Flimsy Walls

 

What happens when one of our Spiritual Leaders drifts away from Scripture too Far? 

I was told that a prominent national pastor I admire has drifted away from the Bible. I couldn't believe it at first and had to search for it myself. As I watched a couple of his recent sermons, I spent a lot of time in "cringe mode." I have loved this man's sermons for years. He has spent many hours in my ears as I have listened to him on my daily walks. I was saddened by what I was hearing.

So, as I was reading Ezekiel today, I was thinking about him. The chapters I read today were focused on the "False Prophets" in Israel. 

"O people of Israel, these prophets of yours are like jackals digging in the ruins. They have done nothing to repair the breaks in the walls around the nation. They have not helped it to stand firm in the battle of the day of the Lord. Instead, they have told lies and made false predictions. They say, 'This message is from the Lord,' even though the Lord never sent them. And yet they expect him to fulfill their prophecies! Can your visions be anything but false if you claim, 'This message is from the Lord when I have not even spoken to you?'" (Ezekiel 13:4-7)

When a pastor preaches against the clear message of Holy Scripture, he is preaching falsely. God has given us a standard. AND we, as pastors, must be unwavering in our support of his word. 

Here is what is says later in Ezekiel 13:

"This will happen because the evil prophets deceive my people by saying, 'All is peaceful' when there is no peace at all! It's as if the people have built a FLIMSY WALL, and these prophets are trying to reinforce it by covering it with whitewash!" (Ezekiel 13:10, emphasis added)

When we bow to the push of culture to modify God's truth, we are trying to make FLIMSY WALLS look strong by covering them with whitewash. It just isn't going to work, and the walls will come crashing down. The walls might look good, but any walls we build without the support of God's word are flimsy and won't support the weight of the Lord Almighty!

False teachers are so prevalent in our world. Please test the words you hear, filtering them through study of God's word. He builds walls of stone that cannot be destroyed!