Off-Grid Living with the Palm Pre

*Palm Pre Review submitted to EverythingPre.com and PreCentral.net. Feel free to re-post or use this article with proper attribution and a link... thanks*

This is my second review on off-grid living with the Palm Pre. My first review was written 3 days after I received the Pre on rollout day June 6th. As of Saturday the 20th I have now had the Palm Pre for 2 weeks. As I said in my first review, I am nowhere near the typical Pre user. My needs are unique and therefore my smartphone has to be unique as well. I live on a completely off-grid 40 acre ranch in Central Texas. We raise Pure Longhorn cattle, a milking Holstein, sheep, rabbits, chickens, and yellow blackmouth curr dogs. We are not anti-technology, but we examine every technology very closely to see if it will actually benefit our simple lifestyle. We live our lives very deliberately, and we know that most supposed "time-saving" technologies have actually created a society of slaves to the machines, and we seriously examine whether a device or technology is actually offering us any benefits or if it just becomes another toy to be serviced by its human slaves.

I did a lot of study and comparison shopping before I decided on the Pre. Again, my family lives completely off-grid. What power we do use comes from our small solar array, and we do occasionally run a generator. I am writing this on a small Acer laptop using wireless radio internet from the nearest small town. I am a writer, I edit a few fairly large websites, and I am an Agrarian blogger. I receive a lot of communications and correspondence from people all over the world, and I need to be able to constantly stay on top of my correspondence while still remaining free to work on my ranch and live the life I preach about and love. It had gotten to the point that I generally spent at least 5 and sometimes up to 8 hours a day in our small cabin on the internet. I needed a smartphone tool and not a toy. When you live on a ranch, you appreciate tools and you know tools have a purpose. I wasn't just out for the newest gadget, I have been looking for a way to accomplish very specific tasks in very specific ways. I needed a tool that would hold up to the rigors of what I do, and that would allow me to do things while I work on the ranch. I know that there are fanboys and tech geeks out there who couldn't wait to break down the Pre and analyze every line of code, etc. I know that there are folks who just want a great platform on which to run multiple apps and games. I basically needed a mobile internet, email, and texting tool that would also provide mountains of information at my fingertips - instantly. I'm not disparaging other phones or other people, but I needed a tool that would be able to respond to my very unique needs.

The Pre has been all that I could have asked for, and more. Here are some snippets of what I do with my phone...

*I am able to snap pictures as I work and immediately text or email them to interested parties.

*A couple of days ago I sold a heifer (a young cow that has not yet dropped a calf) to a friend halfway across the country, then he paid me via Paypal and I received payment and notification on my phone - all within a half an hour, and I never had to get on the laptop.

*I purchase goods and supplies, on online stores and on ebay, directly from my phone. And I can do this purchasing on regular websites, not just on special "mobile phone enabled" websites. None of this costs me any more money with the Sprint Everything Data program.

*I keep in constant contact with my family, the members of our agrarian community here, and many other people via text messaging and email.

*We live in tornado alley, and Central Texas is well known for severe weather, tornadoes, and flash floods. I am able to constantly monitor the weather, and even watch up to the minute detailed radar, wherever I am.

*Just the other day, a lady from our community was traveling three hours to Austin to go pick her son up at the airport. I was able to track his flight on my pre and provide her up to the minute updates as to his progress and his arrival time.

*We don't have a television, and we rarely watch it, but I am able to sit on my front porch in the summer evening breeze and watch The History Channel, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and dozens of other stations - all via my Wi-Fi or the Sprint Network on Sprint Premier TV - right on my Palm Pre. I know my father's Iphone won't do that!

*I am able to keep up to date on news that affects my family, and that I need to feature or discuss on my websites and blogs. The Palm Pre also multitasks, so often I am doing all or many of the things I am mentioning here AT THE SAME TIME!

*I have often used the Sprint GPS and Locator features for finding the nearest gas (and lowest prices) in our area - since we have four towns near us, all in different directions. My wife has used the GPS services for finding flea markets and yard sales, and we have used it to find other addresses when we have to go to town. My wife and I also both have roadside assistance via the phone, which is great to know.

*I use the alarm to remind me of things I need to do, and I use the memos to write down sku numbers of fencing so I won't forget it before I get up to the register at Tractor Supply.

*I have been able to seamlessly sync with Itunes and pull down my music into the phone.

*I love the pull out keyboard, and I have to say that this is one of the great selling points to me with the phone. I am 6'3" and 235 lbs and I find the keyboard easy to use and I can type quite quickly on it.

*Oh!, and I use Pandora... almost every day. After a hard, hot day of work, I like to put on some Original Jazz Band, Jim Cullum Jazz Band radio, or Baroque music, or Jerry Jeff Walker, or even Fiddler on the Roof as I relax on the porch.

And here's another point... I live in Central Texas where it very well might be 104 degrees and high humidity. I might be soaked through to the bone with sweat, and I have yet to have had a single glitch or problem with the Pre. I did purchase the inexpensive replacement insurance in case I drop the Pre in a cattle tank, but I don't think I will need it. This is one tough phone. After I read all the complainers whining about the flip-open power door, I was worried. But seriously, that was just ridiculous. My main concern is that the dog will chew it up. I think only someone with serious ham hands would break this phone "accidentally".

Now, I probably don't use half of the utility of this phone. I don't know all the secret hacks and I have yet to play any real games on it. I am satisfied with the apps that are available, even if I am looking forward to what new stuff will be coming out in the future. I don't know how to jailbreak, nor do I know what a "clean ESN" is. I don't use the calendar, and I don't use all the fancy syncing features with Google or Facebook. I do Twitter (so check me out on Twitter: mbunker), but I am pretty knew at that.

Ok, so that is my review of the phone. Not much I would change about it. I hope to see some more Apps and some of the fixes that have been proposed/promised in upcoming updates, but I am completely pleased and happy with the phone. You Iphone fanboys, wipe the lotion off your hands and come on out here and work with me for a week and see how your phone holds up. You'll have to read a book while I'm watching cable TV on the Pre, but after the week we'll see which phone you would choose!

Michael Bunker

Check out:

MichaelBunker.com
BiblicalAgrarianism.com
Lazarusunbound.com

The December Project

11/24/08 - 2nd Day - After Breakfast. As some of you know, in my household, our December Project begins in just a week. As a part of our continuing effort to separate, and to train ourselves and our minds, and to wean ourselves from the world - we will be staying home for the whole month of December. No going to the stores. No running to town. Period.


This type of project has been pretty common for the members of my family. This is how we trained ourselves and weaned ourselves from grid electricity. It's a great experiment, and it will teach you quite a bit about yourself and your condition. Now, December is the perfect month for this project for us. We don't celebrate the christ-Mass, obviously. So we really dislike the whole commercial hubbub during the so-called "holidays". We also don't like the heathen, apostates, homosexuals, and other assorted worldlings telling us to have a "merry christ-mass" every 5 seconds. Although our flesh does like some of the sales (and we might miss out on turkeys at .39 a pound) we aren't in dire need of any of that stuff.

Also, December traditionally is a month that would be used for meat processing and preservation, and for the chopping and stacking of firewood. For a traditional Agrarian family in December, these would have been the main tasks for the month. Here in Texas, when we have many nice days in the 50's, 60's and 70's in December, the month would also be used for building or construction projects. Our december is going to be taken up mainly in butchering, processing and storing meat. Our goal is, if the Lord wills, by the end of January to have put up enough meat for a whole year. That would be a goal we have never yet accomplished in the 10 years we have been on our agrarian-separatist journey. We also hope to begin the construction of a community cold smokehouse. Brother Larry and I have been planning on starting the smokehouse for awhile, and we hope to get started on it in the next few weeks. It is our intention, subject to the approval and will of God, that we have the cold smokehouse built and operational by the middle to end of January. I will be giving more details on the plans, materials, etc. on the cold smokehouse as things move on.

Ok, back to the December Project. I want to suggest that you and your family participate at some level. Sure, I don't expect any of you who are not yet living off-grid, etc. to be able to just take the month of December off with no notice. But there are other projects you can do:

Make a list and write down all of your town/store trips. If you run to 7-11 for a slurpee, write it down (added bonus: write down the mileage for each trip). If you go to the grocery, write it down. If you go to the pharmacy, write it down. Anyway, keep copious notes on each entry. Then, go down and comment on whether this item or trip was needed. Maybe come up with a code (1-10 or something) that tells you how critical the item or trip was.

Do a "needs/wants" test. Get a journal, a notepad, or some type of record-keeping device, and every time you use ANYTHING during the month. Write it down. If you use a stick of butter, write it down. If you use a box of tin-foil, write it down. Anything you consume, write it down. This will provide you with a grocery list of things you normally use. Then go down each item with your family, and discuss what you would do if the economy/system collapsed and you could no longer procure this item. What would you do? This is one of the most critical exercises in which you will ever participate. WHAT WILL YOU DO IF THESE THINGS ARE NOT AVAILABLE for an extended amount of time? What things can you begin to provide for yourself? What projects (like keeping chickens or building a greenhouse, etc.) can you engage in that will help you produce some of these things for yourself? What things can you eliminate now, in order to avoid the pain of having to do without it during a period of stress or danger?

On your trips list, discuss with your family how many of your trips were necessary. How many could have been avoided or combined? How many could have been eliminated with proper planning and foresight? How much gas did you use on unimportant trips? How much did you spend on "wants" that are not "needs"? How many times did you eat out when you didn't need to? Then discuss how to cut out the fat. Pray about it alot, and see what you can do to eliminate unnecessary trips to town or to the store. Plan ahead, and see if you can make a huge dent in your costs.

Anyway, these are December Projects that you can do this year. I know it is short notice, but if a disaster or collapse comes, it will likely be with short notice as well.

We ask for your prayers and support during our December Project. We hope to learn more about ourselves and our situation throughout this project. I should not be off-line, so you may still contact me or send me your Q&A questions during the month. I hope to keep posting to keep you all filled-in on how things are going and what we are learning. If you have any questions about the December Project, feel free to comment here.


Hope all is well with y'all out there.

Your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker

Separatism as a Fundamental Principle, 3

Separatism as a Fundamental Principle of Christian Agrarianism, Part 3
Posted by Michael Bunker
editor@biblicalagrarianism.com

The Kingdom of God

In the last part, we cursorily examined the history of the world's system of mammon, and of the beast system which would arise that would cause all manner of men to become slaves to their own primitive and carnal lusts. As prophesied in the Holy Bible, a system arose from among the people that allowed them to join together in order to fulfill the desires of the flesh. This system, despite and contrary to the commandments of God, allowed man to come together and develop a system of specialization which severed man from his connection to the creation and gave him duties and employments that were unproductive or counter-productive to his spiritual well-being, causing him to rely inordinately on man and governments rather than on the providence and sovereignty of God, and it eventually stripped man of his position of authority in the lives of his people, his family, and his children. Through time mammon became the operative principle of life, and, as the scripture promised, even very religious men and women were deceived by it, taken captive by it, and would become slaves to it - even to the point that the religious authorities in the time of Christ were willing to purchase, betray, and extinguish His mortal life for money. From these truths we come to understand that arguments for syncretism and against separatism are really arguments for the maintenance of (and service to) the system of mammon that feeds and coddles the flesh as opposed to God's ordained system which nurtures and grows the spirit. Jesus said that every man would serve either Him or Mammon (Matt. 6:24), and His Word teaches us that in the last epochs of this period of world history the system of Mammon would grow to be such a powerful entity that men would not be able to separate from it without great personal cost – in persecution, pain, and suffering - and that those who are enslaved to it would only be able to continue in it by agreeing to willfully choose and serve (worship) it, as opposed to serving God in the Kingdom of God.

In the first part, we discussed the Kingdom of God (or Heaven) as it is taught to us in the parables of Christ. We should take another look at these parables here. I will relate to you two of the parables from Matthew the thirteenth chapter that the Lord uses to explain and display the Kingdom of God:

“And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 13:3-9).

And again:

“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn” (Matt. 13:24-30).

We should note that Jesus chose not to explain the parable to the masses:

“All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field” (Matt. 13:34-36).

Jesus did not intend for the religious pharisees or the carnal man to understand the parable. We should also note that he sent the multitude away so that he could explain the parable to his elect disciples alone:

“He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 13:37-43).

In explaining the parable to his disciples, He chose to use agrarian terms - terms only those who understood a farming based life could understand - so even among the disciples (and those that would come after them) His words were intended to be clear and understood chiefly among the people who understand, live in, and work, the soil. His words would have meaning to those who understand the soil, and whose society is built and designed around the proper management and dominion of the land. Think about that for awhile. We have to confess upon reading the Word of God, that God had no intention of showing truth and mysteries to those who have no love for Him or His ways. He intended this truth for a separatist - agrarian people.

So let us look at the parable:

Jesus Christ is the one that soweth the good seed – and we know that the good seed is the Gospel of God and His Kingdom.

The field is the world (not the “church” as is claimed by some), and we know from the parables in this very chapter that we studied earlier, that the world has wayside areas where the hearts of men receive the Word of the Gospel, but understand it not, and it is said that the seed which spills there is snatched up by the Devil (Matt. 13:19). Remember, these people were not intended to hear or understand the Gospel:

“And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Matt. 13:14-15).

