sermonindex
Oct 24, 2020
Dr. Michael Brown’s response:
I follow the election on Fox. It seems to me that this is the dirtiest election we have witnessed so far. I agree with John Pipers assessment for the most part.
So embarrassing and shameful to see how the chosen representatives of the greatest Nation on have their mud-slinging contest. They behave like kids from troubled backgrounds. Where is decency and respect for authority?
Could you not find better leaders among your great nation? Do they represent the best you could come up with?
All this on the back-drop of forrest fires out of control, Corona out of control, surging crimes and drug use, scandals left and right, and screaming protesters who take to arms.
Baby killing is sanctionized, and perversion and lewdness held in honor.
It is the sins of the preachers who failed to teach the people the way of life. We looked up to you and your Mega-churches, and you brought us a crooked and perverted gospel of prosperity, feel-good, entertainment, and easy-believism and exported it the the rest of the world.
In the last years many celebrity-preachers sins were exposed. Not only the obvious false teachers and the catholic church, but even some of the conservative orthodox leaders had their sins exposed.
When the lamp on the lampstand becomes dim, what do you expect will happen to the room it supposed to illuminate? Jesus will remove the lampstand.
Perhaps it is time for the church to go through a season of trouble and hardship to cleanse and purify her.
Ungodly nations have better churches than you, America! Look at China, North Korea and Iran. Learn from them, it will do you good.
You had your extension time of grace when Trump was elected, but few made use of it and reformed their ways. Now brace yourself.
I know there is a remnant who has prepared themselves and faithfully served God. They need to be puried even more!
Voters may vote, but God will decide!
An Allegory:
Babylon the Great City of Men!
Some time ago a strange thing happened. A man, who held a certain country in contempt because he saw that it had become Babylon, the Great City, began to feel a burden for the people who lived in that City. Not a concern for a City, but a concern for the little flock that lived in that City. The feeling of contempt was so strong that he even warned others in his own country to avoid it and flee its influence.
He knew though that the influence was already great and that simply speaking against it would do little to answer his concerns. So he joined a few, of a Little Flock, so that he could ask them what they thought. In a short season it became clearer that they also knew with a greater certainty than he did, that their City had become a Vanity, and a Blasphemy. On the journey which was at times confusing and difficult to understand, one here and one there from amongst those he journeyed with, spoke of their concerns over the City they lived in. Ah he thought to himself! Now if it pleases God I will be able to understand.
Pressing on against the tide of confusion he began to understand that living in Babylon, the Great City was a difficult thing for a few of the little flock. Not only did the citizenry mock them, but they began to hate them also. To a great perplexity the man also saw that even a greater number of the little flock were mockers, with a mind of their own. The warning of a few, to the many brethren, was met by disbelief. Sometimes it was met by ridicule. In the end it will be met by violence. Why has God allowed this? The man asked himself! The fathers of this country, from its first vision, were themselves established on a Rock. How could God have allowed then, the building of a Great City, Babylon, upon the foundation of men? The fathers had left their own country, to this place, for freedom to serve God. Now, everyman was free to serve himself.
With a great sadness and a need to know, the man determined to see if there was a way to show his new friends how to escape their City. Yet in the end he saw and understood that they were preparing themselves for a day of misery and retribution. He didnt try to persuade them because he had nothing to persuade them with. There was no map to draw. Saying! Go here! Look! Go over there! He could only accept with a heavy heart that a few, of a little flock, were right in their estimation of their City.
They made a declaration the Great City, Babylon, is already fully built and a report had gone to the Mighty King, Who had determined to judge this wicked City.
As the man turned back to his own country he saw in the thicket, a scroll. Written upon it were the words, The Purposes of the Great King. So he read it and was amazed. He cried to his friends whose scroll is this? It was lost! See! I have found it. Who will take it?
No one was able to take it. A man, who was far off, he was willing to take it. Yet he could not. He was the one who had placed the scroll of the Great King in the thicket. It is written in the scroll that his country is also become as a Great City. Babylon.
