by Pastor ShawMing www.thekingdompeople.blogspot.com
Dear friends, greetings in Jesus’ Name! I feel the extreme urgency to share with you on end time and apostasy. It is crucial that you try to understand what unfolds below, and, please take the trouble to read the scriptures. If you have a heart that loves the truth, you will indeed know the truth because God desires to share the mysteries of His Kingdom with you. Many, many people who attend church do not have the love of the truth, and thus, are destitute of the truth, becoming prime candidates for the ultimate end time deception: the worship of the antichrist! If you think this is such a far-fetched scenario, let us be reminded that Adam and Eve were created perfect and yet were deceived by Satan while in intimate fellowship with God! Moreover, Jesus and His apostles consistently warned of the end time massive falling away, or apostasy, of God’s people just before His return. The warnings are to help us stay alert, faithful and undeceived. It is s my humble observation and conviction that we have entered into that period of deception in this end time. However, we also watch with great anticipation for the glorious return of our beloved Savior and Bridegroom- Jesus Christ!
For more of this article go to http://thekingdompeople.blogspot.com/2007/08/end-time-and-apostasy.html
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many (Mt 24:4-5)... 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. (Mt 24:4-5, 24-25)... Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron (1Tim 4:1-2)
The Pharisees and religious leaders of Jesus’ time sincerely thought that they were worshipping the Yahweh that Moses worshiped and introduced to Israel. All their sacrifices, devotions, teaching and practicing of the Law were done, outwardly at least, in and for the name of Yahweh. They were the physical descendents of Abraham and thus confidently assumed themselves to be the people of Yahweh. However, the obvious sign of their self-deception was seen in the fact that while they claimed to worship Yahweh, they could not recognized Yahweh when He came in the flesh, in the person of Jesus! Instead, they accused the One they claimed to worship of being empowered by Beelzebub, the devil himself!
22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.” 23 So He...said to them...: “How can Satan cast out Satan?...26 And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand... 28 “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— 30 because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.” (Mk 3:22-30)
Friends, please think about this! How could a people who were so confident of their theology, practice and spiritual stature, ended up not recognizing the person and presence of God-incarnate, but thinking and calling Him as satanic!!!? This can only come about by a massive deception, leading to apostasy. Unfortunately, this is inexcusable because Jesus judged it as the unforgivable sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. This sin is the exact opposite of idolatry: an idolater calls Satan, God, while the blasphemer calls God, Satan.
Therefore, we can only imagine how shocked and furious the religious leaders were (and the rest of the Jews too!) when Jesus denounced them as children and worshippers of the devil! That is, the “Yahweh” they worshiped, though spelt and pronounced as such, was a “Yahweh” of their own vain, evil imagination- a satanically inspired “Yahweh”!
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me...44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do...47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” (Jn 8:42-47)
Jesus further exposed that the reason the Pharisees could have been so self-deceived was because they continued to nurture and enjoy inward sins, lusts and covetousness beneath the surface show of religiosity. Therefore, they have imagined, invited and worshiped a “Yahweh” that was very accommodating to their hypocrisy, covetousness and sins.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Mt 23:27)
Not too long later, God used the apostle Paul to prophetically warn of the end time Pharisaical leaders and teachers who will lead ignorant believers into the same deception of the Pharisees of old. They will be preaching another “gospel”, presenting another “Jesus” and imparting another “spirit”!
4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it! (2Cor 11:4)
Yes! Friends, it is possible and it is happening already! Almost all of Jesus’ parables of the Kingdom of God tell us that the good and bad, righteous and unrighteous, and, enlightened and deceived, grow up in the same environment! It was the same in the OT, where the real issue was NEVER about Israel’s war with the pagan nations, but rather, the struggle for a holy remnant within a perpetually backsliding people of God. What Paul was saying is that believers can worship a “Jesus” of the vain imagination of their evil heart that is NOT the Jesus Christ of God and of the New Testament! This “Jesus” that is spelt and pronounced as such is actually inspired by the spirit of antichrist that is very accommodating to the flesh, like the “Yahweh” of the Pharisees. This horrible deception will eventually lead deceived believers into believing, accepting and worshiping the person of the antichrist when he is revealed very soon in this end time!
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him... 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God... 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2Thess 2:1-12)
Paul, an OT Law expert who had gloriously encountered the risen Christ, would have known that the Jewish temple and worship were now superseded, and therefore, he consistently used the term “temple” as referring to the church! (cf. 1Cor 3:16; 6:19; 2Cor 6:16 and Eph 2:21). In the above passage, the antichrist will manage to gain entrance and acceptance into the church of God because the deceived leaders and members will believe him to be the Christ in His 2nd Coming! That’s why Paul gave the important end time sequent: first, the apostasy; second, the coming of the antichrist, and third, the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ! It is only AFTER Christ’s 2nd Coming that the antichrist will be destroyed and thereafter only the Millennial Kingdom reign of Christ will commence, where faithful, resurrected saints will rule the earth with Christ.
