I found out yesterday that a man of God whose written words greatly extoled the wonders and glory of the Living God did not provide for even the most basic needs of his family, while having the financial wherewithal to do so, instead giving nearly half his income back to the church and other organizations that served the Lord, while his large family lived on the edge of poverty.
I recently heard of a pastor, one who is known to speak the truth in tears suggest to a woman that she attend her granddaughter’s homosexual marriage, blatantly and willfully going against the will and Word of God, I pray he repents of this.
I understand that a very large God-fearing, Bible-based, Christ-centered learning institution has allowed the world to penetrate it in the highest of its ranks and is no longer seen as a pillar of Godly learning.
“For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:” (Phil. 3:18)
It is not so much those places or individuals I am concerned with, the Almighty knows what to do in this regard, it is those who trusted in them, who set them upon pillars, not to idolize or worship, but as stalworth banners to be followed, for they followed Christ.
It is a difficult emotion, this one of betrayal, of hearing rumors and then after diligent research finding those rumors to be true. It brings great sadness to the heart, the same emotions perhaps that Samuel experienced when he encountered Saul and heard animals in the background, when he realized the man that the Almighty has chosen as king over His people had willfully dishonored the Lord.
“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” (2nd Tim. 3:13)
Evil men rarely show up in black hats my friends, they feign themselves to be one of the sheep, and these wolves in sheep’s clothing are exceptionally well versed in how to play their part.
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44)
And his students are well taught.
As our sanctification takes time, so does our adversary’s deceitfulness, his subtlety rarely exposes itself as such.
“Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.” (Prov. 23:3)
Men of God are not as easily deceived as those who are yet young in the faith, they must be swayed gently, the lie must sound as the truth, they must be coerced into doubting the Word of God, and that can take much time. Our adversary’s purpose in these evil endeavors is not simply the individual he is attacking, it is the hundreds, perhaps thousands that will be affected by that man’s fall. His hopes are that it causes them to doubt as well, that they will believe that since this man or organization has fallen, and that dramatically, that everything that they have ever said or done previous to that will be put into question.
The first line still works well for him. “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Gen. 3:1)
I will not stop reading that man’s books, for he indeed lived, at least that part of his life, for the glory of God, but I will always see his family on the edge of poverty because of him when I do now.
Don’t ever put anyone up on a pedestal, not once, we are all sinful in some form, we all fall, when we repent, we are forgiven, but those actions will never be forgotten. Do not let the fall of one discourage you from the path laid before you, pray diligently that you will be shown the way out of every temptation, pray that the blessing of Spiritual discernment will be granted to you every day.
If the Lord lifts you up, be sure that roaring lion will come looking for you.
Pray that you will be able to see through his subtle deceptions.
