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Jim McCotter
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Solutions using History & the Bible for today's news issues for Family, Government, & Church! jimmccotter.substack.com

  1. Mar 31

    Introduction: Christian Nation

    Does the Bible mandate that only Christians are to be civil rulers versus other religious or secular rulers? Does the Bible mandate that only God’s moral Law be the civil law of a town or nation versus other religious or secular law? Does the Bible reveal that God determines the fate of a nation based only on His people? Did you know the Bible answers all these questions? Did you know that prior to the 19th century, most Christians would know the answer to all these questions? Did you know most pastors today don’t know if, much less where, the Bible answers each of these questions? Did you know prior to the 19th century all American towns in the 13 colonies were Christian towns (openly acknowledging Jesus as King of kings and God’s Law as their civil law), whereas today all American towns are secular towns (openly rejecting Jesus as King of kings and God’s Law as their civil law)? Do you know where the Bible reveals that only Christians are responsible for a national spiritual downfall? Do you know where the Bible reveals that Christians can turn, and are mandated to turn, secular towns into Christian towns (openly acknowledging Jesus as King of kings and God’s Law as their civil law)? Do you know where Jesus gave a civil mandate? Do you know where the Apostle Paul gave a civil mandate? The moral issue today is not over black slavery but over another kind of slavery: God’s Law vs. man’s law … morality vs. immorality … one nation under God vs. one nation under Satan … one nation under men vs. one nation under King Jesus. The United States may be over as we have known it, unless there is a spiritual revolution – Christian men rising up like Issachar leaders (1 Chron. 12:32): “Issachar’s leaders understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” This is the message of Christian Manifesto - to understand OUR times and know what OUR people should do! · Do you know we are in a Christian war in our nation today? · Do you know where the Bible tells us how we can realistically win our Christian war today? Christian Manifesto is written to reveal where the Bible answers every one of the above questions and how we can biblically and realistically win the Christian warfare today. The Bible has every answer! Martin Luther said: If I profess with the loudest voice and the clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God, except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battlefield besides is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point. Christian Manifesto targets where “the world and the devil are at this moment attacking.” Henry David Thoreau said: There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root. You will see unlike a thousand hacking at the branches of evil, Christian Manifesto “is striking at the root.” Lastly, to be able to understand each chapter in this series, the chapters must be read consecutively. Like building any house, you must first have the foundation. That will be especially true with this reading. If you skip any chapter, you will not understand, but misunderstand, the mission of this book. Enjoy, be challenged, and dare to act. Get full access to Jim McCotter LIVE at jimmccotter.substack.com/subscribe

  2. Mar 29

    1: God's 3 Institutions

    Did you know that God has ordained three and only three Institutions for today? Do you know what they are? Do you know the purpose for each? Do you know why each are so critically important for you to know about for your life, your family, and all Christians? Most Christians knew well about all three of these Institutions from the time of Christ until the 20th century. But today most Christians can’t even name all three of God’s Institutions. God’s three Institutions might be compared to a three-legged stool. All three legs are important. All three are necessary for the Lord’s prayer to be fully answered today “Our Father who art in heaven, holy be your Name… Your will be done on EARTH as it is in heaven.” God’s 1st Institution – The Family Gen. 1:27-28: “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it.’” When God started the world, He had only one institution which He was to rule through - the family institution, marriage and the family dynasty. The world was to be governed under the different family dynasties. However, with the first family dynasty, Cain killed his brother Abel (Gen. 4:8). Though God banished Cain from His presence and blessings, He nonetheless put a mark on Cain so no one would kill him (Gen. 4:15). So when only there was God’s family dynasty era, there was no capital punishment for murder. And without capital punishment in the world it became completely corrupt (Gen. 6:5-13): 5 The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. 6 So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. 7 And the Lord said, ‘I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people…’ 11 Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. 12 God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. 13 So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth! 8 But Noah found favor with the Lord. