If your church teaches heresy, then don’t stay; get out (even if it loses friends)
Today God’s Church is under attack, and not all from without, either. There is mutiny developing within church ranks as the day approaches when the Church is gathered and taken home to heaven, in that event known as the Rapture. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) After the Rapture of the Church, salvation will return to Israel who will be God’s ministry people once again, for just 7 years before the return of their Messiah at Armageddon. For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles (that is, the Gentile Church) be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. (Romans 11:25-27)
The Rapture will occur in the end-times just before the start of that final 7-year period known as the Tribulation; the Church is taken away in order to bring Israel back as God’s people.
Throughout Christian history people have anticipated the gathering of the Church, taking them home in the Rapture. It was a day to look forward to, yet for 2000 years it has not appeared; the Church is still here today. Paul told the Thessalonians that the day of Christ to take them home was at hand. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2)
However, that exact day was never disclosed; the date would only be known for certain when it occurred. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (Matthew 24:36-40)
We are, however, meant to see the signs of the approaching day and know that it is soon. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. (Matthew 24:32-33) Many of those signs are already here, including the war involving Iran, Turkey, Russia and others, prophesied in Ezekiel 38. This will begin Israel’s end-times return to God – Israel will be attacked and invaded after which the antichrist leads a European army to destroy those invaders; the Ezekiel war is now about to erupt into World War 3.
But another significant sign of the approach of the day of the Rapture is that many within the church will mutiny against biblical truth as the day of the Rapture approaches. That day of Christ’s return for His Church is at hand in these very days now. The signs are mounting, warning us of its approach; while we may not know the exact hour and day, it is very near now. Paul said that it would be accompanied by a time of growing apostasy within the church. …. that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first …. (2 Thessalonians 2:2-3) That “a falling away” has the definite article “the” and thus is “the falling away”. Also, the Greek word used is apostasia (= apostasy, mutiny) which derives from a military term used to describe a mutiny. The Apostle uses the definite article ….. This word in common Greek denotes a military or political revolt, a defection (Cambridge commentary) This does not signify an attack from outside the church but a mutiny from true teachings within the church.
It is difficult to find a church today that teaches biblical truth. They may use biblical names and terms, plus words that sound like worship of God, and yet their worship in so many cases is empty, devoid of true worship of God as Lord and Saviour. Pentecostalism has decimated true doctrine with very few pentecostal churches preaching the true gospel which is: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. (Acts 16:31) and Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13) Instead, for most pentecostal churches, a spiritual manifestation such as tongues, healing or slaying in the spirit requires that a person be declared saved even if they have never asked God to save them. This is a false gospel. Even satan and his demons can cause spiritual manifestations to occur, all too often deceiving churches today. Calvinism is another false gospel, claiming that a person must be “regenerated” (born again) by the spirit before they are permitted to call upon God to be saved. Many calvinists declare the sinner’s prayer to be false, with such as Todd Friel unbiblically and heretically teaching their demonic gospel that denies the biblical gospel; Friel says that anyone who asks Jesus into their heart is still lost and heading for hell! (“Ten Reasons not to ask Jesus into your heart”).
Then there’s Hillsong, a huge money-making venture that appears to only care about building their bank account. Hillsong is a huge music-producing industry that seems to be obsessed with making money rather than making and building Christians. Those churches who flock to the support of Hillsong music should be more discerning regarding the actual Christian witness – or lack of it – at Hillsong itself.
So if you strive to be biblically correct, assessing all doctrine, testing all things as per 1 Thessalonians 5:21 and holding fast to the truth, then it will be difficult today to find a church that actually makes serious efforts to hold to that truth of the Bible, to earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (Jude 1:3) For many it will be hard (if not impossible) to find a church that is reasonably biblical without travelling huge distances every week. Where are there churches that preach the true biblical gospel (not calvinist or pentecostal for example)? Where are there churches that sing godly worship songs and hymns (not Hillsong garbage for example)? Where are there churches that do not have a rock band broadcasting its excessive noise to all local residents? (Rock music is not Christian at all!) Where are there churches that are biblical rather than just social gatherings? (So many churches are just Sunday morning “night clubs”.)
The Bible is clear on this: There will be “the” falling away of spiritual truth in these end-times. There will be mutiny by so many churches that have been overtaken by pretend Christians who seek pleasure more than truth. The church today is becoming – has already become, in fact – a pleasure-seeking social club, where biblical truth is more of an inconvenience that needs to be weeded out so that it doesn’t spoil their pleasures. Many will continue to attend because there’s nowhere else to go. Many will put up with the confusion just to remain in the social group. The Bible describes such behaviour as sinful, sin that will be judged one day. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. (Revelation 18:4-5)
Christians are commanded to stay clear of unbelieving activities. This includes staying away from churches where the emphasis is on pleasure-seeking rather than godly teaching. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14) You may have to choose between seeking biblical truth and staying with a social grouping (which so many churches today offer). You may lose friends by avoiding false teaching, but which is more important: keeping friends or earnestly contending for the faith? Perhaps a small home church of Christians seeking the truth is far preferrable to enjoying a social gathering at a church building.
And keep in mind what follows on after this great apostasy (mutiny) of the church. The Rapture of course will follow on one day, probably very soon it seems, and then the antichrist will be revealed, that man of sin who will seek to rule the world but will be defeated at Armageddon.
…… and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:2-4)
The antichrist will be revealed after the Church (the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit) is taken out of the way; that wicked one with the working of satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. (2 Thessalonians 2:7-9)

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