Todd Bentley posted a video blog from his recent book signing.  Watch as Bentley does a meet and greet with the fans and sells his products.  You’ll hear mention of Lakeland, and then later in the video, you’ll hear him say “Shika” and  and see one woman supposedly come under the influence of the spirit. 

Afterwards, they cut to the MorningStar Harvest Fest, Worship and Warfare Conference, where a woman is supposedly prophesying, “God wants you to shine,” while the camera cuts to Todd Bentley.  I would say this is a very effective PR campaign to get the masses primed for the deception that Bentley is on a new mission from God and will be coming to a church or conference center near you!

The more things change the more they stay the same.

Click here to be taken to the video blog.

Apparently, the gospel of Jesus Christ isn’t enough to bring kids into the church.  Who am I kidding?  They’re kids!  If they haven’t been raised in the admonition of the Lord, then most won’t have much interest in church in their teen years.  Some do, most don’t.  We know this.  We reach out.  We try to reach them, teach them, love them.  If only some youth pastors would do this.  Instead, some are becoming more extreme in their attempts to attract young people.

What would you do if your kid came home from church and said, “Mom/Dad, our youth pastor smeared peanut butter on his hairy arm pits and got two kids to lick it off”?  Would you be appalled?  Would you be sickened?  Well then, be sickened.

I found this blog post at Defending.Contending, and while reading it, I was sickened at the perversity.  Youth pastors are resorting to rank perversion in order to be viewed as “cool” to the young people.  Their theory is that if they can get kids talking about how radical their church is, they’ll want to come. 

Yet, all of this begs the question:  do you want your children attending a church where the youth pastor would have kids lick peanut butter off of his arm pits?  Parents would be right to keep their kids away from this filth.  Churches like this depreciate the gospel of Jesus Christ to the level of a middle/high school gross out puke fest.

How do you like the marketing and church growth strategies now?  I once heard a pastor say that if you draw people into the church with a hamburger, someone else will draw them out with a hotdog.  Why?  Their intent in being there is not God-honoring, their intent is the same as when they go to a nightclub, a bar, or a drug party – they’re having a good time, but God has little to do with it.  Gimmicks may bring them through the door, but gimmicks can also draw them out again.

Someone took issue with my blog post concerning Joshua Mills and his fish tale.  Here is the e-mail I received:

How very sad that so much time is spent in digging and finding out who the  false prophets are?  Is it impossible for God to do miracles that are unusual, is he not God?  In Mk 16v15-18 it speaks about what can happen when we believe, signs, wonders and miracles and yet Oh dear don’t declare some miracle like a fish wearing sunglasses that’s too impossible for God to perform?  What about Jonah being swallowed up by a big fish and lived in it for 3 days??  Instead of trying to witch hunt all the false prophets why not allow God to sort out the false prophets and he is well able to expose them, and get on with telling people about our wonderful saviour and giving him the glory.  I praise and thank God for all those saints who take risks and believe God to do more than they can ever imagine hallelujah !!!!!

What this e-mail is basically saying is “Turn a blind eye to false doctrine.  Let God sort them out.  Be silent!”

God did sort it out and expose them IN HIS WORD.  Since we stand upon His Word, we carry out His will, which is to expose false teachers such as Joshua Mills as we are commanded to do in Scripture.  But, since you want God to sort them out, hear God’s word speak:

This is what Paul had to say to the elders of the Ephesian church:

Acts 20:28-32:

28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

This is what God had to say through Jude:

Jude1:3-22:

3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah.

12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:

If you choose to believe everyone who calls themselves Christians without taking the time to rightly divide the word of truth and weigh their doctrine, you are not following Scripture.  The Bible tells us not to believe every spirit, but to try the spirits (1 John 4:1).  It is those who refuse to try the spirits who are guilty of flaming and fanning the pandemic of false doctrine we have in the church.  Because Joshua Mills says a fish was wearing sunglasses, does that make it true?  What does the Bible say?  Can he support that absurd claim with Scripture?  Joshua Mills’s fish story exalts who?  Joshua Mills.  The flow of glorification isn’t going towards God; indeed, this story only makes God look ridiculous.  This story is a tall tale meant to exalt Mills to a status of importance, because in the charismatic church you have the “haves and have-nots” – those who are so almighty important to God that they have extra-biblical revelation, visions, and manifestations – and then you have the rest of the peons who have none of these, so they mistakenly believe those who do are mighty men and women of God.  But, at the end of the day it’s all snake oil, smoke and mirrors, and deception.

