Heaven & Hell Series, Part 3B: The Unfathomable Beauty of Heaven

Heaven & Hell Series, Part 3B: The Unfathomable Beauty of Heaven 

There are many more accounts I could share, but I will share just one more.

I had originally planned to do a writing on the vision of Rebecca Springer, but because her account is so extensive, I have decided to instead just share with you a YouTube video of her experience. I highly encourage you to listen to her amazing eye-opening vision. It is almost 3.5 hours long, but you can listen to it as you have time. My husband and I had borrowed this same version of her story from the library a few weeks ago. It would have been better if a woman read this audio book since it is a woman's vision, but it is still worth your time.  If you can't play the video below, here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7uuVqvaChQ

Heaven & Hell Series, Part 3A: The Unfathomable Beauty of Heaven

Heaven & Hell Series, Part 3: The Unfathomable Beauty of Heaven

In part 2A I began with Jim Woodford's story of dying and nearly being dragged to hell before he called out for God to save him.  I will now continue with what happened next.  Again, my short retelling is taken both from an interview I watched and from his book, "Heaven, an Unexpected Journey." 

Jim Woodford was clinically dead for 11 hours. In the account of his near-death experience, he says it was 6 words that saved him from hell.  Fist, right before he died, he said, "Jesus, forgive me."  After he had died and was about to be taken to hell by either a demon or Satan himself, he cried out, "Jesus, save me!" It was after his plea for help that three angels came and sent the demon away and Mr. Woodford experienced the unfathomable beauty of heaven. 

I know we all wonder what angels look like.  My husband has seen them while awake, and we have both seen them in numerous dreams.  In all of my experiences, except for one, the angels appear just as humans, but because Mr. Woodford was actually in some kind of heavenly realm, he saw the angels as they would be there.  They ranged from 10-15 feet tall, had violet-colored eyes, and in place of feathered wings as we would expect to see, they had wings made of light (if I am interpreting his description of the wings correctly).  

Mr. Woodford describes heaven as pretty much everyone who has either died or had a vision of heaven has, but it makes his story no less remarkable.  He saw every blade of grass and details much clearer than we see here.  He saw the most beautiful and vivid colors that do not even exist on earth and could not be accurately described. There was no sun, but everything was glowing with the light of Jesus.  He could see both far and near at the same time.  He felt no pain and only felt pure joy and peace.   

If I were to mention all Mr. Woodford saw, this blog would be much too long, so I am going to continue to keep this as brief as possible.  Again, I read his above-mentioned book on my Kindle with a digital loan from my library, so I recommend seeing if your library has a copy or you can look him up on Youtube (just type in Jim Woodford and you will receive multiple results). He mentioned seeing numerous buildings such as for music, a place for spiritual healing, and a nursery for babies/children.  Mr. Woodford said aborted and miscarried babies and children arrive in heaven at the age they were when they died and are cared for by others and are taught the ways of Jesus as they grow up.  Others have reported the same. Everyone else in heaven appeared to be no older than 33, except for the prophets.  While others have seen mansions, Mr. Woodford saw only small houses that did not seem to be used much. And yes, Mr. Woodford saw animals in heaven.  He interacted with horses and saw a lot of dogs and cats there that had once been pets.  Others have reported seeing and hearing many birds.  

Although I am leaving a lot out, I do not want to omit the most important aspect of his experience in heaven, the second part of the Holy Trinity, Jesus. He did indeed see Jesus face to face!  While Jesus remained at a distance from him, Mr. Woodford clearly saw and felt the life altering love, peace and joy of Jesus.  He described Jesus as radiating light that was like flowing water. Jesus had brown hair curling just above the collar of a white gown.  Mr. Woodford described the eyes in more than one way, which could mean they reflected a variety of colors, but he also said they were eyes filled with intense love and forgiveness.

Quite understandably, no one who has been to or had a vision of heaven wants to come back to earth, and Mr. Woodford was no exception to that rule.  Since we have his book to read, we know he was sent back into his earthly body, and he said it was a very difficult adjustment.  One we could never relate to but can surely imagine why.  Everything here seemed so gray, heavy, and one dimensional that he suffered depression for a time. He was, however, miraculously healed.  His bloodwork still confirms he has Guillain-Barré syndrome, yet he has been freed from all the debilitating symptoms.  By surrendering his life to Jesus and sharing his testimony, he has been able to better tolerate being back.  

Through his unique experience, Mr. Woodford desires that all we know and understand is that both heaven and hell are very real places, but that Jesus is gracious, kind, and full of love that will quickly forgive us when we ask.     

I will share Rebecca Springer's story in part 3B.

