The Realm of Death
God’s word gives life. Jesus is described as the Word (John 1:1, 14), and in the Word there is life (John 1:4). The instruction in God’s word brings life. The Hebrew word that is translated “law,” is Torah, which means instruction. God’s instruction, when obeyed, brings life. God says to obey His instruction “that you may live” (Deut. 4:1; 5:33; 8:1; etc.). We live, not by bread alone, but by the words that come from God (Deut. 8:3). The word of God is no meaningless thing, “it is your life” (Deut. 32:46-47).
To be living within the bounds of Scripture is to truly live. To be outside of God’s word is to be in the realm of death. The life lived in violation of God’s instruction is really not life at all, but rather, a living death. The day that Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they died spiritually and began dying physically as well. When they obeyed the instruction that God had given them, they lived. When they disobeyed, they entered the realm of death. Lest you think this principle only applied to Adam and Eve, we see this same idea in the New Testament. The unbelieving (carnal) mind is not obedient to the law of God (Rom. 8:7). Therefore, “to be carnally minded is death” (Rom. 8:6).
Satan told Adam and Eve that disobeying God’s instruction would lead to freedom. Many today believe the same thing. But disobedience didn’t bring freedom, it brought death.
Theologian R. J. Rushdoony writes in his book Law & Liberty:
God’s law is the condition of life. The condition of a fish’s life, its environment, is water; take a fish out of water, and it dies. The condition of a tree’s life, its health and its environment, is the soil; uproot a tree, and you kill it. It is no act of liberation to take a fish out of water, or a tree out of the ground. Similarly, the condition of a man’s life, the ground of man’s moral, spiritual, and physical health, is the law of God. To take men and societies out of the world of God’s law is to sentence them to decline, fall, and death. Instead of liberation, it is execution. (p. 13)
Are you living in the realm of death? Does your life not seem so “alive”? There is a reason for that. Because of your sin (disobedience), you are spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1,5; Col. 2:13). The only one who can fix your “dead” condition is Jesus Christ. He is the only one that can give you new life and eternal life.
People are not the only things that can exist in the realm of death. Families either walk in obedience to God’s word, or they will be in the process of dying. The death of the family has happened slowly over several generations. Many sociologists have given their opinion as to what happened to the family, but really it isn’t that difficult to figure out. If the family strays outside of God’s instruction, it will inevitably die, because it has now wandered into the realm of death.
Many churches exist in this realm as well. For well over a hundred years, the majority of “conservative” churches have abandoned God’s instruction for new, “creative” methods for evangelism, discipleship, and worship. These methods have brought about the slow and steady death of the American church. “But,” some may argue, “I know of many churches that have seen tremendous growth using these creative, man-made methods.” The fact that many churches trade the Bible’s methods for man’s innovations and yet still see a lot of growth should not surprise us; dead things do have a tendency to bloat.
The unfortunate thing about those who live in the realm of death, is that they often like living there. In Proverbs 8:36, wisdom (i.e. biblical instruction) says “All those who hate me love death.” The picture that the Bible gives of sinful human nature isn’t a pretty one. Unless and until we are born again, we love our sin more than we love God. When given a choice between death and loving God through obedience, the unbelieving world would rather embrace death. This is also true for societies and governments.
Governments either love God or love death. The Nazi and Communist governments of the 1900’s killed over 169 million people combined (some believe this is a low estimate). Most of these were their own citizens. Governments in the ancient world engaged in and promoted human sacrifice. Modern governments do the same, only we have more “civilized” ways of doing it.
Modern societies also reject God’s law, and therefore, love death. In a society that loves God, people won’t think of skulls as decoration for their trucks, motorcycles, and T-shirts. A society that loves death will. I remember, as a teenager, being surprised to learn that one of the more popular series that could be rented from the video store (remember those?), was a collection of videos that contained hours and hours of live footage of people being tortured and murdered. Watching people die was considered entertainment to the Christ-hating Romans. Our society is not much different.
Christianity is a religion of life and our Lord gives life in abundance (John 10:10). Mankind has always tried to create an abundant life for himself and his world. The problem is that he tries to live his life and build his utopias apart from God’s word. In doing so, he always finds himself in the realm of death. Life is only found in Christ and His word.
Easter and Foreign Policy
During the Easter season, we Christians celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Whether or not you like the name Easter, or whether or not you believe we should celebrate a holiday that isn’t in the Bible, it is good to celebrate the resurrection. After all, Jesus was “declared to be the Son of God” by rising from the dead (Rom. 1:3-4). But the burial and resurrection of our Lord were not the only important events to take place after His death. Though they happened a while after Christ’s death, we must not forget His ascension and coronation. Sometime after Jesus rose from the grave, He also rose from the earth to return to heaven. When He returned to heaven He was crowned as King, and sat down to rule at the right hand of His Father.
This is what is being described in Daniel 7:13-14. Many think this passage is referring to Christ’s 2nd coming, but look carefully and you’ll see it’s clearly referring to Jesus’ return to heaven after His resurrection. It says “one like the Son of Man” (obviously Jesus) was coming with the clouds (v. 13). But where is He coming to? Daniel says that the one like the Son of Man came “to” the Ancient of Days, not “from.” If you’ll remember, Jesus returned to His Father in a cloud (Acts 1:9). So, what we see in Daniel 7 is not Christ returning to earth, but rather Him returning to His Father after His time on earth. When Jesus returns to the Father, He is given rulership over “peoples, nations, and languages” (v. 14).
Jesus is now ruling the nations. That is what the Son of God does. The resurrection showed that Jesus is the Son of God (Rom 1:3-4). When we hear the term “Son of God,” we are rightly reminded of His deity. But this title means more than that, it describes one of the major roles that Christ has. In Psalm 2, we read that the nations of the earth are in rebellion to God the Father (vv. 1-3). In response to this, God coronates a King (v. 6). This King will be given authority over the nations and their rulers (vv. 8-12). This nation-ruling King is God’s Son (v. 7, 12). The title “Son of God” is a reference to the one who rules all the nations on earth.
This is why Jesus is also called “the King of kings.” King Nebuchadnezzar ruled over the kings that he had conquered. This is why he is described as a king of kings (Dan. 2:37). Since Jesus is now ruling over all the kings of the earth (Rev. 1:5), He is called the King of kings (1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 17:14).
Understanding this fact will have a profound impact on your view of foreign policy. A king is the highest official in a nation. God has ordained government authorities at the local and national levels, but the only authority above the national level is His Son. To seek to give authority over multiple nations to any person or group of people, is to try to dethrone God’s Son. This is no small sin.
Since humanists don’t acknowledge the God of the Bible (or His Son), they seek to give His nation-ruling authority to the United Nations. Whereas, in the Bible, the answer to the bad behavior of the nations is Jesus the Messiah, for the humanist, the U.N. is the messiah who will (they hope) usher in world peace.
But humanists aren’t the only ones guilty of this sin. Modern Christians and conservatives can also be guilty of placing their faith in another messiah. Many conservatives are really just as humanistic as their liberal counterparts. These conservatives are obviously not going to acknowledge Christ as the King of kings. But many Christians are confused on this issue as well. The majority of modern American Christians do not believe that Jesus is now ruling the earth. They believe that Satan is now ruling, and that Christ will only rule the world when He returns to earth.
