Conversation with a Conservative American Pastor

LS: Pastor Jack Martin is the Lead Pastor at Praise Family Worship Center in Hudson, Florida. Welcome to PolitiChicks, Pastor Jack! How many years have you been pastoring?

JM: Lainie, I have been a senior pastor for the past 30 years, the last 15 here at Praise Family Worship Center.

LS: On January 20, not only were you were invited to be a featured speaker at one of Florida’s Guns Across America rallies in support of our Second Amendment, but your help was also solicited in securing other speakers, including my fellow PolitiChick from Florida, Elizabeth Vale. Other PolitiChicks also took part in their communities across the nation.

JM: Yes, first off I owe a deep debt of gratitude to Ann-Marie Murrell. When this was unfolding, many state leaders in our evening conference calls were panicking at a lack of speakers. One quick message to Ann-Marie and we had not only Elizabeth, but PolitiChick Sonya Sasser spoke in South Carolina and PolitiChick Ginny Merman spoke in Maryland. From what the leaders of each of those rallies said, they hit it out of the park. I had the privilege of hearing Elizabeth who also did great.

Continue reading at politichicks.tv

« Previous Article

Posting Policy

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment where we can engage in reasonable discourse. Read more.

John Adams

While I believe that pastors have every right, and even responsibility, to speak of political issues in their own pulpit, I don't think that it serves the cause of Christ well for them to crusade for such things outside the walls of their church.

On the other hand, when it comes to moral issues (such as abortion, queer marriage, etc.) I believe that ALL Christians, including pastors, MUST take these battles to the streets. When God speaks to an issue we MUST proclaim it from the housetops.
John J Flanagan

Political issues that affect the moral climate in America should be addressed by pastors, even in the pulpit, but we must choose our issues and make sure we are not going outside of the realm of our first calling, to preach the word of God and man's need for salvation in Christ.
- Esther Mae Egan
  
  In the movie "Patriot" there is one scene that comes to mind often. The
  church and pastor have been asked to join the Militia and one by one
  the men either stood in honor or sat in dishonor. As those who stood
  rose and walked out the door the pastor also walked out the door taking
  off his robe and there under that robe was his preferred weapon. The
  men who refused to join and the other member gasped in horror to see
  their pastor joining the Militia. He turns and says something like this
  "Sometimes the shepherd needs to defend his sheep" . I agree that we
  need to preach the Gospel but I also believe we need to defend the
  Gospel and if that means selling our coat and buying a weapon then sell
  the coat. Even Bonhoeffer said something profound.He asked his student if they were Christian or Germans first. I think what he was saying is we can be both at the same time and should be. American is on a threshold of choosing and if Jesus told his disciples to buy a weapon and Jesus spoke about a strong man has to be bound in order to enter his house then I feel as Christians we also need to be ready in season and out of season to fight for what is important. Foxes Book of Martyrs also speaks of people who took their love of Christ to the streets and yet they fought for those beliefs. There is a group of people in France called the Waldensian and they were three communities of them They did not have weapons, and believed the government would leave them alone because they were peaceful people. That was not true as the government went into one community and killed them. The second community heard about it and took off to the hills and found a cave, but they were killed as well. The third group armed themselves and took off for the mountains and God spared them. They are alive today because they took up arms. I think we all need to be persuaded in our minds what God would have us do. Some will take up arms but that does not make us less Christian, and some of us will keep to ourselves and die anyway. God always works with a minority. Even Gideon found out when God said he had to many men and whittled them down to 300. The Ten Boon family and others like them were small, bloom where you are planted and leave the results up to God.
http://www.facebook.com/jack.martin3 Jack Martin

Perhaps the greatest danger today is the view that what happens in govt. doesn't come under the scrutiny of Gods Words. Most pastors, because of the 1954 unconstitutional Johnson Amendment have grown silent on issues that have greatly affected our nation. The chief calling of any pastor should always be the proclamation of the Word, Christ and Him crucified. But issues such as this do affect our ability as a people to declare to the fullest His Word. The second Amendment is like the door keeper or the lock that protects the first amendment. Any nation that has lost the right to defend itself very quickly after lost its right to free speech and with that freedom of Religion. Each of us has particulars that grip our heart. Just as one writer said abortion, and the same sex marriage issue. Both of which I very strongly preach against. Regarding speaking out outside the walls of the church, that is precisely what both pastors and Christians are called to do. Go Ye into all the world. I don't mean to be at odds with any comments here, but silence is what lead to the holocaust in Europe. Perhaps if I can borrow from one pastor Martin Niemueller and paraphrase a bit differently, when they came for my second amendment rights I didn't own a gun so I saw no need to speak up, but when they came for my first amendment rights there was no means by which to defend. I fully agree my chief calling is to preach or proclaim the Word of God, the salvation found in Christ, and I do. What I did that day was speak one time at one event on an issue that I clearly believe could stand to take that freedom from me.
- John J Flanagan
  
