49% Of Pastors Frequently Hear Conspiracy Theories Repeated In Church

Transcript

49% Of Pastors Frequently Hear Conspiracy Theories Repeated In Church

Welcome to World Events and the Bible. I’m Brandon T. Ward. 49% of Pastors have heard conspiracy theories repeated in their church.

So I found this poll and I wanted to share it with you and just kind of talk to you about it a little bit. And this was from a Protestant Pastors. You know, in the United States of America, about half of them have overheard conspiracy theories repeated in the church.

So I got to thinking, if half of them have, I wonder how many we have in our audience. We talk about world events in the Bible, so pretty big bag there. Right?

So in this video, I want to talk about past conspiracies political and from a religious point of view, just briefly. How do identify a conspiracy, questioning the conspiracy. And lastly, just seeing what the Bible says about it, right. Should always consult with that.

Now I got to tell you, nearly every conspiracy theory that I ever came across is like bogus. There’s truth in some things, right? In some things, not everything. I’m going to take you way back, like some of the first ones I remember hearing about.

U.N. Martial Law Takeover

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I remember there, there was this one that the United Nations was about to declare martial law in the United States. And the whole reason was, because these big rigs we’re going down the interstate. And they had in the United States, these big rigs are going down the interstate, and they had United Nations trucks on them. So therefore, that meant that the United States was about, the United Nations was about to take over the United States. Sounded crazy at the time, but a lot of people buy into this stuff.

So me, I’m not looking at these websites or what people are telling me, you know. I’m just going to go to the source.

Well, come to find out that they make those vehicles in Virgina. So it’s not exactly a surprise then. Right? And here we are years later after the fact and no United Nations takeover. Surprise. Right.

And what you should know is the United States funds the United Nations, 30% of their budget. So essentially for all intents and purposes, then the United States is the United Nations. And our leaders have no problem pushing forward globalization and funding it. All right. That’s the fact of it, not that the United Nations was going to take over the United States. Silly stuff.

Coffins Of Death!

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Another one was. These coffins. I’m sure everybody knows what I’m talking about. There was these, going to be these FEMA camps, and these big coffins. And they could put a bunch of bodies in them, and they were going to bury all of us. Well, that was like 15, 20 years ago. And those coffins are so dried out and sun baked by now.

You know what happens to plastic, when it gets brittle over time with the sun?

It cracks and it breaks and it just goes back into the ground, you know? So another one that was just not true.

TrumpPence

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Speaking of one that was, recent, is one with the last President, President Trump. And when he was first elected, a lot of people made a big deal out of his birth date or his inauguration day.

And then they made a big deal because his name is Trump and the Vice President’s last name was Pence. So therefore that meant that “TrumpPence”, it meant that the sixth Trump was about the sound. And we were trying to tell people that all this stuff was bogus. It’s just people that come up with things.

And what they really end up doing is diverting the flock. They divert Christians into these other things, off in left field that have nothing to do with the Bible or any kind of reality. And in the end, they make you look kind of foolish. Okay.

The Rapture!

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Another one, I remember this one Pastor. I won’t use his name. He’s no longer alive, but he told people that the rapture was going to happen in the year 2011 and that came and went, you know why?

Because there’s no rapture, it’s not in the Bible.

People will take some verses and they kind of cherry pick, and then they come with these whole doctrines. So there’s conspiracy theories, not just politically, but in everything. You know, in the Bible and everything like that.

But you have to learn to be wiser than, the guy that just walks by you that kind of whispers in your ear and tells you, Oh, Hey, did you hear the latest thing?

You know what I mean? Christians, come on man. We’re supposed to be smart people, wise people. We don’t bite every hook that comes along. All right.

How Do You Identify If Something You Heard Is A Conspiracy?

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How do you identify if something you heard is a conspiracy?

Verify the source.

Just like I explained with those UN trucks, right. I didn’t go find other websites that were talking about it, you know, in that regard. Go to the source, whatever it happens to be, you know. If, I can’t get into details, I guess, cause it just depends on what the conspiracy that you’re hearing is. But going to some website or getting some email from somebody or someone sending you a text message or something on social media is not a fact.

It just means that a lot of people are blabbing on about something. That’s it. Okay.

