Commentary18

Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Isaiah 30:1-2

For a long time now this scripture has been on my heart with regard to the continual compromise that I have witnessed many churches in their evangelistic mission across the world. I guess I shouldn't really be surprised, after I began reading through one of the most famous documents that has changed the scope of missions throughout the world.

It took me some time to read through the Lausanne Covenant (the Manila Manifesto and the Amsterdam Affirmations), as the verses from Isaiah 30 repeatedly came to mind as I would read a bit and I would have to stop, settle my stomach and begin to read again. I could not escape the idea that these documents were the beginning of the end for biblical evangelism, and I know I missed the warnings that were being shouted from the rooftops many years ago about the this move toward unity through redefining missions to win the world for Christ.

This of course is a very noble idea in itself and just think, if we all could just get together and agree not to disagree, if we only compromised a little bit and made a covenant with thousands of other Christian organizations to Christianize the world, we could usher in the millennium of Christ or maybe Christ would return sooner or maybe..... it sounds so good, it sounded so good and yet, is this really the biblical mandate for the end of the age or maybe it is man's attempt to do a good thing for God, to please Him with our efforts. Na, this isn't working either.

Ecumenism is not God's plan, not of His Spirit, and if this is not His plan then whose, I wonder?, Satan's! Did anyone ever read the Bible to see if this truly is God's plan? Are we supposed to sign covenants or make oaths of this nature? It would have seemed like a good thing, I suppose, to find out what Jesus Christ had to say about this in the first place. But why even use the Bible, it's so divisive and will only cause others to be offended; so let's come up with a plan on our own, one that would bring together all of the so called denominations, organizations and associations to speak one (mixed; God hates a mixture) message about the salvation (or Christianizing) of the nations.

Now let's get serious here, I know I have been a bit sarcastic toward this man made covenant. (Does this negate the New Covenant that Jesus Christ died to bring us?) What will happen to those who do not sign on or who cannot sign this document, however noble the cause, who have troubled themselves enough to examine this document against the unwavering authority of the Word of God, who find it raises so many warning flags?

When talking about adding sin to sin, this document really opened the doors or rather the floodgates to all kinds of deceptions. Thirty years ago, a New Age futurist began teaching a course (at a Christian seminary) that is now totally endorsed by all the big named missionary ministries, and has changed the face of evangelism to another form referred to as "New Evangelicalism"; the Church Growth Movement has brought us the seeker sensitive, purpose driven, the transformation of cities and countries, youth reaching other countries with this watered down evangelization....all with the plan to Christianize the world. (Christianizing is not the same as making disciples of individuals for Christ.)

With the diluting of the message of Christ through evangelicalism, these many covenanted groups have now taken to using the many successes of the world system (going down to Egypt taking shelter in the shadow of Egypt) within the body of Christ to attempt to make the church experience one that meets all of your perceived needs. I have watched the leadership embrace world systems believing that these were the plans delivered by the Holy Spirit to bring more people through their doors. In Isaiah 30:3, God tells Judah of His judgment upon them "Therefore the safety of Pharaoh will be your shame, and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt, your humiliation." I think this means that God is not pleased at all and I think repentance is in order.

I was invited to join, as a ministry, a couple of well known evangelical associations, but I have had to look closely, testing these associations according to the Word, forgetting about growing any ministry but more concerned about obeying God. The word of God is very clear about this and it baffles me to no end that so many let their self interest guide them rather than God's word settling the issue altogether. If simplicity of devotion to Christ means obeying His word, then that is what I have to do. Let your yes be yes and your no be no; do not let yourself be swayed by flatteries.

If you look back over the last 30 some years at the many changes that have taken place within the body of Christ, much of the liberalization can be traced back to that one document and its many signers coming into what I believe was a plan, that was not God's, making an alliance, but not of the Holy Spirit, which is resulting in sin upon sin as we grow more distant in our relationship to God and His Word. The water becomes more murky and muddied with every passing day.

Is it too late for most of us that have joined in an alliance with others, building up our status by belonging to that one group that could help launch our career or having signed a covenant in our church that brings us into bondage as we attempt to fulfill the obligation or be thrown out as a resister, or as a church, signing on to the larger church vision and signing a popular worldwide covenant. As Steve Camp wrote in his song, 'Is Anybody Listening?': "Even now," declares the Lord, "if you return to Me with all your heart," even now you'll be restored."