fencepostdigest

^“26 A righteous man is careful in dealing with his neighbor, but the ways of the wicked lead them astray. ²⁸ There is life in the path of righteousness, but another path leads to death.” Proverbs 12:26; 28 CSB. “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday. But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they don’t know what makes them stumble.” Proverbs 4:18-19.

God removed Adam and Eve from the Garden and since that moment God’s world has contained conflicting foundations of morality, and those foundations are righteousness and evil. Jesus referred to these foundations in His parable found in Matthew 7:24-27, “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!” Generally speaking there is a discussion among us what defines righteousness and what defines evil. However, when we search the pages of Holy Writ the answer is quite clear to everyone sitting at the table. The real issue is not the Word of God, but how broken humanity chooses to view morality. There is but one way, really, which is spoken of in the Word.

Our real problem, therefore, is not the Word of God, but rather the heart of man. Personally, I find it tragically amusing that so many who like to refer to themselves as Christians truly do not wish to follow the words of the Christ but rather wish to redefine His words to meet their own standards. God has placed the bar of righteousness rather high and He DOES EXPECT His followers to take up that Cross. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:26-27.

You may notice that Jesus does not mince words here. Yes, He uses a very strong word, “hate” and we must NOT attempt to water down His terminology. If we read Luke correctly, we will find that many people standing in the crowds when Jesus taught were not actually following Him. They were curious, but were not learning from Him. Like many who are members of the local church today, they were present for personal benefits. They may attend all sorts of functions, but are not Followers of the Christ. There is a difference between attending and being a Believer. Unfortunately there are many ‘Christians’ and most likely fewer Followers of the Christ.

Jesus gives us two qualifications for being one of His Disciples. If one is to be a Follower there must be willingness to exchange personal preferences: family and self for the servitude of the Christ. He MUST BECOME the First Love. Jesus taught His disciples to love their enemies rather than hating them, “But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt either. Give to everyone who asks you, and from one who takes your things, don’t ask for them back. Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.” Luke 6:27-31. His use of “hate”  is relative and not an absolute sense.  Paul writes these words, “From now on, then, we do not know anyone in a purely human way. Even if we have known Christ in a purely human way, yet now we no longer know Him in this way.   Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.   Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:   That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”  He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:16-21.

This is NOT rocket science. This is biblical truth at its core. The difficulty, therefore, is with us and whether or not we choose to follow the Christ. No one can live life now without consequences later. There are consequences for everything done. The issue is whether or not one chooses to follow the Way of the Cross or the way of wickedness. But let the Bible be very clear here: “Then I saw a great white throne and One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books. Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead; all were judged according to their works. Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:11-15.

Jesus is Lord.

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There is a little-known story from the first century, during which Christians – and other Roman citizens – were given the opportunity to end the savage practice of the gladiatorial games.

In A.D. 48, a consul by the name of Antonius Flavius Gracchus led a movement to shutter the barbarism that infected the Roman Empire. Surprisingly, the effort began bearing fruit. True, this movement took political advantage of the suffering of the lower classes and other social maladies, so it was not exactly an effort borne out of pure motives. It was, simply put, a power struggle.

Yet the common people wanted the oppressive power of Rome curbed, and the Coliseum was one place to start. While the rich and powerful were the joyful spectators of the blood and gore of the gladiatorial contests, the slaves and other poor in Rome were often the victims.

Gracchus’s powerful oratory in the Roman Senate began to sway his colleagues. Oddly, the Roman Emperor Claudius allowed the Senate to decide, but the senators developed cold feet. They called for a plebiscite – a vote of the citizens of Rome.

Although many Christians were citizens of the empire, Eusebius Tallum, the bishop of Rome, exhorted the members of his flock not to vote. “Gracchus is a pagan and is not one of us,” Tallum said in a famous epistle about the matter. “No pagan does what is right in the sight of heaven.”

The movement failed by mere hundreds of votes. There were accusations of bribery and other malfeasances, but the issue died nonetheless. While there is no guarantee that the Christians could have turned the tide, the vast majority heeded Tallum’s directive. The sands of the Coliseum continued to drink the blood of Rome’s victims, including, in the years to come, the blood of many Christians.

Of course, the above story is a complete fiction, as any student of Roman history would know. But what if it were true? What if Christians in the first century had suddenly been given the opportunity to vote to end the slaughter of the gladiatorial games? What would we think of Christian leaders who exhorted believers not to vote to end the barbaric practice simply because the leader of the movement was a pagan?

