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Discussion Forum : General Topics : The rise of Hadrians's wall and the fall of America

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 The rise of Hadrians's wall and the fall of America

The construction of Hadrian's wall began in AD 122. It was 80 miles long and between sixteen and twenty three feet tall. At the base it was roughly ten feet wide and an average width at the top of eight feet. It took thirty thousand men almost a decade to complete. If the wall were built today, the cost of such a structure would certainly be in the billions. Now the question has to be asked, why build such a structure? No one really knows the true answer to that question, but we certainly know that it marked the boundary of Roman territory. And therein lies the problem for Rome. Rome had been an aggressive, expansionist empire. In days and times before Hadrian, a rebellious Scottish people would have been engaged and either swallowed up into the Roman empire, or wiped of the face of the map. A fundamental shift had taken place in thr Roman psyche. Hadrian's walls can easily be seen as a landmark that marked the beginning of the end of the Roman empire. When Rome ceased expanding and began using massive resources to control and maintain what it had, Rome ceased to be Rome.


Can we see evidence of a Hadrian's wall in American society today? When the space shuttle program was shut down, was that part of the foundations of our own Hadrian's wall? " This far and no further?" Imagine what the American people of the fifties and sixties would think if they knew that the only way Americans could get to a space station they had helped build was to thumb a ride on a Russian rocket? Would they not be horrified? What about our aging and crumbling infra-structure? Is that the mark of a mighty empire on the rise? Listen to politicians and hear these little men talk about cuts. If these men were generals and their backs were to the wall, they would surely raise the white flag and then explain why surrender was a rational decision. Mighty generals down through the ages attacked when they should have defended and gained victories that would be remembered for centuries, sometimes millennium. Where are the American leaders today? They are busy erecting a wall, stone by stone that says " this far and no further." And as the wall gets higher and higher, it begins to blot out the horizon of American greatness.



As Christians , we can see the exact same thing happening to Christendom. Where are the Christian leaders? Is the policy of building walls and containments at work in Christendom? Are huge resources expended to build structures of containment? Are we seeing Christendom shrink as a result of our luke-warmness? The simple fact is that one either takes the fight to the enemy or one erects barriers to hide behind. Is the seeker friendly church the foundations of our own Hadrian's wall? Is our political correctness the first course of stonework in a wall that says " This far and no further." These are important questions to ask ourselves. If God is in the business of raising up and tearing down kingdoms and empires, where are we in that process right now? Does God look for a people that says " This far and no further?" Is He not looking for a people that will venture out beyond the walls and constructs of men?



Religions can be contained, but the Church of God is free to go wherever they are led by the Holy Spirit. When you see these walls brothers and sisters, make sure you see them in your rear view mirror. Gods work lies beyond the walls of humanism. To follow Him and Him alone is to put yourself beyond the constrains of men's wisdom, to blindly follow where He leads, a place without maps. Yes, it can be a barbarous world, but He is God of all the world and it will never be tamed by erecting walls and hiding behind them.

 2011/7/25 20:52









 Re: The rise of Hadrians's wall and the fall of America

Frank your post reminds me of the French Maginot Line in WWII. History recorded what happened there. Good lesson for the church.

 2011/7/25 23:35









 Re:

Yes indeed brother, a useless set of structures that made so much sense to the builders of it, but history caught up with it and simply by-passed it. .........brother Frank

 2011/7/26 0:19
Lysa
Member



Joined: 2008/10/25
Posts: 3699
East TN for now!

 Re: The rise of Hadrians's wall and the fall of America

Quote:
appolus wrote:
Does God look for a people that says "This far and no further?" Is He not looking for a people that will venture out beyond the walls and constructs of men?


A few weeks ago I watched a movie about Hadrian’s Wall; I didn’t think about the implications spiritually like you have put it so eloquently but I did wonder how for centuries the people feared Rome but when the soldiers themselves began to fear what was beyond the wall – the beginning of the end. This was excellent brother Frank, led by the Spirit.

Quote:
appolus wrote:
Religions can be contained, but the Church of God is free to go wherever they are led by the Holy Spirit. When you see these walls brothers and sisters, make sure you see them in your rear view mirror. Gods work lies beyond the walls of…


I really like this part, “When you see these walls brothers and sisters, make sure you see them in your rear view mirror“!! Amen! I think too that 'God’s work lies beyond the walls of “man’s mind.”'

Also, Jesus is the first fruit and He is the first example of going “beyond” religious boundaries but for centuries we have let religious folk tell us, “you can go this far and no further” or this one’s even better, “God won’t or doesn’t do that.” And we’ve LET THEM build a wall as to what God will and won’t do.

