Debased Mind…
Apostasy, from the Greek word apostasia, means “defiance of an established system or authority; a rebellion; an abandonment or breach of faith.” In the first-century world, apostasy was a technical term for political revolt or defection. And just like in the first century, apostasy threatens the Body of Christ today.
The Bible warns about people like Arius (c. A.D. 250 – 336), a Christian priest from Alexandria, Egypt, who was trained at Antioch in the early fourth century. About A.D. 318, Arius accused Bishop Alexander of Alexandria of subscribing to Sabellianism, a false teaching which asserted that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were merely roles or modes assumed by God at various times. Arius was determined to emphasize the oneness of God; however, he went too far in his teaching of God’s nature. Arius denied the Trinity and introduced what appeared on the surface to be an inconsequential difference between the Father and Son.
In these last days, the Bible clearly states there will be great apostasy. There will not be a great revival ( many wolves are preaching in Hellsong church’s) but rather an apostasy, rejection of sound Biblical doctrine, and falling away. Liberal Christianity often denies the miracles recorded in the Bible. If there are no miracles, there is no Christianity, as the Christian faith is built on the resurrection of Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians chapter 15). If the miracles in the Bible are not true, the human authors of Scriptures were liars — they were the false prophets Jesus warned us about (oh, wait, did Jesus actually say anything about false prophets?!?!) Do you see the problem here?
2 Thes 2
3: Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
The above verse means there will come a time in the last days when the foundations of Christian doctrine will be compromised and brought down by the acceptance of error and heresy. Men will forsake sound Biblical teaching. Well, those days are upon us right now! We are now living in days of a terrible falling away from sound Biblical doctrine and Godly values. Guess who is leading in this trend toward apostasy? Well, it is godless pastors who have grossly compromised their faith and who really do not care. Then men reject sound doctrine and are eager to look good and who seek the approval of man. These men are not like the Bereans who diligently search the Scriptures and who seek to please God.
Unfortunately, we have many wicked, doctrine compromising pastors who lead ‘their’ churches. These ‘pastors’ are men-pleasers and could care less if they are walking in obedience to God and the soundness of His Word, the Bible. To attend these churches we have all kinds of people who reject sound Biblical doctrine. The Bible warns:
2 Tim 4:3-4
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables.
Well, these last days where men reject sound doctrine are upon us. Not only do many who call themselves ‘Christian’ reject sound doctrine but also many who dare to call themselves ‘pastor’. These godless ‘pastors’ have done great damage to the Church and have hurt many of God’s people. Pastors do have power. They can lead God’s people closer to God and make them stronger or they can do the opposite. Here is a verse that illustrates that fact:
Matt 21:13
13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves.
This verse has real meaning today in light of the growing trend to apostasy. God’s temple was not intended to become a den of thieves. It was intended to be a holy place where people could come and humbly worship God. However, the religious leaders made it into something else. This verse says: “ye have made it”, referring to the fact that it was the religious leaders that allowed the temple to go from a house of prayer to a den of thieves. God also puts the responsibility for this change upon the backs of the religious leaders who should have known better.
This verse has a very important application for TODAY….doesisn’t it! Very few pastors take their position seriously. The majority are madly seeking the praises of men, boosting their pride by aiming for ‘big’ numbers coming out on Sunday, and others are getting rich and living like ‘the King’s kids’.
Let’s look at some of the things some men who call themselves ‘pastors’ are doing in these last days of great apostasy:
Hillsong Leader Denies Renouncing Faith, but Says He’s on ‘Incredibly Shaky Ground’
Marty Sampson, a worship music writer, singer, and active member of Hillsong has publicly denounced his faith on social media.
His announcement comes just weeks after well-known Christian author Joshua Harris announced his departure from Christianity, both sharing their news over Instagram. Related
‘Reaching Hundreds of Thousands with the Gospel:’ Fans Celebrate as Hillsong United Sings About Jesus on GMA
After Kissing Christianity Goodbye, Joshua Harris Joins Vancouver’s LGBTQ Pride Parade
Shortly after announcing via Instagram that he was kissing Christianity goodbye, former pastor and author Joshua Harris were recently seen marching in Vancouver’s Pride Festival.
A photo was posted on Twitter of Harris and gay rock singer, Trey Pearson at the parade on August 4.
Trey Pearson “LOVE IS LOVE” OUT NOW✔@treypearson
Really cool getting to spend time with Joshua Harris at Vancouver Pride, and of course spending the weekend with the lovely @matthiasroberts.
