Jeremiah's declaration is not simply a problem of the Old Testament or the New Testament. It is sadly sometimes true today. The truth is that politicians and pastors are oftentimes merchants of delusion.
This acidic perspective of French scholar, Ernest Renan, “the only thing that can give you a conception of the infinite is the extent of human stupidity,” is evidenced by the people in New York City who voted for Mamdani. They are like turkeys who voted for Thanksgiving. Truly, a wave of creative destruction is on the way.
The apostle Paul warned the church at Ephesus of the danger of false teachers inside the church who would seek to harm the church. In fact, he may be referring to some of the church's elders! Acts 20: 28-31; "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears."
Paul’s advice to Timothy, the Pastor at Ephesus, is contained in the two letters Paul wrote to him.
1 Timothy 4:13-16 “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress my be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” 2 Timothy 3:14-17 “You however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
I am not trying to indict all pastors or your pastor, but the truth of what Scripture says and the illustrations we see in the newspaper of pastoral perversion cause us to take off the rose colored glasses and realize the dangers.
I have just started a new semester teaching potential pastors, and as such it is my custom to remind them and warn them of the inherent dangers of being a pastor. The devil has put a bullseye on their back to seek to destroy their family and their lives through a variety of means. (Marital infidelity and materialistic idolatry are his favorites.) My exhortation to them is to beware so you can be aware.
It is the scripture that can and must guide all of us. And so we must seek the warning inherent in the wisdom of David in Psalm 119:9, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy word.”
This being the truth, both then and now, for all of us, we must demand the time to think and develop the habit of thought.
Serving Him with you
Until He comes for us, Fred | 