Friday, April 15, 2011

Do we Need more Pastors in the World?

          

Let me explain, there is a war going on and only one side is fighting. In North America we have come under attack and the pastors who are supposed to have a discernment that surpasses the average believer are laying down with the enemy. There is a big difference between a Pastor and a Preacher, pastors tend to want to make people feel good, while preachers do as God instructed, and that is to preach the word and not worry about things that are Gods concern. I believe what we need in these the end times are more preachers to bring the lost to God not pastors that seem to only make people feel good about themselves.
Leaders in the churches are called to be the watchmen, alerting the flock to the dangers that are approaching or already here. They are called to hear the voice of God and discern the signs around them to warn the followers of God of the dangers and to guide them on the straight and narrow. It seems the pastors of today are using their own judgment in teaching the word of God and not the leading of the Holy Spirit. Christians and most importantly pastors no longer have discernment, of course I speak generally here and do not mean every pastor or Christian out there but speak of the majority. They no longer know what it means to have a true relationship with God. Christ spoke of this in Matthew

Matthew 7:21-23 (King James Version)

 21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

God knew in the last days many very well meaning Christians will be using their own judgment and not the discernment of the spirit.
            I am old enough to remember what real men were, and I say “were”. My great uncle fought in World War II, I remember him speaking about of evil that he fought, this is evil that I see in world everyday, and worse than that it's evil that is now called good, or at the very least accepted and not opposed. Unfortunately he wasn’t a Christian, but he stood up for what was right and against what was wrong better than any Christian in the last 40 years. He didn't stop to think that he might be labeled or called a name for standing up for what was right, he just did it. He wasn't afraid of his own shadow, today I would have tough time finding another like him. Even though he wasn’t a Christian he was a man that deserved respect. 
       Most of my relatives came over from Europe in the 1800’s, they came to escape persecution and tyranny. I have many of their journals and I have to say what we call faith today is nothing in comparison to how they lived their everyday lives. The focus on God in all that they did daily humbles me. When they came here they came to build a country and contribute to Canada, take part in the culture and fit in.

Matthew 10:24-25
 24"A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub,[a] how much more the members of his household! (emphasis mine)

            We are told we will be called names and worse.
            The pastors of today do not have discernment or the ear of God, they talk at God but don’t hear Him respond and use their own judgment in how to instruct the men and women of God.
            There was a time when “Preachers” spoke the word of God boldly, as we are instructed in the word of God to do, without thought as to how it would be received or if it would fit with today’s culture. They were men that stood firm on the inerrant word of God and didn’t water it down to fit with today’s culture. A.W. Tozer stated that “Any evangelism which by appeal to common interests and chatter about current events seeks to establish a common ground where the sinner can feel at home is as false as the altars of Baal ever were” Today's pastors are guilty of just that but have been so blinded by the enemy that they can no longer tell right from wrong.

Call evil good

            Of course I do not think that all pastors are guilty of this there are always strong men of God and I speak generally.
            The preachers of yesterday were not weak willed, weak spirited, scared of their own shadow men. They weren’t afraid to be called a name for the sake of God, now we are scared to be called, dogmatic, fundamentalist, self righteous and the list goes on.

Matthew 10:17-31 (New International Version)

 17"Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
 21"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

            How can we be worried about being called self righteous? We are preaching the word of Christ, how does His message where He instructs us to preach His word boldly make us self righteous. I once led a small group and had a concern with seeming self righteous, I talked to my Preacher (I call him a preacher because he was a preacher not a pastor) about my concern. He looked at me a stated “you are not preaching your own gospel your teaching the gospel of Christ” That hit me, he was right I am only instructing others in God’s word for their benefit, I am not saying I am perfect, only telling others what God says. We fear too much as Christians today and the enemy is using that to turn well meaning Christians into weak soldiers of Christ.

