tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-164894382024-03-13T12:40:55.814-05:00The Militant PacifistHappiness is a warm gun!The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.comBlogger311125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-1126153676178615162023-03-02T08:27:00.007-06:002023-03-02T09:33:06.591-06:00The Militant Pacifist's Reading List - UPDATED!!!I have been keeping a list of readings (not periodicals) for several years now. I read extensively before starting the list, but those readings are only recorded in my memory. Seeing my reading list might explain some of my interests and eccentricities.<br />
<br />
<strong>2023 (so far)</strong>
<br />
<br />
Small Preaching: 25 Little Things You Can Do Now to Make You a Better Preacher; by Jonathan T. Pennington - February<br />
<br />
<strong>2022</strong><br />
<br />
God's Debris (A Thought Experiment); by Scott Adams - January</div><div><strong><br /></strong></div><div><strong>2021<br /></strong><div><strong><br /></strong></div><div>How to Exasperate Your Wife; by Douglas Wilson - September</div><div><strong><br /></strong></div><div><strong>2020</strong><br />
<br />The Rewired Brain; by Ski Chilton - October<br /><div><br /></div><div>The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes; by Suzanne Collins - July<br /><div><br /></div><div>
History & Christianity; by John Warwick Montgomery - March<br />
<br />
The Christian Sexual Worldview; God's order in an Age of Sexual Chaos; by P. Andrew Sandlin - March<br />
<br />
<b>2019</b><br />
<br />
Eggs are Expensive, Sperm is Cheap; by Greg Krehbiel - December<br />
<br />
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis; by J.D. Vance - October<br />
<br />
Uhm, Like, You Know?: Verbal Garbage and the Sacred Art of Speaking Well; by Hal Brunson - July<br />
<div>
<br />
Longevity Solution: Rediscovering Centuries-Old Secrets to a Healthy, Long Life; by Dr. Jason Fung and Dr. James Dinicolantonio - March<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>2018</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong>Jesus and the Gospels; by Luke Timothy Johnson - August<br />
<br />
On Jesus; by Douglas Groothuis - May<br />
<br />
Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?: Larry Norman and the Perils of Christian Rock; by Gregory Thornbury - April<br />
<br />
Charles Spurgeon: Preaching Through Adversity; by John Piper - January<br />
<br />
The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss; by Dr. Jason Fung - January<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>2017</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong>The Last Battle; by C.S. Lewis - December<br />
<br />
The Silver Chair; by C.S. Lewis - November<br />
<br />
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; by C.S. Lewis - November<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Prince Caspian; by C.S. Lewis - November<br />
<br />
The Horse and His Boy; by C.S. Lewis - October<br />
<br />
The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting; by Dr. Jason Fung - October<br />
<br />
The Kamado Smoker and Grill Cookbook; by Chris Grove - October<br />
<br />
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe; by C.S. Lewis - October<br />
<br />
God's Crime Scene: A Cold-Case Detective Examines the Evidence for a Divinely Created Universe; by J. Warner Wallace - October<br />
<br />
The Magician's Nephew; by C.S. Lewis - September<br />
<br />
Mind-Body Philosophy; by Patrick Grim - September<br />
<br />
Lila; by Marilynne Robinson - January<br />
<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.3; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></span>
<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.3; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-1918; by Joseph Loconte - January</span><br />
<br />
<strong>2016</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong>
Home; by Marilynne Robinson - December<br />
<br />
Gilead; by Marilynne Robinson - November<br />
<br />
Why Evil Exists; by Charles Mathewes - October<br />
<br />
The Prayer of the Lord; by R.C. Sproul - October<br />
<br />
The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert; by Rosaria Butterfield - April<br />
<br />
Skeptics and Believers: Religious Debate in the Western Intellectual Tradition; by Tyler Roberts - March<br />
<br />
Evil and the Justice of God; by N. T. Wright - February<br />
<br />
The Clue of the Maze; by C.H. Spurgeon - January<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>2015</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong>
Echoes and Stars: Pastoral Thoughts on Faith, Grief and Hope; Matt B. Redmond - December<br />
<strong><br /></strong>Everything That Rises Must Converge; Flannery O'Connor - August<br />
<br />
Miracles: What They Are, Why They Happen, and How They Can Change Your Life; by Eric Metaxas - May<br />
<br />
A Tale of Three Kings; by Gene Edwards - March<br />
<br />
<strong>2014</strong><br />
<br />
He Wins, She Wins: Learning the Art of Marital Negotiation; by Willard F. Harley, Jr. - October<br />
<br />
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God; by J.I. Packer - September<br />
<br />
The Pilgrim’s Progress, from this world to that which is to come, delivered under the similitude of a dream; by John Bunyan - September<br />
<br />
The Apostle Paul; by Luke Timothy Johnson - August<br />
<br />
