What Will 2020 be About? + ‘Is Jesus a Socialist?’ Charlie Kirk & Jack Hibbs Answer
What will the 2020 be about in America? Is Jesus a socialist? Many people, especially young people, are saying they want socialism in America, but do they really know what socialism is? Charlie Kirk, Founder and President of Turning Point USA, and Pastor Jack Hibbs, Founder and Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, help answer these questions and shed light on what socialism truly is and how the Church needs to step up in taking care of those in need.
Kirk starts the conversation saying that 2020 will be a year of defining what it means to be an American and what is America. “It will be a public referendum on the ideas of this country, the likes of which we have never seen before. Never before have we had so many people within our own country say they hate it. It has never ever happened before.” In a recent program, we shared a prophetic word from Kenneth Copeland, where he stated political change is coming! “Those politicians that refused my call to unite and become the United States of America and not just America, those politicians that refuse to listen, those politicians that continue the pathway of hate, I will remove them from their place. I will remove their influence from the record books. And, I will remove their candle in their families. And I will remove them from office and will put somebody in there that will.” You can find out more about that prophecy HERE. This prophecy will happen when we listen to God and participate in the process!
When it comes to socialism, we can look at other countries that have had socialism and see that it never ends well. America was founded on the idea of being separated from the King of England and the Founding Fathers gave everything for us to have freedom in our nation. One reason they wanted to be separated from the king is that all our rights come from God and the government should protect those rights. It was a miracle of God that the United States of America gained the freedom that she has, and it was fought for with the blood of thousands of people. Why would people have died for this freedom? We can’t throw away all that has been fought for in America. You can find out more about the history of America with David Barton and WallBuilders as he shares the facts. America needs to get back to her roots!
Kirk continues the conversation saying that Socialism, Marxism, and Collectivism defy two of the Ten Commandments and are against the teachings of Jesus Christ. “Somehow that you shouldn’t have to work and blame other people for your problems and take other people’s stuff; I don’t find that supported anywhere in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, I find the exact opposite.”
Pastor Hibbs asks Kirk to explain the Socialism issue that we now have in America because it has been ingrained in young people who have attended a college in our nation. “Whatever happens on college campuses will soon happen in corporate board rooms and the halls of Congress. College campuses are the leading indicator of the culture.” Kirk continues by saying that all the ridiculous conversations we are having in America right now all started from college campuses.
He asks that in 2020, are we going to be a country that is thankful or angry that we live in America? “Are we going to be a generation of victims or a generation of victors? Traditionally our country was one of victors.” We all face hard things in our life, but we can choose to keep going and make different choices that can lead to a better outcome. Many are blaming other people for their problems with one blame point being on the billionaires.
Kirk continues by explaining Biblically why Jesus Christ is not a socialist, “There is a crisis happening in Christianity right now. Where false teaching is permeating and spreading at an alarming rate, that somehow Jesus Christ was a socialist.” This is a lie! Kirk says he is asked all the time, ‘Didn’t you know Jesus was a Marxist?’ This is crazy because Marx was born after Jesus Christ, in the 1850s. “They are now abdicating more ideological authority to some misguided workers’ rights revolutionary author in the mid-1800s than the Savior of the world. Just so that you understand where the arguments stem from, that somehow Jesus Christ is something other than the Savior of the World.”
He shares the next fact concerning the lie that Jesus a socialist, ”Second is this, is that if you look specifically at what Jesus Christ commanded to us and what He taught us about individual initiative and our involvement, it’s so important to realize that never once did Jesus say, ‘go take everyone else’s stuff and redistribute it and stop working and go form a government around these things.’ It was a Gospel that, first and foremost, was specified to each individual. Going out of your comfort zone and helping other people and until you individually start to help other people and clothe people in need and help the poor. Now hold on a second there was something very specific and different to saying that we all of a sudden have to create a massive government albatross that doesn’t even do a good job of that, first and foremost, but then is also going to take from other people through envy and greed.”
