Apostacy in the Church

The Bible
clearly prophesies that the end times church will be
characterized by apostasy. The Oxford Dictionary explains that
apostasy is, "Abandonment of religious faith, vows and
principles." Paul said that the Antichrist will not be
revealed until "the apostasy comes first."
(2 Thessalonians 2:3). Jesus prophesied that "many will
fall away" and "many people’s love will
grow cold" (Matthew 24:10,12).

In the Book of Revelation, chapters 2 and 3, the Apostle John
records seven letters of Jesus to seven churches in the area of
modern day Turkey. Among other things, these letters present a
panoramic prophetic survey of the Church in history. The last of
the churches mentioned, the one that represents the Church of the
end times, is the church at Laodicea. It is pictured as a church
that is neither hot (healing) nor cold (refreshing), but rather
is lukewarm or tepid (bland). In short, it is a church that is
apathetic. Jesus also pictures it as a worldly church enamoured
with its wealth (Revelation 3:17). The Lord is so dissatisfied
with this church that He declares, "Because you are
lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my
mouth" (Revelation 3:16).

CLUES FROM THE APOSTLE PAUL

Paul supplies us with some strong clues as to why the end
times Church will be weak, vacillating, and full of apostasy. One
of those clues can be found in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 which says that
"the time will come when they [Christians] will not
endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled,
they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to
their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth,
and will turn aside to myths."

That time is here. The seed bed of apostasy is birthed by a
famine of the Word being taught. Most churches today are caught
up in "bubble-gum" church. No repentance from sin
preached. No blood. Just the mantra that "God is love"
with psychology and success motivation replacing solid Bible
teaching in sermons.

Another clue is located in Paul’s famous prophecy about
end time society, the one in 2 Timothy 3. After describing in
graphic detail how society will fall apart in the end times, Paul
adds that the basic reason will be due to people
"holding to a form of godliness, although they have
denied its power" (2 Timothy 3:5). There will be no
lack of religion, says Paul, but people will deny the true power
that is able to transform society for the good, producing peace,
righteousness and justice.

What is that power? First and foremost it is the power of the
blood of Jesus. It is also the power that comes from accepting
the Bible as the infallible Word of God. It is the power of
believing in a Creator God with whom all things are possible. And
certainly it includes a belief in the power of the Holy
Spirit.

Today, these essential beliefs, which constitute the power of
Christianity, are being subjected to an unparalleled assault from
within the Church itself. The Bible says that in the end times
people will mock the promise of the Lord’s return (2 Peter 3:3-4).
What is so shocking is that most of the mockery is coming
from within the Church!

THE ROOT OF APOSTASY

How have we reached this crisis point in the Church? It is
rooted in the German School of Higher Criticism which invaded
Seminaries in the 1920’s. According to the "scientific
approach" of this school of skeptics, the Bible is not the
revealed Word of God. The Bible is studied not to be believed and
obeyed but to be analyzed, dissected, and criticized.

We thought we had arrested this trend with Pentecost, when the
wonderful flood of the Holy Spirit invaded many nations. Sadly,
Pentecost is now looking as sick as a dog in the way it is
practised in so many churches. All around the world, we now have
an epidemic of false doctrine, apostasy, and high profile
ministries who are anything but representatives of Christ Jesus
whom we know and love. What hope have the sheep got when the
shepherds are actually wolves in sheep’s clothing?

The Church is under the most powerful attack we have ever
seen. Most Christians don’t realize or understand this
because the enemy’s main weapon is deception. It seems that
most Christians either don’t want to know or they are
deceived by the growing number of charlatans in the Church.

We record below a cross-section of ministries whose scandalous
actions have betrayed the Church and have opened it up to
powerful attack from the enemy. Our great concern is for the
sheep, who listen to these people and take on board what they
say, even if it is rubbish, simply because of their high profile
and perceived authority. We begin this "Christian"
apostate’s gallery with –

PAULA WHITE

Mega-Church Co-Pastor and international TV personality Paula
White, recently announced her divorce and stated "I am
not going to draw back." Loud applause then greeted
famed life coach and female televangelist Paula White at her
first public interview since the announcement of her divorce, as
she appeared on a show hosted by contemporary Christian music
artist Carman. Paula and Randy White, Co-Founders and former
Co-Pastors of Without Walls International in Tampa, Florida
– one of the fastest growing churches in the nation –
announced their decision to split at a Thursday evening service.
Married nearly 18 years, the couple blamed the two different
directions their lives were going. Both have been divorced
before!

