Safety & Security

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:3

Security is the new god. It has supplanted Christ. How easily Christians have forgotten the teachings of Christ - “For whosoever seeks to save his life shall lose it…” Matt. 16:25. We would do well to heed the words of Victor Hugo in the person of Bishop Bienvenu –

"Let us never fear robbers nor murderers. Those are dangers from without, petty dangers. Let us fear ourselves. Prejudices are the real robbers; vices are the real murderers. The great dangers lie within ourselves. What matters it what threatens our head or our purse! Let us think only of that which threatens our soul."

Christians – return to following Christ. You cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve God and safety. You cannot serve Christ and Caesar.

You have heard that we should not hate. That is not wholly true. We must not hate our neighbor; we must love him. We must however hate sin; we must hate the sin within us. We must hate what sin does to us and what it does to others, and in turn hate the sin itself for the evil that it is.

You have heard it said, “Hate the sin, but love the sinner.” This statement is true, but how we twist it in our heart to hate the sinner for what his sin does to us, while we love and cherish our own sins. When we truly hate sin we will automatically love the sinner. We need not try to do both. No matter if we love the sinner or simply hate the sin, one will always result in the other.

What then should we do? We should love our neighbor regardless of his sin. We should hate sin, especially in ourselves. We should not think ill of our neighbor, but give the benefit of doubt and more. God has not appointed us to judge others, but we should judge ourselves. If we do not then God will.

We should repent of our murders and tortures. We should pray for the families surviving those who we have killed. We should provide financial support to them. Let us be holy as God is holy. Let us be merciful as God is merciful. Let us love as God is love.


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Reflections on Bin Laden & Terrorism

There are many who have said, regarding the new the news that Osama bin Laden has been killed, “I am glad that he is dead.” You have perhaps even said this yourself. What? Is bin Laden a greater sinner than any of us? Should we rejoice at the death of a man no more guilty of the murder of innocents than ourselves?

What you say? “How can that be, when he master-minded the destruction of four plane-loads of people plus thousands beside? When have I murdered anyone?” To answer those questions let us set aside the fact that he never confessed to those heinous crimes, nor has any substantial evidence been brought forth that he had any responsibility for them. Many will not believe these facts, so let us set them aside. Let us assume that he is indeed guilty these malicious murders. Again I ask, are we any better? Before I enumerate a few crimes of which we Americans (and many other nations) are guilty, I confess that I too share your guilt. I fully confess here and now to be just as culpable. What are these crimes? They are nothing less than the torture and murder of innocent men, women, and children.

Long before anyone heard of bin Laden, America and other western nations have engaged in various murders and atrocities against other peoples. In addition to the thousands of Iraqi deaths stemming from sanctions imposed after the first gulf war, the U.S. has been complicit in many other foul deeds against people in the Middle East. Nor are these deeds new to our era. I do not have the space to write of the atrocities against the Philippines in the early 20th century nor the Japanese in WWII, nor the medical experimentation of the unknowing victims throughout the 20th century.

Of these deeds of yesteryear we who are alive today are not guilty. Nor are many of us guilty of the pre-911 deaths in the Middle East, for of those we are ignorant. Of the deeds after that time, however, we are guilty, for we both know and approve of them.

We all know of the tortures done in Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, and other secret prisons; we consent and even approve. We know of the bombings of innocents. We have probably even seen the aerial murders from helicopters and the pot shots taken at prisoners through the fences in an overseas compound. These acts are as callous as those of the Nazis. Yet we see, we know, we consent and thereby approve. All in the name of safety and security.

By our consent we are as guilty of these murders as the ones pulling the triggers and the ones giving the orders. When we condemn bin Laden we condemn ourselves. Except we repent, when we stand before God in the judgment, bin Laden will be among those who will condemn us. Do not think that piety will deliver you. Only repentance and a real change of heart will do that.

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

~ Romans 1:32

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Beware the Leaven

In Matthew, Jesus told his disciples to "beware the leaven of the Pharisees". They thought he was speaking of bread, but he was speaking of the doctrine of the Pharisees. What is this doctrine?

This morning as I started my daily reading of God's word, I was immediately come to mind of my desire to be careful about discussing doctrine with others (I am very prone to shooting from the mouth), but instead to cut to the root of the reason why such and such a party might be resistant to God's truth. So I prayed to God that He might teach me to be more circumspect. As soon as the words were spoken, I remembered the teaching popular amoung the Baptists: "Be careful about praying for patience - your prayer might be answered." Which is to say, that if we pray that God teach us patience, He will bring us trials that bring about that training. Since none of us like trials, you see the reason of the saying.