If a website is called doom and gloom.com, it’s bogus. All right. If there’s a website, I don’t think there is one name that, but you kind of get my point. All right. If there’s some site you’re on is telling you all this stuff and it has good reasons, and some of it kind of makes sense, but they’re selling you everything under the sun. You know, they’re selling you gas masks to prevent you from something. They’re selling you pills, and some food, or something to prevent you from something.

I mean, you want to be on guard for that kind of stuff.

I mean, wise and intelligent people are not going to those places to get information. Okay.

Those places have been around for as long as I’ve been a grownup and they’re always scaring people into something. And they never talk about the Bible. Kind of interesting, right?

Some will claim to be Christians, but they’re always espousing off about some fear and some doom that’s going to take over you and your family that you should be aware of that never happens. But they’ll sell you products to protect you from it. I love it.

So find the facts, go to the source. All right. That’s your takeaway.

Question The Conspiracy

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Question the conspiracy, it’s kind of what we’re talking about already, right? Who came up with, and who promotes the conspiracy theory?

Where did it come from.

Like where did, where was the source of it?

Do you have any idea?

I don’t know. It depends on what it is. And when I say check the source of the information, the source of the conspiracy is not the source I’m talking about.

In the case of the UN trucks, I had to do some research and find out where the vehicles were built. You know, and things like that. So it led me to a government website and things like that.

And not that the government has everything, is a hundred percent factual on there. But I’m trying to find out why these UN vehicles are going down the road. It’s an appropriate place to look where the vehicles were produced. All right.

What is the person telling you a conspiracy have to gain?

Whether it’s your friend, a neighbor, church member apparently. Some website, some email, social media thing.

What do they have to gain?

And when you get down to it, the source of the information where it was originated from, what do they have to gain?

I’m pretty much going to guarantee you, that they’re trying to sell you something or scare you into selling you something. It’s always the case.

Let’s see. Okay. So what do they have to gain monetary wise at obviously for the reasons I’ve already stated. And you know, why are you being told this information again?

And who benefits from this knowledge?

Who benefits from the conspiracy theory?

If somebody is putting something out there about X, Y, and Z. If more people believe it, does it benefit somebody?

Cause I’m willing to bet that it does not benefit you. I don’t care what the conspiracy is. I don’t care what it’s about. It’s not going to benefit you and your family. And you knowing about it isn’t going to help anything.

If anything, you buying into it will probably help some evil plot or plan come to pass. I mean, it always seems to be that way. And the ones that I’ve already explained in the beginning, the four I gave, two religious, and two political. People that buy into them, they destroyed their credibility.

And you know what they were told? What I had heard people even said to me, and various emails and things I received, is about the trumpets thing.

Oh, Brandon. Oh, you don’t have eyes to see and ears to hear. That’s what people’s argument is that buy into this stuff. Okay. That’s a losing saying, Oh, you don’t have eyes to see or ears to hear. I mean, it’s just like a default thing that people will fall back on. They have no proof to back up their claim.

So then they default to these little phrases and everything to make them feel like what they have to say is true. Okay. That’s not how Christians act. Christians use the Bible and facts in the world to prove their point.

The Origin Of The Conspiracy Theory

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All right. The origin of the conspiracy. I think we actually kind of got that, but our enemy plants, these things in the world. They plant them, so people will buy into them, to further their agenda and their plans.

I mean, you ever read Ephesians six?

The prince, the rulers of the darkness of this world. I mean, Satan is the god of this world.

So hey, everything that comes along, sometimes it may sound good. Maybe it was planted by an enemy. Don’t be so quick to buy into everything that comes along. That’s not how wise people act. That’s not how Christians act.

Conspiracies are bad for Christians

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Conspiracies they’re just bad for Christians. You know, some people that will buy into these conspiracies, it will actually destroy their Christian faith. It really does. It really does. One of the things that, another one I want to talk about is the year 2018.

Now for years, people had been saying that 2018 was going to be the year Jesus was going to return. A lot of Christians. Because of this parable of the fig tree, and Israel being founded in 1948 meant, that Jesus had to return no later than 2018 because of this 70 year generation stuff.

