Podcasts about german christians

For the next several episodes we will explore how to "establish a center of spiritual resistance," as Karl Barth implored the Protestant Christians in Germany to do in 1933. I believe the first step is to commit to being resolute truth tellers in a time and culture where truth is often obscured, ignored, or denied.  Why did the German Christians renegotiate their theology to accommodate the lies of the Third Reich? The answer isn't as simple as we might imagine. Join us as we explore the parallels between the mindsets of the German Christians and Christian Nationalists today. 

On today's episode we explore the age-old traps that the German Christians of the Third Reich fell into -- traps to which we've all succumbed at some point or another. The benefit of looking backward and listening deeply to those who've made devastating errors in judgment is that we can learn how to navigate our own journeys with wisdom, discernment, and most importantly love. As much as we'd like to turn off the bad news of the day and pretend we aren't living in extraordinarily challenging times, we don't have that luxury. These times are here, and God has seen fit to call us into being within them. May we steward these lives we've been given to the best of our abilities! And that kind of stewardship begins with listening, attuning to truth, and course correcting with all the wisdom and knowledge we've gained through that process. 

In this episode of Thinking Christian, I’m joined by Dr. Greg Quiggle for a deep dive into one of the most important yet often overlooked documents of the 20th century—the Barmen Declaration. Against the backdrop of Germany’s post-World War I collapse, the rise of Hitler, and the church’s alarming compromise with Nazi ideology, we explore how a handful of theologians like Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer fought to preserve the true identity of the church. Together, we unpack how civil religion, political loyalty, and theological drift threatened the witness of German Christians—and what Barmen still has to teach us today as Christians navigating nationalism, politics, and cultural pressure. We don’t shy away from controversy. Drawing connections between the German church’s failures and modern American challenges, we wrestle with uncomfortable questions about allegiance, national identity, and the dangers of putting our faith in human institutions. If you’ve ever wondered how the church can stand faithfully in turbulent times—or how subtle compromises can erode Christian witness—this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

On today's episode we cover a lot of ground! Luther's two-shephere theology, "order of creation" doctrine, and the German Christian abuses of speculative theology in the name of Christ. Then we explore Ignatius of Loyola's "Ignation Contemplation" also known as "imaginative prayer." What does this practice have to offer us today? At the end of the episode we practice this form of prayer together. 

Get ready to uncover a shocking chapter in history as we explore how Adolf Hitler rose to power by manipulating Christian beliefs. This episode of Coffee with Conrad will equip you with spiritual discernment to recognize similar deceptions today. Join Conrad from conradrocks.net as he delves into the disturbing reality of how Hitler gained support from Christians in Germany. Learn about the tactics used and why it's crucial to have a faith anchored in the truth of God's Word. Key Takeaways:Understanding how Hitler used the promise of national greatness to appeal to patriotic Christians.The Nazi Party's exploitation of Christian fears of communism to gain support.The insidious nature of "Positive Christianity" and how it distorted core Christian doctrines.The rise of the "German Christians" movement and their attempt to align Christianity with Nazi ideology.The courageous resistance of the Confessing Church and key figures like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Niemöller.The Catholic Church's response, the Reichskonkordat, and instances of both resistance and silence.Hitler's private contempt for Christianity and his long-term goal to eliminate it.The historical role of antisemitism in Christian theology and how the Nazis exploited it.The power of Nazi propaganda in manipulating religious symbols and language.The impact of economic troubles in Germany on the rise of the Nazi Party.Practical takeaways for today: prioritizing Bible study, developing spiritual discernment through prayer, fact-checking teachings against Scripture, speaking out against injustice, being cautious about the mixing of patriotism and faith, and critically evaluating religious leaders.The ultimate importance of loyalty to God above any earthly leader or movement.Call to Action:Share this important message to help others learn from history.Visit Conrad's Blog for more insights and discussions.Check out the show notes for links to relevant resources.Links:Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (Movie): Watch Sophie Scholl: The Final Days | Prime Video - Amazon.comHitler's Last Days: The Death of a Nazi Regime (Audiobook): Hitler's Last Days Audiobook | Free with trial - AudibleConnect With Me:Blog: conradrocks.netSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | TikTokFree Resources:Try Audible Free TrialGet Readwise Free TrialStart Amazon Prime Free TrialMy Work:Books: Open Your Eyes | Night TerrorShop: Team Jesus T-ShirtsSupport: PayPalFor Creators: Get $10 off StreamYard840

Today's episode introduces two seemingly opposite topics that actually have surprising overlap -- Ignatian spirituality and the beliefs of the German Christian movement. Both topics hold much wisdom and challenge for us here in the Year of our Lord 2025. We begin with the Welcoming Prayer by Father Thomas Keating and discuss the Ignatian Examen alongside the mindset of the German Christians in 1933. What might God be speaking to us today through our own consolations and desolations?

Welcome to this episode with Jud Newborn, an acclaimed historian, speaker, and expert in human rights and Holocaust education. Jud is a New York-based author, lecturer, cultural anthropologist and curator. A pioneer in the creation of Holocaust museums, he helped build New York's Museum of Jewish Heritage, serving as its Founding Historian and curator. He is known for his co-authored book, Sophie Scholl and the White Rose, an account of the history of the White Rose, a group formed in part by German Christian students—some former Hitler Youth fanatics—who were part of the German anti-Nazi resistance. With decades of experience in preserving and sharing stories that matter, Jud has dedicated his life to ensuring that the lessons of the past are never forgotten. His commitment to using history as a tool for empathy and change is truly inspiring, and we're excited to dive into his journey, insights, and the ways in which history can shape our future. He was awarded his PhD with Distinction by the University of Chicago following three years of adventurous fieldwork as a Fulbright and Woodrow Wilson National Fellow, including hunting down former SS officers and working undercover during communist martial law in Poland. He was honored with the Anne Frank Center's prestigious “Spirit of Anne Frank Award” and is the Emmy Award-winning Producer of Special Programs for Long Island's Cinema Arts Centre.

Welcome to this episode with Jud Newborn, an acclaimed historian, speaker, and expert in human rights and Holocaust education. Jud is a New York-based author, lecturer, cultural anthropologist and curator. A pioneer in the creation of Holocaust museums, he helped build New York's Museum of Jewish Heritage, serving as its Founding Historian and curator. He is known for his co-authored book, Sophie Scholl and the White Rose, an account of the history of the White Rose, a group formed in part by German Christian students—some former Hitler Youth fanatics—who were part of the German anti-Nazi resistance. With decades of experience in preserving and sharing stories that matter, Jud has dedicated his life to ensuring that the lessons of the past are never forgotten. His commitment to using history as a tool for empathy and change is truly inspiring, and we're excited to dive into his journey, insights, and the ways in which history can shape our future. He was awarded his PhD with Distinction by the University of Chicago following three years of adventurous fieldwork as a Fulbright and Woodrow Wilson National Fellow, including hunting down former SS officers and working undercover during communist martial law in Poland. He was honored with the Anne Frank Center's prestigious “Spirit of Anne Frank Award” and is the Emmy Award-winning Producer of Special Programs for Long Island's Cinema Arts Centre.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor and theologian, is remembered as being deeply devoted to Christ. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar talk of Bonhoeffer's life as being marked by bravery and love for God, making him an inspiring example for Christians wrestling with difficult moral questions. Bonhoeffer, born in 1906, was a key figure in the resistance against Nazism in Germany and ultimately sacrificed his life for his faith and involvement in resistance efforts.With Hitler's influence in Germany growing to include the church, Bonhoeffer refused to align with the Riech's beliefs. His courage was evident as he actively spread the message of resistance across Europe. Although a self-proclaimed pacifist, Bonhoeffer's conviction was tested with his involvement in resisting the Nazis. This moral conflict illustrates that some situations demanded extraordinary measures. He was eventually imprisoned and executed, but even in his death, Bonhoeffer exhibited a profound peace, knowing he had laid down his life for Christ.The discussion around Bonhoeffer extends to the ethical dilemmas Christians face. Two-thirds of German Christians initially supported Hitler, swayed by his promises to the church. Bonhoeffer, however, warned against nationalism and argued that Christians could not serve both the nation and Christ. His stance was unpopular, but he held firm, believing that truth is non-negotiable. For Bonhoeffer, consequences were irrelevant if they meant compromising his commitment to the Lord. He argued that love for Christ cannot remain silent in the face of tyranny.In discussing how to handle difficult moral situations, the conversation turns to God's sovereignty. Christians may face yes-or-no questions, but they must discern the deeper implications of their actions. Should one lie to save a life, for example? The guys talk about how lying is sinful, and argue that deception can glorify God if it protects the innocent, as seen in Rahab's story. The guys offer various perspectives on this topic.The Bible doesn't provide easy answers to every situation, but it gives believers the guidance they need. Bonhoeffer's life shows that obedience to God often requires standing against the norms of society. Christians must find conviction, pray for guidance, and take action, trusting God with the consequences. Like Bonhoeffer, they are called to stand for truth, love the oppressed, and live without compromise. God's sovereignty means Christians can trust Him even in the most difficult moral dilemmas, knowing that Christ is at the center of it all.Send us a text Thanks for listening! If you've been helped by this podcast, we'd be grateful if you'd consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

From Pulitzer Center: “Germans Thought They Were Immune to Nationalism After Confronting Their Nazi Past. They Were Wrong”Tim Bayly interviews Jürgen von Hagen on Christian nationalism, exploring its historical roots within the Lutheran Church during the Nazi regime. They discuss Toby Von Hagen's (Jürgen's son) thesis on the church's intertwining of theology and national identity, its subsequent alignment with nationalism, and the dangers of merging faith with political aspirations. The conversation highlights parallels with contemporary American Christian Nationalism and critiques the impact of political nationalism on faith and doctrine. Jürgen reflects on historical figures like Martin Niemöller and the complexities of academic integrity in the face of political correctness. They conclude by sharing personal insights about faith in relation to professional life and current moral dilemmas.Chapters0:05 Toby's Thesis2:15 Church and State Dynamics8:31 The American Perspective11:45 The Rise of Christian Nationalism16:18 The Barman Declaration20:50 The World Economic Summit23:52 Experts and Academics30:28 Reflections on the Third Reich36:12 The Role of the Church40:49 Experiences in Leadership43:16 Vice Rector Responsibilities48:11 Diversity in Universities50:22 Journey to Pastoral Leadership57:13 Relationships and Reconciliation1:01:30 Future Aspirations and Service1:03:40 Final Thoughts and FriendshipTagsTim Bayly, Juergen Von Hagen, Christian nationalism, Lutheran Church, Nazi regime, theology, national identity, academic integrity, Martin Niemöller, political correctness, faith, professional life***Out of Our Minds Podcast: Pastors Who Say What They Think. For the love of Christ and His Church.Out of Our Minds is a production of New Geneva Academy. Are you interested in preparing for ordained ministry with pastors? Have a desire to grow in your knowledge and fear of God? Apply at www.newgenevaacademy.com.Master of DivinityBachelor of DivinityCertificate in Bible & TheologyGroundwork: The Victory of Christ & The Great ConversationIntro and outro music is Psalm of the King, Psalm 21 by My Soul Among Lions.Out of Our Minds audio, artwork, episode descriptions, and notes are property of New Geneva Academy and Warhorn Media, published with permission by Transistor, Inc. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil welcomes Cpt. (Res.) Odelia of the Search and Rescue Brigade to discuss her unique background as the granddaughter of German Christians who came to Israel after World War 2 to open a nursing home for Holocaust survivors. She describes her experiences in the IDF on and after October 7th, where she searched for human remains in Kibbutz Be'eri. Cpt. Odelia also elaborates on her mission in Gaza during the war and her previous experiences in the Search and Rescue Brigade. Finally, the two talk about Cpt. Odelia's brother, Urija, who was mortally wounded while fighting in Gaza. Donate NOW at FIDF.org for the fastest and most direct way to give IDF Soldiers what they need most. 100% of your contribution will go to meet their emergency humanitarian needs. (Recorded 06/23/2024)

Question: Increasingly I'm hearing the “call to take back our land.” For example, on September 2, [2000], there was a large gathering in Washington, DC called “The Call DC.” It was advertised as follows: “THE SUMMONS IS OUT. MULTITUDES HAVE HEARD THE CALL TO FAST AND PRAY IN DC. Two generations will stand and take back our land. Now that's revolutionary.” I saw this ad in “Global Prayer News” from Colorado Springs. Can you comment?Response: First of all, I don't understand the phrase “take back our land.” America is not the promised land of Israel which God gave to His chosen people. There is no scripture declaring that God gave America to the American Christians or Germany to the German Christians, etc. Nor is there in the entire Bible any encouragement, much less command, for Christians to take over any land on earth. Thus, if Christians ever possessed this land in the past, it was without the sanction of God. We know, however, that Christians never possessed America. Many settled here in the attempt to find freedom of expression and worship, but there were also many non-Christian settlers. It is quite clear that many who signed the Declaration of Independence were at best deists who referred to “providence” but did not have in mind the one true God of the Bible, nor did they know Christ as their Savior.I have not seen the literature of which you cite merely the headlines. However, I have seen similar material. Usually its call to “take back the land” is based upon applying to the church today the promises God gave Israel. When He said, “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you…” (Jos 1:3), He was speaking specifically to the Israelites about the land of Israel. He was not speaking to Americans about America, and it is improper to attempt to apply that scripture in such a way.Yes, God said, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chr 7:14). However, “my people” specifically meant Israel, and “their land” meant the land of Israel. While we may learn general lessons from this scripture about prayer and repentance, it is absolutely unbiblical for Christians today to attempt to apply this promise specifically to themselves and the land in which they live.Consequently, marches on Washington (or elsewhere) and prayers intended to aid in taking America “back” are unbiblical and will not be honored by our Lord. Rather, one ought to pray for revival in the church and the rescue of souls from judgment. The US has had professing Christians as president and in many other high offices, without overall progress toward godliness in this country. What lost Americans need is the gospel, not coercion toward a godly lifestyle characterized by “family values” and “traditional morals.” If all Americans could be persuaded to live by such values and morals, they would still be on their way to the lake of fire and perhaps would be even harder to reach with the gospel because of self-satisfaction with their good lives.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a famous twentieth century Christian, was a dynamic and occasionally controversial theologian who became a household name because of his character and courage. When it mattered the most, in a time when many of his fellow Germans—including pastors and priests—embraced Hitler and the Nationalist ideas of the Third Reich, Bonhoeffer stood with conviction.   After the Nazi rise to power in 1933, the bulk of German Protestant groups submitted to the oversight of pro-Nazi leaders. These so-called “German Christians” compromised the eternal truths of God to a racist, statist, and eugenicist totalitarian regime. Because of their compromise, they were left free to practice their faith, as long they did not transgress Nazi doctrine.  Bonhoeffer, with others such as Martin Niemöller and Karl Barth, did transgress. They also stood against compromising churchmen. Bonhoeffer helped found the dissident Confessing Church and underground seminaries and was among those who published the defiant Barmen Declaration. Rejecting his earlier pacifism, he took on an active role in resistance to Hitler's tyranny, eventually joining the plot to assassinate the madman.  Though Bonhoeffer has been rightly praised for his faithfulness and courage in each of these activities, his most courageous act may have been simply going home. In the early years of the Nazi terror, Bonhoeffer went first to the United Kingdom and then the United States, taking up teaching positions in a free, safe part of the world.   His conscience, however, did not let him remain in safety while his nation was facing and committing such evil. In 1939, just weeks before the war began, Bonhoeffer returned to Germany. Writing to the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, he explained, “I will have no right to participate in the reconstruction of Christian life in Germany after the war if I do not share the trials of this time with my people.”  Despite his courage, Bonhoeffer wasn't perfect. His theology, at times, strays and is puzzling. In fact, one of his most important co-laborers, Karl Barth, had his own theological complications and moral failings. This is a theme that frequently emerges in Christian history. Figures as prominent as Martin Luther and Martin Luther King, Jr., though used by God in incredible ways, were flawed in behavior and belief.   This fits well with the heroes described in Holy Scripture. The author of Hebrews, in chapter 11, offers a list of champions for God that is rightly described as the Bible's Hall of Faith. Even the best of the list, men like Abraham and Moses, are as famous for their flaws as their victories. In the cases of some who are included, like Samson, Gideon, and Jephthah, it's difficult to understand how they are even heroes. Yet there they are included among the others.  The danger in refusing to honor the imperfect isn't just the temptation to whitewash others' sins while excusing our own. It's also the temptation to wait for an imaginary tomorrow when everything is just right rather than working today to oppose what's wrong. And it is here that we can learn another lesson from Bonhoeffer. In his book Ethics, he called on Christians to be faithful in the here and now, writing,  Do and dare what is right, not swayed by the whim of the moment. Bravely take hold of the real, not dallying now with what might be. Not in the flight of ideas but only in action is freedom. Make up your mind and come out into the tempest of living.  For Bonhoeffer, the Christian faith must be lived in the time and place in which God places us. In that sense, courage and faith are inseparable. We must do the right thing, even if the cost is great and even if we feel inadequate for the task.  God has called you and me into this tempest of the living. As James instructs, Christianity is not merely believing the right things but doing them, empowered by the Spirit given to us in Christ Jesus. This will mean risk. It may mean failure. But it's through the imperfect faith of His people that God is at work renewing His world.  This Breakpoint was co-authored by Dr. Timothy Padgett. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org. 

In this episode of Dummy for Theology, we discuss the person and theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Brandon Knight, of My Seminary Life, joins our host, Joshua Noel, to discuss the series he did this summer on the Lutheran theologian. We explore how Bonhoeffer stood out amongst Christian thinkers of his own time and how his words against Christian nationalism remain relevant today..What is Bonhoeffer's most important teaching? What is the theology of Bonhoeffer? What was Bonhoeffer's dilemma? Who is Dietrich Bonhoeffer and why is he remembered? What is the religion of German Christians? What was Adolf Hitler's religion? How was Hitler and Bonhoeffer's theology similar? Why was Bonhoeffer killed? What did C.S. Lewis and Dietrich Bonhoeffer say about WWII? How did religion play a role in World War 2? How did WWI influence Christianity? .In this episode, you will be able to:Learn about the life and teachings of Dietrich BonhoefferDeconstruct the arguments for Christian NationalismExplore the words of theologians during the great warRethink how we discuss Christian ethics.See what other shows are a part of the Anazao Ministries Podcasts - AMP Network:https://anazao-ministries.captivate.fmMentioned in this episode:AMP Network Anazao Ministries Podcasts - AMP NetworkCheck out other shows like this on our shared network: https://anazao-ministries.captivate.fm/

Israel update...large group of Christians kidnapped in Nigeria...and German Christian homeschooling family can stay another year in the U-S.

On today's Quick Start podcast:NEWS: Speaker Trump? Kat Von D Baptized, Liberty U TargetedMAIN THING: German Christian Family DEPORTED - InterviewLAST THING: 1 Peter 3SHOW LINKS:CBN News https://www2.cbn.com/news Faithwire https://www.faithwire.com/ CBN News YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@CBNnewsonlineEmail us! QuickStartPodcast@cbn.org

I was asked just before the show ended on Friday if I believed there was going to be something in the Oct 4th test to trigger vaccines. Here's a deeper answer and why I believe this story is being pushed (7:21)Robo-taxis in Austin all go to one intersection — a hack? And more info going back to the Snowden leaks on how China had targeted F-35 especially for espionage hacks. (30:23)People are starting to see the MacGuffin — groups fighting the vaccine are now talking about SmartCities and the UN Agenda for the climate MacGuffin — and the battle will be local (50:04)Immigration — Biden has openly declared a Great Replacement. But ONE demographic is NOT welcome — a German Christian family who escaped Germany after fines and threats of seizing children for homeschooling has now suddenly been given a couple weeks before deportation even though they were granted a deferment even under Obama (1:02:18)What Media Is NOT Telling You About Menendez Indictment…and the connection to Trump indictment (1:32:30) California's law prohibiting magazines with 10+ rounds has been eviscerated by a judge who really understands the history of guns and gun control. But California adds 18% tax on firearms and ammunition as LaLa Harris becomes Gun Control Czar (1:45:34)New study over 4 continents says 17 MILLION killed by Trump shot and risks increases rapidly with age. And that's just the beginning — Yale epidemiologist is the latest to say cancer is exploding. (2:16:09)Fauci, FraudFather, still gets private limo, chauffeur and security detail at $1 MILLION per year cost to taxpayers (2:31:53)"Hot Lots" of vaccines. Active ingredient varies from 3 to 100 micrograms by lot. If it was sloppy manufacturing (very sloppy, varying by a factor 33x's) it would vary within lots. But because its varying BY LOT, that points to a more sinister explanation (2:53:53) Find out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.comIf you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Money is only what YOU hold: Go to DavidKnight.gold for great deals on physical gold/silverFor 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to TrendsJournal.com and enter the code KNIGHT

I was asked just before the show ended on Friday if I believed there was going to be something in the Oct 4th test to trigger vaccines. Here's a deeper answer and why I believe this story is being pushed (7:21)Robo-taxis in Austin all go to one intersection — a hack? And more info going back to the Snowden leaks on how China had targeted F-35 especially for espionage hacks. (30:23)People are starting to see the MacGuffin — groups fighting the vaccine are now talking about SmartCities and the UN Agenda for the climate MacGuffin — and the battle will be local (50:04)Immigration — Biden has openly declared a Great Replacement. But ONE demographic is NOT welcome — a German Christian family who escaped Germany after fines and threats of seizing children for homeschooling has now suddenly been given a couple weeks before deportation even though they were granted a deferment even under Obama (1:02:18)What Media Is NOT Telling You About Menendez Indictment…and the connection to Trump indictment (1:32:30) California's law prohibiting magazines with 10+ rounds has been eviscerated by a judge who really understands the history of guns and gun control. But California adds 18% tax on firearms and ammunition as LaLa Harris becomes Gun Control Czar (1:45:34)New study over 4 continents says 17 MILLION killed by Trump shot and risks increases rapidly with age. And that's just the beginning — Yale epidemiologist is the latest to say cancer is exploding. (2:16:09)Fauci, FraudFather, still gets private limo, chauffeur and security detail at $1 MILLION per year cost to taxpayers (2:31:53)"Hot Lots" of vaccines. Active ingredient varies from 3 to 100 micrograms by lot. If it was sloppy manufacturing (very sloppy, varying by a factor 33x's) it would vary within lots. But because its varying BY LOT, that points to a more sinister explanation (2:53:53) Find out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.comIf you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Money is only what YOU hold: Go to DavidKnight.gold for great deals on physical gold/silverFor 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to TrendsJournal.com and enter the code KNIGHT

After 29 years, Christian Froelicher is taking his leave from SBS German. As executive producer, he has played a major role in the success of the program over the last years. We from the team will miss his experience and cheerful nature! Of course, this also applies to his long-time companions from the German-speaking community. We have collected and compiled farewell greetings for his last broadcast. - Nach 29 Jahren nimmt Christian Froelicher seinen Abschied von SBS German. Als Programmchef hat er die letzten Jahre den Erfolg des Programms wesentlich mit bestimmt. Wir vom Team werden seine Erfahrung und Frohnatur vermissen! Das gilt natürlich auch für seine langjährigen Begleiter aus der deutschsprachigen Community. Für seine letzte Sendung haben wir Abschiedsgrüße gesammelt und zusammengestellt.

