Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?

Domenico Fetti The Sacrifice of Elijah
Before the Priests of Baal

It’s quite clear in scripture there is one God. The apostles saw Him in Christ. If one believes in God, though I prefer ‘if one knows God’, then that is all the same God. Jesus said “He who sees me sees Him who sent Me”, and “He who has seen me has seen the Father”. The disciples, and others, saw “Him” eventually.

What prompted this are Christians not using discernment and seeing Allah and God as one in the same. I see “Allah” much as the ancient prophets saw false gods. In 1^st Kings, there’s the showdown between Ahab and Elijah. Elijah had Ahab get all the people of Israel together with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah. Elijah stood before all these and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!’ But the people were completely silent.”  

Muslims claim Allah and the Christian God are the same because both are descendants of Abraham. Think of this. Did Allah have a Son? God provided his only begotten Son. Did Allah sacrifice any part of himself for our salvation? Allah only sent a prophet, Mohammad.

Jesus was sacrificed. Painfully, and for a specific purpose. This sacrifice is not recognized in the Koran. Jesus is only a human prophet to Muslims.

Muslims can turn to God, to Jesus Christ for salvation. They have an option, “if the Lord is God, follow Him!’ Allah is as much a false god as Baal. Don't think Christians would want to take the option of turning to a false god. 

Question is, if Muslims think it okay to slaughter Christians, to force them to worship their false god, how is it possible that god is the same as the Christian God? The apostles, the prostitutes, the tax collector and others that saw Christ, saw Him for what He is, and did not need to be forced. It is revealed. And we can see Christ revealed to this day, because he is a living Christ. And please Atheists, Secularists and anti-Christian bigots, don’t go back hundreds of years and say stuff about those Christians that forced people to convert to Christianity. You have a problem if you have to go way into the past to prove a point. The people that did that went against scripture, the Word of God. That was then, this is now. Christianity experienced a reformation, and have an improved understanding of scripture since then. Islam is stuck in the 6^th century. No reformation.

Christians must make a distinction between the false god Allah, and the true God, manifested in Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself for our salvation. And we must talk and teach this, and be clear, so Muslims, Secularists, Atheists and anti-Christian bigots have this revealed to them, as Elijah revealed Baal and Asherah as false gods to the people of Israel. 

Resurrection-Body or Spirit?

I had always understood that resurrection meant bodily resurrection. One of those things obvious to me like the Trinity; Father, Son, Holy Spirit. In early Christianity, there were a lot of debates about the latter. How could three things exist in one thing simultaneously? For me, it just is, I just accept it and understand, mind to heart to soul, this is true.

The Gnostics posited that Jesus was a spirit body manifesting itself in the material world. To me, that makes no sense. To make the idea even more incomprehensible is the spirit body of Jesus imparted some kind of esoteric knowledge, gnosis (Greek). What that secret knowledge leads to is a way out of the material world.

Once accomplished, according to this idea, you become a spirit body, you escape the physical, material world. The physical world is evil, the spirit world is good. The Church Fathers found this heretical. I agree. It’s clear to me Jesus is exactly what He said He is. What He said is clear and means exactly what He said. No big secret here.

When I said I had always understood that resurrection meant bodily resurrection means just that, I’m surprised to find out that a majority of Christians believe, like the Gnostics, that resurrection is spiritual resurrection, the body is separated from the spirit. I’m thinking, really? How did that happen?

It’s been infiltrating Christianity for a long time. For about a hundred years, give or take, the idea that being resurrected means leaving matter/material/physical behind, separating from it has been growing. It’s an escape from materiality. From Houston Baptist University, a guy named Arthur Travis, in 1974 wrote: “The fact is, we shall not live in physical bodies after death…we shall not need or desire the things associated with our present physical bodies, simply because we shall not possess physical bodies in heaven.” So seriously wrong. 

In the late 1990’s Time Magazine had an article stating a finding the two thirds of Americans did not believe they would have bodies after they were resurrected. It wasn’t clear to me if that was just Americans or American Christians, but either way, it’s disconcerting to me. There was a poll, Scripps Howard/Ohio University of “born again’ Christians, about 60% answered a question about resurrection, stating that it was a bodily resurrection. The rest, just a spirit was resurrected. It should be 100% of Christians should know beyond a shadow of a doubt resurrection is bodily.

It turns out many if not most of congregations are not taught about resurrection; the fact of resurrection has devolved into a belief like that of the Gnostics. Of course Secularists point out that Christians have “evolved” and don’t believe in bodily resurrection any more. From a book by Brian Innes Death and the Afterlife: “…current orthodox Christianity no longer holds to the belief in physical resurrection, preferring the concept of the eternal existence of the soul, although some creeds still cling to the old ideas.”

