By Bob Michael
LAPD Police Detective Capt. (Ret)
I had originally decided on this writing after a particularly vitriolic encounter by two posters on the site engaging in disgusting disrespect and name calling for all Protestants and all Catholics covering hundreds of post. It absolutely dishonored Christ.
But I have learned to let some time pass on certain issues, and thus the delay. I recently wrote a piece regarding Joel C. Rosenberg, the person, the fiction writer for the most part, and lecturer on the Christian, and other circuits. I noticed in some posters’ responses, curious but not uncommon, positions. I will address these at the end.
We most certainly are not to serve satan. But when I read so much of what is being said on Walid’s site by groups against groups, by way too many posters, I see service for satan to attack Christ’s Church. The arguing, the accusations, the attacks by those claiming to be Christians against others claiming to be Christians is anything but Christ like.
I know Walid, Ted, and Keith from spending personal time with them. I respect Ben from his writings. Their work is too important to have to put up with the stiff-necked opposition posters.
When I speak of these obstructionists, I speak to individuals and not to institutions, neither Catholic nor Evangelicals (whatever that term has come to mean), and my Coptic friends don’t even go there. These opposing persons fight as much Catholic against Catholic and Evangelical against Evangelical as they do each, the opposite institution.
What are we as a Christians – if that is our claim – doing to follow Christ’s commands as we who know Him must? That must be the first question. You need not answer to me, or any person. This is an answer to be addressed to God. The questions are for each and every one of us to address. But if we look at Christians as a group overall, the answers are plain. We do not obey Christ’s commands in two areas I want to address; we just give excuses.
The first command pertinent to Walid’s blog is that each of us who claim Christ, must go unto all the world and give the good news, or the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When talking with Christians, which I am targeting, I usually refrain from giving specific verses (but may make a few exceptions in this post). Why? If you are a Christian and don’t know where to find a verse, then you ought to search for yourself and learn. Hopefully, failing to obey for Christians is from ignorance, and not obstinance toward God.
But to give a hint and get you started, the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all clearly address the command to go and give the Gospel. That does not mean the local church or the church organization doing it for you. It does not mean praying or giving money only for someone else to go on your behalf, is an acceptable substitute. It means witness with the Gospel wherever you are.
Praise God for those who answer God’s call to full time missions work, and particularly to a foreign land. We moved several hundred miles just recently and the first priority was a good Bible teaching (not just seminary) church. God didn’t have us anguish long. So we have been in our new found church for two months and I learned at least five things about this church; the teaching is Biblical (but, I am sure not perfect, as none of us are), the members fellowship and reach out to newbies, there is a strong street witnessing out in the community, the congregation (somewhat large, but certainly not mega) gave $5.1 million to the church in 2013, and the church gives 22.5% directly to missionaries in foreign lands. Is that an amazing body of Believers?
So let me ask this.
How many of you have witnessed more than once a day? How many just once a day; once a week; once a month; a year; or NEVER? But God commanded! It is not difficult. Trust God to give you what you need. Do you know what your doctor, grocer, gardener, friend, barber, beautician, or next door neighbor believe? You may be surprised to find that they know Jesus personally. If they don’t, tell them the Good News.
Are we to love our neighbor? Yes, and if our neighbor is not our friend, the greatest, and the only love we need to show, is that greatest gift one can receive – the Gospel. If not received at the time, or there is opposition, we should knock the dust off our feet and move on with our delivery of the Gospel, for the harvest is great and the laborers few.
I’ll give a reference here as it so often escapes the sight of Believers. James 1:22-26 clearly addresses that we are to be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves. He who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues therein; being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, shall be blessed in his deed.
In fact, let me give the James Scripture, as it is very important.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone among you[a] thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.
Just a couple of chapters later, we’re reminded of that oh, so powerful (but small) part of our body, in James 3:4-5:
4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.
I am convinced that salvation is not dependent on being a “doer” of work, but a doer of work is a result of salvation.
A second theme so important to Walid’s blog is coming to the aid of brothers and sisters suffering and being martyred hourly for Christ’s name sake.
Are we true Believers our brothers’ keepers? Satan mocked this concept in Genesis in the Fourth Chapter.
In John 15, Jesus says:
(12) This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you (13) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (14) Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Are we to lay down our lives for our brother? Are we to be Christ like? Christ laid down His life for us.
In Hebrews, we find that we are to remember those that are in bonds as though we are in bonds with them. As for those which suffer adversity, we are to remember that we are also liable for the same. Are we our brothers keeper?
We should certainly remember Christ’s teaching in Matthew regarding how we react to our brethren.
As we treat the least of us, so we are treating Christ. If we ignore suffering and death of our brethren, we ignore the same for Christ. By extension, if we do nothing to prevent all the atrocities that are occurring; the destruction of churches, and mocking of Christ; the beheading and throat-cutting; the raping and bombing; then we ignore these things as being done to Christ.
In Ephesians 6 the Word tells us we are to put on the full armor of God. We are to be praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. Do we individually? Do we corporately? I almost (my meaning I can’t remember when in a church service) never hear prayer and supplication for our brothers and sisters in Christ being abused and martyred hourly for their witness for Christ. But let me hasten to add, I do see that on Walid’s site by many posters. I thank you who do so for your obedience to the Word.