The verses we have looked at, and several dozen other passages, prove this view to be wrong (I deal with this issue in some of my lectures on eschatology). But since many Christians and conservatives don’t believe that Christ is now ruling the nations, they believe that it is the job of the United States to keep the peace, punish the bad nations, protect the good ones, etc. This is the view that I used to have. I thought that it was the job of the United States to keep nations from harming one another. I thought that we Americans had the right to tell the other nations what weapons they can or can’t have. I thought that since we are the good guys, we have the moral obligation to bring peace, liberty, and justice to the rest of the world.
However, I now know that our President is not the President of presidents, Christ is. Our federal government doesn’t have legitimate authority over the other nations. It can, of course, defend our nation against aggressors, but it doesn’t rule the world.
Furthermore, I no longer believe that “we” do that much good in the world. Remember that when people say “we” need to get involved in policing the nations, what they really mean is that our government needs to get involved. Our government isn’t good and moral. It doesn’t promote liberty, righteousness, etc., here at home, so why should we think that it is making the rest of the world better? God has commissioned the church to make the world a better place (Matt. 28:18-20), not the government.
I can already hear the objection to my thesis: “If Jesus is running the world now, He’s not doing a very good job!” Oh be careful what you say. For years, the U.N. and the U.S.A. have been failing miserably in their attempts to run the world, don’t blame their mess on Him. But if He’s in charge, can’t He stop them from making a mess?
Yes, He can. And that brings me to my next point. Just because He doesn’t rule the way you or I would want, doesn’t mean He isn’t ruling. Psalm 2 says that if the nations and their rulers don’t “serve the LORD with fear” they will “perish” (vv. 11-12). Why are the economies of Europe in so much trouble? Why is American society getting worse and worse? Because they aren’t serving the Lord and neither do they fear Him. When a nation turns its back on the Son of God, He turns them over to their own sinful desires, and if they don’t repent, they will perish. The fact that godless nations are in trouble shows me that Jesus is punishing them for their refusal to acknowledge His rule. He is the ruler of the nations, and they ignore Him at their own peril.
Seven Ideas For Rebuilding the Civil Government
Government is not a necessary evil. It is necessary because of evil. God ordained the civil government to be a blessing to us as we live in this sinful world. When the government doesn’t follow God’s pattern as found in the Scriptures, it is more of a curse than a blessing. This is where we find ourselves now; the government protects evil and punishes good. Here are seven ideas for changing our civil government to a more biblical one. As with the last three articles, there are many more than seven aspects of our civil governments that could be rebuilt. Anyway, here goes…
1. Decentralize. The human heart is wicked. This is why we need civil governments. However, since the human heart is wicked, we shouldn’t give too much power to any one person or group. A centralized government is just that: a government where those at the top have all the power.
Ungodly governments, such as those in Communist countries or third-world dictatorships, tend to give all the power to those at the national level. The state (or provincial) and local government officials exist to do the bidding of, and enforce the will of, those at the national level.
The biblical model for the civil government is decentralized, meaning that power is spread out through many different levels of government. In a biblical society, the local governments would be the governments that most individuals would interact with the majority of the time. The national government would have virtually nothing to do with the daily lives of individuals. The main purposes of the national government is to settle disputes between the states (or tribes, like ancient Israel had), and to organize the nation’s fighting force (which would be in the hands of the states) if the country is invaded.
Another benefit of a decentralized government is that if one branch or level of government is behaving badly, the other levels would have some power of their own with which to “check” the bad behavior of the other.
2. Get out of the welfare business. When we look at the things that God has told the civil government to do, we do not find that the government is responsible to help the poor. Individuals, families, and churches can help the poor, but the government cannot (at least not in the sense of giving them financial assistance). The government may say that its charitable giving is helping people, but remember, the government has no money that it doesn’t first take from someone else. If it didn’t take as much money from us as it does, we would each have more money to give to the poor.
The reason the government got into the welfare business was not because people weren’t being helped, it was because the government wanted to enslave them. I know those are strong words, but those in power knew that if they could get people to look to the government to give them things, they would always have their votes. Also keep in mind that whoever funds you controls you. Your employer can tell you what to do (to an extent) because if you don’t do what they want, they can stop giving you a paycheck. Likewise, the government often threatens to take away aid or services if you don’t do what they want (like vote to raise your own taxes). The forms of “welfare” in our day go way beyond food stamps (EBT). The forms of welfare that our government has control over today include: food programs, Social Security, corporate subsidies, foreign aid, and more.
In our day, it is very hard to avoid taking part in the many “welfare” schemes the government is running. And while I’m not suggesting that anyone allow themselves or their family to starve, we should do everything we can to avoid being supported by these government programs.
3. Return to biblical punishments. This point may cause even many Christians to shudder. Even many Christians think of biblical punishments as being cruel and draconian. This mostly comes from misconceptions regarding what the Bible actually says about crime and punishment. Since this is the main responsibility of the civil government, this is an important issue.
First, a biblical civil government doesn’t have the authority to go around looking for criminals. The government only goes into action when someone notifies them that a crime has been committed. This means that those under a biblical government, people (even unbelievers) would have far more liberties than we as Americans do today.
Second, shouldn’t we Christians look to the Bible as the standard for what constitutes a just punishment? Do you really think that we humans can come up with a better, more just law code than God can? Certainly, the Bible does address the issue of crime and punishment. Are you really going to say that following the Bible’s instruction relating to what the civil government is supposed to do will lead to a harsh, oppressive government? Do we serve a God that favors tyranny? Obviously not.
To be sure, there are many laws in Scripture that need careful study to find out just what they are saying. Also, the whole issue of what in the OT carries over into the NT would also need to be hashed out. But I hope that Christians would agree that the Bible needs to be our guide for what type of punishments the government should give for certain crimes.
4. Taxes. This is a huge issue. I don’t complain about taxes simply because I want to keep more of my own money (though I do). I complain about taxes because the government would not be involved in so many unbiblical activities if it didn’t have the money to do so. One way to keep the government from intruding into every aspect of life is to make sure it doesn’t have the money to be involved in every aspect of our lives. A biblical tax system would go a long way in ensuring that the government stayed within its biblical jurisdiction (area of responsibility).
There are different opinions as to how the government should collect taxes. Some would favor a tax based on a percentage of your income (like the tithe); others would favor a once a year “head tax.” Whatever the method of collecting taxes is, the tax rate needs to be very low. In 1 Samuel 8, God says that when a government takes 10% of your income, you are living under tyranny. God can demand 10% of your income, the government cannot.
In our day, most (I believe, all) of our taxes are very unjust. The government uses taxes to control your behavior. Do what they want, get a tax credit; don’t do what they want, get a tax penalty. This is not biblical. The worst tax, however, is what is called “taxation through inflation.” This one is the worst because it gives the government a very large percentage of its income and virtually no one knows it’s happening.
