Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.
One other lesson that we can learn during this period is that we need to be intellectually ready to give a reason for the hope that is within us. When the barbarians came and the church was being wiped out in the Middle East and North Africa – this is what was needed.
It is said that history repeats itself. Also, it is said that the one thing that we have learned from history is that we do not learn. When we look back in history do we see any difference with what was happening then and what is taking place in our society today? I don’t think so.
For example, in his book RELIGION OF PEACE Robert Spencer brings out the following: “The ‘war on terror’ is an ideological conflict – one of which Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists, secular Muslims, and others have a stake. But on that ideological front, the West is being notably deficient. And this is due, in no small part, not only to a lack of cultural self-confidence, but also to a sense that Christianity – upon which Western civilization is largely based – and Islam are at best morally equivalent. In the view of many left – liberal leaders, Christianity itself, or religion in general, is the real problem.”
Throughout history the early church faced “a war on terror.” Robert Spencer goes on to say: “If it is widely recognized, however, that the war on terror is in fact a struggle against an Islamic Jihad that would conquer and subjugate Western non – Muslims, and which is well on its way to doing so in Europe, and Western countries face a choice. They can acquiesce to the demands of their Muslim populations and, little by little, adopt provisions of Islamic sharia law until the Islamic social order is fully implemented. Or, they can choose to stand up for Judeo – Christian values and defend them against the ideological challenge of Jihad and Sharia Law.”
A question that comes to my mind is: Isn’t this what took place during the rise of Islam that began to spread through the Middle East and North Africa where the church had been planted, but was slowly beginning to disappear? They can ‘acquiesce to the demands of their Muslim populations and, little by little, adopt provisions of Islamic sharia law until the Islamic social order is fully implemented.’ We see this taking place in the West even today in countries like Great Britain, Germany, France and Sweden.
World Magazine interviewed author Rodney Stark about Islam and asked him the question: Why did the Muslims gain military victory with such ease during the seventh century? His response was: “They were very well-organized and led, and they were highly mobile (everyone rode on a camel and then dismounted to fight). In addition, they were opposed by fortress garrison troops who were poorly suited to fight battles of maneuver. Eventually, the Muslim invaders ran into quality Christian forces at Tours (Poitiers) and were routed. From then on the Muslim tide began to ebb. Christians soon began to retake Spain, then Sicily and Southern Italy, so that they were liberated.” However, it would be safe to say that there was no mass conversion to Islam. It took almost two centuries despite the immense financial and social benefits of converting.
It seems that the argument that Satan uses quite often is the argument of moral equivalency. In our Western world today (and it would seem the same in the Medieval Age as well) that we have modern liberals who would claim that there is no difference between the radical ideology of the Islamic Jihadist and the fundamental Christian today.
After September 11, 2001 very few in power would even suggest that Islam was the problem and that Christianity might be the answer. They saw the Islamist imposing Islam on their society, but the Christians doing the same thing and the latter posing a more serious threat. The modern liberal saw the Taliban beheading the people, but so would the Christians if they got the chance, according to their thinking.
Robert Spencer said: “It is a common assumption among many left – liberals in the West that Christian and Muslim extremist, radicals, or fundamentalists are two sides of the same coin.”
But is there a difference between Christians and Muslims? “When a tsunami devastated Muslim Indonesia and other South Asian countries in 2004, Western states pledged millions. The United States sent $950 million, Great Britain almost 800 million, Germany over 670 million, Canada of 400 million, France about 300 million, Norway 175 million and so on. The European Union also kicked in $628 million aside from the individual contribution of its member states, making Europe’s contribution two billion. The West contributions weren’t merely financial; the United States and Australia Armed Forces were the first responders to bring aid to people in need. This Western generosity, however, has gone largely unnoticed. What of oil rich Muslim nations? Qatar sent $25 million. After criticism of their initial paltry responses, Saudi Arabia sent 300 million, Kuwait 100 million, and the United Emirates 20 million.” (Quote from the book Religion of Peace)
What comes out to me is that we can learn from this period of history so that we need to know what we believe and be able to articulate it well. The more I look at history and the spread of the Kingdom of God the more I see that Jesus Christ is the answer and that the love of God conquers all; it never fails. Paul said: And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak.” 2 Corinthians 4:13 Do we believe that Christ is the way, the truth and the life? If so, we too will speak.