Still taking Bunky Award Nominations...

8/25/08 - 2nd Day - Midday. Now, I'm serious about y'all nominating agrarian blogs for the new and coveted Bunky Awards. All you regular readers should be nominating blogs so we can hand out awards and exquisite Mesquite Coffee to the winners. Remember, the purpose of this is 1) to have fun, and 2) to drive traffic to these blogs, so people can read the really neat stuff going on out there in Agrarian Homesteading land. We have had several nominations, both through the comments section and through email... here again are the categories, along with the nominations we have received so far (oh, and if the nomination was not an AGRARIAN blog, then I disqualified it... sorry!):

1. Best All-Around Agrarian Blog.
The Deliberate Agrarian
A Process Driven Life
Tabletop Homestead

2. Most Educational or Informative Agrarian Blog.
The Deliberate Agrarian
The Process Driven Life
The Sifford Sojournal
Dry Creek Chronicles
Tabletop Homestead

3. Best Newcomer Blog.
Country Mom
The Sifford Sojournal
Lentils and Rice

4. Blog most likely to make you look up words in the dictionary and to challenge your brainal functuosity.
A Process Driven Life

5. Best Looking Blog.
Ante Family Agrarians
Debylin's Weblog
R&V Farmstead

6. Best Blog most people have probably never read or heard of.
Journeys of a Pilgrim
Debylin's Weblog
Promised Land
Darkwood Farm

7. Greatest Agrarian Posterboy Blog.
The Sifford Sojournal
The Deliberate Agrarian
A Process Driven Life
Irbs and Stuff

8. Best Children's or Young Person's Blog.
Growing Up Agrarian
The Land of Milk and Honey

9. Blog most likely to have its owner and author arrested and/or summarily executed by the Government.
A Process Driven Life

10. Best Feminine Blog.
Country Mom
A Process Driven Wife

I didn't put multiple nominations on there. Ok, so these are the nominations we have received so far. I will leave it open for YOUR nominations, then I have decided to put a voting poll up on the blog for each category until we have picked the winners. So, we're still waiting for your nominations, and then we'll start the fun part. Also, remember if you post the nominations on your own blog (like Danielle did), please remember to let me know so I can add your nominations to the list.

Thanks y'all,

Michael Bunker

Announcing the First Annual Bunky Awards

8/22/08 - 6th Day - After Breakfast. Preparation of the Sabbath. I am taking a break from the Separatism series to announce The First Annual Bunky Awards. These awards will be awarded for excellence in Agrarian blogging, and will soon be one of the most coveted awards in all of Agrarian blogdom. 10's of people will think about the Bunkys all year and agrarian bloggers will craft their blogs so as to gather the most support for a Bunky Award. I know Christianity is certainly not about awards, in fact, no one ought to want one, but I was noticing how ubiquitous stupid "web awards" are becoming, and how ridiculous it is for people to take such things so seriously, so I thought we could have fun by creating our own special awards, since none of us are ever going to be considered for any respectable award. You may nominate a blog for a Bunky award by commenting on this post, or by emailing your nomination and reasoning to: editor ( at ) lazarusunbound.com As of right now, I am taking nominations for 10 Bunkys. Here are the categories:

1. Best All-Around Agrarian Blog. This is the blog you read every day, no matter what. This is the blog you would miss the most if it were gone. This blog out to be a stand-out blog in the Christian Agrarianism field, so we want to recognize a blogger who is standing out in his field.

2. Most Educational or Informative Agrarian Blog. If you have a proper education and the right information, this blog award title ought to be self-explanatory

3. Best Newcomer Blog. Also self-explanatory.

4. Blog most likely to make you look up words in the dictionary and to challenge your brainal functuosity. This award will go to the blog that most makes you have to think.

5. Best Looking Blog. Given for overall aesthetics and attractiveness.

6. Best Blog most people have probably never read or heard of. A great way for a great new blog to get some traffic!

7. Greatest Agrarian Posterboy Blog. This award will go to the blog that is most likely to make industrialized city people chuck it all and move to the country.

8. Best Children's or Young Person's Blog. For the chillens.

9. Blog most likely to have its owner and author arrested and/or summarily executed by the Government. You know what I'm saying.

10. Best Feminine Blog - A great blog many fellas may not read or know about. This blog ought to be one that celebrates Christian femininity.

Ok, so here is how this will work. There are several ways you can submit your nominations for a Bunky award. One way is to merely post a list 1 through 10 with the names and URL's of the blogs you are nominating. I would prefer it if you offered at least a sentence with your reasoning, but that is not required. If someone else has the exact same blog award list as you would offer, just put "my nominations are the same as ___________". You may also email me your nominations. You may also put your nominations and reasons up on your own blog, and put a link to your nomination blog post here in the comments. This will not be a mathematical award process, and neither will it be scientific. After all, it is the Bunky awards. If I want to, I can throw out all the nominations and just give it to whomever I want (I am not likely to do that, but I can if I want). Your input, though, is appreciated and I hope every reader here will participate. Once a fair number of nominations have come in (maybe a week, maybe two) I will announce the winners here on this blog. The winners will get a not very fancy web award picture thingy to put on your blog if you want, and every winner who wants it will receive a pound of our exquisite Mesquite Coffee. All winners will be Bunky Award Winners for a full year!

Ok, so there it is... let 'er rip!

Michael Bunker

Separatism as a Fundamental Principle, Part 1-B

Separatism as a Fundamental Principle of Christian Agrarianism, Part 1 - B
Posted by Michael Bunker
editor@biblicalagrarianism.com

(This is Part B of the First Part of this article)

Before you read this part, go read Part 1-A

The “Great Commission”?

Let me start this section by making a few points. I include this discussion within the larger discussion of Separatism, because "missionary evangelism" is a topic used as the primary argument against the right doctrine of Separatism (as if the two are contradictory or exclusive, which they are not). I find the argument to be tiresome for a couple reasons:

1. Generally (or most often, in my experience) the person who uses the “missionary evangelism” argument against the doctrine of Separatism does no evangelism himself. For example, I have traveled somewhere around 3 million miles, and preached to literally hundreds of thousands of people on 3 continents (as a Predestinationist Separatist!) in the last 7 years. These numbers do not include the millions who have heard the gospel on our websites, or the thousands of people a day who either read or listen to my audio sermons. I do not say this to pump up myself or the ministry - or to take credit for anything that God alone has done. I only mention it to illustrate a point... I am the product of what I believe to be true. But most of those who I have engaged in debate on Separatism, and who have used the “Great Commission” as an argument for Syncretism – have not gone on missions on any real scope, preached or evangelized at all! A few may have, but most have not. So the point is that there is a very high probability that the person who is using missionary evangelism as a "trump card" against separatism, is neither a missionary, nor an evangelist.

2. In the same way, the advocates of modern missionary evangelism (and Syncretism) rarely consider the product of their worldview, nor do they themselves examine which Gospel is being preached.

In a recent letter challenging my teaching on Separatism, a writer alternately charged us with worldliness (for going to stores, for having an internet site and for evangelizing) and at the same time he accused us of some wicked, cultic form of separatism which denies Christians the opportunity to evangelize the world. It seems that any stick is good enough to beat true Christians! Even when those sticks are contradictory. It is usually a good sign (as Christians) when you are being crucified between two thieves. This is an important issue, and it is one that needs to be handled very precisely. One of the great mantras within professing Christianity is called "The Great Commission". The commission is indeed great, but if it is handled improperly, it is a great commission of evil and source of befuddlement for God's true church. Just look how this blunt instrument is now being used against the doctrine we have just illustrated (Separatism), a great commandment of God.

We want to start out by saying that we DO believe that God raises up some (but few) individuals; and we believe He can and does send these individuals “out” with the Gospel of peace. We would never deny the great works done through people like George Whitefield, Adoniram Judson and Hudson Taylor. What we intend to examine here is the modern idea of “The Great Commission” and how Missionary Evangelism has corrupted the true gospel.

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)

Applying this verse recklessly to the whole Body of Christ has been one of the great victories of the modern apostate religious system. Please note before we start that I AM NOT SAYING that the gospel should not be preached to every creature. Nor am I claiming that any particular Christian does not have the obligation to preach the gospel, or that we ourselves are not obligated to hear the Gospel and obey it. What I am trying to do, is properly understand this verse in light of what God would have us look like and how He would have us act today. In short, What is our duty?

Let's take a look at the preceding verse:

"Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen" (Mark 16:14).

