HILLSONG

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Hillsong Church’s International Ministry Director Darren Kitto claimed he would need to cover nearly $50,000 in pool expenses in 2018 as part of a $125,000 housing allowance for a Newport Beach, California, home he purchased in the Santa Ana Heights neighborhood for $1.85 million that features a “portable spa.”

The details on Kitto’s housing allowance claim for 2018 were highlighted in a trove of documents first made public on March 9 by Andrew Wilkie, an independent member of the Australian Parliament, thanks to the work of a whistleblower.

Last days church: what did Jesus have to say about the church that is left behind after the rapture of the Saints.

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Revelation 3:15-19

BRAVE NEW WORLD OF A.I.

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Excerpts from Wallace Henley’s latest book “Who Will Rule The Coming Gods – The looming spiritual crisis of A.I.”

The existential crisis is that in the very age when the recognition of and reverence for the transcendence of our creator God is being jettisoned, technology is on the verge of dramatic breakthroughs in robotics. Where do these people think intelligence comes from? Certainly not from matter or energy.

In the rush to make artificial intelligence machines to better serve us, humans, the wizards of the cyber world are making machines that many predict will master us. Some are already worshiping at the feet of the great god AI just as the ancient Philistines once bowed before Dagon idols. However, “AI operates at the level of syntax and cosyntics (code+syntax), but lacks semantics, pragmatics, and apobetics” Gitt, W., Without Excuse, Creation Book Publishers, Atlanta, GA, 2011. Apobetics is the highest level of the information hierarchy. It questions the purpose, objective, plan or design, being transmitted in order for the receiver to achieve the desired successful goal or outcome. (It is derived from the Greek word, apobeinon.)

Stephen Hawking warned of an age when AI could develop a will of its own, a will that is in conflict with ours and which could destroy us…“We stand on a threshold of a brave new world,” one needing “effective management in all areas of its development.” (Stephen Hawking predicted a race of superhumans will take over the world,” by Nick Whigham, news.com.au, October 15, 2018)

The development of artificial intelligence promises either a brilliant future or a threat to the very survival of humans. Much will depend on the ethical values and moral codes programmed into the machines.

“If AI transcends into Big Brother in a way that appears to be the best thing for society, I’m worried the masses will buy it without vetting,” writes Lindsay Bell, a specialist in content marketing.

Considering such possibilities and portents many questions arise, like these:

  • Who will rule over the new gods? (Which is another way of asking: What will artificial intelligence regard as having transcendent authority over it?)
  • Who decides the values and ethical boundaries that will govern the machines that might have godlike status in the future?
  • Who will be the equivalent in the future of Orwell’s ‘Party’ that controls the god-like machines?”

To borrow words from C.S. Lewis in The Abolition of Man: Are people “without chests” building artificial intelligence robots “without chests”? Can we really expect such devices to “honor” and serve us, or is it inevitable we will awaken to the terrifying reality that we have “traitors in our midst” of our own making?

God has written His laws on the human heart, says the Bible. (Romans 2:15) But who is constructing the algorithms of ethical and moral criteria that will determine good and bad in the operating system of an AI machine?

Thus, the most troubling question of all: Who indeed will rule the coming “gods”?

Fortunately, we know the answer to that troubling question. God has told us in His Word, the Bible but it along with God, Himself is being jettisoned. Hence many, including many in our churches, do not know what the Bible teaches about Jesus soon coming return to rescue the Saints, to destroy the works of the devil, and pour out His wrath on an unrepentant world with the trumpet and bowl judgements.

Because the time before Jesus returns to earth is a time of tribulation that escalates into great tribulation for Christians with the appearance of the Antichrist, God provides us with great detail in His Word of what will transpire at that time so that we know He is still in control of the events. In fact, it is obvious to us now that much of His so-called church is so lukewarm that He will spew it out of His mouth (church of Laodicea). It has compromised with the world and its values: homosexuality, gay marriage, and transgender issues and even teaching that Jesus is not the only way back to God.

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Revelation 3:15:19

MANY CHURCH GOERS WILL CHOOSE APOSTASY

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Jesus tells us that faced with the choice of persecution unto death or apostasy, many churchgoers will, unfortunately, choose apostasy. They will deny Jesus is the son of God and live for a short period of time longer than their faithful brothers. In both Luke and Matthew, we learn they will even betray their brothers and sisters who remain faithful. This is a horrible and almost unthinkable situation. Jesus says the love of “many” will become cold. I believe the parable of the ten virgins reveals that as many as 50% of people in our churches are not born again and they will choose apostasy rather than martyrdom. At greatest risk may be those people who were expecting to be “snatched away” in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.“

Do you trust God enough to be with you through whatever He calls you to do even martyrdom? Do you remember what happened when Stephen was stoned to death?

