An Epidemic of Delusion

An Abandonment of Biblical Truth, Commandment and Principles

There is an ongoing debate within the community of Biblical scholars as to what specific issue will usher in the Tribulation. Scripture does not address this subject directly except to say that the Antichrist will be revealed when the Church is removed from earth. “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8). It is the analysis of these two verses that those of the pre-tribulation position believe the rapture will not only occur before the Tribulation, but will be one of the events that will usher in the Tribulation. However, this paper is not written to address the rapture or to discuss the different positions on the rapture, but to present what leads up to the removal of the Church, i.e. what are the events that cause the removal of the Church to heaven.

Paul states in 2 Thessalonians 2:10, “And with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” Who are these people? They are the ones spoken of in verse 11. “And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie.” We can derive from this that as long as the Church is strong in the Word of the Lord, and does not enter into false doctrine, the Church will withhold the Antichrist from being revealed. However, as the Church becomes more apostate the nearer the removal of the Church as defined in verse 7.

Apostasy

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). The Greek word translated as falling away is apostasia (from which we get apostate) meaning defection or

1

becoming separated from something. The phrase falling away depicts action over time, which results in a total separation at some future point. Paul is stating that the Church must fall away from the Truth before the Antichrist can be revealed. But, the point and degree of separation is never cited in Scripture – God only knows what that degree of separation will be before He removes the Church. However, one thing remains absolute; He will remove the Church because of the departure from the truth. In actuality, to fall away from something means by definition to fall to something else. In this case if the Church falls from the Truth of the Word of God then it must fall to the lie, which is the doctrine of Satan. This is the meaning of 2 Thessalonians 2:11, “For this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie.” God is simply stating that if you don’t believe Me then I will cause you to believe Satan who is the lie. Thus, the doctrine of Christ is replaced with the doctrine of Satan. However, Christ always gives us the way out. “Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15). This in itself throws the doctrines of man and most Churches into a cocked hat – they are worthless!

Many Biblical scholars interpret apostasy or falling away as the absolute rejection of the Word of God and as such those who become apostate leave the Church and become totally secular. Although this is one example of the meaning of the word, and is the extreme position one would take, it is not the true definition of the phrase falling away in verse 3. From my analysis, Paul is stating that to become apostate or to fall away from the Truth means to believe in a perverted truth of the Word. In other words a person may be an active member of the Church yet believe in a false gospel. This analysis puts a total different face on the phrase falling away, one that is much more difficult to discern and understand. It is no longer a black and white issue. It is muted gray. This therefore presents a problem for the average Christian to see the falling away as it happens, which is why some Christians unintentionally become apostate. Wow! Could this really be happening in the Church and we not realize it? YES!

The Book of Jude describes this process. I will not take the space to quote the entire book so I request you read it at this time. However, certain verses are critical to this paper and I will attempt to address them herein. To be sure, the process of creating a false gospel did not start yesterday or in the last century. It started long ago. “For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who

2

turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 4). Verse 11 states, “Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for prophet, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.” Enoch prophesied about these men approximately 900 years after the creation. Enoch was the 7th generation from Adam born 622 years after the creation. He was raptured at the age of 365 years. He also prophesied about the second coming. “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgement on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” (Verse 15). And finally in verse 17 and 18 we find, “There will be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.” Two things jump out of these verses. The Greek word translated as mockers means false teachers, whereas the word translated as sensual means to animate. Thus, Jude is stating these last day persons will teach a false gospel at the same time appear to be Godly following the gospel of Christ. This is how the process of apostasy occurs in the Church.

Thus, to become apostate the Church must believe the lie cited in 2 Thessalonians 2:11. “And for this reason God will send them a strong delusion, that they should believe the lie.” Whose lie? The lie pertains to the evil one – Satan. God allows Satan to present the lie to the Church and the world, thus creating the act of falling away. The lie is not necessarily directed to the world as much as it is directed to the Church for the world already belongs to Satan. Once the lie is presented the foundation for a false gospel and a false Christ is laid. Thus, over time the lie is believed by many and results in the act of falling away from the absolute Truth defined by Paul in verse 15. “Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.” As I questioned earlier, is this really happening in the Church? Read on!