(1 Corinthians 2:9) But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Heaven & Hell Series, Part 2B: The Reality of Hell

Heaven & Hell Series, Part 2B: The Reality of Hell

When people believe there is no heaven or hell, this means they do not believe there are any consequences for their actions.  They can do whatever they so choose, and then they will simply cease to exist. A free license to sin, however, is not reality.

While there are many more accounts of people seeing hell I could explore, some are credible and others are questionable. The accounts vary based on what God wants that person to see and based on what they can spiritually and mentally handle.  If you choose to search for such stories of heaven and hell, please pray for discernment to know what is real and fake, and what is from God and what is confusion from Satan, who masquerades as an angel of light and loves to trick people (2 Corinthians 11:14 - For Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.) I will list two more that I feel are the on credible side. 

Ronald Reagan (NOT the former US president), was admittedly a very rebellious man.  He had suffered abuse from his alcoholic father which turned him to also abuse drugs and alcohol and end up in jail for manslaughter (caused by an automobile accident) by the time he was 15.  His marriage was one the verge of divorce, and he revealed he was abusive with his children as his father had been.  He had a very hot temper, and one day he took his son to the convenience store when he got into a verbal confrontation with a man walking out of the store.  Mr. Reagan shoved the other man who fell onto a pile of glass bottles.  The man than took one of the broken bottles and began attacking Mr. Reagan.  The artery under his arm was cut so severely, he was about to bleed to death.  The store owner took Mr. Reagan to the hospital but the ER could not help and put him in an ambulance to another hospital.  He was sure he would have his arm amputated.  

While Mr. Reagan lay in the ambulance, his wife now by his side, the driver, sensing Mr. Reagan was close to death, urgently told him more than once, "Sir, you need Jesus Christ!"  I fully admire the boldness of that driver!  

Mr. Reagan did not actually die but had a vision.  What happened next was that it appeared to him as if the ambulance had exploded into flames and he was surrounded by smoke.  He was then in a tunnel filled with smoke where a multitude of voices could be heard warning Mr. Reagan not to come to where they were. Their voices were full of agony, pain, and frustration.  He knew if he went where the voices were, he would be there forever.  A tsunami of loneliness and heavy depression washed over him.  It was as if he was looking down a volcano and he could see fire, smoke, and people inside; they were being burned but not consumed by the flames. He realized he recognized some of the people as his former party buddies who had died due to their reckless and rebellious actions.  The smell of sulfur was the most horrible stench he had ever smelled, and he felt a terror he never knew existed.  His wife later told him he was thrashing about in the back of the ambulance, and she could tell he was experiencing extreme fear.

He awoke in the hospital where he was covered in wounds, but they operated and had saved his arm.

In spite of seeing that hell was a very real place full of the consequences of people's rebellion against God, he still fled from God and had not yet repented.  However, sometime later (I am not sure how much time had passed), his wife gave her life to Jesus.  Her once angry face was so full of joy and peace that he agreed to go to church.  It was there he heard the pastor speak about Jesus as the lamb of God.  Due to the love he had had for a pet lamb as a child (that his father had cruelly killed and thus ignited his spiral into a rebellious lifestyle), Mr. Reagan was very sensitive to the idea of Jesus being the perfect lamb who loved him and died for his sins.  God knew Mr. Reagan would be there that day and had planned the perfect message just for him.  He gave his life to Jesus and never looked back as he now lives for Jesus and shares his testimony in order encourage others to repent of their sinful lifestyles and to keep others from hell.

The last account I will share is from a man named Howard Storm, a strong atheist that did not believe in life after death.  Mr. Storm was what you would consider a good man, not living a criminal life by any means.  He had been married for 20 years and had a good marriage.  He did, however, admit that he lived a life that was all about himself. He and his wife were vacationing in Paris when he experienced a perforation in his stomach. He spent 8-10 hours in agony in an ER hallway because the hospital was short staffed.  After the long wait, he was informed that the hospital could not find anyone to operate and they had no idea how much longer he would have to wait.  It was then he gave up fighting to stay alive, and he and his wife tearfully said their goodbyes.

I am not sure if Mr. Storm then died or if like Mr. Regan what he experienced was a vision, but this is a brief version of what he reported.  He saw himself standing outside his own body and heard sweet and gentle voices outside the hospital room calling, "Howard, come out here."  He said they used very "syrupy" tones to entice him out. He exited the room into a grey hallway where about a dozen people waited that he thought might be medical personnel.  They kindly encouraged him to follow them, and he thought maybe he was about to have his operation.  However, they walked for an unknown amount of time because time suddenly had no meaning.  He compared the length of the walk as if they walked from Nashville, TN to Louisville, KY (about 175 miles or about a 4-hour walk).  The longer they walked the more hostile the others became.  They began telling him to hurry and to shut up if he asked any questions.  They eventually ended up in complete darkness, and he refused to go any farther. 

