Mom4Truth

Another Spurgeon gem:

“Lay aside your prejudices; listen calmly, listen dispassionately; hear what Scripture says; and when you receive the truth, if God should be pleased to reveal and manifest it to your soul, do not be ashamed to confess it. To confess you were wrong yesterday is only to acknowledge that you are a little wiser today; and instead of being a reflection on yourself, it is an honor to your judgment, and shows that you are improving in the knowledge of the truth. Do not be ashamed to learn, and to cast aside your old doctrines and views, but take up that which you may more plainly see to be in the word of God.”

In the 80′s, Hollywood came out with a mini-series called “Out On A Limb.” The world was largely introduced to the concept of “I Am.”  This panentheistic theology teaches that we are all gods. Here is a clip from that series that shows this well:

As you can tell from this clip, there are about 7 billion gods on this planet.  As Dave Hunt noted in his article The First and Final Lie: Self-Deification, “The basic cause of the many problems in the world today is not that man fails to recognize his godhood but rather that there are about 7 billion gods on this planet, each one doing his or her own thing.”

Hollywood has now gone full circle with this feature presentation, set to be released in the coming months:

Christ warned in Matthew 24:5, “For many shall come in my Name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many.” The book of Luke renders it this way, “And he said, Take heed, that ye be not deceived, for many will come in my Name, saying, I am Christ, and the time draweth near; follow ye not them therefore.” Notice that “Christ” in the Luke rendering is in italics, which tells us it was not in the original manuscript. The translators probably thought it would be weird to say, “For many shall come in my Name, saying I am.” Likely, for the sake of clarity and uniformity, they added ‘Christ’ into Luke’s book. So, very likely, Christ was saying they would be saying “I Am.” This is the very message we hear permeating every New Age source!

The most shocking and sickening part is that “Christian” leaders are espousing this same theology.

Kenneth Copeland, “Every Christian is a god…You don’t have a god in you, you are one!” And, “When I read in the Bible where it says I AM, I just smile and say, “Yes, I Am too!”

M. Scott Peck says, “God wants us to become like himself or herself or itself, we are growing toward godhood, God is the goal of evolution.”

Kenneth Hagin and Morris Curello have made the same comments.

Scripture warns there would be a time of religious unity that would deceive the masses. Well, here we are, friends. Satan’s proud moment came when he forged ahead with trying to make himself as God. Of course, he failed, and was kicked out of Heaven. But, the world likes his lies, and continues to buy into the godood deception.

Here is another great article on the subject:

http://herescope.blogspot.com/2008/03/who-does-oprah-think-she-is-god.html

Beware, the end is it hand.

For believers, look up for your redemption draweth nigh!

This message goes out to the den of thieves that masquerade as prophets, priests, teachers, and preachers. I am sick of you.  And, to be perfectly honest, I am sick of those who follow them unapologetically, refusing to hear the truth of these wolves in sheep’s clothing!

We had a contractor come to our home this morning. The Holy Spirit never allows for someone to come to our house, do a job, and then leave. Oh, no, inevitably, the conversation turns to faith. And, inevitably, the person will be a “professing” Christian. Always.

You know, sometimes I feel like Jeremiah, (20:9) “Then I said,  I will not make mention of him, nor speak anymore in his name. But His Word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay.”

Ugh. Just typing it out, it rings true to me.

Hearing this guy talk today about his “faith” swelled within me righteous indignation. And praise. I was all the while giving thanks as I heard this guy talk, for I realized that it was my husband and I only a few short years ago.

Deceived. And on our way to hearing, “Away from me, you worker of iniquity.”

He spoke of witnessing tongues, being slain in the spirit, holy laughter, (false) prophets like Kim Clemente, the great examples of Billy Graham and Mother Theresa, how Ted Haggard (New Life Church) has really turned a corner and how God used that situation to tear him down so he could be rebuilt, reading The Message, TBN, the Catholic Church…should I keep going? Are you feeling as raw as me?

We bought into all that junk!

