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Why Apostasy?
To the nation Israel “were committed the oracles of God” (Romans 3:2). They were to keep them and diligently teach them to their children (Proverbs 4:20-22). They were to communicate His Word to their children when sitting in their house, when on their daily travels, at bedtime and when they start their day, and in every circumstance of life.
The nations surrounding Israel were the result of God confusing the people's language at Babel and scattering them because of their rebellion against God. As a result, the Gentile nations entered into “gross darkness” which the apostle Paul referred to as the “times of this ignorance” (Acts 17:30, Ephesians 4:17-19). As a consequence of turning from God, the nations became so desperately wicked, that they turned to worshipping sticks and stones, celestial bodies, gross immorality, even sacrificing their own children to idols, which is all a great abomination God.
Out of those nations, God separated Abraham from his idolatrous family (Genesis 12:1-3, Joshua 24:2-3) and made a covenant with him promising to him and his descendants the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:7; 13:14-17; 15:7-18; 17:8, Exodus 6:4-8). God promised Abraham that his seed would become a great nation (Genesis 12:2, Jeremiah 31:35-37). God said, “Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” (Genesis 18:18-19)
Abraham becoming a great nation and blessing all other nations was a direct result of his believing God and commanding his children to keep the way of the Lord. That nation was Israel who was formed over 400 years in the land of Egypt (Genesis 15:13-14; 46:3) where they had become slaves (Exodus 1:1-22).
God brought the children of Israel out of their Egyptian bondage, into the wilderness where He gave them His Commandments before bringing them into the Promised Land. At this time the Land of Canaan was full of Canaan's descendants (Genesis 10:6, 15-18, 19), whose family was the chief transgressor at Babel, and by them, Israel was always in danger of being turned away from God, but the Lord gave them His Word. “And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.” (Deuteronomy 6:24-25)
So the Lord instructed them, “When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.” (Deuteronomy 7:1-4)
The Lord told Israel that they should “utterly destroy” those nations who occupied the land they were to inherit, for they had been given over to great abominations against the Lord, such as idolatry, adultery and infanticide. God had given them 400 years to repent of their evil, while Israel was in the land of Egypt, but they only became more engrossed in their sins (Genesis 15:13-16) to the point that there was no remedy.
The Lord had warned Israel that they should make no covenant or marriages with them, for they would turn their children away from following the LORD, and as a result, the same judgment pronounced on all those evil nations would come upon them, and the Lord would “destroy thee suddenly”. Can a man play with fire and not get burned (Proverbs 6:27-28)? It is quite clear from the Scriptures that the Lord is “no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34-35). Although Israel was God's chosen people, if they transgressed, God would judge them (Read Deuteronomy 4:1-40; 28:1-68).
In the course of time, we find that 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel rebelled in such a manner. The Lord told the rebellious house of Israel, that is, the 10 northern tribes, who turned away from God, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hosea 4:6) The root cause of apostasy, in any people, nation or church, is neglecting the Word of God to the point that they become spiritually deaf, dumb and blind.
Remember what God had earlier told the nation Israel? “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) They were to be diligent in teaching His Word to their children. It only takes one slothful generation and the whole tribe can be lost.
The Psalmist said, “The words of the LORD are pure words” (Psalm 12:6-7). The Word of God was able to cleanse their way (Psalm 119:9), and make their way “profitable” (2 Timothy 3:16; 1 Timothy 4:8), and in keeping them there is great “reward” (Psalm 19:11). But forsaking the Word of God will only lead to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).
As Joshua was about to enter the Promised Land, the Lord admonished him, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)
If you want to have good success according to the will of God, do not let the Word of God depart out of your mouth, meditate therein night and day, and observe to do it. The Lord had told Moses, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart” (Deuteronomy 6:6). Likewise, in the New Testament we are told, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another” (Colossians 3:16).
The Word of God is the Word of Christ, and was to be their very life. They were to eat it up morning, evening and noontime. The Lord had taught Israel “that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” (Deuteronomy 8:3) Job had said, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” (Job 23:12) And Jeremiah, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart” (Jeremiah 15:16). Parents were to feed their children the Word of God daily, and if done so diligently from a young age they would not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). This is absolutely critical when childrearing, that they might “desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2), and so, be “nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:6).
Consider the young disciple Timothy whose faith was the product of a godly mother and grandmother. Paul would say, “I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” (2 Timothy 1:5)
The Apostle Paul would further admonished his young disciple Timothy, “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:14-17)
Not only was he to continue in what he learned, he was to pass the teachings of the Scriptures on to others according to the commandment of Christ (Matthew 28:19-20). “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)
Nevertheless, apostasy can happen in any generation when parents refuse to diligently teach their children daily the Holy Scriptures. And ever so subtly they become an easy target for deception and the wiles of the devil, without the weapons to defend themselves (Ephesians 6:13-16, 17-18). So “fathers... bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). This was the encouragement of John the Baptist, who came to prepare a people for the Lord, who would turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers (Luke 1:17, John 1:29, Malachi 4:6).
