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- [00:02]
A
Welcome to Christ in Prophecy Radio. I'm Tim Moore and today we're beginning our summer book series by discussing a powerful and provocative book that answers this Is Allah the same as the God of the Bible? With me for this fascinating conversation is Dr. Nathan Jones, our Internet evangelist.
- [00:18]
B
Well, thanks, Tim. These days our spiritually confused culture and the secular media are just incapable of distinguishing between the merits of Christianity and Islamic. But surprisingly, many so called Christians are also confused about the differences between the truth claims of these major religions. And that confusion has eternal consequences.
- [00:36]
A
You know, Scripture is unmistakable. Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me. There is no ambiguity in that declaration. But right now the major spiritual and ideological contest in the west is between Christianity and so today we're going to get clarity on this question by sharing some of the insights from a Lamb and Lion Ministries book titled Islam and Two Roads to the Same God. You know, listeners who remember 911 will recall that for a season the west was alarmed by a dramatic increase in Islamic terrorism. But as 911 faded into history, Americans have shifted their perspective and in many cases they're embracing Islam. Islam is not fading. If anything, it is growing even more powerful and threatening. And one of the most dangerous lies being perpetrated today is that Allah and Yahweh are the same God.
- [01:29]
B
And folks, that's what we're going to tackle head on this lie. So stay with us. But you're going to want to hear this conversation, including a segment featuring a former Muslim who became a Christian pastor. I'm looking forward to that folks, if you'd be interested in getting the Islam and Two Roads to the Same God by our founder, Dr. David Reagan. Tim and myself have both added chapters to this. Then website@christinprophecy.org to order your copy. Right now we're having a two for one sale for only $15 and that includes shipping. So go to christinprophecy.org or call us at 972-736-3567. Check us out. We'll be right back.
- [02:09]
C
As you listen to Christ in Prophecy every weekend, your hosts will explain the six categories of the signs of the times revealed in God's prophetic word, signs of nature, signs of society, spiritual signs, both positive and negative, signs of world politics, signs of technology, and finally, signs of Israel. In the past, some of these signs have been revealed to us a little here and a little there. What is remarkable about right now is that all of the signs are being activated and pointing to the soon return of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that these signs will increase in frequency and intensity until the Lord is right at the door. To find out more, keep listening to Christ in Prophecy, watch our weekly TV program, and subscribe to the Lamplighter magazine. It's all available at christinprophecy.org.
- [03:04]
B
Well, welcome back to Christ in Prophecy Radio. And let's start by sharing the motivation behind writing this book called Islam and Two Roads to the Same God. It was a collaboration by Our founder, Dr. David Reagan, one of our sister ministries, Marco Kiroglu, Tim Moore here, and myself. So, Tim, why was this book written?
- [03:22]
A
Well, this book was written primarily because our dear friend Marco Kiroglu, who is a sister ministry leader, came from Turkey. And so his background was in Islam. And even after he became a follower of Jesus Christ and began ministering in South Africa, he knew the threat that Islam represented. And so this book was written to provide insight and, yes, discernment to Christians who are so often deceived by those who try to claim, well, Allah and God. It's the same entity. No, it is not. And Nathan, we also are trying to counter a growing apostasy in the church that the Bible warns about in the end times that the church will embrace doctrines of demons. That's exactly what Islam is. And so one of the fastest growing apostasies is this claim that the God of Islam and the God of Christianity are one and the same.
- [04:08]
B
Yeah. And we're seeing this rise of what's called Chrislam, where the Roman Catholic Church, especially with the last Pope, was trying to merge the two religions under one roof. 1994 Catechism officially states that Muslims, together with us, adore the one merciful God. But it's not true that Allah and Yahweh are the same God.
- [04:27]
A
No, it certainly is not. We know God as a father. That's exactly what Jesus Christ refers to him as God, our Father. And yet Allah, as described in the Koran, is a despot. He is completely capricious. In other words, you don't know whether he is going to be favorable or disfavorable toward anyone. No one can be assured of their salvation except someone who commits murder in the name of Allah trying to kill an infidel. We also know that the Trinity is described in the Scriptures as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the Islamic people completely reject the idea of God as three persons in one God. They emphasize my monotheism. And so it denies the sonship of Christ. It denies the role of The Holy Spirit. And in both of these cases, you cannot mix the oil and the water. There is one that is true and clearly one that is false.
