…and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies (Genesis 22:17).
God promised that Abraham’s descendants would possess the gate of their enemies. The gate of ancient cities was the place where commerce and government took place. To possess the gate of a city was to possess the political economy of the place. To possess the gate was to possess the city. Who are the enemies of Abraham’s descendents?
To answer that we need to remember that God had rejected all the nations at the tower of Babel because they had chosen to make a name for themselves and to provide their own salvation (social security) instead of trusting God. This insulted God so much that he destroyed their city and confused their languages with the curse of nationalism in order to limit their power and to keep them from uniting in a one-world City of Man. The enemies of God and Abraham’s descendents are the nations of unbelievers.
But God so loved the world that He chose to make a new nation of His friend Abraham and to save the world by giving His only begotten Son that whosoever of any nation that would believe in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. This is God’s alternative to the salvation of the City of Man.
The first “city builder” in history was a bad guy named Cain. “And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son—Enoch” (Gen 4:17b). After the flood, the second city builder was another bad guy (Nimrod) who built Babel and seven other cities. The purpose of these cities was to provide salvation (social security). Men thought they could save themselves without regard to God’s covenant. All they needed was a “mighty one” like Nimrod. “Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth” (1Chronicles 1:10). When he built Babel God said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.” What men “began” to do was just that; just the beginning. Men are still doing it in bigger and bigger ways. The City of Man is the alternative to the City of God. Augustus Caesar said, “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” But instead of the City of Man being the gate to heaven, it was in reality the gate to hell.
All of the early empires in history started from a city. The Assyrian empire started with Nineveh, the Babylonian empire started with Babylon, and the Roman Empire started with Rome. They all started out as city-states. (The word “city” in Greek is polis. We get the word politic from the Greek word for city. The city was the state (i.e. the government).
The promise that Abraham’s descendents would possess the gate of their enemies “began” to be fulfilled when Joseph became the “savior” of Egypt. This pattern continues with Moses plaguing Egypt, Joshua conquering Canaan, David’s kingdom, Daniel in Babylon’s government, and Esther as queen. Then Christ came and now “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ” (Rev 11:15). It was said of the apostles, that “these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king--Jesus” (Acts 17:7). Daniel says, “the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High” (Dan 7:27). Paul said Abraham’s descendents are heirs of the world (Rom 4:13). He said the world is ours (1 Cor 3:21-22).
Jesus promised that He would build His church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it (Mat 16:18). Then He said He was going to Jerusalem to be killed (Mat 16:21). Jerusalem was the gate of hades (death) for Jesus. He was safe until He went there. “How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; Righteousness lodged in it, But now murderers” (Isa 1:21). Jerusalem had become like the other cities… even worse. No other city up to that time had been guilty of killing God’s prophets and even His own Son!
When Jesus said the gates of hell would not prevail against His church, He was picturing the church as assailing the City of Man, the very gate of death. Jesus assailed Jerusalem and destroyed it when He came with the Roman armies in fulfillment of Stephen’s teaching. His accusers testified that they “heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses delivered to us” (Acts 6:14).
Why are the governments of men called the gate of death? It is because of man’s fallen nature. Man’s effort to save himself and provide social security seems on the surface to be noble, but it is the antithesis to God’s City. It always ends up with an attempt to replace God and goes about to establish its own righteousness. Every religion in the world except Biblical religion ends up worshipping the state as the highest authority and as the source of salvation. The state becomes a god by saying, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves…” (Gen 11:4). Instead of making a name for God, men replace God with their own “political correctness” whose “top is in the heavens,” so to speak. To build bigger and bigger government power is called “statism.” It is the “nanny-state.” It is “Big Brother.”
Does this mean there should be no government? No. The Declaration of Independence agrees with Romans 13 when it says, “Governments are instituted among men.” Romans 13:1 says, “the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Edmond Burke said, “Society cannot exist unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere, and the less of it there is within, the more there must be without. It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things, that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters."
America’s founding fathers clearly understood that government must be limited. Because they understood that the “beastly” 800-pound gorilla could not be trusted, they replaced it with a chimp. But because of man’s corruption the little monkey established by our founders has grown into a monster twice as big as the 800-pounder.
Jesus not only prevailed against Jerusalem, but, after three hundred years conquered Rome by converting Constantine. He also conquered Armenia and Georgia, the first two Christian nation states around 300 A.D. Then He prevailed against the Francs by converting Clovis their king. Charles Martel saved Europe from becoming Moslem in 732 at the Battle of Tours. Then he used Charlemagne to conquer and convert several attacking barbarian nations. Alfred the Great (850 A.D.) of England also established an explicitly Christian nation with Biblical laws that even the king could not break. All of Europe became Christian in government.
Why is it important that governments establish Biblical laws? It is for our children. If the culture is pagan it will influence the children to be sucked in by non-Christian values. This in turn will turn them from Christ because the Law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. If the culture convinces children that fornication is okay, they will be demonized. The whole design of Satan is to abolish God’s standard. No one will come to Christ until the Holy Spirit uses the Law to convince him of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come. The design of Satan is to sear their consciences with godlessness. It is the duty of the government to be “God’s minister to you for good” (Rom 13:4). And “whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government…”
The Bible pictures “statist” empires in visions as beastly monsters rising from a sea of mankind. The angel told John that the sea represented mankind (Rev 17:15). They are called “beasts” because they are predatory. They devour other nations and peoples. They exist off the production of others. They do this through taxation and they understand instinctively that God’s Law is an obstacle to their goals. Therefore they must establish their own rules and rage against God’s “bonds” and “cords.” “Why do the nations rage, And the people plot 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 bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us’” (Psalm 2:1-3). It is “the nature of the beast” to do this. It is the very nature of statism to say, “We have no king but Caesar.”
Nero was the last Caesar of Julius Caesar’s dynasty. Nero was the beast of Rome in the flesh. The letters of his name in Hebrew add up to 666. He did not prevail against the Church even though he made war against the saints and overcame them for a time. His doom was sealed by the word of God.
But even though Nero was the last of the dynasty, others assumed the name “Caesar” as a model of statism. Russia called its kings “Czars” (Russian for Caesar), and Germans called their leaders “Kaisar” (German for Caesar). Men still have this primordial passion to build a city that reaches to the heavens and to make a name for themselves with their various “czars.” ‘“Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!’ Pilate said to them, ‘Shall I crucify your King?’ The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king but Caesar!’” (John 19:15). This is the alternative: either Christ or Caesar. There is no neutrality. Christ demands that the state submits to Him unconditionally.
If the kingdoms of this world have been replaced by our Lord and His Christ and given into the hands of the people, the saints of the Most High (Dan 7:27), then is it the duty of God’s people to preach against ungodly government? Can you name one prophet in Scripture that did not address politics? Moses was the Lawgiver, Joshua took his place, the elders of Israel were filled with the Holy Spirit, the Judges of Israel were inspired to fight for justice, Samuel anointed kings, Nathan counseled David, David was a prophet/king, Elijah preached to Ahab, and Elisha sat in the house with the rulers of Israel. We could give example after example. The whole thrust of Scripture is aimed at the gates of hell. The Acts ends with Paul headed for Caesar’s household.
The English called the American War of Independence the “Scots-Irish Presbyterian Revolt” because the preachers preached politics from their pulpits. The book, “They Preached Liberty,” documents how they did it. D. James Kennedy wrote the opening introduction to it. Ben Franklin said, “Man will ultimately be ruled by God or by tyrants.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer preached against national socialism and Hitler hung him for it. Socialism is big government statism. It is the gate of hell that the church must assail because it destroys the souls of men. Limited government must control and limit man’s fallen nature that wants to save itself with its “tower of power” and socialist statism.
Socialists call themselves progressives. President Obama has openly admitted that the U.S. Constitution is an obstacle to his statist goals. These “czars” are lawless. They lie when they swear to uphold the Constitution. Their real goal is to “progressively” dismantle it and build a “city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens” where they can rule and save men as if they were gods.
Frederic Bastiat proves in THE LAW that the law of nature (God’s law) has one sole function. Its only purpose is to protect citizens from the plunder of life, liberty, and property. The law cannot save people any other way. When the state (the gate of hell) attempts to save some by plundering others of life, liberty, and property, it has broken the law. When the state is partial to some by plundering others, it is lawless and unjust. True social justice cannot tax some at a higher rate than others. God’s written law says, “You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:15). Nowhere does God’s Law of Moses direct the government to give handouts by taxing some in order to favor others. God’s Law commands men to give to the poor out of their own pockets voluntarily and not out of another’s pocket. God’s Law says, “Thou shalt not steal.” It is a documented fact that conservatives give much more to charity than progressives do. Socialists are very anxious to give other people’s money but not their own. Vice President Biden gave less than $1000 to charity from an income of more than $300,000. This is shameless hypocrasy! These people who go about to establish their own righteousness in the name of social justice are the opposite of what they purport to be. Ever since Lyndon Johnson’s hypocritical war on poverty, the poor have been made worse slaves to “Uncle Sam’s Plantation.” It is a proven fact that welfare has weakened the poor by making them trust in a god (the state) that cannot deliver. Only our God can supply all our needs according His riches in glory. Which one will you take? There is no neutrality… either trust God or trust Caesar.
And I said: “Hear now, O heads of Jacob, And you rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know justice” (Mic 3:1)? Who are the “heads of Jacob” and “rulers of the house of Israel?” Are they not the pastors? Why is it that some pastors have no understanding of political economy and cannot see that they have a duty to assail the gate of unrighteous statism? If they did understand they could not possibly say they should not be involved in politics. If they do not preach social justice they are guilty of being “dogs that can’t bark.” “His watchmen are blind, They are all ignorant; They are all dumb dogs, They cannot bark; Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber” (Isa 56:10).
