If the Messiah ran for President, would ye vote for Me?

[ELVIS]

That doesn't mean Jesus is a pussy and doesn't bilieve in justice. Quite the contrary...

[Dr. Love]

I still don't see how Jesus could wage war on other men. That would pretty much contradict all his teachings.

[ELVIS]

Oops...

[ELVIS]

You're right. I was starting to trust in my own understanding...

For Christians: No War:

Many Christians talk about a "Just War", but the Gospel of Jesus is the Gospel of Peace, there is no way in the New Testament to justify any bloody War... it is difficult to justify even the just, defensive war if one takes seriously the message of the Sermon on the Mount, which is the heart of the Gospel (Mat.5:28-42).

Jesus changed the whole attitude on warfare:
For a Christian, the answer to any war will be to "turn the other cheek"...To Peter, and to you and me, Jesus said: "Put your sword back in its place", because Jesus will bring the sword, Jesus will take care of you, because “vengeance is mine,” says the Lord (Mat.5:39, 26:52, Rom.12:19).

However, indeed there have been hundreds of wars made by Christians against Christians and against non-Christians... I am sure you are thinking about Ireland, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Crusades... the wars of France, Italy, Spain, Germany, England, USA... all Christian countries, and dozens more... and that's all wrong for Christians, even if it has been done for centuries!.

Actually, things are changing, even the Pope John Paul II is a pacifist at heart, an activist against war... with 137 documents against war just in the 3 months before the war of Iraq (January to March, 2003)... before the war, the Pope sent a cardinal to Washington to plead with President Bush not to attack, and another cardinal to Baghdad to press Saddam Hussein to cooperate completely with U.N. weapons inspectors.

This is what Jesus said and did:

In the Sermon of the Mount:
This Sermon, called the Constitution of Christianity, contains in Mat. 5 the "Law of Christ" of Gal.6:2. In it Jesus fulfilled the Law introducing several changes in Matthew 5:17-48.
One of them is about aggression, defense and war:
You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. (Mat.5:33-41).
No "eye for eye" in Christianity, but "turn the other cheek"... no revenge, no war... it is difficult to justify even the just, defensive war if one takes seriously the message of the Sermon on the Mount, which is the heart of the Gospel.
Just Love!... put the other cheek... he steals your tunic?, give him your cloak as well... it sounds incredible... impossible to follow... it is the Law of Christ, the Prince of Peace and of joy and of love... This is Christianity!.

At Gethsemane:
Jesus is telling us what he told Peter:
"Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew 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 who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?. But how then should the scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?"... "But Jesus said, "No more of this!" And he touched his ear and healed him." (Mat.26:50-54, Lk.22:51)...
The weapons Jesus left us are prayer and forgiveness, and love and service, trusting always in the Lord... never the sword, Jesus will bring the sword!.

Paul in Romans:
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil... not "an eye for an eye", but "turn the other cheek", said Jesus.
19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord. ("Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord", says in the King James Version).
20 On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom.12:17-21).

At Calvary, the same lesson:
Praying forgiveness for those who crucified him, "And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Lk.23:34).
Love and service and prayer and forgiveness were the weapons of Jesus, and love and service and prayer and forgiveness should always be the weapons of a Christian.

The Gospel is a Good News of Peace:
- It started in Bethlehem, with the announce of the angels: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men (Lk.2:14, KJV).
- The first words of Jesus Resurrected: Peace be with you!... Again Jesus said, Peace be with you! (Jn.20:19,21,27).

And all of this, not only in wars between nations, but also in wars within the home, wars on our streets, wars in our culture, wars within the heart...
Life is not easy. Often, we cannot choose our circumstances, but we can choose how we respond to them...
If I am a Christian, I should respond as a Christian... and it is the very best way!... the best way to obtain sure victory, and to live in peace, with joy and love always... yes, it is the Christian way, to trust always in the Lord, the real faith in action... Vengeance is mine!, says the Lord (Rom.8:28-39).

Jesus never organized a war:
He never killed any one, and he never organized any kind of war to kill the evil-doers of his time, not anyone!.

Jesus fought with his words, in Matthew 23:
One of the most impressive chapters of the New Testament, with the seven strong woes for his enemies, the scribes and Pharisees.
Here is the seventh one: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." (Mt.23:27-28).
Yes, Jesus, with His attitude, taught Christians to fight back in self-defense and in defense of the truth... with very strong words!

