End Times

Some Thoughts on the Current Events

4 Comments / March 17, 2020

I can’t even think of any word but “crazy” to describe what is going on in the world right now. I am not sure this word even fully expresses what we are all feeling. It’s funny how you can play out and worry about all sorts of scenarios and never even dream up the one that actually happens. Coronavirus and “social distancing” was just not anything I had ever even considered.

Not that this is that bad. The percentage of people actually getting sick is low and the death toll is even lower. Us “younger folk” are just a little bit sheltered. Especially in America. We haven’t lived through the Spanish flu, the polio outbreak, or the wars of last century. While 911 is more recent and did affect us, it didn’t really affect the majority of us personally. And look up the Black Death in the middle ages. This is when it pays to know a bit of history. Really helps to keep things in perspective!

So I guess we all realize that (for most of us, anyway) it could be so much worse. But perhaps the real question is: Will it get worse?

And this is probably making us all a little unsettled and nervous. We are facing empty store shelves, keeping our school kids occupied, lack of Christian fellowship due to closing churches, and giant questions about how this will affect our economy (and, closer to home, our own jobs and income).

We are so independent, particularly those of us Christians that live in westernized nations. We’ve had so little opportunity to rely on the Lord.

So here we go. For all of us, this will prove to be a test: Do we really believe what we say believe?

Do we really trust God to provide? To carry us through the challenges this event offers to us? Do we know, without a doubt, that He will carry us through whatever is to come?

And how do we prepare for what is to come? What can we do to prepare for any trial–whether it’s across the world or just a trial I am facing alone?

Yes, these are important questions.

I read an article recently that talked about how unprepared people were for this latest turn of events. So few people stock emergency items or even a decent amount of food in their homes. The author mentioned how his grandmother was always ready for an emergency, with rows of canned goods on her shelves. They would store food and other items to prepare for any unexpected emergency–whether it would be a snowstorm or a war.

But somehow, as materialism and wealth grew in this country and there was always an over-abundance of goods on our store shelves, we grew lazy and short-sighted.

I was thinking about this in light of our spiritual preparedness. I have always loved Psalm 1 where it talks about the tree growing by the river. A strong, healthy tree has deep roots going way down into the soil. You can’t see the roots but when the winds blows that tree is prepared for it and will stand strong through any storm.

I want to be like that tree–totally prepared for any storm! I want to be ready to weather any unexpected turn of events, whether it be a world crisis or anything else.

Psalm 1 gives us insight into what it takes to become like that tree–

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the [a]ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he [b]meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the [c]rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

From this we can find two basic things we can do to grow deep roots of faith that will prepare us for any storm–

1. Remove ourselves from the influence of the ungodly and the company of sinners.

2. Meditate on the Word.

In a nutshell: Eliminate worldliness and all its influences and fill our mind with God’s Word.

Remove as much of the darkness as possible from our lives so that we can fully walk in the Light!

None of us know what trials will befall us, but we can be ready for any trial if we are walking close to God and basking in His light. That doesn’t mean it isn’t hard or that we never question. It just means that we can rest in the Lord. That we experience peace and joy, despite the trials. That we can think outside of ourselves and remember that we aren’t the only ones facing uncertain, troublesome times.

I don’t really have this down quite yet myself. But I have watched godly Christians around me. I am also drawing on the many biographies I’ve read of strong Christians. I know this is true. God is so faithful.

And so I continue to strive to grow and deepen my roots. I encourage you to do the same.

Because storms will come and storms will go. May we be like the strong tree that stands strong and gives hope in the midst of any storm that arises!

 

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
For in Yah, the Lord, is [b]everlasting strength.

Isaiah 26:3-4

 

 

 

View from a Palm Tree

8 Comments / February 11, 2020

It was the day after Christmas in the year 2004. Out in the Indian Ocean, a great earthquake rumbled beneath the deep waters. It drove the water up, up, up until a giant wave was formed that started moving towards land.

Meanwhile, people moved about their day. Villagers may have been doing dishes or laundry. Tourists were probably eating breakfast or laying on lounge chairs by the water.

Suddenly, without warning, the colossal wave hit land. Some may have spotted it earlier and started running away from the wall of water. Others may have been hit completely unawares.

One thing is for sure: There was no escaping it if you were in its path.

The Tsunami of 2004 will be remembered as one of the worst natural disasters of all times.

Those in the path of it were absolutely defenseless. No amount of courage, fight, or willpower would have removed them from the path of the water. Oh, it might have helped them to survive the aftermath but they weren’t changing the course of that wave.

The water crashed against the shore and destroyed everything in its path–with the exception of a few people who were blessed to find a tree or some piece of wreckage to cling to.

If you’ve been reading the blog a little while, then you know that I firmly believe that we are in the last days. As scripture teaches so clearly, the last days are made up of the great Apostasy (Jude) and the creation of a one-world economy and religion (Revelation 13).  We will not be able to buy and sell without a mark on our hand or forehead (also Revelation 13). I could give other Bible passages that are coming to life right before our eyes along with a myriad of real-life examples that leave little doubt that this interpretation of scripture can hardly be denied. However, that is not the focus of this particular post.

What I want to focus on is the Tsunami of the Apostasy that has crashed over the church and swallowed most of her up. The few churches and individuals that haven’t caved and are clinging to the Bible as their final authority are like those who are clinging to a palm tree while the debris and chaos flows by. The wave encompasses all they loved about their church. All they believed about their pastor. All they trusted about celebrity Christianity. It has washed away most of their families and friends.

I’ve been really thinking about this the last few days. We are in a different position than we used to be as believers, at least here in the United States. The time for fighting against the Apostasy is over.

While we may win some skirmishes here and there, the battle for the US church is over and we have soundly lost. But so I expected. If we read what’s coming in Revelation 13, it makes SO much sense. Other passages, like Jude and 2 Timothy 3, also fill us in. God told us this would happen. We have no need to hang our heads in defeat. We still win in the end.

