Silence Leads to Submission

As Libya falls to Islamic rebels, the new leader Mustafa Abdul-Jalil declared in his keynote speech, "You should only embrace honesty, patience, and mercy," Abdul-Jalil told the crowd at the declaration ceremony in the eastern city of Benghazi, the birthplace of the uprising against Gadhafi. He urged Libyans to reconcile their differences.

He then laid out a vision for the post-Gadhafi future with an Islamist tint, saying Islamic Sharia law would be the "basic source" of legislation and existing laws that contradict the teachings of Islam would be nullified. In a gesture that showed his own piety, he urged Libyans not to express their joy by firing guns in the air, but rather to chant "Allahu Akbar," or God is Great. He then stepped aside from the podium and knelt to offer a brief prayer of thanks.

President Barack Obama congratulated Libyans on the declaration.

So here we have a Taliban-type government being instituted with strong ties to Al Qaida and the Muslim Brotherhood and our President congratulating them. One wonders how long it will take before we have troops committed there to fight ‘terrorism’, if we can still call it that.

Mustafa should practice what he preaches – “embrace honesty, patience, and mercy”. When it came to Gadhafi, he got no trial and when he surrendered he was shot. Certainly no mercy there! Also remember how women are treated under Sharia law and tell me about mercy.

In Egypt, their ‘democratic’ takeover also embraced Sharia law and proceeded to kill Christians. Just what does ‘honesty, patience, and mercy’ mean to Islam? If Libya, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Hamas, Hezbollah and their ilk are the standard of honesty, patience, and mercy, we are all in deep trouble. And why is President Barak Husain Obama congratulating them? Does that mean he wants a similar government structure in this country? That seems to be the goal of his Islamic buddies in this country. Just look at some of their actions here in the U.S.A...

A Hyatt hotel in Sugar Land, Texas, has abruptly canceled a previously scheduled tea party event at which author and Atlas Shrugs founder Pamela Geller was scheduled to speak on the dangers of Islam. 

Geller said the decision came about because the hotel was “intimidated” into censoring her planned speech by “CAIR thugs,” referring to the controversial Islamic advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations.

She accused the Hyatt Place of enforcing Islamic law, or Shariah, under which no criticism of Islam is allowed. In Muslim nations, it can be a death penalty offense, Geller noted.

She said pressure from Islamic interests ultimately pressed the hotel to cancel her address to tea party members who had set up the event.

Members of CAIR are frequent visitors to the White House and some of them are members of the President’s administration. Just recently another American hotel was threatened into submission (the meaning of Islam) and cancellation of a conference on Sharia law.

Hutton Hotel in Nashville, Tenn - Steve Eckley, senior vice president of hotels for Amerimar Enterprises in Denver – the Hutton Hotel’s managing corporation – told WND (World Net Daily)it was his decision to cancel the event.

Eckley said he “wasn’t exactly sure what the content of the program was,” but he explained that he canceled it because of the threat of physical harm to people at the hotel.

“They were veiled threats that there were going to be protests that could easily erupt into violence,” he told WND in a telephone interview.

Sessions planned for the conference include “The European Experience” with Shariah, “Religious Persecution Under Shariah,” “The Dehumanization and Diminishment of Women in the West Under Shariah,” “The Muslim Brotherhood In America” and “Fighting Islamist Propaganda in the Media.”

These are just a few of the footprints of radical Islam emerging here in America. I know that not all Muslim Americans believe this way but many of the Islamist that this present administration associates with do. They are even dictating what references our law enforcement and Homeland Security communities can say about Islam and terrorism. Deputy U.S. Attorney General James Cole confirmed that the Obama administration was pulling back all training materials used for the law enforcement and national security communities, in order to eliminate all references to Islam.

“The move comes after complaints from advocacy organizations including the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and others identified as Muslim Brotherhood front groups in the 2004 Holy Land Foundation terror fundraising trial.

In a Wednesday Los Angeles Times op-ed, Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) president Salam al-Marayati threatened the FBI with a total cutoff of cooperation between American Muslims and law enforcement if the agency failed to revise its law enforcement training materials.” – Vision to America, Oct. 21, 2011

It doesn’t matter that over 90% of all terrorism is committed by people of Islamic background or that the Muslim Brotherhood is a co-conspirator in a terrorism trial currently being conducted.