But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God… And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” Acts 7:55-56, 59-60

In the following passage in Philippians, Paul builds on Jesus’s instructions to be fearless in the face of persecution. First, he admonishes Christians to stand firmly together. It is this unity in faith that accomplishes God’s goal. Standing firm in persecution, a unified Church is living in a manner worthy of the gospel. Earlier Paul states that “to live is Christ, to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). If we truly believe that Gospel message, what will we fear? When persecutors see Christians standing in absolute faith that a better life and reward is coming, it is a witness to the persecutors of both their coming judgment and the sure salvation of God. This is God’s battle plan. How many millions of our opponents will see this and be converted by this faithful act of witness?

“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.” Philippians 1:27-30

THE GREATEST RISKS AHEAD FOR CHRISTIANS

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What will be the greatest risk for Christians in the years ahead? What does God tell us will happen in the last days? One thing is clear, Jesus tells us that God initiates a lot of events to alert us, so we will be prepared particularly for the coming persecution. The tribulation will intensify to great tribulation when the Antichrist claims to be God.

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” Matthew 24:21-22

Jesus wants us to be bold and courageous, to be overcomers, at this time doing what He has called us to do. We have been entrusted with the Holy Spirit to guide our every step. Whatever happens, we can be sure He will be with us through it all, just as He was with Stephen.

“And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” Acts 7:59-60

In fact, all of these “end times” events (birth pangs) start at the same time, it is a multi-crisis and that is exactly what we see playing out right now.

“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:7-13

http://www.lastdaysovercomer.org. Get the free book – 10 Signs the Last Days have already Begun

You need to watch this video by Nelson Walters and make sure you check out the new website and download the free book.

END TIMES APOSTATE CHURCH

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Foley Beach, Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, provocatively but convincingly calls “neo-pagan Anglicanism”—Anglican in style but not substance.

Speaking with a prophetic mantle, Beach observes that “liberal innovations in theology and sexual ethics” are hidden within an orthodox façade, comparable, I would say, to the Trojan horse: This so-called gift to Anglicans in North America and Great Britain signals ruin. He bemoans:

“Neo-pagan Anglicanism is beautifully packaged in some of the most elegant liturgy, music, and tradition in Christianity. But it has become liturgy for the sake of liturgy, music for the sake of music, and tradition for the sake of tradition. As the apostle Paul wrote, they are “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5). And as Athanasius argued against Arius’s heresy, the Jesus whom they promote is not the Jesus of which the Bible speaks.“

As a result of this tragic accommodation to culture, Beach eschews the flaccid slogans of Canterbury and New York City about “communion across difference,” “mutual flourishing,” and “walking together” because there can be no truce with heretics and schismatics who advance a counterfeit gospel (Romans 16:17–18). Estranged Anglicans in the Global North, he argues, can address their “ecclesial deficit” by joining forces with Anglican leaders from the Global South, who, beginning in 2008, formed the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), which has continued to serve as a vital reform movement: “As colonial and aging wineskins continue to promote neo-pagan beliefs and practices, the new wine of Christ’s continuing redemptive work will burst out to transform lives and renew our churches among the nations.”

I would like to think that Beach is right that GAFCON “will burst out to transform lives and renew our churches” but I do not believe the institutional church is capable of doing it.

C. S. Lewis envisioned Christianity as a house with “a hall out of which doors open into several rooms.” The rooms are ecclesial traditions that offer disciples a fire for warmth, a chair for rest, and a meal for nourishment and fellowship, whereas the hall is “mere” Christianity, a place where disciples greet and gift each other with riches from their respective rooms.

The Book of Acts describes the early church meeting in homes and the church in various cities, like the church in Antioch or the church in Caesarea were a collection of house churches but one church and the leaders of those house churches would often meet to deal with issues that sought to divide the church in that city. The “end times” persecuted church will be like the church in the Book of Acts and like we are now seeing in places where the church is already under intense persecution like in Africa, China, Middle East. Moreover, we are hearing amazing stories of the tremendous growth of the church in Iran.

THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS NO LONGER FEAR GOD

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A new study released by the Southern Baptist Convention-affiliated Lifeway Research titled the “State of Theology, found that 60% of U.S. adults believe that religious beliefs are “a matter of personal opinion” and “not about objective truth.”

Scott McConnell, the executive director of Lifeway Research, said in a statement released Monday that he believed the COVID-19 pandemic played a factor in the findings. 

“Religious identity, beliefs, and behavior are interrelated,” said McConnell. “When in-person church attendance behaviors were interrupted and habits were broken, it affected some Americans’ beliefs about the need to gather with other believers to worship.”

“Many Americans think about God as if He had only revealed Himself in a vague, nondescript way. They seem to fill in the gaps with whatever they want to believe,” McConnell stated.

“This creates sharp contrasts between what Americans believe about God and how He revealed himself in great detail in the Bible.”

“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them… For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.” Matthew 24:3,7-10

It is interesting that the study revealed that a little over half of U.S. adults (53%) still say sex outside of traditional marriage is a sin, in contrast to 42% who disagree. In fact, it marks an increase in Americans who see non-marital sex as sinful compared to 2016 when 49% said it was sinful which is a hopeful sign.

The study reported that 46% of Americans believe that the Bible’s condemnation of homosexual behavior is not relevant today, while 42% believe that it is still relevant. 

“Discussions of sin are inherently theological because they explore whether God set standards and what behaviors miss this mark,” McConnell noted. 

“So, those who acknowledge certain behaviors as sin are acknowledging a deity’s standards. This is a different discussion than whether society agrees on an ethical standard of conduct that we determine.”

Just as God’s nation Israel fell away from understanding God as Creator and the one whom they should fear. America a nation founded on knowing and fearing God likewise is falling away fast and opening the nation up to God’s judgment and ultimate wrath.

“Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it.” Deuteronomy 10:14

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?” Deuteronomy 12:11-13

Jesus told us beforehand that in the last days before His return that people would no longer believe He exists and to be feared, as a result, lawlessness will increase.

“And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:12-13

Will you be one of those that endure to the end and as a result be saved?

TRUTH ABOUT DECLINE IN WESTERN DEMOCRACIES

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The following is taken from The Hon. John Anderson AC inaugural Tim Fischer Oration in Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on 18th August 2022, where he spoke on the factors behind Australia’s political division, cultural breakdown, and intergenerational inequality.

Jesus said, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4

“Any critical assessment of the West will be found profoundly inadequate without acknowledgment of the crucial influence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

History reveals the boons of the West – prosperity, democracy, science, mass literacy, modern freedom, commitment to humility, and service of others – emerged from Christianity. Indeed, our longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia in the 50’s and ’60s, said that “democracy is more than a machine; it is a spirit. It is based upon the Christian conception that there is in every human soul a spark of the divine.”

For Menzies, democracy could work only if we remember that “with all their inequalities of mind and body, the souls of men stand equal in the sight of God”.

And so we must ask: Can the best of Western civilization survive without its spiritual nourishment any more than a flower plucked from its soil?

In the case of the West, including Australia in particular, the God that inspired many of our great feats of architecture, the rise of modern human rights, and modern democracy, was no philosopher’s God.

He was the personal, redemptive God of Abraham, who became flesh in Jesus Christ.

Properly understood, the cross is the ultimate act of extraordinary love and service. Christianity demands of us the humility to use power only for the betterment of others, not for ourselves. Much as the demonstration of the cross was in stark contrast to the lust for domination that characterized the Roman Empire in the first century, it still stands in stark contrast to the grasping for power that so marks our modern life.

How many aspirants to our nation’s highest political office would even know that the term “Prime Minister” actually means “first servant”: ‘minister’ – from the Latin meaning ‘inferior’ or ‘servant’?

Tim Fischer rose to one of the highest offices in the land seeking to use power for the benefit of others rather than himself.

It was through millions of people turning to Jesus that Western civilization as we know it was achieved. And yet Jesus did not come to save civilizations, all of which he assured us would ultimately fade away, but to save individuals through faith in Him. May none of us miss this ultimate point.

It was in this Christian milieu that character and service prevailed to give us what we now so enjoy, but tend to take for granted. It was this civilization that blessed us with men of character like Tim Fischer. It is in this context that I stress the need for courage, truth, and engagement if we are to survive, as free people, the challenges of our age.”

