Blog | Reproach of Men

Set-up for the Anti-Christ

Out of the blue, on Saturday morning, I received an e-mail from Aaron, the gentleman I have been contending with over the issue of Calvinism. Now, Aaron is not just a Calvinist, but a Charismatic Calvinist. Personally, I don’t see how the two fit together, but there are a number of folks who are just that. I found out within the last few months that Charismatic Calvinism is a relatively new phenomena that is only about 30, possibly as old as 40 years, but is certainly no older and is sometimes referred to as “Reformed Charismatic” or “reformed third wave/charismatic.”

This, in itself, causes me to look askance at it for one simple reason:

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. (I Timothy 4:1-3)

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. (II Timothy 3:1-9)

Now, I don’t know about anyone else, but I take those warnings seriously, just like I take the following seriously:

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:7-8)

You know, that is a REAL GOOD QUESTION:

Will the Lord Jesus Christ find faith on the earth when He returns?

By the way, it is rhetorical . . . ((The answer is not a “YES.”))

Now, the above bears heavily upon the following e-mail exchange with Aaron. However before examining the e-mails, it is imperative to understand that charismatic/Pentecostal doctrine and practice are all about signs, and a signs ministry. And, what the Scripture has to say about signs and the signs ministry.

A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed. (Matthew 16:4)

We should also understand that signs can be duplicated:

And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt. (Exodus 8:5-7)

And, signs are of the flesh and by the physical senses, not by faith:

For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. (I Corinthians 1:22-24)

If anything ought to tell us a signs ministry is not what we ought to be doing, the above statement by the apostle Paul ought to. After all, he contrasts “For the Jews require a sign” with “we preach Christ crucified” by juxtaposing them with the word “But.” In short, it is not signs that we should do, but preach Christ crucified. In sum, it is not “signs and miracles” that get people to come to Christ and be saved. Rather, it is the preaching of the gospel, and faith. Everything else is simply substituting what can be perceived with the physical senses — for faith.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (II Corinthians 4:17-18)

Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. (II Corinthians 5:6-8)

The reason for the strong emphasis on faith versus the physical senses is due to the fact that we cannot know the source of any sign that is done. In fact, in the days to come, all the signs will be performed by the Anti-Christ, and those supporting him:

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (II Thessalonians 2:3-10)

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. (Revelation 13:11-15)

Of course, we are warned about those who present themselves as ministers of Christ, and are not:

But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. (II Corinthians 11:12-15)

With that, I leave you to examine the e-mail exchange, and consider just where we are today. And yes, I do believe the gentleman is unsaved, and possibly demon-possessed. I don’t immediately recollect ever calling him a “moron,” but I could be wrong, and I would have to examine all the e-mails exchanged to be certain. If so, it was definitely in the context of him blatantly ignoring something so obvious that only someone utterly lacking in intelligence could miss it. By the way, it really is something to be called a “Pharisee” and then be told “God bless” all in the same paragraph. I have yet to figure that one out.

NOTE: Messages are in order, from first to last, separated by a solid line.

Aaron wrote:

Paul,

Why do you think there are thousands of Christian denominations? We have the same Bible. It is amazing to me how man has taken God’s word, and made it their own. Man has lifted up certain scriptures taking them out of context, and made doctrine out of them. Example: We debate over if you can lose your salvation or not; if baptism is required for salvation or not; if the baptism in the Holy Spirit is for today or not; We have Pre-trib, Mid-trib, Post-trib rapture debates over the church; if hell is real or not; Millenium debates; some Christians believe in Universalism; some Christians believe in Armianism; some Christians believe in Calvinism; the list goes on and on.. There is one truth to all of these debates that divide the church. Why do you suppose Christian denominatons are all over the place when it comes to doctrine and theology? Answer: Man walks in the flesh, lifts up scripture out of context, makes doctrine and theology out of it.

But there is good news. In these last days, God is going to shake up the American, religious, cotton candy gospel giving church, and raise up people who want to walk in Holy Ghost miracle power to get people saved healed and delivered in Jesus name. You are going to see people raised from the dead, blind eyes open, deaf ears hearing, cancer falling off people, people getting up out of their wheel chairs, casting out devils. This is already happening in other countries. The days of playing Church are over in this country. Either you are going to be apart of this or your going to be a spectator. God bless.

Aaron

Aaron,

First, we do not all have the same Bible. The source texts for all those bibles are considerably different with thousands of variant readings. There are two major distinct Greek text families of the source texts. There are three distinct separate major variations of the Old Testament Hebrew with considerable variation in the readings.

Second, what the label says, and what’s in the can, bear no resemblance to each other. Just because the vast majority of the folks out there carry the label of Christian, does not mean they are. To be a Christian, one must follow Christ, and that the Christ of the Scriptures. By that I mean they are not free to remake Christ into someone that “fits” a distorted doctrine. For instance, Catholics are not Christians, and were not known as Christians for centuries. Instead they were known as Catholics, and they followed the doctrine and teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, not the Bible. In fact, it was forbidden for Catholics to even possess or read the Bible for centuries – by order of the Popes. It has only been in the last 300 years that they have successfully relabeled themselves “Christian.”

If we care to really examine the doctrine of many other “Christian” groups out there, we will find they are also not really Christian, but merely have applied that label to themselves so they would be more acceptable to everyone.

You have fallen for the deception of ecumenism, and are not careful in examining who believes what, and what Bible you really ought to use.

—
In Christ,

Paul W. Davis

Aaron wrote:
By your response- you will be a spectator- arguing over doctrine, what Bible to use- pointing your Pharisaical finger at people-while God is raising up the real Body of Christ who will walk in Apostolic Holy Ghost power to get people saved healed and delivered in Jesus name. Your response is typical and proves my point the condition of the American Religious Cotton Candy Gospel Giving Church. The miracles are already happening in other countries and will soon happen in America, God is going to shake the American church where she needs to be shaken to wake her up! You have fleshly, religious, denominational strongholds only God can break. God bless.