Mr. Storm says that what he experienced next was "too ugly" to fully describe as the dozens of people became 100s or maybe even 1000s.  They tore, bit, scratched, ripped, and gouged his flesh until he was covered in painful wounds.  He was unable to fight them, and it went on for an unknown amount of time.  When they stopped for a time, he lay in the dark in physical pain, but the emotional trauma was many times worse.

He heard his own voice say to him, "Pray to God."  Although he had attended church as a child, he could not remember how to pray.  He quoted what he remembered and every time he said the name of God or Jesus, his abusers would scream and yell the worst profanity he had ever heard, but it kept them away from him.  He kept saying prayers and he was soon alone for what felt like an eternity.  He reflected on his life and realized the only god he had served was himself.  He then remembered singing "Jesus loves me" as a child and that he had once believed that God was good and loved him.  He desperately wanted back what he had thrown away.  He called out, "Jesus please save me!" and Jesus was instantly there.

Although I am saving Jim Woodford's heaven experience for part 3, I will continue with Mr. Storm's account because he did not actually see Heaven.  Jesus took Mr. Storm into His arms and carried him out of the pit and took him to where he called a place in between, neither heaven nor hell. He felt dirty and unworthy, but Jesus cleaned him up, healed the wounds caused by the demons, and filled him with a pure sense of Jesus' love. (Amen! Hallelujah!) He was taken to a different room and shown his life by angels (he did not provide any descriptions of Jesus or the angels) In a nutshell, they made it clear to him that all his kind actions pleased God, but his cruel ones made God unhappy.  Mr. Storm did not want to go back to earth, but Jesus and the angels assured him that they would always be with him as long as he prayed, confessed his sins to God, and gave all his cares, hopes, and dreams to God.

I do not know how long he was dead or unconscious, but as soon as he reentered his body, a doctor miraculously showed up to perform the lifesaving surgery.  

Mr. Storm fully believes he was given the soul changing experience to share so he could help save others.  Which, as I stated at the beginning of this blog, I want the same thing.  If I can convince even one person that there are indeed consequences for living in active rebellion against a holy God because we our soul does indeed continue after we die, then these blogs are worth writing.

(Psalm 9:16-17) The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

Please come back for more in this series tomorrow as there is so much hope and beauty of God's goodness and grace still to be revealed!

(Psalm 86:13) For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.

Heaven & Hell Series, Part 2A: The Reality of Hell

Heaven & Hell Series, Part 2A: The Reality of Hell

You may wonder if one of the purposes for me to write this series is to scare people.  The answer would be yes, it is. I don't believe we should choose to accept Jesus' free gift of salvation based on fear of hell, but out of love for a gracious, compassionate, and forgiving Savior. However, if fear of hellish torment prompts you to open your Bible and start seeking Jesus and living for Him, then I will absolutely be happy to share the experiences of what other people saw of hell.  Make no mistake, heaven and hell are both very real places, and if you have actively chosen to live in rebellion against God, you will go there the moment you die.

This will be an eight or nine-part series, and before it is concluded, I will absolutely share with you more scriptures on how you can choose where you spend eternity.  In the meantime, please read the Bible on you own, especially the words of Jesus Christ.

One of the things all the people who have seen heaven, hell, or both have in common are that they feel they were sent back here for the sole purpose of sharing what they saw.  If their stories keep even one person from going to hell, even the terror they experienced was worth it. It is their stories that have inspired me to write this series.  To help further their missions to share the truths that heaven and hell are real.   

Rather than taking the time to write this series, I could simply give you links to YouTube videos to watch, but I know some people prefer to read, some watch videos, or like me, do both.  You can always search each of the people I mention for their testimonies.  Also, the main reason I do not share an entire video is because sometimes there are false testimonies on the same video as the true experiences, and I do not want to confuse anyone.  I will expose some of the frauds I am aware of in a later writing.  

For the sake of not making these blogs the lengths of novels, the stories I am retelling are very much shortened versions.  I am only going to share three stories as they take a while to recount. One in this blog, and two in part 2B.  I will start with the man I mentioned part 1, Jim Woodford.  I will tell more of his story about heaven in part 3. This retelling is taken both from an interview I watched and from his book, "Heaven, an Unexpected Journey." 

Jim Woodford lived a very selfish life where he only cared about his own pleasures and his success as a pilot and businessman.  His marriage was not a happy one, and he was facing debilitating pain due to having Guillain-Barré syndrome.  He was in so much pain he was taking large amounts of pain killers.  One day, desperate just to function, he took an unknown number of prescribed pain pills.  He had unintentionally taken a fatal dose (he said he was not suicidal) and quickly experienced a searing pain throughout his whole body.  Feeling he was dying, he cried out, "Jesus, forgive me." He then suddenly found himself standing outside his truck looking in at his own dead body inside the vehicle.  He was lifted faster and higher than any airplane he had flown and was speeding through a tunnel.  When he finally reached the end, he could see a dark door right next to the beautiful grass (I will save his description of heaven for part 3).  

