Study of God's Word

 

 

 

When men look at themselves and think there is something in them that merits a place in the Kingdom of God, they are looking for something good about themselves.  But the good they see in themselves is only at best bad good.  They may be good in the sense they do good things for others, but bad in the sense they are not doing it for the glory of God.

All men, and women have been born into the condition that the Scripture c all sin. That is, man can not please God.  Man is born with a nature that is spiritually dead, that is not alive to the things of God.+

1. Natural man has been corrupted by sin since the fall in the Garden of Eden

Genesis 3:6-7 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

Romans 5:12-19 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned…14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 … For if by the one man’s offense many died…16 … For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation…17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one…18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation…19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners…

2. All natural men are unclean, there is no one good, there is no one righteous. There are none who seek God.

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

Romans 3:10-12 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one. 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”

3. No one has a good heart – all hearts are evil, continuously evil.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

Genesis 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

4. Natural man is born into sin – we sin because we are sinners.

Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

Psalm 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

5. Natural man is dead in sin. Dead means dead.

Ephesians 2:1, 5 …who were dead in trespasses and sins…5 even when we were dead in trespasses

Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh…

6. Natural man is a slave to his sin, which means he must do what his master commands him. Sin reigns and controls us from birth.

John 8:34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

Romans 6:15-23 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey…20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness…

7. Natural man is blinded and controlled by Satan.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Ephesians 2:1-2 …who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience…

Ephesians 4:18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God…

8. By nature, men are children of wrath and sons of disobedience who do nothing but fulfill the desires and pleasures of their lusts in the flesh.

Ephesians 2:3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

Titus 3:3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

Colossians 3:5-7 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness…

1 Peter 4:3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.

9. Natural man loves darkness and suppresses the truth.

John 3:19-20 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

Romans 1:18-32 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness…

10. Natural man does not understand God and it is impossible for man to please Him.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

Romans 8:7-8 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing…

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

John 1:5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

What Is a Biblical Spirutal Revival in the Local Church

Too often we relate Revival with how many people get saved.  But that is not really the meaning of a Revival.  Its the Christian Believer getting a new zeal for the work of the Ministry and a greater love for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Answer:

 

Revival refers to a spiritual reawakening from a state of dormancy or stagnation in the life of a believer. It encompasses the resurfacing of a love for God, an appreciation of God's holiness, a passion for His Word and His church, a convicting awareness of personal and corporate sin, a spirit of humility, and a desire for repentance and growth in righteousness. Revival invigorates and sometimes deepens a believer's faith, opening his or her eyes to the truth in a fresh, new way. It generally involves the connotation of a fresh start with a clean slate, marking a new beginning of a life lived in obedience to God. Revival breaks the charm and power of the world, which blinds the eyes of men, and generates both the will and power to live in the world but not of the world.

1. Psalms 85:6 Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?
2. Psalms 80:19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!
3. Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
4. 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
5. James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
6. Ezekiel 37:1-14 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. ...
7. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people
8. Psalms 51:10 (ESV says it this way "Create in me a clean heart, O God, a renew a right spirit with me."
9. Ephesians 5:14 For anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
10. Acts 2:When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. ...
11. Psalms 19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
12. Habakkuk 3:2  "O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the years REVIVE it, in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy
13. Isaiah 64:1-4 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence— as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil— to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.
14. Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
15. Acts 3:19-21 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.
16. Isaiah 40:28-31 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
17. Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon
18. Ephesians 5:14-16 (to 21) For anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, ...
19. Acts 3:19-20 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus
20. Ephesians 5:14-25 For anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit...
21. John 9: As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ...
22. Jeremiah 6:16  Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.
23. I John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
24. James 4:6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
25. Revelation 17:1=18  Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.” ...
26. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”
27. Jeremiah 30:17 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”
28. 2 Kings 18:21  And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.
29. Jeremiah 6:15 Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,” says the Lord.
30. Isaiah 6:5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
31. Hosea 6:1-6 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, ...
32. Psalms 119:25 My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!
33. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
34. Deuteronomy 8:1-20 “The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers. And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. ...
35. Isaiah 58:1-14 “Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? ...
36. Zephaniah 2:3 Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord.