Aaron,

You’re setting yourself up for the Anti-Christ.

—
In Christ,

Paul W. Davis

Aaron wrote:
I don’t know how to respond to your despicable remarks. I’m a moron, unsaved, and possessed by the devil. You will stand in judgment of your name calling and your behavior towards me. Mark it down. See ya Paul, I have wasted enough time with you. I’m going to get people saved- healed- and delivered in Jesus name. God bless.

Why America is Condemned

It pains me to have to write this, nonetheless it is utterly necessary as Americans need to understand what is happening to America and why. America is condemned, and will be destroyed — end of story. There is at this point, literally nothing that can be done to stop it. Why? Because America has totally cast off the LORD God and blasphemes the LORD at every opportunity. It is not just the “Left” and their Hollywood friends and the major media. No, it includes those on the “Right” and goes beyond that into every political persuasion, every field of endeavor, and permeates the churches. I know of a number of supposed fundamental Baptists who no longer trust the LORD to bring about change in this nation. Instead, they have hitched their hopes to the Republican/Conservative/Libertarian movement and seek to elect people they believe can “save” America.

This condemns them, and their protestation that they “believe” God and trust Him. If they truly trusted the LORD, they would put far more effort into cleansing their own lives, cleansing their churches, and focusing on proper teaching of the Word of God. They would strive to think like Christ, instead of putting America on a pedestal, and thinking America is the light of the world. The sad part of this is that fundamental and conservative Christians in America often pay heed to totally ungodly radio and television persona, and elevate them to a higher status that the LORD God whom they say they serve.

One such individual that fundamental/conservative Christians elevate is Rush Limbaugh, a very popular radio commentator. Back before I was saved, I used to listen to him, and thought he was quite entertaining and informed about what mattered. That changed after I was saved. I noticed some glaring inconsistencies in his beliefs, and ultimately found out how anti-Christian Mr. Limbaugh really is. Recently, Mr. Limbaugh’s anti-God, anti-Christ views surfaced again at the CPAC conference in Washington, D.C. The following is a small portion of his remarks at the beginning of his speech. Be prepared, as what he states is rank blasphemy.

And that I am arrogant. Neither of these things are remotely true. I can tell you a joke to illustrate this. Larry King passed away, goes to heaven. He’s greeted by Saint Peter at the gates. Saint Peter says, “Welcome, Mr. King, it’s great to have you here. I want to show you around, give you an idea of what’s here, maybe you can pick a place that you’d like to reside.” King says, “I just have one question: Is Rush Limbaugh here?”

“No, he’s got a lot of time yet, Mr. King.” So Saint Peter begins the tour. Larry King sees the various places and it’s beyond anything we can imagine in terms of beauty. Finally, he gets to the biggest room of all, with this giant throne. And over the throne is a flashing beautiful angelic neon sign that says “Rush Limbaugh.” [Laughter]

And Larry King looks at Saint Peter and says: “I thought you said he wasn’t here.”

“He said, he’s not, he’s not. This is God’s room. He just thinks he’s Rush Limbaugh.”[Laughter] [Applause]

So you see I’m not pompous. [Laughter] ((http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_030209/content/01125106.guest.html))

This is nothing but outright blasphemy. Moreover, it betrays exactly where Rush Limbaugh stands — without fear of God, and in total opposition to the LORD. Worse yet, the response of the audience was not shock and condemnation for such wicked statements. No, there was no such condemnation here. ((Rush Limbaugh brought a cheering crowd to its feet several times Saturday at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington as he called on fellow conservatives to take back the country. (CNN) )) Instead, they laughed and applauded, thus condoning the wicked blasphemy of Mr. Limbaugh.

Pray tell, what then is the difference between Mr. Limbaugh, his conservative friends at CPAC, and Barak Obama and his amoral friends on the Left?

Absolutely nothing.

The really troublesome thing about this incident is that no one mentioned Mr. Limbaugh’s totally wicked and evil comments. Not Fox News, WorldNetDaily (which claims to be so “Christian”), Pajamas TV or any of the numerous conservative bloggers that covered the event. Rather, it was unremarkable and even accepted by them as “normal.”

When someone publicly blasphemes the LORD God, and no one says anything about it, that is when we are on the brink of utter destruction. The LORD God will not long tolerate it. As for Mr. Limbaugh, the LORD has a way of making certain that we are judged by the words of our own mouth.

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. (Matthew 12:34-37)

Recovery

Well, last week was quite the week, with the worst ice storm I have ever experienced. And, according to several lifelong residents of this area, the absolute worst they have ever seen in this area. Generally speaking, Northwest Arkansas does not get bad ice storms, and when one does occur, it happens so infrequently that a 60 year old resident has only experienced three bad ice storms during his lifetime.

Thus, everything ground to a virtual halt last week, and is in recovery mode this week, and will be for some time to come. I was without power for almost 3 full days, which is not bad considering some folks are still without power, and may be for another week or two.

Over 90% of the trees were damaged, and at least 50% of them will require downing as they are totally ruined and will not recover. Quite a number of them were uprooted from the weight of the ice. There were many telephone lines, cable lines and electric lines down last Wednesday morning, and the scene was ghastly to look at in the early morning light. The blessing of the LORD was that our temperatures on Tuesday (27 Jan.) hovered right around 32 deg. F. while all the heavy rain was falling. Had it been 2 to 3 degrees colder, it would have far, far worse than it was.

With that, I leave you with some pictures, and a thanks to the LORD that we were spared what could have been.

[portfolio_slideshow]

And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name. (Amos 4:6-13)

Consider . . .

