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America The Christian Nation (Continued)

9/21/2010

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As I watch the political feeding frenzy taking place in our country just a short time before the midterm elections, I can’t help but put my two cents into the dialogue. I don’t write to address political issues but spiritual ones. It never fails that during an election season that the air is filled with a patriotic fervor that is almost out of control. This fervor and patriotism manifests itself in a number of different ways. One issue that has my attention is that so many people jump on the band wagon of bringing this country back to its “Christian roots.” The problem is that they always consult the Constitution and bylaws as the authority that gives them this mandate. The reason they do this is because they can’t back up their premise, mission or mandate in the Scripture.

It has gotten to the place where the so called “Christianity” of this country is being endorsed and promoted by such illustrious charterers as Glen Beck the Mormon at his political rallies.

When you declare by fiat that “God hath said” that we must take back our nation for Him you are now assuming that the nation that must be taken back was one that was ordained by Him and was totally His in the first place. This is called a theocracy. This is where the danger begins. Only one nation was ordained by God and that was Israel, Gen 12:3. They weren’t even able to live as a theocracy, the only nation that was called by God failed. Where do we draw the line? If you say we must be called back to our “Christian roots” you now have to back this up by scripture. Just because a nation labels itself as a “Christian nation” doesn’t make it so. We see this case all through history. Just look at Nazi Germany.
If we ever where a “Christian nation” then we should be totally governed by the scripture alone. This would give us the power to chastise and rebuke all those who do not follow in the way by means of scriptural discipline. We can’t do that in this country and still claim any form of pluralism. Is this what we want, a country lead by secular leaders who have no training in the word of God acting as if they are able to make decisions on behalf of God? Israel had that authority why don’t we? After all we are a “Christian nation.”

One of the major problems of calling this a “Christian nation” is that we now look at our faith as being one of the collective body. Faith is no longer an individual experience. It now becomes substituted for the national label or collective experience. This is dangerous beyond all that we could imagine because just as we have made the church the building in which we meet we have now made Christianity a national identity rather that a personal experience with a personal savior. (People are the Church not buildings). Which form of Christianity do we embrace as a representation our Christian national identity, Methodist, Pentecostal, Episcopal, Catholic, Baptist, Mormon, Jehovah witness, Seventh Day Adventist, Non Denominational, Greek Orthodox, United Church of Christ etc. I hope you get the picture. In order to keep any form of peace in our country we would have to allow anyone who uses the word Christian as a descriptive into the fold, no matter how unbiblical their doctrine is. 

Not only does this threaten the life of the individual and his experience with God it also disposes Israel as the nation that God chose as His instrument to bring forth the Messiah the savior of the world. This new entity called the “Christian nation” somehow finds its way into the psyche of the people as the new chosen people that God wants to use as the nation that He chose to be the light to the world.

The real issue is that God wants to save individuals not nations. God chose only Israel but He saves all who would. God is not in the heavens endorsing our political agenda, he is not a republican or a democrat. He never has been and He never will be. Politicians or political systems have no right to expect that God is going to endorse their agenda. 

If we are the new chosen people then it only stands to reason that He endorses all that we do. After all He created us. Did He endorse the murder of 50 million babies since 1973 Roe v Wade? Did He endorse the murder of 2 thirds of the indigenous population of this country? Did He sanctify slavery and human indignity before the Civil War?
No, He didn’t and neither did He endorse it for Israel either. The only difference was that He disciplined Israel based on the standard that He set up, that was His word. If we are a Christian nation then He should be able to discipline us as well. What standard will he use to judge us the word of God or the US Constitution?

To proclaim this as a Christian nation means we have to except the premise that the documents of the founding fathers were inspired by God. I have a problem with that based on the fact that it was those documents which allowed the conditions for those abuses to happen. It is called democracy, or more correctly, a Democratic Republic. 

God is not the author of democracy. He already wrote a best seller and there are no democratic principles expounded in it. Democracy comes from the Greco Roman form of government. 