But, here and now, we probably need to recognize that we are done fighting against the “system”. The system is here, and just like a tsunami, it has forever changed the landscape of Christendom as we knew it.

So, if we aren’t supposed to fight, what are we supposed to do?

The end of Jude answers this question–

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

22 And on some have compassion, [j]making a distinction; 23 but others save [k]with fear, pulling them out of the [l]fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

We can summarize this in two words– persevere and rescue

First, we need to persevere in our own faith in submission and obedience to God’s Word and keep our eyes focused on Jesus–the author and finisher of our faith. If we focus on what’s going on around us we will all too soon become discouraged and hopeless. The view from the Palm Tree is so ugly. And so we must look to the Word and to our Savior, if we are to be filled with joy and peace during this time. We will be be victorious over all of this wickedness! We are already victorious over sin through Jesus Christ, our Savior! There is still so much to praise God for!

Second, we need to rescue those God puts in our path who want to be rescued. Many will scoff at us or simply be irritated with us for exposing the darkness. But, every now and again, there will be someone who comes along that needs someone to talk to. God has opened their eyes to the mysticism or the ecumenism or they just feel like something is off in a book they are reading or the church they are attending. God will give us these opportunities and we need to take them.

I believe that the time for fighting is over. The wave has crashed and the Apostasy is HERE. Now, we hang on to God’s Word for dear life and offer help to those who actually want it. But we aren’t going to stop the devastation of the wave. The water is flowing into every crack and crevice and pulling up with it the last vestiges of traditional, biblical Christianity. The Christian religion is rolling itself right into the coming one world religion.

The remnant of true believers just keeps shrinking. We knew the path was narrow–but I am not sure we realized it was this narrow… (Please note: I am not doubting the salvation of some who may be deceived for a time. I am no judge. I am just providing an overall picture of what’s happening and am certainly not judging individuals.)

This is not some conspiracy theory. And it’s not some “holier than thou” essay.

If you don’t agree with me, I still love you as a sibling in Christ. I just ask that you do a little research with eyes that are willing to see. I don’t say these things to discourage or to anger anyone. I simply am writing about what I see going on. I feel like I’ve been in a state of shock for two years, as I have watched almost every beloved and trusted Bible teacher, author, and speaker be washed away by this wave. I feel almost numb as I watch “Christian” universities promote mysticism and the social Gospel. I feel alarmed as I see outright heretics on the same platform with those who were seemingly solid. Something is not right. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to realize that something is not right.

If you do agree with me, then I hope that you will realize that you are not alone. I am over here clinging to a palm tree, too. God has so graciously spared us (to Him alone be the glory for this! You and I didn’t do anything deserving of this!) and we can encourage each other–at least for now–through online communication. If we are so blessed to have family or friends who see this, too, (or better yet, have a church that hasn’t flowed into the chaos) then we aren’t hanging from the palm tree alone. This is something to thank God for! I am not on my palm tree alone and I couldn’t be more grateful. Somehow it makes it so much more bearable. But…if you feel alone, please know that you are not alone. There are others out here who are watching the destruction roll by and are weeping with you.

God has not abandoned us. In fact, all that is going on confirms that the Bible is true and that the predictions of Revelation are being fulfilled. Let us keep clinging to our trees by building up ourselves in God’s holy word. Let us keep shouting out encouraging words and holding out our hands to those who want to be rescued. Let us point all we come in contact with to the Bible–our only anchor and source of hope.

It’s not going to get easier. But, one of these days, we are going to get to escape, before things get too bad. According to God’s Word, we will not be here to experience the onslaught of God’s wrath and judgment on this evil world. So let’s keep looking up! One day we will meet each other in the air! I believe it won’t be too long now!

 

 

Did You Know Jesus Was Intolerant?

8 Comments / February 6, 2020

I heard an interview the other day with a guy who claims to be a Christian. This guy grew up in a solid Christian home that taught the Gospel so he should know better. But what I heard him say made me cringe.

“We just need to love people into the Kingdom. Jesus wouldn’t have done anything but love them. He would never judge.”

Or some such nonsense. That’s my paraphrase of what he said.

As I am currently reading John 1-7 for our 2020 Growing4Life Bible Challenge, the ridiculousness of his words especially struck me. One has to wonder if he has even read the Bible?

Did you know that Jesus was not tolerant of everything and everyone, as so many proclaim today?

Let’s go to the Word and take a look.

First, Jesus was not tolerant of false teachers. Note how He spoke to the Pharisees, the false teachers of His day:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Matthew 23:27 (Matthew 23 lists several more “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees…”!)

And also note how He spoke about them to others:

How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Matthew 16:11

Instead of tolerating them, He spoke truth to false teachers and He also gave warnings about them to others.

In this current “Christian” culture, anyone who speaks truth or gives warnings is verbally crucified. You just have to take a look at social media to see this in its full glory. It can be the most obvious, unbiblical thing in the world, but if you dare to say something negative–even if it’s in the most loving way– you are automatically labeled “the unloving very bad Christian”.

This label often comes from other Christians who will toss the name of Jesus around as their back-up: “Jesus would never…”

But we can see from scripture that, yes, Jesus would. And He did.

He would call people out. He did warn others. Saying that Jesus is only love and no judgment is a clear indication of biblical illiteracy.

It is neither prideful or arrogant to confront false teachers or to warn about them. Of course, we need to be loving while we do these things. There is never a place for arrogance nor harshness when we do what we are to do. But I have no doubt we are to follow Jesus’s example in this (which, by the way, is also confirmed clearly throughout the New Testament).

Second, Jesus was not tolerant of those who would defile the Temple. In John 2, we find a passage that doesn’t fit with our cultural definition of Jesus at all. Here He makes a whip of chords and drives the money changers out of the temple. They had taken what is sacred and holy and had made it into an opportunity for personal gain.

Can you think of anyone who is doing that today? (Thinking of just one is the hard part, right? There are thousands.)

