Church and State

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

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 which is in heaven.

                                                                                     (Matt 7:15-21 KJV)

I have been spending a lot of time outside during the "stay home, stay safe" guidelines. My husband, who had open heart surgery last month, is still spending a lot of time inside in his chair watching television. I try to spend time watching with him so that we can be together. We are almost to the sixth wife of "The Tudors." I have had to leave the room often! I leave the room for beheadings, dis-embowlments, adultery and other activity that clearly is going to be too sexual in nature. A central theme of this historical fiction is religious persecution from all all sides. It is about the church and state in such a close relationship that evil has become most rampant in the church and in the state. I have missed a whole lot of this series due to having to leave the room; but, I have not missed much because as someone who enjoys history I know what's coming next and I can leave the room before the really disgusting stuff happens.

This past week, my husband also watched a documentary on the government forced assimilation of Native children into boarding schools. Children in North America were forcibly taken out of their homes and away from their parents to live in these orphanage type homes; most of which were run by churches. Many of these children were horribly abused while in the care of the government and the church. My husband was stunned at the extent of the abuse that had gone on. I am not sure why he was as we have friends who were subjected to these abuses at the hands of the government and the church. But, then again, it is shocking to be reminded of the atrocities that have been committed that were (are) supposedly for the good of people.

The list of atrocities that have occurred over the many generation when the church and state have acted together is too long to list. I do not write this blog today to condemn the church on earth as a whole or the government overall or even Christians who hold government posts. I write it to remind us that there will be false prophets who are like ravening wolves within the church and the governments. Those false prophets will work to divide the church and the state as they seek to satisfy their own political  and secular and even personal religious agendas. 

May God help us to discern what is good and right; what is His will. May God give us the courage and strength to do His will in spite of the direction our secular leaders might steer us in. May God help us to follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus the Christ that we might not do harm to those who do not think or worship or live as we do.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Inhumanity At Jamestown And In The Present

Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:

Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?

They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.

But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.

Psalm 64:1-7 KJV

Has humankind become more humane over the generations or just better at justifying our inhumanity before others? We must always remember that no matter how we attempt to justify our own inhumanity, we cannot justify it. We are only justified by faith in the blood of Christ shed for us. St. Paul wrote to the Romans: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." (Rom 5:8-9)

I spent a lot of time the other day trying to hook my husband up with PBS Passport so that he could watch the "Jamestown" series. Oye! Oye! Oye! I have been attempting to spend more time with him so have been trying to watch at least some of it with him. "Some of it" being the key phrase. I cannot stay in the room to witness the inhumane words and actions of so many in "Jamestown." The misuse and abuse of others: the Naturals (Native Americans); the African Slaves; the White Indentured Servants; even each other; is just overwhelming. It makes me just a bit crazy to watch such injustice for the sake of wealth and power. Since, I know the outcome of Jamestown, even though I know the series is fiction, I do not doubt that much of what is portrayed in the series is indicative of what actually went on in Jamestown. And, these people of Jamestown, for the most part, claimed to be Christian.

What about today? Around the world people are being imprisoned unjustly. They are being tortured, beheaded, and killed in so many ways so that others may  continue their pursuit of power or wealth or both. How many in this country are unjustly accused and persecuted? For the most part, innocent men and women are not imprisoned or killed here. But, it does happen and it happens with the facade of justice. This too makes me very weary to witness. 

Jesus once told the Pharisees (and ultimately us) "...Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. (Luke 16:15)

There is a better way to live than to climb up any ladders on the backs of others. According to the prophet Micah: "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8)

May God help us to live more justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly following  in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus the Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

God's Peace - Pr. J.