What Do Voting For Hamas And Voting For Pro-Choice Politicians Have In Common?

As confirmed by a man who served their leadership, Hamas has committed many atrocities against humanity. Fueled by their Islamic beliefs, they aim to murder, murder many, and murder brutally. Recently, this brutality was on full display when they slaughtered innocent babies at an Israeli Kibbutz.

If a Palestinian willingly votes for Hamas leadership, they know what they are voting for because the covenant of Hamas clearly states their goals:

The Islamic Resistance Movement is a distinguished Palestinian movement, whose allegiance is to Allah, and whose way of life is Islam. It strives to raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine . . . Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it . . . [Peace] initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement . . . Those conferences are no more than a means to appoint the infidels as arbitrators in the lands of Islam . . . There is no solution for the Palestinian problem except by Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are but a waste of time, an exercise in futility . . . The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry out: "O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him."

Hamas wants to kill all the Jews and obliterate Israel. You know what you are voting for when you vote for them - they are very clear.

In a similar way, if an American votes for a Democrat politician, they know exactly what they are voting for as well because the Democratic Party Platform clearly states their goals:

We believe unequivocally, like the majority of Americans, that every woman should be able to access high-quality reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion.

They are pro-choice. They support abortion. And abortion is the murder of unborn children. This means Democrats aim to support murder, they support murdering many (over 2,000 per day in the U.S.), and they support murdering brutally. They support women paying doctors, like hitmen, to dismember, behead, and slaughter their own innocent, helpless babies through abortion. This truly is the unthinkable sin. And because this is published in their party platform, you know what you are supporting when you vote for them. Like Hamas, they are very clear and they are very brutal. This is abortion:

One Possible Difference?

One difference might be that Hamas threatened and coerced Palestinians to vote for such evil and brutality. They may have put guns to people's heads to force them to vote for Hamas. But those in America freely choose to support such evil and brutality - which makes their evil choices even worse.

One Issue Voting

I agree with John Piper on one issue voting. Some acts are just so bad, so evil, so brutal, and so vile that you cannot support them in any way, shape, or form, especially if you are a follower of the LORD Jesus Christ. Can you imagine voting for a political candidate who advocates for the legality of the rape, murder, and annihilation of all 5-year-olds in America? No one would ever vote for such a monster, no matter how many other good policies they promoted. What's the difference, then, in voting for politicians who support the brutal beheading and slaughter of millions of innocent babies? Please, tell me the difference?

Sadly, some might argue, "But Hamas (or a pro-choice politician) does so many other good things for the Palestinian people! They have so many other policies I support!" This is a bad, satanic argument. Other goods do not make up for this unthinkable, massive, unspeakable evil. 

Can you imagine a German Christian arguing this way during the rise of the Nazi party (And for arguments sake, like the Democrats, let's say the Nazi's published in their party platform that they planned to support the murder of 6 million innocent Jews):

I know they are going to murder 6 million innocent Jews, but the Nazis are going to do so much for poor Germans, immigration policy change, and revision of the criminal justice system! So vote for them!

Can you not see that argument is unthinkably evil and demonic?

Can you imagine an American Christian in the 1800's arguing this way in support of voting for pro-slavery politicians:

I know they support the enslaving of millions of Africans, but they care about poor Americans, and they support other justice issues I care deeply about! So vote for them!

Again, can you not see that argument is unthinkably evil and demonic?

Open your eyes. Pray that God would open your eyes. Be discerning. Every time you vote in support of the evil of abortion, you give a loud signal that this is an acceptable evil. But it should never be acceptable. Never.

This does not mean you have to vote for the other major political party options given. I've written candidates in when I vote in elections, refusing to vote for any of the choices on the ballot. It does mean you need to think about the Day of Judgment when you vote. You will give an account to King Jesus for how and why you vote. And you will either stand with the evil equivalent of Hamas or you won't. And God will judge. I'm not writing this to lobby for a particular political party. I'm writing this because the glory of King Jesus is at stake, millions of babies' lives are at stake, millions of parents' and grandparents' lives are at stake, and numerous souls who claim to know Christ are in danger.

