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)

Invalid Questions – Part 2

In addressing the questions raised by Aaron, we can examine them in whatever order we desire. However, since there is an order to things, a failure to examine them in proper order will yield some very interesting results for our doctrine. In the Scripture, there is an order to building doctrine, which is expressed in the following passage:

Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. (Isaiah 28:9-13)

Hence, to begin to understand what the Scripture states as far as doctrine is concerned, one must be a born-again child of God, and have some amount of maturity. Moreover, there must be a willingness to learn in the manner the LORD has prescribed, which is “precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little” and that process cannot be hurried, rushed, or shortcut, as the LORD God will not bless such “workarounds” as he made quite clear to the apostles:

I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. (John 16:12)

And again, that any learning is totally dependent upon what the LORD allows:

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit. (Hebrews 6:1-3)

Thus, we have to do everything, including the way we approach and address doctrine, the way the LORD God is pleased with, else we aren’t going to get very far and be right in our determination of what proper and correct doctrine is. In seeking to accomplish this, one of the first things we must understand is that Scripture is to be trusted implicitly. This is not to say we blindly trust Scripture, but that we trust it implicitly, the LORD God having proven its accuracy.

Therefore, when we come to understand that Scripture is silent on a matter, we implicitly understand that we also should be silent on the matter and not “pry” into what we can infer about the matter. Additionally, when Scripture demonstrates that we “started in the middle” of a subject, we should accept that correction and seek the actual beginning of how the subject is addressed. A prime example of this concerns what the whole focus of the Scripture is, or “What the Bible is All About.” Interestingly enough, finding out what the Scripture is all about doesn’t require an entire book, but only a few of passages from the Scripture itself:

And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. (Luke 1:67-75)

Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:25-27)

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:44-47)

And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (Revelation 19:9-10)

Hence, by the above passages, the whole focus of the Scripture is the Lord Jesus Christ and His work to effect the redemption of man. ((Yes, the statement is true. Everything the Scripture gives us significant detail about does fit within the framework of bringing about the salvation of man and how the LORD God accomplished that work. It is at once and the same time, both utterly simple and terribly complex and complicated.)) Thus, by beginning where the LORD wants us to begin in Scripture, the answer to this question, which often yields books, is given by just a few passages of Scripture that are easily understood. So it is with the following questions:

1. Why is it that one unregenerate person believes the gospel and not another?

5. What principle in him made him choose what he did?

Now, when I was originally given these questions I was told that I could not say “I don’t know.” and leave it at that. I supposed the assumption was that because the Scripture does not tell us why one person chooses to believe and another doesn’t, it means that unregenerate individuals cannot of themselves choose to believe the truth, and thus be saved. In fact, this is the Calvinist/Reformed Theology position. However, it carries the implicit assumption that in gaining the knowledge of good and evil, we somehow are not ever able to recognize or elect anything right, good and true. This implicit assertion of Calvinism is directly contradicted by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself:

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matthew 7:9-11)

Clearly, the Lord Jesus Christ who is God Himself, plainly acknowledges and points out, using it to teach the goodness and mercy of God, that we do know, and are able to recognize what is good and right and true, even though we are evil. Our problem is not that we cannot see and acknowledge the truth. Rather, it is a quite severe unwillingness to submit to that truth we recognize and acknowledge. There is a fundamental difference and distinction between acknowledgment of a particular truth, and submission to that truth.

Since the Scripture does plainly teach that all individuals can and are able to recognize the truth, and are able to choose between the truth and a lie, and yet does not explain why one chooses and another does not, I replied back to the challenge with the following:

Well, first off, your “”I don’t know” is not an answer.” is rank hypocrisy due to the fact that you Calvinists cannot explain what the criteria is that your “god” uses to determine who he will save and who he will send to hell. If you can show me that criteria in the Scripture, then I will accept this condition of not using “I don’t know” for an answer. Otherwise, I am going to invalidate at least two (2) of your questions, possibly others. ((private e-mail to Aaron))

