And Abram said [to God], “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” (Genesis 15:3-5, NIV)

Frustrated and impatient with the lack of God’s immediate fulfillment of His promise, Abram decided (with Sarai’s encouragement) to take matters into his own hands. He took unto himself Hagar, Sarai’s maidservant, and she bore him a son.

And the Angel of the Lord said to her [Hagar]: “Behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael [viz., God shall hear], because the Lord has heard your affliction. He shall be a wild man; his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.” (Genesis 16:11-12, NKJV)

Several things should be noted at this point. First, Abram (meaning, “high father”) chose to disbelieve God’s promised covenant with him and establish his own covenant by the flesh. Second, his partner in this fleshly covenant was the pagan Egyptian Hagar (meaning one who takes flight). Third, it was God, not Abram, who chose the name of Ishmael for this son to be born outside of God’s chosen covenant with His people. Fourth, it was God who said at Ishmael’s conception, that he would “be a wild man” and that “his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him.” At the same time, “He shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”

It is important to note that the Hebrew word used for “wild” in the above verse means for one to be like a “wild ass,” with no boundaries. The Hebrew word used for “hand” means the “open hand of power.” And who were Ishmael’s brethren? He had a Hebrew father, Abram, and a pagan Arabic mother, Hagar. His brethren at the time of his birth were both Jews and Arabs.

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, he was still without a true heir by Sarai’s womb. God then spoke to Abram and made this covenant with him:

As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. (Genesis 17:4-8, NKJV)

Fourteen years after the birth of Ishmael, God fulfilled His intended covenant with Abram (now Abraham) with the birth of Isaac (“laughter”) to Sarah (“princess”) who was no longer called Sarai (“dominant”).

Abraham asked God if “Ishmael might live before you.” But God told Abraham:

No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. (Genesis 17:18-20, NKJV)

God never intended to establish His covenant with Ishmael, because Ishmael was not the child of the promise but of the flesh. God could not establish His covenant with him; He could only bless him. While God blessed Ishmael with fruitfulness, He never made a covenant with him. God’s covenant was with Abraham and him only. And, unlike Islam & Christianity Abraham and Isaac, God never promised Ishmael and his seed that He would be their God.

Although Arabic Muslims claim Abraham as their heir, biblically they are descendants of pre-covenant Abram, the one who disobeyed God and disbelieved His promise of an heir through Sarah. God could bless Ishmael, but He could never establish His covenant with a sinful seed of the flesh.

Ishmael became the father of twelve Arabian princes (nations) whom God said that He would “multiply … exceedingly” (Genesis 17:20). Ishmael and Hagar were driven into the Wilderness of Paran to dwell. (See Genesis 21:20-21.) This wilderness covers the eastern Sinai and the southern and southeastern borders of present-day Israel.

Ishmael’s sons initially inhabited an area from Egypt and the Sinai Desert, the Arabian peninsula to Assyria (which includes present-day Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, and the lesser Arab kingdoms).

Remember, God promised that Ishmael and his descendants would be wild men whose hand would be “… against every man.”

Some Bible translations of Genesis 25:18 state that the descendants of Ishmael after the death of Abraham, “lived in hostility toward” or “in defiance of” all their brethren (New International Version, New Living Translation, and New American Standard). Other versions (including the King James, New King James and Amplified Bibles) state only that Ishmael’s descendants lived “close to” or “in the presence of” their relatives.

Muhammad and the Muslims have found a simple solution to this dilemma of a negative biblical image. Muhammad asserted that Allah revealed to him that it was Ishmael, not Isaac, that Allah chose to test Abraham’s faith; and, therefore, it was Ishmael and all those who are descendants of him that are the true chosen people to fulfill Allah’s covenant.

Instead of God calling Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac on a makeshift altar on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem (the current site of the Dome of the Rock), it was Allah who called Abraham to sacrifice Ishmael on Mount Mina outside Mecca.