Note that this great commission is given specifically to the "eleven", and it is specifically given because of their unbelief. The resurrected Jesus Christ appears to his eleven remaining disciples and the primary purpose for his appearance before them is to “upbraid” (or strongly rebuke or scold) them for their unbelief! Read verses 9-11. Mary Magdalene goes and tells the eleven disciples that Jesus lives, but they refuse to believe her. Then, in verse 12 he appears personally to two of the "eleven" and these two go (in verse 13) to tell the other nine (the residue) and these nine also refuse to believe.

Remember that Jesus Christ had told these eleven men personally that he would be resurrected, and every one of these eleven men had claimed to believe Him. So Jesus was dealing in this section of scripture with a rampant issue of unbelief among those who He had personally picked... those who had been "with Him" (verse 10). But why, we must ask, did they not believe? Had they not walked with Christ? Had they not talked with Him? Had they not witnessed his many and manifold miracles? Why would they refuse to believe? Well, as we well should well know, belief is not within the power of man. Belief is a gift of God (Phil. 1:29, John 6:29). It was not yet given unto these disciples to believe, and it is evident that the gift of belief had been temporarily withheld from them for God's own glory. No one can believe in God (and all that He says about Himself) without belief being given from God. The Holy Spirit needs to reside with us, helping us to believe. So Jesus sends out these particular eleven hard-hearted disciples, with the specific injunction that they are to go to the entire known world at that time and preach the "good news". Then, because of their unbelief, and knowing that no one would naturally believe them, He gives these "eleven" signposts so they can know when someone has truly believed:

1) They that are spiritually regenerated (born-again) by the baptism of the Holy Spirit will be the saved.

2) And those that are not given the gift of belief shall be the damned. Now we know that the following verses, apply to the eleven only – because in verse 20 it says "and they went forth". Who are "they" who went forth? It must be the specific "eleven" to whom He is speaking. And it is confirmed to us plainly that they (the eleven) fulfilled this scripture by "preaching every where". And it is confirmed that verses 18 and 19 refer to the "eleven", because here in verse 20 it says that God "was working with them" to confirm the signs of their apostleship with the signs and miracles that He had promised. So this section of scripture is a treatise on UNBELIEF and not on evangelism. God sent broken and unbelieving vessels out to preach His gospel, so that when the gospel was spread about, HE would get all the glory. He confirmed His message in them particularly and fulfilled this scripture before the eyes of the world. It was necessary that Christianity was to spread far and wide quickly so that it could not be stamped out by persecution; and it was also necessary that it grow organically and not organizationally, so that it could not be wiped out by the Romans or corrupted by the Jews.

So we have proved our point "positively", in that we have shown in context that it was written specifically to the "eleven". Next, I will prove our point "negatively", in that I will show that it could not have been written to the whole church.

So now let us look at this section of verses "negatively". Can it be that this verse is supposed to apply to the "whole church", as in every Christian that ever lived? I believe that it cannot, because the context does not allow that meaning, and because that interpretation would contradict the plain teaching of scriptures elsewhere. If I (according to the opinion of modern “christianity”) am to apply this scripture to my life, then I must ask myself why I am currentlysitting at my home? (and why are you?) I still live and breathe, and I have not been martyred or taken home to heaven, so why am I not physically going forth to every country preaching the gospel to every creature? The acts of “preaching” and “teaching” are used synonymously in most of the Bible. Our primary verse in this study is Mark 16:15 which commands the eleven to “preach the gospel”. The exact parallel verse in Matthew 28:19 commands the eleven to “teach all nations”. So in our context here, preaching and teaching are synonymous. So why would James say, “My brethren, be not many masters (teachers or preachers), knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation” (James 3:1)? It doesn’t make much sense to tell people not to be teachers, if Jesus is contradicting this exhortation by commanding EVERY CHRISTIAN to “teach all nations”. And, of course, Paul asks in 1 Corinthians the 12th Chapter “Are all… teachers?” The answer is… OF COURSE NOT. We are all (all believers) placed in the body with different and important gifts, to be employed on God's behalf for the edification and the growing of the body. So we must ask. If the Bible commands us in Mark chapter 16 to personally travel and evangelize, then why does the Bible openly encourage some people to stay home and live peaceably and to do good? If this scripture is meant to apply to every Christian, then almost every Christian that has ever lived has failed miserably in fulfilling it. And despite what the charismatics say, I can personally tell you that every “so-called” manifestation of miracles that I have seen from those who claim to be Christians has come from practical religious athiests who have convinced themselves that emotion and manipulation is the fountainhead of the miraculous. And, after all, if this is a universal verse, then all who believe are also to take up serpents and to drink poison (Mark 16:18).

Why, I ask, when the apostles themselves gathered together in Acts the 15th chapter to consider everything that is commanded of those who believe in Christ, do they command this: "That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well."

Why did the Jerusalem council not reaffirm the Great Commission, having specifically considered all that was to be required of Christians? Why are we commanded by Paul and all the other apostles to keep God's commandments, the moral commandments and particularly his Royal commandments (to love God and to love our neighbor) as the fulfillment of our total duty to God? Why is "missionary" evangelism absent from the Decalogue? And why is it not shadowed forth in the Old Testament? In the Old Testament, we do not see God sending Israelites out to evangelize and convert the surrounding heathen, in fact, in most places in the Bible they are encouraged to stay as separate as possible from them. However, we do see in the Old Testament where God sent specific, chosen vessels (whether they be angels or men) to gather His elect together out of the heathenish peoples. God scatters and re-gathers His elect according to His own glorious and supernatural power. He utilizes a very few, very select, very chosen vessels in which to accomplish His tasks.

Modern corporate “Christianity” (whether purposely or not, we shall eventually see) has totally missed what true Christian evangelism is. We are commanded by God to be Christians (to live our lives as Christ commanded). That one act is our fundamental duty. We are commanded to live Christian lives by grace and to work Christian works by faith. This, alone, is our duty to God and to man. Modernist evangelistic “christianity” has become so wrapped up in “preaching the gospel”, while simultaneously rejecting the pure and true Gospel of Sovereign Grace completely. It is as if they were to say, “We care not what food we feed to the poor and the downtrodden. If it is a poisonous and deadly meal, we care not. But we must give them more of it, or they will never have their hunger satiated”.

So here is the main point:

THE GOSPEL IS NOT FOR UNREGENERATE UNBELIEVERS! IT IS FOR THE CHURCH!

The Gospel exists for this reason: "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son" (Colossians 1:10-13).

The Gospel is for the CONVERSION of the elect, not for the REGENERATION of sinners. Only the power of God through the quickening of the Holy Spirit can regenerate a lost sinner. The Gospel is to convert to Christianity and to right-mindedness those whom the Spirit has already regenerated.

Note that Paul says this in Romans: “So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also” (Romans 1:15).

So Paul says he is ready to preach the Gospel in Rome to "you" that are there. Who is the "you" he is talking to? Let's look: "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 1:7).

Interesting don’t you think?

But, some might argue, just look at verse 16 of that chapter. It says that the Gospel is "it is the power of God unto salvation". This is the principle memory verse of many Gospel salvationists. But read the next half of the verse, where it says "to every one that believeth".

The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes! It does not say that they are saved by the Gospel; it says that the inward work of regeneration is shown forth as salvation through their belief. They were given belief first!

Here is an even greater proof:

"For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." (1 Corinthians 1:17).

