SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES

By Chuck Baldwin
November 17, 2010
NewsWithViews.com

Both Big Government And Big Religion The Enemy Of Freedom

Almost immediately after Adam's fall, Lucifer and his minions collaborated with evil men to usurp God's authority and sovereignty. And nowhere is God more sovereign than in the heart and conscience of man. In the spirit world, the First Commandment ("Thou shalt have no other gods before me") is the battleground that is most fought over. The war for man's heart and soul is never-ending.

Nimrod was the first would-be tyrant to try and bring the world into a global "New World Order." His handiwork produced the Tower of Babel, which brought about a cataclysmic judgment from Jehovah. However, while Nimrod was the first globalist to try and unify the nations against God, he was certainly not the last. The Pharaohs, Darius, Artaxerxes, Cyrus, Alexander, Nebuchadnezzar, the Caesars, and hundreds like them have all brought their tyrannical rule over the hearts of men. And their ideas and passions are as alive and active in the world today as ever.

With every would-be world tyrant, there is one constant: the unholy marriage between a supranational government and Big Religion. If Jehovah God made anything clear in the Mosaic model of government, it was the fact that--until Christ Himself comes to occupy both offices--the offices of Priest and King were to be eternally separate. At least one Old Testament Jewish king learned that lesson the hard way.

Yet, Big Government and Big Religion have always come together for the purpose of enslaving the masses. The devilish duo of Big Government and Big Religion killed the Old Testament prophets. They hung Jesus on the cross and persecuted the early Church. They murdered masses during the Dark Ages; they managed the Holocaust; and their obnoxious offspring are still at work today. This criminal cabal has been the bane of genuine faith and personal liberty since the beginning of time.

When Colonial America fired that shot heard around the world and fought their way to independence, they broke free, not only from the political domination of the Crown, but also from the religious domination of a State Church. No longer would citizens be required to join a particular church in order to hold public office. No longer would citizens be required to financially support churches and institutions they deemed to be offensive to their spiritual convictions. No longer could a religious institution use the power and force of civil government to subjugate men to its tenets and, yes, tentacles. Indeed, the apostate kingdom created by Constantine's spiritual whoredom ended at the eastern shore of America!

And dare I say that I am proud of my Anabaptist forebears for helping to embed the principle of religious liberty into American law and jurisprudence? Indeed, I am! What many Americans do not know (and what many militant secularists refuse to acknowledge) is that it was the influence of the Colonial Baptists--most notably, the Baptist minister John Leland--that was most responsible for the First Amendment being added to the US Constitution.

Therefore, it is more than disturbing when I see evangelical Christians being seduced by the ancient Big Government/Big Religion whorish union today. How can any true Gospel preacher accept federal Faith-Based Initiative monies, except that he has either lost all understanding of what freedom truly means, or is willing to sacrifice the sacred principles of liberty upon the altar of his own selfish interests? How can any true Gospel preacher not realize that Big Religion has always conspired with tyrannical governmental forces against the true Gospel message? Why are they so blind to these devilish conspiracies? At the highest levels of virtually every major religion, the conspiracy to hijack truth and enslave the masses is constantly at work.

This is what the Apostle Paul warned about in Ephesians 6:12. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Of course, the "rulers of the darkness of this world" are demonic. But it is also an absolute certainty that these demonic forces accomplish their devilish deeds through evil men who are given to "spiritual wickedness in high places."

Was not the spiritual netherworld complicit in helping to construct Nimrod's Tower of Babel? Was not spiritual wickedness at work when Pharaoh murdered the little children of the Hebrews? Were not dark principalities at work when Nebuchadnezzar ordered everyone to bow to the image of the Babylonian leader? When the Lord Jesus called Jewish King Herod a "fox," was not He acknowledging Herod's complicity with evil? Were not spiritual powers aiding and abetting the Jewish Sanhedrin when they moved the crowd to crucify the Son of God? When the early Church was being persecuted, was not spiritual wickedness at work? When nonconforming Christians were thrown to the lions and sawn asunder, were not their tormentors influenced by these same rulers of darkness? Of course they were!

Then, why is it so difficult for modern Christians--especially our pastors and preachers--to understand that this unholy union of Big Government and Big Religion is as evil and sinful today as it ever was? Why are they unwilling to recognize that the same devilish system that plagued the Church throughout the ages--suspended only temporarily by the successful revolution for American independence--is rearing its ugly head again? Why are they unwilling to believe that many of America's leaders (from both parties) routinely give themselves to luciferian rituals, such as those annual dances around the fire at the Bohemian Grove? Why is it so hard to believe that we have leaders (from both parties) who have given themselves to dark, secret societies, such as Skull and Bones? Why are they not suspicious when certain religious schools and institutions repeatedly produce many of the leaders (from both parties) who seem to universally take America down the same path of globalism?