Now, news is unveiled that the Obama White house will not be celebrating Christmas this year, instead calling it simply a Holiday. There will be no Christmas tree but only a Holiday tree. Artists who create ornaments to hang on the tree were told not call them Christmas ornaments or to use any religious themes on their ornaments.

Even using the name of Jesus has been ruled “unconstitutional” by a liberal Court of Appeals.

Furthermore, wrote Judge James Harvie Wilkinson III in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals majority opinion, legislative invocations offered in Jesus’ name are inherently “sectarian” and thus should be censored lest they make some attendees feel “uncomfortable, unwelcome and unwilling to participate in … public affairs.” – World Net Daily, Oct. 28, 2011

We cannot be silent any longer! If we want America to remain what it was and if we do not want to surrender our Christian values to those of Sharia law, which already being allowed in some American courts we must oppose the liberal mindset that is currently entrenched in our government.

Valley of Discision

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta “SCOLDs ISRAEL FOR GETTING MORE ISOLATED”

“Turkey to hold military exercise on Syrian border. Assad threatens to destroy Tel Aviv if attacked”

As Turkey carves out a section of northern Syria for the rebels fighting Assad, Syria’s Assad responds with threats to wipe out Tel Aviv, Israel. He knows no Muslim government would dare to attack him if he were fighting Israel. They would have to join in, or at least verbally support him even if they really want to get rid of him. Of course, Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and the Palestinian Hamas would gladly support him and are spurring him on. Of course, Israel responded with the statement, “If one missile lands in Tel Aviv, Damascus will feel the response.”

Into this hotbed of intrigue flies Leon Panetta, U.S. Secretary of Defense and what are his profound words of wisdom? He scolds Israel for becoming too isolated! Maybe he thinks Israel is the one shooting thousands of missiles into Gaza, or that they are ones threatening to invade Lebanon and Syria, or that they are the ones that broke the military treaty they had with Turkey? Maybe Panetta can explain how you negotiate with people who refuse to acknowledge you exist? Or how you can get out of your bomb shelter long enough to sit at a peace table with someone who is daily shooting missiles at you? But, I forget – he and his boss were the ones telling us that the anti-Mubarak riots in Egypt were “just democracy at work”. Now that the radical Muslim Brotherhood has taken over in Egypt and that Christians are being killed, they are strangely silent. I am really glad he and his crowd were not in control during World War II, they would probably have blamed Churchill for being too isolated and for not negotiating with Hitler!

As the Palestinian statehood issue is being debated in the UN, only one more vote is needed in the Security Council to pass the motion for statehood. If that happens, the United States will be faced with the choice to veto the motion and face Muslim condemnation and wrath around the world or allow the motion to pass and be faced with the very real possibility of war in the Middle East. Either way, the seeds for World War III are being sown. How will a government that has no understanding of Biblical prophecy react?

I urge you to pray earnestly that our government makes the right choice, as we will all bear the consequences of it.

Pastor Charles Cooley

What Is the Church, 2nd issue

I wrote an article three years ago that highlights what the true Church is not and what were some of the basics principles that true Christians need to operate under. I titled the article Divide and Destroy, which is Satan’s game plan. Not much has changed since then so I’ll just reprint it to remind you.

Divide and Destroy
Pastor Charles Cooley
3/4/08

Jesus taught that a house divided could not stand (Mark 3:24), yet, the church today finds itself in that position. A recent article highlighted this problem for me.

Catholic League spokeswoman Kiera McCaffrey says Hagee is a "larger problem" than Farrakhan because Farrakhan is "small potatoes and old news" compared to Hagee and his huge following. McCaffrey says her group is calling on McCain to repudiate Hagee, a Christian leader spokeswoman McCaffrey claims has a long history of "anti-Catholic bigotry." - Jim Brown - Catholic League: Hagee's endorsement worse than Farrakhan's- OneNewsNow - 3/3/2008
 

Let me see if I have this right: John Hagee professes belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior - Farrakhan does not; Hagee believes the Bible is the word of God - Farrakhan believes the Koran is; Hagee believes the Jews are God's chosen people - Farrakhan believes they are pigs; Hagee believes God is not finished with Israel and is making them a nation once again - Farrakhan wants to cast them all into the sea! While Hagee is not perfect, no man is, or woman either for that matter, I'm having a hard time seeing how Hagee is a "larger problem" for true Christians then Farrakhan is.

