DownshoreDrift

1. "My one question from the Christians is: What would Jesus do if he were present in the world today? What would he do before some of the oppressive powers of the world who are in fact residing in Christian countries? Which powers would he revive and which of them would he destroy?" asked the Iranian leader.

according to his first coming, He would not destroy anybody or any nations, in His second coming all will be wiped off the face of the earth, to use your words, accept for those who confess Christ Jesus as Lord. He would not command or direct anybody to take the life of another human being. He would feed the poor, heal the sick, accept the downcast, drink wine with the Lawyers and really tick off the Legalistic Religionists by not accepting the invitation to address the SBC because he has a previous appointment to do his father's business...letting the outcasts hangout with Him.

2. "If Jesus were present today, who would be facing him and who would be following him?"
Very good soul-searching question

3. "All I want to say is that the age of hardship, threat and spite will come to an end someday and, God willing, Jesus would return to the world along with the emergence of the descendant of the Islam's holy prophet, Imam Mahdi, and wipe away every tinge of oppression, pain and agony from the face of the world," Ahmadinejad said.

He is going to be severly disapointed.

TC

He does ask good questions- and as per the comment above, he will be disappointed.
'When Jesus comes he is not coming to take sides. He is coming to take over.' I like that quote. It is one we all need to keep in mind as we struggle with our own loyalties. What our Iranian friend has missed is the same thing too many of us have missed. Jesus overcomes with love. He did so before and he will do so again. It is His nature. Our fear causes us to doubt the power of love and resort to manipulation. We manipulate with Biblical eisegisis and threats and the President of Iran manipulates with nuclear weapons and threats. They have the same source. Fear. Our answer to these questions must be that when He comes back we must be ready. We demonstrate our readiness by revealing to the world that love is stronger than hate.
I would trust the honesty of our friend's questions better if he would stop arresting, torturing and killing Christians in his country. However, I will love him and all of his decieved allies. To do otherwise would to become like them instead of like my Lord.
By the way, I live in a muslim country.

Good thoughts, Tim and Strider. I agree completely. I guess that I was taken back by his questions and his desire to engage Christians along those lines. I do not trust his motives at all, and he seems like a pure manipulator, but he also seems to have an awareness of the ethic of Christ. I was just thinking that, if I were confronted this way by a Muslim neighbor in my community, how would I respond?

I think that we have to start with being more Christian than we are Western or American, not that those things are always mutually exclusive, but they are enough of the time to cause great confusion in the minds of the rest of the world. Sometimes that confuses the issue for others.

Alan,

You are right.... You do know that in Muslim teachings they have long believed in the return of the "prophet" Jesus, and that when Jesus returns he will bring all the world to Islam= literally submission to allah.

TC

He's insane- along the same lines as Hitler (who also wanted to re-write history to fit his ideals) and Hussein. In fact, we'll find many dictators, emperors, and extraordinary lunatics among the ranks of those who attempted to re-write history to fit their egomaniacal whims.

Now, I'm no Tim LaHaye, so don't start calling me that. But... uh... seven years the Imam. Well I'm just going to get myself in trouble going any further than that, but... I'll say this anyway. Although I only had one semester in Islamic studies, I'm more and more convinced that...... and this is where I stop before I sound like Jerry Vines.

Hmm, I had a thought. You know, Alan, it shouldn't be surprising that a dictator like this would try to seek an alliance with Christians if he were to see Christians like Pharisees or the modern day equivalent, which is so well illustrated by Wade's satirical tea totaling post (http://kerussocharis.blogspot.com). I know I have read in the Blog world more than once that some, like Wade, should take my views elsewhere within the Body of Christ, by others in the SBC, and the recent moves by leadership therein would seem to be an attempt to "purify" the denomination. In history we see many dictators attempt to purify their country, regime, etc.

Ugh, I'm already regretting speaking that thought.

Well, I think Jesus would start by reminding Mr. Ahmadinejad that God has cursed those who curse Israel. He might even illustrate by showing 4-color photos of the ruins of those nations who have, in fact, done that.

After pointing out the past of those nations who have cursed Israel, He might go on to point out the future of nations who do that, now. I think Mr. Ahmadinejad would then illustrate who would not be following Jesus, were He here today.

Just a thought.

I'm not sure what Jesus might say, but I do think it is interesting that an Islamic leader in Iran, appealing to issues related to justice, calls on Christians to think about what Jesus might say. Perhaps he thinks Jesus teaches more about being just than his own religion does.