October 2002

Christ:
The Landscape of Life

Part Thirty-two

(P)
“LO and BEHOLD”

“Who is the One, True God?”

                No nation on earth is the center of controversy like little Israel! Other nations command the spotlight peripherally from time to time; but then attention returns and rivets to beleaguered Israel. Why? The duration of the lineage of Abraham’s promised son, Isaac, has been a thorn in the side of the descendants of Abraham’s firstborn, Ishmael for ages; but never has their bitter resentment been whipped into the worldwide frenzy it has now become! Ancestral sons of Ishmael warred against Isaac’s descendants, but were defeated in the end; still today the sting of that vanquishment pierces the hearts of those who challenge Israel’s presence in the Promised Land! Who are these contenders? Peoples from Egypt to the Euphrates and the Persian Gulf, headquartering in western Arabia. The term, Ishmaelite, was generally applied to all caravans, even Midianite merchants; and the merchants were called, Canaanites, since Ishmaelites were caravan traders from remotest times. These nomadic lifestyles of huge cultural factions are no longer practical or prevalent.
                 In the early 600s, one particular Arab merchant preached a message of religious renewal to people in the Arab Peninsula that would form a whole new religious culture. He called his message, Islam meaning submission to God. Muhammad was the name of that traveling salesman who taught his followers to: 1) worship Allah, the Arabic word for one God; and 2) live in harmony as brothers and sisters. Mohammed claimed descent from Ishmael- and though prior to the birth of this self-styled prophet, a confusion of Arab genealogies lost all names past the 21st generation, his claim is probable enough; since the pre-Mohammedan Law of blood revenge required each man to keep track of his own ancestry up to 4 generations back, to prevent confusion with regard to race. Thus Arabs may be regarded essentially as an Ishamelite race. Muhammad converted many Arabs to Islam before he died in the year 632. After his death, his loyal flock spread their “prophet’s” message of “united devotion to one God” beyond Arabia establishing a new empire. In less than 200 years, the Islamic empire stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the borders of India and China; even from southern Europe to North Africa. Throughout this vast territorial expanse, the unifying force of Islam harvested many diverse cultural achievements into a new civilization.
                Part of their ritual was a daily call to prayer where the faithful knelt on prayer rugs facing a Meccan shrine called ka’bah. Muhammad first stressed he was continuing the tradition of Jewish and Christian prophecy; but when Jewish tribes in the Medinam oasis refused to acknowledge him as a prophet, he began to move away from Jewish and Christian practices. So instead of facing the holy city of Jerusalem during prayer, Muhammad’s new “revelation” commanded Muslims to face Mecca and the Ka’bah. The global prayer calling the “faithful” to prayer is repeated twice, 5 times a day, that says, “God is Greatest! I bear witness there is no deity but the One God! I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God! Come to worship! Come to success! God is greatest! There is no deity but One God!” The error here is that a messenger of God is anointed of God; and no anointed messenger of God would ever decry Jesus Christ as God’s begotten Son!
                Yet Muhammad claimed to receive revelations from the angel Gabriel (or Jibreel in Arabic); whose first of two messages declared there was only one God, “Say God is One; God the Eternal: He did not beget and is not begotten and no one is equal to Him!” Here is the foundational fallacy of this man’s so-called revelations; as 1 Jn 4:9 says, “The love of God was manifested toward us in that He sent His only Begotten Son into the world. so we could live through Him!” 1 Jn 5:1 adds, “Whoever believes Jesus is T-h-e Christ (God’s only Anointed), he is born of God! Whoever loves the Father Who begat, loves the Son begotten of Him!” Jn 1:14 adds, “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us...He was the only Begotten of the Father; full of Grace and Truth!” [Note: until Jesus Christ established His Church, He was called the “only Begotten Son”, but Rev 1:5 says, “Jesus Christ...is the f-i-r-s-t begotten of the dead!” This meant others would succeed Him! Jas 1:18 confirms this, “Of His own Will, He (the Father of Lights) begat US with His Word of Truth, so that we should also be a kind of firstfruits of His creation!”
                Muhammad’s second, supposed “revelation” was that all who accepted God’s message must obey His will; and in doing so, form a special community wherein all believers would be equal in the sight of God. This also meant they were each responsible for the other, especially the weak and needy. To Arab worshippers of many gods, Muhammad’s message was radical; for although he called his God, Allah- the name of the Arabs’ most important god; his God was also the God worshipped by Christians and Jews! Muhammad believed that as God sent His divine message through prophets like Abraham, Moses and Jesus, He was now sending revelations through him! As he preached revolutionary concepts of social equality (that is, socialism- a root of communism) and monotheism (worshipping his one god), merchant rulers were alarmed that this would threaten individual tribal and clan authority. Muhammad’s rejection of polytheism threatened profiteers