Who is The Church?

The word Church is used as an inclusive noun to describe the assembly of people who call themselves Christians. It is also used to describe the physical plant we call the church. But the definition in the Bible is neither.

3

When Jesus told Peter, “On this rock I will build My Church” (Matthew 16:18) He was referring to those called out of the secular world. The Greek word translated church is ekklesia meaning to call out. The preposition ek is defined as out from within, i.e. called out of the Gentile world. It also assumes the position of being outside or separate from the origin. This is why Scripture states we are in the world but not of the world. We are physically in the world, but spiritually separated from the world. This is where the dilemma begins. Just how separated is the Church from the world? Aren’t we Christians assured of our salvation if we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior? Well yes, but are all the people in the Church born again Christians? No!

Before proceeding it is necessary to make a clear definition of true Christians (Bride of Christ) and those who call themselves Christians. The True Church consists of born again Christians all over the world. There are some in all the physical church assemblies. Then there are those in the same physical churches that call themselves Christian, but they are not. Arno Froese, editor of Midnight Call magazine, calls these people churchanity. He also states that “The Church of Jesus Christ [the true Church] and the United States of America are two entities that have nothing to do with each other. One group is chosen in Christ and awaits its completion on earth. The other group belongs to Satan and is corrupt and evil.” However, many of the people who were in the first category initially will eventually end up in the second through the act of falling away.

Time Marches On

As most of us have seen and understood in our Bible Study on prophecy, all things must come to the conclusion as defined in the prophetic Word. The world neither stands still nor continues in a constant state. Events change attitudes, opinions, and to whom we look for the answers concerning daily life. Look around you, where does America and the world look to solve problems? America looks to the government and the world looks to the United Nations. Only a pitiful, hand full of people look to Christ for answers. These are the true Christians, the Bride of Christ the ones who remain faithful to the absolute Truth. These are the ones Paul speaks of in 2 Thessalonians 2:15.

4

Again, the process started long ago and will culminate when the Church is removed. The Church in general is not a complete separate entity of itself, totally separated from the world, but the world is an integral entity within the Church. The True Church, the Bride of Christ, consists of those born again few within the Church that cannot be swayed from the truth, cannot be remotely deviated from His Word, and have the God given wisdom and knowledge to discern the lie. These are the separated ones. In general, faith in man is winning over faith in God. It has already triumphed in government at all levels, and by and large is nearly victorious in the Church. You may at this time disagree with me, but read on before you solidify your opinion.

Whittaker Chambers was a communist during the 1930’s and 1940’s, but rejected that ideology around 1950. He became the catalyst in the 1950’s investigations in the ousting of communists in the US government. Ann Coulter in Treason quotes Chambers as saying, “The Western world does not know it, but it already possesses the answer to communism, but only if its faith in God is as great as communism’s faith in man.” You may argue this point, but communism is alive and well under the banner of secular humanism – that faith in man I mentioned. To paraphrase Whittaker Chambers’ statement and apply it to the Church is as follows. “The Church does not know it, but it possesses the answer to secular humanism and the one world government, only if its faith in Christ is greater than its faith in man. But, does the Church have the wisdom and knowledge to challenge this onslaught of delusion? Yes it does. However, the element of recognition is not always present in order to detect the lie. This will be put to the test later to demonstrate the apostasy and the falling away within the Christian world.

How Many False prophets Are There

Jesus said in Matthew 24:11, “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.” Who are these false prophets? Are they present in today’s world? But, the real question is, are they present in the Church? And finally, what is this deception and how can we recognize it?

Dr. Ed Hindson in Angels of Deceit states, “Satan is opposed to God and seeks to alienate men from the truth. He denies and rejects the truth of God and deceives those who perish without God. Ultimately, he inspires the false prophets and the very spirit of Antichrist. These false teachings will come through hypocritical liars whose minds have been captured by Satan’s lies.”

