A Call

You may first want to read the previous article Rallying To Be Heard as it prefaced what I am getting into now.

Yesterday I received an e-mail for a call to prayer sent by Lou Engle. If you aren’t familiar with him or his ministry you can find his website here  – TheCall.  I don’t receive e-mails from him directly, but this one was forwarded to me from someone else. (Someone who probably now wishes they hadn’t.)

Lou’s message bothered me on several counts. First of all, he came out of Promise Keepers and felt a “call” to begin setting up prayer rallies involving people, especially teenagers and young adults to fast and pray and then join together at these all day prayer rallies held all over the country. These seem more like the old testament way of a solemn assembly than they do a joining of new testament believers.

The previous article address the biblical reasons why I disagree with these ideas so I won’t rehash them. But to those issues I will add that it bothers me kids are always pulled into these things. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe they should be taught to fast and pray among other things – train up a child – however, I see this more as the responsibly of the parents, namely the fathers, than their children. It always seems men with agendas are after the youth, good or bad. Jesus called grown men to follow and to teach, not the kiddies. He didn’t call the women because we just naturally follow after Him, huh ladies?  Ok, kidding, kidding!

There is another issue I had with that e-mailed request. I do not understand why these people always seem to associate an event with a prophetic sign.  I did not understand that even when I was one of them. They believe every thing has a meaning and are very quick to find one and call it prophetic. How do they know, how can any of us know that what they say is the sign, truly is the sign. Blind faith in them?

Islamic Unity on Capitol Hill

Yes, on September 25 the dreaded Muslim, Islamic, “Jummah” day of prayer at the Capitol. We didn’t get our day of prayer, the National Day of Prayer, set aside and practiced by all presidents for decades past but this one! Just this one, Obama, who claims he is a Christian, who claims he prayed in private that day, who claims to go to a church, location private, who recognizes Muslim contributions  – and more – to our society – that president.

Our president, who had Rick Warren, “America’s Pastor” and claimed “Christian” pray at his Inauguration to   – Isa –  in the name of Isa of the Muslim religion, not the Christian Savior of the world. Now we have prayer Muslim prayer at the Capitol. Of course we do. (I’ve heard this is not the first time but I will agree that the Muslim influence seems to be growing in our country!)

Back to my point with Lou Engle who believes that the lack of support on our National Day and the support for the Islamic Day have some significance in what God is trying to bring to our country, and that the sign is a young, run-away teenager.

Here is a clip from the e-mail –

However, I believe in this moment of divine providence God has raised up on the stage of history a little “Esther” that if we pray and fast for her she could be a major voice to expose the dark under-belly of Islam and radiate a bright hope for a day of salvation for Muslims in America.

Oh, the last “Esther” we had, only last year, was Sarah Palin. Here’s the new one Rifqa Bary, a young 17-year-old woman

woman?

Jesus was the one raised up and that He is our hope! Not a person  – and I don’t care who says otherwise, he is wrong!

This convergence, I believe, is urgently summoning us in the midst of the rising tide of Islamic influence in America to recognize that our God is above every god and that if we return to Him with all of our hearts and call upon Him with fasting and prayer then God could use what the enemy meant for evil to bring about a great day of salvation for Muslims in America, of which Rifqa is but a major sign.

On Friday, September 25th, the Muslim Day of Prayer, we are calling the Church of America to fast and pray that Muslims would be moved by the Holy Spirit, convicted by the testimony of Christ, and even be visited by Jesus in dreams. We must pray that God would restrain the spiritual powers behind Islam and grant us the great awakening that we desperately need for America. Let us hear the call to prayer and not miss this moment.

Islam is here in America because we allow freedom of religion in this country.

Now, whatever that meant early on  – and most of us agree it was the freedom to practice Christianity – is not what it means today. We allowed people with different religions to come here in America and we have allowed them to practice those religions under what we claim is the freedom to do so. That is the reason we find ourselves in this situation. Not because we are in a catalyst moment due of the plight and the life of a young woman.

It is not enough that they themselves are elitists, but they will drag unsuspecting people right in there with them, give them a biblical name and mission to go right along with it.  And they always use the old testament and I find that so strange that they come in the name of the Lord, yet they leave out the emphasis of the new covenant in Jesus! And this, the wonderful story of Ester, they have twisted around to fit their purpose! If you read it, you will see what I am talking about.

(I totally sympathize with Rifqa’s situation and I will get to that in a different article. No one has the right to kill anyone else no matter who they call their “god”.) – <<UPDATE – See my comment #4>>

And, “great awakening” is again, the dominionist/kingdom now idea that there will be a great revival to come on the earth. The bible says there will be a great falling away.

But, there is more and this one really bothers me.  He said this –

and even be visited by Jesus in dreams

It sounds nice, even possible. After all, our God can do anything He wants, can’t He? He can make anything happen because He is God. But, does He?  Is this how He brings unbelievers to repentance by dream visits? Or when believers fast and pray because doing so removes the evil presence of the demonic hold (more dominionism). Because I thought salvation came through hearing the word (Romans 10:17) and by revelation and conviction of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8-9). I thought this was the reason we were told to preach the gospel (Luke 24:47, 2 Timothy 4:2). Speak it with words, not ask for dreams to do it for us.

I know from experience that it is very dangerous to ask or to expect God to work in a way that He has not designed. I know that this opens us to the demonic. This is why I am so upset at this kind of thing! We need to be very careful in what we teach others and what we ask or expect of God!

One more thing that I find interesting in all of this is the similarities between Rick Warren’s in the name of “Isa” prayer and the claims of dreams from the muslims of the man in white. When I first heard about these dreams some years ago I thought it was wonderful that Jesus was revealing Himself in dreams to these people. But, now, I know better. And just because it is a man in white, does not make him the Messiah. Remember, satan disguises himself as an angel of light!

Please, please, it is so easy to get all fired up and excited. But let’s be careful and make every effort to uphold Christ and the true ways taught in the bible over our emotional responses and fleshy expectations! Let’s be sober-minded!

And, yes, let’s do pray that the gospel of our Lord is preached to every muslim person in our country and that they would see the truth and repent. And maybe that means that we will be required to share our faith face to face with a muslim nearby. Let’s be ready!

Jesus is Lord!