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Behold! the Lamb of God: Jesus Christ, Who Takes Away the Sins of the World
Behold! the Lamb of God: Jesus Christ, Who Takes Away the Sins of the World
Behold! the Lamb of God: Jesus Christ, Who Takes Away the Sins of the World
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Behold! the Lamb of God: Jesus Christ, Who Takes Away the Sins of the World

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Come and journey with me through the portals of time into a spiritual adventure of unknown proportions. Never before expressed in a simple format that is both unique and simple, this adventure is narrated in the pages of Behold! The Lamb of God.

Discover the truths about wars and rumors of wars and why there will never be peace in this world where terror, persecution, and greed are dominant.

Let us unveil the true nature of Satan the devil according to Holy Scripturesnot through myths and folklores handed down through the centurieswho threatens the very existence of mankind.

The end of times is a futuristic reality, and tomorrow remains a mystery to all of us, but the word of God paves the way to hope and salvation for mankind.

In the pages of Behold! The Lamb of God, you will see the reality of two future world wars of unimagined proportions and see that the Lamb of God will triumph both times.

Learn and discover how you can attain everlasting life with God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. I invite you to journey with me through the pages of Behold! The Lamb of God!

LanguageEnglish
PublisherWestBow Press
Release dateDec 16, 2014
ISBN9781490854250
Behold! the Lamb of God: Jesus Christ, Who Takes Away the Sins of the World
Author

Alfredo Sorrentini

As a passionate student of the sacred Scriptures, Reverend Alfredo Sorrentini diligently studied the Bible while living in Brentwood, Long Island, New York, and in Lebanon and Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. God truly graced him with the opportunity to write Behold! The Lamb of God. Without God, this book never would have been written. As a faithful and humble servant of God, he now shares this revelation from God and Scripture with the rest of the world.

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    Behold! the Lamb of God - Alfredo Sorrentini

    Copy right © 2014 Rev. Alfredo Sorrentini.

    All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

    Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

    Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

    WestBow Press

    A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

    1663 Liberty Drive

    Bloomington, IN 47403

    www.westbowpress.com

    1 (866) 928-1240

    Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

    Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

    Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

    ISBN: 978-1-4908-5424-3 (sc)

    ISBN: 978-1-4908-5426-7 (hc)

    ISBN: 978-1-4908-5425-0 (e)

    Library of Congress Control Number: 2014917464

    WestBow Press rev. date: 12/16/2014

    Contents

    Dedicated To

    Dedication Page

    Epigraph Page

    Introduction

    Chapter 1-   Wars and Rumors of Wars

    Chapter 2-   The Devil, Man’s Worst Enemy, Is Real!

    Chapter 3-   More Than Conquerors!

    Chapter 4-   End of Times

    A- The First Seal - The Conqueror

    B- The Second Seal - Conflict on Earth

    C- The Third Seal - Scarcity on Earth

    D- The Fourth Seal - Widespread Death on Earth

    E- The Four Horsemen

    F- Noah

    G- Is World War III possible?

    H- A Persecuted People

    I- The Fifth Seal - Cry of the Martyrs

    J- The Sixth Seal - Cosmic Disburbances

    K- The Seventh Seal - and the Seven Trumpets

    L- World War III

    Chapter 5-   The Last and Final Battle

    A- Why is man so full of sin?

    B-World War IV

    Chapter 6-   Cast Into The Lake of Fire

    A- The Seven Plagues

    B- Satan will be released!

    C- Who Will Not Enter the Kingdom of Heaven?

    Chapter 7-   Halleluiah and Glory to The Lamb of God!

    A- Blessed Is He Who Believes

    B- You Are More Than Blessed

    C- To Those Who Overcome

    The Conclusion- Repent!

    ‘Repentant Prayer’

    Prayer of Thanks

    Authors last words

    Dedicated To

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    Wholeheartedly, I dedicate this book, Behold, the Lamb of God, to Almighty God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. I would never have been able to write this book without the help of Almighty God. It started as a sermon, while I revised notes one night at home titled, Wars and Rumors of Wars, but it turned out to be a bigger blessing than I could have ever imagined or dreamed. The content of this book was a revelation I received from God. I have written this book through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, supported by Biblical verses to guide each reader into an understanding of the Bible.

