SAVE AMERICA: RE-ELECT NO ONE!

Just a few more ramblings brought on by my reading “Confidence in God in Times of Danger,” by Alexander Carson.

If God is God, and if we believe He can protect His people even under the worst dictatorship imaginable, then it would seem that so-called civil liberties really do not provide any safety for His people, or anyone else for that matter, without the immediate and direct protection of His almighty arm. Our protection is not in the Constitution, which has been violated time and again since the War Between the States, our true protection comes from God graciously ordaining the liberties we enjoy to serve the establishment of His Kingdom. This means the true Christian has nothing to fear in any country and under any government. If we are called to suffer in the near future under a dictator, we must remember it will be for God’s glory and our good. All of this then seems to imply that Christians must honor even the most worthless men in power. Even a socialist President, one giving the country away, in the end is to be honored, not worshipped, but honored as the leader God has placed in office. And if God should will that this same wicked President persecute the people of God, we must understand God is good and the sin belongs to the persecutor alone. The President might be wickedly gratifying his own evil dispositions, but ultimately he is fulfilling the appointment of God, Who ordains all things. God makes the plans of his enemies to establish His own agenda. Our true safety is in the Lord and in counting all things but loss for the sake of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. This is also more reason to pray for our President and leaders, because if no one brings them the true gospel of free and sovereign grace, then these men who have actively opposed God’s people will suffer a Christless eternity in Hell. Let us pray that God might be pleased to raise up a whole new crop of truly righteous leaders, set apart by His saving grace, and committed to following the Lord Jesus Christ.
SAVE AMERICA: RE-ELECT NO ONE!

WHAT IS THE CORRECT RESPONSE?

What is it to truly be longsuffering? I don’t know; that’s why I ask. I have a few ideas about it, but I’m not absolutely convinced about any of them. Are the sins of my enemies against me more heinous than my own sins against God? Just how longsuffering was God with me? I joke about now being the time to invest in precious metals, like brass and lead, referring to ammunition. With the coming revolution—whoops! – I mean with the almost certain coming civil unrest, what should I do to prepare? Do I stock up on food, firewater, and firearms? If the civil unrest becomes uncivil and turns into a shooting match, do I take part?

Politics has come between the so-called evangelical church and the glory of the Gospel. Oh, there’s plenty of outward hustle and activity among all the political action groups claiming to be fighting for God’s Kingdom and soliciting your “gifts and offerings.” Their pragmatism will attack my skepticism and ask, “So what should we do? Just sit around and do nothing?”

What about prayer? I know James tells us that faith without works is dead, but my skepticism concerns the works and the justification of those works. What are we building, the Kingdom of God, or the kingdom of men? Are we building the true Church?

The perceived low level of spirituality, the lack of fruit in the churches, ought to alert us to a possibly misguided vision. Some of the changes in the church are labeled progress, and the voice of the people becomes the voice of God. But do not the Scriptures tell us the whole world lies in wickedness? That would seem to indicate that if we rely too heavily on a majority of public opinion to shape our goals and objectives, we might just be adopting the ways of the world, which is also known as walking in the flesh. This is also why I often say, “Democracy sucks.”

Progress, if it is only in the flesh, will ultimately degenerate. Remember the so-called “good old days” of the fifties and the early sixties with Leave It to Beaver and The Andy Griffith Show. Where has that Hollywood morality taken us? Did it progress to an even greater virtue? No, the boomers of the fifties and early sixties went crazy with drugs, sex, and rock and roll. Their offspring produced the eighties, and now their children, grandchildren to the hippies, are giving us the new millennium and its new morality. Jesus told Nicodemus, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh.” And if it’s flesh, it’s only going to get worse.

So, back to my question about our response to the world as we know it ending before our very eyes: Do we jump on the “influence the culture” bandwagon, or do we hide in caves until the fallout settles and attempt to survive in a Mad Max apocalypse? Or instead of TEOTWAWKI, how about TEOAAWKI (the end of America as we know it)? Our Pilgrim forefathers left Rotterdam, Holland, and arrived on our shores in the Mayflower. The place where our “American adventure” began is now under Sharia law. Do we sit idly by and watch Islamo-facists change American culture as they have done in Holland? Again, the Scriptures tell us we don’t wrestle or fight against flesh and blood; rather, we fight against spiritual principalities and powers. Our difficulty comes because those spiritual principalities and powers meet us directly in the flesh and blood they possess. Also, are we to be about building an earthly kingdom or should we not be about building the Kingdom of God? I love my country, but are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness my life’s calling? What about twenty-year-old Sandul, a Pakistani, Christian woman jailed for “blasphemy” against the Quran (the unholy Muslim book). She lost her liberty. How about another Pakistani Christian, Shafia, who was kidnapped into sexual slavery? Shafia definitely lost her liberty and her pursuit of happiness. And what about the 10,000 Christians who have died in a supposedly democratic Nigeria since 1999? Now when this begins to happen in the USA, am I to take up arms and fight against the flesh and blood committing the persecution?