5

A century ago, A.T. Pierson, a Bible teacher who often spoke for Charles Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London wrote, “Evil spirits acquire their greatest power from their subtlety. They are masters of the art of deception, and aim to counterfeit that which is good rather than suggest what is obviously and wholly evil.”

Again Dr. Hindson states, “The lure of false doctrine is that it presents itself as the truth. It appears as a corrective measure to establish doctrine. It is propagated by those who are certain they have discovered some new revelation of truth or a better interpretation of old, established truth. That is Satan’s oldest trick. He appeals to our self-conceit and leads us into self-deceit.”

C.S. Lewis said, “What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could be like gods…and out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we can call human history.”

So, what is the bait that causes many to get off base? Scripture calls it the pride of life. “For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16). Again quoting Dr. Hindson, “Having been hooked by our arrogance, we are reeled in by our ignorance.”

In Christianity in Crisis, Hank Hanegraaff illustrates this point very vividly. In exposing the doctrinal flaws of the Pentecostal Church’s Faith Movement he states the following. “Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Robert Tilton, and others who may in the beginning have been sincere have gotten off the theological track, but don’t know enough theology to realize their error at first.”

Jesus said this would happen in the last days. “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:21-23).

To this regard Hebert Armstrong stated, “I found that the popular Church teachings and practices were not based on the Bible. They originated in

6

paganism. The amazing unbelievable truth was, the sources of these popular beliefs and practices of professing Christianity were quite largely paganism and human reasoning, not the Bible.” Lets look at some of these issues.Although I have quoted Hebert Armstrong, I do not embrace his theology. His unorthodox beliefs are as follows:1. “The divinity of man. God is in the process of recreating Himself. The

purpose of you being alive is that finally you [will] be born into the kingdom of God, when you will actually be God.”

2. “Denial of the deity of Christ. Jesus is viewed as a human creation of God who is the first and thus far only person to be saved by achieving perfect human character through obeying the Law.”

3. “Rejection of the Trinity. God is not a single person…but a family of persons. At the resurrection, believers will be born of God and we shall be God.”

Mary Baker Eddy founder of Christian Science was into inner healing theology. She and her husband traveled extensively peddling a christianized version of mystical pantheism repackaged for the nineteenth-century Western mind. Pantheism is defined as the doctrine that God is not a personality, but that all laws, forces, manifestations, etc. of the self-existing universe are God. Doesn’t this smack of new Age?

L. Ron Hubbard is the founder of the Church of Scientology. Their basic theology is that people are mentally blocked from realizing their full potential because of engrams, which are prenatal impressions received by the embryo in the womb. Scientology purposes to uncover and eradicate these prenatal problems that have accumulated in one’s past lives. The individual seeking help is called a seeker. The seeker is directed back to their prenatal memory in order to relieve the emotions they are currently dealing with. The process follows eight steps, self, sexual, group, mankind, animal, universe, spiritual and infinity. Churches exist today that call themselves seekers and follow a version of this creed. Please note the step process as we will address this again.

Although these false prophets are dead and gone their doctrine is alive and well. Some of these movements are still in existence; however, much of their doctrine is imbedded in some of the current movements in today’s Churches.

7

Let No One Deceive You

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Are we at that point in prophecy where these doctrines are the norm? Are we at that time in the Church age when people want to hear something other than sound doctrine? I think we are. People who profess to be Christians go to Churches that make them feel good, Churches that teach prosperity, Churches that preach their personal doctrine, Churches that entertain. The following are some excerpts from a paper I wrote in 2001 titled The Lucifer Thread. This paper was written in an effort to alert the reader to the doctrinal issues confronting us today that are subtle in context, but real in creating a delusion so the average Christian will believe the lie.

