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Good God, Bad World?

By Carl Pantejo, Pantejo@ynvurcepublishing.com

(A conversation between Juan Carlos “J.C.” and a billionaire named Yu)

Excerpt from: “My Friend Yu – The Prosperity Mentor,” copyright Carl Pantejo 2007 – Y.N. Vurce Publishing. www.ynvurcepublishing.com

Note: Throughout this article The Original Substance is the name used for: GOD, The One, Gaya, Infinite Intelligence, The Universe, etc. Please substitute this name with whatever name/word you are comfortable with.

…I asked Yu about something that didn’t make sense to me; a nagging issue in the back of my mind. “Yu, I gotta ask you this question. If the Original Substance (GOD) is so benevolent and wants a win/win for everyone, why are there so many bad things (e.g., sadness, cruelty, murders, wars, disease, psychopathic serial killers, etc.) in our world? Is it merely our free-will, our ability to make our own life decisions?” I asked.

As a child, I spent most of my Sundays sitting in the congregation while my father delivered his sermons. In spite of this early religious training, the conflict between what I heard in church and what I actually saw became a lifelong puzzling and nagging issue for me. This issue (the concept of a watchful, benevolent God in a world where bad things happened) was one of the main reasons I never became a “religious” man. Coupled with some pretty nasty, shocking, heartbreaking, and soul wrenching experiences in the military; I concluded early in life that almost everything was a series of random events; especially when I would witness death (among patients, the enemy, many of my fellow soldiers, and even my father) that could not be attributed to anything else except “bad luck.”

Frequently, especially when a life event happened that I couldn’t understand, I would remember the comical little prayer that my first operational Gunnery Sergeant would say before we went on a mission. The prayer reflected his simplistic view of the World and God. After we completed all the final checks and before we started the operational phase of every mission, the Gunnery Sergeant insisted that all of us bow our heads in prayer. Of course, we all complied, mainly because we respected him, or feared him (or both). Then he would say, “Dear Lord, thanks for always rooting for the home team. And please forgive the enemy for being on the wrong side, Amen!” He was perfectly comfortable with his dichotomous beliefs. To him, things were simply right or wrong; black or white with no shades of gray. And in his little world, you were either a friendly force to support, or you were the enemy – someone to terminate before being terminated by him!

I could never fully accept this kind of view. I saw too many things in my life that couldn’t be neatly categorized into the “good camp” or the “bad camp.” Unlike the Gunnery Sergeant, I couldn’t blindly accept the “God is always on our side and everything can be put into the big box labeled GOOD, or the big box labeled BAD” philosophy of life. Sometimes I wish I could, but I always had lingering questions.

Yu finished his beer, wiped his chin with the back of his hand, and started speaking slowly and deliberately. “J.C., I was wondering when you would ask that question. It’s very relevant to all that we have discussed today. I’ll try and explain as best I can.

First of all, nothing is good or bad until we say it is. In other words, until we ascribe a positive or negative connotation to something; that something “just is.” There’s a story that the Taoists tell about two farmers. One farmer’s horse runs away. The neighboring farmer tells the horse’s owner that he’s sorry such a terrible thing has happened and that now the farmer has to do his work without the aid of a strong animal. The owner just says, “Who’s to say what’s terrible and what is not?” The next day, the horse returns with a herd of horses he befriended while away. The neighbor tells the farmer that it’s great that such a good thing has happened and that now his harvesting can be tripled. The owner simply says, “Who’s to say what is good and what is not?” A few days later, the owner’s son tries to ride one of the wild horses, falls from the horse, and breaks his leg. Again, the neighbor tells the owner that he’s sad to see such a horrible thing happen to the son and that now the workload will be doubled. The owner just says, “Who’s to say what is horrible and what is not?” The next day, government soldiers ride up to the farms. They are forcibly enlisting young men into the army to fight a war. They have been taking all able-bodied young men from the neighboring farms, but leave the owner’s son because he has a broken leg. You see, J.C., nothing is good or bad until we say it is. It can all be good; or it can all be bad. It’s your choice. Never forget that the Original Substance (GOD) is everywhere and knows everything; things that we will never come close to understanding.

If you must deem something “bad” just remember that in every bad situation there is always some good to be gained from it; and that in every so-called problem or obstacle there is the seed for its solution; from which something greater can be obtained. You just have to look for it!

As far as the freedom of choice issue goes, yes, we do have free-will. The Original Substance (GOD) does not and will not dictate our personal choices in life; IT just supports them. And remember the Law of Cause and Effect goes hand in hand with the Law of Attraction. Call it what you will: Sowing and reaping, karma, or “what goes around comes around,” etc., but you literally get back and attract what you dish out. It is true that no bad deed goes unpunished. If you live by the sword, you die by the sword. Of course, the inverse is also true. Good deeds always result in some form of goodness coming back to you. In fact, in both scenarios, the result that “rebounds” back from the universe will often be many times larger than what was initially “thrown” out there.

Here’s a simplified explanation for this “multiplied rebound” phenomena. When you act or think, the effects of your actions and thoughts spread out through the universe like the ripples made when a pebble is thrown into calm water. As your effects travel outward into the universe, they touch everything in its path. In turn, those affected – from the furthest to the nearest – respond with their own “ripples” back towards you. Each response is added to the group of “returning ripples;” eventually growing into a “returning wave.” Depending on how far in the universe and how many were affected by your thoughts or actions, the accumulated return from the universe could be the size of a small wave; or the size of a good surfing wave; or the size of an enormous tsunami!

