It sits on the tarmac near the hanger with the cockpit open awaiting the pilot.  The F-16 fighter jet is known the world over as a premier fighting machine.  It is as agile in flight as its sleek design would lead one to imagine.  The bubble shaped canopy that covers the cockpit is a very distinctive feature of this jet which makes it easy for the pilot to keep a 360 degree awareness of his surroundings at all times.  The performance factor of its engine and the pound per thrust ratio make it a superb aircraft.

The F-16 is only one of several fighting aircraft in the U.S. arsenal.  And then, there are those under development.  These aircraft are some of the best in the world.  They are highly sophisticated in their electronic warfare capability.  They can track multiple targets simultaneously and they can carry hefty payloads of very lethal and very accurate armament.

What the F-16 is to armies today, is very similar to what the horse was to armies way back then.  Back before the era of jet fighters, tanks, armored personal carriers and missiles, there was the horse.  The horse, in times past, has been a symbol of military strength.  In medieval times, a horse was outfitted with layers of thick covering draped over its sides and face, for the purpose of shielding the horse from arrows and swords of opposing armies. A soldier riding such a horse, had a tremendous advantage over an opposing soldier who was merely on foot.

For the purpose of this article, I am going to call the F-16 jet fighter an “Iron Horse.”  I could use a tank, which might seem more appropriate but, for this article, I am choosing the jet fighter. We, as a nation, have put our trust in the Iron Horse.  We, as a people, have put our trust in what we can build with our hands.  We, as a people, have put our trust in our ability to develop and fabricate highly technical and ultra-sophisticated electronic warfare devices. In the process of the time span covering the era of such high-tech warfare, we, as a nation, have marginalized our trust in God, and have instead begun to do what the Bible refers to as putting trust in the strength of a horse.  We read in Psalm 33:16-18 “No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Behold the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy.” 

Here is the problem.  For every F-16 sitting on runway, you need a pilot to fly it. Not only do you need a pilot, but you also need maintenance personal, parts and fuel.  Then, once airborne, the pilot will need the support of air traffic control, ground tracking info and eventual landing and refueling location.  All of this requires a tremendous and expensive and elaborate support system.  Lots of money.  When looking at the money issue, we have even built one model of jet fighter (F-22 Raptor) that proved to be too costly to fly and maintain. Even now, the plane chosen (F-35 Joint Force Fighter) as the alternative, is proving to be very costly and by the time all the top military officials get their add-on features incorporated into the project, it will most likely end up being as expensive as the F-22. A serious threshold to be sure, but the money issue isn’t where I’m going with this.  There is something more serious.

What I see for our country that is the more serious issue, more than money, is the absence of a belief in God and the absence of vision for the future as a Christian society. This may sound old fashioned but, when one contemplates the transition that has begun, the future of our society looks anything but promising. We, as a nation, are going headlong into a post-Christian era.  Some, upon reading this may say “yes, this is a good thing.”  The arrogant, atheist intellectual may think he will one day live in a world free of all religion, but such an individual is naïve.  Mankind has been religious from the beginning, and will be in the end.  Imagining a world in which there is no religion, is the product of the mind of a person who has insulated himself from the rest of the world.     

The United States of America is drifting away from God.  The United States of America is transitioning from a Christian nation to a post-Christian nation.  If history proves correct, such a transition will not go smoothly.  We, as a people, have put our trust in the Iron Horse that we made with our hands.  We thought if we could build such technologically innovative and superior war machines that they, of and by themselves, would keep us safe and secure as a nation.  What we have failed to realize is that it is in God, and in Him alone where our security is to be found.  Once we abandon the foundation of faith and trust in God, then all is lost. Once we start putting our faith and trust in our own man made devices, all is lost.  It is the Lord who delivers a nation, not man.  It is the Lord who provides peace, safety, security and comfort, not man. If our future is left in the hands of mere men, then only misery awaits.

As important as it was to design and build the F-16, it was equally important to ensure that you had pilots to fly them.  As a nation, we needed to ensure that we were training up pilots we could trust and pilots who had the same vision and hope for the future.  We, as a nation, have failed in this area. It is the unity of vision and values in our society that is slipping away.  In other words, the dilemma rapidly overtaking us is “so what, if we are able to build the best jet fighters in the world.  If we don’t have loyal pilots to fly them, what good are they.” And, this is where I see our society heading at a rapid pace. It is coming down to the issue of trust.  Who do you trust to put on the Iron Horse?  If you cannot find soldiers you can trust and you cannot face an enemy with a unified force, you will lose the battle.  This is the dilemma we are facing as a nation.

