Allah is NOT My God

Genesis 16:11-12

Very practical message for us for today!

Islam is Fastest growing religion in world today – it is being sugar coated.

Just like liberal Christianity – just say this little prayer or believe in God but keep living the same life – no mention of hell or sin – those that believe in truth of scripture are called radical.

Moslems today that act out on what the Koran teaches are called radical and hijacking the religion but that is the true religion – to attract Americans they put a good face on it – peaceful, accepting of all, believe in god but not our God.

 

Hagar is being address by an angel

Gen 16:11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou [art] with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. 12 And he will be a wild man; his hand [will be] against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. 13. And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

15 And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. 16 And Abram [was] fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

PRAY

Abraham lost his faith and he decided to “help God out” by having a child by his wife’s handmaiden. His wife Sarah was barren.

Here is a nation that was not to be birthed –

The “Wild Man” is loose on the earth and fulfilling Bible prophecy on a daily basis.  He has always been here, but never so much as today. Never been so popular, so powerful, so populace as today. He continues to be a thorn in the side of the descendents of Isaac (Isreal).

 

The children of Ishmael (the “wild man”) is the Arab nations

This is Not a message of prejudice or to stir up ill feelings toward Arabs. Most Arabs believe in the Islamic faith – they are Moslems. Christ died for them also and they can be saved.  But we need to know today that Allah is not God.

 

In the last 5 years we have learned a new vocabulary in America; words and names such as Islam, Mohammad, Allah, Jihad, Taliban, and al Qaeda. For most Americans before 9/11 these were distant irrelevant words, if not out right unknown words. The Terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 has changed all that and has brought the religion of Islam to front page news status.

 

The media and world leaders have bent over backward to make sure the world believes that this is not about Islam, that true Islam and terrorism are not in any way related. They call the ones that believe the complete Koran radical Islam. I find the comments of Salmon Rushdie, a Muslim sentenced to death by Muslim clerics over his 1988 book, “The Satanic Verses” very interesting. Rushdie said, “The trouble with this …disclaimer is that it isn’t true. If this [terrorism] isn’t about Islam, then why the worldwide Muslim demonstrations in support of Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda?” [as quoted in “Israel My Glory” (March/April 2002) p. 7]

 

In commenting on the 2001 terrorist attacks on the USA, Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham, said of Islam, "I don’t believe this is a wonderful, peaceful religion. When you read the Koran and you read the verses from the Koran, it instructs the killing of the infidel, for those that are non-Muslim." He went on to say, "It wasn’t Methodists flying into those buildings, it wasn’t Lutherans, it was an attack on this country by people of the Islamic faith." [as quoted by Andrew Webb. “A More Realistic Assessment of Islam.” PCA News.com].

 

In like fashion Chuck Colson has commented, “The Truth is that bin Laden and his followers did not hijack Islam; they simply took it seriously.”  The media wants us to believe that Islam is a peaceful religion and these radicals have changed it. This is scary when you see our nation falling for the politically correct notion that we should embrace people of this faith as long as they are not radical.  Even our president has recognized and celebrated Ramadan probably for Politically correct purposes.

In Nov 2006 Keith Ellison became the first Muslim in Congress, representing Minnesota.  He used to be under the black panthers with Louis Fericon and he was sworn into congress using the Koran.


And so, it’s generally accepted as just another religion in all areas of our culture today.  Well, not by me, and not by the Bible!  But sadly, many churches are falling into this kind of Political-correctness.  In recent years one of the major denominations met to debate, of all things, whether or not Jesus Christ is the one and only true Savior of the world. Is he the universal Savior or might there be several? What about the other world religions and their claims? Some people wonder if perhaps there are not many paths to God? If you asked the average American today what the difference was between the major world religions, they would probably mumble something about all religions being pretty much the same. People assume that all religions have nearly the same moral teachings and ideals. They might have different names for God, but it is the same God. These religions, many people believe, may travel different roads, but they all lead to God. As long as you believe in something, as long as you believe in God, it really doesn’t matter what form your belief takes. The truth is that these religions are all very different and even contradict each other at crucial points.

