Renew Your Courage & Hope in the Midst of Doom & Gloom

Christian Martialist Warrior, what is your mood like in this stage of the warfare? Are you optimistic? pessimistic? in a good mood? in a bad mood?

And just as important . . . WHY? Yes, it's important to recognize why your mood ranges up or down at this juncture of your life.

Are you bummed because your candidate did not come out on top on super Tuesday? Do headlines such as the following put you down?

1. Banks Foreclose on Churches in Record Numbers (And the realization that what's wrong is not primarily with the banks, but with the churches that have presumed upon the future while ignoring James 4:13-17)
2. Police Arrest & Strip Search Pro-Life Protestors (Knowing that police attitudes may have been influenced by recent characterizations of pro-life people as potential terrorists)
3. African Christians Massacred (While recognizing that the U.S. "humanitarian" military actions in the Middle East ignore the plight of Christians while kowtowing to the volatile temper of Muslim terrorists [more & more I think Muslim terrorists is an oxymoron])
4. American Police State Gathers Momentum (See also HERE) (Meanwhile, the general populace -- including pastors & church leaders) is unaware, uncaring, conditioned by gradualism, or afraid to stand up against the tyranny.)

When your fellow parishioners talk more about the latest football game than state of our nation & God's strategy/tactics to claim it for Christ, do you get discouraged? Are you tempted to become cynical?

This is nothing new. Listen to this expression of cynicism by the Kingston Trio (The Merry Minuet, released in 1959):


You are probably tempted to do the prepping for yourself & your immediate family, hunker down and let the world go to hell -- literally as well as figuratively. You know it's the wrong attitude, but you feel as though you've run out of options.

MY DIAGNOSIS

If you're at all like me, I believe you feel discouraged and un-hopeful for one or more of just three reasons:

1. You've lost focus on your primary mission and objective;
2. You feel as though you're all alone in the battle;
3. You've experienced so many personal defeats that it has affected your outlook.

Any of these will lead to indecision and inaction -- a bad state of mind for a warrior. So, let's look at all three stumbling-blocks and remove them from your path.

Mission: Proclaiming and Participating in the Expanding Victory of Your Lord's Kingdom on Earth.

When you're up to your [hips] in alligators, it's sometimes hard to remember that your original objective was to drain the swamp.

As a soldier of Christ, it's easy to let "emergency" side issues crowd out the main objective. As someone has observed, "The urgent is the enemy of the important."

There are many urgent issues around us today: abortion, child pornography, the rise of Islam and other cults, our nation's slide into immorality, the corruption of high officials and their utter disdain for the law of the land, let alone the Law of God, and so on. You may feel a need to engage the enemy on these fronts, but if you do so, you will fall into his trap.

The enemy attacks with many faces, like the Hydra of pagan mythology. And if you do manage to cut off one head, two more will grow in its place.

You will not make progress by concentrating on this or that head in the battle. You must realize that all these evils arise from a single cause, that none can be resolved without addressing that cause, and once that society resolves that issue, everything else -- social problems, cultural morality, political integrity -- will also fall into line.

That issue is the acknowledgment of God and obedience to Him. From a denial of these  issue all the ills of the world. (see Romans 1:18-32) Hence, to restore the world necessitates a turn back to acknowledging and obeying Him, which is what the Kingdom of God is all about.

That does not mean that you will never mention or address those other issues, but you will always do so in terms of total surrender to Christ as King. That must constitute your central focus.

Christian Warrior, God has mandated that you  most focus on His kingdom. You must shape your life's mission in terms of the Gospel of the Kingdom.

(This is not to say that you must forsake your livelihood or your family responsibilities to pursue God's kingdom. You must, rather, make your work serve Christ's purposes or find new work. You must determine how your family must function as a part of the Kingdom under the rule of Jesus as Lord.)

This involves a lot more than garnering professions of faith. It means bringing all nations into discipleship to the Lord Jesus Christ.

In His earthly ministry, Jesus did not call men merely to a momentary decision (the emphasis of much evangelism-so-called today). He called them to a lifetime of discipleship.

