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Dr. Jim Garlow is a lifelong pastor who most recently served in San Diego, California, and now leads Well Versed, a ministry dedicated to bringing biblical
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Debunking Misconceptions: Civil Religion to Theocracy 0:10 Well, welcome. My name is Jim Garlow, and we're walking our way through the book reverse from culturally woke to Biblically Awake. Thank you for being with us. I hope you have a chance to read each chapter before you see0:21 this video, but if you don't, that's fine. You can read it afterwards as well. We're on chapter 12 right now. The whole issue of Christian nationalism or biblical citizenship. Let's0:33 walk through this, Ed. A lot of controversy on this particular topic right now. Over the course of time, evangelical Christians have been accused of a lot of things. 1 is they're accused of0:45 equating the kingdom of God with with America. Now now that's ludicrous. No no biblically grounded follower of Jesus Christ assumes that America is the0:57 kingdom of God or the kingdom of God is America. There's there's about 200 nations on the earth. That's not the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is exactly that, the kingdom of heaven or1:09 sometimes called the kingdom of heaven. There's a 2nd thing that evangelical Christians are accused of, and that's a practicing they call it civil religion or culture religion from time to1:21 time. What is culture religion? That's that's not really a widely used phrase much. It's 1 I did a lot of study on back in my doctoral dissertation days. The phrase, developed to1:33 some extent through the influence of a very brilliant professor by the name of doctor Will Herberg. He was a professor at Drew University where I was in my doctoral program. That's where the phrase comes from. What what1:45 the essence of culture religion is that there is a sense in which Americanism, mother 4th of July and apple pie kind of stuff, has1:56 become our religion, and that the distinctives of the the the pure distinctives of Christianity have been swept under and are just all wrapped up2:08 in the flag in patriotism. Now nobody wants that for their faith. A culture religion is has some value in the sense that a culture believes that there is a God and there's just some2:20 fundamental values of life. But none of us as really serious Bible followers want to participate and call the epicenter of our lives, this phenomenon called culture religion. But that's an accusation2:33 made against evangelicals from time to time, either cultural religion or, somebody to use the term interchangeably, civil religion. There's another accusation, and that's called dominionism.2:44 What is dominionism? Well, dominionism, they get high almost hysteric about this. Dominionism, it comes from Genesis chapter 1, verse 1 verse 26,2:56 28. Dominionism, the word is actually used there that we're to take dominion over the earth. Well, to the secularists, the humanists, to the leftists,3:09 they say, oh, you evangelical Christians are trying to exercise dominion and take over, the government. Actually, that's not the intent of that passage at3:21 all. Dominionism actually has a quite different meaning from that. It means that we are to exercise careful careful stewardship over all that is because it all3:32 belongs to God. God owns the earth. He's turning it over to humanity to run it, and we don't own it, but we're the stewards of it on behalf of a holy and3:44 righteous God. That's the whole meaning of dominionism, but people who do not understand that fully, panic and say, oh my goodness, you Christian, you're trying to take over the government.3:56 Well, that's not the intent of the word dominionism. There's there's another 1 that gets used from time to time. This is much lesser known, and that's Christian Reconstructionism.4:08 Christian Reconstructionism became famous through a a man named RJ Rushdie and his son-in-law Gary North. Rushdie wrote a book, The Institutes of Biblical Laws. It's a great4:20 read. It's a very thick read. It's a very, very large book. But basically, Reconstructionism is simply the belief that Jesus is King overall. And it's actually part of it is the belief that the4:31 gospel is so compelling, the gospel is so powerful, that it's so winsome that the entire earth will come into alignment with4:43 the gospel of Jesus Christ as part of Christian Reconstructionism. It's not a view that every evangelical Christian has, takes that view exactly like4:55 that. But it is a remarkable reading, and it's worth reading, his writing. But the problem is that that people who don't understand the meaning of this misinterpret it once again as, oh,5:07 these Christians, they're trying to coerce everybody, into their particular belief system. There's another accusation that gets thrown out against evangelical Christians. That's theocracy.5:19 We talked about that in a previous video. Democracy, demos people, quasi the he's rule, the rule to the rule of the people, power to the people, or theocracy, theos is5:31 god, so the rule of god. And they say, well, you Christians are trying to be theocrats. You're trying to, if you're a part of the, quote, Christian right, as they say, then you're really5:43 trying to establish some kind of a theocracy. I don't even know how that would function in America. I'm not in favor of a theocracy because I don't know how it would look. We currently have a constitutional republic.5:55 We're not a democracy. Everything's not determined by a vote of 50 percent plus 1. It's determined by a constitutional