So, to sum it up we can’t have it both ways. If we want to be a Christian nation then we must be ruled totally by God and Him alone. He makes the decisions based upon His word alone. He doesn’t consult us and we don’t get to vote on it. Let’s make up our mind people. Which is it? As for me I would rather choose the personal experience with God, not the national pluralistic one which pawns itself off as “Christianity”. I think I will let God be the one to choose the nation He wants to and not make declarations I can’t support. 

In our arrogance we declare holy convocations in God's authority and yet ignore the ones that God has already established and declared in His word. We set up religious systems, denominations that assume that they are the Vickers of God’s new or ultimate truth on this earth. We are always trying to usurp God and that which He has declared until it finally infiltrates every aspect of our theology, society and life. We are able to make these declarations because they are all grounded in a very subtle form of replacement theology. But once we make the decision to replace Israel with something else, whatever it is, we now have to fill the void with what? I fear America and its version of “Christianity” as wonderful as it seems, just won’t do.

I write this article in response to something I read last week that so greatly disturbed me. I am including excerpts from the email I received. It is all self explanatory. So to save time and space I will just post parts of the email spelling and grammar errors included.

Dear friends,
 
Greetings in Jesus' name!
 
As you know from our last email, the Lord has stirred many pastors and leaders across the six states of New England to call for a Solemn Assembly on 9/25/10, in Plymouth, MA. The theme of this gathering is "Return-Rediscover-Reclaim" God's purposes for America. The number of pastors and leaders who bear witness to this continue to increase on a weekly basis. The signators are many across denominational lines, including Baptists, Pentecostals, Assemblies of God, Vineyard Christian Fellowship, Christian and Missionary Alliance, Church of the Nazarene, non-denominational churches, as well as many other para-church ministries. They also include a wide ethnic representation such as Russian, Latino, Brazilian, Korean, and African leaders from across New England. (See updated letter below).

As you might recall from the flier and the You tube invitational video, the Lord stirred the organizers of this assembly to begin that day by a morning tour of the National Monument to the Forefathers in Plymouth:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Monument_to_the_Forefathers. This is perhaps the most significant American monument that speaks of America's Christian heritage and covenant with God. The purpose of beginning our Solemn Assembly this way is to "Remember from where we have fallen."

Simultaneously, the Lord has been stirring Christian actor Kirk Cameron (who made the movie "Fireproof") with the same message to call America back to its Christian roots. He is preparing this message through a movie documentary about America's Christian heritage, and a main part of his movie is about the National Monument to the Forefathers. The movie is called "Monumental" http://www.monumentalmovie.com/synopsis/ 
 
The Lord somehow connected the movie team with the Solemn Assembly planning team and they both recognized that the Lord is stirring them with the same message at the same time. They both realized that God is clearly saying something to His people for this time. The movie team recognized the importance of the Solemn Assembly and they are letting the nation know about it. They also decided to come film the tour on the morning of September 25th in Plymouth to stir America and record this moment as God's remnant are responding to the stirring of the Holy Spirit.
 
As a preparation for this gathering, we encourage you to join us for a 10 day fast beginning tonight.

I personally have no problem at all with calling our nation to repentance and the Pastors to collective prayer. The problem is that the prognosis is not a Biblical one. Calling our nation back to it's “Christian roots” is just a smoke screen and a substitute for the real treatment needed. The treatment that is needed is to call the nation back to Biblical Jewish faith of Yeshua (Jesus) , not the white Anglo Saxon American protestant entrepreneurial capitalistic version of “Christianity”. 

As I said above Christians will proclaim a sacred assembly but ignore the ones that God has already set in place in the scripture. They will proclaim this as the nation chosen by God to spread the Gospel throughout the earth and ignore Israel's role. They will try and legislate morality, prayer in schools, the sanctity of marriage, the end of abortion etc and yet not preach the Gospel to individuals who most desperately needs to hear. If we want these things to happen in our society then they will only come about through the preaching of the word and discipleship one on one. Let us be mindful of the subtle substitutes that look so good outwardly but are like Jeroboams false Temple, false priests, false sacrifice and Holidays.

