High Time to Address These Crucial Questions

By

B. E. Kimball

If Jesus returned within His generation,

then the Futurist view is a lie.

If Jesus didn’t return within His generation,

then Christianity is a lie.

What will you say to GOD when asked about these evils?  You will have no choice but to say "Oh, I was told by my preacher or my TV evangelist that the world had to become more and more evil so that you (Christ Jesus) could come back and rapture us out."  The LORD will say to you, "Didn't you read the Bible that I had so carefully preserved for you over the many centuries? I told you in my very own Words that the exact opposite was true in so many ways and so many times!"  I know what I will say: “LORD, I tried to warn them.”

[Important Notice: For an in depth analysis and cogent insight pertaining to these details concerning the New Covenant, GOD's one and only Covenant and what it means for us in todays world please study the NEW COVENANT CREATION FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION by Timothy P. Martin & Jeffery L. Vaughn, PhD.

Note of Importance:

If you think that I am overstating our situation how would you explain one of the latest judicial decisions where not only your land but all of your property can be taken under the newly rewritten law of Eminent Domain?  What made us free men in a free country was the fact that man could own his own land.  Now anyone [even contractors] can take your land for a variety of reasons which makes us none other than Indentured Servants [bondsmen].  We will continue to pay very high and ever increasingly higher taxes while maintaining this land [your properties] until the time comes when that someone wants your property for whatever purpose. And what about the evil subject matter that is being forced up our children in the public schools! What saith you dear servant?  ~BEK

TO SHOWCASE MY POINT ...SEE THE LAST POSTED ARTICLE ON THIS PAGE

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POINTS TO PONDER:

Is Preterist Theology truly HERETICAL as accused by today’s Futurist leaders and teachers? Which doctrine would actually prove to be HERETICAL? Wouldn’t Jesus have to be considered as a false prophet if He had NOT fulfilled His promises in the first century as the Scriptures plainly teach? How could Preterism possibly be a heretical doctrine if Jesus did fulfill His promises right on time in that first century as Biblical disciplines command?  Wouldn't it have to be considered heretical to believe that the Lord’s Word and the prophecies of Jesus were in error? 
 

If Jesus is a false prophet then my faith is in vain. If Jesus was mistaken in His predictions how can we then rely on Him for salvation or anything else?

 But don't despair, Jesus is GOD and there is NO OTHER, leaving us with the only possible conclusion: His Word being true would have to mean that the Futurists interpretations concerning future events have to be rethought and greatly adjusted. Those future events then were in the Apostles future but now have been fulfilled! All Biblical prophecies are now in our past. This is extremely good news . . .

-THINK ABOUT IT-

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PLEASE TAKE JUST A MINUTE

AND READ THIS ARTICLE:

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...In a dramatic and comparative fashion, Rev. White lays out the reasons why pastors and people of faith need to get involved in the public square. 

Rev. White tells the story of taking his two, 20-and 23-year-old sons on a trip to Germany over a Christmas vacation. He explains that “as a Lutheran Christian that’s where my historical and theological roots are and I wanted the boys to see where they came from and to get some context . . . a setting in which to evaluate and assess what’s happening in our country and in their lives.” And also “because I wanted them to see what happened to this great Christian nation, this homeland of the Reformation, almost overnight.” 

            One afternoon they rented a van and drove . . . to Sachsenhausen, one of Hitler’s prototype concentration camps. They toured the barracks, and saw the bails of human hair and the piles of children’s shoes, and the medical labs where gruesome experiments were conducted on living human beings without anesthetic. 

Below is an abbreviated transcription of the rest of his speech: 

And finally we walked to the back where far in the corner the crematorium once stood, the oven where they burned the bodies of the dead.  And out in front of it was a grotesque wrought-iron statue of two emaciated inmates hauling the dead body of one of their cohorts toward the gaping doors of the oven. . . . as we came up there three days after Christmas, in front of that doorway to that crematorium there was a withered Christmas wreath with a white ribbon on it. And the slogan on that ribbon said:                           From the Christians of Germany:

                        We kneel before God in btter regret and humble repentance and we ask his forgiveness for the death of the Jews and all the others who died in this place.   

        . . . . For the first time my boys understood within the depths of their hearts what’s happening in America today. . . . There in Sachsenhausen, for the very first time, they saw for themselves how much is at stake in our America, and how desperately important these issues are and how much we stand to lose if we do not awaken and rouse ourselves, quickly.

