Our Lord tells us wars must come, however, I was writing about my hopes
that this country could get through 2001 without being embroiled in a Middle
Eastern war. If the bombing could have just taken place after January 2, 2002,
the American millennial Baptist/Pentecostal movement would be out of the
driver's seat of American Christianity.
They have been waiting for God's sign of a War in the Middle East before
the end of 2001 as proof that Israel is the place were Christ will return to
rule for a 1000 years. Their movie, "Left Behind," which came out in
February, explains the whole scenario.
Millennialism will now drive American Religion for at least the next few
years as it has since 1948. After the bombing in New York, Rev. Jerry Falwell
was immediately on the news explaining how important Israel is in God's plan
and that we have to defend it and "take out" those opposed to
Israel.
In an interview with Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, Franklin was so
tough in his remarks promoting war in defense of Israel that the reporter said
he was surprised to hear a preacher talk that way.
John Hagee, Pat Robertson, and Jack Van Impe are just a few of those who
are claiming that we are now at the beginning of World War III, which will
result in the building of the third Temple and the return of Jesus Christ. On
Saturday, I witnessed a Baptist televangelist have his trumpeter blow the
shofar, a ceremonial Jewish rams horn. He then encouraged his listeners to
prepare for war and said that God was with listeners and they should rejoice
at the opportunity for battle.
Afghanistan has now declared a Holy War against America. Therefore, all
Moslems who die in battle will have automatic entrance to heaven.
As in the Crusades, the American Baptist/Pentecostal millennialists are
convinced that those who fight in this war will be fighting for Jesus Christ.
This is going to place the Missouri Synod Church Growth fanatics in an
awkward position. They love to copy millennial worship forms they call
"contemporary worship" but will they go along with the second return
of Jesus Christ to Israel in order to keep their crowds coming in the door?
The Baptists are usually effective in preaching the law. The bombing of New
York City must be understood, as the wrath of God, but our response must be
repentance not fighting for Jesus Christ. As a nation, our retaliation is in
order, but we never claimed bombing the Japanese and Hitler was by God's
direction.
Millennialist, John Hagee proved to be too much competition for Bill
Thompson in San Antonio, so the largest LCMS Church is heading toward
bankruptcy, while Bill Thompson heads for Brazil. Prestonwood Baptist Church
in Carrolton, Texas is taking away Pastor Wagner's future in Prince of Peace
Lutheran Church. These two LCMS mega churches each have the two largest loans
from LCEF of any LCMS congregation.
Many are now claiming Bible prophecy after the tragedy in New York. We now
reply with some of our own prophecies written before the bombing in New York.
The following is a series of statements that were published on www.LutherQuest.org
by those in dialogue with this writer:
Cascione writes Thursday, July 06, 2001 - 07:55 pm: "We are now less
than six months away from January 1, 2002. If a major war doesn't break out in
the Middle East before that time, the collapse of millennial style worship in
the LCMS, called contemporary worship, indeed, the collapse of the entire
movement is imminent. Many 'contemporary' clergy will follow Thompson's lead.
He was always a visionary."
"I'm afraid that by 2005, many will have been drawn to the Catholic
Church or simply give up Christianity as the fad it was portrayed to be by the
contemporary Church Growth/Leadership Training Movement."
Rev. Gregory Hinners writes Friday, July 06, 2001 - 07:39 pm: "Just
out of curiosity Jack, what leads you to believe this? I have read this before
from you in CN. I believe that you are right, the collapse of the Church
Growth (CG) nonsense will happen at some point, especially if Christianity
continues its popularity slide . . . downward."
Cascione Writes on Saturday, July 07, 2001 - 04:46 pm: Dear Pastor Hinners:
"First, 'conservative' and 'Church Growth' are a contradiction in terms.
I don't believe the 'Church Growthers' but the hyper-euro's will be drawn to
Rome. Many of the 'Church Growthers' in the LCMS will become Baptists,
Assembly of God, or non-denominationalists, all on their way to some form of
Unitarianism or drop out of religion completely."
"My theory is based on what happened after 1666, the last great
millennial date that motivated the Pilgrim migration to America, the burning
of London, and the execution of Charles the First. By 1670, the entire
movement was dead. However, there was no immediate return to 'orthodox
Christianity.' By 1720 less than one in ten Americans were connected with any
practice of Christianity. At that time, Franklin thought that America was not
going to be a Christian nation. By 2005, the American millennial movement and
all this millennial worship will be equally dead."
We now expect some LCMS Lutherans to publicly support millennialism.