Christian Message Boards: 2Thessalonians 2:3 The Falling Away

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Posted by HuggyBear (Member # 2195) on :

2Thessalonians 2:3 (MKJV) Let not anyone deceive you by any means. For that Day shall not come unless there first comes a falling away, and the man of sin shall be revealed, the son of perdition,

Recent Survey Findings Say Church "Boring" and "Uncool" for Teens
Taken from Baptist Times, 23 January 2003

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A recent church attendance survey conducted in Great Britain showed some astonishing results as to the reasons church attendance by youth between the ages of 10 and 16 is dropping.

"The survey was commissioned following statistics two years ago that revealed that 1,000 under-15's are leaving the church each week," said the report. "Eighty seven percent of those surveyed said that 10 - 14 year olds think church is "boring". An additional 73 percent said that it "wasn't cool". And nearly half said that their parents didn't encourage them to attend."

The problem itself does not seem to revolve around the question of "Is there a God?" It is more of a question of "How do we get our youth involved in church""

"Sixty eight percent of under 14s believe that Jesus is the Son of God," said Nick Lear, mission advisor to the Baptist Union of Great Britain. "It means that we have a marketing job to do to show that Christian faith is relevant."

The crisis of dropping church attendance may seem unbearable, but there is great light in the fact that most children do believe in God.

"The survey showed that pre-teens were put off church, not Christianity," reported the Baptist Times. "Seventy three percent said that they believed in heaven, 72 percent in God and 67 percent in Jesus; figures higher than a recent Gallup poll revealing adult beliefs."

EBPS:007

http://www.ebf.org/bulletins2003_02.htm

December 10, 1997 (17)

Study of worldwide rates of religiosity, church attendance

"Fully 44 percent of Americans attend church once a week, not counting funerals, christenings and baptisms, compared with 27 percent of people in Great Britain, 21 percent of the French, 4 percent of Swedes and 3 percent of Japanese."

"Moreover, 53 percent of Americans say that religion is very important in their lives, compared with 16 percent, 14 percent, and 13 percent, respectively, of the British, French and Germans."

"The collapse of religion in Northern European countries is particularly striking, he observes. Not only has weekly church attendance plunged, but Latin American countries are now sending missionaries to save the souls of their former colonizers."

"Why America is an exception to this global trend is uncertain, although Inglehart suggests several possible explanations. Religion could be a legacy of America's frontier mentality, in which a strong sense of faith was necessary in order to brave the unknown. It could also have a more contemporary cause: a social welfare system less developed than those in most Nordic or European countries. "

http://www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/Releases/1997/Dec97/r121097a.html

Will we Americans experience the same falling away? Will the falling away for America ensue piece meal because 60 per cent of churches in the U. S. have a median age of 60 years or higher(The Personal Art of Evangelism{2003} pg 5, endnote 7). Is there any other social trend that you can see in the U. S. that you think would lead to this?

Posted by MAC (Member # 47) on :

"Moreover, 53 percent of Americans say that religion is very important in their lives??.

That could be a problem....

Posted by KJV MAN (Member # 1905) on :

quote:
Originally posted by MAC:
"Moreover, 53 percent of Americans say that religion is very important in their lives??.

That could be a problem....

GOD has always had a remnant on earth and today is no exception.
We are going through a great falling away around the world and in the USA. People are not generally interested in church or serving the LORD and as the world serves up more forms of amusement these numbers will continue to drop.
It's safe to say that 53% of the church does not attend Sunday & Wednesday night services in the U.S. I've seen polls where 65% said they attended church regularly but regularly consisted of 1 service per month and that's not regular , IMO!!!

Posted by becauseHElives (Member # 87) on :

Religion is a system of worship and that is what most people have “religion”.(even many that call themselves Christians)

True Christianity on the other hand is a “relationship” like a husband and wife. Husband and wives that love each other as teach the Scriptures. A husband who holds in the highest regard, his wife, as Christ does His bride the Church. A wife, ever yielding her rights to Him she loves, that sees her husband as her authority and loving her so much that what ever is in His power to give, is hers for the asking.

I believe one of the reasons for the great falling away from the Faith, is because the relationships of most husbands and wives in the Church are so perverted. Out of hundreds of couples I know personally, there are only four couples besides my wife and I, that have relationships that are Christ like in character.

Posted by barrykind (Member # 35) on :

Amen

Religion is growing leaps and bounds, esp in the USA...

But it is Just that "Religion".. not a relationship with Yahshua [Jesus]

The falling away talked about in the scriptures is not a falling away from religion, but the great falling away from the love of the truth!

We have been in that falling away for some time...

Statements from the bible like " All those that choose to live Godly SHALL {suffer} persecution"..

Oh, there are those today that say "Godliness is gain" but the word says : Godliness with "CONTENTMENT" is great gain....

The measure of a man or womens success is by far not measured by the things one posses nor the accumalation on money or gold nor silver that will all pass away..but the realtionship with Yahshua the Messiah [Jesus the Christ], and what one does with the talent given to him or her...

If you want to see persecution first hand....LIVE THE BOOK!

Just do and say what Yahshua [Jesus] did and said...did He not say "and greater works than I do you shall do?"

Preach the truth, and if your not sure about a subject..leave it alone, and pray!

It is time, high time, the end of the age draws near....

