Any notion that God’s people are at liberty to seek to fuse together genuine worship of Him with any form of pagan worship is utterly rejected and prohibited by God in His Word. As Joshua was nearing the end of his life he addressed the people of Israel and their elders and said to them “Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right or to the left. That ye come not among these nations that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them. But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day” [Joshua 23:7-8]… “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity… And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve… If ye forsake the Lord and serve strange gods then he will turn and do you hurt… Now therefore put away said he the strange gods which are among you and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel” [Joshua 24: 1-23].
We read similar prohibitions in the book of Isaiah “I am the Lord; that is my name and my glory will I not give to another” [Isaiah 42:8]… “I am the Lord and there is none else, there is no God beside me… there is no God else beside me, a just God and a Saviour, there is none beside me. Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God and there is none else” [Isaiah 45: 1, 21-22].
The Lord Himself stated plainly that true worship of His Father must line up with what God, by His Spirit, has revealed in His inspired Word. To the Samaritan woman at the well the Lord said “But the hour cometh, and now is, when true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” [John 4:23-24].
In Revelation we read of how John, overawed by what he had heard and seen, inadvertently slipped into offering worship that was neither ‘in spirit nor in truth’ and he was immediately rebuked “And I, John, saw these things and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not; for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren, the prophets, and of them who keep the words of this book. Worship God” [Revelation 22:8-9].
Despite these clear guidelines about how God’s people are to behave when seeking to worship God, there has emerged in recent months a new and dangerous movement that is either oblivious to or else in open rebellion to what God has said about worship of Himself.
I simply want to direct attention to several articles that will provide helpful information on this new and diabolical trend.
The first is found on http://thelastcrusade.org/2010/11/04/chrislam-spreads-throughout-america/ and the opening lines read ‘This weekend, the Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston along with Christian communities in Atlanta, Seattle, and Detroit will initiate a series of sermons that have been designed to produce an ecumenical reconciliation between Christianity and Islam. In addition to the sermons, the Sunday school lessons will center on the inspired teachings of the Prophet Mohammad. Qurans will be placed in the pews next to the Bibles’.
The next article is located on –
http://bigpeace.com/dladams/2011/02/08/chrislam-core-values-without-a-core/ An astute comment that appears in this article reads ‘However, the “peace” between Islam and Christians that is understood by Muslims is not the same as that understood by Christians. There is likely no sign on the door of these “Chrislam” churches that says, “Surrender hope and your Christianity all ye who enter.”
Finally there is a short article on
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Church/Default.aspx?id=1286950 part of which reads ‘Alan Wisdom, director of the Presbyterian Action committee and vice president for research and programs at The Institute on Religion & Democracy (IRD), contends that Islam should never be viewed as an equal to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Moreover, Qurans should never be placed next to God’s Holy Word’.
Whilst most of this current promotion of ‘Chrislam’ appears to be taking place in America we can rest assured that it will in due course make its way to this part of the world and to other regions also. The words of the Lord in Matthew 24:25 seem appropriate by way of closure to this article “Behold, I have told you before”.
Cecil Andrews – ‘Take Heed’ Ministries – 28th February 2011
Since posting this article on ‘Chrislam’ – I have been informed that the apparent church notice board for Beulah Cumberland Presbyterian Church that appears in the first article link mentioned was in fact a hoax ‘mock-up’. However the text of the article itself is unaffected by this and in fact that ‘mock-up’ church notice board might be a harbinger of things to come as ‘Chrislam’ expands.
APPENDIX – 27th JUNE 2011
In the little footnote to my earlier article I made reference to ‘things to come as ‘Chrislam’ expands’. Well, 4 months ‘down the line’ it is clear that the concept of ‘Chrislam’ is expanding as the following items that I received in recent days clearly show –
The Wake-Up Herald
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. Romans 13:11-14
Churches to Embrace ‘Chrislam’ on June 26, 2011
By Robert McCurry
Chrislam: An attempt to syncretize Christianity with Islam. While it began in Nigeria in the 1980s, Chrislamic ideas have spread throughout much of the world. The essential concept of Chrislam is that Christianity and Islam are compatible, that one can be a Christian and a Muslim at the same time. Chrislam is not an actual religion of its own, but rather is a blurring of the differences and distinctions between Christianity and Islam.
Discerning Christians knew this day was going to come, when the liberal “love gospel” preachers who, desiring to fill their seats and bank accounts, would find a way to merge apostate ‘Christianity’ with Satan’s religion of Islam. That day is here.
In July of 2008, a conference was held at Yale University to “promote understanding and peace between Christianity and Islam.” The gathering [was] a direct response to a letter signed by 138 Muslim leaders in October 2007 that called for peace between Muslims and Christians for the sake of world peace. The letter, entitled “A Common Word Between Us and You,” urged followers of the two faiths to find “common ground” in the love of God and engage in more sincere discussions on peace rather than simply just “polite ecumenical dialogue” between certain religious leaders.
This document says that Muslims and Christians worship the same God and claims that “the future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians.” The statement says, “… we must engage in interfaith dialogue as those who seek each other’s good, for the one God unceasingly seeks our good.”
“If we can achieve religious peace between these two religious communities, peace in the world will clearly be easier to attain,” they wrote. They called for interfaith dialogue to build relations that will “reshape” the two communities to “genuinely reflect our common love for God and for one another.” And they asked the Muslim leaders to forgive Christians for their sins – including the Crusades and “the excesses of the war on terrorism.”