Matthew 10:26-31
26"So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny[b]? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (emphasis mine)

Preachers didn’t stop to worry about if someone would be offended by the word of God they just preached it as instructed. They were men that stood with faith in God and were not concerned with a popularity contest as the so called men of God are today. Today they would have been labeled “lonewolf” Christians and considered divisive. I call these men preachers because there is a drastic difference in the message they spoke and the watered down message spoken at the pulpits today.
Today pastors tweak the message of God saying that they are not changing the message but the method, this is a deluded line of thought. The message and the method are intertwined; you cannot change one without changing the other. 
When pastors take into consideration the feelings of people, how comfortable the message makes them feel, how up lifted it makes them feel and design the message to achieve one or all of these goals they are in essence ashamed of God’s word as it stands and try to improve where God failed.

Mark 8:38 (King James Version)

 38Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Christ spoke about the pastors today, many are ashamed of God’s words as they are written and change the impact to suit the times. Today they believe that God’s words are too harsh so they toned it down, they believe that God’s words are too judgmental so they ignore certain passages, they believe that God’s words can’t reach the culture of today, I guess because we are too special, so they change the methods. All this adds up to someone that is ashamed of the words of God so they change them, tone it down, watering it down, ignore certain passages is changing the word of God regardless of how much you tell yourself you aren’t.
As Christians we are to stand up for what is right, we are to protect those that can’t protect themselves. We are to stand against what is wrong in the world. The disciples certainly did, they preached against the evils in the world, this they learned from Christ's example. We are told that God is in control and that the evil that is happening is God’s will. I often wonder if some of them even have read the bible. In the bible how did God accomplish His will? Through men obeying His instructions, God is in control when we give Him the control, but by not obeying His word, we are in essence giving control to the prince of this world.
Today Christ is painted as a weak pacifist, that is the furthermost from the truth that one can get. The reason that Christ is now portrayed that way is to squelch any resistance that the enemy may have. If Christians are taught to be pansies and to lay down at the slightest resistance or command then the enemy will walk right in and take over and he has. We don’t have to stand up and fight a scary fight, we can smile and whistle and say God is doing it and take no responsibility.
I strongly object to Christ being shown as weak, He was anything but weak. He stood up against the rulers of the day, the government, the church at the time, and any and all false religion. Christ didn’t mince words, He told all that either they follow Him or they will go to hell. Such action today would be described as divisive, fundamentalism, dogmatic and out of touch with today’s culture. I hear pastors say that Christ was not judgmental; meaning that He didn’t tell people they were sinners. I have do ask are they reading the same bible I am? Christ told the blind man go and sin no more or worse will happen to you, isn’t that judgmental by today’s standards? He spoke in parables that in the terms of the day told everyone that they were sinners and had better change their ways or go to hell. Maybe His ways were different than ours but non the less we are instructed not only to teach but to rebuke, and correct, be accountable one to another.

Matthew 10:34-37 (King James Version)

34Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.  36And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.  37He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

It is now judgmental to speak against false religions, alternate lifestyles or sin of any kind. We are not to speak of the evils found in many cultures or we are labeled racist. Even in Christ's time they had walls to protect the cities and it was every mans duty to help protect the city against the enemy.
What I see happening in the world is an attack on Christianity, now this is nothing new, the bible speaks of the opposition that Christians will face. But when the weak pastors tell us that its not true, or that we should whistle a happy tune, put an smile on our faces and ignore what is happening. Or even worse yet when they tell us its God’s will or God is in control so we should do nothing and accept it. Acceptance to the evil in the world through weak pastors who are no longer knowledgeable with the word of God. This is because the bible has been rewritten, by individuals, by the emerging church and by the secular world. The reason they changed it was because it didn’t fit with the world. But that is what we are called to be, misfits in a world of evil.

If you fit with the world, God then calls you His enemy.

Biblically correct Ministries.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

The Price of Tolerance


The price of tolerance

 "I will perform against Eli all the things which I have spoken concerning his house… because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not." (1Samuel 3:12-13)

             Eli was punished for tolerating the sins of his children and doing nothing to correct them, how many pastors are Eli today? How many don't want to speak the truth to men and women, instead adopt a New Age love that does nothing against sin but embraces it and calls it loving to do so.

              And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible:
              They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers,
              so that not one of them turns from their wickedness. They are all like
Sodom to                 
              me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”Jeremiah 23:14

                     18 When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn              
              them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their  
              life, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable   
              for their blood. Ezekiel 3:18
           
                    20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light
             and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Isaiah 5:20

God is not tolerant of sin and punishes us if we are.