Fight: A Christian Case for Non-Violence; by Preston Sprinkle - July<br />
<br />
Look at the Birdie: Short Fiction; by Kurt Vonnegut - July<br />
<br />
Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship; by John MacArthur - June<br />
<br />
The Philosopher's Toolkit: How to be the Most Rational Person in Any Room; by Patrick Grim - May<br />
<br />
God's Debris, A Thought Experiment; by Scott Adams - January<br />
<br />
<strong>2013</strong><br />
<br />
Insurgent; by Veronica Roth - December<br />
<br />
Divergent; by Veronica Roth - November<br />
<br />
A Rumor of War; by Philip Caputo - October<br />
<br />
Epic Jesus; The Christ You Never Knew; by Frank Viola - September<br />
<br />
The Little Way of Ruthie Leming: A Southern Girl, a Small Town, and the Secret of a Good Life; by Rod Dreher - September<br />
<br />
Poem Strip; by Dino Buzzati - August<br />
<br />
Economics for Everybody; by R.C. Sproul Jr. - August<br />
<br />
The Weight of Glory; by C.S. Lewis - July<br />
<br />
<span id="btAsinTitle">The Prodigal God; by Timothy Keller - July</span></div>
</div></div></div></div></div>The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-52111676324388564902018-07-24T12:47:00.000-05:002018-07-24T12:52:50.494-05:00<a href="http://www.biblebb.com/files/spurgeon/aarm05.htm" style="background-color: black;" target="_blank">C.H. Spurgeon on War</a><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: black;">"We are up to the hilt advocates of peace, and we earnestly war against war. I wish that Christian men would insist more and more on the unrighteousness of war, believing that Christianity means no sword, no cannon, no bloodshed, and that, if a nation is driven to fight in its own defence, Christianity stands by to weep and to intervene as soon as possible, and not to join in the cruel shouts which celebrate an enemy's slaughter. Let us always be on the side of right."</span>The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-86194137838755211852017-01-07T13:07:00.000-06:002017-01-07T13:10:38.309-06:00Remember the Signs<h1 class="quoteText" style="font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: small;">
“But, first, remember, remember, remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from following the signs. And secondly, I give you a warning. Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly: I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters.” - Aslan, <i><u>The Silver Chair</u></i>; by C.S. Lewis</span></h1>
The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-11426582301193570802014-11-19T07:07:00.000-06:002014-11-19T10:00:00.646-06:00Pacifist Poetry<i>A repost from August 6, 2009</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>(With apologies to Clement Clarke Moore)</i><br />
<br />
Roses are red, Violets are blue<br />
Please don’t shoot at me, and I won’t shoot at you<br />
<br />
You claim you’re a follower of heaven’s own lamb<br />
But your claim’s not convincing with your AK in hand<br />
The flag that’s your glory’s own stripes stand for blood<br />
But not blood that saves - blood was shed for what good?<br />
<br />
On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer, and Vixen<br />
On Roosevelt, Truman, and Johnson and Nixon<br />
On Clinton and Bush I, Bush II and Barrack<br />
Warmongering psychopaths, hmmm, the whole lot<br />
<br />
Endless propaganda, from the cradle to the grave<br />
“You know your country needs you son, freedom you must save”<br />
And so they swallow easy, line, sinker, even hook<br />
And jet away to take what God has said should ne’er be took<br />
<br />
And some men fight for honor and some men fight for blood<br />
But most men they just fight for what they’ve been told that they should<br />
But Jesus didn’t fight at all, He bleated like a lamb<br />
Yet untold millions bow to Him, the King, the great I AM<br />
<br />
A sword shoots out from His mouth; it’s like a spear of fire<br />
And all who have been pierced by it have shriveled up and died<br />
They’ve died to dreams of freedom, dreams of gold and fortune here<br />
But in their very dying their vision’s become clear<br />
<br />
They’ve seen their Savior as He is, the King of kings, the Lord<br />
And when they’ve seen that vision, they’ve heard, “put up your sword”<br />
And they’ve followed His instruction, men of peace they’ve come to be<br />
Men who’re hated by the warmongers who claim to keep them free<br />
<br />
So sell your shirt and buy a sword, but two’s aplenty man<br />
And try to keep your conscience clean in this polluted land<br />
And teach your children not to trust the things they hear at school<br />
Cause it’s all propaganda, it’s the arguments of fools<br />
<br />
Jesus said “be peaceable,” “lay down your life, and die,”<br />
But no man can hear or see this, if he’s blinded in the eye<br />
A radical commandment makes a radical devotee<br />
But this, this is the lot, of those who’ve come to seeThe Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-75262029672624633872014-05-28T07:07:00.000-05:002014-05-28T15:52:32.413-05:00What is thy only comfort in life and in death? That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ, who with His precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me, that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must work together for my salvation. Wherefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready henceforth to live unto Him.