  The comments here are very thoughtful and sobering. I sometimes feel as if I am seeing the same political atmosphere as those of God's people living in Germany as Hitler rose to power, and as a willing and intimidated population failed to act according to faith and conscience to prevent his ascent to power. I see much the same happening in my country, America. We have a serious decline in national morals, a leader worshipped as a cult figure, a dishonest and corrupt mainstream media which lives to build up Obama, a Hollywood community churning out all kinds of debased, violent, values and entertainment, and a largely docile and indifferent populace, a weak church without vocal and effective defenders of the honor of Christ, the sanctity of life, the traditions of marriage and ethics…….and where is this all going? Some are speaking out, but the nation, to survive, needs more Godly men and women to stand up, to speak out, and the be unrelenting in the pursuit of righteousness in a formerly Christian nation that is quickly sinking into the abyss. The only thing that will be left is for God to bring the hand of harsh judgment upon us and our children. God help us all.
  - http://www.facebook.com/jack.martin3 Jack Martin
    
    John, on that we agree. Which is why I speak out on all of the issues you stated and many more. And I preach Christ and Him crucified. When I stand before the Lord I want to hear enter in thou good and faithful servant. He has given me a life I certainly didn't deserve. God bless.
    - Evermyrtle
      
      One should not be afraid to preach the truth . I believe that i a great problem today, so many are afraid to preach the truth.
      - http://www.facebook.com/jack.martin3 Jack Martin
        
        We are in total agreement my friend.
  - Bighoss
    
    You need to start telling the truth, then. No one is worshipping the President of the Unioted States as a "cult figure" and the mainstream media do not live to build up Obama, See to cleaning up your own house as regards truth-telling instead of blithering out disordered wing-nut mantras like those.
    - John J Flanagan
      
      I think I can call Obama a "cult" figure with great certainty, and I can observe with no doubt that the mainstream media is very partisan. Why? Simply because I noted these things during the past years by watching all of the mainstream TV news stations and have done my own comparison of these stations to FOX news. Although Fox is disparaged by the mainstream, this station is more likely to have opposing viewpoints to debate issues than any of the other stations. Furthermore, the very worst media station is MSNBC, and the entire crew, Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow, big mouth Ed, and Martin Bashir, as well as the most ignorant of the group, Lawrence O'Donnell, While completing my college education eons ago, following 7 years in the Marine Corps, I also found the liberal bias in the media, among college professors, and in newspapers like the NY Times…..all of whom seemed to show disdain for conservatives, Republicans, and others who did not join the progressive bandwagon. If you cannot truthfully see this pattern, it is because it probably suits you fine and you agree with the liberal point of view. It is fine to be a liberal, if this is one's position, but at least be willing to admit it. Unlike the media, which wants to be considered enlightened and fair, cannot stop worshipping Obama at the expense of honesty and ethics.
Seymour Kleerly

Do what Christ did every day until they executed him. Fight GREED!!!
- http://www.answersingenesis.org/ keyboardshark
  
  You have a very myopic view of Christ's earthly ministry.
  - Seymour Kleely
    
    What was his overwhelming message? Spend. consume, pollute, go to war for resources, be racist, protect the rich? Please tell me (in earthly terms).
    - http://www.answersingenesis.org/ keyboardshark
      
      I can't tell you in earthly terms, because His ministry was a spiritual ministry
      
      "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
      
      Matthew 4:17
      
      "And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind."
      
      John 9:39
      
      "And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him."
      
      Matthew 9:9
      
      "Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence."
      
      John 18:36
      
      "13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
      
      Matthew 9:13
      
      "20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
      
      21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
      
      22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
      
      23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
      
      24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
      
      25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes."
      
      Matthew 11
      
      "6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
      
      7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.
      
      8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?
      
      9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
      
      10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
      
      11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
      
      12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."
      
      Matthew 16
      
      "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
      
      John 3:3
      
      "14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
      
      15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
      
      16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
      
      17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
      
      18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
      
      19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."
      
      John 3
      
      OK, now where are your verses that quote Jesus preaching against spending, consuming, polluting, going to war, being racist, and protecting the rich?
  - Myrtle
    
    This one knows a good bit of bible literature, problem, it is only in his head, it never made it to his heart. He thinks it is his right, to analyze it according to his idea. He can spew Bible scriptures with the best, he just cannot understand it, still he wants to explain it……………………………..Best to ignore him. .
    - http://www.answersingenesis.org/ keyboardshark
      
      Or better yet, show him the Scriptures that indicate he is wrong, and hopefully he will begin to see the light.