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AN IMPORTANT READ Harry Bethel
In these last days of apostasy things are spiritually deteriorating rapidly among Christians all over the world but particularly in the United States. This can be attributed, in part, to the relative wealth of Christians in America. Most of the brethren here like things the way they are; they are comfortable, and don't want to be disturbed. This is the same spirit that the Laodicean church had. They made Jesus sick to His stomach and He was just before vomiting them out if they did not repent. They were rich and increased with goods and thought they had need of nothing. Truly, the deceitfulness of riches chokes the Word. Of all the letters that I have received over the past several years, the vast majority of them are favorable. But there is good reason to believe that many of those who have written encouraging letters saying that they agree with the truths I have been sharing are not actually applying these scriptural truths to their lives. Their intentions are probably good, but after counting the cost of obeying these truths they somehow figure it's not worth it. Some Christians are very disheartened with the pitiful condition of the churches in general. They are tired of the watered-down sermons and lack of wisdom, discernment and Holy Spirit power in the lives of the leaders. They are tired of the skating parties, bowling teams and softball games. Surely there is something wrong when we live like we are on a playground instead of a battleground, and the pastors are telling us to not worry about the Great Tribulation because we're going to miss it all. Some Christians are weary of trying to fellowship around the TV with other believers watching football games after dead worship services. They are sick of the worldly "retreats" and would like to see some "advances" for a change. Also, there are a few dejected brothers and sisters who have tried to get away from all the worldliness and carnality in the churches. They have sought refuge among groups of Christians where they are more or less isolated from the world, but these groups are tradition-bound and lacking in Holy Spirit power. It is obvious that the leaders have never been endued with power from on high, and have no concept of what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit like even the first deacons who were ministers of only temporal needs in the early Church and did not have the responsibility of feeding the flock with the meat of the Word. An article I wrote titled The Church Is Losing Discernment was published in a Christian periodical with a circulation of more than 100,000 with 85% of the subscribers being "pastors" and other church leaders. I received a telephone call from a "pastor" in another state who read the article and was concerned that it might cause young Christians to lose faith in their pastors. He is exactly right. If the young people have just an ounce of discernment they can see through the programs, plays, pizza parties, and just plain playing church. I would hope that not only the young people but the older saints also would lose faith in those hirelings. That pastor thought the Church was having a revival because of the great popularity of a men's parachurch organization that rents stadiums for meetings and sells out all the tickets in the first two days of being on sale. That man is sincere, but is obviously lacking in discernment. He thinks it is okay to worship and pray together with homosexuals and Roman Catholics and other apostates, and participate in the ecumenical spirit of that parachurch organization. He had completely missed the truth that worship services are for Christians, that there is no fellowship between light and darkness, and so forth. Based on numerous conversations with other pastors in his camp, that pastor is representative of Evangelical leadership. I hope and pray that young Christians would indeed lose faith in their pastors who obviously have not been sent by God. I hope and pray that they would not be blinded by the hirelings who are leading young Christians (and older ones, too) farther and farther into apostasy and into the harlot Church of the end time. Many of those pastors mean well; they have been born again and want to "do something for God," but the pitiful truth is that they simply have not been placed in the pastorate by the Lord. One dear brother, prophet, and writer who is now with the Lord, said if the Holy Spirit was removed 95% of what the Church is doing would keep right on going, because the Holy Spirit is not in most of what the Church is doing today. What I am saying is that there is no hope in these last days for the Church in general. There is, however, a remnant among the remnant that has not given themselves over to the worldliness of most Christians nor have they been anesthetized by dead, tradition-bound Church leaders. I am not being pessimistic, but rather realistic. There are many dear brothers hanging on to the shadow of hope for a widespread revival. But let's face reality. The Scriptures speak of wide-spread apostasy in the last days. Beloved, the last-generation Christians will go through the Great Tribulation, and according to the global movement for a one-world government and economic system, and the wide-spread ecumenicalism we have good reason to believe we are that generation. There will be wide-spread apostasy and many will "be offended [fall away], and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many [Christians] shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Mt. 24:10-13). Jesus asked would He find faith on the earth when He comes back? And the implication is that He will find none or very little. As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be when Jesus returns. There were only eight righteous people left when God destroyed the inhabitants of the earth with the flood. Paul warned us to not be deceived; that before Jesus comes back there will be a falling away, or apostasy, and the Antichrist will be revealed (2 Thess. 2:1-3). He even warned of a falling away of the first-generation Church. The apostle wrote, "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20:29-30). He also wrote about some of the young widows who had cast off their first faith and had already turned aside to follow Satan (1 Tim. 5:11-12, 15). Paul also said, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils [demons]" (1 Tim. 4:1). And he wrote that in the last days perilous times shall come; that men shall be unholy, traitors, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. He said that the time will come when men [Christians] will not put up with sound doctrine, but will gather around them teachers telling them what they want to hear and turn away from the truth (2 Tim. 3:1-8, 4:3-4). Daniel wrote that the Antichrist will speak against God and oppress the saints and they will be handed over to the Antichrist for forty-two months (Dan. 7:25, 12:7b). And John wrote the same thing: "...And power was given unto him [the Antichrist] to continue forty and two months....And it was given unto him [power] to make [spiritual] war with the saints, and to overcome them" (Rev. 13:5-7). Even though power will be given to the Antichrist to overcome the saints, you do not have to be one of them; rather, you can be an overcomer---if you become a disciple of Jesus according to the conditions set forth in Luke 14 and abide in Him. He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world, and if you will be filled with the Spirit of Christ and obey Him in everything, including becoming a disciple, then you can endure to the end. Enoch walked with God for three hundred years apparently in a time of apostasy, and God will walk with you if you keep both eyes on Jesus and receive His grace which is sufficient for any and all circumstances. He will never leave you nor forsake you, but will you forsake Him? |