This was a surprise to me to realize that the entrance to hell was literally next to heaven.  However, if you read the account of a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus (not the one Jesus raised from the dead) in Luke 16:19-31 (posted at the end), the rich man in hell can see the beggar in heaven from his place in the flames.  

Anyway, back to Mr. Woodford's account.  He heard the screeching doors of hell open, and either a demon or Satan himself (he was not sure which it was) was next to him with hideous, grotesque and twisted features.  He said he could feel utter despair in this creature as if he had swallowed and carried tormented souls with him.  He says the voice was as if a snake was speaking.  He told Jim it was his time to go to hell, and Jim was shocked at how well the evil being knew him.  He turned his back to the demon and felt a sharp talon scrape down his back.  In his terror, he called out, "God, save me!"  Suddenly three angels were at his side, and...  I will continue his story in part 3.

In order to keep this reading from being so long no one will read it, I will continue 2 more testimonies of hell in part 2B.

All these accounts as well as the below verse show not only how terrifying real hell is, but also that we do not go to sleep when we die.  We are either immediately ushed to heaven or hell.

(Luke 16:19-31) There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Heaven & Hell Series, Part 1: Introduction

Heaven & Hell Series, Part 1: Introduction

Before I move on to the book of Ephesians, I want to interrupt my posts going through the Bible as I feel the need to write a series on a specific topic: heaven and hell. I do not know yet how many parts there will be to this series.

Based on the Christian content I watch on YouTube, a video was recommended for me to watch on the near-death experience of a man named Jim Woodford.  I have seen and read quite a few reports of people who have visions of both heaven and hell, some of them have literally died, while others, like my husband, have had dreams and visions without being near death.  However, I am always skeptical that what the person has to say is legitimate, because quite often these reports are made up for the sake of gaining attention, to appear spiritual, or to gain fame, and/or the visions were influenced by demons and not from God at all in order to confuse and mislead people about what heaven and hell are really like.  I felt that Mr. Woodoford's story was real.  I also read his book titled "Heaven, an Unexpected Journey" where he goes into greater detail of his experience. 

Mr. Woodford's story prompted me to reread Rebecca Springer's book, "Within the Gates" (Their books were checked out from my library's digital selection for free, so you can also read these at no cost.)  I also watched a few more stories on YouTube.

I am going to give a brief synopsis of each of the above people's stories, will be sharing other experiences, as well as give warnings on what not to believe. Before I do that, however, I always tend to overexplain myself, I will do so now!  The reason I feel so compelled to write about this topic is based on an interview I watched where people were asked about their views on heaven and hell.  The large majority of them said they did not believe either place existed or felt that heaven and hell were what we create in our own minds.  It really saddened me that so many people are so blind and callus about what waits for them after time on this earth is over. Our time here is so very very teeny tiny compared to eternity, and yet the way we choose to live our life here will depend on where we spend forever.  That should be a sobering fact to all of us, not something to shrug off so lightly. I pray this series reaches at least one person and helps them to think seriously about eternity.

Although I will share more scriptures as we journey through this series, here are just a few to start things off:

The word "heaven" is found in the Bible 691 times (KJV), 55 of those references are in the book of Revelation alone.  The word hell is only listed 54 times KJV). Hell is not always mentioned by name but as a place with fire and/or brimstone, so technically hell is mentioned more than 54 times, just not by name. For today, I am only going to reference both Revelation 20 & 21 as they mention both places.

(Revelation 20:12-15) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

(Revelation 21:1-27) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

And He that sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new... It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

And there came unto me one of the seven angels... And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal...And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

 

Pursuing the Fruits of the Spirit, Part 8: Temperance (Self-Control)

 

Pursuing the Fruits of the Spirit, Part 8: Temperance (Self-Control)

Note: Although there are 9 fruits of the Spirit, this is only an 8-part series as part 1 covered both love and long suffering.

(Galatians 5:22-23) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (self-control).

There are countless ways in which we can choose to exhibit self-control, most of which are obvious. It is also apparent that pursing self-control is indeed an active choice. When you drink alcohol, smoke, take drugs, swear, have sex outside of marriage, cheat, lie, steal, gamble, read/watch immoral images, glorify witchcraft/the occult etc., you must first make the conscious decision to go against God’s laws.

