World Missions, III, Persecution

About 200 million Christians in the world are exposed to religions persecution. In 60 countries. North Korea is the worst offender. It is one of the top three crimes to be a Christian there. They will imprison you, then run you over with a steam roller (because bullets=money) as you family watches and screams, they will blow your brains out on a child's playground as the children watch on, and as if this was not bad enough they place your children into prison camps for life because of your crime. Oh yeah, not just your children but your grandchildren too. Not even Stalin or Hitler punished crimes by punishing sucessive generations of people.

Furthermore, a good amount of Chinese persecution happens on behalf of N. Korea. The other portion of persecution in China is directed toward the democratic movement that is closely related to Christian movement. (Maybe because of Westernism in the movement.) The Chinese try to preempt it with state run churches that unfortunately present mainly a social gospel. Only 20% of the Christians attend these packed state run churches. They prefer house churches. From large numbers of people in house churches, the Chinese government can freely raid the Christian places of worship if they wish. The pastor of the church just has to look at someone funny. They must also keep the bribes flowing.

Europe is getting more closed to Christianity. The socialist agenda is atheistic but at its core immoral. Christians there know that and try to homeschool. Some cannot by law or their children are removed from them by social workers. This is a problem in Germany. Thus pornographic material of the whole sex act is shown in fourth grade, Sex is described as fun, sensuality is openly encouraged if not promoted by 'relaxation' techniques in school, Darwin is taught as fact, and homosexuality is considered perfectly normal. This is by no way exhaustive of how degenerate the public schools are there. One only needs to look at European television to know what the culture is about now.

Finally the other area of the world that is closed to missions is the Islamic world. Islamic countries tend to kill new converts. IT IS IN THEIR QURAN!!! To allow freedom of religion is to cause death to Islam. This means Shia law violates human rights. They will present a more difficult majority to covert than communist and atheistic Asians who are yearning for spirituality.

These people need our prayers as much as our own country does.

World Missions, Part 2, Africa

It seems that this forgotten continent to which endless missionaries and have died have been sent is showing some results. This is the current map of the religions of Africa.

The size of the C indicates the percent of christian. To go along with this diagram a quote: "There are now more practicing Christians in Africa than on any other continent, and by the second decade of the new millennium, Africa will overtake Europe as the continent with the greatest number of people who identify themselves as Christians, whether or not they practice their faith."http://www.bethel.edu/~letnie/AfricanChristianity/Sub-SaharaHomepage.html"

Christianity is expected to slowly displace the IR in many areas. Islam is staying about the same. The muslims fear losing their grip on the lower parts of Sudan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Chad. The Sudanese 'rebels' who are being killed/displaced in Darfur Sudan are Black and partially Christian. The Government is Arab and Islamic. Some persecution is racial. Some is political. Some is religious persecution. Out of these, I cannot say which is most important.

So what is up with the world missions?

It seems that the greatest missionary work of the last 50 years has almost gone unnoticed.

-Since when did 40% of South Koreans start to claim they are Christian?
-Since when did 25% of South Koreans say they regularly attened church services?
-Since when did South Korea become the second leader in the world for sending out evangelical missionaries?
-Since when did 60-80 million Chinese start attending a Christian church?
-Since when did Chinese Christianity become one of the few religions in China projected to very rapid growth over the next few decades. (At least doubling in 5%-10% maybe 15% if current trends hold.)
-Since when did Christian conversion in Africa outpace the historically established Islam?
-Since when did (the 'non-evangelical') Reformed Protestant Christianity become so popular in Asia? (Certainly the Calvinists weren't twiddling their thumbs like many try to claim they do. Over half the world was evangelized by Reformed Protestants.)

The centers of the Christian world will change rapidly over the next few decades. Out of Europe, perhaps the US, and into the Third World and Asia. They will no longer be Geneva, Wittenburg, Westminister, Moody Bible College (Jokingly of course), and Rome but Seoul, Beijing, Rio De Janero, Johannesburg, Mexico City, and Nairobi.

In all of this there is one trend of this growth. It is not by imperialism or british colonialism. This kind of evangelizing has hurt Christianity. Much of the good evangelism was done despite British colonialism. Missionaries that would go and actually live among the people were the most sucessful. Missionaries that would actually culturally become those people. Christianity cannot be spread by force and imperialism unlike other religions *islam*cough*. Furthermore, it is not primarily in the work of foreign missionaries. The growth is from the churches that are already over there. It is the work of the churches, that were planted which have taken root, to convert their nation. We must be ever ready and willing to help.