We offer an easy gospel to our audience, and we produce weak, dependent churchgoers who demand comfort, support and entertainment. When the crowds gathered around Jesus, He pre-qualified all the would-be disciples with an unvarnished call to sacrifice for the King and His cause.

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. (Luke 9:23-26)


And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. (Matthew 8:19-21)

Paul the Apostle echoed this call to discipleship when he exhorted Timothy:

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. (2Timothy 2:3-4)

Okay, soldier, the battle is hard . . . and long . . . and thankless. So, what else is new?

Real soldiers fight the battle and press on, heedless of the personal cost. They battle to enlist other disciples in this war.

Moreover, the transformation of individual and household lifestyles by the Spirit in terms of the Gospel of the Kingdom and the Royal Law of Liberty can and must lead to a transformation of cultures and the establishment of a Christian civilization.

Loneliness

If you feel discouraged because you think you battle alone, think again. Elijah thought he fought alone for the integrity of God's kingdom.

And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. (1King 19:14-18)

The prophet had occupied the point position on the front lines for a long time, and now, after a time of R&R, he had begun to sink into despair. That's often how it happens -- you don't realize how the battle has drained your spirit until you experience a lull.

Despair had brought the prophet to a critical crossroads. But the Lord did not rebuke him, for he had remained faithful through some desperate times. 

Instead, the Lord did three things. First, He gave Elijah a couple of rear-echelon kingdom tasks. Then, He sent the prophet to a companion, a protege whom he would train by precept and example.

Finally, the Lord opened his understanding to the fact that He has placed His faithful ones exactly where He wants them. The faithful did not make up a majority -- or even a plurality -- in Israel, but they were 7,000 times as many as Elijah had thought.

If you feel alone in the battle, let me tell you that I've felt that way many times. But in the end, I know I'm not alone because someone who cares will read this. And you're not alone, because I'm here, and that's why I've written this.

Personal Defeats

I've had a lot of these in my life, and I know better than to treat yours lightly. Sometimes, you suffer so many defeats physically, mentally and in your spirit that the very word victory seems like a hollow mockery.

At times, I fear that I've spent far too much of my life grimly holding on without much hope or joy. And I've run across more than a few fellow warriors in the same condition.

I'm in a more contented state at this stage of my life than I have been in previous decades, but I can certainly empathize with those who have become weary of repeated defeats.

If that describes you, I want you to know that I had you in mind when I wrote "The Combat Master's Christmas Tale". Beyond that, the Word has much to say to your heart.

The Apostle Paul encourages with these words:

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (Galatians 6:9)

Whether you feel it or not, victory lies ahead, and you will partake of it. That's what kept our Lord and King in the battle to end:

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

I like the words that Deolexrex puts at the end of every one of his emails:

The history of Christianity is a series of victories, described and disguised as disasters. Beginning with the cross...

In the end, you will discover that every defeat that has so disheartened you was actually a victory leading to the enemy's ultimate undoing. The overall strategy belongs to God, and ultimately, you must count your faithfulness in itself as personal victory, no matter what the outcome looks like "out there".

A Call to Action

Do you agree with my assessment? Do you agree with what I've written about our mission?

Have you come to a place where you're ready to set other things aside and dedicate your warrior skills in service to proclaiming and promoting Christ's kingdom? 

If so, how would you feel about a fellowship of Christian Martialist Warriors for mutual encouragement, planning and aid. It would be part think-tank, part action committee dedicated to the realization of the Great Commission in and through Christ's Church.

If the thought appeals to you, please respond by email rather than in the comments section. Let me know if you're ready to lead or to follow and what your personal heart needs are at this time in terms of our mutual mission.  

gravelbelly@gmail.com

I will write more on this in coming days.

American Evangelical Pilgrims?

The Pilgrims celebrated the first American Thanksgiving in Autumn of 1621, about a year after landing at Plymouth Rock. I have wondered though . . . . If the Pilgrim congregation had reacted like modern American evangelicals, perhaps the Plymouth Colony would never have been settled.

