DELICATE, BRITTLE, SO-CALLED SAINTS

By on Sep 6, 2013 in AM Missives, Current Issues, Features

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It’s time for some brutal honesty. The evangelical community in America continues to wander almost aimlessly through this nation, which has now become as foreign a mission field as the deepest depths of the rain forests in Africa. An ostensibly Christian group that is apostatizing at an alarming rate.

Unfortunately there are those who don’t like to hear it, and even more who won’t believe it. Even so, I’ve told you here at Apprising Ministries that a rotten root of this growing rebellion against sola Scriptura is evangelicalism’s embrace of the Emerging Church and its spiritually corrupt Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM).

The result is too many today calling themselves Christians—who should be filled with His Spirit—are instead considering many other paths such as the romanticized Roman Catholic mysticism of CSM for spiritual experience to fill a nagging emptiness. They may get a spiritual buzz but they remain empty before God.

It’s a sad fact that mainstream evangelicalism, once a vibrant section of the church of our Lord, long ago turned from the Bible unto myths of man-pleasers (cf. 2 Timothy 4:3-4) like former rock star EC pastor Rob Bell. Men long ago corrupted by predecessors like Robert Schuller and his disciple Rick Warren.

Prior to contracting the deadly cancer of the Cult of Liberal Theology, evangelical Christinaity in this nation did have some strong preachers who weren’t afraid to tell the devil where he could go, and just how it is that he can get there. Why even Billy Graham appeared to stand boldly for the Lord…in the beginning.

Today, however, this is simply not the case within the mainstream of professing Christendom. In fact, A.W. Tozer—in spite of his foolish forays into the writings of apostate Roman Catholic mystics—is even more on target now about too many of our churches than when he wrote these words in the late 50’s:

The contemporary moral climate does not favor a faith as tough and fibrous as that taught by our Lord and His apostles. The delicate, brittle saints being produced by our religious hothouses today are hardly to be compared with the committed, expendable believers who once gave their witness among men. And the faults lies with our leaders.

They are too timid to tell the people all the truth. They are now asking men to give to God that which costs them nothing. Our churches these days are filled…[to a large degree] with a soft breed of Christian that must be fed on a diet of harmless fun to keep them interested.

As has been well stated elsewhere: Soft lights, soft music, and even softer sermons–that’s what people want today. Tozer then concludes:

About theology the [modern church-goers] know little. Scarcely any of them have read even one of the great Christian classics, but most of them are familiar with religious fiction and spine-tingling films.

No wonder their moral and spiritual constitution is so frail. Such can only be weak adherents of a faith they never understood.

Some one hundred years before Tozer penned those insightful words Charles Spurgeon put it this way — “I think most people who attend church today are merely sleepwalking worshippers of some unknown god.” I would now offer what I believe to be a key question for mainstream evangelicals to consider.

Do you seriously think things are better now that your leaders brought the Trojan Horse of the Emergent Church, with its postmodern form of liberal theology, behind your walls? However, there is still some good news. I want you to know there is an antidote to all of this false teaching and spiritual lethargy. Prayer.

For you see, the old preacher of the Gospel was right when he taught:

People say, “I’m filled with the Holy Spirit.” If the Spirit didn’t revolutionize your prayer life, you’d better check on it…  Jesus the anointed of God, made prayer His custom.

And, so should you and I. Our Master says — “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do”  (John 14:12). So be of good cheer fellow Christian; any effort empowered by the Spirit to seek the Lord will be more than worth the time as you come to:

know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you. (1 Chronicles 28:9)

Here’s some more encouragement. First of all, we who are chosen by God need to realize that Jesus already did all of this for us; and secondly, the Holy Spirit has promised to lead us to:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

If we truly long to see the visible Christian community in this nation once again become part of God’s Lighthouse, and to shine the light of His glorious Gospel into the darkness of a spiritual wasteland we call America, then it is vital for each of us to ask Jesus to help us to understand these truths.

The effort to cultivate an intimate relationship with God will prove worth it. And if you claim to be a Christian, but you don’t feel the desire growing inside you to see the real Jesus lifted up as this age comes to a close, then you do have reason to wonder whether you were ever really regenerated in the first place (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:5).

Let’s not forget our Master clearly told us how He feels about those professing Christians who’re busy today trying to also keep one foot in the world:

 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:37-38)

Now this is the Jesus of the Bible, which will come as a bit of a shock for those who have been slowly swallowing the seeker sensitive spiritual cyanide being fed to them today. After-all, Jesus is God and He long ago warned us about spiritually malicious ministers claiming to speak for Him:

they are shepherds who have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all.

“Come,” they say, “let me get wine; let us fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure.” (Isaiah 56:11-12)

In closing this, for now, while I’m still here, today I admonish you; from such, turn away…

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