Can Mercy and Judgment Coexist? 3

GodThoughtsWired!              Thursday, August 30, 2012

Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

Can mercy and judgment coexist?

3

"For judgment will be merciless
to one who has shown no mercy;
mercy triumphs over judgment."
James 2:13

Yesterday I said,

May I suggest to you that judgment is an
extension of God's love! (see Hebrews 12:5-11).
And may I also suggest to you that, 
in this illustration (see yesterday's GT),
righteously judging the criminal
would have extended mercy to both
the victim's parents...AND the criminal.

And then I asked the question, "How could it be possible that judging the criminal righteously would be "merciful?"
Well, let me give you my answer in the form of a true story from my old "youth pastor days:"

"When our youth ministry grew to several
hundred students, I needed to hire a
security officer to be on campus.  One
night, I caught one of our own students
attempting to sell drugs.  I severely
reprimanded him and then assured him
that if I ever caught him again, I would
call the police, right there on the spot.
Sure enough, a few weeks later I caught
him again!  And can you guess what I did?
That's right!  I did what I told him I would
do...I CALLED THE POLICE!  It was a
terrible scene right there on our church
grounds.  The police arrived and
handcuffed the student and halled
him off to Juvenile Hall."

Initially, the experience was AWEFUL!  I felt TERRIBLE!  Everyone in the church felt bad.  The boy's mom approached the Elder Board demanding that I be fired immediately!  As you might expect, the boy, along with his family, never returned to our church.

However, one day, about a year later, I received a phone call from the young man that I had "called the cops on" a year earlier.  He was calling to thank me!  He said, "You were the first person in my life to ever do what you said you were going to do."  He further told me that "That experience changed me.  I was headed down a bad road, and God used you to change my direction."

How could it be possible that judging the criminal righteously would be "merciful?"

I believe I just answered that question.

"For those whom the Lord
loves, He disciplines..."
-Hebrews 12:6

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Can Mercy and Judgment Coexist? 2

Can mercy and judgment coexist?

2

"LIFE IS NOT FAIR,
BUT GOD IS JUST...
AND HE HAS AN ETERNITY TO PROVE IT!"
-Pastor Brad

Illustration:  A child is brutally raped, beaten, tortured and murdered.  The guilty man is caught and brought before a judge with whom the child's grieving mother and father await the verdict.  The judge says, "Because I am a loving and forgiving judge, I am letting the offender go free without any punishment."

Now let's say you are the mother or father in this illustration.  How do you feel about the judge's verdict?  Mercy has been extended but justice has not been served!

May I suggest to you that judgment is an extension of God's love! (see Hebrews 12:5-11).  And may I also suggest to you that, in this illustration, righteously judging the criminal would have extended mercy to both the victims parents...AND the criminal.*

"WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND THE LOVE
OF GOD UNTIL WE GRASP THE HORROR
OF OUR SIN AND THE SACRIFICIAL
TORMENT THAT JESUS CHOSE TO
PAY ON OUR BEHALF."
-Pastor Brad

In God's kingdom, mercy and justice coexist.

*I'm interested to hear from you - How could it be possible that  judging the criminal righteously would be "merciful?"

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Jesus DID NOT Come to Bring Peace! 5

GodThoughtsWired!              Friday, August 24, 2012

Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

jesus did not come

to bring peace!

5

"The God of peace
will soon crush Satan
under your feet."
Romans 16:20,
bold & underline mine

Again, "The God of peace will soon CRUSH SATAN! under your feet."  Wow!  A sincere and comprehensive study of the Bible reveals to all who would receive it that:

1.  Indeed, Jesus is the "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).  However,

2.  There will not be peace upon the earth until Jesus Himself returns to establish it!  WHY?  Because,

3.  Jesus is also the truth!  If everyone on the earth received and submitted to the truth that Jesus represents, then THERE WOULD BE peace upon the earth.  Sadly, however, everyone in the world DOES NOT submit to who Jesus is, nor do they follow what He says.  Thus, chaos is ever-increasing.