Oh, Lord, how manifold are thy works! You saved us!

We spoke to him about the origins of X-mas, Ishtar, which he confessed he knew the truth about but that the church was winning that fight because they took something Satan meant for evil and are using it for good. Yeah, right.

He asked about our head-coverings and dresses, saying it was a secondary-issue. “To each his own.” Well, I think Aleister Crowley put it best, “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.”

And he proceeded to call us legalists  because we strive toward the righteousness of God. When asked what he termed as legalism, he couldn’t give a coherent answer. I challenged him that obedience to God is not legalism. Legalism is creating man-made rules and then insisting on every one only listening to you, rather than the Word of God. Legalism allows for every rule or idea, except the Word of God! Go figure. Is that not precisely the ideology of the Unitarian movement? All ideas accepted, except the Bible!

You know, a while back one of the news magazines had written on its front cover, “We’re all socialists now.” I think it would have been better rendered, “We’re all Universalists now.” Every world religion has been united, including those of this counterfeit Christianity movement, under the false cosmic christ, who has nothing better to do with his time than to think of new ways to make us happy. It’s the motto of the humanists. I watched a powerful video recently talking about just that. He said, “All of a sudden, God reigns in Heaven for your happiness.” The guy at our door this morning was saying just that. That “god” doesn’t want his children to be unhappy. Yep, and I’m sure Christ died for that $40,000 truck sitting in my drive-way, right? You see, that cosmic christ did. And that’s his message. He comes bearing gifts and miracles like that other jolly old fat man in red.

I am so sick of it! By God’s grace, when we were warned, we hearkened unto the voice of wisdom. We didn’t defend it and try to reason it away. It’s not in my nature. Why? Not because of me, but because God destined me for salvation. I don’t know why, but I am on my knees daily weeping before Him in thanksgiving.

Jeremiah 5:31 “The Prophets prophesy lies, and ye priests receive gifts in their hands, and my people delight therin. What will ye do in the end thereof?” It’s disgusting, this love affair between today’s false teachers and their cult-adherents! 2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For the time will come when they will not suffer wholesome doctrine; but having their ears itching, shall after their own lusts get them a heap of teachers, and shall turn their ears from the truth, and shall be given unto fables.”

Flee, people! You are in deception! That man of perdition is soon to arrive, and him you will accept. John 5:43 “I am come in My Father’s Name, and ye receive me not; if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.”

Luke 17:1 “Then said he to his disciples, It cannot be avoided, but that offences will come, but woe be to him by whom they come.” Woe on the false prophets and teachers that fill today’s altars and TV air-waves!

1 Corinthians 11:19 “For there must be heresies even among you, that they which are approved among you, might be known.” Amen.

"Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?"—Ezekiel 15:2.

HESE words are for the humbling of God's people; they are called God's vine, but what are they by nature more than others? They, by God's goodness, have become fruitful, having been planted in a good soil; the Lord hath trained them upon the walls of the sanctuary, and they bring forth fruit to His glory; but what are they without their God? What are they without the continual influence of the Spirit, begetting fruitfulness in them? O believer, learn to reject pride, seeing that thou hast no ground for it. Whatever thou art, thou hast nothing to make thee proud. The more thou hast, the more thou art in debt to God; and thou shouldst not be proud of that which renders thee a debtor. Consider thine origin; look back to what thou wast. Consider what thou wouldst have been but for divine grace. Look upon thyself as thou art now. Doth not thy conscience reproach thee? Do not thy thousand wanderings stand before thee, and tell thee that thou art unworthy to be called His son? And if He hath made thee anything, art thou not taught thereby that it is grace which hath made thee to differ? Great believer, thou wouldst have been a great sinner if God had not made thee to differ. O thou who art valiant for truth, thou wouldst have been as valiant for error if grace had not laid hold upon thee. Therefore, be not proud, though thou hast a large estate—a wide domain of grace, thou hadst not once a single thing to call thine own except thy sin and misery. Oh! strange infatuation, that thou, who hast borrowed everything, shouldst think of exalting thyself; a poor dependent pensioner upon the bounty of thy Saviour, one who hath a life which dies without fresh streams of life from Jesus, and yet proud! Fie on thee, O silly heart!