Paul specifically states here that gospel does not save (as in eternal salvation/regeneration). The applying by the Holy Spirit of the benefits of the Cross to the elect of God is what saves eternally. Paul does not "baptize" or "quicken" eternally. He preaches the Gospel. Let's look at the next verse: "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18). To those who ARE SAVED, the Gospel is the power of God. It brings about conversion of the mind. Now when we preach, we do not know who is regenerated, and who remains in an unregenerate state. So if we are called to preach, we preach the fullness of the true Gospel to all creatures. But to those who are perishing without grace, the preaching will be foolishness. It will have no eternal effect. But to those which are the elect of God, this same preaching will bring forth out from them the internal work of salvation, which must have previously been wrought by the Holy Spirit in them. The next objection will usually come out of the book of Romans: "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:14-17)

Because of the sometimes confusing structure of this section of scripture, it is often used to preach "gospel salvation". Let's take it really slowly and examine those parts of the verses that can be easily confused. First, the average reader will be unaware of what is referred to when it says "Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?" Let's look: Isaiah 53:1 says: "Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of Jehovah revealed?" And of course this is a good encapsulation of our question. We know that the "arm of Jehovah" is Jesus Christ. So to whom has Jesus Christ been REVEALED? John speaks of this same section of Isaiah when he says: "so that the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, 'Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?' Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again, 'He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them'” (John 12:38-40). John here tells us that ISAIAH is saying that only those to whom the Lord is revealed, can BELIEVE on Him. So, knowing that scripture does not disagree with scripture - let's look at Romans again. Romans chapter 10 says that hearing is a necessary prerequisite for believing, and we wholeheartedly agree. But how can they hear, so that they can believe? This is the question that this section Romans addresses. So our scriptures say, "How can they hear without a preacher". Which is to say, How can they hear on their own? Don't they need a messenger? The word "preacher" here, means "herald" or "messenger". Every "herald" or "messenger" must be sent. The preacher issue will end up pretty moot, because Paul will tell us in verse 15 that many who have had the Gospel preached unto them do not believe it. This, at last, is the whole point of these scriptures! Paul is saying, how do people hear the gospel? The tension builds… HOW DOES THIS ALL TAKE PLACE?

It is at this point that Paul brings in the story of Isaiah, who proves that God must reveal His Son to those who He has not personally hardened and blinded. He must cause those to see who previously could not see, and He must cause those to hear who could not hear. How does He do that? Well, (Paul says) “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the WORD of God”. We must keep this in mind, because here is where much of the confusion comes in. In verse 15, Paul admits openly that many preachers are sent to preach the Gospel. But there is a problem. In verse 16 he admits that many who hear the Gospel do not believe it. They do not obey what they hear. So regular "hearing" (through the ears) is not the cause of faith, and it is not what brings about salvation. So Paul asks the question that Isaiah asked... "Who shall believe our report?" Well, I will tell you who will believe it. All those to whom the Arm of the Lord is revealed will certainly hear it and believe it. So, knowing this, we can know that faith comes by hearing. Not the hearing that is mere "listening" through the ear canals. But faith comes by spiritually being allowed to hear the Gospel. How does this happen? It can only happen by the Word of God! But this word "Word" is not speaking of the written word (The Bible) at all. This word "Word" is the Greek word “rhema”, which means - the spoken word, or a direct command So now it all clicks. It all starts to come together. Faith comes by hearing, but we can only hear by the direct command from God. God says to me particularly, "you will hear" and then I hear. When Jesus Christ is revealed to me I will hear Him and believe Him. Now first I must be enabled to hear, so later when a preacher or teacher declares Christ to me, I can hear him preach the Gospel and say, "WOW, I BELIEVE THAT!" Now I can believe in Christ. Now I can receive the gift of faith so that my belief in Christ will not be merely a superficial form of mental ascension, but it will be a saving faith in Christ.

So Paul says:

1) Not everyone can hear.
2) The Lord must be revealed FIRST, before He can be believed upon.
3) Hearing comes from the direct command of God, and that command is not universal, but is particular to whom God will reveal His Son.
4) The Gospel can only be "heard" if God, through His spoken command concerning us particularly, allows us to Hear it.

This is what we have always said. And this is what we teach.

So we do not believe in "Gospel Salvation" or "Gospel Regeneration". We do believe in Holy Spirit Regeneration, and Gospel Conversion. Let us look at another objection. To the Corinthians, Paul says this:"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preachedunto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you,unless ye have believed in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:1-2).

Some will say that these verses teach that we are saved by the Gospel. But that is not what these verses say at all. We must remember that our Bible has been translated into the English tongue from another language which has differing speech patterns. Paul is dealing in this chapter with those who deny the resurrection of Christ (verse 12). He specifically mentions that those who are saved are those who have believed the gospel "which I preached unto you". There is now another gospel which is being preached, and that gospel denies the resurrection of Christ. Paul says that if we stand fast and firm in HIS Gospel (that of the truth of the resurrection) we are saved. So if we stand in this truth, then we are saved and we have not believed in vain. So this is another verse that cannot be used to prove Gospel salvation. These verses give us a deeper understanding of what the Gospel is for: "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:3-6).

As the Doctrines of Grace openly proclaim, the unregenerate cannot receive the Gospel, nor can they hear it. Only the regenerate mind/heart can hear the Gospel and believe it. We know that the Gospel has been truly, spiritually heard when it is obeyed. The Gospel is a means of CONVERSION, and it was designed to make lost sheep into found sheep. It was never designed to turn goats into sheep, which is impossible. Paul calls the Gospel a "mystery" (Ephesians 6:19), and it accepted by all those who believe in the power and glory of God that "mysteries" must be unveiled to the spirit by the Holy Spirit of God. It is evident that the Gospel has been hard locked away from billions of people who have lived and died on this planet, having never had the Gospel preached unto them. Arminians believe that the Gospel must be preached to "every creature" so that they can stand or fall in judgment based on whether or not they "believed the gospel". But the Arminian has no explanation as to why God would keep the Gospel from millions and millions of humans, who perished without ever hearing the good news of Christ at all. The Arminian must, then, believe that there are billions in hell who are there because mankind failed to preach the gospel to them. The Arminian is therefore logically to deduce that (since he always assumes he is saved) he personally will be in heaven because of LUCK or CHANCE. He just happened to be born in a time and place where the gospel (or, shall we say, "a" gospel) is preached everywhere all the time. So it is CHANCE + GOSPEL + WORKS + The Work of Christ = SALVATION for the Arminian.

They may deny it, but it is the logical conclusion that can be drawn from what they believe. Now, sadly, many who believe in the Doctrines of Sovereign Grace also have fallen for this same error.  So let me say regarding evangelism that we DO preach the Gospel. But the true Gospel is not what most modernist “christians” think it is. The true Gospel is the Gospel of God’s Sovereignty and His Grace and Mercy towards His sheep. We preach the Gospel, not by pushing a decisionist gospel on the whole world without any consideration of the truth. We preach the Gospel by living live that are set apart and holy unto God. We preach the Gospel by having a right worldview and by rejecting false gospels and false worldly ways. We preach the Gospel by being Christians, and by declaring the truth to those who ask us about the hope that is in us.

Does God have evangelists today? Of course He does.

Is everyone an evangelist? Of course not.

I absolutely believe that the true Gospel should be preached. God knows that there are elect of God out there who have never heard it, and it is the power and means of their conversion and it shows forth their salvation, if indeed they are the saved. Many millions have been converted by the preaching of the Gospel. Many lost sheep are brought back into the fold by means of the Gospel, so preach it we must. But let us examine two very different ways in which evangelism can be viewed:

1) The Sovereign Grace method - which was utilized by the Reformers, the Puritans and the early church in America. This was the evangelism which made parts of the American continent a paradise on earth. Evangelize your family, and submit your own ways unto God. Keep His commandments; be a peculiar people. Separate from the world and all worldliness, and be Holy unto God. Invite ALL to come unto Christ, but make sure the Christ that is lifted up is the real Jesus Christ of the Bible, for He says "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all
men unto me." (John 12:32) Christ draws men unto Himself. Christ saves men, and he saves them before they ever hear the Gospel - as Paul himself can attest from personal experience.

2) The Pharisaical method, which is nowadays called "missionary evangelism". This form is based on the false idea that if WE do not evangelize, men will not be saved. This method denies that God has manifold and wonderful ways to save souls, and does not need men in order to do it. Jesus said this: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." (Matthew 23:15).

God does raise up evangelists and missionaries. There is no doubt that He does. But the true ones (like George Whitefield) will be known by the Gospel that they preach. I challenge you to find more than a handful of missionaries or evangelists who preach the true Gospel in the world today. Instead, hordes of Americanized missionaries preach the devilish gospel of Arminianism, swarming foreign shores - consuming the people and leading them into error. These lands are not benefited by Christianity, but the churches and ministry boards are benefited greatly by the huge sums of money they can raise by emotionally manipulating fat, dumb American "christians" to fulfill the "great commission" by paying large sums of money (with only a small portion) to be used to send someone else bastardize the gospel. I say we evangelize best by being Christians, and by learning the true Gospel and by living it every day. We will see what true evangelism is when we live what we say we believe. We will see it in a most powerful way. Then we will see the power of true evangelism. Agrarian friend Franklin Sanders pointed out the great conversion story of Lieutenant-General Ewell during the war for Southern Independence. I include the story here, most ably presented by the Reverend William Jones, a Southern Chaplain from Northern Virginia:

“At a council of war, one night, Jackson had listened very attentively to the views of his subordinates, and asked until the next morning to present his own. As they came away, A. P. Hill laughingly said to Ewell, "Well! I suppose Jackson wants time to pray over it." Having occasion to return to his quarters again a short time after, Ewell found Jackson on his knees and heard his ejaculatory prayers for God's guidance in the perplexing movements then before him. The sturdy veteran Ewell was so deeply impressed by this incident and by Jackson's general religious character, that he said: "If that is religion, I must have it;" and in making a profession of faith not long afterwards he attributed his conviction to the influence of Jackson's piety.”

