The three young men were virtually inseparable that long, hot summer.
The budding love that radiated from their times together was apparent to all. And it was, as always, the work of the Holy Spirit as He once again proved able to bring glorious praise to Jesus through the Father.
The young men couldn’t have been more different from each other. None of them knew Jesus when they first met.
But the initial unity in the diversity needed to be protected and nourished in each of their souls. It always does.
“I love you, brother Brandon,” declared Mohammed in his very, very broken English.
Brandon, a “tough” guy raised in a patriotic Southern Baptist American Christian home, had an even tougher time expressing what Christ had deposited in his heart for his new friend.
“Stop it, Mohammed!” And with that, Brandon punched him in the arm in a weak effort to express some form of tender affection.
“Hey,” exclaimed Jonathan who was the third member of the trio, “be kind, be like Jesus.”
Brandon, at 16, was the tallest of the 3 young men. He was a virile, good looking young man with a thin physique and a deep tan from working outside on the family homestead. He had a rather rambunctious way about him that attracted both people and girls. He lived outside Atlanta on a 10 acre gentleman’s farm. His father was the head of the elders at the mega-church and a “successful” business owner.
Mohammed, also 16, was the shortest of the lot, and was built like a fire hydrant, solid and muscular in every way. He was very serious about life, that being a combination of his personality and the product of living in a difficult family situation, the son of a single mom with 5 other children. He was from a Sunni neighborhood in a very poor area of Baghdad in Iraq. His father had been shot in the head and killed in broad daylight a few years before in a heated religious skirmish with a neighborhood group of Shiites.
The third boy, Jonathan, was 15 and had no real distinguishing features physically. He looked rather ordinary. But that was all that was ordinary about him. He, of the three, was the one on full pursuit of unraveling the mystery of life by finding the living God. He was living at the time in a large Mennonite Anabaptist family on a 100 acre working farm in rural Georgia. Their family was part of a simple house church.
Brandon and Jonathan’s parents both claimed to be Christians and the previously year had met as part of an organic farm coop. Jonathan would help drop off the farm’s organic goods that Brandon’s mom would pickup bi-monthly.
That connection eventually led to a cross cultural missions trip overseas to Baghdad during Spring break to build a small heath care building in a poor area. That’s where they met Mohammed as he “wandered” upon their construction site and befriended the other young men. He had learned some basic English from a Mennonite mission located there in Bagdad.
Brandon’s family was wealthy and had agreed to the pleas of both he and Jonathan to bring Mohammed over to the States for the summer. Mohammed was stunned at the offer delivered by email at the internet café, and arrived at the Atlanta airport early June of that year.
But he was more stunned at the American way of life: it’s fierce independence at the expense of everyone else on the planet, it’s self-centered pursuit of gross materialism, and it’s relentless self promotion of being God’s vehicle for any and all things in the world at large.
The Life Changing Events From God That Summer
That summer the sovereignty of God had brought them together for two powerful life changing events.
The first was on one Saturday evening when the 3 young men were away at a Christian outreach summer camp in the mountains of western North Carolina near Ashville. A traveling evangelist came to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God. He didn’t shrink from the bad news of sin and the wrath of God, combined with the good news of God’s love and forgiveness for those repentant hearts to enter the kingdom of God.
The Holy Spirit, as only He can do, broke through the hearts of those three young men and they all came forward to tearfully join the family of God. It was a glorious site to behold!
One of the camp counselors was in a simple home church and knew the power of immediate baptism. After much protest from the institutionalized church members present in camp leadership, he doggedly persuaded the young men that this was God’s will as illustrated in the holy Word. So, under the water they each went in turn, Brandon the first. And the power of the Spirit was upon them as they individually arose from under the water. Both Jonathan and Mohammed began to speak in tongues as praise to God!
Of all the young men in their circle, Jonathan seemed to be the one who was on full pursuit of Jesus. The others were, might we say, preoccupied with the American version of the gospel: let’s agree to disagree and not be of one mind, let’s store up our treasures on earth to get rich for retirement, and let’s kill our enemy whenever he poses any type of threat to our patriotic freedom and “way of life” no matter where we live.
The second powerful event happened later in the month at the camp.
