Where is the God of Peace?

Can a God of peace be so violent and brutal?

Where is that God of mercy and love that prophets of old preached? Where is that God who so loved the world that He sent His Son to proclaim peace, love and everlasting life? Where is that God who did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved? (John 3:16-17)

Rockeybell Radio ProgramViolent people make God to conform to their mode of thinking and behavior. They create a God who acts like themselves, and who treats people unkindly.

Why rob God of His true character and being?

Being angry and violent in character, violent people cannot present a deity who is non-violent.  The deity they proclaim is like them; violent and angry.

Read Rockeybell’s testimony…

Militants present a non-compassionate, non-merciful and angry deity.

They use religion to cause pain on fellow human beings

They create a vengeful supervisor of suicide bombers; a leader of killers of innocent people; one who supervises the killings of innocent lives.

They dictate to God how God must behave and what He must want.

They become angry when we tell them that a merciful God is not unmerciful and  violent.  They attack us because we present God as kind, benevolent and merciful; they see us as weak or timid. They prefer a God who is violent.

The God of the militants is a militant. His love is different from the non-militant God.

They tell us that God is merciful… that God is compassionate. Yet they present to us one who is always angry and one who does not forgive. They present to us one who orders his people to decapitate people who do not accept his teachings. Instead of explaining and convincing people to understand him, they preach fear and death!

Jesus told His followers,

Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:52-53; New King James Version)

Jesus taught us to love, to tolerate and to forgive. He said God can defend Himself, and so we do not need to fight and kill for God.

Listen to our audio messages…

Man’s duty is to warn and not to compel (Ezekiel 3:18-21). The choice to accept rests with the hearer.

In the Bible when Gideon destroyed the altar of Baal, and the people rose up against him, wanting to kill him, his father, who incidentally was priest for Baal, said that the people should let Baal plead for himself, because it was his altar that had been torn down (Judges 6:28-32).

In the Qur’an we read, “There is no compulsion in religion …” (2:256) and “If you strive (or fight) you strive (or fight) for yourselves, for God does not need the help of his creatures …” (29:6).

If God cannot defend Himself, how then can God defend His worshipers?

Jesus told His followers,

“Whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.” (Luke 10:10-12; New King James Version)

Jesus told His followers not to compel people. He also told His followers,

“… the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.”  (John 16:2-3)

People are maliciously attacking our site because we preach peace and we tell people not to hate
They are maliciously trying to hijack our site and prevent us from spreading the words of love

On April 23, 2015, a total of 2,104 malicious login attempts were recorded from across five (5) different countries. On April 25, more attacks from other countries were still being recorded; some even from Thailand, Italy, France, etc. The attacks have not stopped. By 28 April, we have experienced 2,305 malicious login attempts.

Anger, hate and violence is everywhere. Persuasion, however, is the preferred Christian method of presenting views or beliefs.

People will not happily love and serve you if you use force. You will always have to force them to love you, and that would not be genuine love.

You may want to learn about winning without attacking…

Power of Persuasion… Part 2

There is power in persuasion

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“..yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.” (Jesus – John 16:2)
Persuasion has power to win without inflicting harm.

Religious Militants do not know the art of persuasion. They force people to accept their views.

Rockeybell at BarCamp Mentoring Program October 2014
Rockeybell at BarCamp Mentoring Program October 2014

Learn to win without attacking

Learn to present your message effectively without using physical force.
Present your facts; do not attack your opponents’ beliefs.

When you attack them, you make them hate you.

The Christian church was established through the power of persuasive speech. (Acts chapter 2)

Peter, on the day of Pentecost, stood before a hostile crowd, and used the power of persuasion to convict the hearts of listeners. The followers of Jesus Christ were only 120. For fear of being arrested and killed, they hid themselves in the upper room, and prayed.
Thousands of devout Jews from every nation had come to celebrate the Jewish religious festival in Jerusalem; just as millions of Muslims go to Mecca every year for the Hajj.
As the disciples waited on God and prayed, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they started speaking with other tongues. People who heard them mocked, because they  thought they were drunk.

Peter stood up and spoke persuasively, testifying about Jesus. He exhorted them, and convinced them to abandon their wrong ways and follow Jesus.

Peter did not use physical force to make people believe in Jesus. His words cut their hearts, and they asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Peter replied,

“Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:37-39; New King James Version)

About three thousand souls believed and became followers of Jesus Christ that day through the power of persuasion; not by the sword.
(We shall continue to examine the power of persuasion in subsequent discussions)

Read Rockeybell’s testimony:

History records wars between Muslims and Christians... A book by Rockeybell
History records wars between Muslims and Christians… A book by Rockeybell

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The Almighty, Peaceful, Loving and Compassionate God does not force people to love Him. When we attack people physically and compel them, we make them hate us. One does not have to kill people if one’s message has substance to convince.
Jesus told us  to warn people, but not to attack them. He said we should leave them to God; God will deal with them on the Day of Judgement. (Luke 10:8-12)
Jesus commaded His followers to  love their enemies; not to hate them.

“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.” (Luke 6:27-29; New King James)

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Christians are allowed to defend themselves; they are not to be aggressors.
Jesus asked,

“But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.” (Luke 6:32-33; New King James Version)

Jesus Christ told His followers  to be different from others. He told them to demonstrate their beliefs by persuading people; no force and no violence.
People who attack and kill innocent people are not true followers of God. They do not have the Spirit of the Compassionate God in them. At a certain time, the disciples were angry with some Samaritans. They remembered Prophet Elijah had called down fire to consume people who had come to arrest him (2 Kings 1:9-12). They asked Jesus to allow them also call fire to consume the Samaritans.

