Charlottesville Clergy and False Unity – Part 2
READING TIME: 22 MINUTES
The following are the notes to the discussion found at this link (https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/vb.100014691523242/280415192458196/?type=2&theater) for anyone who would like to study the subject more in depth.
As I stated at the beginning of part one, we are not specifically going to talk about the violence which occurred in Charlottesville on August 12. Rather, the purpose of these discussions is to examine the false unity that was established by those who sought to address the hate and violence of the alt-right groups who went to Charlottesville. In part one we discussed the activities carried out, both before and during the event by “faith” leaders and those who joined in their cause. In this discussion we mainly want to review some responses to the violence by various political and religious leaders. I would ask the listener to notice all the references to unity that are made:
On the Sunday morning after the event, a White House spokesperson issued a follow-up to Trump’s initial remarks (https://www.yahoo.com/news/charlottesville-mayor-largely-blames-trump-white-supremacist-violence-175055166.html). “The president said very strongly in his statement yesterday that he condemns all forms of violence, bigotry, and hatred,” the statement read. “Of course that includes white supremacists, KKK neo-Nazi and all extremist groups. He called for national unity and bringing all Americans together.”
Then, here is a tweet from Vice President Mike Pence: “I stand with @POTUS against hate & violence. U.S. is greatest when we join together & oppose those seeking to divide us.”
Additionally, Ivanka Trump tweeted the following on the Sunday after the event (http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Ivanka-Trump-calls-for-unity-after-Charlottesville-violence-502296): "There should be no place in society for racism, white supremacy and neo-nazis." She continued in a second tweet saying that, "We must all come together as Americans -- and be one country UNITED." (And, someone might say, well, we are the United States of America after all. Of course, we should be united. But, it is the emphasis on unity by both political and religious leaders that should concern us. And, here are a few statements by religious leaders).
Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued the following statement (http://www.usccb.org/news/2017/17-143.cfm): “The abhorrent acts of hatred on display in Charlottesville are an attack on the unity of our nation and therefore summon us all to fervent prayer and peaceful action. The bishops stand with all who are oppressed by evil ideology and entrust all who suffer to the prayers of St. Peter Claver as we approach his feast day. We also stand ready to work with all people of goodwill for an end to racial violence and for the building of peace in our communities.” (So, they stand ready to work with all people of goodwill which would most likely include people of any religion and we have seen Pope Francis set the example for Catholics of considering all people God’s children. And, of course, we see no recognition here of the fact that we will not have peace until the Prince of Peace returns to rule and reign. Additionally, we hear some of the false teaching of the Catholic Church concerning dead saints praying for people on earth).
Responding to violence caused by the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, the Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles said, “This has been a hard week in our country.” He called for prayers for the people of Charlottesville and for Catholics to be “a true sign and instrument of healing and unity.” (https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2017/08/22/archbishop-speaks-racism-nationalism-rooted-fear/)
Father Michael J. Rogers, of the Society of Jesuits, stated: “Beyond the dramatic moments where it might be obvious that we should stand hand-in-hand, we must be daring enough to stand on the precipice of the uncomfortable. Actively giving up our privilege by ensuring equity for all in education, healthcare, and pay, is a sign of our willingness to take up the cross in the hope that God’s will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Adjourning the counsels of despair demands of Christians the radical following of Christ, which is the only hope of truly making America great. It is no longer enough to just pray, because our prayer and worship as Christians must flourish in the works of Justice, which are the manifestation of that great virtue of hope which rests, along with faith and love, at the heart of any relationship with God.
In that spirit, we must dare to have the same attitude as Christ, humbling ourselves so that the Kingdom might continue to be realized.” (https://cruxnow.com/commentary/2017/08/16/american-christian-charlottesville/) (Now, concerning his statement about standing hand-in-hand we would say that we can pray on our own, or with true believers, and we can give donations when a tragedy occurs, but the biblical commands to remain separate preclude our joining up with those of false religious systems. And, then, we see the idea that permeated all the actions of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective and Congregate C’ville groups as discussed in part 1; the idea that through social justice everything can supposedly be made fair and equitable for all. And, obviously anyone who believes America can be made great has no clue of the judgment coming on this earth. This is an example of thinking of those who believe man will establish God’s Kingdom on earth).
And, here is a statement by Franklin Graham: "Satan is behind it all. He wants division, he wants unrest, he wants violence and hatred. He's the enemy of peace and unity. I denounce bigotry and racism of every form, be it black, white or any other. My prayer is that our nation will come together. We are stronger together, and our answers lie in turning to God." (http://www.gospelherald.com/articles/71251/20170814/top-christian-leaders-condemn-charlottesville-violence-call-unity-satan-behind.htm) (Well, we know that Satan also wants a false unity and we see this being established with all the efforts of the Pope reaching out to other religions, making statements about us all being children of God. We see the false unity with “evangelical” leaders in this nation such as Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, James Robison, Kenneth Copeland and so forth, visiting the Vatican. We see it with the Graham family who has participated in ecumenism for decades now. And, we see it on a more grass-roots level with the joining together of these churches in Charlottesville trying to establish unity as a basis for establishing peace).
And, then, Rev. Dr. Samuel Rodriguez who is a NAR leader and pastor of New Season Christian Worship Center in Sacramento, California, and who additionally was one of the faith leaders who prayed at Trump's inauguration, had this to say (same link as above): "I condemn the forces of white nationalism, white supremacy and anti-Semitism that divide our country today and I also condemn those who seek to politicize it all for their political gain."