    The aim of this book is to alert Mankind of the danger that a deceitful and evil being, in the person of Satan the devil, will bring against humanity. The devil knows the contents of the Bible and he will stop at nothing, twisting the truth into a lie. He will lure many lives to sin, devouring them into an eternal damnation. But God loved the world so much that He gave His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, so that through Him and the shedding of His precious blood, mankind will avoid annihilation, reach salvation and enjoy eternal life with God (John 3:16).

    Thank You, God, for the inspiration of this book, which I wrote in the name of Jesus Christ, through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Thank You so much for this blessing, which I now share with the world.

    Yet, You, Father God, chose to bless me with, Behold, the Lamb of God.

    Your humble servant,

    Rev. Alfredo Sorrentini

    Dedication Page

    1.jpg

    I am eternally grateful to my wife, Lorraine Lugo-Sorrentini, my living inspiration, who urged me to finalize and publish this book, Behold, The Lamb of God, a gift and revelation from God. I thank my deceased mother, Maria-Luisa Cortes, known to her brethren as Missionary Mary Lopez, for a lifetime of inspiration, encouragement, and motherly love. She is my Saint in Heaven. I would also like to thank Dr. Rev. Domingo Rodriguez, formerly Bishop of Assembly of Christian Churches (AIC) for over twenty-years. He was my teacher, mentor, and friend during my first three Bible Seminary years and early ministry years. He showed me, by example, how to be a diligent student of the Bible and humble servant of Almighty God.

    I thank the late Dr. Rev. Miguel Giro, former President of the Missionary Department and former President of the Education Department. He showed me techniques to better influence diligent Bible study and interpretation. I also honor the late Rev. Rochester Alvarez, my spiritual father, for taking me under his wing and calling me his Elisha in my search for a double portion of anointing from God.

    I thank Mr. Edwards, my fifth grade teacher in P.S. 43 in the early 1960’s in the Bronx, New York City school district, for believing in me and telling me to focus on my dream for the future. I wish to honor the memory of my late older brother, Ishmael Lopez Jr., shot down by a bullet in the prime of his life. He was my childhood hero. He knew that one day I would honor God. Most importantly, I thank God for calling me to ministry, and for allowing me to write, Behold, the Lamb of God.

    Epigraph Page

    1.jpg

    Father God, Help Me, To Help Myself, To Glorify Your Name!

    Evangelist Rev. Alfredo Sorrentini

    Copyright © 2014 (2005)

    C.I.A.4.J.Ministry

    Christians In Action 4 Jesus Ministry

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    Introduction

    Introduction

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    "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,

    but against principalities, against powers,

    against the rulers of the darkness of this age,

    against spiritual hosts of wickedness

    in the heavenly places.

    (Eph. 6:12-NKJV)

    ––-

    We live in a time that is well aware of the evil destructive forces that man has created, setting them in motion on a global scale. Genocide, world wars, atomic bombs, terrorism, and weapons of mass destruction are some of the results of this great evil. Unfortunately, the world does not recognize the overwhelming power of evil forces outside human boundaries. We are aware of angels, highly accepted by churches and multitudes of people, believers and unbelievers alike, yet many reject the thought that evil spirits (Eph.6:12) are lurking behind the scenes, in the spiritual realm, working against humanity.

    ‘Behold, the Lamb of God,’ will help readers understand the present danger that humanity is facing, and it will identify our adversary, Satan the devil. He is in charge of an immense army of evil demons bent on the destruction of mankind. Through the Bible, the Word of God, we will expose and unmask Satan the devil, and bring forth to light the solution for man’s demise.

    The Bible, our guide to salvation and eternal life in God through Jesus Christ, and the anointing of His Holy Spirit, will avail all repentant souls to cross over from the darkness of sin into the righteousness of God’s Light. Our prayer is that you be greatly touched by the Living Word of God, and by this book, "Behold! The Lamb of God."

    Mankind faces a terrible future, and many will ignore the warnings of the Bible and the danger signs that the devil, man’s worst enemy, has in play in the world since Adam and Eve. Through wars, lies and death, Satan will rule and attempt to exterminate, not only the Jews and Christians, but also, all of humanity, because the devil knows that he has very little time left in which to deceive the nations of the world. However, the Bible gives us the solution to humanity’s consuming problems, a light that shines like a rainbow after the storm in the person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (Jn.1:36).

