Commentary

John Knox was the great Reformer and apostle of the reformation in Scotland during the 16th century. He prayed, “God give me Scotland or I die!” God answered that prayer with the greatest reformation of any country. Modern day Reformers, being influenced by the Enlightenment, would not be comfortable with such a charismatic prophet today. They would say that these gifts passed away when the New Testament was completed. Let us observe with an open mind what the witnesses of that day recorded. May God give us another to come in the spirit and power of Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord.  In 1572 Charles IX of France had the godly Admiral of France murdered. This was followed up with the general massacre of the Protestants throughout France. Seventy thousand were murdered. “For several days the streets of Paris literally ran with blood. The savage monarch, standing at the windows of the palace, with his courtiers, glutted his eyes with the inhuman spectacle, and amused himself with firing upon the miserable fugitives who sought shelter at his merciless gates.” “Hired cut-throats, and fanatical cannibals marched from city to city, paraded the streets, and entered into the houses of those that were marked out for destruction. No reverence was shown to the hoary head, no respect to rank or talents, no pity to tender age or sex. Aged matrons, women upon the point of their delivery, and children, were trodden under the feet of the assassins, or dragged with hooks into the rivers; others, after being thrown into prison, were instantly brought out, and butchered in cold blood.” “The intelligence of this massacre (for which a solemn thanksgiving was offered up at Rome by order of the Pope) produced the same horror and consternation in Scotland as in every other Protestant country. It inflicted a deep wound on the exhausted spirit of Knox. Besides the blow struck at the whole Reformed body, he had to lament the loss of many individuals eminent for piety, learning, and rank, whom he numbered among his acquaintances. Being conveyed to the pulpit [in his old age], and summoning up the remainder of his strength, he thundered the vengeance of Heaven against that cruel murderer and false traitor, the King of France, and desired Le Croc, the French ambassador, to tell his master, that sentence was pronounced against him in Scotland, that the divine vengeance would never depart from him, nor from his house, if repentance did not ensue; but his name would remain an execration to posterity, and none proceeding from his loins would enjoy that kingdom in peace. The ambassador complained of the indignity offered to his master, and required the Regent to silence the preacher; but this was refused, upon which he left Scotland.” (THE LIFE OF JOHN KNOX, by Thomas M’Crie) This prophecy was fulfilled less than two years later when Charles IX died at the age of 24 and left no heir to the throne. The Prophecy Concerning Thomas MaitlandShortly after a godly friend of Knox had been murdered, Knox entered the pulpit and found a note. Thinking it was probably a prayer request he silently read it. It was a slanderous note referring to the murdered friend. Not knowing who had written it, Knox said, concerning the author of the note, “That wicked man, whosoever he be, shall not go unpunished, and shall die where there shall be none to lament him.” The man who had written it went home and told his sister “that the preacher was raving, when he spoke in such a manner of a person who was unknown to him; but she understanding that her brother had written the line, reproved him, saying with tears, that none of that man’s denunciations were wont to prove idle.” That man (Thomas Maitland) later died in Italy, “having no known person to attend him.” (THE LIFE OF JOHN KNOX, by Thomas M’Crie) The Queen’s Testimony“John Knox was an eminent wrestler with God in prayer, and like a prince prevailed. The Queen Regent herself had given him this testimony, when upon a particular occasion she said that she was more afraid of his prayers than of an army of ten thousand men. He was likewise warm and pathetic in his preaching, in which such prophetical expressions as dropped from him had the most remarkable accomplishment. As an instance of this, when he was confined in the castle of St Andrews, he foretold both the manner of their surrender, and their deliverance from the French galleys; and when the Lords of the Congregation were twice discomfited by the French army, he assured them that the Lord would ultimately prosper the work of Reformation.” (THE SCOTS WORTHIES, by John Howie) When Queen Mary refused to attend Knox’s preaching, he sent word that she would yet be obliged to hear the Word of God whether she like it or not. This was fulfilled when she was arraigned in England. On another occasion, Knox told the queen’s husband, “Have you, for the pleasure of that dainty dame, cast the psalm-book into the fire? The Lord shall strike both head and tail.” Both King and queen died violent deaths. (THE SCOTS WORTHIES, by John Howie) The Prophecy Concerning William Kircaldy of Grange“He likewise said, when the Castle of Edinburgh held out for the Queen against the Regent, that ‘the Castle should spue out the captain (meaning Sir William Kircaldy of Grange) with shame, that he should not come out at the gate, but over the wall, and that the tower called Davis Tower, should run like a sand-glass [an hour glass]; which was fulfilled a few years after – Kircaldy being obliged to come over the wall on a ladder, with a staff in his hand, and the said fore-work [front] of the Castle running down like a sand-brae [sandy hill].” .” (THE SCOTS WORTHIES, by John Howie) Knox’s Defense of His PredictionsThomas M’Crie tells us that John Knox has

