Those who oppose Christ regulary erect the straw man that any effort to impart Biblical principles into our society is an attempt to establish a theocracy. Not only is this dishonest, but it is also deceptive.
1) It is dishonest because from the Foundation of America, Christian Statesmen were not advocating a theocracy but a Constitutional Republic that is based on Biblical priniciples. Lest one challenge this, a specific example is warranted. The very assumption of original sin is clearly implied in the Consitution, for, when one reads the documents that surround it like the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers, the inherent sinfulness or evil bent of man from birth is clearly expounded upon. The fundamental difference is that both sides were at odds on how to contain sin within a fallen society.
2) It is deceptive because some worldview will win the day at any given time, and what is alleged to be secular and thus neutral is a lie. On the contrary, we are becoming and have set the stage for an Atheocracy.
How would I define an atheocracy?
If a theocracy, namely a Christian theocracy, is a government based on the Bible and executes harsh punishment for any violation of Biblical Law wherein the Kingdom is manifested in its glory visibly, then an atheocracy is a society wherein God or any semblance of God is removed from all facets of life, especially public life. Any attempt to introduce God into the picture is rejected and condemned as a religion against the state.
If this sounds familiar, then you should not be surprised, for our nation is being overrun by formal and practical atheists in all parts of government and public life. All of this is done under the disguises of tolerance, acceptance, approval, and neutrality.
How shall we then live?
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord!" proclaims the Scripture. Though we surely defend liberty of conscience, we must never agree that an atheistic style of government whereby the Lord God is defamed and ridiculed is the pinnacle of good government. Rather we must explain how a worldview affects a society and then boldy defend why a system of government based on Biblical worldview prinicples is the best sytem of government in a fallen society. It is the only system within a fallen society that exercises restraint with liberty of conscience on the one hand while maintaining justice and order on the other.
No other worldview can accomplish such balance because they are all based on the whimsical philosophies of fallen man and thus have no absolute basis for Law. Governements based in human philosophy always result in the tyranny of one, an elite, or just mob rule.
If an atheocracy is what we desire, then we truly deserve all of the horrendous fruits that it bears. Exhibit A: Joseph Stalin. Any questions?
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
In the News: Budget Battle
Answers in Genesis had a good article on financial displine recently, and I thought it was worth echoing.
There has been much hub-bub of late dealing with the Federal Budget. A variety of proposals have been put forth with both sides arguing their respective cases. The vast majority of us will never sit in an earthly seat of political power, so what can the average Christian do besides cast a vote?
No matter what society a Christian lives in, basic fiscal principles still apply whether one is poor, average, or wealthy. The way in which one spends, saves, and/or borrows money reflects the secrets of the heart, and our credit card receipts have reflected ill upon us as indifvidual Christians and as a Church corporately. The borrower is a slave to the lender, and the American Church has become a slave to creditors just as bad as individual Christians. Casting off this gorillas takes discipline and a willingness to delay gratification, which is not easy. However, it bears much fruit when put in to practice both fiscally and evangelistically.
When Christians learn to manage their finances, outsiders start to take notice; this has happened in my own life as well as others. Over time, as more Believers live within their means, the louder the gospel cries out to a lost generation because our hearts are reflected in a more postive light as we use our resources to glorify God and not ourselves. In God's Providence, this kind of example in any area used by God to bring the lost to Himself. This inevitably changes a society, which is what happened in Europe on a myriad of fronts, yet where Christians live inconsistenty with Biblical prinicples the gospel recedes.
Therefore, let us encourage fiscal responsibility, and live out what we preach with our own dollars and cents.
To Him be the glory! Amen!
There has been much hub-bub of late dealing with the Federal Budget. A variety of proposals have been put forth with both sides arguing their respective cases. The vast majority of us will never sit in an earthly seat of political power, so what can the average Christian do besides cast a vote?
