Cedric Fisher: "earnestly contending for the faith."

Do Warnings Make You Cringe and Turn on Your Mental Auto-block?

(Warning: If you’d rather wake up with your bed on fire than change the battery in the smoke alarm, this article is not for you.)

Why are most professing Christians ignoring warnings? Why do they consider truth speakers too harsh, fanatical, out of touch with mainstream Christianity, et cetera? Why, when it is obvious that the “end of days” is rapidly approaching, and God’s word has many warnings against being unprepared, do they so completely resist and reject warnings that can motivate them to prepare? Maybe we should ask why people drive into swollen rivers and drown? Or why they drive and text? Or why they eat, smoke, and drink themselves to disease and an early death?

People are willfully and comfortably blind to the signs and deaf to the warnings. It is the result of the human nature’s proclivity to be stress-free, and the compromise of Christianity by heresy. I witnessed the “Word of Faith” doctrine (prosperity, comfort, convenience, health, God-is-my-servant) seep into and blend with the Evangelical belief system. Now professing Christians are too focused on being “blessed” and comfortable to be bothered by warnings. Many of them say they do not believe in the WOF heresy, but they live as if they do. They have allowed their hearts of sacrifice to be slowly converted to self-centered hearts calloused by repeated, unresponsiveness to conviction (Romans 12:1-2). It’s all about sports, shopping, food, fun, ranting about politics, occasionally roasting a heretic, about Churchianity, and happy, happy, happy! They would rather believe that an inarticulate and bearded duck hunter speaking “pabulum” is a eminent sage than to acknowledge a God-sent warning.

They are comfortable and that’s what matters. Only what promotes comfort is permitted to pass the eye and ear gates. The fact is it doesn’t matter if one rides a Mercedes or a dirt bike into a firestorm he or she is still going to roast. The “Ostrich Complex” is merely a means to insure unpreparedness for a devastating and unprecedented satanic firestorm.

The first 3 chapters of Revelation make it clear that the responsibility to endure is ours. It is irresponsible to ignore the signs and warnings until catastrophe forces us to wake up to the reality that we have been deceived.

Here’s another warning:

“Wake up, o sleeper! While you slumber deception is working. It is eating into the minds of people you love. Do you care enough to warn them? You won’t even heed the warnings for yourself! You should know that Satan will give you all of the religious candy on the shelf if you will just eat it, become spiritually obese, continue to sleep and stay out of his way.

“It is more comfortable to sleep than to stand, more comforting to be wilfully ignorant than to love truth, more pleasurable to enjoy the world system than to fight the good fight of faith, and easier to walk the broad path than the narrow one. Wake up now and get “oil” or be awakened to discover the door has been shut! As the ones who pounded on the door of Noah’s ark, you will never see it open.”

Many of them will refuse to wake up because they went to sleep clutching their fluffy, stuffed, doctrine. People love doctrine more than truth. Warn them and they block the warning with a doctrine. People believe they can sail the stormy sea in a boat made of doctrines instead of a relationship with God.

There are “Baptist boats”, Episcopalian boats”, “Roman Catholic boats”, “Pentecostal and Charismatic boats”, “Seeker-sensitive & Emergent boats”, “New Apostolic Reformation boats”, “Hillsong boats”, “Stay-at-home-watch-religious TV boats”, “Internet religion boats”, an armada of floating paper craft filled with people condescending to each other as if they each have the superior vessel. Right doctrine promotes intimacy with and fidelity to God. If those two qualities are missing, their boats will sink!

I do not care what their doctrine is; individuals that try to coast uncommitted and unproductive to the finish line will never cross it. There are many scriptures that clearly verify that fact.

 

28 Comments

  1. Ronald DeMitchell

    Wow do we need these types of warnings. So many don’t even care about sound doctrine. I believe that we may add another boat that will for sure sink, the kingdom now boat. All of these boats, it seems, have become a part of one big ship called end times apostasy. The only boats that will stay afloat are those built upon the foundation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

  2. Ronald DeMitchell

    In that light, there’s a two-part message called The Holy War by David Nathan of Moriel Ministries. You can find it by a search on YouTube. Just type in David Nathan Holy War, and you should find it. I found it challenging and convicting.