2 Timothy 3:1-5:

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

From the verses posted above, it sounds like God wants us to weigh the doctrine of these people, and if they’re found wanting (according to Scripture), we are to turn away from them.  Since this is what is important to God, this is what I will do.  For, Jesus Himself warned in Matthew 24:24 that in these last days false Christs and false prophets would arise and perform signs and wonders so that, if it were possible, they would deceive even the very elect.  Deception in these days is great and will grow greater… the Lord did not want us to be caught unawares, which is why he cared enough to say, “Behold, I have told you before.”  (Matthew 24:25)

Please heed His voice.

Having grown up completely immersed in charismatic doctrine, I heard the term “I bind you, Satan” more times than I can count.  I believed that when a believer says this, Satan, or the powers of Satan, are instantly bound.  I didn’t know this concept, nor this practice, was unbiblical.

I remember being in church services as a little girl, and the pastor and others would yell, “I bind you, Satan, in the name of Jesus!”  Whatever hold Satan supposedly had on the service was believed to be instantly broken, and the person who had done the binding was seen as either having great authority, or being a blowhard looking for self-importance and attention.  We knew there were some in the church who were fanning “wild fire,” as we liked to call it, but we sincerely believed that others had authority to command such things.  What a shame that we missed the life-changing truth of Scripture in exchange for charismatic hocus pocus.

I honestly thank God for keeping me safe through all of the deception.  I know it was only the grace and love of God that continued to draw me to the life-giving source of living water that I found in His Son, Christ Jesus.  It was only His kindness and mercy that reached out to me in my spiritual blindness and nudged me towards His Son and the infallible truth of His Word.  It’s a thousand wonders I was able to escape the deception, but I know it was nothing to do with my own wisdom.  God was faithful.  He didn’t give up on me.

Since then, the Holy Spirit, though the truth of God’s Word, continues to lead me away from the wide path of destruction.  When I sit and ponder all of the things I used to believe… I hang my head in shame.  Then I rejoice inwardly when I look back at God’s faithfulness.  He never gave up on me.  He continued to lead and to convict.  I can never thank Him enough!

Here is an old commentary from Bob Dewaay, pastor of Twin City Fellowship in Minnesota, that comes from his very first issue of Critical Issues Commentary, which dates back to 1992.  Although it is 17-years-old, we know that truth is timeless.  (I say that because there are some who seem to think that if an article wasn’t written this year, it isn’t valid.)  He clears up the doctrinal mess charismatics have made out of the statement Jesus made in Matthew 16:19:  “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Note:  If you would like to subscribe to Critical Issues Commentary (which I highly recommend), you may do so at their website.  It is a good source of vital information concerning critical issues we currently face in the church, and better yet, it’s free!

Gay Activists Mull “Organized Terrorism” Against Christians

I found this at Worldview Times:

Pro-Family Leaders Targets of Death Threats

Lynchburg, VA – In the wake of the horrific act of Islamic domestic terrorism at Fort Hood Texas, it has been learned that militant homosexual activists recently made similar online postings to those of Nidal Malik Hasan, threatening additional acts of terrorism against Christians.

In response to Maine’s natural marriage victory last Tuesday, “gay” activists have directly threatened to retaliate with “terrorism” and the “killing” of Christians on the popular homosexual activist “JoeMyGod” Weblog. Liberty Counsel notified the FBI which is investigating the matter. As of this morning, the offending blog entry had been removed. (captured version of post will be available at www.americansfortruth.com).    

Matt Barber, Liberty Counsel’s Director of Cultural Affairs, issued a statement shortly after Maine’s marriage victory (posted with additional commentary at AmericansForTruth.com). In reaction to that statement, blog poster “ColdCountry” wrote: “Will someone please give me a gun?” Poster “Fritz” warned: “What I fear is that once gay and lesbian people give up hope of achieving equality through nonviolent means, there will be radicals who will begin to hunt down haters… All it will take is a small group of radical zealots who are willing to kill for their cause.”  