And, yet, we are told that to even speak negative words is sinful (much less doing what Jesus did in John 2!). We are encouraged to just “go along to get along”. Unity is far more important than truth. Again, anyone who is teaching this and holding up Jesus as their example clearly does not know scripture.

Jesus was not tolerant of false teachers and He was not tolerant of those who dishonored His name and His house.

And, once again, we come back to the bottom line:

There is no possible way to stay true to the faith without reading, studying, and anchoring ourselves in God’s inerrant, inspired, and completed Word.

It is truly our only hope.

We can only know the real Jesus by knowing the Bible and what it says about Him.

In a culture that is positively reeling with relativity, deceit, distortions, fabrications, visions, and outright lies, the solid truth of God’s Word is our only rock. Literally.

There are no words to fully express my gratitude in God giving us His Word for such a time as this. It answers any question we may have. It shines light on the darkness. It makes clear the murky. And it exposes that which would pretend to be light.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Read the Bible. Study it. Memorize it. It is our only defense in a church culture that is made up of appealing, and sometimes ludicrous, ideas that appeal to man’s flesh but have no basis in scripture whatsoever.

 

 

 

Real Christianity

4 Comments / September 24, 2019

I was talking with someone recently and they were mentioning to me how most Christians seem to believe that the most important character trait any believer should have is that they are a “nice person”. While being nice is a good thing, being a Christian is so much more than just this. But, I, too, have found that “niceness” seems to trump telling the truth, forsaking the world, and even sharing the Gospel.

There is a real clash of philosophies going on currently. What makes it especially tragic is that this clash is taking place between two groups of people who would call themselves Christians.

One is right and one is wrong. We need to look in the Bible and study it to find out which is which.

It is only through the study of the Word that we can finally understand that Cultural Christianity is not Real Christianity. When someone calls himself a Christian, we must comprehend that there are two very different definitions for this word.

This became so clear to me as I prepared to speak on this topic last weekend for the women of a small Baptist Church. I thought I’d like to share some of what I learned here today.

What is Real Christianity? And how is it different than Cultural Christianity? Let’s take a look–

First, Christianity is based on the Bible alone. God’s Word is the authority for our faith, and this authority is derived from the fact that God has complete authority and He tells us that the Bible is His Word. (see I Thess 2:13; Romans 13:1; Matthew 28:18)

As opposed to Cultural Christianity: Here we find a faith that is based on experiences, feelings, and emotions. We hear things like “God told me” or “God wants me to be happy”. The Bible quickly shrank in importance and influence as the focus of this false religion turned towards these things.

Second, Christianity is a rational, logical faith. It makes sense. It is based on a rational understanding of scripture. While there are some things that are mysteries to us, these things are not irrational. We are called to use our minds (and not shut them off) when we are saved. (see I Corinthians 2:16; Ephesians 4:22-23; 2 Timothy 1:7)

As opposed to Cultural Christianity: Where we find a religion that is based on mysticism. Doctrine, Theology, and Bible Study are discouraged, as the focus turns towards the subjective and the sensual. It doesn’t have to make sense. Holy living and separation from the world is scoffed at and deemed unnecessary while special messages, visions, and impressions become the litmus test of true faith. A rational understanding of sin and repentance and salvation is irrelevant in a religion that makes experience the only thing that matters.

Third, Man is a sinner. There is nothing we can do to make ourselves right with God or to earn eternal life. (See Romans 3:10-12; Isaiah 64:6)

As opposed to Cultural Christianity: Which teaches that man is basically good. The only thing he really needs Jesus for is to fix his problems. How often have you heard a CCM song or blogger talk about how beautiful and worthy you are? That is one of the easiest red flags to spot in cultural Christianity.

Fourth, Salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone. There is no other way to God (John 14:6), it is not of works (Romans 3:27-28), and it must be understood and acknowledged by the person (John 3:16).

As opposed to Cultural Christianity: Where we will find a variety of heresies regarding this. First, we will see many religions accepted as “Christian” that require works. Religions such as Catholicism, Mormonism, and Jehovah’s Witnesses are clearly false, since they require works in addition to Jesus’s finished work on the cross. We will also find the heresy of Universalism, which says that all men are saved, whether or not they know Jesus personally. The author of The Shack has publicly acknowledged that this is what he believes and yet his books are still labeled “Christian”. That’s because it is a cultural Christian book but certainly not a biblical one.

Fifth, Christianity is God-Centered. Our choices, decisions, and life direction should all be based on what will most please God. We desire to submit to His will in all things. We are willing to sacrifice our own desires in order to live a godly life. (See Romans 12:1 and Galatians 2:20)

As opposed to Cultural Christianity: Here we find a self-centered religion filled with mantras like “Follow your dreams” and “Find your purpose”. It is in this kind of Christianity, people rationalize their sin because they are their first priority. God is to bend to their wishes and desires and they call on him to do their bidding like one would call on a fairy godmother or magic genie.

Sixth, Christ calls us to live a holy and pure life. (I Peter 1:13-16). We strive to live a godly life filled with the fruit of the Spirit (Romans 12:9-12; Galatians 5:22-26), decrease sin in our lives (Romans 6:12-14), and to separate from the world (James 4:4 and I John 2:15).

As opposed to Cultural Christianity: Where we find that relevance is all that matters. Separation from the world and holy living are viewed as negative and legalistic, while the “be like the world to win the world” is the only form of evangelism. (Which is obviously not working, by the way. Because this method is not found in scripture. Anywhere.)

Seventh, Christianity is about the cross. Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross for our sin and his resurrection and victory over death is the message of Christianity. It is what happened at the cross that makes us right with God and gives us the promise of eternal life. (see Romans 5:10, I Corinthians 5:18-19)

As opposed to Cultural Christianity: Where we find a false religion that is centered on finding personal purpose, understanding my worth, or making the world a better place.

 

And so you can so obviously see that, when we actually sit down and open our Bibles and do a comparison, these two religions–although going by the same name–are nothing alike. In fact, they are polar opposites.

