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September 30, 2021

The Whiny, Wimpy Apostate Church Crying Cancel Culture, Playing the Victim

By Anthony Wade

The COVID pandemic has revealed the apostate church and exposed it for what it is...

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This past week I came across two Charisma News articles that covered different topics within the same theme. The first link is from Stephen Strang who asserts that Christians must stand firm against government overreach while pawning his new NAR dominionist book. The second link is an interesting presentation of new data that suggests the pandemic might permanently change the church landscape in America. The authors are the researchers who wonder if they are seeing the great falling away unfold before their eyes. As usual, the blind cannot see the truths right in front of them so we will consider these together and forge ahead, starting with the offering from Strang:

'Stephen E. Strang, an award-winning journalist and the founder of Charisma Media, has just released his new book, God and Cancel Culture: Stand Strong Before It's Too Late. The timing is critical because a pervasive "cancel culture" seeks to punish those who believe in God and engage in regular worship. Strang, a widely read author and Christian businessman who wrote God and Donald Trump as well as other books, reveals that while many people were hoping Christians would be able to ride out the storm, religionespecially Christianityis under attack. While many churches wound up submitting to government authority in the early days of the pandemic, a brave few did stand up for their religious beliefs, no matter the consequences. Strang praises those churches for their actionsbut also shares an important warning. "The term 'cancel culture' applies to conservatives who oppose the politically correct crowd, but it is part of a bigger effort to cancel Christianity and those who espouse biblical principles," he says. "As Christians, we are called to help others in need as Jesus instructed, but we must also stand firm against government overreach. Ministries that are embracing both callings are actually experiencing political and spiritual revival."' - Stephen Strang

Beloved, Christianity is not under attack in America. This is by far the most Christian nation in the world. It is also the beacon of religious freedoms across the world. What it is not however is a theocracy and that is where the dominionists find their faults. While that is wholly unbiblical and unseemly, it is more so to accuse the world of using cancel culture to punish those who believe in God and engage in regular worship. First of all, there is no such thing as cancel culture. It is a term created and invented by the people who wield it to divide their political side against their perceived enemies. It was made up in a think tank by politicians who seek to split this country against itself and loves using Christians to accomplish this dirty work for them. The result is Strang and the dominionists like him sound like petulant children stamping their feet in the sandbox because they do not get their way all the time. They sound whiny. They act wimpy. That is because the dominionists and the apostate church have fostered a grievance culture within the church where the churched are encouraged to play the victim for everything. Let's look at one glaring example. In this opening, Strang claims that Christians are the victims of punishment for their faith and for wanting to worship God. This stems from the early lockdown measures taken by many states. It was determined by health experts that the best breeding ground for the virus was large gatherings where people were in close proximity to one another and there was a lot of loud speaking or singing. You do not have to be a rocket scientist to realize that a typical America church service would thus become a petri dish for spreading the lethal virus. As such the churches were asked to temporarily suspend their Sunday services - for their own health! So it was not that churches, or people of faith were targeted for their beliefs and denied worship.

What it did reveal however is how flawed the apostate church is. It has been developed and bred on the purpose driven theology that requires the Sunday service in order to survive. During the best of times they estimate only 15% of people regularly tithe so how much worse must it have become during lockdown? The pastors that bucked the system and railed against the authorities God had instituted did not do so because of freedom but rather because of money. Here is the real bad news for Strang and his band of dominionists. The culture is not seeking to eliminate them. The world loves them. Satan loves them. They may not like the whiny, victimized look but the regular business of church in America they do love. They love their Joel Osteen. They love Hillsong and Bethel. The world loves a church system where you do not need to talk about sin and no one needs to repent! So, relax Steve, no one is trying to cancel your apostate church system.

'"Today, Christians are in an unprecedented season of fragmentation, political division and actual separation on many fronts," Strang adds. "While the body of Christ is a big, diverse family, we must choose to cheer one another on, rather than allow ourselves to be divided. Christians must not lose heart. We must stand strong and not be intimidated. We must prayand we must believe God for a great awakening." In clear, authoritative prose, Strang's God and Cancel Culture features compelling interviews with an array of prominent leaders and does the following:

Documents what is happening in the country right now.

Shares how believers can respond.

Explains why Christians can look to the future with hope.

