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Pastor's Corner: Citizens under a non-Christian king [No Bible promise of religious liberty]
Newnan (Georgia) Times Herald.com ^ | Nov. 10, 2012 | Daniel Ausbun

Posted on 11/11/2012 1:49:35 PM PST by Colofornian

By DANIEL AUSBUN

First Baptist Church, Moreland

On Tuesday Americans elected a “Christian” President.

The vote was between a fifth generation Mormon and a religious pluralist. Mitt Romney’s great-great grandfather was a member of the Latter-day Saints’ early church. Mormons believe Joseph Smith received revelations from God in western New York beginning in the 1820s.

Mormon teachings add to God’s Word, which is prohibited in Revelation 22:18.

Barack Obama is a Christian by choice. He was baptized as an adult in 1988.

Obama believes Christianity is one of many paths to God. As if we’re all traveling up a mountain and Christianity takes one path, Hinduism a different road on the other side and Islam another path up – only to get to the top and realize we were all going up the same mountain to God, only taking different paths.

This is the growing popular belief of religious pluralism – all sincere, devout religious seekers reach God. The problem with religious pluralism is what Jesus declared in John 14:6. Christ is the exclusive way to God.

Christianity could better be described as God coming down the mountain to save sinners.

Both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama profess to be Christians. Both make this claim, but neither are biblical Christians. If the Bible is our standard (II Timothy 3:16), Jesus clearly said He is the door to salvation (John 10:9). Once the Bible becomes one of many inspired divine books, as found in Mormonism and religious pluralism, Christianity becomes inclusive and anything goes.

Christianity began under Roman rule. Jesus paid Roman taxes. Jesus died on a Roman cross. Christianity is becoming a religious sect in America, just as Judaism was under Roman rule during the days of Jesus. The first century Christians were under authority of a non-Christian king, just like America is today.

Here are three perspectives to consider for a Christian to live as a citizen under a non-Christian king.

First, Washington D. C. is the new Rome. Pres. Obama is not going to provide any religious or spiritual leadership for our nation. Christians should come to expect a secular government.

The greatest protection our government can give believers is religious liberty. This protection is not promised anywhere in Scripture.

Second, Washington D. C. is the new mission field. Spiritual darkness pervades our capital. There are hundreds of religious lobbyists, but whenever you mix religion and politics, you get politics. Jesus told Paul to testify about Him in Rome (Acts 23:11). Less than 15 percent of the population in our capital attends church.

Third, change isn’t going to come from our president, rather Christ changes lives. Abortions will cease when women value life as a gift from God. Same-sex marriage will vanish when couples begin to view marriage as a covenant. Recreational use of marijuana will be replaced when people are delivered from their addictions.

When our King comes He won’t be riding an elephant or donkey.

Christians have three purposes. First, we’re to preach the gospel. We have the message that saves, heals, frees and connects the world with the God of eternity.

Second, we’re to love our neighbors. Our neighbors voted for Obama, are Mormons, have a different color skin and Jesus died for all of them.

Third, we’re to be on mission. Psalm 10:16 says, “The Lord is King forever and ever.” President Obama has four more years – God remains on His throne. A Christian’s mission is to the everlasting King – as long as spiritual darkness remains, missions exist.

America is becoming more and more like first-century Christianity – striving to live for Christ under non-Christian secular rule. Presidential elections should always remind believers their citizenship is ultimately in heaven (Philippians 3:20).


TOPICS: Current Events; Other non-Christian; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: inman; nonchristian; obama; president; romney
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From the article: The vote was between a fifth generation Mormon and a religious pluralist. Mitt Romney’s great-great grandfather was a member of the Latter-day Saints’ early church. Mormons believe Joseph Smith received revelations from God in western New York beginning in the 1820s. Mormon teachings add to God’s Word, which is prohibited in Revelation 22:18... Obama believes Christianity is one of many paths to God....This is the growing popular belief of religious pluralism – all sincere, devout religious seekers reach God. The problem with religious pluralism is what Jesus declared in John 14:6. Christ is the exclusive way to God. Christianity could better be described as God coming down the mountain to save sinners. Both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama profess to be Christians. Both make this claim, but neither are biblical Christians.

From the article: Washington D. C. is the new Rome. Pres. Obama is not going to provide any religious or spiritual leadership for our nation. Christians should come to expect a secular government. The greatest protection our government can give believers is religious liberty. This protection is not promised anywhere in Scripture. Second, Washington D. C. is the new mission field. Spiritual darkness pervades our capital.

