5 MINUTE VIDEO: Why Nationalism Is Dangerous

Why can't Christians practice their faith and remain loyal to politics and nationalism? What's the big deal?

Take 5 minutes and listen as author Keith Giles explains why Nationalism and Christianity do not mix.

One reason is the "Nones and Dones" trend which is steadily growing in American churches today. This phenomena has been driving millions of young people [and some older ones] away from the church. Why? Because they're sick of politics in the church.

Another reason is the disturbing trends revealed in the "Early Warning Signs of Fascism" found in the Holocaust Museum which are:

EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF FASCISM

1. Powerful and continuing nationalism
2. Disdain for human rights
3. Identification of enemies as a unifying cause
4. Rampant sexism
5. Controlled mass media
6. Obsession with national security
7. Religion and government intertwined
8. Corporate power protected
9. Labor power suppressed
10. Disdain for intellectual and the arts
11. Obsession with crime and punishment
12. Rampant cronyism and corruption

Read the best-selling book "Jesus Untangled:Crucifying Our Politics To Pledge Allegiance To The Lamb" available now on Amazon.

ONE NATION UNDER GOD?

One of the most disturbing things about Christianity in America is how few Christians show any loyalty or passion for their Nation.

Instead of being patriotic and zealous for their country, they’re hopelessly distracted by things that are empty and pointless.

Instead of standing fearlessly in support of their nation’s rightful leader, they divide their loyalties and disrespectfully defy him and his authority.

Such behavior can only be described as treasonous, really. It’s only a matter of time before such brazen disloyalty to his administration is finally dealt with.

Just listen to what our leader has said about such people:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23)

And later:

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46)

Jesus is our one, true leader. He is our King. He is Lord of all, and He does expect us to put His words into practice.

What’s more, Jesus has a Kingdom. Those who follow Him are ambassadors of that Kingdom. We are called a Holy Nation on this Earth and our citizenship is from above.

As the Apostle Peter reminds us:

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation…” (1 Peter 2:9)

 Who is he talking to? To the Church! We are “a holy nation”.

As it says in Revelation 5:9-10:

“And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

This means that His Holy Nation is made up of people from across the globe: People from Syria, Libya, Australia, Korea, Pakistan, France, etc. are all now citizens of Christ’s eternal Kingdom that transcends national borders and covers the whole planet.

Again, as Peter affirms,

“Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:10)

Christians in America (and abroad) must pledge allegiance to their Holy Nation alone, and not to any other kingdom or power of this world.

Perhaps the greatest threat to Christianity in America is simply the emergence of “American Christianity”? My prayer is that those who follow Christ will renew their patriotism for Christ’s Kingdom. Let us rediscover our nationalism for His Holy Nation and repent of our treasonous devotion to man-made governments and political systems.

"If anyone loves mother or father, or son or daughter more than me, (yes, even their nation) he is not worthy of me." (Matt. 10:37-39)  [commentary added]

"They did not receive the things promised; they...admitted that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." (Hebrews 11:13-16)

If Jesus is your Lord; if this world is really not your home; if you are sincerely looking for a better country, then pledge your full and complete allegiance to Christ and to His glorious Kingdom. Put your whole self into His agenda to transform the world from within - one person at a time - starting with yourself. 

Remember: 

"Before God all the nations are as nothing;
    they are regarded by him as worthless
    and less than nothing." (Isaiah 40:17)

 Don't pledge allegiance to a nation that is doomed to fail. Don't align yourself with a political system that does not recognize the authority of Christ. 

Don't give to Caesar what belongs to God. 

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My book "Jesus Untangled: Crucifying Our Politics To Pledge Allegiance To The Lamb" is available now on Amazon.

Paperback

Kindle

Download an extended preview of the book online

CRUCIFY YOUR POLITICS

American Christians have lost sight of their identity in Christ. They are blinded by politics. They divide against one another over differences in political ideologies. They question the salvation of those brothers and sisters who vote differently than they do. They decide who is a true Christian based on whether or not they belong to the same political party as they do.

