Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. - Romans 13:1 (ESV)
As Charisma News continues their political manipulation of their readers the new cause du jour being offered up is disgraced refugee from discipline "pastor"; Mark Driscoll. Mr. Driscoll used to run Mars Hill Church in Seattle until it was revealed that he was extremely abusive and was caught stealing $200,000 from tithe money to hire a marketing firm to defraud the New York Times best seller list for a book he had written. His handpicked board, was about to discipline him, so he packed his family up in the dead of night and fled Seattle. He would take a year to rehabilitate his image through the Charisma machine and soon took over a church in Scottsdale Arizona. Recently, Driscoll embarked on a new grift where he is leveraging Jesus to sell his new book and he is engaging the community by extending his middle finger to them. This is great for the dominionist Charisma News and the NAR, so they are promoting this story at the above link. Realize as we review this that the only reason why Driscoll is making this faux-principled stance is to sell his book. Let us reason once more together beloved.
"Freedom-loving Americans cannot help but bemoan the mounting authoritarianism of both federal and state officials. As we discovered during the COVID era, however, sometimes Satan infects even our neighbors with the spirit of petty tyranny. In a clip posted Tuesday to the social media platform X, Pastor Mark Driscoll of Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, told his congregation that a local government official had asked him to remove a "Jesus Christ '24" sign from church property"a request to which Driscoll responded with firm defiance. "We will not comply, but we will multiply," the pastor wrote in a corresponding post." - Charisma News
The gaslighting starts right away. Charisma News has been on a relentless campaign to convince Christians to vote for a man who is already on record as saying we should destroy the Constitution and wants to be a dictator and yet they pretend here that Americans cannot help but bemoan mounting authoritarianism? C'mon. So, during COVID Satan infected our neighbors? This is more of the nonsensical NAR anti-science agenda, that claimed the lives of countless Christians who followed these idiots right back into church during a raging pandemic only to then die from COVID. Charisma presents this as "defiant" but all it really amounts to is a grift. At the bottom of his inane church sign pretending Jesus is running for president is a link to a page selling Driscoll's new book. It is so transparent it is disgusting. To leverage our Savior to sell a book by pretending Jesus would vote the way you think is simply repulsive.
"Ironically, while preparing a part of his sermon that addressed civil obedience, Driscoll learned that very late in the afternoon on Friday a local government official had emailed the church to complain about the "Jesus Christ '24" sign. "This sign does not appear to be a political sign for a current candidate," the email read. "If the sign does not meet certain requirements, it is subject to removal." Driscoll then delivered the first part of his reply to the official. "I would just humbly submit, if you work for the government, before you go around collecting signs, figure out how to close the border and take care of people before signs," he said. At that point, the pastor showed four pictures of the property around his church littered with political signs." - Charisma News
Irony implies happenstance but this was planned. Driscoll did a sermon discussing civil disobedience as part of this scheme. Based upon the fact that the City official, who is simply doing their job, provided the rationale, we can discern what is going on pretty easily. I assume that the City of Scottsdale as an ordinance that does not allow entities to display political signs unless it actually represents a candidate who is running. I do not know why but there are mechanisms to change the policy if you do not like it, not stick your thumb in the eye of the lost and make grandiose statements like you are a tough guy. This fake machismo has always been the Driscoll brand, which is why he had to run away like a scalded dog from Mars Hill. Driscoll's answer to regurgitate political NAR talking points is absurd. What is his argument? That a church, that claims to represent Jesus Christ, will not obey local laws unless the crisis at the border is properly handled somehow by the state? What a moron. What a poor representation of Jesus and Christianity.
