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It has been a while since we have commented on Rev. Wade's interminable prose. Lately, he has been mostly occupied with criticizing churches for resisting government edicts impacting their peaceable Sunday assembly. We have decided not to comment on them, since they have been political screeds with little or no reference to biblical principles.
Come to think of it, most of Rev. Wade's presentations are absent biblical principles. This long, pedantic article is no exception. Typically he gives himself biblical cover by quoting a Scripture at the beginning, then wanders off into irrelevancies and a plethora of undocumented assertions as he engages his personal grudge against the "NAR."
Today's post is no exception.
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Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life--is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. -- 1John 2:15-17 (ESV)
https://www.charismanews.com/opinion/81422-pandemic-masks-speak-prophetically-of-attempt-to-silence-christians
Karen Hardin is another NAR operative espousing cultural domination through the church. Dominionism is rapidly becoming the final idol of the church age. They seek to "influence" or conquer seven cultural mountains. (Undocumented assertion.)
Their focus is on a societal salvation instead of saving individual people. (Undocumented assertion.)
All it is however is whitewashing a tomb. This world is passing away as the key verses teach us. The coat of whitewash to NAR desires may make for a more pious sounding world but inside it is still filled with dead mans (sic) bones. A rotting corpse with a fresh new coat of paint does not change the nature of the corpse. Let us reason again once more through the above article. (This is a common phrase from the pen of Rev. Wade. Unfortunately, he seldom manages to achieve reason, as we shall see.)
"There is a transformation taking place around the world. A new awareness and revelation is being revealed in this hour. However, I believe the mandate of masks wearing speaks prophetically of the call to silence what needs to be spoken in this hour. The question we all need to be asking is "What is our role as people of God (the church) in society today?" This is vital." -- Karen Hardin
While there is a transformation occurring around the world it is not this Gnostic mishmash designed to pretend that Hardin is hearing directly from God. The reference to awareness and revelation indicate that she will speak on the Lord's behalf even though she clearly did not hear from Him. (Undocumented assertion.)
This is a common tact (sic) within false teacher/prophet circles and a favorite ruse of the NAR. It is like they have the throne room on speed dial and have lengthy conversations with God over their afternoon lattes. Her allusion to masks being representative of some evil will to silence what must be spoken is a dangerous ploy. (Rev. Wade never explains what is the dangerous ploy.)
Hardin does not care of course. As for her cryptic question, the answer is simple -- preach the Gospel. This answer never changes but in the mind of the NAR dominionist, it changes whenever the cultural winds blow. (Undocumented assertion.)
As people of God we are to represent Christ in whatever our role in the world is, adhering to scripture. (Rev. Wade never cites those Scriptures.)
As we will see, the NAR and Hardin have other plans.
"For years, we have been told that the church isn't to be involved in politics, citing "separation of church and state." However, the term "separation of church and state" is nowhere in our Constitution. That term and false argument is a tool cultivated by the left to silence the church from involvement in governmental affairs." -- Karen Hardin
The argument "it's not in the constitution" is intellectually vapid. (Perhaps, but Rev. Wade will never tell us why. And in fact, Ms. Hardin is correct. The phrase and the concept [as typically presented by the Left] is not found in the Constitution.)
Separation of powers, (Rev. Wade starts to name things that he thinks are not in the Constitution. However, the word "powers" appears 35 times in the Constitution and its amendments.)
the electoral college, (Article II, Section 1 describes the electoral system.)
and judicial review (Finally. Judicial Review was enshrined in a Supreme court case Marbury v. Madison in 1803, well after the Constitution. This is the decision where the court granted to itself the power of judicial review. Most conservatives reject the idea.)
are nowhere in the constitution either but that does not mean they are not a real part of our governance. (What might be "a real part of our governance" is a separate issue from what is contained in the Constitution. Ms. Hardin made a specific claim about a specific phrase. What the Constitution might or might not contain is another issue. In fact, many things in our current government are not authorized by the Constitution. This does not mean they are legitimate.)
You know what else is never mentioned in the Constitution? God. (The author's ignorance mounts up:
...done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven...
...and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity...