Some people receive the Gospel in stony places, which means that they are unregenerate religious people who claim to understand and believe the Gospel, because the Word says that they receive the Gospel with “joy” (Matt. 13:20). These people have stony unconverted hearts (Eze. 36:26) that are blind, deaf, and dumb to the Kingdom of God. These religious professors have no good soil (meaning they do not have regenerate hearts) and therefore the Word cannot root in them. These make a good profession for awhile, but at last, when things get too hard, or when persecution and suffering arises, they fall away.

Some people receive the Gospel among thorns. The thorny ground is that unfruitful ground which is encumbered by the cares and deceptions of the world. There is much activity (like in Vanity Fair) and much commerce, and much activity, but no separation or true righteousness. When these people receive the Word of the Gospel, they try to combine it with the ways of the world. These folks say they love Christ and are Christians, but they truly love mammon and the ways of the world. The ways of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches then choke out the Word. Sadly, the Word of God says that this false believer may look and act like he thinks a Christian should look and act, but alas, in the end, he is unfruitful (Matt. 13:22).

So these are the explanations that Christ gave of the way the Word of God is spread and received, and how the Kingdom of God is grown in the world. Now, within the world, in the best soil, Christ has sowed His seed. Not long after this sowing, though, the enemy (Satan) sows tares (or false wheat) which grow up in the world in the same places where the Gospel was preached.

Jesus Christ says that the good seed are the Children of the Kingdom, and the tare seeds are the Children of the Wicked One.

When the time comes that the Word begins to bear fruit (the Gospel leads to conversion in the hearts of God's elect), angels come and separate the wheat and the tares. The tares are gathered together (not out of the “church”, but out of the whole world, including the professing “church”). What is this gathering together if it is not the gathering of worldlings to the centers of mammon and worldliness? The people gather together, just as they did in the days of Babel, in the days of Nimrod, and in the days of Nebuchadnezzar. These are gathered together to be burned, as the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were burned.

This gathering together of the wicked, from my understanding, happens twice – once because the wicked tend to gather together in this world – and again when they are gathered together at the great judgment to be thrown into a furnace of fire:

“As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world” (Matt. 13:40).

God will also gather together His own:

“Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah” (Psalm 50:3-6).

The wheat is gathered into the barn (Matt. 13:30) and onto the threshing floor which is the place of purgation or purging (Matt. 3:12). This is not some spiritual “purgatory” like that which has been made up by the Papists, but is the Church of God and our life of obedience in Christ while still here in this world:

“Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matt. 3:12).

Our verses here and our knowledge of the agrarian art of threshing teach us some valuable lessons. First we should note that tares are never brought to the threshing floor. They are already gathered to be burned. Only wheat is gathered to the threshing floor. On the threshing floor the wheat is spread and it is thoroughly beaten with sticks. This purging does not separate the wheat from the tares (who have already been separated and gathered together) but it separates the wheat from the chaff. Chaff is the part of the wheat which not desirable to the farmer. He desires to purge the chaff away from the wheat, so he beats the wheat - “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten” (Rev. 3:19a). The Holy Spirit – the fan of the Lord – thoroughly purges the floor, blowing away all that which is displeasing to the Lord. The wheat is then gathered into the garner, which is the Lord's Kingdom. When the Lord desires to use the wheat, it is ground into flour and used to make good bread.

This is a story of separation through and through.

Now let us take a look at how horribly these beautiful parables have been mangled, distorted, and mis-taught by the prophets of syncretism.

1. They teach that the wheat and tares are supposed to stay together, and that they are indiscernible, and that they are never separated, and that these verses teach that there is no telling where a Christian may be found, and that a Christian may grow just as safely and healthily in an urban city among the wicked and surrounded by unbelievers as he will when separated into a true Christian agrarian society.

2. They teach that the field is “the church” (although Christ says it is the world), and therefore it is no wonder that there are unbelievers and believers in the church. While it is true that there will almost always be deceived unbelievers in any “church”, the Bible teaches that they are the Children of the Wicked One and that they should be rooted out. The prophets of syncretism teach that it is natural for a “church” to be filled with unbelievers (after all, it is evangelism), and that tares and other weeds are to be encouraged, and that the “church” ought to be filled with them. In fact, the entire modern “church growth” movement is based on the premise that tares need to be brought into “church” so that they can be changed into wheat! The modern dominionist movement doesn't believe in filling the “church” with tares, instead, they believe that the wheat ought to be about the business of expanding the fields and taking over neighboring farms, so that more tares will be converted to wheat.

3. Contrary to the teaching of the Bible, the prophets of syncretism teach that tares become wheat when they “get saved”, and that all men were once tares but that the saved tares become wheat. The Bible, however, teaches that wheat comes from wheat seed, and that tares come from tare seeds.

4. The Bible teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ alone is the sower, who plants only good seed. The prophets of syncretism teach that evangelists and all believers are sowers, and that they plant indeterminate seeds, some of which grow into tares, and some that grow into wheat.

5. The prophets of syncretism teach that the wayside is to be purposely sowed, as is the stony ground and the thorny ground. While the Bible teaches that sometimes good seed happens to fall in these places, the syncretists manipulate others into giving money, and gather together huge amounts of it, to hire professional “sowers” who are then purposely sent out to sow seed among the rocks and thorns.

6. While the prophets of syncretism teach that any man can and should be a sower (despite the fact that Jesus calls Himself the sower), they also teach that only spiritual angels – actual created angels from heaven - can be reapers or harvesters. Syncretists teach this error despite the fact that Christ asked the disciples to pray for the Lord of the Harvest to send laborers to the harvest: “Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest” (Matt. 9:37-38). The Bible teaches that the word “angels” means “messengers”, and that sometimes ministers of the Gospel are called “angels” (Rev. 1:20). Now, if we look at the Bible and we see that these harvest labourers are supposed to separate wheat from tares in this world, and then gather the wheat to the threshing floor, does the false gospel of syncretism still stand up to scrutiny?

7. Since the parable of the sower says that these harvest events are to happen “at the end of the world”, the prophets of syncretism teach that physical separation will only happen “at the end of the world”, and by this they mean, after we are all dead. The Bible, however, teaches that the phrase “at the end of the world” often means “during the time of the Gospel”, after Christ has suffered and died on the behalf of His elect, and has put away their sin in order to separate and purify them unto Himself: “For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself”.

The Lord Jesus Christ used these parables to accomplish two things:

• To give enlightenment, truth, direction, and encouragement to the elect of God – those who have been given by Divine Grace the ability to hear and see the Kingdom.

• To hide these sublime truths from world lovers and mammon lovers – the Children of the Wicked One – who naturally and angrily reject the truth of God.

“And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand” (Matt. 13:10-13).

To those whom it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, more shall be given to them, and they shall have more abundance. The phrase “he shall have more abundance” is one word in the Greek which means “to superabound” or “to have in excess”. Since the child of the Kingdom has a heart towards spiritual things, and towards eternity, he will superabound in spiritual gifts when he is separated by God into the Kingdom. Those who believe themselves to be in the Kingdom of God, but who are actually the “children of the wicked one”, will have even those gifts that they think are theirs taken away from them. This is why it is constantly reaffirmed in the scripture that the professing believer is to examine himself that he be in the faith. There are those who love the world, who serve mammon, who separate only invisibly and never actually, who think that they are in a good condition, and that they are bound for heaven after they die. They have been blinded to the truth of God found in His parables. The kingdom of this world has a religion called Christianity, and the prince of this world has a people who call themselves “christians”. This truth is plainly evident in the prophetic scriptures, yet it doesn't often cause mainstream “christians” to question their affiliation, their lives, or their understanding of God's Word.

In the next part we will examine God's plan in using separatism to teach and train His children for the Kingdom that is to come.

I am your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker

Separatism as a Fundamental Principle, 2B

Separatism as a Fundamental Principle of Christian Agrarianism, Part 2-B
Posted by Michael Bunker editor@biblicalagrarianism.com

Before you read this part, go read Part 1-A

Read Part 1-B

Read Part 2-A

Mammon

“Worldly-mindedness is as common and as fatal a symptom of hypocrisy as any other, for by no sin can Satan have a surer and faster hold of the soul, under the cloak of a visible and passable profession of religion, than by this; and therefore Christ, having warned us against coveting the praise of men, proceeds next to warn us against coveting the wealth of the world; in this also we must take heed, lest we be as the hypocrites are, and do as they do: the fundamental error that they are guilty of is, that they choose the world for their reward; we must therefore take heed of hypocrisy and worldly-mindedness, in the choice we make of our treasure, our end, and our masters.” (Matthew Henry)

In the next several parts we will be discussing separation and its importance as it relates to the Kingdom of God. In this part we will specifically be discussing the Kingdom of This World and the system of Mammon which gives it power. Throughout all of human history, and throughout the entire Bible, there are two opposing kingdoms in view. We will be discussing these contrasting kingdoms in depth, but it is necessary here that I discuss some very important principles concerning these kingdoms; principles that are often forgotten or confused by students of the Word.

The Kingdom of This World

There is a kingdom, which is actually made up of all the worldly kingdoms (Matt. 4:8), which is referred to by Jesus repeatedly as “this world”. This kingdom has a ruler or spiritual prince (the word “prince” means “ruler”) also called “the god of this world”, has other spiritual principalities and powers, has earthly princes or kings, has its own wisdom, and has a fashion (an external condition, a culture, style, or system) also known as a “course”. It is important to note that Satan, the prince of this world (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11, Eph. 2:2), is not the rightful King or Prince of the earth. That position was originally given to Adam as man. Satan, therefore is a usurper prince, who has gained his authority by deceit and by the willful consent of the governed, and not by rightful inheritance.

This kingdom of this world is referred to throughout the Bible and in many of Jesus Christ's discussions, sermons, and teachings. It is important that we point this out, because the modern mantra of “in the world, but not of it” - taken to mean “just like the world in the flesh, but spiritually separate” - teaches that there is no discernible difference between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of This World. There are two prominent errors, mentioned before in this series, that lead to a dangerous and erroneous view of the Kingdoms:

1. The futurist and dispensationalist view that the Kingdom of God is still future, and that no one enters the Kingdom until they die. In this view, the Kingdom of God is heaven and the spiritual realm, and Christ was bringing and instituting no real Kingdom during His earthly ministry. This view invalidates separatism because in it there is nothing to separate from and nothing to separate to; and it promotes worldliness and denies all that Christ had to say about the Kingdom of God.

2. The Kingdom Now, Theocratic, or Reconstructionist view that the Kingdom of God came fully and completely during the time of Christ or shortly after that, meaning that Christ has already come and instituted His Kingdom, which is of this world, and things will get better and better as Christians “christianize” wordly institutions and bring all things under the rule of Christ. In this view, as we have mentioned before, the Kingdom's of this world have already become the Kingdom of God, and God has no intention of returning to destroy the wicked and to bring a new heaven and a new earth. Christ has already returned (at some point invisibly) to rule, the seventh trumpet has sounded, and there is no difference between “this world” and Christ's kingdom, therefore there is no need for separation. This is the worldview and system that the Papists have tried to push for over 1400 years, and the Church of England and other national “churches” have tried to institute for several hundred years.

We will discuss the two separate and distinct kingdoms more in the next part, but for now it is important for us to examine what Jesus Christ and His Word has said about the difference between “this world”, and the Kingdom of God.

First, we should note that the Kingdom of this World is not vanquished and overthrown until the last trumpet:

“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev 11:15).

Paul confirms that this last trumpet will not be “invisible” or some confusing and indiscernible moment in history (like the destruction of Jerusalem), but will be the moment when all Christians of all time are “changed” and are given incorruptible bodies. The earthly bodies of corruption will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God, but those who are Christ's will be changed and given incorruptible bodies. This is true of the righteous dead, who at this time will rise from the dead, and of the living:

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1Co 15:50-55).

It is naturally in the Devil's interest to confuse the kingdoms and to cause professing Christians to err by convincing them that they have nothing to fear in worldliness. Both the futurist and the preterist, both the dispensationalist and the reconstructionist, are able to deceive people by convincing them that they can stay in the world without fear or danger. But the Bible says that the two kingdoms, The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of This World, will remain distinct and separate until the last trump, when God's children will be changed and receive incorruptible bodies. If you have not received your incorruptible body yet, then the last trumpet has not sounded, and you are accounted with either the Kingdom of God, or the Kingdom of This World. You live according to the fashion (or “course”) of one or the other (1 Cor. 7:31). The Bible says that if you live according to the fashion or course of this world, then you are still deceived and in the power of the Prince of This World:

“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Eph 2:2).

John Gill says this of the “course of this world”: “the course of it is their custom, manner, and way of life; to which God's elect, during their state of unregeneracy, conform, both with respect to conversation and religious worship: great is the force that prevailing customs have over men; it is one branch of redemption by Christ, to deliver men from this present evil world, and to free them from a vain conversation in it”. Because of the prevalent errors in discerning between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of This World, most professing Christians have been convinced that there is no difference, and that there is no “course” or “fashion” of this world that identifies men according to which Kingdom and Prince they serve.

