Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Too Many "Lauren Daigles" In The Church And Not Enough "Donald Trumps"




[Now updated with source links at the bottom of this post to lists of all that President Trump has accomplished so far.]







Photo credit:  Christian Beat                                                                                      Photo credit: USA Today      










In December of 2018, popular Christian singer Lauren Daigle, much to the dismay of many, said that she was not sure whether homosexuality was a sin and further dodged the issue by saying:



When people ask questions like that, I just say, ‘Read the Bible and find out for yourself. And when you find out let me know because I’m learning too…[1, 2, 3]




Her justification for her answer:



You know, I can’t honestly answer on that, in the sense of I have too many people that I love—that they are homosexuals. [2, 5]


Loves them so much that she will let them walk into eternity forever separated from God and suffer eternal torment in Hell.

And worse, in another interview, she denied that she was a Christian artist by later stating that she was just a music artist [4, 5] seemingly making her music career out to be more self-serving and self-centered rather than Christ-serving and Christ centered.  No mention of Christ, the Cross, or the Gospel, disappointing her fans once again, leaving some to wonder if she might go the way of those such as Katy Perry, Amy Grant, or Whitney Houston despite her assurances that she is not abandoning her professed mission in Christ.

One cannot help but wonder if her denial of being a Christian music artist was an indirect admission by Daigle that she has been lying to everyone about who she really is.  And worst of all, instead of holding Lauren Daigle accountable for things that she has said, the "Daigle worshippers" like K-LOVE, Sirius XM's Contemporary Christian music channel, The Message along with others, continue to play her music, her music continues to be sold by Christian venues run by "Daigle cultists", and those are many unfortunately, and Christian music publishing companies continue to publish her albums, not caring that she may not be all that she claims to be and, through the use of her platform, could be leading many people astray.

We cannot allow ourselves to be taken in by beautiful songs, cute little dances, and innocent looking faces, because as it is written, even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14) and those serving him can take on the appearance of being ministers of God. (2 Cor. 11:15)

Now, I am not saying that Lauren Daigle is going so far as to worship the Dark One behind the scenes, but any professing follower of Christ ought to be troubled by her statements on homosexuality and her not wishing to be called a Christian artist, even if they have taken joy in her music, and I would concede that before her latest statements, I also enjoyed some of her songs, but what seemed sweet at first became sour and bitter when she mixed lies with her music and appeared to deny her faith.  And so far, she has not repented of her unbiblical remarks on homosexuality nor has she really given adequate clarification for why she said that she did not want to be called a Christian music artist.

But Lauren Daigle is but a sign and a symptom of a serious ongoing problem that has been taking place within the body of Christ and within our Church leadership and influential members who neglect to teach the full counsel of God's Word or who teach things contrary to the truth of scripture.

As a consequence, many professing followers of Christ do not have an adequate understanding of the Gospel, nor do they have a proper understanding of who they are supposed to be in Christ and everything to expect when they follow Christ.  They may be prepared to receive the blessings and rewards that come to a life devoted to serving Jesus, but are not prepared for the price required of them on account of His name.  They are even misled to believe that they will not be subjected to intense hardship after they have received Jesus when the scriptures make no such promise.

The "Lauren Daigles" within our ranks will preach about a God of love and mercy.  They may say that "Jesus loves you" but what they will not tell you is that we are sinners who have fallen short of the glory of God.  They will not expound on how we are inherently sinful due the actions of Adam and Eve.  They will not take the time to explain the consequences of sin so that people will understand why we need a Savior and what the death of Christ on the cross and His resurrection did for us. They may selectively preach from the scriptures that most may find agreeable but they will avoid all the scriptures that many may find disagreeable and all because they prefer the praise and approval of man rather than the praise of God.  They are not content with just preaching to a small group of people committed to abiding in the light of the truth of Christ, but would rather validate themselves by preaching things that may very well appeal to the multitudes but will still leave them unsaved and unconverted.

Ever wonder how many church goers remain unsaved and unconverted because the "Lauren Daigles" within our leadership are not willing to engage in matters deemed controversial and because in the name of "love" and "tolerance" they refuse to give the truth in its full counsel?  How many souls will end up in Hell, not always because of what the "Lauren Daigles" preach but because of what they will not preach? 