I see the hand of the LORD of hosts. . . Do you?

Caving to Evil

NOTE: This is one of my few digressions to something not specifically and expressly addressing Scriptural doctrine. However, it is quite needful to call attention to this particular item as it affects everyone, not just Israel and the Jews.

Today (1/11/2009) Arutz Sheva, Israel National News reported on an incident in Duisburg, Germany. The report was partially pulled from The Muqata blog, an Israeli blog that is tracking minute by minute (as circumstances warrant) events of the War in Gaza. One of the readers of that blog sent the following description of events in Duisburg:

Today, 10.000 people demonstrated against Israel here in my hometown Duisburg (Germany) and to express their solidarity with Hamas.

So, my girlfriend and me put two Israel flags out of the windows of our flat in the 3rd floor. During the demonstration which went through our street the police broke into our flat and removed the flag of Israel. The statement of the police was to de-escalate the situation, because many youth demonstrators were on the brink of breaking into our apartment house.

Before this they threw snowballs, knifes and stones against our windows and the complete building. We both were standing on the other side of the street and were shocked by seeing a police officer standing in our bedroom and opening the window to get the flag. The picture illustrate this situation. The police acquiesced in the demands of the mob.

The video below is of the incident in Duisburg:

The problem here is that the German police focused on the wrong thing to get rid of the problem. Instead of controlling the demonstrators and correcting their behavior, the police chose to allow them to become more violent and did not disperse them when they refused to calm down. The police also did not choose to forbid any form of demonstration that was not peaceful. Instead, they chose to violate the property rights of a private citizen, all the while empowering evil and proving that violence does effect change.

Smart move — real smart. I suppose when the Muslims demand the towns and cities in Germany observe Sharia law as applicable to all Germans, that they will cave the first time Muslims are violent. It seems to me that someone else used that tactic in Germany some years ago, and got what he wanted.

I also seem to remember that when all was said and done after using those tactics to gain power, all Germany lay in ruins.

See what you can achieve when you accommodate evil.

However, since I am not so accommodating, here is my message to Muslim demonstrators worldwide:

THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO EXIST

THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AGAINST HAMAS

Its not coming down or being removed. They are the seed of Jacob, the son of Isaac (which is the son of promise), the son of Abraham.

GET OVER IT

Now, if only the Jews would know and understand that the Saviour was crucified 2000 years ago in Jerusalem and believe the Gospel (a few do, but most not — just like the rest of mankind), it would be a good day indeed. It wouldn’t hurt for all the Muslims to forsake the wickedness of Islam and believe too. It sure would make for a far more peaceful world.

Communist Goals and Christians

As with all things, when information is obtained which gives additional confirmation of what is known, it is settling in the way of making the ground just that much firmer. The following video does just that: It adds to the multitude of evidence of the dangers facing everyone in the United States. Christian, please understand:

Communism benefits NO ONE – NOT EVEN THOSE IN POWER IN THE COMMUNIST SYSTEM – ALL LIVE IN FEAR.

One of the most distressing things about modern America is the total lack of understanding about how an individual’s thinking (and hence behavior) affect society and contribute to the destruction of the United States. Today, it is not just communists that think like communists, but fundamental and evangelical Christians as well. Why? Because they have accepted communist ideas, without understanding those ideas and movements in society were and are utilized by communists to achieve certain goals.

While it is true that all societies decline over time, the rate at which they decline can be greatly affected by the individuals in that society. Thus, the responsibility for societal decline and subsequent destruction under tyranny rests with each and every individual in society. In short, we will all be, and are, all responsible for the coming tyranny in the United States of America. Hence, it there is any hope at all, we must understand how we arrived at this point. To assist in that understanding, the following is presented.: ((While I do not agree with, and strenuously oppose Mr. Skousen’s Mormon beliefs, what he discovered is entirely and undeniably true. Thus, at least on this subject, all would do well to take heed.))

Please note: I have annotated the attainment of those goals based upon my research and study.

Excerpted from The Naked Communist

W. Cleon Skousen

Published 1958, Eleventh Edition 1962

pp. 258-262

Importance of the Psychological War

The biggest mistake of the West has been allowing itself to drift into a state of mental stagnation, apathy and inaction. In some circles, motivations of patriotism, loyalty and the traditional dream of “freedom for all men” have been lying dormant or have been paralyzed by a new kind of strange thinking. Authorities say there is an urgent need for a revolutionary change in our state of mind.

What is wrong with our “state of mind ?“

First and foremost, we have been thinking the way the Communists want us to think. Our founding fathers would be alarmed to learn how confused many of our people have become over such fundamental problems as coexistence, disarmament, free trade, the United Nations, recognition of Red China, and a host of related problems. Instead of maintaining a state of intellectual vigilance, we have taken Communist slogans as the major premises for too many of our conclusions. Let us go down a list of current strategy goals which the Communists and their fellow travelers are seeking to achieve. These are all part of the campaign to soften America for the final takeover. It should be kept in mind that many loyal Americans are working for these same objectives because they are not aware that these objectives are designed to destroy us.

Current Communist Goals

1. U. S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war. (accomplished)

2. U. S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war. (½ accomplished)

3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament by the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength. (½ accomplished)

4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war. (accomplished)

5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet Satellites. (accomplished)

6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination. (½ accomplished)

7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the UN. (accomplished)

8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev̓s promise in 1955 to settle the Germany question by free elections under supervision of the UN. (rendered moot)

9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the U.S. has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress. (accomplished)

10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the UN. (accomplished)

11. Promote the UN as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the UN as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.) (accomplished)

12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party. (accomplished)

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths. (accomplished)

14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office. (accomplished)

15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States. (accomplished – there is very little distinction in the policies of either major political party. Instead, political expediency rules the day. For the Republicans it is much more about being in power than adhering to the U.S. Constitution as written.)