7 They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols[a] to whom   
they prostitute themselves. This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the  
generations to come.’ Leviticus 17:7

20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not
want you to be participants with demons. 1Corinthians 10:20

20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not
want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord
and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the
table of demons. 1Corinthians 10:20-21

Nor is God tolerant of other belief systems.

Over the last 5 decades tolerance has taken its toll on not only North America but Christianity. Before we go any further I want to state that because I have a problem with the way the word tolerance is twisted today, it doesn’t mean that I don’t love my neighbor as God has instructed. We are told to hate sin, it is the sin and watering down of Christianity that I have a problem with. We have taken loving our neighbor as an excuse not to oppose sin in the world.

Not opposing sin is contrary to scriptures,

-being politically correct
-the desire to have everyone think well of us (which also is contrary to what Christ told us would happen),
-to have our pews full of questionable believers just to fulfill our deluded sense of success,
-to believe falsely in the idea that there will ever be unity here on earth by man’s efforts is leading Christians to sin.

All of the above is sin, to be politically correct is opposite what Christ was on earth, the desire to have everyone think well of us puts peoples opinion before Gods changing our whole belief system, Christ said that there will be conflict not only between nations but also between family members there will never be unity on earth until Christ returns. We are trying to unify people but through man’s efforts and leaving God out.
After World War II nationality was strong, which today would be racism, Christians stood for what was right and were ready to declare it regardless of the consequences. I think that Christians are hated more for our trying to appease everyone; if we stood our ground Christianity would have more respect and grow. God tells us to stand for the word of God and not let evil creep in, but once again man knows how to do church better.

2 Timothy 4:2

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. King James Bible

to proclaim the message. Be ready to do this whether or not the time is convenient. Refute, warn, and encourage with the utmost patience when you teach.
International Standard Version

Be preaching the word at all times, in every place; make protests, say sharp words, give comfort, with long waiting and teaching;
Bible in Basic English

Preach the word, the basic English adds “at all times”. The new age teaching in the church instructs us to only preach the word if the timing is right, and if it won’t offend anyone, and if it makes people feel good, and if everyone agrees with it, (can you imagine Christ not preaching out of fear of offending the pagans, His ministry would have been over before it began).
Rick warren a leading pastor pushing the New Age agenda tells us that in his P.E.A.C.E. program that it’s our job to help people but not to preach to them. Rick believes proselytizing our faith will hurt our ability to help on a global scale. Well, I guess I would agree if I only had my eyes set on this wisp of a life but I am more concerned about man’s eternity.
Timothy goes on to say rebuke or make protests, I don’t see many Christians standing up for what is right. Oh I see them standing up for the politically correct policies but they rarely agree with scriptures.
           
- Sexual sins
            - environmental movement
            - man’s physical needs
            - social gospel
            - tolerance other beliefs (Roman Catholic ecumenical/New age movement)

These are some of the many anti-christian causes that I have seen pastors stand up for. What has happened to the teaching of today’s pastors? I think A.W. Tozer said it best

“the church has sprung a leak, and the world is leaking in.”

2 Timothy continues with rebuke, or say sharp words; this is definitely against the politically correct crowd who don’t want to be told they are wrong. The New age mega churches certainly do not believe in rebuking. Out of fear that their coffers may not be filled, or out of a delusion of grandeur of being a mini god in front of not only a 25,000 congregation but being published and important in the world.
Exhorting, then comes a time to lift up, but again everything in it’s time. We need to be careful to obey God’s word in a balanced way.
Be patient and teach doctrine, referring to God’s word, in other words PREACH. Not as we think it should be, but as it is written. Jesus didn’t pull punches, he spoke as the Father instructed, he didn’t hesitate in case some were offended. Better to offend now than allow a sinner eternity in suffering.

“preaching and prayer will not grow your church”  “but your skill will”  Rick Warren

Rick’s way of contradicting God’s word and relying on man’s efforts will fail.

I think this is a clear example of where the “new way of doing church is taking us. According to scriptures this is a false message given by a false prophet it makes me wonder if Rick Warren and the 10’s of thousands of preachers following Rick (not God) have ever read the bible.

