{"id":11705,"date":"2020-12-14T00:04:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-14T00:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pjhmail.wordpress.com\/?p=11705"},"modified":"2020-12-14T00:04:00","modified_gmt":"2020-12-14T00:04:00","slug":"politics-and-believers-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/11705\/politics-and-believers-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Politics and Believers – 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi Jim.\u00a0 <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you for writing back.\u00a0 I will enclose\u00a0my answers\u00a0within the text of your welcome email.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

jdc<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Pastor John,<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you for your response.\u00a0 It was much more than i anticipated.\u00a0 Typically I expect pastors who are challenged to respond\u00a0with “no response.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That brings me to something that is inherent from our God.\u00a0 The ability to reason and make distinctions.\u00a0 So i will begin my case with Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s statement, one of many, though i chose this,\u00a0 “To be silent in the face of evil is evil itself.\u00a0 To NOT act is to act and to NOT speak is to speak.”<\/span><\/p>\n

I have used the previous scriptures in my first letter to you only to make the claim that neither of the three presented provide you or me with a justification towards silence in any arena in this world or in this country.<\/span><\/p>\n

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As I said in my first response, “I should correct one misrepresentation of my tract* that I noticed in your letter.\u00a0 You criticized me for teaching inaction and silence in the face of evil.\u00a0 That is not the case.\u00a0 The tract plainly exhorts God\u2019s children to pray for all who are in authority and to proclaim the gospel.”\u00a0 Again, I do not teach God’s children to do and say nothing in the face of evil.\u00a0 I teach only that we should be led by the Spirit in whatever it is that we do and say.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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The use of the term “world” and “country” are deliberate here as I will point out. There is an important distinction to be made with these two terms because the scripture makes it for us.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I as\u00a0a\u00a0Christian like millions of other Christian am tasked with many roles, a\u00a0father a\u00a0neighbor an\u00a0employee or an employer, a\u00a0husband a\u00a0friend and a citizen of a country\u00a0where ever\u00a0that may be.\u00a0 For you and I it is the United States of America. This country has been founded with many freedoms in mind, unlike communist China for example.\u00a0 Here is the scriptural distinction that is often and mistakenly used interchangeably. Citizen of a country is a role assigned in the same manner as a role as a Christian father or a Christian husband ect.\u00a0 \u00a0This position in the WORLD is clearly characterized by John in his first epistle. 1 John 2 15-17. And this distinction is clearly set apart from a\u00a0citizens\u00a0earthly responsibility and role.\u00a0\u00a0So let me clearly unpack the passage in a nutshell:\u00a0 three areas: the lust of the flesh(pleasure) the lust of the eyes(possessions) and the pride of life(position or power).\u00a0 These are the characteristics of the WORLD that John refers to. and these are the very things we are to guard against and not be a part of. It is not the role of a citizen in the United States that we are to shun. It is the world characteristics as described here by John.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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That is a logical position for you to take, Jim.\u00a0 I understand the distinction you are making.\u00a0 I see a flaw in it, as you might expect, but I congratulate you for your clarity of thought.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By the way, have you ever noticed that the three things in 1Jn. 2 that you mentioned are the same three things Satan used to tempt both Eve and Jesus?\u00a0 Eve fell, but Jesus overcame it.\u00a0 Check that out.\u00a0 You will be blessed with what you find.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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Second point:\u00a0 The entire bible is saturated with a believers involvement in the government of their day or politics if you will.\u00a0 Of course the form of government was much different and more restrictive than the one we live under.\u00a0 Lets take a look at Joseph who ultimately held an upper tier position in the government of that day.\u00a0 He rose to that position as second only to Pharaoh because of his loyalty and diligence to his assignments.\u00a0 He is not looked upon as operating outside of his commitment to our God.\u00a0 There is no condemnation assigned to him for his involvement in Pharaoh’s government, rather God looked with favor upon Joseph and immensely blessed him. Genesis 41: 37-41 depicts the position of honor assigned Joseph in Egypt’s government, a foreign land to his birth.<\/span><\/p>\n

David who ultimately became king of Israel crafted public policy under the umbrella of God’s authority.\u00a0 The Sanhedrian was primarily a spiritual decision making body but also made public policy for the Jews despite being under Roman Rule.\u00a0 Even Moses established a rudimentary form of governing the people on earth.\u00a0 The point being that believers have historically been assigned to roles in an earthly government-politics. In your tract there is a strong message delivered that your responsibility ONLY lies in prayer, peace, joy love truth as your weapons.\u00a0 This is not entirely true those are the primary weaponry but ultimately the results often manifest itself in the here the now and the physical.\u00a0 We have been given the resolve of Grace to execute our given roles as presented by God to us.\u00a0 \u00a0This includes and does not exclude our role as a citizen of our COUNTRY.\u00a0 \u00a0 If someone slaps your wife across the face would you tell her to permit the offender to slap the other cheek.\u00a0 I hope not.\u00a0 This is an example of how the spiritual has affected the here and now. So\u00a0 what is your responsibility to your wife in your role as a husband in the here and now.\u00a0 I hope that you would intervene to protect her physically. Attaching the weapons you suggest do not apply immediately in such a situation. The results have already manifested itself in this situation. Even the words of Jesus telling us to turn the other cheek are not applicable here.\u00a0 Unfortunately these types of versus are taken out of context and used inappropriately as in the case of some of your references.\u00a0 We have a vast population of believers who do not know what time it is. They have not been instructed to properly distinguish what time is appropriate for this, for that, and for many other things to come.\u00a0 Eccl. 3 outlines some of these distinctions in time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

