I Support Brian Tamaki

I realise that, for some, a title like the one above warrants instant dismissal from the public discourse. I don't know if there has ever been a more hated man in New Zealand than Brian Tamaki, and to publically give him your nod of approval is to shamelessly rattle your loose screws for everyone to hear. Some love to run against the grain of culture and consider it their privilege to give the middle finger while doing so, and I can see how some might think a post like this lumps me in with that crowd. But I don't rejoice in the possibility of being dismissed as a loony Tamaki supporter or enjoy rubbing my support of him in someone's face.

I'm giving my time to this blog to promote understanding between us all, and it is unfortunate for me that there will be both theologically conservative and politically liberal friends who don't like me siding with the pastor and leader of Destiny Church.

To be specific, I'm giving my support to Brian Tamaki for the protests that he organized with The Freedom & Rights Coalition, for which he is now facing prosecution. His stand for the freedoms of all New Zealanders and for the upholding of our bill of rights is necessary at this time, and I am pleased to be numbered with him in this fight.

A Pastor in the Public Sphere

To this point, all have generally spoken pretty well of pastors in New Zealand - all except pastor Brian Tamaki. People will cite a variety of reasons for their disapproval of him, but in my opinion, the overarching reason that he is so disliked is that he is a pastor in the public sphere. This makes him stand out from the rest. He believes that his God-given role in the church has laid responsibilities on him outside of it, and in a pluralistic secular society, that is a blasphemous belief.

As a lowly lumberjack, who has done nothing of substance to improve our political situation, I admit that if I was asked to judge pastor Tamaki's previous involvement in politics, I would have to give him a C minus. I offer that judgment reluctantly though. He has been the only public pastor in our nation, and for that, I think that rather than criticizing him I should be commending him. Unfortunately, being the only public pastor has meant that he alone has had to bear the public scorn of the Christian-hating tolerance peddlers. And for that, the rest of us should all be ashamed. In my judgment, we don't even deserve to be graded due to our absence.

We have been witnessing the cultural decline out of the tiny windows of our church bunkers. The political establishment knows that a church set exclusively on defense is no threat to its power. They will consider us friends right up until the point when they throw us in prison. Without a pastoral ministry that pushes back against tyrannous evil in the public square, we're only good for being trampled underfoot.

“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets." (Luke 6:26)

Understanding the Times

We need men like that of Issachar, "men who had an understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do" (1 Chronicles 12:32a). Right now, many pastors think it is important to have more sanitizer on seats than bums on seats. And while they're busy trying to strain out viral gnats, Brian Tamaki is pointing out to all the nation, that at Jacinda's decree, we are swallowing Alice and all her humps. With all of our Bible knowledge, the conservative church has shown a real lack of Issacharian understanding, applying the word to our day. God, who is also known for speaking through donkeys, has been pleased to expose our failings with a prosperity teacher. Sure, we can point out what capitalization "Apostle" Brian Tamaki should not have used in his title, but at the same time, we have made peace with those who have enslaved our nation. Like the men of Issachar, Brian Tamaki understands the pressing need of our day. We can't make friends with those who close our churches, close our businesses, and prohibit normal family interactions. We have to resist.

"You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? (James 4:4–5)

To clarify, just in case pastor Brian Tamaki or a Destiny supporter actually reads this blog - I don't think he is a donkey-like prophet. I used the story of Balaam's ass for its rhetorical bite in order to convict those who think pastor Tamaki is merely a donkey trying to be a pastor. I do disagree with some of the teachings that I've heard him give on Christian prosperity, though I do believe the Bible undeniably teaches us that God blesses faithfulness. The purpose of this blog is to show my support for his current fight, not to address his faults.

Guilty By A Bad Promotion

I know what some of you will be saying. "Really Jared? You're calling the false "Apostle" a son of Issachar? Should you really be siding with and thereby promoting such a man?" Let me explain how I think these questions should be answered. When Rahab decided to align herself with the cause of Israel, the spies were not guilty of promoting her lifestyle when they received her help. They didn't worry about her track record or that there was no evidence of long-term fruit. The spies received their deliverance from the hand of God, and God was glorified striking a straight blow with a crooked stick.