No matter what society a Christian lives in, basic fiscal principles still apply whether one is poor, average, or wealthy. The way in which one spends, saves, and/or borrows money reflects the secrets of the heart, and our credit card receipts have reflected ill upon us as indifvidual Christians and as a Church corporately. The borrower is a slave to the lender, and the American Church has become a slave to creditors just as bad as individual Christians. Casting off this gorillas takes discipline and a willingness to delay gratification, which is not easy. However, it bears much fruit when put in to practice both fiscally and evangelistically.
When Christians learn to manage their finances, outsiders start to take notice; this has happened in my own life as well as others. Over time, as more Believers live within their means, the louder the gospel cries out to a lost generation because our hearts are reflected in a more postive light as we use our resources to glorify God and not ourselves. In God's Providence, this kind of example in any area used by God to bring the lost to Himself. This inevitably changes a society, which is what happened in Europe on a myriad of fronts, yet where Christians live inconsistenty with Biblical prinicples the gospel recedes.
Therefore, let us encourage fiscal responsibility, and live out what we preach with our own dollars and cents.
To Him be the glory! Amen!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Sacrifice In Your Home
Though America is blessed more than every other country, we ought not to overlook the sacrifices that many Christians make to honor the Lord in a materialistic culture.
There are numerous families that could drive nicer cars, have larger homes, dine out more, vacation often, etc., yet they decide to honor the Lord by living a modest lifestyle. They do this to ensure that mom can stay at home to nurture the children and keep up the home.
Therefore, let us not forget the sacrifice that our wives make, and let us honor the families that exercise self-control to honor the Lord when the culture tempts them to be self-serving instead of self-sacrificing.
To Him be the glory! Amen!
There are numerous families that could drive nicer cars, have larger homes, dine out more, vacation often, etc., yet they decide to honor the Lord by living a modest lifestyle. They do this to ensure that mom can stay at home to nurture the children and keep up the home.
Therefore, let us not forget the sacrifice that our wives make, and let us honor the families that exercise self-control to honor the Lord when the culture tempts them to be self-serving instead of self-sacrificing.
To Him be the glory! Amen!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Cheating and Government Education
In the wake of continued reports involving the Atlanta Public Education cheating scandal, it is important to aggressively point out a specific element of hypocrisy. Government based public education seeks to be religiously neutral, yet this is both absurd and deceptive because everything is bent towards a religious worldview.
For government education, its worldview is atheistic materialistic naturalism. Because this is its underlying presuppositional bias, we should not be surprised when cheating is so wide spread and then explained away. Naturalism has no grounds to denounce cheating because it always results in relativism. In the eyes of those teachers and administrators, cheating on standardized tests was a good thing because they defined good in their own eyes.
Furthermore, when exposed, guilt was not quickly admitted. On the contrary, they did as Adam and Eve; they blameshifted. The cry which has echoed throughout the area is that this cheating scandal was a result of too much emphasis on high standardized test scores. Therefore, cheating is only the tip of the ice-berg, for the denial that it was evil is even worse!
This obviously sends a strong message to students, namely those teachers who were students themselves at one time. They saw and understood this worldview that was shoved down their throats when they were younger and then lived it out a generation later. This is the multi-generational fruit of an atheistic based government education system.
Nevertheless, lest we sit and gloat in the fall of such decadence, many Christian schools (and Churches for that matter) aren't much better, for their respective standards, curriculum, and overall administrative practices virtually mirror that of government run education.
How shall we then live?
The solution is not to use Christ as a means to help morals along, for He shall not be used like an old dirty rag! He is the King of Glory! Amen!
Rather, Christians must understand the evils that pervade government run education, systematically take their children out of the public education system, and set them in an environment where a sound Biblical worldview is cultivated and extolled. This can either take place via home school (my preference) or a Christian School that uncompromisingly abides in a thoroughly orthodox Christian worldview in both doctrine and practice.
What then of the public univeristies?
