A Matter of Authority

It is, after all, a matter of authority.

 

If you and I fail to turn away from our sin in shame, we have no hope of confession, absolution, or eternal life.  That is what the Church is about, isn't it?

 

The point is that it (you fill in the blank about what your pet sin might be) is clearly defined in Scripture as sin, and it is forbidden. If I have a genetic proclivity to murder, my potential activity is still forbidden by Scripture, and I must war against my own desire. The Church offers confession and absolution for all such; and God freely forgives our stumbling. The public law offers only punishment. However, God never forgives our deliberate and faithless determination to set up shop to commit any sin against His will. It is our brokenness and denial of self that is necessary: thus, I must continually say, no, to the corrupted things I want so much, whatever they may be. The Church has no right to grant approval of any such thing. This is simply not negotiable. The Church in heaven has spoken clearly on the issue.

 

Make no mistake.  Satan is not your friend.  He may whisper in your ear that doing this or that is not offensive to God.  Nevertheless, Satan is a self-righteous hypocrite.  In the last judgement, he will be the first to rise up to condemn you, and he will be the first to cast the stone that crushes eternal life out of you.

 

The Blood bought forgiveness of God is so much nicer.

 

If you are offended with this idea, take it up with Paul or whatever Apostle called it sin.

Then take it up with Jesus Christ, Who commanded the Apostle to write.

 

If you and I fail to turn away from our sin in shame, we have no hope of confession, absolution, or eternal life.  That is what the Church is about, isn't it?

American Budget

Most of the Senate Budget Committee’s discussion on Saint Patrick’s Day was obscure.  It was confusing, not only to most of the Senators themselves, but also much more confusing to us, the observing public.  A few things are, however, very clear.

One clear thing is that the budget goal as presented, has a designed in goal of roughly 4.7% growth in government per year for the next five years.  I can’t speak for you, but I know what I want.  I want to see a zero growth government for the next five years, or better yet, a negative growth government until we reach a more reasonable size: say 75% of the current government size or smaller.

Another clear thing is that this roughly 4.7% growth plan will still result in the RIF of many jobs.  Neither Sequestration nor 4.7% are zero growth plans: both are merely a limitation and reduction in growth.  What I fail to understand here, is why Sequestration or any other plan curtailing growth requires any job loss at all.  It seems to me that even a zero growth plan should be capable of sustaining all current employment levels: no raises, no job loss.  Nothing in this discussion justifies any job cuts: yet, in places, these are already Draconian.

The only conceivable justification for 4.7% growth-rate would be the application of the extra funds to debt reduction.  This is clearly not the case.  This 4.7% growth is clearly for bigger and bigger government.  Let me offer proof.  The deficit will not be balanced by the end of the five-year period, and subject matter experts refused to predict when it might ever be balanced.  An alternative proposal of 3% growth promised to bring the deficit into control in ten years.  Clearly, a 0% growth will bring the deficit into control more quickly.

I fail to see why we need any growth rate at all.  We need less government not more.

What is abundantly clear is that Democrats and Republicans both want bigger government.  We’re not arguing about the health of the economy, or job loss, or any other such thing.  What we’re really arguing about is how fast we’re going to build bigger government.

Figure.

Homeland Security Stockpiles Weapons

Homeland Security Stockpiles Weapons

Which is to say that,
many among us willingly prefer Hell,
to the
kind, gentle, good, and loving rule of God.

 

Snopes confirms that SSA issued a Request for Quote for 174,000 rounds of hollow point bullets.  The rest is either unconfirmed or denied by Snopes.

Before we rush headlong into panic, we ought to consider the crucial historic fact that Hitler succeeded in part by secretly developing and arming his forces, and by subtly suppressing his opponents.  This historic fact should greatly sober our decisions, and drive us back into detailed examination of pre-World War II history.

Among the cardinal factors prior to World War II are these:  Open anarchy against God and His absolute authority over man, even to the point of putting God on trial.  Open denial of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Savior of the world, to the point of declaring many human saviors, frequently done in the name of science falsely so called.  Open rejection of the Bible as God’s immediate instruction to the Church, and to the human race at large, even reducing the Bible to ten suggestions.  Open disregard for the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, often to the point of reviving and practicing ancient heresies.  Open disrespect for the leadership of the Church; and fractured though that Church may be on earth, unwillingness to pull Her back together: it is our own arrogance, and bullheaded stubbornness that keeps us apart, not the will and leadership of God.  This results in grasping after every idolatrous utopian scheme that is offered up.  This results in open disregard for any authority of any kind.

The obvious conclusion is that if we fail to return to God, there remains no hope whatsoever for the well-regulated continuation of ours, or of any other society.  What we must rather expect from our headlong descent to destruction is conquest, turning on each other in civil war, condemnation, famine, and death (Revelation 6:2-8).

