"Do not think that I came
to bring peace on the earth;
I did not come to bring peace,
but a sword."
-Matthew 10:34, bold mine

WHEW!  After reading some of your responses to parts 1 & 2 of this series, I feel like Rocky Balboa after 15 rounds with Apollo Creed in Rocky 1! :)  Ok, so let's get started.  One subscriber lamented,

"I'm SO FRUSTRATED right now,
I'm on the verge of unsubscribing!
One of God's name is Jehovah Shalom!
which means, 'The God of Peace.'
You're obviously taking scripture
out of context..."

Well, I sincerely appreciate this response, I really do.  So let's take a look at the primary context:

"Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men,
I will also confess him before My Father
who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me
before men, I will also deny him
before My Father who is in heaven. 
Do not think that I came
to bring peace on the earth;
I did not come to bring peace,
but a sword.  For I came to set a man
against his father, and a daughter against
her mother, and a daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies
will be the members of his household.  
He who loves father or mother more than
Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves
son or daughter more than Me
is not worthy of Me.  And he who
does not take his cross and follow
after Me is not worthy of Me."
-Matthew 10:32-38, bold mine

And the greater context of Matthew chapter 10 is in response to the certain "persecution" and "hatred" that all true followers of Jesus will encounter as they seek to shine the light of Christ in an ever-increasingly dark world.

So, actually, no, it doesn't appear that I've taken the words of Jesus "out of context."  In fact, I would suggest that we have presented what Jesus said well within the context of how Jesus intended His words to be understood.

Tomorrow we will answer another sincere subscribers question:  "How can 'the God of Peace' not come to bring peace?"

Stay tuned!

For additional study, click on pastor Brad's video entitled, THE TRUTH ABOUT FREEDOM!

For more information about the GodThoughts Ministry, click here.

For more information about the author of GodThoughts, click here.