While this story is often used to illustrate powerful prayer, piety and character – I would like to point out the most obvious (but obviously overlooked) element of the story. Stonewall Jackson was in his tent... by himself! God used this time of supplication and prayer to call one of His children to Himself, and He didn't need a missionary board to do it. Nor was Stonewall found proselytizing on a street-corner or in a feed store. Separatism works, and evangelism is most properly a Christian life lived.

So let us address the real question, and focus on the real answer.

Preaching missionary evangelism is really a dodge for the incorporated church system. When someone throws up missionary evangelism as a challenge to Separatism, it is not usually because they themselves evangelize; nor is it because they desire that 99 percent of Christians (or even 5 or 10 percent) engage in evangelism. The last thing most churches and pastors want is everyone in their church heading out to the mission field. What they want is for 99% of the people to pay for corporate or denominational evangelistic efforts – no matter how eternally successful they really are. Missionary evangelism is a cash cow, and it successfully takes the focus away from the real issue. Before we send our “christianity” abroad, we should first examine our Christianity. Most people do not want to examine their own lives to see if there is real fruit borne of their professed faith. When I say that evangelism is primarily “being Christians” I mean that our time and efforts should first be spent in assuring that we are in the faith. Christian, evangelize thyself!  While most Christians refuse to heed the scriptures concerning separation and personal holiness, they concern themselves with obligations that they do not even understand, and seek to obey commands that were not even given to them. It is not that they cannot practice Biblical Christianity, it is that they will not. It is not that most Christians are overwhelmed with a conscience that demands that they evangelize; it is that they are pressed hard and weighed down by a conscience that demands that they be Christians. In order to avoid the latter, they must focus on the former; and since they usually will not “go” themselves, they feel better when they give money to missions, and thus the seared conscience is salved.

Evangelism starts at home. When you are satisfied that you are in full obedience to what is required of you by the Gospel; when you are separated from religious whores and all papists mythologies; when you are certain that your family is evangelized and your house is properly ordered; when your worship aligns with the Word of God; and when your worldview is consistently Biblical throughout; THEN should you concern yourself with missionary evangelism. But you will find that, for the most part, if you have done all these things well, you will have little need to evangelize… because your Christian walk will have alienated and scattered all the goats and wolves, while the sheep (both lost and found) will have been powerfully evangelized by your life and behavior.

I cannot emphasize enough that our earthly success as missionaries and as ambassadors depends upon a right view of both the Sovereignty of God, and the obedience that is required of us in the scriptures. As a last point I want to examine the idea that Christians are supposed to “leaven” the rest of the world. This is where some true Christians can find areas of conflict, and I pray that all sides of the issue are considered calmly and objectively. I agree with this quote from our friend Franklin Sanders concerning some errors in modern Christian behavior:

“...feckless Evangelicalism... withdraws from confronting the world because underneath it fears that Christianity has no answer. This is what John Milton sneered at as a "fugitive & cloistered virtue" in "Areopagiticus." Therefore we have Chreestyun bookstores, and Chreestyun music and Chreestyun theme parks and Chreestyun radio and I don't know what all else, most of it functioning at the lowest possible aesthetic and intellectual level, utterly indistinguishable from
the world -- oh, the Chreestyun rockstars grab their thigh rather than their crotch, but differ in little else. Whatever happened to Rembrandt? The Christian university? Bach? Shakespeare?Christianity GAVE the world art, music, literature. It all belongs to God, and is impossible without him. The would-be artist that blasphemes God can only do it because he created light and colour. So what is Evangelicalism afraid of today? Can the gates of Hell hold out against Christ's saints and his Church?”

I agree completely and wholeheartedly with these sentiments. No true Christian, living the life of the Christian, believing the Gospel of Christ, obeying His commandments, should shrink from the marketplace of ideas or from the arena of battle with the enemies of Christ. But I question some apparent presuppositions behind other sentiments voiced in conjunction with this passionate belief. I guess I have to wonder at the different view of the world I must have. I do not see professing “christianity” shrinking into ghettos or hiding in “christian only” forums. I see modern apostate “christianity” shoving their false art, music, literature, politics and worldview down the throat of the world. I see a “christian” king and his party of neo-con fascists parading their hologram of “christianity” before the whole world. With all due respect, I don't see professing “christians” hiding in cellars or slinking down alleys, I see them jamming fish symbols and yellow ribbons on anything that moves. It seems that anything and everything is “christian” today... which may have been part of Franklin's point. Maybe it is true Christianity that he fears is shrinking from the fight. But I cannot agree that true Christian separatism, holiness, sanctity is a huge problem today. I see terms like “hyper-separatism” being bandied about and wielded as a weapon, but against what? It seems that separatism is only good today if it can be used as an argument for worldliness and syncretism. Bad ideas succeed when a false dialectic can be offered to really lazy people. The fascist says, “anyone who is not with us is with the terrorists!” The communist says, “anyone who is not a communist is a fascist!” The statist says, “anyone who rejects us is unpatriotic!” Now, the syncretist can say, “anyone more separated from the world than me, is a hyper-separatist!” This is a dangerous and slipperly slope. Other more reasonable and rational (but I think un-biblical) arguments have been made for syncretism. So let us look at what the Bible has to say about contact between the holy and the unholy:

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean. Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.” (Hag 2:11- 14)

A clean thing can not make the unclean clean. Your presence in Sodom, does not sanctify Sodom (God pulls the clean thing out before destroying Sodom). But the unclean thing CAN make everything that touches it unclean. The Pharisees were seen as avoiding every sinner, tax-collector, Samaritan and leper – so their actions are used as an argument against Separatism. But the Pharisees were not separatists, they were hypocrites. The Pharisees
desired to Lord it over the Lord's people. The Pharisees violated the law at their own whim, they rejected the commandments of God for themselves while they imposed them on everyone else. The Pharisees were NOT separatists, they were hypocritical theocrats. The argument is then made that by proper and diligent engagement, Christians can “leaven” their surroundings and wicked institutions (such as Mother Earth News). I have to strenuously object to this idea. Leaven is rarely used as a positive thing in scripture. Only in one place is leaven used (in parable) to represent the gospel of the Kingdom. This parable can be found in Luke 13 and in Matthew 13: “Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened”.

Now, Kingdom Now Presbyterians and other Dominionists (like Pat Robertson) have used this verse to say that the whole world is going to be leavened by the Gospel. But I think that these folks are missing the message here (along with the whole theme of Prophecy). Let's examine some facts:

1. The leaven is the Kingdom of Heaven (Jesus said, "My Kingdom is not of this world")
2. The whole loaf is leavened by it.
3. The leaven is “hid”.

Examining Christ's other parables and the context of this very chapter, we know that these loaves are wheat loaves. It is wheat that is harvested by the angels in order to be the Kingdom (Matt. 3:12, 13:29-30). This very chapter explains to us that the tares are to be snatched up from the Lord's field and burned, the wheat is to be taken to the purging floor where every bit of chaff is removed and destroyed by fire, THEN is the wheat to be taken to the garner and used to make loaves. So the loaves here are wheat loaves. The wheat is Christians and only Christians. The Gospel of the Kingdom (as we have explained) leavens the elect and converts them to the Kingdom. The whole loaf (of wheat) is then leavened! We should be careful in using the Lord's parables in ways other than the way in which He used them. We Christians are not to pluck up the tares, and neither are we to go with them to the fire. We are to be gathered to the purging floor, and eventually to the Lord's garner to be made into His loaves.

