Monday, April 29, 2013

The Jesus That Kills


THE JESUS THAT KILLS

I have addressed this subject before in many posts but this one is especially applicable.
Bloodshed in His name.
 

The Roman Emperor Constantine had crosses painted on the shields of his soldiers in order to elicit God's blessings on his battles. Now we discover that the Army had Bible verses etched into the scopes on the rifles. History repeats itself. It is not enough to enjoy the fruits of violence, killing, and mayhem, but we must drag Jesus into it as well. Depravity and sacrilege reign supreme. These are the verses etched upon guns:

Jn.8: 12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

II Cor.4: 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

An article published on The Blaze, a right wing publication connected to Glenn Beck, suggested that the mandate was an attack of Judeo-Christian values. Here is a quote from that article:

“Questions surrounding purported attacks on faith in the United States military continue to abound. Over the past few years, many critics have decried perceived attempts to remove Judeo-Christian values from the ranks. A new report claiming that the Army has mandated that troops remove Bible inscriptions from their weapon scopes will likely only add to the debate.”

(source here)

Ok, we as believers must consider just how vicious and convoluted the extreme darkness of the culture and the fallen world at large is when Bible verses can be placed upon weapons in the killing fields and then we suggest that is a way to represent Christianity, the gospel, and Jesus Himself. Consider the implications of those verses. The scopes are used to line up your targets, human targets I assume, so light is what is used. So those verses about Jesus being the light openly suggest that our Savior, being the light of the world, will help soldiers be more accurate in their killing.

It is very difficult to fully expose the tremendous paradox in all of this and the profound antithetical nature of such a practice as it pertains to Jesus and His teachings. I mean it actually boggles the mind. I guess I could equate it like drawing a side of bacon on Israeli scopes, or drawing a hamburger on Hindu scopes. It is extremely shocking that this practice actually existed. To use the New Testament to support war and violence, and to use those particular verses is so disgusting, so alarming, and so viscerally distasteful that it should make all who follow Jesus physically sick. It is hard to imagine something more at odds with our faith.

But now that the government has ordered the practice to cease and the verses removed, the religious right, right on cue, rise up in religious umbrage. They suggests an attack on “Judeo-Christian values”. Let us be clear here: There are no “Judeo-Christian values”. That is a man made term designed to present some amalgam of the Old Testament and the New Testament moral tenants and it is used to describe the moral foundation for America. So in essence it is presented in defense of the culture rather than a true and principled outline of God’s ways. It is a myth but comes in handy as a nebulous moniker which elicits patriotism for a country rather than a self denying following of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So not only is it astonishing that Bible verses were used on gun scopes, and not only is it astonishing that those particular verses were used, but now the cultural sect of Christianity which follows the founding fathers more than Jesus are up in arms (pun intended) about it. Just when I thought the faith of Christ could not be any more compromised and redefined than it already has in the west, this is exposed. If Jesus is involved in helping men and women line up their gun sites and blow people away than let us at least be honest and throw away the New Testament. I mean all that love your enemies stuff is a bunch of hogwash and we need not even consider it anymore. In fact, America is now the golden calf and with a few Bible verses painted on it we can bow down and worship openly what we now worship between the lines. And we can place Bible verses on all our bombs and keep accuracy records to determine which ones hit their targets more often and use those verses in the future. It’s insane.

So that is an attack on Christianity? No, when they started placing Bible verses on guns THAT was an attack on the faith. Can there be any deeper compromise and blasphemy than that? War has now become a favorite son of the church and now we print God’s Word upon our weapons. Ok, has anyone ever heard of Constantine? His spirit still lives on today here in America. He was a Roman emperor who before a great battle saw a vision of a cross in the sky and a voice telling him that through this cross he would be successful in war. He painted that cross on all his soldier’s shields. How barbaric?

History repeats itself. We are not just satisfied with going to war preemptively, but now we drag Jesus into it openly and for all to see. Now I ask you, when some Muslim sees those verses on our guns what does he think? Of course he believes that he is fighting against Jesus and that Jesus is his enemy and that Jesus must hate him. And it isn’t just the religious pagans that support this practice. It is also a large section of professing evangelicals. Instead of spreading the light of the gospel they have embraced some wicked amalgam of violence and killing and Jesus. It is an amazing feat that takes the faith of Jesus and transforms it into a vehicle for democracy through war.