Taxation through inflation works like this: Let’s say I’m a politician. I want your vote, so I promise you free stuff. How I am I going to pay for that stuff? One option I have is to raise taxes. Of course I can only do this so much before people stop voting for me. Another option I have is to print more money. Of course, you the citizen are not allowed to do this because it wouldn’t be fair for everyone else. But since I make the laws, I’ll allow myself to do it. Now I can have all the money I need to buy your votes.
The problem with this scheme is this: when something is rare, it is worth more. The more of something you have, the less that thing is worth. This is true with dollars as well. The more money is printed, the less that money is worth. So in the long run everyone is paying the “tax” of having their money lose value. Because this isn’t a direct tax and because it happens so slowly, we don’t even realize it’s happening.
5. Foreign policy. Another pressing issue that needs to change is how our government deals with other nations. For many years I was of the opinion that since Americans are the good guys, they have the responsibility to make the world safer, more prosperous, and more free. In one sense this is true. We have a rich Christian heritage and God has blessed us with quite a bit of prosperity. Because of that we can and should help other nations if we can. But when I say “we” in this sense, I’m speaking about fellow Christians.
However, when most people say “we” need to make the world better, what they really mean is that the federal government of the United States needs to do all of these things. The government needs to give money to poorer nations. The government needs to promote freedom around the world. No it doesn’t. A national government is responsible for what happens within its own borders, not for what happens in other nations. Our government is not responsible for making poor countries rich. Freedom comes to a nation when the gospel is accepted and people start obeying God’s word in every area of life and society. Is it the job of the government to spread the gospel and teach God’s word? No, that is the job of the church.
Furthermore, should we consider the federal government the “good” guys? Do they really help the poor here, or do they just use them? Are they actively promoting freedom within our borders, or are they constantly trying to take it away? If the federal government is doing bad things here at home, do we really think that they are doing good around the world?
6. Free Markets. Many people think that free market capitalism is causing problems in our nation. This is impossible because we don’t have free markets; in fact no one alive today has seen a truly free market system. A free market is where I give you money in exchange for a good or a service. The government should have no part in regulating this transaction. The government only gets involved if one of us is being cheated. This is the biblical view of markets.
Today, the government thinks that it must have “free trade agreements” with other nations. If the government is involved, then the “trade” is not free. Free trade is where my business decides to buy parts from a business in another country. We don’t need the government to make a “deal” for that to happen.
A free market is also one where employers get to hire who they want and pay them what they want. As long as both the employer and the employee agree on what the wages should be, the government has no business getting involved. By the way, jobs are created only when someone decides to hire someone else. Our politicians tell us that they “create” jobs, but the only jobs they create are government jobs. The more government jobs are created, the more funds the government needs (a.k.a. more taxes), and the more our freedoms disappear. The best thing the government can do is get out of the way.
Lastly, a free market is one in which the government is not giving anything to businesses. This would mean no subsidies or even tax incentives. It also wouldn’t give them the burdensome regulations that they ask for. It may seem like businesses would never ask for burdensome regulations, but the larger businesses do. The reason they do this is simple. A business needs to hire a lot of lawyers, accountants, and other experts in order to comply with all these regulations. Doing that requires a lot of money. Big businesses have a lot of money, small companies don’t. Big companies ask to be highly regulated in order to make it hard for their competition (the smaller companies) to succeed. Big government and big business have rigged the game in their favor. This is not a free market.
7. Land ownership. The Bible is clear that God owns the land. God has given the land to a caretaker or a steward. The family is that steward. In America, however, the government thinks that it owns the land. This is why we have property taxes. As long as there are property taxes, you don’t really own your property, you merely rent it from the government. If you don’t believe me, stop paying your rent (taxes) and see if you don’t get evicted. The Bible doesn’t prescribe any sort of property tax, but the Communist Manifesto does.
When Israel was enslaved by Egypt, how much land did they own? None. When God brought them out from their bondage and into the promised land, how much land did they own? Lots of it! There is a correlation between freedom and land ownership. This is why Karl Marx (coauthor of the Communist Manifesto) wanted the government to own the land. This is why when a Communist dictator of Romania (Ceausescu) came to power, he had all of the rural areas bulldozed and moved everyone to government owned high-rises that he built in the cities.
In the U.S. Constitution, the federal government is allowed to own land in each state only for “the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings…” Today, in some states, the federal government owns over half of the land (84.5% of Nevada). The federal government also likes to give grants to local governments so that they can buy up the land and turn it into nature preserves. They say that they are doing this in the name of conservation. Forgive me for being skeptical, but I doubt this is their real motive. I suspect that they just don’t want you to have that land.
As you have seen in these last four articles, we Christians have a lot of work to do. Rebuilding all of life and society will take effort and time. It won’t happen all at once and certainly not in one generation. But, if God wills, it can be done. If you’d like to learn more about rebuilding any of the three God established institutions, please contact me at Mike@5thkingdomministries.com or by phone at 904-501-2374.
Seven Ideas For Rebuilding the Church
Jesus died for His church. The church is Christ’s bride, and the pillar and ground of the truth. Jesus will build His church. But that doesn’t mean that the church in a particular time and place can’t fall into ungodly, unbiblical behavior. The church in America is in big trouble, and much of it is her own fault. Again, it is Jesus who builds His church, but He does this work through His people. What can be done (from a human perspective) to rebuild the church? Here are seven ideas.
1. Return to biblical worship. There are different definitions of what “biblical” means, so let me tell you mine (I did not make up this view, it is the view that many Protestant Christians have held to throughout history). For worship to be biblical, our practices must come from the Bible. God has told us in His word how to worship Him. We have no right to invent new ways of worshiping God. God’s word, not our desires or emotions, should determine how we worship in the weekly gathering of the church.
One of the common (false) views concerning the Sunday morning worship service, is that how we worship is a matter of personal preference. I challenge you to find a verse where God says to His people “Worship Me in whatever way you think best, just so long as your heart is sincere.” When we begin to think that God is happy with whatever style of worship fits our personal preference, our worship services will tend to become focused on people and not God. To make older people happy we have the traditional service (with older gospel songs). For the younger crowd we have the contemporary service (with Pop/Rock music). If that doesn’t float your boat, we’ve got Cowboy churches, Biker churches, etc. When the preferences of people become the thing that drives how we worship, we have ceased worshiping God, and are now worshiping man. The only Person whose preference matters is God. We learn what God prefers by reading His word.
2. Have a correct view of the gospel. A correct understanding of the gospel will be rooted in the Bible. It seems that this would go without saying, but unfortunately, this is not always the case. If we were to compare the modern “gospel” with one that is derived from the Bible (all of the Bible), we would see some significant differences.
First, there is no such thing in the Bible as “the sinner’s prayer.” While it is highly appropriate to pray and ask God to forgive you of your sins, the modern church has taught millions of Americans (and others around the world) that if this “sinner’s prayer” is prayed with sincerity, then the one who said that prayer is now born again. Again, the Bible teaches no such thing. Salvation is a work of God, not the result of saying a prayer, even if that prayer is said with sincerity. The gospel is not: “pray this prayer and be saved.”
