Watershed

It seems the mainstream media would like you to think: it is no longer popular to stand and pledge allegiance to the flag; no longer popular to serve your country; no longer popular to stand for the national anthem; no longer popular to be an American. Reality is, Americans still do these things. Even when it’s unpopular or even dangerous to do so, people will still stand. It is an element of resistance that is not just ingrained in Americans, but in humanity. I was taught to stand, I was taught to put my hand over my heart, I was taught to take my hat off in the building, I was taught to hold open a door for a lady and to keep my mouth shut. Respect was taught and demonstrated. There was an intolerance to crudeness in private and public. My principles and teachers whooped me with a paddle, then I went home for another one. It didn’t take a lot though, because I wanted to obey, I loved my parents, and I loved what they loved. Both are natural. It’s natural to disobey and natural to want to please. Today it’s labeled ‘abnormal’ by society, led by a biased and immoral leadership. The scripture pulls the curtain back on the whole charade by exposing the true backer of these principles. He’s known as the “god of this world”, Satan himself.  

Sadly the America I group up in is gone. Some would have you believe in a false hope that we can bring it back in the next election cycle. I do not. I believe this is all a fulfillment of God doing what He does best… righteous judgement. Americans are slipping because we have surrendered our culture. We have surrendered our stand to those who would have tried to steal it, except for the fact we handed it over. In fear of being labeled a bully, bigot, and nuts, we cave. In fear of ‘offending’ someone else, we cave. In fear of not being liked, we cave.

Is there a correlation between our patriotism and the loyalty we should have to Jesus, His cross, and His Word? Weirdly enough, yes. I am thankful for the training and guidance in the Word that I have received. It truly has been the providence and Grace of God that I was brought up with a Biblical worldview.  I say ‘biblical worldview’ because the term ‘christian worldview’ is fluid and the Bible is not. Has all of it been exact and according to truth alone? No. Humans were involved. But again, God through His Spirit, has “guided me into all truth” (John 14). My upbringing was always in view that the Bible was the final authority. Later when my Pastor discipled me; everything came straight from the scripture. It was conceptual and took a brush stroke across all 66 books of Scripture. In training for ministry I was taught systematically the doctrines and beliefs of our faith directly from the Word of God. Through extended education God used others to teach me details of Scripture that have made the defense of our Bible, as God’s Word, formidable. Now in my continued education God has developed in me a steadfast resistance to man’s opinion on anything Scripture related. True again, I have been sold some rotten apples masked as glorious. Truth be told, I am glad for those experiences as well. They taught me to dig deeper into the Truth and ask God to teach me privately and personally. I have been blessed. 

As Jesus said, “freely ye have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10.8). Therefore I am compelled to teach what I know and discuss what I am learning. I owe all of it to my disciplers in the faith. I also owe it to Jesus to not give up or cave on what I have been taught to believe. He is truly my strength and shield. No steadfastness comes from me naturally; it’s God who works these things for and through me. 

Since 2020, and the COVID pandemic, I have noticed an uptick in sorted resources from ‘christian’ sources. The basic premise of nearly every book on the church and culture i’ve read in the last 3-5 years have some common denominators. In their opinion, for us to reach lost, unbelieving, or unchurched people around us we must: be less aggressive; use less Bible; be less sure of our own convictions; be more agreeable; use more affirming language; never be confrontational. Because any effort to engage the world with words like: Christ; Gospel; Truth; Church; Bible; and even Jesus is deemed too offensive. 

The books also exhibit a strong bias against any kind of certitude. This is especially so in the subjects of: The Bible is infallibly true; Jesus is the only way; Other faiths are false; Human sexuality; and as always Creation. Their proposal: If you are certain, then you are either arrogant or naive; in some way insecure. Which I find laughable that any believer would say such a thing. So was Jesus insecure? Come on?!

It is emphatically positioned by the emergent churches that we should change all things worship. This includes having the singing, but eliminate the preaching. To the point that our worship services should be more conducive of allowing dialogue of equal time defending opposing religious views. Author Doug Paggitt wrote: “A dance is a better metaphor than warfare to describe how Christians ought to interact with other world-views.”

But our Bible uses language that is offensive. In fact it’s down right combative. It says for example in Ephesians 6.12— “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Lots of “wrestling” “against”. Or 2 Corinthians 10.4 says— “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)”. On this note specifically, I have was once told that it’s “stupid for us to use the analogy warfare with church”. Jesus did, and Paul did, just saying. He also charged Timothy in 1 Timothy 1.18— “This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;” War a warfare. Not cave on a feeling. 

In light of these liberal ideals, many believers have caved. In some cases, even their churches as a whole have caved to the prevailing spirit of the times. There is now a watershed of beliefs on the most basic doctrines of our faith. The word watershed means: “an event or period marking a turning point in a course of action or state of affairs.” We are living in a time of watershed. A significant turning point on the beliefs of the most basic doctrines of our faith. We are in a time of post-modernism and doctrinal minimalism. The constant emergent trends are taking out more and more of our churches.  

Let’s be clear who the enemy is in this war. It is NOT the lost souls around you. They are the objective. They can be tough to deal with, in fact, they may even kill you for loving them. They did this to Jesus didn’t they? But He in no way went to war with them. He fought a war for their souls and against an enemy who has entrapped them easily in their nature, with this culture. Looking at the example of John the Apostle, He labeled the problem, the war we face, and the enemy we are fighting. In 1 John 2.18 he said— “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” In 1 John 2.22— “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.” In the same letter 1 John 4, verse 3 he stated— “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” And finally in 2 John 1.7 he explained— “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”

Make no mistake the spirit of antichrist is prevailing within churches, now. I hope you see it. I pray you dig a little deeper and search the Spirit within to see these things are so, before it’s too late. I love my countrymen, but I can’t stand what’s happened to them. I feel we are seeing the shredding of the very fabric of our basic beliefs right before our very eyes. I do not wish for you to think that all churches are in this condition. But, I do want you to recognize, none are exempt from the effects. 

My plan is to continue with this theme, with answers from Scripture, in the next few posts. Please write, ask questions, make comments, and I will reply.