Tag: Fundamentalism

Guest Voice: David Cloud on NEW EVANGELICAL FUNDAMENTALISTS

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Special Note by Patrick: I feel that David Cloud is a modern day “John The Baptist” —- A voice crying in the wilderness — so to speak. I present David Cloud’s writings on this blog, because I happen to agree with his stance on many, many issues and because David Cloud is one of the many people which were instrumental my leaving the false Christian movement of Pentecostalism for good. David Cloud is a great man of God and a servant in the likes of the Apostle Paul, The Apostle Peter, and more modern preachers like D.L. Moody, Charles Spurgeon, Albert Barnes and others like them. Because of this; I present his writings ever now and again for content filler. Please consider supporting this very godly ministry, if you can.

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Updated and enlarged January 11, 2011 (first published February 12, 1997) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) –

One of the root problems with New Evangelicalism is what it refuses to preach. It aims to be positive. It is willing to narrow down its message. This causes many to be confused by New Evangelicalism (the vast majority of evangelicals today have adopted the New Evangelical philosophy). They hear or read a popular evangelical and say, “My, how he teaches the Bible so wonderfully; I don’t see anything wrong with him.” They don’t understand that the problem with the New Evangelical’s teaching is not so much what he says that is wrong, but what he refuses to say that is right. It’s not so much the error that he preaches but the truth that he neglects. He refuses to proclaim the whole counsel of God. He will not deal with many of the negative aspects of the Word of God, such as ecclesiastical separation and plain rebuke of apostasy. He will not identify false teachers by name and call upon God’s people to avoid them.

This philosophy is rapidly finding its way into churches that claim to be fundamentalist. The preacher steers clear of many controversial things, and when he does deal with something that is unpopular he is almost apologetic.

Charles Finney noted this tendency in his day: “Ministers generally avoid preaching what the people before them will understand as addressed to them. They will preach to them about other people, and the sins of others, instead of addressing them and saying, ‘You are guilty of these sins.’ They often preach ABOUT sinners instead of preaching TO them. They studiously avoid being personal, in the sense of making the impression on anyone that he is the man.”

This is becoming descriptive of many fundamental Baptist pulpits which in years past plainly preached against sin and error.

Here are some questions I would propose to test the content of a preacher’s ministry:

HELL

Does the preacher preach hell hot? Does he preach hell at all, meaning does he even use the word when referring to the sinner’s destiny? Or does he more often tend to avoid that term and refer to the eternal condition of the lost in more vague ways? Billy Graham has not preached plainly on that subject for decades. In fact, he is not certain that hell is a place of fiery torment. He has said, “I think the fire that is mentioned in the Bible is a burning thirst for God that can never be quenched” (Orlando Sentinel, April 10, 1983).

In 1986 Kenneth Kantzer, senior editor of Christianity Today, said the last sermon on hell he heard in evangelical circles was one he preached himself–in the 1950s!

You might be saying, That is terrible that New Evangelicals no longer preach on hell. Let me ask this: When, fundamentalist friend, was the last time you heard a red-hot sermon on hell in your church? The Lord Jesus Christ, the most loving, compassionate preacher this world has ever seen, preached frequently and in great detail on the topic of hell.

DENOMINATIONAL ERROR

Does the preacher warn of the denominational error plainly? It is highly unpopular in this present ecumenical climate to speak against others, so it is more comfortable for the preacher to deal with such things only in generalities. Instead of saying, for example, that infant baptism is a gross error and all those denominations which practice it are guilty of this error, whether Roman Catholic, Anglican, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Presbyterian, he refuses to mention any denominational error by name. He might speak in general against the error of infant baptism or baptismal regeneration or episcopacy or ceremonialism or sacramentalism, but he will not tell his people exactly who is practicing such heresies. He will not plainly identify the false teachers who are deceiving God’s people.

COMPROMISERS

Does the preacher warn of compromising preachers and movements and name the names of these so the people can know exactly who he is talking about? It is one thing to warn about psychology in general; it is quite another to warn about James Dobson or whoever in particular. It is one thing to warn about New Evangelicalism in general; it is quite another thing to warn about Franklin Graham or Chuck Swindoll in particular. We would ask whether the preacher EVER mentions chief compromisers by name from the pulpit, or does he forever speak in generalities? Our people are being influenced by the Charles Stanleys, the Franklin Grahams, the Joseph Stowells, the Charles Swindolls, and it is essential that they be identified. Any fundamental Baptist pulpit that refuses to preach pointedly by naming the names of heretics and compromisers is an ineffective pulpit that is not protecting God’s people from the spiritual dangers of our day.