"Unless, we bridge this senseless and partisan divide there will be more horrors to come. It's on each of us to be a part of the solution and it begins with turning our political swords into plowshares. We must begin to work together to heal our nation," he added. (Again, we hear the message from “church” leaders concerning man’s efforts and these efforts do not include preaching the gospel).
The following statement is by Emergent Church leader Brian McLaren who was in Charlottesville for the event as I stated in the first discussion. He said, “I have participated in many protests and demonstrations over the years, but I have not seen the faith community come together in such a powerful and beautiful way as they did in Charlottesville. Brittany Caine-Conley and Seth Wispelwey deserve a lot of credit, as do the Congregate C-ville team they coordinated. I hesitate to name groups represented, as I will forget someone – so please forgive me in advance. But I met UCC, Episcopal, Methodist, Unitarian, Lutheran, Baptist (Alliance), Anglican, Presbyterian, and Jewish faith leaders, and the Quakers were out in large numbers, wearing bright yellow t-shirts. I met Catholic lay people, but I didn’t meet or see any Catholic priests. Two Episcopal bishops were present, and they had encouraged priests of their diocese to be involved. Along with those of us who participated in an organized way, it was clear that many ad-hoc groups of Christians and others came to protest, some with signs, some giving out water and snacks to anti-racist protestors. Black, white, Latino, and Asian clergy worked and stood side by side; Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and others marched, prayed, and sang as allies.” (http://auburnseminary.org/what-i-saw-in-charlottesville/) (McLaren’s statement offers the best description of the numbers of different religious groups present at this event. And, we see the incredibly positive spin he puts on the whole idea of unity with such statements as, “…but I have not seen the faith community come together in such a powerful and beautiful way…” “clergy worked and stood side by side” and “Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and others marched, prayed, and sang as allies.” It is quite evident that McLaren is one of many who have exchanged the true gospel of salvation for the false gospel of the unity/social gospel).
The following is Dr. Cornel West’s response to having been at Charlottesville: “Well, I’ve never seen that kind of hatred up front; it was pretty raw. It was pretty coarse. But, we gotta keep fighting. Keep the love in it. Keep sacrificing for justice. We have no choice at this point. The only thing that fundamentally breaks the back of fear is love. And justice is what love looks like in public so you got to be on the love train; you got to fight for justice. You got to stand up and grow up. Not just stay woke, but stay fortified.” (https://www.facebook.com/drcornelwest/ https://www.facebook.com/theRoot/videos/1973588082926637/ https://www.democracynow.org/2017/8/14/cornel_west_rev_toni_blackmon_clergy)
And, then, during an interview West was asked this question: Did you expect to see what you saw outside?
And, West stated: No, no. I knew I was going to hear a powerful sermon by my dear sister Reverend Dr. Traci Blackmon, and we heard one. We heard poignant words by Professor Jalane Schmidt. And I had a few things to say. It was a beautiful moment—all colors, all religious traditions, Muslims, Jews, Christians, black, white, red, indigenous peoples. And we should never downplay the vicious attack on gay brothers, lesbian sisters, bisexuals and trans folk, that was part of the chanting that took place the next day… I’m a Christian, but not a pacifist, you know. (And, again we hear that Muslims, Jews and Christians were present. I just pray that those listening will realize the groundwork for the one world religion is being laid all around us and it’s coming in under the guise of love, unity, and social justice. Also, we notice he refers to gays and lesbians as his brothers and sisters, but yet considers himself a Christian. And, of course, we know of many denominations who have allowed gays and lesbians into their pulpits. You know, those who preach different gospels rather than the gospel of salvation, and those who would change God’s standards concerning marriage, fall in the category of false apostles and deceitful workers mentioned in 2 Cor. 11:13-15. I want to read these scriptures: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” These are very sobering scriptures and I pray people will see the importance of avoiding anyone who brings a false gospel).
Now, I would like to discuss some points from an article entitled "A Word Regarding Charlottesville, Virginia: Non-violent Conflict Resolution—for the 21st Century" by Dr. Alveda King (http://elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=18574). We should note that Alveda King is the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This article is her response to the events that occurred in Charlottesville. In it she asks the following questions: “Are we still stumbling about in the outer courts of politics and social justice, failing to conquer the 7 mountains illustrated so powerfully by Lance Wallnau? Are we able to tackle the 3-headed monster that is before America—Racism, Abortion and Sexual Perversion? Are we ready and able to slay the "skin color dragon" and embrace each other as brothers and sisters, the one blood, one race, of Acts 17:26? (So, we hear the phrase “are we?” three times and we recognize again that the solutions for the majority, it seems, are wrapped up in what man can accomplish. It is interesting to note her reference to Lance Wallnau and the 7 mountains which place her solidly in the dominionist camp and, of course, that movement is completely man-centered so the reference underscores her questions concerning man stepping up and solving these problems).
She goes on to present six steps of non-violent conflict resolution:
1. Prayerfully enter into a process by conducting research and gathering information to get the facts straight.
2. Continuing in prayer, conduct education and awareness campaigns to inform adversaries and the public about the facts of the dispute.
3. Prayerfully commit yourself to live and manifest a non-violent attitude and actions.
4. Prayerfully mediate and negotiate with an adversary in a spirit of goodwill to correct injustice.
5. Prayerfully apply non-violent direct action, such as prayer vigils, marches, boycotts, mass demonstrations, picketing, sit-ins etc., to help persuade or compel an adversary to work toward dispute-resolution.