I stand by Brian Tamaki because it appears that God has made him the man for the job. If a courageous reformed pastor were putting his neck on the line I'd be giving my support to him too, but to my knowledge, that pastor doesn't exist. And more than this, though he's not reformed, in many ways, it seems to me that he is uniquely suited for the fight ahead. Here's why.

A Terrible Tactical Blunder

I think that the New Zealand police, along with all those who were pushing for Brian Tamaki's arrest, have made a terrible tactical blunder. It would have been far better to ignore the protest, but now they've got themselves into a fight that will be impossible to back out of and a difficult one to win. They've pushed all their chips in and I'm not sure they're aware of it. Pastor Tamaki is holding a very good hand and he's well set to end the table.

First of all, these lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and prohibition of peaceful assembly have always been a breach of our bill of rights, and to this point, they have not been seriously challenged in the courts. If there is a fair court case, we could see that our bill of rights was made for times like this. Pastor Tamaki could force our government back to its proper limitations. There is a big chunk of New Zealand that has been very concerned watching the government assume so many new powers unchallenged. The political will for this fight is out there now more than ever.

Secondly, Pastor Tamaki has a lot of money behind him, and this fight will require money. Unlike the government who take their money by force, Tamaki has an army that voluntarily gives him their money. If he goes big and tries to ensure that these trumped-up emergency powers can never be used again, I'll be voluntarily giving my money too. I don't know if there is a man in the country that could raise as much financial support as he could.

Thirdly, many Maori don't want the vaccine in principle. No amount of guilt-tripping will sway their decision. Pastor Tamaki could unify that portion of the Maori population and make a stand against colonial overreach. I don't believe in a lot of what is peddled under the banner of colonial oppression, but this is exactly the kind of government oppression that the colonists did push on the Maori in our countries early history. Forced western public education happened, and that was as wrong as forced public healthcare. And since these new vaccine mandates will disproportionately affect the Maori, if the woke are consistent in the way they find "racism" in general statistics, they'll have to call these health orders racist too. For those who have eyes to see this could bring down the simplistic woke ideas that are drawn from statistical inequalities.

Fourthly, Pastor Tamaki prewarned the police about the protest and he has receipts to prove it! He had every right to believe that he would not be charged. He invited the police to be at the protest. He has been as compliant as he possibly could be. At times, too compliant for my liking. The charges that were given after the fact have terrible optics. Even those who do not support Tamaki can see that the Auckland Police Department have dealt with this terribly. I could see them throwing this case out, but the damage has already been done by the precedent that was set.

Lastly, the vaccine mob is getting meaner and meaner, their brows are getting deeper furrows, and they are visibly becoming more desperate, all the while the people of Destiny are growing in energy and overflowing with joy in this trial knowing that they are on the side of truth. I went to the Rotorua picnic/rally. I left so impressed by the young men and women there who were taking responsibility for their families and their nation. They're businessmen. They're having kids. They clearly love life and are invested in this world to the glory of God. That has an unquantifiable power amid a culture of despair. With all of the media's dishonest editing, they will not be able to suppress the love and joy that is present at these meetings. The total absence of fear was so refreshing. This is Pastor Tamaki's team of thousands, and the establishment should be the ones who are afraid.

A Final Word To My Conservative Friends

I hope to see you at the next Freedom & Rights Coalition rally. They are peaceful, and the scope of these protests is limited to the current government's overreach. They are fighting for our rights and they could use our numbers. If we win this battle, and we get sick with Covid due to the country reopening, we could ask to see what their healing power is made of then. But until then, there are bigger fish to fry, and all other legitimate concerns can be set aside. Or if you think it needs to be done, address them with the pastors at some point before or after the rally. It's important that we get engaged in this fight. Having a unified front is tactically far superior to a bunch of detached platoons fighting separately for the same cause. It is unwise to risk friendly fire when the stakes are so high. For All My Readers Thank you for taking to the time to read this. I'm aware that you are using your valuable time to consider what this bushman's thoughts are and I appreciate you for making that investment in me. It is said all the time, but we are in unprecedented times, and there is a great need for us to think hard about the challenges we are presented with.

Along with any of our actions, we have to be in prayer. Let's join together in prayer for this cause, knowing that we are praying from the center of God's will as it is revealed in Scripture.

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:1–4 emphasis added)