There is no one above the law!

by Pastor Thomas Robb

Chapter 1

The odd thing about all this is that some of the worse critics of  Roy Moore have been those who claim to be Christians.

Let’s read a couple of statements.

Dr. Richard Land President of the Southern Baptist ethics and religious liberty commission said this about Judge Moore.

Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor explained: "I continue to believe that the Ten Commandments are the cornerstone of our legal heritage and can be displayed constitutionally as they are in the building of the Supreme Court of the United States... (But) the rule of law means that when courts resolve disputes, after all appeals and arguments, we all must obey the orders of those courts even when we disagree with those orders. The rule of law means that we can work to change the law but not to defy court orders."

To which I say, "NONSENSE".

Tell that to the men who spilled their blood at Lexington and Concord.

There is no rule of law above God’s law!

Attempting to ride the fence Alabama Gov. Riley, while also insisting that a Ten Commandments display should be constitutionally acceptable, likewise added this:

Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State said this.

I will say that Roy Moore is no doubt better suited for the pulpit then the cowardly Rev Barry Lynn

What is law? The question seems almost foolish to ask because from little up we all know there are laws and without question we obey the law because we believe they are for our own good.

Frederic Bastiat, a French economist, statesmen and author wrote in 1850,

It should be easily understood that a law in itself carries no divine right or authority. It is only when the law is created to protect certain God given rights or as the founders called them “unalienable rights” that it gains a degree of divine authority.

When the law no longer protects the rights of the people then as Bastiat says, the law is not respectable.

Any law that strikes at the moral heart of a nation does not serve the nation, even if leaders of the nation claim that it does.

Such is the case with many laws and court decisions over recent years and which can be seen in the controversy surrounding Roy Moore.

Chapter 3

Isaiah 14 speaks about the rebellion of Satan.

We read here that Satan says he wants to be “like the most high.” Most preachers will tell us that Satan wants to sit in the throne of God and be worshipped as God. While this is true, the real intent of Satan is not to receive worship - it is to receive obedience. Satan wants to be like the Most High and the one attribute of God that can not be exceeded by any other is that he is the chief law giver of the universe. His law is supreme and all creation must conform to his law or self-destruct. We see people all about us whose disregard for the law of God are self-destructing. Sure they will blame their teachers, parents, spouse, job or even because they were born under the wrong star. But the fact is they are living outside of the will of God and destroying themselves. It is the law of nature and there is little we can do about it except perhaps is some feeble way point to a better path.

This is what King David meant when he said.

But it is not just people. Nations are given the same choice and when a nation chooses to disregard just and moral laws it too will self-destruct. This is why the Bible says, “The nation that forgets God will be turned into hell.”

And so Satan wants to become the chief law giver. He wants to rule and he will do so under the “rule of law.”

But whose law is it.

Let’s look at one more quote from Bastiat.

God established some simple moral laws for people as individuals to obey. Likewise when a group of individuals form a body politic they must conform to those same laws.

Satan however is in rebellion to not just God but to the moral standard, the law, which God created for man. Satan wants to become the law giver with his own law.

Within this simple truth is the whole history of the world. There is a war between God and Satan. Satan is in rebellion to the authority of God.

The cross of Jesus Christ symbolizes that man is at liberty. There is liberty only within Jesus Christ. According to Romans 8:2, the liberty of which comes out of our Christian faith sets us free from the law of sin and death. This is not just some spiritual religions mumbo jumbo. It is the basis of self-government and our constitutional republic. As the concept of liberty grew out of the Protestant Reformation the seeds of self-government began to grow. The Christian faith teaches that there is no earthly power between man and God. This established the principle of self government. We have no earthly authority which can claim power over us. Our constitutional republic created by the founding fathers recognized that we are a self-governed nation. The only authority over us is God. There is not ecclesiastical authority, no king, no government, no man. This is why Thomas Jefferson could boldly proclaim, “Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.” There can be only one ruler. The ruler will be tyrants or the ruler will be God. You will submit to only one authority. Christ said you cannot serve two masters. If you want to serve God then you must rebel against tyrants.

Does this mean that each of us is free to decide which governmental laws we are going to obey and which we are not going to obey. Of Course not! It means we are a self governed people and the government created by our forefathers receives its authority to rule from the consent of the people. The Declaration of Independence says, “We are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights, among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights governments are instituted among men deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

The founding fathers recognized this Christian principle; we come together as a corporate body and create a government that is subject to and responsible to those which created it.

God has authority over man and man has authority over the government. Government has no lawful authority over man other than that power granted it by the people. It is the collective power of the people to secure God-given rights. And as Bastiat said, since no man acting as an individual can lawfully plunder away your right, no collective body of man can lawfully plunder you of your rights.