4.  Jesus came to set mankind free! (see Galatians 5:1).  But the freedom Jesus offers only comes from practicing the truth that Jesus preaches.   Practically, the road to freedom is paved with truth.  Jesus put it this way,

"You will know the truth,
and the truth will make you free."
-John 8:32, bold mine

5.  The rejection of the truth that Jesus offers ALWAYS LEADS TO BONDAGE!  Today's United States of America is a CLASSIC EXAMPLE.  Generally, the USA has rejected Jesus for so long, that our freedom continues to dissipate like the morning dew. 

Outside of widespread repentance
and a return to what made this country
"exceptional," bondage (at best),
or complete destruction (at worst),
is inevitable for the
United States of America.
-Pastor Brad

Thus,

"The kingdom of God is not
eating and drinking, but righteousness and
peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
-Romans 14:17, bold mine

The "peace" of the Holy Spirit is only found in the "kingdom of God."  And the "kingdom of God" exists only in those places, and among those people who submit to the King of the kingdom of God, Jesus Christ.

and,
"Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called sons of God."
-Matthew 5:9, bold mine
and,
"If possible, so far as it depends on you,
be at peace with all men."
-Romans 12:18, bold mine
Unfortunately, it isn't always possible.  Thus, chaos will reign until the return of Jesus Christ!

The quest for unity is noble,
but when the cost is
a compromise of the truth,
it becomes fodder for the Devil.
-Pastor Brad

For further study, click on:  The Truth about Freedom.

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A Letter to the Muslims That I Love...About the 'Belief System' that I Hate

GodThoughtsWired!         Thursday, August 16, 2012

Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

a letter to the

muslims that i love...

about the

'belier system'

that i hate*

As you might have suspected, the series entitled, Why Islam is...EVIL! stirred up quite quite a bit of emotion.  Consider the following excerpt from an email that I received from a now former subscriber:

"Have you ever even read the Qur'an?
Calling Islam evil is the same as
calling all Muslims evil!
How dare you send this hateful,
lying email and, no less,
in our holiest month of the year,
Ramadan?? How dare you label
"Islam is evil" as "God's Thoughts"?
  I subscribed to your newsletter
for the SUPPOSED "good" you
were preaching about love,
forgiveness and GOD. I thought we
had a love and reverence of God
in common.  This email shows me
how wrong I was about you
and your hate dispensing organization,
what an ignorant person you are,
and just HOW ignorant of Islam you all are."

The following is the letter that I wrote in response:

Dear ________,

In answer to your question, yes I have read and studied the Qur'an. In fact, I have been a student of Islam and the Qur'an since 1980. Over the past 32 years I have read and studied the Qur'an in three different translations. I have also read and studied the Hadith of Bukhari. My formal education includes a degree in Islamic studies.

Again, I don't believe that all Muslims are evil. In fact, I have family members, whom I love very much, that call themselves Muslims. Please consider the following:

I believe that abortion is evil, however, I don't think that all women who have abortions are evil. My mom had an abortion a long time ago. She believed it was the right thing to do. I believe that what she did was evil, but that's not the same as saying she is evil. In fact, I love my mother very much.

Another example would be homosexuality. I believe that homosexuality is evil, but I do not think that all homosexuals are evil. Over the years I have had friends and family members, whom I love very much, that practiced homosexuality.

Again, just because someone does something evil, or believes in something that is evil DOES NOT make them evil. I'm sad to say that I have done some evil things in my life, however, I do not think of myself as evil.

_______, I can see that you unsubscribed after Part 1 of my series. You can view Parts 2-4 at www.godthoughtslive.com. I have millions of readers around the world including both Christians and Muslims, that have acknowledged - EVERYTHING I TEACH IS STRAIGHT FROM THE QUR'AN AND THE BIBLE. I honestly believe that the issue is this:

Most professing Muslims are just like most professing Christians in that neither really know or practice what their "holy books" really teach. You yourself admitted an understanding that the Bible and Qur'an "differ" in what they teach about Jesus. It's true.

The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is the Son of God, while the Qur'an clearly teaches that Jesus IS NOT the Son of God (you do know that one of the reasons that Mohammed wrote the Qur'an was to expose the "corruption" of the Bible? -see Surah 25:1-2; 19:88-93; 112:1-4; 23:90-91; 37:151-152).

