Two headlines recently caught my attention. Both were utterly shocking and a good reminder of Jeremiah 14:14: “Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.”
The first headline featured statements from a female “pastor” (who previously has bragged about killing two of her children in abortions) who preached that, if Jesus were giving his Sermon on the Mount today, he might add, “Blessed are those who end pregnancies, for they will be known for their loving kindness.” Such blasphemy! So many verses of Scripture come to mind, but consider the third commandment: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7).
That is the very definition of taking the Lord’s name in vain—hitching Christ to an evil cause to deceive others into breaking another commandment: “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). God will not hold her guiltless of her attempt to put words into his mouth to lead people astray.
The other headline also featured a “pastor” (I use that term loosely in both of these cases!) who, dressed in Star Wars cosplay, claimed that “pride” and “the theology of Broadway” are “big seasons” at University Christian Church. Yes, he actually compared the month-long celebration of sexual sin and pride to the “actual Holy Week” celebration of Christ’s death for our sin and his resurrection from the grave! More blasphemy! It comes as no surprise that he also went on to make some blasphemous claims about Jesus and Star Wars.
What a state the “woke church” is in! Well, the “woke church” is not the true church. Compromise with the world and the thinking of today abounds. Now, these compromises are very obvious—the lies are right out in the open, and the majority of Christians can see them for what they are: deceptions from the enemy. But most compromise is much more subtle (and the “in-your-face” compromise usually starts out with subtlety). Christians need to be equipped to recognize and answer this subtle compromise, keeping their thinking aligned with God and his Word.
