Is there a vision broad enough to be the central mission for every Christian, every family, every ministry, organization, institution, and business, yet focused enough to be meaningful to us individually? I submit that there is such a vision, and understanding it offers the cure for all that ails both our souls and our society.
It probably sounds strange that a vision so universal can yield such empowering purpose to you as an individual. Usually something “general” is too wide to hold such specific influence upon every aspect of life. But the Bible provides us with a vision that is both broad and specific. It’s a vision that can provide every living soul with a purpose that obliterates confusion, stagnation, and procrastination, and it’s a vision that can steer the direction of entire nations, institutions, and relationships. It’s a vision so drenched with purpose that its power can create the greatest era in human history because it’s the only vision that can both order and direct every aspect of society. Yes, the Bible provides us with such a vision, and the only downside is the convoluting of that vision by fashionable evangelical leaders. Read more...
"I detest the cute style of writing so popular today, New Yorkese I call it, because I believe words are tools to be used intelligently, respectfully, carefully, and lovingly. A good writer does not call attention to himself (as William Buckley endlessly does), but to his subject, and his writing opens up avenues of thought and insight... Good writing gives me a sensuous sense of wealth and luxury; good writing is like combining the ultimate in nutritional value with a strictly gourmet dinner in a perfect and happy marriage."
~ R.J. Rushdoony, Letter to Otto Scott, April 28, 1977
Yes, I have received a copy of your Foundations of Social Order from Hays Craig. He always sends me whatever you write. I am amazed at the speed with which you produce books. You must work at them day and night."
~ Dr. Cornelius Van Til to R. J. Rushdoony in a letter dated January 21, 1969
Benito Mussolini should be given credit for the particular brand of statism that has found such a fertile environment in our own country. His system was not one of direct take-over through revolution, but gradual ownership through regulations and controls. The velvet noose is slowly choking off our productive capacity, restricting our freedom of movement, and swamping us in a sea of paperwork.
Under our increasingly controlled economy, the state becomes a giant umbrella under which each sphere of our lives is regulated. Our property can only be used in certain ways. Our educational systems must be in tune with H.E.W. official dogma. Our business and professional lives are always adjusting to more encroachments on our freedom to exercise our own judgments. Under a statist property system, nothing is allowed to exist outside of, or independent of the big umbrella of central planning.
When everything in our country is planned and run like our postal system, we will have arrived by degrees into this cradle-to-grave security system whereby we are relieved of the responsibility of making any decisions, but also of the "privilege" of eating or, at least, of eating well.
To finance the "big umbrella" that covers our lives requires a tax, and the most efficient arm of this property control system is always the collecting arm. The spending side of government is loose, corrupt, and inefficient, but the extracting side always works well, because it is the life blood of the system.
This is the direction into which we are moving. Pick any area: medical, dental, church, real estate, travel, personal privacy, and the sphere of operating freedom is lessening like a closing vise.
We find ourselves at this juncture. My argument is that basically we have arrived at this point because we wanted to be here. We asked for this, and we got it. I am not saying we like it, but I am saying that we voted for it and are still voting for it. We are not a captive nation, and this system has not been imposed upon us by foreigners. It is of our own making, and although certain aspects of the big umbrella system have become uncomfortable, I am not sure that the discomfort has been enough to impel us to get this statist monkey off our back.
Over the past few years, Chris has been doing an outstanding job keeping all of us abreast of the growing totalitarianism of the “American Super State.” So, as you know, in addition to the removal of habeas corpus, the ability of the gov. to confiscate land at will (even if it is simply to bring in more tax dollars), the government can now legally eavesdrop on any and every phone and email conversation. And all of this from our “conservative” President and Congress – and “Christian” Conservatism at that.
America has embarked upon a path of socialism and every year she is gaining speed toward that mark. The people of America and her governmental institutions have forgotten “the Christian foundation upon which this nation is reared and the importance of its relation to the form of government established by the Constitution. We as a people, [are] allowing ourselves to become separated from the keystone of our national structure – our Christian heritage.... By omission, America [has] deflected into socialism.”[1] Our omission is that we have failed to acknowledge Jesus as Lord in all things. That includes government.
The only thing that I'd like to change about the above statement is that America has past becoming Socialist, is now full into fascism, and quickly marching its way to totalitarianism.
