True Shepherds, must be bold while they protect, care for, and guide their flock. They teach, and feed their congregations with biblical knowledge and understanding to carry them into the future as Disciples of Christ. In other words, they keep watch over the body of Christ at night for the shepherd will give his life for the sheep. (Isaiah 31:4, Jeremiah 3:15, Luke 2:8 John 10:11). They do this because Shepherds know, “He who is not with Christ is against Him, and he who does not gather with Christ scatters abroad (Matthew 12:30, Jeremiah 23:1). Therefore, Shepherds do not fear man. “…For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known” (Ecclesiastes 5, Matthew 10:26, Luke 12:4). Shepherds speak for Jesus the Christ and “Whatever Jesus tells His disciples in the dark, they speak in the light; and what they hear in the ear, they preach on the housetops, (Matthew 10:27). All disciples of Christ, especially those called to ministry, are Christ’s messengers speaking into the darkness of humankind “to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:18)!
Today Christians all over America are left wondering why everything in the political realm is attacking Christianity and 90%+ of their shepherds and ministers pretend it will be all right and act like nothing is unusual. Why is this? Are shepherds not required to protect, care for, and guide their flock? Is the reason for silence because these are political sponsored evils?
Your Shepherd’s are the rightful authority and interpreter of biblical scriptures. Do they say something like this, “We do not do politics in Church; We just do the Gospel?” Body of Christ, your Shepherd should know this statement, widely used by Christians and their leaders, is mockingly contrary to biblical truth.
The Bible proves from Genesis to Revelation that righteous people have been persecuted by evil political governments. Every prophet in the Old and New Testament from Moses to John the Baptist exposed the evils of political governments and consequently, many suffered, and John was beheaded. The Sanhedrin used their political position as leaders of the Jewish government under King Herod to convince the Roman political appointee Pontius Pilate to scourge and crucify Jesus. This is no different than the political world we are living in today. This has been true since the beginning of Genesis and will be true until Christ returns and reigns supreme.
Shepherds, Ministers and all Disciples of Christ should know saying, ‘We don’t do politics in church’ keeps Christians silent from exposing public evils sponsored by the son of perdition. Satan knows silent Christians are out of the fight between good and evil. This is because the unspoken word of God has no power. Silence does not expose Satan to the world. Silence does not call upon the Holy Spirit of truth to convict the lost and silence shields those in darkness from seeing and coming to the light of Christ. Silence is a win, win for Satan because not to speak gives evil supremacy over the spoken word of biblical truth! God will not hold Shepherds, Ministers and all Disciples of Christ guiltless, because “He who is not with Christ is against Him” (Matthew 12:30).
Don’t misunderstand, the church should not focus on political intrigue, curiosity or treat politics like a spectator sport, such as NFL teams. No, Shepherds and Christ’s disciples are commanded to expose and condemn all public sponsored evils (Ephesians 5:11) that attack the truth of the Bible. All Disciples should be “…the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:12-14). This is a command from Jesus the Christ.
Shepherds should teach that today’s political attack on Christianity is little different than when Peter and John boldly stood before the Jewish government operated by the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin were like the liberal progressively evil government of today who create laws “…commanding Christians not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:5-17). Peter and John were shepherds of the Way, did they silence themselves? No, Peter and John answered the Sanhedrin who were in control of this evil principality, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:17-18). Has your Shepherd taught your congregation how to be bold like Peter and John, and speak the things Disciples know of Christ into the public square?
Do your Shepherd and Minister’s know when they sponsor biblical silence regarding political sponsored evils they are telling the body of Christ through their silence that if Satan calls cruelty, brutality, immorality, and murder political, God is indifferent. Is God indifferent to the over one million abortions yearly, which is the sacrament of the religion of secular progressivism? Is God uncaring about the over 100,000+ Americans killed each year by fentanyl that is crossing our southern border? Is God uninterested to the LGBTxyz taking over America’s political institutions thereby destroying God’s foundation of society, such as the family of one man, one woman, and children? If this is true, God must be politically apathetic to the thousands of indoctrinated delusional children who think they are another sex that are being butchered by doctors in hospitals. Do Shepherd’s know abortion, fentanyl, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans agenda, and the cutting off children’s private parts is the new WOKE antichrist religion created and supported by the Lefts progressively wicked people? What are Shepherds and Ministers doing to expose, condemn and teach the Body to stand against these and many more public sponsored evils? Let me guess, little and nothing!
