Islamic Imperialism

The greatest challenge to "peace on earth" and the greatest enemy of the Prince of Peace is, undoubtedly, radical Islam.
I just finished reading Islamic Imperialism: A History by Efraim Karsh, who is a professor of history at King's College, London. Karsh says that, "Whereas Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God, Muhammad used God's name to build an earthly kingdom" (p. 7). Then he proceeds to show how it has always been the dream of Muslims to conquer the world, by force if necessary. Karsh consistently shows this stream of what he calls "Islamic Imperialism," or the desire to conquer the world for Islam, from the time of Muhammad and the early caliphates who conquered much of Africa and southern Europe, all the way to Ayatollah Khomeini, Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. He shows that this understanding of jihad is not an isolated extreme view, but is very mainstream through Muslim culture.
Karsh says, "If, today, America is reviled in the Muslim world, it is not because of its specific policies but because, as the preeminent world power, it blocks the final realization of the age-old dream of regaining the lost glory of the caliphate" (p. 239). In other words, there is nothing we can do to make radicalized Muslims love us or make peace with us. They will only be satisfied with our complete submission to Islam.
A frightening but important book that teaches a difficult lesson that all Christians and Westerners need to understand.
However, I should point out that not all Muslims are radicalized. My father was pastor of a Baptist church in Israel for several years, and their experience was that more Arabs are open to accepting Christ than Jews! There are actually more Baptist churches in Israel that are Arab congregations, than Messianic Jewish churches.
So we should not give up on radical Muslims. Rather, it should be a call to fervent prayer for the conversion of Muslims to Christ. This may seem impossible to us, but Jesus said, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).
Saul of Tarsus was a Jew who was radicalized in his opposition to Christianity. But when he finally came to Christ, he became the greatest missionary of the early church. Let us pray that God will do a similar work among the Muslim world.

“How Do You Pray for a Soldier?”

The year was 1969. My father, U.S. Army Chaplain Robert H. Rogers, was serving in Vietnam. Every day I prayed for him. My cousin, James would always pray, “God bless our soldiers,” but that got old, hearing him say the same thing over and over. I wish back then that James and I had read Psalm 140. Then we would know how to pray for the my dad and all of the troops.
First, we should pray for the soldier’s safety. Psalm 140 almost sounds like a description of terrorists, as the prayer opens by saying, “Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men; protect me from men of violence, who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day.” Verse 4 is a prayer to “protect me from men of violence,” and then verse 7 on the Lord who is “my strong deliverer, who shields my head in the day of battle…”
Second, we should pray for justice to prevail. Some people think we should not pray for soldiers at all, because war is violent. However, most Christians agree that there is such a thing as a “just war,” when the soldier’s actions can prevent a greater evil. Certainly the battles fought by God’s people in the Bible imply that. Psalm 140 calls for justice. We read in verse 8, “do not grant the wicked their desires, O LORD; do not let their plans succeed, or they will become proud.” This verse reminds me of those evil men who wanted to prevent Iraqis from having free elections. The psalmist prays in verses 11-12, “may disaster hunt down men of violence,” and prays for “justice for the poor.”
Third, we should pray for our own faith to increase. After a pause, called “Selah,” at the end of verse 5, he begins the prayer again in verse 6 with a statement of personal trust: “O LORD, I say to you, ‘You are my God.’ Hear, O LORD, my cry for mercy.” Then Psalm 140 ends with the confident hope that the upright will “live in Your presence.” Those soldiers who died in battle can know that their deaths are not in vain, for they served their nation well. And those soldiers who trusted in Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord can know that they will live in God’s presence in Heaven, as verse 13 proclaims.
I was at Boy Scout camp when my PawPaw showed up early to rush me to the small airport in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. My Dad had come home from Vietnam several days earlier than expected. I watched as a bronze-looking man got off the little plane and walked across the hot concrete, and my Mom rushed to his arms, tears running down her face, to welcome him home.
Max Lucado, in his book The Applause of Heaven, says that one day we will get off at Heaven’s airport, and there will be One whose nail-scarred hands will stretch from His robe, as He applauds our service on earth and our arrival home.
Yes, we can pray for that!