TITLE: CHRISTIAN PATRIOTISM

Subtitle: Is It Ever Scripturally Justifiable For A Christian Take Up Arms Against His Own Country?

I want to make it abundantly clear right up front that I am a military veteran and would serve again if my country ever needed me to defend it against an enemy trying to destroy us and our freedoms. So do not be guilty of accusing me of pacifism because of  what I am about to say. Killing someone in the military defense of one's nation is not now, nor to the best of my knowledge ever been, considered to be murder by any court in the world. And God's commandment, "Thou shalt not kill" (Ex.20:13) is actually a prohibition against murder, so it is not a legitimate excuse for "consciencious objector" status. I have no quarrel with those who feel they must reject military service for that reason, but just want to make the point that I am not among their number.

Patriotism--love of country--is a human trait apparently instilled within us by God Himself. When He confounded the languages and scattered men over the face of the earth at the tower of Babel (Gen.11), it appears that He placed within the human heart a desire to stay within ethnic, linguistic, and national bounds. Otherwise, men would have continued to congregate as they did on the plains of Shinar at Babylon. And I find the following comment made by God in Genesis 11:6 to be highly interesting:

"And the Lord said, Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and now nothing they have imagined they can do will be impossible to them" (Parallel Bible, KJV/Amplified Bible commentary, emphasis mine).

Adam was made in the image of God (Gen.1:27) and Eve was made from Adam (Gen.2:22). Apparently created perfect in every respect, they obviously possessed great intellect as evidenced by Adam naming the animals of the earth (Gen.2:19). It is my belief that at this time, they were in glorified bodies and clothed in light--just as Jesus Christ is today. But when sin entered the picture, the "light went out" and they both discovered they were naked. As a result of the fall from grace, their very nature became depraved and their reasoning abiltity greatly diminished. But by "pooling their intellectual resources" in building the Tower of Babel, men demonstrated--and God confirmed--that nothing they could imagine would be impossible for them! So to prevent a premature "short circuit" of His plan to provide a Savior for mankind, God broke up their plot and thus thwarted another attempt by Satan (even though he is not specifically named, we sense his presence in their actions) to prevent the Messiah from ever coming. Now in these "last days" we find the situation somewhat reversed. The Messiah has already come, but is coming again to claim His Bride, the Church. So once again Satan is feverishly at work, bringing great masses of men together to implement his own plan and this time he has provided them with the means to truly amass their collective brain power via computers. And God is now allowing it to come to full flower. KNOWLEDGE has been part of the devil's plan for mankind since day one (Genesis 2:9 and 17) and gnosticism--the quest for a degree of knowledge hidden from the masses--has always been the religion of those who follow his plan and program. Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry are but two facets of this same religion, which finally brings me to the point of this article.

Are the stories about George Washington and the cherry tree, not telling a lie, and throwing a silver dollar across the Potomac River really true? No, historians have determined that these fabrications (a nice word for lies) were fostered by men who apparently wanted to elevate Washington's legacy to that of a demigod. Historical revisionism has been around as long as man himself and all of us would doubtless be shocked if we knew just how many such lies we have been fed as schoolchildren. The fact of the matter is that George Washington was, beyond question, a Freemason at the time--as were the majority of those involved in the initial stages of rebellion against England and King George. And some authors insist that Washington did not actually come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ until later in life. But these facts are still hotly contested by "experts" and debated back and forth without anything definitive being settled. Writers of equal caliber and reputation are on opposing sides of the issue, but it seems that common sense would dictate where there is smoke there is fire. What possible reason could any historian have for relating incidents concerning "the Father of our country" (and others involved in the revolution) which contradict the politically correct version?  If no ulterior motive can be assertained, then we probably ought to assume that the truth has been reported in spite of efforts to sanitize history. And all of us should be aware that several authors have written accounts that differ greatly from the version we have been taught. But one fact is beyond question: Washington was surrounded by Freemason "brothers" in the rebellion and was opposed by Freemason "brothers" in the English army and naval forces. This, needless to say, placed a tremendous strain upon the oaths they took to aid one another and makes charges of collusion more believable!

As both David Bay and I have pointed out in previous articles, the United States of America was founded upon acts of rebellion against the duly constituted authority of King George of England. And no amount of revisionist whitewash can change the fact that in Romans 13 (and elsewhere) the Bible says this is wrong! Was King George a despot and ruthlessly overbearing in his treatment of the colonies? Beyond question! But did that give his Christian subjects the right to rebel? Emphatically no! Let's take another look at Romans 13:1-2 just to make sure:

"Let every person be loyally subject to the governing (civil) authorities. For there is no authority except from God--by His permission, His sanction; and those that exist do so by God's appointment. (2) Therefore he who resists and set himself up against the authorities resists what God has appointed and arranged--in divine order. And those who resist will bring down judgment upon themselves--receiving the penalty due them" (Parallel Bible, KJV/Amplified Bible commentary, emphasis mine).