1Ki 12:26 Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom will return to the house of David.
1Ki 12:27 "If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will return to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah."
1Ki 12:28 So the king consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt."
1Ki 12:29 He set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.
1Ki 12:30 Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.
1Ki 12:31 And he made houses on high places, and made priests from among all the people who were not of the sons of Levi.
1Ki 12:32 Jeroboam instituted a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast which is in Judah, and he went up to the altar; thus he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made. And he stationed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.
1Ki 12:33 Then he went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised in his own heart; and he instituted a feast for the sons of Israel and went up to the altar to burn incense.
1Ki 13:33 After this event Jeroboam did not return from his evil way, but again he made priests of the high places from among all the people; any who would, he ordained, to be priests of the high places.
1Ki 13:34 This event became sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to blot it out and destroy it from off the face of the earth.

Are our “Holy Convocations” like the high places erected by Jeroboam. Someone is always trying to usurp the rightful king and replace him with a counterfeit. Let us not be guilty of the same crime that Israel committed. Let's keep the true king on His throne. Let's not celebrate Him in our own way but let us celebrate according to His prescription.
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Just Another Day Just Another Rosh Hashanna

9/8/2010

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Lev 23:23 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
Lev 23:24 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowingof trumpets, a holy convocation.
Lev 23:25 'You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD.'"
Lev 23:26 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
Lev 23:27 "On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD.
Lev 23:28 "You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God.
Lev 23:29 "If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people.
Lev 23:30 "As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.
Lev 23:31 "You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

Perpetual means ongoing. In all your dwelling places means wherever you live.

Tonight Is erev Rosh Hashana, the evening that begins this Holy day. Churches all over the world will not only ignore this Biblical Holy day but most of them don’t even know it is happening. The accepted premise concerning these Holy days is that “we the church have been set free from the burden of the law. We are not obligated to keep or even recognize these events.” They are looked upon as a burden to keep and something that was imposed upon the children of Israel to keep them out of trouble but doesn’t apply to us anymore. The question that has to be asked is, are these Biblical Holy days still relevant for today? What is the obligation of the believer in the Messiah today in regards to these Biblical events? Does God write His word for a purpose? If He does then what should our response be to these appointed times and seasons.


Lev 23:1 The LORD spoke again to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD’S appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations—My appointed times are these:
I do believe that the church has for all too long taken that which is Biblical and replaced it with that which has been contrived, paganised, synchrotized and just plain false ie Christmas/Easter. The church totally ignores all of the memorials that were set up by God to show his great acts of salvation past present and future. To ignore Rosh Hashana is to say to God “thanks for the memorials that were set up to remind us of how much you love us but no thanks. We would rather make up things as we go along”.

One of the things that the church lacks is knowledge of the prophetic. This is why they are for the most part unable to defend their faith apart from cliché and Christian verbiage. Every Holy day was given by God to prophesy the Messiah’s first and second coming. If we believe the entire word of God revolves around Yeshua’s appearing then why would we dismiss so quickly the meaning of these Holy days to the pile of make do keep busy events meant only for the Jewish people.
Rosha Hashana very specifically does this in a way that clearly shows the second coming of the Messiah. Time does not permit me to write everything that is proclaimed in this Holy day. So, this is only an introduction to wet your whistle. I hope and pray you will do more study on your own. If you blow this off then it is to your loss. I am at least doing my job and provoking you to study your word more seriously. So here goes.


    There are five different names given to this Holy day. Each of these names is significant in relation to the purpose of the Holy day.


1.Yom Truah (Day of blowing the trumpets) Num 29:1.

Num 29:1 'Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets.
How did Yeshua Himself describe His own future Return, and how will the sounding of a trumpet be involved?

Mat 24:30 "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.
Mat 24:31 "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.


In Rav Shauls (Paul's) Resurrection Chapter, I Corinthians 15, he describes that event which has now become known as "The Rapture" of the Church:

"Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality." (1 Corinthians 15:51-53 RSV)


What did he mean, "the last trump"?

"For this we declare to you by the word of The Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of The Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet The Lord in the air" (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 RSV


Is it just coincidental that the day of judgement (Rosh Hashana) is commemorated by the blowing of the Shofar (trumpet)and that the final day of judgement is also inaugurated by the blowing of the trumpet?


2. Zicharon Truah, (Memorial of Triumph Lev) found in 23:24 literaly a remembrance of blowing or Shouting for Joy based on job 38 :7 (Jewish tradition says that the world was created on this day)
Job 38:7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?


