Posted on 09/22/2010 7:02:32 PM PDT by TaraP
During the last days prior to the return of Jesus Christ, one of the many signs heralding His return will be a global apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:3) coinciding with a global cry for peace.(1 Thessalonians 5:3)
Globalized communications of our day facilitate the rise and speed of this falling away from the faith, and have also been prophesied since the Bible foretells the world will see certain events come to pass. (Revelation 11:9-10; 17:8)
With nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons technology, terrorist threats, combined with several nations increasingly more hungry for power and domination than for true peace, the capability of mankind destroying all life on earth today, is real. Over 2000 years ago, Jesus predicted this capability for world destruction at a time when only spears and swords were the weapons used. (Matthew 24:21-22)
All these factors and more, play into the role of fulfilling the prophecy found in Revelation chapter 13, the time coming when the Antichrist , or 'false messiah' forms his one world religion (Revelation 13:12)
To get to the point of global worship of the Antichrist who will rule the world temporarily during the tribulation prior to the return of Jesus Christ , the true Messiah, there must (logically) be a global 'conditioning' or preparation, and this begins with apostasy, or the 'falling away' from the true faith in Jesus Christ in much of the Christian world.
This is happening right now and increasingly so, with the global cry for peace. Jesus Christ is denied as being the 'only way, truth, and life' (John 14:6) and in many churches, this truth is excluded (subtly in many cases with a weak gospel) in the name of 'peace and tolerance.' How can this happen? What is the motive or inspiration? This is an examination of only a few factors working together to bring about this change.
The unifying theme in all interfaith dialogue is 'tolerance.' While this sounds virtuous and good, it is deceptive for that very reason. There is no question that peace-making is a noble effort. However, in the name of 'tolerance' and for the cause of eradicating 'radicalism,' it is highly likely that the Christian faith, specifically those who teach and maintain that Jesus Christ is the only way to God as truth - will be viewed as intolerant and bigoted, and even extreme.
The increase in religious tensions all over the world in all forms; terrorist attacks, burning of books, arguments against the banning of books from schools, public offices, etc., will likely lead to global restrictive religious laws, in attempt to reduce these tensions, and promote 'tolerance' as a means to bring about global peace. The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations program is one such body set up for this. An article entitled, "Saudi U.N. Interfaith Movement would “Crush Religious Freedom” provides more insight on this topic.
The blending of faiths, and unifying of world religions in the name of peace, but to the exclusion of truth, is leading the world and those who follow this path into a deceptive trap.
Matthew Ch 7 v 13-14
The Narrow and Wide Gates
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it." "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."
What a sad and pathetic universe you live in. You’ve already conceded the war, and metastasized into a cheerleader for Satan’s team.
I guess, if it doesn’t happen to white Americans, it doesn’t count. Nearly 100 million Chinese folks bow before the Lord Jesus Christ — but they’re non-white non-Americans, so their testimony doesn’t count. Nearly half of Africa now pledges allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ — but I guess the stuff that happens to darkies is irrelevant.
A real reformation is in progress in America, quietly growing under the radar. Millions of Christian families are raising their children in one faith, not two. In Christianity, not in secular humanism — but these are people with hope for the future, so of course, they are either crazy, or apostate, right?
Sorry I don’t follow you...
Thank you.
Tolerance does not apply to a traditionalist.
2 John 7: 7 Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh; such is the deceitful one and the antichrist. 5 8 Look to yourselves that you 6 do not lose what we worked for but may receive a full recompense. 9 Anyone who is so "progressive" 7 as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God; whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son. 10 8 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him in your house or even greet him; 11 for whoever greets him shares in his evil works.
Very Good Post! Thanks
There will be no ‘peace’ until the Prince of Peace returns and He alone is the Way the Truth and the Life. There is NO other name under heaven by which you can be saved. Anybody saying otherwise is deceived. There is one God, and one mediator between God and men...Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 2:5
“What a sad and pathetic universe you live in. You’ve already conceded the war, and metastasized into a cheerleader for Satan’s team.”
The war has already been won by Christ, on the cross. That doesn’t negate the fact that the falling away will happen, since it has been prophesied. To deny it, is to deny the Word.
One can spread the Gospel and be joyous in the work, while still acknowledging that our work will not “win the war”, no matter how successful we may be at the moment.
Amen!
Sorry I don’t follow you...
Basic stuff, actually.
What you said is true and thank the Lord for that!
At the same time, there is a growing darkness as well. Young people are under attack culturally by New Agers/Nature worshipers/one worlders. Satanism is big in the pop culture again. Christians are being persecuted and slaughtered like never before around the world. The US is progressing to persecute Christians here and even in the military.
All that you say is true, yes, but what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?[1] The central fact of the Bible is -- The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice! There is a King who is seated at the right hand of the Father, and all foes are being subdued under his feet. Rebellious nations are brought to heel -- or obliterated. It took Christ 300 years to conquer Caesar, but the point came where Christians were the only healthy, cohesive and organized body in the Roman Empire.[2] Today the Chinese government is paying close attention to Christian entrepreneurs, and even sponsoring an institute of Christian business ethics and practices. After a half-century of incredible persecution, the church in China has grown from a few tens of thousands to nearly 100 million Christians. Our God reigns, you see.
Let's look locally. Here in the States, several million families no longer bow the knee to Baal, no longer render unto Caesar the things that are God's, the children entrusted to their care. Their young children are protected from naked confrontation with the unrestrained power of the enemy. The children of obedient Christian families are not used as tiny cannon fodder in grown-up wars, but are growing up to outperform their peers, to define their own culture.[3] The future of our nation is as bright as the promises of God -- and the divinely empowered home school movement, a massive, but quiet, Reformation is a token of God's good plans for our future.
