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Pseudo Christian Cult

“What is indisputably, absolutely, and uncompromisingly essential to the Christian religion is its doctrine of salvation… If Dispensationalism has actually departed from the only way of salvation which the Christian religion teaches, then we must say it has departed from Christianity. No matter how many other important truths it proclaims, it cannot be called Christian if it empties Christianity of its essential message. We define a cult as a religion which claims to be Christian while emptying Christianity of that which is essential to it. If Dispensationalism does this, then Dispensationalism is a cult and not a branch of the Christian church. It is as serious as that. It is impossible to exaggerate the gravity of the situation.”By John H. Gerstner Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth: A Critique of Dispensationalism

What is Dispensationalism?

Dispensationalism is a form of premillennialism originating among the Plymouth Brethren in the early 1830′s. The father of dispensationalism, John Nelson Darby, educated as a lawyer and ordained Anglican priest, was one of the chief founders of the Plymouth Brethren movement, which arose in reaction against the perceived empty formalism of the Church of England. To the Brethren the true “invisible” church was to come out of the apostate “visible” Church, rejecting such forms as priesthood and sacraments.Dispensational theology centers upon the concept of God’s dealings with mankind being divided into (usually) seven distinct economies or “dispensations”, in which man is tested as to his obedience to the will of God as revealed under each dispensation.

Dispensationalists see God as pursuing two distinct purposes throughout history, one related to an earthly goal and an earthly people (the Jews), the other to heavenly goals and a heavenly people (the church).Dispensationalists believe that in the Old Testament God promised the Jewish people an earthly kingdom ruled by Messiah ben David, and that when Christ came He offered this prophesied kingdom to the Jews. When the Jews of the time rejected Christ and the earthly kingdom, the promise was postponed, and the “mystery form” of the kingdom – the church – was established.

The church, according to dispensational doctrine, was unforeseen in the Old Testament and constitutes a “parenthesis” in God’s plan for Israel. In the future, the distinction between Jew and Gentile will be reestablished and will continue throughout all eternity. The “parenthesis”, or church age, will end at the rapture when Christ comes invisibly to take all believers (excepting OT saints) to heaven to celebrate the “marriage feast of the Lamb” with Christ for a period of seven years.God’s program for the Jews then resumes with the tribulation, Antichrist, bowls of wrath, 144,000 Jews preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and Armageddon.

Then, the Second (third, if you count the preTrib rapture) Coming, the instantaneous conversion of the entire nation of Israel, the resurrection of the Tribulation and Old Testament saints, and the “sheep and goats” judgment. The “goats” will be cast into hell, the “sheep” and the believing Jews will enter the millennium in natural human bodies, marrying, reproducing, and dying. The “mystery church” and the resurrected Tribulation and Old Testament saints will live in the heavenly Jerusalem suspended above the earthly city. This millennium will be a time of great peace and prosperity, with Christ ruling on David’s throne. After 1,000 yrs. Satan will be released from the chain with which he had been bound at the beginning of the millennium and many of the children born to the “sheep” and the Israelites will follow him in revolt against Christ.

The King will again destroy His enemies, followed by another resurrection of the righteous, another resurrection of the unrighteous, a final judgment, and at last the New Heavens and the New Earth.

Although premillennial thought has been recorded in the early church, dispensational theology and its pursuant eschatology are new, as even the father of the system admitted -”I think we ought to have something more of direct testimony as to the lord’s coming, and its bearing also on the state of the church: ordinarily, it would not be well to have it so clear, as it frightens people. We must pursue it steadily; it works like leaven, and its fruit is by no means seen yet; I do not mean leaven as ill, but the thoughts are new, and people’s minds work on them, and all the old habits are against their feelings – all the gain of situation, and every worldly motive; we must not be surprised at its effect being slow on the mass, the ordinary instruments of acting upon others having been trained in most opposite habits.” – LETTERS OF J.N.D., vol.1 pg.25-26

The new doctrine was widely accepted in America, due to popular prophetic meetings such as the Niagara Bible Conferences. C.I. Scofield promulgated dispensational thought in his Scofield Reference Bible. Dispensational Bible institutes by the hundreds have sprung up across the continent – notably Moody Bible Institute and Dallas Theological Seminary.Media evangelists such as Jerry Fallwell, Dave Hunt, Howard Conder, Charles Capps, Pat Robertson, Jack Van Impe, and Hal Lindsey popularize dispensational eschatology today. Most likely you have heard these doctrines taught over Christian radio programs, and yes, from your own church’s pulpit, though probably no one defined the theological system as dispensationalism nor the origination as Darby circa 1832.Dispensationalists view the teaching as a return to Biblical theology, after nearly 1,800 years of darkness.

But, since the day Darby began to preach the doctrine, Godly men have opposed.Many books have been published exposing the flaws in the intricate system. Most hack away at the branches, arguing peripheral issues. We intend to lay the axe to the root of the tree.”My brother, I am a constant reader of my Bible, and I soon found that what I was taught to believe (by Darby’s doctrine) did not always agree with what my Bible said. I came to see that I must either part company with John Darby, or my precious Bible, and I chose to cling to my Bible and part from Mr. Darby.” - George Müeller, a contemporary and one time supporter of Darby quoted by Robert Cameron in his book SCRIPTURAL TRUTH ABOUT THE LORD’S RETURN, pp.146-7

http://testallthings.com/2007/03/20/the-heresy-of-dispensationalism/

I think that God has provided 2 choices, life or death

the wicked souls must be destroyed in the eternal lake of fire, otherwise the whole World would became some kind of an eternal hell.

But if as some say God will send people to hell for ever, what is the purpose , is punishment and subsequent death not enough ?

Any other opinions ?

bump

bump

gbadexy: @mr Anony
You are making sense.
However, what's the muslims position in your perspective? We believe in one true God, Muhammad told us to pray directly to God and have direct relationship also with Him without third party, Muhammad and the Quran tells us to believe in Jesus as the messenger of God, albeit he is from God's spirit.
Doesn't the messiah mean the messenger bringing God's good news and message to the people in this context?
I'm seeing some similarities though and I feel the early religious scholars may have interpreted some things according to human reasoning or reason best known to them.
I have much rumination to do on what I've read here so far.

Sir, kindly read this article https://www.nairaland.com/979437/salvation-islam-christianity

tbaba1234: Muslim also believe that Jesus was the way, the truth and the life to the people he was sent to at the time. Just like every messenger to his people. This is from a paper from Jamal badawi:

Jesus is the WAY , the TRUTH and the LIFE.

Let us hear what Jesus himself had to say on this matter:

"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6

John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;

Fact:
There is no single scriptural text in which Jesus claimed explicitly to be divine. Nor is there any implicit text, which can be interpreted exclusively to mean a claim of divinity.

"And Thomas answered and said unto him [Jesus], My Lord and my God." John 20:28

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. John 8:58

John 17:5 tells us Jesus said; "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."

In the last verse I quoted above, John 17, Jesus Christ pre-existed , he only became a little lower than the angels as a man for our redemption.

"But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." - Hebrews 2:9

But before he came as a man , he was one with the father, of one substance.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made" - John 1:1-3

On the contrary, there are numerous clear and direct texts in which Jesus denies equality with God or possessing any of God’s divine attributes (see for example John 8: 28-29, 14: 10, 24. 28. 31. Mk. 13: 32, 10: 18). In a serious matter like belief in God, an implicit evidence or an allegorical statement is far from adequate. Nor is it reasonable to claim that Jesus kept that serious matter as a guarded secret and hence caused confusion to multitudes for centuries.

Simple, he was made a little lower than the angels as a man to taste death for mankind.


"Who, being in very nature[f] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[g] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!" - Philippians 2:6-8

Miracles

No miracle attributed to Jesus signifies that he was God-Incarnate. There is no major miracle attributed to Jesus, which does not have some parallel in the Bible. Including resurrection (see for example Heb, 7: 3, I kings 17: 22, 20: 35-36, II Kings 4: 7, 34, 44, 6: 17, 20, 13: 22, Ezk 37: 1-14). How revealing is Jesus’ statement, “I can do nothing on my own authority” (John 5: 30).

"They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" - Mark 4:41

"What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!" - Mark 1:24

"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." - John 14:26

Hmm, so a man can terrify demons, calm waves and winds and also send the Spirit of GOD.

There is no difference between Muslims and Christians on the imperfection of human nature, the necessity for atonement,

There is a big difference :

1. SIN - Muslims do not believe that SIN spread from Adam to the human race

2. There is no atonement in ISLAM only religious rites and duty. In Christianity , Jesus is an atonement for our sins.

the pursuit of salvation

Salvation in ISLAM :

1. Is not assured

2. Is based primarily on 'dead' works.

and the primacy of God’s grace and forgiving qualities.

Grace in ISLAM, never read this in the Quran , please quote a Surah where grace is mentioned, you guys are trying to bring ISLAM closer to the concepts of Christianity, still copying aye

The difference, however, relates to the way of seeking forgiveness and strength to “overcome sin”.

Strength to overcome SIN can only come from GOD.

The Qur’an teaches that God is both just and Merciful. But since He created humankind and knows its weaknesses, He does not require bloodshed to forgive. One who sincerely repents and inculcated a relationship of love for god, and obedience and submission to Him. Can be assured of God’s loving forgiveness.

Okay , for argument sake, how did ALLAH Conquer death , what is the definition and concept of the resurrection in ISLAM and by what method.

To claim that salvation can be secured only through the blood of Jesus, as the “lamb of God and the perfect sacrifice” is untenable on many grounds.

Actually No !

Read the Jewish sources of atonement and you will understand that Christ is the perfect sacrifice.

Man can never atone for his own sins.

Let us examine one issue. Who died on the cross (according to the Biblical story)? If it was Jesus the man, then it is not the perfect sacrifice.

It was Jesus the Son of the living GOD.


The Blood of Christ

"But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here,[n] he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining[o] eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,[p] so that we may serve the living God!For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant." - Hebrews 9:11-15

No man, however perfect, can atone for the sins of all mankind or meet the requirements of perfect sacrifice. And if the one who died on the cross was God.

Which is why God came among mankind in the form of a servant, Christ Jesus, to offer a perfect sinless atonement for mankind.

"Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared me" (Heb. 10:5).

1 Peter 1:18 - 19 - "knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot."

Then was god dead for “three days”?

God died ??


"No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” - John 10:18

"For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. " - Matthew 12:40

It is consistent with the Old Testament to utter this? And if the Giver of Life Himself is dead, who else can bring Him back to life?

God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.

You cannot understand these spiritual deep truths because they are foolishness to your carnal mind.

"God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory." - 1 Timothy 3:16

"This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.[g]14[u]The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.[/u]The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgements,for,“Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?”[h]But we have the mind of Christ." - 1 Corinthians 2:14

Who looked after the universe before His resurrection?

"At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes." - Matthew 11:25

If the All Merciful and Loving God wanted to forgive, what prevents Him from doing so in a direct, simple and straightforward manner? Why must the “requirement of justice” be satisfied by grave injustice, the suffering and agony of the innocent Jesus?

Oh the arrogance of SATAN, challenging GOD, and asking him why he does things the way he wants and has planned.

"From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, [p]“Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”But He turned and said to Peter, [size=14pt]“Get behind Me, Satan![/size] You are [q]an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” - Matthew 16:21-23

Father Jonathan Morris, a Roman Catholic Priest is another “dynamic speaker” scheduled to speak at this conference.

As a news contributor for the Fox News Channel, Fox Business Channel, and the Wall Street Journal, Father Jonathan Morris offers coverage of the ethical, social, and religious news stories of the day. . . In addition to his journalistic work, Father Jonathan serves as parochial vicar of the historic Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral in the SoHo district of New York City.

So we have two “dynamic speakers” at this conference who believe and teach the false doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. One of the four people who will be praying at the afternoon and evening sessions will be Father Frank Pavone, a Roman Catholic pro-life priest.

Ravi Zacharias, the well known Christian apologist is also scheduled to speak at this conference. I used to listen to Ravi Zacharias when I first got saved, and I noticed that he often quoted G.K. Chesterton and Malcolm Muggeridge, more than he even quoted the scriptures. I honestly did not know who those people were, and when I discovered that they were both Roman Catholics I could not take Ravi seriously any more. Ravi Zacharias even described himself in an interview as a big G.K. Chesterton fan. With all of Ravi’s talk about “false gods” how could he possibly miss the false gospel of Rome, which sent countless souls to a martyrs death?

Another speaker at this conference is a Jewish Rabbi named Aryeh Spero.

Rabbi Spero who is a columnist for the American Thinker, and his articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, National Review, New York Sun, and many other national publications. Rabbi Spero is an acclaimed public speaker, inspiring diverse audiences and has appeared on CBS, FOX News, C-SPAN, WOR, and MSNBC, FOX Business News, and many other programs.

The Jewish people for the most part do not believe that Jesus is the Christ [Messiah] and according to that same Jesus, they will die in their sins without him! [John 8:24, 5:37-40] Rabbi Spero would certainly fall into that description, along with the majority of Jews who still reject Jesus. The point that I make here is that this conference is supposedly based on the truth, and it talks about those who serve the living God, but non-believers in Jesus Christ are not serving the living God! There can never be unity between TRUTH and FALSEHOOD. Salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone, and the apostle Peter made it very clear to Israel that Christ was the only way to be saved!

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:10-12)

So thus far we have discovered that there will be two Roman Catholic Priests who will be speaking, who believe that their Catholic Mass satisfies the justice of God, and then we have a Rabbi who rejects Jesus as the Christ [Messiah]. For the afternoon and evening prayer sessions we have a Catholic priest, [will he pray the rosary?] as one of the “Prayer Leaders” and then we also have Christian Zionist Pastor John Hagee thrown into the whole mix. It sounds like a rather interesting group of people does it not.

I agree that we need a “spiritual awakening”, but we need to wake up to the apostasy that is already rampant within the walls of the church, and that would include the compromise with false churches such as Rome, and with Jewish leaders who reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Messiah! If there were a true “spiritual awakening” then the true men of God would stand up and rebuke the Roman Catholic priests and their false gospel, along with the Rabbi who rejects Jesus Messiah and Lord. This conference used the word INDIVISIBLE in its promotion of unity for their cause, but I would suggest that they better DIVIDE TRUTH from FALSEHOOD because that is what the Lord does. The false gospel of Rome, and the false teachings of Judaism can never be joined to truth. If you continue to join hands with these people you will have nothing other than a false awakening and a false revival, and that is spiritual apostasy.

I just became aware of a conference that is scheduled to take place on July 27, 2012 that is called the Under God: Indivisible Leadership Conference. I will be giving you excerpts from the conference announcement which is available online for anybody to read, and I will add my own comments regarding what was said in those excerpts. Here is an excerpt from their announcement which can be read online:

On Friday, July 27, James Robison, Dr. Ravi Zacharias, Dr. Tony Evans, and other spiritual leaders from across the country and from many denominational backgrounds will join one another at High Point Church in Arlington, Texas for the Under God: Indivisible Leadership Conference dedicated to calling our nation back to God. Attendees will hear messages from dynamic speakers, receive important information and spend time in prayer for a much-needed spiritual awakening in our nation.

There is little disagreement that America is now in a spiritual crisis, but we believe the situation is far from hopeless! However, the church and those with faith in the living God are the only hope to see our nation’s perilous course corrected. It is our responsibility to hold up godly standards, allowing truth and the principles of our founding fathers to guide our path.