This is sin. This is an abomination.

Here’s what Jesus says about division the Body of Christ:

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” – Matt. 5:23-24

Here’s what the Apostle Paul says about divisions in the Church:

“Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.” – Titus 3:10-11

Here’s what the Apostle John says about divisions in the Church:

“If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” – 1 John 4:10

How are divisions in the Body of Christ over politics any different than the divisions that Paul warns against in 1 Corinthians where brothers were dividing over allegiances to Peter or to Apollos?

If we’re not to form factions based on preferences of Apostle, then we certainly cannot draw lines of division based on political opinions, can we?

As Paul said to those Christians in Corinth, I would ask Christians in America today:

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some have informed me that there are quarrels among you….Is Christ divided? Was Trump crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Hillary or Cruz?” [With apologies to 1 Cor. 1:10-13]

Ask yourself:

• Is your loyalty to a brother or sister in Christ dependent upon their political viewpoints? 
• Are you unable to see – and embrace – other members of the Body of Christ due to differences in politics?
• Do you get angry at your brothers and sisters in Christ over disagreements about political candidates?

If so, repent.

Crucify your politics.

Nail your Nationalism to the cross.

Remind yourself that you are an Ambassador of another Kingdom.

Remember that you are not of this world.


Recall the words of the Spirit of God who calls out to us all: “Come out of Her, my people!”

In the book of Revelation, there are two opposing forces: Those who follow the Lamb of God and The Nations of this World.

Which side are you on?

I beg of you, my brothers and my sisters in Christ:

Abandon the entanglements of Empire. Defy the status quo.

Refuse to be called anything but a child of God.

Return home to the Father who longs to see you walking back over the top of the hill.

If we are more American than Christian, then we are not Christian at all. We are Nationalists who dabble in religion.

If we belong to Jesus, then let’s resolve to love everyone and not to become entangled with the affairs of this world.

Let the nations rage. Our Jesus is King.

We already have the answer that everyone is seeking.

Now let’s follow Him in Spirit and Truth.

Please?

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My book "Jesus Untangled: Crucifying Our Politics to Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb" is available at Amazon on Jan.20th, 2017 (Inauguration Day) and features a Foreword by Greg Boyd, author of "The Myth of a Christian Nation".

Learn more at: www.JesusUntangled.com

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Read more in the Jesus Untangled Blog Series HERE

Part 1: "Jesus Untangled"
Part 2: "Who Are We?"
Part 3: "Why Do People Think I'm A Liberal?"
Part 4: "Still Embracing Constantine?"
Part 5: How American Evangelicalism Has Been Exploited, by Ross Rohde
Part 6: The Entanglement Agenda
Part 7: "What Would Jesus Say About The American Revolution?" by Chuck McKnight
Part 8: "Ambassadors of Contrast"

Part 9: “AWOL Christian Soldiers”
Part 10: "The Elephant In The Church"

Part 11: "Christian American Horror Story"
Part 12: "Our True Source of Liberty" by Ross Rohde
Part 13: "Welcome To Post Christian America"
Part 14: "What Would Wilberforce Do?"
Part 15: "Crucify Your Politics"

[Subversive Radio Podcast] Star-Spangled Capitalist Christianity

I challenge you to crucify your Nationalism; crucify your Political affiliation; put to death anything that exalts itself against the Lordship of Jesus.

What God Says To America by MLK

AWOL Christian Soldiers

[Part 9 in the "Jesus Untangled" Series] 

  “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4)

Every single person who is following Jesus has enlisted in the Army of God. This army exists to defend the Gospel of the Kingdom and to engage in spiritual warfare against principalities and powers of the Enemy. Our aim is to overthrow the powers of darkness and to transform people from within by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our victory is assured. Our general is unbeatable. Our weapons are powerful beyond measure. Nothing can stop us.

But, according to the Apostle Paul, there is something that can slow us down. He calls it “entanglement with the affairs of this life.”