One centers on God. The other centers on man.

One has a high view of God and a low view of man. The other has a low view of God and a high view of man.

They are two separate religions. Two separate and utterly different religions.

So don’t be fooled.

I encourage you to keep these differences in mind as you talk with fellow believers, evaluate materials for your home or church, bring in special speakers, choose what books to read, what pastor to listen to, or what radio station to turn on.

Be diligent, be steadfast, be cautious.

 

Test all things; hold fast what is good.

I Thessalonians 5:21

 

Sometimes Chairs Break

8 Comments / August 19, 2019

The other night I was sitting with a friend on a porch swing that has been in our backyard for many years. In my arms I held my youngest grandson in my lap and I was leaning him down in front of me and then pulling him back up to make him laugh. We were having a grand old time when, quite suddenly and without any warning at all, the swing pulled away from its anchor and we landed on the ground.

Other than a jolt to my back, we were all okay. I was so very thankful that, in God’s Providence, the swing had crashed when my grandson was up and not down. It could have ended much worse.

I rubbed my back a bit and my friend and I went on with our evening, but there was lesson in what happened and it did not elude me for very long.

Swings break. Chairs break. Things we have trusted to hold us sometimes don’t hold us. They may break quite suddenly, like what happened to me on Saturday night. Or they may slowly start to erode away in the elements until one day you realize the chair is no long trustworthy.

This same thing can happen with people. Leaders. Singers. Authors. Preachers. Pastors. Churches.

Just because they have been trustworthy for a million years does not mean that they are incapable of slipping or changing direction. We need to understand that just because someone has had a wonderful ministry for many years does not automatically keep them immune from making a bad decision or falling away completely.

I have especially noticed undying, passionate loyalty among certain camps within evangelicalism. There is a seriously unhealthy idolization of these men and women that breeds a serious lack of discernment.

Currently, the joining of the true teachers with the false teachers is taking place in all circles and camps. I can’t think of one that has not been compromised in this way.

While I have been watching this kind of thing happening in overdrive over the past few years from most corners of modern day evangelicalism, it’s now also happening with teachers I’ve trusted for many years to stand firm to the end.

What is going on? And why are they doing this? There is just no possible way to answer these questions.

However..

Just like we need to realize that sometimes we need to stop trusting the chair that holds us, so, too, we need to understand that men we have trusted for years are capable of leading us down a wrong road. When someone makes a really bad choice to partner with a false teacher or to say something that isn’t biblical or to promote a new age author, this should raise red flags– no matter who they are. It should lead us to be just a bit more cautious and a lot more watchful. Is this a one-time bad decision or is this a direction they are going? Only time will tell. But if we close our eyes to it, we are making ourselves so very vulnerable.

The fall I took when that swing dropped was a hard one and it could have been so much worse. It could have been avoided had we realized the swing was in need of repair. Sometimes we can’t see things coming and we are caught off-guard. But sometimes we can. If God opens our eyes to an inconsistency or false teaching or a bad choice by someone we have trusted, then we must be willing to face that fact bravely and without rationalizing it away.

Does this mean you never use the chair again? Not necessarily. Some chairs must be cast aside because they are beyond repair. But sometimes chairs can be fixed. Occasionally, someone will recognize their error and return to truth. This doesn’t happen often but it does happen. One bad choice or one partnership with darkness does not make a heretic. We don’t want to be head hunters.

The main point of this post is to challenge you to only be perfectly loyal to God and His Word. No man or woman deserves our loyalty to the point where we rationalize unwise and even sinful choices. No human deserves this kind of loyalty. (If they are truly following Jesus Christ, they don’t even want this kind of loyalty). I’ve said this often but I see this as a really big problem as we navigate this confusing time of compromise and wrong choices made by people we have trusted for so many years.

I am growing less and less enamored with anyone that has a platform. I see a huge level of joining together with false teachers across the board. Ecumenism is worming its way into all areas of evangelicalism. I can’t think of one that has not been affected.

So if you don’t take anything else away from this post, I beg you to remember this–

Sometimes chairs break. We trust them but sometimes they break.

This is a very important thing to keep in mind as we navigate the strange synthesis of those who have a history of adhering to biblical doctrine joining with those that clearly don’t.

Just in case you think I am a little over-the-top, I remind you of these important verses–

I Timothy 6:3-5 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the [a]doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 [b]useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. [c]From such withdraw yourself.

Please Note: We are to withdraw from false teachers–not invite them to conferences.

 

Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather [c]expose them.

Please Note: We are to expose false doctrines–not pretend like they don’t exist.

 

2 Timothy 3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Please Note: We are to turn away from those that pretend to be godly but don’t do things according to God’s Word–not join with them at conferences.

 

Romans 16:17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 

Please Note: We are to avoid them–not quote them in our books.

 

Look, let me say one more time–I am not judging motives or hearts. But I think if we are going to be honest, we have to say there is something wrong here. Men and women who have taught that it is not right to join with false teachers are turning around and doing what they have preached against. It doesn’t Make. Any. Sense.

Get frustrated with me. Or call me negative. Or cancel your subscription to Growing4Life. None of those things changes the facts. Chairs are breaking and eroding all over the place and the only people that get ridiculed and bullied are the ones who actually acknowledge that it is happening and venture to ask a couple of questions.

There is no way to know who is making an innocent mistake and who knows exactly what they are doing and we can’t even begin to guess. But we should acknowledge that, for whatever reason, it is happening.

So stay in the Word and give your loyalty to God alone. Don’t rationalize away a bad choice. Acknowledge it and stay watchful. God is faithful and will keep us on the narrow path, if we but trust in Him alone to lead us.

 

Standing Strong in a Confusing Christianity

10 Comments / August 14, 2019

In the recent years, some really puzzling things have happened. From trusted celebrity Christians promoting an anti-biblical agenda to churches ignoring their very solid doctrinal statements. From well-known Christian men and women turning away from biblical truth or even renouncing their faith to trusted preachers and authors partnering with false teachers. It is a CONFUSING Christianity and, in many ways, feels like a real spiritual mine field.

