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The
Remnant: Christians Praying Without Faith
The Remnant
contains several examples of Christians who prayed without faith. They
did not expect God to answer their prayers, but rather
prayed as a last resort--not believing God for an answer.
The examples of
Christians praying in unbelief is a death example for Christians during the tribulation. It is one
more reason why The Remnant is remarkably anti-Christian.
Chang Prayed a
Generic Prayer
The Chang character
was used to illustrate a Christian praying a generic prayer that
any non-Christian could have prayed:
"God, I have
never asked you to override a piece of equipment. But you know a
servant of yours designed this, and I want to serve you too.
Help me think. Speed the process. Please let me protect these
brothers and sisters. I know from what happened at Petra today
that nothing is beyond you. We have lost so much to the enemy,
and I know we will lose more before your ultimate victory. But
don't let the Greek believers suffer more. Not tonight. Protect
the Co-op. And help me get Mac and Chloe and Hannah and George
out of there." (The Remnant p 142)
This confessing-Antichrist-before
men character did not pray to his Heavenly Father and make
his supplication in Jesus' name.
Authors Used
Chang to Teach Zero Confidence in Prayer
Right after Chang prayed, the
authors' narration portrayed him not expecting God to
answer his prayer:
Chang knew God has protected
him, probably more than he realized. But he had no reason to
think God owed him anything or was obligated to act in this
instance, just because Chang had asked. With zero confidence
that his pleas had done any good, Chang wearily returned to his
chair before the computer. (The Remnant p 144)
The authors of the Left
Behind Series used this Chinese character to provide the
antichrist examples of not confessing Jesus Christ before men and
ending up with the mark of the beast, confessing Antichrist before
men in order to supposedly serve God and now to teach zero
confidence in prayer! This saddens me because the Chang character
does not represent our brethren in China or any true
Christian.
Having zero
confidence in prayer applies to those who regard iniquity in their
hearts:
I cried unto him
with my mouth and he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard
iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God
hath heard me: he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his
mercy from me. (Psalm 66:17-20)
The authors never indicated that
Chang was a compromiser of the worst kind, but instead presented
him as a Christian hero who risked his life to serve God rather
than as the Christ-denying and Antichrist-confessing apostate he
was according to the Holy Bible.
Because Chang was portrayed as a
Christian with unbroken fellowship with God, it was wrong for the authors
to present him as having zero faith that his prayer would be
answered. If the authors narration indicated that Chang knew he
was harboring unconfessed sin (such as denying Jesus Christ and
confessing Antichrist) and that this was the reason he did not
have faith that God would hear him, that would have been a godly
lesson. You will not find godly lessons in The Remnant. You
might find occasional examples that are not bad, but the evil
examples do the job of leavening the entire book.
Narration is the tool used to
present the thoughts and motivations of the characters. The
authors used narration to present anti-Christian messages very
often throughout the Left Behind Series. The writing could
have indicated that Chang did not have faith that his prayer would
be answered because he had unconfessed sin on his conscience and
was therefore regarding iniquity in his heart. But this was not
done. They sent the message that a Christian had zero confidence
in prayer.
Another Example
of Faithless Prayer
Mac Mc Cullum prayed
a generic prayer as well. He prayed to the Lord and did not make
his request in Jesus' name either. I wonder why the authors seemed
loathe to portray Christian characters praying in Jesus' name?
"Lord,"
he said quietly, "I'm gonna thank you for keepin' me
motivated to stay in shape, and I'm gonna ask you for more
stamina than I've got. All I'm tryin' to do is get your man and
my two partners out of here alive. Now I'm thankin' you as if
you've already done it, 'cause I'm going to be busy here awhile.
And if you've chosen not to, I figure you know best and I'll be
seein' you real soon." (The Remnant p 151)
No Christian has the
right to command God to do anything, and this is not what I am
suggesting. However, the authors presented Christian characters
not praying in faith with an earnest expectation that their
prayers would be answered. God works through believing prayer and
lack of faith and unrighteous living hinders prayer.
Praying
is Old-Fashioned?
