THE POUND
PROCLAIMER
Volume VI
April 2011
Number 2
Sing
to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day
to day. Psalms 96:2
IS MILITANCY
ACCEPTABLE IN CHRISTIANITY?
Some seem to think that being militant in
the practice of Christianity is a bad thing. I beg to disagree. When we look
into the Scriptures with an open mind, we find that militancy is inherent in
Christianity. To understand Christian militancy, we must seek to define what is
meant by militancy when practicing New Testament Christianity.
The reason we have an aversion toward the
idea of militancy is because of the atrocious actions of some militants. The
war against terrorism is a war against those who are militant in their hatred
of Americans. Because these militant terrorists are willing to kill innocent
people, we have developed a disgust and loathing for those who practice such
extreme behavior. With such images in our minds we ask, how can a Christian
follow Jesus and do so militantly?
The American Heritage Dictionary defines
militant as, “1. Fighting or warring. 2. Having a
combative character; aggressive, especially in the service of a cause: a
militant political activist. --mil·i·tant
n. A fighting, warring, or aggressive person or
party.”
We must understand the kind of war that a
Christian is to fight. There is no doubt that the Christian is to fight because
Paul referred to Christians as soldiers in four different verses (Philippians
2:25, I have thought it
necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and
fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my
need,; 2 Timothy 2:3-4, 3Share in suffering as a good soldier
of Christ Jesus. 4No soldier gets entangled in civilian
pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.; Philemon
1:2, and Apphia
our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier,
and the church in your house:) The Christian is combative and aggressive,
especially in the service of the cause of Christ. The Christian is not
combative with carnal weapons. He doesn’t fly airplanes filled with hostages
into buildings full of innocent people in an effort further his cause. The
Christian understands that Christ’s kingdom is not of this world (John
When it comes to how a battle will be
engaged, we recognize that there can be differences of opinion. The
circumstances surrounding the confrontation and the individual involved will
determine the type of fighting skills we bring to bear. We would not presume to
dictate to another soldier how he should handle the situation. However, we must
not let this freedom of judgment become an excuse for compromising with error. Christians
are constantly being tempted to “just get along” with those who teach and
practice error.
The prevailing opinion in religion is
that no one should be made to feel uncomfortable. Hence, when a teacher is
aggressively speaking against a false doctrine and the one promoting it, the
teacher is said to be ugly and insensitive. Because a particular Christian has
a more forceful personality than another, does not disqualify them from being a
compassionate lover of souls. Paul said of himself, “to them we did not yield in submission even
for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you”.
(Galatians
2:5)
The examples we have in the New Testament
are ones of Christian militancy. Paul disputed with non-Christians (Acts
9:22, 29, 22But Saul increased all the more in strength,
and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the
Christ. … 29And he spoke and disputed against the
Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him.) and Christians (Acts
15:2, And after Paul and
Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and
some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the
elders about this question.) alike. He did not yield submission even for an
hour to those who would deceive unsuspecting souls. His motivation was a desire
to save as many souls as possible. Which Christian truly loves his/her fellow
man, the one who is afraid they might hurt someone’s feelings if they speak the
truth forcefully or the one who speaks the truth in love even if it makes
others uncomfortable?
“Beloved,
although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found
it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once
for all delivered to the saints.”
(Jude
1:3)
The Editor’s
Page
FAITHFUL: REGARDLESS OF CIRCUMSTANCES
Many of us are concerned about the
political upheavals that are occurring throughout the world today. As Americans
watch the riots and killings in these far away lands, there is in the back of
their minds the question of whether or not this could happen in our country.
History teaches us that these upheavals and political changes have been a
constant throughout history. Kings, dictators, military powers, etc. have come
and gone by way of war and suffering.
We, Americans, have had the privilege of
having a stable environment in which to grow and prosper. There was a time when
no American could imagine the chaos of war coming to our enlightened society.
After all, when we were a young fledging nation, we fought a civil war and
learned our lesson.
This fantasy is quickly passing by the
wayside and giving way to somber tones among friends expressing anxiety over
what may be coming next. This brings up the question that concerns Christians.
If the worst case scenario should happen, what does God expect of His children?
The simple answer to this question is
that God expects His children to remain faithful. But, what does it mean to be
a faithful Christian in time of war and/or anarchy?
The apostle Paul wrote, “Let every person be subject to the
governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those
that exist have been instituted by God.” (Romans 13:1) A
faithful Christian will not be a party to overthrowing the government under
which they live.
