False Teachers and Prophets, Part 9

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

Before I get going, I wanted to emphasize that I believe the current growing division in society with respect to Covid-19 will far outweigh any other divisive topic including politics or even religion.

Anti-Maskers are Racist
As far as I’m aware, “Britt” is not a Christian so she’s not a heretic. But I include her tweet because it proves the growing division in society. People are now issuing the proclamation that anyone who is opposed to wearing masks is a racist. This type of rhetoric will soon be accepted as true by those who think as she thinks.

Franklin Graham
Franklin Graham, son of the famous Evangelist Billy Graham, stated he believes Jesus would’ve taken the vaccine if vaccines had been available during Jesus’ day. [1] Franklin also commented on pastors who preach to their congregations that they should not take the vaccination.

I hope that the pastors in the pulpit would tell people how they can be saved from God’s judgement and that’s through faith in Jesus Christ. I think a pastor to tell someone not to take the vaccine is problematic because what would happen if that person died [from the Coronavirus] then is a pastor responsible?…I mean I would feel responsible.

What if someone takes the CV-19 vaccine and dies like this 68 year-old woman who went into anaphylactic shock within 15 minutes of receiving her shot and died the next day? Would Graham feel just as responsible? He’d probably attribute her death to “underlying health conditions” and move on.

Personally, I believe people should do their own research and decide for themselves what they will or will not do with respect to the CV-19 vaccine or any vaccine or medical treatment. If I were a pastor I’d likely take Rev. Danny Jones’ approach with regards to the vaccine or even J D Farag’s position.

I think Franklin Graham is wrong but this is the kind of division that is growing in the world and within Christendom. I was talking to a mom at our recent AWANA night program. She was saying her parents refuse to get the vaccine and they are being hounded by the other folks in their Bible study group who have elected to get the vaccine. I would express my concerns to the pastor of that church and if he did nothing, I would likely leave that church. The problem of course is that if you’ve been a member of a church for years, it is difficult to leave and start over.

Another reader shared with me that her husband is under a great deal of pressure from other church members to get the vaccination. The husband will leave that church if things become “mandatory.” This is a travesty and should not be happening in the church or among Christians. People should be free to do what they believe is best for them, but not force things on others.

I truly believe we have not seen how bad and absurd the division in society will become. I also believe that this is what globalists are hoping for, so that they don’t have to work as hard. People in society who believe the CV-19 vaccine is humanity’s only hope are the ones turning on those who do not get the vaccine because they hold the opposite view. The division will only worsen if what many doctors and medical experts are saying comes true; a coming surge in deaths due to cytokine storms in those who have taken the vaccine. If/when that happens, there will even be more pressure against those who refuse to take the vaccine.

Jen Wilkin
Here’s a woman who came out of nowhere to become a sought after conference speaker and teacher. She is employed at Matt Chandler’s Village Church in New York City. Pastor Matt Chandler has recently gone sideways with his emphasis on racial social justice, not to mention his penchant for hyper-Charistmaticism. Chandler’s Village Church is part of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). That immediately sets off a red flag with me for reasons I’ve stated in previous articles.

So out of Chandler’s church comes Jen Wilkin. Wilkin who has written numerous books all of which are published through SBC’s Lifeway. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, what is wrong is with some of the things that Wilkin believes and teaches.

I personally know folks who believe Wilkin is a tremendous teacher. They hold her in high esteem. According to Wilkin’s bio at Village Church where she is “Executive Director, Family, Next Gen Ministries, & Resources,” the only thing it notes about her actual education is that she met her husband while at Texas A&M. Nothing about her major or whether or not she actually matriculated at a Bible college. Nothing. Yet, she has written many books and is a Bible teacher and leader.

Within the SBC, to be a woman leader, educational credentials in the field of Bible study are not necessary. This seems to hold true of many of the women who gain positions of authority as Bible teachers, leaders and mentors in and outside the SBC.

Unfortunately, Wilkin has made what some absolutely ridiculous statements. Reformation Charlotte notes that Wilkin has stated that women’s menstrual periods are significant because it provides them with special insight into the crucifixion apparently. [2] That’s patently absurd. Unfortunately, the video where she says this seems to have been scrubbed from the Internet though plenty of references to it remain. Here’s what she is quoted to have stated:

‘I want you to think for a second about what the implications might be about the way that women understand the gospel as a result of being embodied females,’ Wilkin says, ‘women’s bodies every 28 days tell them a parable about the shedding of blood for the renewing of life.’ [3]

There’s so much wrong with the above statement. Sadly, she was serious. Yet, many women in many churches follow and hold WIlkin up in high esteem. I’m hoping it’s because they are not aware of her leanings toward heresy? But then again, shouldn’t they be?