Second, while the Bible does teach that we have the ability to make choices, and that we must repent and believe to be saved, it also teaches that we humans don’t naturally seek after God. The Bible’s description of us before conversion is that we love our sin more than we love God. How then do we go from loving sin, to loving God? God must do a work in our hearts. We cannot change ourselves, God must do it. The gospel is not that we first come to God, and then He saves us; it is God who seeks us. If God simply offered salvation and then waited until we accepted it, He would be waiting forever because we would never naturally want to turn from our sins and turn to Him. You can’t save yourself, and neither do you assist God in saving you. The good news is that God saves those who can do nothing to save themselves.
Third, a biblical gospel is one where you are saved from your sins, not just the eternal punishment that comes as a result of your sins. In other words, if you are still loving your sins, you have not experienced true saving grace. Of course, Christians still sin, but when God saves someone, He also changes them. It is a packaged deal. We are saved through faith, not by good works. But true, saving faith is always accompanied by good works.
Fourth, in the Bible, the gospel is often referred to as “the gospel of the kingdom.” God’s kingdom, as defined by the Lord’s prayer, is where His will is done on earth. The gospel then, isn’t only about saving people’s souls, it is about God’s will (His word) being done in every area of life and society. This, of course, starts with God saving people, but it doesn’t end there. If your gospel doesn’t change families, communities, society, the laws of governments, etc., then your gospel is too small.
3. Do biblical evangelism. A biblical understanding of how a person becomes born again is going to lead to biblical methods of evangelism. Thinking that God offers salvation and then waits for us to accept that salvation, will lead to the idea that evangelism is all about persuading people to make that choice.
This is why the modern church says things like “the methods may change, but the message never does.” If the desires and tastes of people change from culture to culture, and generation to generation, then doesn’t it make sense that the way we package the gospel must change? This is what marketing is all about: how to package the product in such a way as to persuade someone to choose your product.
But evangelism is not us trying to persuade people to make a choice. The Bible describes the human condition before salvation as being spiritually dead. You can’t persuade a dead man to do anything. Only God can cause someone to be born again. Salvation is a work of God alone. But the means through which God does this work is the proclaiming of the gospel. Our innovative methods only produce fake converts. The proclaiming of the gospel, whether from the pulpit or over coffee, is what God uses to make real converts. The means through which the gospel is proclaimed may change (like with the invention of the radio, internet, etc.), but the “method” does not. The methods given in the Bible are still the methods we should be using.
4. Adult education. The most commonly referenced “Great Commission” passage is the one found in Matthew’s gospel. The focus of this commission is teaching. While the education of children is the responsibility of families, the education (discipleship) of adults is given to the church.
We tend to think that discipleship means teaching people how to pray, read their Bible, and do evangelism. While those are obviously important things, there is so much more that the Bible addresses. The modern church has abandoned the Great Commission, but the world hasn’t. Unbelieving humanity is more than happy to fulfill the Great Commission. Only they aren’t teaching the commands of Jesus, they are teaching the commands of the secular humanists. There is a Christian view of law, finances, history, government, biology, astronomy, economics, medicine, business, art, etc. There is also a humanist view of these things. Right now the humanists are doing a much better job of discipling the nations with their views. This needs to change.
5. Fellowship. The fellowship that the church is supposed to have among its members doesn’t only include eating together. The Greek word often translated “fellowship” is a word that relates to sharing or community. Christians need to share life together! While this would include Christians other than the ones you meet with on a weekly basis, it certainly should include those in your local church.
Sharing life together can be a messy business. Many are attracted to the megachurch because they can come and go without really having to get to know anyone. But the local churches we see in the Bible were more than just a group of people who saw each other once a week, they were their own community. When members of your church are having financial difficulties, do they go to the government for help, or the church (if their family is unable to help)? Instead of sending people to a godless college to study a particular subject, maybe they could find someone in their church to mentor them on that subject. This is how a community of believers should function.
Though fellowship is about more than eating together, God has ordained eating as a way to promote relationships. Having a weekly (or monthly) meal where everyone in your church can fellowship is a biblical way to strengthen relationships. Having others from your church into your home for meals or at other times is also a powerful way to build community.
6. Church government/leadership. In the Bible, the word “pastor” is another name for elder, bishop, or overseer. Often, when the Bible speaks of the leaders of a local church, it refers to those leaders in the plural (it is interesting to note that the word “pastor” is not found in most versions of the Bible. The KJV uses it once, but that is in the OT. The word “pastors,” however, is found in the NT). In the early church, congregations were lead by what is known as a “plurality of elders (pastors).” Instead of one senior pastor being the leader of a church, the biblical pattern is to have more than one pastor. The only other office in the local church is that of deacon.
The pastors of a local church do have responsibilities. These responsibilities do not include being able to tell funny stories or coming up with new marketing schemes to reach the community. The two main responsibilities of these leaders are: 1. studying God’s word so that they can teach sound doctrine and protect their congregation from heresy, and, 2. “shepherding the flock” (caring for their congregation, counseling them, etc.). In order to fulfill the last responsibility, pastors need to know those in their care. There is no way the pastor of a church with 5,000 members can do this.
7. Churches working together. While there are many drawbacks to megachurches, the one advantage they have is the amount of resources they possess. But another option is to have several smaller churches pool their resources. For example: an event (such as a conference) that is too costly for one church to fund could be supported by several churches.
Money is not the only resource that churches have. Just as God gives certain abilities and strengths to different people, He often does the same with churches. Let’s say that some in your church would like to know Greek. If no one in your church knows Greek, there might be a church down the road with someone who does.
As Christians become more and more marginalized in society, it will become more and more important for churches to get to know and work with other churches. I’m not saying that we set aside our core beliefs just to get along. But surely you can find some churches in your area that are similar enough in doctrine to be able to partner with in certain things.
Seven Ideas For Rebuilding the Family
The state of the family in the United States is at an all time low. In the early 1800’s, a bunch of ungodly people began to set plans in motion that were designed to weaken the family. By the 1880’s or so, the opposition to their plans was all but gone. We have come a long way (down) since then. The family needs to be restored to its biblical pattern. What follows is not exhaustive by any means, but it will hopefully give you some things to think about. Here are seven areas of the family that could use rebuilding.
1. The way Christians get married. Many have noted the high divorce rate among professing Christians. While there are several factors as to why this is, part of the problem has to do with the way in which we go about getting to the marriage altar. The dating pattern that most Christians are familiar with does not come from the Bible. The world’s pattern is getting romantically involved with someone in order to “try them out,” and then repeating this process over and over again until you find the right one. This is usually done with very little input from the parents of those involved.
When someone is of the age to be married, the biblical pattern is for an authority figure (usually the father) to oversee the “courtship” process. This is to protect the purity of those involved, but also to give wise advice to the ones seeking to get married. The decision of whom you’ll marry is major one. Don’t make that decision alone, and don’t let your children make that decision alone. For more on the biblical pattern for choosing a spouse and the problems associated with dating, see our book “The Biblical Pattern for Choosing a Spouse.”
