AMonger
Veteran Expediter
Posted for comments. I see a lot on this board about submission to supposed authority, even when that supposed authority is in excess of their powers. It's easy to go too far with this, but I think that's better than cringing, slavering submission, something that neither Good nor our founding fathers are on record as approving.
Formatting a little suspect, so here's the URL: http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/home/archives/4823
What Will They Say To Say To
Shadrach, Meshach, And
Abednego?
Let me start with a story. A man who had survived the
great Johnstown flood died and went to Heaven. And
not long after, all of the inhabitants of Heaven were
allowed to take center stage and tell everyone about
the most significant event that had happened to them
while on Earth. The man couldn’t wait to tell everyone
about his surviving the great Johnstown flood. After a
long wait in line, it was finally his turn. The man was so
excited to tell everyone his story. But just as he was
climbing the stairs to the platform, an angel leaned
over to him and whispered, “Don’t forget; Noah is in
the audience.”
I am reminded of that story when I read the Scriptural
passage in Hebrews 12: “Wherefore seeing we also are
compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.”
The witnesses the Apostle speaks of are the great
champions who have gone on before us, which are
mentioned in chapter eleven. Included by implication
in the great “Hall of Faith” of Hebrews 11 are the three
young Hebrews: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
(verse 34, “Quenched the violence of fire.”)
So, what was it that got these three young men
included in this list that along with the likes of
Abraham, Moses, and David? You’ll find their story in
Daniel chapter three. In a nutshell, they refused to
bow down to the image of the king. In other words,
THEY DISOBEYED A CIVIL GOVERNMENT THAT HAD
BECOME TYRANNICAL. And for refusing to submit to
the king, they were thrown into a burning fiery
furnace.
Come to think of it, many of the people named in the
Hebrews 11 “Hall of Faith” got there because of civil
disobedience. Speaking of Moses, the Scripture says,
“By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the
king.” So, when did Moses forsake Egypt? When he
killed the Egyptian taskmaster who was beating a
Hebrew slave to death. That’s when!
Rahab is also mentioned in this Biblical “Hall of Faith.”
Who was Rahab, and what did she do? She was a
prostitute who lied to government soldiers and helped
the Hebrew spies escape the city of Jericho. Gideon,
Barak, Samson, and Jephthae are also listed. Who are
they, and what did they do? They were men who led
armed rebellions against oppressive governments to
which they had been subject.
Daniel is inferred in Hebrews 11 when it says,
“Stopped the mouths of lions.” What did he do? He
refused to submit to his civil government when
commanded to not pray aloud (for only thirty days).
And for refusing to submit to his government, he was
cast into a den of hungry lions. Yes, God delivered
Daniel from the lions and the three young Hebrews
from the burning furnace of fire. But the point is, they
each DISOBEYED civil government, and God brags on
them for it in Hebrews 11.
So, what are all these “Romans 13-ers” going to say to
Daniel, Moses, and Gideon when they get to Heaven?
What are they going to say to Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego? What are they going to say to those men
who “overthrew kingdoms” (Heb. 11:33), “waxed
valiant in combat” (vs. 34), and “turned to flight . . .
armies”? (Armies are government-sanctioned,
government-supported, government-ordered entities–
vs. 34.)
I cannot count the number of times I have heard some
TV or radio preacher say something to the effect,
“Well, I’m glad we were given freedom here in the
United States, but our Founding Fathers were wrong to
rebel against the British Crown. According to Romans
13, they should have submitted to King George.” Barf!
Gag! Spit! What hypocrisy!
To all of the Romans 13 Pharisees out there, I say, if
you are really going to believe and preach that
garbage, at least be honest enough to stop celebrating
Independence Day on July 4. It was the day when men
became traitors to Great Britain and officially declared
a revolutionary war. And stop flying the Stars and
Stripes in your church auditoriums. It was the flag of
rebellion. How dare you say America’s founders
violated Romans 13 in one breath and with the next
breath say you thank God for the freedom that was
purchased AT THE SACRIFICE OF THE BLOOD OF THE
MEN YOU SAY VIOLATED ROMANS 13! Pardon me, but
I just cannot think of anything that is more hypocritical
than that!
And remember this about Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego: it was AFTER they disobeyed their king and
were thrown into the furnace of fire that they met the
Son of God. It was King Nebuchadnezzar who said, “I
see four men loose . . . the fourth is like the Son of
God.” (Daniel 3:25)
Think about it: where did Moses meet the Lord? In the
wilderness by a burning bush after he had defied
Egyptian tyranny by killing an Egyptian taskmaster who
was beating a Hebrew slave to death. Where did
Gideon meet the Lord? In a threshing floor as he
willowed his grain in defiance of evil civil authority.