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...More to the point, the Constitution is a legal document, created expressly to define government structure and limit its power. It's not about God. It's about government.
It does not grant rights. It is not a religious document. It does nothing more than to explain our system of government.
However, the Declaration is replete with references to God:
the notion that the separation of church and state has been cultivated by the left is asinine. (Rev. Wade deletes a word from Ms. Hardin's comment in order to twist its meaning. She wrote, a tool cultivated by the left. Notice the subtle change. Rev. Wade wants us to think she claimed that the concept was invented by the Left, when she actually said it's a tool the Left has cultivated.)
Its origins go back to the earliest days of the republic when it was first coined as a term by the founder of Rhode Island. (So Rev. Wade dredges up an obscure historical figure.
However, the Declaration is replete with references to God:
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them...
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights...
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions...
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.Just saying. Continuing on with the lesson for people like Hardin, illiterate in American history, (Rev. Wade cannot resist making denigrating comments, ironically after displaying his own illiteracy.)
the notion that the separation of church and state has been cultivated by the left is asinine. (Rev. Wade deletes a word from Ms. Hardin's comment in order to twist its meaning. She wrote, a tool cultivated by the left. Notice the subtle change. Rev. Wade wants us to think she claimed that the concept was invented by the Left, when she actually said it's a tool the Left has cultivated.)
Its origins go back to the earliest days of the republic when it was first coined as a term by the founder of Rhode Island. (So Rev. Wade dredges up an obscure historical figure.
Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams in 1636, who had been banished from the Massachusetts colony for his advocacy of religious tolerance and the separation of church and state.He died in 1683, well before the Founders we even born. We must remember that when he arrived on the scene the Church of England was indistinguishable from the Crown. He was a Puritan, and eventually was kicked out because of his non-puritan views.
Those views included a separation of church and state, in that the state must not meddle in the affairs of the church. Perhaps ironically, this is the exact same thing Jefferson was referring to in his letter to the Danbury Baptists, that government must be kept out of the affairs of the church, thus, the separation of church and state.
Likewise, Williams believed government should not have laws regarding blasphemy or the Sabbath, for example.
Rev. Wade elevates Roger Williams to a founder, implying that he had sway in the formation of the nascent nation, when in fact he was an important local figure active more than a century before the revolution.)
It was also cited by the infamous lefty, Thomas Jefferson, who by the way, rewrote the bible to remove any mention of the deity of Jesus Christ. (The illiteracy of history is Rev. Wade's problem, not Ms. Hardin's. As we mentioned, the phrase is contained in a letter written by Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists, where he assures them that they shall not be encumbered by government. The "separation" actually goes the other direction. Jefferson was telling them that government has no power over the church. This of course is the exact opposite of the position of the Left [and quasi-leftists like Rev. Wade] when quoting this phrase.)
"Over the years, that same false narrative was used to silence us from speaking up in schools through prayer or to allow godly teachers to impart biblical wisdom to our children. The Ten Commandments were removed from both school houses and many government buildings. It was declared inappropriate as the ACLU attacked our freedom of speech and religion with their unconstitutional arguments." -- Karen Hardin
A favorite argument of the NAR dominionist is that God was kicked out of our schools. (Ms. Hardin never says this.)
This is the powerless false god they serve. Beloved, God goes wherever God wants to go, period. (The author creates a Category Error. God is indeed sovereign, but that isn't relevant to the idea that certain institutions in our society have rejected Him and have forbidden by law certain religious activities or speech.)
Realize what Hardin is essentially advocating for here is known as a theocracy. (This is false.
Williams was a staunch advocate of separation of church and state. He was convinced that civil government had no basis for meddling in matters of religious belief. He declared that the state should concern itself only with matters of civil order, not with religious belief...This is a far cry from the separation of church and state as currently embraced by the Left. In fact, it bears absolutely no resemblance.
Rev. Wade elevates Roger Williams to a founder, implying that he had sway in the formation of the nascent nation, when in fact he was an important local figure active more than a century before the revolution.)
