| The Frightening Future Of "Christianity" Where Is The Gospel? |
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| Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
The Lord Jesus gives us a glimpse into the future...Will He find faith on the earth? Well, how does faith come? By HEARING THE WORD OF GOD. The Holy Spirit produces saving faith through the hearing of the Gospel: Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Christians are excited about the many so-called "revivals" that are sweeping our nation. They get excited..."so many souls are getting into church..." What the Church as a whole has forgotten that as these Last Days approach us, the Bible warns of a religious system that will be apostate. Man can be religious and yet completely lost and on his way to hell. Cain was a religious man... brought to God what HE chose to give. He thought he could come to God "as he was" but Cain forgot that he was a sinner. Cain did not believe in the blood of the lamb. Cain was a religious man with an unregenerate heart. The religious unconverted man today boldly attempts to reach God, as he is, but he cannot be heard. It is only through the blood of the MEDIATOR between God and man-- the man CHRIST JESUS that sinful man can approach the most Holy God. Many modern preachers choose to preach "motivating and positive messages" which do not mention sin but rather focus of self-improvement. "God can help you fulfill your dreams...God cares for you..." They are handing out a cup of water to a people headed for the flames. Many people forget what Jesus said in John 3:18, He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. The Omission Of The Blood of Jesus Eph 1:7 In whom [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. The man who hears a "bloodless" gospel is the man who leaves the church just as lost as when he walked in the door. Feeling "good about yourself" does your eternal soul no good. A sinner must see his sinful condition. The Word of God is a mirror...preaching the WHOLE Word of God will show the sinner to see his need for the Savior. Christ Jesus paid the highest price to redeem us. A sinner is chained to sin and the wrath of God abides on him. We must shine the Light of the Gospel to the lost. The Gospel is that the LORD JESUS died for ungodly sinners-- and it is only through the blood of Jesus that a sinner can come to God, the Father. In the day and age where there are mega-churches all over the globe, people are asking the question, "What does the Cross mean?" Well, after hearing many modern sermons, it is no wonder why people have questions. The TRUE and complete Gospel is not being preached. Jesus died for the ungodly. The Lord Jesus died to save us from eternal damnation, which is what every sinner deserves but the bible says in Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." One cannot even get saved unless he knows that he needs to be saved. "Saved from what?" From our sins: Matthew 1:21 "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." Jesus came to save sinners...not from their current troubles, but from eternal damnation. He came to give us everlasting life that can only be found in Him. One cannot get saved unless he knows he is truly lost. The Gospel must be presented in its entirety. The Lord Jesus instructed the apostle Paul to preach: Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. The Sleeping Saints Out In Dream Land? Christianity has become a marketplace of ideas that center on "self image", "marriage building" and "destiny making" ideology. The Christian bookstores are filled with "christian" fiction novels. This is most tragic. Many Christians cannot even quote the bible and have yet to LEARN the bible but they are buying "christian" novels. We live in a real world, with real troubles and a real enemy-- the devil-- and "Christians" are just coasting through a fictitious novel sleeping in Laodicea. Wake up! Come back to reality. 1Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because YOUR ADVERSARY the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Twisting Of Scripture As the New "Christianity" emerges, one thing remains the same. The devil's objective since the beginning has been to twist the Word of God. He twisted the Word of God to Eve and she bought it. Today, there are books in the "Christian" marketplace that completely twist the Word of God. They take Scripture out of context. They rewrite the meaning to suit whatever "new idea" they are promoting. Some preachers omit the Gospel and others twist the Gospel. There is equally as much danger in listening to those who twist the Gospel. They will say, "Jesus died for you..." but the reason they give is "to give you a new direction..." Yes, once a person receives Christ, they receive a new direction but this is not why Jesus died. Christ Jesus died to save us from our sins and to give us everlasting life. This life on earth is but a mere second compared to eternity. Many preachers today focus on the earthly life and how to "better yourself" but all the feel-good sermons will not profit