Perhaps fearing a shortage of men willing to die while killing non Muslims, Hamas official Ahmad Bahr has pointed out that the number of virgins available to a martyr is still 72 but they can be chosen from a pool of 2.5 million virgins sitting in heaven panting heavily while they await the arrival of their Muslim hero.
Contrary to other religions that offer heaven by doing and doing and doing, even an obedient Muslim can not be sure of his hereafter without dying while killing non Muslims. Should they carry out this duty, however, Muslims are offered a palace; in it are 72 mansions with 72 homes with 72 sheets on 72 beds with 72 virgins that never lose their virginity. Mohammed said, “The person who participates in (Holy Battles) in Allah's cause and nothing compels him to do so except belief in Allah and His Apostle, will be recompensed by Allah either with a reward, or booty (if he survives) or will be admitted to paradise (if he is killed).” (Al Bukhari vol. 1:35.) “They [true believers] will sit with bashful, dark-eyed virgins, as chaste as the sheltered eggs of ostriches” (Sura 37:48).
The promise of heaven to those who die in battle for the cause of Allah is quite a promise . . . In his speach Bahr told wanna be terrorists, "In the Garden of Eden there is a palace with 500 gates, and at every gate there are 5,000 black-eyed virgins. Brothers, 500 multiplied by 5,000 is 2.5 million.” He also said, “Men should be praying for a son who would wage jihad for the sake of Allah, nobody on Earth will be able to confront the resistance or the mujahedeen, those who worship Allah and seek martyrdom.”
Nothing was said about female suicide bombers. Perhaps there is a stable of Studs from Chippendales waiting patiently on their beds in heaven?
Monday, November 22, 2010
Who Defines You?
We allow satan to define who we are. We give him permission to inhabit areas of our lives that he has no business entering. So, since we're out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we're free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? Hardly. You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it's your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you've let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you've started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom! Romans 6:16-18
If Jesus has set you free. Live like it!
If Jesus has set you free. Live like it!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
That's Not Fair!
In an article from an Al Qaida magazine, "The article also directs a message at U.S. President Barack Obama and points out that terrorists had addressed the parcel bombs to synagogues "in Chicago, Obama's city." "We have struck against your aircrafts twice within one year," Inspire writes, "and we will continue di?recting our blows towards your interests and the interests of your allies."
Ahh - don't these guys know that Obama and millions of atheists and pagans believe, or at least desperately want to believe that if we just talk nice to Muslims they're supposed to start to be nice back? Surely they'll ignore what the Qu'ran demands regarding world domination if we just suck up to them - No?
After all, appeasement has worked with every totalitarian movement in the past.
Ahh - don't these guys know that Obama and millions of atheists and pagans believe, or at least desperately want to believe that if we just talk nice to Muslims they're supposed to start to be nice back? Surely they'll ignore what the Qu'ran demands regarding world domination if we just suck up to them - No?
After all, appeasement has worked with every totalitarian movement in the past.
Doing Religion
Becoming a disciple of Jesus is not “doing this” or “doing that” the right way. Being a disciple of Jesus is giving up doing life my way and beginning to relate in all my doings the way that Jesus would relate if He were doing my life. It is not right behaviours that bring about inner change. It’s an inner transformation which brings about a result, or a side benefit of right behaviours.
Without this dying to self taking place, we wind up too often (outsiders would say always) whereby we have “Sunday Christians.” These people feel and sometimes even act pretty righteous on Sunday. However, they live almost exactly like the rest of the world lives the other six days of the week. And what do these people do on Sunday that makes them feel righteous? Why, they follow traditions. They chant phrases that have always been chanted and do rituals that have always been done and this allows them to go home feeling as though they’ve participated in something special. The inner person might feel pretty good about all this, but the inner person remains essentially unchanged.
In each congregation and in each denomination, down through the ages, times of something special really do happen. Our own congregation was on a roll 10 to 15 years back. Things were properly aligned with the cause of Christ. And then, as always, always, always happens, people forgot WHY things were on a roll. We / they (my wife and I have only been here for four years) forgot that anytime that a Church or a movement of some sort is getting it right, it’s because those involved have submitted themselves to the direction of God. They’ve humbled themselves before Him and followed His convicting, His counsel, His leading.
The things that happen when we forget why things were good would be comical if it wasn’t so tragic.
A group of Christians in submission to Jesus creates a very contagious and attractive atmosphere. The Church itself was born from this atmosphere. The love of others that is so evident draws people to Jesus. It draws people to the group. However, when new people enter the mix they will be of necessity less knowledgeable, less committed, less submitted to their Lord. After all, they’re beginners with a lot of the old nature still clinging to them. The influence of this old nature(s) begins to water things down and what is perceived as a slide begins to happen. Forgetting why things had been going so good, we begin to cling to the vestiges or the behaviours, the cloaks and sounds of the good old days.
Let’s see now. What were we wearing? What were we singing? How was it that we were doing things when we seemed to be operating under God’s blessing? It might be a building that is fondly remembered, or a Pastor, or an order to service. The introduction of new songs is usually the first thing to be blamed for the slide. In our minds we really believe that our very survival hangs on our ability to form a tradition and cling to what once was. I don’t mean to keep harping on them but it’s true that Roman Catholics have mastered this mistake. Tradition and icons and even people - dead people - are worshipped and prayed to as though they were Jesus - our High Priest, Mediator and Saviour. And all the while Jesus is left in the wings, waiting (He will never force Himself on us) to be invited back into the relationship.