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. Noah was the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. So the Lord flooded the earth and started over again with the only righteous man left on the earth, Noah and his family who “walked in close fellowship with God.” After the flood, the Lord reinstituted His Family Institution (Gen. 9:1): “Then God blessed Noah and his sons and told them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth.’” But this time the Lord added one other Institution. God’s 2nd Institution – The State Gen. 9:5-6: 5 “And I will require the blood of anyone who takes another person’s life. If a wild animal kills a person, it must die. And anyone who murders a fellow human must die. 6 If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in His own image.” Capital punishment for murder was the first civil law instituting God’s civil government, a nation-state. Later God gave His whole nation-state Law through Moses. There were 2 primary parts of God’s Law: the Ceremonial Law and the Moral Law. The Ceremonial laws are all the laws that especially relate to Jesus and His coming. God’s Ceremonial laws are: * Pictural laws - picturing Jesus’ character, holiness, beauty, and perfection, etc. * Sacrificial laws - picturing Jesus’ death and sacrifice on the cross for our sins, etc. After Jesus came to the earth, He fulfilled all His Ceremonial laws. This is what the Apostle Paul said regarding all the Ceremonial laws (Col. 2:16-17 TLB): 16 “So don’t let anyone criticize you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating Jewish holidays and feasts or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. 17 For these were only temporary rules [laws] that ended when Christ came. They were only shadows of the real thing—of Christ Himself.” All God’s Moral Law constitute all the rest of God’s Law for individuals and nation-states to apply today. All God’s Moral laws are: * The Ten Commandments – the outline or preamble of God’s Law. * The Statutes – the explanations and applications of God’s Law. * The Judgments – the consequences of violating God’s Law. God instituted marriage and thus defined it as with one man and one woman. Otherwise, it is illegitimate marriage. Even so, God instituted the nation-state and defined it based on His Moral Civil Law. Otherwise, it too is an illegitimate nation-state in defiance of God. Man does NOT define marriage. Even so man does NOT define a nation-state. Both Institutions were ordained, instituted, and defined by God alone. They both belong to God alone. And they are both for God’s glory and purpose alone (Acts 17:26-27): 26 From one man God created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and He determined their boundaries. 27 His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him. Satan’s men have worked at redefining God’s legitimate marriage institution. No less so, Satan’s men have worked at redefining God’s legitimate state institution as being legitimate with non-Christians ruling with man’s laws (Deut. 4:8 NASB): 8 But what great nation is there that has Statutes and Judgments as righteous as God’s whole Law which I am setting before you today? Most Christians today have never been taught that a state and civil authorities are treasonous and illegitimate if they do not honor God and His Law. This is one of the reasons God ordained His 3rd and final Institution - the Church - to cause Families and States to honor the Lord and His Word. God’s 3rd Institution – The Church Mat. 16:18: “I will build My church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” The Church was the 3rd and last Institution that God has established for us here on earth. With each of God’s Institutions He also established a new covenant. But with each new covenant God never abandoned any of His two previous Institutions. The Apostle Paul declared (Rom. 3:31): Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law. Today God still wants: * ALL people in the world to honor His Family Institution. ALL nations that reject God’s family design reap corruption. * ALL nations in the world to honor His Nation-State Institution. ALL nations that reject God’s Civil Law reap corruption. There is no nation in the world that has ever been an exception to the above! God did not ordain His Church to displace His design for one man and one woman marriages for the Family Institution. Neither did God ordain HIs Church to displace His Law for His State Institution. Rather, the Church is to be “the pillar and support of the truth” - to promote and work for having godly families and godly nation-states! It’s great if a church sees people saved and baptized… but then what? * Should the church neglect teaching about the family or training men to be godly leaders in their households? * Should the church neglect teaching about the nation-state and training men to be godly leaders and vote in godly leaders for our cities and nation? Of God’s three Institutions, the nation-state is the largest. And it has profound direct effect on the success of the Church and the Family. All you need to do is look at North Korea compared to South Korea! Have you ever thought how God divided up the Bible, in the context of His three Institutions: * Genesis is about Family – about 5% of the Bible. * Exodus to Acts is about Nation-State (Israel and other nations) – about 80% of the Bible. * Acts to Revelation is about Church – about 15% of the Bible. Why would God write 80% of the Bible for us to know how He deals with nation-states based on His Law, if He did not intend for us to know how He is going to deal with us today regarding our nation-state and His Law? Is Christ not the same yesterday, today and forever? God’s Law was not written only for Israel. Every Old Testament prophet showed God judging Gentile nation-states that rejected or even ignored God’s Law. And Jonah, Nahum, and Obadiah were written exclusively toward Gentile nations. In the New Testament Jesus lived His perfect life fulfilling God’s moral Law. If we want to be like Jesus, we will follow God’s moral Law. Jesus said (Mat. 5:17-19): “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets... I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” Any Christians who say being in Christ we no longer need to follow God’s Law today, are unwittingly saying, we no longer need to be holy today. The Apostle Paul said of God’s Law (Rom. 7:12): “The Law is holy, and the commandments are holy, righteous and good.” Jesus is not only “head over the church” (Eph. 5:23), but today Jesus is also to be “head over all rule and authority” (Col. 2:10). Therefore, Jesus is to be head over all civil authority in every city and nation-state today. After Jesus resurrected, and before ascending to heaven, Jesus declared (Mat. 28:18): “ALL authority has been given unto Me in heaven a