Christianity in these places has not become a foreign religion but a religion to them of both soil and culture which was meant for them in particular. Christianity is able to appeal to all people. Not to make all people Westerners. We do not need to impose a western culture as the norm in these missionary areas but we do need to ensure that the Gospel itself remains consistent no matter what cultural lens is applied. We need for these churches to see that real christian culture is at times complementary to their own.

Asia:
The Christian religion is booming in areas of eastern Asia because it is seen as much more homegrown. This is because these people view Asian Christianity as complentary to the strong Confusician philosophies that grips their culture. These philosophies include family acting as units and absolute respect being due to authority.

In this, they know they have fallen short of this respect toward the Lord of heaven or the highest ruler who is over all. They know that he has a right to call them to judgment of the Law. They must also know that God has the right to abundantly pardon them through Christ who by fulfilling this judgment upon His family. They must finally know that this is a family of faith and according not to geneology but according to God's promises. The chief being "All who shall call upon* the name of the Lord shall be saved."

* Greek is closer to making an appeal rather than just a half heated request. It is something that one would do when they call upon a doctor in a time of need. It is not just saying a sinner's prayer. It has the distinction that one is also relying upon this appeal by submitting oneself to another's help and authority. Paul calls upon Caesar to hear his case is another example the meaning of call here.

Lets look at Africa Next. Part 2

Sovereignty and the will, Part III

PART THREE. Romans 5

Some may charge that because man is not free to act irrationally, it limits His moral responsibilty when he does. This is a joke. It is from the very fact that man's morality itself is distorted that he is guilty. This distorted set of desires, outside of the reason, is what causes men to do what is overall irrational, called sin. He is guilty before God, not for an irrational act in a free will, but for his moral corruption and his rebellion as shown in his action. What logic is there in scorning the good and perfect One who created and gives life to all things?

The whole mass of sinners under Adam is guilty. They are not guilty because of a direct act of sin against the Law, like Adam. Yet, it is in their nature to sin like Adam, given a chance. People did not die back then because they broke a commandment of the Law. Romans 5 says that there was no sin to be imputed until the Law but death reigned none-the-less. This means that moral corruption and the state of rebellion against God spread to all men. The consequence of sin reigned called death. All were guilty. The Law came so that sin would abound. Likewise, Christ came so that grace would.

Now we have a period where all men without a direct act of sin in the same likeness as Adam die. It was not an act they did for there was no law. The could not be held guilty for such. It was their fallen state, their spiritual death. Our real sin is merely a reflection of what is known by God to be internally true. This inward stoney heart and our real sin both need to be atoned for. They both have been since Jesus was wounded for our trangressions and pierced for our iniquities. They have been carried away as far as the east is from the west. He has turned our spiritual death into spiritual life.

Now, I have shown that Man is guilty already for his own spiritual death and punished by a physical death, even before being guilty of any direct action of sin. This concurs with my source of responsiblity in discussing sovereignty and free will. (Spiritual death is the principle that causes moral corruption.) It is a fault within the person. It is not a fault of making an irrational decision in a random half-hearted choice. You could have been good enough to choice not to sin right? WRONG!!!! Sin becomes a problem of ignorance with this kind of choosing. I do not believe sin is such. I challenge people to prove it is such, without God actively allowing such ignorance and futility to go on.

If one truly knew the consequences as written about in the bible of hell; a right choice would always be made. Period. Furthermore, it is not just hell that cries out to us not to sin. It is also heaven. A sin in light of a holy and good and perfect creator would seem a ridiculous notion if one could fathom the width, the depth, and size of his love toward us in granting us all (good) things. Why do we wish for that which is bad. Our will has a problem with how we evaluate things. Our sinful desires and affections get in the way. On these incorrect evaluations is what we choose to act upon. The will is broken!

And I hold that it is someone else's duty to prove otherwise! Or prove that our moral responsibilty in the will is exclusively from another source without any reliance upon our original sin! With this said, the results of our rebellion must also be atoned for but our guilt begins with the original sin itself. Romans 5 divorces man's guilt from works. Now some wish it the other way, but it is clear that Romans 9 argues for the rights of potter to use what he will, not the clay in talking back.

Sovereignty and Free Will, Numero Dos.

Next,

1) God is able to do it. [interfere with man's will] for He is omnipotent.
2)It would be good for God to do it. [Since man cannot will rightly eternal things. He lacks wisdom]
3)Then, You can be sure that God has already done it. [by stepped in and determining the outcome of man's will.]

Thanks for the formula Anselm. 1+2=3


Is the will autonomous? Absolutely not. Is the will free? Absolutely, but this depends on what it is free to do. People will ask what do I mean here.Man is not free to fly with wings. He does not have wings. He cannot will flying even if he tries.

