- A long time friend named John wrote in frustration about
a reply he received from his pastor in response to his letter about the
church's lack of concern for the ongoing slaughter in Iraq. John sought
an answer to two scriptural references, and to his frustration the pastor's
reply was entirely secular. This big church pastor ignored the questions
involving Jesus and the Apostle Paul's words. Instead, John was told how
evil Saddam Hussein was; that Islam must be stopped, and that the State
of Israel is an example of why all wars are not evil. (1)
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- Secular and even bloodthirsty replies from religious
leaders are not the exception. They usually ignore scripture, especially
the New Testament. As an extreme example, John Hagee has held 'Night To
Honor Israel' programs where Jesus' name has never been mentioned.
War-favoring, war-excusing, and war-enabling church leaders avoid New Testament
scripture because in it there is no justification for killing anyone. Your
friends and family who are under Judeo-Christian influence do not realize
this until they are shown, which is our self-appointed job.
-
- We are often asked how one can pick a church to attend
that is not Judeo-Christian. To this we offer our own experiences. Our
Christian Zionism Blog is our next step in lending a hand to those who
want to listen and participate. We hope readers will post letters, questions
and experiences of their own, and the names of churches they like. We will
post letters we receive, and if we do not have the writer's permission
we will keep them anonymous, as we have done with John's letter.
-
- We Hold These Truths and Project Strait Gate can share
what we have learned from uncounted conversations at vigils in front of
about 50 of the biggest Judeo-Christian churches in America. We have come
to view those who have strong feelings about their faith and who profess
to be Christians in two general camps, Judeo-Christians and Christ followers,
the first being a large camp and the latter a very small one, which we
call the Strait Gate.(2)*
-
- It should be obvious that many do not fit in either of
the above camps, are either ambivalent or confused, but for reasons of
their own they go to church. Some who read this will say they have, at
times, been in all three camps.
-
- Christ followers, by our label, generally believe that
Jesus is the fulfillment of biblical prophesies, mostly fulfilled in the
first century AD when Jesus came, taught, set up his earthy discipleship,
was crucified under the will of the Pharisees, and arose from the dead.
They think Jesus told His followers about His heavenly kingdom so they
would seek it, a state of spiritual reward; but not without a judgment
that would be visited upon each when we exit physical life.
-
- By contrast, Judeo-Christians may believe all or part
of what Christ followers believe, but they have an added layer superimposed
over the top, like frosting on a cake, that holds to the notion that the
physical, political State of Israel is the fulfillment of God's Old Testament
prophesies. In order to make room for Israel as sort of an extra deity,
most Judeo-Christians accept the explanation that Jesus left unfinished
worldly business behind that will require His return to manage an earthly
kingdom for 1000 years.
-
- It is not your writer's place to decide if Jesus will
return to earth again, as there is some Biblical evidence both ways and
Jesus did not firmly say. I do not see how this question mattered to Paul
or the Apostles because they all died 1,950 years ago without seeing this
rapture and millennium kingdom, yet surely they have met Christ and been
judged. The same is true of about 100 generations of good and bad people
that have come and gone since Paul and the disciples were on earth. It
did not matter to them that they died without seeing Armageddon and 'the
rapture,' so why should it matter to me? I would like to think He never
left.
-
- Certainly the odds are also against this writer witnessing
the "rapture." However as a consolation, D. James Kennedy and
Jerry Falwell both missed it too. But Jesus promised that either we are
faithful and will receive Christ's promise, or we are faithless and will
be shunned by Jesus in His Kingdom. Either way, rapture or a millennial
reign is not likely to be important to me, and I find no reason I have
to know or debate the issue. This is the position WHTT Christian Zionism
Blog will take until someone convinces us otherwise.
-
- Unfortunately most pastors, even those in traditional
churches, have been influenced by the opulent worldly success of the Judeo-Christian
churches. Many cannot identify with a poor and humble Jesus and penniless
apostles, and have compromised. I visited a church on Sunday that may be
a case in point, a part of the Evangelical Covenant church where I once
was a member.
-
- Covenant churches are rightly considered "mainline
Protestant," with a home in Chicago, IL, the Evangelical Covenant
Church tends to be traditional, and describes itself as such. But this
one taught, at least on this day, a mixture of Judeo-Christianity veneered
onto following Christ.
