I usually like to start my posts with a story of some sort. But I don’t have a story this time, just a heavy heart. Can we be real? If you, like me, are watching what’s going on in the church these days, and feeling all sorts of emotions, not the least of which is dismay and disillusionment, then keep reading.
Let me start by saying, I am a charismatic. Perhaps even a Pentecostal. I speak in tongues. I believe in the gifts of the spirit. I love His presence. I’ve spent years, no decades following the most popular ministries, Bethel, Morning Star, even a little IHOP here and there. I have their books on my bookshelf. I’ve read them, learned from them. Enjoyed them. I’ve gone to the conferences. Listened to the teachings. Believed these people were hearing from God. But I’ve also learned something else, something I didn’t get from them. I’ve learned to read my Bible. Every. Single. Day. For an hour. Since I was born again, many years ago, I have made it my habit to read the word. It’s harder to be deceived when you know the word. But these ministries deceived me. I did not see the scandal coming.
And that is perhaps why it has been so hard. It caught me off guard. The scandals came out of left field for me. Perhaps they shouldn’t have. I’ve seen the scandals in the Catholic Church, and in the non Charismatic evangelical churches, not the least of which was Ravi Zacharias just 4 years ago. I don’t know why I didn’t realize that God was cleaning house, knocking over tables, if you will. But then I realized that none of this caught the Lord off guard. He actually warned us it would happen in the last days. We just didn’t see it or believe it. If you relate, follow along as I show you from Scripture that non of this stuff should have been a surprise to us, and, more importantly, what do we do now.
In Luke 12:1-3, Jesus warned us about hypocrisy in leadership.
“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.”
I’m sure the disciples wondered how things could be proclaimed from the housetops, but here we are. Technology solved this problem and the hidden things, done in secret, have indeed been proclaimed into every home. What was He really saying to them? Be careful what you do in secret, especially if you are a leader in the church. I will tell the world!
Jesus also warns us in Matthew 7:21-23:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
When you really read that passage slowly, it sounds very much like He is referring to the things happening right now and what will happen to those false leaders. They will stand before Him at the judgment and shout, “look at all we’ve done for you”! Think about the arrogance and pride it takes to stand before the judge of all the earth and say that! I don’t see any fear of the Lord, do you? But what is just as enlightening is actually what came before this particular passage. In Matthew 7:15-20 Jesus tells us:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”
I want you to think about the imagery Jesus is using here: Thorn bushes and thistles. Have you ever touched one of them? Thorns puncture and hurt deeply. Thistles get stuck in your skin and hurt when you brush against them. Thistles are more subtle in their pain, while thorns are immediate and obvious. Now think about how that relates to wolves in the church. And not just wolves, but ravenous wolves. They are starving, lusting to eat the sheep. What a sad indictment! Shepherds on the other hand, feed the sheep, just like figs and grapes feed our bodies.
One more. In Matthew 24:4, when Jesus is asked what will be the sign of the end times, He warns us with this:
“Take heed that no one deceives you.”
And then with this in Matthew 24:11:
“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.”
So you see, we were warned, we just didn’t want to see it or believe it. Even now, we make excuses for them. Perhaps they didn’t mean it. Maybe they didn’t understand. Surely not my favorite prophet, teacher, pastor, leader! Only the Lord knows their hearts, but truthfully, it’s not looking good for them. Can they repent? Of course! Will they? Only God knows.
But that is not why I wrote this. Yes, I’m looking at bad fruit, fruit I’ve touched and tasted, and apparently didn’t realize was bad. But what I’m really asking is, where do we go from here? What now?
And that brings me to this conclusion. We cannot build our houses on a ministry or a leader. That is in fact, building our house on sand. Ironically, this parable comes right after the passages about wolves and people shouting at the Lord on judgment day. In Matthew 7: 24-27, Jesus tells us this:
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
I would suggest that the winds are blowing, the rain is descending and the floods of scandal have come. The only thing that will keep my house standing is if I have built it on the Rock, Jesus Christ. Do not build your house on anyone or anything else. Do not build your house, your faith, on a ministry or a leader. If these winds, these scandals are rocking your world, making you lose your faith, making you walk away from God, then your house is not built on the Rock! Come to Jesus and trust in Him. He will not lie to you or deceive you. He will not betray you. But you must repent and believe that He is alive and that He is coming back soon. Only then will your house be built on the Rock.
Let me know in the comments if you have struggled with this issue and how you’ve handled it in a way that does not make you lose your faith.
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