No, my solution is not to take up arms and forcibly institute a Christian take over of the government. This would be a metaphysical solution to an ethical (i.e. moral) problem. Just as I discussed in my very first post, the problem is with the issue of Sovereignty. In our present time the State believes that it is sovereign over all things. They are wrong, dead wrong. Only God is Sovereign. It really is that simple. Unless our nation bows the knee to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and recognize Jesus as the only true Sovereign (Matt. 28:18, Phil. 2:9-11, others), He will crush her with a rod of iron (Ps. 2).
"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan" (Pro. 29:2). The State which thinks it is God, is a fearful thing because to be God, one must have the ability to both save and destroy (James 4:12). But since the State cannot really save anyone from anything, the full force of its power is focused into the act of destroying. For God to say He is Sovereign means that His laws never change. For the State to say that it is sovereign means that its laws must forever change and even be self contradictory to prove that it has absolute power.
What is our solution then? Live in bold faith. The State has a different understanding of the nature of the universe than we do. They believe we live in a natural word, controlled by the acts of men. We, on the other hand, understand that every molecule that forms matter is held in place solely by the hand of God and that, if it was His will, everything that exists would simply be no more. I love the histories of Elijah and Elisha because they understood the true nature of God, man, and the universe. Which is that both fire and rain come from heaven and are controlled by God, axe heads float (2 Kings 6:5-7), jars of oil never run dry (2 Kings 4:1-7), the dead are raised back to life (2 Kings 4:18-37), and that a few righteous are more than hosts of the wicked (2 Kings 6:15,16).
It is not God who has ceased working in the world; it is we who have stopped walking in faith.
"Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" (Matt. 9:24).
Senate Gives White House Freedom to Wiretap and Guarantees Immunity to Phone Companies
This is landmark. The Senate voted 69-29 to approve an update to the Foreign Surveillance Act of 1978. Since 9/11, the White House has operated an illegal Terrorist Surveillance Program that did not operate under the oversight of the secret court created by the 1978 Foreign Surveillance Act. These illegal surveillance activities were enacted with the help of some of America's largest telecommunications companies. At present, some 40 lawsuits have been filed against the privately-owned telcom companies. This new legislation will grant immunity from all lawsuits against these corporations.
The government is now free to eavesdrop on all phone calls and emails, and may use the full technological power of the telecommunications industry without fear of legal repercussions. Should this give us reason for concern? Not if you believe the president:
"The president called the Senate bill a good piece of legislation that allows the intelligence community to monitor communications of foreign terrorists while protecting Americans' liberties. He urged the House to pass the bill and send it to his desk without delay."
Guess what? There is NO aspect of the legislation that describes HOW Americans' liberties will be protected. We're supposed to take him at his word. This is doublespeak. If the government and telecommunications companies can eavesdrop all of your communications at will, your liberty is already gone. What protected American liberties was the absence of such legislation, right? Now that we have these draconian measures, liberty is gone!
Senator John Rockefeller IV believes the legislation "is the right way to go for the security of the nation." Spoken like a true Rockefeller. War-mongering Democrats like Senator Joe Lieberman supported the bill wholeheartedly. This support is not only on behalf of the telecommunications companies; the National Security Agency will no longer need any approval or court order to eavesdrop both domestically and internationally. American liberties are being signed away by the day to the sound of cheers, prayers, and patriotic pride. But a time is coming when we'll have the devil to pay for our negligence!
But, why listen to paranoid people like me? You're right. Everything is okay. Go back to sleep.
After 9/11, and the alleged use of "box cutters" by Arabs to overcome eight U.S. commercial airline pilots (six of which, by the way, were military veterans), all Americans boarding airplanes were forbidden to carry items like pocket knives, scissors, nail files, etc. After Richard Reid attempted to set his shoes on fire on a cross Atlantic flight, Americans were then required to remove their shoes for scanning. Then, when an alleged Al Quaeda plot to bring liquid explosives on board another cross Atlantic flight, Americans were forbidden to carry any liquid or gel-based product over 3 ounces through the airport check-in. That means toothpaste, hair gel, coffee, and bottled water.
Now, after two Down syndrome females blew themselves up in Baghdad, America's security leaders are concerned a woman feigning pregnancy could be used to deliver a deadly explosive device on American soil. And because the DHS and the TSA do not profile based upon race (e.g., Arab), every pregnant American woman is now suspect.
