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Apostasy Grows Stronger
By Mike Taylor
“For the time will
come when they will
not endure sound
doctrine; but after
their own lusts
shall they heap to
themselves teachers,
having itching ears;
and they shall turn
away their ears from
the truth, and shall
be turned unto
fables” (2 Timothy
4:3-4).
Sometimes, if I
allow myself, my
heart becomes heavy
with the direction
of this country in
which we live, and
for the rest of the
world. Paul warned
that a falling away
from true religion
of those following
after Jesus Christ
would be rampant and
coming to a
fulfillment at the
end of the age.
This warning
has been increasing
in intensity and
volume from its
beginning nearly
1800 plus years, and
the rise of apostasy
in the form of
Gnosticism and the
beginnings of the
transformation of
the Roman Empire
into a theocratic
rule by the “Holy
Roman Church” and
its papacy.
Anyone can research
the history of this
portion of human
history and read
about the horrors
that were imposed on
other humans to rule
them, all the while
invoking the name of
Jesus Christ. I’ve
written several
messages about the
coming one world
religion that will
be headed by none
other than the Roman
Catholic Church and
its pope. These can
be found on my
website, should you
wish to review them.
But that is not all
what I wish to talk
about today.
Down through the
last 400 plus years
since the
Reformation, there
have been many
endeavors to return
to the teachings of
the Bible and
forsake man-made
traditions that
elevated their
teachings above the
clear meaning of
passages found in
the Word of God.
I was just
reading a message by
the late, Jack
Kinsella, who was a
reformed Catholic
himself. Something I
didn’t know, but he
went over how he
came out of the
Catholic Church. The
story goes that he
started to question
the practice of
calling the local
priest of his
school, “father,”
when the Bible
clearly stated that
we were not to call
anyone on earth
“Father.”
Matthew 23:9: “And
call no man your
father upon the
earth: for one is
your Father, which
is in heaven.”
As I have always
been, Jack was also
confused and asked a
nun why this was so,
since the Bible said
it was not to be
done. To this the
nun spoke against
God’s Word and Jack
wrote what she said.
“So
I asked her about
that, and her answer
totally devastated
me. “In matters of
conflict between the
Bible and church
dogma, church dogma
is to be given the
greater authority.”
I had to ask her to
clarify it for me;
“You mean when the
Bible doesn’t agree
with the Catholic
Church’s teaching,
it is the
Bible that’s
wrong?” And if this
is in opposition to
God’s Word, what
else is in
opposition? From my
viewpoint and my
studies, there’s
major opposition,
but we won’t go
there today.
That is the mindset
of main stream
“Christianity” for
the last 1800 years,
which they call
their traditions. It
is be given more
weight than what the
Bible says. Meaning
man can override God
or change the clear
meaning of Scripture
to his own
interpretation or
evil intentions.
They are modern
scribes and
Pharisees of our
day. Do we not
remember what Jesus
said to the ruling
authority of the
Pharisees and their
scribes? Jesus
railed against them
for their
traditions. Starting
in Matthew 23 v. 13,
Jesus makes charges
against the ruling
theocracy of the
Temple priest by how
they had perverted
the law of God by
their traditions,
and ends it with
this powerful
indictment:
How many
times do I
get emails
from
concerned
Christians,
who lament
that there
is not a
church that
believes in
the faith
once
delivered by
the
Apostles?
Today’s
mainstream
religions
are into
anything
that makes
the senses
feel good.
It could be
music with
hard rock
sound,
coffee
shops, or
prosperity
gospel that
is looking
only for as
much tithe
and offering
they can
swindle out
of you.
Of course,
it’s in the
name of
“Jesus” or
somebody by
that name,
and all the
while they
are lining
their
pockets with
as much gold
as they can
in this
life. They
live
luxuriously
in fine
homes, fancy
cars, and
may run
around in a
leer jet,
all the
while saying
they are
spreading
the gospel.
Who have
they taken
their
lessons
from? Yep,
the Catholic
Church who
is the
richest
religious
institution
in the
world,
having more
gold in
their
coffers than
Fort Knox.
As Peter
wrote about
these false
prophets and
teachers in
2 Peter:
“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.
By
covetousness
they will
exploit you
with
deceptive
words; for a
long time
their
judgment has
not been
idle, and
their
destruction
does not
slumber” (2
Peter
2:1-3).
Has not the
modern day
churches
done this in
the name of
“Jesus
Christ” or
could it be
another
Jesus? The
newly
elected pope
seems to be
changing
even its
obscure way
of salvation
that they
have
fostered for
over a
thousand
years,
namely you
must be
Catholic and
part of the
“mother”
church to be
saved. You
must depend
on a priest,
or someone
other than
our Lord
Jesus Christ
for
salvation.
