NONVIOLENT CHRISTIANS

Finding Joy in Jesus

We are all on a search for joy and peace. Often, we look for it in our jobs, our possessions, or perhaps in the next drink. But we find that these things are like broken cups; they can’t hold the happiness we’re looking for.

Paul gives us a better vision in Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus is the only one who can bring that lasting joy and peace. When we turn to Him, He fills the empty spaces in our lives with His Holy Spirit. But how do we actually “turn” to Him?

1. Declare His Authority

In Romans 10:9, Paul says we must declare with our mouths that “Jesus is Lord” and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead. Turning to Jesus means making Him the King of our lives—trusting that He is alive and in control. To give Jesus control, we must believe he rose from the dead.

2. Confess and Be Cleansed

We don’t have to be perfect to come to Him, but we must be honest. John tells us in 1 John 1:9 that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and purify us from everything we’ve done wrong. Peace starts with a clean slate.

3. Live in Forgiveness

Finally, Jesus teaches us in Matthew 6 that receiving God’s forgiveness changes how we treat others. As we are forgiven, we must also forgive. Letting go of bitterness toward others is an all-important step in finding the peace that Jesus gives us.¹⁴For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15

Is there an area of your life where you are still looking for “joy” in things that don’t last?

The Gift of the Released Debt

Jesus said,¹⁴For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15

Most of us carry an invisible “ledger” in our minds. It is a book where we record the debts others owe us: the apology that never came, the respect that was stolen, or the trust that was broken. We hold onto these pages, believing that by gripping them tightly, we are somehow maintaining justice.

But Jesus presents us with a startling truth: the condition of our own heart’s ledger determines how we experience the grace of God.

Biblically, to forgive is to voluntarily release an offender from the “debt” they owe us. It is a conscious decision to stop waiting for them to “pay us back” with an apology or a change in behavior. When we forgive, we take the pen and cross out the line item, choosing to no longer seek vengeance or hold that offense as a weapon. Maybe the debt is so great we can’t forgive, perhaps someone murdered a loved one or stole everything we own. Forgiveness is nearly impossible. We can ask Jesus, and he will help us forgive. Jesus was tortured and murdered by the Romans and Pharisees, and he said, “Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”

We often think of forgiveness as a favor we do for the person who hurt us. In reality, forgiving others often does more for us than it does for the offender. When we refuse to forgive, we remain tethered to the person who harmed us. We are bound to the past by a chain of resentment. Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. By releasing the debt, we break that chain. We aren’t necessarily saying what they did was “okay”; we are simply saying, “I will no longer let your sin control my peace.” Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door to our own spiritual and emotional prison.

The barrier to forgiveness is often the feeling that the offender doesn’t deserve it. This is likely right—they may not deserve it. However, the Gospel reminds us of a humbling reality: We do not deserve to be forgiven by God either. God is perfect, and our debt to Him was a mountain we could never climb. Yet, while we were still debtors, Christ died for us. We forgive just as God has released us from our debt of sin through Jesus Christ.

How Should we Treat People we disagree with?

The Gentle Power of Humility, A Call to Kingdom Character, By Randy Kay, 11/15/2025

How Do We Know We Have Eternal? 1 John Part 7: The Anointing and the Antichrist

How Do We Know We Have Eternal Life? I John Part 6

By Jon Kauffman

The apostle John wrote the book of 1 John so that everyone who believes Jesus is the Son of God could be sure they have eternal life. I recently completed a study on this book and would like to share some of the things I’ve learned.

The Apostle John said, Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world, the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:15-17

Our natural tendency toward sin and the sinful desires within us are deeply influenced by the world around us. This raises a crucial question about our faith: how do we know if we have eternal life? We should examine our hearts: Are we pursuing worldly attractions more than we’re pursuing God? Is our desire for pleasure eclipsing our devotion to Him? If we knowingly persist in actions God forbids, or neglect what He calls us to do, we are prioritizing the world’s influence over His will.