Much like any soldier, we have to be on our guard against distractions. We cannot become too immersed in the nation we are here to liberate. We cannot allow ourselves to lay down our weapons in the pursuit of “civilian affairs”, or we risk losing ground and we endanger our fellow soldiers.

Politics is part of the world system. Therefore, it is certainly one of the entanglements we must resolve to avoid.

Honestly, the political entanglement is one of the most dangerous we face in this battle. Why? Simply because those who become entangled in it do so out of a sincere desire to make a positive difference in the world.

Of course, every Christian hopes to make an impact on the world around them. This is part of why we are so eager to serve our Lord Jesus – because He has the very best possible plan for changing the world from within – and without bloodshed or oppression or violence.

No, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to make the world a better place. The problem is in seeking to do so without Jesus. Or, worse, to mix Christianity with Politics as if one had need of the other.

Politics is not about Jesus. Simply put, it’s about power and influence. Nowadays it is increasingly also about money, fame, manipulation, and compromise. The follower of Jesus has no business becoming entangled in such a worldly, corrupt system.

Even if the Christian sincerely believes that they can make a difference through politics, the fact remains that the amount of good that might be accomplished in this way is often at the expense of one or more of their own Christian values. Compromises must take place. Voters must often choose between the lesser of two evils, which still amounts to choosing some option – or some politician – who is evil.

What’s more, politics involves millions – sometimes billions – of dollars in campaign spending. Just imagine if that same amount of money had been invested in the sharing of the Gospel, or in actually solving some of the problems facing actual citizens in our nation. How much better off would our world be if we abandoned the political process and simply shared our funds and invested our time directly with the people around us who are in need?

“But no political party would ever spend their money on the Gospel, or in helping advance the Kingdom, or in caring for the poor,” you might say. To which I would reply, “Then why would any Christian entangle themselves with such a gigantic waste of money and empty use of time?”

Do you know what you get when you mix Christianity and Politics? You get Politics.

As with the issue of War, we can rest assured that nations will continue to fight them. But Christians need not participate in those wars. And, yes, nations will continue to seek political solutions to the problems of this world – as they have done for thousands of years – but Christians need not become entangled in that endless, fruitless process.

We have better things to do.

We are soldiers of the King. Our army is advancing daily. New recruits arrive ready for the battle even as we speak. Our Lord has spoken. We must engage the Enemy. Entanglements only serve the interests of our foes.

One day this battle will be over. Our Lord will descend with a shout. And on that day he will look over His troops. When he comes to you, will He see one who has lived as a stranger and an alien, untangled from civilian affairs, or will he see a soldier who tried to mix Christianity with Politics and ended up with Politics?

-kg
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READ THE ENTIRE "JESUS UNTANGLED" SERIES:

Part 1: "Jesus Untangled"
Part 2: "Who Are We?"
Part 3: "Why Do People Think I'm A Liberal?"
Part 4: "Still Embracing Constantine?"

Part 5: How American Evangelicalism Has Been Exploited, by Ross Rohde

Part 6: The Entanglement Agenda

Part 7: "What Would Jesus Say About The American Revolution?" by Chuck McKnight

Part 8: "Ambassadors of Contrast"

Part 9: “AWOL Christian Soldiers”
Part 10: "The Elephant In The Church"

Part 11: "Christian American Horror Story"

Part 12: "Our True Source of Liberty" by Ross Rohde

Part 13: "Welcome To Post Christian America"

Part 14: "What Would Wilberforce Do?"
Part 15: "Crucify Your Politics"

Ambassadors of Contrast

[Part 8 in the "Jesus Untangled" series]

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” (2 Cor. 5:20)

As followers of Jesus, we are His representatives – specifically, his Ambassadors – to the world around us. This speaks to the reality of Christ’s Kingdom being separate from the Kingdoms of this world, and of the need to bridge the gap between the two. That’s our job.