Keep in mind; I am not talking about secular laws which govern the nation, but instead the moral law which is to govern both man and the nation.

When our nation is obedient to moral principle we are obligated to obey the laws of the nation, even those laws which we may feel are wrong.

America was founded as a Christian nation. It was founded on the moral law of God and this moral law of God governed the nation. Even though the nation and people were not always righteous, we were obligated to the principles on which the nation was founded. We were able to work within the framework of this moral principle to correct wrong of the government and its leaders.

The moral principle of the nation made us obligated to work within the idealized concept that the rule of law must prevail.

However, when the law strikes at the very heart of our moral principle then we have to decide on which side of this rebellion shall we stand. Shall we stand with the moral principle that God is the law giver and we will serve only Him or shall we join with the rebellion and its attack against the law of God?

When the government violates the very purpose for which it was created we enter an impasse. Who now is the chief law giver in the nation and as individuals who will we obey.

This is why Thomas Paine recognized the evil nature of governments. He stated that “The best of governments is a necessary evil and the worse of them is an intolerable one."

If given enough power, governments have always plundered justice and suppressed the rights of the people. There are no exceptions.

Therefore the whole intention of the founding fathers was to safeguard our God-given rights. And then to insure that they had not accidentally overlooked something they added the 10 amendments to the Constitution - which basically says if we have not specifically named a power of function of the Federal government within the pages of the constitution, then the federal government cannot assume that power and it belongs to the states.

Of course the federal government has for years trampled upon the 10th amendments and continues to do so.

We were created as a Christian nation. And though there are those who foolishly parrot the phrase that American was founded as a nation of religions freedom, they parrot something which they do not fully understand.

America was founded as a Christian nation and alien religion and alien Gods were not welcomed into the nation and were never intended to join us as part of our body politic.

James Madison, the chief architect of the constitution says “Our constitution was created for a religious and moral people; it is totally incompatible with any other.”

Patrick Henry, “Our nation was founded upon the religion of Christ it was not founded upon religion but upon Christianity, not by religionists but by Christians.”

So now I would like to briefly state what I think is our conclusion so far.

1) As individuals we have a right to protect our life, liberty and property.

2) To help secure this rights, known as God-given rights we come together in a corporate body, which we call a government to protect these rights.

3) As individuals we do not have the right to deprive or plunder the God-given rights of others.

4) Likewise a group of individuals do not posses this right.

5) A group of individuals who plunder may do so through an act of “law” But their “law” does not supersede God’s law.

6) The Protestant reformation was the seed of self-government. Christians began to more completely understand that there was no priest, Bishop or Pope that stood between them and God. No church, no church rule, no government authority and no King stood between man and God. Men and women come to God directly, and is answerable only to God. So the founding fathers made it plain. The government they would create was a servant of the people and not the master of the people. Our founding fathers understood, “No king but King Jesus!”

7) Furthermore our nation was founded as a Christian nation.

8) Non-Christians were simply not granted equal privilege to promote  non-Christian faiths.

The government must obey the rule of law! It is the government which must bow before the people.

Chapter 4

The Bible is clear, Rom 6:16 “No ye not to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey that servant ye are to whom you obey.

Daniel was an important man and was subjected to all kinds of silly laws -Daniel 6: 1 - 24

1. Darius thought it would be a good idea to choose one

hundred twenty governors who would rule his kingdom.

2. He chose three men as supervisors over those governors, and

Daniel was one of the supervisors. The supervisors were to

ensure that the governors did not try to cheat the king.

3 Daniel showed that he could do the work better than the

other supervisors and governors, so the king planned to put

Daniel in charge of the whole kingdom.

4. Because of this, the other supervisors and governors tried to find reasons to

accuse Daniel about his work in the government. But they

could not find anything wrong with him or any reason to

accuse him because he was trustworthy and not lazy or

dishonest.

5. Finally these men said, "We will never find any

reason to accuse Daniel unless it is about the law of his

God."

6. So the supervisors and governors went as a group to the

king and said: "King Darius, live forever!

7. The supervisors, assistant governors, governors, the people who advise you,

and the captains of the soldiers have all agreed that you

should make a new law for everyone to obey: For the next

thirty days no one should pray to any god or human except

to you, O king. Anyone who doesn't obey will be thrown into

the lions' den.

8. Now, O king, make the law and sign your

name to it so that it cannot be changed, because then it will

be a law of the Medes and Persians and cannot be

canceled."

 9. So King Darius signed the law.

10.Even though Daniel knew that the new law had been written, he went to

pray in an upstairs room in his house, which had windows

that opened toward Jerusalem. Three times each day Daniel

would kneel down to pray and thank God, just as he always

had done.