In reply to Fritz, “tex” posted: “Fritz….you say this like it’s a bad thing? Maybe a bit of well organized terrorism is just what we need.”  Read more…

No long commentary needed here.  The following is a link to an excellent sermon delivered by Dr. Albert Mohler.    Click here to listen.

When we go to work, do we leave our Christianity home?  Do we cease being born again believers when we enter the workplace, or do we carry it with us wherever we go?  I’m not a born-again believer at home and an employee when I go to work.  I am a born-again believer when I leave my house, when I enter the workplace, when I go to the grocery store, when I stop for gas – I am always a Christian.  That does not cease to be when I walk through the door at work and punch the time clock.

A young man recently lost his job because he told a co-worker that he thought homosexuality was “bad stuff.”  According to him, the co-worker knew his beliefs, yet he felt goaded into giving a response when she announced, four times, no less, that she had married her partner.  When his response wasn’t to her liking, she told him to keep his opinions to himself.  She then filed a complaint with human resources which resulted in this young man’s termination.  I think what she really meant was that he needed to keep any opinion she didn’t like to himself.

Let me be cautious here and say we don’t know the whole story and all the details.  But, if the picture being painted here is true, this is only a foreshadowing of what’s to come.  With the passing of the Matthew Shephard Hate Crimes Bill, things are more than likely going to get much worse.

Some homosexuals are very militant.  They’re declaring war on people who reject their deviant lifestyle and have the guts to stand up for traditional marriage – marriage between a man and a woman, as God intended.  They speak of tolerance, yet they themselves have no tolerance for anyone who opposes their degenerate lifestyle.  They have no tolerance for people who consider homosexuality to be what it is – sin.    They grow angry with us because we have the faith to stand on God’s Word and declare the timeless truths written within Scripture.  I’ve got news for them, regardless of how many times I get called a homophobe or how much hate is thrown my way, God said that homosexuality is sin, and guess what?  It’s sin.  I’ll uphold God’s view on that to the very last no matter how many jobs or friends I lose.

I’m just sayin’…

Why is there death?  Simple answer … sin.  That is why we have death in the world.  By one man’s sin (Adam), death entered into the world (Romans 5:12).  All born through Adam (the human race) are born into sin, and the wages of sin is death.  It’s inescapable.  Yet Jesus beat death because the Heavenly Father resurrected Him.  Why?  Death is the judgment for sin.  However, Jesus knew no sin.  He was spotless and perfect.  Because He was not guilty of sin, the only one who ever could be called perfect, death had no claim to Him and He couldn’t be held by it.  (Acts 2:24)

But we were altogether born in sin, and as such, no one can escape this judgment.  Should the Lord tarry, every one of us will face death eventually because of the sinful nature of our being.  While the Lord did atone for our sinfulness, we must still face the prospect of physical death.

Sin is the disease and salvation is the cure for spiritual death.  This is why I am so baffled that men and women who call themselves ministers completely ignore the disease and inject the spiritually sick and dying in their midst with a spiritually numbing narcotic (i.e. entertainment, self-esteem workshops, seeker-sensitive approaches), and ignore the fact that they don’t need a narcotic to numb the symptoms…they need a cure!

Joel Osteen has said he doesn’t talk about sin…he wants to encourage people instead.  Think about this for a moment.  Imagine you were a terminal cancer patient, and your doctor refuses to tell you because it will make you feel bad.  Can the disease be cured if you don’t know you have it?  NO!  Can life-saving medicine be applied if the doctor refuses to give it to you?  Absolutely not.  The disease is sin…the cure is the atoning work of Christ Jesus.  Can man be saved outside of the gospel of Jesus Christ?  NO!  The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who will believe.  (Romans 1:16)  But how can anyone hear the word when it isn’t preached?  Joel Osteen, and people like him, may think they are being kind to people by not telling them about their sin, but the truth is he is actually failing them by withholding life-giving truth, and giving them numbing heresy instead.

But, what does it matter, right?  They may be dead, but at least they’ll feel good in the mean time.

I found this at 5ptsalt.com.  Here is John Piper on why he detests the prosperity gospel.

This one is shorter, more passionate, and to the point:

(HT: Reformata)

Over at Herescope, Pastor Larry DeBruyn marvelously answers the critics of bloggers and ministries who care enough about God’s Word not only to be discerning, but to warn others.  Obviously, his inbox has seen the same types of feedback that mine has.