We have chosen to put our faith and trust and in ourselves and the work of our hands rather than putting our faith and trust in God. So what, if we can build the sophisticated Iron Horse.  If our nation is rotten and corrupt on the inside, if our society has turned its back on God, if our people have gone headlong into a lifestyle of sin, then no degree of sophistication or lethality of our military Iron Horse can save us.  We are doomed. God will leave us to our own devices and we will fragment and begin fighting each other.  The Bible tells us in Proverbs 28:19 “Where there is no vision (prophetic revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint).  We, as nation have lost our vision. 

So, there on the runway sits the new Iron Horse.  Who will fly it?  What will be the loyalty of the pilot who sits in the cockpit?

read comments (0)

Are Christians destined to take over the world before Jesus returns?  Is there a requirement found in the scripture that Christians must take over the world before Jesus can return?  Or, has Jesus already returned and now, in a corporate sense He manifests Himself in the lives of all believers in the Earth and all Christians are now commissioned to take over the Earth?  Will there be a rapture?

The above questions are being asked within the rank and file of the Body of Christ and you may be very surprised to learn some of the answers to these questions.  Some of the sacred and age old theological beliefs of the church are now being redefined by some in the Body of Christ.  For more than a couple of decades now, we have witnessed an emphasis within certain camps of the Body of Christ on what has evolved to now be known as “Dominion Eschatology”.

Now some of you may be asking at this point “what is he talking about?”  If you are that person, then you need to read this post most of all.  Let’s begin by looking at an article found in the October 2009 edition of Charisma Magazine.  On page 20 you will see an article entitled “Last Days Fever” and as part of this debate there is an inset of two views of the rapture found on pages 22 and 23.  Pay attention to page 23 and C Peter Wagner’s article entitled “The Case For Dominion”.  In this article we see Wagner state “I now regard my former pre-tribulationism and pre-millennialism as escapist eschatology”.  Next, he says “My favorite term is dominion eschatology.  Why? Because Jesus did not give His great commission in vain”.  And finally, Wagner states “We are aggressively retaking dominion, and the rate at which this is happening will soon become exponential”. 

So, what is Wagner talking about?  C Peter Wagner and his ministry is a vanguard for what is known as the Dominion Movement.  This movement and its theology has gone by several names over the last couple of decades.  If you have heard the terms “Kingdom Now”, “Kingdom Dominion” or “7-Mountain Doctrine” they are all one in the same.  You will note that by his own statements, on the issue of the rapture, Wagner does not hold to the orthodox position of the church.

To put it in street, what the Dominionsts are saying is that Christians are supposed to be about the business of taking over the world, and once this has been accomplished, then Jesus can return, and note the emphasis on “can”.  Still not convinced that this theology is all that developed?  I invite you to take a look at the posting titled “Dominionism and the Rise of Christian Imperialism” by Sarah Leslie.  This article can be found at http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/05/sarah-leslie/dominionism.htm.  In this article, you will see a quite comprehensive description of the development of the Dominion Movement and the theology associated with this movement.  I don’t quite agree with all  that you will find on this particular website but, this overview of Dominionism is too thorough to ignore. And, it proves rather quickly that Dominionism is not a secret.  

Still not convinced?  Perhaps you are thinking, this group is on the “fringe” of Christianity, plus the writer quotes some dubious sources.  OK, fair enough.  Let me ask you then, have you heard of President Clinton?  Of course you have.  Well, he had a high-ranking advisor named Sidney Blumenthal.  Mr Blumenthal has a son named Max Blumenthal.  And, Max Blumenthal has written a book titled “Republican Gomorrah”.  This book has become a media sensation and has been critiqued extensively in the national media. Simply go to You Tube and type in “Republican Gomorrah” and see for yourself. 

In his book, Blumenthal pulls no punches in his all out attack on the Republican Party for what he describes as the hypocrisy of the many Republican leaders who have fallen into various sex scandals.  To be “fair and balanced”, some of Blumenthal’s criticism is justified.  In saying that, mind you, I am certainly not overlooking all of the Democrat sex scandals.  But, that is not the focus of my article.  What I want to point you to is that also in his book, Blumenthal has the dual thesis of chronicling what he perceives as a rising movement within Christianity to vicariously “take over the world” through the Republican Party. 