- Heidelberg Catechism 1 (1563)The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-26638365396882110552013-08-05T07:07:00.001-05:002013-08-05T12:38:47.544-05:00Jah Work (Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lc2n58vzhz8?rel=0" width="853"></iframe>The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-32949545424109785332013-05-21T07:07:00.000-05:002013-05-21T15:46:39.791-05:00Good News For Anxious Christians - Phillip CaryI really enjoyed the book...now here's an interview with Dr. Cary...<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/iPyGqNDqQnE" width="853"></iframe><br />
The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-90043977729829208382013-05-15T07:07:00.000-05:002013-05-15T13:51:37.792-05:00Hurt (Johnny Cash)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3aF9AJm0RFc?rel=0" width="640"></iframe>The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-64768689008810403922013-04-17T07:07:00.000-05:002013-04-17T12:25:43.016-05:00Be Aware... U.S. Constitution Suspended in Texas...<a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/345714/free-cj-grisham" target="_blank">Be Aware... U.S. Constitution Suspended in Texas...</a>
The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-4847305460845360352013-04-01T07:07:00.000-05:002013-04-01T09:57:04.559-05:00Want to Defend Marriage? Get the Government Out of It!<a href="http://www.contemporarycalvinist.com/2013/03/want-to-defend-marriage-get-government.html" target="_blank">Want to Defend Marriage? Get the Government Out of It!</a>The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-41161085457038743272013-03-26T07:07:00.000-05:002013-03-26T12:24:22.698-05:00Dinner with Ivan (Big Head Todd and the Monsters)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aFXPM6dQgqY?rel=0" width="853"></iframe>The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-61317241809785840962013-03-22T07:07:00.000-05:002013-03-22T15:58:44.293-05:00Do We Owe Gratitude to American Veterans For Having Fought in Iraq?<a href="http://www.strike-the-root.com/do-we-owe-gratitude-to-american-veterans-for-having-fought-in-iraq" target="_blank">Do We Owe Gratitude to American Veterans For Having Fought in Iraq?</a>The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-41774296141220015172013-03-01T07:07:00.000-06:002013-03-01T16:08:30.738-06:00Only God Can Ultimately Forgive Sin!Check out the news story "<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/02/22/im-monster-god-wont-forgive-me-troop-shame-over-killing-may-rival-ptsd-cases/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">'I'm a monster, God won't forgive me' -- Troop shame over killing may rival PTSD cases</a>" by clicking the link.<br />
<br />
<em><strong>Pray that more men and women who have been abused by a wicked state that's propagandized them into becoming its killers will wake up, repent and follow Jesus...<o:p></o:p></strong></em>The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-45784187184031530402013-02-27T07:07:00.000-06:002013-02-27T11:05:28.904-06:00Alabama Shakes!!!<b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Boys-Girls/dp/B007PBKG5G/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361984590&sr=301-1">If you haven't been turned on to some awesome new rock and roll... well, you can thank me later...
</a></i></b>
<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0HxNtWEIKhQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/svZNjhsk2ys" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-76783420226208651812013-02-04T07:07:00.000-06:002013-02-04T13:55:46.473-06:00Remembering the '80's...<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHCsbrc8xKA"></a>
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SHCsbrc8xKA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-88390348429348838312013-02-01T07:07:00.000-06:002013-02-01T12:46:00.042-06:00Done with Bonaparte (Knopfler)<iframe width="960" height="720" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ICQidMNcGJk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-26143800945044673112013-01-30T07:07:00.000-06:002013-01-30T10:21:12.434-06:00Tragedy Leeches Suck Again<a href="http://www.strike-the-root.com/tragedy-leeches-suck-again" target="_blank">Tragedy Leeches Suck Again</a>The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-36290444657059802013-01-04T07:07:00.000-06:002013-01-04T13:22:06.791-06:00Enjoy some good stuff...<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kFJt0FemHes"><iframe width="960" height="720" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kFJt0FemHes?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></a>The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-34057886198135034302012-12-21T07:07:00.000-06:002012-12-21T09:40:08.655-06:00Obama's Hypocrisy Problem On Guns<a href="http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=215107" target="_blank">Obama's Hypocrisy Problem On Guns</a>The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-87241179017669749312012-11-15T19:07:00.000-06:002012-11-15T21:35:11.513-06:00Prince of Peace God of War<iframe width="960" height="720" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hmmh-3hUKTI?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-58051851874742273562012-10-11T07:07:00.000-05:002012-10-12T10:12:33.890-05:00"Bake a cake. Say a prayer. Mow your lawn. Smoke a joint. Do anything except vote..."