Liberating Planet Earth
by Gary DeMar by Gary DeMar
The Liberation of the Church 89 the Bible. First, transcen&nce/immanence (presence). The minister and elders represent God to the people and the people to God. God is present with His people in the church worship meetings, especially during the serving of the Lord’s Supper (communion). Second, there is hierarchy. Elders rule over deacons, and both rule through service over the members. The elders serve as an appeals court in church disputes (1 Corinthians 3). Third, there is ethics. The church preaches the gospel, declaring God’s law for every area of life. The church is a counselor, as the Levites were, to other institutions. Fourth, there is judgmnt. The church excommunicates – cuts off from communion — as a prelude to the final judgment of God (1 Corinthians 5). Fifth, there is continuity. The church is a continuing institution over time, the place where parents and children gather. It provides continuity for families through the sacrament of baptism. Naturally, we see a rival church in satanic cults, but more importantly, in humanism’s self-proclaimed agency of salvation, the messianic state. The state seeks to serve as the voice of God, or what is the same today, the voice of man in a world where no God is said to exist. This is why tyrannies insist on elections, and require all citizens to vote in these meaningless elections. “VOX populi, vox dei”: the voice of the people is the voice of god — the god of humanism. Second, the state establishes a bureaucratic hierarchy. This hierarchy tells people how they must live. It is a top-down hierarchy. ‘ Third, the state announces laws – an endless stream of laws. In the United States, every day, the national government’s bureaucracy prints the Federal Register, which is over 200 pages long, in three columns of small print, which announces the new rules and regulations for the day. Over 54,000 pages appear each year. Hardly anyone except specialized lawyers can even read these laws. (Most of God’s laws for the civil government appear in Exodus 20-23 and Deuteronomy). Fourth, the state asserts itself to be judge over every aspect of life, invading the church and the family with barely a thought of
90 Liberating Planet Earth the consequences. In Mexico, for instance, the state owns every church building and its land, and any “house church” is illegal, Neighbors can report worship activities to the police, and if the house is not previously registered as a church, the state can legally cordiscate it. Fifth, the state seeks to control the future by controlling capital. It taxes inheritances. It establishes long-term debts, thereby destroying the independent futures of taxpayers. It recapitalizes Christians. Silencing the Whole Counsel of God That Marxism should be promoted in the name of Christianity is the supreme irony of the twentieth century. The church has had no greater enemy in its history. Yet we have seen this pattern before. The false prophets of ancient Israel frequently spoke in the name of the God of Israel. These were the prophets that the evil kings wanted to hear. Even when King Ahab knew that his court prophets were telling him what he wanted to hear, not what was really the word of God, he preferred them. When he was asked by King Jehoshaphat ofJudah to calJ in a true priest, Micaiahj Ahab knew he would prophesy bad news. When Micaiah prophesied good news, Ahab rebuked him: “How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” (2 Chronicles 18:15). He knew the true from the false prophets. So fierce had Ahab’s hostility been toward the word of God that Ahab’s servant Obadiah had to hide a hundred prophets in caves in order to save their lives (1 Kings 18:13). It was only under extreme pressure – the drought and famine– that Elijah could get Ahab to consent to the showdown on Mount Carrnel between himself and the 850 evil prophets. General apostasy is always accompanied by tyranny. When the people of Israel in the era of the Judges would begin to worship the gods of Canaan or Philistia, God would deliver them into the hands of their enemies. God said, in effect: “So you like the gods of Philistia, do you? Very well, let Me show you what those gods
- Page 46 and 47: 3 THE ENEMIES OF LIBERATION “No m
- Page 48 and 49: The Enemies of Liberation 41 Three
- Page 50 and 51: The Enemies of Liberation 43 built
- Page 52 and 53: The Enemies of Liberation 45 for Go
- Page 54 and 55: The Enemies of Liberation 47 To spe
- Page 56 and 57: The Enemies of Liberation 49 or God
- Page 58 and 59: The Couenant of Liberation 51 us al
- Page 60 and 61: The Covenant of Liberation 53 For Y
- Page 62 and 63: The Covenant of Liberation 55 Creat
- Page 64 and 65: The Covenant of Liberation 57 Satan
- Page 66 and 67: The Covenant of Liberation 59 all l
- Page 68 and 69: The Covenant of Liberation 61 their
- Page 70 and 71: The Liberation of the Individual 63
- Page 72 and 73: The Liberation of the Individual 65
- Page 74 and 75: The Liberation of tb Individual 67
- Page 76 and 77: The Liberation of the Individual 69
- Page 78 and 79: i’%e Liberation of the Individual
- Page 80 and 81: 6 THE LIBERATION OF THE FAMILY Hono
- Page 82 and 83: Th Liberation of the Fami~ 75 born
- Page 84 and 85: The Liberation of the Fami~ 77 the
- Page 86 and 87: Th Liberation of the Fami~ 79 ‘ l
- Page 88 and 89: The Liberation of the Farni~ 81 God
- Page 90 and 91: T&Liberation of the Fami~ 83 childr
- Page 92 and 93: The Liberation of the Fami~ 85 By a
- Page 94 and 95: 7%e Liberation of th Fami~ 87 prima
- Page 98 and 99: T&Liberation of the Church 91 are r
- Page 100 and 101: The Liberation of the Church 93 Per
- Page 102 and 103: The Liberation of th Church 95 For
- Page 104 and 105: Th Liberation of the Church 97 mann
- Page 106 and 107: The Liberation of the Church 99 5.