The 3 young men were really bonded by then, and were at the river where they were baptized on an excursion after a long morning of activities. The North Carolina water was cold and crisp that early afternoon, and the sun was breaking through the oak and pine trees that hung close by the river banks.
It happened in a second.
Mohammed playfully yelled back to Brandon and jumped head first into a deeper portion of the river. Brandon’s laughter instantly turned to fear as Mohammed’s motionless body floated up to the top of the water. He didn’t hesitate and jumped feet first toward the body, as Jonathan quickly followed.
Together they were able to pull the unconscious Mohammed to shore and drag him up on a flat sandy area close by that was surrounded by larger boulders. Turning him over, both young men saw his face turning blue and a huge gash probably 3 inches long on his right cheek that was gushing blood at an alarming rate.
There was a sense of panic in both young men. You could see it in their faces.
“Hey, do you know CPR,?” shouted Jonathan. Brandon nodded and descended without a word on the limp body as his lips and arms began the procedure he had recently learned back in Atlanta at a local hospital.
“Oh God, oh God,” cried Jonathan as tears filled his eyes, “please save our brother, Your friend. Please Jesus. Please.”
Jonathan then squeezed together the skin around the huge gash on Mohammed’s cheek to try and stem the enormous blood flow. The Christian love was just so evident as a few other boys looked on looking sheepishly helpless. A nearby counselor had called 911, and in a short while the paramedics were on the scene taking over and stabilizing Mohammed.
Later, Mohammed was eternally grateful to his dear friends for saving his life, and tried his best to express it the rest of his stay that month in the States. As he prepared to fly back to Baghdad the following week, he once again gazed at the enormous wound on his right cheek and the 12 sutures needed to close the gash.
There were tearful goodbyes at the Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta and promises by all the young men to one another to follow Jesus. Mohammed was invited to return the next summer, and he joyfully agreed.
During the next year, there were many emails back and forth. Mohammed had to use the internet café due to his dire financial situation. Much talk about their new faith was the subject.
The Storm Clouds of National Zealots
But….
Throughout the year, there was an ominous turn of events. And it began to surface in the emails, especially between Brandon and Mohammed.
Each had joined the below age equivalent of their country’s army, like the ROTC. Their patriotic zeal for their earthly homeland now began to override their previous oneness of spirit. There was great tension now in the air.
Jonathan had taken a different tack, reading the words of Jesus with great abandon. He began to read history of many saints who had obeyed Jesus at a high personal cost, many at the expense of their own lives. He was particularly taken with the Anabaptists who were slaughtered by both the Pope and Martin Luther’s colleagues in the 1500’s in Europe. The book The Secret of the Strength by Peter Hoover was a page turner that he read late into the night.
The next summer arrived and Mohammed cautiously deplaned at the airport. After an awkward greeting with the American families, Mohammed reluctantly hugged Brandon and that seemed to relax their independent stances for the moment. Jonathan was so hopeful after praying for his friends all year that all would be as it had been the previous summer.
It was not to be.
His friends had not resisted the devil, so the promise of God there was nullified.
The prideful sin was just lurking under the surface.
The very next day the passions of patriotic zeal began to flame up. Both Brandon and Mohammed began to argue their positions loudly. It was fueled by the indoctrination propaganda each had been exposed to in their respective military groups during the previous year apart.
During the previous year, discussing the teachings of Jesus over the internet soon gave way to personal opinion of their individual countries political agenda. For the two of them, that now became the overriding goal. And that now continued in person unabated.
Who Said That?
It was not a pretty scene.
Jonathan desperately tried to bring reason through the words of their Savior. But it seemed to no avail. He stayed up a lot that first night in Brandon’s living room begging and beseeching the Father to bring the power of His words to life in the hearts of these blinded souls.
He prayed for them that they’d have ears to hear. The demonic spiritual warfare of dissension had seemed to have ugly success in direct contradiction to the blessed word of God.
The next day, right after breakfast and after his parents left for the farmer’s market, Brandon was the first to throw a verbal jab at Mohammed.
“America has been chosen by God to bring peace to the world, and to share the gospel. It’s His will, Mohammed, and nothing can stand in His way. We will have dominion and bring democracy and God’s glory to every corner of the globe!”
Mohammed’s eyes became steely as he replied.
“You Americans have convinced yourselves you are God’s chosen vessel for everything.”
