Truth is considered a somewhat flexible commodity today, something like warm toffee. In a post-modernist world it is not chic to raise the subject of unbending truth. Once upon a time Western societies lived, fought and sacrificed their well-being over beliefs, over spiritual convictions, over matters of conscience and freedom, and over rejection of dictatorships and oppression.
As the sun sets on Western civilization, the former solid pillars of Biblical truth are being washed away by the rising tides of political correctness, cynicism and cold-heartedness. Though Europe and North America were founded on adherence to biblical principles, today a tidal wave of uncertainty, unbelief and skepticism characterizes much of the modern worldview.
It is of world-shaking importance that humanity return to an awareness of the truth, and a repentance before God for having spurned truth and embraced lies.
Yeshua described Satan in this manner: “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
One of God’s descriptions of a world in rebellion is that they reject His truth and instead embrace and worship lies: “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen” (Romans 1:25).
The Apostle Paul sketches out how the majority of humanity living at the end of days will choose the lies of anti-Messiah over the truth of Yeshua, and his description is right on target: ”They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness” (2 Thess. 2:10-12).
Truth is important. It is not optional, and it cannot be bought or sold. It does not bow and scrape before emperors or politicians. The same applies to what the Bible teaches about YHVH the One True God, about Yeshua the Way, the Truth and the Life, and about God’s irrevocable gifts and calling vis-à-vis the people of Israel (Romans 11:29).
Satan is a thief
Lies are tools of the trade for Satan. They are one of his “black ops” – demonic psychological strategies that he uses in spiritual warfare. He uses lies in order to steal – hearts, souls and bodies of men and women: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
One of the ways that Satan steals is by offering “truths” other than God’s truth. The serpent in the Garden of Eden whispered the seductive question, “Has God really said …” (Genesis 3:1).
Israel’s bold trumpet blast – “YHVH – He is God” (1 Kings 18:39) – pronounced judgment on the demons of the Canaanites and on the Baal worship of the Phoenicians. Today that same exclusive and true confession excludes any other lying offer of salvation that counterfeits the Biblical message:
“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber … I am the good shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know me … and I lay down My life for the sheep” (John 10:1,14).
The uniqueness of the Bible is connected to the uniqueness of its Author. The truth of the Bible is connected to the truthfulness of God. “God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged” (Hebrew 6:18).
“All Scripture is breathed out from God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The denial of Yeshua as the Son of God (His deity and humanity), the denial of His atoning sacrifice on the cross, the denial of His resurrection – all of these are denials of the truth. Any religious system which has these denials as part of its spiritual and original foundations, is not a Biblically kosher alternative. It will not be able to stand on the same platform as biblical faith without drastically losing its balance.
Biblical truth confronts politicians’ declarations
Ever since 9/11, it has become commonplace for world leaders to make defensive declarations regarding which expressions of Islam are theologically “kosher.”
Former President George W. Bush declared on September 17 2001 at a Washington mosque that Islam is a religion of peace, and that jihadi attacks “violate the fundamental tenets of the Islamic faith” (http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/17/gen.bush.muslim.trans/).
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair stated in 2007 that “To me, the most remarkable thing about the Koran is how progressive it is. I write with great humility as a member of another faith. As an outsider, the Koran strikes me as a reforming book, trying to return Judaism and Christianity to their origins, much as reformers attempted to do with the Christian church centuries later. The Koran is inclusive. It extols science and knowledge and abhors superstition. It is practical and far ahead of its time in attitudes toward marriage, women, and governance” (http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/62271/tony-blair/a-battle-for-global-values).
Blair has declared on many occasions that jihadi Islam is “an extreme and misguided form of Islam;” that those who stress Mohammed’s teachings on jihad are disseminating “hardline dogma,” and that their “cultural and theological credentials were often dubious;” and that “fundamental Islam is actually the opposite of what the extremists preach” (www.tonyblairoffice.org/speeches/entry/tony-blair-speech-to-chicago-council-on-global-affairs/).
President Obama has declared many times that Islam is a religion of peace, that “Islam is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism – it is an important part of promoting peace,” and that support for jihad comes only from a group of “violent extremists (who) have exploited these tensions in a small but potent minority of Muslims” (www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31102929/). On the recent commemoration day of 9/11, President Obama declared that “we’re at war against terrorist organizations that have distorted Islam or falsely used the banner of Islam to engage in their destructive acts.”
