Why Abortion Is a Gospel Issue

Recently, Supreme Court Justice, Sotomayor compared an unborn child to a brain-dead adult who merely responds to stimuli. This devaluation of human life is horrific especially coming from somebody who sits on the highest court of the US! 

While most reasonable citizens on both the left and right side of the political spectrum agree that racism is abhorrent, anti-racists who are pro-choice compromise when it comes to human life. Furthermore, in the past, I found it interesting that a pro-choice person, like the former governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, was quoted saying that he approved abortion up until the time of birth. This same governor had pictures of himself, in his college yearbook, depicted in BlackFace and another of him wearing a KKK hood. 

Not coincidentally, Planned Parenthood founder, Margaret Sanger, was an avowed White Eugenicist. She started abortion clinics in Black communities and openly said she wanted to exterminate the Jewish and Black races. Margaret Sanger said, “We don’t want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population, and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members.” Planned Parenthood, through the years, was also caught in recorded telephone conversations admitting their racist tendencies against minorities. (To know more about the racist history of Planned Parenthood, read this article in The Washington Times.) Anti-racism and the pro-life cause go hand in hand. An accurate and consistent sanctity of life position has to include both the values of pre-birth and post-birth (respect, dignity, and protection for all people) if it will be legitimate.

Galatians 3:28 makes it clear that, as believers, there is no such thing as class or gender discrimination since we are all one in Christ. Additionally, since humankind is made in the image of God, as His crown jewel of creation, God forbids the murder of another human being (Genesis 1:27, Psalm 8, Genesis 9:5-6). Scripture says God hates the shedding of innocent blood. What can be more innocent than a pre-birth human? He even forbids the murder of a human being in His top ten list of commandments (Proverbs 6:17, Exodus 20:13). Hence, to devalue human life with ideologies and activities that promulgate racism, sex trafficking, slavery, abuse, or abortion, is contrary to the Gospel since Jesus took upon Himself human flesh (not the flesh of an animal or nature of an angel) to save us (John 1:14, Hebrews 2:14). Consequently, it is impossible to have a true Gospel without Jesus adorning a flesh and blood human body.

This means that if there was no incarnation (Jesus becoming human), there could be no cross. Without the cross, we have no Gospel! It is also not a coincidence that the first act of worship concerning Jesus’s Advent came from a babe in the womb (Luke 1: 41-44). It is also interesting that Elizebeth blessed the fruit in Mary’s womb. She referred to Mary as “the mother of my Lord” while Jesus was still in the pre-birth stage. She viewed a pre-birth baby, Jesus, as her Lord.

Summarily, I contend that we cannot separate abortion and the pro-life position from the Gospel. God made humans in His image and likeness, and Jesus’ innocent blood was shed to redeem believers (Genesis 1:28). This is why the shedding of innocent human blood is an affront to God because His Son’s precious blood was spilled to save the life of fallen humanity. 

In light of the above, it is a gross misapprehension of the nature of the Gospel when someone considers abortion a very political issue and not a Gospel issue. Those with this view fail to understand that when we objectify a post-birth human with sex trafficking, slavery, abuse, racism, or treat an unborn human baby as a mere blob of flesh or fetus, we devalue Jesus’ humanity. We treat the blood of the Covenant as a common thing, as well as undervalue the price He paid to save us. 

Truly, both abortion and racism are Gospel issues that should obligate all believers to stand up for the sacredness of human life and blood.

In conclusion, the implications of this “pro-life” Gospel should profoundly affect both our internal convictions and public positions, or else the Gospel has no practical application, and the Church cannot function as the Salt and Light of the world. Indeed, abortion is both a gospel issue and a policy issue which then incontrovertibly connects both faith and politics.

(I just released my latest book, The Purpose, Power, and Process of Prophetic Ministry. To purchase click here. )

Biblical Standards for Leadership in an Age of Scandal Part 2

New Testament Church Elders

Elders in local churches are those who have the greatest responsibility for leading their congregations. Elder is the highest governmental office in the church, something even the Apostle Peter claimed for himself (1 Peter 5:1). (The fivefold ministry, as found in Ephesians 4:11, describes functions, not offices of the church leaders.) Because of the great responsibility, there are some general guidelines that all pastors, fivefold ministers, trustees, deacons, and elders must meet before they are installed. The following is a summary of 1 Timothy 3:1-7.

“They must be above reproach.” This regards not having hidden “skeletons in the closet,” or a lifestyle others could seize on and use as an accusation to discredit them.

“They must be the husband of one wife.” This has to do with barring a person from serving as an elder who is married to more than one woman at a time. We can also extrapolate from this standard that one should not serve as an elder if he divorced his wife and remarried for anything but the biblical reason of adultery. (However, a case can be made that divorce is acceptable if one’s spouse is a violent abuser who threatens one’s life. Others would say one could divorce but not remarry in a case like this.)

“They must be sober-minded.” This means elders should be serious about the primary things in life-related to God, the church, family, and eternity. Their values and priorities should be based upon the values of the kingdom. (Colossians 3:1-3).