This is no doomsday prophecy; rather it describes the inevitable, universal consequence of failing to follow the gentle leadership of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Without His guidance, society rapidly disintegrates with the certain consequence of extreme polarization, and turning on one another in civil war.  Once man loses his sense of decency and honor, he quickly loses his way: lemming like, man is easily lured to his own demise.

That this situation should continue to decline into certain Phariseeism, and a holier than thou judgmentalism, with attendant increasing condemnation is no mystery.  Or similarly decline into certain Saduceeism, a laxity of faith, where anything goes, and where all obedience is considered to be legalism.  It happened between 586 and 4 BC in large segments of Judea, and it will happen again.  The bitter elder son and the devil may care younger son remain among us today (Luke 15:11-32).  Our immediate reaction to disaster is to blame somebody else.  Whichever side you’re on, both sons are at fault.  It is so, so hard to remove the moat from our own eye.  God doesn’t take sides, favoring one sin over another: He hates, but is patient with both sins.

That famine and death should follow is no mystery either.

What is a mystery is that we, having deserted the kind leadership of God, would expect something else to happen.  Isn’t it perfectly clear that nothing we can say or do, no government action or policy, not even the Constitution or its First and Second Amendments will shield us from the wrath of God and from our own madness and self destruction.

Nor should we we be deceived into believing that God will lift His hand against us.  No, He will simply remove His kind, gentle, good, and loving leadership from among us: this leadership, which we currently despise.  The rest we will do to ourselves.  God, giving us that very thing, which we demand of Him; we inevitably self-destruct.  Until, at last, we have become fit for only one thing: to be cast into the Lake of Fire.  This is, after all, exactly what we want.

We have no foundation left to withstand the powerful immoral forces at work within our own government.  So before we deal with our own government, so obviously out of control, perhaps we should consider this question: Do we really want to get serious about loving and obeying God?  I think our answer to that question is, “No!  Hell No!”

Which is to say that,
many among us willingly prefer Hell,
to the
kind, gentle, good, and loving rule of God.

Love Our Enemies

The Love of Enemies

The love of enemies is openly commanded by Christ.  He also taught it in parable.  It is found in the Psalms as well.  We must love our enemies if we are true Christians.

Matthew 5:43-48

You have heard that it has been said, “You shalt love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.”  But I say to you, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.  For He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love them which love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the publicans the same?  And if you only salute your brothers, what do you more than others?  Do not even the publicans so?  Therefore be perfect, even as your Father, which is in heaven, is perfect.

Luke 6:27-36

But I say to you, who hear, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.  Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who despitefully use you.  He who smites you on the one cheek, offer also the other cheek.  He who takes away your cloak, forbid not to take your coat as well.  Give to every man who asks of you.  He who takes away your goods, ask not to return them.  As you would have men do to you, do you also to them.  For if you love those who love you, what thank have you?  For sinners also love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thank have you?  For sinners also do the same.  And if you lend to them of whom you hope to receive, what thank have you?  For sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.  But love your enemies, do good, lend hoping for nothing in return, your reward shall be great, and you shall be the children of the Highest.  For He is kind to the unthankful and the evil.  Therefore be merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

Luke 10:25-37

Behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted Him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?  He said to him, What is written in the law?  How do you read it?  He answered, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, with all your mind; and your neighbor as thyself.  He said unto him, You have answered correctly: this do, and you shall live.  But he, willing to justify himself, said to Jesus, Who is my neighbor?  Jesus answered,

A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half-dead.  By chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  Likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, went to him, bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, set him on his own beast, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  On the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, gave them to the host, and said to him, Take care of him; and whatsoever you spend more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

Which now of these three, think you, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?  He said, He that showed mercy on him.  Then said Jesus to him, You go and do likewise.

The whole point of the parable of the Good Samaritan is
not to love the victim, but
is to love the Samaritan, who is our natural enemy.

Psalm 35:11-15

False witnesses rose up.  They charged me with things that I neither did nor knew.  They rewarded me evil for good, even spoiling my soul.

But, as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth.  I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned to my own bosom.  I behaved myself as though they had been my friend or brother.  I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother.

But in my adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together.  Yes, these wretches gathered themselves together against me, and I did not know it.  They tore me, and would not stop.

The Rest of Psalm 35

For those who have concluded that Christianity is for sissies and wimps, the remainder of Psalm 35 should be read. 
David prays and shows mercy to the wicked,
but he also looks to the Crucifixion of Christ for full reality. 
When the Father comes to avenge the death of His Son,
then the wicked will suddenly realize that
they should have followed David’s example of mercy..