So, J.C., to say that the Original Substance (GOD) is benevolent to everyone is a true statement. Things are things; events are events; they just “are.” We make them “good or bad” by our thinking. For example, one person might enjoy sky diving and think it’s the most exhilarating experience on Earth; while another person might be terrified of parachuting and instantly gets queasy from the mere thought of “jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.” We ascribe our own “goodness and badness” to things we see and experience; even though we will never know the big picture; nor will we ever understand a sliver of what the Original Substance (GOD) knows. And the bad guys in the world? Rest assured that the Original Substance (GOD) has already set down Universal Laws that guarantee such people will always get what they deserve in the form of a huge payback! The Original Substance (GOD) ensures that its Universal Laws are carried out perfectly, without prejudice, all the time.

My personal philosophy is that “IT’S ALL GOOD.” If something appears to be “bad” that simply means I need to look harder. I also accept the fact that I will never know all there is to know about Life and the Universe. That’s the Original Substance’s (GOD’s) job. My job is to do things in the Certain Way; creating instead of competing. This enables me to be, do, and have all that I can possibly be, do, and have. In the end, I get more joy; the Original Substance (GOD) gets more joy; and others are inspired to do the same.”

Until now, I had never heard any rationale that came close to resolving my personal “Good God, Bad World” issues. Yu’s concise disclosure of the way the Universe worked made a hell of a lot more sense than all the sermons and theological dissertations I’d listened to in the past. A giant light switch turned on in my head. I had the power to make life experiences “good” or “bad” simply by my thoughts!

And, as if he’d waived a mysterious wand and cast a magic spell, something miraculous happened to me. Suddenly, all the apparently “bad” experiences from my past didn’t seem to bother me anymore. I didn’t realize I’d been carrying around so much excess baggage; like an invisible sixty-five pound backpack full of bad memories. I didn’t forget those memories; they were still there. They were just weightless now; neutral, neither good, nor bad. Maybe in the future I would take the time to sift through them and find the good? Listening to and understanding Yu’s explanation made me feel weightless too; happy – almost euphoric. The feeling was delicious. It was like waking up in the morning from a long sleep and seeing the first sun’s rays on my girlfriend’s lovely face…

(Excerpt from: “My Friend Yu – The Prosperity Mentor,” copyright Carl Pantejo 2007 –Y.N. Vurce Publishing. www.ynvurcepublishing.com)

Carl Pantejo, Pantejo@ynvurcepublishing.com

If I may, as God is my Witness and Judge, when I was only 17
years young, God UNEXPECTEDLY gave me a VISION while I
was in prayer. I was within that vision as a glorified
Spirit-Being, whiter than glistening snow and like a brilliant
white cloud with the sun shining on it, appearing smooth,
dressed in a white robe – even my hair was that brilliant white
- holding a Book in my hands and teaching two flesh and blood
mortals who were sitting on the ground, in an outdoor setting
like a park or meadow.

I was leaning over near them, showing them something from the
Book. Mind you that this MIRACLE occured BEFORE I had ever heard
of Herbert W. Armstrong and his biblical teaching that we’re to
become glorified Priest-Kings, teaching in the Kingdom of God,
immortals ruling over mortals with but under Christ! (Rev. 2:26,
3:21, 20:6).

The Kingdom of God is the Royal Family of God administering
the Government of God, with God’s Word as the foundation for
every family and standard for all nations (Isa. 9:7, Dan.
7:18, 27).

At that time I still believed in the traditional “going to
heaven or hell” myths, so I didn’t really know what to think of
the vision. Over a year later, when I attended one of my first
Sabbath services with the Worldwide Church of God [1978], the
minister was preaching about how we’ll be God-Beings teaching
human-beings. I about fell out of my chair! It was as if he was
describing the very vision God had given little ol’ me! That was
further confirmation to me that this Church of God (with its
God-given Sabbath and holy days, special recognition of
Northwestern Europeans and Anglo-Saxons as the “Lost 10 Tribes,”
the Gospel of the Kingdom, etc.) was indeed God’s Church and not
like the baptized paganism of traditional Churchianity! (Grieved
to say, the WCG has gone astray after Mr. Armstrong’s death, but
thankfully the faithful Church of God members left that
organization of deceitful men to remain true to God and the
plain truth of the Bible).

My following minister, George Kackos, whom I later told about
the vision, and who baptized me June 9, 1979 [12 years after
Jerusalem's liberation], told me that the vision was biblical
and that God has also given a “sneak preview” of His Kingdom to
Peter, James and John, with their VISION of the
TRANSFIGURATION:

Matthew 17:1-9

1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his
brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He
was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and
His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses
and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter
answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here;
if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You,
one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still
speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly
a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” 6 And when the disciples
heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7
But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be
afraid.” 8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one
but Jesus only. 9 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus
commanded them, saying, “Tell the VISION to no one until
the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”

I dared to declare to Mr. Kackos that my vision was actually
greater because God had showed them a glorified/transfigured
Christ, Moses and Elijah, but mine was more personalized because
God revealed ME in His Kingdom!

I am an eyewitness to God’s Kingdom and know what it means to be
in God’s Kingdom, both from the Bible and personal experience!
(2 Pet. 1:16-18). FLESH AND BLOOD CANNOT INHERIT THE KINDOM, but
at the Resurrection we’ll be BORN AGAIN as GLORIFIED SPIRIT
BEINGS – just like our older Brother, Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29, I
Cor. 15:49-52, Philip. 3:21)

The vision appeared to emphasize the great DIFFERENCE between
mortals and immortals, flesh and blood and brilliant Spirit.
And, as I later used during a Church Spokesman’s Club speech on
serving in the Churchill Room at the Hillcrest in Toledo, Ohio,
I mentioned this vision and noted that even though we’re to be
given THRONES [which I did not see], those thrones are to enable
us to use our positions for GREATER SERVICE, out of love for God
and mankind. God did not show me merely sitting on a Throne, but
out serving others, teaching, helping, explaining. Mr. Kackos
then gave his usual round up speech/mini-sermon, on the
importance of tempering authority with humility, and said that,
amazingly, I had done just that. I had related the vision as a
fact, but wasn’t boasting about it.