Our Only Hope

The only hope for those who have had abortions, for those who have supported abortion, and for all people everywhere, no matter what their sin, is the Prince of Peace - the LORD Jesus Christ. He is the God-Man, the Son of God, and the second Person in the Trinity. He came to earth, took on human flesh, lived a perfect, sinless life, died on that cross where He suffered the curse and wrath of God toward sinners, and then He rose up alive from the dead on the third day, conquering sin, death, and hell. Everyone who repents (turns from sin) and believes in the LORD Jesus Christ shall be saved and find peace with God and peace with others:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus (John 3:16)

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Jesus (John 11:25-26)

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

And when you trust Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior, you will live differently and vote differently because you are united to Christ, His law is written on your heart, and His Spirit dwells in you. 

Please watch this excellent explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and trust in Him today: American Gospel: Christ Alone.

Christ Jesus Reigns, Owning All Authority!

A Testimony From Inside Hamas

Mosab Hassan Yousef is the son of one of the founders of Hamas, and he grew to hate Jews because of the way the Jews treated his father. Eventually, he saw the evil of Hamas and chose to help Israel stop their wicked terror attacks. He also repented of his sins and trusted Jesus Christ as his LORD and Savior. He wrote a book about his experiences called Son Of Hamas. Tim Challies wrote a review of the book here. Dr. Albert Mohler interviewed Mosab Hassan Yousef here. Mohler says "one of the most historic conversations I ever had, certainly on the air, is with Son of Hamas, Mosab Hassan Yousef". And of Yousef's book, Mohler says "it's one of the most amazing things I have yet read . . . it is one of the most important books I think I can commend to you." In this interview, Yousef states these chilling words:

Islam is the problem. Islam is not a religion of peace. Islam is the biggest lie in the human history . . . Muhammad lied to humanity 1,400 years ago, and people still believe in his lie . . . they want to come and kill everybody else if they don’t covert to that lie. So it’s a Satanic religion. It’s a religion full of hate. It’s a big lie . . . Muslims have been victims of this lie for the last 1,400 years . . . our problem is not with Muslims . . . their god is a god without morality. [Their god] is a terrorist . . . the god of Islam is a terrorist. And I guarantee you if you study the Quran, if you study the theology of Islam, you will figure out that the god of Islam is not more than Satan himself. He’s a terrorist. He’s a killer. He came here to steal. He stole Muslims’ hearts and souls, and he’s using them to destroy humanity.

In his book, Yousef writes:

Islamic life is like a ladder, with prayer and praising Allah as the bottom rung. The higher rungs represent helping the poor and needy, establishing schools, and supporting charities. The highest rung is jihad.

The ladder is tall. Few look up to see what is at the top. And progress is usually gradual, almost imperceptible . . . Traditional Muslims stand at the foot of the ladder, living in guilt for not really practicing Islam. At the top are the fundamentalists, the ones you see in the news killing woman and children for the glory of the god of the Qur’an. Moderates are somewhere in between.

A moderate Muslim is actually more dangerous than a fundamentalist, however, because he appears to be harmless, and you can never tell when he has taken that next step toward the top. Most suicide bombers began as moderates.

The day my father first put his foot on the bottom rung of the ladder, he could never have imagined how far from his original ideals he would eventually climb. And thirty-five years later, I would want to ask him: Do you remember where you started? You saw all those lost people, your heart broke for them, and you wanted them to come to Allah and be safe. Now suicide bombers and innocent blood? Is this what you set out to do? But speaking to one’s father about such things is not done in our culture. And so he continued on that dangerous path. (Pages 11-12)

The Only Hope For Peace

I love Muslims, so I hate Islam. I love Palestinians, so I hate the wicked ideology of Hamas that enslaves them, rules over them, and harms them. The only hope for Muslims and all people is the Prince of Peace - the LORD Jesus Christ. He is the God-Man, the Son of God, and the second Person in the Trinity. He came to earth, took on human flesh, lived a perfect, sinless life, died on the cross where He suffered the curse and wrath of God toward sinners, and then He rose up alive from the dead on the third day, conquering sin, death, and hell. Everyone who repents (turns from sin) and believes in the LORD Jesus Christ shall be saved and find peace with God and peace with others:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus (John 3:16)

Please watch this excellent explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and trust in Him today: American Gospel: Christ Alone.

Resources About Jesus In Arabic/Other Languages

The Quest For Joy (The Gospel) by John Piper in Arabic

Fifty Reasons Jesus Came To Die by John Piper in Arabic

Resources From Desiring God in Arabic

Resources From Ligonier Ministries in Arabic

Resources From The Gospel Coalition in Arabic

Resources From Desiring God in other languages

More Information About Mosab Hassan Yousef

You can watch this documentary about Yousef on Tubi for free: The Green Prince (2014). Here he speaks to the UN. Here is a helpful video about him. Here he talks about the conflict between Israel and Hamas. He was just interviewed here about the current situation in Gaza and Israel. Here he is interviewed by Piers Morgan.