Today, many deceivers (2 John 1:7) abound who worship false gods and “another Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4), who blur the lines between truth and error, who themselves are deceived because they have strayed from the true knowledge and understanding of the Word of God (1 John 4:6). It is not enough to pray and pretend to be religious (2 Timothy 3:4-5). Fifteen minutes of church on Sunday will just not cut it. We need to listen and hear what the Lord has to say daily and follow His lead (Proverbs 3:1-6).
This is what happened to Israel not long after He brought them into their Promised Land. The Lord lamented, “there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.” (Hosea 4:1) This may sound repetitious, but listen again, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hosea 4:6)
So Why Apostasy? Moses told the children of Israel, “Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 32:46) Today, many families are in big trouble because they have not taught their children diligently the Word of God. They have left their teaching to the schools, media and others to do the job, who are shoving their evolutionary, humanistic, atheistic and New Age religions down their throats. They have literally thrown them to the wolves, leaving them defenceless against the Godless teachings of our “modern day” world that has turned its back on God.
In Jude's little epistle He exhorted believers, “that ye should earnestly contend for the faith” (Jude 1:3), especially in times like these, against so much opposition, and contradiction, and science falsely so called. However, in the first letter to Timothy we are told that in the “latter times” there would come a terrible apostasy. It would be a direct result of “depart[ing] from the faith” (1 Timothy 4:1). Most Bible students believe that we are now living in the latter times of this apostasy.
“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; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:1-2)
In the latter times, a hoard of demonic forces will be behind this apostasy, and it will come in the form of “doctrine” which is teaching, but will be saturated with error. We are not ignorant of Satan's devices (2 Corinthians 2:11) how he first seeks to dialogue with the unsuspecting and then gets them to doubt the Word of God (Genesis 3:1-4, 5). Before you know it, he outright calls God a liar, and that the Bible is just a book of fables, and that He is really oppressing you, holding out on some great pleasure (Hebrews 11:25) or exaltation that you are missing out on.
These deceiving spirits are working behind the scenes to bring about false teachings, that have seared the conscience of their subjects. The conscience is the place where conviction comes, by the Holy Spirit, who bears witness to the Truth, (John 8:19, Romans 2:15, 9:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:13). The conscience can also be weak and defiled, but in a hopeless state, it becomes seared as with a hot iron. When the conscience becomes seared, they come to the place that “they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4) That is because they really hate the Light and will not come to the Light lest their evil deeds should be reproved (John 3:19-20).
Listen to what Peter says on this wise, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” (2 Peter 2:1-3)
In the “last days” this will have an accelerating effect whereby, “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” (2 Timothy 3:1, 13) As the Lord told Israel He would destroy them suddenly, if they turn from following Him, so too, these false teachers would bring upon themselves and their followers “swift destruction”. Keep in mind that these have had the Word of God and rejected His plain teachings, so He will reject them (Hebrews 6:4-6, Hosea 4:6).
But what advise does Paul give to Timothy in times like these? He says, “give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine... Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” (1 Timothy 4:13-16)
Remember, the “Scriptures are able to make thee wise unto salvation”. Giving yourself wholly to Biblical doctrine and meditating therein will have a profiting effect that “may appear to all” even for salvation to “them that hear thee”. The Truth will embolden you that you will not draw back, like Jeremiah, who knew the Truth, and had the assurance that the Lord was with Him, even in the face of rejection and fierce persecution from his countrymen, because he would not give them smooth words (Jeremiah 20:7-10, 11-13). Or like Paul and Silas, who would not keep silent, and having been whipped and jailed for the gospel, could “sing praises unto God” and give testimony to the jailor for his salvation (Acts 16:22-34).
Two of these demonic heresies that will be promulgated in the last days is an attack on monogamous marriage and the radical promotion of vegetarianism (1 Timothy 4:3-4). Both of these are seriously ramping up in our day. Today Biblical marriage is being replaced with fornication, adultery and homosexuality. This was the strategy of the heathen to bring the judgment of God upon His people Israel (Numbers 25:1-18; 31:9, 16, Revelation 2:14). And you can be sure that God will judge these sins (Hebrews 13:4, Ephesians 5:5).
Saving ones virginity for marriage today is considered old fashioned when just a few short generations ago, “shacking up” was not common at all. However, most today, even those who have had a Christian background, by their actions, show they reject marriage by living together without taking any marriage vows before God and two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15). Their lack of joining themselves together in any sort of covenant often ends in separation where they are quick to join themselves to their next “partner”, leaving behind the shattered lives of children and family, in exchange for satisfying their own pathetic lust.
Peer pressure and Hollywood are big influencers where Christian doctrine is mocked and ridiculed, where the naive youth are more easily deceived than their parents were. All the hero's get the girls out of wedlock, and the girls take on their roles as willing, skimpily clad sex objects (Proverbs 7:1-21). Pornographic films over the internet are normalizing this sort of whoredom putting this generation on a very slippery slope (Hebrews 13:4, Revelation 21:8).
