So Which Preachers Are Honest?

In some previous posts, I wrote about the metaphorical tares and the wheat. Among Christian programs lurk fakers who fleece the flock while giving them nothing spiritual in return. These misleaders often claim to have advanced knowledge and to be able to work miracles. Worse yet, they twist scriptures to serve their own lust for money.

Jim Baker's corrupt ministry was a prime example of false shepherds of the flock. Other Christian "superstars" have also fallen into sin over the years. The wicked conduct of these phoney's hurt the good ministries who sought only to spread the gospel and help the poor.

The Evangelical  (ECFA) was formed in America to be an accreditation agency for those honest Christian organizations wishing to distance themselves from the corrupt ones. Canada's  (CCCC) also came into being for the same reason. Ministries wishing accreditation need to comply with strict rules of accountability or they can't display the logos of the ECFA and CCCC.

I personally learned an additional way to guard against fraudulent preachers. If they claim to prophesy and receive "new revelations" from God, avoid them. The gospel is neither sensational nor self-empowering. Instead of seeking power and control of their own lives, truly born again ministers proclaim total surrender and dependence upon Jesus Christ. There's no glamour in that as there appears to be in the false gospel of self-empowerment.

How I wish I knew this BEFORE I joined a cultic house church. How I Was Razed is my testimony of how God rescued me from destructive doctrines. Contact me regarding purchasing this marvelous memoir.

How Could God Send Millions of People to Hell?

Here's another question asked by critics of Christianity. To them, God sounds like a petulant little boy who punishes his pets for not doing what he wants them to do. I've even felt in the past that he was stingy and sadistic because my faith wasn't enough to heal my eyes. No matter how I tried, the prayers and laying on of hands by Christians resulted in only disappointment.

How sad it is that critics of God don't know him personally. These people only know about him from what they hear TV preachers say or from Bible stories they heard when they were children. Isn't that unfair of such folks to condemn the Lord because of what others have said?

Knowing about somebody isn't like knowing them. I know about famous people but I actually know none personally. For example, I couldn't call David Bowie on the phone like I could an acquaintance or personal friend, even if I had his home number. He doesn't know me and doubtless would be upset if I called him. In the same way, people who don't have a personal relationship with Christ can't accurately judge him and the other two members of the trinity.

Because critics don't understand the Lord's character, since they don't have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, they mislead others with their misconceptions. Perhaps the worst of their misapprehensions is that God sends people to hell. Like John Cleese noted on one TV show, hell is a voluntary organization. People choose to go there rather than obey God. The Lord has given us a choice, limited though it seems, so we could either surrender to his plan for us or go our own way.

God doesn't delight in the death of the wicked. In fact, he would rather have people surrender their lives into his loving care. Since forced love is not love at all, he gave us the option to obey or disobey. At death, he graciously lets people face the consequences of their decision.

In my How I Was Razed memoir, I showed how I finally learned that God is the heavenly Father who providentially led me to know him better. Check out this glorious journey from cultism to Christianity at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Powell's Books. What a huge difference knowing his true character has made in my life. I hope others discover the real character of God like I have.