Kill With the Sword and by the Sword Be Killed

 These were the words of Jesus Christ.  Let us review the principles and character of Christ revealed from his sermon on the mount.  What does it say? Blessed are the peacemakers...the humble in spirit...the meek...mourners...pure in heart.  Compare this with the love chapter, I Corinthians 13.  Observe the life of Christ who went about doing good, healing all who were sick and oppressed of the evil one.  Everything he did was a reflection in earthly form of the Heavenly Father.  He even said to Phillip, if you have seen me you have seen the Father. 

How is it then that we want to lean to the the arm of the flesh--the sword--to protect us in the churches.  We build large cathedrals, value them at millions of dollars, take out huge insurance policies, hire armed guards, and begin to exclude people at the door for fear they might destroy our empire we have built with our own hands.  We set swords at the door and dare people to enter through them--the very people Christ died to redeem!!

I cannot praise those with this mentality.  No rather I rebuke you in the name of Jesus Christ.  Shame on you pastors.  Shame on you elders.  Shame on you religious church members.  You are contrary to the spirit of Christ.  You have raised a sword, and that sword will slay you.  The sword is not borne in vain by the very state laws you seek to use as protection.  Why do  you seek it?  Because you have abandoned the knowledge of the powerful covering of the Lord.  You have leaned on the arm of flesh, even as David sought to number the armies of Israel.  How does Yahweh defend, by the many or by the few?  Gideon whittled down to 300 defeated thousands with pots and flashlights essentially.    

I am very saddened for the congregations that lean on the flesh increasingly. That flesh shall fail them and they will see great calamity. Where then will be the millions of real estate dollars they seek to protect, but have not sought the souls of the people.  In pretense they build the church, but they do not build the temple of Christ.