Fighting for your Country

Amen, and the weapons of a Christian's warfare are not carnal because the real fight is against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. Of course, that type of battle is not too appealing to blood-thirsty warmongers.

We will, until our Lord Jesus Christ returns, be dealing with spiritual wickedness and principalities in the form of deception and flatteries. Many folks won’t have their spiritual eyes open and won’t “see” it. They’ll go along with it, actually. Woe.

https://www.compellingtruth.org/Zealots.html

Who were the Zealots in the New Testament?

One of Jesus' 12 disciples was known as Simon the Zealot (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). Who were the Zealots?

The Zealots were a political movement among Jews who sought to overthrow the occupying Roman government. The term Zealots comes from the Greek word zelotes that means emulator or zealous follower.

The first century Jewish historian Josephus mentioned the Zealots as a Jewish political movement started by Judas of Galilee and Zadok the Pharisee in AD 6. In most respects, they were aligned with the Pharisees of the New Testament period, but further believed that God should be the leader of the nation rather than the Roman government. Since Josephus personally opposed these Zealots, his writing emphasized them in a very negative manner. Josephus also noted that Judas of Galilee called the Jews cowards if they continued to pay taxes to Rome.

This description of the Zealots made clear they held to the teachings of the Torah, yet believed they were to be enforced through activism and even acts of violence. This belief would later play an important role in the history of Israel that would influence the writers of the New Testament.

When imperial cult worship was introduced in Israel, the Zealots helped lead a military revolt against the Romans in AD 66. They were initially successful, yet the Romans later destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70.

Some have looked at the attitudes and actions of the Zealots in this period and noted their similarities to modern-day terrorists. However, this label is only partly correct since not all Zealots were violent and the fact that the Zealots were fighting to defend their own homeland rather than another nation.

An understanding of the Zealots, however, helps to highlight the choice of Simon the Zealot as one of the first disciples of Jesus. Many think of the tax collector Matthew as the most unpopular choice Jesus made for a disciple. However, in the midst of teaching about being a peacemaker (Matthew 5:9) and speaking about a kingdom not of this world, Simon the Zealot found himself learning about a worldview that stood in contradiction with his likely desires to overthrow his occupying government. Instead, Jesus taught the important role of love, even loving one's enemies, as part of God's will for our lives.

I based my questions on what I read of your comments. I made no accusation, and I didn't pull it out of the air. I raised my question based on the tone of the collection of your posts that I read. And, it was just that, a question.

Sure... I understand. I do think though that we ought to be concerned about our nation, regardless. Pray for the country you're in, because its state determines your welfare. You know where that comes from.

I totally understand that people usually are drawn to Christ when things become difficult. But, He also blesses and brings order. I think we should always strive for the latter. Of course, in either state, our enemy never sleeps, and neither should we.

I dunno... I never have been proud to be an American. I never did get into school pep rallys and team spirit either.

But I have always been GLAD that I'm an American. It sure beats a lot of other options.

On the other hand... Ever read that classic O. Henry story about a cosmopolite at a cafe?

No, I never read it. Being an American does beat a lot of other options.

Our God knows the end from the beginning, and is a God of purpose, He knew that at this point in time each of us would be where we are, and every thought, word and deed we think, say or do, will count towards our eternity, whether with Him or far from Him.
I appreciate His blessing of being born and raised here and at this time.
Ingratitude is not pleasing to the Father.
best wishes

I hope that however I respond to this, it's going to be what He wants and expects.

At the Baptism of John the Father spoke out, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
The very way He lived His life was pleasing to the Father.
Thank you Jesus

I am not Him. Unlike satan, I don't have that delusion

He indwells the born again, spirit filled believer and the more conformed to His image we grow to, the more He can manifest through us, if that isn't happening the problem is never on His end.

I was just reading this, so I will add it to further illustrate the actual point that I was seeking to make here from the outset.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew 22&version=KJV

Matthew 22

King James Version

1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

In this parable, the certain king is God the Father, and his son is Jesus Christ. His servants are the prophets, and the ones who were bidden to the wedding, but would not come, are the unbelieving Jews who entreated the prophets spitefully and slew them.

What was God's response?

