It's Not Politics - It’s B.I.B.L.I.T.I.C.S!

(Last edited June 5, 2016)

"The church cannot remain a positive force if it continues to remove itself from the stress and strain of contemporary events. The Church has a prophetic role to play in the world, not just a pastoral role. The true Church and the world cannot always be on friendly terms. The sort of friendliness between the Church and society that we have cultivated in the past, especially in (Germany pre WW2), is actually the cause of the Church's increasing irrelevance." - Dietrich Bonehoffer Recently I read a few articles in some Christian magazines by some well known Christian leaders who were saying that pastors needed to stop preaching politics from their pulpits. That the church needed to get out of the political realm. I couldn't disagree more. But again, maybe the problem is we've allowed the world to define the issue. Now, we are hearing that the IRS will "investigate" churches as to what is being said from the pulpit. I say bring it on! I've said for years that it was a myth fabricated by the godless secularists that the church couldn't speak about political issues without losing it's tax exempt status. It's both a freedom of speech issue and a freedom of religion issue, the so called Johnson amendment is a canard which the IRS has never enforced through the courts because they know they would lose. So let me get to the heart of the matter.

The Geo-politics of this world's system are not merely political...they are prophetic! Folks, it's not about the political, it's about the prophetical! The political maneuverings of men and of nations are nothing more or less then the prophetic determinations of the living God! The bible itself, is a book filled with politics! The word of God is a "political" book, if you understand that "politics" is simply what one's particular worldview and philosophy of governance is.

There are two great world-views competing for allegiance: 1. Is a worldview that believes that God is the source and reason for all existence. 2. Is simply the worldview that denies that God is relevant at all. It is a mistaken and misguided notion to think that Christians should stay away from and keep out of "politics". That we shouldn't speak politically from the pulpit, it is the word of God that ought to shape and form a Christians worldview, which in turn ought to inform and shape one‘s political views. My friends all of life is about politics! Everything in this world and all of everyone's everyday life is the result or byproduct of politics - whether we like it or not and whether we are aware of it or not! You might want to ignore the politics...but the politics will not ignore you! However, in reality it's all about Biblitics! Yes, I have invented a new word in order to make my point clear - Biblitics...it's all about Biblitics! You see, we've allowed the godless, and the secularists, to define the terms and frame the narrative! But with all due respect to those Christian leaders who are insisting that we shouldn't speak politically from the pulpit...then what exactly are you being a prophetic voice about? For example...Abortion is a biblical issue....(but society views it as a political issue), homosexuality is a biblical issue....(but society views it as a political issue), economics and taxation are biblical issues.... (But again...society views them as political issues.) Whatever the "political" issue might be, the word of God has spoken to it either by precept or in principle.

Homosexuality, marriage, abortion, pornography, taxes, government, crime and punishment, societal issues of poverty, whatever the current "political issue" of the day is, God's word has spoken to the issue! So why are these leaders falling into the trap of allowing godless forces to silence the church through the intimidation of the false idea of, ‘don't mix politics and religion’? Is it Fear? Is it the need to avoid controversy? Is it the desire to be popular, rather than prophetic? Paul tells us to speak the truth in love. But too many of us today think that 'love' means holding back the truth so as not to offend sensibilities, or watering down the truth, or hiding the truth. Many actually seem to be ashamed of the truth! We'd rather sacrifice biblical correctness on the altar of political correctness and under the guise of love! Church leadership by and large, especially in many of the large mega churches have chosen to walk the road of popularity and political correctness. Too many so called church leaders would rather be popular than prophetic. They relish a slap on the back rather than risk a slap in the face! Therefore, the voice of the Christian in the market place of ideas has been marginalized and trivialized. We've been intimidated into thinking that speaking the truth is hate speech. Let’s be clear, it was politics that sent Jesus to the cross. It was politics that sent the early Christians into the coliseums to be martyred. The reason so many Christians were put to death by the Romans wasn't because they merely believed in Jesus as "a" God. The Romans were pantheists, they didn't care what god you worshiped, as long as you declared that Caesar was God above all. And the Romans did that for "political" reasons, not "religious" ones. When did THE PROBLEM in the PULPIT start? It began little by little dating back to the 1930’s when the Church and Christians bought into the lies of men like Robert Ingersoll, and Thomas Dewey & many other secularists who said that “religion” must be kept out of the public arena. However, Jesus told us to pray, '...let thy kingdom come, let your will be done on earth! As it is in heaven!' Get that? On earth! ...as it is in heaven! Go into all the world Jesus said, and preach the gospel to all nations ....teaching them to Obey all things that I have commanded! The 'all things', is the entirety of the word of God in all its principles and precepts! God’s rule is to extend to everything. From our family lives to our civil discourse! From our bank accounts to our business dealings. In our educational curriculum to our social justice issues....to our environmental concerns...and to our political choices in the voting booth - everything must reflect that God’s righteous rule extends to all of life! The gospel should effect law, government, history, education, science, economics, logic, and philosophy. We are to penetrate, and permeate, infiltrate and radiate the gospel into all of the social structure until the whole world hears! My friends, it's not political, it's biblical. It's not a question of politics, but biblitics! Do not be afraid to Preach the Biblitics of the word of God! His grace is still amazing to me! Andy White