  3. Mar 28

    2: God's 3 Purpose Law

    1. God’s Law - Leads People To Jesus The first purpose of God’s Law is to lead us to Christ (Gal. 3:24, 13): “The Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith… Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us.” So once we get saved by only faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, does that mean we no longer need to obey God’s Law (Rom. 3:31): “Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.” The only thing done away with for those in Christ, is the “curse of the Law” or “the judgment of the Law.” Every place in the New Testament where it seems the Law is no more relevant for us in Christ is always and only in the context of salvation, which is a free gift and not by works of the Law. However, after we are saved God still does not want us to sin (1 John 3:4): “Everyone who sins is breaking God’s Law, for all sin is contrary to the Law of God.” But the first purpose of God’s Law is to show us our sin so we might come to Christ Jesus to be saved from the penalty of our sin (1 Cor. 15:3): “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” 2. God’s Law - Helps Christians Be More Like Jesus Once we are saved in the “new covenant”, God’s Law is then NEVER removed from us (Heb. 10:16): “This is the new covenant I will make with My people on that day, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” The first purpose of the Law is to convict us of our sin to come to Jesus. The second purpose of the Law is to obey in becoming more like Jesus (Heb. 10:14-16): “For by that one offering He forever made perfect those who are being made holy. And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For He says, ‘This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.’” In this verse we see both positional truth – “forever made perfect” and conditional truth – “being made holy.” We are now in the process of “being made holy” with the Law in our heart and mind being reminded and better able to keep it, as “the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so.” Jesus was perfect in fulfilling God’s Law (Mat. 5:17 NIV): “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” If we want to like Jesus - we will work to obey God’s Law and commandments. If we love Jesus - we will work to obey His commandments (John 14:21): “Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me.” Moreover, the Apostle Paul declared that we only walk in the Spirit when we do what the Law requires (Rom. 8:4): “The requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” If it was necessary for Jesus to obey God’s Law to glorify the Father, it is certainly necessary for us to obey God’s Law to glorify the Father. But there are two parts to God’s Law - Ceremonial Law and Moral Law: 1) Ceremonial Law – were all the laws that could only be fulfilled by Christ when He came to the earth – reflecting His life, death on the cross for our sin and His resurrection. 2) Moral Law – were all the moral laws unlike ceremonial laws. The laws which all people and nations are to follow today: * God’s Ten Commandments * God’s Statutes * God’s Judgments The Apostle Paul made clear that we do NOT need to follow the ceremonial laws today unlike the moral laws today. Christ fulfilled all the ceremonial laws (Col. 2:16-17): “So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these are only shadows of the reality to come. And Christ Himself is that reality.” How much does the New Testament emphasis God’s moral law for us today? God’s Law is referred to 346 times in the New Testament. Also, in the New Testament God’s Law is referred to as His “commands & commandments” 78 times. Here are only a few references: (Mat. 5:17-19): “I did not come to abolish the Law of Moses… So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s Laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Mat. 15:3): “Jesus replied, ‘And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?” (John 14:15): “If you love Me, obey My Commandments.” (1 John 2:4): “If someone claims, ‘I know God,’ but doesn’t obey God’s Commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.” (1 John 5:3): “Loving God means keeping His Commandments and His Commandments are not burdensome.” When the New Testament uses the word “Scriptures” that always means the Old Testament and God’s Law. The New Testament had not been assembled until the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. In the New Testament the word “Scripture/s” is referred to 148 times. Here are just a few examples - think of what is said regarding “Scriptures”: (Rom. 15:4): “Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us.” (1 Tim. 4:13): “Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17): “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” Notice the words “All Scripture” in 2 Timothy 3:16. The Apostle Paul is saying that all the Old Testament, which includes God’s Law, is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training… for every good work.” Do you think the Old Testament and God’s moral Law is not for us today? Well, add up how many total times the New Testament referred to God’s Law (“Scriptures… Commandment/s… God’s Law”) - 572 times! Think again? * God’s Law - Makes Nations More Civil God’s moral Law - the Ten Commandments, Statues, & Judgments - were not written just for Israel or for Christians but to also be the civil law for all nation-states, to restrain the ungodly and sinful people, as the Apostle Paul declared (1 Tim. 1:8-9): “We know that the Law is good when used correctly. For the Law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful.” The “ungodly and sinful” would certainly apply to every nation and therefore also does God’s Law. Historically, from the time of Christ until most of the 19th century, most of Christendom understood their civil mandate to have God’s Law be the civil law of their nation. That’s why in former times in Europe and even America it was Christians and Christian leaders who fomented the revolutions to establish Christian rulers and God’s Law in ruling their city-states or nation-states. The European Reformation was a result of this understanding. The Western civilization was a result of this understanding… unlike what is taught today. The Pilgrims that established the Christian city-state in Plymouth were all from the same church. Their governor wrote that they came to set up “a new Israel.” The Puritans were all devout Believers that established all the New England Christian city-state colonies. Moreover, the American Revolution would have never happened had not the Christians and their pastors rose up to revolt against their ruling British government. The 1776 American Revolution started from pastor Jonas Clarke and his minutemen from his First Parish Church in Lexington. Theirs was the first shot of the revolution - “the shot that was heard around the world!” Clarke’s influential role in the events of April 19, 1775, included: * Political and Spiritual Leadership: Clarke was a fervent advocate for independence who used his pulpit to teach that “resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.” He authored numerous town responses to British policies, such as the Stamp Act, and helped prepare the community for armed conflict. * Hosting Patriot Leaders: On the night of April 18, 1775, Clarke hosted John Hancock and Samuel Adams at his parsonage. It was here that Paul Revere arrived around midnight to warn them of the approaching British troops. * Training the Militia: When asked if his people would fight, Clarke famously replied, “I have trained them for this very hour!” Nearly every member of the Lexington militia, including Captain John Parker, head of the minutemen, was a member of Clarke’s congregation. * Clarke’s Extended Influence: Clarke later represented Lexington at the convention to draft the Massachusetts Constitution. Colonial civil law throughout America was specifically referenced chapter and verse of God’s Law, NOT just “based” on God’s Law. They used the Bible in all their courts to judge all civil matters. In early Massachusetts, it was against the law to have an attorney represent a plaintiff or a defendant. Every plaintiff and defendant had to know the Bible to represent themselves before a judge, who was usually an elder from the local church. They could only argue their civil case from God’s Law. In early America, most households had no more than one book, and it was the Bible. It was their guide for their spiritual life as well as their social life and their civil law. In most American colonies their tax law was from God’s Law – tithe and head tax. When James Madison voted to eliminate the tithe tax, which financed the preachers, George Washington wrote Madison chiding him for voting against the tithe. Washington’s letter is in the Library of Congress today. Thomas Jefferson and his Congress

  4. Mar 27

    3: God’s Authorities (a)

