Get your own Free Home Page. By Cliff Adams (published with permission of the author)
Spiritually, I grew up faithful to a church, but did not have a relationship with Christ. I was a decent kid but inside I was lost and desired more. I eventually found depression and, with no direction, was lost from the church to the world. While lost to the world, I studied different religions and philosophies but nothing seemed absolute. I even began to develop my own philosophy.
Today I find the Holy Ghost alive and active and, when I look back at the confusing jungle I passed through, I see the trail very clearly. God always had a purpose and plan for my life. (1) Now that I know Him, I have but one reason for being, and that is to serve Him.(2) God has brought people and events into my life to make me feel and think the way I do. He put me back into the Bible with open eyes and an open heart. I see the destructive path we are on as a people, a nation, a world. (3) Governments and corporations are forming "think-tanks" of brilliant minds all over the world to figure out what to do with problems of poverty, religion, government, economics, technology, pollution, etc.
It appears the world is looking everywhere for answers but none of the solutions that are coming up work. Why? We are not looking in the right direction.(4) Then where do we look?
As in all areas of our lives, we should seek first what is right with God. (5) God has a perfect plan for our lives. (6) If we follow His plan, we will have heaven on Earth, (7) but from the first men, we have erred. (8) We choose to follow after our own lusts and wants and to congregate with others that share our views. (9)
We often hear Biblical passages, such as Romans 13, that remind us to obey the laws of man and to respect our government and appointed officials. (10) I too agree we must obey the law. But we have overlooked a monumental Biblical passage: I Samuel 8. The Israelites had no ruler except a prophet of God (Samuel), but as their fears arose, their faith dropped. They desired to have a king to rule them: "Give us a king to judge us." This request disappointed Samuel, but God said, "... they have not rejected thee (Samuel), but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them." God grants their wish but warns them first.
"...This will be the manner of the King that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots .. .and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war ... And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks ... and he will take your vineyards, and your olive yards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants ... And he will take your menservants ... and your goodliest young men ... and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep; and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; (11) And the Lord will not hear you in that day."
Even after this warning, the response was, "That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles."
Today, we continue on this path, being ruled by man and not by God. This is the reason for our societal woes, definitely not heaven on earth. What can we do to fix the problem? Where do we begin? First, God must be reinstated as our ruler. (12) Second, as our ruler He will lead, but we must follow. (13) We must stop being led by men and be led by God. (14)
Politically, this change can come by our vote. Who do we vote for? We each must seek God's guidance. We must seek freedom from our current bondage.
Libertarianism is a means for Christians and others to gain the freedom we need to live our lives as God has planned. Christ tells us to pray that life on earth be as it is in heaven. (15) Currently, this is not happening because our society is not living according to God's plan As long as we are seeking another source, God will allow us to do so. (16) But when we seek Him and follow Him, He will provide for us and guide us.(17)
Peter, and apostle of Jesus Christ, says, whoever overcomes us, we are in bondage to. (18) Are we as a people, a nation, a world, not in bondage to the U.S. Government? (19) The response is an astounding yes, we are. (Boldface mine) As a people we rely on the government to provide for the poor, take care of the sick, help us between jobs, care for the elderly. As a nation, we rely on the government to educate our children, establish our moral codes, guide our behavior, maintain our economic standards and economic balance, give us rights. As a world we rely on the U.S. government to maintain peace, purchase products, push its influence on others. So in what way do we rely on God? For spiritual guidance only? God says put all trust in him and no faith in man. (20) The greatest commandment of all is: God is God and we shall serve no other. (21)
We may be comfortable with the path we are on. Our comfort does not mean it is the correct path. We may feel we pay taxes and out of that the poor are provided for, our Christian duty fulfilled. But God says give with a cheerful heart. (22) Do we pay taxes with a cheerful heart? God says giving without charity benefits us nothing. (23) Is money the only means to provide for the poor? Money cannot fix anything permanently? (24)
Christ taught the kingdom of God is at hand. (25) He said pray for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. (26) Did He mean when we die everything will turn out fine? No, he is telling us we can have heaven on earth also. He even tells us how to make this happen. But as long as we are in bondage, we cannot live liberated as Christ teaches. (27) If we are in bondage to the government, to money, to work, to lusts, etc., we cannot be free. (28) We must learn to use money without being in bondage to it. (29) We must work without being in bondage to work. How do we do this? By man nothing is possible but with God all things are possible. (30) Seek ye first the kingdom of God and God will guide your path. (31)
We must remember that God has chosen a path for each of us. (32) Even though we should have a common goal, the paths differ. This is why each of us should seek God for guidance and cannot judge each other. (33) Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ, said, shall I be judged by another man's conscience? (34) We also cannot force anyone to do what is right. (35) Nonviolence is the only means of change. Christ never promoted the use of arms to gain rule. He said he who lives by the sword dies by the sword. (36) And when the apostles James and John asked if they should order fire from heaven to destroy the unwelcoming Samaritan village, Christ tells them they know not what spirit they are of. (37) We must put our trust in God and know His will shall be done. (38)
I promote libertarianism for the freedom from bondage for the body of Christ and all other people.
