Self Defense - Is it wrong?

[4enlightment]

I do not believe it is God's intention for me to live in fear. Holding the belief that it would be wrong for me to defend myself if I was attacked would cause me to live in fear. When my father used to hit me, and my siblings too, or my siblings would continually hit me, do you wish for me to believe that it was God's intention for me not to defend myself? Because I can tell you that it mattered little whether I fought back my siblings or not. If I did not defend myself, they would continue hitting me, often clearly enjoying it. So the only choice then was to defend myself, and then remove myself from the situation. Because I didn't have any physical person coming to save me, though I know and truly believe that I have had God and my guardian angels there all along.

I wish to point out the scripture James 2:14-26

[SUP]14 [/SUP]What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? [SUP]15 [/SUP]Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. [SUP]16 [/SUP]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? [SUP]17 [/SUP]In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

[SUP]18 [/SUP]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. [SUP]19 [/SUP]You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
[SUP]20 [/SUP]You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[SUP][a][/SUP]? [SUP]21 [/SUP]Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? [SUP]22 [/SUP]You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. [SUP]23 [/SUP]And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[SUP][b][/SUP] and he was called God’s friend. [SUP]24 [/SUP]You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

[SUP]25 [/SUP]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? [SUP]26 [/SUP]As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.


So yes, I believe that if someone is coming to hurt, rape, or kill me or my family, I do believe I am to take action. That doesn't mean that I won't pray to God to protect me and send help. However, this does not conclude that if someone name calls, or does another action to me, that I am to pay him back with evil as well. I think the important thing in self-defense or defending another, is to stay on defense and not go on offense. Only do what is necessary to provide for safety. If one punch is sufficient to stop the person, then there is no need to beat them senseless. If guns are involved and the only way to stop the person is to kill them, then so be it. If you are persecuted, and given the option to renounce Jesus or die, and you cannot defend yourself and remove yourself from the situation, then so be it. Then it is up to you whether you will renounce Jesus or die. I know what my choice would be.

I am sorry for those of you who believe that God would have you live in fear, and not defend yourself from an attacker, for you don't truly know God. God is love, and love protects and defends. He does not wish for His children to be beaten, hurt or otherwise, or to make themselves victims who cannot protect themselves or others. If you love the Lord, and love yourself and others as he has commanded you to, you will practice self-defense as well as the defense of others. I would like to show you 1 Corinthians 13, the definition of love:

13 If I speak in the tongues[SUP][a][/SUP] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. [SUP]2 [/SUP]If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. [SUP]3 [/SUP]If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[SUP][b][/SUP] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
[SUP]4 [/SUP]Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [SUP]5 [/SUP]It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [SUP]6 [/SUP]Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [SUP]7 [/SUP]It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

[SUP]8 [/SUP]Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. [SUP]9 [/SUP]For we know in part and we prophesy in part, [SUP]10 [/SUP]but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. [SUP]11 [/SUP]When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. [SUP]12 [/SUP]For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
[SUP]13 [/SUP]And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.


Lastly, I would like to point out the Parable of the Tenants, as I feel it applies here. Luke 20:9-19
He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. 10At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. 12He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out. 13“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’
14“But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”
When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”
17Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:
“ ‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’[SUP]a[/SUP] ?

18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
19The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.



May God Bless you and have you come to know the peace of His love for you, for it is His desire that you feel safe.

Daniel 3:25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Daniel 6:22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

The funeral was held two days after the accident. After the funeral the McClurkin children were sent home with their mother’s uncle, while the parents stayed with family. Unbeknownst to the parents, the uncle was a pedophile. In the evening the uncle raped Donnie and a couple of his sisters. Scared and confused Donnie and the sisters did not tell their parents what their uncle had done to them.
Looking back at that night Donnie said in the documentary, “The seed of perversion was planted through that molestation. It was a thing that made my life a living hell. An eight year old can’t handle it, and it sparks something in an eight year old that’s not supposed to spark until puberty. … Things start popping in an eight year old mind that doesn’t happen in normal eight year old minds, because the Pandora’s Box was opened, and you can’t close it after that.”
Donnie McClurkin | Ex-gayTruth.com

[video=youtube_share;h3ewPHaPBfA]http://youtu.be/h3ewPHaPBfA[/video]

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

Imagine his shock when the perp spawns a knife from his boot, belt buckle, or pocket and goes to work. I guess some just have to learn the hard way that it's not a video game with extra health, saves, and the ability to start over afterwards.