-The God of the Qur'an, Allah says that all who call Jesus the Son of God are liars (see above verses).

-The God of the Bible says Jesus IS His Son, literally (see Matthew 3:17).

This is just one important example of dozens that illustrate that the Bible and the Qur'an teach opposite things. To believe that the God of Islam and the God of Christianity are the same God exemplifies the reality that those who say such things (click on former President Bush) have no idea what they're talking about.

I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ALL MUSLIMS ARE EVIL, any more than I believe that my beloved mother is evil. I do however, strongly believe that Islam, the belief system based on the Qur'an, IS EVIL, for the reasons mentioned in my series.

Sincerely,

Brad
Galatians 4:16

*Some will question the use of the word "hate" in the title.  The truth is, I hate "wife-beating," "Christian-killing,"  and "Jew-killing," all of which the Qur'an CLEARLY teaches.  I hate the hate that the Qur'an espouses.

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The Kingdom of God is Like...The FOG!

GodThoughtsWired!               Tuesday, August 14, 2012

An Inspiration for Today...A Resource for a Lifetime!

the kingdom of god is like...

The fog!

"For since the creation of the world
His invisible attributes, His eternal power
and divine nature, have been clearly seen,
being understood through what has been made,
so that they are without excuse."-Romans 1:20, bold mine

The Kingdom of God is like the fog.  Sometimes the fog is so dense and thick that you can't see a thing.  In fact, it can become disorienting.  At times like these you have no vision or sense of direction.  To move under these conditions is foolish and can be dangerous.

Fog can be seasonal, or it can appear out of nowhere with, seamingly, no rhyme or reason.  Sometimes it's impossible to anticipate.  However, the beauty of fog is that it is always temporary.  No matter how bad it seems at the time, it won't last forever.  It WILL dissipate!

So, when the fog is like this the best and safest thing you can do is stop, be still, and wait (see Psalm 25:3; 27:14; 37:9; Isaiah 40:31; 64:4; Lamentations 3:25).

Such is the Kingdom of God.

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Why Islam is...EVIL! Addendum

GodThoughtsWired!                Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

why islam is...evil!

addendum

As you might have suspected, the series entitled, Why Islam is...EVIL! stirred up quite quite a bit of emotion.  Consider the following excerpt from an email that I received from a now former subscriber:

"Have you ever even read the Qur'an?
Calling Islam evil is the same as
calling all Muslims evil!
How dare you send this hateful,
lying email and, no less,
in our holiest month of the year,
Ramadan?? How dare you label
"Islam is evil" as "God's Thoughts"?
  I subscribed to your newsletter
for the SUPPOSED "good" you
were preaching about love,
forgiveness and GOD. I thought we
had a love and reverence of God
in common.  This email shows me
how wrong I was about you
and your hate dispensing organization,
what an ignorant person you are,
and just HOW ignorant of Islam you all are."

The following is the letter that I wrote in response:

Dear ________,

In answer to your question, yes I have read and studied the Qur'an. In fact, I have been a student of Islam and the Qur'an since 1980. Over the past 32 years I have read and studied the Qur'an in three different translations. I have also read and studied the Hadith of Bukhari. My formal education includes a degree in Islamic studies.

Again, I don't believe that all Muslims are evil. In fact, I have family members, whom I love very much, that call themselves Muslims. Please consider the following:

I believe that abortion is evil, however, I don't think that all women who have abortions are evil. My mom had an abortion a long time ago. She believed it was the right thing to do. I believe that what she did was evil, but that's not the same as saying she is evil. In fact, I love my mother very much.

Another example would be homosexuality. I believe that homosexuality is evil, but I do not think that all homosexuals are evil. Over the years I have had friends and family members, whom I love very much, that practiced homosexuality.

Again, just because someone does something evil, or believes in something that is evil DOES NOT make them evil. I'm sad to say that I have done some evil things in my life, however, I do not think of myself as evil.