It was also cited by the infamous lefty, Thomas Jefferson, who by the way, rewrote the bible to remove any mention of the deity of Jesus Christ. (The illiteracy of history is Rev. Wade's problem, not Ms. Hardin's. As we mentioned, the phrase is contained in a letter written by Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists, where he assures them that they shall not be encumbered by government. The "separation" actually goes the other direction. Jefferson was telling them that government has no power over the church. This of course is the exact opposite of the position of the Left [and quasi-leftists like Rev. Wade] when quoting this phrase.)
"Over the years, that same false narrative was used to silence us from speaking up in schools through prayer or to allow godly teachers to impart biblical wisdom to our children. The Ten Commandments were removed from both school houses and many government buildings. It was declared inappropriate as the ACLU attacked our freedom of speech and religion with their unconstitutional arguments." -- Karen Hardin
A favorite argument of the NAR dominionist is that God was kicked out of our schools. (Ms. Hardin never says this.)
This is the powerless false god they serve. Beloved, God goes wherever God wants to go, period. (The author creates a Category Error. God is indeed sovereign, but that isn't relevant to the idea that certain institutions in our society have rejected Him and have forbidden by law certain religious activities or speech.)
Realize what Hardin is essentially advocating for here is known as a theocracy. (This is false.
We have noticed that the only people who use the word "theocracy" is the Left. They pull it out whenever they need to bludgeon a Christian who wants to embrace his faith in the public square. The great majority of Christians have no interest in theocracy as a political system.
What many Christians do want is to end the average Christian's ambivalence to involving himself in the political arena. A lot of Christians believe that running for office or being on a school board is worldly. They eschew such things in pursuit of being in the world but not of the world.
There is no biblical reason that Christians should not be involved in politics. And their involvement does not mean they are NAR or interested in theocracy.)
I know this comes as a shock to many but God never asked us to take over the world or even our own country and establish a Christian theocracy. The cold hard reality is that most who advocate for this are so false to the Gospel that they would not survive a true theocracy anyway. (Rev. Wade never documents that the NAR is doing this. We have been unable to document this claim. We deem it false.)
"And we complied. Over time, the church (the people) were relegated to sharing the light to the church (building) and told to keep our beliefs to ourselves as they are a "private matter." The problem is that the Bible says just the opposite. It never tells us our role is simply within the walls of the church building. In fact, just the opposite. We are told to "Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15)." -- Karen Hardin
And we complied? What is Hardin suggesting? That Christians should have taken up arms against the government because they said that you cannot force Jewish, Muslim and Atheist children to pray Christian prayers? (Rev. Wade twists and misrepresents the things Ms. Hardin asserted, taking them to a ridiculous place.)
As for the citation of the Great Commission, only a dominionist can ignore of the New Testament that goes into painstaking details of life within the walls of the church to focus on one verse. That verse by the way simply states that we should share our faith throughout the world. It says nothing about forcing unbelievers to recite Christian prayers or creeds. (Again Rev. Wade dishonestly twists and misrepresents the things Ms. Hardin asserted.)
Preaching the Gospel does not mean conquering seven cultural mountains. NAR dominionism is actually antithetical to the cause of Christ. (Undocumented assertion.)
"Fast forward to the shelter-at-home pandemic mandate where church gatherings were shut down. Even now, some churches have been prohibited from reopening. So, if the church (the people) are relegated to the church building, and the church is shut down, do you see the problem?" -- Karen Hardin
Stale NAR pandemic talking points. Churches were not shut down. (Yes, they were. Often they were specifically targeted, while large retail stores simultaneously had large congregations of people in close contact.)
ALL public gatherings of more than a specific amount of people were temporarily prohibited. (Again Rev. Wade misrepresents what happened.)
This is not persecution (There are numerous examples of churches being targeted. Rev. Wade is either ignorant or dishonest.)
and actually had very little to do with the church until the church started whining because they were built on a need for steady cash flow. (Undocumented assertion.)
Lord knows you cannot keep a mega church doors open when the tithe buckets are not being passed around. There is no problem, as Hardin alludes to. I have had prayer meetings every Friday and plenty of other fellowship activities without endangering my brothers and sisters during this time. (Unless Rev. Wade was alone in a room Zooming his prayer meetings, he was endangering every person in the room.)