Thank you to Spurgeon.org for this great quote!

(Thanks to procinwarn.net for this quote):

“Unlike ani­mals, human naked­ness has a moral and spir­i­tual dimen­sion [Rev.3:18]. From Eden, man’s cov­er­ing was insuf­fi­cient apart from God’s pro­vi­sion and stan­dard. Cloth­ing is to cover shame, not to allure or entice, even uncon­sciously to do so.”

Steve Phillips

In our society, everywhere we look we are bombarded with vanity. From Hollywood, to the check-out line at the grocery store, to the girls walking down the street, to a banner ad on your email, we see scantily clad females. From 5 year olds wearing 'Bootylicious' on their shorts, to women like the re-emerging Betty White, a 950 year old actress who dresses her age, but speaks like a 20 year old whore. Celebrities dare the fabric on their clothing to cover the essentials, while ever pushing the envelope on what is defined as "essentials." Women wear blouses that play cleavage peek-a-boo, and skirts that don't leave much to the imagination. And society has managed to term this all 'sexy'. Make-up ads cover billboards, TV, and the internet, all in effort to boost sales. What are they selling? Sheer-plum deceit and rouge lies.

I bought into this all for a while. We are taught to find our sense of belonging, our beauty, our strength, and our power in our physical looks. Let's be honest, getting dressed in the morning becomes nothing more than a way to guarantee men's heads turning and women enraged with jealousy.

But is this God's way?

Of course not. Luke 16:15 "The he said unto them, Ye are they, which justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed before men, is abomination in the sight of God."

Is it not right to say that beauty is highly esteemed before men? Then what does that imply? It is an abomination in the sight of God. Does God create some to be physically beautiful? Yes. But, it means nothing, particularly to God and to the advancing of His Kingdom.

Imagine if women today held to this verse:

Proverbs 31:30 "Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vanity: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised."

When speaking on the kind of wives we should be, 1 Peter tells us, "Whose appareling let it not be that outward, as with broided hair, and gold put about, or in putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, which consisteth in the incorruption of a meek and quiet spirit, which is before God a thing much set by."

God is not impressed by outward beauty, but looks for a pure heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 "But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature, because I have refused him: for God seeth not as mean seeth: for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord beholdeth the heart."

Women, we should be dressing modestly. Do jeans and a low-cut top cut it? No. We should be wearing dresses- an obvious distinction in our femininity from our male counterparts. Wearing dresses also shows the world that we are set-apart. If we dress like the world, is our message not compromised? The book of Corinthians tells us that even culture/nature distinguishes between men and women by giving men short hair and women long hair.

Further, the book of 1 Corinthians tells us, women, we should be wearing a head-covering.

1 Corinthians 11:3-15 "But I will that ye know, that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the woman's head, and God is Christ's head. Every man praying or prophesying having anything on his head, dishonereth his head. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth bareheaded, dishonereth her head, for it is even one very thing, as though she were shaven. Therefore, if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: and if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.  For a man ought to not cover his head, for as much as he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. For the man was not created for the woman's sake; but the woman for the man's sake. Therefore ought the woman to have power on her head, because of the Angels. Nevertheless, neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, so is the man also by the woman; but all things are of God. Judge in yourselves, Is it comely that a woman pray to God uncovered? Doeth not nature itself teach you, that if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a praise unto her, for her hair is given her for a covering."

That is not one of Paul's most popular or adhered to sermons, eh? In our society, you're "weird" if you do that. Or, you must belong to one of those cults. So, because, as all things have, Satan perverted the act of a woman wearing a head-covering, we should just toss it out all together? Talk about tossing the baby out with the bath-water!