11. Then those men went as a group and found Daniel

praying and asking God for help.

12. So they went to the king and talked to him about the law he had made. They said,

"Didn't you sign a law that says no one may pray to any god

or human except you, O king? Doesn't it say that anyone

who disobeys during the next thirty days will be thrown into

the lions' den?" The king answered, "Yes, that is the law,

and the laws of the Medes and Persians cannot be

canceled."

13. Then they said to the king, "Daniel, one of the

captives from Judah, is not paying attention to you, O king,

or to the law you signed. Daniel still prays to his God three

times every day."

 14. The king became very upset when he

heard this. He wanted to save Daniel, and he worked hard

until sunset trying to think of a way to save him.

15. Then those men went as a group to the king to remind

him of the law Daniel had broken. They said,

"Remember, O king, the law of the Medes and Persians

says that no law or command given by the king can be

changed."

16. So King Darius gave the order, and Daniel was

brought in and thrown into the lions' den. The king said to

Daniel, "May the God you serve all the time save you!"

17. A big stone was brought and placed over the opening of the

lions' den. Then the king used his signet ring and the rings of

his royal officers to put special seals on the rock. This

ensured that no one would move the rock and bring Daniel

out.

Daniel was at a crossroads of his life. He was one of the most powerful and respected leaders in the nation. He was a faithful servant of God and yet he was a faithful servant of Darius, king of the Medes and Persians. I don’t recall any scripture to back up what I am about to say, but I think with our understanding of governments and history we can assume there were a multitude of laws within the nation, many of them which were no doubt silly, others were not silly but perhaps in the great scheme of things were somewhat minor. This could perhaps be somewhat comparable to laws in this country regulating traffic, noise ordinances, pollution, etc.

Daniel was faithful to maintain the rule of law.

However, when there is a moral strike made to the heart of the nation, Daniel had to choose. When a law attempts to supersede the Law of God then we have to make a decision

Chapter 5

Moses came down from the mount

“Who is on the Lord’s side?’

We certainly believe that an orderly nation is dependent upon the rule of Law, but when a federal judiciary violates the rule of law then we must obey the rule of Law above that of the judiciary.

No man, no court, no legislative body, and no government can elevate itself above the law of God. To do so is to join with the rebellion.

All Christians must keep in mind, “Know ye not to who ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servant ye are to whom you obey.

As a civilized people we place high regard and respect for the Law. The whole evolution of Western Civilization grows out of the foundation of law. We organized ourselves into communities and created laws to protect the members of the community. As our communities grew into nations we adopted these laws for the governing of the nation.

These laws created for the protection of the people came about through a process which is called collective rights. Collective rights are based on the concept that because an individual has a God-given right to protect his life, liberty and property a group of individuals can come together and organize to protect the rights of all those in the group.

It is from this we gain our respect for law - it is the common will of the people for the common good of the people. It is what our founding fathers called “of the people, by the people and for the people.”

However, if this same collective body which was organized to protect the common good of the people should suddenly oppress the life, liberty and property of the people then it has lost its collective right and its lawful authority.

It was for this reason; the founding fathers justified before the world their rebellion against the King of England. He was violating their God given rights.

Thomas Jefferson wrote that, “We are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, that to secure these rights governments are instituted among men deriving their just powers from the consent of the people. That whenever any form government becomes destructive of this end it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence indeed shall dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transients causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they have become accustomed. But when a long train of abuse and usurpation’s, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty to throw off such government and to provide the guards for their future security,”

We need to understand that governments and laws which proceed from them are not in themselves holy or sacred. They are righteous and therefore perhaps sacred and holy when they protect the God given rights of the people. When law oppresses the rights of life, liberty and property they become evil. Thomas Paine stated quite eloquently, “The BEST of governments is a necessary evil; the worst of them is an intolerable one.”

The Bible says it this way, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”

It is important to understand that it is only the righteous that rule with authority, the wicked does not have authority - they only have the power of force.

Judge Roy Moore has refused to obey the court order.

Chapter 6

If questioned, most Americans would tell us that the United States was established upon the principle that there is a wall of separation between church and state. In fact, they believe it so much that they actually believe it is in the constitution.

The fact is that the constitution says no such thing. Our founding fathers were concerned that an established religion would gain control of the government resulting in the kinds of religious wars that plagued Europe for centuries. Therefore the framers of the Republic placed in the first amendment the clause prohibiting a state approved church.

The amendment reads as follows, “Congress shall make no law, respecting an establishment of religion, or the prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

There are many quotes we could use from the founding fathers to help show that the first amendment did not establish a separation of church and state but instead was a prohibition of an official state religion.