Jesus fought also with his deeds, just with a whip out of cords: Not swords nor bombs, no blood shedding:
14 In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.
15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.
16 To those who sold doves he said, Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!
17 His disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal for your house will consume me. (Jn.2:14-15, Mat.21:12-13).
Yes, Jesus, with His attitude, also taught Christians to fight in defense of a good cause... but, again, he never used swords nor bombs!... never blood shedding!

Jesus said: Not peace, but division I brought:
49 I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.
52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.
53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. (Lk.12:49-52, Mat.10:34-39).
Yes, Jesus came to bring fire on the earth: The preaching of the gospel, and the pouring out of the Spirit, holy fire... the sentence above mentioned, "turn the other cheek" is already fire in itself!... that's War!, but within ourselves.
And yes, Jesus did not come to bring peace, but division: The effect of just the preaching of the gospel will be division... it is not just a nice philosophy, but a life, a way of life... some will accept it, others no... and that will create division...but Jesus here is not advocating war... the way to answer any division for a Christian is not war, but "put the other cheek"!... a very divisive proposition!.

Revelation predicts a time of future warfare and judgment at the return of Christ. Just as God brought judgment in the Flood, and to Sodom and Gomorrah, and in ancient Canaan, so also has He promised judgment in the future, in the Battle of Armageddon of Rev.19:11-16... all the troops of the kings of the earth "were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse" (Rev.19:21).

God is still a God of "holy war." His patience is often misinterpreted as indifference. But God is not indifferent to sin. The wages of sin are still death. A day is coming when the world will reel and shake with "holy war" once again. This final herem will make Joshua's wars seem like a pea shoot next to a nuclear war!

But this is not a war of men against men... it is by the Sword of the Mouth of Jesus... Yes, have always faith in Jesus, Vengeance is mine!, He says (Rom.12:19).

[BigBadBrian]

Re: If the Messiah ran for President, would ye vote for Me?

Originally posted by Jesus Christ
Verily, if thy constitution were ammended to allow a foreign born person to become President of the United States, would you vote for Me?

Why or why not?

No FORD, I still wouldn't vote for your moronic ass even when you are blaspheming God.

[DaveIsKing]

SURE

As an atheist I think religion is bunk, but I think Jesus Christ is so funny on this board, that he would get my vote for President because of the other two washed-up lame asses running.

[Jerry Falwell]

Originally posted by Jesus Christ
Dad doesn't take sides, My son. And verily, if I ran this country, do ye think there would be so much rotting corruption in thy political parties?

And yes, I do mean both of them

The Blessings


Deuteronomy 28:1-14 If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on Earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock--the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. Then all the peoples on Earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other Gods and serving them.


The Curses


Deuteronomy 28:15-29 & 34 However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed. The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out. The LORD will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him. The LORD will plague you with diseases until he has destroyed you from the land you are entering to possess. The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish. The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron. The LORD will turn the rain of your country into dust and powder; it will come down from the skies until you are destroyed. The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on Earth. Your carcasses will be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the Earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away. The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured. The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. At midday you will grope about like a blind man in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you. A people that you do not know will eat what your land and labor produce, and you will have nothing but cruel oppression all your days. The sights you see will drive you mad

Deuteronomy 28:59 & 61 If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name--the LORD your God--the LORD will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. The LORD will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed.

[Seshmeister]

As ever back to old testament to find the hate.

[Cathedral]

I'd vote for Ford, but he isn't on the list so I gotta go with Nader...

[rustoffa]

Make the "water into wine" a campaign promise and it's a done deal.

[ELVIS]

Originally posted by Cathedral
I'd vote for Ford, but he isn't on the list so I gotta go with Nader...

Are you on drugs ???

[Jesus Christ]

Originally posted by rustoffa
Make the "water into wine" a campaign promise and it's a done deal.

Of course.... It saveth a great deal of money on fundraisers when ye don't have to purchase alcohol for the event.

Just regular tap water will do, but of course then I have to purify it first before changing it to wine.

Ye wouldn't want wine that tasted like chlorine bleach, would ye?

[Jesus Christ]

Originally posted by ELVIS
Are you on drugs ???

Gregory, if FORD ever ran for office, he would have My blessing. For he hath realized the corruption that is present on both sides of thy country's political system. If ye cannot see that then perhaps I need to deliver you from drugs again?

[Dr. Love]

Who are you running against? Santa Claus?

[Dr. Love]

Or would he be in your cabinet along with the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Ralph Nader?