Setting Expectations

Pr 29:18 ¶ Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

The vision which Solomon refers to is the Revelation of the Word of God and the application thereof. You might say that without the Revelation of God and its application to the real world, there can be no expectation of Victory. Although some may argue, the fact is that the Scriptures clearly proclaim Christ’s victory over all things in time, history and eternity. 

1Co 15:24-25 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

Eph 1:18-22 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to (i.e in behalf of) the church.

Since the Scriptures promise victory in time and in history the saints ought to have a positive outlook on the future despite what appears to be the situation at present. It is precisely this “expectation” that the saints must hold to and declare. This is called the Postmillennial Hope of the Great Commission. It is real, it is promised, and it is achievable.

Keeping Expectations High

The concept of earthly victory must be embedded in the mind of each and every Christian. It is only then that cultural progress will be made. The Scriptures consistently admonish the Christians to keep their expectations high. Whenever we contemplate what God is doing providentially, even if we fail to see the good in it at the moment, we know that He is marching victoriously forward advancing His Kingdom upon the earth through His Body the faithful church. So whenever we complete God and what He is doing we keep our expectations high. He can and He will do wondrous things to bring about the final victory of His Kingdom on earth as it is structured and ordained in Heaven.
The reality that Christianity can and will be victorious has a stimulating effect on people especially the elect. This philosophy is what drives the saint. If the Christian community can grasp this doctrine they will be invincible in the face of every temporal disappointment. It is this expectation of victory that must be consistently fueled in the community of Christendom if the Kingdom of God is to advance.The notion that Christendom will become the dominant force in the world is an incredibly powerful theology, one which the Scriptures constantly enforce. (See my lectures on SermonAudio.com on Eschatology)

 
The victory is ultimately won over many generations through their consistent fidelity. This in itself is stimulating and hopeful. But to insinuate that Christianity can see stark progress in this present day is even more exciting. I believe this could be the case. If the Christian community begins to impact the culture, as the Scriptures command, change will begin to take place immediately. Progress will be seen and it will be measurable.

Keeping Expectations Low

On the other end of the spectrum, the Christian community must keep its expectations low as it concerns the general response of the people. Never hope in what man can or will do. Never hope that they will change or that they will rally around your vision without the intervention of God the Holy Spirit. The Christian hope is not in man. It is in Christ. Christ must move men to act by renewing their mind through the process of regeneration. This mindset of not putting our trust in man will shield us from becoming discouraged when the response that we are hoping for is absent. Yet, we are not to despair but rather we are to carry on, pressing forward knowing our work in the Lord is not in vain.

Stay Focused – Stay Resolute

The total and comprehensive reconstruction of society must be the goal of the Christian. Reconstruction is mainly accomplished one soul at a time and by constantly challenging the status quo of society’s anti-Biblical ideologies. If this goal is to be realized in any way whatsoever, the saint must remain focused and resolute. Nothing, by any means, should take him or her from what they have set out to do.  Only in this way can the movement of Postmillennial Reconstruction continue and grow into its desired end of societal Justice, Mercy and Peace under the liberating banner and application of God’s Law Word.

The Only Reliable Reference Point

People need a reliable reference point in order to formulate their thoughts and decisions. Without this point of reference chaos ensues. We live in a culture which has denied any notion of an absolute reference point of authority other than subjective humanism. If the culture is going to be rescued from its own grave-yard spiral into oblivion it must embrace the Christian Scriptures as that reference point of absolute and reliable authority. 

Re-establishing a Biblical Reference Point

If Christians are to re-establish the Scriptures the one and only reliable authority they first need to understand how they apply to the real world. Too many Christians are ignorant of the Scriptural answers to the nation’s problems.  Understanding what to do and then to actually do it takes effort. It takes time and deep consideration of what the Scriptures teach on various social and economic issues.  It also takes courage and cunning. Most of all it takes unyielding commitment to the cause of Christ. Christians usually tend to view the Scriptures in a religious vacuum only to be used to regulate the behavior of the individual, family and the church. They do not understand that God’s word, particularly His Law, is also to be used to structure and regulate the entire culture including the political and governmental structure and function of men and nations.

Not Politics

Of those Christians that understand the use of the Law-Word of God for all of life, many are too focused on politics. Politics then becomes the saving issue and not Jesus Christ or the Gospel. Institutional issues become society’s problem and not man’s sin. Too many saints jump into the political arena seeking certain types of candidates only to elevate them as the messianic hope. They look for more government programs and new legislation as the answer to cultural problems. This is a flawed assumption. It is wrong thinking and will produce horrible results. Monolithic centralization of power is un-biblical and dangerous. 

The Messianic State

Once a nation is convinced that there is no absolute source of truth one which is just, predictable and reliable, they turn to the state. Whenever the Revelation of God is viewed as no longer having any basis for civil law and societal order the people look for direction elsewhere. They look to the state for answers, direction, and ultimately salvation. What they get is tyranny, slavery and misery. Whenever God is believed to no longer operate within the physical Universe the people are ripe for statist takeover.
In his book, God and Government, Gary DeMar says, “Once the state put God out of the way, it then could remove the individual. The individual is nothing; the nation is everything…The voice of the State becomes the voice of God.”