6. Prayerfully anticipate reconciliation among adversaries in a win-win outcome in establishing a sense of community which should now be achievable. (Again, these steps are all man-centered and there is absolutely no mention of Jesus or preaching the gospel of salvation. I would like to share something by Sarah Leslie of Herescope Ministries concerning all these prayer vigils, marches, and so forth. She states:
“The sad fact is that great opportunities to present the message of the gospel of salvation are being lost. Precious time is being wasted on these esoteric prayer shenanigans, while those who need to hear the message of the cross are dying in their sins. Those who truly need to hear a message of repentance, salvation and hope aren’t being witnessed to. Discipleship isn’t happening. Rather, all of these prayer antics and hullabaloos, decrees, declarations, marches and meditations and covenants and manifestos are clogging up the works, taking up precious time and resources of the church and fooling people into thinking they’re doing something spiritual. It is a false gospel that preaches that the culture of a nation can be changed rather than focusing on the lost who will perish in hell if they do not repent."
Here are just a couple of more points from Alveda King’s article. She states: “Considering the times, I am grateful to be a part of a biological family as well as a spiritual family who embrace these truths. Won't you join us?”
She quotes her uncle: "We must learn to live together as brothers [and sisters] or perish together as fools." And, then, she manages to slip in a scripture: "Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:8).
Steve Shultz, founder and publisher of The Elijah List, had this to say this concerning King’s steps of non-violent conflict resolution: “Pastors would do well to read some of these points to their congregations so that all of us can be reminded what our part is in bringing ‘reconciliation’ to the Body of Christ!”
The following are sister Tammy’s comments concerning false unity: (So many so-called evangelicals saying that we should set aside all doctrinal differences and come together in the areas where we agree. They say, “Jesus didn’t say that the world will know we are Christians by our correct doctrine, but by our love.”
All false teachers undermine the person and work of Christ. If you abandon these core doctrines for the sake of unity, the unity you end up with is not true Biblical unity. This already IS and we are told to KEEP this, not to try to make it happen through man made ways and false doctrine that sounds lovely to the itching ears. It must be love, of course, but true biblical love will tell the truth and cares about the eternal soul of a person. Of course we care about loving others and this should be something that true believers do, but again true love will not compromise the truth, otherwise you have a faulty foundation. Jesus is the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE.
We are seeing many that claim to be born again and they think we can set aside doctrinal differences. Franklin Graham joins with false unity. He never rebukes Catholicism, but fellowships with it. The focus is not the gospel, but social justice and fighting against sins, and even they are sin, but the solution is not unity and doctrine does matter. What brings true biblical unity is correct doctrine in love, but what is used as the gospel now is if we all feel good, accept one another as long as we say Jesus and hold to a form of godliness. The true gospel is Jesus died was buried and resurrected, Jesus is coming back again. Instead in these endeavors unity has become the gospel and as Sarah Leslie says, opportunities are being missed to preach in these times. There would be animosity if the true gospel was preached at these events and most people would reject this. Some may repent and this is only where the true unity can be, but the focus is on solving issues of this life and leaving Jesus out. This is not the Gospel and there is a false guise of peace and unity – antichrist agenda – true believers are seen as the enemy and bible says to separate and mark and avoid. We are not to pray with other faiths. We only can pray with those of the same faith and the correct reconciliation. Alveda King addresses a crowd as though all are Christian, but the crowd included Muslims, etc. True reconciliation can only come through Jesus and what He has done for us and gets to the heart problem which is sin. These are not giving the solution and we need to be careful to be separate even from those claiming to be Christian who are not living in the truth of God’s Word. People are adding to and taking away, but we need to make sure we are praying with people with correct doctrine.
Many are going to say Lord, Lord – He will say depart from Me. Focus is on man, works, unity. Biblical love tells the truth and says the sinner needs to be saved by repenting and having faith in Christ alone and all He’s done for us. Unity plays down man’s real problem and leaves Jesus out, whereas the Bible says to be separate. We do not know what everyone believes in these endeavors, except that some we do because clearly they are of other faiths. The whole agenda is antichrist. Be careful what people mean when sharing buzzwords such as love, unity etc. The apostle Paul would expose the idols at Mars Hill. Franklin and his father Billy Graham join with Catholicism and do not reprove – they have an unscriptural unity).
Then, here is a message from Jesse Lee Peterson, a conservative black civil rights activist, who wrote the following: “Thank God that Donald Trump is president. He is a unifier who sets an example of strength without anger, telling the truth boldly and showing real love for America.” (http://www.wnd.com/2017/08/charlottesville-i-tried-to-warn-you/) (Incidentally, Peterson referred to Trump as the white savior during a Newsmax interview on Jan. 26, 2017. And, of course, it is this worship and adoration of man that is leading many down a slippery slope at this time. Sadly, many ministries led their followers astray during the election season by insisting they had to vote for Trump, even going as far as to say those who didn’t vote for Trump were not Christians. I pray these ministries will repent, step away from politics, and focus on preaching the gospel).
Moving along now, protests, rallies and vigils were held nationwide Sunday, August 13, in response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. (http://ktar.com/story/1692328/hundreds-turn-out-for-phoenix-rally-after-charlottesville-violence/)
Phoenix was one of the cities to participate. Hundreds of people attended a gathering called “Phoenix Against Hate” held at Phillips Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal Church near the cross-sections of Washington and 14th streets in downtown Phoenix.
The plan was for a prayer vigil and a community conversation about what happened in Charlottesville on Saturday. (And, it has become the expected response for many to plan these prayer vigils in times of tragedy. There is this idea that people with varied beliefs can come together in prayer and that somehow they’re all still praying to the same God. If we think about it, Christians have been encouraged on a regular basis to attend events which include prayer such as Franklin Graham’s “Decision America Tour” of 2016 and “The Response” events in Houston in 2011 and in Baton Rouge in 2015. However, most people don’t stop to consider whether their attendance at such events pleases God. They don’t even stop and question whether God listens to prayers at such events because they just assume all prayer is a wonderful thing. Those who attend have the same goals, whether it’s saving the nation or gathering to show unity in the face of violence, and so forth, but there is no way to ascertain the beliefs of everyone attending these events. So, if those in attendance are from different religious systems the prayer vigil is, by definition, an ecumenical event.