1026:23 PM – Aug 4, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacySee Trey Pearson “LOVE IS LOVE” OUT NOW’s other Tweets
If God decided to give us a book that is supposed to guide us through life and eternity but allowed that book to be filled with myths, lies, half-truths, and misconceptions — is He a God worth following? What kind of God is that? How cruel, twisted, and…ungodly. No, if God is who the Bible says He is, He is perfectly holy, just, righteous, gracious, loving, and merciful. Giving humanity an error-filled book would not agree with any of those attributes.
Liberal Homosexual Christianity essentially wants to pick and choose which parts of the Bible are from God. They want to accept “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows…” (James 1:27) and reject “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). I can’t live my life like that. If God did not bother to give me a reliable instruction manual, why should I bother following any of His instructions? If God’s Word is not infallible and trustworthy, why should I care what it says? That is where liberal Christianity goes wrong. Liberal Christianity destroys the very foundation of Christianity — the Word of God. Liberal Christianity essentially tells us to follow a book (or at least certain parts of a book) that they themselves do not believe in.
On July 26, Harris shared that he was renouncing his Christian faith and that he and wife Shannon would be permanently separating.
Some of our Christian leaders are turning from their faith, and although it’s sad, it’s not something that should leave us blindsided, according to Priscilla Shirer.
During an interview with Faithwire on Friday, the author, preacher, and actor said the Bible warns believers “that days will come when even our leaders will fall away, and I think we’re seeing the inklings of those times even now.”
In Matthew 24:10-11, Jesus told his followers: “Many will turn away from me and betray me and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.”
To fully identify and combat apostasy, it is important that Christians understand its various forms and the traits that characterize their doctrines and teachers. As to the forms of apostasy, there are two main types: (1) a falling away from key and true doctrines of the Bible into heretical teachings that proclaim to be “the real” Christian doctrine, and (2) a complete renunciation of the Christian faith, which results in a full abandonment of Christ.
Arius represents the first form of apostasy—a denial of key Christian truths (such as the divinity of Christ) that begins a downhill slide into a full departure from the faith, which is the second form of apostasy. It is important to understand that the second form almost always begins with the first. A heretical belief becomes heretical teaching that splinters and grows until it pollutes all aspects of a person’s faith, and then the end goal of Satan is accomplished, which is a complete falling away from Christianity.
A recent example of this process is a 2010 study done by prominent atheist Daniel Dennett and Linda LaScola called “Preachers Who Are Not Believers.” Dennett and LaScola’s work chronicles five different preachers who over time we’re presented with and accepted heretical teachings about Christianity and now have completely fallen away from the faith and are either pantheists or clandestine atheists. One of the most disturbing truths highlighted in the study is that these preachers maintain their position as pastors of Christian churches with their congregations being unaware of their leader’s true spiritual state.
The dangers of apostasy were warned about in the book of Jude, which serves as a handbook for understanding the characteristics of apostates like those chronicled in Dennett and LaScola’s study. Jude’s words are every bit as relevant for us today as they were when he penned them in the first century, so it is important we carefully read and understand them.
The Characteristics of Apostasy and Apostates
Jude was the half-brother of Jesus and a leader in the early church. In his New Testament letter, he outlines how to recognize apostasy and strongly urges those in the body of Christ to contend earnestly for the faith (vs. 3). The Greek word translated “contend earnestly” is a compound verb from which we get the word “agonize.” It is in the present infinitive form, which means that the struggle will be continuous. In other words, Jude is telling us that there will be a constant fight against false teaching and that Christians should take it so seriously that we “agonize” over the fight in which we are engaged. Moreover, Jude makes it clear that every Christian is called to this fight, not just church leaders, so it is critical that all believers sharpen their discernment skills so that they can recognize and prevent apostasy in their midst.
After urging his readers to contend earnestly for the faith, Jude highlights the reason: “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (vs. 4). In this one verse, Jude provides Christians with three traits of apostasy and apostate teachers.
First, Jude says that apostasy can be subtle. Jude uses the word “crept” (found in no other book of the Bible) to describe the apostate’s entry into the church. In extra-biblical Greek, the term describes the cunning craftiness of a lawyer who, through clever argumentation, infiltrates the minds of courtroom officials and corrupts their thinking. The word literally means “slip in sideways; come in stealthily; sneak in; hard to detect.” In other words, Jude says it is rare that apostasy begins in an overt and easily detectable manner. Instead, it looks a lot like Arius’ preaching in which, in a nonchalant manner, only a single letter differentiates his doctrine from the real teaching of the Christian faith.