The next thing Kirk discusses is the Parable of the Talents that Jesus spoke about. Greg also wrote about this in his book, I Will Fight: Ten Strategies for Success. God has given us all talents, but what are we doing with them? Are we investing our talents and getting a return on them? Or have we buried our talents? When the day comes that we meet our Savior face to face, we all should want to hear well done good and faithful servant! Get your copy of I Will Fight today and be challenged to invest your talents to advance the Kingdom of God!
Kirk continues saying that the Parable of the Talents is his favorite scriptures and he sees how it is the least appreciated, “One of the doctrines that Jesus talked about is the teaching of multiplication. It is the teaching that God will give you certain gifts and understanding that God is not wanting you to be sedentary. He doesn’t want you to be stationary and He does not want you to make excuses for not multiplying the gifts that God gave you to advance His Kingdom.
“Those gifts might be building a business. Those gifts might be pastoring or shepherding or might be counseling to others. Everyone has those specific gifts. But with Jesus, He was so fierce about this, that in the Parable of the Talents, the individual that was given a certain amount and hid it. Basically, did nothing with it, was given a punitive discipline, saying that you will be basically condemned if you do not multiply. So, you must ask the question, what kind of society, what kind of culture, what kind of governmental system would allow you as an individual to flourish and to multiply the gifts that God gave you?”
He asks, was this happening in the Soviet Union? Were people given the freedom to flourish in the gifts God gave them? Is this happening in Venezuela? No, it is not happening! So, as Christians what kind of government structure should we argue for? “One that allows us to be the most, the highest and best use for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, that allows us to have the freedom and liberty to accomplish what God has called us to do. When you are on the verge of civil war, when you can’t feed your citizens, when you are built on envy and greed and in a permanent ruling class; explain to me how the Gospel will be able to spread in a country where you can’t even feed your citizens?” How is that good for Christianity? It is not!
“That is why America has been a gift to the Kingdom of God,” Kirk continues. “Because when people are able to multiply, when people are able to create in a free market economy and given that freedom and liberty, you are able to see individuals gravitate towards the Gospel in record numbers. And that is why, when there is a hurricane, flood and an earthquake Americans step up.” Why do Americans step up to help? Because we have multiplied our talents in this nation by creating wealth, as a result we have it to give away to those in need.
Pastor Hibbs shares how the lie that Jesus Christ is someone other than the Savior of the world is coming out of mainstream churches in America where young people are hearing it and embracing it, that Jesus is a socialist. They share that this is taught in seminaries. Kirk says it is framed this way, “If you want to help people, then why wouldn’t you want government to do that?” It has never happened where the government has given us good medical care in any generation! “By default, the incentive structure of government is not to help people, it’s not to clothe the poor, to feed the hungry or to look after the vulnerable…Instead, the incentive structure of government is to push more power to itself.”
As Christians, we are called to do what many are looking to the government to provide for them! Kirk continues by breaking this down by looking at the utilitarian and moral argument concerning who should meet someone’s needs. First, he looks at the utilitarian argument. “Government does a horrible job at everything. Let’s just admit that. They can’t run the Department of Motor Vehicles. Yet we are supposed to let them run our healthcare…a lot of them [government offices] are staffed by wonderful people, but the incentive structure in government does not allow those wonderful people to flourish. Why? Because the good employees don’t get raises.” He shares that he is not attacking the people who are doing a wonderful job.
Secondly, he looks at the moral argument. “If every single government program was abolished, the Church would step up and make sure that every single person in this country was taken care of. Imagine for a second, if there were calls to action through our tithes and through our offerings, for each and every one of you and the wealth that we have created rightfully in this country, and we were able to have the equivalent back in taxes to say: we need to make sure that the individuals that were in public housing have the housing they need and they have the food that they require. I know the spirit and fabric of this country would step up because we always have.”