    This book is aimed at Christians and sinners; believers and unbelievers; the righteous and the wicked; double minded Christians and backsliders; Jews and Gentiles; men, women, and children of all ages from every known nationality, and to all people and tongues. After reading this Holy Spirit inspired book, readers will have a clearer picture of who is man’s worst enemy, and in doing so, they will understand his names, characteristics, and tactics employed to deceive, kill, and destroy mankind.

    You will be taken on a journey through wars, destruction and mayhem, however, you will clearly be instructed, through Biblical Scriptures, how to overcome all of the obstacles that Satan the devil has put in place for mankind to fall. You will be able identify the world’s Savior in our Lord, Jesus Christ, and you will also be enlightened to Biblical truths written in simple language. Readers will see that amidst all the chaos, there is hope for mankind in the person of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

    The Bible contains many warnings about the fate of those who die in sin and who continue to practice sin. The devil and his demons have already been condemned, but mankind will have the chance to repent before meeting God face to Face. Every person that believes Jesus is the Son of God and repents, accepting Him as their Savior, will receive eternal glory, while persons denying Jesus, will face eternal damnation, cast alive into the lake of fire that burns day and night, forever (Rev. 20:10 -15).

    I urge you to discover the truths within the pages of the Bible. Search the Scriptures (John 5:39) for in her you will have eternal life through Jesus Christ. If you are a believer, come closer to God, and if you are a sinner, repent and God will completely pardon you of all your sins.

    "Behold, The Lamb of God," will enlighten you to the irrefutable truths of the Bible. In fully understanding what the Bible reveals, you will get a clearer understanding of the eventual destiny of humanity, as prophesized in the Word of God. The Bible says that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God (Mt. 4:4). The Holy Spirit of God inspired me to write this book and enlightened me to the truths that God reveals. My prayer to my God is that this book reaches people in need of understanding so that they too may be aware of God’s Word. In doing so, people will have the opportunity of repenting and receiving salvation. The Bible says that this Gospel will be preached in the entire world, to serve as a witness to mankind, then the end of the world (Mt. 24:14) will come.

    The contents of, Behold! The Lamb of God personifies the reality that will confront man in the end of times, and will encapsulate in its message a clear defining note of hope for every man, woman, and child. Knowledge has increased in the world to such proportions that the impossible is now possible. Visionaries of all ages have met obstacles along the way, until such a time as their dreams, ideas, and visions became reality. The airplane, walking on the moon, test-tube babies, personal computers, brain surgery, and voyages to the moon and outer space are all breathtaking moments of an idea, vision, and dream come to life. So too is the Word of God, the Bible, which has endured the tests of time.

    Although the world is well aware of God and the Bible, many countries have outlawed the Word of God from being preached, talked about, or shared in the homes of its people. However, it is my belief that the Living Word of God will be a major influence in the world, capturing the curiosity of many. Nevertheless, we see the world trapped by a host of problems with no escape in sight. Depression, disease, poverty, hunger, perversions, persecution, and oppression are channels of frustration that plague mankind. Many are caught in the ocean of hopelessness, chained to the bondage of sin, believing that there is no hope for them at all.

    In my life, due to mounting peer pressure and the stigma of child abuse in a Christian home, I rebelled against all authority and against God as a teenager, becoming a backslider in the process. Yet, God called me one night in 1989, during my vigil prayers in my mother’s house. While praying on my knees for God to take away the weight of sin from my heart and shoulders, an overwhelming bright light came into my room, blinding me and leaving me helpless. As I lay on the floor I heard a soft, captivating voice that identified Himself as Jesus, saying I needed to choose between Him and the world. Of course, I chose Jesus without hesitation. Then Jesus told me, "Preach the Gospel (Mk.16:15)!"

    Saul of Tarsis, persecutor of the first Christians, became the thirteenth Apostle after Jesus transformed him, changing his name from Saul to Paul. He went on to become a herald of the Gospel and author of most of the New Testament. After I repented and gave my life to Jesus, I too became His disciple and a preacher of the Word of God.

