An Unlikely Trio

President Obama stated in his address to the world’s Muslims, “All of us have a responsibility to work for the day when…the Holy Land of three great faiths is the place of peace that God intended it to be; when Jerusalem is a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims, and a place for all of the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully together as in the story of Isra, when Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed…joined in prayer.” And once again, this statement played very well with Obama’s Muslim audience.

The story of Isra refers to a “journey” that Mohammed was said to have taken in 621 AD. According to tradition, this journey began when the archangel Gabriel visited Mohammed in Mecca. Gabriel brought with him a winged horse named Buraq having lightning speed. Gabriel then whisked Mohammed off on Buraq to Jerusalem to the al-Aqsa mosque and then on to heaven where it is said that Mohammed talked with Moses and Jesus. The al-Aqsa mosque was originally built on the same location where the Dome of the Rock, Islam’s third most holy site, is located today.

President Obama’s reference to the story of Isra brings out some interesting questions. For example, how likely is it that Mohammed would meet and pray with Moses and Jesus? And how likely is it as President Obama stated in his speech that the land promised to Israel will someday be jointly occupied by Jews, Christians, and Muslims and called “…the place of peace that God intended it to be…” and lastly, how likely is it that Jerusalem will someday be a “place for all of the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully together…?”

Muslims correctly trace their heritage back to Abraham through Ishmael. Jews and Christians also trace their heritage back to Abraham, but through Isaac.

The Bible is undeniably clear about the inheritance of these two sons of Abraham:

“Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant…and as for Ishmael…I will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But My covenant I will establish with Isaac…” Genesis 17:19-21

And sure enough, Ishmael was the progenitor of twelve sons and the beginning of the Arab nations as recorded in Genesis 25:12-16.

God revealed to Hagar, Sarah’s maid, what her son Ishmael would be like even before he was born.

“And the Angel of the LORD said to her: ‘Behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has heard your affliction. He shall be a wild man; his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him…’” Genesis 16:11-12

This scripture reveals that Ishmael would be wild; he would hate and be hated by all. That is the ancestor of Mohammed.

From the very beginning Ishmael and Isaac were at odds with each other to the point that Hagar and Ishmael were expelled from the home of Abraham and Sarah.

“And Sarah saw the son of Hagar (Ishmael)…whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing (mocking the young lad Isaac). Therefore she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.’” Genesis 21:9-10

This animosity was recognized in the New Testament many years later. The significance of these two sons of Abraham is confirmed by Paul.

“For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman…Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? ‘Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.’” Galatians 4:22, 28-30

This passage reveals that the descendants of Ishmael were still persecuting the descendants of Isaac two thousand years after the promise was given, and the Muslims still hate the Jews and are persecuting them even unto this day. Inasmuch as Christians are the spiritual offspring of Abraham through Isaac they are also scoffed at and mocked by Islam.

President Obama’s statement that Jews, Christians, and Muslims will live together in peace in the land promised to Isaac’s descendants is substantiated neither in the Koran or the Bible. President Obama referenced the story of Isra which was about Mohammed, the descendant of Ishmael, taking a journey to Jerusalem and then on to heaven and back on a winged horse. That journey had no witnesses.

However, some day in the future according to the Bible, the whole world will witness a descendant of Isaac riding a white horse.

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war…He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God…Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod or iron…and on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:11-16

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“…and Always Speak the Truth.”

During President Obama’s “New Beginning” speech delivered in Cairo to the Muslims of the world he said as he quoted from the “Holy” Koran, “Be conscious of God and speak always the truth.” That statement garnered a great round of applause from his audience.

Firstly he called the Koran “Holy.” Remember that the Koran was written by the self-proclaimed prophet Mohammed more than 600 years after the Bible was written and sealed with the words of Christ:

“…If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book…” Revelation 22:18

True, the statement was indeed found in the Koran, Surah 9:119. It was used in a specific context justifying jihad. But the more significant issue is that the Koran contains numerous updates and abrogation of the old that were added by Mohammed as circumstances warranted. A significant issue of the Koran and the Islamic Hadith is the acceptance of telling untruths, or simply lying for a variety of reasons. More specifically, if the personal well-being of a Muslim is threatened they are allowed to do things not normally allowed by their faith including renouncing their belief in Allah, kneeling in homage to a deity other than Allah, and most importantly, to utter insincere oaths.

Mohammed himself said, “The sons of Adam are accountable for all lies with these exceptions; during war because war is deception, to reconcile among two quarreling men, and for a man to appease his wife.”

A good example of the practice of “acceptable lying” for Muslims came out just several days ago from a Palestinian official who was quoted on a TV panel, “Our goal has never been peace. Peace is a means, the goal is Palestine.” So the Palestinians may say that they want peace in the Middle East but what they really mean is that they want the complete destruction of Israel and turn that land into a Palestinian state.

The accepted and widely used practice of lying by Muslims for a variety of reasons is termed “Al-Takeyya.” Certainly our president is well aware of this practice as provided in the “Holy” Koran.

Serious implications arise because of this provision for the Muslim community. For example Muslim nations can enter into peace treaties with non-Muslim nations and have absolutely no intention of honoring them. There can be little confidence that the information provided by any form of intense interrogation methods of Muslim terror suspects can be trusted.

A renowned contemporary scholar of Islam recently concluded, “…When dealing with Muslims, what they say is not the issue. The real issue is what they actually mean in their hearts.”

