A TRUE LIBERAL

Part 2

 

May 28, 2021

 

Today’s discussion will address some of the physical and political aspects, but we really are still focusing on the fact that our perspective on what properly classifies one as a “liberal” should be more spiritually acclimated.  Our society has really messed with our ability to properly define things, and in today’s warped conversation, we have really gone astray.

Time to get on with the day.  Pour yourself a cup and let's get back to our discussion.

Gary Severy sent me a note after last week’s Coffee Break and pointed out a scripture from Isaiah's prophecy that is very applicable to our discussion.

"The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.  For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.  The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.  But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand."  (Isaiah 32:5-8)

Before we get too far along, let's take a look at some definitions from the Hebrew text.  

"The vile (ìá˜ðˆ --naòbaòl: stupid, wicked, impious, dishonorable) person shall no more be called liberal (áéã›ðˆ -- naòdŒòyb: generous, magnanimous, voluntary and cheerful giver), nor the churl (éìÇékÄ -- kŒòylay: stingy, withholding, keeping for oneself, scanty and grudging) said to be bountiful (òÇBL -- sho'-ah: free, noble, opulent, rich and generous with his wealth)."

Sure draws a picture of what the Lord considers to be liberal, doesn't it?  Do you see the stark contrast with what society today labels as "liberal"?  Today's so-called "liberal" is stingy, self-absorbed, fearful, grudging and withholding of their own goods and lifestyle.  What the MSM today labels "liberal" is what Isaiah refers to as being "a churl."

Society today has delighted in the reversal of meanings and the twisting of words to make them mean exactly the opposite of what they actually mean.  Let me give you a few examples.

A homosexual or lesbian today is called "gay," when there is nothing truly gay about them or their lifestyle.

Street kids refer to something that is great, or really good, as "bad."

Capitalism has become a bad word in the MSM (mainstream! media) and implies the wicked getting rich, hoarding one's riches and depriving the poor.  In fact, capitalism is nothing more than an economic system in which production and distribution are privately or corporately owned -- where development is proportional to the accumulation and reinvestment of profits gained in a free market place.

And how about our acronym, the MSM?  "Mainstream" Media?  Mainstream?  Not on their best day!  The term "mainstream" implies the idea that they represent the core values of American life (or the core values of the life of whatever country the media happen to represent).  In fact, the media -- especially in America and other "democratic" countries -- are largely controlled by a small group of wannabe-elites who hate God, who despite the name of Jesus Christ, who hate freedom, and who hate any kind of disciplined lifestyle which reflects Godly principles.

The latest Gallup poll (reported on Fox News a few weeks ago) says that 88% of Americans consider themselves "Christian" and 57% of Americans consider themselves "born again" Christians.  By the very concept of "mainstream," therefore, our so-called MSM are not even close to "mainstream."

You get the idea.  We could literally make a whole new dictionary of "politically correct" terminology -- terminology which defies the truth, terminology which is fear-based, and terminology which does its dead-level (and I use that adjective advisedly) best to avoid any mention of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, God the Father, or anything which implies righteousness or righteous standards.

As I said when we began last Friday, when we get done with this discussion, you may very well re-define who and what you are -- both politically and spiritually.

Let's get back to what the Word of God says about "liberal."

We'll pick up in Proverbs 11:25 to draw a picture.

"The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself."

Just a second before we continue.  Doesn't that statement sound a whole lot like something Jesus said?  Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."  (Luke 6:38)

Yup.  Sounds exactly like what Solomon wrote in the Proverbs.

"The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.  He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.  He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him.  He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch."

How, pray tell, did we ever get to the place of calling people who are afraid to take personal responsibility "liberal"?  How did we ever come to the place where a person is a "liberal" who wants to take your hard-earned money, siphon off a good part of it for himself (or herself) without letting folks know, and then appear to be generous by giving large sums of money -- all taken by legalized thievery in the name of "doing good" -- to social programs to fund (and keep folks in chains) poverty?

Let's go the other direction, now.  How did we ever come to the place where a "conservative" is someone who undoes what the "liberal" steals through heavy taxation?  Why do we call someone "conservative" when they are not afraid of hard work, become prosperous, and use their prosperity to freely give to meet the needs of others?

You've heard the old adage, I'm sure: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish, and he'll feed himself for the rest of his life."

So how come the person who teaches someone "how to fish" is a "conservative," whereas the "liberal" is the guy who takes your fish and gives it to someone else?  Hmmmmmm............  Sounds kind of fishy to me!  (No pun intended, of course!)

Let's take this discussion the next step.

Ever notice how Jesus preached against "conservatives"?  (Look out, now.  I'm going to set a trap.)

"And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!"

Let me translate this from the Greek text a little more accurately.  "And Jesus cast His eyes about [the gathered crowd], and said to His disciples, 'How impractical is it for those who grasp and hang onto their material goods, their wealth, their money to enter into the sphere of God's Kingdom and rulership."  (Mark 10:23)

I don't think I've ever heard a more mis-quoted and mis-used verse of Scripture by unbelieving folks trying to prove that Jesus never meant for Christians to have an abundance of wealth.  That isn't what Jesus was saying at all.  He's talking about those people who make money their focus, their god, their source of safety and protection.

People who make money all that they rely on in life have, and are afflicted with, a spirit of poverty.

Folks, there isn't any other way to describe this than "conservatism."  You remember our Webster's definition from Monday, do you not?  Here's a part of it again: con·ser·va·tive:a., (1) conserving, or tending to conserve; preservative; (2) tending to preserve old institutions, methods, customs and the like; (3) adhering to what is old or established; opposing or resisting change; (4)having conservative views, espousing slow progress; moderate, prudent, safe.