    This book is an end time revelation and a spiritual warfare declaration that will affect all mankind. The devil is real, and his rebellious attempts, leading to his last and final battle, epitomizes his final outcome. Two-thousand years ago, the Lamb of God conquered the world and shamed the devil on the Cross of Calvary. However, in the end of times, the devil will assemble an army, led by the beast and the false prophet, to make war against Jesus and His army (Rev.19:15,19). Jesus, with the Sword that comes out of His mouth, will destroy this vast army of ten kings that the devil will assemble. The false prophet and the beast will be captured and thrown into the lake of fire, but the devil will be imprisoned for one thousand years.

    After his thousand-year imprisonment, Satan will be freed and allowed to deceive the nations once again. For the second time in the end of times, he will gather an army bigger than the sands of the seashore, from the four corners of the world, Gog and Magog, to wage war on the Lamb of God and on Jerusalem, the Holy City. He will surround the city with a thundering roar from his army that will shake the foundations of the earth, but God will send fire from heaven and destroy them. The devil, who deceived mankind, will be cast into the lake of fire, where the beast and the false prophet are. There, they will be tormented day and night for all eternity (Rev. 20:9,10). Therefore, if you do not repent of your sins wholeheartedly, you too will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev.20:15) that burns with brimstone and sulfur forever and ever. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Mt.13:41,42), an everlasting torment. Therefore, repent and accept Jesus as your Lord, and He will pardon all of your sins. God, help me to help myself to glorify Your Name. Amen.

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    Chapter One

    Chapter One

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    Wars and Rumors of Wars

    "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.

    See that you are not troubled;

    for all these things must come to pass,

    but the end is not yet."

    (Mt.24:6 - NKJV)

    We see and hear of wars and rumors of wars everyday through the news media, on television, over radio broadcasts, from our cities’ daily newspapers, and from monthly magazines nationwide. Wars between countries, nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and civil wars worldwide are world breaking news. Many wars are waged within families on a global scale. There are even wars within divided nations, east vs. west, or north against south. Wars ravage with no end in sight; they bring forth stealing, killing, and destruction on vulnerable nations and innocent people.

    Wars occur because of an enemy’s unquenchable desire to conquer and rule the world. Conquerors desire to be the ‘Supreme Rulerof the known world as they wage war on all nations unmercifully. Warriors go beyond their nation’s borders and into foreign lands to conquer and obtain fame through their conquests. They have come to steal, kill, and destroy nations.

    Conquerors show no mercy, having no regard for human life, quenching their thirst with the shed blood of the innocent, while hiding behind the cloak of friendship and deceit. Their deceiving well-thought-out plans become unveiled when it is too late to intervene. Some conquerors destroy everything in sight, while others find use for a captive people, imprisoning them as slaves, using them as servants and stripping them of their humanity and dignity.

    The two World Wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, and the Iraqi War are among the most devastating wars known to modern man. There have been wars in every generation equally devastating. The Civil War of the United States was one of the most devastating wars ever recorded in the short history of America. It pitted a divided nation, still in its infancy, against each other. A divided people, north and south, with different ideals for their form of life. America’s Civil War nearly ended the dream of a hopeful and growing nation from reaching democracy on all human levels. The early settlers of the Americas sought freedom to practice their individual religious beliefs after suffering oppression and persecution in their native lands. Nevertheless, after becoming a nation, America became corrupted when she introduced within her borders one of the most horrific acts man has ever conceived, ‘Slavery.’

    America has become the home for many a weary and persecuted people from nations all over the world. The United States blossomed out of the seeds of many cultures and nationalities, the land of freedom and opportunity for all men, women and children. In every well-planted garden, weeds spring up to corrupt the precious garden. In a then young America, history tells us that through different ideals, a civil war ensued. A divided nation was at war, brother against brother. War is a terrifying word to ponder.

    Man’s many wars have destroyed millions of innocent lives worldwide. Hundreds of millions of families have been devastated, human lives shattered, and cities left in ruins. Millions of soldiers have been killed in all the wars past and present, including the countless of innocent bystanders caught in the iron grips of war. Although freedom comes at a price, wars have led to nothing but destruction and death worldwide. Wars have no remorse or compassion as cities are destroyed, left in ruins, cities that cost billions of dollars and decades to build. The invading nations have no shame, and the conquerors no tolerance for mercy. A conqueror’s decision is both final and fatal for a conquered people. No matter how much man tries to agree on bringing peace to the negotiating table, wars continue to ravaged nations standing in the way. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, with an unquenchable thirst for bloodshed.

