Why is it that the word CRUSADE AND CRUSADERS in this time and age is a “TABOO”? WHO IS THE ORIGINATOR AND WHEN DID IT FIRST HAPPEN? Let us delve in Church history to find the truth.
Pope Urban II preaches the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont “I, or rather the Lord, beseech you as Christ’s heralds to publish this everywhere and to persuade all people of whatever rank, foot-soldiers and knights, poor and rich, to carry aid promptly to those Christians and to destroy that vile race from the lands of our friends. I say this to those who are present, it meant also for those who are absent. Moreover, Christ commands it.”
The Crusades were military campaigns sanctioned by the Latin Roman Catholic Church during the High Middle Ages and Late Middle Ages. In 1095, Pope Urban II proclaimed the First Crusade with the stated goal of restoring Christian access to holy places in and near Jerusalem.
Several hundred thousand Roman Catholic Christians became crusaders by taking a public vow and receiving plenary indulgences from the church.
Pope Urban II promised forgiveness of all sins to whosoever took up the cross and joined in the war. The Roman Catholic Church desperately wants to regain Jerusalem from the Muslims to be their head quarter instead of Rome. But they were unsuccessful.
Following the First Crusade there was an intermittent 200-year struggle for control of the Holy Land, with six more major crusades and numerous minor ones. In 1291, the conflict ended in failure with the fall of the last Christian stronghold in the Holy Land at Acre, after which Roman Catholic Europe mounted no further coherent response in the east.
Who were the victims of the Crusade?
Albigensians: The first Crusade intended to slay other Christians.
The Albigensians…viewed themselves as good Christians, but would not accept Roman Catholic rule, and taxes, and prohibition of birth control.
Begin of violence: On command of pope Innocent III (greatest single pre-Nazi mass murderer) in 1209. Bezirs (today France) 7/22/1209 destroyed, all the inhabitants were slaughtered. Victims (including Catholics refusing to turn over their heretic neighbors and friends) 20,000-70,000.
First Crusade: Thousands of Jews slaughtered 1096, maybe 12.000 total.
Places: Worms 5/18/1096, Mainz 5/27/1096 (1100 persons), Cologne, Neuss, Altenahr, Wevelinghoven, Xanten, Moers, Dortmund, Kerpen, Trier, Metz, Regensburg, Prag and others (All locations Germany except Metz/France, Prag/Czech)
Second Crusade: 1147. Several hundred Jews were slain in Ham, Sully, Carentan, and Rameru (all locations in France).
Third Crusade: English Jewish communities sacked 1189/90.
Fulda/Germany 1235: 34 Jewish men and women slain.
1257, 1267: Jewish communities of London, Canterbury, Northampton, Lincoln, Cambridge, and others exterminated.
GOD ALLOWED THINGS TO HAPPEN:
Let us find out why, through studying HISTORY.
Why is it that the Muslims have occupied the Mediterranean World and have their Mosque (The Dome of the Rock) built in the very heart of Jerusalem?
Exodus 20: 2-6
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the THIRD and FOURTH generations of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
Beginning in the first century, from Jerusalem to the Mediterranean World Christianity spread out. The churches in the New Testament on whom the apostles wrote letters for, and the seven churches mentioned in the book of Revelation were actual churches located in the Mediterranean World. But now you cannot trace Christianity there because it has been converted to Islam. The big question is why and how did it happen?
In the reign of Constantine (approximately in the third century) the Church became IDOLATER. God had given the Catholics a chance to repent and get rid of pagan doctrines and its practices through the warnings of His Word. For centuries God was patient but the “HARLOT CHURCH” hardened her heart. Idolatry was so rampant in Churches. It became so detestable to God and that was why He allowed the professing Church of Christ to be eradicated. The Church was annihilated and destroyed. They were massacred by the Muslims (in the sixth century). Churches in those places were of no use or worth to God that was why GOD allowed Muhammad who hated idols to conquer those places. Now you cannot trace Christianity there.
Unmistakably, we can see from the third century when the Christian Church became a harlot and began to worship other gods until the sixth century. This was when Catholics were slaughtered by the Muslims, mathematically; it was in the third generation and continued in eradicating professing Christians to the next generation, which was the fourth. The warning from the Word of God was fulfilled.
If Muhammad and his army had spared idolater Catholics from destruction, then God is a liar.