Mr. Obama went on to say in his “New Beginning” speech, “My conviction (is) that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn’t. And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.”

Volumes could be written on those statements. Firstly, do we really want to partner with an ideology that is totally anti-Christian and anti-American? But then again recall that Obama has called America one of the largest Muslim countries in the world.

We couldn’t agree more that a relationship, not a partnership, “between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn’t.” The major issue is that most Americans perceive Islam to be what it really isn’t. Islam does not want peace in the Middle East or assimilate into western culture. Islam beyond a shadow of a doubt has as its major objective to rule the world with its religion and law! Yet later in his speech Obama proclaimed in one of his “let me be clear” statements, i.e. “no system of government can or should be imposed upon one nation by any other.” However, it is equally clear that he didn’t have in mind the imperialistic aspirations of Islam. The context of the statement was about the promotion of democracy.

As far as Mr. Obama’s claiming that his responsibility is to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam, he might find it to be more profitable to put forth more effort standing up and fighting against the negative stereotypes of western culture, Judaism, and Christianity.

President Obama’s objectives and strategies relative to Islam are really unclear at this point. It is hard to believe that he is as naïve as he appears to be on these issues especially as he adamantly proclaims that he is a Christian.

Christians have been warned by Christ Himself about being deceived near the end of the age.

“Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying…what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’”

“And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed than no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, I am Christ, and will deceive many.’” Matthew 24:3-5

“…For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.” Matthew 24:24-25

All Americans who cherish our freedoms should remain alert. We must be informed. We must search for the truth. We should seek to understand the underlying meaning of political rhetoric. We should not be deceived by what may appear to be. But most of all we can’t be apathetic. We must each take a stand based on the evidence and our personal belief system. The future of our freedoms depends on it.

More of President Obama’s “New Beginning” speech will follow.

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Obama Says, “I am a Christian.”

President Obama delivered a speech addressed to the Muslim world in Cairo recently entitled “A New Beginning.” In the early paragraphs of that speech president Obama once again declared his Christianity. He has made that proclamation numerous times especially during the presidential campaign. As a Christian it would be logical to assume that he is trained in and adheres to the teachings of the Bible.

As we review his speech we will point out comments that he made that are inconsistent with the Bible, the Koran, or history. Any such statements will have been made for several reasons, i.e. naïveté, obliviousness, ignorance, or the pursuit of political expedience at the expense of known facts. Each reader can determine for themselves which reason applies.

Before we examine the contents of that speech it should be pointed out that the Bible speaks out against any religion that is not Christ centered. That single fact will nullify many statements contained in that speech. The Bible also points out that Christ is not only the center of Christianity as a religion, but that He will also rule the earth politically for 1,000 years prior to its renovation. During that time Christ Himself will be the lawmaker, the king, and the judge. And as previously noted the government will not be a democracy or a republic, but rather a monarchy where Christ will “rule them (the nations) with a rod of iron.”

Also to be remembered is that God will protect and preserve His chosen nation Israel and its capital Jerusalem. In fact He will reveal His sovereignty and majesty over the whole earth through that tiny nation. These are basic biblical teachings which are central to the Bible which, if one is a Christian, accepts as truth. In other words, president Obama should have been well aware of these truths when he delivered his “new beginning” speech.

In the early part of the speech, he said: “I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles…”

The “mutual interest and mutual respect” is rather elusive because it is the stated objective of Islam to rule the world. Even many in the Muslim community are laughing at Obama over this phrase. America and Islam are in fact totally exclusive unless of course America would adopt Islam and their accompanying Sharia law. There is no compromise offered by Islam. Many wonder why the president of the United States would want to identify with Islam, a religion and a form of government that is adamantly not Christ centered plus openly seeks the destruction of Israel.

The president attempted to portray the illusion that he represented America in total as he addressed the Muslim community. He totally miscalculated the vast numbers who recognize the inherent differences between Christianity and Islam. Perhaps that is why in the first four lines of his speech he stated “I am honored…” “I am grateful…” “I am also proud…” instead of using the pronoun “we.”

He goes on to state that “…Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance…” That is a mystery, i.e. what words and deeds could he possibly be referring to? Islam is totally intolerant of anyone or anything that is not Islamic.

Mr. Obama stated that this is a “time of tension between the United States and Muslims around the world…” Actually Mr. President, that is a good thing. Considering that Islam is totally anti-Christian as well as anti-Israel and anti-American, and not willing in any way to change their position, any attempt to join forces with them would mean compromise on our part. Such compromise would absolutely compromise the word of God. If peace as sought by Mr. Obama means abandoning God’s word and teachings, then let there be tension!

Another quote from Mr. Obama’ speech, “Yet in this new age…any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail.” That may be true as far as a man made “world order” is concerned, but God has certainly elevated Israel higher than any other nation on earth including America or any Arab nation.

“For you (Israel) are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all people…” Deuteronomy 7:6-7

The sovereign God of the universe has already decided the ultimate fate of the nations and the permanent “world order” has always placed Israel at the center.

Mr. Obama touted that the first Muslim-American elected to Congress “took the oath to defend our Constitution using the … Holy Koran…”
I’m confident that statement played well with his Muslim audience; however, it should cause us to wonder how the Koran relates to the scriptural principles on which that Constitution was founded.

Well, these are just a few of the troublesome statements made by our President during his Cairo speech. More to follow.

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