Reviewing 2024 - A Year of Insane Apostasy

Hello and thank you for listening to the testing the spirits podcast today. We're going to be covering the big stories of 2024. We're going to talk about day star give an update on the day star situation.

I'm going to talk about Alistair Begg right? These are the videos that I had on my channel that got the most views a lot of people were interested. What happened with Alistair Begg, of course the Steve Lawson thing that was huge.

Tony Evans Robert Morris those Pastoral Scandals were big and then David Platt that probably should have been bigger than it was. And then you add stuff like the James River Church their men's conference with the guy on the pole and The female pastor at that other mega church kicking the Bible like it was a football across The sanctuary if you want to call it that.

So all sorts of crazy things happened in 2024 and I predict. You know, I'm not charismatic so if I was charismatic I'd be giving the Prophecy for the new year. God spoke to me and here's what God told me about 2025.

Well, I'm not charismatic. So I'm not going to do that. God didn't tell me anything.

About.

2025 except what he told me in his word and what God has said in his word is that in the last days perilous times Will come and that's what we see all around us. I Expect that 2025 will be just as crazy as 2024 probably worse because we live in an age of apostasy, so I realize as a YouTube viewer or if you're listening on Spotify You probably hear some teaching from the reformed churches and post millennial ism is a big deal right now and Things are gonna get better and better and better, right?

We're gonna defeat trash world and we're gonna usher in the kingdom and things are gonna get better and better. So that's what a lot of these reformed post mill people are saying and then the charismatics have their own view of post millennial ism.

Where the idea is that there's going to be revival revival revival and things are just getting better and better and better. And here I am the pre millennialist looking at the world and I'm saying yeah.

This is totally lining up with what the Bible said would happen in the last days before Jesus comes back. So Yeah, let's talk about some of these stories of apostasy in 2024 so first, let me give the update about Daystar and Daystar.

I want to tie this in with the David Platt. Not that there is any connection. But the David Platt story really should have been bigger than it was the idea that David Platt is still the pastor at McLean Bible Church or Whatever his official title whether he's lead pastor or he handed it over to Mike Kelsey.

What whatever David Platt is still in ministry. He's still a pastor and he's going to be preaching at the gospel coalition conference in 2025 in the spring. What does that tell you David Platt got away with it.

David Platt weathered the storm? It should have been way bigger than what it was and David Platt probably should be disqualified for ministry based on. You know all the stuff that he did, you know, people are calling him his new Title or what people are calling David Platt.

They're calling him church the church pirate church pirate David Platt and it's accurate. But David Platt weathered the storm and at least in this life. It looks like he's gonna get away with it. Unfortunately, I think that's what's going to happen with Daystar.

You can already see that. You know, you know how the news is. Something is a big story for a day or two Daystar was a big story for I don't know a month. Longer, I mean it was huge of all the videos that I posted in 2024.

This was the most consistent, you know posting videos about Daystar is getting a ton of views people were interested. But that's slowly starting to fade people are not as interested. I mean, what more can you say?

Everything that needs to be said has sort of been said and the less some breaking new revelation comes out the Daystar story is just gonna slowly fade away and Unfortunately, I think Joni Lamb is gonna get away with it.

You know everything that happened. And I'm not even talking about the abuse the child abuse and the cover-up because I don't even know what's true there. So whether or not she's getting away with something with that.

I'm just saying The the way she handled this the spiritual abuse with Jimmy Evans the rank heresy. That's being broadcasted every single day on Daystar the whole thing. It looks like she's gonna get away with it.

She's gonna hold on to her position. Daystar is gonna keep on going and then those pastors that are on Daystar like David Jeremiah and Ray Comfort and all these guys Jack Hibbs, they're gonna stay on Daystar and it's gonna be like, you know six months from now like nothing ever happened.

It's sad. But that seems to be the situation. I mean, I hope I'm wrong. You say Mike you're you're completely wrong. Here's what's gonna happen. You know, I think going forward that I hope I'm wrong, but That that looks like it's already starting to happen.

It's fading from the news and Joni Lamb and Daystar are going to continue to you know, spew out the prosperity gospel heresy and these other.

More.

Dependable ministries are gonna Continue to have a contract with Daystar and I don't like it, but that's my take on this Daystar situation. So like I said, that was kind of the big story. Certainly one of the big stories in 2024 Daystar Joni Lamb, etc.

But back at the beginning of the year I forget exactly when this broke but the Alistair Begg Controversy that was huge. Okay, so a lot of views a lot of videos a lot of people everyone was tuning in and you know giving their opinion about this and This was encouraging a lot of things that I see have seen.

You say it's discouraging like okay Daystar. They're gonna get away with it. At least you know, God will deal with them someday, but it seems like they're getting away with it. That's discouraging. Well Alistair Begg, here's why that's not so discouraging the body of Christ really kind of came together and said no Alistair Begg you're wrong and he got kicked off of radio stations and I was really encouraged by You know so many people coming together and with one voice saying Alistair Begg.