Of course, what I received back was some very circular logic about God performing His pleasure, in choosing to save some whensoever, and howsoever He wills. What I was never sent was an actual set of criterion for how God decided who would be saved and who would be condemned. So it was that I choose to proceed to answer the two specific questions that have no answer with an explanation from Scripture as to why there is no answer. The long and short of it can be given quickly:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:) (II Chronicles 6:30) see also I Kings 8:39

Here we plainly see two things:

First, it is clearly understood that the question posed by the LORD in Jeremiah, is a rhetorical question in which the obvious answer is “No one.” Which is to say that each and every individual’s heart lies to them and deceives them about their true intentions. We do know from the rest of Scripture that this applies to those who are not born-again in Christ, and thus are unregenerate. ((Here I can just see the Calvinist trying to claim victory by saying this proves their contention that one must be regenerated to believe. However, it does not as their strange contention that one must be regenerated to believe, directly contradicts a number of passages in Scripture.)) Since every person was at one time (and most still are) unregenerate, Jeremiah, Chapter 17, verse 9 applies equally across the board to everyone, so long as they remain dead in trespasses and sins. If at some point they come to Christ for salvation and are born-again in Christ Jesus, that changes. In our unregenerate state this is how we are — every single one of us.

Second, as Solomon made very plain (and the LORD caused it to be recorded twice in Scripture), it is only the LORD God who knows the heart of an individual as it really is. No one else is either capable of, or privy to the inner workings of the heart of man. This stands to reason as we are expressly told we cannot know our own hearts. How then could we actually evaluate the heart of someone else? After all, if our own vision and understanding are impaired, how could we knowingly, honestly pass judgement as to what is in the heart of another? The best we are given to judge by is what the Lord Jesus instructed during the sermon on the mount:

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:15-20)

As one brother in Christ put it some years back, we are at best “fruit inspectors.” The long and short of it is our hearts lie to us, and we cannot discern what is actually in the heart of another. Moreover, to repeat, only the LORD God knows what is in each and every individual’s heart. Hence, why one particular person chooses to believe and another doesn’t, is a complete mystery to us, but not to the LORD God. However, He has plainly chosen to not waste time explaining the intricate “whys” and “wherefores” of one person versus another. After all, what real purpose would it serve anyway? First off, most folks would deny that is what is happening in their hearts, and second, they would view it a mere entertainment. Thus, no real good would come of it. Nonetheless, there is a day coming in which all those inner workings and thoughts will be revealed.

To be continued . . .

Back to Posting

Unfortunately, the last several days have been consumed with assisting with a Writ of Certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court. I say that it is unfortunate, because it should not be required to put forth to the highest court in the land that the following words mean exactly what they state:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

I will probably repeat myself ten thousand times over:

The problem is not the arms an individual possesses or carries. The problem lies in the heart of the individual.

Let’s put it this way:

If men had the nature of angels (and not the fallen ones), then every person could have their own nuclear weapon and keep it personally, and no one would ever be in danger.

Strange, the founders of the United States of America knew this:

“If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.” (Federalist 51)

The problem is, men are not, neither do they have the nature of angels. No, the truth of every person of the race of man is this:

And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. (Genesis 8:21)

And so it is that “gun control” will ever and always be an utter failure. Until the hearts of men change, and that will only happen in Christ, the idea that somehow we can control bad behavior by controlling the objects individuals have access to, is doomed to total failure.

I should be able to return to writing and posting, among other things, more regularly — saving that I have another interruption coming up soon.

Scams

You know, we all get them anymore — the e-mails promising lots of money if we only help so and so get the funds their rich (father, uncle, mother, etc. etc.) relative left them, but is all bound up in some legal arrangement that only your funds can help clear. Or, the latest is the foreign distribution company that promises lots of money if you will only help them process their funds. However they word it, the fact remains that it is a scam.

Well, I have gotten a few lately, and I thought about what to do. After all, these people are lying to me to try and get some of my money. Not only that, they are pulling this same scam on who knows how many others.

What to do . . .?