And, it is evident, from these scriptures (John 9:31, Psalm 34:15, Proverbs 15:29, etc.) God does not listen to the prayers of lost people, or false believers, unless they are calling out to Him in repentance. And, then we should remember the example of Elijah in 1 Kings 18. While gathered at Mt. Carmel, Elijah didn't tell the children of Israel to join up with the prophets of Baal to pray to God because of the three-year drought they were experiencing, but rather he said to separate! 1 Kings 18:21: "And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word." So, we can clearly see that Elijah didn’t encourage false unity, but rather the opposite).
Here are a couple of tweets from those in attendance at this event. The first one is from a policeman. This man stated,”Thank you for a great demonstration of our #unity thru the beauty of our diverse #community at today's march.”
And, then here is one from the East Valley NAACP: “Hundreds have gathered today for “Phoenix Against Hate.” Our community is strongly united against white supremacy and violence. (Well, we would say all the violence that occurred that day was wrong. Violence of any kind stems from sinful hearts. These sins, as with all other sins, are a result of the wickedness of men’s hearts. Only Jesus Christ can change hearts. These attempts at false unity, sadly, point to man as having the solution to racism and violence. Man will say if we unite, if we forgive, if we refuse to retaliate, if we educate, and on and on. Churches, whose leaders and members could choose to preach the true gospel, but are not doing so, are deliberately choosing to “hold the truth in unrighteousness” as Rom. 1:18 says. Not just in this situation, but in many others also, we see the true gospel being hidden, ignored, defamed, in favor of the social gospel which is readily accepted by the prideful hearts of man intent on finding a solution to man’s problems without the need for a Savior).
Now, I want to mention just a few statements made by the parents of the young woman, named Heather Heyer, who was killed. The victim’s father, Mark Heyer, spoke of forgiveness (http://www.ncregister.com/blog/matthew-archbold/the-suprising-thing-that-happened-in-charlottesville). “I include myself in that in forgiving the guy who did this,” he said. “I just think about what the Lord said on the cross, ‘Forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing.’ … I hope that her life and what has transpired changes people’s hearts.” (And, someone might be thinking, wow, that’s awesome, they did actually include Jesus’ death on the cross). But, let’s also listen to the words of Heather’s mother concerning her daughter’s death.
“They tried to kill my child to shut her up. Well, guess what? You just magnified her. I want you to pay attention, find what's wrong ... and say to yourself: What can I do to make a difference? And that's how you're going to make my child's death worthwhile. I'd rather have my child, but by golly, if I've got to give her up, we're going to make it count.” (While this is an absolute tragedy, and we are not trying to be unkind, we want to point out how the solution for violence being presented here is completely man-centered. Heather’s father may have mentioned the cross, but the solution according to these people is not what Jesus came to do for mankind, but it is instead fulfilling aspects of the social justice gospel that will make Heather’s death seem worthwhile).
And, the last item I have is the notice on facebook (https://www.facebook.com/events/944191119078534/) concerning a prayer vigil hosted by Bloom Lutheran Church in Santa Clarita, CA, on Aug. 16. It states, “Come join us. We are praying for those affected by the violence in Charlottesville, for an end to racism, and for peace. This is not a particularly religious gathering. This is an ALL ARE WELCOME event. People with any or no denominational/religious affiliations are welcome to join us in hoping, praying, and standing for light in the midst of darkness.”
The prayer vigil will begin at 6:30pm. Bring candles, LED candles, and peaceful signs of love and support. (So, wow, they state outright that this is not a particularly religious gathering, but yet all will pray together. All we can say is they have no concept of the meaning of prayer, really. As you pointed out so well in the first discussion, sister Tammy, what we traditionally refer to as the Lord’s Prayer, begins with the phrase “our Father which art in Heaven.” However, God nowhere in the Bible refers to the unsaved as His children).
The following are sister Tammy’s comments regarding identificational repentance: (Many are coming together saying we should repent for the sins of the nation which is identificational repentance. The church is using Nehemiah and Daniel when God used them to stand in the gap for specific purposes for specific times.
Father cannot repent for the sins of the sons. Deut 24:16
Ezekiel 18 also a personal responsibility to repent of own sins.
America, UK, and Australia are not the church – nations are not the church and some are misapplying scriptures meant for Israel to mean for now. Trying to solve the sins of the world by uniting and repenting for nations is not biblical. There is not going to be great revival in the last days, but many will fall away, and many will be deceived. All nations will not repent, and we need to have our own individual relationship with Jesus through Jesus’ blood shed for sinners. The way is narrow and few there be that find it, many are on the broad path of false unity, love, not biblical love. The elect will be deceived if it were possible; false unity is coming to unite the political/religious system; all are looking for a Savior to solve the world’s problems. We must be careful not to give ourselves over to an antichrist agenda leading souls away from the faith).
(You know, we need to be very careful whenever we hear someone say the name of Jesus. We have seen a video going around facebook the last couple of days of people in a homeless shelter in Houston, singing and saying Jesus, saying we want to see revival, and I am not trying to be unkind, but we don’t know what this woman believes. She could be Word of Faith; she could be a Modalist. People can have another Jesus, another spirit, another gospel. We don’t just join up when we don’t know what others believe exactly).