King George of England was occupying the throne because God put him there and those who resisted his authority were guilty of resisting God's will. But in His Sovereignty, God allowed an apparent overthrow of the King's control of the colonies--along with the subsequent establishment of a nation totally unique in the annals of history. I say "apparent" because circumstantial evidence exists that strongly suggests that the whole revolution was staged by Freemasons in accord with a plan envisioned  by Francis Bacon over a hundred years earlier. Bacon wrote about a "New Atlantis" which would reach utopian proportions and then, like the fabled Phoenix, be destroyed and rise from its ashes. Jamestown, the first settlement upon American shores officially proclaimed to be such, was a joint venture between the English crown, Bacon, and Sir Walter Raleigh. And when the revolution was over, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and John Adams are said to have entered negotiations with the crown to agree upon a treaty in which financial concessions were made. King George had invested considerable sums of money into the colonies and felt that he was due compensation. The treaty ending the war was not unconditional, as would be expected from a conflict in which one side defeated the other and adds credence to allegations made by the following source: According to the on-line book entitled "The United States Is Still A British Colony" found at http://www.civil-liberties.com/books/index.html, the U.S. is, to this very day, financially linked to the British crown and  treaties/documents are cited which prove that we are paying "benefits" to King George's successors through the Federal Reserve System.

But the main point I wish to stress is the influence of Freemasonry in the founding of our nation. As benign and benevolent as most apparently believe it to be, the organization is totally at odds with Christianity as it is defined in the Bible. The religion of Rosicrucianism (the "parent" organization) and Freemasonry is that of gnosticism--the quest for knowledge. The Apostle Paul spoke out against gnosticism and the Book of Colossians is his "magnum opus" on the subject. Francis Bacon is said by many authors to have been the leading Rosicrucian of his day and the originator of Scottish Rite Freemasonry. And in at least one written prayer (believed to have been penned when he was falsely accused and humiliated before Parliament) he spoke very eloquently of his many sins and invoked the names "God," and "Saviour"--causing some biographers to gush about his outstanding Christian character. But I must caution that these comments do not a genuine Christian make! As I tried to point out in a previous article (https://www.cuttingedge.org/articles/p184.htm), invoking the largely generic term "God" and thereby avoiding the precious Name of Jesus Christ actually says nothing. Calling upon the "Grand Architect Of The Universe," as Freemasons do, may sound good to the unsuspecting ear, but it is not Christian terminology. We find this verified in the Word of God:

"This [Jesus] is the Stone which was despised and rejected by you, the builders, but which has become the Head [the external angle] of the corner--the Cornerstone. (12) And there is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved" (Acts 4:11-12, Parallel Bible, KJV/Amplified Bible commentary, emphasis mine).

Plus I find it highly interesting that this statement by the Apostle Peter is directed to "you, the builders" and speaks of a  "cornerstone"--both of which have a definite Freemasonic connotation! [NOTE: David Bay has written about the Pharisees' and Sadducees' probable membership in secret societies (https://www.cuttingedge.org/ce1077.html) and we know that the occult basis for these organizations has been around since the days of Babylon--where the "builders" attempted to erect a "tower whose top may reach unto heaven" (Gen.11:4)]

As several authors have stated, in one way or another Rosicrucians and Freemasons were heavily involved in the events leading up to the American Revolution--and the French revolution as well. The concept of liberty is a heady and inflammatory term, guaranteed to stir the passions of men when raised as an issue. And what started out to be a series of demonstrations against the unfair taxation policies of King George rapidly escalated into rebellion when the "liberty card" was played. The men involved in the so-called "Boston Tea Party"--where a ship-load of tea was dumped into the harbor because of the high taxes imposed upon it--was reportedly made up of those who had just left a lodge meeting at a local tavern. Freemason Patrick Henry's famous line about "Give me liberty, or give me death," has been a fixture in American History lessons ever since. Freemason Paul Revere is another name we recognize because of his midnight ride to warn that the British were coming. And lists of "famous masons" available on the Internet contain other historically significant names of men who took part in the rebellion.Were the secret societies solely responsible for fostering the revolution? Probably not. But to deny that they played a significant role is to ignore the facts.

