Christian Just War Theory & Preparation for the Rapture

Economics Political Theory
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Introduction: Please note, this is a post by a Christian. Since the discussion is biblical theory and the biblical view of eschatology and rapture, it’s of no real foundational merit for discussion with unbelievers. By no means would I be attempting to convince anyone who is not a Christian of this view. That would be akin to an Alaskan discussing the merits of an igloo as a home to a Hawaiian. A Hawaiian may have passing interest in how an Alaskan builds an igloo as a cultural study ~~ but not because they would personally consider an igloo for a domicile. I did read articles by Thomas DiLorenzo, Lew Rockwell, and others.

As an introduction, the errors of statism in the Civil War by Christians were attributed to an amillenial view of scripture whereby Christians believed they were “bringing the kingdom” through the governments of this world and military conquest. Therefore, from my view, they are in spiritual and biblical error through errant doctrinal understandings of the Word of God. The scripture says that the entrance of the Word bringeth light. There are means given to us as Christians whereby to “enlighten” ou brothers and sisters in Christ. Those means are the Word of God and the Spirit of God in correction to sound doctrine. The position of Christians leading to neocon errors I see as two-fold:

  1. Errant *soteriology attributing salvation in part to human will rather than solely the grace of God as stated in the sound doctrines of election and reprobation in the Reformed view.

  2. Errant *eschatological doctrine rooted in errant soteriological doctrine. False doctrine which places the power of the Kingdom in the wills of man rather than the Sovereign will of God lead to various forms of statism in which men work through governments, through the will of man, in an effort to work for God His will. The error is not resting in Divine Providence and trusting wholly in grace which would lead us to humble ourselves before our fellow man in not exerting human will to lord ourselves over the faiths of our neighbors. For example, when a man errantly believes he has brought the Kingdom (salvation) to his own life by the exercise of his own will, rather than trusting in the Sovereign grace of God having worked in Him wholly by Divine Power, it is natural to reach the conclusion that further exercise of man’s will shall bring the Kingdom of God on earth to greater degree. Those thus confused do not “reign in” their human impulse to control their neighbors through statism in a misguided effort to serve God to bring His Kingdom. Those with this errant view continue in errors so great, when not restrained, they would seek to bring “the Kingdom” through human governments of fascism and through military force of occupation of foreign lands.

In conclusion as a preface to the article I will now present, the “answer” to this dilemma of wrong impetus and motive resulting in political movements of neoconism and militarism in Christians would be to uproot the two above doctrinal errors:

#1. Restoration of biblical knowledge that Christians are saved wholly by grace chosen to salvation by God in God’s Sovereign good pleasure and not according to any merit present at the time of salvation nor in “foresight” of future merit after salvation.

#2. Restoration of biblical knowledge that the Kingdom comes wholly by spiritual means of personal inward transformation of spiritual growth in personal relationship with God by trusting wholly in said grace by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Kingdom then, on earth, will come by Divine Intervention and not by any human or worldly or governmental or military force or power whatsoever.

My writing and article, then, are a “certain calling”, I would say, to speak the Word thus when the Spirit causes the Word to enter the hearts of believers, entrance of the Word brings light, enlightens, and transforms Christians into the image of Christ in preparation for the rapture which precedes the millenial rule of Christ. While my discussion and points may seem (I’m certain it will) nonsensical to those who are not Christian in their faith, nonetheless, it is understood that the present doctrinal and philosophical beliefs of Christians who are neocons in their political persuasions are having great power of influence upon our national involvement in foreign wars and military build up. It is that which I now move to “counter”. What I state in the following is my sincere belief and conviction, though I again state recognize that it will have no foundational basis of personal faith basis with non-Christians.

Article:

I just visited an extremely passionate neocon site. Unless I’ve been completely hoodwinked (it’s possible), these are sincere Christian conservatives. The world is under God’s control at all times. However, we are witnessing the depravity of man “coming undone”. At times like these, we cannot afford to react to evil and then act out of our own humanity. We must function out of God’s wisdom through His Word. Below is an article on Christian Just War theory to help us build a moral view of war in agreement with biblical principles.

Just war doctrine### From SourceWatch

The Just War Doctrine, according to the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, in paragraphs 2302-2317, authoritatively teaches what constitutes the just defense of a nation against an aggressor. Called the Just War Doctrine, it was first enunciated by St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD). Over the centuries it was taught by Doctors of the Church, such as St. Thomas Aquinas, and formally embraced by the Magisterium, which has also adapted it to the situation of modern warfare.”

Principles of a Just War- A just war can only be waged as a last resort. All non-violent options must be exhausted before the use of force can be justified.

  • A war is just only if it is waged by a legitimate authority. Even just causes cannot be served by actions taken by individuals or groups who do not constitute an authority sanctioned by whatever the society and outsiders to the society deem legitimate.
  • A just war can only be fought to redress a wrong suffered. For example, self-defense against an armed attack is always considered to be a just cause (although the justice of the cause is not sufficient–see point #4). Further, a just war can only be fought with “right” intentions: the only permissible objective of a just war is to redress the injury.
  • A war can only be just if it is fought with a reasonable chance of success. Deaths and injury incurred in a hopeless cause are not morally justifiable.
  • The ultimate goal of a just war is to re-establish peace. More specifically, the peace established after the war must be preferable to the peace that would have prevailed if the war had not been fought.
  • The violence used in the war must be proportional to the injury suffered. States are prohibited from using force not necessary to attain the limited objective of addressing the injury suffered.
  • The weapons used in war must discriminate between combatants and non-combatants. Civilians are never permissible targets of war, and every effort must be taken to avoid killing civilians. The deaths of civilians are justified only if they are unavoidable victims of a deliberate attack on a military target.

