Warrior's Code

My daughter is always leaving tabs up for me to look at, and a couple of days ago, one had a Warrior's Code in the margin. I thought it was good enough to share.

WARRIOR'S CODE

To serve the King and serve others.

To "...defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." (Psalms 82:3-4)

To never draw "sword" in an unworthy cause, yet never sheathe "sword" in a just one.

To live devoted to serve and to love, willing to lay one's life down for a friend.

Pretty good, isn't it? Well it comes from a young woman's blog. You can check it out, here:

Of Battles, Dragons, and Swords of Adamant

A Little Experiment, 2

Continued from "A Little Experiment"

So far, no one has sent me the titles of any public school textbooks that teach the Lordship of the God of the Bible over any area of life & knowledge. It may be because of the limited readership of this blog.

It certainly can't be because those textbooks don't exist . . . can it?

It could be that no one thinks it is important. But it is, and I will explain why.

It has to do with a passage in the first chapter of Romans.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold [i.e., suppress] the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations . . . . Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Romans 1:18-32, emphasis added)

The passage is a long one for today's average reader, but if you look at the parts that I've put into boldface, you will see that the apostle is addressing the issue of refusing to acknowledge God. If you will scan the portions in between, you will see that refusal to acknowledge God is the starting place of every class of vileness and abomination, from idolatry to sexual perversion.

You can also see the fruit of not acknowledging God all around you in today's society. And public schools are the training ground for ignoring God.

If you think that I'm overstating my case, take a look at what the Bible says about how covenant children should be educated:

And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. (Deuteronomy 6:5-9)

The Bible says that in training children, you must weave love toward God into the warp and woof of life's routine.  To do this, you must relate Him to every area of the child's knowledge and experience.

This means that, as he learns language, math, science and history, he must also acknowledge the Lord of these disciplines and how the Lord relates to them. Public school training does not do this.

A moment of silence at the beginning of the class day will not do it. A nonsectarian prayer to an amorphous, lowest-common-denominator god will not do it.

Even saying the Lord's prayer will not do it, if the "'Amen" ends all mention of God with reference to the subject matter.

OBJECTION: We have Christian teachers in our school district. They teach the children about God.

ANSWER: It's hard for me to accept that anyone suffers from enough credulity to believe this. A school teacher in America might -- for a time -- get away with bootlegging brief references to God into the classroom routine, but if he/she forthrightly taught God's lordship over math, science, history, and language, then that teacher would not last out the school term.

OBJECTION: Well, I keep tabs on what my child learns, and I set him straight at home.

ANSWER: When? The child spends six hours a day absorbing godless (because it ignores God) instruction. Do you go over everything that he/she studied that day and make sure your student understands the Lord's role in it? Then do you do the same with the homework assigned for that evening? If you answer, "Yes," then I would have to ask you why. You see, it would take far less time and effort to educate your child at home yourself than to put so much time and effort into correcting the wrong impressions he gets every day at school.

You may wonder why I am posting articles on public education on this blog. Simple answer: Because it's a defense issue -- both personal and societal.

Are You a Christian Warrior?

I saw this on Facebook, and I thought it might be helpful for aspiring Christian Warriors to identify themselves as such.

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.

Christian Preparedness, 2

Continued from "Christian Preparedness"

What's not often recognized is that it's during the crisis of darker times that men are more willing to consider the faith and ideas for godly living. In times of prosperity and security, men maintain the status quo, but political and economic insecurity forces them to reconsider their beliefs and practices. (Mark R. Rushdoony, Feb. 2012 newsletter)

We must recognize that this is one of the greatest if not the greatest opportunity yet to come to Christianity. This is a time of glorious opportunity, a turning point in history, and the wise will prepare for it. (R.J. Rushdoony, Roots of Reconstruction,p. 827)

In your preparedness, as in all of life, the fulfillment of your life mission (see also here) should rank high in your list of motives. The social, economic and/or political dissolution of the West in general and the U.S. in particular represents both divine judgment and divinely appointed opportunity.

Survivalists think mainly about themselves and, perhaps, their immediate families. I met one a few months ago at a local preppers' conference.