I hope we would be horrified, but that is precisely what some Christian leaders have done 20 centuries later, as the raucous and oftentimes repulsive candidacies of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have caused a fiercely emotional split within the evangelical community.

John Piper, the beloved and well-respected pastor emeritus of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the latest to give absolution to Christians who don’t want to dirty their hands by choosing between Trump and Clinton.

In a recent sermon, Piper said: “The right to vote in America is not a binding duty (without regard to other factors) for Christians in every election. ‘The children are free.’ We are free from human institutions. As citizens of heaven, we are not bound in every situation to participate in the processes of human government.”

Of course, Piper is technically correct, but the question is this: Is he correct about this case? Should Christians bow out in this election and abstain from choosing between these two candidates?

I would argue absolutely not. In defense of this, I would offer a contrary scriptural principle: “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people …” (Gal. 6:10).

There are moments in human history when Christians cannot abstain. We might believe we have other, important, spiritual duties elsewhere, but when we pass by a wounded neighbor lying in a ditch after being beaten and left for dead, we’d better stop to help. We have the opportunity to be good neighbors and help (Luke 10:30-37). How can we refuse?

It seems that Piper agreed back in 2012 when he wrote a blog titled “I am going to vote.” He said then that there was nothing wrong with complaining about how bad the presidential choices are, but that there was also nothing wrong with voting for a candidate who will “probably do more good” than the other.

“Tell as many people as you can the good reasons why you are disaffected with the whole thing,” he said, “then go to the polls and take a burden-bearing, pro-active risk rather than staying home and taking a burden-dropping, reactive risk.”

I agree with the John Piper of 2012 while disagreeing with the John Piper of 2016.

My son was the one who suggested the comparison to the first-century hypothetical I assembled above, as we mourned Piper’s comments. A young husband and father, my son’s frustration over the stubborn piety of the Pipers within American evangelicalism matches my own.

Of course, I have no problem with piety when it is expressed biblically, but when it allows great evils to continue, it makes my head explode.

Did Piper encourage his followers to vote for a man or woman of character while the candidacy of Trump was nascent? Did he use his influence when it could have made the most difference?

It is frustrating that influential Bible expositors like Piper, who have been largely AWOL during the culture wars, suddenly feel the time has come for them to choose a side – or rather, to boldly proclaim that they, well, choose no one.

Thanks for the help. Not.

Thousands of Christians in the last two centuries have fought to end slavery and the oppression of Jim Crow laws; resisted the rise of Nazism and the gassing of Jews; struggled to gain the legal right to homeschool their children; battled in court after court for the privilege of offering Christ to women entering an abortion clinic; endured insult and invective in their fight to protect children from the normalization of sodomy; and continue the political war to free women and children from the scourge of human trafficking.

If I might be so bold as to speak on behalf of these courageous culture warriors: John Piper, would you have counseled Christians to sit out these fights? Does our citizenship in heaven excuse us from confronting terrible evils when we have the chance to do something about them?

Whether or not they admit it, church leaders like Piper are using their influence to possibly sway millions of Christians to stay home this Tuesday. It’s one thing for Piper and the rest to hold their own views according to the dictates of their consciences, but when they use their significant influence over followers to alter elections, well, I hope they are prepared to answer for that.

The vast majority of Christians that I know who voted Republican voted for someone other than Donald Trump during the primaries. They’re not happy that the GOP nominee has said and done wicked things.

But what if Donald Trump had been the difference between the continuation of slavery in the 1800s and its cessation? Between the slaughter of Jews in Nazi death camps and the end of the Holocaust? Would Piper and the rest of the pietist mob refuse to vote for him just because he was a pagan?

If Trump and Clinton were simply two common examples of ambitious politicians 20 years ago, I would probably concede Piper’s argument – because at that point there’s nothing really at stake. But there is in 2016. In fact, the distinctions between the two candidates on the life issue and the matter of federal judges are so startlingly divergent that, in my opinion, Piper is without excuse.

These leaders in the body of Christ are influencing Christians to not vote for a candidate that has promised to try to end abortion and preserve religious liberty. In doing so, they are possibly opening the door of victory to a candidate who will absolutely – and zealously – continue to shed innocent blood for generations to come.

As for religious liberty, no sane person can doubt what is coming should secular progressives gain power in Washington, D.C. It will mean the exaltation of sodomy on every front, the possible extinction of Christian schooling on all levels – including homeschooling – and the crushing of Christian dissent.

