On 11-11-11 in Detroit, Michigan, Lou Engle and The Call are hosting a 24 hour prayer vigil for Detroit, Michigan, and our country. The prayer service begins at 6:00 p.m. and will continue until 6:00 p.m. tomorrow evening. Having heard Lou Engle (via The Ramp) I know him to be outspoken in his stance against the Islamicization of America, unlike Pastors Rick Warren and Robert Schuller who have begun preaching a heretical form of the gospel of Christ known as Chrislam, a mixing of the Bible and the Koran. So, it is not surprising to me that Council for Islamic Relations (CAIR) would be protesting this event. This blog is in response to an article (link provided below) that I read and that I disagree with. First is that the article implies that the Christians are going to become violent and target the mosques. I say “implied” because it says that the Muslim community is beefing up the security around their Mosques as if they are expecting something to happen. Muslims seem to forget that we are not the religion responsible for BEHEADING people who do not convert to Christianity. ‘Nuff said.
I support Lou Engle! It amazes me that so many Christians today don’t (or won’t) support any gathering such as this because it’s “confrontational” and may offend Muslims. Really? How can you claim to be a Christian then? How can you have a non-confrontational Christianity when the essence of the concept IS Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ IS absolutely the most controversial figure who has lived in the history of the world! If your brand of Christianity isn’t confrontational then it has ceased to be Christianity. If we’re going to preach a gospel that is less than radical then we need to eliminate the name of Christ entirely from our religious-speak. Christ was, and is, undoubtedly the most radical person humanity has ever experienced. The Pharisees couldn’t see who Jesus was, but blind men could; the Levitical priests didn’t follow Jesus, but fishermen and whores did. Jesus took 12 men and turned the known world upside-down and has been doing so for 2000+ years. The problem today is that we have taken the radical message of Jesus and quarantined it out of our society and confined it to within “the church building.” Where the NT church is to be a revolving door, equipping people to “live” out the message of Jesus and build His Kingdom within our communities, we have instead built great and glorious mega-churches (mini-Kingdoms) of our own and sacrificed our salt- and light-worthiness in the society in which we live. Just my opinion.
This article also misrepresents (or at least takes out of context) Engle’s position on Christians “taking over government” or whatever in society. It all goes back to the word “Ecclesia” or “Ekklesia” and the responsibilities of that “solemn assembly” governing body. As most people know, the “ecclesia” is the translated word “church” (meaning the ‘called out ones’) in the Bible. What most people don’t know is that Ecclesia was also a principal governmental assembly in Athens, Greece; responsible for declaring war, military strategy, electing military generals and magistrates. Ecclesia or Ekklesia: meaning the “Called out of” is used 115 times in the NT and translated “church” in all but 3 verses. The practice of ecclesia had been in use 500 years by the time of Christ and had specific, well-acknowledged connotations. Peter understood ecclesia.
Ecclesia declares war on renegade elements of the society in which it assembles:
Ps110:1-2
2 Cor. 10:4
Eph 6:12
so it’s not like a “takeover” in the context in which this article implies, but spiritual warfare against the ungodly or Satanic elements in the society in which we live.
Til Next Time,
Starr
This blog is in response to the article listed here: Muslims protest the 11-11-11 Prayer Event
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