NOTES ON THE CRYING NEED FOR CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP IN AMERICA: A STUDY OF PRO-TRUMP WOLVES AMONG THE SHEEP 0F GOD’S PASTURE Part II

PART II: “THE WOLVES”

SCRIPTURE

“Beware of the false prophets, [teachers] who come to you dressed as sheep [appearing gentle and innocent], but inwardly are ravenous wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them [that is, by their contrived doctrine and self-focus]. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the unhealthy tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruit you will recognize them [as false prophets].” – JESUS OF NAZARETH, Matthew 7:15-20, Amplified

“You will teach My people who to trust, and who to abhor.” – ‘The Voice,’ Sunday January 31, 2021

QUOTATIONS

“Be careful of who becomes your friend and why. The person who will bite off your lips one day will have to first promise you a kiss today. Be careful of hypocrites.” – ISREALMORE AYIVOR, ‘Daily Drive 365,’ 2014

“The humans wanted us to be pack, but they feared us too much to keep us near. They didn’t fear the streckwolves. They loved them without fear. And if the humans could love them—those little wolves so close to wild and yet not truly so—maybe they could learn to love other, wilder things, to love the wildness all around them.” – DOROTHY HEARST, ‘Spirit of the Wolves,’ 2015

“Act as if! Act as if you’re a wealthy man, rich already, and then you’ll surely become rich. Act as if you have unmatched confidence and then people will surely have confidence in you. Act as if you have unmatched experience and then people will follow your advice. And act as if you are already a tremendous success, and as sure as I stand here today – you will become successful.” – JORDAN BELFORT, ‘The Wolf of Wallstreet,’ 2008; edited

Selah.

FIRST THOUGHTS

One of the greatest lessons to learn as a Christian in these Times of Turmoil is to follow in the Counsels of the Sons of Issachar. Many of you know the passage.

“Of the tribe of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, two hundred chiefs; and all their relatives were at their command.” – 1 CHRONICLES 12:2, AMPC

JOSEPH BENSON COMMENTS. “They understood public affairs, the temper of the nation, and the tendencies of the present events. And they showed their Wisdom at this time; for as they had adhered to Saul, while he lived, as knowing the time was not yet come for David to take possession of the kingdom.” – ‘Notes on the Holy Bible,’ 5 vols., 1811-1818; edited

The Lesson. As believers in Jesus Christ, among our many responsibilities to God and Country, is to Stay Alert to The Times, and to Understand them from the perspective of the Scriptures. This will explain History’s Ebbs and Flows from righteousness to debauchery and back again.

An absolutely vital skill in these Last Days of deception and treachery.

‘BUT WE WOULD NOT’

In our last Lesson, I quoted from the Prophet Isaiah:

“For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning [to Me] and resting [in Me] you shall be saved; in quietness and in [trusting] confidence shall be your strength. But you would not.” – ISAIAH 30:15, AMPC

For some myriad of both mysterious and obvious reasons, the American Church remains willfully Stuck in its insular, ‘Privatized Gospel Ghetto,’ with its selfish insistence to remain focused entirely on ourselves and what makes US – or ‘Me myself and I’ as we said it as kids, better and better and better.

Think of Melania Trump’s ‘Be Best’ Campaign to Nowhere.

LARGER VISION. It is a well-worn, wise adage that counsels: “Love for something or someone larger than yourself.” This the best antidote of all for our insipient narcissism and selfish ambition. But in American Church circles, it has been for the very longest time, ‘Love others but Live for Yourself.’

King Solomon once wrote this:

“Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]—blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.” – PROVERBS 29:18, AMPC

This ‘Vision of God’ viz. the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which by the way does not exclude the Old Testament, as so many churches today believe and preach. Indeed, as our Messiah stated clearly:

“Do not think that I came to do away with or undo the Law [of Moses] or the [writings of the] Prophets; I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” – MATTHEW 5:37, AMP

THE POINT. In so doing, we Honor Christ and Honor the Prophets and the Law simultaneously, not foolishly dividing the two, an Error of considerable magnitude that the ‘New Testament Only’ churches make every day. This is that subtle but insidious Doorway to Replacement Theology, with its poisonous Anti-Semitism in tow.

And the acceleration toward an American Reich that I see all around us, beloved.