    Romans 13:1-4 NASB: “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for he is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword for nothing; for he is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.” This New Testament Scripture confirms seven things: * God ordained and instituted His civil authorities. * God ordained everyone to be subject to His civil authorities. * God identified who are His legitimate civil authorities. * God’s legitimate civil authorities praise those who do good. * God’s legitimate civil authorities benefit those who do good. * God’s legitimate civil authorities cause fear for evil behavior. * God’s legitimate authorities put to death those who practice evil. Satan counterfeits ALL three of God’s Institutions which Christians should never honor: * Counterfeit Marriage Institution: Instead of one man / one woman, Satan counterfeits marriages with two men or two women marriages. * Counterfeit Civil Institution: Instead of godly civil authorities ruling under King Jesus with God’s Law for the good of good people, Satan has counterfeit civil authorities ruling under Satan to the suppression and detriment of good people. * Counterfeit Church Institution: Instead of godly pastors following and preaching the Bible, Satan has counterfeit pastors who do not honor the Jesus Christ as Lord or the Word of the Lord, the Bible. But in Scripture, God clearly identifies what are His legitimate marriages and legitimate pastors. Even so in Romans 13:3-4 and 1 Peter 2:14, God clearly identifies His legitimate civil authorities. In fact God gave 4 positive points in these verses to clearly identify His legitimate civil authorities: * “Rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior.” * “Do what is good and you will have praise from the same.” * “For he is a minister of God to you for good.” * “For he is a minister of God.” If a so-called “civil authority” does NOT fit God’s definition of legitimate civil authorities, they would be – illegitimate authority! Regardless of someone’s title, power, or public opinion, they are NOT legitimate authority if not according to God’s definition. A kidnapper or terrorist may have power over people - but that does not make them God’s civil authority over you. Wicked men have seized power with political coups and ruled over a nation - but that does not make them God’s defined legitimate civil authority. Some gain power by popular vote, as even Adolf Hitler did – but that did not make Hitler God’s defined legitimate civil authority over Germany. NOWHERE does Scripture validate political coups or even popular elections, as God’s definition for legitimate civil authority! ONLY Jesus has ALL authority on EARTH and whoever He delegates it to (Mat. 28:18): “ALL AUTHORITY has been given to ME in heaven AND ON EARTH!” If any so-called “civil authority” is not ruling according to the Supreme Authority as HE defined, they are not civil authorities but only masquerading as authorities and are illegitimate and treasonous to KING Jesus! If they are not under God and His Law - they are outlaws. If so-called civil “authorities” outlaw reading the Bible in school or posting up God’s Ten Commandments they should be identified as treasonous and as outlaws, not to be honored as God’s legitimate authorities. If they outlaw prayer in schools, when God commands us to “pray in every place” (1 Timothy 2:8) – they are civil outlaws and civil tyrants. So-called civil authorities who “legally” support killing babies or defend and “legalize” sodomy and homosexual marriages - they are NOT God’s civil authorities. They are civil tyrants to their KING Jesus. They are Satan’s authorities, who Jesus said, “comes only to kill, steal, and destroy” (John 10:10). Would God ever legitimize any of man’s law over His own moral Law? What an ungodly thought! How could He? Are Christians carnal or even degenerate if they are passive to treasonous civil authorities against their own Lord and Savior and His only Law? Christians who really love the Lord Jesus and His Word - will resist civil leaders who reject the Lord Jesus and His Law. The righteous will strive to replace the unrighteous civil leaders with those who will embrace King Jesus and His Law (Prov. 28:4 NLB): “To reject God’s Law is to praise the wicked; to obey God’s Law is to resist them.” God honors His followers who are zealous in resisting unrighteous illegitimate civil authorities. Here are only a few examples: * All Midwives: Exodus 1:15-21. * Ehud: Judges 3:15-23. * Rahab: Joshua 6:25; Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25; Matthew 1:5. * Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego: Daniel 3:12 * Daniel: Daniel 6:9-10. * John the Baptist: Matthew 14:4; Mark 6:17-18. * Jesus: Matthew 12:1-2, 15:1-4, 21:45-46,23:2ff; Mark 8:15; Luke 13:32; John 2:13-16; 5:8-11. * All Apostles: Acts 5:29; 16:20-21; 17:6-7. * Heroes of the faith: In Hebrews 11, the majority were heroes in defying unrighteous civil authorities. What should our attitude be (Prov. 29:27 NLB): “An unrighteous man is an abomination to the righteous; and the righteous man is an abomination to the unrighteous.” Though God wants godly rulers to be His civil leaders, when God’s people abdicate and neglect their civil mandate, God lets them reap what they sow and allows wicked oppressors to have power over them to judge their nation (Prov. 16:4): “The Lord has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster.” If God’s people repent to obey the Lord again, He will restore and bless such a nation (Judges 3:7-11): “The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. They forgot about the Lord their God, and they served the images of Baal and the Asherah poles. Then the Lord burned with anger against Israel, and he turned them over to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim. And the Israelites served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years. But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Othniel, the son of Caleb’s younger brother, Kenaz. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge. He went to war against King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram, and the Lord gave Othniel victory over him. So there was peace in the land for forty years.” Here we learn how God works with a nation. In fact there is no national exception with any nation in the Bible. If the people in a nation repent to the Lord and obey His Word, the Lord always restores that nation with freedom and blessing and with His legitimate civil leaders. Here are more examples confirming this: * Othniel: Judges 3:7-11. * Ehud: Judges 3:12-30. * Deborah & Barak: Judges 4-5. * Gideon: Judges 6-8. * Jephthah: Judges 10-12. * Samson: Judges 13-16. God’s justice and mercy are no different today regarding nations: Turn away from God and His Law and be oppressed as a nation. Turn back to the Lord and His Law and be blessed as a nation. God is - “the same yesterday, today, and forever.” God is the same with nations as with people – you reap what you sow. Except nations reap everything in this life (Gal. 6:7): “Do not be deceived—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always reap what you sow.” But the first law in Exodus to obey God’s Law and His civil mandate - is to appoint God fearing men to be your civil leaders (Ex. 18:21): “But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as leaders.” Since the time of Christ, until the last century and a half, Christians understood and embraced God’s Biblical definition of legitimate civil authorities. The European Christian Reformers established this. The early Christian Americans colonies made it part of their law, as according to God’s Law. But today… the majority of Christians don’t even vote! We are disobedient to our responsibility and our God given civil mandate. So we reap what we sow - corruption, oppression, and growing national persecution. Saint Augustine of Hippo wrote in his renowned work, City of God (IV. 4): “Indeed, that was an apt and true reply which was given to Alexander the Great by a pirate who had been seized. For when that king had asked the man what he meant by keeping hostile possession of the sea, he answered with bold pride, ‘What thou meanest by seizing the whole earth? But because I do it with a petty ship, I am called a pirate, whilst thou who dost it with a great fleet art styled Emperor.’” Also, nowhere in the Bible does God identify legitimate authorities based on how many people they have power over. If a hundred people are held hostage by any man, we call that man a terrorist. If a hundred million people are held hostage by any man, naive Christians honor him calling him the “authority.” Adolf Hitler praised the biblically incompetent German preachers who only repeated the first two verse of Romans 13:1-2: “Everyone must submit to governing authorities.” They kept repeating only the first two verses never the next two verses declaring Hitler to be illegitimate civil authority … until it was too late! The passive, popularity-seeking, German preachers never taught God’s definition for legitimate authorities (Rom. 13:3-4): “For authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right … Do what is right, and they will honor you. Authorities are God’s

  5. Mar 26

    4: God's Authorities (b)