If you are rebelling against this article, it is because God's Word is doing it's job. It is convicting. If you are apathetic, you are dead in your trespasses. And, if you are inspired, you, my friend, are truly a child of God. Hebrews 12:6 "For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and he scourageth every son that he receiveth."

I, like you, am going through the scouraging. It is painful, uncomfortable, akward….and liberating!

Join me, women, in the scouraging.

Lighthouse Trails:

The following is written by a Lighthouse Trails reader and researcher who attended Rick Warren's health seminar last Saturday. We believe it is worth your time to read.

By: Jennifer Pekich

Used with permission
Ponderings from Patmos

I first arrived to Saddleback's campus only to be told that "all parking lots were full." I drove across the street to see if there were any spots available in the business lots, and they were full too. I ended up parking in a housing tract and walked a mile or two back to Saddleback's campus. As I arrived, I overheard a parking lot attendant say they estimated about 6,000 people had come to the seminar.

I was a little late, so I was grateful to my nephew who went online and began to relay what was being said in the opening comments, as I didn't want to miss what was to be the foundation of the talks that day. I was a little taken aback when my nephew told me the first speaker, Dr. Amen, made reference to the Egyptian pyramids and how they were built upon an "idea," and if man could build something like that all those thousands of years ago, what could he do today if he put his mind to it? I found that to be somewhat disturbing, as the pyramids, no matter how impressive they were, represent the ancient pagan religions which got their start in Babylon when Nimrod gathered men (the community) together to commit idolatry by building a tower to honor themselves as gods (Gen. Ch. 11). [1] And yet here it was, the analogy that was chosen to illustrate this new "idea" Saddleback would launch their 52 week program with. No matter what Dr. Amen's intent was, I believe the analogy was appropriate, and the subtle message is telling…"MAN CAN DO ANYTHING HE PUTS HIS MIND TO." Sound familiar? (Read Gen. 3:4-5). [2]

As I began to head up the hill toward the main sanctuary, a Saddleback tram pulled up and the driver asked if I wanted a lift. I said I preferred to walk, but thanks. The driver yelled, "Let's all give her a hand folks, she's started the Daniel Plan already!" And the people on the tram cheered. Never mind the fact that I have been walking my entire life because I enjoy doing so, not because of some health and fitness campaign. I sensed I was entering a nightmare.

The main sanctuary was full, & it was standing room only. They told me the overflow areas were full too. So I found a spot on the patio outside the main sanctuary looking in. I had a good view and could see the stage perfectly. Their outdoor sound system made it so I could roam around, observe the audience, continue to listen to the guest speakers, and take notes.

To begin, I'd like to state that Saturday Jan. 15th, 2011 will go down in the history books as the day Saddleback Church was sold a bill of goods. The masses had come out in droves for answers to their weight loss difficulties & health problems, but unbeknownst to them, they were being given a prescription for restructuring society & population control.

The prescription goes by the name Agenda 21, a.k.a. "Sustainable Development" or "Smart Growth." Agenda 21 is a published document put out by the United Nations with the intent to put limits on population and to restructure nation-states into a global society. [3] Rick Warren's "new friends" had dubbed it, "The Daniel Plan – God's Prescription For Your Health." A more appropriate title would've been, "Sustainable Living – Destroying Inalienable Rights, One Community at a Time."

By the time I settled into listening more intently, the second speaker, Mark Hyman, began. It didn't take too long to figure out what the basis of his message was: We "need to heal with community" (he termed this "accompaniment"), "we're here for the sake of each other," this plan "is our way out," this plan "saved me," and in fact will "change the world."

Saddleback was being told they were a "test community" to show the world how to live "healthy and sustainably." When I heard these words, my heart sank. It was as I'd feared. I knew which buzzwords to listen for, and he was hitting them all. The audience was told they would be champions in health to show the world what "living sustainably" was all about, but Dr. Hyman is a leftist who is more than a champion in health, he's a change agent for the global elite, as is Dr. Oz & Dr. Amen. Dr. Hyman is the founder and medical director of the Ultra Wellness Center, he advises Dr. Oz's healthcore group, and he's a nominee to President Obama's advisory group on prevention, health promotion, and integrative and public health. [4] Hmmmmmm. I smell an agenda.

