The questions that most Christians do not ask is, what have they been saved into? Are they actually disciples of Jesus Christ and His teachings or are they disciples of a different jesus and other gospels? Have they been deceived and deluded by false teachers? Sadly, most really don’t want to know if the path they are following will actually lead to eternal life. They just assume what they have been told is true. The answer many would give is why would I ask such a question because I have done all that was required by the church I attend. Most will say I have done what was required by the Catholic church, Orthodox church, the Protestant - the Baptist, Lutheran, Reformed, Methodist, Pentecostal, and the many, many others under the Protestant umbrella. You also have independents, but if you look closely, their theology and doctrines will be similar to the denominations they say they are not part of. Every group who calls themselves the church makes disciples, and each group truly believes they are making disciples of Jesus Christ. This makes sense because the church was told Matthew 28:18 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Daniel prophesied, Daniel 7:13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” The church would go out with that same authority and power and make disciples. The disciple part is right but what kind of disciples are being made?
The church was supposed to continue to do as Jesus did in the same power and authority you just read about. These are the kind of disciples God seeks. John 4:23 “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” When the Spirit is present, there is power. The disciples were told, Luke 24:48 “You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Jesus had said, John 7:37 “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” What we saw in the gospels was a prelude to the power the church would be given at Pentecost. After Pentecost, the church made up of disciples, would have the same power and authority to go out and do as Jesus did. In that same power and authority more disciples would go and do the same. The church was supposed to explode across the globe and then the end would come. Israel was supposed to go right into the land of promise, but rebellion changed that, and many died in the desert. Peter said 2 Peter 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” Peter also said 2 Peter 3:8 “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” The church rebelled and did not speed up the day of God, but slowed it down. It has been over 2000 years and millions have died in the desert just as Jesus described. Matthew 24:22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.” People did not test the spirits and false disciples were made who also went out and led many astray. This is why we are told 1 John 4:1 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
Because of false teachers, the disciples that were made looked nothing like the disciples Jesus anointed and sent out. The disciples Jesus called were supposed to continue to be made. Jesus gave the disciples power and authority to do as He did, and this anointing and sending out was not supposed to stop as the whole church would be given that same power and authority to go out and do as Jesus did. It is not hard to imagine how fast the world the world would have been transformed. But instead of doing as Jesus did, disciples of the churches above did not go out with power and authority and the world was deceived. Disciples were supposed to look like Jesus and do as He did. John 14:12 “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Paul said, 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” What we saw Jesus do, the disciples would do. Matthew 4:23 “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.” Matthew 10:1 “Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.”
Then the church would do as Jesus did. Acts 5:12 “The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” People will say that was just the apostles, but here we see waiters of tables who were filled with the Spirit do the same. Acts 6:2 “So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” Acts 8:4 “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.”
Jesus said He would build His church, and the building of His church would be done through disciples with great power, power that came from on High. Matthew 16:18 “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” But doing as Jesus did with great power and authority would not last long because the church quickly, even during the life of Paul, rebelled and turned away from the word of God. As we saw all through the Old Testament, Israel and Judah were defeated when they refused to obey God’s word. Solomon was told 2 Chronicles 7:17 “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, 18 I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to rule over Israel.’ 19 “But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. 21 This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 22 People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why he brought all this disaster on them.’” Jeremiah 22:1 “This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and proclaim this message there: 2 ‘Hear the word of the Lord to you, king of Judah, you who sit on David’s throne—you, your officials and your people who come through these gates. 3 This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people. 5 But if you do not obey these commands, declares the Lord, I swear by myself that this palace will become a ruin.’ 8 “People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?’ 9 And the answer will be: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and have worshiped and served other gods.’”
They refused to obey, and two temples became heaps of rubble and now the third temple, the church, and not a building, is also a heap of rubble because the church served other gospels just as Israel and Judah served other gods. This destruction and desolation happened to the church for the same reason which is rebellion against God’s word. What Paul describes here is the same as worshipping other gods. 2 Corinthians 11:4 “For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” Galatians 1:6 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!” There is only one gospel and 1 Corinthians 15:2 “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” Today those who call themselves the church all say they believe in Jesus, but all teach different gospels / doctrines of demons. The gospel was not held on to firmly and the church was deceived, deluded and worships in vain.