-
- Fred, as I will call the lead pastor, is a graduate of
Fuller Theological Seminary, and calls himself a 'Christ Follower.' I like
that term, it's what we call ourselves, and Pastor Fred began with a moving
account of Isaiah 9 which I also liked. The story is poetic and it furnishes
an important chorus to George Frideric Handel's Messiah: 'And His name
shall be called Wonderful, Marvelous, the mighty God, the everlasti ng
father, the prince of peace.'
-
- This is the prophesy of Jesus' first coming to earth
as the Messiah to the Gentiles (that's us). Pastor Fred stressed that Jesus
was the peacemaker in a time of terrible war and evil conflict, and he
went on to suggest to the audience that most of us have had enough wars.
The audience responded positively, Pastor Fred is clearly not promoting
more war from the pulpit. So far so good, right out of scripture... the
traditional view of Jesus, who could be more traditional than George Frideric
Handel?
-
- Pastor Fred almost had me won over, starting off on the
right foot as he did, but then came a disappointment. He made a simple
statement, given as fact, that Jesus was indeed coming again to set up
the system of Justice and Peace promised in Isaiah 9, 'and the government
shall be upon his shoulders,' meaning he said, Jesus will be very much
in charge! The pastor did not say when he expects Jesus to come again,
nor did he explain why He did not set up his kingdom when he came the first
time.
-
- Until Judeo-Christianity came along in the 19th Century,
Isaiah 9 was accepted by almost everyone as a prophesy of Jesus' first
coming two thousand years ago. It is a stretch to consider it is talking
about a future coming, ignoring that all who call themselves Christians
believe this is history. But Pastor Fred confused this in all our minds.
He superimposed a thin, but a very hard veneer of Judeo-Christianity over
following Christ.
-
- It is basic that we who call ourselves by Jesus' name
are supposed to be following the living Christ day-to-day on this earth,
our testing ground. Jesus' kingdom is "not of this earth" as
he told Pilot, but is a spiritual one. Pastor Fred did not say where or
when Jesus' next 'coming' would take place, and he did not mention a 'rapture,'
or a millennial kingdom' where Jesus would rule, nor did he project when
this event would take place, but he certainly asserted it was coming in
our future. Except for this one Judeo-Christian admission Pastor Fred appears
to be a traditional Christ follower. It is our job to seek a dialogue with
those like him and talk about the layer of Judeo-Christianity that is spoiling
the whole cake .
-
- What is the damage in believing Jesus will come back
to earth for a 1000 year reign of goodness and justice? First Jesus does
not say this; it is implied by some aggressive assumptions. If we expect
another coming it removes from us the need to do our part to maintain His
Kingdom on earth. This is exactly what He told us we must do in His book,
the New Testament. If indeed Jesus came, finished His work, and left as
planned, then we had best be very serious about doing our work and following
His commands on earth if we are to have our own personal "second coming.'
Jesus told us to love our brother, even love our enemy and hate and revile
no one. If this is indeed His last word to us, until we face Him in some
distant year at the doorway of His kingdom, we must be diligent, constantly
on guard and never slacking from our work. If we are indeed followers and
don't want anyone else to do our task or carry our cross for us.
-
- Judeo-Christianity is a great mega-church builder because
it relieves us of the burden Christ placed on us of following regardless
of the cost of inconvenience. To all the Disciples that meant death. Judeo-Christianity
shifts the burden back to God. Judeo-Christians have only to confess that
they believe in Judeo-Christianity (not simply Jesus), an apostate concept.
Are we to give up the chance to walk in Jesus' footsteps for a lie?
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- If there are wars and slaughters, even natural disasters,
do not be too concerned, these must be God' ordained acts for his ordained
reasons, or so goes the Judeo-Christians' logic. They will invariably testify:
'You do not have to do a thing to be saved; Jesus did it all for you. You
have but to believe.' These are the implications of Pastor Fred's disappointing
words.
-
- The illogical conclusion of Judeo-Christianity is that
we must tell lots of people about Jesus and his impending next coming,
and to stay out of the thankless grind of trying to make the world we live
in a better place to live. It is indeed fortunate that most Judeo-Christians
are good people who are not ambivalent, and who do a lot of work in spite
of all the coordinated efforts to teach them they need not do it.
