Article #379
by Bill Nugent
There’s a lot of politics being preached from pulpits in Evangelical and charismatic churches these days. Some are uncomfortable about it. Some regard it as necessary.
When I was a young believer in Christ, in the 1970s, you almost never heard politics being preached from evangelical pulpits. You never heard the words Democrat or Republican being mentioned from the pulpit. President Carter was never mentioned except when we prayed for him.
I recently heard a debate on the radio between a theologically liberal Christian and a theologically Conservative Christian. Before the debate even started the liberal Christian berated the conservative Christian and accused him of trying to take us back to the 1950s.
The liberal exclaimed how the 1950s were a time of backwardness and injustice. The liberal Christian claimed to be a man of progress and forward-thinking.
I agree that the 1950s in America was far from heaven but I’ll also point out that what has happened since has been close to hell.
Guess Who’s Really Turning the Clock Back
“That which has been is that which will be,
And that which has been done is that which will be done.
So, there is nothing new under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 1:9
I will point out that leftist liberalism is not forward-thinking. Liberal politics is not leading us to a more equitable society. Liberal politics takes us back in time, not to the 1950s, but many centuries before that to the time of ancient Rome and ancient Greece.
In ancient Rome and ancient Greece, infanticide was widely practiced. Homosexuality and sexual deviancy of all kinds was rampant. The Greek army had regiments that were all homosexual. The government was a totalitarian dictatorship. Sounds a bit like the abortion, LGBTQ and socialism agenda the leftists are pushing, doesn’t it?
The ancient pagan authoritarian cultures remind us of the liberal dystopias of the Soviet Union and Red China. Leftist politics is the the politics of death.
The Reason Why Politics is Now Commonly Preached from the Pulpit
Nowadays we really have no choice but to to discuss politics from the pulpit. This is for the simple reason that abortion, which is mass murder of The unborn, is now a political issue. In past generations abortion was condemned by all people, left, right and center.
The homosexual agenda is taught in our public school classrooms, Kindergarten through grade 12. In addition to that, the FBI and other federal agencies have been actively engaged in censorship.
We have no choice to but to point these things out and to give answers from the Bible to the issues of our time. We call out the political leaders who promote the culture of death. The culture of death is death of the unborn, death of Israel, death of Jews, death of the traditional family, death of sexual morality and death of personal freedom. Conservatives are censored when we speak out over social media.
Pastors, Sunday school teachers and other church leaders have bravely spoken out against the clouds of darkness that have overshadowed America. The deep state has restrained our freedom so that we can hardly even say that we’re “the land of the free.”
In times of great social injustice in past generations, pastors have not hesitated to openly discuss social issues. In the 1850s, many pastors preached abolition of slavery. Charles Finney (1792-1875) was especially aggressive in his attacks on slavery. Finney refused Holy Communion to slave-holders.
Critical Race Theory
Critical race theory (CRT), is taught in our public school classrooms across America. CRT is an extremely divisive cynical view of the history of America. It overwhelmingly dwells on injustices that were perpetrated against black Americans and other Americans of color, including native Americans. It’s seems like they’re trying to bring division.
In the past, traditional American educators have never glossed over the fact that in the early days of America there was slavery of blacks and terrible oppression of native Americans. When I was in high school 50 years ago, the injustices of America were openly taught in my school. The difference 50 years ago was that the oppression of persons of color was not overwhelmingly emphasized. The virtues of America were also taught.
We learned in our classrooms that there were many who opposed slavery and worked for abolition. The American Civil War was a time of great sacrifice and bloodshed that resulted in the end of slavery. It was taught that after the Civil War, there were many white Americans who worked diligently to provide education for blacks. They supported the establishment of black high schools and universities.
America has repented of slavery and segregation. Many government programs have supported persons of color. The war on poverty was launched in 1965, which has resulted in transfer payments in the trillions of dollars. There’s affirmative action and other programs to redress past inequalities.
White missionaries have long been involved in reaching out to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and other places with the Gospel message of salvation. This is in addition to the many thousands of white missionaries who have gone to Africa and won souls to Christ and established churches in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and all other African nations.
I wish that Critical Race Theory took a balanced approach to the history of race relations and teach the fact that American society has repented of its past injustices and has made amends. Of course, racism still exists and more work needs to be done. There must be racial reconciliation to bring a peaceful multiracial society.
What’s the meaning of “Liberal” and “Progressive”?
Even the term “liberal” has been abused by those on the left. The word “liberal” means “generous.” Liberalism formerly meant limited government in which the government generously allowed people to make their own decisions and to build businesses and work hard and reap the benefits of their labor. Classical liberalism is small government and large freedom.
In earlier times, the term “progressive” meant progressing towards a more virtuous society as measured by biblical Christian virtues. Now even the term “progressive” has been co-opted to mean progress to a new form of pagan barbarism in which the preborn and even some that survive abortion are brutally murdered. Leftist progressives want progress to an ancient pagan hellhole of sexual deviancy, abortion and totalitarian government.
Progress Towards Revelation 13
The Bible, in Revelation chapter 13, describes a future totalitarian government. We all pray that Revelation 13 totalitarian government never comes to America. We pray that America opts out of the Revelation 13 antichrist government.
Totalitarian government is a government that stifles dissent and curtails freedom of speech. All power is concentrated into the hands of the top one percent.
Tyrants say: “Get your vaccines! Get your shots like a dog or you won’t be able to get your vaccine passport and you won’t be able to fly!”
We have to talk politics from the pulpit to enlighten our people and to warn them of the hideous dangers posed by the new liberals and progressives that seek to impose their centralized dictatorial dystopia on all the world.
The Culture of Life
We must work to bring in the culture of life. Life for the unborn; life for the traditional family; life for an economic system in which taxes are low and personal responsibility to care for oneself and one’s family is high.
The old fashioned biblical worldview is what made America great. It was the biblical worldview that brought about true reform and ended slavery, segregation and other injustices. We must support the politics of life.
The Bible was quoted by the founding fathers of America more than any other book. The Bible was quoted more than any of the writings of the political philosophers of the Enlightenment.
Redemption Through Christ Alone
Jesus came in fulfillment of over 300 Old Testament Messianic prophecies. Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah of Israel. Jesus suffered and died for our sins. The ancient biblical prophets foretold that the coming Messiah would die for the sins of the people. Jesus of Nazareth took the punishment of our sins upon Himself.
The Old Testament sacrificial system, in which animals were sacrificed was a prophetic picture of the coming Messiah who would be the ultimate sacrifice.
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him, the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead to offer forgiveness of sins to all who turn to him in repentance. I invite you to turn to Christ today to receive forgiveness of sins!
(C) 2023 William Nugent, permission granted to translate, email or republish for Christian outreach.
Steps to salvation:
Jesus said “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7).
Prayer to receive salvation:
“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
To receive the salvation that Jesus purchased for us at the terrible cost of His suffering and death on our behalf I invite you to pray this simple prayer:
“Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for sending Jesus, the promised Messiah, to die for my sins. I admit that I am a sinner. I repent of my sins and I ask for your forgiveness on the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit to empower me to serve you under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, Amen.”
If you prayed this prayer in the humble sincerity of your heart then you have received everlasting life, which includes power to live right in this life and entrance into heaven in the afterlife!