How To Discern the Times

I wish there were a simple formula to explain how to see what is going on in the church today. In reading chapters 10 and 11 of Bonhoeffer, it's apparent God enabled Dietrich to see things that others simply were not seeing. This is the plight of those God shows what is happening...being accused of being narrow-minded, making quick or simplistic judgments, or being a heretic hunter is par for the course. It can be hard to not shout out from the rooftops for people to wake up and take the time to research. Sadly, however, I think the key to discernment is something many believers are simply unwilling to do, so they stick with their mantras of shutting out what they don't want to see or don't want to believe. It takes time, prayer, and discipline...not to mention a dose of courage, to explore what the post-modern church is embracing. Bonhoeffer was a courageous man, unafraid to stand alone on the gospel and racial equality, particularly in the church.

So many of us can remember a "I'm OK! You're OK!" past of yesteryear, and the 'niceness' of not worrying about what others believe because so many are well-meaning or are 'close enough'. If only this were true! People are changing the gospel and changing Jesus, but the words surrounding it are so loving and kind, it gets missed. We all want to get along (can't we just hear the imploring voice, "Can't we all just get along?") When the veracity of Scripture and the true personality and holiness of Christ are being compromised, I answer with a resounding, "No!".

Jesus doesn't have more faith in me than I have in Him. Christianity is not here to make my life better and luring people in to church so that their life will improve just isn't a theme I see in the Word. The early church members came together as committed followers, dying to self and worshiping, they didn't bring in droves of people through good works only to wait to slowly seep in the good news of Christ. There was a divide between believers and unbelievers and people could see it, that is why it was unbelievers who first called people Christian. There was a difference, a clear line of being set apart.

Today it seems few would disagree that the world is wrought with evil, perhaps moreso than these days of the early church, at least there are far more venues for the spread of evil...yet we try to walk so much closer to the world. We want to look so much like the world so we don't make the lost uncomfortable, but this technique isn't seen in Scripture either. Jesus said for people to take up their cross and follow Him. He said that family members would be divided because of some having faith and others not...the gospel separates because there is no similarity with light and darkness.

But  not in 2013--it's unpopular to tell people they are sinners who offend God and that without Christ they will spend eternity in Hell. In 2013 it is judgmental to say that drawing circles and praying in them is not Christian and should be avoided. In 2013 we welcome in homosexuals and many church leaders like Rick Warren join with other so-called evangelicals proclaiming people living in a lifestyle of sin go to Heaven. In Scripture we see a message of turning from sin in order to follow Jesus. But now, because we think we're more loving than God, we lie to people to avoid hurting their feelings and tell them they can continue to engage in something that is an abomination to God.

It is a world of no absolutes, except of course for the absolute that says you can't say there are absolutes. The "logic" is dizzying. Books that promote heretical ideas are swept under the rug or read by believers because on some level they think it's worthwhile to mix truth with error, all the while not looking deeper in to what the philosophy of the author is...not realizing what 'remaking Christianity' really means. Human nature has all but been forgotten and we play as though we're not rebels wanting to cast off some shackle, real or imagined. We flirt with ideas that are unscriptural because we get bored with tradition and are undisciplined in general. Exciting titles pull us in...

But....we have to be discerning. There are ministries that give insight to what is happening today in the church.  I'm not saying these folks are 100% right all the time, that would be ridiculous, but if we're praying for discernment and are passionate about truth, we'll have eyes to see.

Some places to start:

• read the Bible very often
• ask God to show you what He sees in the church today, ask for discernment
• read The Truth War by John MacArthur
• read Faith Undone by Roger Oakland
• Worldview Weekend website with Brannon Howse
• Lighthouse Trails
• Apprising Ministries

Read classic, historic Christians for perspective...George Whitefield, Chesterton, Augustine (not that I'm endorsing everyone's theology or philosophy, but we can gain a lot of understanding of how far the church has gone in to worldliness as the world has gotten more worldly.)

I know many think it's a downer to pay attention to negative things, but if you are a Christian reading this, don't you think we have a responsibility to represent the truth in this dark age? Isn't it reasonable that we could be misled if we aren't vigilant to understand the speak of the day?

I know for a while I was really getting caught into the false humility of attitude which said I really didn't understand this or that about the Bible and so I comfortably avoided confrontation or seeming narrow. I see this now as one of the many ways the church is being weakened because there is quite a lot we can and should know. It's easy to be influenced by the world and wrong thinking if we aren't careful, but be ready, you will be considered a trouble maker or someone who just isn't interested in unity. Because pointing out error in leaders or ministries is completely out of fashion in 2013. I would rather stand alone for truth than come together with people promoting things damaging to the Bible's veracity just because they call themselves Christian. The definitions of the words matter, perhaps moreso today than ever.