Sometimes I just don’t understand.  The world is about to be engulfed with World War III, and all I seem to be worried about is who will win the 2012 NCAA Basketball Tournament!  It seems so close to the time prophesied by Christ:

Matthew 24:37-39  ³⁷ “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. ³⁸ “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Daniel Pearl before his beheading by Muslims, 2002

As a pastor, I already have six weddings on my calendar this year.  I am counseling couples about their wedding day without regard to Israeli bombs falling on the Gaza Strip, or Afghanis retaliating for the desecration of the Qur’an, or Arabians in the Peninsula in the cross-fires of Iranian nuclear destruction (Revelation 18:6). It is as if the people of the world, at least the West, are oblivious to what is going on around them. Such was the case for the time of Noah, and such will be the case for the time of tribulation.  Praise God — some voices are speaking out — even in the secular halls of academia!

Fox News recently reported on the “Pearl Project,” an investigative project conducted by Georgetown University to “enable students to learn the techniques and methods … of investigative journalism as well as cutting edge computer-assisted reporting techniques.” (see http://pearlproject.georgetown.edu/thefuture.html).

The Pearl Project is co-led by Asra Nomani, a 46-year-old former journalist who worked alongside the late Daniel Pearl, and currently a teacher at Georgetown University, and Barbara Feinman Todd, current journalism director for Georgetown University English Department. Daniel Pearl, an investigative reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was beheaded on February 2, 2002 by Al-Qaeda.  He went to Pakistan as part of an investigation into the alleged links between Richard Reid (the “shoe bomber”) and Al-Qaeda, but never returned. He was beheaded by his captors, who included, by his own admission, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, one of the master minds of the attacks of 9/11.  Nomani and Todd, both educators and journalists, have sought to educate today’s secular minded collegians with the necessity of pure, unbiased journalism, and unaffected by the prejudices of modern-day society.  Included with this effort is the “Pearl Project” which seeks to uncover the complete truth of the assassins of Daniel Pearl.

In a recent Fox News story, Nomani states,

We’re saying that you can’t go into our mosques, you can’t look at our Muslim organizations, you can’t even look at Muslims because that’s to target us,” she told Fox News during an interview in suburban Washington. “But the truth is, we do have a problem in our Muslim community. (See http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/13/muslim-journalist-defends-spying-by-nypd-says-some-muslims-use-religion-as/#ixzz1p2HvJVxI)

Nomani continues, “We use religion as a cover,” and, ”radical ideology is very real — and damaging to all Muslims.” (See, http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/13/muslim-journalist-defends-spying-by-nypd-says-some-muslims-use-religion-as/#ixzz1p2HvJVxI).

That sounds like the ring-of-truth to me; and, it is also “biblical.”  Here is how the Apostle Paul puts it:

2 Corinthians 11:14, No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

Disguised as an “angel of light”?  Does the god of a religion qualify as an “angel of light”?  How about Allah? Would he make the cut?

What does the Bible say to help us to know if the god of a religion is a true “angel of light” or the deceiver who masquerades as the One, True, God?  Jesus helps us here:

Luke 6:44-45 “For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. ⁴⁵ “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

And also:

Matthew 12:33  “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.

Bad fruit, good fruit?  You will know the ”tree” by its “fruit”?  Tell me, if the “fruit” reveals the “tree,” what is the “tree” that the following video identifies?

 http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/11/khalid-sheikh-mohammed-decapitation-of-daniel-pearl-.html

When Islam honors Allah by the death of the “Daniel Pearls” of the world, the true root of Islam is exposed. It is evil that masquerades as good. The religion is merely a “cloak” that covers the real nature of the deceiver.  The deceiver is satan, and his earthly demonic manifestation is Allah (Revelation 13:4).

Muslim Journalist Defends Surveillance By NYPD, Says Some Muslims use Religion As Cover | Fox News.

I know a good book that will flesh this out for you:  Islam the Cloak of Antichrist.  Be careful; the book will lead you to ask a difficult question: ”Do you have the courage to handle the truth?”