Terry Jones and Fred Phelps are NOT true Christians, pastors, or preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and their ‘churches’ are false
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, ‘Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” – The Lord Jesus Christ (From His ”Sermon on the Mount” in The Gospel of Matthew 5:38-42)
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” – The Lord Jesus Christ (Also, from His ”Sermon on the Mount” in The Gospel of Matthew 5:43-48)
One of the most troubling aspects from the catastrophic events of September 11th, 2001 and the ongoing aftermath is that very few public Muslims came out – publicly and clearly – to condemn those horrific attacks and (or) to disavow the perpetrators of those unparallelled-in-history, altering-life-as-we-knew-it acts as the criminal, mass-murdering, false zealotry of a false fundamentalism of a global religion that they plainly were.
Even then, the words of the comparatively few, truly public Muslims who did come out against “them” – terrorists and their terrorism; jihadists and their jihad; or those specific nineteen, their support personnel, their acts and associates, and their stated intentions – were couched and crafted in such a way as to leave the discerning listener, or the astute reader, unclear as to just who was being condemned and who was being memorialized.
(For one example, go to http://www.americanrhetoric.com/rhetoricofterrorism.htm and listen (very carefully) to the actual words of the prayer offered by Imam Muzammil H. Siddiqui at the National Day of Prayer and Rembrance on September 14th, 2001 at the National Cathedral in Washington, D. C. Who, exactly, was he praying for? Can you tell? I couldn’t. Or, who or what represented ”the good” or “the evil,“ which he declared as “not equal“? I remember, as I watched this event live, that I hoped for a brave Muslim cleric, who would make clear that those nineteen were deluded, deceived, and false Muslims. It never happened, or anything close to it ….)
Intelligence personnel know all too well that a number of governments, groups, and individuals who expressed their ‘official’ condolences for the events of 9/11/2001 also celebrated these attacks upon the United States, and actively support global terrorism – both then and now.
I don’t mean to lump all Muslims together; that’s not at all my point. The vast majority of Muslims were (and are) appalled at those and other events perpetrated in “the name of Allah.”
My point is that some public Muslims and leaders of Muslim groups and governments said some things in public to create a certain false impression, while their private (read: secret) behavior stands in diametric opposition to their words and undermines any credibility on the world’s stage that they may arrogate to themselves.
Most – whether for fear or fealty – said nothing at all. But Islam is not the only world religion that has its false prophets, false would-be ‘spokesmen,’ false zealots, and silent co-conspirators.
Enter Terry Jones and Fred Phelps, two birds of an equally false feather.
Unless you recently returned from a decade-long vacation to Neptune, you must have heard something about Terry Jones and Fred Phelps ….
Jones is the rather recently infamous leader of the White Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida – as diminuitive in its size as is conversely proportional to its pomposity (“World”? Outreach Center). Phelps is the more veteranly and marginally more infamous leader of the equally diminutive Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas.
(Reportedly, and ironically, they each have something close to 50 or so followers associated with their ministries – not 500 or 5000 … 50 … each! These two literally are the molehills made into mountains. Only, they’re more mirages than mountains ….)
You’ll surely know of the Phelpsian-Westboro folks. They are infamous for staging “rallies” and protesting military funerals, where all three-to-thirteen of them hold up signs and scream such spiritually uplifting messages as ”God hates fags!” (If they are speaking of homosexuals, He doesn’t. If they are speaking of cigarettes, then maybe He does.) and “Thank God for Dead Soldiers!” (Only, He didn’t do it – either in judgment or otherwise, contrary to their shrill claims.)
For their part in this very bad, farsical-if-it-weren’t-true play-noir, Terry and his tribe are the folks who threatened to burn a stack of Qur’ans back on September 11th, 2010 in commemoration of the 9/11/2001 terror attacks – fully two years after Fred first threatened to burn his own Qur’an(s).
But tribal leader Terry backed off of his threats, when a supposed deal was struck between him, according to him, and a well-known, well-respected Muslim leader in New York City. They agreed – again, says only Terry – to discuss the location of a still-only-proposed mosque and Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero.
Until two weeks ago, when Terry and his little tribe renewed their zeal to burn the holy book of OVER A BILLION PEOPLE in their fittingly diminuitive shack of a facility, everyone had [almost] forgotten that Terry Jones and his little White Dove “World” Outreach Center existed. But alas ….
The good news is several. Terry and his tribe only burned one Qur’an, rather than the originally planned “stack of Qur’ans” (200 or so) – fully six months after Fred actually did it, but he and his folks threw in the burning of an American flag for good measure, I suppose.