I personally know many fine Catholics who are Christians. Are they all Christians? I don't think so, and neither do many of the Catholics that I know. But, I could say the same thing about Baptists, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Pentecostals, etc. It takes more than belonging to a particular church denomination to qualify for being a Christian. The key issue is whether Jesus is Lord in your life and whether you keep His word. He said "If you love me, keep My word." not "If you love Me, go to church!" We are living at a time in the United States when the true Church of Jesus Christ is languishing, needing a fresh vision of our purpose and calling in God. Not a time for partisan bickering and name calling.

This article highlights an issue that I believe the Holy Spirit is speaking plainly about in our day - Denominations are not of God! The very word means "to divide and name" but, Jesus prayed in John 17:21 that His followers, the ones God gave to Him, would be one even as He and the Father were one. I include in this problem all of the early confessions as well as the later denominations that have formed since the Reformation. There is only one "divide and name" process that God is going to do and that is the separation of the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:32) when Jesus returns.

How does one get into the "sheep" group? A few thoughts come to mind: 1) Know the truth, because that alone can set you free and Jesus said "My word is truth" - not church tradition but, My word. 2) Act and live as Jesus did. He said, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me." (Matthew 25:40). 3) Work for the Jews to come into the true Church, not as Gentile "wild olive' branches but, as the "natural branch" grafted back in through faith in Jesus. After all, this is why Jesus died on the cross, to make "one new man" and break down the barrier between Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2:11-18). 4) Humble yourself and repent whenever "the truth" illuminates your sin. We all have sinned and continue to sin, because we are not perfected yet. But, if we are willing to bow to the sword of the Spirit, which is the illuminating, piercing, convicting word of God, God will finish in us the good work He began (Philippians 1:6).

There are many other points that could be made, finer points of truth that are necessary for healthy growth in the Lord, but, if we begin with these four, the Holy Spirit will direct our education to include what we need, when we need it. To all those, like the Catholic League, who feel they have to defend their position and their church, I would remind you of the words of our great leader - "I will build My church" - Jesus. Don't get all bent out of shape arguing whether Peter was the rock or whether Peter's confession was the rock, just know that Jesus is going to work it all out if we just follow Him. Meanwhile, the fields are white unto harvest and the Lord is looking for those who will go into the fields and harvest. Not for your church but, for His Church!

Now I know that there are differences that caused rifts in the body of Christ and led to separations, and I know and believe that not all are as interested in the truth of God’s word as they are in their own pride and denominational structures. But I also know it is not my position to judge (condemn to hellfire) another man’s servants and some of those in different church bodies are servants of Jesus Christ! It is my responsibility to know and live in the truth of God’s word as He reveals it to me and pray for all my brothers and sisters in the faith to come to the same knowledge of the truth. They may wish to disassociate from me but it is still my responsibility to love and pray for them.

I am not calling for some sort of ‘ecumenical’ movement. The Holy Spirit never asks us to forsake truth for the sake of fellowship. We are however to be ‘watchmen’ that reach out to all believers and help them to be free of entanglements and snares of the devil. Will that cause some of them to separate from us? Yes, but the separation will not be our fault if we tell them the truth in love.

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. – 1 John 2:18, 19

In these last days there will be many in the ‘apostate church’ that will fall away from the truth (1 Thessalonians 2:3) but our policy should be to love the truth of God’s word and love our brothers and sisters in the faith. To those in churches that do not follow the truth we should encourage them to –

1.   Know the truth
2.  Act and live as Jesus did
3.  Work for the Jews to come into the true Church
4.  Walk in humility and repentance

If we do these things, we will be ready when Jesus comes back.

What is the Church?

This will be the first of a series on characteristics of the true church. I hope they encourage you press on into Christ Jesus.

Is the church characterized by a beautiful cathedral styled building echoing with harmonious chants and music, accented by ceremonially robed priests and ministers conducting meticulously organized liturgies? Is it an organizational business deemed necessary to pay for the purchase and maintenance of such structures as well as the other ministries that go on in the organization? Is it a collection of members, the larger the better, usually formed around charismatic leaders who are able to interest and entertain them for an hour or more a week?