“They must be self-controlled.” This means leaders need to live a prudent, discreet life of self-control in which they are not giving in to their fleshly desires or the whims of their physical and sensual passions (lust of the flesh, food, and sexual appetite.)

“They must be respectable.” This means that leaders must not be disorderly but live a quiet life as respectable citizens.

“They must be hospitable.” Elders should have their marriages, families, and finances in order, to the point where they can put up people in their homes as the Lord leads. They should also be willing to host people for dinner as the occasion demands.

I know some leaders who never allow anyone near their homes or personal lives. This makes me wonder what they are trying to hide. Hospitality is an essential requirement because it also enhances the discipleship or mentoring process when those being discipled have access to the personal lives and families of those pouring into them.

“They must be able to teach.” Elders have to be capable of communicating the gospel to the unsaved and applying it practically in a teaching setting for a congregation. Having a competent Word ministry is an important requirement of all elders.

“They cannot be drunkards.” It is not a sin to drink alcoholic beverages, but it is a sin if it becomes a habit and causes drunkenness. This can also be applied to any mind-altering substance.

Unfortunately, some leaders have become addicted to painkillers, drinking, and other activities that dim the brain to avoid dealing with the pain and pressures of life.

“They must not be violent.” Unfortunately, there are many leaders with violent tempers. In God’s eyes, a violent temper disqualifies a person for eldership in the body of Christ.

“They must not be quarrelsome.” Some leaders are very argumentative because they have issues in their hearts that have not been dealt with. While we don’t want “yes men” to serve as elders (people who rubber-stamp everything the lead pastor says without honest dialogue and feedback), we also don’t want people serving as elders who must debate everything.

“They must not be lovers of money.” Leaders whose hearts are fixated on money are not qualified to be elders because they will always view their ministries and associations with people with a “what’s in it for me?” mentality.

Furthermore, those with serious financial challenges should not serve as elders or trustees because they will be tempted with a conflict of interest in church business meetings related to church finances’ dispensing and or spending.

“They must manage their households and have their children subject to them.” If a person cannot lead their own family, the Bible teaches they cannot manage or lead the household of God. This also implies that young children of elders who are still living in their homes should be submissive, attend church, and not disrupt the family goal of serving the Lord.

“They must not be a recent convert.” In New Testament times, a person had to be at least 30 years old and a believer for several years before being appointed as an elder. This is to protect new converts who could be puffed up with pride if they are put in a position of influence.

“They must have a good reputation with those outside the church.” We are called not only to be an example within the church but also outside the church. This is why an elder should not have bad credit, have a bad record on their job, or a bad reputation among their neighbors.

These are all simple guidelines. Unfortunately, we need to be continually reminded of these foundational things related to leadership standards so we can glorify God and serve as salt and light in our communities.

(This article is from Chapter 10 of Poisonous Power by Bishop Mattera. For more like this, you can purchase your copy on Amazon here).

Biblical Standards for Leadership in an Age of Scandal

In an age of an Evangelical Church culture fraught with scandals, we must continually remind and ground ourselves in the biblical criteria for leadership, otherwise, we will lose our credibility within our churches and before the world. The following are some of the ethical and ministerial standards related to priests, kings, and New Testament elders. These are qualifications that we can still apply in principle to today’s Church.

Old Testament Standards for the Priests (Leviticus 21):

Initially, all the children of Israel were to serve as priests of the Lord (Exodus 19:6). Among the many laws related to the standards for the priesthood, which relate to all present saints according to 1 Peter 2:8-9, are some ministerial and ethical principles that we can allegorically extrapolate (although the actual ceremonial qualifications are no longer relevant).

Standard: They shall not dwell among dead bodies and make themselves unclean (Leviticus 21:11). This has to do with not participating with people while they are involved in the works of darkness. (Jesus called unconverted people “dead” in John 5:25, Luke 9:60, and Ephesians 2:1-3.)

Principle: I can’t tell you how many Christians I know of who think nothing of going out and partying with the world, getting drunk, listening to perverted music, gambling, or other worldly pursuits.

Standard: They shall not marry a prostitute or a divorced woman but only a virgin (Leviticus 21:13-15). The basic idea of this passage is that marriage is not a free-for-all. Priests are commanded to marry women of God without previous marital issues. This is so that the priestly class is protected from unnecessary distractions and can nurture their children in a godly environment.

Principle: Jesus modified this view for the Kingdom age of the Church when He forbade divorce, except for sexual immorality, and forbade marrying a divorced person for an unbiblical reason (Matthew 5:31-32 and Matthew 19:8-9).

Standard: Various laws highlight physical defects (Leviticus 21:17- 24). Physical flaws or blemishes are related to spiritual deficits that hinder a person from ministering for the Lord. For example, lameness represents those whose walk with God doesn’t allow them to minister. Blindness represents those who have no discernment and no real revelation of Christ in their lives. Those with crushed testicles represent those who are not winning souls or bearing any fruit in their ministries. Hunchbacks represent those who are not walking uprightly before the Lord (Proverbs 2:21). Dwarfs represent those who have not grown in stature and maturity in Christ (Ephesians 4:13).