But he may be a super person. I don't want to take anything away from the good of who and what he is. This is just an area he's not competent in. Lots of people aren't. It is what it is. Hopefully, it will never matter.

Live a moral life, watch where you go and your company, take normal common sense precautions, and don't be a lone wolf but swim with good fishes and maybe you get a pass .

Moving along...

Brother, I appreciate your thoughts but they aren't correct. Listen. Say you sneak up completely behind the attacker and you have him in a bear hug. His hands are at his sides.. Where do you think the knife will be? it's a gamble. Or. I could just hit him once and KNOW she is okay.

To those who much is given much is expected. I am not advocating that everyone should get involved where violence is occurring. For many of the church, calling 9-11 and praying would be the best thing. For me? God saw to it that my life reflected the dangers of the world and that I would be skilled and well taught in this very specific area. I MUST NOT squander away what He has placed in my heart and in my mind, not to forget that He put me in that situation to begin with.

Know this, out of 300 occurrence's I've been in that could and probably would have led to violence, maybe only 10 of them actually ended up that way.

I'm not puffed up, I will accept disgrace and embarrassment, even my fighting stance is just standing normally with my hands at my side. I will do anything to avoid violence. However if they are absolutely set on harming someone because they feel the target is easy I am bound to swap places with the victim. However I do not have the luxury to gamble with the victims life. I have to end it and end it I shall.

I've said it in regards to people drowning. If they were meant to drown, God would not have put me there. I feel the same way in any/every emergency.

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

I'm glad that you escaped that abusive situation as not everyone else in that situation always does. Which begs the question, where were these "guardian angels" of yours for the children who died in the same situation?

I have no doubt God is involved with the problem of evil in the lives of children but it apparently does not always manifest itself in escape in this world.

Myself, I don't have a victim mentality. As far as I'm concerned, other adults should have stepped in with government intervention and put an end to the abuse.

No one expects a little child to be able to defend themselves against an abusive parent or guardian though hopefully they get taught at least in school that they can go to a teacher or counselor if that's occurring and get government intervention and I say this as a conservative Christian who believes we need a more limited government... just not in that area (the area of rescuing abused children).

But consider that if more adults thought like me (e.g. assertively ending the problem): these problems would be ended much more often.

Doing nothing changes nothing. Saving lives and ending abuse requires the intervention of adults when they see it occurring.

When my father used to hit me, and my siblings too, or my siblings would continually hit me, do you wish for me to believe that it was God's intention for me not to defend myself? Because I can tell you that it mattered little whether I fought back my siblings or not. If I did not defend myself, they would continue hitting me, often clearly enjoying it. So the only choice then was to defend myself, and then remove myself from the situation. Because I didn't have any physical person coming to save me, though I know and truly believe that I have had God and my guardian angels there all along.

 

[Drett]

Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear.

The key word here is he drew his sword. It was not a concealed dagger but a long sword. If we are not allowed to defend ourselves then why would Jesus allow Peter to carry a sword ?

 

[4enlightment]

Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear.

The key word here is he drew his sword. It was not a concealed dagger but a long sword. If we are not allowed to defend ourselves then why would Jesus allow Peter to carry a sword ?

I guess until they mature and find out that the sword that peter had carried and the money bag that Judas had carried can't bring them security.

Matthew 26:75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Matthew 27:5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

I see that you continue to quote verses out of context, misinterpret them, and malign the views of others. The fact that you do this after being corrected reveals that you do so deliberately.

