QUESTION
FROM A READER: I
had a reader ask about "Heal Our Land" and why I encouraged Christian
warriors to avoid them. This was a good question because the organization has
some good qualities. I put my response here to show the importance of not associating
with rebels and those who replace biblical causes with mongrel causes. Here
is my answer to the reader: You
had a question about "Heal Our Land."
The Bible, as in the case of Jesus Christ, Paul, Peter, and all New Testament
writers, never called for the healing of the land. The only way patriotic Christians
groups can pull this off is by quoting Old Testament passages out of context.
Jesus made the offer of himself as Messiah, and healing was with people, one on
one. This group you mentioned is trying to save America. Jesus did not die for
nations. He shed his precious blood for people. The Bible believer must stay above
the mongrel distractions of low value objectives. We are just passing through.
We are not to be laying up treasures in the earth. If we save America, we will
not get to take it to heaven with us. The Lord's Church should seek to be separate
from the state, but this is not a calling. Each church, saint, and church board
should do what it takes, and there are nations where separation is not a constitutional
issue. Indeed, Paul was all tangled up in Rome with Caesar because he appealed
to be heard by Caesar. Was he wicked for using the state to keep his "ministry"
alive?
You need to start reading missionary biographies. There are hundreds of stories
of mission work, especially new works, where the missionary was in some organic
relationship with Caesar in order to even get into the land, and in other cases,
to stay alive. Missions have had to form leases under government contract and
many more examples. Get the job done, and, as much as possible, keep off of Caesars
turf. But, again, it is NOT a calling to fight Caesar's advances.
Try this. It is one you would have never thought of. Leonard Verduin, a Reformed
Church of America man, got a Fullbright Grant to do research on the effects of
culture in the low countries in The Netherlands. While in Europe, he did the Fullbright
work, and published the required book for the Library of Congress. But, he also
used that time in Europe to research the Anabaptists and their sorrows with the
Reformation leaders. The result was two books, "The Reformers and their Stepchildren"
and "The Anatomy of a Hybrid." In one book he defended the doctrinal and social
stand of the Anabaptists against the Reformation machine. That is startling for
a Reformed man. In the other book, published in 1965, he dealt with Bible based
separation of church and state in the Anabaptist model and applied it to the USA.
I have met only ONE of the modern raging people in the church / state cause who
has read his book. It is a masterpiece. And, Verduin used state money to get into
the libraries of Europe. If you missed the point here, you are in the wrong profession.
:-)
The US Constitution is NOT our document. We are NOT called to save America. We
have only ONE document-- The King James Bible.
I have a whole page on this with several articles on the issue.
http://www.blessedquietness.com/journal/housechu/tax.htm
I have seen many saints totally and spiritually self-castrate themselves with
tax rebellion and the unregistered church issue. And, that comes from a men who
unregistered a church in Michigan. We were able to do so in a much simpler way
than these boys who are trying to slap Caesar in the face while they unregister,
like Greg Dixon. That men was so hell bent to do more than enough, and to slap
Caesar, that he lost everything. He also had all manner of dirty birds gathering
to allegedly help him, men who were heretics. One of those Dixon had helping him
was probably a Mormon. "Heal
Our Land" is just another example of the kind of people a Bible believing soldier
must NOT get involved with as he follows the Captain of our Salvation, Jesus Christ.
We are not to join anything that calls us away from our vocation as Christian
soldiers and soul winners. Leave the low valued causes for others. What does Jesus
want of me? I have watched this gang for about 30 years now, and I do not go near
them, even though we seem to have some things in common.
I also have to wonder if there is a Mormon connection. "Heal Our Land" is also
the name of Orrin Hatch's record and show to save America. Why did these other
people in Missouri grab that title for their use? I don't like that at all. There
are so many connections in high places these days, like Falwell and Tim LaHeye
with Mr. Sun Myung Moon-- Falwell receiving over 2 million dollars from Moon to
bail out Liberty College financially.
