MINNEAPOLIS VIGIL: Hagee s “Night To Honor Israel” Promotes “Christian” Serial Wars
By Charles E. Carlson
Christian Zionism, by whatever name and in spite of its claim to the contrary, is a theology steeped in support of recent wars. Most who were once part of this 150-year-old sect, including this author, thought the call to war began in 1948 with the creation of political State of Israel, which state was destined for war by the stated intent of its founders. Fortunately a few visionaries, including the late Phillip Mauro, foresaw Christian Zionism s warring proclivities many years before the World Zionist movement hatched political Israel. Mauro s prediction proves our point in advance of us. *Endnote
Christian Zionism is about war and cannot be separated from killing; therefore it is anathema to followers of Christ, who requires Peace. For this reason Project Strait Gate Vigil teams stand an eight feet long by four feet high, yellow and black sign at selected churches: “APOSTATE CHURCH, Christ Followers Do Not Kill.
Project Strait Gate teams held vigils at two of America s most influential Christian Zionist churches on back to back Sundays, April 22 in suburban LA, at John MacArthur s Grace Community church, and on April 29 in Minneapolis at Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park Minnesota. John Hagee s Christians United for Israel was the guest star at the latter church. While two thousand miles apart the actions and reactions were remarkably similar. Both churches teach that the political state of Israel is God s fulfillment of biblical prophesy; in so doing both have allowed Israel to encroach upon the kingdom of Jesus Christ, allowing a corrupt usurper of the name “Israel” to share the throne with Jesus. Both churches did their best to reject the vigils.
Bob Singer led our 4th and best vigil at MacArthur s Grace Community where we saw increased interest from attendees, but unabated animosity from church leaders who were represented by off duty hired police. Some 400 persons took literature from 14 Vigil team members, most dressed in their church best. Many stopped to talk, listen or debate, some fiercely. A freelance filmmaker was there gathering footage for a film about Christian Zionism and interviewed several vigil team members and members of the congregation, and a documentary writer stood quietly by taking notes for his paper which he hopes to present to seminaries. *
A week later Stan Jakubowsky s team met at in Brooklyn Park Minnesota at mega-church celebrity Mac Hammond s enormous business called Living World Christian Center. No one could deny being a Christian Zionist, for John Hagee was there with dozens of Israeli flags everywhere, and not an American flag was in sight on the “Night to Honor Israel.”
The morning Vigil during two big church services was a Project Strait Gate success. I see the score as about 3 to 0, our favor. A handful of men with big yellow and black signs carried the day, and our clear message was inescapable to almost everyone in Pastor Mac Hammond s empire.
The first congregation member to come out to see me at about 8:00 AM was a young union tradesman who agreed with our opposition to the unnecessary war, but who thought our 8 foot long sign reading “Apostate Church, Christ Followers Do Not Kill” to be overly aggressive and cast his church in an embarrassing light. We told him it was our intent to do so because his church is apostate, teaching that the State of Israel is the fulfillment of biblical prophesy. Because this leads to endless war and misery, and the loss of respect worldwide for “Christianity,” we feel Christ-called to expose it.
The last attendee, who talked to me at about 6:00 PM, just before Night to Honor Israel, was visibly angry and just a little loud but emotionally under control. It seems his two sons are in Turkey, both having served in Iraq, probably will be sent back soon. He said we were not supporting them. He spoke passionately about murdered Christian missionaries in Islamic states, which he considered commonplace, and he was very sure about his facts about Iraq and Israel and equally sure that ours were all wrong.
This Dad did not want to hear any scriptural arguments about peacemaking, or what Jesus would say about Iraq. He wanted get something off his chest, and he did. Having said his mind he abruptly stopped talking and marched across the grass toward John Hagee s Night to Honor Israel. It was obvious this Dad was not in the economic strata that would require his sons to enlist in the Army for a job, and as an afterthought I called after him asking: “Why did your boys join the army anyway?” At this he stopped and spun about on his heels; “They both enlisted without asking me,” he said bitterly, as though betrayed! And he went on.
The truth was out… his sons have become warriors without giving Dad a chance to talk them out of it. It is sad, for this Dad should have expected his sons to enlist, having no doubt raised them in this very Christian Zionist church that allows the likes of John Hagee to preach hatred of Islam in name of Christ to all who will enter…and give money. These people s sons will hear and remember. This man did not want his sons in the Army, and in all likelihood their enlistment is the natural result of the Living Word Christian Center s apostasy.
How often do children raised in Jesus loving, anti-Arab Judeo-Christian churches enlist without ever asking Dad what he thinks because they believe they know what Dad thinks? They are doing exactly what they think the family considers honorable and natural. Children hear and do not forget.
Christians United For Israel is a call for money from this Dad to protect Israel, but it is also a ringing cry for action when heard by youth. Perhaps this man s sons thought they were expected to take up arms…to defend Judeo-Christianity. His children were probably taught that Arabs are the cursed sons of Ishmael, evil “Philistines” of the Bible, and that Christ expects war with them…even their extermination if they stand in Israel s path. John Hagee s hate fill words shock us, but they would ring true to them. Youth from such churches can t help but think that to fight Israel s wars is noble and worthy of life, even the sacrifice of life.