EXAMPLE OF PRESENT TENSE

1Peter 1:5 who are protected _{(PPPMPA) (5746) by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time}

 


the power of God through than mental assent. Firm conviction, surrender to that truth, conduct consistent w surrender.Saving faith than understanding the facts & mentally acquiescing. Inseparable fr repentance, surrender & supernatural longing to obey" href="http://studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=4102"faith for a state of well being/health. Past = justified =declared righteous. Fr penalty of sin Present=sanctified. fr power of sin. Future=glorified Fr presence of sin." href="http://studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=4991&l=en"salvation ready to be revealed (APN) in the last time (NASB:
Greek: tous en dunamei thHYPERLINK "http://studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=2316"eou phrouroumenouHYPERLINK "http://studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=5432"s (PPPMPA) dia pisteoo eis soterian hetoimen apokaluphthenai (APN) en kairo eschato.
NKJV: who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Amplified: Who are being guarded (garrisoned) by God’s power through [your] faith [till you fully inherit that final] salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time.
NLT: And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see.
Phillips: And in the meantime you are guarded by the power of God operating through your faith, till you enter fully into the salvation which is all ready for the dénouement of the last day.
Wuest: who are constantly being kept guarded by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in a last season which is epochal and strategic in its significance.
Young's Literal: who, in the power of God are being guarded, through faith, unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time,


PPPMPA = Present Tense, Passive Voice, Participle, Masculine, Plural, Accusative
From Peter's use of Present tense one can see that in context (see also discussion of context) he is referring to born again ones, describing them as those who are "continually being protected by the power (dunamis) of God". God's protection of His children isn't fickle, present one day and absent the next. You can see how even the most basic understanding of verb tense can add so much to the meaning.


Knowledge of the tense of a verb can sometimes be critical for accurate interpretation. For example read the following verse...

1Jn 3:9: "No one who is born of God practices (present tense) sin (noun), because His seed abides in him and he cannot sin (verb), because he is born of God."

Look at the verb sin. At first glance the verse seems to imply that one who is "born of God" can never commit a sin and yet all genuine believers know that this is not a reality (cf 1Jn 1:8, 2Chr 6:36, Ec 7:20, Jas 3:2). When you understand that the verb sin is in the present tense, it becomes clear that John is saying that one who is born of God cannot habitually commit sins as their general pattern of life. The verb "practices" is also present tense and conveys the same thought. All believers commit sins but not habitually or as their lifestyle. Application: if one's lifestyle is that of continual sinning in conjunction with no desire for holiness (cf He 12:14), these individuals need to examine whether they are genuinely new creatures in Christ (2Cor 5:17-) born from above (Jn 3:3, 5, 2Co 13:5 And so one can see that in 1Jn 3:9 (as in most of chapter 3 of first John) the accurate interpretation

The Power of the Word of God

First Peter 2:2 tells us to "long for the pure milk of the Word." Pure means undiluted. A lot of us want the Word but we mix it up with other information. At most county or state fairs, you can find candied apples—apples dipped in sugar. Now, apples by themselves are a great, healthy fruit. Once you dip them in sugar, however, you’ve just killed the benefit of the apple although it tastes good. A candied apple is sweet but its nutritional value is diluted because something with no value has been added to it. Many of us will read the Word, hear the Word, and then talk to people about the Word but then dip it in human viewpoint.

 

Some more on the power of the Word of God…

The Word of God is…

Active Isa 55:11 The Hebrew for "word" can also mean "action" or "deed". This indicates that God’s word is active.