============<\/span><\/p>\n

Your use of Old Testament figures as examples for us to follow, in the area of political action, tells me that you do not understand the essential difference between the Old and New Testaments.\u00a0 Israel was an earthly nation; the body of Christ is not.\u00a0 Remember what Jesus said.\u00a0 “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight” \u2013 fight in various ways for positions of earthly power, quarrel over earthly policies, campaign and vote, and even attack their enemies with deadly weapons instead of praying for them, as Peter did in the garden of Gethsemane, for which Jesus rebuked him.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The Old Testament was a covenant “in the flesh”, as Paul would say it.\u00a0 Circumcision, sacrifices, etc., were all in the flesh.\u00a0 But this is a covenant in the Spirit, and only that worship and service to God that is “in spirit and in truth” is acceptable now with God.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

As for someone striking my wife, or any such situation, I believe that Jesus had situations like that in mind when he exhorted us to pray that God would not lead us into temptation.\u00a0 I would certainly interpose my body between her and her attacker.\u00a0 What else I would do, I do not know.\u00a0 That would depend, I am sure, on the circumstances and the limits of my faith in God.\u00a0 I have prayed many times, as Jesus told us to do, not to be led into that temptation.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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I would point out that God has placed us in a country that gives us the freedom to challenge the political leaders. We are not defying the government in the United States when we challenge them, we are abiding by the governmental system that is already in place by God’s hand. To abdicate this incredible authority\/gift because of misapplication of scriptural versus is very sad. Rom 13 gives us government to act as a restraint to evil not to proliferate evil.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Again, if the Spirit leads someone to rebuke a political leader anywhere in this world, from local mayors to the President himself, the Spirit is always right.\u00a0 Do it.\u00a0 But\u00a0that is not political action<\/u>; that is not taking up the weapons of this world.\u00a0 That is obeying God and walking in the Spirit.\u00a0 But a word of caution: we should be certain that God’s Spirit is the one leading us and not our frustrated flesh or a demon.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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So sir i hope that my use of brief Scriptural history and the distinction made between the WORLD as defined in scripture and our responsible ROLE as a CITIZEN are clearly distinguished.\u00a0 We are primarily citizens of heaven for sure, but we are to refrain from world citizenship that includes a focus on pleasure, possessions and power but we also have a God given ROLE called a citizen of this U.S.A.\u00a0 Avoidance, inaction, silence & apathy are not very attractive traits when it comes to the roles given to us by our God.<\/span><\/p>\n

============<\/span><\/p>\n

That brings me back to your use of logic.\u00a0 I will add here a quote from my latest book, “The Jerusalem Council”:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

“Daniel:<\/strong>\u00a0My friends, logic is a sharp and useful tool; I wish more people were skilled in its use.\u00a0\u00a0However, logic is useful only in matters pertaining to this life.\u00a0\u00a0In the kingdom of God, revelation is logic, and faith provides us the skill to use it.”<\/p>\n

The revelation and power which Jesus suffered and died for us to have makes us wiser than human reasoning can make us.\u00a0 Those who are in Christ are superior to even the holiest of men of God who ever lived (Mt. 11:11).\u00a0 Much more, then, are they superior to the greatest thinkers, rulers, and generals of this world.\u00a0 We just need the faith to see that, and to live by it.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

============<\/span><\/p>\n

Let me leave you with a final challenge that was not addressed in your earlier response to me, likely and innocently left out.\u00a0 Abortions proliferation that lines up with Bonhoeffer’s statement, and two, the avoidance of politics from the pulpit because it may jeopardize tax exempt status.<\/span><\/p>\n

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(1) To kill unborn children is evil, except in special cases, such as to save the life of the mother.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

(2) After a decade of consideration, we rejected the government’s offer of tax-exempt status in 2001.\u00a0 That is no longer a consideration for us.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

=============<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank You<\/span><\/p>\n

Jim DiGeronimo\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

=============<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you, Jim.\u00a0 It is a pleasure to discuss the things of God with reasonable people who are familiar with the Scriptures, and I hope that someday we will be made one in Christ by the only One who can.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Pastor John \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

* Politics and Believers<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi Jim.\u00a0 Thank you for writing back.\u00a0 I will enclose\u00a0my answers\u00a0within the text of your welcome email. jdc Pastor John, Thank you for your response.\u00a0 It was much more than i anticipated.\u00a0 Typically I expect pastors who are challenged to respond\u00a0with “no response.”\u00a0\u00a0 That brings me to something that is inherent from our God.\u00a0 The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-netmail"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11705"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11705"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11705\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}