Christ Jesus Grows The Greatest Fruit!

The Heart Of The Hamas Attacks On Israel And Our Only Hope For Peace

I love Muslims, so I hate Islam. I love Palestinians, so I hate the wicked ideology of Hamas that enslaves them, rules over them, and harms them. My desire is that all Muslims would be set free from this Satanic, false religion. We should follow the King of love and in times of death and tragedy, warn and evangelize:

Luke 13:1-5: There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." Jesus

If you want to know the real story behind the heart of the Hamas attacks on Israel (this article I link to was written by a man who was born in the Middle East and has two PhD's on Islam), the quickest way is to turn off the news and read the Quran and the teachings of Muhammad. There you will find an intense hatred of the Jewish people and an undying desire to kill them all (a hatred and desire even Muslims in Philadelphia teach their children). And the heart of that hatred and desire is lies from Satan and sin. Only the God-Man, Jesus Christ, through His death and resurrection, saves from sin. He is the Prince of Peace! And He alone can bring true and lasting peace to the Palestinian-Jewish conflict and true and lasting peace with God. Yasu Akbar! Jesus is greatest!

The covenant of Hamas states:

The Islamic Resistance Movement is a distinguished Palestinian movement, whose allegiance is to Allah, and whose way of life is Islam. It strives to raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine . . . Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it . . . [Peace] initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement . . . Those conferences are no more than a means to appoint the infidels as arbitrators in the lands of Islam . . . There is no solution for the Palestinian problem except by Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are but a waste of time, an exercise in futility . . . The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry out: "O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him."

Hamas believes Islam should "obliterate" Israel and "fight Jews and kill them" because that's what the Quran teaches, and it's what Muhammad taught and tried to do.

Hamas has slaughtered hundreds of innocent civilians. They raped women. They burned children alive. They videoed it and celebrate it, shouting Allahu Akbar! They kidnapped innocents. They butchered 40 infant babies in a Kibbutz. I had to turn off a video of them chopping a wounded man's head off with a garden hoe because I could not stomach the brutality. They did this because they are obeying their evil, Satanic false religion. These days are days for imprecatory prayers! Save them or stop them, Oh LORD! Pray for the salvation of Jews in Israel and all over the world! Pray for the salvation of Palestinians! Pray for the salvation of war criminals and terrorists and that God would stop them! Pray for the salvation of Muslims! Pray for God's justice and God's peace and God's salvation to prevail, for the glory of His holy name! Praise God that someday, we know that it will! Read Revelation 19-22!

A Testimony From The Inside Of Hamas

Mosab Hassan Yousef is the son of one of the founders of Hamas, and he grew to hate Jews because of the way the Jews treated his father. Eventually, he saw the evil of Hamas and chose to help Israel stop their wicked terror attacks. He also repented of his sins and trusted Jesus Christ as his LORD and Savior. He wrote a book about his experiences called Son Of Hamas. Tim Challies wrote a review of the book here. Dr. Albert Mohler interviewed Mosab Hassan Yousef here. Mohler says "one of the most historic conversations I ever had, certainly on the air, is with Son of Hamas, Mosab Hassan Yousef". And of Yousef's book, Mohler says "it's one of the most amazing things I have yet read . . . it is one of the most important books I think I can commend to you." In this interview, Yousef states these chilling words:

Islam is the problem. Islam is not a religion of peace. Islam is the biggest lie in the human history . . . Muhammad lied to humanity 1,400 years ago, and people still believe in his lie . . . they want to come and kill everybody else if they don’t covert to that lie. So it’s a Satanic religion. It’s a religion full of hate. It’s a big lie . . . Muslims have been victims of this lie for the last 1,400 years . . . our problem is not with Muslims . . . their god is a god without morality. [Their god] is a terrorist . . . the god of Islam is a terrorist. And I guarantee you if you study the Quran, if you study the theology of Islam, you will figure out that the god of Islam is not more than Satan himself. He’s a terrorist. He’s a killer. He came here to steal. He stole Muslims’ hearts and souls, and he’s using them to destroy humanity.