Standards for Kings (Deuteronomy 17:14-20):

While the principles for priests relate to all believers, the standards for kings pertain specifically to those serving in church leadership.

Standard: A foreigner who is not your brother may not serve as king (Deuteronomy 17:15). 

Principle: Those serving in leadership positions in the body of Christ must be “born again.” They must be citizens of His kingdom and manifest the fruits of salvation.

Standard: Kings must not acquire many horses for themselves (Deuteronomy 17:16). In the Bible, horses represent strength and pride. Thus, God is warning His leaders to not acquire possessions that symbolize their elitism, and to not raise themselves higher than the people in their congregations.

Principle: In my opinion, it is wrong for Church leaders to live lavish lifestyles of the rich and famous. This goes against the principles of humility and simplicity that Jesus and His apostles modeled in Scripture. 

Standard: Kings shall not acquire many wives. God was teaching against polygamy and telling the leaders to go back to the one-wife standard, as found in the union between Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:19-22). 

Principle: Although Church leaders in America today don’t practice polygamy, more and more leaders in the church are violating the spirit of this passage because they get married, divorced, and remarried numerous times. This is causing embarrassment to the whole body of Christ.

Standard: Kings shall not acquire for themselves excessive silver or gold (Deuteronomy 17:17).

Principle: Some contemporary Christian leaders live lavishly and receive an inordinate amount of compensation from their churches. I have no problem with a pastor receiving a decent salary, commensurate with their hard work and the size of their church, so they can devote their time to ministering to the church and not be distracted by working another job. However. some go overboard and live like narcissistic celebrities! This has become a stench in the nostrils of the world and is something that must be adjusted, or we will see the judgment of God visit the church like never before!

Standard: Kings shall both write and read the Word of God all the days of their lives (Deuteronomy 17:18-19). 

Principle: Christian leaders are required by God to be “People of the Book.” We are to focus on the Scriptures, understand all the important doctrines of the Church and the Bible, and apply all of this to our personal lives, families, churches, and the surrounding culture. Unfortunately, many know the sports pages, current events, or the musings of Wall Street more than they know and understand the Scriptures. 

Standard: The hearts of kings shall not be lifted up above their brothers. 

Principle: When I was consecrated as a bishop in 2006, many congratulated me for being “elevated.” I would cringe when hearing this because I could not picture the Lord Jesus telling His apostles that they were elevated! He told them they were servants, called to wash the people’s feet (John 13). Thus, when we view leadership as a position, title, or status above others, we are acting like oligarchs who lord their authority over their subjects. This is the opposite of what Jesus taught (Mark 10:42-45).

(I just released my latest book, The Purpose, Power, and Process of Prophetic Ministry. To purchase click here. )

Are You Choosing Barabbas or Jesus?

Jesus Barabbas (/bəˈræbəs/; Aramaic: ישוע בר אבא‎ Yeshua Bar ʾAbbaʾ, literally “son of the father” or “son of the teacher”)[1] is a figure mentioned in the New Testament. He was an insurrectionary held by the Roman governor at the same time as Jesus. Pontius Pilate freed him at the Passover Feast in Jerusalem while keeping Jesus a prisoner.

Barabbas is mentioned in all four gospels of the New Testament: Matthew 27:15–26; Mark 15:6–15; Luke 23:18–24; and John 18:40. His life intersects that of Christ at the trial of Jesus.

Related to this intersection, the release of a Jewish prisoner was customary before the feast of Passover (Mark 15:6). The Roman governor granted clemency to one criminal as an act of goodwill toward the Jews. The crowd chose Barabbas over the Lord Jesus to be released despite Barabbas being an insurrectionist and murderer.

In some ways, some people in the Church seem to be following the methods of Barabbas more than Jesus.  One of the ways they do this is when they focus on a political solution to transform their nation (with some even discussing the possibility of a Civil War to restore the nation to its Biblical Foundations).

Barabas and the early Church

The early Church had a choice to work to overthrow the Roman government that advanced polytheism and abortion. In its lust for power over the empire, these murderous, sex-crazed emperors dehumanized those around them. Instead of joining Jewish zealots in attempting to overthrow the Roman government, the Apostle Paul told believers that the power that exists is of God and that they should submit to it (Romans 13:1-7).

Of course, when it comes to submitting to God or men, the Bible says to obey God when the government is opposed to biblical ethics (Acts 4:19-20).

Augustine and the “just war” theory

Saint Augustine had something to say regarding when Christians have a right to bear arms when he taught the “just war” theory.

In essence, he wrote that the principles of the justice of war are commonly held to be the following: having just cause, being the last resort, being declared by a proper authority, possessing right intention, having a reasonable chance of success, and the end being proportional to the means used.

Thomas Aquinas, a doctor of the Church in the 13th century, revised Augustine’s version, creating three criteria for a just war: the war needed to be waged by a legitimate authority, have a just cause, and have the right intentions.

