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Welcome back to Coffee with a Calvinist. This program is dedicated to helping you better understand the Word of God and the doctrines of grace. The Bible tells us, do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who is no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the Word of Truth.
Get your Bible and coffee ready and prepare to study along. Here's your host with today's lesson, Pastor.
Keith Foskey. Welcome back to Coffee with a Calvinist. My name is Keith Foskey and I am a Calvinist. We are in our program today. It is August the 26th, 2020 and if you are in our daily Bible reading with us, August the 26th is Acts chapter 25.
So we encourage you to read that chapter. Take an opportunity to observe, interpret and apply the text as part of your daily devotion. Now we're going to jump right in with today's program because we have been going through a response to Jim Wallace.
Jim Wallace is a minister. He is a theologian and he was a former spiritual advisor to President Barack Obama. He has made some statements about Jesus. He has made some statements about Christians who support Donald Trump and essentially said that if you support Donald Trump, you're supporting a racist, a nationalist and you are supporting Antichrist.
In the last two days I have played his statements. I have responded to them and today is the third day and I'm not sure if we're going to finish up today or not. I'm really going to try because I have other things that I'd like to get to this week and honestly I think I've said about as much as needs to be said.
We are three minutes into a six-minute video and this video was put out by NowThis. NowThis is a website that puts out videos on social issues and Mr. Wallace was videotaped for NowThis and this is a six-minute video.
You can go to NowThis. You can look up Mr. Wallace. His name is Jim Wallace and you can watch the whole video if you would like and compare it to what I'm saying here but I'm going to be playing the audio.
You'll be able to hear what he says and I'm going to respond to it. So we're going to begin as soon as I hit the start button. It's going to start at the beginning but I'm going to immediately pause it and jump to the three-minute mark because that's where we left off in yesterday's program.
To be a Christian is more. So jumping to three minutes and.
Here we go. The Black Lives Matter movement shoulder-to-shoulder with his neighbors especially those who are immigrants. That's what we left off.
Yesterday. He said Jesus would have marched with the Black Lives Matter movement and I made the point that the Black Lives Matter movement isn't so much about the the protection or the uplifting of black people but is a Marxist organization that by its own statement and I read some of its own statement yesterday is unbiblical.
It is opposed to the biblical understanding of the family, the biblical understanding of sexuality. It is not a movement that I believe that Christians should support. Should Christians support black people?
Certainly. Should we love our neighbors? Absolutely. Should we be racist? Absolutely not. But should we support an organization like Black Lives Matter? No. That's why I say I can say black people matter.
I can say I love black people. Black people are made in the image of God. But I will not say Black Lives Matter because I'm not going to support even with the language an organization which is ungodly and unbiblical.
To say that Jesus would march with them is something that I would absolutely disagree with. But let's.
Go on and hear what he says next. We're refugees. Jesus would furiously defend.
Our warming planet. Okay right there I have to stop. Jesus would furiously defend our warming planet. He's not saying it overtly but implicitly in this statement he is saying that Jesus would agree with the argument that man is the cause of global climate change and that the only way to deal with global climate change is through policies and bureaucracies and limitations on freedom that would ultimately destroy life and destroy business and destroy commerce and is doing so in many places.
This is a very common leftist argument and that is that anybody who denies man-made global warming is anti-science and is anti-truth and yet at the same time this is that's not the case. There is certainly a lot to be questioned about the quote-unquote climate science that is often used to argue for man-made global warming and so to say that Jesus would furiously defend our warming planet is to say without saying that Jesus would adopt a far-left green policy and I don't think that that can be defended biblically because essentially what you're saying is that Jesus would blindly accept the argument of scientists with an agenda and I don't think that that's the case.
But again it goes to show you this is not an impartial man. This is not a man who's not coming from a side or with an agenda. He may consider himself to be without sides and consider himself to be a man who's just searching for truth but he's stowing out all the hallmarks.
He's using the language of homophobia which we saw in the first time we listened. He's using the language of immigration, Jesus being a brown-skinned Jew and now he's talking about global warming. All of these are hitting the major points of the left and so and again he's already he's already said if you Donald Trump he is the antichrist well he didn't say Donald Trump's antichrist but he said that that his positions are antichrist and white nationalism is antichrist and those different things so we'll go ahead.
Regardless of whether.
That activism was popular. Jesus would stop at nothing to combat the inhumane treatment of families at the border. It's time to reintroduce this Jesus to our.
American churches. Too many churches. See he's painting a picture of Jesus who is not the Savior of mankind not the one who came to take the wrath of God but one who was ultimately a liberation activist a political left-leaning activist.
