The Rule of Law of the Rule of Man: Which is it?

January 29, 2013Allen Frederick 1 Comment

Ro 1 (HCSB) Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God.

If governments are given AUTHORITY from God and are instituted by God, then how is it possible to SEPARATE GOD FROM THE GOVERNMENT?

It is the disregard for God’s laws and authority that is the driving force behind all SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE talk.

Even if government was able to silence all opposing voices it would still have to face the final authority and the grantor of the government’s authority, God himself.

2 So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves.

This can be taken to mean that governments are not to be challenged or opposed, but you must read this in light of the previous verse. Because government is an idea established by GOD for civil order and to punish the wicked, it should be acknowledged as such. Disregarding God’s authority over our actions, (governance) is disregarding God. Therefore in order for a government to be legitimate it must acknowledge God’s final authority.

The saying goes that men will get the government they deserve, and this can be seen throughout the history of God’s people Israel. When they forgot who their Lord was they would find themselves governed by tyrants. It is forgetting who is really in charge that renders a people subjects to tyranny. Governments are to be subject to God’s rule, citizens are then to be submissive to the governments as God’s ministers. Separate God from the government and you have the illegitimate rule of man over man.

3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval.

This is how it is supposed to work. Laws are to be written to punish bad conduct not to regulate and restrict good conduct. If you go about your business in an ethical and morally upright fashion you should have nothing to fear from government. However it would seem that more often than not our current government is making lawbreakers of us all. To think that installing a light-bulb that does not meet government standards makes you a law-breaker is absurd. Yet that is exactly what we face today.

4 For government is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. Romans 13:1-4

Again the emphasis is on bad behavior. There is a legitimate purpose for government to regulate BAD BEHAVIOR. This is determined by God’s moral standard and not some arbitrary rule by some power-hungry man.

Our founders knew this and as such set up for us a government by rule of law which placed everyone on equal footing. All where to be held to the same standard. None was to be raised above the law nor given permission to get around the rule of law. The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land.

But since there is no longer any fear of God in the eyes of the lawmakers, they have no problem passing onerous regulations and burdensome laws that punish law-abiding citizens. The purpose of which are to subject all but the chosen to the tyranny of the law makers. They do not wish to be subject to any law let alone God’s law but they want all the rest of us to be their subjects.

This is a view from the nest. What say you?

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. _{Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)}

Along for the journey

This has been A View from the Nest. The statements, comments, or opinions expressed are solely that of the author and do not represent the views or opinions of the host of this site or any affiliates thereof. Any questions or comments should be directed to myself and not to the host or hosts of this site.

If you love me you must accept me as I am…

January 21, 2013Allen Frederick 3 Comments

Not so fast.

^{Mk 17 (GW)}As Jesus was coming out to the road, a man came running to him and knelt in front of him. He asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
¹⁸Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
¹⁹You know the commandments: Never murder. Never commit adultery. Never steal. Never give false testimony. Never cheat. Honor your father and mother.”
²⁰The man replied, “Teacher, I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was a boy.”
²¹Jesus looked at him and loved him. He told him, “You’re still missing one thing. Sell everything you have. Give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then follow me!”
²²When the man heard that, he looked unhappy and went away sad, because he owned a lot of property. Mark 10:17-22

Love ? I love love love you. (Photo credit: @Doug88888)

The most important thing that jumped out at me with this passages are the words: Jesus looked at him and loved him.

If I have heard it once I have heard it a thousand times God is love and we must love others. So what is love and how does it relate to dealing with others? This passage is a perfect example of what love actually is and what love expects.

JESUS LOVED this man who came to him wanting to gain salvation. Liken this to the person who comes to church asking what they must do to gain eternal life. For the most part these people present themselves as law-abiding citizens and are living a decent and good life. To the average person this man who came to Jesus was an upstanding citizen, an accomplished man, a leader among his peers, successful by the worlds standards and most likely a person any organization would happily employ. This person is not living a visible sinful lifestyle. He would appear to the natural man that he had it all together.