Here are several helpful resources on Yousef's life and warnings about Islam and Hamas:

1) A documentary about Yousef on Tubi for free: The Green Prince (2014); 2) Here he speaks to the UN; 3) Here is a helpful video about him; 4) Here he talks about the conflict between Israel and Hamas; 5) He was just interviewed here about the current situation in Gaza and Israel; 6) Here he is interviewed by Piers Morgan.

In his book, Yousef writes:

Islamic life is like a ladder, with prayer and praising Allah as the bottom rung. The higher rungs represent helping the poor and needy, establishing schools, and supporting charities. The highest rung is jihad.

The ladder is tall. Few look up to see what is at the top. And progress is usually gradual, almost imperceptible . . . Traditional Muslims stand at the foot of the ladder, living in guilt for not really practicing Islam. At the top are the fundamentalists, the ones you see in the news killing woman and children for the glory of the god of the Qur’an. Moderates are somewhere in between.

A moderate Muslim is actually more dangerous than a fundamentalist, however, because he appears to be harmless, and you can never tell when he has taken that next step toward the top. Most suicide bombers began as moderates.

The day my father first put his foot on the bottom rung of the ladder, he could never have imagined how far from his original ideals he would eventually climb. And thirty-five years later, I would want to ask him: Do you remember where you started? You saw all those lost people, your heart broke for them, and you wanted them to come to Allah and be safe. Now suicide bombers and innocent blood? Is this what you set out to do? But speaking to one’s father about such things is not done in our culture. And so he continued on that dangerous path. (Pages 11-12)

Watch this interview with Mosab Yousef on November 9th, 2023: 

The Quran Commands Violence Against Jews

Dr. A. S. Ibrahim, professor of Islamic studies and director of the Jenkins Center for the Christian Understanding of Islam at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, writes: 

To Hamas, the Jews are the enemies. Why? Because the Quran and Muhammad’s statements explicitly state so. Not only is fighting Israeli soldiers commanded and commended, but attacking Jews—even noncombatants—becomes a religious commitment, since the Quran explicitly states that the “strongest in enmity” to the Muslims are “the Jews.” Notice the designation of a religious group as an enemy. This forms and fuels hatred against humans based on their religious loyalty.

For Hamas, the Islamic designation of the Jews as enemies doesn’t distinguish military commanders from civilians—all are in one basket. Whether Hamas and its militias care about Islam and its advancement is not the issue, as they clearly use its ideological claims to advance their political agenda.

This is evident in the way Hamas persuades Muslims to serve as suicide bombers and human shields by encouraging them to wage jihad against the Jewish enemy, the state of Israel.

In Islam, jihad is chiefly armed fighting with religious meaning. Jihad is the most commendable of actions, and martyrs are promised immediate admittance to paradise. Hamas uses this claim to encourage Muslims to fight the Jews by waging jihad for religious causes. If killed, the Islamic logic goes, Muslims receive the highest eternal reward. Any attack against the Jewish state is thus viewed as a jihadi mission for Allah’s cause. Hamas understands that the Israelis will hesitate to bomb buildings full of civilians, and the group uses these buildings to secure weaponry and launch attacks, convincing Palestinians they are serving a high religious cause.

Hamas preachers advance the attack on the Jews as an emulation of Muhammad’s precedent. In Muhammad’s biography, he fought “the three main Jewish tribes of Medina,” after identifying them as hypocrites and unbelievers of his religious message. The example is loaded with religious weight for those who want to follow Muhammad’s model. In one account, Muhammad seized the Jews, and “all adult males are executed, and the women and children are enslaved.” Devotees can hardly escape yearning to imitate such a model.

The political dilemma is indeed complex, but the ideological hatred toward a religious enemy is driven by and amplified through ancient statements deemed sacred and foundational for religious enthusiasts to attack the Jews.

With such a foundation, fighting is not likely to cease any time soon.

 

So what is this foundation? Look to the Quran. First, note that chapter 9 of the Quran is the last chapter of the Quran chronologically. So it's like the "New Testament" of the Quran. AND IT IS THE MOST VIOLENT CHAPTER IN THE WHOLE QURAN!

Surah 9:29: Fight those people of the Book (Jews and Christians) who do not believe in Allah, nor in the Last Day, and do not take as unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have declared as unlawful, and do not profess the Faith of Truth; (fight them) until they pay jizyah with their own hands while they are subdued.