First of all let me give you a definition of the word indivisible from the dictionary. INDIVISIBLE: not divisible; not separable into parts; incapable of being divided: one nation indivisible. So it is quite clear that the motive of this conference is that there would be a unified, and undivided call for a “spiritual awakening” in our nation. The attendees are promised to hear from dynamic speakers and to spend time in prayer for a much needed “spiritual awakening” in our nation. The invitation goes on to declare that America is in a spiritual crisis, but not a hopeless case. It goes on to talk about the “church” and “those with faith in the living God” as being the only hope for our nation. Finally this excerpt talks about our responsibility for “allowing truth and the principles our founding fathers to guide our path.”

First of all if we are going to allow truth to guide us in our Christian life, then we have to make sure that we do not join hands with people who are not walking in that same truth. As a former Roman Catholic there is no question in my mind that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is ” . . . the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) delivered me from the false religious system of Rome, and I have been telling others to get out of that system as quick as they can, as it clearly preaches a false gospel.

You can find numerous articles, and related videos regarding the false teachings of Rome on this blogsite. I talk about their false teachings regarding the Catholic Mass, and it’s purpose which they claim is to “satisfy the justice of God for sins committed against him” [New St Joseph Baltimore Catechism, page 173 Item #361] That teaching in itself is enough to qualify it as a false gospel, but there is much, much more to that diabolical “church.” They teach that a person becomes “born again” when they are baptized as an infant by the Roman Catholic Priest. They teach that there is a place called Purgatory, a spiritual hospital where people are purified before entrance into heaven! And of course there are the false teachings regarding the “Blessed Mother Mary” and what a bondage that is. I know because I was a rosary praying Catholic up until the age of thirty-six, until the Lord opened up my spiritual eyes to the grand deception of that whole system. Not to mention that Rome still has over 100 anathemas (curses) that were pronounced at the Council of Trent, and upheld by the Second Vatican Council II. Those curses are against people like me who totally disagree with their false teachings, and against other “Protestant” believers who believe like me.

It is almost laughable that they would even use the word “truth” in describing this call for a spiritual awakening in this country. The Spirit of the living God is the one who is going to lead us into all truth, and he is not going to have us work hand in hand with people who proclaim a false gospel.

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (John 16:13 )

Now, let’s take a look at some of the “dynamic speakers” that are scheduled to speak at this conference. One of the speakers is a Roman Catholic Priest by the name of Rev. Robert Sirico. Mr Sirico received his Master of Divinity degree at the Catholic University of America. As a Roman Catholic Mr Sirico would have to believe their doctrines regarding the Mass, Mary and all of the other doctrines or he would not be deemed to be a true Roman Catholic.

Islam and Christianity differ in significant and fundamental ways. Many of these differences can be seen to be in direct contrast to one another. The Law of Non-Contradiction states that a thing and its opposite cannot both be true at the same time and in the same sense. Thus, theological differences that exist in direct contrast with one another between Islam and Christianity cannot both be true in the same sense. This article addresses one fundamental doctrine of both, the doctrine of salvation or soteriology, using a compare and contrast approach. The reader may use this material in conjunction with other similar analyses between Islam and Christianity to determine which presents a coherent worldview.

Saved From What?

The first question to answer concerning soteriology is: “Saved from what?” What does it mean to be saved, and how did the need for salvation come about?

Christianity teaches that all men (in the gender- neutral sense) have an inherent sin nature. This sin nature is a result of the fall of Adam, the first created being. Genesis 3 records the exchange between the serpent and Eve. God gave Adam and Eve every good thing that He created to eat for their sustenance. They were forbidden only from eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge. But God also gave them moral responsibility and choice. They chose to disobey God and thus God’s perfect creation became tainted with the stain of sin, resulting in man being separated from the close communion with God that Adam enjoyed prior to the sin. Sin ultimately resulted in both physical death and spiritual death—eternal separation from God. This one sin caused all future offspring to be born with a sin nature where, left to our inborn instincts, would live in sin continually. The bible tells us that this one sin condemned all mankind. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12).

Islam, on the other hand, teaches that Adam did indeed sin, but it was his sin alone and had no bearing on future generations. Sin in no way affected the relationship between man and Allah, because no relationship existed. Allah is a far distant God who cannot be known and does not enter into a personal relationship with man as in Christianity. Thus, no relationship was broken. Adam’s sin was his alone, for which Allah was displeased and for which Adam needed personally to seek to reconcile. Sura 4:111 says, “And if any one earns sin. he earns it against His own soul: for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.” Additionally, in contrast to the Bible, the Qur’an teaches that the fall occurred in heaven, and Adam’s punishment for his sin was banishment to earth for a time to toil for his existence. “(Allah) said: "Get ye down. With enmity between yourselves. On earth will be your dwelling-place and your means of livelihood,- for a time. He said: "Therein shall ye live, and therein shall ye die; but from it shall ye be taken out (at last)" (Sura 7:24-25).


Saved How?

Salvation in Christianity is achieved on the basis of faith alone in the atonement of Jesus’ death on the cross (Rom. 5:17, 19) and not by any righteous work we may attempt (Eph. 2:8-9). Works do have a place in the life of a Christian, but only as evidence of a pre-existing faith (James 2:18 ). Works or good deeds have no salvific value apart from faith (Titus 3:5-7).

In Islam salvation is achieved on the basis of good works alone. These works include doing honorable deeds plus keeping five requirements, or “pillars,” of Islam: witness (“There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet”), ritual prayers five times daily (salat), alms giving (zakat), fasting during Ramadan (saum), and a pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj). On the day of judgment Allah will have a set of scales to weigh one’s good deeds against his bad deeds (Sura 21:47). Salvation is achieved by having more “good” deeds on account than “bad” ones, thus hoping to win Allah’s favor.

The Christian’s salvation is sure and confident. God’s promises are never broken, and we can rely on scripture when it declares that faith in Jesus saves (Acts 16:31) and we can rest confidently in this assurance (1 John 5:13).

By contrast, the Muslim’s salvation is never guaranteed. The individual Muslim must produce good works and hope that at judgment day Allah will grant favor. However, Allah is under no compulsion to save anyone, and no such promise of salvation is found in the Qur’an. Allah saves whom he will and punishes whom he will in what seems to be a purely capricious manner.


Salvation to Where?

Jesus tells us in the Bible that he has gone to prepare a place for us, so that where he is we also may be (John 14:2-3). Ultimately a new heaven and new earth will be created to replace the earth which was corrupted by Adam’s sin in the garden. Full father-son relationship will be established as man dwells together with God (Rev. 21:1-7). The new earth and the new Jerusalem will be a place of righteousness, purity, joy. Man will honor God and his son Jesus Christ, singing and dancing in expressive praise to them. The heaven of the Bible is a place of complete holiness and celebration.

Salvation for the Muslim means gaining entrance into “paradise.” In Paradise there is no worship of Allah taking place. Rather, men (males) are the objects of worship, in that all earthly pleasures are at the disposal of worthy men who gain entrance into Paradise. Sura 55 describes Paradise as two gardens “Containing all kinds (of trees and delights); In them (each) will be two Springs flowing (free);

In them will be Fruits of every kind, two and two. They will recline on Carpets, whose inner linings will be of rich brocade: the Fruit of the Gardens will be near (and easy of reach). In them will be (Maidens), chaste, restraining their glances, whom no man or Jinn before them has touched; Like unto Rubies and coral. And besides these two, there are two other Gardens, Dark-green in color (from plentiful watering). In them (each) will be two Springs pouring forth water in continuous abundance: In them will be Fruits, and dates and pomegranates: In them will be fair (Companions), good, beautiful; Companions restrained (as to their glances), in (goodly) pavilions;Whom no man or Jinn before them has touched; Reclining on green Cushions and rich Carpets of beauty.”

Salvation to Paradise means the fulfillment of every earthly pleasure a desert dweller of the ancient middle east culture could ever dream of: lush, dark green gardens abounding in foliage; abundant rivers of clean, flowing water; every kind of imaginable fresh fruit to tantalize the tongue; chaste, virgin maidens awaiting the beck and call of each man. This is not a place of holiness; it is a place of excessive indulgence of every pleasure known to man.

What is Hell?

Those who reject Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for their sin will, according to the Bible, be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone, which is the second death ( edited ). “But to the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is the second death” (Rev. 21:8 ). Hell is reserved for all who continue to follow earthly pleasures of sin rather than repent of sin and follow Jesus.

Islam, on the other hand, teaches that hell is reserved, not for those who reject the saving grace of Christ, but for those who either: 1) fail to have enough good deeds to offset their bad deeds on the day of judgment, or 2) fail to win Allah’s favor and are sent intentionally to hell by Allah’s will. Regarding the judgment, the Qur’an records: “Then shall we question those to whom Our message was sent and those by whom We sent it. And verily, We shall recount their whole story with knowledge, for We were never absent (at any time or place). The balance that day will be true (to nicety): those whose scale (of good) will be heavy, will prosper: Those whose scale will be light, will be their souls in perdition, for that they wrongfully treated Our signs” (Sura 7:6-9).

The Islamic doctrine of salvation seems to fall short of providing an important component of a cohesive and comprehensive worldview. As fathers, many of us know what is like to have a relationship with our sons. If we are made in the likeness of God, then it would seem natural that God would want to have a relationship with his “sons.” Yet, this is not what Islam teaches. Further, salvation to Paradise seems to be particularly suited to meeting the needs of a specific target group of patrons: Middle Eastern men of antiquity, rather than a more broad range of the earth’s population as one would expect of a universal God who loves all people equally. The Islamic doctrine of salvation just doesn’t make sense.

http://www.radicaltruth.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28:salvation-in-islam-and-christianity&catid=11:radical-truth-christianity&Itemid=9

Identifying the Man of Sin
We believe that the best evidence indicates that the Man of Sin represents the papal dynasty of the apostate church of Rome. Barnes says: “Most Protestant commentators have referred it to the great apostasy under the Papacy …” (p. 80). Let us revisit the ten points of identification discussed earlier.

The Apostasy
The Roman Catholic system, with its autocratic papal dynasty, did not suddenly appear in a given year of history. Rather, it was a result of a gradual apostasy from the primitive faith. Paul declared: “The Spirit speaks expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith …” (1 Tim. 4:1). He details some of the traits of this movement, e.g., forbidding to marry, commanding to abstain from meats, etc. (1-4).

The many corruptions of the divine economy —changes in the plan of redemption (e.g., sprinkling, infant baptism, etc.), alteration of worship (e.g., the mass, the veneration of Mary, etc.) —were progressively implemented. Catholicism evolved as a defection from the original faith. This history has been graphically detailed in John F. Rowe’s, The History of Apostasies (1958, Rosemead, CA: Old Paths Publishing Co.).

Not Revealed in the First Century

The apostasy was just a budding phenomenon in the apostolic age. Consequently it was not fully “revealed” until centuries later.

Lawless
The Romish movement has exhibited a disposition of lawlessness throughout its history. Could any citation more clearly illustrate the spirit of lawlessness than this declaration regarding the papacy? “The pope doeth whatsoever he listeth [wills], even things unlawful, and is more than God” (quoted by Newton, p. 456). Attwater, a Catholic writer, has shown that, according to Roman Catholicism, “Tradition,” i.e., the voice of the church, is superior to the Scriptures (pp. 41-42). That is the very essence of lawlessness.

God-Opposing
The papacy opposes God. Surely anyone who claims to be “more than God” cannot be described otherwise than as an enemy of the Almighty.

Ecclesiastical Usurper of Divine Status
The papal rulers, as it were, “sit in the temple of God,” i.e., the church; it is an ecclesiastical force. The pope claims that whereas Christ is the head of the church in heaven, the papacy is the head of the church on earth. Yet Jesus affirmed that he possessed “all authority … in heaven and on earth” (Mt. 28:18 ). Paul stated that Christ is “the head [singular] of the body, the church” (Col. 1:18 ). Jesus does not share “headship” with the pope.

The papacy usurps the place of God by:
Making claims that belong only to deity —“Our Lord God the pope; another God upon the earth, king of kings, and lord of lords” (Newton, p. 456).

Accepting adoration not proper for a man. Men bow before the papal dignitary, kiss his feet, ring, etc. Contrast the disposition of Peter when Cornelius bowed before him (Acts 10:25, 26).

Presuming to act for God in matters pertaining exclusively to deity, e.g., offering forgiveness of sins. For example, in Catholic doctrine, Absolution is a “judicial act whereby a priest remits the sins of a penitent who has contrition, has made confession and promises satisfaction” (Attwater, p. 3). The papal system arrogantly attempts to lawlessly act for God.

Claim of Miracles
The whole history of Catholicism is checkered with the claims of “miracles.” Conway, a Catholic apologist, states that God “has allowed His saints to work miracles to prove their divine commission to speak in His name, and to give the world a clear proof of their eminent sanctity. The Church always requires four, or in some instances six, miracles before she proceeds to beatify or canonize a saint” (p. 44).

Early Stages at Work in Paul’s Day
Newton says: “The seeds of popery were sown in the apostle’s time” (p. 457). Idolatry had invaded the church (1 Cor. 10:14), even in the worship of angels (Col. 2:18 ). Handling the word of God deceitfully (2 Cor. 4:2) had begun; strife and division were affecting the church (1 Cor. 3:3). Gospel truth was sacrificed for the sake of money (cf. 1 Tim. 6:5; Tit. 1:11) —compare the practice of “simony” in Catholicism, i.e., the purchase of church offices. Distinctions were made regarding meats (1 Cor. 8:8 ), and human traditions were creeping into the church (Col. 2:23). Certain men were beginning to exert preeminence and to flex their ecclesiastical muscles (3 Jn. 9,10). Out of these attitudes and actions, the papacy finally was born.

Initially Restrained by Pagan Rome
If the Man of Sin is the papal dynasty, what was the force or person that “restrained” the initial revelation of this corrupt, ecclesiastical system? McClintock and Strong, citing numerous sources from the early “church fathers” (e.g., Tertullian, Chrysostom, Hippolytus, Jerome, etc.), said that the patristic writers “generally consider” the restraining force to be “the Roman empire” (p. 255).

It is a matter of history that when imperial Rome fell in A.D. 476, great power was shifted into the hands of church clerics. If the restraining force was the Roman empire, and that force was removed in the 5th century A.D., does it not seem strange that the Man of Sin [Lindsey’s “Fuehrer”] has not yet been made manifest —if the dispensational scheme of things were true?

Flourished After Fall of Rome
After imperial Rome fell, the apostate church of that day accelerated in its power. As mentioned earlier, great political authority was gained. Crowns were removed and bestowed at the behest of papal rulers. For example, in the 11th century of the Christian era, Emperor Henry IV sought to depose Pope Gregory VII (known as Hildebrand). In retaliation, Gregory excommunicated the emperor, and absolved all subjects from allegiance to him. Henry was powerless under the papal ban. In January, 1077, the emperor went to Canossa in northern Italy to beg the pope’s forgiveness. He was forced to stand barefoot in the snow for three days, awaiting an audience with the pontiff (Hurlbut, p. 111).

