
AS I SURVEY THE SOCIAL MEDIA SCENE TODAY, I am every day confronted with many wildly speculative and downright false posts. Believe it or not, many of these are from those who profess to be Christians! Is the church on crack? Whatever happened to logic and rationality, levelheadedness and a love of pure unadulterated truth?
There are so many nutters now in the Christian scene that it is becoming more of a lunatic asylum each day. The latest nutty bandwagon is the claim that the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) being visible even in the southern UK are the result of “HAARP weather modification” (sic) and has been connected to the four horsemen of the apocalypse in the Book of Revelation, as if the seals of the scroll in that Book are being opened now, thus signalling the Endtimes. (Me: exasperated sigh!) This ‘insight’ is claimed to have come through “prophetic words” from the Lord. What a load of ignorant codswallop! That phenomenon is caused by major Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) from the sun — the more intense the ejection, the more visible will be the Northern Lights over a wider area. CMEs happen in around an eleven year cycle, with an increase also in sunspots, and they become more intense as those cycles reach a climax of geomagnetic storms, which they are doing now. The different colours in the atmosphere are caused by different gases burning, with green being oxygen, while the touches of purple, blue or pink are caused by nitrogen burning. The Aurora can even be seen as far south as the Carribean on occasion.
I strongly suspect that CMEs will play an increasing part in the judgements to come on this world as the end of the age approaches but that is something very different to what is being claimed here. So enough of all these phony “prophetic words”. These folks cannot differentiate a prophetic word from the hot air out of their own backsides! So many of these arrogant untaught “Christians” are continually spouting forth on Fakebook and other social media as if they were prophetic oracles for the world. Many of these folks are relatively new ‘converts’ (often from the New Age) and they have no problem setting themselves up on social media as teachers and “influencers”.
You may say, “Well, they are free to express their opinions”. To which I reply: “No, before God they are not, if those opinions are patently false”:
- When a professing Christian claims on social media that Jesus’ sheep can be snatched out of His hand and can lose their faith, then that is not an opinion but a blasphemy and a denial of God’s word.
- When a professing Christian claims on social media that God doesn’t know who is going to be saved and that we are saved not solely by grace but by our own freewill, then that is not an opinion but a blasphemy and a denial of God’s word.
- When a professing Christian claims on social media that disciples of Christ need demons casting out of them in rituals by a “deliverance” expert, then that is not an opinion but a blasphemy and a denial of God’s word.
- When a professing Christian claims on social media that the earth is flat and that the Moon is not reflecting the sun’s light but is a light on its own because the Bible says so, that betrays a complete lack of understanding about Bible hermeneutics — not to mention a complete rejection of reputable science (yes, some science is proven and reputable!).
- When a professing Christian claims on social media that the modern state of Israel is the apple of God’s eye, that shows a woeful lack of understanding of covenants, and even of the meaning of salvation.
- When a professing Christian claims on social media that we don’t need elders or pastor-teachers and that we should just meet socially in people’s homes doing what I call “Fish n Chips” bible studies (where they all fish around and everyone chips in 🙄 ), they are denying clear Scripture teaching and are turning local ekklesia from being places of safety and nurture into conformity to human arrogance and lowest common denominator ignorance. For the same people who are advocating these “Fish N Chips” scenarios are teaching the above falsehoods on social media! When they gather in people’s homes, they are spreading their infection multifold. The blind leading the blind.
The truly interesting factor in all this is that if one gently tries to lead these folks into a deeper understanding of truth, they always respond aggressively and usually delete or block you. Bottom line: Our place as ambassadors and messengers of God is not to be expressing personal opinions but to be contending for the truth, to which opinions must always give way. Opinionated Christianity has now become the norm and there is no longer a thirst for truth among most but rather a desperation to be soothed (tranquillized) by deceivingly comforting opinions.
All the above is a relatively new phenomenon which has been accelerated by social media which is itself a hotbed of egocentric opinions, speculations, wishful thinking, illusions and outright deceptions. I am a millimetre away from leaving social media altogether. The only reason I remain is because I have deluded myself into thinking I can be of some useful service there by counteracting the madness. Well, I used to believe that, but I no longer do really. It’s all a distraction and sign of the apostate times. End of.
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Dear Alan.
I totally agree.
And if you’re the voice in the (social) wilderness then don’t reject that just because you don’t see reactions in this world. You’ll not know now who hear you and whose life you touch ❤️
Love always, (I mean that)
Annastasia
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Spot-on as usual Alan… but I hope but I hope your excoriating comments on ‘house churches’ and ‘Fish ‘n Chips’ Bible Studies doesn’t include the very helpful ‘home groups’ sponsored and overseen by well-led local Churches, where folk meet together for fellowship, Bible study and prayer. If led by elders or trusted men within the Church, these ‘Growth Groups’ (as we call them) can be places where people can ask questions, share concerns, study God’s word and build one another up.
As a little aside, our local Scripture Reader (who is a faithful gospel worker) told me that this week he had 32 young soldiers attending his lunchtime Bible Study in the barracks where he ministers. In recent months a number of these young men have professed faith and are ‘growing in grace and knowledge of the truth.’ These are young men from non-Christian backgrounds whose lives have been transformed by God’s grace. There remain those who are hungry for the truth – may they be kept from the deceptions and falsehoods you mention (and many more).
John
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John of course I am not referring to the kind of groups you mention in your comment! I actually think house churches are a good thing, provided they do not eat Fish N Chips in Bible studies 😉 and seek to appoint wise elders.
Good to hear about the work of your church!
Blessings from me…
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This reminds me of what T. Austin-Sparks describes as mustard TREE Christians. The mustard plant (representing the church) grew to an unnatural size and became inhabited by birds, which represent evil and evil doctrines.
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Keep going.
A light in the darkness is a blessing and encouragemnt.
Even if only seen by one (!) it will carry the Lords blessing.
Just think of those Old Testament prophets !!
Peace and Blessings
Dafydd
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