Dr. Hyman practices what's known as "functional medicine," which means he uses a "whole systems" approach to medicine; in other words, he practices medicine "wholistically," This is also known as "Mind Body" medicine. At Saddleback's seminar, "mind body" or "functional" medicine was presented as if it's completely scientific. Any scientist worth his salt will tell you that yes, the body can be measured scientifically, but the mind falls into an entirely different category which can never be measured by science. As stated by Dave Hunt in his book Occult Invasion – The Subtle Seduction of the World and Church, "Physical science, by very definition, can make no judgments concerning a nonphysical realm" as is the mind & the soul. [5] In other words, the mind and the soul are scientifically immeasurable.

It's the same with the religions of "Mind Science." Calling a religion "Mind Science" or "Scientology," when there's nothing scientific about it, is the same as calling a cereal "Grapenuts" when it contains no grapes or nuts. But we live in an era when the masses have been sufficiently dumbed down, and all it takes to impress is clever packaging and branding. If "they" say it's science, then dog-gone-it, it's science! After all, "these doctors are on television."

As I sat through all 3 presentations by Dr.'s Hyman, Amen, & Oz, what came to mind were the traveling salesmen of the 1800s. They talk fast, so fast that the message that's really being given, goes right over people's heads. They used tactics to tug at the heart strings such as videos of sick little girls who suddenly got well from being on "the program" and have been "set free" from relying on medications. Then they flooded the audience with "facts" and "statistics" to scare any grandmother, such as "a tsunami of disease is hitting us," "life expectancy is going down," "1 out of 2 people are diabetic or pre-diabetic," "70% of all agricultural land is taken up by growing animals to feed all the people," "the bigger your body gets, the more your brain shrinks," etc.

I about fell off my chair when Dr. Hyman stated, "The key to the success of the "Daniel Plan" is "group living" … "individuals" will not succeed, our only hope lies in "community." [LT Note:This is exactly what the emerging church is teaching.]  And with that, it was announced that the "Saddleback community" would be an example of "sustainable living" and would set the course to "change this world" … and the crowd went wild!  [LT Note: Remember, when we reported how Rick Warren talked glowingly about a critical mass needed to change our world?]

Dr. Hyman said that he is a Jew, Dr. Amen said he is a Christian, and Dr. Oz said he is a Muslim. And doesn't that represent the demographic of "most of the population of the world"? But then he said, "we're all the same underneath." True to his salesman fashion, Dr. Hyman didn't define his terms. What in the world does he mean "we're all the same underneath"? That can mean a number of things. Since he was speaking to a religious crowd, I'd venture to say some of the folks present took that to mean we're all children of God (Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, etc.), which is patently false according to the Bible. The Bible says there are only two groups, children of wrath and children of God. You're either one or the other, a believer in Christ Jesus, or a non-believer. We aren't "all the same underneath." (Ephesians Ch. 2). [6]

The only way in which we're "all the same underneath" is we're all sinners in need of a Savior; and the Savior isn't "sustainable living." [LT Note: Remember, the New Age says the era of the single savior is OVER!] The Savior is Jesus Christ, and He is the only way unto salvation (John 14:6). [7] And to become a child of God, Jesus said, "You must be born again" (John Ch. 3). [8] The tragic thing about this day at Saddleback is, Jesus was never mentioned … and I mean NEVER. There were a few passing references to God; Daniel Amen mentioned that our bodies were "a temple of the Holy Spirit and the brain is the inner sanctum," [Amen means that all humans are the temple of the Holy Spirit] but Jesus never made the cut – "sustainable lifestyles" and "group living" did.