    The Bible tells us to submit to civil authorities that come from God, but what most Christians never think about - who defines legitimate civil authority that comes from God? A military coup who seizes power? A majority vote of a nation? Saint Augustine wrote: “Can a self-styled civil authority that oppresses a massive number of people with their unrighteous civil law have any more legitimate authority than a small pirate?” So is a person who has the most power over people God’s definition of legitimate authority? There is NOT ONE verse in the Bible that says that. But Satan deceives many Christians by even using Scripture, as he also tried to deceive Jesus through quoting Scripture. But no amount of saved or unsaved voting majority is God’s definition for His civil authorities. ONLY God defines His authorities that serve Him. Lest any Christian question this and take Scripture out of its context, God defined legitimate authorities IMMEDIATELY AFTER He said to submit to them (Rom. 13:3-4 NASB): “Rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior… Do what is good and you will have praise from the same… for he is a servant of God to you for good… for he is a servant of God.” Note the 4 characteristics of God’s definition for legitimate authorities: 1. “Rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior.” 2. “Do what is good and you will have praise from the same.” 3. “For he is a servant of God to you for good.” 4. “For he is a servant of God.” We should think of all 4 of these areas if we want to know if an authority is a legitimate authority according to God. If a civil leader does not qualify in God’s definition for civil authority, then they are illegitimate … no matter how they got into power or what anyone thinks or declares. St. Augustine wrote what most Christians for centuries understood and agreed with: “Godless civil rulers are no more than a band of robbers. Moreover, being lawless in relation to God, they are lawless and predatory in relation to men. A law that is not just is no law at all.” By the way, Martin Luther King Jr., when he was in jail for protesting for civil rights, he quoted St. Augustine - “Unjust laws are no laws at all.” Where are the pastors today publicly protesting the godless illegitimate laws of today? Is Martin Luther King the last pastor in America history that will have led in public protests and rallies against immoral laws and illegitimate authority? Does God legitimize same-sex marriages? Of course not. Does God legitimize homosexual pastors? Of course not. So with God’s marriage institution and church institution, Christians know they should never accept what is illegitimate. Yet with God’s civil institution, they unwittingly accept any authority that comes along. Any so-called authority who does not acknowledge the only legitimate Supreme Authority and His Law, such “authorities” are illegitimate, treasonous, and rebels to the ONLY one who has “all authority… on earth” - King Jesus. As Jesus said (Matt. 28:18): “ALL authority has been given unto Me … on earth.” Jesus’s authority on earth has not been revoked! Christ is not just Head of the church but also head of the State (Col. 2:10): “Christ is the Head over every ruler and authority!” If a ruler is not ruling with and for Jesus, they are ruling in opposition to Jesus! There is NO gray zone, NO in-between area. Jesus said (Luke 11:23): “Anyone who isn’t with Me opposes Me, and anyone who isn’t working with Me is actually working against Me!” Did you also know in Romans 13:4 the word for civil “servant” is the same Greek word for church “servant” i.e. “deacon,” in 1 Timothy 3:8? Both are God’s “servants” - one for civil service and one for church service. Do pastors or congregations define who is a legitimate deacon? Of course not, ONLY God and the Bible define His servants – church government or civil government. ONLY God in the Bible defines who are His legitimate civil servants / authorities. Should a congregation ever allow a man to become a deacon if they do not honor God and His Word? Of course not. If a deacon is in power and they do not acknowledge Jesus as Head of the church and do not lead according to God’s Word, does God expect Christians to still honor such a deacon as a legitimate deacon? Obviously, not! Neither should Christians honor illegitimate civil servants but work to get them out of office! How deceived pastors and Christians are who teach to honor illegitimate “authority” who actually reject the Supreme Authority - King Jesus and His Word. Jesus is the exclusive Head of the church in being called the - “Chief Shepherd.” Jesus is also the exclusive Head of the State in being called the - “King of kings.” Even our non-evangelical Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson, had a more biblical understanding of what God wants regarding civil authorities than do most pastors today. Jefferson always wore a ring that was inscribed with these words: “Rebellion to tyrants is submission to God.” And every authority is a tyrant who rebels against King Jesus and God’s Law. What Jefferson inscribed on his ring is what God also mandates (Prov. 28:4): “To reject the Law is to praise the wicked; to obey the Law is to fight them.” There would have been no Declaration of Independence and no American Revolution if early Americans, pastors and their congregations, had not believed and obeyed Scripture. Most Christians reading in the Gospels about the Pharisees and Sadducees don’t realize the political implications: * Rome let Judea be ruled under its own local law, God’s Mosaic Law. * Rome let Judea be ruled under its own local people, the Jews. * The Pharisees and Sadducees were the two political parties that were the civil rulers in Judea, ruling from the Sanhedrin. So every time Jesus was condemning and contending with the Pharisees and Sadducees about God’s Mosaic Law, it was always in reference to the civil law. In that light Jesus was a prolific political activist. Jesus called the Pharisees more than civil frauds, He called them (Matt. 23:33): “Snakes! Sons of vipers!” The Apostle Paul also said that every person either is following God the Father or is (Eph. 2:2): “Obeying the devil… and who refuse to obey God.” There is no such thing as neutrality with God. Every person is either under God or under the devil. In the Old Testament Saul was the first king over Israel. But hear what Samuel said to king Saul when he began to disobey the Word of the Lord (1 Sam. 15:23): “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king!” Though Saul still maintained power over Israel, the Lord no longer viewed him as king over Israel. God “rejected” him as the civil ruler, and therefore he was no longer God’s legitimate authority or therefore to be subject to. Should any Christian ever accept any civil ruler as legitimate who God rejects? All God-fearing Christians should unite and mobilize to oust all God-dishonoring civil leaders and replace them with only true, God-fearing, legitimate civil leaders (Ex. 18:21; Deut. 1:13; 17:15): “Select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders… Choose some well-respected men… who are known for their wisdom and understanding… one from among your brothers you shall set… over you.” Civil leaders must be “one from among your brothers.” Applied today, that would be brothers in Christ. However, not just any brothers in Christ, but brothers in Christ who have seven qualities: “capable, honest, God-fearing, bribe-hating, well-respected, having wisdom and understanding.” If Christians do not appoint civil leaders who are Christians and with these qualifications, they are civil leaders that God has not consented to or approved (Hosea 8:4): “The people have appointed kings without my consent, and princes without my approval.” So, what would a true Christian nation with God’s Law look like? First, here is what it would NOT be: * Not a state church. * Not a socialist state. * Not a state oligarchy. * Not a libertarian state. * Not a dictatorship state. * Not an ecclesiastical state. * Not a pure democracy state. * Not a state for Christians only. * Not a “theocracy” like demonic Islam. * Not a state church of any one denomination. * Not a state with legislators making up their own laws. A Christian nation is none of the above. What then is a Christian nation? A Christian nation is a nation that is governed by God’s Constitution, God’s Moral Civil Law. It is a nation that honors the Lord Jesus Christ as King of kings, and all His Law as Jesus said in the beginning and the end of Matthew (Matt. 5:17-19 & 28:18-20): “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the Law of Moses … until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s Law will disappear … whoever obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth … Go therefore and teach all nations … teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you, and behold, I will be with you to the end of the age.” Get full access to Jim McCotter LIVE at jimmccotter.substack.com/subscribe

