Trending Toward Terrorism
(Inspired by article in Prophecy In The News (Jan. 2016) by Dr. Kevin Clarkson)
1/13/16 CFBC Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction:
A In the last few months, we have watched horrific terrorists attacks take place in Europe and on American soil.
1 In Paris, mid-November, coordinated attacks in the “city of lights” killing 130 Italians.
a The group known as ISIL took credit for the attacks.
aa ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and Levant) is the group known in the media as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.)
bb The subtle difference is really a big deal.
b In the Middle Ages, Muslims controlled the territory of Syria, Palestine and Egypt.
aa It declares an entire region to be under strict Muslim law.
bb In ISIL, the entire Middle East is under Muslim rule, with no room for a nation of Israel in the midst of their Muslim government.
2 Last month, in San Bernardino, California 14 were killed and 21 wounded when a woman who was here from Pakistan, who had recently sworn allegiance to ISIS & Abu Bakr al-Bagdadi.
a National leaders had just recently assured the nation that no “credible” terror threats on American soil.
aa Our intelligence can never know all the threats/plots...
bb The President is either naive or ignoring the real threat of Islamic terrorism.
b At a recent summit he refused to say Muslim Terrorists, instead chose to says, “No religion is responsible for terrorism — people are responsible for violence and terrorism,” Obama told a crowd that included Muslim community leaders at the White House.
B The two Muslim Terrorists were killed by police as they fled the scene.
1 They were dressed in military garb, bulletproof vests and armed to the teeth with assault rifles, handguns, rounds of ammo and pipe bombs.
a Work place violence? Nope, planned attack.
b The police believe the Islamic attackers were on their way to commit more terrorist attacks on innocent people.
2 What the American public heard from the President and Press was, “Don’t jump to conclusions. It may not have anything to do with terrorism.”
a It didn’t take about a few hours before we learned that Syed Rizwan Farook (28) was the son of Pakistani immigrants, recently traveled to Saudi Arabia to bring home a Pakistani woman that he had met online.
b Tashfeen Malik, 27, entered the US as Farook’s fiancee based on a provision in current immigration laws.
I The Satanic Tactic of Terror
A Terrorism, as a strategy, is designed to paralyze the victim with fear so they will not even fight back. . . take the fight out of you through fear.
1 It’s a form of psychological warfare that is perhaps as old as Cain’s descendant Lamech,
a Genesis 4:23-24 (NLT) 23 One day Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; listen to me, you wives of Lamech. I have killed a man who attacked me, a young man who wounded me.24 If someone who kills Cain is punished seven times, then the one who kills me will be punished seventy-seven times!”
b Over time, this approach of brutality is perfected by conquering armies . . . the most maccabe perhaps being the Assyrians of old.
aa They would skin victims alive, build mounds out of human skulls in front of the cities they conquered.
bb The Assyrians were known for their cruelty, barbarism, brutality . . . their ability to spread that fear is one major reason their empire spread far/wide.
cc It’s the very same region of the Middle East (Iraq) that ISIL has arisen today. (It’s a very old demonic force)
2 Terrorism creates fear, but also a constant feeling of unease/dread among its targets.
a Irregardless if there is a planned attack or not . . . the mere possibility of mayhem keeps people living on edge.
aa Spend energy/resources on the defense, nerves are frayed, weary from worry.
bb The terrorists already have weakened its target before it ever strikes.
b Spent billions getting ready, time on preparing: could have built a lot of roads/bridges with the money spent on homeland defense.
B The Tracks of Terror are not fresh.
1 If we think terrorism is a recent threat (al-Qaeda/ISIL), caused by the United States invading Iraq . . . think again.
a The recent events are simply an ongoing practice of Islam.
aa The word “Islam” means “submission, obedience.”
bb Islam’s vision is to subdue the whole world to following/bending to the will of Allah.
b Consider the following events, all impacting the West:
aa 1968: Robert Kennedy assassinated by a Palestinian Muslim, Sirhan Sirhan.
bb 1972: Athletes at the Munich Olympics kidnaped/slain by Muslims.
cc 1973: Pan Am 707 destroyed by grenades in Rome, killing 33, by Muslims.
dd 1979: Pan Am 747 hijacked and taken to Cairo, then blown up after landing by Muslims.
ee 1979: U.S. embassy in Iran taken over by Muslims, 52 Americans held hostage for 444 days.
ff 1980s: Series of kidnaping of Americans in Lebanon by Muslims.
gg 1983: U.S. Mariane Barracks in Beirut blown up by Muslims, killing 299 servicemen.
hh 1985: Cruise ship Achille Lauro highjacked on coast in Egypt, by Muslims, killing 70-year old Jewish American, thrown overboard.
ii 1985: TWA flight 847 hijacked at Athens by Muslims, who murdered U.S. Navy seal.
