Michael Bresciani
Apostasy - - the place where religion and revelation part company
By Michael Bresciani
The headlines are filled daily with news of some new trend in the church where social norms are supplanting both scriptural doctrine and traditions. Among the old line historic denominations apostasy is ramping up at an alarming rate.
While we have been warned that apostasy is part and parcel to the last days prophecies that precede the return of Christ, it is still difficult to watch the steadiest of the churches dissimulate, disintegrate and fade into a sort of colorless gray blob of social interaction with secularism, guided by and over run with pop-culture thinking.
The Apostle Paul provided warning, but little consolation, concerning the apostasy. Paul said, "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" (2Th 2: 3)
Paul obviously did not mean to console us with this warning, but he did mean to prepare us. In fact along with the news events of the day the falling churches are perfect indicators of exactly how close we are to the second coming of Christ.
Just this week alone another notable church has decided to join the ranks of apostates who seem to think either that God didn't mean what he said, or he has changed his mind.
The historic, 106 years old, Episcopalian, Washington National Cathedral has announced that it will now perform marriages for gays and transsexuals. This is the church that was used to inaugurate both Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan.
Fox news reporter Bret Baier, quoting church sources said on Wednesday Jan 9, 2013 that the church has adopted the new practice to show that we are "all God's children." It goes without saying that the Bible takes full exception with that over simplistic assertion. In fact the bible describes those who practice such perversions as children of the devil. Yes, the devil has his own family of adopted sons and daughters according to scriptures.
It is not so hard to believe that practicing perversion gets the practitioner the label of 'child of the devil' when we consider that Jesus called the very religious leaders of his day – sons of the devil.
"Jesus said unto them, (the Pharisees) If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8: 42–44)
It is worthy of note to see that in the context of calling the religious leaders children of the devil, the word "lust" conspicuously appears. In today's apostasy, more often than not, churches have chosen to leave scriptural mandates and doctrines so they can pursue some kind of personal lust or sexual practice.
It is somewhat of an over simplification to say that those who depend on a single leader or a ruling body such as a Pope or a pastor or a presbytery or ecclesiastical or deacon board to decide for them what is morally acceptable; often dismiss the bible in lieu of their religiously defined parameters of moral behavior. Conversely, the people of the book (bible) will dismiss any religious authority if they see them deviate from the written word. So, exactly who is right?
The question of exactly who is right takes on an entirely new dimension if we first ask the question of, who is holding the keys? Is it the apostate churches in this modern era that have bent to the will of the wicked and every nuance of the new social order; or is it the one who holds the very "key of David?"
"These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth." (Rev 3: 7)
Not only does Christ hold the keys but he has in no uncertain terms described the criterion for the final judgment of each and every man and women that passes through their brief time on earth to find themselves in the end, standing before their creator God.
Christ declared, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."(Jn 12: 48)
Since it is his word we will be judged by, what fool would take it upon himself to decide that some modern church leader has a better idea about how to live, what is right and wrong, or who is a child of God, or a child of the devil?
Trying to get someone to understand the belief that bible adherents have in plenary verbal inspiration of the scripture may be a daunting task, but we actually don't need to go there. It is enough for us that Christ conquered death by his resurrection, and has cast this single act across the world like a net to be broadcast as a clear warning that he indeed holds the keys to both heaven and hell. Much more than theology it is history that guides the believer. Sadly, it is a guide moderns have chosen to buck, deny, defy and decry – all to their own peril.
That homosexuality, same sex marriage and alteration of the body to change its sex is a serious sin and worthy of judgment is spoken of in Old Testament, the Gospels and in the New Testament letters. Those who believe every word of God hardly need to be told once, but three times is more than sufficient. For the unbelieving no amount of warning will be tolerated.
It is here that we may return to the question of whether gays and trans-genders are really only children of God as the leaders of the Washington National Cathedral have declared. What makes a child of the devil is clearly open defiance and rebellion against the word of God.
When the Apostle Paul confronted a practicing sorcerer in Paphos, in the southwest of Cyprus, he rebuked the sorcerer for trying to turn someone away from the faith.
Paul said, "O full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?" (Acts 13: 10)
In John's gospel Jesus said the children of the devil were actually going about to establish their own penchant for lust while pretending to be sanctified leaders of the established religion of the Jews. In Cyprus Paul said a child of the devil was one who, while pretending to give spiritual guidance to people, was actually perverting the ways of the Lord.
Now, the most important question of all; if the church you are attending or the spiritual guides in your life are also supporting lust and perverting the ways of the Lord, don't you think it may be time to hit the road for some higher ground?
Apostate churches will abound in the last days and spiritual perversion will follow close behind. It is perhaps one of the saddest declarations in all of scripture, but it is the one we will pass by to our own hurt if ignored. To wit:
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." (2Ti 3: 1-5)
In this passage it is the word, highminded, which stands out. How highminded can we get? Modern man has decided that those who practice lust and perversion as part of their faith are after all no more than children of God. Not being able to recognize evil is a condition of a reprobate mind, but only in the last days will it become so chronic that churches will declare that those who practice lust and perversion are simply children of God.
If we can't recognize the children of the devil, can we be expected to recognize their father? In this day of full blown apostasy why would it seem unthinkable to conclude that if religious leaders of twenty centuries past were sons of the devil, then nearly his whole family must be on the scene today?