“We are,” said Brandon as his finger pointed angrily at Mohammed’s chest.
Mohammed’s face was almost beat red now. “You keep talking about freedom as you define it. It’s, how do you say, your way or the highway. It is, how do you say it…arrogance!” he blurted out.
Brandon replied, “We will bring democracy to all. You just watch us!”
“You’re just like that ancient Rome, the evil empire, I read about. You think it’s perfectly fine to rule the world and take things from other countries.” Mohammed’s voice was getting louder.
“We’re called to this, buddy.”
“Yes?” said Mohammed. “Who makes the rules? You do. The ones with the mightiest army, right? And your President Bush pushes your agenda.”
“We keep peace in the world,” answered Brandon.
Mohammed reached into his pocket and pulled out an old newspaper clipping. He stared Brandon right in the eye.
“OK, mighty warrior, so who said this on your CNN TV program in 1997?”
Mohammed read slowly from the newspaper clip, occasionally looking up to see Brandon’s reaction.
“The U.S. wants to occupy our countries, steal our resources, impose agents on us to rule us and then wants us to agree to all this. If we refuse to do so, it says we are terrorists… Wherever we look, we find the U.S. as the leader of terrorism and crime in the world.”
“Who said that, Brandon? Who said that?” he demanded.
“I don’t know and I don’t care,” raged Brandon as he moved within a foot of Mohammed with clenched fists, spittle flying from his mouth.
“Osama Bin Laden said that. Osama Bin Laden. He’s right, you imperialists.”
“God bless America!” cried out Brandon.
“And God bless Iraq and Osama Bin Laden too! That’s what my God would do.” retorted Mohammed, as he took a step backward.
A Brother Speaks the Word of Christ
Jonathan was aghast at the unloving, untruthful position of them both. He now tried to bring truth and reason as he saw it.
“My brothers, the words of Jesus are clear. Let me read them to you.”
He grabbed his Bible and began to read the passages the Lord had led him to proclaim to his zealot friends.
Proverbs 24:17-18
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Or the Lord will see it and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him.
“Do you take pleasure in your enemies peril, or death? Repent, my brothers! Let’s act like Jesus did.”
Jonathan’s heart was beating wildly. His stomach was getting more upset by the minute. He hated rebuke and admonishment, but knew that it was the only way to mature perfection as stated in Colossians 1:28.
Matthew 5:38-42
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ “But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.”
“Are you resisting evil people and disobeying the King of Kings? Will you turn the other cheek? Or just kill your enemy in the name of greedy materialism masquerading as the American brand of freedom? Or expelling an invading army all in the name of Jesus?” Jonathan pleaded.
The other two young men had become silent for the moment as the Words of holiness and truth flowed from their brother in the Lord.
He read again:
Matthew 5:43-48
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
“Are you loving and praying for your enemies,” he asked them?
Silence from both Jonathan and Mohammed.
“And what do these Bible passages mean to you?”
John 18:36
Jesus answered, “my kingdom is not of this world. if my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”
Matthew 26:51-52
And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.
“Jesus says his servants are not fighting, even to save Him from death. How much more should we?”
“Doesn’t that speak to your hearts, my friends? Do you want to die by the sword and lose your privilege to enter the kingdom of God by practicing disobedience?”
Brandon was now fully flamed up. “Hey, Jonathan, don’t be a wimp and a traitor. Our soldiers die so you can have freedom to even say that here.”
Jonathan prayed quickly before he responded, and the Spirit was swift to answer.
“Brandon, the word of God says we’re slaves to Christ. And free from sin. Not free to kill to preserve our patriotic desires and consumerism lifestyle. God says in Romans He places the rulers in authority, even evil Saddam Hussein, so we can be ‘free’ to obey Him just like Jesus. Let me read it to you again.”
“I don’t want to hear any more from you, you pacifist.”
Jonathan ignored his appeal and found the oft neglected and misunderstood passage in Romans, and he spoke it aloud pure and plain:
Romans 13:1-4
Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
Brandon gave his take on it, rather angrily.
“See, Jonathan, we need to bear the sword and minister from God, to bring freedom and peace! You’re dead wrong! Even my parents pray that the enemy is killed. And he’s head of the elders at our church.”
Brandon thought he had a checkmate. But he was using a familiar error in arguments: ignoring the plain word of God that Jonathan had just quoted and using interpretation by exception.