Is the true church Catholic, or Lutheran, or Baptist, or Assembly of God, or Mormon, or Church of Christ, or Orthodox (Greek, Russian, etc.), or Pentecostal, Mennonite, Amish, 7^th Day Adventist, or is it one of the other hundred or so denominations claiming the title? In fact, one might ask “Is any denomination the true church? The very word means to ‘divide and name’ which is strongly opposed to the prayer of its founder, Jesus Christ.

“I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. … And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” – John 17:9, 22, 23 KJV

One could argue that the Israelites in the desert, after their call out of Egypt, were called the church but, the church as it is revealed in the New Testament definitely began as one! Paul wrote, “For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews, or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and we have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13). It is also true that the ‘dividing process’ began early in the church’s history.

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? – 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 KJV

In Jesus’ prayer, He revealed that ‘the world knowing He was sent by God’ was directly affected by the church’s being one. Now I know all people have preferences in music, worship and meeting styles. Some prefer large gatherings; some prefer small gatherings just as a matter of personal preference. Locality also affects the meetings. But, there should be no denominational or size pride in the local fellowship. We need to understand the believers are the church, not the building they meet in or the organization they belong to! We were ‘each placed into the body of Christ and made to drink into one Spirit’ so there should be no cause for pride on our part. We did nothing, other than to call on the name of the LORD for salvation. Disunity is the work of the devil and it robs the true church of its power to affect the world!

Another defining characteristic of the true church is its love of the truth. While there are many differences in interpretation of Biblical truth, there is one standard that is undeniable –

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?

– 1 Corinthians 6:9

If you want to know if you are in a local church that follows the standards of the true church, ask yourself the question, “Are the concepts of holiness and righteousness being taught?” God commands, “Be ye holy for I am holy.” And there are many verses describing what righteousness is. Paul lists just a few:

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 KJV

God is patient with us and knows that we come into salvation as spiritual babes, but He is not willing to leave us there. He will by His Spirit immediately begin a process of convicting us of sin (anything that causes us to miss God’s highest for us) and instructing us in the way of righteousness. If there is seldom a convicting message or a challenge to repent in your church, something is wrong. None of us are yet perfect and we need to know we cannot hide from God or His Holy Spirit. 

The first chapters of Revelation contain dictated letters from Jesus Christ to seven churches of Asia. To every church He begins with the statement, “I know your works …” Friend, God knows your works also. Part of the function of the true church is to encourage us to judge our works and change them until they are God’s works.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta “SCOLDs ISRAEL FOR GETTING MORE ISOLATED”

“Turkey to hold military exercise on Syrian border. Assad threatens to destroy Tel Aviv if attacked”

As Turkey carves out a section of northern Syria for the rebels fighting Assad, Syria’s Assad responds with threats to wipe out Tel Aviv, Israel. He knows no Muslim government would dare to attack him if he were fighting Israel. They would have to join in, or at least verbally support him even if they really want to get rid of him. Of course, Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and the Palestinian Hamas would gladly support him and are spurring him on. Of course, Israel responded with the statement, “If one missile lands in Tel Aviv, Damascus will feel the response.”

Into this hotbed of intrigue flies Leon Panetta, U.S. Secretary of Defense and what are his profound words of wisdom? He scolds Israel for becoming too isolated! Maybe he thinks Israel is the one shooting thousands of missiles into Gaza, or that they are ones threatening to invade Lebanon and Syria, or that they are the ones that broke the military treaty they had with Turkey? Maybe Panetta can explain how you negotiate with people who refuse to acknowledge you exist? Or how you can get out of your bomb shelter long enough to sit at a peace table with someone who is daily shooting missiles at you? But, I forget – he and his boss were the ones telling us that the anti-Mubarak riots in Egypt were “just democracy at work”. Now that the radical Muslim Brotherhood has taken over in Egypt and that Christians are being killed, they are strangely silent. I am really glad he and his crowd were not in control during World War II, they would probably have blamed Churchill for being too isolated and for not negotiating with Hitler!

As the Palestinian statehood issue is being debated in the UN, only one more vote is needed in the Security Council to pass the motion for statehood. If that happens, the United States will be faced with the choice to veto the motion and face Muslim condemnation and wrath around the world or allow the motion to pass and be faced with the very real possibility of war in the Middle East. Either way, the seeds for World War III are being sown. How will a government that has no understanding of Biblical prophecy react?

I urge you to pray earnestly that our government makes the right choice, as we will all bear the consequences of it.