When did Stephen meet the Lord? When political and
religious leaders were stoning him to death for
refusing to submit to their iniquitous injunctions. And
think of this, too: where did the Lord Jesus meet man?
On a bloody Roman cross–being placed there by the
civil and religious rulers of His day.
Most Christians today are looking to meet the Lord in a
heated or air conditioned church sanctuary with
padded pews and ornate windows, with an orchestra
playing and a choir singing, and fried chicken waiting
for them after the service. But that’s not where you’re
going to find the Fourth Man.
When you resist the religious Pharisees who are trying
to intimidate and coerce you into submitting to their
legalism and tyranny, then you will see the Fourth
Man. When you resist the power establishment that
demands that you accept their politically correct
philosophies and ideologies, then you will see the
Fourth Man. When you refuse to be bought, bribed, or
bullied by the “good old boy” network that seeks to
control you, then you will see the Fourth Man. When
you resist your family and friends who try to shame
you into abandoning the principles of liberty and
freedom that God, Himself, has planted in your heart,
then you will see the Fourth Man. When you are
threatened and persecuted and you say, “I must obey
God rather than men,” then you will see the Fourth
Man.
Do you really think you’re going to find the One who
went to a bloody cross in a meadow of roses? The only
roses He knew were the ones whose thorns were
smashed on his skull. You won’t find him in a garden,
unless it’s the Garden of Gethsemane. You’ll find the
One who went to the Cross in the same place that
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego found Him: in the
Burning Fiery Furnace.
God said told us that when we pass through the
floodwaters, and when we walk through the fire, we
would find Him to be with us. (Isaiah 43:2)
Of course, let me be careful to say that real Christians
are peacemakers. They desire to live a quiet and
peaceable life with their neighbors, their civil
authorities, and even with other nations. They readily
recognize and respect lawful, God-ordained authority.
But, at the same time, they will not surrender that
which is holy and give it to swine! They absolutely will
not become toadies for unlawful government that
attempts to usurp the God-given authority and
jurisdiction to which it has been divinely assigned!
I am often reminded of this quote from Mahatma
Gandhi: “There are, I am sorry to say, many Temples in
our midst in this country which are no better than
brothels.”
Gandhi’s quote could be said of many so-called
churches in America today, for they, too, have become
little more than glorified brothels that pimp for the
government. “Submit! Obey! Don’t resist!” they
constantly preach. I wonder what they will say one day
to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?
Formatting a little suspect, so here's the URL: http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/home/archives/4823
What Will They Say To Say To
Shadrach, Meshach, And
Abednego?
Let me start with a story. A man who had survived the
great Johnstown flood died and went to Heaven. And
not long after, all of the inhabitants of Heaven were
allowed to take center stage and tell everyone about
the most significant event that had happened to them
while on Earth. The man couldn’t wait to tell everyone
about his surviving the great Johnstown flood. After a
long wait in line, it was finally his turn. The man was so
excited to tell everyone his story. But just as he was
climbing the stairs to the platform, an angel leaned
over to him and whispered, “Don’t forget; Noah is in
the audience.”
I am reminded of that story when I read the Scriptural
passage in Hebrews 12: “Wherefore seeing we also are
compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.”
The witnesses the Apostle speaks of are the great
champions who have gone on before us, which are
mentioned in chapter eleven. Included by implication
in the great “Hall of Faith” of Hebrews 11 are the three
young Hebrews: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
(verse 34, “Quenched the violence of fire.”)
So, what was it that got these three young men
included in this list that along with the likes of
Abraham, Moses, and David? You’ll find their story in
Daniel chapter three. In a nutshell, they refused to
bow down to the image of the king. In other words,
THEY DISOBEYED A CIVIL GOVERNMENT THAT HAD
BECOME TYRANNICAL. And for refusing to submit to
the king, they were thrown into a burning fiery
furnace.
Come to think of it, many of the people named in the
Hebrews 11 “Hall of Faith” got there because of civil
disobedience. Speaking of Moses, the Scripture says,
“By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the
king.” So, when did Moses forsake Egypt? When he
killed the Egyptian taskmaster who was beating a
Hebrew slave to death. That’s when!
Rahab is also mentioned in this Biblical “Hall of Faith.”
Who was Rahab, and what did she do? She was a
prostitute who lied to government soldiers and helped
the Hebrew spies escape the city of Jericho. Gideon,
Barak, Samson, and Jephthae are also listed. Who are
they, and what did they do? They were men who led
armed rebellions against oppressive governments to
which they had been subject.
