That’s the title of an article adapted from one of John McArthur’s latest books, a small portion of which is here:
“In the church today, there is a growing reluctance to take a definitive stand on any issue. Discernment is frankly not very welcome in a culture like ours. In fact, the postmodern perspective is more than merely hostile to discernment; it is practically the polar opposite. Think about it: pronouncing anything “true” and calling its antithesis “error” is a breach of postmodernism’s one last impregnable dogma. “Many evangelicals (once known for a very prudent and biblical approach to doctrine) are fast becoming as doctrinally clueless as the unchurched people they are so keen to please. At least three decades of deliberately downplaying doctrine and discernment in order to attract the unchurched has filled many once-sound churches with people who utterly lack any ability to differentiate the very worst fast doctrines from truth. I constantly encounter evangelical church members who are at a loss to answer the most profound errors they hear from cultists, unorthodox media preachers, or other sources of false doctrine. . . .Certainty about anything is out of the question, and all who refuse to equivocate on any point of principle or doctrine are therefore automatically labeled too narrow. Zeal for the truth has become politically incorrect. There is actually zero tolerance for biblical discernment in a “tolerant” climate like that.” – Adapted from The Truth War, © 2007 by John MacArthur
Read the rest of this article at Grace to You. It’s an eye opener. In fact, I highly recommend you pick up the book. I found my copy about a month ago in a local Christian bookstore, in a small section that also contained a few classics by men like A.W. Tozer. that section seems to keep getting smaller and smaller while the quantity of totally self-centered spiritual junk food keeps getting bigger.
Signs of the last times?
The Battle Cry 
Okay, that…kind of freaked me out. And it made my eyeballs erode because he actually said a whole lot of, well, nothing.
My pastor recently addressed the question, “Why doesn’t our church become politically involved?” And he answered that question to my satisfaction when he said [paraphrase], “Instead of becoming politically involved, we are ACTIVE, sending mission teams to South America, The Gulf Coast, reaching out to our community with our food bank, &c.”
Sometimes, the best way to take a stand is to shut up and act. Instead of sitting around all the time talking about how things should be or how things shouldn’t be and what’s wrong with me or what’s wrong with you or…Well, you get the idea.
Like The Good Book says, “Faith without deeds is dead.”
As for the “signs of the last times?”…Well, that has never really been my specialty. And, honestly, I’m really very quite grateful!
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NorEaster, Thanks for stopping by!
Did you read the entire article, or just the excerpt I posted? John McArthur has written severl books on the state of the American church and taken a lot of flack for taking a stand for inerrant biblical truth. He speaks out against what is tearing at the fabric of the Christian faith of the Protestant reformers, from most of the church these days being all about what we can get from God and not first and foremost about the glory of God.
And yes, faith without works is dead. True saving faith produces works – another favorite topic of his, the Lordship of Christ over every facet of our lives.
I just threw in the ‘last’ in front of times, not intending to define anything about the Second Coming. That point is probably fixed in the mind of God and all we can know for sure is it is closer today than yesterday.
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I love John McArthur, but have found many people don’t like him. I’m sure it has to do with his strong stand for truth. I had a pastor once who determined I was a close-minded ultra-right-wing fundamentalist because I mentioned liking McArthur – a bit ironic, don’t ‘ya think? 😉
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Isn’t there a pill for that? 🙂 I remember a time when I was sucked into the word-faith heresy. It sounded good. The cure was reading the bible for what it actually said. Funny how that happens.I think you will find that the vast majority of those who can’t stand MacArthur also have a distaste for anything that hints at human depravity, lack of total free will, election, and even the assurance of our salvation.
Somewhere the doctrine of original sin went out the window (with Charles Finney). along with attributes of God as preached by the likes of Martin Luther, Spurgeon, Pink, among others.
Interesting thing is most of what I know now of their preaching and teaching I had from reading the bible for myself, just for what it said. If I had never heard of any of them, I would believe what I believe from scripture.
Somewhere in the mid 50’s popular psychology began to infiltrate the church and has done so much damage I wonder if recovery is possible.
Michelle, you are an encouragement!
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Someone said Michelle was a “closed-minded, ultra-right-wing fundamentalist”…?
Geez, that made me CRINGE.
She couldn’t possibly be closed-minded with a friend like me! 😉
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Nuts, isn’t it?
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You guys are great! 😆
I know I’m not close-minded but I will admit to being stubborn!! 😎
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If you think we’re great, you should see the company we keep! B)
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Oop. Sorry. Messed up on the shades. So let’s try 8)
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