As soon as I had that thought though, I realized this saying is the leaven of the Pharisees. Spoken for laughs, it is sadly not the mark of a disciple of Christ, but that of a hypocrite. May God forgive any of us who have spoken it. Why should we shun trials? Granted, they are not pleasant, but they can be profitable.

What is more important - to go through life with ease and be a spiritual cripple for eternity (or even damned from God for that matter) or to suffer numerous trials in this world, to find maturity, fruit and blessedness in the next? As I go through middle age, I realize more and more that: while to the young this life seems to be an eternity; once having lived a few decades of it, it is a very short time. I have also come to learn that life in this world is not such great of a thing, but life with Christ is. This world's rewards are fleeting and of little value. The rewards that await us in the kingdom of God are true treasures. Therefore, we should pray for patience. We should pray that God teach us to be more circumspect. We should not fear trials, but welcome them as they come for what they may teach us. What is better - to enter into eternal life without a hand or an eye, or to enter into hell whole (somewhere in Matthew)?

Besides understanding the wicked action of the leaven of the Pharisees upon me, I also considered the action of my prayer - "teach me". I could have prayed for grace as some teach to pray. I could have prayed for help. These may be fine prayers for all I know. As I considered these alternatives (could they be answered without experiencing trials?), I also realized that they way in which God answers our prayers, i.e. the way in which God works in our lives is important, and if we understand this way, perhaps the specific request of our prayers might be more effective. For example, if we (trying to avoid trials again) ask for God's grace, what are we asking for? Could we be asking for Him to miraculously change us for the better without natural causes that would otherwise do so? I can't tell you how many times (always mindful of the Pharisees teaching about avoiding trial), I have prayed in such a manner. In doing so, I am praying in hypocrisy. It is only when we truly desired to become like Christ in praying for such, will our prayer be effective. If I ask God to teach me a quality like patience or circumspection and am willing to accept whatever come my way, then God is free to work in our life. We can also help in His work by making the effort ourselves to change.

Another thing I have been considering lately is, in the view of predestination, what role does our work and effort play. If everything is pre-determined, then what effect does our efforts have? Won't the end result be the same? To answer this question (or any questions of doctrine for that matter), we must limit ourselves to what Scripture teaches, and not add it our own ideas (there is that leaven again). What does Scripture teach on the matter of what we should do in this life?

1) We reap what we sow - Galatians. Therefore, if we sit around trying to live a life of ease, we will reap the results. If we work for the kingdom of God, we will likewise reap its rewards.
2) God, before the world began, ordains each of us either to destruction or life.

If we can accept these two truths, does that mean that God ordains each of our decisions? The bible does not teach such a thing to my knowledge. Are these two truths mutually exclusive? No they are not. While God design us for a particular purpose, it does not mean that our decisions are predetermined. Some of the deep issues that might arise from area of doctrine may not be answerable in this life. That does not negate these two truths mentioned, nor does our lack of understanding mean that the course of life is simply fate.

Not only will we reap what we sow, but we will regret having not sowed and cultivated even more. Let us not shun trails, but work earnestly to become more like Christ, and build even better relationships with our fellow man.

America the Surreal

As national elections approach this week, I was struck by the surreal nature of the times in which we live. For example, I have been sent the same e-mail twice from two different ladies telling of the dire consequences if we don't elect so and so because of who they might appoint to the supreme court. Of course this particular candidate has so little to offer to this interest group, that they have resorted to the supreme court appointment card. The Ron Paul campaign of course showed us how little the pro-life crowd is interested in protecting life. Protecting political pull is their paramount interest. There is so much stench in all politics today, that I won't spent the time even discussing it.

Getting back to my observation about our surreal times, I remembered last night about the utter absurdity of the lie that the World Trade Towers fell from fire damage. I remember the day it happened, that when I was told they had collapsed I thought how utterly unexpected it was, but I must have been too busy with my work in order to give it much more thought. I happened across a 911 truth website about a year ago though, and as an engineer, I can tell you with 100% certainty, that these buildings were brought down by controlled demolition. Just so you know, I have never said I was 100% certain about anything else; 99% maybe, but not 100%. The reason I am so certain is because of what I know about steel. You can burn it all you want, but it won't melt. Remember how much work blacksmiths have to go to in order to just bend iron with a lot of effort? Steel melts at an even higher temperature. These buildings were made of steel. Even if one could melt their columns, they would have merely tilted. It is impossible for them to just vanish into a pile of dust.

