Article by Gary L. Grizzell
"So as an individual the question which concerns the Christian most, when the earth will have been destroyed by fire at the end of time,
was I counted as on the Lord's side?
(Last statement in this article)
Though not a New Testament Christian but writing as a professing one, Patrick J. Buchanan's article entitled, "Whose Side Is God on Now?" reflects to his credit Buchanan's courage as a journalist.1 (http://buchanan.org/blog/whose-side-god-now-6337). This is true in view of the mainline liberal and progressive media which is activated today.
As a New Testament Christian my take-away from Buchanan's thoughts is that here is but another reminder of the self-inflicted, LGBT (Lesbian, "Gay," Bi-sexual, Transunion) national image our country is presently projecting to world leaders and to Putin in particular. This does not soften nor cancel out the wacky philosophical/theological positions of those other world leaders of times past or presently. We are reminded of Isaiah’s statement,
"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isa. 5:20).2
This pitiful image and influence has been somewhat effectively injected in a practical way into the world sociopolitical landscape in recent years to the frustration of Putin. Habits of western dress and rap music might be a very faint whiff of cultural changes. It goes much further than this.
"To Kremlin ideologists, the very concept of Russia’s sovereignty depends on being free of America’s influence." Again, "The Russians have shut off all co-operation that uses American money, including on health care, civil society, fighting human trafficking and drugs . . ."3
Even self-centered world leaders have the common sense to be conscious and alerted to the damaging, people destroying influences of neighboring nations, which have exhibited damaging cultural values.
One would not want to be naive to some well-known political brutes in leaderships of other nations, whose primary desire, as proven by their track records, is to get the most production out of their subjects. Understanding that this encompasses whatever goals and aspirations those particular elites possess from time to time.
A preacher friend of mine wrote a letter to our highly acclaimed LGBT president. An impersonal reply was received. In that letter from the highest house in the land there was an affirmation of the corrupt LGBT position.
Buchanan quoted one of the Catholic's popes. The west was described as a “culture of death.” (Of course New Testament Christians know there is neither authority for the existence of the Catholic Church nor for any earthly head of the true church. Christ is the only head [Mt. 28:18; Col. 1:18; 2 Cor. 11:2]). The fact that such a description came from one of the representatives of that spiritual mother harlot, the Catholic Church, does not make the truth any less true.
Additionally, the statement of Buchanan was right on in his evaluation of this description when he supposed it referred to: "The West’s capitulation to a sexual revolution of easy divorce, rampant promiscuity, pornography, homosexuality, feminism, abortion, same-sex marriage, euthanasia, assisted suicide — the displacement of Christian values by Hollywood values."
We may thank God that Christians are not left to wonder how to think, speak and respond while living in a culture committed to the practice of false philosophy and a government (though not all in government, thankfully) determined to exclude Biblical principles from its usage. The inspired apostle Peter wrote, "For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men" (2 Pet. 2:15).
The Christian's life should constitute the "well doing" of 2 Peter 2:15. This includes, but is not limited to, upholding in the voting booth those in government who are fighting for righteous principles. We are to have a relationship to the government (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Tim. 2:1-3 - "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour").
The faithful Christian is to have a good influence at voting time. The child of God who leaves God out of the voting booth, saying, "My politics and my religion do not mix," is ignorant and is not putting the will of God first in every area of his life. Jesus said to seek first His righteousness (Mt. 6:33).
The inspired apostle Paul's exhortation to God's true people, the church of Christ, is clear. God's desire today is, "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life . . . " (Phil. 2:15-16a).
In regard to Putin's comments it is a sad day when Russia's leader is vocal against same-sex marriages and the like, while the USA's president is equally vocal in favor of a LGBT national culture and image. The pages of history will indeed tell of the fall of this nation (unless either righteousness turns it around [Proverbs 14:34] or the Lord's chooses not to tarry in His return in the air [1 Thess. 4:16]).
"Whose Side Is God on Now?" -- America, Russia or another nation? To ask this is to presuppose God is in control. Indeed, He is in control. "Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance ... All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity." (Isaiah 40:15-17 in part). "He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again." (Job 12:23).
Nationally, God blesses the nation who is righteous. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12). "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people" (Proverbs 14:34).
Because all spiritual blessings are in Christ -- spiritually -- God blesses only His spiritual nation, the church of Jesus Christ. Peter wrote, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9). Paul stated that all spiritual blessings are "in Christ" (Eph. 1:3; Gal. 3:26-27). The goal of life is to be a faithful subject in this nation, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Moses once asked, "Who is on the Lord's side?" (Exo. 32:26). "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope" (Rom. 15:4). In the New Covenant which we are under today, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, says to His disciples, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Mat. 16:24).
Those in this spiritual nation look forward to eternal peace and joy with God the creator of all things. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:1-3).
A fire is coming. Are you preparing for that day? "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (2 Pet. 3:10). There is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. So as an individual the question which concerns the Christian most, when the earth will have been destroyed by fire at the end of time, was I counted as on the Lord's side?
End Notes
1 Buchanan's article: http://buchanan.org/blog/whose-side-god-now-6337
2 Biblical quotes are from the KJV.
3 Russia and America - The Dread Of The Other - The Leading Role Played By Anti-Americanism In Today’s Russia, Feb. 16th 2013, MOSCOW, From the print edition, Timekeeper; http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21571904-leading-role-played-anti-americanism-todays-russia-dread-other.
