|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 6:59 am
 |
|
|
|
edited I thought this article was going to say, "reach out to the gay community with truth and love—with a message of repentance so that they don't come under the evil / calamity / attack sent by God (even though human agents carried it out)".
Akin to what Jesus said when Pilate, a human being, killed some people:
Luke 13:1-3 (WEB)
13 Now there were some present at the same time who told him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.
Like the prophets say:
Zechariah 1:3-6 (WEB)
3 Therefore tell them: Yahweh of Armies says: ‘Return to me,’ says Yahweh of Armies, ‘and I will return to you,’ says Yahweh of Armies. 4 Don’t you be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying: Yahweh of Armies says, ‘Return now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings;’ but they did not hear, nor listen to me, says Yahweh. 5 Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 But my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, didn’t they overtake your fathers?
“Then they repented and said, ‘Just as Yahweh of Armies determined to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our practices, so he has dealt with us.’”
Both the Son and the prophets speak this way because it's what the Father says (obviously, but even going back to the Father's Commands):
Leviticus 26:25 (WEB)
25 I will bring a sword upon you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant. You will be gathered together within your cities, and I will send the pestilence among you. You will be delivered into the hand of the enemy.
Leviticus 26:14-17 (WEB)
14 “‘But if you will not listen to me, and will not do all these commandments; 15 and if you shall reject my statutes, and if your soul abhors my ordinances, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant; 16 I also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away. You will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it. 17 I will set my face against you, and you will be struck before your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you; and you will flee when no one pursues you.
Our God attacks, terrorizes us (be it just emotionally "flee when no one pursues you" or physically, sending someone after us), even sending violent Gentiles to assault us.
If we stay in sin, then we essentially are putting a bull's eye on our body inviting God to come strike us (and He does so in order to prevent us from sinning anymore, so that we turn away from our evil ways [if He has mercy and we survive]).
Revelation 9:20-21 (WEB)
20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, didn’t repent of the works of their hands, that they wouldn’t worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk. 21 They didn’t repent of their murders, nor of their sorceries,[a] nor of their sexual immorality, nor of their thefts.
Footnotes:
a. Revelation 9:21 The word for “sorceries” (pharmakeia) also implies the use of potions, poisons, and drugs
God has a habit of gathering the defiantly sinful into one place and then unleashing attack (whether it's gay people at a club, surprise attack or Baal worshipers inside the temple, then surprise attack by sword i.e. 2 Kings 10:18-27 or on a larger scale, gathering nations together and then attacking them en masse i.e. Zephaniah 3:8).
That said, I understand what Qureshi is saying about reaching Muslims (since they're severely lacking in "the ministry of reconciliation" department [not surprisingly, because they deny the true Gospel, that Jesus came, first and foremost, to die as a sin offering and reconcile sinners to God; He was crucified, killed, and risen back to life on the third day; and secondly, Jesus came to crucify the sinful nature of our flesh, thus killing the sinner but not the person, getting rid of sin on earth without snuffing out the life, if they cooperate).
But it's not simply a matter of "let's minister to Muslims". The gay community needs to hear the hard truth too. Repent or perish. Even if we're not stoning anyone to death, God will find some way to kill us (unless He's having mercy on us, waiting for us to repent of our sins; either or: we die or He's giving us a chance to repent).
Ezekiel 33:11 (WEB)
11 Tell them, As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn, turn from your evil ways; for why will you die, house of Israel?
Romans 8:13 (WEB)
13 For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
note: interesting that the WEB translated it, "must die", but the Greek communicates the idea of "you are about to die" / "you will certainly die": http://biblehub.com/text/romans/8-13.htm
All of that said, the state of being that the gays are in is more urgent than the Muslims, IMO. Muslims are just another Samson case in my eyes. When Qureshi wrote, "But no one goes on a killing rampage for seeing two men kiss", uh, Samson went on a killing rampage because someone figured out his riddle. A riddle (which is not even a sin like homosexuality is). And what's more: God moved Samson to attack.
Judges 14:18-19 (WEB)
18 The men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?”
He said to them,
“If you hadn’t plowed with my heifer,
you wouldn’t have found out my riddle.”
19 Yahweh’s Spirit came mightily on him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and struck thirty men of them, and took their plunder, then gave the changes of clothing to those who declared the riddle. His anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house.