2. The role of husbands and fathers. In Christian circles, we tell men that they need to be the leader of their family. The problem is, most don’t even know what that means! Don’t think that putting food on the table and taking your family to church means that you’ve done your duty. One helpful way to look at the role of the man in the family is to see him as the prophet, priest, and king of the home.
He is a prophet, not because he foretells the future, but because he teaches God’s word to his family. In the Bible, the majority of commands dealing with the discipleship/education of children are given to fathers. I think a case can be made from Scripture that the husband also has a role in discipling his wife as well.
He is a priest because he is to intercede for his family in prayer.
He is a king in the sense that he is the primary authority in the home. Of course, his authority must be lovingly exercised in submission to God’s authority. A king also has the responsibility to protect those in his care. For fathers, this not only means protecting your family from would-be assailants, but also from ungodly influences that may invade your home through the TV, radio, or internet.
3. The role of wives and mothers. If the husband is the “king” of the home, then the wife is the queen. God has given the wife authority in the home as well. Her authority is not given to her by her husband, but by God. The household is foundational to all of society. Its importance is hard to overestimate. You will not have strong homes if you do not have godly, intelligent, wise, diligent, strong and caring wives and mothers.
This doesn’t mean, of course, that a woman has no role or purpose apart from her household. But it is, regardless of what the feminists say, an honorable and important role. While many modern women seek to be doctors, lawyers, policewomen, or politicians, being a keeper of the home is a much more important job. In fact, in societies where women are skilled in their roles within the family, you’ll need fewer doctors, lawyers, policemen, and politicians!
If all this talk of women being keepers of the home is making you uncomfortable, please go back to point #2. There you’ll see that men also have many responsibilities in the home. And if you look around you, you’ll see that both men and women have fallen short of the Bible’s pattern for home life.
4. Home discipleship/education. Is there anyone on earth who thinks that education is not an important issue? If that person exists, I’ve never met them. Since education is such an important issue, you’d think that maybe God’s word might have something to say about it. It does! There are dozens of commands in Scripture that deal with the education of children (though the word education is not used), and every single one of them is given to parents. There are no commands for the church or the government to educate or disciple children (education and discipleship are the same thing).
This is not to say that children may only be taught by their parents and no one else, but it is to say that parents are to be the primary educators of their children. If Johnny wants to be a rocket surgeon, and you know nothing about rocket surgery, then, of course, you can have someone else teach him about rocket surgery. Just be careful about who you enlist to teach Johnny, lest they undo all that you have taught him.
While the biblical pattern is home/parental education, I realize that not everyone is in a situation where they can have their children with them for the majority of the day. Start doing what you can now, and if possible, change your situation.
5. Fruitfulness. The command to be fruitful and multiply has never been rescinded. One of the ways that the gospel spreads and the Kingdom grows is through God’s people having children (and then discipling them). Many complain about the fact that Muslim population growth is outpacing that of America and Europe. That’s because the Muslims are obeying the Bible and Christians aren’t! The Bible says that children are a blessing, not a burden. And yet, many Christians take pills and get surgeries to make sure that God doesn’t bless them too much.
If you are unable to have children, there are many who need to be adopted. Wouldn’t it be great if atheists or homosexuals had trouble finding children to adopt because the Christians got them all?
It is not a sin to have a small family, but neither should having a large family be seen as a burden. Large families can bring with them unique challenges, but by training your children to pitch in and help out around the house (instead of playing video games), much of these challenges can be alleviated.
6. Family economies. The family is an economic unit. In fact, the word “economics” comes from a word that means “house law,” in other words “the way in which a household is run.” The family business is a good example of a household being an economic unit. Family businesses are mentioned quite often in Scripture. Our Lord even took over the family carpentry business for a time.
And yet, it’s not a sin to be employed by someone else, and there are many godly people in the Bible who weren’t business owners. Even if you don’t have a business that the members of your family can participate in, you can still have a household economy. In fact, you do have a household economy; the question is: how well does it function?
When you have a project around the house, do you hire it out, do it yourself, or have your family help you? The more hands you have helping you, the more time and money you can save. The more time and money you save, the more you and your family can serve God and others. Even if you don’t have a business, maybe your children could have a side business. Not only will they be helping out financially, but they’ll be learning business skills, money management, and whatever skill the job requires. While you shouldn’t think of your children as slaves, it is reasonable (no, make that biblical), to have them be productive members of their families. Even young children can do something to help out.
7. Multigenerational vision. Often, Christians don’t think past the next couple of years, much less the next couple of generations. It should be our goal to see our families walking with the Lord for the next 1,000 years. Of course, there is only so much influence we can have on our families after we die, but we can have some influence.
Communists of all stripes (even before Karl Marx) have always tried to break the connections between one generation and the next. God, on the other hand, wants there to be continuity between the generations. When God’s commands are obeyed, the result will be progressive familial sanctification, which is a fancy way of saying that each successive generation will be more godly than the one before it. I don’t have to tell you that the norm in our day seems to be the opposite. This is partly because Christians aren’t even thinking about passing on the faith to their great-great-great-great-great-great (you get the picture) grandchildren.
One of the more famous passages on family life is Joshua 24:15. In it, Joshua says that his house (family) will serve the LORD. Joshua spoke these words at the end of his life. He assumed that his family would be serving God after he departed. Can you say the same?
Seven Ideas For Rebuilding Your Life
The first four articles of 2017 are meant to get you thinking about seven different areas of our lives, our families, our churches, and our civil governments that could be changed or improved upon (rebuilt) in 2017.
Right now in our nation, individuals, families, churches and civil governments are all doing poorly in terms of obedience to God’s word. So, starting at the individual level, here are seven suggestions of ways to improve your life. Not so that you can have your best life now, but so that you can (if God so wills) be used in the advancing of His kingdom.
God gives every individual person certain skills and interests that He doesn’t necessarily give to everyone else. However, there are certain things that every Christian should either be doing, or know something about. These seven suggestions don’t include everything that God would have you do in life; they are just a few ideas that I would suggest to any Christian who wants to live an effective life for the Lord.
1. Pray. Every Christian knows that prayer is an essential part of the Christian life, but few in our day do very much of it. If you want know how bad your prayer life is, just read about the prayer lives of great men and women of God from centuries ago.
I don’t believe that our prayers cause God to work. If they did, that would mean that we can control God, thus making us sovereign rather than Him. However, when God wants to do a great work, He will motivate His people to pray. The fact that so many modern Christians (myself included) don’t pray as they ought is a clear sign that revival has yet to begin in our land (at least on a large scale).
2. Read and study the Bible. If you think that most Christians are already doing this, you are sadly mistaken. While many Christians do read their Bibles, most don’t read very much, and very few Christians in America study it. I mean very few. Modern American Christians are some of the most biblically illiterate Christians in history. I’m not just talking about those who claim the name of Christ but only go to church on Christmas and Easter. The average Bible College/seminary-trained pastor in America today knows less of the Scriptures than the average 13 year-old did in colonial America. Yes, we have been that dumbed down.
How do you know if you are reading the Bible or studying it? If you are not looking up verses and taking notes, you aren’t studying.