The church was warned many times that this would happen. Matthew 24:4 “Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.” Matthew 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Luke 13:22 “Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’” Matthew 25:41 “‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Millions will spend eternity in eternal punishment because they became disciples of a different jesus and other gospels and did not know it. Daniel prophesied about the destruction of the church. Daniel 7:21 “As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.” Scripture makes it clear that the only way this would happen is if the church rebelled against the word of God. Daniel 8:12 “Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.” Daniel 9:27 “And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4 “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” 2 Chronicles 36:15 “The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.”
Jesus said to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Mark says the same as Matthew, but most have adopted Matthew to be the official text of the great commission, even though the authority and the power is the same. Mark 16:5 “He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well. 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” Mark just expands what Matthew was saying but most prefer Matthew because they think they can get away with being powerless, but they cannot. The visions of the false teachers work better with Matthew 28, because Mark 16 says signs will follow which confirms the word of God. Since the true signs are not accompanying the gospel that false teachers are preaching, what is being preached is a different jesus and another gospel. Be very careful here because satan masquerades as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:3 “For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” Mark 13:22 “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”
Just because someone calls themselves a Christian or a group calls themselves the church, and they are making disciples, and some are doing it very well, does not mean they are disciples of Jesus Christ, nor does it mean they are making disciples of Jesus Christ. Many are only told about this verse. Romans 10:9 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” But they are not told about this verse. Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” They are also not aware that they need to resist satan the roaring lion. 1 Peter 5:8 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” Matthew 23:15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.” Most do not even think about asking what I have been converted into? You can see why the teachers of the law and Pharisees hated Jesus so much. Today false teachers are making their disciples children of hell and people do not even know it. False teachers still do not want to hear the truth of God’s word. Jeremiah 5:30 “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: 31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?”
The church was created to be a living organism based on the living word of God. The bible is not a book and the church, which is the third temple, is not a building although most have made the church about the building. Acts 17:24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’” The church is a living organism and in him we live and move and have our being. The church as a living organism means that God is dwelling within her. Ephesians 2:19 “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Zechariah 4:6 “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Colossians 1:15 “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.” 1 Corinthians 12:27 “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” The only way for the church to remain alive is to remain in God’s word. John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” Then the church does as Jesus did. John 14:12 “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” The church as a fortune 500 business is an organization where God does not dwell, which means it remains in captivity and powerless against our enemies.
The early church was a group of people who were followers of the Way. Paul said Acts 22:4 “I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5 as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.” Paul was even there for the death of Stephen. Acts 7:58 “Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.” Acts 8:1 “And Saul approved of their killing him.” Even with great persecution, the church would grow. Acts 8:1 “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.” Acts 11:26 “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” Paul said 1 Corinthians 1:2 “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours.” Ephesians 1:1 “To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.” There is a huge difference in saying to the people who call themselves Baptists.
Very quickly the church, even during the life of Paul, began to turn away from the way, truth and life to follow the ways of man. Today the question is what way are you following, which should not have to be asked. The living organism turned into a dead organization because the church ignored the words of Paul that we just read; “If you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.” The church did not continue and became powerless and desolate. This also meant there was no power which is why man began to build with their own hands. Even though Jesus said He would build His church, the church rebelled and decided to build with their own hands. As the saying goes, look busy, Jesus is coming. The Catholics and Orthodox built great Cathedrals and are still building them. “The People’s Salvation Cathedral, completed in 2025, also known as the National Cathedral of Romania, has officially opened in Bucharest, marking a monumental moment for the Romanian Orthodox Church and the nation’s spiritual heritage.” Notre Dame was ravaged with fire, but was rebuilt. The church continued the desire to build buildings and today cathedrals have been replaced with mega churches. Building a building actually makes it look like the church is doing something and a lot of money goes into it. Instead, it is Ezekiel 13:10 “a flimsy wall covered with whitewash.” Jesus said Matthew 23:27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.”
