THE GREAT FALLING AWAY 

 

Grace teaches us about the Rapture. If you are not being stirred and awakened and your life is not moving upwards in this hour, there is a serious disconnect between you and grace. If you can live in this apocalyptic moment of history and you are not pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, then something is seriously broken in your relationship with God’s grace. You have checked out. You have dismissed yourself from your teacher – grace. “For the grace of God … [teacheth us to look] for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11,13).  

There has never been a day like ours. A global mindset has possessed the world, much like it did at the Tower of Babel. This growing unity of morally abandoned virtues is rapidly possessing the world. This reprobate condition confirms the prophetic warnings of Jesus, Peter, John, and Paul. Well, did Paul reveal that the children of unbelief are the victims of the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience (Ephesians 2)?  

And Jesus’ warnings about falling away and falling asleep are being fulfilled in this hour. Multitudes are losing their faith. They may not be losing their confession, but they are losing their faith. They are throwing away their confidence. They are falling away. They love to confess the right thing, but their faith is absent. Faith without works is dead. They have abandoned the Body of Christ (the Church). They have failed to follow Jesus in the most exciting times the world has ever known.  

The most significant days of evangelism are here. Yet, multitudes of evangelical believers are sitting in their homes afraid, blaming God, and missing the most significant harvest time the Church has ever been given. Like Ephraim, they were equipped to serve the Lord but turned back in the day of battle … they kept not the covenant with Jesus (Psalms 78).   

  My heart is poured out for you. Please do not allow yourself to be a part of the great falling away that Thessalonians speaks of. Do not become one of those who turn back, as Hebrews 10 describes. Jesus is coming! Do not be discouraged by what you see; rejoice that your Lord exposed this moment two thousand years ago. He chose you to serve Him in one of history’s greatest moments. Do not turn back. You have no right to question or blame God for the societal collapse we are witnessing on news stations everywhere. This collapse is the result of a world that hates God and has rebelled against every good thing God has wanted for man. I beg you, beloved, rise up … be a soldier of Christ and serve your Lord well with living faith and not just a confession – He is at the door!   

 

BELIEVERS ARE FALLING AWAY 

 

Paul prophesied a very sobering warning for believers: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Is there any evidence of the falling away? The English Standard Version calls it the Great Rebellion. Is there evidence? Could we be the generation that the scriptures warned about?    

If Covid did not begin this falling away, then I fear what event is coming to do that. One-third of professing believers left the church during Covid. One-third of professing believers have not returned to church, and multitudes of churches have closed. Numbers of professing believers, who claim to be led by the Holy Spirit, rebelled against Him to follow doctors’ orders, contradicting the Bible’s celebration of those who overcome by not loving their life to the point of death (Revelation 12:11).  

Regarding trusting God, consider that churches continue to suffer from the lack of devotion by those who call themselves “Christ-followers.” Just consider that they refuse to do one of the most straightforward commands taught since the beginning of time – tithe! They dare not trust God for their livelihood; instead, they trust their ten percent to get them through.  

Today, an overwhelming majority of young parents not only disregard the Bible’s teaching on raising kids and bringing them to Christ – they don’t even know what the Bible says about parenting. What they do know they openly disobey (rebel). They are influenced more by woke social engineers telling them what is best for their children than the Creator. In this community of religious rebels, the kids will not be lost; they are lost. In the very early stages of life, their children’s foundations are so laid that there will need to be a catastrophic revelation to reconstruct what has been laid.  

The evidence is pervasive in our generation today. Social engineers have baptized the world with their philosophies through the educational system, social media, entertainment industries, and parents who claim to be “Christ-followers.” Young families are not losing the battle; they have lost it. The fruit will come in time. George Barna reports that only 1% of preteen kids in the United States have a biblical worldview. Read that again, and weep! 

Where are you? Are you a part of the falling away? Are you a disciple of Jesus? Jesus laid out the terms in Matthew 10:28-39:  

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” 

 

QUESTIONS TO PONDER: 

• Are you a follower/disciple of Jesus? Is He Lord? Does the Holy Spirit have authority over your life?  
• The spirit of antichrist is already at work in the world. Are you more influenced by the spirit of antichrist than the spirit of Christ?  
• Whose word are you following? 
• What is your place and contribution to the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12)? 
• How does the Holy Ghost, by grace, bring conviction and change to make you more committed to Jesus? 
• Are you a practicing Priest and King? 
• Do you sincerely desire the milk of the Word? 
• Is your passion to know Christ and worship God? 

Many call themselves Christians who will end up following the Antichrist, thinking he’s Christ. “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12). Many who worship in our churches, thinking they will be with Jesus one day, will actually be given a lying spirit from God. Their opportunity to believe the truth is now. If they do not, and the rapture occurs, they will never be saved. This warning is frightening! 

