“And within the temple grounds He found those who were selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a whip of cords, and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, ‘Take these things away from here; stop making My Father’s house a place of business!’ His disciples remembered that it was written: ‘Zeal for Your house will consume me.’” (John 2, NASB)
Since the Bible says Jesus Christ is seated currently in Heaven at the right hand of God, having died for mankind’s sins, He won’t be flipping tables with whip in hand at Turning Point USA’s upcoming “Worship Night” next weekend.
TPUSA appears to have succumbed to a new temptation: grifting. For an “AMAZING DEAL,” anyone seeking to worship God must pay $75. That’s the low end of all the costs TPUSA asks potential attendees to fork over for next weekend’s events. (They launched an advertising blitz recently toting tickets at a discounted price of $20 for anyone following their “faith influencers”).
The “Worship Night” features Christian pop artists Chris Quilala, Nicole C. Mullen, and Kim Walker-Smith.
Tickets for the other events range between $55 and $750.
In addition to Jesus, the apostles frowned upon those charging money for spreading the gospel.
“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for I am under compulsion; for woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a commission nonetheless. What, then, is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:16-18, NASB)
Yet, TPUSA claims that its “TPUSA Faith” initiative seeks to “restore America’s Biblical values.” It seems that TPUSA focuses on a general conception of “Biblical values” rather than Scripture, since this latest event apparently ignores one of the most memorable moments from Christ’s time on Earth.
“The biblical values upon which our nation was founded are eroding at a frightening pace — and millions of Americans are desperate to see them restored,” reads the site’s homepage. “By empowering faith leaders and individuals to stand for biblical values, together we’ll equip Christians in our nation to make a positive impact for the glory of God.”
This is further evident on the TPUSA’s faith initiative website, tpfaith.com. Scripture is absent from their home page, as well as most of the other pages on their site, save for the resource page. Five of the six blog postings on their resource page make references to certain Scriptures.
TPUSA isn’t alone in their temptation to capitalize on the attractiveness of Christianity for right-wing circles. One of TPUSA’s most favored Trump-backed candidates, Kari Lake, also appears to be using Christianity as a means to an end:
I have no words. https://t.co/5vA6Rth31t
— Barry Markson (@BarryMarkson1) December 7, 2022
“And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But as for you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:5-8 (NASB)