WORLDLINESS

Does the preacher define worldliness in particular, or does he speak only in generalities? It is one thing to say, “People, we must not be worldly,” or, “People, we must not be immodest.” That kind of preaching is really meaningless if it is not defined. People can sit under that preaching and remain comfortable living in all sorts of worldliness. It is quite another thing to say, “People, we must turn off those wicked movies and sitcoms and Saturday morning cartoons on T.V.; we must stop listening to Hollywood’s cursing; we must stop watching Hollywood’s harlots parade themselves before us in our homes; we must keep on our clothes and stay away from the beaches and swimming pools where people are half naked and lust is rampant; men must dress like men and women like ladies; let the men wear the pants, ladies, and you cover yourselves with wholesome, feminine attire; we must reject that worldly ‘Christian’ rock music and Contemporary Christian Worship music; we must turn off that rebellious country-western trash.”

It is not easy to name names and to be specific in dealing with popular sins. The backlash from the unsaved, the carnal, the fence-straddlers, and the ignorant can be terrific. One pastor noted, “Many fundamental churches would be twice their size if they only went along with Billy Graham.” Indeed! The same would be true if the church would only soften its stand a little here and there on any number of controversial matters. AND MANY FUNDAMENTAL BAPTIST CHURCHES ARE DOING EXACTLY THIS.

We need to be on guard lest we adopt a New Evangelical, compromising, soft ministry without being aware of it. Our chief duty is not to please man or to have a large church or to be well liked in the community or to make our congregation comfortable and happy; our chief duty is to please God and to proclaim His Word–all of it–without apology. The first duty of the preacher is to “reprove, rebuke, exhort” (2 Tim. 4:2). The time HAS come when people will not endure sound doctrine (2 Tim. 4:3-4). They are indeed heaping to themselves teachers which tickle their emerging fancies rather than be faithful to God’s Word.

I refuse to tickle the ears of a rebellious generation, though I well understand the pressure to soften the message. That old war horse Charles Haddon Spurgeon, in speaking of Christian publications, said, “A magazine which is not outspoken, and is destitute of principle, is a literary nuisance.”

The same can be said for any preaching ministry. A preacher that is not outspoken, and is destitute of principle, is a ministerial nuisance!

In conclusion, consider some statements by other men of God on this issue:

“Many religious persons have a dread of controversy, and wish truth to be stated without any reference to those who hold the opposite errors. Controversy and a bad spirit are, in their estimation, synonymous terms, and to strenuously oppose what is wrong is considered as contrary to Christian meekness. Those who hold this opinion seem to overlook what every page of the New Testament lays before us. In all the history of our Lord Jesus Christ, we never find Him out of controversy.” –Robert Haldane

“Independent Baptist churches have gone full circle and are now in most cases identical to the association churches I left in my early twenties–DEAD–just trying to be respectable. Our teens look scrubby, our church services are powerless, and a soul winner is rare.” –Roger Voegtlin

“Again, men say that instead of engaging in controversy in the Church, we ought to pray to God for a revival; instead of polemics, we ought to have evangelism. Well, what kind of evangelism is it that is indifferent to the question what evangel it is that is to be preached? … not the evangelism that Paul meant when he said, ‘Woe be unto me, if I preach not the gospel.’ No, my friends, there can be no true evangelism which makes common cause with the enemies of the cause of Christ. … Every true [moving of the Holy Spirit] is born in controversy, and leads to more controversy.” — J. Gresham Machen

“The problem of doctrinal ‘wishy-washiness’ is a cancer that is spreading through the Church. The alarm must be sounded and the troops rallied. We must ‘fight the good fight’ of faith with the same fervor that was characteristic of the early Church. Every believer is to be a ‘watchman on the wall’ giving warning, lest, as the Scripture states, ‘Their blood will be on your hands.'” –Rich Varlinsky

