Volume 22, Issue 1 _________________________________Bible Prophecy Ministry
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But evil men shall and seducers shall wax worse and worse
deceiving and being deceived.
The condition of the church in the end of the age
would also suffer like consequences. Verse five in this
chapter indicts the church as having a mere form of
Godliness, but denying the power of God. It has ever
increasing learning at its disposal, but is incapable of
discerning the real knowledge of truth. This paradox
is the direct result of its abandonment of the basic
Biblical precepts. It has become a church of self pride,
having lost its first love.
II Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the Last Days
perilous times shall come:
Verse 8 of this chapter further indicts the Fallen
church as resisting the truth, becoming a people with
corrupt minds, reprobate; undiscerning true doctrine!
Therefore, recognizing the perils that the Mystery
of Iniquity would unleash against the last days church
God admonishes his preachers to do the following:
II Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word; be instant in season, out
of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and
Doctrine.
Pastors are admonished to preach the word, at all
times, in every season, year after year. Churches are
advised to adhere to doctrine, and confront any other
gospel. The command to be instant, means to quickly
oppose the spread of false doctrine. The reason that
the directives of, reprove, rebuke, and exhort are here
presented in this dissertation on the last days church
is because the Lord knew that the mystery of iniquity
would seek to corrupt the church; as the great signal
of Israel's rebirth began a countdown of God's clock.
Furthermore, in verse 5 of this chapter, ministers are
admonished to make full proof of their ministry.
These guidelines were directed for the intention of
helping to safeguard the church from the onslaught
of iniquity, which if allowed to fester, would in time
lead to the condition, of the people following after
their own lusts and wishes, even preferring teachers
that would passify their prideful state, even to the
extreme that they revel in false doctrines, despising
the actual truth, and therefore becoming engulfed by
the foolishness of Fables!
A fable is a fanciful tale of legend and myth, that
may convey an ideal, but it is based on falsehoods!
This is what the Gospel is reduced to when the very
word of God himself is brought into disrepute by its
very own constituents inside the church.
Christians should be well-grounded enough in the
Word to be able to avoid the indoctrination of subtle
deceptiveness, and continue growing in the word to
be able to efficiently function in this evil world.
Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed
to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by
the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in
wait to deceive.
Notice the implicit indication that deceivers many
times will lie in wait, in anticipation of gaining a subtle
entryway. Lying in wait denotes entrapment! It ought
never to be lost in the Christian mind that growth
in the word is essential to sustaining his individual spiritual
discernment!
Psalms 119:89 says: Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled
in Heaven.
If it is settled there, why doubt it on earth? Why
consider compromise, or tolerance? If the word is all
settled in Heaven, why can't it be defended here?
Ephesians 6:14 instructs all Christians to girt up his
loins with the truth and to employ the protection of
righteousness for the specific reason that we wrestle
not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual liars
in high places. This indicates again that the mystery
of iniquity would be a persistent adversary, not only
of each Christian, but also of the church.
I Timothy 4:13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to
exhortation, to Doctrine!
The command from Luke 19:13 rings loudly from
Jesus in the first century all the way to the church
of today, "Occupy Till I Come"!
The usage of the terminology of occupy means to
hold on, to continue engaging the enemy, and persist
with endurance, until the Savior comes. The church
cannot win the war, but we are on the winning side!
In these closing days of the 20th century, it quite
often seems that the church is merely trying to hold
on while the Devil is running wild, and having his
way. I think that is the reason the Lord used that
term, "Occupy" till I come"! The church is charged
with the task of being a restrainer, and holding fast to the faith, until He does
indeed come.
The apostasy alluded to here under the Antichrist
is a culmination of the apostasy which characterizes
the Fallen Away condition of the last days church, It
centers around a man claiming that he is in fact God. The
radical departure from the true faith is evidence that
this ultimate faker is on the horizon of time.
The Laodicean character of apostasy prevalent in
our 20th century church, when viewed from the light
of scripture concerning the end of the church age;
seems to draw a clear parallel to the revelation that
one should anticipate immediately prior to Rapture.
The scriptures that I have utilized in this article
reflect that there is a nearly completed progression
of fulfilled prophecy in the church itself to suggest
that the Falling Away condition of today’s church is primed
to be included into the Apostate Church of the post
rapture era.
That church is seen in Revelation 13!
The apostate condition of that great whore church
known as Mystery Babylon, needed as its prerequisite,
the foundational stones laid by the church of the the
Great Falling Away period!
The restless, relentless and windswept waters of the
sea aptly portray the worlds uneasiness with the true
Gospel of Christ, while the violent waves crashing into
the ship personify the worlds violent attitude toward
the church of Jesus Christ.
The ship containing the disciples within its shield
of cover, serves as a symbol of the church. It is in
the sea, but not an actual portion of the sea. It gets tossed
to and fro, it is even battered by every crashing wave of
this world. The mighty winds that aggravate the sea,
causing it to rise up and assault the ship are spewed
forth by the prince of this world. He is energetically
attempting to blow the ship of the church off course
in today’s world.
Meanwhile, the call to occupy remains the church's
battle cry. As long as the church maintains its faith
in the doctrines of Christ, it cannot be driven away
from its charted course.
The church of the 20th century is no longer sailing
upon the sea with a destination in mind. In far too
many instances it has either abandoned the ship, or it is
simply riding out the rolling waves, traveling along wherever
the storms of wind might take it.
The stage is now set for a powerful demonstration
of God's love and judgement. He will soon extend his
hand down once again to snatch ( rapture ) us out of the storm
tossed billows, and set us down in a land where there
shall be no more wind, and no more storm.
As the 21st century dawns, I believe it also brings
the reverberating sound of an echo, the sound from a distant
trumpet, signifying the final days to the climactic era
of the church age.
I myself have been a Christian, and thus a member
of that old embattled ship, the church, for 42 years.
Sometimes it seems to me like it is a ship that is about to
sink, but always, I find myself looking up, up toward
Jesus, and realize that he is the real Captain of this
ship, and not anyone else.
And too, I am reminded that this world is not my
real home, I really am just passing through. My treasures
are already laid up somewhere beyond the blue. And
also too, that the Captain of the ship is coming, and will
appear before the storm can overtake us.
To my fellow Christians, we may take heart amidst
this old, old stormy battle the church is engaged in. We may
rightfully assume that even if the entire world unites in its
opposition to Christ, and we are left standing totally
alone, abandoned without any comrades in arms; that Jesus will
still be returning just to evacuate us.
And remember, we are only a mere twinkling of the
eye away from being presented before God, as a part
of the spotless, faithful bride of Christ!
LET US OCCUPY UNTIL THAT GREAT DAY
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II Timothy 3:13 states that mankind has embarked
upon a course of devolution, rather than evolutionary
enlightenment and progression. 