You are crazy giving this advice. It's sinful. It's really sinful advice. So the reaction against Alistair Begg, I thought that was actually very encouraging. So Alistair Begg, as you know, he encouraged the woman who may or may not have been a member of this congregation I'm not even sure it matters, but he gave this advice for the grandmother to attend her granddaughter's quote-unquote Transgender wedding and buy the couple a gift because if you don't go it's just gonna prove what they already know is that Christians are Hateful judgmental bigots.

So you got to go to the gay wedding and all the rest. Well Alistair Begg was kicked off of the radio stations not because he gave that bad advice. But because he doubled down people reached out to him.

He doubled down. He tripled down then worst of all in my opinion he preached a sermon where he Basically said his critics the people disagreeing with him on the internet. They they're telling me to repent repent.

Like who are these people on the internet to tell the great Alistair Begg to repent like he just had this self-righteous Attitude and he called his critics. Basically, you're just a bunch of Pharisees to me I'm not saying the advice was disqualifying because people can make mistakes.

You have a weak moment and as John MacArthur said you shouldn't judge a person by their weakest moment. But that's sort of the way life is that's how he's going to be remembered most likely. But it wasn't the disqualifying thing wasn't the advice.

It's doubling down tripling down then attacking his critics as a bunch of legalistic Pharisees. I think that was disqualifying quite frankly and within a matter of months he announced his Retirement or stepping down or whatever even though it's going to take a year for that transition to happen.

But a lot of people saw that there was probably a connection between the timing of his resignation or coming up. You know next year his him stepping away from lead pastor a lot of people saw a connection there and maybe maybe not but that was definitely one of the big stories of 2024 next Steve Lawson.

I'm not going in order here, but Steve Lawson. That was huge people have reached out to me and I've seen in the comment section has Steve Lawson Repented what's going on? You know, we're hearing that he's in hasn't gone back to his church.

And.

Then some people said what we've heard that he's not living at home with his wife and he's you know Still with his mistress or whatever and listen, I and I'm not accusing anyone of gossip. Okay, but I'm just saying I'm not comfortable.

Speculating or talking about things where I just don't know what the situation is from what I understand. I think it's safe to say That Steve Lawson has not gone. Yeah, he has not entered into the church discipline process.

With.

Trinity Bible Church in order to try to restore him that does not seem to be happening. I think we can say that with a high degree of certainty. So it doesn't look like there's any you know path of restoration where they're working together.

For that and because of that it's logical to Assume that he hasn't really repented. I mean, I haven't seen a correct me if I'm wrong. But he has not made any public statements about hey, I'm sorry and as a public figure as a pastor He really needs to do that if there is ever going to be restoration.

I'm not even talking about restoration to ministry just restoration as a faithful church member somewhere. So I haven't seen anything so that looks Bad bad upon bad with Steve Lawson, but you know again.

Maybe maybe he has said something in the past week and I just didn't hear about it.

But.

Steve Lawson that was definitely Maybe the biggest Bombshell story that was probably the most surprising thing the stuff with Daystar doesn't surprise me at all. It's like if Benny Hinn is caught in some big scandal in 2025 I will not be surprised at all because I know who Benny Hinn is.

So the Daystar stuff did not surprise me at all. Steve Lawson that was a surprise, right? Okay next Tony Evans again. We don't really have any information On Tony Evans. I remember his son like a week or two after Evans resigned.

There was some scandal. He did something wrong. It seemed to be sexual in nature. He stepped down from being the senior pastor and within a week or two His son preached a sermon saying my dad's coming back and he's going to be restored.

Basically, he spoke about it as if it already happened, but it hadn't happened. But it does seem that Tony Evans is gonna be back in the pulpit Sometime soon, but I haven't really heard any updates. I think if Tony Evans is going to be restored to pastoral ministry I think he needs to you know, he needs to speak with more clarity about exactly what happened and This is obviously a debate that people have once a pastor falls I think it depends on the details, but can he be a pastor again?

I think he can depending on the details if he cheated on his wife if if he committed adultery on his wife. I don't think a Pastor could ever be restored to ministry if he committed adultery. But a lot of this stuff we don't even know what happened.

So but certainly Tony Evans. That was a huge story. Robert Morris. Again to me not surprising. Anyone who paid attention should have known that Robert Morris was you know in? Bed with the Daystar people and actually I think Joanie lamb and Marcus lamb the founders of Daystar were Attendees of Robert Morris's church and it's like these people are false teachers.

So when stuff like that happens It's just not a surprise. David Platt. Another big story. Like I said, it should have been bigger than what it was and then you had the James River Church. Remember that men's conference with the guy that I what in the world is going on.