One such application of this is the Church that embraces the Faith Movement. The Faith Movement has its roots in the metaphysical practice of the power of the mind. But, the preachers in the Faith Movement sanitize the metaphysical concept by substituting in its stead the “force of faith.” This in itself is a form of New Age teaching and the concept of self as applied in the self-esteem model. Look at what some of the well-known preachers are saying.

“Satan conquered Jesus on the cross.” –Kenneth Copeland. “You’re not looking at Morris Cerullo – you are looking at God. You’re

looking at Jesus.” – Morris Cerullo. “Never, ever, ever go to the Lord and say. If it be thy will…don’t allow

such faith destroying words to be spoken from your mouth.” –Benny Hinn.

“God has to be given permission to work in this earth realm on behalf of man…Yes! You are in control! So, if man has control, who no longer has it? God.” – Frederick K. C. Price.

“Man was created on terms of equality with God, and he could stand in God’s presence without any consciousness of inferiority.” – Kenneth Hagan.

Believe it or not, these are the leaders of the Faith Movement, and the mainstream of the preachers on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. These preachers have some of the largest Churches in the country. Much of this

8

doctrine has been contained within the Pentecostal denomination, but variations have found its way into many other Churches as well.

John Ankerberg in a talk on New Age and the Last Days gives some startling facts related to the apostasy in the Church. “Let me illustrate. Do you believe that departure from foundational truths of our faith is happening today? Pulpit Help, a magazine that goes to 100,000 pastors, performed a survey in which 7,441 Protestant pastors were queried. The results:

The percentage of pastors that did not believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead:

Methodists 51%Presbyterians 35%

Baptists 33%Episcopalians 30%”

Approximately six years ago twenty evangelical leaders in the United States signed a document with the Roman Catholic Church, which is an agreement between the two aimed at mending the four hundred fifty year split between the Catholics and the Protestants. Among the leaders who signed the Evangelicals and Catholics Together document were Pat Robinson, 700 Club; Chuck Colson, Prison Fellowship; Bill Bright, Campus Crusade; J.I. Packer, pastor and noted author; some Southern Baptist leaders, and various college presidents. Here are some excerpts of that document:

“We together, Evangelicals and Catholics, confess our sins against the unity that Christ intends for all His disciples.”

“There are different ways of being a Christian.” “All who accept Christ as Lord and Savior are brothers and sisters in

Christ.” “Those converted, whether understood as having received the new birth

for the first time or as having experienced the reawakening of the new birth originally bestowed in the sacrament of baptism, must be given freedom and respect as they discern and decide the community in which they will live their new life in Christ.”

In this regard, the Catholic position has been and still is that “Anyone who believes in justification by faith alone is excommunicated; damned to hell.” Where does this leave the signers of the document? By signing the document they are in effect agreeing with Catholic doctrine, which is not entirely

9

Biblical. The Protestants are in effect stating there are a number of paths to heaven, a number of paths to salvation, and that Christ is not the only path! WOW!

John Ankerberg responded to this event by saying, “There seems to be a progression of apostasy, a progression of leaving the faith, of following doctrines of demons and seducing spirits, and we’re getting to a point that the Bible tells us will be the end of the line.”

All this is in essence theological pluralism. Rosemary Keller, academic dean and professor of church history at Union Theological Seminary in New York puts it in proper perspective when she stated, “This is very much the effect of our global village.” Hillary Clinton strikes again!

You may ask, “How could this happen?” Its basis is in Calvinism, which is an outgrowth of the Catholic Church and the doctrines of Augustine and John Calvin. A subsequent segment on this subject will provide the details.

A Little Closer to Home

Chuck Colson writes, “I have spoken of the frontal assaults and the sneak attacks. There is something worse…The enemy is in our midst. He has infiltrated our camp that many simply no longer can tell an enemy from a friend, truth from heresy.”

Dave Hunt states, “Even the leading cult-watchers have generally failed to recognize the Trojan horse that has penetrated both the church and their own ranks and is seducing from within.”

Ben Patterson writes, “Of late, evangelicals have out-liberaled the liberals, with self-help books, positive-thinking preaching, and success gospels.”