These blind watchmen seem to think there is a dichotomy between the sacred and the secular. They believe in “two kingdom” dualism. They seem to have a Gnostic notion that separates the material from the spiritual. Abraham Kuyper, the former prime minister of Holland, said, “There is not one square inch of creation of which Christ does not say, ‘Mine.” Luther said, “If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, then I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Him. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battle front besides is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.” The battle is raging at the gate of hell, the statist city of man. Join the battle for the souls of men and true social justice.
For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: afflicting the just and taking bribes; diverting the poor from justice at the gate (Amos 5:12).
Hate evil, love good; establish justice in the gate. It may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph (Am 5:15).
Monday, November 30, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Today’s Uncle Toms
In Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Uncle Tom was the obedient and trustworthy slave of kind slaveholders in Kentucky. He was trusted to keep his word because he had surrendered his life to Christ Jesus. But because his master was in debt, he was forced to sell Tom. Tom was carried away to New Orleans and sold to the evil Simon Legree. Simon Legree hated Tom because he was a meek and obedient Christian. When two female slaves escaped, Tom refused to tell where they were. His cruel master told him he would have his two slaves beat him to death if he would not tell. They beat and beat him until he died. He knew he would die, but he was willing to lay down his life for his slave friends.
How does this apply to today’s situation? Are we able to make the analogy? Star Parker had a radio talk show in Los Angeles in which she would speak against “Uncle Sam’s Plantation” because it was enslaving the poor with welfare programs. She would get daily calls from her fellow blacks who would verbally “beat her to death” for being an “Uncle Tom.” If blacks like Star Parker are Uncle Toms, who is Simon Legree today? Who are his slaves that beat up the today’s “Uncle Tom’s?” To speak pajoritively of Uncle Tom is to speak against Christ. “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me’” (Mat 25:40).
How does this apply to today’s situation? Are we able to make the analogy? Star Parker had a radio talk show in Los Angeles in which she would speak against “Uncle Sam’s Plantation” because it was enslaving the poor with welfare programs. She would get daily calls from her fellow blacks who would verbally “beat her to death” for being an “Uncle Tom.” If blacks like Star Parker are Uncle Toms, who is Simon Legree today? Who are his slaves that beat up the today’s “Uncle Tom’s?” To speak pajoritively of Uncle Tom is to speak against Christ. “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me’” (Mat 25:40).
Friday, September 18, 2009
Social Justice
Social Justice
By Ron Smith
God commands us to help the poor by giving from our own pockets and by laws that protect the poor from plunder. Nowhere does God’s Law command governments to give to the poor; and neither does the U.S. Constitution. For government to do that, it would have to give someone else’s money. That is not social justice. Taxpayer money does not belong to politicians. It’s only purpose is for the general welfare; not for special interests.
Declaration:
We hold these four truths to be self-evident:
1. that all men are created equal,
2. that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,
3. that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
4. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
The Declaration of Independence says our Creator (not the government) endowed us with three rights that cannot be taken away: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (property), and that the only purpose of government is to secure these rights. The government (the law) cannot save; it can only protect from the plunder of these three rights. Any effort by government to save some people with social programs will end in plundering others. That is not social justice.
Have you read THE LAW by Frederic Bastiat?
Would you agree that it is traitorous to make laws that plunder some in order to favor others (to level the playing field)? Since all men are created equal, should the law not equally protect them all? Both God’s Law & common sense demand, “You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor” (Levitcus 19:15).
Let us look at history. To look to the government for social programs is to look to Caesar. Augustus Caesar said, “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we can be saved but by the name Caesar.” But the Apostle Peter contradicted Caesar and said, “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we can be saved but by the name Jesus Christ” (Acts 4:12). The highest insult to God is to say, “We have no king but Caesar.” This is called statism. Caesar tried it; Hitler tried it; and Russia tried it. After 70 years of “leveling the playing field” by government mandate, the Russian ruble was worth zero. And now the U.S. government is trying it.
False philanthropy believes we do not love the poor if we are for equal treatment of all citizens and are against the government plunder of some in order to favor others (leveling the playing field). If they really want to help the poor, the best way to do it is by government minding its own business and equally protecting all from the plunder of life liberty and property. Besides this, it is not only stupid to spend more than you have, it is also immoral.
Dear members of the United States Legislature, all 535 of you.
The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775 - you have had 234 years to get it right; it is broke.
Social Security was established in 1935 - you have had 74 years to get it right; it is broke.
Fannie Mae was established in 1938 - you have had 71 years to get it right; it is broke.
War on Poverty started in 1964 - you have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to huge beaurocracies for "the poor"; it has not worked.
Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965 - you've had 44 years to get it right; they're broke.
Freddie Mac was established in 1970 - you have had 39 years to get it right; it is broke.
Trillions of dollars in the massive political payoff called the TARP bill of 2009 shows NO sign of working.
And finally to set a new record:
"Cash for Clunkers" was established in 2009 and went broke in ONE MONTH ! It took good dependable cars ( that were the best some people could afford ) replaced them with high priced vehicles. People who couldn't afford it are now making payments.
Mostly Japanese models were sold; so a good percentage of the profits went out of the country.
Lastly, the American taxpayers are now going to be plundered with paying for another 3 billion more for government experiments.
Our wallets will become even thinner.
So with a perfect 100% failure rate and a record that proves "services" you shove down our throats (and manage), are failing faster and faster. You then want Americans to believe that you can be trusted with a government run health care system? That's 15+% of our economy! Are you crazy? Truly, the inmates are running the asylum!
And what does this say about the voters who put them in office?
http://ronsmithmission.blogspot.com/
churchofthekingmcallen.com
By Ron Smith
God commands us to help the poor by giving from our own pockets and by laws that protect the poor from plunder. Nowhere does God’s Law command governments to give to the poor; and neither does the U.S. Constitution. For government to do that, it would have to give someone else’s money. That is not social justice. Taxpayer money does not belong to politicians. It’s only purpose is for the general welfare; not for special interests.
Declaration:
We hold these four truths to be self-evident:
1. that all men are created equal,
2. that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,
3. that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
4. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
The Declaration of Independence says our Creator (not the government) endowed us with three rights that cannot be taken away: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (property), and that the only purpose of government is to secure these rights. The government (the law) cannot save; it can only protect from the plunder of these three rights. Any effort by government to save some people with social programs will end in plundering others. That is not social justice.
Have you read THE LAW by Frederic Bastiat?
Would you agree that it is traitorous to make laws that plunder some in order to favor others (to level the playing field)? Since all men are created equal, should the law not equally protect them all? Both God’s Law & common sense demand, “You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor” (Levitcus 19:15).
Let us look at history. To look to the government for social programs is to look to Caesar. Augustus Caesar said, “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we can be saved but by the name Caesar.” But the Apostle Peter contradicted Caesar and said, “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we can be saved but by the name Jesus Christ” (Acts 4:12). The highest insult to God is to say, “We have no king but Caesar.” This is called statism. Caesar tried it; Hitler tried it; and Russia tried it. After 70 years of “leveling the playing field” by government mandate, the Russian ruble was worth zero. And now the U.S. government is trying it.
False philanthropy believes we do not love the poor if we are for equal treatment of all citizens and are against the government plunder of some in order to favor others (leveling the playing field). If they really want to help the poor, the best way to do it is by government minding its own business and equally protecting all from the plunder of life liberty and property. Besides this, it is not only stupid to spend more than you have, it is also immoral.
Dear members of the United States Legislature, all 535 of you.
The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775 - you have had 234 years to get it right; it is broke.
Social Security was established in 1935 - you have had 74 years to get it right; it is broke.
Fannie Mae was established in 1938 - you have had 71 years to get it right; it is broke.
War on Poverty started in 1964 - you have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to huge beaurocracies for "the poor"; it has not worked.
Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965 - you've had 44 years to get it right; they're broke.
Freddie Mac was established in 1970 - you have had 39 years to get it right; it is broke.
Trillions of dollars in the massive political payoff called the TARP bill of 2009 shows NO sign of working.
And finally to set a new record:
"Cash for Clunkers" was established in 2009 and went broke in ONE MONTH ! It took good dependable cars ( that were the best some people could afford ) replaced them with high priced vehicles. People who couldn't afford it are now making payments.
Mostly Japanese models were sold; so a good percentage of the profits went out of the country.
Lastly, the American taxpayers are now going to be plundered with paying for another 3 billion more for government experiments.
Our wallets will become even thinner.
So with a perfect 100% failure rate and a record that proves "services" you shove down our throats (and manage), are failing faster and faster. You then want Americans to believe that you can be trusted with a government run health care system? That's 15+% of our economy! Are you crazy? Truly, the inmates are running the asylum!
And what does this say about the voters who put them in office?
http://ronsmithmission.blogspot.com/
churchofthekingmcallen.com
Monday, September 14, 2009
These Days
These days, God is doing a work on His people. He is judging His people because of our sins. He has turned America over to evil statists who use envy as their motive; and it is our fault. The church has allowed this by being “dogs that cannot bark.”
His watchmen are blind,
They are all ignorant;
They are all dumb dogs,
They cannot bark;
Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber (Isaiah 56:10).
“Therefore it shall come to pass, when the LORD has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, ‘I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks”’ (Isaiah 10:12).
Hebrews 12:22 says the church is the Mt. Zion and the New Jerusalem to which we believers have come. Isaiah was referring to the punishment God was inflicting on His people by using Assyria as the rod of His anger (Isa 10:5). Today, God is inflicting His wrath on His people by raising up another arrogant heart… the heart of a socialist president. We get the leaders we deserve, but Isaiah promised that God would also punish the “glory of his haughty looks.”
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: “O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt. For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction” (Isa 10:24-25).