(Fred’s folks actually whined that their event received comparatively little attention. Perhaps they’d both prefer to combine forces, move their little tribes to the mountains of Pakistan, and take up residence with their spiritual inlaws – you know, Uncle Osama and the Taliban.)
Apparently attempting to give the impression of objectivity and legal due process, Terry and his tribe staged a mock-trial for the defendant-of-a-holy-book – complete with defense attorney (supposedly a Muslim cleric, who they scrounged from Texas), supposed Muslim-turned-Christian of a prosecutor, and twelve-member jury, reportedly made up of members and attendees of the White Dove “World” Outreach Center.
The Qur’an wasn’t actually burned by Terry Jones himself – looking more than a little like Uncle Osama, who also has others to do his dirty work – but by another false pastor, ironically and fittingly named … Wayne Sapp.
Here’s the thing (and the point of my post): Both Fred and Terry claim to be ’Christians,’ preachers of the ‘Christian’ gospel, and leaders of ’Christian’ people, assembled in ’churches,’ so-called.
They aren’t … any of those things. Their actions – contemptible and condemning, hateful and hatemongering, fearful and fearmongering – expose the lie of their shared, false confessions, which falsity is obvious to all … but themselves and their two trifling tribes.
To be clear: Neither Terry Jones nor Fred Phelps is a true Christian, a true pastor, or a true preacher of the Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ; and their ‘churches’ are false.
To be equally clear: This judgment isn’t mine, according to me and my subjective judgment. (Who cares what I think? My church is only about three times as large as Jones’s and Phelps’s!)
No, this is Jesus’s own personal judgment and His warning to all who have ears to hear:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will reognize them by their fruits.“ – The Lord Jesus Christ (Again, from His “Sermon on the Mount” in The Gospel of Matthew 7:15-20)
Similarly, Luke recorded Jesus’s words on this topic, too, but notice that the source of the fruit – whether good or evil – is the heart, the truest reflection of a person’s identity and character:
“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Why do you call Me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ but you do not do what I tell you?“ – The Lord Jesus Christ (Luke’s Gospel account of His “Sermon on the Mount” in Luke 6:43-46)
Calculating generously, I’d be quite surprised if more than three people ever read this blog. Nevertheless, I thought someone should say – publicly and clearly – that Jones and Phelps, along with others of their ilk, whose words claim to honor God and exalt Jesus Christ, but their actions demonstrate that their hearts are far from Him, do not represent or reflect true, Biblical, Christ-initiated, Spirit-born Christianity. And their churches are false.
And yet, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is extended also to them: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel!“ – The Lord Jesus Christ (The Gospel of Mark 1:15)
I hope that they do, and pass it on to those they have deceived ….
May God’s grace, peace, mercy, and love accrue to us all, including my enemies and yours!
Pastor Mark
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Hey Pastor Mark,
I was just thinking, isn’t comparing Terry Jones with Fred Phelps a bit of a stretch? Certainly I don’t agree with what Terry Jones did. I don’t think I would consider him as a false teacher though. He is a fool for doing what he did. However is church history not full of men who are considered great men of God who led us in a reformation? Their actions I think were much worse, no?
Also, there is an account in Acts (19:19) where new converts gathered together to burn a whole lot of magic books. Could it not be assumed that that would have caused a bit of a reaction, as like most of what Paul did? The Quran is not a magic book but it is, to be fully honest, a book of the devil as much as those books of magic were.
Why should one man be silenced and so quickly condemned by the world, even from those within the church who are most often so slow to call anyone a false teacher or heretic, for burning one book, and not more so the reaction of the wicked, cowardly, murderers?
Hello, Ryan, and thank you for taking the time to read, process, and respond.
You have raised a number of questions, and so I’ll try to take them in some semblance of Biblical priority.
First and most importantly, I couldn’t help but notice that you didn’t interact with the words of Jesus that formed the basis of my post … at all. And therein lies much of our problem, I believe.
We fail — as Christians and as the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ — to discern truth from error, life from death, right from wrong, good from evil, the work of the Holy Spirit from “the spirit of the world” (1 Corinthians 2:6-16):
We fail to allow the Scriptures to speak decisively. So, our judgments are more often a mixture of our own fleshly and worldly wisdom with Biblical proof-texts mixed in to support our own fleshly and worldly wisdom.
This is what makes good and well-intentioned people vulnerable to the Terry Joneses and the Fred Phelpses of the world.
We tend to be selective in our loyalty to the Scriptures. We say that “we believe the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible.” But then, we pick and choose the passages that we like and that suit our purposes, and we tend to ignore those passages that do not fit our purposes or even go explicitly against our purposes.