As Ambassadors, we are called to live out the customs, and the values of Christ’s Kingdom in this strange and alien land so that those who are natives here can see for themselves what life is like in the Kingdom of God.

What should people see?

They should see how we love one another. They should see how we love our neighbors. They should see how we even love our enemies.

They should see how we – in obedience to our King – handle conflict in our Kingdom, by loving, forgiving, blessing, and serving those who come against us.

They should see how we value the outcasts, how we love the poor, and how we care for those people that most everyone else wants to ignore or marginalize.

They should see us acting as peacemakers when everyone else is crying out for war and bloodshed.

They should see us living lives that are radically different than everyone who is not of our Father’s Kingdom.

Here’s what they should not see:

They should never see us pledging allegiance to another nation. No Ambassador would ever pledge allegiance to the nation to which he/she is sent. To do so would be considered treason.

They should never see us living according to the customs of the land. Violence and a lust for power have no place in our King’s heart, and it has no place in His Kingdom. 

Certainly there is a time for being “all things to all people so that some might come to know our King” and perhaps decide to immigrate – even defect – to our Kingdom. But we must always be careful to remember the values and customs of the Kingdom of God. Why? So that our lives may reflect the radical differences between these two Kingdoms. 

Our job as Ambassadors is to represent our King and to provide a constant example of the contrast between those who live in His Kingdom and those who do not.

If anyone ever looks at our lives and becomes confused about that essential difference, then we have failed in our mission.

Some may suggest that it’s possible to love two nations at once. For example, can’t someone love both France and America. Why not? What would be the problem in that? Well, on the surface, nothing is wrong with that, at least until we discover that the leaders of one nation have declared war against the other. Now what? We cannot continue to maintain loyalty to both nations in that case. Now we need to make a choice. Are we going to stand with one nation, or the other?

Make no mistake, the kingdoms of the world – and that would also include America – are man-made, self-serving political empires. They are not seeking to do God’s will. They are at war with Christ and His Kingdom. They oppose Jesus and His commands. They mock His agenda. They ignore the values of His Kingdom (love, mercy, justice, grace, compassion, service, etc.) and embrace the values of this world (war, violence, torture, exploitation, greed, lust, etc.).

The Kingdom of God and the American Empire are not congruent. They are not complimentary. They are opposing forces with radically different goals, values and ideals.

Just ask yourself: Does my nation officially devote itself to the specific person of Jesus? Does my nation acknowledge Jesus alone as Lord and King? Does my nation base any of its laws or policies on the Sermon on the Mount?

If you answered “No” to any (or all) of those questions, your nation is not Christian and it stands against the Kingdom of our Lord.

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” (James 4:4)

Certainly, we can decide to remain neutral and just wait to see which nation wins the war, but in our case we already know which nation is going to win – the Kingdom of God. So, we have to choose: do we pledge allegiance to our earthly nations or to the Kingdom of God?

We live here on this earth now as strangers and aliens, awaiting a better country that is from above. [see Hebrews 11:13-16]

One day, and it may be very soon, the kingdoms of this world will be overcome and obliterated by the Kingdom of our God. [see Rev. 11:15]

Our mission is to live as if that day was here and now and to occupy until He comes to sit upon His earthly throne. [see Luke 19:13]

Life under the rule and reign of our King is better by far than anything anyone could ever experience or imagine. It’s a way of life that can never be duplicated under any other system of human government. No matter how good or humble or kind their leaders may be, no one compares to Jesus, our King.

So, let us pledge allegiance to the One true King, and the One true Kingdom. We cannot serve two masters. Especially if Jesus said it was impossible.

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READ THE ENTIRE "JESUS UNTANGLED" SERIES:

Part 1: "Jesus Untangled"
Part 2: "Who Are We?"
Part 3: "Why Do People Think I'm A Liberal?"
Part 4: "Still Embracing Constantine?"