Now let us look at the direct commandment of Separatism:

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

It is not Mother Earth News that is going to be leavened by proper Biblical action, it is the elect of God who are evangelized when we are truly Christians. We are to represent our Lord, “For such an high priest became us, [who is] holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26). I am not saying that we do not engage the world, or that we do not represent Christ or battle for the supremacy of Christian ideas – far from it. I am saying that we don't live among them, we don't slave in their factories or feed their machines. We should work towards total dependence on God, and stop depending on His enemies. We should stop trying to train goats to act like sheep, and start feeding the sheep – or better yet, stay in the sheepfold, look to the Good Shepherd and eat good grass. The last objection against Separatism generally comes from Jude, verse 19: “These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit”. Of course this weapon is generally used by those who do not know how to rightly handle God's Word:

Matthew Henry rightly identifies these ignorant men as sensualists:“He guards them against seducers by a further description of their odious character: These are those who separate, etc., Jud_1:19. Observe, (1.) Sensualists are the worst separatists. They separate themselves from God, and Christ, and his church, to the devil, the world, and the flesh, by their ungodly courses and vicious practices; and this is a great deal worse than separation from any particular branch of the visible church on account of opinions or modes and circumstances of external government or worship, though many can patiently bear with the former, while they are plentifully and almost perpetually railing at the latter, as if no sin were damnable but what they are pleased to call schism.”

The great commentator John Gill also rightly identifies this false separatism:

“ Jud 1:19 - These be they who separate themselves,.... Not from sinners openly profane; such a separation is commendable, being according to the will and word of God, to the mind and practice of Christ, and which tends to the good of men, and to the glory of God; but from the saints and people of God; it is possible that a child of God may for a time leave the fellowship of the saints, but an entire and total forsaking of them, and of assembling with them, looks with an ill aspect; nor did they separate themselves from superstition and will worship, and every false way of worship, which would have been right, but from the pure worship, ordinances, and discipline of God's house, by a perversion of them, and as being above them, or unwilling to be under any notice and government; not from errors and heresies, and persons that held them, with these they herded; but from the pure doctrines of the Gospel, and ministers of the word”.

Most specifically we should note that these separatists are those who are “mockers... who should walk after their own ungodly lusts”, which can hardly be said of true Biblical separatists. So, my purpose in this letter is to identify proper Separatism, defend it Biblically, and to make sure that good men don't ignorantly slander a commandment of God while earnestly trying to do good towards God's children and His Kingdom. I have not yet tied Biblical Separatism to Biblical Agrarianism, but I will soon if the Lord allows.

I remain your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker

Separatism as a Fundamental Principle, Part 1-A

Separatism as a Fundamental Principle of Christian Agrarianism, Part 1 - A
Posted by Michael Bunker
editor@biblicalagrarianism.com

(This first article is long and will be divided into several "parts" for this blog)

In this first article I hope to explain some specifics of Christian Separatism, and to clarify some errors in thinking made by many good men and women who struggle with the concept of Separatism. First let's begin with a Biblical defense of the concept of separatism as it is opposed to the worldly view of syncretism or conformity.

At the outset we should state that the word “separate” is one with the word “holy”. Holiness is separate-ness. “Holy” means “special, set aside for a specific purpose”. In the Old Testament, the English word “separate” is used 24 times, almost unanimously with this connotation of a person, place, or thing being separated unto God for His own divine purposes. The word is used 8 times in the New Testament (and we will examine these) including the command of Separatism found in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. Only one time in the NT is “separate” used as a negative chastisement (Jude 19), and the context of that verse clearly explains just who these people were, what they separated from, and exactly what was their specific error. Christian authors and commentators within God's true Church have always gone to great pains not to slander true Christian separatism by wrongly applying Jude 19. We will examine that verse later.

Separatism for God's people is a principle element and underlying truth found throughout all of Scripture and all of Prophecy. It exists in virtually every spiritual type and shadow given to us in the Bible.

God’s people shall dwell ALONE:

“The eternal God [is thy] refuge, and underneath [are] the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy [them]. Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob [shall be] upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew. Happy [art] thou, O Israel: who [is] like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who [is] the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places” (Deuteronomy 33:27-29)

Most people remember that the curse of Balaam against God’s people was turned into a blessing by God, but most people do not know - exactly what was the blessing that God conferred to Israel via Balaam? What was that blessing anyway?

“How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, [whom] the LORD hath not defied? For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations” (Numbers 23:8-9)

Please take some time and study and pray over this fact. While it was the purpose of Balak to curse God's people, the very specific blessing conferred upon Israel was that they should dwell alone and not be reckoned among the nations. The word “reckoned” is the Hebrew word chashab which literally means to “plait”, “braid” or “interpenetrate”. God blessed Israel through Balaam by promising them that they would dwell separately, and would not be intermixed with the world around them. We can determine, then, that the curse sought by Balak is that Israel would be “braided” into the surrounding culture.

The Divine purpose of Separation was unveiled beginning with Noah and Abraham. Also notice that separatism is always a corollary (or maybe a result) of finding grace with God. Noah was set apart when he found grace in the sight of God: “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8).

Subsequent to receiving grace, Noah was ordered to be separate: “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth” (Genesis 6:13). “But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee” (Genesis 6:18).

Abraham found grace with God. He dwelt alone and was separate:

1. Get thee out of thy country, etc.
2. I will MAKE OF THEE a great nation
3. “So Abraham departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him”

Isaac and Jacob dwelt alone… they were separate.

Joseph was separated for the fulfilling of God’s purpose, he was the progenitor of those who were forced into Egypt: “The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren” (Gen. 49:26).

The repeated cycle of Israel being separated unto God (and being blessed thereby) is inevitably followed by their apostasy as they slowly return to their old ways of conformity and syncretism with the world. Throughout this series of cycles, we are introduced to different forces, spirits or personalities – some who encourage Israel to greater separatism and holiness (God's true prophets), and others who encourage Israel to greater conformity with the world around them (the world's prophets).

So just where do the prophets of conformity get their doctrines?

There are several different individuals or groups who (either purposefully or ignorantly) defend the concept of Christians remaining intermixed with the world. Some of these people are honestly deceived; some are generally right thinking but erroneously use the lexicon and illustrations from others who are deceived; and still others are prophets sent from the enemy (though they are allowed and given space for a time by God for His purposes) to deceive those who God would not have hear, and thus obey, the truth. I will not judge the motives of any particular person or group, I will only examine their arguments to see if any of them stand up to scrutiny.

Jesus Christ's High Priestly prayer, and “in the world, but not of it”

I should say here that much of what follows has been edited, rewritten or adapted from other articles I have written previously on the subject. All of this is from my unpublished book “The Process Driven Life”...

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty

God’s commanded will is that His people come out from among THEM and be separate. Specifically we will be known (outwardly to the rest of the world) as His sons and daughters if the Holy Spirit brings us out from among the wicked.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven

Confusion is caused in many discussions like these because assumptions are made that should not be made. When people use the word “Christian” they often mean radically different things. There are only two ways given in scripture to know who is a Christian:

1. Their Doctrine (John 7:17, Acts 2:42, Rom. 6:17, 16:17)
2. Their Fruit (Matthew 7:16, 20, 13:23, and many other parallel verses)

It should be assumed that not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a Christian. We will know the true Christians because they will be caused by the Spirit of God to be obedient to His declared will. Those that do the declared will of the Father in heaven are the ones who enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 7:21). Jesus said in the fifth chapter of John’s gospel that he never said or did anything unless the Father in heaven said it or did it. When Jesus commanded His children to come out from among them, then, it was because it is the declared will of the Father that all of His children will come out and be separate. This fact is also declared throughout the types and shadows in the Old Testament – which were given for our edification and for our instruction. Some of these points we have mentioned earlier, but let us review:

God’s Church (in Abraham) was commanded to get out of the former country and to go unto a land that God would show unto him… to live separate from his old kindred.

God’s Church was caused to come out from among the Egyptians and from their bondage.

God’s Church was commanded to dwell alone in the land and to not go to the world for assistance or protection.

God’s Church was commanded to go out from the wicked, and unto Christ without the camp, bearing His reproach.

God’s Church was commanded and caused to go out from Canaan before Jerusalem was destroyed.

God’s Church was caused to go out from Rome so that Rome could be judged.

God's Church was caused to flee from and separate from the established but apostate state churches of Rome and then of England.

God’s Church was caused to flee persecution in Europe and to flee to the desert where she was to dwell alone.