He unabashedly proclaimed that he would use force of arms to take what he needed/wanted from those foolish enough not to have armed themselves to protect their lives and property. If you have the heart of a Christian Warrior sheepdog, you recognize that he is precisely the person you will want to protect your family and neighbors from in a without-rule-of-law (WROL) situation.

Christian preppers must look beyond the self-centered desire to survive at any cost. They must look forward to a time of recovery from the WROL crisis and accept the responsibility to shape society in terms of Christ's rule and the Royal Law of Liberty found in God's Word.

In the March/April issue of Faith for All of Life, Buddy Hanson writes:

The Old Testament and the chronicles of history reveal how God raises up non-Christians to positions of cultural influence to awaken us to repentance, and then He either brings them down once we repent, or brings our culture down if we continue to live by our rules instead of by His rules.

In our own society, Christians have largely embraced the non-Christian culture on a personal and institutional level. There is no point in preparing for future judgment and rebuilding if you are part of the reason for that judgment.

If that is the case, then the top priority in your preparedness should be to repent and become part of the solution rather than continue as part of the problem.

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.

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

Christ's Alternative to Armed Revolt, 4

Continued from "Christ's Alternative to Armed Revolt,3"

Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." (Moses to the people of Israel, Deuteronomy 4:5-6)

In I Corinthians 6:5-6, the Apostle Paul -- under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit -- advocates the establishment of a shadow government within the Church of Corinth. You can find the rationale for such an institutional move all the way back in Deuteronomy chapter 4 (see Scripture quote above).

When followers of Christ govern themselves within the local church in terms of His commands (see Matthew 18:15-20), they function as a city set on a hill, as an example open to the view of all. This throws light on something else that Jesus said:

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church ; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:18-19)

Two points to observe from this passage:

1. The "keys of the Kingdom of Heaven" give the Church power to produce effects (binding and loosing) on earth.
2. The word church (Greek, ekklesia) indicates a governmental body.

You can plainly see that the word church (ekklesia) expresses the idea of a governmental body by its appearance in Acts 19:39, where it refers to a civil assembly -- a town meeting in which citizens decide official matters.

But if ye enquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly [ekklesia].

Every city/state of the Roman Empire had its own assembly or ekklesia where each natural born male citizen could vote on matters of concern. Thus, each Christian congregation or ekklesia (the Church at Rome, the Church at Ephesus, the Church at Philippi, etc.) constituted a city within a city, the leaven within the lump of pagan society & culture.

Unlike contemporary churches, which function more like religious clubs, the Apostles founded First Century churches as enclaves of Biblical culture which were to convert individuals and permeate society like leaven.  

Continued Here

Christ's Alternative to Armed Revolt, 3

Continued from "Christ's Alternative to Armed Revolt, 2"


When one sphere like the state collapses, the church is left to fill the gap. She cannot, however, take the place of the state and pick up the sword. Like a Christian wife married to a rebellious husband, the church must bring the civil sphere to obedience by proper activity in its own category. The best description of this role is shadow government. A shadow government is understood as representing the true government, acting and waiting in the shadows for the present system to fall. When it does, the shadow government becomes the ruling government, or appoints another to take proper rule. ((James Jordan, "The Church as a Shadow Government" in The Tactics of Christian Resistance, Christianity & Civilization #3)

The Apostle Peter exhorts Christian wives to influence their unbelieving husbands through example of life (I Peter 3:1). This represents an individual application of Christ's statement that the Church must collectively serve as a city set on a hill.

Most evangelical Christians will accept that much, in theory at least. They balk, however, when we start talking about the covenant community as a shadow government. For them, that's taking it a step too far.

They don't see the Kingdom of God dominating the world in this age as the Parable of the Fig Tree teaches. Nor do they see this dominance coming as the result of an organic operation within and upon society as the parable of the leaven teaches.

Therefore, to suggest that the Church must operate as a shadow government in an alien and hostile environment sounds as a clanging cymbal in their pietistic ears. To them, the totality of the Christian life consists in their personal piety, attending meetings and impressing the first two upon their families.