        The Christians in Germany learned only too late that the people of God in Christ cannot disengage from the culture in which they live.  We cannot withdraw to the comfortable security of our beautiful sanctuaries and sit in our padded pews while the world all around us goes to hell.  For to do so is a betrayal of the Lord whose name we bear and is a denial of the power and efficacy of his Word, the Word that He has given us to proclaim.  

        In Germany, as here in the United States, one of the most clever tools in the enemy’s arsenal used to silence and intimidate Christians, to drive them out of the public square was the lie of the separation of Church and State. . . .

        So Hitler called together the most important preachers in the land . . . . to reassure them, and intimidate them, if he could, to silence their criticism so he could go on with his plans for the country . . . . He told them their state subsides would continue, their tax exemptions were secure, that the church had nothing to fear from a Nazi government.

And finally, one brash young preacher who was there . . . had had enough. He was going to tell the truth even if that truth was not popular.  And he pushed his way to the front of the room until he stood eye to eye with the German dictator. And he said, “Herr Hitler, our concern is not for the Church. Jesus Christ will take care of his Church. Our concern is for the soul of our nation.” It was immediately evident that the brash young preacher spoke only for himself, as a chagrined silence fell over that room and his colleagues hustled him away from the front.

        Hitler with a natural politician’s instinct saw that reaction and he understood exactly what it meant. And, he smiled as he said to himself almost reflectively, “The soul of Germany, you can leave that to me.”  And they did. They kept their religion and their politics strictly separate from one another. And as the innocent were slaughtered and as the nation was led down the path to destruction, they looked the other way and they minded their own business. And their country was destroyed [in twelve short years].

        I would submit to you today that we in America find ourselves in a frighteningly similar predicament. Once again, the innocent are being slaughtered in a 26-year holocaust [over 40 million boys and girls] that makes Hitler look like a humanitarian by comparison. Once again, a nation is being led down the path of destruction and, once again, by and large, God’s people are looking the other way.

        I don’t have to tell anyone in this room tonight how far down that path to destruction we have already traveled. . . . And that’s because in large part every time a Christian, particularly a Christian pastor, raises his voice on a matter of public policy, the immediate hue and cry from the media and from the political and educational elite and the establishment is “Wait a minute! We have the separation of Church and State in this country. You Christians, you keep your morality to yourselves.” As history repeats itself, they smile reassuringly as they tell us, “The soul of America, you can leave that to us.” And we have.

        Brothers and sisters, the time has come and is long since past [for us to] stop listening to and being immobilized by these lies from the father of lies.  This is the genius of America. The recognition that a country like ours, a country where the people rule, must be a country where morality prevails!

        But that’s not the kind of country we have seen developing all around us every day. That’s not the kind of country we read about when we pick up the newspapers every morning. America has forgotten who she is.  And if she does not remember soon, it will be too late. . . .

        America will not turn from the path of destruction until the Christians of this land stop blending in and going along . . . . We must stop compromising and yielding. We must start standing and confessing . . . . but of this one thing we can be absolutely certain, the Lord God Almighty hates the murder of innocent, unborn children. We can win the next election, or the next ten elections. We can balance the budget. We can reduce the deficit. We can bring down taxes and build the mightiest military machine on the face of the earth. But if we do not stop abortion, then God will destroy, and God should destroy, America! . . . .

        On that great day of reckoning, it will not be enough to say, “Lord, we were in church every Sunday. We built great churches in your name. We established great programs in your name. We raised millions of dollars in your name.” On that great day of reckoning to those who stood silent while the killing went on, the Lord will say, “Depart from Me you cursed ones for I do not know you.”

        But in the amazing grace, the incredible mercy and longsuffering of our wonderful God, that day has not yet come. America may turn her back on God but God, for some reason, has not yet turned his back on America. So let us work while it is still day before the night comes, when no man can work. Let us arouse the Christians of this city and of this land to be what God has called and enabled them to be—the stinging salt that stops the decay of death, the shining light that dispels the darkness of doubt and despair, the gleaming city set high upon a hill that stands as a beacon light of life and hope to this nation and every nation. Let us learn from the mistakes of the past.  Let us stand upon the Word of God. Let us save this country that we claim to love, as we become involved in the process in this crucial moment that God has given us. 

        God is placing before us a challenge before it is too late. And I pray that we will find within the depths of our hearts and souls the courage and the faith and the conviction to rise to that challenge and make the most of that opportunity. It is within our power because God has placed it there. It is within our grasp to change this America before it is too late, to snatch our country back from the brink of destruction. 