According to the Qur’an, Abraham prayed to Allah:

My Lord! Grant me [a son who shall be] of the doers of good deeds [that is, righteous]. So We gave [Abraham] the good news of a boy, possessing forbearance. And when [Ishmael] attained to working with him, [Abraham] said: “O my son! Surely I have seen in a dream that I should sacrifice you; consider then what you see.” He said: “O my father! Do what you are commanded; if Allah please, you will find me of the patient ones.” So when they both submitted and [Abraham] threw [Ishmael] down upon his forehead, and he called out to him saying: “O Ibrahim! You have indeed shown the truth of the vision; surely thus do. We reward the doers of good: Most surely this is a manifest trial.” (surah 37:100- 106)

This version in the Qur’an of Abraham’s call to sacrifice his son strongly contradicts the biblical story. “Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about” (Genesis 22:2). Notice that God refers to Isaac as Abraham’s only son. That is because only Isaac was God’s choice to fulfill His covenant with Abraham—not Ishmael, the son of the flesh.

In the Genesis account, Isaac had no prior knowledge of his role in the sacrifice:

Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” (Genesis 22:7-8a)

Because of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his only son and not withhold him from God, God promised Abraham that “… through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me” (Genesis 22:18).

From the present day and historical perspective of the daily violence against mankind by the followers of Islam, it is hard to see that this was God’s plan for blessing the nations of the Earth through the descendants of Ishmael. Among the descendants of Isaac, however, was Jesus, the sacrificial lamb who brought salvation to the world by the shedding of His blood and not that of another human being—truly a blessing to all who will receive Him.

The Apostle Paul affirmed that descendants of Isaac are the true heirs of God: “It is not as though God’s word had failed,” he asserted. “For not all who are descended from Israel are [of] Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned’ [Genesis 21:12]. In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. (Romans 9:6-8)

Excerpted from: Islam & Christianity: A Revealing Contrast (2009) by James F. Gauss.

For more on Islam, read Islam & Christianity: A Revealing Contrast, available on Amazon.com and other online booksellers.

There is some difficulty in piecing together the message of the Qur’an.

·         The Qur’an is not written with any sequential theme, nor is it arranged in a chronological manner. The chapters (called surahs) are arranged by the longest (that appear first) to the shortest (which appear last).

·         It was originally composed on any organic material handy, including bones, leaves, bark, reed mats, stones, or just recorded in the minds of men.

·         Since Muslims claim that the only true Qur’an is in Arabic, any other translations are suspect even if translated by Muslim scholars. This makes it convenient for Muslims to dispute whatever non-believers find objectionable in non-Arabic translations. Muslims can just claim that whatever the translation, it does not hold true in Arabic.

·         The Qur’an’s reliability as Allah’s word rests on the character and trust of one person, Muhammad, the prophet of Islam.

·         Much of the Qur’an appears to be verses of revelation that Muhammad received that fit his self-serving ambitions at the moment, rather than holy guidance for lost souls.

·         Some of the teachings of the Qur’an violate the Ten Commandments that Jews and Christians hold sacred.

·         While the Qur’an acknowledges that Jews and Muslims (and Christians through Christ) are descendants of Abraham, much of the Qur’an denigrates and demeans Jews and Christians specifically and calls for violence against them. 

The Bible, by comparison, is somewhat easier to follow due to its many chronological sequences. It is also written by numerous prophets, sages and apostles who were first hand witnesses to God’s intervention in the lives of His people. In some cases, different authors write about the same events, with agreement on most details. In the Qur’an, Muhammad is the only participant with Allah and the only reporter. There are no collaborating witnesses or recorders of the events to which Muhammad speaks.

So, what is the true face of Islam? On November 20, 2003 – a scant two years after the terrifying events of September 11, 2001 – the President of theUnited States, George W. Bush, in a joint press conference inEnglandwith Prime Minister Tony Blair, declared that Christians, Jews and Muslims worship the same God and that Islam is a religion of peace. Is Islam a peaceful religion, as Islamic leaders desire for Westerners to believe, and as the President of theUnited   Statesand leaders of other countries try to assure their countrymen? Are Jews, Christians and Muslims all “brothers” just trying to follow the same God? Do we all have a joint destiny that will end at the same place?

