1 in 4 are Muslim

Woke up this morning to a Muslim world.

It is not a shock, but a shock of reality. The Fox news headline this morning, 1 in 4 people in the world are Muslim. We must understand what this means for our ever global butterfly effect world. Muslims, like Hindus tend to believe their faith so much it permeates every breath of being. It is their religion, their lifestyle, their faith and commerce. It is not a label, it is the sole ingredient of who they are. On the other hand, with “Separation of Church and state” we Americans have befuddled out lives by compartmentalizing such aspects. We box God up, and label the side “Break glass in case of emergency”. We call to Him on 9/11, and conveniently put Him back when the sports programming resumes. The church here and now is no different. God tends to partially effect one hour on a Sunday morning somewhere between coffee and lunch and a grumbling about the pastor or music. And I add, how do we ever worship Him in these circumstances.
Yesterday I was reading a family oriented “Christian” magazine that comes to our home. Flavoring the articles was a spice of legalistic mandate that assumed a destiny right of making America “a Christian nation”. I am all for Christianity taking on all facets of our lives and setting forth the code for living peaceably in the USA. However, to assume to force that mindset or legislate thinking without having made a reasonable case with each generation is at best arrogant.
With “The Church” being so doctrinally unstable and a buffet of variable theologies, we find that the church tries to be like the world in a sadly laughable way, all while telling the world to be like them. We “The Church” give entertainment like amateurs, counsel with drugs and boo hoo therapies ala Oprah and Phil, and festoon a creed of love with exclusiveism. We boast of our own numbers, which are inflated and only a half generation away from being completely opposed by those who once agreed.
So far I have been referring to the church in that mass grouping that Christian Bookstores seem to use, equating Jonathan Edwards and Joel Osteen, Luther and Joyce Meyer, Calvin and Warren. The grab for the dollar puts anything scented of the Bible into one mass pot and people blindly trust the playing pipes as authoritative and looking for their best interest. Most people could not biblically define a true church who even lead one.
Christ’s church, the true church is a rare gospel living group indeed. Its not those filled with activity, for even the active will one day cry out “Lord Lord did we not…” (Mt 7) It is those who know Christ that are the church. (Mt 7, John 17:3) The beauty for the true church is the promise of Christ that the gates of Hell will not prevail. Yet we tend to sit back and do nothing. Sad. For I am reminded amongst all the parables of our future that Christ taught about the ten virgins and the lazy stewards. Both stories shared the demise of those who when the time came were found to be lazy and doing nothing, only to be left to the outer darkness.
When a watchman sends a warning the people need to respond. Unfortunately our good pastors have said wake up, only to be drowned out by the noise of narcissism. Has it gone now so far that Fox News even sounds an alarm, only to be ignored?
Yes folks, it is a Muslim world.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,562101,00.html