Democrats prevail
“We trounced them! We’ve taken the upper hand against powerful religion. Now everything will go smoothly. Now we can begin to reclaim what we lost in the Republican dynasty. No more nonsensical wars based on religious fervor and myths. No more fanatical decisions that rob this country of its wealth to spend it on saving Israel from some mystical anti-Christ.
“Now we have our advocate for sensible directions and smart leadership. We need to begin now to prepare for winning the next election; and we need to start now designing a follow-on Democratic candidate to run in 6-7 years. Whatever happens, we can’t let unthinking evangelical fundamentalism take control of this government ever again!” So goes the war cry.
This is the result of leaving the faith of our fathers and turning to vain philosophies. On the one extreme we see a group of religionists who have long ago denied God His authority over them, when they accepted the error that His Law was nailed to the cross. After that dangerous seed was accepted and had taken root, the Protestant churches concocted their own man-made path to God. Without the authority of God’s law to convict of sin, they were left to find another way to salvation other than God-given repentance.
So they turned to celebration—rejoicing in God’s grace only because they made themselves believe He forgave and justified, not because they had truly repented and then had received confirmation through the Spirit that He actually pronounced them accepted by Him and justified. “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” (Prov. 28:9).
This make-believe substitute for faith has led to a proud, miserable religious environment. Nevertheless, the Spirit of God has still moved in the Protestant denominations, not because their doctrine cooperated with His work of conviction and comfort, but in spite of those false doctrines.
But, slowly, over the centuries since the Reformers died, and quicker since 1844 when a testing issue was brought forward in the Sabbath commandment, “a sanctuary” to those who would accept the authority of God’s Law, and “a stone of stumbling” and “a rock of offence” to those who rejected His authority for fear of exclusion from the popular Protestant churches. (Is. 8:14). “And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. Bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples.” (vs.15,16). And many rejected the Ten Commandments when they rejected the 7th day Sabbath. “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (Jn. 12:43).
As one generation following another have accepted more and more deeply a life without the Law of God and contrition before Him, the denominations of Protestantism have become increasingly entrenched in ways to appease a suffering conscience and the anxiety from living without submission and trust in the living God.
Those who feel an emptiness from God work harder to be “slain in the Spirit”, to “speak in tongues”, to “laugh” and “giggle in the Spirit”, and even to bark like a dog. And those who feel free to let sensual gratifications appease their nagging anxiety come to church only for the sake of community and human friendship, not for communion with God. Divine worship has lost its purpose for those who deny God’s authority. The next step is to deny His existence. Atheism is rampant in the professed followers of God. “When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Lk. 18:8).
The church provides nothing for sanctification and for overcoming sin. So the vanity, the gossip, the thievery, and purposelessness loom higher and higher, as one generation follows another. It is almost time for the 4th angel’s message, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” (Rev. 18:2).
Many outside of Christianity see the hypocrisy and pride in the churches and reject it all. It is largely due to the failing of the church that we have come to a society which is so atheistic and secular.
The disrespectful of religion, unchurched cross-section has run in this direction for the past 50-100 years. In this country they have grown hostile to anything and everything Christianity teaches. Science has proven a wonderful benefactor. Who needs ancient mythology, when man can supply all his own temporal needs? So the slide into hedonism has been a rapid one, considering the influence of God to slow man’s self-destruction.
And here we are today. Atheistic humanism declaring the death knells of religion. But what about a 3rd option? Few have looked outside of apostate Protestantism and humanistic atheism for an answer to the anxiety pervading the American people.
What 3rd option? Truth! True religion! True Bible religion. The weighty matters of the Law—“judgment, mercy, and faith.” (Matt. 23:23). Humility and service, cross-bearing and childlike trust and love.
Instead of being gods, being children of the heavenly King; accepting His acceptance, serving God as a son, and not as another god; by beholding the Son, being changed from an all-powerful, self-sufficient God into a humble and dependent son or daughter; as many as will believe it is for them in spite of their abominable track record, serving the beloved Child of God’s infinite affection, being drawn into that Divine coexistence and communion—being sandwiched in between Them—simply because They have graciously offered it. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Is. 9:6).
Brought, by God’s work, into that holy union of Father and Son, we are invited to “kiss the Son”—to fall on His gentle breast in His perfect acceptance. (Ps. 2:12).
Modern humanism is a dead-end street. Extremist and sensational religion is also a dead-end. Bowing our pride before the living God and letting Him give us His love and righteousness is the only path to life. As it was repeatedly written,
“Circumcision (Religious Fundamentalism) is nothing, and uncircumcision (secular atheism) is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God (is everything).” (1Cor. 7:19).
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature (avails everything).” (Gal. 5:15).
“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” (Gal. 5:6).
Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast,
There by His love o’ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest.
Hark! ’tis the voice of angels, borne in a song to me.
Over the fields of glory, over the jasper sea.
Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast
There by His love o’ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest.
Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe from corroding care,
Safe from the world’s temptations, sin cannot harm me there.
Free from the blight of sorrow, free from my doubts and fears;
Only a few more trials, only a few more tears!
Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast
There by His love o’ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest.
Jesus, my heart’s dear Refuge, Jesus has died for me;
Firm on the Rock of Ages, ever my trust shall be.