Ref: http://christianchat.com/bible-discussion-forum/92856-self-defense-wrong-7.html#post1559740

Tell me, what part of:

"I put my trust in God and make sure I'm prepared and exercising wisdom... Do not think because I believe in legitimate self-defense that I do not also simultaneously believe in following and trusting God. There is power in prayer.

But there's also been times where I've simply had no other choice: I had to fight for it [to keep breathing]. Feel me? God gives me wisdom to know what to do in each situation.

The Bible tell us to be prepared, be wise, be innocent, pray always, trust God, live at peace with all people as best as we can, etc... I do not see these as mutually exclusive but all one thing. We do them ALL."

is confusing to you?

I guess until they mature and find out that the sword that peter had carried and the money bag that Judas had carried can't bring them security.

Matthew 26:75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Matthew 27:5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

Indeed. With a false piety; 4enlightement, misuses trusting God as an excuse to justify negligence, laziness, etc... with respect to being a good steward and accomplishing preparedness.

He needs to spend more time with the “In all your ways…” parts of scripture which presume that in trusting God you won't be a negligent lazy person who expects God to do everything for you.

His false assertion that anyone who's a good steward and exercises wisdom toward preparedness is morally blighted and doesn't trust God is as nonsensical as his false condemnation that equates to them putting their trust in money and tools.

It's a complete breakdown of common sense that is obvious to see but for some reason he's apparently blind to it.

Maybe he just needs to be educated. This subject isn't exactly a mandatory class

 

[4enlightment]

Indeed. With a false piety; 4enlightement, misuses trusting God as an excuse to justify negligence, laziness, etc... with respect to being a good steward and accomplishing preparedness.

He needs to spend more time with the “In all your ways…” parts of scripture which presume that in trusting God you won't be a negligent lazy person who expects God to do everything for you.

His false assertion that anyone who's a good steward and exercises wisdom toward preparedness is morally blighted and doesn't trust God is as nonsensical as his false condemnation that equates to them putting their trust in money and tools.

It's a complete breakdown of common sense that is obvious to see but for some reason he's apparently blind to it.

Well keeping our faith in God is the most hardest work of all works. We live in a very deceiving world that can bring the devil out of us. The devil and his angels is going to make sure that we become like them by brain-washing our minds believing that right is wrong and wrong is right. We all need to keep our minds focus on Christ at all times, and if we ever wind up in an unfortunate situation, we should always have in our minds thinking what would Jesus do in this predicaments.

 

[Deadtosin]

Well keeping our faith in God is the most hardest work of all works. We live in a very deceiving world that can bring the devil out of us. The devil and his angels is going to make sure that we become like them by brain-washing our minds believing that right is wrong and wrong is right. We all need to keep our minds focus on Christ at all times, and if we ever wind up in an unfortunate situation, we should always have in our minds thinking what would Jesus do in this predicaments.

I loved your whole post except I would change the end. Don't think "what would Jesus do?" Think. "What does Jesus want me to do?" We aren't a thousand miniature Jesus' we are all members of a larger body, some are hands and some are feet. Jesus is the head. God bless.

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

This isn't "trusting God" 4enlightment:



Just a sampling:

"Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands." -Psalm 90:17

"All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty." -Proverbs 14:23

"One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys." -Proverbs 18:9

"In his defense Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working." -John 5:17

"That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe." -1 Timothy 4:10

"But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." -1 Timothy 5:8

Remember my post about serial murderer Richard Ramirez (e.g. the night stalker) who found himself on the wrong side of a 12 gauge shotgun but the husband had removed the shells that weekend so when Richard went for his pistol and the brave Christian woman holding the shotgun pulled the trigger there was a *click* and that was all. Then Richard raped, tortured, and murdered her and took her eyes out of their sockets as souvenirs.