Realize too that churches have not been shut down. Only the public gatherings have. (There is no church without the gathering of the saints.)
I have seen plenty of local churches assisting people in their community throughout this crisis and pastors reaching out to shepherd their sheep personally. (Irrelevant. The topic is government activity that unfairly targeted churches. This did happen and continues to happen.)
"What about those who gave up on the church years ago and have already been "sheltering at home," separate from the church (building)? As we reflect on all that has transpired in recent months, this gets back to an important question. What is our role in society? It's actually very simple. We are to go into every realm of society as the church (the people) to bring transformation." -- Karen Hardin
Huh? That was one heck of an illogical leap but it is central to NAR dominionist thought. The people who idolize this country think it is their Christian duty to transform society, instead of bringing the individual-transforming Gospel. (A distinction without a difference. Transforming people with gospel will necessarily transform society.)
The realms of society Hardin alludes to are in fact the seven cultural mountains that NAR adherents believe the church must conquer.
"The Greek word used for "church" in the book of Acts is ekklesia ,which means "called-out ones." It is a governmental term that was first coined in Rome. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, "The term 'ecclesia"' was the name given to the governmental assembly of the city of Athens in which officers were granted political power and juridical functions." So why was this same term used to refer to the "church" in the New Testament? Because as the ekklesia (the church), we are called out as an assembly to effect change and to govern. We are to transform society, not let society transform and/or silence us. We are to go into every realm to bring His light and His life. However, the only way the church transforms society is when we are in it, fulfilling our call in the realm of our gift." -- Karen Hardin
Notice the subterfuge. It is true that ecclesia means called out congregation. It is also true that it was used on one way to describe a governmental assembly. It is inherently deceitful and untrue to connect the two and thus conclude that the church must be a governmental assembly. (Undocumented assertion.)
The sad thing is that whenever false teachers try to strip mine the Bible for their pre-conceived bias, the truth still finds a way. Consider the following definition from gotquestions.com: (Rev. Wade cannot be bothered with the Bible, but is happy to quote a friendly source, who to their credit, actually quotes the Bible.)
It is important that the church today understand the definition of ekklesia. The church needs to see itself as being "called out" by God. If the church wants to make a difference in the world, it must be different from the world. Salt is different from the food it flavors. God has called the church to be separate from sin (1Peter 1:16), to embrace fellowship with other believers (Acts 2:42), and to be a light to the world (Matthew 5:14). God has graciously called us unto Himself: "'Come out from them and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you'" (2Corinthians 6:17). - Got Questions?
If the church wants to make a difference in the world, it must be different from the world. Not try to influence it, find relevance to it, or conquer it. (Perhaps Rev. Wade might tell us what it means for us to be the light of the world?[Mt. 5:14])
"When we allow ourselves to be silenced, we have effectively removed God's voice and influence in these realms of which we are called to walk and work. If you are a teacher, an engineer, a medical professional, a therapist, counselor, pastor, a student, a service worker or governmental worker ... Whatever your daily job is at this moment, you are the church (ekklesia) called out to walk into your office/realm/space each day to take His light and life and bring transformation." -- Karen Hardin
Sigh, we are not called to walk or work within the realms Hardin alludes to. (Undocumented assertion.)
Once again though the NAR presents their weak and impotent god who cannot have a voice or influence in society unless we speak on His behalf. Absolute heresy. (Now Rev. Wade claims heresy. But again we long for a single Scripture where he would document his case.
In actual fact, the Church is the dwelling place of God:
Our duty, wherever we find ourselves in society, is to represent Christ and bring the Gospel, period. Not to try and take over the world. (A repeated, but still undocumented assertion.)
Hardin is clever in her deceit because it sounds reasonable to "bring transformation" but realize it is not the individual sinner she is advocating for transformation of. It is the culture as a whole. (Undocumented assertion.)
That is the difference between a Christian who carries the Gospel versus those that are focused on this world.
