Patriotism vs. God

Can you be a Christian and a Patriot?

Before you answer that question, let me remind you that you cannot be a follower of Christ, if you love ANYTHING more than God. In fact, the best definition of idolatry is the love of something, more than God.

So, are you a patriot?

Of course, your answer might change a bit if that nation is truly following God. The problem is that there isn’t any nation today that follows God, so the issue is moot. And, I’m afraid that I haven’t dealt with this question as well as I should, in my own life.

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Patriotism vs. God

Patriotism vs. God – The ShockCast

YouTube shortlink: https://youtu.be/7K07ZUjBrD0

MP3 Audio:

http://omegashock.com/shockcast/2019/19-01-12-patriotism-vs-god.mp3

The Top Ten Videos Of The Past Week:

SHOCKCAST PLAYLIST 019 2019-01-12

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A picture of two evil men, standing side-by-side, forced me into a bout of introspection that helped me realize that one of the reasons why I get so angry with the evil coming from America, is that – deep down – I’m still patriotic (or at least, want to be). I’m not even close to being a true patriot, but it’s obvious that I haven’t really dealt with all those latent expectations that I have.

The Chinese government is easily as evil as the American government, but I don’t get as angry with them, as I do with the swamp creatures in Washington. And, that made me think a bit.

Please remember that God doesn’t care about what passport you carry, or what country you are a citizen of. He cares about YOU. And, He demands that YOU love Him more than any other thing or idea in this Universe. And, there are no exceptions to this demand, if you wish to enter Heaven. And, I DO love God more than any other thing or idea.

But, it’s clear that I must be still holding on to some kind of patriotism, or I wouldn’t yell, scream and type in all-caps, when American politicians act like sewer rats. Being driven ’round-the-bend by a picture of Paul Ryan is ridiculous. But, when I sat down to think about it, I realized that my family had been firmly steeped in patriotism.

We loved our country, and we worked hard to keep it from ‘going down the tubes’. We went to meetings. We spoke out. We did stuff. And, over the centuries, my family sent our sons off to war. Every war. In every generation.

When called, we gladly served.

And, it’s hard to shake a centuries-long legacy like that. The stories that we shared about uncles and cousins who had gone off to war. My dad’s mom talked about her ancestors coming on the Mayflower and how her parents were a part of the Oklahoma Land Rush. She grew up with dirt floors and riding on horseback, but lived to see the Moon Landings and the Space Shuttle. And then, I learned that an early John Little fell in battle, fighting for American Independence.

Shot by a Hessian. Ugh.

But, is all that history meaningful?

No.

We have been bought with a price. We have chosen to be citizens of a different kingdom. We are not of this world. So, it doesn’t matter if your family goes back centuries in the place where you were born, or is just an inch deep in its history. It doesn’t matter how great and good your country is, or isn’t. What matters, is whether you have your name inscribed in the Book of Life.

So, let me ask my fellow Americans:

Are you an American, first?

Or, is America second?

If you put America first, you are not going to make it to heaven. And, that’s why the Chinese Communist Party is putting Christians in jail, because they know that true Christians put China second. The Chinese government knows that a true Christian can never be a Chinese patriot. Ever.

But, I see too many Christian patriots. And, far too many of them are willing to kill those that the American government tells them to kill. And then, there’s a problem with the fact that our government has become evil.

Will God bless the desire to participate in armed revolution?

Even to overthrow an evil government?

I’m afraid that the answer is no. Emphatically no. And, there’s a part of me that doesn’t like that answer. But, God did not ask for my input, or yours. Our citizenship is in heaven.

Unfortunately, all of this is easier to say than to do. The evil that we see is painful to watch. The lives destroyed by our governments, tear at our soul. We grieve over a world awash in suffering, because greedy men and women will do anything for just one more dollar.

I thank God that I’m married to someone who puts me second in her life, and she’s glad that I put her in second place, also. For us, God is first.