Likewise, Man is not free to act irrationally. It is from the image of God that we retain our rational nature. One can say they have the free will to throw money out the window or spend it at a store. Man will never throw it out the window for it has no cause.

Here is a better illustration, how about you have free will choose to give me your money or spend it? You say you can actually will both, somehow but you never will one of them. I shall remain poor. It is almost a "I'm invisible when no one is looking at me." claim. You are not rationally going to give me your money without a valid reason no matter what free will says is possible. (Anyway just in case you want to test by sending me money My address is: 2117 Gullible lane. Dupesville, YU 12345.) To claim that this ability of free will to act irrational exists is funny. Ha. ha. ha.

It is to allow an entirely free will here is to place irrationality on a pedestal. It is also charge God himself of it, since he created us as such. We cannot bear the image of a rational god by him creating us irrational. In reality we see that Man will always spends the money. He is not free to do otherwise without being the utmost fool. We cannot be an utter fool in our will. It is in only our desires that drive us to become that very fool. (and sin against an infinitely good, kind, holy, and just God.)

Now, to push this distinction further lets consider the fools that we know. All people rationalize their choices. People decide if they like blue or green. There is something rational within a given set of circumstances in choosing one but not the other. Choice are mutually exclusive and never happen in a vacuum of an indifferent free will.

We weigh our desires, minimize the sin, minimize the effects, and somehow believe that it is of no account (Say to our hearts that God will not judge), and minimize our objection in order to carry sin through. Any Psychologist will say that men make a habit out of rationalize unethical decisions. Every mass murderer in some sick way rationalize their killings. The reason and rationale are never separated. The rationale may be altered due to their childhood, abuse, father, mother, etc. This is the very corruption of their being.

Yet, this does not make these people less guilty. We try to call them inhuman but they are the very essense of humanity when it has fallen. They are rational. They are uncannily rational but without any correct distinction between the right and the wrong. We do not fault them for reason. We fault them for their fallen desires. We wonder at how they wished to do such in the first place. We do not wonder at how they actually reasoned it out with a sickened mind.

Man remains guilty in sinning and doing that which is irrational in light of the very goodness of creator and creation toward man. Man is guilty in rejecting the freest and best gift that God ever gave without strings. His only begotten Son. It requires a just punishment. It requires justice.

With this said, I give no sympathy for the devil. Nor should God.

Part III

Sovereignty and free will.

God ordains all to pass. Now if man had a entirely free will than God would still have to consent in allowing it to operate freely. This means that God wills everything himself or practices self-restraint in allowing man to act.

This presents a problem. How can a good and holy God with infinite wisdom and infinite power allow a worthless man to make infinitely foolish and damnable decision as he sits by and lets it happen? This shows a God who does not care. How can God let things that eternally matter be decided by those who cannot rightly judge it. This is to place power in someone who is blatently incompetent. How can a good God let something not good happen to a man if he does not know better. This is to charge God with neglence in his rule. These are bastardly charges. I hold that God does interfere to prevent such mishandling of events.

If God were to let men freely adopt those damning outcomes by choosing self-restraint. Man is far to sovereign. Other people charge that with absolute sovereignty, God forces men into those damnable decisions. Well this makes no sense since man is already condemned. God need not act to damn them!

The difference between the two is that God is ruling rather than man. 'Free will' has to answer why God would not care when people make eternally bad desicions. Absolute sovereignty has less to answer.

We know that the workings of God are beyond us. Still with absolute sovereignty God can still exercise his goodness, holiness, wisdom, and power on a greater scale. Whereas with self-restraint and free will, He cannot because man is in the driver's seat not God.

With self-restraint and free-will, there is no grace to interfere with the free will. With God's sovereignty, there is plenty of grace and unmerited favor possible. Furthermore, how can God work all things together for the good of those who believe (Romans 8:28) if sinful man is opposing him at every stop by working all things foolishly without understanding. Self-restraint means that God's hands are tied behind his back strangely by Himself. It is quite hilarious to even entertain the notion that God thwarts His own plans.

I do not believe God practices such self-restraint. How can a man make horrible free choices with eternal consequences within an active sovereignty? He cannot. God can maintain his goodness, wisdom, power, and knowledge by himself in this scheme. I don't see any comprehensible way He can by allowing man his freedom to be stupid.

See Part II

Christ, future sin, repentance

This post is to look at Christ.

Hebrews 10:11-16 says:

"And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time onward until his enemies be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15 and the Holy Spirit bears witness to us for after saying, 'This is the covenant that I will make with them, after those days, says the lord: I will put my laws upon their heart, and upon their mind I will write them,' he then says 'and their sins and their lawless deeds, i will remember no more.'

