END-TIME  PROPHECY  E-NEWSLETTER

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ISSUE  NUMBER  3

Apostasy:

The Heart of Most Christians Will Grow Cold When Jesus Returns  

 

INTRODUCTION. Apostasy, from the Greek, means a "standing away from (apart from)." Of several meanings, apostasy can mean a rejection of a religious belief (faith) to adopt an opposite belief (faith), or none at all. Many Christians are now apostate, as was prophesied in the New Testament.

 

BIBLE PROPHECIES CONCERNING APOSTASY: Consider the following Scriptures:

 

In Jesus' Olivet Discourse, He warns (Matthew 24:10, 12 NIV): "At that time [time of His return-- the Resurrection/ Rapture] many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other.... | Because of the love of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold."

 

Jesus continues in this Discourse (Matthew 24:37-39) to warn that conditions at the time of His return will be as those in the days of Noah, before the flood, when people thought only of their immediate needs and not of God or service to others in God's name. Read of the selfish, evil nature of these people in Genesis 6:5-6. 

 

Jesus also laments about the end-time decline of faith (Luke 18:8b): "... Nevertheless, when the Son of Man [Jesus] comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

 

Paul, warning of perilous last days (2 Timothy 3:1-5), tells us that people will have a form of godliness, but deny its power.

 

Paul also warns about the lack of sound teaching and faith at the end of time (2 Timothy 4:3-4): For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

 

Peter warns that people will scoff at Jesus' promise to return, since His return was not immediate (2 Peter 3:3-4): ... scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." Peter continues to teach in this passage about the first and second destructions of the world (water and fire, respectively) and how God's view of time differs from man' view.

 

CHRIST'S SEVEN CHURCHES: The first three chapters of the Book of Revelation tell of the relationship between Jesus and the Body of Christ (His churches).

 

Read the first chapter to understand the symbolism of the next two chapters. John the Revelator sees Jesus walking among seven golden lampstands (which represent the seven Christian church ages). A lampstand does not give off light, but holds up the lamp, the source of light, to spread the light over a wider area. In this case, a golden lampstand (a church) holds up the Light of the word (Jesus) to spread His light of truth farther into a dark world. John sees Jesus holding seven stars in His right hand (which represent the angels [messengers] of or to the churches).

 

Jesus commands John to write a letter to each of these seven churches. These letters comprise the second and third chapters of Revelation.


Scholars recognize seven distinct periods in the Christian church's development, from its founding (Day of Pentecost ca AD 33), through the present, and until the future Rapture. Although these seven churches existed in the Roman Province of Asia in John's time (present-day Turkey), characteristics of each church in Jesus' letter describe that church's place in history. A few comments follow. When I recently taught Revelation to my Sunday School class, we spent seven or eight weeks on these three chapters, and I felt I only scratched the surface in my lessons. If you have time to study these churches in more detail, you will learn much about church history and Jesus' heart for His churches. I limit discussion to the last three churches: 

 

** The first four church types that I will not mention in this issue are: Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-7)-- the Apostolic Church, ca 33 - 100. | Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11)-- the Persecuted Church, ca 100 - 313. | Pergamos (Rev. 2:12-17)-- the Indulged Church, ca 313 - 590 | Thyatira (Rev. 2:18-29)-- the Papal Church, ca 590 - 1517.

 

The last three church types are:

 

** Sardis (Rev. 3:1-6)-- the Reformed Church, ca 1517 - 1790.

 

** Philadelphia (Rev. 3:7-13)-- the Missionary Church, ca 1790 - 1900 (with a beloved remnant at the Rapture).

 

* Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22)-- the Apostate (Ecumenical) Church, ca 1900 until the Rapture.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 

Dates are anno Domini (AD). The character of churches changed during these time periods in response to governmental and church influences. Change from one church period to the next was not abrupt, but often a gradual merging. Certain characteristics of former churches were often carried into the following churches. Some of these church types affected only Protestant churches, not Catholic churches. 

 

CHURCHES AT THE TIME OF THE RAPTURE: A remnant of the church coming from the Protestant Reformation, typified by the fifth church at Sardis, may continue into the Tribulation. This church, which is already weakened in Europe, may become part of the false religion of the False Prophet. This false religious leader (see Revelation 13:11-18) will likely blend words and rituals from Protestant and Catholic Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, New Age, and secular humanism into his "religion"-- a religion which will exist to promote the Antichrist and Satan, to compete with existing faiths, and to control citizens (use of the mark of the Beast, for example).

 

The church in the minority at the Rapture, typified by the church at Philadelphia, will be lowly in man's eyes, but will be working faithfully to spread the Gospel and care for God's children. Jesus has no condemnation for this church.

 

The church in the majority at the time of the Rapture, typified by the church at Laodicea, will be lukewarm (tepid)-- neither hot nor cold, and will rely not on Jesus but on its own wealth. Because nothing seemingly is needed from Jesus, this church fails in its own blindness. Jesus has no commendation (praise) for this church, stating He will vomit it from His mouth.

 

When Jesus comes (the Resurrection/ Rapture), the Philadelphia-type church will be busy spreading the Gospel, harvesting souls for the Kingdom, and caring for persons in Jesus' name. However, the Laodicea-type church will be concerned with its committees, organizational and denominational "busy work," social (secular) programs, inwardly directed social activities, and so forth. The difference is laboring for others (Philadelphia) or working for self (Laodicea).


AMERICA-- "IN GOD WE TRUST"? The United States' motto is: "In God We Trust." At one time, America was a Christian nation. America now is a post-Christian nation. We have followed our European brothers and sisters by letting many of our Christian churches fail through apathy, to be overcome with secularism and non-Christian ideas and emphases.

