The ideological war on Christianity

by: Andre Price

 Link to readers' comments and my reply

As a Christian dependent upon the LORD, I place the Word of God above philosophy and politics. As a political observer, I find CINOs (Christian in name only) of all political persuasions to be a lot more perplexing and disturbing than politicians branded as a RINO (Republican in name only).  I am writing concerning CINOs and sounding an alarm because the very works Christ demonstrated and commanded us to do are systematically being associated with evil and socialism by some who claim to be Christians.  Upon examination of spiritual versus ideological debates over good versus evil, arguments that avert truth have somewhat prevailed while highly stigmatizing the works of Christ. This is a matter of grave seriousness since false ideology is challenging and subverting critical works and directives of Christ.

Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

I doubt if what I say will change the mindset of a CINO.  My hope is that true believers in Christ will take heed or undergo a change of heart concerning biblical examples that contradicts politically induced targets of hatred.  For the sake of truth, let's agree that the Word of God is the only stepping stone upon which we must stand when deciding what's good and what's evil.  If you find what I share to be of concern and worthy of being made known, RETWEET this article. 

First and foremost, God is not a Republican or a Democrat.  He is King of kings, Lord of lords, and independent of independents.  What Christians hate should have everything to do with what God hates. 

Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,  A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. 

Considering the commandments of Christ, He never instructed His followers to build a physical kingdom in His name on earth.  There is no evidence in the New Testament where followers of Christ pooled their money to secure property in God's name.  The opposite is true.  Rich believers were selling properties to provide funding to support the poor among them.   

Acts 4:33-37 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,  And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.  And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,  Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

This is in fact a biblical example of redistribution of wealth in favor of the poor, an act of mercy contrary to the ideology propagating hatred against such acts by slandering it as evil and socialism. Remember the works and directives of Christ which motivated early Church believers were over a thousand years before socialism. God teaches and upholds that which is good.  No power in existence can change that so socialism can only be a perversion of good; not justification for the condemnation of good.  Rich believers voluntarily pooled what they had in abundance to be redistributed among poor and needy believers.  They behaved like a loving family bound by a spiritual kinship.  If Christ had purposed to accumulate money to finance His mission, He could have done so in the following interchange between a rich man and Himself.  

Mark 10:17-25  And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.  Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.  And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.  Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.  And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.  And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!  And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Out of the mouth of God came directives that addressed a critical flaw of the rich and desperate needs of the poor. His instructions were exactly what rich believers were motivated to do after being spiritually converted. The redistribution of wealth demonstrated mercy for the poor and trust in God by those who turned from putting their trust in riches. So why is this act of mercy and directive of Christ now being slandered as an evil socialistic ideology?  A fundamental belief of Christianity is that God is good.  The works of Christ reveal the goodness of God. Following His example will lead to good. Should God fearing believers standby and accept repudiation of what is biblically God's expressed will and goodness?  The Bible addresses those who contradicts what God deems good.

Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Let's examine the miracle of the fishes and the loaves –

Mark 6:32-44 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.  And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.  And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.  And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.  He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?  He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.  And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.  And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.  And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.  And they did all eat, and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.  And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.

The disciples suggested turning the problem of feeding the multitude over to the private sector but that so hated "free lunch" behavior branded as socialism was exemplified by God Himself.  Feeding the hungry is another good work now being tarnished as a wasteful socialistic evil while collective funding for such is being diverted to provide increase wealth for the rich.  This is clearly good versus evil and resolvable considering the majority in America wants to be known as a Christian nation. – Before Christ implemented non-profit healthcare, a woman having a disease lost all her money paying for private sector healthcare without being cured of her illness:

Luke 8:43-48 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.  And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?  And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.  And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.  And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. 

Christ and His disciples healed many and cast out devils, restoring sanity without turning a non-profit means into a highly profitable and exploitative venture. 

