The Apostate Church – A Haven for the Wicked.

Associated Press

SANTA MARIA, Calif. — Michael Jackson made a surprise visit to Los Angeles' pre-eminent black church a day before he was to face off in court against the man who has put him on trial -- Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon….
When asked about the visit by ABC's Good Morning America, Jackson said he went to the church "to worship and to see the children…."

PAW PAW, Mich. (AP) -- An arrest warrant has been issued for a Roman Catholic priest who authorities suspect may have embezzled more than $240,000 from churches he served in Mattawan and Marcellus.

The Rev. Bogdon Werra faces a charge of embezzlement over $20,000, Van Buren County Prosecutor Juris Kaps told the Kalamazoo Gazette for a Saturday story. If convicted, Werra could face up to 10 years in prison.

By Jeff Wright
The Register-Guard
VENETA - The doors of New Hope Christian Center here remain locked, closed two weeks ago after a music minister's conviction for sexually abusing a young church member.

Pentecostal Church of God district officials say they took the action because of financial duress brought on by an exodus of members.

But New Hope's former senior pastor and several church members say the closure is in retaliation for their support of the teenager abused by Charles Fenwick Jr., who pleaded guilty last month to crimes committed when he served as the church's music minister and associate pastor.

By Nigel Hunt
August 13, 2004

POLICE in Adelaide have vowed to continue their unprecedented rout of pedophiles after revealing another nine men have been charged with more than 40 child sex abuse offences.
Those charged include a former Anglican Minister, a former Salvation Army Minister, a Surf Life Saving Association coach, scout leaders, a Church of England Boys Society leader and several Catholic school teachers.

By: Greg Pallone, News 14 Carolina
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A Charlotte church volunteer appeared in federal court Wednesday on charges of downloading and uploading pornography to an FBI agent posing as a minor.

Russell Earl Miller was arrested last month in Georgia while on a retreat with a youth group from Myers Park Presbyterian Church. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police charged him with four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

What’s wrong with this picture?

The preceding excerpts were all culled from news reports within the last few days. Not a day goes by that you can’t find numerous reports of degenerate behavior within the walls of today’s so called church. How did we get to this place?

It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
1Cor 5:1

The church in Corinth had a problem. A member, claiming the name of Christ, was involved in open sin. Paul instructed them first that they should have already taken care of this situation but since they hadn’t, he would.  He says that this person must be put out of the fellowship of believers and delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.

In other words they were to pray that this man be tormented physically by Satan in the hope that he might repent and be saved. 

Now I know this probably does not agree with your theology. I’m sure you think that being a Christian always means being nice and sweet, and never saying anything bad about anybody. I know you’ve been taught that we should never judge anyone for any reason. That even when you know someone is living in sin we should stand by them and support them and never turn them away from the church. You think that is love.

My I ask you a question?  Is it love to allow someone to march straight into hell? Is it love to allow a fellow believer to continue in sin, to continue with a false assurance of salvation? Is that really love? If you truly love someone won’t you tell them the truth?

But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
1Cor 5:11

Read that again. We are not to keep company or even eat with those who claim the name of Christ yet continue in these sins. One might ask, if we put all those people out of the church, who will be left? Good question. Who will be left?

How about the true body of Christ. How about those who have actually laid down their lives and taken up their cross. Those who are truly being conformed into the image of Christ, who are bearing the fruit (evidence) of repentance. That’s who will be left.

You think that because you walked the aisle many years ago and said the magic sinner’s prayer that you have eternal security. Well, I can assure you from scripture that you do not.

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1Cor 6:9-10

Paul is still writing to the church in Corinth. He says DO NOT BE DECEIVED! He was not referring to the world. He was talking to those who claimed the name of Christ but continued in various forms of sin.

Here was a case where just one person in the whole fellowship of believers was living in sin and Paul took a large part of his letter to deal with it.

Today we have whole congregations involved in sin and we sit silent. The man who left his wife for another woman sits in the front row. The woman who’s on her third marriage sings in the choir. The teen who wears spikes through his nose and sings “gansta rap” is a leader in the youth group.  The business man who’s feverishly amassing a fortune, who’s god is money, chairs the finance committee.

We don’t just tolerate sin in our members, we celebrate it, we exalt it. We refuse to deal with it. We are cowards. We won’t expose someone else’s sin because we’re afraid our own sin will be exposed.  And it all starts in the pulpit.

How many of our pulpits are filled with men who are divorced and remarried. How many extortioners do we have leading the church today? How many covetous? How many idolaters? How many liars?

And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
Mal 3:5

These words were spoken by the prophet Malachi to the wicked priests of his day. They are still true today. There is truly nothing new under the sun.

Fear God! Repent from evil! Turn to the Lord that you might be saved. Do it today! Repent and return to your fist love. Repent and trust in the gospel which is the power of God.!

May God have mercy on this wicked generation

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originally published 8-16-04.
Steve Lumbley 2004  www.apostasywatch.com
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