So how do we stand strong and stay sound in this kind of Christian culture? (I use the term “Christian” loosely because we must understand from the Word of God that most of what is called “Christianity” today just isn’t.)

But how do we reconcile in our minds the strange fusions of the true with the false? How do we work through the many who speak biblical words and yet have actions that don’t match what they preach? How do we handle all of the inconsistencies, the confusion, the chaos that falls under the umbrella that is called “Christianity”??

We should feel baffled, disturbed, and unsettled as we watch all of this play out in front of us. At best, it’s simply bizarre. At worst, it’s a giant funnel that’s sucking thousands–maybe even millions–of deceived “Christians” into the coming one-world religion.

So how do we stand strong in such a strange and unprecedented Christian culture? What do we do to make sure we are not deceived?

I hope these six things encourage you, and me, too, to stand strong in the tsunami of turbulence that makes up Christianity today–

First, and most important by far, we must be in the Word of God on a daily basis. We must be dedicated to not only reading a few verses each day but to really understand what we are reading and to study it diligently.

Second, and also very important, we must pray faithfully for spiritual protection. God is faithful and He will keep our eyes open and our minds spiritually alert, if we but ask Him. I also pray often for the spiritual protection of those I love.

Third, recognize there is a problem. So many Christians just wander through life living from day to day, only concerned about their own lives. They rarely, if ever, look at the Big Picture or are curious about what is going on. When something is labeled Christian, they take it at face value. When someone mentions God or prayer, they assume they are a Christian. But those days are long gone. We can no longer make assumptions like this (and, quite honestly, probably never should have). While we shouldn’t be obsessed or overly concerned about what is happening in Christian culture, we must recognize that there is a big problem which will then lead us to test, examine, check, and re-check all things that have entrance into our hearts and minds and the hearts and minds of those for whom we are responsible.

Fourth, don’t hitch your wagon to any celebrity “Christian”. Oh, the strange loyalty people develop towards their favorite authors, preachers, and musicians. I believe Satan knows this and we’ve watched thousands and thousands of people follow celebrities right off a cliff. I noticed this phenomenon with young Disney stars, too. They’d be in these fun, “innocent” shows as pre-teens and teens, but then as they got older, their choices would take them to darker and more sinister places. We’d watch their fans go right with them. Taylor Swift is another example. She garnered a huge fan base and took them with her to the dark side. It’s a scary phenomenon and one we need to be oh, so careful to avoid. We can do this by keeping our loyalty to God alone. We can never, never, never be so committed to a person that we ignore false teaching, ungodly associations, or unbiblical direction.

Fifth, be willing to generally be viewed as strange. If you are going to stand strong in all of this craziness, many Christians will keep a bit of a distance. Some will be frustrated or annoyed. Any time someone doesn’t go with the flow they tend to be singled out and ignored or ridiculed.  Of course, many people are very nice but, even in their niceness, they still view you as strange and definitely as a little too over-the-top in the way you live out your Christianity. Thankfully, God brings kindred spirits and people along the way. We are not alone. There are others that are sober and watchful, just like you and me. But there aren’t really that many, so we must be prepared and learn to be content with not being the most popular person around.

Sixth, remember that God is your strength. We are held in His hand and He will hold, protect, and care for us–even in the most confusing of times. Maybe especially in those times. If we are yielded to His will and willing to obey His commands, no matter how much pain and persecution may come our way, then we will prevail. Nothing will be able to shake us because God is on our side!

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I hope these six things will help you stand strong in this chaotic, bewildering Christian culture and that they will help you overcome in a world where right is called wrong and wrong is called right–in a world where confusion reigns and rationality doesn’t matter.

God is with us. Fellow Christian believers are with us. We are not alone. Stand strong, my friend, stand strong!

 

Saving the Starfish

6 Comments / May 13, 2019

This morning’s post is really specifically for my fellow discerners. For those that have a passion for discernment, who see what’s going on, and feel frustrated that so few seem to care.

What brought it to mind recently was a story someone shared with me. They had been falsely accused by a local newspaper. They decided to meet with the editor, complete with stacks of files in hand of proof that refuted what had been said. As the conversation progressed, this statement was made: Well, our reporters don’t get paid enough to do research.

Come again??

They don’t get paid enough to do research? But isn’t research over half the actual job of a reporter??

This is a ridiculous statement and yet it was made. At least according to my story-teller. Whom I don’t know very well.

But this story made me think of something I’ve run into again and again. I’m sure many of you have, as well.

I’ve noticed an interesting trend among many believers: They will often make assumptions without doing any analysis.

They, too, don’t have time to study the scriptures and compare it to what a certain book or author has to say and yet they will tell someone who has done that research that they are wrong.

I’ve run into this more times than I can tell. When you share that a certain author or teaching isn’t biblical, they will disagree with you and then say something similar to the reporter, perhaps like–

“Well, that’s all fine, but I don’t have time to do research like you.”

or

“I don’t have the gift of discernment.”

Somehow the implication is that we do not need to discern if we are lacking the time or the “gift of discernment”.

Of course we know that scripture would clearly show that this is not the case. No one, no matter where they are at in their Christian journey, has the right to be lazy when it comes to anything we allow to impact us spiritually. We have no right to make assumptions and develop opinions about authors, biblical passages, pastors, and blogs without proper analysis. And, yet, so often we encounter those that declare that there isn’t anything wrong before actually doing the proper research to see if the sharer is wrong or right, according to scripture.

Just as a reminder for us all, I Thessalonians 5:21 reminds us to:

Test all things; hold fast what is good.

We are to test all things. All. Things. Nothing should get into our heads or the heads of our children before it is put to the biblical test.

You can also check out Ephesians 5:8-11 and Romans 12:9. Honestly, Paul makes the case in many places for the need to be on our guards. To not accept things at face value. And to stand firm on the Word.

