How Venezuela's Church Is Challenging Hugo Chávez

Depending on who you talk to in Caracas, President Hugo Chávez is either a socialist messiah or a demonic tyrant. He quotes the Bible yet he incites violence. He talks of liberating the poor and enjoys their support, yet he is best friends with the world's dictators—including Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. You might expect most Venezuelan Christians to be united against Chávez, but that is hardly the case. In fact, in a nation where Pentecostal churches have grown rapidly in recent years, believers are evenly divided by the man who once denounced George W. Bush as a "devil." Many Pentecostals are in fact chavistas, the label used for Chávez' hard-core fans.Many Christians in Venezuela are asking for a miracle when voters go to the polls this weekend. The rift between Christians will be on display on Dec. 2, when Venezuelans vote on sweeping constitutional reforms that would eliminate term limits and give Chávez almost unlimited power. Polls taken this week indicate that the measure could be defeated—and if it is, it could be because some pastors in the country have bravely mobilized opposition to Chávez for the first time.[[["Hugo Chávez is not a Christian. He has a dark mind,"]]] says pastor Jaime Salinas, a church leader in Caracas. I interviewed him when I was in Venezuela last summer, and again last week. I promised not to use his real name because Chávez is known to jail his critics and has even threatened violence against those who vote against his proposed reforms.[[["If you are not totally with him, you are his enemy," Salinas says. "But even Spirit-filled Christians have fallen for him because he gives them money." When I visited Venezuela last year I learned that about half the Pentecostal churches in the country had accepted cash from Chávez' oil-rich government to fund church programs. Many of the pastors who received the money viewed it as a blessing from God and became Chávez supporters. One major church even painted a huge mural of the president in their sanctuary.But Salinas says these Christians have been "blinded by money, by corruption" and that they have ignored Chávez' obvious links to the occult.]]]{{{{{ It is known that Chávez participates in rituals of the Santeria religion, and that such ceremonies are performed inside the presidential palace. Chávez has also reportedly participated in occult rites in Cuba during his numerous visits with his trusted mentor, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.Christians often relate an unconfirmed report that Chávez sacrificed a tiger in Caracas last year and had its blood sprinkled through the streets—in an effort to increase his power over the people.}}}}}[[[[ But the chavista Christians deny such reports and claim that Chávez is actually a Christian because he often quotes the Bible."]]]](1)"{{{{It is true that he quotes the Bible, but he also quotes Muhammad," Salinas notes. "Meanwhile he supports Iran and says he wants to eradicate the state of Israel. How can a Christian support that? How can a Christian support Fidel Castro?" A Christian brother in the city of Maracay told me that he voted for Chávez in 1998 but now regrets it. "I don't know why I did it," he said. "I think it was fear. There are worries that people know how you vote and they will hurt you if you don't vote for Chávez."}}}}[[[[[Another pastor in Maracay confirmed that evangelical churches in his country are evenly divided by politics. He views Chávez' monetary gifts to churches as outright bribes to win political support, and he left his denomination partly because his conscience would not allow him to become a chavista. ]]]]]Apparently more Venezuelans are having second thoughts about their previous support of the bombastic leader, who is known to give four-hour speeches and who once lectured for eight hours straight on his weekly TV talk show. [[[[Last week a group of pastors in Caracas signed a document denouncing Chávez' proposal to abolish term limits.]]]] Growing unrest among university students has led to huge opposition marches that have been marked by violence.Samuel Olson, senior pastor of Las Acacias Church in Caracas, has seen a number of his chavista congregants leave in recent months because he has come to be identified with the opposition. "People are going through a profound questioning of their conscience" right now, Olson told The Washington Times two weeks ago.[[[[Venezuelan Christians are also praying fervently, and Salinas urges believers from the United States to pray with them, especially for Sunday's election.He shared how prayer triggered a miracle in the tourist city of Merida in October. After learning that the government had erected a statue of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara on one of the highest mountains in the country, Salinas and other pastors asked for God's intervention."The next day," he says, "we heard that an anonymous group of people went to that mountain at night and toppled the statue. They left a note that said they were 'Caring Venezuelans' who could not stand for that statue to be in that beautiful place."Many Christians in Venezuela are asking for a similar miracle when voters go to the polls this weekend. I urge you to unite your faith with theirs.]]]]

http://www.faithnews.cc/articles.cfm?sid=8461
PS:PRAISE GOD for christians like pastor Salinas....!!!!God still keeps a faithful remnant in each country and tribe and nation,those that haven't fallen prey of the deception of these evil days.....
(1)Chavez is a christian cause he QUOTES scriptures......It's like saying that Hillary Clinton is a christian cause she went to church when she was growing up...Come on now!!!!Even Paris Hilton alledgedly read the Bible in prison...even tough she couldn'g quote any favorite verse to Larry King,cause...u know....the Bible is so cool....that she liked it all and didn't have a favorite verse...after all....(ROL)
This is the same deal....:"Oh look that singer is a christian,cause he said God two or three times in his/her song....!!!!"
COME ON PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!When are we gonna be DISCERNING OF THE SPIRITS AND TIMES WE ARE LIVING ON...?????
Let's remember the people of Venezuela and let's agree with the Church there for a miracle for that country!!!!!!!

As in the days of Noah....