Mike Huckabee and the Two Kingdoms
Monday, January 7, 2008 at 03:52PM 
Now that Mike Huckabee is surging in the polls--quite a surprise to me--his candidacy raises very important issues regarding the two kingdoms (the "kingdom of God" and the "city of man"). Huckabee was governor of Arkansas for more than ten years, so one might assume that Huckabee no longer sees himself as called to the gospel ministry. Not so. Click here: Huckabee Steps Back Into the Pulpit at Evangelical Church in N.H.
Here's why Huckabee and so many on the Christian Right make me nervous--they often confuse the two kingdoms. Here's an example of what I mean. On January 6, while campaigning in New Hampshire for president of the United States, Mike Huckabee preached a sermon at a church called the Crossing. In his sermon, Huckabee stated "When we become believers, it's as if we have signed up to be part of God's Army, to be soldiers for Christ." This raises a number of red-flags.
First, if Huckabee is called to public service (a legitimate and noble calling), then he should resign his office as minister. That would clarify things greatly. In effect, Huckabee should do what the minister in the movie the Patriot did when he took up arms against the Tories--he took off his clerical collar before going to war. This made things very clear. Ministers don't wage war. Citizens can if the cause is just.
Second, it makes me very, very, nervous when a presidential candidate gets in a pulpit and preaches a sermon during the midst of an election in which he is running for office, especially when the church service seems much like an election rally. It makes me even more nervous when candidate Huckabee speaks of God's army and being a soldier for Christ in that same sermon.
In all fairness, Huckabee made an effort to preach a sermon and not give a political speech. But why does a candidate who feels he is called to be president of the United States, also feel called to preach a sermon using militaristic metaphors, if not to whip up potential voters? If not confusing the kingdoms (which I think Huckabee did), it certainly muddies the waters. Not good.
Third, since evangelicals often don't evaluate things theologically, they tend not to see a man confused about what God has called him to do (either be a public servant or a minister), and instead see value in having a "man of God" as president. This, many think, will ensure that the traditional values agenda is duly addressed from the right perspective. After all, it is argued, America is a "Christian nation" and must maintain these values. Huckabee, it is believed, will do this.
When viewed from the perspective of the two kingdoms, every Christian is simultaneously a citizen of both kingdoms and our theological beliefs should inform how we behave as citizens. But there's no distinction of kingdoms with Huckabee in a pulpit, and Huckabee's "soldiers in God's army" are people who will serve his political cause. In other words, they'll vote for him and encourage others to do the same. Fine for a political rally. Not fine for a church service.
Let say that as for me and my house, we'll have nothing to do with Mike Huckabee. I don't like his populist rhetoric. I want to hear talk about budget cuts, tax cuts, size of government cuts, etc. I want to hear a candidate tell me how he will protect my civil liberties and not mortgage the future of my children by taxing and spending. Furthermore, I will not support a candidate for president who wants the nanny state to protect me by keeping me from smoking--Huckabee supported a national "no smoking" initiative. By the way, other than a very occasional cigar, I don't smoke. I happen to think the nanny state can be as dangerous to my health as a two-pack a day habit.
Reader Comments (86)
I've really been wrestling with your comment that someone running for civil office should resign from ministry. Really? Would I need to resign from ministry if I decided to run for the school board or town council? Does this preclude policemen from serving on the board of elders at the church? I understand that magnitude of public office is vastly different here, but does that make a difference. Doesn't the potential to confuse the two kingdoms present itself in the above examples as well?
There are plenty of pharmacists who can tell me whether or not I should take naproxen when I'm on MAOIs.
It is pretty easy to tell if you have an infected boil and you need antibiotics. The FDA shouldn't be holding the keys.
Under british imperialism, China tried to protect itself from the importation of opium, but british ships attacked and captured chinese ports and imported tons of opium with sole purpose of enslaving the masses. This seems strikingly evil. When human traffickers abduct sexual slaves, they inject them with addictive opiates in order to make them physically dependent before degrading them in other ways to the point where they will become sexually compliant. This also is heinously evil. While opiates have amazing medical uses, governments have a right and responsibility to restrict their use.
The same arguments cannot be effectively made for antibiotics, alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, leptoprin, aspirin, ritalin, prozac, or even viagra. Nanny state go away.
It is not government's responsibility to make decisions for us regarding our personal safety, only regarding the safety of others. Good government regulations include those against drunk driving, and proper food handling in restaurants (public safety). Bad laws include outlawing hangliding, basejumping, mandatory helmet and seatbelt laws (personal safety laws.)