Chang was
frustrated at having to quit monitoring Greece. Ironic he
thought, that with all the technology God has allowed them to
adapt for the cause of Christ around the world, he was suddenly
left with nothing to do to help, except some old-fashioned
praying. (The Remnant p 210)
Do I need to elaborate about how
this is a death example to the Christian during the tribulation?
Acting first and praying after all carnal measures have been
exhausted is exactly what Satan's followers hope Christians will
do. Praying is old-fashioned? Something that is old-fashioned is
out-of-date. The authors presented the anti-Christ message that
praying is outmoded and relates to a past era!
Chang's Next
Faithless (One World Church) Prayer: Not to His Heavenly Father and Not in Jesus'
Name
"Lord, I
don't see how they can escape now, outside your direct help. I
don't know if it's their time to join you, and I have never
assumed our thoughts were your thoguths. Everything happens in
your time for your pleasure, but I pray for them and the people
who love them. Whatever you do I know will prove your greatness,
and I ask that I be able to know soon what it was. Also, please
be with Ming as she searches for our parents, and may they be
able to communicate with me somehow."
Prayers that avail much will be
critical during the time of the tribulation. Satan's followers
will have unprecedented control of the entire world, and
Christians must walk very closely to God. Jesus told his disciples
that if they ask anything according to his will, he would do it.
The examples of prayer the authors used repeatedly in The Remnant
were examples of not knowing the will of God in prayer but simply
going through an exercise that they believed was probably futile.
The prayers were passive and faithless and the characters did not
expect anything in response to their prayers. This is exactly what
Satan desires for Christians to think regarding prayer.
Rayford's
Statement About God Protecting Christians Was Glib?
Rayford was not asleep, but he
had finally settled and was breathing easier, gazing at the
stars through a slit in the tent. His phone indicated Chang was
calling.
"Give me some good
news," he said.
"I wish I could,"
Chang said, "but I think the Lord just wanted me to let you
know so you could pray."
Rayford didn't feel as glib as
he sounded, but when he heard the story, he said, "God
protected a million people in a fiery furnace; he can get four
out of Greece." (The Remnant p 212)
In this particular
example, the authors indicated that Rayford sounded glib in
reference to his words about God being able to protect his people.
Glib means marked by lack of sincerity. The message presented is
that Rayford sounded as if he lacked sincerity in stating that God
could protect his people.
Another Example
of Faithless Prayer
Chang was relieved
to hear from Rayford and eager to meet Naomi even if only
on-line. He was tempted to scold her for scaring him, and so
decided to wait until the next day to try to make contact.
Meanwhile, he checked in on Mac and his team, fearing the worst
despite all the praying that has been going on. (the Remnant p
218-19)
Praying in faith is not a theme
presented in The Remnant. Instead, doubting and
double-mindedness is presented as the normative manner for
Christians to pray during the tribulation. God's people are to
"ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like
a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (James 1:6)
Wavering definitely describes "fearing the worst despite all
the praying that has been going on." The Tribulation Force is
not only not sound in faith, they don't pray in faith either.
Concluding
Statements
The authors of The Remnant have
portrayed Christian characters who do not believe God will attend
unto their prayers and answer them. Instead, they faint into
frightened fatalism. The authors did not choose to depict the
characters repenting of their lack of faith and determing to trust
God in the future.
The article,
Circumstances:
The Way to Judge if Christianity is Still True? provides
examples of Trib Force Christians temporarily losing their faith
in Christ due to circumstances. No, the authors did not have them
repent and ask God to help them to stand fast in faith and endure
until the end.
Faith is the part of the
Christian's armor that is a shield against Satan's attacks. Why do
the authors provide many examples of Christian characters casting
down this shield which makes them vulnerable to being spiritually
destroyed? It is by faith that we are saved and by faith that we
stand. Why are the authors removing what the Christian
characters need to stand and endure to the end?
Please love the truth rather than
have pleasure in the portrayal of Christians behaving
unrighteously. (See 2 Thessalonians chapter 2)
return to: Exposing
False Doctrines in the Left Behind Series
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