This video is disturbing, so if you are faint of heart, or have a tendency of getting through life by keeping your head in the sand, then please don't watch. Videos of the growing police brutality in America are legion, and we are entering a new era in Western history in which public enemy number one is the public itself. A woman who called 9-11 after being assaulted ends up being treated as the criminal and then violently strip searched by two Nazi-like thugs while assisted by female officers. Because the video is difficult to watch, you'll have to use the link featured above to view it. However, this clip is taken from a local news broadcast, so there is no blood, visible nudity, or profanity. The disturbing nature of it is its injustice.
And now I must step on some toes. Despite my pleas for other Christian ministers to speak out against the growing tyranny in the United States, they remain silent. They have nothing to say regarding torture, illegal surveillance, unjust war, RealID Act, or the nullifying of liberty. Instead, they spend their time on the ACLU, liberal candidates, or the repeated diatribes on the Christianity of America's founding fathers.
I'm not saying that these are not issues. They simply pale in comparison to the real injustices being perpetrated on the American people. How can we as Christian ministers be silent before such inhumanity? I have never witnessed so many otherwise bright Christian leaders so easily stifled by the doublethink methods of state propaganda.
I have a prediction to make: if a Democrat is elected as president in 2008, we will see these conservative ministers--as they did during the Clinton years--begin harping on the threat to liberty and the growing police state. But not until then. Why? Because, for the most part, they believe Republicans when they speak. Because they believe we are about to be overtaken by millions of invisible Islamic radicals; and we've only avoided another 9/11 because of the draconian measures instituted by the American Super State.
Christian Conservatives suffer because they can only think in the dual political categories of "Left vs. Right," and do not recognize that these ostensible political choices are essentially the same. That's why, since FDR, the federal government has only increased, and it was a Republican that ended the gold standard, and it was a Republican that initiated the greatest expansion of the federal government since FDR.
The only Republican nominee determined to end unjust taxation, shrink the welfare state, end expensive wars, protect our borders, shut down the Federal Reserve, and restore constitutional liberties was ignored and denounced by nearly all Christian conservatives--including a few reconstructionist leaders. My concern is not the political victory of Ron Paul, but supporting and equipping the millions of his supporters that are learning about the evils of statism for the first time. This is a tremendous opportunity, but again, our illustrious Christian leaders deem it a greater purpose to preserve nativity scenes on government property, or something of that ilk. God help us.
Whites Will Officially Be a Minority in the U.S. by 2050
By the year 2050, the White population in America is estimated to drop to 47%. It was 85% just 47 years ago. At the same time, due to immigration and high birth rates, Hispanics will swell to make up 29% with Blacks remaining at 13%, and Asians at 9%. In total, the estimated population of these United States is expected to reach 438 million according to a report released today by the Pew Research Center.
Most of this grow, as mentioned, will be from immigration: "Of the 117 million people added to the population during this period... 67 million will be the immigrants themselves and 50 million will be their U.S.-born children or grandchildren." The White population will drop significantly, and by 2050, Whites will officially be a minority population in the U.S.
The Baby Boomers marked a single generation that is now reaching retirement years. By referring to them as a "boom," the obvious implication is that succeeding generations weren't so booming. The birthrate amongst Anglo families has steadily declined since the 1950s, and the future United States--if there still is one--will take on a much different visage.
To this, a good many people will say, "Hallelujah! Whitey got what he deserved!" And, this refrain will likely come out of the mouths of a fair amount of self-hating Anglos. Self-hatred is an interesting phenomenon, and one that I am still puzzled to behold. The architects of bigot-police have so thoroughly indoctrinated White citizens that they expect, anticipate, and now rejoice in their own demeaning and decline. This is leading to what Pat Buchanan refers to as national suicide:
The American majority is not reproducing itself. Its birthrate has been below replacement level for decades. Forty-five million of its young have been destroyed in the womb since Roe v. Wade, as Asian, African, and Latin American children come to inherit the estate the lost generation of American children never got to see. (Day of Reckoning: How Hubris, Ideology, and Greed are Tearing America Apart, p.8)
The new era of immigration is nothing like the past. New immigration is not seeking acclimation, or the submission to American values, tradition, and history. America is not the beacon of freedom that drew immigrants in the past. Today's immigrants come primarily for economic reasons and the benevolent welfare state (I don't know how many times you have to say this to a liberal, but if you subsidize something, you get more of it).
