Many Will Be Deceived...

We can clearly see where specific Muslim beliefs can turn people to the violence of terrorism and jihadism. Where does it begin? It begins in the mind. Read Muslim students 'being taught to despise unbelievers as filth' and you will see that when such a mindset is taken to complete fruition, it leads to the twisted concept that the killing of unbelievers is necessary.

Christians believe that sin is "filth" in the eyes of God, but the person is precious and valuable. Sin needs to be repented of and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is what saves a person's soul.

Christianity encourages a productive life through service to God and others. Once born again, we faithfully and prayerfully attempt to fulfill our God-given mission here on earth, while looking forward to the day when God takes us from this earthly existence to spend eternity with Him in heaven. Our reward is not because of anything that we have done, but because of the redemptive work, and righteousness of Christ at the cross.

The jihadism and killing that radicalized Muslims aspire to achieve (please note that I didn't say all Muslims) is a works based belief that is completely opposite of what the Bible tells us is necessary for salvation.

Works of obedience are done by born-again Christians because of our love for Christ and desire to serve Him.

The radicalized Muslims have the (unfortunate) additional belief that they will be rewarded in eternity by Allah with 70 virgins. This is a severe deception from the enemy of our souls.

Unfortunately, people who think they are Christian can be deceived as well. The book of Jude shares the fact that many will be deceived the closer we get to Christ's second coming. Those who have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit through the saving grace of Christ are now "elect" and would not be deceived.

Matthew 24:24 - For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Barna research did a poll a while back and if I recall correctly, only 9% of people who call themselves Christian have a biblical worldview. This is a low percentage when we see the statistic that over 70% of Americans self-identify as Christians.

On with the discussion at hand.

A few nights ago, I witnessed a verbal exchange between Sean Hannity, Alan Colmes, and a member of the Westboro "Baptist" church (Fred Phelps fame). What a riveting segment. That group is a cult that has, unfortunately, been used to discredit true Christian ministries that seek to help people who are unhappy and struggling with same-sex attraction find freedom in Jesus Christ.

This group goes even further down to the pit of Satan. They were picketing at funerals, demonstrating against, and demeaning our brave military heroes who had given their lives in the effort to defeat terrorism and keep our country safe from any additional attacks since the tragedy of 9/11.

This is profoundly ugly. It's totally disgraceful and utterly unChristian to do such a thing. Yet, these people think that they are the "genuine" Christians and all the rest of us are "abominations."

The Bible does not call people abominations. It calls certain acts of sin abominations.

I would like to state one important observation about the Phelps cult member that appeared on Hannity and Colmes. She never once mentioned the power and saving grace that any sinner can be given through repentance and belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior!

That one fact is what unites Christ's true, universal church (believers, not a denomination or building) despite differing "human traditions" added to individual denominations! This is the crux of the matter. If a church does not teach, "Jesus Christ and him crucified" as the way of salvation, then it is not following what God requires for reconciliation between God and man.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NKJV)
Christ Crucified
2And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the *testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of *human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

I feel bad for that group of 100 people who are under the deception of Satan through Fred Phelps skewed ideology. But this is what happens when people follow a finite man's lead rather than the eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ and His revealed Word, the Bible.

1 Corinthians 2:6 (NKJV)

Spiritual Wisdom
6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. (bold mine)

1 Corinthians 2:7-16

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written:
"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."*
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the *Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For "who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?"* But we have the mind of Christ.
Footnotes:
2:1
NU-Text reads mystery.
2:4
NU-Text omits human.
2:9
Isaiah 64:4
2:13
NU-Text omits Holy.
2:16
Isaiah 40:13

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A must read at Michele Malkin's blog, Mohammed in Submission

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