(1906 words)

“And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.” – Matthew 24:10

Christ warned that in the last days a period would arrive when people will betray and hate one another because they will be “offended.” The Greek word for offended is skandalizō, which means, “to entrap, i.e. trip up, stumble or entice to sin, apostatize or offend.” (Strong’s) “Offended” indicates that people will become scandalized.

The skandalizō is the verb of scandalon, which is what we get the English word scandal from.[i]  Biblical usages of skandalizō include; “To put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall.  To entice to sin, to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey. To cause to fall away, to be offended in one, i.e. to see in another what I disapprove of and what hinders me from acknowledging his authority. To cause one to judge unfavorably or unjustly of another.”

Consider that Israel became apostate and the heavens marveled at their scandal.

“Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid; be very desolate,” says the Lord. “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.” – Jeremiah 2:12-13

It was a great scandal for Israel to forsake the Fountain of Living Waters. They metaphorically hewed broken cisterns that could not hold water. In actuality, they became idolatrous and engaged in pagan practices of the nations around them.  If the following passage were in the Greek text, it would be the definition of skandalizō.

“And they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways, from the ancient paths, to walk in pathways and not on a highway.” (Jeremiah 18:15)

Likewise, these “offended” ones that Christ referred to in Matthew 24:10, are scandalous. They may not recognize that they are scandalous because the world has become very wicked. As it did, the spiritual condition of professing Christians deteriorated in proportion. Subsequently, popular leaders in Christianity are implying that God has changed His mind. What His word defines as sin is being sanctioned as proper behavior. However, whatever God regards as scandalous will always be scandalous. He does not change His nature and accept it merely because more people become scandalous. The majority of professing Christians today disagree. They believe that what God once disallowed He will allow if it becomes accepted by the present culture. That belief is the danger of becoming accustomed to living distant from God’s presence, deaf and insensitive to the Holy Spirit. The bodies of Israelites were scattered all over the desert that they wandered in because of their rebellion. They became scandalous. Continue reading

I was invited to attend a revival meeting in a local church. The speaker spoke clear and about sin and many of the sins church people commit and are entangled in. However, I was disappointed when at the end of his preaching he apologized if he had offended anyone. The problem such preachers have is they are not in charge of conviction. I have taught on topics, such as The History of Christianity, and made no mention of sin or sinning, and yet people were convicted.

The fact is, we have no control over conviction. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts and also anoints preaching and teaching. So that preacher was just trying to appear strong against sin, but he did not want conviction to occur. His apology was for the purpose of softening the effect of conviction. What a waste of pulpit time and my time as well!

It is true that most people do not like conviction and many reject it. To the deceived, all truth that is conveyed via anointed preaching, and that pierces their minds with conviction, is considered “hateful, judgmental, pharisaical, unloving, condemning, et cetera.” They want a soft and benign gospel that could not penetrate a rotten apple. The piercing of God’s word disturbs them and they lash out in anger. Striking out with angry accusative verbiage at one who speaks the clear Gospel truth is indicative of one who does not know Christ.

The only “gospel” available that fits their standard is as a cart rope tied to Satan’s minions. It is the “gospel” of “Christ on our terms and according to our way.” It does not include becoming a new creation because it does not insist on death to the fleshly nature. One cannot be raised in newness of life that has not been crucified with Christ.

The truth is that if God had wanted to please the ears and warm the hearts of sinners, He would have sent a Gospel palatable to their sin-deadened souls. However, that’s not the way salvation works. People need their sin exposed so that they realize that they need a savior. But they have become hardened through the “deceitfulness of sins.” (Hebrews 3:13) There is a reason the word of God is identified as a sword. Its sharp tip is conviction and it did not come to make peace with sinners. When Christ said, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you” (John 15:3), perhaps it was because the anointed word attacks sin with conviction. Sincere repentance is as taking a spiritual bath in the cleansing Blood of Christ.

No one can be saved who has not been convicted of sin. If an individual is lost, the Holy Spirit will convict him or her because their sin and unbelief condemns them. To be set free he or she must turn from darkness and run to the Light.
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 3:19

However, heretics and hirelings preach the “gospel” of a “covenant with death” (Isaiah 28:18-20), which pleases the flesh. Sinners have no trouble listening to it or believing it. However, they are not truly converted but are being led down a path to deception.

The anointed word of God leaves no room for fence-straddling Christianity. Millions will reject it and enter hell. The False Christian and flesh-placating preacher will enter eternal hell. People who reject conviction are setting their course for hell.  We must love God’s word when it convicts us as much as we love it when it blesses, comforts, encourages, and strengthens us. Conviction is not the enemy of a sinner. It can introduce him or her to a true friend—Jesus Christ.

When I read about the Pennsylvania grand jury report of horrific molestation of children by RCC priests, I thought, “The dark storm is getting closer.” If I’m not mistaken the report only covered one state. One day the dark storm will arrive in full fury. The wicked works of darkness will then be so plentiful and ubiquitous that it will be almost unbearable.

Here’s how the damage control arm of the RCC works. It reveals diabolical scheming that is very
troubling. Weeks before the release of the grand jury report about hundreds of priests molesting and raping children, there was a spike in the push to accept pedophilia. The liberal news media provided an outlet for their demonstrations. In some instances it was one person with a placard, but they blew it up as a significant number of protesters . It was spread all over social media. Liberals in the entertainment industry quickly joined the relatively small advocacy. I wondered why the scurrilous ones were pushing that agenda when there was obviously no chance it was going to succeed during the Trump administration.

What was going on was an attempt by the Vatican cleanup crew to condition society for the release of the grand jury’s report. It reveals a strong connection to homosexual and especially the pedophile activists.I don’t think they expected to significantly abate the outrage of the public, but to tone it down enough that they could manage the negativity until the story rolled out off the News cycle. Notice that after the report was released the pedophile advocates faded away.

Here is a clearer picture of what is going on in the RCC. It is reported that as much as 50% of RCC priests in America are homosexuals (Let’s Find Out the Real Number of Gay Priests in the Church; Francis DeBernardo). Another report declared only 45% of priests are practicing celibacy (The American Conservative; Rod Dreher). Those are not the only sources that I researched. It is a stunning indictment of corruption in the RCC that, with its heresy and unbiblical religious system, makes it clear that no true Christian should ever call it a Christian organization, much less wish to engage in ecumenism with it. Continue reading