Let’s look at the verses directly before the above scripture that speaks of the fruits of the Spirit:

(Galatians 5:16-21) I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish... Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Can it be any clearer that our works do indeed matter? And, no, we are not saved by our works (salvation is a free gift), but, yes, our works are being judged! If you do not exercise self-control and “practice such things [you] will not inherit the kingdom of God.” When we pursue the Holy Spirit and His purity, when we make a daily choice to “walk in the Spirit,” it is so much easier to live a life of righteousness than when we try to rely on our own strength. Human nature is carnal and wants to please only itself. But when we remember that there are consequences to our actions, including repercussions that will affect others, it is easier to say “no” to the sins of the flesh.

God does not expect us to live a dull life, He specifically designed us to enjoy pleasure, but we must do so within the laws He designed to protect not only us, but others as well. For example, sex outside of marriage creates diseases, unwanted pregnancies (which often leads to the murder of an innocent baby), broken marriages, etc. Yet, sex within marriage is a beautiful bonding experience that enhances married life. Before you choose not to exhibit self-control, stop and think of how your actions will most likely hurt someone else and remind yourself of how you would feel if you were on the other side of an affair, a theft, a lie, gossip, etc.

We are all faced with many temptations throughout our lives. There are too many to name, some of which I am sure I am not even aware. God, however, knows our weaknesses and The Bible promises that He will always give us many opportunities to escape all temptations, and thus exercise self-control.

(1 Corinthians 10:13) No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

All one needs to do is walk away. It really is that simple. Better yet, do not even get to the place where you need an escape. You would not intentionally walk across four lanes of heavy traffic at night in a big city wearing all black, so why would you put your walk with the Lord at risk. For example, if you are addicted to pornography, turn off the Internet and television and do not pick up filthy magazines. If you are so tempted that you cannot even turn on the Internet without going to the ungodly sites, cancel your Internet service.

(2 Timothy 2:22) Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Other than simply walking away from the things and people that tempt us, we need to pray a wall of protection against our family and ourselves. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He told them they should ask to be kept far away from unholy enticements. Remember to ask God to keep you from evil every day and be proactive by pursing self-control and walking away when you know it is the best course of action.

(Matthew 6:8-9 & 13) For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray: And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

(Matthew 26:41) Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

(2 Timothy 3:3-7) But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

(2 Peter 1:5-11) But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; or so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Pursuing the Fruits of the Spirit, Part 7: Meekness

 Pursuing the Fruits of the Spirit, Part 7: Meekness

(Galatians 5:22-23) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. 

I was originally going to skip writing on meekness as I assumed it was too closely related to gentleness, and I did not think I would have anything new to add.  However, when doing a dictionary search on both words, I found the word meekness had a different meaning than gentleness.

According to dictionary.com, Being gentle means being kind, and not severe or rough, while being meek means to be "humbly patient or quiet in nature, as under provocation from others."  That seems pretty profound to me.  It goes beyond just saying or doing something nice or not being antagonistic, it is the epitome of both patiently enduring trials as well as turning the other cheek when we are treated poorly.

There are 29 scripture references that use the word meek and 14 for the word meekness (when searching the King James Version), but I will narrow it down to just four.

I love Psalm 25:9 that says, "The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way."  That alone makes me want to pursue meekness.  I yearn for God's teachings so I may better serve Him and others.  I want His righteous and fair judgements to change me so I can be used for His glory.  (Psalm 139: 23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.) I welcome God's guidance as I learn to not question God's perfect plans.  I am also learning to be more gracious and less argumentative with others who disagree with or purposefully antagonize me. God is more likely to use one who has surrendered to His will and who is not overbearing or impatient with others.    

Isaiah 29:19 pairs beautifully with another fruit of the spirit, joy, when it says, "The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord."   It is so much easier to find joy in the Lord when we can relax and accept that God is in control.  Yes, humanity often goes outside of G0d's will and not everything that happens is in God's plan, but we can still learn to believe that God can work even the bad things for our good when we are living for His glory (see Romans 8:28).  It is also much easier to find joy when are not constantly arguing with others, and we can learn to be humbly patient as we walk away from those want to fight rather than stay and escalate the argument.  As the Bible states, it best to turn the other cheek and then pray for those who refuse to listen to anyone else's opinions because they have a need to always be right.  Remember that often the most antagonistic people are the ones hurting the most and need to learn to accept God's love, grace, and joy just as much as, if not more than, you do.

(Matthew 5:38-39 & 43-44) Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.

Just as Jesus is the best example of gentleness, He is also the best example of meekness.  How much I love Matthew 11:39 when Jesus promises us that He will help us bear all our sorrows when He says, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Such a beautiful promise!  What a strong and mighty God to help us bear all of our burdens! 

