Gospel of Inclusion

Date: Sunday, 26 September, 2010, 10:03

It is out of great concern that I urge you to search for the reply of the live interview that CNN’s Larry King had with:(1) Pastor Joel Osteen, and

(2) Bishop T D Jakes.

How come these two men of God had difficulties to stand and declare the word of God.

In the two instances, God’s inspired pronouncements in
John 14:6
” Jesus saith unto him, I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life: NO MAN cometh unto the Father, but by me”

and Acts 4:12
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is NONE OTHER NAME under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”

suffered great humiliation!

…

At the risk of sounding like a prophet of doom, I believe things will get worse. I believe that Scriptures have already warned very clearly about apostasy and we should increasingly prepare our minds for it.

The New Testament, especially the Epistles, clearly teach that the whole of the Church Age is a time of increasing apostasy within Christendom. In fact, so much space is spent in the New Testament dealing with the issue of apostasy that it has to be considered one of its major themes. Apostasy constitutes the main theme of entire books and chapters as well as paragraphs and verses in the New Testament. Apostasy and its evil effects provide the main message of such books as First and Second Timothy, Second Peter, and Jude. Apostasy occupies a prominent place in such books as Galatians, Second Thessalonians, Hebrews and Revelation. Apostasy and apostates are set forth with varying degrees of detail as to their character and conduct, influence and teaching. Believers are warned to know how to recognize them and Christian leaders are supposed to protect their flocks from them and their unhealthy doctrine. Apostasy is doctrinal error, not how many will or will not be saved, whether or not the economy will be good or bad, or how moral or immoral society will be. The focus of apostasy is not secular society, but what is going on within the Church itself.

No one ought to take pleasure in the apostasy theme of the New Testament, but we all must acknowledge this point in an effort to call the Church away from apostasy. Indeed, 2 Tim. 3:1 emphatically says “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” The Living Bible puts it as:

“You may as well know this too, Timothy, that in the last days it is going to be very difficult to be a Christian.” (emphasis mine)

On a brighter note, this increasing apostasy ought to drive us to seek the Lord more in order to serve Him more acceptably. I am reminded more and more of Jer. 6:16

“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls...”

We can no longer afford to just casually walk in any path that opens up before us. It requires (a) standing; (b) seeing; and (c) asking before making a choice, for those who walk on the narrow way do not stumble into it; they find it (Matt. 7: 13-14). We need greater and clearer utterance that can wake the dead and call men away from the path of error. The hymnwriter says:

“Revive Thy work o Lord!

Thy mighty arm make bare;

Speak with the voice that wakes the dead

And let Thy people hear. “

May the Lord continue to give us light and keep us on the narrow path.

Matthew 12:14-37; 13:1-52; 15:12; 23:1-36; 24:10-28

Luke 8:13

John 6:60-71; 8:31-59; 13:21-30; 15:18-27

20:17-35

Romans 1:18-32; 16:17-18

2 Corinthians 11:1-15; 13:5

Galatians 1:6-9; 5:1-12

Philippians 3:2, 18-19

Colossians 2:4-23

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

1 Timothy 1:3-7; 4:1-3; 6:3-5

2 Timothy 2:11-26; 3:1-14; 4:1-6

Titus 1:10-16

Hebrews 2:1-4; 3:7- 4:13; 5:12- 6:12; 10:26-31; 12:14-17

2 Peter 2:1-22; 3:3-10

1 John 2:18-23; 4:1-6

2 John 9

Jude 3-23

Revelation 2:1- 3:22; 4:1- 5:14; 6:1- 10:11; 11:1- 15:8; 16:1- 19:24; 19:1- 20:15

Louis Akanimo
Email: louisakanimo@yahoo.com; lakanimo@cantab.net

In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity