It’s been over a month since the excitement and “dread” of the “Blood Moon” and really, nothing has happened. Leading up to September 27, 2015 many were predicting apocalyptic events. Yet here we are and not a word from them. As I think back on that, I sometimes get discouraged with the many among the Christian leaders and the “profiteering doomsayers” Let me explain. There are those in Christian leadership that “prey” (notice I didn’t say “pray”) on people fears. They propose various “conspiracies” that do nothing but alarm believers and as a result Christians have more of a fear of man and the world and what “could” happen than they do a fear and reverence of God.
Don’t Follow The Crowd
Let me take you back to about 730 B.C. when the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah. During this time, Israel and Syria had a pact and were together attacking Judah. Through the prophet Isaiah, God warned His people that Assyria would attack Syria, Israel, and Judah and that it would be futile for them to prepare for battle or devise a strategy because they were going to be shattered and the strategy would be thwarted and their plans wouldn’t stand. (Isaiah 8:9-10).
The Lord spoke to Isaiah and warned him not to follow “the way of this people.” And then he tells Isaiah why. “Do not call conspiracy what these people call conspiracy” and “do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.” As a child of God we have nothing to fear. If the God is our Father He will not leave us fatherless.
Who Do You Fear?
I believe there are too many Christian leaders today who are preying on people’s fears and putting more fear of what “man” can do, into the hearts of believers, than they are the fear and reverence of God. “Conspiracy theories” are a tool of the world system to make people fearful. Christian leaders shouldn’t use the world’s ways to profit by causing fear in believers when they promote “conspiracy” theories.
In the passage in Isaiah the Lord went on to tell Isaiah that the “Lord Almighty is the One you are to regard as holy, he is the One you are to fear, he is the One you are to dread…” There is no reason for the Christian to be fearful of anything in this world! As God told Isaiah “He (God) will be a sanctuary.” It is God who will protect and care for you. There is no reason for you to fear or dread what may or may not happen in this life.
Christian leaders who prey on the body of Christ with apocalyptic predictions do the believers more harm than good. Fear and faith are on opposite ends of the spiritual spectrum. God hasn’t given the believer a spirit of fear yet it seems many among the Christian leaders play to the natural fear people have when it comes to dealing with the unknown.
Remember, “(Don’t) follow the way of this people…Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the One you are to regard as holy, He is the One you are to fear, He is the One you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary…” (Isaiah 8:11b-14a). And if you are a Christian leader unless you have heard “expressly” from God to issue warnings (and not just what you think or to sell some product) then encourage the Body of Christ to fear God and allow Him to be their sanctuary rather than preach fear-mongering among the body.
What do you think about those who “preach fear?”
Keith
Keith, this is such an apt description of the awful condition of the religion called “Christianity” today, for grievous wolves have crept in among the flock, Matthew 7:15; Acts 20:29; but praise God, He still has a faithful remnant.
Comparing Isaiah 8:12 to our contemporary situation is very relevant and informative. Isaiah prophesied to the ten-tribe nation called “Israel” in the era preceding their final demise, warning them that they should not call everything “conspiracy,” [‘confederacy’, ‘treason’,] which was popularly being called “conspiracy.” It is so necessary that we understand Isaiah’s warning, for our nation has fallen into much the same situation and must be called to repentance else it too will fall, “never to rise again.”
Please let me refer you to my website, Revelation in Context, for my full article on this subject. (Will be posted later today.)
Please do Irene. Look forward to reading it.