Source: Vincent Ferraro Resources, Mount Holyoke College International Relations Program. [2]

In the last days, in the battle of Revelation 12 — the angelic host will come and fight for the Christians against the 666 beast as angels have fought for Israel in the OT. Except, actually, they will fight with greater power than seen even by Moses or any other. We will truly enter a “Promised Land”. The shadow of the OT will to great degree be fulfilled in Revelation 12. Yet, the best is still to come even after that. The bottom-line is that we must learn we fight not enemies of flesh and blood but spiritual principalities and powers of darkness. As we learn how to fight at the highest levels of spiritual warfare, the army of Heaven will come fully down to fight for us in miracle working power. That is why my spirit is grieved with my neocon brothers and sisters. They do not yet see what is coming. They do not see how impotent are the armies of man and how powerful are the armies of Heaven. We must come to agreement and prepare for the battle of Revelation 12. We must repent of unjust wars fought out of fear and lack of faith in God. These wars were spurred on by the glory departing from our land.

2 Chronicles 7:14If 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.

Matthew 26…:52Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. 53Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

John 18:35Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? 36Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. 37Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

My spirit is very grieved. If Christians do not forsake trust in the flesh, if they do not forsake living by the sword, then they will not be prepared for the day when the battle is fought at the highest levels of spiritual combat. Satan will be knocked out of the skies and off of the land of Revelation 18 around the Christians, turning the “land” into the “land” of Revelation 12.

But if Christians are carnal, worldly, and trusting in human armies, then they will not be prepared for entrance into the land of Revelation 12. They will miss what is in effect “a rapture”. That will be the result of not lifting their eyes to Heaven, looking to Jesus for redemption, and being spiritual enough to forsake wars of this world.

May God grant grace unto knowledge and repentance. May the Christians of the USA remove all consent from the unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. May Christian soldiers on all continents reject the armed forces, conscientiously object, come home, and prepare for the rapture.

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I’m going to state what happens in the “rapture” of Revelation 12 and 18 to create Christian perfection in the absence of the State. Maybe someday a truly Christian neocon will “see the picture”. The fulfillment of these things is so close, that what I speak of in advance will soon be manifest reality. Then, prophecy ceases.

The attempt of the neocons is to exert some level of force in order to attain “the Kingdom”. The amillenial view in the past was an attempt at “Christian perfection”. Please allow me to state… what I see is soon to occur. (The “for what it’s worth” category for perhaps believers and unbelievers.) However, it transmits the accurate vision of God working by miraculous means having nothing to do with the kingdoms of this world, human will, or human effort. If Christian truly understood grace, faith, and the Sovereigty of God ~~ they would all be Libertarians. Christians are correct that the Kingdom is coming in the USA in a special way. However, they “see through the glass darkly” and think to bring the Kingdom by human means through this Government and by legalism, fascism. I will share how the Kingdom comes.

Christian perfection comes through complete separation from the world system. Christian perfection comes only at the time that the 666 beast rises in the USA then commits the abomination of desolation. That is when the Christian nation of perfection arises in the USA through a form of “rapture”. Until the world becomes completely wicked, the Christian church will not separate fully from the “polis”. Until the 666 beast arises to commit the abomination of desolation, the Christian church will not separate fully from the “polis”. But when the abomination of desolation occurs, that is when the angel of Revelation 18:1-4 comes out to call the Christians to separate completely from the “polis”. That is when the Christian church arises in Christian perfection. Being fully separated – that is when the Christian nation of the USA arises in Christian perfection and the Kingdom comes fully.

The Kingdom does not come by any effort of the church to “force it’s will” on “sinners”. The Kingdom comes by separating from sinners and will come completely when the abomination of desolation is committed. The nation in Christian perfection that arises will be STATELESS. There will be NO STATE.

So the vision of Christian perfection in fullness is the “path” to Christian perfection in part: separation from the world – not seeking to force the will of the Christian church on sinners; not seeking to force the will of the USA on foreign countries. Rather, the call is to, truly, isolationism ; the call is to separation from the State and limiting the State as much as possible until the day the State can be fully eliminated. That will be wrought miraculously here in the USA by God when the world through the beast commits the abomination of desolation .

With that, I’ll share my vision. (I tend to be doctrinal and prophetic in my personal calling – so I’ll share “for what it’s worth”.)

See the woman rise in Revelation 12?? She’s the body of Christ in the USA. Governmentally – the 666 beast “sucks the Constitution into a black-hole” in taking his “oath of office” as a man of lawlessness (=, I believe, the body of Christ “confirming the covenant with the many”. When Satan does that, the body of Christ in the USA goes into Revelation 12 “birthing pains”.