How about you?

 

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Read my book, Ezekiel’s Fire.

It’s free, and it may just save your life.

Here’s the website:

http://www.ezekielsfire.com/

Or, download the PDF:

http://www.omegashock.com/ef/ezekielsfire.pdf

For E-Pub Format:

http://www.omegashock.com/ef/ezekielsfire-epub.epub

And, Kindle Format:

http://www.omegashock.com/ef/ezekielsfire-kindle.azw3

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IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE…

Yup, more than just special, these links appear to be the most important of all. Seriously, start with these.

And yes, these are pretty serious.

ZION [Official Lyric Video] – YouTube

TL2 shared this in the comment section, and I was blown away. The visuals are stunning. The song is beautiful. The message is the truth of God. And, by the time it was over, tears were streaming down my face.

This is the promise of God. And, I look forward to that promise – and hope for it – with every fiber of my being. I have devoted my life to the fulfillment of this promise, and Omega Shock is actually the flip-side of that.

You see, what I warn, every week, is a part of this prophecy. You see and hear me speak of the great devastation that is coming, but the other side of this cataclysm is the salvation of Israel as they accept the One who died for us – and them. This will be a momentous time, and my heart aches to play any role that God would give me, in that.

But, I know that God’s ways are best, and He has put me here, to do what I’m doing. I have learned the hard way that we need to wait upon the Lord, instead of stepping ahead of His will.

So, please bookmark this video and share it with EVERYONE. This is the future. It’s the promise of God. And, my heartfelt hope is to see that day, with my own eyes.

God bless you, TL2, for sharing that. Omega Shock readers (and ShockCast listeners) will be hearing and seeing a lot of this video, in the future.

NOW, A BIG PS….

As I told TL2 in response to her comment, I’m a picky so-and-so. And, I must point out that this video does make one mistake. Whenever the singer says ‘Adonai’, the Hebrew displayed is actually, ‘Yehovah’. Specifically, Yehovah. And, the Jews say ‘Adonai’ (meaning, My Lord), because they do not feel that they have the right to speak the name of God.

However, we are children of the Father. We are in the family of Christ. We are citizens of the Kingdom, with His Name written upon our hearts. Therefore, we have the right – maybe even the obligation – to speak His glorious Name.

His Name is Yehovah. He is Yeshua. And His eternal glory will shine across the world.

Now, having said all that, saying ‘Adonai’ is not a serious ‘infraction’. And, I don’t want anyone to think less of this song for that. So, feel free to ignore this ‘PS’, if you wish.

Stevens’s power law – Wikipedia

As point of interest, Chris also shared this as a way of helping us to calculate just how big Ezekiel’s Fire would have to be, for us to see it as seven times brighter than the Sun normally is.

Republican House Increased Debt $7.9 Trillion in 8 Years

I hope that you aren’t eating – or about to eat – if you are reading this. The nausea might put you off your feed. In fact, the picture of the two worst offenders, Paul Ryan and John Boehner, is enough to do that, all by itself.

Those two men are evil. The Republicans that voted to allow this are evil. The Democrats who voted for this are evil. They have destroyed America, and they are not sorry that they have done so.

The call politics, the art of compromise. And, that is a disgusting claim. No, a better explanation is that politics is the art of sinning, without appearing to sin. The art of theft without appearing to steal. The art of violence without appearing to be aggressive.

The evil men and women of the Congress, Senate and Executive (i.e., the Presidency) are to blame. Of course, we put them there, so at the very least, this makes us accessory to our own murder.

Democracies always commit suicide. Always.

In fact, let me turn again to John Adams and quote him on this:

Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.

And, he was right. We are proving it, as we speak. And the reason why he said this, is here:

When clear prospects are opened before vanity, pride, avarice, or ambition, for their easy gratification, it is hard for the most considerate philosophers and the most conscientious moralists to resist the temptation. Individuals have conquered themselves. Nations and large bodies of men, never.