WARS AND RUMOURS OF WARS

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Wars and rumours of wars are just one of the early end times signs that Jesus spoke of when asked by the disciples about His second coming and the end of the world.

Russia has been massing some 100,000 troops plus logistics to support them in what looks like an impending invasion of Ukraine.  In response, President Biden is sending 3,000 American soldiers to Poland and Romania, which border Ukraine.

New satellite images show battle groups and a vehicle park in Yelnya, Russia, on January 19, 2022.
SATELLITE IMAGE 2021 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES

What would be the consequence if those Americans are fired upon?  What if Russia moves on the Baltic Republics (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), also the home of a large Russian minority with grievances?  They are members of NATO, in which an attack on one member nation is considered an attack on them all.  If the Russians move on Estonia, all of the European members and the United States would be obliged by treaty to go to war with Russia.  Most of the NATO nations have little military capabilities these days, trusting the United States to bear all of the costs involved.

China and Russia, once rivals have made formal alliances with each other.  Not only that, both countries have made formal alliances with Iran, drawing the explosive Middle East into the global political alignments.  In fact, these three countries are already being called “a new Axis.”  (See, for example, this analysis:  As America Sleeps, a Dangerous Axis Develops.)

China’s threats against Taiwan keep intensifying.  Its much-expanded navy, its cutting-edge military technology, and its saber-rattling incursions of intimidation into the waters of other Asian countries are of concern. The Chinese ambassador has explicitly threatened “military conflict” with the U.S. if they support Taiwan in its continued claims of independence.

President Biden and the Pentagon turned what should have been an orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan into a humiliating rout.  A military that can’t even pull off a successful retreat will seem unlikely to be able to stage a successful attack.  The spectacle of the vaunted American military running away from the barely-equipped Taliban and even leaving behind some of their own people has surely emboldened their adversaries. They even abandoned hundreds of billions of dollars of military equipment and disgracefully turned their backs on their friends and allies. This could be seen in the ridicule that came from Russia and  China, which called the U.S. a “paper tiger.”

As well as wars and rumours of wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in many countries are other end times signs occurring now. Covid is the most notable. Apostate churches, false prophets and teachers, and lawlessness are also significant signs.

“And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that you are not alarmed: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death: and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one that endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:6:14

Whilst tribulation is ahead, the indwelling Holy Spirit will guide our steps to lead many to Jesus and bring glory to God. Look up your redemption is approaching.

“Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:28

FAMINES AND PESTILENCES IN THE “END TIMES”

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End times signs given by Jesus include famines and pestilences. Both are occurring in our times along with so many of the other signs such as apostasy and lawlessness.

“Then he (Jesus) said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and in various places famines and pestilences.“

“And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:12-13

The Good News is that churches are rising to the occasion providing opportunities to complete the Great Commission.

Extreme poverty and food insecurity are on the rise.

In 2020, Oxfam and The World Food Bank predicted that half a billion people would be pushed into extreme poverty and a “famine of biblical proportions” would be ushered in by the pandemic. Today, we’re seeing those predictions play out:

  • 296 million people worldwide are going without food — a statistic that’s up 111 million from April 2020.
  • 56% of the world’s children now lack access to education or health services (up from 47%).
  • And the estimated number of COVID-induced poor is expected to rise from 119 million to 124 million. 

World Relief President and CEO Myal Greene reflected, “The pandemic is basically undoing a decade’s worth of human development around the world in terms of progress in getting people out of poverty. We’re certainly seeing that in many of the communities where we work.”

COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting those in already vulnerable situations. 

When Mount Nyiragongo erupted in DR Congo earlier this year, coronavirus was not the first concern on anyone’s mind. “When people were fleeing, nobody cared about COVID-19 preventive measures,” said Jean Nyandwi, World Relief DR Congo Country Director. 

“After the people who had fled returned back to the city, the government announced the third wave of COVID-19,” he continued. “We believe partly this volcanic eruption may have increased COVID-19 cases.” 

While the volcanic eruption may have increased people’s exposure to the virus, a lack of access to vaccines, as well as vaccine hesitancy, is most certainly putting women and men at a greater risk of contracting the virus. 

In a country that already faces one of the world’s worst food security crises, vulnerability to one crisis made increased vulnerability to the COVID crisis inevitable.

And these stories of increased vulnerability are not unique to DR Congo. Across the globe, those in vulnerable situations are experiencing outsized impacts of the pandemic. 

