Exclusive

My Bible tells me how God interacted with His creation, from then through the evangelical age of His Messiah. Mankind changed from tribalism to nations during ages the Bible was written. Not all of the interaction between God and man is understood, even today. Many live with that lack of understanding and deny that any god exists, much less one that is exclusive.

God is.

Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. (Isaiah 43:10-11 KJV)

Three religions call upon Him, yet each sees Him in such a different light that they cannot be reconciled.

Century after century violence erupts, ostensibly tied to these beliefs or their differences. Yet, all three believe God loves His creation, God speaks to His created, God has plans for each and every thing created.

Problems arise when any believer denies that God is able to see His plan to completion and that only violence by men will achieve what God ordained.

While the writings of the three religions are made of thousands of words and hundreds of pages, Jesus compiled them into two commandments of importance:

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:37-40 KJV)

Violence against one’s neighbors is never a question of religion – it is predicated on power – one’s feeling of being powerless or wishing to wrest power from another. Any excuse at hand will do. There are peaceful Christians, Jews and Muslims (in alphabetical order only.)  There are violent people called by those names who do not believe their God is capable of taking care of His creation. There are violent ungodly people willing to abuse any religion to gain their own power.

In my world, God is able. Before this latest violence in Allah’s name, I quoted a verse that I believed then and still believe:

If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they. (Ecclesiastes 5:8 KJV)

Nations may require retribution.  It is within their power to do so. God will require judgment and provide justice whether we see it here or not.  There is one, the father of lies, who uses men and their greed, looking to cause us to disbelieve this truth.

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44 KJV)