Based on the above definitions, it seems as though a U.S. Civil War would not fit the construct of a just war. First, who would legitimize the insurrectionists trying to overthrow the US government? Secondly, there should be a reasonable chance of success. With all the power in the hands of the state and city, police departments, and national military, Christian insurrectionists would probably have no chance of overall success except in some remote rural areas where they have powerful militias.

What should be the focus of the Church?

Should the Church focus on a top-down political solution for religious liberty or should its focus be on gospel proclamation (even when threatened with persecution)? It seems as though a clear reading of the New Testament shows that our struggle is not against flesh and blood in our proclamation of the gospel (Ephesians 6:10-13). Hence, political means are not the primary tool of the kingdom. (Of course, it is never illegitimate to use legal and political means to grant us the proper rights to preach even as Paul utilized his legal rights to preach, Acts 16:36-40, Acts 21:37-40.) The issue in this article I propose is the question regarding the Church’s primary focus. It should not be the use of ancillary legitimate legal means for religious liberty. 

(For the proper posture of the Church under persecution read Acts 4:27-31.) 

Acts 1:4 or 1:8 

Unlike the nation of Israel that was called to glorify God by defeating the 7 godless nations of Canaan, the Church is never called to proselytize with the sword (Joshua 1-2). After Jesus said that all power was given to Him in heaven and on earth, His mandate was clear. He said to go and preach the gospel, and make disciples by baptizing people, not by overthrowing nations (Matthew 28:19-20). Despite this, the disciples were still stuck on establishing a political kingdom under Messiah (Acts 1:4). 

Jesus’s answer to them was to focus on gospel proclamation after being empowered by the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses. The empowering was not to force conversions or to lead a political victory, but to be witnesses through the power of the Spirit to every nation, despite opposition.

Presently, it seems to me some Christians are going off into a ditch in comparing our current situation with the American revolution. They seek to legitimize the use of force in order to accomplish their national goals. What many don’t realize is that the American revolution initially took the focus away from the gospel, as people integrated their political goals with the Church. As a result, Church membership dwindled to almost extinction. It took the second great awakening to revive the Church again and restore America back to its true spiritual foundations. The 20th century has shown us how the Church can thrive even in the midst of oppressive totalitarian regimes like Communist China. 

Even now, one of the greatest Church planting movements in the world is taking place in Middle Eastern nations like Iran. It is up to us. Are we going to focus on having our way by force or by Gospel proclamation? Are we going to follow Barabas or Jesus?

(I just released my latest book, The Purpose, Power, and Process of Prophetic Ministry. To purchase click here. )

9 Traits of Biblical Outliers

In this article, I use the word “outlier” to describe an exceptional person who operates primarily outside the mainstream norms to change the world.

Notable biblical heroes such as John the Baptist, Jesus, Micaiah, Elijah, the Apostle Paul, and our Lord Jesus Christ were outliers. They did not conform or function within the institutional religious frameworks of their day. For example, before Scripture mentions the word of the Lord coming to John the Baptist, it gives a litany of all the so-called great and influential men who were alive at the time but were bypassed by God. Instead, God chose to speak through John in the wilderness (Luke 3:1-2).

When Jesus taught, the religious leaders were shocked by His knowledge because He was not formally instructed through their institutional systems (John 7:15). The prophet Micaiah risked his life and wellbeing when he refused to speak in sync with the majority of the Jewish prophets declaring victory for King Ahab (1 Kings 22).

Of course, Elijah usually stood alone before God and was active in confronting the wicked queen, Jezebel while seven thousand prophets were hiding in caves (1 Kings 19). Even though the Apostle Paul was not one of the original twelve apostles, he wrote 1/3rd of the New Testament and was chosen by God to bring the gospel to the gentile world. 

Perfect examples of religious outliers in church history are Martin Luther and John Calvin, who bucked Roman Catholicism and launched the Protestant Reformation. The 18th century evangelists George Whitfield and John Wesley held enormous crusades in open fields because they were shut out of the Anglican churches. The 19th century evangelist Charles Finney resisted hyper Calvinism and brought the Second Great Awakening by establishing new measures in evangelism. Later on, in the 19th century, evangelist Alexander Dowie taught and founded Zion, Illinois. The 20th century pastor, William Seymour, used a shoe box as his pulpit and launched the Azusa street revival that brought Pentecostalism to the globe. Finally, Dr. Martin Luther King used his extraordinary oratory strategic wisdom, convening ability, and his brand of non-violent civil disobedience to launch the Civil Rights movement of the 20th century. 

The following are eight traits of biblical outliers:

1.Outliers are resolute

Every one of the biblical outliers mentioned above was committed to the point of death to their cause. Isaiah prophesied about one of the traits of the coming Messiah when he said that the Messiah would set His face like flint and give His back to those who would smite Him and not hide his face from shame and spitting (Isaiah 50:4-7).