I look forward, by God’s GRACE, to entering His wonderful
Kingdom and meeting those two people I saw back in ‘77! It’ll
truly be BACK TO THE FUTURE

There is a most important truth revealed in the verse “You will not attain true goodness until you give of what you love,” (Surah Al ‘Imran, 92) One of the most basic qualities that leads people to “goodness” in the true sense is “altruism.” The word itself means the willing and immediate renunciation of things a person possesses, loves and values. It means being prepared when necessary to undergo all kinds of difficulty and trouble for the values one believes in or those whom one loves, and to do all in one’s power on their behalf with enthusiasm, determination and will. It means being able to renounce one’s own interests when faced with a choice between them and the values one upholds and the people one loves and to make all kinds of material and other sacrifices for their sake.

However, human passions have been created with a predisposition towards poor moral values such as selfishness and egotism. Unless properly trained, these selfish emotions come to completely dominate a person’s moral framework. Such a person thinks mainly of himself rather than of anyone else. He always wants the best, the most attractive, the most perfect of everything for himself. Yet he also expects everyone else to demonstrate understanding and self-sacrifice. Whenever he encounters any difficulty he expects those around him to undergo risks and inconvenience for him, and to support him even to the extent of foregoing their own interests. He desires to protect his own wishes and interests and to ensure his own ease and comfort. In an adverse situation a person may be able to renounce many things he values – in the name of protecting his or her interests and preventing any harm from coming to him. Allah has revealed this excessive selfishness in the human spirit in the Qur’an:

Truly man was created headstrong – desperate when bad things happen, begrudging when good things come. (Surat al-Ma‘arij, 19-21)

It is possible to free one’s spirit from this weakness by understanding faith and living by the moral values of the Qur’an. Someone who understands the truths revealed in the Qur’an and the moral conception commanded by Allah will achieve a state of morality capable of exhibiting altruism at any moment of his life. That is because in the verse “It is the people who are safe-guarded from the avarice of their own selves who are successful” (Surat at-Taghabun, 64), Allah has revealed that it is safeguarding their desires from this vice that will lead people to salvation in this world and the next.

Allah has created the human conscience in order for people to protect their passions from evil and to attain the kind of moral values beloved of Him. The voice of that conscience shows people the way to avoid all forms of wickedness and to attain what is good. The deep love and powerful fear of Allah in the heart of a true believer prevents him from being vanquished by the wickedness of his desires. Knowing that the true purpose behind his existence in the life of this world is to attain Allah’s approval, such a person seeks to spend every moment of his life behaving in such a way that will be pleasing to Allah. He knows that the life of this world is but short, and that a person must strive for the eternal life of the Hereafter. He never forgets that all the interests he obtains here are transitory, after which he will have to render account to Allah. He knows that those who seek to ensure their own desires and interests in the life of this world, instead of seeking Allah’s approval, mercy and Paradise, may be rewarded with eternal suffering in the Hereafter. On the other hand, Allah will recompense altruistic moral values with goodness and beauty in this world and by eternal, incomparable blessings in the next. In the Qur’an, Allah imparts these glad tidings to people who behave morally,

Those who do good will have the best and more! Neither dust nor debasement will darken their faces. They are the Companions of the Garden, remaining in it timelessly, for ever. (Surah Yunus, 26)

So Allah gave them the reward of the world and the best reward of the Hereafter. Allah loves good-doers. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 148)

… If anyone desires the reward of the world, We will give him some of it. If anyone desires the reward of the Hereafter, We will give him some of it. We will recompense the thankful. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 145)

When one thinks of self-sacrifice, however, what comes to mind should not be solely giving away part of one’s material possessions, that part which represents more than one actually needs for oneself. Self-sacrifice is a way of life that stems from strength of faith and dominates a believer’s entire life. This spirit of altruism needs to be present within a sensitivity of conscience to everything going on around a person. Altrusim means a person seeking to feel himself responsible on every matter, from social problems to the oppressed, persecuted, starving and needy people all over the world, and striving to find a solution to them. It is the employment of one’s reason and conscience at the highest possible level, without ever saying, “There are plenty of people with the means and resources to resolve all these issues, so let them do it.” It means those with a “vestige of good,” as revealed in the verse: “Would that there had been more people with a vestige of good among the generations of those who came before you, who forbade corruption in the Earth, other than the few among them whom We saved. Those who did wrong gladly pursued the life of luxury that they were given and were evildoers” (Surah Hud, 116), Muslims who believe, who listen to the voice of their consciences and fear Allah, acting in the knowledge of their responsibilities.

When we look at the events experienced by Muslims throughout the course of history we see that they have always been able to overcome troubles and diffculties in this way. Beginning with the Prophet Muhammad (saas), made a role model for all humanity by Allah, and his companions, Muslims have always lived this moral framework in the best manner possible and have been a means whereby, with their superior solidarity and instances of self-sacrifice, Islam and the moral values of the Qur’an have spread all over the world. The superior moral values and generosity of the Prophet (saas) are revealed thus in the hadiths:

* The Prophet (saas) was the most generous of people in auspicious deeds. The Prophet (saas) was more generous even than the wind blowing from the direction of good.

* He never said “I do not possess such” when asked for something and never begrudged anything asked of him.

* Abu Zerr told me the following: “Son of my brother! I went to the Prophet’s (saas) side. Taking my hand, he said, ‘Abu Zerr! Even if I had as much gold and silver as Mount Uhud I would wish to spend it in the way of Allah, leaving not a farthing behind’.”