Then it hit me. What am I all about anyway? Ah . . . what I need to do is give them a reminder that the LORD God knows every thought, and they need to obey the Gospel. After all, that is what they need most of all. You never know, one of them might actually get saved as a result. Even if they didn’t, everyone instinctively knows that God is real and God knows what they are doing.

So I did. I send the following reply (high priority of course) and let them know that they can e-mail me back when they get done reading it.

Guess what?

They don’t.

************************************************************************************************************************

Hello Scammer,

You know, the LORD God does know what you are doing. He does know what you are thinking, and how you are lying to people to steal their money through the false promises you make. Rest assured, you will be held accountable. Job testifies of this, as does King David and the rest of the Scripture:

Then Job answered the LORD, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. (Job 42:1-2)

And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. (I Chronicles 28:9)

Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? (Isaiah 29:15)

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 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 12:33-37)

Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. (Mark 1:14-15)

Now, I figure that is about all you will handle at this point. In fact, I really don’t expect you to get this far. If you have, e-mail me back. After all, you do need salvation and a change of heart so that you may depart from wickedness.

In Christ,

Paul W. Davis
www.reproachofmen.org
Ebenezer Baptist Mission
Fundamental, Unaffiliated, KJV-only, Baptist

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What in the World?

Grace Happens (36K)

You know, cell phones with cameras are interesting tools, particularly when you see something of interest and have no actual camera to photograph it with. A couple of days ago I was sent the picture above, which was taken by a cell phone camera and then e-mailed to me. The technology to do that is interesting, but the picture that caused that technology to be used is not.

I really do not know quite what to say about the picture except that it conveys an ignorance of what grace is, and a total disrespect for the LORD God who bestows it. No, according to the person who produced this bumper sticker, and the people who decide to plaster it on their vehicle, grace is just one of those things that “happens.” In essence there is no real reason for grace, it is just there randomly. It might happen to one person, and not the next. In all, it assigns a randomness to the actions of the LORD God (if that is even who or what they are referring to) that does not exist. No, everything the LORD God does is deliberate and planned as He knows all things at all times. The way I often put it when teaching or explaining it, is this:

God sees all time all at once, and differentiates every point in time from every other point in time.

So it is, that nothing is new to God as He is already in eternity future and yet is present in eternity past. He knows past, present, and future simultaneously. Time then, is a creation of God — He is the Author of time. Moreover, the LORD God doesn’t need time to exist.

Consider that for a while — if you don’t go around the bend a bit, you will begin to understand how the LORD looks at things.

Now, how does this bear on the ignorance displayed on bumper sticker above? Simple. Think about what I just explained about the LORD God and time, and then add the following to it:

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:12-13)

Then Job answered the LORD, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. (Job 42:1-2)

Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. (Romans 4:16-17)

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8)

Now, I could quote from literally dozens of passages that all speak of the fact that the LORD God knows exactly what He will do with regard to each and every person that will ever live on the face of this earth from beginning to end. He assuredly knows what each and every person who is yet to be born will think and do throughout their entire lives. This also means that the LORD knew all our thoughts in eternity past, before He ever created this earth. In fact, the LORD knew in eternity past that I would be moved to answer the ignorance displayed above, and that you would read it. Remember, the LORD God knows every thought you have, and ever will have — and He knew so in eternity past. As the LORD said by the apostle Paul:

And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. (Romans 9:10-18) ((This is not to say that Calvinists are correct. Rather, the rule for how the LORD God deals with man is expressed in Jeremiah 17:10, which states:

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.))

Thus, grace does not “happen.” To claim such, is to assign iniquity to God. The Scripture has a word for that, it’s called “blasphemy.”

You know, the really sad part of this is that supposed “Christians” tout this idea. I did a search of the web and most of the things that came up were either “Christian” or Christian related. The one exception was the first hit which was, well . . . I’ll let their “About Us” page say it:

Grace is a gift received simply because we declare it so;
a smile, a sunset, a hand extended, a life well lived.

What if we said, “Grace Happens”. What if we believed it.
What if we practiced it- and passed it along.

What would be possible?