Other examples of the growing power of papal authority are numerous.
“In Germany Emperor Frederick lay down on the floor and allowed Pope Alexander to stand on his neck. On another occasion, Pope Celestine III crowned Henry VI of England with the usual colorful ceremonies. As the English king knelt in front of him, after having had the crown of the British Empire placed upon his head, the pope reached forward with his foot and kicked the crown from the monarch’s brow. At another time, Pope Alexander rode horse back down the streets of Rome. Walking along on either side of his horse, and leading the animal by the bridle, went Louis, King of France, and Henry, King of England” (Wilder, p. 103).

To Continue Till Return of Christ
The apostate church, an evolution from truth to error, clearly had its genesis in the first century; and yet, this movement continues to this day, and, according to Paul’s prophecy, will abide, in one form or another, until the Coming of Christ. “The apostasy” is the only system which fits the demands of this passage. It is both ancient and modern, something that cannot be said of a Caesar, the Jewish Zealots, a modern Anti-Christ, etc.

It is, of course, in vogue these days to ridicule this view of “the man of sin” as viewed in 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2. In response, one could hardly do better than to quote Coffman:

“[T]he identification of the papacy and its religious apparatus with Paul’s words in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10 was the prevailing view for more than a thousand years, a view supported by the writings and interpretations of many of the most brilliant men who ever lived on earth; and, on that account, there is no way for this writer to accept the sneers and snickers with which this interpretation is greeted by many modern commentators, as being an effective refutation of the arguments upholding it” (p. 104).

In conclusion, we emphasize again, the “little horn” of Daniel 7, Paul’s “man of sin,” and “the beast” of the book of Revelation have much in common, and seem to testify in concert regarding one of the most vicious persecutors the church of God has ever known.

http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/677-a-study-of-pauls-man-of-sin

Traits of the Man of Sin

[b]1.[/b]The Man of Sin is the ultimate result of “the falling away” from the faith (v. 3). The expression “falling away” translates the Greek term apostasia. Our English word “apostasy” is an anglicized form of this original term. In the Bible, the word is used of a defection from the religion ordained by God. As a noun, it is employed of departure from the Mosaic system (Acts 21:21), and, in this present passage, of defection from Christianity. The verbal form of the term is similarly used in 1 Timothy 4:1 (cf. Heb. 3:12). Note also that the noun is qualified by a definite article (the apostasia). A definite movement is in the apostle’s prophetic vision —not merely a “principle” of defection.

2.[/b]This sinister force, from a first-century vantage point, was yet to be “revealed” (v. 3). This appears to suggest that the movement had not evolved to the point where it could be identified definitely by the primitive saints. It awaited future development.

[b]3.[/b]This persecuting power was designated as “the man of sin” (v. 3), because sin was its “predominating quality” (Ellicott, p. 118 ). It/he (referred to in both neuter and masculine genders —vv. 6-7) is the “son of perdition” (v. 3), because its end is to be perdition, i.e., destruction, by the Lord himself (v. 8 ).

[b]4.Finally, this opponent of God is called “the lawless one” (v. 8 ). This power has no regard for the law of God. One cannot but be reminded of that infamous “little horn” in Daniel’s vision. “[H]e shall think to change the times and the law …” (7:25).
The Man of Sin opposes God and exalts himself against all that is genuinely sacred (v. 4). He feigns religiosity, but his true character reveals that he is diabolic. His activity actually is “according to the working of Satan” (v. 9).

[b]5.[/b]In some sense, the Man of Sin will “sit in the temple of God” (v. 4). The “temple” is not a reference to the Jewish house of worship. The Greek word is naos, used by Paul eight times; never does he employ the term of the Jewish temple. In fact, after the death of Christ, the Jewish temple is never again called the temple of God (Newton, p. 441). Rather it is used of the Christian’s body (1 Cor. 6:19), or of the church as God’s spiritual house (1 Cor. 3:16,17; Eph. 2:21). The suggestion is this: this unholy being is viewed as a “church” character.

[b]6.[/b]The expression “sitteth” may hint of unparalleled arrogance (Ellicott, pp. 119-120). Mason notes that the language describes the Man of Sin as attempting to exact “divine homage” from people (p. 169). Moreover, this Son of Perdition “sets himself forth as God.” The present participle (“sets forth continually”) reveals that this presumptive posture is characteristic of the Man of Sin. This person represents himself as God, either: (a) by making claims that belong only to deity; (b) by receiving adoration reserved exclusively for God; or, © by usurping prerogatives which only God can accomplish. Clearly, the Man of Sin is an ecclesiastical character. Recall the description of John’s lamb-like beast in Revelation 13:11ff.

[b]7.[/b]He deceives those who love not the truth, by virtue of the “lying wonders” he effects (vv. 9-10). Bloomfield calls these “pretended miracles” (p. 345). These “wonders” are not in the category of Christ’s miracles. Lenski has well commented: “So many are ready to attribute real miracles to Satan and to his agents; the Scriptures never do” (p. 426). In identifying the Man of Sin, one must thus look for a post-apostolic movement that claims to prove its authenticity by miracles.

The early stages of this ecclesiastical apostasy were “already at work” in the early church (v. 7). The Greek term (energeitai, a present tense, middle voice form) suggests that this movement currently was working itself towards a greater goal. The child, later to become a Man, was growing in Paul’s day. The error was “already operative” (Lenski, p. 417), but not yet “revealed” (v. 6). This is a crucial point.

[b]8.[/b]In Paul’s day there was some influence that “restrained” the budding Man of Sin. This was some sort of abstract force, as evidenced by the neuter form of katechon, “the restraining thing” (v. 6). And yet, this force was strongly associated with a person/persons as suggested by the masculine, “he who restrains” (v. 7). Likely the significance is that of a broad power, operating under individual rulers. Unlike the Man of Sin, whose identity was later to be revealed, the early saints knew personally of this restraining force. "You know (oidate – “to know from observation” – Vine, p. 444). This indicates that the restraining power was a contemporary entity, not a modern one.

[b]9.[/b]The restraining force eventually would “be taken out of the way,” or, more correctly, “be gone.” And so, the Man of Sin, in “his own season,” would be revealed openly (vv. 6, 7). Ellicott says that it is a season “appointed and ordained by God” (p. 121). One recalls that the “little horn” of Daniel’s fourth beast only rose to prominence after three horns were plucked up to make room for it. Too, the earth-beast of John’s vision came into full power after the sea-beast had received a death-stroke, but was healed. And so here, the restraining power will give way to the horrible revelation of the Man of Sin.

[b]10.[/b]The Man of Sin, though having roots in the world of ancient Christianity (v. 6), would nevertheless endure, in some form or another, until the end of time, i.e., until the Second Coming of Christ. At that time, he will be destroyed by the Lord’s word of Judgment (v. 8; cf. Rev. 19:15). In view of this, the Man of Sin cannot be some persecuting enemy that faded into oblivion centuries ago.

okeyxyz: women cannot hold spiritual authority over men!
that's the reason paul gave the commandment.

thank you

Revelation 20:10 - “Tormented ... Forever”?
Revelation 20:9 says the lost are “devoured” by the fire that “came down from God out of heaven” at the end of the 1000 years. Yet then verse 10 speaks of “torment” forever. Which is it? If you look closely, verse 9 uses no symbolism, yet verse 10 does. Verse 9 is a literal account of what happens to the lost, while verse 10 speaks symbolically of the “beast.” In fact, every time the book of Revelation speaks of the lost burning “forever,” those verses are ALWAYS connected with symbolism (see Revelation 14:11 and 19:3). And the word “forever” in this verse does not necessarily have to translate forever. Considering the many misunderstandings we have already seen, did the translators get it right? The Greek word used “forever” in this verse is aion - Meaning literally “unto the ages of the ages.” “An unbroken age,” “perpetuity of time,” “eternity,” “period of time,” “age.” 57 times the word is used for a period of time that comes to an end. Jonah was in the fish “forever” before he came out (see Jonah 2:6). Samuel’s mother wanted him to serve God in the temple “forever” which really meant “as long as he lives.” 1 Samuel 1:22, 28.

Revelation 14:11 - “The smoke of their torment”?
Revelation 14:11 says, “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever:” At least half of the verses in Revelation are taken from the Old Testament and so many verses need to be looked at in the light of all other scripture. The verse says it is the “smoke of their torment” that ascends forever and this is actually drawn from Isaiah 34:10 where the desolation of Edom is described. Isaiah 34:10 “It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.” It can be plainly seen that Isaiah did not envisage unending fires from the fact that following the conflagration in which he says, “The smoke thereof shall go up for ever,” the country becomes a desolate waste inhabited by wild beasts. (v 10–15)

Jude 1:7 - “Eternal Fire”?
In Jude 1:7, the city of Sodom is described as being destroyed by “eternal fire.” Is Sodom burning today? No. Therefore the “eternal fire” has gone out. The phrase, “eternal fire,” means it was a fire from God with eternal consequences. It was “unquenchable” by man (see Matthew 3:12; Jeremiah 17:27; Isaiah 66:24). The destruction of Sodom was also an “example” of what will happen to the wicked at the end. According to the Bible, God’s eternal fire turned Sodom into “ashes” (2 Peter 2:6) “in a moment.” Lamentations 4:6. This is similar to what will happen to all the lost at the end of the 1000 years when they are cast into the lake of fire, “which is the second death.” Revelation 20:14.

Matthew 25:46 - “Everlasting Punishment”?
Jesus warned that He will someday declare to lost sinners, “Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” Matthew 25:41. Is this fire the same type of fire mentioned in Jude 1:7, which is one that destroys completely? We know it is because five verses later Jesus clarified “everlasting punishment” would come upon the lost, not “everlasting punishing.” This is the same as “everlasting destruction” 2 Thessalonians 1:9. Matthew 25:46 contrasts everlasting punishment with “eternal life” which is given only to those who believe in Jesus. John 3:16; 1 John 5:12.

The wicked will not live forever, but will finally die the “second death.” Revelation 20:14. See also Ezekiel 18:4. Hence we can see that the lost experience “everlasting punishment,” not punishing, just like the Sodomites.

“Behold, the day is coming, that will burn as an oven.
And all the proud, yes, and all who do wickedly, shall be stubble,
and the day that is coming shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, That it shall leave them neither root nor branch. Malachi 4:1

Conclusion:

It would normally be considered bad practise to take into account feelings when it comes to studying the Word of God, however there is one area involved in this topic where feelings cannot be avoided. Take for instance this example: You had a dearly loved family member, who had lived an extremely righteous life. They devoted their time to the sick, the poor and the needy. They gave most of their wages to help others in need and when they weren’t productively earning their wages, their life was devoted to loving and helping others.

If this person ever accidentally wronged anyone their first response would be to apologise and ask for forgiveness. Their love was so great for others that they could not bear the thought of hurting another person in any way, shape or form. However this person had seen other family members hurt severely by Christians that were not walking the Christian walk and as a result this person never accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

The above verse refers to the time when a new Heaven and Earth are created, which takes place after the millennium at which time judgement and the lake of fire occurs. So just prior to this the wicked have just been burnt up or by some people’s misunderstanding of this topic, the eternal burning of the wicked has just commenced. How will this eternal burning be?

God would have to make the wicked immortal, so that they could burn and burn, but never burn up. If a person was burning in the excruciating pain of fire how long would it take before they would pass out from shock, or would God make it so they couldn’t pass out from shock so that they could be suffering excruciating pain for every second of every minute of every hour for billions of years, and even then their suffering would be barely beginning.

Since some believe this is for all eternity then a trillion years would not even be a microscopic spec on the time scale. Would you consider it just and merciful punishment to have your loved one burn for all eternity like this in horrendous never ending excruciating pain just because they chose not to accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour? Take into account that they never deliberately wronged anyone and if they ever accidentally did, they repented and apologised and asked for forgiveness? In other words they did the best they could to live a sin free life and love others with all their heart, might and soul as the Bible teaches we should.

If it was at all possible for this person to live a sin free life they would have, but since the fall of Adam and Eve we have taken on their sinful nature and so now there is only One that is perfect. I don’t believe that anyone would consider even for a moment that for ever burning in excruciating pain is just and merciful punishment. The question is: Is anyone on the face of this planet more just and merciful than God, who is Himself love? The following scriptures are just a few of hundreds that could be quoted to answer this.

1 John 4:8 “He that loveth not knows not God; for God is love.”
Nehemiah 9:31 “Nevertheless for your great mercies' sake you did not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for you are a gracious and merciful God.”
Ephesians 2:4 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,”
Psalms 86:15 “But you, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”
Psalms 136:26 “O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

Now let’s consider this dearly loved family member again. This is where human feelings unavoidably come into the equation. Is it humanly possible for us to now go through eternity with “neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain:” (Revelation 21:4) I personally would find this utterly impossible to do knowing that every second of my eternal existence that my loved one is burning in agonizing pain. How can there be “no more pain” if all these people are burning in the unbearable pain of hell fire? Also, the latter part of Revelation 21:4 says, “for the former things are passed away.” How can they be all passed away if they are still burning and burning and forever burning, but never burning up?

There have been many people through history who have chosen to reject God and Christianity as they claimed they did not want anything to do with a God who could be so cold, cruel and heartless in His punishment. They cannot accept the thought of eternal punishing even for the smallest of crimes just.

Which of the following pair of scriptures is correct? Note very significantly also, that the true meaning of the Greek word for “perish” (apollumi) in John 3:16. The Strong’s Dictionary says the word means to “destroy fully” (reflexively to perish, or lose), literally or figuratively: - destroy, die, lose, perish.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not have everlasting life in hell fire, but have everlasting life.”
Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is eternal life in hell fire; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The following verse is extremely significant as firstly it says Sodom and Gomorrah suffered the vengeance of “eternal fire” and secondly, we are told this is “an example” of what is going to happen in the end. Did you hear the media reports about Sodom and Gomorrah being a tourist attraction because they are still burning? No, neither did I. That is because Sodom and Gomorrah are not burning today. So why does it say they are burning with eternal fire? Clearly this eternal fire is NOT forever and neither is hell fire.

Jude 1:7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”

In the following two verses Jesus gives an example of hell fire and what is meant by eternal fire. Three times in this chapter we are told that the fire will not be quenched, i.e., it will not be extinguished and will burn until everything is burned up. There are fifty seven things in the Old Testament that were said to last forever but have all ended. Forever in these cases was for as long as those things should last. Forever for fire is as long as fire lasts, which is when it has burned itself out. This is consistent with other scripture.

Mark 9:43-44 “And if your hand offend you, cut it off: it is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell [gehenna], into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

So what is the example of hell fire we are given with Sodom and Gomorrah and what was the final result?

2 Peter 2:6 “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ASHES condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly.”

Fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them with eternal fire, that is, they burnt until they were totally devoured and nothing was left but ASHES. When something is devoured it is gone. Have you ever devoured a piece of chocolate cake? What was left? Keeping this in mind, the next verse describes the final and ACTUAL event of hell fire that happens after the judgement when the unsaved are burnt in the lake of fire (hell fire). This next verse is NOT symbolic and alone describes the truth about hell.

Revelation 20:9 “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”

We are told that Sodom and Gomorrah are an example of hell fire and as we can see from the above verse, it is indeed a perfect example and the lake of fire is exactly the same situation, except everything on earth is totally burnt up except for the saints who are safe in the “beloved city” of the New Jerusalem.