Like I said earlier, we will get into some depth on the subject of the Kingdoms in the next parts, but for now it was necessary that I identify and prove that the Kingdom of God is separate and distinct from this world, and that it has separate and distinct characteristics, and operates according to different principles. The Kingdom of God came with Christ, because Christ IS fundamentally the Kingdom of God, and as in any other Kingdom, Christ's Kingdom has its own society and culture, its own economy, its own fashion and course. It came with Christ, but will be fulfilled and perfected at Christ's return at the last trump.

Knowing that there are two separate kingdoms with two separate masters, let us hear what Christ says about one of the fundamental differences that exist between the two kingdoms:

“No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him” (Luk 16:13-14).

Now, let me tell you that there are some of you reading and hearing this right now who believe yourself to be in the Kingdom of God, and to be under the Headship and Kingship of Jesus Christ, but who serve mammon and mammon alone. Now it is time that we study what this means, so we can identify error. Separatism naturally involves a sword: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb 4:12). Note that the Bible says that covetousness and the service of mammon identify those who are still servants of the Prince of This World. The “passport”, mark, or citizenship papers of the children of this world lies in covetousness and the service of mammon. I want to note again that this is why Satan and his prophets push the prevailing errors concerning the two Kingdoms. Deception requires that men not be able to see God's intention and purpose in separation. People remain in the Kingdom of This World, and subject to the Prince of This World, because they cannot see the Kingdom of God - “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). In order to be able to separate from the Kingdom of This World, you need to be able to see it, and in order to see it, you must be born again.

Ok, all of this has been preface to our latest history lesson. Today we are going to track some of the history of the Kingdom of This World, and its system of mammon, so you can see what it looks like today.

Mammon is defined several different ways, and we can get a more full understanding of the essence of it by studying these definitions:

1. Riches, wealth; or the god of riches.

2. The false god of riches and avarice.

3. Wealth, wordly gain.

Mammon is the personification of the earthly and worldly desire for more wealth or money than is necessary. The Bible teaches, “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content” (1 Tim. 6:8). The service of mammon is the sign or mark of those whose hearts are on this world, and not on the world to come. It is critical that we understand these things, and that we know history, because an understanding of money (and mammon) is necessary in order for us to know God's mind when it comes to separatism and agrarianism. It is the love of money and the service of mammon that keeps men in bondage to the world.

The History of Money

In studying the history of money, it is important that we first get rid of the colonized deceptions that pervade our thinking. Money as we know it (coins and paper) are a relatively recent invention. When the word “money” is used in the Old Testament, it is not speaking of coins and paper used as currency. First let me say that the word “money” is actually from the Latin moneta, which means "mint, coinage," and is derived from Moneta, a title of the Roman goddess Juno. Coins were minted outside of the temple of Moneta, and it is from this practice that man has derived the name of money. Please also remember that, from this time, money became an inexorable part of human worship in the Kingdom of This World, and became a central pillar of most worldly religions. It is not unimportant that our Lord, the rightful King of Creation, was betrayed for money.

Some will insist that money has been around forever, and that it has always been a central reality in the history of God's people, but when you read the term “money” in the Old Testament, for example when Abraham bought the cave and field of Machpelah for money, it is not at all speaking of coinage and paper that we call “money” today. Let us read the account:

“And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you. And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying, Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead. And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there. And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead. And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant” (Gen 23:7-16).

This event happened sometime around 1859 BC, but the use of silver as money had been around for some time before that. We read here that the “money” used by Abraham was actually silver. It was not paid in coins, but had to be weighed out in “shekels”. The shekel weight had been established by the Babylonians as part of the Babylonian system we are studying here from around 3000 BC and it was related to an established weight of barley. The word shekel did not refer to a coin, but to an established weight (such as a “gram” or an “ounce” is an established weight). The word “money” in our English Bible is translated from the word kehsef which means “silver”.

Back Even Further

For the first 1600 years of the world, exchange, and commerce were accomplished through trade and barter. In some cases and places, due to an intrinsic problem with barter (called “the coincidence of wants”) a system of credit was created, where a basic standard was set, and an intermediate nonperishable item was used to eliminate the coincidence of wants. For example, if you raised dates or figs, which are perishable, and you desired to trade for wheat or goats – it would be necessary (in order for there to be a straight trade) that someone “coincidentally” was wanting to trade goats or wheat for figs or dates at precisely the time when your crop was harvested and ready for trade. This problem is called “the coincidence of wants”. In order to mitigate against this problem, a third crop or item may be utilized to bridge the distance. You might go ahead and trade the figs and dates for a future crop of wheat or for some future number of goats. In the interim, the owner of the wheat or goats might give you some valuable item that is valuable but nonperishable (like wine, salt, or silver, etc.) to hold until which time he is ready to redeem them with the wheat or goats that you need. But the point is that for 1600 years mankind had no real need for what we call money. Until the wicked descendants of Cain began to build cities (which necessitate money, debt, and specialization) every man lived an agrarian existence, and he produced from the ground most, if not all, of what he needed to survive. Trade and Barter existed, but they were actually quite rare. Most men survived by God's providence from the land, and did not have any need for more than they could eat, drink, wear, or live on for their survival. It is so common for man to look at history through glasses tinted by his own experience, that it is very difficult for modern man to even conceive of a world without money.

Abraham was considered a very wealthy man, and it is said he had gold and silver, so people automatically assume that he was one of the idle rich like we have around today. But wealth in that time was measured in a wholly different way. You see, there was no need – in fact it would have been wasteful and ridiculous – to have more than you need. It is said that Abraham was “very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold” (Gen. 13:2). Note that cattle is mentioned first, because it was the primary measure of wealth and store of value. The term “cattle” meant cows, oxen, sheep, asses, and camels. So it is true that Abraham was wealthy, but we must also remember that Abraham was the patriarch of a very large clan. His family and servants numbered in the many hundreds, if not thousands. Abraham had a lot of mouths to feed, and he properly managed his large herds and flocks for the maintenance of himself, his family, and all those for whom he was responsible. Abraham was considered wealthy, as we have seen, but an examination of the time and culture will cause us to reject that Abraham's wealth was anything like what we call “wealth” today where men gather to themselves mountains of irrelevant and unimportant items, and invest large amounts of money in decorations, entertainment, and so called “stores of value” (like stocks and bonds). There would have been no need for more animals than could be managed for the production of food, clothing, and supplies for the amount of people for whom Abraham was responsible.

I pause here to note that we read in Genesis the 13^th Chapter that Abraham was wealthy and had many cattle and herds, and so was his nephew Lot. They were both so wealthy that they could not dwell together in the same land anymore, so Abraham desired to separate from Lot (who evidently operated on different principles) and so he gave Lot the choice of what direction he will go. Lot chose the plain of Jordan near the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham chose to dwell in the land of Canaan, which was without cities, and was more conducive to agrarian success. Ok, I will return to the discussion of the wealth of Abraham, but we have to take a side road here to discuss Lot – since, although Lot ought to be the poster-boy of separatism and God's preference of agrarianism over urbanism, Lot seems to have become the hero and spokesmen for worldlings everywhere who all fancy themselves to be Lot. So let us look at this for a moment...

It is said by worldlings and syncretists that Lot was saved for his own righteousness, but the Bible says he was saved by the intervention of Abraham (an agrarian separatist) (Gen. 18) and because “God remembered Abraham” (Gen. 19:29).

It is said that Lot is not an example of separatism, though God clearly took vengeance on the wickedness and urbanism of Sodom and Gomorrah, and separated Lot out from it before it was destroyed.

Let's review the story...

Lot, due to his choice of living near the cites of Sodom and Gomorrah, lost his wealth and was rescued by God's grace alone from the destruction of those cities. God determines to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, even with Lot and his family in it, but Abraham intercedes with God to spare Lot (Gen. 18), who is his kinsman. Lot and his family (his wife and two daughters) are physically removed from Sodom in order to save their lives. Lot is ordered by God in a Christophony not to stay or stop in the plain, but to flee all the way to “the mountain”. The mountain is a type of Mount Zion and of Christ's Kingdom. Lot is too afraid to flee to the mountain, even though his eventual destruction in the plain of Jordan is evident, so he begs God to allow him to stay in a small city (Lot even mentions twice that it is just “a little one” ), and God agrees for Abraham's sake not to destroy that one small city (Gen. 19:17-21). Lot and his daughters are scarcely saved and his wife perishes even as Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed. It is said that Lot is spared for Abraham's sake, not his own (Gen. 19:29). Later Lot repents of staying in the small city, and flees to the mountain, only to there become (by God's providence) the father of the wicked Ammonites and the Moabites.

So just maybe worldly syncretists do not want to claim Lot as their spiritual father.

Back to our discussion of wealth. The system of barter and trade changed slowly. First, as we have seen, men began to look for an intermediate commodity, such as salt, wine, or silver, that could be used as a store of value to help with barter and trade. So long as men lived rural and agrarian lives, there was little need for much silver or gold, and very small amounts of these metals were held as a store of value – and then only to offer relief from the “coincidence of wants”. With urbanization and specialization, came the need for money and for the ability to acquire, hold, and expand it. The Babylonians first systematized the exchange and use of money, as it became fundamental to the new Babylonian urban culture. Hammurabi, the first king of the Babylonian Empire, in his famous code, created extensive rules and laws governing the creation, use, and exchange of money. This is the beginning of the world's system of mammon.

For another 1000 years, the Code of Hammurabi and the first Babylonian system of commerce was used throughout the known world. But then, even as this first Babylonian system of money and exchanged reigned in the world, Nebuchadnezzar came to power in Babylon.

There are two main events in the life of this Nebuchadnezzar that we need to study. The first is the dream he had in Daniel the 2^nd Chapter.

In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, the king awakens from a dream that he cannot remember. The dream troubles him, so he calls forth all of the Chaldean mystics and Magicians, and all the astrologers and sorcerers, but they are unable to tell him either the substance or the meaning of the dream. Because of this, Nebuchadnezzar grows very angry and orders the death of all the wise men and advisors in Babylon. Arioch, the king's captain reminds the king of Daniel, the wise man of of the captives of Judah. Daniel tells the king he will give him the interpretation after prayer, and retreats to be with his friends and pray for the interpretation. The interpretation is given to Daniel, who then gives it to the king:

“Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure” (Dan 2:31-45).

Here Daniel gives the king of Babylon both the dream he had dreamed, and the interpretation thereof. The king had dreamed of this great image (an idol or statue) made of various metals and materials, and he had watched as a large stone, cut out without hands, crushed the statue, which crumbled into dust or chaff and was blown away of the winds. The stone that smote the feet of the statue then grew into a great mountain and filled the whole earth. Now, Daniel also gives Nebuchadnezzar the interpretation of the dream. Nebuchadnezzar would be the first of four great kingdoms which would ruler over the people of the earth. The Babylonian empire, of which Nebuchadnezzar was the king, would be the gold kingdom. The kingdom would eventually fall and be replaced in order and time by three subsequent empires. The second kingdom, the silver kingdom, is given for us in the Bible as the Kingdom of the Medes and the Persions (or the Kingdom of Medo-Persia). The third kingdom, the kingdom of brass is the Empire of the Greeks. After the fall of the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire (the fourth kingdom) will arise. The fourth kingdom is very interesting and deserves our attention. The fourth kingdom will be the kingdom that remains in power until the end of the age. The fourth empire begins as iron, then as it travels down the legs and into the toes of the statue (through time) it becomes a conglomeration of iron and miry clay. From history we see this fourth kingdom develop first as the Roman Empire, which after it's fall becomes the empire of the Roman Papacy, which reigns through its conglomeration of secular and religious power, in an ever weakening way, until the Lord comes to destroy it.

Now, we need to note that this whole system is one statue. It is one system, even if it is ruled and shaped at different times by different world powers. Each system flows into the next, and the single beast portrayed by the statue still exists as one beast when it is destroyed by the stone, which is Christ.

Daniel tells the King that a very great and awful beast system will be developed, and that he, Nebuchadnezzar is the head and originator of that system. This system will be a culture, a dynasty, a financial and an economic system, and a single kingdom (called the Kingdom of This World) that will dominate history until it is destroyed by Jesus Christ. The final incarnation of this beast will have attributes of all the previous kingdoms, and will add the attributes of each successive system as they are amalgamated into one beast.

Let's move on to the second important event of Nebuchadnezzar's life.

In Daniel Chapter 3 we read that Nebuchadnezzar, apparently smitten with the fact that he was the head of gold, or having become obsessed with gold, and possibly in an attempt to forget or eradicate the idea that his golden kingdom would be replaced by lesser kingdoms in succession, built an image much like the one in his dream, only he had it built (or gilded) completely in gold. Let's read about it:

“Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon” (Dan 3:1).

