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The Gospels That We Embrace

I want you to consider which gospel you have and are embracing? (Pause)

In my experience most Evangelicals think “the gospel” is fixed and defined. Is summarized in a few sentences, called the Romans Road or the ABCs to getting saved. Usually treated like it is a 3-minute exclamation point for the sermon.

But I think there are actually many different gospels preached in evangelical churches.

A gospel is better seen as the sum total of our thoughts about God, it includes what the world is, how it works, why it and we exist.

That is a more thorough description of a gospel.

“How to get to heaven” through Jesus Christ, as wonderful and true as that is, is only part of the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, as was brought into the world with Christ. There is much more to hear and to preach.

Like a prostitute selling and twisting a great and precious thing, for money. The purpose is off. Similarly when the purpose of the preaching gets other than the Lord speaking through a person, then the emphasis is departed from the Lord’s intent for engaging in preaching in the first place. Then it often becomes not just off-base a little, but false.

“How to get to heaven” many evangelicals have surgically removed, and made it the whole, then sprinkled 52 other gospels around it for other reasons. So much sprinkling that they are almost false gospels (depending on the preacher), because the emphases are so far off on tangents.

Gospels, when embraced produce certain types of loyal and committed followers. The gospel of Islam produces a certain type of wildly committed radical follower.

Similarly in Christ certain gospels produce the type of Christian individuals and communities.

There is a gospel that produces teams of Christians who hire someone to gather around, a professional to lead and to head and to orchestrate the meetings. Someone who serves to isolate them from those they disagree with and don’t like. Someone to tell them when to come, how much to give, when to sit, when to leave, when to repeat after me, when to fellowship. And through sermons someone to tell them what is the mind of Christ as a weekly audience.

But fortunately as we read about in scripture there is also a gospel that connects people to the spirit of Jesus Christ. Who then gather as bodies of Christians. Who gather at his leading. Who leads a people to all contribute and who all one by one prophecy the greatness of Jesus Christ one. They allow Jesus Christ to lead, head and even orchestrate each meeting through every member in submission and in cooperation. And they together uncover the will and the mind of Christ. Assembling daily as the body of Jesus Christ in the earth in order to display the glory of God in the earth, to challenge the principalities and powers. And to usher fallen and dead humanity into the new humanity which has already begun in Jesus Christ.

Someday if the Lord allows it, I’ll teach and preach that glorious gospel.

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kissing Jesus while betraying him
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Declaration of Independence v. Jesus Christ

The Declaration of Independence

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another,

and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them,

a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

Adam: notice is the first paragraph of this declaration of independence the foundation of this new government is the assumption of separate but equal powers among the earth. The founders felt it was their right and duty to form a separate but equal government among and as one of the powers of the earth. The list of reasons are brilliant the maturity and integrity of these men seems to be impeccable. The logic and bravery of these men is supremely admirable.

BUT a desire to establish a government among the other powers of the earth is a dangerous thing. A motive and a line of logic that does not jive well with the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. This is the foundation of our government and it is not a thing of Jesus Christ. It is a motive with a foundation of of Satan. To pursue power among the powers of the earth is equivalent to budging our way at the table of the wicked principalities and powers in high places talked about in scripture (Eph 3:10, Eph 1:21, Rom 8:38). These men were tired of the persecution of the King of England and decided to violently push their way to the table of power that he was oppressing them from.

I love America I think it has the best form of government yet conceived on earth. Don’t get me wrong with this post, I believe our founding is truly a story of bravery and standing up to tyranny. But I cannot see the motives and logic of our founding when they declared independence and took up arms as something of Jesus Christ. I don’t believe that they were being led of the Holy Spirit as Jesus followers.

I believe they were being led by desire for a seat at the table among the powers of the earth. They wanted to be a peer to the kings of the earth. And their harsh treatment made it much easier to push them over the edge. Would they have if England had treated them well? We will never know.

We’ve seen this before:

  • Israel demanded they be like the other nations when they demanded a king like Saul. (1 Samuel 8:7)
  • The followers of Jesus asked for militant messiah-king to get them out from under the Romans. (John 6:15)
  • Satan tempted Jesus with a kingship over all the world. (Matthew 4:8-10).
  • Many Christians in the 4th century church succumbed to the temptation of political power and favor by embracing Emperor Constantine and his required Christian religion over Rome. (Read the history of Rome from AD 300 to about AD 330.)

Countless governments throughout modern history have embraced the idea of Christendom, the merging of human government with the church.

Its a history of carnage and error.

I write this post to put to rest (perhaps mostly in my own head) the idea that the formation of the American govnermnt was a thing of divine origin.

I know many of the men involved were wonderful well meaning men but I do believe they were deeply mistaken about the nature of human government and the ecclesia of Jesus Christ. They were living and reacting according to the gospel they had embraced which was likely supportive of ideas of Christendom and that the gospel was essentially just a lesson in how to get to heaven.