If the Qur’an is God’s last word to mankind and Muhammad was the last and greatest of His prophets, as Muslims claim, then it would appear that God has reversed His plan of salvation and freedom for mankind. Instead, He has decided that enslavement would be better; that man could no longer be justified by shedding of His own blood through Jesus Christ; and that it must be man’s blood shed through the violence of Jihad that would bring unbelieving sinners to repentance.

For more on Islam, read Islam & Christianity: A Revealing Contrast, available on Amazon.com and other online booksellers.

If one looks deeper for the truth, as has the Gallup polling group and economist John Williams, originator of the Shadow Government Statistics website, you will discover very disturbing truths that are being suppressed by the Obama administration.

Even among the BLS’s own statistics for February, “Not Seasonally Adjusted” unemployment was 9.5%.  Keep in mind that the BLS defines unemployment as those workers who have been looking for work the past 4 weeks, are available to work but have not found work.  The BLS, for public reporting purposes, ignores all those who have been unemployed for months, or who out of desperation, take part time or low wage service jobs just to survive.

According to an unemployment release by Gallup on February 17, 2011, a survey of 18,000 adults across the 50 states, showed a significant increase in unemployment from 8.8% in December to 10.0% by mid-February.

Gallup's U.S. Unemployment Rate, 2010-2011

Gallup also discovered that the unemployment/underemployment rate rose to 19.6% by mid-February.  “Underemployment” is defined by Gallup as those unemployed, plus those working part-time that want full-time work.  This rate is also considerably higher than the BLS rate of 16.7% for February, which includes underemployed workers.

U.S. Underemployment, 2010-2011

However, John Williams calculates this rate to be far worse, at 22.1%.

Such data is unsettling enough, but when it is coupled together with the Obama administration and Congress’s unfettered spending spree; rising oil prices; world food shortages and the prospects of hyper-inflation, 2011 is not looking too promising.

On Thursday, March 3, the U.S. Treasury Department released the Fed’s monthly expenditures for February and they exceeded $1 trillion.  However, it’s not the first time.  There have been 13 such months of one trillion in expenditures since October, 2008.  Keep in mind, the Obama budget was proposed at $2.174 trillion in income and $3.819 trillion in expenditures for FY2011, leaving an annual deficit of $1.645 trillion.

The worst part of this February expenditure was that the Fed had to shell out over half trillion ($585 billion) just to pay holders of U.S. Treasury securities.  It then borrowed another $660.86 billion by selling more securities, thus increasing the national debt another $63.71 billion.  (The total National Debt stands at $14.19 trillion and rising).  You can, of course, see where this is headed.  It would be like you having a Visa and a Master Card credit cards.  Each month you borrow from the Visa card to pay just the interest on the Master Card.  But each month the balance on the Visa keeps going up.  So then you borrow from the Master Card to pay the Visa interest, and so on, until complete disaster hits your financial world.

The more that the Fed borrows to pay just the interest on the federal debt, the higher interest rates will go as buyers of U.S. securities get more cautious and demand higher interest rates to offset their risk in holding those securities.  So, buckle your seat belts, the ride is not going to be pretty.

Yesterday, October 15, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced that the Feds will buy its own Treasury bonds in order to keep long term interest rates low.  Now, that may sound good to the pleasantly uninformed, but the question quickly arises: With a Fed that has no money, what exactly are you going to buy them with?

It’s the Obama/Fed Ponzi scheme  all over again.  It is like you or me taking our Visa card to pay off the debt on our Master Card.  Did we gain anything by doing so?  Did we pay off any debt?  Did we improve our financial picture?  Are we more liquid now?  The answer, of course, to all those questions, is a clear, NO.  But, since Obama and the Federal Reserve control the money supply, their solution is all too easy:  Just print more money to buy back the bonds.  Actually, they have been quietly doing this since August.  The net result has been that the dollar is getting weaker, dropping another 10 percent against the Euro since August.  Worldwide, the truth is:  no one wants our funny money; no one wants to carry our debt anymore.  So, the only choice is to print more money to buy what no one else wants to buy.