In his book, Blumenthal comes as close as any secular writer or reporter I have seen, to “connecting all the dots”.  Let’s talk plainly here.  If you are a Jew, a Muslim or an atheist and you hear certain Christian leaders talk of “taking control of the governments of the world” then, don’t you think you are going to get their attention?  I can assure you, they are listening. One thesis in Blumenthal’s book is that he believes there is an underlying design, on the part of the Christian Right, to take control of the government.  I see two theses in Blumenthal’s book.  He himself indicates as much in an interview on “Morning Joe” which can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqeqRf9czAY or, type in “Morning Joe – Max Blumenthal – Has The GOP Been Driven Outside The Mainstream”. 

What I am saying to all my Christian brethren out there is that the secular media has connected the dots of Dominion Eschatology.  If you are an adherent to this particular theology, and you think all of this strategy to “take over the world” is a “well kept secret” then, think again.  You cannot ignore the reality I am laying out in this post.  I was just listening to a news program the other day and a leading liberal news commentator stated that Max Blumenthal’s book is quickly becoming a primary source of information for those wanting to know about the strategy of the “Radical Christian Right” and its designs on influencing government.  I am telling Christian leaders out there, if you ignore such a thing as this, then you are shirking your responsibility to be “in the know” about developments concerning the Body of Christ.

You can go to Amazon.com and type in “Republican Gomorrah” and then go to the book review link and see for yourself the “firestorm” of debate going on between liberals and conservatives over this book. I can tell you, if the Dominionists continue to push this doctrine and move ahead with their attempts to implement these goals, things are going to get very ugly, very quickly.

Did Jesus say He needed Christians to be in control of all systems of society in order for Him to return?  I don’t read anywhere in the Bible where Jesus says that.  Let’s look at Luke 4:6 where, after showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, Satan tempts Jesus when he says “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish”.  It is serious theological error to assume by this verse that Satan is actually in control of the Kingdoms of this World.  This was a falsehood spoken by Satan and Jesus knew it.  How do we know this?  Look at Daniel 2:20-21 “Daniel answered and said: Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness,  And light dwells with Him”.   Next, look at Daniel 4:17 “This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men”. 

So, after reading the above scriptures, it is clear that God is in control of the systems and governments of the world.  Understanding this, could it be possible that Satan today, is using the same trickery and temptation with certain religious leaders to get them to think that the kingdoms of the world are “up for grabs” and thus he is using the thought of being in control of these governments as a temptation once again.

Let me talk plainly.  I see that the Dominionists have gotten way off base theologically.  They are more worried about taking over the world rather than “winning the world for Christ”.  They are more worried about being an “Apostle” rather than preaching the Gospel of Christ.  These certain leaders have fallen for the very temptation that Satan tried to tempt Jesus with in the wilderness.  These certain leaders are being tempted with power, wealth, glamour, prestige and control.  It is very dangerous and it is bringing undue and intense criticism against the Body of Christ. 

Pastors and Christian leaders had better “get up to speed” on this.  This theology has made substantial inroads into the Body of Christ. Dominionism was even “in play” in the recent Presidential election.  And, I might add, it is one of the reasons the Republicans lost.

As Christians, we must remember the words of Jesus as found in John 18:36 “My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight…”

read comments (2)

Who is shaping the future of America?  What is the future of America?  Do people even care anymore?  Or, are Americans more interested in who will win the next American Idol competition more than what type of world we are heading towards?

It seems almost as if it has become “uncool” to even think and have an opinion anymore.  Our society has become so lethargic and indifferent to certain realities that one could say that America is suffering from “reality avoidance”.

I remember years ago sitting in Economics class while in undergraduate school.  I distinctly remember learning about what is called “diseconomies of scale”.  It is a very interesting and very real thing that can happen to a large corporation.  And, I believe it can also happen to the Body of Christ.  It could be coined a “spiritual diseconomies of scale”.

First, let’s look at what is known as diseconomies of scale in regards to an industry functioning within our capitalist economy.  Let’s imagine a large corporation that has 100,000 employees here in the U.S.  With an organization of this size it is extremely important to keep track of what everyone is doing in order to prevent duplication and even outright competition between the various and different departments of such organization.  When such a breakdown does occur, that is, duplication of effort and competition among departments, it is called diseconomies of scale.  And, if the diseconomies of scale becomes pervasive enough, it can ruin the organization. 

One of the by-products of diseconomies of scale, that is described in Wikipedia, is called “isolation of decision makers from the results of their decisions”.  I encourage the reader, at this point, to refer to the Wikipedia article as it is very good at explaining all of this. 

To expand upon the term, as found in Wikipedia, I will say that what we are seeing today is “isolation of those who are making bad decisions from the consequences of their bad decisions”.  In street, the people who are making a mess of things are not having to deal with the mess they are creating.  Or, even worse, some decision makers don’t have a clue as to the unintended effect of their decisions.  Let’s take a closer look.

