Re: [TruthTalk] Christians and violence

[Terry Clifton]

Lance Muir wrote: Judy:Well said. You might be seen, on occasion, as a modern day "Church Mother". (Amma Judy) ----- Original Message ----- From: Judy Taylor To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: June 24, 2004 07:19 Subject: [TruthTalk] Christians and violence Good Morning All: Terry - I've given your question a lot of thought over the years since we were a military family when the Lord got my attention once more on Adak AK and I began to seriously study His Word in order to learn His ways.    We know that He hates divorce, yet he allowed Moses to give a bill of divorcement under the Old Covenant because of the hardness of men's hearts.  So God is a realist and He knows our frame.  We will not be free from wars and rumors of wars until Jesus returns and from that point on He (Jesus) will be the one ruling with a rod of iron - at which point in time there will be peace.    When we commit to follow Jesus and choose His Kingdom over the kingdoms of this world we do not become perfected immediately.  Salvation is actually a walk of grace during which our minds are renewed and our behavior changed until we are conformed to the image of Christ (not just metaphorically, or figuratively, but literally) because He will not have a bunch of people who think like devils ruling with Him during the new millenium.   There are no exhortations to free slaves in scripture, and yet we can be sure that God does not endorse slavery. As you (Terry) point out there were also no lectures to Centurians to get out of the Roman Army by Jesus, Paul, or any of the other apostles.  Our responsibility here (from what I understand) is to judge ourselves and to deal with our own issues, (so that He will not have to judge us in that day); and to be a light for Him to those around us.  God (who knows the beginning from the end) can handle the world system;  He has not made us responsible to fix it or to judge it... just to be lights in it, love people, and stay free from debt to both God and man.   Grace and Peace, Judyt  ==============================================================================  Mornin' Judy: May I say that everything that both you and Izzy said in response to my post was on target. I appreciate both of you and thank you for giving me things to consider. ( There is a time for war, and a time for peace.  There will be wars and rumors of wars until our Lord returns as a mighty warrior and judge.  God deals with reality, we are still growing, still being conformed.  God has given government the responsibility for protecting it's people, etc.) Still, the real question has not been addressed.  We know what happens when the Lord returns, but what do we do until then? Do we take our place and kill the enemy if that is what our government decides is right, or do we love our enemy and turn the other cheek?  Does it make any difference if we are the agressor or if we act in self defense?  Can we live to please God and men?  Terry