First, about the event. It will be held next Thursday, April 29th, at Houston’s First Baptist Church. Click here to see the event on the HAPC website or click on the image below to see the flyer:
It’s only $35 or $450 if you want a table for 8 – but free for you and your spouse if you are a pastor. Free is good. So what’s the problem? Well, I didn’t say there was one, but now that you mention it…
You cannot serve two masters
If you will recall, those words came from Jesus. Rather than striving to be a pillar of influence in your community, He called his followers to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to follow the commandments He taught them. Note that He didn’t tell His followers to go and make nations that would enforce His commandments. For those of you really paying attention, you will observe that the founders of this country respected His commands, ensuring that we would have a free, open society, one in which people could choose to believe. Or not.
By corrupting the pastors of churches, by getting them to lust for political power and influence instead of teaching the pastors to show people how to quench their thirst with Living Water, this group, and others like them, have weakened both institutions. Churches in the U.S. today are, in large measure, worthless in meeting the commands of either Isaiah 1:10-17 or Matthew 28:18-20. And in turn, politicians are, in large measure, ineffective and useless, turning what once was a great economic and social power into a debt-ridden, hedonistic society.
HAPC a Republican front group
Fine, but what does this have to do with taking over the HCRP? Well, as I first noted last September (hard to believe 7 months have gone by), the funds flowing in and out of the same PO Box 2606 make it clear that this group, along with Vision America, see the Republican party as a way to put their agenda forward. Nothing illegal or immoral about it, other than perhaps not being upfront and honest.
So what is the problem?
The real problem is that this group, purporting to represent pastors of Christian persuasion, has a mission statement that differs from the command of Jesus:
The mission of the Houston Area Pastor Council is to empower pastors and their congregations across racial and denominational lines to impact the culture and government through concerted prayer, to equip our congregations for effective citizenship and to provide a unified voice on spiritual, cultural, social and moral issues.
Let’s review again the mission of followers of Jesus:
Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”
I promise you that, if pastors would follow that mission, there would be no need for groups like HAPC to teach them how to wield influence and power in their communities. Pastors are already equipped with everything that they need:
God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what.
Want to change your community, the state, the nation, the world? Teach the Word. That is the recipe. Want to have lunch with “powerful and influential community leaders”? Head on over to the HAPC luncheon, learn how to create groups and teach politics in your church – because you probably aren’t doing anything else anyway. And even if you are a pastor, kick in a few bucks: Republicans could use the help.