So we note that Nebuchadnezzar made the image 60 cubits high, and 6 cubits wide, which number, 66, is the precursor of the mark of the eventual beast it prefigured, 666, which ought to help direct us in the right direction concerning the spiritual root and direction of image and its purpose. The number 6 is the number of man, and the eventual beast (the system begun here at Babylon but completed in the end of time during the fourth (or Roman) period, would be a system of worship that is man-centered, so the final six would not be evident in this typological image of gold. The image of gold was built for worship, and as a religious idol, it was forced upon the people of Babylon as a god. It prefigures a man-centered system of economics, and society that will have all the attributes of the four kingdoms built into culture and lives of the people. The event was being held, it was said, during an economic convention in Babylon where all of the great men and authorities in the kingdom were coming together to unite under this kingdom of gold. Howard B. Rand in his Study in Revelation says this:

“Here we have an account of the birth of the gold standard, when by solemn decree it was made a controlled medium of exchange, the possession of which became essential to those who would buy and sell in the world markets”

From this point onward, the world had created a system for itself where wealth was no longer defined as the ability to abundantly feed, clothe, and care for your family and servants from the land. From this point on, wealth required the acquisition and holding of the means of exchange, instead of actual property, land, cattle, etc. The intermediate means had become the idol, and metals – which you cannot eat, which will not provide you shelter, and with which you cannot use to clothe yourselves – had become the primary form of “currency” and measure of wealth. As is natural among wicked men, the rationalization was eventually made that carrying and holding gold and silver was no longer practical. Soon coins of inferior materials were substituted for those of gold and silver. Silver, the original form of money, was soon phased out in favor of gold backing alone. It was not long before paper money came into existence, originally backed by gold held in storage at “banks”, but eventually it was backed by nothing but the word of lying governments. Paper and coin would be phased out in favor of digital money, wealth would be measured by blips on computers, and by the amount of debt one can handle while still appearing wealthy. All of this was designed in order to allow wicked men to fall farther and farther away from the garden from which they originated. Without this system of money and without this Babylonian economic system, cities would collapse, and men would be forced to return to the land and produce from it – or perish.

God, in the brilliance of the creation, had abundantly provided for Adam and all of his progeny. So long as God's children remained separate from the system of “the world”, and so long as they were solidly based in an agrarian system according to God's command, they flourished and produced untold wealth. But man, through covetousness and greed, created an economic system that enslaved him; that would not allow him to buy or sell (trade within the urban economic system) unless he was willing to become fully invested in the system; unless the system was worshiped and enthroned in his life. This system, the Babylonian beast, is the system we call “The Kingdom of This World”.

Since the blood of the Babylonian system is money, the love of money (greed and covetousness) became necessary for success and survival in that system. This system and love is what is called Mammon in the Bible. Mammon is not just a corrupt money system, but it is worldly-mindedness and the culture and society that is created, through the generations, by Mammon worshipers.

Contrasted here are the two systems:

The Kingdom of God, where God's sanctified people rely on Him solely for their food, shelter, clothing, etc. and for the means of life.

The Kingdom of This World, where worldlings rely on themselves, mammon, and their corrupt economic and social system for the means of life.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” (Mat 6:19-25).

This is to say that today, as you read this, you serve either God or mammon. One or the other. And this is not a mystic declaration. It is real and practical and has real evidences. If you life in the world, according to the rudiments, course, and fashion of the world, then you are serving mammon – regardless of where you say your heart is. You cannot say that you live in and according to the world culture, but you are separate from it in your heart, because that would be to say that you are successfully serving two masters, which Jesus says is impossible.

This is not to say that in no way should you concern yourself at all with eating, drinking, or for raiment for your body. This is saying that the use of unauthorized means in order to obtain these things is forbidden. To rely on the world is idolatry. Reliance on the world, and its Babylonian system, is the serving of mammon. God is not changing his mind here and telling us that utilizing proper means (agrarianism, farming, gardening, etc. whereby God provides for us) is wordliness. In the proper Agrarian/Separatist system, it is God that provides for us, and according to His own principles, not according to the rudiments of the world.

Separatism is a fundamental principle of Agrarianism because both are pillars of God's Kingdom, and both are necessary for a right view and a right mind towards God's Kingdom.

In the next part, if the Lord wills, we will discuss the two kingdoms, and we will go into greater depth on how the great deception concerning them has progressed.

I am your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker

Separatism as a Fundamental Principle, 2A

Separatism as a Fundamental Principle of Christian Agrarianism, Part 2-A
Posted by Michael Bunker
editor@biblicalagrarianism.com

Before you read this part, go read Part 1-A Read part 1-B

Becoming Babylon

We have established in the first two parts that Separatism is:

a) Reflected in the entire teaching of the whole Bible.
b) Not contrary to, or in contest with, evangelism or missionary work.
c) Commanded by God

Now it is important that we view Separatism in its relationship with Christian Agrarianism, and we will begin to do so in this part. When examining an issue like this, it is beneficial to have a vision (Prov. 29:18) of what God's intent was for the happiness and perpetuation of His people, and it is also valuable to be able to see the panorama of human existence and activity as man has fallen further and further from God's original intent. History, it is said, is a light by which we may guide our feet, and it is surely for this reason that God saw fit to give us the history of mankind, and of Israel, in written form.

God first placed man in a garden (not a city, or a disordered wasteland, or a jungle or thicket, but a well-ordered and planted garden), and commanded that man till and tend the garden for his provision and for the health, happiness, and perpetuation of his life. God put man in the garden with the command that he dress it and keep it, and immediately, before ever there was a fall or sin or death, He gave a command for man to be separate from sin. God commanded man to stay separate from a particular tree, a tree which provided access to that unauthorized knowledge which would not tend towards his happiness and obedience:

"And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Gen. 2:15-17).

Here again we see the pattern of separation. Now look at the entire pattern as it played out:

God created the light, and separated the light from the darkness (Gen. 1:3-4

God created the firmament, and separated the waters from the waters (Gen. 1:6-7

God separated the dry land from the waters (Gen. 1:10)

God caused the green grass and the herbs and trees to come forth out of the ground (Gen. 11-12)

God created the lights in the firmament, the stars, moon, and sun, to separate the night from the day and to divide light from darkness (Gen. 1:14-18).

God caused the fish and the birds to come forth abundantly (Gen. 1:20-22).

God caused the animals and creeping thing to come forth by separating them from the earth (creating them from dirt) (Gen. 1:24-25).

God created man by separating him from the earth and giving him dominion over it. He put a separation between man and the animal kingdom by making man King over it. God commanded man to have dominion and to manage the earth and subdue it, and to bring it under authority for God's glory (Gen. 1:26-28).

God separated the Seventh Day unto Himself as a perpetual sabbath day of rest, and rested from His own labors on that day (Gen. 2:1-4).

God separated man by command and law from all that which, however enticing and beneficial it might seem, would not be conducive to his life and happiness (Gen. 2:15-17).

As we have mentioned, God planted man in the Garden of Eden, and allowed him access to all of the trees of the Garden except for that tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God separated man from that tree by way of command, that he touch it not, neither eat from it, lest he die.

Let's take a moment and review some of our principle terms, because I am going to make an illustration and it is critical that you understand what I am saying. There are two opposing positions in view here:

1. Separatism - an advocate of separation from something established - ecclesiastical, political, cultural, or social. From the term separate, which means "to divide, sever, or set apart", or "to set apart from a number for a particular service".

2. Syncretism - the attempted reconciliation or union of different or opposing principles, practices, or parties, as in philosophy or religion.

Now, as an ironic aside - worldling Christian professors and theologians believe that there is a "syncretism" or compromise that can be had between even these opposite two worldviews. Since everything they are and everything they believe is based on syncretism, they must conclude that there is even a compromise between syncretism and separation. This compromise creates nothing but a monster, since it is really just syncretism repackaged in order to salve and silence the conscience of man, who knows instinctively that God commands separatism from the kingdom of this world.

Back to the garden. So the separatist would see God's commands in the Garden of Eden as absolute. Do not have anything whatsoever to do with the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God was unequivocal - Do not eat from it, lest ye die. The syncretist would say, "Yea, hath God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Surely you may eat of it and not die. You see, God is interested in your heart! If your heart is right, it doesn't matter what your body is doing. God wants you to be clean and separate in your heart, so as long as you feel clean and separate in your heart, then go ahead and eat of any tree you like, even the forbidden tree, because God knows your heart". This is what they are saying when they say, "Go ahead and live however you like, God doesn't care. Every legal occupation, every worldview, every way of life is equal, so long as you feel good about it and accept it in your heart". This is also what the dominionist or reconstructionist is saying when he says, "Yes, we confess that the world is evil, and that the prince and ruler of it is God's enemy, and that its foundation and principles are fundamentally contrary to God's way and order, but... God is using us to reclaim the world and to bring it under the dominion of Christ. So... in order to convert the world, we must live like the world. Live however you like so long as you put Christ's name on everything you do, and so long as you try to convert the world around you to this same type of syncretistic "christianity""

That is the fundamental difference between Separatism and Syncretism. Syncretism always says, "Yea, hath God said?" and tries to find a way to continue in disobedience by salving and anesthetizing the conscience.

It is not unimportant that we mention here that there was another tree in the garden – a tree from which our first parents might have freely eaten. That tree is the Tree of Life (Gen. 2:9). We know that this Tree of Life is representative of Christ, of whom it is said He was “separate from sinners” (Heb. 7:26). Christ, who called men out to be and live separate from the world, and who was Himself crucified “without the gate” (Heb. 13:12), and calls His own beloved to come to Him “without the camp”, is that Tree of Life that the sons and daughters of men are always rejecting in favor of the tree of knowledge (wordliness).

We have established that before the fall, God's command was very plain and unequivocal. God put man in the Garden and commanded him to keep it and till it (Gen. 3:15) - so man was created as an morally neutral but upright, holy, and innocent creature, capable of serving and glorifying him, but also capable of disobeying him. Man's vocation was to be an agrarian one, and he was designed and intended for the working and ordering of God's creation for God's glory. This command of God has never been rescinded, nor has His intention for man changed in the intervening millennia. After the fall we find the command re-established:

"Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken" (Gen 3:23).

I hope you understand that from this point, it is necessary that I give a sweeping panorama of man's folly on this planet, and I am going to do so in less detail than I would like – but, like Stephen who prophesied using history to those who would stone him, it is necessary that we cover the intervening thousands of years in a few short breaths.

Man was sent forth to till the ground, to take dominion over it, and to manage it for God's glory. Immediately we see man's intention to do otherwise, and to build cities, and to conglomerate and unify in order to bypass God's intentions. We also see God's opinion and hostility towards the building of cities, and to the attempts of men to come together and pull together for their own perceived worldly benefits.

Adam and Eve, following their rebellion and after they were barred from the garden from whence they came, conceived a son named Cain who, though he was originally a tiller of the ground, was a covetous rebel, and became the first murderer. And what is his curse? God says he will no longer will be a successful farmer: “When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength” (Gen. 4:12); and he shall be a wanderer on the earth, subject to the whims of the earth and the people thereon. He will be subject to the worlds culture, and a slave to the prince of the earth (Satan). Upon hearing that he has been removed and terminated from his divinely given vocation as a farmer, what does Cain say?

“And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear” (Gen. 4:13).

Going out from the presence of the Lord, and continuing in his rebellion, Cain determines to build a great city, the shining monument to his sin. This city he names after his son Enoch (now, this is a different Enoch than that righteous son of Jared who “walked with God” (Gen. 5:21)). Many who have studied this subject in much depth have concluded that this city, built by Cain, was the city archaeologists and historians know as Tenochtitlan, which is modern day Mexico City, the largest city on the earth today. Remember that the earth was not divided at this time, meaning that the continents as we know them, divided by the seas, did not exist. The earth was divided at the time of Peleg (Gen. 10:25). We can't know this for a fact, but it is interesting that it is very likely that the city that Cain built might still be with us, and that it might be the largest city in the world today. That city is the archetype of every city in the world today.

Now, the earth became corrupt and filled with violence, because mankind had corrupted his way upon the earth (Gen. 6:12), and had refused the commands of separation and agrarianism given by God. Many writers and commentators have written about this time of corruption and violence, but we know that as man moved away from his true vocation, as he built cities and engaged in idolatry, he moved further away from God. His way was corrupted because man always believes he has a better plan, and that his way will bring him to glory without what he considers the stifling rules and commands of a just God. There are several different theories as to what type of corruption prompted God to destroy the whole earth. One theory says that the sons of Seth, sons of the righteous bloodline, took to themselves wives of the daughters of Cain (Gen. 6:2). John Gill, who holds to this theory, has this to say:

“According to the Arabic writers, immediately after the death of Adam the family of Seth was separated from the family of Cain; Seth took his sons and their wives to a high mountain (Hermon), on the top of which Adam was buried, and Cain and all his sons lived in the valley beneath, where Abel was slain; and they on the mountain obtained a name for holiness and purity, and were so near the angels that they could hear their voices and join their hymns with them; and they, their wives and their children, went by the common name of the sons of God: and now these were adjured, by Seth and by succeeding patriarchs, by no means to go down from the mountain and join the Cainites; but notwithstanding in the times of Jared some did go down, it seems; and after that others, and at this time it became general; and being taken with the beauty of the daughters of Cain and his posterity, they did as follows: and they took them wives of all that they chose”

In this theory, which seems to be the most widely held, the Sethite line violated the command of separation and purity, corrupted themselves by their syncretistic and miscegenetic marriages with the worldly Cainites, and brought destruction upon the whole world.

A second popular theory claims that angels, falling and leaving their first estate (Jude 1:6), began to lust after the daughters of men (mortal human women) and took them as wives, creating a race of giants (Gen. 6:4) who were not fully human, and therefore not subject to redemption. It is interesting to note that the Jude 1:6 verse, which tells us that the angels left their first estate, is followed by this:

“Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire” (Jud 1:7).

