I’ve already written about the Robert Jeffress and Sean Hannity blasphemous debacle at First Baptist of Dallas. So far, I’ve been spared the usual angry, sputtering, balled-up fist ire of Trumpkins. If I had to guess, I’ve been spared their teeth-chattering shrillness because my article about Mark Wahlberg was shared by Matt Drudge and all of my other articles this week have been swamped and subsequently sunk out of eyesight of angry alt-righters. Other voices of reason, however, have not been spared the vitriol of Trumpkins. No stranger to the temper tantrums of President Trump’s sycophants, Senator Ben Sasse has found himself the object of Todd Starnes’ anger.
Starnes opened his article with a pot shot at Senator Sasse, accompanied by back-scratching praise of Robert Jeffress — a noted mega-church pastor, publicity seeker, and spiritual advisor to Trump. In his own words, Starnes whines, “An angry mob of Never Trumpers led by Sen. Ben Sasse attacked the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas — one of the nation’s most respected evangelical congregations.”
Attacked? Really, Todd Starnes? Has Fox News been stocking the craft service table with SJW safe space juice?
In response to Sean Hannity using the worship service of First Baptist Dallas to promote a movie he produced (money changers in the Temple, anyone?), Sasse tweeted the “offending” truism: “Christians: Are we really this ignorant of Scriptures? Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world.’ John 18:36.”
Christians: Are we really this ignorant of the Scriptures?
"Jesus answered, 'My Kingdom is not of this world.'"
-John 18:36 https://t.co/P6TEX7h5f2— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) October 22, 2017
I dare anyone to claim that Senator Sasse misquoted Jesus. Go ahead, Trumpkins; look up John 18:36 and let me know what you find.
Senator Sasse is 100% correct, Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world. If it were, America never would have existed because Jesus would’ve crushed Rome; He would’ve crushed the rulers of Jerusalem, and the Final Day of the Lord would have already taken place. Thankfully, God is longsuffering and desires to see all of His elect come to salvation and has delayed that Final Day. But let’s get back to that whole “America never would have existed” thing.
The United States of America is not God’s promised and privileged land. That bears repeating: The United States of America is not, is not, is NOT God’s promised and privileged land. You know who makes up God’s people? The Church. Those who have repented of their sins (something Donald Trump explicitly said that he didn’t need to do) and placed their faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the citizens of God’s Kingdom. And the Church is made up of all tribes and tongues. Christians have more in common with their brothers and sisters in Christ in Syria than they do with their unsaved American neighbors.
Importantly, for this discussion, the citizens of God’s Kingdom have a day set aside dedicated to the praise and worship of their Creator. Guess which day that is?
Bingo! Sunday.
On Sundays, God’s people, the Church, gather together to worship God in spirit and in truth. Here’s another question: You know what has absolutely nothing to do with worshiping God? This is a hard one for you Trumpkins. It goes against everything you worship believe. The United States of America has nothing to do with the worship of our Holy God, that’s what!
The sickening political display of a purported pastor (Robert Jeffress) interviewing a publicity hound (Sean Hannity) about a movie, politics, and the United States violated the very reason why God calls His people together on His day.
So what if Hannity threw in some obligatory spiritual platitudes. So what if Jeffress tied his patriotism back to spirituality. The fact remains that both men place(d) the USA at as high of a priority, if not higher, as that of worshiping God. In First Baptist of Dallas, God has to share the spotlight with jingoistic patriotism.
Look, I’ll shrug my shoulders at a lot. But this obscene conflation of the United States with the Kingdom of God is as damning to souls as is the promotion of same-sex relationships by progressive “churches.”
Whether a person is worshiping aberrant sexuality or worshipping the Stars and Bars, that person is worshipping a false idol.
One final thought: In his article, Starnes quoted Jeffress saying, “You’ve got a Republican senator who is criticizing what a pastor and his local church are doing.”
Which is odd since the POTUS he loves so much takes any opportunity he can to criticize anyone and everyone, including the widows of soldiers killed in combat. As the old saying goes, “pot, meet kettle.”
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