His watchmen are blind,
They are all ignorant;
They are all dumb dogs,
They cannot bark;
Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber (Isaiah 56:10).
“Therefore it shall come to pass, when the LORD has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, ‘I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks”’ (Isaiah 10:12).
Hebrews 12:22 says the church is the Mt. Zion and the New Jerusalem to which we believers have come. Isaiah was referring to the punishment God was inflicting on His people by using Assyria as the rod of His anger (Isa 10:5). Today, God is inflicting His wrath on His people by raising up another arrogant heart… the heart of a socialist president. We get the leaders we deserve, but Isaiah promised that God would also punish the “glory of his haughty looks.”
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: “O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt. For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction” (Isa 10:24-25).
Monday, August 31, 2009
Legal Versus Illegal Revolution
It is absolutely astounding how many educated people do not understand the difference between the French Revolution and the American one. Edmond Burke, British Member of Parliament at the time of the 1776 American Revolution, supported the American cause. He saw it as just and legal. He likened it to the Glorious Revolution of 1688. In that year, the leaders in England deposed the tyrant James II and replaced him with William and Mary. It was relatively bloodless and based on the law. The Stuart kings believed in the divine right of kings and violated the laws of Parliament.
Some of Burke’s friends in the Glorious Revolution Club began to support the French Revolution of 1789. Edmond Burke wrote a book explaining the difference and showed how it was a perversion of the Glorious Revolution. He accurately predicted the tyranny that would result from it.
Friends of justice need to make the distinction. “[W]henever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends [life, liberty, and property] it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government.” Some would argue that the French mob had a right to rebel, but they should read Edmond Burke. Men duly elected by the various states led the American Revolution. They were mostly prosperous businessmen. The French Revolution was based on class envy. That is lawless.
The French Revolution, as it progressed, resulted in dictatorships starting with Napoleon and progressing to Lenin, Hitler, Mao, Castro, and others all based on class envy.
Some of Burke’s friends in the Glorious Revolution Club began to support the French Revolution of 1789. Edmond Burke wrote a book explaining the difference and showed how it was a perversion of the Glorious Revolution. He accurately predicted the tyranny that would result from it.
Friends of justice need to make the distinction. “[W]henever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends [life, liberty, and property] it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government.” Some would argue that the French mob had a right to rebel, but they should read Edmond Burke. Men duly elected by the various states led the American Revolution. They were mostly prosperous businessmen. The French Revolution was based on class envy. That is lawless.
The French Revolution, as it progressed, resulted in dictatorships starting with Napoleon and progressing to Lenin, Hitler, Mao, Castro, and others all based on class envy.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Controlling Health Care Costs
Control Of Health Care Costs
A liberal politician asked on Fox and Friends what we should do to control health care costs. Uh oh! There’s that word: “control;” and that stands for “power;” and that stands for “dictate;” and that stands for “dictator;”and that stands for Big Brother. And that looks like Russia, Cuba, Canada, and Europe.
Let’s face it. Health care costs did not start soaring until after Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society. Government involvement is the cause; not the cure. The only cure is free enterprise.
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
1. that all men are created WHO’S IN CHARGE?
2. that they are created equal HIERARCHY (the consent of the governed)
3. that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights: that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — THE LAW PROTECTS THESE RIGHTS
4. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — SANCTIONS SECURE THESE RIGHTS
5. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government. SUCCESSION
The current “czars” in power now, are Marxists who prefer the socialist model of Big Brother control. Did you know the word “czar” is Russian for Caesar? Caesar represents the destruction of the Republic. That is why the senators of Rome put 32 daggers in him. They thought they had killed the beast with a mortal wound that would save the Republic. But the whole world wondered when the beast came back to life in the form of Augustus Caesar who said, “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved, but the name Caesar. “Hail Caesar. We have no king but Caesar the Beast. Sieg heil.”
How did Caesar get his power? He got it from the people just like Hitler and Mussolini did. He by-passed the law.
America is not a democracy. It is a republic. The only Name by which we can be saved is the Name above all names and the King of all kings, and He is the Law. “Re” in republic means “the thing.” The “thing” is the “law” of the public and not the public.
How do we control health care costs? We get government out of it.
A liberal politician asked on Fox and Friends what we should do to control health care costs. Uh oh! There’s that word: “control;” and that stands for “power;” and that stands for “dictate;” and that stands for “dictator;”and that stands for Big Brother. And that looks like Russia, Cuba, Canada, and Europe.
Let’s face it. Health care costs did not start soaring until after Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society. Government involvement is the cause; not the cure. The only cure is free enterprise.
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
1. that all men are created WHO’S IN CHARGE?
2. that they are created equal HIERARCHY (the consent of the governed)
3. that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights: that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — THE LAW PROTECTS THESE RIGHTS
4. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — SANCTIONS SECURE THESE RIGHTS
5. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government. SUCCESSION
The current “czars” in power now, are Marxists who prefer the socialist model of Big Brother control. Did you know the word “czar” is Russian for Caesar? Caesar represents the destruction of the Republic. That is why the senators of Rome put 32 daggers in him. They thought they had killed the beast with a mortal wound that would save the Republic. But the whole world wondered when the beast came back to life in the form of Augustus Caesar who said, “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved, but the name Caesar. “Hail Caesar. We have no king but Caesar the Beast. Sieg heil.”
How did Caesar get his power? He got it from the people just like Hitler and Mussolini did. He by-passed the law.
America is not a democracy. It is a republic. The only Name by which we can be saved is the Name above all names and the King of all kings, and He is the Law. “Re” in republic means “the thing.” The “thing” is the “law” of the public and not the public.
How do we control health care costs? We get government out of it.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
THE PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT
Jay Leno’s “Jay Walking” interviews on the streets of New York illustrate why America has elected the leaders we have. One man, for example, answered that Australia borders the U.S. Many other unbelievably dumb answers were given to other questions.
The purpose of government is not to save people. Its purpose is to enforce the law. But when it makes up unjust laws that plunder some in order to favor others, this is injustice. Government monopolies (such as national health care) or private ones plunder some in order to favor others. That is lawless.
Nowhere is it written in the Bible or the Constitution that government is to save private businesses. Nowhere is it written that the state is commanded to give to the poor; but individuals are. The sole job of the law is to prohibit plunder. Its function is negative; not positive. It prohibits plunder.
When the state sets out to save people, it becomes a god. This is the major struggle illustrated throughout Scripture. This is why God’s wrath fell on the Tower of Babel, Babylon, Rome, and Jerusalem… statism. Humanists still say, “We have no king but Caesar.”
The three Hebrew children refused to bow to the image of the state, were cast into the fiery furnace, and came out not even smelling like smoke. Let’s follow their example so the fourth Man in the fire will be with us. He will certainly not be with those who bow and adore the mental image of the statist beast.
Then the beast … deceived … those who worshiped his image. These … were cast alive into the lake of fire… (Re 19:20).
The purpose of government is not to save people. Its purpose is to enforce the law. But when it makes up unjust laws that plunder some in order to favor others, this is injustice. Government monopolies (such as national health care) or private ones plunder some in order to favor others. That is lawless.
Nowhere is it written in the Bible or the Constitution that government is to save private businesses. Nowhere is it written that the state is commanded to give to the poor; but individuals are. The sole job of the law is to prohibit plunder. Its function is negative; not positive. It prohibits plunder.
When the state sets out to save people, it becomes a god. This is the major struggle illustrated throughout Scripture. This is why God’s wrath fell on the Tower of Babel, Babylon, Rome, and Jerusalem… statism. Humanists still say, “We have no king but Caesar.”
The three Hebrew children refused to bow to the image of the state, were cast into the fiery furnace, and came out not even smelling like smoke. Let’s follow their example so the fourth Man in the fire will be with us. He will certainly not be with those who bow and adore the mental image of the statist beast.
Then the beast … deceived … those who worshiped his image. These … were cast alive into the lake of fire… (Re 19:20).
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Statism And The Tower Of Babel
Tower
Of Babel
Statism
“…and this is only the beginning of what they will do.”
By Ron Smith
Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth." And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech" (Genesis 11:4-7).
Josephus tells us that the people after the flood were afraid that God would send another flood, so they built this tower as insurance in case Noah had prophesied falsely. They waterproofed it with asphalt (bitumen), and built it high to ascend above the flood. There would be no need to keep God’s covenant through Noah; they could save themselves.
This account is given through the prophet from God’s point of view. “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (1 Pet 1:20). Their motive was a distrust of God’s promise through Noah that He would never send another earth destroying flood. This greatly offended God. They sought to displace trust in God with trust in themselves. Instead of a desire to make a name for God, they wanted to make a name for themselves. Instead of obeying God’s command to fill the earth, they joined as one, lest they should “be dispersed over the face of the earth.” They were “one worldists” and they were Statists. By establishing a humanistic State, they could produce a utopia and save themselves. The watchword is “power.” “And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.” And “this is only the beginning [the genesis] of what they will do.” What they have done since and what they are doing now is even worse.
This is the human situation; the human condition. This story gives us the pattern of the struggle of history that would follow. It is the City of Man versus the City of God. Every religion except biblical religion ends up looking to the State for security and salvation. Though monarchies are not the only Statist systems, we see it manifested with Israel’s desire for a king. God said to Samuel, “They have not rejected you. They have rejected Me.” They traded their freedom for security. Samuel then goes on to detail how they would have to enslave themselves to the State.
Statism comes in various forms. The extreme right wing wants zero government. They are anarchists. The extreme left-wingers are the Statists like Hitler, Stalin, and other dictators. In the middle are those who look to the original intent of the Constitution and the Law. But Statism is always something the people choose. They chose Hitler; they chose Lenin; they chose Obama. After the liberty brought by the Puritan Oliver Cromwell, they preferred a king. What they got resulted in 28 years of what are called “the killing years” under Charles II and James II. They do this because they believe the State will give them more security than their freedom under God will. But it always ends in the figurative confusion of tongues and a broken tower.