The Prophet (saas), the finest role model for Muslims with his superior moral values, encouraged the faithful to be generous in these words during a sermon:

* In one of his sermons, after giving thanks to Allah he [The Prophet Muhammad (saas)] said: “O People! Know that Allah has chosen Islam for you as your religion. Adorn your Islam with generosity and pleasing moral values. I wish you to know that generosity is a heavenly tree, with its roots in Paradise and its branches in this world. Those of you who have generosity will adhere to one of those branches, and that branch will carry him to Paradise. As for parsimoniousness, that is a tree with its roots in Hell and its branches in this world. Whoever clings to one of those branches by being parsimonious, it will carry him to Hell.” Later the Prophet (saas) again said, “Be generous in the way of Allah.”

The companions of the Prophet (saas) who were ready to unquestioningly give up their goods and lives in order to gain the approval of Allah exhibited great examples of self-sacrifice throughout their lives. Since they possessed a sure and certain belief in Allah and the Hereafter they never regarded giving in the way of Allah (infaq) as representing any kind of loss; on the contrary, they saw it as an important opportunity to gain the love of and closeness to Allah. As revealed by Allah in the verse: “And how is it with you that you do not give in the way of Allah,when the inheritance of the heavens and the Earth belongs to Allah? Those of you who gave and fought before the Victory are not the same as those who gave and fought afterwards. They are higher in rank. But to each of them Allah has promised the Best. Allah is aware of what you do.” (Surat al-Hadid, 10), those who sacrificed their property in times of difficulty acted in the knowledge of the value of that action in the sight of Allah.

Therefore, all Muslims must take these superior moral values of our Prophet (saas) and his companions as role models for themselves, and must compete with one another to help those in need. It must never be forgotten that self-sacrifice performed with true sincerity is most valued in the sight of our Lord and a marvellous opportunity for Muslims who seek to attain the infinite blessings of Paradise.

Under the pen name of Harun Yahya, Adnan Oktar has written some 250 works. His books contain a total of 46,000 pages and 31,500 illustrations. Of these books, 7,000 pages and 6,000 illustrations deal with the collapse of the Theory of Evolution. You can read, free of charge, all the books Adnan Oktar has written under the pen name Harun Yahya on these websites www.harunyahya.com

“And ye, O peoples, to whom God gave the liberty to choose your own magistrates, see to it, that ye do not forfeit this favor by electing to the position of highest honor, rascals and enemies of God.” —John Calvin

“Political slavery ensues when the public sleep.” —John Dickinson, 1732-1808

At this critical time in the history of the United States, as the nation has selected a new president, there is passivity, indifference and unconcern among pastors and the Christian Church. As one prominent church leader, John MacArthur, recently said, “I wouldn’t spend five seconds thinking about the fall 2008 election.” This mindset is antithetical to the scriptures and historical theology. It reveals a perverted view of church and state that consigns the secular world to a realm outside the influence of the Christian community. By inversion, this myopia views the spiritual as the only sphere wherein God’s will is accomplished. The modern church has become a microbe fortress with virtually no voices to call the nation to repentance. There is a somnambulence of spirit and mind that has overtaken the church world. We are insulated within a micro-world and have consigned the society in which we live to irrelevance. The vacuum of non-involvement with the secular world by Christians is immense. One 20th Century theologian diagnoses the passivity of the modern church, “In the early church there were persons called ‘Anchorites’ who went off into the desert, separating themselves from all social contacts and living solely for God. From that early movement, monasticism was born. In our time, we see a somewhat similar response among some evangelical protestants. They believe that the Christian community should be so separated from the secular sphere that individual Christians should not go into politics or vote in elections, that they should withdraw from the culture, live in distinct communities, have Christian friends exclusively, work for Christian companies, or in general, have nothing to do with this world. It is a way of saying that the authority of the state is illegitimate.” (James Montgomery Boice, Foundations of the Christian Faith, p. 691). The institution of civil government is not illegitimate, it is ordained by God to restrain evil and show forth His glory. In the words of John Murray, “…when the civil magistrate trespasses the limits of his authority, it is incumbent upon the church to expose and condemn such a violation of his authority.” (The Relation of Church and State, p. 253).

The Anchorites of the Middle Ages lived in stone cells approximately 12 x 12 with a small aperture cut through the wall to view the world outside. They devoted their entire life to academic and scholastic study, while repudiating a world they felt was irretrievably lost. Their influence on society was as effectual as an ant on a crumb of bread. The present day Anchorites confidently assume that their weekly or weakly sermon will counter the encroaching darkness that is encircling their religious sphere like a hurricane enveloping a small island. Behind a bluster of verbiage they vainly believe their words are holding back the night. The lacuna of pro-test-ant voices from the matrix of the Christian church has allowed the virulent hatred of theism to capture the agora of ideas. Mere exposition is anemic without confronting a degenerating culture. Apologetics confined to an ecclesiastic cell is cowardice not Biblical courage. The words of a Nineteenth Century Reformation Scholar and theologian, Abraham Kuyper, are disturbing to our comfortable isolation: “There is no doubt then that Christianity is imperiled by great and serious dangers. Two life systems are wrestling with one another, in mortal combat. Modernism is bound to build a world of its own from the data of the natural man, and to construct man himself from the data of nature; while, on the other hand, all those who reverently bend the knee to Christ and worship Him as the Son of the Living God, and God, Himself, are bent upon saving the ‘Christian Heritage.’ This is the struggle in Europe, this is the struggle in America, and this also is the struggle for principles in which my own country is engaged, and in which I myself have been spending all my energy for nearly 40 years. In this struggle, apologetics have advanced us not one single step. Apologetics invariably begun by abandoning the assailed breastwork, in order to entrench themselves cowardly in a raveline [3 sided fortress] behind it. If the battle is to be fought with honor and with a hope of victory, then principle must be arrayed against principle; then it must be felt that in Modernism the vast energy of an all-embracing life system assails us, then also it must be understood that we have to take our stand in a life system of equally comprehensive and far-reaching power.” (Abraham Kuyper, Stone Foundation Lectures: Lectures on Calvinism, 1895, p. 3). A one-dimensional perspective of the church is ecclesiastical suicide. It leaves civil government out of the purview of church authority and God’s sovereign will. “…it was always understood that both church and state were responsible to God in whose wisdom each had been established. They were two independent servants of one master. Although neither was permitted to rule the other, each was to remind the other of its God-appointed duties and recall it to upright, godly conduct if it should stray. Today, however, the doctrine of the separation of church and state is taken, primarily by church people to mean that the church is irrevelant to the state–though the state increasingly brings its secular philosophy to bear on the church. Thus, Christians withdraw from politics, neglect even to inform themselves of national and international issues. And, as a result, the articulation of spirital or moral principles is eliminated from debates on national and international policy. The state becomes its own god with its chief operating principle being pragmatism.” (James Montgomery Boice, Foundations of the Christian Faith, p. 665). When the church is anemic, civil government by default becomes the guardian of the people. Government becomes the foci of trust and hope.

