The Prophetic Messenger
A Newsletter From Mysteries From The Word Of God Ministries
May/June 2005 - Volume 7/Issue 3
Apostasy
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; II Thessalonians 2:3
In this issue of The Prophetic Messenger we will discuss the reasons for the falling away of the church, otherwise known as apostasy.
In this issue of The Prophetic Messenger we will discuss the reasons for the falling away of the church, otherwise known as apostasy.
1. The New Bible Versions
a) Adam and Eve
All throughout the history of man, satan has tried to change or pervert the Word of God. In Genesis 3:1-6 it say "1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." This passage of scripture shows how satan changed God's words to deceive Eve. Let's look at these scriptures more closely.
Here's what God said in Genesis 2:15-17: "15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
Here's what satan said in Genesis 3:4-5: "4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." We see in Genesis 3:6 how Eve believed the lie of satan and disobeyed God. This passage states "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."
b) Jesus Christ
We see that satan tried to deceive the Son of God by perverting the scriptures to tempt him. In Matthew 4:5-7 it says "5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." In this passage satan misquoted Psalm 91:11-12 to try to tempt Jesus Christ.
c) The Last Days
The apostle Paul warned us about doctrines of devils which the new bible versions fulfill. In I Timothy 4:1 it says "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;" In just the past few years we have seen the new bible versions get worse and worse. Here is a recent article showing just how bad they are getting. An article titled "Canterbury Backs Updated Bible" (Note 1) says "A new translation of the Bible which seems to contradict traditional Christian beliefs on sex has been backed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The book, entitled Good As New, is aimed at refreshing the language and themes of the Bible for modern readers. In the new version, St Paul's advice that men and women should marry is replaced with they should have a 'regular partner'. Dr Rowan Williams says it is a book of 'extraordinary power.' But the Church of England leader admitted many readers would be startled by its content. The words of St Paul are likely to cause most controversy."
Below I compare this newest translation with the King James Version which is the Bible for today. This passage of scripture is from I Corinthians 7:8-9.
I Corinthians 7:8-9
KJV: "I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn."
Good As New version: "If you know you have strong needs, get yourself a partner. Better than being frustrated."
We see from this passage that this new Bible version is promoting fornication which is sin and the Archbishop of Canterbury is backing it. In Titus 1:15-16 it says "15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
All throughout the history of man, satan has tried to change or pervert the Word of God. In Genesis 3:1-6 it say "1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." This passage of scripture shows how satan changed God's words to deceive Eve. Let's look at these scriptures more closely.
Here's what God said in Genesis 2:15-17: "15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
Here's what satan said in Genesis 3:4-5: "4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." We see in Genesis 3:6 how Eve believed the lie of satan and disobeyed God. This passage states "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."
b) Jesus Christ
We see that satan tried to deceive the Son of God by perverting the scriptures to tempt him. In Matthew 4:5-7 it says "5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." In this passage satan misquoted Psalm 91:11-12 to try to tempt Jesus Christ.
c) The Last Days
The apostle Paul warned us about doctrines of devils which the new bible versions fulfill. In I Timothy 4:1 it says "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;" In just the past few years we have seen the new bible versions get worse and worse. Here is a recent article showing just how bad they are getting. An article titled "Canterbury Backs Updated Bible" (Note 1) says "A new translation of the Bible which seems to contradict traditional Christian beliefs on sex has been backed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The book, entitled Good As New, is aimed at refreshing the language and themes of the Bible for modern readers. In the new version, St Paul's advice that men and women should marry is replaced with they should have a 'regular partner'. Dr Rowan Williams says it is a book of 'extraordinary power.' But the Church of England leader admitted many readers would be startled by its content. The words of St Paul are likely to cause most controversy."
Below I compare this newest translation with the King James Version which is the Bible for today. This passage of scripture is from I Corinthians 7:8-9.
I Corinthians 7:8-9
KJV: "I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn."
Good As New version: "If you know you have strong needs, get yourself a partner. Better than being frustrated."
We see from this passage that this new Bible version is promoting fornication which is sin and the Archbishop of Canterbury is backing it. In Titus 1:15-16 it says "15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
2. We Have Changed The Gospel From Repentance To Entertainment
The apostle Paul warned us that there would be a falling away of the church before the return of Jesus Christ. In II Thessalonians 2:1-3 it says "1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 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;" Paul also showed us that they would preach another Jesus. In II Corinthians 11:4 it says "For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." We will share some recent articles to show the state of the apostate churches.