_______, I can see that you unsubscribed after Part 1 of my series. You can view Parts 2-4 at www.godthoughtslive.com. I have millions of readers around the world including both Christians and Muslims, that have acknowledged - EVERYTHING I TEACH IS STRAIGHT FROM THE QUR'AN AND THE BIBLE. I honestly believe that the issue is this:

Most professing Muslims are just like most professing Christians in that neither really know or practice what their "holy books" really teach. You yourself admitted an understanding that the Bible and Qur'an "differ" in what they teach about Jesus. It's true.

The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is the Son of God, while the Qur'an clearly teaches that Jesus IS NOT the Son of God (you do know that one of the reasons that Mohammed wrote the Qur'an was to expose the "corruption" of the Bible? -see Surah 25:1-2; 19:88-93; 112:1-4; 23:90-91; 37:151-152).

-The God of the Qur'an, Allah says that all who call Jesus the Son of God are liars (see above verses).

-The God of the Bible says Jesus IS His Son, literally (see Matthew 3:17).

This is just one important example of dozens that illustrate that the Bible and the Qur'an teach opposite things. To believe that the God of Islam and the God of Christianity are the same God exemplifies the reality that those who say such things (click on former President Bush) have no idea what they're talking about.

I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ALL MUSLIMS ARE EVIL, any more than I believe that my beloved mother is evil. I do however, strongly believe that Islam, the belief system based on the Qur'an, IS EVIL, for the reasons mentioned in my series.

Sincerely,

Brad
Galatians 4:16

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Why Islam is...EVIL! 4

GodThoughtsWired!                   Friday, August 3, 2012

Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

why islam is...evil!

ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE

 4

 "God loves Muslims just as much
as He loves Christians just as much
as He loves Hindus just as much
as He loves atheists. God loves
everybody, equally, all the time."
-pastor Brad's commentary
EVIL: "as opposed to good. God is good. Evil is "anti-good," "anti-God"(see Genesis 2:17; Hebrews 5:14).

There are 124 verses in the Qu'ran that call for peace and tolerance...all of which, have been replaced!*  To truly understand Islam we must learn that the chronological order of the Qu'ranic surah's (chapters) 1-114, is incredibly misleading.  Islamic scholars are clear:

Whenever contradictions appears
in the Qu'ran (and there are multitudes of them),
The Medina (later) revelation abrogates
(replaces) the Meccan (earlier) verses.
-see Abdullah Al Araby

Thus whenever a contradiction appears in the Qu'ran, the very last surah, chapter 9, takes precendence.  And here's a taste:

"Slay the Pagans wherever ye find them,
and seize them, beleaguer them,
and lie in wait for them..."
-surah 9:5, the Qu'ran, bold mine

"Fight them (Jews, Christians, non-muslims),
and Allah will punish them by your hands,
cover them with shame,
help you (to victory) over them..."-surah 9:14, the Qu'ran, bold mine

"O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers
and the Hypocrites, and be firm against them.
Their abode is Hell,- an evil refuge indeed."
-surah 9:73, the Qu'ran, bold mine

"O ye who believe! fight the unbelievers
who gird you about, and let them find
firmness in you: and know that Allah
is with those who fear Him."-surah 9:123, the Qu'ran, bold mine

After 9/11 some of us began to see Islam as the threat that the Qu'ran clearly describes.  Most however, still have little or no idea what Islam truly is, and what practicing Muslims really believe.

"To say that al Qaeda is a fringe group
may be reassuring, but it is false.  The
problem is not that Osama bin Laden
believes that this is a religious war against
America.  It's that millions of people
across the Islamic world seem to agree."
-Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek, Oct. 15, 2001

"Those who know nothing of Islam pretend that Islam counsels against war.  Those who say this are witless.  Islam says, 'Kill all the unbelievers...Kill them.'  Put them to the sword...Whatever good there exists is thanks to the sword, and the shadow of the sword.  People can not be made obedient accept by the sword, and the shadow of the sword.  The sword is the key of Paradise, which can only be opened for Holy Warriors."  -Ayatollah Khomeini**

"So have I become your enemy
by telling you the truth?"
-Galatians 4:16

*Please click on, The Islamic Law of Abrogation to understand why.

**How Islam Plans to Change the World, William Wagner, p. 23.  www.fish-house.com

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