THE ERA OF ANTICHRIST

“Antichrist: The polar opposite and ultimate enemy of Christ. According to Christian Tradition, he will reign terribly in ‘the Period prior to the Last Judgment.’ The Antichrist first appeared in the epistles of St. John (I John 2:18, 22; I John 4:3; II John 1:7), and the fully developed story of Antichrist’s life and reign is found in Medieval texts. As applied to various individuals and institutions for nearly two millennia, Antichrist and Precursor of Antichrist have been, and remain, terms of the most intense opprobrium.” – ROBERT B. LERNER, Peter B. Ritzma Professor of Humanities, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, in ‘Encyclopedia Britannica,’ July 20, 1998; edited

Not bad at all for Britannica, not bad at all I might say. Notice the phrase: “the Period prior to the Last Judgment. This is an accurate working definition of what I choose to call, ‘THE ERA OF THE ANTICHRIST.’

As I wrestled with how to describe “The Era,” I was strategically reminded of the Words of Messiah in a passage well known to us.

DAYS OF NOAH AND LOT. “And just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the time of [the second coming of] the Son of Man: the people were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, [they were indifferent to God] until the day that Noah went into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

It was the same as it was in the days of Lot. People were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building [carrying on business as usual, without regard for their sins]; but on the [very] day that Lot left Sodom it rained fire and brimstone (burning sulfur) from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.” – LUKE 17:26-30, AMP

AMERICA 2021. With that Messianic Tapestry of the Antichrist Era in mind, now let’s review an excellent Condensation of it from HENRY MORRIS reproduced by KD Manestreet’s Blog entitled, “Conditions Before Christ’s Return,” published in 2019.

In it, he wisely blends the passages from Genesis with their New Testament counterparts.

Preoccupation with physical appetites (Luke 17:27).

Rapid advances in technology (Genesis 4:22).

Grossly materialistic attitudes and interests (Luke 17:28).

Uniformitarian philosophies (Hebrews 11:7).

Inordinate devotion to pleasure and comfort (Genesis 4:21).

No concern for God in either belief or conduct (2 Peter 2:5; Jude 15).

Disregard for the sacredness of the marriage relation (Matthew 34:38).

Rejection of the inspired Word of God (1 Peter 3:19).

Population explosion (Genesis 6:1, 11).

Widespread violence (Genesis 6:11, 13).

Corruption throughout society (Genesis 6:12).

Preoccupation with illicit sex activity (Genesis 4:19; 6:2).

Widespread words and thoughts of blasphemy (Jude 15).

Organized Satanic activity (Genesis 6:1-4).

Promulgation of systems and movements of abnormal depravity (Genesis 6:5, 12).

THE SPIRITUAL ECOLOGY. As we travel down each of these 15 Dark Roads, we find ourselves staring down the Heartbeat of America and her Church in 2021, deep inside the Belly of the Spirit of Antichrist. That current place where all seems to be Chaos and Anger and Darkness and Danger, and even Death.

So we ‘COPE’ with all this Darkness in mostly Materialistic, Self-Deluding ways: Denial. Pleasure. False visions. False churches. False gospels. Indeed, ‘False Teachers’ come to us as Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing.

Back again to this searing point:

“But they refused to listen and pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder [stiffening themselves in resistance] and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts [hard] like flint, so that they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from the Lord of hosts.” – ZECHARIAH 7:11-12, AMP

There it is again: “Great Wrath” from the Lord of Hosts. From the Hebrew, ‘Qetseph’ [קֶצֶף], or: “To foam or splinter; burst out or explode with rage; fierce indignation; intense strife, shattering.” God in Holy Fury against His own, those who betrayed Him one time too many.

This God! The One we have brazenly Removed from our Pulpits, for fear of offending the hearers, thus consigning them to God’s the Fire of His Anger.

Selah, Pastors and Teachers. Selah.

THE TEACHING

“Beware of the false prophets, [teachers] who come to you dressed as sheep [appearing gentle and innocent], but inwardly are ravenous wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them [that is, by their contrived doctrine and self-focus]. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the unhealthy tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruit you will recognize them [as false prophets].” – JESUS OF NAZARETH, Matthew 7:15-20, Amplified

THE AGE OF FALSEHOOD. If there were a single Idea or Concept to attach to the Present Era of Antichrist, it is found in this term: Falsehood. As today, when the Nation and Church can no lobnger distinguish the Truth from the Lie, since The Lie is everywhere now, beloved. Everywhere.

