A Message to Christians and Muslims. 

Imagine the twenty-first century crusaders closing in on a cave in Afghanistan, just imagine. 

He said, “it’s so confusing—I have had enough of all this chaos in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The Sunnis and the Shiites fighting and killing each other, and then the Taliban--.  Islam is supposed to be about peace and unity.”    Osama bin Laden decided to give Christianity a try. 

 “That’s good news.”

Not really, the Jehovah Witnesses knocked on his cave door and sold him a subscription to the Watchtower.  He was intrigued of course with their refusal to salute the American flag. 

 “That’s bad news.”

Well not really, he needed a blood transfusion and  they got into an argument about that, so he asked them to leave. 

 “That’s good news.” 

I’m afraid not, wouldn’t you know it, there were two Mormon missionaries standing on his front porch just as the JW’s were leaving. 

 “That’s bad.”

Yes, but when they explained the whole Joseph Smith Prophet thing,  Osama said Mohammad was better and there was  another heated debate. So he threw them out. 

 “That’s good, those groups are not really Christians anyway.” 

Next, there was a small group of mountain people singing about Jesus while beating their tambourines, and it was all a lot of fun until they read from Mark 16 and brought out the box filled with rattlesnakes.  That really rattled Osama and it tipped the scales against them.  He asked them to go.  Seems, figuring out Christianity was harder than he thought.

“We need to send some real American Christians to explain Christianity to him.”

Wait there’s more.   Just then two small groups from the Southern Baptist Convention came by, but before they got to answer any of his questions they got into an argument with each other over whether the Bible was inerrant or not.  It got so vicious that they forgot all about Osama and went off to hold some convention and hold a democratic vote.

But, not to worry---A long line of people waited in line to tell Osama about Christianity.  There were faith healers, tele-evangelists, Woman preachers, presidents of competing Bible colleges, those who worshipped on Saturday, Contemporary Praise Worship Leaders, Christian Comedians, and a mime with white makeup, black eyeliner and white gloves. 

Osama looked at the long line of curious looking folks and suggested, “Perhaps a more traditional form or what you call a higher church would help.”

With that man with a white clerics collar and a purple shirt stepped up to the door. He said, “I heard you have decided to give Christianity a try. I wonder if I could have a few minutes to explain how everything works.”  With that the new Gay Anglican Bishop sat down and crossed his leg and began to explain things.   Five minutes later Osama came out of the cave shaking his head and announced, “I don’t think I like the way Christianity works so I have decided to go back to my cave and read just one more little Christian book before I go back to my Koran. 

Well, I'm glad. 

I don't think so,  He just picked up a copy of a book entitled  "Christian Science.” 

Suggested Moral?

I don't think Muslims need fear a Twenty-first century church.  It took twenty one centuries for the original message to morph, change and evolve  into the equivalent of some Jurassic Park mutation.  I wish the misguided zealots of the Twenty-first Century could catch a glimpse of the First-Century Christ, (the one the Greeks wanted to see when they asked, "Sir, we would see Jesus").  Following Christ is a lot simpler than trying to figure out and explain modern Christianity to a Muslim.  Christians following Christians and men following men can become very confusing.  Follow Jesus!  That's my advice.   Put your faith in Him alone. Trust Him, plus nothing and minus nothing.  Beware of those who have attempted to package Him,  re-make Him in their own image, and beware of those try to market Him.   He was not Western.  He lived in the Middle East , but He was not Middle Eastern.  He is beyond temporal, He was and is eternal.  Don’t  try to follow people following Him. Follow Him!  Bring your doubt’s like Thomas, that's okay.  But, don't look at the disciples, look at Jesus Christ.  Don't listen to us as much as you listen to Him. Examine His claims, His character, His conduct, His kindness.    Most of all see His cross.  See the nail prints and see your sin. See Him crucified, see Him buried, and see Him risen.  See Christ as the only hope for this world of sinners.   See with eyes of child-like faith.  If you do, really do, (and see what Thomas saw for the first time clearly) you too will exclaim as he did, “my Lord and my God.”  Yes, Jesus Christ is , "my Lord and my God."  True faith will not make Him less, and cannot make Him more. We do not ask you to follow or live like us.  Follow Him, learn of Him and live like Him.  Imagine if men suddenly stopped following men and followed Jesus.  Imagine if they stopped following men named Mohammad, or Joseph Smith, or Russell  or (some Christians would get angry if I listed their leader among the cults, so I won't-- but that's why the church is all divided up--a personality cult is just another cult).  What would happen if the crusading armies turned from battling each other and bowed before the Christ, the only Prince of Peace.  Just imagine.

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