In a Democracy, the nation eventually reflects the lowest common denominator. That’s why the ‘founding fathers’ of the United States tried so hard to keep America from being too democratic. They set as high a bar as possible, so that maybe… just maybe …the nation might last longer and fail less catastrophically. And, they were somewhat successful. Somewhat.

Two plus centuries is a long time for a democracy to last. And yes, I know that many say that we are a Republic. But, that’s just the Latin form of the word Democracy. So, spare me the posturing – assuming that you like to argue such things.

The point is that these men and women have destroyed America. They weren’t the only ones. The men and women who came before them, added their own corruption to the foul and stinking ediface of the US government.

And, for those who wish to be patriots, ask yourself:

To whom are you being patriotic?

Your own countrymen created this mess. They put the politicians there and asked them to do what they are doing. And, they kept re-electing them to office.

You wish to be loyal and pledge fealty to such an awful bunch of people?

You want to fight, kill and die for those who created this corruption?

So, please do not wave the flag in my face. The America that flag represents, died a long time ago. And, as much as I would wish to honor the memory of the dead, we must choose what we will do with our lives.

I come from a long line of patriots. We held every rank in the US military. We fought and died both on American soil and in foreign fields of battle. As I have said, many times, the first of my family, to fall in battle was also name John Little.

I ask that we lay down our arms, and fight no more. The nation is finished. The war is over. We have lost. The enemy has won the day.

For those of you who are brothers and sisters in Christ, this call is a command from God. We are not of this world. We were bought with a price. We travel to a kingdom made by God. He is our flag, and Christ is our cause. The weapons of our warfare are not of this world, and we should devote our lives to the gospel, and to the welfare of Christian brothers and sisters.

All else is of little value, compared to that.

And, I did not expect to write all that, but I was inspired by the picture of two wicked and evil men, standing next to each other.

Disturbed – No More [Official Lyrics Video] – YouTube

After writing the above, I found this music video, titled No More. No, this is not a Christian band, or a Christian song. But, it reflected my thoughts on patriotism.

Patriots go to war, to kill and to die for their country. It’s what patriots do. It’s what my family has done for more than two centuries. And, it would be wrong to kill and to die for America. It would be a sin.

Worse, the reasons why America is fighting the Endless War, are evil in the extreme. The blood of millions stains our souls, our hands. And, I need to stamp out of my soul, what is left of my patriotism. It’s a form of idolatry, and it needs to stop.

And, this nascent patriotism is probably part of the reason why certain things make me upset. America could have been a good country, and that ‘could have been’ is adding to all the angst. I don’t need that, and you don’t either.

Whatever America was in the past, she is not a good country. And, she will never again be a ‘good country’. And, for our peace of mind, we need to set realistic expectations for that land mass called North America.

I am a patriot no more. And, I must come to terms with that.

Patriotism is the ideology of endless war. And, you will NOT find patriotism in any other context than the physical Land of Israel. And, America is NOT Israel.

As Christians we are not to fight. War is of the old man, the one that we have cast off. And, the death that we will die one day, will be for Christ and His cause, not that of the patriot.

If you persist in your patriotism, you run the risk of idolatry and an eternal price that I wish for no one. Be a Christian. Follow Christ. Forsake the loyalties that are against all that.

Disturbed – No More Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

Here are the lyrics to the above video:

-Verse 1 –

Once again we hear them calling for war

It doesn’t matter what they’re fighting for

They light the match and watch the whole world burst into flame

The story’s always the same

So tell me, people, are you ready to kill?

Behold the propaganda, get your fill

A distant enemy is threatening our freedom again

How much would you like to spend?

– Pre-Chorus –

Millions are falling in line

And it’s just a matter of time

Endless destruction will ensure their pockets are lined

For all time

– Chorus –

No more defending the lies

Behind the never-ending war

It’s time to make them realize

We will no longer be their whore

No more, no more

No more, no more

No more, no more

– Verse 2 –

They don’t care about the blood on their hands

Look at the world, and you will understand

They count the money as the innocent continue to bleed

They’re always planting the seed

So tell me, people, are you ready to die

Without believing in the reason why?