“Brandon,” Jonathan replied in final exasperation, “your parents are as guilty of killing people as the Christians shooting the guns in the army. I love your Dad and Mom, you know I do. But they want to kill their enemy in their hearts. Remember what Jesus said about adultery in the heart leading so-called believers to hell?”
“Shut your mouth!” Brandon was almost in a rage.
“Also, Brandon, look at the context of this last passage and what the apostle Paul wrote just before it. It explains our non-resistant role completely. You know I speak boldly to evil. I’m never a pacifist.”
Romans 12:18-21
If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “but if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
“How much clearer can it be, Brandon? Feed your enemy? What a far cry from killing him. Jesus says, why do you call Him Lord, Lord and not do what He says? Well?”
Brandon was silent and the adrenaline was wearing off a bit. He leaned against the kitchen wall. Mohammed seemed to be listening carefully to Brandon and in better control of his emotions. He sat back down in his chair.
“One more passage, you guys. Treat others like you want to be treated. Do you want someone to kill you and your family? And how about His words to lend your money to enemies like Saddam Hussein?”
“Are you crazy, or what, Jonathan.” Brandon thought he had him cold. “Lend our money to Saddam Hussein? Ridiculous. Jesus would never say that.”
“Wrong, brother, wrong. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Listen to Him. Listen.”
Luke 6:31-36
“Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
Brandon was silent, but fuming. The conviction of the Spirit was doing its best, but the demons oppressing him appeared to be winning his fleshly heart.
Mohammed now spoke after a long silence. “My country has already been invaded once by you Americans, and it will probably happen again by the sounds of your government.”
Jonathan turned to look at him. Mohammed continued.
“What if our supreme leader Saddam invaded America? What would you do to us, the invaders? But we have the largest oil reserves next to the Saudis. Your bankers love to fund wars. You need to keep your materialistic machine, how do you say it, humming.”
It All Comes Apart
A verbal bombshell came next. “I’m tired of all this one sided opinion by you, Brandon. I want to go home. I don’t want to be with you anymore.”
The disunity of agreeing to disagree had struck again. Another great victory for Satan.
Brandon’s father was only too eager to trade out the ticket when he heard that Mohammed had actually quoted Osama Bin Laden in his own house. Blasphemy, he shouted to his son as he picked up the phone to call his travel agent.
In a few days, with his plane ticket changed, Mohammed was winging his way back to Baghdad.
And not too soon.
The next spring, the American armed forces invaded Iraq once again. At least a million Christians in that country would be killed, wounded, raped, and made refugees. What would that be like to we Americans, Jonathan wondered, as he still kept in sporadic email contact with Mohammed.
Brandon enlisted in the US Army and quickly rose to Sargent. And Mohammed joined a Sunni resistant group aimed at protecting his homeland. He also rose to leadership at once.
Brandon was shipped out within 18 months. He was assigned to Baghdad.
It was a mess.
Carnage.
Body parts.
Tears.
Families torn apart.
Rubble.
Disease.
Fear.
Rape.
He and his attack group were on patrol in a Baghdad hotspot one Wednesday early afternoon that summer. The heat was oppressive and well over 100 degrees. His mind went back to safer times. It was nothing like the cool crisp waters of North Carolina at the camp four summers ago.
Movement to the right.
The main radio in the armored Hummer cracked. “Insurgents on the move beyond that wall.” The Americans soldiers were ready.
Dark shadows were clearly seen running from the remaining ruined houses to a bombed out business structure further left. The Hummer unloaded it’s troops.
Brandon gave the orders and his comrades closed in. Gunfire. An explosion to Brandon’s left. Returned gunfire.
One American soldier takes a bullet in the shoulder and cries out as he falls unconscious to the ground. A grenade lands just to the rear of Brandon as he leaps forward out of the way.
Two other soldiers are blow up and fall lifeless to the broken pavement. Brandon is furious, and wants revenge.
He perches himself just over a short wall and clearly sees a dark enemy figure running. He levels his standard issue M16A4 rifle, takes aim, and fires rounds at the fleeing figure.
Success!
The figure shudders as the bullets find their intended target, and the enemy twists in pain as he falls forward to the street just outside the building.
Quiet.
More quiet.
It’s over.
