with the Manger and Islam with their Mosques–are on a collision course. No, there can be no peace between them; no, there is no happy medium. History has proven that where Islam goes, Islam must prevail. Erwin Lutzer tells of visiting Istanbul where the church of Holy Wisdom was quickly turned into a Mosque after the Muslim conquest of 1453. His guide informed him that this act proved the great triumph of Allah over Christianity.
What are we to do? First, we must always remember that we are representatives of Christ and has such must always act in a Christ-like, God honoring way.
Second, we must proclaim the message of truth clearly and unashamedly. God has brought these Muslims into our midst so they can hear and perhaps respond to the gospel without fear of death. Let us use the time we have wisely.
Thirdly, at Christmas time, let us point to the manger, where God chose to come to us rather than requiring that we go to Him. The truth of the matter is, had He not come to us, we could never get to Him.
The manger stands in stark contrast to every world religion. All these religions require that we try our best to get to God, but in the manger, we see God Himself coming to us! That is the glory of the Christmas message. Let’s proclaim it for all to hear!
From my house to yours, Merry Christmas and should He delay His return, may you have a happy New Year as well!
Pastor John
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