Is there hope? I think so. Why? Because God is large and in charge! Humanly speaking, there is hope also because of the growing population of godly Christian families that are multiplying rapidly. Better yet, a more astute generation of Christians is also growing. I've met several young men and women now in key positions in Christian ministries, media, civil service, and publishing that were homeschooled--even more that were trained in a Christian school. When you've got a generation filled with God's Spirit, the Scriptures, and vigorously trained in all forms of academia, you've got a new aristocracy arising. These new (multiplying) Christian leaders will be central to overseeing the swelling populations of non-Americans.
The X Factor is always faith. If we do not succeed in convincing our pathetic politicians to control immigration, then we shall make dedicated Christians out of all that cross our borders. If such agendas as the creation of a North American Union are underway, Christians will subvert the centralized social order. It's just in our spiritual blood to do so. We have a tendency towards turning the world upside down (Acts 17:6).
"The men who asserted federal power did so in the name of statist or federal sovereignty. The constitutionalists opposed them in the name of the law of the land, the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution, whatever its merits, gave and gives no immunity against the sinfulness of men. The Constitution presupposes sin with its checks and balances, expressed powers, and the Bill of Rights, but it cannot alter nor eliminate the fact of sin. Where and when the churches fail in their task, no constitution and no law can prevent the destruction of freedom and order." ~ R. J. Rushdoony, Sovereignty, p.54
[S]ince God so often affirms that he will give to each one according to his faith [Matt. 8:13; 9:29; Mark 11:24], he implies that we can obtain nothing apart from faith.[1]
Some may find it difficult to harmonize Calvin's concept of "obtaining from God by faith" with his doctrine of total depravity. We find it difficult to have expectations of God based upon His Word because we do not want to presume upon the Lord. A cautious sense of humility can often hamstring the strength of one's faith when that faith is most needed.
Calvin rightly argues that God "so often affirms that he will give to each one according to his faith." He is accurate. The Scriptures do place the onus upon the faith of the person in need, but this suggestion takes us too close to Word of Faith teaching, so we tend to back away from it.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks the question, "What do the Scriptures principally teach?" (Q.5), to which we are to respond, "The Scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man." The next question elaborates on the first clause by asking, "What do the Scriptures make known of God?" (Q.6), and the knowledge of God revealed in the Scriptures consist of making known "what God is, the persons in the Godhead, his decrees, and the execution of his decrees."
After this, the Catechism moves quickly--by Question 21--into man's fall and sinful state. However, leading up to this are questions regarding the decrees of God and the relationship of creation, angels, and man to His providence. By the time the Catechism does address prayer, the idea of caution and depravity is put forward much more than faith. All that the Catechism teaches is true, but I do feel that it downplays an important subject regarding our concept of God--a concept that Calvin boldly addresses:
In understanding faith it is not merely a question of knowing that God exists, but also--and this especially--of knowing what what is his will toward us. For it is not so much our concern to know who he is in himself, as what he wills to be toward us. Now, therefore, we hold faith to be a knowledge of God's will toward us, perceived from his Word.[2]
Consider that statement again: "For it is NOT so much our concern to know he is in himself, AS WHAT HE WILLS TO BE TOWARD US." Calvin views faith as knowing God's attitude towards us, and deriving that knowledge from the illumination of the Scriptures. We must do more than simply know God exists. We must know His promises toward us and strengthen our faith in terms of them. Otherwise, what's the purpose of prayer? And why do the great saints of Scripture pray so boldly?