The reason for religious rebellion today is the same as in previous days: the spirit of the antichrist influences the religious people more than the Spirit of Christ. Jesus knew that many of those following Him were not hearing the Holy Spirit as He would appeal to those who could hear: “He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith …” (Revelation 2:7).  

Jesus labored for the generation that would be falling away at His return. He lamented that they would be sleeping. He said that many would not have oil and would not make the wedding ceremony. He noted that many who confessed Him as Lord would not enter the kingdom because He did not know them. He said that many would have spiritual experiences and even be moved with faith by the Word of God, but they would not remain in the truth. Due to persecution, pleasure, or personal pursuits, they would fall away. He said that many would discount His soon return and live more for themselves than for His Kingdom. You can find these references in Matthew 7; Matthew 13:19-30; Matthew 25; Matthew 22:13; and Matthew 24:42-51. I encourage you to study these admonitions and examine your heart.  

 

GEORGE BARNA RESEARCH 

 

A recent Barna survey found that 176 million Americans, or 69% of the population, claim to be Christians. Yet, only 9% of those identifying as “born-again Christians” possess a biblical worldview, believing the Bible to be accurate and reliable. 

 

OF THE 91% CHRISTIANS CLAIMING TO BE BORN AGAIN: 

• 72% argue that people are basically good.  
• 66% say that ‘having faith’ matters more than which faith you pursue. 
• 64% say that all religious faiths are of equal value. 
• 58% believe that if a person is good enough or does enough good things, they can earn their way into Heaven. 
• 57% believe in karma. 

However, Barna’s survey found that believers who classified themselves as highly discipled hold views that “challenge biblical principles.” Of the 9% of believers who claim to have a biblical worldview: 

• 52% argue that people are basically good. 
• 39% contend that the Holy Spirit is not a real, living being but is merely a symbol of God’s power, presence, or purity. 
• 33% believe in karma. 

ONLY 1% OF PRETEEN KIDS IN THE U.S. HAVE A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW 

Dr. Barna highlights the sobering fact that only 22% of parents with preteen children identify as born-again. 

 

A STAGGERING 62% OF PASTORS DON’T HAVE A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW 

62% of pastors have a worldview of syncretism, a little bit of this and a little bit of that, mixed together with Christianity. 

• Only 28% of associate pastors claim a biblical worldview.  
• And only 13% of teaching pastors and 4% of executive pastors hold to a biblical worldview.  
• The number among children and youth pastors is a minuscule 12%!  

As researcher George Barna pointed out, just 37% of Christian pastors have a biblical worldview.  

A new report reveals not only a stunning erosion of biblical belief among pastors in all denominational groupings but also that the churches whose pastors were by far the most likely to embrace basic biblical principles were those serving non-denominational and independent Protestant churches.  

• 39% of evangelical pastors surveyed contend that there is no absolute moral truth and that each individual must determine their own truth.  
• Only 38% maintain that human life is sacred and 37% say that having faith matters more than which faith you have.  
• 30% do not believe that their salvation is based on having confessed their sins and accepting Jesus Christ as their savior.  
• 70% of pastors associated with traditionally black congregations believe that reincarnation is a possibility. 

ONE-THIRD OR MORE OF SENIOR PASTORS SURVEYED BELIEVE: 

• Determining moral truth is up to each individual; no moral absolutes apply to everyone all the time. 
• The Holy Spirit is not a living entity but is a symbol of God’s power, presence, or purity. 
• Having faith matters more than which faith you have. 
• A person who is generally good or does enough good things for others can earn a place in Heaven. 
• The Bible is ambiguous in its teaching about abortion. 

Furthermore, among senior pastors, one-third or more also believe that socialism is preferable to capitalism and that allowing property ownership facilitates economic injustice. 

 

BE TRUE TO JESUS 

 

Beloved, in this hour, be faithful to Jesus. Love the truth. Love the Word. Love the Lord and live for Him regardless of the cost. Receive the grace of God and all that it has come to teach you. This is not a works-based life but a faith-based life. Our works demonstrate faith. Our works are the testimony of our love for Jesus and His truth. This is serious. The end is upon us. Don’t fall asleep. Don’t fall away. Don’t rebel.  

We are a people of faith. We will not throw away our confidence. We will not love our lives unto death. We will follow the Lamb and enter His Kingdom. We will continue daily in the apostles’ doctrine, prayers, breaking bread, and fellowship. We will not forsake the gathering of the Church. We will join in the cause of the Kingdom of God. We will support the Kingdom; we will tithe, serve, and pray. We will continue to preach the gospel of the kingdom in all the earth. We will see our children baptized in the Holy Ghost, prophesying, and having visions. Our old men will dream dreams. The Spirit will be poured out with great power and gifts upon our women.   

When a storm rages, you find shelter in the most vital part of the house. And that is where you will find me, in the most vital part of the house, the Church. I will put myself right there in the middle of the Church. The fringes are not for me. Casual Christianity and spectator Christianity are not for me. I will take up my cross and follow my Lord.