North America was a Christian continent and stood out in the world. A light to the pagan beliefs of the world, a light that stated we are God’s children and that Christianity was the one true belief system. The cold war came and the Russians wanting to separate us and put us against each other introduced clandestinely eastern mysticism, environmentalism, and the idea of Intolerance. We have grown fat, greedy, and selfish. We want instant gratification, a better car than our neighbors, a bigger house, an excess of food, drink and pleasure has led us down Satan’s path and we can’t even think or see straight anymore. Many Christian leaders can’t see right and wrong. God blessed us for many years but as we drift further from Him things will become harder in North America. We, right now are being tested as to whether we will go with the world or will we sacrifice everything and stand with God. What kind of grade will you get? 
As I see it now Christians are going with the world in a wholesale way. It seems Christians cannot agree with world quick enough. 
Lord please forgive us.

Eastern influence

            The hippy movement with free love and anti establishment sentiment was the easiest place to start. The hippies were against everything that the establishment did. Yoga, martial arts, Buddhism, Hinduism, all was bought into by the hippies easily. These ideas taught meditation, God is in everything, be at one with nature, and God is in every one of us and we all have access to the one consciousness which will reveal the secrets of the universe to us if we only get in tune with it. They believed that there are many Gods, but all roads end in the same place and all are acceptable according to the place that we are in at the time.  
            Suddenly calling one idea wrong and one idea right was intolerant, anti social, and even racist if it were against the beliefs of another race. Some where it became the norm that everyone was right, there is no longer areas of black and white but only of gray. Everyone is now special and can believe what they want, we can all demand special rights and anyone who says actions (sin) is wrong is dogmatic and out of tune with the universe, a person full of hate.
            Free love with multiple partners, orgies and mind altering drugs all served Satan’s plan. Today children as young as 8 and 9 talk about “friends with benefits”, sport sex, and what new things (sexually) they tried over the weekend. Governments are insisting that our children are educated in sexuality, who’s purpose are they serving?
Adults are no better the divorce rate is climbing over 50 percent, but more important is that many don’t bother getting married they just live together as husband and wife. Being a single mom is something to be proud of, guys brag about how many kids they have and how many women they had. This is becoming common even in the church, these very people are unrepentant and being placed in positions of authority in our churches.

Dear Lord how we have lost you.

Homosexuality came out of the closest so to speak; to the point that today it is normal and protected with special laws that only apply to the select few, even in our school system. Now pedophilia is being pushed as art, next it will be called loving. What's the next step, will it be bestiality, man and animal joining in marriage.  
The bible knew that all these things were coming, in the days before the flood the world was not too different. The eastern philosophy was a large influence in the Middle East and even Israel. The story of Sodom and Gomorra spoke of the homosexual and depraved sex that was acceptable at the time. This should not be new to people and more should see the depravity that is taking over, but history is being rewritten and good is now evil and evil is now good.

Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

            The Gnostic belief was largely influenced by the eastern teachings with the secret knowledge. Gnosticism was an ancient belief that was tied to Christianity but quickly seen as not of God and outlawed. We are now seeing Gnostic beliefs being introduced by the Emerging church leaders. Its being toted as ancient Christianity that was lost in the annuls of time. The emerging church is including greater amounts of Gnostic teaching in its preaching every year.
            We can go through every non Christian culture and see the influence they have had a supposedly Christian continent. Why have we allowed evil to change us more than we have changed it? Why we accept some of these odious traits in a Christian society is completely beyond me and incidentally the word of God.
All the while we talk of tolerance we are turning on each other with bickering and in fighting. We are being confused and divided in order for Satan’s plan to come to fruition.