Even then, let’s take the one Biblical reference that you did make in your response to my posting — from Acts 19 : Who burned the books in that account? Why did they burn the books?
You do rightly note it was new converts, but before we are able to answer these two vital questions fully — that is, Biblically, a bit of background is in order …
Paul had been in Ephesus for over two years at this point, preaching the gospel to such an extent that “all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks” (vs. 10).
But not only that, the Holy Spirit was working so powerfully through Paul “that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them” (vv. 11-12).
The gospel of Jesus Christ was being preached with such authority, and the Holy Spirit was working so powerfully through Paul’s ministry that some “Jewish exocists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims‘” (vv. 13-16).
These “seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva” (vs. 14) weren’t believers in the Lord Jesus or practitioners of the Christian faith. Rather, they wanted to use the name of Jesus to further their false ‘ministry’ of exorcism. (If I were Terry Jones or Fred Phelps, Ryan, your Biblical reference would already be feeling a bit too close for my comfort!)
Further, their falsity was exposed when they actually encountered a man who was actually possessed by an actual demonic spirit — perhaps for the first time, and surprisingly. This one demon-possessed man routed the seven of them, sending them running home to daddy, “naked and wounded” (vv. 15-16).
Now we get to the book-burning incident in Acts 19. I must say, however, that from this point on, these are the only two points of similarity with our contemporary situation — there were books and there was burning.
Thus endeth the correlation ….
The Biblical answers to my two questions — Who? And why? — contained in what follows of the Biblical account will get us to the obvious dissimilarity with our aforementioned false-prophet-pastors-and-their-false-churches, of which I wrote and whom you seem to be defending — Terry Jones, at least.
Beginning at Acts 19, verse 17, we read:
“And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of [the books] and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver” (vv. 17-19).
Paul wasn’t the one burning the books; those in Paul’s Ephesian-church-plant weren’t burning the books; and this was no show to make some melodramatic and self-serving statement about magicians and their books! (Again, if I were either Terry or Fred, I’d be feeling the heat a bit, if you know what I mean!)
The once-magicians-now-Christ-followers were burning their own books — their retail inventory, if you will — at extraordinary cost to themselves, as an expression of contrition and repentance for their own sinful and rebellious and sorcerous ways, their own corresponding faith and obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and their own personal dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ!
And they were doing so, publicly, as a testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ to anyone and everyone who would see and listen, including their former clients ….
What was the result of Paul’s preaching the gospel and these responses of repentance and obedience in those who believed? Verse 20 tells us: “So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.”
Has this been the result of either Terry Jones’s or Fred Phelps’s actions? Hardly.
But just to be clear, my friend, since you seem to imply that the negative reaction to the Jonesians and the Phelpsians form, at least in part, the basis of my previous post. It doesn’t … in any part.
The sole basis of my previous post was, and the sole basis of my response to you now is the clear words of Jesus, which we in the church frequently fail to apply in any real or decisive way.
Why is that, I wonder? Could it be that we prefer to continue making fleshly and worldly judgments, and reserve our rights to speak and act in ways that seem right to the flesh and in the world, but in the end, lead only to death?
In the case of Jones and Phelps, beyond question, this “way that seems right to a man but its end is the way to death (Proverbs 14:12)” is both a literal and physical, as well as a theological and spiritual reality.
Finally, Ryan, my concern was not (is not), as you say, to silence Terry Jones or Fred Phelps, or even to condemn them as false teachers or heretics.
It’s Jesus and His words that plainly do that, and without any help from me. (“He who has ears, let him hear.” — also Jesus)
As an American citizen, I gladly served my country and fought on her behalf — which is to say on Terry’s behalf, on Fred’s behalf, and on your behalf, too [in a North American sort of a way].
I constantly thank God that we live in a time when, and in a place where, there are such rights as freedom of speech — to bless or to curse, freedom of assembly — to worship or to protest, and freedom of religion — true religion or false religion.
I also don’t take any of these rights lightly, and I don’t have to agree with charlatans, or stand idly by, as they presume to speak for Jesus or for His followers or for His Church.
As a Christ-appointed preacher of His glorious gospel, and as a Christ-appointed leader of a local expression of His Church, I have a responsibility to speak the truth, the Biblical and spiritual truth — especially when doing so exposes error and heresy and a counterfeit gospel.
So, Ryan, it would seem that we have a both/and situation here: BOTH Terry Jones and Fred Phelps are false teachers and false prophets, who preach a false gospel and lead false churches; AND terrorists are “the wicked, cowardly, murderers” that you say they are.