Describing this aspect of apostasy and its underlying danger, A. W. Tozer wrote, “So skilled is an error at imitating truth, that the two are constantly being mistaken for each another. It takes a sharp eye these days to know which brother is Cain and which is Abel.” The apostle Paul also speaks to the outwardly pleasing behavior of apostates and their teaching when he says, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:13-14). In other words, do not look for apostates to appear bad on the outside or speak dramatic words of heresy at the outset of their teaching. Rather than denying truth outright, apostates will twist it to fit their own agenda, but as pastor R. C. Lensky has noted, “The worst forms of wickedness consist in perversions of the truth.”
Second, Jude describes the apostates as “ungodly” and as those who use God’s grace as a license to commit unrighteous acts. Beginning with “ungodly,” Jude describes eighteen unflattering traits of apostates so his readers can more easily identify them. Jude says the apostates are ungodly (vs. 4), morally perverted (vs. 4), denying Christ (vs. 4), ones who defile the flesh (vs. 8), rebellious (vs. 8), people who revile angels (vs. 8), who are ignorant about God (vs. 8), those who proclaim false visions (vs. 10), self-destructive (vs. 10), grumblers (vs. 16), fault finders (vs. 16), self-satisfying (vs. 16), people who use arrogant words and false flattery (vs. 16), mockers of God (vs. 18), those who cause divisions (vs. 19), worldly-minded (vs. 19), and finally (and not surprisingly), devoid of the Spirit/unsaved (vs. 19).
Third, Jude says apostates “deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” How do apostates do this? Paul tells us in his letter to Titus, “To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed” (Titus 1:15-16, emphasis added). Through their unrighteous behavior, the apostates show their true selves. Unlike an apostate, a true believer is someone who has been delivered from sin to righteousness in Christ. With Paul, they ask the apostates who promote licentious behavior, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2)
But the apostates’ false teaching also shows their true nature. Peter says, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves” (2 Peter 2:1). Another aspect of true believers is that they have been delivered out of spiritual darkness into light (Ephesians 5:8) and therefore will not deny core truths of Scripture like Arius did with the divinity of Jesus.
Ultimately, the sign of an apostate is that he eventually falls away and departs from the truth of God’s Word and His righteousness. The apostle John signifies this is a mark of a false believer: “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19).
Ideas Have Consequences
That God takes apostasy and false teaching seriously is evidenced by the fact that every New Testament book except Philemon contains warnings about false teaching. Why is this? Simply because ideas have consequences. Right thinking and its fruit produce goodness, whereas wrong thinking and its accompanying action result in undesired penalties. As an example, the Cambodian killing fields in the 1970s were the product of the nihilistic worldview of Jean-Paul Sartre and his teaching. The Khmer Rouge’s leader Pol Pot lived out Sartre’s philosophy toward the people in a clear and frightening way, which was articulated in this manner: “To keep you is no benefit. To destroy you is no loss.”
It should be remembered that Satan did not come to the first couple in the Garden with an external armament or supernatural weapon; instead, he came to them with an idea. And it was that idea that condemned them and the rest of humankind, with the only remedy being the sacrificial death of God’s Son.
The great tragedy is, whether knowingly or unknowingly, the apostate teacher dooms his unsuspecting followers. One of the most frightening verses in all of Scripture comes from the lips of Jesus. Speaking to His disciples about the religious leaders of His day, He said, “Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit” (Matthew 15:14, emphasis added). This verse is alarming because Jesus affirms that it is not only the false teachers that go to destruction, but their disciples also follow them. Christian philosopher Søren Kierkegaard put it this way: “For it has never yet been known to fail that one fool when he goes astray, takes several others with him.”
Conclusion
In A.D. 325, the Council of Nicea convened primarily to take up the issue of Arius and his teaching. Much to Arius’s dismay, the end result was his ex-communication and a statement in the Nicene Creed that affirmed Christ’s divinity: “We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten of his Father, of the substance of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father.”
Arius may have died centuries ago, but his spiritual children are still with us to this day in the form of cults like the Jehovah’s Witnesses and others who deny Christ’s true essence and person. Sadly, until Christ returns and every last spiritual enemy has been removed, tares such as these will be present among the wheat (Matthew 13:24-30). In fact, Scripture says apostasy will only get worse as Christ’s return approaches. “At that time [the latter days] many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another” (Matthew 24:10). Paul echoes Jesus in his inspired writings as well. The apostle told the Thessalonians that a great falling away would precede Christ’s second coming (2 Thessalonians 2:3) and that the end times would be characterized by tribulation and hollow religious charlatans: “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be . . . holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid such men as these” (2 Timothy 3:1-2,5).
It is critical, now more than ever, that every believer prays for discernment, combat apostasy, and contend earnestly for the faith that has once and for all been delivered to the saints.