As a nation, the United States is facing what I believe to be an impending and devastating diseconomies of scale.  In particular, this problem is occurring in the area of interpretation of law, and the writing of law.  And, the church in America is setting directly in the crosshairs of the negative and unintended (or, in some cases intended) consequences of bad law.  But, it’s not just the church.  In reality, our society as a whole will have to deal with these consequences.  Let’s look at some current and pending examples.

In Massachusetts we see the debate going on about the rights of transgendered persons to have unrestricted access to either Men’s or Women’s restrooms, depending on which gender they have “chosen” to be.  This is impossible to interpret now, and it will be impossible to interpret in the courts once the lawsuits start coming in.  On a practical note, one of the reasons that cities and towns are even open to such a law is because the idea of building, retrofitting and paying for a “third” class of restroom at all public locations is prohibitive.  So, we see cities and towns falling back on the legal system for a way out, but, it will be even worse in the end.  It would be an “unenforceable” law.  Here’s an example.  Let’s say it’s 10:00 p.m. at a highway rest area stop and a young mother of 25 years of age who weighs maybe 120 lbs and her young daughter who is 4 years old start walking toward the Women’s public restroom.   Then, upon making their way to the restroom, the mother notices a large masculine appearing person who is let’s say 6’3” tall and weighs around 230 lbs.  And, this person is, as they say in bodybuilding, “ripped”.  But, upon noticing the hesitation of the mother to go any further toward the Women’s restroom, the person says to the mother “Oh, it’s OK, I’m transgendered”.  At that point, what is the young mother to do?  Would she say “prove it”? 

One can clearly see by the above scenario that such a “law” will be unenforceable.  Let’s look at another example of an unenforceable and un-interpretable law.  The pending Hate Crime law before congress which is designed to give protection to and special rights to the homosexual community.  Let’s say a Pastor of a large urban Baptist church preaches a sermon that includes a discussion of homosexuality and same-sex marriage in his discourse.  And, in the course of his message, this particular Pastor states that, according to his interpretation of the Bible, he believes that homosexuality and same-sex marriage are sinful and that anyone practicing such behavior will go to Hell.  This is his religious belief.  But, then, a gay person who happens to be sitting in his audience takes a CD of the message to the downtown police station and asks that the Pastor be arrested for “Hate Speech”.  Could such a thing happen?

Here is the complexity and what I see as a “political diseconomies of scale”.   The Hate Crime law, at this point, is un-interpretable and unenforceable.  Because, in order to arrest the Pastor for violating the “rights” of the homosexual, the police will, in turn, have to deny the Pastor his freedoms of speech and religion.  So, which is our society going to choose?  We are getting ready to see a legal environment in which the rights and freedoms of some groups are going to be taken away so that a different group can be free from what they perceive as public expression that they believe violates their rights.

So, we now see that the lawmakers (congress) who are promoting and passing such laws are fitting into the category that we see in the definition of characteristics of “diseconomies of scale”.  In other words, some of the very congressmen and congresswomen that are passing such laws will be “isolated from the consequences of their bad decision making”.  Isolation of decision makers from the consequences of their bad decisions.

It doesn’t stop here.  There is still one developing factor that will dwarf all that we have looked at thus far.  The issue I am referring to is Sharia Law.  This is the body of law that is practiced by Islamic countries.  You may be saying, “Well, what does that have to do with us here in the U.S.?”  Before we get to that point, let’s look at the concept of law and government for a moment.

I remember sitting in an undergraduate class called Federal, State and Local Government.  The professor of this course was a seasoned veteran who had taught for decades.  He was a classic liberal and he and I had an amicable professor/student relationship.  I remember it well, one day in class when a fellow student (the kind of student who thought he was the teacher rather than a student) made the statement “imagine a Presidential election in which the vote count margin came down to just a one vote difference between the two candidates and the winner wins by just one vote!  Imagine what that would do for democracy!”  Then, I’ll never forget the professor’s response (and, this was some 26 or 27 years ago) as the professor said “that really might not be such a good thing”.  And then, the professor went on to explain why he saw it as problematic, as if almost to prophetically describe what we all witnessed in 2000. 

It was this same professor who taught that one of the hallmarks of a government, one of the most legitimizing factors of a government, is to set a body of law and then set a framework to interpret and enforce such law.  So, we now see today, a serious and slowly developing effort on the part of Muslims to set up the practice and enforcement of Sharia Law within our society.  So, what happens when a Muslim and a non-Muslim are involved in a legal dispute over something and both sides are using two different bodies of law to interpret what has transpired and how the matter should be judged?  Which side will carry the most weight? Which carries more legal weight, Constitutional Law or Sharia Law? 

Perhaps, seeing the problem as described above, we could set up yet another 3rd body of law and a 3rd party of law making and law enforcement to weigh out the matter and find the “common ground” between the two other bodies of law? Or, if that doesn’t work, maybe set up a 4th group to try and “work it out”.                       

But, it doesn’t stop here.  Did you see in the news where just recently, the Hizb ut-Tahrir held a “conference” in a Hilton Hotel just outside of Chicago.  The theme of the conference was “The Fall of Capitalism and The Rise of Islam”.  It is reported that several Arab States as well as Russia do not allow this group to operate within their borders.  But, the U.S., in the name of freedom of speech and religion, will allow it.  This represents more political diseconomies of scale.  In other words, this extreme, radical religious group that wants to overthrow the U.S. system of government has every right to express themselves.  It is their “right” to do so.  To put it in street “it is their right to promote and organize as a group and overthrow the very government that “gives them the right to do so”.  Then, the rights and freedoms of expression that used to exist under the old government will no longer exist.  This is exactly the scenario that is developing right before our very eyes.  It is already happening to a serious degree in England, France and Holland. 

So, the Christian church is caught in the crossfire of all this and the rights of the church are slowly slipping away in our society.  The respect that the church once enjoyed in the U.S. is no more.   We, as Christians, must give up our religious freedoms in the name of diversity.  We, as Christians, must give up our freedoms in order that those who want an entirely different body of law and government can have what they want.   Things are getting very interesting.  Perhaps, as a society, we are entering into a period of which the old Chinese proverb could apply.  “May you live in interesting times.”  I think with all the “pushing and shoving” between the different groups within our society, it is naïve to think that things are not going to get interesting.   

read comments (0)

Over the years, we have often heard the phrase “don’t mix religion and politics” or “religion and politics don’t mix”.  However, when one really takes a serious and analytical look at the world, it is quickly realized that few suggestions could be any more untrue or unrealistic.

Regardless of what one may like to think, politics and religion are very much intertwined.  A review of the history of major political decisions in the past shows that such decisions are inextricably linked to a tapestry of politics and religion.  One such example was President John Kennedy’s campaign visit to West Virginia in 1960.   West Virginia was perceived as a non-Catholic Southern State and therefore a litmus test for Kennedy’s campaign.  Then, there are the socio-political environments in other countries such as India, Israel and Iran where one could say that “religion is politics”.  Imagine a political candidate in New Delhi or Tehran or Jerusalem trying to appeal to the voting public by saying that he or she didn’t believe that religion should play a role in public policy.     

Closer to home, here in the United States, we saw during our most recent presidential election, how religion played a major role in all things political.  It had to do with the choice of Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin for the number two spot on the Republican ticket.  This choice had politics and religion written all over it.  And, I might add, the miscalculation on the part of Senator John McCain could not have been more serious.  But, we can look back and see that during the 2000 primaries how Senator McCain also, at that time, miscalculated the fury of the Religious Right when he made the derogatory statements about two prominent, national religious leaders.  One could interpret McCain’s pick of Governor Palin as an attempt to make amends and correction for those past misjudgments about the Religious Right and, also a more current attempt to throw together a loose coalition of factions within his own party.  It didn’t work.  And, again during the most recent election, there were two national religious leaders involved in McCain’s campaign early on as we saw how their endorsements were first accepted but later rejected by McCain.  The election was lost right there.  An utter fiasco on the part of McCain’s advisors.  We will take a closer look at this factor in a moment.

So, now we see a report on the CNN Internet news service about Senator McCain’s daughter addressing a recent gathering of the Log Cabin Republicans.  In this report dated April 19, 2009, we see where Meghan McCain says that “a war is brewing within the Republican Party”.  Indeed, she could not be more accurate.  This rift, between the Religious Right and the Liberal Wing of the Republican Party  actually began right after the Republican’s defeat in the 1992 Presidential election.  You could read the editorials and commentaries, at that time, as Republican leaders began to blame each other for the defeat, and some began blaming the Religious Right.

But, what we are seeing now is an exponential acceleration of this “war within the Republican Party”.  First, let’s take a look at the group Meghan McCain was speaking to – The Log Cabin Republicans.  There are a lot of Republicans that don’t know anything about this group, if fact, many don’t even know they exist, let alone the history of the formulation of this group and specifically why they call themselves the “Log Cabin Republicans”.  Suffice to say, part of the formulizing of this group evolves out of the historical interpretation (based on certain letters and comments of correspondence between Lincoln and a personal friend) of former President Abraham Lincoln and what some believe to have been his sexual orientation.  Indeed, I can guarantee you that upon reading these words just now, some Christian Republicans are dumbfounded, even angry with me for even writing them.  But, herein is exactly where part of the problem lies with the Religious Right.   Here me loud and clear, you cannot ignore and pretend that certain realities don’t exist.  The Log Cabin Republicans are one of those realities.  By this exhortation am I implying that I approve of this group?  Absolutely not.  Am I implying that because this group exists, that we should somehow seek to accommodate them and their wishes?  Absolutely not. 

Unfortunately, some of simpler minds will react with the thought that by my simply mentioning that this group exists that I am somehow endorsing them, agree with them, and think everything is OK.  And, it is this type of reaction that has gotten the Religious Right in the “Catch 22” that it is in today.  They are there because of their unsophisticated and uninformed political analysis.  And, I am going to say very clearly that conservative Christians within the Religious Right have “painted themselves into a corner” by ignoring certain political realities.        

So, now we look out over the political landscape and see a wasteland of what once was called the Republican Party.  It is leaderless and there is no clear leader emerging on the horizon.  This is gravely serious for the Party.  The longer this state of existence continues, the weaker the Party becomes.

Let’s talk real politics for a moment.  OK, let’s just do it.  If a Christian is going to put his faith in a political party then, the first objective is for his party to win.  After all, if the political party cannot win seats and offices, then that political party will have very little power.  It will have little power to effect change in society and little power to write and pass legislation.  So, if you are going to put your faith in a political party, but that party is powerless to win elections and make change, then you would be putting your faith into something that will fail.  So, the solution will eventually evolve to the ultimate decision to “win at any cost”.  And, this is exactly where the Republican Party now finds itself.  This is a dilemma of the highest magnitude for the Bible believing Christian who is putting his trust in politics. 

Let me say it another way.  When I was in graduate school, a few of us who enjoyed discussing politics coined a phrase to describe the win at all cost attitude in politics.  We called it “power politics”.  In other words, we concluded that the ultimate goal of a politician and a political party is to win.  I mean, what good is anything if you don’t win?  So, if you’re going to get involved in the first place, you get involved to win – at any cost.  Forget what the Party stands for, forget social norms and morals, forget country and liberty, just be all things to all people and win the election, then the other stuff can sort itself out.  Such an attitude was called “power politics”.   Politics is about winning, not being nice or playing fair.  So, it is in this type of environment that Governor Sarah Palin enters into the national political spotlight.

I don’t believe any of us could have imagined the brutality we have seen exhibited by certain national media organizations toward this woman and even toward her young children.  It is unbelievable.  But, it is reality.   The viciousness and polarizing posture we have seen by some media organizations toward Governor Palin are a wake up call to Christians. 

What is alarming is that even though Governor Palin’s ticket lost, some media organizations continue to go after her with a “meat cleaver”.  It is clear to see that certain media organizations do not believe in the “loyal opposition” doctrine anymore.  It appears that some are bent on destroying the opposition.  This is very serious and it has been discussed as an eventuality in discussions I have been a part of in the past.  It is power politics.  You get in power and you stay in power. 

We all knew the pendulum of national politics was beginning to swing more and more extreme each way with each election cycle and that eventually it would end up swinging one way or another and – not come back. 

When looking at the selection of Governor Palin, it appears that choosing her was an attempt by the McCain brain-trust to satisfy the Religious Right.  And, to be fair, it did create quite a stir for a brief time period and it certainly galvanized support from the Religious Right.  Until, the Katie Couric interview.  Let’s face it, that interview was an election loser.  It is inconceivable that the McCain camp would allow the number two person on the ticket to be put in the same space alone, for two hours of unlimited interviewing, with a savvy, veteran, liberal reporter like Couric.  I mean, who made that decision?

To be fair to Governor Palin, she was tossed into the “political sea” long after the media sharks had arrived.  The liberal media smelled victory and they were not about to let a young, female Governor, with a Pentecostal background come along and ruin their chance of success.  These sharks were already in a feeding frenzy before Governor Palin ever entered into the water.  She had no chance.   McCain placed Palin in the direct line of crossfire from three fronts.  First from the Democrats and secondly, from the Liberal Wing of the Republican Party, and finally from the liberal media. 

So, now we see Meghan McCain telling the Republican Party that in order to succeed in future political contests, that the Republican Party must openly embrace the homosexual agenda.  You know what, from a purely political standpoint, she may be right.  By saying that, am I implying that I agree with doing that? No.  It’s just simply the political reality.  And, this is why serious Christians cannot put their faith and trust in politics.  As Christians, our hope and trust is to be put in Jesus Christ and Him alone. 