1 posted on 11/11/2012 1:49:46 PM PST by Colofornian
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To: All
From the article: ...change isn’t going to come from our president, rather Christ changes lives. Abortions will cease when women value life as a gift from God. Same-sex marriage will vanish when couples begin to view marriage as a covenant...When our King comes He won’t be riding an elephant or donkey.

(A reminder for those who sought relief from mere human sources...this was a failing of the Democrats and many in need in the immediate aftermath of Katrina...as if Bush, the govt, and FEMA were their "saviors")

From the article: America is becoming more and more like first-century Christianity – striving to live for Christ under non-Christian secular rule. Presidential elections should always remind believers their citizenship is ultimately in heaven (Philippians 3:20).

2 posted on 11/11/2012 1:51:59 PM PST by Colofornian (Some say "we're not voting 4 'pastor-in-chief'" --as if "gods-in-embryo" were divine only on Sundays)
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To: Colofornian

The Bible promises us hard times and persecution


3 posted on 11/11/2012 1:55:14 PM PST by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
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Comment #4 Removed by Moderator

To: Colofornian
Mormon teachings add to God’s Word, which is prohibited in Revelation 22:18.

Ignorance is bliss and the writer is either blissfully, or willfully ignorant of the fact that there are more bibles containing different books than just the protestant bible he grew up with.

By the writer's standard, Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Armenians, Syriacs, Coptics and Ethiopians are non-Christian because they have bibles containing different books from that of the writer's bible.

5 posted on 11/11/2012 2:05:39 PM PST by fso301
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To: Colofornian
Second, we’re to love our neighbors. Our neighbors voted for Obama, are Mormons, have a different color skin and Jesus died for all of them.

Excellent article. But please, since you have single-handedly managed to save the nation from electing a Mormon president (and you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of Obama's labor), you can stop now. That horse has left the barn. I seriously doubt you are going to convert the few remaining Mormons who frequent this board. Let's just say that they might possibly be of the opinion that while your voluminous posts indicate that you have all knowledge (as in 1 Cor: 13:2) they're not really feelin' ya vis a vis the second part of that verse.

6 posted on 11/11/2012 2:16:20 PM PST by newheart (The greatest trick the left ever pulled was convincing the world it was not a religion.)
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To: Colofornian
Barack Obama is a Christian by choice.

HE is NO Christian. His choice was Black Theology as his religion who says G*d damn America. NOTHING Christian about it. And I don't need him to be a Christian - but I do want the facts to be right about him.

Christians know we are 'in the world' and not 'of it'. We are also told to hate evil and I DO. And voter fraud is EVIL. And that doesn't make me hate my neighbor whoever they voted for. We are to confront evil and not turn our backs to it. Protecting America from her enemies within is also a blessing for Israel. Why has America been so blessed?

7 posted on 11/11/2012 2:20:56 PM PST by presently no screen name
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To: presently no screen name
Article: Barack Obama is a Christian by choice. Your response: HE is NO Christian

The article went on to say, and I highlighted it in my first post: Both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama profess to be Christians. Both make this claim, but neither are biblical Christians.

8 posted on 11/11/2012 2:40:57 PM PST by Colofornian (Some say "we're not voting 4 'pastor-in-chief'" --as if "gods-in-embryo" were divine only on Sundays)
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To: newheart
...since you have single-handedly managed to save the nation from electing a Mormon president (and you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of Obama's labor), you can stop now. That horse has left the barn. I seriously doubt you are going to convert the few remaining Mormons who frequent this board.

Prone to exaggeration, aren't you? And inconsistency as well...

How is it inconsistent? First you somehow claim that MILLIONS read what I write -- and all somehow agree with me; and then you reduce what I write to Mormons to only those "who frequent this board." (If there's somehow MILLIONS who read my stuff, then why not MILLIONS of Mormons who don't frequent FR?)

And the exaggeration is obvious

I mean even if you could somehow prove that FR collectively has as much influence as you even accord me, note that very few threads were posted by me after Aug. 11. (I didn't even post at all the latter part of August; and not at all during September)

So what are you going to do? Retroactively chastise every negative poster of Romney -- including this site's host? Since Romney still had competition up thru Santorum's departure (I believe that was early April), is every negative poster of Romney from 2007-thru March 2012 somehow suspect in your eyes?

Were people suppose to know with your "vision" that a RINO would be the GoP rep -- and therefore Romney & his Mormonism was supposed to be "sacrosanct" and free from ALL crits, per divine order of Newheart?