Let me add here that should someone take the time to study the scriptures and prove me wrong, I would gladly–yes gladly!–change my mind. I know many of you feel the same way. You, along with me, are committed to scriptures and not to your own opinions.

We get no joy out of pointing out false teachers or spending time focused on compromised celebrity Christians. No joy at all. In fact, it deeply saddens us. Those of us who truly have a heart for discernment and see the big picture of what’s going on are not relishing this at all. We are heartbroken at the direction it’s all going and totally baffled that so few people see it.

The question so many of us wonder is why do we so often encounter Christians who are utterly unwilling to look at any proof we may offer regarding a popular book or author or preacher that shows clearly that they are not teaching truth?

And what do we do with this?

What can we do?

We can’t change their minds. Just as we can’t make a reporter do research before printing something as truth in a local newspaper, so we can’t make a Christian study the scriptures and fill them with conviction about their favorite author.

It’s probably one of the hardest things we encounter, quite frankly, this stubborn refusal to see the danger with nary a glimpse at the biblical proof.

I’ve learned there isn’t really anything we can do. We can speak up once or twice. And we can pray.

Until a person is willing to open their eyes to the truth of the state of Christianity in this current culture, there is nothing else we really can do. And to try to do more will often destroy relationships.

But every now and again, God will put someone in our paths who wants to know. Someone who is willing to lift their head out of the sand and face the truth of what’s going on in popular Christian culture. These are the ones we have the joy of serving.

And it is a joy, isn’t it?

If someone would have told me even ten years ago that I would be here–ridiculed and hated for presenting clear proof of the departure of favorite teachers and authors from the scriptures I am not sure I would have believed them. It has changed so fast it makes my head spin. So few people unwilling to see the truth. So few people who care about discernment at all. And then there are those self-proclaimed discerners who care more about attacking and maligning people than they care about God’s Word–destroying and ruining the reputation of anyone who would even lean that way.

It’s a frustrating place to be. And many have backed away because it is just too painful. I get it. I have, too, to a certain extent. And yet, Satan would like nothing more than for us all to back away and let it all happen right under our noses.

Someone once said–

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

Let us not be good men and women who do nothing. Let us gather strength from each other and encourage one another on in this road that God has put us on.  And may we remain passionate about staying true to God’s Word. May we never be about our own glory or about ripping people apart. May being unkind never be a part of our ministries. May love be the heart of our ministries.

Stay strong, my friends. The train has left the station, so to speak, and Christianity will never be the same again.

I’ll close with a familiar story–

A boy and his Grandpa were once walking on the beach where thousands of starfish lay marooned. The tide had gone out and left them helpless. They would dry up and die without intervention. The Grandpa started throwing the starfish back in the ocean one by one.

The boy, scanning the ocean shore, said, “you aren’t really even making a difference.”

Grandpa replied: I am making a difference for that one.

One by one, we, too, can make a difference.

 

 

 

 

When God Opens Our Eyes

4 Comments / January 28, 2019

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of going to Florida with a couple of my dear friends. It was planned before I knew I was headed back to work and, at first, I stewed a bit. Could I really afford to give up five days to vacation in Florida? And then I realized that God was well aware of what my situation would be and perhaps He thought I needed a bit of down-time before jumping from one busy season to the next. I decided to just enjoy it.

Before I left I realized my favorite shampoo was running low. Thankfully, I thought of it while I was at the grocery store and I hurriedly grabbed a bottle from the shelf while shopping a day or two before. I took it home and squeezed a bunch of it into an emptied travel shampoo bottle to tuck into my carry-on. The bottle still had a little water in it from trying to rinse out the previous shampoo so I wasn’t sure if that would mess up the shampoo or not. I wasn’t too worried.

The first morning, as I began to wash my hair in the shower a bunch of water came out of the bottle. Oops. As I took the rather gloppy shampoo and rubbed it a bit in my hands it didn’t feel quite right. As I rubbed it through my hair it was even more weird. Would a little water make that much difference?? I didn’t think so. But, of course, I was using unfamiliar water, as well. Maybe it was harder…or softer…or just different than what I was used to. My hair was notoriously flat and lifeless that day and every day of that vacation because of this weird shampoo experience.

It wasn’t until the final day that it FINALLY hit me!

Like a lightening bolt, it hit me.

As I rubbed that lifeless, watery formula through my hair for the last day, my eyes were suddenly opened. This wasn’t shampoo at all. It was conditioner.

How could I have been so stupid not to realize it before? I still couldn’t confirm it but the more I thought about it the more certain I was that this must be the problem.

When I got home, I pulled the “shampoo” bottle from the shower. Sure enough. The company that manufactures it uses the exact same bottle for shampoo and for conditioner and I had carelessly pulled one from the shelf, never checking to make sure it was actually shampoo.

Now besides feeling really stupid, I felt…well…enlightened.

I finally had solved the puzzle.

And that was a good thing.

And–you know by now–I can’t let such a good analogy pass me by without talking about it here. Even if it does let the whole world know my rather embarrassing story.

Because I think this happens to us. We are listening to our favorite preachers. Reading the books of our favorite authors. Following our favorite celebrity speakers on social media. Perhaps we are in the habit of doing a favorite activity that we’ve never thought about being wrong before. But then something doesn’t seem right. Red flags are raised but we can’t quite put our finger on it. And then God opens our eyes. Through His Word, through a concerned fellow believer, or any other number of ways and, suddenly, we realize and we connect the dots.

What we do at that point is critical. If I had continued to use that conditioner even though my eyes were opened to the truth of the situation, you would have wondered about my intellectual capacity (you may already be wondering that, anyway, given my admission above!) Of course–like anyone else would–I stopped using conditioner and started using shampoo.

And, yet, do we respond this same way when it comes to spiritual things? Do we stop listening, reading, following the wrong things and very intentionally fill our minds with the right things? Do we stop doing something that we know is wrong even though we love to do it? Do we then replace these things with things that are true, righteous, and good, as we evaluate them according to God’s Word? It’s easy to make excuses. There are plenty of ways to rationalize why we can continue to follow someone or continue on in an activity that we know is unpleasing to the Lord.

