Opus 2026-288: Running Out of Cheeks, Part 5 of 5, Time to Think and Apply

The word resist is not used but we might also reference Peter responding to the Council when he was told not to preach any more.

(Act 4:19 KJV)  But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

He was clearly ordered by the authorities not to preach.  He did not get a bad attitude, just explained his position.  In fact he did not say he would continue to preach, just said he would listen to God and not them.

We quote about resisting the devil but never put them together.  This is a common issue when trying to understand statements in the Bible.  We have what might be thought of as contradictions but at the same time believe that there are no contradictions.  My belief is that we can come to an understanding that works with both.  Some people, dispensationalists for instance, will set aside passages and claim that they don’t apply to us any more.  Sounds good.  Is easy to do.  Once you start down that road the real question is where do you stop?  How much of the Bible can you say does not apply to you and why are you really saying it?  Thomas Jefferson is famous for taking a pair of scissors to the Bible.  The Jesus Project is another example.

Nehemiah tells Jews to rebuild temple with a sword in one hand.  It is important to consider the whole council of God.  We tend to get fixated on one verse.  We also need to realize that what is the instruction for one time is not always the same when the situation is different.  Note that when Jesus sent the disciples out the first time they were told to go only to the Jews.  Later the instructions included the entire world.

Read and think.  Answers will come.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-092: The War on God, part 5 of 5, Second Doesn’t Get the Gold

The conflict between God and government comes down to an attitude we see in the Olympics.  You have athletes from all around the world competing.  They are the best from each country.  At the end of the day only one can get the Gold.  Have you noticed that people are polite about Silver being great but in their minds they still know it isn’t the gold.

Or I could talk about a guy I know who was engaged to be married.  He gave her the ring and everything.  Then it fell through and she gave him back the ring.  Not to be a wastrel, the next time he asked a girl to marry him he tried to give her the same ring.  I am told she was not real happy about it.

We see this conflict being played out in the Bible.  Jesus is willing to admit that the government has a place.

(Luke 20:25 KJV)  And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.

But the priority is also clear.  Peter and John were arrested and told to stop talking about Jesus. 

(Acts 4:18-9 KJV)  And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.  But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

And then they went back to preaching.

The conflict goes on.  The government pays lip service to a Constitution that guarantees freedoms of religion, speech, press and assembly.  Then they try to shut up the Christians.  How will it end?  Compare the results of the American Revolution and the French Revolution.  One embraced God, the other outlawed Him.  One led to a growing republic, the other to the Reign of Terror. 

If the government gets its way you can expect to see the same thing again.

homo unius libri

Opus 2014-288: Cornerstone Considerations: CUSA, The Highest Authority

On my other blog I made some comments on Proverbs in regard to the government.

(Proverbs 25:5 KJV)  Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.

Since that is a devotional blog I don’t want to get into political philosophy and personal opinion as much as I do here.  So I want to dig a little deeper into the struggle of Christians living in an anti-God culture and being led by politicians who mock the standards of God.

I also quoted Paul.

(Romans 13:1 KJV)  Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

How are we as Christians to be faithful to the call of God to be righteous and support leaders who reject righteousness? 

As Americans we are in a unique position.  You see, we do not have a king.  We have a president.  We have an elected official who takes an oath of office that reminds us what the “higher powers” that Paul talks about really are.  Here it is as a direct quote from the Constitution, Article II, Section 1:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States."

I submit that the highest power that we obey in the United States of America is the Constitution.  It is not the president, congress or the Supreme Court.

We see this in the oath I took when I was drafted into the army years ago.

I”, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." (Title 10, US Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the wording first adopted in 1789, with amendment effective 5 October 1962).”

This oath, with slight variations, is also taken by all officers.  Notice it gives supremacy to the Constitution and limits obedience to orders that are legal. 

Is this sophistry?  You be the judge. 

I also have the words of Peter before the Sanhedrin:

(Acts 4:19 KJV)  But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

Of course there is a difference between political opinion and speaking the truth of God.  We sometimes forget that, but we as Christians need to remember that we have a higher allegiance.  One of the struggles we have in a country and a religion that believes in liberty and individual responsibility is that we have to engage our minds and make hard choices.