It is sad that the modernist “christian” system has succumbed to a religion of catchphrases and mantras, rather than a belief system based solely on the revealed and commanded Word of God. What follows is a conversation between myself (the Editor) and a man we will call Religious Worldling. The actual conversation is not fictional at all but is the conglomeration of many conversations I have had with pastors and preachers around the world who reject the Bible’s teaching on Separatism:

Mr. RW: I have read some of your writings on Christian Separatism, and I fear you are doing your readers a great disservice and are leading them into error on this point.

Editor: Well, I certainly would not want to lead anyone into error. Maybe you can help me then? I am always willing to be corrected by the contextual teaching of scripture. Where have you found me to be in error?

Mr. RW: Christian Separatism is not Biblical. The Bible teaches that Christians are to be “in the world, but not of it”. Teaching Christians to not be in the world is teaching them to violate the scripture. Extremism is the fountain of all error. There are two great errors that Christians have to avoid: Separatism on the one hand, and Syncretism on the other. Christians are not to be separate, but neither are we to be worldly. The truth lies somewhere in between.

Editor: I think I understand what you are saying. Could you show me where in the scripture you have found these exact words… to “be in the world, but not of it”? I would appreciate it if you would assist my feeble memory, but I have in front of me the King James Bible and would like to be able to read the context of that verse.

Mr. RW: Sure. I just taught a series on this at our Church. You can find those words in John the 17th Chapter, verses 14-16.

Editor: Actually, I cannot find those words in the Gospel of John, or in any other book of the Bible. The exact phrase “in the world, but not of it” is not in the Bible at all. That exact phrase is actually a Sufi Muslim saying that was picked up by the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. Anyone who is interested can do an internet search on the exact phrase and you will find that what I am saying is true. The one place you will not find that exact phrase, is in the Holy Bible.

Mr. RW: Ok, I understand what you are doing. Sure, the exact phrase is not in the Bible, but the teaching is right there in the 17th Chapter of John.

Editor: I will agree that the twisted version of worldliness being taught today has been violently wrenched out of the High Priestly prayer of Jesus in the 17th Chapter of John; but I will not agree for a second that Jesus is teaching (contrary to the teaching of the whole Bible) that Christians are to compromise between Separatism and Syncretism by rejecting Separatism and only partly embracing Syncretism. These words are mutually exclusive. The Bible teaches Separatism for God’s true Church from beginning to end, and only by rejecting thousands of other scriptures, both literally and in type, can one come to the conclusions that you have come to. Let us look at the context and teaching of the prayer of Jesus in the 17th Chapter of John and see if your Sufi saying holds water:

“I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:14-17).

First we must understand the word “world” in each context that it is used. The word “world” is translated from the Greek word “Kosmos”, and can have several different meanings, depending on the context in which it is used. I will quote here from the teaching of the great writer and teacher A.W. Pink on the different meanings of the word “world” in the scripture, and I ask you to investigate each meaning in context. You will find Mr. Pink is correct in each case:

"Kosmos" is used of the Universe as a whole: Acts 17: 24 - "God that made the world and all things therein seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth."

"Kosmos" is used of the earth: John 13:1; Eph. 1:4, etc., etc.- "When Jesus knew that his hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own which were in the world He loved them unto the end." "Depart out of this world" signifies, leave
this earth. "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world." This expression signifies, before the earth was founded—compare Job 38:4 etc.

"Kosmos" is used of the world-system: John 12:31 etc. - "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the Prince of this world be cast out"— compare Matt. 4:8 and I John 5:19, R. V.

"Kosmos" is used of the whole human race: Rom. 3: 19, etc.—"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."

"Kosmos" is used of humanity minus believers: John 15:18; Rom. 3:6 "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you." Believers do not "hate" Christ, so that "the world" here must signify the world of unbelievers in contrast from believers who love Christ. "God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world." Here is another passage where "the world" cannot mean "you, me, and everybody," for believers will not be "judged" by God, see John 5:24. So that here, too, it must be the world of unbelievers which is in view.

"Kosmos" is used of Gentiles in contrast from Jews: Rom. 11:12 etc. "Now if the fall of them (Israel) be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them (Israel) the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their (Israel’s) fulness." Note how the first clause in italics is defined by the latter clause placed in italics. Here, again, "the world" cannot signify all humanity for it excludes Israel!

"Kosmos" is used of believers only: John 1:29; 3:16, 17; 6:33; 12;47; I Cor. 4:9; 2 Cor. 5:19. We leave our readers to turn to these passages, asking them to note, carefully, exactly what is said and predicated of "the world" in each place. (A.W. Pink – The Meaning of Kosmos in John
3:16).

The term “kosmos” or “world” as it is used in the verses you have quoted from the 17th Chapter of John, ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT mean “the world culture” (which in every other place we are commanded to leave and flee), but it means “the universe as a whole”, or “the earth”. You will find this to be true because it is used that way in this very chapter, before and after the verses you have quoted. In verse 11, we find Jesus praying to the Father and instructing the disciples that He is going to leave the EARTH (17:4) and go to HEAVEN:

“And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are” (John 17:11).

Jesus specifically states that He is going to leave the world (the earth), but that His disciples will be left behind on the earth, as He is going to the Holy Father.

In verse 24, we find Jesus praying to the Father that the ones given to Jesus by the Father will one day be with Him where He is going (so we see that this word 'world' is about location and not culture or society):

“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24).

So we see that the word “world” in this chapter can absolutely NOT mean “the world culture” or “the unsaved world”, but it means “the created universe”, or, “the earth”. God has not chosen to take us off the planet and to Heaven while we are alive, but has chosen to leave us in His created universe for His glory; both for evangelism purposes (examined later), and so that we will stand as a divine rebuke to the world. The very same chapter teaches that:

1.) Jesus does not pray for the unsaved and wicked world (John 17:9).

2.) Jesus only prays for and loves the ones who either believe on Him now, or who will be caused to believe on Him through the teaching of the disciples, which is inclusive of the total sum of
those who are given to Christ by the Father (John 17:20, 17:6).

Jesus not only does not specifically teach us to be “in the world” as in the culture of the world; but He specifically teaches us the exact opposite:

1.) He teaches that we are not of the world (the world culture), just as He was not of the world culture, but lived separately from the world culture (John 17:14).

2.) He prays that the Father will sanctify (separate and purify) us from the world system (17:16-17)

3.) He prays that since He is leaving the created world, that the Father will protect and keep unified and separated from the world those whom the Father has given Him.

4.) He claims that while He was with His disciples in the created world, He protected them and separated them from the world systems (John 17:12).

5.) He promises that the world HATES His children, because they are not a part of the world culture (John 17:14).

Now you, and preachers like you, are teaching a compromise between Separatism (coming out and being separate from the world) and Syncretism (fully embracing the world system), but there can be no compromise between these two systems. The Bible teaches Separatism throughout, and ANY step at all in the direction of embracing the world culture is Syncretism and is an error. You cannot be halfway between these two teachings, by their very definitions.

Mr. RW: I can see why people are convinced by you, but our own experience and understanding of how the world works requires that Christians, in order to evangelize the world, be in the world.

Editor: I am not here to convince anyone. Declaring the truth will convince those who God chooses to know the truth; while it will cause the world to hate us, even as Christ has said. Now once again you confuse terms, while the very conversation we are having refutes your argument. Here I sit before you as a Separatist (which you yourself claim that I am). I am in the created universe, existing on this planet (which is what John 17 claims), yet I desire more than anything to be, and am continuously being, separated from the world culture into Christian Community. You admit this is true of me by calling me a Separatist. Yet, here I am before you evangelizing you. I am declaring the truth of the Bible to you; and this is the very heart of evangelism. I do not have to embrace and live in the world’s culture, the world’s cities, nor do I need to partake of the world’s dainties in order to evangelize. My LIFE is evangelism, and yet I am a Separatist. Merely separating from the worldly religious ilk is evangelism because the truth is manifest by Christians walking in the LIGHT of scripture. The LIGHT is the light of men. LIGHT is contrasted with darkness. Light which is mixed up with darkness loses it’s attribute of light-ness. Light is the most effective when it is gathered together in strength, where it stands as a rebuke to darkness. What you have taught is NOT what the Bible teaches, and pithy catchphrases cannot refute the entire teaching of God’s Word on the subject. You can rest assured that the Bible is a Separatist book. The very word “Holy” means SEPARATE, so the very front cover of my Bible declares "SEPARATE BIBLE" on it. There can be no holiness without separatism. There is only Separatism or Syncretism. One is true and one is false.

RW: I cannot agree with you. Experience denies it. The whole history of the Church is one of growing outward into the world evangelistically.