The people spreading concrete information on the dangers of globalism are accomplishing far more than those sitting around buying bitcoin or passing around Q-cult nonsense.
People’s hearts are troubled, their minds are in a state of confusion, the Bible tells us a time of great delusion that will come upon the people, that time has arrived, the politicians must come up with more significant and more believable lies in order to bring on the antichrist, we have entered the doorstep Tribulation.
“Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of man and devils”…
StevieRay Hansen
Editor, HNewsWire.com
The Birth Pains Are Growing Stronger….
“Man will ultimately be governed by God or by tyrants.”
My name is Steve Meyers and I need to share a vision and warning that the Lord showed me back in April 2007….
Many of you will ask why I waited so long to share the warning. I didn’t. I shared the story with everyone that would listen from pastors to friends to family to colleagues. Immediately following the initial vision, I called a close friend. I told him to sit down that I had something to tell him. I needed it documented as I knew this was supernatural and from God. As I witness events unfolding today, I need to share the vision again.
The risk of loss in trading futures and options on futures can be substantial. The author does not guarantee the accuracy of the above information, although it is believed that the sources are reliable and the information accurate. The author assumes no liability or responsibility for direct or indirect, special, consequential or incidental damages or for any other damages relating or arising out of any action taken as a result of any information or advice contained in this commentary. The author disclaims any express or implied liability or responsibility for any action taken, which is solely at the liability and responsibility of the user. Steve Meyers
The silencing of the American people before 2020?
“The human heart is an idol factory.”
The Un-Godly — Those That Suppress the Truth, the social media giants built multi-billion dollar empires by giving everyone a voice, but now that they have such a dominant position on the Internet they have decided that many prominent conservative voices should be completely silenced.
Our government has been overthrown. As evidenced by Trump’s capitulation on the border, his recent servitude to the GMO industry and his acquiescence to the warmongers, our President has been compromised. Our liberties are being eliminated one by one. Gun confiscation is next. The Constitution is gasping its last breaths. Our borders are destroyed and our culture has been turned upside down by every perversion known to man.
The Left, a broad term for Liberal Socialist Democrats that can only be explained fully by using the Bible explanation of the human race is as follows. A servant of Satan, because you are either saved or lost. This election has brought out the true nature of who you serve. Simply put, it’s Donald Trump, Conservatives, and Christians against the rest of the world. The Left’s Love applies only to those who believe as they do. They Love evil and commit Anarchy against those who love good. They are governed by lies and never tell the truth. On this Friday, Inaugural Day for the swearing-in of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States the Left wants to commit widespread Anarchy to shut down the swearing-in ceremony. Their goal of transforming America, which was founded in Judea Christian values into a Pagan Nation is almost complete. Their goal has always been the total removal of God from American society and the downfall of America. Donald Trump says he is a Presbyterian, but he left off the USA, an apostate church.
Everything done in dark will be brought to light, being biblically bankrupt will not exclude the elitist.
Let Me Make This Abundantly Clear. (I Am Apolitical) While I Have a General Distaste for Politicians No Matter the Party They Belong To, I Am Unashamedly Politically a Bible Believing Conservative Christian. I Have a Severe Distrust of Government. I Believe It Is the Most Inefficient and Ineffective Way to Accomplish Most Things. While I Strongly Disagree with Liberals/Progressives and Conservative on Most Political Issues, and While I Believe Liberals/Progressives and Most Politicians Are Terribly Misguided and Naive About What Big Government Will Eventually Result In, I Strive to Not Question Their Motives. at the Same Time, While I Find Myself in Agreement with Conservative Politicians on Some Issues, I Do Not Believe Electing Republicans Is the Answer to Everything. for Me, Very Sadly, the Main Difference Between Republicans and Democrats Is How Quickly They Want to Drive the Car Towards the Cliff. Simply Put, I Do Not Believe the Government Is the Solution for Everything. I Do Not Place Any Faith, Trust, or Hope in Any Politicians to Fix What Is Wrong with the World. “Come Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20) StevieRay Hansen
One more thing I would like to add is Ephesians 6:11-18. Also 2Corinthians 10:3-6. Wrestling is the only sport that we are in constant contact with our opponent. People forget these things. They don’t really sit down and ponder what John 3:16 really means and the cost Yeshua had to pay for us. Can we really do anything less for Him?
If you do not have and maintain a strong relationship with the Lord, it is easy to be led astray. It is so important to spend time in His Word and Him.We are married to Him and if anyone is married then they know that marriage is one of the hardest things you will ever do. Our society has become extremely throw away. If marriage is too hard people simply walk away from it these days. When things get tough that is the time to roll up your sleeves and get in there and fight. This is what we need to do with our relationship with Yeshua as well. Yeshua and Paul both warned several times about counting the cost and commitment. this is not an easy road and it is not easy. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Thank you very much for this resource.