They paint a picture, and the whole damn world is deceived

It’s all that they ever need

– Pre-Chorus –

Millions keep falling in line

It’s only a matter of time

Sowing destruction will make sure their pockets are lined

For all time

– Chorus –

No more defending the lies

Behind the never-ending war

It’s time to make them realize

We will no longer be their whore

No more defending the lies

Behind the never-ending war

It’s time to make them realize

We will no longer be their whore

– Bridge –

No, it can’t be disguised anymore

How they smile as we pay for their war

– Chorus –

No more defending the lies

Behind the never-ending war

It’s time to make them realize

We will no longer be their whore

No more defending the lies

Behind the never-ending war

It’s time to make them realize

We will no longer be their whore

No more, no more

No more, no more

No more, no more

Does that sound like how you feel?

It’s certainly how I feel.

Investigation launched after patient in vegetative state gives birth

Here’s a snapshot of America. A helpless woman was raped – probably many, many times – and then gives birth. In a healthcare facility. And, no one knows who did it.

Do they even care?

Is this what America has become?

A place where no one can be trusted?

How Tainted Drugs Reach Market And Make Patients Sicker – Kaiser Health News

This is upsetting.

Greed, corruption and stupidity are killing innocent men, women and children. Lives are being broken and torn apart. People without a conscience are willing to poison and kill the innocent and unsuspecting, to make an extra dollar. And, because of THEIR greed, the average person will demand that the government be given more power to stop these vile and filthy psychopaths.

Most Americans have forgotten the foul history of their own food industry. Before we had refrigeration, we needed to can meat, to keep it from spoiling – so that it could be shipped to the growing cities. Well, the ‘meat packers’, as this industry was called, added poisonous chemicals like borax and formaldehyde to preserve their meat. And, just a teaspoon of borax can kill a child. And, if the meat was already rotten, they would add chemicals to mask the smell. Then, the psychopaths created a ‘Beef Trust’, so that they could protect themselves from competition and the outrage of average consumer.

The bottom line?

People were getting sick and dying because of what foul and evil people were doing.

The result?

The creation of the FDA (the Food and Drug Administration) and new powers for the USDA (United State Department of Agriculture).

Wicked men and women used foul and evil practices that led to sickness and death across the United States. These practices made a lot of money for these disgusting people, but also led to the theft of our liberty.

Why?

Because the only way that we could ensure the safety of the food that we were eating, was to ask the government to make sure that it was safe. And, when you give government this kind of power, they take more power.

But, without these federal agencies, evil men and women would be free to trick you into using and consuming products that would injure and kill you. And sometimes, it’s not evil that is injuring and killing you, it’s plain stupidity. Stupid probably kills as often as evil does.

When did these federal agencies spring into being?

Right around 1906. The Second Industrial Revolution was well under way and people were streaming into the cities. And, they’d had enough of rotten and poisoned meat being sold to them. Poisoned and fake goods were injuring and killing people, to the point where the only solution was a set of new laws that would protect the consumer.

This is an example of why Libertarian utopias just do not work. Libertarianism only works when people are good, decent, knowledgeable and smart. And yes, knowledge and intelligence are important prerequisites. Stupidity is deadly, too.

Oh, and the more complex and interdependant a society is, the more knowledge that you need to keep yourself safe from injury. And, forcing people to be THAT knowledgeable all the time, just does not work. No one has the time to know everything about what they are eating, if they are to actually be productive.

But, back to this historical and deadly corruption…

We actually see this at work in China. They are suffering the exact same problems that America did, at the turn of the previous century. They are also finding poisons and fake ingredients in their food, and the government has stepped in to ban these items.