* We are pleased to share this article. This article may be freely distributed as long as 1) there is no cost to others, 2) no changes are made to any part of the content, 3) is distributed in full, 4) author's name remains attached to the article, and 5) this web location from which the article was taken is noted.
As a New Testament Christian my take-away from Buchanan's thoughts is that here is but another reminder of the self-inflicted, LGBT (Lesbian, "Gay," Bi-sexual, Transunion) national image our country is presently projecting to world leaders and to Putin in particular. This does not soften nor cancel out the wacky philosophical/theological positions of those other world leaders of times past or presently. We are reminded of Isaiah’s statement,
"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isa. 5:20).2
This pitiful image and influence has been somewhat effectively injected in a practical way into the world sociopolitical landscape in recent years to the frustration of Putin. Habits of western dress and rap music might be a very faint whiff of cultural changes. It goes much further than this.
"To Kremlin ideologists, the very concept of Russia’s sovereignty depends on being free of America’s influence." Again, "The Russians have shut off all co-operation that uses American money, including on health care, civil society, fighting human trafficking and drugs . . ."3
Even self-centered world leaders have the common sense to be conscious and alerted to the damaging, people destroying influences of neighboring nations, which have exhibited damaging cultural values.
One would not want to be naive to some well-known political brutes in leaderships of other nations, whose primary desire, as proven by their track records, is to get the most production out of their subjects. Understanding that this encompasses whatever goals and aspirations those particular elites possess from time to time.
A preacher friend of mine wrote a letter to our highly acclaimed LGBT president. An impersonal reply was received. In that letter from the highest house in the land there was an affirmation of the corrupt LGBT position.
Buchanan quoted one of the Catholic's popes. The west was described as a “culture of death.” (Of course New Testament Christians know there is neither authority for the existence of the Catholic Church nor for any earthly head of the true church. Christ is the only head [Mt. 28:18; Col. 1:18; 2 Cor. 11:2]). The fact that such a description came from one of the representatives of that spiritual mother harlot, the Catholic Church, does not make the truth any less true.
Additionally, the statement of Buchanan was right on in his evaluation of this description when he supposed it referred to: "The West’s capitulation to a sexual revolution of easy divorce, rampant promiscuity, pornography, homosexuality, feminism, abortion, same-sex marriage, euthanasia, assisted suicide — the displacement of Christian values by Hollywood values."
We may thank God that Christians are not left to wonder how to think, speak and respond while living in a culture committed to the practice of false philosophy and a government (though not all in government, thankfully) determined to exclude Biblical principles from its usage. The inspired apostle Peter wrote, "For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men" (2 Pet. 2:15).
The Christian's life should constitute the "well doing" of 2 Peter 2:15. This includes, but is not limited to, upholding in the voting booth those in government who are fighting for righteous principles. We are to have a relationship to the government (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Tim. 2:1-3 - "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour").
The faithful Christian is to have a good influence at voting time. The child of God who leaves God out of the voting booth, saying, "My politics and my religion do not mix," is ignorant and is not putting the will of God first in every area of his life. Jesus said to seek first His righteousness (Mt. 6:33).
The inspired apostle Paul's exhortation to God's true people, the church of Christ, is clear. God's desire today is, "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life . . . " (Phil. 2:15-16a).
In regard to Putin's comments it is a sad day when Russia's leader is vocal against same-sex marriages and the like, while the USA's president is equally vocal in favor of a LGBT national culture and image. The pages of history will indeed tell of the fall of this nation (unless either righteousness turns it around [Proverbs 14:34] or the Lord's chooses not to tarry in His return in the air [1 Thess. 4:16]).
"Whose Side Is God on Now?" -- America, Russia or another nation? To ask this is to presuppose God is in control. Indeed, He is in control. "Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance ... All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity." (Isaiah 40:15-17 in part). "He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again." (Job 12:23).
Nationally, God blesses the nation who is righteous. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12). "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people" (Proverbs 14:34).
Because all spiritual blessings are in Christ -- spiritually -- God blesses only His spiritual nation, the church of Jesus Christ. Peter wrote, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9). Paul stated that all spiritual blessings are "in Christ" (Eph. 1:3; Gal. 3:26-27). The goal of life is to be a faithful subject in this nation, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Moses once asked, "Who is on the Lord's side?" (Exo. 32:26). "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope" (Rom. 15:4). In the New Covenant which we are under today, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, says to His disciples, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Mat. 16:24).
Those in this spiritual nation look forward to eternal peace and joy with God the creator of all things. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:1-3).
A fire is coming. Are you preparing for that day? "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (2 Pet. 3:10). There is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. So as an individual the question which concerns the Christian most, when the earth will have been destroyed by fire at the end of time, was I counted as on the Lord's side?
End Notes
1 Buchanan's article: http://buchanan.org/blog/whose-side-god-now-6337
2 Biblical quotes are from the KJV.
3 Russia and America - The Dread Of The Other - The Leading Role Played By Anti-Americanism In Today’s Russia, Feb. 16th 2013, MOSCOW, From the print edition, Timekeeper; http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21571904-leading-role-played-anti-americanism-todays-russia-dread-other.
* We are pleased to share this article. This article may be freely distributed as long as 1) there is no cost to others, 2) no changes are made to any part of the content, 3) is distributed in full, 4) author's name remains attached to the article, and 5) this web location from which the article was taken is noted.