All the signs of the deadly decay all around us are unmistakably clear. Our nation’s leaders wallow in decadence and deceit. While the polls tell us that people don’t care. And apathy and indifference prevail. We must care as the people of God in Christ. We must be the salt, and the light, and the shining city. 

As Christians gathered here today, let us resolve not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Let us resolve not to allow evil men to triumph simply because good men have done nothing. Let us stand together as the people of God, bold in the confidence of the Spirit, and declare before our nation, “The soul of American, you can leave that to us!”    

[This excerpt taken from a John Noe' article]

Are We Witnessing The Rise Of The Fourth Reich?

By Chuck Baldwin

February 7, 2006

Without a doubt, comparisons to Hitler have been overdone. It seems that when a writer disagrees with the policies of a sitting president, be he Republican or Democrat, there exists a ubiquitous temptation to compare him with the ignoble German leader. Some  will no doubt charge this author with having succumbed to this temptation. Perhaps I have.

However, as a student of both the Bible and history, I believe we in America are living in times that are eerily reminiscent of the days leading up to the rise of the Third Reich. If after reviewing this thesis, the reader wants to dismiss its conclusions as insipid and  irrelevant, he or she is certainly free to do so.

On the other hand, it would do the reader good to heed the words of George Santayana who said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." If America is truly flirting with any semblance of the fallacious and fallen Reich (which I believe it  is), it is incumbent upon each and every true American (especially Christians) to renounce, reject, and repudiate such flirtations as early and as vociferously as possible!

There are many facets and aspects of the Third Reich which could and should be analyzed. For the purpose of this column, however, I want to focus on the attitude and actions of the ministers and churches of Germany at the time of Hitler's rise.

My focus upon the German church is predicated upon the fact that as a Christian pastor (I have been the pastor of an Independent Baptist Church for more than 30 years), it is my studied opinion that any western nation will rise or fall according to the attitudes and actions of its Christian leaders and churches. Scripture says, "Judgment must begin at the house of God." Therefore, while any nation might survive corrupt politicians, greedy merchants, and sinful citizens, it cannot survive cowardly, compromising churches! As the churches go, so goes the country!

In the case of Nazi Germany, it was the German churches first and foremost that failed their country. It was the churches that provided Hitler with moral and spiritual cover. It was the ministers and churches that allowed Hitler to seduce the nation. Some ministers  were no doubt deceived themselves. Many others, like Adam, partook of the forbidden fruit with their eyes wide open. Either way, without the help and assistance of Germany's churches, the Nazi Party could never have become such a horrible leviathan.  Therefore, let's examine the attitudes and actions of Germany's ministers and churches and compare them to America's ministers and churches today to see if there is any similarity.

As we delve into this material, I want to strongly recommend that the reader purchase and devour a book to which I will repeatedly refer. The book is entitled, "Hitler's Cross." It is written by Erwin Lutzer and published by Moody Press. The book is absolutely  phenomenal! If you do not read any other book this year (beside the Bible), read "Hitler's Cross."

Now, let's examine the evidence.  It is a fact that when Adolph Hitler began his ascent to power, many, if not most, of Germany's Christians believed he was an answer to their prayers. Lutzer says many Christians replaced pictures of Christ in their homes with pictures of Hitler. They truly believed Hitler was "God's man" for Germany. They believed that to resist Hitler was to resist God. And why not?

As Lutzer notes, Hitler revived Germany's collapsed economy. He eradicated the shame of Germany's defeat in WWI by reclaiming the Rhineland. He gave generous vacations to the German people. He created numerous trade schools that trained and equipped  Germany's workers. Thus, almost overnight, Germany's vast unskilled labor force was replaced with highly skilled workers. In fact, under Hitler, Germany had virtually no unemployment.  Furthermore, Hitler brought crime under control. He built freeways and highways that were the envy of Europe. He literally brought the German people out of poverty and despair and made them a great and proud people once again. As a result, the German people, including German Christians, loved him!

Unfortunately, as Hitler was building Germany's economy and strengthening its military, he was also taking away the rights and liberties of the German people. Remember, Germany was a republic before Hitler came along. The principles of individual freedom and constitutional government were at one time precious to Germans. However, most German people were willing to gladly trade their liberty and freedoms for Hitler's promise of security and strength. It was a bad trade then. It is a bad trade now!

Lutzer documents the fact that at the time of Hitler's rise, there were some 14,000 evangelical churches in Germany. To win the support of these churches, Hitler literally wrapped himself and the Nazi Party in the Cross of Jesus Christ. Even today, one can view photos from Nazi parades showing the Cross of Christ highlighted in the heart of the Nazi Swastika.