If a Christian is rightly trained from a young age to bind himself to the Lord of Hosts and discern worldivews, he will be like Daniel and not abandon the faith. Instead, his mature mind will know how to throw out the bad (ie atheism) and keep the good (ie learning the practicals of accounting, law, medicine, calculus, etc.). There is a difference between throwing a mature believer in the lion's den or into the fiery furnace and a small child. We send our children into the lion's den totally unprepared for life and are then surprised when they are devoured by atheists.
To Him be the glory alone! Amen!
For government education, its worldview is atheistic materialistic naturalism. Because this is its underlying presuppositional bias, we should not be surprised when cheating is so wide spread and then explained away. Naturalism has no grounds to denounce cheating because it always results in relativism. In the eyes of those teachers and administrators, cheating on standardized tests was a good thing because they defined good in their own eyes.
Furthermore, when exposed, guilt was not quickly admitted. On the contrary, they did as Adam and Eve; they blameshifted. The cry which has echoed throughout the area is that this cheating scandal was a result of too much emphasis on high standardized test scores. Therefore, cheating is only the tip of the ice-berg, for the denial that it was evil is even worse!
This obviously sends a strong message to students, namely those teachers who were students themselves at one time. They saw and understood this worldview that was shoved down their throats when they were younger and then lived it out a generation later. This is the multi-generational fruit of an atheistic based government education system.
Nevertheless, lest we sit and gloat in the fall of such decadence, many Christian schools (and Churches for that matter) aren't much better, for their respective standards, curriculum, and overall administrative practices virtually mirror that of government run education.
How shall we then live?
The solution is not to use Christ as a means to help morals along, for He shall not be used like an old dirty rag! He is the King of Glory! Amen!
Rather, Christians must understand the evils that pervade government run education, systematically take their children out of the public education system, and set them in an environment where a sound Biblical worldview is cultivated and extolled. This can either take place via home school (my preference) or a Christian School that uncompromisingly abides in a thoroughly orthodox Christian worldview in both doctrine and practice.
What then of the public univeristies?
If a Christian is rightly trained from a young age to bind himself to the Lord of Hosts and discern worldivews, he will be like Daniel and not abandon the faith. Instead, his mature mind will know how to throw out the bad (ie atheism) and keep the good (ie learning the practicals of accounting, law, medicine, calculus, etc.). There is a difference between throwing a mature believer in the lion's den or into the fiery furnace and a small child. We send our children into the lion's den totally unprepared for life and are then surprised when they are devoured by atheists.
To Him be the glory alone! Amen!
Friday, July 15, 2011
The Christian Life: The Promise of Hardship
The Christian Life is one of Promised Hardship and not ease. For this reason, the health and wealth gospel is an assault on the gospel itself, and it should receive direct and regular condemnation in the same way that the Fathers battled the Gnostics, Arians, etc.
It is true that living according to Biblical principles reduces financial stress and surely builds up the family. However, Christ does not ensure us a long life without affliction, persecution, and physical pain associated with a fallen world. It is a great tragedy when those who have severe chronic pain and/or paralyzing conditions are deceived into thinking that they lack the faith needed to be healed. This is heresy, for Our Lord Himself and most of the Apostles died humiliatingly painful deaths.
Therefore, let us be slow to judge those who endure hardship. Rather, let us pray for God's grace to heal and restore according to His will, and let us pray for the grace to endure when God ordains hardship to continue. Ultimately, this life is a preparation for the next, so suffering unto the glory of God is not in vain.
To Him be the glory! Amen!
It is true that living according to Biblical principles reduces financial stress and surely builds up the family. However, Christ does not ensure us a long life without affliction, persecution, and physical pain associated with a fallen world. It is a great tragedy when those who have severe chronic pain and/or paralyzing conditions are deceived into thinking that they lack the faith needed to be healed. This is heresy, for Our Lord Himself and most of the Apostles died humiliatingly painful deaths.
Therefore, let us be slow to judge those who endure hardship. Rather, let us pray for God's grace to heal and restore according to His will, and let us pray for the grace to endure when God ordains hardship to continue. Ultimately, this life is a preparation for the next, so suffering unto the glory of God is not in vain.
To Him be the glory! Amen!
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