Just because a committee decided that bicycle helmets are safer does not change the fact that they increase the rate of death and permanent disability for cyclists. Not only should people make their own personal safety choices as a matter of principle, the public generally has to pay a lot of money for those committees to make, and justify their decisions, and unsurprisingly their is often a business contigent (of bike helmet manufacturers) vigorously exploiting some unrelated bicycle tragedy and a whole lot unscrupulous gifts to politicians to lobby for the new law.
This is the only thing I like about Ron Paul, because I think he is a dufus on foreign policy and immigration.
Libs on the other hand are usually paddling backwards with the simultaneous goals of legalizing street drugs and keeping theoretically dangerous(if you take 4x the recommended dose while overly dehydrated and refibulating your heart after running a marathon and drinking too much diet soda) herbal supplements off of shelves. I think if the hippies had their druthers hard street drugs would be the only thing corporations could manufacture without making themselves liable for damages.
Thanks for the thought-provoking topic, and venue for discussion! I will admit that most of what I've read or those with whom I've spoken were Post-mil Calvinists. Thanks for clarifying your viewpoint.
Isn't it interesting that many dispy's are moving towards a theonomy view here in America?
If YOU would pay more respect to Dispensational theology, you would study it in enough detail to realize that its logical outworkings are incapable of producing anything other than heresy.
Can you elaborate on what a "logical outworking" is ??? I personally have the same opinion about Amillenialism as there is no physical judgement for people who are living on this earth and using it to enrich themselves. Amillenialism is a tool Satan is using by allowing people to belive we can continue to live in a world where perpetual growth is required to maintain the status quo...
Americans are clueless about how the majority of the world lives, the people here think if they can't buy whatever they want at Safeway they are suffering "tribulation".
Even by your theology by claiming Revelation 18 happened in the past or even through the ages, God will still judge the physical creation by the same measure he did back then (from a Historicist perspective) or through the ages.
Since you brought up the use of "logical outworking" let me ask you this: Why would anyone ever repent in a world where all their physical needs are meant ? (I am a Calvinist and believe in the Dorctinre of Election) but try balancing it with this verse and let me know:
Mar 4:18-19 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, (19) And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
Jesus clearly taught the things of the world WILL have an effect on the Elect, How ? I don't know, but it does.
That is the problem with Hyper-Calvinistic Amillenialism , which in some of my discussions with Amils, has sounded eerily similar to a strange type of Gnosticism.
Isn't it interesting that many dispy's are moving towards a theonomy view here in America?
Are you actually claiming to have knowledge of what "most" "dispy's" are doing or believing ? I could make a very similiar stereotype based on my observations of posts here..It seems most Reformed Amil's on this board form their opinions based on what they see on TV..
Want some advice ?
TURN OF THE TV !
I did for 3 yrs and it changed my life...
Corporate media is controlled by the likes of Disney, Rupert Murdoch, Ted Turner, Viacom (MTV) etc. Hardly a credible group of people.
Your critiques of amillenialism don't make any sense to me. I think you have been sold a straw man. If you are trying to persuade me of something, you should accurately understand my position before you attack. As it is, I am clueless as to what you are ranting about.
I am not a hyper calvinist, I don't know where you're getting the hyper-calvinist/amil connection. I don't know what you've been reading or listening to. You are probably accurately critiquing some very unbiblical position, but I am unfamiliar with the position that you are critiquing. It is nothing close to my own amillenial position.
By logical outworkings of dispensational theology, I mean that teaching that God dispenses grace through different dispensations. (Through animal sacrifice in the first dispensation, and through Christ in the second dispensation.) Dispys effectively renders Christ as slightly improved livestock, and directly contradicts the biblical fact that Christ died ONE time for ALL sin, and that old testament sacrifice did not ACTUALLY atone for sin but respresented and pointed forward to Christs REAL propitiation of God's wrath for ALL sin.
Since most dispys I've known (I was raised one and have not learned dispensationalism from TV [although I'd be delighted to know which channel is teaching dispensationalism]) were not systematic in their approach to theology, I've never actually met one that would state the heretical positions that dispensationalism implies. Although theologically systematic dispensationalists do in formal texts defending dispensationalism.
I am very curious about your physical judgement motif... where it comes from and what you mean by it. You seem to suggest that repentance only comes from earthly physical suffering (which seems like a heresy that might fit nicely with the spanish inquisition), you seem also to suggest that all sin is punished physically on earth. Please clarify. If that is what you're purporting is not only contrary to what is observable by any human, it directly contradicts old testament widsom literature that describes God allowing the unjust to prosper for his own purposes.