republic. Constitution is we have written laws, and then a6:07 constitution I mean, a republic constitutional republic, we have representatives that are in that are charged with withhold upholding the constitution and those respective laws and6:19 and really within it. Now Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan have theocracies, Muslim ones, so maybe that gives us a picture of how that functions. But no evangelical Christian6:31 that I know of is advocating for a theocracy, though. The secularist and the, they they always accuse evangelical Christians of that. What what are there was a reason for all these accusations.6:43 It's very simple. They're they're trying to intimidate and bully you as an evangelical Christian from voting, silence you, stop making posts, on Facebook. They'll say, oh,6:55 you're a Christian reconstruction or you're a theocrat or you're a dominionist or they don't even know what these terms generally mean. They've probably done very little reading about them. But quite frankly, the whole7:05 goal of that is to intimidate and bully you, into silence. Now another 1 that gets used a whole lot more recently, now this 1 you've probably heard, is the New Apostolic7:17 Reformation. That gets used a lot. Let's go let's look at the background on on that 1. C Peter Wagner was a famous missiologist. He taught at Fuller Seminary at 1 point.7:29 He was a missionary at 1 point. He traveled a lot overseas. His primary focus was not in the US, though he lived in the US part of the time, but he focused in other countries a great deal. And he analyzedUnpacking the New Apostolic Reformation 7:41 what was going on in particular in South American countries, others as well, but South American countries. And we saw the explosion of Christianity take place,7:52 unbelievable. And he discovered that there were local churches who had become so large, so influential, that the pastor of that local church8:05 was multi geographical, multilocational. In other words, they had satellite campuses. Now that's pretty common in churches in America now, but it wasn't back then. It wasn't even hard heard of,8:17 but that was very much more common in South America. And so rather than being a local church pastor, he was an apostle over a whole network of of churches8:29 with pastors under him. And that's the proper that's 1 of the proper understandings of apostle. Apostle has various meanings, but 1 of them is is it's transgeographical nature.8:40 Another definition, apostle. Originally, the the the definition could have been 1 who had seen Christ, the original disciple, 1 who actually saw, Christ, the the original apostles. But with the8:52 passage of time, it tend to mean those who have ministries that are transgeographical. Apostle also has the meaning 1 who who starts and founts and establishes beachheads of of9:04 ministry. But in this case, the definition of apostleship meant those who oversee large geographical multi geographical regions, and they were apostolic.9:15 And c Peter Wagner says, well, this seems new to me, and it's a type of reformation, and he nicknamed it the New Apostolic Reformation. It was that simple. And then we didn't hear9:27 about it for a long time until critics critics of evangelical Christians, conservative Christians being involved in the political sphere, suddenly they start using that as9:40 a battering ax, so to speak, as, oh, he's a part of the NAR. And it may sound like it's some secret, sort of like a Masonic order with secret handshakes and code words.9:52 I've seen those who criticize my involvement governmentally and politically, and they said, GARLO is a part of the NAR. The 1st time I saw that, I couldn't remember. I thought, NAR?10:05 What's that stand for? I had forgot. I I I knew c Peter Wagner, and I knew his new apostolic reformation writings were a long time ago, but I hadn't thought of them in so long. And I actually thought, oh, they made a10:16 mistake. They think I'm part of the NRA, the National Rifle Association. I'm not. Never have been. And then I realized what they were actually accusing. It is intriguing to me that10:28 there's a whole cottage industry of people conspiracy. He's a part of the NAR, National Apostolic Reformation. I run with a whole lot of friends who are accused of10:40 that. It's laughable to us. We we don't have any such organization. I can't remember ever going to a conference that I can that I recall10:53 where the thrust of it had with a, quote, new apostolic reformation, that's just simply not not normative. Now there are meetings in which there are many people11:05 who are apostolic. Let's talk about that word apostle. Where does it come from? Well, Ephesians 4 11, he gave some to the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. That's the 5 offices established by Christ11:17 to operate the kingdom of God, the church, on on on planet Earth. What is an apostle? We've already talked about that. Apostle tends to be 1 who lays the foundations. A prophet comes in11:29 and corrects the foundation if the foundation is not properly laid. A pastor is a nurturer. A teacher instructs. And an evangelist is able to lay out the essence of the gospel in such11:40 a way that people who are not previously acquainted with it respond to it warmly. So are there such things, apostles today? Yeah. I believe there are. Some people don't believe that. That's okay. I'm not gonna fight with11:52 it. It's not a hill I'm gonna die on, but I believe there are apostles today. John Wesley. I wrote my doctoral dissertation on him. He was he was apostolic in the nature of his ministry. Martin Luther