One of the overarching purposes of the Shenandoah Christian Alliance should be our determination to see the pulpit as the most appropriate and powerful place to engage in the culture war that rages in our communities. This, of course, requires pastors and teachers to champion the Christian worldview unfettered. Recently in a post that appeared on The Blaze, Todd Wagner of Watermark Community Church in Dallas, Texas expressed his concern for how America has become “filled with rage.”
Quoting from the transcript of the Beck interview, Wagner said, “I think we are filled with rage because of the leaders that we’re choosing. We’re not choosing leaders that are helping us focus on the thing that ultimately sets us free.” He further emphasized, [The] “Judeo-Christian ethic, which [says] let’s pursue righteousness, peace, love and forgiveness” has been replaced by a more “culturally Marxist” philosophy.
This is not a mere matter of opinion either. Wagner hits the nail on the head. I have long understood that what differentiates a materialist/humanist or socialist/communist worldview from a Christian worldview is that individuals don’t matter – only society – and the state. For the individual this is frustrating to the point of becoming enraging.
I think you will agree that America needs leaders in the church who are outspoken against the political madness that has overtaken America in this generation. Frankly, it may be too late to turn the culture around, but it is an act of disobedience to cease making the effort altogether.
So who is the champion of the individual? The answer is splendidly simple and direct: Jesus Christ. Who will resist the statist/socialist/communist/humanist foe… the Conservative? Ultimately, no. The answer to that question is only those who hold a Christian world view. Nothing less will succeed because we are a people called by His name and we are “more than conquerors.” But sadly, for too long, Christians have left the field, content, it seems, to yield to enemy forces.
This brings us to the unassailable observation that has been posited by none other than Francis Schaeffer more than 30 years ago in “The Christian Manifesto”, in which he writes, “They (those who hold the materialist/humanist final reality concept) saw the complete and total difference between the two positions (materialist and Christian worldview) more quickly than Christians. [Julian and Aldous Huxley,] and others like them, understood much earlier than Christians these two worldviews part two total concepts of reality standing in antithesis to each other.*
Concerning conservative and liberal politics, Mark Steyn, who is billed as “Correspondent to the World” in a collection of his brilliant essays – “The Undocumented Mark Steyn” – seems to echo this conclusion: “Liberals expend tremendous effort changing the culture. Conservatives expend tremendous effort changing elected officials every other November — and then are surprised that it doesn’t make much difference.”
The conclusion? liberal, secular humanism dominates the culture because this worldview’s proponents are masters at understanding that no aspect of the culture is off limits or undeserving of every effort to affect and overcome. Conservatives and sadly Christian leaders and lawmakers have all but abdicated to the humanists’ control of the culture. It is no longer necessary to form any debate on the topic. In the end, it is about reality and our concept of reality. We either believe in the reality of the living truth in its entirety or we must believe an alternate reality.
So the question has to be, why don’t Conservatives – and far, far more importantly, why don’t Christians understand this? Conservatives so often tend to align with single-issue politicians and causes. Church leaders tend to emphasize personal growth and enlightenment. If we are honest about it, we appear to operate in the culture as if we have no ability to speak with authority. If we care for our neighbors, we must talk and act on the authority Jesus gave us. (Mark 16:15-16) This authority extends to every area of our lives as His disciples.
Here is what Jesus said about caring for our neighbors: “And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:28-31
I will make a confession – for years I did not fully understand what that meant. How should I love my neighbor if I didn’t really even know him? I simply passed it off as meaning I should be nice and smile, and if he came to my door for help with something I should try and lend a hand if could. I made the mistake of confusing loving my neighbor with being nice – real Christian love is more than making a small sacrifice of my time. To really love someone means to make them as important to my happiness and well-being as myself. I now see I must share my greatest treasure – my joy – with him and try to protect him from harm and sorrow and rejoice in his blessings.
Now that I am no longer a young man, this Bible passage means more to me than it ever did. I have learned to identify the most precious things in life and I value them because they are not material things, but spiritual matters that are the true source of my treasure and my greatest joy. It is truth that sets us free. Truth is non-negotiable. Truth to the materialist/humanist is like kryptonite to Superman. It cannot be tolerated. It is the focus of his exhausting effort to control and defend against.
Like all believers, I know the truth and it has set me free.
I don’t have a pulpit in the strictest sense of the word. To share the thoughts God has placed in my heart is my pulpit. I would ask only that you will pray and support Shenandoah Christian Alliance as we prepare to build our mission and our ministry in providing education, research, information and more as we rally to the cause of Christ and to right our nation culturally from the disastrous course it is on. It is the best and only way to affect the culture we live – regardless if it is too late or not.
May God bless us all.