3. Read books on theology. Many Christians think that only pastors and seminary professors need to read books on theology. Not true. While not everyone has to read 1,000 page Systematic Theology books, there are certain theological concepts that every Christian should know.
When I say to read books about theology, I’m not talking about reading books from the “Christian Living” section of the bookstore, but books that introduce you to various theological topics or controversies. Thankfully, there are many different books on a wide variety of theological topics that are written at a layperson’s level. I would also suggest reading books from different doctrinal perspectives than the ones you hold to now. Even if they don’t change your mind, they will force you to consider another perspective. If you have trouble reading, learn to read well, but until you become proficient with reading, there are many podcasts on the internet that you can listen to.
4. Study history. Learning history is one of the most important things you can do. Societies that don’t know history end up dying. Societies that don’t know history are made up of people who don’t know history. Our society is dying. Are you one of the ones in our society that is contributing to its death?
There are many reasons why the study of history is important, and I don’t have space to list them all, but one of the great things about studying history is that you learn that the way things are now is not the way things have to be. Example: did you know that for the first several decades of America’s history there were no police, and yet most crimes were still solved and punished?
While all of history is important, Christians especially need to study Church history. If you know nothing of Church history, you can start with history books that are written for children (just tell everyone that you bought those books for your children or grandchildren).
5. Learn about the three God-ordained institutions. God has created three covenantal institutions: the family, the church and the state (civil government). These three institutions each have their own jurisdiction (area of responsibility). When one institution tries to do the job of another, it negatively affects the whole society.
Every Christian needs to know the biblical jurisdictions of each of these institutions. Some have a tendency to think that if they’re not a government official, they don’t need to study what the biblical role of government is. Likewise, many think that if they don’t have a position of leadership in the church, then they don’t need to learn about the roles and responsibilities of the church (etc., etc.). But because most Christians don’t know the biblical jurisdictions of these institutions, they end up supporting some of the very things that have destroyed this nation. Everyone needs to know what the Bible says about these three institutions.
6. Manage the resources God has given you. The very first command given to humans included the command to “have dominion.” Godly dominion isn’t domination by force, it is managing those things that God has given us (in accordance with His will). So, learn how to manage the money that God has given you, and learn how to get more. Often, Christians think that being concerned with making money is ungodly. This is true if you are only spending your money on your comfort and happiness. Instead, think of your money as a weapon that can be used to advance God’s kingdom. Do you want a small weapon or a big one?
Your time is another God-given resource. Are you using the majority of your time being a productive steward, or is most of your time (outside of working and sleeping) spent on things that don’t really matter? Some recreation and entertainment may be fine, just don’t let those things take up the majority of your time. Those who aren’t productive with what God has given them are “cast into outer darkness” (Matt. 25:26-30). Not a good place to be.
7. Prepare for tough times. I believe tough times are ahead. I don’t pretend for a moment to know the future, but by just looking at the state of things in our culture, governments, churches, families, etc., and by looking at certain generational statistics, it seems that big trouble is headed our way. Our culture, economy, welfare, education, law, morality, etc., are not built upon God’s word, and therefore, they are not able to go on in their present form much longer. We need to be prepared for when these things fall apart (if they haven’t already).
Many Christians see the decline of our society and they respond with either fear or whining. Our response should be to trust God and rebuild. When/if the welfare systems fail, we need to be prepared with our own welfare systems. When/if the economy dies, we need to be prepared with our own economies. When/if the food supply, healthcare, elder care, education, etc., falls apart, we need to be prepared to take care of ourselves, our families, and our local church members, and not rely the federal government to do these things for us.
The rebuilding of a godly order starts with God remaking us, and though it is God who rebuilds, we still have our responsibilities. Start by confessing and repenting of your own sins. Study His word. Learn how to apply it to all of life and society. Find something that God has given you an interest in, then find out what the Bible says about that thing. Then, get to work on conforming that thing to God’s word. Don’t wait for someone else to do it; get busy learning, then get busy doing. May God bless your efforts.
How to Raise a Homeschooled Tyrant
I’m a big fan of homeschooling. I believe that of all the forms of “schooling” that are out there, it is the most biblical. But homeschooling in and of itself does not guarantee godly children. This fact can be clearly seen in the life of Solomon’s son Rehoboam as it is recorded in 1 Kings 12.
Every Israelite was commanded to teach their children in their home (Deut. 6:7). Today, a commonly used name for parents educating their children is homeschooling. Solomon took seriously the command to educate his children, and even wrote a book to teach his children how to live a godly life. We call that book the book of Proverbs.
Proverbs was written as instruction to all of Solomon’s children (Prov. 4:1), but primarily it was written to his son (1:8, 10, 15; 2:1; 3:1; 5:1; etc.). This means that the book of Proverbs was written to Rehoboam, and yet, Solomon’s instruction to his son doesn’t seem to have had much effect. When Rehoboam becomes king of Israel, the people ask him to be a less oppressive king than his father Solomon was (1 Kings 12:4). He refuses, and unwisely promises to be an oppressive tyrant (v. 14). What happened?
There could be many reasons as to why Rehoboam became the man that he did, but I believe the Bible gives us some hints as to a few of those reasons.
First, it should be noted that even perfect parents can have sinful children. Adam & Eve had the perfect Father, and yet they still rebelled. That being said, there are some things that parents often do that may cultivate or encourage sinfulness in their children. We see a couple of those things in the case of Solomon’s son Rehoboam.
One of those things is not being careful about the influence of peers on children. Though the Bible may not specifically say “thou shall not allow your children to hang out with a bad peer group,” the principle is clearly taught in Scripture.
Young people are usually not as wise as older people. In fact, it is said that “foolishness is bound in the heart of a child” (Prov. 22:15). Since a student is going to be like his teacher (Luke 6:40), and the ones you spend the most time with are the ones you learn the most from, a young person who spends the majority of his or her time with other young people will not grow out of this “foolish” phase. They will have a hard time fleeing youthful lusts (2 Tim. 2:22) and putting away childish things (1 Cor. 13:11).
A companion of fools will end up in big trouble (Prov. 13:20). There is an account in the Bible where a group of unsupervised youth did something foolish and were destroyed because of it (2 Kings 2:23-24). That group of youths decided to mock a man of God, and were mauled by two bears!
Just by looking back at your own childhood you can probably see that these things are so. Think of the times when you did foolish things and got in trouble as a result. Did those times happen when you were with wise adults or with a group of peers who were as immature as you were?
We see this principle being played out in the life of Rehoboam as well. He did not listen to the wise advice of the older counselors who advised his father, but listened to the younger guys he had grown up with (1 Kings 12:8). They were obviously fools, because they gave him foolish advice (vv. 10-11). Rehoboam took their advice and lost most of his kingdom because of it (vv. 16-24).
I cannot prove that Rehoboam spent more time with his peers than with his father, but that seems likely since his heart trusted his peers more than his father. I also think that Solomon was much to blame for that.
Solomon asked Rehoboam to give him his heart (Prov. 23:26), but Rehoboam’s heart was more loyal to his peers. The last half of Prov. 23:26 gives us a clue as to why that was the case. Solomon says “give me your heart, and observe my ways.” The problem was that when Rehoboam observed his father, he saw a hypocrite. Though Solomon had much wisdom early in his life, he quickly fell into the folly of sin.