Here's my idea of how a modern evangelical congregation might have received the plea to leave England:

Pastor William Brewster (WB): The elders and I have decided that in light of the present persecution and the likelihood of further measures against us, that our church should leave England.

Congregation (C): We're sure gonna miss you guys!

WB: You don't understand. We mean that the whole congregation -- all of us -- need to leave England together.

C: Leave our homes? The housing market is depressed. We'd lose our equity.

WB: We're talking about saving lives. The king and the Church of England mean to snuff us out.

C: Some of us have been meaning to talk to you about your extremist rhetoric.

WB: Extremist rhetoric? Many have suffered under the yoke of oppression and not a few have died. As your leaders, we see the need to act.

C: Look, maybe if you toned down the rhetoric and made a few superficial changes in our worship service -- you know, to be little more high-church friendly -- we wouldn't have to worry about persecution.

WB: Our doctrine and worship comes from Scripture. We will not compromise God's truth to get along. We must flee those who seek our lives.

C: Don't get emotional. Maybe the best thing would be to dissolve our church and all of us keep low profiles by joining approved congregations.

WB: No! We have covenanted together as a body in a union very like marriage. We must stay together as a community of faith. It is what God has called us to do. Our congregation is an administrative unit in the Kingdom of Christ, and to function according to His calling, we must maintain our corporate integrity. However, if we stay in England we may well be scattered by the forces drawn up against us. That is why we elders have decided we must leave this country.

C: We're sure gonna miss you guys!

Christ's Alternative to Armed Revolt, 6

Continued from "Christ's Alternative to Armed Revolt, 5"

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:25-28)

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. (Matthew 5:41)

These two passages not only lay down basic principles of Christian ethics and interpersonal relationships, but they also reflect the principal avenues to success in the free market. Those who best serve their customers' needs AND who exceed the expectations of the ones they serve will excel in the marketplace.

Put these two principles from Jesus' teaching together with the one I dealt with in the previous entry -- let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven -- and you have the recipe not only for profit, but for positive influence in the surrounding community.

Excellence in service to neighbors means outstanding good works that will grab the attention of those around you. This has an added advantage of preventing two big problems in churches today.

One of the problems involves the adoption of a ghetto mentality. Churches that have this mentality realize that they must keep separate from the world, and their main cultural emphasis centers around what they don't do.

Sadly, this essentially cuts them off from contact with those Christ called them to win. Their attempts at evangelism amount to brief expeditions for which they arm themselves with leaflets and the invitation, "Come to Jesus and become a part of our ghetto." An offer that the great majority can and does refuse.

The other problem involves wholesale immersion into the prevailing pagan culture. Churches that promote this feel a burning need to be relevant.

These brethren see relevance in terms of adopting all the trappings of pop culture. They cry, in effect, "See, we can be shallow, crass morons for Jesus. You can, too." 

Rather than take either of these paths, Jesus calls us to disciple nations and transform their culture by teaching them to observe all He commanded. One indispensable means to this end is servanthood.

Feed the hungry, teach the illiterate to read, liberate the alcoholic and the addict, protect the weak and helpless from the orcs, be a companion to the lonely widow, visit the sick and infirm -- all these and more represent opportunities for the church community to reach out and begin to disciple those around them.

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (James 4:17)

Post Apocalyptic Society

I like post-apocalyptic films. I see The Book of Eli as a high water mark in the production of such films. As I like to interpret it, the movie ends with a hope that the Word of God will provide the foundation for a new beginning for society & culture.

A Mad Max type of chaotic anarchy cannot go on indefinitely. People cannot, for long, live as vultures on the carcass of a defunct social and economic order. Something new must replace it.