I pray I can follow the example of Jesus and be meek in heart. To learn to say as Jesus did, in Luke 22:42, "Not my will, but thine, be done." I want to also be like Jesus as I help bear the burdens of others through prayers and other means of support.

As you can see by now that as with gentleness, meekness should not be equated with weakness.  In fact, quite the opposite as it takes a strong person to resist the devil telling you to curse God (as Satan has told me to do, but instead I sang songs to bless the Lord).  We need to remember, that it is not in our own strength that we can be brave, but only when we pursue the fruits of the Holy Spirit that enable us to stand strong in the Lord. Only then can we be humble and patient as we endure trials and tribulations without giving up on the love of Jesus.  

It also takes a spiritually strong person to not give into the flesh and fight back.  It is much more difficult to keep your mouth shut and walk away than it is to stay put and yell. Proverbs 20:3 says, "It is an honour for a man to cease from strife."  Let's honor God by learning to respect one another as we meekly love instead of quarrel.

Just to be clear, when you are standing up for the morals of Jesus Christ it is not wrong to argue about what the Bible says is right or wrong. However, we should ask the Holy Spirit to help us know how to do so in a gentle and meek way so as not to turn others away from Christ.  We need to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to know when to follow the advice of Matthew 10:14, "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city [or from a relationship], shake off the dust of your feet." The quarreling I have been speaking of that displeases the Lord has more to do with issues where we need to learn to agree to disagree, or when we treat others with disrespect or disdain.   

You will see in 2 Corinthians 10 below that Paul mentions the meekness and gentleness of Jesus along with being bold for Christ. He is bold in reminding those reading his letters to be obedient to the laws of Jesus and to fight against the sins of the flesh.  He was bold for the ways of God as well as being humbly patient while he endured prison, beatings, and other persecutions.  He followed his own examples and showed love to his enemies as he risked his life to lead them to true repentance and salvation.  I pray I always have that same meek boldness to stand up for my Lord!

(2 Corinthians 10:1-5) Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ... am bold toward you... wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Pursuing the Fruits of the Spirit: Faith/Faithfulness, Parts 6A and 6B, Written by my Husband

(Note: I do not know what is going on with all the weird font and spacing issues I have been having with Blogger.  It always looks normal as I type, but as soon as it is published it looks strange, and I do not know how to fix it.)

Pursuing the Fruits of the Spirit: Faith/Faithfulness, Part 6A

Written by my Husband (Mel)

NOTE: Mel decided to write this Fruit of the Spirit from 2 angles, faith (part A) and faithfulness (part B).

(Galatians 5:22-23) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. 

(Mark 11:23-24) "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, 'Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea;' and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."

What are the mountains in your life? Jesus paid the price on the cross to set you free from the evil one. By faith, speak to those mountains and tell them to be gone in Jesus' name! You have the authority by God's Holy Spirit. Faith moves the hand of God on your behalf!

So often people live their lives in fear of what could happen, or they worry about finances, or health problems, however, fear is the opposite of faith. The Lord understands that we are human, and anxiety is common to man, but he desires that we trust him with every aspect of our lives. Fear will empower the enemy in your life. If you live your life in fear, you will never have a breakthrough with God. Fear may even lead to demonic oppression. You must have faith in God that He is able to deliver and heal you to see results.

Fear also hinders many people from pursuing ministry work, because they feel they can’t accomplish the task. If the prophets and apostles had given into fear, we would not have the scriptures to guide us, and Christianity would never have spread beyond Judea.

To be useful for the kingdom of heaven, we must believe that God is bigger and more powerful than our problems or limitations. Moses had a speech problem and argued with God that he was not able to speak to Pharaoh. God commanded Moses to go to Pharaoh and allowed his brother Aaron to speak for him. Moses was chosen from birth to be the deliverer for the captive Hebrews, but he felt inadequate for the task. Fortunately, God did not allow Moses to give in to fear but used him to show forth His power to the entire world. Elijah feared for his life and hid in a cave, but the God of Elijah protected him, and Elijah never saw death because he was taken to heaven in a flaming chariot. The apostle Paul wrote powerful letters, but he did not impress some in person. However, this did not deter Paul from taking the gospel to many lands. Paul understood that he was a vessel for God’s Spirit to work through.

With God, all things are possible; He is looking for humble vessels that he may work through. God is not impressed with your fancy attire, eloquent speech, or theological degrees. God is looking for common people, full of faith, which he may work through. Peter, James, and John were uneducated fishermen; however, Christ chose them to be his Apostles, and to turn the world upside down. If you will put your faith and trust in God, he will use you to minister into the lives of others.