An article titled "Mega-Churches Offer Prayer, Play, Shopping", subtitled "Churches with Thousands of Members and a One-Stop Mentality Becoming More Popular" (Note 2) says
"Americans are known for their love of 'super-sizing' -- from French fries to cars to houses -- and on this Easter Sunday, many Americans are celebrating on a much larger scale, in huge congregations known as 'mega-churches,' where people can do much more than just worship. These mega-churches are places where members can not only pray, but work out in a gym, eat at a food court or browse in a bookstore. And they are becoming more popular across the country..... 'In our family we almost kid, because we spend so much time up here, just because we love it,' said Johnson Ellis. 'There's just a lot of fun things up here.' Prestonwood is not a simple church -- its sprawling campus covers 140 acres.............. Prestonwood has sports fields, an arcade, small bible-study groups and a bookstore on what is called Main Street. There is even a food court where the Ellises frequently eat, complete with a Starbucks......... 'It's not like, Oh, gosh, I have to go to church and be bored and have them spit scripture in my face,' said Landen. 'It's like it's fun and they make it great to learn'........... Every weekend, there are three services to accommodate Prestonwood's membership of 24,000 people..........The Rev. Jack Graham is astounded by the seemingly unending flood of people wanting to join the church. 'It truly is remarkable to me,' the pastor said. 'I give an invitation every week, invite people to come forward to accept Christ or to join the church. And they just keep coming forward'........Not everyone has bought into the idea that bigger is better when it comes to church. Randall Balmer, a theology professor at Barnard College in New York says, 'It is in many ways consumerism run amok.' Balmer worries these mega-congregations are too isolated and emphasize consumerism over public service. 'I worry about a congregation so enmeshed into say, for example, a suburban, white, middle-class mentality,' he said. 'I worry that the full gospel isn't being communicated to these people.' "
Another article titled "Preacher Spreads Word In MTV Era" (Note 3) says
"With his well-trimmed goatee and spiked hair, Warren seems more like a polished CEO than a cheerleader for Jesus. He speaks emphatically, peppering his conversion with precise statistics and one-liners. Yet Warren, who wears Hawaiian shirts and sandals when he preaches, also tries to keep things simple for his audience. He says he's just telling timeless stories in a contemporary voice. 'When David said, The Lord is my shepherd,' Warren says in an interview at Saddleback Church....... 'Today, I don't think it's any less appropriate for the businessmen to say, The Lord is my CEO or The Lord is my manager.' You can't just assume terminology today is understandable. I work very hard at being a translator......The fourth-generation pastor wrote letters to colleagues at the 100 biggest U.S. churches and sifted through demographic data for the perfect city in which to launch his own megachurch...... Warren's emphasis on approachable Christianity is reflected at Saddleback, where worshippers can choose from nearly two dozen services that feature different styles of live music, from heavy metal to reggae to hula. Pastors preach in T-shirts and hand out fill-in-the-blank flashcards that dovetail with the day's sermon...... 'Religion before didn't give me the reality of who God can be--that he can be sleeping, eating, breathing,' says Petit ......Pastor Rick takes these huge concepts and squishes them down. And because of that, it's doable, you know, I can trust God for today.'"
Notice what the prophet Isaiah says about these kind of shepherds. In Isaiah 56:10-11 it says "10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. 11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter." Also, Jesus Christ said in Luke 16:15 "And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." We must pray for these pastors and people going to these churches to repent and prepare for the times that are soon coming upon us. We have some past newsletters that will prepare you for worship and how to walk in the power of God. (For more information see the March/April 2000 edition of The Prophetic Messenger newsletter and read the article titled "Are You Prepared For Worship?" and March/April 2001 article titled "Why The Church Has No Power".)
An article titled "Mega-Churches Offer Prayer, Play, Shopping", subtitled "Churches with Thousands of Members and a One-Stop Mentality Becoming More Popular" (Note 2) says
"Americans are known for their love of 'super-sizing' -- from French fries to cars to houses -- and on this Easter Sunday, many Americans are celebrating on a much larger scale, in huge congregations known as 'mega-churches,' where people can do much more than just worship. These mega-churches are places where members can not only pray, but work out in a gym, eat at a food court or browse in a bookstore. And they are becoming more popular across the country..... 'In our family we almost kid, because we spend so much time up here, just because we love it,' said Johnson Ellis. 'There's just a lot of fun things up here.' Prestonwood is not a simple church -- its sprawling campus covers 140 acres.............. Prestonwood has sports fields, an arcade, small bible-study groups and a bookstore on what is called Main Street. There is even a food court where the Ellises frequently eat, complete with a Starbucks......... 'It's not like, Oh, gosh, I have to go to church and be bored and have them spit scripture in my face,' said Landen. 'It's like it's fun and they make it great to learn'........... Every weekend, there are three services to accommodate Prestonwood's membership of 24,000 people..........The Rev. Jack Graham is astounded by the seemingly unending flood of people wanting to join the church. 'It truly is remarkable to me,' the pastor said. 'I give an invitation every week, invite people to come forward to accept Christ or to join the church. And they just keep coming forward'........Not everyone has bought into the idea that bigger is better when it comes to church. Randall Balmer, a theology professor at Barnard College in New York says, 'It is in many ways consumerism run amok.' Balmer worries these mega-congregations are too isolated and emphasize consumerism over public service. 'I worry about a congregation so enmeshed into say, for example, a suburban, white, middle-class mentality,' he said. 'I worry that the full gospel isn't being communicated to these people.' "