“But He turned and rebuked them, and said, ‘You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.’ And they went to another village.” (Luke 9:55-56; New King James Version)

Jesus said He did not come to destroy people’s lives. He came to save. True and saving religion does not destroy innocent people’s lives.

You may need a copy of the book, “How To Make People (Hostile and Friendly) Listen To You.”
Click here for more books

To be continued

Power of Persuasion…. Part 1

The Power of Persuasion: How and Why

Islamic Militants may not know that  persuasion has tremendous power to convince listeners.

  • Jesus taught His followers to use persuasion
  • He showed them how to win without attacking their opponents

(We shall discuss how to win without attacking as we progress.)

WINNING WITHOUT ATTACKING
Paper (Hard Copy) version of “Persuasion is Better Than Force.”

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Jesus demonstrated the power of persuasion when He communicated with hostile or difficult people.

The Samaritan woman had lived with several men. She needed salvation. However, because of the hostility  between Jews and Samaritans, Jesus knew she would not accept the truth from Him, a Jew. Jesus, therefore, started a friendly dialogue to make her talk to Him. She was surprised that a Jew would ask a Samaritan water to drink. Jesus ignored her remark and dealt directly on her spiritual need.

He led her patiently to the point where she could assimilate the truth and admit her  sins. With enmity out of the way, and Jesus now a friend, she could ask for the living water that Jesus said He had.

Abraham Lincoln said, “I conquer my enemies when I make them my friends.”
Proverbs 15:2 says, “The tongue of the wise uses knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools pours out foolishness.”

Coercion, hate and violence do not win people’s sympathy.

Militants use violence to promote their religion, and yet they claim they promote a peaceful God and a peaceful religion.

  • The Bible presents a tolerant and peaceful way
  • Jesus told His disciples to use persuasion

Jesus gives true peace…

” Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27: New King James Version)

Christ’s Spirit makes us tolerant

Before he became a Christian, Paul persecuted Christians. But when he became a Christian, he learned the way of the Master Jesus – persuasion.

Why militants can’t tolerate others

They were trained from childhood, by their parents, peers and community leaders, to express themselves through violence. They were not allowed to exercise their own freewill to accept God, but were forced to do so.

Growing up in such environments, they copied the violent behaviors of those who influenced them, and became violent. When they fail to convince people, they become frustrated and end up attacking people. They call their violence ‘peace,‘ because that is how they know peace to be.

John Locke said,
“…true and saving religion consists in the inward persuasion of the mind, without which nothing can be acceptable to God.” (John Locke, A Letter Concerning Toleration. Buffalo, New York: Prometheus Books, 1990; page 20)

Rockerybell

Read Rockeybell’s testimonyhttp://www.peacemakersteam.com/rockeybells-testimony.html

Jesus exhibited a perfect spirit of tolerance.

The disciples were angry with some Samaritans who would not allow Jesus into their city. They wanted to call fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans just as Elijah did in 2 Kings 1:9-12. Jesus rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” So they went to another village.” (Luke 9:51-56)

Jesus said,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:43-45; New King James Version).

We hear of Boko Haram killing innocent people – destroying towns and villages. Yet we know that the Almighty God is peaceful and loving. They abduct women, and rape some of them. Can the victims accept that Boko Haram presents peace?

People will, therefore, continue believing that Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, and all militants are violent.

To be continued

Welcome to “Conquering Without Being Violent.”

Conquering Without Being Violent  WIN WITHOUT ATTACKING  Conquering Without Being Violent 001

Can Violent Militants Change?

Daily we read of Islamic militants (Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, ISIS, etc.), The Lord’s Resistance Army, and suicide bombers using violence to press home their demands. They attack and kill innocent people as they force their decisions and beliefs on them.
School pupils explode in anger and shoot their colleague pupils and teachers.
Islamic militants abduct girls from schools in rural African communities, claiming their religion does not allow females to have education. They rape some of them, impregnating them in the process, and eventually sell them or compel them to marry men the girls do not love.

A loving God does not use hate to make people love Him

“Conquering Without Being Violent” discusses how persuasion convinces people rather than force.
Abraham Lincoln said, we conquer our enemies when we make them our friends.
Jesus told His followers never to use force to make people accept their views. He told His followers to love their enemies; not to hate them.

Topics to discuss on this platform include:

  1. Engaging  people in peaceful dialog
  2. Disagreeing without being offensive
  3. Defending without being polemical

You can conquer by persuasion without being violent

Do you get angry easily?
Are you violent in your reactions?
Do you want to form a new loving and patient habit?
Do you want to turn enemies into friends?

Discussions will include:

  • Using gentle ways in presenting views.
  • Training our angry emotions to calm down in angry situations.
  • Helping the brutish husband to learn to listen.
  • Helping a disrespectful child to learn to listen and obey.
  • Helping the cantankerous wife to learn to listen.
  • Helping the opinionated boss to learn listen to other views.

Truth should be able to persuade and draw people to one’s cause

A person who is persuaded to abandon his or her position voluntarily, will see it as his or her own decision; he or she does not feel coerced.

Is there hope for the chronically angry person?

Why do some people get angry easily?
Can the violent person change?
Can the hot-tempered person change?

Can we control our emotions?