"As I look around at the masks worn during the pandemic, I believe they speak prophetically of the attempt to keep our mouths silenced. Note, I'm not attacking the use of masks for those who feel they need the protection it can offer. I'm saying only that they are visual evidence of an effort to silence dissenting voices--especially the church. It is vital that we recognize who we are and know that we were called "for such a time as this." (Es 4:14). We are not meant to remain silent at this time. People are seeking answers and those won't come from the CDC, but from the Word of God which as believers we carry within us." -- Karen Hardin
A mask does not silence anyone. Her imagery makes no sense. (The author admits his ignorance, and misses the plain meaning of the metaphor. The mask is SYMBOLIC of silence.)
She tries to couch how dangerous this message is but the damage is already done. She is planting the image in the minds of impressionable sheep that if they wear a mask they are somehow complying to be silent as opposed to being concerned about the well-being of others, as the bible instructs us. (A Bible the author has yet to open. Rev. Wade creates a false choice here, where the two elements are not opposites.)
If people have questions in these difficult times, we should be ready to give an answer for why we hope but that is not what Hardin is advocating for. (Undocumented assertion.)
"We are to be salt and the light. Salt that preserves and light that exposes and brings truth. We are the only "church" that some will ever encounter. They may never darken the door of a church building, but when we as the church (ekklesia) go to our office/classroom/store/arena each day we take the Church, God's Light, to them. That is our role in society. We are to go into every realm. Media. Government. Education. Religion. Family. Economy. Arts. And when we do that is when the church fulfills her mandate to bring transformation. What is your role in society? To transform it with the light within you." -- Karen Hardin
As Got Questions outlines, salt is different from that which it flavors or preserves. The NAR dominionist does not seek to be different. (Undocumented assertion.)
They like the world, they just want it to behave better. (Undocumented assertion.)
The light we bring is the light of Christ; the Gospel. (Ms. Hardin does not state otherwise.)
That is what makes us different within our classroom or workspace. The object is to see people saved out from the society that is consigning them to hell. Not make that society whitewashed. (Undocumented assertion.)
The purposeful whitewashing of society by the NAR does not change that on the inside they are still filled with death and dead mans (sic) bones. The areas Hardin lists here are the seven mountains from the NAR heresy. Only in the depraved hearts of the NAR dominionists is the role of the church to transform society, which saves not one single soul. (Another false binary choice.)
Read the key verses (Finally a referral to a Bible verse, unfortunately used to simply brand and dismiss the author's doctrinal opponents.)
and understand the inherent folly of the NAR. They love the things of this world and actively fight for them. (Undocumented assertion.)
They love the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes and the pride of life. (Undocumented assertion.)
Amidst the beauty of the whitewash they are so enamored with they cannot see that the world they idolize so much is passing away along with their desires and dreams of cultural domination. (Undocumented assertion.)
I know this comes as a shock to many but God never asked us to take over the world or even our own country and establish a Christian theocracy. The cold hard reality is that most who advocate for this are so false to the Gospel that they would not survive a true theocracy anyway. (Rev. Wade never documents that the NAR is doing this. We have been unable to document this claim. We deem it false.)
"And we complied. Over time, the church (the people) were relegated to sharing the light to the church (building) and told to keep our beliefs to ourselves as they are a "private matter." The problem is that the Bible says just the opposite. It never tells us our role is simply within the walls of the church building. In fact, just the opposite. We are told to "Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15)." -- Karen Hardin
And we complied? What is Hardin suggesting? That Christians should have taken up arms against the government because they said that you cannot force Jewish, Muslim and Atheist children to pray Christian prayers? (Rev. Wade twists and misrepresents the things Ms. Hardin asserted, taking them to a ridiculous place.)
As for the citation of the Great Commission, only a dominionist can ignore of the New Testament that goes into painstaking details of life within the walls of the church to focus on one verse. That verse by the way simply states that we should share our faith throughout the world. It says nothing about forcing unbelievers to recite Christian prayers or creeds. (Again Rev. Wade dishonestly twists and misrepresents the things Ms. Hardin asserted.)
Preaching the Gospel does not mean conquering seven cultural mountains. NAR dominionism is actually antithetical to the cause of Christ. (Undocumented assertion.)