We see Statism manifested in every chapter of the Book of Daniel. In chapter one Daniel makes a decision not to defile himself with the king’s meat. The king’s meat represents the worldly consumption of the humanist/statist idea and worldview. In chapter 2 Daniel interprets the dream of the king about another kingdom that would destroy the kingdoms of this world. Chapter 3 tells of the State command to bow to the image of man that represented the State. Everyone had to conform, just as everyone is expected to conform to today’s political correctness. Notice that the entertainment industry was also involved. It was at the sound of the music that they were to bow. Hollywood is also involved in the support of Statism today.
Chapter four of Daniel tells of the king’s madness and eventual repentance when he acknowledges that God is the real ruler. Only then does his reason and sanity return to him. When “seven times” have come over the rulers of this world, “Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him” (Psalm 72 NKJV). Each of the following chapters of Daniel deal with the struggle between God’s kingdom and the beastly kingdoms of men. God gives the great hope that His King will eventually rule over all kingdoms.
Augustus Caesar said, “There is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved, but the name Caesar.” Caesar was the State. In the New Testament we see this struggle illustrated with the statement of the rulers of Jerusalem when they said, “We have no king but Caesar” and “Give us Barabbas.” This is seen in John’s vision of a lamb that has two horns and speaks like a dragon. Its function is to make the whole world worship the mental image of the beast (Caesar). Caesar represented the extreme left wing, and Barabbas represented the extreme right wing anarchists. (Barabbas had killed a man in an insurrection.) But even the extreme right-wingers are Statists. They attempt to build their own tower of power. They end up taking over the state they destroy. Lenin and Castro did this.
In the center are those who subscribe to the law. The “tea party” center is obedient to the Constitution. The king of England had broken his contract with the colonies and the duly elected rulers of the colonies had a legal right to do what they did. “When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”
On the other hand, the French Revolution was illegal. It instituted a reign of terror that was imitated by Russia, Cambodia, Cuba, etc. It was not founded on the “Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.” Its goal was humanist Statism and Utopia (i.e. change). They each eliminated religion as the opiate of the people. The State became the supreme power (i.e. god). Edmond Burke pointed out that the French revolutionaries could not tell the difference between change and reformation. Change as they practiced it was discontinuity with the past. They even tried a new calendar that dated the French Revolution as year one, and a ten-day week so no one could tell which day was Sabbath. Reformation, on the other hand, builds on the good of the past, is lawful, and reforms what is not lawful.
Statists are humanists who believe in the ability of man to create a Utopia (i.e. a “name for themselves” with a tower of power). The tower builders totally ignored the covenant with Noah. Statists want to separate God and the State because we cannot have two gods. And because the Constitution limits their goals, they reinterpret it. They ignore the original intent of those who wrote it. The Conservatives, on the other hand, seek to conserve the Law.
For the Statist, liberty is not a blessing but the enemy. It is not possible to achieve a Utopia if individuals are free to go their own way… His first duty must be to the State – not family, community, and faith, all of which have the potential of threatening the State.
President Barack Obama made this point when lecturing the Wesleyan University graduating class of 2008 during his campaign: “[O]ur individual salvation depends on collective salvation.”.
Because these Utopian Statists believe they can build a one-wordlist tower that reaches to the heavens, “they need to listen to the voices of condemnation from world capitals… The classroom is turned into propaganda mill rather than a place for education.”
The Statists in America call themselves “Progressives.” They realize that their goals can never be reached in America with the aggressive type of Statism. So they have adopted an evolutionary “soft” approach. They believe they are progressing towards Utopia. But in order to do this, they must progressively chip away at the Constitution. They must control the education system, the entertainment industry, and the media. They must tax and spend. They must take advantage of every crisis they create in order to push through laws that give them more control. Because they must see to it that the people believe the State can save them, they make all kinds of promises in their election campaigns. Power is what they seek; a tower of power that reaches to the heavens and provides health care for all.
Mark Levin points out that Statist “Academics claim to challenge authority but, in truth, preach authoritarianism through various justifications for and approaches to deconstructing the civil society.” This answers to the “soft” and gentle looking lamb with two horns representing both Caesar (statism) and Barabbas (anarchy). They are really two functions of the same Statist beast that speaks like a dragon and says, “Crucify Him.”
Churchofthekingmcallen.com
Of Babel
Statism
“…and this is only the beginning of what they will do.”
By Ron Smith
Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth." And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech" (Genesis 11:4-7).
Josephus tells us that the people after the flood were afraid that God would send another flood, so they built this tower as insurance in case Noah had prophesied falsely. They waterproofed it with asphalt (bitumen), and built it high to ascend above the flood. There would be no need to keep God’s covenant through Noah; they could save themselves.
This account is given through the prophet from God’s point of view. “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (1 Pet 1:20). Their motive was a distrust of God’s promise through Noah that He would never send another earth destroying flood. This greatly offended God. They sought to displace trust in God with trust in themselves. Instead of a desire to make a name for God, they wanted to make a name for themselves. Instead of obeying God’s command to fill the earth, they joined as one, lest they should “be dispersed over the face of the earth.” They were “one worldists” and they were Statists. By establishing a humanistic State, they could produce a utopia and save themselves. The watchword is “power.” “And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.” And “this is only the beginning [the genesis] of what they will do.” What they have done since and what they are doing now is even worse.
This is the human situation; the human condition. This story gives us the pattern of the struggle of history that would follow. It is the City of Man versus the City of God. Every religion except biblical religion ends up looking to the State for security and salvation. Though monarchies are not the only Statist systems, we see it manifested with Israel’s desire for a king. God said to Samuel, “They have not rejected you. They have rejected Me.” They traded their freedom for security. Samuel then goes on to detail how they would have to enslave themselves to the State.
Statism comes in various forms. The extreme right wing wants zero government. They are anarchists. The extreme left-wingers are the Statists like Hitler, Stalin, and other dictators. In the middle are those who look to the original intent of the Constitution and the Law. But Statism is always something the people choose. They chose Hitler; they chose Lenin; they chose Obama. After the liberty brought by the Puritan Oliver Cromwell, they preferred a king. What they got resulted in 28 years of what are called “the killing years” under Charles II and James II. They do this because they believe the State will give them more security than their freedom under God will. But it always ends in the figurative confusion of tongues and a broken tower.
We see Statism manifested in every chapter of the Book of Daniel. In chapter one Daniel makes a decision not to defile himself with the king’s meat. The king’s meat represents the worldly consumption of the humanist/statist idea and worldview. In chapter 2 Daniel interprets the dream of the king about another kingdom that would destroy the kingdoms of this world. Chapter 3 tells of the State command to bow to the image of man that represented the State. Everyone had to conform, just as everyone is expected to conform to today’s political correctness. Notice that the entertainment industry was also involved. It was at the sound of the music that they were to bow. Hollywood is also involved in the support of Statism today.
Chapter four of Daniel tells of the king’s madness and eventual repentance when he acknowledges that God is the real ruler. Only then does his reason and sanity return to him. When “seven times” have come over the rulers of this world, “Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him” (Psalm 72 NKJV). Each of the following chapters of Daniel deal with the struggle between God’s kingdom and the beastly kingdoms of men. God gives the great hope that His King will eventually rule over all kingdoms.
Augustus Caesar said, “There is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved, but the name Caesar.” Caesar was the State. In the New Testament we see this struggle illustrated with the statement of the rulers of Jerusalem when they said, “We have no king but Caesar” and “Give us Barabbas.” This is seen in John’s vision of a lamb that has two horns and speaks like a dragon. Its function is to make the whole world worship the mental image of the beast (Caesar). Caesar represented the extreme left wing, and Barabbas represented the extreme right wing anarchists. (Barabbas had killed a man in an insurrection.) But even the extreme right-wingers are Statists. They attempt to build their own tower of power. They end up taking over the state they destroy. Lenin and Castro did this.
In the center are those who subscribe to the law. The “tea party” center is obedient to the Constitution. The king of England had broken his contract with the colonies and the duly elected rulers of the colonies had a legal right to do what they did. “When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”
On the other hand, the French Revolution was illegal. It instituted a reign of terror that was imitated by Russia, Cambodia, Cuba, etc. It was not founded on the “Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.” Its goal was humanist Statism and Utopia (i.e. change). They each eliminated religion as the opiate of the people. The State became the supreme power (i.e. god). Edmond Burke pointed out that the French revolutionaries could not tell the difference between change and reformation. Change as they practiced it was discontinuity with the past. They even tried a new calendar that dated the French Revolution as year one, and a ten-day week so no one could tell which day was Sabbath. Reformation, on the other hand, builds on the good of the past, is lawful, and reforms what is not lawful.
Statists are humanists who believe in the ability of man to create a Utopia (i.e. a “name for themselves” with a tower of power). The tower builders totally ignored the covenant with Noah. Statists want to separate God and the State because we cannot have two gods. And because the Constitution limits their goals, they reinterpret it. They ignore the original intent of those who wrote it. The Conservatives, on the other hand, seek to conserve the Law.
For the Statist, liberty is not a blessing but the enemy. It is not possible to achieve a Utopia if individuals are free to go their own way… His first duty must be to the State – not family, community, and faith, all of which have the potential of threatening the State.
President Barack Obama made this point when lecturing the Wesleyan University graduating class of 2008 during his campaign: “[O]ur individual salvation depends on collective salvation.”.
Because these Utopian Statists believe they can build a one-wordlist tower that reaches to the heavens, “they need to listen to the voices of condemnation from world capitals… The classroom is turned into propaganda mill rather than a place for education.”
