(15) THE GREAT APOSTASY

(2 THESS.2:3-4)- 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: who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God./ Apostasy means to abandon a former loyalty. It means unfaithfulness, rebellion, or backsliding; a turning away from truth to a form that appeals more to the flesh. Most congregations have a Traditional Service & a Contemporary Service. The contemporary service is the fastest growing and appeals to younger people. It brings more new members. I like some of the music myself, if it's not like a Rock Concert. But, what does the Bible teach about the Assembly. The justification for an entertaining Worship Service, with music that encourages a dance step is OT scripture concerning the secular life of the Israelites. They never did this in their solemn assemblies, in the Tabernacle, or the Temple. The apostles sang hymns & prayed. I know of no scripture where musical instruments are used in the assembly. Our word church is translated from the Greek word 'Ekklesia' which means an assembly of 'called out' ones. In the assembly we can scripturally sing, pray, teach, give of our means and take the Lord's Supper. If that's all we did now, we might lose 1/2 the congregation. In the early church, they could speak in Tongues, one at a time with an interpreter. This ended with the completion of the New Testament. (See Blog (2)- DISCONTINUED GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT) We have long used a piano & organ, taking the position that it aids worship. Where do you draw the line? It has been said that, "what brings them there is what they come for"; but, if you get them there, then you can preach to them. Would the Lord be pleased if we make the church more like the world in order to get the world to come. In the early church, anyone who came to church invited persecution for themselves. The fastest growing churches today are the ones that are the most entertaining, without talking about Hell. This country's laws are based on Christianity, but now christianity is the only Faith that our Government persecutes. Satan and his people know that christians are God's people. This is part of the Apostasy. This apostasy must take place before 'That Day', the Day of the Lord. That day begins when Jesus takes the Church to heaven. We are in the great Apostasy now. The percentage of Born-Again christians in a congregation is diminishing. The church is becoming more worldly. The Rapture is fast approaching. Con