For instance, loving the world might look like constantly seeking validation through social media likes, prioritizing wealth and status above honesty, or letting entertainment consume all your free time instead of nurturing your faith or relationships.

Consider the immense suffering and pain throughout the world; much of it stems from humanity’s disobedience to God.

Let’s take pornography, for example. If we view porn, we are viewing the likeness of a real human being. Often, these people come from broken and abusive homes. Sex traffickers take advantage of these children. When we view porn, we are participating in the sex trafficking and abuse that bring these young girls and boys into the sex business. If a young person participates in child pornography, it is easier to participate when they become adults. By viewing pornography, we are creating a market for those who traffic in sex slavery.

The world constantly offers countless ways to distract us and pull us away from God.. But regardless of what we’ve done, Jesus has the power to change us, granting us a fresh start, deep joy, and an eternal life filled with peace and happiness in the new heavens and new earth by His side.

Paul said, ⁹If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Romans 10:9 & 10

How Do We Know We Have Eternal Life? I John, Part 5

By Jon Kauffman

John said,⁷Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. ⁸Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.⁹Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. ¹⁰Anyone who loves their brother and sister^[^c^] lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. ¹¹But anyone who hates his brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. 1 John 2:7-11 NIV

While the Ten Commandments introduced the old command to love God and neighbor, Jesus’s teaching brought a new command: to love our brothers and sisters. This passage highlights how truly living in Jesus’s light is undeniably demonstrated by the love we show to other believers.

⁴Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^[a] ⁵Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:4 NIV

What if we hate our brother or sister?

Even when confronted with the profound hurt caused by a fellow believer, making forgiveness seem insurmountable, we are not left without recourse. We can turn to Jesus in prayer, asking for the strength to forgive, and He will empower us to do so.

In 1 John, the terms “brother” and “sister” are used to denote a specific and profound spiritual bond among Christians. While the universal call to love and forgive extends to everyone, a unique connection exists within the body of Christ. The dictionary defines forgiveness as the act of relinquishing anger or resentment toward someone for an offense, flaw, or mistake, and it is this very action that we are called to pursue, however difficult it may seem.

Jesus said, ¹⁴For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15 NIV

The Greek word for forgive used in this passage is Aphiemi (ἀφίημι). Referencing Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible and Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon, we can see that Aphiemi is one of the three main Greek words that are translated as “forgive” in the New Testament

Aphiemi (ἀφίημι): This is the most common word for forgiveness in the New Testament. Its root meaning is “to send away,” “to let go,” or “to release.” It is used in various contexts, from a financial sense (canceling a debt, as in the Lord’s Prayer) to a spiritual sense (releasing a person from the guilt and penalty of sin). When God forgives, it’s a complete release and dismissal of the sin. When a person forgives another, it’s a conscious act of releasing the offender from the debt of their wrongdoing.

Later in 1 John, John tells us if we have the testimony of God in our hearts, he will answer our prayers. ¹⁴This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. I John 5:14-15 NIV

If we need the help of Jesus to forgive, we can pray, and Jesus will help us forgive because it is his will for us to forgive.

Are we demonstrating love and forgiveness towards others?

How Do We Know We Have Eternal Life? I John Part 4

By Jon Kauffman

The apostle John wrote 1 John so that those who believe Jesus is the Son of God may know they have eternal life. I have done a study on 1 John and would like to share what I have learned.

The apostle John wrote, 2 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. ²He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:1, 2

As we saw in part 3, when we confess our sins and experience the new birth, we begin walking in the light. The apostle John recognized that sin is an inherent part of our earthly existence. While living in this world, even though we are walking in the light, we’ll constantly encounter temptations. Sometimes we will sin.

Yet, a genuine relationship with Jesus changes us; our very desire to sin starts to diminish. John’s first letter, 1 John, serves as a guide, helping us to conquer sin in our lives.