- [05:18]
B
And then you have to look at Jesus Christ. Because, folks, Islam denies the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, the crucifixion, the resurrection, the second coming of Jesus to this earth. You know, folks, Christianity stands or falls on each of these truths. Matter of fact, 1 Corinthians 15 says, if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless and you are still in your sins. Now, we got to back up too, Tim, because it was only about 1400 years ago that the Muslims even began to worship Allah, who was the moon God. Muhammad kind of forced it on all of them. They had 360 gods, one for each day in their pantheon as the year went on. And Allah was the family God of Muhammad, the moon God, and which he then forced upon everybody and declared to be the one and only God. But up until 1400 years ago, Allah was not considered the ultimate God.
- [06:08]
A
No, as a matter of fact, to this day, you can look at a mosque and oftentimes it has a crescent moon on top. Why? Because it points back to Allah being the moon God. I mean, there is historic precedent here. And yet we also know that Muhammad was so mixed up, the man did not even read or write, which is interesting. How did he write the Quran? Supposedly he dictated it, but he was illiterate. And yet he got so many things wrong about the person of Jesus Christ. So, yes, Jesus is described under the name Isa, but Muhammad mistakenly thought that Mary, his mother, was also the sister of Moses because they were both named Miriam. So many details he had heard and he kind of wove into this incredible story that he told about Allah and Islam, but it is not believable on its face. And even today, Nathan, I dare say that some in the west are confused. You know, Tucker Carlson came out and said, the Muslims revere Jesus. They love him. Well, they revere Isa Jesus as a prophet, but not the prophet and certainly not superior to Mohammed. And they reject that he would possibly be a deity or a messiah. They are looking forward to a 12th Imam as their Messiah. So they reject Jesus Christ. And you cannot combine a religion that rejects Christ with one where Christ says, I am the way, I am the truth, and. And I am the life. So whether it's the name Allah, the name Isa, just because this religion cites a name and says, well, we worship God, it doesn't mean it's the same God. Let's face it, the false gods of The Old Testament demanded worship those demonic beings that did not make them the true and living God.
- [07:47]
B
And the story of Muhammad, where he became encountered with Allah is very similar to what the Mormons experienced, that Joseph Smith did, that an angel came to them, had some kind of super knowledge that nobody else had. And in order to go and make that God, God be the one worshipped, we're saying the same thing with Mormonism, that the God of the Mormon Bible is not the God of the Bible. And so likewise, we've got Mohammed, who, you know, you said, Tim, that he was illiterate, he would fit into spells and he'd do automatic writing on scraps of bones, and he'd surround himself with teachers, which would be called mullahs, and they would write down and he would rant and rave and he'd talk about how that he had voices in his head that were moving him. The man was clearly spiritually possessed. And not only that, he led armies to murder people and he had, including a child of nine years old.
- [08:35]
A
Well, you know what? I think even Muslims today, once they learn the history of Muhammad, are put off by some of the bloodthirsty, some of the totally reprobate behavior that he exhibited. And so it belies the claim that Muhammad was this great prophet. And certainly he is not the great prophet that exceeds the deity and the person of Jesus Christ. Obviously, to those of us who understand the truth, the nature of Islam stands in stark contrast to the love and grace revealed in scripture. And so, coming up, we'll dig deeper into the critical question. Is Allah the same as Yahweh? But first, let's take a look at current events in a segment we call what's really Going On. Stay tuned.
- [09:16]
C
Swipe away the endless bad news and open up our Lamplighter magazine to discover your blessed hope. Our bi monthly magazine sheds God's light on today's headlines through powerful articles written by men and women who love God and his word. Find out what's really happening and how you can have hope in Christ. The Lamplighter magazine is available in print, email and downloadable formats. Request your copy when you go to
- [09:41]
B
christinprophecy.org well, welcome back to Christ in Prophecy Radio. I'm Nathan Jones. I'm here with Tim Moore, and this is our segment, what's really Going On? We look at current events through a Bible prophecy lens or a biblical lens. You know, folks, not too long ago we sat down and discussed the contrast between Christianity and Islam, which is with Pastor Marco Kiroglu. Marco grew up In a muslim family, and he later became a Christian. So let's start with what he had to say about the claim that these two religions worship the same God.
