Well here we are at the end of September 2015 and doggone it if the world ain’t still standing (and spinning) in spite of the coming and going of the “Blood Moon” phenomena as massively promoted and then just as massively cashed in upon by one John Hagee. Oh sure, there have been others – many others – who’ve tried to milk the Blood Moon cow for everything from book sales to congregational entertainment, but nobody has milked that cow and Blood Mooned the culture more boldly (and more profitably) than John Hagee.
Joel McDurmon of The American Vision does a fine job chronicling the [*ahem*] lunacy of it all in John Hagee: False Prophet (and the antidote), where he begins with a simple, clear, and necessary warning:
“John Hagee made predictions (oh yes he did!—see below). John Hagee set dates. John Hagee’s predictions and dates have failed. He is now to be regarded as a false prophet on the same order as Harold Camping.”
But will he be?
Will John Hagee be held accountable? Will he be regarded as a false prophet?
Will Hagee be called to repentance and appropriately disciplined by the church until he repents?
Not likely.
What’s far more likely is that Hagee will simply brush off the inconvenience of his false prophecies and move on to the next tantalizing, ear-tickling, self-serving scam.
Same goes for most, if not all, of the Hagee wannabes following the same general approach to “church” and “ministry” building through a combination of Scripture mutilation and bombastic self-promotion.
But of course none of that would matter nearly as much if there wasn’t an American “church” loaded with biblically illiterate marks lined up and waiting to be Blood Mooned again…and again…and again…
Well-dressed wolves like Hagee are only able to do what they do within a professing Christian environment because most professing Christians in that environment simply don’t care about truth enough to seek and stand upon it. Most modern American “Christians” want the apocalyptic, Left Behind style shtick. (See also: Never forget that apart from God’s grace you and I are complete morons.)
They want an easy “Christianity” that tantalizes with fantastic scenarios, none of which require them to actually do anything super serious about the culture going to hell around them (see: Easy Button Christianity…the Devil’s (and most Americans’) favorite kind.)
They want a lazy, apathetic approach to cultural engagement, preferring instead to passively observe (and even cheer on) the disintegration of civilization around them. (See: Encouragement from Satan.)
They want a “Gospel in a bottle” that get’s ’em “saved” but requires precious little in the way of active obedience to Christ as King in practice when it comes to law, economics, and education. (See: Beware the “Gospel in a Bottle”.)
Put another way: They want what Hagee is selling.
John Hagee and teachers like him are the judgment of God upon the people to follow them.
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The Blood Mooning of American “Christianity” won’t stop here until and unless there is true, supernatural repentance and reformation.
Until God graces us with broken, humble, pride-shattering repentance, there can and will be no reformation or restoration of the professing Christian church in America. The world will continue to watch and laugh at our propensity to be suckered by the most obvious of scams and hucksters.
Without supernatural intervention by the grace of God in the lives of people who are then inspired to reject the likes of Hagee and take up the Gospel-fueled Great Commission, there will be no end to the idiocy, deceit, and naked profiteering done loudly and proudly “in Jesus’ name”.
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
~ 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (emphasis added)
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Appreciate your post. Had not heard anything about this John Hagee character until I got a desperately worried message from a mentally handicapped adult who had watched one of Hagee's fear-fests about the Blood Moon. This man was terrified that the world was going to end. Sadly, there are a lot of people out there who may be Christian, but just cannot discern the wolves. Thanks for calling them what they are.
Alec
Let's not forget that Hagee is an unrepentant adulterer too. He's married to the woman he committed adultery with in his prior church and immediately came to the church he is in now. He's the definition of a false teacher as described in 2 Peter 2…. wants money and sex.
Sometimes, I don't think this Church will EVER get it.
I agree the Blood Moon thing was over-hyped sensationalism, and I agree in large part about some of the Church her in a America. But what always makes my spirit a bit uncomfortable about articles like this is they speak from a tone of superiority like the person who is writing is totally on the right side of things and all you other people are just a bunch horrible sinners who don't understand anything. Fingers need to pointed at others only after they have pointed at themselves, correction of others should be done in love, none of us including this author is totally right about anything. Mr. Hagee is likely guilty of cashing in on this but I don't doubt the mans belief in Jesus Christ and his work to bring people to Him. In keeping with my own advise I am sinner saved by grace no better than any other and I only speak these words to bring a perspective of humility that I saw missing.
amen, I totally agree with your comment..
If there's anything specific that you'd like to address, I'd be happy to have a look. "Tone" is always a tricky thing when it's used as the primary (and exclusive) tool by which one criticizes another, which is why the approach of criticizing tone (in lieu of anything more solid) is so often deployed by those who want to take a swipe at someone without the burden of precision and the accountability that comes with said precision.
Not that this is necessarily what you've done here, but…judging by your tone, it might be.
See what I mean?
That's not a very good or productive way to register a critique.
As for the implications that you've chosen to make here regarding my character, I'm happy to refer you to the many other readily available articles and posts (including the About the Blogger link right at the top of the FBC home page) addressing what I actually believe (as opposed to what you've assumed/implied that I believe)..
I respectfully suggest that you read through that sort of easily accessed info before proceeding to post similarly slippery character accusations in the future, here or anywhere else.
I hope that these clarifications are helpful and that you have a great rest of the day.
SAB