As most Christians should know, The Beast of Revelation is as much a SYSTEM as it is a person. As the Apostle John warned, the "spirit of antichrist . . . even now already is it in the world." (I John 4:3) He also warned, "Even now are there many antichrists." (I John 2:18)

Any Big Government/Big Religion system that seeks to bring nations into global unity, enshrine a politically correct theology of universalism, establish Church/State uniformity, and marginalize independent, nonconformist ideology is nothing more than the emergence of another Tower of Babel or Beast-like system! And, dear Christian friend, has it occurred to you that our central government in Washington, D.C., is currently engaged in all of the above?

Both political parties--including most of our national leaders and news media--actively promote globalism; universalism is, without a doubt, the unofficial--but clearly understood--national religion; and anyone who holds nonconformist views (i.e., pro-life, Jesus-only theology, anti-UN, anti-illegal immigration, questioning official government explanations of national tragedies, etc.) is being viciously ridiculed, impugned, and marginalized by virtually everyone in the national press corps and central government. Yes, I am saying it, THE BEAST IS EMERGING IN WASHINGTON, D.C.!

The powers that be in both Big Government and Big Religion want to control both our hearts and our minds. They cannot tolerate dissent. Mind you: they do not care if one is Republican or Democrat, because at the national level, both major parties are marching in the same beastly direction. They do not care if one is conservative or liberal, because the leaders of both camps are, likewise, marching in lockstep to the tune being played by The Beast. They do not care if one is Jewish, Catholic, or Protestant, because at the highest levels, these religions are committing whoredom with The Beast.

If a pastor or preacher is going to be true to his calling today, he must be willing to adopt the philosophy of the late, great Charles Haddon Spurgeon, who said, "The more prominent you are in Christ's service, the more certain are you to be the butt of calumny [slander]. I have long ago said farewell to my character. I lost it in the earlier days of my ministry by being a little more zealous than suited a slumbering age. And I have never been able to regain it except in the sight of Him who judges all the earth, and in the hearts of those who love me for my work's sake."

Any desire for promotion, pleasure, riches, or fame will quickly make one a servant of The Beast. And, I'm afraid, that is exactly what many of today's pastors and preachers have become.

The fight for independence was as much for the freedom of the heart and mind as it was for the freedom of a State or nation. In fact, one cannot enslave the latter until he first enslaves the former. And this is what is currently at stake: the freedom of the heart and soul to be governed by God and no other! And this battle will never be won--at least not nationally--as long as Christians and pastors are unwilling to recognize the enemy for what it is: "spiritual wickedness in high places."

P.S. We will start printing THE FREEDOM DOCUMENTS next week. This printing will absolutely be the last printing at the current price. We have not raised the cost for FREEDOM DOCUMENTS since we started printing them many years ago. Hence, if you want to get a copy of THE FREEDOM DOCUMENTS for yourself or a friend before the price goes up, order now! Plus, if you order now, you will be among the first to receive a copy of this special Christmas printing. As you know, these printings sell out fast, so order now!

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IS THE DAY OF GREAT LEADERS PAST?

By Chuck Baldwin
October 7, 2010
NewsWithViews.com

A column co-authored by John Eidsmoe and Ben DuPré struck me. They titled their column, "What makes a 'great' president?"

See it here.

The basic thrust of the column was to examine the qualities that make one a "great" President. They start by examining the Presidency of our 11th President, James K. Polk. They note that Polk is commonly regarded as being one of America's top 12 greatest Presidents. To use their words, "between eighth and 12th among our greatest presidents."

Eidsmoe and Dupré note that Polk was undoubtedly a man of outstanding Christian character and faith. They say that Polk was "the only president who kept and fulfilled every one of his campaign promises." They observe him to be a man "with a Puritan work ethic, [who] literally worked himself to death as president, retired from office in broken health and died 103 days later."

But Polk also greatly expanded the power of the Presidency. "In 1846, President Polk sent American troops into disputed territory where they were almost certain to become embroiled in hostilities, and then demanded that Congress recognize that a state of war already existed. Increasingly with Polk's presidency and thereafter, the president set national policy and the Congress rubber-stamped the president's decisions."