The apostasy has been going on for decades. Churches are nearly emptied out except for the mega rock churches that preach love and money. Many wonder how close we are. How close are we? The generation that sees Israel reborn in a day, will see Jesus return. Israel was reborn in 1948. 72 years ago. The tribulation is a 7 year period. How long does the average person live. Time is short.
One of the biggest indicators is LGBTQ and DQSH teaching small children about all things sex in public libraries, schools, whole foods, etc. How long is God going to allow the corruption of children? You can’t leave your house, watch any tv or movies, or listen to music, or read anything without being subjected to corruption. It will be as in the times of Noah and Lot (Matthew 24 and Luke 17:28). LGBTQ stole the rainbow, and now America is flying the rainbow coast to coast in solidarity with LGBTQ. Yes. Time is very short.
See:
http://eljasib.com/en/miraculous-signs-israel/
http://www.signs-of-end-times.com/days-of-noah.html
Church has become nothing more than………come in building say hello to people you don’t see at all except for Sunday morning. Sing a few songs that sound more like a chorus of people at a funeral or still half asleep…………………Pastors preach a sermon and dare not go over that thirty to forty minute window for fear the board will fire him…………………….and while preaching, don’t say or talk about anything controversial but rather a sermon that won’t offend anyone. Ignore preaching about end times, rapture, sin………………….just work out a feel good sermon that will give you a warm bubbly feeling inside. Now go home and see you next week.
No talk of reaching the lost or strategy to reach the lost, no talk of sin and teaching the congregation the importance of examining one self. No meeting the physical needs of older and younger members of the congregation………….don’t dare remind the congregation that they need to remember who they are in Jesus and sing like they do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don’t dare ask the congregation why anyone would vote for a candidate who supports abortion……………..no reproof, correction, etc. The church has become non-effective.
Very good article StevieRay. Thank you. It reminds me of another wonderful quote from John Wesley that shows the true nature of the deception in the church that is so pervasive that it is taught in almost every seminary and pulpit, and not just those born of Arius’ deception is;
“Augustine himself. (A wonderful saint! As full of pride, passion, bitterness, censoriousness, and as foul-mouthed to all that contradicted him… When Augustine’s passions were heated, his word is not worth a rush. And here is the secret: St. Augustine was angry at Pelagius: Hence he slandered and abused him, (as his manner was,) without either fear or shame. And St. Augustine was then in the Christian world, what Aristotle was afterwards: There needed no other proof of any assertion, than Ipse dixit: “St. Augustine said it.” ‘
– John Wesley, The Works of the Late Reverend John Wesley (1835 Edition), volume 2, p. 110
So the sin nature/original sin doctrine was born of hatred one man had for another. And that man’s prior trading in Gnostic heresy. And not from the leading of the Holy Spirit.
And Charles Finney also said of the deception of sin nature/original sin that crept into the church through the oft venerated Augustine;
“This doctrine is a stumbling-block both to the church and the world, infinitely dishonorable to God, and an abomination alike to God and the human intellect, and should be banished from every pulpit, and from every formula of doctrine, and from the world. It is a relic of heathen philosophy, and was foisted in among the doctrines of Christianity by Augustine, as everyone may know who will take the trouble to examine for himself.”
The reason these men rightly concluded as they did that this doctrine was an abomination is that it either makes Jesus as sinner by nature. Or it must deny His true humanity. Either of which deny the doctrine of Christ of whom the apostle John said “hath not God”. 2John1:7-11. We are truly in the last days and the apostasy from the truth of God’s word is accelerating at a blinding pace. It is good that we heed the words of Jude.
Blessings:-}
Amen!
I don’t know what Bible these “pastors” are reading, but that garbage is not in my Bible. I think God is just about ready to hit the reset again.
Please Make it SOON!…
CORRUPTION and PERVERION,are the HALL MARKS OF A FAILING COUNTRY,the LORD called ALL the men to stand up and protect their women and children,BUT SADLY THEIR COWARDS AND CHICKENSHITS,of course NONE of them will ever see heaven,BUT they don’t believe any of it exists,the schools and churches have destroyed america,HERE shortly our FATHER will wipe this Godless country off the map,and it will be the worse bloodbath in history,AND they will die a awful death,..I wouldn’t count on TRUMP saving anyone,HE IS THE PUPPET OF THE SON OF PERDITION,the hero of all americans OBAMA…soon to return to power,and yes he will KILL every christian that can be found….
Got news for you. They were never Christians in the first place.
You nailed it friend.