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.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
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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