That is all for this time.
READING TIME: 22 MINUTES
The following are the notes to the discussion found at this link (https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/vb.100014691523242/280415192458196/?type=2&theater) for anyone who would like to study the subject more in depth.
As I stated at the beginning of part one, we are not specifically going to talk about the violence which occurred in Charlottesville on August 12. Rather, the purpose of these discussions is to examine the false unity that was established by those who sought to address the hate and violence of the alt-right groups who went to Charlottesville. In part one we discussed the activities carried out, both before and during the event by “faith” leaders and those who joined in their cause. In this discussion we mainly want to review some responses to the violence by various political and religious leaders. I would ask the listener to notice all the references to unity that are made:
On the Sunday morning after the event, a White House spokesperson issued a follow-up to Trump’s initial remarks (https://www.yahoo.com/news/charlottesville-mayor-largely-blames-trump-white-supremacist-violence-175055166.html). “The president said very strongly in his statement yesterday that he condemns all forms of violence, bigotry, and hatred,” the statement read. “Of course that includes white supremacists, KKK neo-Nazi and all extremist groups. He called for national unity and bringing all Americans together.”
Then, here is a tweet from Vice President Mike Pence: “I stand with @POTUS against hate & violence. U.S. is greatest when we join together & oppose those seeking to divide us.”
Additionally, Ivanka Trump tweeted the following on the Sunday after the event (http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Ivanka-Trump-calls-for-unity-after-Charlottesville-violence-502296): "There should be no place in society for racism, white supremacy and neo-nazis." She continued in a second tweet saying that, "We must all come together as Americans -- and be one country UNITED." (And, someone might say, well, we are the United States of America after all. Of course, we should be united. But, it is the emphasis on unity by both political and religious leaders that should concern us. And, here are a few statements by religious leaders).
Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued the following statement (http://www.usccb.org/news/2017/17-143.cfm): “The abhorrent acts of hatred on display in Charlottesville are an attack on the unity of our nation and therefore summon us all to fervent prayer and peaceful action. The bishops stand with all who are oppressed by evil ideology and entrust all who suffer to the prayers of St. Peter Claver as we approach his feast day. We also stand ready to work with all people of goodwill for an end to racial violence and for the building of peace in our communities.” (So, they stand ready to work with all people of goodwill which would most likely include people of any religion and we have seen Pope Francis set the example for Catholics of considering all people God’s children. And, of course, we see no recognition here of the fact that we will not have peace until the Prince of Peace returns to rule and reign. Additionally, we hear some of the false teaching of the Catholic Church concerning dead saints praying for people on earth).
Responding to violence caused by the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, the Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles said, “This has been a hard week in our country.” He called for prayers for the people of Charlottesville and for Catholics to be “a true sign and instrument of healing and unity.” (https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2017/08/22/archbishop-speaks-racism-nationalism-rooted-fear/)
Father Michael J. Rogers, of the Society of Jesuits, stated: “Beyond the dramatic moments where it might be obvious that we should stand hand-in-hand, we must be daring enough to stand on the precipice of the uncomfortable. Actively giving up our privilege by ensuring equity for all in education, healthcare, and pay, is a sign of our willingness to take up the cross in the hope that God’s will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Adjourning the counsels of despair demands of Christians the radical following of Christ, which is the only hope of truly making America great. It is no longer enough to just pray, because our prayer and worship as Christians must flourish in the works of Justice, which are the manifestation of that great virtue of hope which rests, along with faith and love, at the heart of any relationship with God.
In that spirit, we must dare to have the same attitude as Christ, humbling ourselves so that the Kingdom might continue to be realized.” (https://cruxnow.com/commentary/2017/08/16/american-christian-charlottesville/) (Now, concerning his statement about standing hand-in-hand we would say that we can pray on our own, or with true believers, and we can give donations when a tragedy occurs, but the biblical commands to remain separate preclude our joining up with those of false religious systems. And, then, we see the idea that permeated all the actions of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective and Congregate C’ville groups as discussed in part 1; the idea that through social justice everything can supposedly be made fair and equitable for all. And, obviously anyone who believes America can be made great has no clue of the judgment coming on this earth. This is an example of thinking of those who believe man will establish God’s Kingdom on earth).
And, here is a statement by Franklin Graham: "Satan is behind it all. He wants division, he wants unrest, he wants violence and hatred. He's the enemy of peace and unity. I denounce bigotry and racism of every form, be it black, white or any other. My prayer is that our nation will come together. We are stronger together, and our answers lie in turning to God." (http://www.gospelherald.com/articles/71251/20170814/top-christian-leaders-condemn-charlottesville-violence-call-unity-satan-behind.htm) (Well, we know that Satan also wants a false unity and we see this being established with all the efforts of the Pope reaching out to other religions, making statements about us all being children of God. We see the false unity with “evangelical” leaders in this nation such as Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, James Robison, Kenneth Copeland and so forth, visiting the Vatican. We see it with the Graham family who has participated in ecumenism for decades now. And, we see it on a more grass-roots level with the joining together of these churches in Charlottesville trying to establish unity as a basis for establishing peace).
And, then, Rev. Dr. Samuel Rodriguez who is a NAR leader and pastor of New Season Christian Worship Center in Sacramento, California, and who additionally was one of the faith leaders who prayed at Trump's inauguration, had this to say (same link as above): "I condemn the forces of white nationalism, white supremacy and anti-Semitism that divide our country today and I also condemn those who seek to politicize it all for their political gain."