Had they heard the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, they may not have bothered with a revolution and a war. It may have been thrust upon them anyhow but we can never know that.

Would it not have been better if the king would have freely granted their freedom? Repented of his cruelty and violence and left them alone with motives of Christian love and freedom. And perhaps even helped them to form an even more perfect government and not sustained such a devastating loss of life and wealth in defeat in the process?

The way of Jesus Christ is better. Turning the other cheek is superior. Suffering persecution is better than striking back. Jesus can work out what we think only violence can bring us.

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heavenly places
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Marxism 101 – The Gospel of The State

Just read the Communist Manifesto.

After reading iti realize that we here in America are much more Marxist than we are willing to admit.

In the 1830s and 40s Marx and others put to words trends that were already happening and he also made it an atheist movement.

Even supposed conservative Republicans think a lot like Marx today but would hate to admit it… they only pretend not to.

Very few have actually read Marx.

The political fights now are over who runs “the state”. Marx openly put the state in place of God.

Another word for “the state” might be “human government.” We teach human government to our kids in church first then at “public” school we make it atheist. But it’s already there, Jesus was already pushed aside on Sunday mornings by the great man up front with the mic.

I call it a gospel of the state… and satan is its foundation.

Left, right, middle terminology.
“Separation of church and state”
Public property vs private

Are all part of this Marxist ideology.

It’s a satanic plagiarism from Jesus Christ and his body. We learn it in church government forming a government separate and distinct from Jesus himself then teach our kids that God approves of our little hierarchy.

Jesus Christ leading people directly through the Spirit is the ONLY alternative to socialism/ communism/ “the state”.

Communism is a satanic plagiarism of the ecclesia.

Democrats are communist-lite.

Republicans are Democrats-lite. They just slow it down and pretend it’s not that and pretend God approves. We call it “small government”, might as well call it small statism. Small just meaning less or concealed.

Jesus himself alone replaces “the state” and puts it in its place.

The Communist Manifesto itself is a very short read, only an hour and a half on audible. but this Classics version includes a detailed commentary on the political and religious conditions surrounding the writing of the Communist Manifesto.

What has fascinated me about this book is the theological thought leading up to Marx’s Communist Manifesto. And how it almost seems that Marx took over the communist movement and made it an atheist movement. There were several brilliant theologians and philosophers working on communism and socialism, some of which derived their thoughts from Jesus Christ. But it was Marx who took the movement to another level and a level that was atheist.

Marx openly taught that the state was to be seen as an individual who was the intermediary between mankind. We were to interact with one another through the state. The state was to be seen as a person. His description of the state was akin to a description of a god. A spiritual entity that owned all things.

The Gospel of The State

It seems to me that Marx took theories of communism mostly derived from theologians and philosophers some directly from Jesus Christ and his ecclesia. He stripped God from them, replaced God with the idea of an atheist state and created a movement to redefine the governments in Europe. Communism never looked back.

I am making the case with this post that, Marxism is a gospel message. The word gospel just means good news and we get it from Roman emperors declaring their rulership and how a new day had come to a territory. Gospel messages involve rulership over territory on earth. Communist gospel messages are akin to the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. One could call Marxism the gospel of “the state.” A message about the state that makes promises and even, I believe, has good intentions with many of its adherents.

This place given to “the state” I believe was and is still communism’s downfall after the mid 1840’s. For two reasons, the first being that Jesus Christ is real and is the fabric that holds reality and mankind together. The entire universe is going to him, he is the future and when Marx made communism an atheist movement he stripped it of all power. The second reason is the place Marx gave “the state” the god-like virtuous traits. But reality dictates that states are made up of selfish, flawed and temporary human beings. Man cannot have God-like virtues apart from Jesus Christ. Another way of saying this might be that Jesus Christ is the only and real “state” as described by Marx. Only Christ is capable of filling the role of state. Marx was describing Jesus Christ when he formulated his ideas about society. I wonder if he was born in a different era and had not been exposed to the corruption of religion of his day if he would realize he is describing Christ. The life-giving spirit of Jesus Christ is the intermediary between men. Only he is capable of providing for our needs, only he is able to protect and to bind men together.

In America communism was openly rejected for the next 150 years, even up this day in 2020. However many aspects of this gospel of the state, I have recently realize that we have wholly accepted. We are taught this at a very young age, to love and be loyal to the state. Marxism is alive and well in many people in America on both sides of the aisle. We just don’t call it that. In fact we refuse to call it that. We keep our Marxist ideals quiet and concealed and give them different names.

