WHEN TO SHAKE THE DUST OFF YOUR FEET, PT 1
DECEPTION, Ecumenism | Comments (0)
When to “Shake the Dust off Your Feet”
Recently, C4TF participated in an inter-faith forum (buzzword for ecumenism, although those engaged in such discussion deny this) which rapidly devolved into a circular, and, at times, contentious debate once we lovingly wielded the Sword of Truth. A Moslem accused C4TF of “taking verses out of context“, and encouraging others to “go on a religious wild goose chase“. Most disconcerting, Stetzer and Bob permit a Moslem to write in response to heartfelt, Biblical evangelism - “… the issues between Muslims, Christians and Jews are predominately due to the age old issues we human beings have always fought over, land, resources, power, etc. Religion is merely a cloak we wear to justify OUR bad behavior and wars.”
Further, this Moslem wrote in response to comments we had made, “Islam does not teach children to hate, or behead people no more than Christianity teaches people to hang, lynch or dismember people“. Therein lies the rub, brethren. Apostate Rome is equated, in the eyes of Moslems, as synonymous with Biblical Christianity. It was the papistry of Rome that hung, burned on funeral pyres, stretched Saints on racks and led them to disinter Wycliffe and sprinkle his bone overs the Thames River while exclaiming, “Forever we’re rid of Wycliffe!” Additionally, it was the Klu Klux Klan and ignorant, bigoted racists who conducted lynchings but that was considerably after the time in history of the Barbari Pirates, Moslems who hijacked ships, cargo, and passengers enroute round the horn of Africa. A lesson in history is important for some.
As our Lord assures us, the flesh bristles against the Living Word because it casts light upon spiritual wickedness. Much like the proverbial cockroach flees the light, those in darkness are repelled by the Sword of the Spirit Ephesians 6:17.
As the Lord Jesus said, “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house, or that city, shake off the dust of your feet.“ (Matthew 10:14, cf. Mark 6:11, Luke 9:5)
Beloved, have you yet dared to enter the foray of inter-faith discourse? If not, it is our prayer this article will equip you for such intercourse with followers of Islam. There is an old adage, “knowledge is power“, thus saith the world. Yet, those born again in Jesus Christ, know that the only source of Power resides in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the spoken Word uttered by the soul indwelt by the Holy Ghost. For as Jesus said to religious legalists and philosophers while sojourning among them as Immanuel:
- “Are you not therefore deceived, because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God?” Mark 12:24
Let’s go back to that moment in history for a time. In this chapter, you will recall the Pharisees strove to entrap the LORD by with His words (v 13). Immediately preceding the above-referenced verse, the Sadducees sardonically referred to Jesus as Master then proceed to querying whose wife a woman should be in heaven since she had seven brothers as husbands on earth (vv 19-23). Note carefully Jesus rebuked these religious men as being powerless, deceived and ignorant as a consequence of their inability to understand the Oracles of God.
This exchange, occurring in the 1st-century, was one of the first inter-faith dialogues. Jesus Christ, God incarnate, was dealing with unrepentant religious men who had presumptuously taken it upon themselves to mandate upwards of 600 rules by which the Jewish people had to live; however, such were not given to Moses but arose from the traditions of men. This same egregious sin is prevalent today as man-centric false doctrines are taught as the oracles of God (1 Peter 4:11), but are not. Unregenerate men, as their predecessors the Pharisees and Sadducees, have taken it upon themselves to enter the pastorate; and, it is undeniable that significant damage of eternal consequence is being done to those deceived masses who trust they are engaged in soteriology (study of salvation) which is an impossibility apart from having one’s ears twitched by the Oracles of God! Regarding this Peter admonishes:
- If any man speak, let him speak as the words of God. If any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God ministereth, that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom is praise and dominion forever, and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:11
Our Beloved Lord warned tares would remain among the wheat, His remnant, until the final judgment comes, which explains what motivates unrepentant wolves to attempt to inculcate the ideology of Islam into the minds of those who sit under their damnable instruction. Jesus spoke plainly to this, “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils. Ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.” (1 Cor 10:21) If not to mislead, what other possible motivation could lead a man like Ed Stetzer to host, what he had termed a “Christian, Jew, and Moslem Trialogue?1 Misguided at best, deceptive at worse, Stetzer appears to have looked to geopolitical ideologues, not a Command for the Body of Christ who possesses truth, the only Truth (John 17:17) to proclaim the Gospel to a hurting world.