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights. (accomplished)

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers̓ associations. Put the party line in textbooks. (accomplished)

18. Gain control of all student newspapers. (De facto accomplished)

19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack. (accomplished)

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policy-making positions. (accomplished)

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV and motion pictures. (accomplished)

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to “eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms.” (accomplished)

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. “Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art.” (accomplished)

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them “censorship” and a violation of free speech and free press. (accomplished)

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio and TV. (accomplished)

26. Present homo-sexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as “normal, natural, healthy.” (accomplished)

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with “social” religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a “religious crutch.” (accomplished)

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of “separation of church and state.” (accomplished)

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a world-wide basis. (accomplished)

30. Discredit the American founding fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the “common man.” (accomplished)

31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of “the big picture.” Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over. (½ accomplished)

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture—education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc. (accomplished)

33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus. (accomplished)

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities. (accomplished)

35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI. (they have been far more successful in subverting the FBI, and are subverting all law enforcement)

36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions. (accomplished)

37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business. (accomplished)

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand or treat. (accomplished)

39.Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals. (½ accomplished)

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce. (accomplished)

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents. (accomplished)

42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use “united force” to solve economic, political or social problems. (accomplished)

43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government. (accomplished)

44. Internationalize the Panama Canal. (accomplished – actually, they accomplished more than they hoped – Communist China controls the canal through a front company: Hutchinson Whampoa)

45. Repeal the Connally Reservation so the U.S. cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over domestic problems. Give the World Court jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike. (½ accomplished)

If the student will read the reports of Congressional hearings together with available books by ex-Communists, he will find all of these Communist objectives described in detail. Furthermore, he will come to understand how many well-meaning citizens have become involved in pushing forward the Communist program without realizing it. They became converted to Communist objectives because they accepted superficial Communist slogans. Soon they were thinking precisely the way the Communists wanted them to think.

42 out of 45 goals either completely accomplished, or near attainment.

Now Christian, the next time you sit down to lap up some more of Hollywood’s bilge, or get wrapped up in the crud this world calls entertainment, you can think of how much you are assisting in the destruction of the country the LORD God left you in to spread His message of the Gospel. I’m certain all those who will be slaughtered in the days to come will thank you for your diligence.

Dangerous Thinking

I don’t usually make political comment. However, when certain events occur, which have bearing on, and reflect, certain modes of thinking, I do like to use them to point out flaws in the way we (by that I mean particularly fundamental Baptists) think. This is not to say that all the thought processes are wrong, but it is to say that we don’t often “think through” and take the long view when we advocate certain things, and take certain positions regarding political candidates and issues.

It is no secret that this country has fallen a long way from what it used to be. It is no secret that all levels of government in this country, from the Federal level on down to local offices routinely violate the trust reposited in them by virtue of constitutional authority and election to office. It is also no secret that many folks are frustrated by the fact that little seems to be done about it, and it only seems to get worse and not better.

Hence, many fundamental, unaffiliated Baptists have jumped on the bandwagon of openly supporting and campaigning for certain candidates and issues. This, in itself, is not necessarily wrong if — and this is a big if — the candidate actually and totally supports Scriptural doctrine. Otherwise, we end up tying the name of Christ to someone who ultimately reflects badly upon Christ, and tarnishes our witness and testimony. Additionally, it is difficult to witness to someone who supports the opposing candidate if they know that we are openly opposing the person they support. What will happen is that they will focus on our opposition to their candidate and not hear the gospel they so badly need. We must ask ourselves which is the more important — the soul of the person we are speaking to, or winning the vote of that person? I should think the answer is obvious.

However, the above cited issues are not the most egregious of errors in seeking a political solution to this country’s problems. Rather, it is the way of thinking that seeks a political solution, that is the problem. That way of thinking is actually well-encapsulated in the following quote by one of the current Presidential candidates. Mind you, it is an offensive quote to anyone who truly understands what the U.S. Constitution is all about.

“I think we can say that the Constitution reflected a enormous blindspot in this culture that carries on until this day, and the Framers had that same blindspot. I don’t think the two views are contradictory to say that it was a remarkable political document that paved the way for where we are now, and to say that it also it reflected the fundamental flaw of this country that continues to this day.” ((Barack Obama, date not cited))

Now, this quote first appeared on the internet on YouTube, and is a snippet of some interview, or answer to some question Barack Obama was asked. However, unlike many quotes that are snippets, there is virtually no way to take this comment out of context. It uses terminology that is far too broad with reference to the subjects at hand to be taken out of context. The use of phrases such as “enormous blindspot” and “fundamental flaw that continues to this day” with reference to the U.S. Constitution and American society are far, far too encompassing.

The problem with this quote is not that it states there is an error in the Constitution. Indeed, many of the anti-federalists thought there were many flaws in the Constitution. It is not that Obama thinks that the flaw is still there. For there are some issues that could be dealt with more firmly by the Constitution. No, the problem with this quote is its inherent misapplication of the Constitution to American society and the problems in society.

While I do not know the context of the remark, I do know the U.S. Constitution and its purpose. The Constitution is the law for the government — a cage if you will. It was not, and is not designed for any other purpose. The Constitution was never designed to reform society, nor can it. The Founders knew that society is not reformed from the “top down,” but that society changes when the individuals in society change their views and consequent values.

Herein lies the problem: this statement by Obama reflects a view that is socialist/communist, in the which government can impose reforms on society, and change the fundamental thinking of individuals by external force, be it by law or otherwise. This kind of thinking was evident in the French Revolution and resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands. And, this mindset is endemic to every socialist/communist government and has resulted in the deaths of tens of millions over the last century.