Numerous other women have weighed in on Wilkin’s faux pas and seeming lack of discernment. Here are links to just a few:

• The Joyful Patriarchy Wife (written about 7 months ago)
• Michelle Lesley (written over a year ago)

It is disturbing to me that there are so many women in churches throughout America who flock to these women’s conferences, who place many of these women teachers and leaders on pedestals and essentially hold them beyond critique. It is equally disturbing to me that the SBC pushes these women to the front, allowing and encouraging them to preach their error. It all boils down to a complete lack of discernment on the part of too many Christians – men and women – as well as a deliberate willingness to defer to the world instead of God. The SBC is ripe with this thought and conduct and all because of the many Leftist leaders within the organization. It’s all about tickling the ears of those who hear.

Tim Keller
At one point, like so many others, Tim Keller seemed to be on the straight and narrow. However, in today’s pluralistic, “woke” culture, too many pastors and Christian leaders appear to willingly embrace the pleadings and demands of the “woke” crowd. This ultimately means that socialism-to-communism is what drives them; two paradigms that are diametrically opposed to God and His Word.

Keller, like John Piper and others, have gone off the narrow, biblically-based road to a more “woke” wide road of destruction it appears. I’m not saying they’ve “lost” salvation. I’m saying their teachings have changed over time. Keller believes that a Christian cannot tell another Christian how to vote or even to vote unless there is a specific biblical command. [4] John Piper will go further and state that Christians should not vote at all. [5] How does one rationally vote for someone who is for abortion?

The other thing that really causes me to wonder about many modern day evangelicals has to do with their seeming inability to see the forest for the trees. While people like John Piper seem to believe all sorts of terrible things about Donald J. Trump, they dutifully seem oblivious to many of the proven stains and corruption against people like Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Andrew Cuomo and many, many others. Why is that?

Lack of discernment due to going by how they feel about something.

Raphael Warnock
For those unaware, “Rev.” Warnock is the lead pastor at the same church in Atlanta that was originally pastored by Martin Luther King, Jr. Warnock was also recently elected to Congress and is decidedly Leftwing in his politics. He is a graduate of Union Theological Seminary where not long ago, the graduating class kneeled to trees/bushes asking for their forgiveness with respect to “climate change.”

Warnock tweeted out a most heretical tweet on Resurrection Sunday and then, after receiving backlash for it, deleted it. But once things are out there, they remain, as did his tweet. Warnock essentially stated the meaning of Easter actually transcends Jesus, allowing people to “save themselves,” whether they are a “Christian or not.” Apparently, Warnock – a pastor – does not understand that without Jesus there would be no Easter/Resurrection Sunday, nor would there be salvation. Warnock’s is a social gospel for people who have itching ears.

This kind of heresy proves beyond doubt that there are way too many leaders within Christendom who do not only not know God or God’s Word, but clearly do not believe in the truths of the Christian faith. Warnock has no business being in the pulpit but too many churches today are not in line with God’s Word and simply traffic in error.

The obvious answer to the problem of all these heretics is that we desperately need to get back to God’s Word and a true commitment to His Lordship. Authentic Christians need to stand up and be heard, calling out the error of leaders. But, if we are not spending time with God in His Word daily, why would we think we would actually gain enough discernment to see any error that might be taught from pulpits?

There are way too many false teachers today; both men and women. While some with discernment are calling them out, too often, those voices are being ignored or silenced. This should not be. Reading through 1 and 2 Samuel proves that any nation who ignores God’s rule is destined for destruction, often coming from within. God seems to turn nations over to their own desires (Romans 1), and allows them to fail and fall all because they chose to ignore God and try to play by their own rules. That never works out well for that nation or any person for that matter.

God is fully sovereign and He directs things to the completion of His will, period.

[1] https://churchleaders.com/news/392754-franklin-graham-jesus-would-have-taken-the-covid-19-vaccine.html

[2] https://reformationcharlotte.org/2019/12/13/jen-wilkin-of-village-church-says-womens-periods-are-a-parable-of-the-crucifixion/

[3] Ibid

[4] https://spectator.org/woke-church-american-spectator-print-magazine/

[5] Ibid

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective