Brazilian President Says He Believes in Jesus in Evangelical Event
By
Julio
Severo
Brazilian
President Jair Bolsonaro joined the 140,000 young people who attended The Send
2020 in Brasilia, Brazil in February 8, 2020.
 |
| Bolsonaro speaking in The Send |
The
crowd of thousands applauded as Bolsonaro took the stage and asked for prayer.
He also declared that he believes in Jesus.
The
coordinators of the event included Youth With a Mission’s Andy Byrd, Todd White
with Lifestyle Christianity, Circuit Rider’s Brian Brennt, Michael Koulianos of
Jesus Image, intercessor Lou Engle, Daniel Kolenda of Christ for All Nations
and the Dunamis Movement's Teo Hayashi.
Yet,
this was not the first time Bolsonaro confessed Jesus. In 2016, he was baptized
in the River Jordan by Assemblies of God minister Everaldo. The interaction
between them in the baptism was:
“So,
Bolsonaro, do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?”
“I
believe.”
“Do
you believe that He died on the cross?”
“Yes.”
“That
He is risen?”
“Yes.”
“That
He is alive forevermore?”
“Yes.”
“That
he is the Savior of mankind?”
“Yes.”
“Through
your public confession, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and
the Holy Spirit.”
Both
Everaldo and Bolsonaro were then representatives in the Brazilian Congress, with
Everaldo being the president of the Christian Social Party and Bolsonaro being
a member of this party. The baptism, even though symbolically spiritual, was a
political strategy. After the baptism, Brazilian evangelicals, who thought that
he had become an evangelical, massively voted for him.
Today,
Everaldo and Bolsonaro are political enemies and Bolsonaro has left his party.
Bolsonaro
has accepted Jesus also in other evangelical services. In December 2019, he
received some evangelical ministers in his presidential residence and he
declared that he was “publicly accepting Jesus.”
So
his declaration in The Send accepting or declaring Jesus was one of his many other
similar declarations. Yet, he is not open only to evangelicals. In May 2019, he had one of his ministers to sign a
document consecrating Brazil to Saint Mary,
and he chose to keep her image in his presidential residence.
 |
| Bolsonaro before the idol of Our Lady of Aparecida |
In
January 2020, shortly before The Send, Bolsonaro visited India, where he purified
himself in a Hindu temple. You can watch his Hindu purification
here.
 |
| Bolsonaro with a priest in a Hindu temple |
Brazilian
spiritualistic medium “João de Deus” (John of God), who
considers himself a Catholic, became so famous for conducting “psychic
surgeries” that Oprah Winfrey visited him. Today, he is jail for hundreds of
rapes.
Each
one of them says that he “believes” in Jesus. It is very common in Brazil for
any Catholic, including spiritualistic mediums, to declare that he believes in
Jesus.
In
Bolsonaro’s case, his Catholicism is not different from the widespread religious
syncretism among Brazilian Catholics.
He
has found that his spiritual openness to people in their religions makes them
open to him politically. So when he was baptized in the River Jordan by a
Pentecostal minister, evangelicals massively voted for him. His political
strategy was successful.
His
openness — each time he accepts or confesses Jesus — is at least an open door
for something to happen, including the possibility of a real conversion to
Jesus. Yet, it is undeniable that just as evangelical leaders have learned to
capitalize religiously on his visits to their events and services, he has also
learned to capitalize politically on the evangelical yearning of seeing him
accepting Jesus — again and again and again.
Such
mutual capitalization is beneficial when both sides are really open to each
other. Yet, Bolsonaro’s constituents, me included, should pray fervently for
him. Even though we guaranteed his victory with millions of votes, he has received advices from an
occult man — as it is tradition in Brazil,
where Catholic presidents receive advices from mediums, spiritualists,
occultists, etc.
Such
occult advices have produced strange scandals in his administration. Recently, he had to fire his top culture
official after he quoted Nazi Goebbels while talking about nationalist art in a
video as Hitler’s favorite composer played in the background.
Jesus
can heal Bolsonaro from his syncretism and his dependence on occult advices. Each
time he accepts or confesses Jesus in an evangelical service or event, there is
an opportunity that he may achieve a real salvation experience, in spite of his
political strategies.
God
is bigger than political strategies. Let us pray that God’s strategies may
prevail.
Portuguese
version of this article: Presidente do Brasil diz que acredita em Jesus em
evento evangélico
Recommended Reading:
Brazilian Minister of Education
Abraham Weintraub and His Right-Wing Socialism or Right-Wing Statism
How
the Powerful Union of Trump with Evangelicals Saved the U.S. from Steve Bannon
and His Occult Plan of a “Traditionalist” Government
Right Wing Watch, of People for the
American Way, Attacks Jair Bolsonaro: “U.S. Right Helps, Cheers Rise of
Brazilian Authoritarian”
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