Granted, there are ills and disparities in this society, as there are in every society, but the “top down” approach is not the way to fix them — no matter how appealing and expedient it appears to be. We are warned in Scripture about such appealing, expeditious methods and their result.

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Proverb 14:12)

Funny how the LORD gave us that warning, not once, but twice, for it appears again two chapters later in Proverbs 16:25. Hence, it is significant that the easier road, the more expedient path, is not the right one.

This is where we must make application to ourselves. Just as Barack Obama thinks that the ills of society should be resolved using the U.S. Constitution, there are many fundamental Baptists who think that simply electing the “right people” will resolve the issues we have in this country and society, and put us back on the right track.

Like Obama, they could not be more wrong. As stated earlier, the Founders of this nation understood that societies are not changed from the top down, but from the bottom up. They understood that government is only a reflection of the society it governs, which is a very Scriptural concept and understanding of the way the LORD God deals with man. We should understand that nations are the embodiment of societies, and societies are composed of individuals, and individuals act outwardly based upon what is within their hearts. Thus, we should know that the operative principle here stems directly from Jeremiah, chapter 17:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)

So it is that electing the right people to office is not really the answer. The real answer to restoring the rule of the Constitution over government, and restoring respect for the law in this country, begins in the heart of every individual. However, that is not going to happen until the LORD’s people decide to follow what the LORD commands them, and have a proper witness and testimony so people see a true difference and distinction between those who claim Christ, and the rest of society. Otherwise, what is claimed is just so much hot air and wishful thinking.

Nonetheless, that also is not going to happen unless and until the LORD’s people change their thinking. Sadly, it is far too evident that many who claim Christ, and name themselves fundamental, unaffiliated Baptists, don’t bother to even learn how the LORD looks at things, let alone how He knows them to be — and thus, how we should think about them.

On a final note: we should understand that, historically, the top down approach to changing society has never worked. Without going into detail, there is no instance in the history of man where any society has ever been permanently changed by imposition of massive, intrusive government control over individual behavior. Rather, every government that has attempted such action has found itself consigned to destruction — usually within a generation or so of attempting to impose such change. In contrast, the LORD’s approach of dealing with the individual, their heart and where they stand before God, changed an entire civilization. We would not know Western Civilization were it not for the influence of the gospel and the Scriptures.

The evidence is pretty plain; it is just sad that of all people, the LORD’s people cannot see it, and thus elect to take a different road — the end of which will be no different for them than it has been for all others who have thought to change society by force of law.

Oh, by the way, Obama is a communist. So I ask: Should fundamental Baptists think the same way communists think?

Twisted to Fit: Pt. V

It should be apparent to any child of God that the Devil has many lies to tell, and he really doesn’t care which one you believe, so long as you fall for one of his lies, and he can then use that to draw you away from ever really knowing the truth, and ever really serving the LORD God rightly and properly. If the Devil can render the believer’s witness and testimony suspect, or nullified, the he has accomplished much of his purpose. If he can get believers to buy into a lie about man’s nature, and thus teach and act counter to the actual working of God, then he has also accomplished as near as he can hope to accomplish in having a believable, willing, albeit ignorant accomplice in his work of subverting the true knowledge of the LORD and His working among men.

Thus, when statements are made like the following, which are contrary to the Scripture, we can know that the Devil is hard at work subverting the Scripture:

But Christianity is in a sad state. In the Church can be found some of the greatest supporters of the state, its leaders, its military, and its wars. Christians who are otherwise good, godly, disciples of Christ often turn into babbling idiots when it comes to the subjects of war, the military, and killing for the state. There is an unholy desire on the part of a great many Christians to legitimize killing in war. There persists the idea among too many Christians that mass killing in war is acceptable, but the killing of one’s neighbor violates the sixth commandment’s prohibition against killing. Christians who wouldn’t think of using the Lord’s name in vain blaspheme God when they make ridiculous statements like “God is pro-war.” Christians who try never to lie do so with boldness when they claim they are pro-life, but refuse to extend their pro-life sentiments to foreigners already out of the womb. . . “

“Christians who claim to have the mind of Christ show that they have lost their mind when they want the full force of government to protect a stem cell, but have no conscience about U.S. soldiers killing for the government.” ((Laurence M. Vance))

The great problem that exists among those who identify themselves as Christian, is not their glorification of war per se. Rather, it is the exact same problem that Christian pacifists and secular “peace activists” have:

They are bereft of the truth of the Scriptures concerning the nature of the LORD’s judgement and what war is really about.

The reason for this is perhaps traced directly back to the ugly nature of man, and what admitting that requires of each and every one of us. In this, Mr. Vance is no exception. Throughout his dissertation on the evils of war, he consistently failed to mention anything about the nature of man, and how that we cannot change that, anymore than a leopard can lose it spots. Like it or not, the Scripture is expressly clear about man’s nature and just how wicked and evil we really are. Moreover, Mr. Vance also failed to express anything about the dual nature of a Christian. In this, the Scripture is also clear that the born-again believer has the nature of Christ in the soul and the old nature of Adam in the flesh. Moreover, these two natures are continually at war one with the other.

Thus, when Mr. Vance declares:

“But Christianity is in a sad state. In the Church can be found some of the greatest supporters of the state, its leaders, its military, and its wars. Christians who are otherwise good, godly, disciples of Christ often turn into babbling idiots when it comes to the subjects of war, the military, and killing for the state.” ((ibid))

He rails against something that is part and parcel to the very nature of the flesh, and must be fought in the born-again child of God by feeding the soul through the word of God. However, his criticism of Christians in general in also misguided in that he draws no distinction about the legitimacy of government in Scripture, and that Christians are supposed to support civil government insofar as that government obeys the laws of God for government. The problem with most Christians is a lack of understanding about their role in civil society and the extent of their involvement in government. While it is nowhere near what some Christians engage in, it is also nowhere near what Laurence Vance is advocating. Thus, the truth is between the extremes advocated by Mr. Vance and those he chastises.

