Loving Our Enemies Includes ISIS
Loving Our Enemies Includes ISIS
I firmly believe it is important to approach prophecy humbly, prayerfully, and carefully, removing assumptions, pre-conceived notions, and avoiding becoming too dogmatic quickly. Since much of what happens in the future is somewhat unclear (even with our knowledge of prophecy), this should give us due cause to be careful about being too dogmatic and consider the end implications of our conclusions. I recently listened to a sermon of a pastor who was making a strong case for the literal, physical return of Christ -- to which I totally agree. However, he also indicated that he believed that the feet of the statute in the book of Daniel chapter 2 represented the Islamic Caliphate. I would take a bit of an issue with the way that it is presented, especially with regards to ISIS and the Islamic Caliphate. For one, I don't believe that's what the prophecy means. As well, most of you know I have lived in Israel and the Middle East, shared Christ with Muslims and Jews there as well as here in the United States, and have a great heart to see them come to know Christ as the Savior who died to free them and transform them. So, take this from someone who has experienced it first-hand, for what it’s worth. It is too easy to relegate the whole Islamic world (or even just ISIS) into the basket of some end-times prophesy of the nations that come against Israel and Jesus will wipe them out with the sword that comes out of His mouth and rules with a rod of iron. I'm not saying He doesn't come to bring justice to the nations, because He does, but it definitely won't come based upon our convenience or national, political prejudices. This ideology super-imposes the spirit of the age and cultural sentiment into the prophecy, with horribly consequential ends. Worse, it abdicates our responsibility as His Body in our time, just like Jonah was trying to do in his time. In the last two years, nearly 45,000 ISIS members have been killed by the U.S. and other strikes, and likely have been sent to hell for eternity. This should be a very sobering thought to the Church, not one that causes us to rejoice because our enemies have been wiped out, or otherwise desire and anticipate that Jesus will destroy the rest of them so we can just escape pain or persecution. Or are we just so scared of them that we don't trust God enough that we are always trying just to save our own skin? I've lived among Muslims, stayed overnight in their homes, drank tea with them. All the while, disagreeing with doctrines of hate and telling them of the only true God who loves them and gave His Son to rescue them. I personally feel I owe my life (or at least my safety) to a muslim family that God used to deliver me from certain entrapment that some other muslim men had set for me when I was in Turkey. The family didn't speak much English, but they protected me and took me into their home -- as muslims! I'm not justifying the evil atrocities of ISIS or any of the heresy of Islam as a religion, but I am saying that it is God's heart that none should perish (in hell), and that all should come to repentance. If this is His heart, it certainly should be ours as well. We can't have this heart if we approach it with a fear-based, warmongering attitude toward Arab people. I'm not saying that this particular preacher has this attitude or perspective or meant to portray this in the context of his sermon, but it is a prevailing attitude in the Western world right now, and even among the Church, sadly. We really need to have a love-based, Kingdom mentality toward the Islamic world right now, even toward ISIS -- as impossible as that sounds. God's greatest victory is not in destroying His enemies, but in seeing those who are his enemies become His friends. Come on, we have to start thinking like Jesus and eternal consequential ends, not just like the zeitgeist! This is why Jesus came:
"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." "For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!"
I firmly believe it is important to approach prophecy humbly, prayerfully, and carefully, removing assumptions, pre-conceived notions, and avoiding becoming too dogmatic quickly. Since much of what happens in the future is somewhat unclear (even with our knowledge of prophecy), this should give us due cause to be careful about being too dogmatic and consider the end implications of our conclusions. I recently listened to a sermon of a pastor who was making a strong case for the literal, physical return of Christ -- to which I totally agree. However, he also indicated that he believed that the feet of the statute in the book of Daniel chapter 2 represented the Islamic Caliphate. I would take a bit of an issue with the way that it is presented, especially with regards to ISIS and the Islamic Caliphate. For one, I don't believe that's what the prophecy means. As well, most of you know I have lived in Israel and the Middle East, shared Christ with Muslims and Jews there as well as here in the United States, and have a great heart to see them come to know Christ as the Savior who died to free them and transform them. So, take this from someone who has experienced it first-hand, for what it’s worth. It is too easy to relegate the whole Islamic world (or even just ISIS) into the basket of some end-times prophesy of the nations that come against Israel and Jesus will wipe them out with the sword that comes out of His mouth and rules with a rod of iron. I'm not saying He doesn't come to bring justice to the nations, because He does, but it definitely won't come based upon our convenience or national, political prejudices. This ideology super-imposes the spirit of the age and cultural sentiment into the prophecy, with horribly consequential ends. Worse, it abdicates our responsibility as His Body in our time, just like Jonah was trying to do in his time. In the last two years, nearly 45,000 ISIS members have been killed by the U.S. and other strikes, and likely have been sent to hell for eternity. This should be a very sobering thought to the Church, not one that causes us to rejoice because our enemies have been wiped out, or otherwise desire and anticipate that Jesus will destroy the rest of them so we can just escape pain or persecution. Or are we just so scared of them that we don't trust God enough that we are always trying just to save our own skin? I've lived among Muslims, stayed overnight in their homes, drank tea with them. All the while, disagreeing with doctrines of hate and telling them of the only true God who loves them and gave His Son to rescue them. I personally feel I owe my life (or at least my safety) to a muslim family that God used to deliver me from certain entrapment that some other muslim men had set for me when I was in Turkey. The family didn't speak much English, but they protected me and took me into their home -- as muslims! I'm not justifying the evil atrocities of ISIS or any of the heresy of Islam as a religion, but I am saying that it is God's heart that none should perish (in hell), and that all should come to repentance. If this is His heart, it certainly should be ours as well. We can't have this heart if we approach it with a fear-based, warmongering attitude toward Arab people. I'm not saying that this particular preacher has this attitude or perspective or meant to portray this in the context of his sermon, but it is a prevailing attitude in the Western world right now, and even among the Church, sadly. We really need to have a love-based, Kingdom mentality toward the Islamic world right now, even toward ISIS -- as impossible as that sounds. God's greatest victory is not in destroying His enemies, but in seeing those who are his enemies become His friends. Come on, we have to start thinking like Jesus and eternal consequential ends, not just like the zeitgeist! This is why Jesus came:
"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." "For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!"
Comments
Post a Comment