The Statists in America call themselves “Progressives.” They realize that their goals can never be reached in America with the aggressive type of Statism. So they have adopted an evolutionary “soft” approach. They believe they are progressing towards Utopia. But in order to do this, they must progressively chip away at the Constitution. They must control the education system, the entertainment industry, and the media. They must tax and spend. They must take advantage of every crisis they create in order to push through laws that give them more control. Because they must see to it that the people believe the State can save them, they make all kinds of promises in their election campaigns. Power is what they seek; a tower of power that reaches to the heavens and provides health care for all.
Mark Levin points out that Statist “Academics claim to challenge authority but, in truth, preach authoritarianism through various justifications for and approaches to deconstructing the civil society.” This answers to the “soft” and gentle looking lamb with two horns representing both Caesar (statism) and Barabbas (anarchy). They are really two functions of the same Statist beast that speaks like a dragon and says, “Crucify Him.”
Churchofthekingmcallen.com
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Right-Wing Barabbas v. Leftists
Barabbas was a “right-winger” who killed a man in an effort to overthrow Rome. The leaders of Jerusalem, on the other hand, were “left-wingers” who wanted Roman control. These two wings are like two horns on a harmless looking lamb (See Rev 13). Its function is to get everyone to adore the mental image of the “beastly” state. Both Barabbas and the leaders of Jerusalem who each believed that humanist state control was what everyone needs illustrate this. Anarchists like Barabbas want to overthrow the state so they can run it. This is what Castro and Lenin did. Anyone who will not adore the state is ostracized. They are considered “enemies of the state.” (Can’t buy or sell, so to speak.)
The pattern set by America’s founding fathers is different. They did not trust government. Their goal was to limit it with the Constitution. For them, it all boiled down to freedom, individualism, and faith in God. The goal of the progressives is to overthrow the original intent of the Constitution. Does that smack of treason to you?
We “Tea Party” people want to be like the founding fathers. We want to turn America back to the values of the Constitution. We are not right-wing extremists. We are law-abiding, hard working citizens who plan to vote for justice as defined by the founding fathers.
They did not believe in separation of God and state. The First Amendment says that Congress should not prohibit the free exercise of religion. That is why the Ten Commandments are displayed on government buildings, God is on our money, and the Declaration appeals to the Creator. It is time for a Tea Party and back to basics. Men do not naturally evolve; they tend to devolve.
The pattern set by America’s founding fathers is different. They did not trust government. Their goal was to limit it with the Constitution. For them, it all boiled down to freedom, individualism, and faith in God. The goal of the progressives is to overthrow the original intent of the Constitution. Does that smack of treason to you?
We “Tea Party” people want to be like the founding fathers. We want to turn America back to the values of the Constitution. We are not right-wing extremists. We are law-abiding, hard working citizens who plan to vote for justice as defined by the founding fathers.
They did not believe in separation of God and state. The First Amendment says that Congress should not prohibit the free exercise of religion. That is why the Ten Commandments are displayed on government buildings, God is on our money, and the Declaration appeals to the Creator. It is time for a Tea Party and back to basics. Men do not naturally evolve; they tend to devolve.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Pork Food
Pork Food
To have a mentality that feels free to dip into the public dole strikes me as an “entitlement” attitude. It is not noble to live on the sacrifice of others unless it is a last resort. To be anxious to do that reveals, perhaps, well, a tinge of greed? Public money is the hard earned blood and sweat of taxpayers. This money goes to Washington where the handlers first rake off their wasteful percentage. Then it is sent back to the taxpayers via pork and or more wastefulness. Many other non-producers dip into the pot and take more.
This is a wasteful greed game. The prodigal son said, “Give me my share now.” He felt “entitled.” When two of David’s men jeopardized their lives to bring him a drink from the well within the Philistine garrison he refused to drink it. Noble men like David say, “God forbid that I should drink the blood of these men!”
After Hurricane Dolly hit the Rio Grande Valley, a neighbor got an estimate for their damaged roof. FEMA gave them money and they then had it done cheaper and profited by $7,000. That money came out of the pockets of hard working taxpayers. This does not represent the values of noble men. The prodigal son “wasted his substance in riotous living” and ended up sharing the food of porkers.
After I left the mission field at the age of 30 with a wife and four kids, starting a new career was tough. $3.00 an hour and two jobs living in a trailer bought for $3400 with financed money was tough. I saw in the paper government housing and called the realtor. She said if I would quit one of my jobs I would qualify. “You mean it would pay me to quit one of my jobs?” “Yes.” “No thanks. Bye.”
Why take on the “poor me” mantle when I can trust God to supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus? It really is better to give than to receive. I determined to give the sweat of my own brow rather than the sweat of the taxpayers. Our policy has always been to tithe first, pay bills second, and feed the belly last. It has paid off to side with God against self and be on the Victor’s side.
To have a mentality that feels free to dip into the public dole strikes me as an “entitlement” attitude. It is not noble to live on the sacrifice of others unless it is a last resort. To be anxious to do that reveals, perhaps, well, a tinge of greed? Public money is the hard earned blood and sweat of taxpayers. This money goes to Washington where the handlers first rake off their wasteful percentage. Then it is sent back to the taxpayers via pork and or more wastefulness. Many other non-producers dip into the pot and take more.
This is a wasteful greed game. The prodigal son said, “Give me my share now.” He felt “entitled.” When two of David’s men jeopardized their lives to bring him a drink from the well within the Philistine garrison he refused to drink it. Noble men like David say, “God forbid that I should drink the blood of these men!”
After Hurricane Dolly hit the Rio Grande Valley, a neighbor got an estimate for their damaged roof. FEMA gave them money and they then had it done cheaper and profited by $7,000. That money came out of the pockets of hard working taxpayers. This does not represent the values of noble men. The prodigal son “wasted his substance in riotous living” and ended up sharing the food of porkers.
After I left the mission field at the age of 30 with a wife and four kids, starting a new career was tough. $3.00 an hour and two jobs living in a trailer bought for $3400 with financed money was tough. I saw in the paper government housing and called the realtor. She said if I would quit one of my jobs I would qualify. “You mean it would pay me to quit one of my jobs?” “Yes.” “No thanks. Bye.”
Why take on the “poor me” mantle when I can trust God to supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus? It really is better to give than to receive. I determined to give the sweat of my own brow rather than the sweat of the taxpayers. Our policy has always been to tithe first, pay bills second, and feed the belly last. It has paid off to side with God against self and be on the Victor’s side.
Friday, February 27, 2009
The Current Economic Crisis & Homosexuality
The Current Economic Crisis And Homosexuality
Keynesian economics (also called Keynesianism (pronounced /ˈkeɪnziən/, and Keynesian Theory), is a macroeconomic theory based on the ideas of 20th-century British economist John Maynard Keynes. Keynes was homosexual.
Richard Nixon imposed wage and price controls (like Communist Russia) and proclaimed, “We are now all Keynesians.” Carter came and interest rates went up to 21% in an effort to curb the inflation caused by Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society spending and Nixon’s wage and price freeze. It took Reaganomics to turn the nation around.
Congress, led by Barney Frank, had mandated for years that lending institutions give mortgages to people they knew could not pay. It all came to a head in late 2008. The government decided to give trillions to banks and business.
It is an interesting irony of Providence that both Keynes and
Barney Frank were gay. Gays do not reproduce unless they teach other boys and men to do what they do. Wealth is not created until something is produced. These guys think they can take from the producers in the form of taxes and “stimulate” the economy. This policy punishes the producers and rewards non-producers.
God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number” (Gen 1:28). God meant for man and woman to be productive by having babies. Keynesian Theory is homosexual.
Romans 1:24-27
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
Keynesian economics (also called Keynesianism (pronounced /ˈkeɪnziən/, and Keynesian Theory), is a macroeconomic theory based on the ideas of 20th-century British economist John Maynard Keynes. Keynes was homosexual.
Richard Nixon imposed wage and price controls (like Communist Russia) and proclaimed, “We are now all Keynesians.” Carter came and interest rates went up to 21% in an effort to curb the inflation caused by Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society spending and Nixon’s wage and price freeze. It took Reaganomics to turn the nation around.
Congress, led by Barney Frank, had mandated for years that lending institutions give mortgages to people they knew could not pay. It all came to a head in late 2008. The government decided to give trillions to banks and business.
It is an interesting irony of Providence that both Keynes and
Barney Frank were gay. Gays do not reproduce unless they teach other boys and men to do what they do. Wealth is not created until something is produced. These guys think they can take from the producers in the form of taxes and “stimulate” the economy. This policy punishes the producers and rewards non-producers.
God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number” (Gen 1:28). God meant for man and woman to be productive by having babies. Keynesian Theory is homosexual.
Romans 1:24-27
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Of
Abraham Kuyper’s
Calvinism
Ron Smith's Summary of
Abraham Kuyper’s Speech at Princeton in 1898.
"There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!'"
Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920)
Abraham Kuyper was an extraordinary figure uniquely capable of wearing several hats throughout his long public career as pastor, theologian, scholar, journalist, educator and statesman. Although he began in the parish ministry, he moved on to become editor of two periodicals; to found the Antirevolutionary Party, the first Dutch political party and the first Christian Democratic party in the world; and to establish the Free University, a Christian university established on Reformed principles. He was first elected to the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament in 1874 and eventually served as Prime Minister from 1901 to 1905. Kuyper's thought was introduced to North America in 1898, when he delivered the Stone Lectures at Princeton Seminary.
Although Kuyper was not an academic political theorist, he nevertheless laid the foundations for a highly original approach to politics that would come to be labelled "Kuyperian." Its originality consisted in the fact that he sought to articulate a consistently Christian view of the place of politics in God's world free from the distortions of various nonchristian ideologies.
