Prophecy from 2Thes 2:3 happening now

[JoeCanada]

"the Beast is at once 1.) a spiritual demonic being: an ARCHON, 2.)a political empire, and 3.) a human ruler: the Antichrist. I think that scripture supports this 3-part make-up of the Beast. When scripture refers to “the Beast” it can be referring to any one aspect or all three aspects at one time. This causes the concept to be complex and leads to some of the confusion."

If you guys want to read this article, it thoroughly explains the above. Too long to copy it here.

http://www.thegospelintheendtimes.com/the-antichrist/who-is-the-beast/

[choir loft]

Between the late 1960's and early 1970's the last great revival swept across America.  Called the Jesus Movement it was quite well know and even featured a picture of Jesus on the cover of TIME magazine.

Leadership didn't know how to deal with it.

In main denominational churches the average reaction was to either ignore it or classify it as a sort of emotional aberration.  Leaders literally did everything they could to suppress the movement in their churches.   To be fair there were a few that embraced it, but those that did so risked their career in the denomination.   I know.  I was there.  I was one of the ones that was told to hit the road because of my enthusiasm for Christ.  I was told I could not be admitted to the ranks of leadership unless I recanted my salvation in Christ Jesus.

Today people have had it with empty sermons that only address situation ethics, the gospel of prosperity or simple happy talk.   Today's issues are real and religious fantasy isn't appropriate any more.

The Bible addresses real issues of sin and betrayal of God.   Stories about demonic possession are rooted in pet sins that have taken root in the hearts and minds of nearly everyone who flirts with them.  As a result the power of sin grows in their lives.  Those who seek deliverance ministers often find their demonic possession repeats.  Without true repentance it always will.

Which brings us to the issue of repentance.   It's simply not preached any more - not often enough anyway.  I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've heard a sermon on repentance in the last ten years.   Its a message we need to hear again and again until we as a nation "get it".

Yes the prophecy is happening now - its worse in Europe than in America, but its happening.

Which goes to another prediction - withdrawal of divine providence.

For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.

- 2 Thessalonians 2:7

Some interpretations of the above verse suggest the Holy Spirit will leave this planet - evidenced by an associated human evacuation.   Since there hasn't been any such evacuation and since all predictions of it have failed miserably we may rightly consider that it isn't going to happen.   What IS happening is that the restraint of LAW has been held back.  What IS going to happen is that the man of perdition will ascend to the heights of global power and influence.  Many Christians are going to watch this happen and either embrace his demonic policies or wonder why they still walk the earth in the first place.   Considering current trends my money is on the former.   Many Christians WILL abandon traditional ideology and happily accept that proposed by the man of lawLESSness.   It's already at work among us.  Many people, even Christians, act as though morality was a four letter word.

Now the Law is that part of the Old Covenant which, along with Holy Spirit revival, has been rejected by the church.   The average Christian has no idea what the Law means or how it applies to salvation, atonement, sanctification, the hope of the resurrection or the fact and nature of Final Judgment.  Rejection of the Law as well as Holy Spirit revival has worked together to bring us to our present unhappy state of affairs.  

LawLESSness of every sort has sprouted and is blooming in our churches, our homes and in our cities.  It is so prevalent that churches have had to either hire professional gun men to guard the door or to train members of their own congregation to bring firearms to worship services.   It's really bad out there.   How much worse does it have to get before Christians wake up and realize we are literally as well as spiritually at war?   There has never been a time like this in history.

Instead we either abandon support for our churches or continue to snooze on Sunday morning in our local version of the First Church of the Couch Potato.

What will the Master find us doing if He arrived this afternoon?

I'll be leaving for my local gun range after I study my Bible and have a bit of prayer.   I've been asked to carry heat to worship services, but can't find it in my heart to do that.  Jesus' disciples carried weapons, but I can't.   It may be that I'll end up as a victim one day.   I can't think of a better place to die than in church on my knees.

This is what we've come to - and Christians STILL don't care.  

I have no doubt that when satan's man of the hour comes to town Christians will be in the front row rolling out the red carpet for him.

that's me, hollering from the choir loft....

Edited February 14, 2019 by choir loft

[simplejeff]

On 12/8/2018 at 3:21 PM, JoeCanada said:

 

""We are living at a time when there is a mass exodus from the Christian faith in America, and it is likely going to take something quite dramatic to reverse that trend.

In 1776, every European American, with the exception of about 2,500 Jews, identified himself or herself as a Christian. Moreover, approximately 98 percent of the colonists were Protestants, with the remaining 1.9 percent being Roman Catholics.

Not only did early Americans identify themselves as Christians, but nearly all of them regularly attended church.

Now our society is moving very rapidly in the exact opposite direction, and many believe that this has tremendous implications for the future of our nation. "

Allowing the posted statistics are somewhat accurate, or at least as if they are close,  then

Re "... it is likely going to take something quite dramatic to reverse that trend."

Do you remember ever any time in Scripture where that trend (for 'society'/ the world; not just some) 

was reversed / changed, at least for a time ?

It seems, or is written, in the Apocalypse that the 'trend' is far worse and worsening as the end of the age draws to a close.

[simplejeff]

On 2/14/2019 at 10:30 AM, choir loft said:

 Many Christians are going to watch this happen and either embrace his demonic policies or wonder why they still walk the earth in the first place.   Considering current trends my money is on the former.   Many Christians WILL abandon traditional ideology and happily accept that proposed by the man of lawLESSness.  