"Fast forward to the shelter-at-home pandemic mandate where church gatherings were shut down. Even now, some churches have been prohibited from reopening. So, if the church (the people) are relegated to the church building, and the church is shut down, do you see the problem?" -- Karen Hardin
Stale NAR pandemic talking points. Churches were not shut down. (Yes, they were. Often they were specifically targeted, while large retail stores simultaneously had large congregations of people in close contact.)
ALL public gatherings of more than a specific amount of people were temporarily prohibited. (Again Rev. Wade misrepresents what happened.)
This is not persecution (There are numerous examples of churches being targeted. Rev. Wade is either ignorant or dishonest.)
and actually had very little to do with the church until the church started whining because they were built on a need for steady cash flow. (Undocumented assertion.)
Lord knows you cannot keep a mega church doors open when the tithe buckets are not being passed around. There is no problem, as Hardin alludes to. I have had prayer meetings every Friday and plenty of other fellowship activities without endangering my brothers and sisters during this time. (Unless Rev. Wade was alone in a room Zooming his prayer meetings, he was endangering every person in the room.)
Realize too that churches have not been shut down. Only the public gatherings have. (There is no church without the gathering of the saints.)
I have seen plenty of local churches assisting people in their community throughout this crisis and pastors reaching out to shepherd their sheep personally. (Irrelevant. The topic is government activity that unfairly targeted churches. This did happen and continues to happen.)
"What about those who gave up on the church years ago and have already been "sheltering at home," separate from the church (building)? As we reflect on all that has transpired in recent months, this gets back to an important question. What is our role in society? It's actually very simple. We are to go into every realm of society as the church (the people) to bring transformation." -- Karen Hardin
Huh? That was one heck of an illogical leap but it is central to NAR dominionist thought. The people who idolize this country think it is their Christian duty to transform society, instead of bringing the individual-transforming Gospel. (A distinction without a difference. Transforming people with gospel will necessarily transform society.)
The realms of society Hardin alludes to are in fact the seven cultural mountains that NAR adherents believe the church must conquer.
"The Greek word used for "church" in the book of Acts is ekklesia ,which means "called-out ones." It is a governmental term that was first coined in Rome. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, "The term 'ecclesia"' was the name given to the governmental assembly of the city of Athens in which officers were granted political power and juridical functions." So why was this same term used to refer to the "church" in the New Testament? Because as the ekklesia (the church), we are called out as an assembly to effect change and to govern. We are to transform society, not let society transform and/or silence us. We are to go into every realm to bring His light and His life. However, the only way the church transforms society is when we are in it, fulfilling our call in the realm of our gift." -- Karen Hardin
Notice the subterfuge. It is true that ecclesia means called out congregation. It is also true that it was used on one way to describe a governmental assembly. It is inherently deceitful and untrue to connect the two and thus conclude that the church must be a governmental assembly. (Undocumented assertion.)
The sad thing is that whenever false teachers try to strip mine the Bible for their pre-conceived bias, the truth still finds a way. Consider the following definition from gotquestions.com: (Rev. Wade cannot be bothered with the Bible, but is happy to quote a friendly source, who to their credit, actually quotes the Bible.)
It is important that the church today understand the definition of ekklesia. The church needs to see itself as being "called out" by God. If the church wants to make a difference in the world, it must be different from the world. Salt is different from the food it flavors. God has called the church to be separate from sin (1Peter 1:16), to embrace fellowship with other believers (Acts 2:42), and to be a light to the world (Matthew 5:14). God has graciously called us unto Himself: "'Come out from them and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you'" (2Corinthians 6:17). - Got Questions?
If the church wants to make a difference in the world, it must be different from the world. Not try to influence it, find relevance to it, or conquer it. (Perhaps Rev. Wade might tell us what it means for us to be the light of the world?[Mt. 5:14])
"When we allow ourselves to be silenced, we have effectively removed God's voice and influence in these realms of which we are called to walk and work. If you are a teacher, an engineer, a medical professional, a therapist, counselor, pastor, a student, a service worker or governmental worker ... Whatever your daily job is at this moment, you are the church (ekklesia) called out to walk into your office/realm/space each day to take His light and life and bring transformation." -- Karen Hardin
Sigh, we are not called to walk or work within the realms Hardin alludes to. (Undocumented assertion.)