With Sodom and Gomorrah, fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them, and with the lake of fire (hell fire), fire also comes down out of heaven and devours them. Exactly the same thing! We are told that after the eternal fire burns Sodom and Gomorrah, only ashes are left. So what is left if the wicked are devoured in the lake of fire and this is the perfect example? The same as what was left after Sodom and Gomorrah. Ashes! This is undoubtedly confirmed by Malachi 4:1-3 which informs us that the wicked are totally devoured in hell fire that is not quenched and burns until there is nothing left but ashes.

Malachi 4:1-3 “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yes, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. … And you shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.”

The truth about hell is indeed a very hot topic and one that is grossly misunderstood. I am not at all surprised that so many struggle here, especially if one puts all their emphasis on one of the symbolic verses that say forever burning, or eternal fire as it says in Jude 1:7 speaking of Sodom and Gomorrah.

When one truly searches for the truth about hell with an open mind, one will find that in fact eternal fire is fire that burns forever in the sense that it is not quenched and so the results of the fire are eternal. We are told that the unsaved are in fact devoured, and that they are ashes under the soles of our feet.

The Bible does not contradict itself. We do indeed serve a merciful God that burns the wicked only according to his or her works and both body and soul are destroyed in hell. Matthew 10:28. In regards to the example of the loved one that lived a very righteous life but did not quite get around to accepting Christ, they would be burned in an instant. If all the wicked burned forever then there would be no point in judging them on their works as to what the consequences would be, as burning forever would be the same for all.

Revelation 20:12 “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”

The truth about hell is that the unsaved are judged and fire comes down from heaven and devours them in times according to their works and they shall then be ashes under the soles of our feet. I feel so blessed to know that God is far more merciful and loving than us and His justice is in fact just and fair.

++++++++Copied from the Internet Web++++ not written by me. Good reading.

Hell in the Bible
The word “hell” is used 54 times in the Bible. It is translated from several different words with various meanings as indicated below:

In the Old Testament:
31 times from the Hebrew “Sheol,” which means “the grave”

In the New Testament:
10 times from the Greek “Hades,” which means “the grave”
12 times from the Greek “Gehenna,” which means “a place of burning”
1 time from the Greek “Tartarus,” which means “a place of darkness”

“Tartarus” is used once, in 2 Peter 2:4, and means “a place of darkness or restraint.” “Tartarus” is where Satan and his demons reside now. It isn’t a place of punishment or flames.

“Gehenna” means a place of fire, brimstone, and punishment (see Matthew 5:29-30, described in Matthew 13:40-42 and 2 Peter 3:7.) Note these flames are still in the future at the end of the world.

“Hades” means “the grave” (Acts 2:31; 1 Corinthians 15:55; Revelation 20:14). The body of Jesus rested there and His saints are resting there now awaiting the resurrection.

[b]The Greek word “Hades” is translated as “Hell” [/b]in many English Bibles such as the King James Version. In Revelation 6:8, the King James Version refers to “Death and Hell [Hades].” It does the same in Revelation 20:14. Yet some English Bibles use the word “Hades” itself, such as the New International Version, which translates both Revelation 6:8 and 20:14 as “Death, and Hades.” Now here is the point; In Revelation 20:14 “Hades” (“Hell”) is eventually “cast into the lake of fire.” So as you can therefore see, “Hades” itself is not a fiery place, but is cast into “the lake of fire” (hell fire).

So Biblically speaking, Hades means the grave. This is easy to prove from 1 Corinthians 15:55, which in the King James Version states, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave [Hades], where is thy victory?” If you look in the Strong’s dictionary, you will find that the Greek word here translated “grave” is “Hades.” By looking at the context, it is obvious that “Hades” means “the grave” because it is God’s saints who rise out of “Hades” when Jesus Christ returns. See 1 Corinthians 15:50-55. Therefore, “Hades” cannot mean a place of burning, for who can imagine God’s people writhing in flames as they await the resurrection? That would be absolutely ludicrous! Additional proof that “Hades” means “the grave” is the fact that “Hades” was the place Jesus Christ’s body rested in immediately after His death. Acts 2:31 reads, “His [Christ’s] soul was not left in hell [Hades] neither [did] his flesh see corruption.”

Does Hell burn forever?
To discover the truth about hell, we must accept what the Bible says above the opinions of men. I hope you agree. That said, this subject requires close examination for some texts appear contradictory. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus Christ warned that unsaved sinners will enter “the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Many read this and say, “The lost will sizzle forever. Don’t even try to convince me otherwise.” But in John 3:16 Jesus also declared, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” So which is it? Will the damned roast eternally in “everlasting fire” or finally “perish,” and thus cease to exist?

Revelation 20:9 says, “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.” This verse describes the “actual event” of hell fire and is NOT symbolic, and like John 3:16, it declares that the wicked will be devoured and perish, yet the very next verse appears to totally contradict which says, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Note that this verse has symbolism and says that “the devil” and “the beast” (beast is symbolic) will “be tormented … forever” in the lake of fire. But Ezekiel chapter 28 reveals a totally different picture. While initially discussing the ancient “king of Tyre” (Ezekiel 28:12), God’s prophet then looks behind the scenes and identifies Lucifer himself, “the anointed cherub” (verse 14), who inhabited “Eden the garden of God” (verse 13), and who was originally “perfect in [his] ways from the day [he] was created,” until “iniquity was found in [him]” (verse 15) Moving on to Satan’s final fate, God declares, “I bring forth a fire from the midst of you, it shall devour you, and I will bring you to ASHES upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold you… You have become a horror, and shall be no more forever” (verses 18 and 19.) So which is it? Will Satan be “tormented day and night” throughout endless ages, or will he become “ashes” and “be no more forever”?

The Bible DOES NOT contradict itself. These are only APPARENT contradictions. The solution is to examine what the whole Bible says about the fate of the lost, discover its overall teaching, and then to closely analyse the difficult verses until you understand them correctly. Once you do, you will find that everything fits and makes perfect sense and that God is NOT an unmerciful tyrant that tortures the lost forever.

Hell Fire Is Real
Matthew 13:42 Jesus Christ said the lost will finally be cast “into a furnace of fire.”
Matthew 3:12 John the Baptist said the lost will end up in “unquenchable fire.”

[U]Punishment for Sin and “Hell Fire” Is Future - Not Now [/U]

Matthew 13:40 “As the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of this world.”
Matthew 25:41 Jesus Christ sends the lost into the fire after His Second Coming.
2 Peter 2:9 God will “reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.”
Revelation 20:11-13 The day of judgment occurs at the end of the 1000 years.
Revelation 20:5a, 13-15 The “lake of fire” occurs at the end of the 1000 years.

The Final Hell Fire Will Be On Planet Earth
2 Peter 3:7 “The heavens and the earth which are now ... are reserved unto fire.”
2 Peter 3:10 “The earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”
Revelation 20:8-9 At the end of the 1000 years, “They [the lost] went up on the breadth of the earth ... and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.”

Hell Fire Will Totally Destroy All the Wicked, Even Satan!
Psalms 37:20 “The wicked shall perish ... they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.”
Psalms 37:38 “Transgressors will be destroyed together.”
Ezekiel 28:15, 18-19 Even Satan will become “ashes” on the “earth” as a result of the fire.
Malachi 4:1, 3 The “day cometh” when the lost “burn up” and become “ashes.”
John 3:16 Those who are lost will “perish.”
Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is “death,” not eternal life in hell fire.
Matthew 3:12 “Unquenchable fire” will totally “burn up” the wicked.
Matthew 10:28 “Fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Revelation 21:8; 20:14 “The lake of fire ... is the second death.”

Even The Lake of Fire Will “Pass Away”
Revelation 20:7-9 [/b]At the end of the 1000 years, the lost are “the earth.”
[b]Revelation 20:9 God’s fire falls on them, and they are “devoured.”
Revelation 20:14-15 The earth becomes one big “lake of fire” as God purifies it from sin. The lost suffer the “second death” in that lake.
Revelation 21:1 Then there is a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and first earth (where the lake of fire was) has passed away.
Revelation 21:4 [/b]In the New Earth, there will be no more pain, suffering, sorrow, or death.

[U]Note:[/U] If the lake of fire burned forever, there would always be pain and sorrow somewhere in the universe and Revelation 21:4 could never come true. But it is true. Sin will be gone forever and pain will cease to exist throughout God’s entire universe!

[b]Where Did The Doctrine Of Eternal Burning Originate?
Genesis 3:4 The doctrine of souls burning forever is rooted in the idea that “the soul can’t die.” That idea originated with the serpent who told Eve that if she sinned, she would “not surely die.” But God said she would die (Genesis 2:16-17). God of course told the truth.
1 Corinthians 15:50-55 Only true Christians receive “immortality” at the Second Coming.
1 Timothy 6:16 God “alone has immortality.”
Revelation 20:11-15 The lost finally suffer the “second death” at the end of the 1000 years.

The Character and Justice of God Will Be Vindicated
1 John 4:8 “God is love.” He is not a tyrant who will burn people forever.
Revelation 20:13 Each person will be judged fairly, “according to his works.”
Revelation 20:14-15 After God’s just judgment, the lost will suffer the “second death.”
Revelation 15:3 Then the universe will say of God, “Just and true are Your ways, 0 King of the saints!”

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes,
And there shall be no more death, neither sorry, nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things
[including the lake of fire] have passed away.
And He that sat upon the throne said,
“Behold, I make all things new.”
And he said to me,
“Write: for these words are true and faithful.” Revelation 21:4-5

Bible passages which teach that the lost, instead of consciously suffering in fiery flames throughout eternity, will “burn up” (Malachi 4:1), become “ashes” (Malachi 4:3), “perish” (John 3:16), “consume away” (Psalms 37:20), and finally suffer “the second death” (Revelation 20:14) at the end of the world.

But what about other passages describing “eternal fire” (Jude 1:7) and “torment day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10)? It’s time to closely examine these latter verses, comparing Scripture with Scripture.

Luke 16:19-31 - The Rich Man And Lazarus?

[U]Special Note:[/U] This is the only place in the entire New Testament that seems to teach the doctrine of lost souls descending into fire at the moment of death. Shockingly, this concept is not taught anywhere in the writings of Matthew, Mark, John, James, Peter, or Paul. A careful analysis of the Luke 16:19-31 reveals it is actually a parable which, while teaching many powerful truths, is not meant to be taken literally in every detail.

Luke 16:19 “There was a certain rich man.” This is exactly the way Jesus often started His parables (See Luke 12:16; 13:6; 14:16; 15:11; 16:1; 19:11-12; 20:9 (KJV).
Is it possible for anyone who is literally burning in fire to carry on a normal and rational conversation?
Luke 16:22 The beggar went “to Abraham’s bosom.” Did he enter his chest? This is obviously symbolic and not possible as Christ described.
Luke 16:23 Can the “lost” and the “saved” literally see and talk to each other? Would heaven be enjoyed if it involved watching people we loved suffer like this. What if it was a son or daughter or a mother or father, could that person even for a moment enjoy there stay in heaven seeing this every day?
Luke 16:24 The rich man is described not as a “disembodied soul,” but rather as “in the body” with eyes and a tongue. Was he therefore not in his grave? Again, this reveals this is a parable.
Luke 16:24 Can a tiny drop of water on a tormented man’s tongue bring real comfort? A real burning man would not request just a drop of water, which would also not survive the flames to get to his tongue.

The context of this parable reveals Jesus Christ was talking to the Pharisees who were “lovers of money” and who “derided him” with their tongues (verse 14). The reason why Jesus spoke of the rich man asking for water on his tongue was to teach the Pharisees that their “tongues” were going to lead them into hell-fire.

These Pharisees also believed riches were a sign of God’s favour while poverty represented His curse. Jesus exposed this false theory. The story also counteracts the idea of a second chance after death. At death there is “a great gulf fixed” (verse 26) which cannot be bridged. Our destiny will be decided by our decisions in this life. Many want to see a miracle before they will believe. Jesus said, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.” (verse 31). Why did Jesus use the name Lazarus? This story was a prophecy. Jesus did raise a real man named Lazarus (John 11), yet the Pharisees were not convinced and chose to “put Him to death.” John 11:53.

At least that lessens the possibility of an Egypt/Iran alliance. "Egyptian Cleric Muhammad Hussein Yaaqub: MB Presidential Candidate Muhammad Mursi Told Me that the Shiites 'Are More Dangerous to Islam than the Jews,'” from MEMRI, June 13 (thanks to all who sent this in):

Following are excerpts from an address by Egyptian cleric Muhammad Hussein Yaaqub, which was posted on the Internet on June 13, 2012.
Muhammad Hussein Yaaqub: The Shura Council of the Islamic Scholars [convened], and decided unanimously to support Dr. Muhammad Mursi for president. Do you have another solution? Do any of you have any other solution? There is no other way.

But I told him [Mursi] all the things that you want. I said to him: I want a Salafi president, [who follows] the Koran and the Sunna like the early Muslims. He said: “Yes, ours is a Salafi call.” He said so. He said this, and it is recorded on video. He said it.

I asked him about the Shiites, and he said that the Shiites are more dangerous to Islam than the Jews. He said so.

I told him that I wanted a president who is not afraid of America, and he said: “I am not afraid.”

What more do you want?

What indeed?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3OVHQ65V1g

In the Old Testament false prophets were stoned. Today they get positive publicity. The boundary between Truth and error, Truth and lies, is hardly discernible. Christians today are hesitant to stand for the Truth, yet God commanded us to test the spirits [1 John 4:1]. An ecumenical spirit has entered the church, trying to get everybody to work together, yet it is at the cost of the Truth. Criticism is seen as not loving the body of Christ and that you are trying to create division between different denominations. Yet there is a big difference between criticism and testing the spirits. This article is an urgent call to speak the Truth in love.

Two of the false prophets that are prevalent amongst us today will be used as examples.

The 37-year old T.B. Joshua's ministry is being received with tremendous enthusiasm and excitement. He calls himself the promised child, "By the grace of God I'm doing what I'm doing because I'm a promised child. Anybody called a promised child will do what people in his time, cannot do." He's got his own website, www.themaninthesynagogue.org. Anyone can get more information from logging into that website. In the entrance to the synagogue the taps that contain water, have been blessed and the water then actually become the blood of Jesus. Water plays a big role in the supernatural healings that take place there.

Renewal is the word on everyone's lips. Could it perhaps be that there is a renewal of the occult? There are unusual and supernatural powers in this man's ministry. But whose power is it? People testify about wonderful healings, wonderful experiences, they say that they have seen Jesus in his eyes, but which Jesus is it? People from all over the world come to visit his synagogue [in earlier times the locals in the area referred to it as the synagogue of Satan]. People are slain in the spirit by his actions or words, but which spirit is it? He claims that God appears to him, is it really God, or could it be Satan disguised as an Angel of Light?

Here is another example: The Joy Magazine has issued an article about the coming visit of Sylvania Machado. She is one of the first proponents of the gold dust. Gold dust falls from her hair. She claims to have seen angels pour out the gold dust over the people. Oil is also known to drip from her fingertips. Wonderful, supernatural events do take place in her presence.

She has even been known to sell photographs for R10 with samples of the gold dust pasted on the back. Apparently there is a special blessing on these photos, and you can place them under your pillow or you can place them on people to bring about healing. The oil that drips from her fingertips has been put into bottles and has been given to spiritual leaders, they again, are then able to bless or anoint their members with it. She claims to have a healing and a love ministry and concentrates particularly on working with spiritual leaders.

