"Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion who seek to destroy my life; let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor who wish me evil." (I did not have to look for a "proof text." This is from Today's Reading, Psalm 40:14)
Notice that the ultimate deliverance of the Follower of Jesus Christ is in Jesus Christ. The psalmist fought many battles on the fields of Israel, and they were not just "spiritual" battles. Yet he knew that he was not just, "[contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, ...against the spirit forces of wickedness" (Amplified Bible). His writings reveal that he knew the victory always came, "in the power of His might." So we have a text today which is a war prayer, and so very relevant for us who live on a planet at war.
There has been much talk in the last few days about the up coming Koran burning, and no, I'm not necessarily endorsing such activity. But what some may be unwilling to say, I affirm--- The Koran is a war manual. E.g., "O believers, take not Jews and Christians as friends....Make war on them until idolatry is no more and Allah's religion reigns supreme....It is not for any Prophet to have captives until he has made slaughter in the land.... When the sacred months are over, slay the idolaters wherever you find them." Yes, this even includes all Bible reading, worshipping, church-going, even very active church people in America. In case there is still any incredulity, here is the Open Doors prayer request for September 7-- "Somalia (Islamic Controlled): We received several reports of the increasing numbers of secret believers being exposed and killed for their faith in Christ." In case anyone is wondering, we do pray regularly, "Have mercy on us and on the whole world," and yes, this includes the Arab Islamic world, that they may, "be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth," receiving Jesus Christ as their Lord, Master, Savior, baptized in the Holy Spirit, names in, "the Book of Life."
What I write, however, is not mutually exclusive. The Arab-Islamic World declared war on the rest of us fourteen hundred years ago. What a part of that world saw on September 11, 2001, was the result of Arab-Koranic hatred of everything we stand for. And to me, it is ominous that in the debate over the proposed "Koran Burning," people can still engage in some kind of arm chair talk of "religious liberty," "civil rights," and perhaps the most dangerous, "the Christian thing to do." It is talk which is attempting to keep "peace," a peace of self preservation. Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, "There is no way to peace along the way of safety."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray for eyes to see and ears to hear. Amen.
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
