"The Apostasy"
Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 5
I feel exuberant to be writing to you after an unplanned three month pause. As I’ve expressed multiple times, I try to commit myself to God’s timing for every aspect of my life, whether pleasing to my desires, or not. There is His purpose behind every event, so I’ll continue to go with His flow.
Welcome,
I’ve been writing about three taboo [if you will] essay topics thus far, in this series; “The Virus,” “The Injection” and “The Plan.” Which brings us to this one — "The Apostasy."
Anyone who is vaguely familiar with the Holy Bible’s first book, “Genesis,” understands that humanity has been in a state of freefall since the deadly sin of Adam and Eve. The good book speaks of spinoff descents. The elephant-in-the-room that I want to address today is the specific "falling-away," predicted to occur in the last days prior to Jesus’ second coming.
Falling away is an interesting phrase. Instead of the use of the words ‘moving away,’ or ‘turning away’ for this prophecy, God used ‘falling away.’ The former phrases do not necessarily connote a negative result. ‘Falling away,’ however, conveys the action of moving away as a dangerous choice to make.
In this case it refers to falling further from the grace of God. Student believers would expect that of the world. It’s been transpiring for a while.
The hard reality to accept is, many of our confessed Christian brothers and sisters, whom have been assumed to belong to the body of Christ, are being pulled down by the mesmerizing lures of the unrighteous — the world. There are a lot of nominal Christians who are in much need of our prayers.
As fishing lures are attractive shiny objects, designed to hook fisher’s prey, so are the ones the Destroyer uses to catch God’s human creatures. His lures are cleverly crafted in several forms.
One of his favorite baited lines to use are doctrines of demons. These sparkling lures are very attractive to people with itchy ears — longing to hear words of safety from, or vindication for their condemnable deeds. The lies that there isn’t a devil, nor a hell, nor are there demons, nor even sin, are very palatable.
The lust worthy decoy is strategically and effectively dangled in front of the deceiver’s target. They swallow it whole — hook, line and sinker, as the saying goes. Due to the poisonous hooks hidden by a succulent gourmet wrap, makes it a painful process to remove. It takes a big sacrifice to save the victim.
Earlier this year, I wrote a song entitled “The Poison Pill.” The refrain illustrates my point...
The world swallowed the poison pill.
Hell can’t raise the dead still.
When all that’s left is what’s not right
Who’s gonna’ stop him from
Going in for the kill?
The pill represents the fall of multiple things. In this example, I’m attaching it to the apostasy of the church, orchestrated by false prophets behind the pulpit. This large and expanding cabal of clergy, pastors, ministers and priests, or in other words, the leaders and pillars of these organizations, are apostate actors. They fancy themselves as enlightened, righteous and prophetic theologians. Their houses are no longer the churches of Jesus Christ. They are no longer a part of the body of Christ. They have fallen away from sound doctrine and teach heretical feel-good, watered-down, theology which is leading their congregations to hell.
Apostasy is not difficult to detect when one has knowledge of God’s word. He tells us what to look out for. The probability is much better than in previous generations that you are attending a church which has abandoned some of the core principals and beliefs that are not disputable for a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
An obvious and damaging characteristic of apostatized preachers and church bodies is, the belief that there is more than one path to heaven. This is a great lie from the father of lies himself, Satan. It’s designed as a feel-good assertion for those who believe the lie. Once they have, it satisfies their quest for eternal salvation of otherwise lost loved ones, or themselves. A false sense of security for they whom won’t commit themselves to the truth.
Jesus proclaimed that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through him. “… the Way,...” meaning singular, or only. He didn’t use the words “A Way” inferring more than one.
Other core tenets of the Christian faith being violated by apostates are the denouncements of: the virgin birth of Jesus, His deity as Immanuel, His sacrificial death and resurrection from the grave, his return to earth to judge the living and the dead. All are born sinners in need of the Savoir Jesus Christ. He is the narrow gate and few find it. This is His proclamation.