The most characteristic feature of Kuyper's political thought is the principle of soevereiniteit in eigen kring, usually referred to in English as "sovereignty in its own sphere," "sovereignty in its proper orbit," or simply "sphere sovereignty." Sphere sovereignty implies three things: (1) ultimate sovereignty belongs to God alone; (2) all earthly sovereignties are subordinate to and derivative from God's sovereignty; and (3) there is no mediating earthly sovereignty from which others are derivative. Current efforts at rehabilitating what is often called "civil society" owe something to this principle.
Kuyper's ideas were further developed by Herman Dooyeweerd and others in the twentieth century.
Kuyper points out that the vital turn in modern history was made in 1789. That year gave birth to the French Revolution and the "violent rise of modern humanism." That struggle continues to rage today. The only answer is Biblical Calvinism.
Kuyper points out that the term Calvinism is used in four ways:
1. In its sectarian use it is used as a derisive term with little or no understanding of what it really is.
2. The dogmatic use represents Calvinists as narrow and dogmatic people who believe in predestination.
3. The denominational use is applied to groups such as "Calvinist Baptists" or "Calvinist Methodists."
4. The scientific use refers to its political name. We say, “political name,” because, historically, it sanctions no church hierarchy or magisterial interference by the civil authority, and it results in republican (representative) government.
We can see that it is this very Calvinism, in the scientific use that resulted in the US. Constitution. The French Revolution was based on atheism, while the American one was called "the Scots Irish Presbyterian revolt," and was based on Biblical Calvinism. George Washington and the founding fathers rejected the radicalism of the French Revolution. Calvinism's peculiar theology, special church-order, and its given form for political and social life is unique in its character. The French Revolution was a humanist imitation and counterfeit of Calvinism.
Just as Paganism, Islamism, Romanism and Modern Humanism each have their life systems, so every life-system requires conditions in the three fundamental relations of all human life, namely:
-- our relation to God;
-- our relation to man, and
-- our relation to the world.
The First Condition: Our Relation to God
Paganism worships God in the creature. Islamism isolates God from nature. Romanism teaches "God enters into fellowship with the creature by means of a mystic middle-link, which is the Church." Each of these views stands in opposition to Calvinism.
Calvinism "does not seek God in the creature, as Paganism; it does not isolate God from the creature, as Islamism; it posits no mediate communion between God and the creature, as does Romanism; but proclaims the exalted thought that, although standing in high majesty above the creature, God enters into immediate fellowship with the creature, as God the Holy Spirit."
Kuyper anticipates the objection that Luther and Protestantism should share with Calvinism and be given credit for this world-view. Though Luther alone stands by the side of Calvinism, "Luther still leaned upon the Romish view of the sacraments, and upon the Romish cultus, while Calvin was the first in both to draw the line which extended immediately from God to man and from man to God." He says, "Even the name of 'Lutheranism' is hardly ever mentioned; while the students of history with increasing unanimity recognize Calvinism as the creator of a world of human life entirely its own."
Some might object that Humanism ("People for the French Way") denies any relation with God. The fact is, they make themselves their own god. Man becomes god.
Kuyper repeats: "Thus I maintain that it is the interpretation of our relation to God which dominates every general life system.”
The Second Condition for Every Life-System:
Our Relation to our Neighbor
Paganism results in systems of caste, as in India. Islamism results in a system of slavery. The woman is the slave of man and the infidel is the slave of the Moslem. Romanism results in every relation of man to man hierarchically, and leads to "an entirely aristocratic interpretation of life." "Humanism, which denies every difference, cannot rest until it has made woman man and man woman, and, putting every distinction on a common level, kills life [abortion, etc.?] by placing it under the ban of uniformity. One type must answer for all, one uniform, one position and one and the same development of life; and whatever goes beyond and above it, is looked upon as an insult to the common consciousness [the dogmatic attitude of evolutionists?]."
Calvinism, on the other hand, holds that "we stand as equals before God." "Hence we cannot recognize any distinction among men, save such as has been imposed by God Himself, in that He gave one authority over the other, or enriched one with more talents than the other, in order that the man of more talents should serve the man with less, and in him serve his God. In the same way, Calvinism condemns not merely all open slavery and systems of caste, but also all covert slavery of woman and of the poor; it is opposed to all hierarchy among men; it tolerates no aristocracy save such as is able, either in person or in family, by the grace of God, to exhibit superiority of character or talent, and to show that it does not claim this superiority for self-aggrandizement or ambitious pride, but for the sake of spending it in the service of God... It was Calvinism, then, which was bound to find its unique utterance in the democratic interpretation of life..."
"The difference between [Calvinism] and the wild dream of equality in the French Revolution is that while in Paris it was one action in concert against God, here [in Calvinism] all, rich and poor, were on their knees before God, consumed with a common zeal for the glory of His Name."
Our Relation to the World:
The third Requirement for Every Life-System
Paganism and Islamism
"Of Paganism it can be said in general, that it places too high an estimate upon the world, and therefore to some extent it both stands in fear of, and loses itself in it. On the other hand Islamism places too low an estimate upon the world, makes sport of it and triumphs over it in reaching after the visionary world of a sensual paradise." Muslims make the world a slave and Hinduism is enslaved by it.
Romanism
By the late medieval Church's "dominion over the world the Church proved an obstacle to every free development of its life." This was a dualistic world-view. It was Calvinism that changed England’s attitude toward banking and toward the Jews. This brought about prosperity and freedom to invent and create.
Calvinism’s Early Rejection of Dualism –
Calvinism rejected dualism with the doctrines of "particular grace, which works salvation, and common grace, by which God, maintaining the life of the world, relaxes the curse which rests on it, arrests its process of corruption, and thus allows the untrammeled development of our life in which to glorify Himself as Creator."
"Henceforth, as the Calvinist saw it, the curse should no longer rest upon the world itself, but upon that which is sinful in it, and instead of monastic flight from the world the duty is now emphasized of serving God in the world, in every position in life."
Calvinism also rejected the dualism of the Anabaptists who withdrew from all civil institutions and was bound to take all civil life under its guardianship, and to remodel it, by force, if necessary. Scripture gives a good model in Joseph and Daniel "Your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies" (Gen 22:17). True Biblical Calvinism also rejects the dualistic notion of “escapism” from the troubles of the world.
Conclusion to the "Three Fundamental Relations"
"This justifies us fully in our statement that Calvinism duly answers the three above-named conditions, thus is incontestably entitled to take its stand by the side of Paganism, Islamism, Romanism and Modern Humanism, and to claim for itself the glory of possessing a well-defined principle and an all-embracing life-system."
The first written constitution in history came about as the result of a sermon by Calvinist Thomas Hooker in 1639 Connecticut.
• Everyone has a worldview. Few have a coherent worldview or are able to articulate it clearly.
• Most people don’t consider their worldview to be a central defining element of their life, although it is.
• People spend surprisingly little time intentionally considering and developing their worldview. More often than not, their worldview development process is one of unconscious evolution and acceptance. They allow it to evolve and sum it up this way: “Whatever.”
• Americans rarely interact with each other on a substantive level regarding matters and issues that relate to worldview development and clarification. When they do so, they often do not know how to process the interaction or how to progress from their existing position.
“Survey after survey has shown that Americans – including a huge majority of born-again Christians and evangelical Christians – lack a biblical worldview.”
--- From the book, “Think Like Jesus,” by George Barna.
ChurchoftheKingMcAllen.com
7401 N. Ware Rd
585-4402
Abraham Kuyper’s
Calvinism
Ron Smith's Summary of
Abraham Kuyper’s Speech at Princeton in 1898.
"There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!'"
Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920)
Abraham Kuyper was an extraordinary figure uniquely capable of wearing several hats throughout his long public career as pastor, theologian, scholar, journalist, educator and statesman. Although he began in the parish ministry, he moved on to become editor of two periodicals; to found the Antirevolutionary Party, the first Dutch political party and the first Christian Democratic party in the world; and to establish the Free University, a Christian university established on Reformed principles. He was first elected to the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament in 1874 and eventually served as Prime Minister from 1901 to 1905. Kuyper's thought was introduced to North America in 1898, when he delivered the Stone Lectures at Princeton Seminary.
Although Kuyper was not an academic political theorist, he nevertheless laid the foundations for a highly original approach to politics that would come to be labelled "Kuyperian." Its originality consisted in the fact that he sought to articulate a consistently Christian view of the place of politics in God's world free from the distortions of various nonchristian ideologies.
The most characteristic feature of Kuyper's political thought is the principle of soevereiniteit in eigen kring, usually referred to in English as "sovereignty in its own sphere," "sovereignty in its proper orbit," or simply "sphere sovereignty." Sphere sovereignty implies three things: (1) ultimate sovereignty belongs to God alone; (2) all earthly sovereignties are subordinate to and derivative from God's sovereignty; and (3) there is no mediating earthly sovereignty from which others are derivative. Current efforts at rehabilitating what is often called "civil society" owe something to this principle.
Kuyper's ideas were further developed by Herman Dooyeweerd and others in the twentieth century.
Kuyper points out that the vital turn in modern history was made in 1789. That year gave birth to the French Revolution and the "violent rise of modern humanism." That struggle continues to rage today. The only answer is Biblical Calvinism.
Kuyper points out that the term Calvinism is used in four ways:
1. In its sectarian use it is used as a derisive term with little or no understanding of what it really is.
2. The dogmatic use represents Calvinists as narrow and dogmatic people who believe in predestination.
3. The denominational use is applied to groups such as "Calvinist Baptists" or "Calvinist Methodists."
4. The scientific use refers to its political name. We say, “political name,” because, historically, it sanctions no church hierarchy or magisterial interference by the civil authority, and it results in republican (representative) government.