People of my generation remember the Cuban Missile Crisis, the "duck and cover" exercises, and the real threat of nuclear holocaust. Our "prophecy teachers" assured us that God had ordained the global triumph of Communism, the Red Beast that would carry antichrist and his whore to triumph. Then, almost overnight, the threat disappeared. The wall came down. The Bible and Christianity became part of the curriculum for Russian public schools. I was in Ukraine in 1992, and the people were devastated by the loss of the faith that had shaped their lives. They were also eager to hear the Gospel. The church I attend immediately re-tasked several campus ministers as church planters in the former Soviet Bloc. Today, we have other people laboring in other strategic nations. You see, we worship like Pentecostals, preach like Presbyterians, have a passion for campus ministry -- and are post-millennial in our expectations. While the fortune-tellers are re-drawing their vivid, and insane, maps of imaginary futures, faithful Christians are at work to claim those futures for the glory of God and His Christ.
[2] The Roman legal system had broken down. Some lawsuits languished for longer than 70 years in the Roman courts. Meanwhile the Christians, following the advice Paul gave them in I Cor. 6, had created their own parallel system of church courts. Even pagans were coming to Christians for arbitration of their disputes. Constantine begged Christian pastors to don the uniform of Roman magistrates, so that people could stop them on the street for instant justice. Today, when a Roman Catholic priest garbs for mass, he puts on that same uniform.
[3] The Prussian system set aside 1.5% of the kids to receive a tradition education, heavy on reading, writing, thinking, and intensive tutoring. These were, of course, the children of the ruling class. Another 4.5% of the kids formed the yeni çeri, the janissaries, the scholarship kids extracted from their culture and given the specialized training to serve as high-functioning pillars of the regime: doctors, lawyers, professors, pastors. 96% of the kids were frog-marched away from home, at bayonet point if need be, to be processed into unthinking, docile, factory hands and cannon fodder. The question is -- who will be most influential in the American future? The janissaries of our TAG ("talented and gifted") programs? Or the new cognitive elite growing up in Christian families?
The Trinity is a fact. The "future falling away" is a fallacy. I can affirm the Trinity, the inerrant Scripture, and the historic faith of the Church, while denying a theological construct that impugns the goodness and power of God.
You would deny God His glory, in order to defend your theory. Been there, done that, got the tee-shirt. Bad theology is a harsh taskmaster. Parents with a defective doctrine of healing have withheld insulin from their diabetic children to exert their faith -- and watched them die. Prognosticators with a foul, perverted, and demonic doctrine of eschatology have withheld hope from their children -- and watched them desert God en masse upon reaching adulthood.[1]
By their fruits you shall know them. Twelve spies came back from Canaan with the same data set. Ten spies saw only doom, gloom, the certainty of failure. Caleb and Joshua saw opportunities for a faithful God to demonstrate His power again.
The fearful, faithless spies died within a day -- but not until they had infected all of Israel with their defeatism. Their "fact" led Israel to wander pointlessly in the desert for a generation.
Forty years ago, a wonderful and gracious move of God was aborted by the fortune-tellers. Forty years ago, as the simple dupe of the fortune-tellers, (as you are today) I could not think more than a week or two ahead. When I drank deeply from Scofield's poisoned well, the logical lunacy that shaped my life alienated family and friends. It took decades to regain some credibility. And that was too late for some brothers and sisters.
Then, a guy I'd led to Christ in 1970 returned the favor in 1980, with a stack of books that showed another way to understand the Bible's eschatology. My life, family, walk with God, and vocation, were totally transformed. Today, a dissertation sits on an adviser's desk, as I seek God's grace to glorify Him in "the second half of my adult life." At age 59, I'm thinking about the next 30 or 40 years.
Ideas have consequences. Bad ideas have bad consequences. The idea that God has already decided to "take a dive," and concede an uncontested round to the Enemy, is a very, very, very bad idea indeed. Thank God, this creaky, decrepit, and vile defeatism is losing credibility with every "prophetic milestone" that passes!
[1] BTW -- how are your children turning out?
Well, that’s a whole lot of talk, but I don’t see anything in your post to refute the words of Scripture. Calling me a fortune teller, telling personal anecdotes, and appealing to your human reason doesn’t trump the Word of God.
1 Tim. 4:1-3:
” 1Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
Notice is says “the Spirit speaketh”, this comes from God, not from me, or from some Tarot deck or Ouija board. There are many, many verses that confirm the same truths, from the Old Testament, and the New. This isn’t a theological construct, it’s the Word of God. It seems to me you are the one appealing to a theological construct in a vain attempt to refute the Word of God.
Let’s see — should I also watch out for Babylonian armies coming to make eunuchs of my sons?
Any other fulfilled divine judgments and curses you wish to claim for yourself? Or recommend that I embrace?
So what days or what generation was Jesus speaking about when he said once again, we would be living like those Days of Noah?
“Let’s see — should I also watch out for Babylonian armies coming to make eunuchs of my sons?
Any other fulfilled divine judgments and curses you wish to claim for yourself? Or recommend that I embrace?”
Now this is just a ludicrous argument. Does the fulfillment of one prophecy prove the fulfillment of all? Obviously not, so there’s no logic in your statement.
Why don’t you put your cards on the table, so to speak? You apparently advocate preterism, so are you a full preterist? Do you believe every prophecy in the Bible has already been fulfilled, or do you admit there are some which have not?
Everything you said is true and thanks for all the great information. Jesus is ultimately wins the struggle for humanity’s soul.
On the other hand, it is important, in my opinion, for Christians to be aware of what the dark side is doing and how they are doing it so we don’t get tricked by it and can help those who have been tricked.
However, this observation of what the dark side is saying and doing in the world, does not make me feel hopeless nor helpless as a Christian. I know how it all turns out.
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