Let us not be like Sampson arise as before shake ourselves only to find that "THE SPIRIT HAS DEPARTED"~~~~~~

What percing words were those..makes a chill run my neck..

The falling away is real, is here, and will continue for some time to come, men growing worse and worse..

One of the questions ask was....HOW DO WE GET OUR YOUTH into the church...

The question needs expounding......

Does one mean how to get them to the "church" babylon, egypt, religion....Well
build more gyms for 1.3 million like they did in my town..that one works really well...,

More things for the flesh.. and to be consumed on the youths lust of the flesh where as the parents can relax that they have found themselves a moral baby sitter......Away with this!!!

The way to get our youth into the church is to live the life before them...train them up in the way that they should go, so as when they are old they shall not depart from it.....

The way to get our youth is to let them see the life, the power, the love the grace and mercy of a Almighty God living though US!!!!

The buck stops here folks, it is most assuradly our responsibility for the youth of today!!

Its not the Goveernments fault, its not the worlds fault, its not even the devils fault, its OUR FAULT!..

If our children love the world, well they saw far too much of it in us...

Let us strive to enter in at the straight gate, remembering the only thing God requires is US and totally ourselves, not half in and half out...LUKEWARM will destroy you and me!

Sorry for staying and for a long post...but my heart is heavy, for the church has laid the responibility of so many things on the world it hurts to see it and to report it...

THe chuch gave up on the widows and orphans a long time ago...the government said ill take care of them, the church got lazy and quit teaching thier children, Reading, writing, and arithmetic, a long time ago, and the government said ill teach them....

The church stopped carring for thier neighbors, and the government said ill give them WIC, food stamps and a check...

And now the so called "church" says~~~~~woah youve gone to far.......

And the government states: that was settled a long time ago when you abandoned your responsibilities!

Now the church world preaches, give me your tithes and listen to us and everything will be ok...If you dont tithe then you dont love God they say...

These (for the most part) are stealing from Gods people and squandering the money upon the lusts of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life!

Thank God for the Brother that mentioned that "remenant" and so true it is:::~~~GOD has now and has always had a remenant that has not bent thier knee to baal!....

Father help us and especially me for i have so miserably failed you and your word. Please give me the strenght wisdom and quidanace to not be caught up in this great falling away, and that yaour remenant will stand true to which i humbly request you see fit for me to be a part....

amen

Posted by becauseHElives (Member # 87) on :

Amen Barry, Lord come and revive me, I am so far from the example's in the book of Acts. Those full of the Holy Spirit. Fill me and all those that have the same desire.

Posted by barrykind (Member # 35) on :

It is not in our ability, to be good enough or work hard enough, but in the desire of the converted heart of a believer to walk humbly before a HOLY, PURE, RIGHTIOUS, LOVING GOD and FATHER, who takes pleasure in them that fear HIM, in those that hope in HIS MERCY.

Posted by barrykind (Member # 35) on :

Brother those are sure words for today:

It is not in our ability, to be good enough or work hard enough, but in the desire of the converted heart of a believer to walk humbly before a HOLY, PURE, RIGHTIOUS, LOVING GOD and FATHER, who takes pleasure in them that fear HIM, in those that hope in HIS MERCY.

It is not in our ability
to be good enough, in our works, or our righteousness!!!

But our part:

Desire to please God (YaHWeH)
Allowing our hearts and minds to be converted
WALK HUMBLY, with a contrite and humble spirit!

Fearing the LORD and hoping in HIS mercy

amen

[dance]

Posted by helpforhomeschoolers (Member # 15) on :

quote:
Will we Americans experience the same falling away? Will the falling away for America ensue piece meal because 60 per cent of churches in the U. S. have a median age of 60 years or higher(The Personal Art of Evangelism{2003} pg 5, endnote 7). Is there any other social trend that you can see in the U. S. that you think would lead to this?

Yes, America is now experiencing the falling away. Come on we just saw the ordination of a practicing homosexual to the clergy. The Lutheran's ordain women; and countless other denominations question the virgin birth, the diety of Christ and the inerrancy of the scriptures!

The falling away must happen in America!

Christ is not coming back for a harlot bride in soiled linen. And it isnt happening because of social trends or aged church membership.

The social trends (divorce, disregard for authority; the banishing of God from the hearts and minds of the people; the spread of secular humanism etc...) are results of the problem and not the cause of the problem.

It is happening because we are at war; It is happening because the the fields have been planted with tares by the enemy; it is happening because our enemy raoms about seeking whom he can devour; it is happening because sin exisits; it s happening because God Himself said it would be; it is happening because it must happen that the TRUE Bride of Christ can be seen.

Posted by becauseHElives (Member # 87) on :

quote:

2THESS 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2THESS 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2THESS 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

strong delusion must truly be upon the greater part of the American Church.

I have read things people that seemingly have read the Scriptures and call themselves believers, say are actions becoming of righteous living,

that the Scriptures plainly condemns.

Posted by Gospel_Syntax (Member # 2252) on :

most american churches will probably sleep through the second coming anyway! many american congregations see the american church as THE church which is not true. just because a certain disaster has not befallen the american church does not mean the church at large is not being harmed.

the great tribulation of the church will be a great house cleaning. even now the harvesters are in the fields.

many american christians do not think about the problems to come to this world. they live structured sheltered lives in which bad things are not allowed to happen or if they do happen they are brushed aside as immaterial. the church at large needs to wake up to what is happening to it.