"Unless, we bridge this senseless and partisan divide there will be more horrors to come. It's on each of us to be a part of the solution and it begins with turning our political swords into plowshares. We must begin to work together to heal our nation," he added. (Again, we hear the message from “church” leaders concerning man’s efforts and these efforts do not include preaching the gospel).
The following statement is by Emergent Church leader Brian McLaren who was in Charlottesville for the event as I stated in the first discussion. He said, “I have participated in many protests and demonstrations over the years, but I have not seen the faith community come together in such a powerful and beautiful way as they did in Charlottesville. Brittany Caine-Conley and Seth Wispelwey deserve a lot of credit, as do the Congregate C-ville team they coordinated. I hesitate to name groups represented, as I will forget someone – so please forgive me in advance. But I met UCC, Episcopal, Methodist, Unitarian, Lutheran, Baptist (Alliance), Anglican, Presbyterian, and Jewish faith leaders, and the Quakers were out in large numbers, wearing bright yellow t-shirts. I met Catholic lay people, but I didn’t meet or see any Catholic priests. Two Episcopal bishops were present, and they had encouraged priests of their diocese to be involved. Along with those of us who participated in an organized way, it was clear that many ad-hoc groups of Christians and others came to protest, some with signs, some giving out water and snacks to anti-racist protestors. Black, white, Latino, and Asian clergy worked and stood side by side; Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and others marched, prayed, and sang as allies.” (http://auburnseminary.org/what-i-saw-in-charlottesville/) (McLaren’s statement offers the best description of the numbers of different religious groups present at this event. And, we see the incredibly positive spin he puts on the whole idea of unity with such statements as, “…but I have not seen the faith community come together in such a powerful and beautiful way…” “clergy worked and stood side by side” and “Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and others marched, prayed, and sang as allies.” It is quite evident that McLaren is one of many who have exchanged the true gospel of salvation for the false gospel of the unity/social gospel).
The following is Dr. Cornel West’s response to having been at Charlottesville: “Well, I’ve never seen that kind of hatred up front; it was pretty raw. It was pretty coarse. But, we gotta keep fighting. Keep the love in it. Keep sacrificing for justice. We have no choice at this point. The only thing that fundamentally breaks the back of fear is love. And justice is what love looks like in public so you got to be on the love train; you got to fight for justice. You got to stand up and grow up. Not just stay woke, but stay fortified.” (https://www.facebook.com/drcornelwest/ https://www.facebook.com/theRoot/videos/1973588082926637/ https://www.democracynow.org/2017/8/14/cornel_west_rev_toni_blackmon_clergy)
And, then, during an interview West was asked this question: Did you expect to see what you saw outside?
And, West stated: No, no. I knew I was going to hear a powerful sermon by my dear sister Reverend Dr. Traci Blackmon, and we heard one. We heard poignant words by Professor Jalane Schmidt. And I had a few things to say. It was a beautiful moment—all colors, all religious traditions, Muslims, Jews, Christians, black, white, red, indigenous peoples. And we should never downplay the vicious attack on gay brothers, lesbian sisters, bisexuals and trans folk, that was part of the chanting that took place the next day… I’m a Christian, but not a pacifist, you know. (And, again we hear that Muslims, Jews and Christians were present. I just pray that those listening will realize the groundwork for the one world religion is being laid all around us and it’s coming in under the guise of love, unity, and social justice. Also, we notice he refers to gays and lesbians as his brothers and sisters, but yet considers himself a Christian. And, of course, we know of many denominations who have allowed gays and lesbians into their pulpits. You know, those who preach different gospels rather than the gospel of salvation, and those who would change God’s standards concerning marriage, fall in the category of false apostles and deceitful workers mentioned in 2 Cor. 11:13-15. I want to read these scriptures: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” These are very sobering scriptures and I pray people will see the importance of avoiding anyone who brings a false gospel).
Now, I would like to discuss some points from an article entitled "A Word Regarding Charlottesville, Virginia: Non-violent Conflict Resolution—for the 21st Century" by Dr. Alveda King (http://elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=18574). We should note that Alveda King is the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This article is her response to the events that occurred in Charlottesville. In it she asks the following questions: “Are we still stumbling about in the outer courts of politics and social justice, failing to conquer the 7 mountains illustrated so powerfully by Lance Wallnau? Are we able to tackle the 3-headed monster that is before America—Racism, Abortion and Sexual Perversion? Are we ready and able to slay the "skin color dragon" and embrace each other as brothers and sisters, the one blood, one race, of Acts 17:26? (So, we hear the phrase “are we?” three times and we recognize again that the solutions for the majority, it seems, are wrapped up in what man can accomplish. It is interesting to note her reference to Lance Wallnau and the 7 mountains which place her solidly in the dominionist camp and, of course, that movement is completely man-centered so the reference underscores her questions concerning man stepping up and solving these problems).
She goes on to present six steps of non-violent conflict resolution:
1. Prayerfully enter into a process by conducting research and gathering information to get the facts straight.
2. Continuing in prayer, conduct education and awareness campaigns to inform adversaries and the public about the facts of the dispute.
3. Prayerfully commit yourself to live and manifest a non-violent attitude and actions.
4. Prayerfully mediate and negotiate with an adversary in a spirit of goodwill to correct injustice.
5. Prayerfully apply non-violent direct action, such as prayer vigils, marches, boycotts, mass demonstrations, picketing, sit-ins etc., to help persuade or compel an adversary to work toward dispute-resolution.