 

It's already at work among us.

Can anything be done about this ?   Not for society, but for individuals, to learn the truth, to be free from those 'policies' that the worldly churches already accepted years ago ?

[simplejeff]

23 minutes ago, Cletus said:

what shall we do except pray and wait and hope God pours out a spirit of repentance on them? 

Pray for God's Will in line with His Word, yes.  wait on God, yes sometimes(see below, sometimes act/speak/ go) .  hope, all the time in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.    Then,  >>

And how shall they believe if they do not hear ?   And how shall they hear if no one tells them ?  And how shall anyone tell them if they are not sent to them ?    Pray therefore for the Father to send out laborers in the fields (towns, homes, dwellings, wherever there is a lost one to be found? ) ....

Even though most will not listen, hear, nor repent nor obey,  even on the internet,  still we overcome the enemy with the word of our testimony AND THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB.

 

[simplejeff]

27 minutes ago, Cletus said:

away with us with this doom and gloom and repentance..

It is doom,  of course, for the world.  Billions upon billions, again, like in the flood, going to die , to perish forever, because of their sinfulness.  No excuses.

[Spock]

On 12/8/2018 at 4:21 PM, JoeCanada said:

Prophecy from 2Thes 2:3 happening now.

In 2 Thes 2:3, the Apostle Paul warned that " Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first.....

Well, it's happening now.....And in a big way.

“Between 6,000 and 10,000 churches in the U.S. are dying each year” 

"America is littered with thousands upon thousands of church buildings that aren’t being used anymore.  As you will see below, between 6,000 and 10,000 churches are dying in the United States every single year, and that means that more than 100 will die this week alone.  And of course thousands of others are on life support.  All over the country this weekend, small handfuls of people will gather in huge buildings which once boasted very large congregations.  At one time, America was widely considered to be “a Christian nation”, but that really isn’t true anymore."

"Today, less than 20 percent of all Americans attend church on a regular basis."

"just 10 percent of all young adults were “religiously unaffiliated”, but now that number has jumped all the way to 39 percent…"

"We are living at a time when there is a mass exodus from the Christian faith in America, and it is likely going to take something quite dramatic to reverse that trend.

In 1776, every European American, with the exception of about 2,500 Jews, identified himself or herself as a Christian. Moreover, approximately 98 percent of the colonists were Protestants, with the remaining 1.9 percent being Roman Catholics.

Not only did early Americans identify themselves as Christians, but nearly all of them regularly attended church.

Now our society is moving very rapidly in the exact opposite direction, and many believe that this has tremendous implications for the future of our nation.

You can read the article here:

http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/between-6000-and-10000-churches-in-the-u-s-are-dying-each-year-and-that-means-that-over-100-will-die-this-week

I think this is probably why the health, wealth, and prosperity churches are doing better.  Peoples itchy ears want to hear about what God can do for them rather than what they could do for ones fellow man and for God. 

[simplejeff]

30 minutes ago, Spock said:

I think this is probably why the health, wealth, and prosperity churches are doing better.  Peoples itchy ears want to hear about what God can do for them rather than what they could do for ones fellow man and for God. 

"better" ?

Even if they were to gain the whole world,  is it worth losing their souls ?

[Spock]

1 hour ago, simplejeff said:

"better" ?

Even if they were to gain the whole world,  is it worth losing their souls ?

Good point. 

Better=having members open their wallets to support their greed 

[JoeCanada]

1 hour ago, Spock said:

I think this is probably why the health, wealth, and prosperity churches are doing better.  Peoples itchy ears want to hear about what God can do for them rather than what they could do for ones fellow man and for God. 

Below is a list of false prophets and teachers.

Many of these have MEGA CHURCHES, with tens of thousands of people. With many tens of thousands more tuning in on TV and internet. That's many millions of followers. 

This is why there will be Great Tribulation. To thin these flocks. Weed out the sheep from the goats. The righteous from the unrighteous. Will most of them "fall"? I would think so. This is the "falling away" from the faith that Paul talks about. Most don't have a clue!

 

FALSE PROPHETS AND TEACHERS...Benny Hinn, T.D. Jakes, Robert Schuller, Marilyn Hickey, Paul and Jan Crouch, Rod Parsley, R.W. Shambach, Carlton Pearson, John Avanzinni, Kenneth & Gloria Copeland, John Hagee, Jessie Duplantis, Oral Roberts, Richard Roberts, Kenneth Hagin Sr., Kenneth Hagin Jr., Frederick Price, Creflo Dollar, Rodney Howard Browne, Jack Van Impe, Rinehard Bonnke, Joyce Meyer, Morris Cerullo, John Kilpatrick, Clarence McClendon, Rick Joyner, Hal Lindsey, Charles Capps, Robert Tilton.

FALSE PROPHETS...Ellen G. White, Joseph Smith, Kim Clement, Mark Charonna, Juanita Bynum, Brigham Young, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Jack Van Impe, John Kilpatrick.

HERETICAL BOOKS & MOVEMENTS ... New World Translation, Kenneth Copeland Study Bible, Book of Mormon, Brownsville Revival, Azusu Street Revival, Pensacola Outpouring, Holy Laughter, Slain in the Spirit, Gospel in the Stars, Endtime Restorationism, Perpetual 5-Fold Ministry, Free Masonry.

PROBLEMATIC TEACHERS ... Pat Robertson, D. James Kennedy, Joel Osteen.