11-26-22 Apostacy and America

Apostacy and America – Terry James - https://terryjamesprophecyline.com/2022/05/24/apostacy-and-america/ We who look into Bible prophecy and try to understand things taking place that might have prophetic significance are often accused of approaching all this through an Amerocentric prism. That is, we concentrate too much on how it might apply to America. If we do this—and I concede that we do in much of our analysis—we look through this prism because America, as a nation, is so obviously guilty before God. This nation is the most materially blessed in all of human history. America is also one of the most spiritually blessed, in that the nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles by men who, if not Christian, at least chose to tether our founding to the unmovable pillars of biblical morality and reverence for human life. I say America is guilty because it takes a very little look into matters to see that we have strayed about as far from biblical precepts for conduct of life as possible. We’ve looked at the term apostasia lately. I expressed that I believe this term, found in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, might be both a spatial or physical departure and a spiritual or defection from faith departure. That portion of the scripture is as follows. 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. (2 Thessalonians 2:3) The term “falling away” here is the word apostasia in Greek, the language used to present the New Testament. While I continue to believe apostasia means “spatial departure,” certainly students of Bible prophecy, if honest in their analysis of American society and culture, can’t but conclude that there has taken place a profound apostasia, or spiritual departure, in this highly blessed nation. We cannot look to American society and culture in general to determine whether it is true that there has been a profound departure from the faith–a spiritual apostasia. The vast American populace of any generation has and is now in a lost condition. That is, people who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior are in the great majority. These have not fallen away, as prophesied in the 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 passage above. They can’t because they have never been in the salvation category; one cannot fall from a position they have never occupied. The only way to fall away is to have once been in that higher position. Now let’s not get confused. We aren’t talking about losing one’s salvation. Nothing and nobody can snatch the believer from God’s mighty hand once they have experienced salvation through belief in the Lord Jesus Christ–God’s only way to redemption and Heaven for eternity. (Read John 14: 6 and Romans 8: 38-39). Apostasia, in the spiritual sense of falling away, or spiritual departure, involves those who have falsely professed Christ as Savior—who have professed only in the faith system of Christianity, but not in Christ, Himself, for their salvation. They have never truly believed in God’s one and only way to Himself in the redemption process. So, in the spiritual sense, America is likely the most notable nation of this last-days falling away or apostasia. America has the largest number of professing adherents to the system called Christendom, but those aren’t necessarily a part of the true Christian faith. The question, then, is do we see a movement away from that faith system known as Christendom? The following gives a resounding answer: NAPLES, Florida (LifeSiteNews) – A “Christian” church in Florida plans to host on Saturday an LGBTQ “Youth Pride Conference,” featuring a drag show and a “sex education” talk by a Planned Parenthood speaker. The event, which is being run by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), is advertised as “an exploration of LGBTQ issues facing today’s youth,” “organized by and for LGBTQ students.” The host church, the Naples United Church of Christ (Naples UCC), styles itself as a “progressive church in terms of openness to a wide theological spectrum and the wide variety of lifestyles and orientations in our culture.” In addition to a drag show featuring “local drag queens,” the event will hold a variety of talks during breakout sessions, with themes including “Forbidden Queer Literature,” “Inclusive Sex Education,” with Kathryn Ross, who works for Planned Parenthood, “Coming Out,” and “Navigating a Religious Identity.” (“Christian’ church to host LGBT youth event with drag show, ‘sex ed’ talk from Planned Parenthood,” LifeSite, Rapture Ready News, May 18, 2022) America has, it would seem, been chosen in a way by God for special purposes, including to be the physical protector of Israel during its rebirth and to the end of this age. Therefore, America has been blessed by the Almighty, from her own birth, with founding fathers who held to godly precepts. No other nation has been more steeped in the Christian faith than has the United States. Therefore, the Amerocentric view in consideration of whether we can see spiritual defection or apostasia in this time so near the end of the Age of Grace (Church Age) is relevant and even essential. It is sad to consider that our nation might have already lost God’s blessings, but we must consider that possibility. We can, individually, continue to receive our God’s blessings by remaining faithful in every way to His high calling–to look to Jesus Christ with all our praise and to look to Him to guide our pathways. Above all, we must do our utmost to avoid the mistakes of the people God condemns no matter the generation. We see that condemnation in His words through the prophet Jeremiah. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. (Jeremiah 8: 12)