Paul had warned the church Acts 20:29 “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” Remember that these savage wolves are making disciples who will also make other disciples. We often see pictures of wolves amongst the sheep and you think immediate death, and yes death will come, but they are making disciples. After talking about false teachers, 2 Peter 2:1 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories.” Peter then continues to say, 17 “These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” Peter also said, 2 Peter 3:15 “Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.”
This tells us two things. First, yes you can fall from your secure position, as we saw with the rebellion of Israel and Judah, even though many in the church say you can’t. Stop believing the error of the lawless. Second many will distort the writing of Paul. I do have to admit I did not realize the magnitude of the attack on the apostle Paul and how much the words of Paul have been distorted. Not only have His words been distorted, what astounded me was that men have attempted to totally discredit the apostle Paul. As I have said, be very careful going down rabbit holes. I started to see writers and speakers saying Paul preached a different gospel which is odd as he warned us about these very people saying this about Paul. One person said Jesus didn’t appear to Paul, but instead it was a demonic apparition. So basically, since Paul wrote most of the New Testament, that means the New Testament is also discredited. Of course, none of that is true but many have believed it. Again, be very careful! For me when I read garbage like this, I reject it, but many will fall for it and be deceived because satan will get a foothold in their minds. It should produce righteous anger in you.
At Pentecost, disciples began to be made who would receive the power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” This was the beginning, but this promise was given that still applies to the church today. Acts 6:7 “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” Acts 14:21 “They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.” 1 Thessalonians 1:4 “For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.” 1 Thessalonians 2:13 “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus.” Acts 13:46 “Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.” Many Jews did receive the good news, but most rejected and still do to this day.
Many disciples would turn away, even when Jesus walked the earth. John 6:60 “On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” 61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” 66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” 1 Timothy 5:15 “Some have in fact already turned away to follow satan.” Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Acts 20:30 “Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.” Titus 1:10 “For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. 11 They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.” 1 Timothy 4:1 “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
Now this is difficult for many in the church because falling away from their faith does not line up with their doctrines. To compensate for their false teaching, they will say they were never really saved which is ridiculous because then you would have to say Adam and Eve were never really in the garden and Israel was not God’s chosen people and Judas was not a disciple. They get this thinking from a few verses. 1 John 2:18 “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.” John 10:25 “Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
But there is a catch, and these teachers are partially right. If a person was truly following the word of God, they would not be enticed to fall away and yes no one could snatch them from God’s hand. That part is true. The problem is those teaching this are teaching false doctrines and because of this people will fall away even though they are told they cannot fall away.. They are saying if you go to our church and follow our teaching, you are safe and secure and will see eternal life. That will not happen because they are following a different jesus and other gospels. Adam and Eve listened to satan instead of God and they were removed from the garden. Israel and Judah listened to false prophets instead of God’s servants and they were removed from the land of promise. Today the church has listened to false teachers and the abomination that causes desolation has decimated the church. Many have turned away from the church and Christianity as we know it today is declining. The reality is the numbers are far worse than they say, as there is only a remnant of survivors left in the church who are scattered across the globe. No, the remnant is not a particular group that calls themselves the remnant church.
This is where false teaching gets tricky. Those saying those who left were never saved are partially correct. Many teach that once you are saved, you are always saved. So if you were baptized or said the right prayer and went to the right church, you are saved and sealed for eternity and you have nothing to fear about judgment day. So people go through their lives thinking they were saved because they did everything the church required them to do and they never truly repent. Mark 7:6 “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” As Paul said 1 Corinthians 15:2 “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” So people thinking they are Christians, are worshipping in vain and will not see eternal life because they have followed a different jesus and other gospels. The problem is that when these people begin to question, they fall away. Then those who taught them have to say they were not saved, even though they were the ones who did the saving / baptizing or praying and said welcome to the family of God.