Please take the time to read his commentary in its entirety.  I will post a small snippet below.

Recent emails to the Herescope blog’s administrator has questioned the spirit with which its discernment ministry is conducted; specifically, that some writings are too critical and therefore unloving. As we proceed with further website posts, we shall consider this criticism. We desire to approach our ministry in a godly spirit and therefore consider that such criticism may reveal a spiritual blind spot. If and where valid, we will strive to take the issue raised into consideration. As he did to the Ephesians, Paul does admonish believers to speak “the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).

Interestingly, this admonition of the apostle follows on the heels of Paul’s stating his hope that the Ephesians would have matured to the point where they would no longer be “children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14). Thus, one evidence of spiritual maturity involves the ability to differentiate spiritual truth–those beliefs and behaviors which accord with Holy Scripture–from spiritual error–those which do not agree with Holy Scripture. It is therefore understood that discernment must pursue the truth, but must do so in a spirit of love. At times, and given the fleshly nature that remains in every Christian (none of us is perfect), this can become a difficult balance to keep.

Yet on this point we note that though recent emails have accused Herescope of being un-loving, they do not accuse nor document that we are untruthful, that we lie. This of course, raises a tangential issue: can speaking of truth offend some persons to the degree that it will create in them an emotional impression that those who speak the truth do not love them?

On this point, we ought to remember that Proverbs inform us, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy” (Proverbs 27:6, NASB). We might also remember the instance when Jehoshaphat inquired of the king of Israel about where he could find a prophet of the Lord to make inquiry to. So the king of Israel informed Jehoshaphat: “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil” (1 Kings 22:8). On another occasion Ahab addressed Elijah: “Have you found me, O my enemy?” (1 Kings 21:20). It is evident that the kings perceived the messages of these prophets, Micaiah and Elijah, to be unloving. Of the latter’s encounter with Ahab, Anglican pastor J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) noted something that is as relevant today as it was in his day. He observed:

Alas, there are many like Ahab in the nineteenth century! They like a ministry which does not make them uncomfortable, and send them home ill at ease. How is it with you? Oh, believe me, he is the best friend who tells you the most truth! [3]

We would note that received communications have not challenged the truth of what has been posted on Herescope –the documented facts, biblical citations and theological arguments employed–but only personal impressions that blog articles have been unloving. In syllogistic fashion, this perception might be stated as follows:

Christians are to love other Christians.

Discerning Christians appear not to love other Christians.

Therefore, discerning Christians and discernment are un-Christian.

Read more…

Whether people like Joel Osteen and his followers know it or not, self-esteem is one sign that we are living in the last days.  We live in a time when many people, half the church by latest estimation, is numbing their sadness and discontent with anti-depressants.  Afterwards, they seek out spiritual Dr. Feelgoods who will gladly soothe the ego and tickle the itching ears.  Our sinful nature makes us susceptible to the type of deception that magnifies man, although he is wicked and undeserving of magnification, and gives us the illusion that we are somehow more than what we are… lost. 

Let’s face it, people like to feel good.  What could be worse than walking around in abject misery every day of your life?  That in and of itself is enough of a reason for some to bolster the ego and chase away all of the negativity… it’s a pleasurable thing!  But can man exalt himself and still be faithful to God?  How could this be possible when the very nature of self-esteem and self-exaltation is the opposite of what God’s Word tells us is necessary for repentance?

Scripture tells us that in these last days men will be lovers of self rather than lovers of God.  

Paul wrote to Timothy:

2 Timothy 3:1-5:

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (emphasis mine)

Today’s feel-good messages being preached from the pulpit hamper the ability of the listener to be cut to the heart with conviction, and impedes the way to repentance.  When men build or puff themselves up to say, “I am special” or “I am a wonderful person,” how is that any different than what the Pharisee in Jesus’s parable said about himself?  “I am thankful that I am not as other men, but I am (fill in the blank).”  However, a tax gatherer who stood praying nearby wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to Heaven, but instead, in his contrition, he smote his breast and prayed, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”  (Luke 18:10-14)  Notice that he didn’t say, “God, have mercy on me, a wonderful and special person.”  No.  He humbled himself, as we all should, and sincerely asked for God’s mercy on behalf of himself, a sinner.  Which one went away justified?  Not the Pharisee.  It was the tax gatherer, who came before God in humility and confessed that he was a sinner, who was justified before God.  Straightway, Jesus gave a warning that those who would seek to exalt themselves shall be abased, and those who humble themselves before God will be exalted.