What then is that truth about war and a Christian’s view of war? Simply put, it is this:

War is the normal state of human affairs, and has been ever since Adam’s fall from innocence.

Thus, it is pointless to rail against war and think that somehow man can stop the wars that are engaged in by individuals and government. Moreover, a careful study of Scripture plainly reveals that war is one of the means of judgement used by the LORD God against those nations that exceed the bounds of conduct He has set. This will not change.

Sadly, I can only conclude that Laurence Vance is either entirely ignorant of the truth of Scripture (all the while touting his Theology degree and Christian credentials), or he is using Christianity as a cover for his real agenda, which has nothing to do with actual Christianity, and everything to do with promoting an ideology incompatible with the foundation of the United States.

If Mr. Vance really wanted to change the “war mentality” and serve Christ honestly, we would read and hear a whole lot more of the Gospel from him that what we do. Sadly, like the “Rev.” Jeremiah Wright, “Rev.” Jesse Jackson, “Rev.” Al Sharpton and the “Rev.” Michael “Snuffy” Pfleger, the Gospel is strangely absent. This tells the whole truth of what Laurence Vance is really all about — twisting the Scripture to fit his own agenda.

Twisted to Fit: Pt. IV

It is sad that many of those who hold degrees in Theology and Divinity seem to have little to no understanding of what the Scripture actually states. However, they are no alone in this as it is not the degree (or lack thereof) in Theology or Divinity that gives an understanding of the LORD God. Rather, it is adhering to the word of God and being obedient to His commands. This begins with actual salvation in Christ and continues with the believer’s obedience in being baptized in a proper New Testament church. This is the path the LORD ordained for this dispensation, and He will not change it until this particular dispensation ends.

Now, there are those who disagree with this, and they are free to do so, but it will not make them right. The reason they disagree is due to the fact that under the program the Lord Jesus Christ instituted, their degree becomes essentially useless as the LORD God will not honor it by giving them insight into His word. However, since they are not really interested in pleasing the LORD God, (if they were, they would have followed the Bible) but are interested only in impressing men, the degree in Theology or Divinity works perfectly fine for their purposes. Since we are here, perhaps the following question could be answered by those who possess a degree in Theology or Divinity:

Where in the New Testament do we find the school the Lord Jesus Christ ordained and commissioned to qualify individuals to receive degrees in Theology and/or Divinity?

Now, why is this brought up? Due to the following statement made by Mr. Vance (who holds a degree in Theology, and claims to be a conservative Christian):

War is the greatest destroyer of religion, morality, and decency. War is the greatest creator of fertile ground for genocides and atrocities. War is the greatest destroyer of families and young lives. War is the greatest creator of famine, disease, and homelessness. War is the health of the state.

Let us go back to the real reason war exists:

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. (Isaiah 14:12-15)

War exists on this earth because Lucifer (now Satan) brought it here when he tempted man in the Garden of Eden and man succumbed to that temptation and rebelled against the express commandment of God to not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In so doing, Satan conquered man’s dominion and now rules the earth. We are expressly told of four specific aspects of Satan’s administration of this earth in Revelation:

And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:1-8)

We know this is Satan’s administration of the earth due to statements in Scripture that speak directly to the Fall and who the god of this world is:

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. (Romans 5:12-14)

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (II Corinthians 4:3-4)

And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. (Luke 4:5-8)

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (Ephesians 2:1-3)

Thus, by the above, man is at war with God, and bent on rebellion to the LORD. We can also see that man has a greater penchant for following the Devil, than anything the LORD God states that man ought to do. By this, we ought to understand that wars exists on this earth, not due to government and some unknown desire of the “state” to wage war. But solely due each of us individually, and the violence we harbor in ourselves toward the LORD and His rule over us. This also is made plain by the Scripture’s account of the Millennial Reign of Christ and what will happen after 1000 years of peace on this earth with Satan bound and unable to influence man.

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. (Psalm 2:1-6)

Even though there will be peace on this earth, it will be an enforced peace as man is violent in his nature and extremely selfish. We want what we want, and don’t care who we hurt in the process. Though we may only intend to benefit ourselves and leave everyone else untouched by our actions, we cannot perceive the full ramifications of our actions and thus know everyone that will be affected. This is the law of unintended consequences. Only the LORD God knows the full ramifications of our thoughts and actions, and has expressly instructed us that we are not capable of governing ourselves. However, we do not wish to hear that. Moreover, we do not want the LORD telling us what we will do, and when we will do it. Yet, this is exactly what will happen during the Millennial Reign of Christ. The response of man is already made known by the LORD in His word. After 1000 years of chaffing under the just rule of Christ, man is ready to openly rebel, all the people of the earth need is a leader:

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. (Revelation 20:7-9)

No, the problem is not that war is the health of the state. The problem of war is solely due to the wicked heart of unregenerate man and his hatred for his Creator. All that Satan has to do is convince someone that engaging in the destruction of another person is somehow beneficial and ought to be done. Like flies on stink, we are drawn to it every time. It is a problem inherent in the fallen, wicked and sinful nature of man, and it will not change short of being born again with an entirely new nature — the nature of Christ.

Thus, Mr. Vance, the Mennonites, Quakers, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Amish and various other “peace activists” are in denial of the truth about man. This makes them no better than the Communist who believes that man can better himself, if only the social environment is brought in line with communist doctrine. Worse yet, it renders all the religious groups listed above easy prey for the Devil — as they already believe one lie about man.

To be continued . . .