Thomas, Naomi and I, had said our goodbyes to Living Waters and drove away. We were ready for the next adventure. But after our “sending out” experience at the service that day, it looked like, we might be also saying goodbye to Eureka. Everything we owned, was packed and sitting at the house, that we were supposed to move into. Jim had announced, that there would be an official service for the Germany team on Tuesday, at the Redwood Camp in Cutten. We had never been there before and I don't remember that place. The only reason, that I know we were there, is because of the tape that I have from that day. It was a recording by the ministries' media group called Radiance. The title sticker says; November 19, 1974, Redwood Camp, Germany Team Sending. For Thomas and I, that second service was of great importance. We had talked to Jim about our concerns, but he reassured us, that he believed it was the right time. Of course, he said, it was up to us, what we wanted to do. So we had from Sunday to Tuesday, to talk and pray about the situation. Thomas had been anxious, for at least a year, to go back to Germany, but he needed a confirmation about the right timing. For the two of us, we had known ever since we became Christians, that we would be returning. When Jim had announced on Sunday that a team was going to Germany, he made a big deal that they were going to a foreign country, and entering the unknown world of Europe. For us, that was not the case at all. Thomas was born and raised in West Berlin, and had been to other countries. When I met him in 1970, I had been traveling in Europe, and then lived and worked, for over a year in Berlin. We would be returning to a familiar place, Germany and Europe. Thomas was interested in hearing about the group of Christians in Hannover. He was  excited, about the idea of meeting German Christians, like us. In all of his years in Berlin, he had never met any believers, or people who shared the gospel.

Have you ever heard about that famous German pastor who was pitted against Hitler in the 1930s? Now I'm not talking about Dietrich Bonhoffer—no, I'm talking about Pastor Paul Schneider, one the greatest witnessers of a German to his nation…or, for that matter, to the whole world! Tortured and martyred by his fellow German citizens—the Nazis—just what is Schneider's story? And what does that story mean to us about the focus and risk of a robust Christian life? Join Kevin as we take a sobering—and exhilarating—look into the life and death of Pastor Paul Schneider! // Download this episode's Application & Action questions and PDF transcript at whitestone.org.

Top headlines for Tuesday, May 9, 2023The North Texas community's prayer gathering in response to a tragic shooting; Anheuser-Busch's collaboration with trans-identified influencer Dylan Mulvaney drawing controversy; a German Christian school fighting for accreditation as they utilize an innovative hybrid teaching approach; and nationwide celebrations honoring the coronation of King Charles III. Tune in for this thought-provoking update on the latest events.Subscribe to this Podcast Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Overcast Follow Us on Social Media @ChristianPost on Twitter Christian Post on Facebook @ChristianPostIntl on Instagram Subscribe on YouTube Get the Edifi App Download for iPhone Download for Android Subscribe to Our Newsletter Subscribe to the Freedom Post, delivered every Monday and Thursday Click here to get the top headlines delivered to your inbox every morning! Links to the News Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas officials attend prayer vigil in Allen | U.S. News Gunman kills at least 8, including children, at Texas mall | U.S. News Charles Stanley's personal items returned to family: grandson | U.S. News Biden admin. backs down in battle with Catholic hospital | Politics News Ind. passes law allowing nonprofits to keep donor names anonymous | Politics News Anheuser-Busch downplays Dylan Mulvaney campaign amid backlash | Entertainment News Suspended progressive UMC bishop moves toward church trial | Church & Ministries News Pastor John Gray's church hit by ransomware attack | U.S. News No parental rights: Germany denies Christian School accreditation | World News 2 Chibok schoolgirls freed 9 years after Boko Haram abducted them | World News UK churches celebrate King Charles' coronation with Evensongs | Church & Ministries News

A new poll suggests that Gen Z is worried about Biden's mental acumen, and they are not alone. As we face danger on multiple fronts, the 2024 elections are beginning to come into focus. What's our role now? It's to ASK QUESTIONS and pray for courage and wisdom. SHOW NOTES --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/heidistjohn/message

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany, launching the Reformation. Five centuries later, many German Christians have been inspired by his teachings to offer safe haven to refugees. Because they have been so loved by God, they want to love others in need. After all, Luther himself was a refugee, fleeing for his life from Catholic authorities. This is one practical example of how we can put God’s love into action. John tells us that love and obedience are characteristics of God’s family (vv. 7–8). Love comes from God, and God’s children do God-things. We can only do God-things because we’ve been born of God and know God. That’s the cause—love is the result. Those who don’t love don’t know God, because “God is love.” It doesn’t get simpler than that. How do we know God is love? Because He sent His Son for our redemption, to be the “atoning sacrifice for our sins” (vv. 9–10; John 3:16). We owed a penalty of death, but now we “live through him.” Human love pales by comparison. God’s love is not an abstract quality or virtue. He is love. “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (v. 11). God loved us when we were powerless to help ourselves, when we were still His enemies (Rom. 5:6–8). When we love one another, we make the invisible God visible to the world, that is, we call the world’s attention to His glory and the gospel of Jesus Christ (v. 12; see also John 1:18). His love is “made complete in us,” expressed in our love for one another. >> How will you put God’s love in action today? Perhaps you could join in a ministry to refugees, prison inmates, or another group. Ask God to show you a new way you can extend His love to others.

Dr. Ryan Tafilowski is an expert in the rise of the Nazi party in Germany 100 years ago and the German church's response to the movement. It's here where the concept of Christian nationalism became a divisive issue in the church. Ryan and I talk about the similarities and dissimilarities between German Christian Nationalism and modern American Chrisitan Nationalism. Ryan holds a PhD in systematic theology, a master's in theology in history from the University of Edinburgh, and a bachelor's degree in biblical studies from Colorado Christian University. Tafilowski has served as an adjunct professor in the Division of Christian Thought at Denver Seminary, adjunct professor of theology at Colorado Christian University, and postgraduate instructor in theology and ecclesiastical history at the University of Edinburgh. He serves as the lead pastor at Foothills Fellowship Church in Denver and as Theologian-in-Residence at the Denver Institute for Faith and Work.

Why have radical, anti-American, and even anti-human doctrines become so powerful in the United States? Eric Metaxas says the crisis is rooted firmly in the silence of America's Christian pastors. Eric joins Charlie to discuss his new book, Letter to the American Church, and how the feeble weakness of Christian leaders today resembles that of German Christian leaders during the rise of Nazi Germany. Eric digs into why it isn't just acceptable, but necessary, for authentic Christians to speak out on the political issues of their day.Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join The Fellowship's C. J. Burroughs on today's “Heroes of the Holocaust” as he continues his story about a German Christian schoolteacher, Elisabeth Abegg, who skimped on her own nourishment to provide food to the Jews in hiding.

Paul Axton preaches - In the United States and many places throughout the world Christianity is being tied to fascism and authoritarianism. There is a failed form of Christianity that becomes a platform for the worst forms of abusive authoritarianism, yet where Christianity is correctly understood Fascist Christian, Nazi Christian, or perhaps German Christian or American Christian should be oxymoronic.  Become a Patron! If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to support our work.

Join The Fellowship's C. J. Burroughs on today's “Heroes of the Holocaust” story about a German Christian and schoolteacher, Elisabeth Abegg, who joined the resistance against the Nazis and rescued 80 Jews from death.

In August of 1933 Bonhoeffer wrote to his Grandmother: “The issue really is Germanism or Christianity.” German Christians placed Nazi flags alongside the communion table and believed God's will worked through the National Socialist Party. For many, loyalty to the Arian race and the German nation (“blood and soil”) had usurped loyalty to God. This three-week worship series at The Table will invite our community of faith to reflect upon the deep places of Bonhoeffer's life and thought as we

Aaron discusses how the majority of German Christians embraced the nationalistic fervor of the Nazis and believed Adolph Hitler was sent by God to defend German Christians from Jews.

In August of 1933 Bonhoeffer wrote to his Grandmother: “The issue really is Germanism or Christianity.” German Christians placed Nazi flags alongside the communion table and believed God's will worked through the National Socialist Party. For many, loyalty to the Arian race and the German nation (“blood and soil”) had usurped loyalty to God. This three-week worship series at The Table will invite our community of faith to reflect upon the deep places of Bonhoeffer's life and thought as we

In August of 1933 Bonhoeffer wrote to his Grandmother: “The issue really is Germanism or Christianity.” German Christians placed Nazi flags alongside the communion table and believed God's will worked through the National Socialist Party. For many, loyalty to the Arian race and the German nation (“blood and soil”) had usurped loyalty to God. This three-week worship series at The Table will invite our community of faith to reflect upon the deep places of Bonhoeffer's life and thought as we