The implications of this fact of course are almost inconceivable. So much so, that most people will not even pause to consider this fact as possible. The implications threaten the foundations of their religion. That religion is the worship of the state. It is the oldest and most popular religion in the world. Never going out of fashion, it will be the sole religion left as the age of history draws to a close. Nevertheless, the fact remains. Those buildings were blown. They were blown by elite experts working over a period of weeks, all in coordination with the airplane collisions. That the men who rule us are capable of such evil is very hard to conceive. That it betrays our trust and for most - our worship, makes it all the harder to accept. That is why so few will accept the facts. It would destroy everything they believe in. And so, the charade goes on. Two men vying for the mantle of presiding over the evil we call government have folks rabid over which one gets in. Americans believe these men will help and protect them. They do not know they are voting for their deepening enslavement.


To my reader, please stop trusting in the state, and place your trust in God. As Rev 18:4 says, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins..." Unfortunately, the "her" spoken of is the Christian church (at least in America). She is the ultimate whore. Instead of being light unto the world, she has sold her soul for political power. We cannot leave the state. We can stop believing in it though (and worshiping it), and we can come out of and stop supporting the whore that is in bed with it. It is time to wake up to reality before Christ returns. Then it will be too late.

Persecution of Christians have started in Europe. It is likely only a matter of time before these things begin here. Even more chilling than the prison sentences for religious speech are the reasons given for them. One example is a prison sentence of 50 days for calling the legal crime against God's law of abortion "unjust". Evidently, calling something "unjust" when it is illegal is a serious crime in Europe. Expressing a belief in non-evolutionary theories such as intelligent design have been deemed - “a threat to human rights” by the Council of Europe.

It is indeed a sad, sad day for Europe. I pray that God will spare us the same fate here in the US. We should all pray for mercy. In the event He does not see fit to spare us, we must all begin to prepare for that day. We should start by drawing closer to Him. We should also begin to memorize large blocks of Scripture. They will probably not permit us to take our Bibles into prison. Read the Hiding Place to see how precious God's word is in prison. They can't take it from us if we hide it in our heart.

I began to memorize the book of Galatians last year. I got stalled on chapter four. I intend to take it up again and finish the book. My daughter Mary has committed much of the first six chapters of Romans to memory. I may join with her when I finish Galatians.

God be with you all,
Scott

Time Preferences & Godliness

Gary North wrote an interesting piece recently that referenced an idea that Austrian Economist Ludwig von Mises called time preference. Regarding it, North said this:

The more future-oriented you are, the more attention you will pay to the ticking clock. Ludwig von Mises called this time-preference. Future-oriented people have low time preference. They discount the future at a lower rate of interest. This applies to future benefits, but it also applies to future costs.

The present-oriented person is like the grasshopper in the story of the grasshopper and the ants. He fiddles all summer and starves in winter. In the Disney cartoon, he sings, "The world owes me a living." It doesn’t.

Edward Banfield’s book, The Unheavenly City (1970), got him in a lot of trouble on campus at Harvard because he wrote that inner-city men are present-oriented. He defined lower class as present-oriented. This was politically incorrect in 1970 . . . and probably today. His point was that inner-city men, especially if they are single, act for the moment. They want action. They don’t count the long-term cost of their actions. Mises would have said that such people discount the future with a very high rate of interest. The distant future is worth almost nothing to them. So, it has little effect on their present actions.

There is no doubt that the poor have a high time preference and the rich have a much lower one. Interestingly, the Bible has a lot to say on this subject as well. Easau had a very high time preference: And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? Gen 25:32. Nothing beyond the present moment meant a thing to him, no matter how valuable. In contrast, Jacob had an extremely low time preference. He was willing to take great risk to cheat Esau out of his blessing (Gen 27), and wrestled with the angel of God that he might receive a blessing on the eve of what he expected to be his last day before Esau would kill him (Gen 32). One writer said that Esau throwing away his birthright as he did was an affront to God. God desires men who have a very low time preference. No doubt that is why He loved Jacob, but hated Esau (Rom 9:13).

Let us consider next what Jesus taught us by words and example. Jesus himself had a very low time preference:

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb 12:2.

