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Religion See other Religion Articles Title: The Machine Versus The Church: Man's Way Versus God's Way THE MACHINE VERSUS THE CHURCH: MAN'S WAY VERSUS GOD'S WAY June 27, 2005 by: S.R. Shearer "It is intolerable to us that a contrary thought should exist anywhere in the world, however secret and powerless it may be. Even in the instant of death we cannot permit any deviation. In the old days the dissenter walked to the stake still a dissenter, proclaiming his dissension, exulting in it. Even the victim of the Russian purges could carry his resistance with him locked up in his skull as he walked down the passage waiting for the bullet. But we make the brain perfect before we blow it out." - George Orwell INTRODUTION Imagine a colossal Machine that moves about the earth gobbling up everything in its path. The acquisition of wealth and "precious things" is its sole preoccupation. It is sustained by its own forward motion, guided mainly by its own carnal appetites and it is growing larger and accelerating as it goes. It uproots whole populations in its quest for riches, it destroys communities, it devastates the environment, and it rolls over and crushes all those who get in its way. It possesses no conscience and no guiding set of moral values. It is, in fact, totally and completely Amoral. No government is able to stop it; it recognizes no boundaries, no borders, no higher authority. It allows no limits to be placed on its appetite, and its presence in the world is, in the words of author William Greider, "transformational" in a very iniquitous way. Indeed, Greider sees the Machine pushing the world inexorably - "... toward some sort of dark abyss." The Machine is "manned" by an army of robot-like workers, each with his own job to perform, each possessing his own special niche; each answerable to an HIERARCHY that permits no deviation from "Standard Operating Procedures." All independent thought is anathematized. TOTAL OBEDIENCE to the dictates of the HIERARCHY is demanded from all workers on the Machine. They must see themselves as having value only insofar as they have value to the Machine; and if and when they fail in their performance, or express any independent thought whatsoever, they are "cast out" of the Machine and onto the mounds of wreckage left behind in the Machine's merciless track, there to rot while someone else - someone from the "outside" eager to replace the worker on board the Machine, or someone from the "inside" anxious to work his way up the HIERARCHY - steps in to replace him. Those who are cast aside become NON-PERSONS; human wrecks; derelicts alone on a sea without horizons, destitute itinerants without hope in this world. They are avoided like the plague, and their groveling, obsequious presence becomes a proverb against all those who would even think of challenging the Machine's omniscience. THIS MACHINE ACTUALLY EXISTS This Machine actually exists in the world today. It is called the AMERICAN NEW WORLD ORDER SYSTEM and the fact of its reality is the one essential truth of EVERYONE'S social, economic and religious existence - and unless one intends to withdraw from the world altogether, there is no place to hide from it. It aims sooner or later to subsume and absorb into its mechanism the whole world and all of mankind, and to this end it has sent out into all the earth its "priests and prophets" as plenipotentiaries and emissaries to extol its virtues to the "masses" and to command the whole of mankind to bow down and serve it. The question before every person in the world today is how does he or she relate to the machine? Do they submit to it, or do they resist? THE MACHINE'S "PRIESTS AND PROPHETS" The "priests and prophets" who act as the Machine's ambassadors and who scurry devoutly and piously about from nation to nation setting up temples of worship to the god of the Machine call themselves "Christians," but they are not! Their god is MAMMON, and they are unceasing in their god's "praise and worship," though they are careful to conceal his true identity from the poor of the earth - i.e., the hapless victims the Machine routinely savages and plunders - lest the poor rise up en masse against them: Hence their subterfuge. But what an empty subterfuge it is: Attempting to pass Mammon off in the guise of a Person who EXPLICITLY condemned Mammon and juxtaposed Himself against him: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye CANNOT serve God and mammon." (Matt. 6:24) These are those Christians (so-called) about whom Jesus said: "Ye HYPOCRITES, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. "... in vain they do worship me ..." (Matt. 15:7-9) DECEIVERS "Ye CANNOT serve God and mammon." That's what the Bible says! But that's not what the "priests and prophets" of the Machine teach as they parade Christ around as a "Captain of Industry" or as a CEO of some "Fortune 500" company. These groveling acolytes - these sniveling altar boys to the god of the Machine - are deceivers, all of them; cheats and connivers pretending to be Christians while they serve the god of Money: Fakes and frauds like Ted Haggard of the World Prayer Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado who leads countless numbers of his congregates each Sunday in "praise and worship" to his false god, and who teaches the LIE that the Machine is - "God's vehicle for the spread of Christianity." What liars these people are! These are EXACTLY the people about whom the Bible warns us in relation to the "end of days" when it says: "This know also, that in the last days PERILOUS TIMES shall come. "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, "Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, "Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; "HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS, but denying the power thereof: FROM SUCH TURN AWAY." (2 Tim. 3:1-5) Now note carefully here: Paul is talking about (1) the condition of those who call themselves "Christians," NOT those outside the faith; he is saying that in the "LAST DAYS" men who are "lovers of their own selves" shall administer and regulate the affairs of the "established church;" and (2) that "PERILOUS TIMES" shall result on account of them. Why? - because, as they scurry to and fro over the earth as plenipotentiaries of the Machine (i.e., the American New World Order System), they justify the work of the Machine and abet its ruinous and noxious progress throughout the earth. These men and women - these putrid, small-minded sycophants - have a "FORM OF GODLINESS" (2 Tim. 3:1-5), but not the substance thereof. Behind the mask of "piety" and "godly devotion" they show off to the world are souls twisted with the lust for "things." Is it little wonder, then, that these self-absorbed, egocentric Christians would feel no guilt or remorse when - in their name and the name of their God - American multinational corporations and the military which supports them plunder the poor of the earth in countries like Guatemala, Honduras, Thailand, the Philippines, the Ukraine, the former Yugoslavia, etc. for the benefit of the American New World Order System. What a "turn-off" this kind of Christianity is to unbelievers! [Please see our articles, "Algeria: A Study of the Dreadful Two-Tiered System the U.S. Is Promoting Among Its Muslim Client-States" and "The Congo and American Greed."] Well did Jesus say of such Christians: "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" (Matt. 23:32-33) These so-called Christians, these pathetic servants of the Machine - are exactly what the apostle Paul describes them to be: Covetous, boasters, proud, unthankful, fierce, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, etc. - and so much so that there is not much to differentiate them from unbelievers. In other words, THESE ARE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WOULD FIND IT QUITE EASY AND EVEN "NATURAL" TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES WITH THE AVARICE AND SAVAGERY OF THE AMERICAN NEW WORLD ORDER SYSTEM. NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE Speaking concerning such people, the great nineteenth century Bible expositor, J.N. Darby, writes: "If we compare the list of sins and abominations at the beginning of the Epistle to the Romans [i.e., Romans 1:28-31], as characterizing heathen life and the moral degradation of men during those times of darkness and demon-worship [in the ancient world], with the catalogue of sins that characterize those who have the form of godliness [in the church in the 'last days' (see above - i.e., 2 Tim. 3:1-5)], we shall find that it is nearly the same, and morally quite the same; only that some of the open sins which mark the man who has no outward restraint [i.e., the man who patently defies God] are wanting here, the form of godliness precluding them and taking their place." Darby continues: "It is a solemn thought, that the same degradation which existed among the heathen [in the ancient world] is reproduced under Christianity [in the 'last days'] ... It has the same nature, the same passions, the same power of the enemy, with but the ADDITION OF HYPOCRISY ..." These are precisely the kind of Christians who have today gathered themselves around George Bush's American New World Order System. Concerning the twisted and perverted logic that buoys the thinking of such people, historian Edward S. Herman writes that somehow or other these nitwits and simpletons seem to believe that - "... Clinton's lies on the Lewinsky affair were a violation of a biblical commandment, whereas Bush's serial lies on Iraq's immediate threat were by a moral man in a good cause and hence can be ignored." APOLOGISTS OF THE AMERICAN NEW WORLD ORDER SYSTEM What a shallow display of virtue! These people are beneath contempt! - nincompoops and dolts who routinely denounce "liberals" as relativists lacking moral firmness and using double standards while they side with a president who lies about the presence of "weapons of mass destruction" in Iraq and stand aside while the American military bombs the hell out of the Iraqi people, sending thousands and thousands of them, mostly innocent men, women and little children, to their graves as "collateral damage" - a slaughter of innocents that far exceeds the number of killings attributable to the so-called "insurgents." This continuing slaughter is what Pat Robertson has called - "... a movement in the heavenlies to break the power of deception so those people (the Iraqis) can be exposed to the gospel." Hypocrites! - that's what these people are! Darby was right insofar as these Christian apologists of the American New World Order System are concerned! There is, in fact, very little to differentiate them from the heathen of the ancient world: They possess "the same nature, the same passions, the same power of the enemy, with but the ADDITION OF HYPOCRISY ..." - and it is exactly for this reason that Jesus said of them: "Woe unto you ... HYPOCRITES! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within you are full of extortion and excess. "Woe unto you ... HYPOCRITES! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. "Even so YE ALSO OUTWARDLY APPEAR RIGHTEOUS UNTO MEN, BUT WITHIN YE ARE FULL OF HYPOCRISY AND INIQUITY." (Matt. 23:25, 26-27) NO HOPE FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY Now you must understand something here: These are not my words - this is what the Bible says; this is what it says concerning those who govern the affairs of the church in the "last days" - SPECIFICALLY, THE CHURCH THAT HAS ALLIED ITSELF WITH THE ARROGANCE AND PRIDE OF THE AMERICAN NEW WORLD ORDER SYSTEM (i.e., the Machine: that "evil thing" that the Bible calls "Babylon the Great")! [Please see our article, "In Search of Babylon: What Does the Bible Say?"] What does that say, then, about Rick Warren, C. Peter Wagner, Tim LaHaye, Beverley LaHaye, Ern Baxter, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Chuck Colson, Robert Stearns, Mike Bickle, Reuven Doron, Che Ahn, Frank Hammond, Cindy Jacobs, Bill Hamon, John Eckhardt, Bobbie Byerly, Dutch Sheets, Jim Goll, John Paul Jackson, Francis Frangipane, James Ryle, Frank Damazio, Ed Silvoso, Carlos Annacondia, Claudio Freidzon, Roger Mitchell, Ted Haggard, Paul Cain, Chuck Pierce, Rick Joyner, Kingsley Fletcher, Jim Laffoon, Barbara Wentroble, ad infinitum, ad nauseum ? Now, if you find this offensive, your argument is with God, not with me - BECAUSE ALL THESE LEADERS HAVE ALLIED THEMSELVES WITH AMERICA'S NEW WORLD ORDER SYSTEM! They are servants of the Machine - every single one of them! [Please see our article, "A Woman Riding a Beast Going forth Conquering and to Conquer;" please also see our article, "George Bush, the Promise Keepers, and the Principles of Messianic Leadership."] You say, Certainly there must be some hope for these men and women and those who follow them? But that isn't what the Bible suggests. Indeed, Darby writes: "The character of the 'last days' is strongly marked here [i.e., in 2 Timothy], and GIVES NO HOPE for [established] Christianity ..." THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE These people, these so-called Christians, these pitiable servants of the Machine are TRAITORS TO THE FAITH (2 Tim. 3:4) - all of them; all those who have