You had a men's conference and John Lindell, is that his name? I think the pastor of James River Church. He decided it would be a good idea for a men's conference to have some Former stripper come in take off his shirt and do a little like a pole dance.

Not like who in their right mind thinks that that's a good idea or that this is what Christian men want to see. So yeah, it was compared to like a stripper on a pole. It was suggestive. It was weird. It was cringe it was.

But it was typical for the type of charismatic Mega church and you say well, I'm charismatic and I resent you always bringing up the cares. Well, then talk to these people because this week lists we addressed the reformed people like Steve Lawson.

He's reformed that doesn't mean all reformed people are bad or David Platt He's a Southern Baptist or whatever. He is. It doesn't mean that all Southern Baptists are but so when I say charismatic If you believe the spiritual gifts continue, I'm not speaking against you I'm just saying that this is all just part and parcel to the charismatic megachurch movement and if you want People to stop talking about it, then you should send a letter.

Don't leave a comment against me. Send a letter to James River Church like but this is standard. It's common within the charismatic megachurch movement. This is just the type of thing that you see and that other I'll just end with this other big story about that charismatic megachurch where The pastor and his sidekick the female pastor, which I don't think they're a husband and wife team I think she's just a female pastor at the church.

They were taking the Bible and Literally kicking the Bible around the church for their worship service. So you remember that video they They you know hiked and so this was all for the Super Bowl, I guess Super Bowl Sunday at church, so they hit they they hiked the football.

Which was actually a Bible and they held it in place for the for the kicker to come which was the female pastor and she? Came and she just punted the or kicked the the Bible across the stage and of course everyone's cheering and Can you imagine if that happened at a normal church a Bible believing church if the pastor just took the Bible and just kicked it?

Across the room like a football. I don't think he would be preaching next week. We'll just put it that way but again at these charismatic megachurches. These people they they all get away with it for one simple reason.

And this is what I want my viewers and listeners to understand. This is Apostasy, it's the blind leading the blind. I'm not saying this about all reform people are all Charismatics or not. That's not the point.

But if your pastor brings in a male stripper to perform and you sit there and you think that's okay. And you go back the next week. Not only does that prove that the pastor is apostate and he's blaspheming Christ by You know presenting this as what worship or something?

Not only does it prove that these teachers are apostate it proves that it's the blind leading the blind. It's false teachers leading Goats, okay a false shepherd a false prophet leading goats. That's what it is.

It's apostasy plain and simple and What we're trying to do. I'm not really trying to change the mind of somebody who's attending James River Church.

Or that.

Crossroads, you know, I think the church where they kick the Bible is crossroads. I'm not trying to get through to the people sitting in the pews or the stadium seats at that church because I Don't think they probably would watch and I don't think that they would receive what I have to say.

They're just gonna call you they're gonna do what Alistair Begg did this is all they can ever do. Well, you're just a Pharisee. Even though you can point to chapter and verse like Paul and 1st Corinthians 14 that in the worship service.

Not only are you not to have female pastors? 1st Corinthians 14 He also says let all things be done decently and in order and we could talk about other passages that talk about worship and Reverence and fearing God and if you're bringing in a male stripper to perform or if you're kicking the Bible around You're not fearing God.

Okay, so I'm not again. I'm not trying to get through to these people. I'm trying to I'm trying to encourage you and Equip you so that if you know someone let's say you have a friend or family member Who's in one of these big rock and roll mega churches that you can be equipped to?

Reach out to them and hopefully present the truth to them. So I'm not trying to reach out to them. I'm trying to equip the body of Christ and also it's just good to hear. Like when I I was listening to the protest EIA Podcast from last night and it's just good to know that there's other people out there that are not crazy.

And you're not alone that that no. There are other Christians out there Bible believers who see this stuff for what it is. It's apostasy. It's insanity. It's crazy. It's wrong. So when sometimes living in this world, we think you know, we're the only ones left just me and my church.

There's many many people who see the problem and it's it's good to connect online and that's part of what I Want to do with this podcast. So those were some of the big stories not all of them. But some of the big stories in 2024 a year of apostasy no doubt about it.

I expect more of that in 2025 but like Elijah will close on this, you know, Elijah was the guy Lord. I'm the only one left or You know, everyone's worshiping bail everyone's doing the wrong thing and there's no good people left well There are there are seven thousand the proverbial seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to bail.

So be encouraged God always has a remnant. You just want to make sure that you have a good support system a good local church Friends brothers and sisters in Christ who can encourage you in this dark and crazy world that we live in.

So 2025 maybe it will be the year that the Lord returns and then then we really will see things.

Turn around.

But.

Until then it's probably going to be more of the same but God's Word remains true. Amen. All right. Thanks for watching and until or listening. Thanks for listening or watching depending on how you're doing it.

But until next time may the Lord be with you. Have a great day.