was12:04 apostolic. There are people today who have an apostolic anointing upon their lives. The magnitude of their ministry is such that they're overseers of large networks of people who have come under their their ministry12:16 in very ways. There's nothing nefarious about being, quote, an apostle. Are there prophets today? Yeah. I think there are. Now I I think some people who claim to12:28 be apostles are not apostles. Some people who claim to be prophets are not prophets. And ironically, the flip side of that is some people who don't like the word apostles and prophets actually are, but they don't know12:38 it. They actually have the magnitude of anointing and misery in their lives. They actually are an apostle, They don't even believe the term apostles exist anymore today. And are there people who are prophets? Yes. There12:49 are people who claim to be prophets who are not. When I was pastoring years ago, occasionally I had some people show up in my congregation and say, Hey, a I'm a I'm a prophet. I said, well, you're not a prophet here, not13:00 until the local eldership, the leadership of this fellowship recognizes you as such. You won't be prophesying here in this in this venue. But are there are there actually13:11 persons that are legitimately prophets? Yeah. There's some people who have a prophetic prophetic anointing for a time, and they can they can speak prophetically, but they they're not necessarily a prophet13:24 ongoing with that particular ministry. I don't happen to have that particular ministry, but I respect those who do. I also am well well aware that there are people who claim to be prophets13:37 who are not. And and that's unfortunate. Just because there are some who claim to be apostles and prophets who aren't, who are bad representatives of those 2 phrases, does not negate the reality of13:49 the office of apostle and prophet. We have sometimes some bad doctors, but that doesn't negate all the rest of the doctors. We have some bad lawyers, but that doesn't negate the legitimacy14:01 of the attorneys who function in the way they're supposed to. Some bad teachers, but that doesn't negate all teachers by any need any means. Now there is no such this whole NAR14:13 thing is just laughable. The secularists just fall over themselves. Say, oh, he's a part of the the NAR. I run with a lot of people,14:25 some who are accused of being part of the NAR. And, all all I can tell you is what c Peter Wagner met by that. It was a new movement to him. It was people who had oversight14:37 over networks of churches and congregations. That was a relatively new thing, in modern in modern, missiology. And they called it a reformation because it was a reforming of the14:49 church, primarily coming out of South America, but we saw it in Asia, across Asia as well as Africa. And now we see more of it in in, quite frankly, our our own country. But there's no such15:01 secret hidden movement to take over the government with the NAR. That is absolutely bizarre. And when someone says that, they only shows the ignorance of their own report. I just need to go back and understand15:13 what Pete Wagner meant by it and, it what it actually means today. Then there's others who's they said, oh, you teach the 7 mountains. What's the 7 mountains?15:26 Well, it refers to the 7 arenas of influence, like government, family, entertainment, media, etcetera, education. Now it's interesting thatThe 7 Mountains Mandate 15:38 in the 1970s, 19 75, Bill Bright, who was head of the Campus Crusade, and Lauren Cunningham, who was head of Youth with a Mission, were both vacationing in Colorado at the same time. At least 115:50 was vacationing. They made contact with each other. They oversaw 2 very large, very effective organizations. And they got together in that vacation, and they began sketching out what they felt the16:02 Holy Spirit was saying to them. And they just simply identified there seemed to be 7 key points of influence in our culture. That's all it was. And it got nicknamed the 7 pillars,16:14 or 7 centers of influence, or 7 mountains. A man named Lance Lance Wallnau is a friend of mine. Lance Wallnau began to teach art more. He made it very popular as as many people have taught on16:26 it and popularized it. And and so now the secularist as old, they believe in the 7 mountains. Let me tell you just what it is very simply. It's a goal16:38 to see those redeemed in godliness. Let me give you an example. The mountain, let's say, of media. Let's take media, for example. The goal of of16:50 the mountain of media would be identify those people who are close to the top of that who are influencers for Jesus Christ. Encourage them.17:03 Identify those people who are influences for evil that are towards the top of the so we'll call it the mountain, the media mountain. And17:15 pray that they either come to Christ or they be removed. Number 3, find those people, young people, who show great ability, inclinations17:27 in the media arena and link them. If they have a spirit of humility and they'll walk in purity and humility, link them with the people at the top and see if17:39 you can fast track them to have higher influence than what they do already for Jesus Christ and for the gospel, the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. That's basically17:51 what it is. It's a goal of evangelizing and restoring truth and godliness to institutions in America. Institutions can either be good18:03 in their impact, or they can be they're institutions that can be very evil in the impact. It's that simple. It's it's just a tool to try to understand how to try to impact culture18:15 