By Michael Hernandez
PHOENIX, AZ—”Patriotism is found in the scriptures,” said Calvary Chapel Chino Hills Pastor Jack Hibbs who pastors a church of 14,000. “The church is the salt and light of a decaying culture. If we pastors don’t understand the working of nations, we are ripe to lose the freedoms to preach the gospel.”
“Our primary calling is about politics and rightly dividing the chapters (of the Bible),” said Godspeak Calvary Pastor Rob McCoy (whose church has grown to 1,400) during Friday’s Turning Point podcast with Charlie Kirk that was also live streamed by Godspeak as Fireside Chat 123. “Liberty is not man’s idea; but God’s idea.”
Charlie Kirk challenged pastors to go beyond what he called “cattle-call Christianity” and when pastors dismiss the questions of their congregants by saying “we don’t get involved, but we’ll pray” and their people feel a “disconnect” from pastor and church. “The church disengages (because) it is too controversial.
“I ask pastors if they know the names of their five school board members? said Pastor McCoy. “Do you know the names of those on the City Council?” The problem is “that we don’t do politics,” said Pastor Hibbs. “We need to let our light shine. We need to engage the culture. We have become weak.”
“We are watching counties implode. We are losing liberty. People are asking ‘What shall we do?’” said Pastor McCoy.
According to Charlie Kirk, “The church got it wrong when they said politics drives people away from church. A moral worldview with organized thinking gives answers to complex problems. The church is missing one of the greatest evangelistic opportunities where 15-20 million Americans would come to Christ, if we but talked about politics.”
“I have been a pastor for almost 30 years, but I never faced persecution until I stepped into politics and ran for California Assembly,” said Pastor McCoy. “My car was keyed. I had death threats. My window was broken. People sued me. My own party came after me. It was awful. I never saw this when I was just standing behind the wooden box (pulpit).”
“I have seen Christians in Washington D.C. and Sacramento who love the Lord, love this country, they die (to themselves) every day,” said Pastor Hibbs. “I see pastors hiding behind a government order. I spent decades in the secular world working for corporations; that preparation was fantastic for my church and ministry life.”
“This generation is living a very dangerous Thomas More utopia,” said Kirk. They are thinking, “maybe we can have heaven on earth. We can get close to hell on earth. We see more and more pastors coming out (politically). These two pastors are American heroes. Leave your church and pull your tithes if your pastor does not come out (stand in the public square).”
(Editor’s Note: Fireside Chat 123 can be viewed by using the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH-n_CGnzHk. The program airs by livestream each evening at 7 p.m.)
Michael Hernandez, Co-Founder of the Citizens Journal—Ventura County’s online news service; editor of the History Makers Report and founder of History Makers International—a community nonprofit serving youth and families in Ventura County, is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor. He worked 25 years as a middle school teacher in Monrovia and Los Angeles Unified School Districts. Mr. Hernandez can be contacted by email at [email protected].
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Since the end of World War Two, Americans have not been compelled to fight any existential threat to the Republic.
Such a societal handicap would make for a weak people in any country.
For the most part, our current crisis was inevitable. The only genuine surprise is that it did not come years sooner.