allied themselves with the rich and powerful of this world; in other words, all those who have allied themselves with the Machine. But while they, indeed, may be "traitors to the faith," they are still men and women who possess the money and the wherewithal to put on a "display of godliness," a pretense of "Christianity" (so-called). And make no mistake about it, money has the power to make one appear godly; it has the power to hide one's sin; to put on a "good show" with rapturous music in a venue filled with hundreds and thousands of the "beautiful people" of this world who in ecstatic but totally bogus displays of sanctity lift up "holy hands in worship to God" each Sunday in their coifed hair and their Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Liz Claiborne finery. AND THIS, OF COURSE, IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF CHRISTIANITY THAT THE "PROPHETS AND PRIESTS" OF THE MACHINE ARE SEEKING TO EXPORT AROUND THE WORLD TO JUSTIFY THE MACHINE IN ITS AVARICE AND GREED; the kind of Christianity that puts the poor off insofar as the Gospel is concerned. This is exactly the kind of Christianity (so-called) that the "lackey elites" in America's "client-states" are adopting in order to ingratiate themselves with the leaders of the "American system." What a sham this kind of Christianity is. It's the same kind of sham Christianity that the leaders of Guatemala and El Salvador adopted in order to ingratiate themselves with Dimitri Negroponte during the Contra Wars in Central America in the 1980s. [Please see our article, "The Horror of John Dimitri Negroponte and Everything He Represents."] Darby continues: "The enemy ... deceives souls by the specious appearances of which the apostle here speaks; [specifically, by that form of Christianity] ... that bears the name of Christianity, that before men has the character of godliness, and that the flesh will accept as such much more readily than ... [true godliness] which, because it is true godliness, is contrary to the flesh." [cf. 2 Tim. 3:1-5] SHUTTING UP THE KINGDOM OF GOD AGAINST MEN But, of course, the Christianity and godliness (so-called) that the flesh produces is a fraud; a counterfeit; it's capable of producing nothing more than an empty show with no reality attached to it. It's the kind of empty "magic" show that Bennie Hinn and Morris Ceruillo take to places like Nigeria, Argentina, Brazil, etc.; the kind that promises wealth and success if the poor of these poverty-stricken countries adopt "Biblical Principles" insofar as the governance of their societies are concerned - the kind of "Biblical Principles" (so-called) established by the Machine and administered by the WTO, the IMF and the World Bank. [Please see our articles, "The Marxist Paradigm" and "Capitalism and Christianity;" please also see our article, "Inside the American New World Order System."] This kind of Christianity produces Christians who measure their "Christianity" by the money they possess, who condemn as "failures" the poor for not having achieved their level of fiscal prosperity, and who feel no compassion when the poor "get what they deserve" by being stripped of their welfare checks and tossed out into the street; Christians who - "... devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers." (Matt. 23:14), These are the sort of pathetic Christians who act as the Machine's plenipotentiaries and emissaries and who in their effort to please the god of the Machine - "... compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, they make him twofold more the child of hell than they are." (Matt. 23:15) And in doing so, they - "... shut up the kingdom of heaven against men ..." (Matt. 23:13) THE POOR OF THE EARTH ARE OFFENDED BY THE CHUECH They "shut up the kingdom of heaven against men?" YES! What else would you expect from such people, OR is it that difficult to see that when the church allies itself with the American New World Order System to ravage and pillage the earth, that the poor of the earth would be offended by it, and "turned-off" to Christ? What would you think if you were one of the citizens of Falujah and had had your city "liberated" IN THE NAME OF CHRIST by the American army - death squad-style; to say nothing of seeing your neighborhood blown up by 2,000 pound bombs - once again, IN THE NAME OF CHRIST? Be honest! - what would you think? This kind of hypocrisy has an effect on the poor; it turns off the poor of the earth to the true message of the poor Carpenter of Nazareth. [Please see our article, "Sowing the Seeds of the Gog / Magog War."] If you are unable to see what we are talking about here, then surely you are one of those about whom Jesus said, "NOT EVERY ONE THAT SAITH UNTO ME, LORD, LORD, SHALL ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ... "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? "And then will I profess unto them, I NEVER KNEW YOU: DEPART FROM ME, ye that work iniquity." (Matt. 7:21-23) The truth of the matter is, the "established church" of today's Christianity (i.e., the Christianity of the American New World Order System) has brought nothing but shame to God's holy Name - especially insofar as the wretched of the earth are concerned; IT ADVANCES THE HORRID FRAUD THAT CHRIST'S KINGDOM IS A MATTER FOR THE RICH AND POWERFUL rather than what it really is, a place where, as Mary - the mother of Jesus - describes it, God - "... [will] scatter ... the proud in the imagination of their hearts. "He ... [will] put down the mighty from their seats, and exalt ... them of low degree. "He ... [will] fill ... the hungry with good things; and THE RICH HE ... [WILL] SEND ... EMPTY AWAY." (Luke 1:51-53) THE CHURCH THAT SERVES THE GOD OF THE MACHINE IS AN AFFRONT TO THE POOR Listen to me here, dear brothers and sisters in the Lord; we are not being trite when we say that one of the great distinguishing marks between the REAL church of God and the APOSTATE church (i.e., the church of the Machine) in the "end of days" is that one is for the poor, and the other is for the rich - THE KIND OF CHURCH THAT CIA DIRECTOR PORTER GOSS AND HIS WIFE MARY ATTEND (i.e., the Falls Church in Falls Church, Virginia); the one that Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard, and Tucker Carlson are members of; the kind that Judge Robert Bork, Jr., Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA), Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and Michael Gerson, the president's chief speechwriter attend. It's a church just outside of Washington D.C.; a place where, as Ayelish McGarvey describes it, "... women in pearls and khakis, and men in blue blazers - clap along to the songs or lift