I agree, and just got finished reading about respecting and submitting to authority in 1st Peter. What I am promoting is the truth, and unless I am mistaken, my main exhortation was for people to think for themselves. We are told to submit to authority, to submit to your husband, to submit to your parents. The gray area is how far we are asked to submit. Would you submit to the government even if they asked you to abandon God and worship money? Or would you agree with your husband(if you're a wife) if he told you to stop reading your bible and become buddhist? What about your parents, if they asked you to lie to others, to purposefully sin so that they can be better off? That's the point I am trying to make. Those who say there is no persecution in America; get ready. It is getting to the point where you will be asked to comply with the new world order, receive the mark of the beast so that you can buy and sell, or continue serving God and be killed. The truth is not always comforting, but it is Light.
Personally, I do not agree with what they are doing, but I do not blame them either. They are satan's pawns. Whenever I feel charged about this, I pray for their salvation and repentance. And even though they have done these things to men and women just like me; I would welcome them into my family with open arms; for so is the Will of God. You are right, we are to love our enemies, and only wish them the best.
This response sounds pretty reasonable, I understand you are concerned about the things to come but Jesus says we should not worry.
Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Romans 14:1 "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters."
Romans 14:2 "One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables."
For example some of your earlier posts you were talking about how some things are not for light weight faiths, if you are more advanced then this is good, you should help and assist people.
Galatians 6:2 "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
Romans 16:17 "I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them."
1 Corinthians 8:3 "Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall."
Also as the body of Christ we must be united not divided into factions or arguing about debatable topics.
Titus 3:1 "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,"
Titus 3:2 "to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men."
Goodwill toward men
Titus 3:3 "At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another."
Titus 3:4 "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,"
Titus 3:5 "he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,"
Matthew 24:36 ""No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
This and the verse Matthew 6:34 I say do not trouble yourself too much on thinking about these things because they can be harmful to us or stress people out too much. Jesus says do not worry, he is our savior, he is the good shepard who watches out for us and even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we will not fear evil. (From Psalm 23)
James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