“Folks will sometimes accuse us of crossing every t, and dotting every i, but it is only that we are trying to judge every sin in our lives to become a spiritual house before God. If we have standards and convictions, we will become very narrow and straight in our lifestyle–not because we are legalists, but because we realize that the smallest of sins can affect our relationship to the Lord.” –Doug Sehorne

“No amount of earnestness can be condemned when pleading, on straight lines, the cause of God. … To employ soft words and honeyed phrases in discussing questions of everlasting importance; to deal with errors that strike at the foundations of all human hope as if they were harmless and venial mistakes; to bless where God disapproves, and to make apologies where He calls us to stand up like men and assert, though it may be the aptest method of securing popular applause in a sophistical age, is cruelty to man and treachery to Heaven. Those who on such subjects attach more importance to the rules of courtesy than they do to the measures of truth do not defend the citadel, but betray it into the hands of its enemies. Love for Christ, and for the souls for whom He died, will be the exact measure of our zeal in exposing the dangers by which men’s souls are ensnared.” — George Sayles Bishop, 1885

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News from a different perspective

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THE GLORIOUS HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH BIBLE (Friday Church News Notes, December 17, 2010, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – We celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible in 2011, and it is not merely another translation. Its heritage and the manner in which it was created are unique. The early record of the English Bible is one of the most fascinating chapters of church history and reads almost like a novel. The history of the British Empire, of the American nation, and of the English language itself are inextricably intertwined with the King James Bible. Our book The Glorious Heritage of the King James Bible recounts this history, beginning with the Wycliffe Bible of the late 14th century. Every English-speaking believer should know these things; yet, sadly, even in the staunchest Bible-believing churches it is rare to find someone who is well informed about the great price that was paid to provide us with such an excellent Bible in our own language. I have studied this history for many years, not only through literature (having built a large and expensive personal library on this subject) but through onsite research in the places where the history took place. By God’s grace I’ve traveled to Lutterworth and Oxford and Cambridge, to Little Sodbury Manor and St. Adeline’s Church and St. Dunstan’s and Fulham Palace, to Smithfield and Hampton Court and Westminster and the Jerusalem Chamber, to Lambeth Palace and the Lollard’s Tower and St. Paul’s Cathedral, to Vilvoorde and Geneva. I’ve handled ancient Waldensian New Testaments at the Cambridge Library and Trinity College Dublin and early edition Tyndale Bibles at the British Museum. This fascinating research has greatly strengthened my faith in God and in the authenticity and preservation of His holy Word, and I trust that The Glorious Heritage of the English Bible will do the same for each reader of this book. It would be a great book for families to read together in 2011. (This illustrated book is available from Way of Life Literature.)

U.N. CLIMATE TALKS START WITH A CALL TO GODDESS (Friday Church News Notes, December 17, 2010, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – The United Nations climate negotiations in Cancun, Mexico, opened with the invocation of the ancient jaguar goddess Ixchel. Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, told the crowd of scientists and politicians that Ixchel was not only goddess of the moon but also “the goddess of reason, creativity and weaving” (“Post Carbon,” The Washington Post, Nov. 29, 2010). Figueres prayed that Ixchel would inspire the delegates “to weave together the elements of a solid response to climate change, using both reason and creativity as your tools.” This is typical United Nations New Age spirituality. (Had she invoked Jesus Christ, she would probably have been booed off the stage and fired.) At the U.N. Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro in 1992, the opening ceremony featured a ship called Gaia, named for the Greek goddess of the earth. That conference was preceded by an all-night ceremony to worship Mother Earth. At dawn a Brazilian tribal high priestess led the worshipers to the edge of the ocean where they offered flowers and fruit to a sea goddess identified as the “mother of the powers, queen of the seas.” The Rio Declaration, which contains a radical environmentalist agenda, was referred to as “a sacred text.” In reality the U.N. climate change agenda is all about a greedy transfer of wealth and the furtherance of a one-world government, which is setting the stage for the events of the book of Revelation. The delegates to Cancun from 193 nations are hypocrites who claim that there has been major global warming and that the icecaps and glaciers are melting, but instead of meeting in Alaska in December they are meeting in Mexico. And instead of walking and bicycling and sailing to Cancun, they flew in gas-guzzling airplanes that many of these environmentalists have condemned as greenhouse gas-producing monstrosities.