These are non-disputable truths for sanctified believers and followers of the Messiah, Jesus. Dismissing even one of them is foolish. If you are a attending a church that teaches anything that digresses from these critical tenets of true Christianity — flee from it at once. They are traveling on the wide road, filled with the majority of souls being led to eternal separation from God. If you don't, it could expand the space between yourself and our heavenly Father.
It’s getting increasingly difficult to find a church that hasn’t fallen from grace. Most of them have allowed themselves to be engrained into the world system, where the hooks of it’s lure might get permanently lodged.
One Sunday, long ago, I was listening to a preacher at a well established church of a large longstanding denomination. In his sermon he actually seemed to be scoffing at the book of Revelation. With a flippant hand wave, he confessed that he doesn’t concern himself with the grandiose depictions of it's future scenario. As if the prophesies were that of a fantasy nature.
I could hardly contain myself from interrupting him with a stern rebuke. To this day, several years later, I’m not convinced that I should have been passive about it. However, as in previous incidents, in a more private setting, I attempted to relay what scripture teaches about the subject among other elders of the church. Had I missed the former opportunity to make a bigger impact? Probably so. I now try harder to act on new opportunities as soon as they present themselves.
My jaw about fell into my lap when I heard the pastor utter those undiscerned words. Not because he felt that way about end-time prophesy, I expect spiritual descent from “reverends” that hold liberalism up to be something noble. I was angry because he expressed his heretical stance to his influential flock. I didn’t notice any accompanying facial expressions, from my fellow worshipers, that were similar to mine. In fact, I saw no responsive expressions at all. It was as if they were not paying attention, or were of correlating sentiment. I pray for them constantly.
In bringing part four of my series to a close, I will ask you, what is your pastor teaching you, or not teaching you? According to the Bible’s description of the signs to be given for discernment regarding the end-times, the season is upon us and it’s prophesies are occurring before our vary eyes. Do you see them?
Too many pastors are derelict. They are not calling out certain sinful behavior and doctrines as sinful. They are not preparing their flock for the occurring, or at our doorstep, events written about in the book of Revelation, such as Armageddon, the great tribulation, the rapture and the blessed hope of Jesus' return. Teaching about these scriptural prophesies were and are prudent and necessary in every generation. Instead, we get the prosperity gospel preached, lectured on tolerance, acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle, pro-choice, the racist critical race theory, climate change, separation of church and state and every popular mainstream narrative. Safe zone material, is what I call it. Therefore, backlash is minimized.
These pulpiteers seem to be either deaf to what the Spirit is speaking, or purposely neglecting their obligation to share it with the sheep that the Lord has put in their care. Some of them may actually subscribe to these damnable ideologies. If it is grieving me and other followers of Jesus, imagine how much more the Holy Spirit. I literally have to call on Him to help me to not move beyond a righteous anger, because of the damaging effect it’s having on my brothers and sisters.
For you I pray. In our pews, we should be hearing rebukes of several doctrines, narratives and behaviors. Instead, I see intimidated minister's lack of courage and discernment. I witness their appeasement toward popular people, or ideas, compliance to state mandates which deny God’s will for us to worship Him. I hear subtle words of contempt aimed toward orthodox Christians for their unwavering convictions to the Lord’s unchanging laws, truth and principles. If you detect any of the aforementioned characterizations in your church clergy and elders, you are likely being led by a pack of wolves in sheep clothing. I urge you to pray for them and their congregations.
Church leaders, search your heart! Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what may be displeasing to the Lord, in the way you're handling the ministry He called you to. Then, please, use your God given gift of courage to repent of it! The worst worldly response for doing so can’t compare to your spiritual fate for not exposing evil and the truth to your flock.
Your calling, especially in this era, is an exceptional privilege with divine opportunities to shine the light of Christ. You will bring many more sheep into the fold and your reward will be great.
Confront this elephant in the room of apostasy and prevail.
I have at least one more of the largest elephants in the room to confront.