Your words have encouraged me this morning, thank you!

God bless you,
Lisa

PS: The disciples were the starting point…. “And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with SIGNS FOLLOWING. Amen.” (Mark 16.20) And look what we’ve digressed to 2000 years later, we’re standing behind the wall arguing what lies beyond it instead of just jumping the wall and leaving the naysayers behind! I'm encouraged today, Frank!


_________________
Lisa

 2011/7/26 7:46Profile









 Re:

Lysa writes.........

"The disciples were the starting point…. “And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with SIGNS FOLLOWING. Amen.” (Mark 16.20) And look what we’ve digressed to 2000 years later, we’re standing behind the wall arguing what lies beyond it instead of just jumping the wall and leaving the naysayers behind!"

Amen sister, that paragraph captures what I believe the Holy Spirit was saying through my piece.......brother Frank

 2011/7/26 9:06
Renoncer
Member



Joined: 2010/6/26
Posts: 483


 Re:

Alright, I agree with this post. Now, what do we do about it?

I speak French. Now, someone give me some godly contacts in Muslim North Africa and I'm there! (I'm serious!)

My e-mail address is [email protected]

Renoncer

 2011/7/26 12:37Profile









 Re: Rennoncer

This brother is serious. He is VERY serious. We have had email contacts. Does anyone have any contacts in N. Africa to put him in touch with. I pray for the persecuted but I do not have the contacts. Can someone point this man in a direction to take Christ to the moslens?

 2011/7/26 13:13
Lysa
Member



Joined: 2008/10/25
Posts: 3699
East TN for now!

 Re: Renoncer

Quote:
Alright, I agree with this post. Now, what do we do about it?

I speak French. Now, someone give me some godly contacts in Muslim North Africa and I'm there! (I'm serious!)

My e-mail address is [email protected]


When I first started listening to online sermons about seven years ago, I listened to this one preacher who told the story of this little woman in the 19th century who prayed and prayed for the Lord to send her to the mission field and finally she asked the Lord why she was old and He had never sent her anywhere. The Lord told her that He didn't and wouldn't send her anywhere because she wasn't faithful where she was!

He proceeded to tell her that He brought the world TO HER and she didn't care, what make her think she would care across the world if she didn't do it in her own building? Across the hall from her lived a family from China, down the hall Russia, below her Africa, Brazil, Ireland, etc.

From that day forward until the day she died, no one in her building or the surrounding streets did not know about the love of God and the saving power of His son, Jesus Christ. What a testimony! She took the money she was saving for the mission field and sent a couple of missionaries in her place and stayed in her building to be God's emissary!

Brother Renoncer, from what I am hearing here in America about France, you don’t have to go anywhere! You are surrounded by the Muslims right where you live! Start ministering the love of Jesus Christ to them!

God bless you,
Lisa


_________________
Lisa

 2011/7/26 14:46Profile
Renoncer
Member



Joined: 2010/6/26
Posts: 483


 Re:

Lysa,
I appreciate your thoughts, but I think there has been a little mistake.

First of all, witnessing to neighbors as well as French-speaking people wherever I am living is not uncommon to me.

Secondly, I do not live in France. I was born in Quebec, but now live in the United States. However, I did go back to Quebec to testify of Christ after I had gotten saved.

Thirdly, as for witnessing to Muslims in my area, I am also used to that.

Fourth, France (as well as Quebec and the United States) is well inside the walls of Christendom. Brother Frank's message was about going forward into enemy territory, beyond the walls of Christendom.

That being said, if God called me to go to France, I would go. However, I feel called to go into the heart of Islam. Until I am efficient in Arabic, North Africa is as far as I can go. Besides, I do pray that God would send others to Muslim countries. But, why should I remain here if there are plenty of people who want to stay here, while scarce are those who want to go to the heart of Islam, where the sword is likely to take them?

(ending was edited in retrospective)

In Christ Jesus,
Renoncer

 2011/7/26 16:47Profile









 Re:

Hi Renouncer, I appreciate your passion and your willingness to go into dangerous places, and yes, that was part of what I was getting at when I wrote it, but just a small part. Lysa is very much on the right line with her comments. The really radical Christian is the one that goes where the Lord leads him. If the Lord leads you to dangerous places, then God speed. Perhaps you could contact Kevin Turner at Strategic World Impact ? http://www.swi.org/ Kevin was a speaker at the SI conference in Texas last year..........brother Frank

 2011/7/26 17:55





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