History has demonstrated that once a nation starts to monetize its debt and continues to do so, financial and economic collapse is trailing close behind.

The reality is that there are only three choices (outside of national default or bankruptcy) to turn our nation of debt around: 1) dramatically raise taxes; 2) cut spending; or 3) monetize the debt.  Raising taxes is not that popular, except with President Obama and the Democrats.  Besides the possible repeal of the Bush tax cuts after the election, at least two other Democratic proposals are floating around.  HR4646 proposed in February, 2010 and sitting in committee would impose a 1% transaction fee (tax) on ALL financial transactions—including EFT deposits of pay checks, Social Security and any other deposit, whether EFT or manual—with the presumed goal of using the revenue to pay off the national debt.  But we know how politicians are when they get a new revenue source.  It rarely goes for the intended cause and just becomes a slush fund for more unwise spending.

A second proposal that is being considered by Obama and his team is not really a tax but is an indirect way of reducing everyone’s retirement pot-of-gold.  Call it a regressive tax, if you want.  The plan would be to require everyone who holds a retirement account—IRA, 401(k) or other plan—to buy government debt securities (the percentage required not yet determined).  In exchange the government would “guarantee” an annuity payment at retirement.  And we all know how well government guarantees work.

And to cut spending will not work either.  Politicians only give the public the illusion of spending cuts.  Once the political pig is being fed, its gluttony only increases.  No one wants to cut the pork they are sending back home to pad their elections and their pockets.

The last one, monetizing the debt, is not only reckless and ill-advised, but inflationary.  And, if carried too far, will cause extreme devaluation of our currency and hyper-inflation.  But it is the easiest method to implement without too many people taking note until it is way too late.

James F. Gauss

©2006

It’s hard to know where it all began,

The demoralization of this land.

Was it the statesmen elected to serve?

Or was it the preachers who lost their nerve?

Was it the people who were so blindly led?

Or was it the educators in what they said?

Was it the judiciary so liberalized?

Or was it justice that closed its eyes?

Whomever the source, whatever their reason,

For American survival it’s open season.

It’s hard to know when it all began,

Was it when prayer left our land?

Was it when we got tired of one more kid,

And murdered the innocent like Hitler did?

Or was it when the church winked at sin,

And invited the unrepentant sinner in?

Was it when the judges struck God from the land?

Or was it when Congress gave them the upper hand?

Was it when educators taught our kids wrong is right?

Or was it when parents let their children out of sight?

It’s hard to know at whom the finger is pointed,

With the land so fractured and disjointed.

Is it the Congressman who gives our money away?

Or the greedy businessman that sends our jobs to Taipei?

Is it the teacher who gets our youth way off base?

Or the preacher who becomes a moral disgrace?

Is it the judge who lets a criminal slip on by?

Or the banker who charges interest too high?

Is it the American who buys nothing but Chinese,

Then wonders why his job goes blowing in the breeze?

Whenever it was; whoever is to blame,

The end result will still be the same.

A country with no morals, no firm place to stand,

Its face turned from God, will no longer be grand.

America for sure is headed on a suicidal bent,

It has forgotten what civility and justice meant.

There’s no way off a slope this slippery,

Unless, of course, we come to agree,

Our only way out is repentance, you see.

A genuine reversal to set us free,

To be the country God meant us to be.

“The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled, and the public debt should be reduced.  The arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled.  And the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed, lest we become bankrupt.”

Is this the quote from one of our noble politicians, a leading statesman?  One who will lead this country out of economic crisis?  No!  This is a quote from Cicero in 63 B.C., over 2,000 years ago.  [Note:  While Cicero has been given credit for the first part of the quote, the source of the entire quote is unknown.] 

What is the old adage?  “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

Is America teetering on the edge of economic disaster? [In 2010, now more than ever.]  At a time when government and personal spending and debt is spiraling out of control, we get the same old sugar-coated pill from politicians – “everything’s OK, spend, spend, spend; nothing to worry about.”