I trust this helps in some small way to show why I call for a very tight separation
stand when in Christian warfare.
In Christ Jesus
Steve Van Nattan
PS While we are "saving America," I notice that a spirit of hate for other nations
is filling the heart, pulpit, and mouth of the patriotic preachers and church
attenders. Why? Does God want us to "save France" or "save North Korea?" The political
emotions and insults we feel as Americans toward some national entities must NEVER
cause us to take a hateful attitude toward lost souls in other nations. We MUST
long to save them also, that is, if we really believe that "Jesus saves." All
of these patriots would agree with me academically, but in real life they have
a "go to hell" attitude and say so in their pulpits. I think these new scapegoats
have become handy as some preachers south of the Mason Dixon line are becoming
self-conscious of the red neck attitude toward Black Americans, and a new boogie
man is needed. Voile, "them Aaaaaaarabs." I do believe that the average Christian
patriot would refuse to give the Gospel to an Arab if he had the chance. I have
listened to MANY of them, and they can be filled with bitterness and are proud
of it.
"Heal
Our Land" has articles which exalt rebellion. They also do not give the Gospel
of Jesus Christ, and they do not define their beliefs from the Bible in areas
of doctrine. This tells me they do not care who comes on board with them as long
as the party has common cause with them in the few areas of their interest. Again,
at this site, you also see the jump from Bible proofs, which are sparse, to the
US Constitution. The presupposition is that the US Constitution is of the same
authority as the Word of God. This is de facto blasphemy. A
LETTER FROM SAINT JAY: 
Years
ago, and I've long since lost the thing, I had a cartoon in my files of an old
fat guy sitting at the desk of the IRS examiner. The old fella is dressed in some
sort of absurd robe. The examiner says, "Now, Mr...er, Brother Wilson, exactly
WHEN did WILSON'S AUTO SHOP become the ETERNAL CHURCH OF THE UNIVERSAL TRANSMISSION?"
Some
years back when I was serving as general editor of a friend's Doctoral Dissertation,
I commented to him that I really felt we were under-appreciated, and that we really
deserved a little recognition for all our efforts. He naturally asked me what
I thought we should do.
I informed him that for the nominal, chicken-feed contribution of five bucks we
could be canonized as Saints in the Universal Life Church. He thought it was a
splendid idea.
So, I sent in the cash and a few days later we were each the proud owner of a
lovely, suitable-for-framing certificate confirming our status as Saints in that
venerable organization (q.v.).
The Universal Life Church got its start during the Vietnam war. Ministers were
exempt from the draft, so "Rev." Kirby J. Hensley started ULC, advertising in
underground papers and elsewhere that anyone who wanted to be ordained a minister
could send him a couple of bucks and be in like Flynn.
The IRS tried to bust him, but his organization remains pretty much bullet-proof.
A friend
of mine had his DOG ordained about ten years ago. (Come to think of it, most ordinations
in today's debominations (sic!) are just as worthless.
Anyway, when Hensley started the church I think he was an ordained Church of God
preacher, this in spite of his Baptist () background. (I am uncertain if
he was Anderson, IN or the pentecostal denomination in Cleveland, TN, or neither.)
Anyway, he hung a sign on the door that said "CHURCH." A couple of women walked
by and asked, "What kind of church IS this?" To which "Rev." Hensley responded,
"What kind of a church do you WANT?"
They told him and he said, "Well, this is IT! Come on in!"
I've seen Hensley (d. 1999) on TV doing interviews, and he is crazy--crazy like
a fox of course, but crazy nonetheless. He smoked a cigar and cussed from time
to time as the mood suited him. As silly as he looked (like a lanky, leathery
old mechanic), he was fearsome in a debate; he always made the other guys look
bad. His sense of humor was devastating.
Anyway, if you've been paying attention you will no doubt note that the "Rev."
Kirby J. Hensley is the originator--decades before Warren and those other clowns--of
the Seeker Sensitive Church!
HA! Saint
J See
their site here.
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