Deuteronomy 17 gives us the rules that Israel’s kings must abide by (vv. 14-20). Many of these rules were broken by Solomon. Verse 16 says that kings are not to have a multitude of horses, and they are especially not to go to Egypt for their horses. Solomon had a multitude of horses (1 Kings 4:26). And where did he get some of those horses? From Egypt (1 Kings 10:28). In verse 17 of Deuteronomy 17, we are told that kings may not multiply wives to themselves. Solomon is the most infamous wife multiplier in history (1 Kings 11:3). Also in Deut. 17:17, kings are told not to have a multitude of silver and gold. Solomon actually didn’t have a multitude of silver, but that was because he had so much gold that silver became worthless (1 Kings 10:14-21).
Solomon told his son to observe his ways. When Rehoboam did, he saw a man who spoke a lot about wisdom and godly living, but who didn’t live it out. It appears as though Solomon repented later in life (compare Eccl. 2:1-8 and 12:13-14), but by then he had already lost his son’s heart.
He who has an ear, let him hear.
What About “Children’s Church”?
Many American Churches have a practice that is commonly known as “Children’s Church”. During the sermon (or sometimes the whole service), the younger children of the church are taken to another room where they have their own “church”, and where the instruction is geared more toward their age level.
This practice is relatively new in the grand scheme of things. Throughout most of church history, this practice did not exist. There is a reason for that. It used to be that when Christians wanted to know how to do things, they would read a particular old book that gave them instruction in every area of life. In more modern times, Christians tend to get their ideas from the traditions of men, rather than that old book. That book, of course, is the Bible.
Does the Bible teach that children should have their own separate “church”, while the adults go to big people’s church?
In the Bible, when God’s people assembled, God wanted them to bring their children with them. Here are some verses that show us this:
“All of you stand today before the LORD your God…all the men of Israel, your little ones and your wives…” (Deut. 29:10-11, all quotes are from the NKJV)
“…you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people together, men and women and little ones…that they may hear and…learn to fear the LORD…” (Deut. 31:11-12)
“There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones…” (Josh. 8:35)
“Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD. (2 Chron. 20:13)
“Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and the nursing babies…” (Joel 2:16)
These passages also speak to the reasons that most churches make use of the Children’s Church. One common reason is that children make noise and therefore are a distraction for the rest of the congregation. Did God not know that children sometimes make noise? Surely He did, and yet He still wanted children (even “nursing babies”) to be present in the gatherings of His people. Sometimes adults make noise in church (especially during cold & flu season), but we don’t kick them out of the service. If a baby or child is being particularly distracting, the simple solution is to take them into the foyer until they calm down.
Another reason given for removing the children from the worship service is that children simply can’t understand the sermon and therefore need their own simplified instruction. While there certainly is a need for children to be taught at their level, I would argue that this should be done by their parents (Deut. 6:7, etc.). But again, did God not know what a child can understand and what they can’t? God does know that a “little one” won’t grasp everything that is said in the sermon, and yet, God wanted those little ones there anyway. Furthermore, when God called His people together (including the “little ones”), it was for the reading of “all the words of the law” (Deut. 31:11-12; Josh. 8:34-35). I’m sure there was a toddler or two in that assembly that didn’t fully understand the whole book of Numbers or Leviticus! But God wanted them to be present anyway.
Children do, however, pick up more than you might think. There is a story from Scotland, in the 1600s, about a preacher named John Brown who was charged by his own church with sorcery. His crime? He taught his son to read and write in English and Greek. His son was four years old at the time. People couldn’t believe that a child that young could be literate in two languages at that early of an age; sorcery had to be involved. Fortunately, Brown was found innocent, and the charges were dropped.
The idea of having children present during the whole worship service is not just an Old Testament idea (though we should assume it carries over into the New Testament, unless the NT shows us otherwise, and it does not). Over in the New Testament, if we look carefully, we can see the same idea.
The New Testament epistles (written by Paul, Peter, John, etc.) were letters that were often written to a particular church and were read to the congregation of that church (compare Rev. 1:3 with 2:1, 2:8, 2:12, 2:18, 3:1, 3:7, 3:14). These epistles were also passed around to other churches to be read during the weekly gathering of the church (Col. 4:16). In the book of Colossians, Paul gives commands to various family members (3:18-21). First, he says “Wives, submit to your own husbands…”, then he says “Husbands, love your wives…”, and “Fathers, do not provoke your children…”. Paul doesn’t say “Pastors, tell the husbands/fathers and wives to do such and such…”, but rather he address the husbands and wives directly. This assumes that both husbands and wives would be present in the meeting to hear the instruction being given as Paul’s letter was being read to the congregation. But Paul doesn’t just address spouses and parents, he also says “Children, obey your parents…” (see also Eph. 6:1). This assumes that children would be present in the meeting of the church even when Paul’s letters (that are full of difficult doctrine, 2 Pet. 3:15-16) were being read to the congregation.
There is no command, pattern, or example in Scripture of anything like Children’s Church. It is an invention of man. The Bible is clear: when God’s people gather to worship, the children need to be present there as well.
Five Possible Scenarios Facing American Christians and Their Nation
There is much talk about the state of Christianity in America, and what, if any, future we Christians have here. While it is impossible to predict the future of America or American Christianity, it is good to think about things that could happen, and think about what our response should be. Let’s now look at five possible scenarios that we could be facing in the future.
1. Revival & spiritual awakening
Of all of the scenarios, this one is the most appealing to me (and I would assume, most Christians). Though we cannot produce a national revival, God certainly can, and He has done so in the past. It would be a wonderful thing if God were to pour out His Spirit on our land and bring multitudes upon multitudes of people to faith. As God changed people’s hearts, their families would be changed and so would our churches. As the churches taught people the biblical role of the civil government, they would elect godly leaders. We then would once again be a city on a hill, an example for others to follow as we followed Christ.
If God were to do this, what would be our role? Our role would be to proclaim the gospel and then teach those converts to apply the Bible to all of life and society. Even though it would be God doing the work, it would also involve us working really hard as well.
2. The total destruction of the United States, and every Christian within its borders
This option is the least pleasant. In history, there have been places where Christianity has been successfully driven out. In places like France, it has yet to return. And, of course, there have been many nations that have called themselves Christian nations, that are no longer in existence. God can also wipe out His own people from a certain area. Though we can and should pray that God doesn’t do this, God has done it before and we cannot demand that He spare us. If this is what God has in store for us, there is not much that we can do. That’s why this option is the least pleasant one.
3. God destroys the U.S., but sends American Christians to other nations
We have also seen in history where God has driven His people from their homeland and into other parts of the world. Some Americans are already talking of moving to other countries (with Costa Rica and New Zealand being popular destinations). But often this talk of fleeing is done with the wrong motives. Many want flee to a nation that they deem to be more stable than the U.S., in order to preserve their wealth and comfortable life from a future economic crisis.