2. Outliers are creative

Outliers usually get bored with conformity to the norm. They think outside the box and look for unique ways to accomplish their mission. Christians are called to function on the leading edge so that they can influence culture as co-creators and image-bearers of Jehovah (Genesis 1:27-28).

3.Outliers take the road less travelled.

While most people in the world look for safe, secure, and predictable pathways, outliers like John the Baptist and the Apostle Paul blazed new trails for others to follow.

4.Outliers are prophetic.

Outliers have an acute prophetic sense regarding their mission and how it fits in with contemporary society. They are the ones who intuit a trend before it happens and create new paradigms to be at the tip of the spear of new realities. They are the ones who see things before most people notice them. While most are just discovering the truth of a matter, the outlier is already implementing possible solutions to the challenges this discovery may bring.

5.Outliers transform problems into opportunities.

While most people accommodate themselves to and embrace the a’priori conclusions of mainstream culture, outliers dig underneath the surface until they discover the root issues responsible for cultural maladies. Outliers then use their creative ability to transform problems into possibilities that burst into new avenues of opportunity.

6.Outliers are prepared for their time.

Most people are short on preparation and long on activity. John the Baptist prepared himself thirty years for a brief ministry while Jesus prepared thirty years for a three and a half year ministry. This is one reason why they had such an extraordinary impact on the world. 

Outliers study, practice, and hone their skills to be more than ready when their time comes. 

7.Outliers risk all for truth.

All the biblical and historical outliers mentioned above had one thing in common, they were ready to die for their faith and mission. They did not live a life built upon convenience but crafted a life built around their purpose. The worst thing that can happen to an outlier is not physical death but missing their purpose. 

8.Outliers fear God more than men. 

Biblical outliers do not live for the accolades of others. They love and fear God more than men. During Jesus’ day, many of the rulers of the Jews believed in Him but did not confess Him publicly because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God (John 12:42-43). 

I have met many prospective leaders in my time, but many of them have made the wrong choices and limited their potential in life because they were afraid of being out of the mainstream. 

9.Outliers are voices, not echoes. 

They shun cultural groupthink, stand on biblical verities and declare scriptural truth. In conclusion, we are living in a day in which many in the Evangelical church have acquiesced to popular culture, even to the point of agreeing with laws and policies that are unbiblical. Many in the church have taken the safe road. They act like the prophets of Micaiah’s day,  choosing to only declare things that they know will give them the approval of pop-culture and the political establishment (1 Kings 22).

May God nurture outliers who are willing to pay the price, stand against compromise, and use their unique calling to advance His Kingdom. 

(I just released my latest book, The Purpose, Power, and Process of Prophetic Ministry. To purchase click here. )

The Catastrophic Generational Effects of Postmodernism

With the advent of the primacy of postmodernism in the university curricula, there has been a growing loss of meaning and purpose among generations of students. By postmodernism, I am referring to the assertion that there is no meta-narrative or absolute truth that we can hang our hats on.

Of course, this is nothing new.  We observe this in the gospel of John when Jesus told Pontius Pilate that He came to bear witness of the truth.  Pilate responded by saying, “What is truth”? (John 18:38).

The preponderance of postmodernism has resulted in a devaluation of religious narrative, truth, morals, and boundaries; along with a deconstruction of language, structure, and categories (such as male and female)—leaving in its wake a rise of suicide, depression, and hopelessness (all the fruit of its nihilistic philosophy).

By Nihilism, I am referring to the rejection of all religious and moral principles, often believing that life is meaningless. (Thus, Nihilism involves stripping humanity of the grand narrative of Christianity and all the other major religions.) Nihilism also maintains that nothing in the world order is real, leading to a post-structural order of extreme anti-establishment, anarchy, and rebellion against all institutional authority. (This is why Buddhism and the Eastern New Age philosophies are popularized in college campuses since one of their primary mantras is “maya,” which asserts that all distinctions, in reality, are a delusion).

Consequently, students who are fed and embrace any form of Nihilism are often filled with negativity, cynicism, pessimism and can become anti-social and suicidal. (Friedrich Nietzsche, the major proponent of Nihilism, eventually died in an insane asylum!)

Of course, doubting the essence and reality of the concept of absolute truth have been going on for millennia, which is a result of the fall of humanity away from God into original sin (Genesis 3). The “fall” not only separated humankind from God, resulting in spiritual and physical death (Romans 5:12-19) but also darkened (and limited) our rational understanding (Ephesians 4:17-19; 2 Corinthians 4:4).

Hence, when Jesus claimed to be the “Truth,” He was revolutionary and countered the negative (rational) effects of the fall in more ways than one. His resurrection power enables the eyes of the believing heart to be opened so that they can “know” and minds can be transformed to once again love and serve God and humanity with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength (Ephesians 1:18, Romans 12:1-2, Matthew 22:37-40).

Unfortunately, the embrace of postmodernism has been catastrophic in the following ways:

It robs people of faith and hope.

The grand narrative of Christianity simplifies life, gives believers a handle on reality, and enables them to rest in the fact that their Creator designed them for an eternal purpose. Conversely, as was already stated above, the contemporary popularization of postmodernism and its concomitant expressions of Nihilism has resulted in a dire increase in youth suicides and depression.