Eidsmoe and Dupré note that the people who are charged with rating our Presidents are commonly academicians, "and as such they tend to be left of center. They believe in centralized power, and they therefore admire presidents who increased federal power and concentrated it in the presidency."

In this regard, Eidsmoe and Dupré are 100% correct. Look at the heroes of liberal historians and who do you find? Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt. Not by accident, these same historians will extol the virtues of Hammurabi, Alexander, Julius Caesar, Charlemagne, and Napoleon. All these men have one thing in common: they were responsible for expanding (either by force or fraud) a centralized government.

Eidsmoe and Dupré correctly challenge the standard by which greatness is determined and offer alternatives to the avant-garde, politically correct formula. They proffer that "the truly great men of history are those who have defended and preserved individual liberty by resisting the increase and centralization of government power."

To that I say a hearty "AMEN."

Eidsmoe and Dupré then offer their own list of great men, which includes Judas Maccabeus, Cato and Cicero, Hermann the Liberator, Archbishop Stephen Langton of Canterbury, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, and George Washington and Patrick Henry.

This brought to mind the fact that, several months ago, I had asked my friend, Howard Phillips, to rate his favorite US Presidents. This was his

response:

1) George Washington: for the standard he established during his Presidency.
2) Thomas Jefferson: for his commitment to religious liberty and for recognizing the role of the states as he spelled out in the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions.
3) Andrew Jackson: for his opposition to the second bank of the United States.
4) John Tyler: for his role in the admission of Texas to the Union.
5) James Polk: for advancing America's "manifest destiny."
6) Grover Cleveland: for his fidelity for the Constitution of the United States.
7) Calvin Coolidge: for his commitment to low taxes and limits on Federal spending as well as for his good character.

As for my personal list of greatest Presidents, it would largely mirror Howard's list, with one deviation. I would suggest:

1) George Washington: America's greatest President, without whom this republic would not exist. His "Farewell Address" is the greatest political speech ever delivered on American soil and should be regarded as "must-reading" for every American citizen.
2) Thomas Jefferson: America's greatest defender of individual liberty and states' rights.
3) James Monroe: for his leadership in establishing America's strategically important "Monroe Doctrine."
4) Andrew Jackson: for standing up against the bankers.
5) John Tyler: for defying his own party (Whigs) and twice vetoing the incorporation of the US Bank. And also for supporting the Southern cause for secession.
6) Grover Cleveland: for his honesty and devotion to the US Constitution.
7) Calvin Coolidge: for his dogged determination to limit taxes and federal spending.

One will notice that there are hardly any modern-day heroes mentioned on my list. I also observed that there were no modern-day heroes mentioned by John Eidsmoe and Ben Dupré in their column. Indeed. Where are the real heroes in national public office today?

Our national leaders (from both parties) seem to be shortsighted opportunists, possessing little regard for their oaths to the US Constitution, the principles of decency, or even plain, old-fashioned common sense. Both major parties in Washington, D.C., offer the American people varying degrees of socialism. Neither party demonstrates even tacit devotion to constitutional government. Federalism and limited government have all but disappeared under the oversight of both Republican and Democratic leaders. These disastrous Presidents (from Johnson, Nixon, and Carter to Clinton and Bush I & II) calmly leave office with no regret or remorse for the devastation, death, and deception that they inflicted upon the country. They live in the lap of luxury and comfort without the slightest tinge of conscience as to the massive destruction done to our Constitution, not to mention our economy, security, and way of life. Beyond that, our congressmen and senators are mostly miscreants in the similitude of Nancy Pelosi and Lindsey Graham.

It's hard to imagine there was a time when giants once lived among us. It's hard to recall a day when the word "hero" really meant something. Today, everyone is called a hero. Well, as one Marine Corps veteran recently said, "If everyone is a hero, no one is a hero." Amen!

Perhaps more than anything, America needs great leaders once again: men who are not enamored with power and wealth; men who are more concerned with honoring their word and preserving the Constitution than they are being reelected and receiving a government pension; men who really do respect the people that elected them; men who are willing to be unpopular, if that is the cost of honesty and integrity; men who know the difference between the eternal and the temporal; and, yes, men who know the meaning of the word AMERICAN.

Is the day of great leaders past? With few exceptions, it would appear so. And that--more than anything else--is why we are in the mess we are in today.

So, while you are saying your prayers tonight, don't forget to ask God to give us some men like Washington and Jefferson. We could sure use them about now.

*If you appreciate this column and want to help me distribute these editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, donations may now be made by credit card, check, or Money Order. Use this link.

© 2010 Chuck Baldwin - All Rights Reserved