I'm
sure that every one of us, the moment we read it,
prayed for you on the spot.
I'm also confident that the prayers
will continue for you.
Regarding
your letter, describing too many churches today, I
agree that it is grieving, yet it is not
surprising.
It is alarmingly arrogant, that people
today could dare think that their knowledge &
understanding is far more advanced than the
Reformers.
At that time, so many people had been
in utter darkness for centuries, when the LORD
began to awaken some.
Those awoken realized that in the
scriptures, only, they would find what they should
believe and what they should do.
They realized that the Roman church
had severely apostatized into spiritual whoredoms,
and had been so for a long time.
The more they read and studied, the
more they realized that the doctrines of Rome were
heretical and blasphemous.
Then for simply believing the
scriptures, they were branded heretics, by the
actual heretics, and were hunted & persecuted.
Many were tortured, and many were even
agonizingly burned death, by the Roman church.
How hideous to minimize, or outright
dismiss, what they went through, simply because
many today believe they are more "advanced".
Yet they were willing, rather, to face
torture and the flames, than to deny the doctrines
taught by the scriptures.
Nowadays, there are increasingly more
churches saying that doctrine is not really
important.
II
Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out
of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
II
Timothy 4:3 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;
Today, they are also increasingly
warning that doctrine causes division.
They got that right:
Luke
12:51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace
on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
52
For from henceforth there shall be five in one
house divided, three against two, and two
against three.
53
The father shall be divided against the son,
and the son against the father; the mother
against the daughter, and the daughter against
the mother; the mother in law against her
daughter in law, and the daughter in law
against her mother in law.
They also are increasingly apathetic
towards prophetic portions of the scriptures.
And from that, they are finding
themselves on the wrong side of scriptures about
Israel.
Unfortunately, that also was one Roman
heresy that Reformers had a hard time breaking
from.
All these things seem to pave the way
to Laodicea and apostasy.
At some point, like the Reformers
found out the hard way, it may become necessary
to:
II
Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among
them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and
touch not the unclean thing;
and I will receive you,