I chose a statement by George Mason who was a signer of our Constitution and who was considered the “Father of the Bill of Rights.”

Here is what George Mason said, All men have an equal, natural and unalienable right to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience, and that no particular sect or society of Christians ought to be favored or established by law in preference to others.”

These men understood this was a Christian nation and organized this nation under Christian principles.

In fact, Patrick Henry said that this nation was not founded by religionist but by Christians, not upon religion but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And what about the man who is actually credited with writing the constitution - James Madison. Although James Madison was quick to deny the credit instead stating that it was a joint collaboration of many others, the fact is that James Madison’s participation in the actually writing of the Constitution was so great that he is considered the chief architect and father of the Constitution. Surely there can be no higher authority of what the constitution actually means.

James Madison said, “That the constitution was for a religious and moral people and is totally unsuited for any other.”

In other words, when someone tells you that America was founded upon religious freedom, they are wrong. Our founding fathers gave a Christian spirit to this Constitutional Republic we call the United States. And there was no attempt to mix the religion of heathens into the fabric of America.

In fact, Jesus Christ is the foundation of this Republic

This understanding is important to the issue at hand. To whom is our first allegiance?

Under the rulership of Kings it was generally taught that the King ruled with divine authority. Ruling with divine authority is one thing and certainly those of us who understand our identity with the House of Israel can make argument that the authority was granted to the tribe of Judah and to the House of David. In fact, we are told that David’s throne would be established forever. Psa 89 says. “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established forever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven.”

If that is true and as Christian we must believe it is, then the throne of David still is in existence waiting the day when Jesus Christ is crowned King of kings and Lord of lords. It is to this day.

As we know the Bible is a history book of Israel and gives record of both the righteous and unrighteous Kings which ruled over the nation. The people experienced both the benefits and goodness of righteous government and evil of unrighteous government. This is why the Bible is clear, “When the righteous are in authority the people rejoice, but when the wicked bearest rule the people mourn.”

However, as often happens under absolute power the divine authority of the king to rule became corrupted into what became known as the divine right of kings. The king and his yes men took the collective right of the people to organize for their common good (through the acknowledgment of the king which granted him authority to rule) and claimed the king had divine rights, rights which were not granted to the people. It was this claim of divine right of kings from which our founding fathers rebelled. The king ruled with full power and he was the final word in law. It was the king’s law and he owned the land and the people and he ruled with impunity.

But as the full impact of the Protestant Reformation began to emerge and take shape, the people began to understand that there was only one rule of law and it was not the king's. The king was subject to the laws of God. When the king's laws usurped God's law - the king's authority was no longer valid.

From this came self government. In England, Oliver Cromwell broke the power of the divine right of kings and began a series of events which increased the power of the English Parliament. For the next century the King and the Parliament battled over power. The King of course claimed he had divine authority to rule, but also claiming he possessed the divine right of Kings. The king and king alone decided what law was, the people must be subject to him.

Chapter 7

As our nation moved toward independence, the divine right of kings and his rule of law became more and more unacceptable and intolerable.

It was with this understanding that Patrick Henry rose in the Virginia House of Burgesses and stated, “Caesar had his Brutus, Charles the First his Cromwell and George the III may profit by their example.” As he uttered these words other members of the House began to cry out “Treason, Treason.” Undaunted, the ever eloquent Patrick Henry retorted, “If this be treason, make the most of it.”

As the nation looks upon Roy Moore and his defiance of the court order there are those who applaud Roy Moore and those who say he is acting outside of the law. Many of those who condemn Roy Moore also claim to be Christian. In their minds Roy Moore’s defiance of the court order is bringing shame to the cause of Jesus Christ.

Patrick Henry and our founding fathers were facing the same dilemma. England was a highly civilized nation. It had culture, education, wealth and power. The throne was old and the King ruled with full authority. He and his government were the rule of law and had been the rule of law for generations.

However, the founding fathers recognized that no power even from the King himself, acting under the rule of law had greater power than those unalienable right of life, liberty and property. When placed on the balance, the God given rights of the people had greater weight than the rule of law.

Judge Roy Moore was placed in the same dilemma. Will the worship and acknowledgment of God have higher jurisdiction than a court order? Can Judge Myron Thompson rightfully claim to demand higher regard and obedience than the Ten Commandments? Would fearfully obeying the court order replace the object of worship? When the commandment says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. . . Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.”

It is interesting to note that God does not say, “Thou shalt not love other God’s.” Why is this important? It is because among the heathen there is worship of false Gods who the worshipers do not necessarily love, but they worship them and obey them out of fear. God is telling Israel - and he is telling us - You can make all kinds of claims of Love. I am going to look at who you obey. This is why the Apostle Paul said, “Know ye not to who ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servant ye are to whom you obey.” Jesus Christ stated in Matt 7:21 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.”

