BEING A BOLD CHRISTIAN—AN HISTORIC DEBATE

I have never shied away from a good donny-brook or debate.  If the debate goes ad hominem or overly sarcastic (as I never wish to crush anyone in retaliation with my rapier wit and scalding intellect) I back away as I have no respect for those conditions and I have serious boundaries.  The weapons of my mind, body, and spirit are always in Condition 1…locked, loaded and ready.  I love God, my calling, my wife, my life and my Constitutional republic nation so immensely that I am always prepared to defend them at any cost—after all, I made a promise to all of them. 

Truly, unless you are historically-retarded and a revisionist history buff, the United States of America was based on purely Christian principle and philosophy as a Constitutional Republic pointing toward absolute freedom, and I will forever contend that true freedom only comes through Christ.

       I have found in my analysis, not everyone truly wants freedom.  People want what I would call a comfortable cage.  As I do my utmost to speak truth to power in life and from the pulpit I am readily silenced or ignored.  Thankfully God has blessed me with masculine resilience.  Sadly, I see society and even the church choosing comfort over liberty.  This collective fear becomes an unbreakable chain of ritual, dogma, and denominationalism.  There is a trade off in this that lacks true spiritual freedom.  Pastors want approval from the pulpit, trading peace of mind and spirit for applause and money in the plate.

       Let’s talk a little about one of my heroes and great rabble-rousers, Samuel Adams, second cousin to one of my favorite presidents in John Adams and his brilliant wife Abigail.  Sam Adams is mainly known for the New England beer company, but he indeed is so much more.

       Sam Adams was a devoted Christian, Congregationalist, and held very strong Puritan beliefs.  He started every morning with prayer and ended each day with Bible study and reading.  It was this foundation that grounded him in the rights of the colonists.  His 1772 essay, “The Rights of the Colonists” was heavily influenced by natural law and Christianity repeatedly pointing to the teachings of Jesus.

       He was devoutly faithful as a lay leader in the beautiful South Church in Boston while serving the Continental Congress as the governor of Massachusetts.  He was not afraid to publicly acknowledge God in any circumstance.  Even in his final testimony before his death, his final words were that “he relied on the merits of Jesus Christ for a pardon of all my sins.”

       One of the unique things Sam Adams wrote after signing the Declaration of Independence was this: “We have this day restored the Sovereign to whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come.”  The use of the word “Sovereign” was a direct reflection of God, and most certainly NOT the King of England.

       As the father of the “Sons of Liberty” he could not be stopped.  Even John Adams referred to him as the most “famous Adams.”  Every event that seemed spontaneous with his mob of Southie’s was actually carefully planned to show the colonial disdain for the crown and the British military occupation and taxation.

       Simply put, Samuel Adams was a devout Christian who feared nothing or no one but God.  Ah, to be a Samuel Adams living the freedom of a life by, through, and with God without fear.  That should be our only goal.  Know your worth, stand up and be counted as a Christian when the Godless society attacks you and attrits our moral fiber.

       We, God’s church, as is our nation, are UNHEALTHY.  Like politics, the church is full of talkers and NOT doers.  The talking heads are abundant.  We need to get our hands dirty as clergy with the homeless, the destitute, the sick and the poor.  We need to open our doors to those truly in need instead of flicking the booger to the government.  You want open borders from the pulpit, well then leave your churches and homes unlocked.  We as pastors, priests, clergy are supposed to be men of action, unafraid, and full of faith.  I am CALLED to do the work of the Lord Jesus.  I am not a “PC thought leader.”  Yes, I LOVE being a respected scholar because I earned it, but that has NOTHING to do with the calling.  I can do a detailed exegesis and unpack the context of the Scripture, but what I am called to do is SO MUCH MORE.

       The church body is NOT called to attend periodically, be gossiping busy-bodies, memorizers or readers of the Word, but active participants of the Word.  Doers of the Word.  Get your hands dirty false teachers and prophets.

       Finally, let me settle an historic debate.  Peter was NOT the first Pope.  He was a Jew and not a Roman.  Peter was killed by the emperor of Rome Nero somewhere between 64-67 AD.  Peter was NEVER involved in any religious group in Rome and there is zero historical evidence that he was considered to be the Bishop of Rome.  Historically, I would contend that Constantine perhaps was the first so-called “Pope” as he actually unified church and state in the first council of Nicea in 325 AD, much like Muslim countries, specifically Iran post-Shah regime—seeking unification.  If we are to revere the Catholic church as the “Universal Church,” then indeed Constantine was the Pontifex Maximus.  Of course, in 321 AD, Constantine issued a law making Sunday a day of rest for all to unite all religions under one system of governance.  Constantine’s goal was unity under one system essentially peace through one religion.  He is quoted as saying: “On the venerable (look up that word please) day of the sun (a pagan holiday used by all), let the magistrates and the people of the cities rest, and let all workshops be closed.  However, in the country, people engaged in agricultural pursuits may freely and lawfully continue their work.”  Kind of like Jesus taking a donkey out of a ditch or healing someone?

       For some reason we have shifted church history.  I think the apostles other than John were cowardly when Jesus was being crucified, but they changed their tune when they saw the prophesy revealed of a risen savior.  They all finally got BOLD and got killed for it.  They put people and sin in its place—bold lions.  But for some reason in today’s world speaking absolute TRUTH is judged to be un-Christlike, rude, or mean.  How did Jesus talk to the Pharisee’s, Scribes, and money-changers?  None of it was pleasant.  He called them fools, idiots, and stupid.  I guess the prophets, Jesus, and the Apostles were just being un-Christlike.

       You see…clergy, I am unafraid to call it what it is.  For example: "The more like Christ you are, the more the world will treat you like they treated Christ. Maybe you don't get much persecution because there's not much similarity." 

I’ll throw you another bone to your tickling ears stupidity—a simple break down of the family.  The 2026 divorce statistics are interesting.  In the heterosexual community, women initiate 69-70% of all divorces—a number that has held steady for about 80 years.  male on male divorces are at are 14%-22% over a 10-year average, women on women divorces are over 70% and at a higher risk of 1.5 to 2 times higher the rate of different-sex couples.  Percentages show that hypergamy is much more prevalent in women than with men.  Why?  When we have such an alarming college graduation rate of women over men?  You can do the research on the wasted money of majors women compared to men spent valuable money, time, and effort.  The rise of feminism in society and the church.

       I ask you, where is the church?  Are you clergy of so-called Christians afraid to stand up.  I promise you this, I will stand strong and proud before God on judgment day and hear “well done my good and faithful servant.”  As clergy is you don’t take on the mantle of deep prayer and faithful study…you will beg and plead at the mercy seat.  Remember, say what you mean, and mean what you say…ambiguity always invites absurdity in the pulpit.