Let me preface what I am going to say by offering my deepest sympathy for the families of the victims of the attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon of 9/11/01 and all those who died in the airlines and in rescue efforts. We will continue to uphold you through this tragedy in prayer and pray that many will turn their lives over to Jesus Christ, if they haven't already, who is the giver of peace beyond human understanding.
The terrible attacks on the U.S. have elicited comments from every source imaginable. Everyone has been talking endlessly about the problems, many of which are obvious to any observer, Christian or non. The lack of security and intelligence in the U.S. leaves us open to further attacks. But I might add, the lack of sensibility in reporting this situation by the press is just as serious. Is it really wise to report the movements of the President and Vice President? Is it wise to educate people, including future terrorists who also watch the networks, on exactly how this attack was pulled off and what measures are now being put in place to stop further attacks? Only time will tell. The U.S. press, in it's rush to be fair in reporting, have given extensive coverage to people like Yassar Arafat who made a show out of giving blood to help the Red Cross. Is it really a good idea to be helping the cause of those who dance in the streets when the World Trade Center was destroyed along with all the civilians? Does this situation not remind the world about the agenda of the Koran and Islam?
The situation is grim and we have also heard a lot of commentary, especially from Christians, about how this is a judgment on America. The usual themes are brought up, and not without merit. The U.S. today has, for the most part, become an unbelieving nation. It is overrun, both in the population and elected officials, with pagans, atheists, cultists, false religionists, and false believers. The need for repentance and a turning to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is overwhelming.
Last night I heard Pat Robertson of 700 Club denouncing all the bad things the U.S. has allowed to take over society. Poorly run schools where prayer and the Ten Commandments are no longer allowed. Crime. Drug use and abuse. Sexual immorality. Pornography. Greed and avarice. Homosexuality and AIDS. An increasing divorce rate. Youth apathy and rebellion. Pollution. Ecological indifference. Biogenetic irresponsibility. You name it. All the problems we are well aware of.
But Pat failed to mention a number of problems in his tirade, and I have not heard what I am going to lay on you from any preacher as of this writing. Yes, the sin of this world is terrible but it cannot be overcome with social programs and politically correct verbiage. The Lord Jesus Christ is coming and He will bring judgment on this world. The U.S. has indeed strayed away from God and out from under His protection and many need to repent. Repentance has been put on the back burner in favor of patriotism.
But we don't hear anything about the disobedience of God's people!
God did judge the pagan nations in biblical times and wiped many of them out for their sins. But Israel was supposed to be a light in a dark world and failed to accomplish what God wanted to do, so He judged them in a most public way. The fact that the U.S. is under judgment from God at the hands of people who do not know God is a direct indictment on Christians and the "church" that has failed to impact society in the U.S. in a significant way in our generation. Oh yes, in the past the world has been impacted and 150 years ago the greatest mission movement the world has ever seen took place and all nations of the world were reached with the gospel message. But today we have, what I can only call, an anti-evangelization movement that is not preaching the true gospel but instead preaching signs, wonders, health and wealth. Pat Robertson is one of the chief offenders and another one of the reasons this judgment has come upon the U.S. Look at the two main outlets for the Third Wave-New Apostolic Reformation false teachings, false prophesies, and false anointing? Is it not the CBN 700 Club and Trinity Broadcast Network? Who has cheapened the name of Jesus Christ to the point that non-believers want nothing to do with the antics or the message of televangelist preachers? Is it not people like Pat Robertson and Paul Crouch and the vast majority of the false teachers they allow on their networks?
This judgment from God is not just on the unbelievers, but the blessings of God are now coming off the U.S. because the Church has allowed people like Robertson and Crouch to make a mockery of Christianity in the eyes of the entire world!
If Pat Robertson had repented of his stand on ecumenism, his repeated announcement that the pope is a great evangelist for Christ, his signing of the Evangelicals and Catholic together document, his sharing a parade with the pope in New York city where he took mass, his continued promotion false revivals like the Toronto Blessing and Brownsville on his program, his continuing to do the fake "word of knowledge" scam on 700 Club while raising money and their viewer base, his sponsorship of all kinds of heretics on the 700 Club while pretending to be the prime news reporting agency representing the Church, and his healing and "word of knowledge" claims that are patently false and/or undocumented. Pat Robertson is part of the problem, not the solution.
The same goes for Paul Crouch. TBN is pumping a false gospel and false prophesies to the entire world and into the homes of the unsuspecting. They have taught an entire generation to think that they are God's anointed and that Christians are guaranteed health and wealth on the basis that they are the last generation and the last generation is to be the most blessed. The Bible says virtually nothing about an end times Church that takes over the world and is rich, but rather it talks a lot about an end times apostate church that thinks it is rich but is really poor, blind, pitiful, wretched, naked. These are the prophets, like in the days of Jeremiah, who proclaim "Peace, Peace" when there is no peace. These are the false teachers who are setting up the church to ride the beast. These Dominionists think they are going to control the world by virtue of their self-proclaimed "apostles" and "prophets", but when we look into their lives they are not even able to control their finances, their marriages, their children, or their constituency.
The church is full of heretics today, and has been leavened so far away from the truths of the Word that it has left God no choice but to send the Church a wake up call. The message to the world has always been "Repent". But far more serious than a world who has never known Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is a "church" that claims to follow Jesus to the point of seeing visions and doing signs and wonders under the anointing, but no longer proclaims the true gospel that is the only message with the power to save. Instead they proclaim a gospel of health and wealth, a gospel of signs and wonders, a gospel of power, a gospel of attacking territorial spirits and binding them, a gospel of saving cities and nations instead of individuals, a gospel of following prophesies without regard to the written Word, a gospel that teaches and demonstrates that the Holy Spirit is a force rather than the third person of the Triune God, a gospel that claims that Jesus Christ tolerates all religions and whose grace is wider than His own death on the cross.
No, I say it is those who call themselves followers of Christ that must repent first.
The message of the terrorist attacks on the U.S.? REPENT! If these heretics do not repent, is it not time for the true saints to rise up and cast the divisive heretics (Tit. 3:10) from among us? REPENT! We all need to take a good long look at our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and REPENT! If we are too weak and ineffectual to judge those inside the church, then God will have to judge those outside (1 Cor. 5:13) and inside as well! It's time to eject the Benny Hinns, the Paul Crouches, the Pat Robertsons, the C. Peter Wagners, and the scores of false teachers and organizations that promote a brand of Christianity that is all about ascending to the highest heaven instead of recognizing a Savior who had to humble Himself, even to death, to come and save us.
Let us take up our cross, follow Jesus to death, and REPENT!