their hands up [in prayer] ... She goes on to say: "The inside of the church [a conservative Episcopal church which was 'appalled' by the decision of the denomination's hierarchy to allow for the ordination of homosexuals to the priesthood and which - with a number of other conservative Episcopal churches - is now moving to separate itself from the denomination] is laid out amphitheater style with floor-to-ceiling windows that bathe the vast sanctuary in sunlight. The priests wear suits, and although they still recite the Nicene Creed ... they mix it up with characteristically evangelical, ad-libbed prayer ... There is a 'worship team' of guitarists, vocalists and a drummer ... "The stress ... is on power ... [The church] very consciously aims its ministry at the ruling class. Among other things, the church sponsors a fellowship program for recent college graduates that combines theological coursework with internships at lobbying firms and ['new-con'] think tanks like the Heritage Foundation." [This is exactly the kind of "power theology" that the so-called 'Fellowship' teaches at the Cedars; please see our article, "The Cedars: The House on 24th Street."] Where is there any place in such a church for the kind of homeless Person who said of Himself, "... foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." (Matt. 8:20) ? JESUS IS NOT REALLY THAT CONCERNED WITH THE WELFARE OF THE RICH The truth of the matter is, Jesus isn't very much concerned with the kind of self-righteous and financially well-off twits who attend the Falls Church along with Porter Goss, Fred Barnes and Tucker Carlson. What do the rich and the self-righteous really want with Christ? - Nothing, of course. They have no need of Him in their fancy homes, their green lawns, their BMWs and SUVs, etc. - other than "to make a show of Him" and "advertise" their piety by contriving for themselves "A FORM OF GODLINESS" based on the outward trivialities of the Christian religion (2 Tim. 3:5). It's no small thing that Jesus said of such people: " ... It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a [sewing] needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." (Matt. 19:24) I tell you the truth when I say: THE RICH POLLUTE THE CHURCH BY THEIR PRESENCE; when the rich take over the church, the poor are pushed aside, apostasy rushes in like a flood, and God's testimony is ruined. [Please see our article, "The Rich Have Seized Control of the Church."] The Bible says: "Hearken, my beloved brethren, HATH NOT GOD CHOSEN THE POOR OF THIS WORLD rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? (James 2:5) And then it goes on to solemnly warn us against our natural or fleshly bias towards the rich: "But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats [i.e., the courts]? "DO NOT THEY [i.e., THE RICH] BLASPHEME THAT WORTHY NAME BY WHICH YE ARE CALLED?" (James 2:6-7) UNITY IS A POWERFUL THING, BOTH FOR GOOD AND FOR EVIL Now the strength and power of the Machine - specifically, the American New World Order System acting in conjunction with the church - lies in the conformity and consonance it is able to demand from all of its various parts; this empowers it to confront the world as ONE MIGHTY COLLOSSUS. But it's not the kind of conformity and consonance (i.e., unity) that flows from inside outward, but rather the kind that is compelled from the outside inward - the kind of oneness that a prison imposes on its prisoners. It is corporeal and fleshly; severe and rigid; cruel and pitiless. It is the kind of UNITY that can only be achieved in this world by a ruthlessly ordered DICTATORSHIP administered by an all-encompassing and merciless HIERARCY. IT IS PRECISELY THIS KIND OF WORLD-WIDE DICTATORSHIP THAT THE CHURCH - IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE AMERICAN NEW WORLD ORDER SYSTEM - SEEKS NOW TO IMPOSE ON THE WORLD. This is exactly what the right-wing of the Catholic Church proposes for the world; for example, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, wrote in 2001: "With the coming of the Savior Jesus Christ, God has willed that the Church founded by Him be the instrument for the salvation of all humanity ... Indeed, the Church ... must be primarily committed to ... announcing the necessity of conversion to Jesus Christ and of ADHERENCE to the Church ... Thus, the certainty of the universal salvific will of God does not diminish, but rather increases the duty and urgency of ... conversion ..." [Please see the last section of our previous article, "Liberation Theology, the Vatican, and the CIA: Ghosts and Phantoms" for more information on the alliance that Bush and Ratzinger have struck between themselves." And make no mistake about it, Ratzinger has in mind the kind of universal power the church possessed in the Medieval World - the kind of power administered by Hildebrand at the turn of the Second Millennium. Herman writes: "THIS IS A CALL FOR A DICTATORSHIP OF THE ... CHURCH." Herman says that such a dictatorship is necessitated because - "... many people may not agree with the absolutist principles [of church and state advocated by Ratzinger and the neo-conservatives who surround George Bush] and will have to be COERCED into acceptance. If you can't abide dissent that violates unquestionable principles, you must clean out the judges and legislators that support or allow dissent and you must remove or silence media and intellectuals who stand in the way ... Clearly democracy obstructs the hegemony of absolutist principles." Hence, the necessity of a dictatorship - which is precisely the kind of dictatorship that the Machine anticipates. THE UNITY OF HELL But the unity that the Machine foresees - the unity that bureaucracy and hierarchy create - is THE UNITY OF HELL. Sadly, however, this is the kind of unity - the kind that emphasizes rank and position - that many of today's churches depend on, and so much so that all too often one's "Godlikeness" is measured by how high up one is in the bureaucracy or hierarchy. Concomitantly, the "spirituality" of the so-called "little saints" (i.e., the "pew sitters") is measured by the degree to which they "submit" to those who have been placed over them. But this kind of bureaucratic control has nothing to do with Christ, AND WHENEVER ONE SEES IT, ONE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT HELL IS CLOSE BY. Jesus said: "Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them "But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister [servant]; "And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered to [i.e., to be served], but to minister [i.e., to serve], and to give his life a ransom for many." (Matt. 20:25-28) Of