I can count on our Papist Brother to bring things to a head. He considers, as he was taught, that the church that saves is not the church invisible but the church Roman. The infernal reaches of that church — their cardinals and pope — are too enamoured with this world and promote overmuch the ideals of the narrative.
He reminds me to pray for the leaders of my church: but this prayer may be that the convert. Though my congregation believes, the liberals infest the Presbyterian committees as surely as they do the Curia.
Those I wish dead are those whose death would be of great advantage for the cause of Christianity, or even only of sanity. Three SCOTUS justices certainly come to mind (they are allowed to resign first, as far as I am concerned; but I would love to hear the news of their death every day) as does a fat woman living in Berlin. However, of no one I wish death more keenly than of our Ass In Chief, Haereticus Maximus, and outright Evil Clown, Pope Francis. Not out of personal hatred (though I hate and despise the man, no doubt about that), but out of hope that his death would usher in sanity again.
However, I still wish the man salvation. I still pray for him on occasion, and when he angers me most is when I am more keenly reminded to pray for the guy. Because this is what we are: we pray for our enemies, and we wish them repentance and salvation no matter what unspeakable bastards they are.
To pray for the enemies of Christianity – of whom the Evil Clown is nowadays undoubtedly number one – is not in any way a condoning of their acts; it’s a humble reminder to ourselves that our Christian duty does not have a limit of bastard-ness, and extends to everyone.
Everyone has an eternal soul of infinite value; even a despicable, evil man like Francis. And of everyone we should wish that his soul is saved, and spared the torments of hell no matter how big his crimes. Of course, in order to do this this soul would have to convert and become one of us. And if this happens, who would not wish the poor soul the company of God one day?
Fools. Christ is not culture. Christ transcends culture and tribe. Diversity is not our strength. The Spirit of God is. Too many among us care more about signals of virtue than if we have bowed our head to the modern Ba’al, to kiss is arse.
And this should not be.
8He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. 9At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there.
Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10He answered, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”
11He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14He answered, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” 15Then the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. 18Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
19So he set out from there, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, who was plowing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle over him. 20He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” Then Elijah said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?” 21He returned from following him, took the yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them; using the equipment from the oxen, he boiled their flesh, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out and followed Elijah, and became his servant.
1Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. 2Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. 3Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. 4Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
5Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. 6Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.
7We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. 8If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
10Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.”
12So then, each of us will be accountable to God
The trouble we face is that there has been a great falling away. We are dealing with the aftermath: our families are fractured, our society lacks vision, and those who would make things worse have a desperate intensity about them. Most of us consider that there are few left. That there is but a remnant.
But that is not the end. Israel did not cease to exist because of Ahab: it took generations of degeneration, without revival.
But as there has been a falling away, we have to be gentle to those around us. We can expect abuse. We can expect that there will be attempts to divide us. Paul was not writing to a church at peace when he told them not to have disputes about things with no moral danger.
But this I know: Jesus only needed twelve. Our job is to remain faithful.
And it is never time to bow to Ba’al.