19 And I saw the beast (antichrist), the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him...20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet...These two were cast alive into the lake of fire .(Rev 19:19-20)...Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years...This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (Rev 20:4-6)
Friends, please remember this sequent so that you will not mistake the antichrist for Christ and vice versa! Now, have you ever wondered why the antichrist is missing in most teachings in the church today, when he is such a crucial sign to avoid deception? The absence of teaching on the 2nd Coming of Christ is equally obvious. Tragically, most believers are not prepared or taught to discern and reject the antichrist, who must come first before the real Christ! On the contrary, the popular but heretical axis gospels of “Cheap Grace”, “Prosperity” and “Kingdom Now” are spreading the fallacy that Christians need not pursue holiness, will prosper materially and politically in every nation before and up to the 2nd Coming of Christ. Let me give you a summary of what each heresy basically teaches or implies, and its error:
Cheap Grace: That, since Christ has died for all our sins, believers can continue to sin without fear of judgment, not realizing that Christ’s death has delivered us from the power of sin and that God still judges un-repented sins.
Prosperity: That we can continue to prosper materially like the OT saints, not realizing that Christ has introduced the Kingdom of God which is not of this world but of spiritual riches.
Kingdom Now or Dominion Theology: That Christians will rule the earth politically and materially before Christ’s 2nd Coming, not realizing that this is only true after His return to set up the Millennial Kingdom (Rev 20).
Those who accept these heresies will unknowingly fall away within the church, worshiping the spirit of the antichrist which is very accommodating to fleshly appetites. Moreover, Satan has one ultimate deception to convince the deluded believers into accepting and worshiping the person of the antichrist: the antichrist will come as one risen from the dead!
2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast...(Rev 13:2-4)
This antichrist will come in fulfillment to all the heresies mentioned above, where believers are deceived into thinking that the church can continue to accommodate sin, must prosper materially (covetously!) and rule politically before, instead of after, Christ’s 2nd Coming. How can believers be deceived when God’s Word is so clear about the end time sequent? It is because they did not love the truth and continue to have pleasures in unrighteousness (refer 2Thess 2:12 above)!
In the sovereign purposes of God, the antichrist will be allowed to rule every nation and physically overcome true Christians for a short period in the end time. He will demand and receive worship. He will grant rights of trading (and prosperity!) to all who will take his mark (666). Now, can you see how deceived believers and churches will end up worshiping the antichrist because they think he is the Christ! Consequently, they will join the antichrist in blaspheming God and actually war against Christ when He comes, thinking that He is the antichrist (refer Rev 19:19 above).
5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months... 7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him... 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Rev 13:7-8)
We are warned of the eternal judgment on those who join the antichrist or receive his mark in order to trade.
9 ... “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God...He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone...forever and ever....” (Rev 14:9-11)
Jesus had already warned about brethren betraying brethren in the end time and now you know it is because those who betray are deceived into thinking that they are sincerely right when in actual fact they are horribly wrong!
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many...will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. (Mt 24:9-10)
Friends, listen! The deceived believers will NOT go through tribulations, which is the wrath of the antichrist, because they will side with the antichrist, but they will face the wrath of God in the end. However, the true believers WILL go through tribulations for standing faithful with Christ (refer Rev 13:15 above), but they will not face the wrath of God! Even as we go through the tribulations, we will nevertheless have God’s abiding presence and protection with us if we take care to walk right with God now, in watchfulness and prayerfulness. In so doing, we shall not be swept away by the flood of deception and the wrath of God that follows!
37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (Mt 24:37-39)... 34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Lk 21:34-36)...11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. (Rev 12:11)
Many will realize only too late that they have been deceived by the antichrist when they are rejected by the true Christ.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Mt 7:21-23)
God has promised us grace to overcome every temptation, and even over satan himself, if we will just obey His Word. Therefore, it is so important that we walk in the fear of God and even now deal with sins that cause deception:
The lust of the flesh causes people to be deceived by the Cheap Grace heresy.
The lust of the eyes causes people to be deceived by the Prosperity heresy.
The pride of life causes people to be deceived by the Kingdom Now heresy.
Jesus told us to recognize false teachers their by the fruit of character, and not by the gifts they exercise. False teachers have personal characters and lifestyles that are contrary to that of Christ and the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23).
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves... Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit...Therefore by their fruits you will know them. (Mt 7:15-18)
The end time apostasy will be so deep and wide that God has to issue a call of separation to true believers in order for them to escape defilement and judgment:
4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. (Rev 18:4-5)
Those who hear have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to His true Church will even now wisely take steps to separate from all uncleanness, walk in the fear of God and pursue holiness, be filled with the oil of the Spirit, warn and encourage each other about the end time, serve God faithfully with His talents and minister to the poor and needy, even as they wait with anticipation and longing for our beloved Savior and Bridegroom.
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely... 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. (Rev 22:17-20)
May the good Lord have mercy on you and keep you until the end as you watch and pray always. God bless you!
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