In short order, Germany's pastors and churches were convinced that the Nazi Party was God's party and Hitler was God's man. By the time Hitler consolidated power and became Germany's Fuhrer, the Nazi Swastika was displayed proudly on the walls and halls of  Germany's churches, both Catholic and Protestant.

Germany's pastors often preached sermons supporting Hitler and the Nazi Party. They told their congregants that to support any other party or any other potential leader was to "fight against God." Very soon, congregants who refused to swear loyalty to Hitler were denied last rites and Holy Communion by Catholic priests, while Protestant pastors excommunicated such members. Romans chapter 13 was often quoted from Germany's pulpits as scriptural justification for demanding loyalty to Hitler.

Even the famous Canadian pastor, Oswald J. Smith (Pastor of the People's Church in Toronto), was taken with Hitler. In 1936 Smith wrote, "What, you ask is the real attitude of the German people toward Hitler? There is but one answer. They love him. Yes, from the highest to the lowest, children and parents, old and young alike, they love their new leader. They trust him to a man.

"What about your elections? I asked. 'We don't want another party. We are satisfied with Hitler.' And that feeling exists everywhere. Every true Christian is for Hitler. I know, for it was from the Christians I got most of my information, and right or wrong, they endorse Adolph Hitler." (Source: "Hitler's Cross" by Erwin Lutzer, pp. 109, 110)

One German pastor, Julius Leutherser gushed, "Christ has come to us through Hitler. [T]hrough his honesty, his faith and his idealism, the Redeemer found us." (Source "Hitler's Cross" by Lutzer, p.101)

Lutzer writes on page 102 of his book, "[I]n Hitler's day being a good Christian involved being a good German nationalist. God and country were practically one and the same."

Germany's Christians forgot that Christ's kingdom "is not of this world." Their desire to restore Germany's greatness and their patriotism somehow dwarfed their commitment to Christ and their fidelity to republican principles. Accordingly, their trust in God was supplanted with trust in Hitler, and their allegiance to principles of freedom was replaced with allegiance to the Nazi Party.

Of course, Hitler knew exactly what he was doing. He knew he needed the support of Germany's churches and pastors and he played the role of Christian leader magnificently. Privately, however, he despised Germany's clergymen. He said, "The parsons will dig their own graves. They will betray their God to us. They will betray anything for the sake of their miserable jobs and incomes." How right he was!

Out of 14,000 German ministers, all but 800 gave Hitler their unequivocal and unflinching loyalty. Among the 800 was the great Christian patriot Dietrich Bonhoeffer who was later assassinated by Hitler's henchmen. Virtually all of the 800 courageous pastors who refused to support Hitler were sent to concentration camps.

What would have happened had 10,000 ministers in Germany resisted Hitler? What would have happened if 10,000 ministers would have refused to compromise their loyalty to Jesus Christ, their commitment to republican principles, and their devotion to sacred duty? What would have happened if 10,000 Christian ministers had not allowed the National Socialist Party to supplant their loyalty to God's Word?

It seems clear to me that the attitudes and actions of Nazi Germany's ministers and churches are being repeated in the United States today. To a large degree, Evangelicals have wrapped the Cross of Christ in the banner of the Republican Party. They quote  Romans chapter 13 to justify their unflinching, yes, even blind support for President Bush. They are willing to surrender their freedoms and liberties so that President Bush might protect them. Pictures of the president almost universally line the halls and walls  of our churches, Christian schools, and pastors' offices. They castigate and denigrate in the most caustic terms anyone who dares to challenge or even question President Bush. They are willing to let the president lead them into multiple wars, even wars of  aggression, based solely on Bush's word. They refuse to hold the president accountable to the principles of our Constitution and Bill of Rights. It seems to me that President Bush has taken on the aura of an American Fuhrer in the minds of many Evangelicals.

Just how far are Evangelicals willing to allow Bush to go? They already support unbridled spying on American citizens. They have gladly surrendered their Fourth Amendment rights. Would they be willing to support the imprisonment of fellow Christians who don't support Bush if the Department of Homeland Security ordered it?  I believe many would. And if so, how is that different from the attitudes of Christians in Nazi Germany?

Again, readers may dismiss my observations as insane if they want to. However, please notice that the focus of this column was not so much on Hitler but on the attitudes and actions of Germany's ministers and churches.

If the reader can honestly and objectively look at the history of Germany's ministers and churches and see no similarity to the attitudes and actions of America's ministers and churches today, so be it. To me, however, the similarities are striking!