6. Prayerfully anticipate reconciliation among adversaries in a win-win outcome in establishing a sense of community which should now be achievable. (Again, these steps are all man-centered and there is absolutely no mention of Jesus or preaching the gospel of salvation. I would like to share something by Sarah Leslie of Herescope Ministries concerning all these prayer vigils, marches, and so forth. She states:
“The sad fact is that great opportunities to present the message of the gospel of salvation are being lost. Precious time is being wasted on these esoteric prayer shenanigans, while those who need to hear the message of the cross are dying in their sins. Those who truly need to hear a message of repentance, salvation and hope aren’t being witnessed to. Discipleship isn’t happening. Rather, all of these prayer antics and hullabaloos, decrees, declarations, marches and meditations and covenants and manifestos are clogging up the works, taking up precious time and resources of the church and fooling people into thinking they’re doing something spiritual. It is a false gospel that preaches that the culture of a nation can be changed rather than focusing on the lost who will perish in hell if they do not repent."
Here are just a couple of more points from Alveda King’s article. She states: “Considering the times, I am grateful to be a part of a biological family as well as a spiritual family who embrace these truths. Won't you join us?”
She quotes her uncle: "We must learn to live together as brothers [and sisters] or perish together as fools." And, then, she manages to slip in a scripture: "Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:8).
Steve Shultz, founder and publisher of The Elijah List, had this to say this concerning King’s steps of non-violent conflict resolution: “Pastors would do well to read some of these points to their congregations so that all of us can be reminded what our part is in bringing ‘reconciliation’ to the Body of Christ!”
The following are sister Tammy’s comments concerning false unity: (So many so-called evangelicals saying that we should set aside all doctrinal differences and come together in the areas where we agree. They say, “Jesus didn’t say that the world will know we are Christians by our correct doctrine, but by our love.”
All false teachers undermine the person and work of Christ. If you abandon these core doctrines for the sake of unity, the unity you end up with is not true Biblical unity. This already IS and we are told to KEEP this, not to try to make it happen through man made ways and false doctrine that sounds lovely to the itching ears. It must be love, of course, but true biblical love will tell the truth and cares about the eternal soul of a person. Of course we care about loving others and this should be something that true believers do, but again true love will not compromise the truth, otherwise you have a faulty foundation. Jesus is the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE.
We are seeing many that claim to be born again and they think we can set aside doctrinal differences. Franklin Graham joins with false unity. He never rebukes Catholicism, but fellowships with it. The focus is not the gospel, but social justice and fighting against sins, and even they are sin, but the solution is not unity and doctrine does matter. What brings true biblical unity is correct doctrine in love, but what is used as the gospel now is if we all feel good, accept one another as long as we say Jesus and hold to a form of godliness. The true gospel is Jesus died was buried and resurrected, Jesus is coming back again. Instead in these endeavors unity has become the gospel and as Sarah Leslie says, opportunities are being missed to preach in these times. There would be animosity if the true gospel was preached at these events and most people would reject this. Some may repent and this is only where the true unity can be, but the focus is on solving issues of this life and leaving Jesus out. This is not the Gospel and there is a false guise of peace and unity – antichrist agenda – true believers are seen as the enemy and bible says to separate and mark and avoid. We are not to pray with other faiths. We only can pray with those of the same faith and the correct reconciliation. Alveda King addresses a crowd as though all are Christian, but the crowd included Muslims, etc. True reconciliation can only come through Jesus and what He has done for us and gets to the heart problem which is sin. These are not giving the solution and we need to be careful to be separate even from those claiming to be Christian who are not living in the truth of God’s Word. People are adding to and taking away, but we need to make sure we are praying with people with correct doctrine.
Many are going to say Lord, Lord – He will say depart from Me. Focus is on man, works, unity. Biblical love tells the truth and says the sinner needs to be saved by repenting and having faith in Christ alone and all He’s done for us. Unity plays down man’s real problem and leaves Jesus out, whereas the Bible says to be separate. We do not know what everyone believes in these endeavors, except that some we do because clearly they are of other faiths. The whole agenda is antichrist. Be careful what people mean when sharing buzzwords such as love, unity etc. The apostle Paul would expose the idols at Mars Hill. Franklin and his father Billy Graham join with Catholicism and do not reprove – they have an unscriptural unity).
Then, here is a message from Jesse Lee Peterson, a conservative black civil rights activist, who wrote the following: “Thank God that Donald Trump is president. He is a unifier who sets an example of strength without anger, telling the truth boldly and showing real love for America.” (http://www.wnd.com/2017/08/charlottesville-i-tried-to-warn-you/) (Incidentally, Peterson referred to Trump as the white savior during a Newsmax interview on Jan. 26, 2017. And, of course, it is this worship and adoration of man that is leading many down a slippery slope at this time. Sadly, many ministries led their followers astray during the election season by insisting they had to vote for Trump, even going as far as to say those who didn’t vote for Trump were not Christians. I pray these ministries will repent, step away from politics, and focus on preaching the gospel).
Moving along now, protests, rallies and vigils were held nationwide Sunday, August 13, in response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. (http://ktar.com/story/1692328/hundreds-turn-out-for-phoenix-rally-after-charlottesville-violence/)
Phoenix was one of the cities to participate. Hundreds of people attended a gathering called “Phoenix Against Hate” held at Phillips Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal Church near the cross-sections of Washington and 14th streets in downtown Phoenix.
The plan was for a prayer vigil and a community conversation about what happened in Charlottesville on Saturday. (And, it has become the expected response for many to plan these prayer vigils in times of tragedy. There is this idea that people with varied beliefs can come together in prayer and that somehow they’re all still praying to the same God. If we think about it, Christians have been encouraged on a regular basis to attend events which include prayer such as Franklin Graham’s “Decision America Tour” of 2016 and “The Response” events in Houston in 2011 and in Baton Rouge in 2015. However, most people don’t stop to consider whether their attendance at such events pleases God. They don’t even stop and question whether God listens to prayers at such events because they just assume all prayer is a wonderful thing. Those who attend have the same goals, whether it’s saving the nation or gathering to show unity in the face of violence, and so forth, but there is no way to ascertain the beliefs of everyone attending these events. So, if those in attendance are from different religious systems the prayer vigil is, by definition, an ecumenical event.