David Wilkerson states, “There is an evil wind… blowing into God’s house, deceiving multitudes of God’s chosen people.”

What is this wind that is blowing into the Church? It is basically the age-old evil that started in the Garden – I can be like God. The bait on the hook has always been the promise of god-hood that the Serpent offered Eve. Dave Hunt responds to this as follows. “The extent to which anti-Christian and even occult beliefs and methodologies have been integrated into Christianity

10

within the last few years have been staggering, and this trend is now accelerating at an alarming rate.”

There are two primary examples of this we see today – positive thinking and self -esteem. Robert Schuller is the current leader of positive thinking with James Dobsom the leader in self-esteem. Schuller conducts training sessions for pastors in the concept of positive thinking. He writes as follows. “I don’t think anything has been done in the name of Christ under the banner of Christianity that has proven more destructive to human personality and, hence, counterproductive to the evangelical enterprise that the often crude, uncouth, and unchristian strategy of attempting to make people aware of their lost sinful condition.”

Dave Hunt cites modern psychology as an ideal vehicle for the seduction within the Church. He writes, “It would be impossible to understand our modern world without taking into consideration the way it has been shaped and molded by psychology. Nothing else even comes close to matching its influence upon the beliefs and lifestyles of contemporary society. Yet psychology as a religion exists in great strength throughout the United States, and for the first time, the destructive logic of this secular religion is beginning to be understood.”

Feminist leader Gloria Steinem declared, “By the year 2000 we will, I hope, raise our children to believe in human potential, not God.”

All this is being peddled under the guise of positive thinking and self-esteem. It is taught as the power of the imagination, visualization, possibility thinking and self-esteem. Norman Vincent Peale was a leading proponent of the movement of positive imaging. He states, “There is a powerful and mysterious force in human nature...a kind of mental engineering…a powerful new-old idea. It consists of vividly picturing, in your conscious mind, a desired goal or objective, and holding that image until it sinks into your unconscious mind, where it releases great untapped energies.”

Webster defines imagination as forming mental images of what is actually not present - it is a creation of the mind, a foolish notion or empty fancy. However, this element of psychology has so permeated society and the Church that the word imagination has been translated out of Scripture. In my investigation I find the KJV is the only translation of the Bible to retain a correct translation of the original. The Hebrew word for imagination in

11

Genesis 6:5 means to form a concept within the mind. For the same verse in the NIV it is translated as inclination. And the New American Standard uses intent. In Deuteronomy 29:19 the Hebrew word imagination means to create something twisted and hostile. Whereas the NIV translates it as think, and the NAS uses boost. These latter translations, and others, are watered down so as not to conflict with the positive imaging concept.

One well-known student of Norman Vincent Peale is Robert Schuller. Schuller’s Institute for Successful Church Leadership centers on the concept of positive thinking or as they call it Possibility Thinking. Pastors from all over the U.S. attend this school; one currently well known, individual is Rick Warren. Dave Hunt evaluates Rick Warren’s teaching and literature. “The similarity between Schuller’s teachings and Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life ideas cannot be denied. Warren has obviously patterned his approach to a successful church after what he learned from Schuller.” Schuller states, “To be born again we must be changed from a negative to a positive self-image – from inferiority to self-esteem.” Warren begins Purpose Driven Life with the value of the person. In his Celebrate Recovery Summit in 2005 Warren advocates the twelve step therapies in the church. This program is not Biblical but psychological. The background is based on Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous and uses denial techniques as a means of recovery from what ever ails you. There is no repentance or mention of Christ in the process. In essence, it is not Biblical. In an interview with Ladies’ Home Journal Rick Warren cited his five truths for a purpose driven life. 1) Accept yourself, 2) Love yourself, 3) Be true to yourself, 4) Forgive yourself, and 5) Believe in yourself. There is nothing Biblical here yet churches all over America are using The Purpose Driven Life literature to conduct Sunday school classes and Bible studies. One well-known Biblical scholar defines Warrens work as simply Pop Psychology.