Upon accepting Jesus as our Savior, he assumes the role of our advocate—our defender before God. Because God’s perfect holiness demands a consequence for human sin, Jesus steps in. When we face judgment at the end of time, he will be there to plead our case. He willingly died in our place, offering us mercy so that we might live. His sacrifice extends to every person, offering forgiveness to anyone who calls on his name and embraces that gift. When we accept this forgiveness and are reborn through the Spirit, Jesus becomes our powerful advocate or lawyer before God at the time of judgment.

How Do We Know We Have Eternal Life? I John Part 3

By Jon Kauffman

The apostle John wrote 1 John so that those who believe Jesus is the Son of God will know they have eternal life. I have done a study on 1 John and would like to share what I have learned.

The Apostle John says,⁵This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all^[^b^] sin. ⁸If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. 1 John 1:5-10 NIV

At the time John is writing this, there are many false teachers or Gnostics in the church. They are disputing that Jesus is the Son of God and that we need to turn away from our sin to be true followers of Jesus. Many of the Gnostics felt that the body and the spirit of a man were separate, so immoral acts were not sinful.

This is contrary to the teaching of Jesus. Jesus said, ²⁷“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’^[am] ²⁸But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:27, 28, NET

We may commit other sins that go against the teachings of Jesus. When we make a habit of committing sins and say we have not sinned, we are walking in darkness.

According to John, if we claim we are walking in the light or following Jesus but we are walking in the darkness or not following the teachings of Jesus, we are deceiving ourselves.

On the other hand, if we admit our sins and confess those sins, Jesus forgives us.

How Do We Know We Have Eternal Life? I John Part 2

By Jon Kauffman

The apostle John wrote first John so that those who believe Jesus is the Son of God will know they have eternal life. I have done a study on 1 John and would like to share a little of what I have learned.

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ²The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. ³We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ⁴We write this to make our joy complete. 1 John 1:1-4 NIV

The apostle John tells us he was an eyewitness to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. John is telling us that he knew what Jesus taught and we can trust what he tells us.

Paul also tells us of many witnesses to the risen Jesus:

³For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received—that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, ⁴and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, ⁵and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶Then he appeared to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. ⁸Last of all, as though to one born at the wrong time,^[i] he appeared to me also. I Corinthians 15:3-8 NET

There were 500 witnesses that the readers of Paul’s writing could talk to and verify the truth of the Resurrection of Jesus.

Today, in addition to John and Paul we have a great deal of evidence to support the reliability of the Bible. Through textual criticism scholars have very precisely determined the original Greek of the New Testament. We have historical and archeological evidence to support the historicity of Jesus and his disciples. We have a great deal of evidence proving the fact that Jesus rose from the dead.

Why is it important for evidence of the resurrection of Jesus to be known to us?

Paul said, If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. Romans 10:9

John is an eye witness to these events and is assuring us that what he writes in 1 John is true because he heard Jesus say it.

Edit: 7/18/2025

Should We Join the US Military to Protect Our Children?

By Jon Kauffman

“Doing the work of God is dangerous. Not doing the work of God is more dangerous.” Sabina Wurmbrand (Voice of the Martyrs)

Many Christians say they join the military because they want to protect the people they love.

Afterall, Paul said, “⁷It(Love) always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” I Corinthians 13:7

Malachi said, “The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the Lord Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.” Malachi 2:16.

Jesus said, “⁴³“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[a] and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48

We can’t love our enemies and kill them. Loving our enemies and protecting our loved ones seems contradictory. How do we protect the ones we love?

Protecting Our Loved Ones

The most important action we can take to protect the ones we love is by teaching them to follow Jesus and receive his Salvation.

We protect the ones we love by teaching them to deal with life’s adversities.

We can step in front of our loved one and take the bullet.

We can earn a good living and

Perhaps we flee the dangerous situation: “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.” Acts 8:1

We can make peace with our countries enemies we provide food and assistance to the poor and we create an environment where negotiations can take place.