Another example is found in the parable where a father who had two sons asked the one to go work in the vineyards. The first son said, yes, father I will go. But he didn’t go! The father asked the other son to go work in the vineyards and he No, I will not. But afterwards he was sorry for what he said and he went - he obeyed! Jesus than asked, “Which of the two did the will of the father?”

You simply cannot separate worship and obedience.

Judge Roy Moore understood this.

Thomas Jefferson understood also and formulated his thoughts and the thoughts of all those who will obey God when he said, “Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.”

Let us look at a couple of examples found in scripture.

In Daniel 3 we read of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These were officers in the government. They were respected leaders with authority. It was expected of them to be faithful and loyal servants of the King. However when the King, acting under the rule of law announced that everyone would be required to bow before the statue of the King, they defied the rule of law. The king gave them a second chance and warned them that if they did not obey they would then be tossed into a furnace.

Who among those professing Christians today would be ready for this challenge if it suddenly faced them? It is also interesting to read their reply, “If you throw us into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from the furnace. He will save us from your power, O king. But even if God does not save us, we want you, O king, to know this: We will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."

I think most of us when facing this same situation would immediately begin praying for deliverance from the flames. In fact we as Christians are always praying for deliverance from some evil in our lives. However, it is interesting to note the statement of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Their focus was not on deliverance from the flame but on their faithfulness to God. Regardless of what the outcome, they would trust in God.

Like Job, who in spite of all the trials that fell upon him declared, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”

So there stood Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and told the king, “Even if God does not save us, we want you, O king, to know this: We will not serve your gods - we will not obey your law - we will not obey your court order!”

Who is God in our lives - who will we serve.

Roy Moore had the choice, “Is Jesus Christ God or is the federal court God.”

It would have been easier for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the law of the King - after all - it WAS the law. Who could blame them? They didn’t have to really worship the silly statue. They could just bow down and get it over with and then go on their way. After all, they could say in their hearts they knew the silly statue wasn’t God.

In fact, I will wager that there was not a single person bowing before the statue on that day who REALLY believed it was a God. I am sure that as they were bowing before the statue they were saying to themselves, “This is the stupidest thing I ever had to do. But the King said do it so I guess I will.” I am sure that even old Nebuchadnezzar knew that this statue he erected on the plains of Dura was not God - not really.

So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego could have bowed, they could have gone along with the rest of the crowd. They could have just said, it’s no big deal! Let’s just do it and get it done with and tomorrow it will all be forgotten about.

I am sure there were many people that day that did that very thing!

Let us look at another example in the book of Acts of the Apostles. Here we can read of how the apostles were brought before the Jewish rulers and commanded not to speak in the name of Jesus. However, Peter answered them and said, "We must obey God, not human authority! Later in chapter 5 the apostles are again brought before the Jewish law makers. We are told they were beaten and then released and commanded not to speak in the name of Jesus. ag However, we read in the Bible that the apostles left the court room full of joy because they were given the honor of suffering disgrace for Jesus. Every day in the Temple and in the homes of the people they continued teaching and telling the Good News -- that Jesus is the Christ.”

Chapter 8

I want to be clear that through the power of our collective rights we were able to secure our God given rights to life, liberty and property. Also by Jesus Christ and through his blood and resurrection we have been set free from the power of sin and death brought upon us by our sinful nature and tyrannical government. Jesus Christ established that there is no authority over our lives other than the authority of Jesus Christ. It is from this that self-government emerged. No government rules over the lives of the people, only the common agreed upon collective power of the people have lawful authority. And the government receives this power from the people. Some people ignorantly claim we have constitutional rights, but this is not the case. We have unalienable rights which the constitution was created to protect.

Therefore because we have formed a body politic by means of our collective rights we are subject to the laws of the body we have ourselves created. Therefore we are indeed obligated and even commanded to obey this lawful authority.

As a self-governed nation we are the masters of our fate. For this reason, to maintain the collective rights of the people we must obey those laws which we may even disagree. So we do not have the authority to pick and choose which laws we want to obey and which ones we don’t want to obey. We can’t hide our contempt for an orderly self governed nation under the claim “I am obeying God.” - no matter how many voices you hear in your head.

It is only after the collective power creates, as Thomas Jefferson said, “a long train of abuse and usurpation, with the design to reduce the people under absolute despotism” do we face what Frederick Bastiat called “the cruel alternative.”

The cowardly and the weak easily bow and forfeit their liberty and their faith. But a few face the gut wrenching struggle to overcome their sinful, weak and human nature. It’s the cruel alternative.

