For the life of me, I can’t understand how, having read the Bible, from Paul’s letters to the Corinthians and the Galatians to Christ’s admonition to take heed that no one deceives us, to Jude’s warnings, Peter’s warnings, John’s warnings, James’s warnings about remaining steadfast in faith and not wandering, someone can conclude that they are above it all, and no matter how well-crafted or insidious, there is no danger, and no possibility of ever falling into the snare. Hubris comes in many shapes, but the hubris employed by some believers, who think that they can believe things antithetical to scripture while remaining in the truth, takes the cake.
It’s not as though the battlefield
isn’t littered with the bodies of the fallen. It’s not as though there aren’t
enough cautionary tales from no more than the past decade to fill a phone book.
Yet, somehow, there are still those who, with the conviction of a zealot,
insist that they neither have to guard their hearts nor take heed that they are
not deceived. I believe it therefore, it must be right, is not the litmus test.
I believe it because it’s in the Bible, is.
It's crucial to understand that
signs, wonders, manifestations, visions, dreams, or self-aggrandizing
prophecies about being a self-proclaimed prophet to the nations are not the
indicators of true faith, despite what many may believe. The true mark of faith
is obedience and faithfulness to Jesus. It's about daily denying oneself,
taking up the cross, and humbly following after Him.
It's not a mystery why so many
fall into deception; it's because they misunderstand what the church often
considers a sign of faith. Men can mimic signs and wonders, and they have. They
can make false prophecies or use their personal opinions as divine words to
bolster their authority, and they have. But what they can’t replicate is
genuine and enduring faith in Christ, even if it comes at a high cost, even if
that cost ends up being life itself.
The moment sacrifice is required
to call yourself a follower of Jesus, the threat of losing possessions and
positions becomes a reality, and all the posers, conmen, grifters, and wolves
will head for the exits, denying any association with Jesus or with the
followers of Jesus.
Who, me? No, I was never a Christian.
I was a spiritual advisor, a life coach, and a counselor to those who were
seeking spirituality. However, as far as being a follower of Jesus exclusively,
everyone knows there are multiple paths to heaven; I just encouraged people to
find their path. That’s all; please don’t hurt me, confiscate my Porsche, or
take away my McMansion with the indoor pool and sauna! Tell me what you need me
to say. They trust me; I can sway them. Another jab, maybe? But just so you
know, I have to use Jesus as a foil; they eat it up when I say it’s what Jesus
would do.
You may think this is farfetched
today, but give it a minute. It’s easy to point out the clowns and roll our
eyes until we realize we’re living in a circus. It’s not as though we were
given the option or that we bought tickets for the show. We all ended up in a
giant circus tent with the circus clowns trying to keep the masses entertained
for fear of seeing them fidgeting in their seats and heading for the exits. We
sort of Hillsonged our way into it without realizing it. I know what you’re thinking:
this would be a perfect segue into the frog and boiling water analogy, but
apropos as it might be, I think we’ve all heard it one too many times.
The way the hearts of many grow
cold and deception advances is the same way you eat an elephant: one bite at a
time. Unless it’s smothered outright, a fire goes out one ember at a time, and
if those tending it are not watchful, eventually, it dies out altogether.
I don’t mean to get preachy, but
then again, I’m a preacher. It’s not God’s fault that the church is in the
state it’s in. We’ve just done things contrary to the Word of God for so long
that a falling away from the truth was inevitable. Rather than resist the devil
that he might flee, we clung to the idea that we could coexist with him. Rather
than preach the truth of the gospel unashamedly, we prioritized men’s feelings
over what the Word said and omitted vital truths from our theology, doxology,
and eschatology.
The modern-day church is at a
historical low point, spiritually speaking, due to a noxious and debilitating
mix of the consequences of our choices and the cowardice of our spiritual
leaders. If something is contrary to Scripture, it doesn’t matter how many
leaders in a given denomination vote for it; it doesn’t make it scriptural. Man
does not have the authority to override scripture! Yet, it’s done with such
regularity that it’s no longer surprising. It no longer shocks the system when
a given denomination embraces perversion with open arms or when some pastor or
other waxes poetic on how Jesus was a misogynistic racist. We’re no longer
shocked or surprised because it happens so often that it has become the norm.
The compromises, half-truths,
whole lies, extrabiblical teachings, and the ever-increasing number of those
who prefer to have their ears tickled rather than receive the truth have
created the perfect environment for the falling away Paul warned of, and the
deceiving of many Jesus warned of.
When you begin to understand the
kind of pressure that will be brought to bear against the children of God, both
spiritually and physically, a lot of the pieces start falling into place, and
the picture that comes into focus is not a pretty one for the apathetic,
halfhearted, duplicitous, or those averse to conflict.
We’re talking about the kind of
spiritual battles that leave you with bloody knuckles, missing teeth, a busted
nose, and bruised eye sockets, the type of battle where warriors are forged and
names the enemy himself knows and fears are made, but also the kind of battle
where many will be felled because they are ill-equipped and unprepared for the
level of warfare that will be unleashed. Yet, the best we can manage is a dude
that swallows swords shirtless while climbing up a pole and a man in a dress
pretending to be little bo peep replete with a life-size candy cane crook
calling himself a pastor.
If you thought the last few years were tough as far as pressure being exerted by bureaucrats and big pharma pimps, imagine it on steroids amplified by an exponent of fifty. This time, it won’t be about a jab or a prick; it will be about denouncing Jesus, denying Him, and swearing allegiance to another.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea, Jr.
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