jj 1988: Pan Am flight 103 exploded by boms, killing all 259 aboard, by Muslims.
kk 1993: U.S. World Trade Center bombed by Muslims, intending to kill tens of thousands, but failing, injuring over a thousand and causing six deaths.
ll 1998: U.S. embassies in Kenya/Tanzania bombed by Muslims, killing 224.
mm 2001: 9/11 WTC destroyed by four hijacked planes, killing almost 3,000 Americans, attacks on the Pentagon/U.S. Capitol failed.
nn 2002: US reporter Daniel Pearl, a Jew, kidnaped and beheaded on video by Muslims in Pakistan.
oo 2012: U.S. Ambassodor Christopher Stevens, and 3 other Americans were killed at the U.S. Embassy in Bengazi, Libya by Muslims.
pp 2013: 4 killed and 264 injured by an explosive device at the Boston Marathon by two Muslim immigrants, brothers.
qq 2014: A woman was beheaded at work in Moore, Oklahoma, by fellow employee, a convert to Islam.
2 Do you see the pattern?
a In every single instance, Muslims are the attackers.
b There targets are always Westerners . . . not other Muslims.
c Do not think for a moment that Islam is a religion of peace.
II There are Tenets to This Terror
A Behind Islam/revelations of Mohammed the prophet is the deception of Satan.
1 Satan is Revelation 12:9 (NASB) “ . . .the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; . . ..”
a Satan has not changed over the course of human history.
aa He’s still as Jesus told the Jewish leaders who rejected His own Messianic claim:
bb John 8:44 (NASB) 44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
John 10:10 (KJV)10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
b The devil’s motives are death, destruction, and his method is deception and his motives/methods are in complete agreement with Islam.
aa Jihad (death to all those who will not convert to Islam)
bb taqiya (تق ة taqiyyah/taqīyah), literally "fear, caution",is a form of religious dissimulation, or a legal dispensation whereby a believing individual can deny his faith or commit otherwise illegal or blasphemous acts while they are in fear or at risk of significant persecution (IOW: keep their beliefs/intentions secret . . even lying about their faith.)
2 The truth that the Word of God tells us is that salvation is by faith (not works) in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
a Hebrews 1:1-3 (NASB) 1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”
b Nothing should be (or can be) added to the final say/revelation of God in this matter.
aa Rev. 22.18, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.”
bb The Lord has no other way for people to come unto Him other than through His Son by faith.
cc Paul warns, “But though we, or angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Gal. 1.8-9)
B Satan, used a man named Mohammed to bring a “new” revelation from God.
1 Mohammed said he received this revelation from an angel while he was meditating in a cave in Arabia. (610 A.D.)
a He was unsure if it was an angel of “light” or “darkness” (good or evil), but his wife Khadija convinced him it must be from God.
aa The only Christianity Mohammed had been exposed was a corrupt version that denied the deity of Christ, so he never heard the truth of the Messiah, Gospel.
bb Never heard of atonement, justification, God’s grace.
b Satan is all about deceiving men through sin, temptation, philosophy and religion which are not from God.
aa At the core of Islam is a religion based on “good works.”
bb It’s adherents base their hope of salvation on their performance, what they do . . . not on the free gift of God’s grace.
2 Satan’s timing and tactics are masterfully displayed in Islam.
a Only 600 years after God gave His full revelation, final Word through His Only Son.
aa Through the Jews, a Jewish Messiah, preaching Good News to the nations . . .
bb Message of grace, not of works.
b Satan offers a false religion that . . .
aa reverts back to works, fear of losing favor (instead of finding favor) . . . mixed in for good measure, anti-Semitism.
bb Satan presents this devilish mix to a leader of the Arabs (sons of Ishmael/hostile cousins to the Jews.)
c Two things were accomplished:
aa Perpetual opposition to Israel’s return to her ancestral home.
bb The enslavement of hundreds of millions in a belief system of religious works without any promise of forgiveness & salvation. (Killing non-Muslims pleases Allah?!)
Conclusion:
A Muslims need Jesus . . . they are victims of the enemy.
1 There are many Muslims who are turning to Christ in large numbers all over the Middle East.
a There are reports of large numbers of Muslims converting to Christianity (at fear of punishment or death.)
b God is at work: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6.12).
aa Pray for the conversions of Muslims (esp. in the Middle East).
bb Learn to live above the fear.
2 Jesus said, “And I say to unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him” (Luke 12.4,5).
a When Christians can find peace, confidence, hope, strength in the face (or in spite) of terrorism . . . we are being a strong witness.
b We will fear the Lord, not man.
B These are different times that we are living in to many.
1 But, remember the promise Jesus has given us: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.” (John 16.33)
2 ISIS, ISIL, al-Baghdadi, Islam doesn’t get the final say . . . will not overcome the world . . .our Jesus has the final say.
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Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