Hmm...I guess Romney's primary competition never got your memo...(and I didn't either)

9 posted on 11/11/2012 2:51:44 PM PST by Colofornian (Some say "we're not voting 4 'pastor-in-chief'" --as if "gods-in-embryo" were divine only on Sundays)
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To: Colofornian
....but whenever you mix religion and politics, you get politics.
This.

Since the advent of the Moral Majority, Christians have been demonized and marginalized by the Democrats and their MSM allies, because they were perceived as Republican assets.

Now it's difficult to speak about God's message because so many people can't look past the political label.

10 posted on 11/11/2012 2:55:36 PM PST by Bratch
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To: Colofornian

Exaggeration is characteristic of caricature. That you don’t have influence over millions is precisely my point.


11 posted on 11/11/2012 3:01:06 PM PST by newheart (The greatest trick the left ever pulled was convincing the world it was not a religion.)
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To: fso301

You haven’t done your homework, Sir. You are the one at disadvantage here.


12 posted on 11/11/2012 3:08:54 PM PST by righttackle44 (I may not be much, but I raised a United States Marine .)
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To: Bratch; All
Now it's difficult to speak about God's message because so many people can't look past the political label.

Well, the context of the part of the article you cite was this pastor talking about Christian lobbyists in D.C.

And while you might think -- because of the darkness in D.C. (what this pastor was also discussing) -- that these Christian lobbyists would be right where they are needed because of the deep need for the Gospel in D.C....instead, this pastor claims that when politics becomes the ultimate focus by these Christian lobbyists, the Gospel gets either trumped -- or aborted.

And this last election especially proved that...

Across the board, ALL of the Christian "players" -- from Gary Bauer to FRC to the pro-life groups to every other Christian org in D.C...they all became beholden to attempting to gain their D.C. "place at the political table"...

Whatever they said about Obama was on the mark -- and kudos for them; but whatever they said about Romney was usually incomplete -- and usually was a half-truth...they deliberately ignored (tabled) Romney's RINOism...his pro-abortion statements/track record; RomneyCare; his belief that he was a "god in embryo"; and the reality that his $millions given to the Mormon church only has reinforced an organization that has openly -- and DAILY -- attacked the worldwide Christian church.

So politics trumped truth-telling...they couldn't be bothered to disclose the "good" and the "bad" about Romney; such hesitation and qualifications in LobbyistLand is unheard of...

So they suppressed the full truth about Romney; and attempted to carefully slice-and-dice navigate around who he was, what he stood for -- and failed to stand for -- and hence, there goes some of their credibility.

Now mind you, Gary Bauer, the pro-life groups, FRC, and the others have done marvelous things thru the years. They've stood tall in a tough place to be. They've been a tremendous asset to the Christian community -- and I think they still can be. But if they don't repent for "going RINO" on us in the interest of relativistic politics, then expect more of the same in the future.

13 posted on 11/11/2012 3:09:37 PM PST by Colofornian (Some say "we're not voting 4 'pastor-in-chief'" --as if "gods-in-embryo" were divine only on Sundays)
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To: righttackle44
You haven’t done your homework, Sir. You are the one at disadvantage here.

How so?

14 posted on 11/11/2012 3:11:39 PM PST by fso301
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To: Colofornian

“The article went on to say, and I highlighted it in my first post: Both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama profess to be Christians. Both make this claim, but neither are biblical Christians. “

At least it is clear that Romney is a Mormon. Nobody is quite sure what the heck Obama is.


15 posted on 11/11/2012 3:31:03 PM PST by ari-freedom
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To: Colofornian

“First, Washington D. C. is the new Rome.”

Actually, it could be the Babylon referred to in devastating terms in the book of Revelation.


16 posted on 11/11/2012 3:32:05 PM PST by txrefugee
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To: Colofornian

The author doesn’t explain how Barry is a religious pluralist nor give the definition.


17 posted on 11/11/2012 3:50:11 PM PST by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously, you won't live through it anyway)
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To: ari-freedom
Nobody is quite sure what the heck Obama is.

The anti christ...

18 posted on 11/11/2012 3:50:30 PM PST by dragonblustar (Allah Ain't So Akbar!)
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To: Colofornian

Let me amend that: He doesn’t get into the specifics of why he believes Barry is a religious pluralist.


19 posted on 11/11/2012 3:51:11 PM PST by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously, you won't live through it anyway)
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To: Colofornian

Pres. Obama is not going to provide any religious or spiritual leadership for our nation.

fine by me if he doesn’t provide any spiritual direction.

I prefer my leader to be what they are, practice what they and not tell the rest of us what we, collectively, are not.


20 posted on 11/11/2012 3:52:40 PM PST by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously, you won't live through it anyway)
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