“It’s making the poor poorer,” Nyandwi said. “When people get sick, they have to pay for their hospital bills. Burials also cost money. Many people have lost their jobs. Prices have increased for basic commodities, particularly in the city of Goma, and likely this is true for the rest of the country as well.”

And it’s not just the poorest of the poor who are being affected.

When we talk about the poorest of the poor, we’re referring to those who live on less than $2 a day. That number is increasing by several hundred million people globally, and that is significant. 

But, as Greene mentioned in a recent interview, “other tiers of poverty are also increasing as people are moving down the scale of development. We’ve had to do food distributions among middle-income populations where we haven’t typically had to do such activities before.”

This was the case in Cambodia where an April lockdown affected people like Grandma Phyn Phally who lives in Phnom Penh province. Like many small business owners, Phun Phally relies on daily market sales to afford food and basic necessities. Job losses and decreased incomes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have made it harder for people like her to afford these necessities, and this latest round of shutdowns only intensified the fragile situation. 

“The Covid-19 pandemic has caused the government to limit travel during this time, so I and my family members are unable to go out and do business and earn money,” Phun Phally said. “Because our family owns a small business, we don’t have as much money to spend over such a lengthy period of time. That is something we are very concerned about.”

Churches and local communities are being equipped to respond.

In Cambodia, World Relief partnered with local churches to supply and distribute food relief packages to the neediest households in Phnom Penh. Grandma Phun Phally was one of the recipients. 

“Thank God. He heard our plea and answered it,” she said. “A food shipment from WRC, our church’s partner, was another blessing. This package is extremely beneficial to us in continuing to fight through this difficult period…Pray for everyone to come out on top in this difficult situation.”

In total, World Relief Cambodia gave $20,000 in grants, which funded food relief packages for 1,378 families. 

World Relief continues to reach local communities across the globe with accurate COVID-19 prevention messages. Thanks to a $2.3 million grant from USAID, this work is expanding in DR Congo, Kenya, Malawi and Rwanda.

Churches and faith leaders are being equipped and mobilized to rally their congregations and communities around infection prevention efforts including supplying community members with cloth masks, handwashing soap, and other community care supplies while also providing accurate information about COVID-19 vaccines.

Faith leaders, who are often seen as trustworthy authorities in local communities, are playing a key role in accelerating equitable access to and widespread use of COVID-19 vaccinations and prevention measures.  God often uses catastrophes for His purposes. Check out my post “God Uses Catastrophes for His Purposes” September 21st, 2020

PROPHESIED “END TIMES” FALLING AWAY

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George Barna, the lead researcher at the Cultural Research Center, explained in a statement. “’Christian’ has become somewhat of a generic term rather than a name that reflects a deep commitment to passionately pursuing and being like Jesus Christ.”

Of an estimated 176 million American adults who identify as Christian, just 6% or 15 million of them actually hold a biblical worldview, a new study from Arizona Christian University shows.

The study shows, in general, that while a majority of America’s self-identified Christians, including many who identify as evangelical, believe that God is all-powerful, all-knowing and is the Creator of the universe, more than half reject a number of biblical teachings and principles, including the existence of the Holy Spirit.

Strong majorities also errantly believe that all religious faiths are of equal value, people are basically good and that people can use acts of goodness to earn their way into Heaven. The study further showed that majorities don’t believe in moral absolutes; consider feelings, experience, or the input of friends and family as their most trusted sources of moral guidance; and say that having faith matters more than which faith you pursue.

Worship
Parishioners of Lakewood Church led by Pastor Joel Osteen pray together during a service at the church in Houston, Texas, on September 3, 2017

One of the most disturbing results was that most adult US Christians don’t believe Holy Spirit is real. Some 62% of self-identified born-again Christians contend that the Holy Spirit is not a real, living being but is merely a symbol of God’s power, presence or purity. These people obviously do not believe the Bible is God’s Word because it reveals that unless a person is born again with the Holy Spirit, Jesus will say to them on judgement day “depart from me I do not know you”. Jesus told the disciples the Parable of the Ten Virgins to show us what the church will be like in the last days before His return. All were asleep when He came and half were not born again.

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise... the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’” Matthew 25:1-12

With most of the denominational churches in the USA accepting gay marriage and transgender priests it is obvious that these Cultural Research Center figures are an accurate depiction of the church and fits with the Bible’s prophesied apostasy in the last days.