George Washington's Vision

And the New War in Iraq

Chapter 1

I read a book perhaps thirty three years ago. One of the chapters was about a vision that President George Washington apparently had.

There was also a chapter that said some things about President Abraham Lincoln.

I remember a title, "Can America Have a Christian President?" That might have been the title of the book, or just the title of a chapter in the book.

But this vision of Washington's becomes more significant now in the light of current events.

Lately in the news, there is war in Iraq. Islamic militants have taken over much of Northern Iraq and are reported to be within a hundred miles of Baghdad, the Capitol of Iraq.

Apparently, those Islamic militants are calling themselves ISIS, an acronym. Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, seems like.

It has been said on the news that the U.S. has spent a Trillion dollars on the Iraq project. And I'm wondering, what do we have to show for our Trillion dollars? Not much, apparently.

They say that since we left Iraq, we've spent $14 Billion to try to help Iraq with its defenses. But it looks like that was not money well spent.

They say that due to the current Iraq situation, the price of oil has risen by two percent, and that this is affecting the price of energy stocks on the stock exchanges.

One justification for fighting the Iraq war and the war in Afghanistan was that by putting things right over there, we wouldn't have to fight terrorists here. But it is not clear that that purpose has been accomplished.

I don't think the Islamic militants have given up regarding the U.S.A. It is their idea that the whole world ought to be Muslims (followers of Islam.) With that in mind, we'd better be on our guard.

Since they think that it's the will of God for the whole world to be Muslim, they don't mind using force to make it happen.

It is interesting that the Muslims think that when God wants someone dead, he needs a man to go and do the killing.

But back in the days of Noah, when God decided to kill everyone except Noah and family, God didn't need a man to do the killing. God had Noah build an ark. Then God sent a flood of water and killed all the rest.

The real God doesn't need a man to go and do His killing for him.

It won't happen that all the world becomes Muslim, because it's not the will of God for the world to be Muslim. The Muslims don't know God, and they don't know who God's Son, Jesus, is.

The Muslims refer to God as Allah. But God doesn't call himself Allah. I haven't found that name Allah anywhere in God's book, the Bible.

The real God has a Son named Jesus. Allah does not have a son, Jesus. Therefore, Allah is not God.

The Muslims say that Jesus was a good man and a Prophet, but not the son of God.

In saying that, the Muslims contradict themselves.

Jesus said he is the Son of God, to the Jewish High Priest, and to his disciples.

Now if the Muslims are right, and Jesus is not the Son of God, then Jesus is not a good man, but a liar; not a Prophet, but a false Prophet.

But it is the Muslims, and not Jesus, that are wrong. Jesus is who he said he is, the very Son of God.

Thus the Muslims don't know who God is, and don't know who Jesus is, and are laboring under the delusion that God wants the world to be Muslim.

It's in the Bible that a house divided against itself can't stand. In fact, that was a reason that President Abraham Lincoln fought to hold our nation together, the principle that a house divided against itself can't stand.

But is not Iraq a house divided against itself? Sunni against Shia, and Shia against Sunni. And it's been that way for a long time.

When you watched the news on TV, they were always saying, "We're going to train these people to take care of their own defenses so that we can turn it over to them and go home."

That was the story, for Iraq, and also for Afghanistan.

I have news for the authorities. Many of those people don't want us to train them.

Before President Reagan bombed Khadafy of Lybia, rendering him more cooperative, Khadafy was said to have a world map on the wall, with the United States painted black. They called us "the great Satan."

So it you're Muslim, why would you want "the great Satan" to be training you?

Isn't it a clue that while our soldiers were there training the Iraqis and Afghanis, those people were murdering our soldiers?

Doesn't that suggest that they don't want us training them, and that our doing so is what is referred to in the Bible as casting pearls before swine?

And what is the definition of a swine, Theologically? A swine is a creature that doesn't appreciate the value of pearls.

So why don't we take the hint, and stop trying to train people that don't want us training them?

It doesn't look like these Iraqis are doing very well at defending themselves in this latest war that's happening over there.

Looks like our training wasn't very successful.

When George W. Bush was President, it seemed to be his policy that all the nations needed to be democracies.

But democracy is not necessarily the solution to all the world's problems.