To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When Satan comes in like a flood, the Lord raises the standard against him. So, the 666 beast shall never be “victorious” by any means on this particular land of the USA. The 666 beast rises up into office in Government to “release the spirit of” and “bring forth” the 666 beast system. However, the church immediately SPLITS, then, in the spirit realm from the Government of the USA. The church, whether she knows it or not, in the USA begins the BIRTHING of the RE-BIRTHING of the nation… at the same time. It’s an “inverse relationship” between the 666 beast and the woman of Revelation 12 (the church in the USA).

So, now see that when the 666 beast rises from the sea in Revelation 13, to commit the abomination of desolation, the equal and opposite reaction in the Spirit in the Lord is the birthing of the nation of Revelation 12 here on this land. That’s when the Christian nation will be rebirthed in greater glory than any Christian nation in world history. That’s when she will arise as a nation. The Kingdom of Heaven will be birthed into the earth realm in a NATION at the same time that the kingdom of the 666 beast will be birthed into the earth realm as a ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT in manifestation. Both are come to fullness “full stature”. The 666 beast government in full blasphemy. The nation of Revelation 12 will arise in entire sanctification. The Christian nation of Revelation 12 which is the USA is the PRECURSOR in a localized area of what will occur WORLDWIDE when the 1000 year reign of Christ is initiated. See the beauty?? See the wonder?? See how Satan is the coyote and the church of Jesus Christ is the roadrunner?? Nothing Satan does can succeed in putting him “on top”. The church rises in greater and greater glory even through trial… even as the 666 beast system is manifested fully by the abomination of desolation. That is WHEN the nation of Revelation 12 will rise in Christian perfection. Its beautiful and glorious in my sight how I see it.

This is why Christians should look to the Lord, limit Government, and never use Government to attempt to exert their will to control the justifiable, thus non-violent, liberty of others. The nation of Revelation 12 will never rise by any human means nor through any entanglement with the State. Rather, the church wholly seprated from the State shall arise in Christian perfection to become a STATELESS nation.

THAT is the true vision and goal of perfection. Knowing that, one’s vision in pursuit of Christian perfection and alignment of the millenial rule of Christ should therefore align in principle with the spiritual means of bringing the Kingdom in relation to Governments on earth now.

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I reject all millenialist and dispensationalist theology, so I don’t care to discuss the rapture or the millenium or the “666 Beast”. If the Antichrist is anything other than the spirit of false doctrines (which is how John defined it), then I believe it IS the state as an institution.

As for the goal of the church separating itself from the state, I agree that that would be a great and glorious thing. But I do not agree with your fatalistic prediction that that will not happen until some prophetic condition has been fulfilled.

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Blessings, McFall. Here is one thing. It is not my role, neither my responsibility, to convince anyone of anything biblical. That is the role of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, how you feel about my perspectives and which you adopt are a matter between you and the Lord and with Him I leave it. I do find that when I speak in person and manifest shekinah glory moves – it is mor convincing, perhaps. lol God bless!

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In good humor, I’ve decided to share my last post. It’s so beautiful a vision of the Stateless Christian Nation arising.

ZION Rises in the USA!!Posted on July 31, 2010 by 12 Star Truth

TRUE ZION ~~ RISES!! The mature Christian nation of the entire sanctification of EVERY CITIZEN thereof in the miracle working power of God. God will RELEASE THE SPIRIT to the saints who hear the cry of the angel of Revelation 18:1-4. The angel comes down in great glory to cry, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues“. The FIRE will sweep across the USA ~~ and destroy all evil on the land. Satan will be driven off of the land. The GLORY OF THE LORD shall come upon the Christians and upon the land in FULL MEASURE. The saints and the body ~~ THE NATION ~~ shall arise in Christian perfection in maturity of entire sanctification. The ZION of the Great Tribulation, the MOST GLORIOUS NATION in the HISTORY of the world to date, arises!!

THIS IS COMING TO THE USA!! If people could SEE THE GLORY ~~ they would NEVER look at this evil STATE and think it is “CHRISTIAN”. NO!! We must look to JESUS and ARISE in sanctification by the Spirit. We must bring Satan under our feet to ELIMINATE THE STATE by spiritual means in Christ in spiritual warfare from above!!

I tell you, God will soon do this. It’s a miracle. It’s what people THINK OF when they think of “the rapture”. However, they “shortchange God”. They have not even been able to GRASP how GREAT THE GLORY of GOD’s PLAN is ~~ so much HIGHER than our thoughts!! ZION will be on EARTH in Christian perfection for the latter 3-1/2 years of the Great Tribulation on earth in these bodies in entire sanctification. ZION shall arise as God incredibly pours out His Spirit to bring TO FRUITION what our FOUNDERS ENVISIONED from afar. They had no idea, probably, that the VISION would be ATTAINED by their future GENERATIONS on this land: ZION RISING IN PERFECTION ~~ CHRISTIAN PERFECTION in the entire sanctification of the entire NATION of Christians. It’s beautiful.

Revelation 12
The Woman and the Dragon
1A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. 4His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. 5She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

7And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.