We can see that it is this very Calvinism, in the scientific use that resulted in the US. Constitution. The French Revolution was based on atheism, while the American one was called "the Scots Irish Presbyterian revolt," and was based on Biblical Calvinism. George Washington and the founding fathers rejected the radicalism of the French Revolution. Calvinism's peculiar theology, special church-order, and its given form for political and social life is unique in its character. The French Revolution was a humanist imitation and counterfeit of Calvinism.
Just as Paganism, Islamism, Romanism and Modern Humanism each have their life systems, so every life-system requires conditions in the three fundamental relations of all human life, namely:
-- our relation to God;
-- our relation to man, and
-- our relation to the world.
The First Condition: Our Relation to God
Paganism worships God in the creature. Islamism isolates God from nature. Romanism teaches "God enters into fellowship with the creature by means of a mystic middle-link, which is the Church." Each of these views stands in opposition to Calvinism.
Calvinism "does not seek God in the creature, as Paganism; it does not isolate God from the creature, as Islamism; it posits no mediate communion between God and the creature, as does Romanism; but proclaims the exalted thought that, although standing in high majesty above the creature, God enters into immediate fellowship with the creature, as God the Holy Spirit."
Kuyper anticipates the objection that Luther and Protestantism should share with Calvinism and be given credit for this world-view. Though Luther alone stands by the side of Calvinism, "Luther still leaned upon the Romish view of the sacraments, and upon the Romish cultus, while Calvin was the first in both to draw the line which extended immediately from God to man and from man to God." He says, "Even the name of 'Lutheranism' is hardly ever mentioned; while the students of history with increasing unanimity recognize Calvinism as the creator of a world of human life entirely its own."
Some might object that Humanism ("People for the French Way") denies any relation with God. The fact is, they make themselves their own god. Man becomes god.
Kuyper repeats: "Thus I maintain that it is the interpretation of our relation to God which dominates every general life system.”
The Second Condition for Every Life-System:
Our Relation to our Neighbor
Paganism results in systems of caste, as in India. Islamism results in a system of slavery. The woman is the slave of man and the infidel is the slave of the Moslem. Romanism results in every relation of man to man hierarchically, and leads to "an entirely aristocratic interpretation of life." "Humanism, which denies every difference, cannot rest until it has made woman man and man woman, and, putting every distinction on a common level, kills life [abortion, etc.?] by placing it under the ban of uniformity. One type must answer for all, one uniform, one position and one and the same development of life; and whatever goes beyond and above it, is looked upon as an insult to the common consciousness [the dogmatic attitude of evolutionists?]."
Calvinism, on the other hand, holds that "we stand as equals before God." "Hence we cannot recognize any distinction among men, save such as has been imposed by God Himself, in that He gave one authority over the other, or enriched one with more talents than the other, in order that the man of more talents should serve the man with less, and in him serve his God. In the same way, Calvinism condemns not merely all open slavery and systems of caste, but also all covert slavery of woman and of the poor; it is opposed to all hierarchy among men; it tolerates no aristocracy save such as is able, either in person or in family, by the grace of God, to exhibit superiority of character or talent, and to show that it does not claim this superiority for self-aggrandizement or ambitious pride, but for the sake of spending it in the service of God... It was Calvinism, then, which was bound to find its unique utterance in the democratic interpretation of life..."
"The difference between [Calvinism] and the wild dream of equality in the French Revolution is that while in Paris it was one action in concert against God, here [in Calvinism] all, rich and poor, were on their knees before God, consumed with a common zeal for the glory of His Name."
Our Relation to the World:
The third Requirement for Every Life-System
Paganism and Islamism
"Of Paganism it can be said in general, that it places too high an estimate upon the world, and therefore to some extent it both stands in fear of, and loses itself in it. On the other hand Islamism places too low an estimate upon the world, makes sport of it and triumphs over it in reaching after the visionary world of a sensual paradise." Muslims make the world a slave and Hinduism is enslaved by it.
Romanism
By the late medieval Church's "dominion over the world the Church proved an obstacle to every free development of its life." This was a dualistic world-view. It was Calvinism that changed England’s attitude toward banking and toward the Jews. This brought about prosperity and freedom to invent and create.
Calvinism’s Early Rejection of Dualism –
Calvinism rejected dualism with the doctrines of "particular grace, which works salvation, and common grace, by which God, maintaining the life of the world, relaxes the curse which rests on it, arrests its process of corruption, and thus allows the untrammeled development of our life in which to glorify Himself as Creator."
"Henceforth, as the Calvinist saw it, the curse should no longer rest upon the world itself, but upon that which is sinful in it, and instead of monastic flight from the world the duty is now emphasized of serving God in the world, in every position in life."
Calvinism also rejected the dualism of the Anabaptists who withdrew from all civil institutions and was bound to take all civil life under its guardianship, and to remodel it, by force, if necessary. Scripture gives a good model in Joseph and Daniel "Your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies" (Gen 22:17). True Biblical Calvinism also rejects the dualistic notion of “escapism” from the troubles of the world.
Conclusion to the "Three Fundamental Relations"
"This justifies us fully in our statement that Calvinism duly answers the three above-named conditions, thus is incontestably entitled to take its stand by the side of Paganism, Islamism, Romanism and Modern Humanism, and to claim for itself the glory of possessing a well-defined principle and an all-embracing life-system."
The first written constitution in history came about as the result of a sermon by Calvinist Thomas Hooker in 1639 Connecticut.
• Everyone has a worldview. Few have a coherent worldview or are able to articulate it clearly.
• Most people don’t consider their worldview to be a central defining element of their life, although it is.
• People spend surprisingly little time intentionally considering and developing their worldview. More often than not, their worldview development process is one of unconscious evolution and acceptance. They allow it to evolve and sum it up this way: “Whatever.”
• Americans rarely interact with each other on a substantive level regarding matters and issues that relate to worldview development and clarification. When they do so, they often do not know how to process the interaction or how to progress from their existing position.
“Survey after survey has shown that Americans – including a huge majority of born-again Christians and evangelical Christians – lack a biblical worldview.”
--- From the book, “Think Like Jesus,” by George Barna.
ChurchoftheKingMcAllen.com
7401 N. Ware Rd
585-4402
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Psalm 2 And The Current Raging Of The French Revolution
The Raging Of The Nations
There is a culture war raging in America. The outcome of this conflict could not be more important - it is nothing less than the survival of Western civilization. This is because the roots of this conflict run far deeper than most people realize, and its consequences far more serious. For example, one of the major battlegrounds is over civil rights for homosexuals.
The Gay issue is just one manifestation of what
Psalm 2 describes.
1 Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.”
God’s Response
4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.
The Decree
5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: 6 “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.”
7 “I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
The Promise
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”
The Warning
10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
1. They rage
2. They plot
3. They counsel
They Rage & Plot
“Why do the nations rage?”
Whenever the Bible talks about the nations, it means the pagan Gentiles. All the nations except Israel were pagan unbelievers who each had their own gods and found their identity in the doctrines of those gods. This is described as “raging.” It’s like the raging of the sea.
When David wrote this Psalm under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he had in mind all the nations that he was fighting in order to establish the kingdom of God in Jerusalem. But the Holy Spirit had in mind all nations that reject God and His anointed One. David was God’s anointed one and so is Christ. David was a type of Christ. Just as David was making war to subject the nations to God’s rule, Christ also is doing that now. The Bible says, “He must reign until he puts all enemies under his feet.” God said to his Son through the prophet Isaiah, “The nation and kingdom that will not obey you shall be destroyed.”
Zech 14
Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem [the church] will … worship the King, the LORD Almighty… If any of the peoples of the earth do not … they will have no rain…. The LORD will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations (Zech 14:16-19).
The nations that resist the rule of Christ are raging by plotting a vain thing. It says, “Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?.”
Every nation of the ancient world had their gods. False gods and idols are described in the Bible as being vain things. Actually, every nation in the world today is a theocracy. Every man has a god he believes in. Even the atheist worships a mental image of what he adores & venerates. Some worship nature; some worship the state; some worship man; and some worship themselves, and some worship the buffoon gods of Mt. Hollywood. Every other religion in the world ends up worshipping the state as the highest authority. That is what God’s word means when the rulers of Jerusalem said, “We have no king but Caesar. Crucify him & give us Barabbas the revolutionary!” This is raging & plotting a vain thing.
Envy Cuts Off The Heads Of All Authority And Traditional Values
Since the French Revolution of 1789, this raging humanism has taken over nation after nation. The aim was to destroy Christianity and the Law of God. They even tried to scrap the seven-day week and replaced it with a ten-day week. They cut off the heads of the rich people & the heads of all historical authority. They bowed to the goddess of reason. You can see from the picture what was meant by “reason.” It meant freedom from moral restraints & God’s authority. This is the aim of the socialists and the secular progressives of today who are trying to change the U.S. Constitution to mean something different from the original intent of our nation’s founders. This is a culture war that has been raging since the Tower of Babel & is intent on dethroning God’s rule.
Ever since the French Revolution of 1789, the nations have been raging & plotting in a brand new way. After the fall of Rome around 500 A.D., France became the 1st nation of Europe to become a Christian nation. But after 1200 years, CHANGE came. 200 years before that, at the time of the Reformation, there were many Calvinists in high places in France. The admiral of the navy was one. But then came St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. 30,000 Calvinist believers were slaughtered in one week. Over the next 200 years they were annihilated or run out of France. One was the father of my great, great grandmother, Mariah Bobo.
Then came God’s judgment. God gave them up and sent a strong delusion. Otto Scott, in his book, Robespierre, The Fool As Revolutionary, describes the conditions in France at that time.
For the first time since the decadent days of Rome, pornography emerged from its caves & circulated openly in a civilized nation… Strange cults appeared; sex rituals, black magic, Satanism. Perversion became not only acceptable but fashionable. Homosexuals held balls… Prostitutes were admired; swindles & sharp business practices increased… the word revolution became common; it no longer created shock but became a respectable, accepted word and idea… And no name was the target of more assiduous & filthy inventions than that of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France.