In His judgement the Great King showed mercy and said, Remain to these few. I saw that for this cause they would stay. I saw that they loved their brethren and they loved the Great King. They would also stay for the citizens of that Great City. Babylon. Hoping faithfully that by speech they could serve the citizens of that place who would suffer a greater loss than their own, if they were not shown a Way to please the Great King Who had written - I will Judge.
The man said in his heart I cannot cast the scroll back into the thicket. It is a scroll of the Great King. I will clean it and wrap it in a golden chord and deliver it myself to the few. They will take it if I make it plain to them in privacy. So he did as it seemed right to him in his own heart. He has now returned to his own country, where a false king is rising in the place of the Great King. He went with trembling.
Posted on Sermon Index on the 2012/6/4 4:10
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BeginQuote:
It is the sins of the preachers who failed to teach the people the way of life. We looked up to you and your Mega-churches, and you brought us a crooked and perverted gospel of prosperity, feel-good, entertainment, and easy-believism and exported it the the rest of the world.
EndQuote:
Brother it was your heart that rose up in vanity and pride when you made of men an idol and did not see the Great King. Why now do you throw yourself onto the lectern to preach and to find no hearers when you should have heard the Lord? Little children refused the harlot that you laid down with and did so because they desired the Lord more than their own selves. Repent brother for the Lord has already spoken and the word which now herein is called The Words of a Great King were spoken before time when you were still hoping to serve the Lord and become a great man.
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John Piper makes some good points.
When Trump got elected my main concern was that Christians now put too much hope in him, rather then pray for a new revival.
I believe most of today's "christianity" is unacceptable to the Lord and He will cleanse the "temple" again soon.
narrowpath
We are no better in our own countries.
We imported a lot of the bad stuff !
We should be thankful that we can still learn from faithful preachers like Leonard Ravenhill, David Wilkerson, John Piper - and many others
I read most part of this article poster here. I disagree with it most part.
Therefore, Christians communicate a falsehood to unbelievers (who are also baffled!) when we act as if policies and laws that protect life and freedom are more precious than being a certain kind of person. The church is paying dearly, and will continue to pay, for our communicating this falsehood year after year.
I don't want to make this a political discussion but I want to highlight the above point which John Piper is trying to make in the whole article. He is trying to picture that this election is not a good vs evil but prideful man with good policies vs evil policy.
The place where I disagree is judging a leader as prideful and arrogant. While I do not disagree with his assessment and he is probably right in his judgment. I disagree with the use of Christian lenses in judging the person.
My question is, why do we expect a person not to be prideful and arrogant? Why do we expect the ruler to be humble?
I do not consider either side as Christians. I do not believe America is a Christian nation and hence I do not expect America to be ruled by Christians. But I suspect John believes US is a Christian nation. That is why he is applying old covenant Israel's condition to USA. uSA is not modern Israel nor is equivalent of it in the new covenant. Only the church is the chosen nation under new covenant, no physical nation is. Also, I will not judge anyone through Christian lenses other than me and my Church. My basis comes out of this scripture -
1 Cor 5:12 - For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.
Paul clearly says, he does not judge anyone outside the Church using the Bible. He does not judge them as adulterers etc. I put our leaders also here. I do not judge them as part of the Church.
Just because someone claims himself as a Christian, I do not believe I have to judge them as a Christian. I don't judge our leaders based on Christian principles and expect a Christian to rule our nation.
Also, the assumption in John's article is, only externally visible pride and arrogance is a real pride. This is not right at all. Politicians cover their pride and arrogance to be politically right and sound themselves humble to win votes. Pride is an integral part of humanity only the true Church fights it. We cannot expect anyone out of the Church to fight this evil. Pride is an integral part of this world and the world cherishes it.
For example, I enjoy watching a Tennis player. I love his playing style which is very similar to mine ( I play recreational tennis at a decently higher level). But the player often swears and uses profane languages on the court to get his frustrations out. Mostly these words are muted by the broadcasters. I also do not know such words in English, hence I do not even recognize them. I heard people say those are profane words! Also, some of his behaviors people consider arrogant. Now I am not here to watch the humble person playing tennis. I understand that the sports industry is governed by the Devil. I don't expect it to produce saints. I enjoy his game for the love of sports, not for his personal character.