In each case the question is raised: are these world leaders speaking “the gospel truth?” By what authority do they make their affirmations about Islam? Do they have a clear understanding of the Scriptures’ teaching about Yeshua, the Bible, the atonement and the Jewish people? If so, why are they not confessing biblical truth? Is it because they don’t themselves believe the Scriptures, or because it is required of them as politicians to champion political correctness even if it is biblically in error?
Why not allow Islamic authorities to define themselves?
Evangelical Christians do not accept Mormon teachings or Unitarian doctrine as Scripture. Catholics would probably not grant apostolic authority to Martin Luther. Each faith system has its systematic body of teaching, its holy writings, and it is these which ultimately must define what is orthodox or heterodox within that religion.
Every honest and clear-thinking individual who values the truth, should consult the religious scriptures of Islam in order to make up his or her mind on what is taught there. Not even a President or a Prime Minister has the authority to make that decision for you.
For a more detailed analysis of Islam from a biblical perspective, see “A Perspective on Islam” available on http://davidstent.com/words/
Declarations by politicians as to whether or not Islam agrees with the Torah or New Testament are simply political declarations which are out of these men’s spheres of authority. Their comments only place a spin on the whole subject, and only obfuscate the pursuit of biblical truth.
To the law and the testimony!
When God wanted to settle an argument He was having with Israel, He told Isaiah the prophet, “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn” (Isaiah 8:20). For believers in Yeshua, that appeal still stands the test of time.
When a religious system (such as Islam) denies the accuracy of the Biblical Scriptures; denies the Incarnation, deity, crucifixion and resurrection of Yeshua; cancels the Jewish people’s gifts and calling; prophesies a bloody destruction of the Jewish people (and Christians as well) who refuse to accept Islam; and declares war forever as the acceptable and blessed jihadi way of spreading the Quranic message, it would be a lie (theologically and ethically) to say that these teachings are progressive teachings of peace.
It would be preposterous for non-Muslims to insist that Islamic jihad is not a bona fide expression of Islam. To speak plainly, jihad is not an extremist and violent distortion of Mohammed’s teachings and practice; it is exactly Mohammed’s teaching and practice.
From a biblical perspective, it would be more than accurate to say that Islam’s teachings on these abovementioned subjects stand apart from and against Biblical faith.
Two living witnesses
In the past few days two news items have circulated which forcefully challenge us to look unblinkingly at the unvarnished nature of Islam – as it is lived in the Middle East.
On August 25 2010 a Hamas TV station in Gaza aired a children’s cartoon which depicts Allah punishing Jews (called “the followers of the Book” [the Bible] in Islamic terminology) by changing them into apes (www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/4586.htm). This racist teaching comes directly from the Qur’an: “O followers of the Book … whom Allah has cursed and brought his wrath upon, and of whom he made apes and swine, and he who served the Shaitan (ed., Satan); these are worse in place and more erring from the straight path” (Surah 5:59-60).
Front page news on Monday September 20 2010 describes how the Hamas Sunni Islamic government had recently closed down the Crazy Water Aqua Fun Park in Gaza because its owners allowed women to smoke nargilas (hookas) in public. Last month the Hamas police raided the resort and expelled customers because men and women gathered in the same room to celebrate a fast-breaking meal during Ramadan. Finally between 25 and 40 armed gunmen set fire to the complex early Sunday morning, destroying the resort completely (www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=188602).
If there were no geopolitical factors involved concerning Middle-Eastern oil supplies, and if there were no superpower desires to wield strong military and economic influence in an area close to Iran, Russia and China, the whole matter of Islamic theology might have taken on much humbler proportions. But as the world moves closer to its Middle Eastern climax, these are part of the bread-and-butter issues facing our “last days” world.
- Pray for truth to prevail in the hearts and minds of your country’s leadership, at every level – politically, spiritually and militarily.
- Pray that the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah would grant a gracious revelation of Himself and His Son to the leaders of the nations, and also to many precious people held in bondage by false teachings found within Islam.
- Pray for the courage to embrace revealed truth, even unto death (Revelation 12:11)
Thanks for standing with us. Your prayers and support hold up our arms and are the enablement of God to us in the work He has called us to do!
In Messiah Yeshua,
Avner Boskey
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