This is precisely what happened in Nazi Germany under Hitler and the National Socialist party. While the effort to remove God and the benefits of His Law from society primarily comes from government schools, it is also enforced by the courts and the legislative branch at all levels of government.

Mono a Mono 

Since there has been a gradual shift in thinking toward an anti-Biblical humanistic  reference point, the way back simply must be the way we have arrived as this point, gradual and by degrees. That means that the Christians must make a conscientious effort to educate the masses one person at a time. Small incremental steps over a period of time yields great progress if that effort is consistent and continues seamlessly throughout many generation. This must be a grass roots effort. It is more than a plan. It is an agenda with a final goal. It is not, however, monolithic in nature or structure like the Federal government. In other words, it is not a top down centralized plan and it doesn’t come from a single ministry or denomination. Biblical progress must be according to a decentralized strategy and decentralization is precisely what this nation needs. 

Be a Leader, Don’t Look For One

Leadership talent is hard to come by and yet that is precisely what is needed to realize the goal of Christ’s Kingdom. Biblical leadership means grooming others to be leaders so that the army of saints is comprised of self motivated, talented and hardworking leaders.  Gideon’s leadership qualities were duly noted by the Hebrews but instead of following his example they wanted to make him king. They wanted a centralized government with a dominant ruling figure. He refused. 

As a result of man’s sinful nature some men desire to be ruled by others and some want to rule. Neither wishes to be ruled by God. Only sinful men seek to rule other men. Only sinful men go along with tyrants since they are in bondage to a slavish psychology. Rather than be obedient to God each group opts for one or the other situation – tyranny or slavery. Both are wrong. Both are doomed. The dominion mandate does not allow for men to rule over other men, nor does it allow for men to be slaves of other men. Only God can legitimately rule over men and men are only justified in being bond slaves to the Righteous Christ. 

The Biblical Reference Point

The re-establishment of the Scriptures as relevant to every aspect of the social order is absolutely essential to begin the road back to a righteous nation. Some tactical observations:

1.       Learn how to relate to people in the market place. 

Practice how to casually bring up pressing issues of the day and monitor the reaction. Engage people in discussion. Offer some opinion. Try to make people think outside the box of their secular worldview by asking probing questions. Don’t begin by telling them what you think or what they should think. Listen closely to what they are saying. Show an interest in their opinion, wrong as it may be. When you voice your opinion, appeal to their fears as well as their concerns. Do not be confrontational. Show genuine concern and share your frustration in the status quo. Take an interest in people and they will be more apt to take an interest in what you are saying.

2.       Encourage Leadership in others by exhibiting leadership skills yourself.


Not everyone is a leader. Not everyone knows what leadership is yet everyone knows true leadership when they see it. The problem in our secular world is the absence of direction, not leadership per se.

Today’s so called leaders may be leading but they are leading in the wrong direction. A Biblical leader has a moral compass that always points true north. That compass is the Scripture. Even though most people are void of a Biblical compass, as a result of their a priori God-given intuition about right and wrong  they nevertheless have some sense of morality. As a leader you need to capitalize on that and encourage others to think likewise. Leading the way means that you encourage others to become proactive in the affairs of the community. This takes time and requires a strategy based in education. In fact, for many, it will be a strategy based in re-education. 

3.       Be Proactive.

Do not wait for providential opportunities to take action, rather be on the look-out for them. Sometimes you can even create situations that will enable you to advance your plan. The Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky once said, “a good hockey player plays where the puck is…a great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” Keep your eyes open for opportunities and then be there to capitalize on them.

4.       Teach others.

This is the strategy: teach others to think Biblically. This takes time and it takes patience. Use every opportunity and every venue to teach. When confronted with objections be careful not to become emotional. Do not take objections as a personal affront since that will cloud your thinking and compromise the way you handle your response. Use every opportunity to simply set forth the truth and leave it there. Let God do the work from that point on. Be as courteous as possible but know when to cut off the debate. Don’t waste your time on gainsayers and those that seek to take you from your mission.

5.       Network with others of the same presuppositions.

Start building a team of those who hold to the same Biblical conviction. This is important but I make it a point to also network with those who are not necessarily Biblically minded yet have a strong sense of right and wrong. These folks can be an asset. Make it your business to sit with these people on an ongoing basis. Invite them for coffee or to join you for lunch. Make mental notes on who may be useful in various areas of influence for future campaigns. Since an excellent character is of utmost importance I always look for character traits firstly and then consider competence. Competence can always be taught. That is not so with character. 

6.       Talent Search 

Finally, Teach others in your team how to spot talent. As you build your core group remind them that they too are ‘talent scouts’ looking for Biblical character and competence in others.

These are some ideas on how to begin a movement for practical Christian Reconstruction.

Visual Intimidation

You only need desire to make something happen. With all the professing Christians in this nation why then is very little happening? Why are the principles of righteousness and liberty being systematically eviscerated from America’s law and culture? If the zeal of the Spirit is at work in the saints, what is holding them back from starting a Christ-centered movement that must be reckoned with? 