    The Bible says that there will always be wars and rumors of wars, and believers should not be troubled because these things need to happen, but it will not be the end of the world (Mt.24:6). Warring will never cease, and there are dozens of wars going on in many parts of the world today that we do not hear about. There will always be wars and rumors of wars.

    History’s archives document some of the most famous and notorious conquerors that ventured forth throughout the known world conquering, stealing, killing, and destroying nations. Its chronicles show us the impact that conquering nations have carved forever in worldwide civilizations. Diligent students of history trace and study the marks of past conquerors and civilizations. Their final analysis, from years of investigations, show the strategies of conquering nations that give clarity and closure to things that have dumbfounded scholars of past centuries, and of our present era.

    Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), of Greece, is considered one of the most illustrious and notorious of conquerors. He is most famous for having conquered the known world in his time at a young age and short life. He came to conquer, steal, kill, and destroy. Although he died before the age of 33, he conquered almost all the then known world, giving a new direction to history.

    King Nebuchadnezzar II (604-561 BC), king of Babylon, was another mighty conqueror. He waltzed into Jerusalem, and besieged it (Dan.1:1), as he had done to many others cities and nations. He destroyed nations, killing those that opposed him, stealing their treasures, cultures, and youth. He came to steal, kill, and destroy. The Bible says that he is the conqueror that destroyed Jerusalem, and led Judah into Babylonian captivity for seventy years, as prophesized by the prophet Jeremiah (Jer.4:7). King Nebuchadnezzar brought to Babylon some of the descendants of the king of Judah, and many of their young nobles in whom there was no blemish, but who were favored and skillful in all wisdom, cunning in knowledge, and understanding science. Young men who had the ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, who could learn the ways and tongue of the Chaldeans (Dan.1:3,4).

    Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), Chancellor and Dictator of Germany, known to historians as the most brutal and hated conqueror that ever existed, orchestrated the death of more than fifteen-million people from neighboring conquered nations of Europe. Over six-million Jewish persons suffered atrocities in the German death camps, which is known as the Holocaust, a crime against humanity. He showed absolutely no mercy and conquered without regard for human life. Compassion was not one of his characteristics, because he came to steal, kill, and destroy. However, rather than being captured alive by the Allies, Hitler committed suicide in his bunker in Germany in 1945. Before his defeat and death, he managed to paralyze the world with fear.

    We could go on and on endlessly describing other noteworthy and terrible conquerors that cared only about one thing, to be the supreme ruler of the world. Through the actions of war they have etched forever in the hearts of present day man the daunting fear of being conquered in the near future by such tyrants. A terrifying and crippling fear haunts many nations that have experienced persecution and conquest. Wars and rumors of wars have existed since the beginning of time. Modern day man has sensationalized acts of bloodshed and military force in forms of poetry, drama, and movies. International, imperialism, and civil wars are contributors to many of the stories we study in the world’s history books and see in Hollywood’s movies.

    Why do wars occur? History demonstrates that man’s unquenchable desire is to rule the world unconditionally. Those that wage war fill the minds of their armies with promises of wealth and fame. These conquerors lust to be godlike, wishing to be the supreme ruler of the known world. We have illustrated only three conquerors, but there is a vault full of individuals that have carved their names in world history. Today, empires like Greece, Rome, and Babylon do not exist, but there are many nations under the iron thumb of a dictating ruler or elected official.

    Alexander the great and the Gladiators of the Roman Coliseum fought valiantly in hand-to-hand combat. Wars of Troy against her neighboring nations have come to life in many of Hollywood’s movies, showing the horrors of war. In our present era, artillery, tanks, and fired missiles from ships and aircraft bombers have replaced the sword, flaming-arrows, and boulders fired from a sling-shot weaponry.

    Weapons of mass destruction have been invented and produced for a nation’s protection, but these same weapons are being obtained by other nations seeking to make war against their neighbors. Many terrorist organizations use human suicide bombers to inject the worst of fear in man. They come like a thief in the night, in broad daylight, and without warning. Regardless of the method of war utilized, war is devastating to all nations.