Anyone who wants to know can find statistics about the persecution of Christians around the globe. So why do we in America suddenly think we should be exempt? Do we really think God needs America? I am not asking for persecution—I fear it. But how can I expect to be exempt and still claim to be a member of the suffering body of Christ? If suffering is a gift from God (see Phil 1:29), should I prepare to fight against it with guns and bombs? I believe God wills the persecution of His people; if that causes you a problem, I suggest you read the book of Esther and then try to refute it.

I would suggest that possibly President Obama is a lot like Haman (in the book of Esther); that is, he is ignorant of God’s purpose. The President might be radically opposed to Christians and will attempt to gratify his own evil dispositions; all the while, he is fulfilling the plan of God. Allow me to close this rambling essay with the comments of Alexander Carson from 1853 in his study of God’s providence in the book of Esther called “Confidence in God in Times of Danger”:
“It is a curious fact, but not a singular one, that God raised up Haman to bring His people into danger, as well as Esther to deliver them. In this, as in other things, the Divine wisdom is distinguished from the human in a striking manner. No man would nurture the wretch whom he should know to be the future enemy of himself and his offspring. But God exalted Haman in the court of the great king, above all the princes of the empire, for the very purpose of giving him an opportunity of manifesting [Haman’s] enmity against His people, and of attempting the destruction of the whole nation. He puts His enemies in the most favorable situation to oppose Him, that He may show with what ease He can discomfit the utmost efforts of their malevolence; nay, He makes the very wrath of man to praise Him, and the plans of His enemies to destroy His cause are made to effect its establishment.”

IMPOSED NEW WORLD ORDER

“One man or an elite giving authoritative arbitrary absolutes” is the only humanistic social option left for our godless society. At least that is the conclusion Dr. Francis Schaeffer came to in his ten film episodes of “How Should We Then Live?” If you think about it, and it won’t take long to figure it out, when there is an absence of moral absolutes, society becomes the sole absolute for everything. But that brings us back to either “one man or an elite”; that is, society has to be led by either one authoritarian or a group of elite authoritarians.

For years I have jokingly said, “Technology is going to kill us.” It doesn’t take much of an imagination now to see how technology can be used by an elite to control the masses. With this control will eventually come absolute power, and that’s the contradiction Daniel Bell warned about; that is, “no absolute ethic to accompany absolute power.” What if the controllers wanted to spread panic? Could they not maybe use, say a man-made virus? Can you say, “Oink, oink”? Forced immunizations from a newly created national health-care system brought about by a recognized “pandemic” might just be the beginning of the end. I could go on with guesses about RFIDs being implanted in newborns, national ID cards, mandatory vehicle GPS devices, etc., but I’ll let your own imagination run wild.

But when you think of the new authoritarian leader, don’t think of a Hitler or a Stalin; that’s simply old school. No, the new leader will probably be more of a puppet ruler controlled by an elite. He might even be told what to say by…maybe a…teleprompter. This leader can also have great influence through an ignorant media who have been taught to have the same views as the manipulative controlling elite. The deaf, dumb, and blind media will cry out for civil liberties, yet they will see government, not just as the only solution to every problem, but government as having a responsibility to solve every problem.

What this new crop of socialists fails to understand is that they wish to have what are really Christian liberties without any Christian foundation. All they will reap is chaos. With this loss of a truly Christian consensus, since the Teleprompter Of The United States (TOTUS) has declared to the muslim nations of the world that the USA is not a Christian nation, there will be no reason for an apathetic population not to surrender their final liberties whenever TOTUS and the Federal beast promises them personal peace and affluence. As long as there is Monday Night Football, a six-pack, and a remote, who cares if TOTUS declares martial law. The fears being produced daily by the media announcements of economic collapse will out-weigh any concerns for liberty. TOTUS and his willing accomplices in the media are preparing the nation to accept a manipulative, authoritarian government.

Random violence, political terrorism, economic collapse, swine flu, fuel shortages, and finally food shortages will cause the apathetic majority to give up all liberty for the false promise of “security.” Let’s not forget the constant threats of wars and the rumors of wars. Nuclear missiles in the hands of rogue states and muslim nations intent on destroying Israel will cause people to see authoritarianism as a lesser evil.