           Foreign cultures mostly have their beliefs tied very closely with their culture as we in North America used to. To accommodate foreign cultures most of the time means that we have to accommodate and accept a belief system that is contrary to the Christian beliefs that this country was founded on. Christ never asked us to cater to pagan beliefs and the fact that North America is facing the crisis it is today makes me believe that God’s blessings on us is running out due to our constant desire to be loved by all even those who wish to kill Christ repeatedly. 
When I was young every morning in school we would say the Lord’s prayer, sometimes a Muslim or other would leave the class when we prayed but never did we stop praying. But today we stop praying, we hide our Christian symbols, we don’t preach the true word of God. So where are our priorities, certainly not with God?
What the politically correct call intolerance I call a religious battle, the only question left is what side are you on. Either you stand up for God, or you lay down and submit to Satan, there is no in between. As Christians we talk almost every week of the hard ships of believers in other countries, being killed for believing and wonder what I would do in that circumstance. I think we have our answer, most would submit because that is what is happening here. Here in Canada with our so called “freedoms” we are surrendering to Satan and not only in one area.
Our celebration of Christ’s birth is being attacked, and we say nothing, Christian symbols are being attacked, and we say nothing, prayer is being attacked and, we say nothing, we are told that we must preform marriages that are considered wrong by God and we submit, we are told that we must accept and cater to pagan belief systems and we submit. 
Christians and churches are being forced to accept sexual immorality and we do, we are being forced to accept common law marriages, and we do, and the list goes on. We are selling out Christ not for fear of physical threat such as in many Muslim countries, but fear of being called nothing more than a name, we are so afraid of being labeled that we submit to Satan daily, all the while patting ourselves on the back and claiming to be holy. So we have our answer on what we would do, we would and do submit.
We are submitting to the politically correct, which is contrary to God’s word. The invasion and destruction of everything we believe in that we are experiencing in North America is little different then those countries, they are just killing us differently.
 But we continue to thank God for not having to go through what they do, thankful for not having to make a decision to stand up and face the opposition, all the while oblivious to the danger around us now and that we are being called upon to stand up. Deluded into thinking that there is nothing to stand up for here and everything is fine just go back into our lethargy. Timothy stated be ready in season or out, whether the timing is right or not. In stead we thank God that everything is perfect, there by relieving our guilt, guilt of disloyalty to God by not obeying his instruction to stand up for righteousness or die in the second death. 
Remember Christ’s words:

Matthew 7: 21 "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 "Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

Is this the fate of those who don’t stand by the Lord when tested. Depart from me, is probably the same thing you would tell a friend that you constantly helped but whom always left you out and sided against you. You were never a friend!
Many beliefs demand that its followers kill the followers of other belief systems. The Koran tells Muslims that one believer is worth 10,000 infidels (non believers). Infidels are to become Muslim or be killed. The only thing worse than a non believer is a Muslim that doesn’t obey the Koran and they should also die. So the Koran basically says convert or die and if you are a Muslim and don’t obey and kill non believers you will die. Islam is a religion spread with the sword. How can a belief system such as this ever get along with others and remain faithful? In a word they can’t.
2 major evangelical conferences have decided to celebrate the love of God through Islam recently. Watch for this to come down from the districts to your church in the near future. Stand firm pastors do you home work, pray for discernment. I don’t ask that you believe what I say pastor I only hope that these words will drive you to find the truth for yourself.
The Arabs had many gods, every tribe had their own beliefs, Muhammad was born in a tribe that worshiped the moon, and the moon god unlike many pagan beliefs was masculine and the sun was feminine, which is opposite of all other pagan beliefs where the sun god is always male and the moon goddess is female. The symbol of the moon god was the crescent moon which is still used today in Islam. So Muhammad preached what his sect already believed, it could be said he was politically correct in his time.

The Christian alliance organization in Washington claims that Christ came to not only save man but nature and the earth as well. Paving the way for nature worshipers to be welcome and accepted in church. This would include witches, wiccans and many other pagan belief systems. soon pastors from pulpits all over North America will be preaching on nature and conservation instead of the word of God. Do you not see what is happening, or are you too scared to stand up for God’s word?
            The environmental movement has its roots in paganism and worshiping various gods, no matter how they package it, it’s still the same pagan teaching. A Christian should preach about, greed, ambition, gluttony, deceitfulness, and selfishness. If these things were preached as the disciples preached there would be no need to worry about our environment, because everything that is wrong with the environment stems from these sins.
            We are living in a time when each Sunday at least one prayer from the pulpit includes thanking God for our freedom from the evil Christians face in other countries, all the while Satan is already here and controlling the church. What really should be prayed is "forgive us for our blindness"

Diakonos
Biblically Correct Ministries.