Surah 9:73: O Prophet! Strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them.

Surah 9:123: O you who believe! Fight those of the unbelievers who are close to you, and let them find harshness in you

Surah 2:216: Fighting is ordained for you

Surah 5:33: the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land.

Surah 5:51: O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: They are but friends and protectors to each other.

Surah 8:12: I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them.

Surah 8:59-60: And let not those who disbelieve think that they can outstrip (escape from the punishment). Verily, they will never be able to save themselves (from Allah's Punishment). And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war (tanks, planes, missiles, artillery) to threaten the enemy of Allah and your enemy, and others besides whom, you may not know but whom Allah does know. And whatever you shall spend in the Cause of Allah shall be repaid unto you, and you shall not be treated unjustly.

Surah 8:65: O Prophet! Urge the believers to fight. If there are twenty steadfast persons amongst you, they will overcome two hundred, and if there be a hundred steadfast persons they will overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they (the disbelievers) are people who do not understand.

Surah 47:4: So, when you meet, those who disbelieve smite (their) necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them

Surah 48:29: Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, And those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves.

Muhammad Commanded Violence Against Jews

Bukhari (vol. 4, p. 124): Allah's Apostle said, "I have been ordered to fight with the people till they say, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,' and whoever says, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,' his life and property will be saved by me . . . ." 

Bukhari (vol. 4, p. 161): "It is not fitting for a prophet that he should have prisoners of war (and free them with ransom) until he has made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land . . . ." 

Bukhari 4.52.176: Muhammad said: "You (Muslims) will fight with the Jews till some of them will hide behind stones. The stones will (betray them) saying, 'O 'Abdullah (slave of Allah)! There is a Jew hiding behind me; so kill him.'"

Muhammad Used Violence Against Jews

Bukhari 4.52.220: Muhammad said: "I have been made victorious with terror."

Sahih Muslim 1767a: Muhammad said: "I will expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula"

Bukhari 1.2.25: Muhammad said: "I have been ordered (by Allah) to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshiped but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's Apostle, and offer the prayers perfectly and give the obligatory charity, so if they perform that, then they save their lives and property from me except for Islamic laws and then their reckoning (accounts) will be done by Allah."

The Islamic False god allah Falsely Promises Eternal Life For Such Violent Acts Of Evil

Surah 61:10-12: You who believe, shall I show you a bargain that will save you from painful punishment? Have faith in God and His Messenger and struggle [j-h-d] for His cause with your possessions and your persons — that is better for you, if only you knew and He will forgive your sins, admit you into Gardens graced with flowing streams, into pleasant dwellings in the Gardens of Eternity. That is the supreme triumph.

Surah 4:74: Let those of you who are willing to trade the life of this world for the life to come, fight in God’s way. To anyone who fights in God’s way, whether killed or victorious, We shall give a great reward.

Surah 9:111: God has purchased the persons and possessions of the believers for the Garden — they fight in God’s way: they kill and are killed — this is a true promise given by Him in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur’an. Who could be more faithful to his promise than God? So be happy with the bargain you have made: that is the supreme triumph.

Have I Wrongly Interpreted These Texts?

Many Muslims argue that these violent statements from Islam's most trusted sources are interpreted wrongly, and Islam is a religion of peace. I am thankful many Muslims seem peaceful and either ignore these texts or interpret them differently with a peaceful slant. But ask yourself this, how many Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, or other religious terrorist groups are in the world today, killing people, shouting praise to God when they do, and using their books and leaders to justify what they do? (The Bible does not command such acts of violence today the way the Quran does. And fringe groups who claimed to be Christian, like the KKK, committed their horrific acts of violence and evil contrary to what the Bible teaches and contrary to the way Jesus Christ lived and commanded His followers to live! They disobeyed the Bible, and they disobeyed Christ! On the other hand, when Muslims commit acts of violence, they are doing what the Quran commands and doing what Muhmmad commanded and did!) Yet what do we see in the world today? We see terrorists from Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Al-Shabaab, Taliban, Boko Haram, Hezbollah, Hamas, and many more you've never heard of killing and celebrating and calling for more killing. And what do all of these terrorist groups have in common? Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran. That is a fact. Robert Spencer estimates there have been 44,000 Muslim jihad attacks since September 11th, 2001, alone. For more on this, see Is Islam A Religion Of Peace? and Understanding The Violence In Islam.