  6. Mar 25

    5: What Determines A Christian Nation

    A nation’s civil law determines what kind of a nation it is. Only a nation that establishes God’s Civil Law is a Christian nation - God’s Ten Commandments, Statutes, and Judgments. Only then can a nation honestly declare it is - “One Nation Under God!” The implementation of God’s “perfect Law of liberty” would virtually resolve every problem facing America or any nation today. If you think not, you either don’t know God or His Law very well. To understand why and how this would be the case is explained in greater detail in the other three volumes of Christian Manifesto. But here are some of the issues that God’s Law would dramatically reduce: * Crime * Immorality * Broken families * Murdering unborn babies * Onerous regulations * Crooked politicians * Unfair justice * Greedy lawyers * Rigged juries. * Election fraud * Special interest groups * Bureaucratic system * Gun controls * The prison system * The Federal Reserve * Money manipulation * The Internal Revenue Service * Oppressive taxation * Eminent domain * Welfare * Insurance * Immigration * All the “isms”: Multiculturalism, pluralism, polytheism, racism, socialism, globalism, Marxism, Communism, etc. Why would any Christian want to forfeit God’s perfect never-changing Law for the forever-changing fallible laws of man? Under God’s Law God’s Law design for the nation of Israel was to be God’s civic model for ALL nations - a biblical constitutional republic - God’s Law governed by God’s people. * Under God’s Law - Israel was the first recorded instance of an entire nation ruled without a physical king. For the first 400 years of Israel, the Lord God was their King and His Law was their civil law. * Under God’s Law - everyone in the nation was to be treated equally. This was the first law like this anywhere in the world (Deut. 1:17): “You shall not respect persons in judgment; but you shall hear the poor as well as the rich.” * Under God’s Law - male and female are created in the image of God, possessing God given rights, which government has no right to take away. Rather, government is to protect everyone’s individual rights, and especially unheard of, for all women. This was the first nation in the world with this law. * Under God’s Law - there were only 613 infallible never-changing laws that addresses every issue a nation faces. Only the wisdom of God could make such a perfect and complete Law. And God’s Law is full of love (Lev. 19:18): “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against anyone. Love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” * Under God’s Law - foreigners could not have any civil authority and had to obey God’s Law but were to be loved and have equal justice (Lev. 19:34): “The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” * Under God’s Law - anyone could believe whatever they wanted to, they just could not promote false gods contrary to the Lord God and His Law. That would be treason and a capital offense (Deut. 13 & 17), like any other nation that has capital offense for subversion of their law and constitution. * Under God’s Law - it provided a system for honest commerce (Lev. 19:36 & Prov. 11:1): “Your scales and weights must be accurate and honest. Your containers for measuring dry materials or liquids must be honest and accurate… A false balance is an abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is His delight.” * Under God’s Law - land was permanently titled to families. This contrasted with most of the world, where kings granted land to loyal vassals, or as in Egypt, where only pharaohs owned land. Israel’s land was called the “Promised Land” because the people actually owned title to their land. This prevented a dictator from gathering up the land and putting the people into slavery. If a person owned land, they could accumulate possessions. Karl Marx condemned this as “capitalism.” The Bible called this being “blessed.” * Under God’s Law - there were few people needing welfare. The poor in many godless nations became beggars and were never taken care of and discarded like trash. God’s Law had a bureaucracy-free two command welfare system: * One - when everyone harvested their fields, they were to leave the gleanings for the poor. The poor needed to work to get free food, going out into the fields to gather up the gleanings. This gave them some dignity in working for their food. Also, the farmers were blessed in seeing their gleanings going directly to people in need. * Two - they had a once in three-year local food tithe. This was not administered by some unknown distant bureaucrat but directly by the local people to their local poor. This law was good in several ways. People could see exactly where their food tithe was going, eliminating fraud, and making sure food was only going to the truly deserving poor. The contributor could be blessed seeing the fruit of their contribution. Finally, the amount of food was enough to be stored up to last for some time and not to be tithed again for three more years. This gave the poor person incentive and time to get “back on their feet” and develop their own self-supported living. * Under God’s Law - there is no police force and no need for one. Americans had no police force for 300 years, from the 17th century until around the 20th century, during the time America was promoting God’s Law - the Ten Commandments, to love the Lord God with all your heart, and to love your neighbor as yourself … and not violate their neighbor, lest they receive swift and equal justice. Everyone was responsible to keep God’s Law themselves and responsible to help enforce the Law, a type of community “deputization.” * Under God’s Law - there were no prisons and no need for one. God’s Law requires swift and equal justice. If someone died at the hands of another, the perpetrator had to immediately flee to a “City of Refuge” and await fair and just trial to see if it was an accident, self-defense, or intentional killing i.e., murder. Because of the wisdom in God’s Law, it is much easier to determine what is just without continual appeals. If the verdict was murder, he would be put to death without delay. If the perpetrator did not flee to a “City of Refuge” and the victim’s family, relatives, or others found him, they were “deputized” to legally put him to death. This successfully eliminated the need for prisons. When God’s Law was applied in Israel murder was rare. This was also true in early America when it was more closely following God’s Law. Neither was there a need for a prison system. The primary prison system did not start in American until the 20th century, especially promoted by the unbiblical early Progressive movement. As America has turned away from God’s Law - today there are literally thousands of prisons with millions of prisoners. This is costing Americans over $180 billion dollars every year and impacting our economy over $350 billion dollars annually… and cities are full of crime! This alone should be enough reason for Christians and even non-Christians to demand a return to God’s Civil Law immediately. * Under God’s Law - Israel was the first nation in the world where everyone was taught to read. At the time Moses and the Children of Israel left Egypt: * The Hittite language had 375 cuneiform characters. * The Indus Valley Harappan language had 417 symbols. * The Luwian language of Anatolia had over 500 logographic hieroglyphs. * The Akkadian language in Mesopotamia had over 1,500 Sumerian cuneiform characters. * The Egyptian language had over 3,000 hieroglyphic characters. * The Chinese language had nearly 10,000 pictogram and ideogram characters. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, he not only had the Ten Commandments, but he had them in only a 22-character alphabet! With so few characters, everyone, including children, could learn to read. Parents and grandparents taught their children to read God’s Word and obey it. In most countries, reading and writing were skills only for kings, pharaohs, emperors, and their scribes, ruling class and some merchants. But God’s Law views all people being no less important than kings, as all being created in God’s image. Since The Time Of Christ In Acts 17:7, the disciples were described as already serving Jesus as their King instead of Caesar. The very fact that Rome persecuted, imprisoned, and murdered Christians demonstrated that the Romans understood that the kingdom the Christians preached and lived was an existing rival kingdom. Had Christianity been considered a religion like it mostly is today, Rome would not have concerned itself with Christianity any more than it did with any of the other religions in its realm. But Christendom’s King, His kingdom, and His civil Law posed a major threat to the survival of the pagan Roman Empire. In 324 AD, with the Christian conversion of the Roman Emperor Constantine and with the council and direction of Christian leaders, the Roman Empire was transformed from pagan rule and law to following more closely God’s Law and Jesus as King. Though history revisionists have influenced many today to think Constantine was bad or a hypocrite, he did in fact replace the pagan Roman law with much of God’s Law. And I tend to believe what the Christians say about Constantine in his time than non-Christians or Christians today think about him. The Christians in his time gave him the title of Constantine the Great. He did wonderful things for the Christians and the Kingdom of God. Christ’s kingdom in nations today is mostly under the rule of non-Christians. Not because it has yet to be established, but because many Christians have been taught the theological lie of the last century that the Kingdom of God does not exist on earth at this time. They have consequently