John Maynard Keynes was a homosexual economist whose tax and spend policies Washington is following today. Spending more than we make is the dishonest policy of thieves. Keynesians insist that our condition is so scary that we must give up whatever moral values stand in the way. They believe the wages of sin is life and what a man sows he will not reap. Keynes admitted these policies that oppress the poor cause inflation and a debt that can never be repaid, but said, “We all die in the end, anyway.” Never mind the curse it imposes on our children. Borrowing money you never plan to repay is called stealing. National health care is one such policy that must be defunded. The prophet Isaiah said, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20).

Resentiment (not resentment) is a French word used because there is no English equivalent. Resentiment begins with perceived injury that may have a basis in fact, but more often is occasioned by envy. The result is a persistent mental condition of hatred and the impulse to spite with vengeance. It seeks outlet in doing harm to its object. “Any perceived difference is enough to set the pathology in motion. Resentiment ‘whispers continually: “I can forgive everything, but not that you are – that you are what you are – that I am not what you are – indeed that I am not you.”’ The other’s very existence is a reproach. President Obama and his ilk are consumed by resentiment. He hates America for existing. He can forgive everything except that America is – that it is what it is – that he is not what it is – indeed that he is not America. America’s very existence is a reproach to him. In his so-called “social justice” idea A is “played off” against B. The support of the so-called downtrodden is really a disguised attack on the prosperous. The downtrodden is A and the prosperous is B. His “social justice” has its source in this poisonous brew. His “social justice” glories in the praise of the weak and base, if that will also debase the strong and good. American pioneers were once the downtrodden. But once the “downtrodden” become prosperous, they are now the enemy. His goal is therefore not to raise the downtrodden. The goal is to level the playing field by bringing the prosperous down to the level of the downtrodden. In his view, if all Americans were as downtrodden as third world countries, we would all be heroes. He does not understand that all men being created equal guarantees there will not be equal results.  Of course, he and his ilk (the ruling class) exempt themselves. Some are more equal than others. He and his family will not hesitate to live in pompous monarchical opulence. What a contrast with Harry Truman. When he retired 
from office in 1952, his income was 
a U.S. Army pension reported to have 
been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting 
that he was paying for his stamps and personally 
licking them, granted him 
an ‘allowance’ and, later, a 
retroactive pension of $25,000 
per year. After President 
Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess 
drove home to Missouri by 
themselves. There was no Secret Service 
following them. Mr. Obama and his ilk resent the fact that God should prosper anyone, except you know who. “Therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do” (Deuteronomy 29:9). But beware. You will be a target of resentiment. The ideas in this article are from Herbert Schlossberg, Idols For Destruction, p. 52-55