You can find more on Rob McCoy and Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Californiahttps://www.godspeak.com/home-index/https://rumble.com/v1mexz2-faith-without-works-is-dead-eric-metaxas.htmlhttps://www.amazon.com/Letter-American-Church-Eric-Metaxas/dp/1684513898/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=letters+to+the+american+church+book&qid=1666029645&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjg2IiwicXNhIjoiMC41NSIsInFzcCI6IjAuMzEifQ%3D%3D&sr=8-1Gary Duncan  0:43  Welcome to remnant revolution. I'm your host, Gary Duncan. And today, I think this is probably one of the most important podcast you need to listen to. If you're unaware of what's going on in our country, and how the church is staying silent, then this might open your eyes, I think every Christian and pastor to take the time to listen to what Eric TaskUs has to say, I just finished reading his book letter to the American church. And I ran out of EAC, marking it up with the comments. So mirror my own thoughts over these last several years regarding the state of the church, the state of pulpits today. And what we need to do about it, you've always heard, if you forget your history, you're bound to repeat it. Well, I think we're there. I think if the church doesn't wake up, we're going to see the slaughter of millions upon millions of innocent people, maybe not in the same way history has shown us but in a new way. And if you've been awake during the 2020, COVID, biological weapon that has been forced upon this world, you have already seen millions of people die. So I want to replay a message he gave to God speak church in California, Rob McCoy, his church out there, they keep their sheep up to date on what's going on. The best way to describe his book is a comparison between the Lutheran Church in Germany in the 1930s, to the American church in the 2022. And earlier, the similarities are stark, the action taken by the church is appalling. And the future of the church is written in history. So I suggest you open your hearts and you listen and ask the question, what's next? What do we do? What's the Bible say? Because our future depends on it. Eric Mataxas  2:44  We're dealing with joy. Joy is like, you know, deep and beautiful. And Lord wants us to live in that right when when you understand what the Lord did on the cross, giving his body and his blood for us. There is a deep joy, an unfathomable joy that comes out of that. And the question is through history that the church has always leaned into that joy, if you know what I mean, right? It's a it's our it's our human nature, our sin nature, to just go through the motions, maybe to come up with some theology and go like you agree with that? Yep, yep, yep. Okay, you're in fine, good. That's what Bonhoeffer called cheap grace, right? And you see this over and over it through history. In fact, even before the church, you see this, obviously, in the Old Testament, that the prophets rise up to Thunder at the people of God calling them to be the people of God, right. So you see this over and over. And it's the mystery of why the Lord allows things to go that way. But I believe we are now on the verge of a second reformation. When I say that reformation, when you really think about what Luther did it all it is, is what God wants to do all the time, which is to say, Bring us deeper into walking with him, right? And to say, like, Okay, you did this for a while, but now, you need more, right? You need to live out your faith. And so I think, part of what I want to talk about this morning, which I think concerns the American church and letter to the American church, it's exactly what Bonhoeffer was talking about, in 1932. In fact, he gave a famous sermon, Reformation Day 1932. So it's like two months and change before Hitler takes power. And he's speaking to this church and trying to make them understand that, you know, you kind of you have the form and substance down. But that's not what God's looking for. He's looking at your heart. He wants you to be alive to him and you're kind of going through the motions and a lot of people in the American church today who are being silent in the face of evil In the same way that German pastors and Christians were being silent in the face of evil. And what I write about in this book, letter to the American church is to say, we know exactly what happened. Bonhoeffer was a prophetic voice trying to warn the German church. There were others, but he was the main one. They did not heed God's cry through God's servant Bonhoeffer. So the question is, will the American church today, heed God's cry through his sir servant Bonhoeffer? Will we hear what Bonhoeffer had to say that the German church ignored? And I'm here to say, mostly, the church in America has been silent in the face of evil in exactly the same way the German church was silent in the face of evil, but we have less than zero excuse. Because we have the example of the German church. We have many, many Americans have read my book on Bonhoeffer, you just like you want to see how that goes. When the Church says, Not yet. We're not ready to talk yet. We don't want to be political Romans 13 We can't get we can't get politically and we can't get involved. Every bad theological reason that German Christians gave for their silence is being used today by those in the American church, the same reasons, the same answers. I mean, you hear a lot from people about well, that's not a that's not a gospel related issue. Right. Well, that's sophistry, these are lies from the pit of hell when you start talking like that. Okay. Do you not think that in America during slavery times, there were plenty of people saying like, we don't want to speak out against slavery, we don't really want to be pro abolition, because we have people in our congregations who would be bothered by that. So we can let the African slaves go to hell, we don't care about them. We care about the people in our in our congregations that they might get pushed away from the gospel if we bring up that divisive issue. And you think, Well, what dead gospel? are you preaching? If you cannot speak the truth about the wickedness of slavery? Am I interested in whatever thin pseudo gospel you have to preach? But there are many people that they're very focused on this quote, unquote, gospel, but I want to say, what is that gospel that you're preaching when when Jesus said that, you know, better that a millstone would be hung around your neck than that you would cause these little ones to stumble? That wasn't really very gospel sensitive Jesus? You know, I'm sure if Jesus were alive today, he would correct that terrible error. He would never say anything so harsh, right? Oh, sorry. We're talking about Jesus, who was perfect. He spoke about things that many today would act like, well, I'm holier than that. I wouldn't bring that kind of a thing up. I don't know. It could push some people away. Well, folks, you should care about not wanting to push people away. Like that's, that's a good thing. But you can care too much. You can care so much that you're disobedient to what God is calling you to open your mouth about. So if you do not care about young women, being bullied and badgered by propaganda, to cut off their own breasts and destroy their lives, if you don't love them, the way Jesus loves them and speak the truth into the culture that's doing that to them. The Lord will hold you accountable for that, in the same way that he held Americans accountable who said, Why don't want to speak about slavery, because we have some pro slavery people in our congregation. And they're good people, except for the slavery part. Yeah, like today, we laugh because we know how crazy that is. But back then they were like, well, who's to say it's complicated. In Germany, people were telling Bonhoeffer to shut up don't get political. You know, there's plenty Nazis in every congregation. And some of them are really bad, but some of them are good. And they've it's complicated. Don't speak against that. Bonhoeffer ultimately became profoundly disgusted. I quote him in this book letter to the American church where he says, he was he was disgusted with the theological of theologically based objections that a lot of these pastors and people had theologically based what you know, if you're the devil, you want to come up with theologically based objections for your satanic ideas, to fool some of the Christians into being silent. And Bonhoeffer says, which is, after all, nothing but fear. It is fear. So so people give these reasons and they can fool many people. There's a new book out, it came out, just as my book was sent to the to the printer or to the publisher. I got a letter. Sorry, I got I got a package in the mail in my home in New York. From Zondervan, Because I'm like an influencer, so they want me to see what they're publishing. And yeah, if you want to know how bad things are like a lot of these Christian publishers, a lot of these folks, they they're, they've slid into the dark side. So they published a book by Pastor Andy Stanley. And the book is called not in it to win it. Okay. And every lie has truth in it, right? So no, we're not supposed to be cultural warriors trying to be triumphalist theocrats trying to you know, crush the culture with our idea of Jesus. No, no, but I think most of us get that. Okay. If you have a friend who's who's on board with that, you'd be the first one to say no, sorry. We're not We're not about that. But the point is, if you're going to tell me, Oh, I shouldn't be political. I shouldn't have a voice. That's what they said to Bonhoeffer. They said, stay in your little theological lane. Don't speak up for the Jews. And Bonhoeffer said no, if you do not speak up for the Jews, you have no right to worship God Bonhoeffer wrote that, he says, You have no right, keep your mouth shut. Do not praise the God who is the God of the Jews, and who appointed you as the church to be the voice for the voiceless. That is your job. And if you're not doing that, shut up, get in your prayer closet and get right with God, but do not pretend to say I have faith when the Lord sees you have no faith because you keep your mouth shut in the face of satanic evil. But the project but but the objections were the same. The objections were the same as they are today. They will say Romans 13 is supposed to be the governing authorities, right, you know, bow to Nebuchadnezzar, like whatever it is just like keep your mouth shut and just obey the governing theories are put in place by God, Romans 13. So it's very clear. Well, it's obviously not very clear. There's more of the Bible than Romans 13 One. And the fact is, if you're looking for an excuse, it's very convenient. You just saw Romans 13. Luther was big on Romans 13. And so all the German Lutherans were like that settled. Well, it was not settled. You need discernment. You need wisdom. What are what are we living through right now? The Lord calls us to take our faith into every single sphere imaginable. My hero Chuck Colson always used to quote, Abraham Kuyper, the Dutch theologian and every speech Chuck would give, he would quote Kuyper, Kuyper said, you know, about 120 years ago, Kuyper said, There's not one square inch of all creation, over which Jesus Christ who is sovereign does not say mine. Everything, politics, education, media, wherever you go, the Lord wants us to take him into those places. And that, to me, is what reformation is all about, right? It's like the leaven is supposed to go all the way through the lump. And so why did it take the church so long to discover this 15 centuries before Luther, in a sense, bring some of these ideas out into European culture? Why did it take 15 centuries? I don't know. We have to ask the Lord when we get there, Lord, why didn't that happen right away. But it didn't. The Lord lets these things work their way through history. Why did it take to Wilberforce at the end of the 18th century? To see from the scriptures like slavery is an abomination from the pit of hell. And if you're a Christian, you need to stand against this with all your might. And mein. Why did it take so long? Well, it might have taken a long time. But the point is, at some point, somebody got it, and somebody started talking about it. And there were always voices to say, no, no, shut up. You're wrong. You're wrong. That's political William Wilberforce. Don't be don't be, don't be political. Keep your faith private, from your from your politics. And the Lord doesn't make those distinctions. The devil makes those distinctions. And when people tell you, Oh, you're just being political, you know, that's like standing against slavery. And so he's really just being political. It's like, No, I'm commanded by my lord to stand up for those who have no voice. I'm commanded to stand up for the stranger. I'm commanded to speak the truth. So where do you get your idea that I'm supposed to keep my faith in this tiny little theological box? That's not a biblical idea. But it's out there in the culture. And so I remember getting this book in the mail from Zondervan by Andy Stanley basically making the case that if you're involved politically, it's divisive. And you're just a culture warrior. And you're now of course, if you're involved in the right stuff, he will have no criticism. But if you're involved, anything that might be pro Trump or pro liberty or or any of that stuff, it's like, you're being political, right? So I read the book, I forced myself to read the book, it's unpleasant, but it's at least short. And I thought to myself, and I want to be I want to be gracious in the sense and say that, I know that a lot of the folks like Andy Stanley, they're like, the German pastors in that day in the sense that many of them know not what they do. They have no idea so it's very easy for us to point the finger. You know, at some point, we have to point the finger and say That's wrong. That's bad. Teaching that's dark, it's leading America to hell. And it's going to make people suffer for whom Jesus died. If we the church do not rise up, the Lord has pointed us to rise up. But the point is that we have to understand that some of these people, they're just misguided. But the problem is, I then go on the Amazon web page for the book, and I see a big blurb from Jim Daly, a Focus on the Family promoting this book. And I thought the book is published by Zondervan. That's where we are ladies and gentlemen, people that I would think of as friends, or they used to be friends. And these are the kinds of people that you know, they are not openly serving the devil. They are just confused and misguided in going with the flow. Like many German pastors, they were just going with the flow. The question is, can we reach them? Before it's too late? Can we reach some of them? Before it's too late, I absolutely wrote this book, this short book, hoping to reach those who might be reached, we know some will never be reached, they don't want to be reached, they've got it all figured out. But there are many in the middle, that I believe might see the error of their ways and might see that their silence in the face of evil has been silenced in the face of evil. It's exactly the same as the silence of the German pastors in the face of evil. And some of them, I believe, will repent of their silence and say, Okay, now I'm going to speak up now in Germany. In Bonhoeffer his day, one of the heroes of my Bonhoeffer book is Martin de Mohler. Marni Miller was one of the ones who was going with the flow, he really believed that we don't need to speak against the Nazis. He was now he was a heroic World War One military hero, an incredible pastor and a big, powerful church, but he was deceived. And eventually, he saw that he was deceived. He had a meeting with Hitler, where Hitler basically told him, you know, going along with the theological script, right, Hitler says to him, you stick to your sermons. In other words, you stick to your little stupid little theological sermons in your little building on Sunday. But when you leave that building, you bow to the authority of the state, which is me, Adolf Hitler. That's when you know, oops, this is not going to go well. He is not really open to hearing the truth and I Martiny molar have made a mistake. So Martin e molar by God's grace woke up at that point, and he became a hero. But the problem is in Germany, when Martin D, Mueller woke up, it was too late. The church had been silent too long, the Nazis had been working hard to neutralize and silence the church. If the church wakes up, we're dead. So we'll keep doing whatever we need to do will bribe some of them will give them money will threaten them, you'll lose your job will shut you down, we'll do we'll do whatever we can do to neutralize the church and neutralize the church and at some point, it will be too late for them to speak up and that's what happened in Germany. I think of Gulliver being tied down by the little patients as the same picture right? You know, Gulliver, at any moment as he's sleeping, the little patients are tying him down with dental floss or whatever they're using. And if he had awakened at any point during this process, he would have ripped up the stakes and you know, crushed the Lilliputians. But if they can make sure that he continues to sleep while they're doing this, at some point, it's too late for him to get up, isn't it? That's what the Nazis did with the church in Germany. They told them what they wanted to hear. And they knew that we don't need to get everybody we just need to get enough German pastors and leaders to be silent and to do nothing. And at some point, we got them. Now so you understand the numbers because it's dramatically similar similar in this country in terms of the representatives in terms of the percentage. In Germany, there were 18,000 Protestant pastors, and about 3000 of them up, Hitler takes control in 33. So by 1935, the state the Nazis had so bullied, the churches and everyone that by 1935 of the 18,000 pastors, there were about 3000 Standing strong for the gospel standing with the barman declaration. I write about this all in the in the book letter to the American church. It's really amazing. 3000 stood strong. About 6000 had signed the barman declaration, but by the time you get to 1935, there had been enough bullying and badgering and arrests and whatever it is that it takes to intimidate people and some of you are very familiar with that I'm familiar with that. I've been ensued, you know, lost a lot of money. My whole YouTube channel was just destroyed because I dared to have on Naomi Wolf to discuss vaccine mandates. Can you imagine the United States of America having a conversation about the truth, but that's what we're dealing with today, right? Well, the Nazis did the same thing. And worse, they just said, this intimidate, intimidate. We're gonna we're gonna you know, what we'll send the Gestapo to knock down the doors at Mar a Lago? What do we have to do? Tell us what what do we have to do to weaponize the state to intimidate, intimidate. And by 1935, there are only 3000 of those 18,000 pastors willing to stand firmly. Now, on the other side of the 18,000, you have about 3000, that were totally pro Nazi. And we get that we have, you know, so called pastors in the church today that are 1,000% on board with cultural Marxism and the great reset and whatever it is that you know, the pit of hell is currently manifesting in our culture. But here's the key. And this is where I have the hope. In the middle. There were 12,000. Pastors, those 12,000 pastors, before we get to the hope, you got to get to the depressing part, it was those 12,000 pastors that did not take a stand with the 3000 heroes that enabled the evil to triumph. They said, well, we don't want to be political Romans 13. We don't want to take a stand for us. It's all about preaching the gospel. So we don't want to talk about you know, all of this divisive stuff, we just want to, we just want to preserve the opportunity to preach the gospel. Well, there's a chapter in the book called the idol of evangelism. Because there are times when the devil will use one of the greatest things to keep you from the greatest thing. The greatest thing is to speak God's truth as he calls you to speak it, to speak against whatever He calls you to speak. But some people say, Oh, no, I can't do that. I gotta have my quiet time right now. There's a, there's a girl being raked across the street, but you know what I'm going to do? I'm gonna pray. Who can argue with that? Right? Oh, you're gonna pray? Oh, okay. I'm going to do evangelism. Okay. Well, you understand that the subtle enemy of our souls will use any good thing, right? Oh, you're just about preaching the gospel just about gospel related issues? Well, what if the Lord says, Speak up for the Jews? And you're gonna lose some people in your congregation? What if the Lord says speak against the slave trade to William Wilberforce, most American Christians today would be like, I would be all over that I would stand with Bonhoeffer. And I would stand with William Wilberforce. And all you of course I would, but you are not doing it. Now. Right now you're being silent. And right now you are letting the 3000 Take all the heat, aren't you? And you're saying, we think we just got to keep our nose clean. We don't want to get in trouble. We want to be safe. We want to be nice. We want to go along with whatever. You know, if there's a vaccine mandate, we'll go along with that. We'll make our people take the dead baby vaccine. We don't have a problem with that. Romans 13. We just want to go along with the government. We're living in hard times, folks. You need to sermon and you need courage. But I'm here to tell you that what happened during the Reformation with Martin Luther Martin Luther had to make the case that it's by faith alone, right, we get that, right. It's by faith alone. It's not by works that were safe. We all get that right. But by the time you get to Bonhoeffer, Bonhoeffer is saying, this faith alone stuff has gone too far because faith. Faith, without works is dead. So even though it is by faith, you're saved, do you have faith? If you have faith, you will live it out. Your life will be a testimony to the fact that you know Jesus defeated death on the cross, you don't just give it lip service. So he wrote about cheap grace and cheap faith. When you say it's about faith, it's about faith, which is just a way to say like, I don't need to do anything. I can just sit on my hands. I'm gonna have my quiet time. Where's my highlighter? Where's my cup of coffee in the mug with a scripture verse on it? Because I don't really care about black people. I'll put the the black, you know, Lives Matter thing on my Facebook thing. I'll just, I'll just do whatever i i care, but I don't want to actually talk about the issues about how critical race theory is destroying black communities. I don't want to bring that up because I'm white. And you know, somebody might look at me funny. I don't want to talk about trans Gender because somebody might look at me funny, I have a neighbor who has a daughter who's got I don't want to offend them, folks, if you love the people for whom Jesus died, and if you trust that he defeated death on the cross, He will speak about these things, you will do what you can. We're not all called to be political activists. But the idea that Christian leaders particularly are misleading their flocks into silence is exactly out of the playbook of Bonhoeffer and the Nazis. It is exactly the same thing. The Lord is looking to his church now to stand against these evils. And if the church doesn't stand against these evils, trust me when I tell you, the Lord will blame the church. He is looking to his people, because his people are the ones who dare to claim, we believe he defeated death on the cross, we believe he rose from the grave, we're free. While the Lord says, Okay, if you believe that, you will live as though you believe that you can't just say you believe it. Because faith without works is dead is from the Scripture. And it's a warning to us. So we say, well, yeah, I believe, what do you believe, Oh, go to go to my church's website, there's a statement of faith. That's what I believe. That's called a fig leaf. You're not fooling anybody. If you're not living that out self sacrificially, the Lord can see, and the devil can see, and your neighbors can see, and your friends can see that. You're just talking, you don't really believe it. And the Lord will judge you on what you believe. Your real faith will save you. Your fake faith will not fool anyone and will not save you. So we have an opportunity to live out our faith in an extraordinary moment right now. And I believe the Lord has allowed these satanic things to happen in the last few years to wake up his people. And I believe largely as a result of heroes, like Rob McCoy, and other pastors that dare to invite me to their pulpits that we have hope. And there are people watching online or like they used to go to that, you know, dead Lutheran Church or wherever they used to go, and they don't go there anymore. Well, I do want to say to you, I hope some of you can think of a pastor who might be reached by my book, because they're out there, they need bucking up, they need to hear what we're hearing here. They need to know that maybe I got this wrong. Maybe I can repent, maybe I can be part of what God is doing today. I often think I know I write about it in the book that the idea of, let's say, somebody, you know, strings, a high wire across Niagara Falls and says, you know, to the crowd, does anybody believe that can walk across that? Maybe he's like, yes, yes, we believe that we believe it. And he pulls out a wheelbarrow, anybody believe I can? I can push the wheelbarrow across the crowd? You know, we'd also Yeah, absolutely. Go Go for it. And he but I believe I can I can push the window with a heavy load in it. Absolutely. Go ahead. And he's like you, sir, you believe I can do it? Yes. Get in the wheelbarrow. It's easy to say I believe. If you really believe you will live it out. God can see whether you really believe by how you behave. And we haven't heard this a lot in the American church or the American church we talked about, it's about faith. It's about faith. It's about faith. Well, I'm here to tell you, that's not scriptural, folks. Okay, if your faith is real, you're saved by your real faith. But if your faith is cheap faith, or the grace you believe in is cheap. Grace. Bonhoeffer wrote about that in cost of discipleship, cheap grace is not grace. If you understood what Jesus did to die for you, because He loves you, it transforms your life and the Lord is inviting us to live into that faith. He's saying, I want to see you get in the wheelbarrow, I want you to trust me, or to put me to the test and say, Okay, Lord, I'm gonna give up my job. I'm not going to get the vaccine, I'm gonna do whatever you call me to do, because I know that if you are who you say you are, you can get me another job. You can take care of my family, you love me. Now, I don't mean put the Lord to the test the way the Scripture says, Don't put the Lord your God to the test. But I'm saying that the Lord expects us to depend on him to lean on him to trust Him with our future. So for pastors who are worried about losing the congregation, who called you to that pulpit in the first place, was that a job that you you wriggled your way to get? Or did the Lord call you to that pulpit? Who put the people in the pew to hear what God was saying through you? Which was that you and your wisdom and your sophistry, or did the Lord do that if the Lord did that, when you speak what he calls you? to speak, he will fill your church. And if he doesn't fill your church we're supposed to trust the Lord with everything. And again, just to repeat, he defeated death on the cross. So if somebody says, Well, you know, if you don't tow the line will kill you. You know your response, if you believe, actually believe would be Haha, you can't kill me He defeated death on the cross, I will never die. We're supposed to know a lot of people kind of say, well, I hope I hope it's true. If you hope it's true, I rebuke you. You need to know the Lord wants you if you want to know what is His Will it is his will that you know that he defeated death, that you know that nothing more wonderful could ever happen to you than you would see him face to face. Now, today, tomorrow, whenever he calls you, there can be nothing greater than that we have been so coddled and blessed in America, that we kind of think Well, now it's kind of okay here. I'm not ready for that yet. I get that folks. But we need to live in that kind of faith, the kind of faith that says there is nothing more glorious than the reality of eternal life with Him. And by the way, he gives us an opportunity to start living at life. Now. If by faith were seated with Him in heavenly places, now, while we're still here, and if he hasn't translated you in the glory, it means he has a job for you here and now to live that kind of faith here and now. And that is the heroic call to which God calls his church will we hear his cry to his church, some are waking up, you know, there's a remnant by God's grace, because of churches like this and others, a remnant that is waking up in there plenty people that haven't been to churches for years, that when they see this kind of muscular Christianity, they go, you know, I can get behind that kind of Christianity. They're not afraid of speaking truth. It's not namby pamby kind of emasculated pseudo gospel, it seems real to me, those people seem to understand we're dealing with evil, we're in a spiritual war. And there's something there's something attractive about that, folks, that leads to revival. If you care about evangelism, it's not about keeping your mouth shut on hot topics. It's about opening your mouth on those hot topics and delivering the heart of God on those hot topics, and seeing how people say, finally, where have you been? Where have you been all these years? It says in the scripture, there's a parable, you know, the parable of the talents, right? I think it's a parable for us today. There's also a chapter in the book on the parable of the talents, because it's so counterintuitive. The idea is that this master has some servants, right. And these are not like, you know, they're not sweeping up around the house kind of servants. These are like major people in his kingdom or in his world. And he entrusted each of them with a ton of money, a talent is a ton of money, right? He says, I'm going on a long trip. So here, you get, you know, 1.1 million, and you get 700,000. And you get a 200,000. And I'll be back in a year. Now, if you love your master, he say, Well, I'm going to do unto him as he would do unto as I would have others do unto me. So I want to take this money, I know I can make a lot of money. With the money he's given me, I want to bless him. So I'm going to take it, and I'm going to do what I can in the markets to try to increase the money now that comes with risk. You might lose the money. But if you love your Master, you're like, Well, I'm going to try if it was my money, I would try. So I'm going to try, I'm gonna go out there do what I can do. So the one with five towns, the one with three towns, they, they tried to do something with it, and they're successful. But the one who has been given one talent, basically, in his mind, he's thinking, You know what? I don't like my master. I think he's a bum. I don't really want to stick my neck out for him. And by the way, I think if I lose the money, if I try to do some of them lose it, he's just gonna whack me because he's just, he's just a religious killjoy. He's just looking for me to make a mistake. He doesn't love me. Now, this is the question, what God do we worship? We worship the God that looks at our heart and wants to see us go for it. And even if we screw up, he says, I love you I see your heart, or are we religious? And are we playing it safe and saying it's all about staying out of trouble? It's about not saying anything wrong. Don't tweet anything unkind at 3am because that's really the ultimate judge of a man's character. Not if he's a warrior for truth, or for the unborn or for the nation, or against Marxist tyranny. We don't we, you know, we don't care about that. If you are worshipping the God that is just looking for you to make a little mistake, you're actually worshipping the devil I hate to tell you because that's who the devil is. The God of the Bible is like Aslan, in the Narnia Chronicles. He's wild. He's not tame. But he is good. And when we think about the goodness of God, we're not talking about a safe goodness, he's not sweet. He's not a kitty cat. He's Aslan, the lion, of the tribe of Judah. And he calls us to the battle, and he loves us. But there are many Christians who they don't know that God, they're worried about saying the wrong thing about being a little too, in politic about being perceived funny, so they're careful. And we have a lot of pastors that they're careful. They're being religious, they don't understand God calls us to a wildness to a battle, for his sake, to speak for those who have no voice. The church is the conscience of the state. And if the church is silent, when these evil things are happening, folks, do you not think the Lord will judge his church who has no excuse? I'm here to remind you, that's what happened in Germany. In Germany, they were quiet, and quiet and quiet. And by time some of them woke up. It was too late. I believe the Lord gave us the story of Bonhoeffer. And the example of what happened to that great nation that had the incredibly powerful church, culturally speaking, they had the power to stand against the Nazis. And they said, Not yet. Not yet. I'm not ready to get political, let the other let the hotheads, bring it up, let them go to jail, let Simone gold, go to jail, I don't care. Let them take the heat. I'm just gonna stand here and wait till it all blows over. Folks. That's not That's not the Lord. That's not the Lord, we need to understand. The Lord calls us to live out our faith, with our whole being and to show him by our actions that we know him, we love Him, we trust him. And we want to live for him. With everything we have, I am convinced that if a holy remnant is awakened, which I see happening by God's grace, and there are many, many, many others, still asleep, or beginning to wonder, beginning to look around and think are things bad enough now that I maybe I should speak up, maybe I should talk about politics, maybe the satanic Marxist atheists taking over America, maybe what they're doing is going to harm all kinds of people. And God is going to say, what did you do to the least of these? Did you speak up against it? Or did you just say, well, that's not my business, Lord, I want to stay in my religious lane. The Lord doesn't call you to stay in your religious lane. There's no such thing. The enemy calls you to stay in your religious line. I just have to say that we are. Again, we're in a season, where we talk a lot about theology, we talk a lot about faith. The Lord tells us again, and again and again in various ways. But through that scripture, Faith without works is dead. We are called to live out our faith, self sacrificially. And a lot of times in the evangelical church, we forget about character, right? We say Do you believe you believe you believe Okay, well, you're a bum, you cheat your business people and you're, you're kind of like, you would cheat on your wife if you had the chance and you were to, but But you believe so you're saved by grace. That's really not biblical folks. The Lord says, He cares what you do. You might be saved by grace and by faith, but then he looks at your life and says, Okay, now you get it. Are you ready to live for me between now and when I see you face to face? Are you ready to give it all? That's why I died on the cross for you. That's why I rose from the dead, to enable you to live out your faith utterly for such a time as this and you will see things glorious things happen. What are the last scriptures in the Bible, it might be the second scripture in Revelation it says, He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be my son. He who overcomes but the cowardly. The cowardly, can you imagine the Lord is saying, I've given you enough of my life and my son in my word. To let you know that you have no excuse in being cowardly. A lot of people say well, I'm just cowardly by nature will look says no, no. It's like saying you're an adulterer by nature. You're well, let me tell you something I have come to give you the ability to live your life in the right way. And the first thing that he says, the cowardly, we are called to courage. It's not extra credit Christianity. We are called to heroism and courage. And Revelation 21. Seven says, but the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable murderer is sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. That's unbelievable, folks. The Lord is begging us to take him at his word. He is begging us to live courageously in the moment to stop pretending somebody told you you're only supposed to speak on gospel related issues. Truth is a gospel related issue. If the Church will arise now, and live this way, you will inspire untold people to do the same thing. If you will live this way, you will inspire people who don't know Jesus to want to know Jesus because they're dying to know, where do you get that courage from? Are you crazy? Or is it true? What they say? This is I believe in opportunity for the church. I don't know which way it's gonna go. But I don't believe the Lord called me to write this book. And I believe he called pastors like Rick and Rob and so many others to stand at this time for nothing. I believe God has a plan for this nation, to reach the whole world with his gospel. And there's nothing more extraordinary. There's nothing more extraordinary than that we would get to be a part of that. And we would get to share this with others and that the Lord would use us in bringing reformation so that the world would not talk about believing in Jesus, but would live out that faith in Jesus so that it would be so attractive that millions and millions and millions and millions would get saved if you care about evangelism. Live your faith. God bless you.    

Join Aaron Fruh and Dr. Susannah Heschel in a discussion about how German Christians de-Judaized Jesus and the Bible during the Nazi era.

Julia Fisher talks to Alon Grimberg - Alon is a German Christian married to an Israeli Arab called Rajaa', Alon and Rajaa's heart is to work with children and young people in Israel bringing Jewish and Arab youth together. They have been working in this field of reconciliation for many years and although it's not easy, they are determined to continue as Alon explains. Our aim is to build bridges... To build bridges of understanding and support, in a spirit of reconciliation, between believers (both Jewish and Arab) in the Holy Land (Israel and the Palestinian Areas) and Christians worldwide. olivetreefund.org

Billy Gene offends German Christians on Easter. www.underbillyswing.com Work directly with Billy for 16 weeks and have him certify you as an Advertising Geneius! Click the link above and apply.

Your Stupid Minds opens 2022 by covering Twitter's latest punching bag: a Christian film where a group of German Christian youth start a religious movement in an oppressive dystopian society by spray painting Jesus fish on trees and mailing people DVDs. It's 2025 - The World enslaved by a Virus (2021). Taken directly from the description: "It's 2025, The world as we have known in 2020 does not exist anymore. The Virus changed the world, and communism is all over the place. A global world language developed, meetings are illegal, traveling is illegal, and Christianity is illegal. A group of Christians is trying to fight back." Roy (writer and director Joshua Wesely) is a young(ish) man trying to be Christian in a world where it's banned. He and his sister Hannah (Antonia Joy Speer) spray Jesus fish around the place until Hannah is shot by one of the government's goons. They eventually ban together with an ex-Marine, a hacker, and a woman on the inside named Leila (played by Wesely's now-wife) to spread the gospel and keep out of reach of the authorities. This description sounds a lot cooler than what is actually in the film. The reality of what's presented is a muddy, sloppy, half-written mess of meandering scenes, a surprising lack of conflict, sub-iMovie special effects, and ear-bleedingly bad Christian rock songs played in their entirety. Due to the recent heat from this film and the suspicious and unconfirmed age difference between Wesely and his now wife, both of their Instagram accounts are currently set to private. We'll go into more detail about that in the episode.

In this salon hang, there is a cross at the center and then there's three photographs around it of different landscapes. All of the landscapes are significant to the representation of the cross. When Australia was colonized by the British, they set up a series of missions all across Australia, and they were generally run by British or German Christians. Their sole objective was to remove Aboriginal people off the land, teach them English, and teach them Christian ways so that then they could become servants for white owners of the land. Basically, the missionaries played a very significant role in the shaping of colonial Australia and Aboriginal lives for the last 150 years. The church for us has been a very destructive force, and its been bittersweet sometimes in the case of Kaurna in Adelaide. We had a place called Pirltawardli where they recorded Kaurna language, almost 4,000 words, by the German missionaries. But at the same time they then started a thing called the Stolen Generation where they removed children away from their parents and they took them 700 kilometres away from Adelaide to a place called Port Lincoln on the other side of the gulf. The children were then just brought up in English language and Christianity. This has had a knock-on effect where we've had to spend the last 50 years since racial segregation ended picking up the pieces of the damage of colonization. So we've had to relearn language and learn our ways and reconnect with them. And some people managed to hold on to some things in missions, but it was really determined on how strict a mission was. Some missionaries allowed language to be taught. But in the case of Point Pearce where the majority of Kaurna people were taken there was a strict no language rule. Missions were quite destructive in our history. To me, the places around them are relevant to sites of missions. That you see to your right, is an area called Lake Condah, which was set up in Western Victoria at a place where the Gunditjmara were taken, and also other Koori, Victorian Aboriginal people, were taken to that site. There was a lot of displacement, moving people around so that they didn't have connections to their relatives. The missions were really really horrible places for the Aboriginal people.