And for some of those nations in the Middle East, democracy was very much a foreign thing, and didn't come at all naturally to them.

Speaker of the House, John Boehner, expressed concern yesterday that the White House wasn't doing enough about the situation in Iraq.

Also, Senator Lindsey Graham expressed concern that the next 9/11 could be brewing.

Chapter 2

I bought that book about Washington's vision at the Hegewisch Baptist Church book store, in Highland, IN.

I don't still have the book. I'd like to find it again.

But after three decades, and a new Pastor, I don't know whether that church still has a book store, and I'm in a different state.

Apparently, an angel appeared to President George Washington. Angels sometimes appear as males. But to Washington, the angel appeared as a woman.

Actually, I don't think angels are either male or female, but they can appear to be either.

In the Old Testament, an angel appeared to the parents of Samson prior to the birth of Samson. (Judges chapter 13)

The angel showed George Washington things to come for the United States.

The angel showed Washington about World War 3. The previous World Wars have been fought on foreign lands.

But in WW3, according to the vision, fighting will come to our nation. Invaders will come in ships. I hope our Navy is ready, and our Coast Guard.

I hope our submarines can sink many of the invading ships before they reach our shores.

But there might be a problem identifying the enemy ships. Perhaps they will be disguised.

Jesus said, "The time will come when he that kills you will think that he's doing God a service." (Jhn 16:2)

That time is now.

Muslims think that when they kill non-Muslims, they're doing God a service, by helping the world become more Muslim, as the Muslims think God wants the world to be.

And if you happen to be one of the casualties, then the Muslims will see it as a step forward.

WW1 and WW2 were very violent, and many men died. But, according to the vision, WW3 will be worse than the previous World Wars.

But the vision showed that though WW3 will be very bad, the U.S. will eventually win the victory over the enemy.

But let's not rest on our laurels. Let's have a strong military.

Kenneth E. Hagin wrote a book, "I Believe in Visions." He tells about visions that the Lord gave him, teaching him various things that Hagin shares with his readers.

But not everyone who claims that he's had a vision necessarily did get a legitimate vision.

Joseph Smith, who founded Mormonism, said that God the Father and Jesus came and appeared to him and spoke with him.

But that didn't happen.

Moses was talking with God, and hearing him, but not seeing him. Moses asked God to let Moses see God.

God said, "No man can see my face and live."

So then, how did Joseph Smith see God's face and live to tell about it?

Well, he didn't, of course, because it would have killed him to see God's face.

But when I read about the vision that Washington was supposed to have had, it seemed legitimate to me.

Muslims are taught that if they die as Muslim martyrs, they'll go to heaven. Some of the males have even been taught that they'll get 72 virgins to be their wives when they get to heaven.

But Jesus, whom the Muslims claim as one of their Prophets, said that in heaven, there's no marrying, nor giving in marriage. So, you're not going to have a wife in heaven.

Furthermore, the Bible tells us that "No murderer has eternal life abiding in him." (1 Jhn 3:15)

So then, going around murdering people doesn't get you to heaven.

I have heard that in the Islam religion, the only way that you can be guaranteed to go to heaven is to become a Muslim martyr. And that's why there have been so many Muslim suicide bombers.

But the Bible teaches that you go to heaven by becoming a born-again Christian. (John chapter 3, and Romans 10:9,10)

Part of being a Christian is that you don't go murdering people. The Muslims have it backward. They've been lied to.

___James chapter 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.

2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,

3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.

7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,

10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.

11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.

18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.

21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,

24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2

1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,

3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"

4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

6 But you have despised the poor. Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?

7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?

8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,

9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.

10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill." Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.

12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.

14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works? Can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,

16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?

17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."

19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?

22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."

24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3

1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.

2 For in many things we offend all. If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.

4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.

5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how great a matter a little fire kindles!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,

8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be.

11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries? Or a vine, figs? So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4

1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?

2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.

3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.

4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"

6 But he gives more grace. So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.

11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers. He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?

13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"

14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."

16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5

1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.

3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire. You've heaped treasure together for the last days.

4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.

6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.

7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.

8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.

9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.

10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11 See, we count them happy that endure. You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.

13 Is anyone among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is anyone merry? Let him sing psalms.

14 Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.

16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.

17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,

20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.