However, there are some economists and knowledgeable people [many more now than 18 years ago] with foresight that are very concerned about the path our polticians and others are taking us down.  You only need a grade school education in math to figure out that no one, not even the great United States, can keep spending what it does not have and keep mortgaging the future of hardworking Americans, their retirement and the financial welfare of their children and grandchildren [and many generations to follow].

America and Americans have become slaves to debt and high living.  And we are about to pay the piper for our excesses.  Our national debt is nearing $4 trillion, with some estimates putting it at $20 trillion by the year 2000  With no decisive or strong commitment from the majority of our elected officials to cut spending and reduce debt, that estimate may be conservative [the officially reported national debt as of March 3, 2010 is $12.5 trillion or $40,668 for every American.  However, when entitlement obligations are added in, the debt soars to around $56 trillion.]

If this estimate is close to being accurate (and it assumes no major financial calamities, like an S & L bailout [How about a financial meltdown and hundreds of billions in bailouts to banks and other financial institutions?], then Americans would have to pay taxes exceeding 100 percent of their income in the year 2000 just to pay the interest on this debt.  [Of course this is not happening and the debt is soaring into hyperspace].  Clearly a disaster waiting to happen [and many believe is imminent].

The government that our forefathers so thoughtfully and prayerfully founded on Christian principles as a government “of the people, by the people, for the people,” is enslaving its people to debt and irresponsible management and stewardship of the constitutional trust.

It is time to clean house and elect “statesman,” not politicians, who will be morally and financially responsible.  We must insist that Congress comply with the Gramm-Rudman law of 1985 (which they never have) and maintain a balanced budget and cut expenses – NOW.

It should be against the law for the federal government to use Social Security revenues to balance the budget and, therefore, use the funds anywhere it sees fit.  Under the current accounting system, it is operating a legalized theft ring, stealing from the financial pot of millions of future [and current] retirees.  This must stop and the system be severely revamped. . . .

What the Bible Says. We can gain some insight into this generations’ old conflict by picking up the story in Genesis 16 where Abraham and his wife Sarah were first known as Abram and Sarai. Abram was 86 years old and Sarai had never bore him any children, yet God had promised him that he would have a male descendent who would bring forth descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven (Genesis 15:3-5).

            Frustrated and impatient with the lack of God’s immediate fulfillment of His promise, Abram decided (with Sarai’s encouragement) to take matters into his own hands. 

He took unto himself Hagar, Sarai’s maidservant, and she bore him a son.

And the Angel of the Lord said to her [Hagar]: “Behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son.  You shall call his name Ishmael [viz., God shall hear],  because the Lord  has heard your affliction.

He shall be a wild man; his hand shall be against every man,  and every man’s hand against him.  And he shall dwell in the presence  of all his brethren.”                                                 Genesis 16:11-12, NKJV

Several things should be noted at this point. First, Abram chose to disbelieve God’s promised covenant with him and establish his own covenant by the flesh. Second, his partner in this fleshly covenant was the pagan, Hagar (meaning one who takes flight), the Egyptian. Third, it was God, not Abram, who chose the name of Ishmael for this son to be born outside of God’s chosen covenant with His people. Fourth, it was God who said at Ishmael’s conception, that he would “be a wild man;” and that “his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him.” At the same time “he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.” 

It is important to note that the Hebrew word used for “wild” in the above verse means for one to be like a “wild ass” with no boundaries. The Hebrew word used for “hand” means the “open hand of power.” And who were Ishmael’s brethren? He had a Hebrew father, Abram, and a pagan Arabic mother, Hagar. His brethren at the time of his birth were both Jews and Arabs.

When Abram was 99 years old, he was still without a true heir by Sarai’s womb.  God then spoke to Abram and made this covenant with him:

As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.  No longer shall your name be called Abram,  but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.  I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.  And I will establish My covenant  between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations,  for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants  after you.  Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting  possession; and I will be their God.                        Genesis 17:4-8, NKJV

Fourteen years after the birth of Ishmael, God fulfilled His intended covenant with Abram (now Abraham) with the birth of Isaac  to Sarah who was no longer called Sarai.

