You At Peace And In Humility Is How God Wages War
Messiah was strong with words, but never threatened anyone nor used force.
Peace is the final work of His wielding sword after the chaff separates from what is holy.
The weight in the Word's message is what divides and destroys spiritual strongholds:
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.
On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
- 2 Corinthians 10: 3-4This continues to this very Day in the believer, as they exude His light, express His love.
He speaks through believers.
What was seen in the temple with the whip was shepherding out the animals.
The tables He overturned, not people.
It may be difficult to understand humility in God's eyes because men have their eyes on poor 'Christian' examples today.
Military Christians... which is in my opinion a contradiction, an oxymoron, a confusion.
Notice how the teaching says to submit to all authority.
At the time Christ walked the earth, the Roman government was hostile to Jews and later Christians.
There was a cultural hostility to anyone not a Roman citizen.
This meant everyone else was a mere peasant or slave or less than stellar.
This is the prejudiced view still alive today in political rhetoric and attitudes in every nation and kingdom men the world over.
This attitude is not Christ-centered, but built upon ideas of this world.
The teaching of righteousness speaks to being at peace at all costs.
Never is there a justification for force or a physical altercation.
Never.
When the kingdom of God through the Church body triumphed over the kingdoms of men, some religious men became confused.
A narrow-mindedness arose and began to justify evil and called it good or 'allowed' by God.
The blending of Church and State, in a particular way, blended what is sacred and holy in the Church with the vulgar and deviant means of the State.
When one speaks of military and conflates their idea of America (or any other government of men) with God's kingdom of priests and saints, there is a stark contradiction.
When men harken back to the time Christ walked the earth, and take note of the earliest disciples, how did they live and act with the hostile?
Did they fight back, or fight over things material?
If not, how can the religious argue a right (or allowance) to kill another man made in His image?
I suppose they do so only in the muddy waters of human logic always ending irrational.
These deficiencies are argued from an idea that men will forever inherit things material.
The immature fail to understand.
Such ideas are based in the flesh, not on things revealed from Above and established by the King.
It is a matter of faith.
Thank God He is still gracious with those of little faith who are confused about their role in God's kingdom.
He patiently awaits for men to focus more on Him than on themselves and man's ideas (politics, states, laws of men, and all the rest based on carnal pursuits and fear, rather than loving God and loving one's enemies).
To be sure, there are no executioners in God's kingdom.
There are no abortionists.
Read what else is not found in God's kingdom.
As for military personnel or men wielding actual weapons of war (domestically or in foreign lands), consider that it says they will beat their swords into plowshares...nor train for war anymore.
Those who previously used a sword to end life turned their swords into tools to feed people.
Is this what you also have done spiritually or literally?
Or do you still, behind ideas that entrap hands made clean, dirty your hands by mirroring the ways of this world?
Are you truly loving, living, thinking, speaking, acting as Christ (like Christ)?
Or are you identified as some religious or denominational brand confusing the holy with the darkness?
Any idea of military is a pure secular adventure.
I've wrestled for years with reconciling this issue, having military personnel as dear relatives and friends.
I too grew up with a state-sponsored ideology that justifies war through the guise of 'rights' and 'freedoms' and 'liberties'.
Notice there is alway someone else at the end of a bayonet that pays for that ideology.
Pagan sacrifice.
Where is that in the Bible?
And if that is found, what does God say about it?
Where did the early Christians push others around or manipulated foreigners into compliance to the point of warmongering?
Such things are sourced from men who desired to satisfy carnal endeavors and also keep their station.
Such departures from the Way are historically cited.
My personal journey was measured on a faith scale.
When my faith was weak, I purchased weapons and was much more 'in the flesh'.
I saw the world through the guise of man's ideologies, and God's Way was obscured.
When faith was restored in me by His hand, I began to fear less things of this world.
I was reminded this is not our home.
So the idea of fighting (or dying / killing) over material things, even our own bodies, was once again clearly shown as not what Messiah taught.
We find ourselves in the flesh, and the flesh can be overwhelmed.
However, we are also from Above as He is from Above.
When religious people continue to preach and justify war and force, they are the most dangerous people (I think).
They may resemble Christ only in the quoting of Scripture, but the twisting of Scripture and their foaming at the mouth resembles the Pharisaical contentions.
That Pharisaical desire to keep a high position and power over others, but no self-sacrifice or submission before God and men.
No humility allowing God to teach them righteousness, no peace that may bond them with others.
If the Church began with One (the Son), and through Him the kingdom arrived and was established in the few (Apostles), notice that minority was beset on all sides by physical hostilities and obviously spiritual powers of darkness.
But they were sustained as they did their work.
Perhaps a bit of anti-christ ideologies confusing the Light of Life.
Simply put: men do not want to suffer, so they make others suffer.
Cowards.
Notice cowards also do not inherit the kingdom of God.
War, fighting, strife, and indifference is justified because men are afraid of dying... or afraid of losing their worldly comforts... yes, even their very selves.
Where there exists no faith, fear of death is the default religion.
Notice how all previous military mights (or governments) had their time in the sun since Christ rose to His throne.
Which kingdom has continued?
The Roman entity broke apart and retracted into a peninsula.
A historical survey concludes all other pride-filled empires met the same fate.
Only God's kingdom continues despite the kingdoms of violent men taking hold of it.
If you perceive your particular nation / state / government entity to embody the kingdom of God / Church, you may be gravely mistaken.
This is why when an American thinks they reside in a 'Christian nation', yet abortions are legalized, homicides justified, capital punishment argued, and other plagues of humanity popularized and mainstreamed as 'normal' while always being unnatural, they do not see clearly what is the kingdom of God... and what is the kingdoms of men.