And Jesus LOVED HIM. He loved him enough to tell him his shortcomings. He loved him enough to not let him continue living the life that he was living. He loved him enough to tell him the truth. As compared to what a GODLY life actually entailed this man had missed the mark completely. This man had put his trust in his personal accomplishments. He had acquired a great deal of success and prominence in this world, his resume was impressive, but failed to gain entrance into God’s kingdom.

Jesus loved him. And told him that he needed one thing. To sell everything he had and humble himself to take up the cross and follow Jesus. Interesting enough that is the same message Jesus gave to all his disciples. If any man wished to follow Christ and be his disciple he must take up his cross and follow him. Mt 16:24, Mk 8:34, Lk 9:23.

This is not a new concept and Jesus was not singling out this person and asking him to do anything less than what he had expected of all his disciples.

Why then is it that today’s church does not require the same of their disciples? Why is it that for the most part everyone who comes to the church is offered entrance without any requirements of self-sacrifice and cross bearing? Why do those who come to the church wish to be treated special? They do not wish to be required to give up anything in their life. They want to continue to live exactly like they have before coming to the church. They feel like this man did, they had achieved everything they needed to be acceptable in society and as such should be offered entrance into heaven simply because of their ‘good works‘ or ‘good living’.

God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God. It’s not the result of anything you’ve done, so no one can brag about it. Ephesians 2:8-9 (GW)

You see then all those things that this man thought he had accomplished did not earn him entrance into God’s kingdom because they were done apart from the will of God. They were not done by God’s Spirit. You see to gain entrance into the kingdom of God we must trust in God to lead us there, we can not lead ourselves there nor earn our way in. Prior to coming to Christ all our accomplishments are not acceptable.

Sell all you have accomplished, give it away, give it to the poor, and take up your cross, deny yourself, and follow Jesus wherever it is he leads you. Then you shall gain entrance into the kingdom of God. Your plans and accomplishments are not what is important. Everything you thought you wanted to do does not matter. It is not YOUR way that is going to get it done. It is HIS way and only HIS way.

Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (GW)

No one who enters the kingdom of God will ever say they did it their way. And our way is not going to get us there either.

You see folks God is under absolutely no obligation to honor you for your accomplishments, nor is he obligated to honor you because of your ‘good living’. He is God and as such needs to be honored as God and only those who do his will are acceptable into his kingdom.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the person who does what my Father in heaven wants. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we force out demons and do many miracles by the power and authority of your name?’ Then I will tell them publicly, ‘I’ve never known you. Get away from me, you evil people.’ Matthew 7:21-23 (GW)

Do not be deceived into believing that just because things have gone well for you, and you have accomplished great things in this world, that you have a guarantee entrance into God’s kingdom. There is only one way to get in and that is to deny thyself, and take up the cross and follow Jesus. You can not come to Christ and continue to live like He doesn’t matter.

Many of us like this rich man are imprisoned to our own wants, needs and desires, and as such we are not fit for God’s kingdom. Until we are willing to lay it all down and take up our cross to follow Jesus, we will never inherit the kingdom of God.

What is love then? Love dares to speak the truth. And the truth is NO ONE shall enter the kingdom of God without taking up their own personal cross. Regardless of their standing in the world.

This is hard for believers to handle because even Christ’s own disciples took exception to how Jesus handled the rich man. They were shocked that he turned the man away. Actually the man turned himself away because he refused to do what Jesus had asked him to do. Remember Jesus asked him to give all his money away because he LOVED HIM.

^{Mk 23 (GW)}Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for rich people to enter the kingdom of God!”
²⁴The disciples were stunned by his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
²⁶This amazed his disciples more than ever. They asked each other, “Who, then, can be saved?”
²⁷Jesus looked at them and said, “It’s impossible for people {to save themselves}, but it’s not impossible for God to save them. Everything is possible for God.” Mark 10:23-27

You see guys and gals, it is impossible to save ourselves. It is impossible no matter how hard we try nor how well we live to enter into the kingdom of God apart from the cross. The cross is the entrance gate into God’s kingdom. That is how it works. There is no other way. You can not avoid the cross. You can not buy your way in. You can not earn entrance. It is a gift of God and as such can only be bestowed upon man by God through Jesus via the Holy Spirit.