Pastors have been known to be kissed on the mouth and to be anointed by her, people for whom she prays, say that every time they read their Bible after that, gold has appeared to them. One of Sylvania's fellow workers also sells CD's. If you take your wedding ring or your cheque book, and place it on the CD, it will bring a blessing to your marriage or your cheque account. There is the promise of blessing to whatever problem you might be having. Is this from the Lord, or is it a subtle form of deception? How will we know, because Satan is also able to perform amazing signs and wonders.

Here is yet another example: Benny Hinn claims that he has a direct channel to God and that God gives him new revelations which are not in the Bible. He claims to be such a direct channel, that sometimes when the spirit comes upon his tongue and his mind, he is not even aware of what he is saying or doing. He claims that the Lord appears to him almost on a daily basis. Is Hinn perhaps an instrument of the devil?

In 1 John 4: 1-7 we are told to test the spirits. In 1 Thessalonians 4:21 we are again told to test everything. In Acts 17:11 the Berean Christians examined the scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was true. In 1 Timothy 3:16 and 17, we are told to watch our life and doctrine closely, for if we do so, we will save our hearers and ourselves. In 2 Timothy 3: 16 and 17, we are told that all scripture is for correcting, teaching, rebuking and training. Even Paul warned Timothy against Alexander, and Jesus warned the Pharisees and the Sadducees [2 Timothy 4:15 and Matthew 16:6]. We are told to do this, so that it may go well with our soul.

Jesus himself warned against false prophets.

Matthew 24:4-5, Jesus said to them: " Watch out that no-one deceives you. For many will come in My name claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many." [Christ meaning anointed one.] Matthew 24:11 "..and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people." Matthew 24:24 "For false Christ's and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect - if that were possible." 1Timothy 4:1 "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons."
2 Thessalonians 2:3 " Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction."

Some Namibians were recently robbed of their dollars and led astray by a false prophet, by the name of Dr Moise Cohen. In South Africa, many Christians lack discernment and openly welcome false prophets from overseas and locally. Some of those who have been able to perform signs and wonders, prophesy falsely and deceived the true Christian, have been: Branham, Hagan, Copeland, Benny Hinn, Rodney Howard Brown, John Arnott, Rick Joyner, Gerald Coates, Lester Blumberg and others.

Who will be next? Pastor Clement Ibi from Nigeria says that South Africans don't realise what they are exposing themselves to when they go to see T.B. Joshua. The local people as a witch doctor originally knew him. His synagogue is full of non-Christian symbols. There is a big painting called The Healing Hand, in the middle of the hand is the all-seeing eye of Horos. In the dining room a pentagram has been seen on the ceiling. Many Roman occultic symbols are also seen, such as in the picture of the sacred heart of Jesus, and many pictures of Jesus on the cross, are seen in the prayer huts. All these pictures are pictures that the Roman Catholic Church portrays as Jesus.

My first exposure to the power of such prophets

About 20 years ago, not long after I started my tent meetings amongst the black people of SA, one of the first sangomas I met with, was born again. The woman was filled with evil spirits. She was riddled with pain in her body and had other problems. Despite prayer she could not be set free. When she came to see me, she said that the 'Holy Spirit' appeared to her and sometimes called himself an angel. She asked to be set free from this 'Holy Spirit'. When I rebuked the holy spirit which was attacking her, she was immediately set free.

In the beginning this confused me, but many years later I learnt to know this holy spirit. Of course it was not The Holy Spirit of the Bible, the holy spirit which imitates the Holy Spirit is present today, deceiving many people and especially some of the churches, such as the Zionist Church in South Africa. This church is a good example of the leaven or mixture which is evident in many churches today. The Zionist Church is a mixture of charismatic Christianity and witchcraft. Usually in this church, you cannot attain leadership, unless you have been filled by this imitation spirit.

This spirit gives power and status to the leaders that control the Zionist movement [ZCC]. This spirit is very spiritual and it leads people to spend days praying up on the mountain. This spirit literally speaks to the people, and they hear him, telling them what to do. For example, Go and pray for this person, or go to that town and pray for them there. Usually, when they are obedient to this spirit, signs and wonders do take place. The spirit leads them to pray spontaneously for people and they also speak in other tongues, they also sing spontaneously in other tongues. Their praise and worship can be very emotional.

The spirit also leads them to prophesy, but usually, this is pure fortune-telling. A word of knowledge is given to many people who are sick. These prophets have regular dreams, visions and apparitions of Jesus. He is usually a white man with long blond hair. The reasons why the Zionist Church is growing so rapidly in SA, is because of these amazing signs and wonders. Despite the sincerity, we can sadly say, that these people are false prophets and healers and that they have been misled by a spirit of deception. They are actually just witch doctors and sangomas, with a spirit of fortune-telling.

These people have been deceived, and have never come to true repentance in the Lord Jesus Christ. As a result they are still very spiritual and operate in spiritual gifts, but it is not from the Lord Jesus Christ. This is most probably what has happened with T.B. Joshua as well. If you look at his past, he was a Moslem and a witch doctor. When sangomas or witch doctors are "saved" into the Zionist Church, all they do is leave their traditional sangoma wear, and put on coloured coats with crosses on it. Their fortune- telling and practices also get new names. Fortune-telling becomes prophesying, and the ancestral spirits which used to lead and guide them, now becomes the 'holy spirit'.

This is a clear example then of the woman I dealt with in the Zionist church, how moving from one religion to another, can still cause confusion. T.B. Joshua was not born in a Christian home, yet when interviewed by a French reporter as to when he received his special gifts, he claims he was born with them. There needs to come a time in each person's life when they are truly born again, when they repent and turn from their wicked ways. To be born with certain gifts, is not from God.

Many people claim that T.B. Joshua must be from God because they see it in his eyes, or because he is a kind and humble man. This is not enough, because there are many people in false religions who are kind and humble, and who come across as gentle and caring. Do not be deceived by this, my dear friends, but test very carefully the words which are coming out of the prophet's mouth and measure it up with the Word of God. Their doctrine must be correct!

How do we recognize the false prophets?

1. Jesus Christ will not be the focus, but the signs and wonders will.

The emphasis will not be on Jesus. Today people hunger after signs, wonders, power and emotional experiences. They forget that like the magicians in Pharaoh's day, they were also capable of doing signs and wonders and that even the false prophets will be doing signs and wonders with demonic powers [2 Thessalonians 2:9]. Sadly, the pure undiluted Word of God and sound doctrine are not sensational enough for the Christian of today.

Instead of worshipping the Lord, for who He is and having Him and the Cross as the centre of our focus, people are opening themselves up to altered states of consciousness, so that they may experience emotional feelings and savour sensual experiences. They are not discerning between what is of the soul and what is of the spirit. Here again, emphasis must be put on the 'mixture' which abounds in the church today. It is only the Word of God which is a two-edged Sword and can separate the soul from the spirit.

An example is of a lady, who claims that she went to T.B. Joshua for help, but she was extremely surprised because she was asked to role-play in front of a TV camera. She was called up, and prophet Joshua did a role-play of someone being set free from demons. Prophet Joshua uses hypnotism as a means to explain certain scriptures from the Bible. He says, "I am not the healer, I know the healer..." Yet, over the internet he claims, "The divine person in me can do a million things simultaneously. I can appear to thousands of people in their dreams in any part of the world and set them free from their sicknesses, problems and afflictions." In Matthew 12:39 Jesus says "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign!"

2. The false prophet gets his messages from dreams, visions, voices that speak to him, not out of the Bible.

True prophets of God, get their message from the Word of God. In John 17:17, Jesus prayed, "Sanctify them by the Truth, your Word is Truth." Jesus also said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man comes to the Father, but by me." If we really love the Lord Jesus Christ, then we need to love the Word and the Word is Jesus, and the Word is Truth. The Word [Greek - Logos], that's why Jesus said, he is the Truth [ = logos]. The Word of God also tells us not to add or to subtract anything from the Word.

In Jeremiah 23:25-32," 'I have heard what the prophets say, who prophecy lies in My Name, they say, 'I had a dream! I had a dream!' How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? They think the dreams they tell one another will make My people forget My Name, just as their fathers forgot My Name through Baal worship. Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has My Word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?' declares the Lord. 'Is not My Word like fire,' declares the Lord, 'and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? Therefore,' declares the Lord, "I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me. Yes,' declares the Lord, 'I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, 'The Lord declares.' Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,' declares the Lord. 'They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least," declares the Lord.

How then does Jesus speak to us today? "Jesus' way of speaking to us now, is not by uttering fresh words, but rather by applying to our consciences those words of His, that are recorded in the gospels, together with the rest of Biblical testimony to himself. " [J.I. Packer, Knowing God]
Hebrews 1:1 and 2 "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe."

3. The false prophet teaches and does things which cannot be weighed up with the Word of God and which are unscriptural.

Jesus put a lot of emphasis on the Word of God. He often rebuked the Pharisees, saying, "It is written" [Matthew 12:3-4, 19:4, 21:16, etc.]. John 5:19 "Jesus gave them this answer: 'I tell you the truth, The Son can do nothing by Himself, he can do only what He sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.' "

Sadly the false prophets are not using Jesus, the great prophet, as their example. They are imitating other false prophets. Many actions which are done, for example, slaying in the spirit, to bless bottles of water, or bottles of oil or clothes and to sell it to bless other people, is nothing more than white magic, or charismatic and Roman traditions which have been passed on but which are not biblical. False prophets (operate in the spirit) to remove the source of sickness in the spiritual realm that causes the sickness. The false prophet does not always lay hands on the sick person, he often just stretches his hand and that person is usually slain in the spirit. Is this what the Bible teaches us?

The Bible does speak about anointing oil and laying hands on the sick. However to bless the oil is to take it one step further and this is not Biblical. To bless water, clothes, letters, handkerchiefs, is a misunderstanding of the Biblical message and is taking scripture out of context (John 5, Acts 19:12). Nowhere in the Bible do we get the commandment to bless things. God blesses people, not things. If we remain within His will and if we want to find favour with God, then a blessing will be upon our lives. Therefore, even when we sit at the table to eat, we should thank Jesus for the food, like Jesus thanked his Father, and not bless it.

What we see happening in the ministry of T.B. Joshua and Sylvania, is not revival, but a falling away in the last days.

We need to always weigh up everything with the Word of God. Ask yourselves the question, "What does the Word say or how did Jesus and the Apostles go to work? Or what did Jesus and the Apostles do?" The Bible should be our measuring stick and everything should be measured against the Word of God [Hebrews 13:8 ]. This way we will clearly be able to discern truth from error, what is from God, and what is not from God.

Nowhere in the Bible do we get the commandment to bless things. God blesses people and not things. If we are in His will and if we want to find favour with God then a blessing will be upon our lives. Therefore, even when we sit at the table to eat we should thank Jesus for the food like Jesus thanked His father and not bless it.

What we see happening in the ministry of T.B. Joshua and Sylvania is not revival but a falling away in the last days. We need to always weigh up everything with the Word of God. Ask yourselves the question - What does the Word say or how did Jesus and the Apostles go to work or what did Jesus and the Apostles do. The Bible should be our measuring stick and everything should be measured against the Word of God. (Hebrews 13:8 ) This way we will easily be able to discern between truth and error - what is from God and what is not from God.

T.B. Joshua is also a vegetarian - why? According to his website, he delivers thousands of witches and magicians every week. Many of them are half man and half fish. He claims that if he were to eat fish, he would not have the power to deliver them. Does this sound like a man of God to you?

The spirit of the false prophet speaks about new revelations. Have you ever heard people saying that God is doing a 'new thing' and that we are not to limit God - we are to go with the flow, we are to set aside the Word of God and to open our minds and to enter into altered states of consciousness. This again does not weigh up with the Word of God.

What Peter 5:8 tells us is to be self-controlled and alert because the powers of darkness are especially prone to attack our minds. Also it is important to remember that

* firstly you cannot separate the Word of God from the Spirit of God. That is when mixture can come in and can lead to chaos. When this happens people start growling like lions and make other animal noises in services. They start to deliver in the spiritual realm. On prophet Joshua's videos it is even seen that they urinate and laugh in the spirit.

Many times the pastor will just stand back and look on because he does not want to interfere with what he thinks the Spirit is doing, or quench the Spirit. However the Spirit of God's true measuring stick is the Word of God. John 6:63 "The Word that I speak to you is Spirit and is life."

* Secondly, you cannot separate the Spirit of God from a sober mind. When Christians question something they are often suppressed and are told that they do not need to understand everything with their mind. However, to use your mind is not from the flesh and it is less spiritual when you do not test the spirits.

In Mark 7: 18 Jesus asks "Are you then without understanding?"
In Mark 12:33 the Holy Spirit is referred to as being a Spirit of wisdom and understanding. Our understanding must be through the Holy Spirit and must be controlled by Him.

Ephesians 4:18 "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the lightness through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their hearts."
1 Timothy 6:5 "Perverse disputes of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness, from such withdraw yourself."
1 John 5:20 "And we know that the Son of God is come and has given us an understanding that we may know Him that is true and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."
See also Paul's comment in 1 Corinthians 14:20.

* Thirdly, we are not the ones who restrict God. He restricts us.
Revelation 22:18 "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophesy of this book. If any man should add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book."
2 Peter 1:20, 21 "Knowing this first that no prophesy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophesy came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."

It is interesting therefore to note the similarity between the Roman Catholic Church and the Charismatic movement. Both do not accept or use the Bible as their final authority. The Roman Catholic church adds the book of the apocrypha and the charismatic churches add new revelations.

I read often of men of God from our past who were true men of the Word and who loved the truth. I would like to challenge the Christians of today to become those men who stick to sound doctrine and who love the truth.


4. The False Prophet works in the name of Jesus

Reference is continually made to Jesus and to the Holy Spirit, however it is often done in a manner which is not respectful (see the video of T.B. Joshua). Sadly, with the continual reference to Jesus and the Holy Sprit, this might deceive those who are naïve and who are lacking wisdom and discernment. If one were to look more closely, one would see that it is very seldom that the cross is preached and the message of Jesus Christ crucified. We need to die to self, turn from our wicked ways, repent from our sins, take up our cross and follow Jesus.

So, in other words the centre of the message being preached is not the true Gospel of Jesus Christ but rather focus is put on signs and wonders in the name of Jesus.

Mathew 7:22 says, "But many will come to me in that day saying, Lord, Lord, did I not prophesy in your name………"

In Ezekiel 22:28 it says, " Her prophets whitewashed these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, "This is what the sovereign Lord says, when the Lord has not spoken."


5. They turn their ministry into a business

Money plays a very important role, even though this is usually denied. False prophets usually lack nothing financially.
Mathew 7:15, 16 "Beware of the false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing - you will know them by their fruit".


6. False prophets manipulate people with their gifts (especially the gift of healing and a word of knowledge)

Because of their power and faith healing, many false prophets are often authoritarian and overpowering. They do not tolerate any kind of opposition. When Christians test the spirits or question things which they feel they are not comfortable with, they are told that they are not to touch God's anointed and they are often threatened and they feel accused of committing blasphemy.

T.B. Joshua has in an overpowering way encouraged people to return for prophetic training and has been known to break families up. However, in his services, public repentance of sin does play a role. It is usually done in front of a video camera or in the services itself. "Only when you confess your sins before a righteous man can you receive deliverance from sin and strongholds."