Evil people in China are putting borax in noodles, killing children. Plastic is being used to create fake rice. Poisonous chemicals are being dumped into the water supply. Contaminated cooking oil is being harvested, filtered, bottled and then resold as fresh.

This was the kind of thing that Americans were doing over a hundred years ago, and now the Chinese are doing it. Humanity is just as evil, no matter whether English or Mandarin is being spoken.

That’s why, when I look at an article like this, it makes me horrendously upset.

It’s not just that wicked men and women are killing innocent children. It’s far, far more than that. It’s the fact that this wickedness is causing us to have an ever larger and more evil government.

If you want to know WHY your freedoms have been stolen from you, THIS IS WHY. And, those who suffer the most are the weakest and most vulnerable. This makes me so angry, that I could scream and break things. And, God is furious at this.

God is angry, and His judgment upon an evil nation cannot be delayed when the cup of iniquity is so full. So, please prepare for awful, awful times in America.

And, for those of you who are Libertarians, please stop preaching your nonsense. Libertarianism does not work without a true faith in God. And, I find that most Libertarians have rejected God. If you want Liberty, put God at the center of the nation, otherwise… shut up and sit down.

Please, stop your utopian theories and apply yourself to Godliness. Learn the history of wickedness and psychopathic evil. Stop assuming that your country can be free, when they have abandoned God.

Fort Worth pastor who called Pulse massacre victims ‘scum’ apologizes for adultery, stands by sermon | Fort Worth | Dallas News

I’m sorry, but this man is wrong.

It is true that wickedness is leading to to the destruction of America. It is also true that removing the homosexuals from the world would make the world a better place. In fact, removing ALL of those who sin, would make the world even better.

This would mean that you and I would also need to be removed. We are only less bad than these homosexuals. Less bad is still bad.

I am glad that this pastor had the decency to hold himself accountable for his actions. But, his belief that it was good for these homosexuals to be murdered… that’s wrong.

Yes, I often ask that the wrath of God would torment the wicked – but, only until they repent. And, if they will not repent, I often wish for God to destroy them. And, that sounds like I’m being a hypocrite.

I get that. I understand why you would think that I’m a hypocrite for condemning a pastor for something that I appear to do. Unfortunately, this just means that I’ve done a poor job of communicating. So, let me try and clear things up.

I want everyone to go to Heaven. I don’t care how evil you are, I do not want you to spend an eternity in Hell. My sincere desire is for everyone to repent of their sins, and then seek to undo the damage that they have done.

Even if you stand at the end of your life, where you have murdered millions and ruined the lives of those whom you could not kill, I would still want you to repent and escape an eternity in Hell.

However, I also desire to protect the precious lives of our brothers and sisters. I wish to keep the wicked from continuing in their wickedness. I want to stop believers from being drawn away from Christ. And, I want the freedom to warn those who are on the path to everlasting punishment. I want the ability to extend the hand of rescue. And, I want anything that blocks that freedom and ability, to be removed from blocking it.

I also have great compassion for those who have fallen into sin. These people did not understand what they were getting into when they chose this path. They did not know that their road would end in Hell for all eternity. And, it is only through the miraculous choice of God, that we are free ourselves.

We need to feel sorry for these sinners, these wicked and evil people. We would be right there with them, if we hadn’t been rescued by God.

How can you hate evil, while having compassion for those who do evil?

This is very hard, and I doubt that I handle this paradox very well. And, most pastors do not handle this properly. This pastor didn’t. And, I believe that God took this pastor down, to prove an important point.

None of us are good. We all deserve death and eternal punishment. Therefore, we desire repentance for all and death for no one – even though we devoutly wish for the evil to stop.

God help us, but this is so very hard in such an evil age.

 

I truly hope that you’ll be ready for this

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.Proverbs 22:3

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If you find a flaw in my reasoning, have a question, or wish to add your own viewpoint, leave a comment on the website. Your input is truly welcome.

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