It's not the words Bishop Mariann Budde spoke.

“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.”

“I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away.”

“May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being…”

These are direct quotes from the message that Bishop Mariann Budde released to the nation at the inaugural prayer service. It's hard to argue with the words, which, I'm sure, were carefully poured over and selected. Mercy, strength, courage, honor, dignity. All good things.

THERE'S MORE THAN WORDS TO BE EVALUATED

While it's true that some campaigning Christians are creating unnecessary division with rants and accusations, there are others who are celebrating the Bishop's rallying cry as heroic and undeniably “Christian.” The divide within the church is wide.

Those who are leaning left predictably do not discern the spirit behind the words. I've watched many previous radicals for Jesus become disillusioned by the church. It's terribly grieving to see people who were champions for holiness fall for the religious deception of the day. Grieving, but not shocking.

What has shaken me is the number of authentic lovers of Jesus actually buying into what Bishop Budde is selling. I'm stunned. They are actually supporting her message.

More than any time in history, we need the gift of discerning of spirits in the church. Many false-teachers will arise with convincing words in their mouths. The Anti-Christ himself will be seductive, brilliant, charismatic and full of words that will appease many of the most spiritual among us.

GREATLY ANNOYED IN THE PLACE OF PRAYER

This message by Bishop Budde was filled with “true words” and delivered in the place of prayer. After reading the following passage of Scripture, you can't deny the irony.

“As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.” (Acts 16:16–18, ESV)

The slave girl was driven by a spirit that benefited many. Lies weren't being spewed. In fact, the truth she shouted was clear and powerful. Then why was Paul greatly annoyed?

It wasn't the message that bothered him. It was the spirit. It was the agenda. It was the defiance.

Today's authentic, Spirit-filled Christian nation is annoyed at the wicked spirit that was catapulted into our country. The prayer service was desecrated and curses, intentional or not, were released.

The passage in Acts continues by revealing what happens when the Spirit of truth confronts, delivers and dares violate the agenda of the religious. Attacks. Beatings. Imprisonment.

Oh, and keep reading a little further and you'll see:

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.” (Acts 16:25–26, ESV)

FALSE LOVE

Many on the religious left are crying out with a message of supposed love, though their definition doesn't pass muster when compared with Scripture.

From my article, The Great Love Deception:

Keep in mind that false or tainted love doesn’t flow mostly from an evil, debased heart. It also doesn’t mean that there is nothing about the argument or viewpoint that is true. A person who craves pure love can, in their zeal or in their weakness, allow impurities into their expression of love that twists and compromises it. The reason I needed to say this is to encourage you if you’ve been hit by the false-love spirit. Your desire for manifested love is very probably true, yet the enemy can come in and confuse the process.

The inaugural prayer sermon feels like love, and many of the points can be accepted as true. However, the deconstructed and the liberals most often fail to understand what true, biblical love looks like.

It has to be said, without any nefarious motive or ill intent, that Bishop Budde endorses a heretical message and is a leader in a heretical movement, the Episcopal Church. She cannot be considered a sister in the Lord. This is enough to raise red flags regarding her sermon.

While I'm confident she has many impressive and honorable traits, that's not enough to pass the scriptural litmus test. Many of society's nicest, most honorable, kind and caring people are not believers in Jesus and his truths.

Yes, the unsaved can at times be kinder than the saved. That's a sad indictment on the church. That being said, it doesn't exonerate those who endorse and spread heresy. Their message is eternally deadly.

THE ANOINTING MATTERS

No Spirit-filled Christian would believe Bishop Budde's message carried the anointing of the Holy Spirit. It did not.

It was fueled by agenda, erroneous beliefs and human wisdom that was wrapped in the guise of love.

This doesn't mean we hate, despise, shame or seek her destruction. God loves her passionately, just as he loves those she referenced in her message.

It's time for the church to exhibit true love that cannot be counterfeited by those who do not know God. It won't always affirm, appease, tolerate or include, but it does reveal the burning passion of Jesus for mankind.