Tribulation at Safeway? I just don't get it. What is it that you think I believe and why?
Notice, I used the word "many." Not most. Thanks for reading my actual words. I, unlike others, say exactly what I mean and mean exactly what I say. No one can have understanding of what "most" believe. I, however, have met many.
Thanks.
Just a side bar... Rupert Murdoch is an evangelical dispensationalist.
On the churches I tell people not to join, I am not the one trying to sever the body of Christ. All I am trying to say is that Hispanics that have my concerns should not give more power and influence by attending and supporting churches where everyone, including people at the pulpit, present political policies for the people to believe and follow. I know that not all churches with mostly Caucasians are like this. From what I know about Dr. Riddlebarger, I would point people to his church as an option for attending. I love Dr. Sproul and Dr. John MacArthur, and would heartily recommend any Hispanic to attend there churches.
I too am an American. As a matter of fact, I am in the military, and proud of it I might add. I know the Soldier's Creed. It say's, " I am an American soldier." I simply said Mexican-American to describe my heritage and ethnicity. It's rediculous that people bring this up as a point of contention.
By logical outworkings of dispensational theology, I mean that teaching that God dispenses grace through different dispensations.
This is an interesting spin, and one that I have not heard before. Is this published somewhere in this type of format ? Dispensing Grace through different dispensations? Grace comes from and always comes through faith – Which is a gift from God. I have never read it summarized or stated that way.
As for Physical Judgment what I mean is that if there is no final judgment or to use a recognized term, a"Great Tribulation" then why would anybody ever repent in the world we live in today ? You are an anti-dispensationalist, OK then I would ask: if the Jews were repeatedly corrected for their ungodly living which was observed (including "as in the Days of Noah) by others, which is very similar to the circumstances today, then why would a period of intense judgment which happened back then (which is going to happen one day regardless on whether or not you believe it's the tribulation or not) not apply today ? What I see as a logical outworking of Amillennialism is that in our current circumstances, we have a world full people chasing the “American Dream” filled with obsessed with obtaining earthly comfort, Revelation 18 states clearly what Mystery Babylon is and what it is comprised of, and why it will be judged. It deceives ALL peoples – Can you think of a society who is not trying to join the Global Economy ???
Amils also tend to be grossly ignorant of the world they live in. I have seen them ridicule people who state we are going to a one world money system – Let me ask you a question: Have you studied the history of money ? Have you any clue that our current monetary system is not compatible with a world where commodity demand is higher than supply ? (Which is occurring now ?) Have you any clue why the population has increased fivefold over the last 150 yrs ? Do you think that’s normal ? Do you have any idea how you even are able to eat fresh food and drink clean water every day ? It’s called industrial civilization – Which is built on perpetual growth, and runs on Hydorcarbon energy (which is entering the depletion stage).
Do some research into these things and you might see that the Tribulation events we take literally are actually going to come to pass in a very literal sense. Here is a literal event I would ask your opinion on : Atlanta is running out of water, 4 million people depend on water delivery from Lake Lanier – Which will never be refilled again and they are in a scenario that they will never get out of, because 4 million people are using the water the reservoir will never be refilled again. The same thing with our gasoline pool – if everyone went out and filled their tanks the gasoline pool would be exhausted and never be refilled again and when(not if) that happens we will experience a hardship unlike ever before.
In summary my beef with Amils is they see this way of life as normal and sustainable – When if you examine the facts you would see the time (industrial age) we live in is an extreme exception – So when I use the term Safeway what I mean is that historically, many people trusted God because they had no other choice, many faced the reality of starvation yearly if not annually. Which brings me back to my point about the amil tendency to discount a “great tribulation”…We live in a time of tremendous luxury and abundance which is no doubt the days mentioned in Revelation 18 and 2Ti 3 and is coming to it’s final apocalyptic conclusion. I know these things to be the case as I work in the energy industry and know the truth about our unsustainable living conditions. The world is literally running out of Gas and is setting the stage for it’s final episode in the Middle East and the world needs to be warned that the end (as they understand it) is very near – is that warning out of character with any other OT Prophet ?
It is difficult to explain all this in a blog, but would ask you to do some research on the world you live in, don’t read the news headlines, but compare and see how we live today and people have lived through recorded history, once you see the facts you will clearly see that a period of intense physical judgment (or Great Tribulation) is coming - And wthin our lifetimes. Does that frighten you to know that the only thing that keeps you starving to death is the fact that the Saudis are supplying with oil ? Well it should....