New Dominionism

Originally, the ardent Calvinists were called Reconstructionists, which means their goal was to reconstruct the government and communities to the doctrines of Calvin. The updated term is now the New Dominion. In the second half of the 20th century there was a resurgence of Calvinism, which has had an affect on the Christian Community. On of the great contributions to this effort is the New Geneva Bible published under the heading of The Reformation Study Bible and is being widely distributed in an effort to

12

indoctrinate the reader into Calvinism. As with the original Geneva Bible the notes are Calvinistic treatises.

John Calvin initiated Calvinism in August 1535 with his first edition of Institutes, which is Calvin’s own brand of Christianity based on the teachings of Augustine and the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible, the official Bible of the Roman Catholic Church. Calvin actually worked for the Catholic Church as he wrote his works. The totality of Calvin’s doctrine is based on five basic points, which cannot be substantiated by Scripture. In fact, the text of the five points cannot be found anywhere in the Bible. For a better understanding of these and the concept of New Dominionism the five points are as follows:

1. Total Depravity means that man is spiritually dead to God, is incapable of responding to the Gospel, though able to make other rational and moral decisions.

2. Unconditional Selection means that God decides on no basis whatsoever that He will save some, called the elect, and damn others to hell.

3. Limited Atonement means the elect are the only ones for whom Christ died in payment for their sins and that His payment on the cross is for no others.

4. Irresistible Grace means that God is able to cause whomever He chooses to respond to the Gospel. Those He chooses are called the elect and go to heaven, the rest go to the lake of fire.

5. Perseverance of the Saints means that God will not allow any of the elect to loose their salvation even if they wanted to.

To put it bluntly, Calvinism is a man-made doctrine inflicted upon millions in the past upon the pain of death. As one writer states it, “Calvin’s doctrine is straight out of the Catholic Church.” Under Calvin in Geneva, Switzerland there were 414 prosecutions resulting in 76 banishments and 58 executions for disagreeing with him. Executions were either beheading or burning at the stake. In this regard, Dave Hunt, Berean Call Ministry, states, “Calvin though he was God’s instrument to force Irresistible Grace upon the citizens of Geneva, but did so in a manner far from the grace and teachings and examples of Christ.”

Not all five points of Calvinism are being taught today, but all current denominations have some elements of Calvinism in their doctrine if you take the time to search it out. Thus, all contain some elements of the Catholic

13

Church. However, a number of Christian leaders have spoken out on this doctrine.

Tim Lehay (Left Behind Series) states, “To suggest that the merciful, longsuffering, gracious and loving God of the Bible would invent a dreadful doctrine like Calvinism, which would have us to believe it is an act of grace to select certain people for heaven and, by exclusion, others to hell, comes perilously close to blasphemy.”

Elmer Towns, Liberty University, states, “It seems that each year Calvinism, like dandelions, comes in the spring. Students get wrapped up in arguing the issues of Calvinism. Those students who don’t like soul-winning use their view of Calvinism to defend their position of doing nothing.”

Dr. Chuck Missler, Koinonea House, states, “Through Calvinism the character of God has been totally misrepresented by our common denominational traditions.”

Arno Froese, Midnight call Ministry, states, “ Even the most staunch Calvinist should recognize the flawed philosophical theology of preselection as an attempt to eliminate man’s capacity to exercise his free will, which reduces God’s sovereign love to an act of a mere dictator.”

Harry Bollback, Word of Life International states, “As a biblicist, I find Calvinism to have brought confusion to believers for many years. We’ve allowed words and ideas of men to determine our positions instead of what God has to say.”

Dr. Joseph Chambers, Pastor and author states, “It is hard to believe that the Christian world would have its own system of apartheid.”