Pope Francis
was quoted
as saying
(of course,
most
Catholics
won’t
believe it,
saying he
was
misquoted,
but it’s
easy to take
the quote
from a
homily) that
there are
other ways
to get to
heaven. And
I quote:
The Lord
created us
in His image
and
likeness,
and we are
the image of
the Lord,
and He does
good and all
of us have
this
commandment
at heart: do
good and do
not do evil.
All of us.
‘But,
Father, this
is not
Catholic! He
cannot do
good.’ Yes,
He can… “The
Lord has
redeemed all
of us, all
of us, with
the blood of
Christ: all
of us, not
just
Catholics.
Everyone!
‘Father, the
atheists?’
Even the
atheists.
Everyone!”
We must meet
one another
doing good.
‘But I don’t
believe,
Father, I am
an atheist!’
But do good:
we will meet
one another
there.
Of course
not all
Christians
believe that
those who
don’t
believe will
be redeemed,
and the
Pope’s words
may spark
memories of
the deep
divisions
from the
Protestant
reformation
over the
belief in
redemption
through
grace vs.
redemption
through
works. In
further
comments he
replied to a
question
about to
another
atheist
about good
works:
“Just do
good and
we’ll find a
meeting
point,” the
pope said in
a
hypothetical
conversation
in which
someone told
a priest:
“But I don’t
believe. I’m
an atheist.”
Just do
good”
Thus the
leader of a
billion
Catholics
expressed a
belief that
salvation
does not
come by
grace, but
by works, by
doing good.
This, I
believe is a
further
attempt to
unify all
religions,
or no
religion
into one
religion on
earth. This
would extend
to Muslims,
Buddhist,
Hindus,
Jews, or
come as you
are atheist
by
definition.
Is that
scriptural?
Oh, I
forget.
Traditions
can supplant
and replace
the Word of
God, if they
are in
conflict, as
dogma takes
precedence.
But let us
not stop
there. Are
the modern
Protestant
churches
doing any
better? Look
around you,
my reader,
what do you
see? If you
follow after
a religious
denomination
ask yourself
if their
teachings
line up with
the Word of
God…There
are seven
things to
look for
when
evaluating
whether your
local church
has fallen
into
apostasy.
I quote the
questions
from
(C.A.R.M.org)
dealing with
apostasy and
paraphrase
my take on
the
discussion:
What is
their source
of teaching?
Is it the
Bible, or
does the
teacher
makes up his
own theology
as he goes?
The false
teacher
relies on
his own
creativity.
He makes up
his own
message
A different
message.
What
is the
substance of
the message?
For the
false
teacher,
Jesus is at
the margins:
“They will
secretly
introduce
destructive
heresies,
even denying
the
sovereign
Lord who
bought
them.”
Different
position.
What does
their
teaching
leave you
feeling?
Truth in
Jesus Christ
produces
freedom, but
apostasy
produces
slavery.
The true
believer is
escaping
corruption,
while the
counterfeit
believer is
mastered by
it.
Different
character.
What kind of
people does
the message
produce?
The
counterfeit
Christian is
marked by
arrogance
and slander.
They are
“experts in
greed” and
“their eyes
are full of
adultery.”
Different
appeal? The
truth
teacher
promotes the
Word of God.
The false
teacher
makes a
rather
different
appeal: "By
appealing to
the lustful
desires of
sinful human
nature, they
entice
people who
are just
escaping
from those
who live in
error.”
Different
fruit. What
does the
message
produce in
the people
who hear?
The
true
believer
attains more
of the ways
of Jesus
Christ.
The
counterfeit
is "like a
well without
water” (2
Peter 2:17).
This is an
extraordinary
picture!
They promise
much but
produce
little.
And finally:
What end
does it
ultimately
lead to? The
true
believer
will be
welcomed
into the
kingdom of
God. The
deceived
will be
swift to
destruction
as they
followed the
wrong
teacher, or
a false
Christ
devoid of
the grace
and mercy
through the
blood of
Jesus
Christ. The
cross is
seldom
mentioned
(That would
be any
Catholic or
Protestant
religious
institution
near
you…choose
wisely.)
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Let’s not forget the
abomination of
homosexuality,
adultery,
pedophilia, and
every sin of the
flesh imaginable and
that’s just the
clergy, not just the
congregation…disgusting!
Do you see any
symptoms of these
signs of false
teaching or sins of
the flesh being
displayed in your
church?
If so, these
are the warning
signs to get out and
find a church that
believes in “the
Bible Only”…I had a
family member who
expressed in an
email that took me
back. First, this
family member is a
converted
Catholic…yeah, I
know, the strongest
kind, as they
weren’t born into
it, but embraced it
with all the
foreknowledge and
their five senses
within their
spiritual
discernment (or the
lack thereof). Not
going back to
Catholic bashing,
but it shows were
this apostasy
originated and now
flourishes in
Protestant churches
in different forms
as noted above.
