In 2010, my husband and I had the pleasure of meeting Mosab Hassan Yousef.  He was being honored at a dinner on Capitol Hill, and he sent us passes to attend the event.

Mosab wrote the best selling book “Son of Hamas” a gripping true story about Mosab working for Israeli Intelligence as a spy. His father was one of the founders of the radical group Hamas.

Mosab rejected Islam and converted to Christianity. Christians kept inviting him to a Bible study in Jerusalem. He finally went, and he said that when he saw the Scripture where Jesus said to love your enemies, it had such an impact on him.  He had never seen anything like that in Islam.  He came to America to seek asylum.

From theblaze.com   (from March 2015)

Mosab Hassan Yousef, the bestselling author of “Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices,” appeared on The Glenn Beck Program Monday to discuss how he rejected radical Islam and converted to Christianity.

“I was brought up in a state of delusion, believing the Islamic theory that once we control the globe and build an Islamic State we can bring humanity, justice and happiness and solve the human condition,” Yousef said. “Islam is a very dark theory and we need to face this reality.”

The son of one of the founding members of Hamas, Yousef worked as a spy for the Israeli intelligence service after beginning to question the ideology he had been raised with. On Monday, he reiterated his belief that “Islam is the religion of war.”  (Emphasis mine)

Here we have a man who grew up in a Muslim home, who should know what his former religion was really about.  He laughs when people call Islam a “religion of peace.”

The Blaze article continues:

“Islam is at war with everything that is not Muslim,” he said. “Islam has been in a war against the west and its foundations for the last 1,400 years. This is a fact. The Islamic phenomena that we see in ISIS, Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, Boko Haram, Al Qaeda, Taliban — this is not just a new phenomenon. It has been out there for the last 1,400 years. And I think this is the time for humanity to have the courage to say no to the Islamic theory.”

Yousef’s family publicly disowned him after he wrote “Son of Hamas,” and he said he lost “everything.” And while he believes everyone is capable of seeing the cruelty of Hamas and radical Islam, he also said “it’s easier for them to listen to the leader who is blaming all the social problems and many other problems on Israel and the United States of America.” – source

After Mosab came to America, he was seeking asylum here because he feared that if he returned to the Middle East, he would be killed.  This was right after BHO had appointed many Muslims to the State Department and to DHS. Mosab told us that there was a chance that he would be denied asylum here because of these Muslims. He was so relieved when he was granted asylum – we were all holding our breath in anticipation of the decision.

Theblaze.com article goes on:

Though Yousef said he believes both George Bush and Barack Obama have good intentions in the Middle East, he also said Obama’s insistence that the Islamic State has nothing to do with Islam “really matters.”

“When the president of the free world misleads the public, this is a big, big problem I believe,” he said. “ISIS is the real face of Islam. ISIS is the real manifestation of the Islamic ideology, of the Islamic theory.” (Emphasis mine)

And unlike some who believe Islam can undergo a reformation like Christianity, Yousef believes “Islam cannot be reformed” because at its core, it is based in tribal conflict and “the mentality of the 7th century.”

“I think today, Middle Easterners see the enemy is within,” Yousef said. “They see ISIS. They see their brutality. Even the Palestinians in Gaza, they see the brutality of Hamas and their absolute control over their lives. And [for] the first time, they come to realize that this is the Islamic theory in action. This is the Islamic theory manifestation.” – source

Mosab is interviewed by CNN:

Brethren, this is truth. When we read about Islam being a religion of peace, or when BHO tells the world that ISIS has nothing to do with Islam – we are being lied to.

Pray for the Muslims. Time is so short! Pray that so many will come to the TRUTH – we know the Truth is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

John 14:6

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

MARANATHA!

Matthew 5:44-48  (KJV)

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

In this world filled with violence and hatred against Christians, this seems at times quite impossible to do, doesn’t it?  When we read about the terrorist attacks, and even how our own government is plotting against believers – it invokes anger in us.  The anger is not sin – it’s what we do with the anger. Jesus asks us to pray for those who despitefully use us.  I confess that I have not been very obedient to this in the last few years.  I am writing this article as much to myself, as to my readers.

From gotquestions.org

What did Jesus mean when He instructed us to love our enemies?

Answer: When Jesus said we are to love our enemies, He was creating a new standard for relationships. He proclaimed to the crowds listening to His Sermon on the Mount that they knew they were to love their neighbor because the command to love our neighbor was a law of God (Leviticus 19:18). That we must therefore hate our enemy was an inference incorrectly drawn from it by the Jews. While no Bible verse explicitly says “hate your enemy,” the Pharisees may have somewhat misapplied some of the Old Testament passages about hatred for God’s enemies (Psalm 139:19-22; 140:9-11). But Jesus replaced this idea with an even higher standard: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45). Jesus goes on to explain that loving those who love us is easy and even unbelievers can do that. Then He commands us to “be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:43-48).