-
- Jesus never told us He planned to fail in His first try
on earth, and that He would have to try it a second time when conditions
were more conducive to His Kingdom. But this is what Judeo-Christians rely
upon. The 'government' and all earthy matters are to be settled by Jesus
at his return, so following him becomes quite irrelevant. After all, if
Jesus is coming again, and 'the Government shall be upon his shoulders'
why even vote? We have only to believe, but in what? This is the result
of the Judeo-Christian heresy and it is why our country is at war all the
time and has many other ills...everyone in politics knows that the Judeo-Christians
are the key to his or her political succ ess. We Hold These Truths believes
this will soon change.(5)
-
- The great turning in the age of Judeo-Christianity
-
- Leaders of a growing number of seminaries and universities
are finally making themselves heard, and are saying we need to be involved
because the blood shed is on our hands as we just sit and watch. Those
who are demanding fair treatment for Palestinians are, by their acts, telling
us Jesus' Kingdom is here and His righteousness is ours to defend. We had
best pay attention to the killing being done in our name in Iraq, Palestine
and everywhere else. This sense of responsibility defines traditional Christ
followers.
-
- Among those college presidents who want to take a stand
are Richard Mouw, President, Fuller Theological Seminary, where Pastor
Fred learned his theology, Glenn R. Palmberg, President, Evangelical Covenant
Church, the home of Pastor Fred's church, and David L. Parkyn, President,
North Park University, the Covenant Church's University in Chicago, long
a leader in exposing the Israelis' abuse of the Palestinians, plus thanks
to its' Dr. Donald Wagner, also a signer. Several professors at other schools
signed the letter in the November issue of Christianity Today's Magazine,
which states in part: (4)
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- 'Over 80 educators and ministry heads affirm efforts
to negotiate lasting peace, and warn of consequences of failure...The Bible
clearly teaches that God longs for justice and peace for all people. We
believe that the principles about justice taught so powerfully by the Hebrew
prophets apply to all nations, including the United States, Israel, and
the Palestinians. Therefore we are compelled to work for a fair, negotiated
solution for both Israelis and Palestinians."*
-
- These 80 are firmly distancing themselves from the popular
Judeo-Christian (evangelical) view that Israel is the fulfillment of Old
Testament scripture. This is a sure sign of the coming of great change
now in the wind. One of our best allies is Dr. Mark Hanna, an anti-Zionist
dispensationalist, who believes Jesus is coming to earth again, but does
not believe the State of Israel fulfills Bible prophesies. He is the exception
that proves the point.
-
- Whatever one thinks his creed, preoccupation with the
State of Israel is Christian-Zionism. A Christ follower is one who does
his faltering human best to follow Christ's teachings and examples every
day, regardless of what else one believes or reasons.(2)
-
- We began this epistle with John's frustration over his
pastor's letter. We have posted both letters to our Christian Zionist Blogs,
and we suggest that John again write a simplified letter, too, with only
scriptural questions, asking the Pastor to answer his questions... nothing
else. He should also insist on an answer to the key litmus test question,
does his pastor think "Political Israel is the fulfillment of Bible
prophesy?" Then he should consider circulating both letters.
-
- In dealing with pastors and church leaders, it is we,
the laymen critics, who must force them to stay scriptural, even when they
try to lead us into a secular story. We must not allow them to drag us
into secular arguments like those John's pastor raised. Only in this way
can we change them, and change our churches, and protect those we love
from them.
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- (1) WHTT Christian Zionism Blogs
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- http://whtt-christianzionism.blogspot.com/
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- (2) Project Strait Gate
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- (http://cp.whtt.org/straitgate/index.php?id=14&news=1)
-
- (3) Mark M. Hanna: An Analysis of Cufi and a Dispensational
Critique of Christian Zionism ( http://whtt.org/index.php?news=2&id=1286)
-
- (4) Evangelical Leaders Reiterate Call for Two-State
Solution
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- ( http://cp.whtt.org/index.php?news=2&id=1954 )
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- (5) The Beginning of the End of Christian Zionism (<http://cp.whtt.org/index.php?news=2&id=1739)
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- http://whtt.org/straitgate/index.php?id=14&news=1
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