Jesus is Muslim?

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber” (John 10:1).

Just returned from an interesting ministry trip. A clarion call came from Columbus, Ohio. Muslims in that area floated a test balloon claiming “Jesus is Muslim.” Along with other billboard messages, they sought to utilize the Lord and the Bible as recruiting propaganda to ensnare unsuspecting souls into their religion. It was a campaign of deceit. Like all false religions and cults, to add legitimacy to their religion, they incorporate Jesus. There has to be some measure of truth in order for deception to work its magic. It is, however, not the Jesus of the Bible, but a Jesus of their distorted imagination.

This lie could not go unchallenged. They committed defamation of character and someone needed to arise to set the record straight. That someone was Coach Dave Daubenmire with Pass the Salt Ministries. He observed these billboards, gave the call, exposed the lie, and called the church of the living God to publicly stand for the truth. Within a couple of days that particular billboard message disappeared.

Regardless, on Saturday, March 29th, 2014, about 75 brave souls showed up in the freezing, driving, rain at the billboard in question. There were still two other Islamic messages still in rotation, though much less controversial. Our sacred duty was to declare that Jesus Christ is not Muslim, He is Almighty God in the flesh. He is as the Scriptures declare, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

When called upon to address the people of God over this travesty, I decided to tackle this blasphemy from three viewpoints, the legal, historical, and most importantly the Biblical perspective.

Legal

The first amendment of the United States declares profound rights for all Americans. It states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Freedom of speech and religion, however, does not guarantee accuracy in speech nor truth in religion.

When it comes to Islam, though there are religious elements, it is more akin to a totalitarian ideology. The correct comparison of Islam is not to compare it to other religions, such as, Christianity or Judaism. No, the more accurate comparison is to compare Islam to Nazism, Fascism, or Communism.

Wherever Islam protests in democratic nations, you will observe signs that expose their ideology. “To Hell with Freedom,” “Down with Democracy,” “Islam Will Rule the World,” and other such signs are common place. Once Islam takes root and grows soon other demands are enacted. Sharia law seeks to supplant the laws of the land in free nations.

At some point, America is going to have to deal with this threat. A distinction has to be made between a constitutionally protected religion and a dangerous totalitarian ideology. The rise of Islam in America will eventually seek to use our freedom of religion clause of the First Amendment to establish Sharia law. This process has already begun in places like Dearborn, Michigan. Once established, Sharia law will supersede the Constitution and ultimately destroy the First Amendment. Freedom of speech and religion will become a distant memory in America.

Go to any nation where Islam rules and try to find a hint of freedom of speech and religion. You will search in vain. There are only three choices granted in places where Islam dominates. They are: convert, become their slave (Dhimmi), or die. There are no other freedoms, no other choices. Every nation that lets the Islamic camel’s nose into the tent of freedom eventually rues the day.

Historical

Supreme Court Justice, Joseph Storey, who served the high court from 1811-1845, commenting on the meaning of the First Amendment stated, “The real object of the First Amendment was not to countenance, much less to advance Mohammedanism, or Judaism, or infidelity, by prostrating Christianity, but to exclude all rivalry among Christian sects [denominations] and to prevent any national ecclesiastical patronage of the national government.”

I continually marvel at the foresight of our Founding Fathers. They were certainly aware of other religions in the world and knew people of other faiths would become Americans. The concern of the First Amendment, according to Supreme Court Justice Storey, was to ensure other religions would not be exalted at the expense of prostrating Christianity. Storey believed the purpose of the First Amendment was to make sure America did not repeat the tyranny of England and the Church of England. There were different denominations of Christianity in the different states . The First Amendment was instituted as a prohibition against one Christian sect becoming the national religion of America.

The Trumpet of the American Revolution, Patrick Henry, built on this theme of religious liberty. He stated, “It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.”

To this day, our great Statue of Liberty sounds forth this clarion call to our poor-fallen world, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” As you can see, America represented freedom to the world. America’s promise was liberty. How can any nation make such a boast? As Patrick Henry stated, our foundation was the Gospel of Jesus Christ and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).

No other faith, worldview, or philosophy of man is capable to set men free from the tyranny of sin from within or despotism of men from without. As America resorts back to the brutal darkness of paganism, it is not a coincidence that she is losing her freedoms as well. Islam may very well prove to be the harsh taskmaster to drive home this reality, if our nation does not repent.

Biblical Perspective

The God of the Bible also sounds forth a clarion call to the nations of the earth, “Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22). Jesus declared, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves” (Mark:11:17).

Notice two important truths. The house belongs to the Lord and all nations are welcomed. Though the nations are welcomed, they must come understanding that this is the Lord’s house. It is not their house. They cannot do whatever they want in the Lord’s house. Nobody has the authority to change the Lord’s House or in the case of this billboard message change the Lord Himself.
Jesus is no more a Muslim than He is a poached egg. How in the world can Islam, which started 600 years after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, claim He is one of them? They simply reach back to remake Him to fit their pagan religion.

No man, religion, worldview, or philosophy has the authority to define or redefine Jesus Christ. He has already revealed Himself in the 66 books that comprise the Holy Bible. God’s Word warns, “Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar” (Proverbs 30:6). Ecclesiastes 3:14 concurs, “I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him.”

Jesus stated, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39). Every word of the Bible points to Him. He is the Word made flesh (John 1:14). No other so-called “holy book” either claims or comes close to this revelation.

If this billboard (Jesus is Muslim) was presented as evidence in a court room, it would be considered perjury. Thus, in the court of public opinion and in religious circles, the billboard needs to be judged as slander, heresy, and blasphemy.

All cults and false religions understand this one reality, in order to be taken seriously, they must have a leg to stand on and that leg is Jesus Christ. Why is that? Because the truth is in Jesus (Ephesians 4:21). Tragically, for them and those who believe this deception, they are promoting “another Jesus,” “different spirit,” and “different gospel.” 2 Corinthians 11:4 reveals, “For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!”

The Apostle Paul pronounced the anathema of God upon this deception. He stated:

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed (Galatians 1:6-8).

Bottom line, the Muslim Jesus cannot save. This counterfeit can only serve to enslave. It is cursed of God. The Jesus of the Bible, however, came to set the captives free (Luke 4:18). Whose report are you going to believe America (Isaiah 53)? Choose wisely! Your future depends upon it.