Part 5: How American Evangelicalism Has Been Exploited, by Ross Rohde

Part 6: The Entanglement Agenda

Part 7: "What Would Jesus Say About The American Revolution?" by Chuck McKnight

Part 8: "Ambassadors of Contrast"

Part 9: “AWOL Christian Soldiers”
Part 10: "The Elephant In The Church"

Part 11: "Christian American Horror Story"
Part 12: "Our True Source of Liberty" by Ross Rohde

Part 13: "Welcome To Post Christian America"

Part 14: "What Would Wilberforce Do?"
Part 15: "Crucify Your Politics"

Jesus Untangled

A few days ago I received an email from a friend of mine. He was sharing with me his frustration over the apparent blindness that many Christians seem to have when it comes to following Jesus.

His experience was that every time he attempted to talk about doing what Jesus commanded us to do – like loving our enemies, turning the other cheek, caring for the poor, etc. – the responses he kept receiving were comments like, “But the Founding Fathers say…”, or “The Constitution says..”, or “Common sense tells you…”,  and so on.

This isn’t something new to me. I’ve had – and continue to have – similar conversations with Christians on almost a daily basis.

So, what’s going on here? Why is this such an ongoing problem in the American Church today? What can we do about it?

I have a few ideas.

What’s going on?

Most Christians simply do not understand the Gospel, plain and simple. I know this because – only about 10 years ago – I was also unaware of what the actual Gospel was all about. Keep in mind, I was also a licensed and ordained Southern Baptist pastor at that time.

See, I used to believe that the Gospel was about saying a prayer so that I could go to heaven when I die.

But that’s not the Gospel.

The Gospel – or the “Good News” – that Jesus came and died to proclaim is found (curiously enough) in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Here’s what the “Good News” (or the Gospel) is according to the NT:

“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom..” (Mat. 4:23)

“Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mar. 1:14-15)

“But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” (Luk. 4:43)

Wait a minute, what does this have to do with why Christians confuse America with the Kingdom of God?

Good question!

See, because Christians have confused the Gospel with saying a prayer so you can go to heaven, they’ve neglected to see the Gospel as something that is for here and now. That has led us to a Christianity that is largely about something that only starts to kick in once we’re dead – rather than a Gospel that’s about a way of life that starts once you decide to follow Jesus.

It’s also a problem because Christians today largely do not see their faith as something to be lived out. Instead, they see their faith as something that needs to be believed.

Once you reduce the Gospel as something that only needs to be believed – and not obeyed – then you can simply read the words of Jesus and say, “I believe that!” and think that you’ve done all that Jesus asks of you.

Of course, if we think a little longer about that we’ll see that this makes no sense – and that it’s not at all what Jesus says.

If your parents told you to clean your room and your response was, “I believe that!”, do you think you’d be an obedient child?

Obviously, Jesus gave very specific commands to his disciples (that’s what the NT calls “Christians”) and his constant refrain was that those who love Him obey Him, and those who do not love Him do not obey. (See John 14: 15-24)

What we have today in America is a Christian Church that is filled with people who have “prayed the prayer” and “believe the Gospel” but they do not see the words of Jesus as being for them today, nor do they understand that the Gospel is about submitting to the Kingship of Jesus in their actual, daily life.

How do I know this? Because on almost a daily basis I encounter Christians who respond to the clear commands of Jesus with a long list of “Yeah, but…” statements.

Another serious problem we have is that Christians in America have confused their faith with American Christianity. In other words, to be a good Christians means being a good American. More specifically, in my experience at least, being a good Christian means being a conservative Republican.

In essence, many Christians in America can’t untangle Jesus from their politics.

I sometimes try to help those people think differently by saying: “Imagine that someone in North Korea or Communist China hears the Gospel and repents and begins to genuinely follow Jesus. Are they now also a Republican?”

See, the fact is that most of the Christians on this planet are not American, or Republican. In fact, most of them aren’t even Capitalists.

I would take this even further by suggesting that no Christian should ever identify as a Capitalist, or a Socialist, or as a Republican or a Democrat, or as an American or any other nationality.