STREET PREACHER WINS JUDGMENT AGAINST ARRESTING POLICE (Friday Church News Notes, December 17, 2010, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – The following is excerpted from The Daily Mail, London, Dec. 10, 2010: “Police have been ordered to pay compensation to a Christian street preacher who was hauled off in handcuffs for saying that gays will go to hell. A judge condemned the arrest of Anthony Rollins, who quoted the King James Bible on the subject of the ‘effeminate’ as he preached in Birmingham. Mr Rollins was handcuffed and then held in a cell for nearly four hours after a passer-by dialled 999 and complained that his language was ‘hugely offensive’. The ruling–which ended with West Midlands police ordered to pay more than £4,000 in damages to the 45-year-old preacher–appears to set a new landmark in the battle between the gay lobby and Christians who want to say in public that homosexual sex is wrong. It comes as Christian leaders, notably former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey, have been complaining against the use of equality law to force Christians to act against their consciences. … Mr Rollins has been speaking on the city’s streets as a member of a Christian mission for 12 years. In June 2008 he was handing out leaflets in the city centre and quoting passages from the King James Bible–the Authorised Version which reaches its 400th anniversary next year–that refer to homosexuality. … Mr Rollins said yesterday: ‘The judgment is excellent news. But I didn’t do this for the compensation. I did it for freedom of speech.’”

SWORD OF THE LORD OMITS REPENTANCE FROM SPURGEON SERMON (Friday Church News Notes, December 17, 2010, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – Recently I received the following e-mail from Jim Koenig: “Last night we watched your video ‘How to Avoid False Professions’ for the second time and the segment on repentance was even more enlightening this time around. Over the years we have noticed that the Sword of the Lord has shifted away from the doctrine of repentance and cunningly led their readers in that direction. A good example is the Charles Spurgeon sermon ‘Only Trust Him’ in the November 26, 2010 issue. They have left out what he said about repentance. The original sermon can be found at www.spurgeongems.org/sermons.htm (sermon #1635) and the omitted part is on page three of the sermon, the 6th full paragraph down. Years ago my wife and I graduated from the Sword Soul Winning Director’s College, taught personally by Bro. Smith, Bro. Norris Belcher, and the late Bro. Larry Staner. At no time, never, was the word ‘repent’ mentioned or implied during the three day course. I am not anti-Sword, but they are 100% wrong on repentance and have influenced thousands of young preachers to spread their one-two-three repeat after me prayers.” COMMENT BY BROTHER CLOUD: I could not agree more. The Sword of the Lord truly has a problem with repentance, and this is not a new thing. While the founder of the Sword, John R. Rice, taught that repentance is “a change of mind toward God and toward sin” and “to turn from your sin” (What Must I Do to Be Saved, 1940), Rice’s successor, Curtis Hutson, changed the biblical definition of repentance. He did this in his influential 1986 booklet Repentance: What Does the Bible Teach? Hutson denied that repentance means to turn from sin (p. 4), that repentance is sorrow for sin (p. 8), and that repentance means “a change of mind that leads to a change of action” (p. 16). He claimed that repentance simply is “to change one’s mind.” Hutson quoted Scripture that appears to support his position but he ignored the many Scriptures that plainly contradict it. He misquoted the writings of men like his predecessor John R. Rice and mixed in a heavy dose of human reasoning. (See our book Repentance and Soul Winning for documentation of this.) Under Hutson’s watch, the Sword also removed repentance from some of the hymns in the 1989 edition of the Soul Stirring Hymns. For example, the lyrics of “The Old Account Was Settled” were changed from “O sinner, seek the Lord, repent of your sin” to “O sinner, trust the Lord, be cleansed of all your sin.” (They also did this with the lyrics to “Almost Persuaded” and “Give Me Thy Heart.”) I am thankful for many things that the Sword has stood for through the years, but the issue of repentance is not a light matter. The Sword has been at the forefront of the downgrading of this doctrine and of the promotion of the heretical practice of “Quick Prayerism” whereby psychological manipulation, human salesmanship, and an empty “sinner’s prayer” have too often replaced Holy Spirit conviction and miraculous regeneration. I refuse to join hands in ministry with men who are guilty of this serious error. (The Sword has also been at the forefront of exalting men far beyond scriptural bounds.)