- [10:10]
D
The history of Islam is war, war, and war. Literally nothing else. No one to this day can show us any country or any civilization or any human group who peacefully accepted Islam. Every land that has been islamized have been islamized, literally as a result of war. And in fact, this is in the book. We also talk about it in Islam. There are two strategies. I often say these two strategies are like the two wings of a bird. On the one hand, there is the idea of dar al Islam. Dar al Islam is the house of Islam. On the other hand, dar al haab, dar al harb is the house of war. In the Islamic worldview, the world is divided into these two camps. Either you are a Muslim, in that case, you are part of the house of Islam, or if you are not part of the house of Islam, you belong to the house of war, and we will fight you until either you die or you accept Islam. That's the ideology in a nutshell. But when we look at scriptures, the God of the bible has absolutely nothing to do with this. I often say to people, God of the bible has sacrificed his own son to save people. God of Islam says, we will kill you unless you believe in the God of Islam. Can you see the diabolical opposition? God of the bible says, I kill my son so that you can live. God of Islam says, if you don't worship me, I will kill you.
- [11:54]
B
Well, Tim, as Marco said, the history of Islam is what? War, war, war. Every land that was islamicized was islamicized by the sword.
- [12:03]
D
Yeah.
- [12:03]
A
You know, Islam has a phrase where they talk about the land that is under the supervision of Muslim overlords and all the rest of the world. And it is their intention to conquer the entire world on behalf of Islam. And they say if you do not admit to Islam being the faith or adopt it as your own, you at least will be subservient and pay tax and really be a slave to those who are Muslim. And so it is a religion based, as you said, on war, on conquest. Whereas Christianity is not a religion based on war. It is a religion of peace. It is a religion based on sharing the truth of the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, who offers salvation from sins and offers the blessed assurance that we can know that we are saved and that God has poured out his love on us through the person of Jesus Christ.
- [12:54]
B
And Islam, of course, spreads through what we most are familiar with jihad, but Gaddafi of Libya, one of the former leaders said the other part of the plan is immigration, mass immigration into countries. Start taking over certain areas and then eventually have Dar el Islam where the people are 100% Islamic. And Tim, here in the Dallas, Texas area, we have seen that we have over 40 mosques in the area and they even want to build Epic City, which is a Muslim only city. And this is only going to grow as more and more Muslims immigrate into the United States and as we have a society open to interfaith where these movements blurs the line between Christian Islam and allows Islamic ideology to bear fruit and grow right among Christianity and supplant it.
- [13:38]
A
It certainly does. And we've seen that in Western Europe, in all the nations that used to be the heart of Christend, seen as Muslims have immigrated and taken over cities like London, they're taking over parts of Paris to the point that even the police cannot go into these Muslim enclaves. You have radical Muslims that are mayors in places like London and yes, now New York City. And they are beholden to who? To Allah. And so it is a growing threat. And if we are really going to understand what's going on, we have to be aware of this threat and we must proclaim truth. We can do that to our Muslim neighbors here at home. But we have to be intentional about standing on the word of God. Well, stay with us. We'll be right back to continue our conversation.
- [14:23]
B
Well, folks, if you've been blessed by Christ in prophecy radio, we ask you to partner with us. We call these prophecy partners because we have a prophetic the soon return of Jesus Christ. Lamb and Lion Ministries exist to proclaim the soon return of Jesus Christ. We believe that when people are excited about the Lord's soon return, they do three things. One, they're called to holy living. Two, they go out and evangelize the world. And three, they have hope for the future. If you want to have holy living, evangelism and have hope, then join Lamb and Lion Ministries in proclaiming the soon return of Jesus Christ. We want people to be blessed like you've been blessed. So check out our website, christinprophecy.org, hit donation or donor at the top of our website and you will know how to become a prophecy partner. You'll get a letter from Tim periodically, our Lamplighter magazine and many other benefits that help you partner with us in getting this special message out. Please join us today.
