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You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am theLord. Leviticus 19:17-18 Vengeance, I think is a topic that is rarely spoken of or even taught about at church. I'm not sure why that is. There are a lot of topics that are rarely taught on just because of the fact that there are so many important ones to teach on. We all have an innate “feeling” in us that urges us to “get back” and “get revenge” on others because of “all” that they have done to us to “deserve” it. Genesis 4:15a says, And the LORD said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” What stands out to you in this passage? Is it God's power? Or maybe His promise to protect Cain? To me, the fact that the LORD would take time enough to answer Cain's worries about his own safety and to place a mark on him to show that He was God's is amazing. To be punished sevenfold? That is a lot. None of us could stand having God's vengeance placed on us sevenfold. Also, notice that God is the one who takes care of the vengeance. He is the one who gives it and not Cain. Numbers 31:3So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the LORD on Midian. The interesting thing that I noticed here is that Israel was instructed by God to take vengeance for Himself. So, God was using them to punish Midian while at the same time Israel was not punishing them for their own sake because they wanted to “get back” at them, but because they were commissioned to do it for the Lord and in His name that His power should be known that it was with Israel. Dueteronomy 32:35a Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time... Dueteronomy 32:41b I will render vengeance to My enemies, And repay those who hate Me. When God is executing vengeance on someone, you can be sure that they will end up less proud or even may perish by the power of God. Let us be the more earnest to give all glory to God, to remind ourselves through scripture that vengeance IS the Lord's and that He will take care of it better than you could (especially if you were angry when you tried to “punish” them). Deuteronomy 32:43“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, And render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people.” I think it's a pretty good feeling that we can have when we read that God will provide atonement for His land and His people. That is His elect He is talking about. We are atoned for. God takes vengeance for us against our and His adversaries because anyone who is against us when we are promoting God through our lifestyle is actually against God because they oppose the path of righteousness which God commands us to live on. Judges 16:28Then Samson called to the LORD, saying, “O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” I thought that this verse was very interesting. There is an underlying, very important point. Samson prays this when he is chained to the pillars of the temple where the Philistines worshiped their god. Notice how he prays that he may have vengeance on the Philistines because of the loss of his eyes. He doesn't pray that God would have vengeance for him toward them, but he is asking God that he may take vengeance for himself. In the other verses, we noticed that God was the one that was taking revenge for Himself or for His people, Israel. The key thing I see here is that Samson knows his mistake and recognizes his punishment, but he is also showing that he knows that God is in control of vengeance. You know the rest of the story, how God answers Samson's prayer and gives him strength so that he pushes the pillars of the temple down and many ungodly Philistines are killed along with Samson. He used his last breath to do God's will because God allowed new strength to come to him. Give your heart to God. Let Him take control of all of you especially when you want to return evil for evil. God knows all and sees all of what you are going through. So, be patient. Pray that God will help you bear it and give the rest to Him. He is more than capable of taking care of it.

Guess our national leaders didn't expect this, hmm? On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton , Colorado , was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful. They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. The following is a portion of the transcript: Since the dawn of creation there has been both good &evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers. The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart. In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death.. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best. Your laws ignore our deepest needs, Your words are empty air. You've stripped away our heritage, You've outlawed simple prayer. Now gunshots fill our classrooms, And precious children die. You seek for answers everywhere, And ask the question "Why?" You regulate restrictive laws, Through legislative creed. And yet you fail to understand, That God is what we need! Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts. As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere challenge.. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone! My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!" ..........Darrell Scott

http://www.bibleornot.org/being-still-and-doing-nothing-are-two-very-different-things/