Originating from a field trip conducted by Bob who, unlike either our Great Shepherd or His undershepherds, ushered those in his church to a Mosque, Synagogue and back to a church. The last two are quite natural, given the reality that Jewish and Gentile (Christian) people share the roots of, precious Hebraic writings, both the Tankh (OT) and B’rit Hadashah (NT); however, the latter is unconscionable and of none spiritual benefit. A common poisonous threat woven through the vain philosophies of men, whether it be apostate doctrines of demons in the visible church versus the sound doctrine of the church universal, is this insatiable push to expose unsuspecting and unlearned Christians to false pagan ideology. Just as the strike of an asp delivers deadly poison to the physical body, likewise the doctrines of the old serpent present lethal poison that corrupts both mind and soul. Such folly has eternal consequence, as Luke wrote in Acts:
- Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye have crucified, whom God raised again from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you, whole. This is the stone cast aside of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for among men there is given none other Name under heaven, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:10-12
Venues such as that hosted by Stetzer, an Emergent ideologue, serve no purpose but to confuse or lead astray those who are in need of salvation, and those babes who yet suckle the milk of the Word (1 Peter 2:2). Born again Christians would never entertain the idea of worshiping, or bowing, or in any way acknowledging the moon god, Allah, because idolatrous paganism is forbidden by I AM (1 Sam 15:23, Acts 17:14, 1 Cor 10:14, Gal 5:20 and Col 3:5). Not a popular truth on such forums.
If led to engage at Stetzer’s “trialogue” (itself is a misnomer because Christianity is the only relationship of faith that results in eternal life), we wish to draw your attention to uncanny parallels between the conversant: Moslems refer to themselves as followers of Islam, likewise those who profess Christ are followers of Christ. C4TF was the recipient of a scathing rebuke by one in the latter category.
Definition of Terms
What is Evangelism?
Simply defined, the desire of a born again child of God to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every lost soul motivated by an uncontainable, indescribable love for Abba Father and Jesus Christ which is a work of the Holy Spirit. While commonly known by both the believing and unbelieving world as the Great Commission, the desire to see the damned come to salvation is the believer’s very heartbeat. A fount of Living Water flows out of the soul reborn in Jesus Christ, whom, having been adopted into His family through the unmerited grace and favor of God, gives us an irrepressible passion to proclaim to all in darkness, “Jesus Christ the Lord is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!”
Every doulos of Christ has walked through shards of glass in their journey through the arid wasteland of sin. He or she has waded through the dark muck that is this world system; and, perhaps, has been addicted to a substance: sex, pornography, cussing, stealing, or has committed murder, or used the Lord’s Holy Name as a four-letter-word, etc., and then were transformed by the miraculous Hand of God. Thus, every Saint yearns that sinners would likewise acknowledge they are but a sinful worm before a Righteous and Holy God and repent of sin and turn to Jesus Christ as their only hope for forgiveness of sin and salvation!
The Word of God is intentionally written in simplistic form so all men can understand it, if approached with a sincere heart that yearns for a renewed mind Romans 12:2, which comes through hearing the Gospel message and reading about the LORD revealed within both OT and NT.
Contrary, to what post-modern teachers claim, Genesis 1 to Revelation 22 unveils I AM Hebrews 13:8; and, while it is true that Jesus Christ is Agape (love) He is also Judge. His Righteousness demands nothing less but that He ultimately judge sin and all who reject Him as Lord and remain covered in sin on Judgment Day. Jesus is the sheep gate, and no one will see the Father but by entering in through Him who is the narrow way.
What Evangelism is Not
There has been Satanic involvement throughout all eras of the Church Age, which is quite clear from what the Apostle John was inspired to pen:
- And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already it is in the world. 1 John 4:3
Evangelize: to preach the Gospel; act as an evangelist. That’s pretty clear; however, were one to gaze across the Protestant isles, Emergent byways and CFR-Purpose-driven social paths it is easy to see how the unbeliever could mistakenly imagine evangelism equates to ecumenism. Defined, ecumenism: a movement promoting unity among christian denominations or churches; a movement providing worldwide unity among religions through greater cooperation and improved understanding. (The word-evolution that has occurred in the Webster Dictionary since the graduation of Noah Webster is tragic. Now known as Merriam-Webster, the definitions have devolved from a Biblical standard to a cultural one.) Evangelism and ecumenism are as juxtaposed to each other as repelling magnets, for there is no possibility of uniting those who chase damnable heresies or false religion, with we who cling to Sola Christo and Sola Fide, Sola Gracia, Sola Scriptura and Sola Deo Gloria. To any who unfamiliar with these terms: Sola Christo: in Christ alone; Sola Fide: through faith alone; Sola Gracia: by grace alone; Sola Scriptura: through scripture alone; and, Sola Deo Gloria: to the Glory of God.