Why do we so often worry about life’s problems? Does not God promise to meet our needs if we seek after him? Does not the Lord feed the birds, and clothe the lilies of the field? If we will replace fear and anxiety, with faith and thankfulness, we will know the peace and provision of the Father. If you live with a defeated attitude, you will not be useful to the kingdom of God. Faith will open the door to many blessings from God, including healings, deliverance, ministry, peace of mind, as well as many answered prayers.

(Hebrews 11:1-10 ) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a [good] testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith [it is] impossible to please [Him,] for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and [that] He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as [in] a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God.

(Matthew 6:25-34 ) "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; "and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, [will He] not much more [clothe] you, O you of little faith? "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day [is] its own trouble.

Pursuing the Fruits of the Spirit: Faith/Faithfulness, Part 6B

Written by my Husband, (Mel)

The Lord is always faithful to us even when we are not faithful to Him. One way to show faithfulness to the Lord is obedience. God’s Word states that God desires obedience more than sacrifices. Christ said, that if you love Him, you will keep His commandments.

It is very important to be faithful to your calling in life because the souls of men are at stake. The great commission to spread the gospel to every nation does not apply to missionaries or evangelists only, but to everyone who belongs to Christ. We are ambassadors for the kingdom of God, and it is our responsibility to let our light shine before all. Not only is our life to be an example to all, but we are also to share our faith with others as well. There are people all around us who are on their way to hell, and we may be their only lifeline. Students, co-workers, family, and friends are all people you may share your faith with. I have shared my faith with people in Wal-Mart, as well as on hiking trails. If you pray for divine appointments, God will bring people along your path. Remember the world is watching.

We also need to be faithful to God with our lifestyle. God refers to cold, or lukewarm Christians, as an adulterous bride. Jesus Christ told the church of Laodicea, that because they were lukewarm, He would vomit them out of his mouth (Revelation 3:14-22).  You cannot have one foot in Christianity and the other in the world, the compromise of your faith will lead to spiritual death. Any tree, which does not bring forth good fruit, will be cut off and thrown into the fire, for without holiness no man shall see the father. 

(Hebrews 12:14) Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.  

(2 Corinthians 7:1) Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

(1 Timothy 1:12) And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.

Pursuing the Fruits of the Spirit: Goodness, Part 5, Written by my Husband

 

Pursuing the Fruits of the Spirit: Goodness, Part 5

Written by my Husband, Mel

(Galatians 5:22-23) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. 

(Ephesians 5:8-11) For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth; Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.

The fruit of goodness is to pursue righteousness with all your heart. To be good, is to be righteous, and this does not mean perfection. Righteousness is living right in accordance with scripture. If you are truly born again, you will live a Godly lifestyle set apart from the sinful world. God’s Word teaches us to die to sin and live for Christ. Whoever is born of God should try not sin. 

(Romans 6: 1-2) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

 Living a lifestyle of habitual sins (bondages) will lead to damnation. Christ said that any tree, which does not bear good fruit, would be cut down and cast into the fire (Matthew 3:10). 

1 John 3 states that we must purify ourselves just as He is pure, and he who commits sin, also commits lawlessness. John continues that whoever sins has neither seen Him, nor known Him. These powerful scriptures are contrary to the distorted grace message that is preached in most churches today. Many churches encourage sin by teaching that there is grace for un-repented sins. Many teach that God does not care about your sins. There are dozens of scriptures that teach us that without holiness no man shall see the Father. The apostasy (falling away from the truth), is the failure to teach believers to get sin out of their lives. Grace is given to those who repent and turn away from their sins.  

(1John 3:3-11) And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of  God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

(Titus 2: 11-12) For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men; Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.

Pursuing the Fruits of the Spirit, Part 4: Gentleness

Pursuing the Fruits of the Spirit, Part 4: Gentleness


(Galatians 5:22-23) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.

As I was gathering the scriptures for this series that Mel and I are writing, I noticed a trend. Pursing gentleness (and any other fruit) is equated with pursing the good works that are so important to our Lord. And, no, we are not saved by our works (salvation is a free gift), but, yes, our works do matter (Revelation 20:12 - And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.). Gentleness is not merely a personality trait; it is an active decision to treat each other with tenderness (Please read all the scriptures I listed at the end).

In a world full of strife and antagonistic people, it is not always easy to be gentle, especially when the other person is being the opposite. Do not make the mistake of assuming being gentle is being weak. Most of my life I have been told I need to grow a backbone and learn to stand up for myself. Although I enjoy being in the right as much as most people, I am very shy, and I hate confrontation. It used to bother me that I was not bolder, but the more I read my Bible and study the fruits of the Spirit, the less I have the need to prove the other person wrong.