Supporters of this theory take from this that the sin of the fallen angels (leaving their first estate) was sexual in nature, and involved “going after strange flesh”, which means going after different flesh, or, that which is of a different kind, race, or species – in this case, leaving heaven permanently to cohabit with human women, and, in doing so, producing mongrel offspring. This too violates the principles and commands of separatism.

Ok, so in either theory we can conclusively determine that the singular sin which brought forth God's most destructive and damning judgment – in all of the history of the world – was a sin against God's command of separation. Herein we see God's mind on the subject, and we come to know God's intention in that judgment he will bring in the future.

God saves Noah and his progeny through the means of separation – he causes them to go into the ark, and he shuts the door, and rains down vengeance on those who are now His enemies – those who refused the preaching of Noah, and who would not separate from the corruption of the world.

After the world and every living thing in it is destroyed, God commands Noah and his family to go out from the ark, and to take the animals forth that they may breed and replenish the earth, and in Genesis 8:20 through 8:22 God institutes the type of sacrificial worship, and again, using agrarian terminology, commands man to live separate agrarian lives, holy unto him:

“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Gen 8:22).

God gives forth threatenings and promises to Noah and his family, who are to go forth and be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth (Gen. 9:7); and Noah understood this to be a command to him to be engaged in agrarian work, as it is said, “And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard” (Gen 9:20). Note that Noah did not decide to build a city.

Noah's son Ham, like Cain a rebellious and wicked son, uncovered his father's nakedness and sinned against Noah and against God, and for this he and his line were marked and cursed to be servants to the lines of Shem and Japheth. Ham's son Cush begat Nimrod “who began to be a mighty one in the earth”. John Gill says, “that is, he was the first that formed a plan of government, and brought men into subjection to it”. The Jews say that Nimrod was the first king after God. Nimrod fundamentally re-ordered life throughout his dominions so that man was no longer free under the authority of God and His righteous commandments alone, but now suffered to be put under the dominion of a human king who ordered things after the commands of Satan, the Prince of this World. Nimrod patterned or copied his kingdom after a corrupt version of the kingdom of God, even forming a golden crown for himself after “seeing the figure of a golden crown in heaven” (John Gill Commentary).

“And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city (Gen 10:10-12)”

So here again we see how the wicked, who despise God's authority and who desire to usurp Him and to replace Him, immediately begin to build cities and gather men to themselves under their own pretended authority.

It is in this Babel, built and founded by Nimrod, that a tower begins to be built:

“And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth” (Gen 11:1-9).

Here we have the model of what has become modern urbanism and syncretism. All of the agents of syncretism, no matter how religious and spiritual they sound, have as an unstated mission statement “let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth”. Please note that the enemies of God are saying that, if man does not join together in urban and worldly fellowship, he will be scattered upon the face of the whole earth – which was God's command concerning man. Man scattered over the earth, tilling it and managing it for God's glory, will be free and unencumbered by the capricious tyrannies of wicked men. Man will be free to produce and harvest food from the ground (God's increase), and to worship God according to his conscience, and will not be enslaved to human economies, false currencies, debt and credit schemes, etc. This is what Satan did not want, so he puts it in men to come together and to live urban lives in close fellowship with their fallen brethren.

Whether they are using the argument of missionary evangelism, or Christ's eating and drinking with publicans, all syncretists – like Nimrod, Ham, and Cain – desire that man will not separate from worldliness and from the “kingdom of this world” as God has commanded. No matter how they howl and moan at the inference, they are agents of Babel, and God is found in His own Word to be steadfast against them.

From Babel (which became Babylon) we have the foundation of two antichristian systems:

1. Our current political, economic and social model – the urban nation state or kingdom being dominant over God's heritage and the freedom of the individual - including a monetary system which is designed to enslave men to an urban system of currency, debt, and credit.

2. The Babylonian religious system, which evolved into Talmudic Judaism and modern apostate Christianity, which is codified and represented by Papal Catholicism (the birth mother of the Charismatic/Pentacostal movement, and almost all modern nominal "Protestant" sects).
   

We will look at these two systems in more depth in a future part. It is important now to review, before we go on to the next part.

Review

A close study of Biblical history shows that our modern Babylonian system is a result of 6000 years of rebellion against God's commands concerning those who would worship Him in truth. Babylonianism, pushed by the prophets of worldliness and syncretism, is that same beast and sin which brought about God's judgment at the great flood, and the confounding of the languages on the plains of Shinar. This Babylonian sea-beast, depicted for us in the 13^th Chapter of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, is at perennial war with the true Saints of God (Rev. 13:7). God's opinion of syncretism and worldliness is well known, and we can be certain that His judgment will fall against this world, and all the proponents and false prophets of it.

In the next part we will examine how the modern Babylonian system of politics, economics, industry, and culture, captures, enslaves, and trades in the souls of men. We will study the root of the love of the world, which is mammon, and we will study the love of mammon, which is that love – antithetical to the love of God – which is called root and basis of all evil.

I am your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker

Separatism as a Fundamental Principle, 1B

Separatism as a Fundamental Principle of Christian Agrarianism, Part 1 - B
Posted by Michael Bunker
editor@biblicalagrarianism.com

(This first article is long and will be divided into several "parts" for this blog)

Before you read this part, go read Part 1-A

The “Great Commission”?

Let me start this section by making a few points. I include this discussion within the larger discussion of Separatism, because "missionary evangelism" is a topic used as the primary argument against the right doctrine of Separatism (as if the two are contradictory or exclusive, which they are not). I find the argument to be tiresome for a couple reasons:

1. Generally (or most often, in my experience) the person who uses the “missionary evangelism” argument against the doctrine of Separatism does no evangelism himself. For example, I have traveled somewhere around 3 million miles, and preached to literally hundreds of thousands of people on 3 continents (as a Predestinationist Separatist!) in the last 7 years. These numbers do not include the millions who have heard the gospel on our websites, or the thousands of people a day who either read or listen to my audio sermons. I do not say this to pump up myself or the ministry - or to take credit for anything that God alone has done. I only mention it to illustrate a point... I am the product of what I believe to be true. But most of those who I have engaged
in debate on Separatism, and who have used the “Great Commission” as an argument for Syncretism – have not gone on missions on any real scope, preached or evangelized at all! A few may have, but most have not. So the point is that there is a very high probability that the person who is using missionary evangelism as a "trump card" against separatism, is neither a missionary, nor an evangelist.

2. In the same way, the advocates of modern missionary evangelism (and Syncretism) rarely consider the product of their worldview, nor do they themselves examine which Gospel is being preached.

In a recent letter challenging my teaching on Separatism, a writer alternately charged us with worldliness (for going to stores, for having an internet site and for evangelizing) and at the same time he accused us of some wicked, cultic form of separatism which denies Christians the opportunity to evangelize the world. It seems that any stick is good enough to beat true Christians! Even when those sticks are contradictory. It is usually a good sign (as Christians)
when you are being crucified between two thieves. This is an important issue, and it is one that needs to be handled very precisely. One of the great mantras within professing Christianity is called "The Great Commission". The commission is indeed great, but if it is handled improperly, it is a great commission of evil and source of befuddlement for God's true church. Just look how this blunt instrument is now being used against the doctrine we have just illustrated (Separatism), a great commandment of God.

We want to start out by saying that we DO believe that God raises up some (but few) individuals; and we believe He can and does send these individuals “out” with the Gospel of peace. We would never deny the great works done through people like George Whitefield, Adoniram Judson and Hudson Taylor. What we intend to examine here is the modern idea of “The Great Commission” and how Missionary Evangelism has corrupted the true gospel.

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)

Applying this verse recklessly to the whole Body of Christ has been one of the great victories of the modern apostate religious system. Please note before we start that I AM NOT SAYING that the gospel should not be preached to every creature. Nor am I claiming that any particular Christian does not have the obligation to preach the gospel, or that we ourselves are not obligated to hear the Gospel and obey it. What I am trying to do, is properly understand this verse in light of what God would have us look like and how He would have us act today. In short, What is our duty?

Let's take a look at the preceding verse:

"Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen" (Mark 16:14).

Note that this great commission is given specifically to the "eleven", and it is specifically given because of their unbelief. The resurrected Jesus Christ appears to his eleven remaining disciples and the primary purpose for his appearance before them is to “upbraid” (or strongly rebuke or scold) them for their unbelief! Read verses 9-11. Mary Magdalene goes and tells the eleven disciples that Jesus lives, but they refuse to believe her. Then, in verse 12 he appears personally to two of the "eleven" and these two go (in verse 13) to tell the other nine (the residue) and these nine also refuse to believe.

Remember that Jesus Christ had told these eleven men personally that he would be resurrected, and every one of these eleven men had claimed to believe Him. So Jesus was dealing in this section of scripture with a rampant issue of unbelief among those who He had personally picked... those who had been "with Him" (verse 10). But why, we must ask, did they not believe? Had they not walked with Christ? Had they not talked with Him? Had they not witnessed his many and manifold miracles? Why would they refuse to believe? Well, as we well should well know, belief is not within the power of man. Belief is a gift of God (Phil. 1:29, John 6:29). It was not yet given unto these disciples to believe, and it is evident that the gift of belief had been
temporarily withheld from them for God's own glory. No one can believe in God (and all that He says about Himself) without belief being given from God. The Holy Spirit needs to reside with us, helping us to believe. So Jesus sends out these particular eleven hard-hearted disciples, with the specific injunction that they are to go to the entire known world at that time and preach the "good news". Then, because of their unbelief, and knowing that no one would naturally believe them, He gives these "eleven" signposts so they can know when someone has truly believed:

1) They that are spiritually regenerated (born-again) by the baptism of the Holy Spirit will be the saved.

2) And those that are not given the gift of belief shall be the damned. Now we know that the following verses, apply to the eleven only – because in verse 20 it says "and they went forth". Who are "they" who went forth? It must be the specific "eleven" to whom He is speaking. And it is confirmed to us plainly that they (the eleven) fulfilled this scripture by "preaching every where". And it is confirmed that verses 18 and 19 refer to the "eleven", because here in verse 20 it says that God "was working with them" to confirm the signs of their apostleship with the signs and miracles that He had promised. So this section of scripture is a treatise on UNBELIEF and not on evangelism. God sent broken and unbelieving vessels out to preach His gospel, so that when the gospel was spread about, HE would get all the glory. He confirmed His message in them particularly and fulfilled this scripture before the eyes of the world. It was necessary that Christianity was to spread far and wide quickly so that it could not be stamped out by persecution; and it was also necessary that it grow organically and not organizationally, so that it could not be wiped out by the Romans or corrupted by the Jews.

So we have proved our point "positively", in that we have shown in context that it was written specifically to the "eleven". Next, I will prove our point "negatively", in that I will show that it could not have been written to the whole church.

So now let us look at this section of verses "negatively". Can it be that this verse is supposed to apply to the "whole church", as in every Christian that ever lived? I believe that it cannot, because the context does not allow that meaning, and because that interpretation would contradict the plain teaching of scriptures elsewhere. If I (according to the opinion of modern “christianity”) am to apply this scripture to my life, then I must ask myself why I am currently
sitting at my home? (and why are you?) I still live and breathe, and I have not been martyred or taken home to heaven, so why am I not physically going forth to every country preaching the gospel to every creature? The acts of “preaching” and “teaching” are used synonymously in most of the Bible. Our primary verse in this study is Mark 16:15 which commands the eleven to “preach the gospel”. The exact parallel verse in Matthew 28:19 commands the eleven to “teach all nations”. So in our context here, preaching and teaching are synonymous. So why would James say, “My brethren, be not many masters (teachers or preachers), knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation” (James 3:1)? It doesn’t make much sense to tell people not to be teachers, if Jesus is contradicting this exhortation by commanding EVERY CHRISTIAN to
“teach all nations”. And, of course, Paul asks in 1 Corinthians the 12th Chapter “Are all… teachers?” The answer is… OF COURSE NOT. We are all (all believers) placed in the body with different and important gifts, to be employed on God's behalf for the edification and the growing of the body. So we must ask. If the Bible commands us in Mark chapter 16 to personally travel and evangelize, then why does the Bible openly encourage some people to stay home and live peaceably and to do good? If this scripture is meant to apply to every Christian, then almost every Christian that has ever lived has failed miserably in fulfilling it. And despite what the charismatics say, I can personally tell you that every “so-called” manifestation of miracles that I have seen from those who claim to be Christians has come from practical religious athiests who have convinced themselves that emotion and manipulation is the fountainhead of the miraculous. And, after all, if this is a universal verse, then all who believe are also to take up serpents and to drink poison (Mark 16:18).

Why, I ask, when the apostles themselves gathered together in Acts the 15th chapter to consider everything that is commanded of those who believe in Christ, do they command this: "That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well."

Why did the Jerusalem council not reaffirm the Great Commission, having specifically considered all that was to be required of Christians? Why are we commanded by Paul and all the other apostles to keep God's commandments, the moral commandments and particularly his Royal commandments (to love God and to love our neighbor) as the fulfillment of our total duty to God? Why is "missionary" evangelism absent from the Decalogue? And why is it not shadowed forth in the Old Testament? In the Old Testament, we do not see God sending Israelites out to evangelize and convert the surrounding heathen, in fact, in most places in the Bible they are encouraged to stay as separate as possible from them. However, we do see in the Old Testament where God sent specific, chosen vessels (whether they be angels or men) to gather His elect together out of the heathenish peoples. God scatters and re-gathers His elect according to His own glorious and supernatural power. He utilizes a very few, very select, very chosen vessels in which to accomplish His tasks.