    • Jeannette

      Good series, David Nathan is an excellent Bible teacher, and doesn’t pull his punches!

  3. Ronald DeMitchell

    I have a correction. That series I mentioned in my last post is actually in three parts. That’s my bad.

  4. Ronald DeMitchell

    I wonder how much of the darkness is due to the lack of good solid preaching in the pulpit as well. That old serpent has slithered his way into many pulpits and taken many preachers down. We have to pray for preachers that will clearly proclaim the Word under the unction of the Holy Spirit. Any of those preachers we find, we need to make sure we pay attention to them. Anyone that faithfully preaches the Word under that power, the devil will become afraid of. That old serpent will use evil men to persecute them, but so long as they continue to believe on Christ themselves, the Lord will make them a force to be reckoned with. It will continue to get dark, but the Lord will have his men in the pulpit notwithstanding the designs of the devil. (See Second Timothy 4:1 and 2).

  5. Anna

    I gotta say, there is an issue within the discernment camp that has been nagging at me for some time. I realize that not all in this camp agree and see eye to eye about everything and many times far from it. But I find it interesting that there almost seems to be a certain rift that creates two separate areas. As I have surfed the discernment websites for many years now I have acquired a taste for the good ones and have come across many so I have a wide experience with this.

    What I see on one side is those who really get it for the most part. They put God’s Word first, they test all things by the Bible, and yes they have an intimate relationship with Jesus. They have many things going for them. They don’t put any ‘teachers’ on a pedestal. They know we have to obey God no matter the cost.

    Then there is a section that claims to be ‘discernment’ and even has many events of this nature, some public forum, etc. But they seem to have idolized certain ‘teachers.’ These teachers claim to be knowledgeable about discernment and even warn about many problems in the age of apostasy such as the emergent church, seeker sensitive, purpose driven, etc. They have sound doctrine in many ways and seem very solid. But there are some areas where they are off, some may be minor but others are not. And this end of the camp will relentlessly follow and back these ‘teachers’ no matter what, just because they said many things that are good and true. But what good does that do, if then they come with a major heresy? There are many examples and I have tried to warn them often enough, but it is mind boggling as to why they don’t see the error. I will give one example. Suppose a teacher is solid and sound and right on in so many ways. They have a large ‘following’. Then one day they get up behind the pulpit and say something like; “If you blaspheme the Holy Spirit, you will still go to heaven.” You would think that their ‘following’ would be outraged, they would all storm off in every direction and abandon that ‘teacher’ like yesterday’s trash. What they said was so obviously contrary to Scripture, who in their right mind couldn’t see this?!?! Jesus said that this was the unforgivable sin. So either they don’t believe Jesus, they don’t believe that the Bible is God’s inspired Word, or something of that nature. Thus they are ‘in’ the apostasy! One would think, “Surely I don’t need to get out there and issue warnings about this item?! Surely these discerning folks can see this for themselves, it is so obvious! I mean, it’s right there in the Bible, and they know that is God’s Word, it’s as clear as can be!” But… guess again! Yes, it is that bad. The exact case involves John MacArthur, who said that “you can take the mark of the beast… and still remain saved and go to heaven”. And that, when the Bible clearly states the opposite! In Rev. 14; 9-11 it says that ANYONE who even TAKES the mark, is going to HELL! That’s it folks, game over! End of story, if you even take it, you’re hell bound. There is no second change, no way around it, nothing. These people will be so far gone that the idea of repenting won’t even cross their minds because they will be convinced that ‘all is well’. And what is leading them there? This same exact lack of conviction, callous, reprobate attitude that I see now! I still see throngs of ‘discernment’ believers that follow this heretic around and he has them eating out of his hands like they are his little puppies. No matter that I warn of this, they stick close by him and won’t leave his side. “Oh no! They won’t hear of it… a negative word about our teacher ___________ !?!?” is their attitude. I see it all over. Yet the evidence is there, the video where he says that very thing. Many discernment ministry bloggers did depart from that wolf, but so many more have not. They would be outraged and aghast that I dare call him a wolf even! It’s like… good morning! He just basically said it’s okay to deny Jesus, swear allegiance to the devil and antichrist and their whole world order, (as a ‘Christian’) and all that for physical survival, when the Bible of course says the exact opposite! It’s like, what part of this do you NOT have a problem with? But they are as blind as it gets, clinging to their ‘leader’! They will end up believing him and following him to hell. And that is how it happens folks! Then they can ponder where they took that wrong turn… was it eternal security (saved no matter what)? Was it easy believism? Was it calling every act of obedience and holiness that we are called to ‘works salvation’ and ‘legalism’? Was it the ‘pre trib’ rapture myth that said you don’t need to even worry your pretty little head about who the antichrist is and what he does, because you will already have been whisked away without facing one trial and temptation? Was it the ‘Left Behind’ series? Or was it this ‘take the mark and still be saved’ damnable lie from hell from John MacArthur who is the devil’s mouthpiece in this statement? (What’s wrong, did I knock down your idol?!) NOW is the time to get this right and to submit to God, to know what God’s Word says… today! Not after football season is over, or ‘shopping’ season, or whatever other distraction is stealing all of your attention away, but now! When these people are in hell, it won’t matter what the score was, how many shiny objects were under the tree, or any of those other million and one distractions that have their attention now. But oh, how they will wish that they would have spent more time in the Word, more time on their relationship with the Lord! If they would have made Him their priority, maybe they would have been with Him at that very moment instead of in hell. But where your heart is, that is where your time is as well.

