1. The Gospel will be preached in all the world -- Matt. 24:14 | ||
a. By the year 2,000 the clarion call of the Ecumenical Movement is to present to the Lord Jesus Christ a birthday cake. | ||
b. Note that Matt. 24:14 does not say that the world will be converted but that the gospel will be preached to the world. Matthew 24:14 , "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." | ||
2. There shall arise false christs and false prophets showing great signs and wonders -- Matt. 24:24 | ||
a. The false christs and false prophets are all around us. These false prophets and false christs are not limited to those who dress in strange attire. These false prophets and false christs will appear as angels of light to be most effective in plying their trade. | ||
b. Their message will be backed up by great signs and wonders. These are very potent signs energized by demons or even Satan himself. Which movement today is known as the Signs and Wonders Movement? The answer: The Charismatic Movement! Their history is divided into three main headings: | ||
| The Pentecostal Movement (began in early 1900's); | ||
| The Neo-Pentecostal or Charismatic Movement (after 2nd World War and with advent of TV); and | ||
| The Third Wave Movement or Neo-Charismatic Movement (late 1980's). | ||
c. The Devil is a powerful Adversary (Satan). After permission was given by God to afflict Job, Satan sent the Sabeans to slay the servants and take the asses. He also sent fire from heaven to burn up the sheep and servants and they were consumed. He sent the Chaldeans (Babylonians) to slay the servants and take the camels. He sent a great wind to destroy the house in which Job's seven sons and 3 daughters were feasting, thus killing all of them with one single blow. He finally afflicted Job with sore boils which incapacitated him so much so that Job had to sit on ashes to ease the pain and to scrape himself to find relief (cf. Job 1, Job 2 ). | ||
d. Satan is also called an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14 ). These false christs will appear as ministers of the gospel and call themselves Christians and will even masquerade as pastors, prophets and apostles while they ply their evil trade of end-time deception. They will attribute whatever they do and experience to the Lord Jesus Christ. They will use Christian jargon to mask their cleverly disguised agenda i.e. to draw as many as possible after themselves. The false prophets are no different. Using the name of Christ they will presume to know the future. | ||
e. Their "prophecies" will be very general and at times they will have the semblance of fulfilment. The deluded will be taken in lock stock and barrel. Will they have a part in God's kingdom? | ||
Jesus says, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:21-23 ) | ||
f. The anchor from which we evaluate all signs and wonders is the Word of God. Deuteronomy 13:1-4 , "If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass,whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him." The Bible is our infallible yardstick for all spiritual measurements. | ||
The only signs and wonders as prophesied by God which will occur in the future will be those done by the false christs and false prophets. This we are seeing before our very eyes. | ||
3. A Falling Away - 2 Thess. 2:3 | ||
a. The word for "falling away" is "apostasy." It is a reference to the Christian church which will fall away and reject the Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings. It cannot apply to other religions. In order to fall away one has to be inside first and therefore it refers to the Christian faith only. | ||
b. The World Council of Churches (WCC -- founded 1948) convened and celebrated her 50th anniversary. It is now in her 60th year. This movement has already garnished to her side the majority of the mainline denominations. They will continue to gain ground. The purpose is to have a one world religion with the Antichrist at the helm. It will succeed as the Word of God has prophesied. The Ecumenical Movement is another name for the WCC. The Roman Catholics are now official members. They have been observers since the completion and publication of the Vatican II Council. Based upon the Vatican II Council, the heart of Roman Catholicism remains unchanged (i.e. their doctrines remain the same). But their approach toward the Protestants has "softened." The Protestants are now called "separated brethren" whereas before they were called heretics. People from other faiths are called "hidden brethren". | ||
c. In 1994 about 20 so-called evangelical Christians and 20 Roman Catholics co-authored and co-signed a paper which states that evangelicals and Roman Catholics are brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. Both sides are called to witness together so that the world may come to know Jesus by this unity. In 1997 a follow-up paper was drafted by mainly the same candidates who drafted the first. This paper tried to patch up the loophole found in the first. The paper highlights their position of what is the gospel message. The papers were called Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT). | ||
d. On 2 August 1999, in The Age (a Melbourne newspaper), Dr George Carey, the archbishop of Cantebury, a leader of 70 million Anglicans, casted doubts about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He said in that newspaper, "we cannot know whether Jesus rose from the dead." | ||
e. One of the first signs of falling away is to have a low view of God's Word. "The Bible has mistakes" is one such view. So-called Christian churches today believe sincerely that the Bible has mistakes. This sincerity adds to the potency of the falling away in influencing many to their camp. The highest view on the Word of God, i.e. the Bible is perfect and will always be kept perfect by the perfect God, is the only antidote against this dilution of Christianity. | ||
f. The Falling Away has begun and we are living in the midst of it! | ||
... To be continued [More signs to follow -- 2008.09.21] | ||