Daniel is inferred in Hebrews 11 when it says,
“Stopped the mouths of lions.” What did he do? He
refused to submit to his civil government when
commanded to not pray aloud (for only thirty days).
And for refusing to submit to his government, he was
cast into a den of hungry lions. Yes, God delivered
Daniel from the lions and the three young Hebrews
from the burning furnace of fire. But the point is, they
each DISOBEYED civil government, and God brags on
them for it in Hebrews 11.
So, what are all these “Romans 13-ers” going to say to
Daniel, Moses, and Gideon when they get to Heaven?
What are they going to say to Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego? What are they going to say to those men
who “overthrew kingdoms” (Heb. 11:33), “waxed
valiant in combat” (vs. 34), and “turned to flight . . .
armies”? (Armies are government-sanctioned,
government-supported, government-ordered entities–
vs. 34.)
I cannot count the number of times I have heard some
TV or radio preacher say something to the effect,
“Well, I’m glad we were given freedom here in the
United States, but our Founding Fathers were wrong to
rebel against the British Crown. According to Romans
13, they should have submitted to King George.” Barf!
Gag! Spit! What hypocrisy!
To all of the Romans 13 Pharisees out there, I say, if
you are really going to believe and preach that
garbage, at least be honest enough to stop celebrating
Independence Day on July 4. It was the day when men
became traitors to Great Britain and officially declared
a revolutionary war. And stop flying the Stars and
Stripes in your church auditoriums. It was the flag of
rebellion. How dare you say America’s founders
violated Romans 13 in one breath and with the next
breath say you thank God for the freedom that was
purchased AT THE SACRIFICE OF THE BLOOD OF THE
MEN YOU SAY VIOLATED ROMANS 13! Pardon me, but
I just cannot think of anything that is more hypocritical
than that!
And remember this about Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego: it was AFTER they disobeyed their king and
were thrown into the furnace of fire that they met the
Son of God. It was King Nebuchadnezzar who said, “I
see four men loose . . . the fourth is like the Son of
God.” (Daniel 3:25)
Think about it: where did Moses meet the Lord? In the
wilderness by a burning bush after he had defied
Egyptian tyranny by killing an Egyptian taskmaster who
was beating a Hebrew slave to death. Where did
Gideon meet the Lord? In a threshing floor as he
willowed his grain in defiance of evil civil authority.
When did Stephen meet the Lord? When political and
religious leaders were stoning him to death for
refusing to submit to their iniquitous injunctions. And
think of this, too: where did the Lord Jesus meet man?
On a bloody Roman cross–being placed there by the
civil and religious rulers of His day.
Most Christians today are looking to meet the Lord in a
heated or air conditioned church sanctuary with
padded pews and ornate windows, with an orchestra
playing and a choir singing, and fried chicken waiting
for them after the service. But that’s not where you’re
going to find the Fourth Man.
When you resist the religious Pharisees who are trying
to intimidate and coerce you into submitting to their
legalism and tyranny, then you will see the Fourth
Man. When you resist the power establishment that
demands that you accept their politically correct
philosophies and ideologies, then you will see the
Fourth Man. When you refuse to be bought, bribed, or
bullied by the “good old boy” network that seeks to
control you, then you will see the Fourth Man. When
you resist your family and friends who try to shame
you into abandoning the principles of liberty and
freedom that God, Himself, has planted in your heart,
then you will see the Fourth Man. When you are
threatened and persecuted and you say, “I must obey
God rather than men,” then you will see the Fourth
Man.
Do you really think you’re going to find the One who
went to a bloody cross in a meadow of roses? The only
roses He knew were the ones whose thorns were
smashed on his skull. You won’t find him in a garden,
unless it’s the Garden of Gethsemane. You’ll find the
One who went to the Cross in the same place that
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego found Him: in the
Burning Fiery Furnace.
God said told us that when we pass through the
floodwaters, and when we walk through the fire, we
would find Him to be with us. (Isaiah 43:2)
Of course, let me be careful to say that real Christians
are peacemakers. They desire to live a quiet and
peaceable life with their neighbors, their civil
authorities, and even with other nations. They readily
recognize and respect lawful, God-ordained authority.
But, at the same time, they will not surrender that
which is holy and give it to swine! They absolutely will
not become toadies for unlawful government that
attempts to usurp the God-given authority and
jurisdiction to which it has been divinely assigned!
I am often reminded of this quote from Mahatma
Gandhi: “There are, I am sorry to say, many Temples in
our midst in this country which are no better than
brothels.”
Gandhi’s quote could be said of many so-called
churches in America today, for they, too, have become
little more than glorified brothels that pimp for the
government. “Submit! Obey! Don’t resist!” they
constantly preach. I wonder what they will say one day
to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?