Here are a few observations.



1. Fear:

People generally are racked with fear. Governments rely upon this. If they can make people fear then they can manipulate them. Fear is a manipulative trait. Yet, Christ commands that the saints “fear not”. He commands that we are not to be misdirected and ill focused by the fear of what is happening or what may happen. This is part of His Law Word. What the Christian must remember is that God is in total control and all that happens is according to His plan, be it good or evil. Nevertheless, He has commanded His people to go forward no matter what the situation. He has already equipped them with His Word, which is the battle sword of the Spirit so there is no excuse for not engaging the enemies of Christ. If we are stifled by fear we will lose our opportunity and even perhaps the blessing of God.
 
Our call to battle is part of the Covenant commandment of God. Ephraim was well equipped to defeat the enemies of God, yet they hesitated and retreated. As a result of their fear and the fact that they had forgotten God’s Covenant commandment and all that God had accomplished to date, they ran.

Ps 78:9-11 ¶ The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.

2. Idleness:

Some saints simply do not want to get involved since they are too busy feathering their own nest and building their own barns. They would rather someone else take the risk. These types are most likely not true Christians. Yet, they still can be useful if we are looking to amass numbers to show strength on certain issues. While they may be useful to some degree they certainly cannot be trusted or depended upon.

3. Ignorance:

Sometimes when I speak to Christian people about changing the world they respond by saying that Christians are not supposed to change the world. In fact they assert that the Great Commission was never a commandment to change the world but rather a commandment to only change people. While they lament over the affairs of politics, government and the economy, desiring change, at the same time they argue that Christians are to disciple only people but not nations. What these well meaning folks misunderstand is that a change in people’s thoughts and ideology is a move to changing the nations and thus the world. But it is the world that we seek to change. When Christ commanded the discipling of the nations He did not mean only people, but entire societal structures. What Christians should be looking to create is a world where righteousness, justice and equity dwells and Godliness progresses. This is what it means to advance the Kingdom of God.

4. Lack of Direction:

This category is probably the largest. Many desire to make a change but simply do not know what to do or where to begin. The result is usually the adoption of a tactic centered around some form of theological or political debate,  or most commonly a tactic which only focuses upon individual “soul winning” evangelizing with no real focus upon societal solutions. These tactics do not actively engage the powers that be and cannot provide Biblical remedies. Others focus on political change through political means but this too is not the answer. This is the category that I would like to address.
 

Tactic: Host a Party

This is not your typical idea of a party that you might be familiar with. It is a party, or group of passionate individuals, that share a common concern. The party-goers could be any group of people.

Here’s what to do:

Gather some folks together that are seriously concerned , even irate, over some of the issues facing your local community. It could be an issue over taxes, or spending or the school budget, It doesn’t matter. Just be sure they agree that something must change concerning that issue. You can invite all kinds of people to this party. It doesn’t necessarily have to be those who are seeking to advance the Kingdom of God. It would be great to have many of those in your group but it is not really necessary since you are going to lead them. None of them will be leading you. It’s your party. They are merely guests. You can invite them again or ignore them the next time you have a party. It is entirely up to you depending on their worth to the group.

The Goal:

Your goal is visual intimidation. You want your elected officials to take notice of you and the forces that you are gathering against them provided they mis-step in their policies and votes.  By your attendance you are threatening their peace and re-election to be sure. Make no mistake about it, elected officials respond to two things, pain and pleasure. You are to be an arbiter of either depending upon their behavior. A nod of agreement equals pleasure whereas a move to unseat them equals pain. Like Pavlov’s dogs elected officials respond to both.

Invite your guests to join you at the local town hall meeting of the city council or the county board of supervisors. If you have only a few party goers sit as close to the front as possible. If you have many fill the entire back rows . As long as your party is visible the rear row is fine. Be visible. Make a visual impression.

I practiced this strategy many years ago with only two in my party and it immediately commanded the attention of the board. It worked. We created a ruckus just by attending the meetings and had to be reckoned with. Make sure you r party goers are attentive.If the officials are taking notes that is even better. Elected officials will be more inclined to watch what they say lest it comes back to bite them. Writing things down keeps them accountable. If the elected official is taking notes ask to see those notes after the meeting. Those notes are public and you have a right to see them. Make your presence known. Then go for pizza or coffee with the group to discuss the meeting. Listen to their reaction and take careful note of their comments. Encourage them to contact their reps with their concerns through phone calls, private meetings, letters or public statements in the local newspaper. During your debriefing session over coffee, guide your party goers into considering some Biblical solutions to some of the issues discussed at the meeting. Talk about freedom and the horrors of excessive taxation. Talk about whatever is of interest. Stir the pot.

Follow Up:

Be sure to follow up with another party invite. Encourage them to attend the next meeting. Ask them to bring a friend. Raise an army. Make yourself seen and heard. Lead the party. Let them gripe and complain to their elected official. Remind them that those men (and women) in office work for them and stand accountable to God for every action. Then point them to the solutions.

This are simple first step approaches to making some inroads in your influence within your community.