Huckabee and the Reconstructionists

I was reading Novak's hit piece on Huckabee last night before I went to bed and I was stunned to read this:

Huckabee's base is reflected by sponsors of Tuesday's fundraising luncheon (requesting up to $4,600 a couple) at the Houston home of Steven Hotze, a leader in the highly conservative Christian Reconstruction movement. State Rep. Debbie Riddle was the only elected official on the host committee, most of whose members were not familiar names in Texas politics. David Welch is executive director of the Houston Area Pastor Council. Jack Tompkins heads a firm providing Internet services to the Christian community. Entrepreneur J. Keet Lewis is an active Southern Baptist.

When Huckabee said that he wanted to take this nation back for Christ he wasn't kidding! (Now, this doesn't mean that Huckabee is a reconstructionist and I'm not accusing him of guilt by association, I'm kind of kidding when I say this. But I think it's something he should be asked about before people start voting.)

For those of you who don't know, a reconstructionist is a Christian who believes that the nations will be ruled by God through the church. It's setting up a theocracy in America. These guys are serious about doing it. Usually they are postmillenialists who believe that Jesus will reign through the church for a 1,000 years but I found out that there's a group who have premils (those who believe that Jesus was return and rule over the nations for 1,000 years), amils (those who believe that Christ will return at any time because the 1,000 years is symbolic just like all the other numbers in Revelation) and postmils. Steven Hotze is a signatory of their manifesto, "A Manifesto for the Christian Church."

From their "Articles of Affirmation and Denial on the Kingdom of God:"

We affirm that the term Kingdom of God has several applications and may denote (a) the universal rule of Christ over all things, both redeemed and non-redeemed; (b) the special, saving rule of Christ over His people: (c) the life, wisdom, holiness, power, and authority that Christ grants to His people; or (d) the permeating influence of the Word and Spirit in the world.

We deny (a) that the term Kingdom of God refers only to the providential rule of the Triune God, and (b) that Christ’s rule and realm are limited to the Church.

[...]

We deny (a) that anyone can pray the Lord’s Prayer with sincerity and understanding without desiring that increasing numbers of individuals, private groups, and civil states should grow in obedience to the will of God the Father, and (b) that Christians need to agree in advance to what extent Christ’s Kingdom will be operational on earth prior to His second coming before they can work together humbly and productively.

[...]

We affirm that the Kingdom task of making disciples of all nations requires us to hold forth the Bible as God’s standard and plumb line by which to measure the justice, morality, and practice of all human endeavors in all jurisdictions—individual, voluntary association, family, church, and civil government.

I'm not a reconstructionist so I don't agree with the above statements. Jesus was pretty clear about this:

John 18:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."

I believe that when we share the gospel to a lost and dying world that we are sharing the good news that Jesus Christ died for those who couldn't follow the law (meaning everyone). The gospel isn't about adherence to the law, it's about our lack of adherence to the law. Obedience to the law apart from Christ means absolutely nothing. Why would we burden people with a law they cannot keep? Our job isn't to call people to repentance apart from Christ but call people to Christ in repentance.

Chip implants linked to animal tumors

Hey, dispensationalists! You now have a credible excuse for not getting the chip inserted in your hand or forehead:

When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved implanting microchips in humans, the manufacturer said it would save lives, letting doctors scan the tiny transponders to access patients' medical records almost instantly. The FDA found "reasonable assurance" the device was safe, and a sub-agency even called it one of 2005's top "innovative technologies."

But neither the company nor the regulators publicly mentioned this: A series of veterinary and toxicology studies, dating to the mid-1990s, stated that chip implants had "induced" malignant tumors in some lab mice and rats.

Left Behind Prank?

I am so not believing that this is a real practical joke (the reaction to the prank seems fake):

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I guess it keeps the youth group out of trouble (at least they aren't walking around with a Jesus cutout).

Speaking of the Rapture...

Ken Shepherd sent me a link to this video:

The Rapture Song (Left Behind)

I never saw A Thief in the Night as a kid, by the time I saw it, it's impact was limited by my knowledge of eschatology and it wasn't so scary. I feel sorry for those who grew up in the church and watched it as kids. This song is for you guys :-) It's very funny and well-sung.

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