CANADIAN CHRISTIAN TV SHOW PULLED OVER REMARKS AGAINST HOMOSEXUALS (Friday Church News Notes, December 17, 2010, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – The following is excerpted from “Evangelical TV Show Pulled,” National Post, Dec. 20, 2010: “Christian broadcaster Crossroads Television System (CTS) has been found in violation of broadcasting codes for statements made by evangelical television personality and minister Charles McVety that implied there was a ‘malevolent, insidious and conspiratorial purpose’ to the activities of homosexuals. Rev. McVety said he was told Thursday by CTS that his show, Word TV, would be temporarily pulled from the air. ‘My good name has been impugned by this report.’ The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, a self-regulated industry watchdog, said that Rev. McVety disparaged gays in episodes that ran between July 2009 and February 2010 when commenting on Toronto’s massive gay pride parade and a revised Ontario sex curriculum for grade schools.”

PASTOR BEATEN, BIBLE SCHOOL BULLDOZED IN VIETNAM (Friday Church News Notes, December 17, 2010, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – The following is excerpted from “Vietnam Officials Beat Pastor, Christian Post, Dec. 14, 2010: “A Protestant pastor and human rights activist in Vietnam was beaten unconscious Tuesday morning by Ho Chi Minh City officials. His Bible school, located in the city’s District 2, was also bulldozed, according to Release International, which serves the persecuted church around the world. About 500 police, soldiers and fire officers showed up at the school with bulldozers at 7 a.m. local time and began demolishing the property. Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, who leads the Mennonite Church, meanwhile, was beaten with batons until he fainted. Currently, Quang and five members of his congregation are being held at an undisclosed location. They were detained for allegedly ‘resisting arrest’ six years ago, as reported by Release International. In 2004, the human rights activist was arrested and charged with ‘interfering with officials carrying out their duties.’ The arrest took place months after he had called for the release of Christians who were imprisoned for distributing Christian literature in Ho Chi Minh City. The police raided his house and confiscated all his money and files detailing human rights violations by the government. His house, which served as the head office of the Mennonite Church, was also partially destroyed by some 200 officials while he was in prison. … Though Vietnam’s constitution provides for freedom of worship, the Communist government continues to restrict organized activities of many religious groups. Only government-controlled religious organizations are allowed.”

IS GOD’S LOVE UNCONDITIONAL (Friday Church News Notes, December 17, 2010, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – The good news of the gospel must begin with the bad news of sin and condemnation. This is how Paul preached the gospel in Romans. He began with nearly three chapters on man’s sinful, condemned condition before a holy God before he got to the good news of what Jesus did on the cross. According to the emerging church, Christ’s love for sinners is unconditional, but this is not true. His love is unfathomable and unmerited but not unconditional. Consider the following statements that the Lord Jesus Christ made: “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him” (John 14:21). “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:5-6). “Not every one 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. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23). “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36). “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). Repent or perish is not the message of unconditional love!

Baptist Christian Missionary is in need of help

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I don’t normally post such stuff, but I am a Christian and I am a Baptist. Sometimes there are some things that are bigger than politics.

This news comes via the Victory Baptist Press, which sends me e-mails of various stories of interest:

John Gray, veteran missionary to Papua New Guinea, is still recovering from typhoid and is temporarily in Brisbane, Australia, with his wife, Mary, the daughter of Dr. Don Green of Lansing, Michigan,  who is there for treatments fighting for her life from liver and lung cancer.  Their medical expenses have the Grays in an emergency need. John is in a desparate situation: The way they operate in Australia is that they don’t let the bill get really big.  They expect payment or they discontinue treatments. That’s why this is so important!

From the website of Missionary John Gray:

The following is a synopsis of my battle with my cancer.

Let me take you back to the beginning of this journey….

Our daughter Ilava graduated from the 12th Grade in December, 2005. In the preparations for everything (including my parents coming for the celebration) I did a lot of cleaning. I began to experience pain in my chest and felt it was only a pulled muscle. When the pain persisted, I flew to the city during our April school break. I had a mammogram and a tumour was found in my left breast. It was removed and found to be only fibrocystic.

