Forces Aligned

In Hebrews 11, which has traditionally been called the "faith chapter," we see a series of instructive verses. In the first part of the chapter, we read:
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

So, what is Abel speaking to us today?  He was murdered by his brother - 1st John 3 is very clear: Cain's works were evil and Abel's were righteous.  Into our world today, we still see that there are two sides: good and evil.  Because of the fall, no one can be truly good.  But, because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have been given a second chance: He has delivered us from the power of the enemy, and has invited all humanity to come into a relationship with Him.  Many are opposed to Him, but He died for all, so that even those who reject Him are still loved by Him.

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Ever since sin came into the world, we see spiritual forces aligned against each other - for instance, Cain took the life of his brother, Abel, because his sacrifice was not rendered acceptable to God. In
1st John 3, we see the spiritual underpinnings of this conflict of the ages:
10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,
12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous.

The heat of opposition for our current Administration continues to burn.  It was seen in the so-called Women's March, which really was an amalgamation of a variety of what might be called "social justice" causes.  In addition to the unabashedly pro-abortion slant to the proceedings, you also find a strong LGBT emphasis; there is a rejection of the rule of law in the immigration field; and a redefinition of civil rights that plays to the extremes.

And, at the top of it all, one of the principal leaders recently has called for "jihad" against the President.  Conservative Review reports that:

Linda Sarsour, a Hamas-tied and prominent Women’s March leader, Islamic supremacist, and anti-Semite, has called for a “jihad” (Islamic holy war) against President Trump.

Addressing the 54th Annual ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) Convention this past weekend, Sarsour delivered a 22-minute screed attacking the Trump administration and called on the Muslim community to unite against the White House.

Sarsour began the speech thanking her “favorite person in this room … Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who has been a mentor, motivator, and encourager of mine.” She does not mention that Wahhaj was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombings.

But, she was far from done. She made this indictment: “We are struggling against tyrants and rulers not only abroad … but here in the United States of America, where you have fascists and white supremacists and Islamophobes reigning in the White House..."  The story goes on:

She continued, calling upon Muslims to refuse to assimilate into America.

“Our number one and top priority is to protect and defend our community. It is not to assimilate and to please any other people in authority,” she said. “And our top priority … is to please Allah, and only Allah.”

So, here you have a representation of a variety of agendas - a part of this so-called "resistance," no doubt.  Now, again, I am not an apologist for our President; and I believe that people of faith need to hold him and all our elected leaders accountable.  This, obviously, is beyond the pale.  But there is a disturbing militancy that operates on a number of fronts, which are united against Trump, yes, but historically, you find the pro-abortion, LGBT, and many in the Muslim community on opposite sides of the cultural conflict from those of the Christian persuasion.

Which is odd, because Islam has an extreme view on homosexuality - with provisions of punishment for those guilty of it.  Here's an interesting story, I found, and you can see the story at the InvestorPlace.com website:  It says that coffee chain Starbucks "is facing a boycott by muslim groups in Malaysia and Indonesia."

The backlash faced by the coffee chain is in response to CEO Howard Schultz publicly supporting the LGBT community, letting them know they can always feel at home with Starbucks. However, Muslim groups such as Malaysia’s Perkasa are asking its members to get their coffee elsewhere.

The article continues: "The group was joined with Muhammadiyah, Indonesia’s second largest mainstream Muslim group, which includes 29 million people. The Starbucks boycott includes initiatives from the groups asking their governments to revoke the trading license that companies such as Starbucks have."

Investor Place says that:

Sodomy is a crime in Malaysia that can land you 20 years in prison. Meanwhile, Indonesia does not ban homosexuality, but there is currently a bill that is being reviewed, seeking to make homosexual relationships illegal, as well as banning sexual relationships outside of marriage.

Interestingly enough, the article linked extreme Muslims and so-called "far right" groups: "Extreme forms of Islam and far-right views believe that homosexuality is a sin, condemning the company’s words and asking for a boycott."

Well, Andrew McCarthy contends in an informative National Review article that:

The inspiration for Muslims to brutalize and mass murder gay people does not come from ISIS. It is deeply rooted in Islamic law, affirmed by many of Islam’s most renowned scholars. This is why, wherever sharia is the law, homosexuals are persecuted and killed.

A crack in the coalition here?  This takes us back to Sarsour.  She embodies what we often find as a unity between pro-abortion, pro-LGBT, and pro-Islamic forces.  I've had the opportunity to ask this question of people in the past as to why this is. Even though the culture treats Islam as the preferred or politically correct religion, its teachings are really at odds with groups with which some Muslim leaders align.  One of the conclusions you could come to is that, despite the attempt to portray it otherwise, the teachings of Islam and Christianity are not aligned.  Muslims and Christians do not worship the same God.  The so-called "reproductive rights" crowd do not acknowledge the sanctity of life as it is taught in the Scriptures.  And, the LGBT activists do not adhere to the teachings of Scripture in advocating their sinful behavior.  So, it is now, as it always has been - there is spiritual warfare that is occurring, and we have to make sure that our lives are aligned with Scripture.

Interestingly enough, even though the Starbucks boycott by some Muslims is over the position of the company's leader on homosexuality, the position of the boycotters is that homosexuality is a sin that is to be punished. Now, while it is true that the traditional Christian teaching is that the gay lifestyle is sinful, and that punishment is provided under the Law of the Old Testament, the Christian faith offers an essential element - grace.  The Bible teaches that those who choose to walk in sin have placed themselves under God's judgment, but we serve a loving God who offers forgiveness if we will repent.

The grace of God emerges out of these stories in a powerful way. For the person who supports abortion, there is an opportunity to embrace His wonderful view of the value of life, a precious creation of God.  For the homosexual, there is a chance to experience freedom in Christ.  For the Muslim, there is the chance to encounter the one true God, who offers salvation through His Son. There are forces aligned against Christians in our world today, and we have to be aware of them, but we don't wage war against them personally; rather, we recognize that they have been deceived by the enemy of their souls, and ours, and the truth can set them free.