And it is the ‘Spiritual Wolf’ that thrives in such a Dark, Cold Climate.

FALSE PROPHETS. Today’s American Church is rife with thousands of these Spiritual Prostitutes, just as Jesus said there would be (cf. Matthew 24:11). From the Greek term, ‘Pseudoprophétés’ [ψευδοπροφήτης]: “One who in God’s name teaches what is false; a spurious teacher or prophet; pretended foreteller; a religious imposter, or what today’s culture would label, ‘a poser;’ specializes in ‘the art of misimpression,’ like about how they were ‘commissioned’ by the Lord to touch the world with their message. But when in fact, they operate by self and for self so they must be exposed for what they are – and are not!” DK: These are those Liars who shout, ‘Peace, peace!’ when there is no peace (cf. Jeremiah 6:14).”

IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING. Here we have the Usurpers, dressed out in the proper priestly garments and gestures and linguistic manner, to further cloak their true intention to destroy God’s Truth. From the Greek, ‘Enduma’ [ἔνδυμα]: “A garment, raiment, clothing; apparel, especially the outer robe [of the priest or rabbi]; a cloak; clothing that invokes investiture (honor or rank).” DK: All of this Ruse is to look like, speak like, act like, dress like, and become like a true Teacher and Follower of Jesus Christ, so far as it is possible. Combines with the character of the False Teacher (or prophet, priest, rabbi, pastor, evangelist) to typically speak ‘pretty things that tickle the ears’ of the hearer (cf. 2 Timothy 4:3).

RAVENOUS WOLVES. I have come to prefer calling the ‘Man of Sin’ in Scripture (2 Thessalonians 2:3), ‘THE WOLF,’ for reasons that will follow. Thus are his Acolytes rightly called, “ravenous wolves,” a reflection of their ultimate father, the Devil (John 8:44). Defined by two Hebrew words. (1) ‘Harpax’ [ἅρπαξ]: “Rapacious, ravenous; as with a robber, an extortioner or swindler; properly, seizing; a sudden snatching (like in a theft); from a root word meaning to strip, spoil, snatch; seize upon with force; denotes robbery of another’s property; an open act of violence.” (2) ‘Lukos’ [λύκος]: “A wolf (with whitish hair), of perhaps a jackal; often applied to persons of wolfish proclivities; applied figuratively to cruel, greedy, rapacious, destructive men.” ALSO: “An animal of the genus Canis, a beast of prey that kills sheep and other small domestic animals; called sometimes the wild dog. The wolf is crafty, greedy and ravenous; i.e., false teachers and false brethren.”

BY THEIR FRUITS. While we are never to judge a person’s heart, we can and even must judge “the fruits” of their life and ministry. From the Greek, ‘Karpos’ [καρπός], meaning: “Fruit, deed, action, result, profit, gain; figuratively, everything done in true partnership with Christ [or conversely, everything done in false partnership with Christ, in league with Satan]; metaphorically, that which originates or comes from something; an effect, result, a yield or issue; one’s progeny or posterity; the produce that comes from a tree [the health of which determines the health or foulness of that produce]; in sum, that which produces nourishment [or its absence] for its recipients.”

PAINFUL PRECURSOR. I just heard a sermon from a megachurch in our community by a pastor teaching on the Prophet Obadiah. Tradition holds that the Prophet was an Edomite convert to Judaism who gave away all his great wealth and subsequently became destitute in service to Yahweh.

His Message: Judgment on the ancestors of Esau, fierce enemy of the Jews in Jerusalem, Symbolic of the Enemies today of the True Church. Selah.

This pastor, richly credentialed, doctoral level scholar and author from the finest seminaries, is a smooth of speech, highly paid associate pastor, who led off with lots of jokes and giggles up front (a mad turnoff for this old salt), finally hitting on the following major points.

PRIDE. He rightly warned of taking pride in our present position or social status, spending time on the dangers of that posture. I had hoped he would move to the ever-absent Application to our own condition in the Church and Nation, but he stayed completely general and amorphous. The typical pattern of ‘Preaching Safe’ in our churches today.

PRESUMPTION. He also rightly cautioned against taking pleasure in an enemy’s downfall – a good lesson for us all who see America falling into destruction. Had to give him a strong pass on this one.

