*** Note, this is a guest post by a pastor named Samuel Parsons. This was forwarded to me by a friend, and is being re-posted here with permission.
Now the Spirit speaks expressly (specifically), that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils”, speaking lies of hypocrisy, having their own consciences seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with ‘thanksgiving’; for it is ‘sanctified’ by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:1-5).
Wow, what a scripture passage! This certainly describes America….and the rest of the present world. Jesus warned us about this in his address “The Olivet Discourse” recorded in Matthew 24…when he warned his disciples about “TAKE HEED THAT NO ONE DECEIVE YOU many will come in my name saying, “I am the Christ (or the person who can PROVIDE answers and I am the special one who has the answers to our questions, needs and defense) and will DECEIVE many.”
We are living in the most significant, yet volatile, days of history; wherein, civilizations have become intertwined with all kinds of politics, economies, relationships, governments, people groups, racial backgrounds, religions, Christianity (God’s way of living for time and eternity), the internet wave, astronomy and space travel, education, commerce, worldwide travel, conflict with violence between nations, worldwide natural disasters, famine and pestilences. It is hard to travel ANY where in the world to find peace and harmony with the absence of fear. God-given family life is being attacked and falling apart due to divorce, the sodomite (homosexual- GAY agenda, pornography, adultery, bestiality, polygamy, and all forms of wicked immorality), art, media, unprincipled movies, ungodly forms of music, greed, avarice, hatred, disobedience of children, and the list is expanded in the Bible of I Timothy 4 and II Timothy 3 plus Romans 1:16-32. A more complete list of sinful conditions can be read in those sections which are illustrative and eye-popping.
In these chapters of 1 Timothy (3 and 4), and in Matthew 24, Jesus and Paul the Apostle warned about false teachers and heresies would come in the church–in his day and in the latter times. These were, particularly implicating, the agnostics (doubters of Jesus Word being truth) and their false skepticism with low moral standards. This warning is emphasized “in the latter times” which would connote in our day and in our churches. Revelation 3 describes a church by the name of “Laodicea.” As you read the assessment of Laodicea, the church has become so watered down from a faithfully sound moral and spiritual church their condition was sickening to The Lord JESUS. HE WANTED TO SPEW THEM OUT OF HIS MOUTH. Jesus warned about the day in which the deception, warring among nations, false christ’s, all would be the beginning of sorrows…and many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another…and because lawlessness will abound, the love (agape—which is God kind of love in the Greek N.T.) Of many will grow cold!” He , further, describes the latter times just before His Return to the earth, that ‘love for God’ would become so cold that living the Christian faith would become trying and difficult to the point Christians would be enduring this life of faith in Him, which could be the proving of true faith. There will be a separation of the tares from the wheat, which God will thin out the false and keep the good seed. So much of today’s (especially USA) Christian churches try to produce a worship and life that is enmeshed with emotional, attitudinal, experiences with miraculous phenomena and feelings of joy, that I believe are deceiving of the real thing. (Matthew 24:4-14) Some believe, even preachers and musicians, that, in order, to reach the unbelieving world this should be done; or, some of the above, or other, methods of worship to get people into the church.
Evangelistically, this kind of baiting the hook can backfire when temptation and trial of faith begins, and you have a ‘falling away’ from God and His love. When you read the Bible those who followed The Lord Jehovah God were killed, beheaded, burned at the stake, fed to hungry lions, et cetera. (read Hebrews 11) This Hall of Faithful believers are given. Revelation 12:10-11 states, that Satan accuses the brethren constantly; and, runs to and fro seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8) but they (the redeemed of the Lord) ‘overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb…by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives unto the death.” The day is here already for Christians to stand-up and be counted for Christ and His Church. We cannot play Christian and church anymore. Remember the entreaty in Ephesians 6: 10-18,
Stand in the strength of the Lord and in the power of His might….and take unto yourself the WHOLE Armour….
We must guard ourselves and stand in the midst of trials and troubles “…Onward Christian soldiers marching as to war….with the Cross of Jesus going on BEFORE!” Because the liberal progressive anti-God radical movement with its “doctrines of devils” immorality, pro-sin agenda will fail! The world, the flesh, and the devil (Satan) will cause some to depart from the faith. Some who consider themselves Christians, having no discernment will fall into the trap of “seducing spirits,” espousing the “doctrine of devils.” “Depart” in the original Greek New Testament means “to fall away from their original position, which is “the faith”. They will follow false teachers, which are typically hypocrites, ”speaking lies”, having their consciences seared (as a hot iron would deface and change the original structure) (1 Timothy 4:2) wherein Galatians exhorts believers to name these preachers and teachers as “accursed” for teaching another gospel.
Personally, with the latest “changes“ made by the supreme court of the USA and the present day administration in the White House, we are facing the challenge to make up our minds what we believe as a Christian, and as an American citizen of the USA under the original Constitution, to stand with the Lord our God and His Word, the Holy Bible, and against the enemy and his forces of damnation, with the “whole armor” of God in step with other Christians who believe the same, for their influence has nearly captured American education and culture.
God bless you as you learn endurance of FAITH.
A Christian, Samuel Parsons, Th.D.