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» Christian Message Boards   » Bible Studies   » End Time Events In The News   » Falling Away

   
Author Topic: Falling Away
borntwice
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Many Christians believe we are living in a time of one of the greatest revivals in the history of the Church. Evangelism reports from around the world seem to substantiate this claim. Manifestations of supernatural gifts, such as tongues, signs and wonders are commonplace in a large percentage of churches. They are widely proclaimed as being from the Lord and proof that God is well pleased with the Church today. Ministries are expanding into mass media evangelism which spans the globe.

Evangelistic and charismatic groups are experiencing tremendous numerical growth as new buildings can be seen springing up and spreading out in almost every direction. All of these things would seem to refute the remote possibility that we are now living in the time of the great falling away of the Church: a falling away from true faith and the life-style which God demands of His people and which is taught in scripture. Instead, multitudes of church members say they are eagerly anticipating the return of Christ through the rapture which will whisk them out of every trial and tribulation which is obviously coming upon the world.

However, when close investigation is made of the personal lives of the church members, we find little difference between most of their life-styles and those of the people in the world. Divorce, adultery, homosexuality, gossip, unforgiveness, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, and factions are as prevalent in the churches today as they are in the world.

Almost any pastor or church leader you talk to privately will admit that down inside he knows something is desperately wrong. Many people wander from church to church looking for something they know they are missing. The message of "peace and safety" being preached cannot put an end to their inner turmoil. They discern the spiritual emptiness in religious traditions and often fall prey to cults and sects that draw them away from Jesus Christ and the Word of God altogether.

Others are looking for the true body of Christ which they know is supposed to be "holy and blameless." People easily become disillusioned when they see in the Church what they see in the world. Churches have turned to recreation, entertainment, and worldly music which incorporates the name of Jesus into it calling it worship in an attempt to manifest some sort of spiritual fervor by propping up a false sense of spirituality to hold the people, yet becoming more and more like the world.

Rather than select a pastor on the basis of his spiritual maturity and understanding, and one who preaches against worldly lifestyles and for holy living many choose a man based on his fund-raising ability and his charismatic personality to attract people in order to increase the size of the congregation and "build the church." As long as he tells us how much he loves us and allows sin to live in the church it matters little whether or not he actually teaches us the real dangers of sin and its consequences.

Counseling ministries flourish as the message proclaimed by the churches is not sufficient to meet the needs of the spiritually hungry and desperate people. Many pastors, looking for answers, have investigated other denominations and groups (sometimes secretly for fear of being labeled disloyal to their denomination), only to be disappointed to find the other groups have similar spiritual problems and sin that fills the pews of those who claim to be saved.

In the midst of this day of people searching for answers, we should recognize that we are now experiencing what the Lord promised would come. "'Behold, days are coming,' declares the Lord God, 'when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the Lord. And people will stagger (in spiritual darkness) from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they will go to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.'" Amos 8:11, 12.

What we are seeing overwhelmingly is what Paul said to Timohty;

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.


While this famine continues, the Lord has begun to awaken His true sheep and reveal to them the essential truths from His Word that have been overlooked and ignored. God did not find it necessary to cooperate with the requirements of religious systems in order to reveal His truths in the time of Jesus. That has not changed. God has begun restoring the power and truth of the gospel today to His true church and it is being done with placing within those few a hunger for holy living. While the true church is only a remnant of those who gather and claim to be part of the church the final result will be the glory of the Lord. I believe that this is the day that will see the glory and power of God coming to earth into His Church which will be "holy and blameless."

However keep in mind that "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." While, "evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." Certainly we are in the mist of the falling away and certainly there will be that remnant who keeps their eyes fixed on Jesus and His teachings seeking to honor Him instead of the flesh and all that goes with it, knowing that we will reap what we sow since God "will render to each one according to his deeds"eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness--indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11For there is no partiality with God."
So let us "Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God" which is to our shame.

This has been adapted from a writing called the "great falling away by Milton Green. There has been a great many additions made to it.

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