All right. A lot of us got sucked into that stuff. And we had said for years that 2018 is going to come and go. Jesus never set no date. He even said that He didn’t even know when the return, His return was going to be. He said only the Father knows. So how could we just start cherry picking dates and everything? You know.

Sometimes we all have to slow down, think about this stuff. Sometimes, some things seem really exciting and we kind of get wrapped up into it. I get it. But that’s when we got to slow down, take a step back. And we wrote about that one specifically in a Bible Study called, Learn A Parable Of The Fig Tree. I think you should check it out.

And one of the biggest political and religious conspiracies that I’ve ever seen in a long time, starts at the q. And I won’t say anything other about it. Other than it’s just hogwash, and it’s sucking in a lot of Christians, and it’s really disturbing. And I bet you that this 49% of these Pastors that are hearing this stuff revolves around this one right here.

Let me see what else I want to cover. Oh yeah. Some, some people do not become Christians due to these various teachings. And don’t blame it all on the Pastors, even if it is a Biblical one, because how many things do you actually pick up on and then go share with other people? So it kind of makes you a part of it too.

I mean, anytime that we share something with somebody we are attempting to teach. So you really want to think about that. I mean, it is a big responsibility when you learn something and then you want to go share it with other people. I know that’s what we’re supposed to do. We’re supposed to share the Bible.

We should do that, but let’s make sure that we thought about it enough ourselves to where we are really confident. That is true and accurate. No matter what it is, political religious, anything. Okay.

Like I said, some of this stuff makes Christians look bad. And in doing that, it reduces our effort to share the Bible with others.

It takes away our credibility. It makes Christians look foolish and we don’t want to look foolish. Okay. We’re not foolish. We’re children of God. And we need to act that way.

Young Earth Theory

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Some of the things that have come across my, that I’ve talked about in recent years. Would be a Biblical aspect, is a 6,000 year old earth.

I mean, you don’t have to be a scientist or hear from a scientist to understand that the world is far older than that. I mean, we’ve been a state parks and national parks and just driving by some roadsides, you can see these multiple layers. In the ground over time, some are just sand. Some are dirt, some are mixed with round river rocks and big boulders and different colored layers.

And there’ll be numerous layers of different variations of thickness that took time. It wasn’t just one event that did it. Okay. It was over time.

So when we expose this belief that the Bible says the earth is 6,000 years old, it really makes us look foolish. And that’s why so many people are falling away from Christianity.

It’s one of the many reasons. I should say, because people are realizing due to science and just more information, the information age of the internet. We can find out so much with so little effort. If we’re careful. That will show that the earth is old, you know, it’s very old. And the Bible declares that as well.

Flat Earth Theory

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This flat earth theory. I’m constantly getting people emailing me about a flat earth. I just, I’m really taken back by it. One of the last things I have to share with you on that subject is the last email I got. It was someone was saying that the earth, the moon rather was actually a light.

Because God says, He created two great lights, right? One to rule the day one to rule the night.

He’s talking about the stars. I mean, they produce light. They’re like sun’s out there. Okay. The moon does not produce light. Of course God created the moon, but it is a reflection of light.

I mean, anybody can observe that. You do not need anyone to tell you that. If you go out, when there’s a half moon out. At nighttime sometimes, in the day. You can see that the angle, the day is the best way for you to identify it.

The moon will be only lit say from the left side. Well, the sun happens to be on the left side. Right. And then if, there’s sometimes the light is only coming from the other side of the moon and you’ll notice that’s where the sun is. It’s shining in that direction. So these things you can observe.

I mean, if the moon was a light guys, it would always be lit. There would never be anything under a full moon.

So you got to think about these things. There’s too many people out there telling you things that are just not true. And some people are not taking the time to really sit down and think about these things. So it’s not just political conspiracies, it’s Biblical conspiracies.

And then these things take us off on wild goose chases, and we go off in left field. And then if you want to talk about the Bible with somebody. They’re not going to be able to listen to you, man. I’m just telling you how it is in the real world. It’s one ear and out the other. When people hear that from you, you destroy your credibility.

Christians are not supposed to spread rumors. And this thing. We’re not supposed to gossip. Right. We’re just supposed to share the Bible. And what’s true about life, enjoy our friends and family, and not get wrapped up in every little thing that comes across our desk. Okay.