People with a spirit of poverty conserve, preserve, hang onto what they have, continually seek to add to what they have so that they build up a bigger and better "financial safety net."

Now don't get me wrong.  Conservation, in and of itself, isn't necessarily wrong.  It's the motivation behind it.  Taken in the context of the rich young ruler (in Mark 10) to which Jesus was referring, people who can't freely give away what they have when directed by the Spirit of the Lord are afflicted by a spirit of poverty.

There's nothing wrong with being rich, and Jesus doesn't ever preach against having wealth and riches.  In fact, Proverbs 10:22 tells us that "The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it."

When an individual is a true liberal, they most likely have an abundance from which to supply the needs of others.  What's more, they listen continually to the voice of the Lord and watch for opportunities to give.  We've already quoted this twice today, and here it is for the third time: "The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself."

The true liberal is a giver -- not a taker.  The true conservative is a taker -- not a giver. 

That brings us back to today's so-called "liberals."  They freely give -- OPM: other people's money, not their own!  They take from everyone else so as to meet the needs of the needy, and in so doing make themselves look generous while not actually being generous from and out of their own supply.  Fact is, today’s so-called “liberals” are among the stingiest people on the face of the earth.  We really need to ban the term "liberal" when it comes to today's politics and politicians.  They're not liberals, they're socialists -- and there's a huge difference!

By continually "giving" OPM, they take away the fruit of the labors of the truly "liberal" while they teach the bondage of dependence, creating a sub-class of people who become mentally, emotionally, physically and financially dependent on their "good will."

Ever wonder why the body of Christ has been labeled for centuries as "conservative"?  The truth is that many Christians (and I use the term carefully) really are "conservatives."  They've never learned to love with the love of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Agape is missing as a part of their existence.

The most important ingredient in true Christianity -- as opposed to "religious Christianity" -- is a spirit of love.  Most of you have read the 13th chapter of I Corinthians, I'm sure.  If you haven't stop right now and read it.  I won't take time here to quote the chapter, but the essence of agape-- and that's the Greek word that's translated "charity" in the KJV, and "love" in other English translations -- is generosity, faith, hope, giving, believing the best, seeking after the best.

There's nothing stingy about God.  There's nothing about Him that desires to withhold His Blessing, His abundance, His glory from His people.  Everything about Him is Love -- agape.  And, folks, there is NOTHING CONSERVATIVE about agape!  NOTHING!  It is liberal!  It is generous!  It is giving!

Consider where the contemporary body of Christ has come from and why there is such a "conservative" mindset among so many Christians.  For centuries -- nearly 15 of them -- Christians were taught that they had to "earn" a relationship with God.  Grace and Love were simply not taught.

When Wycliffe and Tyndale began to labor to see that the Word of God was made available to the common individual and readable in such a way that folks could relate, it broke open the floodgates of true "liberality."  Martin Luther came along, posted his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg Chapel based upon Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38, and the concept of salvation by Grace was released upon believers while another piece of "conservatism's" armor was cut away.

In the centuries since, despite individual revelation to Christian leaders like the Wesley brothers, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield, D. L. Moody, Smith Wigglesworth and many others, the message of the Love of God somehow didn't break through to people's understanding, and the overwhelming majority of Christians have seen God as austere, solemn, fearful -- and stingy!

You might not have gotten folks to admit that last one, but let's face it: most believers have seen God as someone who doles out -- through Jesus Christ, of course -- salvation, healing, deliverance, and provision on a case-by-case basis, depending on whether you measured up to His "Grace" or not.  So, if you were among those people who believed that God hangs onto everything He's got and doles out His blessings carefully and restrictively, you became a "conservative."  Everything about your walk with God demonstrated that belief-system of "conservation."

I was just trying to figure out how far to take this discussion today, and realized that if we tackle the next part of this, it would make today's Coffee Break too long, so let's save the rest of it for Friday.  I want you to see where the body of Christ has the opportunity to become truly liberal, and shake this disease of "conservativism."  We'll also see just how liberal God really is!

What you have today is what you said yesterday.

In case you are missing out on real fellowship in an environment of Ekklesia, our Sunday worship gatherings are available by conference call – usually at about 10:30AM Pacific.  That conference number is (712) 770-4160, and the access code is 308640#.  We are now making these gatherings available on video usingZOOM.  If you wish to participate by video on ZOOM, our login ID is 835-926-513.  If you miss the live voice-onlycall, you can dial (712) 770-4169, enter the same access code and listen in later.  The video call, of course, is not recorded – not yet, anyway.

 

Blessings on you!

 

Regner

     

Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES

RIVER WORSHIP CENTER
Temple, Texas 76502

Email Contact: CapenerMinistries@protonmail.com

 

All Coffee Break articles are copyright by Regner A. Capener, but authorization for reprinting, reposting, copying or re-use, in whole or in part, is granted –provided proper attribution and this notice are included intact. Older Coffee Break archives are available . Coffee Break articles are normally published weekly.

If you would like to have these articles arrive each morning in your email, please send a blank email to: AnotherCoffeeBreak@protonmail.com with the word, “Subscribe” in the subject line.  To remove yourself from the mailing list, please send a blank email to AnotherCoffeeBreak@protonmail.com with the word “Unsubscribe” in the subject line.

 

CAPENER MINISTRIES is a tax-exempt church ministry. Should you desire to participate and covenant with us as partners in this ministry, please contact us at either of the above email or physical addresses, or visit: http://www.RiverWorshipCenter.org.