Commentary on the Obama speech abounds and everyone seems to have an opinion.  However, I want to take a bit of a different tact as I review President Obama’s speech and prayerfully share comments.

Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by much of what President Obama had to say.  For starters, after taking no action in Syria after issuing the “red line” ultimatum, after equating ISIS to “a JV team,” after previously stating he would “manage” the ISIS threat rather than defeat them, and after admitting only last week that he had “no strategy yet,”  it is especially encouraging that President Obama has now done an about face in recognizing the seriousness of the ISIS threat, and their connection in Syria.  I’m thankful that he is now recognizing and acknowledging the threat.

Furthermore, President Obama’s stated goal is to “degrade and ultimately destroy” ISIS.  At least in speech, he seems to indicate that we don’t intend to mess around.  Given the foreign policy blunders of the past few years, America is in need of re-establishing itself as a world leader.  Not that I believe America needs to “push its weight around,” but America is the greatest Christian nation on earth and has a tremendous position from which to impart Christian values (such as giving value to life and fighting against those who wish to destroy lives).  We desperately need strong leaders.  Let’s pray that the American administration will recognize their position in the world and will put forth Christian values.

Another encouraging thing I take from the speech is that President Obama pledged to go where we need to go in order to take down ISIS, yet indicates he is recruiting international support to assist in ground campaigns.  It remains to be seen if he can rally allies, but the idea is certainly favorable.

Despite the positive rhetoric, follow through is yet to be seen.  Let’s earnestly pray for follow through.

Beyond the positive, however, I believe the president made a tremendously naïve statement:

“ISIL is not Islamic. No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL’s victims have been Muslim.”

Granted, many victims have been Muslim, due to the deep hatred of opposing Muslim groups (Sunni vs Shia).  The rest of the statement, though, is very disconcerting.  ISIS (ISIL) is indeed Islamic, and the Islamic holy book (Qur’an) teaches Islamic followers to murder. (See Is Islam a Religion of Peace?)  Most certainly, not all Muslims are violent.  In fact, most are not.  However, by Islamic theology, jihad is not only okay, but encouraged.  ISIS is definitely Islamic (even their name states that), and their’s is a religion based on a holy book that condones taking innocent lives if they oppose Islamic ideology.

It is even more deeply naïve to overlook the fact that the goal of Islamic radicals is worldwide domination and the establishment of a worldwide caliphate.  Opposing Muslim groups simply disagree over who that caliph will be!  (That is why they battle against one another!)

Stop to think…if your god and your holy book tell you that you must kill and destroy in order to rule the world, what good is it to negotiate or attempt to appease them?  Islamic radicals will not stop until they achieve their goal, or are thoroughly defeated.  Total defeat may not happen until Jesus returns, but it WILL happen!

Let’s hope that our president quickly sees that Islam IS the problem, and ceases to dismiss groups like ISIS as something other than Islamic.   For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  (Ephesians 6:12) Those forces are alive in Islam.  Will you join me in praying for a revelation of truth for our president, the American administration, and world leaders all over the globe?

Shalom!