July 4th is narrowly in the rear-view mirror, and every time I think about the celebration, the fireworks, the patriotic colors, and the smell of the grill, my political mind kicks in. Of course, in those occasions, I consider the political mind an affliction, as compared to when it is being used to communicate ideas or motivate people to take action.
With so many American churches today going overboard to be welcoming, or non-political, or even worse, woke, refusing to take on key topics that not only destroy a nation, but offend God, I can’t help but see the irony in nearly every church hosting 4th of July parties. Truly, with so many churches afraid to offend anyone, do these pastors still celebrating the 4th not understand what it is they are celebrating?
They are celebrating American Independence, which came more than a year into a military rebellion against the British empire, with seven years of fighting to go.
They have no issues with celebrating a byproduct of rebellion against the tyrannical overlords of the American colonies; there is perhaps nothing more political than celebrating July 4th:
In Congress, July 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another…
I suspect churches feel it is safe, with nearly a quarter millennium elapsed since the Declaration was signed, to dabble with American Independence, but when asked to touch on wokeness, which features authentic racism, the defiance of the created order, and unbridled promotion of societal grievance, or the actual enabling factors behind human trafficking, or the rise of evil in our political system, most pastors draw a blank and seek the first opportunity to punt the topic and double down on social media approved topics, like systemic racism.
My treatise here is not aimed at all pastors. Many pastors I know are members of the Black Robe Regiment, or are otherwise aligned with truth, no matter how difficult it may be for some ears to hear. Some of my favorites I’d like to honor in this space are Jon Sherman, Steve Cassell, Paul Blair, Leon Benjamin, Bill Cook, Ben Davis, and Mark Sherwood (if I left any of you out, forgive me). Just as the Reverend Ezra Stiles and many courageous men of God provided a bedrock of spiritual support before, during, and after the American Revolution, our country is in need of bold pastors who are willing to call out lies our nation believes, or is pressured to conform to; instead, the opposite is occurring – most of our shepherds are leading the sheep to the slaughter by telling them what they want to hear, or think they want to hear.
I learned this the hard way in 2015. I began attending church at a non-denominational fellowship in suburban Houston, Texas, where I once lived. The church was fun-loving, into community activities, had a good children’s ministry, and had a young membership. The lead pastor was a young man who gave excellent, thought-provoking sermons geared toward action; additionally, the church had a major focus on eradicating human trafficking, which is rampant in Texas and the Houston metro, which is arguably the world’s capital for that evil practice.
The politics of the individual members were about what you would expect from a crowd of mostly white, suburban Texans – that is to say, ardently opposed to the Obama administration, by then on its seventh year. Politics, however, was rarely discussed as a matter of church business. I can understand that a church need not double as a Republican Party registration headquarters, especially since the party demonstrates precious little conviction in critical matters pertaining to life and liberty these days, but I would expect churches to provide guidance and wisdom regarding the prominent events of the time, and the lies told to prop false narratives up.
When Donald Trump came onto the political scene, and especially in the run-up to the 2016 general election, suddenly my church became interested in politics. Everything was racist, everything was misogynist, and that’s just not who we are, and it doesn’t really matter who the president is because Jesus is on the throne. Meanwhile, I was sitting in attendance thinking about the standard collection of Christian-centric political items, like protection of the unborn, in connection with two things the church claimed to stand for, “racial reconciliation” and an end to human trafficking, and how ironic it was that church leadership had no problem backing establishment Republican campaigns content to plunge the world into war, leave borders overflowing with carnage, and waffle on issues governing the sanctity of life itself, all while shipping American jobs overseas to enrich the rest of the world and impoverish our own people.
Eight years later, I recognize “racial reconciliation” as a woke buzzword, although I do think that the concept itself is needed if accomplished on the grounds that all men are created equal, and not that all men deserve equal outcomes. I tend to believe that racial unrest is mostly fanned by the media, who need division to achieve goals, but also by the perception of income inequality and access to education or technical training.
Enter, Donald Trump, the man who wants to guard American sovereignty and implement a working-class agenda and bring in a high tide that would lift all boats, including black and brown ones. The left has framed illegal immigration as a race-related issue and beaten the right to death with it, but ultimately it’s about economics. The flood of illegal aliens provides an abundance of labor that can be paid underneath the table to those violating the law, relegating poor American citizens of all races to poverty, welfare, and allegiance to the party of slavery.
Building the wall and deporting those who are here illegally gives those communities a chance to stand up and prosper once again, giving them liberty and the freedom to chart a new path forward, away from the dependency of the past; perhaps most critically, cracking down on the border also severely deters human trafficking, which is fast-tracked thanks to our relaxed security posture and non-existent Southern border under the Biden regime.