According to the Gospel, everyone in Christ is now a new creation. The old has gone and the new is now here. That means, in the Church, there is now no longer any Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male nor female, etc. but we are all one in Christ Jesus. [It’s in the NT, trust me].

Jesus is our life. Jesus is our king. His Kingdom is now our home. We pledge allegiance to no one else – and to no other nation – except for Jesus and His Kingdom.

This nation – the United States of America – will soon pass away. In fact, it MUST pass away in order for the eternal Kingdom of Jesus to be fully established here on earth – so must every other nation and government, and every political ideology and man-made philosophy. [And why would we want to put our energies into propping up a nation or a political system that is destined for the ash can when we could be working towards advancing the Kingdom of God?]

If we really believe these things, then it’s time to start living all of that out.

Jesus is Lord. He is Lord right now. He is my Lord. His commands are binding on me because I am already a citizen of His eternal Kingdom. It doesn’t matter what the Constitution says. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega. Everyone else is only a pretender to the throne.

So, let’s swear allegiance to Jesus and commit ourselves to Him and His Kingdom and begin to put His words into practice starting today.

Or, as Jesus phrased it: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, lord’ and do not do what I say?” – Jesus

-kg

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READ THE ENTIRE "JESUS UNTANGLED" SERIES:

Part 1: "Jesus Untangled"
Part 2: "Who Are We?"
Part 3: "Why Do People Think I'm A Liberal?"
Part 4: "Still Embracing Constantine?"

Part 5: How American Evangelicalism Has Been Exploited, by Ross Rohde

Part 6: The Entanglement Agenda

Part 7: "What Would Jesus Say About The American Revolution?" by Chuck McKnight

Part 8: "Ambassadors of Contrast"

Part 9: “AWOL Christian Soldiers”
Part 10: "The Elephant In The Church"

Part 11: "Christian American Horror Story"
Part 12: "Our True Source of Liberty" by Ross Rohde
Part 13: "Welcome To Post Christian America"

Part 14: "What Would Wilberforce Do?"
Part 15: "Crucify Your Politics"

GOD BLESS AMERICA?

God bless America, who spies on your phone calls, email,and text communications.

God Bless America, who executes its own citizens without a trial or even formal criminal charges.

God Bless America, who imprisons journalists who attempt to expose their war crimes.

God Bless America, which has been at war for 214 years out of the last 235.

God Bless America, which hires, or threatens journalists in order to have them write false news stories, and even film fake execution videos that advance their propaganda.

God Bless America which currently imprisons more of its citizens than any other nation on the face of the planet.

God Bless America, where more than 50 percent of the children in your nation are living below the poverty line.

God Bless America, where large corporations have more power over the laws, the policies, the courts, and the politicians than you - a tax paying, registered voter.

“Hey, If you don’t like it here, please move to another country!”

Moving to another country is pointless since every country on this earth is suffering from the same sin and delusion and sets itself up as a rival to the Kingdom of Christ.

However, if I did move to another nation, at least I wouldn't have to suffer the additional insult of being a citizen of a nation that proclaims to the world that it is Christian while at the same time exploiting and impoverishing other nations, stealing their resources, plunging them into poverty, dropping bombs, flying drones over them, and killing thousands of innocents...all in the name of Jesus.

No, rather than to leave this sick, sinful and prideful nation that believes She is "Christian" I must remain here and continue to point to the One and Only Hope for this (or any other) nation - Jesus, the Messiah.

When, and only when, this nation fully turns to Jesus will there ever be any change of heart, or of mind, or of behavior towards one another.

"Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." - Jesus (Luke 13:3)

We must humble ourselves before God, and humbling ourselves involves repenting from our endless wars around the globe and exploiting the poorest nations of this earth for our own financial gain.

The best way to end the wars we are currently fighting and to bring peace to this earth would be to take the Trillions of dollars we are currently spending on our war machine and using it to bless our enemies, to feed them, to clothe them, and to enrich them.

Proactive love and Preemptive Agape disarms our enemies and transforms them into our friends.