“Wherefore no man can doubt that civil authority is, in the sight of God, not only sacred and lawful, but the most sacred, and by far the most honorable, of all stations in mortal life.” (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 4, Ch. 20, Sect. 4).

The philosopher and theologian, John Calvin, who designed the secular and ecclesiastical constitution of Geneva in 1540, believed that no walls should separate the influence of the believer from the secular sphere. His doctrine of church/state relations is eye-opening. “All we wish to be understood at present is, that it is perfect barbarism to think of exterminating it [civil government], its use among men being not less than that of bread and water, light and air, while its dignity is much more excellent. Its object is not merely, like those things, to enable men to breathe, eat, drink, and be warmed (though it certainly includes all these, while it enables them to live together); this, I say, is not its only object, but it is, that no idolatry, no blasphemy against the name of God, no calumnies against His truth, nor other offenses to religion, break out and be disseminated among the people; that the public quiet be not disturbed, that every man’s property be kept secure, that men may carry on innocent commerce with each other, that honesty and modesty be cultivated; in short, that a public form of religion may exist among Christians, and humanity among men. Let no one be surprised that I know attribute the task of constituting religion aright to human polity, though I seem above to have placed it beyond the will of man, since I know more than formally allow men at pleasure to enact laws concerning religion and the worship of God, when I approve of civil order which is directed to this end.” (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 4, Ch. 20, Sect. 3). Calvin valued civil government as having more worth than food to the body and air to breathe. He even calls the state the “religious polity” which is a system of divinely-ordained human government, established by God to glorify Himself and restrain the rebellious nature of man. To him, the state was to reflect from the matrix of the church, a recognition of God as Sovereign Creator and acknowledgement and worship that is due Him. Calvin invested the state with power to restrain idolatry and blasphemy against God. He was in no way apolitical. This is a far cry from pastors and Christians who say that the government is not worth our time and effort to change, amend or restrain. The religious life is not active in the whole of our being, but in a fraction, confined to feelings or the volition. A partial influence of character now obscures the full impact of a redeemed life. Religion and its authority is being excluded, “…from the domain of public life; henceforth the inner chamber, the cell for prayer, and the secrecy of the heart should be its exclusive dwelling place.” “And the result is that, in many different ways, religion, once the central force of human life, is now placed alongside of it; and, far from the thriving of the world, is understood to hide itself in a distant and almost private retreat.” (Abraham Kuyper, 1895, The Stone Foundation Lectures p. 40). The church shadowboxes phantoms of their own devisings. Conferences are held to attack straw men of antiquity, and rededicate their habitually rededicated lives, while the judicial and legislative organs of the nation are increasingly hostile to the name of God. The time consumed on such minutiae is irrational. Little sermons, pridefully delivered as textually sequential, are as far-reaching as the tip of one’s nose. Rhetorical fluff has replaced the Word of God that existentially confronts all of life.

“America is the only country ever founded on a creed.” (G. K. Chesterton)

The philosophic and theological inflence of the Reformation not only established churches but created nations from the central teaching of God’s sovereign will and call. No individual would hold allegiance to any foreign despot that restrained the worship of God, for God alone was the Ruler of heaven and earth. The matrix of constitutional principles came from an understanding of God’s sovereign nature. “The Declaration of Independence dogmatically bases all rights on the fact that God created all men equal; and it is right, for if they were not created equal, they were certainly evolved unequalled. There is no basis for democracy except in a dogma about the divine origin of man.” (G. K. Chesterton, What I Saw in America, 1922). The individual has dignity and worth not deriving from civil law, but solely from God’s hands, as made in His image and likeness. “…Calvinism has captured and guaranteed to us our constitutional civil rights; and that simultaneously with this there went out from Western Europe that mighty movement which promoted the revival of science and art, open new avenues to commerce and trade, beautify domestic and social life, exalted the middle classes to positions of honor, cause philanthropy to abound, and more than all this, elevated, purified, and enobled moral life by Puritanic seriousness;…”. The Reformation, “Created a church order, which became the preformation of state confederation, it proved to be the guardian angel of science; it emancipated art; it propagated a political scheme, which gave birth to constitutional government, both in Europe and America.” (Abraham Kuyper, p. 29, 155). There are some evangelicals, MacArthur and his followers, who view the American Revolution as illegitimate. Their perspective values the authority of colonial England as the God-honored government of the land. They reject the Reformation foundation of the American constitution and diminish the value of our democratic state, as decreed by God for the enobling of man and the propagation of the Gospel. This ahistorical view rejects our religious heritage and fosters a myopic mindset that perceives no interrelation between the church and state. Such a view of our history is quite simply troglodytic. “America had been founded primarily for religious purposes…” “The Pilgrim Fathers had come to America precisely because England had become immoral and irreligious. They had built the ‘City on the Hill.’ Again, their descendants had opted for independence and liberty because they felt their subjugation was itself immoral and irreligious and opposed to the Providential plan. There is no question that the Declaration of Independence was, to those who signed it, a religious as well as a secular act, and that the Revolutionary War had the approbation of divine providence. They had won it with God’s blessing and, afterwards, they drew up their framework of government with God’s blessing,…” (Paul Johnson, A History of the American People, p. 204). The constitutional framers understood that their work was Divinely ordained and empowered by the God of heaven.

