2017: THE YEAR OF PANDERING, PUSSYFOOTING, PHARISAICAL PREACHERS
By Chuck Baldwin
January 5, 2017
NewsWithViews.com
[NOTE: The opinion in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the opinion of NewsWithViews.com, it's employees, representatives, or other contributing writers.]
It’s been going on for decades, of course. I’m talking about America’s pastors. For the most part, they have become little more than glorified errand boys for corporatism, elitism, legalism, and statism. They watch FOX News too much. They watch Joel Osteen and John Hagee too much. They worry about their 401k’s too much. They worry about their reputations too much. They worry about being disliked too much. They worry about offending major donors too much. They worry about falling out of the smiley side of the political establishment too much. They play golf too much. They belong to too many civic clubs. They try to be liked too much. Like Barack Obama, they take too many vacations. They play and socialize too much and study too little. They are too afraid of being controversial. They are too afraid of being unpopular. And worst of all, they are too afraid of TRUTH.
The televangelist pied pipers of apostasy are blind guides leading a blind church into a deep and horrible ditch. Joel Osteen refuses to use words such as “sin,” “sinner,” “hell,” “judgment,” “wrath,” “homosexual,” “lesbian,” etc. His perverse and pernicious brand of prosperity theology has warped a generation of gullible and undiscerning Christians. John Hagee has made a fortune pandering to the Zionists in Tel Aviv. He has sold millions of dollars worth of books and DVDs promulgating the false doctrine that Jews have a special covenant with God and need not come to Christ for salvation. He has also blatantly said that Jesus did not even come to be the Messiah and that the Jews cannot be blamed for rejecting a Messiah that never was.
But the Judaizing of the church in America has just begun. I predict that 2017 will see a tsunami of Zionistic thought and theology immersing the church. Ultra-Zionists in Congress such as John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Ted Cruz are preparing to launch a fresh Israel-First political campaign like this country has never seen. And I predict that Donald Trump will likewise launch his own Israel-First campaign from the White House. And given that a majority of preachers and Christians in this country are already laboring under a false and fictitious Israel-First theology in their hearts and minds, they will be wide open to entertaining and promoting this new political, economic, and military push--all of which will benefit the international Zionist bankers who bankroll their toadies in the cloakrooms of Washington, D.C., and newsrooms of New York City.
Already, these pandering, pussyfooting, Pharisaical preachers are beginning to compromise the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith. This past Christmas, Atlanta megachurch pastor Andy Stanley said in a message that “the story of Jesus’ virgin birth is not crucial to the Christian faith.
“‘If somebody can predict their own death and resurrection, I’m not all that concerned about how they got into the world,’ Andy Stanley said in a Dec. 4 sermon at North Point Community Church, which draws 36,000 attendees across six locations in suburban Atlanta. ‘Christianity doesn’t hinge on the truth or even the stories around the birth of Jesus. It hinges on the resurrection of Jesus.’”
See the report: Megachurch Pastor Ignites Debate After Suggesting That Christianity Doesn’t Hinge On Jesus’ Birth
Surely, Andy Stanley knows that the resurrection of Christ is not possible without the virgin birth of Christ. And he must also know that Christianity does indeed hinge on the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. So, why would he say such a thing? Like the vast majority of these megachurch pastors, he is pandering to self-interest. One doesn’t attract 36,000 parishioners in modern self-absorbed America by preaching like John the Baptist.
And speaking of John the Baptist, ex-con Jim Bakker and prophecy geek Tom Horn are promoting a new book that suggests President-elect Donald Trump is a modern-day John the Baptist for a soon coming Messiah. I kid you not! They are saying that Trump’s election could be the precursor for Christ to return in September or October of this year.
These guys never miss a trick! How many millions of dollars will they make on this book? Of course, when November and December of this year roll around, I’m sure they will be offering another prophecy book with more “signs” and “moons” and “sabbaths” and “miracles” that point to other dates for Jesus’ return. And that book will net them another million or two. P.T. Barnum sure knew what he was talking about when he said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.”
In the first place, I’ve never heard Donald Trump say one word that even suggests he has a personal relationship with Christ. I don’t know his heart, of course. I’m just saying he has never made any kind of public affirmation of a personal faith in Christ. In the second place, for supposed preachers to suggest that the hedonistic, womanizing, foul-mouthed Donald Trump is a modern-day John the Baptist is the height of spiritual idiocy. What kind of president Trump will be is yet to be seen. I sincerely hope he will be a good one. But to compare him to John the Baptist, the mighty prophet and forerunner of our Lord who was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb, borders on blasphemy.