Faith Goes Beyond the Senses
Faith is usually not our first response because faith deals with the impossible. Without a knowledge of "the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe" (Eph. 1:19), we would be no different than the beasts of the field, and the birds of the air, that receive from God only what is required for their survival. But man is different. Man is given the great calling of dominion; he is the ambassador of Christ that should expect God's abundant supply in order to advance the rule of God in every area of life. Therefore, man must be informed by God as to what his expectations of God should be:
For faith is so far above sense that man's mind has to go beyond and rise above itself in order to attain it.[3]
Going beyond our mind means relying upon the information provided to us by the Scriptures-- information that encourages and strengthens faith. Too much of the doctrine of total depravity can lead to a man-centered outlook that is as equally damaging as that of any Word of Faith doctrine. If our concept of depravity leads to doubt and a weakened faith, we are out of balance. On other hand, a lack of balance can also lead to "little god" doctrines where Christians are snapping their fingers at God as if He were some sort of heavenly butler. We should be well able to avoid both extremes, if we follow the Scriptures closely. Faith is strong when it's established on God's Word, and it is weak when it neglects it:
The same Word is the basis whereby faith is supported and sustained; if it turns away from the Word, it falls. Therefore, take away the Word and no faith will then remain.[4]
The Power of Patience
Hyper-faith teaching suggests that we can have a perfect faith that never doubts, and receives a response immediately upon request. This teaching is simply nonsense. The Biblical examples of faith often involve longsuffering and patience. This is especially true in the life of Abraham--our model for faith:
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying, Sure blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.Heb. 6:12-15
Faith and patience are two sides of one coin. Patience means "constancy," and constancy means endurance. Abraham "patiently endured" and then "obtained the promise." But the process was one of a constant battle with impossible circumstances that tried to challenge his "persuasion" regarding God's promises:
Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that he had promised, he was able also to perform. Rom. 4:18-21
Our faith is not perfect, but we are blessed if we persevere. No doubt, a great many of us are beset with intimidating circumstances that cause us to question and doubt God's promises. We must not allow ourselves to be condemned for having such struggles. We can never perfect faith in this lifetime:
This variation arises from imperfection of faith, since in the course of the present life it never goes well with us that we are wholly cured of the disease of unbelief and entirely filled with and possessed by faith.[5]
But it is in the midst of those great struggles of faith that we must again appeal to the Scriptural promises to be reminded of how God was faithful to preserve His faithful ones. We must push beyond the limited understanding of our minds and take hold again of the covenant promises of our Maker. Calvin recommends such an approach:
Indeed, when it seems that he has deserted us we must stretch our thoughts farther, that his former benefits may revive us, as is said in another psalm: "I remember the days of old, I have meditated on all thy deeds..."[6]
Meditation is unavoidable. We muse throughout the day without fail. The issue is WHAT occupies our mind. Do we have control over what we will meditate upon?
Oh how I love thy law! It is my meditation all the day. Ps. 119:97
We choose what will occupy our thoughts. If it is God's Word--both law and commandment--then the result will be obedience and faith. Living the life of faith begins in the mind of man as he goes beyond the information brought to him by this life in order to consult with God's revelation in Scripture.
1. John Calvin: The Institutes of the Christian Religion in Two Volumes, Trans. Ford Lewis Battles (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster Press, 1960), 3.20.11. 2. Ibid., 3.2.6. 3. Ibid., 3.2.14. 4. Ibid., 3.2.6. 5. Ibid., 3.2.18. 6. Ibid., 3.2.18.
In my last post, I noted the Biblical encouragement to faith that we have in the lives of the saints of the Scriptures. In particular, I highlighted the faith and prayer of Elijah; how the book of James provokes us to similar works as Elijah by saying, "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly..." (James 5:17).
The effectual and fervent prayers of righteous men and women will accomplish much (James 5:16). Earnest prayer is fervent prayer, and fervent prayer is driven by a consuming passion for God's Kingdom and glory to overcome all things. John Calvin rightly demonstrates the great need for zeal as that which fuels effective Christian prayer:
[Z]eal for the Kingdom of God and his glory ought so to lay hold on us, not intermittently but constantly, that the same opportunity may ever remain ours. It is therefore not in vain that constancy in prayer is enjoined upon us.[1]
When was the last time you heard a sermon on I Thessalonians 5:17?
Pray without ceasing.
Or, how about Ephesians 6:18?
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perserverance and supplication for all saints.
Constant prayer stems from genuine concern for God, His Kingdom, and the well-being of those closest to us. Imagine that our nation was riddled with disease, and people were dying by the thousands. Or, imagine that a Christ-hating power had completely taken over your country, and Christians were being hauled off to prison camps, or God forbid, executed in the streets. Would we be praying differently than we are now?
Or, simply imagine that your own personal life was in total upheaval. Maybe a great financial, or health crisis. Would your sense of desperation drive you to pray more earnestly and consistently?
Imagine a sudden tragic death to one of your children that happens before your very eyes, yet there was nothing you could do to stop it. Or, imagine your child is crippled in a car accident, but you came out of it without a scratch. Would you simply step back, sigh, and then say, "My goodness, this is a terrible thing that has happened to my child. I will definitely pray about this?"
No, you would not. You would weep uncontrollably. You would wail as if your insides were erupting. You would immediately lose all sense of self-awareness and become a broken man or woman. And in that moment, your great anguish would split heaven open, and God would hear you.
