THE CHURCH IN A CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY (23)

 THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION IN THE HOLY PLACE

"From the time that the regular sacrifice [that is, the daily burnt offering] is taken away and the abomination of desolation is set up [ruining the temple for worship of the true God], there will be 1,290 days." — Daniel 12:11 AMP

"But they set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to defile it." — Jeremiah 32:34

Sometime in 2023, I wrote a blog on this topic from a completely different yet complementary perspective. At that time, it focused on the reckless drive of the church to maintain its financial status and fame, often by employing ungodly means of making money.

This time, I want to address the abomination concerning the tenets of the Scriptures.

Are you aware that here in Nigeria and in other countries, some famous and popular pastors are editing the Bible? I suspect that soon we will have a new Canonized and Contemporary Apostolic (Non-Pauline) version of the Bible. This proposed Bible will focus on altering commas, periods, and the so-called 'irreverent' arrangements of the text. More alarmingly, it will attempt to correct what these pastors perceive as Pauline errors.

Many titled preachers are now finding fault with the canonized Bible, especially with the teachings of the Apostle Paul. They claim that the Lord visited them and warned them not to 'focus' on Paul's teachings but rather on those of Jesus. They argue that several of Paul's positions do not align with the words and practices of Jesus.

This looming abomination—editing the Bible to fit into the newest apostolic revelations of these exclusive pastors—will shake the church because these preachers have already gained a substantial audience and following. They possess the financial and congregational power to silence their critics. They control the media and other avenues of mass communication, making it seem futile to oppose them. Although the Lord will eventually expose their ignorance, the truth is that they are already leading God's saints astray.

Unfortunately, many are still being swayed because these men command respect. They offer relatively accurate prophecies, have large congregations, multimillion-dollar auditoriums, and are generous with their wealth. They run multinational churches across the globe and numerous charitable organizations. These outward signs of success have won the hearts of many, leading them to pay less attention to these pastors' teachings or, worse, to regard them as demigods. One member even said about his pastor, "My father cannot lie. The Holy Spirit has truly spoken to him," referring to a pastor who abandoned his first wife and married another. Such indoctrination leads believers to view their pastors as infallible. This is the digital age, where Christians have different versions of the Bible on their phones yet lack a true understanding of the Scriptures.

These men, who consider themselves wiser than the biblical apostles, are subtly conquering the hearts of gullible worshippers. They are paving the way for a new version of the Bible and seem to believe they know everything. It won’t be long before they start to challenge even the teachings and practices of Jesus.

The church must be vigilant against these reckless, agnostic preachers who undermine the efficacy of the Scriptures. Driven by a desire for success and affluence, they are leading the hearts of men astray.

These men preach another gospel, like Jeshurun, who "...grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation." — Deuteronomy 32:15. They tirelessly campaign for the removal or erasure of certain biblical passages, claiming these were not from God.

The consequence will be that the church will produce believers who are not properly fed and therefore ill-equipped to withstand the challenges of the end times. This irreverent position will open the door for Satan to shake the church. Instead of being united in love, we will scatter, defending our narrow interpretations of the Scriptures and following the myopic understanding of our pastors.

Apostle Paul foresaw this when he addressed the church at Ephesus: "I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears." — Acts 20:29-31.

Indeed, Apostle Paul was a man who can easily be misunderstood because of his deep and often incomprehensible revelations. Apostle Peter spoke about this: "And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures." — 2 Peter 3:15-16. So as it was then, so it is now. Some have ignorantly ignored the admonition and recommendations of our beloved Apostle Peter.

Brethren, this is not the time to sit idly by. It is not a favorable time to motivate people to give for the construction of gigantic buildings that even the next generation cannot finish. It is time to focus on teaching our people to be strong in the grace of God. This is Paul's position when he said: "And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel." — Acts 20:32-33.

Church, wake up!

Peter Abdul-Razaq OLAYINKA  

A serving missionary with Living Grace Christian Missions, Ilara.  

WhatsApp: (+229) 0194139130  

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