News flash: when Christ returns, He will not need anyone’s help--not Jim Bakker’s, not Tom Horn’s, not Kenneth Copeland’s, not Benny Hinn’s, not Donald Trump’s, not ANYONE’S.
And speaking further of pandering preachers: one of Trump’s “spiritual advisers,” Jerry Falwell, Jr., recently said that the moral (or immoral) convictions of Rex Tillerson, Trump’s pick for Secretary of State, aren’t relevant. That’s right. He said they aren’t relevant.
Tillerson is a major promoter of Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider. He is also a major promoter of the homosexual agenda. It was Tillerson who led the Boy Scouts of America to accept homosexuals.
See the report here: Jerry Falwell Jr.: Rex Tillerson’s Position On Social Issues Not Relevant
Of course, Tillerson is also a loyal fellow traveler of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and a major globalist. But New World Order, globalist issues NEVER make the radar for Christian leaders such as Jerry Falwell, Jr.
All over America, pastors are pandering to power, wealth, success, and position. Had Hillary Clinton been elected, she would have chosen several of the same kind of people for her new cabinet as Trump has selected for his--people such as Tillerson. The difference is because Donald Trump is the one doing the selecting, preachers, radio talk show hosts, conservative writers, etc., for the most part, say absolutely nothing against these appointments. But if Clinton was the one making these selections, they would be screaming their heads off.
Folks, the word for that is PANDERING.
If scripturally illiterate people want to pronounce a President-elect as their new messiah and savior, so be it. But supposed men of God and students of the scriptures should know that America’s real problems are spiritual, not political. They should know that America’s remedies are spiritual, not political. They should know that NO politician or political party can ever provide salvation--not even temporal salvation.
Will Donald Trump accomplish some good things in office? I hope so. Will he also do some very BAD things in office? I fear so. Will his administration be a net positive or negative for America? Right now, no one knows. We all pray it will be the former, of course.
But what we do know is that it is the pastors and men of God in this country who are the ones charged with the responsibility of speaking truth to power (regardless of political party), of standing boldly and uncompromisingly for the Biblical Natural Law principles of liberty, and of being honest truth-seekers and truth-tellers.
For far too long, churches and Christians have looked to politicians, political parties, and political celebrities to lead the country out of darkness. This they cannot do. Light and darkness are spiritual realities, NOT political ones. Jesus said that His disciples were the “light” of the world, NOT the kings, governors, potentates, emperors, or even presidents of this world. So, why does the church look to the likes of these to lead them out of darkness? Maybe it’s because all they see around them are pandering, pussyfooting, and Pharisaical preachers.
Then again, if people truly want truth-telling men of God to bring light to their country and communities, why do they continue to sit in the dark shadows of pandering pulpits?
P.S. As I said, I predict that 2017 will be “The Year of the Zionists.” It is as clear as crystal to me that the old covenant, Pharisaical, Zionist false doctrines will be enveloping the western church in an unprecedented manner during the course of this year. In truth, THIS could be the beginning of the great “falling away” that leads to the “man of sin” who will deceive the “very elect.”
Equating the modern State of Israel created in 1948 to Biblical or prophetic Israel is the devil’s greatest deception upon the church. As long as the church--and our country--lies buried under this delusion, the light of Christ and His truth can never shine on this nation.
I preached the "Israel First" doctrine for most of my life, but the more I taught it, the more dissatisfied I became with it. A few years ago, I began a systematic search of the Bible with an open mind and discovered that the promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 was fulfilled in Jesus Christ and in those who believe in Him, as clearly explained in Galatians 3:16.
The misapplication of Genesis 12:3 to the modern State of Israel has produced untold death, carnage, and war. And sadly, it is Christians who are the loudest cheerleaders for all of these global wars of aggression. And the reason for this "spirit of war" is the egregious misinterpretation of Genesis 12:3 that inaccurately applies the promise to Abraham to the modern State of Israel.
Let me be clear: I’m NOT talking about race--the Jewish race or any other race. I’m talking about false theology. Many rabbis and Jews are as opposed to the false teachings of Talmudic Zionism as anyone.
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I urge readers to watch my seven-message, two-DVD sermon series entitled “The Church And Israel.” This message series has helped thousands of people come to a better understanding of what the Bible truly teaches regarding Israel--past, present, and future. It is by far my most requested DVD package. If you watch these messages with an open heart and mind, I believe the Holy Spirit will reveal truth to you that will change your life. And you do remember what Jesus said, right? “The truth shall make you free.”
Order “The Church And Israel” DVD combo here.
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