Surely God's kingdom can function through the kingdoms of men (as it has and continues to), but the kingdoms of men cannot function through the kingdom of God.
There is only holiness in God's Temple.
Order behind the chaos, not chaos giving birth to order as is promoted.
He created and sustains the world through His Word.
His kingdom is found among and within the various church groups on earth.
The Church goes beyond political lines, cultural identities, and all other human constructs: one Church and one faith filled with a variety of peoples of various backgrounds and languages (all nations).
He has already torn down the walls of hostility, yet even religious men desire to build more walls in their hearts, minds, and on earth.
Christ exuding kindness and grace exemplified our strength in God.
His Word pierces hearts.
Literally as to how it cut people's pride to nothing.
Figuratively when considering that same Word created all things known and unknown, visible and invisible.
The same Word speaks daily through His vessels made righteous.
This is the point of faith!
To speak things into existence (as Yeshua has done and continues to do) is what Messiah taught mankind in His Name.
This is why to believe that God will save and bring justice regardless of what happens while we are in the flesh, is the point!
This is what Philip 'experienced' as he was being stoned to death.
To believe such love dispels all focus on things material and mortal.
Only to the inept, or those destined to perish, is such peace and humility interpreted as 'weak'.
Yet that peace is the most powerful understanding this side of heaven:
I too grew up with a state-sponsored ideology that justifies war through the guise of 'rights' and 'freedoms' and 'liberties'.
Notice there is alway someone else at the end of a bayonet that pays for that ideology.
Pagan sacrifice.
Where is that in the Bible?
And if that is found, what does God say about it?
Where did the early Christians push others around or manipulated foreigners into compliance to the point of warmongering?
Such things are sourced from men who desired to satisfy carnal endeavors and also keep their station.
Such departures from the Way are historically cited.
My personal journey was measured on a faith scale.
When my faith was weak, I purchased weapons and was much more 'in the flesh'.
I saw the world through the guise of man's ideologies, and God's Way was obscured.
When faith was restored in me by His hand, I began to fear less things of this world.
I was reminded this is not our home.
So the idea of fighting (or dying / killing) over material things, even our own bodies, was once again clearly shown as not what Messiah taught.
We find ourselves in the flesh, and the flesh can be overwhelmed.
However, we are also from Above as He is from Above.
When religious people continue to preach and justify war and force, they are the most dangerous people (I think).
They may resemble Christ only in the quoting of Scripture, but the twisting of Scripture and their foaming at the mouth resembles the Pharisaical contentions.
That Pharisaical desire to keep a high position and power over others, but no self-sacrifice or submission before God and men.
No humility allowing God to teach them righteousness, no peace that may bond them with others.
If the Church began with One (the Son), and through Him the kingdom arrived and was established in the few (Apostles), notice that minority was beset on all sides by physical hostilities and obviously spiritual powers of darkness.
But they were sustained as they did their work.
But we have this Treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
We always carry around in our body the death of Yeshua, so that the life of Yeshua may also be revealed in our body.
For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Yeshua’s sake, so that His life may also be revealed in our mortal body.
So then, death is at work in us, but Life is at work in you.
- 2 Corinthians 4: 7-12
If the smallest of minorities grew to colossal numbers through peace, what logic justifies a majority to now inflict punishment and hostilities over others?
Perhaps a bit of anti-christ ideologies confusing the Light of Life.
Simply put: men do not want to suffer, so they make others suffer.
Cowards.
Notice cowards also do not inherit the kingdom of God.
War, fighting, strife, and indifference is justified because men are afraid of dying... or afraid of losing their worldly comforts... yes, even their very selves.
Where there exists no faith, fear of death is the default religion.
Notice how all previous military mights (or governments) had their time in the sun since Christ rose to His throne.
Which kingdom has continued?
The Roman entity broke apart and retracted into a peninsula.
A historical survey concludes all other pride-filled empires met the same fate.
Only God's kingdom continues despite the kingdoms of violent men taking hold of it.
If you perceive your particular nation / state / government entity to embody the kingdom of God / Church, you may be gravely mistaken.
This is why when an American thinks they reside in a 'Christian nation', yet abortions are legalized, homicides justified, capital punishment argued, and other plagues of humanity popularized and mainstreamed as 'normal' while always being unnatural, they do not see clearly what is the kingdom of God... and what is the kingdoms of men.
Surely God's kingdom can function through the kingdoms of men (as it has and continues to), but the kingdoms of men cannot function through the kingdom of God.
There is only holiness in God's Temple.
Order behind the chaos, not chaos giving birth to order as is promoted.
He created and sustains the world through His Word.
His kingdom is found among and within the various church groups on earth.
The Church goes beyond political lines, cultural identities, and all other human constructs: one Church and one faith filled with a variety of peoples of various backgrounds and languages (all nations).
He has already torn down the walls of hostility, yet even religious men desire to build more walls in their hearts, minds, and on earth.
Christ exuding kindness and grace exemplified our strength in God.
His Word pierces hearts.
Literally as to how it cut people's pride to nothing.
Figuratively when considering that same Word created all things known and unknown, visible and invisible.
The same Word speaks daily through His vessels made righteous.
This is the point of faith!
To speak things into existence (as Yeshua has done and continues to do) is what Messiah taught mankind in His Name.
This is why to believe that God will save and bring justice regardless of what happens while we are in the flesh, is the point!
This is what Philip 'experienced' as he was being stoned to death.
To believe such love dispels all focus on things material and mortal.
Only to the inept, or those destined to perish, is such peace and humility interpreted as 'weak'.
Yet that peace is the most powerful understanding this side of heaven:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.
What, then, shall we say in response to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
It is God who justifies.
Who then is the one who condemns?
No one.
Christ Yeshua who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the Right Hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Yeshua our Lord.
- Romans 8: 28-39
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