However, his outlook is to be commended:

Our lives are in God’s hands. He is in total control. His grace and strength have been abundant and constant. We serve an unfailing God. He has met our every need through the lives of others. Especially through the folk of Good Shepherd Baptist Church. He is faithful! Our faith is in His plan for our lives. He is Able!

Now, I know that times are hard, and that everyone is tightening their belts — especially me. But if there is a chance that medicine can save this person. Don’t you think that this man deserves that chance? I do. So, head on over and give a man of God a chance at life.

I always believe that the missionaries of this would are the ones who are actually following the mandate set forth by Christ, which says:

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20 KJV)

This man has done that, he has a great reward coming, when his time is due. I am quite sure that he has much more to do here, before his time. So, head on over and make a big donation.

Thank You so much. 🙂


Guest Voice: Paul Proctor Asks is Christianity All About Relationships?

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“Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” – Luke 6:26

It seems I am receiving a little extra email these days from troubled Christians who have had to give up a church, some friends and/or certain family members in order to remain faithful to God and His Word. I can tell you without hesitation that I certainly have – and on more than one occasion.

No one can lead you down the road of temptation quicker than a close friend, family member or fellow Christian. The downgrading of today’s “Church” along with society has clearly taken its toll on the brethren and is now driving many out the sanctuary doors to preserve their faith in Jesus Christ.

I heard Authority Research founder and director, Dean Gotcher, in a recent radio interview refer to the loneliness that results from the loss of such relationships as the taking up of one’s cross for Christ. When I respond to the heartbreaking email of readers who have had to leave their local church in obedience to God’s Word, I often reply with some empathetic encouragement and a link to a short piece written by A.W. Tozer titled: The Loneliness of the Christian.

For believers new to this column, I realize that the idea of sacrificing treasured relationships, even those we worship with, is probably a stark contrast to what you regularly receive from the pulpit of your local church and the lectern of your weekly Bible study class where most everything these days revolves around establishing, protecting, sustaining and maintaining relationships of all kinds, at all costs – a dangerous notion that is just not biblical.

“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” – Amos 3:3

Simply put, it turns people into church worshippers who revere, embrace and obey the consensus of a congregation with a contrived unity rather than God worshippers who put His Word and Authority far and above the fellowship, opinions, theories, life experiences and personal tastes of well meaning Christians and clergy.

This Religion of Relationships has now all but taken over what is called “Christianity” and ought to be called what it really is: “Churchianity” – the worship of and faith in those who claim to be the “Body of Christ” – especially its leaders who treat their own counsel, conjecture, sermon stories and agendas as equal to or greater than the Word of God.

Those who embrace Churchianity will often respond to a rebuking scripture with: “Yeah, but…” as if to be able to trump it with some greater knowledge, wisdom, anecdote or seemingly contradicting verse from the Bible. This is the ugly arrogance of today’s humanistic spirituality and its self-serving, self-worshipping ways.

When listening to a fellow church member, teacher or preacher talk about the Christian life, how many times have you heard them cite that sacred slogan: “It’s all about relationships?”

Baloney!

It’s about repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and our loving obedience to His Word, whatever may come – a faithfulness that will cost you more relationships than it will ever garner you! Our first love and loyalty is to Him, not our fellow man. That doesn’t mean we don’t take up the towel to wash feet, serve others, sacrifice ourselves and love our neighbor – it simply means they don’t come first in our lives – Jesus Christ does. That’s why we call Him “Lord” and not the brethren.

But, when we place our hope and faith in the redeemed rather than the Redeemer and put the words of men over the Word of God, we become no better than new agers who believe that God is in everyone and in everything – worshipping the creation instead of the Creator and in doing so, make ourselves gods to be praised and exalted with reciprocating adulation and acclaim.

“They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.” – Psalm 12:2

If your Christianity isn’t costing you at least some friends and family, both inside and outside the church house, your hope and faith may have turned horizontal. If your Sunday gatherings have become flattery festivals where people are quoted and praised more than Jesus Christ, you might want to reconsider your church membership. If you have friends and family that hate God, but love you, it might be time to reexamine your witness for Christ and your commitment to Him.

“And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.” – Luke 21:16-17

Take a sober and discerning look around your church next Sunday and tell me what you see. If it’s all about relationships there, it may be time to hit the door and go find your cross.

“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” – Matthew 10:33-39

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