How to Take a Stand

[Issachar]

Re: How to Take a Stand

I am certain by now, that most, if not all readers of this forum, are aware; keenly aware, that things are very awry in America in these days. As we continue down the path we're treading, spiritual warfare will grow in intensity. I believe the focus of the intensity will be deception.

2 Corinthians 11:
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Of course, deception has been present since that terrible day in the garden, by the words of the serpent; more subtle than all other creatures.

Genesis 3:
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Subtil ... or subtle, is key.
Subtle: Difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze.

As this battle intensifies, so will the call from the pulpit/articles/youtube/etc. to become more politically active "to thwart the efforts of the enemy, the devil." I am seeing more and more of this which is what prompted this post.

One good example (closing comment of WND article):

"If the church doesn't awaken now, if the tea party and everybody involved doesn't understand that God is at the heart of it all, then we lose," he said.

The crowd then erupted in standing ovation with his final words, "It's now or never. It's time for the church to stand."

Now, I am reasonably certain that I could sit down with these pastors mentioned in the article and agree with them in fellowship on a awful lot of issues.

But I am ... have been for a long time ... and will, with increasing urgency, concerned about something. By "lose" (above quote), what is meant? I believe what is meant by many speaking out today on how the church needs to be politically involved, is that we lose our American way of life. When they speak about pastors (some) being concerned about their tax exempt status or community standing, etc., I am totally in agreement with them. NO pastor or ANY Christian, should have those concerns at the cost of compromising the gospel. I also agree that since we live "in the world (not of it)" that churches should be talking about what is going on the world around them and seek to know the best ways to go out and about sharing the gospel. In talking about the issues "of the world", one must speak of whom and if that seems to amount to endorsements or the converse, then so be it .. if the government wants to pull their tax exempt status, let them. It is my belief anyway that churches should not be incorporated as a corporation is an entity allowed by the state. As far as I know, the only way to be tax exempted is through various forms of tax exempt corporations.

I think it is very real that our freedom is in Christ. It's not just a nice belief for future times. Being in Christ, our freedom has ultimate security. It cannot be touched by humans or any other created thing. We don't need to, as Christians, be about the business of defending our "freedoms", rights, etc. We need to be about the business of our Father in heaven (Luke 2:49); saving the lost by the preaching of the gospel ... out where the lost are.

We are in our Father's house, wherever we are at on the planet by being in the body of Christ. See post #5 here.

Issachar, reiterating a strong belief that any .. if any .. political involvement by Christians, should be only if/as led by the Spirit .. that distinguishes between God's will and what we personally prefer.

[Issachar]

Re: How to Take a Stand

I received the following today in an email, concerning Gideon. I'm posting it here because I think that the real method of battle in this "world" has been, is and always will be, as long as the "world" is here, by the wisdom of God and by the arm of God; not ours.

Judges 7:16-19 Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a shofar into every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers. And he said to them, "Look at me and do likewise; watch, and when I come to the edge of the camp you shall do as I do: When I blow the shofar, I and all who are with me, then you also blow the shofars on every side of the whole camp, and say, 'The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!' " So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just as they had posted the watch; and they blew the shofars and broke the pitchers that were in their hands.

When God called Gideon to lead Israel against their enemies, He wanted to show that a small army empowered by God was more effective than the largest armies. But notice how they fought – without weapons that an army would normally use. They fought with shofars and lamps! They fought with weapons that the world would consider ineffective, yet triumphed mightily over their enemies. They shouted as loud as they could, sounded the shofar, and broke the vessels that held the fire so that their lamps burst through with brightness.

This breaking of the lamps of clay holds a powerful metaphor for us. If we too are "earthen vessels" holding the fire of God – the Spirit of God within us, then a "breaking" of the outer man is necessary for His inner light to burst through. Victory can come out of brokenness. Our old life of self, often called the "old man", when truly crucified and broken, will give way to the release of the Lord's Spirit of God in our lives. The death of our Lord has broken the power of our self-life, since we were crucified with Him. Walking in that awareness brings light and victory.

Let the love, peace, joy, and all the fruit of the Spirit break through in your life. Your old life of Self has been and is being broken, as Yeshua's victorious light shines through your earthen vessel.

Issachar, thinks the flesh doesn't care for this "dying" stuff .. but that's ok, it's going away anyway.

[Issachar]

Re: How to Take a Stand

Wanted to add this message to this thread .. in particular in ref. to post #3.



Issachar

[Issachar]

Re: How to Take a Stand

I just wanted to add a link to here .. i.e. "The Harbinger .."

Dove pointed to a link in that thread (post #14) that has some very interesting points. Though it is a crititque of "The Harbinger", Jack Kelley says some things that go well with this thread:

... A nation may count among its residents people of many faiths, but it can’t be a nation of all of them. Such a nation could only be a nation of no official faith. And that’s what America is, we’re a nation of no official faith. (I sometimes wonder how it makes Christians from other countries feel when American Christians act as if they think America and the Church are one and the same.)

It’s true there are a lot of Christians in America. But we all belong to the Church and the Church has no national homeland, not in America and not anywhere else. The Church comes from every nation on Earth but our citizenship is in Heaven (Phil. 3:20) and that’s where our home is. American believers are not called to repent and save our country any more than believers who live in other countries are called to repent and save theirs. No matter what country we live in we’re supposed to be like Abraham, strangers in a foreign land looking forward to the city whose architect and builder is God (Hebr. 11:9-10).

In summary, it’s not the Church’s job to save America. Our job is to store up treasure in Heaven by helping those who can no longer help themselves on Earth. In this way we show forth the light and love of the Lord in this dark and dying place.

Issachar, commenting on "The Harbinger" part of the article in "The Harbinger" thread ...