(Compare the social pathologies in the public school system from the time before they removed prayer and the teaching of the biblical account of creation in the early 1960s to the pathologies today. Any honest social scientist will have to admit that the increase in dehumanizing behavior amongst grade and high school students corresponds to our nation going from the sacred to the secular worldview.)

It dehumanizes humanity.

If there is no grand narrative, there is no Creator; if there is no Creator, there is no distinction between human and animal, living and non-living, male and female, and good and evil. All of the above takes away from the sanctity of human life. Its devaluation leads to murder, abortion, maltreatment of people, including slavery, abuse, violence, and objectification.

It removes all boundaries and distinctions.

If there is no God and no transcendent purpose, there is no concept of good versus evil. This leads to a world of subjective morality based on the opinions and constructs of those in power. This can eventually lead to totalitarian governments that usurp the rights of individual human freedom, (examples of which are encased in the United States’ Constitutional amendments.

Hence, the power and success of American exceptionalism are based on our unique philosophy of governance in which the foundation of our constitution is the Declaration of Independence. It declares that we have unalienable rights given to us by God, not men or earthly elites.

(This is one reason why progressive liberals, programmed with secular humanistic mindsets like intersectionality. They are attempting to discard our nation’s founding documents to deconstruct the USA and reconstruct it as a nation without borders, religious boundaries, and morals!)

In conclusion, the folly of postmodernism and its nihilistic outcomes will eventually collapse upon itself to the dismay of the far-left university elites and the progressive culture at large!

The general population of God-fearing people are getting fed up with the irrational conclusions of the post-structural secularist who, in the name of human enlightenment, embrace and pronounce things today that would be unheard of only a decade ago.

The only hope for the next generation is for the church to equip, prepare, and send young people to school. They must be given a robust biblical worldview so that they can effectively release their potential and be the bright lights the world has been waiting for (Romans 8:19-21).

(I just released my latest book, The Purpose, Power, and Process of Prophetic Ministry. To purchase click here. )

Since the mid 20th century, we have seen the medium of communication go from a dependency upon the printed book (1517-1950) to broadcasting via radio and TV (1950-2010) to the present digital age. The results have been nothing short of a seismic shift related to the amount of access the average person has to unlimited voices and information! This has served to be both a blessing and a curse.

A blessing because more pertinent information related to every subject is now available to the masses (I.E., the American Medical Association no longer has a stranglehold related to what is promoted regarding nutrition and preventative health research). Related to the church, as recently as two decades ago, the Evangelical church was influenced by only a small collective of prominent voices (such as James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Billy Graham, and more) who could sway the Evangelical church politically and doctrinally with their teachings on radio and TV. Now, there are multitudes of Christian “influencers” who have garnered a huge following because of media-savvy content (hence, it no longer takes a budget of millions of dollars to attract a wide audience).

Out of this “flat earth” Christian milieu, there are now numerous self-proclaimed prophets proclaiming what they say is “the word of the Lord” to both the Body of Christ and the nations. While many of these prophetic people may be sincere Christ followers, (some are charlatans doing it for filthy lucre), the biblical way to disseminate prophetic words is in the context of the local church gathering, especially so that mature prophetic/leader types can judge said word. This method of vetting words is vital for the health and safety of the church as well as to ensure proper pastoral application of the word to the recipient.

Related to this vetting principle, the apostle Paul said the following, “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said” (1 Corinthians 14:29). Furthermore, all the manifestations of the Spirit (including prophecy) were taught by Paul in the context of the local church gathering — which included the observance of the Lord’s supper, starting from 1 Corinthians 11:17 to the end of 1 Corinthians 14 (hence, the healthy and biblical practice of the gift of prophecy should have a corporate dynamic).

Unfortunately, despite these clear instructions in the New Testament, I have heard of numerous people in the Body of Christ following so-called “internet” prophets that now find themselves with the ability to reach a huge audience — without paying the price of being vetted as a mature leader in a local congregation (1 Timothy 3:1-12). Although we don’t know their life, their track record, personal ethics, the state of their marriage and family, and their accountability structure, they can deliver a purported prophecy that excites and inspires multitudes! Furthermore, many of these same people are promoting  “prophetic events” via social media by offering “a word of the Lord” to all who attend, while at the same time bypassing the local church and the spiritual leaders God has assigned to shepherd the (naive) believer enticed to these events because they are constantly on Facebook, Instagram, and other mediums of media.

I remember not that long ago, a certain prophetic voice started using their social media platform to hold meetings in a hotel in NYC. Prophetic words were given to people from other churches -including our church -WITHOUT their pastor-elder or mature leaders being present to judge said words. Thankfully I was able to speak to one of the leaders facilitating these events. They apologized and were just ignorant of the proper biblical procedures related to conducting prophetic ministry and they stopped these meetings. I wish all the prophetic leaders were as open and accountable as this person was! 

