PREFACE TO UNDERSTANDING APOSTASY AND DECEPTION
Within the “final days” the best deception ever perpetrated on mankind will beguile mankind, together with Christians. One nice nation, headed by the antichrist, will subdue the nations of the earth and dominate the world. Folks will assume him the Savior, the person with the reply to the world’s complicated issues, and the nice peacemaker in an exceedingly harmful world cowed by the specter of terrorism and financial collapse. He’ll do the unthinkable and make a pact with Israel to make peace within the Center East. One man, who claims to be a Christian and seems to be an exquisite particular person and nice chief, involves energy with the backing of the Church solely to later activate the church and Israel within the worst persecution the world has ever seen. Though seen by Daniel 2,600 years in the past, and the Apostle John practically 2,000 years in the past, this might very properly occur in our lifetime.
The Bible speaks of a interval of deception, and tribulation that’s with out precedent. What’s going to it imply virtually? If the Bible is right (and I consider it’s), it is going to get to the purpose the place you will be unable to purchase or promote something. You will not have entry to meals, clothes, housing, well being care, faculties – nothing! If you’re not a Christian (and by that I imply you do not have a private relationship with God by means of Jesus Christ and have not been reborn in your human spirit), you’ll most likely be so caught up within the deception that in the future. When you find yourself given a alternative that can allow you to proceed to purchase and promote and reside a half method regular life, you’ll conform to take a mark and worship the antichrist. This may decide your everlasting future. Most can be deceived! Most will take the trail of least resistance. You can be deceived if…
o If you’re a Christian that has made himself at residence on this world.
o In the event you do not grasp your true citizenship, you’ll turn out to be part of the system with out realizing it.
o In the event you reside within the knowledge of this world.
o In the event you reside and act as in case you are a citizen of this world moderately than a heavenly everlasting kingdom.
o In the event you attempt to straddle the fence and have the perfect of each worlds. What you like most will win out ultimately: Jesus or the issues of the world.
o In the event you love the approval of this world, and are afraid to go in opposition to the tide.
o In the event you love your life greater than God.
o In the event you love your loved ones and buddies extra.
o In the event you do not love the reality as revealed in God’s Phrase. Because the nation singer sings, “it’s important to stand for one thing otherwise you’ll fall for something.”
o In the event you aren’t clearly standing for what God stands for.
o When you have given in to the “broad method” of pondering with out questioning.
If you’re a real “Christian” and never a part of the apostate (fallen) “Church”, you may be persecuted by your “Christian” family and friends – individuals you really liked and trusted–because of your opposite stand. If you’re an overcoming Christian, you’ll undergo the lack of all issues, together with the rejection of these closest to you. You can be delivered up and put to demise (once more, these usually are not my phrases, however proper out of the Gospels). It is a small value to pay for the privilege of seeing our Lord return and to have the ability to rule and reign with him all through all eternity.
Revelation speaks of “witness”, “witnesses” and “testimony”. The basis in Greek for all of those phrases is “martyr”! Revelation 12:11 tells us that “we overcome by the blood of the lamb, the phrase of our testimony, loving not our lives unto demise.” Solely these prepared to die for his or her religion will escape the nice deception. That is because it has been down by means of historical past however much more so ultimately of days.
Our assumption in penning this e-book is that many who learn it will likely be those that wish to stand for what God stands for, are conscious of the inevitability of deception, as a result of they know the Scripture tells us that this deception is so good that it might probably deceive even the very elect (by the way in which, Matthew 24:22 – and the phrase “if it have been attainable” present in some translations just isn’t within the authentic Greek textual content). They wish to know the way to acknowledge it. They know prophecy was written for a cause – not only for educational curiosity. It was written to warn us about what’s to return so we won’t be deceived.
The aim of this e-book is to equip the believer to acknowledge deception and to show the extent of deception that’s already at work. There’s deception within the media, the leisure world, the information, faculties, authorities and even church. Solely those that acknowledge and obey His nonetheless small voice will overcome. Solely these with the eyes of the “Spirit of God” will see the true image. Solely those that “have an ear to listen to what the Spirit is saying to the church buildings” will overcome. Solely those that are prepared to undergo the lack of all issues will overcome. Solely those that are constructed up with others in a significant “Physique Life” will overcome. This isn’t the time to face alone. We want each other.