Criticism from former staff said the Whites have shifted focus
to money and fame. Christian artist Carman said, "People
who don’t have the ‘wherewithal’ to assess the
situation should not judge." He told White that she is
at the top of her game right now. So there you have it, Paula
White and others now saying it’s okay to divorce and pursue
your own ministry as God wants us to succeed. The Bible is very
clear on the very small window of allowable grounds for divorce.
Expediency obviously replaces what the Bible says!

BISHOP JOHN SPONG

John Spong, Episcopal Bishop of New Jersey, has written books
in which he denies the virgin birth, denies the miracles of
Jesus, denies the resurrection, denies the Second Coming, and
argues that Paul and Timothy were homosexual lovers. Bishop Spong
has become so enamoured with other religions that he has
announced he will no longer witness to those caught up in the
spiritual darkness of pagan faiths!

This frequent visitor to Australia has recently retired, but
unfortunately his many books still affect the minds of far too
many with Spong’s antichrist spirit.

DR ROBERT SCHULLER

If there is anything that gets me cranky it’s watching
this bloke dressed up in robes like a peacock, teaching
unbiblical junk, all within the unbelievable luxury and wealth of
the Crystal Cathedral.

Among the things he teaches are that Jesus suffered the Cross
to feed His self-esteem. Schuller promotes TM, Zen and Yoga as
lifestyles which he says are not necessarily anti- Christian. As
Norman Vincent Peale’s leading disciple, he has outdone his
teacher with the development of his "gospel of possibility
thinking."

One of Schuller’s books calling for a "new
reformation" caused a firestorm of controversy. One writer
referred to Schuller as "a modern-day apostle of humanism.
In response, Schuller made an incredible comment that has haunted
him to this day. He said, "I don’t think anything
has been done in the name of Christ and under the banner of
Christianity that has proven more destructive to human
personality and, hence, counterproductive to the evangelism
enterprise than the often crude, uncouth, and unchristian
strategy of attempting to make people aware of their lost and
sinful condition." Really?

In a recent speech honoring an Islamic spiritual leader named
Alfred Mohammed, Schuller said that if he were to come back in
100 years and find his descendants to be Muslims, it
wouldn’t bother him!

Schuller teaches that the essence of Man’s problem is
low self-esteem. The Bible teaches it is sin and pride. Schuller
says that when Jesus referred in John 7:38 to "rivers of
living water" flowing out of believers, He was speaking
of self-esteem. Yet the very next verse explains that Jesus was
speaking of the Holy Spirit. Schuller argues that sin is anything
that robs us of our "divine dignity." The Bible says
sin is rebellion against God. As a writer for
‘Time’ put it in an article in 1985,
"For Schuller, an acknowledgment of self-worth, more
than a confession of sinfulness, is the path to
God."

NORMAN VINCENT PEALE

Peale became famous as the author of many best-selling books
including the blockbuster ‘The Power of Positive
Thinking.’ An example of his apostasy was aired live
on the Phil Donahue program. Peale announced,
"It’s not necessary to be born-again. You have
your way to God; I have mine. I found eternal peace in a Shinto
shrine … I’ve been to Shinto shrines, and God is
everywhere."

Phil Donahue was so shocked that he actually came to the
defence of Christianity. "But you’re a Christian
minister," he retorted, "And you’re
suppose to tell me that Christ is the way and the truth and the
life, aren’t you?" Peale replied,
"Christ is one of the ways. God is
everywhere."

Look again at Peale’s incredible statement:
"It’s not necessary to be born-again."
What did Jesus say? "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless
one is born-again, he cannot see the kingdom of God"
(John 3:3). Who are we to believe?

ROWAN WILLIAMS

In Great Britain, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan
Williams, head of the Church of England, has recently been in hot
water for suggesting that Shariah law be introduced into Britain
for Muslims. This follows on from a declaration he made that
Muslims can go to heaven even though they deny Christ.

Isn’t it amazing that most Christians could point this
educated Archbishop, and leader of millions, to the truth
regarding the only way of salvation as recorded in John 14:6,
"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to
the Father except through me."

Dr. Williams, an initiate of the ancient Druidic witchcraft
order as well as an Anglican "Christian" priest, has
chastened Christians for being stubborn in opposing
homosexuality. He angrily charged that those who are against the
gay lifestyle "lack grace." No we don’t. We love
the homosexual but hate the sin Mr Williams! He obviously reads
books on witchcraft instead of reading Romans 1:26-27.

Paul warns the Corinthian Church about such things. 2
Corinthians 11:3-4 says, "But I fear, lest somehow, as
the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be
corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who
comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you
receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a
different gospel which you have not accepted — you may well
put up with it!"

TED HAGGARD

Then we have the fiasco with Ted Haggard. This Pastor, from
one of the USA’s largest Pentecostal churches, based in
Colorado, was exposed as someone who was cavorting with male
prostitutes and distributing drugs for sexual stimulated
arousal.