It has no mercy. It demands obedience to God and those rights he imparted to the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego faced the cruel alternative.

Peter and the apostles faced the cruel alternative.

Roy Moore faces the cruel alternative.

Every generation must face the same test. Every generation will have its trials and will be forced to endure the cruel gut wrenching choice of who will they serve. Satan in his rebellion does not demand your love, he demands your obedience. But from out of this will appear the overcomes who will say to the kings and tyrants of the earth. “know this: We will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."

The Bibles says these saints “overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

 Roy Moore faced what Frederick Bastiat called the "cruel alternative." The famed nineteenth century French economist, statesmen and author Frederic Bastiat, said, “When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law.”

It is a “cruel alternative” because we are a people of law; we have established the whole of Western Civilization on the basis of law and order. We have such a high regard for law and order that most of us regard righteous living as the ability or willingness to obey the law. If you obey the law you are good, if you disobey the law you are bad. So the “cruel alternative” tears at our insides because we have a hard time dealing with the possibility that we might become a law breaker. That is why Bastiat called this a “cruel alternative,” because suddenly “law” and “morality” are contradicting each other.

And when this happens we must make a choice. A choice that may not be understood by others.

Roy Moore was at this cross roads. The "cruel alternative" for Roy Moore was forcing him to make a decision. What would he do? To many people the path was clear. He must obey the law! Even Christian people advised him to "obey the law." There was a resounding wind blowing across America from politicians, preachers, civic leaders etc. that he must obey the court order - he must obey the law! They contended there is no man above the law.

We also claim that there is, No Man Above the Law. However, it is our position that there is no man, no law and no judge above the law of God.

Are Christians obligated to obey the law?

When we ask the question, Are Christians obligated to obey the law? The answer we must give is NO! Christians are not obligated to obey the law. I know that there will be those who will be quick to quote Romans 13 which they think tells us to obey all our leaders for our leaders are ordained of God.

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil.”

When I was in High School, I would talk to friends about Communism etc. and the church crowd was always one of the first ones to quote this scripture.

This passage tells us that those leaders which are ordained of God are not a terror to good works but a terror to evil works. The verse, without a doubt is referring to Godly leaders who uphold righteousness and bring judgment upon evil. So this verse does not support the argument that we as Christians are obligated to obey the law. Because the leaders mentioned here are “terror” to evil. It refers to righteous leaders and righteous laws. But when the leaders and the laws become a terror to Good then the issue is changed entirely.

Chapter 10

The Apostle Peter after being told they were to no longer teach in the name of Jesus said, "We ought to obey God rather than men."

Why would Peter make such a statement? It is because there is such a thing as evil “Laws.” And evil laws are established for the purpose of aiding the Satanic rebellion against God. Remember, neither Jesus Christ nor Satan care who you profess to love. The profession of faith has little meaning when compared to obedience.

As we have seen in Matt 7:21 “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. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

These guys professed to love Jesus, but they were workers of iniquity. The Greek word translated into “iniquity” is an-no-mee-ah. It means; “lawless,” “wickedness” and “those who violate the law.”

Certainly we must recognize this was not wickedness according to man’s standard, but it was wickedness according to God’s standard.

In other words they attempted to live their lives outside of the law of God. Even though they claimed to have preached in the name of Jesus, they were servants of the rebellion.

Let me point out again, these were people who preached in the name of Jesus, they cast out evil spirits, and they did many works in the name of Jesus. These were sincere people who thought they were serving God. They are the same ones the Apostle Paul talks about in II Thess 2:3

We see these guys all over the television telling us that we must, above all else, LOVE JESUS!

To say you love Jesus without obedience is like a spoiled child who continually and maliciously disobeys his mother throughout the day thinking that at bedtime all he must do is say, “I love you mommy.”

God is not so easily manipulated.

Both Jesus Christ and Satan want your obedience!

We must understand that either we are obligated to obey all civil law or we are not. There is no middle ground. If we are obligated to obey all civil law, then each and every issue brought before us brings an easy decision. Whether right or wrong - we simply obey the law and everyone is happy. That is what Roy Moore was told to do. That is what we are told to do. We are a nation of laws and not of men. And therefore we must obey the law.

Many Christians support this insane conclusion.

The other approach is “No, as Christians, we are not obligated to obey civil law, because we have a higher authority - a higher law!” This is the cruel alternative, because we must reach into our gut and find the strength to be faithful to God during a period when you may be looked upon as a lawbreaker.

Let us consider. If we as Christians are obligated to obey all law of civil authorities  then the Apostles would have stopped preaching in the name of Jesus.

The mother of moses would have allowed the Egyptians to kill her child.

