NOTES ON PLAYING THE FOOL IN THE TIMES OF THE END: A FOOL FOR CHRIST VS. A FOOL FOR ANTICHRIST – (WITH VIDEO)

THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “For since the world through all its [earthly] wisdom failed to recognize God, God in His wisdom was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached [regarding salvation] to save those who believe [in Christ and welcome Him as Savior].” – 1 CORINTHIANS 1:21, AMP

KEY TERM: “FOOLISHNESS.” ‘Mória’ [μωρίας]: “From a root word meaning, ‘Absurdity, folly, lacking understanding;’ considered in most instances to refer to being a moron, a witless dullard absent of wisdom; to be (or, importantly), appear to be stupid; imprudent, deceived, misled [think Detective Columbo about here].”

QUOTATION 1. “In the face of Jesus’ dogged steadfastness, how could we but offer Him our own loyal allegiance? As we have seen, our decision to serve Jesus should be made not in order to earn Jesus’ Grace but as a response to it. He who has given so much for us can rightly call us to lay down our lives for him. Recognizing that we will continue to stumble and fall short of His impeccable Standard, we nonetheless strain onward out of gratitude for His mercy and kindness to us. Why do we serve the poor or preach the Gospel? Why do we continue with the otherwise foolish work of peace-making or justice-seeking? Not out of some neurotic fear of losing God’s favor but precisely because we have tasted that favor and would do anything for the One who died to win it for us.” ― MICHAEL FROST,Jesus the Fool: The Mission of the Unconventional Christ, 2010; edited

QUOTATION 2. “God cannot deliver me while my interest is merely in my own character. Paul is unconscious of himself, he is ‘Recklessly Abandoned,’ separated by God for one purpose—to proclaim the Gospel of God (cf. Romans 9:3).” ― OSWALD CHAMBERS, My Utmost for His Highest, 1924; edited

COMMENTARY. “‘For after that in the wisdom of God.’ – Some here, by ‘the wisdom of God,’ understand Jesus Christ, and make the sense thus: When He who is the Wisdom of God came and preached to the world. Others understand the Gospel, which is so called, 1 Corinthians 1:24, and 1 Corinthians 2:7. But I take ‘the wisdom of God’ in this text to signify the wise administrations of Divine Providence in the Government of the world to His wise ends.

‘The world by wisdom knew not God.’ – The Unregenerate part of the world would not come to a knowledge of and an acquaintance with God [including false teachers and followers], in that way whereby He chose to reveal Himself in and through Jesus Christ, as to which they were hindered by their own reasonings and knowledge, and apprehended skill in things, and capacity to comprehend them.

‘It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.’ – It pleased God to institute the Great Ordinance of Preaching the Gospel, which they count ‘foolishness,’as the sacred means by which He would bring all those that give credit to the Revelation of it, and receive Christ held forth in it, to Eternal Life and Salvation.” – MATTHEW POOLE, English Annotations on the Holy Bible, 1685; edited

TEACHING

We used to have a saying in the turbulent 1960s during my early college years: “Kick out the jams!” Roughly translated (usually in pursuit of earthly pleasures): “To eliminate any hangups or problems (Jams) in your life by cutting loose and getting wild” (Urban Dictionary, ret. Nov. 12, 2024; edited).

Ahem, now then, with some theological precautions we can use this as a rough index of what God expects of a true follower of His. What Oswald Chambers earlier calls:

RECKLESS ABANDONMENT. “An attitude of giving oneself up to a Passion or Enthusiasm without regard for the cost, the opinions of others, or the rules of ‘sensible’ behavior. For example, you might describe someone’s actions as reckless abandon if they stepped out of a boat without regard for the storm or their companions” (AI Overview, ret. Nov. 12, 2024; edited).

It is that same fiery Spirit of Adventure captured so powerfully in J.R.R. TOLKIENS’ Lord of the Rings Trilogy (1954). The kind of ‘Courageous Curiosity’ that history’s greatest pioneers and explorers exhibited. And for the Christian who is so in love with God and His Truth, that he or she will, upon being invited to a harrowing mission of some kind, fairly shout:

“Here am I, Lord! Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8).