Do not rely on others to interpret the Bible for you (not even us.) Let God’s Phrase communicate to you personally. Your solely hope for avoiding deception is to know the Lord, know his Phrase and be carefully knit with different saints. The stakes are excessive. The reward is nice, so dangle in there!
INTRODUCTION
This e-book is about recognizing deception and apostasy. If we’re these Christians – lastly, after 2,000 years, dwelling within the “finish of days”, the best delusion ever to return upon the earth is coming or might already be right here. How will we acknowledge it? How can we keep away from getting caught up in it? Is there a magic bullet, some safety from its beguiling energy?
The phrase “deceive” means “to mislead by falsehood or to delude.” A great deception is so compelling that folks ARE conned by it. You could assume you’re seeing one thing actually good when it’s evil. In the event you assume it’ll be straightforward or apparent, then it is not deceiving. Proper? So many glibly assume God will deal with them when the time comes. But when you have not discovered to get into God’s presence and get contemporary revelation from Him at the moment, I doubt that, in that day, reality will simply bounce up and slap you within the face and say “Right here is how you’re being deceived.” Deception works just like the frog within the heating pot of water – the frog will get used to the steadily growing temperature till it’s too late.
That being the case, it could make sense that there’s some cautious manipulation being achieved on the earth to “muddy” our understanding of each the scriptures and world occasions as they occur. As a result of the tip occasions prophecies are going to occur on this bodily world, Devil might want to deceive Christians of their understanding of Bible prophecy or their utility of it to the nations and occasions on the earth, or each. Due to this fact, we have to see with growing readability if there may be political spin, media spin and even “Christian spin” within the info fed us.
Richards J. Heuer Jr. wrote about this widespread phenomenon in a 1979 article entitled, “Do You Actually Want Extra Data?” He writes:
“Data that’s per our current mindset is perceived and processed simply. Nevertheless, since our thoughts strives instinctively for consistency, info that’s inconsistent with our current psychological picture tends to be ignored, perceived in a distorted method, or rationalized to suit current assumptions and beliefs. Thus, new info tends to be perceived and interpreted in a method that reinforces current beliefs.”
Folks do not wish to be confused with the info. They wish to make the info match their preconceived notions. That’s the reason it’s so troublesome to understand the deception. We have been born and raised to consider a sure method and few can assume exterior the field they have been raised with.
So how will we acknowledge deception? How do you acknowledge a counterfeit greenback invoice? They educate financial institution tellers that one of the best ways to acknowledge the counterfeit is to know what an actual one seems and looks like. Under is a brief guidelines of the way to keep away from deception:
o Have an in depth private relationship with Jesus Christ your self. We’re chargeable for our personal religious future – not relying upon a relative, a pastor, priest, church or program.
o Devil is the Prince of this world. That is his territory and he’s the grasp deceiver! Count on the media, your leaders and others to lie.
o Do not be afraid to query info and sources. We reply to and are accountable to God alone – to not any particular person in between. Nobody can be with us on the judgment seat of Christ.
o Learn the Bible. Research prophecy and count on the Spirit to enlighten you.
o Be open to see what is occurring within the institutional church. If we blindly settle for what our Christian academics inform us, we could also be led astray.
o Be open in your thoughts and coronary heart (as a result of it’s finally a religious matter requiring revelation). We have to have an open coronary heart so God can reveal the reality to us from His Phrase – not the spun teachings of the institution bought out to the world and the State. We should be cautious every time we’re studying or listening to the professionals. This info is so essential we should not assume we all know all of it. We had higher take a contemporary look ourselves as an alternative of taking the “consultants” phrase for it.
o It’s not a sin to query our Christian leaders. Bereans have been praised by the Apostle Paul for holding up what he stated to Scripture. If anybody tells us in any other case, we should be very cautious. These usually are not “God’s anointed” with a nook on the reality! We’ve entry to the identical Bible and the identical Lord!
The Nature of Christian Deception
Within the final chapter of the E-book of Daniel, it says twice that the phrases of the prophecy must be “sealed up and hid till the tip of the age.” Christians have been attempting their greatest to find out the that means of the prophetic books of the Bible however it is going to solely be revealed to the technology with a “have to know.” Christian writers tried to interpret prophecy by way of their historic, political and social context. It’s straightforward to see how issues might get off.