Abraham asked God if “Ishmael might live before You?” 

But God told Abraham, “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.

“And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation (Genesis 17:18-20, NKJV).”

God never intended to establish His covenant with Ishmael, because Ishmael was not the child of the promise but of the flesh. God could not establish His covenant with him, He could only bless him. While God blessed Ishmael with fruitfulness, He never made a covenant with him. God’s covenant was with Abraham and him only. And, unlike Abraham and Isaac, God never promised Ishmael and his seed that He would be their God.

Although Arabic Muslims claim Abraham as their heir, biblically they are descendants of pre-covenant Abram, the one who disobeyed God and disbelieved His promise of an heir through Sarah. God could bless Ishmael, but He could never establish His covenant with a sinful seed of the flesh.

Ishmael became the father of 12 Arabian princes (nations) whom God said that He would “multiply . . . exceedingly” (Genesis 17:20). Ishmael and Hagar were driven into the Wilderness of Paran to dwell (Genesis 21:20-21). This wilderness covers the eastern Sinai and the southern and southeastern borders of present-day Israel. 

Ishmael’s sons initially inhabited an area from Egypt and the Sinai Desert, the Arabian peninsula to Assyria (which includes present day Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and the lesser Arab kingdoms).

Remember, God promised that Ishmael and his descendants would be wild men whose hand would be “against every man.”

After the death of Abraham, some Bible translations of Genesis 25:18 state that the descendents of Ishmael “lived in hostility toward” or “in defiance of” all their brethren (New International Version, New Living Translation and North American Standard). Other versions (including the King James, New King James and Amplified Bibles) state only that Ishmael’s descendents lived “close to” or “in the presence of” their relatives.

Muhammad and the Muslims have found a simple solution to this dilemma of a negative biblical image. Muhammad asserted that Allah revealed to him that it was Ishmael, not Isaac, that Allah chose to test Abraham’s faith; and therefore it was Ishmael and all those who are descendents of him that are the true chosen people to fulfill Allah’s covenant.

Instead of God calling Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac on a makeshift altar on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem (the current site of the Dome of the Rock), it was Allah who called Abraham to sacrifice Ishmael on Mount Mina outside Mecca.

According to the Qur’an, Abraham prayed to Allah: “’My Lord! Grant me [a son who shall be] of the doers of good deeds [that is, righteous].’ So We gave [Abraham] the good news of a boy, possessing forbearance. And when [Ishmael] attained to working with him, [Abraham] said: O my son! Surely I have seen in a dream that I should sacrifice you; consider then what you see. He said: O my father! Do what you are commanded; if Allah please, you will find me of the patient ones. So when they both submitted and [Abraham] threw [Ishmael] down upon his forehead, and We called out to him saying: O Ibrahim! You have indeed shown the truth of the vision; surely thus do We reward the doers of good: Most surely this is a manifest trial (surah 37:100- 106).” 

This version in the Qur’an of Abraham’s call to sacrifice his son strongly contradicts the biblical story.   “Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about (Genesis 22:2).’” Notice that God refers to Isaac as Abraham’s only son. That is because only Isaac was God’s choice to fulfill His covenant with Abraham – not Ishmael, the son of the flesh.

In the Genesis account, Isaac had no prior knowledge of his role in the sacrifice.   “Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, ‘Father?’

“’Yes, my son?’ Abraham replied.

“’The fire and wood are here,’ Isaac said, ‘but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’

“Abraham answered, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son (Genesis 22:7-8a).’”

Because of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his only son and not withhold him from God, God promised Abraham that “through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me (Genesis 22:18).”

From the present day and historical perspective of the daily violence against mankind by the followers of Islam, it is hard to see that this was God’s plan for blessing the nations of the earth through the descendents of Ishmael. Among the descendents of Isaac, however, was Jesus, the sacrificial lamb who brought salvation to the world by the shedding of His blood and not that of another human being – truly a blessing to all who will receive Him.