THE FOOL FOR CHRIST. An online Summary of “The Fool for Christ” refers to people who have given up worldly possessions or flouted society’s conventions to serve a Religious Purpose, especially Christianity. It’s a title that can be considered a Badge of Honor.

Some of THE MARKS of such individuals would include:

VOLUNTARY SERVITUDE: They practice an absolute ‘Abandonment of Self’ as a primary concern in their admittedly Radical Identification with Christ and His Commandment to evangelize the lost and to give aid and comfort to the hurting among us.

AUDACITY AND HUMILITY: They are able to strike that challenging balance between a ‘Holy Boldness’ to share Christ on the one hand, combined with a deeply rooted ‘Selflessness’ in understanding that such conduct comes from God and not themselves. They know who they are, and who they are not.

WITNESS TO THE TRUTH. Fools for Christ regard Him and His Word as the only Path to Wisdom and the ‘Spirit of Discovery’ ofan entire Universe of things to explore. They are a Living Witness to the Reality of Christ’s Kingdom not being of this world, and such knowledge of The Supernatural World sets them on fire.

FREEDOM! Having forsaken all that Christ commands them to let go, they are ‘Truly Liberated’ because they’ve renounced everything and quite literally have nothing to lose, including their very physical lives! Once that Bridge of Transfer is crossed by willing confession, absolutely nothing shall be impossible for them.

THE FOOL FOR ANTICHRIST. For a close look at the stunning contrast between the comparatively Orthodox or Biblical version of “The Fool for Christ,” we now turn to what has become in the last nearly ten years in America, “The Fool for Antichrist.” ‘These constitute the Trump Base of White, Evangelical American Christians, heavily influenced by the Charismatic-Pentecostal wing of the Church undergirded by the Faith-Prosperity Movement and Dominion Theology doctrines.’

I will borrow heavily for this profile from the work of theologian, philosopher and journalist ANDREW GREY in a piece titled, “Inside the Evangelical Voter’s Mind: Understanding Donald Trump’s Enduring Appeal” (The Progressive Magazine, Oct. 21, 2024; edited).

Mr. Grey outlines THREE CENTRAL ELEMENTS that largely define this unique, Heterodox “Christians” [holding to doctrines that lie outside the traditional Biblical Canon].

COSMIC BATTLE. “At the core of the Evangelical Psyche is a worldview that interprets many events in light of a ‘Cosmic Conflict between good and evil, epitomized by God and Satan.’ While many Christians, especially from Liberal or Progressive groups, interpret Satan as a metaphor, many Evangelicals (especially Evangelical Republicans) view the Devil as a literal entity … For many Evangelical Republicans, Democrats are pursuing the agenda of the Devil, while Trump is sent by God to pursue His will, whether by undoing the harm from current Democratic policies or preventing Democrats from achieving more.”

CULTURE WAR. “This Mentality also illuminates another well-known aspect of Evangelicalism: Fixation on Culture War Issues. The Culture Wars historically referred to: ‘Conflicts between Religious and Secular forces.’ But today’s Culture Wars center on issues such as abortion, gender, immigration, and the teaching of civil rights history … These topics are divisive because they evoke strong emotions on both sides. For Liberals and Progressives, human rights are at stake; for many Conservative Evangelicals, Christian values and even Christianity itself are under threat.”

CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM. “For many Evangelicals, fighting the forces of evil on these issues is also about their view of America’s status before God. This concern with America’s esteem in the eyes of God is in line with Christian Nationalism, a view with which two-thirds of American Evangelical Protestants identify. There isn’t an exclusive definition of Christian Nationalism, but it is generally characterized by TWO ASPECTS: The belief that the Federal Government should declare the United States ‘a Christian nation’ (which would be in conflict with the First Amendment) and the belief in ‘American Exceptionalism’—the idea that the United States is uniquely blessed by God. Christian Nationalists are likely to believe that ‘the success of the United States is part of God’s Plan.’”

THE HEART OF MAGA. In her book Unholy: Why White Evangelicals Worship at the Altar of Donald Trump, SARAH POSNER observes: “Trump … did not just deliver policy, in a quid pro quo with a voting bloc that fueled his election. ‘He delivered P0WER!’ And for that he was not merely a reliable politician worthy of their praise. For the Christian Right, Trump is no ordinary politician and no ordinary president. ‘He is anointed, chosen, and sanctified by the Movement as a Divine Leader sent by God to save America’” (2020, p. 14; edited).