Twisted to Fit: Pt. III

Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. (Exodus 15:1-3)

The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies. I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once. I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools. (Isaiah 42:13-15)

I have made some shocking statements about religious people, perhaps even some provocative and incendiary statements. In fact, people that don’t know anything about me might be inclined to believe that my remarks thus far have been an attack on Christianity. To the contrary, I am a Bible-believing Christian, as conservative as they come. Probably more conservative than many nominal Christians would feel comfortable with. True, I have spoken or written negative things about every religion, sect, and Christian denomination – including my own – but the difference between me and Christian apologists for Bush, the Republican Party, the military, war, and the state is that I worship the God of the Bible, not Mars, the god of war. Although I am not an ordained minister, I have preached in churches and other venues. I have earned degrees in theology. I have taught children in Sunday school and adults in Bible college. I will put my conservative Christian credentials up against anyone.

Really?

Obviously Mr. Vance, you do not read the Scripture as much as you say as the above verses reveal the LORD God to be a “man of war.” Your very clear statement “and the state is that I worship the God of the Bible, not Mars, the god of war.” is a reference that could have easily been left out of the speech altogether if all you were after was to rebuke those “Christians” that are so bent on totally supporting President Bush without regard to the rightness of his actions. Instead, you have equated the LORD God of the Bible to the false god and idol of Roman religion, Mars. According to your own statements concerning your qualifications, you should know better. Oh, you do attempt to give cover to your statements by continuing with the following:

I think I know Christianity and Christians as well as anyone. So, please understand that it is not Christianity I am criticizing; it is Christians who, by their persistent support for war, the warfare state, and the military, are giving Christianity a bad name.

If you really “knew” Christianity as well as you say you do, you would know that the Scripture plainly teaches there is no “Church,” but there are churches, meaning that the Scripture does not teach the concept of a universal church, visible or invisible. You would also know that there were churches throughout the last twenty centuries that never came under the wicked system of Roman Catholicism, and were never part of the “Reformation” and the Protestant movement. Moreover, you would know the names of these various groups and that their doctrines were remarkably similar, and very much in keeping with the doctrines of fundamental Baptist churches you find today. Understand though, this does not refer to Board, Fellowship, or Convention Baptist churches, but those little, out of the way, unaffiliated churches who still hold fast the Scripture.

No, Mr. Vance, your criticism of “Christians” is very much like the pot calling the kettle black. The “Christians” you supposedly oppose have an agenda, and you have an agenda — and its not holding fast the word of God. You could have easily criticized those who claim Christ, and have considerable error, without attacking a government institution that has existed since the first king ruled and reigned on this earth. In fact, your attack upon the use of any force by a child of God implicitly attacks Abraham (Genesis 14:13-16) and Samuel (I Samuel 15:32-33) and it denies the reality of this world and the reality of the spiritual war that has been on-going since Lucifer rebelled against the LORD God:

You know Mr. Vance, if you knew the Scriptures as well as you say you do, you would know of certainty that the wars and conflicts of this world are but a reflection and shadow of the spiritual war. You would also know that war is one of the ways the LORD God judges nations:

In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets. Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon. (II Kings 24:1-4)

Whether we like it or not, war is, and will remain a prominent feature of life on this earth. Until this earth is destroyed by a fire so hot that even the very particles of the atoms are consumed, war will be a continual feature of man’s existence. Even during the Millennial Reign of Christ in which peace will be enforced with a rod of iron in the hand of the Word of God and Satan is bound for a thousand years, man will be at war with God in his heart. The Scripture does not lie, in our unregenerate state, we hate God and His rule over us. We are rebellious to the core, and want nothing better than to satisfy our own selfish desires at the expense of everyone else. That is why the LORD states in the Scripture:

I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. (Psalm 82:6-7)

And, why the LORD God challenges man with the following:

Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you. (Isaiah 41:21-24)

In fact, the LORD God has done everything He can do to reconcile man to Himself, yet man hates God, and will continue to hate God as long as there is one soul that refuses to come to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. In this, the Scripture is extremely clear:

They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away. (Psalm 69:4)

Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise; For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause. For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love. (Psalm 109:1-4)

He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. (John 15:23-25)

Man will never escape war on this earth. Thus, to make the following declaration is to deny the truth of man’s state, and deny the truth of what the LORD God has repeatedly stated:

War is the greatest destroyer of religion, morality, and decency. War is the greatest creator of fertile ground for genocides and atrocities. War is the greatest destroyer of families and young lives. War is the greatest creator of famine, disease, and homelessness. War is the health of the state.

To be continued . . .

Twisted to Fit: Pt. II

There are so many spurious charges and broad brush statements made in Laurence Vance’s speech that I almost do not know where to begin in addressing the outright errors present. Perhaps then, after answering some outright erroneous statements, it would be best to concentrate on a few certain things the Bible states about war and the relationship of the Christian to civil government.

In beginning, I think it essential to separate out the fact that, like Jeremiah Wright, Laurence Vance uses the Scripture as a cloak for his actual agenda, in which he attempts to legitimize his claims with out of context and partial quotes from Scripture. In going through his speech, and then perusing his other writings, it is quite apparent that Mr. Vance, despite his claims to the contrary, has another agenda besides trying to turn Christians back to a stricter adherence to Scripture. The essence of that agenda is found in the closing statements of his June 8th speech:

It is high time for Christians who still defend the state, its leaders, its military, and its wars to wake up and open their eyes and recognize some cold, hard facts:

* The United States has become a rogue state, a pariah nation, an evil empire.
* The United States’ military is the greatest force for evil in the world.
* The United States is the arms dealer to the world.
* The United States is not the world’s policeman.
* The United States cannot redeem the world through violence.
* The United States is not the God-anointed protector of Israel that enjoys a special relationship with God.
* The United States government is the greatest threat to American life, liberty, and property – not the leaders or the military or the people of Iraq, Iran, Syria, China, Russia, or Venezuela.