Showing Gentleness and Humility towards those who believe differently. Bible Study with Jairus – Acts 21   One of the ways the Holy Spirit speaks to us is by highlighting. Whether we're reading the Bible or using prophetic gifts to prophesy, the Holy Spirit often points out something important that we should pay attention to. This is called highlighting.   For example, when a person with prophetic gifts is getting ready to prophesy, they often start “people-watching” to see which people in the meeting catch their attention in a special way. When one person jumps out at them, they ask the Holy Spirit what he wants to say to that person. Often, the Holy Spirit uses the prophet to speak specifically to that person that he highlighted—just like the prophet expected.   In traditional churches, many people use the word “inspire” rather than “highlight.” For example, people may say, “God inspired me to read a certain verse,” or “He inspired me to call someone.” Both “inspiration” and “highlighting” describe ways the Holy Spirit speaks to us.   For example, when you read a chapter of the Bible, you may suddenly notice a verse you never paid attention to before. Or perhaps you had read the verse many times, but you never thought about all its potential meanings. But today, you glean more meaning out of it than you ever had before. You need to pay special attention to this verse; you can be sure the Holy Spirit wants to speak to you.   When a particular verse jumps out at you, you need to learn to be quiet and listen to God's voice. In the book of Samuel, God tells a story of young Samuel, who heard God calling him during the night. He thought it was his guardian, Eli, who was calling him. Because he didn't know how to distinguish God's voice, he missed the message God was trying to send. But Eli instructed him that the next time he heard God calling, he should say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening" (NIV, 1 Samuel 3:9). After old Eli taught him how to discern God's voice, Samuel began to learn to communicate with God. We must learn to pay attention to the way the Holy Spirit speaks to us while we read the Bible and fellowship with the Lord. Otherwise, we may miss His message, as Samuel did at first.     Be gentle towards those who are different The main story told in Acts 21 is about the trials Paul encountered in Jerusalem. As we've learned in previous Bible studies, Jesus stood by Paul and gave him strength, telling him that he must testify in Rome as he did in Jerusalem. Paul's friends and acquaintances prophesied that Paul would be bound in Jerusalem. Through these prophetic voices, the Holy Spirit tried to persuade Paul not to go to Jerusalem. When Paul decided to go anyway, the Lord stood by him and gave him strength. We have already discussed in detail the spiritual significance of these seemingly contradictory facts, so we will not repeat this theme here.   In today's reading of Acts 21, I feel that the Holy Spirit is especially highlighting a verse to me, which is, Acts 21:21: “They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs.” (NIV)   Paul had gone to see James and the elders in Jerusalem and shared what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. When these elders heard it, they glorified God. Then they said to Paul, "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law" (NIV, Acts 21:20). This verse provides the context for verse 21, the verse the Holy Spirit is bringing to our attention. The Holy Spirit not only highlighted verse 21, but he also emphasized a few words in particular: "teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses." The highlight in these words is "Jews who live among the Gentiles.”   In other words, one of the main reasons for this uproar in Jerusalem was the concern of the Jewish elders (the “they” in verse 21). Tens of thousands of Jews who were zealous for the law had heard rumors that Paul was teaching the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses. They felt that what Paul was doing went against their interests, which caused this uproar.   When I read this verse, the Holy Spirit showed me that the Jews may not have been concerned that Paul taught the Gentiles themselves to turn away from Moses and abandon circumcision and Jewish customs. Their main concern was the rumor that said that the Jews who lived with the Gentiles were being taught to turn away as well.   According to the general logic of Christians, Paul did not do anything wrong here when he was preaching that “neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation” (NIV, Galatians 6:15). Paul had already said he regards everything as garbage because of knowing Christ (NIV, Philippians 3:8). Naturally, he regards "circumcision," "customs," and even "Moses" as garbage. I don't think Paul is wrong, and I don't believe the Holy Spirit is blaming Paul for the way he taught. But I think the Holy Spirit is encouraging us to be gentle with people who are different from us, or who have not yet recognized the truths that we've already realized. Let me explain.     We should treat others with love and inclusiveness, even if their beliefs seem like garbage to us. When we speak to them with gentleness, we show respect to them and their journey. What we see as garbage, others may regard as a treasure; and what we see as treasure, others may regard as garbage. When we treat a certain concept as garbage, and impose this view on others who value that concept as a treasure, it may harm the other person and cause conflicts between us. For example, many Chinese Christians believe that the people who have blind faith in Buddhism are idolaters and are completely "garbage." Because I am Chinese and there are many people in China who worship Buddha (including my mother, who worshiped Buddha for many years), this attitude may be hurtful to my unbelieving friends. I don't think there is anything wrong with the concept itself; compared to Christ, worshiping Buddha is indeed garbage. But I've observed that people who try to preach the gospel to Buddhists, while simultaneously proclaiming that their beliefs are garbage, do not have good results.   Similarly, my denomination's prized Bible truths may seem like "garbage" to another Christian group. Let me give two extreme examples. When I used to take the train to Washington, I would often see Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons. One day, I met a zealous Filipino Jehovah's Witness on the train. We debated on the way to our destination. He told me that Christ is not God, but that he is just a human prophet. The man gave me a lot of examples from the Bible, trying to prove that Jesus is not God.   For me as a Christian, acknowledging Jesus is God and is the son of God is a basic prerequisite. A preacher in my former church said that one day, some people came knocking at his door. When he saw that they were Jehovah's Witnesses, he said to them, "Jesus is Lord" and closed the door. He also taught us that we must reject people like Jehovah's Witnesses because the Bible says, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work” (NIV, 2 John 1:10-11). I accepted this teaching, so I treated Jehovah's Witnesses quite coldly. But then I began to be introduced to a different way of treating Jehovah's witnesses. This is not to say that what the Jehovah's Witnesses are preaching is correct. Rather, we are saying that Jehovah's Witnesses are like the Samaritans in Jesus' time.   As you may know, the Samaritans were not considered orthodox by the Jews. Samaria was the capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel (which was later destroyed). People there worshiped the golden calf and deviated from the true worship of God. Jews despised the Samaritans because of their heretical beliefs.   Because of this, Jesus' response to the Samaritans might surprise you. John 4 records that when the Lord Jesus came to the well and met a Samaritan woman, He approached her with compassion and openness. Not only were the disciples surprised, but even the Samaritan woman was surprised. She said to the Lord, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink? (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans)” (NIV, John 4:9).   Later, she even asked questions about theology: "Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem" (NIV, John 4:20). In previous lessons, we learned that the Northern Kingdom of Israel sinfully worshiped the golden calf. The mountain the Samaritan woman is referring to is not Jerusalem; likely, she is referring to the place where the Northern Kingdom worshiped the golden calf. The Lord Jesus explained, "Woman, believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem" (NIV, John 4:21).   Jesus not only challenged the theology of the Samaritan woman, but he also challenged the theology of the orthodox Jews. The theology of the Samaritan woman was undoubtedly wrong, but Jewish theology needed to be renewed as well. Later, we'll see that one of the reasons the Jews could not accept the Lord Jesus was that He challenged their existing theology. For now, let's consider how to imitate the attitude of the Lord Jesus towards the Samaritans. The Jews considered the Samaritan woman to be a heretic, just like most orthodox Christians consider Jehovah's Witnesses to be heretics. But the Lord's attitude towards the Samaritans was not one of rudeness. He did not reject them brusquely and close the door. After I understood this truth, I slowly changed my attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses.   I often take the train to Washington, D.C. Every day, rain or shine, I see Jehovah's Witnesses outside preaching. Although almost no one pays attention to them, I am still quite moved when I see them standing there. They are more hard-working than any other Christian group I have seen. Now, whenever I see them, I give them a friendly smile. I know I cannot change their beliefs or theology. But at the same time, I have heard many prophecies that predict that the next move of the Holy Spirit will convert many Jehovah's Witnesses to Christ.   Another time, a young man with a name badge pulled me aside at the entrance of a subway station. He told me that according to the Bible, humankind has fallen into sin and failure. Through the ages, God has sent prophets like Moses to save us. These facts were not wrong.   But then he began to say that God had sent John Smith to carry out the same work. At this point, I couldn't bear to listen anymore. Based on the truth, I certainly could not accept his statement. But even though I reject his theology, I should respect and love him as a person. God loves all people, even Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. Throughout Christian history, we've failed to show love and grace to so-called heretics; we fail to treat them with the dignity they deserve as fellow image-bearers of God.   I cited these two extreme examples to illustrate that all people deserve to be loved—even those who are universally recognized by orthodox Christians as heretics. We should learn to respond the way Jesus responded to the Samaritan woman—with love. Unfortunately, many of the so-called heretics in history have been persecuted. Sometimes, the church persecuted people who later turned out to have true, biblical beliefs.   For example, in church history, the Catholics would not only burn Reformers, but also the Anabaptists. Anabaptists, the predecessors of modern-day Amish and Mennonite Christians, were against infant baptism. Because of this stance, they were considered to be heretics by Catholic and Reformers alike. The Reformers committed many atrocities against the Anabaptists, even drowning them to death. The massacre of Protestants by Catholics is widely known, but the massacre of the Anabaptists by the Reformers is less widely known. This example illustrates that we sometimes make mistakes; those we consider to be heretics may later prove to be orthodox, Bible-believing Christians.   This issue hits close to home for me because I was saved in a branch of the Local Church movement in the United States. Many Chinese Christians believe that the Local Church Movement and Witness Lee are heretics. Not only does the Local Church teach that each town should have only one church, but it also teaches that “Christ is the Spirit” and “God became man so that man might become God.” These teachings are controversial and condemned as heresy. The latter was not just said by Witness Lee, but also by the early church father Athanasius. This issue should be considered to be a theological debate rather than a heresy.   Many Chinese Christians in mainland China are affected by this accusation of heresy. A Chinese Christian was very happy when I preached the gospel to her unbelieving husband. Later, when she learned that I was a member of the Local Church Movement, she told me on the phone that our church was "not good."   In addition, I often used to participate in campus services at a campus of the University of Maryland. I would often invite Chinese Christians from other places, but after a while, I'd notice that they'd stopped coming. It turns out that other Chinese Christian groups were telling them behind our backs that our church is heretical. Christians often work overtime to destroy rival groups behind one another's backs. They claim they are focused on preserving the truth, but sometimes there is also an element of competition.   Christian Research International (who originally called out the Local Church Movement as heretical) published a magazine in 2009, acknowledging that their initial judgment was wrong. They now accept the Local Church Movement as an orthodox evangelical movement. But the damage has been done, and the situation cannot be remedied in one day. Many people still see the Local Church Movement as heretics because of their original article.   God led me to leave the Local Church Movement in 2015 in order to come in contact with churches in the Charismatic movement and to learn the gifts of the Holy Spirit and other teachings of the Charismatic movement. Indeed, I did break with a lot of the ideas and teachings of the Local Church Movement. After learning the teachings and practices of the Charismatic churches and other churches, I no longer agreed with some of the teachings and practices of the Local Church Movement. For example, I found that the Local Church Movement, like other evangelical groups, lacks basic understanding of many of the truths that God has restored through the 100-year history of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movement. But this does not affect my continued adherence to many of the good truths taught by the Local Church Movement. These principles have been of great help to me in my spiritual growth, and they continue to benefit me to this day. I think that some teachings and practices of Local Church Movement would be very beneficial to evangelical Christian groups and Charismatic groups. However, if they are labelled as heretical, many people will be fearful to learn from them. Of course, we also need to distinguish between the truths that are worth learning and those which are not worth discussing.   The point I want to make with these examples is that Christians are often wrong in their judgments and evaluations of other Christian groups. Our understanding of the Bible is often subject to bias.   Breaking away from Bias Going back to the content of this chapter, did the Christians have a bias towards the Jews? Did they interpret Paul's treatment of the converted Jews through a distorted or biased lens? Is there a bias that continues to affect our attitude towards the Jews today?   While studying for my pre-Doctoral program at the United Theological Seminary in the United States, I took "Introduction to the New Testament" for two consecutive terms. During this course, we analyzed the story of Galatians 2. In this chapter, Peter was pretending not to care about the Gentiles and refusing to eat with them.   In my homework for this project, I wrote that the Jews were trying to be justified by the law through the efforts of their own flesh, while Christians were justified by faith. Here, Peter clearly understood that we are relying on God's grace to be justified. But because of fear, he pretended that adherence to Judaism was required for salvation. The Jewish Christians sent by James were overly influenced by Judaism. They pressured Peter because they had not fully broken away from the concept of keeping the law. This is not in line with the teachings of the New Testament.   I did not expect my teacher to disagree with my point of view. She asked me a serious question. She said, “Why did you say that the Jews are all trying to be justified by their own efforts, by keeping the law through the flesh? What is your reason for saying this? Many modern Bible scholars disagree with this idea. You are seriously prejudiced against Jews.”   She said that for Jews, keeping God's law is a way they can please God and live in the grace of God. Just like Old Testament saints kept God's law and pleased God, she believes modern-day Jews can live in God's grace through keeping the law. Her explanation was completely opposite to mine. I explained that my view was justifiable, based on the way I've been taught.   I am instinctively suspicious of modern seminary and modern Bible scholars. Although I was led to a seminary by God, I didn't have a good impression of seminaries. I feel that many seminaries are full of liberals and religious scholars. Many theological dissertations are barely touched or read. They are nearly covered with dust.   Additionally, I have heard that seminaries are a cemetery. Many excellent Christians and pastors never studied at a seminary, yet do an excellent job. After studying at a seminary, however, their spirituality becomes suppressed. Some even become unbelievers.   Because of my suspicion, I couldn't accept my teacher's point of view at first. There were some tensions between us, but I told myself that I should be humble and listen to her logic.   I was also taking two consecutive terms studying Christian history, which taught me how Christians persecuted the Jews after their rise to power. Previously, I knew nothing of this historical persecution. For example, some people developed a theory that since the Jews killed Christ, all Jews were cursed and should be exterminated. Even during the first Crusades, many Jews were annihilated.   What's more, after Martin Luther's reformation, when anti-Semitism was on the rise, most German Christians did not step forward to stop Hitler from using this line of thought to incite hatred against Judaism. Only a few Christian scholars stood up for the Jews.   I began to understand that theological errors among Christians were exploited by the enemy to cause great harm to the Jews. Unbelievers often ask, "Where is God? If there is a God, why did the Jews, God's chosen people, suffer such a massacre?" God did not want the Jews to be massacred; this was done no doubt by the Enemy. But the enemy has taken advantage of our Christian theological errors.   In particular, Christians have misunderstood Matthew 27:25. In this passage, the Jews were preparing to have Christ crucified. Rather than blaming Pilate, the Jews shouted, “‘His blood is on us and on our children'”. Many believe that the Jews were bringing down trouble upon themselves. For this reason, hateful people over the centuries have subjected Jews to a series of punishments and massacres, saying they were meting out the divine punishment the Jews asked for.   Oh my God! In the past, I accepted this teaching as well. As I thought about it, I realized that this view is not in keeping with Jesus' prayer on the cross. Before Jesus died, He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (NIV, Luke 23:34). Were the Jews more evil than other Gentiles, thus making them unworthy of the forgiveness of Jesus? Were the Jews not included in the "they" that Jesus prayed here?   Should we blame God for all the massacres, saying he was punishing the Jews? I do not deny that God sometimes punishes people. But now that Jesus has taken the full wrath of God upon Himself on the cross, we should think seriously before concluding that God is punishing someone. We are no longer in the Old Testament. The hostility and intolerance that Christians have shown towards Jews has furthered Satan's goals of persecuting the Jews.   After understanding this, I pondered over what my teacher had said again. She said that Jews who seek to be justified by the law may not be doing it out of fleshly motivations. Further, Christians living under grace may not be living fully in the faith they profess; they may have adopted a legalistic motivation as they pretend to live only by grace.   She said Jews in the Old Testament were justified by the law, and that Christians often live in the flesh as they try to save themselves by their own efforts. She believes it is more accurate to say that whether Jews keeping the law or Christians relying on faith, both of them have a sincere side that seeks God through the law or faith, and they also have a ritualized and religious side. The key is to see if a person is really keeping the law (or seeking God through faith), or is just pretending. Every Christian denomination contains people who have true faith in God, and others who pretend.   She believes this principle also applies to Jewish groups. In other words, we can't throw out one particular system as completely evil and problematic. Rather, every system can be abused. It's true that many Jews keep the law out of their flesh, but we cannot say with 100% accuracy that every Jew of all times has kept the law out of one hundred percent fleshly motives. In the Old Testament, many diligent law-keepers were accepted by God because of their faith.   I understand what she meant, and I still can't fully figure this problem out. Christian theologians have different understandings about how Israel is saved in the end times. Some say that in the end, Israelites are saved because they were God's chosen people. According to God's covenant, all families of Israel will be saved in due time. Others hold that before the world ends, Israel will experience a great spiritual revival; many Israelites will come to know Jesus Christ and will be saved.   Working together in the Body of Christ The verses I mentioned earlier, which the Holy Spirit highlighted, mention that the elders of Jerusalem were accusing Paul of teaching the Jews who lived among the Gentiles to abolish circumcision. Paul seems to teach that since Christ has come, the Jews don't need to be circumcised. As I mentioned earlier, Paul said, “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation” (NIV, Galatians 6:15). It seems that Paul is against the continued circumcision of the Jews.   But in drawing this conclusion, we may have overlooked other verses. For example, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7:18-20, "Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them." (NIV) Many people believe that Paul is saying this to avoid offending the Jews. But what Paul means here is circumcision or uncircumcision is not important. If a Jew is circumcised and saved, there is no need for him to become uncircumcised. If a Gentile is not circumcised, then he should not be circumcised. Why do I say that the latter statement may refer to the Gentiles? Because the Jews are generally circumcised on the eighth day. They do not wait until they are saved to consider whether or not to be circumcised. So Paul's statement that they don't need to be circumcised is referring to Gentiles.   When Paul mentions becoming uncircumcised, what is he referring to? We know that circumcision refers to cutting off the foreskin. Becoming uncircumcised would mean growing the foreskin back. Anyone who has relevant medical knowledge knows that one can't grow the foreskin back. Only modern skin grafting could replace a lost foreskin, but this wouldn't have been possible in Paul's time.   Why were some of the circumcised Jewish Christians thinking about becoming uncircumcised in the first place? We can suspect that in places where there were many Gentile Christians, the Jews felt the pressure of public opinion "to make the Jews like the Gentiles".   We know that there was pressure placed on Gentiles by Judaizing believers. In churches dominated by Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, the pressure of this public opinion was so great that it led to Peter's pretension in Galatians 2. He used to eat with the Gentiles, but after the people sent by James came, he pretended to not eat with them. Why? Because eating with the Gentiles does not conform to the laws of the Jews. This pressure had led some Jewish Christians to believe that Gentiles should also obey the law and be circumcised. A similar pressure existed in today's chapter. The elders referred to it in Acts 21:10 "Brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law" (NIV).   We all know the pressure of "Judaizing the Gentiles," but we may have not noticed another kind of pressure, which is, "to make the Jews like the Gentiles." Paul may have faced both of these pressures. So when the Jews in Jerusalem accused Paul of "teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses" (NIV, Acts 21: 21), it was not groundless. I personally think that it was not Paul who was teaching the Jews to abandon the law and circumcision. Likely, in the Christian community dominated by the Gentiles, there was an atmosphere that denied all of Jewish tradition and law. As an apostle to the Gentiles, Paul was wrongly accused by the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. In other words, Paul became a scapegoat here.   I personally think that Paul didn't completely condone the Jews who wanted to abandon all their laws and Jewish characteristics to become a complete Gentile. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:20, “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.” (NIV) Paul did not completely deny the Jewish law; he recognized it as a part of Jewish identity. When Paul came to Jerusalem, he brought some people into the temple and paid for them to fulfil their vows. All of these behaviors are in keeping with the rules of the Jewish law.   It is true that Paul opposed the Jewish Christians who tried to impose the law on Gentile believers. We know that Paul did not advocate for Gentiles to be circumcised. But he also refused to allow Gentile Christians to completely annihilate the Jewish characteristics from the Jews in their communities.   In other words, the Jews who lived among the Gentiles did not have to eliminate all of their Jewish characteristics to be pleasing to God. Paul often advocated for the Jews to continue to be faithful to their religious duties.   This discussion will help us understand how to accommodate different opinions within the body of Christ. We need to learn to be gracious to people who are different from us. We don't blindly talk about inclusion for the sake of inclusion. We don't go to the opposite extreme of saying that Christians must embrace all religions, condone homosexuality, or agree that all religions bring us to God.   On the one hand, we Christians should be tolerant towards each other when we have differing understandings of certain passages. On the other hand, we should not accept those who deny basic Christian principles. We should not be inclusive just for the sake of inclusivity. We must maintain a healthy balance of being inclusive without losing our principles. This is the way Christ lived. As we face disputes with other groups of believers, we should contend for the faith but never lose sight of love.   Pastor Bill Johnson said that when God works in a mighty way in the world, the people He uses are often persecuted by the people God used previously. This is absolutely true. Whether we look at Jews persecuting Christians, Christians persecuting the Jews, Catholics persecuting Protestants, Protestants persecuting the Anabaptists, the state church persecuting the Puritans, Evangelicals persecuting the Charismatics, or early Charismatic sects persecuting new Charismatic sects, we see this pattern playing repeatedly. If you study church history, we see that the people used by God in His previous move end up persecuting the people and groups used by God in His next move.   When God's next move comes, will you be the persecutor or the persecuted? Will you be used by God, or will you seek to destroy those whom God is using? Larry Randolph, an American prophet, said that sometimes our posture determines whether or not God brings revival. The distance between revival and lack of revival may be the width of a fishing boat: a few feet. When Peter cast the net on one side, he caught nothing. But when he changed his posture and cast his net on the other side according to the Lord's command, he was able to catch a lot of fish.   If a tornado is coming, and you are in it, you will become very dizzy. You'll think the earth and sky are spinning around. But if you are not in the tornado, you can just stand by and watch, without having the slightest damage. Will you be a member of the new move that will be persecuted and used by God, or will you be a member of the group who is persecuting people used by God in His new move?   A prophet prophesied that when the next revival comes, it may come from a place like Galilee, a place you don't expect God to come from. We must be careful. Many people in history missed God's move because of their prejudices. The Jews missed Jesus because they weren't expecting him to come from such humble circumstances. Many Christians have also missed God's revival. I hope that we can be alert now.   Returning to our passage, I believe that in the end, the early Christians realized that they should not force the Gentiles to become Jews. However, in church history, the pressure of “annihilating Jewish characteristics” still exists. This pressure caused many Christians to misinterpret Paul's attitude towards the Jews. It even caused the tragedy of Christians persecuting and even killing the Jews. I think the way that all Jews will eventually be saved may not be the way we imagine. Let us learn from history to accept the differences of other members of the body of Christ and help each other fulfill God's will.   Each of us must realize that our own personal view only represents one side of the matter. We do not have the vantage point of God, who looks down at His body in a holistic manner. We must be alert to the enemy's temptation to use our narrow-mindedness to reject others and force them to be like us. We must have an inclusive attitude towards other races, cultures and Christian groups. We should learn from, tolerate and accept each other in order to avoid the mistakes made by many Christian groups throughout history.  

