By A. Dru Kristenev ——Bio and Archives--November 6, 2017
Guns-Crime-Terror-Security | CFP Comments | Reader Friendly | Subscribe | Email Us
1John 3:16 "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters."Be assured that Jesus sacrificed His life on the Cross for all mankind, taking upon Himself all sin, inviting every person to receive His gift of Grace, not forcing them to accept that gift. Yet John tells us in his inspired epistle that we show our love for Christ by being willing to die for fellow believers. This does not negate how many Christians, out of the overwhelming love deposited in their hearts by Jesus, will also give up their lives for unbelievers. In fact, they often do.
Romans 12:18-20 "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.Believers do not seek revenge for they know God handles retribution. Self-defense is another matter. If there are villains or evildoers out there who still presume that a church is easy prey for murder with their weapon of choice (that includes vehicles, knives, machetes, poison as well as guns), they should give it further thought. Churches across this nation have members who pack. The last two churches I have attended in my travels are protected by members with conceal carry permits. And in states where there is open carry, members are free to wear their pistol in plain sight. There is no special legislation that need be passed to bestow upon churches the "right" to have members carry personal arms or to institute security measures. As offensive as this may be to some, the tragedy in Texas is an event that the faithful should not permit to recur. All are invited to come and worship God together and to fellowship in peace. Believers love and pray for their enemies; they live to share the Life of Jesus. But when the body of Christ comes under gunfire they are not expected to refrain from shooting back.
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Former newspaper publisher, A. Dru Kristenev, grew up in the publishing industry working every angle of a paper, from ad composition and sales, to personnel management, copy writing, and overseeing all editorial content. During her tenure as a news professional, Kristenev traveled internationally as a representative of the paper and, on separate occasions, non-profit organizations. Since 2007, Kristenev has authored five fact-filled political suspense novels, the Baron Series, and two non-fiction books, all available on Amazon. Carrying an M.S. degree and having taught at premier northwest universities, she is the trustee of Scribes’ College of Journalism, which mission is to train a new generation of journalists in biblical standards of reporting. More information about the college and how to support it can be obtained by contacting Kristenev at cw.o@earthlink.net.
ChangingWind (changingwind.org) is a solutions-centered Christian ministry.