Why can't people be honest to all of Scripture? Why is it "okay" to acknowledge that Samson went on a killing rampage against sinners—moved by the Spirit of God no less, using a trivial reason as impetus. But if it happens today, "no, there's something mentally deranged about that person." I would understand unbelievers speaking like this, but not believers. They're totally bypassing the fact that people in defiant sin were the recipient of this "random", "crazy" attack. What if the Spirit of YHWH moved this boy to kill them like He did with Samson? (not surprisingly they met with a similar end: though Samson didn't until several attacks later, both took their own life, on purpose, through their own attack edit: this last detail I'm recalling another shooter in Orlando who killed Christina Grimmie, who was an idol to many).
I'm so frustrated by the lack of discernment in the Church and how easily they turn a blind eye to Scripture. |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 5:37 pm
|
|
|
 |
cristobela edited
Why can't people be honest to all of Scripture? Why is it "okay" to acknowledge that Samson went on a killing rampage against sinners—moved by the Spirit of God no less, using a trivial reason as impetus. But if it happens today, "no, there's something mentally deranged about that person." I would understand unbelievers speaking like this, but not believers. They're totally bypassing the fact that people in defiant sin were the recipient of this "random", "crazy" attack. What if the Spirit of YHWH moved this boy to kill them like He did with Samson? (not surprisingly they met with a similar end: though Samson didn't until several attacks later, both took their own life, on purpose, through their own attack edit: this last detail I'm recalling another shooter in Orlando who killed Christina Grimmie, who was an idol to many).
I'm so frustrated by the lack of discernment in the Church and how easily they turn a blind eye to Scripture.
Because this man was NOT a Christian. He was Muslim, and pledged allegiance to ISIS. Yes the victims were living in sin as well, but God doesn't want us to go on shooting rampages. He wants us to witness to them, and share both his love and truth. Besides, how are these people expected to realize their sin and come to God if we kill them first? They're crying out in hell right now...Yes God did use his servants to kill people in the Old Testament, but now Christ wants us to be fishers of men.
It's possible that God is using this evil attack to open the eyes of homosexual people. But there's not way this man was filled with the Holy Spirit. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 11:01 pm
|
|
|
|
OtakuKat cristobela edited
Why can't people be honest to all of Scripture? Why is it "okay" to acknowledge that Samson went on a killing rampage against sinners—moved by the Spirit of God no less, using a trivial reason as impetus. But if it happens today, "no, there's something mentally deranged about that person." I would understand unbelievers speaking like this, but not believers. They're totally bypassing the fact that people in defiant sin were the recipient of this "random", "crazy" attack. What if the Spirit of YHWH moved this boy to kill them like He did with Samson? (not surprisingly they met with a similar end: though Samson didn't until several attacks later, both took their own life, on purpose, through their own attack edit: this last detail I'm recalling another shooter in Orlando who killed Christina Grimmie, who was an idol to many).
I'm so frustrated by the lack of discernment in the Church and how easily they turn a blind eye to Scripture. Because this man was NOT a Christian. He was Muslim, and pledged allegiance to ISIS. Yes the victims were living in sin as well, but God doesn't want us to go on shooting rampages. He wants us to witness to them, and share both his love and truth. Besides, how are these people expected to realize their sin and come to God if we kill them first? They're crying out in hell right now...Yes God did use his servants to kill people in the Old Testament, but now Christ wants us to be fishers of men. It's possible that God is using this evil attack to open the eyes of homosexual people. But there's not way this man was filled with the Holy Spirit.
The man (who pledged allegiance to ISIS) could've pledged allegiance to Baal or been an atheist, and my point still wouldn't change: God sends gentiles to attack each other, and attack unrepentant Israelites/church people—even in the last days (this is not exclusive to the past of human history). God will send people to attack the unrepentant (believers and unbelievers alike)—whether they're aware that this is an attack from God or not.
An example of what Jesus did/is doing after He ascended into the heavens as our sacrifical Lamb and High Priest:
Revelation 6:3-4 (NIV)
3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.