We are all prone to this error and it truly is tragic because new Christians and those who aren’t Christians can see the resulting farce for what it is. We are no longer in relationship with Jesus and are instead “doing religion.”
Without this dying to self taking place, we wind up too often (outsiders would say always) whereby we have “Sunday Christians.” These people feel and sometimes even act pretty righteous on Sunday. However, they live almost exactly like the rest of the world lives the other six days of the week. And what do these people do on Sunday that makes them feel righteous? Why, they follow traditions. They chant phrases that have always been chanted and do rituals that have always been done and this allows them to go home feeling as though they’ve participated in something special. The inner person might feel pretty good about all this, but the inner person remains essentially unchanged.
In each congregation and in each denomination, down through the ages, times of something special really do happen. Our own congregation was on a roll 10 to 15 years back. Things were properly aligned with the cause of Christ. And then, as always, always, always happens, people forgot WHY things were on a roll. We / they (my wife and I have only been here for four years) forgot that anytime that a Church or a movement of some sort is getting it right, it’s because those involved have submitted themselves to the direction of God. They’ve humbled themselves before Him and followed His convicting, His counsel, His leading.
The things that happen when we forget why things were good would be comical if it wasn’t so tragic.
A group of Christians in submission to Jesus creates a very contagious and attractive atmosphere. The Church itself was born from this atmosphere. The love of others that is so evident draws people to Jesus. It draws people to the group. However, when new people enter the mix they will be of necessity less knowledgeable, less committed, less submitted to their Lord. After all, they’re beginners with a lot of the old nature still clinging to them. The influence of this old nature(s) begins to water things down and what is perceived as a slide begins to happen. Forgetting why things had been going so good, we begin to cling to the vestiges or the behaviours, the cloaks and sounds of the good old days.
Let’s see now. What were we wearing? What were we singing? How was it that we were doing things when we seemed to be operating under God’s blessing? It might be a building that is fondly remembered, or a Pastor, or an order to service. The introduction of new songs is usually the first thing to be blamed for the slide. In our minds we really believe that our very survival hangs on our ability to form a tradition and cling to what once was. I don’t mean to keep harping on them but it’s true that Roman Catholics have mastered this mistake. Tradition and icons and even people - dead people - are worshipped and prayed to as though they were Jesus - our High Priest, Mediator and Saviour. And all the while Jesus is left in the wings, waiting (He will never force Himself on us) to be invited back into the relationship.
We are all prone to this error and it truly is tragic because new Christians and those who aren’t Christians can see the resulting farce for what it is. We are no longer in relationship with Jesus and are instead “doing religion.”
Walk In The Light
So many Christians that I work with live their lives, NOT walking in the light, but instead, valiantly attempting to not step into darkness. It’s a dead end focussing on our failures when God wants us to enjoy the successes that He brings to us.
“So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what He does for us, not by what we are and what we do for Him.”
Romans 12:1-3
“So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what He does for us, not by what we are and what we do for Him.”
Romans 12:1-3
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Nothing New
Sceptics make the most of Pastors or other Christians who fall in their walk with Jesus. Failing, of course, is nothing new.
“When Christian believers gather in Churches, everything that can go wrong sooner or later does. Outsiders, on observing this, conclude that there is nothing to the religion business except, perhaps, business - and dishonest business at that.
Insiders see it differently. Just as a hospital collects the sick under one roof and labels them as such, the church collects sinners. Many of the people outside the hospital are every bit as sick as the ones inside, but their illnesses are either undiagnosed or mis diagnosed. It’s similar with sinners outside the church.
So Christian churches are not, as a rule, model communities of good behaviour. They are, rather, places where human misbehaviour is brought out in the open, faced, and dealt with.”
From Eugene Peterson’s introduction to the book of James - The Message.
“When Christian believers gather in Churches, everything that can go wrong sooner or later does. Outsiders, on observing this, conclude that there is nothing to the religion business except, perhaps, business - and dishonest business at that.
Insiders see it differently. Just as a hospital collects the sick under one roof and labels them as such, the church collects sinners. Many of the people outside the hospital are every bit as sick as the ones inside, but their illnesses are either undiagnosed or mis diagnosed. It’s similar with sinners outside the church.
So Christian churches are not, as a rule, model communities of good behaviour. They are, rather, places where human misbehaviour is brought out in the open, faced, and dealt with.”
From Eugene Peterson’s introduction to the book of James - The Message.
Jesus said, “When He comes:
. He'll expose the error of the godless world's view of sin, righteousness, and judgment
. He'll show them that their refusal to believe in Me is their basic sin,
. That righteousness comes from above, where I am with the Father, out of their sight and control, and
. That judgment takes place as the ruler of this godless world is brought to trial and convicted.”
John 16:8-11
. He'll expose the error of the godless world's view of sin, righteousness, and judgment
. He'll show them that their refusal to believe in Me is their basic sin,
. That righteousness comes from above, where I am with the Father, out of their sight and control, and
. That judgment takes place as the ruler of this godless world is brought to trial and convicted.”
John 16:8-11
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