To be continued...
Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 5
I feel exuberant to be writing to you after an unplanned three month pause. As I’ve expressed multiple times, I try to commit myself to God’s timing for every aspect of my life, whether pleasing to my desires, or not. There is His purpose behind every event, so I’ll continue to go with His flow.
Welcome,
I’ve been writing about three taboo [if you will] essay topics thus far, in this series; “The Virus,” “The Injection” and “The Plan.” Which brings us to this one — "The Apostasy."
Anyone who is vaguely familiar with the Holy Bible’s first book, “Genesis,” understands that humanity has been in a state of freefall since the deadly sin of Adam and Eve. The good book speaks of spinoff descents. The elephant-in-the-room that I want to address today is the specific "falling-away," predicted to occur in the last days prior to Jesus’ second coming.
Falling away is an interesting phrase. Instead of the use of the words ‘moving away,’ or ‘turning away’ for this prophecy, God used ‘falling away.’ The former phrases do not necessarily connote a negative result. ‘Falling away,’ however, conveys the action of moving away as a dangerous choice to make.
In this case it refers to falling further from the grace of God. Student believers would expect that of the world. It’s been transpiring for a while.
The hard reality to accept is, many of our confessed Christian brothers and sisters, whom have been assumed to belong to the body of Christ, are being pulled down by the mesmerizing lures of the unrighteous — the world. There are a lot of nominal Christians who are in much need of our prayers.
As fishing lures are attractive shiny objects, designed to hook fisher’s prey, so are the ones the Destroyer uses to catch God’s human creatures. His lures are cleverly crafted in several forms.
One of his favorite baited lines to use are doctrines of demons. These sparkling lures are very attractive to people with itchy ears — longing to hear words of safety from, or vindication for their condemnable deeds. The lies that there isn’t a devil, nor a hell, nor are there demons, nor even sin, are very palatable.
The lust worthy decoy is strategically and effectively dangled in front of the deceiver’s target. They swallow it whole — hook, line and sinker, as the saying goes. Due to the poisonous hooks hidden by a succulent gourmet wrap, makes it a painful process to remove. It takes a big sacrifice to save the victim.
Earlier this year, I wrote a song entitled “The Poison Pill.” The refrain illustrates my point...
The world swallowed the poison pill.
Hell can’t raise the dead still.
When all that’s left is what’s not right
Who’s gonna’ stop him from
Going in for the kill?
The pill represents the fall of multiple things. In this example, I’m attaching it to the apostasy of the church, orchestrated by false prophets behind the pulpit. This large and expanding cabal of clergy, pastors, ministers and priests, or in other words, the leaders and pillars of these organizations, are apostate actors. They fancy themselves as enlightened, righteous and prophetic theologians. Their houses are no longer the churches of Jesus Christ. They are no longer a part of the body of Christ. They have fallen away from sound doctrine and teach heretical feel-good, watered-down, theology which is leading their congregations to hell.
Apostasy is not difficult to detect when one has knowledge of God’s word. He tells us what to look out for. The probability is much better than in previous generations that you are attending a church which has abandoned some of the core principals and beliefs that are not disputable for a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
An obvious and damaging characteristic of apostatized preachers and church bodies is, the belief that there is more than one path to heaven. This is a great lie from the father of lies himself, Satan. It’s designed as a feel-good assertion for those who believe the lie. Once they have, it satisfies their quest for eternal salvation of otherwise lost loved ones, or themselves. A false sense of security for they whom won’t commit themselves to the truth.
Jesus proclaimed that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through him. “… the Way,...” meaning singular, or only. He didn’t use the words “A Way” inferring more than one.
Other core tenets of the Christian faith being violated by apostates are the denouncements of: the virgin birth of Jesus, His deity as Immanuel, His sacrificial death and resurrection from the grave, his return to earth to judge the living and the dead. All are born sinners in need of the Savoir Jesus Christ. He is the narrow gate and few find it. This is His proclamation.
