To Lead Together - For Good or Bad?

Can humor be used inappropriately while discussing serious Christian issues? Probably. In fact, the following two thoughts that came to my mind just after I read only the provocative title of Mike Ratliff's new post, What is the Synagogue of Satan? might be deemed by some as inappropriate.

So be it.

I am being truthful when I say that the following thoughts, rightly or wrongly, came to my mind:

In answer to just the title of the post, my first thought was - The NObama Administration?

My second thought was - Nancy Pelosi's district which includes those "sisters (homosexual men dressed as clown-like-looking nuns) of perpetual indulgence?" Recall their stampedes into the Catholic church in San Fransicko - denigrating parishioners and throwing stuff in the air. If I recall correctly, they even grabbed a goblet of the Eucharist, and threw and trampled on them with their feet.

But neither of these would be considered as actual "synagogues of Satan"...would they? Even though Mr. Ratliff's essays tells us:

It (synagogue of Satan) literally means, “to lead together.” This word is used to describe the assembling of people into a gathering or congregation. It is not used to imply the natural unity of the people, but a community established in a special way and for a special object.

In light of this explanation, perhaps labeling such "gatherings" as the tax-evading, pro-death-to-babies in the womb, pro-radical homosexual agenda, pro-Islamic terrorist releasing, corruption filled NObama administration; and the San Fransicko nun mockers as being involved with "the spirit of Antichrist" is more in line with Scripture. Would that be a more accurate thing to claim? What do you think?

Back to Pelosi.

Last night on The O'Reilly factor, one of the show's producers confronted Nancy Pelosi and asked questions about her meeting with the Pope. He asked, "you discussed abortion with the Pontiff, right?" For the first time in my adult life, I heard the words "pro-life" uttered from the mouth of Pelosi! I was shocked. Of course, she was pointing out the Pope's position on the issue...not her own. Then she quickly changed the subject and said that they "talked about a lot of other topics; including poverty, health care, her family"...blah blah blah.

I guess when it comes to discussing the Pope's position on abortion, she wouldn't DARE personally call him "anti-abortion."

Yet, she, and the Media of Mass Deception almost relentlessly labels pro-life people as "anti-abortion."

The Lamestream media just cannot possibly stoop so low as to make a positive statement about THOSE PRO-LIFE PEOPLE...right? /sarcasm off

My blogging friend Tamela has written quite the thought-provoking post over at her Tamela's Place blog. She asks the question:

Who Will Proclaim God's Righteousness?

Please take the time to read the entire post. Great comments, too. For now, I'd like to point out just part of what was written on the subject of abortion:

Excerpt:

Larry and I have had some recent dialogue about the efforts of President Obama rescinding the right of Doctors and Nurses to refuse to perform abortions because of their personal and religious beliefs and it's being disguised as Stimulus by the Obama crew in DC. This is an abomination or should I say an obamanation!

Tamela goes on and writes:

Those who are reading this that claim to be a Christian and stand for the righteousness of God I submit to you another question: "Did you vote for Obama"? If so, I ask you WHY? after all did you not know that he was Pro- abortion, Pro-homosexual and Anti God's Word? Why did you throw aside God's Word and vote for this man? Was it because you wanted to be a part of the generation who placed the very first man of color in the White House? Yes, you heard right! I did indeed say a man of color, I did not say black because he is both white and black so that makes him a man of color. Be honest was this what motivated you? If yes, then I ask you, why did you place a man's color before the righteousness of God?

Ouch...Christian supporters of Obama!

However, she is absolutely right! Those who would call themselves by the name of Jesus Christ HAD to have ignored (or not known about...but research on the Internet would have been easy enough) all of what Tamela pointed out in that paragraph and therefore, ended up placing "other things" in life BEFORE the righteousness of God.

The subject of abortion was front and center in many of the comments at Tamela's Place. Here's a copy of mine:

March 4, 2009 11:15 AM
Rate This: 3.2

Christinewjc said...
Well said Tamela! VERY well said! As I stated in a comment to you at my blog, people are finally waking up to the mistake they made voting for Obama.

About the abortion issue. David Kupelian has an excellent article in the Whistleblower magazine. In one part, he mentions that "while abortion remains as legal as ever, fewer and fewer doctors and clinics are willing to perform abortions today."

Note these comments from the article:

"Unless drastic changes are made, American women will lose the right to abortion and the U.S. Supreme Ct. won't be the cause of it...the reason will be that physicians either can't or won't perform this essential service." - Barbara Radford, former director, National Abortion Federation.

"...the availability of abortions is diminishing because fewer doctors are willing to perform the procedure." - The Washington Post.

There are six more comments like these.