(1)Genesis 45:5-8, Matthew 25:34, Acts 17:26, Romans 8:28-30, II Timothy 1:9
(2)Proverbs 4:23, Ecclesiastes 12:13, Matthew 10:27, Luke 8:16, John 4:34-35
(3)Numbers 14:11, 22-24; Deuteronomy 25:16, Romans 8:5-6, Revelation 17:18
(4)Deuteronomy 30:17-18; Psalms 9:20, 59:13, 83:16, 18; Acts 5:38
(5)Deuteronomy 4:29, Matthew 7:8
(6)II Samuel 22:31, James 1:13-14
(7)Matthew 6:10, Luke 11:2
(8)Genesis 2:16-17, 3:6; Numbers 14:11, 22-24; Deuteronomy 30:17-18, I Samuel 13:9,13
(9)II Timothy 4:3-4, James 4:1-3; I Peter 1:14-15, 4:2-4; II Peter 3:3-4
(10)I Timothy 2:1-2
(11)Deuteronomy 17:14
(12)Jeremiah 29:10-14, Ezekiel 33:11, Matthew 6:24, John 15:5
(13)Deuteronomy 4:29-31
(14)Psalms 119:134, Isaiah 55:7; Matthew 15:13-14, 16:23; Acts 5:29
(15)Matthew 6:10, Luke 11:2
(16)John 10:18, I Peter 2:16
(17)Amos 5:14, Matthew 6:25-32, I Corinthians 10:13
(18)Genesis 14:23, 47; Exodus 5:6-9, II Peter 2:19
(19)Proverbs 14:34, Luke 16:13, I Timothy 2:1-2, James 4:4
(20)Psalms 18:3, 118:8-9; Proverbs 3:5, Mark 10:17-24
(21)Matthew 22:36-38, Mark 12: 28-30
(22)II Corinthians 9:7
(23)I Corinthians 13:1-3, 13; I John 4:7-8
(24)Matthew 6:19-21, I Timothy 6:10, James 5:1-3
(25)Matthew 10:7, Mark 1:15, Luke 17:20-21
(26)Matthew 6:10, 7:21, 26:39,42; Mark 14:36, Luke 11:2
(27)John 8:32, Romans 8:2, II Corinthians 3:17, Galatians 5:1
(28)Proverbs 14:31; Matthew 17:24-27, 19:21-22; Galatians 5:13-14, II Peter 2:19
(29)Mark 10:24
(30)Matthew 19:25-26, Mark 10:27
(31)Matthew 6:33
(32)Matthew 26:7-10, John 21:22, James 4:11-12
(33)Proverbs 29:26, Ecclesiastes 5:8, Matthew 7:1, Luke 6:37, John 8:15, I Corinthians 4:3-5
(34)I Corinthians 6:12, 10:23; Colossians 2:16
(35)II Samuel 21:2, Ezekiel 34:4, Acts 22:3-4, Romans 10:2-3, I Corinthians 10:23
(36)Psalms 68:30, 120:6-7; Matthew 26:52, James 4:1-2
(37)Luke 9:54-56
(38)Hebrews 11
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