If we allow openly speaking about our faith to disqualify us for public service, who is that really serving? It is high time conservatives of all stripes quit listening to the sound bytes from Huckabee bashers in the conservative media elite (Rush, National Review, The Wall Street Journal) and let the man speak for himself.
>>...one that I have not heard before.
Then you don't have a well-orbed grasp of dispensationalism.
>>Is this published somewhere in this type of format ?
Yes
>>Dispensing Grace through different dispensations? Grace comes from and always comes through faith – Which is a gift from God.
>>I have never read it summarized or stated that way.
The very term Dispensationalism comes from concept that grace is dispensed differently during different church eras. It is usually not taught this way, as it slaps most people in the face with its blasphemy. Growing up my dispensationalist preachers rarely stated this overtly, but they implied and alluded to it, often schizophrenically contradicting it with teachings about faith in Christ, but always turning around later and stating that people like Abraham and David were redeemed by the blood of animals and not by the blood of Christ.
>>As for Physical Judgment what I mean is that if there is no final judgment or to use a recognized term, a"Great Tribulation" then why would anybody ever repent in the world we live in today ?
This disagreement is based on the fact that your "recognized term" doesn't mean final judgement to me. To me final judgement is where Christ judges the world according to his righteousness(in which case we are justifiied before God) or according to our own(in which case we are damned to eternal hell). Furthermore, I believe that no one repents because the prospect of God's wrath, instead they repent because hearing the preached word transforms them into regenerate person that grows to hate the sin that they do. An even bigger problem I have with your argument is that few people suffer in the dispensationalist understanding of the Great Tribulation. Does God not love or care about all of those who live and die before the tribulation? Why doesn't God make the world a constant and all consuming place of misery so that everyone will repent? Wouldn't it be much nicer if He let us suffer a little bit now instead of letting us be completely damned with prosperity?
>> if the Jews were repeatedly corrected for their ungodly living which was observed (including "as in the Days of Noah) by others, which is very similar to the circumstances today, then why would a period of intense judgment which happened back then (which is going to happen one day regardless on whether or not you believe it's the tribulation or not) not apply today ?
For one thing, Satan is restrained and God is spreading his gospel over the earth to grow his church. If you recall, God told Abraham he would spare the 5 citiy cluster of Sodom and Gomorrah if there were even 10 righteous inhabitants. As it stands, God evacuated the one righteous inhabitant and his incestuous daughters. San Fransisco may seem like a cesspool of sin, but there are hundreds of thousands of Christians in SF, and God very actively restrains the amount of sin that occurs there. It is not common practice to be raped when you visit SF, it is rare. Murder is not the number one cause of death, adult murder is rare (infanticide less so). Based on long lifespan population models, it has been speculated that over 90% of death in the days of noah would have been the result of murder.
A second problem I have with your analogy, is that the Jews would not be analagous to the world but to the Church. If the church were disciplined for its apostacy with a regular torrent of lightening and sinkholes swallowing congregations on Sunday morning, I would buy your discipline argument.
>>What I see as a logical outworking of Amillennialism is that in our current circumstances, we have a world full people chasing the “American Dream” filled with obsessed with obtaining earthly comfort.
Why do you think amillenialism lends itself to this to this particular sin more so than other eschatologies?
>>Amils also tend to be grossly ignorant of the world they live in. I have seen them ridicule people who state we are going to a one world money system.
I am skeptical that the world would go to a one money system, but I would not see it as an eschatological sign if it did. Furthermore if the governement started microchip tagging people with their bank information, I would not believe that it was the mark of the beast (I actually think its a good idea.)
>>Have you studied the history of money ? Have you any clue that our current monetary system is not compatible with a world where commodity demand is higher than supply?
Even governments have an extremely limited amount of influence on global economics. But the great thing is that God is in control of the global economy, and whenever He wants it to tank, it will tank. I happen to have extensively studied Financial Engineering and Industrial Economics in my graduate studies at Columbia University, and to be forthright most economists are in awe of how markets seem to have a living instinct to right themselves for the benefit of individuals.
>>Have you any clue why the population has increased fivefold over the last 150 yrs ?
Yes that is a healthy growth which works towards God's mandate to multiply and fill the earth.
>>Do you think that’s normal ?