Knowing that many of you became listeners over the past year or so, and knowing the intense difficulties many Christians in America are experiencing trying to navigate faith and culture war issues, I wanted to re-air an old series that has been absolutely foundational to just about everything else that gets covered in this podcast. So over the next several weeks, I will be re-airing the "Christ & Culture" series from the summer of 2019. Whether you've been a listener since day one or whether you're brand new to listening to Deep Talks, I strongly encourage you to listen to this series and consider participating in our discussion forums for each episode on Patreon. (See link below) _____________ Did you have to listen to D.C. Talk growing up because your church didn't let you listen to Nirvana? Why do some churches hang gay pride flags in front of their building while other churches preach that homosexuality is a sin? Did the author of John's Gospel do something wrong when he borrowed an idea from Greek philosophy and applied it to Christ? How could German Christians in the 1930s ever become Nazis? Answering these kinds of questions requires us to answer even deeper questions- how should Christians relate to their surrounding culture? Where can Christ be found in culture? Can He be found there at all? Theology of culture is a relatively new theological discipline and if you've never explored it before you might not think it's that big of a deal, but I promise you that it's actually one of the most important areas of theology that you'll ever explore. What you believe about this affects the music and entertainment choices you make, who you'll marry and how you'll raise your kids; it affects your views on science and morality, the church you choose to attend, and even your political perspective. From D.C. Talk to Christian Nazis, we'll explore it all! _____________________________ TAGS: H.R. Niebuhr, H. Richard Niebuhr, Christ and Culture, Christ and Culture Niebuhr, theology and culture, cultural theology, theology podcast, Christian theology podcast, ___________________________________ If you find this podcast to be helpful and you want to see it continue ad-free, would you consider becoming a supporter on Patreon? Members of the Deep Talks Patreon Community receive bonus Q & A Episodes, articles, charts, forum discussions and more. STARTING THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE AN PATREON COMMUNITY GROUP ZOOM HANG-OUT to build relationships with others across the world and to do theology and meaning-making together. Help us reach our first goal of 300 patrons in order to sustain weekly, ad-free theological and philosophical education to anyone with an internet connection! https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast To Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159   Connect with Paul Anleitner on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PaulAnleitner

Today on the Almanac, we go to the mailbag to answer a question about a German Christian community persecuted by the Nazis. #OTD #1517 #churchhistory — SHOW NOTES are available: https://www.1517.org/podcasts/the-christian-history-almanac GIVE BACK: Support the work of 1517 today CONTACT: CHA@1517.org SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Overcast Google Play FOLLOW US: Facebook Twitter Audio production by Christopher Gillespie (gillespie.media).

Bible Study with Jairus- Romans 11 In chapter 11, Paul focuses on how salvation came to the Gentiles because of the Israelites unbelief.  He discussed how God's salvation would come to the Jews again, and all Israel will be saved when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.  A man in our study questioned Romans 11:32, “For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.”  Why did consigning us to disobedience instead become God's mercy? There are many different beliefs about why the Israelites are consigned to disobedience and what God's plan is for them.  There are also many theological controversies about when the full number of Gentiles is and how the Israelites are eventually saved. One of the controversies is whether the Israelites' unbelief results from them living under a curse. Matthew 27:24-25 records that Pilate refused to be involved in Jesus' crucifixion because he did not want the man's blood on him, so he washed his hands and told the Israelites to take care of it.  But the people of Israel answered him, "His blood is on us and on our children!"  So Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified. There has been much controversy over-interpreting the sentence: “His blood is on us and our children.”   Some people believe that the tragic fate of the Jews, including the Holocaust during World War II, was brought about by this curse. In the history of Christianity, some believe that since the Jews crucified Jesus, they should be held accountable for their actions. In the second century, this trend of thought appeared among Christians.  In the 4th century, the famous "St. John Chrysostom" pushed this discourse to a peak.  He said that the Jews murdered Jesus and worshipped the devil.  You can find his book "Saint John Chrysostom: Eight Homilies Against the Jews” on the Internet, which carried out severe attacks on the Jews.  Under his exacerbation, anti-Semitism in Europe began to take root. Martin Luther, who sparked the Reformation, is also an anti-Semitist.  His later work "On the Jews and Their Lies" also expressed serious allegations against the Jews.   He encouraged believers to burn down Jewish synagogues and schools, warn people against them, refuse to let Jews own houses among Christians, take away Jewish religious writings, forbidding rabbis from preaching, and offer no protection to Jews on highways.  He also wanted to prohibit usury, remove all of the Jew's gold and silver, and set it aside for safekeeping.  It was only to be given back to those Jews who truly converted.  Young, strong Jews were to be given a flail, ax, spade, and spindle and let them earn their bread in the sweat of their brow. Generally, Christians do not pay much attention to theology, but theology's impact on us is very significant. You may unknowingly accept certain theological thinking, believe that it is the truth, and practice it in your life.  One day you may find that the erroneous theological thinking you unknowingly accepted may cause you to make some mistakes or be an accomplice of mistakes. Because of Martin Luther's anti-Semitism teachings and anti-Semitic thoughts in European history, Hitler of Germany used this kind of thinking to promote anti-Semitism.  Except for a few Christian people with great insight who were against Hitler and imprisoned or exiled in Nazi Germany, most German Christians played a tacit and conniving role in Hitler's anti-Semitism.  Therefore, in recent years, many theologians have also argued that the mass murder of Jews by the German Nazis is related to erroneous Christian theological teachings. These theologians all reflect that Luther and St. Johns Chrysostom's arguments about the Jews may be wrong. If you think that Matthew 27:24-25 is about the Jews being punished by God because they said that the blood shall be on them and on their children, it does not hold water.  There are two arguments.  The first is that the Lord Jesus prayed on the cross and said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (ESV, Luke 23:34).  This shows that the Lord Jesus has already forgiven them and asked Heavenly Father to forgive them.  The second argument is that the Bible says that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (ESV, Galatians 3:13).  If the Lord has forgiven us and redeemed us from the curse of the law, why didn't He forgive the Jews from the curse?  Aren't the Jews included in this? According to this statement, the Jews were also forgiven and redeemed from the curse.  Therefore, the Jews experiencing so much suffering and mass murder does not mean that God is cursing them.  It may be that Satan had taken advantage of the erroneous Christian teachings and hatred towards the Jews. So if God consigning the Jews to disobedience is not His curse to the Jews, then what is it?  I cited some examples, including personal examples and national examples, to illustrate this problem. First, I cited a personal experience and then my friend's experience.  I was the first Christian in our family to be saved.  I only got saved and believed in the Lord at the age of 27. I naturally sinned before I believed in the Lord.  After I was saved, I lived in two different student dormitories for six consecutive years.  Many of the people who lived with me grew up in Christian families.  I envied them.  They had known the Lord since they were children and hadn't made any major mistakes in life.  They were under God and the churches' protection.  One day we shared our salvation experiences.  I told them about my miraculous experience.  They were shocked especially knowing that I had survived miraculously with just 300 dollars when I first arrived in the United States.  They told me that they envied my experience because I had so much real and vivid experience of God.  Although they had been protected since childhood, they lacked experience. After I was saved, I asked the Lord why He didn't allow me to be born into a Christian family to know Him from a young age and avoid making so many mistakes and taking so many detours in my life.  I didn't realize until much later that God was calling me to help evangelize China.  The Holy Spirit spoke to me and told me about the great revival that would happen in China.  This became a burden that burned in my heart.  A Korean prophet told me that the Holy Spirit was leading every step of my life.  He said that God would use me to teach His truths and preach the Gospel all over China during that great revival.  In a prophetic dream, the Lord appeared to me as a big eagle with colorful wings, training a little eagle to fly.  I heard Him say, “I will train you like a big eagle trains a little eagle.”  If this is true, why did God allow me to experience all I have gone through? I asked the man who questioned Romans 11:32 at the beginning of our study whether he thought being born into a Christian family or an unbelieving family was more conducive to God's plan for my life.  We both felt that it was God's wisdom that I was born in an idol-worshipping family.  The house I grew up in was built on an abandoned Bodhisattva temple.  My family was a lowly peasant family, and I experienced suffering and sin amongst people who didn't know or believe in God. Once I was saved, I understood how terrible sin was and how stubborn idols and evil spirits are.  Perhaps God is preparing me to deal with all of these things when I preach the Gospel in the future.  By experiencing the pain of sin in the world and then being delivered from it through salvation, I realize that there is no darkness in God, and my wholehearted love for Him continues to deepen and mature.  I am also more empathetic toward those compatriots who have suffered as I have.  My friend who later lived in this dormitory and slept in the bunk above me had a very different experience. He said that he was born into a Christian family, but because he didn't have an experiential relationship with the Lord, he went abroad to do business and left the Lord for many years. Later, after retiring, he sold his business and returned to the United States to take care of his mother. He began to go to church with his mother, mainly to accompany her.  Over time as he listened to the sermons, his heart became open and alive to God.  He started serving full-time in the church, fell madly in love with the Lord, and became a good friend and an encouragement to me. Looking at the examples above, people's individual experiences reflect God's wisdom.  Whether we were first consigned to disobedience, or when we consigned ourselves to disobedience for a period of time after salvation, it is all God's wisdom.  The purpose is for us to experience some setbacks and to have a deeper understanding of God's salvation.  God's purpose is not to punish or neglect but to train and help us better experience His love and redemptive grace in a more profound way.  My personal experience has been like that.  The same is true of a country's experience.  I read a story about Hudson Taylor, which left a deep impression on me.  He went to China to preach the Gospel.  A Chinese man was saved, and he asked Hudson how long the British had known about the Gospel.  Hudson told him for hundreds of years.  The Chinese man said his father had sought after the truth all of his life, but no one had told him about Jesus or salvation.  He blamed Hudson for the fact that the British knew about the Gospel for hundreds of years, yet his father left the world not knowing the truth of the Gospel. When Paul was preaching the Gospel in Asia Minor, the Holy Spirit did not allow him to go east or north, nor did he allow him to preach in Asia Minor(Acts 16:6).  Instead, The Holy Spirit gave him a prophetic vision of Macedonia, letting him go west and evangelize Europe.  So, why did God want Paul to evangelize Europe first?  If the Holy Spirit led Paul to preach the Gospel from Asia Minor to the east at that time, wouldn't it be possible for China or Asia to be evangelized?  Why did God allow China to stay in the dark so long without preaching the Gospel to the Chinese people, like the father of the Chinese man who went to his grave without the truth? A viral video circulated on Facebook and other websites showed a group of Chinese people rushing to grab a copy of the Bible being distributed.  The people were very excited and emotional over receiving them. Some kissed the Bible while others held it close to their chests.  Many Christians were astonished by the video, saying that many Christian families in the United States have multiple Bibles in their homes that are not read or cherished like the Chinese people in the video. In fact, these Bibles are often gathering dust on the bookshelf. Many prophetic words say that God will significantly use Chinese people to preach the Gospel in the last days. This could be why God has consigned the Chinese people to disobedience for so many years.  Actually, this is the great wisdom of God.  Because the Chinese people are in the dark experiencing the pain and torture caused by Satan for so long, they will burst into great spiritual power once they know God and are freed from Satan's slavery.  As Napoleon said, the Chinese are the sleeping lions of the East.  Many people in politics often cite this, but it can also be applied to spirituality. The following statement could be prophetic: the spiritual power that the Chinese bring forth after they are released from the darkness could be phenomenal. We aren't saying this because we are Chinese; many western Christians say the same thing.  An American woman that I know said that God revealed a lot of things about China to her.  She has been praying regularly for China.  God told her that the last would be first.  Although China is late in coming to the kingdom of God, He will profoundly use China and its people to preach the Gospel through Central Asia, the Middle East, and then to Israel. When we compare evangelization in Europe and the United States, China lags behind.  China has been consigned to disobedience for a longer time, but this doesn't mean that God doesn't love the Chinese people.  He is sovereign and wise.  Every country has a specific call and development time for the kingdom of God, whether Peter called to evangelize the Jews, Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, or Christians evangelizing the Roman Empire, Spain, Portugal, and later, the United Kingdom and the United States.  The timeline and calling are God's, and even if we don't see Him effectively working in a country, it doesn't mean he loves them less. In Matthew, chapter 20, Jesus told the parable of the workers in the vineyard.  They were all God's workers, some were sent into the vineyard later than others, but all were paid the same.  When I said the last would be first, I wasn't trying to exalt China. Instead, I tried to illustrate that God's grace is priceless and His riches, wisdom, and knowledge have incredible depth.  We are not competing with one another as to who is first in God's kingdom because it's not by our works or effort but by His grace alone that we enter. Similarly, because the Israelites refused to accept Jesus as their Messiah, God temporarily rejected them, but not to just curse or punish them. Instead, He hoped that they would learn to be obedient to the faith through suffering, thereby having a deeper understanding and experience with Him.  The Jews are like Simon the Pharisee in Luke 7 when he condemned the woman, a sinner, who offered the alabaster jar to the Lord.  The Lord's response to him was, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” (ESV, Luke 7:47).  This is a very profound statement. When the Jews or we are consigned to disobedience, it is actually God's mercy that allows us to become like that woman when we know Him and are forgiven one day.  Her sins, which were many, are forgiven--for she loved much. God's plan for us in this life is to experience His love and redemption.  It will take eternity for us to praise God.  If it takes some time on this earth to learn this lesson, it is undoubtedly worth it. If we have been able to express our sincere gratitude and praise to God in all things in this life, it may indicate that we actually know God quite well and have a very subjective experience with Him. This principle applies to the Gentiles and also to the Jews. Therefore, Paul exclaimed at the end of Romans 11: 11:33 (ESV) “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 11:34 (ESV) “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 11:35 (ESV) “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 11:36 (ESV) For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” Paul really knew God's riches, wisdom, and knowledge! He was full of praise for God's plans for the Israelites! How unsearchable are God's judgments and how inscrutable His ways! For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. We can only imagine what it will be like for the Jews once their time of discipline and consignment to disobedience is over.  They will praise and be grateful for coming into the full knowledge and truth of Jesus Christ.  We are bound by time, but God is not.  He is beyond time restraint.  We must view this from eternity's perspective.  It is not about when we get into the vineyard, but it is about the bountiful grace of God being extended to anyone who enters the vineyard.  In a sense, it does not matter that much WHEN you get into the vineyard.  People are anxious because their mindset is still on the WHEN. Sometimes, our loved ones face the same situation, especially in the United States.  Many children from Christian families have wandered far away from God, even taking drugs and committing sins.  Why does God allow these things to happen?  On the one hand, it is their own choice.  On the other hand, God consigned them to disobedience for some time to have mercy on them.  Don't give up hope.  Know the depth of the richness, wisdom, and knowledge of God!  May we praise Him; May His mercy come to them when the time is up.  Temporary rejection or discipline is not permanent rejection or punishment, but God's wisdom!  May we rest in the Lord!    

You can connect with Rick at:https://www.ricknorrismusic.net/His Books are available at:Restoration Preparing for His Fullness   https://amzn.to/3k1GwvCWhen Heaven Speaks Out Loud   https://amzn.to/3k1pj5v This is a continuation of the restoration series. And today we're going to be talking with Rick Norris, about two trees in the garden. Now, I had read a book by Rick Joyner, it was called there were two trees in the garden. I mentioned that to Rick and it kind of sparked a conversation that we sat down and recorded. And so one to read something out of the book, though, I thought was very telling and actually, Rick Norris, my good friend, we'll go into that a little more as we talk but talks about.Bonhoeffer said at one point is, is what was said of the righteous Abel, Cain and Abel can now be said, A Bonhoeffer though he is dead, he still speaks his life continues to challenge true believers to rise up and boldly stand against the darkness of their time. Now it may seem clear that the Germans churches, superficial understanding of redemption, opened the door to this terrible deception, meaning, we're talking about the tree of good and evil. The good that is of man will never redeem him from the evil that is in him, it is still from the same tree, its poison will result will always result in death. The system which appeared so good to the German Christians shocked the civilized world with its evil deeds, but its nature had actually not changed.The good in man is just the other face of the evil in man, Satan is capable of using either good or evil as a tool to bring about his purposes. So when we eat of the tree of good and evil, we see what that can produce. So the question is, are we eating from the tree of life? And if we are, what does that look like? So I hope you enjoy the conversation we have this is part one of part two. And so if you like it, shoot me an email at remnant revolution610@gmail.com. So I hope you enjoy it. And thanks for listening. We were talking the other day, and the trees in the garden came up and I thought I'd make a great segment. And the first tree that we have is what? Well, the first tree is the tree of life. And that of course is the lord. And any really what seemed to be a tree of death, which is that cross was the tree of life in it. I'm speaking metaphorically Now, of course, the other tree is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And years ago, many years ago now, by some standards, Rick Joyner wrote a book called to trees in the garden. And he points out what I'm going to share. And it's I don't know why that book set for 10 years, he wrote it, like in the 80s, I think late 80s. And, and it sat for like, a decade. And then when it was time, the Lord does bone that thing took off and, and Rick was an airline pilot, commercial airline pilot, he just well heard me want to use this, you know, as he should lay things at his feet. See what he wants to do with it like we're doing here now. But um, so the bottom line is, he wrote the book, and he puts it better than I can. But it's a very important thing for us to be prepared to understand these two things, these two trees. The premise of that whole teaching, not just Rick's but in general, is that the two trees the first tree, the tree of knowledge of good and evil, of course, in the garden, the Lord said don't eat of it. It's poisoned. It'll kill you, basically, with what he was saying. And the reason it's poison is that the good of the tree is one with Life in the tree and that the knowledge is one. The good and the evil are one. And to give you an idea how one they are the sap in a tree, the root system, there's only one root system in any tree. And it's and so whatever's in the tree, genetically, is, in fact, one. So the good is evil as the evil and the evil can look really good. And the best way Yeah, and the best way to depict that the best way to make people understand the importance of that is that it what is the most? How good can the good of the evil tree, the tree, the tree of knowledge of good and evil? How good can I get? How good can it be? If it's good enough, by worldly standards day, and you know, the day to day life standard? It can we can take it hook line and sinker as being from God. it's inconceivable for us say that again? Well, best way to say it is, and this is hard for people to receive if Mother Teresa, I mean, you think what's the goodest thing that you could run into on the planet? Goodness, the good, the good thing that you can think of, for lack of a better way of saying it is, what comes to mind for me is Mother Teresa. You know, and I don't know whose mother she is not mine. Like I would say, but anyway, so I give her that anybody that spends 80 years in the gutters of Calcutta, right, with the poor, helping the poor, and helping them the terminally ill and the socially rejected and, you know, there's that's love and love covers a multitude of sins. So there's that. But putting that aside for the depiction of what, what I'm trying to say? What if a God never led her to do what she did? What if, you know, there's many it says in the word to as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the children of God. Right? He put it that way. It's like on top like a stipulation. Put the emphasis on day, right? We say, do many led by the Spirit of God, the children got to Scripture, it's the truth. Well, what if you say, to as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the children of God? Oh, yeah. That's kind of student everybody else? Oh, well, maybe you know, and I don't know where to draw that line. I'm not trying to be inordinately harsh for the sake of also Terek esoteric austerity, right? I don't know what that meant. But it sounded sounded. Still can't spell illiterate after all that study. But anyway, so. So if God never led her to do that, and she did it out of just youthful zeal, and, you know, love for other kids, and a pure heart and everything, but she went out there and she was gonna do something, you know because she loved God. And she had an experience with the Lord and whatever. And she went out and did what she did. But he never led her to do it. And he had a whole nother it says, he has a destiny for us that he chose before the foundation of the world. Right. So if he had a destiny for her, maybe he wanted to be a Sunday school teacher, maybe he wanted her to be a teacher, or something else. So he might have had a destiny for her completely different than what she ended up doing. And so that good that she did, in that context, you know, would be evil when it see we have no concept of that. That's like we go. How could anything like that be evil, and that's where you get into love covers a multitude of sins, but even that's the grace of God. You know, it's  about being intimate with the Lord. That's what this is all about. We have entered a season on the planet where we have to be Very, very intimate, very, very close to the Lord. That's the bottom line, everything else is secondary. We're not going to fulfill our destiny, we're going to go and do good stuff. Right? For not careful. And the only way to be able to discern what is God and what is good, you know, we like take one of the O's out and capitalize the G and put it on what we're doing. Right. All right. Well, you know, the Lord helped me build this ministry know, you built it by manipulation, you know, people that that's what you want to say, let me put it this way. years ago, I got this thing from the Lord. And he said, you know, 90% of what I mean, the revelation you get from this revelation of the two trees, is that 90% this is what I got early on, years ago. 90% of what's built in the name of Jesus Christ, He never commissioned. That's, that's insane. That percentage, and when I got it, I went now that's got to be me. That's I'm tripping. I must be, I must think a little higher, higher myself than I thought. Do you think that and I watched myself real close. I was almost felt guilty for thinking, who do I think I am? Anyway. Alright, so. And then, a few years later, Rick Joyner, again, said the exact same as reading one of his things early on, I think it was the harvest. He's written some wonderful literature. Most of its some of its didactic tutorial, teaching prophetic teaching, but a lot of it is analogous metaphorical, that kind of thing. Anyway. He's he said that exact thing in his book is 90% of what's built today in the name of Jesus, and I didn't talk to him. All right, yeah. God never commission. And they went, you know, cuz I respect the man. And I, yeah, I said, Well, maybe I'm not crazy grant are puffed up. And so then, about 10 years later, another author, John Eldridge, who I take issue on some things we could talk about that sometime. But the good author wrote the very same thing, independent, both of us 90% out of the mouth, and two or three witnesses, the thing is to establish with the words. So think of that for a minute, wait a minute, well, how could that happen? How could you have 90%? of everything gets built in the name of Jesus, he never commissioned? How could that happen? Well, the reason is, is because we lost, this is may seem like a rabbit trail. But this is, this is important. I'm sorry.Well, if you if you look at that, and you're thinking, well, then is all this stuff. Bad? Like what we're doing right here, I'm stepping out and creating this, you know, session of talking about things. You know, God didn't send an angel or, I mean, I felt it in most my spirit to do this, you know, does it? How does somebody rationalize? Well, maybe I'm not doing what actually God said to do, which is what you're saying? Yeah. Like, how do we? How do you know what the 10% is? And maybe you can get to the answer as to Is it that bad if we are doing? I don't know if I'm getting questions out, like,Well, no, I get it. And yeah, you may play and the question is, it puts the simply the question is, how do you know the difference? Between the zeal and desire to do something, and being led to do something? Well, I know you and I, we've had hours of discussions on this kind of thing. And I know your heart, he knows your heart. And every time you try to walk away from this, it just come back. It's right in your face to do it. Right. And there's a difference between what you're doing and what, how we got in this condition.The reason we got in this condition is because we haven't been intimate with Jesus. Now, I say we because we've all nobody has arrived. You know, this all can sound very condescending. on my part, right, who do I think I am again? anyway? You know, how are you the 10%? Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. So and but intimacy is the answer. And what we do is we, if even if we're landed, do something, let's say you're in the 10%, that that is led by the Spirit of the Lord. What happens is you go out, you do the thing, you get gone, you get some friends, and everybody gets going, and you're doing, it's going, Yeah, and the thing gets going, and it perpetuates itself. And then you start to worship the ministry of the Lord rather than the Lord of the minister. And so even that can go sell spiritually and look really good. You know, I love Mario Marella. What he says he, we make it all about big-screen skinny jeans and fog machines, right? We left first-century Christianity A long time ago. Right? But so how did we get in this condition? There are other factors. And this is the main one in my book,Restoration, Preparing for His Fullness, That book is the first book I wrote, is about a great deal of this covers in great detail how we got in this condition and how to get out and what to do to, you know, clean things up and get the bride ready. We have to get ready, man, we're on the cusp, but everybody's feeling it. Everybody knows that even the world Lynx, even unbelievers are going wow, that weird stuff though, all those Christians are talking about happening. What do we do now, you know, like I said in one of my other videos, but how we got here is until the biggest temptation to church ever faced, right? The Church at large over history. in history, the greatest temptation that church ever came up against was being legitimized. And by the time Constantine came as the emperor of Rome, Christianity had pretty much the, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was so powerful miracles, they were still raising the dead into the fourth century. People don't realize that. I mean, small remnants, by the fourth century, they were pretty much getting, you know, the church, which became the Vatican was wiping that out as fast as they could, because they had a plan. Talk about not the good of the tree. But anyway, so. But the point is, at the end of the second century, beginning of the third,, and he realized that God and Christianity had pretty much destroyed Rome took over wrong, all right. And it was politically expedient for him to be a Christian. And so he offered Christian fathers, you know, legitimacy to be a state religion. Well, as soon as they became a state religion he took over, and even the programs that we have today with the altar, and the one-man show one guy doing all the talk, I tell everybody what's going on? Don't that's not the first century. We got all that from him from Constantine. How many people know that? Does God still show up yet? At our services, you know, one-man show or not? He still shows up. Why is that? Well, he's his bride is there is remnants there, not everybody's on? And His Word is there. Right? He's going to honor his word. He's going to go after his bride and try to edify his bride. Right.So he can still do it. Well, yeah, it's through the 80%. But it's not exactly what he was hoping for.Absolutely. It was we have no idea just how, how far off the mark we Yeah, yeah, we just don't. It's by that's why the scripture says, of course, you know, because of his great mercies. We're not consumed. He's way more loving and tolerant. And you talk about enlightened tolerance. Boy, those people on that other side of the aisle aren't really they don't next podcast. We won't get into that. All right. So but yeah, you can't really even get close to that kind of enlightened tolerance. But, so, the point is, when you know, we this is how we got here. The body of christ I say has drifted from the first century to almost the beginning. And when the Vatican got ahold of the churches and made it one church with one guy, you know, the one-man show up there pontificating From then on, we went into, I mean, what it's the fruit of that. The Dark Ages, rightly named Dark Ages.Yeah. Because when I was in, in high school, I went to Europe for a month. And we went to some churches like Denmark and England and places like that. We'd go into this church and had the, you know, the little corner shrine thing up there where the guy would sit in or stand. Oh, yeah, yeah, it's like, and he was the only one with the Bible. Right. Everybody else was kind of sitting in the pew. And, and absorbing from me. Yeah, absolutely. And, and it's not, you're not. Some people may take this as Oh, you're just bashing pastors and people like that?You're not right. Yeah.That will lead me But yeah, I'll explain that because people are probably going off the deep end maybe. Well, sure. He's wearing you say you're saying pastors are, you know, needed?Yeah. Well, no, here's, here's the deal. See, the fivefold ministry? Is the answer. 