Christ is above the previous priesthood. His sacrifice is sufficient for all time. This means past, present, and future. There is no other sacrifice. Furthermore, verse 13 refers to the rule of Christ over all. This is link to the authority of Christ in his rule. It is Christ's reign sitting at the right hand of God after his ascension. This is seen in Acts and earlier Hebrews.

For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.' Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified" (Acts. 2:34-36). ' This is also the place that Christ iintercedes for his saints below.

Hebrews elsewhere says there is no way that the sacrifice of Christ can be repeated. Here it is for all time. It is by necessity that future sin is covered by Christ. Christ is in full agreement with God, The Father in fact. The intercessions of Christ by his blood will always be answered for His people, the church universal. One cannot say that Christ saves if one has to keep themselves by works. What began in the spirit cannot be completed in the flesh.

Christ furthermore has perfected all those who are sanctified by this one sacrifice. It is perfect, complete, and finished! The Greek word for perfect agrees with the notion of completeness! Christ on the cross said it is finished! He meant all of it as he offered himself upon the cross. Christ saves to the utmost. It does not allow a 'Saved from what?' question. If one be damned by a sin after being a believer then the sacrifice is not for all time! It is not complete, perfect, and finished! This presents a problem if salvation is not secured. How can sins be punished a second time if they were paid in Christ. Wouldn't this make God unjust?

One may argue with me that this gives a free licence to sin. Absolutely not, The one who says "Relax be merry, I have worked up enough merit in my soul." is still under judgment. The merit that they trust in is not Christ's. They are still condemned.

Now to contrast this with a true believer. The righteous shall live by faith. Men are sanctified, set apart and made holy, by the blood of Christ upon justification and faith. Our hearts are said to be sprinkled clean. I don't believe that this means that we sanctify ourselves. Sanctification would better be described as living out the reality of our identity in Christ. It is living out the reality because we are walking by faith and not by sight. If people were to trust in Christ, they would be sure to realize that he demands almost everything but requires nothing. The pressure comes not from the duty but from the desire and need to give him worship for all that he has done. Romans 12 calls our actions our spiritual act of worship.

It is a sad thing these days to see Christians who do not worship the Christ who bought them. I do not believe that such total ingratitude is possible in those who have truly received salvation. Either, they do not believe or they still have a heart of stone. To have a heart of stone is to be unconverted, they are unmoved by the influences of God. They are the 'depart, I never knew you crowd.' Why is it that these people can show such ingratitude? How is it that they can treat the blood and salvation of christ as such a common thing to be thrown upon the ground by their actions. I can find no other answer than being unconverted because Christians -must- worship God in both spirit and in truth. I could almost say that is who we are. God is the one who wills and works within us. We walk in the works that he has prepared before hand. We are his workmanship.

In addition, Christ, more or less, in the new covenant has promised to rake any backsliding believers over the coals until they repent. This includes repenting of sin and turning toward God to glorify and worship Him. It is to switch sides completely. Such repentance must occur in believers. The laws of God are place within our hearts. Our inner man shall in time be made to agree with the goodness of God's law and we will agree with the odiousness of our sin in due time. It is to know the difference between the warmth of God and the fire of sin. No repentance can happen before this. This repentance be escaped either. The constant presence of the holy spirit and the intercession of christ are ever present to help us in our weaknesses. The trinity here acts in unison they are both effective, united and omnipotent. They are also do not differ in mind with the Father. Repentance cannot happen without God or without His grace. For a believer, grace will always be suffiecent. Just as in first John we see a trend, it is not that we loved christ but that Christ first loved us.

Finally, Jude 24 says that God is the only one able to keep us. There are no lost sheep in the flock of God. I could quote the verses of Jesus leading us by waters and others about him being a shepherd. Then quote the parable about the lost sheep/lost coin but I would rather not. It should be abundantly clear this complete salvation is from Christ's sacrifice. Hebrews 10:14 suggest such because of the completeness of the sacrifice. I do not believe that anything was left out. It was by the very worth of Christ's blood that everything was bought. Furthermore, Christ did not make bricks without straw. Christ secured the continual repentance of all who believe. Christ intercedes for all who believe. Finally, this includes Christ securing the faith of all who believe. To know the extent of this salvation we have received, beyond just present and past sin is to judge the worth of Christ's death rightly.

We were transfered from a kingdom of darkness to a kingdom of light. Not just for a short time but an infinite time. The distance of such a transformation is too much to calculate. Our debt against an infinite holy God who perfect angels dare not approach. This required the very death of God in human flesh. It is not that he saved us for now but rather he saved us for eternity. All the praise and all the glory be onto God forever and ever. Amen