Christianity today does not have the passion, fire, tenacity, truth and dedicated love to serve the Lord because they do not have the love and truths of Christ needed to strengthen the church. It is everyman for himself, every opinion is valuable, and the word has been replaced by the decrees of man. This body does not recognize Jesus Christ but their interpretation of Him and the idol He has become. This is the post-modern church of 20204 and beyond.
I saw a video of a “pastor” hanging onto a rope and being let down upon a stage before his adoring congregation, I suppose in a similar fahion to the men who let the bed-ridden man down through a hole in the roof to Jesus. It was very contemptible and worldly having nothing to do with the Lord Jesus or the Spirit of Holiness. This man is a charlatan, a hireling and a servant of sin. But the people love it and they will defend his actions as it brings in donations to further the show. Another assistant “pastor” stole money appointed for Covid relief to buy 39 cars, properties, and luxury goods for himself. He was sentenced to eight years. Still other “pastors” own private jets, mega mansions, properties, write best-selling books, promote their blapshemous views, teach people how to break the commandments and law of God, trample the blood of Christ underfoot, defile the sacrifice, cast the words of Christ beneath the boots of men and live as though they are the blessed descendents of the righteous ones. But they will all perish in their sins without fail.
We are living in an age where faith has been replaced by showmanship, by self-appointed bishops, by blind shepherds who teach the flocks lies, by judges who are not able to make righteous judgments because of their open hypocrisy. We live to devour one another, to claw the backs, to gossip, to fight for the best seats, and to receive more honor than the next, where pride and social standing determine who is the “better” Christian.
These actions are not those of disciples of Christ but more so the works of sin from hearts unrepentant and given over to self-service. Where is the love? The humilty? The sacrifice? Where is the Lord Jesus Christ in this loveless body of practicing hypocrites? Don’t you understand that if these acts remain within, you will not inherit the kingdom of God? He will not recognize you. When we say that we love Him but dishonor a brother or sister in the faith, we are dishonoring Him.
Jesus humbled Himself by taking on the form of man and became obedient unto death to the glory of God for our sakes, and we despise the brethren for whom He died? Jesus suffered on the cross for our sins and we despise those for whom He also perished? The hypocrisy of those claiming to walk with Him is beyond astonishing, it is evil. And this is the church today. It is very far removed from its pure and humble beginnings. And the body of Christ has taken on this cloak of evil works, deceptive practices, unfaithful shepherds, boastful men, feminism, sexual abnormalities, same-sex “marriages” and blessings?! These are the works of sin, and those who teach, accept and practice such things are the servants of the evil one! Make no mistake and do not allow yourselves to be drawn into their snares. There are many divisions within the body and the many assemblies such as, just to name a few, are guilty of divisions and hypocrisy as the next one. Seventh-Day-Adventists, the Pentacostal Churches, Calvary Chapel, Congregational, Presbyterian, Catholic, Unitarians, Jehovahs Witnesses, Amish, Four-Square, and so much more. They are all intent on drawing men into their influence by claiming divine understanding and spirit-led teachings, but they all without exception do err greatly! They all teach and practice lawlessness and iniquity! None upholds the Word of God in truth and righteousness! Not one! They are all as soiled clothes buried in a muddy riverbank and their teachings are worthless because they are watered down to make them appealing to the minds of men. Away with the show! Away with the charlatans and their media circus! Away with the lazy shepherds! Away with the wicked tele-evangelists and their never ending quest for adoration and money!
Flocks of Christ! You must awaken to your terrible danger! You will be spewn out of the mouth of the righteous one if you do not repent of your wicked ways and feeble acts of faith! We must all awaken to the great danger of lukewarm faith and divided hearts furthered by the works of unbridled tongues. You must turn back to the apostolic teachings and the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and begin to practice what you claim you are but are not. Shepherds are to serve the flock in love, in firmess of scriptural doctrine, and not their feeble minded interpretations, not being high-minded and acting with imperious attiudes and having in-house “bodyguards”! Pastors are to serve as shpeherds overseeing their flocks as ambassadors of Christ, not as overbearing ceo’s on the stock exchange list of succesful and profitable companies! Your attidudes towards one another should be of love, servitude, humility, kindness, gentleness, patience, and restoration, not casting souls away as is too often the case is when a pastor feels slighted or his position threatened! Pastors should never sequester themselves behind closed doors and desks when they should be out and about looking upon the needs of the flock and repairing walls and gates that have fallen into disrepair. It’s not so much about the speech as it is about the fruits, and far too many pastors are indeed lazy and their flocks sick and weak. Look to the shepherds when the flocks are ill with false teachings and eyelids drooping with hypocrisy. The Lord will demand an accounting on that fateful day.
The first three-hundred years of the Christian faith were fraught with terrible cruelities, fiery persecutions, trials that burned away the dross, brought out the most noble of characters to stand before their accusers to face sword and beasts, others had yet to forsake all and flee for their lives, still others could not stand and faltered, recanting the faith under pressure, but then through the mighty power of God, they revived and stood up to be counted for Christ and they perished in their faith, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for His name. Today? Again, do you have that same determined outlook to persevere in Christ? Is your faith established on His truths or the doctrines of men? Do you believe the words of the Lord and His apostles, and their disciples of the first christians and their examples or have you gone awhoring after liars and thieves? I daresay that many of you have taken on the role as faithless believers to pursue the myriads of false teachers, as the faithles wife pursues after her countless lovers, as the faithless man his unbridled passions, as the man or woman who marries and remarries several times making mockery of the union beteween man and woman. Unfaithlfulness to the Lord and His commandments is as common as the head cold among today’s lukewarm believers and their faithless shepherds who go about teaching lies and practicing lawlessness and iniquities. And there is coming that day of accountability.
But you will not listen and neither will you believe. Just as those before you hardened their hearts, you will do the same. But still, the warning must be given, the call to return to the Lord Jesus Christ and to stop listening to those who will teach you to break the commandments of a Holy God! His Law has not been done away with except by evil men who refuse instruction, those servants of sin who refuse wisdom, knowledge and understanding, and whose hearts are far from the Lord of righteousness, and whose minds are inflamed with their interpretations and worldviews. From such you must turn away, regardless of how well they sound! You must leave those liars lest you perish with them in their iniquities, for surely, if they do not repent, they will receive their due penalty in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, and you will be with them because you refused to believe the Lord Jesus Christ and His words.
But this is a churlish generation, a stubborn one hard of hearing, righteous in their own eyes, unable to come to the truth, claiming to be teachers but unable to learn, seeking spiritual gifts and enlightenment and unknowingly following the darkness which takes them into lawlessness. They will meet at their local church and in their homes and further on the lawless teachings proclaimed by their lawless shepherds and the darkness expands into their hearts and minds. And how can such a generation be prepared for what is about to befall the earth? Such believers are ill-prepared at best. And when they realize that they were not raptured away as promised by their false teachers then many of them will fall away. But if you do as the Lord instructs and hold firm to His words, your faith will be tested, and if you hold firm, you will be richly rewarded with eternal life. But you have to choose His words or the words of men.
As in all things, choices make up our lives, and if you want to see eternal life then you will need to make the right choices, and that means believe the Words of Jesus Christ and his apostles, not the twisted teachings of what passes for Christianity today.
I remain a brother in the faith to the called of Jesus Christ.
Edward L Ordway