I have worked many jobs with a lot of strong personalities and, let’s just say, “bossy” tendencies. I often came home feeling frustrated and even ganged up on, especially when I had done nothing wrong. I struggled with wanting to fight back and with wanting to walk away from the job. Then one morning I started to pray, “Dear Jesus, I want to pursue the fruits of Your Spirit and not let my co-workers’ need to always be right make me so upset. Please give me the wisdom and strength I need to glorify Your name.” After about my fourth or fifth week on the job, I was finally able just to smile and say, “Thanks for the advice,” or, “I’ll try it that way next time,” and not feel offended. It was that prayer, and the direct answer to it, that inspired the theme for this blog series I asked my husband to write with me.

Being gentle can be a personality trait one is born with; but it is often something most of us have to make a deliberate effort to convey. Rather than shouting back at a smart Alec when you feel it is your right to put him in his place, walk away. The old saying, “If you have nothing nice to say, then don’t say anything,” is actually good advice. Who cares if the bully thinks you are being weak by not fighting back? What truly matters is what God thinks. And our Savior very much wants us to pursue gentleness with others.

Being gentle also means being compassionate. A while ago, Mel and I were at a yard sale where a woman stubbed her bare toe (she was in sandals) on a hard wooden crate. Mel quickly asked, “Ma’am, are you okay?” but the woman’s own husband coldly turned his face away from her and walked away. Mel and I both observed the hurt look on the face of the wife, as her husband did not bother to acknowledge her bloody toe. How much it would have meant to her had he shown her gentleness even if he had used few words but assisted her to a chair and even kissed her cheek! Mel and I discussed on the drive home how badly we felt for the wife. Wives and husbands, please show each other gentleness and compassion from everything to a stubbed toe to depression and grief! We do not have to relate to what the other is feeling or even react to pain in the same way to be able to “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2).

Jesus Christ was by far the most incredible example of gentleness anyone could ever have exhibited. It is why so many scriptures refer to Him as a lamb. No, He was not weak, as being gentle does not make one cowardly. Yes, He corrected the Pharisees of their legalistic ways and scolded His disciples when they were too stubborn to understand His words. However, He spoke the Truth in love. He wept and prayed for all those he walked among just as He still intercedes for mankind today. When led to His own horrendous crucifixion, He did not fight back, but allowed His false accusers to torture Him so He could die for our sins. That is not only gentleness personified but also sacrifice and love exemplified. Doesn’t that only make you want to be gentle as Christ was (and still is) gentle?

(Matthew 11:28-30) [Jesus said,] "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

(2 Timothy 2:19-26) Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity..." Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

(James 3:13-18) Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

(Ephesians 4:1-3) I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

(1 Peter 3:3-5) Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves.

Pursuing the Fruits of the Spirit: Peace, Part 3, Written by my Husband

 

Pursuing the Fruits of the Spirit, Part 3: Peace

Written by My Husband (Mel) 

(Galatians 5:22-23) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control. 

I recently dreamed that I was in a large church filled with young men. Two, very tall, male angels were passing out headphones to many of the young men. A message from the Father was broadcast over the headphones to those who put them on. God the Father said, “This is a message to all of the young men who refuse to work on their lives. Don’t shoot one another; this is how the world will destroy itself.”

I understood that when Christians attack one another, this is very displeasing to the Lord. When I was a young man, I was taught to stand up for myself and to fight back when attacked. If someone would make me trouble, I would give it back to them. I felt at times, that turning the other cheek was a sign of weakness. However, God’s Word teaches us to pursue peace with all men. I have witnessed many quarrels in the workplace, in families, among church members, and on a larger scale among nations. The contentious nature of people leads to wars among nations, and ultimately to nuclear destruction. When the restraining hand of the Lord is removed, sudden destruction will come upon mankind.

Christians are to reflect the attributes of Christ. We are to bless those who curse us, and to do good to those who persecute us. When slapped upon one check, we are to turn the other. We are to love our enemies as our self, as well as to pursue peace with all men. We are not to render insult for insult or reviling for reviling. When we bear the good fruit of God’s Spirit, we will bring glory to our Father which is in heaven. Fighting and bickering among Christians, will push people away from the truth of salvation through Christ. We need to keep in mind that people are watching us. We need to give the world a reason to want the hope that we have in Christ. Showing kindness and love toward others is the greatest witness of our faith in Jesus Christ.

 It is not wrong to defend our lives, or the lives of others. Christ’s disciples had two swords for their personal protection. It is also honorable to defend your nation when it is unjustly attacked. However, offensive warfare is to be deplored. We must use wisdom in interpreting the scriptures. 

Pursuing peace with all people is not easy. It requires work on our part, as well as guidance from the Holy Spirit. Many people will say or do things, which may inflame us, but we must be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, because the world is watching us.  

(James 1:19) So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

(Hebrews 12:14-15) Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

(1Peter 3:8-9) Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

(1 Peter 3:10-11) For "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.