Throughout history, men of God have stood courageously against the improper and unlawful conduct of national rulers. In Old Testament Israel, both wicked and righteous kings were confronted with stern warnings from bold preachers.
That Saul was "the Lord's anointed" did not stop Samuel from condemning his unlawful conduct. That David was "a man after God's own heart" did not stop Nathan from delivering a personal message of divine judgment against him.
In days of old, God's preachers possessed a holy boldness that defied the most powerful potentates. They feared no one but God and never expected to sit at the king's table.
The Queen of England was said to have feared the preacher John Knox more than she feared all of her nation's enemies. Some men such as John Huss were murdered by the state for their preaching. Some like John Bunyan were imprisoned for their faith.
In the early days of America, preachers demonstrated this same type of raw courage. When the famed evangelist, Charles Finney, was told that President Andrew Jackson had just walked into the audience, Finney mounted the pulpit and immediately declared that even presidents had to repent and "get right with God" in order to go to heaven!
Believe it or not, there was even a time in this country when our elected leaders expected preachers to be courageous, independent champions of truth. Listen to the words of our second President, John Adams:
"It is the duty of the clergy to accommodate their discourses to the times, to preach against such sins as are most prevalent, and recommend such virtues as are most wanted. For example, if exorbitant ambition and venality are predominate, ought they not to warn their hearers against those vices? If public spirit is much wanted, should they not inculcate this great virtue? If the rights and duties of Christian magistrates and subjects are disputed, should they not explain them, show their nature, ends, limitations, and restrictions, how muchsoever it may move the gall of Massachusetts?"
This breed of preacher is virtually unknown in America today. Granted, there are a few such preachers scattered throughout the country, but they are usually ignored and always unpopular.
The vast majority of "successful" pastors, including the ones we see on television, are mostly couriers for the political establishment. Black pastors and liberal clergymen carry water for the Democratic Party, while conservative and evangelical pastors carry water for the Republican Party and for President Bush in particular. When "their" leader fails his duties to the Constitution or to the principles of liberty, they conveniently look the other way and say nothing. The only time they become exercised is when the "other" party steps out of line.
Instead of calling themselves Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, or Pentecostal preachers, they should start calling themselves Republican or Democratic propagandists, because in reality that is what they are! They are not prophets of God; they are pawns of government!
We hear much talk today about the need for a "color blind society." What we really need are politically blind preachers! We need preachers who fear God more than they fear being politically incorrect. We need preachers who aren't willing to coddle unconstitutional conduct in the name of the lesser of two evils. We desperately need prophets for God not patsies for politicians! Let me know when you find one.
© Chuck Baldwin
This column is archived as http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2003/cbarchive_20030411.html
*If you appreciate this column and want to help me distribute these editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, donations may be made by credit card, check, or Money Order. Use this link:
Chuck Baldwin Live Donate Form
I also have many books and DVDs available for purchase online. Go here:
Chuck Baldwin Live Store
To subscribe to my weekly columns, click here:
Subscribe to Chuck's Column
Related
|