The same is applied here, Politics is dirty and evil. I stay away from it. I do not expect anyone there to be Christian nor do I judge them through my Christian lenses! Even though they call themselves Christians.
Now Policies are very important to me. Especially my religious freedom. Having come from a country where Christianity is oppressed, I am happy to see the freedom of religion that this country gives.
I believe 1 Tim 2 verses 1 and 2 are very clear that a Christian should pray that the leaders give them freedom of worship. Hence we need to vote based on the person who gives us better freedom of Worship. We cannot vote ourselves into religious oppression.
So it is not policy vs person. It is policy vs policy as all the people outside the Church are corrupt.
I do believe Pence is a true Christian man so that alone is good enough reason to vote for Trump.
I don’t see any good reasons going the other way.
Brother Caleb,
This isn’t the first time he’s (Piper) attempted to walk a razor wire on an issue, there are times when it is an admirable thing and times when it’s not and in this case it’s just plain cowardly.
Piper is not on the fence, he just pretends to be...
Quote:
Brother it was your heart that rose up in vanity and pride when you made of men an idol and did not see the Great King. Why now do you throw yourself onto the lectern to preach and to find no hearers when you should have heard the Lord? Little children refused the harlot that you laid down with and did so because they desired the Lord more than their own selves. Repent brother for the Lord has already spoken and the word which now herein is called The Words of a Great King were spoken before time when you were still hoping to serve the Lord and become a great man.
End Quote
Firstly, I anticipated your reaction, it is hardly surprising.
Secondly, you described accurately, how the Lord dealt with me. I fell into apostacy because of my proud and backslidden heart. The Lord disciplined me and cleansed me thourougly. I did repent. That was 17 years ago and took 3 years. I disposed two bootloads of toxic Christian books and left the Babylon church.
Thirdly, I posted nothing new, there are many others who speak words like me.
I am praying for America, and asked our fellowship to do so, too. I see things tilting in a scary direction and it will have a severe effect on Christianity as we know it and the rest of the world.
Philip
I know that you repented of the folly of that false Gospel and manner of serving God and that you did so some years ago. But what I wrote to you could hardly be known to you because you do not know why it is that despite your desire to see God move in your church you receive little true response. That is the question I spoke into by saying, 'Why now do you throw yourself onto the lectern to preach and to find no hearers.' I was not saying that you had said anything about the USA that many others had not said. I did say that the answer to it had already been spoken and that was because you are looking to the suffering of others to give you release.
Moses face did shine and it caused men to fear God and to stand apart from Moses. Our countenance would be better understood if we were bearing the scars of Christ. Shalom Philip.
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Look at the three Supreme Court nominations this President has made. The most recent one was excellent and then some. This will effect things far into the future. If he is elected again it's possible he could be called on to make as many as two more appointments. Roe vs Wade is not the only important issue these justices may vote upon but it is very likely to come before the court again in the future.
Having said that, I thought the President's demeanor and conduct during the first debate was very overbearing and embarrassing. We know now it's just part of who he is. I've heard words that have said he will have a much stronger encounter with God during his second term. But will a second term occur?
The fallacy of this argument is that BOTH leaders are prideful and arrogant, just one boisterously so and the other in a quieter manner. Both are corrupt, in different ways. Both are sinners, as have been most of our leaders.
I couldn't finish the article. I was grieved.
I have been a one-issue voter always: where does the candidate stand on killing babies? That is God's heart. My economy, my social condition and that of others will not be fixed by the government.
This time around one side believes we should kill babies up to the moment of birth. The other side will not; honestly, the position on abortion isn't clear but it is better than killing babies until 9 months gestation.
There are now attacks on Christians being "single issue" voters against abortion. Phil Vischer's podcast recently argued that it isn't the best way to "reduce the number of abortions" so we shouldn't use it to make our decision to vote.
The problem with this is that the premise is entirely wrong!! I don't vote FOR life in order to "reduce the number of abortions." I vote for life because God command us to CHOOSE LIFE. If I support a leader that is ok with killing children, I am complicit with that leader.
I am praying for this nation. It is in a dark place. I am just saddened that so many of our Pastors and Christian leaders are failing to stand. Judgment begins at the House of God.
This discussion is locked.