PROFIT. Finally, he somewhat redundantly instructed us to never make a literal profit from the failures of those who hate and oppose us; i.e., to take unethical advantage of another man’s downfall.

PRIVATIZATION. Now here I nearly went off the rafters. Several times he kept admonishing us to never ever consider, “The great social issues of the day.” Never. Just focus on Ourselves to see what we must attend to, with pristine avoidance of, again, the Roar of the Tempest just outside the church doors, as we are directly and subtly ORDERED to stay safe inside our nice little Christian Ghettoes, while the country burns.

AMERICAN LAODICEANS. “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing”—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and an[]oint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.’” – REVELATION 3:14-19, NKJV

“That the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed” to all the Nation, yea, to all the entire World. The operant term descriptive of todays American Church:

SHAME. From the Greek, ‘Aischuné’ [αἰσχύνη], rendered as: “Disgrace, dishonesty, ignominy; those things that shame conceals; baseness or the sense that one gets when stripped down publicly, as with nakedness before all; painful sensation excited by a consciousness of guilt, or of having done something which injures reputation; or by of that which nature or modesty prompts us to conceal; that which brings reproach, and degrades a person in the estimation of others. Thus an idol is called a shame.”

This Pastor is not yet a full-fledged ‘Wolf,’ but does qualify as a Whelp-in-Training: A young pup, if you will, being ‘Groomed’ by the Spirit of Antichrist.’ To do what? To perpetuate the Lie of ‘an Easier Gospel,’ full of fun and games and memes and cliché serving up ‘Lukewarm Bread,’ instead of the Rich, Red Meat of the Full Counsels of Jesus Christ.

V. FIVE AMERICAN WOLVES

I have carefully selected each of the following FIVE CHRISTIAN LEADERS for their nearly incomparable impact on the current condition of the American Church and consequently, the Nation. Profiles are grounded in the dispassionate biographies from ‘Wikipedia,’ then amplified with my own brief comments.

The quotes are lengthy since I am building a Factual Archive of these matters for later us.

JERRY FALWELL, JR. “Jerry Lamon Falwell Jr. (born June 17, 1962) is an American attorney, former academic administrator, and prominent member of the Evangelical Christian community. Starting with his 2007 appointment upon his father’s death, Falwell served as the president of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia until resigning amidst controversy in August 2020…In late August, Reuters contacted Falwell and his wife with their initial reporting on his wife’s alleged affair with [a] pool attendant they had met in 2012. On August 23, 2020, Falwell announced in a public statement that his wife had an ‘improper relationship’ several years earlier with a man who later threatened to reveal the affair ‘unless we agreed to pay him substantial monies’. On August 24, Reuters published their report that the man was the pool attendant with whom Falwell had invested in the hostel. The man, now 29 years old, said he began a sexual relationship with the Falwell’s when he was 20.” DK: Under pressure, Falwell resigned on August 25. Significantly, Falwell was the very first nationally prominent Evangelical to publicly back Donald Trump after the fateful Meeting of July 21, 2016 with Trump and 178 leading Christian figures, who soon followed suit.

FRANKLIN GRAHAM. “William Franklin Graham III (born July 14, 1952) is an American Protestant evangelist and missionary. Graham frequently engages in Christian revival tours and political commentary. He is currently president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief organization. Graham became a ‘committed Christian’ in 1974 and was ordained in 1982, and has since become a public speaker and author. He is a son of the American evangelist Billy Graham…In April 2011, Graham told ABC’s This Week program that Donald Trump, who had recently declared an interest in the Republican nomination for the 2012 U.S. presidential race, was his preferred candidate…Since the election, Graham has ‘become known, above all, as the most vociferous Evangelical ally’ of Trump. He has strongly opposed the Impeachment Process, calling it an ‘unjust inquisition.’ In a November 21, 2019, interview with Eric Metaxas, Graham suggested opposition to Trump was the work of a “demonic power.” In December, when Christianity Today magazine, founded by Graham’s father Billy, published an editorial calling Trump ‘profoundly immoral’ and supporting his removal from office, Graham responded by saying his father had voted for Trump and saw him as the ‘man for this hour in history for our nation’ and that the magazine was ‘representing the elitist liberal wing of Evangelicalism.’” DK: Various organizations and thousands of Christians are now circulating online petitions calling for Graham’s resignation from all his ministry positions, due to his deep attachments to Trump.

