“How did you go bankrupt? Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.” ― Ernest Hemingway
It's the same two ways that people go spiritually bankrupt in our day. Gradually with li'l spiritual compromises here and there, and then suddenly.
We each need to keep our guard up. Spiritual bankruptcy is the worst sort of bankruptcy, the worst sort of horrible and yet with many so called believers, this will happen pre-snatching away.
It's true. Let it not happen with you -- it's not allowed. Please. There'll be a great defection away Christ before the Rapture happens (a great apostasy), but God never said in the Bible that there'll be a great revival on earth first.. though we all hope that will happen. Will there will be a Spiritual Awakening during the seven years of tribulation even though the church will be out of here? Yep, when 144,000 on fire Jewish evangelists witness, sow seeds of faith and reap -- when they go to winning people to Jesus here.
It's fascinating to hear about. They lose their lives because of their bold faith, but God keeps them all. Doesn't lose even one of them. See the end of the story in the Revelation.
Did you know that, "66% of Americans believe that there will be a real second coming of Christ in the future."~ Greg Laurie
This is pretty visceral stuff isn't it? Could this going away from the faith and from Jesus already have started? It looks like it has.
When Gallup Management consulting company started measuring local church membership among American adults back in 1937, church membership in this nation was at 73%.
In the early 1980s it was at more than 70% of American adults who said they belonged to a local Christian church. Then by the early 2000s it was at 65% of American adults, and by the year 2010 it was at 59%. And now in 2021 it’s less than half the nation's population -- it’s currently at 47% who say they are part of a local church. What's up with this decline, this going away from the faith? That's not a good trend at all.
The Bible talks about a great falling away from the faith before the Rapture (The catching away of born again Christians) happens here.
How do I describe this? Is this a trampled of the Son of God under foot, a treating what's holy as an unholy thing this blood of the covenant, is this an incredibly rude insulting of the Spirit of grace? Yes.
Judas also did that. Let's never!
“How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, 'The Lord will judge His people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.." Hebrews 10:29-31a
As those of this world system continue on toward globalism.. setting the stage for the Antichrist to come on the scene right before the rapture.. lawlessness and hate crimes seem to keep escalating.
As the worldly including our corrupt political leaders (on both sides of the aisle) keep pushing for open borders and Socialism without any accountability included, it seems like people for the most part have become increasingly depraved in these last days. How can Christians and others flourish in this kind of dangerous environment of cancel culture, lying news media, BLM, Antifa?
Socialism wants us all to forget our history and forget learning from it, but God wants us to remember. Over and over again in the Bible we see that word -- remember.
They want to cancel our police departments and have already reduced their budgets radically.. only to discover that there's been a big uptick in violent crimes. Duh!
Socialism, Marxism, Communism -- it's always been like that seeking to bring about their so called utopia via chaos and violence, but it fails every time it's tried.
They've always been about the redistribution of people's possessions and wealth, giving it away to the poor "to be fair" (many of whom refuse to work), and everyone get's poorer. It's never ever worked, just failed over and over again.
You know how expressing politically incorrect ideas can get people fired or start a fight these days. You know how disagreeing with popular opinions used to be seen in public leading to a healthy debate, well now it results in job-losses, harassment, doxing, humiliation and the total removal from public life. Yep, that's all part of the danger with this cancel culture movement. Is this just a temporary trend or a signal of the end times?
As those of this world struggle just to recover from the plague Covid-19 with its different variants, it seems like people are spiritually hungrier now than ever before... and yet and they're not turning to the word of God to satisfy their craving and desperation. And think about it.. the Word of God is more available around the globe than at any time in previous history.
As those of this world system keep pushing to chip people as they are already doing in some nations, as they keep pushing for a cashless society everywhere, what should Christians be praying, thinking and doing?
Electric transactions and cryptocurrencies may be popular, we should Christians participate in the digital economy?
What does all this mean for the Church regarding the urgency of our mission in these final hours?
I want to stay focused on Jesus and spreading his good news. I'm looking for Jesus Christ, not the Antichrist though the stage is getting set for him.
Living as a Christian in a fallen world has never been easy for any believer, and now so many alleged Christian leaders and people have been falling away from Christ and from his church.
Broken homes, broken dreams and broken people have become the norm in our day. The Bible says in these last days of selfish people damaging families prior to the years of tribulation that people will be disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, I'm loving and unforgiving.
Something is changing -- the bad is getting worse in our society.
"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!.. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned.." 2 Timothy 3:1-5 & 13-14
Almost forth of the USA, yes our nation's population are millennials. There are more than 72 million millennials in the USA and increasingly they have walked away from of any kind faith, choosing to identify themselves as religious-nones. They check none of the above.
Every apostate person is an unbeliever, but not every unbeliever is an apostate. An Apostate person who once claimed to be a Christian believer was never really saved in the first place.
The Greek word for this term "Apostate" is found only twice in the Bible in Acts 21:21, 2 Thessalonians 2:3.
There will be a great defection from the Christian faith and from Jesus before the rapture, a great apostasy but God doesn't say in the Bible that there will be a great revival first.. though we all hope that will happen.
There will be an Awakening during the seven years of tribulation when 144,000 on fire Jewish witnesses, effective evangelists that will win people to Christ. Thousands will come to Christ.
in Christ all of it discourse he warned that because of lawlessness the love of many will grow cold.
Demas was apostate because he loved this present world.
Why they leave the church and Christ..
1. they are deceived spiritually by false teachers with religious sounding lies and no conscience. Lots of scams. See 1 Tim 4:1-2.
So called believers are falling away because they are deceived, disillusioned, disenchanted, disappointed, and gotten distracted. It so easy in our fast paced world to get discouraged -- let's stay focused.
What are some practical things that we can do to keep ourselves in the will of God?
I say examine yourself because the Bible says to do that. The apostle Paul challenges each of us to, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you— unless you actually fail the test? And I hope you will realize that we have not failed the test." 2 Corinthians 13:5-6
And test yourself, am I really spiritually born again in Christ? See John 3:3
I say encourage yourselves in the Lord. King David did that when his men turned on him and he got feelin' really down. David strengthened himself in his faith.
I say exercise yourself toward godliness. Keep growing, why be a sitting target. At least be a moving target.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day when I judge them, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and driven out demons in Your name, and done many miracles in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them publicly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me you are banished from My presence, you who act wickedly disregarding My commands.’" Matthew 7:21-23 amp
"Let us press on to perfection. For as touching those who were once enlightened, and fall away, it is impossible to renew them again. The argument is one of unspeakable solemnity. It is in the Christian life as with all progress amid difficulties. In commerce, in study, in war, it is so often said: there is no safety but in advance. To stand still is to go back. To cease effort is to lose ground. To slacken the pace, before the goal is reached, is to lose the race. The only sure mark of our being true Christians, of our really loving Christ, is the deep longing and the steady effort to know more of Him. Tens of thousands have proved that to be content with beginning well is but the first step on a backward course, that ends in losing all. The whole point of the argument from the case of those who fall away is—Let us press on to perfection." ~ Andrew Murray
Press on, believer. Keep on building yourself up in your most holy faith. Keep following the Word. Keep walking close relationship with Jesus all red hot spiritually. Prayerfully set new goals and follow Jesus with that foot work.
Falling away for us believers, is not allowed! Stop it, let's not do that, it's not allowed. It's not at all permitted! Growing spiritually is allowed.
"And now to him who can keep you on your feet, standing tall in his bright presence, fresh and celebrating—to our one God, our only Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Master, be glory, majesty, strength, and rule before all time, and now, and to the end of all time. Yes." Jude 1:24-25 msg
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,”
jude 124
Live Not By Lies. ~ Alexander Solzhenitsyn
The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy. Proverbs 12:22
