A few days back Quantum Thought sent me on a journey that introduced me to someone on his blogroll. Someone who has been Norm's friend for quite a while from what I gather. I'm pleased to say he is now a friend of mine and I would like to share this post he presented to the world on July 18, 06 - What follows is verbatim cut and paste from Bill's Comments:
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Sunday Notes--07/16/2006
Praying for Peace
Every Sunday part of the general prayers is a prayer for peace in the world and a cessation of war. This is a desirable state of affairs, but coupled with the prayer seems to be an attitude that simply stopping the fighting is a solution and that it will create peace.
I have a sense that most mainline protestant religions have been hijacked by a pacifistic attitude, that simply not fighting is a good in itself. They have gotten the wrong message from the gospel, elevating turning the other cheek to abject surrender, and sweeping Jesus cleansing the temple and saying he came to split brother from brother, etc., under the rug. In effect, what should be the bastion of unbending morality and rectitude, the church, has become a resting place for moral equivalencing and a sloppy "We are all brothers" [despite the fact that my "brother" will behead me or put me in servitude.]
What we should be praying for is VICTORY. A total conquest over the forces of Islamic Jihad. Praying for peace is a way of avoiding making the very moral judgments that are required, because the shape of the peace being prayed for is never explicitly defined, as if it were self-evident. If the world is saved from Islamic Jihad, it will be the fundamentalists and the Baptists who will do the job. Despite my various disagreements with their version of Christianity, they have one great strength--they make moral judgments unapologetically, and that is what is sorely needed here.
I would like to add to what Bill has stated with a bit of what a friend from a men's fellowship group I attend said today. -
"Mike", who was born and raised in Beirut, talked about what it will really take to end hostility. Mike claimed it will take the Gospel (Good news) of Jesus Christ and His ability to change men's hearts.
As Bill said, prayer will be needed, but with it the power of God to change men's hearts will have to be thrown into the mix. This goes beyond the physical use of force and the fight will have to be carried on in the spiritual realm. Military hardware will not end the hostilities.
Why is it the fanatical Muslims stand against anyone being converted and use the threat of death to keep people in fear of even hearing the gospel? Those Imams with any knowledge of Christianity know it is much more inviting than the teachings of Islam. To allow the people under them to even look at Christianity would undermine their power. So they take the commandment, "Thou shalt not kill" and change it to "Thou shalt not kill unless we give you the ok and we do!"
It is nothing more than men's desire to keep for themselves the power that belongs to the Living God. The only thing that can counter it is prayer and the Word of the Living God.
At this point I challenge any Muslims reading this to check out What Jesus said to his disciples on the last night of his sojourn here on earth. At the Last Supper the Apostle John recorded Jesus' word and put them into writing. Please click here and check out John Chapters 14 through 17. (Arabic) - If you sincerely want to seek the truth then please ask God to show you if these words are true! - (If you prefer English click here)
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