  7. Mar 24

    6: Jesus's Civil Mandate

    This is Jesus’s civil mandate (Matt. 28:18-20: “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This Scripture is often referred to as Jesus’s Great Commission. These verses are usually quoted for going to share the gospel to the world. There are verses that tell us to do that, but these verses do NOT say that. The “gospel” is nowhere mentioned in these verses. Jesus’s Great Commission is actually Jesus’s Civil Mandate for us today! Look closely at Jesus’s Great Commission: * “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” It’s interesting to note that when most Christians quote Jesus’s Great Commission they usually never quote the first sentence that Jesus says! But this is the premise for Jesus’s whole Great Commission. Christians assume Jesus has all authority in heaven. But how many assume that Jesus has the same all authority here on earth right now? Therefore, this means - Jesus has all civil authority on earth - “of all nations.” This means there is no legitimate civil authority on earth unless Jesus has delegated that authority to be legitimate based on what He Himself declares is legitimate (Rom. 13:3-4): “For the [legitimate] authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong… Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good… They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.” Moreover, Jesus’s civil authority is NOT just for the purpose of some future millennial reign. Jesus said, “it has been given to Me,” since that time. So Jesus has all civil authority now. Jesus is to be honored NOW having all civil authority. He is to be honored today in our nation as “KING of kings.” Jesus told us to pray specifically for this as well when He told His disciples what to pray (Matt. 6:9-10): “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name… your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus’s prayer is also NOT just for some future millennial time but obviously for today. What Jesus told us to pray is revolutionary! In essence, Jesus is telling us that it is HIS WILL that He be Head of State in all nations, in our nation right today. * “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.” The words “make disciples” is one word in Greek, “mathēteuō,” more often translated as “teach,” – “Therefore go and teach all nations.” Since Jesus has all authority on earth, which certainly includes all civil authority, that is why Jesus said to go and disciple or teach all nations. But Jesus did NOT say: * Go disciple or teach the church * Go disciple or teach Christians NO! Jesus said Go disciple and teach NATIONS i.e. governments. The definition for “nations” is NOT individuals or even a people-group of individuals. A nation by definition is - a people-group under a civil government via civil rulers with civil laws. Discipling people without teaching civil rulers to be under King Jesus and God’s civil Law - is NOT obeying Jesus’s national Great Commission! Satan, who always tries to displace Jesus, knows very well what Jesus’s Great Commission is. Communists are zealous for working day and night to disciple nations – for cities and nations to be under Communist socialistic laws. Should Christians be any less zealous in obeying Jesus’s Great Commission to disciple nations to be under King Jesus and His civil Law? * First, we must understand what Jesus’s Great Commission really is. * Second, we must believe it can happen. Would Jesus ever command something today that we cannot do and that He would not expect us to do, especially with His help? 16th Century Christians correctly understood and believed they could and should obey Jesus’s Great Commission. 16th Century European Christian Reformers took over many cities and nations replacing man’s laws with God’s Law. Early Christian Americans did the same. They established every American colony and town as Christian towns, putting in place God’s Law as their civil law. During the last century Marxist Communists started taking over many nations, putting in place Marxist socialistic laws. Over 40 years ago the Marxist’s Left began taking over cities in America replacing moral policies and laws with Marxist socialistic laws and even calling their cities, “Sanctuary Cities,” actual sanctuary for criminals. The god of the Muslims also understand Jesus’s Great Commission. And they are working zealously to take over nations with their Sharia law, city by city. They have now taken control of Dearborn, Michigan, and are working hard to do the same in other cities in America. In England they have 60 districts they are now controlling with their godless Sharia law. The god of the Mormons imitates Christianity and also understands Jesus’s Great Commission. The Mormons control Salt Lake City and most of Utah and are working towards controlling their neighboring States. Muslims, Mormons, and Leftists are all taking over cities in America today. If they are able to do that with their gods - where are the Christian cities with our God of gods? Where is even ONE Christian city? Can’t Christians take over even one small little town for King Jesus and put God’s more Law in place? Does Satan empower his agents more than Jesus empowers Christians? I thought it was said: “Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.” Does any Christian think that Jesus is happy that Muslims, Mormons, and Communists are more dedicated to taking over cities for their “kingdom of darkness” than Christians are for the “Kingdom of God?” Really? Especially when Jesus said He has “all authority on earth,” which can also be translated “all power on earth!” * “Baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” The word “baptize” in Greek is “baptizō.” This word occurs 86 times in 65 verses in the New Testament. The Greek lexicon defines this word was used in different ways: “to immerse, to submerge, to cleanse, to wash, to clean, to bathe, to overwhelm.” Every translator decides which word they want to use. But today in our society when we hear the English word “baptize,” Christians think of it as water baptism of new believers. But most of the time in the New Testament the word “baptize” was NEVER used in reference to believer’s baptism. Believer’s baptism was used only once in the thirteen different ways the word was used in the New Testament: * Matt. 3:6 Pre-Pentecost baptism * Matt. 3:11 Holy Spirit baptism * Matt. 3:11 Fire baptism * Matt. 20:22 Suffering baptism * Matt. 28:19 Nation baptism * Mark 7:4 Food baptism * Luke 11:38 Hand’s baptism * Acts 2:38 Believer’s baptism * Rom. 6:3 Christ death baptism * 1 Cor. 10:2 Moses’ cloud baptism * 1 Cor. 12:13 One-body baptism * 1 Cor. 15:29 For dead baptism * Gal. 3:27 Into Christ baptism Moreover, when new Believers were “water baptized” in the book of Acts, they were NEVER baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The following verses are ALL the verses in Acts that says what the name new Believers were only baptized in: * Acts 2:38: “baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” * Acts 8:16: “baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” * Acts 10:48: “baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” * Acts 19:5: “baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” When the word “baptizing” is being used in the Great Commission it is NOT talking about water baptism but rather in the context of baptizing “nations,” just how baptizing is used in context in every other place in the New Testament. Moreover, “baptizing them” is NOT referring to baptizing disciples, since the Greek word “mathēteuō,” to “make disciples of all nations” or “teach all nations” is a verb. Therefore, the pronoun “baptizing them” refers to the only noun “nations” -- “baptizing [nations] in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” So we don’t obviously water baptize governments or nations, but as the Greek would also read, we can “cleanse all nations” or “overwhelm all nations in the name [authority / power] of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Moreover, Jesus proceeded to tell us exactly how to “baptize” the nations in His name (authority / power) -- teaching [nations] to obey everything Jesus commanded. * “And teaching them [nations] to obey everything I have commanded you.” Jesus did not say, “teaching them to know everything I commanded” A pastor might teach his congregation to know God’s Word. But when it comes to teaching a nation – civil rulers and God’s civil Law - we would be teaching the nation to obey. Everything Jesus commanded He summarized from God’s Law (Matt. 22:37-40): “Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Jesus’s two commands here were taken straight from God’s Law (Deut. 6:5 & Lev. 19:18). In fact, everything Jesus commanded was from God’s Law (Matt. 5:17-19): “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the Law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of Go