What does the Bible say about conspiracies?

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Now, what does the Bible say about conspiracies?

Let’s talk about it.

We’re going to turn to Ephesians chapter five. While, you go ahead and turn there. I want you to remember Hosea chapter four, verse six. And God’s talking, and He says, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, because you have rejected knowledge. We rejected the knowledge. That’s why we’re destroyed, because we didn’t want the knowledge. And knowledge comes from the Bible, right?

It says, it’s the very first place that we can gain wisdom and understanding comes from the Bible. So when we partake of all these conspiracies that come away, it’s taken us away from the Word. Whether we’re spending time reading it or spending time learning about some conspiracy.

And you know what, I want to pose a question to you.

How often are you. How more likely are you, to share a conspiracy that comes your way, than to actually share the Bible?

Think about that one. Think about that one.

So Ephesians chapter five, verse six.

All right. What does it say? We want to be over here.

It says, let no man deceive you with vain words. That’s empty words. Don’t let anybody fool you. Don’t let anybody deceive you with them. For because of these things cometh wrath, the wrath of God upon the children of those disobedience.

This word disobedience even means disbelief. So don’t let people that come and have vain words to speak to you, make you go on a wild goose chase, and get sucked in all this stuff. Because God’s not happy with it He’s saying.

Let’s read the next verse.

Verse seven, be not ye therefore partakers with them. Everybody always wants someone to get sucked in to whatever is that they want to tell him. Right? I mean, that’s pretty much what it is. That’s why someone’s telling you. And then you guys could believe together. You know, whatever happens to be, God said don’t get caught up with people that are speaking vain and empty words.

What profit does the conspiracy have to do?

What is it going to benefit you and your family?

How’s it going to benefit anybody?

How are you going to change anything with it?

Most of the time it’s all bunk anyway, right?

Verse eight. For you were sometimes darkness. Hey at some point we were all in darkness.

We were all lost and confused in this world. But, now are you light in the Lord. You’re a Light in the Lord now. Walk as children of light.

So God expects that when you come out of darkness, you don’t go back babbling with it. That you stay out of it, and you walk, and conduct yourself as a child of light. That means as a child of the living, God. That’s what we’re supposed to do. All right.

The next one I want to go to is Matthew chapter 10. I mean, Jesus is going to break down this next one. All right. So we should probably listen to Him. Let’s see what he has to say.

Matthew chapter 10, verse 26. He says, fear them not therefore.

And now if you read the prior verses, He’s talking about. You know, being hated by the world and even delivered up before councils and different things. Some of that stuff is for the very Last Days, but you’re going to be hated by the world if you believe in Jesus. That’s the gist of it.

But fear them not. Fear not the people who hate you and all this stuff. For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed and hid and shall not be known.

Jesus is talking, and He says, don’t worry about everything that goes on. There’s nothing hid that He’s not ever going to reveal.

I mean all the bad dudes that are putting evil plots on the rest of us out there in the world and bringing the Bible’s prophecy to pass from a negative aspect, the negative frame. It’s all going to be uncovered in the end. God’s going to make it known.

You know, there’s nothing wrong with learning about things in the world. But it’s a whole different thing when you start getting sucked in all these things that turn out not to even be true anyway.

Verse 27. What I tell you in darkness that speak ye in light and which ye hear in the ear that preach ye upon the housetops. Jesus, didn’t say preach and tell the people about the things that are covered.

He said, preach and tell the world about what I tell you tell it in the light, tell it on the rooftop.

Instead, a lot of people, they tell it on the rooftop. They tell it out everywhere about the latest conspiracy they heard. All right. So Jesus said, don’t do that. He’s going to make everything known that there is to be known, and instead share His Word and positive things that uplift each and every one of us. All right.

As I explained at the top of this thing. There’s so many conspiracies that have come over the years, they just turn out to be fables. They’re just not true. They just sidetrack us, make us look like clowns really, for believing in them. And you know, you lose your credibility that way and you can’t help spread the good news.

Like what Jesus just asked us to do. All right.

So with that, that’s going to conclude this video.

Thank you so much for joining us.