- Page 108 and 109: The Liberation of the State 101 and
- Page 110 and 111: The Liberation of the State 103 wil
- Page 112 and 113: 4 The Liberation of the State 105 p
- Page 114 and 115: Th Liberation of the State 107 cult
- Page 116 and 117: The Liberation of tk State 109 fata
- Page 118 and 119: . Thg Liberation of the State, 111
- Page 120 and 121: The Liberation of the State 113 man
- Page 122 and 123: Th Liberation of the State 115 13.
- Page 124 and 125: The Liberation of the Economy 117 p
- Page 126 and 127: Z&Liberation of the Ecomy 119 as th
- Page 128 and 129: The Liberation of the Economy 121 T
- Page 130 and 131: I’%e Liberation of th Economy 123
- Page 132 and 133: The Liberation of the Economy 125 w
- Page 134 and 135: T4e Liberation of th Economy 127 ch
- Page 136 and 137: 10 THE INEVITABILITY OF LIBERATION
- Page 138 and 139: The Inevitability of Liberation 131
- Page 140 and 141: The Inevitability of Liberation 133
- Page 142 and 143: The Inevitability of .Lib~ation 135
- Page 144 and 145: The lneuitabili~ of Liberation 137
90 <strong>Liberating</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> <strong>Earth</strong><br />
the consequences. In Mexico, for instance, the state owns every<br />
church building and its land, and any “house church” is illegal,<br />
Neighbors can report worship activities to the police, and if the<br />
house is not previously registered as a church, the state can legally<br />
cordiscate it.<br />
Fifth, the state seeks to control the future by controlling capital.<br />
It taxes inheritances. It establishes long-term debts, thereby<br />
destroying the independent futures of taxpayers. It recapitalizes<br />
Christians.<br />
Silencing the Whole Counsel of God<br />
That Marxism should be promoted in the name of Christianity<br />
is the supreme irony of the twentieth century. The church has<br />
had no greater enemy in its history. Yet we have seen this pattern<br />
before. The false prophets of ancient Israel frequently spoke in the<br />
name of the God of Israel. These were the prophets that the evil<br />
kings wanted to hear. Even when King Ahab knew that his court<br />
prophets were telling him what he wanted to hear, not what was<br />
really the word of God, he preferred them. When he was asked by<br />
King Jehoshaphat ofJudah to calJ in a true priest, Micaiahj Ahab<br />
knew he would prophesy bad news. When Micaiah prophesied<br />
good news, Ahab rebuked him: “How many times shall I make<br />
you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of<br />
the Lord?” (2 Chronicles 18:15). He knew the true from the false<br />
prophets.<br />
So fierce had Ahab’s hostility been toward the word of God<br />
that Ahab’s servant Obadiah had to hide a hundred prophets in<br />
caves in order to save their lives (1 Kings 18:13). It was only under<br />
extreme pressure – the drought and famine– that Elijah could get<br />
Ahab to consent to the showdown on Mount Carrnel between<br />
himself and the 850 evil prophets.<br />
General apostasy is always accompanied by tyranny. When<br />
the people of Israel in the era of the Judges would begin to worship<br />
the gods of Canaan or Philistia, God would deliver them into the<br />
hands of their enemies. God said, in effect: “So you like the gods<br />
of Philistia, do you? Very well, let Me show you what those gods
Change language