A Florida Pastor States He Would Publicly Burn The Quran - Is that a Christian Act?

Today was the day this pastor was to burn the Quran.  After many news reports on the web, TV and in print regarding this intent the following news report came out on Yahoo News:  "NEW YORK – A Florida pastor says his church will "not today, not ever" burn a Quran, even if a mosque is built near ground zero.

Pastor ***** ***** had threatened to burn the Muslim holy book on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks over plans to build an Islamic center near where terrorists brought down the World Trade Center nine years ago.

He flew to New York and appeared on NBC's "Today" show. He says that his Gainesville, Fla., church's goal was "to expose that there is an element of Islam that is very dangerous and very radical."

He tells NBC that "we have definitely accomplished that mission." He says no meeting is planned with the imam leading the center but he hopes one will take place.

A "Burn a Koran Day" banner outside his church has been taken down." 

(Copied from: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/quran_burning)

I have been very concerned over this news regarding these statements and actions.  I have been concerned for our missionaries and indigenous pastor who are laboring in harms way and the needless risk that has been placed upon them.  I know I have been praying that this would not happen, but I wanted your opinions on what you think is right?  What do you think is Christian behavior?  And I also wanted to ask you to pray for us as a nation, the Christian missionaries or even people taking short term mission trips, which are diligently working to share the Love of Christ to a lost and dying world.

Before you answer lets look a few scripture from the Word of God in light of a Christian.  The word Christian means to be like Christ.  (Wikipedia states: The Greek word Χριστιανός (christianos) -meaning "follower of Christ")

(Heb 12:14) Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Gal 5:19-26 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Mat. 5:9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

John 3:16-17  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Mar 12:30  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 

Mar 12:31  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 

1Jn 4:19  We love him, because he first loved us. 

1Jn 4:20  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

Jesus condemned religious intolerance.  When He and His disciples entered a Samaritan village, and the Samaritans were less than hospitable, James and John told Jesus they wanted to call down fire from heaven on the whole place (see Luke 9:54).  Jesus flatly rebuked them, saying "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them." (v.55-56, NASB).

God is Love!  What is love?  What is the opposite of love?  Many people would say hatred, but it's really selfishness.  Hatred comes from the root of selfishness.  

Now I ask you these questions:

Was this act out of love or selfishness?

Do you think this mans actions and words promote peace, love and joy?

Do you think this mans actions and words will draw the lost to Christ or drive them away?

Do you think these actions and words promote peace or discord?

Do you think these actions and words endanger unnecessarily the lives of our missionaries on the mission fields?

This pastor was saying, just a day or two previously even though much of the churches congregation leaving the church, that he was going to go on with this and burn the Quran no matter what and today stating that "his church will "not today, not ever" burn a Quran, even if a mosque is built near ground zero"… and says that his Gainesville, Fla., church's goal was "to expose that there is an element of Islam that is very dangerous and very radical."  I ask you what is it when someone states one thing, then says that he was not going to do it?

Is this the behavior of someone who is to be Christ-like?

What does the book of wisdom, Proverbs, say about someone who stirs up strife and contention?

Let’s pray that there will some confession of wrong and asking for forgiveness instead saying that he never intended to do this act.

Let’s pray that the people of the world who are lost will see the love of Christ in us who really are Christians and know that everyone calling themselves a Christian may not be Christians.

To conclude let us take these scriptures to heart and live them: 1Jn 4:7-8  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Continue Prayer For Kenya Ministries

Remember to continue to pray for Pastor Lucas, his family and the ministry in Northwestern Kenya.  They are in need of assistance and your prayers for the ministry and it's outreaches.

Bhutan Pastor and His Wife In Need of Your Prayers

Today I wanted to bring to your attention to a very small country, but very closed to the gospel from the government and very much in need of hearing the Good News and the Love of Jesus, Bhutan.  Also today I wanted share with you a very special prayer request from a Christian minister whom we have been communicating with for a few years.

Here is the letter I received today:  "I write to you this with great sense of urgency.
My wife Reeta and I have been going through very testing times for the last few months.
I need a vey special and urgent constant prayer my wife, She have been carrying for over two months now. She is diabetics and we are monitoring her sugar level. Doctors have admitted her to the hospital off and on. Please pray for her. We are trusting God for the normal health of both the mother and the baby.

In times such as this, our faith is being attacked by fears and doubts within, what doctors say, the word of discouragement that comes from outside and the reasons that seem valid
God has been encouraging through His words. Faith is beyond reasons. God is able to perform miracles beyond our comprehension.
Current prayer requests:

• Healing of my wife from Diabetes
• Our Bhutan churches, that they may withstand all persecutions and persist in it’s goal of winning the community
• Students to whom we have been reaching out to with the gospel.
• The door for evangelism may be open and grow."

Please pray for these needs and that the walls of deception, persecution and the strongholds of the enemy be brought down!