What this means is that we are left with two options:

either none of them are true,

or one of them is true and the others are not.

 

Jhn 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus is the only way to God.

And if your criticized for that belief than may you be criticized for standing for Jesus!


George Barna does a great deal of research in religious circles. In surveys taken a few years ago (1996 and 1997), he found some amazing facts. Most Americans, including many professing Christians, believe that people are inherently good and that their primary purpose is to enjoy life as much as possible.

38% believed that it doesn’t matter what religious faith you follow because they all teach the same lessons.

44% believed that all people will experience the same outcome after death, regardless of their religious beliefs.

55% believed that if a person is generally good or does enough good things for others during their life, that they will earn a place in heaven.

 

“Anyone who claims that all religions are the same betrays not only an ignorance of all religions but also a caricatured view of even the best-known ones. Every religion at its core is exclusive.” [Ravi Zacharias, Jesus Among Other Gods: The Absolute Claims of the Christian Message, p. 7]


Bill Hybels, after interviewing people from different religions said: “You need to know that the law of non-contradiction says that positions that are different from one another cannot be equally true. You’ve got to figure out what you believe and where you’re going to drive that stake in the ground and say, ‘On the evidence, on the search that I’ve done, this is what I believe. This is what I’ll stake my life and my eternity on.’” A seminary professor used to ask his students after they had given their translation of a scripture from Greek to English, “Well, brother, would you swing out over Hell on that translation?” That is exactly the point. This is not just a preference of philosophies. It is not just an intellectual quest. Your life and eternity are at stake. You need to make a careful decision.
So what are the real differences between the Moslem faith and Christianity?

1. Muslims are sincere and devout, but that is not enough.
We could learn much from their commitment.  Muslims generally are among the most serious and devout people on the earth. Many of them have completely memorized the Koran. They pray at least five times a day. They fast for one month every year (during Ramadan, from sunrise to sunset). But salvation is something which must be earned. It is not graciously given by Allah. Islam does have a high standard of morality called the “straight path,” which must be strictly maintained. Women are regarded as possible temptations which would lead men away from the path, so women must be modest to the point of being veiled and wearing clothing that completely covers them.
While the overwhelming majority of Arabs are Muslim, most Muslims are not Arab. Although Islam had its origins in the Middle East, the

4 largest populations of Muslims are:

Indonesia,

India,

Bangladesh, and

Pakistan.

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world today (there are over 1.2 billion Muslims in the world / world population 61/2 billion).

 

v. 10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.  Geographically, about 1/3rd of the land is Arabic or controlled by Arabs.  In America, they’re 7 million and rising.

 

There are 11,000 converts to Islam each year in the United States (Newsweek, Oct. 30, 1995) and 90% of them are among the black population.

2007 estimate 20,000 converts to Islam each year in U.S.
Islam, like Judaism traces its lineage to the patriarch Abraham. The Arabs, however, trace their lineage to the firstborn son of Abraham by Hagar, Ishmael. The Jews trace their lineage to Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah who had been promised by God. The war in the Middle East today can be traced back to this Biblical story of who really is the rightful son of Abraham. The truth about the Middle East is that the Palestinians and surrounding Muslim nations will never make a genuine and lasting peace with Israel. They don’t want peace – they never wanted peace – they want Israel, all of it, and its inhabitants and supporters dead.
The word Islam, meaning submission, says much about the attitude of the followers of Islam.

 

Their sincereity and devoutness to their religion put most Christians to shame.

Why such an attraction to Americans – some say their strict code and friendliness and acceptance when entering a Mosque.

Christians mediocrity about their faith and conduct are driving the world to false religions. 