Sure she's in heaven, but what an unnecessary horror show she went through to get there. All she needed was shells in the shotgun and she would be alive tending to her children.

I would bet money that you would have removed those shells because it's not in line with your "theology" and afterwards condemned her for denying Christ like Peter did and trusting in her Judas money purse because obviously she still had to grow up to your maturity level in trusting God.

How is the weather on planet delusional?

Obviously she was trusting God AND exercising Biblical maturity toward preparedness but the people around her were not. Someone that thinks like you took away her preparedness when she most needed it. How do you think her husband felt knowing what horrors his wife experienced and that it would never have happened (to her and others murdered afterwards) had he left the shells in the shotgun?

Now go back and reread the post because you're still missing it. Can you speak in a manner that causes assailants to sway backwards and fall down? Can you call down 12 legions of angels as God if your life and the life of innocents is threatened by wicked people in the commission of a crime?

No. You cannot. So you're correlation is somewhat skewed right from the beginning simply because you can't do what Jesus did and could do. A much better question to ask is what would Jesus want you to do? You never even asked that. Part of that answer is Jesus wanted his disciples armed against the criminal element and that's why he told them to buy a few swords.

Obviously, Jesus would not want you to be a negligent lazy person whose ungodly pacifism puts everyone around you at serious risk for assault, robbery, rape, and murder.

Obviously.

Well keeping our faith in God is the most hardest work of all works. We live in a very deceiving world that can bring the devil out of us. The devil and his angels is going to make sure that we become like them by brain-washing our minds believing that right is wrong and wrong is right. We all need to keep our minds focus on Christ at all times, and if we ever wind up in an unfortunate situation, we should always have in our minds thinking what would Jesus do in this predicaments.

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

I just read your post and see you beat me to it. Great minds think alike or simple common sense? I believe the latter... lol.

I loved your whole post except I would change the end. Don't think "what would Jesus do?" Think. "What does Jesus want me to do?" We aren't a thousand miniature Jesus' we are all members of a larger body, some are hands and some are feet. Jesus is the head. God bless.

 

[Deadtosin]

[video=youtube;pkM-gDcmJeM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkM-gDcmJeM&list=RDy8BBCYFAYRI&index=10[/video]

 

[4enlightment]

This isn't "trusting God" 4enlightment:

View attachment 80794

Just a sampling:

"Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands." -Psalm 90:17

"All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty." -Proverbs 14:23

"One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys." -Proverbs 18:9

"In his defense Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working." -John 5:17

"That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe." -1 Timothy 4:10

"But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." -1 Timothy 5:8

Remember my post about serial murderer Richard Ramirez (e.g. the night stalker) who found himself on the wrong side of a 12 gauge shotgun but the husband had removed the shells that weekend so when Richard went for his pistol and the brave Christian woman holding the shotgun pulled the trigger there was a *click* and that was all. Then Richard raped, tortured, and murdered her and took her eyes out of their sockets as souvenirs.

Sure she's in heaven, but what an unnecessary horror show she went through to get there. All she needed was shells in the shotgun and she would be alive tending to her children.

I would bet money that you would have removed those shells because it's not in line with your "theology" and afterwards condemned her for denying Christ like Peter did and trusting in her Judas money purse because obviously she still had to grow up to your maturity level in trusting God.

How is the weather on planet delusional?

Obviously she was trusting God AND exercising Biblical maturity toward preparedness but the people around her were not. Someone that thinks like you took away her preparedness when she most needed it. How do you think her husband felt knowing what horrors his wife experienced and that it would never have happened (to her and others murdered afterwards) had he left the shells in the shotgun?

Now go back and reread the post because you're still missing it. Can you speak in a manner that causes assailants to sway backwards and fall down? Can you call down 12 legions of angels as God if your life and the life of innocents is threatened by wicked people in the commission of a crime?

No. You cannot. So you're correlation is somewhat skewed right from the beginning simply because you can't do what Jesus did and could do. A much better question to ask is what would Jesus want you to do? You never even asked that. Part of that answer is Jesus wanted his disciples armed against the criminal element and that's why he told them to buy a few swords.

