First, I want to say that the statement I am about to make will quite possibly really upset a bunch of folks, and probably cause even some who have supported me in the past to drop me like a hot rock. Unfortunately, telling the truth and exposing a falsehood that has been believed and “cherished” by people for generations can be very uncomfortable, and it can tend to cause an angry response. Although an angry initial response is to be expected, as it was from me, a sincerely honest individual will listen and search out the truth for themselves. As someone once said, “An honest person who discovers he is mistaken, either ceases being mistaken, or ceases being honest.” So here we go.
No man, group of men, society or nation have ever been given unalienable rights by their creator! (Jehovah-Yaweh God) Mankind received only “blessings” from obedience to God! How arrogant we have been as mere humans to proclaim and demand “our” rights while in rebellion against God’s laws! God alone, being the only potentate, ( i.e., sovereign) has the rights we proclaim we have as His “creation”! The creation is completely under the power and authority of the Creator to do with as He pleases! (Rom. 6:21-23, Is. 18:1-10, Rev. 4:11) The pure, righteous and forever settled and established Word of God very clearly tells us that He blesses those people who obey Him and curses those who don’t. (Deut. 28)
We have sadly mistaken our many blessings as rights and falsely assumed that we “deserve” the so called “rights we say are eternally and immutability ours! In Matt. 6:33 we are plainly instructed to put the Kingdom of God first and His righteousness; and all these things (blessings, not rights) shall be added unto you.
For men to proclaim that they have “unalienable” rights is to imply that they are “sovereign”! That is blasphemy! No man, king, kingdom or nation is “sovereign” or exempt from the laws of God! Nowhere in His Word does He declare men have rights.
Mankind all over the world, but none more so than here in America, cry “give me liberty or give me death”! The man who made this famous statement fully realized the only true source of liberty came from (II Cor. 3:17), not from the alleged “unalienable” rights declared in the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights. That is exactly why he would not attend the Constitutional Convention or participate in or endorse the document that falsely claims that men are guaranteed unalienable rights. Liberty only comes by and through obedience to Christ! God alone, as the only potentate-sovereign, is the only Judge, Lawgiver, King and Savior! (Is 33:22). Outside of His will we have no reason to expect anything but what we are witnessing in America today! We cry out to our “government” that we demand our rights, our freedoms and our liberty! How positively ignorant, arrogant and idolatrous! How can we be so “damned” stupid as not to see that we live in the society and under the government we have because we have disobeyed God’s word?! No man, group of men, political party, church organization or earthly power can save us!
Page 2 — Dereliction of Duty
Without total repentance before God Almighty we will continue to be destroyed and perish off the face of the earth! (Luke 13:3, Rev. 2:5, Luke 5:15-18, Is. 60:12)
If you aren’t already offended and angry with me, hang in there — I’m not through yet. Certainly my intentions are not to upset you, but rather to cause you to think, reason and then to finally understand why America and “we the people” are being cast into confusion, chaos and tyranny.
We have mistaken rights that we proclaim are due us, whether civil, human or Constitutional as mandated to us from God! I understand completely! I’ve been there for years! I was ignorant of the truth and clear teachings of God through His Word! God does not grant or guarantee rights to men, He sends multitudes of blessings if we fulfill our duties to Him and our fellow man. Blessings, not rights! Such as liberty, prosperity, peace, security and rest to our souls! We have lost these “fundamental blessings” because we as a nation, and even the church have not fulfilled our duties before Him.
For example, let’s take a look at what is probably the most touted “unalienable” right we hear the most. The second amendment to the Constitution. It says, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed”. Let’s face it, this guaranteed, unalienable, not-to-be-infringed-upon right is the most abused and restricted “right” that we say we have! Obviously, writing it on a piece of paper as part of a contract between men and man’s sphere of authority has not done much to stop the “infringing”.
Now, let’s see what the Word of God says about keeping and bearing arms or weapons if you prefer. I’m not talking about hunting as the reason to bear arms. Let’s look at the duty we have to keep, bear and use weapons when necessary!
