Mind-blowing!

Marine GySgt Jethro Gibbs (one of my favorite TV-show personalities): "Family is more than DNA. It's the people who care most about you."

Jesus cared for people. Despite the outrage of public opinion, He chose, over and over again, to care for people that were considered unworthy of love. Many people (my own DNA-family included) consider me unworthy of love. I won't disagree with the merits of such a decision; rationally speaking they have probably made a good decision! What staggers me though is the number of people who love me that have no DNA connection to me whatsoever!

First and foremost of these is my wife. Through the miracle/mystery of marriage ("the two shall become one") we have become bound with ties stronger than DNA. Next are a number of elder men who, over the years, have chosen to give of themselves to mentor me in one area or another of my life. There are also a few men, my peers, who have the heart and patience to look past the grossness of "me" to the Spirit living inside me. They have truly taken on the mind of Jesus when they choose to love me.

Scaredy-cat...

Islam scares me. I've been looking at the Koran and it scares me.

I am not shaking in my boots; nor am I petrified. Just very concerned at this force of evil arrayed against us. I have never much been interested in Islam. It was always just another religion to me. But after just a tiny bit of research I have changed my views. Here are some of my discoveries; I highly recommend you educate yourself concerning them:

• The Koran preaches war/violence more than it does peace. It commands Muslims to convert all men to Islam. Failing that, they are to kill them. Should they themselves fail to take up the banner of this Holy War (jihad) then they themselves are to be killed.


• Thus Islam, at its very foundation, is radical, militant, violent, supremacist, and terroristic; both to its converts and its own adherents. Radical Islam is not the minority. It is the heart and true soul of the religion. "Peaceful" Islam (if such a thing exists) is actually not real Islam but pseudo-Islam.


• Mohammad was a terrorist, murderer, slaver, polygamist, pedophile, robber, marauder, and false prophet. (You have got to look up the history of this man; especially his interactions with the Arabs and Jews in Mecca and Medina.) Yet he is still considered Islam's most holy man.


• The Koran promotes violence, murder, slavery, prostitution, female genital mutilation, sexual gratification for men, and the limitation of rights for women. And by "promotes' I really mean to say "commands". It is right there in black and white. Read it. I was shocked to see it.


• The Koran itself, as a literary work, is repetitive, badly worded, unclear, and full of historical mistakes and outright lies.


• The Koran, as the bedrock doctrinal foundation of Islam (a religion demanding allegiance from all mankind), does not offer appeal or relevance to all people of all time and of all cultures.

These are just a few points made vividly clear to me in my first forray into discovering Islam. There is so much more darkness one finds when you study the history, culture, governments, and current state of Islam. There is a conspiracy of enormous proportions when you compare the shrinking pouplations of non-Islamic countries and the increased immigration of Muslims into them. I can only whisper to you, "Take a look."

Why do I care? A friend of mine told me that events on such a macro-level are hard to imagine let alone affect. He is probably right. But what I do see is a "force" I never imagined existed. And the exciting thing for me, a follower of Jesus, is the apparent direction this "force" is taking the world; Islam is marching us directly into end-times events. Which means we will soon get to be with our Lord!! That is what really excites me...and doesn't make me so scared!

Paradoxical

We just recently finished studying through the book of Romans at my church. The last chapter (16) was pretty much just Paul saying "Hello, I miss you!" to his many Christian friends in and around Rome. BUT...there was some powerful wording hidden in the midst of his farewell. Take a look at verse 17:

Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.

My pastor pretty much blew past this but my heart was screaming, "WHOA!!! Hold the horses! What is this!?!?" This verse seems to go against so much of Christian doctrine. The church teaches love, forgiveness, and gentleness. Today's Christian culture calls for understanding, openness, and a certain dose of tolerance. We are counseled to be supportive, to make ourselves attractive to the lost world around us. It seems we have a paradox; how can we embrace our enemies and avoid them at the same time?

Let's do a word study of the original language.

• "Note those" ...to look at, observe, contemplate; to mark; to fix one's eyes upon.


• "divisions" ...dissension, sedition


• "offenses"...trap, snare, stumbling block


• "doctrine"...teaching


• "avoid them"...turn aside, turn away, keep aloof, shun

It appears to me that we are adjured to keep away from those people actively opposed to our Christian walk. This is definitely food for thought. And a strict bridle on us should we choose to don it.

But the greater question is how to correlate the two opposing ideas...accept or avoid; love or shun; seek or flee.

One thing I do know is the importance of a living relationship with Jesus. His Holy Spirit in us will be the guiding force that promises to help us through the tough decisions and intimate challenges we face. Godspeed.