The preparedness movement is -- or should be -- about surviving the initial chaos in order to rebuild in the aftermath of a civilization-wide collapse. Christian  historian, economist and social theorist Gary North writes about the signs of collapse  taking place right now:

Yet, for all this, there are signs that the social and intellectual world created by the Renaissance and extended by the Enlightenment -- right wing and left wing -- is nearing its own final days. This is marked by the crisis of the democratic nation-state. It faces these crises:

1. The bankruptcy of its welfare programs for the aged
2. Rising rates of violent crime
3. The failure in the United States of tax-funded education, K-12
4. The bankruptcy of the American empire
5. The loss of legitimacy of the democratic nation-state
6. The break-up of the European federation and euro
7. The failure of the United Nations Organization
8. The rapid extension of Islam in Western Europe
9. Falling white birthrates in the West: below replacement rate
10. The decline of historical knowledge among the West's elite
11. Loss of faith in the idea of progress
12. No replacements for the church and the nation-state
13. Boredom  (Gary North in the essay, "The Coming Break-Up of the Nation State" -- Although North needs a good proofreader for this piece, this is a must-read for thoughtful Christian preppers)

He further comments on erosion of the central faith in America and the West -- politics as the solution to all mankind's problems:

What was fading in 1980 was messianic politics. The idea that political change will produce some sort of social regeneration was no longer taken seriously by people in the West. Political campaigns invoke the word "hope," as Bill Clinton's campaign and Barack Obama's campaign showed us. But the hope was not fulfilled. Political hope around the world has not been fulfilled. As this confidence in politics fades, something is going to replace it. (ibid.)

North is right. As society continues to decay around us, something must replace the failed hope we have placed in the politics of democratic idealism. What will replace it?

I like to think the wave of the future lies in small groups of believers whom God leads to live in communion and community, according to the pattern of Scripture. I'm talking about a revival of the parish concept.

I believe that such an order of society is integral to God's plan for subduing the nations to the Kingdom of His Son. See Christian Warrior Online's  Mission page.

The Noah Option: Book Review

Re: Book Review - Preparedness, Book Review - Community

I met author Michael Mccarthy at the Oct 14th Sensible Prepper Conference in Greenville, SC. I obtained a copy of his novel, The Noah Option, and I'm happy to give it a hearty recommendation.

The book has a lot going for it. The story begins with a shootout between a main character and some mercenaries in Botswana.

After a slam-bang start, the book settles down to acquaint the reader with some rather engaging characters. The main ones are:

• Geneticist Dr. Grace Washington, professor & researcher at Tuskegee University. Grace is a distant relative of Booker T. Washington.
• Entrepreneur & software wizard, Isaiah Mercury, who finds himself smitten with Grace beyond any hope of recovery.

As the plot unfolds two sides emerge in an epic conflict. Grace, Isaiah and their allies represent the forces of free market capitalism, ingenuity and initiative. A corrupt administration with its elitist & bureaucratic minions arrays itself against them.

As the story unfolds, you will find romance, courtroom drama, suspense and danger all played against a backdrop of struggle against godless tyranny.

Perhaps the best thing I like about this book is that it shows that the battle against our Nazi-like system cannot be waged by lone individuals. In the book, individuals come together into communities of free people under God who cooperate within the bounds of a free market.

As my regular readers know, such communities have transformed civilization before. We call them churches. (Click here for details.)

For all that The Noah Option has going for it, I believe my reading audience will find a few negatives. There are basically three.

1. There is some profanity in the book. Much, but not all comes from the mouths of the bad guys. I also find it interesting that the author renders the one scatological reference exactly as follows: s__t. But he spells out cursing and other profane language. This is not so much a reflection on McCarthy as it is on our society in general and the broad evangelical community that considers affronts to God more acceptable than affronts to their own sensibilities.
2. Although the story line shows Christianity in a favorable light, and the main characters are Christians, at two places the book takes the typical, syncretistic American view of religion. In one instance it favorably refers to a Judaeo/Christian/Muslim commonality, and in the other it adds in Buddhism and Hinduism, as well.
3. In the author's fictional world, an independent researcher and a free-market entrepreneur develop and market a genetically modified (GM) seed corn to third world farmers that is safe, cheap, requires 1/4 the water and produces four times the yield compared to standard seeds. In the real world, GM seeds come from politically connected corporate giants like Monsanto, carry a price tag far above that of traditional seeds, bear the blame for massive crop failures (see here and here and here), and come with serious safety questions (see here). While I acknowledge the theoretical possibility of a GM variety of grain or vegetable that meets all the criteria posed in The Noah Option, from everything I've read on the topic, we're just not there yet. Moreover, the fictional proponents of GM foods came with scientific credentials while their main detractors had no scientific training whatsoever. In the real world, it seems that Big Agra forges ahead against evidence of harmful effects (see here and here and here and here and here [several articles by scientists at last link])