And what would be your prayer? At that moment, you would pray, "God, heal my child!" Within minutes, you would then pray, "Oh God, I would trade my my life for that of my child's." Now you're engaged in the Biblical idea of intercession. Consider, if you will, Paul's great intercessory zeal for his own kinsman:
I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsman according to the flesh. Romans 9:3
Paul's great zeal for the Kingdom did not exclude his racial concerns. He wept for his own kin "according to the flesh." This should be kept in mind before any one rushes too quickly to judge any ethnic group's concerns for the well-being of it's own constituency. There's more than a "fine line" between hatred of another and compassion for your own "flesh;" there's a chasm! Those for whom you have the most compassion, are those to whom God has assigned you. No doubt, the apostle Paul would be slandered today as a "racist." Though he devoted his entire ministry to reaching the Gentiles, he would've traded up his soul to the fires of hell for his own race. As Calvin says in regards to Romans 9:3, "[W]e are not wont to speak thus favourably, but of those whom we love."[2]
Familiarity at this level is a powerful tool that God utilizes. That way He can assure you will both pray and labor appropriately for their corporate benefit. You'll weep more so for the harm that comes to your own child then that of your neighbor's. If this is hatred, we're all guilty.
I do not hate my neighbor because I highly favor the comprehensive well-being of my wife, children, and extended family. Nor do I hate the suffering in Ethiopia because I devote the sweat of my brow to feed my already well-fed children. Zeal and fervency are the result of familiarity, and this is what makes the great division of labor go round.
Our prayers will be most fervent for those issues which effect us most deeply. The primary one, as Calvin mentioned, must be the Kingdom of God; but it's unlikely you'll be fired up over something so general. You must be consumed with the affairs of the Kingdom in relation to your family, community, nation, etc. This type of consumption will push you to view prayer as a means of defense and advancement:
Now if we should consider how many dangers at every moment threaten, fear itself will teach us that we at no single time may leave off praying.[3]
If we genuinely recognize the threats that face the Kingdom of God, your family, your nation, etc., we would pray constantly. We would see, as Calvin notes, the necessity for ceaseless prayer as the means to drawing down the power of God to work effectually on our behalf. The prayers of Paul are replete with this sense of "pulling down" from heaven what's needed on behalf of God's people:
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man... Ephesians 3:16
But it wasn't merely the repetition of supplications on the part of Paul that were effective. He was persuaded that God would answer such prayers. And this is the consistent testimony of the great saints of Scripture: they prayed earnestly because they were fully assured of God's response. Calvin holds this out as the Scriptural witness most challenging to our lack of prayer:
If we would pray fruitfully, we ought therefore to grasp with both hands this assurance of obtaining what we ask, which the Lord enjoins with his own voice, and all the saints teach by their example.[4]
Too much of our praying is liturgical and rote--we do not sound like desperate people. Yet, we believe we are doing a service. Maybe we are not. Maybe we are displeasing God by our visible indifference. Calvin says that we should beware of coming before God without fervency and faith:
A fault that seems less serious but is also not tolerable is that of others who, having been imbued with this one principle--that God must be appeased by devotions--mumble prayers without meditation. Now the godly must particularly beware of presenting themselves before God to request anything unless they yearn for it with sincere affection of heart, and at the same time desire to obtain it from him.[5]
I once spent a few years working with a conservative Baptist curriculum producer dedicated to their particular mission. They remain dear friends, and I try to visit them when I can. We would pray at least twice a week as a staff, and they did see prayer as a vital part of the success of their operation. However, one dear woman would always introduce me to guests that visited the ministry as, "our token Charismatic." I earned this title because I tended to pray like a Charismatic, i.e., with faith and fervency.
I'd often joke with my Reformed brethren that when the going gets to tough, I'll probably call my Charismatic brothers instead! Say what you want about the errors of Charismaticism, but you've never been in a prayer meeting until you've been in one of theirs!
The reason for this is that Charismatics ARE Bible believers. In other words, they do take what the Bible says seriously, and will act on it in faith. The problem is found in what they THINK the Bible actually says. This is why I find Calvin so refreshing. He sounds like a Charismatic, but without all the calories!
1. John Calvin: The Institutes of the Christian Religion in Two Volumes, Trans. Ford Lewis Battles (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster Press, 1960), 3.20.7. 2. John Calvin: Calvin's Commentaries: On the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1996), 338. 3. Calvin, Institutes, 3.20.7 4. Ibid., 3.20.12. 5. Ibid., 3.20.6.