Of course the old ideas are traditional, orthodox Christianity, and any way to diminish those ideas is a good thing. Sadly, many people claiming to be Christians agree more and more with Secularists, and are less and less aware of scripture and the insights of the church fathers. 

Yet, in the face of all evidence. We celebrate Easter, that  there was the bodily resurrection of Christ. After His resurrection people touched Him, He talked, ate, drank, and on the road to Emmaus, Christ walked with the two men and was obviously at least semi-corporeal. We will have bodies like that when we are resurrected. 

There are a lot of ancient Greek words that were misunderstood or mistranslated that have (partially) led to this confusion of what resurrection entails. Words meaning the soul, and not the body, got mixed up. For example “psychikos” was translated to mean physical when in fact ancient Greek speakers understood it to mean soul. It just became a mess.

I had read that at one time Pastors were more local theologians, personal theologians to their congregations. It got to be the Pastors ended up doing a lot of home visitations, taking care of church business and the like, that they were having to keep paring back their religious studies. That was the main contributor to the formation of the Diaconate; to free up the Pastor for the important thing, the religion. Keep the main thing the main thing if you will. Would that Pastors could go back to being local theologians, and maybe we wouldn’t have guys like Baptist Arthur Travis giving out wrong information. I hear what a lot of Pastors are saying and doing, and just get flummoxed. I’m just a layman, and good grief, there are so many Pastors violating scripture in deed and speech and what they teach.

Between incorrect translations, secular influence, congregations that have not been correctly taught, the pressure on Pastors, what resurrection really is has been distorted so much it doesn’t bear much resemblance to what it really is.

When I look at the bodily resurrection of Christ, and all the things Paul said about resurrection, it cements absolutely that we have a body after death. Heaven is a place God has designed, not for just spiritual beings to float around, but there still are challenges and growth, always growing closer to God, but when bodily resurrected, we will be in His presence. There is a plan and a purpose in heaven, and resurrected bodies to accomplish God’s purpose, joy and glory for all eternity. 

Christians, Supporting Those That Hate You

Religious persecution, specifically persecution of Christians in this country is moving apace, and the results of the 2012 elections will strengthen it. My view is this was a tipping point election, where government greed, government enabled sloth of the people, culturally approved lust, government wrath directed to those that do not adhere to the secularist\atheist faith in the State over God, barely literate uneducated students thinking they know everything out of pride, envy of those that have more of anything, and gluttony (we have become an overweight nation desiring things more than God). In short, we have embraced the seven deadly sins. The Judeo-Christian values that form the foundation of this nation's success have been rejected. This Christian Conservative is not going to stop the fight for free minds, free markets, and religious liberty. 

It's been said, and I've said many times, that totalitarians must oppress Christians to be successful in their rule. Their success may be eased now because even though this administration and Democrat Party openly attacked and tried to take control of doctrine and force them obey the State, most Catholics still voted Democrat and for Obama. It's clear Obama is an anti-Semite, and his political party is anti-Semitic, yet Jews voted for Obama and his Party. Stunning because governments have a long history of pogroms to eradicate Jews from the planet, and the Democrat Party is the party of the government, the State.. I had written earlier of Christians getting upset when elected officials pass regulations and laws limiting religious free speech, deny the posting of the Ten Commandments, abolishing Nativity Scenes from public view, and the rest we're all aware of. Then Christians turn around the next election and vote again for anti-Christian secularists, atheists and bigots.  

It's all part of persecuting Christians in this country, and I'm ever so grateful I'm not faced with martyrdom, torture or imprisonment, as in China and Islamic countries. Soft persecution is persecution none the less. Christmas can't be celebrated at schools, Christian clubs and groups can't be recognized on school campuses from K through college. Some colleges allow Christian groups if they are "diverse" and let atheists attend and even run for office in the group. Of course LBGT groups and Islamists can meet without any restraints because they're "diverse". Huh? The point of this is it marginalizes Christians.

Marginalizing is one aspect of persecution. Another is that constant refrain Christians have an intolerant criminal history. You remember the Crusades (a thousand years ago) and the Inquisitions (500 years ago). Of course this history proves how oppressive and violent Christians are. That's the "knowledge" secularists and atheists have in the present day.

Stereotyping, which we all do to some extent is particularly effective. You find a Christian or two that falls short on Christian behavior, and keep repeating that's what all Christians are like; intolerant, bigots, closed minded, stupid. We know all the names. Of course very few Christians are these things, but enough non-Christians "know" this, so it must be true.

This may be the first time in history Christians are contributing to their own persecution. Vote for the persecutors. Not standing up for your faith. Being afraid to speak of Christ in public, allowing secularists to prevent public prayer. Not witnessing. Confining your religious practices and beliefs to Sunday. Of course then you become the hypocrite they claim you are because you are only Christians on Sunday, and forget about it the rest of the week. Catch 22.