All of this – the brutal dismemberment of unborn children and the final and possibly irrevocable dismantling of the Judeo-Christian foundations of our country – could be prevented by the simplest of actions: casting a vote.

But John Piper says no. You may have the opportunity to do good to your neighbor, but don’t do it.

These Christian leaders may think their consciences will be clean after its over, but their hands certainly won’t.

And God help us all.

Written by Ed Vitagliano, AFA Executive Vice-President: https://www.afa.net/the-stand/election/2016/11/john-piper-s-tragic-miscalculation/

NOVEMBER 1, 2016  |  MALCOLM YARNELL

Someone has said that “If we understood God, He would then not be large enough to worship.” I do not agree with this, because in His Word we find enough information to understand Him. Here are just a few thoughts from God’s Word to help with understanding His personality:

Exodus 15:11. “Lord, who is like You among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders?”

Malachi 3:6, 7. “Because I, Yahweh, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed. Since the days of your fathers, you have turned from My statutes; you have not kept them.”

This article originally appeared at Dr. Ronnie Floyd’s blog and is copied from SBC Today.

As a local church pastor and leader, I stand amazed, but also burdened over the ongoing attacks that are aimed at what I call “religious straw men.” The term “fighting a straw man” is used when one states a belief in an exaggerated way and then destroys it. Usually someone is attacking the belief and practice of another person, but doing so by creating a different reality of what actually occurred.

These imaginable characters receiving the artillery fire are often referred to as “the religious right” and “moral majority.” The scorn for some of these patriots of the past, who were truly a part of a dynamic movement in America, demonstrates an immaturity and discredits those who make their pseudo-political attacks. Some of these same leaders that influenced America positively also led the largest Protestant denomination in the United States to stop drifting left theologically by returning to a deep belief in the infallibility and inerrancy of Scripture. How soon we forget.

In this political season, accusations are often bizarre and at times outrageous. What is beyond sad is these attacks are being made by professing Christ-followers upon their brothers and sisters in Christ. Unfortunately, believers are also attacking those who do not believe in Christ. Perhaps Christians forget that people who are not Christ-followers often have a different belief system that leads them to act like they do not know Jesus Christ personally. Regrettably, the attacks are mostly over the political challenges of our day.

It is not my goal to pick a fight or point a finger at anyone. I love everyone. My goal is to share truth, nothing else. It grieves me when I sense that generations are being influenced negatively. I ask you to consider these misconceptions:

Misconception #1: The “religious right” and “the moral majority” are alive and thriving

I have recently heard the “religious right” and “moral majority” mentioned. I suppose these terms are referring to the men who formed the religious right and moral majority in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.

Along with some even younger than me, I have been categorized as being part of the religious right and moral majority. This is ridiculous. These movements do not even exist today as they did in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. In the highest moment of these movements, I was a seminary student trying to figure out Greek, Hebrew, and Archeology. I was not engaged in American politics.

For the record: I applaud and am thankful for those who were an active part of the religious right and the moral majority, who loved God supremely and America secondarily. I honor those who have passed and those who are still with us today.

Hands down, I prefer their effectiveness and influence over the voices of those who attack their vigilance and love for the Lord supremely and America secondarily. I personally knew some of these men, and I can assure you, they never held America above the Kingdom of God. Anyone who believes they did is misinformed.

Misconception #2: The Gospel is being jeopardized and its testimony hurt

The political persuasions and actions of today are not jeopardizing the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is the power of God to those who believe. It always has been powerful and still is today. Nothing can jeopardize the gospel. The gospel is God’s gospel and it is the eternal good news to all persons in the world.

The testimony of the gospel is serious business. One’s involvement in the political world today does not bring harm to the gospel. We are called by Jesus to be the salt and the light in this darkness. We should do so both wisely and courageously. God will use this kind of testimony.

This I do know: we live in a sinful world. The gospel is the only answer, not politics. Yet, we must still engage and operate in this sinful political climate and in this evil world. Our hope should never be in a politician or a party, but only in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Misconception #3: You must compromise if you vote in this presidential election

According to research, most Americans don’t like their choices. Yet, they are our choices. Therefore, one of only two candidates will be elected as our nation’s next leader. God is Sovereign. Trust Him. Pray. Vote. By the way, voting for a 3^rd party candidate or writing in a name will only contribute to the one person whom you may not want for President.

Furthermore, there are numerous local elections occurring on November 8. Do not minimize the importance of the day. Don’t criticize those who choose to participate in the political process and who still believe that “We The People” determine our future as a nation.

