The Gospel of Slaughter

Panama City Beach, FL. March 6-20, 2009

Multiple people have come to me asking, “Did anybody respond?” Now I’d like to preface this post by saying, to everybody who reads this, “Yes. People did ‘respond’.” The word ‘respond’, though, has quite positive connotations in our culture (especially in our Christian culture)… sadly, the only positive aspect in the response we received was that it was positively negative.

What I saw while on the beach these past two weeks has staggered and impressed me forever. I have never seen such a display of dissipation and decadence. The most frightening thing was not the constant intoxication or fornication, but rather, the fact that the majority of people (75-85%) were obstinate in their declaration that they were Christians. The delusion that these people have undergone is no less than demonic. I am reminded even now of the ominous words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (II Timothy 4:3,4).

These people have believed a false gospel. And this is the gospel which abounds and is most propagated in our day and our nation: the gospel of slaughter. These people are hearing in their ears the whispers of wolves, saying, “Peace… safety.” They are being lulled to sleep by the lies of these wicked men not knowing that, on the contrary, destruction is coming (Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11; Ezekiel 13:10; I Thessalonians 5:3). It seems the Lord has sent out a lying spirit to fill the mouths of these so called “gospel preachers”. These kids on the beach are fully assured that they can live in sin because they have said the prayer of salvation, or have been confirmed in the Lutheran or Catholic church, or have been baptized. They are believing lies, and quite frankly these lies will send them to hell.

So, you can imagine why we weren’t so well received these past fourteen days. Our message was simple: “Repent and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). We would plead with men, “How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein” (Romans 6:2)? “But,” they would ask, “can’t we get drunk, commit fornication, etc. and still be excepted and forgiven by God?” Our answer was simple, “No, they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 6:8). “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God” (I Corinthians 6:9,10).

I realize that we must still preach the gospel even though the people will not hear us. Like Ezekiel, we in America are amongst a hardhearted people- calloused to the gospel. Nevertheless we are called to remain preaching: “But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted… And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear” (Ezekiel 3:7,11).

I wanted to thank all of you also who remembered us in your prayers.

To God Alone be the Glory,
Jake

Crowd listening to the preaching