And and arguing about the children at the border again have there been things that have happened that were that. Has there been mistreatment. Yes. But also there is there there is. America is within her rights to have a sovereign border.
It is within the right of the United States to have a law about who gets to come in and who does not. And it is important that we understand that it wasn't too long ago that the people on the left were saying the same thing about the border.
They were saying the border has to be protected. Even even some of the most liberal of people even some of our most liberal presidents have talked about the danger of having an open border and allowing for people to cross undocumented and the importance of documentation.
And this is this is certainly an issue that that can be discussed with all of its parameters but ultimately to to simply say that the left is is is the only ones concerned about the families being separated at the border and the right doesn't care about those things.
And it's it's a it's a disingenuous statement it and it again just listening to it I believe is very unfair but but will continue primarily.
White churches in our nation excuse their silence by claiming they aren't political that they don't have to weigh in on the extraordinary injustice we see all around us. You know what I have to say to that.
Well before I hear what you.
Have to say to it I want to say something when you say white churches excuse their silence by saying that they're not political. Well it is there we are told. We cannot say things that are political. We should not say things that are political and that you know we this is the this is what we hear from the from those in government that churches are just to not endorse any type of political positions that churches are to stay neutral.
And I don't. I don't think churches can. I don't. I really don't think that it's possible that a church stay neutral on the issue of truth. So I think his statement here is disingenuous. The problem he has is not that churches aren't making political statements.
It's that they're not making political statements that he agrees with. We are making political statements. We're saying marriage is between one man and one woman. That's a political statement. We're saying abortion is wrong and that abortion should be abolished.
That's a political statement. And we would say that the mistreatment of human beings in any way that is unjust is wrong. You see I've heard recently somebody say well all you care about is abortion. You don't care about babies after they're born.
That's hogwash. Because the groups that are out there doing the most in regard to establishing orphanages and creating places for children to be taken care of if they are without mother and father. And the places that are establishing places for for men and women to to receive help they're often Christian or at least religious places.
I have two adopted children. I adopted my children not through the state even though they were in foster care they were in Jewish family services. And there was Catholic family services. And there was there was the Baptist children's home.
There are these different groups and they all are religious organizations. Not all Christian mind you but they're all they all have a religious reasoning behind what they're doing. And so the idea that the Christians only care about abortion they don't care about children after they're born.
That is that's garbage. It's a canard. It's it's not true and and so.
Just want to to make that point enough. I do believe in the separation of church and state but not the separation of values from our public life.
All you Arabs and Democrats Jesus is removed. This is cutting in the video. It's cutting to other short videos again. Now this edited this together and and thankfully they bleeped out the bad language.
And are there people out there that mistreat others. But see him Wallace saying that these this is Christians doing this. That's. He's not saying that but that's the implication is that Christians need to get it together.
Because look at this person dropping the F-bomb. Look at this person saying that Muslims need to go back to where they came from. This is this is. What's wrong with Christianity. What makes you think the woman dropping the F-bomb is a Christian.
What makes you think the man telling the Muslims I need to go back to where they came from that they're Christians. What makes you think that. That's that they're. That they. That they represent the Christian right.
That they represent conservative traditional biblical Christianity. That they don't. And then this is all again. This is a red.
Herring member for asking very powerful questions like who is my neighbor and what is truth. Often directly to politicians the religious right has forgotten the heart of Jesus message in its focus on two specific issues.
Be clear to be a Christian is more than your stance on abortion and same-sex.
Marriage. This is what we talked about in week one because that's what they started with. This is where he leads into. He says Jesus spoke to politicians and he said who is my neighbor. And he spoke to politicians and he said what is truth.
Yes. But what was the heart of those messages. And we're gonna see that the heart of Jesus's message. I think it's quite different than the heart of Jim.
Wallace's message in the closet make sure your closet is in another closet to.
Be a Christian is to fiercely defend your neighbor including especially those who couldn't be more different than yourself. To be a Christian is to stand against white nationalism and the Antichrist policies coming from the.
White House there is again this attack it's it's aimed at Donald Trump it's aimed at the current administration it is aimed at white nationalism which he sees as apparently sees as the greatest of all evils.
And how he defines white nationalism apparently is is that which Donald Trump is doing and and seeing him as a supporter of white America not all of America. And this this again is his argument and you can see who he's aiming at and he goes on no dancing around that.
To defend the image of God in all circumstances is every. Christians calling LGBTQ are all initials that stand for people who are beloved by God. All human life whether at the border or in the womb has dignity.