Science is on the side of the fact that life begins in the womb. The window into the womb is more clearer than ever - with the new "4D" ultrasound machines. Sidewalk counselors are trained to lead women away from the abortion clinic and to a crisis pregnancy center where they see their baby growing. Nine out of ten decide NOT to abort! This is having a huge impact on both potential abortion clients, as well as physicians who morally don't want to kill babies in the womb.

Isn't it sad to know that the women who do have abortions, are most often quoted as saying, "I killed my baby." The next thing they say is, "get me out of here." However, many often live with the shame, guilt and awful remorse that abortion clinics don't warn them will happen to them for the rest of their lives! This is where Christian counseling can help - tremendously.

Now get this.

Citizenlink had this in one of their latest emails:

Pro-life pastor to be re-sentenced in Oakland case

Walter Hoye awaits a new sentence for sidewalk counseling outside an Oakland abortion clinic. Though the California Superior Court ordered him to stay away from that clinic during his three year probation, he refused to accept those terms, calling it a violation of his constitutional rights.

"Rev. Hoye has a legal right to refuse onerous conditions of probation. Rev. Hoye will not and should not agree to give up his free speech rights," said Allison Aranda, Staff Counsel for the Life Legal Defense Foundation representing Hoye, in a statement after the sentencing.

Attorneys on both sides of the case told Judge Stuart Hing that statutory law prevents him from forcing Hoye to accept the stay away order. Last Thursday, he
had sentenced Hoye to 30 days imprisonment or community service, a $1,130 fine, and a stay away order. Because Hoye rejected this last order, however, he will
receive a new sentence on March 20.

In an email after the sentencing, Hoye quoted from Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from a Birmingham Jail. "One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to
disobey unjust laws," King wrote.

While King's cause was segregation, Hoye's concern is also for African Americans. "Today, a black baby has less than a 50 percent chance of being born alive," Hoye said last week.

"It is absolutely incredible that in America an individual can be sentenced to jail for engaging in peaceful free speech activity on a public sidewalk," Aranda said.

The Obamination admin. knows that they have to prevent sidewalk counseling, and force doctors and nurses to perform abortions. Otherwise, the money making machine of abortion will dry up. Therefore, they are bringing about laws (and lawsuits) to force these issues against the will of We The People.

Awful...isn't it?

Who will sound the alarm bells and wake up other Christians who may not realize what is going on?

Queen Esther in the Old Testament Bible was a brave woman who approached her husband, the king to save the Jewish people in her day. Why can't Christians do the same against Obama?

I'm proud of you, Tamela! Keep up the good fight! And keep those encouraging posts coming...too!

In Christ,
Christine

*******

Back to the "Synagogue of Satan" post.

Mr. Ratliff writes:

What about this “synagogue of Satan?” Who is this?

If you read this post then you know it was non-Christian, religious Jews. They were religious, but they had only man-made faith, not the faith given by God to all who are saved by grace through faith. The Greek word translated as “synagogue” is συναγωγή or sunagōgē. It literally means, “to lead together.” This word is used to describe the assembling of people into a gathering or congregation. It is not used to imply the natural unity of the people, but a community established in a special way and for a special object. When our Lord used the term “Synagogue of Satan” in Revelation 2:9 and Revelation 3:9, he was referring to unbelieving Jews who had not the gift of faith. Only those who have this faith from God are children of Abraham. Those Jews who clung to their works righteousness while rejecting Christ as Lord and Saviour proved they were not of the synagogue of believers, but of Satan because they were in unbelief and hated the truth.

Those in the “synagogue of Satan” were attempting to keep people from entering by the narrow gate. They refused to believe that those who were the true children of Abraham because they had saving faith were justified by that faith alone. We teach that genuine Christians are saved by grace through faith and it is all a gift from God. Our Lord made i[t] clear in John 6 that no one comes to Him unless the Father draws them and the only ones He draws are those chosen by Him (Ephesians 1). The issues for these in the “synagogue of Satan” are that they have rejected grace while insisting on salvation by works of the Law. However, the Law saves no one. The Law is designed only to reveal the lost condition and utter sinfulness of Man. That is all it can do. It can deliver no one. The Law did not justify Abraham. He lived hundreds of years before the Law. He was justified by faith just as we are.

Therefore, when we point out to the emergents and those in the New Evangelism, those in the Church Growth movement, et cetera that all they are doing is filling their local churches with tares because they are neglecting the Word of God and the whole Gospel, we are not saying these things to be mean or disagreeable. No, we point these things out to them because we are told to do this in God’s Word (Jude 1:1-25). We must confront those who preach a false gospel and lead people astray. This is not legalism. This is not an attempt to put others down. This is simply obedience on our part in order that “some” may repent as God opens their eyes to the truth. Unless He does this then no one believes or repents.

Beware the new types of the "synagogue of Satan." It is where rejection of the true Gospel - because of complacency, error, heresy, and apostasy - abound today.


Hat Tips:

Mike Ratliff: What is the Synagogue of Satan?

Tamela's Place