Though I realize that many people will be angry with me for what I am about to write; I have to say it. This slippery slope is one I never wanted to write about, never thought it was my platform, and honestly, I hoped it would go away. Neverthess - here I go.
I cannot just stand idly by while Christians follow and/or propitiate a lie. I love my country, I love the foundation on which it was built. That foundation is crumbling away before our very eyes. Our government is morally bankrupt and yet Evangelicals promote the worst. I cannot keep quiet any longer.
As Tele-evangelists, Pastors, Teachers, apostles, disciples...Christians, we are held to a higher standard. Why? Because "baby" Christians, less educated Christians, and unbelievers are watching us. This is serious business folks! Not a popularity contest.
Just because a rich and famous preacher says something is right, is it? Just because a pastor says something or someone is good, are they? Just because some situation or person is popular within your church or church family, is it right? What does the Word say? Check it yourself, do NOT rely on someone else's opinion or interpretation - get your Bible out and CHECK IT!
Tele-evangelists, pastors, teachers, apostles, disciples....Christians are human. We make mistakes. We fall into temptation, we can let pride, greed and fame (popularity) get a hold on us. Unfortunately, it is possible to get so far into those temptations, that you become reprobate - you no longer know or care about right from wrong. The Bible has many warnings about this. It is called being given over to a reprobate mind.
The Bible warns us of men who have the appearance of godliness, but are not righteous (see 2 Timothy 3:1-8). In studying Romans 1:28-32, I found a very specific description of righteous men who not only stand back while the wicked to do evil; they participate in some of those evil things. Worse than that, they promote and endorse it; by encouraging others to compromise with morally corrupt behaviors!
"False prophets bring messages that contradict the words of true prophets. They give messages that appeal to people's sinful nature and comfort their fears. False prophets tell people what they want to hear. True prophets tell God's truth, no matter how unpopular it makes them." (Zondervan Life Application Study Bible; NIV; notes section).
"Like a muddied spring or a polluted well are the righteous who give way to the wicked." Proverbs 25:26 (NIV)
Wicked in Hebrew (Râshâ "raw-shaw"): Morally wrong, ungodly. To be wrong, to cause or declare wrong doing, to make trouble, iniquity.
"To give way" = setting aside standard of right and wrong. Compromise with evil.
Now let me break down the King James version of that same scripture:
"A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain." Proverbs 25:26 (KJV)
Hebrew definitions:
Righteous - Tsaddîyq (tsad-deek): just, to be right (in a moral sense), clean.
Falling - Môwt (mote): to waiver, be carried or cast down, fallen away, exceedingly fallen into decay, be removed.
Down - Hârac (haw-răs): to pull down in pieces, break, destroy, pluck down, ruin.
Before - Pâneh (paw-neh'): fear of, accept, SERVE, to face.
Troubled - Râphas (raw-fas'): trampled, foul
The Amplified Version states Proverbs 25:26 like this: "Like a muddied fountain and a polluted spring is a righteous man who yields AND compromises his integrity before the wicked."
In literal terms: The morally right man that bows down, accepts and serves the ungodly is compromising with evil and will poison the water for others. Do you see? This is not my opinion - CHECK it!
I am not aiming to stir up hatred, dissention, or strife. I hope that you will be stirred up to get informed and educated, to read, study, and listen to your conscience. If you see what is going on and you feel it is wrong, it probably is. Check it!
It is not my desire to be popular (never been part of that crowd, why start now?), it is my desire to speak the truth, to say what others are afraid to, to be a voice of hope in the wilderness.
Even though some righteous are and will compromise with evil - MANY won't. And those are the ones to follow. How do you know whose morals have not been corrupted? Check it!
Are they promoting something or someone who is morally bankrupt? Do their words or actions make your skin crawl? Do they twist the Word to meet their "needs"? Do you get a general uneasiness about what they are saying? Do you just get a feeling that "this isn't right"?
Well, that my friends is the Holy Spirit pricking your heart to search the truth.
And that brings me to the message of HOPE that is alive and well in all of this. If we search the scriptures, pray, and hang onto the truth of God - we will wield our Swords and defeat the enemy by going home to be with the Lord. Check it!
"And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved." Matthew 24:10-13 (KJV)
"At that time many will be offended and repelled [by their association with Me] and will fall away [from the One whom they should trust] and will betray one another [handing over believers to their persecutors] and will hate one another. Many false prophets will appear and mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold. But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved." - (Amplified version)
And the most "plain" modern wording, I could find: “In the confusion, lying preachers will come forward and deceive a lot of people. For many others, the overwhelming spread of evil will do them in—nothing left of their love but a mound of ashes.“Staying with it—that’s what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll be saved. All during this time, the good news—the Message of the kingdom—will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come. - (The Message version)
This is WHY it is imperative that we break away from "popular" belief and CHECK it!
Go against the grain. Follow truth, speak truth, and hang on to HOPE in the Lord!