The "Lauren Daigles" either do not understand the responsibility that they have been given when elevated to the kind of position that they've been or they do not care because they all they care about is elevating themselves even if they claim that their mission and purpose is centered around Christ.  And because they have not been faithful in the position that they have been given, they are in for a harsh judgment and harsher than what will be faced by those who have not been elevated to the positions of influence and power that the "Lauren Daigles" of the world have been given.

And although you may not agree with some of his policies or actions, in contrast to Lauren Daigle, the things about our current President that can be respected and admired for are the following that he has shown himself to be:



1.  He has shown steadfastness and unwavering determination in accomplishing his stated goals and when one venue is shut to him, he is looking for another.

2.  He is not easily intimidated and actively defends and explains why he takes the positions that he does.

3.  When he is attacked, he does not take those attacks lying down, but he hits back fast and hard because his name is now tied to causes greater than himself.

4.  He understands the responsibility of his position and does not take the decisions he makes very lightly knowing full well that his decisions affect not only himself and his family, but the lives of millions of people.

5.  What you see is what you get.



But the same cannot be said of the "Lauren Daigles" amongst us.  According to a report by Answers In Genesis, fifty percent of Pastors are afraid to address social issues. [6]   How even fewer still hold unwavering confidence in the scriptures from the first chapter and verse of Genesis to the last chapter and verse of Revelation.

The proverbial "Lauren Daigles" are:



1.  Easily intimidated.

2.  Refuse to stand up for God's truth when required of them.

3.  Do not understand the importance of the responsibilities given or they do not care because they are more concerned with their popularity and self-exaltation rather than the exaltation of God.

4.  May not be what they appear to be.



The proverbial "Donald Trumps" by contrast are:



1.  Not easily intimidated.

2.  Are ready to take a bold and unwavering stand for God's truth.

3.  Understand the seriousness of the calling placed on their lives.

4.  Are the same people outside of the church that they are inside.  What you see is what you get.



And people, the Church desperately need "Donald Trump" equivalents within its ranks because it is the figurative "Donald Trumps" who might be the catalyst needed for the next "Great Awakening" that many have been praying for.  The "Lauren Daigle” equivalents on the other hand are leading us into a "Great Apostasy" and it is going to take some "Donald Trumps" to counter that apostasy.

What propelled Donald Trump to the Presidency is that he showed a steadfastness and unwavering courage that could be admired and respected.  He was not afraid to say what was on his mind.  We may not have like the crude, crass, and condescending ways in which he sometimes expressed himself.  But we respected his courage and determination.

He was also able to tap into a deep rooted discontent within the people that other presidential candidates (Republican, Democrat, and other) were not able to and he was able to communicate his message in a way that many could identify with and relate to.

And if such a "Donald Trump" or a number of  "Donald Trump" equivalents were to rise up within the body of Christ, what could we expect to happen?  And what could we expect from them? Here is a number of things that could be expected to happen:



1.  They will preach the Gospel as commanded of by Jesus to the Apostles and written in scripture.  It will not be a "Catholic" Gospel, a "Protestant Gospel", a "Seeker-Friendly" Gospel, a "Charismatic" Gospel, or any other kind of Gospel but "The Gospel" as the scriptures teach.

2.  They will not pander to any particular denomination or sect.  Their only statement of faith will be "The Bible" and all that it teaches.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.

3.  They will be prepared to give a reasoned defense of the faith. (1 Pet. 3:15)

4.  They will earnestly contend for the faith (Jude 3) by exposing and combating the many false doctrines and heresies that have entered into the church and they will not be afraid to call things out for what they are.

5.  They will not allow themselves to be intimidated, bullied, or shamed into silence nor will they be discouraged by any persecution they suffer or demoralized by any rejection they experience. 

6.  They will understand the seriousness of the responsibilities and callings that God has placed on their lives.

7.  They will know how to tap into the deep rooted discontent within many professors of the faith within the body of Christ.

8.  The message they preach will be done in such a way that people across the denominational spectrum will be to relate to and identify with.

9.   They will bring accountability back into our ranks.

10.  They will hold to the fire the feet of those who have been given positions of power and influence.

11.  The "Donald Trump" equivalents who are rewarded with positions of authority will make good and proper use of that authority and "Drain The Swamp" within the Church.

12.  They will stand upon and show complete confidence in the scriptures from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21.

13.  They will be at work exposing and confronting the darkness that is at work.

14.  They will face heavy and intense resistance just like our President Trump has.

15.  When they are attacked, they will hit back and not for their sakes, but to preserve the credibility of the ministry that Christ has given them and when they do hit back, they will hit back so hard and so fast and with such intensity that their detractors and critics may be left without anything more to say against them.