Jesus sends the horseman that makes people kill each other. So, to suggest God doesn't desire to use human beings to kill each other off anymore because, "Jesus", "New Testament", and "Christians are fishers of men", is an unstable conclusion to arrive at and denies what is prophesied in those very New Testament texts themselves. He will be utilizing human beings and driving them to kill each other (I would think these people killing each other are those who have not been born-again, ergo like a Muslim, an atheist, or that guy who killed Christina Grimmie in Orlando). Us—Christians/regenerate Israelites—being fishers of men does not change this side of Jesus and how He is using the other people of this world. We need to accept this about our God instead of being so quick to say that a person is mentally deranged, and there's nothing more to the situation, nor had God's involvement nor approval whatsoever.
That's my point in bringing up Samson; his life story is an example of how God does use people, regardless of how ignorant they are of God's Commands / divine revelation (and Samson was ignorant; this is from the book of Judges, a time when the Israelites did what was right in their own eyes). But still carrying out the will of God.
Samson may have been an Israelite, but it wasn't just Israelites. YHWH has been known to stir up the spirits of non-believers too, to go attack each other and Israel.
Judges 9:23 (NIV)
23 God stirred up animosity between Abimelek and the citizens of Shechem so that they acted treacherously against Abimelek.
1 Chronicles 5:26 (NIV)
26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria), who took the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara and the river of Gozan, where they are to this day.
Jeremiah 51:11 (NIV)
11 “Sharpen the arrows,
take up the shields!
The Lord has stirred up the kings of the Medes,
because his purpose is to destroy Babylon.
The Lord will take vengeance,
vengeance for his temple.
War didn't stop in the Old Testament. God is still in control of human battle today—national-scale or individual skirmishes. He will glorify Himself someway through all this. That is all I know. And that Muslims are not Christians (like Samson wasn't a Christian), nor are operating like Christians, was one of my points; thus, why I brought up that Muslims lack in the reconciliation department because they reject the true gospel. But again, whether a Muslim or an atheist, that's irrelevant to what's actually frustrating me to witness in the Church. And what frustrates me is this: how they don't realize the Biblical truth that God inspires people to attack each other for His purposes—Old and New Testament alike. And we need to accept that about Him. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 3:56 pm
|
|
|
|
cristobela OtakuKat cristobela edited
Why can't people be honest to all of Scripture? Why is it "okay" to acknowledge that Samson went on a killing rampage against sinners—moved by the Spirit of God no less, using a trivial reason as impetus. But if it happens today, "no, there's something mentally deranged about that person." I would understand unbelievers speaking like this, but not believers. They're totally bypassing the fact that people in defiant sin were the recipient of this "random", "crazy" attack. What if the Spirit of YHWH moved this boy to kill them like He did with Samson? (not surprisingly they met with a similar end: though Samson didn't until several attacks later, both took their own life, on purpose, through their own attack edit: this last detail I'm recalling another shooter in Orlando who killed Christina Grimmie, who was an idol to many).
I'm so frustrated by the lack of discernment in the Church and how easily they turn a blind eye to Scripture. Because this man was NOT a Christian. He was Muslim, and pledged allegiance to ISIS. Yes the victims were living in sin as well, but God doesn't want us to go on shooting rampages. He wants us to witness to them, and share both his love and truth. Besides, how are these people expected to realize their sin and come to God if we kill them first? They're crying out in hell right now...Yes God did use his servants to kill people in the Old Testament, but now Christ wants us to be fishers of men. It's possible that God is using this evil attack to open the eyes of homosexual people. But there's not way this man was filled with the Holy Spirit.
An example of what Jesus did/is doing after He ascended into the heavens as our sacrifical Lamb and High Priest:
Revelation 6:3-4 (NIV)
3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.
Jesus sends the horseman that makes people kill each other. So, to suggest God doesn't desire to use human beings to kill each other off anymore because, "Jesus", "New Testament", and "Christians are fishers of men", is an unstable conclusion to arrive at and denies what is prophesied in those very New Testament texts themselves. He will be utilizing human beings and driving them to kill each other (I would think these people killing each other are those who have not been born-again, ergo like a Muslim, an atheist, or that guy who killed Christina Grimmie in Orlando). Us—Christians/regenerate Israelites—being fishers of men does not change this side of Jesus and how He is using the other people of this world. We need to accept this about our God instead of being so quick to say that a person is mentally deranged, and there's nothing more to the situation, nor had God's involvement nor approval whatsoever.
