Download free computerized mp3 audio file of this column
(To subscribe to my columns at no cost, click here.)
This column will focus on three major reports that should concern every Christian and conservative. Most will ignore them, but they do so at their own peril.
Stewart Rhodes Convicted, Facing Long Prison Term
People who faithfully follow me know that I broke with Rhodes long before the 2020 elections and the subsequent January 6 “riots.” The final straw for me was Rhodes' call for mandates and lockdowns—including for churches—during the Covid tyranny.
I had many issues with Rhodes. One of them was his fanatical support for Donald Trump. He truly fancied Oath Keepers as being a revolutionary militia for Trump—even to the point of using Oath Keepers to help Trump remain in office after his defeat in the 2020 elections, by force if necessary.
But in a way, I feel sorry for Stewart. As with millions of gullible conservatives, Rhodes foolishly believed that Trump meant what he said. Donald Trump is the quintessential political huckster. He means almost NOTHING he says. Like most politicians, he says what his base wants to hear. His word is worthless.
So, when Trump refused to accept his loss and began rallying his followers to “stop the steal,” that was all Stewart needed to hear, and Oath Keepers sprang into action.
You see, Rhodes really believed Trump meant what he said when he said, “We're going to walk down to the Capitol, and we're going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women, and we're probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them." (Emphasis added)
But there was no “we’re” to it. Trump had no intention of personally injecting himself into what he knew was coming. Trump deliberately led his followers to believe that they were going to be following their champion into political battle and that he would be leading the charge.
Rhodes and his fellow Oath Keepers believed that Trump would issue the “Insurrection Act” and authorize them to use force to keep Trump in office. It was always a fantasy. Trump never intended to do anything of the sort. As always, it was all about Trump’s hubris and ego:
“Look at all of these people who are willing to risk everything for ME and do anything I say.”
Then Trump hung them out to dry.
He could have given blanket pardons to the arrested protesters before leaving office. After all, everything they did, they did for Trump, believing they were doing what Trump wanted them to do.
But, true to form, Trump did absolutely NOTHING for them. He left them to face the horrific consequences of foolishly trusting him all by themselves.
Perhaps nothing illustrates Trump’s arrogance and duplicity more clearly than this episode. And still some Christians and conservatives believe him to be America’s savior. Unfathomable!
Speaking of Christians . . .
New Survey: Most Christians Are “More Loyal To Their Political Views Than Their Faith”
According to a new survey from Barna Research, up to two-thirds of professing Christians are “more loyal to their political views than their faith.”
I didn’t need a research paper to tell me that. I’ve seen it for decades in my own ministry.
When I pastored in Florida, I had many congregants who loved me when I held Democrat President Bill Clinton accountable to the truth; but when I held Republican President G.W. Bush accountable to the truth, they got mad and walked out.
“They were more loyal to their political views than their faith.”
The same thing happened here in Montana. Many people who were in our congregation but who are no longer in our congregation left because they loved me when I held Democrat President Barack Obama accountable to the truth, but they got mad and left us when I held Republican President Donald Trump accountable to the truth.
“They were more loyal to their political views than their faith.”
For the vast majority of professing Christians, faith is a pastime, like a sporting event; politics is their real house of worship. (Although, some Christians worship sports too.)
Let a pastor get crossways with their favored politician, and most Christians will leave that pastor in a swirl of dust. Of course, that politician can lie, steal, kill, ignore the Constitution and sell his soul to the highest-paying lobbyist, and those same Christians will still fight to the death defending him (or her).
That’s one reason most pastors have become so timid in the pulpit. Most congregations don’t want to hear the truth. They have sold their souls to politicians and political parties.
No wonder God has cursed our political establishments. Christians have made idols out of them; and God will have NO god before Him.
Israel Is Above The Law
Writing for Newsweek, Shaun King reports:
For the very first time, Israel now has one of the 20 largest economies in the world. Somewhere deep in that budget is billions (with a B) of dollars in foreign aid that the United States government gives to Israel every year.
But in spite of the tens of billions of dollars in aid given and pledged to Israel by the United States, and both nations routinely calling each other close friends and indispensable allies, the Israeli government didn't even blink when it came time to tell the world what they thought of the FBI launching an investigation into the brutal murder of beloved journalist, and American citizen, Shireen Abu Akleh. In essence, Israel boldly and publicly flipped the United States an unmistakable middle finger and made it crystal clear that they would not participate in any such investigation. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz came right out and stated emphatically, "I have delivered a message to US representatives that we stand by the IDF's soldiers, that we will not cooperate with an external investigation, and will not enable intervention to internal investigations."
They didn't even pretend like they were going to participate. No lip service. Nothing.
Over a dozen different credible media organizations already conducted their own thorough investigations into the murder and came away with almost identical conclusions—Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed by a long range sniper in the Israeli military. It was not a part of a shootout. And virtually all forensic evidence points to this same conclusion.
A foreign military has openly admitted that they shot and killed an unarmed, non-violent, law-abiding American citizen, but they hold themselves so far above the law, and Palestinians so far beneath it, that they don't even hesitate admitting that they aren't even planning on having any secret internal discipline process—which leads me to three inevitable conclusions.
First, it is the official policy of Israel that both Palestinian and American lives simply don't matter on their soil. If they did, we'd have some measure of accountability and justice here. We have neither.
Secondly, in spite of receiving billions of dollars of annual aid from the United States, Israel clearly doesn't believe that such aid in turn requires that they reciprocate anything resembling justice or accountability in this case. Either they know that the US won't pull their aid no matter what or they simply don't care.
Lastly, in some ways, this is a case of the chickens coming home to roost for the United States—which has not only killed its own citizens on foreign soil with relative impunity, but regularly kills citizens of other countries around the world without even a remote expectation that they will ever be held accountable for it. I won't even begin to enumerate the thousands of the Americans killed by law enforcement here in the United States without even an ounce of justice.
I am not sure if we will ever know who shot and killed Shireen Abu Akleh or who, perhaps, gave the orders. And if we do, it clearly won't be because Israel participated in any such efforts.
But most evangelicals don’t care about this either. To them, Israel is the “Holy Land,” and Benjamin Netanyahu and his nest of vipers are “God’s chosen people.”
If America’s Christians didn’t give a hoot in Hades when Israel murdered 34 American Sailors and Marines (and wounded 174 more) and tried to murder the entire crew by attempting to sink the USS Liberty, why would they care about the Israeli government’s murder of one American journalist?
Since being launched at the beginning of the twentieth century with the release of the Scofield Reference Bible, Christian Zionism (aka Prophetic Dispensationalism, Scofield Futurism, etc.) has led to nothing but death and destruction on an unprecedented scale. And yet to this very day, over 80% of evangelicals still adhere to these damnable doctrines.
Plus Eiusdem: More of the same.
I cannot thank God enough for illuminating my heart to the truth about Israel and Bible prophecy.
If you are new to this column, I invite you to watch the Israel Packages, which are an in-depth study of the true Biblical teaching of Israel and also lay the foundation for my Prophecy Series, which I continue to deliver.
And speaking of the Prophecy Series, I am today announcing that the newest Prophecy Message is NOW available. This is Prophecy Message Number Eleven and is titled The Preeminence Of The New Covenant And Abolishment Of The Old Covenant.
Find my newest Prophecy Message here.
P.S. This is the THIRD and FINAL call for THE FREEDOM DOCUMENTS, 57 of America’s greatest historical documents in one volume. This is our special Christmas printing, and our supply is depleting fast. So, order NOW.
Find THE FREEDOM DOCUMENTS here.
© Chuck Baldwin
*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
|