So what’s the answer? Society needs to repent and acknowledge the true source of liberty and truth. The source is found in God’s revelation in the Bible and His revelation through His Son, Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. As Dr. Schaeffer says, “Christianity is truth that gives a unity to all of knowledge and all of life.” All this comes from the personal God and Creator of heaven and earth. This means the true acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. It means men must bow the knee to the King of kings and submit to His Law and the absolutes found in the Bible. Both liberals and conservatives are guilty of suppressing God’s truth. Both liberals and conservatives must submit to the truth that only the Bible has the foundation for liberty in any society. The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only answer for all of man’s problems, and if our nation and the rest of the world continue to reject Christ as Lord, I suggest you prepare now for an imposed New World Order.
(adapted from an outline in the study guide to Schaeffer's How Should We Then Live?)
Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. (Psa 62:8)

CHANGE IS COMING, HOPE IS ON THE HORIZON

How much lower do you think gas prices will go? It really doesn’t matter because it won’t last. The Beast now knows the American people will tolerate up to about $4 per gallon. Watch the Federal Beast place new taxes on gas after January 20. New taxes up to about $2 per gallon are probably not out of the question. The economic terrorist attack that has already taken place has crippled the mortgage industry, shrunk the banking industry, and wrecked the auto maker industry. Fearfully, the American people will plead with the Beast for protection. The people are so frightened of the coming depression, they will demand for the Federal Beast to do something to save the economy. But fear no more, CHANGE is coming. HOPE is on the horizon.

We’ve already been warned that after January 20 we might only have 6 months of relative calm before our new leader is “tested.” Our new leader is clever enough to know he needs the American people to be fearful. So the predicted “test” helps to create that situation where the people will be so frightened that they will bow down and beg for the Federal Beast to do something. Wars and rumors of war, threats of terrorist attacks, threats of violence and riots can go a long way to convince the people to blindly accept martial law. But fear no more, CHANGE is coming. HOPE is on the horizon.

Those who would riot and protest, the so-called revolutionaries, the militants, and all the extremists will never successfully overthrow the Beast; but what they can do is succeed in scaring the American people into begging for the new socialism coming from Washington. Peace at any cost is what a fearful people will accept. As long as they can have their six-pack and Monday Night Football on their big-screen HD TV, they will not care if the Constitution is suspended and the country enslaved. As the radicals in the streets make more commotion, they stupidly allow the true leaders of the Beast to appear more in the center as those leaders in reality continue to move to the left. But fear no more, CHANGE is coming. HOPE is on the horizon.

It appears that the Federal Beast opposes terrorism much the same way it once opposed Communism. Billions and billions of dollars are spent to keep the military spread around the world to fight the war on terrorism without ever defeating terrorism. Much like Orwell’s 1984, the Beast needs the smoke and mirrors production of the appearance of a formidable foe. The thought of an ever-present enemy allows the Beast to manage the “conflict” while in truth it continues to advance its real objective of totalitarian rule. Remember September 11, 1990 when Bush 41 uttered the words “New World Order” in his "Toward a New World Order" speech? But fear no more, CHANGE is coming. HOPE is on the horizon.

Christianity in the Fast Lane

If you have time, take a look at some thinking on paper (or pixels) about our 21st century rat race.

Someone once told me, "You can take the rat out of the race, but you can't take the rat out of the rat."

Christianity in the Fast Lane

Land of the Free

Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! (Isa 10:1-2)

Have you flown the friendly skies lately? This summer (2007) I had the pleasure to participate in a short-term mission to Hungary. My two older sons went with me. The mission trip was wonderful. The airport experience was frightening.

I could also mention the extreme difficulty I had acquiring a U.S. Passport, but that would take an entire new blog; so suffice it to say I received my Passport within three hours of the scheduled flight departure from New Orleans.

Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., in a recent April 2007 talk, said “Traveling on airplanes reminds us how much freedom we’ve lost and how we have become accustomed to it.” If you haven’t flown recently, let me help explain a little of what Rockwell is saying.

Our U.S. Constitution protects us from “unreasonable searches and seizures.” Obviously, “unreasonable” is up for grabs. Anybody want to define “unreasonable”? The socialists in D.C. are content with defining anything done at an airport as “reasonable.” After all, they are trying to prevent hijackings, bombings, and other acts of terrorism. So we all just bend over (sometimes literally) and allow government bureaucrats to have their way with us and our belongings.

Don’t think about trying to interrupt the routine. While we were waiting in airports, we were regularly advised over loudspeakers to “report suspicious activity.” You better walk right, talk right, and if you are waiting, you better wait right too, or else someone might interrogate you about your nervous pacing in the boarding area.

Go ahead and empty your pockets, take off your belt, your hat, and your shoes. And don’t forget to put all your toiletries in a clear, one-quart, zip-lock bag. Your liquids and gels are limited to three ounces each. Any violations here and the items will be seized, regardless of how “unreasonable” it might be. Forget about probable cause, don’t worry about oaths or affirmations, and especially don’t bring up the notion of a Warrant.