© Michael Bresciani
January 13, 2013
The headlines are filled daily with news of some new trend in the church where social norms are supplanting both scriptural doctrine and traditions. Among the old line historic denominations apostasy is ramping up at an alarming rate.
While we have been warned that apostasy is part and parcel to the last days prophecies that precede the return of Christ, it is still difficult to watch the steadiest of the churches dissimulate, disintegrate and fade into a sort of colorless gray blob of social interaction with secularism, guided by and over run with pop-culture thinking.
The Apostle Paul provided warning, but little consolation, concerning the apostasy. Paul said, "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" (2Th 2: 3)
Paul obviously did not mean to console us with this warning, but he did mean to prepare us. In fact along with the news events of the day the falling churches are perfect indicators of exactly how close we are to the second coming of Christ.
Just this week alone another notable church has decided to join the ranks of apostates who seem to think either that God didn't mean what he said, or he has changed his mind.
The historic, 106 years old, Episcopalian, Washington National Cathedral has announced that it will now perform marriages for gays and transsexuals. This is the church that was used to inaugurate both Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan.
Fox news reporter Bret Baier, quoting church sources said on Wednesday Jan 9, 2013 that the church has adopted the new practice to show that we are "all God's children." It goes without saying that the Bible takes full exception with that over simplistic assertion. In fact the bible describes those who practice such perversions as children of the devil. Yes, the devil has his own family of adopted sons and daughters according to scriptures.
It is not so hard to believe that practicing perversion gets the practitioner the label of 'child of the devil' when we consider that Jesus called the very religious leaders of his day – sons of the devil.
"Jesus said unto them, (the Pharisees) If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8: 42–44)
It is worthy of note to see that in the context of calling the religious leaders children of the devil, the word "lust" conspicuously appears. In today's apostasy, more often than not, churches have chosen to leave scriptural mandates and doctrines so they can pursue some kind of personal lust or sexual practice.
It is somewhat of an over simplification to say that those who depend on a single leader or a ruling body such as a Pope or a pastor or a presbytery or ecclesiastical or deacon board to decide for them what is morally acceptable; often dismiss the bible in lieu of their religiously defined parameters of moral behavior. Conversely, the people of the book (bible) will dismiss any religious authority if they see them deviate from the written word. So, exactly who is right?
The question of exactly who is right takes on an entirely new dimension if we first ask the question of, who is holding the keys? Is it the apostate churches in this modern era that have bent to the will of the wicked and every nuance of the new social order; or is it the one who holds the very "key of David?"
"These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth." (Rev 3: 7)
Not only does Christ hold the keys but he has in no uncertain terms described the criterion for the final judgment of each and every man and women that passes through their brief time on earth to find themselves in the end, standing before their creator God.
Christ declared, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."(Jn 12: 48)
Since it is his word we will be judged by, what fool would take it upon himself to decide that some modern church leader has a better idea about how to live, what is right and wrong, or who is a child of God, or a child of the devil?
Trying to get someone to understand the belief that bible adherents have in plenary verbal inspiration of the scripture may be a daunting task, but we actually don't need to go there. It is enough for us that Christ conquered death by his resurrection, and has cast this single act across the world like a net to be broadcast as a clear warning that he indeed holds the keys to both heaven and hell. Much more than theology it is history that guides the believer. Sadly, it is a guide moderns have chosen to buck, deny, defy and decry – all to their own peril.
That homosexuality, same sex marriage and alteration of the body to change its sex is a serious sin and worthy of judgment is spoken of in Old Testament, the Gospels and in the New Testament letters. Those who believe every word of God hardly need to be told once, but three times is more than sufficient. For the unbelieving no amount of warning will be tolerated.
It is here that we may return to the question of whether gays and trans-genders are really only children of God as the leaders of the Washington National Cathedral have declared. What makes a child of the devil is clearly open defiance and rebellion against the word of God.
When the Apostle Paul confronted a practicing sorcerer in Paphos, in the southwest of Cyprus, he rebuked the sorcerer for trying to turn someone away from the faith.
Paul said, "O full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?" (Acts 13: 10)
In John's gospel Jesus said the children of the devil were actually going about to establish their own penchant for lust while pretending to be sanctified leaders of the established religion of the Jews. In Cyprus Paul said a child of the devil was one who, while pretending to give spiritual guidance to people, was actually perverting the ways of the Lord.
Now, the most important question of all; if the church you are attending or the spiritual guides in your life are also supporting lust and perverting the ways of the Lord, don't you think it may be time to hit the road for some higher ground?
Apostate churches will abound in the last days and spiritual perversion will follow close behind. It is perhaps one of the saddest declarations in all of scripture, but it is the one we will pass by to our own hurt if ignored. To wit:
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." (2Ti 3: 1-5)
In this passage it is the word, highminded, which stands out. How highminded can we get? Modern man has decided that those who practice lust and perversion as part of their faith are after all no more than children of God. Not being able to recognize evil is a condition of a reprobate mind, but only in the last days will it become so chronic that churches will declare that those who practice lust and perversion are simply children of God.
If we can't recognize the children of the devil, can we be expected to recognize their father? In this day of full blown apostasy why would it seem unthinkable to conclude that if religious leaders of twenty centuries past were sons of the devil, then nearly his whole family must be on the scene today?
© Michael Bresciani
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