To what he said and
believed by all
Catholics as a nun
so emphatically told
Jack Kinsella, that
tradition trumps the
Word, or Sola
Scriptura
(Scriptures only)
the source of all
truth from God our
Father. My family
member said, “Sola
Scriptura is a
heresy. It
undermines your
religious
foundation. I don’t
think it sends you
to hell, as I
believe God is
infinitely
merciful.” Say what?
My heart literally
sank…he believes
everything that
comes out of the
mouth of this
present pope and
every pope (even the
historically evil
ones) or priest that
has the moniker,
“Catholic” even the
perverted ones, and
there are many…as
tradition trumps the
Word in their minds.
But that is the
mindset of our
modern era of
religious tolerance
to everything that
is unbiblical. It
doesn’t fit the
modern mindset of
the church today,
they say. We have
evolved…Oh, really?
So God the Father
has changed? The
King of kings, has
changed? Where do we
get off changing the
clear meaning of
Holy Spirit inspired
words of God
Almighty?
“For I am the LORD,
I change not;
therefore ye
sons of Jacob are
not consumed” (Malachi
3:6).
Isaiah wrote what
God said of Himself:
“Remember
the former
things of
old: for I
am God, and
there is
none else; I
am God, and
there is
none like
me,
declaring
the end from
the
beginning,
and from
ancient
times the
things that
are not yet
done,
saying, My
counsel
shall stand,
and I will
do all my
pleasure”
(Isaiah 46:
9-10).
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Also in
Hebrews
18:8-9 Paul
wrote:
“Jesus
Christ is
the same
yesterday,
and today,
and for
ever. Be not
carried
about with
divers and
strange
doctrines.”
So I ask
you, how
dare any
religion
that was
made on
earth, even
the same one
who they
emphatically
proclaim
that Jesus
founded,
change what
His Word
says? Does
God change?
Any man or
leader of
any
institution
that
supplants or
distorts the
clear
meaning of
the Word of
God is
anathema to
the
Almighty. As
Paul wrote
and railed
against
those who
would
pervert God
Word that
was received
of him by
revelation
of Jesus
Christ,
Galatians
1:8-12:
We have
freedom in
Jesus
Christ. His
way is not
the way of
bondage of
regulations,
or
traditions,
but the true
milk of the
Word with
the power to
save and
change the
life of the
repentant
heart and to
follow Him
in His
footsteps as
close as
humanly
possible. I
told my
family
member, that
the
foundation
of my
spiritual
life, in all
its failed
human errors
notwithstanding,
as been
rooted in
four verses
and makes a
explosion
outward to
all the
truths of
the Bible
and
something I
learned at
the urging
of my dearly
departed
uncle, when
had me
memorize a
simple
passage that
we all know,
or should.
John
3:16-19:
“For God so
loved the
world that
he gave his
only
begotten
Son, that
whosoever
believeth in
him should
not perish,
but have
everlasting
life. For
God sent not
his Son into
the world to
condemn the
world; but
that the
world
through him
might be
saved.
He that
believeth on
him is not
condemned:
but he that
believeth
not is
condemned
already,
because he
hath not
believed in
the name of
the only
begotten Son
of God. And
this is the
condemnation,
that light
is come into
the world,
and men
loved
darkness
rather than
light,
because
their deeds
were evil.”
Jesus spoke
the simple
and only way
to salvation
through
grace and
mercy when
He said
these words.
But He also
said in v.
19 that
men’s hearts
loved
darkness
rather than
light,
because
their deeds
were evil.
No
truer has it
been of
modern day
religious
false
teachers and
leaders of
about every
denomination
and
affiliation
of religion
that are
man-made as
what they
perceive
that God is
about. To
their great
error and
damnation.
Yes, an evil
grows
exponentially
during these
last days
before the
coming of
the Son of
Man’s
visitation
to burst
onto the
scene of
human
history.
At that
moment when
His true
church is
removed from
planet
Earth, then
will begin
mankind’s
final
attempt of
governing
themselves
through the
Tribulation
and they
will fail.
We are close
to going
home. Make
your calling
and election
sure and be
not deceived
by a clever
clergy
driven by
lawlessness
and being
full of
darkness.
Identify the
wolves in
sheep’s
clothing
that are
amongst you,
as indeed,
apostasy
grows.
This is
Pastor Mike
Taylor,
praying for
truth of the
Word of God
in your
life. If
there be
anything I
can pray
with you in
agreement,
or counsel
you on, or
just a
listening
ear, then
drop me a
line at
realteam1999@sbcglobal.net,
or visit me
online at
www.churchofgod-usa.org.
God bless
you
everyone,
till we meet
at Jesus’
feet.
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