The Violence of Love, Part 1: This time last year, almost everyone was convinced that, here in the USA, we don't do political violence: we solve our political problems without blood in the street. But since then, on both left and right, “it's not real violence if the good guys are doing it” has become a common argument. How did this happen, is it wrong to see parallels between the BLM-related riots and the Capitol riot on January 6th, and how can we come back from that? Is it naive to seek to maintain Martin Luther King's nonviolence? Has his stance been overtaken by the seriousness of current problems? And what about other kinds of political violence? Can we condemn riots and still, in principle, be open to the idea of a just war? Can a Christian ever kill? Peter and Susannah get into these questions, and then turn to discussing the White Rose, a student movement of German Christians whose leaders were executed in 1943. The White Rose was a nonviolent movement passionately opposed to the Nazi regime, arguably the ancestor of today's antifa movements. But their philosophy and approach were very different. Drawing from the heights of German culture and the political philosophy of Aristotle and Aquinas, these young people articulated a vision of opposition to the Nazis based on an embrace of the best of traditional Western, and human, thought. They accused Hitler of being a tyrant, by which they meant something very specific: that he had rejected the values they argued for, which had characterized Germany and the West – learning, discourse, indeed Christianity and “traditional values” – and embraced pure power and barbarism. To be a humanist, for these young people, and to be a Christian, and to be an antifascist: these were all different aspects of the same calling. And they ultimately gave their lives to answer that call. What would it look like to pattern our activism on their lives? Read the transcript. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week host and co-host, Spencer Davis and Tyler Rhodes use a story about John Wesley and the Moravians to talk about radical faith. What does trust in God look like? The Founder of Methodism, John Wesley, tell us of an experience with a group of German Christians that forever changed his faith and started him down a path that would change so many others. This one is spiritual but very real and we pray it encourages you!Thanks for listening and dont forget to LIKE and FOLLOW! Find us on social media @churchvoicepodcast Visit us at christiancenter.org/church-voice-podcast

My guest this week is Anna Hummel. Anna became a Christian at 16 after growing up in a nominal culturally German Christian home. She was attracted to the community, the love of the people and the sense of belonging. Before long she found herself at a Youth With A Mission Discipleship Training School where things were a bit more intense. At DTS Anna began to have Adverse Religious Experiences. The cumulative stress and lack of privacy began to wear on her. She had trauma around the fear of Hell both for her loved ones and for herself. It was not until she got home and experienced the Secular Grace of her non-Christian friends, that she recognized the harm she was experiencing and the loss of her normally care-free attitude. Today Anna has compassion, understanding and Secular Grace for those who succumb to the peer pressure of conformity to the group. She wants people to experience the freedom from religious trauma that she now thrives in. Links Secular Therapy Project https://www.seculartherapy.org/ Religious Trauma Institute https://www.religioustraumainstitute.com/ Interact Deconversion How To https://gracefulatheist.com/2017/12/03/deconversion-how-to/?gaid=gap63 Secular Grace https://gracefulatheist.com/secular-grace/?gaid=gap63 You are not broken, you are human https://gracefulatheist.com/2016/12/06/you-are-not-broken-you-are-human/?gaid=gap63 Full show notes https://gracefulatheist.com/2021/03/07/anna-hummel-ywam-dts-deconversion/?gaid=gap63 Attribution "You Are Not Alone" image Anna Hummel "Waves" track written and produced by Makaih Beats https://makaihbeats.net/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/gracefulatheist/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gracefulatheist/support

Paul Axton Preaches: The recent attack on the Capitol and the religion that supports this nationalism has parallels to German Christian thought and the rise of Hitler. Paul is describing the defeat of this death dealing orientation. Become a Patron! If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to support our work. Music: Bensound

Christian people have often failed in their responsibilities to their fellow man. This is not terribly surprising. After all, we are human. Jesus, in a couple of his parables suggested that as many as half of us who call ourselves by his name will fail. And, in the end, none of us can escape the judgment that will fall on us for how we live and act in this miserable world. A date that few remember is April 1, 1933. In Germany, it was a beginning. On this day a boycott of Jewish-owned shops began. Members of the Brownshirts picketed the shops to see to it that the boycott was successful. The hostility toward Jews grew day by day. Many shops and restaurants began to refuse service to Jews. In some parts of Germany, Jews were banned from public parks, swimming pools, and public transportation. Germans were encouraged not to use Jewish doctors and lawyers. Jewish civil servants and teachers were fired.As troubling as all that was to me, what was far worse was coming to realize that throughout this period, leaders of the Protestant and Catholic churches remained silent. Only a handful of young pastors resisted. You may ask yourself how the German Christians could allow this sort of thing to happen to them? I will give you two things to think about. One: Most of those young pastors who resisted ended up arrested and executed. Two: How much evidence is there that American Christians have any more backbone than the German Christians of that day? Click here for Opposing Evil #1.

Built in 1900, the structure that you know of as Grace Lutheran Church on the corner of Juneau and Broadway has been a mainstay in the downtown Milwaukee community.  The group of German Christians that called this congregation their home brought God glory in the building of 2 churches – one dedicated in 1851 and the current structure to replace it, dedicated in 1901!  These churches were built to God's glory and became a place where God's glory is proclaimed and has been for a collective 170 years.  Listen to this first in the series episode to learn about and further appreciate the unique blessing that the church building is to the ministry here.  Join in and learn about “God's Grace at Grace”------------------------------------GOD"S GRACE AT GRACE God's Grace has been abundant during the 170 years of the existence of Grace Lutheran Church in downtown Milwaukee. He has watched over the life of this congregation and blessed it with his undeserved love! He has seen us through building projects, capital campaigns, declines in membership and growth.  He's seen us through the leadership of 12 (and counting) pastors, 4 staff ministers, and countless councilmen and elders.   He's blessed families and individuals and our church family as a whole.  Thank God for the blessing that Grace Church is and rejoice that here,  and in so many places like it, God's name is glorified and the good news of salvation through Jesus is proclaimed!   God is good!!   Join us in celebrating “God's Grace at Grace!”Audio Download

Topic: Today Brannon opens the phone lines early to ask his listeners what they think America will look like in the coming years despite who wins the 2020 Presidential elections. Do we have enough Americans left that understanding sacrifice, courage, and work before reward? Are there too many Americans that are only interested in fun, pursuit of pleasure, or that believe they are entitled to a government handout? Brannon talks about the need to teach children how the real world works in regards to work before reward, the slavery of debt, and the power of saving and building wealth over the course of time and virtues that come from work and sacrifice. Despite Brannon’s clear statements, a lady calls in that condemns Brannon’s monologue as worldly and not issues Jesus would speak to. Brannon explains why she is wrong and then uses this caller as a perfect example of how the evangelical church in America has largely divided the secular and sacred or divided the spiritual from the material when reality is we are not to have a divided worldview as all issues are spiritual issues at their root. This same dividing of the spiritual from the material is exactly how the German Christians justified their surrender and even support of Adolf Hitler. Topic: We take lots of your calls. 

276: The Barman Declaration // Spiritual Lessons from WW2 04 (Eric Ludy) Speaker: Eric Ludy Series: Spiritual Lessons from WW2 Study: 04: The Barman Declaration   This is the fourth installment in Eric’s series entitled Spiritual Lessons from WW2. In this episode he explores the acute challenges of the German Christians during the Hitler reign and draws out the profound necessity of being the Confessing Church amidst our modern day evils.

276: The Barman Declaration // Spiritual Lessons from WW2 04 (Eric Ludy) Speaker: Eric Ludy Series: Spiritual Lessons from WW2 Study: 04: The Barman Declaration   This is the fourth installment in Eric’s series entitled Spiritual Lessons from WW2. In this episode he explores the acute challenges of the German Christians during the Hitler reign and draws out the profound necessity of being the Confessing Church amidst our modern day evils.

276: The Barman Declaration // Spiritual Lessons from WW2 04 (Eric Ludy) Speaker: Eric Ludy Series: Spiritual Lessons from WW2 Study: 04: The Barman Declaration   This is the fourth installment in Eric’s series entitled Spiritual Lessons from WW2. In this episode he explores the acute challenges of the German Christians during the Hitler reign and draws out the profound necessity of being the Confessing Church amidst our modern day evils. Support this podcast

Julia Fisher talks to David van Owerkerk - Whilst in Israel recently I heard about a group of young Messianic Jewish believers who had travelled to Germany to meet with a group of young German Christians and together they visited Auschwitz, the concentration camp in Poland where so many Jewish people died during the Second World War. The team was led by David van Owerkerk from the Beit Asaph Messianic congregation in Netanya, Israel. I was keen to find out more and began by asking David how it all began. Our aim is to build bridges... To build bridges of understanding and support, in a spirit of reconciliation, between believers (both Jewish and Arab) in the Holy Land (Israel and the Palestinian Areas) and Christians worldwide. olivetreefund.org beit-asaph.org.il

Stuart Fisher talks to Evan Thomas. The Olive Tree …. the programme that for the past 10 years has followed the story of what God is doing in Israel and the West Bank through the lives of the believers in Jesus who live there. Their numbers may be relatively few but they are growing steadily to the point where some believers are preparing to leave Israel and go abroad as missionaries to other nations. One congregation in Netanya is sending a missionary to Uganda. Recently they also sent a group of young people, Arabs, Jews and Palestinians to Europe where they joined with young German Christians for a street mission. Listen now as Stuart Fisher talks to Evan Thomas, the pastor of Beit Asaph congregation in Netanya, to find out what more. Our aim is to build bridges... To build bridges of understanding and support, in a spirit of reconciliation, between believers (both Jewish and Arab) in the Holy Land (Israel and the Palestinian Areas) and Christians worldwide. olivetreefund.org beit-asaph.org.il

Clark discusses Grace versus Legalism and the issue of "faith versus works", and embraces what scripture has to say concerning salvation. He explores the issue using contemporary fiction ("The Road" and "The Girl Next Door") to question the different attributes of "love" as portrayed in each book. He then goes on to reflect on the historical reality that German Christians supported Hitler. Clark ties in writings of Christian authors such as Timothy Keller, to discuss the concept of Cheap Grace versus the alternative that Christians produce "fruits of the spirit" resultant to their relationship with God, concluding that "works is evidence of our faith". 

Did you have to listen to D.C. Talk growing up because your church didn't let you listen to Nirvana? Why do some churches hang gay pride flags in front of their building while other churches preach that homosexuality is a sin? Did the author of John's Gospel do something wrong when he borrowed an idea from Greek philosophy and applied it to Christ? How could German Christians in the 1930s ever become Nazis?Answering these kinds of questions requires us to answer even deeper questions- how should Christians relate to their surrounding culture? Where can Christ be found in culture? Can He be found there at all?Theology of culture is a relatively new theological discipline and if you've never explored it before you might not think it's that big of a deal, but I promise you that it's actually one of the most important areas of theology that you'll ever explore. What you believe about this affects the music and entertainment choices you make, who you'll marry and how you'll raise your kids; it affects your views on science and morality, the church you choose to attend, and even your political perspective.From D.C. Talk to Christian Nazis, we'll explore it all! You can financially support Deep Talks: Exploring Theology & Meaning-Making on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/deeptalkstheologypodcast You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts at:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-talks-exploring-theology-and-meaning-making/id1401730159 If you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts!  

A group of German Christians brought a life-size, gold-coated menorah to Jerusalem as a peace offering to the Jewish people. Listen as Charisma News host Jenny Rose Spaudo explains why these believers were compelled to bring such a huge and special gift.

In “The Mosaik Miracle,” Frankfurt pastor Stephen Beck relates personal stories of transformation as German Christians step out of their comfort zones to welcome Muslim refugees into their communities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julia Fisher talks to Evan Thomas – pastor of a Messianic congregation in Netanya, he is also a leading figure in the work of reconciliation between Jews and Palestinians as this week's programme will reveal. He and his wife Maala recently led a team of twelve Israeli believers – 6 were Jewish and 6 were Palestinian – to Germany where they joined with a group of young German Christians. The idea was to work together and present their combined stories to the people they would meet. I asked Evan whose idea this was. Our aim is to build bridges... To build bridges of understanding and support, in a spirit of reconciliation, between believers (both Jewish and Arab) in the Holy Land (Israel and the Palestinian Areas) and Christians worldwide. olivetreefund.org beit-asaph.org.il

It's about a buncha culty German Christian weirdos named the Harmony Society who showed up in Pennsylvania with some radical ideas that are shockingly ahead of their time...  An interesting case study of how the social ideas of today would (or would not) have a significant effect on how religious societies would have gone about their business. Gotta love in-between-election episodes! Become a Patron!