The Christian’s motivation for fleeing should be different. Though fleeing could be a good option, it should not be done simply to preserve our comfort. If we choose to flee, it should be for the purpose of finding a nation that will allow us more freedom to worship God and disciple the nations.
Here in the U.S., we still have some things going for us. To my knowledge, we have more Creation ministries and Christian/Home schools here than anywhere else. We still have a lot of financial resources, and a very rich heritage. If God were to send persecution and drive us to other countries, these resources could be used by God to disciple those nations that we flee to. Of course, I’m not saying that God needs us (He doesn’t), but He may choose to use us in that way.
4. Secession
Back when the U.S. was being founded, men like Patrick Henry foresaw trouble in the future. Way back in the 1780s, Henry saw that a war between the States was coming, and there has been talk of secession from that time until now. Ungodly empires like ours tend to break apart, so seeing the U.S. split into smaller nations isn’t as farfetched as it may seem.
Should Christians want to see this happen? That all depends. If our primary motives are to preserve our prosperity and freedom, then no, we should not. But if our primary motive is to have a nation that once again honors the King of kings (which will result in prosperity and freedom), then secession could be a viable option. The problem is that, as of now, I don’t know of any part of the country that has a majority of people who would have this as their primary motive. So, as of now, there isn’t an area of the U.S. that could be considered “christianized” enough to become a Christian nation. Of course God could still break up our nation, but it would be hard to be enthusiastic about that if we simply broke into smaller ungodly nations that would soon be judged by God.
5. A tear-down that leads to a rebuilding
I believe that neither America nor American Christianity can continue to survive in their present state for much longer. When a society is built on the ideas of humans rather than on the word of God, that society may thrive for a time, but in the long run, it will fall apart. That is what we are seeing now, and I expect things to continue to unravel.
Is that bad news? Only for those who love humanistic societies more than biblical ones. While any “unraveling” would be painful for us Christians as well, it could also be a grand opportunity. When humanistic societies are uprooted, it clears the way for biblical ones to grow. If this is what God has planned for us, it would be good to start rebuilding all of life and society now. This is what God told His people to do in Jeremiah 29:4-7.
Israel had turned their back on God, so He destroyed them and sent them into captivity. While they were in captivity, He told them to start rebuilding. They were to rebuild Israelite society (and their families) even before God brought them back to the land of Israel. This serves as a good example for us. If God is going to restore our nation to its Christian roots, He may choose to break us down first. As of now, that is what seems to be happening. Again, if this is what God has in store for us, it would be good to start rebuilding a biblical society now. This rebuilding will need to happen from the bottom up. We first need to rebuild families, churches and local communities, before we can expect national change.
There are, of course, a million more possible scenarios that could play out here. What do you think will happen to American Christianity? What do you think needs to be done? Are you doing something, or are you only complaining about the state of things? If you are wondering what to do, we’d be glad to give you some ideas. You can get in touch with us through the “contact us” page on our web site: 5thkingdomministries.com/contact/
Is Jesus Coming Soon? Not Likely.
If Jesus were to return soon, He would return as a loser. Jesus is not a loser! Jesus is King. He is sitting at the right hand of the Father. Why is He sitting at His Father’s right hand? Psalm 2 tells us why. The nations and their governments are in rebellion against God (vv. 1-3). What is God’s response to this? First, He laughs (v. 4). Then, He enthrones a King (v. 6). This King is His Son (v. 7). God’s Son is going to be given the nations as an inheritance (v. 8). Therefore, the nations and their governments are told to honor and obey the Son or suffer the consequences (vv. 10-12).
Do you see the picture being given here? There is a king (God the Father) whose subjects are in rebellion to Him. So in response, the king gives his son the authority of the kingdom for the purpose of subduing the rebels. The son’s task is quell the rebellion, to subdue the nations.
Psalm 2 is not referring to some event in our future. It was fulfilled in the first century, when Jesus came to earth the first time (in the day that He was “begotten”, v. 7). Jesus is not waiting to be given the authority to subdue the nations. He has already been given that authority, and we have been given a role to play in the subduing of nations as well.
After the resurrection, and before Jesus ascended into heaven, He said to His disciples that “All authority” had been given to Him, “in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18). Remember that He was given that authority by His Father for the purpose of subduing the nations. He then told the disciples that they too were part of this subduing of the nations. They were to go into all nations and “preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15). As they went, they were to disciple the nations by teaching them to obey everything that God had commanded (Matt. 28:19-20). Jesus, the King, promised to be with them as they went (Matt. 28:20).
The church’s task is to turn the nations (Gentiles) “from darkness to light”, from the “power of Satan to God” (Acts 26:17-18). If the church were left to herself to accomplish this task, there would be little hope of the nations being discipled. But, we are not left alone. Jesus has promised to be with us (Matt. 28:20). The Father gave the Son the task of subduing the nations, and the Son has commissioned His church to accompany Him in that task. The Son will not fail, and because He is with her, His church won’t fail either. As God blesses and empowers the preaching and teaching of His word, the nations will cease their rebellion, and gladly worship their King.
This, of course, doesn’t happen all at once. But gradually, the kingdom of God will grow until it outgrows all others (Matt. 13:31-32). When it is grown, Jesus will give the kingdom back to His Father (1 Cor. 15:24). How come? Because His task is done. In Psalm 2, the Son was given the kingship (kingdom) in order to subdue rebel nations and their rulers. At the time of “the end”, Jesus can return the kingdom to the Father because He has “put an end” to all the rebellious rulers of the nations (1 Cor. 15:24). Until then, Jesus “must reign” until His enemies are put “under His feet” (1 Cor. 15:25).
The idea of the Son (Jesus) sitting at the right hand of His Father, ruling until His enemies are subdued, is also found in Psalm 110, verse 1. Of all of the Old Testament verses that are quoted in New Testament, Psalm 110:1 is quoted more than any other. The writers of the New Testament obviously thought that this verse was very important. Psalm 110:1 says “The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool’ ”.
The New Testament tells us clearly what this phrase means. When Jesus died upon the cross, He made “one sacrifice for sins forever”. He then ascended into heaven and “sat down at the right hand of God”. There He sits, “waiting until His enemies are made His footstool” (Heb. 10:12-13).
Look around you, does it look like the nations have been discipled? Are the nations submitting to Christ? If they are not, then we have no reason to believe that Christ will return soon. Jesus will not leave the Father’s right hand to return to earth until He finishes the task that was given to Him by the Father.
The view that I have advocated in this article may be new to you, but it is not a new idea. In fact, this view has been the most common view in America throughout its history. From John Cotton (b.1584 – d.1652, one of best known preachers in the early Colonies), to the Great Awakening preachers Jonathan Edwards (1703 – 1758) and George Whitefield (1714 – 1770), to the great preachers of the 1800s, like Robert L. Dabney (Presbyterian, 1820 – 1898) and John L. Dagg (Southern Baptist, 1794 – 1884), the majority of American Christians believed that the nations would be converted before Christ’s return.
I know that when you watch the nightly news, it is hard to believe that Christianity will prevail around the globe. But we must walk by faith, and not by sight. God will bless the preaching of His word. The Christ-empowered church will fulfill her commission.