And, it is evident, from these scriptures (John 9:31, Psalm 34:15, Proverbs 15:29, etc.) God does not listen to the prayers of lost people, or false believers, unless they are calling out to Him in repentance. And, then we should remember the example of Elijah in 1 Kings 18. While gathered at Mt. Carmel, Elijah didn't tell the children of Israel to join up with the prophets of Baal to pray to God because of the three-year drought they were experiencing, but rather he said to separate! 1 Kings 18:21: "And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word." So, we can clearly see that Elijah didn’t encourage false unity, but rather the opposite).
Here are a couple of tweets from those in attendance at this event. The first one is from a policeman. This man stated,”Thank you for a great demonstration of our #unity thru the beauty of our diverse #community at today's march.”
And, then here is one from the East Valley NAACP: “Hundreds have gathered today for “Phoenix Against Hate.” Our community is strongly united against white supremacy and violence. (Well, we would say all the violence that occurred that day was wrong. Violence of any kind stems from sinful hearts. These sins, as with all other sins, are a result of the wickedness of men’s hearts. Only Jesus Christ can change hearts. These attempts at false unity, sadly, point to man as having the solution to racism and violence. Man will say if we unite, if we forgive, if we refuse to retaliate, if we educate, and on and on. Churches, whose leaders and members could choose to preach the true gospel, but are not doing so, are deliberately choosing to “hold the truth in unrighteousness” as Rom. 1:18 says. Not just in this situation, but in many others also, we see the true gospel being hidden, ignored, defamed, in favor of the social gospel which is readily accepted by the prideful hearts of man intent on finding a solution to man’s problems without the need for a Savior).
Now, I want to mention just a few statements made by the parents of the young woman, named Heather Heyer, who was killed. The victim’s father, Mark Heyer, spoke of forgiveness (http://www.ncregister.com/blog/matthew-archbold/the-suprising-thing-that-happened-in-charlottesville). “I include myself in that in forgiving the guy who did this,” he said. “I just think about what the Lord said on the cross, ‘Forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing.’ … I hope that her life and what has transpired changes people’s hearts.” (And, someone might be thinking, wow, that’s awesome, they did actually include Jesus’ death on the cross). But, let’s also listen to the words of Heather’s mother concerning her daughter’s death.
“They tried to kill my child to shut her up. Well, guess what? You just magnified her. I want you to pay attention, find what's wrong ... and say to yourself: What can I do to make a difference? And that's how you're going to make my child's death worthwhile. I'd rather have my child, but by golly, if I've got to give her up, we're going to make it count.” (While this is an absolute tragedy, and we are not trying to be unkind, we want to point out how the solution for violence being presented here is completely man-centered. Heather’s father may have mentioned the cross, but the solution according to these people is not what Jesus came to do for mankind, but it is instead fulfilling aspects of the social justice gospel that will make Heather’s death seem worthwhile).
And, the last item I have is the notice on facebook (https://www.facebook.com/events/944191119078534/) concerning a prayer vigil hosted by Bloom Lutheran Church in Santa Clarita, CA, on Aug. 16. It states, “Come join us. We are praying for those affected by the violence in Charlottesville, for an end to racism, and for peace. This is not a particularly religious gathering. This is an ALL ARE WELCOME event. People with any or no denominational/religious affiliations are welcome to join us in hoping, praying, and standing for light in the midst of darkness.”
The prayer vigil will begin at 6:30pm. Bring candles, LED candles, and peaceful signs of love and support. (So, wow, they state outright that this is not a particularly religious gathering, but yet all will pray together. All we can say is they have no concept of the meaning of prayer, really. As you pointed out so well in the first discussion, sister Tammy, what we traditionally refer to as the Lord’s Prayer, begins with the phrase “our Father which art in Heaven.” However, God nowhere in the Bible refers to the unsaved as His children).
The following are sister Tammy’s comments regarding identificational repentance: (Many are coming together saying we should repent for the sins of the nation which is identificational repentance. The church is using Nehemiah and Daniel when God used them to stand in the gap for specific purposes for specific times.
Father cannot repent for the sins of the sons. Deut 24:16
Ezekiel 18 also a personal responsibility to repent of own sins.
America, UK, and Australia are not the church – nations are not the church and some are misapplying scriptures meant for Israel to mean for now. Trying to solve the sins of the world by uniting and repenting for nations is not biblical. There is not going to be great revival in the last days, but many will fall away, and many will be deceived. All nations will not repent, and we need to have our own individual relationship with Jesus through Jesus’ blood shed for sinners. The way is narrow and few there be that find it, many are on the broad path of false unity, love, not biblical love. The elect will be deceived if it were possible; false unity is coming to unite the political/religious system; all are looking for a Savior to solve the world’s problems. We must be careful not to give ourselves over to an antichrist agenda leading souls away from the faith).
(You know, we need to be very careful whenever we hear someone say the name of Jesus. We have seen a video going around facebook the last couple of days of people in a homeless shelter in Houston, singing and saying Jesus, saying we want to see revival, and I am not trying to be unkind, but we don’t know what this woman believes. She could be Word of Faith; she could be a Modalist. People can have another Jesus, another spirit, another gospel. We don’t just join up when we don’t know what others believe exactly).
That is all for this time.