Posted on 04/24/2018 9:53:03 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other." (Matthew 6:24)
The verse refers to money, but in light of today's debate about the unaccountable devotion many Christian leaders have for President Trump it is not a stretch to apply it to their relationship with him.
Last week at Wheaton College in Illinois a number of Christian pastors and leaders gathered to discuss the future of "evangelicalism" in the Trump era. Some who were not there claimed it was a forum for Trump-bashing, some who were in attendance disagreed.
There is a conceit among some conservative Christians that God is only at work when a person they voted for is elected and that the rest of the time He must be attending to other countries. "God showed up," said Franklin Graham following Trump's election. Scripture states that all authority comes from God and that "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord like channels of water; he turns it wherever he wants."(Proverbs 21:1)
That means that God also must have "shown up" when Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and every other president was elected. The Almighty does, in fact, have a different agenda than us earthlings and sometimes He puts up leaders to judge people for their wicked behavior.
Long ago I stopped answering people's questions about my denominational background for at least two reasons. The first is that I don't want to be defined by a label, the meaning of which can mean different things to different people. The second reason is that I don't want to be aligned with various causes and movements (spare me from movements) that have little or nothing to do with the God in whom I believe.
Which brings me to today's "evangelicals." If you do not identify as one, or if you are secular, can you define the term without a Google search? Probably not, but the word has invaded the culture much like "born again" (usually in quotes in newspaper stories) in the '70s when Jimmy Carter publicly pronounced his second birth.
Evangelicals mostly voted for the church-going Carter in 1976, though not in 1980, preferring instead the non-church-going Ronald Reagan. I understand. It was more about policy than piety.
That brings me back to the debate within evangelical circles as to whether President Trump deserves the support, even adulation, even fawning, of some in their tribe.
I will leave that for now to those debating the issue and ask a more important question. What would happen in our culture and especially in our politics if all of those who call themselves evangelicals began obeying the commands of Jesus of Nazareth?
As I read the Scriptures, which evangelicals believe are infallible and inerrant, both Testaments place obedience as a top priority for believers.
If God is supreme and Jesus is Savior, doesn't it follow that their commands and teachings should be paramount?
There is no expectation, much less any command, for believers to prop up a fallen world through government. It's quite the opposite. What would be the world's perception of evangelicals if they started obeying the commands of their true leader? Those commands are to love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, feed the hungry (that's personal, not government), clothe the naked, visit those in prison and care for widows and orphans.
Yes, some do these things, but not enough. Today, "evangelicals" are perceived by many as one more interest group attached to the Republican Party and especially President Trump. Its members need to make a choice as to which one is their true "master." They can't serve both.
Absolute BS.
Who else do you propose we should have voted for then?
History will likely condemn the Evangelicals for being myopic.
History will not condemn us for being myoptic even though you clearly have.
Anyone with any common sense understands that we had, as usual, basically only two choices.
It is not in the plain text, I.e., ELS one, do you really want to learn about the codes? It’s not for everyone. You have to learn Hebrew since that is what the Bible is written in.
Trump the man is the quintessential all American male. What separated him from the rest of candidates for President was, he loves our country... Cal Thomas is Biblically illiterate ... Just read all about Q Jezebel ...
God keeps the only record that counts and man's record of history is biased at best. All things considered it is a miracle that Trump won the election fair and square, in spite of all the lying, cheating and illegal votes.
By the way did you know that God considers 'spiritual' adultery a far worse sin then flesh adultery? 'You know' Thou shalt have no other gods before Me... President Trump was not, nor is he a stand in for the Creator.
Did Cal bitch about all the Billy Graham Christians that kept bjClinton's poll numbers in the high 60's during his whoredoms in our White House... ?
We elected a President, not a national pastor.
Yes... I remember candidate Trump rallies ... "protect Christianity', he called for Christians to unite .... Christians could return to saying 'Merry Christmas'... He was constantly speaking out about how the uncivilized lunatics were slaughtering Christians in the Middle East ... no other candidate even came close to encouraging the Christian Faith.
Now the Cuban Canadian, Ted Cruz did attempt to enact 'Gideon' in South Carolina, by culling out 300 preachers for his victory ... Cruz ignored what instrument of war, Gideon's 300 used for victory... (trumpets) I still snicker over that. Why Ted's wife said that Ted was 'the face of God'... down in South Carolina... I remember... Trumps victory in South Carolina was stunning...
At this point in time, Deep State progressives are the enemy of the Republic. Better to spend our energy defending the Republic from them.
FU Cal Thomas. I don’t “serve” either Trump or your narrow religious view.
I support the best person to lead this country and proud of it.
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