Obviously, Jesus would not want you to be a negligent lazy person whose ungodly pacifism puts everyone around you at serious risk for assault, robbery, rape, and murder.

Obviously.

Revelation 21:4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

John 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

 

[DancingForJesus]

I'm glad that you escaped that abusive situation as not everyone else in that situation always does. Which begs the question, where were these "guardian angels" of yours for the children who died in the same situation?

I have no doubt God is involved with the problem of evil in the lives of children but it apparently does not always manifest itself in escape in this world.

Myself, I don't have a victim mentality. As far as I'm concerned, other adults should have stepped in with government intervention and put an end to the abuse.

No one expects a little child to be able to defend themselves against an abusive parent or guardian though hopefully they get taught at least in school that they can go to a teacher or counselor if that's occurring and get government intervention and I say this as a conservative Christian who believes we need a more limited government... just not in that area (the area of rescuing abused children).

But consider that if more adults thought like me (e.g. assertively ending the problem): these problems would be ended much more often.

Doing nothing changes nothing. Saving lives and ending abuse requires the intervention of adults when they see it occurring.

Nothing you said is wrong. Yes, my father hit me when I was very small, up until preteens when he stopped because we were strong enough to fight back. He never left bruises, and did not hit me or my siblings as much as other abusive parent cases. He was much more of a mental abuser, and let me tell you that those scars run deeper than any physical pain endured. It is not that there were not people to help, it was more of no one knew. I was lead to believe that this was normal, that most parents do this, that it was nothing unusual. When my mother finally divorced him (we left a year ago, divorce finalized a few months ago), it hurt to have others say that it was not God's intention for divorce. They have no idea what we went through. I'll never forget the night when I, a sound and heavy sleeper, woke up without reason, and walked out of my room to find my father watching porn. A supposed Christian, church going father. He could really put on the "good father" act for other people. It hurts even more when he sends soppy hallmark Christmas and birthday cards to me. These cards claim me as his daughter, yet he has never once showed fatherly love for me. My real father is God. If not for the Lord, I would not know what fatherly love is.

So my point-yes it is important for adults (or anyone) to take action when such a problem becomes known. But the majority of abuse cases are so subtle, most will never be known. And many of those children still think that such behavior is normal.

As far as the guardian angels, I have no doubt they are real. When I was repeatedly thrown off the same horse, in different locations, but due to the place I live they were always filled with rocks, how was it I only ever landed in the area without rocks? Literally, I would hit the ground and notice that there were rocks all around me, but I somehow had missed landing on them. There were many other times, many other situations, where I should have been hurt or even killed but came out miraculously unscathed. Such as the time I was riding my bike back from the barn, following traffic laws to go with the flow of traffic (there were no sidewalks). A semi came up with no space to go around me, and that semi passed only a few inches from my side. I very nearly got hit. In all probability, I should have been hit, possibly and most likely killed. I have no doubt God and his angels were with me, and always are with me.

I am not God. I cannot answer the questions of "where were the guardian angels when the children died". I do not know His ways or reasons. But I do know that guardian angels are every bit as real as demons, aka "fallen angels". The funny thing is, no one ever doubts the existence of demons or satan, but continually doubt God, and to a lesser degree His angels.

Psalm 91:11-12
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
[SUP]12 [/SUP]they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

I love Psalm 91. And here it clearly states that His guardian angels are real. It even says "His angels concerning you", implying that we all have guardian angels.

Why do terrible things happen? Because God gave us free will, which means the ability to choose between right and wrong. If He stopped everyone from ever having bad thoughts or actions, we would lose our free will. We would not love Him of our own free will either. We would all become robots, for lack of a better word.

Though I myself do occasionally wish that He would just let us be robots. But His ways and understandings are much higher than mine. I suppose if we were robots that had no choice but to love Him, it would be a bit like the teddy bear that says I love you on a voice recording to everyone.

