On Crosswalk.com in June of 2023, an article appeared entitled “5 Signs Your Church Might Be Heading Toward Progressive Christianity.”

Below are the main points from Crosswalk’s piece:

1. There is a lowered view of the Bible.
2. Feelings are emphasized over facts.
3. Essential Christian doctrines are open for re-interpretation.
4. Historic items are redefined.
5. The heart of the gospel message shifts from sin and redemption to social justice.[1]

I would say that if all these things are true of your church, it has arrived at the point of “progressive Christianity.” It’s either already a “woke” church or well on its way to it.

The article in Crosswalk inspired me to put together a list of signs that indicate something might be amiss at your church.

1. There’s a Lack of Respect for the Words of Scripture

The “lowered view of the Bible” mentioned in Crosswalk’s list most often begins with the spiritualizing of its words in regard to biblical prophecy. By this, I mean that many pastors and teachers today retrofit God’s promises to Israel so that they apply to the church, albeit spiritually. This disregard for the intent of the author often has severe negative repercussions for other portions of Scripture.

For example, if one can assign different meanings to John’s written record concerning what he saw and heard concerning the future (the book of Revelation), it opens up other passages in God’s Word, such as those that forbid homosexuality, to continued retrofitting in order to make its words align with secular human wisdom.

2. Attendance Numbers Trump Teaching the Whole Counsel of God

If your pastor avoids mentioning the truths of Jesus’ appearing for His church, the Rapture, lest it upset a few people and they leave, something is amiss at your church.

Churches primarily dedicated to putting people in the chairs often use the word “tertiary” to describe their beliefs regarding future things. This conveys that message one’s view of future things is of lesser importance than the essential doctrines of the faith and should not be a dividing factor in the congregation.

However, in my experience, the use of the word “tertiary” means that the church accepts all views except that of Jesus’ appearing before the Tribulation starts and His thousand-year rule over the nations. Those holding these views are often silenced in “tertiary”-minded places of worship and told that their beliefs are not acceptable. For us, we sense that a “Not Welcome Here” sign hangs over the door.

Despite their claim of avoiding disunity, the leaders of such churches divide the body of Christ over the matter of future things by denying many saints a place where they feel at home because of their hope in Jesus’ imminent appearing.

3. The Preaching Fails to Address What’s Really Happening in Our World

Because of its amillennial beliefs (the denial of Israel’s restoration and Jesus’ thousand-year reign), the preaching at many churches lacks relevance to what its members read in their newsfeeds or see in the world around them.

This is especially true in regard to the war in the Middle East. Since many pastors today regard Israel’s miraculous rebirth as a fluke, they see Israel’s war as just another conflict and, worse yet, fail to defend Israel’s right to the Land from the pulpit. They fail to recognize Satan’s ongoing opposition to Israel and how that contributes to not only the war but also to the demonstrations on the streets of major cities around the world in support of Hamas.

Today, more than at any time since Pentecost, believers urgently need to hear how biblical prophecy speaks to the wickedness, lawlessness, and violence of our world. Preaching that suggests Jesus is already reigning over the nations not only contradicts God’s Word but gives those in the pews a false sense of security regarding current events and diverts their attention away from the comfort found in the “blessed hope” of the Gospel.

4. The Elders Rule Rather than Shepherd the Flock

I agree that elder leadership in the church has biblical roots. Today, however, the elders sometimes rule rather than shepherd the flock. They ignore the Lord’s admonition to not “lord it over” those He intends for them to serve (see Mark 10:42-46).

Many churches emphasize the biblical qualifications for its overseers but ignore the words of 1 Peter 5:1-8, which emphasize humility for those who lead. If key decisions at your church are made without any input from the members whatsoever, it’s a sure sign something’s greatly amiss and that the elders rule rather than inspire the type of body life described in Romans 12:3-8.

I wrote a post about this last summer entitled Silencing the Remnant Church, where I go into more detail concerning this matter.