16.  The attacks and persecution that the "Donald Trump" equivalents will suffer will not come from just the unbelievers but from professing believers as well who will try to discredit them by taking statements they've made out of context, magnifying their faults, and when they can't find faults within them to magnify, there is no doubt that they will fabricate false accusations against them in order to demoralize those who are inspired and encouraged by them, and those attacks will come from every denominational spectrum within the body of Christ.

17.  The "Donald Trump" equivalents will not measure success by the number of followers they have, but by faithfulness and obedience to Christ.  They will be just as content with ministering to a small number of people eager to hear and abide in the truth of God's Word as they would with multitudes.

18.  What fame and prestige they might receive, they will not cling to because their purpose will be to magnify Christ and not themselves.



We desperately need such people within our ranks because that is what it is going to take to combat the growing apostasy that is plaguing the Church and if at all possible turn back the tide.  Because if there is ever going to be this "Great Awakening" that many professing followers of Christ have been praying for, it has to begin within our ranks before it can be spread forth, but it is going to require a lot of house-cleaning.  

It is going to require a cleansing of all falsehoods from our minds and hearts, holding accountable those among us who are not acting like the representatives of Christ that they profess to be and are not preaching according to the scriptures given to us.  But it is also going to require that we work to gain, through an active study of the scriptures, a proper understanding and knowledge of the truth we claim to embrace so that we will be better able to discern between the truth of God and the lies of Satan and this present world system and to ensure that everyone among us and within our fellowships is living and doing as the Lord has commanded us.

I end this post with this promise:  

That if Lauren Daigle repents of her cowardice and of her refusal to be called a Christian music artist, and gives us assurance that she is the Christian she claims to be, and if she can demonstrate an unwavering confidence in the authority of scripture from Genesis to Revelation, a determination to abide in the truth of Christ and the full counsel thereof, and if she is willing to see Christ magnified even at the expense of her popularity, and if she will commit herself to seeking the approval of God over that of men, then I will gladly alter this post so as to acknowledge any changes that she might make to show herself to be the faithful and obedient servant of Christ that we are all commanded to be.  And should I receive any news of such changes, what I do want to be sure of is that she will not only profess such change and repentance, but will actually act on those claims and consistently do so.




End Notes:



1.  Charity Gibson, "Lauren Daigle on homosexuality: I can't say one way or another if it's a sin, 'I'm not God,'" 
The Christian Post, December 1, 2018
https://www.christianpost.com/news/lauren-daigle-homosexuality-sin-im-not-god.html

2.  Heather Clark, "Popular CCM Artist Lauren Daigle:  I Can't Say One Way or the Other' If Homosexuality Is Sin, 'I'm Not God," Christian News Network, December 1, 2018
https://christiannews.net/2018/12/01/popular-ccm-artist-lauren-daigle-i-cant-say-one-way-or-the-other-if-homosexuality-is-sin-im-not-god/

3.  Shari Puterman; Lafeyette Daily Advertiser, "Lauren Daigle grilled on homosexuality beliefs," 
Daily Advertiser, December 3, 2018
https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/entertainment/2018/12/03/lauren-daigle-grilled-homosexuality-beliefs/2192952002/

4.  Charity Gibson, "Does Lauren Daigle still consider herself to be a Christian artist?"
Christian Post, January 8, 2019
https://www.christianpost.com/news/lauren-daigle-christian-artist.html

5.  Heather Clark, "Lauren Daigle Fans Disappointed After Singer Wouldn't Call Herself a 'Christian Artist' in Secular Interview," Christian News Network, January 10, 2019
https://christiannews.net/2019/01/10/lauren-daigle-fans-disappointed-after-singer-wouldnt-call-herself-a-christian-artist-in-secular-interview/

6.  Ken Ham; Ken Ham's Blog, "50% of Pastors Afraid to Speak on Social Issues,"
Answers In Genesis, April 25, 2019
https://answersingenesis.org/culture/half-pastors-afraid-to-speak-social-issues/




Scripture references:



1.  Jude 3

2.  1 Corinthians 11:14

3.  1 Corinthians 11:15

4.  1 Peter 3:15




Source Links listing President Trump's Achievements:



1.  Uploaded by Paul Bedard, "President Donald J. Trump Has Delivered Record Breaking Results For The American People In His First Three Years In Office," Scribd.com

2.  "Donald Trump Achievements," Conservapedia


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