The largest supply of deception, in my view, comes from confusion referring to dispensationalism, a doctrine which began within the nineteenth century. It began as a imaginative and prescient that the church would expertise a “secret rapture” previous to the tribulation. As soon as theologians believed that the church was gone, they got here up with a concept that the church age (or dispensation) ended with the rapture and that God’s consideration turned again to Israel. At present, basic Christianity is so steeped on this custom that they cannot see past it. What began as a little bit doctrine has grown to be an enormous system of doctrine with one error compounding upon one other. That is known as systematized error.
It is a big topic for an additional e-book however suffice it to say at this level that the query just isn’t a lot the timing of the rapture, however the significance of the church and Israel to be current because the “Two Witnesses” of Revelation 11 – the 2 olive bushes and the 2 lampstands. The failure of Christians to see the Church in each chapter of the e-book of Revelations has blinded them to the important position each teams have.
If Christians assume the church won’t be right here through the Tribulation interval, they are going to miss the indicators. In engaged on an up coming e-book, now we have learn and reread the nice theologians of the previous – Ironsides, Pentecost, Barnhouse and plenty of others to the current akin to Ryrie, Walvoord, Steadman, and so forth. The blindness of those males attributable to one false assumption has led to the failure of a complete technology to understand the importance of the final days to the church and an escapism worthy of the Laodicean Church.
Two errors make prophecy of little significance to Christians. First, the dispensational strategy believed that for the reason that church raptures at first of the tribulation, it’s not even current through the last seven 12 months interval. The second is preterism, at present promoted by the Bible Reply Man (Hank Hannegraff), which says that Revelation was written earlier than 70 AD and all prophecy has been fulfilled. Each extremes are inclined to negate the significance of prophecy.
When Will the Finish Come?
Though Christians down by means of the ages thought their technology is likely to be “the one”, there are two main occasions that sign the “starting of the tip”. The tip can not come till these two issues happen. One pertains to the restoration of the nation of Israel and the opposite pertains to the rise of a nation that dominates the earth like none different in history–a younger nation that comes out of the Western Christian world and dominates the whole world (the eleventh horn).
The Bible clearly foretells many occasions within the Outdated Testomony the scattering of the Jews all through the world and their gathering in on the finish of days simply earlier than the Messiah’s reign. In 1948 the nation of Israel was restored, with Jerusalem being captured in 1967 through the 6 day battle and made the capital in 1981. Luke 21:24 says, “and they’re going to fall by the sting of the sword, and can be led captive into all of the nations and Jerusalem can be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles till the occasions of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” After practically two millennia of being dispersed all through the world, this tiny individuals group made their method again to the land God had given them. At present we see the Jews barely holding on to their little nation of Israel, as the entire world experiences wars and rumors of wars, famine, pestilence, and earthquakes – all the “indicators of the occasions” foretold within the Bible.
The opposite main occasion is one that the majority theologians and Christian leaders appear to have missed. The Bible tells us that there can be a strong nation within the final days that can dominate economically and militarily. Simply as the fashionable nation of Israel was born, one other nation was changing into a world financial, political and army superpower. Within the years following WWII, America was rising because the supreme army superpower on the earth. At present it spends extra on its army as all of the nations of the earth mixed. It has been so technically superior, nobody can stand in opposition to it. Wherever America has gone, she left troops and army bases (e.g. Germany, Korea, Bosnia, Iraq), and in recent times she has taken on the world in preemptive strikes at will world wide, completely ignoring world opinion and the UN.
It additionally emerged because the dominant business power on the earth. In 1972, the whole world went on the greenback normal and U.S. domination of the world economies was full. It is extremely fascinating that almost all Christians cannot see America for what it truly is however teachers clearly perceive the whole dominance of America from a army, financial or political standpoint. Once I offered this materials to a gaggle of conservative Jews in Buenos Aires, that they had no problem in seeing the position America is taking part in on the earth. Outsiders such because the nineteenth Century Frenchman Alexis de’Toqueville and the Russian Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn have at all times been in a position to see our strengths and weaknesses higher than we will. They’ve additionally seen the dominant place of faith – Christian fundamentalism in our historical past. Based mostly on the above, is not it conceivable that this actually may very well be the tip? These circumstances that have been prophesied so way back have by no means earlier than existed in historical past.