Doctrines of “Separation of church and state” is the sure sign of this fact. I understand the good intention of the doctrine of separation of church and state. In Europe what has been known as church when it was merged with government became extremely corrupting and a horrible combination of religion and power. It was anything but a thing of Jesus Christ. The heirachical institution became a thing of satan, and it simply called itself “church”.

I suggest that there should be no separation of church and state. In that there should be no state. State as an entity should not exist. There should only be ecclesia. The idea of state power is rampant and common throughout America. There are 50 states and a federal government, all in competition, all seemingly growing in their demands and control over the lives of people. Human government, “the state” wherever it is found, is a Satanic threat to our well-being.

It’s Always Been A State

It was a state that socialist nationalist Hitler used to kill 11 million Jews Christians and minorities.

It was a state that communist Lenin used to kill tens of millions of people in Russia.

In fact looking back in history its always been a state in one form or another which has afflicted attrocities and suffering on mankind.

Humanity is incapable of statehood. Humanity must experience the death that associated with Jesus Christ to experience his kingship, his statehood over our lives. And the extent that we refuse him is the extent that we ask for satanic kingship over our lives and our nations.

“The gospel of the state” has been embraced and is proclaimed all over the world today. It can be seen in the passion it produces in its followers. The state has disciples who war with one another for control of it. One side fears another. One side competes to get its king, its strongman to protect itself from the other side. The gospel of the state teaches that we don’t need Jesus Christ to rule the earth through his people. We need a state with a great human to head it, we need a king like the evil nations have (read 1 Samuel). As when Israel demanded a king from Samuel, we demand our hero king to protect, to provide, to defend and lead us into the future.

I am convinced that the majority of conservative republicans, liberal democrats and avowed Marxists have embraced the gospel of the state in different degrees and ways. The “theology” varies but the message is the same. The beliefs are the same, that “the state” reigns supreme on the earth. At best we’ll give Jesus a fancy religious building that the state can keep its thumb upon. But other than that the church (as envisioned in the gospel of the state) is inferior to the state. The state is king, Jesus gets heaven but the state gets earth, we dont think much about the spiritual nature of the state. But the state controls the real estate of the earth.

But the truth is when we exclude and push down Jesus Christ we are promoting satan. We exalt him to stay in power. Paul mentioned Satan’s “domain of darkness”, and the “principalities and powers” in the heavenly places. Jesus is high and far above these evil powers… but not forever. The principalities and powers are “the state”. They are its source of power, they are its life-source. The state is a satanic entity, for now. But there is a coming a day when they all get cast down and Jesus rules heaven AND EARTH like he deserves.

This gospel of the state is terrifying, not because it is so compelling or evil sounding but becuase it is so deceptive and pervasive. Even private Christian schools accidentally teach it to young children, lay its foundation in 4 year old Christian kids. As someone taught to have disdain for Marxism even I, raised a conservative republican. Who supposedly is fiercely small government, had accepted what I am now calling “the gospel of the state”. And just a bit less than any East German or Russian Marxist.

Who rules the earth?

A gospel is about who rules the earth, not how to get to heaven. Most conservative Christians do not realize this. We’ve tried to redefine the word but Jesus is not ok with that. Evangelicals have emphasized going to heaven after death so much that what happens here on earth is a thing relegated to the state. The gospel of the state is bigger than the gospel of salvation in the minds of most Americans and even the Christians I know. The gospel of salvation from Jesus fits neatly inside the gospel of the state. The state allows for the gospel of salvation within the regulated 4 walls of a clergy- ruled, a clergy-qualified, a loyal to the state-clergy system that is easily manipulated with tax laws and even threat of removing its building if necessary. The gospel of the state is bigger, in the minds of most Christians. It was not bigger before Constantine but it is bigger now. And Marx and his friends put eloquent and intellectual words to this gospel. They wrapped it up, surrounded it with a dose of atheism and put Jesus in his place. Somewhere up in heaven, distant and far away from the control of the state.

But what Marx did not realize is that this Jesus Christ is still in the earth, living within his people. Jesus is also high above the earth and above his state. Marx didn’t understand the principalities and powers at work in his ideas but he described them brilliantly.

The gospel of the state is actually terrible news, not good news. Its more of the same satanic propaganda humanity has heard since Cain left Eden.

The real gospel, the real good news remains and is increasing. The cure and remedy to the gospel of the state is, as always, the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. The gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ makes Jesus the head of state. But its not a state that is an earthly government it is a love filled network where he teaches, provides, protects, and fills humanity. Jesus Christ is not a state but it fills the role of a state like only it can. And the ecclesia are his ambassadors, sprinkled all over the earth in the hostile territory of satanic principalities and powers. Ambassadors who are willing to suffer and give up their lives for the will of their king. Voluntarily poverty is wiped out by giving. Confusion and evil teachings are undone as the ecclesia declares the mind of Christ and gradually understand all things.

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