Can you just imagine a soldier peering through his scope that says that Jesus is the light of the world, and he gently pulls the trigger and his bullet races toward his target and “Wham!!” the person’s head explodes into bits of flesh and blood all over the ground. The lifeless corpse falls immediately onto the ground. And looking up and realizing what has happened, the soldier rises to his feet and loudly proclaims, “Thank you Lord Jesus!” And gazing lovingly at his rifle he once again reads the two verses etched into the scope:

Jn.8: 12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

II Cor.4: 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

And we wonder why Muslims feel that they are in a war against Jesus and that Jesus hates them. Oh when we will we as believers realize that we have nothing in common with this world and this culture, and yes, this country? When we will see souls in the light of the cross and not as earthly enemies? And make no mistake there is a connection between war and money.

Oh how my heart aches when I see just how mangled men have made the teachings of Jesus and instead formulated a concoction of earthly logic, manmade necessities, and humanistic philosophies of nationalism and divided allegiances. Two nations go to war and within these two nations are followers of Jesus. So are the followers of Jesus in each respective nation supposed to support their nation in this war? Are they both supposed to enlist and fight for their respective nation? And if by chance they meet on the battlefield, and assuming they are both born again believers, which follower does Jesus help to kill the other? Oh the absurdity and absolute horror of such earthly constructs. But this is what happens when we refuse to receive the teachings of Jesus in the abstract and make them applicable to our own earthly parameters. We have learned the ways of man and then taken hold of the teachings of Jesus and force fed them into all kinds of worldly situations and philosophies. And instead of the teachings of Jesus having an impact upon earthly understandings our earthly understandings remain solid while the teachings of Jesus become mercurial and easily poured into the machinations of man. In fact, we now openly suggest that Jesus will help aid us in all our ways regardless of whether they are aligned with His truth.

Bible verses on guns. Why did Jesus come and why did He leave us His Word if in fact His own church was going to change it to fit our own craftiness and carnal motivations? And now people scream about an attack on our Judeo-Christian values? What are values anyway? Values are something that have worth. But what value is there in certain moral tenants and ethics without Jesus? In fact we are called to preach Jesus to those who hold beliefs in direct opposition to the truths and values found in Jesus. Yes, they are called lost souls. But now we consider our rights and our views as values and the church willingly joins hands with unbelievers to protect those values even if it means at the end of a gun or under the power of a bomb. Oh Dear Lord, where oh where did we leave You and go a –whoring after the ways of man?

And in a stunning display of hubris and compromise, many who wholeheartedly support war and Bible verses on weapons have very little Bible in their hearts. Selah.

9 comments:

Cherie c. said...

I know that this may be of little comfort Pastor Rick, but we are in the last days. We all at one time were caught up in the Constantine mentality. I changed my thinking, or rather the Lord changed my thinking on this back in 2003 with Iraq.

All the ism's of our culture are false doctrines. In and out of the church. That is why the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is hard for some to believe. With all the noise and activity of the enemy, people are easily distracted and therefore led astray.

Do not be surprised dear brother in Christ, Jesus a fore hand told us about this.

"Many will come in my name", He said, "thinking they do the will of the Father". Those who are His know the truth and see the difference, and more, Praise God are awaking to His truth everyday, and there will remain those who either can't (judgement) or choose (free will) not to believe and embrace the love of the truth.

I see it everyday right in my own household. It breaks my heart, and makes me angry at the same time. Sad because I tremble with fear for them, and angry that they refuse to received a simple gift from God and make a mockery of it with the Lord's name etc.

All I can do is pray, worship, praise and live a life acceptable unto God and be an example of the true Gospel of Christ. A task I am unable to do if not for the Holy Spirit.

Peace and Love from our God and Father, and our Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.

your sister in Christ Jesus,
Cherie c.

Anonymous said...

This is a post for the times.

Sarah Palin, pro-life mother, wrote on her Facebook recently, "Who's giving the order? Who has the guts to take responsibility for this order?"

This was her response to the army's new order to ban the verses on the scopes. www.therightscoop.com/sarah-palin-who-ordered-the-removal-of-bible-reference-from-gun-scopes/

How many professed christians who are of this mind out there? How can tender dear mothers of children get indignant at removing verses that say that God commanded "the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts"....... in a war zone? While young men are being gunned down in a dark world by that rifle? Without a chance to find God's light? How can anyone who is in Love with Jesus feel this way? In fact, the actions of the U.S. military to remove these verses (put there by an arms manufacturer) are in line with scripture. The military chaplins no doubt feel how wrong it would be to preach Christ to someone who has the end of a barrel facing them. At least they are doing the right thing in having them removed. It proves the military has a conscience. Killing with inscriptions of God's word with the weapon is sacrilege.

