Fake Church
In these end-times, surely we should be looking within as well as without?
“There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him” (Proverbs 6:16-19). These are: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.
These are, in a sense, the principles for living in the last days … for the ungodly that is. These ‘things’ concentrate on the body parts mentioned in 6:12-13, creating a small list of immoral acts and stances, each associated with the agency of a particular physical organ or member of the human body. In the right circumstances, all these “detestable” things raise their ugly heads, and what lies hidden is then revealed. And, they are very ugly. What is seen on the outside is what is really going on in the inside (Matthew 15:11; Mark 7:20).
Compare the above list with the New Testament, specifcally 2 Timothy 3:1-5: “In the last days terrible times will come.” With these opening words one might think that Timothy will go on to speak of wars, earthquakes, world-wide devastation, environmental catastrophe and suchlike, but he doesn’t. Instead, he speaks about the human condition: For men will be lovers of themselves … lovers of money … boastful … arrogant … abusive … disobedient to their parents … ungrateful … unholy … unloving … unforgiving … slanderous … without self-control … brutal … without love of good … traitorous … reckless … conceited … lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God … having a form of godliness but denying its power.
Compare these with the acts of the fesh – sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, carousing, and the like (Galatians 5:19-21). In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
Bad times, Good times …
Society is growing increasingly ugly as ungodliness unravels like a carpet, rolled out across the globe. If we listen to the environmentalists and climate change enthusiasts, the threat to life on earth is because of the way man is treating “mother earth”. Scripture describes something diferent. Life on earth will be wiped out because of the wickedness of man (Genesis 6:5) and his arrogance towards our Father who is in Heaven.
Even though perilous times are coming, believers can be encouraged, because the times of the restoration of all things is approaching (Acts 3:19-21). God has a programme for closing this age, and for bringing in the new. God’s programme for the end of the age is: Repentance, Refreshing, Restoration, and Return. The Lord will return to the earth at the appointed time and He will make all things new (Revelation 21:5). Now, during what some theologians describe as the age of grace, God’s grace goes out to the whole earth as His Spirit convicts the world in regard to sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8). The goodness of God leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). Yet to come is Israel’s repentance, refreshing, and restoration. Also to come is the Lord’s return. There will come the restoration of Israel, the restoration of the Church, and the restoration of all things. God will restore the honour of His name.
According to Timothy … “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered on behalf of all men for kings and all those in authority, so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity. This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour” (1 Timothy 2:2). It doesn’t always follow that when we pray, intercede, and give thanks, that we will not experience confict in our lives – in this world we will have tribulation (John 16:33). It does mean that whatever happens, we can have and experience God’s shalom. Living according to God’s Word is pleasing to our Saviour. It is the way that He lived and He was crucifed by men (Acts 2:23). I know Christians who seek to live peaceful lives of prayer in their communities, but certain neighbours give them anything but peace. They falsely accuse, they damage property, all kinds of things without reason. But we are the Lord’s people and are to live diferently.
The real problems set in when Christians imitate and are transformed by the spirit of the world, rather than walking in the Spirit of holiness, being changed from one degree of glory to another. The Israelites of old are our example. When the Spirit of God lifted up the prophet Ezekiel between earth and heaven, the Spirit took him to Jerusalem, the holy City. There he was shown the detestable things God’s people were doing. Continuing in Ezekiel Ch.8, we come to verse 15, “You will see things that are even more detestable than this.” It is heartbreaking to see how we, the people of God can and do turn our backs on the Lord (v16). In verse 17, Ezekiel is presented with three questions before he is told to, “Look at them…” The Masoretic text has, “they are reaching out the vine branch to their nose.” This wording appears to have been a ‘scribal correction’ in order not to say something ofensive relating to God. English translations follow this line. But it should read, “my nose”, as in “they are reaching out the (zemorah) vine branch to My nose”. It is a phrase describing a gesture of an insulting nature, an afront to God Himself. Churches that sanction what God has condemned in His Word are travelling in that very same direction, imitating the world in idolatry and moral turpitude. The world fearlessly sticks its fnger up to God. Some in the Church, in efect, are doing likewise. God responded to the rebellious people and the house of Judah saying, “I on My part will act in wrath and My eye shall not spare them nor will I show pity, and they shall call out in My hearing with a loud voice but I will not listen to them” (v18). Is this God’s response to our rebellion and our prayers? Will Britain’s godlessness keep it entrapped in the godless EU?