 

real differences between the Moslem faith and Christianity?
2. It is a good thing to believe in God, but it is not enough.
True Christianity worships the eternally self-existent God who spoke the world into being. Islam worship a god named Allah who is not eternal and who created nothing.  This is a problem even in this country; there are some who think that because they believe in the existence of God, they are alright. Over the years I have met a lot of people who assume because they simply believed in a god that it was enough. The Bible speaks directly to this supposition when it says in James 2:19, “Thou believest there is one God.  Thou doest well.  The devils believe——and tremble!”


Acknowledging the existence of a god is not the same as trust in “the” God for salvation.  Muslims believe that Allah is their god. The word Allah is derived from al-ilah which had become the general name for whatever god was considered the highest of all their gods at the time. During the days of Muhammad, each Arab tribe used the word Allah to refer to its own particular high god. Before Islam began, the moon god was the central focus of prayer and worship at Kaaba. Interestingly, the moon god was worshiped by praying toward Mecca several times a day, making an annual pilgrimage to the Kaaba which was the temple of the Moon god, running around the Kaaba seven times, touching a black stone set in the wall of the Kaaba and gathering on Fridays for prayer and giving of alms to the poor. These were all part of the pagan rites practiced by the Arabs long before Muhammad was born and they still are very similar to “the five pillars” of Islam practiced today: considered duties

1.)    profession of faith said daily: [I testify that] there is no god (ilah) but Allah, and [I testify that] Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.

2.)    prayer 5 times a day facing Mecca

3.)    alms tax

4.)    fasting during Ramadan

5.)    pilgrimage to Mecca

 

And while Muslims are among us, they are not of us.  Even if not spoken aloud, they have a strong opinion of us and have little or no loyalty to our nation.

Ill.—USA Today published a survey taken of Arab Muslims living in the U.S. concerning their attitude toward the war in Iraq and Saddam Hussein, terrorism, etc.  82% said they would not be willing to allow their son or daughter to fight for this, their country which they have taken an oath to defend.  They should be deported if they answer this way.  Over ½ stated they would not support war w/ any Arab nation for any reason.  By the way, that survey was taken before the first invasion of Iraq [2/6/1991].

 

Let’s be clear:  not every Muslim is a terrorist or a terrorism supporter, but almost every terrorist today is a Muslim!

real differences between the Moslem faith and Christianity?
3. We are not trying to appease an angry God; we are learning how to fall in love with our Creator, Redeemer and Friend.
It is interesting that in the Koran there are no miracles performed by Mohammed or anyone else. There is not a single mention of the love of Allah for the world or the people in it. There are many, many laws and strict warnings of the penalty of not keeping the laws. The concept of having a relationship with Allah is not found anywhere in the Koran. But Christians understand that Christianity is not about moral laws or religious practices — it is about a relationship with a living Savior, Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul wrote of this in Philippians 3:8-11

 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

 

It is this relationship with Christ that is the center of our faith.
The early church ministered in an age of religious pluralism but preached a message of salvation through faith in Christ alone.

real differences between the Moslem faith and Christianity?
4. It is a good thing to believe in Jesus but it is what you believe about Jesus that is important.
The greatest tension between Christian and Muslims is the difference between Muhammad and Jesus Christ. To Muslims, Jesus was a prophet but not the Son of God. While Christians understand that Jesus was not merely one way to God…he is the only way to heaven. Jesus said in John 14:6-7 about himself,

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

 

This principle is repeated in Acts 4:12

Ac 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

 

Muhammad, on the other hand was born into a tribe who was keeper of a pagan shrine housing the sacred black meteorite (Kaaba) at Mecca. Muslims are taught that it was Abraham who received the Kaaba stone from the angel Gabriel and who established the shrine at Mecca.
Muhammad received a series of revelations from Allah that culminated in the Qur’an, the Islamic bible. They submit unquestioningly to the teachings of the Koran, the Islamic Bible. The Koran contains divine messages said to be given by the angel Gabriel to Mohammed, a self-proclaimed prophet who lived in the seventh century. There is no room for questions or doubt, only submission. An interesting note about Mohammed is that he was completely illiterate. He could neither read nor write. He dictated what Gabriel told him and his followers wrote it down. Also, Mohammed was given special permission by Allah to have 13 wives. His last wife was six-years-old when she was betrothed to him, and the marriage was consummated when she was nine.