DR. ROBERT JEFFRESS. “Robert James Jeffress Jr. (born November 29, 1955) is an American Southern Baptist pastor, author, and radio and television host. He is the Senior Pastor of the 14,000-member First Baptist in Dallas, Texas and is a Fox News Contributor. His sermons are broadcast on the television and radio program Pathway to Victory, which is broadcast on more than 1,200 television stations in the United States and 28 other countries, and is heard on 900 stations and broadcast live in 195 countries…For the 2016 US presidential election, Jeffress endorsed and appeared at rallies for the Republican candidate, Donald Trump although he initially endorsed Ben Carson. Jeffress also declared that Christians who would not vote for or support Trump as the Republican nominee were ‘fools’ and ‘motivated by pride rather than principle.’ Jeffress also stated that if a candidate ran on the principles found in the Sermon on the Mount in dealing with foreign enemies of the United States such as ISIS, Iran or North Korea, Jeffress ‘would run from that candidate as far as possible’ and would still vote for Trump…On September 2019, after the impeachment inquiry into Trump had been announced, Jeffress declared on Fox News: ‘I have never seen the Evangelical Christians more angry over any issue than this attempt to illegitimately remove this President from office…If the Democrats are successful in removing the President from office, it will cause a Civil War like fracture in this nation from which our country will never heal.’” DK: He has been relatively quiet after the January 6 Insurrection, stating only this: “Disobeying and assaulting police is a sin whether it’s done by Antifa or angry Republicans.” Not a whisper of criticism of Trump from any of these men to date.

JAY SEKULOW. Jay Alan Sekulow (/ˈsɛkjəˌloʊ/; born June 10, 1956) is an American lawyer, radio, television talk show host and politically conservative media personality. He has been chief counsel of the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) since 1991. As a member of President Donald Trump‘s legal team, he served as lead outside counsel for Trump’s impeachment trial in the United States Senate…In November 2005, Legal Times published an article which alleged that Sekulow ‘through the ACLJ and a string of interconnected nonprofit and for-profit entities, has built a financial empire that generates millions of dollars a year and supports a lavish lifestyle—complete with multiple homes, chauffeur-driven cars, and a private jet that he once used to ferry Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.’ In the article, former donors and supporters claimed that Sekulow engaged in a pattern of self-dealing to finance his ‘high-flying lifestyle.’ According to a ranking by the American Institute of Philanthropy, a charity watchdog group, Sekulow was the 13th highest paid executive of a charitable organization in the United States… On February 27, 2019 Michael Cohen reported in testimony before Congress that Jay Sekulow and other members of Trump’s legal team made “several” changes to his false statement to the House Intelligence Committee, including a change to the “length of time that the Trump Tower project stayed and remained alive.” Sekulow disputed the testimony.” DK: During my days at Regent University in the 1990s, I recall Law Dean Herbert Titus warning me: “Sekulow is an unprincipled man.” Titus, however, also became a supporter of Trump in later years.

LANCE WALLNAU. “Lance Wallnau is an American evangelist, author, consultant, business owner and teacher. He rose to popularity after accurately predicting that Donald Trump would be elected as the US President, something he had been prophesying since 2015. Lance was born on September 4, 1956…His prediction that Trump would be a modern-day Cyrus was challenged by left-wing news outlets but vindicated on March 5, 2018, the day Prime Minister Netanyahu met with President Trump in the White House to thank him for his historic embassy decision, linking him to Cyrus. A New York Times op-ed quotes Lance: ‘Could Trump be God’s Cyrus?’ Lance is the innovator who introduced the “Seven Mountains of Culture” as a fresh template to explain how the church must engage culture at the turn of the century. Dr. Wallnau is a strategist, futurist and compelling communicator who has shared platforms with Ben Carson, Mike Pompeo, and best-selling authors Ken Blanchard and John Maxwell. He has conducted training for the United Nations and spoken at Harvard, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the London School of Theology. With a thirty-year background consulting business and non-profits, Lance’s students represent a global tapestry spanning governments, CEOs, entertainers, and entrepreneurs.” DK: He has no “doctorate” degree, though claims receiving one from “Primus University of Theology,” an unlisted, unaccredited entity located in Glendale, Arizona.