And what should disturb God's people--particularly preachers--is that the actions of these men have been and continue to be promoted from pulpits across the nation as being the very essence of patriotism. Whether some of them were in fact Christians or not is beside the point. What they did is a violation of God's Word and we should never be guilty of condoning it--even though we enjoy freedoms that are the envy of the world as a direct result. Praise the Lord for the United States of America! But recognize that He poured His grace upon us in spite of the sin of rebellion and not because of it. Pragmatists among us continue to insist that the end justifies the means, but they overlook a principle of Scripture in doing so: sin is always punished and America is overdue!

Now then, we turn to the subtitle of the article: Is it ever justifiable for a Christian to take up arms against his own country? Inflammatory rhetoric continues to fly thick and fast between the "patriot organizations" whenever the inevitable and unpalatable happens within our corrupt government. "They can't do that to us, because it is unconstitutional," is the attitude of most and the unfortunate reality continues to be that the Constitution is whatever the Supreme Court says it is! It's not right, but that's just the reality we must face. Rumors about armed conflict and "taking America back," while striking a responsive chord in many of our depraved hearts, must be totally rejected by all who name the Name of Jesus Christ. Rebellion is just not a legitimate Scriptural option. Period. The oft-quoted phrase to the effect that tryanny will triumph when good men do nothing, is true as far as it goes--but for the Christian there is a point beyond which we must not allow ourselves to be stampeded by public opinion. When we have exhausted all legal means at our disposal and "fought the good fight" within the bounds that Scripture and the laws of our nation have afforded us, to resort to bloodshed and force is totally contrary to all that Jesus Christ taught. He allowed us the right to defend ourselves against individuals who would attempt to do us or our families physical harm (Luke 22:36), but that right is not extended to our relationship with government. In the early days of the Church, the Roman government slaughtered Christians by the millions and yet there is not one word in the New Testament  criticizing it for doing so, much less advocating its overthrow! Our Sovereign God obviously allowed that persecution to take place so that the Gospel message would be spread as the persecuted individuals fled for their lives. Without the persection, the Church at Jerusalem--comprised almost totally of Jewish believers--would very likely have remained confined to that general area. And as distasteful as the concept is to our finite minds, God has demonstrated time and again that the personal comfort and fleshly well-being of His children is not always of prime importance to His plan. That is why He tells us in His Word that "all who will  live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12). He suffered, bled, and died--why should we think we are exempt?

If we live long enough, it is quite possible that one day some of us--perhaps many of us--may come face-to-face with "Caesar's lions" and be martyred. And while this prospect is certainly not pleasant, we must cling to the passage of Scripture in
2 Thes. 1:4-5, where the Apostle Paul told the believers in Thessalonica:

"And this is a cause of our mentioning you with pride among the churches (assemblies) of God for your steadfastness--your unflinching endurance and patience--and your firm faith in the midst of all the persecutions and crushing distresses and afflictions under which you are holding up. (5) This is positive proof of the just and right judgment of God to the end that you may be deemed deserving of His kingdom--a plain token of His fair verdict [which designs] that you should be made and counted worthy of the kingdom of God--for the sake of which you are also suffering" (Parallel Bible, KJV/Amplified Bible commentary, emphasis mine).

Please do not miss the importance of the underlined phrase above! It was God's will that those believers suffer and thereby prove that they had been made worthy of His kingdom. As I have mentioned in previous articles, it is clearly stated in Ephesians 3:9-10 that God is using the actions of His people to demonstrate His mercy and grace before the "principalities and powers" of the supernatural realm. So remember this fact when you are tempted to take matters into your own hands. If our government goes completely sour against Christians, as we believe is inevitable, we must face that day with the Word of God in our hearts and not with rifles in our hands. To do otherwise makes sense to our depraved nature, but the spiritual must prevail if we are to please our Savior.

If you have been born again and received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, but have been very lukewarm in your spiritual walk with Him, you need to immediately ask Him for forgiveness and for renewal. He will instantly forgive you, and fill your heart with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Then, you need to begin a daily walk of prayer and personal Bible Study.

If you have never placed your trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior, but have come to sense His reality and the approaching End of the Age, and want to receive His FREE Gift of Eternal Life, you can do so now, in the privacy of your home. Once you truly believe in Him as Lord and Savior, you are spiritually Born Again, and are as assured of Heaven as if you were already there. Then, you can rest assured that the Kingdom of Antichrist will not touch you spiritually. If you would like to become Born Again, turn to our Salvation Page now.

We hope you have been blessed by this ministry, which seeks to educate and warn people, so that they can see the coming New World Order—Kingdom of Antichrist—in their daily news.

Return to Pastoral Articles index

Finally, we would love to hear from you. You can write us at:
Cutting Edge Ministries, C/O Pastor Ron Riffe
P.O. Box 26
Gordo, AL 35466

You can also E-Mail  Pastor Ronald Riffe  regarding questions or comments about this article.

God bless you.