<a href="http://lewrockwell.com/orig9/finnigan9.1.1.html" target="_blank">Bake a cake. Say a prayer. Mow your lawn. Smoke a joint. Do anything except vote... </a>The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-51017908590810859732012-10-01T07:07:00.000-05:002012-10-01T10:49:18.485-05:00Pascal and Scepticism<a href="http://paulhelmsdeep.blogspot.com/2012/10/pascal-and-scepticism.html" target="_blank">Pascal and Scepticism</a>The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-41945849821790849692012-09-18T07:07:00.000-05:002012-09-18T16:56:09.058-05:00<a href="http://freedominourtime.blogspot.com/2012/09/if-this-is-christian-patriotism.html" target="_blank">If This is "Christian Patriotism".... </a>The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-40669472044937816682012-09-05T19:07:00.000-05:002012-09-05T19:06:55.666-05:00Render unto Caesar?<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<img border="0" hea="true" height="192" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n81pXZogZwQ/UEfn2zpphJI/AAAAAAAAAZg/q3V-S5RGe_o/s200/Caesar.jpg" width="200" /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
Click the "<em><strong><a href="http://lewrockwell.com/orig13/hathaway1.1.1.html" target="_blank">image and superscription</a></strong></em>" to read the essay.</div>
The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16489438.post-37723665379112030902012-08-28T07:07:00.000-05:002012-08-28T16:56:44.839-05:00Schleitheim and "the sword"Historically Anabaptists have not been big on confessions of faith; however, on February 24, 1527, a Conference of Swiss Brethren (“A Brotherly Union of a Number of Children of God”) produced what is sometimes referred to as the "<a href="http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/S345.html#ART6" target="_blank">The Schleitheim Confession</a>,” though more properly it is “The Seven Articles of Schleitheim.” <br />
<br />
The 6th article responds to those who seek accommodation between the civil and spiritual sword. <br />
<br />
<em><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>The thoughts are worthy of consideration… </strong></span></em><br />
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“The sword is ordained of God outside the perfection of Christ. It punishes and puts to death the wicked, and guards and protects the good. In the Law the sword was ordained for the punishment of the wicked and for their death, and the same (sword) is (now) ordained to be used by the worldly magistrates. In the perfection of Christ, however, only the ban is used for a warning and for the excommunication of the one who has sinned, without putting the flesh to death - simply the warning and the command to sin no more. Now it will be asked by many who do not recognize (this as) the will of Christ for us, whether a Christian may or should employ the sword against the wicked for the defense and protection of the good, or for the sake of love. Our reply is unanimously as follows: Christ teaches and commands us to learn of Him, for He is meek and lowly in heart and so shall we find rest to our souls. Also Christ says to the heathenish woman who was taken in adultery, not that one should stone her according to the Law of His Father (and yet He says, As the Father has commanded me, thus I do), but in mercy and forgiveness and warning, to sin no more. Such (an attitude) we also ought to take completely according to the rule of the ban. Secondly, it will be asked concerning the sword, whether a Christian shall pass sentence in worldly disputes and strife such as unbelievers have with one another. This is our united answer. Christ did not wish to decide or pass judgment between brother and brother in the case of the inheritance, but refused to do so. Therefore we should do likewise. Thirdly, it will be asked concerning the sword, Shall one be a magistrate if one should be chosen as such? The answer is as follows: They wished to make Christ king, but He fled and did not view it as the arrangement of His Father. Thus shall we do as He did, and follow Him, and so shall we not walk in darkness. For He Himself says, He who wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. Also, He Himself forbids the (employment of) the force of the sword saying, The worldly princes lord it over them, etc., but not so shall it be with you. Further, Paul says, Whom God did foreknow He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, etc. Also Peter says, Christ has suffered (not ruled) and left us an example, that ye should follow His steps. Finally it will be observed that it is not appropriate for a Christian to serve as a magistrate because of these points: The government magistracy is according to the flesh, but the Christian's is according to the Spirit; their houses and dwelling remain in this world, but the Christian's are in heaven; their citizenship is in this world, but the Christian's citizenship is in heaven; the weapons of their conflict and war are carnal and against the flesh only, but the Christian's weapons are spiritual, against the fortification of the devil. The worldlings are armed with steel and iron, but the Christians are armed with the armor of God, with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation and the Word of God. In brief, as in the mind of God toward us, so shall the mind of the members of the body of Christ be through Him in all things, that there may be no schism in the body through which it would be destroyed. For every kingdom divided against itself will be destroyed. Now since Christ is as it is written of Him, His members must also be the same, that His body may remain complete and united to its own advancement and upbuilding.”The Militant Pacifisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114020353418814651noreply@blogger.com0