5. They Preach Grace to the Lost, But the Law to the Saints

What makes life all the more challenging for those of us seeking to find a church where we feel welcome with our beliefs regarding the future is this: several churches that faithfully adhere to what we believe miss the mark when it comes to the Gospel. Its pastors preach grace to the lost but place the demands of the Law upon believers by saying that such obedience precedes blessings in the Christian walk.

Of course, preaching through a book of the Bible may lead to addressing sins. However, teaching conformity to a standard apart from who we are in Christ and the Spirit’s work inside us sorely misses the mark and is a sign that something’s amiss at your church.

Ephesians 1:3-14 makes it clear that we begin our walk with the Lord from the place of Him showering abundant blessings upon us. His blessings and unfailing love inspire us to greater obedience. Obeying to receive blessings negates such motivation.

6. They Apply Inconsistent Outcomes for Israel and the Church, Further Blurring the Distinction Between the Two

When I was in seminary, the title of my master’s thesis was: Roman Catholic Justification in the Light of Scripture. Writing this led to a deeper realization of the wonders of God’s great mercy and love toward us, which has increased my understanding of the Gospel in the many years since then. What might surprise you is that my study on this topic contributed to my firm convictions regarding God’s promise to restore a glorious kingdom for Israel.

Lest you think I’m crazy, or perhaps more so, let me explain.

In Romans 8:28-38, the apostle tells us that nothing at all can change our status as justified saints or alter God’s plans to bring us to glory. Absolutely nothing. We are forever free from condemnation (8:1) regardless of our behavior or what happens to us after God’s pronouncement of righteousness upon us. God will most certainly glorify all those that He justifies; He will not fail in this regard.

At some point during the dark ages, Roman Catholic theologians moved God’s justification of believers from the moment of saving faith to the end of their lives. I don’t have any definitive insights into their motives, but two things stand out in my mind regarding their decision:

1. They correctly recognized that God’s justification of the sinner was final and could never be overturned regardless of behavior.
2. Moving justification to the end of life adds great uncertainty to the outcome of one’s faith by making the receipt of eternal life determined by good behavior. Did this not also give the church greater control over the life of the parishioners?

Paul’s message in Romans chapters 9-11 concerning the future repentance and restoration of Israel illustrates our secure standing before God as justified saints (as the apostle reveals for us in chapters 5-8). Books could be written on the truths that come from chapters 9-11, but what I am emphasizing here is how the certainty of Israel’s future restoration as a nation demonstrates the truths pertaining to our unalterable position before God as righteous and holy saints.

In Romans 9-11, Paul defends his assertion of our total security in Jesus by pointing to God’s preservation of the Jewish nation. Israel’s repeated disobedience, which resulted in numerous judgments upon the nation, did not deter His determination to bless His people in the end. The Lord will surely accomplish His eternal purposes for the nation just as He will for us.

From other passages, we learn that God will bring a remnant of His people to repentance at the end of the Tribulation and bless them with a glorious kingdom (Zechariah 12:10-13:1, 14:8-21; Matthew 23:37-39).

God’s ultimate plans for His people Israel, and for us, cannot change. The Lord will fulfill His stated purposes for both. It’s inconsistent to say God will preserve His saints without saying the same about the future of Israel as a nation.

This does not mean, as some today errantly claim, that every Israelite will obtain eternal life regardless of what they believe. What it does signify, however, is that as Romans 11:29 puts it, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” For Israel, these words signify that God will surely keep His promises to them regarding their glorious future reception of a kingdom.

For us, it means that absolutely nothing can change our status as New Testament saints. We are eternally secure as justified saints and thus heirs to the kingdom (Ephesians 1:11-14; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54).

As a former pastor, I grieve because of what’s happening in many churches. The silence of shepherds keeps many saints in the dark regarding what’s behind world events and diverts their attention to temporal things away from their glorious “blessed hope” in Jesus’ appearing. Such leaders deny the saints the comfort that the Lord provides them in Scripture concerning what lies ahead for them.