Selah.

LAST THOUGHTS

DECONSTRUCTING MAGA CHRISTIANITY. So permit me to blow gaping theological holes in this ‘False American Gospel,’ beloved, in rather short order.

FALLACY ONE. While it is certainly true that the Christian is called to engage in a massive ‘Spiritual War for the Truth,’ nowhere are we called to engage in Political Struggles for Power, but instead: ‘For the souls of men!’ (cf. Ephesians 6:10-20; Matthew 22:7-40; 28:19-20). Nor are we ever called to follow hard after a demonstrably wicked leader to say nothing of the Antichrist! (cf. Jeremiah 23:1-4; 1 Timothy 3:1-5; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).

FALLACY TWO. Nowhere in the Gospel of Christ are we called to fight a Cultural-Political War with the largely unsaved. On the contrary, we are ordered to not even judge them since that is God’s prerogative alone, but we are called to: ‘Judge our own Christian House,’ to keep us accountable to one another and to the Scriptures. Indeed, this ‘Dominion Mandate’ is a pernicious lie from Satan to entice us away from The Great Commission to evangelize that lost culture and world, and the Cultural Commission to love our neighbor as ourselves (cf. John 7:24; 1 Corinthians 5:12-13).

FALLACY THREE. At very center of the Maga Christian Nationalism movement is Nation Worship, pure and simple! It is the deep structure Veneration of America, as mentioned earlier, as the New Israel and Washington DC as the New Jerusalem. In that twisted manner, it drives a seditious ‘Wedge’ between Jewish Israel and American Christianity. This for all its talk of loving Israel. Indeed, these doctrines of demons are the seedbed of Replacement Theology that fuels the rapidly expanding worldwide New Antisemitism that we see everywhere (cf. Jeremiah 31:31-34; Romans 11:11-27).

BLASPHEMY! Beloved, this Sin of Replacing the True Christ with the Antichrist is nearly indisputably commensurate with ‘The Unforgivable Sin’ of the Scriptures. It is that grave a “Betrayal of Jesus Christ,” as AMY HAWK makes so remarkably clear in her book (The Judas Effect, 2024).

The Scriptures are chillingly both clear and severe on this matter.

“For [it is impossible to restore to repentance] those who have once been enlightened [spiritually] and who have tasted and consciously experienced the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted and consciously experienced the good word of God and the powers of the age (world) to come, and then have fallen away—it is impossible to bring them back again to repentance, since they again nail the Son of God on the cross [for as far as they are concerned, they are treating the death of Christ as if they were not saved by it], and are holding Him up again to public disgrace.” – HEBREWS 6:4-6, AMP

And yet, beloved, in nearly ten years I have not been able to persuade one American Pastor or Leader from my past with whom I am familiar to even consider these terrifying Theo-Political Realities. Why? A thousand reasons perhaps, but they all boil down to ONE FACT:

‘They fear Man, beloved, not God!’ Selah.

Vastly more happily, however: I have Two Young Pastors where I occasionally attend church who are seriously reading my book and have agreed to a sit-down conversation over coffee when they are done reading.

With the tacit agreement that it shall take place before MONDAY JANUARY 20, 2025.

CODA. I close with THE DIVINE QUESTION that burns down from Heaven to each and every one of us, dear friends. That is then followed with our LAST HOUR COMMISSION from the King of Heaven to us all.

Hear then the very Fire of God in His Final Instructions to His True Remnant Church.

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for Us?’ Then, said I, ‘Here am I; send me!’ And He said, ‘Go and tell this people, Hear and hear continually, but understand not; and see and see continually, but do not apprehend with your mind. Make the heart of this people fat; and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn again and be healed.’” – ISAIAH 6:8-10, AMPC

This is His Voice, beloved. May your “Yes!” finally be “Yes!” then. After all that has been shown to us by the God who desires that none should perish, even at this Late Hour. I pray it! Oh, dearest Lord, how I pray it!

While the Day remains, beloved. Just before Night Falls, when all the world’s Light shall soon vanish.

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/M7Nwas-QVrs