When the Apostle Paul wrote to believers in the First Century, he assumed his audience knew that the religious foundations of any culture determine its institutional & social structures. In fact, Paul seemed genuinely surprised that Christians in Corinth didn't seem to get that concept when it came to the administration of law and justice.

Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? (1Corinthians 6:1-2)

Roman imperial law had something in common with contemporary American jurisprudence: both reject God's Law and character as the fundamental basis for justice. Since we live in God's world, we need to acknowledge that His nature provides the fount and form of justice. A system derived from any other source will, at its core, be essentially unjust.

Thus, Paul deemed it unthinkable that any believer would look to an inherently unjust system for justice. Instead, he appeals to the Corinthians to set up a shadow court to administer justice in settling differences between believers.

I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. (1Corinthians 6:5-6)

Many evangelicals interpret that passage to mean that one believer should not sue a believing brother. The context makes it plain, however, that Paul does not here utterly proscribe lawsuits, but forbids appealing to an unjust, ungodly court system when the case involves two believers. He encourages, rather, a suit settled by a shadow court on the basis of godly wisdom (i.e., the wisdom of God's Law/Word).

In the instance of jurisprudence, at least, we can see that God's Word plainly lays down a blueprint in which the local church must operate at least one aspect of a shadow government when and if an ungodly system offers the only institutional alternative.

Continued here (Click Link)

Christ's Alternative to Armed Revolt, 2

Continued from "Christ's Alternative to Armed Revolt"


And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But He answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought Him, saying, "Send her away; for she crieth after us." 
But He answered and said, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 
Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, "Lord, help me." 
But He answered and said, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs."
And she said, "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." 
Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt." And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. (Matthew 15:22-28)

Can you imagine a church so dedicated to living out the principles of God's Word that the surrounding world would come just to scarf up the crumbs of blessing? A church that long ago decided to stop picking up the scraps of a bankrupt culture based upon a godless worldview, but rather decided to live on the riches of a Biblical worldview and ethic?

Yet today, members of evangelical churches overwhelmingly send their children to public schools, where their teachers indoctrinate them with a godless worldview and their "peers' immerse them in the dissolute youth culture. While Christians turn their children over to those who feed them garbage, many public school teachers opt out of that system.

Thirty years ago, I taught in a nominally Christian school in a rural area, and it fascinated me to find that a high percentage of students came from households where at least one parent worked in the field of public education. Children of public educators outnumbered those whose parents worked in any other profession.

In other words, those who knew public education best wanted something better for their children. Statistics show that this has remained constant. (Check out the figures here, here or here)

So, why do the vast majority of Christian parents opt for feeding their children at the devil's trough? For the same reason they opt for godless alternatives in business, art, finances, entertainment and in every other area of their lives: they do not see themselves as part of a cohesive Christian community with a comprehensive worldview that drives a comprehensively Christian culture.

If whole churches presented a unified front to the world, as a city set on a hill, then we would see more than a few public school teachers willing to pick up the crumbs from a few isolated Christian schools. We would see the unchurched looking to the Christian community for answers in every area of human endeavor.

This would present a great opportunity to tell the lost of the only One who can make all of life whole and meaningful. And the life of the Church would back up the message.

Today, however, here and there a few rugged individuals and their families seek to live in terms of a comprehensively Biblical worldview and ethic, but as long as these efforts remain isolated, they represent lifestyles rather than a culture. Culture requires community, and truly Christian community requires leadership with a clear vision of Christ's mandate to disciple the nations, and a firm grasp on the strategy and tactics laid down during His earthly ministry.

Continued Here (Click link)

Christ's Alternative to Armed Revolt

Continued from "The Christian Warrior: Mission & Strategy"

Since I write this  blog for and about Christian Martialist warriors . . .  AND since I also post articles highly critical of our nation's slide into totalitarian tyranny, some may conclude that I support some kind of armed revolt against the corrupt power brokers. Nothing could be further from the truth.

While I fully endorse the Biblical principle of self/family/community defense against unlawful attack, I also recognize that the Bible does not advocate violent overthrow as a means to right the wrongs of civil authority. Sadly, the only alternative to violence that most Christians can think of is political action: vote the rascals out.