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I am not sure i answered your question but I will give it a try:

I no longer believe the “Just War” doctrine as only governments go to war and pay/coerce “Christian Leaders” into selling this crap. War requires killing and large wars require large killings. As I became older and more cynical I failed to imagine how Christians with the “Turn the other cheek” and “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do” philosophies could ever fight in a war. War is so stupid, wasteful and destructive that only governments are stupid enough to engage in it. Besides I feel that I would be much better at providing my own defense than any government could be at doing it for me without my permission.

War between nations is rarely an event where some innocent bystanding nation gets violently attacked by some evil nation. The real politics of these events are much more complex and the fault is rarely one sided. The Exile of the Cherokee’s and the Annexation of Hawaii fall into this category of one sided fault as does the Russian attack on Finland in the 1930s and some of the colonizing of South America, Asia and Africa by Western Countries. Certainly WW1, the purges of Stalin, WW2, the Holocaust and the Cultural Revolutions in China (the most prolific orgies of death and destruction mankind has ever engaged in) were the results of interplay between several cultural groups, nations and agressive and awful socialist ideologies, including those in the Western World, and were not the decisions of evil individuals the public and parochial schools systems teach.

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I no longer believe the “Just War” doctrine as only governments go to war and pay/coerce “Christian Leaders” into selling this crap.

I do find it highly objectional when “Christian Leaders” sell the image of the State as if it is Christian to be blindly “subject to authority”. The only authority that is legitimate authority is that which has basis in truth and sound principle.

War requires killing and large wars require large killings. As I became older and more cynical I failed to imagine how Christians with the “Turn the other cheek” and “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do” philosophies could ever fight in a war. War is so stupid, wasteful and destructive that only governments are stupid enough to engage in it. Besides I feel that I would be much better at providing my own defense than any government could be at doing it for me without my permission.

I no longer believe that wars are fought for my defense or for my rights. I find myself agreeing with you in principle, because I cannot agree that any wars recently fought have been for my defense or for my rights. The Revolutionary War was. I think that if it came down to a war being fought for my defense, truly, then it could be justified as “Just War”. Yet, as a Christian, I sincerely believe that if we are living as the body of Christ in a nation as we should, knowing truth, and living truth ~~ then God will protect us to keep us out of wars. I do sincerely believe that if as Christians we have conscience before God and rely upon Him, He will meet us at the level of our faith. I absolutely believe that a level of faith exists by which God will protect people by wholly spiritual means of Divine Intervention no need of human warfare. I also believe we are “entering that time”.

If people consider, I do not believe that this Government is currently restrained in it’s desire or effort to bring us under total tyranny, for example, by anything but God. God is our only Defense ever. I think when people’s faith is weak, then they resort to human intervention rather than relying on Divine Intervention. But the more we trust, depend, and rely on God – the greater Divine Intervention we would gain benefit of with lesser “self-created need” for human intervention (including war). That is my personal opinion.

War between nations is rarely an event where some innocent bystanding nation gets violently attacked by some evil nation. The real politics of these events are much more complex and the fault is rarely one sided. The Exile of the Cherokee’s and the Annexation of Hawaii fall into this category of one sided fault as does the Russian attack on Finland in the 1930s and some of the colonizing of South America, Asia and Africa by Western Countries. Certainly WW1, the purges of Stalin, WW2, the Holocaust and the Cultural Revolutions in China (the most prolific orgies of death and destruction mankind has ever engaged in) were the results of interplay between several cultural groups, nations and agressive and awful socialist ideologies, including those in the Western World, and were not the decisions of evil individuals the public and parochial schools systems teach.

I do believe that persons with a lust for power tend to gravitate to positions in power in government. I also believe that a nation “gets the leader they deserve”. I do believe that the level wickedness in a polis “brings forth” the level wickedness that finds place in public office. As much as people would like to decry their evil leaders, it is easier to decry their evil leaders than to humble themselves and pray, turn from their wicked ways, and seek God’s face. The scripture says “If my people who are called by my name..” will do all of those things “on target” in sincerity, then God will heal the land. The “fate” of the USA has never been in the hands of any evil politician, nor has the responsibility for the general welfare of the USA been the sole fault of the “evil ones” among us. Rather, it is the pride, prayerlessness, wickedness, and failure to seek God’s face in the body of Christ in the USA which is responsible for allowing evil to rise and bear rule in the nation.

I do attribute the profit-motives of those in power with the initiation of war. Wars are for-profit enterprises. They are fought to conquer to gain profit, or they are fought to fight to gain profit. Allowing powerful people to profit from war is going to cause conflicts of interest that cause industrialists and bankers to see war as a business endeavor at various levels. I agree that these wars are sold to persons on the basis of cultural identifications and ideologies and the interplay between same.

Thank you for your comments. They truly give pause for thought.

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I believe there are just wars, but no good wars. I see a clear dichotomy between the two.

But, I am not a christian in any kind of established sense of the word (more of jesusian lol), so I have no place in this thread.

Good luck in your endeavors and your desire to understand the All

:smiley:

Is Augustinian just war theory dangerous in your opinion?
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I believe there are just wars, but no good wars. I see a clear dichotomy between the two.

