A Very Short History of Socialism in America by Chris White

  “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”  Ex. 20:17
It might surprise you to know that America actually started in a state of socialism.  These weren’t a bunch of godless liberals with a utopian agenda, but rather the group we know as the pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620.  These godly folk in their effort to form a colony that lived by the Bible felt it best (and probably prudent) to live collectively.  This meant they all built houses for one another, shared a single farm and shared all domestic chores such as wood gathering and hunting and the like.  Did it work?  No, it really didn’t.  It lead to anger towards one another because some were slack while others were not and some had a tendency to consume more than what would be considered a “fair share.”  Familiar complaints aren’t they?  Eventually their Governor William Bradford suspended the experiment and everyone was permitted to take care of their own homes and gardens which proved to be far more successful.  When people have a full stake in the outcome of their labors, they tend to be far more motivated and productive at every level.  This is not intended to be a paean of praise for capitalism (although I certainly appreciate the high standard of living it tends to promote) but rather an acknowledgement that private property is intrinsic to our humanity.  If I am not to covet my neighbor’s property it is because I am to appreciate my own and the personal blessing God has given me.  If I do not have property, I am to seek God for the opportunity and work until I do have what I need.  I should work towards having more than I need that I might have an accumulation not to covet and make an idol, but that it can a resource for sharing as the Lord directs.  What never seems to work is expecting that the labor of others will be my provision in the absence of effort or contribution on my part.  As Christians we should seek economic justice in our society but that justice should take the form of an opportunity to work and earn not a handout at everyone’s expense.  May your labors find God’s favor today!

Whatever Happened to the Millerites?

“But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone (Mk.13:32).

People are strange but Christians are peculiar. Who else but God’s own would try to figure out what Jesus said so clearly that not even He knew? But like little Johnny who can’t resist touching the hot stove when he’s been warned, history is filled with the stories of those who thought they knew and got burned in the end. The story of William Miller and the Millerites is our American version of this story. Miller was a preacher and pillar of his New England community and was converted in the waves of revival that had come to the east coast and frontiers in the 1820’s. If you were to ask him what he believed especially concerning the Scriptures and the significance of Christ, William Miller would seem to you a typical modern evangelical. But if secrets are things we keep to ourselves (whether good or bad), Miller had a secret: through his commonsense reading of the Bible particularly the books of Daniel and Revelation, and a careful study of historic chronology and current events, Jesus Christ had to be returning to earth no later than 1843. For at least 20 years Miller more or less kept his own counsels on this but eventually his views became known in a wider circle and he was soon made into a bit of a celebrity with the help of several publicists and organizers. Of course his prophecy seminars with elaborate charts and weeks of nightly meetings came to many of America’s big cities and Miller gained a devoted following of true believers. To his credit, William Miller was an effective evangelist and no charlatan. He believed the end really was near and his message was so compelling that thousands were converted and preparing to meet the savior very soon. As the year drew nigh, people were interested in a specific date and Miller calculated it to early spring but no further. When spring came and went without the Second Coming, he suggested an error in his calculations and that it would happen the following year. When the inevitable came to pass, many of Miller’s followers gave up and others offered alternative explanations such as that Christ came spiritually (an excellent fall back position for people who like to overreach on an issue) and began a new work on earth. Two groups which descend from Miller’s teaching are the Seventh Day Adventists and the Jehovah’s Witnesses who continue their teaching based on a spiritual second-coming in the mid 19^th century. Miller himself died a few years after the failed prophecy but held on to his beliefs to the very end. William Miller and the Millerites have three lessons to teach that are worth considering:

1. The Second Coming of Christ is going to happen but it’s timing is not within the purview of God’s will for humanity, but is in reality part of the secret counsels of His will. If we were to know, we would probably behave badly, act faithlessly, and no doubt try to figure out a way to profit from it. We need to trust God that there are some things we are not intended to know and that it is for our well-being.
2. Good, solid, life-giving interpretation of the Bible is not done in a vacuum. William Miller ignored a legacy of nearly two millennia of Bible teaching to come up with his views. It is always good to read the word for oneself and as a Christian you have every right to expect the Holy Spirit’s assistance in understanding. But the New Testament clearly teaches that the Church will have expert teachers to explain the scriptures. This doesn’t mean everyone is right about everything but it does mean that over time consensus does build about certain ideas and wisdom would dictate it to be prudent to at least consider the teaching of others.
3. When a man goes out on a limb and makes a prediction in the name of the Lord the standard of the Bible is 100% accuracy or the person is a false teacher. I personally believe Miller had good intentions and motives and actually tried to avoid this pitfall. But to the other side of the equation, many people who claim “God spoke to me that this is going to come to pass….” Often equivocate when it doesn’t and spiritualize it in some sense. It’s a nice, face-saving gesture (and of course saves the Lord from embarrassment at the same time!) but it needs to be seen for what it is: a bad mistake and presumptuous behavior. This needs public confession if it was a public statement, and needs to be repented of nor recycled as a ‘spiritual event’.

Why Study History?

Henry Ford once said that all history is bunk. While that is the case in certain circumstances, much of history is very instructive and can be a source of wisdom and perspective. In this talk Matt and Chris discuss the value of history, grading its sources, and how to benefit the most from studying history.

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Dialogue on the Spiritual Disciplines

Christianity has a long history of devotion to God. In this dialog we discuss with guest Doug Higuera the classic spiritual disciplines that Christians have practiced in their pursuit of a closer relationship with the Lord.

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The UFO-Evolution Connection

Unidentified Flying Objects are real and pick up millions of people on earth to "study" them! So says Dr. Tom Kindell of Reasons for Faith in Eagle Point Oregon. In this interview, Chris explores with Dr. Kindell the connection between the widely held beliefs of Evolution and Extra-Terrestrial life that shape the modern mind. Is this something that "just happened" or is it connected with an outside spiritual intelligence that has designs on taking over our planet?

UFO's - (podcast time = 33:45)

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Worth Seeing in Israel

Travelogues are a time-tested form of literature that combine both good information and the reflections of the traveler. In half the time it would take to see all of Aunt Myrtle's slides from her family reunion in North Dakota, Chris has an informative chat with Matt about his most recent journey to the Holyland. If you've ever been to Israel or would like to go someday, this conversation will guide you in having a safe and meaningful trip.

Visiting Israel - (Podcast time = 26:10)

The Great Azusa Street Revival

Tired of the Da Vinci Code yet? Here’s a podcast about a movement within Christianity that is still going strong 100 years later. The 1906 Revival on Azusa Street in Los Angeles was seen as a dramatic hoax by the news media, an apocalyptic sign of the end of the world by some, and for others it was a revival of the glory days of Christianity as recorded in the New Testament book of Acts. Listen in as Matt and Chris uncover the story of William Seymour and the Azusa Street Revival.

Azusa Street Revival - (Podcast time = 26:25)