Confirming radio reports allow Brandon and what remains of his group to care for the wounded. Then he moves forward to the fallen enemy.
Actually, he smiles as he sees not one, but two lifeless bodies close to one another. His comrade goes to check the first. “It’s a Sunni, Sarge. You got ‘em. Dead. Good riddance.”
Brandon carefully approaches the second body. No real armor. Only an AK-47 rifle on the ground at his feet, and a grenade hanging from his body. The Sunni insurgent has two bullets wounds, one in his neck, and they did their work. Dead. Lots of blood.
Wait a minute.
Brandon looks closer at the face.
Flies are already beginning to buzz around the body. His enemy’s eyes are open, staring up at him. He had a squatty physique, sort of like a fire hydrant.
For an instant, Brandon’s heart skips a beat.
No way. No way.
The Holy Spirit was at work.
Then he noticed the unmistakable confirmation.
A 3 inch scar on the right cheek.
The face confirms it. No doubt. Oh, God. It’s Mohammed, he moans silently, my Christian brother.
Brandon recoils and crumples to the ground.
Oh, my God, he says silently unable to speak, what have I done. What have I done? First I save him in the North Carolina water, and now, now, I…..
“Hey, Sarge, are you OK? Sarge, sarge?”
Sobbing, crying, wailing, combined with nausea leading to vomit.
A week later, the guards removed Brandon from the jail and brought him for arraignment. The charges: leaving his role as officer over fellow soldiers, refusing to use his weapons, refusing to swear allegiance to the US and the Army, and disobeying by swearing allegiance to Jesus in order to love your enemy.
Despicable, they say.
A coward. Worthy of court martial and the ensuing prison term. Guilty as charged. 10 years. Good riddance, our freedom is at stake, they cackle.
Scorn. Rejection. The fellowship of His sufferings. He feels so very alone. Very alone.
But the Holy Spirit says to his heart, “Brandon, they hated Me first. They will hate you too. Trust me, son. Trust me.”
Brandon feels like he’s getting ‘put out of the synagogue.’ The man from John 9 comes to mind. And heart. He finds comfort in the Holy Spirit as He brings to mind these Words of eternal value when returned his jail cell:
Philip. 3:20
For our (true and real) citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
2 Cor. 5:10-11
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear (terror) of the lord, we persuade men…
Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ and then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.’”
And a Voice cries out and echoes down the corridors of time:
Luke 6:46
“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
Brandon is quickly found guilty by the military tribunal, and sentenced to 10 years as an example.
Upon his arrival in prison, he is raped in the shower room by a group of four men in the first week while the guards ignore his screams. He wrestles with God over this and wonders aloud at God’s ways. But he eventually surrenders gratefully to His will and ways after a full year of wresting with God in prison.
He knows in his mind that all things work together for good to those who love god and are called according to His purpose. But still….this trial seemed overwhelming. Is this worth it, he muses.
Jesus Puts It Back Together But The Scars Remain
Over this 10 year time frame, Brandon blossoms in the Lord, and leads dozens of both his fellow prisoners and guards to the eternal peace and love of the Father through His Son, the Christ!
He forgives his attackers openly and verbally, and after they see his great love and compassion, he leads two of them to Christ.
Brandon baptizes both of them in the shower where they raped him.
Hundreds of fellow prisoners watching this drama are amazed at the grace, and are touched. Many become Christians after watching true grace in action.
After their release, one of Brandon’s former attackers and now brother in the Lord goes on to preach the gospel to thousands. He plants hundreds of house churches in the middle east as a cross cultural missionary after being touched by Mohammed’s story as retold by Brandon. He and his new wife have four children and adopt three more Iraqi war orphans.
Ironically, but not to God, they all attend the North Carolina camp yearly where Mohammed was rescued from the chilly river that one summer day years ago.
Another former shower rape attacker of Brandon becomes an on-fire-for-Jesus web marketer and marries a young divorcee. They go on to grow a web based discipleship site that serves the disenfranchised in impoverished countries. Dozens of children are rescued and saved, many from the sex trade.
And many other lives touched by Brandon’s prison years bear fruit yet to be heard until revealed at the great marriage supper of the Lamb.
And Jonathan visited Brandon twice a year in prison, and wrote him weekly.