In brevity, this entire election cannot be changed and is inescapable. It will set the course for the future and freedom of America. We the people need to show up en masse, acting upon biblical convictions to cast our vote for every election occurring on November 8.

Ignore the Voices of Those Who Continue Their Pseudo-Political Attacks

In this noisy world, ignore the voices of those who may continue their pseudo-political attacks. Punching their straw men may gain you a retweet or two, possibly more from the left or from your personal fan base. But it reveals an immaturity in the understanding of the real issues before us in America.

Resolve now you are responsible to God personally. Refuse to accuse others and judge them. Pray for others. Dialogue with people, do not create division. Practice humility, not moral arrogance.

Be grateful for the contributions others make. Perhaps they are not doing what you would do, but that is okay.

What really matters long-term is our fellowship together in Christ and our common desire for a future America that affords us the privilege to make a difference.

The crowd was sympathetic. Elizabeth Gaunt was not only an old woman, but known to many of the onlookers as a kindly Christian who helped the poor and exiles. But in the England of 1685, as in all of the world, cruel deaths were all too often dished out to people who angered the authorities with independent religious views.

Elizabeth arranged straw around herself to speed the flame so that her misery would be as short as possible. When the people saw this, many burst into tears. Few of the onlookers felt that Elizabeth’s sentence was just. She had no part whatever in treason, but was to burn alive for it.

What had happened was this. Two years earlier, several members of the Whig party plotted to assassinate King Charles II as he passed by a place known as Rye House. Although they abandoned the plot, they were betrayed to the government. James Burton, one of the men implicated in the plan pleaded with Elizabeth Gaunt to hide him from his pursuers for the sake of his family. Believing that it was what God would expect, she not only helped him escape but gave him her precious savings.

The government issued a proclamation that any one who gave evidence leading to others who took part in the plot would be given immunity from prosecution. James Burton saw this as a way to save his skin. He made a deal with the authorities: He would testify against Elizabeth, the woman who had saved his life, if they would grant him the promised immunity. The government agreed to this, and as the philosopher David Hume wrote, “He received a pardon as a recompense for his treachery and she was burnt alive for her charity.”

For several years, King James II, who had come to the throne, made use of Judge Jeffreys, a brutal and unjust man, who made a career of handing out cruel sentences against the king’s enemies. Everyone could imagine what level of justice Elizabeth could expect. Probably mercy would not have been shown to her even if she had not been one of the hated Anabaptists. These people taught pacifism and, contrary to the practice of most denominations, rejected infant baptism. They believed that only someone old enough to know the meaning of baptism should receive the water.

“My fault,” wrote Elizabeth, shortly before her death, “was one which a prince might well have forgiven. I did but relieve a poor family and I must die for it.”

Die she did, in the flames, on this day, October 23, 1685. She died bravely, the last woman burned alive in England for treason.

William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, was at the scene and saw her die. He recorded some of the details.

Afterward, a furious storm burst upon England, which many considered to be a sign of God’s anger at the burning of the innocent woman.

Bibliography:

1. Barker, Anthony Richard. Women’s Roles in the Baptist Churches: An Historical and Contemporary on Baptist Female Leadership in Great Britain. (School of Theology Westminster College, Oxford, 1996 http://www.baptist.org.uk/pdffiles/tbarker.pdf.
2. Green, John Richard. A Short History of the English People. New York: Harper, 1895; source of the portrait.
3. Hume, David. History of England.
4. Macaulay, Thomas Babingdon. History of England.
5. Various internet pages.

http://www.Christianity.com

A wood framed house, a picket fence
The Bible belt and common sense.
Where black and white, was our tv
And people lived what they believed.

History has been one of my favorite past times for many, many years because history helps me to put things into perspective. If we do not read of our successes and failures from yesteryear, we humans will tend to succeed less and fail more.
Some will not accept biblical history because the Bible threatens their present, but like it or not the Bible is consistently true and has been shown to be so.
Leaders through the ages have often times demonstrated their failures in many areas of life and we know this from history. Some of those leaders turned out to be rascals of the worst sort because they killed and maimed millions of people throughout their reigns of terror. Others, such as Winston Churchill became leaders because they had to be or their nations would have literally gone away. God has chosen leaders throughout biblical history who would unquestionably be denied leadership in the United States because we are unable to see beyond the present. But, what does the Bible say about leadership? What we must understand is that what we are able to see and know right now may not be what God already knows. “1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:1-11 NASB. Jesus is Lord.