That's my point in bringing up Samson; his life story is an example of how God does use people, regardless of how ignorant they are of God's Commands / divine revelation (and Samson was ignorant; this is from the book of Judges, a time when the Israelites did what was right in their own eyes). But still carrying out the will of God.
Samson may have been an Israelite, but it wasn't just Israelites. YHWH has been known to stir up the spirits of non-believers too, to go attack each other and Israel.
Judges 9:23 (NIV)
23 God stirred up animosity between Abimelek and the citizens of Shechem so that they acted treacherously against Abimelek.
1 Chronicles 5:26 (NIV)
26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria), who took the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara and the river of Gozan, where they are to this day.
Jeremiah 51:11 (NIV)
11 “Sharpen the arrows,
take up the shields!
The Lord has stirred up the kings of the Medes,
because his purpose is to destroy Babylon.
The Lord will take vengeance,
vengeance for his temple.
War didn't stop in the Old Testament. God is still in control of human battle today—national-scale or individual skirmishes. He will glorify Himself someway through all this. That is all I know. And that Muslims are not Christians (like Samson wasn't a Christian), nor are operating like Christians, was one of my points; thus, why I brought up that Muslims lack in the reconciliation department because they reject the true gospel. But again, whether a Muslim or an atheist, that's irrelevant to what's actually frustrating me to witness in the Church. And what frustrates me is this: how they don't realize the Biblical truth that God inspires people to attack each other for His purposes—Old and New Testament alike. And we need to accept that about Him.
That is true. There will be war when the time comes, and God does use evil acts to bring people back to him. But I don't believe that God's Spirit is what moved this man to commit these crime, nor should we carry out acts like this. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 6:52 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 5:43 am
|
|
|
|
Mayu25 What moved him to do it, was hate, which was not loving, it was a sinful hate. Religion aside. This could have been a Christian doing this, or ANYONE. We need to remember Jesus's GREATEST COMMANDMENT: "A new command I give you: Love one another, As I have loved you, so you must love one another" John 13:34.
Could a Christian have done this? I am not so sure.
Galatians 5:13-26
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
James 2:14-26
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 9:37 pm
|
|
|
|
Garland-Green Mayu25 What moved him to do it, was hate, which was not loving, it was a sinful hate. Religion aside. This could have been a Christian doing this, or ANYONE. We need to remember Jesus's GREATEST COMMANDMENT: "A new command I give you: Love one another, As I have loved you, so you must love one another" John 13:34. Could a Christian have done this? I am not so sure. Galatians 5:13-26 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. James 2:14-26 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
That is true but we as humans living in a sinful world know that we all fall short of the glory of God. That is my point. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 6:45 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 12:37 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2016 8:06 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 5:48 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 5:51 am
|
|
|
|
KibitzRajas Lady Kariel Radical attacks keep getting worse week by week. We have to keep praying for the safety of our brothers and sisters. Yes we do must keep praying. I sit back wondering why all this happens and i know God only lets things like this happen because its part of his plan to bring his people back. I even say that, the worse the world becomes through all of this, the closer Jesus is to returning back to earth. A event like this is tragic yes i agree but also at the same time we have to recognize that God is doing something good even if the event was bad, he is turning that event into something positive for the people he wants to bring to him. No matter what happens, or where we at, God is in control and he will love everyone no matter what they do or who they are. Praise God smile Amen
Thanks for reminding us of that. Very true. Sometimes we cannot see God's purpose immediately but as the Creator, we need to trust him. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 9:25 am
|
|
|
|
Lady Kariel KibitzRajas Lady Kariel Radical attacks keep getting worse week by week. We have to keep praying for the safety of our brothers and sisters. Yes we do must keep praying. I sit back wondering why all this happens and i know God only lets things like this happen because its part of his plan to bring his people back. I even say that, the worse the world becomes through all of this, the closer Jesus is to returning back to earth. A event like this is tragic yes i agree but also at the same time we have to recognize that God is doing something good even if the event was bad, he is turning that event into something positive for the people he wants to bring to him. No matter what happens, or where we at, God is in control and he will love everyone no matter what they do or who they are. Praise God smile Amen Thanks for reminding us of that. Very true. Sometimes we cannot see God's purpose immediately but as the Creator, we need to trust him.
Yes Exactly 3nodding |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
