John MacArthur Equates Pro-Gay Churches to 'Satan's Church'

Jul 21, 2014 02:50 PM EDT

Popular pastor and author John MacArthur recently stated that churches that support homosexuality are "Satan's church."

"They have no allegiance to the Bible," MacArthur told the Blaze earlier this week.

"You go back to every one of those seminaries ... for a century [they] have been deniers of biblical authority, they have no relationship to scripture, they are the apostate church, they are Satan's church."

MacArthur, who pastors Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, warned that "cultural Christianity" was "dying at a warp speed."

"Institutional churches ebb and flow, denominations ebb and flow. They are made up of true believers and false believers - the genuine and the diluted," the "Being a Dad Who Leads" author said.

"There is a sense in which there's always going to be an ebb and flow in the institutional church."

MacArthur's comments were made shortly after the Presbyterian Church voted to allow pastors to perform gay marriages. The denomination also amended their definition of marriage, changing it from "a man and a woman" to "two people, traditionally a man and a woman."

Last October, MacArthur also criticized popular televangelists like Carl Lentz and Joel Osteen for their refusal to preach against homosexuality, noting that many modern pastors focus on advancing a prosperity gospel that is "spirit-centered" when it should be Christ-centered.

"If the Charismatic movement was being produced by the Holy Spirit, the glory of Christ would prevail everywhere," said MacArthur in a speech given at the Strange Fire Conference held at Grace Community Church.

"It would be Christ-dominated and everyone in the movement would be bowing the knee to the true Christ in belief of the true Gospel."

Earlier this year, Osteen defended his decision to avoid "hot button" issues such as gay marriage, saying such matters were too "divisive."

In addition, Hillsong NYC pastor Carl Lentz said he also will not discuss homosexuality, saying the issue often "ostracizes" people.

Rev. Stacy Swimp of Revive Alive Missional Ministries in Detroit, Michigan echoes MacArthur's comments, calling religious leaders who fail to preach Biblical truths "cowards."

"Those placed in authority positions within the church have an obligation to preach truth, to preach the whole Word of God, unpleasant or not" he stated. "Those who fail to do so are cowards, and the Bible is clear that cowards will be thrown into a lake of fire," he continued, quoting Revelation 21:8.