Apostasy in the Church..........
Bad Theology Kills.........
By Jim Fletcher 01 February 2020
A dear pastor friend of mine likes to say, “Bad eschatology leads to bad theology.” It’s so true! Yes, that’s the point.
The free-for-all theological climate in America today leads to all sorts of bad worldviews and models. I am often struck by how on-target my friend’s claim is, because if I know what someone believes about Israel and predictive prophecy, I can usually figure out what that person believes about other things.
There is a current striking and tragic example of this as we watch the so-called Coronavirus spread around the world. The China-based virus is deadly and no one knows right now how it will play out.
That obvious fact hasn’t compelled Rick Wiles [born 1954 or 1955 - an American non-denominational senior pastor at Flowing Streams Church in Vero Beach, Florida, radio host and pundit] from blundering into the conversation about the virus. This week, Wiles [pictured above] closed out one of his programs for “TruNews” with this whopper:
“’Folks, the Death Angel may be moving right now across the planet. This is the time to get right with God … The blood of Jesus Christ will protect you. Do not fear. If you are living right for God, if the blood of Jesus Christ is on you, you have no reason to fear this Death Angel. But those of you who are opposing the church of God, mocking God, attacking his servants, you’d better wise up because there is a Death Angel on the loose right now, and you are going to get an attitude adjustment.’”
So here is a Charismatic-based, self-appointed ministry host telling people that they can’t get sick from the Coronavirus if they are believer. We live in the world, Rick.
This is not an uncommon proclamation from certain leaders that claim all sorts of dubious “promises” they claim God gave them. Now, what makes Rick Wiles particularly interesting in this context?
Well, he is also the same Rick Wiles that spews classic anti-Semitism across the airwaves. You see, Wiles is fairly well-known as a pontificator that has it exactly wrong on Israel and the Jews.
The Forward recently posted this about Wiles:
“Wiles, a fervent Trump supporter, along with using the TruNews platform to call the impeachment a ‘Jew coup,’ has said Jews want to kill millions of Christians and has called Jews ‘deceivers’ who ‘plot, they lie, they do whatever they have to do to accomplish their political agenda.’”
Dexter Van Zile of CAMERA has written this about Wiles’ activities: “Wiles’ rants are so hostile, so incendiary, so crazy and over the top, that his rhetoric would fit right in with the Jew-hatred promoted by Muslim clerics at Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem”.
“For example, in one TruNews video, Wiles video declared that President Donald Trump secretly converted to Judaism in 2017. In another he declared that the ‘Anti-Christ will be a homosexual Jew.’”
Wiles’ distorted view of the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, has led him to take tragic positions on a whole host of issues. His bad eschatology has led to bad theology, and bad advice in a dangerous moment.
The Islamic Jesus........
By Bill Wilson 01 February 2020
Islam believes in “Jesus, the Son of Mary.” There is an entire chapter of the Qur’an devoted to Mary. The Islamic name for Jesus is Isa, but the Qur’an interchanges the names in various verses. There are three main concepts that Muslims are taught about Jesus.
First, Jesus is the Son of Mary, but not the son of Allah. Second, Jesus never died on the cross, but was delivered from his death by Allah and Jesus ascended to heaven in similar fashion as did Elijah. Third, Jesus will return in the “Last Days” to proclaim Islam as the one true religion; require conversion to Islam or death; and he will live out his life on earth, marry, have children and die as a human on earth.
But the story has even more twists…
The Qur’an in Sura 4:171 says, “Allah is only one Allah; far be It from His glory that He should have a son, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His, and Allah is sufficient for a Protector.”
Sura 17:11 says, “Praise be to God who has never begotten a son; who has no partner in His kingdom.” There are many other verses in the Qur’an that deny Allah had a son.
The Bible, however, says in 1 John 2:20“…no lie has its origin in the truth. Who is a liar at all, if not the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ? Such a person is an anti-Christ —he is denying the Father and the Son. Everyone who denies the Son is also without the Father, but the person who acknowledges the Son has the Father as well…”
The Qur’an’s account of Mary is very similar to that of the Bible’s with subtle, but significant differences.