when the audience has yet to receive Christ as their Savior. There is much danger in man-made interpretations of the Word of God. Heresies are brought forth by man's twisted viewpoints. Integrating Modern Psychology into Christian Theology A VERY popular (Word of Faith) woman preacher was on TV a couple of weeks ago mentioning that the lame man at the pool of Bethesda was wallowing in a sort of self-pity. Now, where is that in Scripture? All the years I have been reading Scripture, I never once ever thought of such a twisted thing! The man wanted to be healed because he could not walk. He had no one to bring him into the pool. He believed he would be healed if he could get to the water. Once he met Jesus his life was never the same. Jesus, the One who created water and Who gives LIVING WATER, healed him instantly. Did the man wallow in self pity? No, he just wanted to be healed so that he could walk on his own two feet. The new teaching of "christianity" is about psychological analysis. "Let's psycho analyze everyone in the bible" is what these Last Days are becoming. The Bible was given to us by God for our learning. We can all identify with the lame man at the pool of Bethesda, who was sick 38 years, because each of us has had a need that only Jesus could meet. Jesus took pity on the man as He took pity on us. John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? Joh 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. Psychology has invaded the Christian marketplace. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is being distorted by modern psychology. Much of so-called Christian psychology attacks the very essence of Christianity. The abundant Christian life is not produced by psychological technique but rather by the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is produced by yielding to God. The Lord works in us and through us. Political Pulpits The future of "Christianity" is becoming a spiritually dangerous place where the political causes of our day have replaced a true relationship with Jesus Christ. In many American pulpits, political issues have replaced the teaching of God's Word. So many sermons each week are now dedicated to "preserving our spiritual heritage" in our country. While noble as it may seem, the secular world is on a fast course to perdition. The Apostle Paul was concerned about souls and the Church remaining separate from the world. The "new mandate" of "Churchianity" is the integration of Christians into all areas of modern culture. The Bible tells us to "Be ye separate" but yet some Christians believe that we should be a part of every facet of this world (movies, TV, radio, etc.) in order to reach the masses. As good as it may sound, the world needs the simple Gospel in order to be reached, not movies or fictitious novels. True faith comes by hearing the Word of God. The bible says, Rev 13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear. The political agenda has replaced the Gospel. Although voting may be our right as citizens, and we should exercise our right, it has nothing to do with the focus of our Christian faith. We are to look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our Faith. We know that the world lies in darkness and therefore it is our duty to shine the Gospel light to a lost and dying world. Jesus is not a Republican or a Democrat or a Conservative. Whether it is the favoring the wealthy and giving them "perks" while burdening the middle class or whether it is upholding the rights of those who kill the unborn child, God cannot be and is not a member of any political party. Mic 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? In all things, we are to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God. Christians are called to win the lost, allowing the Lord to lead us in all matters. Zechariah 4:6 tells us, "not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." In His power, we are to minister the Gospel message and disciple converts, minister to fellow saints, plead the cause of the widow, visit the fatherless and widows and to live peaceably with mankind. We are to pray for those in leadership and honor them but our focus must be stayed upon Christ and what HE has commanded us to do. Attempting to teach godly principles to the lost does not win them to Christ. It only makes them religious and civilized but they are still lost apart from Jesus. The unregenerate heart does not receive the things of God. We are to preach the Gospel. 