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» Christian Message Boards   » Bible Studies   » End Time Events In The News   » Violence and the End of a Culture

   
Author Topic: Violence and the End of a Culture
Carol Swenson
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I'm a 63 year old woman, so I may not be qualified to answer you. But this has been my experience...

Some years ago a man attacked me. He rushed at me intending to be violent. I was enveloped in a profound peace. Unafraid, unmoving, silent and still. The man came very near, then suddenly stopped as if he had come against a barrier. He looked perplexed, turned away and left.

Another time, some years earlier, I was aggressively attacked by a man. The same peace came over me, completely overwhelming me. That man not only stopped, but he suddenly looked horrified and burst into tears. He kept saying, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I only saw him one other time after that, and he looked filled with joy.

And there have been times when I walked right past an angry aggressor and went to help the victim. At those times I felt consumed by compassion. There was no fear, no anger. It was as if the aggressor didn't even exist for me.

I know that in all these cases it was our Lord Jesus Christ, not me, doing His good will.

Wiersbe writes:

Our Lord's counsel in Luke 22:35-38 was not fully understood by the disciples, because they interpreted what He said quite literally. Peter's use of the sword in the Garden is evidence of this (Luke 22:49-51). The point He was making was this: "You are now moving into a whole new situation. If they arrest Me, they will one day arrest you. If they treat Me like a common criminal (Isa. 53:12), they will do the same to you; so, be prepared!"

During their ministry with Jesus, the disciples had been sent out with special authority, and they were treated with respect and appreciation (Luke 9:1ff; 10:1ff). At that time, Jesus was still a very popular rabbi, and the authorities were not able to attack His disciples. But now "His hour had come" and the situation would change radically. Today, God's people are aliens in enemy territory, and we must use our faith and sanctified common sense as we serve the Lord. This is a good warning to zealous people who foolishly get themselves into tight spots and then expect God to perform miracles for them. The Apostle Paul knew how to use the "sword" of human government to protect him and the Gospel (Acts 16:35-40; 21:37-40; 25:11; Rom. 13).

Their words, "Here are two swords!" must have grieved the Lord, for they indicated that the disciples had missed the meaning of His words. Did they think that He needed their protection or that He would now overthrow Rome and establish the kingdom? "It is enough!" means "Don't say anything more about the matter" (Deut. 3:26). His kingdom does not advance by means of men's swords (John 18:36-37) but by the power of God's truth, the Word of God that is sharper than any human sword (Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12).

Wiersbe
Bible Exposition Commentary - Be Courageous (Luke 14-24).

I know that Paul and the other apostles experienced and witnessed a great deal of abuse. They were sometimes rescued by the Lord, and sometimes the abuse became an opportunity to witness to their aggressors. There is no indication that they were ever violent even though they lived in very violent times.

So, speaking from my experience, we need more faith, not more weapons.

We can't shoot Satan with a gun.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.(Ephesians 6:12)

Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
KnowHim
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So should Christians defend the helpless or family?

Just need to know what others think?


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Posts: 3276 | From: Charlestown, IN | Registered: Jun 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
KnowHim
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"Knockout Game" Leaves 70 Year Old Stranger In Hospital

Just having to vent after seeing this in the news.

These Wimp gutless punk thugs need to be removed quickly from society. It is time for more people to get a concealed carry permit. When you see gutless punks coldcock a 70 year old or any one for that matter. Give them have some southern hostility.

http://youtu.be/cwF-uJAvz8U

http://youtu.be/liatWFj5COk

Luke 22:35-39 And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?" So they said, "Nothing." Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.

Why did He tell them to purchase a sword? Because shotguns had not been invented yet! A used shotgun will be much more practical than an extra suit. Have you obeyed His command?

If you permit a murder or rape of an innocent child when you could have stopped it, then you are morally responsible for it. Go sell your suit and buy a gun, learn to use it, and be willing to use it when necessary. However, remember if you carelessly shoot the Avon lady or paper boy, you will have to take the responsibility.

The above quoted from:
http://www.cstnews.com/bm/social-issues-facing-christians-common-sense-for-today/guns-self-defense-and-common-sense-for-today/should-christians-shoot-in-self-defense.shtml

Psalm 82:4 Rescue the weak and needy; Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.

Ezekiel 33 "... 6 'But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman's hand.'

Exodus 22:2 “If a thief is caught breaking in at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed


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Posts: 3276 | From: Charlestown, IN | Registered: Jun 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
WildB
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By: Erick Erickson (Diary)

My Fear.

I once had a person leave a message on my home answering machine telling me how he was going to come to my house, tie me up, cut off my eyelids, and force me to watch as he raped and murdered my family.

Another person once emailed a very similar tale.

One time after I’d made a bunch of liberals mad while I was out of town, someone pulled into our driveway in the dead of night and just sat there after having circled past the house a few times. The police had to stay overnight in the cul-de-sac.