Daniel would not have prayed to the God of Israel.

And the lives of all the saintly men and women who were tortured and killed in the Roman coliseums would have been spared because they would have obeyed the law.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would have worshipped the statue that the King set up in the plains of Dura.

Christians in the former Soviet Union would not have met in secret to worship because it was against the law to do so.

Other Christians would not have smuggled Bibles in behind the Iron Curtain.

John Wickliffe and Martin Luther would have faithfully obeyed the authorities.

The Barons of Old England would have faithfully obeyed King John and the seeds of self-government would have perished in 1215 AD.

And this nation would still be a subject of the British Crown.

There is such a thing as evil laws and Christians are not obligated to obey these laws.

If a child is told he or she cannot pray in school, what should the child do? Should they obey the law or face the cruel alternative and seek strength from God so he or she will not honor a law that demands higher obedience then our obedience to God. Parents who would tell their children to not rock the boat, be good and don’t cause problems and simply obey the law of the school because it is no big thing and they can pray when they get home are teaching their children to be weak. And today we have weak Christians walking all about us. If a person is told by the government that they cannot witness to others about Christ on the public streets, who should they obey?

Don’t be confused, we are obligated to obey the laws of the government. Because we are a self-governed people and the government is a reflection of what is called “common” or “collective” rights.

We have established it, that is the government, for good works. And the good works for which it was established is to protect the God given or as Thomas Jefferson said, “unalienable rights” of the people. A civilized people will organize laws for their common protection.  Imagine if we were to say that the Bible says nothing about which side of the road we must drive - therefore we conclude we can drive on either side, at any speed, with our lights off at night etc. God gave us the intellect to come up with common sense laws for our own protection. Therefore we cannot pick and choose which laws to obey. By our willingness to remain within the boundaries of the national jurisdiction of the government we are obligated to obey its laws. Even those which we may disagree. This is why Tom Paine said the, “The best of governments is a necessary evil, the worst of them an intolerable one.”

It is only when governments begin to demand higher allegiance or obedience than that which we are to give God are we as Christians obligated to refuse to bow down to the demands of the government. It is when, as Frederick Bastiat said, “law and morality contradict each other” At this “the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law.”

Example if our Government were to demand that we:

1. Teach our children that homosexuality is acceptable - moral violation - do not obey.

2. Parents are only allowed to have one child due to population concerns - moral violation - do not obey

3. Drivers must have a license - law of orderly society - obey

Tyrants demand supreme obedience and total submission.

When this happens we become the subjects, the pawns and the obedient servants of the state. And our obedience becomes worship.

If you fear the government more than God then you have violated the First Commandment.

It is false worship!

It is state worship!

It is a violation of the First Commandment which says, “Thou shall put no other God’s before me.”

It comes about slowly, it is insidious and deceitful. But in the end the government becomes the total and complete master.

Christians who say Judge Roy Moore should have obeyed the Federal Court are weak and foolish - they are deceived.

Many Christians today wail about how evil is growing and becoming so strong. They wail about homosexuals on TV, they wail about corruption in government, about drugs, abortion, movies and music etc. They wail that evil is grown in our midst and is becoming stronger and stronger in these last days.

But I want you to consider, evil is not getting stronger. Evil is by its nature weak. And therefore evil can never be strong. If you think evil is becoming strong then you are deceiving yourself.

Let me give a Spiritual example.

The Bible says it is harder for a man to rule his own spirit than it is to rule a city. You can find that in Proverbs 21:28, “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.”

Pr 12:24, “The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.”

The scripture is clear, CHRISTIANS are to rule. But we have abandoned our scriptural mandate and now it is the wicked which rule. The Bible tells us here in verse 24 that if the wicked rule it is because Christians have become slothful - they have become weak.

It is only weak people that are ruled over - strong people are ruled over by no one.

So evil is not strong - Christians have become slothful and weak and are unable to preserve the earth. Remember Christ said “ye are the salt of the earth.” You all know that salt is a preservative and if there is no salt then the item becomes rotten and putrid. The laws, our society, our morals, our faith and the world in general are becoming putrid and rotten. Why? Because Christians are weak. they no longer have the power to salt the earth.

It takes a strong man or women to refuse evil. Those who work evil in their lives are weak and not strong. Those who fall to temptation are weak and not strong. Those who allow sin to rule their lives are weak and not strong. And it is not just individuals, but the same holds true for a nation. A nation that allows evil to rule is a weak nation and not a strong nation.

Evil and sin has become strong in American. They grow in our midst because Christians have become weak. They no longer have the ability to rule their lives and therefore cannot rule a city.