So do we obey God? Do we get out and give the Gospel at every chance? Are we our brother’s keeper?
Or do we follow our own pride, and attack each other, and allow the abuse of our brothers and sisters, and Christ and go blithely on our way??
We need to look at OURSELVES in earnest.
So let me address a couple of posters’ comments re: Joel C. Rosenberg.
Let me start by saying that I have studied, personally confronted, consulted with, lived in, know the language of, and understand the complexities of Russia. Before I came to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, and subsequently early on in my walk with Him, I rejected the Russia Gog/Magog theory as an ignorant conclusion and indefensible construct.
I find that after questioning the crowd, and believe if I questioned any speaking eloquently against Russia, Putin, the churches in Russia and the former Soviet Union, and the people of Russia, that they possess virtually no credentials to speak on anything Russian.
For those who are interested in why these people wax with such apparent authority, I suggest you look at Jacques Ellul and see his view of propaganda. To really shorten an entire book, he says most think the worker, peasant, or unschooled are most subject to propaganda, and the well-educated are not. Ellul says the former believe what they see and touch and those with whom they have had a long relationship and have proven themselves, in trustworthiness.
On the other hand, according to Ellul, those who rely on the intake of vast volumes of unverified information (no computers then, but a significant source now) and upon that base their theories, are the great consumers of propaganda.
Let me comment on just a couple of posts.
In response to “Prodigal”…
I appreciate your tone; it is welcome. However, we are to rightfully divide the word. Agreeing to disagree is fine, but not Scriptural in any sense of the Word.
You also say, “Please do not swing your sword against people that are trying to serve God, but maybe a little different on their take on end times.”
Remember in Hebrews…
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
As for “a little different”, what we are discussing is major. And a little leaven, leaveneth the whole lump. It is the leavening of the churches that is a great problem to Believers and a support for satan. And finally, a “petty attack”? Oh, well.
Saying state sponsored churches (Russian) trouble you. They (state sponsored churches) do me also, except the churches in the United States are state sponsored far in excess of the Russian churches, whether Orthodox, evangelical, or charismatic. Nearly all churches in the U.S. are organized Federal 501(c)(3). You can be a church without federal protection if you like. If you choose the benefits the government dangles for 501(c)(3) status, then you are also a state influenced church at a minimum. Pastors are treated differently, with additional mammon benefits, than their equal counterparts in the pews, which is a way to split brothers and sisters from their leadership. Churches which are state sponsored have mammon as a protection in a couple of ways; no taxes and law suit protection.
As for the future, we could easily see teaching true Islam, and rejecting it, might bring pastoral condemnation and even criminal charges (as in Alberta, Canada and Australia). The same for teaching God’s word on homosexuality, and on and on.
Long ago, churches sold out to the tradition of IRS 501(c)(3) and have not recognized the creeping danger. Also, if you are not under government “protection” then tithing is not tax deductible,
(Caveat: I have not checked pertinent tax laws for a couple of years so let me know.)
In response to “Sumsrent”…
I also like your tone, if not content. And I have agreed sometimes in your past comments.
This response on your part is to be expected now that you have revealed your background in the post. Your response is selling your beliefs, and your use of the term ‘Luciferian Globalist’ ties you to many unfounded and conspiratorial beliefs outside Scripture. Like all the others of this ilk, they are long on mantra and literally void of facts. For those of you who may be impressed by this, or are unfamiliar with it, you can google the term and try to find facts and not wild interpretation of events. You will find hundreds of search results on point.
You totally do not understand either communism, and in context Islam.
I see no Scripture, and in all the words of secular tales, only the last word in the comment is “Christians”.
In response to lifeinjesus…
“Judge not” always interests me, as it is tirelessly misused. I do not judge anyone’s salvation as I have no authority, nor ability, for that. I do not judge Rosenberg’s salvation for the same reason.
I do judge as God commands. For example, Matthew 7:15 commands every Believer, not if it’s convenient, ecumenical, or if you just feel like it. In secularist parlance, it’s like the left-wingers who take Thomas Jefferson’s ‘separation of church and state’ completely out of context and have somehow convinced people that it’s actually part of the first amendment. The irony is that leftists have actually turned that line into a premise that has created state-sponsored religion in the U.S. (see response to “Prodigal”).
“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
We need to look at people, with the word as our reference and the Holy Spirit as our guide, and judge if they are speaking from God or falsely. This is a great study.
Just as a small aside is the academic world’s use of “the truth shall set you free”. Harvard University’s motto, ‘Veritas’ is Latin for “truth.” Many universities claim this view that it is the truths taught in secular circles which make you free. All of us saints should know “Via, Veritas, Vita” is Latin for what Jesus said of Himself as set out in John 14:6″
“…I am the way, the truth, and the life…”
In response to Annie Laurie…
These are not “nuances”. They are intertwined but that is the way of tales; exactly what the Russia Gog/Magog proponents have done. Scripture exposes their “logic”.
The only thing that can return the U.S. to free America is God. We need to listen to Scripture and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance.
Deuteronomy 11:18-19, Proverbs 3:5-6, Nahum 1:7 all assure us as individual Believers; not the United States. James calls Scripture,
“the perfect law that gives freedom”.