ABHOR THESE! From the Hebrew, ‘Taab’ [תַּעָב]: “To loathe, to detest, to morally abhor, to be abominable; to be refused, to reject, regard one as abhorrent [to God and truth]; literally translates as ‘to prostitute.” ALSO: “From the Latin, ‘Abhorreo,’ to set up bristles, shiver or shake; to look terrible; to hate extremely, or with contempt; to loathe, detest or abominate; to despise or neglect (Psalms 22:24; Amos 6:8). To cast off or reject. (Psalm 89:38).”

Early in the 2016 Campaign of Donald Trump, his followers chose to refer to themselves as “THE DEPLORABLES.” Noah Webster (1828) reduced the definition of this term to the following: “Low; contemptible; pitiable.” Seems appropriate.

“For by your words [reflecting your spiritual condition] you will be justified and acquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words [rejecting Me] you will be condemned and sentenced.” – JESUS OF NAZARETH, Matthew 12:37, Amplified

Selah.

LAST THOUGHTS

Most of us have wondered, even agonized, over how these once-stalwart (or who we presumed were ‘stalwart’) leading Christian lights traveled from Honor to Humiliation, and for some, outright Harlotry.

HOW CAN THIS BE? To put it another way, how does a harmless Whelp transform into a fully grown, vicious Wolf? Consider the following as we begin to close.

“But the goal of our instruction is love [which springs] from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some individuals have wandered away from these things into empty arguments and useless discussions, wanting to be teachers of the Law [of Moses], even though they do not understand the terms they use or the subjects about which they make [such] confident declarations.” – 1 TIMOTHY 1:5-7, AMP

THE BAD SEED. You will note the key idea here, leading to the beginning of the Backslide, leading to increasing degrees of Betrayal of God and His Truth.

“Wanting [determined, purposed] to be teachers of the Law of Moses, even though they do not understand the terms they use of the subjects about which they make such confident declarations.”

I cannot help but think of the timeless line a movie character named TERRY MALLOY, played by Marlon Brando in the 1954 file, ‘On the Waterfront’ – “I could’a been a contender. I could’ve been somebody.” Everyman’s potential downfall:

‘I want to BE somebody. Someone important. Someone others will look up to.’

CHARLES ELLICOTT COMMENTS. “‘From which some having swerved have turned aside.’ —This sentence is rendered more accurately: ‘From which some, having gone wide in aim, have turned themselves aside’. These words seem to tell us that these teachers had once been in the right direction, but had not kept in it…’Desiring to be Teachers of the Law.’ — ‘Desiring,’ though they really were not. They coveted the respect and influence which was ever paid to the acknowledged teachers of the Law of Moses; but these men utterly failed to understand the real spiritual meaning of that Law which they pretended to teach.” – ‘Notes on the Whole Bible,’ 1878; edited

The intense point of learning here is that for the majority of, or indeed the whole of our False Teachers of Today, their Point of Origin traces back to that Old Foe, PRIDE:

“Inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one’s own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplishments, rank or elevation in office, which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt of others…Insolence; rude treatment of others; insolent exultation; that dines on vanity, sups on contempt.” – NOAH WEBSTER, 1828; edited

CODA. These often young and comparatively innocent ‘Whelps’ at some point make a Conscious Decision to ‘Be Somebody,’ perhaps unknowingly Redirecting themselves toward ‘The Dark Side.’ Then over a course of years, they become that which is Unrecognizable to us, or to God, as they were first commissioned:

Wolves in sheep’s clothing. False prophets and teachers. Therefore, Pretenders to Christ, Hypocrites, and finally, Apostates, for whom Fiery Judgment is reserved. And Today’s American Church is, as The Messiah prophesied long ago, virtually FULL of such men (and women).

THE AMERICAN GOSPEL. “It’s going to be just fine. Yes, things are bad, but they will get much better. And remember, God loves you no matter what, and He has a wonderfully exciting plan for your life. So just praise Him and all will be well.”

Therefore, we must remain Vigilant to the Scourge of ‘Partial Truths,’ constantly discerning the Teachings we are receiving, to see if it is from God. And when it is not, we are to Depart from it – and them – according to Wisdom, and a sincere Love of God and Truth.

Ever your servant, DK

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