Because Christians no longer are able to rule a nation, evil comes in to fill the void. Evil is not strong- Christians are weak.

Christ said in Mark 3:27, “No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.

Our national house has been plundered, our faith, our morals, our schools, our entertainment, our churches, our liberties, our children, our streets, our God given rights. Why? Is it because the thief who has entered our national house is strong or is it because we have been bound. It is because the hands of Christian people have been tied by the chains of their own weakness and cowardliness.

Evil grows in out midst for only one of two different reasons. Either evil really is stronger than the Gospel of Jesus Christ or it is because Christians have become weak. I believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ is just as strong today as it was on the day that Jesus Christ triumphantly came forth from the tomb. Satan and his whole evil empire are weak. The Gospel is still strong and powerful, but Christians have not used their faith and power and have become entangled with the frivilous affairs of this world and allowed wickedness to fill the vacuum.

I know you have all read this scripture in Mt 16:18 - Peter makes the profession that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God, Then Jesus said, “That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Many Christians overlook the meaning of this scripture. They think that it is saying, the church of Jesus Christ is so strong that Hell will not have the power to defeat it. Maybe that is what you were taught. But that is not what it is saying.

Let me read it again, “That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” You see, if you make the claim that this verse means that Hell will have no power to defeat the church then you are saying the church is stagnant and sedative. But the verse here is not talking about the gates of the church; it is talking about the gates of hell. The church is to be aggressive. It is the Church that is to be on the offensive, the church is to do the attacking, tearing down evil and laying waste the wickedness of man. The church is to root out every visage of evil, pounding on the very gates of Hell itself.

And when it does this, the gates of Hell will not prevail, but Christians will rush through the gates and break in pieces evil idols and every demon who mocks the name of Jesus Christ.

To many - Christians are like those weak garbage bags that rip apart. But Jesus is looking for that Hefty Christian who is like the Hefty garbage bag. They are strong and won’t rip apart leaving a mess on the floor.

The liberty we have in Christ was not limited to our spiritual salvation but it was also the foundation of self-government. This was the great controversy in the church and the cause of those European religious wars. Roman Catholicism demanded obedience to the church and the Pope. Protestantism, including those committed Christians from the time of Christ who during the reign of Catholicism never did bow to the legalism and control of the Pope and his minions of cardinals, bishops and priests stood on the principle that Christ alone was master of their lives. It was from this principle which our own civil liberties took nourishment. There is no man or human authority to which we must bow.

When the founding fathers began to look upon independence for the nation, it was their strong protestant views which guided them in understanding. It was a “cruel” decision for sure. Loyalty to the King was a badge of honor. But the King had set himself above God Given Rights. He had suspended the law of God for his own law. They could not have it both ways. They could not be loyal to the King and also to God. Their children’s spiritual welfare was at stake. The principle they established would be followed and mentored by their children. They must remain faithful to God and so they must rebell against tyrants.

Tyrants have by their actions made them selves God, setting in the halls of law and judgment declaring themselves to be master over man.

What else could Roy Moore do? Like all Christians parents he understood the need to teach the faith of our fathers to our children, but unlike most Christian parents he evidently understood the need to teach by example - courage to his children.

It is what the founding fathers did. It is what he did and it is what we must do!

Yes, we must obey the Law of our nation, but only when the law has the mandate of the Gospel. Self-governed nations have the mandate of the Gospel. They operate on collective rights and therefore we are obligated to obey all its laws for the good of the common people, even those we may not like, think are wrong or do not understand. It is the collective power of a self-governed nation. But when the law and the government violate the Gospel by establishing itself above God - it has lost its mandate and it has lost its lawful authority.

To do so may bring hardship upon us. The greatest gift you can give to your children and to those who look up to you is to mentor them with acts of faith and courage.

Throughout history, the Saints of the Most High God have always defied unlawful authority and never would allow another to usurp the throne of God. Christians have always been a thorn in the side of tyrants. Christians have always called the evil doer to account for his sins. Tyrants have always attempted to squeeze obedience and loyalty from the people. Christians have always resisted. To Christians there is no King but King Jesus.

For that reason on this Thanksgiving season we can rejoice that there have been given us, examples to follow. The great blessings we have as a people are found in our Christian faith.

While the seeds of self-government were found throughout the nations which sprang forth from the Covenant God made with Abraham and Sarah. It was in our own nation of America that the seed first brought forth fruit. Our white Christian Israel nations have brought forth abundant blessings upon the world. And there are no other people who have been blessed as our people have been blessed. For all the heathen nations live in squalor while our God has given us wealth and abundance.

However, it was because God had shining lights which went before us to show us the way.

Hebrews 11:32-40 “And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephtha, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, and were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented-- of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”