Nation Against Nation

[Guest shiloh357]

I think I do! I was not speaking in literal terms but spiritual terms as in fervent patriotism and nationalism which equates God with country.

Idol, that is the value that YOU assign to patriotism. I am a proud American, but I do not in any way equate the United States with God, and I do not know any normal person who does.

[ted]

I DO know this; God doesn't want me in any more wars after this one. If He did, He wouldn't have let me get fat, old, and slow in the mind.

Good post, Neb. Somehow you have justified BOTH sides of the war. Anyone else notice that?

t.

[nebula]

Psalm 33

1 Sing joyfully to the LORD , you righteous;

it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

2 Praise the LORD with the harp;

make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

3 Sing to him a new song;

play skillfully, and shout for joy.

4 For the word of the LORD is right and true;

he is faithful in all he does.

5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice;

the earth is full of his unfailing love.

6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,

their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars [1] ;

he puts the deep into storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the LORD ;

let all the people of the world revere him.

9 For he spoke, and it came to be;

he commanded, and it stood firm.

10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations;

he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,

the purposes of his heart through all generations.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD ,

the people he chose for his inheritance.

13 From heaven the LORD looks down

and sees all mankind;

14 from his dwelling place he watches

all who live on earth-

15 he who forms the hearts of all,

who considers everything they do.

16 No king is saved by the size of his army;

no warrior escapes by his great strength.

17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;

despite all its great strength it cannot save.

18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,

on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

19 to deliver them from death

and keep them alive in famine.

20 We wait in hope for the LORD ;

he is our help and our shield.

21 In him our hearts rejoice,

for we trust in his holy name.

22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD ,

even as we put our hope in you.

(P.S. Thanks, Ted!)

[Work in Progress]

River, I keep V.O.M next to my bed because I am a light sleeper and wake many times during the night. Being a natural worrier, I figure my awake time would be much better spent praying for the people in the latest V.O.M. Yes, it is heartbreaking. Like you said, that is persecution, but I think we need to remember that the people in America who are also facing persecution find it very real and traumatic. Just listening to Jay Sekulow and other programs and hearing of the people who have lost their livlihoods and other traumas because of no wrong brings out much compassion. We can always look to something worse, but shouldn't save our compassion for only those situations. JM2cents.

Ya'll keep in mind that the "right" doesn't hold the patent on Christianity.

I know. I read V.O.M.

Tying a persons political affiliation to their faith would be completely reckless.

Jesus was pretty politically radical and I don't think He was being reckless. Besides, Christianity is different from all other 'religions' because it is the only religion in which it is impossible to separate your faith from all other aspects of your life. It permeates every part of our lives. I would think it unreasonable to expect anyone to 'turn off' their faith when walking into a voting booth.

[Work in Progress]

I didn't. I'd just hate for us to 'pooh-pooh' those cases too, as many of them don't even realize what the other kind persecution is like, or that it's even going on so to them, their suffering is tremendous. Fortunately, you and I, when faced with suffering, can remember V.O.M and see things in perspective. Of course, I suppose I could be judgemental and say they should be making themselves aware. LOL! I knew you weren't dismissing those other cases though.

I have V.O.M on my online billpay, so it's easy to send off a check with the click of a mouse. Like you, I hope our faith in them is warranted.

[Guest idolsmasher]

Good post, Neb. Somehow you have justified BOTH sides of the war. Anyone else notice that?

Hmmm... justified???? That's a pretty strong word to use and is highly debatable, but I might need Neb's permission to debate that here.

[nebula]

Well, all right, I did it - I posted a new thread on what is a Christian's role in a democratic republic? You can find it in the Controversial Issues forum if you feel so inclined to battle it out.

I also posted a new thread in the General Discussions forum on what it means to care for the widows and orphans, as it says we need to do in James 1:27, and "to do for the least of these" as expressed in the parable of the Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25.

Why did I mention this here? Because I believe that if we spent nearly as much time working on ministering the Gospel in the way as we do battling these political issues, we'd actually be creating a better world to live in.

[nebula]

Hmmm... justified???? That's a pretty strong word to use and is highly debatable, but I might need Neb's permission to debate that here.

Well, as I think about it, it probably is not "right" for me to deny your freedom of speech - I mean, that is in my government's constitution, after all.

I will have you know, though, if this turns into yet another debate on the End Times, the Anti-Christ, the Beast, the nation of Israel, or the like, I will be so-o-o-o-o-o out of here!

[ted]

Ummm... I used the word justification as a way to express what I understood from Neb's post. To debate every action in this war is pointless any longer. You throw in a bad, I toss in a good, well, you know the drill. What I got from the post was more in general. Yes we must strive for love as God intends it to be, but, somehow, we must stand against the evils of today at the same time. My first reaction to any confontation, personal or national, is Prayer. Prayer that gives God free reign to use me as I believe He intends me to be used. At the present time, that means fixing helicopters in this place, while trying to be a good witness for others.

Again, good post Neb.

[Guest idolsmasher]

It must be an interesting job fixing helicopters. I wouldn't mind discussing that a little but it's probably more a discussion for the men's lounge.