Now, of course, I would never rationalize using conditioner for the rest of my life.

But we all know why. Conditioner made my hair lifeless and dull. I never use it. Ever. And so the consequences of using conditioner were not pleasant for me.

So no big deal to switch. My life is much more pleasant using shampoo than using conditioner.

And there is probably the real difference. What some of these false and/or compromising teachers teach makes our lives seemingly more happy. What they bring us is attractive to us, if we are living only in the temporal and not considering the eternal. They offer us popularity; pleasing philosophies; encouraging, uplifting (and extremely self-centered) messages. They allow us to have our cake and eat it, too. No turning from the world, no self-denial, no concern for turning from sin. These things matter not as long as we are happy.

And our entertainment and activities make our lives more fun. We look less weird and we are more popular if we just watch, wear, and do what everyone else does.

It is incredibly hard to turn away from teachers and activities that would seem to make our lives more pleasant and enjoyable. It truly is.

But, of course, the question to ourselves should never be: “Is this too hard for me?”

But should always be: “Is this the right thing for me to do?”

We sometimes get a little mixed up about which question to ask. Especially in this self-obsessed world.

And so I encourage you to follow through. If the Lord has been opening your eyes, submit yourself to the pain, acknowledge the hurt, and then turn away and move on. It will be a very real hurt if you choose to turn away from someone you have trusted to teach you the truth. It will be a real hardship to give up an activity that has bonded you to people you love to be with. Yes, it will be a very painful process. But, in the long run, you will be so thankful you did. Just like pouring alcohol on a wound stings dreadfully when it provides a necessary cleansing, so, too, does ridding ourselves of false teachers and ungodly activities.

But when God opens our eyes, He has given us an amazing opportunity. We need to grab hold of it and take it!

 

 

 

A Disturbing Trend

13 Comments / January 21, 2019

I have been noticing something recently. It’s quite worrisome and I wanted to bring it to your attention.

The Christian world is currently broken down into three categories of people:

1) Those who believe discernment and speaking anything negative about someone (even if it is true and necessary) is evil.

(I am still unsure of where someone finds this viewpoint in scripture? And, yet, so many Christians believe this. Read more about this here.)

2) Those who try to stay balanced–practicing and encouraging discernment while not making it their life’s mission.

(This is where I try to stay because discernment is truly just one part of a healthy Christian life. Although, I have to admit that this can be a challenge when you recognize all that is going on to draw people away from the only true God.)

3) And those who are extremely passionate about discernment and see it as their ministry.

(This is where people can become a little and sometimes a LOT unbalanced if they aren’t very careful.)

But in this third circle, where we find some really good discernment bloggers, I have been noticing a trend. Not with all of them but with some of them.

And it is this: Their refusal to write about certain leaders and authors.

It has been an interesting thing to watch– to say the least. While they will easily (and rightly) give a biblical critique of someone like Beth Moore, Joel Osteen, or Bill Johnson, they say nothing about what’s going on in the Southern Baptist circles with Al Mohler, Russell Moore, J.D. Greear, and others as they change their views on homosexuality and promote the “woke” movement or any of the many other things going on in that circle. Nothing.

Thankfully, there are still a few brave souls who will speak up. But this group is quickly shrinking.

Now, in some ways I get it. To do so would, in a very real way, be to commit blogging suicide.

Many of these bloggers have the ears of certain popular folk that reside in the reformed and/or Baptist circles. And these certain popular folk not only also refuse to speak up about what’s going on but, in fact, join with these men at conferences, on radio shows, and in many other ways.

So to speak up against them would be to, most likely, lose your {relatively small} bit of fame, your preferred “discernment blogger” status, and the support of those who refuse to break with men who are headed pell-mell in the wrong direction.

While these bloggers refuse to say anything, some of them then proceed to tweet unkind words about those that do, indeed, have the fortitude to stand up and speak out. I have seen it and it is just…so wrong.

I don’t really have an answer. I just wanted to go on record saying that I see this happening and it is beyond disturbing and most disheartening.

And I wanted to make you, my small circle of readers, aware of this, as well, so that you can be on the look-out for this, too. It is amazing what someone can say by silence.

And, once again, I just encourage you to not hold any person up as your idol. No matter how they helped you grow or helped you see, they do not deserve your undying loyalty.

All of us are sinners that are still fighting with the flesh. All of us fight the desire to be popular and liked and praised. And, as bloggers, this desire can and often does drive what we choose to post or to not post. Blogging for the Lord and His glory alone is not as easy as you might think.

So I’d really encourage you to not rely on just one or two people for the whole story these days. Just as we diversify our assets in financial planning, so we should diversify our sources when it comes to this topic of discernment.

I know this is not a biblical post, per se, but I just felt this needed to be said. Hope it helps. I’ll get back to my normal type of post next time. Thanks for reading.

Test all things; hold fast what is good. (I Thessalonians 5:21)

The Perfect Climate

12 Comments / January 3, 2019

It’s been an interesting last ten or twenty years. To say the least. I have watched as false teachers have deceived thousands of people claiming to be Christians–maybe even millions–with hardly even a word from the true church. As more and more leaders, authors, and pastors compromise, they draw more and more away from biblical Christianity.

Just as mold grows in the perfect climate of damp darkness, so, too, does apostate religion. Why are so many Christians deceived? Why are so many who claim Christ falling away into a self-centered religion that is nothing like what Christ taught? Why are they not holding to God’s Word?

We true believers stand by shaking our heads in bewilderment but if we stop and think for just a moment, it makes so much sense. There are six things that have slowly evolved over time that have made every man, woman, and child who would claim to be a Christian susceptible to false religion. These things have changed so slowly that we may not even have thought about them. The changes have been taking place for 100 years or more but took on warp speed in certain decades. Like this one.