What I advocate requires all the selfless sacrifice demanded by a violent revolt, including lives, fortunes and sacred honor. It also requires all the personal motivation and cunning that goes into a political campaign.

I am talking about discipling a nation.

What????   Disciple a nation? What in the world does that mean?

So glad you asked. The answer lies in a mustard seed, a measure of leaven and the seed of the banyan tree. (See "The Christian Warrior: Mission & Strategy")

Continued here

Christian Warrior: An Idea Whose Time Has Come, 2

Continued from "Christian Warrior: An Idea Whose Time Has Come"

On my WARSKYL blog, I have written about the Christian warrior's calling as a sheepdog. I hope to address that concept here at Christian Warrior Online, but for now I just want to point out two characteristics of a Christian warrior/sheepdog that make his calling crucial at this time.

1. The sheepdog guards the flock. Whether the flock consists of  his family, his church or his neighborhood, he assumes responsibility for their safety from violent attack or other harm. The sheepdog acts on behalf of the shepherd in the interest of the sheep. I don't think it's much of stretch to say that the human sheepdog's responsibility includes protecting the flock from false doctrine and the lies of the prevailing godless society.
2. The sheepdog guides the flock. He drives them toward the goal determined by the shepherd, and he expends a lot of effort to keep individual sheep from going astray. For this reason, the human sheepdog needs a clear understanding of and a wholehearted commitment to the mission assigned to the flock by the Great Shepherd.

At this critical juncture in history, we need men who heed the Great Shepherd's call to guard and guide those for whom God has given them responsibility. The Christian warrior must shoulder the totality of this responsibility because the enemy wages total warfare against Christ and His people.

To be continued . . . 

The Kingdom is Coming

Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Martin Luther's catechism says that "Thy Kingdom come" means both that God's Kingdom has come and is [in the process of] coming. I think that's a much better way of seeing it than those who mistakenly see the kingdom as something wholly in the future.

My wife sent me the words to "The Kingdom is Coming," a Gospel song that clearly displays this victorious view of Christ's kingdom in history. You can listen to the melody of the song by clicking here.


From all the dark places of earth’s heathen races,
O see how the thick shadows fly!
The voice of salvation awakes every nation,
Come over and help us, they cry.


Refrain


The kingdom is coming, O tell ye the story,
God’s banner exalted shall be!
The earth shall be full of His knowledge and glory,
As waters that cover the sea.


The sunlight is glancing o’er armies advancing
To conquer the kingdoms of sin;
Our Lord shall possess them, His presence shall bless them,
His beauty shall enter them in.


Refrain


With shouting and singing, and jubilant ringing,
Their arms of rebellion cast down;
At last every nation the Lord of salvation
Their King and Redeemer shall crown!

Christian Warrior: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

I want to tell you why I believe that the Christian Warrior concept is an idea whose time has come. The world continues toward a tipping point that will seal the fate of millions, if not billions, and the Church experiences ridicule in the West while it suffers outright persecution in backward nations. (Note: the farther a country wanders from godly faith, ethics & worldview, the more backward it becomes.)

At this critical time, both the Church and the world stand in desperate need of the wisdom, courage, strength and protection offered by the Christian Warrior. The form and direction of civilization for generations to come will depend on whether or not he hears and answers the call to serve.

What are the qualifications of the Christian Warrior?

1. He serves Christ the King with his whole heart. He will spend his lifeblood and give his very life's breath for the cause of his covenant Lord's kingdom;
2. He trains rigorously in the proper use of two classes of weapons: a) The Truth b) Physical Weapons; he also has the wisdom to know when and when not to use each.
3. He is not a merely a warrior -- soldier, police officer, etc. -- who happens to be a Christian, but regardless of his employment, he is a warrior with an undivided calling. He would never subordinate his life mission to that of his job.

Click here to continue 

We Rest on Thee, Our Shield and our Defender!

I remember, as a boy, gazing with horror at the pictures of bodies in Life Magazine as they lay face down in the river, spears sticking out of them. I also remember Elizabeth Elliott's book Through Gates of Splendor on our shelf at home.

The death of five missionaries slaughtered by the Auca Indians in January of 1956 reverberated through the Christian world. So did the song they sang before embarking on what would be their last mission: "We Rest on Thee, Our Shield and Our Defender".