What has taken over some in these last days is a militant/merciless/we aregods/crusaders for Christ against the hoards of pagans and unbelievers/demonic spirit that is creeping in. It's already crept in fully - and here we are. May the Lord protect us from the principalities of the air.

Rick Frueh said...

Sadly, Ms. Palin is a poster child for what is wrong in the church. And yet she is heralded as a commited evangelical. It is difficult to see where this will all end up. Who knew 30 years ago it would descend into this current abyss? Keep looking to Jesus, He never changes!

Anonymous said...

Our violent nationalistic Christianity goes back to our roots with the Pilgrims and Puritans--and their devotion to the authority of the Bible. Thus Judeo-Christian values found in the Old Testament triumphed in the "New World" over Jesus' commands in the N.T. As a result, the "light" that was a "city on a hill" began to cleanse its "promised land;" the native Americans became the equivalent of the Canaanites.

Judeo-Christian remains the norm for our nation, compromising Jesus.

Rick Frueh said...

Excellent observation. The Old Testament has some obvious mysteries concerning violence, however we are commanded to see through Jesus and Jesus alone today.

Anonymous said...

Am still thinking on this chilling report, and am no longer shocked at how christians can believe the enemy's lies. There seems to be a schism in the church, and it's broken apart into a new world christianity. The dark belief of this new christianity is like those eggs in "Alien" that are incubating and now opening up to prepare the way for the enemy of our souls to try to steer us towards dominion theology. But, by the mercy of the Lord, I pray we don't cave to this lie. This new thinking christian who regards winning at any cost; their soul mission, repaying evil for evil, not having regard for good things in the sight of all men.

This new christian craves to be right in the sight of men, more than in the eyes of God; he/she wants to dominate in the earth before the Lord's return, regardless of how many wars and deaths happen to achieve that. He/she has a mission to unite with Israel so she can enjoy all of Abraham's promises and blessings, not realizing that no good thing can come, except through Christ. He/she wants eye for an eye justice, they want the world's oil and the wine and the corn, and the land of milk and honey. They are not concerned about eternal life, though the pretend they are. They view themselves as the chosen of the new covenant and believe themselves to be above reproach or the Lord's condemnation because they use "God's Name on their things, and His Name to be forced on everyone's lips. They've traded in the New Testament and Resurrection of the Lamb for the Old Testament and resurrection of the tower of Babel.

Thank you Jesus for being in CHARGE of this whole mess!!



Anonymous said...

Insightful posts and comments here. It is so grievous! It is a spirit of deception like a veil over many hearts and minds.

Let me clarify, however, that Pilgrims cannot be lumped together with Puritans in the New World. The Pilgrims were non-resistant and two-kingdom in theology, in contrast to the sacralist Puritans. In fact, some Puritans oppressed and persecuted Pilgrims, who fled some of the earliest colonies because of that persecution. Pilgrims came out of the heritage of proto-protestant groups and Anabaptists. I just wanted to defend the reputation of pilgrims.
Victoria

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the distinction between Puritans and Pilgrims. I agree the Pilgrims were less abrasive than the Puritans, and came from a Separatist background that sought religious freedom; however, from what I have read, they did resist some Indian enemies, and used firearms to both "stand their ground" as well as to pursue some Indians. (Myles Standish was a former soldier.)

The "two kingdoms" theology relates to Martin Luther, who said Christians should be obedient to civil authorities in civic matters (the worldly kingdom), while the spiritual kingdom was about faith alone. The Pilgrims did found a colony, which included a governor, so they did have a "worldly kingdom," and they were deeply religious. But all of this was still mostly a Judeo-Christian approach that compromised the commands of Jesus. Jesus' kingdom did not legitimate the (worldly) kingdoms of earth; he challenged them and suffered persecution from the leaders of the kingdom of Israel (and Rome).

Anonymous said...

When I refer to Two-kingdom theology, I mean a sojourner mentality that understands that the kingdom of God is entirely separate from any and all wordly power structures and cultures. I mean non-sacralist, non-dominionist, non-Constantinian. I don't have much interest or respect for Martin Luther's ideas, at least not the way they have worked themselves out in Lutheran theology and practice.

I appreciate jatb's details; you probably know much more historical detail than I do. But I want to note the difference in attitude toward government, power, magistrates, and coercion that separatists had. Because I believe that sacralism is a major hinge-point between truth and error, between biblical faith and religious history.

I love you all and the fellowship, learning, and discussing--as well as praying--that happens here. May He be blessed, too.
Victoria