Our churches are looking to Caesar. Caesar is the new savior. Caesar is rescuing our churches. Cesar is providing during the pandemic. This is who the church turns to in times of need. They want manna, but not manna from heaven. They’re going for Caesar’s manna. The new manna has become Mammon, and that Mammon is Caesar’ money.
Two weeks ago we published a list of Seventh-day Adventist Church entities and ministries here in the United States that took money from the federal government to fund their payrolls. [1] This is absolutely mind-blowing considering that the Covid-19 crisis has accelerated many changes in our world, and the federal government bailing out Adventist institutions and ministries by paying their pastors’ salaries is by far the biggest change yet.
Turns out, it’s not just Seventh-day Adventist institutions here in America that are accepting federal money. The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Columbia has apparently taken money from the government to “protect their jobs.” The news was published on February 26, 2021 by “W Radio Colombia,” an influential morning radio news show in Bogota, Columbia. They published the following:
“The investigation carried out by Sigue la W (a radio program on W Radio Columbia) on large companies in Colombia that received aid to protect their jobs during the pandemic ends with the list of those churches, religious congregations and universities that also had to ask for help for reducing their income … These churches are: Casa Sobre la Roca Iglesia Cristiana Integral, Mission Pan-American Denomination of Colombia, International Charismatic Mission Church, Christian Center Church, Manantial de Vida Eterna Church, Foursquare Christian Church, Seventh-day Adventist Church, Central Church Denomination Bethesda Missionary Center and the Archdiocese of Cartagena, the Archdiocese of Cali, the Apostolic Vicariate of Inírida, the Archdiocese of Florence, the Archdiocese of Popayán and the Parish of San Francisco de Asís de Quibdó. [2]
More and more Seventh-day Adventist institutions are requesting government support with little fear that the future government will meddle in religious matters (Sunday laws). The Covid-19 pandemic has made us turn a blind eye to the potential consequences of uniting church and state. In times of crisis, no one cares about the legal precedents this is creating, whenever the government starts funding the church. Under the coronavirus crisis, all the principles of the Constitution are being rewritten. Our long-standing positions on church and state are being sacrificed for government bail-out money.
What is even more dangerous is the fact that our people are getting confused about Caesar. The Seventh-day Adventist institutions that the government is bailing out today have found a new partner to turn to when it comes to meeting the financial needs of the church. And because the Covid-19 crisis will be followed by the global climate crisis and then followed by another crisis and then another, there will be many more opportunities for our religious leaders to continue to turn to Caesar for help.
Make no mistake; Caesar is rescuing our churches. Cesar is saving us from unemployment. Caesar is paying the salaries of Seventh-day Adventist pastors. Yes, the church has found a new husband and a new provider, Caesar.
“For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.” Isaiah 54:5.
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19.
“And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us.” 1 Samuel 10:19.
“He saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.” John 19:14, 15.
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