Christian Zionism prepares children for war; this is the hidden horror of it. Children of parents who accept it will believe that they are justified to kill for it. A relatively few will die and a lot more will be crippled. But many are scarred for life on account of their own acts of murder and brutality. These youth will see the loving church where they were raised supporting a holy war, as the Israeli flags are waved at everyone who comes in the “wide gate.” They are taught about a warrior Christ, not a peacemaker Jesus. They see the sons of Ishmael as the enemy of their church because they can see it is the enemy of the State of Israel.
Why didn t the sons of this father ask Dad before enlisting? They probably thought they would know his answer, for if a child is raised in a Christian Zionist church, he will come away believing it is honorable to become a prison guard in war or an assassin of Arabs. John Hagee teaches hatred at a Night to Honor Israel…it is not in doubt since we have his recording. It also raises money!
The church management was anything but accommodating. By about 9:00 AM an associate pastor called the police to the scene (with our encouragement) for they wanted us off the right-of-way, and out beyond the far reaches of the traffic all but invisibility in the distance. Stan and Victor had been wise enough to obtain a city plat map of the church and surrounding streets, which clearly showed the public right-of way on which we were perched. The police came, the pastor argued. We stood
on our map and stayed, standing right next to the sidewalks where members came and went, and where they could only avoid our eyes as they passed, but they could not avoid our message.
The attendees for the Night To Honor Israel came in mid-afternoon, hours early for a 6:30 PM performance like teenagers getting in line for at a rock concert. Project Strait Gate volunteers, including your author, arrived at the church at 5:00 PM, after having put in four hours on our feet at two regular services in the morning in the warm Minnesota sun. I can say without fear of contradiction that each of us four was stunned at the size of the crowd of “Christian” Israel worshipers that had arrived three hours early.
More surprising was the overkill reception arranged for the four of us… a counter-demonstration of some 40 young Israeli-patriots, who were arrayed and waiting when we came back. Most of them held freshly painted signs in Israeli colors reading “Thank you for Honoring Israel.” Most of these signs were decorated with three or four immature Israeli flags attached like fringes around them. The tactic of the counter-demonstrators was to screen and obstruct the visibility of incoming guests from eye contact with Project Strait Gate volunteers, each one was surrounded and screened from traffic by two or more Israeli-patriots waving and thanking the incoming guests for being faithful to Israel (not Jesus).
The Israeli Patriot team appeared to be carefully coached not to speak to Project Strait Gate volunteers and some remained mute the entire time. Others curiosity got the best of them and they spoke to us sparingly. I talked quietly to a Word of Life Christian Center youth pastor named Dan, who said little. My single question to each one asked dozens of times was:
“For what deed can you honor the state of Israel…just tell me one noble thing it has done for which it can be honored?”
Finally Pastor Dan answered: “They gave me my Savior,” he said. I think he wished he had not said this, for he simply could not tell me how a State created by the United Nations in 1948 could give him Jesus, born 1950 years before the State with the borrowed name. Dan said he read and had been horrified by my letter to the pastor. * And he said he had looked at WHTT.org website, but he said he would not do that again. He finally moved away with no more to say but: “I will pray for you.”
The proper answer for such an offer of prayer is to ask the person to change their apostate views before they put you on their prayer list, for such a prayer can only be a backhanded curse until he rids himself of Christian Zionism.
A dignified and articulate David held his “Thanks for Honoring Israel” sign with clear boredom. Asked if he had been to Israel he told me he was afraid to fly, but his wife had been there many times on tours by Bridges for Peace. I told David I had once debated Bridges for Peace president Clarence Wagner on KCRO Christian Radio on the very subject we were picketing “Is Israel the fulfillment of Biblical prophesy?” David wanted to know who won the debate, and showed interest in discussing the questions. But just then the Israeli Patriot in charge of the group noticing David talking to me, and interrupted our conversation to move him and his sign down the street a few feet where “he was more needed.”
WHO WOULD JESUS BOMB?
Some few stopped to talk, some for extended times, among these were several military age youths who wanted to know our message. One burly 19 year old in a hockey shirt stood by for at least 30 minutes listening to Will and I talk to several others who came and went. His expression was implacable and I had no idea what he was thinking until there was a lull; then, without changing expression he said: “I like you.” And he left.
Sadly for America and these young men, we have the likes of Pastor Mac Hammond and John Hagee, the “Pied Pipers of War.” It is fitting we review the words of Samuel, the last Godly judge of what was the real tribe of Israel just before it started down the terrible slide to total corruption, a prophesy you will rarely hear read in the Judeo-Christian church.
Samuel said, oh so you think you want a king do you:
“This is the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own…He will appoint captains over the thousands and captains over the fifties and some will plow his ground and make his weapons of war…and you will cry out in that day because of the king you have chosen…and the Lord will not hear you in that day.” (1Samuel8)
Links will be found here
https://whtt.org/index.php?news=2&id=1364
Dispensationalism and Zionism in 1927, By Philip Mauro
See Vigils
Read John Hagee shoots off a foot
CUFI-Christian United For Israel Dr. Mark Hanna
We Hold These Truths
Project Strait Gate
www.whtt.org
PO Box 14491
Scottsdale AZ 85267
To be removed write us with “Delete” at the top.