In other words you must be born again. Jn 3:1 No flesh can inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Cor 15:50

This is a view from the nest. What say you?

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. _{Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)}

Along for the journey

Separation of Church and State… Is That Even Possible?

January 6, 2013Allen Frederick 2 Comments

When Jesus came near, he spoke to them. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to do everything I have commanded you. “And remember that I am always with you until the end of time.” Matthew 28:18-20 (GW)

Imagine for a moment that Jesus has just completed his three years of training with the disciples. He has been crucified and is now commissioning the twelve to go into the world and disciple the nations. Now imagine him also making this statement to them.

“Dear brothers, it is now time for you to share what you have learned from me. However, as you share with others be sure that you keep what I taught you separate from your social life. The principles I have shared with you only apply in situations inside your home. Do not try to make them fit into a social context. The miracles you saw in me can only be done in certain situations. Keep this in mind when thinking about praying for the sick or the lost. These truths will not work in society.”

Sound preposterous? It may, but this is the mindset of many in our world today. The spiritual does not mix with the everyday world. “What happens on Monday has no relationship to what takes place on Sunday,” they say.

These are the thoughts expressed so much in our day and time. If you heard it once you have heard it a hundred times at least. Separation of Church and State. The two should never mix. The two need to be kept apart.

The world would want us to keep our religion to ourselves and not to share it wherever we go. That is like asking you to live without breathing. It is not possible to live without breathing, nor is it possible to live your everyday life apart from Christ if you truly are a disciple of Christ. To truly follow him and live our life according to his principles it is impossible to live one way at church and an entirely different way at home or in society? Jesus would call this type of living hypocrisy. Either we are for Him or we are against Him. We can not serve Him only at our convenience for then we are not serving Him at all. We can not choose to love Him one day and ignore Him the next.

We can not choose to follow His laws and commands only in the church since the laws were given to man before there was a church. The law of God was passed to Moses before there was a tabernacle or a temple. Moses was given the law of God and then instructed on how to worship Him. The law was given so that the Israelites would know how to live and prosper in the land God was going to give them.

The laws were to be the principles by which God’s people were expected to live. God expected them to keep the law in all of society and not just the church. It is interesting to note that many of out founders knew how important God’s moral laws where to a civil society and based our own civil law on the Mosaic laws. No one would argue that murder is wrong. No one would argue that stealing is wrong. No one would argue that being respectful of our parents is a good thing for children to learn. No one would argue that infidelity in a marriage is destructive.

Today however we hear that the law of God must end at the church door. We are told to not force our beliefs upon others, and yet those that say that have no problem forcing their beliefs on us. We are asked not to PRAY in public and yet how can we not when the world is faced with so many challenges? We are asked to not teach Christian values and principles, but how can we not if we actually believe that they are the way, the truth and the life? And yet it would seem that those who oppose God’s laws are winning the war on the separation of Church and State. Honestly how is that working out for our society?

I can not force my views upon anyone since I do not have that power. All I can do is attempt to persuade others that God’s moral law is superior than anything man can come up with. Personally I have to choose for myself how to live in this world, whether I should obey the temporary dictates of man or the eternal law of God. I choose to obey the eternal law of God for I have found it to be just and right and holy and true. It is the only law that shows no partiality for all are treated equal under God’s law. There are no special exemptions for special interest groups. There are no lighter sentences for the well-connected. All are judged equally and punished accordingly.

So by asking those of us who believe God’s law is superior to man’s law to shut up and keep it to ourselves, you have elected to be ruled by tyrants and subjected yourself to the inferior, biased laws of man. Remember those who make the laws exempt themselves from the law making the law only applicable to those who the lawmakers disapprove of.

If we acknowledge a Supreme lawmaker and judge then we have no control over how that law is going to be enforced, nor can we use the law to garner special treatment for ourselves, since we too will be judged by that same law and standard.