Additional questions Shepherds need to know to stand for Christ and withstand evil:
- Did God command us to warn the wicked when He said? “…I have made you a watchman …; therefore, hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give them no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.” (Ezekiel 3:17-18)
- Did Paul confirm God’s command in Ephesians 5:11? “Take no part in the worthless pleasures of evil and darkness, but instead, rebuke and expose them.”
- What is the reason God commands Christians to warn the wicked? “…when you expose them, the light shines in upon their sin and shows it up, and when they see how wrong they really are, some of them may even become children of light” (Ephesians 5:13)!
- Does the bible define evil organizations as “…principalities, …powers, and …the worldly governors, the princes of the darkness of this world, and …spiritual wickedness, which are in the high places” (Ephesians 6:12). Do you teach the body of Christ how to expose and condemn evil political principalities?
- Do you teach Disciples of Christ to submit to God, and resist the devil, for he will flee from us (James 4:7)?
- Do you teach from the pulpit that submitting to God is actively carrying out His commission to witness Christ to the ends of the earth, (Acts 1:8)?
- Does witnessing the truth of Christ into darkness warn the wicked of their wicked ways?
- Shepherds do you teach the body of Christ to put on the Full Armor of God? (Ephesians 6:10-20).
- Do you teach your congregation how to use God’s offensive weapon that Christ has given Christians to use against evil? “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).
- Shepherd’s, do you teach why we put on the full Armor of God? The answer, we are Christ’s ambassador so we may speak the word of God boldly, as we ought to speak (Ephesians 6:20).
- Shepherd’s, do you think disciple making is focusing on getting the congregation to invite people to church, to be saved in church, so they can tithe to the church, and serve the church, so the church can get bigger and serve more people? Do you know this is Pietism? Pietism was a movement started by the Lutherans in the 1700’s emphasizing individual piety and living a holy life. This movement has moved into the modern Church and now ignores “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19).
- Are you actively teaching Christ commissioned all Christians to go outside and teach His commands? Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).
- What ministries have you created that focus on impacting the culture in which you live?
- What processes have you sponsored to enable your congregation to Go out and make disciples?
- Do you teach how to actually disciple another person to Christ or do you just tell them to be a Disciple?
- Are you teaching faith compels us to speak and expose evil, (2 Cor 4:12-14), because without speaking the minds who are blinded will not see the light, (2 Cor 4:4)?
- Is the Word of God living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, …and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, (Hebrews 4:12)?
- Does the Word of God cause the intercession of the power of the Holy Spirit, (2 Thess 2:13)?
- Do you teach disciples are God’s mouthpiece, and are to use great boldness of speech, (2Cor 3:12) to affect the thoughts and intents of the heart of those living outside of the Church (Hebrews 4:12)?
- Do you preach Christian’s are to war against evil by the power of God’s Word, for pulling down arguments against the knowledge of God, (2 Cor 10:4-6)? If yes, reveal how this is done?
- Are you teaching Christians they will be hated by all for Christ’s name’s sake (Luke 21:17)?
- Are you teaching, the Christian “cause is to bear witness to Christ’s truth” to the “ends of the earth” (John 18:37 &)?
- Are you teaching your congregation the complete cycle of faith? Christians are to deny themselves and take up their own cross, follow Jesus, representing His truth to the ends of the earth, make Disciples of all Nations, knowing they can be criticized, hated or persecuted, but “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for Christ’s sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven” (Luke 9:23, Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Matthew 5:1-12).
- Finally, do you understand there is nothing biblically, physically, or lawfully in America that stops Shepherds and Ministers from speaking Christ truth into public darkness the world calls politics, other than yourselves? If you are silent; Satan is laughing and God is aghast.
Disciples of Christ, do you know silent Shepherds are wicked and worthless blind guides when they volitionally bind their eyes, mute their hearing, and strangle their speech (Matthew 23:24)? Also, if your Shepherds cannot answer and explain these questions correctly, they are place holders, not Shepherds!
David Howard, Foxhole Ministry