 

Many persons have long suspected this is the case. Now comes pollster George Barna, who surveyed Americans as to what they actually believe. His 2009 Barna Update reveals disturbing findings:

 

** While many persons believe faith is important, 50 percent believe that Christianity is no longer the faith Americans accept as  personal faith.

 

** Pollster Barna concludes that Christian faith is increasingly defined by individualism, choosing what to accept and what to reject from the Bible. Barna finds that many Americans now serve as their own "theologians-in-chief," forming belief systems that are often contradictory and unpredictable.

 

** Millions of persons believe they can achieve eternal salvation just by performing enough good works.

 

** Americans are likely to blend a variety of beliefs, selected from such contradictory sources as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and secularism.

 

** People spend less time reading the Bible and participating in activities that improve biblical literacy and understanding. Faith is determined through conversation, self-reflection, and observation, rather than teaching. Feelings and emotions are more important than Bible study, preaching, and other Bible and faith instruction.

 

Read the 2009 Barna Update by clicking on the following link:

www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrow&BarnaUpdateID=324

 

CONSEQUENCES OF APOSTASY: I speak as an American, because I know the conditions here. These conditions are not necessarily present in other readers' countries. Missionaries tell of persons in third-world countries who thirst for the Gospel, who readily face presecution and even martyrdom to honor their belief in Jesus, and who passionately desire merely to own a Bible. Revival and the salvation message are far easier for people in these countries, than for Americans. Several pastors have told me that the hardest working, most faithful Christians come from a background of terrible sins and drug addiction, because they know how low they had sunk and how much the Holy Spirit has lifted them from darkness to Light. Like the Laodiceans, Americans are hampered by wealth and comfortable living conditions. 

 

Because of lazy, fearful, weak (Laodicean) pastors and congregations in America, we have allowed godless groups and compliant government officials (especially judges) to remove prayer and any expression of Christianity from our schools; to remove recognition of anything Christian, including even nativity scenes during the Christmas season, from public places; to forbid prayer at public events; and to accept and even promote the killing of 50-million unborn babies since the 1973 Supreme Court decisions of Roe vs Wade and Doe vs Bolton. We have elected the most pro-abortion U.S. senator as our president. Because we have established the value of life as the price of an abortion and have removed all moral teachings from schools, many of our young people have little respect for life, are amoral, and have no spiritual guidance in their lives. There is much more that could be said, but you already know these things. America has sown the wind, and Americans are reaping the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7).

 

FINALLY: Christianity is said to have more adherents than any faith, a number that exceeds two-billion persons ( www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html ). This number is impressive, but how many are following Jesus in the active, effectve way He desires?

 

** When Jesus called persons for service, He said "Follow Me" (Matthew 4:19, etc.), not "Join a church."

 

** We Christians are called to be actively, passionately involved in God's Kingdom, not just to keep a church pew warm on Sunday mornings. He said to become fishers of men (Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17), and to go into fields of lost souls ripe for harvest and harvest those souls (Matthew 9:37-38; Luke 10:2).

 

** I have been a member of and worshipped in both Philadelphian-type and Laodicean-type churches. I can assure you there is an easily recognized difference in the two churches. You have only one life and only one opportunity to serve the Master before His return. Please... If you are "playing church" at a Laodicean church, start hunting a Philadelphian church and plant your seeds of faith and God-given talents in its fertile ground. Carpets, expensive organs, choir robes, and stained glass windows do not define a church's greatness. In Jesus' eyes, effective ministry directed toward others in His name defines greatness. A great church has a pastor who speaks the Bible's truth with boldness and clarity, experriences frequent salvations and baptisms, has members who pray in humility and expectation, and supports enthusiastically missions to a lost world as its highest calling.

 

** We are told to contend earnestly for the faith gven to us (Jude 1:3). Remember: Government officials work for you. Demand accountability. Demand honesty and morality in government. Learn candidates' positions, and vote only for candidates who follow Jesus' principles in their lives (not just give lip service to those principles)..

 

CONTACT: If you wish to write me, my email address is: raymondfinney@ymail.com . If you wish to call me, my home telephone number is (865) 984.1424.

 

If you have questions, comments, or especially if you need to know how to become a Christian, please contact me. I will be honored to help you in any way possible.

 

Please check my Website, Fulfillment of Bible Prophecy in Today's News, www.prophecyfulfillment.com . I add links to current news stories almost daily. The road for Jesus' return is being prepared daily in many ways and with increasing rapidity.

 

I now record each week a one-hour prophecy news program, which is broadcast on WPFR990, www.ironmountainradio.com . Schedules are now in flux, but past programs may be archived at www.ironmountainradio.com/rfinney/index.htm .

 

Be a watchman on the wall (Ezekiel 33:1-10; Joel 2:1). Warn lost persons of their danger (eternal death) and their need to receive God's greatest gift (eternal life). You will receive the Crown of Rejoicing for Soul Winners (1 Thessalonians 2:19) for your efforts, and those whom you help to lead to salvation will be your spiritual children for eternity.

 

NEXT ISSUE: I plan to discuss the Bema Judgment (Judgment Seat of Christ). I believe that preparation for your Bema Judgment is exceeded in importance only by your salvation. Not often taught in churches and unknown to many Christians, you need to know this teaching, which will be straight from the pages of the Bible. More importantly, you need to prepare for your Bema Judgment.

 

As I stated in my first issue, I am not organized enough to have a plan or schedule. Please provide me with ideas about topics you would like presented.

 

May God bless and protect you and your family. Maranatha! Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

 

Raymond Finney

Maryville, Tennessee U.S.A.

 

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