The time has come for Christians to take a stand. Better now than when we reach the point when Jesus says in Matthew 24:9: "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake".

In Matthew 10:22 He says "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved".

I appreciate the sentiment, but right now in this country we can avoid being delivered up for tribulation and death. The path we're on though, it will lead to that.

The Sermon on the Mount he said, "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake."

Evil is being said about us, and it is false. I'd rather be blessed for some of the other reasons in that Sermon.

How long before being against homosexual marriage becomes a hate crime? If you're a Catholic and stand against the State mandate that contraception and abortion must be paid for by Catholic institutions, and it becomes a crime, you will be imprisoned and\or fined, where is your religious freedom? When you are against abortion for religious reasons, what will you do when it becomes a hate crime? What will you do when wearing a cross or crucifix becomes a hate crime?    

This is rather long, but is what Jesus said would happen, and it is happening, from John 15:18-27 and 16:1-4.

The World's Hatred

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’ 

The Coming Rejection

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

Jesus has told us what would happen. Our culture has passed the tipping point. Ignored is the true history of Christianity, that it saved civilization when the Roman Empire collapsed. That in the pagan world the concepts of hope, charity and love were nonexistent. There were no charitable institutions. No hospitals. Altruistic love was a non-starter. It was Christians that ended slavery. Ask just about anybody, and all they know about Christianity is bad stuff. None of the good stuff, that far outweighs the negatives. 

Now we have churches and charitable institutions that provide millions upon millions of dollars of food and money to help, but it's ignored by the secularist press, and the government. The secularist government is forcing Christian adoption agencies to shut down because they think a male and a female together are best to raise a child. Hospitals and Christian social services are being shut down because the they won't obey the atheist/secularist anti-Christian government. It's more important to the government to shut down Christianity and its institutions than it is to serve people. The money taken in by government to help the poor goes to middle class bureaucrats, that let a pittance dribble down to those in need, with the purpose of keeping them in need. They're not there to serve anyone but themselves.  

And who will the Helper recognize when Christians that supported and voted for those against Christianity, that have not been with Him. We are stumbling, because we're supporting those that hate us, and Christ, without cause. We are being put out of our churches. Jesus told us of these things, and not only are we ignoring these prophecies, but we are contributing to our own oppression and enslavement to the State. 

Many, even Christians will mock this prophecy of Christ. Naw, not here in America. Well, it is happening, here, in America. 

Breathe in Me

 If you are struggling, this is about the transformative power of Christ.

You breathe in me, And I’m alive with the power of your holiness.

You breathe in me, And you revive feelings in my soul

That I have laid to rest

 -

Chorus: So breathe in me, I need you now.

I’ve never felt so dead within, So breathe in me. Maybe somehow

You can breathe new life in me again

-

I used to be so sensitive to the light that leads to where you are

Now I’ve acquired these callouses with the darkness of a cold and jaded heart.

Christians Riot Over Cartoon, Take to the Streets!

When I had cable, I was a fairly regular watcher of "South Park". It was not PC toward anybody, even intolerant controlling Liberals that bitch and moan at every criticism, parody, or satire. If I had cable now, I would make a point of not watching it. I also watched less of the "Comedy" channel then, because comedians for the most part are not creative or funny. Personal relationships,sex,sex, personal relationship, sex sex sex. No insightful word play like Carlin, no social commentary like Mort Sahl, no quick one liners like Henny Youngman...you get the picture. Why sex sex sex is so allegedly funny, I don't get. I don't ever remember laughing while engaging in horizontal tantric entwining...but I digress.

A couple weeks or so ago, Comedy Central made "South Park" pull some stuff about Mohamed because it might make Muslims mad, and they might riot, or kill people, and other stuff those bad tempered, humor lacking, intolerant, bigoted people do when their founder even has a representation or likeness of any sort made. You know, 'do what I say you can do, or I kill you!' sort of thing.

Now the "edgy" Comedy Central crew (and they are because they tell us they are) have come up with a slanderous show to premier about Jesus. This is okay to them. The show is about Jesus living in New York City, trying to live his life outside of the influence of a “powerful but apathetic father”. In the show, God is apathetic because He's always playing video games. Jesus is a loser trying to adjust to life in the big city.

Comedy Central’s head of original programming Kent Alterman: “In general, comedy in purist form always makes some people uncomfortable.” Well gee, Kent, if that's true, why did you back down from a little light satire about Mohamed? You're only making a few people uncomfortable. We all know the answer. Kent and his staff, and the Management of Comedy Central, are cowards.

