Kevin Greer Comments
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Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate your sharing these scriptures with us also. They are very important to consider in our communication, especially in times of life-or-death persecution. We must not quench the Holy Spirit when we speak, but be guided and inspired by the Spirit. Thanks again.
Thank you for starting the discussion. How right you are: this age does not know peace or the Way to get there! As you said, peace is one of the fruits of God's Spirit. Certainly God can grant peace (individually & internationally), as you further mention, & also as we read in the Scriptures (2 Thessalonians 3:16, Romans 15:13, Psalm 147:14).
The point I tried to bring out in the article is that peace is a choice. To extend what you've said, God is & grants love, but it is still up to me to act in a loving, agape manner to my fellow brethren. God grants & is full of mercy, but I still must personally choose to be merciful & forgiving to others when they wrong me. In the same way, God can grant peace. But it is up to me to choose to live at peace with others. I can choose to resolve conflicts with my neighbors or choose to let them fester, for example.
God goes further in His Word, directly commanding us to choose & pursue peace with others as much as we possibly can (Romans 12:18). He wants us to choose His Way. Too often I feel we view peace as an inactive condition, i.e. "not fighting". But peace truly is an active practice. This is what I wanted to share. I hope that helps.
Hi xvr owino,
I appreciate & understand your frustration. You are correct that God is not a respecter of the partisan jerseys and jockeying mankind chooses to partake of during this age. His Word must be the one and only valid source by which we judge righteous judgment.
I would ask you to reconsider the author's opening example as one that individuals of a politically conservative bent might fall for, and the subsequent references as those that folks on the political left might gravitate towards. In addition, I have personally written on the topic of fake news and focused on an example that targeted conservative people online (http://bit.ly/2rVPtrZ). Previously I had also written on another "Internet hoax" that political conservatives and Christians may have been guilty of believing and spreading (http://bit.ly/2kaz7ZZ).
Beyond Today works to not engage in the political activities of this age, but to focus on the Word of God which will govern the world to come. In light of the diverse range of articles we have written and stories we have told, I hope you will reconsider your position & trust us to be impartial once again; nevertheless, trust always in God with all your might.
Hey there Mr. Irvin,
I believe the author was referencing the concept that Israel (in particular, ancient Israel) was to be an example to the surrounding nations in their conduct and their worship of God. The other nations, then, would see this example and work to be like Israel (read: begin to adhere to God's standard and statutes), which is a concept we do see mentioned in the Scriptures. They would then reap the good effect that their good cause (obedience) brings: national blessings. Similar statements are made regarding the examples of nations one-to-another in the Millennium as they learn to follow Christ. Of course, ancient Israel was a poor example and so that did not come to pass on a grand scale historically.
I agree with you that comparing the righteousness of various countries is a tall and arduous task. My guess would be that it's something one would do on a "need-to-know" basis: evaluating a nation's specific actions as part of our call to "watch" world events, making wise decisions regarding travel, etc. Ultimately, as we know, it is God who will judge.
Geopolitics is under the sway of Satan and corrupt. God speed that day; His Kingdom come!
Some thoughts to maybe consider:
1. I'm not sure referring to 9 in 10 things a man says as "nonsense", especially from his area of personal and professional expertise for the past 50+ years, is a fair or kind policy. Why not try quoting what you have trouble with and engaging in a discussion instead of acting inflammatory?
2. No one is arguing that the US is perfect. In addition to, perhaps, the issues you raise, the US has made many mistakes over the years on abortion, the national debt, and so forth.
3. America has never had a Muslim president.
4. The situation regarding Christianity that you speak of will not be rectified until Jesus Christ returns to teach and open the minds of people from all nations to His Way. Then people will have a chance to choose for themselves whether or not to serve, follow, and worship God. Those who choose not to do so will then be condemned.
5. God expressly says His gospel will be preached to the entire world before "the end" (Mat. 24:14). This is the good news preached by Jesus Christ and His disciples which is sadly not carried by the Catholic Pope, Orthodox Archbishops, or Protestant evangelists today.
Thanks,
Kevin Greer
Excellent writing, Ms. Miller. Thank you for continuing this series!
As an aside to anyone who is interested in this topic, Gary Petty has a terrific book titled Plato's Shadow: The Hellenizing of Christianity. It deals with the religious and historical background to Christ's first coming and how Christianity developed from there throughout the ancient world. It's written in a very easy to understand and accessible way that keeps you reading even if you don't normally enjoy reading history. Again, I'd certainly recommend it to those eager to learn more about this topic.
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Thank you for your comment. This writing was a challenge in some ways because it touches on a range of complex and delicate topics. For example, the topic of "offense" is something there are many scriptures about and with many perspectives. Distilling those down to the verses and principles required by this topic while also (1) providing the reader with enough references to prove it for themselves, (2) handling the topic in sensitive and practical manner, and (3) maintaining the appropriate context (as you mention) presented obstacles at times. The result of this work - prayer, study, and meditation included - is this post, which I am thankful and humbled has been helpful to you and to others. God holds our words to a high standard and cares deeply about what we say. "No man can tame the tongue" (James 3:8). Communication is indeed a lifelong challenge! Thank you again.