There are a lot more people that believe Grace Happens
than you might imagine. LOOK AT YOU. Surprise!

Worse yet is the blog When Grace Happens, which is supposed to be run by a member of the “clergy” and in his profile he has his “information:” ((The man who owns this blog has since removed his profile. At the time of this post the profile was fully visible. Now, it has been removed for whatever reasons he deemed necessary.))

Age: 50
Gender: Male
Astrological Sign: Sagittarius
Zodiac Year: Rooster
Industry: Religion
Occupation: Clergy
Location: Rosenberg : TX : United States

By the way, what was that the LORD God said about astrology and consulting the stars? Didn’t the LORD God call that wickedness?

Or even this one: Grace Happens, run by the “Rev.” Ken Collins.

Is it any wonder America is under the judgement of God? Based upon the ignorance of this one doctrine alone, I really don’t think so. I am reminded of the admonition of my Lord and Savior during the sermon on the mount:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:21-23)

Notice what the Lord Jesus said: “Not every one that saith unto me,”

I don’t think that calling Him your Savior, and then blaspheming Him by declaring “grace happens” is going to work in the day He judges you. After all, he knows exactly what you are thinking right now, and He knows every thought you will ever have.

Grace doesn’t “happen,” it is bestowed by the LORD based upon His criteria. To think anything else is wickedness.

Lawful and Unlawful

Yesterday, while out and about, I observed a bumper sticker on a car that stated the following:

“Why do we kill people who kill people to show that killing people is wrong”

Now, it should not surprise anyone that I saw this in Fayetteville, and immediately outside the confines of the University. Immediately I thought of the lack of understanding that accompanies this question as framed. I would expect this from a child with no background in history, or knowledge of society. Particularly, I would expect this of a child who had never read the Scripture.

In addressing this, first the rather simple logic of the deterrent effect of the death penalty, and the respect of the rights of others will be touched on. After that, we shall see what the LORD God has to say about the death penalty.

I did a Google search on this question as that would likely yield the best results. After all, if it’s on a bumper sticker, its probably on the internet too. I was not surprised to find that it was indeed on the web. What I was surprised to find were sites that had this question, and the answers given in response to it. To say the least, the answers reveal a lack of depth in the thought processes of the respondents. Need I say this does not (more…)

Fighting Crime? – Pt. 2

Yesterday, I discussed the logic behind abortion and how abortion itself reduces our respect for the rights of others, particularly the right to life. I also demonstrated that abortion condemned the innocent and allowed the guilty to go free, and that we, as a nation, had codified it into law. The last statement I made was “I wonder what the LORD has to say about that . . .”

There really is no need to wonder. If we can figure out logically that abortion condemns the innocent, does not respect the right to life, and destroys the most defenseless among us, it is not difficult to know what the LORD thinks about abortion and allowing it to exist under legal protection. Nonetheless, we would do well to look into the word of God so that we can understand why we are being judged as a nation, and what our end will be.

Before beginning, it ought to be understood that the LORD God used Israel as an example for all nations to look to pertaining to what He will tolerate, and what He will not. The LORD made this very plain in both Leviticus 18, verses 24-28, and Deuteronomy 18, verses 9-18, when He plainly told Israel what they could not do as the Canaanites did, as those were the reasons the Canaanites were being driven out of the land. In so doing, the LORD God lets us know that all nations are held to the same standard of conduct, whether they acknowledge the LORD or not. Indeed, we would do well to remember, the LORD God’s existence is not predicated upon whether anyone believes in Him. The LORD God is the I AM and nothing is going to change that.

In beginning, it is essential to understand that the LORD God is a God of judgement, and that plainly means that when someone is guilty, they are held accountable. Moreover, the innocent are never to be made to pay for the crimes of the guilty.

Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked. (Exodus 23:7)

Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen. (Deuteronomy 27:25)

Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. (Jeremiah 22:3)

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)

The above makes it very plain that the LORD God is not pleased with those who deem it necessary to destroy the innocent for the convenience of the guilty. But that is not all. It becomes even more egregious when it is a child who suffers for the sake of the parents. To the LORD, children hold a special place. In all His creation, a little child is a precious thing to the LORD:

Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 18:10)

Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. (Matthew 18:14)

Now the statements the Lord Jesus Christ made sit in the context of the salvation the LORD offers to all through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Such a comparison, being drawn by the LORD Himself, shows the gravity of looking down upon children, and the egregiousness of killing a little child for the convenience of the parents. When the LORD compares the despising and destruction of little children and that loss; to the loss of a soul, it is a clear picture of what the LORD thinks of those who despise and kill little children.

The why of this is also plain in the rest of the Scripture.

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127:3-5)

This alone is enough to show what is wrong with abortion. After all, a child in the womb is a direct gift from God. It is a blessing he bestows. Yes, it is indeed a consequence of actions taken, but there are few consequences so full of joy and the potential for joy as this one is. Thus, to reject it — is to reject the LORD and is an affront to God. Moreover, as previously shown, it is to deny the responsibility for one’s actions.

However, that is compounded by the fact that children, particularly those in the womb, are the most innocent among us. No child in the womb has done anything to anyone, at any time. They did not ask to be there, and they have no choice in the matter. Hence, to kill them is to commit the most egregious of all crimes. The LORD condemned Israel for this — and they did not touch those in the womb. Instead they took their babies and sacrificed them to the “gods” of the heathen:

They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them: But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. (Psalm 106:34-38)

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 24:3-4)

What innocent blood did Manasseh shed? It was the sacrificing of little children to the heathen gods so that Manasseh could be absolved of his sin. ‘Ah,’ the advocates of abortion would say, ‘we are not sacrificing little children to gods, therefore we cannot be held to this.’ However, they miss a very important statement made by the Lord Jesus Christ to the scribes and Pharisees when challenged about being the Son of God:

Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? (John 10:34-36)

Of course, the law He spoke of was Psalm 82:

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)

Thus, the “gods” the little children in the womb are sacrificed to, are none other than the parent(s) of the unborn child. Like “gods,” the parent(s) take upon themselves that which belongs to God only — the determination of who lives and who dies. Indeed, this is worse than the slave owners of old, who the LORD instructed they were not to take the life of their slave, nor were they to arbitrarily punish those under their power. Here, we have a child that has done nothing at all, and yet the parent(s), decide to usurp a prerogative of God only, and put the child to death. Not to justify Manasseh and the ancient Israelites, but at least they allowed the child to be born. As we can see, the LORD God destroyed them for their wickedness.

No, for this thing there is no excuse. Moreover, in our heart and soul we all, even those who perform the abortions and those who have them done, know that this is egregiously wrong. The LORD God is angry at America for this, if for nothing else. Moreover, like ancient Judah, we will not be pardoned either.

Fighting Crime? – Part 1

“London, England (LifeNews.com) — A trio of economists have released the results of a new study disproving the supposed link between the legalization of abortion and a reduction in crime. John Donohue and Steven Levitt first introduced the repeatedly-criticized theory in 2001 and another report shows it’s untrue.” ((http://www.lifenews.com/int692.html))

“The economists also note that US crime rates fell in the 1990s but that the rates fell not only among younger Americans born after Roe v. Wade, but fell among older Americans as well – indicating abortion likely had no effect on crime.

“Given all this, it seems highly unlikely that the legalization of abortion can, as Donohue and Levitt hypothesized, explain the dramatic drop in crime observed in the US in the 1990s,” the economists write.

The authors also reject the hypothesis that abortion reduced the number of unwanted children who were more likely to commit crimes.

“Prior to the legalization of abortion, unwanted babies did not necessarily become unwanted children,” they wrote.

The authors point to data showing adoption rates in England were significantly higher before abortion was allowed than afterwards — showing many so-called unwanted children were adopted by loving families who wanted them.

“The rate of infants under five who had been adopted at birth decreased from 16 per thousand in the mid-1960s to about 5 per thousand just 10 years later,” they said.