“She (Mary/Marium) said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?" He said: "Even so: Allah createth what He willeth: When He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it, 'Be,' and it is!"… And He will teach him the Scripture and wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel, And He will teach him the Book and the wisdom and the Tavrat (Muslim Torah) and the Injeel (Muslim Gospel) (Sura 3:047-48).”
As we review the Bible, we find that the not so subtle difference is that Jesus is not just the creation of Allah, but rather the Son of God
Luke 1:30-35, “The angel (Gabriel) said to her, “Don’t be afraid Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb, bring forth a son, and call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called Son of the Highest: and the Lord God will give him the throne of his forefather David; and he reign over the House of Jacob forever—and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
“How can this be,” asked Mary of the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the highest will overshadow you; Therefore the holy child born to you will be called the Son of God.”
In the next article we will explore Islam’s account of the Crucifixion and the Return of Jesus.
US, at least 17 countries to launch first-ever International Religious Freedom Alliance.........
01 February 2020
Ambassador Brownback welcomes participants and speakers at the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom held at the U.S.
Department of State in Washington D.C. on July 16-18, 2019.
Government officials from the United States and several countries will convene in Washington, D.C., next week on the eve of the National Prayer Breakfast for the inaugural meeting of the new International Religious Freedom Alliance.
U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback told reporters on Wednesday that the alliance is essentially like an "activist club" of countries that are serious about pushing religious freedom globally.
The alliance was first announced by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last July and touted by President Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly in September. It is said to be the first-ever alliance of nations devoted to confronting religious persecution around the world.
The alliance comes at a time when most of the world's population lives in countries where religious freedom is limited in some way.
"I have not seen this type of organization or push on a human right that I am aware of before," Brownback explained this week. "This is the first effort really to get a group of nations that will be the activist on a particular human right to try to champion and pursue that cause more aggressively."
He stressed that there is strong support for religious freedom around the world even though there is much "encroachment" on it.
"We will be looking at things we can work collectively on and [how] we can push for religious freedom efforts around the world," he said. "We are excited about the countries and their enthusiasm."
According to Brownback, at least 17 countries so far have committed to the alliance. But he hopes that the number of countries represented at the Wednesday event will be in the "upper 20’s."
The former Kansas governor and U.S. senator could not yet disclose which countries will participate in the meeting.
While the International Religious Freedom Alliance will bridge like-minded nations on the issue, some global interfaith efforts have been formed by religious leaders to promote religious freedom globally.
Brownback travelled to Rome for a January 16 meeting of the Abrahamic Faiths Initiative, a coalition of Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders looking to reduce violence in the name of religion.
"One of the key statements that that came out is this group committed to resolutely declare that religions must never incite war, hateful attitudes, hostility and extremism," he explained.[Has this man ever read the Quran??]
"This was a statement from the Document on Human Fraternity that Pope Francis signed along with the President of Al-Azhar, the top Muslim university in the world. This group endorsed [the statement] and wants to put legs under these documents. It wants to get out and have a practical impact in places around the world where there is a conflict between the Abrahamic faiths."
Through the Abrahamic Faiths Initiative, there will be trips to various countries to try to "reduce violence between Christians, Muslims and Jews," he added. The Balkans, Sudan and Nigeria are among other areas where theologians are calling for peace.
"Unfortunately, much of the world looks at religion as the cause of wars," he said. "This group and the people they are working with see religion as an instrument of peace. They want to make it that way."
Last September, plans were announced for the Abrahamic Family House, an interfaith complex that will house a church, synagogue and mosque in the United Arab Emirates. The idea is to promote religious harmony among the Abrahamic faiths.
The only “faith” that will NOT be tolerated is genuine Biblical Christianity and its exclusive claims - - - tick, tick, tick,
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