ISRAEL UPDATE
 
February 27, 2005 – One supposed source of comfort given to America in the post 9-11 era is the fact that only 10 percent of Islam is considered fanatical.

Therefore, when the Armanious family, Christian Copts from Egypt, was brutally murdered on January 20, 2005, in New Jersey, it caused me to take notice.

There was no sign of forced entry.  This was because Muslims went to their home under the pretense of converting to Christianity.  (This family had many times shared their faith with many Muslims who then became Christians), They then slew this family of four, because the Sharia (Islamic law), claims that Christians are worse than infidels.

Now, in the wake of the tsunami relief efforts, Christian organizations that are pouring millions of dollars and many, many man hours to assist those in need, have had their motives brought into question.

This tactic of spiritual deception (taqiyya) has been used against Christians by Muslims since the 7th century.  It lets us know there are Muslims practicing Sharia law in this country.  This type of persecution has driven Christians from every nation of the Middle East under Islamic domination, to America.

If we are to learn anything from the tragedy of the Armanious family, is that they were brutally murdered by adherents to an extremist religious belief system - one supposed of love and tolerance…

Jesus said in Matthew 10:22, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”  As believers, we all face a very real threat from Islam.  However, the liberal media is apparently more concerned about covering Christian tsunami relief…
 

February 27, 2005 - Most people have heard of the Pharisees and Sadducees, the religious bodies that Jesus primarily addressed in the Gospels during His ministry, but have they heard of the Essenes?

Although not actually named in the Scriptures, we find what many scholars believe to be veiled references to this group.

Luke 16:8 states, “And the L-rd commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.”

The Essenes were a disgruntled group, angry at the corruption of the Temple’s sacrificial system and the hypocrisy of their counterparts.  Their solution was to abandon the Temple, movie into the wilderness, and wait for the Messiah.

This group was monastic and ascetic, choosing to live in isolation - adopting the “us four and no more” policy.  They also felt they were the children of light (or day) and everyone else was children of the night, i.e., unbelievers.

Today, the spirit of the Essenes is still alive, as we find groups stating that if you do not believe the way they do on one or more subjects, you will be unable to inherit eternal life.

Do we see corruption of G-d’s system in the church today?  Absolutely… In addition, do we see hypocrisy in the Church?  Yes…  However, total withdrawal into ourselves and our own system is self-righteousness. . .  It does not bring glory to G-d, nor does it cause very many to inquire of our faith.  After the destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E., the Essenes, just as the Sadducees, ceased to exist as a religious body.

To be continued…