Maybe we have forgotten our true shield and defender, our God. Maybe we now rely solely on government to protect and defend us. Government will protect our "right" to "feel" safe at the expense of our right to that certain unalienable Right of Liberty. Our own government was founded to secure Liberty--honest--you can read about it in the Declaration of Independence. And our founders knew from whence these rights came, "You have rights antecedent to all earthly governments; rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; rights derived from the Great Legislator of the Universe" (John Adams, second President of the US).

What is a "church"?

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matt 16:18)

What is a church? Regardless of your theological perspective, whatever your answer is, it is wrong. A church is a 501(c)3 corporation registered with the state. It’s an organization that is tax exempt and can provide receipts for contributions when no goods or services are provided in return. We have allowed the state to define a church for us.

Can you imagine John Bunyan’s opinion of the “church” in America? John Bunyan was imprisoned for preaching without a license. Can you imagine that…”OK, Mister Bunyan, we understand you want to preach. All you need to do is simply receive a license from the state and you will then be free to preach.” Or maybe…”We really want you to be able to preach, Mr. Bunyan; however, you must first obtain a license from the state.”

Ever wonder what Bunyan might have done in the 21st Century? “OK, Mr. Bunyan, you cannot provide that food and shelter for that family and later provide them with any receipts for contributions. You will lose your tax exempt status.” Mr. Bunyan might want to allow some input from the Federal Government and take some funds to assist with “faith-based ministries.” Of course Mr. Bunyan might have to hire some unwanted church administrators and assistants simply to meet some arbitrary standard of diversity if he chooses to receive government funds.

The IRS can now locate all the 501(c)3 “churches” and if necessary monitor ministry activity. And let’s not forget that politics and religion don’t mix when it comes to saying things from the pulpit; that is, Mr. Bunyan cannot preach to persuade his entire church to endorse any political candidate. There’s even debate over whether or not a pastor can speak on major political issues at all. And of course with the threat of “hate crime” legislation on the horizon, pastors will be under even tighter scrutiny in the near future.

So, what is the definition of a church again?

Blind Leaders of the Blind

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (Jn 3:3).

"He cannot see" sounds like blindness. Even if it's not a type of blindness, it still seems to imply that a man can search and search and look and look and hunt and hunt til the cows come home, and he still cannot, will not, be able to find what he's looking for when it comes to the Kingdom of God. If he's not blind, he might as well be because unless he's born again, "he cannot see the kingdom of God." This is the essence of spiritual blindness; that is, the things that matter for eternity are simply not visible to the naked eye of an unregenerate (un-born-again) man.

Who made it this way? The God of Isaiah...the God of Isaiah 45:7...the God who controls all things, even whether or not a man can see or not see the Kingdom of God. (See my Isaiah 45:7 blog)

The one who's "born again" can see the Kingdom of God and a whole lot more. Much like the "children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times..." born again believers can often discern the bigger picture, the larger vision, the effect on the times. Could it be possible, that just maybe, this is the reason why so many fail to see the real nature of the so-called "War on Terror"?

Terror, per se, is a tactic. Slash and burn is a tactic. Blitzkrieg is a tactic, it was a highly mobile form of mechanized warfare used by the Germans in WWII. Terror has been used by leaders to maintain control. It's now being used to harass and weaken the victims of terror.

The question is "Who is using TERROR tactics?" Answer: "terrorists" No way! Wrong answer or at least an incomplete answer. Terrorists are people. What kind of people? Who are they? If we had some "children of Issachar" living among us today, would they not answer: Muslims.

Maybe the leaders of the U.S.A., Great Britain, France, Germany, Holland, and several others just simply are blind to the fact that Muslims are conducting assaults in a joint effort worldwide to over throw the West. Could it be that they refuse to see the assault on the Kingdom of God by the Muslim infidels? And most likely it is their own personal blindness to the truth of the Gospel because they are not born again and therefore cannot see these things in the true spiritual perspective. They do not understand, they do not know, they do not believe that they have been given a charge from God to wield His sword for righteousness' sake (Romans 13). They are to serve and protect the people and the land according to God's Word.

Right about now you fear I am advocating a "Theocracy." You fear I want the Church to rule the State. No, that's not what I want. I want the State to do it's God ordained job and rule according to righteousness. The Church is not responsible to run the State; God did not ordain that to be so. God ordained a State with magistrates who are to run the civil government of the nation. Our own government has a law that was drawn up by men who "understood the times." Our U.S. Constitution is a model of what responsible Government leaders can and should do when governing according to principles they have learned by studying God's Word.

Until our socialist leaders in Washington D.C. bow the knee to the King of kings, we will continue to be plagued with more and more threats of Islamo-facist terror attacks. Until our socialist leaders understand that there is a bigger spiritual picture they cannot see without first being born again, we will continue to slide toward Sodom and Gomorrha.