…and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies (Genesis 22:17). God promised that Abraham’s descendants would possess the gate of their enemies. The gate of ancient cities was the place where commerce and government took place. To possess the gate of a city was to possess the political economy of the place. To possess the gate was to possess the city. Who are the enemies of Abraham’s descendents? To answer that we need to remember that God had rejected all the nations at the tower of Babel because they had chosen to make a name for themselves and to provide their own salvation (social security) instead of trusting God. This insulted God so much that he destroyed their city and confused their languages with the curse of nationalism in order to limit their power and to keep them from uniting in a one-world City of Man. The enemies of God and Abraham’s descendents are the nations of unbelievers. But God so loved the world that He chose to make a new nation of His friend Abraham and to save the world by giving His only begotten Son that whosoever of any nation that would believe in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. This is God’s alternative to the salvation of the City of Man.The first “city builder” in history was a bad guy named Cain. “And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son—Enoch” (Gen 4:17b). After the flood, the second city builder was another bad guy (Nimrod) who built Babel and seven other cities. The purpose of these cities was to provide salvation (social security). Men thought they could save themselves without regard to God’s covenant. All they needed was a “mighty one” like Nimrod. “Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth” (1Chronicles 1:10). When he built Babel God said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.” What men “began” to do was just that; just the beginning. Men are still doing it in bigger and bigger ways. The City of Man is the alternative to the City of God. Augustus Caesar said, “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” But instead of the City of Man being the gate to heaven, it was in reality the gate to hell.All of the early empires in history started from a city. The Assyrian empire started with Nineveh, the Babylonian empire started with Babylon, and the Roman Empire started with Rome. They all started out as city-states. (The word “city” in Greek is polis. We get the word politic from the Greek word for city. The city was the state (i.e. the government).  The promise that Abraham’s descendents would possess the gate of their enemies “began” to be fulfilled when Joseph became the “savior” of Egypt. This pattern continues with Moses plaguing Egypt, Joshua conquering Canaan, David’s kingdom, Daniel in Babylon’s government, and Esther as queen. Then Christ came and now “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ” (Rev 11:15). It was said of the apostles, that “these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king–Jesus” (Acts 17:7). Daniel says, “the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High” (Dan 7:27). Paul said Abraham’s descendents are heirs of the world (Rom 4:13). He said the world is ours (1 Cor 3:21-22). Jesus promised that He would build His church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it (Mat 16:18). Then He said He was going to Jerusalem to be killed (Mat 16:21). Jerusalem was the gate of hades (death) for Jesus. He was safe until He went there. “How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; Righteousness lodged in it, But now murderers” (Isa 1:21). Jerusalem had become like the other cities… even worse. No other city up to that time had been guilty of killing God’s prophets and even His own Son! When Jesus said the gates of hell would not prevail against His church, He was picturing the church as assailing the City of Man, the very gate of death. Jesus assailed Jerusalem and destroyed it when He came with the Roman armies in fulfillment of Stephen’s teaching. His accusers testified that they “heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses delivered to us” (Acts 6:14). Why are the governments of men called the gate of death? It is because of man’s fallen nature. Man’s effort to save himself and provide social security seems on the surface to be noble, but it is the antithesis to God’s City. It always ends up with an attempt to replace God and goes about to establish its own righteousness. Every religion in the world except Biblical religion ends up worshipping the state as the highest authority and as the source of salvation. The state becomes a god by saying, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves…” (Gen 11:4). Instead of making a name for God, men replace God with their own “political correctness” whose “top is in the heavens,” so to speak. To build bigger and bigger government power is called “statism.” It is the “nanny-state.” It is “Big Brother.” Does this mean there should be no government? No. The Declaration of Independence agrees with Romans 13 when it says, “Governments are instituted among men.” Romans 13:1 says, “the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Edmond Burke said, “Society cannot exist unless a controlling power

God commands us to help the poor by giving from our own pockets and by laws that protect the poor from plunder. Nowhere does God’s Law command governments to give to the poor; and neither does the U.S. Constitution. For government to do that, it would have to give someone else’s money. That is not social justice. Taxpayer money does not belong to politicians. It’s only purpose is for the general welfare; not for special interests. Declaration:We hold these four truths to be self-evident: 1. that all men are created equal, 2. that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, 3. that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 4. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. The Declaration of Independence says our Creator (not the government) endowed us with three rights that cannot be taken away: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (property), and that the only purpose of government is to secure these rights. The government (the law) cannot save; it can only protect from the plunder of these three rights. Any effort by government to save some people with social programs will end in plundering others. That is not social justice. Have you read THE LAW by Frederic Bastiat? Would you agree that it is traitorous to make laws that plunder some in order to favor others (to level the playing field)? Since all men are created equal, should the law not equally protect them all? Both God’s Law & common sense demand, “You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor” (Levitcus 19:15).  Let us look at history. To look to the government for social programs is to look to Caesar. Augustus Caesar said, “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we can be saved but by the name Caesar.” But the Apostle Peter contradicted Caesar and said, “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we can be saved but by the name Jesus Christ” (Acts 4:12). The highest insult to God is to say, “We have no king but Caesar.” This is called statism. Caesar tried it; Hitler tried it; and Russia tried it. After 70 years of “leveling the playing field” by government mandate, the Russian ruble was worth zero. And now the U.S. government is trying it.  False philanthropy believes we do not love the poor if we are for equal treatment of all citizens and are against the government plunder of some in order to favor others (leveling the playing field). If they really want to help the poor, the best way to do it is by government minding its own business and equally protecting all from the plunder of life liberty and property. Besides this, it is not only stupid to spend more than you have, it is also immoral. Dear members of the United States Legislature, all 535 of you. The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775 – you have had 234 years to get it right; it is broke. Social Security was established in 1935 – you have had 74 years to get it right; it is broke. Fannie Mae was established in 1938 – you have had 71 years to get it right; it is broke. War on Poverty started in 1964 – you have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to huge beaurocracies for “the poor”; it has not worked. Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965 – you’ve had 44 years to get it right; they’re broke. Freddie Mac was established in 1970 – you have had 39 years to get it right; it is broke. Trillions of dollars in the massive political payoff called the TARP bill of 2009 shows NO sign of working. And finally to set a new record: “Cash for Clunkers” was established in 2009 and went broke in ONE MONTH ! It took good dependable cars ( that were the best some people could afford ) replaced them with high priced vehicles. People who couldn’t afford it are now making payments.Mostly Japanese models were sold; so a good percentage of the profits went out of the country.  Lastly, the American taxpayers are now going to be plundered with paying for another 3 billion more for government experiments.Our wallets will become even thinner. So with a perfect 100% failure rate and a record that proves “services” you shove down our throats (and manage), are failing faster and faster. You then want Americans to believe that you can be trusted with a government run health care system? That’s 15+% of our economy! Are you crazy? Truly, the inmates are running the asylum!  And what does this say about the voters who put them in office?

