KEY WORDS: Idle Shepherds, Policies, and Tower of Babel
There are pastors and Christian leaders in America who are trying their utmost to wake up Christians and churches to crawl out of their caves, go outside the four walls, and engage. The recent call-out, using key words, is about idle shepherds, policies not politics, and Trump conviction (Tower of Bable).
Pastor David Ax writes: “Dear Christian, if the word ‘politics’ causes you to cringe, consider the word ‘policies.’ If you had a chance to help shape the policies that influence our communities and shape the minds of our kids, don’t you think that God would want you to be involved?”
Below are three opinion pieces that are a must read from last week by two pastors and a journalist.
Our Nation Is Dying Because Of Idle Shepherds Who Refuse To Get Involved In ‘Political Issues’
By Jack Hibbs
Abortion is one of the driving political forces of this current election cycle. Sadly, many ill-informed pastors and Christians refuse to get involved in things like the sanctity of life because of their politics. “That’s political stuff,” they say. Really?
Do you know how that happened? Politicians ran into the church, took the topic of abortion, and declared it to be a political issue, knowing that a weak, worthless, wimpy church would bow down and leave the scene. The political world ran in and said, “Marriage is not a church issue; it’s a political issue!” And the church just collapsed and folded.
As you can tell, I have no confidence at all in a church that is not a New Testament church. Why would I? Why would anybody? The church has to be the ground and pillar of all truth. The church has to be the entity by which the world is brought to the knowledge of God and also the conviction of God. And the church is to be the most loved and the most hated people on Earth—just like Jesus.
If you are a pastor who says, “We just preach the gospel,” and neglects to get involved in the things your people have to live through six days a week, you are an idle Shepherd.
READ FULL COLUMN AT HARBINGER’S DAILY
_____
Should a Church Care About Political Issues?
By David Ax
Should a church care about political issues?
Since the Bible is the foundation for everything a Christian should do, let’s look at what the Bible says.
God’s Word instructs followers of Christ to be salt and light, a description that suggests Christians should live a life that is visible and influential. The Bible stresses that those would who walk with Jesus, live in the world but that they should not assimilate into the ways of the world.
Early, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught and encouraged His followers to be heard. Jesus made the simple but profound statement that a light hidden under a basket would fail to help those in the house. Also, that it is absurd to try and hide a city that is set upon a hill. Jesus told His disciples that the things which they learned in secret were supposed to be shouted from the rooftops, or into the public places of thought and ideas. (Matthew 10:27)
Dear Christian, if the word “politics” causes you to cringe, consider the word “policies.” If you had a chance to help shape the policies that influence our communities and shape the minds of our kids, don’t you think that God would want you to be involved?
READ FULL COLUMN AT THINK ETERNITY NEWS
_____
How Do We Survive Today’s Tower of Babel? The Bible’s Got an Answer
By Billy Hallowell
“Set on fire by hell.”
It’s hard to imagine a more vivid way of describing something terrible, no-good, or diabolically problematic.
When it comes to the flagrant flapping of lips, the Bible details the power of the human tongue like none other.
And with the 2024 election upon us, most of us will be more tempted than normal to babble (or babel) or tap our keyboards without thinking.
If we’re not careful, we’ll allow our words to run away and do real damage.
Of course, this becomes increasingly problematic in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s conviction on Thursday (May 30, 2024), which sent shockwaves through the political stratosphere and further ignited an already insane cultural forest fire.
A lot of us have emotions and opinions about what unfolded in the courtroom. But how do we engage? And, more importantly, where do we find the strength for self-control so we don’t burn down relationships and hurt others in the process?
Well, it all starts with some old-fashioned self-control.
The Book of James has pretty powerful words on the matter, revealing why we must be incredibly careful when it comes to navigating our tongues.
READ FULL STORY AT THINK ETERNITY NEWS
_____