Whether you think churches should be taxed or not is to miss
the salient point. This story is heartbreaking.
Here's the slideshow that goes with it:
We are engaged in a true war, a spiritual war and the enemy
is among us. The enemies of the Kingdom are enthroned within the Body of
Christ, the Temple of God. They are counterfeits making merchandise of God's
people- both their earthly assets and their souls.
This form of so-called Christianity continues to spread like
wildfire. Just recently I listened to a BBC podcast about the Church and
politics in the Philippines and the growing power of a heretical Arian movement
and forms of Charismatic Theology that are dominating evangelical circles. In
much of the developing world, even Rome embraces Charismatic thought and
practice in order to reach people and maintain their numbers.
To many Christians in America, these theologies are
tolerated because at the end of the day, if they're on the right side in terms
of politics... they will happily call them brethren.
There are indeed many people who are sincere followers of
Christ, who possess a simple faith and yet are deceived by the false miracles
and visions proffered by this movement. They wish to follow Christ but have
convinced themselves they are the recipients of revelation, that they are
indeed prophets themselves.
Let us pray for good things in Africa... the continent of
beauty and sorrow. They are some of the warmest people you will ever meet in
your life. They put us to shame. And yet, their culture and spirituality are
susceptible to dangerous predators and they are being spiritually ravaged.
This is not to insinuate our culture is without deep and
profound problems. I'm not for a second suggesting that we in the West are
somehow sitting better.
But Christianity for the most part isn't growing in the
West. It is in Africa, but the news is not good.
Nevertheless there are good things happening both in the
West and in Africa, as well as in Eastern Europe and Asia... but they are
remnant movements, pockets of truth represented by tiny minorities within the
scope of the Greater Church.
Pray for Africa.
