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To: A Formerly Proud Canadian
I hold myself to Ezekiel 33:6

But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.
66 posted on 08/24/2015 8:21:06 PM PDT by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.")
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To: Kartographer
A couple of points. Firstly, what does the Scripture you quoted have to do with, " I worry more about those who are doing anything and will expect me to share with them or think they will just take it.", the last paragraph of your post #5? Also, how does that jibe with Matthew 5:38-42, as your comment seems contradictory to Jesus' teaching?

Secondly, perhaps you should 'hold yourself' to what the CONTEXT of what Ezekiel 33 says, rather than merely cherry pick one verse that defends your belief that 'What's mine is mine and I WILL defend it!'

Here is what Ezekiel 33:1-11, which provides the CONTEXT, says:
1 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman,
3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people,
4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head.
5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life.
6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
7 “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.
8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.
9 Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. 10 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?”’
11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’

Unfortunately, you've taken that passage of Scripture completely out of context! As you can see from the Scriptures quoted above, the Lord called Ezekiel to be a watchman and warn the Israelites about their WICKEDNESS, to TURN from it! The passage is NOT about defending against human enemies but against SPIRITUAL enemies, in particular, the spirit of WICKEDNESS. God usually chastises the Israelites by the sword (war) of other countries. It is His 'watchman's job (Ezekiel's job) to give the Israelites a warning to give up their wicked ways. In fact, most prophets are sent to WARN the Israelites to CHANGE! Their NOT changing their wicked ways results in death and conquest by foreigners, yet a faithful remnant always remain to repopulate His people. The 'watchmen' are prophets, WARNING the people to change their ways, NOT to rouse them to defence against human enemies. 'Twas ever thus!

IF we are going to 'hold' to one Scripture, as you claim to do, let's have some fun with this. The shortest verse in the KJV Bible is John 11:35, "Jesus wept." Following your lead, should Christians, who should be trying to live like Jesus, following the leading of the Holy Spirit, be weeping at all things and sad? Of course not! The CONTEXT of both passages is the key! In the case of John 11:35, most of the chapter (John 11:1-44) concerns the death and resurrection, by Jesus through the Holy Spirit, of his friend Lazarus. Likewise, to comprehend the meaning of Ezekiel 33:6 it must be read in CONTEXT!

If you choose to be a 'survivalist', unwilling to share with anyone and ready to kill to protect your 'stuff', go ahead! I have no problem with that. THAT is merely human nature at work. DO NOT, however, use the Name of the Lord as JUSTIFICATION to do such actions while breaking His instructions and commandments. It is one thing to break His commandments and instructions, it is quite another to do such and claim you are DOING His commands and instructions. Lord knows, I have problems with the former but not the latter! If what is coming makes the Great Depression seem like a cakewalk, and He CHOOSES to keep me alive, I'll depend on His Word that He will provide for me until either He returns or He calls me home. I cannot win in a battle against God's will, nor can anyone.

82 posted on 08/25/2015 10:06:20 AM PDT by A Formerly Proud Canadian (I once was blind but now I see...)
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