For more information on how you may help go to: Youth Quests International or Christian Mission Trips or go to the Christian Social Network for Missions.

Pakistan Update on Violence

"The Church Fire Case in Jaithikey-Sambrial Silkot Pakistan
Friday September 11, 2009 4:44:05 PM"

A mob protesting against alleged desecration of Holy Quran by some Christian youths torched a church in a village near Jaithikey-Sambrial, Tehsil District of Sialkot Pakistan. Some 30 KMs away from as Friday after noon, on the eve of the 9/11 (on the eve of
eighth anniversary of 9/11).

It was the second such nasty incident of burning Christian church in Pakistan after the burning of the houses and churches of local Christians in Gojra-Pakistan on July 30, 2009. According to reports reaching here, Muslim girl Hina (15) daughter of a local farmer Asghar Ali was going back to her home after getting religious education in a
local mosque in her Jaithikey village, when five accused Christians forcibly snatched a Para (copy of Holy Quran) from her and threw it into the local drain.

A large number of villagers armed with bricks, stones and sticks attacked the church and set it on fire. Rescue 1122 personnel rushed to the place and extinguished the fire. All markets in Sambrial and adjoining areas were closed and police patrolled the village to avert further violence. Gujranwala Commissioner Hashim Tareen, acting DCO of
Silakot Tariq Zaman, DPO Waqar Ahmad Chohan and local legislators visited the village and held talks with leaders of religious groups.

The DPO told reporters that the father of one of the accused had been detained and the people involved in the incident would be arrested soon. Local Christian leaders condemned the burning of the church. Emanuel K. Gill, Bishop Samuel Pervaiz and Javaid Silvestre told reporters that the situation was alarming and the government had
failed to protect minorities and their places of worship. They demanded that those who attacked the church should be arrested. Senior police officials claimed that the attackers were local people. There are more than 100 houses of Muslims and 30 of Christians in the village. All the Christians have left the village to save their lives.

The accused fled away. This nasty incident created harassment amid fears of sectarian violence as the mounted gripped the areas. The local Muslims became infuriated after the desecration of Holy Quran by four Christians. A mob of the people armed with bricks, stones and wooden sticks attacked on the church. Later, they stormed into a local
church and set it ablaze by sprinkling patrol and kerosene oil in the church and outside the church. No Christian was reportedly present in the Church. No casualty or injury has yet been reported. Rescue 1122 staff extinguished the fire in church after a great struggle.

All the shops, markets and bazaars were shuttered down in Sambrial and surrounding areas after this nasty incident in a bid to avert any further untoward incident. The agitating mob of the people led by local Ulema took out the agitational processions there after the Juma Prayers, demanding immediate arrest of the accused Christians for
desecrating the Holy Quran. All the scared villagers (thousands in the number) took shelter in their homes by locking their doors. After this nasty incident, all the Christians left this troubled area instantly to save their lives from the infuriated people. A huge contingent of the police from entire Gujranwala Division besieged the area and
started patrolling in the village to avert any further untoward incident.

The personnel of police and Elite Force Commandoes took the positions on rooftops, shops and other buildings to ensure peace by sealing the area. Commissioner Gujranwala Division Hashim Tareen, acting DCO Sialkot Tariq Zaman, DPO Sialkot Waqar Ahmad Chohan, local MNAs, MPAs and other public representatives were also present there on the spot asking the infuriated mob of people to remain peaceful. They
negotiated with the protesting people during which the PML-N, Shabab-e- Milli, Sunni Tehreek, Jamaat-i-Islami, Jamaat Ahle-e-Sunnah leaders gave a dead line of 24 hours to police for the arrest of the accused Christians. DPO Sialkot Waqar Ahmad Chohan told the newsmen that the accused would be arrested within the next 24 hours. DPO said that the police have arrested accused?s father who is (50), in this regard.

Dear Brother/Sister in Christ! I'm greatly blessed to know that you have introduced us to many of your friends around the world so that they in return help the ministry. Thank you very much once again for allowing me to pour my heart before you closing in the precious love of our lord Jesus on the cross for us so that we establish the kingdom
of our lord in the heart of the most neglected poor Pakistani Christian community. Do you know the member of Christian people was almost killed in a Muslim uprising in Pakistan, Nigeria, India & around the world? It is true that Christians are to be peaceful, but also true that we should defend ourselves and our families. Is it time for Christians to stand up and fight if necessary for their lives, but more importantly for the gospel of Christ? There is a war raging now around the world between Islam and Christianity. Can we just lie down and not defend ourselves? May you find rest, inspiration, joy and peace as you sever Him? Please keep in touch with our ministry. We love you in Christian love and pray that above all I will prosper, even as our soul prospers. It is wonderful to keep you before the
Throne of Grace and to know that the Lord will watch over you and bless you and the ministry. May God grant you a great harvest as you plant and water for Him!

Yours Brother in Christ!