Is it possible that the day that celebrates the creation of the earth is also the day that ushers in the end of all things as we know it?


3. Yom Ha Zicharon, Day of remembrance (a time to remember our sins)
Lev 23:23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Lev 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first dayof the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Lev 23:25 Ye shall do no servile worktherein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.


This special Shabbat, Memorial of blowing trumpets is set in place so that we might remember our need for forgivness.


4. Yom Hadin, Day of judgment (tradition says that all Jews pass through judgment on this day)
There is partial truth behind this in that there will come a time when this will be fulfilled. As of now it has not fully come to pass. During this time of future fulfillment it will not just be the Jewish people who are judged but the entire world. Final judgment will come with the blast of the trumpet, Israel will be restored and the Lord will reign from Zion. As for now we still await for that time to be revealed.

Isa 27:12 In that day the LORD will start His threshing from the flowing stream of the Euphrates to the brook of Egypt, and you will be gathered up one by one, O sons of Israel.
Isa 27:13 It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.

5. Rosh Hashanah lit (Head of the year) beginning of Jewish civil year. As opposed to the religious new year which falls during the Passover season.


     Just as this time represents the new year, it also represents the reign of Messiah on the earth.


The very events that are ignored by the church today will definitely not be ignored in the end time when Messiah comes again to blast that last trumpet as represented in Rosh Hashan. Why do we celebrate, So that we don’t forget? When the believers ignore even one part of the word then the revelation that they have is incomplete to say the least. They are unable to articulate their faith. They refuse to remember, they refuse to rehearse God’s great acts of salvation. This is why they will not be prepared for His second coming. They are tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine that comes along the pike but they refuse to recognize the real road signs that God put along the way to guide the believer to safety.

It is believed that on Rosh Hashana three books are opened in Heaven. Written in them are the names of the righteous wicked and the in between. The 10 days in between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are called the days of Awe. It is believed that during this time that those who are in between have the option to make it right with God and repent so that their name will be recorded in the book of life with the righteous. Obviously we know from the Brit Hadasha (New Covenant Scriptures) that our righteousness is as filthy rags before God. We also know that the idea of our name being recorded in the book of life is only because of God’s grace. But there is truth in the fact that God does tell us that He wants our name inscribed in this book. The difference between us and the non believing Jewish person is the vehicle that gets us there. We accept Yeshua as that vehicle. They accept their own righteousness and repentance as the vehicle.

    As Rosh Hashana has been declared the day of judgment for the world and the books are opened to judge men so too will the end time judgment   

    happen the same way as declared in the Brit Hadasha (New covenant Scriptures).

  • Revelation 3:5 - "he who overcomes" will not be blotted out
  • Revelation 13:8 -- All who are not written in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb will worship the beast.
  • Revelation 17:8 -- All who are not written in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb will be astonished at the beast.
  • Revelation 20:12 -- Judgment by the Book.
  • Revelation 20:15 -- All who are not found in the book are thrown into the lake of fire.
  • Revelation 21:27 -- Those who are in the Book will enter the New Jerusalem.

    So, it is time to get ready for His coming. We must remember, rehearse and prepare or we will be taken by surprise. What must we remember? That which has already been declared.

Mat 24:43 "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
Mat 24:44 "For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think he will.


Rehearsal time is today. Dress rehearsal is coming and most believers don't know their lines. What will happen when it is time for the real event. Will we be caught with our lamps unprepared? Will our wicks be trimmed? Will we be ready for the groom? 


As we say on Rosh Ha shana, La shana tova tikatevu. May your name be inscribed in the book of life for a good year. As I like to say this time of the year. May this be the year you start preparing for the advent of His coming.

Shalom uvracha b'Yeshua
Peace and blessiongs in Yeshua
Rabbi Henry
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    Author

    Rabbi Henry Morse's ministry has taken him all over the world. He is an accomplished speaker, author, trained acrobat, and physical comedian. In addition to the active and growing congregation in Stoughton, MA, he and his wife Cherri helped launch a messianic congregation in Hilo Hawaii in 2011 and one in Maine.

    benafuchi@aol.com

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