Following Dr. Hyman's talk, my best friend arrived to observe the day with me, only to hear Dr. Amen mention in his presentation that he did a brain scan on one of his clients who had a habit of cheating on his wife. The brain scan showed that there were "holes in the pre-frontal cortex of his brain" which controls the impulses. In other words, this man wasn't sinful, he was "mentally ill." All he needed was to get on the "Change Your Brain, Change Your Body" program, and his personal struggles with sin were remedied. Once again, Jesus was removed from the equation. My friend and I were dumbfounded when we listened to the Saddleback crowd cheer. My best friend couldn't contain it any longer and let out a, "You've got to be kidding me." My thoughts exactly!

Dr. Hyman recommended Yoga and meditation to the crowd. Dr. Amen gave a diplomatic denunciation of Yoga (which is contradictory since he has recommended it himself), but about 5 sentences later mentioned a study done by a friend of his named Andy Newberg who did brain scans on Tibetan nuns and Franciscan priests while in "prayer and contemplation" and the study showed that "spiritual connection" is healthy. Dr. Amen has been an advocate of "Sa Ta Na Ma" meditation. [9]

If by chance any attendees of the Saddleback "Health and Fitness Seminar" read this blog post, I encourage you to educate yourself about what globalism truly is. You also need to research Agenda 21. As stated earlier, the purpose of Agenda 21 is to restructure society. Sounds conspiratorial, I know. But it isn't a conspiracy; it's a published document of the United Nations that's in full swing. Anywhere you hear the terms, "Sustainable Development,"  "sustainable living," "smart growth,"  "going green,"  etc., rest assured you've just been exposed to the U.N.'s Agenda 21. [10]

It shouldn't surprise us that Rick Warren would allow a seminar of this nature at Saddleback; after all, he himself has "GONE GREEN." [11] He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. [12] This illustrates the natural progression of one being unequally yoked with non-believers and buying into heresies such as "Kingdom Now," "Dominionism," or "Restoration Theology." Where these heresies reign, as they do at Saddleback, you will find that the focus subtly shifts from salvation in Christ alone, through faith alone, to misguided efforts to restore mankind and the earth through "community" works, sustainable living, and social justice. How convenient that these just happen to be the vehicles which the United Nations is using to further its own agenda to restructure society and unite the world under its governing body of global elites.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.2 Timothy 4:3-4

(I found it to be slightly humorous that, on page 9 of the booklet which Saddleback passed out to attendees, the symptom of "itchy ears" was listed in the "Medical Symptom/Toxicity Questionnaire" … oh, the irony!) (source: Ponderings from Patmos)

Yesterday, I posted a blog about some precious, dear friends of mine that lost their children 3 years ago. Today was to be the day they received word from the judge if they would be getting them back.

3 years.

Their youngest daughter is 3. She was brand new when the Canadian government swept them away, sent them to live with strangers, and completely stalled their lives. A horrible accident, their youngest son fell on the baby as she played on the floor. 10 doctors said "Accident!", but one said "Abuse!" and their lives, and the course of it, were forever altered. Can you imagine?

It took this to shake them to salvation, repentance, Truth.

And here they sit, hands outstretched, calling Him "good"…and waiting.

The Judge sent word today that he would need another month to deliberate. A full month. Oh, I know in our busy lives, a month flies by. Would it if you knew you could only hold, kiss, or caress your children's faces 8 times within that month? I'll bet that month would slow way down.

3 years….and a month.

If you've ever been pregnant, you know that last month of pregnancy is grueling. If you're a runner, you know that last mile is the worst.

They're nearing the end. The finish line is in site. And yet, their legs are weak and wobbly, their hearts faint. It is this last mile that they must cling to the baton of God's Truths as found in Scripture to carry them across that line.

1 Corinthians 9:24 "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. "

Philippians 3:14 "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Thanks to revivalandreformation.wordpress.com for this post!

Here is a non-exhaustive list of heresies plaguing today's modern church:

1)      Not teaching that Christian mothers should not work and should stay at home.

2)      Not supporting and arguing for the use of corporeal punishment for Christian families.

3)      Not refusing day care for children while their married Christian mothers work.

4)      Not insisting that Christian women dress, talk and behave modestly.