Reading through the abominations in Ezekiel we come to 18:17, having looked at it in part already. The house of Judah had committed abominations which flled the land with violence – cruelty, corruption, mistreatment of orphans and widows, and immorality. Though Judah’s actions were in a localised area, it reminds me of the days when violence flled the earth (Genesis 6:11) and in Matthew 24:37, Luke 17, near the time of the Lord’s Return to earth, as well as the increase in hostilities and violence today.
High standards!
In Exodus 19:6 God identifed the Israelites as “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”. It was after that, in Exodus Ch. 20, that God gave His people His Commandments. In 1 Peter 2:9, God identifes believers in Jesus as a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession and He writes His laws on their hearts (Hebrews 8:10), not on tablets of stone. God had called them out of darkness into His wonderful light. He had called Abram out of darkness, and he chose Israel from out of the nations. His calling and purpose continue into the New Testament and on to the coming again of Messiah. Gentile believers are included in that calling and purpose. Peter urges the believers, “I urge you as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul …”
In verse 12 he speaks about how they should live among unbelievers and that, “though they slander you as evildoers…”, there is no fear of the Lord. We are experiencing this in part now as believers are slandered. God Himself is slandered and His Word categorised as hate speech. Anyone that does not live according to the world’s standard and principles for living will be labelled as evildoers.
Some, out of fear of offending the existing society, worry about the language they use when preaching and teaching. They are concerned that their language might be construed to be “hate-speech”. If it is, under present legislation they would be guilty of breaking the law, with the prospect of facing prosecution. Some respond by preaching what the people want to hear. Their proclamations, whether spoken or written, fatter the people (Isaiah 30:10). They withdraw into a comfort zone of non-confrontational language, language that does not ofend man. While avoiding any awkward Scriptures that challenge modern-day concepts of life and morality, we do not have the truth that sets us free. We do not paint a picture with its true colours, and we do not release the holy emotion and power of an ofended, Holy God. Doing the enemy’s work for him we create tares that grow among the wheat. We are not proclaiming our own word, it is God’s word. By watering it down we place ourselves in danger of not being dragged before the courts (Matthew 10:18; Luke 21:18) and of missing the blessing of God putting His words in our mouths (Matthew 10:19; Luke 12:11-12). We will miss the opportunity of being witnesses (Luke 21:13) and we become co-workers with Satan.
Beware fakeness! When we were in Turkey some years ago, we saw gifts labelled as “genuine fakes!” The genuine fakes on sale included everything from watches to perfume. We can slip into the realm of falsehood, thinking we will be safer with a paper-thin wafer of a gospel. It is a false sense of security. Watering down the Word will produce a tsunami that will wash us away under the waves of judgment. If we do not face up to and stand against unrighteousness now, we will not have the capacity nor the resources to stand when persecution increases. Paul the apostle didn’t water down his language to suit those that persecuted him, whether they be Jew or Roman. He spoke the truth in love. Because the language we use “could be mistaken” for “hatespeech”, the underlying suggestion is that we are not speaking the truth in love. That is false, and it is a lie of the devil. It is a method and weapon of control sapping the strength and authority from the people of God and the Word of God. Jesus is “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence” (1 Peter 2:8). Don’t stumble into preaching another Jesus and ofending the Almighty God. Jesus said, “if you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Your foundation is the Rock. Stand frm. “For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you” (Isaiah 60:2).