The state of Christianity

Are you dumber than a TV evangelist (the false ones)

 

To those awake, and grounded in the word of God, it is obvious that there is more wrong than there is right inside many of the churches across the land. People in the church are not as often helped as they are hurt. This is why many do not want to go to church, they have been hurt so many times, they have lost their trust in church leaders. There is little accountability, especially for those in leadership, like pastors. When a pastor compromises with God the congregation is affected.

What is the reason for the decline? It is multiplicit: foremost, many peoples love for the truth and their fellow man has grown cold. We see very little evangelism to false Christian groups. There is a lack of going beyond the ABC’s of doctrine and teaching people on how to explain or defend their faith to individuals or in public. This has become a hostile world, especially among the Bible believers who hold to scripture for living. Doctrine is no longer the churches guideline for their Christianity, instead feelings and human reasoning override it.

We are to defend the weak, and this does not mean only the physically weak but the weak in faith, those who are downtrodden. The love of many will (has) grow cold. Love is an action, faith without works is dead, it’s not just about words. It’s our willingness to tell the truth and receive the truth. We need to check our hearts about doing something to help another.

When you no longer stand up for the truth, proclaim the truth you will eventually believe lies. At this time in history lying is pervasive. Pastors and those in ministry can lie also. Though there are liars in every vocation the worst kind of liar is a religious liar, and they seem to be everywhere these days. When they tell you the church is to take over the world and bring God’s government, His kingdom to earth now by us. When they teach we can have whatever we want by prayer, that is a lie. When they teach Jesus paid the price in hell, they deny the victory by the cross (crucifixion), where he made the new covenant and our new life begins. When they tell you that we are little gods they make the only true God a liar.

Do you believe when they say what they say, or do you check out what they teach when it does not sound right?

Are we to accept those who claim Christ but deny his deity, or only the Father is God. who say he is only a man or that we can become Christ, or are little gods? For some doctrines there is an abundance of Scripture for others, not so much. We can be assured that Jesus being the only begotten Son, the only God man (by virgin conception) will be continually challenged.

Thankfully, some of the people have more discernment than the pastors, but that is not the way it should be. A pastor is required to protect the sheep, if he can’t distinguish error then he has failed in his duties as a shepherd.

The reason so many follow these numerous false teachers is because many people are convinced by a person’s passion but overlook the substance. Do they check to see if it’s Biblically sound? Many react to those who have tested the teachings to warn them, only to find out later they were wrong and do not retract their position. This is prideful. They try to stop any vocal opposition to those who are distorting core doctrines. They don’t see these false teachers as dangerous, enemies of the faith but friends, brothers in Christ that we should accept and be quiet about. They think they are taking the high road, because they accept and love all who claim Christ while overlooking the people being destroyed with their lies in doctrine. Prov. 17:15 “He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.”

 

They do not understand that this makes them betrayers of the faith when they fight for those who are false teachers. Prov. 24:23-25 “These things also belong to the wise: it is not good to show partiality in judgment…..those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them.”

 

The word tells us “Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed “(Proverbs 27:5)

Jesus says “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.” Therefore to love like Jesus includes this as well.

 

In the last days all the errors, the heresies from the beginning resurge and gain new life. They will converge on the church like some horror movie. All the doctrines that have been held will be challenged by the false prophets and teachers. The many “authoritarian” voices will add to the confusion, people will not know where to turn.

There is only one place to turn to for the truth when you are overwhelmed with lies

John 8:31-32, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed." And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." The truth will not improve you but will give you freedom, it will train you as you continue to learn.

John 14:23-24 "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." He who does not love Me does not keep My words.”

Those who do not love Jesus or the truth will always show it by their not wanting to hear it. They will not pursue a matter to its end to find out what is right. These are those who are hostile to the truth that Jesus delivered. The church should be united against such men and women. But we are not, instead we are fragmented and this nonsense has reached the zenith point.

When you are prevented from judging teaching, for whatever reason, the first casualty is the truth. The false teachers survive and thrive when we do not judge their teaching. They have no reason to correct themselves without being challenged.

Are we to say nothing BECAUSE they are brothers in Christ? No, we are commanded to say something if we consider them brothers or sisters in Christ. Love tells the truth, it sacrifices to bring someone to the truth

Let me put this another way so we can understand a unreasonable liberal or carnal mindset. Let’s use a secular example: Take a bank robber or someone who does an identity theft who is an American citizen. They live here, they may have a family, pay taxes, so should they not be held responsible to the law? Or do we say let them be them be, they are an citizen of this country. Sounds lame doesn’t it, but that is exactly what some are doing allowing false teachers to not be rebuked or corrected.

Let me put it another way, in even clearer terms. You are a bank manager and you give robbers the accounts of everyone because they have an account at your bank. You give them the key to everyone’s safe deposit box – would that be right? That is what Pastors who are to protect the flock are doing when they allow the false teachers into their assembly. "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:10-11)

Let this be a reminder that that we do not measure the worth or fruitfulness of a ministry by their supposed giftedness or how they speak or motivate us. Or how many books or DVD’s they produce, how famous they are or how many people view their website, or how much money they take in.

1Thess. 5:13-14 “Be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.”

It’s how they affect people by the truth. To have them protected and stay in the pasture of the Lord. Do they have them grow in the Lord, do they encourage them to further their knowledge and have grace. And most importantly do they have their words seasoned with grace (Col.4:6) and spoken in love to produce love, to mature in Christ. 2 Cor. 8:6-7 “So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. But as you abound in everything-- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us-- see that you abound in this grace also.”