Please Turn Away From This Violent, False Religion And Trust In The Prince Of Peace: The Lord Jesus Christ!

Isaiah 9:6: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

This was prophesied about Jesus Christ 700 years before He was even born! He is the Mighty God and the Prince of Peace Who alone can grant you peace with God and peace with others!

God is a triune God: one God existing in three co-equal, co-eternal Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Bible says God created all things, and He made you to be in a relationship with Him: to know Him, to trust Him, to love Him, to obey Him, and to glorify Him in all that you do:

Genesis 1:1, 26: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth . . . Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness."

Matthew 22:37-39: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

1 Corinthians 10:31: So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

The bad news is that we have all sinned against God, selfishly desiring our own will instead of His will, and we've broken His good, holy, just, and loving laws – laws He gave us because He loves us and to help us live lives full of joy, peace, and satisfaction:

Romans 3:23: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Because of our sin, we deserve God's just punishment and curse in hell forever. But God so loved sinners that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to save sinners! He is truly God and truly Man, and He is the only way to be saved from your sins:

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

John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Jesus, the Son of God and God come in the flesh, never sinned. He lived a perfectly obedient life. He died on the cross, bearing the anger and curse of God toward sinners, and then rose up from the dead, conquering sin, death, and hell, so that if you turn from your sins and believe in Him, you shall be saved and have peace with God:

Romans 5:8: God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:9: if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 

Romans 5:1: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 16:31: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved!

Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

You cannot earn God's love and favor by doing good deeds, praying, giving alms, or being a good person. Adam and Eve were forced to leave God's presence in Paradise for committing only one sin! God will not be in the presence of even one sin! And you need all of your sins forgiven! Only through Jesus Christ can all your sins be forgiven. He is God the Son, and He alone can save you and grant you peace: Jesus says: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

Please trust in God the Son today! He alone saves from God's wrath in hell! And may Christ's Church prepare well in these tragic times!

A helpful prayer for this situation from David Platt:

God of all nations and hope of all peoples, we bow our hearts before You, and we plead for Your mercy over Israel, for Your mercy in Palestine, and for Your mercy throughout the Middle East. O God, we grieve over evil and injustice, terrorism and war, suffering and death in this world. We pray for Your comfort for family members and friends of those who have died in Israel and Palestine, that they might be drawn to the hope that is found in You alone. We pray for Your provision for all those who are injured and suffering, and for all those who are working to care for them. O God, please deliver those who have been kidnapped and are being held hostage, and cause them to know Your presence with them during these horrifying days. And for all who are displaced from their homes, please provide for the countless needs they now have. You are the King over all kings and Lord over all lords, and we pray for Your common grace and wisdom over leaders across the Middle East and around the world, including leaders of our own country, that You would restrain evil and enable good, right, just decisions and actions. Jehovah Shalom, we pray for peace that only You can provide. And God our Father, we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ, Your church across the Middle East, that they might live and stand firm in faith and share the good news of Jesus with hurting people all around them. We pray for the gospel of peace to shine and spread in the middle of war, particularly in a region where so few people know or have even heard it. As Jesus taught us to pray, we ask for Your name to be hallowed, honored, revered, enjoyed, and exalted in all the earth, and for Your kingdom to come, Your peace to rule and reign, and Your will to be done as it is in heaven. O God, we yield our lives to You. Please use our prayers and our resources however You desire for the spread of Your grace and glory among all the nations, particularly during these days of such suffering and evil not only in Israel and Palestine, but also in Russia and Ukraine, from North Korea to Iran, and from Yemen to Afghanistan. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly we pray in Your name according to Your Word, Amen.

Please consider these excellent resources on Islam, Christianity, and the hope all can have in the God-Man, Jesus Christ:

1. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity, by Nabeel Qureshi

2. Answering Jihad: A Better Way Forward, by Nabeel Qureshi

3. The Dark Side Of Islam by R. C. Sproul and Abdul Saleeb

4. How does Jihad compare with Old Testament warfare?

5. Praying God's Curses On The Wicked: War Psalms Of The Prince Of Peace

6. Understanding Jihad In Islam 2 lectures by Dr. David Cook (He also wrote Understanding Jihad)

You can also listen to these excellent testimonies by Nabeel and Jay Smith on the same topics:

1. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus

2. Answering Jihad

3. Violence In the Quran and in Islam

4. Islam and Violence by Ligonier Ministries

5. The Dark Side of Islam by Ligonier Ministries

See this excellent explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was produced in honor of Nabeel Qureshi's life: American Gospel: Christ Alone

May God awaken and save the Muslim world, and may the Lamb of God receive the reward of His sufferings!