Excerpted from Islam & Christianity

Cotopaxi Volcano (19,347 ft.), Ecuador

(Ignore the date on the photos.  Despite numerous attempts, our camera insisted on back dating photos two years before we got the camera.)

What can I say about Ecuador?  My wife and I have never been outside the U.S. except for a few brief trips across the border into Canada.  We had never considered going anywhere exotic until a long-lost friend of 30 years ago called from Ecuador and invited us to visit.

We had no idea what to expect.  Most people we knew did not even know where the country was, much less visit there.  Of course, most of what Americans tend to hear about Latin America is filtered through the news of the Columbian drug cartels or the anti-American rants of President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.  So, although we had some apprehension, we decided to forge ahead with our great post-retirement adventure on January 13 of this year.

Cuicocha (crater) Lake, Cotacachi, Ecuador

The five-and-a-half hour flight from Atlanta to Quito at night was less than thrilling but uneventful.  When we landed in Quito at 11 PM it was breath-taking (literally).  At 9,300 feet, low land Americanos feel the impact of thinner air immediately, as if someone threw you to the tarmac and put a heavy foot on your chest.  You immediately take several deep breaths and your gate slows considerably. 

Looking down and East on Quito from 13,500 ft.

The center of Quito at a little over 9,100 feet makes it the second highest capitol city in the world.  Situated about 15 miles south of the equator (hence the country’s name, Ecuador), this elongated city of about 1.5 million people is nestled between two north-south running Andean mountain spurs.  It is a picturesque Spanish colonial city dating back over 500 years (much longer if one considers the pre-Spanish occupancy of the area by the Quitu Indians.

Scenic views of Quito and distant towns from near the top of volcanic mount Pichincha (15,337 ft.) on the western rim are spectacular with vistas to the East of well over 50 miles.

If you go there expecting to be able to communicate in English, forget it.  With a population of 99.9% Ecuadorian very few speak any English at all.  You are forced to learn some Spanish words and phrases quick for survival.  Like: ”Donde esta el bano?”  That is, “Where is the batyhroom?”  “Bano?” or “Bano!” with a look of panic on your face also works.   We were very fortunate in that our native Ecuadorian friend is bilingual (Spanish & English) or we would have been culturally and geographically lost.

For North Americans, once you get over the initial cultural shock, Ecuador begins to seep into every fabric of your being in the most pleasant of ways.  In the larger cities, with the noise and non-stop traffic of thousands of buses, taxis, trucks and cars on weekdays, life on the surface seems chaotic.  On the pedestrian level, however, life takes on a new meaning as Ecuadorians appear to take everything in stride in a peaceful, collected manner with no urgency or panic.  We were quick to notice several admirable qualities among the natives.  Despite the press of humanity on crowded streets and buses, people were polite and courteous, never getting angry at others or being boisterous or pushy.  No matter how crowed a bus was (signs stated that a bus had a capacity of 46 sitting and 112 standing), there was always room for one more weary passenger – even if fellow passengers had to hang to him or her so they did not fall out the open door.

Even children of all ages were polite and well-behaved.  I iknow this sounds like a fairy tale, but one cannot help but to notice how much this stood out to Americans who are, unfortunately, too used to seeing rowdy children screaming and running in supermarket aisles or backtalking their parents or other adults.  In our entire three weeks in many places in the Ecuadorian sierra we never heard a parent raise their voice or strike their child.  Adults did not even raise their voice between each other.  More than likely, to get another’s attention, both men and women would use the ancient skill of a shrill whistle.  This worked to get the attention of any taxi cab driver, bus driver or anyone within a hundred yard radius.

More to come . . .

                 

We the People Accolades

Modern America has developed cultural amnesia, but the documents and speeches in We the People are a valuable resource for recovering our heritage and identity

Rev. Peter Marshall

Peter Marshall Ministries

At a time when the schools…have forgotten or deliberately obscured the true history of the United States, along comes We the People to remind us of the uniqueness of our founders’ inspiration.