Interesting thought. I immediately think of the “war between good and evil”. I can only share my thoughts as I ponder. You see, my entire view is that the scripture says in Ephesians 6, “12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”. Therefore, we “fight the good fight of faith”. I am a person who sincerely believes that if we wage proper spiritual warfare before God in submission to Him calling upon His name in all power from above, we would fight to win the battles spiritually. Then, God would fight our enemies for us with no need of human wars fighting flesh and blood. I remember He said this in Psalm 81, “13Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways. 14I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversarie**s.”

I think the “good war” is the war which God fights on our behalf without human fighting.

But, I am not a christian in any kind of established sense of the word (more of jesusian lol), so I have no place in this thread.

So you are a “jesus-ian”?? However, you are most welcome on the thread. We pray for your conversion to an uppercase “J” denoting Deity in reverence (so stated in good humor).

Good luck in your endeavors and your desire to understand the All

Why thank you. When the All is All in all ~~ it will be a glorious Day. God bless you.

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Well, I am going to post something. I think this is sad, in a way, as a testimony of our Christian fathers in comparison to Christian leaders of today. Christian leaders of today have one finger pointing out and four fingers pointing back as they pray for the nation today. They honestly believe that the sins of “the other” are the cause of the demise of America… not looking in their own backyards. They don’t humble themselves to confess their own sins == the sins of the church, the body of Christ, nor do they humbly (in my opinion) seek God’s face to learn, know, and find where they have departed from God in the church. Here is the article. Perhaps a “neocon” will read my comments one day – and consider. Neocons are very focused on their human enemies. They confess the sins of their enemies and do not seem to “notice” that being a neocon is a sin, for example. In my view, how I view things, there was a day long ago when the Romans threw the Christians to the lions for bloodsport and to exult in the power of the Roman empire to the amusement of the phlebes. But, now, we have Christians who consider predator drones bloodsport like Romans throwing “others” to the lions and to exult in the power of the Roman empire to the amusement of the phlebes. That may sound harsh. But how else could I describe those who confess the name of Christ and advocate torture for the advancement of an empire that is Roman. To call this Christian is profane. To call Roman-style empire-building “Christian” and to think God approves of this is evidence of failure to pray and seek God as it appears our founders did as they called for humiliation in confession of sins in repentance for unChristian hearts and deeds.

When our leaders used to call us to prayer and fasting

Posted: July 03, 2010
1:00 am Eastern

By William J. Federer
© 2010

To punish Massachusetts for the Tea Party, King George III decided to destroy its economy by blockading Boston’s harbor on June 1, 1774.

Thomas Jefferson drafted a Resolution for a “Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer” to be observed the same day. It was introduced in the Virginia House of Burgesses May 24, 1774, by Robert Carter Nicholas and supported by Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee and George Mason, passing unanimously:

“This House, being deeply impressed with apprehension of the great dangers, to be derived to British America, from the hostile invasion of the City of Boston, in our sister Colony of Massachusetts … deem it highly necessary that the said first day of June be set apart, by the members of this House as a Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer, devoutly to implore the Divine interposition, for averting the heavy calamity which threatens destruction to our civil rights. … Ordered, therefore that the Members of this House do attend … with the Speaker, and the Mace, to the Church in this City, for the purposes aforesaid; and that the Reverend Mr. Price be appointed to read prayers, and the Reverend Mr. Gwatkin, to preach a sermon.”

George Washington wrote in his diary, June 1, 1774: “Went to church, fasted all day.”

Virginia’s royal governor, Lord Dunmore, interpreted this resolution as a veiled protest against King George III and dissolved the House of Burgesses, resulting in legislators meeting in Raleigh Tavern where they conspired to form the first Continental Congress.

On April 15, 1775, just four days before the Battle of Lexington, where was fired “the shot heard 'round the world,” the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, led by John Hancock, declared:

“In circumstances dark as these, it becomes us, as men and Christians, to reflect that, whilst every prudent measure should be taken to ward off the impending judgments … the 11th of May next be set apart as a Day of Public Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer … to confess the sins … to implore the Forgiveness of all our Transgression.”

All our founders’ inspiring, biblical quotes in one place – a must-have for your library: “America’s God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations”

On April 19, 1775, in a Proclamation of a Day of Fasting and Prayer, Connecticut Gov. Jonathan Trumbull beseeched that:

“God would graciously pour out His Holy Spirit on us to bring us to a thorough repentance and effectual reformation that our iniquities may not be our ruin; that He would restore, preserve and secure the liberties of this and all the other British American colonies, and make the land a mountain of Holiness, and habitation of righteousness forever.”

On June 12, 1775, the Continental Congress, under President John Hancock, declared:

“Congress … considering the present critical, alarming and calamitous state … do earnestly recommend, that Thursday, the 12th of July next, be observed by the inhabitants of all the English Colonies on this Continent, as a Day of Public Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer, that we may with united hearts and voices, unfeignedly confess and deplore our many sins and offer up our joint supplications to the Allwise, Omnipotent and merciful Disposer of all Events, humbly beseeching Him to forgive our iniquities. … It is recommended to Christians of all denominations to assemble for public worship and to abstain from servile labor and recreations of said day.”

On July 5, 1775, the Georgia Provincial Congress passed:

“A motion … that this Congress apply to his Excellency the Governor … requesting him to appoint a Day of Fasting and Prayer throughout this Province, on account of the disputes subsisting between America and the Parent State.”