 Elizabeth Elliott, wife to one of the slain used a line from that hymn as the title of her book about the five missionaries. The book, and the event that inspired it fanned the fervor of believers and culminated in a great flood of volunteers for missionary service.

Elizabeth Elliott returned to the mission field, and she saw her  husband's killers along with many from their tribe come to Christ. 

You will find the words below the video, which features the hymn's melody (Jean Sibelius' Finlandia) played on bagpipes.

We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
We go not forth alone against the foe;
Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender,
We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.

Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender,
We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.

Yes, in Thy Name, O Captain of salvation!
In Thy dear Name, all other names above;
Jesus our Righteousness, our sure Foundation,
Our Prince of glory and our King of love.

Jesus our Righteousness, our sure Foundation,
Our Prince of glory and our King of love.

We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling,
And needing more each day Thy grace to know:
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,
“We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.”
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,

“We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.”

We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
Thine is the battle, Thine shall be the praise;
When passing through the gates of pearly splendor,
Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days.
When passing through the gates of pearly splendor,
Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days.

U.S. Military Backs Al Qaeda -- Should Christian Warriors Help?

Re: The Conflict; The Mission

Should aspiring Christian warriors enlist in the U.S. military? On its face, it seems a good way to serve by protecting hearth and home.

You can see a problem with that as you consider the agenda of those who direct U.S. military policy. For example, ABC News has reported that Abdelhakim Belhaj, the new leader of Libya's U.S. backed military council has a terrorist background and links to al Qaeda. 

The report states:

Abdelhakim Belhaj, who was recently appointed to Tripoli's rebel military council, was one of the original founders of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, an anti-Gadhafi group which was later designated by the U.S. State Department as a terrorist organization with links to al Qaeda, according to U.S. government reports. (Read complete article HERE)

So, why have the ruling elite backed an al Qaeda faction in yet another military intervention? Could it be that the Military Industrial Complex (MIC) needs an enemy in order to justify its existence, and that Libya will serve as the incubator for the future enemy?

Of course, by the time the tailor-made terrorists enemy develops into a credible threat, the American public will have forgotten the U.S. role in creating it. Who remembers that Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein were both at one time CIA clients?

Who remembers that during World War I, the head of the Federal Reserve Bank and the head of the German central bank were brothers? The banksters who financed the war on both sides profited.

My counsel to young Christian warriors who want to serve their country is to find some other way to do it rather than join the military. Don't put your life and limb on the line as a pawn for policymakers who put personal and corporate profits above the well-being of this nation's citizens.

Do not misunderstand me -- I pray for those who have gone into military service. I respect their courage and intentions, but I have to confess I believe that they are misguided.

I believe that a young Christian warrior would better serve his nation by serving the nation's King -- Jesus. As I develop this site, D.V., I hope to outline a plan based on Biblical teaching that will accomplish this.

Christian Warrior Online: WARSKYL on Steroids

As I launch this Christian Warrior Online blog, I intend to make it function like WARSKYL on steroids. Here's how I plan to do that:

• Broader Mission: Although I will continue to aim the content at Christian Martialists, I also want to show how the Warrior calling relates to the broader mission of the Church, Christian culture, community, and more;
• Better Organization: First, I will be adding more stand-alone pages to the blog, each dealing with a different topic (community, culture, etc.) -- I have started with a WARSKYL page -- Second, my years of experience with the WARSKYL blog have given me a better feel for labels and how to use them to maximize the ease of locating specific material -- Third, I will put lists with links to pertinent blog posts on the stand alone pages.
• Blend of Old and New: I will continue to write new posts for Christian Warrior Online, but I also want to update and revise some classic material from the WARSKYL blog so that, with the new organizational system, all that information will be more accessible to you.

And, as always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Although I do have answers, I know I don't have all the answers. Therefore, I look forward to your input regarding organization as well as content.

To my veteran readers, I hope that this new venture will prove more inspirational and instructional as relates to your calling as Christian Martialists. To my new readers, I hope it will not be long before you consider yourselves Christian Warrior Online veterans.