Also, on another front, we see a another group of Christians in the 7 Mountain Theology camp who are trying to “put Humpty Dumpty back together again” but, their efforts and agenda are very misguided and unscriptural.  By the recent election, and the ill-treatment of Governor Palin, they should know by now that the forces at work are far more powerful and complicated than most of us imagined.  Let me put it to you straight, the hour is very late, much too late for Christians to be putting their faith and trust in politics.  You are heading for miserable failure if you do.  Serious Christians would be wise not to spend their precious time, energy and money trying to resurrect the Republican Party.  You will never see the Republican Party to be what it was in 1980 under Ronald Reagan.  Not in 100 years will you see such a thing again.  From a theological standpoint it is folly to think that anyone living today will see it again.

I am saying to Christians that it is high time we cease placing our trust in politics and the systems of this world.  For to put your trust in politics is to put your trust in man.  Jesus said “My kingdom is not of this world”.  That being the reality, then what business does any Christian have trying to build such an earthly kingdom? Furthermore, even Spirit-filled Christians are very divided when it comes to politics.  I know many Spirit-filled Christians who voted in the past election.  Some voted for the Democratic ticket, while others voted for the Republican ticket.  So, who is hearing from God?  Some will respond by saying “but the stand of the Parties on the issues are clear”.  Oh really?  What about The Log Cabin Republicans and Meghan McCain?

So, you can see the peril of politics for the Christian.  Politics is a foundation made up of sand on the water’s edge.  Pity the Christian who has put his hope and trust there.    

read comments (0)

A civil war is brewing in the church in the United States and it is evolving out of two different camps within the Body of Christ. On the one side we have the Messianic Jewish camp and on the other side we have the Emergent Church camp. The enormity and scope

of this cannot be fully addressed in a brief post such as this one, but, my intention is to simply look at this problem in general terms.

First, let’s look at the Messianic Christian or Messianic Jewish camp. In this camp, we have churches and fellowships that are placing an emphasis on “finding your Jewish Roots”. It is really unclear exactly what is meant by this phrase. It seems to be a catchall for a lot of loose theology. These churches believe that Christians should incorporate Old Testament rituals and customs into their lifestyles and worship services. It is a growing trend and has serious theological pitfalls when it comes to the person of Jesus Christ and His absolute role in the history of mankind. In particular, is the doctrine of “dual covenant” that has evolved in the theology of some of these groups.

Then, there are those who are now calling themselves “Christian Zionists”. This is a sub-group that has become very emphatic on the idea that Christian Churches should align themselves with the State of Israel. Some of these churches have the flag of Israel draped over their pulpits, and their services are heavily influenced by Jewish ritual and custom. And, they are militantly pro-Israel. In a sense, it almost seems as if these groups worship the State of Israel rather than the Messiah of Israel.

What is of concern is that the leaders of these churches imply that if you don’t adopt “Christian Zionism” as a belief system, then somehow, you are outside of God’s favor. These churches incorporate a lot of politics into their preaching. And, Arab States are portrayed as evil and enemies of God. This is unfortunate because Arabs make up one-sixth of the world’s population. That’s right. There are approximately one billion Arabs in the world. So, how are the Arabs of the world going to show or prove their Jewish Roots so they too can receive favor from God? Are we to exclude one billion Arabs simply because they are Arabs? The truth of the matter is that God loves the Arab as much as He loves anyone else. That’s right. Jesus gave His life and shed His blood to save the Arab as much as anyone else. Jesus loves the Arabs as much as He does anyone else. Jesus loves the Arabs as much as He loves the Jews. Jesus gave His life to save all people regardless of race or nationality.

On the other side we see the camp of the Emergent Church or the Emerging Church. These churches and leaders are emphasizing an ecumenical approach to the Gospel. They are teaching and preaching that Jesus is one of “many ways” or “paths” to God. Thus, they are implying that Jesus isn’t the only way to get to Heaven. They are also teaching a form of prayer or meditation called “contemplative prayer” or “soaking prayer”. This type of prayer has its origin in Eastern Mysticism. It is the ancient art of “emptying out” one’s mind and allowing yourself to be “open” to special truth or deeper truth that can only be achieved or apprehended by this technique. It is extremely dangerous because if you empty your mind out, and then expose yourself to the spiritual realm in the process, you become vulnerable to demonic forces.