On July 12, 1775, in a letter to his wife explaining the Continental Congress’ decision to declare a Day of Public Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer, John Adams wrote:

“We have appointed a Continental fast. Millions will be upon their knees at once before their great Creator, imploring His forgiveness and blessing; His smiles on American Council and arms.”

On March 6, 1776, from his headquarters at Cambridge, Gen. Washington ordered:

“Thursday, the 7th … being set apart … as a Day of Fasting, Prayer and Humiliation, ‘to implore the Lord and Giver of all victory to pardon our manifold sins and wickedness, and that it would please Him to bless the Continental army with His divine favor and protection,’ all officers and soldiers are strictly enjoined to pay all due reverence and attention on that day to the sacred duties at the Lord of hosts for His mercies already received, and for those blessings which our holiness and uprightness of life can alone encourage us to hope through His mercy to obtain.”

On March 16, 1776, the Continental Congress passed without dissent a resolution presented by General William Livingston declaring:

“The Congress … desirous … to have people of all ranks and degrees duly impressed with a solemn sense of God’s superintending providence, and of their duty, devoutly to rely … on his aid and direction … We do earnestly recommend Friday, the 17th day of May be observed by the colonies as a Day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer; that we may, with united hearts, confess and bewail our manifold sins and transgressions, and, by sincere repentance and amendment of life, appease God’s righteous displeasure, and, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, obtain this pardon and forgiveness.”

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On May 15, 1776, Gen. George Washington ordered:

“The Continental Congress having ordered Friday the 17th instant to be observed as a Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer, humbly to supplicate the mercy of Almighty God, that it would please Him to pardon all our manifold sins and transgressions, and to prosper the arms of the United Colonies, and finally establish the peace and freedom of America upon a solid and lasting foundation; the General commands all officers and soldiers to pay strict obedience to the orders of the Continental Congress; that, by their unfeigned and pious observance of their religious duties, they may incline the Lord and Giver of victory to prosper our arms.”

At the Constitutional Convention, 1787, Ben Franklin stated:

“In the beginning of the Contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for Divine protection.”

Proclaiming a Day of Prayer, Ronald Reagan said Jan. 27, 1983:

“In 1775, the Continental Congress proclaimed the first National Day of Prayer. … In 1783, the Treaty of Paris officially ended the long, weary Revolutionary War during which a National Day of Prayer had been proclaimed every spring for eight years.”

Maybe Americans should once again, as Reagan concluded: “… seek His help for the challenges we face today and in the future.”

http://12-star-truth.ning.com/profiles/blogs/praying-in-jesus-name?commentId=6187082%3AComment%3A141&xg_source=msg_com_blogpost

For Christian leaders today to attempt to compare their hearts and motives to our founding fathers seems contrived. To presume they find themselves in God’s graces as our founders were in God’s grace seems presumptuous indeed. I believe they should do the deeds of our founding fathers and confess their own sins before God seeking His face so that they can know their sins rather than to continued in unrepentant hardened hearts before Him in my Christian view.

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“Then, God would fight our enemies for us with no need of human wars fighting flesh and blood.”

I am basically of the same opinion. And I think this is supported by Jesus when he says “if a man robs you, give him your coat and offer to walk him home.” I divert from him a little on the notion of turn the other cheek (I think it is healthy to value your own life, and more importantly the lives of others) and on materialism (there is a difference between valuing possesions, and pure materialism [I can want things like well-tasting foods, a computer, my golf clubs, etc and not transgress against anyone in doing so]) but I find him to be one of the few who got the real message.

“I think the “good war” is the war which God fights on our behalf without human fighting.”

Very nice comment and i will be using this in the future if you don’t mind. Another one I learned from my gung fu training is “the best fight is the one not fought.”

“We pray for your conversion to an uppercase “J” denoting Deity in reverence (so stated in good humor).”

I do believe him to be a deity, the son of God, as I do you and I as well. I don’t really buy into the John translation of “I am” whereas Matthew and Luke translate it as “you say it is so.” I tend to lean on the Matt/Luke side. And Ezekiel also called himself the “Son of Man.” I don’t really find this inconsistent with biblical interpretation, and am sad that the council of Nicea narrowly disagreed with me on it.

It is funny to me, because the entirety of the Gospels, Jesus does these miraculous things. And the whole time he is trying to convince Peter that all this is possible with faith in the Lord. Yet Peter just can’t pull himself to believe it (Jesus walks on water and calls Peter out to him. Peter comes partially, walking on water himself, but then hears a wave crash, looses his faith, and falls in the water). And in the end Jesus says Peter will be the rock of his church, and it just kind of fits that the Church cannot believe that We are all One with that which is Everything.

IDK, just my personal stance lol.

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I am basically of the same opinion. And I think this is supported by Jesus when he says “if a man robs you, give him your coat and offer to walk him home.” I divert from him a little on the notion of turn the other cheek (I think it is healthy to value your own life, and more importantly the lives of others) and on materialism (there is a difference between valuing possesions, and pure materialism [I can want things like well-tasting foods, a computer, my golf clubs, etc and not transgress against anyone in doing so]) but I find him to be one of the few who got the real message.