    A Civil War is an armed conflict between two parts of a nation divided by different ideals. America’s civil war, a country divided in two, North and South, fought for a different way of life. The northern states supported the federal government, while the southern states wanted to form an independent government called the Confederacy. During the American Civil War (1861-65), hundreds of thousands of soldiers died. The main issue in this Civil War was not over slavery, but about being established as an independent government from the Northern states. Slavery, nonetheless, was a major contributor to America’s Civil War. The Southern Confederate artillery fired on Fort Sumter, North Carolina on April 12, 1861, giving birth to America’s Civil War.

    After President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, the slavery problem took on a more important meaning. President Abraham Lincoln struggled with the problem of slavery during 1862, knowing that slavery needed to end if the United States, founded on the principles of liberty and equal rights for all men, was to survive as a nation. A victory by the Northern States meant freedom for slaves. Yet a Southern victory meant slavery would continue in the southern states. After four-years of bloodshed, and the loss of approximately 600,000 men in uniform, and half-a-million wounded, not counting the innocent bystanders, the civil war in America ended. General Robert E. Lee feared that his tired and hungry troops would be slaughtered if he did not surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union, who had surrounded the southern troops. The Civil War ended on April 9, 1865.

    It is estimated that during World War I, 120,000 American soldiers died; 292,000 during World War II; 33,000 during the Korean War; 58,000 during the Vietnam War; 148 during the Persian Gulf War; and 2,000 during the war against Iraq. These numbers are both alarming and devastating for the hundreds of thousands of families that lost a loved one to war. Unfortunately, wars are inevitable when the freedom of a nation is at stake.

    Do you believe war is good? Just ask any family that has lost a son, daughter, husband, wife, father or mother, if war is good. How many times do we turn on our television sets, or pick up a local newspaper and hear of wars in our own city streets? The Bible says that the thief comes in the middle of the night to steal, kill, and destroy (Jn.10:10). A thief will invade any home just as a conqueror would invade a nation, with the sole purpose of stealing something of value that does not belong to him. Anyone trying to stop the thief runs the risk of being killed in the process.

    I know that nations have gone to war to defend their borders from invasion, and other nations have declared war because of an act of aggression against them by a neighboring or hostile nation. However, war in itself is not good. Think about it for a minute, for however justified a war is, it will only bring death and destruction.

    Why do wars occur? This question has troubled mankind for centuries, yet, no solution has ever been found, not by human means. Conflicts occur between two persons, disagreements intensify between two nations, and acts of aggression committed against a nation all lead to wars and rumors of wars. Man has come up with a million and one reasons why wars occur. James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ (James.1:1), who also wrote the Epistle of James, says in his epistle that wars come from our own desires for pleasure that war within ourselves, an unquenchable thirst to shed blood and conquer other nations (James.4:1).

    Nations challenge each other to see who is better, fighting to see who will be victorious. A game turned into a war. The Bible says that Cain killed his brother, Abel, over Abel’s acceptable sacrifice to God, and Cain’s unacceptable sacrifice. After Cain invited Abel into the fields, he killed Abel, becoming the first human murderer (Gen.4:8). It seems that man is addicted to war, and there are those bent on making war and killing their fellow man. Others adhere to the laws of God and man, to live a life of peace and harmony with everyone.

    God advised Cain that if he offered a good sacrifice, it would be accepted. He also warned Cain not to harbor ill feelings toward his brother, Abel, because sin was patiently waiting at his doorstep, desiring to rule over him. Nevertheless, jealousy and anger opened the door for sin to control Cain, which led him to kill his brother, Abel.

    During my childhood and adolescent years I had to defend myself against bullies bigger and tougher than I. Two bullies from my elementary school, who humiliated me daily, come to mind. One of them lived in the project building where I lived, and the other bully lived across the street from my grandmother’s building, up the block from our elementary school. Peace evaded me when they were around. One day, angered by their abuse, I took a firm stand against them and beat each one on separate occasions. No longer did any bully ever harass me again.

    Small defenseless nations suffer the same wrath by unmerciful conquerors. When I finally defeated the two bullies that haunted me daily, gangs became the next wave of persecution for me. My refusal to join any gang led to my

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