Furthermore women who have abortions are beloved by God. We have to go deeper in our thinking about how we protect the vulnerable. There are 2 ,000 verses in the Bible about the poor 2 ,000. Jesus tells us that the most important people are the ones.
He called the least of these even while they are the least important ones.
In our politics today see I have to I have to stop right there because a couple things that he has said he's he's talked about the LGBTQ represents individuals while that is true in a sense that that that you know the those those letters that there are people who identify with those letters the the movement and the idea of the of these letters identifying individuals is is more than just what we need to love these people.
Because we do need to love people who are homosexual. But how do you love them. Do you love them by affirming that their lifestyle is right and wholesome and good. Even though their lifestyle according to scripture is opposed to God's will is opposed to his desire for them and will ultimately lead to them being separated from him not only in this life but in hell and the life to come separated from his grace and mercy.
You see people like Wallace and I assume would would say I don't believe that homosexuality will not cause somebody to be separated from God. But yet this is what the Bible says. The Bible clearly says that homosexuality like all sin separates us from God.
And if we hold on to this sin and say this sin defines who I am then what we're saying is this sin that defines who I am is more important than the God who created me and is is sovereign over my life.
And it defines by his standard not my standard. And then of course you know after mentioning the LGBTQ I'm gonna back up just a few.
Seconds. Here I want to go back to what he said 2000. Jesus tells us that the most important people are the ones he called the least of these. Yeah he said.
The least of these. Jesus talks about the least of these. But what's the context of that verse. Jesus talks about the least of these my brothers that what you've done to the least of these my brothers you've done also to me.
This is an important reality because he is automatically assuming that the least of these is referring to the the the minorities and the the those in the LGBTQ that that's that that's who he's referring to and and that that is making an assumption on the text making assumption of what Jesus is talking about.
And it's it's a dangerous assumption because it's saying that it's saying that Jesus is he's. He's speaking of a certain group and this group is the focus. And let me let me look at it right here. It's a Matthew chapter 25.
He says it refers to truly I say to you as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers you did it also to me. And then he says it again. And that's chapter 25 verse 40. And then in chapter 25 verse 45 he says then again he will answer truly I say to you the those who've done it to the least of these as you did not do it to the least of these you did not do it to me.
This is in the context of giving food to the poor. I'll look it up. Let me see here real quick. This is he says when the son of this is beginning of verse 31 it says when the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him he'll sit on his glorious throne before him will be gathered all the nations.
He will separate people one from another. A shepherd separates the sheep from the goats and he will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. The King will say to those on his right come you who are blessed by my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty you gave me drink. I was a stranger you you welcomed me. I was naked you clothed me I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.
Then the righteous will answer and say Lord when did we do these things. You know when did we give you drink when we give you food. And when he you know when did we welcome you. And when he said the King will answer truly I say to you as you did this to the least of these my brothers you did it to me.
And so there is a context here that is is simply this does not simply refer to poor people in general or people in prison in general or anything like that. I even though I think obviously there can be a broader application made for that this is referring to the the church and how the church is to operate and how the church is to function and the church does feed the poor.
That is part of the mission of the church and and food pantries and food banks are often started by Christians. It's it's what they they do. But again turning this into a social justice statement about how the how we are to accept everyone with a blanket acceptance.
And there be no calling out of repentance no calling to sin. Because the context of this is judgment at judgment these things are going to be looked at and at judgment they're going to be righteous. And at judgment there are going to be those who are on the left who are depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Why. Because they denied being good to the least of these. But again there the focus here is the least of these my brethren I do think that that parts often miss who is who is the I think it's I think this this first and foremost is referring within the church and I think that those who are those who attack the church are going to find themselves in a dangerous place on judgment day.
And I think that those who who have loved God's church and have loved God's people and have supported God's people and these my brothers I think that's going to be a very important part of that that is often missed the my brethren portion.
Okay so we're we're to the end but we are out of time. So I'm going to take one more day to deal with this tomorrow's episode maybe short because we're only going to deal with the last few minutes. We're at five minutes and 28 seconds we're going to finish up now I'm going to finish out and I'll see you guys tomorrow.
So thank you for listening to coffee with a Calvinist. My name is Keith Foskey and I've been your Calvinist. Thank you for.
Joining in for today's episode of coffee with a Calvinist. Keep in mind we have a new lesson available every weekday morning at 630 a .m. on YouTube and Facebook. If you enjoyed this lesson please take a moment to respond by hitting the like button leaving a comment and subscribing to the channel.
On behalf of pastor Foskey. Thank you for listening. May God bless you.