Christians are blinded to the likelihood that America may very well be that nation. They see the antichrist popping out of Europe, Russia, Iraq, Israel, and so forth. – anyplace however America. They fail to grasp that God seems at peoples moderately than geographic boundaries. We’re European in language, tradition, legislation, and so forth. We’re additionally probably the most “Christian” nation on earth whereas Europe, Russia, and so forth. are post-Christian. As a result of theologians have been anticipating the church to be gone, they noticed the antichrist as probably a Jew – once more, so confused due to their predisposition to consider Christians are gone. Nevertheless, if they’re gone, how can they be deceived? Oh properly.
A WORD ABOUT THE ANTICHRIST
We vastly underestimate Devil himself if we don’t bear in mind that he’s often called the “deceiver of the brethren” and the one who can seem as an “Angel of Gentle.” As such, he’ll perpetrate his cleverest deception upon the American evangelical church. Are you able to think about something extra diabolical than deceiving Christians into really serving to the “beast” come to energy? Revelation sees the beast come to energy with the lady (the church) using the beast! Since Devil’s plan is to hit us coming and going, we should be cautious when a pacesetter comes alongside who appears to have all of the answers–one who’s ethical, decisive, and charismatic and, above all, talks the Christian discuss. Be careful when a pacesetter feels known as by God to carry peace to the world, resolve the sticky downside within the Center East, and produce Christian values, morals and free market prosperity and democratic self-rule to the entire world. He sees the Church and State in partnership, funding “faith-based” initiatives, in bringing this new fantastic peace to the world. He can be lauded from the pulpits throughout the land as Christians are caught up within the nice patriotic fervor as his armies march in opposition to the evil forces of ignorance, intolerance and Islam. The time period “antichrist” is a misnomer. Folks assume it means “in opposition to Christ” nevertheless it actually means a “Christ substitute”. Might an clearly evil, new age particular person from Europe idiot an American evangelical Christian? I doubt it. So many consider the antichrist can be from the Center East or Europe, marginally Christian if in any respect – most likely “new age”, even a Jew however this isn’t what the Bible tells us.
The Bible signifies that many trusting Christians will take the antichrist at his phrase and even help him. At present, if a public determine claims to be a “Christian” everybody believes him and takes it at face worth. The Bible tells us that antichrist represents probably the most highly effective nation on the earth – one which dominates it militarily and commercially. That may hardly be Russia, Italy (the Vatican), Iraq, Israel and even the European Union. He makes a protection treaty with Israel and he’s so beguiling that even Christians are seduced by his wiles. Just one nation suits the outline. Just one nation has the crusading Christian zeal and sense of future. We hear from Christians world wide and it’s fascinating to notice they do not discover that nation fairly as arduous to determine as we do.
Folks don’t perceive that God offers with peoples – not geographic boundary traces. America is an extension of Europe in language, tradition, historical past and legislation. We’re the apex of Western Civilization. We might be that conquering “Christian” nation that nobody on the earth can stand in opposition to. We would be the “little horn” of Daniel, having grown out of the ten, ripping the three that colonized us out (the English, French and Spanish) and now dominate the entire World as the one superpower with the desire and the way in which!
So what does this say to American Christians – that their beloved nation may very well be the evil empire of the “final days?” That very properly may very well be, and if that’s the case, the deception can be far worse within the coronary heart of that darkness. Apostasy means – “falling away” implying a church that after had the reality and misplaced it. So is it attainable that the American church is epitomized within the description of the Church of Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22), a church that thinks it has all of it and actually would not? How deceiving wouldn’t it be for the American Christian who thinks America is a power for reality, justice and democracy taking the world for “Christ and the church” by vanquishing the evil “godless” dictatorships of the world? What if issues usually are not as they appear? Recognizing deception and apostasy could also be tougher than you assume!
For the complete article, please see http://www.the-tribulation-network.com/denemcgriff/Apostasy/
recognizing_deception_and_apostasy.htm#preface