My Other Posts About Islamic Violence Related To September 11th

Remembering God's Grace On September 11, 2001, And Beyond

The Inspiration For 9/11: Muhammad, The Quran, And Islam - Please Turn To The Prince Of Peace!

September 11th: National "See The Truth About Islam" Day

Resources About Jesus In Arabic/Other Languages

The Quest For Joy (The Gospel) by John Piper in Arabic

Fifty Reasons Jesus Came To Die by John Piper in Arabic

Resources From Desiring God in Arabic

Resources From Ligonier Ministries in Arabic

Resources From The Gospel Coalition in Arabic

Resources From Desiring God in other languages

Other Websites Helpful On The Truth About Islam

1. Jay Smith

2. Brother Rashid الأخ رشيد

3. Brother Rashid in English

4. David Wood

5. David Wood Archives

6. Al Fadi - CIRA International

7. Hatun Tash

8. DCCI Ministries

9. Zakaria Botros

10. Islam Critiqued

11. Answering Islam

12. Jihad Watch

Note: I continue to update this post as new and helpful interviews/information becomes available.

Jesus Is The True And Better Temple!

Jesus is the true and better temple! Jesus is the true and better sacrifice! Jesus is greater than the temple because the temple was where God dwelt, but Jesus is God Who does not dwell in temples made by humans hands since the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him let alone a man explain Him!

Jesus is greater than the temple because the temple was where the sacrifices took place, but Jesus Himself is the sacrifice of all sacrifices Who alone can take away the sin of the world!

Jesus is greater than the temple because the temple was where people pray, but He is the God to Whom people pray!

Jesus is greater than the temple because the temple divided ethnic groups like Jews and Gentiles, but Jesus died and rose again to make all peoples from every tribe, tongue, language, and nation one in Him!

Jesus is greater than the temple because people could come to the temple and remain in their hypocrisy and sin, but those who come to Jesus by faith will turn from their sin and follow Him!

Jesus is greater than the temple because the temple was destroyed to never rise again, but Jesus was destroyed on that cross, and He rose again on the third day never to die again! 

Jesus is greater than the temple because people came to the temple for mercy, but Jesus is greater mercy, greater grace, greater love, greater compassion, greater holiness, greater justice, greater truth, greater perfection, greater beauty, and greater glory!

Jesus is greater than the temple because the temple is fallen down and gone, but Jesus is alive forevermore to make intercession for us and to keep loving, to keep helping, to keep forgiving, to keep strengthening, to keep binding up the broken-hearted, to keep drying all our tears, to keep healing, to keep saving, to keep comforting, to keep giving rest, to keep listening, and to keep abundantly satisfying us with the fullness of His pleasures and joy forevermore for all eternity!  

The temple was the place of sacrifice: Jesus is the true and better sacrifice!

The temple was the place of prayer & praise: Jesus made it possible for us to pray to God anywhere! Jesus gives us access to God! And Jesus causes us to praise our God, and we praise Jesus as well!

The temple was the place for setting apart (consecrating) people and things for God: Jesus was the only Man Who ever lived Who was fully & perfectly set apart & consecrated to God – holy, sinless, clean, & undefiled! And He alone made it possible for us to be set apart & consecrated to God as well!

The temple was the place for teaching God’s Law (Word): Jesus is God’s Word, come in the flesh! He spoke God’s Word; fulfilled God’s Word; trusted God’s Word; obeyed God’s Word; delighted in God’s Word, & He enables us to be changed by God’s Word & trust, obey, and delight in God & His Word as well!

The temple was the place of unity among God’s people and all peoples: Jesus is the temple Who shed His blood to save people from every tribe and language and people and nation, in order to make us unified as one, even as He and His Father are one!

The temple was the place for the revelation of God to be made known: Jesus Christ is the ultimate and final revelation of God – Who is God come in the flesh! 

Hebrews 1:1-3: Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

The temple was the delight of Israel’s eyes and the yearning of their souls: Jesus is the delight of our eyes & the yearning of our souls! 

Psalm 73:25: Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. 

To learn more about the glorious Gospel message of Jesus Christ, please watch American Gospel: Christ Alone.

You can watch the full documentary here with a free, 3 day trial.