2 Timothy 3:10-17 Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions, and my suffering the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. THE MODERN LESSON Howard Thurman Two or three times a week I read the Bible aloud to her. I was deeply impressed by the fact that she was most particular about the choice of Scripture. For instance, I might read many of the more devotional Psalms, some of Isaiah, the Gospels again, and again; but the Pauline epistles, never—except, at long intervals, the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians…With a feeling of great temerity I asked her one day why it was she would not let me read any of the Pauline letters. What she told me I shall never forget. “During the days of slavery,” she said, “the master’s minister would occasionally hold services for the slaves. Old man McGhee was so mean that he would not let a Negro minister preach to his slaves. Always the white minister used as his text something from Paul. At least three or four times a year he used as a text: ‘Slaves, be obedient to them that are your master….as unto Christ.’ Then he would go on to show how it was God’s will that we were slaves and how, if we were good and happy slaves, God would bless us. I promised my Maker that if I ever learned to read and if freedom ever came, I would never read that part of the Bible” Stony the Road We Trod: African American Biblical Interpretation 62   We continue today on this World Communion Sunday with an unlikely look at another great Reformation principle, Sola Scriptura, Scripture alone, this profound re-centering that happened 500 years ago back onto the ancient texts that had been church’s bedrock, almost from the beginning. That re-centering was away from church tradition or those tasked with interpreting church tradition, away from those who decided for the rest of the church what the will of God was for the people of God. Scripture was not available to the masses for three reasons: first, generally members of the church were quite literally forbidden to read the text itself without the guidance of a priest or direction from the hierarchy about what the text meant. Secondly, the text itself was only in the Latin Vulgate, a language that few lay people could understand apart from the priests and the doctors of the church. And third, until around the time of Luther’s life, Scripture was hand copied, so there were few actual Bibles to read anyway since it took great time and manpower to produce a copy. But a few years after Luther posted his 95 theses against the practice of indulgences, he published a German translation of the Bible for the masses, which opened a new world to many German Christians, a world in which they had a chance to read for themselves the stories that some had rarely heard, or had just seen depicted in the stain glass of churches, which were themselves a way of sharing the biblical story visually to the largely illiterate masses. Now, we Protestants, it was thought, now we can go back to the source material, go back to the stories and the teachings of Jesus himself, rather than having someone tell us what those teachings were, and how they should be understood. This was no minor shift, no minor re-centering, and it allowed the people of the church access to the texts that had formed them, formed them unaware, perhaps, but formed them nonetheless. But with more access to the Scriptures comes something else, something else that shouldn’t surprise any of us, and that was the emergence of different interpretations of the same text. Just because people could read the text for themselves, just because they could read Jesus’ words for themselves, or the stories of the Jewish Bible for themselves, it didn’t mean that people could AGREE on what those texts mean. Unlike the Jewish tradition, in which multiple and varied and sometimes contradictory interpretations of the texts were welcomed and embraced, we in the Christian churches had been told for hundreds and hundreds of years that there was only correct interpretation of the text, the one promulgated by the official church. We Christians had no tradition of being able to handle differences when it came to interpretations, no way of being to be comfortable with a multitude of contradictory voices argueing that their understanding of this or that Scriptural text was the right and correct one. And hence, not surprisingly, Protestantism begins to do its own splitting apart internally, and today we have so many different kinds of Protestants that its actually, quite literally, hard to count them all. But something else also happened, something perhaps deeply unexpected. Some have noted that we Protestants ended up switching from one Pope to another, one central authority to another central authority, re-centering ourselves away back from Rome to the Christian and Jewish Scriptures, as the decider of what was it meant to be a Christian, a follower of this Jesus of Nazareth. Instead of the Pope or representatives of the Western Church deciding for us what correct doctrine or ideas were, we simply substituted another authority to decide for us what were the right and wrong ways of being a Christian, the new authority being the Scriptures themselves. And that instinct seems to make sense, except, of course, for the fact people of good will can simply disagree with each other on what Jesus meant when he is said to have uttered some particular words, or what an Apostle meant by his wording on this or that matter. Despite our Protestant desire to finalize authority in the Scriptures, we ended up diffusing authority, spreading it around, and causing, at least for some, a confusing cacophony of voices claiming to have the right interpretation of a particular text or doctrine. Is that a good thing? Well, for those of us who are comfortable with differences, of all sorts, it is, because it honors a reality that we’ve all experienced – you get five people interpreting a text or an event, and you’ll get 7 different opinions about what those words, or what that event means. But for those who desire just one final reading, one final interpretation of a text, or a story, its deeply uncomfortable, and often from them you see an eventual embrace of some sort of fundamentalism, some sort of absolutism that attempts to dictate to others the correct interpretation of ideas, doctrines, and stories. Still, I think that turn towards Scripture in the Protestant Reformation was a good thing, despite the tendency of those who simply switched from the Pope in Rome to the Pope of Scripture. For those of us in the liberal Protestant tradition, we continue to embrace this idea of “Scripture alone,” but I would argue that we’ve done it in a way that avoids the absolutism that infects those enamored by a final and absolute reading of a text. We took the Reformation challenge of re-centering the church back towards its ancient voices, especially back to the testimony of who Jesus was and is, and we practiced it in a way that brought integrity to the process. Unlike some who think that Sola Scriptura, Scripture alone means that Scripture is the final arbiter of how we live our lives as disciples of Christ, we liberal Christians generally understand Scripture as the beginning point of that journey, of that attempt to figure out what it might mean to actual live out Christ’s words about love and grace and forgiveness. But just because we begin our journey in Scripture it does not mean we always end with the Scriptures, which in practice is the way the Scriptures have always been practically understood for two thousand years. For example, you heard that story a few minutes ago by the great Howard Thurman about how his mother, who was once a slave, refused to listen to the texts in the Bible that support chattel slavery, the buying and selling of other human beings, texts found in both the Old and New Testaments. When the Christians in this country argued with each other about the rightness and the wrongness of human slavery before the Civil War, the side with the more biblical argument, the one that could seemingly claim clarity on the issue in Scripture was the pro-slavery South. The evangelical historian Mark Knoll explains it this way in his book – The Civil War as Theological Crisis: The power of the proslavery scriptural position…lay in its simplicity. [Thomas] Thompson defense could not have been more direct. In effect: open the Bible, read it, believe it. After conceding that in ancient times God had set strict limits to Hebrew enslavement of other Hebrews, he then quoted Leviticus 25:45-46a: “Moreover the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall you buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land, and they shall be your possession. And ye shall take them as an inheritance…” Then after acknowledging New Testament injunctions to piety, charity and respect for others, Thompson turned to the book of Philemon, the brief letter of St. Paul in which the apostle instructed an escaped slave, Onesimus, to return to his master. Thompson’s message was straightforward: if God through divine revelation so clearly sanctioned slavery, and even the trade in “strangers,” how could genuine Christians attack modern slavery, or even the slave trade, as an evil. (33) Now, clearly the church has ended up believing that human slavery was never actually God’s will, despite what is written in our Scriptures – instead, most of us, if we are honest with the text, realize that human beings, in an effort to justify their enslavement of other human beings, tried to have God justify it for them by putting approval of this evil practice into our sacred texts. This is one of those cases where we liberal Protestants, along with other Christians, begin with Scripture, we look at what the text itself says about something, but thankfully we don’t end there, we don’t just stay there, we simply can’t stay there, because slavery is simply not God’s will. In fact, there are other Scriptural texts that clearly show us a God who is interested in freedom, a God who frees the people of Israel from their slavery, their bondage in Egypt. And common human decency, which is another way God still speaks to us in this world, shows us that the practice of chattel slavery is not God’s will. We begin with Scriptures, we remain faithful to the Reformation principle of “Scripture alone,” but beginnings are not endings, and so we don’t always end up there, at the beginning – and if we always did, we would find ourselves justifying all sorts of behaviosr that are simply wrong. Despite the great harm that sometimes comes when we Protestants do what some have accused us of doing, of simply substituting one pope for another pope, of substituting one final authority, the Pope or church, for another final authority, the Holy Scriptures, despite the harm that comes from that sleight of hand, eventually, eventually we the church come around to our senses, we come to see that God is not done with humanity yet, that God has not finished speaking, despite the unwillingness of some believers to hear God through sources other than the Scriptures or the Church itself. That’s why it’s so important to keep an open mind to the change that God is still fomenting in the world, that God might be doing a new thing even now, both within the church, but also in the larger world. I’ve often said that sometimes God has to go around the church in order to reach the church, that God has to use whatever means necessarily in the larger world to get the church to see what God sees, and to do what God wants the church to do. Paul, in his letter to his young disciple Timothy, writes this: All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. And you know what, I think he’s right, though, to be clear, the Scripture he speaks of here is not his own writings, which would later be understood as sacred themselves, but the Tanak, the Jewish Scriptures that molded and shaped him, the ones he hopes will do the same for his disciple Timothy and the nascent church. But Paul is also right in an unexpected way, unexpected, of course, being the way that God often works in this world. When we readers go to our holy texts, we go to seek what our ancient forbearers wrote and said about some topic, some idea, or we go to see what Jesus said and did about such matters. Often we are uplifted, challenged, moved, convicted, but there are also times when we Christians have had to set ourselves against those ancient voices, those ancient words, and so we in the church have come to reject Paul’s understanding of human slavery, a view he held that was common and unremarkable for its time, we have had to reject his words just as Howard Thurman’s mother did in the story we heard earlier today. That rejection of certain parts of Scripture, the parts that seem to endorse human genocide in God’s name, the parts that seem to denigrate and dismiss women, even that act of saying “no” to these texts is a result of that very same Scripture continuing to inspire, continuing to reprove us, correction us, and continuing to train in righteousness – even in our saying “no” to certain parts Scripture, even then that very same scripture continues to shape us- it helps us clarify what God really does want of us and of justice. Positive change can happen when we Christians do as the Reformers ask us to do, which is to go to those ancient voices and listen for the voice of God in them. Sometimes, though, the voice of God isn’t found in the words themselves, in the text themselves, but is discovered in us wrestling with particular texts that may not be God’s words, or God’s will in the first place. Even in moments when we stand against Scripture, it too teaches, trains us, reproves, shapes us, so that we can be followers of the Way that Jesus calls us into, the way of love and justice. Begin at the beginning, the Reformers says, and so we shall, but where we end up, well, that may be an altogether surprising thing, and a reminder that God is still doing a thing in this world, even now, changing the world even now, and maybe, if we allow ourselves to be, maybe changing us as well. Amen.

What do we do when the government tells us that we must turn in people who are of a certain ethnic group so that they might be killed? Do we adhere to scripture that tells us to be obedient to the governing authorities or do we adhere to scripture that tells us that we should not murder? Are we sinning regardless or can we choose. In the 1940's the Ten Boom family along with others help hide the Jews who were being hunted by the Nazi army for extinction. They lied, they stole and the disobeyed direct orders from their occupied government. This wasn't just in Holland, but many German Christians also hid Jews to protect them. Were they right or was this a lack of faith?

Episode: The story of German Christian anti-Semitism of the Nazi era is still being told. Susannah Heschel’s book The Aryan Jesus brings to light the archives of the ‘Institute for the Study and Eradication […] The post Susannah Heschel – The Aryan Jesus first appeared on OnScript.

Episode: The story of German Christian anti-Semitism of the Nazi era is still being told. Susannah Heschel’s book The Aryan Jesus brings to light the archives of the ‘Institute for the Study and Eradication […]

In the second installment of the Cup of Salvation Podcast, David Nekrutman and Rabbi Pesach Wolicki explore the meaning of Psalms 113:1, where King David praises G-d as well as G-d's name. How is praising "Him" different from praising "His name"? Why does G-d even have a name, and what does it mean? Is a name the same thing as a title? This fascinating discussion also deals with the problem of repetitions in Scripture, and includes David's recollection of his recent trip to East Germany, where he had the miraculous experience of watching a German Christian community praise G-d for the State of Israel.

Nazism was not a Christian movement in any meaningful sense https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/two-kingdoms-in-the-third-reichGerman Protestants of the 1920s and 1930s shared many Nazi assumptions and voted disproportionately for the Nazi party, partly in the hope that they might use it for their own ends. One result was the 'German Christian' movement, which tried to create a dejudaised Christianity which the Nazi state would accept with a place in the coming Aryan utopia. Many moderate, sensible Christians in Germany, even in the supposedly anti-Nazi 'Confessing Church', collaborated with the regime in other ways. This lecture will explore how so many Christians came to support Nazism, and how some managed to oppose it.The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/two-kingdoms-in-the-third-reichGresham College has been giving free public lectures since 1597. This tradition continues today with all of our five or so public lectures a week being made available for free download from our website. There are currently over 2,000 lectures free to access or download from the website.Website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk Twitter: http://twitter.com/GreshamCollege Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greshamcollege Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/greshamcollege

Have we returned the favor and created God in our image? In Harlem, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was confronted with the reality that German Christians had fashioned Jesus in their own image, leading to the tragic rise of Hitler. What can we learn from this today? David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw talk about Bonhoeffer's Black Jesus, a book by Reggie L. Williams. They discuss two pitfalls of the German Church and how they might affect us now.

This week Gareth is playing records that are for sale via new IMP-affiliated record store RIYL. It's an hour in familiar territory for podcast regulars, moving seamlessly between heavy riffage rock, through techno, Finnish jazz edits, library music, Gqom and German Christian funk, with new releases from Surgeon, Silkie, The Wharves, and Delia Derbyshire amongst others. RIYL.co.uk

Will Deutsche Bank’s derivatives be the spark which ignites the Western financial system? Today on TRUNEWS, Rick Wiles raises the alarm about Germany’s biggest bank bracing for a potentially catastrophic earnings report Thursday, and NATO redeploying forces to Russia’s doorstep. Rick also speaks with Jeremy Wiles, the CEO of KingdomWorks Studios, about his harrowing new film “Sing A Little Louder”, which details the apathy German Christians displayed toward the Holocaust during World War 2, and the warning American evangelicals MUST heed everyday while the lives of the unborn are slaughtered domestically.

Christian Zionists and Neo-Christians routinely justify the wars of aggression by the United States of America by citing the thirteenth chapter of the book of Romans, written by the Apostle Paul. We Hold These Truths' award winning documentary, Christian Zionism: The Tragedy and The Turning, Part I  was recently challenged by a veteran, who wrote in part: "I am not a Christian Zionist...Charles E. Carlson (at the ~4:00 mark) does not know his bible either. He does not understand Romans 13, and the fact that the State does wield the power of the sword." In this podcast we look at Romans 13 and what should be our take away from it based on a ground breaking article, "Romans 13: Neo-Christians Sorry Excuse for War" written by Chuck Carlson a few years ago. Did Romans 13 give German Christians the authority to follow Hitler wherever he led them? (29 min.)

Xmas Special A hodge podge of weird xmas music and stories. Father Knowall and Mother Christmas disputing the pagan, Norse and German-Christian roots of the British Christmas The four traditions of Christmas: pagan, secular, Christian, and biblical. "Christmas, the Day When Divine Love Was Made Flesh"

Julia Fisher talks to Burghard Schunkert - Today we're returning to Bethlehem to finish our tour of Lifegate – a new centre run by a German Christian called Burghard Schunkert which aims to help disabled children and young people reach their full potential. Parts of the building are still not finished and we start today's tour in a rather dark room – Burghard takes up the story. Our aim is to build bridges... To build bridges of understanding and support, in a spirit of reconciliation, between believers (both Jewish and Arab) in the Holy Land (Israel and the Palestinian Areas) and Christians worldwide. olivetreefund.org lifegate-reha.de

Julia Fisher talks to a Swiss German Christian who has lived in Israel for many years. He, along with others, came to work amongst the Muslim people who live in Jerusalem and now over 400 of these people are coming to the meetings they regularly hold where they hear that God loves them and He is their father. However, is it possible to bring Christians from a Muslim Palestinian background together with Jewish believers in Jerusalem? Our aim is to build bridges... To build bridges of understanding and support, in a spirit of reconciliation, between believers (both Jewish and Arab) in the Holy Land (Israel and the Palestinian Areas) and Christians worldwide. olivetreefund.org

Julia Fisher talks to a Swiss German Christian who has lived in Israel for many years. He came to work amongst the Muslim people who live in Jerusalem which is where I met him to record this interview about his life and work. Our aim is to build bridges... To build bridges of understanding and support, in a spirit of reconciliation, between believers (both Jewish and Arab) in the Holy Land (Israel and the Palestinian Areas) and Christians worldwide. olivetreefund.org