of the annual pilgrmages to the shrine, Ka’bah! Meccan rulers harassed this “prophet” and his small band of followers; meanwhile his renown for religious devotion and justice spread beyond Mecca. Ten years after starting to preach in Mecca, a delegation of Yathrib tribesmen negotiated peace between the opposing factions, suggesting that this “prophet” settle in their territory. And in 622 Muhammad agreed. This pilgrimage of him and his followers from Mecca to Yathrib was later called hijrah- “flight or migration” in Islamic history. His arrival in Yathrib marked a milestone in Islamic history- for he ruled there as both spiritual and political leader (as the Ayatollah Khomeini)! Yathrib, itself, became known as Medina (in Arabic, Madinah- short for Madinat al-Nabi meaning “City of the prophet”.) There after the hijrah has marked the first year in the Islamic calendar.
                In his early years Muhammad had to be familiar with the religious traditions of his own city, and although some wandering Arabs preached the existence of one god, most Arabs believed in many gods. As a caravan manager traveling all the trade routes, Muhammad had to be exposed to the Jewish traditions set forth in their Torah; as well as the Christian beliefs found in the Gospels. These experiences likely contributed to his monotheism. He began by converting desert tribes and, with their help, raided Meccan caravans. In 630, after years of warfare, Arabs relented and opened the gates of their city to this “prophet” and his Islam. Muhammad destroyed all religious idols except the ka’bah, so Muslims could make a pilgrimage to worship the one god commanded by his “revelations”. After that coup, most Arab tribes conceded to his rulership and the power of Islam. By the time he died in the year 632, the groundwork was well-laid for this religion that would soon spread far beyond Arabian borders. These followers of Islam are called Muslims, which means “one who is surrendered to God”. This would be fine except the God to whom they surrender is NOT Jesus Christ! That makes any foundation of faith faulty and antichrist!
                The “muslim mania” against Israel as a nation is clear enough; but why the violent bigotry against Christ-believers- when Orthodox Judaism does not even claim Jesus Christ as Messiah? The reason is this: natural Israel is but the type for SPIRITUAL ISRAEL! True sons of God, as we read earlier, are begotten by the Spirit of Truth; and Jesus Christ says, “I AM the Truth!” Also Ro 2:28-29 says, “A true Jew is NOT one outwardly; nor is true circumcision of outer flesh! Rather a true Jew is one inwardly; and true circumcision is of the HEART, in the SPIRIT- and not in the letter of the law! Also a true Jew’s praise is not of men, but of God!”
                 Islam’s five pillars in the Qur’an [Muhammad’s so-called revelations over 22 yrs] are now daily duties expected of Muslims: 1) make a confession of faith: “I bear witness there is no deity but Allah, and Muhammad is his servant and messenger”; 2) pray 5 times a day; 3) support poor members of the community through payment of alms; 4) fast during the 9th month of the Islamic calendar called Ramadan ; and 5) to make the hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca at least once, if possible. Another important requirement, sometimes called the sixth pillar of Islam is jihad, literally means: “struggle for the faith”; but is come to be interpreted: “HOLY WAR”! Muhammad, himself, was not loath to employ force to spread his message; and the early years of Muslim expansion primarily involved fighting and dying for the faith. Muslims believed a warrior who dies for the faith in battle would immediately be admitted to paradise!
                 Since“God is Love” (1 Jn 4:8), true believers are “sons of Love” not men of war! History records terrible carnage during Holy Wars led by professed Christians; but what a far cry from the early church that suffered atrocities at the hands of pagan emperors and early popes for their faith! True believers are not at war with Muslims- nor Mormons, Buddhists, Hindus, or members of any other false religion! Dark powers raging against Jesus Christ and His people are ANTICHRIST- the lying “son of perdition”; the “lawless one”; the “man of sin”; God’s only recognized enemy- the adversary of Jesus Christ and His church, that is, the FLESH MIND WITHOUT ANOINTING! (Ro 8:6)! Let us remember, “A-L-L have sinned and come short of the glory of God!” (Ro 3:23) “A-L-L who sin are of the devil...who sins from the beginning (of human life)! So the Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil! Whoever is born of God does not commit sin! His Seed remains in him! He cannot sin, for he is born of God! By this the children of God are distinguishable from the children of the devil!” (1 Jn 3:8-10)
                Devilish doctrines spawn errant religions- they have even invaded the church till its Gospel is obscured by human pride and prejudice, breeding fleshly fears and lusts! It is hard to distinguish today’s churches from temples or mosques as far as their fervent prayers are concerned! Zealous entreaties are not necessarily directed to Calvary’s Cross; nor to Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Who, Alone, was worshipped by Jesus Christ while He walked the earth! Believers, in this desperate hour, need a clear distinction of Who is the One God! Eternal Life depends on it. Jn 17:3 says, “THIS IS ETERNAL LIFE: TO KNOW YOU, THE ONLY TRUE GOD; AND JESUS CHRIST WHOM YOU HAVE SENT!” Praise His Name forever!

[TO BE CONTINUED]