Paul reinforced these truths and warned about them in his epistles.  In 2 Timothy, he warned Timothy that in the last days men would be lovers of self.  The fact that we have major ministries built on the principles of esteeming self above all should be a gigantic red flag to all Bible believing Christians who eagerly await the return of Jesus and watch the signs of His coming.  Knowing the hour in which we live is late, is it any wonder that Joel Osteen’s church, which is built on self-esteem, is the largest church in America?  Should this surprise us?  Not if we know the signs of the times given to us by God in His Word.  

Let us always seek to humble ourselves before the throne of God and seek His mercy and forgiveness.

Romans 12:1-3:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Here is a direct quote from Todd Bentley from his book, “Kindom Rising: Making the Kingdom Real in Your Life.”

“We can preach the Gospel all day long, but that won’t win souls. That won’t win the hearts of the people. We can talk, try to theorize, theologize, reason, argue, debate, and spend time trying to prove that Jesus lived, but that won’t win a heart. How often do we see the religious mindset that believes that the more Scripture quoting, the more yelling, the more hell fire and brimstone preaching, the greater the chance to win someone over for the Kingdom? Likewise, how often do we see people sitting or standing there listening in stone-cold silence or indifference?”  [Todd Bentley, Kingdom Rising: Making the Kingdom Real in Your Life, Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., October 2008, p. 67, emp. added]  (Online Source)

I was going to write commentary refuting this, but I realized I didn’t have to.  God’s Word refutes this boldly and in the clearest manner.

1 Corinthians 1:18-29:

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void.  For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written, “I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.”  Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.  For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

So, in summary, Todd Bentley says that preaching the gospel will not win souls.  God spoke through Paul and said that He chose the foolishness of preaching to save those who would believe.  Todd Bentley would have you believe that only vulgar displays of power (which only exalt Todd Bentley) will win souls, but Scripture says it is preaching Christ and Him crucified that saves.

This is exactly what we mean when we say people disregard God’s Word and believe false teachers instead.  The contrast here between Todd Bentley and the teaching of Scripture is quite clear.  Who will you listen to?

(Special thanks to Bud Press.)

Since I started the “From the Mail Bag” feature here, my inbox has been echoing cricket chirps and growing cobwebs.  I didn’t know whether that was a good thing or not.  Generally, it’s helpful to have feedback, it let’s me gauge the beliefs of my readers.  However, it didn’t last long.   There will always be disgruntled readers who misunderstand our purpose when we contend.

Here is the latest installment from the mail bag:

There is no doubt that the aim of heresy is to confuse. I would say that your particular brand (on your site) has confused me no end.
 
Where in your Bible – it’s certainly not in mine – does it say that we should have no self esteem and behave like little ants while we kowtow to the “powers that be” in the man-made churches?
 
What on earth do all these negative, life-shattering comments of yours mean anyway? I don’t think I’d like to be by your side when you get to heaven: if you do. Not to say that I am okay either, but boy oh boy, I don’t think criticising everyone else in ministry besides yourself is the way to win the heart of Jesus.

Self-esteem – what a blight on the church.

How on earth can we feel good about ourselves and puff ourselves up when we know we are deserving of death?  Why would we esteem ourselves when God should have all of our esteem?

Our own righteousness is as filthy rags.  We were all born in sin, which is punishable by death.  What is there to celebrate about that?  How can we seek to embellish and inflate our own self-worth when Scripture tells us that we are sinners worthy of death?  Self-esteem preachers (like Joel Osteen) do not preach repentance – it would be self defeating to their feel-good message.  How can someone feel good about themself if they are told they are sinners who need to repent?  No…that must never happen.  They must smile and say – “God loves you just as you are.”  That’s what heretical preachers say, but God’s Word says, “Unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish.”   (Luke 13:5)  And, of course, never forget that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  (Romans 3:23)

The answer is we don’t feel good about ourselves.  We realize our wretchedness and humble ourselves before our Heavenly Father, for He will never turn away nor despise one of a broken and contrite spirit.  (Psalm 34:18)  In fact, Scripture teaches us that the Most High God finds His dwelling with those who are humble and contrite.  But, don’t take my word for it, let God’s Word speak for itself:

Isaiah 57:15:

For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place , with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

And let this nugget of truth sink into your soul:

Psalms 51:15-17:

O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.  For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it : thou delightest not in burnt offering.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

The reader who sent this to me in e-mail has bought into the man-centered theology that has permeated the church and left it riddled and rotten to the core.  Self-esteem Christianity is not Christianity at all because it doesn’t esteem the Savior, Christ Jesus, it esteems self.