course, such thinking is anathema to those who promote rank and position in the church. It strikes at the military-like order which bureaucracies and hierarchies promote. THE UNITY OF CHRIST But bureaucracies and hierarchies are totally unnecessary to the unity that Christ engenders; it flows out of our inner relationship with Christ. As we abide in Christ, and as He abides in us, oneness with other Christians results as a NATURAL outcome of that relationship. There is no effort required! There is no need to force unity on the saints as if unity with other believers is something foreign and unnatural to the Christian life - something which must be imposed on the saints "from outside" and as the result of bureaucratic and hierarchical control. This is how the world knows that Christ was sent from the Father: THAT WE ARE ONE, and that the oneness we have with one another is not a forced or coerced thing, but something that flows out of love and a willing heart. Jesus prayed - "THAT THEY ALL MAY BE ONE; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: THAT THE WORLD MAY BELIEVE THAT THOU HAST SENT ME. (John 17:21) And He went on to say: "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: "I in them, and thou in me, THAT THEY MAY BE MADE PERFECT IN ONE ..." (John 17:22-23) It is for this kind of oneness that the Bible says the whole creation is ... "WAITING EXPECTANTLY" and for which it is "LONGING EARNESTLY." (Romans 8:19, Zondervan, the Amplified Bible) Obviously, this kind of oneness has NOTHING to do with the kind of oneness that Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) and the American New World Order System are seeking to promote, the kind that is predicated on outward forms of control, and on hierarchies and bureaucracies that emphasize rank and position; the kind that reduces people to the position of a cog in a giant machine; to the status of automatons and robots. TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF ONENESSES So we are confronted with two very different kinds of "ONENESSES" (as it were): The kind that the Machine engenders, and the kind that Christ engenders, and it is precisely on the basis of this difference that one can easily discern whether or not a church (so-called) is a servant of the Machine or whether it serves Christ. THE CHURCH IS NOT A MACHINE! - and so it follows that whenever one sees a church acting as if it were a machine, that is not a church, regardless of how it advertises itself to the world. Again, Jesus said: "Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them "But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister [servant]; "And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered to [i.e., to be served], but to minister [i.e., to serve], and to give his life a ransom for many." (Matt. 20:25-28) WE DO NOT NEED TO COMPROMISE THE WORD OF GOD TO ACHIEVE THIS KIND OF ONENESS Again I say, the unity which the Bible has in mind here is not something for which we - as individual Christians - must strive; nor is it - and this is important - something for which we must compromise the Word of God. To say so is to imply that we can have either unity OR "sound doctrine," but not both. That, however, is an absurdity - an absurdity which, nonetheless, many evangelicals seem willing to embrace. It's as preposterous as saying that God can be either loving OR righteous, but not both. Unity - real unity, the unity which Christ gives - has nothing to do with compromising the Word of God. To think so is to exhibit a superficiality and shallowness of faith that is shocking. The unity which Christ gives is ours as a natural by-product of our "abiding in Christ:" As we abide in Christ, and as we - "... behold ... the Lord as in a mirror ... [we] are changed into the same image [i.e., Christ's image] from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Cor. 3:18) In other words, as we are changed into the likeness of the Lord, we reflect His glory, and His glory brings oneness among the brothers and sisters; then THIS ONENESS PRODUCES THE CHURCH, and THE CHURCH PRODUCES CHRIST'S TESTIMONY IN THE EARTH: "That they all may be ONE ... THAT THE WORLD MAY BELIEVE THAT THOU HAST SENT ME." (John 17:21) ? Our oneness produces the church. Indeed, our oneness IS the church, and the church IS God's testimony in the earth. IT IS THIS ONENESS THAT GOD INTENDS TO JUXTAPOSE AGAINST THE ONENESS THAT THE MACHINE ENGENDERS, AND IN DOING SO DRAW MEN AND WOMEN TO HIMSELF. OUR ONENESS, WHICH IS THE CHURCH, MUST BE DEMONSTRATED PRACTICALLY Now in connection with all this, we should understand that the Bible speaks of the church in two ways: (1) the church universal, and (2) the church local. For example, in I Cor. 12:28 the Bible says: "And God hath set some in the church (singular), first apostles, secondly, prophets, thirdly, teachers ..." (I Cor. 12:28) However, in the Revelation the Bible says, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches (plural) which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea." (Rev. 1:11) And again, in I Cor. 14:23 we read, "... the whole church assembled together ..." (I Cor. 14:23) In the first instance (I Cor. 12:28), the Bible is referencing the church universal, and in the second instance (Revelation I:11 and I Corinthians 14:23), the Bible is referencing the church local. In speaking of the church universal, the Bible is referencing all those believers of every race, ethnicity, nationality, culture, locality, language, and civilization - and even those who have died and are now with the Lord. When speaking of the church local, the Bible is referencing those believers who "assemble together" because they are physically able to do so - that is to say, they live in proximity with one another as in the two instances referenced above in Rev. 1:11 and I Cor. 14:23. IT IS HERE - IN THE LOCAL CHURCH - THAT WE MUST BE BUILT UP TOGETHER IN ONENESS WITH OTHER SAINTS. It is here - in the local church - that the "work of building" takes place. (I Pet. 2:5) THIS IS WHERE THE CHURCH MAKES CONTACT WITH THE WORLD AND THE UNSAVED. Indeed, it probably wouldn't be too much to say, that it's at the local level of the church's operation that the main struggle between it and the world for the souls of men and women takes place. It is here AT THE LOCAL LEVEL - where we live - that our ONENESS must be demonstrated to the world. Finally, it is here - in the local church - THAT THE ONENESS THAT CHRIST GIVES CAN BE JUXTAPOSED AGAINST THE KIND OF ONENESS THAT THE MACHINE ENGENDERS. IT'S HERE THAT THE WORLD CAN DISCERN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO; IT IS THEN THAT THE POOR WILL BE