Donald Trump, Barack Obama, David Platt & Lon Solomon: How prayers show different priorities at McLean Bible Church.
David Platt’s reaction to Donald Trump revealed his inability to address cornerstone issues of moral decline. Instead of a bold declaration, Platt’s reaction to Donald Trump featured clichéd Leftist talking points. In contrast, Lon Solomon’s email to MBC following Barack Obama’s reelection focused on praying for the President and praying that God would stop America’s moral decline. Let’s take a closer look.
Lon Solomon’s November 9, 2012, email to McLean Bible Church focused on the command to pray for believers and to pray for America to resist moral decline. Pay special attention to Solomon’s plea that God would lead Obama to “reverse the destructive inroads that humanism and atheism have made into our society in favor of a society based on the teachings of the Bible.”
Solomon wrote to his flock of mostly conservative and Republican churchgoers,
Dear Friends,
As we all know, God has sovereignly chosen President Obama to be our President and leader for the next four years. Now, our duty as evangelical believers is to pray for our President in a biblical and godly way (1 Tim 2:1-3; 1 Pet 2:13-17).
In addition to praying for our President and leaders, we need to also be praying for the values of our American society, and the hearts of we Americans who shape those values–and reaching out to them with the life-transforming Gospel message of Christ. This is especially clear in light of the ballot initiatives that passed in some of our states this past Tuesday.
And finally, we must continue to stand strong for the truths of God’s Word (2 Tim 4:1-2) as well as continuing to be good “salt and light” (Matt 5:13-16) for our beloved nation.
MBC is committed to leading our church family in observing these biblical commands in the days ahead.
In the meantime, I urge us all to pray for our nation and our President.
Hope to see you this weekend!
Prayer
“Dear Father, as Your people, we lift up our nation and our President to You today. We know that You have a sovereign plan for America, and, in that sovereign plan, You have chosen our leader for the next four years. We submit to that plan and lift up President Obama to You. We ask that (1) he will realize that his position was obtained by Your choice; (2) that he will recognize his personal inadequacy for the task and cast himself upon You for wisdom, knowledge, and courage; (3) that he will forsake personal ambition and strive to do what is best for America; (4) that he will reverse the destructive inroads that humanism and atheism have made into our society in favor of a society based on the teachings of the Bible; and (5) he will courageously restore America to a place of moral, just, and righteous leadership in our world. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”
David Platt said of his prayer for Donald Trump, that his act was not an endorsement of Trump as a person or of Trump’s policies.
Platt also said, he understood people had valid concerns about the prayer.
What was most revealing was how Platt revealed a fear that his action with President Trump might harm efforts to shape MBC in a pattern that “transcends political party” while healing “the hurts of racial division and injustice.”
Platt said, “Based on this text, I know that it is good, and pleasing in the sight of God, to pray for the president. So in that moment, I decided to take this unique opportunity for us as a church to pray over him together. My aim was in no way to endorse the president, his policies, or his party, but to obey God’s command to pray for our president and other leaders to govern in the way this passage portrays…I wanted to share all of this with you in part because I know that some within our church, for a variety of valid reasons, are hurt that I made this decision. This weighs heavy on my heart. I love every member of this church, and I only want to lead us with God’s Word in a way that transcends political party and position, heals the hurts of racial division and injustice, and honors every man and woman made in the image of God. So while I am thankful that we had an opportunity to obey 1 Timothy 2 in a unique way today, I don’t want to purposely ever do anything that undermines the unity we have in Christ.”
Now, think about the two reactions.
Which is biblical?
Why are Big Eva celebrity pastors like David Platt obsessed with race and silent on other moral issues?
It is because David Platt is a leftist.
And he is not the only one in Big Eva. This is the most dangerous threat to America’s churches.