Saturday, September 10, 2005

Fakes, Phonies and Misrepresentations

If you don't know at this point, I am a Christian. If someone labeled me (and they often do), I might be an "Evangelical", "Protestant" or a "Ned Flanders", et al. The truth is I am an Independent, Fundamental, Baptist. When I tell people that "title" I can't list all the FALSE premises in peoples minds that go with that "label". I am often thought to be judging, mean, stereo-typing... and lest we forget the classic, "close-minded". However (ironically), these that are quick to call me such things are thus making thier own "judgements" about me based on nothing but a title.

My biggest concern as a Christian is the amount FALSE Christianity out there. I know so many folks who THINK they know what Christianity is ("Christian" AND Non-Christian)... and most don't have a clue. Why is that? There are several reasons. All some folks know (or THINK they know) about the Bible is what they learned from the "Simpsons" (or even worse, "South Park"). All some people see is the fakes and robbers on TV like Benny Hinn, Rod Parsley, Juanita Bynum, Paula White, Robert Tilton, Steve Munsey, Mike Murdock, Oral Roberts, Charles Capps, Marilyn Hickey, etc. and think that thier behavior represents all Christians. And who among us doesn't know the so-called Christian that goes to bars, gets drunk on a regular basis and dates non-Christians? I was once myself one of these who, while claiming to be a servant of Jesus Christ, actually did nothing but bring shame to his name. How? By misrepresenting Him! My life in no, way, shape or form was remotely Christian; however, I was quick to tell folks I was. How confused they must have been!

The famine of REAL CHRISTIANITY today is sickening. Most so-called Christians have no idea what the Bible says about the most simple doctrines. Let's look at just one example, ask the average "Christian" if they KNOW (ie, not guessing) they are going to heaven. The prodominate answer will be something like, "I hope so", "I live a good life", "I am just doing the best I can" or "I know a preacher", et al. NONE of these answers are remotely close to what a person who is saved should say. Hope so? Good life? Doing the best you can? Isn't the central message of the Gospel the fact that WE ALL are "dead in trespasses and sins" BUT "while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly"? Everyone is a sinner and the "good news" is that while we are hopelessly lost and dead in sins; Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Being fully God and fully man He was able to pay the price on our sin debt that we could NEVER pay in our own efforts (Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:4-5, John 3, John 8:24, 5:24). The "hope so", "good life", "doing the best you can" answer is ANTI-Biblical at best! Yet, this most central, essential and SIMPLE doctrine of the Bible is somehow "overlooked" by those who claim to believe in the Bible. Amazing! (This is just one example of many sickeningly simple (yet essential) teachings of the Bible that are missed by those who claim Jesus Christ as thier Saviour.)

I would like to make a challenge to all those who read this article...

If you are a Christian, would you please act like it? Everyone makes mistakes and we need to have forgiveness among ourselves for these; however, there is a HUGE difference between the person who makes a mistake or occasionally slips up and the person who claims to be a Christian and doesn't even know what it means to be one!

If you are not a Christian, please read the Bible! It can be proven that the Bible is the Word of God, that Israel is His chosen people, that Jesus Christ is the one and only Saviour of sinners, etc. I know non-Christians that know NOTHING about the Bible but are all too willing to make "authoritative" statements about it. This is intellectually dishonest at best. So many people say, "the Bible is full of contradictions". When I ask them to provide JUST ONE... they cannot. Yet these are all too eager to promote a LIE that they cannot prove. Here is my solution to this problem: until you know what you are talking about... SHUT YOUR YAPPER.

Finally, I am wearied by all the false Christianity out there today. I am wearied by a world that is all too eager to promote lies about Christianity. So many souls (and thier ETERNAL destiny) hang in the balance and so many of those souls are basing what they THINK they know about God, Jesus and the Bible on faulty information. Sadly, much this "faulty information" comes from a false Christianity that knows nothing of the true Christ.

5 Comments:

Blogger I say, I say... said...

I am testing the comments by writing myself...lol

3:19 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well Mr Lowe
I can tell you one thing that i think your right most people would rather learn critinanity from a tv show than find out themself and as for the fakes well i think people that follow them is those who would belive anything and want to belive it rather than reading,studing it for themselves ok well i just wanted to coment on that!
I am glad you wrote that cutie
and am so pround of you for being so real
i love you !

11:36 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey John, this is DJ from Starbucks.
Keep on pressing uncomfortable buttons and forcing tough questions. The more you do so, the more the reader benefits.
I'll be checking in on you from time to time, but since I have a very limited access to the internet, I can't promise that I'll be around much.
May the Lord be your defender.

3:29 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

like tumbler and tipsy days hopefully we will remain in high spirits. well, good day

2:42 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Repent and see the Light you FOOL

1:32 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home

Logos Bible Software for the Mac