I came across an interesting web site today - Jesusin2008.com. It’s a spoof, of sorts, on the political year. But the site has a serious agenda: to to engage Americans in the process of debating the many important issues that our country faces today, and to measure our efforts against one of the highest standards of wisdom, compassion, and moral rectitude that history has ever brought us.
Steve Heffer, a convention manager for Jesusin2008.com, tells me, “We are seeking delegates to the convention, platform proposals, and the nominations of living Americans as potential Vice Presidential candidates to stand with Jesus in the 2008 election.”
Check it out if you have a minute.
The writer of the article “Jesus in 2008″ asks if it is enough to turn the other cheek? I believe the answer is “NO”. There are many examples in the Bible where we are taught by Jesus to “love our enemies”, turn the other cheek and to do unto others as we would have them do unto us… around Matt 5:39, but anything warrenting more than yes or no is of the evil one. So He admonishes us to “watch as well as pray”.
There were other times He taught that the sword would be needed. When Jesus first sent the disciples out, they lacked nothing. He told them not to take money, bags, shoes, etc. Another time He spoke to them, He said “NOW” take money, bags, shoes, etc., and if they did not have a sword, they should sell their very clothes and go buy one.. Luke 22:35.
Matt 10:34 reveals that Jesus was instructing His dispiples and He told them that He did not come to bring peace on earth, but a sword. Doing the right thing involves taking up the cross and follow Jesus if we want to be considered worthy of Him. Other notes show that people will die by the sword and that God’s ministers of authority use the sword to execute wrath on those who practice evil.
See? There are times when we must put the sword away into our sheaths, and times when it has to be used. Now, here is the important part. Because we do long to live peacefully, but this is indeed a time of warfare, and satan makes many people do a lot of ugly things; we have to stay in the word, stay prayed up all day each day, and have a genuine desire to respond like Jesus would, whether YEA or NAY. We must grow up and mature in the will and ways of God and use discernment by our dealt portion of faith when making decisions.
If we don’t know what to do, we should take the advice of James 1:5. We should seek God and ask for wisdom. Please note that we cannot be “unstable”, “double-minded”, or “doubting” in our hearts when we ask, otherwise we won’t get the wisdom we need to make decisions. Then we’re in trouble. We don’t want to hack anybody in half with the sword when we should be turning the other cheek. God bless you.