There is no relationship between disciples of Christ who adhere to Sola Scriptura, and they who adhere to “everything must change”. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” It is undeniable that the Word of God is Living, Powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword because it is still leading wretched sinners (persons at enmity (enemies) with God) have the ears opened unto who Jesus Christ is, LORD, and that He died to reconcile their repentant heart unto God. Around the world, in China, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Russia, everywhere, souls are being saved through faith in Jesus Christ:
- And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.” Acts 2:17-18
Irregardless of the evil which man is capable of committing against fellow man, no matter what form of oppression he attempts to utilize, Communism, Socialism, Nazism, Evolutionism, or any other “ism” the Body of Jesus Christ continues to burn bright throughout every generation since Pentecost. There is a message herein that the devil just does not seem to grasp - it is impossible to stamp out the church. Why? Because Jesus said it would be: “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:8
True Christianity does not lie to people assuring them that it is perfectly acceptable for them to remain in any earth religion, man-centric (Emergent, Purpose, Seeker-sensitive), idolatrous/ritualistic (Catholic, Buddhist, 7th Day Adventist), pagan (Hindu, Islam, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormonism), all the rest (Ascended Masters, New Age/Spirituality, E.T/UFO, Mysticism, Crystal) etc., but urges all to admit they are sinners in need of a Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ was nailed upon a tree to purchase sinner’s pardon, and He wants to forgive, cleanse and grant them new life - through faith in Him - if they would but turn to Him in child-like faith.
Stetzer is permitting the verbal accosting of Christians whose testimony aligns with the Gospel and not the social, touchy-feely, “I’m okay, you’re okay” version of followers of Christ.
Witnessing to Other Religions
It is crucial not to become embroiled in a circular, philosophical debate which centers on man’s ideology. This is what occurs most frequently during “inter-faith” dialogue, and it is precisely the tool Satan utilizes to paint Christians as engaging in contentiousness akin to the “us v. them” manner of the world. The enemy’s motive is quite transparent, really, it appeals to the pride of the flesh of sinners, or any lost in a false religion, thus leading them to assume, at minimum, one of three conclusions:
- “Christians are hypocrites.”
- “See, they are no different than us.”
- “If this is what Christianity is, I’ll have none of it. I have enough conflict in my life!”
Use Scripture
As the old adage goes, ‘Opinions are like wrinkles, everybody has them’ (okay, to make it less offensive, we made a slight alteration). Unless proclaiming Scripture when engaged in witnessing, nothing is being expelled but CO2. Yes, that dangerous compound that ensures the world has enough O2 to breathe by giving trees what they need to grow and effectively photosynthesize! Seriously, it matters not what our opinion is of the smorgasbord of world religions, the only opinion that matters is what the Almighty has to say. While at Mars Hill, Paul revealed unto the pagans who had erected a monument “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD” (Acts 17:22-34). Philosophy is useless and vain for the very reason that it is focused on what man thinks about any given subject. Of Himself, Christ said, “I AM THAT I AM, Also he said, “Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” Exodus 3:14
Let’s engage in a word picture for a moment, okay? There is wisdom to recognize that the only thing that ceases all argument is the Word, because any argument we present is merely straw - there is no power in our words! Whenever witnessing to those yet apart from the saving mercy of Jesus Christ; we, as Paul, must, by necessity, go into territory where Satan lies coiled. Many blogs that profess a different Christ than He Who is taught in the Bible, are adept at flowery speeches containing spirituality unoffensive to both man’s flesh and the dark one; however, when confronted with we who boldly proclaim the Bible as spoken by the Holy Spirit through men appointed to placed quill to scroll they link arms with the world and refer to Bible adherents as “radical”.
This does not honor the Lord Jesus Christ, and it cedes ground to the enemy! Clearly, this is the purpose of many sites, and self-appointed pastors, who pervert true Christianity in order to promote the New Age Spirituality which is a man-centric religion.
In part 2, C4TF will provide Surah from the Qur’an which can assist you in refuting the lie that Islam and Christianity share any common ground.
Notes:
harpazo2home @ February 7, 2010