JESUS "DID NOT COME TO BRING PEACE" 3

GodThoughtsWired!               Thursday, February 17, 2011 Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

You are subscribed as %%emailaddress%% PLEASE READ: Now you can SUPPORT THE GODTHOUGHTS MINISTRY WITH JUST A FEW CLICKS! Please take a moment to click on GodThoughtsLive, then scroll down to the advertisements in the left and/or right margins. Every time you click on one of the ads you are financially supporting GodThoughts! Why? Because the advertisers pay us by the click! THANK YOU! JESUS "DID NOT COME TO BRING PEACE" 3 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." -Matthew 10:34, bold mine WHEW!  After reading some of your responses to parts 1 & 2 of this series, I feel like Rocky Balboa after 15 rounds with Apollo Creed in Rocky 1! :)  Ok, so let's get started.  One subscriber lamented, "I'm SO FRUSTRATED right now, I'm on the verge of unsubscribing! One of God's name is Jehovah Shalom! which means, 'The God of Peace.' You're obviously taking scripture out of context..." Well, I sincerely appreciate this response, I really do.  So let's take a look at the primary context: "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.  Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth;  I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.  For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be the members of his household.   He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me."-Matthew 10:32-38, bold mine And the greater context of Matthew chapter 10 is in response to the certain "persecution" and "hatred" that all true followers of Jesus will encounter as they seek to shine the light of Christ in an ever-increasingly dark world. So, actually, no, it doesn't appear that I've taken the words of Jesus "out of context."  In fact, I would suggest that we have presented what Jesus said well within the context of how Jesus intended His words to be understood. Tomorrow we will answer another sincere subscribers question:  "How can 'the God of Peace' not come to bring peace?" Stay tuned! For additional study, click on pastor Brad's video entitled, THE TRUTH ABOUT FREEDOM! PLEASE READ! Now you can SUPPORT THE GODTHOUGHTS MINISTRY WITH JUST A FEW CLICKS! Please take a moment to click onGodThoughtsLive!, then scroll down to the advertisements in the left and/or right margins. Every time you click on one of the ads you are financially supporting GodThoughts! Why? Because the advertisers pay us by the click! THANK YOU! PLEASE prayerfully consider supporting the GodThoughts Ministry (click on "donate" button below). The cost to provide this FREE Ministry world-wide in 2010 was $40,700.00 (see Annual Report for full details). For more information about the GodThoughts Ministry, clickhere. For more information about the author of GodThoughts, clickhere.