This is heart-breaking, Mercy. And indignation and outrage are our natural reactions...and yet we are called to pray FOR our enemies. How very challenging that is. May God bless and protect these victims of wickedness and evil-doing. May love have the final word.
Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and daily take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.… For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their carnal minds are foolishly set on earthly things.…Luke 9:23; Philippians 3:18
Men and women who despitefully reject the cross, will violently take up their trusty beloved ‘sword’ to save their Socially-Secured lives within Democracy’s Harlot Laodicean Christianity. They are enemies of the cross of Christ; ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing. They foolishly reject Christ's gospel call to put down the sword, take up their martyrs cross and daily follow Him on the painfully narrow path leading unto eternal life. But the wise virgins in Christ’s holy Bride put away the bloody sword and joyfully take up their daily cross in faithful obedience to Christ’s gospel commandment.
Thank you so much for this very important article during this devastating ongoing conflict of war. The doctrine of Jesus' teachings to love my enemies may seem unique but are imperative especially in this ongoing conflict! It is my prayer that all Spirit born servants move in the direction of Almighty Creator God's ways and thoughts, but I also recognise that I am a fallen creature and am not completely where heavenly father wants me in my thoughts and actions all the time every second in each and every moment. I indeed have much that I can learn from others and looking to God His word & His Spirit as the final arbiter of truth. To seek diligently and intensely commit to what is right and true in God's eyes even in the fiercest of conflicts, opposition or hatred and it is indeed my prayer and hearts desire for us all to seek God's shalom together!
Men and women in the many branches of Christianity, even within denominations that do not hold to the doctrine of nonresistance, have heard Christ's call to follow Him into suffering and sometimes to death. A believer should not ignore this teaching of Christ or suppose it applicable only to certain groups or times in Christian history. Instead, one should consider the scriptural and historical evidence and decide what Christ calls His followers to do.
I want to relate a story that ties in with your very article from the late 1940's in the land of Palestine or Israel will help illustrate the reality that believers from many places and times understood and taught the ideas of nonresistance.
Elias Chacour's account of his life begins when he was a boy of eight. In 1947 the villagers of Biram in northern Palestine heard that Jewish soldiers would be coming one day soon and staying in their village. Rudah, Elias's oldest brother, brought an old rusty rifle into the Chacour home without asking his father Michael. When Michael saw the rifle, he ordered Rudah to get rid of it, saying, "We do not use violence ever. Even if someone hurts us."
Rudah persisted, pointing out that the soldiers carried guns, to which his father replied, "For centuries our Jewish brothers have been exiles in foreign lands. They were hunted and tormented-even by Christians. They have lived in poverty and sadness. They have been made to fear, and sometimes when people are afraid, they feed they have to carry guns. Their souls are weak because they have lost peace within."
The soldiers came, and the Palestinians were eventually removed
from the village. When they returned three months later, they found
their land had been given to Jews and that, though the newcomers were willing to share the land, the army would not allow them to resettle there. Michael told his sons, "Children, if someone hurts you, you can curse him. But this would be useless. Instead, you must ask the Lord to bless the man who makes himself your enemy. And do you know what will happen? The Lord will bless you with inner peace and perhaps your enemy will turn from his wickedness. If not,
the Lord will deal with him."
The villagers of Biram petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court to allow them to return to their homes and live together with the new settlers. Twice, at the end of 1950 and again in December of 1951, the Court told the villagers they could return. The first time the army simply refused to listen. The second time the army asked for time to prepare and said the villagers could return on December 25. On December 25, as the villagers marched over the last hilltop anticipating the sight of their village once again, they were greeted with a terrifying and
saddening shock. The army had surrounded their village with guns and had begun leveling it to the ground. Eventually the villagers dispersed to other parts of the new country, Israel.
Elias Chacour made it his life's work to strive for peace and reconcilia- tion between Israeli Arabs and Jews. He established a whole series of schools in I'billin in northern Israel to train Israeli Arabs to fit into
Israeli society and promote peace and understanding. His father's story illustrates lifestyle that avoids violence and revenge on a conscientious basis. Elias's continued efforts to seek peace and reconciliation where there has been violence and revenge is yet another example of the widespread practice of this teaching of Christ.
This is all spoken of & explored more in the book 'Blood Brothers' by Elias Chacour~ When tens of thousands of Palestinians were killed and nearly one million forced into refugee camps in 1948, Elias began a long struggle with how to respond. In Blood Brothers, he blends his riveting life story with historical research to reveal a little-known side of the Arab-Israeli conflict, touching on questions and very important themes such as:
What behind-the-scenes politics touched off the turmoil in the Middle East?
This is heart-breaking, Mercy. And indignation and outrage are our natural reactions...and yet we are called to pray FOR our enemies. How very challenging that is. May God bless and protect these victims of wickedness and evil-doing. May love have the final word.
