Black Clouds of Apostasy

Black Clouds of Apostasy

As I have studied Biblical prophecy for three decades, I have marveled at our Lord’s warning of great deception by false teacher’s and lying wolves in sheep’s clothing; in these last days before His coming. The apostle Peter wrote, ‘But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And MANY will follow their destructive ways because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed’ (2nd Peter 2:1,2), more about this coming up.

But first the prophesies regarding Israel as a nation are literally being fulfilled: “And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut to pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it” Zechariah 12:3.  Sense becoming a nation on May 14th 1948; Israel has been a major ‘contention’ in the world. The Jew is undisputable proof that the Bible is God’s word; for 1,500 years the Jew has been dispersed to every part of the earth just as God has said: ‘Then the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other’. ‘And among those nations you shall find no rest, nor shall the sole of your foot have a resting place’ (Deuteronomy 28: 64,65). Just as this has proved to be true in history, God has promised to bring them back to their homeland of Israel. Here are just two examples: ‘But, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither He had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers’ (Jeremiah 16: 15), and ‘For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your land’ (Ezekiel 36: 24). God says that the Jews are His witness: ‘Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord’ (Isaiah 43:10). Yet today we see the black clouds of hatred toward the Jews, with anti-Semitism at an all-time high. Even some of those in the ‘professing’ church say that the church has replaced Israel; this is a satanic heresy! The Lord says of His people; the Jews– ‘for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye’ (Zechariah 2: 8). The size of Israel is about the same size as the state of New Jersey, and yet it the center point of the middle east and for that fact the world, just as God said it would be in the last days! Yet we find so much division about Israel [even in the ‘professing church’] because it is a spiritual issue (Satan hates Israel; it has produced the Messiah, the Holy Scriptures and will be the final place of Armageddon in the last days—which leads up to Satan’s final doom) ‘For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem, then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth, (Zechariah 14: 2, 3, 9).

As we see the world in total chaos, spinning out of control, we see the warnings of Jesus coming together exactly as he said (I urge you to please read His words in Matthew 24: 1-14).  With the Jews back in the land of Israel (May 14th, 1948) these words of the Lord Jesus are amazing, as we see those words ready and ripe for fulfilment! We are heading for a time called the great tribulation; this is when God is going to pour out His wrath on this wicked world, that has rejected Him and His gracious offer of salvation through His beloved Son; the Lord Jesus Christ! I urge you, my readers; if you have not received Jesus Christ as your Savior, please don’t delay any longer in this eternal decision. This world has rejected God, kicked Him out of our schools, our marriages, our social and business life, and even irradicated Him from our very thinking!

Now back to our discussion of Apostasy; I want to point to two examples from scripture that illustrate my point ‘Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons’ and ‘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’ (1st Timothy 4:1, 2nd Timothy 4:3). It is very popular today to believe there are many ways to Heaven; the Lord Jesus Christ said that He was the only way to Heaven and the only Savior (John 14: 6,7). Christ also said that He holds the keys of hell and death (Revelation 1: 18). So many professing to be in the church of Jesus Christ are clearly teaching and believing this heresy of many ways to heaven! The virgin birth of Christ is being laughed at and mocked. If Christ was not born of a virgin, then He couldn’t be the spotless Lamb of God (and therefore our perfect sacrifice). If Christ was not born of a virgin; He would have inherited a sin nature, from an earthly father. ‘Then Mary said to the angel, “how can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God’ (Luke 1: 34,35). He had to be pure and Holy to be the Savior of mankind. Redemption only comes through the blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot (1st Peter 1: 19).

The apostasy is growing exponentially, there are many who are rejecting Biblical truths because of false teachers in the church that have gone astray themselves—like we have stated before “how they treat the Bible; is the way they treat the Lord Jesus Christ” if they don’t believe His word (the scriptures) but handle it according to their own reasonings; how will they believe and receive what is written (in the scriptures) about Him! God has clearly said: ‘Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven’ (Psalm 119: 89). There is a serious problem regarding Biblical illiteracy in the Church today—I am calling some of you to WAKE UP and ‘come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord’ (2nd Corinthians 6: 17). We need to know the real thing (I.E., the word of God) so that when error and apostasy come; we will know it in an instant! My friends get into the word of God, and let it get into you ‘Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth’ (2nd Timothy 2: 15).

There are many out there who call themselves ‘pastors’, that know not Christ or His word; they are wolves in sheep’s clothing; ‘BELOVED, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world’ (1st John 4: 1). These false teachers will not speak of sin, or the need of repentance nor will they speak of Jesus Christ dying for your sins according to the scriptures, being buried, and three days later raising from the dead according to the scriptures (1st Corinthians 15: 3, 4). They are more concerned about social reform, money and prestige than lost souls! Heed this warning from the apostle Paul ‘For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also, from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after themselves’ (Acts 20: 29, 30).

Some of the very serious false teachings these heretics are promoting are UNIVERSAL SALVATION (or Universalism); this is very serious because this teaches that ultimately all of mankind will be saved from eternal punishment—but the Lord Jesus said: ‘Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it’ (Matthew 7: 13, 14). When the apostle Paul was asked “what must I do to be saved”, the apostle replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16: 30). I want to show from the scriptures the serious danger of Universal Salvation; I will use what some call ‘The Romans Road’— 1. ‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3: 23) 2. ‘But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8) 3. ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6: 23) 4. ‘That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’ (Romans 10: 9, 10, 13).   Most people know John 3:16, but the other side of its truth is John 3: 36 ‘He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him’. My friends, I have spent much space on this issue because your eternal destiny rests on it.  I will close on this all-important issue with these words from the apostle John: ‘And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life’ (1st John 5: 11, 12, 13). We will either stand before God in our sins and be under His judgement, or we can stand before Him justified from all sin, because  Jesus Christ took our punishment for our sins on the cross; and by receiving Him as our Savior we are justified in Gods sight and inherit eternal life as His child.

The last issue I want to talk about; is the serious error being taught is that there is no judgement, that God will ‘excuse’ sin because He is so loving. Let me say here that God is a God of Judgement, because He is love! The fact that God is love he must judge sin, the cross of Jesus Christ proves this; In the cross we see the love of God for us, and His thundering judgement because of Sin:  ‘But He was wounded for our transgressions (sins), He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all’ (Isaiah 53: 5, 6). Listen to these sobering words of Jesus Christ Himself regarding judgement on sin; ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgement, but has passed from death into life’ (John 5: 24).  The God of the Old Testament Is the same God in the New Testament; the Lord thunders ‘For I am the Lord, I do not Change’ (Malachi).

God loves you and has sent His Son the Lord Jesus Christ to die for your sins; to pay the penalty that His infinite justice requires. The Lord Jesus suffered separation from God; so that we will not suffer that separation from God forever! ‘For He hath made Him (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him’ (2nd Corinthians 5: 21).

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