We could do that if we wanted to. We have plenty of money available.

In fact, a truly Christian Nation would do exactly that.

This is what I am contending for. This is what I will continue to pray for.

This is what the advancing of the Kingdom of God looks like.

There is only one Christian nation on this earth. It is the Kingdom of God. It is global. It is eternal. It knows no national boundaries. It recognizes no border or rule of man.

My brothers and sisters - the vast majority of them - are not Americans. Therefore I do not see myself as an American either. I see myself as a child of the King who was, and is, and is to come.

As a Christian, and as a citizen of Christ’s Kingdom, I crucify my Nationalism. I put to death all those things that once defined the person I used to be before Jesus transformed me.

I now resolve to know nothing except Christ and Him crucified. The rest I count as trash and filthy rags.

Let His Kingdom come!

-kg

DUCK DYNASTY OR CHRIST DYNASTY?

Once again, American Christians have confused Patriotism and Nationalism with Christianity.

As Phil Robertson (the star of reality show Duck Dynasty) declares that he is more than prepared to meet ISIS militants on the battlefield, Christians in America scream “Amen!” and salute their flag - sadly oblivious to how far away this actually is from the Gospel that Jesus – the founder of their professed faith – came and died to proclaim.

I think the basic disconnect we have on this issue stems from whether we hold the Ten Commands or the Sermon on the Mount as our basis for living.

For example: Many Christians today opt for the Ten Commandments. However, the Scriptures tell us several times and in many different ways that the Old Covenant is a shadow of the reality to come – (the reality being Christ). 

Moses prophesied about the Messiah saying that God would send one like himself who would be a Prophet and that people should listen to him. [Deut. 18:15]

Both Peter and Stephen remind the NT Jews and Christians of this verse and add that anyone who does not listen to Jesus (the Messiah) “will be cut off from among his people”. [Acts 3:22-23; Acts 7:37-38]

Paul also tells us that “to this day when Moses is read, a veil remains” and that this veil is only taken away by Christ. [2 Cor. 3:14]

Remember the Mount of Transfiguration? Moses (who stands for the Law) and Elijah (who stands for the Prophets) appear with Jesus. Peter mistakenly wanted to honor all three of them at once and God then removed Moses and Elijah (leaving only Jesus) and says, “This is my Son. Listen to Him!”.

Furthermore, Peter tells us even the Prophets themselves didn’t know what they were writing about and that only now (through Christ) do we understand what those OT scriptures mean.

What does all this mean? It means that we, as followers of Jesus, need to interpret the Old Covenant (Ten Commandments, Mosaic Laws, etc.) through the lens of Christ, not the other way around. In other words, we never take the words of Jesus and filter them with the Old Covenant scriptures. No! Jesus is the One we are to listen to. Moses says it. Peter and Stephen say it. God Himself says it: “Listen to Him!”

So, if Jesus says “Do not resist an evil person” and says clearly, over and over again: “Love your enemy”, “Bless those who curse you”, etc. then we have no choice but to obey Him. We cannot turn back to the shadow and the metaphor of the Old Covenant scriptures and try to live our lives apart from the revelation of Christ.

In fact, I believe the entire debate between Christians over the issue of violence is simply centered on this very practice of filtering Jesus through the Old Covenant, rather than placing the Old Covenant in submission to the Supremacy of Christ – and therefore ourselves under His supremacy as well.

To justify violence you have to turn to the Old Covenant scriptures. To justify military involvement you have to appeal to Moses or Joshua. But quite simply a follower of Jesus should do exactly that: Follow Jesus and not attempt to place the teachings of Jesus (which bring life) under the bondage of the Old Covenant (that brought death).

Jesus trumps Moses. The Sermon on the Mount trumps the Law. The New Covenant has replaced the Old Covenant which is “obsolete” and “fading away” [Heb. 8:13]

Chose you this day whom you will serve: A redneck reality TV star, or the Son of God. As for me and my house, we will follow Jesus.

Peace,

Keith