Somehow, this emergent church abandoned its concerns for legitimate equality and cessation of human trafficking to side with the deranged propaganda media, which was busy fluffing Black Lives Matter and convincing white conservatives that they have white privilege, which can only be rectified by surrendering individual rights and liberties, and not having a country, because why do you hate these poor women and children who are coming across the border?
Things got really bad when the “Access Hollywood” tape dropped in October 2016, because that activated the feminist faction of this church and the prominent matriarch of the church, who has become one of the most obnoxious figures in the woke church brand, and who I will not name in this article out of respect for friends I made while at that church. Needless to say, when Trump won the next month, I found all of the handwringing and fretting to be extremely funny.
In the present, most American churches bring one particular verse to mind for me, and it captures Christ’s words:
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. (Matthew 5:13 - Berean Standard Bible)
Salt is made to preserve. Churches are meant to preserve Christ’s teaching and his example to the world, and by conforming to this world rather than seeking to establish dominion over it, the impact to society is fatal. Consider all of the European nations who have mocked and forgotten God and see their very real plunge into socialism and despair, which is evident by the visual decay of major nations like France.
If pastors and churches aren’t meant to venture into the realm of government, then why do we celebrate Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who worked for years to subvert Nazism and save lives in the face of massive evil? After all, the Nazis were organized under the Nationalsozialistische Duetsche Arbeiterpartei, or put simply in English – the National Socialist German Workers’ Party – clearly a political party with the intention of running government. American pastors spoke out against the injustices of the Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s, but today are largely afraid to approach even the simplest, most obviously evil topics present in the world today out of fear of alienating people who need to hear the truth:
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (I Corinthians 1:18 – New American Standard Bible)
It is a mockery to those who have sacrificed lives to found and preserve this country to celebrate the holidays dedicated to those men or their achievements, while refusing to stand for even the simplest of truths. I don’t expect pastors to have sermons outlining the manipulation of elections, but I absolutely expect them to speak about the violations of the liberties of the people, the lies told that insult the created order, which have now found their way into the school system, and the tyrannical system of enslavement that stirs up conflict and violence among the citizenry. Left unchecked, these violations turn into atrocities over and over in history, all throughout the world today and in first world powers within the past century. Shockingly, nearly all churches in America shut their doors for the scam pandemic that was foisted upon the people for no other reasons than to give a test run to a greater control projects in the future, and rip off the 2020 election. Compare that to the churches in the first century who potentially faced lions in the Colosseum if caught pushing the Christian faith.
Action steps are required. If you attend a church with a milquetoast pastor who refuses to engage on the issues of the day, you should ask for a conversation. Ask him why, with the world in need of solutions and healing (for it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick), the evil communicated by the government, schools, popular culture, and activist organizations are not being called out as malevolent. Ask why the church is unwilling to take a stance on political corruption perpetrated by either party, highlighting the outright evil codified in the Democrat Party platform itself, and the treachery, duplicity, and enablement of the Republican Party, which would make it very difficult for the church to be labeled as biased. If the excuses boil down to people pleasing, loss of money, and fear of government, or even worse, the false belief that the Bible tells us to obey the government, no matter what, then it is time to speak truth, come with another believer to plead the case to reverse course, and if necessary, leave for a church that will speak the truth.
It is past time for the American church to own its share in the decline of our nation, and to take actions to reverse the tide. The people will be drawn to a message of freedom in Christ, which is the same message that brought us freedom as a nation.
The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time. – Thomas Jefferson
Author’s Note: This article is written with a clear heart and meant to admonish for change. I understand many pastors reading this have honest convictions about the state of our country and have not backed away from sharing the truth, just like the churches commended in Revelation for standing firm. There are many others who are lukewarm who must understand the crucial hour in which we find ourselves, and catch fire once again.
I felt this message was important enough for all SubStack subscribers to read and share with their church brothers and sisters, so I have made it open to all; however, if you found this edifying and useful for showing your pastor, and are able to support my work, I would greatly appreciate your readership as a paid subscriber. Thank you!
My family left the church we belonged to when the vote to disaffiliate from the United Methodist church failed. It was a shame because while many Methodist churches are fluff, the pastor and associate pastor at this one were conservative and really spiritually gifted. Luckily we found a nearby church that was amazing! Not just the elders, but the entire congregation is really diligent in their study of the Bible and in doing His will.
One great example of late: I had never noticed it before, but in the parable of the ten virgins, Matthew 25:5 says *all* of them (virgins = churches in the metaphorical imagery of the Bible) fell asleep, not just the 5 with no oil. So don't be disheartened that you woke up before the rest of your congregation! Take those who are willing with you; the Holy Spirit will provide you with brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers.
Right on right on-- “Somehow, this emergent church abandoned its concerns for legitimate equality and cessation of human trafficking “ let alone their own rights to gather and worship in 2020-2021. We ask for honest and humble reflection for this and ask “when churches are urged to shut down again, will you comply?”