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 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.>>>
No - I am not a"survivalist", but I have worked hard to be completely debt free (including house pymts) and live in medium size town ($6 gas is going to make LA/OC (which is where our host is) very uncomfortable). I am a Preacher of the Gospel and actually hoping for financial collapse - There is simply too much money and mammon in the Church which is now filled with Hirelings. People in this country do not care about the Kindgom as they are too focused on the latest baseball or football game - I have to admit I watch quite a bit of Sports myself though !
You are correct on all counts Carolyn except for one. We are not entering DOOM, we are simply going to return to a more historically normal way of life (we live in the exception not the rule remember). Your statements about entering "doom" are proving the very points I am trying to make, we are not entering doom, but are going to return to a more normal (as far as carrying capacity) sustainable existence. Kunslter's book contains some good facts, but much of it is conclusion, although I like the guy. Simmons book didn't do a whole lot for me, except exposing the fact that we cannot trust corrupt govts.
What frustrates me about discussing this with Amils is that they don't seem to see the danger of a society that is bathed in and so desperately covets a life of luxury. Why are we in an age of such apostasy ? The main reason is we are so disconnected from hardship, people faced death regularly as little as 100 yrs ago but now we are nearly completely disconnected from it, the average lifespan at the time of Christ was 22 yrs (I believe). People were more apt to trust in God because they had no other choices. My point of contention with those on this board is if more people knew that that the world was on a completely unsustainable path,the more people may be less likely to trust in it. The bible is riddled with men preaching judgement on a people living in amd ungodly way of life - these days we hear the opposite, nothing at all, or simply the "elect"
I was reading last night: 1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Riches and earthly comfort are clearly a factor when conisdering the "elect", you cannot simply say that people do not believe simply because they are the "non-elect". That is my beef, and although many here would disavow "Hyper-Calvinism" I get a tremendous taste of it here on this blog.
Heaven and Hell are the only two kingdoms I know about.
The wages of sin are death and if you've sinned once (even when you were a kid), then you're going to hell. Jesus paid your fine, though. You don't have to go to hell. Did you see the Mel Gibson movie? Repent and follow Jesus. Rejoice when you are persecuted for your faith.
Read your Bible. Do what it says.
I don't want to hear that you've gone to Hell. I won't see you there, though. Only Jesus makes that possible.
agreed, the oil/electric age is a historic anomaly, at least as far as we know since Noah's flood.
"What frustrates me about discussing this with Amils is that they don't seem to see the danger of a society that is bathed in and so desperately covets a life of luxury. Why are we in an age of such apostasy ? The main reason is we are so disconnected from hardship"
Really? I find it is the dispys awaiting the rapture who seem totally clueless that the status quo may change for American Christians.
I am in a PCA church with amil pastor, who has said repeatedly that the single biggest problem in my area of NJ is the idol of money and comfort, and he means in the church, not just the heathen.
If riches prevented election none of us would be saved. We are in the 5% of the world's wealthiest just to have a home, central heat,abundant protein food, car, and computer. Everybody on this blog is "rich". God's saving power is greater than the deception of mammon. But I understand your emotional reaction, I have a "faith movement" relative worth mega millions, and the way "normal, average" evangelical Christians fall all over them to kiss their rear end, well, pass the gag bucket.
By the way, when we go down the whole world does. Don't be too eager to hope for a crash. 4 billion tied into electric grids that are growing dim. Hydropower drying up in droughts, and oil fired plants getting unaffordable, coal prices skyrocketing. In many places blackouts are becoming the norm.
What with nuclear proliferation and 2/3 of the planet totally dependent on electricity to stay alive, and electrical sources getting pricier all the time, I'd have to say the term "doom" fits for me...although you are right that it is a historic norm for 1/2 of all people to die before they reach adulthood.
"People were more apt to trust in God because they had no other choices. My point of contention with those on this board is if more people knew that that the world was on a completely unsustainable path,the more people may be less likely to trust in it. The bible is riddled with men preaching judgement on a people living in amd ungodly way of life - these days we hear the opposite, nothing at all, or simply the "elect" "
Well, I don't know for sure what's out there as far as warning the flock of hard times ahead. The ones I know of expecting huge troubles think they'll be raptured out. I am happy to be a Calvinst, with the great themes of God's sovereignty and grace and repentance for sin at the forefront of Christianity. I don't think anything else will get us through. The man centered "gospels" certainly won't.
By the way, nice meeting a peak oil person here! And in defense of Kunstler, he carefully blows apart any hope for the hydrogen car economy in his book. Really opened my eyes when I read the facts.
Fundies and RCs -- along with their codependents and enablers among wishy-washy protestants -- pervert the teaching of science, obstruct biological research, undermine the guarantees of the first amendment, and seek to overthrow the republic, turning it into an xian dystopia, like that skewered in The Handmaid’s Tale by Canadian author, Margaret Atwood.
‘Xian truth’ -- for 2,000 years a contradiction in terms.
bipolar2
© 2008
I am not really convinced in post-pre rapture or even preoccupied with it. I try to balance my perspective on life with being a Pilgrim and just passing through. I have three kids (1 unborn)and the only thing that keeps me from going crazy is the Sovereignty of God ! A grid crash does not excite me, BUT I am hoping for the "Church" to begin to realize what we take for granted..
If you want to have some fun go over the Peakoil.com, I post as Clueless. There are actually quite a few Christians over there. If you want to wrestle against Prinicpalites and Powers that is the place to do it.
Take Care.