Our republic is crumbling. It is imperative that we return to the noninterventionist foreign policy of the Founders. Christians, of all people, should be leading the way.

Now, is it really the purview of Christians to direct the society of the United States, and thus its government to return to the Constitution?

Moreover, is it absolutely true that the United States has become “a rogue state, a pariah nation, an evil empire.”?

Is it true that “The United States’ military is the greatest force for evil in the world.”?

Is it true that “The United States is the arms dealer to the world.”?

Is it true that “The United States is not the world’s policeman.”?

Is it true that “The United States cannot redeem the world through violence.”?

Is it true that “The United States is not the God-anointed protector of Israel that enjoys a special relationship with God.”?

Is it true that “The United States government is the greatest threat to American life, liberty, and property – not the leaders or the military or the people of Iraq, Iran, Syria, China, Russia, or Venezuela.”?

The problem with so many of these statements is that they sound just like known communists and propaganda straight from the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. One would have to be a fool or totally ignorant of the statements and publications of the Soviet Union, the PRC, and their agents and front men to not be familiar with the theme espoused in the above statements.

However, the real question is:

As a Christian, whose purpose it is to serve the LORD God and put forth the gospel every day, what does any of this really have to do with me and my service to God?

In answering that, which must be done to thoroughly answer the rest of Mr. Vance’s assertions, we must understand the Christian’s relationship to the world, and to the nation in which the LORD God put them. However, before continuing, a brief answer to the above questions are:

No, it is not the responsibility of Christians to force or “lead the way” to a return to constitutional government. Please note the use of the word “force” in the answer. It is the duty of the Christian to witness and testify of the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel, and uphold the constitutions, State and Federal, as they were framed.

No, the United States is not “a rogue state, a pariah nation, or an evil empire.” If you think so, try living in Russia, the PRC, Cuba, or North Korea. Now, while we are not that bad, we are certainly not following the Constitution, or the spirit and intent of it. We do need to return to what the Founders intended as they did understand how a nation ought to function in this world.

No, it is not true that “The United States’ military is the greatest force for evil in the world.” If it is, then it is worse than the FSB (formerly KGB), Islam (which sends people to Hell every day), the Catholic Church (ditto), Buddhism (ditto), Taoism (ditto), Jehovah’s Witnesses (ditto), Mormonism (ditto), etc. etc., and a host of other false religions. The greatest force for evil in this world is our own individual hearts. If you doubt that, then you call the LORD God a liar — and I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes.

No, it is not true that “The United States is the arms dealer to the world.” Try China and the former Soviet satellite states for that one. The most common combat small arm in the world is not the M-16 or its variants. Rather, it is the AK-47/74 and all its variants. By the way, who did produce the most tanks, combat aircraft, missiles, ships, bombs, etc. all those years of the Cold War? Moreover, just where are those weapons now?

Yes, it is true that “The United States is not the world’s policeman.” However, it is also true that the United States should be an influence throughout the world. We simply do not need to, and should not “impose” our form of government on everyone else. Education is far more effective at demonstrating the superiority of the American system.

Yes, it is true that “The United States cannot redeem the world through violence.” However, it is also true that no one else can either. This statement displays nothing but ignorance of the Scripture, and presents a straw man to be destroyed by Mr. Vance. The fact is, this world will never be redeemed by any method — violent or otherwise. No, the LORD God is interested in redeeming individual souls through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone (which, by the way, was a violent act). This world will be, in the end, destroyed — not redeemed. Did the Lord Jesus Christ die for the world (all the people in it)? Yes, He certainly did. However, the Scripture does not lie, and it plainly states that the vast majority of people in this world reject the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel, and consign themselves to eternal damnation.

Yes, it is true that “The United States is not the God-anointed protector of Israel that enjoys a special relationship with God.” However, to say that we should not stand by Israel, is to fly in the face of Scripture. Mr. Vance ought to know this as well. Israel, whether they currently follow the LORD God or not, is still the apple of God’s eye, and they will not depart from His presence. When the United States is long gone, Israel will still be around. Why? Because they are the physical children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, which the LORD gave certain promises to, which said promises are not yet completely fulfilled.

No, it is not true that “The United States government is the greatest threat to American life, liberty, and property – not the leaders or the military or the people of Iraq, Iran, Syria, China, Russia, or Venezuela.” However, this is not the “us versus them” shallow issue that Mr. Vance makes it out to be. In fact, again Mr. Vance has set-up a straw man to knock down. The truth is that the American People are the greatest threat to their own liberty — not the American Government. There are approximately 300 million people in the United States. Of that, over half own some sort of firearm (most own several). In fact, there are probably enough firearms in private possession to equip every man, woman, and child in the United States with at least one firearm, and ammunition to boot. Plainly, the liberty of the American citizen is in their own hands, and not in the hands of the government. Moreover, the majority of individuals in the U.S. Military believe in liberty, and in private possession of arms. While they may disagree over the extent of the right, they do agree that private possession of arms should be the case. Now, whose fault will it be if the American citizen loses their liberty? The problem with the American Government arises from a problem with how American citizens think and behave, and what they allow the American Government to “get away with,” and not with the government itself. I would remind Mr. Vance of the truth of the following statement by Samuel Adams:

“A general dissolution of the principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy…. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but once they lose their virtue, they will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader…. If virtue and knowledge are diffused among the people, they will never be enslaved. This will be their great security.” — Samuel Adams

The problem with the American people is one of a loss of virtue and accountability. Thus, the American people do not demand those in government be virtuous, nor do they demand accountability from their government. If they did so, America would not have the problems she has.

This, interestingly enough, brings one right back to the duties of a Christian in civil society, and what a Christian’s view of war ought to be.

To be continued . . .