ABLE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE CHURCH (SO-CALLED) THAT IS CONNECTED TO THE AMERICAN NEW WORLD ORDER SYSTEM AND THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST! AND IT IS HERE THAT GOD WILL BE GLORIFIED BECAUSE WE ARE UNITED TOGETHER NOT ON THE BASIS OF COMPULSION, BUT ON LOVE. WE CANNOT GLORIFY CHRIST WITHOUT BEING BUILT-UP WITH OTHER SAINTS But if we do not assemble together with other saints on a regular and meaningful basis, there is NO way that we can be a testimony for Christ. Remember here, that's how the world knows that Christ was sent by the Father: By our ONENESS - by our PRACTICAL, DAY-BY-DAY ONENESS with other saints. (John 17:21) Now this doesn't mean that we can in any way compromise the truth as we seek others who are willing to stand with us insofar as that truth is concerned. If we give up on truth, we give up on Christ; and without Christ, there is no church. Jesus said: "I am the way the TRUTH and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) That means that we cannot give up on what we've seen regarding the "end of the age." But we still must have the church. Therefore, we must diligently seek out others who see what we see and make every effort to establish a church-life with them - to get "built-up" with them as "living stones." Listen to me here, dear brothers and sisters in the Lord: there is simply no way that we can glorify Christ and be "perfected in Him" outside of being one with other saints where we live. The "PERFECT MAN" in the New Testament is that person WHO HAS BEEN "FITTED" AS A "LIVING STONE" (I Pet. 2:5) INTO THE BUILDING OF CHRIST (Eph: 2:21) which is the church; the Bible says: "Ye also, as lively (living) stones, are BUILT UP a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." (1 Pet. 2:5) It is in the church that we become "no more children, tossed to and fro" (Eph 4:14), but grow up in Christ "unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13) "From whom the whole body fitly joined together and COMPACTED by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love" (Eph. 4:16). Now look carefully here: Growing up in Christ "unto a PERFECT MAN, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13) is tied to being COMPACTED together with other saints (Eph. 4:16). You cannot have one without the other. And where are we COMPACTED together? - in the church; in the LOCAL church. But how can that be accomplished if you have no one with whom you can "assemble together?" NOTE: Again, in speaking of the "PERFECT MAN," the New Testament is not talking about personal holiness here, for you must remember, whatever personal holiness we have is derived strictly and only from Christ's work on the cross. It is an holiness that is imparted to us apart from anything we have done. The Bible says: "... all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags ..." (Is. 64:6). When we measure one another by "our righteousnesses" we declare that we know NOTHING about God; and that the kind of Christianity that we are engaged in is a form of "Grail Christianity." [Please see our article, "The Grail Quest: The Search for Inner Perfection" in the Antipas Papers.] YOUR WORK WILL BE JUDGED Is being established in this PERFECT man [i.e., the "builded-up" church (Eph. 4:13)] the goal towards which you are laboring in your day-to-day life? Or does your labor consist simply of emailing others and talking with others on the telephone? Is your church simply the "church on the internet" where your brothers and sisters are merely "electrical impulses" suspended in the air? If that's what your church-life consists of, then your labor for Christ is in vain, and ON THAT DAY when you appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, you will appear empty-handed. This may be an uncomfortable saying for most of you, nonetheless, it's true! The Bible says: "We are labourers together with God: ye [plural] are God's husbandry, ye [plural] are God's building [which is the church]. "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. "Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." (1 Cor. 3:9-13) The Bible says that our works will be made "manifest:" for "the day (i.e., that day when Christ judges our works) shall declare it." And what is the "Work of God?" - IT IS THE CHURCH! That's what the Bible is talking about here - after all, what are we as "God's building" if not the church? The Bible says "Ye (corporately) are God's building!" (I Cor. 3:9) Christ is the foundation: "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ!" (I Cor. 3:11) We are called to labor on this foundation, and OUR LABOR WILL BE JUDGED: "Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble: Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." (I Cor. 3:12-13) THE GLORIOUS CHURCH God's purpose, then, in saving us (Mat. 20:28) is to "build us up (as) a spiritual house," and by doing so to establish the church - Christ's body "... which is the fullness of Him that filleth all in all." (Eph. 1:23) HOW UNIMAGINABLE SIGNIFICANT, THEREFORE IS THE CHURCH IN GOD'S EYES. Indeed, the Bible says: "Christ also loved the church, AND GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR IT." (Eph. 5:25) Indeed, it's for this very reason that Christ even rose from the dead, and is now far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and has become the "head over all things to the church" (Eph. 1:22). In fact, the entire work of the Holy Spirit during these last two thousand years has been to establish the church. God saves sinners and gives them victory in their personal lives not necessarily to perfect them as individual stones but to "mold and shape" them so that they can at last be "fitted" into the building, and it's for this purpose of "building up" the church (i.e., of "molding and shaping" - "perfecting" - the individual saints) that He bestows apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers as "gifts" to the church. The church, then, is the vehicle through which God has chosen to "make known" His glory and wisdom in the universe, AND IT IS THROUGH THE CHURCH - THE REAL CHURCH - THAT GOD INTENDS TO CONFRONT THE GREAT WICKEDNESS OF THE MACHINE. [We urge to read "The Two Witnesses" in the Antipas Papers.] LIBERATION THEOLOGY In a very imperfect way, the proponents of Liberation Theology realized this. That's why they expended so much energy in trying to reorganize the church they were a part of so that they could better confront the American New World Order System. To that end, Leonardo Boff wrote: "Liberation Theologians cannot accept a market doctrine that brings death to the majority of the human race ... The Church