Once again though the NAR presents their weak and impotent god who cannot have a voice or influence in society unless we speak on His behalf. Absolute heresy. (Now Rev. Wade claims heresy. But again we long for a single Scripture where he would document his case.
In actual fact, the Church is the dwelling place of God:
Ep. 2:22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
1Co. 3:16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?Therefore, we are His presence on earth. We are obligated to be the light of the world:
Mt. 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."See your good deeds." That makes us influencers, bearers of good news, and a revelation of God to the lost. This can only be done by being in the world.
Jn. 17:11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name — the name you gave me — so that they may be one as we are one.
2Co. 10:3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.But we are not of the world:
Jn. 15:18-19 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
Jn. 17:14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.
1Co. 2:12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
1Pe. 2:11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.The author seems unacquainted with these concepts, preferring instead to make undocumented cries of heresy.)
Our duty, wherever we find ourselves in society, is to represent Christ and bring the Gospel, period. Not to try and take over the world. (A repeated, but still undocumented assertion.)
Hardin is clever in her deceit because it sounds reasonable to "bring transformation" but realize it is not the individual sinner she is advocating for transformation of. It is the culture as a whole. (Undocumented assertion.)
That is the difference between a Christian who carries the Gospel versus those that are focused on this world.
"As I look around at the masks worn during the pandemic, I believe they speak prophetically of the attempt to keep our mouths silenced. Note, I'm not attacking the use of masks for those who feel they need the protection it can offer. I'm saying only that they are visual evidence of an effort to silence dissenting voices--especially the church. It is vital that we recognize who we are and know that we were called "for such a time as this." (Es 4:14). We are not meant to remain silent at this time. People are seeking answers and those won't come from the CDC, but from the Word of God which as believers we carry within us." -- Karen Hardin
A mask does not silence anyone. Her imagery makes no sense. (The author admits his ignorance, and misses the plain meaning of the metaphor. The mask is SYMBOLIC of silence.)
She tries to couch how dangerous this message is but the damage is already done. She is planting the image in the minds of impressionable sheep that if they wear a mask they are somehow complying to be silent as opposed to being concerned about the well-being of others, as the bible instructs us. (A Bible the author has yet to open. Rev. Wade creates a false choice here, where the two elements are not opposites.)
If people have questions in these difficult times, we should be ready to give an answer for why we hope but that is not what Hardin is advocating for. (Undocumented assertion.)
"We are to be salt and the light. Salt that preserves and light that exposes and brings truth. We are the only "church" that some will ever encounter. They may never darken the door of a church building, but when we as the church (ekklesia) go to our office/classroom/store/arena each day we take the Church, God's Light, to them. That is our role in society. We are to go into every realm. Media. Government. Education. Religion. Family. Economy. Arts. And when we do that is when the church fulfills her mandate to bring transformation. What is your role in society? To transform it with the light within you." -- Karen Hardin
As Got Questions outlines, salt is different from that which it flavors or preserves. The NAR dominionist does not seek to be different. (Undocumented assertion.)
They like the world, they just want it to behave better. (Undocumented assertion.)
The light we bring is the light of Christ; the Gospel. (Ms. Hardin does not state otherwise.)
That is what makes us different within our classroom or workspace. The object is to see people saved out from the society that is consigning them to hell. Not make that society whitewashed. (Undocumented assertion.)
The purposeful whitewashing of society by the NAR does not change that on the inside they are still filled with death and dead mans (sic) bones. The areas Hardin lists here are the seven mountains from the NAR heresy. Only in the depraved hearts of the NAR dominionists is the role of the church to transform society, which saves not one single soul. (Another false binary choice.)
Read the key verses (Finally a referral to a Bible verse, unfortunately used to simply brand and dismiss the author's doctrinal opponents.)
and understand the inherent folly of the NAR. They love the things of this world and actively fight for them. (Undocumented assertion.)
They love the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes and the pride of life. (Undocumented assertion.)
Amidst the beauty of the whitewash they are so enamored with they cannot see that the world they idolize so much is passing away along with their desires and dreams of cultural domination. (Undocumented assertion.)
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