  8. Mar 23

    7: Paul’s Civil Mandate

    Not only Jesus but also the Apostle Paul declared for the churches to have a Civil Mandate. Moreover, Paul declares that the church’s civil mandate should be its “FIRST” priority! In Paul’s same letter he begins by declaring Jesus to be the top civil leader for all nations, with His civil royal title (1 Tim. 1:17): “King eternal!” Next Paul gives Timothy his command (1 Tim. 1:18 TLB): “Now, Timothy, my son, here is my command to you: Fight well in the Lord’s battles.” Then Paul gives the battle plan (1 Tim. 2:1-4): “ 1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Paul declares this battle to be the “FIRST” priority for the church. And Paul “urges” for it to be done – “entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men.” But Paul specifies this specifically – “for kings and all who are in authority.” In other words, in this way God is commanding Christians to influence and affect all civil leaders! This is Paul’s CIVIL MANDATE. But for what purpose are Christians to affect civil leaders – “so that WE may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” In other words, God wants civil leaders to rule in such a way that benefits Christians! Some rulers may persecute Christians, but that is not God’s desire. Civil leaders are for God’s purpose to even “honor” Christians and to do them “good”: “For the king sends his officials … to honor those who do right” (1 Peter 2:14). “Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good” (Rom. 13:3-4). The big question: * WHY does God want Christians to have “a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” and WHY is this so “good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.” The big answer: * “God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Instead of Christians being persecuted or suppressed in any way, if Christians can “lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness” and be viewed with “dignity,” that gives Christians freedom to spread the gospel and fulfill “God’s desire for all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” And if Christian messengers are viewed with “dignity” their Christian message will be viewed with dignity and respect. In summary, fulfilling Paul’s civil mandate is necessary - to reach a whole nation and the message be respected, as God said - “ALL men … to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Paul knew this was necessary for him to be successful in reaching nations with the gospel (2 Thess. 3:1-2 TLB): “I ask you to pray for us. Pray first that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and triumph wherever it goes, winning converts everywhere. Pray, too, that we will be saved out of the clutches of evil men.” The end goal of Paul’s civil mandate is to influence and affect civil leaders so that “all men,” whole nations, will “come to the knowledge of the truth.” Is Paul’s civil mandate to influence and affect civil leaders by prayer only when Christians have opportunity to do more? Of course not! The Lord even gave Paul directly a civil mandate far more than just praying (Acts 9:15): “But the Lord said, ‘Go, for [Paul] is my chosen instrument to take My message … to kings.’” Paul and the other Christians were turning the civil order upside down in the nations of the Roman Empire (Acts 17:6-7): “’Paul and Silas have turned the rest of the world upside down, and now they are here disturbing our city,’ they shouted, ‘and Jason has let them into his home. They are all guilty of treason, for they claim another king, Jesus, instead of Caesar.” The Apostle James makes it clear that if we only pray when we can do more, our faith and prayers are dead and useless (James 2:17, 20, 26): “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless … How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless … Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.” In America we can do so much more to help fulfill God’s civil mandate than only pray. There are many good works that we can do. * Do we always vote and for capable godly men? * Are we able to financially contribute to their campaign? * Are we able to physically go and help in their campaign? * Do we ever contact our civil leaders to promote God’s civil Law? * Then do we pray what Paul said to specifically pray for our civil leaders? If we do all this the best we can, then God will hear our prayer and heal our land. Every miracle that Jesus ever did was only when His people could do nothing more themselves to help the situation. The Apostle Paul’s letter that starts with his “first” civil mandate priority - concludes declaring Jesus’s civil royal titles (1 Tim. 6:15): “He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords!” Get full access to Jim McCotter LIVE at jimmccotter.substack.com/subscribe

    7: Paul’s Civil Mandate
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