APOSTASY RISING: 4 Denominations In Less Than a Week Defy God's Word

Jennifer Leclaire has a great article in this weeks Charisma electronic edition dealing with the unbelievable and rapid rate of apostasy jolting through the US/Canadian church. It is primarily focused on the homosexuality endorsements issued by several denominations this week.

Article Follows:

The United Church of Christ (UCC) bills itself as "the church where God is still speaking." Apparently, God's Word is falling on deaf ears of the leadership.

The UCC, which considers itself a mainline Protestant denomination””claiming over 1 million members and about 5,200 congregations in the U.S.””proudly announced it will serve as a major sponsor of the Gay Games. The UCC will now go down in Christian history as the first major denomination to sponsor the homosexual Olympics when the games roll into Cleveland, Ohio, in August.

I guess my jaw shouldn't have dropped when I read the news, considering the UCC in April filed a gay marriage rights lawsuit in North Carolina. But not only did my jaw drop, I'm shaking my head. J. Bennett Guess, one of the UCC's national officers and its first openly gay church executive, calls it a social justice issue and says the denomination prides itself on "being a bold voice for progressive Christianity."

In case you aren't familiar with what the term "progressive Christianity" really means, let's take a moment to define it. Progressive Christianity has a strong focus on social justice and environmentalism. Progressive Christianity focuses on concepts like "collective salvation"””where entire cultures and societies, rather than just individuals with faith in Christ, are redeemed””and bends toward a Marxist economic philosophy. And Progressive Christianity does not subscribe to the biblical doctrine of the inerrancy of Scripture.

That last line explains a lot. For example, it explains why the UCC was the first mainline denomination to affirm equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. It explains why the UCC was the first to ordain an openly gay man. And, overall, it explains why the UCC has fallen into the deception of sponsoring events that celebrate LGBT people instead of trying to love them to Christ.

But even denominations that don't consider themselves part of the Progressive Christianity movement are falling into this deception. The Presbyterian Church (USA) last week voted to allow its ministers to perform gay weddings in states where it's legal. On Tuesday, Methodist Pastor Frank Schaefer, who was defrocked for officiating his son's gay wedding, was fully reinstated and the Moravians voted to ordain gay clergy. My research shows there's a long and growing list of gay-affirming denominations, including the Affirming Pentecostal Church International.

Saints, we're seeing 1 Timothy 4:1 playing out right before our very eyes. It's called the Great Apostasy and it's well underway. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote: "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons..."

Back in 2012, I wrote an article titled, "Is the Great Falling Away Already Underway?" In it, I explained that some have indeed departed from the faith because they have engaged with deceiving spirits and embraced doctrines of demons. We've witnessed more than one man of God with a major ministry platform bow a knee to doctrines like universalism, deceiving and being deceived with this deadly heresy. Despite many in the church lifting their voice against heretical teachings, these deceived ministers hold fast to their demonic doctrine.

In the article, I show other examples. I would not have imagined that 18 months later I would have an overflowing list of new ones. That's why I am praying for a third Great Awakening. I am committed to crying out to God to see a cultural transformation””a spiritual revolution.

Although the Great Falling Away is going to happen because it's prophesied in Scripture, I am contending for a revival””a Great Awakening””that will sweep through the nation and cause people to turn back to God. I will not give up. The arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear (Is. 59:1).

Before each of the last Great Awakenings, people of God thought it was hopeless””and they didn't see the half of what we're seeing. But I am convinced God wants to turn this around””and I am convinced God can turn this around. Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37). A Great Awakening is our only hope for this nation. Will you join me in praying for another Great Awakening?

end article. It can be seen in its entirety at:

http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/watchman-on-the-wall/44465-apostasy-rising-4-denominations-in-less-than-a-week-defy-god-s-word

A brother and I were having a discussion a few months back.

I want to share with you how this may play out. I am not prophet. Please don't read into this, but if I were in charge of deceiving an entire people, this is how I would do it:

This whole thing is like a pendulum. One side represents orthodoxy. The other side represents a total departure from anything Christian. All I have to do is swing the pendulum as far as I can toward the direction of unorthodoxy. When it returns to the other side (which it will, there will be backlash within what is called American Christendom) it will not return to the point of origin, it will return slightly less orthodox than it started. Then I swing it again. It will not return to it's point of origin when it comes back, it will, again, be less orthodox than the last time. As the pendulum swings, each time it returns closer and closer to the center. It isn't extreme heresy, but it isn't orthodox either. In the end, it arrives in a place of "compromise". It arrives in a place that maintains all the forms of godliness, but absolutely none of the spiritual importance.

Our pendulum has been swinging a lot longer than just recently. With each push toward total unorthodoxy, those who desire to maintain the truth end up slightly closer to center than before.

Another example I gave was this (and this is a very crude example, but it illustrated exactly what I wanted it to). Imagine a man who mercilessly beats his wife and children every single day. He teaches his son to do the same. The son will grow up and likely say, "I am going to be better than my father before me!" And he only mercilessly beats his wife and children when he is angry.

Truthfully, Neither man loves his wife and children. Neither one is a good husband or a good father.

In the same way, a departure or rejection of unorthodoxy does not necessarily yield orthodoxy. It is very liable to land you somewhere in between where you are still none the better. I believe this is the strategy being employed. Push Christendom to it's liberal extreme and watch what is considered orthodox inch slowly toward compromise.

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I hope I didn't offend anyone by what I said, but I think they are good illustrations to show what is going on with the USA and other nations.

It's ok to shake the tree. The church has given support to the beast too long. I don't know what they think they will gain. Many want America to go on forever, therefore we must support war. Others love their riches and hope they will give you a break. The kingdom of God; most don't know what it is.

The Beast gives nothing. Republicans fully in charge recently and they did not fill the request of the church on abortion. Why does the church support the beast?

It's time the church (believer) got down off the beast and quit riding it. All nations governments are led by demonic forces.. always were. You can't see the demon, he has no clothes. He resides in someone who has let him in under the guise of greed, lust, power, etc.

How easy the church forgets that we struggle against these powers. THEY WANT TO KILL US! They stir up nations to fight each other. They poison your skies, your water, your food, all in an effort to kill you. No, you can't see them, but if you could you would shake.

Remember, we are going back to where Lucifer walked in the coals. He has an agenda, he doesn't want you to go either. The church has forgotten about deception in the end days.
Governments lie. We are supporting Isis and fixing to give them 500 more million. Much more going on as the beast is trying to take control of the world. Get off the beast, it's not a good animal.

You are right bro frank. The Lord is the One who is able to make us stand.