The Wide Road

Many Christians are on the wide road to destruction and don't even know it. They follow flim-flam arists, false teachers and self-proclaimed prophets who promise them health, wealth and happiness -- all in God's name.

Recently I watched a lot of late night TV (wasn't pleasent, believe me). Hoo-boy, what a load of garbage. I don't mean the Hollywood stuff, but the snake-oil salesmen claiming to be prophets of Christ!

Some of these were paid ads on cable: one man was offering free "spiritual holy water", another was offering free "blood of Christ," another was offering free "prayer cloths," and two more were offering prayers of power if you just sent in some money. All of them guaranteed -- guaranteed!! -- to unleash God's power into your life by drinking their water or sprinkling their blood or sending them $1,000 **immediately**. And what would this great cash register/vending machine in the sky do? Why, he would heal their tumors, give them money, pay their debts, buy them cars and new houses!

Oh, joy!

And, oh, the parade of people came forward to claim their heaven-sent booty in the name of God!

Tumors healed! Bills paid! Houses bought! Cars driven! Diabetes gone! (which ticks me off considering my son has type 1 diabetes.)

I watched all of this with a mixture of sadness and outrage.

NOT ONCE was Christ preached. NOT ONCE was forgiveness of sins discussed. NOT ONCE was the peace that surpasses all human understanding given even a nodding pass. NOT ONCE was the cross used except as a prop. It was all gimme, gimme, gimme, and if you don’t have faith or my holy water/holy blood/holy cloth/prayer system (or—ahem—send us $$$) the Lord won’t do squat for you.

That's why this stuff is bad news -- and not the Good News.

I am a sinner, and God knows my sins. I pray that someone reaches these people who are on the wide road to destruction.