“You shall have no other gods before me.’ Exodus 20:3
How many religions are there world wide? Would you say 500, a 1000 maybe 1,500? Well the fact is that there are 9,900 religions in the world; and it might be 10,000 by the end of this century.
That being said, how can Christianity be so sure that it is the right one! One thing is for sure; everybody is not right. Jesus was either the Son of God, the only way to God, the only person who ever rose from the dead by his own power, and is coming back to make this world a permanent paradise as it was originally intended to be or he was muddleheaded fool. There is no middle ground here. Such a person could not be a model to follow, a good teacher, a savior unless his claims were true. At this moment in time and perhaps for the next fifty years Islam is engaged in a war against the West. It’s purpose is to destroy our Western way of life; to eradicate it as completely as it would like to eradicate Israel. Perhaps, only 25-30% of Islam is that radical that fanatical; but that is all it takes in most revolutions to make the other 70% to kowtow. It was a minority of radicals in the 1920s that took over Russia; in the 1930s that took over Germany; in 1979 that took over Iran etc.etc…` Like fanatical Osama Bin Laden said after the Trade Towers went tumbling into the ground on 9-11’ “Thank god for that.” He thanked his god of Islam for the ‘blessing’ of seeing 3000 people murdered. Are we all talking about the same God here! This is a most important question.
True religion is not based upon what feels good or what someone sincerely believes or experiences. Is there an objective test other than a subjective test?
I take my stand upon the Scriptures that says there are false gods and only one true God. Jehovah God is His name, He is the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and He says; “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
There is a marked and drastic contrast between Christianity and other world religions. Jesus Christ is the most dominant name in the world, his influence the most dominant in world history. He says that all religions are not equal, and that He is the only way to God; “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
I have read the Koran from cover to cover, and if you take it literally it’s not a tolerant religion. The Hadith (which tells us what Mohammed said) states “One (military) raid for the cause of god is better than seventy hajj” (pilgrimages to Mecca). Although Muslims profess that “there is no compulsion in religion,” the Koran approves holy war (jihad) and high taxation against non-Muslims in order to make them submit to Islam. That sounds like compulsion to me. I have read Sura 9:29 which says, “Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Messenger have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book (referring to Jews and Christians) until they pay the tax in acknowledgement of superiority and they are in s state of subjection.” That sounds like a whole lot of compulsion and a lack of tolerance to me.
How Does Christianity Differ from Islam?
Superficially they may appear to be similar but they are as different as light and darkness
1. Christianity was founded by the divine Son of God, who sacrificed himself on the cross for the penalty of our sins; Islam was founded by a mere man, a warrior who believed in conversion by the blood of the sword, and violence if necessary. If the force of persuasion did not work it became the persuasion of force.
The god of Islam is not the God of Christianity. The God of Christianity is a trinity. The concept of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is blasphemous to Islam. They reject the deity of Jesus Christ. They reject His death and resurrection which are the foundation of Christianity. We are not worshipping the same person here.
2. Christianity teaches each person is endowed by their creator with the individual right to chose to serve God or reject Him. Christianity says; “Choose you this day whom you will serve.” Islam takes a very hard line against those who choose not to serve their god. While they make it easy for non-Muslims to convert to Islam; a Muslim who coverts to Christianity usually endures great persecution and often death. While Muslims are free to worship and proselytize in America in most Muslim countries its against their Islamic law. Most Muslim countries are ruled by the Koran and do not enjoy the democracy of, “We the People.”
Here is what the Koran says, “But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and prepare for them each ambush.” Does that sound like the same God as Christianity? It is NOT!
4. Christianity views Marriage as a relationship of equals with different roles to play. Islam views marriage as a master-servant arrangement with the husband possessing the right to abuse his wife. Some clerics even teach husbands how to beat their wife with a whip. In Saudi Arabia women are not permitted to drive cars and in many of the approximate 50 Muslim countries such as such as Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan and Iran women have to have their faces covered and are treated as second-hand citizens. Muslim men can have up to four wives at a time and if they want another they just divorce one of the four and have another. The divorced wife is discarded like an old dish pan. Jesus Christ elevated women. He talked to them in public, he forgave a prostitute of her sins, he healed maany women, his first appearance after his resurrection was to a woman. The god of Islam is not the God of Christianity, not even close.
At the end of his life Buddha said that he was looking for the truth. Christ on the other hand said, “I am the way the truth and the life.” Hinduism has over 300 million gods and teaches reincarnation. I am still waiting to meet the (almost) perfect reincarnated man. Where are they all? The Bible says, “It is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment.” Who can keep track of what the 9, 900 other religions believe.
Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God. We are made right with God through faith in His shed blood on the cross. You can accept him or reject him. The choice is yours.
The sword of Islam will rust / The flowers of Buddhism will fade away. / The temples of Hinduism will crumble back to dust. / But the name of Jesus will abide forever.
Imagine walking down a road and coming to a fork, one leading to eternal life and the other to death. The problem is that you don’t know which one leads to life and which one leads to death. Than you notice at the fork in the road there is one man living and one man dead. Which one would you ask for directions? The living man standing with his arms wide open saying, “Come follow me. I am the resurrection and the life,” or the corpse? The answer is obvious. Jesus Christ conquered death and is alive now and forever more. No other faith can make that claim. You’re Choice! You Chose!
He’s Only a Prayer Away:
Pastor Bob