Dangerous Christian Content Creators

"Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: the one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." Philippians 1:15-18.

In the last 20 years, the Internet has exploded with Christian content creators on Facebook, TikTok and Youtube. Professed teachers, preachers and prophets of the gospel have crept into public view bringing all forms of false doctrine, misinterpretations of the Bible and traditional church sermons by pastors who were otherwise never heard of until the Internet.

With the many various doctrines and renditions of the bible, people who view these people must be extra vigilant in Word and spirit to discern who is speaking truth and who is not. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 1 Timothy 2:15.

The viewer or subscriber must know and understand the Word first as well as how the Holy Ghost works along with how God executes His will. Though many of these so-called influencers have hundreds of thousands of subscribers does not mean they are teaching the whole truth, or any truth. Of course, they quote the Word but is the Word in line with God’s will? Is there a spiritual component to the teaching or is it just words and personal theories. 

Viewers should always look for the content creator’s foundational doctrine, such as what they believe in for how is salvation done. What is their underlying motive for teaching God’s Word; is it for salvation, money, or simple prestige. Many content creators are there just for the clicks and views not teaching sound doctrine at all but simply quoting out of the scriptures.

Below are a few red flags to look for when listening to and following a Christian content creator online.

1.    Are they asking for money? – If they require a fee to join their network or offer religious merchandise, courses or books, lesson downloads or anything pertaining to God and Christ they promise will help you grow in the Lord, this is definitely a red flag. The gospel is free to all humanity and should never come with a price. As the scriptures says, “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you:” 2 Peter 2:3.

The love on money is at the root of all evil and there is always an underlying motive behind preachers who ask for money. They teach on the surface of many topics but leave the best content for those who will pay them. This is nothing more than a marketing ploy to extract money from vulnerable people. All it takes to know God is study of the Word and prayer.

2.    Do they lean toward a political party? – Politics does not belong in the gospel of Christ. Jesus was not a political canvasser who supported the Roman government or the opposing traditional Pharisees of the day. He stayed focused on the Word of God and calling people into the kingdom of God. The scripture speaks on this distraction in the gospels, which reads, “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” St, Matthew 13:22.

When preachers of the word become caught up in the things of this world and the philosophies of man, they tend to distort the purpose of God. They spin the teachings of salvation toward the policies of certain political parties pertaining to social and cultural issues more than salvation. They twist the word to fit the worlds current trends and the message of the gospel gets lost and marred in carnal ordinances.

3.    Do they prophesy in all their videos? – so-called teachers of the Word tend to look for recognition as a prophet of God hoping to convince people that they have a personal favor or private channel to the Lord. Many of them will go as far as write down paragraphs of notes they say they heard the Lord say to them. Many times, the so-called prophesies are nothing more than educated guesses of happenings in the world or based on research findings and social trends. Much like the workings of a psychic who gleans information about a person before telling their fortune. Prophesy from God usually comes far and in between to individuals and most of the time comes within a group of a few other believers.

Prophesy is not a daily occurrence unless the believer is constantly in the Spirit, which is physically draining if they knew anything about the power of God. Any person who claims to hear from God everyday on a constant bases are probably lying or listening to a false spirit, or their own voice and desires.

4.    Are they caught in celebrity gossip? – This is much like those who lean toward political teachings. They seem to be overly concerned with the famous people in the world and many times pray for them or try to reach out to them hoping they will get in touch and boost their image. Again, this is a false teacher who have no real connection to the purpose of God and have been trapped by the glory of the world. The scripture reads, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1 John 2:16.

In addition to worldly lifestyles, they promote the luxuries of life with emphases on careers, making money and becoming prosperous in life. They brag on the things they have and try and teach their members how to get those same things. This is a mind corrupted and lukewarm in the world. On the outside they look as if God is blessing them but, on the inside, they are weak in the spirit, confused about the Word, and lack any fruit of the Spirit.

5.    Do they overly complicate the gospel? – These are people who combine worldly books and philosophies with the Word of God. They reach back into history and add fables and myths about the lives of the old prophets, apostles, and of Jesus to make their teachings more entertaining. They use various languages and new, reedited bible versions to get their point across when the Word in the KJV alone will do. They also have a few different study books open to explain the simplest of concepts which in turn confuses many listeners and distorts the true meaning of the Word.

These people usually have degrees in religion and pride themselves on books they have read or written and the religious seminaries they have attended. They have a great deal of book knowledge of history and biblical tradition but lack any spiritual revelation. They are, “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 2 Timothy 3:7. They have a form of godliness but deny the power of the Spirit. When they go into a lesson, they lose the viewer in complicated teachings and correctives going around the topic and never reaching the essence of the truth.

They often use made-up words and theories taught in seminaries such as Trinity, Rapture, Post Millennial, Judeo-Christian, and many man-made philosophies and historical fables that are not mentioned in the bible. They are also firm backers of Israel and the Old Testament ordinances, though the bible says we are all under the grace of Jesus Christ and not the Law of Moses. And they always use the words Holy Spirit in place of Holy Ghost. They never say the word Ghost.

Many of the online content creators of the gospel are paid by the platform they are on and are restricted to certain rules and regulations. They have to be careful what they say and teach and are constantly concerned about their viewership count, likes and subscribers. Many of them make a living off what they teach so are careful not to offend those who follow them. This keeps them from teaching the whole truth of the gospel and causes them to become unnecessarily creative with specialized show themes and controversial guest segments, sophisticated graphics and flashy video drama.

The longer they stay on the platform and the more subscribers they have, the more careful they are not to teach on certain topics. This leaves a huge hole in the power of the gospel and keeps many people bound to the content creator’s level. People cannot grow as they should in Christ and many move from one teacher to another always looking for something that will excite or stimulate their ears. The scripture reads, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;” 2 Timothy 4:3.

As people stray from one content creator to another, they never establish roots in the Word but are led astray in a constant search for the truth, which is a very narrow path. Believers should always look for a foundational doctrine of the content creator to see what they teach and if it lines up with the Word of God. But most content creators do not have a hold on the apostle’s doctrine and instead teach whatever comes to mind.

The Apostle’s Doctrine, explained in Isaiah 28:9-11 reads, “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: for with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.”

It is proclaimed in the New Testament book of Acts 2:42, which reads, “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” The disciples made sure to inform the people that there was a certain way the scriptures were to be read and understood. If the content creator does not follow this doctrine, most likely they will err in teaching.

The mysteries of the Word are only revealed through the Holy Ghost and cannot be interpreted on a personal level or out of seminary school. The Word and Spirit work together for anyone to understand the full truth of God’s will. Viewers should be aware of who they are listening to and make sure all teachings are in line with the Word of God.