Welcome to liberty.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-220: Headlines: Homosexuality Wins, Part 3 of 3, How Do We Respond?

How are we who believe the Bible to respond to the current decisions by the Supreme Court?  Their decisions go directly opposite of our understanding and morality.   What are we to do?  We live in a society that still pays lip service to the democratic dream.  No one I know is talking about a theocracy.  We still believe in the rule of law.  We do, but I am not sure that the courts do.  Until we are locked up we can continue to write, phone and post.  From all the polls, though, it would seem that there are not enough of us to matter anymore.  I don’t usually believe polls but what I see in the young people I know tells me they have been reprogrammed.

How are we to respond?  First, we continue to live as the Bible tells us to live.  This is not the first time in history that Christians have been required to live in a culture that rejects them.  We are still expected to love our neighbors, turn the other cheek, go the extra mile and love the Lord our God with all our mind, heart, soul and strength.  Read the parts of the Bible that deal with Israel in exile and the church under persecution.  Keep the faith.

How are we to respond?  Stand up and be counted.  We cannot shut up or shut down.  We still have a gospel to proclaim.  If you follow the news you have read about the military telling soldiers they can be court marshaled for sharing their faith.  Remember what Peter said when he was told to sit down and shut up.

(Acts 4:18 KJV)  And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.  But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.  For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

If it means being forced out of the military, so be it.  That will be applied to all of us soon.

How are we to respond?  Speak the truth in love.  I am a teacher in the public school system.  I have already been called into the office because I have answered students questions about what I think about homosexual marriage.  Interestingly enough, I was not called in for telling where I stood but for saying I stood there because the Bible was my source of right and wrong.  It was the Bible that caused the real problem.  I have told my wife not to be surprised if I ended up losing my job over the issue of homosexuality.  Time will tell.  Truth must be told.  It is called living by faith.

How are we to respond?  I am wondering if we need to follow the lead of the Amish.  They made a decision to dress a certain way and publicly reject certain innovations.  I am aware of the dangers of legalism and how shallow a dress code can be, but maybe it is time.  The standards should be modesty and integrity.  It can’t be as simple as wearing a cross, even pagans will do that.  It might be getting a copyright on an ornament and only allowing people to wear it who agree to a statement of faith.  I know that it means being different.

How are we to respond?  Accept that we are different.  We will not fit in.  We will suffer.  The suffering does not need to mean concentration camps or prison.  It can be as simple as social rejection, lack of promotion or being banned from certain jobs.  It will come.  It is here now.  Talk to outspoken believers in the academic world.  They have been denied tenure and had their thesis rejected because of what they believe, not because of their qualifications. 

Today we live in a different world than we did a few weeks ago. 

What always cheers me up is the knowledge that I have read the Book and I know who wins.

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-258, Monday Pulpit: Pulpit Freedom Sunday

I had never heard of it before but evidently it has been around a few years.  The pastor called it “Pulpit Freedom Sunday.”  It is a day when pastors are supposed to remind people of the tradition of freedom that is guaranteed in the Constitution and point out how that freedom is being taken away step by step.

One point he made that I appreciated was two incidences in the book of Acts that show how Christians are to view and use their rights as citizens.  Both of them had to do with Paul confronting the local governments that abused his rights as a Roman citizen.  (Acts 16:37, 22:25)  We have Biblical grounds for demanding our rights as American citizens.

He did not get to the portion of the book of Acts that shows Peter defying the government authorities in order to be obedient to God.

(Acts 4:18-20 KJV)  And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.  But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.  For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

It is scary how the Federal and state governments are whittling away at the protections that were written clearly into the first amendment.  We will soon be called to make choices.  Will we adhere to the clear statements of the Constitution and the direct teaching of scripture or will we quietly conform to the demands of a pagan government?

Today they are trying to silence the pulpits.  Tomorrow they will try to silence the pews.  The goal is to stop all liberty that might undermine their authority.

Be aware.

As I was getting ready to post this I was alerted to a post by The White Man with the same warning.  It gives a bit of history on how the government has been slowly trying to strangle the Amish.  All Christians are on the list.

homo unius libri