Helps readers understand that no matter how bad things seem, God always comes through.

Strang also says, "We need to understand that what we're dealing with today is far more sinister than 'liberal' versus 'conservative.' We're seeing the emergence of a uniquely American form of communism: at best, frightening, at worst, murderousto biblical values, to our way of life and to individuals it deems 'less than.'"'

This is almost funny. Stephen Strang spends every waking minute dividing Christians against each other. The opening gambit of his theology is that if you do not vote Republican than you are somehow not Christian at all! If you do not worship Donald Trump as he does, then you are somehow backslidden. His good friend Mario Murillo recently wrote that anyone who did not vote as he did is actually going to hell so spare me the sudden desire for unity. It is interesting however that he is now espousing a Kumbaya moment because that is what the apostate church will do in the end times. It will seek to unite all in the eventual one world religion and guess who the enemy is? Oh, it's those nasty worldly people and their cancel culture! You know, the very people who we are supposed to be bringing the gospel to! Do not fall for this garbage beloved. We are a unique people because we are different. We embrace any true persecution because the bible says we should expect it. We do not respond to it by crying that we are being canceled. We give the lost no reason to doubt our Savior because of the actions of those who claim to follow Him. The second link above is from Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research. Due to the COVID switch to online church services they decided to research if there were any emerging trends. Let us continue to reason together:

"Due to COVID-19, more than three out of every four evangelical Protestants in the US have experienced watching church online instead of attending in-person. More important is that going forward, the majority who did, now want to make online viewing part of their normal church experience." - Infinity Concepts

Gasp! Now, let me be frank and say there is no replacement for in person worship with people of like faith. Corporate worship and fellowship is crucial for Christians and the bible supports this. The part that Infinity Concepts cannot conceptualize is that the majority of the people are deciding the at home service is just as good as in person, within the apostate church system. Vacuous, vapid preaching combined with selfish, me-centric worship can just as easily be accomplished over the Internet. The primary reason why is that carnality need not be in person. There is nothing spiritual about church services in the apostate church. Sure, there is plenty of emotionalism disguised as the spiritual but once you have had a year away from it you realize that it was never what you were sold. Now Infinity goes into some stats that concern them:

'Nearly nine out of ten evangelicals (87%) were attending church on at least a semi-regular basis prior to the outbreak of the pandemic. Among churchgoers, 89% stopped attending for at least a short time due to the pandemic, and more than three out of four viewed church services online as one of the substitutes for in-person attendance.

"We found that 45% of those who experienced online church services now believe that worship online is equal or superior to the in-person experience in at least one of the eight areas we explored." The two areas in which online viewing was most likely to have a perceived advantage were their personal comfort (26% said online viewing is superior to in-person attendance in this area) and their ability to experience different churches (24%). Where evangelicals are most likely to see in-person church as the superior experience is in their level of connection/engagement with the church (81%), having an authentic worship experience (73%), the music/singing (69%), and the ability to give the service their full attention (67%).

"One of the most fascinating and potentially important findings is how many evangelicals took the opportunity to 'digitally visit' other churches, even though their own church was streaming services," says Ron Sellers, President of Grey Matter Research & Consulting. "One has to wonder whether this will ultimately lead to 'church nomads' who surf the internet for new church experiences rather than putting down roots and becoming part of a church community."' - Infinity Concepts

These would all be concerning trends if we were dealing with the actual church of believers in Jesus Christ. We are not. I know of not one born again believer who attends a church that preaches the uncompromised gospel of Jesus Christ that is remotely considering leaving their family for the online experience. Not one. You see the pandemic exposed something. It revealed that the church that stands at the pulpit in America each week was not actually the real church. The pastors were the hirelings and hucksters the bible warned us about. Even formerly respected names like John MacArthur or Jack Hibbs were exposed as being part of the same corrupt mega-church system that breeds Bethel and IHOP. Sure, Johnny Mac will vehemently disagree with Charismaniacs but there he was being interviewed by Stephen Strang, who gushed over his stance against the government of California. This pandemic gave the church an opportunity to be the church. To be that shining city on a hill. To meet the needs of their communities in different forums and with different methods. They could have streamed services, held smaller prayer services that comported to local ordinances, fed the sick, clothed the naked, tended to the sick and dying. They did none of that. They did not even try. Instead they cried that the government was picking on them. They whined that they were being canceled by the big bad lefty bullies. They stopped having services and because that was all they ever were about, they stopped being the church. The truly sad thing about this article from Infinity Concepts is their overarching question is if they are witnessing the great falling away when they are the great falling away. COVID 19 did not start the great apostasy, it revealed it has been going on all this time in plain sight.

