Often we are told by media or government officials after a terrorist attack carried out by Muslims, is that it does not represent Islam. Because as we are told regularly by these sources is that Islam is a religion of peace. 

Why does the media and high ranking government officials want to portray Islam as a religion of peace? Is it just for political correctness? Afraid to offend? Could it be to not paint with such a broad brush in lumping all Muslims together? Maybe manipulation? Or could it just be ignorance of what Islam really teaches?

Regardless of what the reasoning behind it might be as to why there are those who suggest Islam is a religion of peace, they all fall short because there is only one true religion of peace. Christianity is the only religion that offers true peace! By that statement, I am aware that I am saying Islam is not a religion of peace, Hinduism is not a religion of peace, Buddhism is not a religion of peace, in fact in that statement I am making is that no other religion in all of the world and throughout all of history is a religion of peace.There is only one and that is Christianity!

Even if any of these religions call you to live out a peaceful life or at peace with others it still is not a religion of peace. Let me explain why that is, James 4:4 says "You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." Being a friend of the world is being an enemy of God, and no one is born a friend of God because of sin we are all born enemies of God, in rebellion against the God of the Universe the Creator of all things, because there is only one true and living God, Jeremiah 10:10a But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. 

Colossians 1:21 says "And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds," so again we see that we are enemies of God, hostile against Him in our minds alienated from Him because of our sins. Which we know that we have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). That is how one has true peace with God, that is why there is only one religion of peace because Christianity is the only religion that deals with mans sin and offers reconciliation with God through Jesus. 

Romans 5:1 says "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." So you see that the only way anyone can truly say that they are a religion of peace is if they are a religion that offers peace with God, that is the only peace that matters. Sure in this world we would love to see peace, nations getting along with other nations and people at peace with other people, but even if that were the case, even if even one was at peace with one another yet they still denied Jesus and continued in being at enmity with God there would still be no peace.

That is why if you want to be at peace with God, then you must repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Not just any Jesus and not just any idea of how you think that needs to happen but the Jesus of scripture who tells us in His word what it means to be redeemed and how one receives everlasting life. So repent today and put your faith in Jesus so that you to might have true peace, the only peace that comes from God Himself.

​by Ricky Gantz

Matthew 7:21-23 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ 


My friends, I ask you for a moment of your time to stop and listen to this message. A message that should concern the “casual” Christian. “Matthew 7:13, Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” My friends, these are not my words, these are the words of God. Many, not a few, not a couple, but many are walking on the road to destruction, who confess and believe to be saved and going to heaven. I was once there.

When I was just a young child, I went downstairs and said a prayer with my pastor and he told me I was saved. So I was baptized and spent the next 15-17 years, believing I was saved, but I was not living like a Christian. Hate was huge in my life, disobedience was normal toward my parents, fornication was high, and pornography was second nature. I never really cared to do anything to help someone unless it in some way benefited me. If I could use that in the future as a bribe of sorts. I professed to be a Christian though. You ask me if I believed in God and my immediate response was, yes, of course I do. If I was asked am I going to heaven? But of course, I believe in God so yes.

This leads me to the next passage “Matthew 7:21, Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” If you profess to believe in God that he sent His only begotten son to die on the Cross for our sins, that the reason needed for this was because only an unblemished, perfect sacrifice could be sacrificed to fulfill God’s wrath, that Jesus lived this perfect life, God’s son walked on earth with man, born as a baby, never sinning in His mind, never sinning by action or with His heart, but continually living a perfect life serving the Father, with the end goal to fulfill scripture, God’s Word which was a prophecy at the time, if you claim to profess this but never change in your own heart, never change as a person, you just professed, well, someone has to tell you something that I learned the hard way as well. Your profession of faith means absolutely nothing. Let’s refer back to the verse “Matthew 7:21, Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” My friends do not be deceived. I’m not going to stand here and say that when you profess to truly believe that overnight your life will change in terms of how you act, think, live. You might, and glory to God for that. It might take you some time longer to continue learning, reading, understand God’s Word to have the change take effect, and even in that sense, Glory to God! But what I am saying, is if you profess to believe but you have no change of body, soul, or mind, you may be deceiving yourself.

Let me make something clear though, once you are truly in God’s family, you truly are saved, does that mean you will never sin? Absolutely not, you will. If you could live a perfect life it would mean you are God which is impossible, blasphemy. You will though, have an advocate in Jesus Christ in Heaven to the Father to forgive you for your sins. That is probably the biggest if not the biggest difference between a true convert compared to a false convert and everyone else who just doesn’t believe. They are not forgiven for their sins, they are going to hell, while the ones who truly are converted, are forgiven for their sins and are going to heaven.
Now does this give one an excuse to sin, no, let’s look at scripture, Romans 6:1-2 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” We cannot think that just because we are forgiven that we “allowed” to sin. We are no longer slaves to sin my friends. We are slaves to righteousness which is God! But we will stumble, that is a fact. But now we have the Holy Spirit in us to fight off temptations, to help us from sinning.

Want to know what the scariest verse of the bible should be for a false convert, a person who truly is not saved? Matthew 7:22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many [n]miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” This is what I’m trying to say, just because you claim to know God, does not mean you do, for many claim they do, but truly don’t. And you will hear from God on the day of Judgement “Department from Me, you who practice Lawlessness” The question you need to ask yourself is does God know you? Because if He does, then you are saved, if He does not, then you’re in some trouble if you do not fix that. My friends, your soul is not something to play around with, it’s not a game. If you do not turn to Christ and have God know you, then you are going to hell that is a fact. Whether you believe in hell is irrelevant to the fact that hell exist. How do I know this, well the bible says so. Let’s take a look at scripture.

Matthew 25:46 “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” Everlasting punishment is referring to hell and my friends please listen to me when I say this, it is everlasting. There will be no end to the torment. Our minds literally cannot comprehend eternity because of how huge that is. In hell, the torment is forever. The suffering is forever, there is no relief in hell.
Please do not be self-deceived. Do not just think saying a prayer but having no change of mind, soul, action means you are saved. It most likely means you are self-deceived. Your life on earth is temporary. Your souls life after we die is forever, it’s for eternity, the question is, will it be in heaven or will it be in hell and my friends I cannot answer that question for you, for only God truly knows your heart. But if what I say before you, is totally new to you, or you have not took your faith serious, you were just a casual believer, please, turn to The Holy Bible. Read the Word of God, turn to God, believe His word, and put your trust in Him before it is too late.

No matter what struggles of temptation you are facing, the sins you are committing, none of it is too big for the Lord to help you through. Any addiction you are facing, God can see you through, just put your trust in him. Please, heed these thing which I tell you and turn to God. 

by Brad Valka