American Family News (“AFN”) published a recent article featuring commentary by Dr. Ray Rooney, who recently left the United Methodist Church (“UMC”) after over 37 years as one of its ministers.
His departure wasn’t just about the sexuality fiasco, proper interpretation of the bible and the lack of unity in the faith, but heretical teaching and the refusal to abide by and enforce church discipline.
The AFN article may be read HERE.
One of the questions Dr. Rooney discusses is whether a disciple would be welcomed into heaven if the teaching received in conversion and training is that the sin Jesus died to wash away turns out not to really be sin at all, and the bible must be erroneous! Let’s pray for unity in the true Christian faith as taught in the scriptures. Let’s not forget what Paul wrote to Titus (Ref. Titus 2:11-14) about the appearance of the grace of God teaching us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live godly lives in the present age – waiting patiently for our Redeemer!
The Good News
Acts 2:16-18 (ESV)
“But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ‘[a]nd in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.'”
Ephesians 4:11-14 (NLT)
“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth (emphasis mine).”
Titus 2:11-14 (ESV)
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions (emphasis mine), and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave [H]imself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for [H]imself a people for [H]is own possession who are zealous for good works.”
The Warning
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NKJV)
“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: [f]or men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”
2 Peter 3:3-7 (ESV)
“…knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘[w]here is the promise of [H]is coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.’ For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”
Praise Jesus forevermore!