must break away from the powers of this world and turn its attention to the oppressed ... WE HAVE TO REJECT A CHRISTIANITY WHICH ALLIES ITSELF WITH THE RULING CLASSES AGAINST THE POOR." [Which is to say, we must reject a Christianity that has made common cause with the American New World Order System.] Boff knew that the church had to confront the American New World Order System if it was to remain a viable witness to Christ in this world. Gustavo Gutierrez knew this as well; he wrote: "We must take the church to the poor. We must bypass the rich. We must construct at the local level a multiplicity of small communities of the faithful; we call these communities 'Basic Church Communities' [Comunidades Eclesiaia de Base (CEBs)]. Through these communities the faithful poor can minister to their own needs without having to rely on the vicissitudes of the rich. These communities must be more than what we today understand as the 'church'. They must be 'communities' in the meaning of Acts 2:44 ('And all that believed were together, and had all things common'). These communities must minister to the needs of the whole man: body and soul." What Boff and Gutierrez were proposing is taking the church back to the way it was in Acts 4:32-34. This is how they conceived they could confront the American New World Order System - i.e., the Machine. They envisioned their "Basic Church Communities" as a place where the faithful poor could minister to their own needs without having to rely on the vicissitudes and phony charity of the rich; where the concept of "church" was understood to be much more than what most Christians today conceive it as; where "church" meant "community" in the sense of Acts 4:32-34: "And the multitude of them that believed were of ONE HEART and of ONE SOUL: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. "And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. "Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold [for the benefit of the church] ..." (Acts 4:32-34) Of course, such thinking would be called "cultic" in today's American church. The thought of selling "lands" and "houses" for the sake of the church would be considered OUTRAGEOUS by most Christians today - especially Christians in the United States. "BASIC CHURCH COMMUNITIES" But that's EXACTLY what the ancient church did; and these acts of selflessness were repeated over and over again in the early days of the church. Indeed, what occurred in the Church in Jerusalem where "the multitude of them that believed were of ONE heart and of ONE soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common" (Acts 4:32) was the norm rather than the exception. And the Bible says: "... great grace was upon them all." (Acts 4:33) Now note carefully here: Acts 4:32 and 4:33 are linked together: THE "COMMUNITY" THAT THEY HAD WITH ONE ANOTHER ELICITED THE GRACE OF GOD UPON THEM ALL. Again, it was precisely this kind of "community" that the advocates of Liberation Theology were trying to reproduce in their concept of "Basic Church Communities," and in doing so, these poor Catholic parish priests - as misguided as they were insofar as many basic doctrines of Christianity are concerned - came closer to what the New Testament envisioned as "church" than anything the evangelicals have ever envisioned except during the "Jesus Revolution." [Please see our article, "The Jesus Revolution and the Search for Community and the Church-Life."] In establishing their "Basic Church Communities" throughout Latin America, Liberation Theologians created a powerful challenge (not only economically, but spiritually) to the neo-conservative, market-driven social order that the adherents of the American New World Order System - in conjunction with their evangelical allies and the right-wing of the Catholic Church - were trying to build in Latin America, and so much so that even Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) was forced to concede that there seemed to be an "irresistible Christian logic" to the concept of "Basic Church Communities" that could not be denied. The only answer to it was MURDER and SUPPRESSION. [Please see our article, "The American Empire: The Corporate / Pentagon / CIA / Missionary Archipelago" for a discussion on how evangelical missionaries have worked hand-in-glove with the CIA and American corporate interests to advance American domination in Latin America.] Where the advocates of Liberation Theology went wrong is that they attempted to construct their "Basic Church Communities" within the confines of the Roman Catholic Church. That simply was impossible. Leaving aside the doctrinal problems inherent in Catholicism - which in themselves are practically insurmountable - they forgot Christ's words when He warned His disciples: "No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment; for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse "Neither do men put new wine into old wineskins; else the wineskins break, and the wine runneth out ..." (Matt. 9:16-17) The Roman Church with its centuries-old hierarchy and bureaucracy simply could not contain what Boff and Gutierrez were attempting to pour into it. [Please see our article, "Liberation Theology, the Vatican and the CIA: Ghosts and Phantoms."] I TELL YOU THE TRUTH But I tell you the truth when I say, THIS IS WHAT THE END OF THE AGE IS ALL ABOUT: Constructing "Basic Church Communities" as a bulwark against the machinations of the American New World Order System. Brothers and sisters, I tell you the truth when I say, God is raising up a TESTIMONY to His holy Name in these "last days." Do you want to be a part of it? If you do, give us a call up here in Canada at (250)-397-2555 or (250) 397-2560, OR call us in the U.S. at (916) 455-1719. You may also email us here in Canada at sean@antipasministries.com OR in the United States at fred@antipasministries.com. God bless you all! S.R. Shearer Antipas Ministries
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#1. To: Red Jones (#0)
THE BORG! ALL FOR THE COLLECTIVE!
"But what is Hope? Nothing but the paint on the face of Existence; the least touch of truth rubs it off, and then we see what a hollow-cheeked harlot we have got hold of." Lord Byron
in the early part of this article above the author really does a good job of defining this 'machine' that supports the New World Order. people who are familiar with the bible will be moved by this description, unless they are themselves loyal to this New World Order, in which case they will immediately be in 'denial' mode. As the article says the NWO of today is 'Babylon' of end- times in the bible. It is described very precisely in the bible, amazingly so.