The Emergent Church leaders are abandoning the ancient paths of the tried and true gospel. The Emergent Church leaders are giving up on defending the gospel. The Emergent Church leaders are forsaking the truth for a lie. They are giving up wholesale the positions that the church has held for the two millennia that it has existed. They are denying that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The Emergent Church leaders are seeking to portray Jesus as a mere philosopher rather than the Savior of the world. The leaders of this camp are emphasizing that we can take the “good” out of all of the world’s religions and then somehow incorporate these “good parts” into one singular belief system. It will be kind of a “religion designed by committee”. And, most alarmingly, is the additional emphasis of lacing this new belief system with their own political concepts and ideas. Thus, at the end of it, you will have a quasi political/religious system that will be the “solve all” for all the world’s problems. Sounds far-fetched you might be saying at this point. Then, read up on it for yourself. Listen to these leaders for yourself.

And, the Emergent Church is aligning itself with other governments of the world that are very unfriendly toward the State of Israel. The leaders of the Emergent Church are meeting with State leaders of various sorts and taking positions on political issues with these leaders.

All of this is a potent mix for the Body of Christ in America. On the one hand, you have the Christian Zionists promoting one political party and its candidate for President, and on the other hand, you have the Emergent Church leaders promoting the other political party and its candidate for President. And, both groups are saying it’s God’s will for their candidate to win.

This is not good news for the church. This is not good news for the country. Because when the election takes place and the choice is made, then, how does the losing side explain how God “let them down”. I mean after all, you have taught that God was on your side and you were supporting God’s man. Right? But, you have the other side saying the same thing. Now what? And, that is my concern. You see, American Christians, by and large, have been insulated from the political and religious turmoil that we read about going on in other parts of the world.. I mean that’s “those people over there”. Right? They just need to “learn how to get along”. They need a lesson in good old American philosophy and then everything will be just fine. Right?

The American Christian, by and large, doesn’t understand the ferocity of the forces these two camps are “playing around with”. It is not a game. American Christians continue to think that they have the luxury of coming up with all sorts of new ideas and new theologies and trying them out on an experiential basis. And, that somehow people around the world are waiting to be enlightened by the new found truth discovered by the American Christian. However, I can tell you that other people in other parts of the world take their religions and their beliefs and their moral codes very, very seriously. Unfortunately, there are some leaders in the American Church who think they can address and solve issues that have been ingrained in other societies and other cultures for centuries, with a mere sound bite. This approach is dangerous. These same leaders think they can write a brief little booklet and “wow” everyone with their philosophy and solve all of the issues that divide the people of the world.

The problem with all of this is that it pulls the church away from its true mission and that is to preach Jesus as the Savior of the world. To preach that Jesus died for all and that He alone is Lord and there is no other.

The compass of the church in America is spinning. The church in America has fragmented beyond belief. If we don’t get some focus and direction and get back to some good old fashioned preaching and teaching of the gospel, then, I’m afraid we are headed for some very stormy waters. 

Publish Date: June 12, 2008

read comments (0)

We know the story of Pandora’s Box and the evil that Pandora unleashes upon the world and her unsuccessful attempt to stop what she had started. One cannot help but make the same comparison with the drama we see unfolding in the U.S. Senate. U.S Senator Charles Grassley has taken it upon himself to “investigate” several prominent Pentecostal ministries. Note that I said “Pentecostal”, the significance of which will become more distinct as we go.

As a pastor of Pentecostal persuasion, I am very interested, even concerned, about what is going on with this investigation. I was recently in Africa and that is where I first heard the news of the investigation. My point is, there are far more than just a few “disgruntled Americans” who are watching this investigation. A point that the Senator would do well to recognize.

By the way, I see that the Senator has been quoted as saying that he too, is a Christian. I am curious as to what denomination or church the Senator belongs? This question may sound like a non-issue to the casual observer, but in this investigation, it means everything. For you see, the ministries that have been targeted by this investigation are Pentecostal or, as some say Charismatic. By definition, Pentecostals and Charismatics believe in things like The Baptism in The Holy Spirit, Speaking In Tongues, the Gifts of The Spirit, Healing, Prophecy etc. Needless-to-say, these doctrinal issues are of major debate among denominations and groups within Christianity. Thus the question, what is the Senator’s theological frame of reference?

One can only imagine the outcry if ministries of non-Christian religions had been targeted by this investigation. On that note, why are not some of them included? I mean, what ever happened to the “stratified random sample”? Or, is this investigation to be interpreted as a “Pentecostal Only shake-down”? It is one thing to have a theological disagreement with another Christian, another denomination, another church, or another religion, but, it is an entirely different matter to open up a governmental inquiry into the activities of those you disagree with.

Read the rest of this entry »

read comments (0)