In his wrath, he sent forth his armies, which I believe was a forewarning of what ultimately transpired in 70 A.D., and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city of Jerusalem.

Should the Jews in Jerusalem have defended their country against God's armies at that point in time?

Again, war, defending one's country, etc., etc., is not a cut and dried issue.

When God is the one who is sending the invading and destroying army, then the response of the people who are being invaded and destroyed ought to be one of heartfelt repentance for the sins which incurred God's wrath to begin with.

Does God have plenty to be angry about in relation to the United States of America?

If you think that he does not, then I question whether or not you even know God.

Here is a suggestion:

For those of you who are so "up in arms" (double entendre intended), about defending this country, why do you not go out and preach repentance to our politicians, judges, lawyers, teachers, etc., etc., etc. in order to ensure that God himself does not send his armies against it?

I think that we all know the correct answer to that question.

That doesn't mean I'm God. I cannot believe you actually disagreed with that.

See? This is what I mean about your posts. Who are YOU to judge anyone here dude? Hmmm??? We are all called to do different things. We answer to our Master, not to you. I'm not sure I was completely wrong about my conclusions about you.

I disagree that I disagreed I posted what scripture teaches us. It must be truth.

best wishes

I said I'm not "Him", which I'm not. That comports with Scripture. Sorry to disappoint.

I did not judge anybody. I simply reinforced a biblical truth, and then I ended my post with a question.

Oh, and we are all called to share the gospel.

Finally, if I were you, then I would be more concerned about my own spiritual state than wrongly dissecting my posts. For one thing, you seem to be of the terribly wrong mindset that there are major differences between "the Right" and "the Left" where politics in this nation are concerned, and especially in relation to war. I will remind you that two so-called "Right-wing Republicans", Bush Sr. and Bush Jr., were a couple of warmongers. In fact, Sr. spoke more about creating a "New World Order" than any other President in our nation's history, and some of this nation's wars have been deliberately designed to restructure things in order to bring that wicked desire to pass.

Furthermore, do you know who Bush Jr.'s biggest voting bloc was?

The so-called "Evangelical Christians" who, in my estimation, behaved themselves as neither "evangelicals" nor "Christians". In other words, I doubt that any of them would have shared "the evangel" or the gospel with their enemies. Nah. It is much easier to just call fire down from heaven upon them, and that is assuming that those who were killed in the conflicts during his regime were even our enemies to begin with.

How about all of the innocents who were slaughtered in those wars?

Do you simply count them as "collateral damage"?

If you do, then your heart is a billion miles from Christ's heart.

Like I said, you have no idea who I am.

Have you ever had someone from the military break down while sobbing uncontrollably before you as they recalled the atrocities which they committed in our nation's wars?

I have.

Have you ever had someone from the military tell you that they were going to go home and blow their brains out because of the deep guilt they felt for atrocities which they had committed in our nation's wars?

In my ministry opportunities, where, horror of horrors, I actually shared the gospel with people, I have.

Anyhow, seeing how I am conversing with someone who self-identifies with a fire-breathing reptile, none of your criticisms of me surprise me in the least.

Oh, one more thing for the ignoramus who called me a "leech":

I have donated tens of thousands of dollars over the years to help our nation's veterans who are suffering from PTSD, and I am anything but a wealthy man. I did not want to share that because we ought not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing when it comes to the giving of alms, but I mention it solely to hopefully help him to overcome his own abysmal ignorance before the Lord.

I responded to this. This is not a question, it's an accusation. Who is the accuser, since you want to make all sorts of hyperbolic allusions in your posts??

As for the rest of your message... I have answers as I've been debating and studying this stuff for some time. But... it is best I answer no more lest I say something I will need to apologize for. As of right now, in my last message, I misrepresented nothing. You accused, I answered.

Ta ta.

Here was my question:

"For those of you who are so "up in arms" (double entendre intended), about defending this country, why do you not go out and preach repentance to our politicians, judges, lawyers, teachers, etc., etc., etc. in order to ensure that God himself does not send his armies against it?"

Are you willing to go and preach repentance to the aforementioned?

Like I said, I think that we both know the correct answer to that question.

"Ta ta" indeed.