***

I provide a detailed defense of the Premillennial and Pretribulation viewpoint in: The Triumph of the Redeemed-An Eternal Perspective that Calms Our Fears in Perilous Times.

Note: Please consider signing up for my newsletter on the home page of my website at https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/. Thanks!

[1] Alise Childers, “5 Signs Your Church Might Be Heading Toward Progressive Christianity.” June 30, 2023, at: https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/5-signs-your-church-might-be-heading-toward-progressive-christianity.html

 

[A]. Introduction

Satan is the enemy who sneaks into the field freshly sown to plant his seeds of destruction. He is the pernicious master of the tares. In recent months, if you watched some of the footage from Israel on the cruelty, barbarism, and complete hate and evil from Hamas, then you gain the slightest insight into what Satan is like. Our minds cannot understand such concentrated evil that belongs to the whole demon world. We can only see a fleeting glimpse, such as what Hamas stands for. In the parable of the tares, the enemy crept in at night.

Satan’s malicious work belongs to the night, to this world’s darkness. The world is night, and it is easy to slip these seeds of Satanism into what is thought of as good in the world, though none is good according to Romans 1.

Just a few days ago, I had the experience of the evil that lurks at night. I used to keep and breed finches, but it was so difficult to keep one breed of snake out of the aviaries. The brown tree snake (night tiger) is a cunning, aggressive sneak that is vicious among birds. It came at night. I have just recently done up the aviaries after 20 years of not having birds. I used a fine mesh wire and did everything for 4 months to make the aviaries snake-proof.

It wore me out, in fact, with so much to do. Just 3 weeks ago, I bought 2 pairs of tricolor finches at $100 a pair, and to my horror, a few days ago, three were missing. I found the culprit: a four-foot brown tree snake curled up in a nesting box. I was devastated and still am. It affected me. If that is not bad enough, a few hours ago, before sending these 12 Parts to RaptureReady, I saw another finch missing and then discovered another snake. My devastation continues. I have no idea how two of Satan’s agents got into the cage. The damage is done. That is how Satan works – the master of destruction, a worker of the darkness.

Take note of these verses – 2Corinthians 2:10-11 “But whom you forgive anything, I forgive also, for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, in order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan, FOR WE ARE NOT IGNORANT OF HIS SCHEMES.”

[B]. CHRISTIANS, ISRAEL AND GOVERNMENTS

That is a bold statement of Paul’s to say we are not ignorant of Satan’s devices. How come? How can we have knowledge of them, of his schemes? The Bible reveals some of these schemes – the temptation of Eve reveals the power of the hidden lust in our old natures, though Eve did not have an old nature just then. A similar set of temptations was used with Jesus after 40 days fasting.

The parable of the house swept clean and then worse demons coming in tells us self-reformation and standing on our own merit will not work. Satan “owns the world” and uses the world against us. Everything, though, is in the permissive will of God. The devil makes sure the top position/s in every human organization are in his control. That is what he aims to do. When you institute the evil agenda from the top and let it filter down through evil people, it will take over. This is now true of all institutions. It is the way leaven works, but you must start at the top.

I saw that in education when still teaching. We saw appointments of people with set agendas to key positions, the agendas Government wanted. Then appointments were made by those instrumental people in key positions until all down the line, the evil schemes were completed (for example, the sexualization of children). That is just one of Satan’s schemes/devices – aim at the top!

When we look at the present world, we see almost every nation opposed to Israel. At the UN, maybe only 7 nations have supported Israel, and always all the rest side with Israel’s enemies or, like Australia, they abstain from support. For decades, Australia has never opposed a condemnation of Israel in the UN. That is what socialism/Marxism does – it HATES Israel.

