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I don't have any issues with this at all.
Good to hear, dear brother (LOLOL and peace to you!). I don't want to overburden you, given the beneficial things dear Armand and dear tec (peace to you both!) have also shared here, but since we are having a very nice discussion, IMHO, I'd like to continue:
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What I have issues with is that you seem to be implying ( though I don't think you are) that those Christians that were killed by ISIS were somehow NOT of the Christ because they belonged to mainstream Christianity and were probably up to "no good".
While I do NOT imply they were up to "no good" (not at all), I offer the following, as to the first part of what you state. First, from Christ:
“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”This initially had implication as to Judaism and the temple that fortified it: JAH would not "heal" ("patch") the OLD "garment" (Israel of the flesh that adhered to the OLD Law), but would heal Israel by SPIRIT, by means of the NEW Law. And He would JAH would not put His spirit... or blood... or "new wine"... into an OLD receptacle (old wine skin), the temple; rather, He had put it into a NEW "wine skin"... or temple... His SON. And that Son puts it... that "new wine"... or blood... life... SPIRIT... in the REMAINING "stones" of God's "temple."
1 Peter 2:4, 5He would not put His spirit in the Old temple... because that edifice... and those who worshipped in it and by means of it... were UNCLEAN. By means of the things they DID. They and, most particularly, their priestly LEADERS.
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Malachi...Hence, Paul wrote:
"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Beli'Jah'El? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will live with them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”
''Therefore,
“Come out from them
and be separate,
says JaHVeH.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.”
And [if you do],
“I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says JaHVeH Almighty.”The Greek word for "unbeliever" is
apistos (G571). It means "one lacking
faith." NOT one who does not believe. The demons BELIEVE ... in God... and that Jah'eShua is the Son of God; indeed, some of them even glorified God.
Matthew 8:28-32; Acts 16:16-18; James 2:19But these lack FAITH... such they do not listen to the One who speaks from the heavens (spirit realm) but listen to men... blind guides... who prophesy falsely, lie, profane, idolize, fornicate with the kings of the earth... molest children... hide/support/protect those who molest children... and stumble those who follow them OVER Christ, the ROCK... and Stone OF Stumbling. Hence, as Christ said:
"... they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit.” Matthew 15:14These "christians"... i.e., the "laity"... may not be committing (or sanctioning) the horrible acts done by their leaders... or being hidden by their leaders... but they are TOUCHING these unclean ones, spiritually fornicating with them, actually. For instance, Christ said we are not to call anyone on earth our Father, because have one Father, God. Yet, how many call their priests, bishops, popes, etc., not just "Father," but at least one "HOLY Father"?? Is that not adultery, in a spiritual sense? What of their "yoking"? They HAVE a husband, Christ - why, then, do they need to follow... adhere... to the law of OTHER men???
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The vast majority were not missionaries and MANy were children and those that were missionaries were not of the "forceful conversion" types but people teaching in schools and helping in hospitals.
So, okay, it's wrong to kill children. Absolutely. I do NOT disagree. Is it right, though... to molest them? Or to hide those that have/do? On the other hand, how many children have been killed BY "christians"? Over how long a period?
C'mon, dear P... how can their darkness NOW be light?? When did Christ himself say HE cleansed them??
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Also, to suggest that one is not of Christ because they use the name Jesus as opposed to Jaheshua is, well, wrong.
You are entitled to your opinion; however, how can one be of Christ... when they not only call him by a name that is not only not his, but one that has been profaned and used to commit all manner of atrocities in the earth? How can that BE, though, in light of the words YOU quoted... that such a name can't even be uttered as "Lord"... WITHOUT holy spirit?? How can holy spirit utter than name in GLORY... and yet, utter in PROFANITY?? Yet, how many times do people profane THAT name, "Jesus," both unintentionally AND on purpose? How many have committed utter GENOCIDE... on the basis of that name?
Wait, I just heard...