During Sunday services, T.B. Joshua will often expose sin in some of his members through a word of knowledge. He will call people out by their name and mention the exact sins which they are guilty of. It will be done in such fine detail as if he were present when they were committing those sins. Usually this can be seen as a form of manipulation putting fear into the member and succumbing to T.B. Joshua's fortune-telling spirit.

Deuteronomy 18:22 says, "If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously - do not fear him."


7. The inspiration of the false prophet comes from many different sources

In Jeremiah 23 :13 we see that it can come from evil spirits. In Jeremiah 23 : 16 and then 25 - 28 and verse 32 we see that it can come from your own dreams or thoughts or it can come from your own heart which is part of the flesh. It can also come from imitation. To prophesy is often associated with being super spiritual and therefore many people seek to do this. Jeremiah 23 : 30 says, "The prophets are stealing my words one from another".


8. Earmark of their prophesies

8.1 Prophesy according to the Bible is nothing else than preaching the Word of God. All the contents of Jesus' prophesy was the written Word. In Matthew 22:29 it says," You go astray because you do not know the Word of God."
In Revelation 19:10 we read, "For this testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophesy." In the past God would speak to his people through His prophets in many different ways. However, in the last days, God speaks to us through His Son (Hebrew 1:1; 1 Corinthians 14:4,5; John 5:39).

8.2 False prophet's prophesies do not warn us of sin. In the Bible, the prophets that we see were very firm and harsh regarding sin. They proclaimed it fearlessly. That is the very reason why Jeremiah and many other prophets of the Bible were killed or persecuted. Listen to today's prophesies. It doesn't sound very different from somebody reading your horoscope. I know of somebody who prophesied blessing over the owner of a shabeen and a bottle store (instead of a word of warning).
Jeremiah 23:22, "But if they had stood in my council they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds."

8.3 Another earmark proclaimed by the false prophets today is that it is usually always done with a positive attitude and full of love and often the prophesies are full of false hope. An example here is if you think back to the false prophesies that Zimbabwe would not be taken over by communism and that South Africa would not be taken over by the ANC and all the hope that we were given that South Africa and the African continent would be living peacefully and that God's revival would come over the land.

Ezekiel 13:3 says "Woe unto the foolish prophets".
Ezekiel 13:10 says "Because they lead my people astray saying "peace" where there is no peace and because when a flimsy wall is built they cover it with whitewash. Therefore, tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall."
Jeremiah 5:31 says "The prophets prophesy falsely and my people love it".
Jeremiah 14:15 says "Therefore, this is what the Lord says about the prophets who are prophesying in My Name. I did not send them though they are saying no sword of famine will touch this land. Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine and the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword."
(Jeremiah 23:17)

8.4 False prophets twist the Word. In John 14 :12-14 we see that it says that we will be able to do greater things than what Jesus did and this is often quoted. However, this scripture has been taken and quoted out of context.
It does not mean that the signs and wonders that we perform will be greater than what Jesus did. How could anyone perform a greater sign and wonder than raising someone from the dead and this is surely then what Jesus did. Nobody can do a greater sign and wonder than that. But that we will be able to reach more people than what Jesus did in His lifetime - yes. At the day of Pentecost, 3000 people came to know the Lord. Jesus only worked in Judea. The apostles were told to evangelise, to take the Word and to preach the gospel to the whole world. Surely this is greater than what Jesus did and surely when someone comes to know the Lord and repents from their wicked ways, what a wonderful miracle that is.

8.5 The danger of being in contact with these false prophets is that you can fall away and you might become the enemy of God. Listen to their foolish words. It is so difficult to find fault with what they are saying because often there is some truth in their prophecies. It sounds as if they are giving God all the glory for the wonderful works which are taking place.

However, always remember it is not 95% of the water in the glass that kills someone, but 5% of the arsenic in the glass that is unseen.

The 95% which is often the truth, is what leads the people to follow the false prophets. But the other spirits, the counterfeit spirits, the counterfeit Jesus is what brings spiritual death to man.

The spirit of the false prophet has the belief that doctrine is not that important because it would cause division. Today you can see many people with an ecumenical spirit encouraging Christians to join hands with the Roman Catholic Church, the spirit of the false prophet is freely advocating this. In theological faculties and many churches today this is encouraged.

However, many theologians question the inspiration of the Bible, the virgin birth and many other fundamental doctrines. The Bible says that this must happen so that the Word can be fulfilled. The Lord is busy purifying His church - Revelation 3:10.
Deuteronomy 13:1-5 says "If a prophet or one who foretells by dreams appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place and he says, 'Let us follow other gods, gods you have not known, and let us worship them.' You must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer.

The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow and Him you must revere. Keep His commands and obey Him, serve Him and hold fast to Him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death."
This is an IMPORTANT test to see whether we love the TRUTH or will follow after a man.!
In the Old Testament false prophets were the enemy of God and they were put to death. (Deut 13).


WARNING

1. The false prophet is often dynamic and has an amazing stronghold over the people, otherwise he would never be as successful as he is. For this reason many people will be led astray. The Afrikaans prophet, Siener van Rensburg, was a great folk hero in his time, (according to Nostrodamus). For this reason, even magazines or newspapers can place many positive things about false prophets. Sadly, there are Christian radio stations today, and magazines, who positively support prophet T.B. Joshua, Silvania and others. Ignorance to the Word of God, a false unity amongst Christians, will be the price to pay and many will fall because of this and it will be in opposition to the truth.

Thes 2:9-12, "The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness".

The writer of this article has also experienced the power of deception. During one of my visits to a town, a healer came and prayed for me for the gift of healing. From that day onwards I was able to pray for people's legs and see them grow. Everyone in the town was very excited that I had also received this gift. I genuinely saw wonderful signs and wonders and healings.

One day someone warned me through a cassette that this was not from the Lord. Where did it stand in the Bible? Jesus and His disciples did not work in this way. I went on my knees before the Lord. "Lord", I said, "you understand Afrikaans very well. I don't want to grieve your Holy Spirit and I don't want to miss any of the gifts that you have for me, however, your Word tells me to test the spirits. If this gift is not from you, please remove it in the Name of Jesus." I repeatedly prayed this prayer and from that day onwards I could not perform those healings anymore. Today I know that they were not from God and that it was a counterfeit spirit.

1 Corinthians 4:6 says "Now brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit so that you may learn from us and the meaning of the same. Do not go beyond what is written".

Any new experience that does not weigh up with the Word of God can be considered magic. 2 Cor 5:7 says, "We walk by faith, not by sight."
Mathew 4:4 says, "Man will not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Sheep are careful as to what they eat, but a goat will eat anything. Are our spiritual leaders like the goats who accept and are open to anything that is spiritual as if it will always come from the Lord?
Isaiah 56:10,11 compares these leaders to sleeping dogs.

Scripture tells us: "Woe unto the shepherd who leads my sheep astray." The shepherds will be responsible for misleading the people, taking them to foreign places to follow after 'anointed leaders', or when they invite guest speakers or are open to false prophets and let them come and preach in their midst.

John 10:12 says "The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep, so when he sees the wolf coming he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters them".
The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. We need to test everything very carefully and not follow after man.

REMEMBER, WHOEVER STANDS FOR NOTHING, WILL FALL FOR ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!


2. Throughout the years we have been exposed to a heart sore process of meeting with people who have been involved with false prophets. Initially they have been ecstatic about their experiences, and completely blinded. After a while, perhaps a year or more, serious things start to go wrong in their life. This can be in their spiritual life, in their physical life, or in their psychological well-being. It is sometimes only much later on that they realise that what they were involved in was not from God.

Call it whatever you will. Hypnosis, suggestion, soulish experiences (read Whatchman Nee's book, The Latent Power of the Soul), emotional influence, faith healing, deception.
They are often exposed to a mixture of magic and hypnotism. True healing cannot occur under these circumstances.

Often what happens is that people will experience relief in the certain area where they went for prayer but the problem will move to another area. Many people experience healing but something else will then go wrong either in their own body or in that of friends or family. Many people are already starting to complain that since they went to T.B. Joshua, other problems have arisen in their lives or their loved ones.
BE WARNED - you are exposing yourself to demonic powers here!!!!!!!!

The writer of this article has also been involved with false prophets who genuinely believed that they were from God, but during deliverance sessions, the demonic side was exposed. Stay away from churches and spiritual leaders that operate in the realm of fortune telling, Similar to words of knowledge), encourage being slain in the Spirit or being drunk in the Spirit. This is often the work of a counterfeit spirit.

3. How will we know that the return of our Lord Jesus Christ is at hand?
We will know because of a great falling away and deception which will take place.
In Matthew 24:3,4 Jesus warns us, "Be careful that nobody deceives you."
Also read Revelation 16:13 ; 19:20 and 20:10. Jesus even asks whether He will still find faith on the earth when He returns?

All these new teachings are paving the way for the Anti-Christ and all the prophecies of taking our cities and countries for Jesus are again making people focus on the wrong things. People are falling away from a love for the Truth. Sadly it will not be the masses who will come to love the Truth, but a handful who will be prepared to be persecuted for making a stand for sound doctrine which is the Truth.

4. There is no biblical ground for the prophetic schools which some churches are propagating. A prophetic school should be no different from a normal Bible school where we are being trained in sound doctrine and in the Word of God. Prophetic schools in the Old Testament were schools where you were trained in the Word. If a prophetic school considers itself to be anything other than this, it is nothing more than charismatic fortune telling.

5. In the past many people were aware of the dangers of communism and Roman traditions. However, within the charismatic movement, there is also a danger. The Church, the true Body of Christ is being polluted (Revelation 12:15) and a stream of satanic deception is entering the Church today. False prophets are doing many strange things that are not Biblical at all and they are being worshipped and idolised as great men of God. Fortune telling is being clothed in prophesy and words of knowledge.

The Bible is not the sole source of our truth anymore (sola scriptura). Sadly, Gerald Coates has been known to say that some churches that teach sound doctrine are useless. A well known Christian leader has been known to say that God is not a slave to His Word. There seems to be a new spirituality entering the Church today, particularly found in the charismatic movement. This pollution that the modern Christian is exposed to is often discerned as a renewal, however, it is a renewal of the occult and a falling away from the true Lord Jesus Christ and the true Gospel.

Sadly, this renewal is what so many leaders in the Church today are excited about. There are so many different movements that we are currently exposed to. However do they pass the test when weighed up with the Word of God? For example, the Word of Faith movement, Dominion Theology, Prosperity Gospel, Kingdom Now Theology, the restoring of the Prophetic and Apostolic Ministries, spiritual warfare and claiming certain areas or towns for God, prayer walking, automatic writing (here people hold the pen in their hand and the Holy Spirit tells them what to write), Theophostics (another form of inner healing), meditation, mysticism (how do you know that you love God?

Here so many people don't realise that it is mystical because they are told that when they feel a warmth they will know it is God's presence.) John Wimber used to suggest this. Some of them have sensual sensations or pins and needles in their physical body. This they interpret as experiencing God, visualisation (which is a Hindu form of prayer). There is a new evangelisation being preached without the Cross of Jesus Christ being at the centre.

New manifestations are being sought after, particularly in the charismatic churches e.g.. gold teeth, gold dust, being drunk in the spirit, making animal noises. A new form of spirituality is becoming evident and a new praise and worship is coming to the fore (repetitive music which can lead people into trances). The modern Christian sees this as renewal. However our Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever and when we are born again we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, there is no need to call up the Spirit, invoke Him or worship Him in meetings. This is not Biblical Christianity!

6. Everybody is expecting the return of a Messiah. The Hindus, Moslems, Buddhists and Christians. Sadly, the writer is convinced that a transference of spirits can take place when we visit false prophets such as T.B. Joshua. The spirit of the false prophet will be transferred to us, thus, when the Anti-Christ does make his appearance, masses of Christians will fall for him and will be deceived and misled because they have not been able to discern the false prophets now.

7. An unbiblical emphasis on signs and wonders is in disobedience to the 2nd commandment because it is in direct contrast to the way in which we should worship the Lord. We should worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth, however, when we allow experiences where emotion is involved and our senses are involved, to become prominent and the most important part of our worship, we are in disobedience. When the emphasis is put on signs and wonders with the hope that people will then believe in God, our true faith is put aside. That is why faith is the hope of things not seen that we believe in and Jesus said it is a wicked generation that seeketh after signs and wonders (Mathew 12:39 and Mathew 16:4).

8. Do not support Christian magazines that are mouth pieces to false prophecy. Many false prophesies are often placed in these magazines. These magazines have no discernment and unknowingly become supporters of false prophets and prepare people for the way of the Anti-Christ. Beware of spiritual leaders and churches who are open to any kind of signs and wonders and who do not test the spirits (2 Thes 3:6). Do not let these leaders lay hands upon you (transference of spirits). If leaders do not operate in the gift of discernment now and cannot see the danger in exposing their people to false prophets, how then will they recognise the Anti-Christ.

9. False prophets such as T.B. Joshua and Sylvania are nothing new. The signs and wonders taking place with these people are now being marketed in a new way. The only reference in the Word of God to gold dust can be found in Exodus 32:20. Here Moses destroyed the golden calf the people had made to worship as a false god. Moses ground the gold to powder (dust) and scattered it on the water. He then made the people drink it as punishment for their adulatory. The chapter then goes on to say how 3000 of the people were slain in that one day for their sin. Job 28:12-16, Proverbs 22:1, Proverbs 3:13, all tell us that wisdom and understanding should be more sought after than gold. Proverbs 8:9 says that the fruit of wisdom is better than fine gold.

10. A scene on TV showed how a Hindu in India followed a holy cow. He caught up the urine of the cow into a bowl, drank it and washed himself with it. He picked up the excretions of the cow and covered his whole hair and body with it, but he was so sincere, he believed that he was doing this to honour his god. He believed that he was honouring the right god.



How sad is deception. Who will be next and what will be the next deception to cross our paths?



Will it be THE ANTI-CHRIST?

https://www.jihadwatch.org/images/Mohsen%20El%20Guindy.jpg


I have been reading for a while your fictitious and impudent babbles about Muslims, and Islam. Your writings against Islam have in fact crossed all bounds. Your foolishness made you chose a dangerous task that made you a target for one billion and five hundred million Muslims around the world. They curse you day and night in their five daily prayers. They ask Allah to descent his wrath upon your head. Ignorant and slowpoke as you are, you may say, ‘I don’t care, Islam is not a religion, and Muhammad is not a Prophet, so Muslims’ curse will not touch me.’ But I assure you and whether you like it or not, Islam is the last divine revelation sent by Allah to all mankind. So Muslims’ curse will hit you no doubt. You will be afflicted with calamities in this present life, severe torture in the grave, and in the Hereafter you will be roasted in Hell for eternity.

What is exactly your color Robert Spencer? Are you a Jew hiding behind a Christian name? Or may be an infidel spreading disbelief, doubt, and mischief in the land?

The enemies of Islam spare nothing to ruin Muslims; they yearn for Muslims to suffer. Hatred has already shown itself from their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is yet greater. They bite at Muslims their fingers, enraged. If we were visited by good fortune, it vexes them; but if we were smitten by evil, they rejoice at it. But their guile will hurt us nothing; and I say to you and your like, ‘Die in your rage, you are in fact fighting your Creator, so you are doomed to Hell.’