Modern corporate “Christianity” (whether purposely or not, we shall eventually see) has totally missed what true Christian evangelism is. We are commanded by God to be Christians (to live our lives as Christ commanded). That one act is our fundamental duty. We are commanded to live Christian lives by grace and to work Christian works by faith. This, alone, is our duty to God and to man. Modernist evangelistic “christianity” has become so wrapped up in “preaching
the gospel”, while simultaneously rejecting the pure and true Gospel of Sovereign Grace completely. It is as if they were to say, “We care not what food we feed to the poor and the downtrodden. If it is a poisonous and deadly meal, we care not. But we must give them more of it, or they will never have their hunger satiated”.

So here is the main point:

THE GOSPEL IS NOT FOR UNREGENERATE UNBELIEVERS! IT IS FOR THE CHURCH!

The Gospel exists for this reason: "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son" (Colossians 1:10-13).

The Gospel is for the CONVERSION of the elect, not for the REGENERATION of sinners. Only the power of God through the quickening of the Holy Spirit can regenerate a lost sinner. The Gospel is to convert to Christianity and to right-mindedness those whom the Spirit has already regenerated.

Note that Paul says this in Romans: “So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also” (Romans 1:15).

So Paul says he is ready to preach the Gospel in Rome to "you" that are there. Who is the "you" he is talking to? Let's look: "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 1:7).

Interesting don’t you think?

But, some might argue, just look at verse 16 of that chapter. It says that the Gospel is "it is the power of God unto salvation". This is the principle memory verse of many Gospel salvationists. But read the next half of the verse, where it says "to every one that believeth".

The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes! It does not say that they are saved by the Gospel; it says that the inward work of regeneration is shown forth as salvation through their belief. They were given belief first!

Here is an even greater proof:

"For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." (1 Corinthians 1:17).

Paul specifically states here that gospel does not save (as in eternal salvation/regeneration). The applying by the Holy Spirit of the benefits of the Cross to the elect of God is what saves eternally. Paul does not "baptize" or "quicken" eternally. He preaches the Gospel. Let's look at the next verse: "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18). To those who ARE SAVED, the Gospel is the power of God. It brings about conversion of the mind. Now when we preach, we do not know who is regenerated, and who remains in an unregenerate state. So if we are called to preach, we preach the fullness of the true Gospel to all creatures. But to those who are perishing without grace, the preaching will be foolishness. It will have no eternal effect. But to those which are the elect of God, this same preaching will bring forth out from them the internal work of salvation, which must have previously been wrought by the Holy Spirit in them. The next objection will usually come out of the book of Romans: "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:14-17)

Because of the sometimes confusing structure of this section of scripture, it is often used to preach "gospel salvation". Let's take it really slowly and examine those parts of the verses that can be easily confused. First, the average reader will be unaware of what is referred to when it says "Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?" Let's look: Isaiah 53:1 says: "Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of Jehovah revealed?" And of course this is a good encapsulation of our question. We know that the "arm of Jehovah" is Jesus Christ. So to whom
has Jesus Christ been REVEALED? John speaks of this same section of Isaiah when he says: "so that the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, 'Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?' Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again, 'He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them'” (John 12:38-40). John here tells us that ISAIAH is saying that only those to whom the Lord is revealed, can BELIEVE on Him. So, knowing that scripture does not disagree with scripture - let's look at Romans again. Romans chapter 10 says that hearing is a necessary prerequisite for believing, and we wholeheartedly agree. But how can they hear, so that they can believe? This is the question that this section Romans addresses. So our scriptures say, "How can they hear without a preacher". Which is to say, How can they hear on their own? Don't they need a messenger? The word "preacher" here, means "herald" or "messenger". Every "herald" or "messenger" must be sent. The preacher issue will end up pretty moot, because Paul will tell us in verse 15 that many who have had the Gospel preached unto them do not believe it. This, at last, is the whole point of these scriptures! Paul is saying, how do people hear the gospel? The tension builds… HOW DOES THIS ALL TAKE PLACE?

It is at this point that Paul brings in the story of Isaiah, who proves that God must reveal His Son to those who He has not personally hardened and blinded. He must cause those to see who previously could not see, and He must cause those to hear who could not hear. How does He do that? Well, (Paul says) “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the WORD of God”. We must keep this in mind, because here is where much of the confusion comes in. In verse 15, Paul admits openly that many preachers are sent to preach the Gospel. But there is a problem. In verse 16 he admits that many who hear the Gospel do not believe it. They do not obey what they
hear. So regular "hearing" (through the ears) is not the cause of faith, and it is not what brings about salvation. So Paul asks the question that Isaiah asked... "Who shall believe our report?" Well, I will tell you who will believe it. All those to whom the Arm of the Lord is revealed will certainly hear it and believe it. So, knowing this, we can know that faith comes by hearing. Not the hearing that is mere "listening" through the ear canals. But faith comes by spiritually being allowed to hear the Gospel. How does this happen? It can only happen by the Word of God! But this word "Word" is not speaking of the written word (The Bible) at all. This word "Word" is the Greek word “rhema”, which means - the spoken word, or a direct command So now it all clicks. It all starts to come together. Faith comes by hearing, but we can only hear by the direct command from God. God says to me particularly, "you will hear" and then I hear. When Jesus Christ is revealed to me I will hear Him and believe Him. Now first I must be enabled to hear, so later when a preacher or teacher declares Christ to me, I can hear him preach the Gospel and say, "WOW, I BELIEVE THAT!" Now I can believe in Christ. Now I can receive the gift of faith so that my belief in Christ will not be merely a superficial form of mental ascension, but it will be a saving faith in Christ.

So Paul says:

1) Not everyone can hear.
2) The Lord must be revealed FIRST, before He can be believed upon.
3) Hearing comes from the direct command of God, and that command is not universal, but is particular to whom God will reveal His Son.
4) The Gospel can only be "heard" if God, through His spoken command concerning us particularly, allows us to Hear it.

This is what we have always said. And this is what we teach.

So we do not believe in "Gospel Salvation" or "Gospel Regeneration". We do believe in Holy Spirit Regeneration, and Gospel Conversion. Let us look at another objection. To the Corinthians, Paul says this: "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:1-2).

Some will say that these verses teach that we are saved by the Gospel. But that is not what these verses say at all. We must remember that our Bible has been translated into the English tongue from another language which has differing speech patterns. Paul is dealing in this chapter with those who deny the resurrection of Christ (verse 12). He specifically mentions that those who are saved are those who have believed the gospel "which I preached unto you". There is now another gospel which is being preached, and that gospel denies the resurrection of Christ. Paul says that if we stand fast and firm in HIS Gospel (that of the truth of the resurrection) we are saved. So if we stand in this truth, then we are saved and we have not believed in vain. So this is another verse that cannot be used to prove Gospel salvation. These verses give us a deeper understanding of what the Gospel is for: "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:3-6).

As the Doctrines of Grace openly proclaim, the unregenerate cannot receive the Gospel, nor can they hear it. Only the regenerate mind/heart can hear the Gospel and believe it. We know that the Gospel has been truly, spiritually heard when it is obeyed. The Gospel is a means of CONVERSION, and it was designed to make lost sheep into found sheep. It was never designed to turn goats into sheep, which is impossible. Paul calls the Gospel a "mystery" (Ephesians 6:19), and it accepted by all those who believe in the power and glory of God that "mysteries" must be unveiled to the spirit by the Holy Spirit of God. It is evident that the Gospel has been hard locked away from billions of people who have lived and died on this planet, having never had the Gospel preached unto them. Arminians believe that the Gospel must be preached to "every creature" so that they can stand or fall in judgment based on whether or not they "believed
the gospel". But the Arminian has no explanation as to why God would keep the Gospel from millions and millions of humans, who perished without ever hearing the good news of Christ at all. The Arminian must, then, believe that there are billions in hell who are there because mankind failed to preach the gospel to them. The Arminian is therefore logically to deduce that (since he always assumes he is saved) he personally will be in heaven because of LUCK or CHANCE. He just happened to be born in a time and place where the gospel (or, shall we say, "a" gospel) is preached everywhere all the time. So it is CHANCE + GOSPEL + WORKS + The Work of Christ = SALVATION for the Arminian.

They may deny it, but it is the logical conclusion that can be drawn from what they believe. Now, sadly, many who believe in the Doctrines of Sovereign Grace also have fallen for this same error.
So let me say regarding evangelism that we DO preach the Gospel. But the true Gospel is not what most modernist “christians” think it is. The true Gospel is the Gospel of God’s Sovereignty and His Grace and Mercy towards His sheep. We preach the Gospel, not by pushing a decisionist gospel on the whole world without any consideration of the truth. We preach the Gospel by living live that are set apart and holy unto God. We preach the Gospel by having a right worldview and by rejecting false gospels and false worldly ways. We preach the Gospel by being Christians, and by declaring the truth to those who ask us about the hope that is in us.

Does God have evangelists today? Of course He does.

Is everyone an evangelist? Of course not.

I absolutely believe that the true Gospel should be preached. God knows that there are elect of God out there who have never heard it, and it is the power and means of their conversion and it shows forth their salvation, if indeed they are the saved. Many millions have been converted by the preaching of the Gospel. Many lost sheep are brought back into the fold by means of the Gospel, so preach it we must. But let us examine two very different ways in which evangelism can be viewed:

1) The Sovereign Grace method - which was utilized by the Reformers, the Puritans and the early church in America. This was the evangelism which made parts of the American continent a paradise on earth. Evangelize your family, and submit your own ways unto God. Keep His commandments; be a peculiar people. Separate from the world and all worldliness, and be Holy unto God. Invite ALL to come unto Christ, but make sure the Christ that is lifted up is the real Jesus Christ of the Bible, for He says "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all
men unto me." (John 12:32) Christ draws men unto Himself. Christ saves men, and he saves them before they ever hear the Gospel - as Paul himself can attest from personal experience.

2) The Pharisaical method, which is nowadays called "missionary evangelism". This form is based on the false idea that if WE do not evangelize, men will not be saved. This method denies that God has manifold and wonderful ways to save souls, and does not need men in order to do it. Jesus said this: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than
yourselves." (Matthew 23:15).

God does raise up evangelists and missionaries. There is no doubt that He does. But the true ones (like George Whitefield) will be known by the Gospel that they preach. I challenge you to find more than a handful of missionaries or evangelists who preach the true Gospel in the world today. Instead, hordes of Americanized missionaries preach the devilish gospel of Arminianism,
swarming foreign shores - consuming the people and leading them into error. These lands are not benefited by Christianity, but the churches and ministry boards are benefited greatly by the huge sums of money they can raise by emotionally manipulating fat, dumb American "christians" to fulfill the "great commission" by paying large sums of money (with only a small portion) to be
used to send someone else bastardize the gospel. I say we evangelize best by being Christians, and by learning the true Gospel and by living it every day. We will see what true evangelism is when we live what we say we believe. We will see it in a most powerful way. Then we will see the power of true evangelism. Agrarian friend Franklin Sanders pointed out the great conversion story of Lieutenant-General Ewell during the war for Southern Independence. I include the story here, most ably presented by the Reverend William Jones, a Southern Chaplain from Northern Virginia:

“At a council of war, one night, Jackson had listened very attentively to the views of his subordinates, and asked until the next morning to present his own. As they came away, A. P. Hill laughingly said to Ewell, "Well! I suppose Jackson wants time to pray over it." Having occasion to return to his quarters again a short time after, Ewell found Jackson on his knees and heard his ejaculatory prayers for God's guidance in the perplexing movements then before him. The sturdy veteran Ewell was so deeply impressed by this incident and by Jackson's general religious character, that he said: "If that is religion, I must have it;" and in making a profession of faith not long afterwards he attributed his conviction to the influence of Jackson's piety.”

While this story is often used to illustrate powerful prayer, piety and character – I would like to point out the most obvious (but obviously overlooked) element of the story. Stonewall Jackson was in his tent... by himself! God used this time of supplication and prayer to call one of His children to Himself, and He didn't need a missionary board to do it. Nor was Stonewall found proselytizing on a street-corner or in a feed store. Separatism works, and evangelism is most properly a Christian life lived.

So let us address the real question, and focus on the real answer.

Preaching missionary evangelism is really a dodge for the incorporated church system. When someone throws up missionary evangelism as a challenge to Separatism, it is not usually because they themselves evangelize; nor is it because they desire that 99 percent of Christians (or even 5 or 10 percent) engage in evangelism. The last thing most churches and pastors want is everyone in their church heading out to the mission field. What they want is for 99% of the people to pay for corporate or denominational evangelistic efforts – no matter how eternally successful they really are. Missionary evangelism is a cash cow, and it successfully takes the focus away from the real issue. Before we send our “christianity” abroad, we should first examine our Christianity. Most people do not want to examine their own lives to see if there is real fruit borne of their professed faith. When I say that evangelism is primarily “being Christians” I mean that our time and efforts should first be spent in assuring that we are in the faith. Christian, evangelize thyself!
While most Christians refuse to heed the scriptures concerning separation and personal holiness, they concern themselves with obligations that they do not even understand, and seek to obey commands that were not even given to them. It is not that they cannot practice Biblical Christianity, it is that they will not. It is not that most Christians are overwhelmed with a conscience that demands that they evangelize; it is that they are pressed hard and weighed down by a conscience that demands that they be Christians. In order to avoid the latter, they must focus on the former; and since they usually will not “go” themselves, they feel better when they give money to missions, and thus the seared conscience is salved.