Interesting. These are things to “wrestle with”. I have witnessed things in my life. I will testify. The scripture says, “Touch not mine anointed and do my prophet no harm.” I have literally witnessed cause and effect responses of men being stricken dead for their malice towards me as I “turn the other cheek”. For example, on one occasion, a man was just viciously attacking me as I stated that we are saved wholly by grace without any personal merit whatsoever and by no means of “participation” in the decision to salvation. Rather, God very simply by spiritual means reveals Jesus to us for Who He Is. He does so by Divine Providence. The work is complete in the revelation of Who Jesus Is and is wrought wholly by God wholly by Divine means. We are instantly “changed” and this is how we are “born-again”. (That is my testimony of how we become the spiritual sons of God on this plane.) This does, of course, alter our wills, our thoughts, our actions as we are increasingly infused by the Spirit of Truth from our spirits into our consciousness which is our souls. This is beautiful! However, it leaves no room to glory in the flesh or to exalt one’s self above one’s neighbor in personal merit.

Well, this is why it is so objectionable a truth to those who are still very carnal and worldly thinking they have “done something” to distinguish themselves from their peers. (The human nature of competition and glorying in one’s own pride.) So, he viciously attacked me on a forum. It is not that he merely disagreed. Rather, the attack became vile, cruel, mean-spirited, personal, quite vicious. And he would not leave me alone. I warned him that this was not wise. Poison entered his blood stream in his left hand. His blood became poisoned. He went to the doctor. They could not “stop the poisoning”. They tried. But the poison was strong. They told him if the poison travelled to his heart, he would die. He stated this on the forum. I advised him that he must “let go” of this strong malice towards me in order to be healed. It is fine to disagree and have one’s own view. But to turn with malice towards someone who is speaking of the glory of God, evil consumes one to one’s own destruction. So, I warned him that he would die if he continued in this evident, focused attack in malice upon me. “Let it go and live!”. He contined for a bit to attack me. Day by day, the poison moved closer to his heart to strike him dead. Apparently, fear became the better part of valor. He lost his arrogance, and stopped attacking. And the poison “dried up” and he was healed.

I have seen men nearly die. I have seen men die. I have literally witnessed men reel backwards across a room as they came viciously to attack me in person physically and verbally. I once said, “I know you do not love me. But God loves me.” And I witnessed a man thrown backwards with such force that he hit the wall 10 feet behind him. So, I take that into consideration. The Government is given for civil order to restrain lawlessness. I believe there is civil order of Government to restrain those who practice violence. Issues of self-defense depend upon one’s “anointing”. The more powerfully one is anointed, the more powerfully men are restrained from God from executing violence against one. The restraint is of God and effectual at a “certain level” of anointing. God protects and defends one. But, at a lesser level of anointing, there is violence and Government must intercede to restrain lawlessness in violence and to punish wrongdoers. The people are the Government also. Therefore, the right of self-defense is self-evident.

Very nice comment and i will be using this in the future if you don’t mind. Another one I learned from my gung fu training is “the best fight is the one not fought.”

I don’t mind. In fact, if it is a thought worthwhile, can I claim “authorship”?? I ponder these matters of “copyright” also in general terms. Especially as related to Christian works which, if anything is good in them, then the thought was not “original”. (Just a rabbit trail.)

I do believe him to be a deity, the son of God, as I do you and I as well. I don’t really buy into the John translation of “I am” whereas Matthew and Luke translate it as “you say it is so.” I tend to lean on the Matt/Luke side. And Ezekiel also called himself the “Son of Man.” I don’t really find this inconsistent with biblical interpretation, and am sad that the council of Nicea narrowly disagreed with me on it.

I understand. The core matter of the grace of God unto salvation is recognition of the differentiation between ourselves and Jesus in our fallen states. He is God and the one God. But you see, the Spirit does not bring Jesus down to our level as fallen mankind spiritually where men can claim they are “like him” in their humanity. Rather, Jesus came down that we might be changed to become like Him through spiritual rebirth. Hebrews 1: 1God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: You see, to be frank, it is the nature of man in a fallen state to refer to Jesus as deity with a lowercase “d”. In this manner, man in a fallen state himself can claim status as “diety” in equaity with Jesus without being born-again through faith in Jesus Christ as a Higher Spirit than we are since the fall. It is the nature of the spirit of a fallen man to declare “I am a god”… and thinking himself the equal of Jesus spiritually “materially”.

However, it is true that Jesus, when we are born-again, makes us joint-heirs with Him by grace. You see, on bended knee one can receive in submission to God’s Sovereignty what can never be apprehending by grasping in one’s own will on the basis of one’s own person. It’s relational. We cannot, it is impossible, for us to humble ourselve to bow before Him in our own spiritual nature, will, and strength. This is my view of things.

Can a leopard change it’s own spots?? No. We believe what we are able to believe based on nature. It is of grace to destroy the human nature of pride and only God, who is Love, can deliver us from the narcissism of the fallen nature as I see it.