Again Dave Hunt states, “Many of those who profess a reformed theology today especially those known as Reconstructionists including organizations such as the Coalition on revival, take Calvin’s Geneva as their model and thus hope to Christianize the United States and then the world. Many Christian activists of looser attachment to Calvin (some don’t even know they are) hope in their own way, through protest marches and the organizing of large enough voting blocks, to force an ungodly American citizenry into godly living.”

14

Conclusion

The name of the game has turned from what can I do for God to what can God do for me. As one critic stated, “The charismatic movement has taken over with its prosperity preaching and what can God do for me theology.”

A recent Barna Group survey indicates that 85% of Americans identify themselves as Christians. I have my doubts as to the validity of the number based on how survey questions are asked. Nonetheless, not all those who identify themselves as Christians are really Christians. They are simply not Jews, Muslims, atheists, etc. However, to believe in God or a god doesn’t make one a Christian. To emphasize the point we only need to look back to the last three presidential elections. Bill Clinton was voted in twice with approximately 45 % of the popular vote. Al Gore claims to have gotten the majority of the popular vote in the 2000 election. Then in the 2004 election John Kerry lost the majority of the popular vote by less than .1%. Therefore, if 85% of Americans are really Christians, what are these election figures telling us? I personally think the trend speaks for itself – the nation is becoming more secular every year including Christians. The people are not voting for moral values for each election promises more of what can the government will do for you. They are voting their selfish reasons. Remember what the survey said – 85% of America is Christian: sure, but America has the ME mentality. As I said earlier in this paper, secularism has already won in America its only a matter of time before it wins in the Church.

Where is the Church in all this? Survey after survey indicates Church growth is on the rise. We have a record number of mega-Churches in the U.S. and the world’s largest is in Korea. If one looks at these figures and the Barna survey it would appear that a revival is beginning to take shape. But, whose revival? Whose gospel? Whose Christ? Following are some examples of the problems major denominations in America are having.

The Episcopal Church recently elected a gay bishop, and is probably the most liberal denomination in the country.

The United Methodists are in a constant battle over gays in the denomination, and are liberal in their views including women pastors.

The Lutherans signed a pack with the Catholic Church admitting they were wrong 450 years ago and now agree there are numerous ways to heaven.

15

The Presbyterians are split over the gay issue, which appears to be getting worse each year.

The Catholic Church places Mary ahead of Christ in their mother-child cult worship.

The Pentecostals are all off base as they have embraced the Faith and Prosperity Movement and are constantly looking for signs and wonders.

I think the evidence indicates we are definitely in the end times. As one writer puts it, “We are racing toward Armageddon.”

A final point I want to make in regards to Church growth. For many years I have heard the phrase “The rapture will not occur until the last Gentile has been added to the Church.” This is nowhere in the Bible. I think it is derived from the term in Luke 21:24. “And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” The “times of the Gentiles” is in reference to Israel not the Church. Nothing in Scripture indicates what size the Church will be at the rapture. However, 2 Thessalonians 2:3 does indicate that the Church will become more apostate in the last days. Therefore, physical Church growth may increase, but the true Church will shrink before the rapture occurs.

Can the Church leaders and the people get beyond their initial teaching and get back to the gospel of Christ? John Jay Chapman said over a century ago, “Give a teacher a false thesis in early life, and he will teach it till he dies. He has no way of correcting it.” This is also true for most Christians, give them a false thesis when they are ignorant of Scripture and they have no way of correcting it other than through intense study of the Word of God and submitting totally to Christ for life’s answers. Sad to say, few ever do.

So, where is the church today? According to Revelation 3:15-17 it is in big trouble (the True Church is not the one of which I speak). “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing – and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked.”

Therefore, how quickly we arrive at the Tribulation is not a function of the secular world, but a function of what we call the Church. As Paul states in 2

16

Thessalonians 2:3, “That day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.” Based on this if the Church did not become apostate the Tribulation would not occur. But, we know better. Prophecy has always been fulfilled to the last jot and tittle of the Word. It will become history as written. Only this time the Church creates the means for fulfillment.

Maranatha,

Carleton Dowdle, 12-1-05

17