I began hearing from Olive Tree Ministries supporters as long ago as 2005 concerning church dilemmas and unsound doctrinal issues in the church. Over twenty years, they only skyrocketed. Sure, there have always been apostasy and unsound teaching in the church.
The Bible warns about doctrines of demons and wolves among the flock (I Timothy 4:1; Acts 20:29). But two decades ago, things took a serious turn that many of us couldn’t ignore.
Here is a short list of what started to be front-and-center in today’s evangelical pulpit: creation care, Critical Race Theory, social justice, welcoming the stranger, tolerance, LGBTQ, and much more.
In 2010, a prominent evangelical pastor in the Twin Cities held a seminar instructing pastors how to cut their electric bill and how to diminish their carbon footprint. That got my attention more than anything as this evangelical leader was admired by many. His church, even today, is a prominent mega-church.
What Happened to “What Must I Do to Be Saved?”
What have the above issues to do with the gospel of salvation? To further what appeared to be a leftist agenda, sound doctrine was being marginalized, and “what must I do to be saved?” was being diminished. Reminding sinners that they were on their way to hell must be offensive.
In 2012, I heard about the Evangelical Immigration Table. The organization was funded by George Soros and was dedicated to “welcoming the stranger”, as mentioned. Christian leaders and pastors who should know better signed on. It was not the catastrophe of Biden’s open border, but it was a set-up for it.
I learned that the Evangelical Environmental Network would come to my church and tell everyone how we can breathe clean air. Are you kidding?
The National Association of Evangelicals decried gun violence and encouraged pulpits to discuss the concern about America’s nukes. I guess the thinking was that North Korea would dismantle their nuclear capability if America would. I wish I were making this up.
Thou Shalt Not Offend
At the same time, the eleventh commandment seemed to work its way into the church: Thou shalt not offend. Pastors taking a stand diminished.
Talking about relevant issues vanished, such as Bible prophecy and teaching support for Israel. The signs of the times only scare people many were told, and some suggested that Jesus was a Palestinian. Who knew?
Not What They Used to Be
All of this was slow and subtle, but over twenty years, the destruction in today’s church is so grievous that many write this ministry and say they have given up on church. While we don’t recommend that, it should be obvious that things are not what they used to be, and those disillusioned with church should not be casually dismissed.
Enter Megan Basham’s book Shepherds for Sale: How Evangelical Leaders Traded the Truth for a Leftist Agenda. At a time when the church seems to be at a crossroads, Megan’s book provides a meticulously-researched exposé on the infiltration of leftist ideologies into all things evangelical.
Reading it, I truly felt vindicated. I had raised all of these concerns on my radio program many years ago. Few would believe that things were so bad, plus I got a reputation I don’t think I deserved. I was being a watchman on the wall trying to warn the sheep but some suggested I was a trouble maker. You can’t tell the inconvenient truth.
Don’t Make the Same Mistake
I was warning that the Mainline Protestant Church had declined to almost insignificance over the last one hundred years, for making this same mistake. The evangelical church prospered after 1940 as Methodists, Lutherans, and Episcopalians strayed from the gospel so they could fly the rainbow flag inside and outside their churches.
And now evangelicals want to do the same? Shouldn’t we learn from the mistakes made by denominations that had caved and not follow in their footsteps? The result is that fewer and fewer evangelicals are talking about the old rugged cross and preaching Bible exposition.
But Christ died for the Church and we cannot give up on it! A heavenly endless church service awaits us in eternity with a celestial choir and orchestra. The preaching will also be out of this world! We’ll all be one denomination. We will finally be in one accord.