- [15:19]
A
Welcome back to Christ in Prophecy Radio. You know, we open every recording of this radio program in prayer and we are thankful for those of you who are listening. We pray a blessing on you just for listening, but we also pray a prayer of thanksgiving for those who support this program. We are on approximately 1,000 stations across the nation and it costs about a dollar a day per station. Folks. You can do the Math. That's about $1,000 a day for Christ in Prophecy Radio to come to you. So if you'd like to support this effort and encourage this teaching reaching more listeners, then we'd welcome you to partner with us. Just call us at 972-736-3567 or reach out to us at christinprophecy.org well, today, Nathan, our central question focusing on the book that we've been talking about is whether Allah and Yahweh are are the same God. We've obviously been talking about Christianity in Islam, the book that we offer here through Lamb and Lion Ministries. So how about it? Are Allah and Yahweh the same?
- [16:20]
B
No, I think we pretty much made that point in the last segment that they are two very different gods. Matter of fact, when you read about the personality of Allah, it is actually what the Bible describes as the personality of Satan. And so this is the fact that Mohammed was obviously possessed by many times in these ecstatic utterances and fits and screamings and even attempts at suicide showed that he was tormented. Well, let's look forward then, because Muslims, at least the Shiites in particular, have a particular view of what the end times are going to play out. A lot of what the war with Iran is deals with their Islamic eschatology. So Tim, first question is eschatology, what are we talking about when we use that word?
- [16:59]
A
So eschatology is a fancy word meaning the study of or the consideration of the end times. And as opposed to Christian eschatology, which looks forward to the return of Christ coming for his church and the faithful, those who have the assurance of their salvation through faith in Christ. Islamic eschatology drawn from the Hadith. And this is merely the reported sayings of Muhammad and there's not even an agreed version of the Hadith. And quite frankly, Nathan or the Qur', an, they are looking forward to a Mahdi, in other words, a messianic faith figure. Who is this so called 12th Imam, one of the imams who was a follower of Muhammad down through the succession supposedly disappeared. They don't know where he went and they claim that he is coming back. And so again in Islamic eschatology they consider Jesus to be a Man, not divine. But they say that he will reign for 40 years, marry and have children. Obviously this is completely in contradiction to scripture.
- [17:56]
B
Yeah, we've got to remember at the time Muhammad was trying to build an army and he was trying to win as many converts as possible. So what he did is he went to Zoroastrianism, which was the Iranian or Persian religion at the time. He took the Gospels, he took Jewish, Old Testament, Torah and he kind of threw it in a blender and he came up with this eschatology and it's really discombobulated. And because there are certain parts of it that sound like the Book of Revelation, it's led people today to say, well look, the Mahdi is really the Antichrist and all. It's like, well we can't make that comparison because again we, Muhammad just made it up. It's pure fiction. And so there's really no comparison of what the Muslims believe and what we believe because the Bible is fact, whereas the Hadith and the Koran are works of fiction. The Bible makes it clear that Jesus Christ isn't going to return in service of Muhammad, but he's going to return as the son of God in power and glory. He's going to defeat his enemies, this Antichrist. He's going to establish his millennial kingdom which will then stretch all on into eternity. So two very different eschatologies. But you know, like we've been saying, this Iranian view that we've been fighting in this war isn't a war of power, but it's a belief that they are ushering in this 12th Amman and then the Ayatollahs will become basically rulers of the world. So how do you fight an ideology like that?