"Onward christian soldiers
Marching off to war
With the cross of JESUS
Going on before..." How many MODERN "christians" look to just that one song to support their "march" into real (not spiritual) war? Here's one very important example:
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When Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt met in August 1941 on the battleship HMS Prince of Wales to agree the Atlantic Charter, a church service was held for which Prime Minister Churchill chose the hymns. He chose "Onward, Christian Soldiers" and afterwards made a radio broadcast explaining this choice:[7]
We sang "Onward, Christian Soldiers" indeed, and I felt that this was no vain presumption, but that we had the right to feel that we serving a cause for the sake of which a trumpet has sounded from on high. When I looked upon that densely packed congregation of fighting men of the same language, of the same faith, of the same fundamental laws, of the same ideals ... it swept across me that here was the only hope, but also the sure hope, of saving the world from measureless degradation.
— Winston Churchill
Ummmmm... what happened to CHRIST... y'know... whose "soldiers" these supposedly were (y'know, 'cause they were "CHRISTIAN" soldiers)... saving the world??? True, he didn't come to save it literally when he was last here... but is that not the purpose of his coming, to save it at a FUTURE time?
John 3:16 When did he appoint any HUMAN to save it... IN HIS PLACE?
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By the way, where in the OT does it state that it is ok to kill someone that did not convert to Judaisim?
Oh, dear, dear brother. It may not say it's okay to kill someone that didn't convert to Judaism but it DOES say what one is to do to an "infidel"... a believer who turns away:
"If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. JaHVeH your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is JaHVeH your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death for inciting rebellion against JaHVeH your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. That prophet or dreamer tried to turn you from the way JaHVeH your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.
"If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. You must certainly put them to death. Your hand must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people. Stone them to death, because they tried to turn you away from JaHVeH your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.
"If you hear it said about one of the towns JaHVeH your God is giving you to live in that troublemakers have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods you have not known), then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, you must certainly put to the sword ALL who live in that town. You must destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock. You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to JaHVeH your God. That town is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt, and none of the condemned things are to be found in your hands. Then JaHVeH will turn from his fierce anger, will show you mercy, and will have compassion on you. He will increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your ancestors— because you obey JaHVeH your God by keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes."Now, was this REALLY what they were to do? No, of course not. They were to SURPASS the Law... with love. And so, Christ didn't personally condemn any of the false prophets of his day, although he openly condemned their WORKS and hypocrisy. And he didn't stone anyone... even though he was surrounded by people, even priests and religious leaders, who had left the Law of JAH[VeH], as to the Old Law handed down by Moses, the law given to Abraham.. which he passed on to Isaac, who passed it on to Jacob (Israel)... who passed it on to his sons... including Judah (with Joseph being the only son who KEPT it - LOVE... for his BROTHER).
Do you think the Israelites DIDN'T stone such people, though, or completely destroy such towns? Do you think the Yehudi (Jews) didn't? Do you think... the RCC didn't? And look at what all has come out of HER.
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It does say so in the Quran:
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/quran ... olence.htm
I personally think it would be better for you to read the Quran for yourself than to take quotes from a site such as the one you've linked. Frightening, the propaganda. Even so, let me ask you:
How many were killed in the Spanish Inquisition? The Medieval Inquisition? The Roman Inquisition? No, let's get real serious here:
How many were killed in WWI... which was war BETWEEN "CHRISTIANS"?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/201 ... eview.htmlHow about WWII?
http://www.nobeliefs.com/ChurchesWWII.htmAnd what were the religions of the so-called "Axis of Evil", Germany, Italy, and Japan? At least two were HUGELY "christian", no?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Nazi_Germanyhttp://www.nobeliefs.com/ChurchesWWII.htmAnd what did these "christians" do to JEWS during that time, let alone to OTHER "CHRISTIANS"?
How many died in just these two wars, luv? How about approx. 17 MILLION for WWI... and WWII? OMG...
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World War II was the deadliest military conflict in history in absolute terms of total dead.[1] Over 60 million people were killed, which was about 3% of the 1940 world population (est. 2.3 billion[2]). The tables below give a detailed country-by-country count of human losses. World War II fatality statistics vary, with estimates of total dead ranging from 50 million to more than 80 million.[3] The higher figure of over 80 million includes deaths from war-related disease and famine. Civilians killed totaled 50 to 55 million, including 19 to 28 million from war-related disease and famine. Total military dead: from 21 to 25 million, including deaths in captivity of about 5 million prisoners of war.