The enemies of Islam don’t mind slander Prophet Muhammad, belie the Koran, and attack Allah, their Creator! They also went to the extent of burning the Koran!

Those who challenge Allah and His Prophet are cursed; they are beset by sin, and covered with ignominy as were the like before them; and there awaits them a condign punishment. On the Day of Judgment Allah shall resurrect them all together and inform them of what they did. Allah has kept account for it, while they have forgotten it.

As we read in the Koran:

Surely those who oppose Allah and His Messenger shall be frustrated as those before them were frustrated. Now We have sent down signs, clear signs; and for the unbelievers awaits a humbling chastisement, upon the Day when Allah shall raise them up all together, then He shall tell them what they did. Allah has numbered it, and they have forgotten it. Allah is witness over everything (Al-mujadilah 5, 6).

Robert Spencer, you have acted rebelliously. You think you have something to stand upon, but verily you are an impertinent liar. It is about time that you know the terrible consequences of your arrogance that made you mock Allah’s signs to the core. Those who deny Allah’s revelations and refuse to recognize His signs shall be put to torture. Allah will expose them to the protracted and dreadful conflagration. As often as their skins are consumed, Allah replaces them with new skins so that they taste the merciless but just punishment.

Read The Rest - HERE

The man who wrote the novel about censorship, Fahrenheit 451, has died at age 91.

Nowadays the really dangerous book-burners are not those who torch an occasional copy of the Qur'an, a futile symbolic act against an oppressive ideology that is everywhere advancing today. No, the censors of note today are the Leftists and Islamic supremacists who want to shut down any truthful speech about how Islamic jihadists use the texts and teachings of Islam to justify violence and the oppression of non-Muslims and women.

Not only is the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) working to compel Western governments to criminalize criticism of Islam (under the guise of "defamation of religion," but those who would judge what constitutes that are on record as considering anti-terror analysis that examines the Islamic motives and goals of the jihadis to be such defamation), but also Leftists and Islamic supremacists in the West today are doing everything they can to demonize and silence those who tell the truth about the jihad and Islamic supremacism. A case in point is Reza Aslan's gunsel Nathan Lean, a creepy thug who has threatened me also; he is not in the least an original thinker, any more than Aslan himself is, but he is indicative of the Left's totalitarian, anti-free speech mindset:

https://www.jihadwatch.org/images/LeanSilenced.jpg

By this Lean means freedom fighters, whom he wants people to think are telling the truth about Islam and jihad for money and/or fame (not for veiled death threats from brownshirts like him, although they come in more frequently than do either money or fame). "Silenced." How? By the state? With rubber truncheons? Re-education camps? Whatever the case may be, Lean's anti-free speech stance is clear, and he is not remotely close to being singular in this. Nowadays the Left and the Islamic supremacists, including those who work in the mainstream media, almost never engage the ideas of their opponents; instead, they traffic entirely in smears and ad hominem attacks, trying to portray the defenders of freedom as beyond the bounds of acceptable public discourse. It is a cowardly tactic, and a chilling one, recalling the run-ups to the gulag and the Nazi concentration camp; apparently those are the models of society that today's Left and its Islamic supremacist allies favor.

May Ray Bradbury's memory be eternal. It is perhaps a mercy to him that he did not live to see the worst.

While the world wrings its hands about "Islamophobia" and Muslims in the U.S. advance the febrile claim that they face discrimination and harassment in this country, Christians in Pakistan and other Muslim countries are really second-class citizens, and no one cares.

"Narowal village: Christian family pleads for justice after child rape, stillbirths," by Rana Tanveer for the Express Tribune, June 4 (thanks to Terry):

LAHORE: Police investigators in Narowal are siding with men accused of[b] gang-raping a 13-year-old Christian girl[/b] and then torturing her family and killing her two unborn cousins, say the girl’s family.

Though FIRs of both incidents have been registered, the police have already declared one of the three accused, a retired inspector’s son, innocent in the rape case. In the case for causing two stillbirths, the police are not arresting the accused even though a judge cancelled their interim bails.

The rape victim, a student of class six, told Civil Judge Mansoor Ahmed Warraich that Irfan, his employee Shahid and an unidentified man had kidnapped her as she walked past Irfan’s house on March 29. She said they drugged her, took her to the fields and raped her. She said she had been unable to cry out as her attackers stuffed some cloth in her mouth. She said that she woke up the next morning still in the fields, roused by family members who had been looking for her since she went missing. She said she had not gone to school since the day of the incident and never wanted to return.

Parveen Bibi, the family matriarch, told The Express Tribune that they had tried to lodge a case first at Domal police chowki, then Saddar police station, Narowal, but the police refused to register an FIR and instead urged the family to reach a settlement with the accused. They refused, and around 10 days later an FIR under Section 376 (rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code was finally registered at the police station.

A medical examination of the victim was conducted and established that she had been raped.

Parveen said that the accused and others then attacked the family to put pressure on them to reach a compromise and withdraw the case. She said on May 8 Irfan, his father Safdar Ali (the retired inspector), Salman Arshad, Asad Ali, Rashid Ali and Muhammad Boota invaded their home and beat up the family. She said women and children were also beaten. As a result of the attack, she said, her daughter-in-law Nosheen gave birth a day later to two stillborn girls.

She said that the police had registered an FIR against the six suspects under Sections 338-C (isqat-i-janin, abortion), 354 (assault on a woman), 452 (trespass), 109 (abetment), 147 (rioting) and 148 (rioting armed with a deadly weapon).

She said, however, that the police were favouring the accused. She said though a judge had cancelled the bails of some of the accused, the police were not arresting them....

http://tribune.com.pk/story/388381/narowal-village-christian-family-pleads-for-justice-after-child-rape-stillbirths/

Is America in an entirely different place? One reason for worry is that we have not yet seen Muslim advocacy groups mobilizing on behalf of official speech restraints in American localities or even on university campuses. Ezra Levant, publisher of the Western Standard (which has now ceased print publication), warns that Canada is "more like Europe" in many ways, including its experience with Islamist political campaigns, but Canada is often an "experimental lab for a lot of bad ideas that are then imported into the States."

We have seen this before. Speech codes sprang up on college campuses across the United States in the 1990s, as liberal opinion (including in much of the legal academy) embraced the notion that minorities and women needed to be protected from "hostile environments." Meanwhile, the federal civil rights agencies insisted that institutions might be charged with "discrimination" if they did not prevent minorities and women from feeling "harassed" by hostile comment—even when such comment was not directed at any individual person.

Courts did put some limits on campus speech codes at public universities. The Rehnquist Court tried to apply brakes to the more outlandish versions of "sexual harassment" claims based on "hostile environment." But the Court always sidestepped the question of whether the First Amendment really allows government to demand that corporate managers and school officials suppress free speech just because it offends some employees or students. It is not, in fact, a large leap from the ideology of the sexual harassment cases of the 1990s to the sorts of claims Islamists have been pursuing in Europe. But perhaps the most worrisome concern is that a lot of American legal commentators, and now a narrow majority of Supreme Court justices, hold that the meaning of our own Constitution should evolve in some response to trends in "the world community."

Over the past six years, the Court has cited international conventions the U.S. did not ratify, admonitions of UN and European human rights bodies, and rulings of foreign courts (including the European Human Rights Court) in support of changed interpretations of the U.S. Constitution on a number of disputed social issues. A number of serious scholars have interpreted the Court's most recent rulings on the rights of Guantanamo detainees as a nod to "international" opinion. Harvard Law professor Noah Feldman recently urged, in the pages of the New York Times, that courts have an obligation to convert the Constitution into an "outward looking document" by assuming responsibility for judicial foreign policy.

To defend free speech in America, we may find it more and more important to insist that we have the right—and under our inherited Constitution, the duty—to hold to our own ideas about what we can be allowed to say among ourselves.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeremy Rabkin is professor of law at George Mason University School of Law and the author of Law without Nations? (Princeton University Press), The Case for Sovereignty (AEI Press), and Why Sovereignty Matters (AEI Press).

The bulk of the report instead focuses on "Islamophobic incidents" constituted by the "spate of insulting cartoons, caricatures, writings and mockery of Islam" in Western media. The first example: Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somali refugee who served for three years in the Dutch Parliament, published opinion pieces in the New York Times and Washington Post that the Observatory judged to be "insulting to the sentiments of Muslims." Item 14 calls attention to another "blasphemous caricature of Prophet Muhammad" in a "Swedish provincial newspaper published alongside an editorial on freedom of expression." By item 18, the Observatory is trying to focus international outrage on the Internet posting of one Alex Epstein, "a junior fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute in Irvine, California," for his claim that "hatred of America is irrational and undeserved.

II. The Campaign in Europe
It's tempting to dismiss the worldview of the OIC as alien. It's easy to dismiss its success at the UN as predictable effusions from an organization that lets repressive governments dominate human rights debates. To their credit, European representatives have raised questions about the recent trend of these debates and voted against the more crudely worded resolutions. But they have not threatened to abandon the Human Rights Council if the trend is not reversed—as the United States has already done. Europe's policy has been to meet the demands of the OIC halfway.

The European Union established a Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia in 1997. A year after the controversy over the Danish cartoons, it published a report on "Muslims in the European Union—Discrimination and Islamophobia." The violent response to the cartoon showed, according to the report, "the pivotal importance of intercultural respect." It acknowledged that "freedom of expression is part of the principles and values that the EU was founded upon" but also affirmed "certain limits…to protect other fundamental rights.

" There isn't even a conflict or strain between them: "Freedom of expression and the protection against racist and xenophobic language can, and have to, go hand-in-hand—the two together make democracy meaningful."


It tells much about the atmosphere in Europe that the report, in over a hundred pages, nowhere tries to explain the difference between permissible discussion of religious differences and "racist and xenophobic language." It acknowledges that the term Islamophobia "has been criticized by a number of commentators"—but then reassures readers that "Muslim and human rights organizations have argued that the presence of Islamophobic sentiments and action is a real problem that needs addressing." How to tell whether a given "action" is "Islamophobic" rather than merely rowdy or thuggish?
In the section urging coordination of crime statistics, it urges that "a victim's perception of a crime as 'Islamophic' is the first step toward acknowledging that an incident might be Islamophobic"— but never gets around to explaining the second step. It affirms that "fundamental principles…must be respected," including "the equal right of women to make individual choices in all walks of life." Then it acknowledges that "efforts to protect those principles may at times clash with the perception of certain individuals or faith groups." The way forward is "to ensure that a potential critical stance toward certain religious manifestations respects the principle of equal treatment."

Shortly after the publication of this very tactful report, the Monitoring Centre was relaunched as the "Fundamental Rights Agency"—promising that "the fight against racism, xenophobia and related intolerance will be at the heart of FRA's activities." So the EU's commitment to freedom of expression will be left to an agency whose core concern is battling "racism," and the most pressing "racism," in its view, is "Islamophobia."

It's true that the EU has not been centrally concerned with human rights protection in the past. That has been left to the Council of Europe, which embraces all EU states but also nearly all other European nations. It has not, however, been much more steadfast. Last year, the council called on all member states "to be vigilant in their work to prevent and combat the phenomenon of Islamophobia" by, among other things, measures to "encourage the promotion of fair coverage of Muslim reality and views in the media."

Might there be some tension between "vigilant" efforts to "prevent Islamophobia" and guarantees of free speech? The Council of Europe sponsors a European Convention on Human Rights, interpreted and enforced by a Court of Human Rights. In 1994, the court endorsed the action of the Austrian government in seizing a film that was deemed to contain blasphemous mockery of Jesus and Mary:

"In seizing the film, the Austrian authorities acted to ensure religious peace…and to prevent that some people should feel the object of attacks on their religious beliefs in an unwarranted and offensive manner." Advocates for an "Islamic perspective on human rights" have already drawn attention to the relevance of this ruling to current concerns. No case has yet qualified the open-ended reasoning of this ruling.

Nor is there a strong tradition of free speech advocacy within national parliaments or national courts. Laws against incitement to hatred have been on the books in most Western European countries sine the 1970s. In Italy, journalist Oriana Fallaci, internationally respected for her probing interviews with world leaders, was subject to prosecution for warning that Islamic immigrants were undermining Europe's culture of open debate. She died of cancer in 2006 before the case could be resolved, but other prominent and mainstream writers have been caught up in harassing claims in France and other countries.

Meanwhile, the threat of violence hovers in the background. As the OIC Observatory reports (with some satisfaction), the OIC's Secretary General protested to the Dutch government in November 2007 after Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders announced that he was making a film critical of the Koran. Within weeks, the Dutch foreign minister had arranged to meet with the OIC's Secretary General to assure him that the government "condemns such activities in the strongest possible terms," would try to stop the broadcast of the film in the Netherlands, and if the film "violates Dutch laws" would assure that "the parliamentarian would be prosecuted." In return, the Dutch government "appealed to the OIC Secretary General for his help and cooperation so that the film does not hurt the Dutch interests in the Muslim world."
Pushing back against the OIC's campaign is not Europe's agenda.

III. Saved by the First Amendment?

Will this tide reach America? One thing is for sure, it is no longer an ocean away. Like most countries in Europe, Canada has had laws against hate speech since the 1970s, enforced by provincial human rights commissions with procedures that make it quite easy to launch charges of improper speech. In 2007, the Ontario Commission, acting on complaints by the Canadian Islamic Congress, opened an investigation of Maclean's magazine (Canada's largest-circulation news magazine) for publishing excerpts of Mark Steyn's book America Alone. A similar investigation was launched by the Alberta Human Rights Commission against the much smaller Western Standard for publishing the Danish cartoons in 2006, along with a commentary on free speech. These cases stirred enough angry debate in Canada—where no one ever seems to get angry—that the Ontario Commission dropped the Steyn case without any action this past summer. Prominent Canadian politicians have called for repealing hate speech laws. But B'nai Brith Canada issued a report last summer that strongly condemned abusive investigations like those against Maclean's, but still insisted hate speech laws were needed to protect against Holocaust deniers and white supremacists. Muslim advocacy groups won't be the only defenders of Canada's existing network of speech controls, which have long been endorsed by the Canadian Supreme Court.

Will the United States follow the UN's lead and go the way of Europe and Canada in appeasing politicized sensitivities?

Is freedom of speech in America threatened by the political mobilization of Islam? People who warn about threats to free speech usually like to shout about them—perhaps to show that they themselves won't submit to threats. I don't think America will face any shortage of people ready to shout about Islam or the Middle East or homeland security any time soon.

But there are certainly ominous trends stirring in the world. Not shadowy extremists but representatives of actual governments—nearly 60, in fact— have demanded that Western nations suppress speech that casts Islam in a bad light. UN human rights agencies have endorsed such demands. European nations have sought to accommodate them. The trend has not yet taken root in America. But our own courts have not always been firm protectors of free speech when restraints on speech are demanded to protect against "sexism" or "racism"—and official organs at the UN and the EU see "Islamophobia" as much the same thing. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court, cheered by a sizable contingent of American legal scholars, has held repeatedly in recent years that our own Constitution should be interpreted in the light of world trends in human rights. Anyone seen any hard-hitting Danish cartoons in the American press lately?