Yes, that is a nice healthy growth rate. It is remarkable in light two world wars, over a hundred million killings under communism and nazi fascism, and an annual 50 million babies murdered worldwide. It is starting to get in trouble due to widespead delays of procreation because of better birth control technology, which according to economic theory should cause long standing global economic depression.
>>Do you have any idea how you even are able to eat fresh food and drink clean water every day ? It’s called industrial civilization – Which is built on perpetual growth, and runs on Hydorcarbon energy (which is entering the depletion stage).
I'm doing my best to ignore your dripping condescension. I'm baffled as to why you think I just crawled out of Caspar Hauser' basement. Hydrocarbons aren't getting scarce, just more expensive to process. North America has practically infinite reserves of kerogen tars, which aren't yet used because they are more costly to convert into gasoline.
>>Do some research into these things and you might see that the Tribulation events we take literally are actually going to come to pass in a very literal sense. Here is a literal event I would ask your opinion on : Atlanta is running out of water, 4 million people depend on water delivery from Lake Lanier – Which will never be refilled again and they are in a scenario that they will never get out of, because 4 million people are using the water the reservoir will never be refilled again. The same thing with our gasoline pool – if everyone went out and filled their tanks the gasoline pool would be exhausted and never be refilled again and when(not if) that happens we will experience a hardship unlike ever before.
The world regularly experiences calamity much worse than the scenarios you're describing. People rush gasoline all the time when there is a price climb, and that causes prices to spike even higher, which results in decreased demand and eventually stabilized prices. If 4 million people have to pay extra to have water pipelined in or move, it pales next to the tragedy of 50 million babies murdered each year.
>>In summary my beef with Amils is they see this way of life as normal and sustainable – When if you examine the facts you would see the time (industrial age) we live in is an extreme exception – So when I use the term Safeway what I mean is that historically, many people trusted God because they had no other choice, many faced the reality of starvation yearly if not annually.
The world could not be the way it is without God meticulously creating it, and guiding it to be so. Every natural resource that we have from gold to oil to gypsum to nontoxic water is actually quite unnatural, and non-existent anywhere else in the universe, the planet was painstaking packed full of the maximum amount of resources possible to put into a planet, and it was no accident. Technology miraculously accomodates the world's increasing population, as the world slowly fulfills God's mandate to multiply and fill the earth, and if it suddenly stopped it would almost seem like God was contradicting his earlier mandate. If you are worried about global collapse, it will come when the population stops growing, not because it grows to much.
>>Which brings me back to my point about the amil tendency to discount a “great tribulation”…We live in a time of tremendous luxury and abundance which is no doubt the days mentioned in Revelation 18 and 2Ti 3 and is coming to it’s final apocalyptic conclusion. I know these things to be the case as I work in the energy industry and know the truth about our unsustainable living conditions. The world is literally running out of Gas and is setting the stage for it’s final episode in the Middle East and the world needs to be warned that the end (as they understand it) is very near – is that warning out of character with any other OT Prophet ?
Yes you are out of character with an OT prophet, because you should first make an extremely short term prediction that we will use to determine whether you are from God and if we should put you to death before we listen to anything you have to say. And what is your position in the energy industry? Are you the oil commodities analyst for the fed, or are you a propane salesman? I think your fearmongering about oil is hooey. I never read the word gasoline once in my new testament. America will be in hydrogen cars decades before we risk running out of oil. GM will have hydro passenger cars on the floor by 2012. If we were really in an oil crisis, like in the 70's, everyone would be driving mopeds instead of Hummers. As it is oil has barely kept up with long-term inflation.
>>It is difficult to explain all this in a blog, but would ask you to do some research on the world you live in, don’t read the news headlines, but compare and see how we live today and people have lived through recorded history, once you see the facts you will clearly see that a period of intense physical judgment (or Great Tribulation) is coming - And wthin our lifetimes.
And I'd advise you to go back and finish high school, stop mugging old ladies, and renounce your fetish for wearing strappy leather stilletos and lipsyncing showtunes. (sorry... I'm trying trying to show you how presumptuous you sound.) Are you sincere about guaranteeing I won't die before the great tribulation?
>>Does that frighten you to know that the only thing that keeps you starving to death is the fact that the Saudis are supplying with oil ? Well it should....
The only thing keeping me from starving to death is God. The Saudi's have nothing to do with it.