These are non-disputable truths for sanctified believers and followers of the Messiah, Jesus. Dismissing even one of them is foolish. If you are a attending a church that teaches anything that digresses from these critical tenets of true Christianity — flee from it at once. They are traveling on the wide road, filled with the majority of souls being led to eternal separation from God. If you don't, it could expand the space between yourself and our heavenly Father.
It’s getting increasingly difficult to find a church that hasn’t fallen from grace. Most of them have allowed themselves to be engrained into the world system, where the hooks of it’s lure might get permanently lodged.
One Sunday, long ago, I was listening to a preacher at a well established church of a large longstanding denomination. In his sermon he actually seemed to be scoffing at the book of Revelation. With a flippant hand wave, he confessed that he doesn’t concern himself with the grandiose depictions of it's future scenario. As if the prophesies were that of a fantasy nature.
I could hardly contain myself from interrupting him with a stern rebuke. To this day, several years later, I’m not convinced that I should have been passive about it. However, as in previous incidents, in a more private setting, I attempted to relay what scripture teaches about the subject among other elders of the church. Had I missed the former opportunity to make a bigger impact? Probably so. I now try harder to act on new opportunities as soon as they present themselves.
My jaw about fell into my lap when I heard the pastor utter those undiscerned words. Not because he felt that way about end-time prophesy, I expect spiritual descent from “reverends” that hold liberalism up to be something noble. I was angry because he expressed his heretical stance to his influential flock. I didn’t notice any accompanying facial expressions, from my fellow worshipers, that were similar to mine. In fact, I saw no responsive expressions at all. It was as if they were not paying attention, or were of correlating sentiment. I pray for them constantly.
In bringing part four of my series to a close, I will ask you, what is your pastor teaching you, or not teaching you? According to the Bible’s description of the signs to be given for discernment regarding the end-times, the season is upon us and it’s prophesies are occurring before our vary eyes. Do you see them?
Too many pastors are derelict. They are not calling out certain sinful behavior and doctrines as sinful. They are not preparing their flock for the occurring, or at our doorstep, events written about in the book of Revelation, such as Armageddon, the great tribulation, the rapture and the blessed hope of Jesus' return. Teaching about these scriptural prophesies were and are prudent and necessary in every generation. Instead, we get the prosperity gospel preached, lectured on tolerance, acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle, pro-choice, the racist critical race theory, climate change, separation of church and state and every popular mainstream narrative. Safe zone material, is what I call it. Therefore, backlash is minimized.
These pulpiteers seem to be either deaf to what the Spirit is speaking, or purposely neglecting their obligation to share it with the sheep that the Lord has put in their care. Some of them may actually subscribe to these damnable ideologies. If it is grieving me and other followers of Jesus, imagine how much more the Holy Spirit. I literally have to call on Him to help me to not move beyond a righteous anger, because of the damaging effect it’s having on my brothers and sisters.
For you I pray. In our pews, we should be hearing rebukes of several doctrines, narratives and behaviors. Instead, I see intimidated minister's lack of courage and discernment. I witness their appeasement toward popular people, or ideas, compliance to state mandates which deny God’s will for us to worship Him. I hear subtle words of contempt aimed toward orthodox Christians for their unwavering convictions to the Lord’s unchanging laws, truth and principles. If you detect any of the aforementioned characterizations in your church clergy and elders, you are likely being led by a pack of wolves in sheep clothing. I urge you to pray for them and their congregations.
Church leaders, search your heart! Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what may be displeasing to the Lord, in the way you're handling the ministry He called you to. Then, please, use your God given gift of courage to repent of it! The worst worldly response for doing so can’t compare to your spiritual fate for not exposing evil and the truth to your flock.
Your calling, especially in this era, is an exceptional privilege with divine opportunities to shine the light of Christ. You will bring many more sheep into the fold and your reward will be great.
Confront this elephant in the room of apostasy and prevail.
I have at least one more of the largest elephants in the room to confront.
To be continued...