with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's that simple. It's nothing more. You'll see people riding against it. It's just bizarre how much energy and ink is wasted on that topic.18:27 Just like when Campus Crusade came up with the 4 spiritual laws as a vehicle for witnessing. That was a simple tool. It's just a tool. It doesn't displace the gospel. It's just a tool.18:39 A newer 1 is, I only have heard this a few times, very little, a megapasture. Now not mega. A megapasture means a pastor of a very large church. That's a church of, let's say, at least 2000 or at least18:50 5000 or whatever the number might be. A mega. It's mega, which I assume means pastors who they identify with the mega movement, which make America great again, are with President Donald Trump. And thenChristian Nationalism vs. Biblical Citizenship 19:02 there's another 1. This one's the big 1 more recently. Christian nationalism. This 1, anybody who's conservative in their in their biblical beliefs, who19:14 is who is an evangelical Christian, who has biblical values, who's involved politically gets accused of being a Christian nationalist. What is that? Well, I've been accused of that. So let's talk about it. 1st, I'm a19:26 Christian, but I don't I don't like Christian being, an adjective. I like to be in the main noun. I am a Christian. I don't like adding Christian to other things if I can avoid it. What about nationalism? Well, I19:38 I love my nation. I know my nation has flaws. I know there are national sins. I know America has national sins. America has a number of national sins. The original treatment of blacks and slavery, mistreatment19:50 of Native Americans, the phenomenon of abortion, killing babies, destruction of the definition of marriage. Those are those are national sins that have taken place. And I20:02 deeply care and love other nations. When I go to Hungary or Guatemala or or Brazil, I I want those nations to succeed. I want them to do well. Donald Trump has20:14 been questioned about it. He says, well, I want other nations to do well. Well, so do I and so, more importantly, so does God. He cares deeply about that. Now if by Christian nationalism they mean,20:26 I want my nation to be founded on Judeo Christian principles, then yes, count me in. But what's most important to me is what Peter writes about, 1st Peter chapter 220:37 verse 9, a holy nation. That's where my ultimate citizenship is. My ultimate citizenship is not America. I love America. I love America deeply. Thank God for America.20:50 But I'm ultimately a member of the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, the holy nation that's been established through through Jesus Christ. Now is nationalism a negative or a positive? Well, it depends. It's21:01 certainly a negative if by that you mean just our country and and nobody else. If it's a merit centric, then then that's a form of idolatry. That's that would be wrong. What about nationalism21:13 versus globalism? I'm in opposition to globalism. Globalism has the spirit of antichrist. Globalism was introduced at the Tower of Babel in the book of Genesis. So I'm not a a fan of21:25 globalism. The only globalism I want is when Jesus comes to rule over everything that is. I I want my country to do well. Does that make me a Christian nationalist?21:37 No. I don't think so. I just have to follow our Jesus Christ. And the whole goal of all these is to try to keep biblically centric great people out of the voting booth and intimidate in the volume for running for21:48 office, speaking up, and making their voices heard in the government process. Do not let that happen. Do not let that happen. You can stand firm. What I I wanna subject to you subject to you is there's something22:00 else much more going on here. What I call for is biblical citizenship. Biblical citizenship, that's what's called for scripturally. I don't22:12 care about all of these, these titles they wanna slap on us. I care about walking in a way of the word and being in in my country, blessing the nation that that I'm a part of.22:24 Even when the children of Israel were taken into exile against their will, taken into exile into another country in Babylon, according to Jeremiah 29 7. It actually says, seek the22:36 peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. And so part of the mark of22:47 biblical citizenship, we want our country to prosper. We want it to do well, and that helps move us from culturally woke to biblically awake.23:00 Let us pray. God our father, giver of life, we entrust our nation into your loving care. You are the rock on which this nation was founded.23:13 You alone are the true source of our cherished rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Please reclaim this land for your glory and dwell among us23:24 here as your people. We thank you that the nations belong to you, and we dedicate our nation again as your sheep nation, as part of the flock that you have ordained toPrayer for the Nation 23:36 be governed and cared for by you. We thank you, Lord, for the privilege of having you as our god and our King in Yeshua's name. In Jesus' name,23:48 amen.23:50 We hope you enjoyed the video. Thank you so much for watching. Hey, don't forget to check out this discussion questions that are attached. Have a fun time studying and we will see you in the next chapter.In this video 0:00 Debunking Misconceptions: Civil Religion to Theocracy7:30 Unpacking the New Apostolic Reformation15:30 The 7 Mountains Mandate19:00 Christian Nationalism vs. Biblical Citizenship23:30 Prayer for the Nation
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