Editor: Respectfully, there you are wrong once again, and it seems you have now coupled ignorance of scripture with a profound ignorance of history. The History of the true Church is a history of Separatism.

Christ separated out His apostles from among men. They were to leave their jobs and lives and be dedicated to Him alone. Those who Christ evangelized were of two sorts… Christ saw a great multitude following Him and separated them by giving commandment that they should “depart to the other side” (Matthew 8:18). Some refused to follow and made excuses because they had pressing business in the world (even after claiming that they would follow Him “withersoever” He went!) Only His chosen disciples followed Him. This is separation. Out of the “great multitude” only His disciples followed Him.

God calls His true Church to separate and to live in community. It is their own fear and slavish wickedness that calls them back into the world before long. Remember that the same separated disciples (who Christ pulled out of the world) chose to return to their employments after the death of Christ (John 21:3). Christ went and retrieved them to His work. We see in history the pattern of God separating the Church, followed by a time of apostasy creeping in that causes them to join once again to the world.

When 3,000 believed during the day of Pentecost, they immediately separated from their old lives, sold their properties and began to live in community with the Christians in Jerusalem. When persecution began after the stoning of Stephen, the Christians separated from Jerusalem into Christian communities abroad. Christians eventually drifted back into Jerusalem and back into a life of Syncretism, but when the Romans began to surround Jerusalem, the Christians separated completely into a Christian community in Pella and the Decapolis. Once again Syncretism set in, and once again God brought persecution and death to the Church through the hand of the Caesars to separate out the real Christians from the mere professors. Christians again separated into Christian communities in the countryside and in the caves and catacombs. Those who were never a part of the Roman system (the Waldenses and others) lived separately in the Alps of Switzerland, France, and Italy and kept the apostolic belief system pure and untainted by the errors of Rome. Later, true Christians who had been enslaved by Rome were caused to flee syncretism with her and to separate from the Apostate Church during the Reformation. After the decrees of Conformity, Christians once again fled syncretism and separated into Puritan Christian communities. So, history teaches that Separatism is the work of God, and that Syncretism is the work of the devil. There IS NO MIDDLE GROUND.

RW: I see that there is no reasoning with you, so I will leave you alone in your error.

Editor: I will be taught from the Bible, but if it is your reasoning alone that you require that I worship, I will of course refuse.

Obedience requires that we heed the commandments of God. Separation is not an option for God’s elect… it is a commandment. As the scriptures say, “come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord”. Fear of freedom prevents most who believe that they are the called of God from ever separating from the world. Modernist lies and mantras, some based on Sufi sayings and catchphrases and not on the plain and contextual teaching of Scripture, have overwhelmed the professing “church”. Remember, it is the secular world that has made Separatism into a foul word, and they have done it for the same reason that Jesus said that they cannot love Him or His children. They hate separatism because they love death (Prov. 8:36) and they despise wisdom (Prov. 1:7). The world needs Christians to bow to it, but Christians definitely do not need the world. If we do not follow Christ in His commandment that we separate ourselves and live in loving Christian community, it is because we still love the world and because we are afraid of freedom. Repentance begins with the gift of believing the truth about ourselves; however, people do not obey because they lack faith. But Christ is the fountainhead of faith. All who truly desire to grow into maturity and perfection in Christ should pray as the disciples did, “Lord, increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). All others are mere professors, and they are known NOT by their words, but by their deeds.

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

(continued in Part 1-B tomorrow)

RAIN!!!!!!!!!!

8/18/08 - 2nd Day - Evening. Ok, so the rain finally came. I had encouraged everyone (as much as anyone can) a week or so ago that in the 3 previous years that I had lived here, we had ALWAYS received rain in the end of August. Everyone was very hopeful, then when a week ago the prognosticators started pointing towards this past weekend and early this week as very probably for some good rainfall. Well, we received close to two and a half inches on Friday night and on the Sabbath, and then we received another two and a half inches or more yesterday and today. Today has been an ideal rain day, and our rear catchwater tank now sits at about 1200 gallons, which is about half full. Because of some poor planning when I first built the cabin, the front roofline is a foot or so lower than it would need to be to pipe the water back to the back tank, so for the last couple of years, we have caught water off the front of the cabin into large Rubbermaid garbage cans. Usually we would have about 4 of these 55 gallon cans, and every time it would rain we would have to go out in the rain to bail water from one to the next until all were full, then we would have to start hauling water by bucket brigade back to the 2500 catchwater tank in the rear of the cabin. Well, over time, these garbage cans begin to spring leaks, and we learned on Saturday that several of ours were leaking really badly, so, since it had dried up a little this morning, Dusty and I drove to Brownwood and I bought a galvanized 170 gallon stock tank to catch water in the front. I figured: a) as little rain as we have had, it would take quite a while to fill the stock tank, and, b) we would save all of the bucketing from garbage can to garbage can in the front, and we would have to bucket brigade to the rear far less often. In fact, as little rain as we have had, I figured it would take several days of really good rain even to fill the catchwater tank one time. WRONG. This first picture is of the new tank about 25 minutes after we installed it. Tracy decided to take a picture of the first rainfall filling the tank:


This next picture is of the stock tank less than an hour later.


As you can tell (praise God) we were bucket brigading almost immediately, which is really not much of a problem for us, since we all really enjoy it - especially after a long and brutal drought. Our next step is to install a small pump which will be operated from inside the cabin and will pump the water to the back catchwater through a garden hose. Of course then we would miss out on the fun of the whole household pitching in to bucket brigade life-saving water into our large catchwater tank.

Well, our back pond is not only full, but it has been overflowing the dam for about two days. I haven't had an opportunity to check the front pond yet, but I will soon and I will give you a report and maybe some pictures.

Anyway, thank you all for your continued prayers and we praise and thank God for His ample provision.

Your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker

On Hold

8/14/08 - 5th Day - After Breakfast. Yesterday was our monthly community work day (First Wednesday). I know it was the second wednesday of the month, but the first first wednesday got cancelled because of almost no rain.

I'm taking a "kind of" break here from the blog for awhile. First I'll give you the reasons, then I'll tell you what I mean by "kind of".

As most of you know, I do my work in a 12 x 16 cabin that doesn't have a chair. I do my work, then, laying on my back (horrible for me) or sitting up (bad for me) on the bed. My office is unfinished and has been since we started it last October ('07). That is manageable though, but for the last several months (actually going back for much of this spring and summer, I have been having to borrow a computer in order to do my ministry work. I then steal some ministry work time (primarily answering emails, counseling, writing sermons, etc.) to update the blog. My computer is about 90% shot, but will work sometimes when the power cord works. The power cord is now completely shot, which wipes out the final 10% for me. This week I have come to realize that my entire ministry has become dependent on others (primarily the women in our group here who graciously let me borrow their computer in order to work), and I don't think that is the way it should be. Nor do I feel it is biblical for the ministry of the gospel to be dependent on women.

Ok, so I am putting the ministry on hold. I figure God was patient and waiting me to figure this out, and apparently I finally got the message. If God wants me to continue (and I am not saying He does at all... I have always said that God doesn't need me, nor is it necessary that I continue to do this), I will do it when I have the resources to do it properly.

As for blogging, it is a pleasure and is very cathartic for me to blog about our lives and experiences. I will get back to it in time. For awhile, though, or for as long as I am borrowing a computer to check email, etc., I will be posting some older things that I have written that perhaps you have never read.

------------------------------------

Ok, so this blog post was about 3 times as long and included a past post, but I had to truncate it and try to send it out like this because my internet is sooooo slow and won't work most of the time I am on it. We called out the ip people the other day and they gave me a bunch of technical gobbledygood, and still my internet is slower than dialup.

Later y'all,

M

Update and SUPER Ranchfest

8/12/08 - 3rd Day - Midday. Ok, so I know that many of you have had massive problems with the slowness and other access problems over at BiblicalAgrarianism.com. I am glad to announce that we believe that those problems are over. Our webmaster David Sifford has been able to hassle our hosting service into moving BA over to a new server. I don't know if it was our traffic, or the combination of all the other sites hosted on the old server, but BA had pretty much skidded to a stop. You will notice I haven't been updating the site with new articles for some time, and that was because I could hardly get access to the site myself, and when I did it was so slow that I couldn't take the time to read and post articles. So.... I welcome you all back to BiblicalAgrarianism.com and I invite you to participate as much as you can by submitting articles (via the article submission process you can read about on the front page) and by participating on the forum. Our apologies to all of you who were having such troubles with the site, and we hope you enjoy the new faster server.