    Just another word of warning.

    • Tani C

      This is in response to Anna. Wow, you hit the nail on the head! There is so much wrong with MacArthur’s church and his preaching that it’s ok to take the mark of the beast. So much bad fruit from the ministry of Grace to You. He has a following to be sure – very large. We must take heed to our own souls and study the Word of God for ourselves, being Berean’s. May God have mercy on us!

    • ken hall

      That’s the way to put it “out there” Anna. We have to stand for something or we will fall for anything. There is a lot of truth in that “country line”. If we do not stand, and then stand some more, etc., etc. we will eventually be “worn down” by the enemy. Satan is good at that. And he is always on the job with his forces of evil to look for a “crack” in our armor. You give him an inch and he will take a mile. As for MacArthur, his hayday has passed but he has been extremely effective “getting out” his particularly flawed brand of religion which is a mix of dispensationalism and reformed theology. Two wrongs NEVER make a right, and he is the classic example of that. But he has a “brand” for what endorses with the young, restless, and reformed crowd. “Heady” religion indeed, as witnessed by the worldly success of his efforts. Yes, he is the snake in the grass, but a very successful one.

      I want you guys to pray for me to recover from medical issues that I have now realized was God’s “blessed” provision in my life. I will not go into detail about this at this time. There are much BIGGER problems in this world than Ken’s inconvenience and pain. It was truly the Job and Jonah experience all in one. God needed me to get out His message,I was not listening, so I get many days in the fish belly and I can scrape my sores while preaching to Nineveh. That is where I am.

      On another note, here are some recent articles of that I have written on the blog to try to get folks attention concerning how close the ” final” times are. I think REAL CLOSE!!!!!

      https://heyjude15.wordpress.com/2017/10/29/gonna-get-tougher-soon-folks/

      https://heyjude15.wordpress.com/2017/12/06/jerusalem-in-the-crosshairs/

      https://heyjude15.wordpress.com/2017/12/11/the-beginning-of-the-end-part-one/

    • Lisa

      Anna-
      I read your post with great interest. I am in need of some enlightening. I have been listening to John MacArthur for a while now because I have found him solid. I have not heard him say that if someone were to take the Mark of the Beast they would still get into Heaven. This bothers me greatly!! I do not believe this way and would like to be able to hear the preaching where he states this. Could you help me in finding this? Also could you help me find someone to listen to that would be more Scripturally solid?
      Thank you,
      Lisa