Majority of churches today becomes idolaters without the actual existence of idols made of wood, stone, silver or gold. They become idolaters because they are greedy. Even though they sing Christian songs to worship God, what they really seeking is money along with the things in this world. A greedy person is really an idolater who worships the things of this world.
What happened to Christians in the Mediterranean World in the sixth century where Muhammad and his army wiped them out from their places will happen again to Christians in this generation if they will not truly repent and get rid of all false doctrines that produce greed in the hearts. I don’t believe that Muslims will massacre the Christians in this generation but the Muslims will do anything to make people’s lives miserable if you will not join to their religion.
“GOD WILL JUDGE HIS OWN PEOPLE FIRST”
Hebrews 10: 30—31 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
1 Peter 4:17—19 FOR IT IS TIME FOR JUDGMENT TO BEGIN WITH THE FAMILY OF GOD; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
In the Old Testament time when God’s people the Israelites began to worship and served other gods, the True God of heaven will allow His people to be conquered by their enemies. But before their destruction come, God will send them prophets to warn them and gave them a chance to repent but because of hardness of their hearts God will allow his own people to be conquered.
Habakkuk was perplexed that wickedness, strife and oppression were rampant in Judah but God seemingly did nothing. When told that the Lord was preparing to do something about it through the “fierce” Babylonians (1:6), his perplexity only intensified: How could God, who is “too pure to approve evil” (1:13)?
God makes it clear, however, that eventually the corrupt destroyer will itself be destroyed.
God allowed the fierce Babylonians who were wicked than God’s people to punish the corrupt leaders. “Like leaders, like people” as the saying goes. If the leaders are corrupt so are the people who follow their leaders. But before the destruction of Jerusalem, there were prophets who boldly exposed their wickedness, but instead of repenting, they persecuted God’s prophets that warned them.
GOD’S OWN PEOPLE WERE THE VIOLATORS OF GOD’S LAW:
Romans 13:1—7 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is NO AUTHORITY EXCEPT THAT WHICH GOD HAS ESTABLISHED. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
This is the single verse in the Bible which Christians are confused. In their minds they question God; why is it that God allowed a President which is anti-Christian, who hate anything what the Bible says. Almost all Christians hate to the core of their bones the Democrats who are liberals. In Texas, the Bible belt, they hate the very mention of Democrats. They can’t believe that God whom they serve allowed an antagonist President to rule the country.
What happened to God’s people in the OLD TESTAMENT will happen to the Christians in this generation because the CHURCH itself is the number one violator.
Romans 13:2—7 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you PAY TAXES, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: IF YOU OWE TAXES, PAY TAXES; IF REVENUE, THEN REVENUE; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
The Lord Jesus was asked about taxes, He answered; “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (Matthew 22:21)
For Christians, we should not give for tax shelter purposes or to avoid paying taxes to the government. Jesus said in Matthew 22:21, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and God the things that are God’s.” Romans 13:7, “Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”
That is why when the authority demanded for all none profit organizations to give charity but forbade Christians to evangelize to those whom they have given help, their mouths were zippered because religious organizations are tax exempt. Christians were forbidden to evangelize but required to give for charity purposes. They have nothing to do but comply with whatever the authority says because churches don’t pay taxes and thus become slave to the authority that hates the Lord and are indignant to Christians.
Churches teach TITHING which is not for the New Testament Church and there are more teachings which are unbiblical. So God will allow tribulation to His own people.
President Obama’s speech at the National Prayer Breakfast. ISIS had just burned alive a Jordanian pilot who was a hostage held in a cage. After condemning ISIS, the President softened his criticism by equating their conduct with Christians during the CRUSADES. In addressing that moral equivalency, the president’s comment was the most offensive to most Christians.
It is unfair to blame all Christians for the CRUSADE and on the other hand when there is sever persecutions to Christians, it will bring spiritual blessings for true believers in Christ.
Psalms 119:71—72, “It was good for me to be AFFLICTED so that I might learn your decrees. The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.” As I always say, Christians in general in an affluent society focus on material thing in this world not in Christ living holy lives according to Gods Word.
AFFLICTION means: Suffering, pain, distress, trouble, misfortune, tribulation, trial, hardship, adversity, misery, calamity, ailment, and sickness.
I believe sever persecution is coming very soon to purify our lives as Christians.