As per the other debate going on-people will be people and will hold their own beliefs and values (again coming back to free will here). You can try and show them the truth, but if their hearts are closed and their eyes veiled they will not see it nor will they hear it. So continuing to try to change their mind is a bit like pouring water into the sand and expecting it to stay afloat and not sink.

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

The negligent servant was no doubting Thomas but he ended up in hell anyways.

"He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.

So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’" -Matthew 25:14-30

You cannot escape the sin of negligence that puts everyone around you at risk by appealing to God's goodness of heaven which is given to those who are not negligent with His gift of life and the responsibilities associated with that gift.

Revelation 21:4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

John 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

 

[Allin]

I think it depends on your faith and relationship with God. Jesus is our example in all things. He never fought. but there are times when they tried to kill him before his death and the Lord protected him.

I question if there is ever a reason to be violent. those who live by the sword will die by the sword.
God is our protector.

The angel of the lord camp around those that fear God and delivers them.

He does encamp around those who fear Him. The only times I got in fights or almost got in fights, I was a part of the cause. Other times, walking through neighborhoods that people told me not to walk through, I never had any issues. There was a time in Kentucky when I wondered why everyone said that an area between 5th and 7th streets was dangerous especially at night. After walking through that area many times and having no problems, I wondered about it. The Lord then told me that He was protecting me (the encampment thing), and that was when it all made sense. If I was going there to make trouble, the protection would lift at least some; but I was just walking through, so the protection remained. So, when it comes down, it does depend on your faith and relationship with God.

 

[Allin]

It's kind of difficult to love one's enemy while pounding on them, isn't it? Im not sure why you posted Mat 5:17 or a reference to the OT.

My younger brother and I have pounded each other while loving each other (some of my friends and I too). Just kidding. (We did pound each other and then afterward loved each other, but I guess 'during' is different from 'after'.) I get your point.

 

[Allin]

( I added the lol)

Be funny if the 'lol' was actually in the Bible. But then, the Bible is more likely to say 'selah' , and that's even worse:

"A severe beating can knock all of the evil out of you. Selah."

Lol.

 

[Allin]

If someone broke into my home to harm my wife and child, im confident to say I wouldnt be on my knees praying for God to protect them but I would be seeking to apprehend and fight if necessary. That may not sound ultra spiritual and ultra faithful but Im just being real.

David killed a whole lot of people and still is Israel's premier king and God's favorite Israeli ruler till today. Believe me, God loves real and prefers it to proper any day of the week (though proper is proper in its time): "What you are after is truth from the inside out" (Ps. 51:6a, The Message). How can God make a person real and bring forth truth from his inside to the outside if the person is too spiritual to be any earthly good. If I perceived in my spirit (that's me being spiritual) that someone was even thinking of harming a family member of mine, I wouldn't mind sending a few goons to slap him around a bit (that's me being real). God is spiritual enough on His own; our part is to be real and let Him make us spiritual and be spiritual through us.

 

[Allin]

The funeral was held two days after the accident. After the funeral the McClurkin children were sent home with their mother’s uncle, while the parents stayed with family. Unbeknownst to the parents, the uncle was a pedophile. In the evening the uncle raped Donnie and a couple of his sisters. Scared and confused Donnie and the sisters did not tell their parents what their uncle had done to them.
Looking back at that night Donnie said in the documentary, “The seed of perversion was planted through that molestation. It was a thing that made my life a living hell. An eight year old can’t handle it, and it sparks something in an eight year old that’s not supposed to spark until puberty. … Things start popping in an eight year old mind that doesn’t happen in normal eight year old minds, because the Pandora’s Box was opened, and you can’t close it after that.”
Donnie McClurkin | Ex-gayTruth.com

[video=youtube_share;h3ewPHaPBfA]http://youtu.be/h3ewPHaPBfA[/video]

Love that song.