We can maintain peace by continued negotiations. Following the Golden Rule. Keeping our treaties and agreements.

Building the Kingdom of God.

Jesus said, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, ¹⁰your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10

It is not always safe to build God’s Kingdom, while Jesus is taking the world from Satan to build His Kingdom.

Paul said, ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

Our true spiritual enemy is far more ruthless than any human enemy we will encounter. When Jesus was born, the enemy through Herod killed the boys 2 years and younger in Bethlehem.

David Livingstone and Divine Protection

David Livingstone (1813–1873) was a Scottish missionary and explorer who spent decades in the heart of Africa. While his journals are filled with narrow escapes from lions and illness, one specific account of “angelic protection” has become a famous testimony in Christian history.

An often-cited account of supernatural protection occurred during one of Livingstone’s journeys into a territory controlled by a chief who was known for being hostile to outsiders.

As Livingstone and his small group of guides approached the village, they were surrounded by warriors in full battle dress. The chief had made it clear that he intended to kill the white man who had entered his lands.

The Night of Prayer: Livingstone, sensing his life was in imminent danger, went to his tent to pray. He famously recorded in his diary a reference to the promise of Jesus: “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” He noted, “It is the word of a gentleman of the most strict and sacred honor, so there’s an end of it!” The Peaceful Morning: The next morning, Livingstone walked out of his tent and through the village. To his surprise, the warriors did not attack. In fact, they stood back in what appeared to be fear or awe, allowing him to pass safely.

Years later, according to various missionary biographies and oral traditions, some of the men who were part of that war party were interviewed.

They were asked why they didn’t attack the lone, unarmed Scotsman when they had him surrounded.

The warriors reportedly replied, “We were going to attack, but we saw the ‘mighty ones’ standing around your tent.” They described seeing a ring of tall, shining figures with drawn swords surrounding Livingstone’s camp throughout the night.

Should we be depending on God’s protection instead of the protection of the US Military?

Does our military fight on God’s side?

Our foreign policy makes our world a more dangerous place to live. When we support that foreign policy by fighting as soldiers we make the world less safe and actually make angry terrorists who fight back.

Our foreign policy often causes wars which can be avoided.

The US and NATO agreed with Russia, that NATO would not expand. Against that agreement, many nations were added to NATO. The last straw for Russia was Ukraine. They do not want nuclear weapons on their border pointing at them.

In February 2023, Ukraine and Russia had reached an agreement to end the war. President Joe Biden and Great Britain put an end to the peace agreement. They wanted to sell weapons.

Many more examples could be given where negotiations could have ended hostilities, but actions of the US caused hostilities to continue. Vietnam and Iraq immediately come to mind.

Killing Innocent Humans

“It is always wrong to intentionally kill an innocent human.” Lila Rose

Our spiritual enemy controls the rulers of this world. He is the one that instigates wars and pushes our leaders to fight.

Is the US military any different?

When our Military fights wars

When George Washington fought the British, British soldiers who were Christian died. Americans who were Christian died. It is perhaps the most just war ever fought by the US, but did Jesus approve? Paul said, ²Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. Romans 13:2.

When the US broke treaties and our US military fought the Native Americans, Native Americans who were Christians died. Soldiers intentionally killed helpless, innocent women and children.

When our US military fought the fought the Vietnamese, Vietnamese who were Christians died. Soldiers intentionally killed helpless, innocent women and children.

When our US military fought the fought the Afghans and Iraqis, Afghans and Iraqis who were Christians died. Soldiers intentionally killed helpless, innocent women and children.

When our government sends weapons to Ukraine, this unnecessary war continues. Soldiers on both sides intentionally kill Christians and helpless, innocent women and children.

When a soldier dies in an unnecessary war, creating a situation where war is more likely to continue and enemies will be given a reason launch terrorist attacks (911) against us, is he protecting his loved ones?

If you disagree, please feel free to share why you disagree in the comments.

Revised: 1/4/2026

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