APL,

Do you believe that war is always wrong and that God's order does not use war to overcome rebellion?

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

It is written:

Jeremiah 17:5-9
5 Thus said the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the LORD.
6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good comes; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
7 Blessed is the man that trusts in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat comes, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Satan's representations against the government of God, and his defense of those who sided with him, were a constant accusation against God. These murmurings and complaints were groundless. Yet God allowed Satan to work out his theories. He could have handled Satan and all his sympathizers as easily as one can pick up a pebble and cast it to the earth. But by this he would have given a precedent for the violence of man which is so abundantly shown in our world in the compelling principles. The Lord's principles are not of this order. All the compelling power is found under Satan's government. God would not work on this line. He would not give the slightest encouragement for any human being to set himself up as God over another human being, and cause him mental or physical suffering. This principle is wholly of Satan's creation. {18MR 361.1}

Are the ways of war, peace?

No, it is not peace.
The ISIS is WAR
" Isis swept through much of northern and central Iraq over three stunning days, seizing control of Mosul and Tikrit and threatening Kirkuk as three divisions of the Iraqi army shed their uniforms and fled."
They are soldiers conquering cities, robbing banks, vandalizing, killing, terrorizing. Millions are fleeing from their homes.

This is definitely NOT PEACE.
And it's not only in Iraq
Europe is having serious problems with its ever increasing Moslem population. ISIS wants control of European cities as well.

America isn't immune either.

The king of the South is pushing hard!
Whether it's right or wrong the king of the North won't just sit back and let the radical Muslims take over the world.

The king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

Don't expect peace -- the king of the South is pushing for war, and he will get it. But it will be a terrible time of trouble.

The king of the North will overrun them,
but it won't bring peace either.

Peace will only come when Jesus arises to deliver His people.

You didn't answer the question. Yes or no will do. Or are you saying that your heart is too deceitful to give a straight answer?

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

Hold no parleying with Satan, but meet him with "It is written."

Like Christ, we should be able to meet the enemy in time of temptation with, "It is written." {SD 134.8}

Thank you for the timely reminder, APL.

Satan quoted scripture to Jesus too, but he misapplied it, even as you are doing. Therefore, get thee behind me Satan.

It is written:



That text tells us very clearly that there was a war in Heaven, and that in that war both the dragon/Satan/Devil and Michael fought. They fought against each other. Michael won and He cast Satan and his following out of Heaven.

Seeing as you seem determined to evade the truth with a straight answer, and are unlikely to answer straightly if I were to ask you now regarding the identity of Michael, I think it would indeed be better to "hold no parleying with Satan."

The theology promoted here by the OP leads to an erroneous conception of Christ, one which does not pass the test of comparison with the Scriptures.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

APL, your answer to my question is not clear. I don't know what you believe. Should the USA turn the other cheek? Or should it fight to stop ISIS? Should police turn the other cheek? Or should it fight to stop criminals?

PS - I suspect you believe Jesus would turn the other cheek. I suspect you would turn the other cheek. But I'm not asking what you think you and Jesus would do. My questions concern the USA military and the USA police.

Green - was Christ wrong in His sermon on the mount?

It is written:
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

We have a message, Christ and Him crucified.

How was the war fought? Are you suggesting it was a physical war, perhaps with tanks and bombs and rifles and swords? Or are you being "deceitful" and/or have "misapplied it"? Otherwise, why are you bringing this up for comparison?

But APL, do you not consider that is only one aspect of God, but there is also a dark side, too?

For while He says "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God", maybe there is something elsewhere. Just because I am not aware of it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Maybe there is something in the Bible which says "Blessed are the warriors for they have the same spirit of God". And while He says, "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you", He may also mean "Love your enemies by setting them on fire!" I mean, He does say "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." So if we want to achieve perfection, shouldn't we set others on fire, (to show our "love"), who disagree with us if we think He does the same to show His "love"? And while He does say, "But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also", that's only once. After turning the other cheek, then you go in with tanks and blow 'em up!

But then again, if He really was a two-faced god, then why would he say all these things to the people? "And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine". Why were the people astonished? If it was because they knew He had a dark side, then He wouldn't be saying anything, for even the publicans were nice to those who were nice to them. So if the people were astonished, it was probably because He was telling them something so different and off-the-wall from what they were accustomed to. It really can't be that He was wasting all their time telling them nothing by meaning, "turn your cheek but make sure they pay for it" or "Blessed are the peacemakers for soon they will be warriors" or "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you for tomorrow you will murder your enemies, curse them, and harm them."

God can't be two-faced or what He said would be meaningless.
And the people wouldn't be astonished.