Joseph Farah  

CEO/Editor, WorldNetDaily

I think Volume I is terrific and will make an important contribution to an understanding of America’s foundation.

Howard Phillips 

President, Conservative Caucus Foundation

Here is a book that literally speaks for itself…Valuable historical research that makes for refreshing and inspiring reading.

Dr. D. James Kennedy  

President, Coral Ridge Ministries

This is a book that should be on a shelf in every library and required reading for every young person of college age.

W. J. Rayment   

Conservativebookstore.com

Here one can find in one reference book those documents which were key to establishing our country’s principles and laws—find them as they were originally penned, not revised to suit present philosophy or political correctness.

Kathleen Carper   

President, SC Assn. of Indep. Home Schools

The book would be tremendously helpful for students and teachers.  It should be required reading in our schools, ‘should’ being the operative word.

Monty Rainey   

Chairman, The Junto Society

These are important documents that we hope will be treasured by all Americans.

Lynne Cheney

What an amazing and wonderful resource…This is a definite must have for every family…I can’t wait to get my hands on Volumes Two . . .

Diane McNett   

Books4Homeschool

In post-modern America, the need for teaching the foundations of our nation is greater than ever….A look at foundational documents is vital. 

…We the People, is a complete treasure house of those documents.

Susan Stewart

The California Parent Educator

… [Volume II] is a superb compilation of historically significant documents which ought to be available to every citizen and especially to America’s young people.

Howard Phillips  

President, The Conservative Caucus, Inc.

Volume I, 2003 and Volume II, 2005 are available at Authorhouse.com or other online bookstores.

Americans are bombarded daily with conflicting commentary on the relativity of Islam to Christianity and the debate between Islam as a peaceful religion to one of terror and bloodshed. If we are to take these issues before us and deal with them responsibly, we must not only be informed of what is being presented to the world, but we must also be well-informed on the truth behind this fast-growing religion. To stick our heads in the sand and just take everything at face value may come at great cost, not only in our earthly future, but when we stand before the throne of Christ. As responsible Christians, we have the privilege and responsibility to stay engaged in what is taking place around us and seeing that God’s Kingdom continues to move forward.

There is an abundance of information grabbing for our attention in the world on the topic of Islam, as well as numerous different slants and opinions. To be valid in the life of a Christian, God’s Word must be held up as the comparison, the element that, if you will, “tips the scale” towards what is true. Without this mirror, one is left defenseless in discerning what they read and hear through the media, and much less effective when trying to pray for and explain the truth of the gospel to a Muslim. With the fast-moving world we live in today, none of us are exempt from the issue at hand. We hear it on the news, read it in the paper or as we are sharing car pools and PTA meetings with Muslims in our own community. To take the Great Commission seriously, we must know what we believe, what the world believes and how to share truth with them, when the opportunity arises.

Many within the Islamic faith do not totally know what they believe; they take everything at face value, but find their hearts empty and searching. My visits to the Middle East have brought me in contact with Christians who were former Muslims and who have shared how empty they felt, and knew that their faith was not meeting their needs. It was only after they were introduced to the truth of the gospel message that they were able to see what they were longing for. These living examples give even more relevance that we must be students of not only God’s Word, but also understand what the Muslim faith professes, that we may present the truth of God’s Word to them, holding it in contrast to their holy book, the Koran. It is up to God to do the rest; our part is to be informed and ready to share when the opportunity arises.

Dr. Gauss has presented an effective resource in Islam and Christianity for the average reader. Here you will find many of the issues addressed that are forefront in the minds of Muslims, comparing clearly the lives and ministry of Christ with that of Muhammad. God’s Word is clearly compared with the Koran and gives you a hands-on resource to use in your witness, as well as in your prayer life for the Muslim world.

As Christians, we understand that the root we must recognize is not social, political or economic, but it is spiritual. May this book assist you in standing with God in bringing many locked in darkness into His marvelous light.

Bridge-Logos Publishers, 2009.

Available through your local bookstore or online bookstores worldwide.