He says here is the other side of the utilitarian argument, “When you say government should go do it, not only do they do a poor job of it, not only will you all have to have less money, less freedom, and less liberty, but guess what? Over time it will diminish the role of the Church. This is why the Church is dead in Europe! Because people start saying, ‘Well, the government is going to take care of the poor.’ That is why charity does not exist in most of the world. We are the most charitable country in the history of the world. Because still when there is a problem, we say where is the Church, where is the Red Cross, where is the synagogue, where is the local community center? I’m going to go help that person.”
Kirk says that Americans gave over $500 billion to charity last year, and that is only what was reported to the IRS! He says it is probably double that, reminding us that when we offer to pay for someone’s meal or pay for their ride when they could not afford it, it is giving, and we don’t report those things. “That is people helping people. What happens over time is that when institutions of moral stature, like the Church, abdicate that responsibility and give it to the government, over time, that institution will cease to exist. The Church from its original charter, from the letters of Paul, said that you must be active and involved in the community, the very things that Jesus Christ said.”
We must get our moral institutions to step up and meet every need of those in need! “We should say it is a good thing when people get off of government assistance, and they are able to get back on their feet.”
Pastor Hibbs shares next, “The scripture teaches us regarding…your ability, when you build something, work for something; when you sweat when you get, there is a sense of value and participation in the culture. The scripture says, ‘If a man doesn’t work, a man doesn’t eat.’” We should all pay our taxes and that takes care of things like our streetlights coming on and our toilet flushing as Pastor Hibbs says and the Church should not have to be involved in those types of things. “How wonderful would it be if the Church got up and said, ‘We are going to demand that our local governments give us the homeless, give us those that are hurting. City, let us know those that can’t make their light bill.’ Because you need to know that that can happen, it does happen on a small scale but it’s a pathetic day when the United States government has a welfare system, with all the Bible teaching in America. There should be no welfare system! The Church should be the engine that takes care of those within its borders.”
They continue saying that even though some believe money is not available, it is! Plus, money can go further when it is given to the Church as Kirk says, “I believe $1 goes farther in the Church than a $100 in the government…If you present a need to a loving, vibrant, engaged Church that need will be met.” If every Christian would double the amount of their tithes and offerings, it would cover the amount that is spent on the welfare system!
The difference in getting help through the Church versus the government is that there is a relationship! There is accountability. Someone can go to the Church and explain their situation, and an engaged Church will set that person up, shepherd them along the way, to get everything they need, from a job to a vehicle, whatever that is needed!
Jesus is not a socialist! He is the Savior of the world and He loves and cares for us all! We have to fight to succeed with the talents that God gave us because God says we have to do something with the talents or we will be thrown in hell as it was written in the Parable of the Talents.
Greg shares a time where the Church was able to meet the need of a family. This woman’s boyfriend beat her, and her son found her on the floor, crying after the man left them. She was going to lose everything, and she did not have a vehicle. The son went to Greg and told him about what was happening with his mom. After meeting her, he found out she needed a job, needed her bills paid, and needed a vehicle, so they prayed about it! We can’t forget God in all the needs people have! Ask Him for it. God gave this woman everything she needed, a job, a car, the money to pay her bills, and the hours she needed to get off work in time to meet her son at the bus! AND it was all on her birthday! When we partner with God, anything can happen! It is time for the Church to wake up and be who God has called her to be! What are your thoughts about socialism and the role of the Church? We want to hear from you! Write to us at [email protected] or in the VFNKB Community HERE.
According to Charlie Kirk’s website, he is the Founder and President of Turning Point USA, a national student movement dedicated to empowering young people to promote the principles of free markets and limited government. By giving speeches on college campuses, building a nationwide grassroots organization, and appearing on countless media outlets – Charlie Kirk is drafting a blueprint for freedom. He is empowering and activating a new wave of free thinkers who are breaking the mold, standing firm, and redefining the future of American conservatism.
According to Pastor Jack Hibbs’ website, he is the Founder and Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills located in Southern California. Jack’s teachings are heard on many international radio stations throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, and throughout the Hawaiian Islands. He is best known for his passionate, expositional teachings. Pastor Jack and his wife, Lisa have been married for over thirty years. He, his wife, and family live in Southern California.
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