I can not separate my faith in God from His ways and laws. I can not live my life differently in public than I do in private. Since I believe

the teachings of the Lord are perfect. They renew the soul. The testimony of the Lord is dependable. It makes gullible people wise. The instructions of the Lord are correct. They make the heart rejoice. The command of the Lord is radiant. It makes the eyes shine. The fear of the Lord is pure. It endures forever. The decisions of the Lord are true. They are completely fair. (Psalms 19:7-9 (GW))

I shall continue to live my life by the law of God. You can have the inferior law of the land.

This is a view from the nest. What say you?

Along for the journey

This has been A View from the Nest. The statements, comments, or opinions expressed are solely that of the author and do not represent the views or opinions of the host of this site or any affiliates thereof. Any questions or comments should be directed to myself and not to the host or hosts of this site.

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It’s The End of the World As We Know It

December 20, 2012Allen Frederick 2 Comments

Well not so much. For it is written:

“No one knows when that day or hour will come. Even the angels in heaven and the Son don’t know. Only the Father knows. “When the Son of Man comes again, it will be exactly like the days of Noah. In the days before the flood, people were eating, drinking, and getting married until the day that Noah went into the ship. They were not aware of what was happening until the flood came and swept all of them away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes again. Matthew 24:36-39 (GW)

According to the Mayan calendar December 21st 2012 is supposed to be the end of the world. This is not the first time the end of the world was predicted. All the earlier predictions were wrong and I am certain this prediction will be wrong as well. Had the Mayans had some sort of special knowledge of what was going to happen in the future they would not have suffered the loss of their own kingdom.

But be certain of this, that if the master of the house had knowledge of the time when the thief was coming, he would have been watching, and would not have let his house be broken into. Luke 12:39 (BBE)

If the Mayan’s were unable to predict their own end how could it be said that they possessed a certain knowledge of things to come concerning the end of the world? Like others who have predicted the end of the world before, this too will be proven to be a false prophecy.

The problem with these false prophecies of doom is that they embolden the skeptics to mock and ridicule God and his holy people. There is coming a doomsday that has been prophesied by Holy Scripture, but with all these phony prophesies coming forth every few decades or so it makes it easy for unbelievers to become skeptics, which is exactly what will happen before the real doomsday prophesied by scripture takes place.

First, you must understand this: In the last days people who follow their own desires will appear. These disrespectful people will ridicule {God’s promise} by saying, “What’s happened to his promise to return? Ever since our ancestors died, everything continues as it did from the beginning of the world.”

They are deliberately ignoring one fact: Because of God’s word, heaven and earth existed a long time ago. The earth {appeared} out of water and was kept alive by water.

Water also flooded and destroyed that world. By God’s word, the present heaven and earth are designated to be burned. They are being kept until the day ungodly people will be judged and destroyed.

Dear friends, don’t ignore this fact: One day with the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord isn’t slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn’t want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act.

The day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day heaven will pass away with a roaring sound. Everything that makes up the universe will burn and be destroyed. The earth and everything that people have done on it will be exposed. 2 Peter 3:3-10 (GW)

And remember Jesus said that no man knows the day or the hour of his coming. This is information that God himself retains. Only God knows when He has had enough of our sinfulness.

Like I said before had the Mayan’s had some sort of insight into future events they would have not suffered the destruction of their own kingdom.

Most of us do not even know when our last day on earth is going to be, and yet we seem to fall for these end of the world prophesies over and over again. Do not be alarmed nor distracted by all this talk about the end of the world. Heed what Jesus said to his disciples about those days.

but give attention to yourselves, for fear that your hearts become over-full of the pleasures of food and wine, and the cares of this life, and that day may come on you suddenly, and take you as in a net: For so it will come on all those who are living on the face of all the earth. But keep watch at all times with prayer, that you may be strong enough to come through all these things and take your place before the Son of man. Luke 21:34-36 (BBE)

So what will you be doing tomorrow? Will you be found enjoying the pleasures of this world? Will you be doing last-minute Christmas shopping? Will you be wining and dining at a holiday party or two? Or will you be seeking Christ in the midst of all this Christmas glitter and end of the world clamor? Will you be found searching His word for answers to life’s problems? Are you watching for and expecting the eventual return of our Lord and Savior?