As for the rest of the comments this disgruntled reader made, they are answered in this post.

Matthew 23:12:

And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Matthew 24:4-8:

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.  And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.

It’s an uphill battle when you try to make people understand that we contend for the faith because there is so little actual Biblical faith in the world today.  There are many, many churches, especially here in the south where churches dot every street corner, but that doesn’t mean these churches are teaching truth.  I looked in horror as a Baptist church in my area went “Emergent.”  Did the numbers in attendance drop?  No.  They go on as before without even a stutter or protest.  What does that tell you?  It speaks volumes about the ones sitting in the pews.

While pointing out error, people come to the conclusion that you think everything being taught today is wrong.  No, not necessarily.  It’s just that so many people are Biblically illiterate they embrace everything that is anti-Scriptural because they don’t know any better.  Not willing to put forth the effort to take His yoke upon themselves and learn of Him, or to retain God in their knowledge, they believe the lie. 

Many will roll their eyes when you try to warn them of false teachings/false teachers, or just simply disregard anything you say.  But what they fail to see is that the very apostasy they’ve embraced was prophesied in God’s Word as being one indicator that we are living in the last days.  Indeed, in these days in which we currently live, there will be more error than truth, and in order to remain safe from it, we MUST remain steadfast in God’s Word so that we can not be led into error.

If you can get people who call themselves Christians to realize that false doctrines/heresies are a sign of the close of the age, you’ve achieved a magnificent feat.  If you can do that, you at least have a foundation to build upon in getting them to realize the world is filled to overflowing with false doctrine.  Far too many are content to allow the man or woman behind the pulpit to spoon-feed them doctrine, not knowing or caring whether it’s true or false.  They can’t make that assessment anyway considering they are Scripturally ignorant.  That leaves people primed and ready for deception.  That’s an extremely cavalier attitude to take with your soul.

We have definitely passed the threshold of the beginning of sorrows.

This is a medium-sized snippet from commentary written by Mike Ratliff of Possessing the Treasure.  Please click here to read it in it’s entirety.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:9-14 ESV)

I am convinced that these seven verses describe succinctly what is going on right now in the world in relation to the Church. The truth is hated. It has become scandalous for Bible teachers and evangelists to preach the Gospel as it should be done. That is, with the brutal truth about the utter lostness of all people and their inability to do one thing to become righteous in God’s eyes. Then they are to be given the good news of the only way to be saved from the coming wrath from God. That is, salvation in and by and through the Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. However, notice that this message will be hated and persecuted. The seeker-sensitive paradigm has as its major tenet no reference to the true Gospel, but only an emphasis on easy-believism that saves no one. These advocates of the church-growth movement, the emergents, the new evangelicals all hate the truth. These false prophets have arisen and are leading many astray even telling their followers that other religions are just another way to God.

The reference to lawlessness increasing refers to the spiritual emptiness of those who have been victimized by this false paradigm. They are told that their salvation is assured even though they are not changed by it so they are unable to become conformed to Christ. They are told that it is okay to live like the world so they can draw others into their deception by relating positively to their politically correct version of the gospel. However, they absolutely hate hearing the real Gospel and they absolutely hate those who doggedly continue to preach and teach it. They have been deceived into the pragmatism of using numbers to verify the effectiveness of their new way of doing things. Yes, you can draw many from the world into a belief system that is no different than it. However, our Lord also says here that there will be some who endure to the end because they have not been deceived by this lie. They will continue to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world even if it costs them everything. This will continue right up to the end of this age. This is our Lord’s marker of when the end of this age of God’s gracious providence will come.

The Gospel will continue right up to the end of this age. Our Lord will continue to build His Church until then. Until then, we have our Lord’s commands that those who are deep in the deception have shunned and are going their own way.