He also taught the same:

Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. Luk 12:33

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Mat 6:19-21

This last verses gives us a hint as to why God desires men to have a low time preference. He wants our heart to be on Him as our greatest treasure.

What can we learn from these passages? We already know that the poor have a high time preference. The bible seems to confirm such an idea when Jesus says:

The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. Mat 11:5

It is also apparent that when a man believes in Christ, his time preference becomes very low. Paul testifies of such:

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
1Co 15:19

A faithful Christian will gladly yield most of this life's pleasures, for a reward in the resurrection. Therefore, faith in Christ changes a man's time preference from high to very low. What of the rich however? Seeing his time preference is already low, does that imply godliness? No it does not. While it is certainly lower than that of say Esau, it is not necessarily very high. Indeed it is too low. Examples include the rich young ruler of Luke 18, and the foolish rich man of Luke 12.

Another striking implication of the gospel is one often misunderstood. Because when a man becomes a believer his time preference goes from high to very low, he also replaces those characteristics that made him poor with those that can generate wealth. He therefore, will no longer be poor except that which makes him poor that he may be rich toward God. He will not be poor however because of former ways such as squandering his resources, foolishness and sloth. Instead he will be industrious, save his money, give to the poor, and provide for his own. The bible is replete with descriptions of such Godly men, and this short post doesn't permit going into detail at this time.

What can we learn from these truths?

1. Lay not up treasures on earth, but in heaven - forgo today's pleasures for eternal riches.
2. Give and lend generously to the poor.
3. Preach the gospel to the poor - encourage them to forgo today's pleasures for eternal riches.
4. Work hard and be diligent. Make the most of both time and money for God's kingdom.
   

Grace to you all.

Christians & War

I found it very disturbing in a recent political debate to hear a self-professed Christian advocate:

1. murder in retaliation for an minor offense to one's person and pride such as sand kicked in the face
2. the implication that an offense against the US state is one that will result in going to hell.

You can view the videotape for yourself and form your own judgments. The clip shows the response of Mick Huckabee in the South Carolina debate, when asked about a minor provocation against US warships in the waters near Iran. I would like to examine his remarks more fully as well as those of Ron Paul on the same subject.

Huckabee's first response is that hostile provocations will result in certain death. While I will take issue with that idea shortly, the implication of those doing so will go to hell. I don't believe Huckabee was addressing the theological issue of whether a Muslim is at peace with God. The implication that an attacker of the US will face punishment by God seems much more to be the crux of his statement. This man has stated in the past that he believes God personally favors his candidacy as well as the presidency of the current president. These facts lend further support that an attacker of his, the president's or the US, are in effect attacking God. They would therefore go to hell.

In a sense Huckabee is doing us a favor by laying plain the fact that many if not most America's worship the US state instead of Christ. If they followed Christ, they would be like Him. That they follow the aggressive US state is evident by their own aggressive characteristics, which brings us to the second point - the idea that murder is an acceptable response to minor offenses.

Let's examine what Christ taught us:

But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Mat 5:3

Now some may argue that state actions are not morally the same as personal ones. I challenge anyone holding this notion to demonstrate it from Scripture. This idea does not come from the Bible, but from this nation's false idol - the government. In this particular case, if you were over in front of your neighbor's house, acting provocatively, and he responded in kind, would you then be justified in attacking and killing your neighbor. Would that action not be murder? Shouldn't we instead accept the offense and consider how we may have provoked it, and then make overtures to peace instead of war? If that is the proper Christian response, then how should it be that we should act like a bully murdering with abandon just as long as we do it with collective consent?

Consider the previous illustration. What if instead of a solo action, you had the support of the other neighbors? What if instead of acting personally, you and your neighbors appoint or hire certain men to do the work of provocation and murder for you? What if instead of a single neighbor, the actions are against another neighborhood next to yours? What if your neighborhood passes laws and elects a leader? What if you continue to escalate the situation in size and scope. At what point is it justified? Is there a certain minimum size for a group of people to be a nation and commit murder and sin without it being sin any longer? This kind of thinking (that a state can perform acts of murder and violence) stems from the worship of the US state as God.

As a last point, I would like to contrast the Christian preacher's response with another man who does not make a point of mentioning Christ for political gain, but his life and speech reflects the teachings of Christ. You can hear his response to the same question near the end of the clip. At this point in time, it appears that most Americans do not support anyone who will not worship the US state. We must pray that God will bring repentance to America and do what we can to urge men to repent and turn to Christ.

In Christ's grace,
Scott