I. Defending Islam at the UN
The campaign against "Islamophobia" in the Western media first gained public notice when that campaign turned violent. In February 2006, mobs attacked Danish embassies in cities across the Muslim world. They claimed to be enraged by cartoons published in a single small-circulation Danish newspaper that associated the Prophet of Islam with terrorist bombings.

Setting fire to peaceful embassy buildings might seem an odd way to prove that Islam should not be associated with terrorism. So it was easy to dismiss the "cartoon intifada" as little more than random violence in unstable countries. But the protests actually seem to have been coordinated with an international campaign that was quite well organized.

In December 2005—only two months before these violent protests—the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) had convened an "extraordinary summit" with heads of state from its 57 member states. The summit endorsed a Ten-Year Program of Action to protect "the true image and noble values of Islam" by "combating Islamophobia." Among other things, it called for the UN to "adopt an international resolution on Islamophobia" that would "call on all states to enact laws to counter [Islamophobia], including [through] deterrent punishment."

None of this, in fact, was simply a response to the anxieties and resentments aroused in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. At the United Nations, member states of the OIC had started complaining about "defamation of Islam" in the late 1990s. An article in the September 1999 issue of Middle East Quarterly was already warning of the implications, under the heading "Islamism Grows Stronger at the United Nations."

In 1999 OIC member states, under the agenda item on "racism," urged the UN Human Rights Commission to condemn "defamation of Islam," arguing that antagonism toward Muslims risked the sort of violence previously unleashed by European anti- Semitism. Western states balked, then agreed to a resolution of concern about "defamation of religion… particularly Islam." The resolution passed without formal votes in 1999 and 2000 and then, when put to votes, passed by solid majorities in the ensuing years. A similar resolution was adopted by the General Assembly in 2005.

By 2005, the UN Human Rights Commission had become so discredited by its obsessive denunciations of Israel and indifference to human rights abuses elsewhere that even Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged its reform. The new, supposedly reformed Human Rights Council ended up with such human rights champions as Cuba, Russia, and China, along with 14 members of the OIC, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Algeria.

In its meeting of March 2007, the new council promptly adopted a new resolution warning that "defamation of religion…leads to violations of human rights" and again mentioning only "Islam and Muslims in particular." The resolution specifically invoked the OIC's 2005 "extraordinary summit" as if it were part of the UN's official rationale—which, in effect, it was. The resolution specifically "emphasize[ d] that…freedom of expression…should be exercised with responsibility and may therefore be subject to limitations…necessary for respect of the rights and reputations of others…and respect for religions and beliefs" and therefore "deplore[d] the use of the print, audio-visual and electronic media, including the Internet…to incite…xenophobia or related intolerance and discrimination toward Islam E2." For good measure, it also protested "the increasing trend in recent years of statements attacking… Islam and Muslims in particular in human rights forums."

The implications of all these claims have been made more clear in the past year. In earlier resolutions, "Islamophobia" was linked with "racism and xenophobia" and referred to the council's Special Rapporteur charged with monitoring "racism, xenophobia and related intolerance." In its meeting of March 2008, the council voted to refer its concerns about "defamation of religion" to the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression. In effect, the resolution demanded that protection of free speech give way to protection against improper—Islamophobic— speech. As the Canadian delegate protested, "instead of promoting freedom of expression, the Special Rapporteur would be policing its exercise." But of course, it made no difference. In its December meeting at the end of last year, the UN General Assembly simply went ahead and endorsed the OIC-sponsored resolution that condemned "discrimination against religions"—but, as usual, mentioned only "Islamophobia" rather than attacks on any other faith.

Last June, OIC members gave a startling demonstration of how they would protect against "attacks" on "Islam" in "human rights forums." In the midst of a review of women's rights, a representative of a Western NGO tried to present a report on the practice of female genital mutilation in Egypt and Sudan. The speaker tried to say that the practice would be stopped if religious authorities in Egypt clarified that it was not required by sharia law. Whereupon the Egyptian delegate immediately brought the proceedings to a halt, protesting that the statement was an attack on Islam. After futile efforts to calm tempers by the chair (a delegate from Romania), the Egyptian ambassador insisted that "Islam will not be crucified in this forum." The chair closed the meeting with assurances that the Council would not in future presume to discuss "religious questions"—which, given the background, seemed to indicate that even oblique references to understandings of sharia, even if misunderstandings, could no longer be tolerated.

If that is the standard for public debate, quite a lot would not be open to comment. A number of Western NGOs, concerned with religious freedom, raised objections. The Becket Fund, a Washington-based advocacy group for religious liberty, warned that the concept of "defamation of religion" would "undermine the foundations of the human rights system" (as previously understood), shifting its emphasis from "the protection of individuals" to "the protection of ideas or of group identities."

When courts are asked to decide claims of "defamation" against individuals, it noted, truth is always a defense: instituting legal actions against "defamation of religion" would "require the state to determine which ideas are acceptable, as opposed to which facts are true." Enforcing measures against "defamation of religion" would thus "empower majorities against dissenters and the state against individuals."

But the OIC does seem to think any discussion of Islam or even political opinion among Muslims should be taken as prima facie evidence of Islamophobia and properly curbed by governments. In May 2007, the OIC agreed to establish an "Observatory" for "monitoring all forms of Islamophobia." The Observatory's first report, released last summer, offers "a collation of incidents and developments that vindicate the Ummah's concerns about the rising trend of Islamphobia." But it offers only one paragraph on incidents of actual violence against Muslims in Western countries, only three of which are even specified as to location (two in Belgium and one in Poland) while the others—including "incidents" of "bombings and arson" against mosques and "lethal bludgeoning, stabbing and shooting" are not counted or even located, let alone described.

logicboy: Lol....at least, LagosShia is here.


[size=15pt]Where are the people who understand Arabic to give us the info on this story?


Where are Tbaba and Maclatunji? [/size]

Arabic

The author of this article is an Arab, Tbaba and his colleague can only understand Pidgin Arabic

Watch the video , it was a Christian , except of course Wahhabi refer to Shiites as polytheists.

Read Raymond's explanation below.


I just received an email from the editor of a large website, who posted my story from yesterday about the slaughtered apostate. He writes:

The story generated a huge number of commentaries from readers, some of them originating from Muslim Countries. They harshly dispute and deny the veracity of the facts you mention in your paper. Some argue that this abomination did not take place in Tunisia—and I do believe so—but somewhere in Iraq, that the young man is not a Christian but a Shiite, that he was not slaughtered for apostasy but for being a spy of the Americans, and so on… It's true that the facts are not properly documented : we don't know even the date of this event, the place, the name of this unfortunate young man… Do you have any additional details and data to help answering ? Many thanks for your kind and urgent attention.

I responded with a quick list of facts, which I repost here, enlarged and augmented, for anyone else interested:

Fact 1: The Egyptian TV host, who recently aired this video—which went viral on the Arabic blogosphere on Sunday, when I wrote my report—said this occurred in Tunisia. Yes, others have subsequently said that this was in Iraq, others in Syria; but, from what people have sent me, the only “evidence” is the same video—only with a title that indicates Iraq or Syria. Personally, I am inclined to believe a formal Arabic current events program devoted to the topic than an anonymous Internet posting with no further details. Either way, the issue is less which country, and more why the man was slaughtered. Read on.

Fact 2: The Muslim narrator who speaks while the man is being slaughtered specifically names and continually condemns “apostasy”—the crime of leaving Islam—and even calls the executed man an apostate, i.e., the man is being slaughtered for apostasy, a capital offence in Islam. (If the world is not surprised that the actual “government” of a Muslim nation, Iran, is preparing to execute a man simply for converting to Christianity, are we supposed to be surprised when roaming bands of jihadis take it upon themselves to execute apostates to Christianity in their midst?)


Fact 3: The Muslim narrator specifically names and condemns al-mushrikin, and calls the executed man a mushrik—i.e., a “polytheist”; in fact, he calls him a mushrik murtadd, an “apostate to polytheism": this is the standard appellation for Christians, who are regularly called polytheists for “associating” Jesus with God. Yes, there are other religions deemed polytheistic in Islam, such as Hinduism, but one rarely if ever hears of Muslims in the Middle East converting to, and dying for, Hinduism, whereas conversion to Christianity—will all the attendant consequences—is a regular occurrence. Moreover, the overwhelming majority of cases--from one end of the Muslim world to the other--of attacks, imprisonments, etc. deal with Muslim converts to Christianity (see my monthly Muslim Persecution of Christians reports for an idea.


Fact 4: My contacts in the Middle East, many well-connected with the doings of the region, regularly see and hear of such things, and are confident that he was beheaded for converting to Christianity. The reader is free to hold their opinions as biased or subjective; but if so, why hold the protests of Muslim apologists, equally biased and subjective, as more authoritative--especially in light of history, doctrine, and ongoing current events, which support the former opinion?


Fact 5: Muslim apologists always deny anything and everything that makes Islam look bad and will, naturally, try to put the best spin on this video—turning the victim into the aggressor, portraying him as a “traitor,” a “spy,” etc.—just like the Iranian regime, after unequivocally stating that Pastor Nadarkhani is to be executed for converting to Christianity, began backtracking by saying he is to be executed for being a “Zionist spy,” an “extortionist,” etc.

At day's end—and here is the most indisputable fact—we are left with a man having his head hacked off while his murderers scream Islamic slogans and accuse him of apostasy.


Raymond Ibrahim is a Shilliman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

Rebel Islamists in northern Mali are banning everything from football to television as they impose their own version of Sharia law.

Islamist Touareg rebels in control of northern Mali moved to enforce a strict interpretation of Sharia law last month, provoking the ire of Timbuktu residents.

Al-Qaeda linked rebels Ansar al-Din began a crackdown May 22nd in which they banned football, the shaving of beards, television and smoking as religious taboos.

“The extremists may be able to prohibit the sale of cigarettes at Timbuktu market, and they can also seize and burn all that they put their hands on, but they just can’t prevent people from smoking,” he said.

“Those Islamists are living in an illusion when they think that they can control convictions and prevent hobbies,” Ag Ennour added.

Another Timbuktu resident, Mohamed Cissé, told Magharebia: “We’ve never heard from any Muslim cleric and we’ve never read in any book that the Islamic Sharia prohibits smoking, playing football or shaving the beard. There are even some Muslim faqihs and scholars who smoke.”

“The great irony is that those people are preventing us from smoking while they are allying with al-Qaeda, a group that deals with traffickers of cigarettes and drugs and that sometimes even deals in these items to get money to buy weapons and recruit new agents,” he added. “What justice is that – and what logic is that?”

For his part, Oussman Ag, a young man, was harsher in his criticism of this situation when he said: “Ansar al-Din went beyond banning the shaving of beards and playing football to preventing motorcycles that carry a man and a woman at the same time.”

“Their madness has gone even further, as they also started breaking people’s TV sets out of fear that they might watch scenes considered to be prohibited. They also insist on removing the yellow colour from the Azawad state flag to put the white colour in its place so that they may write the phrase ‘No god but Allah’.”

The Islamic radicals justified the measures against residents by saying their goal was “to make Timbuktu a city free from cigarettes and all manifestations that violate God’s Sharia. Timbuktu, from which Islam has historically spread to West Africa, shouldn’t be a secular city where immorality spreads,[” Ansar al-Din official spokesperson Sanad Ould Bouamama said.

But the Ansar al-Din crackdown was met with resentment among the city’s young people, with clashes breaking out the same day they were imposed. One young man reportedly sustained a gunshot wound from the incident.

Meanwhile, the extremists continue to desecrate heritage sites in the ancient city. On May 23rd, the Islamists destroyed the town’s martyrs monument to those killed during the 1991 Bamako demonstrations against General Moussa Traoré’s regime.

Read more: http://www.maghrebchristians.com/2012/06/05/mali-islamists-impose-harsh-sharia/#ixzz1wwhxHo00

al-ahamad:
Mopol....arrest soldiers....your joking right?....like seriously u for real or high on somfin?....

@OP....may their souls rest in Peace....Allah will judge

MP stands for Military Police , Duh !!!

proo212: Didn't need to watch it but read the text that explained the video. As well as other links on Raymond Ibrahim, just confirms what we have always known to be true especially from the mouth of a salafi. I'm sure our brother has met with the Lord. Don't be afraid of the one that kill the body but one who can kill the body and the soul...

Indeed, I have recreated the thread but without the video, I also refused to watch it.

Yet we are told there is no compulsion in religion , this video with hundreds others and all the thousands of occurrences worldwide are evidence enough that religion in their warped mind is by coercion and not choice.

Removed

Liberal talk show host Tawfiq Okasha recently appeared on "Egypt Today" airing a video of Muslims in Tunisia slicing a young man's head off for the crime of apostasy, in this case, the crime of converting to Christianity and refusing to renounce it. The video—be warned, it is immensely graphic—is on the left (the actual execution appears from minute 1:13-4:00). For those who prefer not to view it, a summary follows:

A young man appears held down by masked men. His head is pulled back, with a knife to his throat. He does not struggle and appears resigned to his fate. Speaking in Arabic, the background speaker, or "narrator," chants a number of Muslim prayers and supplications, mostly condemning Christianity, which, because of the Trinity, is referred to as a polytheistic faith: "Let Allah be avenged on the polytheist apostate"; "Allah empower your religion, make it victorious against the polytheists"; "Allah, defeat the infidels at the hands of the Muslims"; "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger."

Then, to cries of "Allahu Akbar!"—or, "God is great!"—the man holding the knife to the apostate's throat begins to slice away, even as the victim appears calmly mouthing a prayer. It takes nearly two minutes of graphic knife-carving to sever the Christian's head, which is then held aloft to more Islamic cries and slogans of victory.

Visibly distraught, Tawfiq Okasha, the host, asked: "Is this Islam? Does Islam call for this? How is Islam related to this matter?...These are the images that are disseminated throughout the electronic media in Europe and America…. Can you imagine?" Then, in reference to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and Salafis, whose political influence has grown tremendously, he asked, "How are such people supposed to govern?"

In fact, only the other day a top Egyptian Salafi leader openly stated that no Muslim has the right to apostatize, or leave Islam, based on the canonical hadiths, including Muhammad's command, "Whoever leaves his religion, kill him." Islam's most authoritative legal manuals make crystal clear that apostasy is a capital crime, punishable by death.

The first "righteous caliph," a paragon of Muslim piety and virtue, had tens of thousands of people slaughtered—including by burning, beheading, and crucifixion—simply because they tried to break away from Islam. According to the Encyclopaedia of Islam, the most authoritative reference work on Islam in the English language, "there is unanimity that the male apostate must be put to death."

Finally, a word on the "prayers" or supplications to Allah made by the Muslim executioners in the video: these are standard and formulaic. It is not just masked, anonymous butchers who supplicate Allah as they engage in acts of evil; rather, top-ranking Muslim leaders openly invoke such hate-filled prayers.

See here for examples of prominent Muslims supplicating Allah to strike infidels with cancer and disease "till they pray for death and do not receive it," and even formalized prayers in Mecca, blasted on megaphones as Muslims pilgrimage and circumambulate the Ka'ba, supplicating Allah to make the lives of Christians and Jews "hostage to misery; drape them with endless despair, unrelenting pain and unremitting ailment; fill their lives with sorrow and pain and end their lives in humiliation and oppression."

"Is this Islam?" You decide.

http://www.raymondibrahim.com/11798/graphic-video-tunisian-muslims-slaughter-convert