Furthermore, in our day men are marrying men, and women to women, which even nature teaches us that this is unnatural (Romans 1:26-27), and “worthy of death” (Romans 1:32). Jesus said, “But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” (Mark 10:6-9)
Through the ordinance of marriage, man could fulfill God's mandate to multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 1:28; 9:7). However, Sodomy is now no longer outlawed and is promoted as an “alternate lifestyle”. Abortion is also advanced under “woman's rights”, by “Planned Parenthood” as a “legal” way to murder the innocent (Revelation 9:21; 21:8), in accordance with the globalists population reduction agenda. However, as immorality is promoted, and fornication is practiced by younger and younger vulnerable boys and girls, abortion has become the leading cause of death, more than heart disease and cancer.
It would not be surprising to see in the very near future where marriage will be outlawed and forbidden to totally abolish the family that God has ordained, as the rulers of this world go down the path of destruction to break any bond, and cut every cord of Biblical influence in society (Psalm 2:1-3).
Another tie that men are seeking to break is commanding to abstain from meats (Genesis 9:3-4), “which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth”. Vegetarianism is becoming more main stream, as groups like PETA and Greenpeace become more influential. In the USA, certain branches of government are promoting their “Green New Deal” under the auspices of the “Climate Change” hoax, that seeks to “fully get rid of farting cows”. They, of course, are receiving their mandate from the globalist entity, The United Nations, (that is united against God), whose “Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change” report that “livestock” is responsible for 14.5% of Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
As consumers become more “environmentally conscious”, all ruminants are becoming vilified for their “emissions” which the “experts” say has surpassed all transportation emissions. Given the attack on fossil fuels used for transportation, we can see that meats will soon be off the table, as the last days generation is duped into “abstaining from meats” in order to “save the planet”.
While we are to be good stewards in our God given dominion mandate over the earth (Genesis 1:27-28), we must remember that the earth is marked for destruction because of sin, which will make way for a “new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). We must ultimately be mindful that the only thing that can be saved out of this “present evil world” (Galatians 1:3-4) are the souls of mankind, our sons and daughters.
So our Lord, on His ascent to heaven, gave final instructions to His disciples to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15), that is, “the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation” (Ephesians 1:13). The glorious gospel of Christ who died for our sins and rose from the dead for our justification (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Sin has a price and our redemption cost the precious blood of Christ who was without spot or blemish. Eternal life is ours, when we repent and believe the Gospel. What must I do to be saved from the curse of death and the damnation of Hell? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31, John 3:16-19).
Remember, the apostasy that comes in these latter times are the result of deceiving spirits, so it is very interesting to see who is behind the promotion of these two nefarious last days “doctrines of demons”. We can expect that once God removes the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit (2 Thessalonians 2:6-9) via the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 5:3-4, 9), a great flood of evil and lawlessness will envelop the world where these evil doctrines will be put in full force by the one who, for a brief time, is given Satanic power (Revelation 13:2-4) “over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations” (Revelation 13:7), where the “beast”, the “son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4) will reign globally for 42 months (Revelation 13:5) before Christ comes to slay the Wicked (2 Thessalonians 2:8, Hosea 6:5).
The stage is definitely being set for the “man of sin” to arise on the scene. His power will be limited to 42 months, the last half of Daniel's 70th Week, thereby shortened in those days (Matthew 24:22). Already, the Bible, whereby we might “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:20), has been abolished from the Public School system and replaced with the un-naturalistic and ungodly lie of Evolution. The goal is no longer to teach reading, writing and arithmetic, and true history, but to raise up a new generation of socially engineered children with an increasingly secularized world view of global governance and hatred for Christ.
The Glorious Gospel of Christ, who came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15) is now replaced with the “social gospel” whose main goal is to save the planet, rather than the souls of sinners. There is a real movement to undermine the law of the land that was founded on Biblical Law. Good is called evil and evil is called good and on and on we could go. In the last days, Biblical ignorance will be tantamount. Jesus described the last days like the “days of Noah” whereby the multitudes “KNEW NOT until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:38-39) Total ignorance of God's Word shall it be. Drunkenness and the cares of this world (Mark 4:19) will catch many off guard, and “as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.” (Luke 21:34-35). The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, so that “sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3).
The third child that Hosea's wife bare was a son named Loammi, which means “not my people” (Hosea 1:8-9). Now, what does that look like? The 10 northern tribes had become so apostate. The Lord said, “there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.” (Hosea 4:1) They had become addicted to “swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery” (Hosea 4:2). They were given over to idolatry (Hosea 4:12-13) and drunkenness (Hosea 4:11). They “set their heart on their iniquity” (Hosea 4:8) and “forgotten the law of thy God” (Hosea 4:6). It is noteworthy to see, that all these sins are the same sins that will plague the nations in the last days from which they will not repent (Revelation 9:20-21).
We need to turn back to the foundation of Truth that is so greatly being undermined today, for our sakes and the sake of our children. Repent!
“And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:34-36)
“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.” (Psalm 19:7-11)
GNC