Jonathan eventually begins an inner city ministry network in North Carolina, and travels to Iraq yearly where he ministers medical care to the poor as a natural herbalist and holistic practioner. He never marries, having been given the gift of celibacy to serve the Lord.
And he and Brandon volunteer at the North Carolina camp every year for two weeks. Why?
Because Brandon, now lovingly married to a woman who once prayed for him in prison and followed his radical testimony, joined Jonathan as a director and General Manager of the non-profit inner city holistic medical clinic. Ten years later!
They are full of joy. Yet…lamentation follows every follower of the Lamb as promised.
Brandon’s parents disown him. His father never speaks to him again after his court martial. But he still serves on the mega-church elder board. He sells his successful business for $10 million and donates $2 million to Christians United For World Democracy. He retires to serve this organization and travels nationally as a top spokesperson. Brandon prays for him as the Holy Spirit leads. But the ache remains.
Brandon and Jonathan struggle to stay alive at the inner city holistic clinic. Donations are always tight. But somehow in the grace of Jesus they triumph, and look forward to Home and Him.
Love your enemies. Do good to them who despitefully use you. Do not resist an evil person. Lend to your enemy never expecting repayment. Turn the other cheek.
The eternal Words of Jesus, the Word of God made flesh for us.
Was it all worth it for the young men, one wonders?
Ask Jesus. Was it all worth it to Him? For us? For the Father? For the kingdom? For eternity?
Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone.
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Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Your friend and brother in fighting the good fight,
Marc
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Saints, we’re one day closer to Home, and Him! Love Him wholeheartedly!
You may view our Archives here: MONDAY MANNA – ARCHIVES; Complete Archives; feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion. May our Father richly bless you with His grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in order to walk worthy of His name.
Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Betty Stallings-Huber says
Marc,
I am thanking the Lord for this confirming Word. Thank you so much for allowing Holy Spirit to speak through you this way. This is how God has been speaking to me. I could not rejoice over the death of Osama bin Laden, Nor, could I feel anger over the decision made by the jury in the Casey Anthony trial. I am grieved that Osama bin Laden died before he could come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. And I pray for Casey Anthony to repent and receive his restoration. My Jesus loves them both and all of my so called “enemies”. Can I do any less? Shalom, Betty
admin says
thx dear sister…we never know about OBL – we may see him in heaven – only good knows at this point!
Dave S says
Good read. Did you write this, Marc?
admin says
yes, brother — the Lord gave us the story some years ago…thx for the encouragement.
marc
ivor thomas says
Marc, I am glad to hear someone with that point of view. As I am sure you realize most of our brethren are prepared to militantly protect and kill as needed.
As you may know, I am a seasoned saint of 40 years and this is a new thing for me. It struck me about a year ago. I just could not picture the Lord Jesus with a rifle, in this age.
It seems like a simple issue to understand when we look at all the teaching that calls us to love our enemies, etc.
HOWEVER; our brethren that would take aggressive action go a million miles on the one little passage where it is recorded that the Lord Jesus is said to have used a whip in the purging of the temple.
I finally realized that there were a lot of cattle that were driven out at that time. It is now my firm conclusion that the whip was exclusively for the cattle. (To those that want to say if was for the people, I can only point out that it would be incredibly inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus on the issue.
We are surrounded with brethren that would promptly chop the ear off the Centurian.:(
jesusislord says
Brother Ivor,
Yes they would – modern day zealots like the murderous believers in James – “you murder” the Roman occupiers! May we all thank God He opened our eyes in grace to this obedience before it was too late! Bless you dear brother! One day closer to Home and Him…
Marc
sister the Lord says
Amen – the power of love, this should be turned into a movie.
brother in the Lord says
“Phil 3:20 For OUR citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
beth parker says
Marc,
I just discussed this very issue with a friend of many years…she was a military child. She quickly defended the military, so i knew to say no more. All I can say is this is the word of God. It is in hearing only they can understand and only God gives the increase…some plant others water…excellent word…thank you!!!!
jesusislord says
Sister Beth,
Thanks for the encouragement, dear one. The devil has blinded the willing. The church people are the worst. The other day I stated to a ministry supporter that the gospel is not rocket science. Whatever the world does or does to excess, those who claim the promises of our Father and his Son are to do just the opposite!
Blessings,
Marc