Amen. Thank you, Toby. 🙏🏼
Thieves will always be thieves. Standing before God, they will not escape their worldly actions - and karma is a real b****!
Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and daily take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.… For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their carnal minds are foolishly set on earthly things.…Luke 9:23; Philippians 3:18
Men and women who despitefully reject the cross, will violently take up their trusty beloved ‘sword’ to save their Socially-Secured lives within Democracy’s Harlot Laodicean Christianity. They are enemies of the cross of Christ; ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing. They foolishly reject Christ's gospel call to put down the sword, take up their martyrs cross and daily follow Him on the painfully narrow path leading unto eternal life. But the wise virgins in Christ’s holy Bride put away the bloody sword and joyfully take up their daily cross in faithful obedience to Christ’s gospel commandment.
Thank you so much for this very important article during this devastating ongoing conflict of war. The doctrine of Jesus' teachings to love my enemies may seem unique but are imperative especially in this ongoing conflict! It is my prayer that all Spirit born servants move in the direction of Almighty Creator God's ways and thoughts, but I also recognise that I am a fallen creature and am not completely where heavenly father wants me in my thoughts and actions all the time every second in each and every moment. I indeed have much that I can learn from others and looking to God His word & His Spirit as the final arbiter of truth. To seek diligently and intensely commit to what is right and true in God's eyes even in the fiercest of conflicts, opposition or hatred and it is indeed my prayer and hearts desire for us all to seek God's shalom together!
Men and women in the many branches of Christianity, even within denominations that do not hold to the doctrine of nonresistance, have heard Christ's call to follow Him into suffering and sometimes to death. A believer should not ignore this teaching of Christ or suppose it applicable only to certain groups or times in Christian history. Instead, one should consider the scriptural and historical evidence and decide what Christ calls His followers to do.
I want to relate a story that ties in with your very article from the late 1940's in the land of Palestine or Israel will help illustrate the reality that believers from many places and times understood and taught the ideas of nonresistance.
Elias Chacour's account of his life begins when he was a boy of eight. In 1947 the villagers of Biram in northern Palestine heard that Jewish soldiers would be coming one day soon and staying in their village. Rudah, Elias's oldest brother, brought an old rusty rifle into the Chacour home without asking his father Michael. When Michael saw the rifle, he ordered Rudah to get rid of it, saying, "We do not use violence ever. Even if someone hurts us."
Rudah persisted, pointing out that the soldiers carried guns, to which his father replied, "For centuries our Jewish brothers have been exiles in foreign lands. They were hunted and tormented-even by Christians. They have lived in poverty and sadness. They have been made to fear, and sometimes when people are afraid, they feed they have to carry guns. Their souls are weak because they have lost peace within."
The soldiers came, and the Palestinians were eventually removed
from the village. When they returned three months later, they found
their land had been given to Jews and that, though the newcomers were willing to share the land, the army would not allow them to resettle there. Michael told his sons, "Children, if someone hurts you, you can curse him. But this would be useless. Instead, you must ask the Lord to bless the man who makes himself your enemy. And do you know what will happen? The Lord will bless you with inner peace and perhaps your enemy will turn from his wickedness. If not,
the Lord will deal with him."
The villagers of Biram petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court to allow them to return to their homes and live together with the new settlers. Twice, at the end of 1950 and again in December of 1951, the Court told the villagers they could return. The first time the army simply refused to listen. The second time the army asked for time to prepare and said the villagers could return on December 25. On December 25, as the villagers marched over the last hilltop anticipating the sight of their village once again, they were greeted with a terrifying and
saddening shock. The army had surrounded their village with guns and had begun leveling it to the ground. Eventually the villagers dispersed to other parts of the new country, Israel.
Elias Chacour made it his life's work to strive for peace and reconcilia- tion between Israeli Arabs and Jews. He established a whole series of schools in I'billin in northern Israel to train Israeli Arabs to fit into
Israeli society and promote peace and understanding. His father's story illustrates lifestyle that avoids violence and revenge on a conscientious basis. Elias's continued efforts to seek peace and reconciliation where there has been violence and revenge is yet another example of the widespread practice of this teaching of Christ.
This is all spoken of & explored more in the book 'Blood Brothers' by Elias Chacour~ When tens of thousands of Palestinians were killed and nearly one million forced into refugee camps in 1948, Elias began a long struggle with how to respond. In Blood Brothers, he blends his riveting life story with historical research to reveal a little-known side of the Arab-Israeli conflict, touching on questions and very important themes such as:
What behind-the-scenes politics touched off the turmoil in the Middle East?
What does Bible prophecy really have to say?
Can bitter enemies ever be reconciled?