Another article titled "Preacher Spreads Word In MTV Era" (Note 3) says
"With his well-trimmed goatee and spiked hair, Warren seems more like a polished CEO than a cheerleader for Jesus. He speaks emphatically, peppering his conversion with precise statistics and one-liners. Yet Warren, who wears Hawaiian shirts and sandals when he preaches, also tries to keep things simple for his audience. He says he's just telling timeless stories in a contemporary voice. 'When David said, The Lord is my shepherd,' Warren says in an interview at Saddleback Church....... 'Today, I don't think it's any less appropriate for the businessmen to say, The Lord is my CEO or The Lord is my manager.' You can't just assume terminology today is understandable. I work very hard at being a translator......The fourth-generation pastor wrote letters to colleagues at the 100 biggest U.S. churches and sifted through demographic data for the perfect city in which to launch his own megachurch...... Warren's emphasis on approachable Christianity is reflected at Saddleback, where worshippers can choose from nearly two dozen services that feature different styles of live music, from heavy metal to reggae to hula. Pastors preach in T-shirts and hand out fill-in-the-blank flashcards that dovetail with the day's sermon...... 'Religion before didn't give me the reality of who God can be--that he can be sleeping, eating, breathing,' says Petit ......Pastor Rick takes these huge concepts and squishes them down. And because of that, it's doable, you know, I can trust God for today.'"
Notice what the prophet Isaiah says about these kind of shepherds. In Isaiah 56:10-11 it says "10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. 11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter." Also, Jesus Christ said in Luke 16:15 "And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." We must pray for these pastors and people going to these churches to repent and prepare for the times that are soon coming upon us. We have some past newsletters that will prepare you for worship and how to walk in the power of God. (For more information see the March/April 2000 edition of The Prophetic Messenger newsletter and read the article titled "Are You Prepared For Worship?" and March/April 2001 article titled "Why The Church Has No Power".)
3. The Bible Codes
The apostle Peter tells us where true prophecy comes from. It comes from holy men of God speaking as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. In II Peter 1:20-21 it says "20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." We see Jesus Christ tell us in the gospel of John that the Holy Ghost, which is the Spirit of Truth, will show us things to come. In John 16:13 it says "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come." John 14:26 and John 15:26 shows that the Spirit of truth, Comforter and Holy Ghost are the same. In John 14:26 it says "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." Also in John 15:26 it says "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:" It is the Holy Ghost who shows us about future events from the Bible (Old King James Version only) or through the gifts of the Spirit and not Bible codes. The Bible codes are inaccurate. I have often heard Christians on the radio trying to predict future world events by using Bible codes and what they predicted would never come to pass. The Bible shows us when a prediction is not of God. In Deuteronomy 18:22 it says "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him." A recent advertisement on newsmax.com for a book said "Does the Bible predict Armageddon? A new book reveals a secret Bible Code Click Here Now" (This advertisement is expired). If you are a person who studies the Bible you know that in the book of Revelation there are many scriptures talking about Armageddon. Reading and studying God's Word, not secret Bible codes, is the way to learn about the end times.
In closing, we need to look to the word of God (Old King James Version only) and the Holy Ghost as our teacher for prophecy or any study of the scriptures. In II Timothy 2:15 it says "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." The scriptures show how Jesus Christ, the apostles and prophets used the word of God. We must follow this example and not some secret Bible codes.
In closing, we need to look to the word of God (Old King James Version only) and the Holy Ghost as our teacher for prophecy or any study of the scriptures. In II Timothy 2:15 it says "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." The scriptures show how Jesus Christ, the apostles and prophets used the word of God. We must follow this example and not some secret Bible codes.
Notes:
Note 1: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3833693.stm
Note 2: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Business/story?id=617341&page=1
Note 3: The Columbian Newspaper, Sunday, March 27, 2005 page D6
Note 1: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3833693.stm
Note 2: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Business/story?id=617341&page=1
Note 3: The Columbian Newspaper, Sunday, March 27, 2005 page D6
Coming Up In The Next Issue
What Is Armageddon? Read this article in the next issue of The Prophetic Messenger.
Memory Verses
As Christians if we want to live in victory and if we want to be able to share the Word Of God with others we must know the Word of God ourselves. Let's see what the Bible says about this. "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:11. " If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." John 15:7. "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." John 8:31. We encourage you to put the following scriptures in your heart: Jeremiah 8:15, I Corinthians 11:24-25, Psalm 25:14, Ephesians 2:1, Proverbs 1:7, Colossians 3:7-8, Romans 8:28, Ezekiel 12:20, Mark 7:32-33, Hebrews 13:6. Use only the Old King James version of the Holy Bible. (If you have any questions about this please see the book New Age Bible Versions, by G.A. Riplinger ©1993, ISBN 0-9635845-0-2.)
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