      • Jessica

        Lisa, I’m not Anna but the following link has the audio of MacArthur saying what he said at the beginning of the video. I feel like when I first watched it it was video, but I can’t find that. What he says is wrong on so many levels. Also, I don’t know anything about the guy that is commentating the video, so I am not promoting his teachings.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuOnT1AOtBI

        If you don’t know about David Wilkerson, Leonard Ravenhill, and A. W. Tozer, then these fine men would be a great place to start for some good, solid teaching. And, of course, Elder Fisher here is an excellent resource!

        I hope that you get this reply. God bless, Sister!

  6. ken hall

    Thank you for continuing warn and to write these types of articles. I look forward to what you say on this website. You are right when you say that they rely on their faulty doctrines to assuage their consciences and mentally give themselves a “pass”to disobey the Word of God . I am deeply concerned for the souls of such people. They are not getting what they need from the pulpits in the vast majority of today’s assemblies. The Bible warns us time and again to “be not deceived”, so the onus comes back on us; to know the Word and obey it. I believe that is the “bottom line” for faithful Christian living. Man-made doctrines will not be used at the judgments!!!

    Keep preaching, brother!!!!

  7. sandro alvino

    restareattaccati a Gesù Cristo è l’unica cosa che ci assicura ( per fede in Lui ) la vita; esplorando la sua parola, entrare (tramite la preghiera e la meditazione della parola ) nella profondità del suo amore e della sua conoscenza, affinché in questi tempi malvagi, usiamo tutta l’armatura di Dio, la quale, il Signore ci ha donato tramite il suo Spirito Santo. Fratelli facciamoci forza in Cristo Gesù e solo a Lui tutta la gloria e ringraziamento.

    Dio vi benedica

  8. LJ

    Truly you are 100% correct in everything you stated in your article. Those of us who have allowed the Lord to remain on the throne in our hearts and continued to love the truth are told to warn the people…even if they don’t take heed. God loves them as He does us; yet, He gives us all a choice. At the end of the day, we have to make up in our minds (during this end-time) whether we’ll be faithful to the Lord Jesus or sell out to the world. Unfortunately, many believers have given up the ‘banner of our Lord’ with most no even realizing it. They have been deceived. Let us continue to work while it is day!

  9. Ronald DeMitchell

    You have to wonder too, what types of music we are listening to. Satan has his own kind of music out there, and many are deceived by it. Joe Schimel has a documentary called ‘They Sold Their Souls for Rock ‘N’ Roll.’ It seems that so much of the demonic music is in that genre and many of its spinoffs.

    Unless I am mistaken, I believe that so much of that music will be used by the devil to get people to worship the Antichrist and take his mark as well. I don’t say that all modern music is clearly evil, but simply stay away from any music that will draw you into the flesh. Hitler used music as a part of his propaganda against the Jews in the time of the Holocaust. Let’s say we mainly stick with music that will lift our spirits up to the Lord.

    If anything that I have said on music is scripturally incorrect, you have every right to challenge me based on the Scriptures. Just another warning I believe is timely.

  10. Tani C

    Very well done article. It’s very sobering, but we can take comfort in the Lord in that He will never leave us or forsake us. Your comments about the duck hunter are spot on…and it’s no wonder that he is not Biblically sound – they are Church of Christ who believe you must be baptized to be saved. They are steeped in legalism.
    I can’t even find a decent church anymore that teaches right doctrine. I left what I thought was a sound church until they lost their worship leader only to replace him with a worship team that sings all the catchy, popular, sappy “Christian” songs, then the pastor starting using props and they installed a coffee bar. The head pastor let another pastor in the church use the Message Bible to teach from!!! It all continued downhill from there. So sad and disappointing!