The writer of Hebrews said, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (13:17). With all of the strange teachings, questionable doctrines, and unaccountable prophetic voices prevalent today, it is getting increasingly difficult for contemporary shepherds of local churches to faithfully feed the flock because of the plethora of cacophonous voices in and to the church today!

The only recourse for shepherds of churches is to continue to be faithful by consistently teaching, making disciples, and preaching the whole counsel of God both in public gatherings and house to house. This is the only way the sheep can have more discernment and flee from unaccountable prophetic leaders and strange doctrines that incite questions rather than godly edifying (Acts 20: 25-32; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; Hebrews 13:9.)

May all nine manifestations of the Spirit flourish for the edification of the Body of Christ, so that Jesus will be glorified in His church, amen. (Read about how the nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit were taught in the context of the local church by reading 1 Corinthians 12:4-27.)

Finally, since there are now so many unvetted platforms for prophetic voices, it behooves the church to be able to discern the difference between “rogue” and “real” prophets.

(This article is an excerpt from a chapter in my latest book, The Purpose, Power, and Process of Prophetic Ministry. To purchase click here. )

Since the ratification of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the United States has made an about-turn as it pertains to the values reflected in the writings of Thomas Jefferson. Anyone examining the Declaration of Independence is immediately impacted by the new nation’s utter dependence upon God, His providence, and its Judeo-Christian worldview.

“We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States.”

The Founding Fathers’ decision to disassociate the colonies from Britain was based upon their understanding of “the laws of nature and nature’s God.” (The phrase, “the laws of nature and nature’s God” is derived from Scripture. Psalm 19 and Romans 1:19-23, show how God uses nature to teach humanity of His ways). It was underpinned by the phrase, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.”

Hence, the view of Thomas Jefferson and the Founding Fathers was that all civil authority is derivative in nature, and as God’s representatives, they can either lose or gain the right to lead the people based on conformity to His laws. (In other words, civil leaders gain their legitimacy to lead-based on how adequately they represent God’s laws in their principles and policies.) 

One of the last things mentioned in this Declaration were these words, “with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence.”  This is evidence that Thomas Jefferson and the other signers were not deistic. (Many claim that Jefferson, and most of the Founding Fathers were not Christian but believed in deism. Deism is a religion that believed God created the world, but after creation, God was not personally involved with the affairs of men. God was like a person who creates a watch, winds it up, and leaves it alone. They did not believe God answered prayer, intervened in human affairs, did miracles, or died on a cross and rose from the dead.)

Of course, any practicing deist would never appeal to God as the Supreme Judge of the world since it violates their most basic tenet that God as Creator has nothing to do with the world He made. Furthermore, the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are not competing documents. The Declaration of Independence is the foundation for the values and birth of the nation and serves as the cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution. Hence, there was no need for the Founding Fathers to mention God in this latter document because God and His laws are already assumed as its foundation. All of that was to say that the United States built its view of life, liberty, and justice upon biblical values. They unambiguously declared that the burgeoning nation was dependent upon God for its existence, sustenance and prosperity.

Our New Declaration of independence From God

Over the past century, our nation gradually strayed from our biblical roots and dependence upon God as its anchor and sustainer. It seems that the greatest value many have in this nation is the value of autonomy (independence).

While past generations (during World War II and beyond) celebrated the biblical virtues of self-sacrifice and service for humanity, in my estimation, the present generation values, above all, the right to self-expression and self-will. This is irrespective of how these values negatively impact society at large and on the stability it provides for future generations. How far have we fallen as a nation from the immortal words of President Kennedy, who said in the 1960s, “Ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country”?

One decade after President Kennedy, we began to change the laws to reflect the values of human independence from God. Such moves away from God are reflected in the following:  the “right to choose. This is the so-called right of a mother to terminate the life of her unborn in the womb. It includes partial-birth abortion, (the infant is partially born and then terminated; “no-fault divorce.”  This made divorce so much easier and contributed to the rapid decline of two-parent households; alternate forms of family and marriage; gender identification (outside the bounds of one’s natural birth); and soon to come, trans-humanism. This will be seen in instances in which a robot, equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), will be considered a humanoid. Many will contend that this is no different from a person born human because their AI gives them a form of self-consciousness and self-awareness. This, of course, will give way to humans marrying robots. Robots, along with their children, will be counted as part of their family. This will undoubtedly further confuse the next generation, which will future erode the biblical concept of biological families.

America is now at the crossroads for survival. We are already a divided nation along political and ideological lines, replete with violent rhetoric and uncivil discord. Its survival will not ultimately depend upon which political party triumphs, but upon which god wins: either the god of self-expression and autonomy, or a return to a dependence upon the biblical God who claims the earth for Himself and who laughs at all rulers, nations, and people who attempt to rebel against Him (Psalm 2, Psalm 24).

May the United States be not just known as a nation which officially adopted a Declaration of Independence, but as a nation whose dependence is upon the Creator God.

Purchase Joseph Mattera’s latest book, “The Jesus Principles”, available now on Amazon here.

Isaiah 61 and the Pre-Modern Era? 

Western History

The history of western society has been divided into three eras in the past 2000 years: the pre-modern era, the modern era, and the postmodern era.

The Pre-Modern Era

This era was characterized by a belief that the unseen supernatural world governs men’s affairs as well as creation. The embrace of demons, angels, gods, and the supernatural God of the Bible, who personally ruled over everything, was the norm. Some call this “cosmic personalism.” 

The Modern Era

Around the 17th century, the modern era saw people like Isaac Newton who proved that natural laws governed the universe. He was able to show a distinction between divine revelation (the Bible) and natural revelation (science). Also, the writings of Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century were a synthesis between Aristotelian thought and theology. Aquinas taught that humankind can understand some truth, with their mind, apart from divine revelation.

This Newtonian revolution in science eventuated in society moving away from theism to Deism. Deists believed that after God created the universe, He was no longer involved in the affairs of humankind. He was like a watchmaker who wound up a watch and allowed it to function without intervention. 

By the 19th century, Deism eventually led to naturalistic atheism. Charles Darwin’s book, The Origin of the Species and the Most Favored Races, gave scientists a construct to use as a basis for postulating a materialistic, non-supernatural universe.

This era lifted human reason as the final arbiter of truth. 

The Postmodern Era

With the failure of the modern era to bring about a societal utopia, especially after the two world wars in the 20th century, people started doubting whether there was such a thing as absolute truth. They instead embraced moral relativism and subjectivism. This eventually led to the deconstruction of all moral absolutes, including language and literature.

Consequently, postmodernism is a general and wide-ranging term applied to literature, art, philosophy, architecture, and literary criticism. Postmodernism is essentially a reaction to the assumed certainty of objective reality and empirical science.

The movement was launched in the 1970s when a group of poststructuralists in France developed a radical critique of modern philosophy. Its origins were traced to Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, and Heidegger. These became known as postmodern theorists, notably Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Jean-François Lyotard, and Jean Baudrillard. 

Postmodern thought postulates that reality is shaped by social, historical, and cultural contexts rather than by Universal axioms and religious truth. 

An Isaiah 61 moment for the Church 

Postmodernism was a reaction against stale modernity.  It only believed those things that could be proven empirically in a scientific lab. We know that we cannot prove what love is in a laboratory, even though it is the most powerful motivating force in the world. This is why there has been a revival of spirituality, witchcraft, and a longing for the gods of Greek and Roman mythology. We see these things being espoused by popular Marvel comic superheroes.

Although I disagree with the tenets of postmodernity, I also believe it has opened up a door for people to dialogue regarding the supernatural view of scripture.

Furthermore, until the last few decades, it is likely that most theologians in the West since the enlightenment were anti-supernaturalists and had a very narrow Bible and Worldview. Their theology was captivated by enlightenment philosophy whose presuppositions were based on human reason, (even if they weren’t aware of it). 

Of course, this is unlike the worldview of those living in Africa, Latin America, and Asia who always had a supernatural worldview. As soon as people in these regions were brought to faith, they brought their supernatural worldview into the Church. This impacted their theology. As a result, Christianity has spread rapidly in these continents in the 20th century.

However, I believe with the advent of Pentecostalism in the early 20th century, we started going back to a pre-modern world that espoused a thin line between heaven and earth, between the spiritual and natural world. Many evangelical cessationists today are now questioning this dogma because of the rapid growth of Pentecostal Christianity in the global south. 

As it relates to the Church, I believe the Holy Spirit is now focusing on Isaiah 61:1-4. The Spirit of the Lord comes upon the Church to preach the gospel with power resulting in supernatural healing of broken hearts, deliverance, and physical manifestations of healing. (Please note how Jesus applied this passage to himself in Luke 4:14-19.) 

This passage also shows that the supernatural restorative power of God is a prerequisite before the restoration of communities (Isaiah 61:1-4). We have learned in history that only transformed people can transform culture.

Thus, true renewal in cities will never come by mere activism and politics. We need the power of the Holy Spirit for qualitative, systemic change. A thorough examination of Acts also shows us that the Church was able to bless communities and spread the word of the Lord with a demonstration of supernatural power that accompanied the preaching of the gospel (which also proved that Jesus Christ rose from the dead). If Jesus and the apostles demonstrated the reality of the gospel with healings, signs, wonders, and supernatural works, how much more does the contemporary Church need this same power to proclaim the good news!

I hope that there will be a significant evangelistic assignment on the Church once again. We saw a similar demonstration during “the voice of healing” movement in the 1950s. We witnessed various Evangelists and Apostolic leaders rise with extraordinary faith to bring healing, deliverance, and salvation to masses of people.

As I end this, please take a moment and read Isaiah 61:1-4 and Acts 1:8-9. I urge you to stand in faith together, that the anointing of the evangelist will come upon the corporate Church like never before. 

Come Lord and revive your Church once again! Amen! 

Purchase Joseph Mattera’s latest book, “The Jesus Principles”, available now on Amazon here.