Yep, that's right. Come out of her, my people.
"But what is Hope? Nothing but the paint on the face of Existence; the least touch of truth rubs it off, and then we see what a hollow-cheeked harlot we have got hold of." Lord Byron
You better hurry up on that boat.....whoops! that would be me... ;)
The future is so bright I got to wear shades.
The guy makes a lot of sense, but unfortunately he mentions Darby, who is the one who came up with this End of the World/Rapture nonsense. It's Protestants falling for that con...not Catholics.
it is the bible that came up with that. Anyone whose read it knows that. Regarding the 'rapture' ideas, of course the word rapture isn't there. But there are perhaps 2 pages or so that describes exactly what the rapture proponents say it describes. I myself have a different interpretation than them on this. I think it merely describes a dramatic separation of the people. Exactly how this will happen and whether our world will be the same afterwards, except absent some people, is just speculation IMHO. These people from Antipas Ministries really like to focus on the parts of the bible that talk about end-times Babylon. This is a very prominent theme in the bible whereas this bit that talks specifically about this 'rapture' stuff is very small by comparison. Whenever you talk about babylon and all the prophecies of these end-times they just say that it doesn't matter because we're going to be 'raptured'. I think it doesn't even matter if we're going to be 'raptured'. We should not support Babylon. The great insight of these Antipas people is that they recognize that the New World Order is Babylon in the bible. If a person finds and writes down all the descriptions of Babylon in the bible, then you can make a very strong case that this describes exactly the people who are ruling today via these structures they call the NWO. There is that one verse in Revelation that Antipas likes to quote always where it says that god will put forth a powerful call to bring his people out of her (babylon) so that they not be a part of her sin. But I've read places in Daniel where the bible is speaking directly to people who live in this nation of babylon in the end-times, and telling them that their nation will be destroyed completely, and also telling them not to feat to stay right in the cities, not even to flee to the country-side to protect yourself from the destruction. The parable early in Daniel about how believers under babylon's rule were put into a furnace and not harmed I believe is a parable for the Americans to show them that they should have faith and stay here. Either way, we're all going to die somehow and then at some point be judged. So, I don't know why it's such a big deal, the rapture, this business about fleeing America. We don't know the exact particulars of the future. We do know that the people who rule over us are the Babylon as described in the bible. People couldn't understand those prophecies until these times came. Now we can see what the verses mean because we see it coming true. Why does god want history to unfold like this? It says right in the bible that the evil ones who rule in these times will be given the power to do so by god. History will unfold so that the people are chastised, so that people will know without any doubt that they cannot even live without god, that all the achievements of man are meaningless and feeble, that without god empowering us we are destined for failure. In other words, events will orchestrate a situation where every knee will bend. Personally, I think when prophecies about the end-times talk about the 'abomination' I think that is an overwhelming and one-sided nuclear surprise attack on America that destroys our nation completely and totally in a very short time.
Why would anyone think that the New World Order of today is Babylon in end- times prophecy in the bible. Because the prophecy itself describes this kingdom and the descriptions look exactly like the people who rule over us today. Many will object that Babylon is always described as a city in the bible. Well, it is not always described as a city. There is a spot late in Daniel I think where it says specifically that it is only described as a city, but is in reality a nation and a collection of many cities. The New World Order is a collection of interests that are mercantile in origin or at least they're strongly mixed up in mercantile interests. The New World Order is a legal system used for governing and making laws. It is a legal system that has risen up out of mercantile interests. What do we call law that is focused on international trade and mercantile interests? We historically call that 'law of the seas' if you've studied any law at all, you may know that. And in the vision of Daniel it describes this beast of babylon that rules as having risen up from the seas. I tell you it is the law of the seas that it has risen from. Don't interpret the bible literally, it must be interpreted 'in the spirit'. The bible describes repeatedly how the people who rule will use fornication to corrupt leaders around the world, leaders of many nations who will in turn be used for the sake of ruling the world. In case you hadn't noticed there are a lot of sexual irregularities among the people who rule. The bible describes babylon as the kingdom that tramples on the poor. This is what the NWO does if you hadn't noticed. It keeps wages suppressed all over the world if you look carefully at their schemes, that's what they do. Systems are created that result in not paying poor very well for their work. God does not like this. The bible describes babylon as the nation that imports from all over the world in a huge way and ostentatious way, and even its people consuming way too much. The bible describes the nation babylon destroyed in one hour and able to import so much due to its wealth or due to its strong currency in some versions. The New World Order has many schemes for keeping the US dollar artificially strong. The dollar is way over-valued. All we have to do is print money to buy things. We don't have to trade for goods the way other nations must. This is described in the bible over many books even. The bible describes characteristics of this babylon and the NWO meets all of these characteristics. They control the central banks don't they, this is one of the characteristics described. So, these are some of the reasons why many people are thinking that the New World Order and babylon in the bible are the same. Of course, we must distinguish between the old babylon of ancient times which was a real kingdom headquartered originally in Iraq ironically and the Babylon of the end times which is today. This is a time for building faith. We are not going to win these battles against those who rule over us until the abomination occurs and then jesus returns, and then judgement begins and the evil ones will be defeated by the sword that comes out of god's mouth. Not by us, but by him.
Excellent posts, Red.
Check out my blog, America, the Bushieful.
in the bible it says it is the end of an era, not the end of the world. god will bring his kingdom here on earth. He will separate the people. Only some will be allowed to enter this kingdom he will bring here. Everything will change.
Now THERE'S an understatement! :-) Great posts, Red...agree with much of what you said.
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