No one is more accountable to obeying God’s Word than those who profess to be His people. His blood bought, spirit filled redeemed church (Strong’s Concordance — 1577, Ekklesia — called-out ones). In today’s language, the church. He plainly and clearly instructed His disciples (followers) which we are if we keep His word. In Luke 22:36, “and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one”. (Sword in Strong’s Concordance — 3163 — a knife, i.e. a dirk, sword). (Dirk: Webster’s Dictionary 1828, a kind of dagger) The “sword” referred to in this passage is not the Bible, but a literal weapon of self-protection and protection of others. Now that that is settled, let’s move on.
In I Tim. 5:8 we can read another clearly defined duty, not right, commanded by God to His people. “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel!” Provide, Strong’s Concordance 4306 — consider in advance, look out for beforehand. 1828 Webster’s, “Provide” is to procure supplies or means of defense; to take measures for counteracting or escaping an evil. Clear so far? Let’s continue. “Denied” — Strong’s 720 — to contradict, i.e., disavow, reject, abnegate, deny, refuse. “Infidel” — Strong’s 571 — disbelieving, i.e., without Christian faith, a heathen, untrustworthy person, that believeth not, faithless. A verse very easy to understand if we desire to, but how many “believers” do you see fulfilling this “God ordained” duty, not right?! If we as Christians sincerely meant what we say, we believe in, namely the infallible Word of God, the so called right to keep and bear arms could never have been infringed upon! But because we have not fulfilled our duty to “provide” for our families and others, we are losing the blessing of the ability to protect ourselves. Simple, huh? How many Christians do you know keeping the command to carry a weapon? Also see Ex. 22:2 and Neh. 4.
Page 3 — Derelict in Duty
It would take volumes to expose and explain how we have lost our liberties and other blessings, but we will examine just one more. Ex. 20:13. Thou shalt not kill. (Kill — Strong’s 7523 — to murder) or has as Christ made a little clearer in Matt. 19:18 — “Thou shalt do no murder.”
Now I am certain that all people, especially those that call themselves Christians, will say something like “I would never harm anyone intentionally, much less commit murder”. Well, that in itself is very commendable, but it still has not fulfilled our God-given duty to protect and preserve our fellow man’s lives! “We the people” have tolerated, allowed, condoned, and in some cases, upheld the “right” of women to commit infanticide! I know we call it “abortion” because it “softens” the sound of the crime against children, but it’s still murder, i.e., infanticide! You see the duty not to commit to murder is also a direct command to save and preserve life! Especially of the innocent! Prov. 24:11-12. In essence, we have been a partaker in the death of 60,000,000 children! Our duty to keep and bear arms was given to provide for the protection of all innocent life! We have lost much of our blessings to keep and bear arms because we have not fulfilled our duty before God.
Many will say, preacher, are you advocating taking up arms to stop the murders of innocent children?! My answer is simply this, it is far too late now! January 1973 would have been the time for His people to rise up! We failed miserably! II Kings 24:4 plainly states that it is over for America! Because the church forgot her duty to God we have cursed our nation and our posterity! We are under a tyrannical man-made government because we did not obey His “The Righteous Duty” given to us. We have become soft and effeminate! To cry out against the loss of liberty and freedom and demand our rights is on the verge of blasphemy! Instead we should be on our knees before Him in repentance with a contrite and broken heart! And then get back into the battle! Stand, cry aloud, and proclaim righteous judgment o this damned nation!
As the disciples of Christ preached the gospel of Christ and the believers stood their ground in exposing the evil in their society of all kinds, they were willing to give their lives for the gospel. We, as the people of God, must do the same in our day. We will never regain what we have lost in what we call “our rights”. Let’s stop proclaiming our rights and instead fulfill our God-given duties! We have been guilty of what our Savior said in Matt. 23:24, “we have become blind guides which strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.”
Yes, we have been brought into captivity and bondage for the same reasons Israel was. Dereliction of Duty! Ecc. 12:13-14, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter! Fear God, and keep His commandments; For this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
May the Holy God have mercy on our souls, and give us courage to do our duty while there is still some time left and a “little” light remains! (John 9:4) Read and consider Ps. 2:10-12, Ps. 9:17, Prov. 14:34, Ps. 33:12, Jer. 17:22-31, Ps. 96:4-5, Ezek. 21:1-5, Rev. 13:4-9
2016 Pastor Butch Paugh – All Rights Reserved