It is funny to me, because the entirety of the Gospels, Jesus does these miraculous things. And the whole time he is trying to convince Peter that all this is possible with faith in the Lord. Yet Peter just can’t pull himself to believe it (Jesus walks on water and calls Peter out to him. Peter comes partially, walking on water himself, but then hears a wave crash, looses his faith, and falls in the water). And in the end Jesus says Peter will be the rock of his church, and it just kind of fits that the Church cannot believe that We are all One with that which is Everything.

Now, if I am wrong and have misinterpreted you, please forgive me. Perhaps it will be of benefit to “someone else” if that is the case. But here, you see, we who are born of the Spirit through living faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in His death, burial and resurrection for our sins as the sinless Son of God on this land are soon to arise in entire sanctification in the Spirit of God. We cannot do the things Jesus did in fullness until we are filled in fullness with the Spirit which filled Jesus in fullness. Jesus Christ was wholly submitted to the Sovereignty of God. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Grace. To wholly submit to the Spirit of God in His Sovereignty, we must, as saints become wholly submitted to GRACE and forsake all faith in our humanity apart from God. When we see MONERGISM in the beauty of grace truly in wholeness (not in fatalism which is a human response to Sovereignty) we shall “come alive” wholly in our spirits as if by seeing Jesus Christ revealed in His Divine Love and Glory as if “face to face”.

In the land of Revelation 12 whereof I speak which shall soon manifest on earth here in the USA, we the body of Christ united here shall have all of these abilities. Therefore, I agree with you in principles that the true brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ who are born of the Spirit in faith in Him as the only Way to God the Father “have an ability” to manifest this level power. The nature of God is such that He is All Good. You see, when we are wholly submitted to Him rather than independent from Him in our souls, this submission produces infilling with love and power. If people are not filled with love and power, then they lack the power of revelation to produce this result.

IDK, just my personal stance lol.

rom my view, you are very close and see the principles, laws, and dynamics of oneness and shared Spirit in Christ by which miracles are possible. You see the miraculous and the relational principles, laws, and dynamics of spiritual union by which the same power flows through persons today. Also, I know that it is impossible, really, for man to believe he is a sinner rather than a deity apart from the Holy Spirit showing him that what he was in Adam before the fall he is no longer in himself after the fall and must be born-again to be restored to have the spirit that is the Spirit of God in union. As Christians, there is no desire for “godhood”. Rather, we are focussed on God that He is God. Philippians 2: 5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: If desiring to be as gods becomes an issue – one has issues, unfortunately, of pride and self-exaltation that are outside Kingdom Grace and Love. You see, Adam had before the fall what Satan offered him in the fall. But when Adam was truly spiritual ~~ it never occurred to him that he was as a god as the son of God by God’s grace. There is something wrong with “wanting to be a god” rather than forgetting about one’s self, worshipping God as God, and loving one’s neighbors as one’s self. There is an evil seed of pride in one’s heart that would cause one to fall from a position of grace – and lose one’s sonship to God and all apprehending qualities and graces incorporated in said sonship. Love is blind. Love is truly blind to those things which exalt self in pride.

In principle, we agree perhaps. But in state of being and in how union with God is restored, perhaps we cannot at this time. We can, however, call upon the Lord for mercy and for greater grace whereby to comprehend and if our hearts are truly moved by faith, then He will hear us.

It is not “ez” to reduce oneself to magnify God rather than declaring one’s self His equal or superior – for such is the nature of man since the fall. Pride is an iron barred cage that refuses to release it’s own prisoners and from which man, left to himself, cannot free himself.

God’s blessing to you.

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I respect every person’s search to find and become one with that which is everything. But we will come to heads on this issue as I reject the infallibility of the Bible. Nor, in light of both the flood and the Jesus stories, do I accept “God’s perfect plan.”

From my studies of the great spiritual beings of our past; Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tzu, the prophets (i have not read any koran/mohammed yet) that it is God’s will that we realize our oneness with Him, and work to actively maintain His creation (by Him, I in no way am saying God is a man, just using common nomenclature). Any metaphor hinted at in the story Revelations, I believe is hinting at this concept.

Jesus would not become a warrior. His way to fight the war would be for us to give up our worldy connections, become one with him, and defeat our enemies through love (the best way to beat an enemy is make him your friend). It is when we realize our oneness (a concept I like to call “collective individualism”) that the Kingdom of God will be realized on Earth.

Like I said, my views are radically different than the modern church’s, and I come to heads with many more intolerant christians than yourself. I grew up catholic though, it could be worse. Most former-catholics I know are outright atheists lol.

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are you guys seriously saying that Jesus disapproved of self-defence, and protecting ones property and loved ones from attacks by evil-doers?

sure, he was keen on turning the other cheek… to petty insults and the like… but that’s called being an adult, its good common-law.

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I’m not saying that. I’m not a pacifist, although I think that we should forgive people who do us wrong, and leave force as an absolute last resort.

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Im more of the stance of macfall, as I said “the best fight is the one not fought.” But I see nowhere in the Gospels where Jesus believes in material possesions at all. I’m pretty sure his stance was that we should forsake all these things, and walk the earth in simple robes preaching a gospel of love and compassion. I know he says that if someone comes to rob you, give them your coat (as that is all you have lol) and walk him home.

Now, I don’t think he touches on the idea of protecting someone else’s property, so I wouldnt say he is against it. Nor would I say he is for it.