Here let me wait with patience, wait till the night is over;
Wait till I see the morning break on the golden shore.
Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast
There by His love o’ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest.
“Now we have our advocate for sensible directions and smart leadership. We need to begin now to prepare for winning the next election; and we need to start now designing a follow-on Democratic candidate to run in 6-7 years. Whatever happens, we can’t let unthinking evangelical fundamentalism take control of this government ever again!” So goes the war cry.
This is the result of leaving the faith of our fathers and turning to vain philosophies. On the one extreme we see a group of religionists who have long ago denied God His authority over them, when they accepted the error that His Law was nailed to the cross. After that dangerous seed was accepted and had taken root, the Protestant churches concocted their own man-made path to God. Without the authority of God’s law to convict of sin, they were left to find another way to salvation other than God-given repentance.
So they turned to celebration—rejoicing in God’s grace only because they made themselves believe He forgave and justified, not because they had truly repented and then had received confirmation through the Spirit that He actually pronounced them accepted by Him and justified. “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” (Prov. 28:9).
This make-believe substitute for faith has led to a proud, miserable religious environment. Nevertheless, the Spirit of God has still moved in the Protestant denominations, not because their doctrine cooperated with His work of conviction and comfort, but in spite of those false doctrines.
But, slowly, over the centuries since the Reformers died, and quicker since 1844 when a testing issue was brought forward in the Sabbath commandment, “a sanctuary” to those who would accept the authority of God’s Law, and “a stone of stumbling” and “a rock of offence” to those who rejected His authority for fear of exclusion from the popular Protestant churches. (Is. 8:14). “And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. Bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples.” (vs.15,16). And many rejected the Ten Commandments when they rejected the 7th day Sabbath. “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (Jn. 12:43).
As one generation following another have accepted more and more deeply a life without the Law of God and contrition before Him, the denominations of Protestantism have become increasingly entrenched in ways to appease a suffering conscience and the anxiety from living without submission and trust in the living God.
Those who feel an emptiness from God work harder to be “slain in the Spirit”, to “speak in tongues”, to “laugh” and “giggle in the Spirit”, and even to bark like a dog. And those who feel free to let sensual gratifications appease their nagging anxiety come to church only for the sake of community and human friendship, not for communion with God. Divine worship has lost its purpose for those who deny God’s authority. The next step is to deny His existence. Atheism is rampant in the professed followers of God. “When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Lk. 18:8).
The church provides nothing for sanctification and for overcoming sin. So the vanity, the gossip, the thievery, and purposelessness loom higher and higher, as one generation follows another. It is almost time for the 4th angel’s message, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” (Rev. 18:2).
Many outside of Christianity see the hypocrisy and pride in the churches and reject it all. It is largely due to the failing of the church that we have come to a society which is so atheistic and secular.
The disrespectful of religion, unchurched cross-section has run in this direction for the past 50-100 years. In this country they have grown hostile to anything and everything Christianity teaches. Science has proven a wonderful benefactor. Who needs ancient mythology, when man can supply all his own temporal needs? So the slide into hedonism has been a rapid one, considering the influence of God to slow man’s self-destruction.
And here we are today. Atheistic humanism declaring the death knells of religion. But what about a 3rd option? Few have looked outside of apostate Protestantism and humanistic atheism for an answer to the anxiety pervading the American people.
What 3rd option? Truth! True religion! True Bible religion. The weighty matters of the Law—“judgment, mercy, and faith.” (Matt. 23:23). Humility and service, cross-bearing and childlike trust and love.
Instead of being gods, being children of the heavenly King; accepting His acceptance, serving God as a son, and not as another god; by beholding the Son, being changed from an all-powerful, self-sufficient God into a humble and dependent son or daughter; as many as will believe it is for them in spite of their abominable track record, serving the beloved Child of God’s infinite affection, being drawn into that Divine coexistence and communion—being sandwiched in between Them—simply because They have graciously offered it. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Is. 9:6).
Brought, by God’s work, into that holy union of Father and Son, we are invited to “kiss the Son”—to fall on His gentle breast in His perfect acceptance. (Ps. 2:12).
Modern humanism is a dead-end street. Extremist and sensational religion is also a dead-end. Bowing our pride before the living God and letting Him give us His love and righteousness is the only path to life. As it was repeatedly written,
“Circumcision (Religious Fundamentalism) is nothing, and uncircumcision (secular atheism) is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God (is everything).” (1Cor. 7:19).
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature (avails everything).” (Gal. 5:15).
“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” (Gal. 5:6).
Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast,
There by His love o’ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest.
Hark! ’tis the voice of angels, borne in a song to me.
Over the fields of glory, over the jasper sea.
Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast
There by His love o’ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest.
Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe from corroding care,
Safe from the world’s temptations, sin cannot harm me there.
Free from the blight of sorrow, free from my doubts and fears;
Only a few more trials, only a few more tears!
Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast
There by His love o’ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest.
Jesus, my heart’s dear Refuge, Jesus has died for me;
Firm on the Rock of Ages, ever my trust shall be.
Here let me wait with patience, wait till the night is over;
Wait till I see the morning break on the golden shore.
Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast
There by His love o’ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest.
posted by David | 7:23 AM
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