This is the same man who was the so-called friend and
spokesman of Christian matters and counsel to President Bush in
the White House as well as the anti-homosexual Christian
lobby’s voice. No matter that Bush himself cavorts with the
same types of deviates, by allowing his own press stooge,
homosexual, male prostitute pimp Jeff Gannon unfettered access to
his private residence apparently at the same time as the Haggard
visits.

There is clear evidence alleging Bush as not only
pro-homosexual but also one himself. Check out the Franklin
Affair transcript of Bohemian Grove and its sordid facts and do
some research on the Skull and Bones initiation rites of which
Bush is a life member, and the evidence is there.

TIM LaHAYE

The ‘Left Behind’ series has made Tim
LaHaye the most successful Christian author in history. In his
book the ‘Power of The Cross’, the cover
shows a Cross inserted into a Crown.

This is the occultic symbol of the Knights Templar. In many
Masonic graphics this same symbol appears. One we have on file
shows the Cross and the Crown in the top left in the beard
portion of the Goat of Mendes pentagram. The Knights Templar,
with its Masonic connection, is a Luciferian, Illuminist secret
society that is dedicated to bringing in the New World Order. Is
this just a bad coincidence. We don’t think so!

The red wax seal of LaHaye’s ‘Prophecy
Bible’ contains a witchcraft hexagram which is one of
the most powerful tools that witches use to call up demons. The
letter "A" in alpha on the red seal is shaped exactly
like the blue Masonic device. LaHaye has other questionable
connections.

The Council of National Policy founded in 1981 by Tim LaHaye,
was sponsored financially by Rev Syung Moon! It is reported that
LaHaye received $500,000 from a Mr. Bo Hi Pak, Moons #1 man, and
a former Korean CIA officer. A tape exists showing LaHaye thanked
Pak for the money. Many of the CNP officers not only have a
strong association with Moon, but also powerful ties with the CIA
and the Council on Foreign Relations, not to mention association
with high level Freemasonry. A past President of CNP is Rich
DeVoss, cofounder of Amway (and 33rd degree Mason).

BENNY HINN

People don’t believe, or don’t want to believe
that their modern day heroes are flawed. Let’s look at a
few things this man has said and done. Hinn threatened his TV
viewers that those who didn’t double their giving in 1999
would not survive the year 2000. Even the donors who had already
called in their pledges were ordered to call back and increase
their giving or face the consequences. This certifies Benny Hinn
as a false prophet.

This isn’t the first time Hinn has prophesied falsely.
Back in 1989 he prophesied to his congregation at the Orlando
Christian Centre in Florida what he was seeing for the decade of
the 1990s. (1) "The Lord also tells me to tell you in
mid 90s - about ‘94 or ‘95, no later than that - God
will destroy the homosexual community of America …He will
destroy it with fire." (2)"The Spirit of God
tells me - an earthquake will hit the East Coast of America and
destroy much in the 90s." (3) "The Spirit
tells me - Fidel Castro will die in the 90s … Holy Spirit
just said to me, it’ll be worse than any death you can
imagine." We wonder what spirit was operating here?

Hinn, by his own confession, is a necromancer. The Bible says
that such a person is an abomination before the Lord. What did
Hinn do? He has been recorded many times as saying that he often
visits Kathryn Kuhlmann’s grave, and has lain down on top
of her grave to receive the healing anointing from her dead body!
He believes he has received her gift and anointing.

He curses those who correct him "I place a curse on
every man and woman that will stretch his hand against this
anointing. I curse that man who dares to speak a word against
this ministry." (Benny Hinn, TBN, 9/13/99) (The Bible
says - a curse without a cause cannot alight.)

The Editor was told personally by a senior Tour Guide in
Israel last year that 29 busloads of tourists led by Benny Hinn
had given $1500 per bus as a love gift to the Bus Captains and
Tour Guides as their tip. What Hinn’s organisation did not
know was that one of the guides was suspicious (and rightly so)
and counted the money before it was handed over. A little while
later the money was given back for distribution. Each bus
received $500! The sum that had been given as a love gift and tip
had $29,000 creamed off its total.

Here in a very recent meeting in Australia, Hinn encouraged
nearly two hundred people to step forward and make commitment of
one thousand dollars each, plus give up their valuable jewellery
and rings. At least 160 were counted at the altar, meaning
$160,000 plus valuables were collected in one haul. This was
apart from a general offering! The Courier Mail newspaper
recorded that he spoke continuously about silver and gold. Our
simple question is this. If Jesus was the minister, what would
Jesus do?