    I am shocked at how quickly we’re seeing pastor’s, Bible teachers, Apologist’s go the route of apostasy. Beth Moore we all know is a false teacher, but she’s becoming more brazen, even giving a nod to Jen Hatmaker who is in full support of gay marriage and gay relationships thinking that they can be honoring to God. Make no mistake Moore is in support too, she’s just biding her time as she will lose many followers. Then there’s Hillsong, Bethel, etc., etc. The sheer number of people being deceived is incredible!! May God keep us and may we never let our shields down.

    Thanks for sounding the alarm!

    • mellany McKenzie

      U should live in canada sister

      Except for Roger Oakland, Trevor Baker and Mr. Barber and his son preaching, teaching, warning, exhorting I do not know where I wld be.

      In my area thr r no churches
      They do not understand the times or anything else.
      Ian Jube is another Canadian but that is it.

      I never knew abt the end times. or prophecy or even reading the Bible much less understanding it. Now it is my chief joy.

      I love the hymns and each and every day God gives me a word of encouragement.
      Just recently it was
      This is my story
      This is my song
      Praising my savior all the day long.

      God is good and faithful
      He chastens those whom He loves
      His rod and staff they comfort me
      and surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

      It is good to give God praise in the land of the living
      And to remember r persecuted brethern in chains.

      Blessings
      Marantha!
      In Christ
      Mellany

  11. Ronald DeMitchell

    I don’t know how many of you are aware, but something significant happened in the Middle East that fulfills Bible prophecy and sets the stage for the great tribulation. On December 1, the U.N. voted to condemn Israel’s claim to an undivided Jerusalem. That’s a partial fulfillment of Zechariah 12 where the Lord talks about making Jerusalem a big issue over which the nations contend.

    On the one hand, many of us are aware that to this very day, Israel is spiritually blind to the claims of Jesus as the Messiah. Just take a look at Matthew 23. Nevertheless, Israel will be saved. The Lord is coming soon.

    Bill Randles has an excellent exposition of Zechariah which he originally did in 2010. He has reposted it on Lighthouse Trails. Go check it out.

  12. Jeannette

    This is probably a silly question, but I live in the UK and haven’t had a television for a number of years (couldn’t afford that and a computer). One sentence in the article puzzled me:

    “They would rather believe that an inarticulate and bearded duck hunter speaking “pabulum” is a eminent sage than to acknowledge a God-sent warning.”

    I get the gist, though had to look up “Pabulum”, which is apparently a nourishing but not very tasty infant food.

    But who is this “inarticulate and bearded duck hunter “???

    Thanks x

    • C.H. Fisher

      He is/was a star on a reality TV show about duck hunters who wore long beards and their duck call factory. Because he professed Christianity, many Christians in the USA exalted him to sage status. Had he not been a TV star, I wonder if they would have even given him a “Howdy” had they met him on the street. It may come as a shock to some professing Christians, but TV stardom does not elevate one’s spiritual status or enhance ones ability to be a source of insightful wisdom.

  13. Ronald DeMitchell

    Thank you brother for posting that link. There’s not one subject that the Word of God doesn’t address in some way. We could go on for hours and hours discussing the issues of the day. I should wonder how many of the end times issues that Jesus and the apostles warned us about nearly two thousand years ago are affected by the the Hegelian dialectic process as well.

  14. Ted Larson

    This is something I have been saying for quite sometime now and I have gotten a lot of flack for it from people who should know better. It seems that even the most conservative and fundamentalist of denominations these heresies have crept in. Too many pastors are not preaching that the end of days is upon us nor are they preaching the salvation message.

  15. Esther Sanford

    In response to John MacArthur’s statement posted by Anna…

    https://www.gty.org/library/Print/Blog/B131030

    I have learned by too many personal experiences not to follow “mere men”. I am also a diligent truth seeker myself. Said “Amen” to most of that falsehood mentioned above…and more! In this day and age, can we even find that pure and undefiled religion? Only trusting in God and His Word, striving to be obedient and serving Him in all things, & looking to that Day of our Christ’s return…

    But I feel it necessary to also post what Grace to You said in response to this!