Jay Leno’s “Jay Walking” interviews on the streets of New York illustrate why America has elected the leaders we have. One man, for example, answered that Australia borders the U.S. Many other unbelievably dumb answers were given to other questions. The purpose of government is not to save people. Its purpose is to enforce the law. But when it makes up unjust laws that plunder some in order to favor others, this is injustice. Government monopolies (such as national health care) or private ones plunder some in order to favor others. That is lawless.Nowhere is it written in the Bible or the Constitution that government is to save private businesses. Nowhere is it written that the state is commanded to give to the poor; but individuals are. The sole job of the law is to prohibit plunder. Its function is negative; not positive. It prohibits plunder.When the state sets out to save people, it becomes a god. This is the major struggle illustrated throughout Scripture. This is why God’s wrath fell on the Tower of Babel, Babylon, Rome, and Jerusalem… statism. Humanists still say, “We have no king but Caesar.” The three Hebrew children refused to bow to the image of the state, were cast into the fiery furnace, and came out not even smelling like smoke. Let’s follow their example so the fourth Man in the fire will be with us. He will certainly not be with those who bow and adore the mental image of the statist beast. Then the beast … deceived … those who worshiped his image. These … were cast alive into the lake of fire… (Re 19:20).

Tower Of Babel Statism “…and this is only the beginning of what they will do.” Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech” (Genesis 11:4-7). Josephus tells us that the people after the flood were afraid that God would send another flood, so they built this tower as insurance in case Noah had prophesied falsely. They waterproofed it with asphalt (bitumen), and built it high to ascend above the flood. There would be no need to keep God’s covenant through Noah; they could save themselves.  This account is given through the prophet from God’s point of view. “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (1 Pet 1:20). Their motive was a distrust of God’s promise through Noah that He would never send another earth destroying flood. This greatly offended God. They sought to displace trust in God with trust in themselves. Instead of a desire to make a name for God, they wanted to make a name for themselves. Instead of obeying God’s command to fill the earth, they joined as one, lest they should “be dispersed over the face of the earth.” They were “one worldists” and they were Statists. By establishing a humanistic State, they could produce a utopia and save themselves. The watchword is “power.” “And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.” And “this is only the beginning [the genesis] of what they will do.” What they have done since and what they are doing now is even worse. This is the human situation; the human condition. This story gives us the pattern of the struggle of history that would follow. It is the City of Man versus the City of God. Every religion except biblical religion ends up looking to the State for security and salvation. Though monarchies are not the only Statist systems, we see it manifested with Israel’s desire for a king. God said to Samuel, “They have not rejected you. They have rejected Me.” They traded their freedom for security. Samuel then goes on to detail how they would have to enslave themselves to the State. Statism comes in various forms. The extreme right wing wants zero government. They are anarchists. The extreme left-wingers are the Statists like Hitler, Stalin, and other dictators. In the middle are those who look to the original intent of the Constitution and the Law. But Statism is always something the people choose. They chose Hitler; they chose Lenin; they chose Obama. After the liberty brought by the Puritan Oliver Cromwell, they preferred a king. What they got resulted in 28 years of what are called “the killing years” under Charles II and James II. They do this because they believe the State will give them more security than their freedom under God will. But it always ends in the figurative confusion of tongues and a broken tower. We see Statism manifested in every chapter of the Book of Daniel. In chapter one Daniel makes a decision not to defile himself with the king’s meat. The king’s meat represents the worldly consumption of the humanist/statist idea and worldview. In chapter 2 Daniel interprets the dream of the king about another kingdom that would destroy the kingdoms of this world. Chapter 3 tells of the State command to bow to the image of man that represented the State. Everyone had to conform, just as everyone is expected to conform to today’s political correctness. Notice that the entertainment industry was also involved. It was at the sound of the music that they were to bow. Hollywood is also involved in the support of Statism today.Chapter four of Daniel tells of the king’s madness and eventual repentance when he acknowledges that God is the real ruler. Only then does his reason and sanity return to him. When “seven times” have come over the rulers of this world, “Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him” (Psalm 72 NKJV). Each of the following chapters of Daniel deal with the struggle between God’s kingdom and the beastly kingdoms of men. God gives the great hope that His King will eventually rule over all kingdoms. Augustus Caesar said, “There is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved, but the name Caesar.” Caesar was the State. In the New Testament we see this struggle illustrated with the statement of the rulers of Jerusalem when they said, “We have no king but Caesar” and “Give us Barabbas.” This is seen in John’s vision of a lamb that has two horns and speaks like a dragon. Its function is to make the whole world worship the mental image of the beast (Caesar). Caesar represented the extreme left wing, and Barabbas represented the extreme right wing anarchists. (Barabbas had killed a man in an insurrection.) But even the extreme right-wingers are Statists. They attempt to build their own tower of power. They end up taking over the state they destroy. Lenin and Castro did this.In the center are those who subscribe to the law. The “tea party” center is obedient to the Constitution. The king of England had broken his contract with the colonies and the duly elected rulers of the colonies had a legal right to do what they did.