5)      Not teaching that Christian men should be the priest, financial provider and protector of the home.

6)      By over emphasizing God’s role for Christian husbands and not wives (Christian feminism).

7)      Not telling those in the church and in the world who support, assist or obtain abortions, they are de facto murderers.

8)      By accepting or even tolerating sexuality immorality of any kind in the body of Christ.

9)      Not teaching that the feminist movement is from Satan as is our Christian feminist movement.

10)  Not teaching that Christianity is an exclusive faith and not inclusive.

11)  Not teaching Jesus will not save those who still wish to live in sin and serve Satan.

12)  Not teaching that Christians should not be in financial bondage.

13)  Not providing for those in the Christian community who cannot provide for themselves.

14)  Being friends with the world and seeking its acceptance and respect.

15)  Being respecters of persons by seeking testimony from the rich and/or famous.

16)  Thinking that Christian education and degrees make someone spiritual and capable of teaching.

17)  Not disciplining those in the church who live outwardly immoral lives.

18)  Being concerned about church growth instead of church sanctification.

19)  By bringing the world into the church under the guise of evangelism.

20)  Becoming more like the world to win the world.

21)  Using secular thoughts and disciplines to enlighten, clarify, or define scripture.

22)  Teaching morality without Christ Jesus being the source of morality.

23)  Teaching and practicing situational ethics.

24)  Eliminating most teaching on God’s wrath, sin, holiness, and the cross.

25)  Not focusing on the absolute necessity and importance of prayer.

26)  Not teaching that those who practice sin or love the world, will not enter into heaven.

27)  Supporting in any way, theistic evolution.

28)  By allowing the world to define or clarify what is sinful behavior.

29)  By fellowshipping with or coming into agreement with the unsaved regarding spiritual matters.

30)  By thinking that God’s favor can be restored without the clear teaching of God being first restored.

31)  By seeking unity with others who profess Christ, such as Catholics and Mormons, at the expense of essential doctrinal purity.  A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump!

32)  By stressing the love of God and ignoring His justice and righteousness.

33)  By teaching and defending that salvation is solely and purely decisional on the part of man without the necessity of becoming transformed new creatures in Christ. (Solely a work of the Holy Spirit)

34)  How dare you say or even intimate that Christians have the option of living or not living holy sanctified lives.

35)  By allowing or teaching that a denominational, political or national affiliation is synonymous with being a Christian.

36)  Being confused and perplexed by any of these above listed hypocrisies.

From the above points we should all agree that Satan is alive and well and has managed to water down a large portion of Christ’s church so that it really stands for nothing and has no real power.  How did this happen?  The reason is Christ’s church wanted acceptance by the world.  It did not want to be salt and light to a fallen world, but wanted to be accepted and respected by a fallen world.  It allowed the world to redefine the applications of spiritual principles through acculturation under the guise of love and evangelism.  In doing this, it has eliminated the principles that God says we should keep.  Our church leaders have incorrectly reasoned that a little leaven can’t really leaven the whole lump, can it?  Satan is certainly a wolf in sheep’s clothing!  Unchecked false doctrine should be thought of as the virus that causes AIDS.  The Lord may stop the deadly consequences for a period of time, but if we are unrepentant then He may allow the disease to run its course resulting in spiritual impotence.

 