But let’s also be careful and clear: Not all Muslims, in fact, the vast majority of Muslims are not terrorists or terrorist-sympathizers.
They’re just people, fallen human beings, who are lost, without hope, and without a Savior, and who need to hear and respond in obedient faith to the authentic, Biblical gospel … as you and I once did, as we still do.
Honestly, Ryan, do you really think that’s what either Terry Jones or Fred Phelps has to offer … to them … or to anyone else?
Thanks again for writing, my friend.
God’s grace, peace, and love to you and yours from me and mine!
Pastor Mark
Hey Pastor Mark,
I should have made myself more clear. In no way whatsoever would I ever in anyway defend the Phelps and their hate filled crew of haters. I would be the first one to tell anyone that they are not of Christ.
Terry Jones though, based soley on the single act of burning a koran, which I understood as all that you were refering to, and all anyone knows him for (for right now, I will not be surprised by more), is not enough for me to proclaim as someone whom Jesus would have been refering to as a false prophet.
You mentioned that the negative reaction from what Mr. Jones did didn’t form any basis for your initial post. If his actions didn’t have a negative reaction how could we then say that his actions were sinful and un-Christ like? Certainly we judge and discern whether or not the fruit of any action as good or bad based on the reaction.
My only comment was whether or not we could determine that Mr. Jones would be the object of whom Jesus would ahve been talking about.
I am in a very small way torn as to whether or not to defend Mr. Jones in what he did. I wouldn’t do something like that, as I do know that it is not something that Christ would do, and the responce from the Muslims is quite obvious (for which I would think that God may hold Terry Jones responsible in some way for the blood that was shed in responce for buring the Koran), so certainly it is not in any way a way of sounding forth the gospel of His salvation and love.
My tension comes from my flesh though. I am weary of the west being held in fear from the Muslims, and from our own society so quick to defend them and their rights over our own. That, as I said, is a tension from the flesh and not of Christ. This I know, and therefor I take these thoughts captive.
Still, I don’t think I would pronounce him as a false teacher. Misguided, wrong, one who committed a great sin, and should not be a pastor for sure, but a false prophet? I would need to hear a couple more tales of such doing to make such a judgment. Which I’m sure if he is so willing to do this despite the severe opposition from the Church, the military, the President, and literally the whole world!!! there is bound to be more that will surface (as we breifly mentioned to each other this morning)
You mentioned, Pastor Mark, that I didn’t interact with the words of Jesus that was the basis for your post? That was the basis for my responce to your post.
Again, for me to say that these words apply to Terry Jones, I would need to observe a complete unrepentance to all this already and perhaps he would need to continue in this manner. How much of a time lapse would be necassary? I don’t know. What if we never hear anything from him again? It might be safe to say that it was one sole moment of stupidity, and maybe he smartened up and came to his senses about what the true nature of a Christ-follower is (which I think a public apology would be in order, and a stepping down from his pastorship).
Perhaps this is a sole incident though that is evidence enough to discern him as a false prophet.
I wonder though, which is why I mentioned the reformers, that since our world at this time is front and center with this conflict between Islam and the west (not even just with Christianity) that could a man, a pastor, do something stupid to antagonize our civil enemy, and not be a false prophet? Compare the actions of the reformers with the catholics and even other reformers.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits…”
You mention that this is not your judgment, but Jesus’. Correct, that is what Jesus said, which leaves it up to us to beware, and determine and make our own judgement as to whom this would apply. Therefore you are making a judgment about Terry Jones. Your judgment is that he is one of whom Jesus is referring.
We are definitly in agreement when it comes to the church’s almost complete lack of discernment.
Don’t worry, after Kelly Powers, I believe that you know me better than any concerning my willingness to admit when I think someone is a false teacher, even when so much of the Church is smitten with them. It is what I concern myself with so often.
You said, “Honestly, Ryan, do you really think that’s what either Terry Jones or Fred Phelps has to offer … to them … or to anyone else?” (meaning hope, the gospel, and the Saviour)>
Something else that I concern myself with, as you do know, is evangelism. In that, I base my whole ministry around 1Thessalonian chapter 1, and the name of my ministry is based on “and you became imitators of us and the Lord…so that you became an example to all believers…(1:6-7).
He is definetly not “Like a Thessalonian” (yes that is my shameful plug ;p), and certainly he has done no service to the Lord. I pray (as do you) that Terry Jones will repent of the sin that he has committed and serve the Lord faithfully with love and in truth towards those who are lost.
God bless you my Pastor and friend,
Ryan