“Rather than just reducing the number of unwanted children, abortion legalization appears to have reduced the number of unwanted infants who would have ended up (through adoption) being wanted children,” they write.” ((ibid))

You know; we didn’t need a study to prove that. That apparently rare thing, “common sense” dictates that abortion would not decrease crime, and would actually increase it. How can that be? Let’s look at the logic behind abortion and see what is actually there.

The advocates of abortion claim abortion is necessary as the child is unwanted, and therefore would be a burden upon the mother and/or the family into which the child would be born. Moreover, since that child is unwanted, it will not be treated well and will grow up in an environment that would cause it to become a social misfit, and would be more likely to commit crime. The child would be a particular burden upon poor, unwed women who cannot provide properly, and would drag that family further down into poverty. We can even go so far as to say that the child, who is unwanted and not aborted, would themselves be far more likely to become a burden upon society as they, being raised in a poverty-stricken home, would also end up on welfare.

In all the justification given above, and I have read and heard all the above-mentioned justifications, it all starts with “the unwanted child.” You know, that’s funny, and not in the ha, ha sense either; it is funny in that the reason the child exists in the first place is ignored. Last I knew, children didn’t just suddenly appear in the womb. No, there is always a cause, and that cause demands the actions of two individuals. Otherwise, children simply don’t exist, and cannot exist. A child comes about as a result of a deliberate act committed by two individuals. Generally speaking, this act is freely engaged in, and usually without thought to the consequences. In other words, the child did not ask to be here, yet now it is here, as a result of the deliberate behavior of two other individuals.

So then, according to those who advocate abortion, the proper response to that is to relieve the responsible parties of their deliberate actions, and make the child pay for what its parents did. An analogy to this would be making the victim of a crime, pay for the criminal’s actions. It seems to me that this is turning justice on its head.

However, not to be deterred, the advocates of abortion have a rejoinder that goes somewhat like this: ‘It’s not really a child as it’s not viable while in the womb. It requires special conditions to live, and thus is not really a person, particularly under the law.’

Really? I suppose then we have had instances of women giving birth to snakes, turtles, pigs, ducks and the like? No? Why is it that every time, all throughout human history, women always give birth to little humans that look remarkably like their parents? Just why is that?

Perhaps it is because that fertilized egg in the womb is actually a person after all, and has all the processes of life occurring in it from the moment it was fertilized? Or is it that all our biology books, and the decades of biological research are in error? And as for special conditions for life, I would tend to think that needing an adequate amount of water every day is a special condition for life. I think that one ought to be able to subsist on coffee, and anyone who drinks water requires special conditions for life. Silly isn’t it? The reality is that determining what special conditions for life are, is very much like beauty — it is in the eye of the beholder. Moreover, if the life of a person you love is at stake, no condition required for them to live is special. On the other hand, if it is someone you hate, well, simply allowing them to breathe air is too much to ask isn’t it?

Perhaps it really all boils down to this: we don’t want to be held responsible for what we do, and the activities we engage in: no matter the consequences.

Isn’t that the logic of criminals? It certainly is utterly selfish isn’t it? It is the “I don’t give rip about anyone else, I want what I want, and I don’t care who it hurts.” attitude.

It seems to me that this kind of attitude fosters and engenders an increase in crime, and not a decrease. It also fosters the abdication of personal responsibility, which is precisely what we have observed since the decision of Roe v. Wade in 1973. Moreover, that attitude of ‘I’m not responsible’ permeates throughout all society and affects every portion of our life.

Additionally, we do know, whether we consciously admit it or not, that we are making the innocent pay for the crimes of the guilty. You know, we are outraged when a criminal sues the victim of his or her crime because the criminal was injured either on the victim’s property, or by the victim, and the criminal wins the lawsuit. But we think nothing of the woman who aborts her child because it is “unwanted,” or she “can’t afford it.” At least when the criminal brings a civil lawsuit, it doesn’t result in the death of the victim of their crime. This not to say that I think criminals should be allowed to sue victims of their crime — they shouldn’t. It is merely to point out a dichotomy in our thinking. We are outraged by one, but not the other — wonder why?

