Jesus_or_Jihad

Jesus or Jihad

The world has to decide. Does it want Jesus or Jihad? Jesus was no flaming fanatic. He was, and is, God’s Son and the Prince of Peace. His peace is not the Pax Romana, nor is it the peace of Islam. His peace is not tyranny, but truth. It is something found not forced. It is not cobbled, but conceived. What He offers is not something that can be “built,” but only “born again.” The world has to decide. Does it want Jesus or Jihad? Jesus came to do battle with evil, but He needed no weapons. His only sword is the word of His mouth, the sword of the Spirit, God’s Word. Christ could have come with an army of angels to crush all opposition. He came alone. He could have broken the back of Rome with His little finger and made her kneel before Him in the dust. He didn’t. Instead He chose to conquer invisible kingdoms, overthrow principalities and powers. He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. His own disciples wanted to call fire down from Heaven and incinerate those who rejected Him. Jesus would have none of it. He said “ye know not what spirit ye are of.” Even then, the temptation was to “nuke” ‘em. We have to decide: Jesus or Jihad.

There is not enough rope on earth to hang all our enemies. The Inquisition tried to change the world with ropes and chains and the infamous “rack.” An imposter Church burned men at the stake and employed the weapons of Hell in an attempt to save or advance the kingdom of heaven. Heaven needs no such help from us.

Christ gave us a New Testament. The Old plowed the fields to prepare the way for the New. Some have scoured the Old Testament for proof texts to justify the desire to “kill your enemy.” The New Testament says “love your enemy.” The Old Testament says “eye for an eye,” the New Testament says “bless those who curse you.” The Old Testament says “give a tenth to the church (priests), the New says “give everything you have to God.” The Old Testament says “Remember a Day,” in the New Testament, Jesus says “remember me.”

Believer’s in the early days of New Testament Christianity did not fight fire with fire. They fought fire with faith. Although the scoreboard seemed to tilt heavily against them (as in “Lions 100,” “Christians 0) and “turning the other cheek, seems to many to be weak and foolish, people of faith know that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. Everyone is fighting over “who loves God more.” This leads to Jihad. Jesus made it clear, the proof of “loving God with all your heart” is evidenced in the “loving [of] your neighbor as yourself.” If that is the case, reading the News everyday, makes it abundantly clear. Few on this planet love God as much as we say we do.

-id