A Heavy Burden: A Call for Prayer and Discernment

I can honestly say that I have NEVER felt a burden as strong as I feel it today (specifically speaking of this very day…Wednesday, October 3, 2012) over the state of the church AND the state of this nation. Today it is HONESTLY almost overwhelming. It is as if I feel the Spirit of the Lord GRIEVING over our NATION and the CHURCH.

I have seldom asked for anything from my FB friends…but, today, I ask you for your prayers: for me, for our nation, for the church.

Just this past week, I received two calls from two different people…both asking me “What is God speaking to you about what He wants you to do in ministry?” I answered both honestly, telling them “I am not sure. I just know that He is telling me that He has prepared me for many years for whatever it is. I have been anything but perfect in my life…but I am SURE that God has forgiven me of ALL my past sins and failures. All I know is this: God started me out at the age of 18, sending me to PTL. There, God allowed me to see things that would be SIGNIFICANT to my calling later in life. And, over the past 30 years, he has been preparing me for something…something that I know is soon to be revealed in me.”

Today, I wrote these words to a friend who had emailed me to simply say “Ron, I am praying for you” as she…through discernment…mentioned the “burden” that she knew I must be under:

“I can use all the prayer someone will give. I am getting a lot of flack. People wonder why false doctrine has to be dealt with, etc. Just now…I felt God give me a great rebuttal. False doctrine is harmful...a poison. It works undetected...and that causes people to be blinded to its effects. Truth is like the antidote to false doctrine. Medical attention is needed if we are poisoned...and TRUTH...God's Word...is the only cure for false doctrine. To leave false doctrine alone to do its destructive work equates to leaving a person who is poisoned without medical care. I TRULY feel God saying this is the great apostasy of the church today. Why? False doctrine has been put on a level of EQUALITY with TRUTH! The Word of God has no equal! Jesus has no equal! God stands ALONE as the Pinnacle of all the universe! False doctrine DEMOTES God...in His very EXISTENCE and in His AUTHORITY! What is being done in the name of "Christianity" is simply the act of removing God from His throne.”

Today…I have sat and wept…repeatedly…with this very burden. I am SURE I am not the only one. I know that a man by the name of Eddie A Watson and his wife Carolyn are ALSO feeling this very burden. I do not know either of them personally…we met here through FB…but I know that they care so deeply for the lost…and for the church…and for this nation. And I know that they share with me the concern for what they are seeing in the church today. I am sure that God has been speaking to many other friends…Brian Keith is just one of those that I know personally. Brian became a PTL Singer after my tenure…and Brian and I have spoken recently regarding these same burdens.

All I am sure of is this: time is short. People are dying without Jesus every day. Less than 20% of people in any given city/town/community are actually even going to a church of any kind. There are FEW opportunities available for the Church to actually speak into the lives of these people…and ANY opportunity to do so CANNOT be poisoned by ANY inclusion of FALSE DOCTRINE!

The Bible tells us in John 8:32 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

FALSE DOCTRINE can NEVER make people free! FALSE DOCTRINE can ONLY bring further BONDAGE!

The WORLD needs the TRUTH again…because the WORLD needs FREEDOM!

The CHURCH needs TRUTH again…because FALSE DOCTRINE is SILENCING the only thing that can bring sight to the blind…and freedom to the captives! THE TRUTH HAS THE ABILITY TO MAKE PEOPLE FREE FROM SIN! It is that revelation of TRUTH which allows the BLIND to see. No one seeks freedom without first recognizing that they are a captive bound in chains!

Please…pray WITH me…pray FOR me. I am no more…or no less…broken than any other man: fallible, imperfect, in need of a Savior, in need of a Lord. But I am a man who is TRULY seeking the face…and heart…of God.

And please…pray for ministers and ministries…pray for the Church…pray for those so caught up in foolish and worldly FALSE DOCTRINES. The deception is great…and men and women of God are SELLING OUT to the easier, more profitable “gospels” of earthly wealth and comfort.

But God is asking:

“Where are the men of God who will stand in the face of adversity? Where are the men of God who will stand in the face of persecution? Where are the men of God who will speak TRUTH in the face of FALSE DOCTRINE? Where are the men of God who will speak MY WORDS and forsake THEIR OWN WORDS? Where are the men of God who will preach OBEDIENCE TO MY WORD? Where are the men of God who will be willing to give EVERYTHING for the cause of Jesus, My Son?”

Too many ministers and “Christians” today want God to give THEM everything…instead of wanting to give GOD everything!

Remember:

Matthew 16:21-26 (NKJV)

“From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

The time is SOON coming when serving Jesus Christ may cost us ALL…EVERYTHING!

And I TRULY believe that God is saying that those who have been DECEIVED by FALSE DOCTRINE will NOT be able to stand when these troubling times come! Those who have “bought in” to the “gospels” of earthly wealth and earthly comfort equate to those who have built their house on the sand…and according to God’s Word:

Matthew 7:24-27 (NKJV)

"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."

But the KEY to understanding this passage of Scripture is this:

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. "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. "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!'

PLEASE…take note of this TRUTH:

When Jesus was speaking about building the house on the sand…verses 26-27...He was speaking of those who built their house on FALSE DOCTRINE! READ IT FOR YOURSELF!

