DOES JOHN HAGEE HATE JEWS?
By Rev. Ted Pike
29 Apr 08
This past week, Pastor John Hagee hosted a special one-hour TV
tribute to himself and his 50 years of ministry. He called it “John
Hagee: Great Man of God.” It was telecast on the Trinity Broadcasting
Network to an estimated 99 million.
But is Hagee really a great man of God or a mega-heretic more interested
in self-advancement than salvation of the Jewish souls he claims
to love? Consider: Staff and attendees of his Christians United for
Israel conferences, held in major US cities, are instructed never
to witness to Jews during the conferences or even mention Jesus’ name.
In the Book of Acts, truly great men of God, Peter and John, received
exactly the same instructions that Hagee gives his followers: Don’t
evangelize Jews or mention Jesus’ name. But that command came
from the Pharisees, of whom Jesus said: "Ye are of your father
the devil." (John 8:44) The apostles replied, “Whether
it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you, rather than
God, you be the judge: for we can’t stop speaking what we have
seen and heard.”(Acts 4:19-20)
What’s the difference between Hagee’s command not to
witness and the Pharisees'? I can’t think of any. Can you?
Christ said, “You shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem
and in all Judea …” (Acts 1:8) Our witness is
vital to the salvation of others. Otherwise, souls who might be saved
will be lost eternally. Proclamation of the Gospel is “the
power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew
first" (Rom.1:16); and, as Paul says, “How shall they
hear without a preacher?”(Rom. 10:14)
Without public witness for Christ, exponentially larger numbers
of receptive souls, under the overwhelming pressure of surrounding
evil, will gradually become unreceptive. This is how
cultures, such as the world before the flood or the city of Sodom
, become totally corrupted. Yes, God can save those who revere
God and yet have not heard or understood the Gospel message (Rom.
2:14-16). But that is God's business. Our business is to witness
to all, at the leading of the Holy Spirit, at any cost. Their eternal
salvation (and ours) depends on it. We lose our souls if we agree
not to witness anywhere - in the work place, or in Israel. As Saint
Paul cries out in horror: "Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel!"
(I Cor. 9:16)
Witnessing does not mean sharing Christ if someone asks
you about your faith. It is taking initiative, as God burdens you,
to bring the Gospel to those who do not ask. It has pleased God through
the "foolishness" of such "preaching" to save unbelievers. (I Cor.
1:21)
To refuse to witness is to frustrate God's Holy Spirit. Scripture
says all are lost unless God's Holy Spirit, making use of our witness,
draws souls to Christ. (John 6:44) But stopping the preaching of
the Gospel and work of the Holy Spirit is just what Hagee does. This
man blocks God’s efforts to save precious Jewish souls and
sends them back to their synagogues to become hardened. Hagee’s
sin is not just against a multitude of Jewish souls deprived of possible
eternal life. It is against the Holy Spirit.
By forbidding proclamation of the gospel to Jews, Hagee commits
three of the worst sins imaginable: He forbids witnessing to the
lost. He forbids using the name of Jesus in public. And he frustrates
the Holy Spirit’s attempt to save souls.
Evangelicals Deny Christ in Israel
Actually, it’s not just Hagee but millions of evangelicals
who sin when they visit Israel and agree not to mention Jesus’ name
in evangelism. In 2002, 50 evangelical organizations sponsoring tours
to Israel denied Christ by promising the Israeli government they
would forbid witnessing to Jews by tour members. Christians visiting
Israel , in promising not to witness, effectively leave the Holy
Spirit at the Tel Aviv airport. They agree not to consult Him during
their vacation. The government of Israel tells them what they can
and cannot do. The government of Israel commands them, as the Pharisees
did Peter and John, that they aren’t to publicly speak of Jesus
to Jews in Israel. Unlike those apostles, millions of evangelicals
comply. 1
I queried a number of Christian travel groups. They told me the
government of Israel forbids visiting Christians to “openly” witness
to Jewish people. I was also informed that messianic (Christian)
Jews in Israel are now under heavy persecution and restrictions.
(See, Christians
in Israel: An Endangered Species) One agency said, “You
would be taking your life in your hands to witness among Orthodox
Jews at the Wailing Wall.” Some Christians, discovered
witnessing publicly, have been seized by the police, taken to the
airport and sent home, commanded never to come back. Several of these
tour groups told me they will not take a Christian to Israel who
intends to openly witness. They said that if their organization allowed
evangelism Israel would never grant them access to the Holy Land
again. The head of one agency tried to reassure me, however, saying
failure to witness to Jews won’t jeopardize their salvation: “They
will be saved by God’s grace alone,” he said, “not
by our works of evangelism.”
Instead of passively obeying Israel's anti-Christ laws and
leaders, the very least every Christian and “Christian” travel
group should do is boycott travel to Israel. Evangelicals should
dry up Israel's multibillion-dollar “Christian” travel
industry until our supposedly democratic ally honors free speech.
