If you thought Islamic terrorism was a modern trend and the result of America’s poking, think again!

America’s first war against Islamic terrorists began in the days of George Washington and spanned a whopping thirty-two years. That war, called the Barbary Powers War, lasted thirty-two years, involved six years of active overseas warfare against Muslim terrorists, and spanned four U. S. presidencies: those of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. (http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp?id=374)

The Barbary Powers (called Barbary pirates by most Americans) attacked American civilian and commercial merchant ships (but not military ships) wherever they found them.

In 1784, Congress authorized American diplomats John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson to negotiate with the Muslim terrorists. Negotiations proceeded, and in 1786, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson candidly asked the Ambassador from Tripoli the motivation behind their unprovoked attacks against Americans. What was the response?

The Ambassador answered us that it was founded on the laws of their Prophet [Mohammed] “that it was written in their Koran that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners; that is was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners; and that every Musselman [Muslim] who should be slain in battle was sure to go to Paradise.” (Thomas Jefferson, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Julian P. Boyd, editor (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1954), Vol. 9, p. 358, Report of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams to John Jay, March 28, 1786.)

Several years ago while a student in college I was handing out flyers for the Christian club on campus during an event and ran into a group of Hasidic Jews. Under normal circumstances they wouldn’t have paid any attention to a Christian, but I had something that was apparently very valuable to them. My mother is a 100% full blooded Jew, which in their book makes me a Jew as well.

Before I knew it I was surrounded by Jewish students, some in black suits, some dressed like secular students, they just as curious as I. At the center of this crowd was myself and a Rabbi who began conversing with me and questioning my faith in Jesus.

To this day that experience has given me so much more insight into the Jewish people and a real life glimpse of, in some part, the life of Jesus and his conversations with the Pharisees.

From then on I could not escape being berated by random Jews who would constantly catch me in the cafeteria eating a cheese burger. I could not escape being invited to feasts and synagogues, and I couldn’t avoid debating scripture in the student lounge, library, class or wherever I would go. I attended a Saabath celebration where I was questioned for not ceremonially washing my hands prior to eating and angered a well-known Rabbi by pointing out a contradiction in his book. I at one point was even offered a fully paid 7-day trip to Israel including flight, hotel and food at no cost to myself (which I ended up turning down).

I am by no means complaining. In fact I enjoyed it. Through all these things I was forced to dig deeper into the scriptures. I was forced to understand the Jews modern view of Messiah. I read about, in their own writings, the Jewish view of Messiah prior to Jesus’ coming and witnessed their changed view after His coming. I learned about the Talmud and Jewish Oral Tradition and experienced first hand its exaltation over scripture, the very thing Jesus spoke about.

Recently, in fact yesterday, I met up again with one of them for the first time in several years… and I was reminded again of all these things and how many interesting things I have to share. So be looking forward to some insider facts, pictures and nuggets about the Jewish faith and how it’s still like the faith of the Pharisees and the Jews who had gone astray many times in the days of the prophets. Look forward to snippets from Jewish Oral Tradition that proves Jesus WAS and IS the Messiah and how their views have changed as a result.

Twice his work ethic was so incredible that his master puts everything into his hand without need to oversee his work:

Gen 39:6 “Thus he (Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh) left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate.”

Gen 39:23 “The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.”

Can you say that about your secular place of employment? Your ministry before the Lord? Your service at church?

I’m not quite sure I could. Lord make me a faithful servant!

“Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live.” (Gen 20:7)

Often I am amazed and perplexed by the awesome power God has attributed and given to prayer.

Abraham lied to Abimelech about Sarah his wife, “She’s my sister” he said. So Abimelech takes Sarah for himself.

God intervenes and in a dream threatens to take Abimelech’s life if Sarah is not restored to her rightful husband. The text isn’t clear if he was smitten with some sort of disease, but it wouldn’t surprise me considering the treatment given to an offender of the past (Gen 12:17).

God told Abimilech that he would be healed, but only after Sarah is returned and Abraham, the prophet, had prayed for him.

Here’s my question: Why didn’t God just set the condition for the return of Sarah? Why did He add that Abraham be the agent in prayer?

I think it speaks significantly about God’s desire for us to pray and the power He gives to it. It was only two chapters ago (Gen 18) that we find Abraham once again playing the part as intercessor.

This text reminds me of two things:

1. Prayer isn’t for changing the mind of God (God was the one who orchestrated the request).
2. God somehow gives weight to prayer for the accomplishment of His will.

Lord make me a prayer warrior.

As long as I’ve been a believer I have prayed before I scarfed down a plate of food on the table. But when was the last time I was truly thankful and recognized it as the hand of the Lord? (Matthew 15:36; James 1:17)

Sure- I work; and I cooked it. But who gave me the talents, the health, the ability? Who placed me at this job?

This food wasn’t my doing. Oh that I would never forget it!

The book of Genesis speaks of a world-wide flood (Gen 6:13-22) that destroyed all the inhabitants of the earth except for a man named Noah and his family. The earth was then re-populated by those sole survivors (Gen 9:1). Noah was the father of all nations and if this is true- it would only make sense for other cultures to contain an account of the historic flood, the events prior, and any later events the culture shared with the Semite ancestors who wrote the book of Genesis.

Interesting enough there are dozen of cultures that have a flood account in their oral tradition. There is also an ancient culture that has the events of the book of Genesis encoded into its language, the Chinese.

Ancient Chinese writing consisted of a series of word pictures or pictographs which combined separate features to express a idea or concept. Look at how these Chinese symbols use biblical references:

God made man out of the dust and breathed life into the two persons who lived in the enclosed- Garden.

The biblical boat/ark consisted of a vessel of eight people.

There are many more. These links may be of use in researching it for yourself:

http://www.answersingenesis.org/Docs/388.asp
http://www.drdino.com/articles.php?spec=54

http://www.answersingenesis.org/Home/Area/AnswersBook/global10.asp

So many ask, why did God allow something so horrible?
Why did the bridge collapse?