Mark 1:34 And he healed many that were sick with divers diseases, and cast out many demons; and he suffered not the demons to speak, because they knew him.
Mark 6:13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

One could only imagine what the physicians of that time felt concerning their bottom line wile Christ and His disciples healed multitudes.  It being an act of God, it is clear what He felt about wellness versus the bottom line.  As God fearing Christians, we are not simply encouraged but commanded to follow His example.  If not miraculous, non-profit healthcare will suffice to please God rather than to serve mammon, a blight for a Christian nation.  – It is ironic that the very people who were offended by the works of Christ and His disciples were the religious leaders of that day. They operated under a religious authority more concerned with defending their power and means of increasing their wealth without having any concern for the Word of God or for people.  The same is true today among the CINO crowd with the pretense of defending America against a socialistic evil.  The truth is that they are engaging in spiritual war for the heart and soul of America via what has become a tradition of ideological posturing for the sake of money.  God fearing believers are the only firewall against what could be a spiritual calamity if only we would rise up in unity to defend the Word of God without fear of hypocrites or gainsayers. 

Matthew 14:15:1-14  Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,  “Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.”  He answered them, “And why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?  For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die.’  But you say, ‘If any one tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is given to God, he need not honor his father.’  So, for the sake of your tradition, you have made void the word of God.  You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:  ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’”  And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”  Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”  He answered, “Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.  Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
1Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Another bone of contention for CINOs are taxes or the funding of the so hated government for the people and by the people.  What do CINOs hate more?  Is it the people sheltered by the goverment they wish to destroy or the fact that money is being spent for the sake of the people instead of being diverted into the coffers of the rich?  God pulls no punches in addressing the ideological battle over government, it's purpose, and who is really in charge.  Let's start with what we can learn from the Lord about the so hated tax system: 

Matthew 17:24-27 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received the half-shekel came to Peter, and said, Doth not your teacher pay the half-shekel?  He saith, Yea. And when he came into the house, Jesus spake first to him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? the kings of the earth, from whom do they receive toll or tribute? from their sons, or from strangers?  And when he said, From strangers, Jesus said unto him, Therefore the sons are free.  But, lest we cause them to stumble, go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a shekel: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

If God, creator of all things, paid taxes while on earth regardless of it being unfair, then what do you think He expects of us?  Christians should pay taxes out of obedience to God and not take part in an ideological rebellion portraying good as evil for the sake of overthrowing a citizens based government by thwarting its ability to meet the collective needs of it's people. 

Romans 13:1-7 Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God.  Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment.  For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. And wouldest thou have no fear of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same: for he is a minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to him that doeth evil.  Wherefore ye must needs be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.  For this cause ye pay tribute also; for they are ministers of God’s service, attending continually upon this very thing.  Render to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. 

If we say we want government out of our lives and God is the only government there is and the governments on earth are His ministers, do we suppose God will reward such an attitude or punish it?  If you have read the Old Testament or biblical history of God's response to rebellion, you should know the most likely answer.  Consider what is happening in America today, the sudden collapse in financial stability driven by greed and the events of nature unleashing mass destruction.  Remember that in the book of Job it was Satan who unleashed destruction against Job, his family, his possessions, and his health after a false accusation challenging Job's faithfulness to God.  Woe be to America if Satan's accusations against us before almighty God prove to be true and that we are unfaithful and ungrateful after all God has done for us.  I do not believe that God would instruct His people to do what is contrary to His Word while holding us accountable to it.  The ideological rebellion taking place in America is against the goodness of God who established a long standing people's government in our country that once stood for good.  I do believe that such rebellion is of Satan who was cast out of heaven for that very reason.  The choice is clear.  We either choose to obey God by doing what He considers good or follow after a false good.  God has already decided the outcome of either choice. 

Matthew 7:21-29 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.  Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock.  And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof.  And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes

Christians are warned in the Bible to be aware concerning seducing, hateful, and lying spirits posing as angels of light.  They manifest in people claiming to be of Christ while doing the works of Satan.  It is written, "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them".