Evangelism starts at home. When you are satisfied that you are in full obedience to what is required of you by the Gospel; when you are separated from religious whores and all papists mythologies; when you are certain that your family is evangelized and your house is properly ordered; when your worship aligns with the Word of God; and when your worldview is consistently Biblical throughout; THEN should you concern yourself with missionary evangelism. But you will find that, for the most part, if you have done all these things well, you will have little need to evangelize… because your Christian walk will have alienated and scattered all the goats and wolves, while the sheep (both lost and found) will have been powerfully evangelized by your life and behavior.

I cannot emphasize enough that our earthly success as missionaries and as ambassadors depends upon a right view of both the Sovereignty of God, and the obedience that is required of us in the scriptures. As a last point I want to examine the idea that Christians are supposed to
“leaven” the rest of the world. This is where some true Christians can find areas of conflict, and I pray that all sides of the issue are considered calmly and objectively. I agree with this quote from our friend Franklin Sanders concerning some errors in modern Christian behavior:

“...feckless Evangelicalism... withdraws from confronting the world because underneath it fears that Christianity has no answer. This is what John Milton sneered at as a "fugitive & cloistered virtue" in "Areopagiticus." Therefore we have Chreestyun bookstores, and Chreestyun music and Chreestyun theme parks and Chreestyun radio and I don't know what all else, most of it functioning at the lowest possible aesthetic and intellectual level, utterly indistinguishable from
the world -- oh, the Chreestyun rockstars grab their thigh rather than their crotch, but differ in little else. Whatever happened to Rembrandt? The Christian university? Bach? Shakespeare? Christianity GAVE the world art, music, literature. It all belongs to God, and is impossible without him. The would-be artist that blasphemes God can only do it because he created light and colour. So what is Evangelicalism afraid of today? Can the gates of Hell hold out against Christ's saints and his Church?”

I agree completely and wholeheartedly with these sentiments. No true Christian, living the life of the Christian, believing the Gospel of Christ, obeying His commandments, should shrink from the marketplace of ideas or from the arena of battle with the enemies of Christ. But I question some
apparent presuppositions behind other sentiments voiced in conjunction with this passionate belief. I guess I have to wonder at the different view of the world I must have. I do not see professing “christianity” shrinking into ghettos or hiding in “christian only” forums. I see modern apostate “christianity” shoving their false art, music, literature, politics and worldview down the throat of the world. I see a “christian” king and his party of neo-con fascists parading their hologram of “christianity” before the whole world. With all due respect, I don't see professing “christians” hiding in cellars or slinking down alleys, I see them jamming fish symbols and yellow ribbons on anything that moves. It seems that anything and everything is “christian” today... which may have been part of Franklin's point. Maybe it is true Christianity that he fears is shrinking from the fight. But I cannot agree that true Christian separatism, holiness, sanctity is a huge problem today. I see terms like “hyper-separatism” being bandied about and wielded as a weapon, but against what? It seems that separatism is only good today if it can be used as an argument for worldliness and syncretism. Bad ideas succeed when a false dialectic can be offered to really lazy people. The fascist says, “anyone who is not with us is with the terrorists!” The communist says, “anyone who is not a communist is a fascist!” The statist says, “anyone who rejects us is unpatriotic!” Now, the syncretist can say, “anyone more separated from the world than me, is a hyper-separatist!” This is a dangerous and slipperly slope. Other more reasonable and rational (but I think un-biblical) arguments have been made for syncretism. So let us look at what the Bible has to say about contact between the holy and the unholy:

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean. Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.” (Hag 2:11- 14)

A clean thing can not make the unclean clean. Your presence in Sodom, does not sanctify Sodom (God pulls the clean thing out before destroying Sodom). But the unclean thing CAN make everything that touches it unclean. The Pharisees were seen as avoiding every sinner, tax-collector, Samaritan and leper – so their actions are used as an argument against Separatism. But the Pharisees were not separatists, they were hypocrites. The Pharisees
desired to Lord it over the Lord's people. The Pharisees violated the law at their own whim, they rejected the commandments of God for themselves while they imposed them on everyone else. The Pharisees were NOT separatists, they were hypocritical theocrats. The argument is then made that by proper and diligent engagement, Christians can “leaven” their surroundings and wicked institutions (such as Mother Earth News). I have to strenuously object to this idea. Leaven is rarely used as a positive thing in scripture. Only in one place is leaven used (in parable) to represent the gospel of the Kingdom. This parable can be found in Luke 13 and in Matthew 13: “Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened”.

Now, Kingdom Now Presbyterians and other Dominionists (like Pat Robertson) have used this verse to say that the whole world is going to be leavened by the Gospel. But I think that these folks are missing the message here (along with the whole theme of Prophecy). Let's examine some facts:

1. The leaven is the Kingdom of Heaven (Jesus said, "My Kingdom is not of this world")
2. The whole loaf is leavened by it.
3. The leaven is “hid”.

Examining Christ's other parables and the context of this very chapter, we know that these loaves are wheat loaves. It is wheat that is harvested by the angels in order to be the Kingdom (Matt. 3:12, 13:29-30). This very chapter explains to us that the tares are to be snatched up from the Lord's field and burned, the wheat is to be taken to the purging floor where every bit of chaff is removed and destroyed by fire, THEN is the wheat to be taken to the garner and used to make loaves. So the loaves here are wheat loaves. The wheat is Christians and only Christians. The Gospel of the Kingdom (as we have explained) leavens the elect and converts them to the Kingdom. The whole loaf (of wheat) is then leavened! We should be careful in using the Lord's parables in ways other than the way in which He used them. We Christians are not to pluck up the tares, and neither are we to go with them to the fire. We are to be gathered to the purging floor, and eventually to the Lord's garner to be made into His loaves.

Now let us look at the direct commandment of Separatism:

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

It is not Mother Earth News that is going to be leavened by proper Biblical action, it is the elect of God who are evangelized when we are truly Christians. We are to represent our Lord, “For such an high priest became us, [who is] holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26). I am not saying that we do not engage the world, or that we do not represent Christ or battle for the supremacy of Christian ideas – far from it. I am saying that we don't live among them, we don't slave in their factories or feed their machines. We should work towards total dependence on God, and stop depending on His enemies. We should stop trying to train goats to act like sheep, and start feeding the sheep – or better yet, stay in the sheepfold, look to the Good Shepherd and eat good grass. The last objection against Separatism generally comes from Jude, verse 19: “These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit”. Of course this weapon is generally used by those who do not know how to rightly handle God's Word:

Matthew Henry rightly identifies these ignorant men as sensualists: “He guards them against seducers by a further description of their odious character: These are those who separate, etc., Jud_1:19. Observe, (1.) Sensualists are the worst separatists. They separate themselves from God, and Christ, and his church, to the devil, the world, and the flesh, by their ungodly courses and vicious practices; and this is a great deal worse than separation from any particular branch of the visible church on account of opinions or modes and circumstances of external government or worship, though many can patiently bear with the former, while they are plentifully and almost perpetually railing at the latter, as if no sin were damnable but what they are pleased to call schism.”

The great commentator John Gill also rightly identifies this false separatism:

“ Jud 1:19 - These be they who separate themselves,.... Not from sinners openly profane; such a separation is commendable, being according to the will and word of God, to the mind and practice of Christ, and which tends to the good of men, and to the glory of God; but from the saints and people of God; it is possible that a child of God may for a time leave the fellowship of the saints, but an entire and total forsaking of them, and of assembling with them, looks with an ill aspect; nor did they separate themselves from superstition and will worship, and every false way of worship, which would have been right, but from the pure worship, ordinances, and discipline of God's house, by a perversion of them, and as being above them, or unwilling to be under any notice and government; not from errors and heresies, and persons that held them, with these they herded; but from the pure doctrines of the Gospel, and ministers of the word”.

Most specifically we should note that these separatists are those who are “mockers... who should walk after their own ungodly lusts”, which can hardly be said of true Biblical separatists. So, my purpose in this letter is to identify proper Separatism, defend it Biblically, and to make sure that good men don't ignorantly slander a commandment of God while earnestly trying to do good towards God's children and His Kingdom. I have not yet tied Biblical Separatism to Biblical Agrarianism, but I will soon if the Lord allows.

I remain your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker

Separatism as a Fundamental Principle, 1A

Separatism as a Fundamental Principle of Christian Agrarianism, Part 1 - A
Posted by Michael Bunker
editor@biblicalagrarianism.com

(This first article is long and will be divided into several "parts" for this blog)

In this first article I hope to explain some specifics of Christian Separatism, and to clarify some errors in thinking made by many good men and women who struggle with the concept of Separatism. First let's begin with a Biblical defense of the concept of separatism as it is opposed to the worldly view of syncretism or conformity.

At the outset we should state that the word “separate” is one with the word “holy”. Holiness is separate-ness. “Holy” means “special, set aside for a specific purpose”. In the Old Testament, the English word “separate” is used 24 times, almost unanimously with this connotation of a person, place, or thing being separated unto God for His own divine purposes. The word is used 8 times in the New Testament (and we will examine these) including the command of Separatism found in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. Only one time in the NT is “separate” used as a negative chastisement (Jude 19), and the context of that verse clearly explains just who these people were, what they separated from, and exactly what was their specific error. Christian authors
and commentators within God's true Church have always gone to great pains not to slander true Christian separatism by wrongly applying Jude 19. We will examine that verse later.

Separatism for God's people is a principle element and underlying truth found throughout all of Scripture and all of Prophecy. It exists in virtually every spiritual type and shadow given to us in the Bible.

God’s people shall dwell ALONE:

“The eternal God [is thy] refuge, and underneath [are] the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy [them]. Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob [shall be] upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew. Happy [art] thou, O Israel: who [is] like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who [is] the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places” (Deuteronomy 33:27-29)

Most people remember that the curse of Balaam against God’s people was turned into a blessing by God, but most people do not know - exactly what was the blessing that God conferred to Israel via Balaam? What was that blessing anyway?

“How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, [whom] the LORD hath not defied? For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations” (Numbers 23:8-9)

Please take some time and study and pray over this fact. While it was the purpose of Balak to curse God's people, the very specific blessing conferred upon Israel was that they should dwell alone and not be reckoned among the nations. The word “reckoned” is the Hebrew word chashab which literally means to “plait”, “braid” or “interpenetrate”. God blessed Israel through Balaam by promising them that they would dwell separately, and would not be intermixed with the world around them. We can determine, then, that the curse sought by Balak is that Israel would be “braided” into the surrounding culture.

The Divine purpose of Separation was unveiled beginning with Noah and Abraham. Also notice that separatism is always a corollary (or maybe a result) of finding grace with God. Noah was set apart when he found grace in the sight of God: “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8).

Subsequent to receiving grace, Noah was ordered to be separate: “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth” (Genesis 6:13). “But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee” (Genesis 6:18).

Abraham found grace with God. He dwelt alone and was separate:

1. Get thee out of thy country, etc.
2. I will MAKE OF THEE a great nation
3. “So Abraham departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him”

Isaac and Jacob dwelt alone… they were separate.

Joseph was separated for the fulfilling of God’s purpose, he was the progenitor of those who were forced into Egypt: “The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my
progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren” (Gen. 49:26).

The repeated cycle of Israel being separated unto God (and being blessed thereby) is inevitably followed by their apostasy as they slowly return to their old ways of conformity and syncretism with the world. Throughout this series of cycles, we are introduced to different forces, spirits or personalities – some who encourage Israel to greater separatism and holiness (God's true
prophets), and others who encourage Israel to greater conformity with the world around them (the world's prophets).

So just where do the prophets of conformity get their doctrines?

There are several different individuals or groups who (either purposefully or ignorantly) defend the concept of Christians remaining intermixed with the world. Some of these people are honestly deceived; some are generally right thinking but erroneously use the lexicon and illustrations from others who are deceived; and still others are prophets sent from the enemy (though they are allowed and given space for a time by God for His purposes) to deceive those who God would not have hear, and thus obey, the truth. I will not judge the motives of any particular person or group, I will only examine their arguments to see if any of them stand up to scrutiny.

Jesus Christ's High Priestly prayer, and “in the world, but not of it”

I should say here that much of what follows has been edited, rewritten or adapted from other articles I have written previously on the subject. All of this is from my unpublished book “The Process Driven Life”...