When Christ arose and sat down on the throne of David at the right hand of the Father, he said, “All authority is given to me in heaven and in earth.” America and all other nations belong to Christ. He has all authority over them. God said to him, “Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel (vs.8-9). God is in the process of dashing the unbelieving nations to pieces. France has been a 2nd class nation for 200 years now. But France is destined to return to Christ once again. This is not the end. Keep your eye on God for the next 100 years. He has some surprises up His sleeve.
America is a Christian nation and belongs to Christ and His people. God’s enemies know this subconsciously. That’s why they can only resort to tyrannical force. They are a minority, but right now they have the power. God has both authority and power, but he has given His enemies the power because of our sins.
Power is what they seek. Power is the watchword. They try to forcefully change the laws any way they can. They are lawless. They don’t care about legitimate authority because they know in their hearts they don’t have it. They are tyrants by nature. To prove it, when they run out of logic, they raise their voices and call names. “The workers of iniquity sharpen their tongues like swords and bend their bows to shoot their arrows of bitter words” (Ps 64:3). They invented a new doctrine called “separation of church and state.”
Why do they rage and plot a vain thing? Because they want to be free from God’s Law. They want to be liberal. They want to be free to use drugs, free to have illicit sex, free to abort babies, free to lie & steal, free to do swear & do whatever they want to do. So they make the government a substitute for God. “Let us break their bands asunder and cast their cords from us.” “God’s Law makes us unhappy” they say. It creates pathologies and it is humiliating. A recent study reported on Fox News says that conservatives are much happier than liberals. They don’t understand that true freedom comes with rules, boundaries, and limitations (to quote the Dog Whisperer). Dogs and humans find our true harmony with nature when we become calm submissive to Christ our pack leader.
In the French Revolution, they paraded a woman through the streets dressed as the goddess of reason. Reason, they said, proves that humans have no moral point of reference, that nothing I think can be more wrong or right than what you think. They said there are no absolutes. They believed that as people became more knowledgeable they would eventually turn away from religious faith.
They Take Counsel Together
They have this thing all worked out. Their professors told them so. David Letterman' jokes and Oprah give counsel. Hollywood agrees. The media agrees. Friendship with the world is enmity with God. The friend of the world is the enemy of God (James 4).
Psalm 2:10-12
10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
Conclusion
What can you do about it? Be not conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Arm yourself. Be aware of what is happening. Be a Christian soldier. Get educated on the issues. Be ready to give an answer. Attend SS. Read. Grow in grace. Spread the word. Instruct your kids. Give money to the cause of the kingdom. Be a witness. Jesus said, “All authority is given … go therefore and teach all nations…” Go for it. This is what you signed up for. Lay your life on the line. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Get excited. Pray for wisdom. Pray for the church to repent. Pray for leaders to arise. Enter the fray. Contend for the truth.
Young or old, you have a task. Uncle Sam wants YOU and so does Jesus. Side with God against yourself and be a victor.
There is a culture war raging in America. The outcome of this conflict could not be more important - it is nothing less than the survival of Western civilization. This is because the roots of this conflict run far deeper than most people realize, and its consequences far more serious. For example, one of the major battlegrounds is over civil rights for homosexuals.
The Gay issue is just one manifestation of what
Psalm 2 describes.
1 Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.”
God’s Response
4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.
The Decree
5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: 6 “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.”
7 “I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
The Promise
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”
The Warning
10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
1. They rage
2. They plot
3. They counsel
They Rage & Plot
“Why do the nations rage?”
Whenever the Bible talks about the nations, it means the pagan Gentiles. All the nations except Israel were pagan unbelievers who each had their own gods and found their identity in the doctrines of those gods. This is described as “raging.” It’s like the raging of the sea.
When David wrote this Psalm under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he had in mind all the nations that he was fighting in order to establish the kingdom of God in Jerusalem. But the Holy Spirit had in mind all nations that reject God and His anointed One. David was God’s anointed one and so is Christ. David was a type of Christ. Just as David was making war to subject the nations to God’s rule, Christ also is doing that now. The Bible says, “He must reign until he puts all enemies under his feet.” God said to his Son through the prophet Isaiah, “The nation and kingdom that will not obey you shall be destroyed.”
Zech 14
Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem [the church] will … worship the King, the LORD Almighty… If any of the peoples of the earth do not … they will have no rain…. The LORD will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations (Zech 14:16-19).
The nations that resist the rule of Christ are raging by plotting a vain thing. It says, “Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?.”
Every nation of the ancient world had their gods. False gods and idols are described in the Bible as being vain things. Actually, every nation in the world today is a theocracy. Every man has a god he believes in. Even the atheist worships a mental image of what he adores & venerates. Some worship nature; some worship the state; some worship man; and some worship themselves, and some worship the buffoon gods of Mt. Hollywood. Every other religion in the world ends up worshipping the state as the highest authority. That is what God’s word means when the rulers of Jerusalem said, “We have no king but Caesar. Crucify him & give us Barabbas the revolutionary!” This is raging & plotting a vain thing.
Envy Cuts Off The Heads Of All Authority And Traditional Values
Since the French Revolution of 1789, this raging humanism has taken over nation after nation. The aim was to destroy Christianity and the Law of God. They even tried to scrap the seven-day week and replaced it with a ten-day week. They cut off the heads of the rich people & the heads of all historical authority. They bowed to the goddess of reason. You can see from the picture what was meant by “reason.” It meant freedom from moral restraints & God’s authority. This is the aim of the socialists and the secular progressives of today who are trying to change the U.S. Constitution to mean something different from the original intent of our nation’s founders. This is a culture war that has been raging since the Tower of Babel & is intent on dethroning God’s rule.
Ever since the French Revolution of 1789, the nations have been raging & plotting in a brand new way. After the fall of Rome around 500 A.D., France became the 1st nation of Europe to become a Christian nation. But after 1200 years, CHANGE came. 200 years before that, at the time of the Reformation, there were many Calvinists in high places in France. The admiral of the navy was one. But then came St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. 30,000 Calvinist believers were slaughtered in one week. Over the next 200 years they were annihilated or run out of France. One was the father of my great, great grandmother, Mariah Bobo.
Then came God’s judgment. God gave them up and sent a strong delusion. Otto Scott, in his book, Robespierre, The Fool As Revolutionary, describes the conditions in France at that time.
For the first time since the decadent days of Rome, pornography emerged from its caves & circulated openly in a civilized nation… Strange cults appeared; sex rituals, black magic, Satanism. Perversion became not only acceptable but fashionable. Homosexuals held balls… Prostitutes were admired; swindles & sharp business practices increased… the word revolution became common; it no longer created shock but became a respectable, accepted word and idea… And no name was the target of more assiduous & filthy inventions than that of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France.
When Christ arose and sat down on the throne of David at the right hand of the Father, he said, “All authority is given to me in heaven and in earth.” America and all other nations belong to Christ. He has all authority over them. God said to him, “Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel (vs.8-9). God is in the process of dashing the unbelieving nations to pieces. France has been a 2nd class nation for 200 years now. But France is destined to return to Christ once again. This is not the end. Keep your eye on God for the next 100 years. He has some surprises up His sleeve.
America is a Christian nation and belongs to Christ and His people. God’s enemies know this subconsciously. That’s why they can only resort to tyrannical force. They are a minority, but right now they have the power. God has both authority and power, but he has given His enemies the power because of our sins.
Power is what they seek. Power is the watchword. They try to forcefully change the laws any way they can. They are lawless. They don’t care about legitimate authority because they know in their hearts they don’t have it. They are tyrants by nature. To prove it, when they run out of logic, they raise their voices and call names. “The workers of iniquity sharpen their tongues like swords and bend their bows to shoot their arrows of bitter words” (Ps 64:3). They invented a new doctrine called “separation of church and state.”
Why do they rage and plot a vain thing? Because they want to be free from God’s Law. They want to be liberal. They want to be free to use drugs, free to have illicit sex, free to abort babies, free to lie & steal, free to do swear & do whatever they want to do. So they make the government a substitute for God. “Let us break their bands asunder and cast their cords from us.” “God’s Law makes us unhappy” they say. It creates pathologies and it is humiliating. A recent study reported on Fox News says that conservatives are much happier than liberals. They don’t understand that true freedom comes with rules, boundaries, and limitations (to quote the Dog Whisperer). Dogs and humans find our true harmony with nature when we become calm submissive to Christ our pack leader.
In the French Revolution, they paraded a woman through the streets dressed as the goddess of reason. Reason, they said, proves that humans have no moral point of reference, that nothing I think can be more wrong or right than what you think. They said there are no absolutes. They believed that as people became more knowledgeable they would eventually turn away from religious faith.
They Take Counsel Together
They have this thing all worked out. Their professors told them so. David Letterman' jokes and Oprah give counsel. Hollywood agrees. The media agrees. Friendship with the world is enmity with God. The friend of the world is the enemy of God (James 4).
Psalm 2:10-12
10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
Conclusion
What can you do about it? Be not conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Arm yourself. Be aware of what is happening. Be a Christian soldier. Get educated on the issues. Be ready to give an answer. Attend SS. Read. Grow in grace. Spread the word. Instruct your kids. Give money to the cause of the kingdom. Be a witness. Jesus said, “All authority is given … go therefore and teach all nations…” Go for it. This is what you signed up for. Lay your life on the line. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Get excited. Pray for wisdom. Pray for the church to repent. Pray for leaders to arise. Enter the fray. Contend for the truth.
Young or old, you have a task. Uncle Sam wants YOU and so does Jesus. Side with God against yourself and be a victor.
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