What would Calvin have thought or said, living in 21st Century America, where a candidate, and now president of the United States, was accorded titles of divinity? By all that we know of him, he certainly would have spoken out in anger with authority. Just recently, a U.S. House of Representative, Jesse Jackson, Jr., said that an additional book should be added to the Bible, describing the ascendancy of the greatest redemptive figure of Western history. He would call it the Book of Obama. “The single most extraordinary event in American history, even a redemptive act of divine revelation. The event itself is so extraordinary that another chapter could be added to the Bible to chronicle its significance.” (from Politico, June 5, 2008, article by Josephine Hearn, “Black Lawmakers Emotional About Obama’s Success”). Barack Obama has been accorded the title of “The Messiah” by the Nation of Islam. Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, has declared that he (Obama) has entranced our youth and that the day of messiah has arrived. In Obama’s own words, upon receiving the nomination for President of the Democratic Party, “Tonight the tides will slow and the earth will heal.” The New Testament portrays Jesus’ death and resurrection as the only redemptive hope of humanity but Obama says of himself and his followers, “We are the hope of the future; the answer to the cynics who tell us our house must stand divided; that we cannot come together; that we cannot remake this world as it should be. Because we know what we have seen and what we believe–that what began as a whisper has now swelled to a chorus that cannot be ignored; that will not be deterred; that will ring out across this land as a hymn that will heal this nation, repair this world, and make this time different from all the rest.” (Barack Obama, Speech in 2/5/08). With unbridled hubris, he declares, “I am confident that we can create a kingdom right here on earth.” (Barack Obama, October 8, 2007 speech). We have no need for political rulers but men and women of truth who will endure rejection and umbrage to support the unborn, maintain the historic definition of marriage, support Israel as a sovereign state without further territorial concessions and maintain the economic value of the individual, the incentive to achieve. The rhetoric from Barack Obama and his adoring throng come from a matrix of unbridled pride and arrogance unprecedented in American political history. We have heard cult voices utilize such language in the past but they were relegated to the lunacy of mindless extremism. But Obama seduces an entire generation with political/cultic language that is more reminiscent of an illusionary god-complex. In ancient Rome when a conquering general returned to the city with his army and the spoils of war, the whole population would greet him with praise and acclaimation. But running behind the general’s chariot would be a man who would whisper in his ear, “You are not a god, you are mortal.” The church needs to remind Obama that he is not the messiah, he is only a sinful mortal. To perceive of John Calvin’s view of state authority is to understand that he would have opposed and exposed such blasphemy against God.

“On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; all day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the Lord, take no rest for yourselves; and give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” (Isaiah 62:6-7)

“And I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ but they said, ‘We will not listen.’” (Jeremiah 6:17)

“At every stage of her existence the Church is in need of watchmen who will guard the flock from all that would destroy it.” (E. J. Young, Book of Isaiah, Vol. 3, p. 470)

As ancient sentinels were stationed on the walls of a city to alert the inhabitants of approaching danger, especially at night, so the prophets of Israel were to sound a tocsin voice to the nation of Israel of impending calamity. The prophets of Israel were the heart of God in human flesh. They encountered every aspect of life in reference to God. The prophets diagnosed the spiritual, cultural, social, economic, political and military condition of the nation from the perspective of eternity. Their voices knew no bounds of influence and repercussion. Nothing was outside the authoritative domain of the prophetic voice. From kings to pauper, all would come to know the mind of God through the enflamed heart of the prophet. Their message embraced the totality of Israel’s life and history. Their voice captured the present from the transcendence of eternity. The prophets mindset encompassed the world, not just a sliver of religious activity. “The prophet is not only a prophet. He is also a poet, preacher, patriot, social critic, moralist.” “The prophet was an individual who said, ‘No’ to his society, condemning its habits and assumptions, its complacency, waywardness and syncretism.” “The prophet faces a coalition of callousness and established authority and undertakes to stop a mighty stream with mere words. Had the purpose been to express great ideas, prophecy would have had to be acclaimed as a triumph. Yet the purpose of prophecy is to conquer callousness, to change the inner man as well as to revolutionize history.” (Abraham Heschel, The Prophets, p. VIII, XIII, p. 16-17). The prophets left no avenue of society untouched by the revelation of God. Their voice hit the solar plexus of society with warning and redemption. No aspect of life was sacrosanct from their fiery confrontation. “By his very claim, his was the voice of supreme authority. He not only rivalled the decisions of the king and the counsel of the priest, he defied and even condemned their words and deeds.” (Abraham Heschel, p. 260). The lack of authoritative voices that speak power to power, truth to lie, clarity to obfuscation, is sorely felt in a nation inebriated by the rhetoric of self-exaltation.

Jesus gave a warning in Matthew 10:16 to his disciples, to be alert of impending danger on the horizon, in the midst of a hostile world. “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves.” The phrase “shrewd as serpents” and “innocent as doves” is found in the Midrash on Cant. 2:14. Israel is described as “harmless as the dove”, towards God, and “shrewd as serpents” toward the Gentile nations. The serpent has a sensory system that can detect approaching prey or predator by ground vibrations. They can detect motion more than 100 feet away. The believer is to be cognizant of what is on the horizon. We are not to be overtaken by events. When Israel failed to be prudently prescient, they paid a high price as a nation. The epithelium of the church has placed the believer in a state of vulnerability to the encroaching dangers of the culture.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing any more, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” (Matt. 5:13). There was a common expression among the rabbis in the time of Jesus that the Torah was the “salt of the earth.” “For as the world could not do without salt, neither could it do without the Torah.” (Soferim 15.8). The Torah was believed to have a preservative effect upon the world. The world would rot in an accelerated rate without the retarding affect of the Word of God. But Jesus does something amazing in this passage, He transfers the meaning of Torah to the Galilean disciples, a band of weak, incompetent, unschooled men, despised by the educated of Jerusalem. Jesus says that the Word in and through them would restrain the spoliation of the world. No teacher in the history of Israel has ever made such a declaration. Our presence in word and deed, is to be a preservative in the midst of a dying age. Our lives are to penetrated every realm, retarding corruption. Our influence is to glorify God and affect this world. May we see the glory of God once again shine from sea to sea as at our nation’s birth. Our presence in the midst of this age retards the accelerated spoliation of a dying world.