We’ve all been there in our chess games. We reach that critical position where we know that the ultimate outcome of the game rests on the next few moves. Contemplating multiple candidate moves and the variations of our opponent’s responses, we make our selection and proceed with the plan for better or for worse. Sometimes it works out in our favor and sometimes it doesn’t, but the experiences help to refine knowledge into wisdom to apply in future games. Perhaps we miss a tactic, such as a knight fork which costs us the game, or maybe we simplify down to a winning king and pawn ending. Whatever the outcome, crucial to this process is understanding the critical position has been reached in the first place, and then making the decision and learning from the result. Life offers similar times as well. I can remember several times when I really felt like I had reached a critical position. For example, my wife asked me to help out more with some of the household chores such as washing dishes and vacuuming the carpet. These were not tasks I particularly enjoyed, but it was important to her so I said I would make an effort to do better. Not too many days later I noticed a large pile of dishes that needed to be washed. I had had a tough day at work, I was tired and just wanted to relax for the evening. That’s when I felt the Holy Spirit say, “You’re in a critical position Jordan. The next move you make will determine whether you really meant what you said to your wife or not. Now, are you going to honor your promise or play computer games?” I made the correct move and decided to wash the dishes. I can’t say I have always made the best move in those times, but experience has taught me to carefully and prayerfully consider such moments. The key was listening to the Holy Spirit and understanding that a critical moment had been reached. This may seem like a trivial example, I mean who really cares about the dishes right? I’ve often wondered how many relationships started on the path to separation because the wrong choice was made in times like that. Life and chess are similar in that little mistakes lead to big mistakes. Many “minor” wrong choices lead to major incorrect choices which can destroy lives. Scripture tells us, in 1 King 12, that Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, came to a critical position early in his reign. The people had asked for relief from the heavy tax burden and Rehoboam sought advice. The elders gave good advice and the younger advisors did not. Regrettably for the nation of Israel, Rehoboam chose poorly. However, not all blunders end in total disaster. The wonderful thing about the God we serve is that He can change the worst situations into something that will honor Him. Peter, in Luke 22, committed the unthinkable in denying the Lord three times. However, Jesus restored him, and Peter went on to be a great champion of the faith. Polycarp, an early church father, reached his most critical position when, late in his life, he stood before the Roman authorities who threatened him with death. He had taken to heart Matthew 10:28 and didn’t fear whose who could only kill the body, but rather feared the Lord. Even though it cost him his life on earth, he certainly made the best move, and I doubt much calculation was involved. I provided these examples to help us all understand that our choices do mean something and that “critical positions” are reached often in our lives. May we all be like Polycarp and make the best choice, but, thanks be to God, that even if we fail, like Peter, there is always redemption and continued service to the King of Kings. Praise be to God who has given us His Holy Spirit to give us discernment in such times. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory of the Coming of the Lord by stevec828 I recently received and email from my parents that included today’s quote, and it was so inspiring that I thought I would share. I had heard this quote since I was a child, but never realized the origin and the context of it. “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory of the Coming of the Lord.” – The Battle Hymn of the Republic, Julia Ward Howe, written November 1861 and first published February 1862 This quote is the opening line of the patriotic hymn “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” that was written and made popular during the civil war. I remember singing this song as a kid with silly lyrics like “Mine eyes have seen the coming of the glory of the Lord, he is coming down the alley in a 67 Ford” and “Glory glory hallelujah, teacher hit me with the ruler”. How many of you did that? Do kids still do that today? Actually, the email that sparked me to look into this hymn had a link to a group of high school choirs with a childrens choir in the mix. I’ll bet they sing it with some funny words too. But seriously, when you look into the words and origin of this hymn, it’s quite inspiring. The original melody came from popular spiritual written in 1856 but was then adopted with new words written by a Union soldier about the abolitionist John Brown’s body, how though he was dead his soul is marching on in the army of the Lord. Julia Ward Howe reportedly had heard it while seeing a review of the troops in Virginia and the next morning wrote the lyrics we know today. You can read the full account in Wikipedia. So, here is a song, that was being used by soldiers in the northern army as a marching cadence with an anti-slavery theme and motivation for their cause; it then is transformed into a patriotic anthem of the righteous cause of God. The truth that those who oppress others and those who reject the living God will meet the sword of His justice is nothing less than chilling. And the willingness that American soldiers have, from the revolution until this present day, to die that others may be free is profound. Read the lyrics, i think you will be as amazed as I was. Here are the full lyrics of the song Battle Hymn of the Republic as it was originally penned by Julia Ward Howe in November 1861. The version published in February 1862 is a little different, and then another verse was added later that year or as late as 1863. There are a bazillion recordings of this song on Youtube, so enjoy! LYRICS TO ORIGINAL VERSION OF BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC BY JULIA WARD HOWE Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.He is trampling out the wine press, where the grapes of wrath are stored,He hath loosed the fateful lightnings of his terrible swift sword,His truth is marching on. I have seen him in the watchfires of an hundred circling campsThey have builded him an altar in the evening dews and damps,I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps,His day is marching on. I have read a burning Gospel writ in fiery rows of steel,As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal,Let the hero born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,Our God is marching on. He has sounded out the trumpet that shall never call retreat,He has waked the earth’s dull sorrow with a high ecstatic beat,Oh! be swift my soul to answer him, be jubilant my feet!Our God is marching on. In the whiteness of the lilies he was born across the sea,With a glory in his bosom that shines out on you and me,As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,Our God is marching on. He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,He is wisdom to the mighty, he is succour to the brave,So the world shall be his footstool, and the soul of Time his slave,Our God is marching on. Glory, glory, hallelujah!Glory, glory, hallelujah!Glory, glory, hallelujah!Our God is marching on. Glory, glory, hallelujah!Glory, glory, hallelujah!Glory, glory, hallelujah!His truth is marching on.

http://www.bibleornot.org/you-cant-keep-a-good-man-down/

http://www.bibleornot.org/the-impossible-truth-sir-arthur-conan-doyle/

http://drbobgonzales.com/2011/when-godly-brothers-disagree-the-division-of-paul-and-barnabas/

Be Men Now and Take Up the Heart of Courage by Bible or Not 2Fwww.bibleornot.org&rpctoken=328828320&_methods=onPlusOne%2C_ready%2C_close%2C_open%2C_resizeMe%2C_renderstart" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" width="100%"> Much is said about courage and perseverance in the Bible. While some consider that to have courage means to have no fear, others like myself believe that courage provides us the ability to act in the face of fear. Which brings me to today’s Bible-sounding quote… “Be men now, dear friends, and take up the heart of courage, and have consideration for each other in the strong encounters, since more come through alive when men consider each other.” – Homer, The Ilead c. 800 BC We see that the notion of courage has been around for a very long time, and that’s because such quality traits have been ingrained in the human spirit from the beginning. Here is a formal definition of courage according to Webster and Dictionary.com. Courage - [kuhr ij] – noun | Definition:1. the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.2. the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery. The courage written of by Homer was preceded by the courage written of in the Old Testament book of Joshua by approximately 400 years. While the idea of courage may be the same, and the context of having courage through war may be the same, the courage we read about in the Bible has much more power. And why is that? “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9 NKJV So we see that courage is a universal trait, and that whether it comes from the Bible or not, it is to be desired and those that display it are admired. The difference lies in where we get the power and strength to be courageous. If our courage comes solely from the spirit of man, then it will have its limitations. But if we walk with God, and stand on His promise that He is with us wherever we go, then our courage will be bolstered by the Spirit and power of God.