8.11.2012

End Times: The Great Falling Away

The Bible has a lot to say about the end times and prophecy concerning the end times can be found in nearly all 66 books of the bible. The task of putting these prophetic scriptures into some kind of chronological order is where it becomes difficult, and I'm not at all ashamed to admit I've relied on reviewing many other people's conclusions as I've studied this.

Based upon the scripture I believe the End Time events will occur in the following way:

 2 Thessalonians 2:3 says,
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,

The words "falling away", also called "the apostasy" means; to depart from revealed truth, to lead away, seduce, mislead; to defect, to blind the eyes of the people by manipulating the truth; to turn one from the truth by lying signs and wonders.


2 Timothy 3:1 says, 
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

I believe we are already seeing these times. As I turn my TV to a "Christian" channel I see mostly an Americanized, "Prosperity Gospel" that has hijacked the Good News of Jesus Christ coming into this world to die for our sins. There is little to no mention of the repentance and forgiveness of sin, prayer, acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior, sanctification, justification, or any other Christian doctrines that are central to what the apostles shared, and the masses are being led to a god that doesn't care that that they have sinned - a god that just wants to make them healthy and wealthy here on the earth, a god that only wants them to sow and reap and get their slice of the pie. In short, a false god!

This false gospel message doesn't quite mix well with the apostles, who gave ALL they had for the sake of reaching the lost to Christ, and were even martyred for that cause. It also falls short to the millions of Christians around the world who have to meet in hiding due to being persecuted by governments, regimes, and other more hostile religions  These men knew that they wouldn't get the majority of their reward here on the earth, but they would see it in Heaven, which is far better.