Introduction: The Man Without a Country I'd like to ask that you take your Bibles and look at Romans chapter 13. This is the third part of three in this series on the Christian and Government. Really, it's just one sermon in three parts. And as we come now, having understood already, the first two parts in Romans 13:1-7, we're coming to some ethical questions about how Christians relate to government. Now, it's difficult to find a tale charged with stronger patriotism than that written by Edward Everett Hale in 1863, entitled "The man without a country." It was written at the height of the civil war and Hale's passion for the United States of America breathes in every line. The story is a compelling one about a man named Philip Nolan, who was unjustly charged with treason in 1807. And during that trial, he cried out, "Curse the United States! I wish I may never hear of the United States again." The court was shocked, since many of those sitting in the court martial had fought and risked their lives and their possessions for the American Revolution. And so the judge icily granted Nolan's request, and exiled him to sail for the rest of his life on a series of naval vessels. The sailors having been commanded never to mention the United States to him, or give him any news of his former home country. Though defiant at first, Nolan eventually, bitterly regretted his rash words. A painful moment occurred for him when he overheard someone reading Sir Walter Scott's famous lines, Breathes there the man with soul so dead Who never to himself hath said ‘This is my own, my native land!’ Whose heart hath ne’er within him burned, As home his footsteps he hath turned, From wandering on a foreign strand By the end of his life, Nolan was probably the strongest patriot in the history of the country. Even though he had never been permitted to hear the name of the United States again, he had an estate room, a shrine with an American flag draped around a picture of George Washington. And he said to a sailor, "For your country boy, and for that flag", as he pointed to the ship's flag, "Never dream a dream but of serving her as she bids you, though the service carries you through a thousand hells. No matter what happens to you, no matter who flatters you, or abuses you, never look at another flag. Never let a night pass by, but you pray God to bless that flag. Remember boy, that behind all these men... Behind the officers and government, and people even there is the country, herself. Your country. And that you belong to her as you belong to your own mother, stand by her boy, as you would stand by your own mother." Now, Hales intense patriotism is reflected in people all over the world. It's the same way that German people feel about the Fatherland, and Russian people feel about Mother Russia, and Chinese people feel about what they call the Middle Kingdom and what Japanese people feel about the land of the rising sun. It's their own, their native land. And if you've ever traveled and been abroad for a long period of time, I think you can relate to what Walter Scott said... "It feels good to be home." The Call to Look to a Better Country But I'm calling on us as Christians today to look to a better country. To a distant country that hasn't come to us yet, to embrace the words that the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:20. When he said, "Our citizenship is in Heaven. And we eagerly await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." Our citizenship is in heaven and we're waiting for the time when we will be there, and we are homesick, at least I am homesick, for a place I have never seen. I'm homesick to come home to heaven, aren't you? And in the meantime while we can embrace patriotism at one level, and our native land and it's good to be home, those feelings, I believe are just a dim reflection of something that's going to be elevated to a much higher level, when at last, we see the Savior. When at last, we come into that new heaven and that new earth which is the home of righteousness. And so understanding our relationship to our own, our native land, begins with properly understanding our status as aliens and strangers in this world... That we are just passing through. It starts even above that with understanding what it means that "Jesus is our king". He is ultimately our government. It starts were living a life of faith that sees a future country. A better one, a heavenly one, as it says in Hebrews 11:13-16, of the faith-filled people. It says there, "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised, they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, and they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things, show that they're looking for a country of their own, a heavenly one. Now, if they had been thinking about the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they are longing for a better country, a heavenly one, and therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he has prepared a city for them." The city of God, my friend... A better and heavenly country. We are citizens of that if we're Christians. And what's so beautiful is that's true of people all over the world, from every tribe, and language, and people, and nation. One of the greatest evidences of the truth of our faith is, you can sit in an airport and find a man from Nigeria, or a woman from China, or a child even from Germany, and you can talk to them if you can get past the language issue. You can talk to them, and if they're Christians, you will have more in common with those people than you will with non-Christians from America, because that is our true home country. I. Government in the Bible: Review of Basic Principles Now, we've looked at Romans 13. And I just want to review what we've already learned about government, human government. We've seen that God is Lord of Heaven and Earth. He rules over all things, but that he delegates some of his sovereign power, his authority, he delegates to created beings. And he's going to judge those creative beings, governors, kings, rulers for what they do with their power, and he's going to judge those who are under their authority, about what they did with the relationship, as well. We've also seen that although God has delegated his power, it doesn't mean he has released his sovereign control of the ebbs and flows of history. But God actively rules over the rise and fall of nations. We've seen that good government, as reflected in Romans 13, is a blessing from God. We've also touched on the fact that bad government, as revealed I think in Revelation 13, is a curse from the devil. And therein lies the problem. The pure and high picture of government in Romans 13 is not always the case. Seems to me that God has put human government... In history, he's put human government on display. And even the best governments have been tainted by human sin, have they not? And then there are the horrendous governments that have been openly embracing human sin. And so we've had our chance to rule, and Utopia has never come. There's never been a perfect society in this world, but there will be some day when Jesus rules. Amen? And we're yearning for that day and looking forward to it. So we've seen that, and from these basic principles, we have two commands coming from Romans 13, one through seven. First, we are to submit to the governing authorities. And we saw that submission is a glad humbling of oneself below a God-ordained authority, for the sake of God and for his glory. We talked about that. We've also talked about the need and the command that Paul gives to give to government, whatever we owe. Whether taxes or honor, respect, those things that are listed in Romans 13, we've already seen that. II. Six Key Ethical Questions Now, we began last week to look at some ethical questions that flow from Romans 13. Six ethical questions. Now, my purpose this week is to survey the terrain of the rest of these questions. That's right, to survey the terrain of the rest of these questions. Not finally to answer them. You all have the expectation to get out of here at a reasonable amount of time. Am I right? Okay. And we've got five more of these questions, and if I were to give suitable time to each one, we would be here for hours and hours. Books have been written about these things. What I want to do is, I want to lift up some of the main issues that come connected with these ethical questions, and try to show you how Christians have thought on both sides of some of these issues over the time. I'm trying to refrain from giving my own opinion on these matters. I'll try to share with you what I think as a Christian, but I tell you this... My word will not be the final word on these questions. What I do want you to do is, I want you to understand how Christians have discussed these things. I want you to have respect for other Christians who disagree, and I'd like the discussions to continue. We live in a time when this country is at war. And these issues are majorly on people's thoughts and minds right now. The issue of the patriotism and of our responsibility to human government. 1) Limits to Obedience: Is submission to government absolute or are there limitations? Now last week, we saw limits to human submission to government. We asked the question, is submission to government absolute or are there limitations? We answered yes, there are limitations. We saw the example of Peter and John, having been commanded by the Sanhedrin, not to speak or teach it all in the name of Jesus. This ran on direct contradiction to the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. And so, the answer very clearly, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you, rather than God. We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Now that's a key issue. When it comes down to this, judging for ourselves whether it's right to obey a human government rather than God, that word "rather" is key. And when we are brought to a place where we must choose, we must choose to obey God, and we saw therefore that our obedience to human government is limited. 2) Christians and War: Should a Christian fight for secular governments? Now, let's look at this question of Christians and war. The question is, should a Christian fight for secular government? I want to bring before you two opposite case studies that have been in my mind over the last two weeks. Imagine, case study number one... You come upon a situation in which an innocent man is being bludgeoned to death along the road by some muggers. In effect, you've come on the scenario Jesus describes in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Only, he's not already lying by the side of the road bleeding, the mugging is actually going on. The question you have to ask is, "How could you rescue that helpless victim from the situation without using force?" And if you can't rescue the person without using force, are you obligated or allowed to use force to rescue him? And if the answer to that question is "yes," you're on the road to what we call a "just war approach." That Christians are obligated, in some cases, some will answer, or allowed to use force to rescue the innocent from human government. Let me give you an opposite case. Imagine that you came upon two Christians who are arguing bitterly, and you knew them well and it seemed like they're very upset with each other. Would you make any effort to be a peacemaker in that situation? I would hope to think you would. You would make an effort to be a peacemaker. Suppose while it's going on, they got even more aggressive and started pulling out weapons and wanted to kill each other. Would your desire to be a peacemaker increase or decrease in that situation? Well, I would think it would increase except you have one thought, and that's you'd like to get out of it alive. But you would desire to bring peace between the two Christian brothers, who seem to have lost all perspective. And now want to kill each other. I assure you, Jesus did not have this in mind at the time of the foot-washing. Is it okay, though if they're wearing uniforms of opposing countries during a time of war? Can you have one spirit-filled Christian sighting along a sniper rifle at another spirit-filled Christian also sighting along a rifle at you, at each other. Is this even possible? This is a logical absurdity. Is one of those two Christians failing to hear God correctly? And if you answer yes, you're along the road to pacifism. Herein lies the problem... Should Christians be involved in war? Now in World War I, this scenario that I described to you actually happened. There was a time in which British Christians and German Christians met in no man's land and celebrated Christmas. And so they had a little celebration under a flag of truce, and they enjoyed that time of worship together, and the next day they went back to fighting again. What a strange scenario. How do we explain that? Are one or both of them hearing God wrongly? Absurdity number one: The Good Samaritan stands idly by, waiting for the mugger to finish his work, so that he can begin his work of mercy. That's strange. Absurdity number two: The Spirit helping one Christian to kill another Christian while the same spirit is helping the other Christian to kill the first. That's an absurdity, and herein lies the problem... We're dealing with the tangled mess and irrationality of sin. And it leaves Christians literally not knowing what to do. Three Different Positions: Activism, Pacifism, Selectivism Now, there have been, in church history, three different views on this question. First, there's the view of activism. Basically, it's my country right or wrong. If the country says go to war, you need to go. Regardless of what you think about the cause, you go. That's called activism. Then there's pacifism, that basically a Christian should never be involved in war, for New Testament principles. Usually the arguments are made from the Sermon on the Mount, saying, We should not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, you should turn the other also. And then there's thirdly the view called selective-ism, the idea that Christians should get involved in the right wars for the right reasons, but not in the others. This is what you call The "just war" theory. Now, in the Old Testament, there's ample evidence that war and the involvement of the people of God in war, is not in itself evil. In Genesis 14, Abraham gets 318 of his trained men and rescues his nephew Lot in the war of the seven kings, king of Sodom, and all those others, you can read about it, that's the first war described, and Abraham is right in the middle of it. God clearly commands Israel to participate in war as an agent of his wrath during the time of Joshua, when they took over the land of Canaan and drove out seven nations and destroyed them. God actually judges King Saul for not finishing the conquest of the Amalekites by leaving King Agag alive, and Samuel kills him and it's clearly in the text, pleasing to God that Samuel did it and displeasing that Saul didn't do it. God blesses David for killing Goliath who was defying the armies of the living God. And David celebrates God's training of his hands for war in Psalm 144, verse one. It says, "Praise be to the Lord, my rock who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle." Nehemiah rebuilds the wall of Jerusalem with the sword in one hand and the trowel in the other. God blesses Israel by defeating their enemies again and again, in answer to prayer or with the courageous actions of godly men. From this, it is clear that the Old Testament at least, does not call participation by the people of God in war itself and evil or wicked thing. Now in the New Testament, nowhere is this basic idea openly contradicted. There are no commands anywhere for Christians not to be involved in warfare. John the Baptist, when speaking to soldiers... Soldiers come to John the Baptist and say, "What should we do?" he doesn't say, "Resign in position... Stop being a soldier", but he urges him to act morally and with integrity, as soldiers. Jesus himself uses a military analogy, about counting the cost. If you want to become a Christian, you have to count the cost and he says in Luke 14, "Suppose a king is about to go to war against another king, will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with 10,000 men to oppose the one coming against him with 20,000?" Jesus doesn't there say that the enterprise of war is evil or wicked, he shouldn't be doing that, what he's saying is he shouldn't do it, if he's going to lose. And he should figure out whether he's going to lose and if he can't, he's going to sue for peace. And so also, you should decide ahead of time if you've got the commitment that it takes to follow Christ right to the end of your life. At the end of the Book of Revelation at the end of the world, Christ is portrayed as riding at the head of the armies of heaven, who are clothed in white linen and his robe is dipped in blood, and on him is written, "King of Kings and Lord of Lords", and he comes conquering. Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, celebrates... Again, this is in the New Testament, giving these examples of faith... Celebrates Old Testament warriors. This is Hebrews 11:32-34. It says, "What more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Sampson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, all of those were involved in warfare. They're all listed together. And the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, escaped the edge of the sword, whose weakness was turned to strength, and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies." This is right in the New Testament a display of faith. The Apostle Paul uses a military analogy for the Christian life, being like the life of a soldier. He said in 2Timothy 2, "Endure hardship with us as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs. He wants to please his commanding officer." And so there's that military analogy. However, there are some key changes as well, in the New Testament. Christ example as the Prince of Peace, he lived out the turn-the-other-cheek mentality. When he was about to be arrested in the garden, and Peter wanted to use the sword to deliver him from that, he said, "Put your sword away for all who draw the sword will die by the sword." And then he said, "Do you think I cannot call on my Father and he would at once put at my disposal more than 12 legions of angels? But how then would the Scripture be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?" he chose not to. Clearly, he had the power to do it but chose not to. And even more significantly, is Christ's statement to Pontius Pilate, when he said, "So you are a king?" And he said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest from the Jews. As it is, my Kingdom is from another place." Therefore, Jesus said his kingdom's different than any other kingdom that's ever been. Those kingdoms advanced by conquest, military conquest. His kingdom advances differently, and you find out from his teaching and from church history, Christ's kingdom, his true kingdom advances, not by killing, but by being willing to die. By taking up the cross. Daily in following Jesus. Christ commands on the Sermon of Mount have already been listed not to resist an evil person, to turn the other cheek. Paul makes a statement that our warfare is not earthly warfare, but heavenly. He says, "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we're ready to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." He says openly in Ephesians six, "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world." And then there's the issue of the worldwide advance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, basically it was clearly an us versus them situation. If they're across that stretch of land, they are bad people who don't know anything about the living God. Very clear, the Philistines or whatever. But in the New Testament era, the Gospel is commanded to be preached to every creature under Heaven. That Jesus is making a claim on every nation and that the Gospel must be preached to every tribe and language and people and nation. That command, brothers and sisters, was not given last week. For 2000 years the gospel has been permeating the world. There is no political nation on earth where there are not churches worshipping Jesus Christ. And therefore it's not so clear anymore who's across that space. We don't know who's over there. And therefore that absurdity that I talk to you about actually has happened again and again. Not just in World War I, but in the Civil War and in other wars. Most European Wars that was very much the issue. C.S. Lewis Now C.S. Lewis in 1941 published a strong tract on the issue of Christians involvement in war. He said that the Christian faith has made two great contributions to the issue of war and participation in war. First, pacifism, and second chivalry. Pacifism, he says, is an honest theological mistake. Now, he's writing, having been a soldier in World War I and it was in the height of the struggle between Great Britain and Germany, Nazi Germany at the time. He says that pacifism is an honest mistake and he says so because it's leaving the dirty work to others, that's the way he argued. Instead he argues for chivalry. Now what is chivalry? You might think of Sir Galahad or Sir Lancelot or something like that. The formation of a chivalrous knight who's going to fight what we call the just war in the just way. And so the chivalrous knight is going to learn how to display extreme fierceness and extreme meekness and will have extreme wisdom to know when to do either one. And so he argues for chivalry. The just war fought in the just way. Now, I say to you, first of all, only a just society can produce a just warrior. Only the church ultimately can produce somebody who could fight a just war in just a way. If it's to be done at all, it has to be done by the church. This would include soldiers being willing to not get involved in a war because it's unjust or if they're in a just war, disobeying an unjust command in the middle of that. Being willing to be court martialed. Say, "I will not bomb a civilian target, I will not gun down those POWs? I will not violate the principles of chivalry." Well, then you're going to be court martialed. They would actually welcome it because in this way they could be salt and light in their own society and prevent their society from becoming corrupt as any pagan nation might. Thus the chivalrous soldier is willing to lay down his life in a different sense so that his society will not become corrupt. Now my strongest argument for Christian involvement in warfare is the need for Christians to be precisely that. Salt and light to prevent immoral decisions and actions and war. Without Christians acting as Salt to retire the spread of corruption, the gung-ho blind patriotism of some Marines or bomber pilots or rangers or Navy Seals or covert operatives coupled with their overwhelming weapon systems and their natural violence and their pride and their desire to use those weapon systems, will bubble over into wickedness. Only if there are Christians they are to retard it, will a conscience be maintained in the Army, the Navy, Air Force and the Marines. My strongest argument for Christians not being involved in warfare is the ever-increasing complexity of the modern scene. Urban fighting against non-uniform terrorists who use women and children as shields or even participants, makes fighting with chivalry very difficult. So you're saying, "What's the answer?" Well, I didn't tell you I was going to give you an answer. I respect pacifism, but I think in the end the Christian is called to fight for the helpless who can't fight for himself. He's called to defend his wife and his children, he's called to defend. In the end I think this is right. Just war. I'm just saying it's getting harder and harder and harder. 3) Limits to Opposition: Is armed opposition to government ever permissible? Now what about the questions of limit to opposition? Is armed opposition to government ever permissible? Now we've already seen that Christians must disobey evil commands given by their government. That's already clear. But here we're arguing something else. Should we go beyond disobeying evil commands given by a government to organizing ourselves militarily to try to topple what we perceived to be an evil government? That's a different question. And what bothers me is, any arguments or defense of revolution tend to start with an individual case like the Hebrew Midwives or Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego or Peter and John in front of the Sanhedrin. And argue from that to complete revolution, overturning of the government. You can't draw that. The Hebrew Midwives continued submissive to Pharaoh, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego continued submissive to Nebuchadnezzar. So did Daniel submissive to King Darius. And Peter and John as they could be submissive to the Sanhedrin. So you're saying, "Well, what about the American Revolution? It may be on your mind. Our country was started by people who felt it right to overthrow the power and authority of King George. I've had numerous people come to me over the last two weeks, say, "What are you going to say about the American Revolution?" Well, we're just about out of time here actually as we're moving along and... I said at one point, it's not looking too good for the American Revolution at this point. I will say this, there was a saturation of pastors and religious leaders who were in the forefront of the revolutionary movement. And who made strong and elaborate arguments. And they understood English law and the relationship between the king and Parliament and the people better than I do. There are limits even for pastors on how much we want to study Political Science. Okay? So as I read, I say, "I can see the arguments." They basically said that the government had been set up so that the king's power was in check by the Parliament and he didn't have absolute authority. 1688, the Glorious Revolution, set that up. So the Parliament was strong. And thus they were making this argument, no taxation without representation, saying basically the king had broken the Covenant. But does that argue that the King should therefore be toppled and no longer have authority? That's a big leap. It's a leap I'm not able to make, but others are and I can respect them for that. And I also think that God can bless something that isn't born according to his will, but then after that flourishes in a wonderful way. But others disagree and say, "No, they were... " They can make a very strong and elaborate case for the American Revolution. There are other issues like in the 20th century in Nazism, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, had wrestled with his sense of loyalty as a German citizen to the regime, but he realized the regime was satanic, was wicked. And he didn't know what to do at first, but it became clearer and clearer that he needed to oppose Hitler. And so he was involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler. He was caught, his involvement was uncovered and he was hanged three weeks before the end of the war in Europe. This has been an issue again and again. Now, to resolve this, I think the answers end up being similar to the answers on pacifism or just war. The argument is, should Christians band together to try to defend the defenseless militarily? Some will say, "No, we should be willing to let the sovereignty of God rule and we will preach the Gospel and we'll be willing to die." And I can respect that. But others say, "How do you interfere and help someone who's being destroyed if the destroyer is government? Some argue you should never get involved unless you think you can win. They actually go to Jesus’ statement in Luke 14 that I mentioned earlier, you've got to count the cost and see if you can win, other than that it's just slaughter. But some argue they're saying they're willing to do it. Ultimately from just war views, some people argue in that sense that revolution should occur. The one question I would ask of those that argue in that way, why do we have no examples or commands or even hints in the New Testament that Christians should band together to throw off Caesar who was wicked and evil and ungodly. Actually, Paul's continually saying, even in Romans 13, we should submit to governing authorities and seek to do right while refusing to obey individual and wicked commands. 4) Capital Punishment: Does government have the right to take human life? On the question of capital punishment, does Government have the right to take human life? Simply put, yes. It's very clearly taught right here in this verse. Look at the verse 3-4, "Rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you for he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong be afraid for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant and agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." Recently my family and I were on a tour in Washington, DC and we came to the Rayburn Building which is the congressional office building. And on the cover of your bulletin there's a picture of the statue that's out there, it's called the Majesty of Law, that's what it says engraved in the block of granite on which the statue is seated and so it's this intimidating looking guy with a long beard and he's holding a huge sword. That sword is a symbol of government's authority and specifically it's right to take life following due process of law. In Genesis 9:6, after the flood, God spoke these words, "Whoever sheds man's blood by man's blood shall his be shed for in the image of God has God made man." What is capital punishment? Well, it's an execution of a criminal under legal authority, due process of law having been followed. Now, the Old Testament is filled with examples and laws concerning capital punishment. When the law of Moses was given on Mount Sinai there was a barrier put around the foot of the mountain and the law was given, if anyone jumps the barrier and goes up in the mountain, he will be put to death, no hand will be laid on him, but he'll be stoned or shot with arrows. Two chapters later, there is many capital crimes established in the Law of Moses, Exodus 21:12, "Anyone who strikes a man and kills them shall surely be put to death." Exodus 21:15, "Anyone who attacks his father or mother must be put to death." Verse 16, "Anyone who kidnaps another and either sells them or still has him when he is caught, must be put to death." "Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death." And so clearly in the old testament, capital punishment is established. Now, there are some arguments against capital punishment. They will say Israel was a unique nation of theocracy and its law is going to be reduplicated here. Some will say that Christ's death has forever displayed justice and therefore remove the need for capital punishment. Some say that Christ behavior toward the woman caught in adultery shows a pattern of mercy triumphing over judgment. Some Christians just simply point to the Ten Commandments and say, "You shall not kill." Which bothers me because I think the real command there is, "You shall not murder." Don't take it upon yourself not having been moved by God's command to take another human life, that's murder. But clearly there is killing commanded throughout the Bible that God commands people to do. Also they say that capital punishment is frequently unjustly applied, perhaps to minorities or people who don't have means to hire a good lawyer. And they say therefore it should be removed because it's never being justly applied and then they will say, "There's no way to fix an error if a person is unjustly executed." And that is true, but still the Bible establishes this. Finally they will argue the capital punishment is no deterrent. Now, do you think that's true? That seems ridiculous to me. Are you telling me in the midst of a fight somebody doesn't think, "If I do this, I might actually be executed." Of course it's in their mind. Besides with the Bible openly says that it's a deterrent. After commanding in Deuteronomy 13 that no Israelite should lead Israel to pursue other gods, this is what it says, "They shall be surely put to death." And it says "Then all Israel will hear and be afraid and no one among you will do such an evil thing again." To me that settles the issue of, is capital punishment a deterrent? Clear indication in scripture is that the government has a right to capital punishment, it's established and upheld by God. 5) Christians Participating in Government: How much and in what manner may a Christian participate in government? Fifth, Christians participating in government. How much and in what manner may a Christian participate in government? Some Christians have openly embraced a union of church and state, direct role of Christians and secular government. A desire to see as much of the kingdom of God enacted in the laws of the state as possible. They generally come at it from an Old Testament point of view and they want to see Christ exercising dominion over every area of life and so they're going to argue for a complete union of church and state. They look to the Emperor Constantine who after he became a Christian just organized the church along the lines of the Roman Empire. Charlemagne, who created a unity between the Frankish Kingdom and the church that came to be known as Christendom. John Calvin who shaped Geneva as much like a theocracy as he could. And then the Puritans that followed him whether under Cromwell in England or in New England. They were not seeking a separation of church and state, but rather that God would be glorified in every area of human society, in government, in the church, in every area. In the marketplace they wanted Christ glorified. Abraham Kuyper was a Dutch reformed scholar, professor and church leader. He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands in 1901 and 1905. He said this, "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign overall, does not cry, 'Mine.'" And so Kuyper is arguing that Christ says all things are his and therefore Christians should exercise dominion over those things and be involved in government. However, there are Anabaptists and others, or Baptist forbearers, that argue very strongly for a separation of church and state. The first Anabaptist Confession, The Schleitheim Confession of 1527 basically argued that Christians should never participate in government at all for governments are armed with steel and iron but the Christians are armed with the armor of God and with truth, righteousness, peace, and faith. You may not know this, but historically it was Baptists who argued for the separation of church and state during the time that the constitution was being founded and established in our country. Now, America is a Representative Democracy. We are able to influence things in our country. We are able to vote, we are able to lobby, we are able to influence decisions made by government, we can remove corrupt officials and presidents and we can impeach presidents. These things can happen. And so therefore Christians are asking different questions here. To what level should I be involved? Should I give my whole life to government issues? Should I be constantly writing letters? Should I be constantly picketing? What should I do? It's a question of stewardship. There's been a rather unpleasant public debate between John MacArthur and James Dobson, two of the kind of stars in the Evangelical firmament in America. And they disagree on this issue. John MacArthur wrote a book entitled, Why Government Can't Save You. And basically he's saying that the best Christian response to abortion, homosexuality, drug abuse and other symptoms of moral decline in America is to preach the gospel. And what he said is, McArthur wrote this, "God does not call the church to influence the culture by promoting legislation." His theological basis for that is in Galatians 3:21. There it teaches that righteousness does not come by the law. It says, "For if a law had been given that could impart life then righteousness would certainly have come by the law." And what does government do but establish one law after another? Or argue the merits of a law. And what MacArthur is saying is righteousness doesn't come that way. So Christians should not be involved. Dr. Dobson responded through Tom Minnery who wrote a book, Why You Can't Stay Silent. And he argued that Christians must speak out and get involved in the government process to the maximum amount because that's how we can be salt and light. There is a big problem with this complete involvement in politics. Take the issue of abortion or perhaps homosexuality or something like that. If you're going to get involved, you're going to try to build as big a coalition as you can. Because just Representative Democracy you're trying to get as many votes as you can, you're going to influence... Try to influence as many people as you can. Phillip Johnson said, "This is a problem. When your political agenda involves forming alliances with Mormons, Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, Moonies and all kinds of humanistic moralists, you simply cannot afford to speak frankly about the exclusivity of Christ. It's an issue you can't bring up. You have to stifle the truth about justification by faith alone, because Roman Catholics who are your political allies reject that doctrine. You're better off in fact not to mention the name of Jesus Christ at all. Because Jewish people who are our political allies are sensitive about that. And so the Gospel is stifled as a consequence whenever people become political activists. They begin to trim away the offensive parts of the Gospel, it's the natural and inevitable consequence of moving to fight in the political arena. It happens all the time." And so what I would urge as Christians, you should look to the issue of calling. I believe some Christians are called to get involved in lobbying the government. I think some Christians are called to be judges, policemen, congressmen, perhaps even presidents. I think each one of them should recognize the limitations of human government. It is only here to restrain evil until the Gospel can finish its work. If you don't understand that, you're gonna misunderstand. You're gonna think you're gonna go for utopian society that government can in the end save sinners and it cannot. So I think Christians should be involved as salt and light. But understand the limitations. And I think the rest of us should be faithful and preaching Gospel knowing that the issues of abortion and homosexuality and poverty and all the other issues that people try to address through legislation can only be solved by a transformation of the heart by the power of the Gospel and therefore that is the church's real power. But I say to you, we should not judge someone else's servant. If God is calling that brother or that sister into an arena, you should support them and encourage them and not say, "they ought not to be involved in it." 6) Persecuted Christians: What should Christians do about governments who persecute Christians? The final question is the question of persecuted Christians. Satan has had three greater attacks on the church over history. They are persecution, worldliness and false doctrine. Usually you get one of the first two, not both. Either the world surrounding the church is friendly toward the church and therefore lures it into softness and immorality and worldliness or the world surrounding the church is hostile to the church and persecute and attacks it. In both settings false doctrine can be involved. Do you perceive a shift in the relationship between the church and surrounding American culture over the last 30 years? I hope you do. If you trace it out, we are heading toward a hostile relationship with our surrounding culture and with the government. We have to be willing to be persecuted by our own government, not just the Christians in Sudan or in Persian Gulf states or in communist countries. Not just there, but even here. And I say to you, this is the normal relationship of the church and government. All over the world and throughout most of time, the church has had a hostile relationship with the host government. And so Jesus said very, very plainly in Matthew 10, "Be on your guard against men. They will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. On my account, you'll be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time, you'll be given what to say for it will not be you speaking but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." Be ready to give a defense, be ready to stand for the exclusivity of Christ. Be ready to stand for righteousness. I think we're gonna have more and more opportunities as time goes on. Now, what if the persecuting government is not our own government? What if it's another country like in Darfur or in a Muslim country or communist country? Well, first of all, recognize your limitations, how much can you do about that? Well, I think you can do a lot on your knees. And therefore it says in Hebrews 13:3, Remember those in prison," that means in prayer. "Remember in prayer those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." And remember them by supporting them financially, sending a help to them. As the apostle Paul said, when he was in prison people came to him and brought him food and clothing and supported him and were willing to risk their lives to do so. American Christians need to do that as well. III. Summary and Application Now, I have traced over these issues quickly. There's far more that we could say. My desire is that you would, having had a heightened awareness and needs to these issues, be able to talk to one another. The Scripture says, "As iron sharpen iron, so one man sharpens another." I'm in one sense glad that James Dobson and John MacArthur having this discussion because both of them have something valuable to say, frankly. And so they can sharpen one another. It's a very big temptation for someone involved in lobbying government to let go little by little on the salt and light of the Gospel itself and stop preaching Christ to their Jewish co-lobbyists or they're Muslim co-lobbyists. We need to share the Gospel boldly and stand for Christ. But all of this, you know what it's done? It's made me hungry and thirsty for Jesus to come back. These things are a mess. How can we finally resolve any of these things? It's too difficult for us. And so I say, come Lord Jesus, set up your throne and rule over me and over all my brothers and sisters and over the world, that's what I say. I yearn for the day when Christ will come. Because Jesus shed his blood on the cross. Sinners like you and me can have our sins forgiven and we can enter a perfect kingdom where we won't have to wrestle with these seemingly insolvable problems. And so I'm going to finish with this quote from Isaiah. Chapter 9, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. And the government will be upon his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will rule on David's throne and over his kingdom from that time on and forever the zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." Close with me in prayer.