Further more, Jesus says, “But I say to you, Love your enemies and
pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is
in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends
rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:44-45) It is not for the
Christian to do bodily harm to anyone; not even to those who would count him as
an enemy.
Consider another reference from the
apostle Paul. “Pay to all what is owed to
them: taxes to who taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to
who respect is owed, honor to who honor is owed.” (Romans 13:7) The
faithful Christian will maintain his honesty toward his government and his
fellow citizen during times of upheaval. If there is ever a time for Christians
to be examples of personal integrity and the love of God, would it not be in
times of political confusion?
Christians should understand that
rhetoric filled with half truths only serves to inflame the upheaval. It should
not be assumed that a Christian should not express their thoughts regarding the
problems that exist. It is a matter of reminding us that we, Christians, have a
higher calling when it comes to the words that proceed from our mouths.
Consider this, “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the
truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” (Ephesians
4:25) It is not enough to cease from telling falsehoods. A Christian
is to speak the truth in all things.
What truth is under consideration? “Let no corrupting talk come out of your
mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it
may give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29) Talk that is good
for building up is talk that empowers the hearer to become a better person. It
instructs the hearer in the character that makes one godly in the sight of God
and men.
In the face of great persecution, the
faithful must remain faithful. We will not be the first to face such horrendous
circumstances. “... Some were tortured,
refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.
Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They
were stoned, they were sawn in two, and they were killed with the sword. They
went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated--
of whom the world was not worthy--wandering about in deserts and mountains, and
in dens and caves of the earth.” (Hebrews 11:35-38)
However, in the face of all these
atrocities leveled against them, the faithful never faltered. The significance
about these mentioned in the Hebrew letter is that they were the Old Testament
faithful. “And all these, though
commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had
provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made
perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40)
The faithful have always suffered
persecution regardless of the dispensation in which they lived. Who are we that
we should not be tested? The tests that will come our way may be ‘gentle’
compared to what others have suffered. It may be that we will have ‘extreme’
testing in our future. The issue is not whether we will suffer for Christ. The
issue is whether or not we will be found faithful.
THE LAST WORD
I love to have
bird feeders in our yard. It is a pleasant experience to sit on the porch and
watch all the different species of birds as they gather at the feeders.
There is a fly
in the ointment of this pastoral scene. At first, I thought there was a new specie of bird that had developed a long fuzzy tail.
Not so, it was the grey furry animal we call squirrels. Our cousins over the
Pond call them ‘tree rats’.
We who are
Christians know that God made man in His own image and set him on earth to rule
over it. So, being a human being, I am smarter than a squirrel, right?
My first
attempt to foil the grey thieves was to move the feeder. I suspended it from a
tree with a small rope, anchoring it from the bottom with another small rope.
It doesn’t work. The furry rascals would scurry up and down those ropes as
easily as you are I walk across a flat floor.
My second
attempt to foil my arch-enemy (by now it was war) was to return the feeder to
the original stand. I had noticed that they were climbing the pole then jumping
into the feeder. The feeder was made with a ‘roof’ that was sloped and slick
for the express purpose of keeping squirrels out.
My sweet wife
sacrificed an old cookie sheet from her kitchen. I drilled a small hole in one
end and hung it between the pole and the feeder. “Now”, I said to my self,
“let’s see you get into the feeder.”
One day I was
returning home around
After some
thought, I tried again. After all, they are just squirrels, right! I went to
Lowe’s and purchased another feeder that was positively squirrel proof. I kept
the old feeder for the squirrels and the new one for the birds. It worked! I
had once again regained my status as having dominion over my little section of
the earth.
The last feeder
I purchased was an elongated, square encased in clear plastic with holes up and
down on the flat sides. It was engineered so that when a squirrel got on it, it
would cover the holes. The bird seed was now safe. The other day a strong wind
knocked the feeder to the ground and broke it. I purchased another.
The new one was
in operation when I noticed a squirrel hanging on the side. I laughed to myself
until I noticed that the seed was almost gone. I went to the feeder and found
that he had gnawed a hole in the feeder and had access to the seed. I took the
feeder down and threw it away.
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this,
that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for
you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all
the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon
me.”
(2
Corinthians 12:8-9)
I love to have
bird feeders in our yard. It is a pleasant experience to sit on the porch and
watch all the different species of birds [including the ones called squirrels]
as they gather at the feeders.
####################
WHAT MUST
I DO
Hear: Rom
Believe: Heb 11:6
Repent: Lk 13:5; Ac
17:30
Confess: Matt
Be Baptized: Ac
TO BE
SAVED?
###################
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Editor: Glen Young
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