After Jonathon Steingard’s Instagram revelation back in 2020, that he no longer believes in God, and the subsequent backsliders who eased out of the Atheist closet, I did a little research.
You don’t need to be a brain surgeon to know that many others who once claimed to love God, have also subtly made the same announcement.
They might not as been as honest and blatant as Jonathon, but certain other public figures have gone on a rapid spiritual decline since waking up to a world of fans who idolise them and know the lyrics to all their songs.
Did the fame go to their heads and make them feel that they don’t need the one who gave them the talent in the first place? Or was the contemporary Christian music scene a stepping stone for what they hoped for all along – to be adored by the world?
I’m not of the mindset to pull all this apart by publishing my own opinion as to why I think this, and why I think that. Firstly, I just can’t be bothered, but most importantly, I don’t believe God has called me to do that. I’m sure there are enough bloggers and ‘discernment vloggers’ posting their perspective on the topic. (This is a great one)
A private conversation will be had with any friend who is genuinely questioning these disturbing trends, should the Lord allow such a situation to arise.
My only reason for bringing up this subject is a simple one and yes, it is related to writing, should you fear I have gone off topic.
It is sad. Too sad for me to use my favourite boring, overused, adjective, ‘very’. It is downright heartbreaking.
My response to God is this:
“Oh Lord, please protect me from becoming deceived.”
This is as earnest a prayer as those I pray when asking for protection from attack, accident or illness. It is on par with my desperate plea that I would never, ever grieve the Holy Spirit or put his name to shame. Well, of course I already have, not only because I have been a slow learner, but this article is not about me trying to pretend that I have never let God down. I have done so more times than I can remember!
When people backslide in such a public way, it makes me ask myself,
“Likewise, is it possible for me to write encouraging books about God, lead an unbeliever to faith, but then, fall away myself? Oh yes!”
As Christians, we need to ask the Lord to protect our spirits and to guide us away from all those deceivers who are being set on a satanic assignment to pull us down.
It is not about reading my books.
It is not about finding the best preaching on the internet
It is not about finding the coolest church and the prettiest bible
It is definitely not about having the best Christian music playlist.
It’s about recognising that the devil is roaming around, seeking to devour somebody who claims to follow Christ, but is not studying his word, not seeking to be wholeheartedly involved in a God-honouring church, not spending time alone in his presence, and who is not refraining from removing themselves from appearances of evil and evil itself. (This includes what we watch, how we spend our free time, who we send time with, and yes, what we read.)
We all need to take this seriously. Once upon a time, a stunningly beautiful woman with mesmerising eyes, was singing, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path…” Years later, and by her own admission, one cannot tell who she believes in.
The truth is, no matter how spiritual we may think we are, we are all vulnerable to blindness.
When you first saw the image above of a person jumping of a high cliff, did you think it was referring to faith – those who step out of their comfort zones to trust God to hold them up? I guess it could represent that, but this was not my reason for posting it. It was less of such analogy. It means exactly what it looks like. God keeps us on the mountain, but sadly, some people are willingly leaping to their death. They remove the harness he gave them, and announce it proudly to the world, expecting rapturous applause. This is tragic because, God’s truth will hold us up, gravity won’t.
I don’t like to name names all over the place. I have published a similar article featuring Joshua Harris. They are not here to stuck up for themselves and I am not here to be judge and jury. People who lose the faith are everywhere and whoever they are, it’s our job to pray for them each time we feel like criticising, My main objective for writing this is to serve as a reminder to me, that we are all vulnerable to falling from a height, whether we are pushed, or willingly jump.
Much love,