So whether you fell for the end of the world prophesy of the Mayan calendar or not, know this; tomorrow we will be one day closer to the real return of the Lord Jesus, and the eventual end of the world as we know it.

Until then Carpe Diem.

This is a view from the nest. What say you?

Along for the journey

Deliver Us From Evil

December 16, 2012December 16, 2012Allen Frederick 13 Comments

21/365: Deliver Us From Evil (Photo credit: The Cleveland Kid)

Perhaps one of the best known biblical passages is the Lord’s prayer, often recited by rote by many who perhaps do not even know they are reciting scripture. In this famous prayer we read these words: deliver us from evil…

The horrible massacre of December 14th at the Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut will always be remembered as a tragic and heartbreaking act that forever altered the lives of hundreds of families and sent shock waves throughout the nation. At the very least it was a despicable act of evil targeting the innocent in our society, and our hearts and prayers are directed to the loved ones of each victim.

At this moment psychiatrists, counselors, politicians, journalists, law enforcement and many other professionals everywhere are scrambling to reason out the cause of such a heinous act by looking for some mental disorder which may have precipitated this violent act when the answer is a clear and obvious indictment against the moral condition of our very culture..a culture of death.

Everywhere we look in our society we see a wall of self appeasement, godless rebellion and disrespect for human life. Hollywood cranks out movies of ever-increasing gore and prolific bloodshed. Video games center around killing and destruction without conscience or thought. But the single most egregious part and centerpiece to all of this is the “shedding of innocent blood”, the killing of the defenseless for personal convenience.The blood of the innocent cries out as a witness against us. The many innocent children who lost their lives at the hands of a mad gunman although heinous pales in comparison to the millions of children who lost their lives at the hands of an abortionists. Although nameless and faceless they too are known and loved by God. Their lives are just as precious as the ones lost in Connecticut.

I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, Deuteronomy 30:19 (HCSB)

We continually excuse evil and attempt to rehabilitate violent offenders by trying to understand the mindset of an evil person but completely ignore the heart-set of the same. Any attempts to alter the mind without regard to reshaping the heart attitude of an individual will only lead to failure. Altering the human heart can not be accomplished on a couch in some therapist’s office. Changing the very nature of an individual can not be regulated or legislated. No law is able to alter the human condition, only God can permanently transform a human heart and cause it to turn from the culture of death.

And they will come there, and take away all the hated and disgusting things from it. And I will give them a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in them; and I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh: So that they may be guided by my rules and keep my orders and do them: and they will be to me a people, and I will be to them a God. But as for those whose heart goes after their hated and disgusting things, I will send on their heads the punishment of their ways, says the Lord. Ezekiel 11:18-21 (BBE)

The is the real power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in it lies the power of God to transform a life, to change an evil heart into a loving heart. Yes we can debate and discuss and try to get into the head of the madman who gunned down the innocents in Connecticut, but what is needed is to get to the heart of the man and change it. There is no law capable of changing the intents of a man’s heart; to do that we need more of Christ in the world, not more laws.

As repulsive and heartbreaking as the tragedy in Connecticut was, if we continue to embrace the culture of death and continually cheapen human life things will not get better but get progressively worse.

There is an answer and a cure for this evil, it can be found in the Biblical words of: 2 Chronicles 7:14.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

We need to get back to godly morality instead of trying to cut God from our culture. We need to repent of turning our collective backs on God and instead invite Him to change America’s heart. We need to repent of our culture of death and embrace life and love which comes from following after God.

We need to seek Him while there is yet time

For I am conscious of my thoughts about you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you hope at the end. And you will go on crying to me and making prayer to me, and I will give ear to you. And you will be searching for me and I will be there, when you have gone after me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13 (BBE)

Yes America there is evil in the world, pray with me as many have prayed for many years:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV)

This is a view from the nest. What say you?

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness.

_{Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)}

Along for the journey