Comment on Iron Rhetoric from a chap named “Machen”
“Ultimately, Bret and his followers are focused upon this world. They are hungry for things that they see with their eyes. They want their own country. But in doing so, they have failed to see that we have a much better country. One that our forefathers sought by faith, and yet they did not see it till death. When will Bret learn to stop cherry picking history and start looking above where Christ is?”
Bret responds with 12 response (One comeback for every Apostle),
1.) You couldn’t fill a phone booth (remember those?) with Bret’s followers.
2.) There was a time I wanted my own wife and my own children and my own friends. There was a time I wanted to Pastor my own church. Then there was a time I wanted my own grandchildren. Did all these realities prove that I was hungry for things I see with my eyes and that said hunger was not Christian?
3.) Damn straight I want my own country. Just like the pagan Chinese have their own country … just like the pagan Bagels have their own country (the US) … just like the pagan Mooselimbs have their own countries. It is the height of disobedience to Christ for a Christian to suggest that somehow it is sinful to desire to have a country that is Christian, White, and Heritage American. What? … it is the case that I am most holy when I go about not wanting my own country?
4.) I trust everyone easily sees how this is Gnostic to the core. Somehow being a Christian in this chap’s world means that corporeal things are un-holy. This chap probably spends his evenings before bedtime flagellating himself till he bleeds.
5.) This chap will have to ask those who have attended funeral sermons I’ve preached if I fail to see and emphasize that we have a better country. However, all because we have a better country coming doesn’t mean that we get to trash the present country we have or might have if we are faithful to the Lord Christ.
6.) I guarantee you this chap is either amillennial or premillennial.
7.) If death and the heavenly country is the be all end all for this chap why doesn’t he pray daily that he might die? If he dies soon he doesn’t have to put up with all the gross stuff that is this life.
8.) Has this chap ever read the verse; “Occupy till I come?” (Luke 19:13)
9.) Cherry picking history? Look if I’m cherry picking history let him and his idiot Gnostic cronies publish not one, but two, 500 page plus volumes of quotes from the Church Fathers who support their Gnosticism when it comes to Christian Nationalism and Kinism. Shoot, bang, I’ll even let him cherry pick if he wants to.
10.) Kinists have ALL the evidence on their side. We have two large published anthologies that supports the truth that the Church fathers have been on our side and that over the centuries.
11.) It is precisely because I make it endeavor to set my mind on things above, not on things on the earth that works in me the working out of my salvation in fear and trembling to the end of making every area of this life serve Christ.
12.) Something about “taking every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.” Thoughts about social order arrangement. Thoughts about race / culture / faith. Thoughts about history. Every thought.
I pray that this strand of Gnosticism would be arrested and extinguished in the modern church today. I pray that this chap would yet repent and along with all Christ’s people desire a nation of their own.
As saints of the Most High who are to be administering Christs Kingdom on earth, our first duty is to
this present physical world. We will have plenty of time in eternity.
I also believe that when scripture states that this world is not our home, it is meant in the sense
that the old heaven and earth of Mosaic judaism and the letter of the law that kills is what is meant.
The first century evil age that Pauls audience lived in was waiting for the true home, the new heavens and earth wherein righteousness dwells. We have it now and need to focus on this world. Its our command and duty.
Alas, the accusation of being too “worldly-minded” is a serious one, that a genuine Christian cannot just pooh-pooh away. After all, even Martin Luther declared (at least rhetorically), in his most famous hymn, that he would be ready to give up all secular goods just to win the Kingdom of Heaven for himself – and he wrote this just around the time when the Ottoman Turks were pushing towards Vienna:
“Nehmen sie den Leib,
Gut, Ehr, Kind und Weib:
lass fahren dahin,
sie haben’s kein’ Gewinn,
das Reich muss uns doch bleiben.”
I am of course not siding with your attacker, just providing a sober, loving warning.
Thank you for that Viisaus.
However, I am convinced that while it certainly could be the case that I am too worldly minded, it is the prevailing sin of the Church at this time to be Gnostic in its attitude towards all things corporeal.