Brings about creation Ps 33:6, Heb 11:3 See also 2Pe 3:5

Maintains the created order Heb 1:3 See also Ps 147:18

Gives life Dt 8:3, 32:47 See also Isa 55:2-3; Mt 4:4 Lk 4:4

Restrains from sin Ps 17:4; 119:11

Heals and rescues Ps 107:20

The power to save James 1:21 See also 2Ti 3:15; 1Pe 1:23

It brings about the growth of the kingdom of God Mt 13:23 pp Mk 4:20 pp Lk 8:15

It builds up the saints Acts 20:32

Matthew 22:29 -The "Scriptures" and "the power of God" are placed in apposition

Terror As Always Been

The more I read, the more I watch television and follow the news, the more convinced I am that we will not be free of the scourge of terror in my lifetime—and probably not in yours, either. The only thing that will dampen terror down is the natural tendency of human beings to adapt. We all know that a certain number of people are going to be killed by lightning every year, and yet we still go out in the rain. We lose more lives to homicides in this country than we do to terrorist acts. We lose more lives to murder every year, in any one of our major cities, than we lost in the entire Iraq war to date. People will keep on flying. Cancellations of flights due to terror are minuscule compared to cancellations from weather and equipment failure.

As time goes by, Americans will adapt their lives and go on about their business, realizing that there are more ways to get killed than terrorism. We will become a little more observant. We will become a little more efficient at catching terrorists. We will tire of seeing terror lead off the news and it will drift back in the pages of the newspapers. But terror will not go away, because it never has.

As we enter the 21st century, we should realize that the century just past was perhaps the worst in the history of man in terms of lives lost to terror. We had two world wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and various other skirmishes that cost millions of lives. Even more lives were lost as governments killed and starved their own populations, while most of the world was blissfully unaware. From China to Russia to Germany to Africa, genocide has come close to wiping out whole populations. The toll in human life and suffering is enough to make your mind reel.

People used to say that more people had been killed in religious wars than any other kind. That is no longer true, if it ever was. The utopian ideas of totalitarian regimes have killed people in their millions, trying to improve the race. Even discounting wars, the hard, cold fact is that, in the last 100 years, a number close to the population of the United States died who need not have died at all. They died because of the stupidity or rank evil of the people who took control of their governments. There is a spirit of insanity abroad in the world. It has been here for a very long time and will still be here tomorrow, and the day after that. It is a destructive, life-hating spirit. How far back does it go? It started with Cain. It is staggering when you realize that the first man ever born of a woman, turned out to be a murderer. We’ll find the story in Genesis, chapter 4.

==============

Every time an airliner goes down, the first thing we want to know is: Was it a bomb? You can visualize the press conference and the questions from reporters. "Was it a bomb?" If not, "Was it a missile?" And, of course, the unsaid question: "Was it an Arab terrorist that caused the crash?" I think it would be fair to say that the Islamic fundamentalists in this world have gotten our attention. But who are these people? What do they want and why are they mad at us?

Gerald Seib, in the Wall Street Journal writes, "the U.S. is a target not because of something that it has or hasn’t done, but simply because it exists." He’s right, but not many people understand that—and even fewer seem to understand why it would be so.

On this program, we’ve been talking about the Arab people, their religion, and why it is that we are on a collision course with some of those people. In the West, we’re accustomed to separating religion and politics—religion is over here and politics over there. They are two different parts of our lives, compartmentalized. Some people even seem to be a little offended by the idea that religious people should attempt to exercise influence in the political arena. "Keep your church out of politics", they say. The separation of church and state are fundamental values in our constitutional system.

Islam is not like that at all. Islam draws no distinction between the religious and temporal areas of life and therefore, by definition, the Islamic state is a religious state. Hard to get your mind around, isn’t it, when you’re used to living in a secular state—where religion is out there somewhere—to think in terms of a religious state. Muslims, in general, do not believe that men can be made righteous just by moral example or intellectual persuasion. They consider that force may also be necessary. Individual conversions are a by-product that occurs when the power structure passes into the hands of the Islamic community.

Classical Islamic doctrine holds that the world is divisible into three parts: the zone of Islam, the zone of peace (that is, those countries with whom they have peace treaties), and the zone of war—that’s the rest of the world. Most of us have heard the word jihad, but not that many understand precisely what it means. Jihad is the holy struggle of Islam to gain political control over the affairs of society. They intend to run society according to the holy principles of Islamic law. What we Christians, I think, fail to understand about Islam is that its concerned not only with regulating man’s relationship with God through conscience, but with regulating human relationships in society, as well. The dual religious and social character of Islam sees itself as commissioned by God to bring its value system to the world through the jihad. And we, my friends, are part of that "rest of the world" which is the object of jihad.