These events may seem like a long, long time ago, dear one... but our parents were alive during them. So they were not THAT long ago.
What about "christians" in the Korean War? Vietnam War? Falklands? Desert Storm? What are "christians" DOING... in the WORLD'S wars??? Christ said HIS kingdom was "NO PART of this world." HE didn't take action against those who reviled against him PERSONALLY. Nor did he direct his disciples to do so. OR his apostles - and we KNOW they were true Christians.
And you know what else we know? Many of them died... BECAUSE they WERE christians. CHRIST died... BECAUSE... he was a christian. A CHOSEN... ANOINTED... one of God. THE Chosen One. THE Anointed One.
These died... because they were KILLED. By whom? Muslims? I don't think you'll find that in the history, luv. I THINK you'll find that they were killed by Romans... and at the behest of Jews.
And now "christians" not only kill Muslims... but one another. And have been... for millenia.
WE, though, aren't supposed to take part in ANY of this. AND... if it turns out to be our lot to BE persecuted... even killed... FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHRIST... well, isn't that what we're supposed to do?
Blessed are the peaceable,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:9-12Of course, you and these other "christians" might say, "But what if they
attack YOU
first?"
If they are a CHRISTIAN, by holy SPIRIT... and TRULY FOLLOWING Christ... then
they listen to HIM... yes? And what does HE say as to when someone attacks you?
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person[/b]. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." Matthew 5:38, 39So that, even if they can't literally hear his voice (although, how that can be is beyond me... as he is alive and speaks, by means of holy spirit, to those who HAVE his spirit... which is what MAKES them a christian... but for the sake of argument, let's say they can't hear him)... they have his words WRITTEN... do they not??
So, when is war/fighting/retaliation...
by a CHRISTIAN... FOR THE SAKE OF
BEING A CHRISTIAN...
EVER... justified?? If the one they claim to follow... to love... to believe in... have faith in... OBEY... says do NOT fight... how can they do so and STILL claim to love, believe, have faith in... FOLLOW... such a one??
These, though, want to have it both ways: they want to ACT like the world, like the nations around them... yet, still claim a union with God/Christ. As Israel did. But it was doing so that SEPARATED them from God.
And it is the same today, luv. These will one day say to Christ, "Lord, Lord, did we not... in your name?" and HE will say to them:
"‘I... never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" Matthew 7:22He won't turn them away because they were Catholics, or Muslims, or Buddhists, per SE. He will turn them away... because he doesn't KNOW them. He doesn't KNOW them... because they don't BELONG to him. They are NOT... HIS sheep. How do we KNOW? Because he SAID:
"... anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” [Jesus] used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
Therefore [Jesus] said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
The Jews who heard these words were again divided. Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”
But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the [Messiah], tell us plainly.”
[Jesus] answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand." John 10:1-29We don't HAVE to fight our enemies... any more than Christ had to fight his. Or John the Baptist had to fight. Or Stephen. Or Paul. Or Peter. Or John. Or ANY who belong to Christ. We are not
promised THIS life. Indeed, we may have to lay DOWN this life. But as Christ also said:
"What profit a man... if he gains the WHOLE world... but LOSES his SPIRIT"? Forfeits his opportunity for EVERLASTING life... for the PIT?
The true christian does not live for the here and now. He KNOWS the "flesh is of NO use AT ALL." So, he doesn't sacrifice his eternal life FOR it. RATHER... he LISTENS to and follows CHRIST... who SAID those who belong to him would BE persecuted, even put to death... FOR HIM.
And so that's why I say, dear, dear P, that Muslims aren't killing "christians" BECAUSE they are christians. They are killing people who CLAIM to be christians... because they are tools being used by the Adversary to "wage war with the remaining ones of the seed [of the Woman]." Just as many so-called "christians" are ALSO being used: to kill OTHER (so-called) "christians." BOTH are doing the work of the Adversary.
I hope that helps you "see," truly.
As always, peace to you and your dear, dear household!
YSSFS of Christ,
Shel