2 Thessalonians 1:3-1:4
Is Christianity Losing America? The apostasy of the professing church. (2Th 1:3); (Luke 18:8); (2Ti 3:1-8). Why is the truth in Christ so hard for people to understand? The Christian culture is dwindling according to scripture and there are those that continue to denigh the very existence of a problem. If we as Christians could stop for a moment and compare the scripture with the events of the world then maybe we could bring about a revival that would bring in the sinner and salvation could come to others. Believing the scripture is the first step in revival of the church and it will spark the church into action. 2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means (doctrine): for that day, (rapture), shall not come except there come a falling away first (leaving of the true gospel), and that man of sin be revealed (antichrist), the son of perdition (ruin, destruction). Lets run a few numbers by: Between 1993 and 2002, the share of Americans who said they were {Protestant} (Christians) dropped from 63 percent to 52 percent, after years of remaining generally stable, according to a study released Tuesday, July 20th, 2004 by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.
While the nation's share of other groups, including Muslims, Orthodox Christians, Buddhists and Hindus, rose from 3% in 1993 to 7% in 2002. The number of Roman Catholics (25%) and Jews (2%) remained stable over the same period, Analysts say that Catholics are no longer a solid block of voters, but are sharply divided in their ideologies (Principles and Beliefs). The world estimate of Islamic converts under the Muslim Religion are somewhere between 1 and 1.5 Billion worldwide. What does all this mean? The number of non-Christians (those who do not believe in the Bible) has grown to 48 percent, in the United States alone. Athiest, Agnostics, and antichristians now out number the true believer in the Deity of Christ. The true church, the Bible believing church, is falling away.
The Pope of Rome wants to make Jerusalem, The Holy City, an international city for Moslems, Jews and all other religions, under His control. One world religion, one world Government and a one world banking system, if this isn't the spirit of antichrist, I don't know what is. Day after day the news media are telling stories of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict, and the center of all of this conflict, if you look at prophecy, is Jerusalem. 1.Christianity 2 billion 2.Islam 1.3 billion 3. Hinduism 900 million 4.Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist 850 million 5. Buddhism 360 million 5. Chinese traditional religion 225 million 6. Primal-indigenous 150 million 7. African Traditional & Diasporic 95 million 8. Sikhism 23 million 9. Juche 19 million 10. Spiritism 14 million and Judaism 14 million. Christianity is no longer the top rated Religion in the United States or elsewhere in the world. 2,151,000,000+ are antichrist or claim nonreligious. . Lets look at: 2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means (doctrine): for that day shall not come (rapture), except there come a falling away first (leaving of the true gospel), and that man of sin be revealed (antichrist), the son of perdition (ruin, destruction). The order of events is:
(1) The working of the mystery of lawlessness under divine restraint, which had already begun in the apostle's time (2Th 2:7). The restraining factor here is the Holy Ghost, which has restrained the spirit of antichrist from total domination of mankind, which allows us freedom of choice.
(2) The apostasy of the professing church (2Th 1:3); (Luke 18:8); (2Ti 3:1-8). Apostasy; changing from the doctrine of God to the doctrine of man.
(3) The removal of that which restrains the mystery of lawlessness (2Th 2:6); (2Th 2:7). The restrainer is a person -- "he," and since a "mystery" always implies a supernatural element, (The restraining factor here again is the Holy Ghost) (That which restrains, could have read, whom restrains) (See Scofield) - (Mat 13:11),
This Person can be none other than the Holy Spirit in the church, to be "taken out of the way"; (2Th 2:7); (1Th 4:14-17).
(4) The manifestation of the lawless one (2Th 2:8-10); (Dan 7:8); (Dan 9:27); (Mat 24:15); (Rev 13:2-10).
(5) The coming of Christ in glory and the destruction of the lawless one (2Th 2:8); (Rev 19:11-21).
(6) The day of Jehovah (2Th 2:9-12); (Isa 2:12).
And that man of sin be revealed. He shall be revealed then in connection with the apostasy [.A falling away--rather as the Greek, "the falling away," or "apostasy," namely, the one of which "I told you" before (2Th 2:5), "when I was yet with you," and of which the Lord gave some intimation ( hint, indication, warning ) (Mat 24:10-12; John 5:43).] Isa 57:4. The man of sin has been thought to refer to Caligula, Titus, Simon Magus, Nero, the Pope of Rome, Luther, Hitler, Stalin, Mahomet, etc. An apostasy must precede the Coming. That is, there shall be a general falling away from the purity of the faith. As today, many churches are recognizing Homosexuals as Christians, sending (child molester priest) to nonextriditing countries to prevent prosecution, teaching conversion (Being Born into a Religion without being Reborn)
[John 3:3, 3:7. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.] and replacing rebirth, turning to nature to heal, ordaining gays as ministers, adding man made doctrine into the Bible, Adding other books and chapters, written by man, to Gods word, teaching that Jesus didn't suffer on the Cross, denighing Christ Deity, ect. No apostasy of magnitude occurred in the history of the church for centuries, which could answer to Paul's description, but the gradual declension, corruption, and departure from the ancient faith, has came full circle in today's society. Those who are lost here today, can you see the pattern in today's society, a turning away from decency and righteousness? The political turmoil, religious indifference and lack of morals in government and in our schools. The turning away from decency and God and the turning to dependency in government and pornography. How many movies can you name that are decent enough for our children to watch? When some courts protect the rights of antichristian religions to teach their belief in schools and the Bible believing church loses every effort to teach Jesus, there is something wrong.
There is coming a falling away, and it has already started. There is a famine in the land for the true believer in God and His word; many are seeking a Bible believing church that is strong in principle and in doctrine to feed them the word. Many ignore prophecy but prophecy is an intracal part of the churches existence. A prophecy teaching church is a strong church; it's an alert church, a church that Jesus will not find sleeping and a church that will draw many. Is Christianity losing America? This is something that you must answer for yourself; you have the facts, now its time to make a decision.
Anthony Smith
Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/