In verses 13-23, Jesus has just spoken about those who preach/teach false doctrine…as He spoke “Beware of false prophets…” Jesus transitions from the recognition of FALSE PROPHETS into the danger of building your HOUSE (your life and beliefs) on the false teachings which COME from those FALSE PROPHETS!

And…too often…many FALSELY believe that “fruit” in some way refers to “followers” or claims of “This doctrine works!“ attributed to these ministers/ministries. In fact. “fruit” is referring to the MESSAGE which is being preached from the pulpits of these ministries…not some abstract measure of “blessings“ attributed to following the “principles“ taught by the false prophet!

The Greek word for FRUIT is KARPOS. Its literal translation is “from the base of”. Here is its true meaning:

An apple tree bears apples.

A pear tree bears pears.

A fig tree bears figs.

A pecan tree bears pecans.

A TRUE PROPHET bears TRUTH.

A FALSE PROPHET bears FALSE DOCTRINE.

An apple tree is not just an apple tree at the distinct point of the apple…it is an apple tree "from the base of" the tree: at its ROOTS! It is our FOUNDATION…whether we stand on the TRUTH of the ROCK or on the LIE of the SAND…which determines our position of safety and security...which resides in TRUTH. So do not be fooled by those who come with apples in hand as they cry, "Our ministry is for real! See the fruit!" They may hold an apple...but that apple is not a sign of "God's favor" on their ministry. In most cases, God ministers to people IN SPITE of the FALSE TEACHER'S ministry...not BECAUSE of it!

Therefore, a huge following CANNOT be the measure of a ministry! Some of the largest ministries and religions that have ever existed have been built upon FALSE DOCTRINE! Throughout the world, there are more MUSLIMS, HINDUS, etc. than there are CHRISTIANS…but the number of people FOLLOWING a religion is not a measure of the TRUTH of that religion!

Does the ministry of Jim Jones ring a bell with anyone….those old enough to remember…or those who have heard the story? Jim Jones started as a Pentecostal preacher. He had a mainstream ministry. Jones would become friends with dignitaries…both domestic and foreign. He rubbed shoulders with prominent politicians. Jones gained a large following.

But…Jones soon entered into FALSE DOCTRINE. In time, Jones’ ministry was steeped in controversy and investigation. To make a long story short…Jones would move his entire operation/ministry to Jonestown, Guyana. In time, Congressman Jim Ryan would arrive with a delegation to investigate a report of “civil rights violations” in the compound. The next day…November 18, 1978...Congressman Ryan and 4 others were attacked and murdered as they tried to board a plane to return to the United States. The attack was caught on camera by an NBC cameraman…and it was shown world-wide on TV. By the end of the day, 909 people would be dead…including Jim Jones…as a result of a cyanide-spiked Kool-Aid type drink mix. It was labeled a “mass suicide”…yet it appears that many were forced to drink the deadly mix…specifically the children. 303 of those who died that day were just young children! Not only did FALSE DOCTRINE lead to the deaths of those who so willingly and deceptively had been led down that path of ERROR…but innocent children died as a result! FALSE DOCTRINE doesn’t just wield its destruction on those who WILLINGLY follow…but it also can help destroy the lives of those who are simply “innocent bystanders” who have no way of escape! The aftermath of Jim Jones and the Jonestown “mass suicide” are far-reaching…and the effects of the FALSE DOCTRINES and FALSE TEACHINGS of Jim Jones are still felt by many today. The families of many Jonestown inhabitants still live with the effects of this tragedy today.

Sadly…Christians today are duped by large crowds, bright lights, and the promise of fame and fortune! And…even more sadly…the FALSE PROPHETS and FALSE TEACHERS which so many “Christians” follow today began their ministries by following God and His Word! Somehow…Satan crept in!

The Bible tells us that Satan will “secretly bring in destructive heresies”.

2 Peter 2:1 (NKJV)

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

The word “secretly” tells us it will “sneak in”. The lies of the false prophet will not come in the “front door” where it can recognized for what it is: the “heresies” will be brought in though a “hidden entrance”. This tells us that those who accept this false teaching will not see it for what it is…maybe because it actually SATISFIES their own desires. Face it: poison is often hidden in food because our desire and NEED for food is essential in our existence! Thus…the “good taste” of the surrounding food HIDES the poison, allowing it to go in undetected…or “secretly.”

Then notice the word “destructive”. It is simple: false doctrine is DESTRUCTIVE. It IS poison: and though it may not kill you with one dose, it works its destruction over time…without detection. The “destructive” nature of false doctrine is not seen immediately, in most cases: it is a gradual, slow, silent destruction. But…in the end…it still leads to death!

Today…God is telling me that the situation is dire…and that time is short. We have only a short time to do His work. The fields are ripe…and they are ready for HARVEST! But the voices of FALSE TEACHERS and FALSE PROPHETS have so deceived the laborers that they can no longer see that they are NOT involved in the field…they are too busy sitting in the parlor of the prophet as he speaks of the coming “blessing”! The FALSE PROPHET is calling the people to “the Southern Plantation Mansion” to enjoy a prosperous get-together…while Jesus is calling the people to “the field” to reap the harvest! The FALSE PROPHET seeks to SIT in the LAP OF LUXURY…while Jesus calls us to WORK in the FIELDS as a servant of the LORD OF THE HARVEST!

I pray that God will bless the words I have written…words which I am sure are inspired by His Spirit.

Please pray…please seek God…please seek wisdom and discernment. And…please obey God!

In Christ,

Ron