For the Ruler of This World

https://www.htpctampa.org/pro-rege-speakers/     

This conference is For the King we're told and yet what king we wonder?

In a Christian context speakers would be men qualified to teach and possessing the moral character to do so with authority. And yet we have men connected to the Pentagon and Justice Department - a fact alone that would disqualify them in my book not only from teaching but church membership.

Leaving that aside we're left to wonder about their moral compass given that many non-Christians have (out of conviction) left the government, the Pentagon, and Department of Justice due to the rampant and obvious corruption and blatant illegality associated with the leadership (such as Hegseth, Bondi, and Blanche) and the administration they serve.

What does that say about these Christians who have stayed on and (seemingly) do so unabashedly, even celebrating what this administration is doing? Are they not ashamed? Do they not doubt?

No, these are American Evangelicals. They love to have it so. And given that these leaders (Hegseth, Bondi, and Blanche) are all Christians in some capacity and given cover by corrupt and apostate clerics, I suppose they can feel justified in doing so.

They do this for the King we're told. Again I ask, what king?

I would argue the gods they serve are the sword and coin, money and power. They always go together.

Satan tempted our Lord in the wilderness and offered Him these very things. He rejected them and the rest of His teachings and that of his apostles indicate that His people (His Body) are to do the same.

Not so for these folks. They've taken the Satanic offer and thus I argue the king they serve is not Christ but the adversary, the god of this world.

And what should we say about someone like Bob Fu? Imagine it's the fourth century and Rome and Persia are ever at war or threatening war. Bob Fu is like a Persian Christian who is living as an exile in Rome, meeting with Roman Senators and Consuls, the militant ones who want war with the Shah. He meets with these Roman politicians pushing for Constantinian Rome to help the Christians which can only mean threats of violence and new wars. Now of course some of these political figures have other goals - territorial expansion, the capture of resources, trade routes, and the like. They'll use someone like Bob Fu to further their goals. Of course the Persians know what's happening. How do they respond? How are they likely to treat the Persian Christians as a result? They persecute them. And these collaborators, are they martyrs? Are they heroes? Should they be taken seriously, can we trust what they say given their agendas and alliances?

The guiding principle that seems to inspire all these men is this - let us do evil that good may come.

This conference is testimony to the confusion that reigns in modern American Evangelicalism and its slide into apostasy, celebrating disobedience and in the name of Christ, and trampling on the teachings of Christ in order to advance Christ's Kingdom.

As always the picture is complicated as there are some names associated with this conference that I believe to be reasonably sound. I would not attach their names to these errors but wonder why they have chosen to do so of their own volition? Their presence effectively endorses the other speakers. It's not a debate forum. I hope they distance themselves from the other speakers but given that would be awkward and impolite I'm not looking for that to happen.

It should be noted that Old Testament apostasy was often pursued in the name of Jehovah. There was of course the episodes of open Baal worship in the Northern Kingdom under Omri and his dynasty. However, it's clear that the Dan and Bethel cults started by Jeroboam and the high place worship in both kingdoms was syncretist in nature. They paid lip service to Jehovah but mixed this worship with pagan ideology and practice and the false prophets often exhibited nationalist tendencies that put politics over faithfulness. The faith was twisted as were the ethics and the goals they pursued.

This resulted in not only syncretism but evil alliances. In the case of Jeroboam he was wedded to the sister-in-law of Shishak (as per the longer version of I Kings 12 in the LXX), the Pharoah who sacked Jerusalem under Rehoboam and plundered the Temple - the same Temple that Jeroboam tried to prevent his subjects from attending wishing instead for them to offer service at Dan and Bethel.

Unwittingly (perhaps) these false prophets in our day use the name of Christ to steer believers into the service of the ruler of this world. Someone needs to say it. What a terrible testimony.

And so history repeats itself as the New Testament warns. The forms (as always) are different but the substance is the same. It is also testimony to the wondrous spiritual nature and universal applicability of the Scriptures when properly understood through the Christ-centered lenses of New Covenant doctrine.