- [19:15]
A
Yeah, that's a great question. The only way you fight an ideology like that, since it is a spiritual battle, is through prayer and through declaration of truth. And folks, sometimes declaration of truth is, may come at great cost to those of us who are in harm's way. And indeed it comes at great cost to Christians living in Muslim countries. But what does the Bible actually say about Islam? We know that Muslim majority nations in the world today are specifically named as some of the allies or the Axis forces that will invade Israel in the Gog Magog war, including Persia or Iran, Ethiopia, put Gomer and Beth and Gomorrah and that is modern day Turkey. And as well as some of the nations scattered around the Mediterranean and the northern portion of Africa. The Bible indicates that these Muslim majority nations will be judged through a series of prophetic wars, the Psalm 83 conflict, which I think we may be seeing the final stages of right now. The Gog Magog invasion of Ezekiel 38 and 39 and the campaigns of the Antichrist. And we know that every religion that denies the person of Jesus Christ will be relegated to the ash heap of history when Christ returns to reign. And yet God's heart is for the salvation of all peoples. And yes, this includes peoples from these currently Muslim nations, specifically the Arab nations that will return to the Lord in the end times according to Isaiah 19 and Jeremiah 12. So that begs a question, how do we witness to a Muslim?
- [20:41]
B
Yeah, it's interesting that it's been calculated that the rate that Islamic forces and Islam has been growing around the world by 2050, half the world population will be Islamic. But like you said, the Bible prophesied that Islam does have an end. God himself will end it at the Gog Magog war. In the meantime folks, we need to get out there and witness to Muslims. So my chapter in the book Islam and Christianity is how to witness to a Muslim Folks, Give them the Bible. Muhammad gives permission for Muslims to read the Bible. Then encourage them to read the Quran in their own language because it exposes the content. Most of the time it they hear it in Arabic and they do not even know what it says. Also compare the life of Jesus with the life of Muhammad. Two very different things. Share the love of God. Because folks, Allah does not love anybody, only himself. Share the fact that the God of the universe loves them. Also offer them the assurance of salvation. Muhammad didn't even know if he was saved. But Christians can have the certainty of eternal life in Christ and share the grace of God. Folks, Islam is entirely a works based religion and grace frees all people from the shackles of workspace salvation. Well folks, Christianity and Islam are not two roads to the same God. One road leads to hell, the other leads to heaven. Share the saving gift of Jesus with your Muslim neighbor before it's too late. Okay, stay with us because Tim's going to leave us with a final word of encouragement.
- [22:03]
C
Studying Bible prophecy is an important practice for Christians who want to mature in their faith. At Lamb and Lion, we've compiled the best resources to help you explore and explain Bible prophecy. Our online store is stocked with insightful books and charts from authors such as Dr. David Reagan, Tim Moore, Nathan Jones, and more. So why not add a good Christian book to your library today or order one for a friend? Understand Bible prophecy better when you visit christinprophecy.org.
- [22:38]
A
I hope Our conversation about Islam has been a blessing and perhaps a challenge to you today. You can read more by ordering our book Islam and Two Roads to the Same God by visiting our website at christinprophecy.org or calling 972-736-3567. The Apostle Paul warned Timothy that the time would come when they the world will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires and will turn away from the truth and turn aside to myths. Friends, we are living in that time. Paul also warned that although we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed as we have said before. So now I say again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that which ye have received, let him be accursed. One of the most dangerous myths spreading throughout the Western church today is the lie that the God of Islam and the God of the Bible are one and the same. That is a doctrine straight from the pit of hell. The God of the Bible has revealed Himself with unmistakable clarity. He is the Father who loves his children so deeply that he sent his only begotten Son to die in our place. He is the Son, Jesus Christ, who willingly laid down his life, rose from the dead and is coming again to judge the living and the dead. He is also the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer and empowers us to live for Christ in these dark days. The God of Islam denies these three truths. Allah is not a Father. Islam denies the Trinity, the crucifixion, the Resurrection and the Deity of Jesus Christ. How then can any honest reader of Scripture say these are the same God? But here's the heart of Scripture. There are nearly 2 billion souls trapped under Islamic and God loves them all. Jesus died for them and we are called to share the truth of the Gospel with them. In Isaiah 44:8 the Lord asks, is there any God beside me, or is there any other rock I know of none. There is no other God and there is no other Savior. If you have never placed your trust in Jesus Christ, the true and living God who gave Himself that you might be saved, I urge you to do so today. He is the Way, the Truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him, and he is coming again. Until then, Godspeed.