The need to pray currently for our nation is incumbent upon all of God’s people. A united confluence to seek the will of God is the only restraint to the encroaching darkness over the land. There are thousands of believers across America that are grieved and are being awakened by God for the future of this nation. Only dependence on the Sovereign God can redirect the present course that embraces progressively an autocratic view of life. At signal moments in our past, God has drawn his people in concerted prayer. “Wherefore, although it is true that while we are listless or insensible to our wretchedness, he waits and watches for us, and sometimes even assists us unasked; it is very much for our interests to be constantly supplicating Him; first, that our heart always be enflamed with a serious and ardent desire of seeking, loving, and serving Him, while we accustom ourselves to have recourse to Him as a sacred anchor. In every necessity; secondly, that no desire, no longing whatever, of which we are ashamed to make Him the witness, may enter our minds, while we learn to place all our wishes in His sight, and thus pour out our heart before Him.” “It is very absurd, therefore, to dissuade men from prayer, by pretending that the Divine Providence, which is always watching over the government of the universe, is in vain importune by our supplications, when, on the contrary, the Lord Himself declares, ‘He is nigh unto all that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth.’ (Ps. 145:18).” (Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3, Ch. 20, Sect. 3). God is the Sovereign Lord of all the nations and He has ordained that His will be accomplished in a unique way through the weakness of our intercession.

The church is losing its spiritual and moral ground to the kingdoms of this world. Yet in their conceited illusion the evangelical anchorites justify such societal degradation as a sign that the end of the age is imminent. This is the ultimate escape from responsibility to our children and their children’s generation. “Religious living is not only a private concern. Our own life is a movement in the symphony of ages. We are taught to pray as well as to live in the first person plural.” “All generations are present as it were, in every moment.” (Abraham Heschel, A Philosophy of Judaism, p. 422-423). The Christian cannot shut himself up in his church and abandon the world to its fate. A concatenation of generations have falsely assumed that the consummation of the age was within their lifetime. “…Occupy [Gk. "pragmateuomai", daily affairs of life, commerce, judicial functions] till I come.” (Luke 19:13). “Watch therefore: for you know not what hour your Lord doeth come.” (Matt. 24:42). Jesus commands constant vigilance regarding the believer’s interaction with society.

“…humanity glorifies God by subduing the earth by words and by work. Tragically, the pious abandon culture to the non-pious. They foolishly argue: ‘Why polish brass on a sinking ship?’ One polishes brass to glorify the ship’s Maker, who will not allow His ship to sink. In other words, the ‘purpose-driven life’ aims among others things to produce a godly culture.” (Bruce Waltke, Old Testament Theology, p. 221).

For too many in the church, the canard has been embraced, “Why polish the brass on a sinking ship?” The answer to that sophomoric question is, God is the Captain of the ship and He has not forsaken it. Yes, the ship of state is listing, but we are called to be a restraint and empowerment toward a God-honoring government. We are at a crisis in American history and only the Sovereign God can restrain a movement that is dishonoring to Him at its very core. If we are silent and passive, we will suffer the consequences with the rest of the nation under God’s chastening hand. Though millions have cried out for a leader after their own heart, as Israel of old, the consequences of God giving Israel an alter-ego, Saul, for a leader was grievous. “And he gave them their request; but sent leanness unto their soul.” (Psalms 106:15). We must pray and seek God to take us out of the small confinement that we are in. We must see Him as the Sovereign Lord of heaven and the nations of the earth. Only God bearing His holy arm can restrain the arrogance and the supercilious movement that is capturing the imagination and seducing millions of Americans.

The systems of dependence are rapidly diminishing in stature and reliance. The promise of constant economic expansion is now being seen to have been illusory and myopic. The stratum of an economic and material foundation of life is being shaken by the seismic changes that call our entire capitalistic system into question. It is as if we as a nation are being sequestered into a cul-de-sac of despair. In this time of the death of America’s golden calves may we be granted the grace of God to be quickened by His spirit to breathe again the breath of eternity in the midst of the death throes of a dying age. “A sense of contact with the ultimate dawns upon most people when their self-reliance is swept away by violent misery.” (Abraham Heschel, A Philosophy of Judaism, p. 422).