Memorial Day weekend last year someone called 911 claiming to be me. He said he, meaning me, had killed my wife and would kill the neighbors unless the police came to stop me. The police rolled into the driveway, blocked the street, and had me surrounded to figure out what happened. Luckily the police officer who saw me first recognized me from television.

More than once in the past two years, standing on a street corner in Washington waiting for a cab, liberals have recognized me and yelled or otherwise harassed me for destroying the country. Now I just use Uber.

At my old house, the neighbor, who’d been a great neighbor for eight years until he saw Keith Olbermann name me the worst person in the world or some such, began heckling me and my kids when we’d play in the front yard.

People ask me all the time if I fear the people who do these things. My answer is always no. I feel sorry for people so wrapped up in politics they have to make a jackass of themselves on a street corner to someone they don’t know or show up in a drive way to look menacing. I certainly worry for my family when I’m out of town. But I don’t fear these people. I feel sorry for them.

Let me tell you what I do fear.

I fear that because of these people, their hatred for me, and the world’s hatred for God Almighty, that my children might decide it is a far better path through life to find an accommodation with the world than have the world hate them because of either of their Fathers — the one here or the one in Heaven.

I fear my kids might decide to go along to get along. The Bible says, and history bears it out, that the world hates those of God because the world hates God. I fear my children, though, may decide they love the world more than God because it is easier to get through this world doing that.

It is not easy for my family. My wife sometimes gets asked questions or mouthed off to by people who would not do that to me. The kids pick up on more than we realize. We are occasionally stopped in public by people who recognize me.

This is my fear. This is why I write checks to my church. Yes, God says tithe, but I write the check as much because our church is a safe haven from the world — a place where my kids can go and worship and learn to love God apart from the world — to love him as he is meant to be loved and to be surrounded by others willing to love God.

So that’s my fear. And I dwell on this fear when I read my friend Russell Moore’s commentary about evangelicals in politics. Russell’s position has been mischaracterized and he does a good job of explaining his actual position.

I agree with him.

Evangelicals have, over the past few decades, gotten involved in the rough and tumble world of politics sometimes too politically and sometimes exploitatively. Some of the fights — like abortion and gay marriage — they’ve been forced to fight and were not fights of their choosing despite the world’s spin. Other fights they’ve willingly jumped in. Occasionally, some Christians have profited from the fight with no accountability and others have used evangelicals as a means to a profitable secular end with the evangelical community turning a blind eye.

This has driven up the cynicism of young Christians already being wooed by a world that cleverly casts out Christian sinners as hypocrites, helping undermine trust.

Young Christians are breaking into two camps it seems. One camp wants to retreat from the world and the other wants to retreat into the world. Neither is a good position, but being in the world and not of the world can sometimes be difficult to grasp.

I want my children to be faithful instruments of God’s will and to glorify him in all they do. I want that of myself. I want that of evangelicals and Christians in general. I’m not sure young evangelicals just starting to tune in know where the balance is. They know Christ is the fulcrum, but are unsure of the effort and resistance needed to ensure they’re lifting God up in their fight.

They also do not understand that on a host of social issues they’d prefer to seek accommodation with, they will be made to care. And this comes back to my fear. It will take boldness not just from Christian parents, but from Christian leaders, to train up young Christians to love sinners, but to be bold enough in that love to not seek accommodation of this world and its sin.

It will take a steady ministry in and out of politics to teach the world and young Christians what true love is — a love that is patient and kind and does not judge, but does not want others to lose salvation through blind acceptance of sin.

The path of least resistance in this world will lead to much suffering in the next and too many young Christians are choosing that path because a lot of voices are complicating a very simple message — Jesus.

One way or the other, we will all be made to care.

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That is all.....

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KnowHim
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Violence is permeating our world at every level of society. The Middle East is spiraling out of control with violence as radical Islam flexes its muscle in an attempt to terrorize the world into submission. Islam’s ultimate goal is to dominate the world and subject it to Allah. Violent attacks against individuals across Europe and around the world are viewed by Muslims as acts of obedience to the Koran’s commands to wage holy war against the infidels. Moderate Muslims are also being targeted who refuse to submit to the dreamstime_s_31782367ritualistic law of the Koran in their daily lives. At the same time, all cultures are experiencing an escalating violence in their societies. Here in the U.S., our educational institutions have become places of violence. Bullying has become an all too familiar occurrence. Our daily news media are filled with graphic stories involving of murder and violence. We talk about road rage, violence acts against women, children, and infants in the womb. In addition, violence associated with wars has become all-too common for millions living in our world. All the while, our entertainment industries thrive on selling violence. Sports, music, video games, television programming, and movies are filling the minds of consumers with an increasing diet of graphic violence.

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