Here are some good examples of how societal pressures and mores have led to the dilution of Christ’s church resulting in compromising even the basic principles of biblical morality.  Feminism is no longer even argued, but the argument is now with radical feminism; homosexuality is no longer argued, but the bar has been lowered to gay marriage; abortion as de facto murder is seldom noted, but now the bar has been lowered to debating reasons for  abortions or for partial birth abortions; the illogical unscientific concept of evolution is largely accepted with the bar being lowered to theistic evolution; divorce is tolerated to the point where there are no consequences either in our pulpits or in our congregations; saving sex for marriage is ridiculed and the bar has been lowered to a level that I can’t even define and the list could go on and on and on and on ad infinitum.  The common thread that runs through this short list of compromises is that when something becomes legal and/or intellectually or morally acceptable to the “world”, then the church abandons the strict narrow positions of scripture and simply raises the bar or eliminates the bar altogether.  In this manner absolute truth doesn’t exist since the bar is continually being lowered.  Since our standards are constantly changing we are perhaps disliked and thought of as narrow minded, but clearly most of us will never be guilty of hateful behavior.  The question I would like to ask myself and all others who call upon the name of Christ is this; when did Jesus or any of His apostles avoid truth so they would not undergo persecution, humiliation, or shame?  The correct answer is that they never avoided truth regardless of the consequences.  To do so would have been unthinkable to Christ and should be unthinkable to anyone who calls Him Lord and has knelt at the foot of the cross.  Please come quickly Lord Jesus, come quickly.

"You are God alone. From before time began, you were on your throne. And you are God alone. And, right now, in the good times and bad- you are on your throne and you are God alone."

These are lyrics of a song we used to sing at our apostate church. And the congregation sang them with zeal. People crawled to the altar at the front of the church, on their knees, hands outstretched, singing this with all their heart. And we kneeled with them.

Did we mean it?

Do you mean it?

And then there's reality.

We left that church a couple of years ago, but in that time, many people we previously called "friends" have died, and young. A father of 2, with one on the way, his wife and I used to swap pregnancy stories. Last year, just after the birth of their 3rd child, he went in for a routine surgery…and never woke up. Last January, a 7 magnitude earthquake shattered Haiti, sending many to Hell that day- amongst the dead, a "friend" from our old church, leaving behind a wife and 2 adopted children. A woman, another "friend", gave birth to a 38 week old still-born last year, after awaking one morning with a "funny feeling". I could go on.

Why do I say "friend" in quotes? Because when the Lord delieverd us from that cult, we figured out quickly who our "friends" were. And we were finally able to see, objectively, the wheat and the tares. Those I spoke of above, were tares. So, these people I used to "worship" with, are now, very likely, amongst the group of people who said, "Lord, Lord" and were told "Away from me, I never knew you." These people were deceived by their flesh. Deceived into thinking they could live their life contradictory to Scripture and make it in on a "Come into my heart" prayer.

Our Christian walk does not reside in a foolish profession, spoken in a fit of emotion, before a loud and bellicose 501c3 pastor. Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven."

Do you do His will? Do you walk according to His truth as laid out in Scripture, crucifying your flesh?

That cross was heavy. Is yours?

Those flowery lyrics required nothing to sing them. And they have become nothing more than a prelude to lunch after church and a football game on the big screen.

Do you realize the price of those lyrics? Do you realize the price of following God?

And, is He still good?

I have just met a friend. That may sound small and insignificant to you, but to me, a friend that walks in Truth is absolutely priceless. They are rare, virtually extinct, if it weren't for God's promise to Elijah that He had reserved 7,000 that hadn't bowed their knee to Baal.

I've met one.

And he is going though a Job-like testing of his faith. And, not in the cute and flowery way that all of those apostates sing about. A real trial by fire. 3 years ago, he wasn't walking with the Lord. And, the Lord, in His great omnipotence, could have left he and his family woefully ignorant. But he didn't. No, he decided to rip their hearts out, gut them, and pass them through flames.

To save them.

All to save them.

That's my God.

Is that the God you worship?

Anything less and it's not.

Would your "god" tear you to smitherines to save your soul?

It worked for them. They have now been placed on the painful, narrowing Way that is Christ.

Drained.

Stripped.

And saved.

3 years ago, they lost their children in an epic battle bewteen good and evil. Tomorrow is the culmination.

If the judge says 'yes', their children, now 3 years older, come home to a strange, and yet, familiar, place they don't know, and yet, have always known.

If the judge says 'no', their children will be permanently placed in another home, with zero contact with their parents.

It all hinges on this judge and the very hand of God.

Now, let me ask you, Is God still good?

They say, with a resounding shout, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Now, that is faith.