Among more than 300 theologians, ministry leaders and prominent pastors signing the response letter were Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, Robert Schullar, pastor of Crystal Cathedral, theologian John Stott, Jim Wallis, president of Sojourners and Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals.
Quote of the Day: “Before we “shake your hand” in responding to your letter, we ask forgiveness of the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community around the world.” – Rick Warren in a speech to Muslims.
On July 4, 2010, Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Community Church in California, addressed the convention of nearly 8,000 Muslims at the Islamic Society of North America. Warren stated that Muslims and Christians must work together to combat stereotypes, promote peace and freedom, and solve global problems.
Warren called on Muslims and Christians to form an interfaith coalition to combat prejudice and stereotypes.
“Tolerance is not enough,” Warren said. “People don’t want to be tolerated, they want to be respected, they want to be listened to. They want to be valued.” Armed with four ideas for action, Warren called on Muslims and Christians to work together to create respect, restore civility to civilization, promote peace and tackle major world problems. “I am not interested in interfaith dialogue, I am interested in interfaith projects,” Warren said.
“Talk is cheap … but love is something we do together,” he added. “As the two largest faiths on this planet – more than 1 billion Muslims and 2 billion Christians [Cecil – note that Warren is obviously including Roman Catholics and the various shades of Orthodox in his calculations for the number of Christians in the world] – as Muslims and Christians, we must believe in this. As more than half the world, we must do something to model what it is to live in peace, to live in harmony.”
Christians and Moslems – faith mates, soul mates and now work mates! Chrislam!
The Chrislam movement has gained impetus by statements from President George W. Bush that Christians, Jews, and Muslims all worship the same God and by Rick Warren’s reference to Isa (the Muslim name for Jesus) in his prayer at the inauguration of President Barack Obama.
Churches to Embrace Chrislam on June 26, 2011
Chrislam has grown dramatically and now has infected many hundreds of churches and denominations all across America. A group called Faith Shared is now spearheading the move to merge Christianity with Islam. The following is taken from their web site:
“Faith Shared asks houses of worship across the country to organize events involving clergy reading from each other’s sacred texts on April 26, 2011. An example would be a Christian Minister, Jewish Rabbi and Muslim Imam participating in a worship service or other events of Christian churches. Suggested readings will be provided from the Torah, the Gospels, and the Qur’an, but communities are encouraged to choose readings that will resonate with their congregations. Involvement of members from the Muslim community is key. We will also provide suggestions on how to incorporate this program into your regular worship services. And we will assist local congregations in their media and communications efforts.
While there is a strong preference for all of the events to happen on the same day, a number of congregations held interfaith services in January and February giving us wonderful examples of how communities can come together in support and fellowship. We will be posting photos, sample programs and audio files from theses services. Faith Shared will collect images and videos from these events to use in our efforts to spread this message of respect and understanding from America.”
Congregations in several metropolitan areas — Houston, Atlanta, Seattle, and Detroit — preached sermons and held Sunday school lessons recently on the founder of Islam, Mohammad, whom Muslims consider a prophet.
Qurans were also placed in the pews next to Bibles. Proponents of the Chrislam movement claim that Christians cannot love their neighbours without having a relationship and fellowship with them. But God’s Word says otherwise.
“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3).
“Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph 5:11).
Wake-up, Pastors! Wake-up, Christians!
The Wake-Up Herald is published by Robert McCurry. The publication is designed to exalt the true God of the Bible, the Lord Jesus Christ, and inform, inspire, and challenge its readers regarding biblical truth and real-life issues. The contents are the sole responsibility of Robert McCurry and do not represent or speak for or on behalf of any other person or group. There is no subscription charge. The publication is a ministry of faith dependent on the contributions of its readers. Contributions are not tax-deductible. Send all correspondence to: Robert McCurry, 605 Moore Rd, Newnan, GA 30263 or herbap@aol.com
- Subject – CARM Interfaith Alliance Quran in Pulpit
- Date – 26/06/2011
- From – carmstuff@yahoo.com
I apologize for the very short notice, but I just found out about it this morning. On Sunday, June 26th, the Interfaith Alliance group is promoting a “Faith Shared” event where the Quran (and other non biblical texts) will be read in Christian Churches. This is what their site says:
“Interfaith Alliance and Human Rights First offer the Faith Shared event as a way to engage faith leaders on the national and community levels in interfaith events intended to highlight respect among people of different faiths. Through photos, video clips and print coverage distributed around the world, we are looking to display visual images that reflect the mutual respect that is shared by so many Muslims, Christians, Jews and other Americans, standing together as a strong counterpoint to the negative images that have dominated the domestic and international news…Faith Shared asks houses of worship across the country to organize events involving clergy reading from each other’s sacred texts. An example would be a Christian Minister, Jewish Rabbi and Muslim Imam participating in a worship service or other event.” (http://www.faithshared.org/index.html)
If you are concerned about this and want to pass out a tract at a participating church in your area (if there are any) then go to http://www.faithshared.org/index.html and look at the scrolling box on the right. If there is a church near you and if you want to pass out the tract I’ve written for this event, then download it at http://storage.carm.org/FaithAlliance.doc
It is free to print up (double sided) and distribute.
Again, I apologize for the short notice and I realize that many of you won’t get this email until it is too late. But, I’m giving it a try anyway.
I’ll be out in front of a local church here in Boise tomorrow morning handing out the tract.
God bless
Matt Slick