2Cor 4:3-4 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. STRESS Many Christians find themselves "stressed" because they are doing more than what is required of them and they are doing things in their own power. Many are preoccupied with things which don't really matter in the eternal picture. Christians have abandoned the bible and picked up the protest sign. Christians have replaced morning bible readings with news commentary. Christians go door to door with petitions but have left their bible tracts at home. Many preachers have abandoned the Gospel in favor of political topics and seeker-sensitive topics. "APPEAL TO THE MASSES" The new mantra is "appeal to everyone, offend no one". The gospel is fastly becoming a "listener friendly, non-offensive" message-- Where Jesus is no longer the Savior of your sins but a Savior from all of your "personal shortcomings". False teachers dominate the majority of Christian bookstores. Their messages incite a new wave of "spiritual formation" but they have gone in the way of Cain. The majority of books written are "How To" books because most readers today have a short attention span. "Left Behind" People are reading fictitious novels about the Rapture and watching so-called Tribulation movies. Yet the bible tells us that Rev 22:18: For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: No one knows the specifics of the End Times and how things will exactly unfold. These films condition the minds of the viewers to accept a false version of future events that have yet to take place. "Churchianity" sees nothing wrong with taking future prophecies of the Holy Word of God and making worldly movies to "win the lost" and "entertain" and "filling in the blanks" in-between verses. But it will backfire because the devil is subtle and giving the future antichrist "a face" conditions the viewer's mind to accept a false interpretation of future events. Making movies to warn people about the coming tribulation is NOT what will win the lost. Preaching the Gospel reaches souls. Preaching the Word reaches souls. Those who cannot be won with the preaching of the Gospel cannot be won at all. One must receive the Lord Jesus Christ as SAVIOR. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. The Bible in 2Thess 2:9-12 says that the Antichrist's coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. To produce tribulation films gives the viewers a false sense of certainty that the events portrayed will happen just as the movie depicted them. While Scripture is TRUE and every bible prophecy true, man's interpretation of the FUTURE events are not so certain as to boldly make a film based upon such. These movies add to Scripture and those producing such films tread on very dangerous ground. THE FUTURE? Matt 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Shall there be faith found upon the earth when Christianity abandons its salt in exchange for worldly recognition and secular appeal? Shall there be faith on the earth when Christians living in their comfort zones decide that the world does not need the Gospel but rather social reform and psychological analysis? When so-called Christian films will tell allegorical versions of the bible? When fictitious novels replace bible devotions? When the pulpit's political speeches take precedence over the saving Gospel message? Shall there be faith found when so-called preachers abandon the fundamentals of the faith, calling them "old fashioned" in favor of a "fresh...new" method of preaching which omits hell, and all "negative stuff"? The spirit of Antichrist is already at work, producing religious people with unregenerate hearts who sit in church pews waiting to hear sermons that will "motivate" them and give them a "pick me up". Many popular sermon topics have to do with End Time events. Though Bible prophecy is a blessing to study, it should not be the ONLY topic taught among teachers. Many prophecy "experts" are quite bold to emphatically state their interpretations as "fact" and instead of keeping the main focus of prophecy--which should be Christ Jesus, it seems that much of their focus is on the Tribulation. One has to wonder... by abandoning the Gospel in favor of Tribulation sermons, are prophecy teachers fulfilling the Great Commission? Are they teaching biblical principles to disciple the Saints? Is the focus on Christ Jesus or the antichrist? As Christians, we are to watch and wait for Jesus' appearing AND we are also to occupy till He comes. 2 Thess 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. True faith comes by hearing the Word of God. True conversions come by hearing the uncompromising Gospel message. One must know that he is utterly lost in order to be saved. Praise God that there are still some preachers out there preaching and teaching the Word to their congregations. One has to wonder though, where will Christianity be in 30 years? The Lord Jesus may return for us at any minute but if the Rapture does not come soon, we must not be discouraged. We must continue to hold true to the fundamentals of the Faith and win the lost to Jesus Christ and disciple converts to do the same. Work while it is yet day for the night will come. Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? Copyright © 2005 Cobblestone Road Ministries All Rights Reserved Further Reading: Four Important Things That Every Christian Should Know False Preachers - Passing out candy on the way to destruction Church Apostasy... Living in the Last Days Are You Rapture Ready? Running The Christian Race The Way of Cain The Antichrist and The Da Vinci Code? Tribulation Films...Good or Bad? |
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