Barabbas was a “right-winger” who killed a man in an effort to overthrow Rome. The leaders of Jerusalem, on the other hand, were “left-wingers” who wanted Roman control. These two wings are like two horns on a harmless looking lamb (See Rev 13). Its function is to get everyone to adore the mental image of the “beastly” state. Both Barabbas and the leaders of Jerusalem who each believed that humanist state control was what everyone needs illustrate this. Anarchists like Barabbas want to overthrow the state so they can run it. This is what Castro and Lenin did. Anyone who will not adore the state is ostracized. They are considered “enemies of the state.” (Can’t buy or sell, so to speak.) The pattern set by America’s founding fathers is different. They did not trust government. Their goal was to limit it with the Constitution. For them, it all boiled down to freedom, individualism, and faith in God. The goal of the progressives is to overthrow the original intent of the Constitution. Does that smack of treason to you? We “Tea Party” people want to be like the founding fathers. We want to turn America back to the values of the Constitution. We are not right-wing extremists. We are law-abiding, hard working citizens who plan to vote for justice as defined by the founding fathers. They did not believe in separation of God and state. The First Amendment says that Congress should not prohibit the free exercise of religion. That is why the Ten Commandments are displayed on government buildings, God is on our money, and the Declaration appeals to the Creator. It is time for a Tea Party and back to basics. Men do not naturally evolve; they tend to devolve.

To have a mentality that feels free to dip into the public dole strikes me as an “entitlement” attitude. It is not noble to live on the sacrifice of others unless it is a last resort. To be anxious to do that reveals, perhaps, well, a tinge of greed? Public money is the hard earned blood and sweat of taxpayers. This money goes to Washington where the handlers first rake off their wasteful percentage. Then it is sent back to the taxpayers via pork and or more wastefulness. Many other non-producers dip into the pot and take more. This is a wasteful greed game. The prodigal son said, “Give me my share now.” He felt “entitled.” When two of David’s men jeopardized their lives to bring him a drink from the well within the Philistine garrison he refused to drink it. Noble men like David say, “God forbid that I should drink the blood of these men!”After Hurricane Dolly hit the Rio Grande Valley, a neighbor got an estimate for their damaged roof. FEMA gave them money and they then had it done cheaper and profited by $7,000. That money came out of the pockets of hard working taxpayers. This does not represent the values of noble men. The prodigal son “wasted his substance in riotous living” and ended up sharing the food of porkers. After I left the mission field at the age of 30 with a wife and four kids, starting a new career was tough. $3.00 an hour and two jobs living in a trailer bought for $3400 with financed money was tough. I saw in the paper government housing and called the realtor. She said if I would quit one of my jobs I would qualify. “You mean it would pay me to quit one of my jobs?” “Yes.” “No thanks. Bye.”  Why take on the “poor me” mantle when I can trust God to supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus? It really is better to give than to receive. I determined to give the sweat of my own brow rather than the sweat of the taxpayers. Our policy has always been to tithe first, pay bills second, and feed the belly last. It has paid off to side with God against self and be on the Victor’s side.