>>>>>You are wrong on several accounts - The population has exploded due to extraction and use of Hydrocarbon energy that has multiplied crop yields fivefold which is an unsustainable situation(search the “green revolution”), Historically the world population held about 1.5 billion people, but has multiplied fivefold over the last 150 years. You have just validated my point in the sense that you are unaware and what goes up will go down:
Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
You say Hydrocarbons are not getting "scarce" ? Are you sure you want to debate me on this subject ? If so perhaps you should do some research before you do, you may be a well read theologian, but I doubt you have a better understanding of the energy industry than I do. The world will burn through the next billion barrels of oil in less than 40 years (this is stated on the Chevron Website and current estimated reserves are about another 1 billion bls). As that happens you will see the population spiral downward as oil consumption is vital to our survival, when war breaks out in the middle East you may see it happen faster (much faster), do you really think Oil is not a factor in “The War on Terror” ? Could this be the Wars and Rumors of Wars spoken of by Jesus ?
Oil Shale or "kerogen" will never be extracted because it is not a true energy resource, you use the term "expensive “which is completely irrelevant, it will take more energy to process oil shale than you will get from consuming it -it is a net energy loser and not a true resource -I work in the Power Industry.
You suffer from the same ignorance most of the general public does in that you are seduced my Money - The government prints money, it has no true value whatsoever. The world does not run on money, it runs on energy.
How do you symbolize this:
Rev 18:23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
I do not symbolize it at all - Mystery Babylon is literally running out of juice, do you have the courage to face reality ? And deliver a message of eternal hope to an unbelieving world ? You are going to get your chance Amil…
Luk 21:34-36 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. (35) For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. (36) Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
UH Huh - I guess that means that the Christians that suffered and starved to death over the years were "Neglected by God" ?
Our entire living situation is in rebellion against God and is subject to his wrath and judgement from the way we get our food and water to our Sin of unbelief and everything in between.
Because Amils tend to symbolize and spiritualize scripture - Especially when it comes to those that relating to passages that speak of Physical and earthly judgement I can see why you have difficulty in accepting this.
No hard feelings Amil. I will pray for God to reveal these things to you. I would love to be an Amil so I could just continue living the good life and preaching the gospel...But know this" The persecution is not going to be going to jail for preaching the Gospel, the persecution is going to be can you continue to preach the Gospel in the face of gut wrenching hardship ?
God Bless Amil.
I work for a Fortune 25 Power generation company as a technical recruiter. Hydrogren is a joke - It comes from Natural Gas. Do you know Hyrdogen needs to be stored at 250 below 0 ? Even if was a trure resource you will see distribution and storage is not feasable.You are living in a delusion Amil - I am not "fearmongering", I am simply telling you the truth.
I shared my credentials Amil, Care to share yours ?
"Freedom and Capitalism: Essays on Christian Politics and Economics"
http://www.trinitylectures.org/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=162
-This is the best treatment I have read, several chapters are available on the website in the archives section and some mp3 lectures are available as well. Highly recommended.
"The Church and Politics" -Daniel Chamberlain
great sermon on John 18:36
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=32007232836
another sermon on John 18:36
http://contrast2.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/john-1828-38/
Two issues of the OPC magazine "Ordained Servant"
http://opc.org/os9.html
http://opc.org/os.html?issue_id=21
I'm pretty sure you're done with comments Kim, but if you're not I'm curious to know what you aspects of Ron Paul you are unhappy with. (not interested in debating on here, just interested in getting RP feedback). Thanks for your post.
I am amil and I think Riddlebarger is THE BEST eschatology in the world.
I read Matt Simmons book "Twilight in the Desert" and James Kunstlers "Long Emergency" and hang out a bit on a peak oil forum. I also believe in peak uranium and peak natgas and peak railroad infrastructure for coal (we've peaked!).I was reading about the return of wheat rust. I know about bird flu.I know about the solar cycle we are entering. 4 billion people tied to the grid for survival and the grid can burn in one flare.
I can match you doom for doom any day.I bet I can out doom you. Do you have a fallout shelter? We do. Got a handpump on a well? We do. Got a woodstove and a year of food to get through a serious crisis? We do. My amil hub is 100% with me.
Amils believe that at the end of the mil, Satan will be released for a short time. Are we close? Maybe, maybe not. I tend to think so based on nuclear proliferation. So what. The bible says the earth will wear out like a garment. So it's wearing out. How much life is still left in this old pair of jeans? I don't know and neither do you. The subject of peak oil has nothing to do with amil doctrine in my opinion. The real questions you need to ask yourself are:
1. Did Jesus bind the strong man, or did he not?
2. Did he put an end to sacrifice or did he not?
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2008/01/is_the_constitu.html