Network Christianity

There is a new denomination or movement on the block, called Network Christianity. Many politicians in Washington D.C. (USA) and TV personalities who are Christian are working together to "conquer the world for Christ without sharing the Gospel, the emphasis is on making money and taking over the seats of power around the world." This is called radical Preterism, the belief Christians will conquer the world before Christ comes. I don't however see how Network Christianity fits in Great Commission, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (Matthew 28:19), and the fact that Jesus said "until Gospel is preached to all nations the end won't come." (Matthew 24:14). In addition, the idea of conquering for Christ and world being Christian violates Jesus' own concern, "tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?" (Luke 18:8). This radical Preterist approach of taking thrones and offices of power for Christ seems familiar, that is because its Medieval. In the Early Middle Ages, Constantine the Great created a Christian Empire called Byzantium. This Christian empire lasted until it was vanquished by Ottoman Turks. In Europe the Church itself became an empire called The Papacy, and for a time the Popes ruled like Emperors and Vicars of Christ. This time rather than swords and pitch battles, the goal is to use money, networking, and taking offices in seats of power to create a new Christendom. But Christendom is not made by votes, it is made by evangelism and people hearing the Gospel.

Network Christianity does not focus on Gospel, in fact it chooses to lay it aside and use money and position to achieve Christ's gains (allegedly). But Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money," (Matthew 6:24), "The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus," (Luke 16:14), "Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be," (Matthew 6:19-21), "but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful," (Mark 4:19), "Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction," (1 Timothy 6:9), "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows," (1 Timothy 6:10), and ultimately Satan invented money and commerce, "And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared. “You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. “You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you.“By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire." (Ezekiel 28:13-18). And yet these Network empire builders are building the 'kingdom' they say by focusing on money and building relationships of power. Sounds very Luciferian to me. While it is not wrong to use money for Kingdom of God, "Here's the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home." (Luke 16:9, this verse gets majorly mistranslated, so beware of it, some read be a friend of Mammon but that contradicts Luke 16:13). What Jesus means by this is to make friends using worldly wealth and share Gospel with them so that eternal things are produced from money. The issue with Network Christianity is that it literally says in bylaws not an emphasis on sharing the Gospel and to not share Gospel. 

Jesus and the Apostles make it clear not to love money. But they don't say you must become pauper, poor pilgrim, and monk. Asceticism is wrong (Colossians 2:23 ESV), because someone always pays, you can either earn some money to help pay your way and minister as disciple of Christ, or be beggar and receive money that way. The point is not to worship money, or trust it as your provider, " Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:26-34). The Trinity, God the Father, Jesus, and holy Spirit are the providers, not this world. While we should be good stewards of our money (Luke 16:11), Mammon is not our god or provider.

Here is the Apostle's words on money in full context: 

"The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light. ⁹ Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.

¹⁰ “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. ¹¹ And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? ¹² And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?

¹³ “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”

¹⁴ The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him. ¹⁵ Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God." (Luke 16). The point is that we should manage our money well, but not worship it or let it take God's place in our hearts. Its a fine balance of using the money wisely, but not become a Mammonist who is always thinking about money. I have seen first hand Mammonists, those who are poor worrying about every cent and those who are rich worrying about losing it. Penny pinchers and millionaires can become trapped in Mammon. So beware brothers and sisters in Christ. This is why Network Christianity bothers me, it isn't saying manage money, and take seats of office as Christians, and while doing so preach the Gospel, it actually says but the Gospel on back burner, and use money and affluence to achieve the goal of Radical Preterism. In my book this is violation of the Great Commission and will not lead to Jesus' Return, because before that all nations must hear the Gospel (Matthew 24:14).