Christians are okay to mock. "Piss Christ" by Serrano. Penn and Teller wheeling a crucified Christ out on stage and "performing a sex act on Him". Imagine a "Piss Mohamed"? Or Mohammad having a, let's say, homosexual act, say 'teabagging' act, performed by him? Now the low life, cowardly, bottom dwelling, alleged comedians at Comedy Central try and save face, and show they are brave and being 'edgy' by mocking the religion of billions of people? People they know won't threaten anybody, cause no harm to anybody; won't go out, destroy property and kill people, just because they take offense at the merest slight. Because they know Christians are a tolerant group, and forgiving of a lot of idiocy and insults. That's because we Christians know we're part of something Universal, Loving, and True. We can afford to give a pass to this kind of thing.

If anything, Comedy Central should be more embarrassed by this than their cowardly submission to Islamofacists' threats.

Now this is funny!

The Empty Tomb

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' " Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. John 20

Office of Readings – OOR {A Discovery for Me}

I'm a main stream Protestant in my religious practice. I do have, and have read much of, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and "Crossing the Threshold of Hope" by John Paul II. I attended my first Mass about three years ago I think, and have been to a couple since. It's a good thing. Sometimes I do feel Catholic, which is almost a nonsensical statement, but just let the concept wash over you.

I've recently discovered the Office of Readings, which is or includes four volumes of Liturgy of the Hours. I'm not certain yet what all this is. There are web sites one can go to for daily readings.

I just wanted to share this beautiful passage I found, that seeped through me, embraced me, washed over me, comforted me. All of us have these incredible struggles, and when I lift my eyes to Him, open my heart to Him, I feel better for it. This passage is written by the Benedictine Abbot Saint Columban. Not knowing the structure, I think this is a reading and a response.

"How blessed, how fortunate, are those servants whom the Lord will find watchful when he comes. Blessed is the time of waiting when we stay awake for the Lord, the Creator, who fills all things and transcends all things.

How I wish he would awaken me, his humble servant, from the sleep of slothfulness, even though I am of little worth. How I wish he would enkindle me with that fire of divine love. The flames of his love burn beyond the stars; the longing for his overwhelming delights and the divine fire ever burn within me!

How I wish I might deserve to have my lantern always burning at night in the temple of my Lord, to give light to all who enter the house of my God. … Give your light to my lantern, I beg you, my Jesus, so that by its light I may see that holy of holies which receives you as the eternal priest entering among the columns of your great temple. May I ever see you only, look on you, long for you; may I gaze with love on you alone, and have my lantern shining and burning always in your presence."

This is a prayer or response to it:

"The sun shall no longer be your light by day,
nor shall the brightness of the moon shine on you at night.
–The Lord shall be your everlasting light,
and your God shall be your glory.

Your sun shall never set,
nor shall your moon withdraw.
–The Lord shall be your everlasting light,
and your God shall be your glory."

More Media god-worship of Obama

A few posts ago I quoted the editor of Newsweek saying Obama is sorta like a god here, and worship continues.

Chris Matthews, who gets 'a thrill running up my leg' when he thinks about our Dear Leader, continues his obeisance in a recent show. While introducing Howard Dean he said, " the man who really laid out the path for Barack Obama. He was the St. John the Baptist...leading for that fellow." For non-Christian readers, John the Baptist preceded and announced the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

There you have it, Obama as Saviour, Christ, the Holy One.

Good grief.

Steve Harvey, How He Would Introduce Christ

Thoughts on the Tao te Ching and My Faith

I had mentioned the Tao Te Ching as a powerful influence in my religious development, and that I still use it. For those of you not familiar with the Tao, it was written circa 400 BCE by Lao Tzu. It's often referred to as "the way" or "the path". Of course, Jesus is the Way; I find the correlations wonderful and exciting. I re-read it today, a new translation, very modern and poetic. I liked it a lot. Here's a couple of things that stood out, and there may be some other passages and thoughts that I'll share later.
"If you want to become whole,
let yourself be partial.
If you want to become straight,
let yourself be crooked.
If you want to become full,
let yourself be empty.
If you want to be reborn,
let yourself die.
If you want to be given everything,
give everything up.
The Master, by residing in the Tao,
sets an example for all beings.
Because he doesn't display himself,
people can see his light.
Because he has nothing to prove,
people can trust his words.
Because he doesn't know who he is,
people recognize themselves in him.
Because he has no goal in mind,
everything he does succeeds.
When the ancient Masters said,
'if you want to be given everything,
give everything up,'
they weren't using empty phrases.
Only in being lived by the Tao can you be truly yourself."

This last line so reminds me of "Not I, but Christ within me". Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ: it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Remember too the story when Jesus told the wealthy man he had to give up all he had and follow Him. Relates here to the Tao, 'if you want to be given everything, give everything up'. If I want to be anything, I must empty myself, and fill myself with Christ. If you want to be reborn, let yourself die with Christ, "I have been crucified with Christ".