2017: THE YEAR OF PANDERING, PUSSYFOOTING, PHARISAICAL PREACHERS
BY CHUCK BALDWIN
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
January 5, 2017
[NOTE:
The opinion in this article is the opinion of the author and
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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.
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.”