'"Our findings show that only 44% of evangelical Protestants who viewed services online want to return exclusively to in-person worship once the pandemic is over," Dreistadt noted. "That means 56% would at least like to keep their options open in the future. That's 21 million evangelical adults." This desire raises a lot of strategic questions for churches. If online becomes an accepted option for many evangelicals, how will that impact giving? How will it impact Sunday school, youth and children's programs, and other traditionally in-person activities that may not be available online? What will happen with smaller churches that may not have a high-quality streaming service, or even any at all?' - Infinity Concepts

Strategic questions for the church? This is what led to the apostasy to begin with! Stop analyzing! Stop scheming! Stop allowing the goats to determine how much the sheep are fed! Stop designing church for people who think the things of God are foolishness while blessedly subtracting out those who care about biblical accuracy and adherence. The reason why 56% (and I think that number is much higher) want to keep their options open is the apostate church never gave them a reason to come back! For what? When you spend each week minimizing the bible why would anyone listen to you about not forsaking the fellowship? That verse is in Hebrews! When was the last time a Joel Osteen preached from Hebrews? When your faux worship industry creates songs about how great we are, why would the concept of corporate worship matter to anyone?

Do not lose sight of what the real question is here that Infinity is asking. It is not about Sunday school, youth programs, or the budgets of smaller churches. This is about money. How will losing over 50% of your in person gathering affect giving? I know the answer! It will cripple it as it did last year when COVID hit. It is the reason why the MacArthurs and Hibbs started whining about the Stephen Strang boogeyman of governmental overreach. The truth is that the in person apostate church services barely get anyone to tithe regularly anyway. How much less so when they are home and can browse other online services on a whim? The purpose driven church model requires in person services. It is the organizing feature of the scam. It is what creates the cult of personality preacher paradigm. Without that hour and a half on Sundays, all of that is gone. All of the purpose driven metrics are based on church attendance and giving. Without them, there is no next big book deal. There are no international leadership conferences. So, make no mistake about it beloved. The apostate church is declaring war on the very people God would want us to preach the gospel to and be that shining city on a hill for. They are whining and pitching a fit over perceived grievances that they created in their own minds. No one has been picking on churches. The government just said they could not have large public gatherings and without that ability, they had nothing left to offer. It is like the day that Bethel Church canceled all hospital visits for their healing teams moving forward because of COVID. Bethel is a huge proponent of the heresy that says God always must heal and as such, they used to send people down to local hospitals to pray for healing with the sick. Admirable until they pulled everyone for COVID. Just another fake ministry exposed by the pandemic.

Can you imagine what would have happened if the apostate church behaved like the real church when COVID hit? They would have welcomed the cessation of large services to keep people safe. They would have worked with their local governments instead of trashing them publicly and disobeying the law. They could have catered smaller service types in accordance with local authorities, so everyone was on the same page. They could have continued to visit hospitals to pray for those dying from this pandemic. They could have offered hope to the unsaved through various online and streaming opportunities. They could have ensured that all of their congregants had the proper technology and triaged their medical and food needs through direct outreach, you know, like the bible says we ought to. They could have partnered with their local and national doctors to be part of the global solution instead of sowing wild eyed conspiracy theories and medical disinformation, showing not only their ignorance but their arrogant disregard for the health of the very sheep the Lord entrusted to them. They could have been centers of vaccine distribution instead of centers of vaccine lies. All the while explaining at every turn how comforting it is to have Jesus Christ in their lives during these times. The acceleration of the gospel could have exploded across this earth with the revival they all so desperately chase and will never find. What could have been.

Instead we have Stephen Strang and his band of not so merry dominionists grumbling about how badly they are being picked on by the evil secularists who had the temerity to ask them to shut up for once and actually be the church. Too much to ask. Now we march into and uncertain future with the apostate church playing the victim and armed for war. God help us all.

Reverend Anthony Wade - September 30, 2021



Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

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