After discussing the last point above with Mike McCarthy, he says that, in the sequel, he plans to bring out the contrast between his character's seeds and those of the entrenched crony capitalist corporations like Monsanto.

There are going to be the inevitable comparisons between The Noah Option and such books as Atlas Shrugged and Time Will Run Back. While this novel does not have the epic scope of Ayn Rand's work, it does present compelling characters in an engaging struggle. And it does a much better job than Henry Hazlitt's book of clearly presenting free market ideas without the ponderous, seemingly interminable monologues.

My conclusion is that if you understand and can deal with each caveat presented above, I think you'll find Michael McCarthy's The Noah Option an ostensibly Christian, politically conservative thriller, which will not disappoint.

Christ's Alternative to Armed Revolt, 5

Continued from "Christ's Alternative to Armed Revolt, 4"


Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)

So far, we have seen that our Lord and King, Jesus, has commissioned His people to subdue the nations to His rule (Matthew 28:16-20). In the passage above, you can see how He calls His people to act as salt and light in order to fulfill that commission.

The passage speaks of influence (salt) and example (city, light [i.e., things seen]). Many have mentioned that salt both flavors and preserves from decay & corruption, and that God intends for believers' presence both to add savor to their society and to preserve it against moral corruption.

This salt-function finds its power in the Christ-like character of believers, which the unbelievers around them feel or taste more than anything else. Nothing puts a damper on the enjoyment of immoral activity like the convicting presence of virtue. (see Ephesians 5:11)

Matthew Henry places the disciples' salt-function in direct relation to Christ's Great Commission. Further, he sees this function as the Lord's alternative to armed conquest.

 [T]he apostles were the salt of the whole earth, for they must go into all the world to preach the gospel. It was a discouragement to them that they were so few and so weak. What could they do in so large a province as the whole earth? Nothing, if they were to work by force of arms and dint of sword; but, being to work silent as salt, one handful of that salt would diffuse its savour far and wide; would go a great way, and work insensibly and irresistibly as leaven . . . . (Matthew Henry's Commentary, on Matthew 5:13)

Alongside the influence of the Christian character, our Lord places the believers' exemplary works. Although each believer must individually contribute, the emphasis here is on the collective community -- the congregation.

We see this in Jesus' words, "Ye are the light of the world." We live in a world where Christians follow their pagan counterparts in eschewing precision of grammar, and hence of thought. Therefore, I have found the following concept hard to explain to a modern American evangelical audience. Nevertheless, let me try.

Ye is plural; light is singular. When Jesus said, "Ye (plural) are the light (singular) of the world," He was not saying that each of us is a light. His point was that we, as a group, are a light to the world. 

He amplifies this reference to our corporate witness when He follows it up with, "A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid." It takes more than one individual to make a city.

As a light, and as a city, the congregation of disciples contribute to the growth of God's Kingdom by the corporate example of their actions -- that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Christ's declaration that His disciples function as salt (influence) and light (example) comes as part of His introduction to the discourse we know as The Sermon on the Mount. In the remainder of that discourse, He details how His disciples' good works should be evident relative to how they treat their brethren (each other), their neighbors (the unconverted who are not overtly hostile) and their enemies (those overtly hostile to Christ).

Churches today lack the force of this kind of corporate witness because they largely lack the intensive and comprehensive aspects of community necessary to fulfill these words of Christ.

Continued: CLICK HERE