Well, we've gotten great feedback from folks about our Texas Mesquite Coffee, and we are continuing to process mesquite pods and roast them up. We've now some more to send out, so if you would like some sent to you, we are sending it out "as available" and on a donation basis. Email me with your order, and you may send any donations to: M. Bunker 1251 CR 132 Santa Anna, Texas 76878.

Today we are working on Prickly Pear Cactus preserves. Our land has quite a bit of prickly pear, so we are harvesting a bunch of it to make into some food products here at the ranch. Since our gardens have done so poorly this year in the drought, we are taking advantage of the things the land naturally produces (mesquite and cactus). Normally at this time of year we would be canning and preserving garden vegetables, but instead we have been canning and preserving peaches and prickly pear cactus fruit, and we have been processing mesquite pods. We also have been processing mesquite pods for use in our breads and tortillas. I can tell you that the mesquite tortillas are the best I have ever had. They taste like a desert cinnamon tortilla. Anyway, If the prickly pear cactus preserves works out for us, I will post the recipe and process we used to make it. I also plan on starting on some prickly pear wine sometime this week.

Up until yesterday, the temperatures here were as hot as they have ever been since I have lived here. On the Lord's Day the temperature was 106 and it was a difficult day I will tell you. The night before, we went to bed at 11 p.m. and it was 96 degrees inside the cabin. On Sunday, for the first time, it hit 100 inside the cabin. But yesterday was quite cool, and today is pretty nice... at 2:42 PM it was 91 degrees. The prognosticators are calling for nighttime temps to get down in the 60's starting next sabbath. Praise God! We still need rain though.

SUPER RANCHFEST

Ok, so Super Ranchfest is coming quickly (October 10th - 17th) and it is looking like we will have a good showing. Here is a link telling you new folks about Ranchfest and its history: Click Here. Here is some more ranchfest info:

You may camp or tent here at the ranch for free. We have a tent area, and there are a lot of areas to pull a camper if you want to do that. If you tent or camp here, you will NOT have any amenities (water, septic, etc.) and you will be expected to bring your own water. If you plan on staying or camping here at the ranch, please contact me immediately to make arrangements, there is plenty of room, and like I said, it is free.

You may stay in a nearby motel.

Motels: The closest is the Texas Ranger Motel in Santa Anna Reply to: texasrangermotel@yahoo.com Texas OWNED and OPERATED For Reservations call 325-348-3150, or email texasrangermotel@yahoo.com

The Budget Inn in nearby Coleman is also a great value. As of last year, they charged approx. $35 per night and the rooms have recently been renovated. Contact info. is (325) 625-4194.

We should have good weather, but you never know. When you check weather, use 76878 as the area code. The problem with the weather prognostications here is this... most of the weather guesses are based on Brownwood, and we are about 500-800 feet higher than Brownwood. So sometimes they miss it by 8-10 degrees in any direction. And.... this is Texas, so when it comes to weather, all bets are off. We easily see extreme changes of 40-50 degrees in a single day. So expect some heat and some cold. Ok, dress code... We believe in modest apparel. We do not wear shorts. You will not want to wear open toed shoes or sandals for a lot of reasons. In our community, the men wear pants and the women wear long skirts or dresses. The women in our community wear headcoverings, and if you come to Ranchfest, and you are a woman (or a girl), you must also wear one. You may contact Danielle (mdbunk at yahoo.com) if you have questions about this. Women must wear a headcovering whenever they are on the property, or in any corporate or group prayer and during any time of teaching, Bible study, or corporate worship.

If you haven't been to Texas before, you should know that virtually everything here can scratch, poke, bite or sting. Some good walking shoes or boots would be a definite plus. We have first aid stuff, but you should bring whatever you use for bug repellent, etc. Camping here is awesome and you should enjoy it, but you must also be aware and look at where you are and where you are going. Not to scare anyone, but we have fire ants, scorpions, spiders, skunks, rattlesnakes, coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, etc. We will brief you all when you get here. Bring any weapons you might need. Those coming from Canada or any US socialist state will not be able to do this, so we will provide you with a weapon if you feel comfortable with one and know how to use it. If you play an instrument you might want to bring it. YOU MUST BRING CHAIRS IF YOU CAN. You will absolutely need it. You will also want to bring study materials, pen, paper, etc. to take notes during lessons. If you are staying here at the land, then you will not have access to running water. We have an outhouse. If you can bring some water containers we can let you know how/where to fill them, or people staying in hotels can fill them up for you. This will be your week "off grid" if you are staying on the land, so you will have no electricity. Flashlights, lanterns, etc. are really nice to have. There is plenty of wood, deadfall, etc. for firewood so don't be concerned with bringing your own. We plan on providing lunch on most days, and we hope to plan for at least one and possibly more group meals - but all other meals will be on your own. We usually eat breakfast on the Sabbath in Santa Anna, but we will discuss if we will be doing that this year. Just so you know, there will be alcoholic beverages available and consumed in moderation and many of the men do smoke cigars and pipes on occasion. Please contact me with questions, or post them on the BA.com forum thread for Fall uper Ranchfest 2008.

Remember that there is no charge at all for Ranchfest. This Ranchfest is being called "Super Ranchfest" because we are making every effort to get as many of our friends as possible to be here this fall. Usually, a lot of people plan on coming, but many end up not being able to make it. We are trying to emphasize the importance of Ranchfest (for the attendant) and we really want to see all of our friends here. Our main project for this Ranchfest is going to be to finish the office, and I have a few other projects in mind as well. I also will be delivering a sermon series in the evenings, so you will want to be here for that. Anyway, I will be starting a SUPER RANCHFEST forum thread on BA today, so you can check in there and ask questions.

I am going to be sending out a private email on my friendslist email list today, so if you do not receive it, then you were purged during the last email purge. You'll have to email me to get added to the list: editor ( at ) lazarusunbound.com.

Thanks y'all,

Michael Bunker

Scatteshooting: Simon Magus and other Nonsense

8/08/08 - 5th Day - After Breakfast. I'm working up a long Agrarian off-grid living blog post for Monday or Tuesday that will be an addition to the Center for Agrarian Homesteading Information, so y'all stay tuned and check in for that one.

We received about 1/2" of rain from Tropical Storm Edouardo. Not really enough to do much, but we are thankful that it gave us some drinking water for awhile. We are looking forward to the fall rainy season very much. The heat was back today in earnest, and it should be around through the weekend. Typically we should get some good rain towards the end of August and in early September.

Sorry for the aside, but this next is just too funny for me to pass up:

How to make a wacknut... Take a man who always wanted to be 'someone', but never was. Mix in one part each of laziness, gluttony, and Biblical ignorance. Sprinkle heavily with antinomianism (lawlessness), plagiarism, greed, and avarice. Add equal measures of pride, blindness, perversion and heresy. Top with paranoia and a dash of fanciful imagination. Serve hot as hell. Here is what the end product will look like. Just in case his tin foil slips off of his head and his website "goes dark" before you have the opportunity to check it out... I captured a screenshot:

I think that image will expand when you click on it so you can read it. Some interesting observations:

1. This guy doesn't have time to maintain a public site that he only updated roughly once every three months or so. In fact, he is so busy with his preparedness and overall panic that he must make his site "dark" so he can spend all of his time preparing. However, for $100 he will blow off preparing and work hard to build and maintain a private site that you can access with a password. This is to keep the "crazies" out.... hmmmmm.... right.

2. He needs $100 from you so you can keep up with what is going on with him while he is sooo busy preparing for the end times. Meanwhile just a month ago his site claimed that accepting donations in any way made the message impure. In fact, according to him, accepting donations (like Paul did) makes the message "tainted", and "compromised by human biases, self-perpetuation, and monetary concerns":

"we're not selling anything-- and we're not accepting any donations, which
serves to keep our message pure, untainted and uncompromised by natural human biases, self-perpetuation, and monetary concerns." (Rod Jordan, Hisfaith.org - July 2008)

3. This guy actually believes that his ultra-double-secret-probation website will be secure from "intrusive spiders and eyeballs" during the "ensuing antichrist reorganization of all we know on this planet"!

4. He is undergoing this harrowing darkening of his massively popular "public site" (Alexa ranking - 10,541,505), in order to set up a private site where he can help you buy "oil for your lamps". Si