Jesus explained to His followers that they should adhere to the real meaning of God’s law by loving their enemies as well as their neighbors. A Pharisee once asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). Jesus then told the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Here Jesus taught that His followers must demonstrate love to all kinds of people—no matter what faith, nationality, or personality—enemies included. If you love your enemies and “pray for those who persecute you,” you then truly reveal that Jesus is Lord of your life.

By using an illustration of the sun rising and the rain falling on both the good and the evil, Jesus shows God’s undiscriminating love to all people. His disciples then must reflect His character and exhibit this same undiscriminating love for both friends and enemies. Jesus is teaching us that we must live by a higher standard than what the world expects—a standard that is impossible for us to attain by our own efforts. It’s only through the power of God’s Spirit that His people can truly love and pray for those who intend to do them harm (Romans 12:14-21).

Finally, after giving us the admonition to love our enemies, Jesus then gives us this command: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). As sons of our Father (Matthew 5:45), we are to be perfect, even as He is perfect. This is utterly impossible for sinful man to achieve. This unattainable standard is exactly what the Law itself demanded (James 2:10). So how can Jesus demand the impossible? He later tells us, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). That which God demands, only He can accomplish, including the demand to love our enemies. What is impossible for man becomes possible for those who give their lives to Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in our hearts. -source

I have been reading that many Muslims have been coming to Christ.  Of course, this is not on our main stream news – not even Fox.  This should make us rejoice and pray for the deceived Muslims even more!

From Charismamag.com

Christians ministering quietly in the Middle East say Muslims are coming to Christ at an unprecedented pace despite intense persecution of those who leave Islam.

“Probably in the last 10 years, more Muslims have come to faith in Christ than in the last 15 centuries of Islam,” said Tom Doyle, Middle East-Central Asia director for e3 Partners, a Texas-based missions agency.

A former pastor, Doyle has been to the Middle East around 80 times and last week returned to the U.S. from a trip to Jerusalem, where he said both Muslims and Jews are turning to Christianity. – source

I pray that Muslims are coming to the REAL Jesus from the Word of God. They must understand that He is not “Isa” from the Qur’an.  I also pray that the Jews and Israelis who come to Christ are understanding that Jesus is God come in the flesh, and that He came for everyone – not just for them.

But, no matter what, we are to obey the Lord in His command to us to love and pray for our enemies.

My neighbor

I wrote an article about my neighbor who used to ridicule and harass me for many years for being a Christian. One day she told me that she was now a follower of Christ. I rejoiced with her – I was so happy for her and I thanked the Lord for giving me a sister in Christ right in back of our home.  She and her husband attended the Catholic church, but I have known a few Catholics who had become genuinely born again.

About a month ago, my neighbor and I were talking and politics came up. She found out that I am a Republican and completely lost it with me. I told her that abortion was wrong and she raised her voice and said that I wanted women to resort to back alley abortions again.  She is a Hillary woman all the way. Her eyes were wild with anger at me.

Knowing that I write articles online, she then said to me “You are no writer – you are on no one’s payroll, therefore you are not a writer. I answered her that I was on God’s payroll – that my reward would be in heaven. She rolled her eyes and repeated – “You are NO writer!”

I struggled with this for weeks. I was angry with her, but also angry at myself for immediately believing that she had been born again. But then I realized that the Lord wanted me to pray for this woman. I am not going out of my way to talk with her. I don’t want a repeat of that horrible day. But I am cordial and most importantly, I am praying for her.

The Reign of Obama and his association with our enemies:

Now this is an area in which I really struggle. I cannot watch or listen to BHO. I find myself writing all manner of disparaging words about him.  I know that what I write is based on fact; but I also know that I should be praying for him and his administration.

God allowed this man to become our president twice. He is being used by the Lord to bring about His prophetic Word.  Hillary Clinton may very well be our next president. I felt myself having feelings very close to a tantrum, but then it hit me – she will be president if the Lord allows it.

I have said in many of my pieces that I truly believe that God has removed His protection from the U.S.  It grieves me so much that the U.S. was founded upon His Word and our founding fathers looked to Him for guidance in everything. Benjamin Franklin knew the evil in men’s hearts and wondered if we could even keep our Republic.  If our founders were here, they would surely weep.  Our nation (not believers) has turned its back on God and has removed Him from most areas of our lives.  He has every right as Creator of the Universe, to judge us and to no longer protect us.

Brethren, as hard as it is, the Lord wants us to pray for our enemies. We must not “look” like the world. We are in this world, but certainly not “of” it.

Shalom b’Yeshua,

MARANATHA!