The Great Falling Away

2nd Thessalonians 2:1-4
“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

The day of the Lord will NOT come unless the falling away comes FIRST! Jesus will not be returning to this earth without a falling away of those who profess His name.

According to current statistics there are approximately 2.1 billion professing Christians in the world. (Adherents.com)

In 2006, A Baylor University study said, about 34 percent of us -- fully 100 million Americans are Evangelical. That's an umbrella term covering dozens of denominations, as well as hundreds of independent churches. (CNN.com)

This is what Jesus said would happen during the beginning of sorrows:

Matthew 24:7-12
“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”

Understand that Jesus is talking to His disciples about what would happen to those like them in the future, He said “Then they will deliver YOU up to tribulation and KILL YOU, and YOU will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake (JESUS). Now these are the very words of God saying that there will be NO secret ‘rapture’ of Christians. And not only will those who profess the name of Jesus be delivered up to tribulation, killed, and hated, but they will be offended, they will betray one another, and WILL hate one another.

Now ask yourself this question: What would make any of the 2.1 Billion Jesus confessing, Spirit filled, God loving, Jesus following, bible reading, gospel sharing Christians fall away? Be offended? Betray one another? Hate one another? And cause their love to grow cold?

I have been meditating on these scriptures and the Spirit of God has been pointing me towards a few scenarios that I believe are possible during these last days that we are living in.

1) When Jesus says there will be famines, pestilences, and great earth quakes in various places is He excluding America? Not according to prophecy. Many prophecies have already been received about a great earth quake coming to California and the devastation that will follow, testing those prophecies by scripture leads me to believe that when these things come upon this country the millions of professing Christians in America who believe in the false teaching of the rapture will realize that they are NOT going to be raptured up but will be on this earth during times of distress, persecution, and tribulation, having believed a lie they will be dismayed and stunned. They will revolt against those who told them the lie, and they will most likely revolt against God, blaming Him for all that is happening to them. This could cause a great falling away.

2) Because millions of Christians believe in the false teaching of praying Jesus into your heart, these professing Christians will NOT receive the Spirit of God and will have no power to overcome sin, the world, themselves, or Satan, and will quickly fall away when tribulation and persecution comes for the name of Jesus.

3) The one world religion that will be established could cause a great falling away as well. When many Christians and denominations align themselves with all the world’s religions making a claim that all roads lead to God. Possibly lead by the anti-christ and the false prophet.

These are a few scenarios that are very possible in the coming months and years. One thing is for sure, the word of the Lord will be fulfilled; His word is true and never fails.

With Sincere Love In Christ,
Tyrone D Palmer, servant, and apostle of Christ