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty

God’s commanded will is that His people come out from among THEM and be separate. Specifically we will be known (outwardly to the rest of the world) as His sons and daughters if the Holy Spirit brings us out from among the wicked.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven

Confusion is caused in many discussions like these because assumptions are made that should not be made. When people use the word “Christian” they often mean radically different things. There are only two ways given in scripture to know who is a Christian:

1. Their Doctrine (John 7:17, Acts 2:42, Rom. 6:17, 16:17)
2. Their Fruit (Matthew 7:16, 20, 13:23, and many other parallel verses)

It should be assumed that not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a Christian. We will know the true Christians because they will be caused by the Spirit of God to be obedient to His declared will. Those that do the declared will of the Father in heaven are the ones who enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 7:21). Jesus said in the fifth chapter of John’s gospel that he never said or did anything unless the Father in heaven said it or did it. When Jesus commanded His children to come out from among them, then, it was because it is the declared will of the Father that all of His children will come out and be separate. This fact is also declared throughout the types and shadows in the Old Testament – which were given for our edification and for our instruction. Some of these points we have mentioned earlier, but let us review:

God’s Church (in Abraham) was commanded to get out of the former country and to go unto a land that God would show unto him… to live separate from his old kindred.

God’s Church was caused to come out from among the Egyptians and from their bondage.

God’s Church was commanded to dwell alone in the land and to not go to the world for assistance or protection.

God’s Church was commanded to go out from the wicked, and unto Christ without the camp, bearing His reproach.

God’s Church was commanded and caused to go out from Canaan before Jerusalem was destroyed.

God’s Church was caused to go out from Rome so that Rome could be judged.

God's Church was caused to flee from and separate from the established but apostate state churches of Rome and then of England.

God’s Church was caused to flee persecution in Europe and to flee to the desert where she was to dwell alone.

It is sad that the modernist “christian” system has succumbed to a religion of catchphrases and mantras, rather than a belief system based solely on the revealed and commanded Word of God. What follows is a conversation between myself (the Editor) and a man we will call Religious Worldling. The actual conversation is not fictional at all but is the conglomeration of many
conversations I have had with pastors and preachers around the world who reject the Bible’s teaching on Separatism:

Mr. RW: I have read some of your writings on Christian Separatism, and I fear you are doing your readers a great disservice and are leading them into error on this point.

Editor: Well, I certainly would not want to lead anyone into error. Maybe you can help me then? I am always willing to be corrected by the contextual teaching of scripture. Where have you found me to be in error?

Mr. RW: Christian Separatism is not Biblical. The Bible teaches that Christians are to be “in the world, but not of it”. Teaching Christians to not be in the world is teaching them to violate the scripture. Extremism is the fountain of all error. There are two great errors that Christians have to avoid: Separatism on the one hand, and Syncretism on the other. Christians are not to be separate, but neither are we to be worldly. The truth lies somewhere in between.

Editor: I think I understand what you are saying. Could you show me where in the scripture you have found these exact words… to “be in the world, but not of it”? I would appreciate it if you would assist my feeble memory, but I have in front of me the King James Bible and would like to be able to read the context of that verse.

Mr. RW: Sure. I just taught a series on this at our Church. You can find those words in John the 17th Chapter, verses 14-16.

Editor: Actually, I cannot find those words in the Gospel of John, or in any other book of the Bible. The exact phrase “in the world, but not of it” is not in the Bible at all. That exact phrase is actually a Sufi Muslim saying that was picked up by the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. Anyone who is interested can do an internet search on the exact phrase and you will find that what I am saying is true. The one place you will not find that exact phrase, is in the Holy Bible.

Mr. RW: Ok, I understand what you are doing. Sure, the exact phrase is not in the Bible, but the teaching is right there in the 17th Chapter of John.

Editor: I will agree that the twisted version of worldliness being taught today has been violently wrenched out of the High Priestly prayer of Jesus in the 17th Chapter of John; but I will not agree for a second that Jesus is teaching (contrary to the teaching of the whole Bible) that Christians are to compromise between Separatism and Syncretism by rejecting Separatism and only partly embracing Syncretism. These words are mutually exclusive. The Bible teaches Separatism for God’s true Church from beginning to end, and only by rejecting thousands of
other scriptures, both literally and in type, can one come to the conclusions that you have come to. Let us look at the context and teaching of the prayer of Jesus in the 17th Chapter of John and see if your Sufi saying holds water:

“I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:14-17).

First we must understand the word “world” in each context that it is used. The word “world” is translated from the Greek word “Kosmos”, and can have several different meanings, depending on the context in which it is used. I will quote here from the teaching of the great writer and teacher A.W. Pink on the different meanings of the word “world” in the scripture, and I ask you to investigate each meaning in context. You will find Mr. Pink is correct in each case:

"Kosmos" is used of the Universe as a whole: Acts 17: 24 - "God that made the world and all things therein seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth."

"Kosmos" is used of the earth: John 13:1; Eph. 1:4, etc., etc.- "When Jesus knew that his hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own which were in the world He loved them unto the end." "Depart out of this world" signifies, leave
this earth. "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world." This expression signifies, before the earth was founded—compare Job 38:4 etc.

"Kosmos" is used of the world-system: John 12:31 etc. - "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the Prince of this world be cast out"— compare Matt. 4:8 and I John 5:19, R. V.

"Kosmos" is used of the whole human race: Rom. 3: 19, etc.—"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."

"Kosmos" is used of humanity minus believers: John 15:18; Rom. 3:6 "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you." Believers do not "hate" Christ, so that "the world" here must signify the world of unbelievers in contrast from believers who love Christ. "God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world." Here is another passage where "the world" cannot mean "you, me, and everybody," for believers will not be "judged" by God, see John 5:24. So that here, too, it must be the world of unbelievers which is in view.

"Kosmos" is used of Gentiles in contrast from Jews: Rom. 11:12 etc. "Now if the fall of them (Israel) be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them (Israel) the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their (Israel’s) fulness." Note how the first clause in italics is defined by the latter clause placed in italics. Here, again, "the world" cannot signify all humanity for it excludes Israel!

"Kosmos" is used of believers only: John 1:29; 3:16, 17; 6:33; 12;47; I Cor. 4:9; 2 Cor. 5:19. We leave our readers to turn to these passages, asking them to note, carefully, exactly what is said and predicated of "the world" in each place. (A.W. Pink – The Meaning of Kosmos in John
3:16).

The term “kosmos” or “world” as it is used in the verses you have quoted from the 17th Chapter of John, ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT mean “the world culture” (which in every other place we are commanded to leave and flee), but it means “the universe as a whole”, or “the earth”. You will find this to be true because it is used that way in this very chapter, before and after the verses you have quoted. In verse 11, we find Jesus praying to the Father and instructing the disciples that He is going to leave the EARTH (17:4) and go to HEAVEN:

“And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are” (John 17:11).

Jesus specifically states that He is going to leave the world (the earth), but that His disciples will be left behind on the earth, as He is going to the Holy Father.

In verse 24, we find Jesus praying to the Father that the ones given to Jesus by the Father will one day be with Him where He is going (so we see that this word 'world' is about location and not culture or society):

“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24).

So we see that the word “world” in this chapter can absolutely NOT mean “the world culture” or “the unsaved world”, but it means “the created universe”, or, “the earth”. God has not chosen to take us off the planet and to Heaven while we are alive, but has chosen to leave us in His created universe for His glory; both for evangelism purposes (examined later), and so that we will stand as a divine rebuke to the world. The very same chapter teaches that:

1.) Jesus does not pray for the unsaved and wicked world (John 17:9).

2.) Jesus only prays for and loves the ones who either believe on Him now, or who will be caused to believe on Him through the teaching of the disciples, which is inclusive of the total sum of
those who are given to Christ by the Father (John 17:20, 17:6).

Jesus not only does not specifically teach us to be “in the world” as in the culture of the world; but He specifically teaches us the exact opposite:

1.) He teaches that we are not of the world (the world culture), just as He was not of the world culture, but lived separately from the world culture (John 17:14).

2.) He prays that the Father will sanctify (separate and purify) us from the world system (17:16-17)

3.) He prays that since He is leaving the created world, that the Father will protect and keep unified and separated from the world those whom the Father has given Him.

4.) He claims that while He was with His disciples in the created world, He protected them and separated them from the world systems (John 17:12).

5.) He promises that the world HATES His children, because they are not a part of the world culture (John 17:14).

Now you, and preachers like you, are teaching a compromise between Separatism (coming out and being separate from the world) and Syncretism (fully embracing the world system), but there can be no compromise between these two systems. The Bible teaches Separatism throughout, and ANY step at all in the direction of embracing the world culture is Syncretism and is an error. You cannot be halfway between these two teachings, by their very definitions.

Mr. RW: I can see why people are convinced by you, but our own experience and understanding of how the world works requires that Christians, in order to evangelize the world, be in the world.

Editor: I am not here to convince anyone. Declaring the truth will convince those who God chooses to know the truth; while it will cause the world to hate us, even as Christ has said. Now once again you confuse terms, while the very conversation we are having refutes your argument. Here I sit before you as a Separatist (which you yourself claim that I am). I am in the created universe, existing on this planet (which is what John 17 claims), yet I desire more than anything to be, and am continuously being, separated from the world culture into Christian Community. You admit this is true of me by calling me a Separatist. Yet, here I am before you evangelizing you. I am declaring the truth of the Bible to you; and this is the very heart of evangelism. I
do not have to embrace and live in the world’s culture, the world’s cities, nor do I need to partake of the world’s dainties in order to evangelize. My LIFE is evangelism, and yet I am a Separatist. Merely separating from the worldly religious ilk is evangelism because the truth is manifest by Christians walking in the LIGHT of scripture. The LIGHT is the light of men. LIGHT is contrasted with darkness. Light which is mixed up with darkness loses it’s attribute of light-ness. Light is the most effective when it is gathered together in strength, where it stands as a rebuke to darkness. What you have taught is NOT what the Bible teaches, and pithy catchphrases cannot refute the entire teaching of God’s Word on the subject. You can rest assured that the Bible is a Separatist book. The very word “Holy” means SEPARATE, so the very front cover of my Bible declares "SEPARATE BIBLE" on it. There can be no holiness without separatism. There is only Separatism or Syncretism. One is true and one is false.

RW: I cannot agree with you. Experience denies it. The whole history of the Church is one of growing outward into the world evangelistically.

Editor: Respectfully, there you are wrong once again, and it seems you have now coupled ignorance of scripture with a profound ignorance of history. The History of the true Church is a history of Separatism.

Christ separated out His apostles from among men. They were to leave their jobs and lives and be dedicated to Him alone. Those who Christ evangelized were of two sorts… Christ saw a great multitude following Him and separated them by giving commandment that they should “depart to the other side” (Matthew 8:18). Some refused to follow and made excuses because they had pressing business in the world (even after claiming that they would follow Him “withersoever”
He went!) Only His chosen disciples followed Him. This is separation. Out of the “great multitude” only His disciples followed Him.

God calls His true Church to separate and to live in community. It is their own fear and slavish wickedness that calls them back into the world before long. Remember that the same separated disciples (who Christ pulled out of the world) chose to return to their employments after the
death of Christ (John 21:3). Christ went and retrieved them to His work. We see in history the pattern of God separating the Church, followed by a time of apostasy creeping in that causes them to join once again to the world.

When 3,000 believed during the day of Pentecost, they immediately separated from their old lives, sold their properties and began to live in community with the Christians in Jerusalem. When persecution began after the stoning of Stephen, the Christians separated from Jerusalem
into Christian communities abroad. Christians eventually drifted back into Jerusalem and back into a life of Syncretism, but when the Romans began to surround Jerusalem, the Christians separated completely into a Christian community in Pella and the Decapolis. Once again Syncretism set in, and once again God brought persecution and death to the Church through the hand of the Caesars to separate out the real Christians from the mere professors. Christians again separated into Christian communities in the countryside and in the caves and catacombs. Those who were never a part of the Roman system (the Waldenses and others) lived separately in the Alps of Switzerland, France, and Italy and kept the apostolic belief system pure and untainted by the errors of Rome. Later, true Christians who had been enslaved by Rome were caused to flee syncretism with her and to separate from the Apostate Church during the Reformation. After the decrees of Conformity, Christians once again fled syncretism and separated into Puritan Christian communities. So, history teaches that Separatism is the work of God, and that Syncretism is the work of the devil. There IS NO MIDDLE GROUND.

RW: I see that there is no reasoning with you, so I will leave you alone in your error.

Editor: I will be taught from the Bible, but if it is your reasoning alone that you require that I worship, I will of course refuse.

Obedience requires that we heed the commandments of God. Separation is not an option for God’s elect… it is a commandment. As the scriptures say, “come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord”. Fear of freedom prevents most who believe that they are the called of God from ever separating from the world. Modernist lies and mantras, some based on Sufi sayings and catchphrases and not on the plain and contextual teaching of Scripture, have overwhelmed the professing “church”. Remember, it is the secular world that has made Separatism into a foul word, and they have done it for the same reason that Jesus said that they cannot love Him or His children. They hate separatism because they love death (Prov. 8:36) and they despise wisdom (Prov. 1:7). The world needs Christians to bow to it, but Christians definitely do not need the world. If we do not follow Christ in His commandment that we separate ourselves and live in loving Christian community, it is because we still love the world and because we are afraid of freedom. Repentance begins with the gift of believing the truth about ourselves; however, people do not obey because they lack faith. But Christ is the fountainhead of faith. All who truly desire to grow into maturity and perfection in Christ should pray as the disciples did, “Lord, increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). All others are mere professors, and they are known NOT by their words, but by their deeds.

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

(continued in Part 1-B)