Lost Harvest
Christ said of Israel that the fields of evangelism are “white
unto harvest," "but the laborers are few.” (John
4:35; Luke 10:2) They are much fewer because Hagee tells the “laborers” not
to bother with a Jewish harvest. Heretically, he claims they have
their own covenant of salvation, apart from Christ.
Too bad, then, for precious Jewish souls. Hagee and most
evangelicals visiting Israel are not going to bring them the Gospel.
There are countless Jewish souls in Palestine whom God has foreknown
would humbly accept Christ as Messiah if He were presented to them. Their
loss is the bitter fruit of millions of evangelicals not opening
themselves to the Holy Spirit’s guidance while in Israel.
Too bad also for the Holy Spirit, who yearns to bring the Gospel
to Israelis. He was checked in at the airport. Will He, so grievously
insulted, want to get back on the plane home with such cowards?
Hagee, his participants in CUFI, and tens of millions of Christians
visiting Israel have forgotten God’s law. That law forbids
anyone to hinder the Holy Spirit or forbid a Christian to witness
through Him. (I Thess. 5:19) No true Christian agrees not to witness— even
for a second. Only the Holy Spirit is authorized to restrain a Christian
from witnessing.
Christ promised He would be ashamed in the Day of Judgment of so-called
believers who would not name Him publicly as Savior. (Luke 9:26) He
said in Rev. 14:9-10 that someday all who take the mark of the Beast,
to keep from starving, will be damned forever in fiery brimstone.
How is that different from evangelicals who promise not to publicly
witness and name Christ in Israel? Are they exempt from condemnation
because of their desire for an inspiring weeklong “religious” vacation,
free from harassment by Israeli authorities? Agreeing not to witness
for Christ under the Antichrist tomorrow and under anti-Christ Israel
today are the same.
The Pharisaic regime that illegally occupies Palestine today think
they own the Holy Land and can decree what is said and done there.
But Jesus Christ owns Israel. If there’s anywhere on earth
that should be full of His name and praise, it is His Holy Land.
No Friend of Jews
There was certainly a profusion of the use of the name of Jesus
in Hagee’s celebration of himself last week—that is,
to his Pentecostal Christian audience. Yet, Jesus said that not everyone
who loudly professes “Jesus is Lord!” will be saved.
Rather, those who “do the will of My Father.” (Matt.
7:21) Christ gave no more certain command than that His name and
message of redemption should be proclaimed to all nations. This includes
Israel and the Jewish people. Scripture states the Gospel should
be preached first to the Jews. ( Rom. 1:16)
Is John Hagee a great man of God? Jesus says otherwise. He says
whoever does not keep His commands and persuades others likewise
shall be considered the very least by Him. (Matt. 5:19)
Does John Hagee really love Jews, or hate them? Anyone who prevents
Jewish souls from finding eternal life and instead allows them to
go into eternal torment without Christ is no friend of the Jews.
The worst enemy I could imagine (except the devil himself) would
probably cringe at the thought of me burning forever in eternity.
Yet, that’s what Hagee allows to happen to countless Jews whom
he prevents from hearing the saving gospel of Christ.
Can anyone that cold-hearted really love the Jewish people?
No. John Hagee must surely hate Jews.
Endnote:
1. Israel's anti-missionary law, conspicuously passed during
Christmas week on December 27, 1977, makes it a crime punishable
by up to 5 years in prison to attempt to convert an Israeli to Christianity
by use of any material inducement (Law #5738-1977). If a Christian
gives even a Gospel leaflet to an Israeli, he violates this law. Also,
if the Israeli converts to Christianity after receiving the leaflet,
he could face 3 years in prison. Because of Israel's dependence
on Christian and American good will, this statute, while on the books,
is not rigorously enforced. Israel has incarcerated 9,000 Palestinians
without trial yet remains reluctant to imprison even one American
missionary, which could send shock waves through the evangelical "cash
cow" whose resources are vital to keeping Israel's sagging
socialist economy afloat. For now, Israeli law enforcement
walks a middle road, merely deporting Christians who openly witness.
Legislation now before Knesset, however, would mandate as much as
3 years in prison for attempting to convert Israeli youth under the
age of 18. Jewish Christians have been given greater latitude
to witness, yet under this proposed legislation they also could be
imprisoned for witnessing to Israeli youth.
Rev. Ted Pike is director of the National Prayer Network, a Christian/conservative
watchdog organization.
Let the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith teach you how they
have saddled 45 states with hate laws capable of persecuting Christians: http://www.adl.org/99hatecrime/intro.asp.
Learn how ADL took away free speech in Canada and wants to steal
it now in the U.S. Congress. Watch Rev. Ted Pike's Hate
Laws: Making Criminals of Christians at video.google.com. Purchase
this gripping documentary to show at church. Order online at www.truthtellers.org for
$24.90, DVD or VHS, by calling 503-853-3688, or at the address below.
TALK SHOW HOSTS: Interview Rev. Ted Pike on this
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