On June 11, 2002 Rev. Jerry Vines, pastor of First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, FL, and former SBC president, told a gathering of SBC pastors, “Islam was founded by Muhammad, a demon-possessed pedophile who had 12 wives, and his last one was a 9-year-old girl.” [as quoted in World. (September/October 2002) p. 41]

And the wild men following this belief system are convinced that the moment they blow themselves up, taking ‘infidels’ with them, they will be transported to a heaven where 70+ virgins will satiate their lusts and food and drink will satisfy their every appetite.  This is why some of the 9/11 terrorists were frequenting porn shops just before their attacks…

they were preparing for their move to ‘paradise.’


real differences between the Moslem faith and Christianity?

5. True Christianity is spread by love and choice – Islam is spread by sword and force.
It is true that some Muslims, like Christians, are willing to die for their faith. Some unfortunately, are also willing to kill for it. In fact the one sure way of earning salvation as a Muslim is to die as a martyr for the faith. They believe that just as Mohammed was whisked immediately to heaven and given several maidens, so will it be done for those who die for the cause of Islam. Those who attacked the World Trade Center and engaged in other acts of terrorism were acting in full accord with the tenets of Islam and the teachings of the Koran. The West, the United States in particular, is seen as corrupting the entire world and worthy of death. The U. S. policy of befriending Israel is particularly seen as harmful to the Muslim people and their cause. The principle of Jihad, or “holy war” is taught in the Koran as a viable tool for the cause of Islam. Evangelism is not so much by the word as it is with the sword. The followers of Mohammad have been the most violent people in the history of the world, and continue to be so to this day — a fact well attested to in history. Jesus taught that we are to love the sinner. Mohammed taught that the infidel must be killed if he refuses to convert.  [ill.—Fox News correspondent and cameraman kidnapped in Gaza last month were ‘forced’ to convert.]


Whether you realize it or not, America is at war. How severe will this war be, how long will it last, how many lives will it cost, what form will it take?…these are questions that no one can answer. But make no mistake about it--we are fighting for our way of life, we are fighting for survival. We are fighting against people who are willing to kill us any way they can. We are not playing on a level playing field, as was proven in the Gulf war, we are not allowed to give out Bibles in their lands, even to our own troops, yet they are allowed to build Mosques in our country.  And in NYC, Muslim children are allowed to pray in their custom, while our kids cannot.

 

We need to be burdened for them . . . why?
On of the saddest things about the Muslim belief system is that like many others, they believe that they will either make it to heaven or not based on either their good works outweighing their bad deeds or maybe that Allah will simply decide to let them in. That is no way to live life. According to their beliefs there is no way to know whether or not they are going to paradise or not. I’d like to say that ‘when you die’ is a heck of a time to find out you were wrong? But for a Muslim there is no way of knowing until the final judgment.


I am so glad that I can know - the writer of 1 John 5, says in verses 11-13

1Jo 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Muslims are sincere and devout, but that is not enough.

2. It is a good thing to believe in God, but it is not enough.

3. We are not trying to appease an angry God; we are learning how to fall in love with our Creator, Redeemer and Friend.

4. It is a good thing to believe in Jesus but it is what you believe about Jesus that is important.
5. True Christianity is spread by love and choice – Islam is spread by sword and force.

 

We need to be busy evangelizing before people fall for this false religion.

We need to be more sincere and devout about our faith – people are looking for something different – people need hope and the world has problems and messed up lives – they want a change – some Christians are living like the world and it turns them off – drives them to something false.

May God help us!

 

 

Prayer: Thank you Lord that you are our defender, help us to stand for what is right, give us compassion for those that are lost including these that are wanting to kill us. . . .