#343 (10/7) - Sunday Special > "Where Have All the Bold Pastors Gone? "

NOTE: TODAY is PULPIT FREEDOM SUNDAY. "The future of religious freedom depends on a free pulpit to communicate fundamental, biblical principles to congregations across America. Join a growing movement of bold pastors preaching biblical Truth about candidates and elections from their pulpits [TODAY], October 7, 2012." www.speakupmovement.org/church/LearnMore/details/4702

FYI - 1) Be sure to check out this week's broadcast of "Truth That Transforms" (Orlando - Sundays, 9 and 10 am, 5 pm; Monday, 7 pm; over-the-air channel/or go to www.truthinaction.org) The message is entitled "For Such A Time as This" and includes a feature on the threat of globalism.

2) There are only 31 days until the election; are you praying for it and oure nation?;  3) Before the election, try to either read the book (you can get it from your library) "Obama's America" or see the movie "2016." I promise you, you will not understand our President's worldview until you do; and 4) You might also try to get a copy of the book, "Divider-In-Chief"; go to the following site to read a lengthy preview of it: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621570118/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1621570118&linkCode=as2&tag=null07-20#reader_1621570118

5) Sign A Petition To Stop Funding of Radical Islamist Countries > http://aclj.org/radical-islam/stop-funding-middle-east-terrorists

6) Be sure to be REGISTERED TO VOTE. To get details of doing that in your state, go to > http://www.cbn.com/special/register-to-vote/

7)  For a review of the CRITICAL ISSUES to consider in your voting, please go to > http://www.truthinaction.org/PDF/Final_Voters_Guide.pdf

8) Finally, BE PRAYING FOR THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS; Download a free prayer guide at > http://www.prayerconnect.net/resources/prayer-guides/2012-election-prayer-guide You may also go to my post #329 for a list I created for the 40 days prior to the election.

PRAYER REQUEST: 1) Let's join millions of Christians who TODAY are praying for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps. 122:6); and 2) Pray for the Vice-Presidential Debate THIS THURS, 10/11
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The following is by Dr. Jerry Newcomb, Sept. 1;  http://www.truthimpact.me/index.php/2012/09/bold-pastors-gone/?utm_source=TIA_Import_11_21_2011& utm_campaign=93ffcce6bf-Impact_Newsletter9_8__2012&utm_medium=email   This article ties in well with today being Pulpit Freedom Sunday.

This is a critical election year. Some have said it may be the most important election in our life time. With so much at stake, how great it would be to hear from more pastors and priests, during these times when the government encroaches on more of our freedoms.

Many of the controversial issues of our day, such as abortion and marriage, have become political. But in reality, they are simply moral issues that have changed into political ones. The Church has always opposed abortion. But only recently has that become a political issue. The same holds for marriage.

I think part of the reason we don’t hear much from pastors these days is because of a misunderstanding of the law. Some fear—wrongly—that if they say anything viewed as a political statement, then they might lose their tax exempt status. Pastors and churches have far more freedom than we realize.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) even encourages pastors to preach boldly. In fact, ADF, (which was founded by Dr. D. James Kennedy and others as Alliance Defense Fund) proclaims: “The future of religious freedom depends on a free pulpit to communicate fundamental, biblical principles to congregations across America. Join a growing movement of bold pastors preaching Biblical Truth about candidates and elections from their pulpits on October 7, 2012.”

Recently, nearly 21,000 people in our audience participated in sending out a Truth in Action petition to their U.S. representative and their two senators. This called for a restoration of free speech for pastors in America to be able to proclaim the Word of God freely, without fear of running afoul of the IRS.

There is a great need for boldness in the pulpit today. We should remember that some biblical figures, like Moses and John the Baptist, spoke out against the rulers at the time and paid a price for it. Historically, being faithful to our God sometimes had a high price to it, as seen by those brave Christians who were fed to the lions in the arena rather than renounce their faith.

There’s a great painting at the Art Institute of Chicago showing St. Ambrose rebuking Roman Emperor Theodosius (around the end of the 4th century) for an imperial massacre in Thessalonica. The bishop took his life in his hands by making such a pronouncement against the lord of the whole empire. Thankfully, Theodosius repented.

Thomas More wasn’t so fortunate in his stance in refusing to give in to King Henry VIII’s demand for divine sanction for his divorce. More was beheaded for his courage to go against the king.

The price a bold pastor has to pay in our culture is generally a much smaller one than those sometimes demanded in the past—or even today in some of the world’s hot spots, such as the Middle East.

Historically, in the American context, pastors and the church have often led the way in societal reforms—some of which had political implications. For example, two-thirds of the members of the abolition society in 1835 were ministers of the gospel. Also, the anti-slavery Underground Railroad was run by churches. The civil rights movement was born in the church.

Before we even became a country, pastors (especially in New England) would preach election- day sermons, not necessarily endorsing particular candidates, but explaining biblical civic duties.

The pastor is bound by his duty to preach the Word of God. In 1750, Rev. Jonathan Mayhew of Boston defended the fact that he would on occasion preach sermons that had political implications. He said, “It is hoped that but few will think the subject of it [i.e., politics] an improper one to be discoursed on in the pulpit, under a notion that this is preaching politics, instead of Christ. However, to remove all prejudices of this sort, I beg it may be remembered that ‘all Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.’ Why, then, should not those parts of Scripture which relate to civil government be examined and explained from the desk [i.e., the pulpit], as well as others?”

This is a message we need to rediscover in our time.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]