What will cause the great falling away?
MT 24:10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
I bet you have some great friends, I know I do. I believe they would drop everything to be there for me just as I would for them. Local churches are full of groups that consider themselves close. Yet Jesus says in the end times that MANY of these “friends” will betray and hate each other.
I bet you know some sweet believers, I know I do. I believe they would take a bullet rather than deny their faith. Local churches are full of believers that would not for a moment think that they were vulnerable to falling away. Yet, Jesus says that MANY of these believers will turn away from the faith.
What could cause people who love each other to betray and hate each other? What could cause people who are excited about being believers to turn away from the faith? We could contemplate the circumstances that might bring that about. What about worldwide famine, worldwide persecution, or both with people being rewarded with food to turn in the remaining christians? Would that be enough to cause the great falling away? Well, those things certainly wouldn’t help the situation. But no, the answer is Shallow Roots are the culprit.
I recall a conversation I had with my pastor, standing in a hospital corridor while my wife lay a few doors down with what had just been termed inoperable cancer. My pastor asked me how I was coping and I opined that my evangelical foundation was more useful to me in these times of trouble than my charismatic experience. You see, over the previous 7 years MANY people of faith with good intent had stood around us like cheerleaders echoing phrases that lacked root. “Everything is going to be fine!” , “Just have faith.” , “I have a good feeling about..”, “God has such good plans for you, there is no way he would cut her life short..”
Don’t get me wrong, we both believed in healing, and I still believe that God heals people today. I have participated in effective healing prayer many times. But she died. After 7 years of anointing with oil, standing in faith, and enlisting a great crowd of believers and churches in other states and countries to pray and believe with us, she died. But I did not fall away. Many people, especially non-believers don’t understand why I didn’t abandon the faith when in their eyes God abandoned me.
But I didn’t fall away because I didn’t come to rely on paperback theology, false assumptions, or empty rhetoric. God was faithful to me in so many ways. He spoke to me several times during her sickness. He told me that even Lazarus died again after Jesus had raised him up. He reminded me of eternity and that this life isn’t about us, its about His Kingdom and His Glory. He allowed me to be there when she went to be with Jesus and I saw the reflection of heaven in her face as she went.
Are you satisfied with shallow responses to the quickly deteriorating circumstances all around you?
Dig some roots, trade in shallow and empty rhetoric for an honest risk assessment, focus on timeless principles and timely actions. You are going to need a durable faith for the times ahead so you can refuse to participate in the great falling away, so you can continue to provide and protect for your family, so you can have something to share with those in need, so you can stand firm to the end.
I bet you have some great friends, I know I do. I believe they would drop everything to be there for me just as I would for them. Local churches are full of groups that consider themselves close. Yet Jesus says in the end times that MANY of these “friends” will betray and hate each other.
I bet you know some sweet believers, I know I do. I believe they would take a bullet rather than deny their faith. Local churches are full of believers that would not for a moment think that they were vulnerable to falling away. Yet, Jesus says that MANY of these believers will turn away from the faith.
What could cause people who love each other to betray and hate each other? What could cause people who are excited about being believers to turn away from the faith? We could contemplate the circumstances that might bring that about. What about worldwide famine, worldwide persecution, or both with people being rewarded with food to turn in the remaining christians? Would that be enough to cause the great falling away? Well, those things certainly wouldn’t help the situation. But no, the answer is Shallow Roots are the culprit.
Mt 13: 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.The man with shallow roots was unprepared for trouble and persecution. He may have been following Jesus for the bread and fish he was handing out or because he was famous. But when times got hard, he either determined that this is not what he had signed up for, or he simply chose to give up rather than continue suffering. I suspect that you have seen an individual fall away. I know I have. Perhaps you have felt the temptation yourself in the midst of suffering circumstances. Why do some fall away but others do not?
I recall a conversation I had with my pastor, standing in a hospital corridor while my wife lay a few doors down with what had just been termed inoperable cancer. My pastor asked me how I was coping and I opined that my evangelical foundation was more useful to me in these times of trouble than my charismatic experience. You see, over the previous 7 years MANY people of faith with good intent had stood around us like cheerleaders echoing phrases that lacked root. “Everything is going to be fine!” , “Just have faith.” , “I have a good feeling about..”, “God has such good plans for you, there is no way he would cut her life short..”
Don’t get me wrong, we both believed in healing, and I still believe that God heals people today. I have participated in effective healing prayer many times. But she died. After 7 years of anointing with oil, standing in faith, and enlisting a great crowd of believers and churches in other states and countries to pray and believe with us, she died. But I did not fall away. Many people, especially non-believers don’t understand why I didn’t abandon the faith when in their eyes God abandoned me.
But I didn’t fall away because I didn’t come to rely on paperback theology, false assumptions, or empty rhetoric. God was faithful to me in so many ways. He spoke to me several times during her sickness. He told me that even Lazarus died again after Jesus had raised him up. He reminded me of eternity and that this life isn’t about us, its about His Kingdom and His Glory. He allowed me to be there when she went to be with Jesus and I saw the reflection of heaven in her face as she went.
1The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 1 tim 4:1My “friends”, I believe we are living in the end times. I believe that times will soon be upon us where those who have shallow roots will be sorely tempted to turn away from their faith in order to do what they must to survive including turning in their other “friends” for reward and recognition.
Are you satisfied with shallow responses to the quickly deteriorating circumstances all around you?
- It could never happen here..(Hurricane Katrina)
- We are a modern economy with a strong currency (Argentina)
- He is an elected leader bound by a constitution (Hitler)
- The things we worry about most rarely happen (Noah/Joseph/EndTimes)
- It will probably be fifty years or more until we see a one world government (No man knows the day)
Dig some roots, trade in shallow and empty rhetoric for an honest risk assessment, focus on timeless principles and timely actions. You are going to need a durable faith for the times ahead so you can refuse to participate in the great falling away, so you can continue to provide and protect for your family, so you can have something to share with those in need, so you can stand firm to the end.
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