No, if we really sit down and look at our society and the changes it has undergone since 1973, we can see the outworking of the underlying attitudes and thought processes present in the whole concept of abortion. Common sense dictates that not only would crime not drop as a result of abortion being legalized, but would actually increase. Even if the way crime is reported is changed so that the statistics don’t seem so bad, we can still see the degradation of society and the loss of respect for the rights of others.

We all know, whether we are willing to admit it or not, that abortion is taking an innocent life. We have codified the ability of the guilty to take the life of an innocent, and that taking of life is entirely without consequence under the law. In short, we have said that certain innocent parties have no right to life under the law. Just how do you think that impacts the rest of our rights, since all other rights must have the right to life to be effective?

Think about it: what an oxymoron to say that we can reduce crime by killing innocents.

Wonder what the LORD has to say about that . . .

Another god

By embracing the wage issue as a core part of their message, progressives have seen direct political gains. In an era of frayed relationships with the faith-based community, the issue has created an alliance for progressives with religious leaders, especially Catholic and other denominational officials who have made living wage issues a core part of their social justice teachings. It gives progressives what the Rev. Steven Copley, who led a recent successful minimum wage drive in Arkansas, calls “a moral issue, a faith issue and a family values issue” to rally supporters. ((http://www.progressivestates.org/content/483/))

I have to ask: Just who do you serve Stephen? Do you serve the LORD God, or man in the form of a communist, humanist agenda? By the way, just what does the “minimum wage” have to do with preaching the gospel? Where is that in the “great commission?” If it is there, I sure don’t find it at all. Moreover, I cannot find it anywhere in the New Testament either. Would you mind citing chapter and verse for me?

But that is not all you are involved in is it? Somehow, you find it necessary to ally yourself with socialist and communist causes under the guise of “progressivism.” ((http://www.reproachofmen.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/Progressive_States_Network-_-Networks_Board_of_Directors.pdf)) You know, as one who has to work for a living, and has been underpaid at times, I really do not appreciate what you are doing. Why? Because it is simply not your job.

As a supposed minister in the Methodist denomination, do you really think you are helping the cause of the gospel of Jesus Christ by your actions? Or, is that simply a cover for your political and social leanings, which are actually communist?

I have to ask, as I am compelled to preach the gospel and show forth Christ in every aspect of my life. What about you Stephen? Or, has Methodism drifted so far away from service to God that they tolerate, and even encourage one of their ordained ministers to engage in political and social activism?

Just what god do you serve Stephen?

You are of course aware that you will be held particularly accountable for wrapping yourself with the name of Christ, and using it as a front for wicked, humanistic purposes don’t you? Are you also aware that you are to be obedient to the laws of the land, beginning with the Federal Constitution? Moreover, this includes immigration law as well? After all, it is written:

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. (I Peter 2:13-15)

You know, I don’t see the Apostle Peter or the Apostle Paul overthrowing the Roman system, or even advocating for changes in its laws anywhere in the New Testament. Moreover, it is utterly plain that the Lord Jesus Christ, who you claim to serve, did not do so either.

You know what Stephen, it appears to me that you actually need the gospel just as much as Vladimir Putin. Funny how that all your studies in seminary never seemed to get that point across to you. Perhaps it is because you didn’t actually enter seminary to learn to be a preacher anyway, but found it a easy way to ride the gravy train. After all, what really is expected of a “professional minister” anyway?

A couple of last things Stephen; if you don’t recognize the passages, I won’t be surprised.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20)

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. (I Corinthians 1:17-18)

Oh, and as for your “title” of Reverend, I know that you will eat that one day:

He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen. The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. (Psalm 111:6-10)

Finally, you remind me very much of Jeremiah Wright, since you two seem to have the same agenda. You and he both remind me of what the Scripture has to say about those who pretend to serve God, all the while serving themselves:

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. (II Peter 2:1-3)

It seems to me you serve another god Stephen. You would do well to comprehend that its awful hot in Hell and that eternity is a awful long time to be there.