Some of the so-called "evangelical denominations" have betrayed their members 

 

By Rev. Adauto Rezende

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Some true Bible believers supported their denominations for generations and in faithfulness gave their tithes and offerings to build church buildings, maintain pastors, build schools and hospitals, support missionaries overseas, all with the assurance that they were helping to fulfill the Lord’s command to spread the gospel to the world. However, in less than a half-century, these denominations have betrayed these members, teaching what they call the new progressive religion of liberalism, inventing unbiblical doctrines and preaching a false gospel.

 

A century ago the leaders of these Christian communities would fight for the purity of God’s Word, but now many of their leadership has deviated from the truth, calling themselves liberal theologians. The wickedness of these evangelical leaders went much beyond anything we could imagine. They are marrying same-sex people, ordaining homosexuals as ministers, calling true believers “fundamentalists, fanatics, extremists” or to be more politically correct, “narrow-minded or conservative Christians”. Being neglectful, former denomination's leaders have forgotten the warnings of Scriptures that such evil could happen. Church assets such as buildings, schools, real estate, sports facilities, parks and lands fell into the hands of liberal leadership, and as a result; the LGBTQ community who hate the true God and His words, snuck into office, disguising themselves as godly Christians and taking control of God’s treasure. The Bible calls the devil a thief and his servants follow their master’s wickedness.

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In January 2020,   while in a church meeting I got hold of some documents from the Presbyterian Church of Canada, which are following the steps of the United Church, Church of England, Lutheran Church and other liberal denominations. If approved by their General Assembly, they will start ordaining gays, same-sex marriage and accepting homosexuals as church members.

The Presbyterian Church in the USA had previously approved such practice and can no longer be recognized as a true New Testament church. Read the following statement from an American paper: “After 33 years of debate, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has voted to change its constitution and allow openly gay people in same-sex relationships to be ordained as ministers, elders and deacons. The outcome is a reversal from only two years ago, when a majority of the church’s regions, known as presbyteries, voted against ordaining openly gay candidates.” (New York Times - MAY 10, 2011).

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The letter from the Presbyterian Canadian Churches, dated September 3, 2019, affirmed: “During the 2019 General Assembly, It was apparent that the majority moved towards the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people (married or single) in the ministries of the Church… The recommendations passed by the Assembly were to adopt two parallel definition of marriage (either between a man and woman only or between two persons) and to allow for ordination of LGBTQ+ persons while also allowing for liberty of conscience and action or marriage and participation in ordination and inductions.” The words above could not be further away from the Biblical perspective of what the true church of our Lord Jesus Christ really is, the church that He bought by the shedding of His precious blood and by His sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary. These actions of the so-called “Liberal Christians” are nothing but an abomination in God’s eyes, a fallacy and a conspiracy against true Christianity.

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I stepped into a local Presbyterian congregation, where church leaders were bringing the matter to discussion. In a dialogue full of academic and psychological terms (probably unknown to most of the present members), the church board was trying to convince themselves and the members how ruthlessly their denomination had treated the gay community in the past. With the church statement before their eyes, they were trying to believe and to agree with what their Canadian headquarters leaders concluded and stated: “The 2017 General Assembly asked the moderator, the Rev. Peter Bush, to write a letter of repentance to the LGBTQ+ community”.

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Later on, as I read the whole document, I started to imagine the prophet Elijah profoundly sorry after delivering God’s words, and regretful, walking into the palace in Samaria, bowing down before the wicked Jezebel and Ahab her husband, and asking forgiveness for being so rude, harsh, bigoted and unloving. Or the prophet Isaiah, sending a letter of apology to the evil king Manasseh, for being so biased against the monarch when delivered the divine warnings of his wickedness. Perhaps Jeremiah the prophet, remorsefully walking toward the palace in Jerusalem, requesting a pardon from the evil kings of Judah after prophesying divine judgment against their depravity and sinful conduct, as if that could have hurt their feelings. Maybe John the Baptist regretting calling Herod an adulterer and pleading for the king’s forgiveness against his “judgmental” statements. Or Paul writing a third letter to the church in Corinth telling its leaders to perform gay marriage, and the third letter to Timothy and Titus to supersede the former ones and incorporate homosexuals as pastors and deacons in the churches. It seems bizarre; however, this is exactly what the Presbyterian Church’s false prophets have done. Yes, false prophets, for the true prophets did not deny God’s Word, but rather they chose death rather than compromise or betray their Lord and His words. Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Paul and all the Lord’s prophets were beheaded, imprisoned, persecuted, flogged and crucified for standing for the truth.

 

We are witnessing what Jude; the brother of Jesus prophesied almost two millennia ago. He made a parallel between false church disciples and the inhabitants of Sodom whose chief sin was homosexual practices. Jude clearly stated their evil behavior, their wickedness, and the judgment of God against such conduct: “For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage." Jude 6-16

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Likewise, the apostle Paul also warned Christians to be aware of false prophets, false disciples and the devil’s children infiltrating among the believers. He wrote, “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.”

Acts 20: 28-31

 

Back in my story, as I heard the discussion in that church, a time for questions was permitted and although not being a member of it, God gave me the opportunity to speak and to remind them what the Holy Scriptures say about the subject. Clearly and without hesitation, I spoke God’s words loudly: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,” I Corinthians 6: 9

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I reminded them that an unrepentant sinner would perish forever in hell, and that was not a homophobic statement, but a loving warning for sinners to repent. I told them that between the structure they helped to build and their eternal salvation, they should choose the latter. I also said that their church leaders were making up a Jesus to fit into their own agenda, for the true Jesus would call their behavior an abomination. Sharing the episode with a friend, he made a remarkable statement, “God is removing idolatry from his church. People have to decide what is more important, their denomination or Jesus.” And he was quite right in his words.

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What should a sincere disciple of Jesus who is part of these denominations do?

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I will ask you some questions to know if you are a true disciple:

 

• Is your denomination more important to you than Jesus and the gospel?

• Are you an Anglican, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, or a follower of Jesus Christ?

• What is more important for you, the traditions of your denomination or the Scriptures? The man-made doctrines or the New Testament teachings?

 

You might have come from a generation lineage as members of one of these presently apostate churches. Probably you still recall times when true men of God were shepherds of your congregations, however, today things have changed dramatically; the godly people have gone to the Lord and a new generation of ungodly leaders are holding the power, liberal theologians, that is to say, sons of the devil who have deviated so far away from the absolute truth of God’s words to their own evil desires. If this is the reality of your denomination, you are no longer part of the church of Jesus Christ, but in danger of becoming a member of the synagogue of Satan. You are in a cursed place, for the Bible states: “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1: 8-9

 

You have to take action. You must expose and renounce the evil you are witnessing as Scripture commands: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.” Ephesians 5: 8-13

 

You must leave the apostate church and bring as many as possible with you, just as the Scripture tells us to do: “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues." Revelation 18: 4

 

To God be the glory!