These six things create the perfect climate for false religion to grow. They pose as grave dangers not only for the church at large but for each and every one of us. While there is not a whole lot we can do to change the situation as a whole, we can work to eliminate these things from our own lives and from the lives of our children. We can also be used by God to make other Christians aware of these dangers so that they aren’t deceived.

1. Biblical Illiteracy  This is the first one in both order and importance. Even those who would consider themselves “good” Christians rarely open their Bibles. Many–probably most–who call themselves a Christian are satisfied by a devotional that barely contains the Word of God or they neglect time in the Word completely. Even many preachers have left the solid expositing of the Word in favor of entertaining stories. We have become so ill-equipped. How can we see if we aren’t using our lamp? (Psalm 119:105) How can we fight if we aren’t using our sword? (Ephesians 6:17) How can we examine if something is true or false, if we do not know what is true? (Acts 17:11)

How important it is that we are not among these neglectful and powerless Christians. As you may already know, my main goal here at Growing4Life is to get you in the Word, comparing every single thing by the Word. It is literally our only anchor. If you aren’t in the Word on a regular basis you will be deceived and tossed about.

2. Self-Idolatry Not far behind biblical illiteracy in importance is self-idolatry. Now before you skim over this part thinking it hasn’t affected you, may I challenge you for a moment? God has been opening my eyes to show me that even we believers who really desire to please Him have fallen for this one. At least I have. In many ways, without even realizing it, we have become obsessed with ourselves. We are driven and motivated by our selfish desires and this shows up in a myriad of ways: We read the scriptures looking for personal application and if it’s not there, we quickly grow bored. We love to be comfortable and we hate–and even refuse–to step outside our “comfort zones”. We grow discouraged if we don’t receive praise and gratitude for a job well done or if someone else receives the credit for something we did. We are focused on fulfilling our dreams and finding our purposes. We are preoccupied with how we look, how much money we can make, who likes us, and what people think of us. In fact, it is our love for self that often keeps us from speaking the truth in the midst of all this false religion. We try to avoid pain at all costs. We try to avoid persecution at all costs. And then we call ourselves holy for staying silent. It is so mixed up.

The thing is this: Love of self is the complete opposite of the way of the cross. There is no amalgamation between the two. There are only two religions and they are polar opposites.

One is centered on self: What I can do to earn eternal life or to be close to God; God will help me fulfill my dreams; My feelings and experiences are the determiners of truth; The popularity and praise of people determines the validity of my ministry.

And the other one is centered on God: I recognize that I can do nothing to earn eternal life and rely wholly on God’s grace; I replace my purpose and dreams for God’s plans and purposes; I look to God’s Word for objective truth instead of relying on subjective feelings and experiences; And I am more concerned with God’s glory than with mine.

In fact, true religion is a lifetime of learning to crucify self so that Jesus Christ may be glorified. We, in essence, give up our lives for Christ. Paul puts it like this in Galatians 2:20–

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

3. Celebrity Infatuations We have become greatly enamored with men and women. If we aren’t careful, we start equating them with God and His Word. While I would never judge motives or the heart of any teacher, I am amazed at how many over the past ten years or so have left biblical truth and waded into compromise without nary a word from the Christian community. I have been greatly disheartened to watch their followers follow them right off the proverbial cliff. This is only possible because people have chosen to follow man instead of God. We must be sure that our final word is God’s Word and not man’s (or woman’s).

We are all susceptible to this. It is painful to realize that the person who helped you grow or was a tremendous support to you during a difficult time of spiritual growth can no longer be trusted. I get it. I’ve been there. The easiest thing to do is to close your eyes and forge ahead. But if we are to stay on the straight and narrow we must be Bereans and compare all things said and done–even the things by the teachers and authors we dearly love and are quite attached to–to scripture.

4. Bullying I find it rather ironic, that in an age that is so conscious of bullying, it is going on at a record rate towards anyone who would stand for biblical truth. Both outside the church and within its doors, anyone who would speak the truth in love about these matters of false religion and false teachers is called names, scorned, and mocked. They are marginalized and they are persecuted. It is a very interesting and extremely effective way for false religion to grow. Mock and scorn anyone who dissents. Don’t allow for any differing opinions–even if they are solidly based on the Word of God.

5. Speak Only the Positive Even many well-meaning Christians have fallen prey to this thinking that we can only speak positive words. But, of course, any study of scripture will soon reveal that sometimes we must speak the negative. Jesus, Paul, Peter, John, James, and Jude, and countless others in scripture, spoke both positive encouraging words as well as negative, rebuking words. As believers, we must be carefully balanced. Many times, Philippians 4:8 is used as the defense for speaking only the good–

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

But we must take note that what is true and what is just are not always positive. Sometimes we must think on the negative. Sometimes we must speak the negative. And we are not sinning by doing so.

I could go into the history of positive thinking if I had time today, but, suffice it to say, it is a doctrine of man and not of God. How duped we are if we believe that to speak negative words is sinful. Nothing could be further from the truth.

6. We Compare Ourselves to Ourselves Because things are so messed up, we end up looking pretty good even if we are living a nominal Christian life. We take a look around at the world and even at the church and we can be tempted to think that we do not look so bad. We become complacent and maybe even a bit proud in our faith. This kind of attitude is a bane to our spiritual health. Thinking we stand, we set ourselves up to fall (I Corinthians 10:12). We must compare ourselves to God’s Word. Only there will we see the truth. We have to stop looking around at others and thinking we are pretty good, lest we be deceived.

I have no delusions that this post will make even a dent in what’s going on in religion today. It is way too far gone. My only hope is that it will draw the attention of even a few believers so that we can protect ourselves and make sure they aren’t happening to us personally. I also hope that it will give you, my readers, the big picture and help you understand why false religion is flourishing today in a way it never has before.

God bless you as you seek to live for Christ in this confusing time. He will protect and keep us. The remnant of true believers will continue their march to victory! Of that we can be sure!

 

 

 

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