    https://www.gty.org/library/Print/Blog/B131030

    God bless!
    Esther

  16. Bryan Harding

    I believe the article above is spot on and I really appreciate that they wrote it. We do need to wake up and we need to sound the trumpet, especially to those around us that seem to lack discernment. I grew up around the name it and claim it, prosperity gospel. My parents and the majority of my family are still in it. I praise God, that through the studying of His word, my wife and I were able to come out of that. There is another doctrine out there, that seems to bridge across alot of denominations that I need some help with. And I think it really goes hand in hand with what the article speaks to that we do need to head the warning signs. The doctrine that I refer to and I hear my parents say so many times, is that we are going to be raptured out of here before it gets bad. They also believe that there is going to be another great revival. On both of these points, I see where scripture says that there will be an end time apostacy and I don’t see a pattern in scripture where we get raptured out before it gets bad. I believe that we will meet Jesus in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. But what I don’t believe is that we will be raptured out before it gets bad. I believe that we as Christians will suffer great tribulation and persecution, but we won’t suffer God’s wrath. I believe He can and does do both of these simultaneously and knows who are his own. I also believe that you can look at the Old Testament to see patterns of prophetic events that have yet to happen, example Elijah and Elisha, the New testament church and the nation of Israel. Elijah was taken up(i.e. the church and the rapture), Elisha received the double blessing, (i.e. the nation of Israel). God is not done with his people. This is all through the Old Testament. You see shadows of the spirit of antichrist and you see types of Christ, in Joshua, in Moses. And you see patterns and reflections of the nature of God. Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone else out there has any thoughts or comments on the rapture and a last day revival.

    One last comment that I would like to make about MacArthur. He has linked arms with R.C. Sproul and has taken on a lot of the same Calvinist belief system that he has. The TULIP has infiltrated a lot of the Baptist denomination. There is equal deception on both sides of the pendulum.

    I always like to look at true Christianity and false Christianity through this analogy.
    “Do” Bondage (False Christianity)
    “Done” Belief (True Christianity)
    Everything can be measured against this. The simplicity of the Gospel is what it is all about.

    Praise God for His word.

    • ken hall

      Just a short comment. About your Do Bondage. Done Belief. This COULD be right, but maybe not. Here is why.

      If you are looking at DO in respect of always “measuring up” to a set of rules, Like do, do do, and then do some more. you are right, most likely. I look at “obeying” God and His Word as my Christian duty and what keeps me in His Will. I want blessing on my life for staying obedient and true. I do not usually achieve that goal each day, but there is ‘tomorrow’ to try again.

      As for the ‘Done’ part , in my opinion ‘it is not over til it’s over’. I associate DONE as meaning ‘finished’. Salvation was accomplished by Jesus at Calvary and verified by an empty tomb on resurrection day. My salvation started on July 6, 1992 and will be complete when I finish faithful . We MUST finish the “race” as His victors, continuing to believe in Jesus as the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life and the only way back to the Father.

      Nothing short of this attitude will “DO”, I am afraid!!

  17. Ronald DeMitchell

    Whatever the views we have on eternal security, whether we believe it is conditional or unconditional, the point of all the warnings and promises of the Bible is to inspire the fear of the Lord in us. I, for my part, believe that so long as we continue in God’s kindness, all is well with our souls. It’s when we step outside and begin to go into sin and heresy that we can expect judgment. As it says in Hebrews 10, “For if we sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment.” Whether that describes someone that was never saved to begin with or not is something we should leave for the academic theologians to debate. Nevertheless, that text seems to make it clear that willful sin in the life of a man (or woman) is a sign that he is likely not saved at that moment. Let’s continue on, in the faith and look forward to our Lord’s return.

  18. Ronald DeMitchell

    I don’t know if I mentioned it in another post, but David Nathan has a sermon on biblical hermeneutics. It’s the same type of hermeneutic that Jesus and the apostles would have used, but not the hermeneutics of the Talmud. The literal interpretation is always the cornerstone, not excluding types and shadows of New Testament truth. I found it through a search on YouTube initially. Just type in David Nathan Hermeneutics in the search box, and you should find it.

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