I think American society is becoming corrupt; the leadership of the nation is corrupt – President, FBI, Judicial system (an outsider speaking, so maybe I can get away with saying that). Some may wonder why God has allowed the USA to continue and not fall into His judgment and disapproval. I have wondered that, and I think it might be because, over the years, the USA has been a solid friend of Israel – Genesis 12:3 “I WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS YOU and the one who curses you I will curse. In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Don’t you think it is unusual that so much attention is placed on this small Middle East nation? Don’t be. To the Tribulation saints, Jesus is saying in Matthew 24:9, “Then they will deliver you to tribulation and will kill you, and YOU WILL BE HATED BY ALL NATIONS on account of My name.” Satan leads the constant condemnation of Israel in the UN. He hates Israel all through history because the Redeemer was to come from Israel, and now the future King of the whole earth will return at the Second Coming. Satan hates that. He hates all God’s people, both the earthly people of God and the heavenly people of the Church.

I am convinced those who hate the Jews and Israel are inadequate in explaining their reasons for their hate. It is not a surprise. Those who are not with Christ are against Him. Demonic delusion is rampant. Those who oppose Israel are demonically moved to do so. They may not know why they feel that way themselves, but they are under the control of the puppet master. Those “do-gooders” who are marching with the Palestinians and the general Islamic rabble in the streets opposing our democracy and Israel and supporting terrorism, those not of Islam themselves but think they must march in support of them and in opposition to Israel, are sent there by Satan. We don’t split hairs here. You are either for or against Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Why should the State oppose and arrest Christians? It is another of Satan’s schemes. There is supposed to be a separation of Church and State, yet on the authority of the State, now Christians can be arrested for speaking or writing against homosexuality or being within 100 meters of an abortion clinic.

So many more restrictions are being placed on Christians and Jews. In Australia, recently, Jews were strongly advised by authorities to stay away from a number of places while Islamic supporters took to our streets to oppose our very own democracy and fill the area with anti-Semitic hate. Who is responsible for that? Well, it was the police and Government. Who controls the police and Government? Why it is Satan’s scheme, Satan’s evil devices. Division is what Satan always causes.

In considering Satan’s schemes (AV – “devices”), I quickly jotted down a number of examples, and I will now list them.

[1.] TARES OF SATAN HE HAS PLANTED

It is my opinion that the most incompetent, dangerous, and corrupt man to lead the Western world right now is the head of the United States. The free world at this point in time needs leadership, and this man betrays the office. Satan will attack at the top and from the top, and he does so there. What is even sadder is that a generally deluded nation voted the Democrats in. In fact, it is said that the United States is under Obama’s third term as President, and I think that is true, with Clinton as Vice-President. (This is now November 2023, just to set the dating). Don’t get me wrong; I am not suggesting the Republicans are Christians. It is outcome I speak of. I keep out of the American politics.

One huge worrying thing about every nation now is the reporting of the News, or is that the fake News? Satan is the prince and power of the air, and someone has said “of the airways,” as the majority of media outlets in the Western world are supportive of the left or keep the people ignorance of the truth. The people of the USA do not generally hear the happenings with Biden and his son and of the utter corruption from the FBI and the American judiciary, and so much more. Neither are these matters confined to the USA.

Why is that ignorance crowns the media? Education and information is deliverance, but suppression of information and of the facts, and the deliberate distortion of facts, is deluded blindness and is what Satan does and loves. Jesus declared this – John 8:31-32 Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine, and YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.” We know the truth of the gospel sets men free, but the false news and suppression of the truth from television, radio, newspapers, social media, and the internet will hold men in bondage.

I have seen many comments from Americans saying that they watch SkyNews Australia, also on YouTube (the subscription to it is free) to see what is actually happening in the USA. Satan knows when the truth is withheld, it means the gospel is bound. Always strive for the truth, and educate your families in the truth.

John 8:43-45 “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. YOU ARE OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and DOES NOT STAND IN THE TRUTH because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for HE IS A LIAR AND THE FATHER OF LIES. Because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.”

One of the subversive schemes of Satan is to withhold truth for his own lies. We know that. We are not ignorant of it.

[2.] SATAN CAUSES DIVISION, HATE, AND FACTIONS ALL OVER

One terrible scheme playing out right now in most Western democracies is the undermining of national security through mass migration of people who don’t, never will, and refuse to share the values and beliefs of our nations that have taken them in. It is not surprising to see great rallies against our nations’ cultures by the hordes of Islamic immigrants/invaders. It is leading to great divisions nationally, and governments seem incapable of fixing it; they worsen it by continued Islamic migration. In fact, it won’t be fixed but will lead to great problems as the Church age draws to a close. Added to this, the USA has another problem on the southern border: a disgraceful decision to destroy security by a man who certainly is not God’s own.

Satan divided heaven through pride and ambition, so he is a master at division. There is division, resultant hate, and factions in every aspect of mankind’s existence. Try to think of one area where division does not occur – family, marriage, church, workplace, sporting clubs, neighborhood, government (it is huge there)…. There is a saying, “Divide and conquer,” and Satan knows that very well. We must not succumb to that, for it is of the devil.

God knew how difficult it is for us in that area, so He wrote through Paul – Ephesians 4:1-3 “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, ENTREAT YOU to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all HUMILITY AND GENTLENESS, with PATIENCE, showing FORBEARANCE to one another IN LOVE, being DILIGENT TO PRESERVE THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT in the bond of peace.”

We know the devil’s wiles, those devious and hellish schemes to destroy unity, so let us do what Paul just said.

[3.] THE RUINATION OF GOD’S SEXUALITY IS OF SATAN

The rise of the sexual revolution, perhaps beginning in the 1960s, is Satan’s means of corrupting the younger generations. Free love and infidelity remind one of some of the awful examples of licentiousness in the Old Testament. The corruption of all flesh is allied to the corruption of all eternal souls.

What happened at the time of Noah, God has withheld from us, but this is stated– Genesis 6:2 “that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.” Genesis 6:4 “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.”

I won’t explore the various thoughts here, but something was not normal. Deviant sexuality was always part of paganism with its open orgy behavior and the cult prostitutes, male and female. As a nation becomes more pagan, then deviant sexual practices and behavior are more and more accepted and become widespread, and can I go as far as to say, encouraged.

The flower people and the hippies were seekers; they were seeking meaning in life and rejecting of commercialization and greed. The sexual expression they ascribed to was where they saw meaning.

The world has always had prostitution. I don’t condemn the prostitute, for Jesus did not, but reached out to help them. This example now is sordid for when one departs from the proper relationship between man and woman, then Satan embraces it.

Genesis 38:13-23 “And it was told to Tamar, ‘Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.’ So she removed her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.

“When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face. So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, ‘Here now, let me come in to you,’ for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, ‘What will you give me, that you may come in to me?’ He said, therefore, ‘I will send you a kid from the flock.’ She said, moreover, ‘Will you give a pledge until you send it?’ He said, ‘What pledge shall I give you?’ And she said, ‘Your seal and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.’ So he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. Then she arose and departed, and removed her veil and put on her widow’s garments.

“When Judah sent the kid by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her, and he asked the men of her place, saying, ‘Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?’ But they said, ‘There has been no temple prostitute here.’ So he returned to Judah, and said, ‘I did not find her, and furthermore, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no temple prostitute here.’ Then Judah said, ‘Let her keep them, lest we become a laughingstock. After all, I sent this kid, but you did not find her.'”

It is amazing that God did not push the sins of His own people away in a cupboard but opened them to the world. I reckon Judah did not want that on record. And what about David and Bathsheba? We don’t condemn the harlot, but we do condemn those who are sexualizing children under the corrupt education systems we have today. Balaam brought sexual corruption upon Israel. Legislators are doing it to our nations.

Satan destroys younger generations. Matthew 19:14 “But Jesus said, ‘Let the children alone and do not hinder them from coming to Me for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'” BUT Satan says, ‘I will take all steps to bring the children unto me.”

God instituted marriage and sexual relations within that – Satan says no and destroys it. God said marriage is between man and woman – Satan arranged his homosexual perverted “marriage.” If you think about it, in every avenue, the devil has overturned God’s stated order to corrupt and distort what God instituted.

ronaldf@aapt.net.au