A house of heresy: Using the Lord’s name in vain

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Written By Paul Proctor

On September 2nd the New York Times reported the following:

“Aaron Sorkin, the executive producer of “The West Wing” on NBC, says he hopes to break a longstanding network taboo this coming television season: he wants a character to curse in a way that uses the Lord’s name in vain.”

As Cable Applies Pressure, Network TV Spouts Expletives

Agape Press began their report on the shocking announcement with, “Parents Beware!” while various conservative commentators busied themselves rallying the troops to make their voices heard by television executives. It seems that writers for the big three networks have been commissioned by producers to begin including in their scripts for the new fall lineup all sorts of language that Christians will obviously find offensive, the worst of which is of course “using the Lord’s name in vain”.

Yes, it is sad to watch our culture morally plummeting before our eyes, not by default mind you, but by design. If nothing else this story should put and end to any additional argument or speculation as to the liberal agenda. There is no slippery slope involved here, my friends. This is clearly a swan dive into the filthy abyss. Only a fool would deny that the primary goal and purpose here is outright rebellion against God.

However, before we start sending our flaming letters of “righteous indignation” to secular society for “using the Lord’s name in vain”, perhaps we should get our own house in order first. So what’s wrong with the language of the church today? Are we too, guilty of breaking the third commandment?

You see, not only does the “GD” word qualify as “using the Lord’s name in vain”, so does invoking the name of Christ to carry out occult agendas like “evangelization”, (church-growth via ecumenism) which for the record, is not “The Great Commission”. Whatever you do, don’t confuse “evangelization” with evangelism. Evangelization was designed and implemented by demonically led church growth gurus to win “people groups”, (countries, cultures, cities and communities, etc.) into a socialistic system of christianized collectivism known as “dominion theology” using the tactics and manipulation of the Hegelian Dialectic or “consensus process”. The “church growth movement”, made popular by Willow Creek Community Church and Saddleback Community Church is the product of Fuller Theological Seminary. Evangelism, on the other hand, is the Christian’s call to simply “preach the gospel to every living creature” that they may respond personally and individually to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith under the guidance, direction, power and conviction of the Holy Spirit. Evangelization and evangelism are two entirely different things. Confusing the two has subsequently led many well-meaning Christians and missionaries into working for the enemy “in the name of Christ”.

Far more shocking and outrageous to me than the indecent language of unregenerate Hollywood actors is the number of beguiled believers being recruited by their own local church into various “movements”, “networks”, “conferences”, “missions teams” and “visioning sessions” where attendees are piously instructed to leave their doctrinal differences at the door “for the cause of Christ”. Well, DON’T YOU DO IT! The cause of Christ is not achieved by sacrificing truth. Today’s wolves and blind guides may be winning the world “in Jesus’ name”, but they are certainly not winning it for Him.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23)

Did the Lord tell Noah to build an ark big enough, fancy enough and entertaining enough for everyone to enter and enjoy? Did the Lord send Moses back to Egypt to transform it into a Jewish nation? Did Joshua have Israel gather around Jericho to promote “tolerance, diversity and unity” in the name of the Lord? We seem to have again forgotten here that Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world”. He came to save you and me FROM THE WORLD not TO THE WORLD or WITH THE WORLD! Unfortunately, the gospel is being re-invented in much the same way socialist/liberals re-invented government; by attracting large crowds of jaded consumers with celebrities, entertainment, drama and a touchy-feely, group-centered theology all designed to condition them into a dependency, not on Christ, but on the collectivist communes of a global religion. With an unbiblical emphasis on human relationships guided by the artificial wisdom of “Christian psychology” (oxymoron), “evangelization” is successfully seducing mainstream Christianity into an apostasy that is nothing but Christian-flavored socialism.

In career advancing cooperation, today’s pseudo shepherds of feelings and finance market this narcissistic gospel to manipulate the flock into unequally yoking themselves to the world’s goats in preparation for that charming miracle worker who will soon come and deceive many with “signs and lying wonders”. In their blindness, the deceived will be led through the peer pressure of “mentoring” down a primrose path Jesus called “the broad way” by a delusion of illusion that will stir their emotions, stimulate their flesh and steer them away from eternal life in Christ.

Now don’t get me wrong. Christians should BY ALL MEANS protest the filth and godlessness we see on TV, not just for the good of our children, but for the good of society as a whole. We are to be the “salt of the Earth”. No, I don’t like hearing my Lord’s name used in an unholy way either. But all the outrage in the world isn’t going bring the lost to Christ in a house of heresy. What glory is it to God if we lead men and women into the freedom of faith in Christ only to have them led back into the bondage of group-think, idol worship and U.N. pantheism by demonically powered cults like Promise Keepers, Willow Creek and Women of Faith? No, the postmodern church is going to have to do ITS repenting FIRST if they expect anyone else to follow by example.

“Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5)

Related Articles:

THE PEOPLE’S CHURCH

THE WORLD CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT

THE PROMISE KEEPERS MOVEMENT

WOMEN OF FAITH

FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

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