Posted on 06/05/2019 1:34:53 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
If you’re among the 99, don’t wish for the 1 lost to remain so– Jesus certainly didn’t. And yet when you disputed a pastor’s decision to minister to the lost, you wish just that.
Last Sunday President Trump made an unexpected visit to McLean Bible Church in Northern VA and requested prayer, which was granted on their main stage by Lead Pastor David Platt.
Platt later issued a statement in response to many in his church who were angry with his decision to pray for the president.
Prior to praying for President Trump, Platt read 1 Tim 2:1-6 from the stage:
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”
Platt then placed his hand on the president’s shoulder and led his congregation unashamedly before the throne as an interceder and witness to the president.
It is a dark shame that many in Platt’s church were angry that he chose to pray for the president. This anger is nothing short of pharisaic and displays a fierce illiteracy of the gospel narrative. To be fair, the opposition was a minority of Platt’s congregation and does not reflect the greater McLean Bible Church body.
I’m a Trump-supporter, but I would be just as joyful if Obama, Hillary, or AOC were prayed for on stage. If you think President Trump is a terrible person and you’re mad that a pastor chose to pray for him, then you need to swiftly reexamine the gospel message — and your own heart.
Trump’s sin should not deflect our desire and responsibility to pray for Him — indeed the more sin we observe the greater a desire we should have to pray for him!
Perhaps some think Platt should have prayed for Trump but just not in public. But why? Why pass up this opportunity to use his platform as a witness to the world that we, the Church, are seeking God Almighty to influence our national leaders?
Was Trump’s decision to ask for prayer a political move? Perhaps an attempt to sustain evangelical support as the 2020 campaigns begin?
Perhaps, perhaps not. But let’s say it was. Let’s say President Trump was 100% disingenuous about actually wanting prayer. We can still rejoice. Why? Because MCB Pastor David Platt was 100% genuine in his prayer and God is 100% able to hear Platt’s prayer and change Trump’s heart.
NOBODY is outside the scope of the redemptive power of Jesus.
NOBODY is too sinful for God’s grace.
NOBODY is beyond the hope that we should desperately have for them to be regenerated.
-- John Wesley Reid is a DC-based commentator. After studying political science at Biola University , he attended seminary at Liberty University. In his media career, John has interviewed numerous members of Congress, Activist Mommy, Lila Rose, Ben Shapiro, Jerry Falwell Jr., Allie Stucky, and other cultural influencers. Prior to his media career John served in the Marine Corps as a military police assigned to a security component for Presidents George W. Bush and Barrack Obama. His favorite things in life are Jesus, coffee, and puns.
Mclean Bible has become more liberal since Lon Solomon left.
It’s this sort of ridiculous behavior on the part of Christians which is they the country’s culture is going to shreds. Wow, there is SO much to be outraged about in our world: abortion, mass shootings, broken families, rampant homelessness, the radical usurpation of our education system by leftists, and THIS is what they choose to expend their energy being upset about?! And we wonder why the aforementioned problems exist in the first place!
President Trump, as far as I’m concerned, is a man appointed by God for this hour. His boldness and willingness to stand tall against the face the evil puts many church leaders to shame. And his leadership has provided a lifeline of sorts to the church in America if we want any remaining protections and relevance at all!
And don’t get me started on the martyr-complex folks who believe we should ‘invite more persecution’ as opposed to fight for our freedoms!
Here here.
And seriously, I wonder if these same selectively outraged people express similar remorse over the degraded media and entertainment they likely consume no problem, or as I said earlier, all the societal travesties afflicting our country from abortion to opioid epidemics.
Yep. I mourn Lon’s departure every Sunday. I was a member there for 25 years.
What an awful group within his church. Hateful, sinful and deniers of the word of God. Vile is a good word that comes to mind.
I prayed regularly for Obama and also Sadam Hussein. to the best of my knowledge neither worked but we should still try.
Platt’s critics need to go back to Sunday school. Christians pray for friends, loved ones, and enemies alike. Whether they like Trump or not is irrelevant, unless of course, they put their anger ahead of Biblical teaching.
We watch videos of David Platt’s teaching in our Sunday school group. The minority part of his congregation that got mad about this certainly didn’t learn it from him.
It is beyond me how someone who claims to be Christian would NOT want to pray for someone who needs Jesus. Apparently, these people WANT President Trump to burn in a devil’s Hell. And that is utterly vile in my sight...and God’s.
I know the Mr. Platt preaches living a ‘radical’ faith. Well, it’s my belief that he should do something radical in response...like EXPEL anyone who got mad about his prayer for our President. If they don’t like it, they can just leave amd not come back until they repent of the hatred in their hrarts. And if they don’t...so much the worse for them when they stand in judgement before the thrine of Almighty God.
I really should have spell check turned on. Sorry.
And that’s the difference between Christianity and Islam.
“And yet when you disputed a pastor’s decision to minister to the lost....”
they are claiming/judging that Trump is the lost?
Trump just like any other Christian has issues, some he is dealing with and some not yet. JUST LIKE everyother Christian not dealing with their own sinful or ungodly issues or worse choosing to ignore them.
And since Northern Virginia has been manipulated by Obama, colonized by muslims and illegals as per his policies, and inhabited by his administration for eight years, particularly his overthrow of the Pentagon personnel, subsituting globalist marxists. It's going to take awhile to clean that swamp.
They need a reeducaton camp there at MBC, along with their hipster coffee shop, mini theaters and hospital suite on site.
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