3 John 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.Hebrews 6:12 …be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.1 Timothy 6:17 …trust in God who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Hi, my name is Andrew Hittle. Did you know that God really desires for us all to be saved and prosper? Now I’ll try to stick to modern day language to help maintain a level of mutual understanding. I don’t want anybody to say that they have no idea what I am talking about. I was born April 1, 1979 into a Christian home and was taught the Word since my youth. The problem is, as I am sure you all know, some people tend to go their own ways.  I got into alcohol and drugs and lost sight of God and His grace. I almost forgot about God completely and was living for myself. The good part is, other people were praying for me. It took a few years but I finally decided that my life was a wreck and I needed Jesus again. I decided to put down my flesh, my anger, my addiction, and my hate, and I repented and turned from my ways. I was sober again and I felt great. I even went to Bible school and completed a 3 year coarse. God had begun to work on my spiritual development as well as my finances. Things were going really good, so it seemed. But, I had started running a construction business and I had gotten very busy. I wasn’t really making much time for God anymore, and the devil had found a weakness in me. He distracted me and stole my time. I made decent money for a little while but soon got back into the flesh and things slowly fell apart again.Deuteronomy 8:17-19 You say in your heart; My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth. But you will remember the Lord your God for it is He who has given you the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenent which He swore to your fathers as it is this day. And it will be, if you do at all forget the Lord you God, and walk after other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you will surely perish. Before I knew it, I was running my own life again, rather than letting God run my life. I felt like a disgrace. I knew God didn’t want me to live like that. How could I let the devil trick me into going back. I should have stayed close to God and given Him all the thanks for what He had done in my life. My finances were in a mess again and I was still living in the flesh. Finally, I decided enough was enough. No one could decide for me. I knew the Word was true, and that God desired for me to be saved. But being in a state of sin, I really had no assurance of making heaven. I didn’t want to live in that fear anymore. All glory and honor goes to God for having grace and mercy on me. I repented and turned from my sinful life again. I got back into the Bible and starting studying hard. I started praying for 1-3 hours a day, and confessing the word over my own life, even at work. God has given me an abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness. In God’s eyes I am righteous (or in right standing) with Him. I can now go to Him anytime I want and know that He hears me. Once again I am walking in God’s favor in every area of my life. I am married with 4 children and I am pleased to say that my marriage is doing awesome. I pray for my kids every day so I know they will grow up to serve God like I am. I am serving God with my whole heart now and I am NEVER turning back. Since I allowed Jesus to take control of my life again, He helps me through life, and guides my steps. When a problem comes up, He is always there with me.I guess if you don’t know anything about the Bible, then you probably don’t know that John 3:16 says that God gave His only Son Jesus, (to die in our place for OUR sins) so that we could have everlasting life by believing in Him. I guess you may not know this either; that Romans 10:9 says that if you say with your mouth “Jesus, Be My Lord.” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (I have paraphrased these verses so that the average person can understand what they mean.) So, if you have never confessed Jesus as your Lord and Savior, just do it right now. Romans 10:10 says with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. So, just say this: “Jesus, please be my Lord and Savior. I believe you died for me and God raised you from the dead.” It is as simple as that. Great. Now, the way to get the manifestation of God’s Word in your life for other things is very similar to what you just did. It is to confess the Word and personalize it for yourself. The only difference is, NOW you need to meditate on it day and night. I know this sounds a little excessive but God has to know that you are serious. Plus according to Hebrews 11:6 it is impossible to please God without faith. It also says He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Now this doesn’t mean that sitting in a church service will bring you faith. Many churches never even include a single verse from the Bible in an entire sermon. I am talking about the actual written Word. John 1:1 basically says that the Word is God. Therefore by reading the Word to ourselves, we are literally hearing God Himself speaking to us and faith is coming. He has set out every provision for our lives right there in His Word. All we have to do is find a verse and claim it as our own.Let me give you a few examples. You can say these things to God and actually believe what you are saying. Then God will take your faith and reward you for your confession of faith. Note: You won’t believe it the first time you say it. You may believe it in your mind, but it is up to God to decide when you actually believe it with your spirit, or your true inner being. That is why God said to meditate (continually go over in your mind and in your mouth) what He says about you in His Word. Joshua 1:8 says to meditate day and night and observe to do all that is written… then you will have good success.So here are the examples of things to say to God. Note: If you have already been saved but you have sin in your heart right now, you can start with the first example, and work your way right down the list without feeling guilty for anything you have ever done.“God, according to 1 John 1:9 if we confess our sins, you are faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from everything we have done. So God I just ask right now for forgiveness for (you fill in your own personal sins here) and I thank you so much for forgiving me and putting me in right standing with you.”“God, according to Romans 8:1 there is no condemnation (punishment, guilt, etc.) for those who are in Christ Jesus who don’t walk (live constantly) in the flesh but walk in the Spirit. So, I thank you right now for not condemning me. I will not walk in guilt of past sins that have been forgiven.”“God, according to 1 Peter 2:24 You took my sins and put me in right standing with you. You were also wounded for me so that I could be healed. Thank you, I am totally healed in Jesus Name.”“God, according to Psalms 1:1-3 I am blessed (empowered to prosper in every area of my life) because I delight in Your Word, and I do meditate on It day and night. I am like a tree planted by rivers of water, bringing forth fruit in my season. Whatever I do must prosper. Thank you God in Jesus name.”“God, according to Proverbs 3:1-6 You are directing my paths. I have favor with You and with man. I am keeping your Word in my heart and I have long life (in abundance) and peace. I am keeping mercy and truth with me and I trust in you with all my heart. I am not leaning on my own understanding, Lord. I thank You for directing my paths.”“God, since I am in right standing with you, I can claim Ecclesiastes 2:26. You continually give me wisdom, knowledge, and joy. Thank you so much for this.”These are just a few examples of personalizing the Word. This is what God wants us to do. If you begin to live like this on a consistent basis, you will see God do things in your life that are unexplainable. You will have no recourse but to say, “This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in my eyes.” (Psalms 118:23) Matthew 6:31-33 Take no thought saying; What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? …your heavenly Father knows you have need of all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. I know it sounds simple, but examine yourself. If you find yourself getting frustrated over something, thinking “I must do this certain thing or else…” then you are, in fact, in the flesh. Ask for forgiveness and say something like, “God, I am sorry for acting like that. Please forgive me. From now on I am not leaning on my own understanding. I trust in You. My faith is in You, God, not my natural abilities. Thank you for guiding me and giving me peace and joy.” I’m telling you this really works. My most earnest thanks goes out to you for taking the time to read this. It is my deepest desire to help others grow and prosper, because I have been taught and mentored as well. I could not have done it all alone.