Then you have those who start to question but look for the answers in the wrong places. Many of these people are not buying what the church is selling and it is no wonder as the church is selling a different gospel. Instead of returning to the word of God, they turn away and look to have their appetites satisfied elsewhere or nowhere. One of the fastest growing groups is called the “nones,” the religiously unaffiliated. “Around the world, the number of people who say they have no religious affiliation grew by 17%, from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 1.9 billion in 2020.” How sad is it that nothing satisfies their appetites? Others have turned to Buddhism and other forms of mysticism. Many Christians have been seduced by Buddhism in healthcare (mindfulness) and Hinduism with yoga such as Kundalini yoga. This one even tells you satan is present. “Kundalini energy is a dormant, divine feminine force symbolized as a snake / serpent coiled three-and-a-half times at the base of the spine.” Many are looking for spirituality which is not Christianity. Many have been turned off by the hypocrisy in the church. I heard a leader in the church one time say they were just a bunch of hypocrites. He was foolishly trying to make the point that they were the same as those who did not go to church in an effort to make them comfortable attending. He should no longer be a hypocrite. Many have been turned off by politics in the church, leaders who make themselves to be gods, fallen leaders and the desire for money. Some are turned off by evangelists they have seen on TV or the internet. Some are turned off because of how they were treated and the cover-up of abuse. Some are turned off because of the stance against homosexuality taken by fewer and fewer churches and the list goes on and on. Many are just offended by what the bible actually teaches such as homosexuality is an abomination in God’s eyes. This is not about hating the person, but the evil behind it. 1 Corinthians 6:9 “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” There are also many who have already left but their bodies still attend.
Disciples falling away happened almost right away because the church did not stand firm on God’s word and lost connection and went their own way. Colossians 2:4 “I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.” Paul then goes on to describe what happens when deceived. 19 “They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. 20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.”
The church decided to go with the world. There are many charts that show the fallen journey of the church. No, they do not label it that way, but they should. They label it as if this is the way it was supposed to be, but each group going their own way is not how it was supposed to be. At first there was a straight line which was the early church. That line did not last long and the Catholic church began to form. Now this is where deception began almost immediately. The Catholics falsely teach that the Catholic church started basically at Pentecost and Peter was the first pope. Right off the bat they distort Matthew 16. Peter saying, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” was the Rock. As one person described it, the claim of apostolic authority was retroactive. They began to form the church and then went back and attempted to make it work with scripture. It did not work, and it is also easy to see that the Catholic church is nowhere near the church Jesus said He would build. The Catholic church, though filled with false teaching has made many disciples. “The number of Catholics around the world has tipped over the 1.4 billion mark, according to the latest research from the Vatican.” That is a lot of people who have been deceived.
Then you had the Great Schism in 1054 where the Eastern Orthodox split from the Catholic church. “Over the last century, the Orthodox Christian population around the world has more than doubled and now stands at nearly 260 million.” They too “trace its origins to the 1st-century CE, founded by Jesus Christ through the Apostles and Pentecost.” “The Eastern Orthodox churches are often just called “orthodox” or described by nationality or geography, such as the Greek Orthodox or Russian Orthodox, or Antiochian Orthodox.” They also made disciples and have led many astray just as the Catholics have. Like the Catholics, the liturgy and all the paraphernalia that goes with it looks nothing like the church Jesus said He would build. Then you have the Reformation (1517), which was an explosion of false teaching and from that date forward, the Protestant church would continue to split. The Protestant church, like the Catholics and Orthodox, the church would continue to move forward but never repent. Jeremiah 8:6 “I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. None of them repent of their wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Each pursues their own course like a horse charging into battle.”
The story of the church reads like Ezekiel 20 of which describes Israel’s story of rebellion. Like Israel and Judah, the church refuses to repent and turn from wicked ways and continues to make disciples who follow other gospels. This account also describes the grace God has for His people. Even though there is much devastation and desolation to the church some will survive the onslaught caused by the abomination that causes desolation. Matthew 24:15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.”
Here is a portion (read the chapter) of Ezekiel 20:2 “Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ 4 “Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors 5 and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, “I am the Lord your God.” 6 On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. 7 And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” 8 “‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me. 13 Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the wilderness. 14 But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 15 Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands— 16 because they rejected my laws and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts were devoted to their idols. 17 Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or put an end to them in the wilderness.” Over and over the people would rebel, yet God was compassionate. God’s compassion did not mean those who rebelled would not feel His wrath. Numbers 14:29 “In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. 30 Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.” Numbers 1:45 “All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families. 46 The total number was 603,550.”
Because God is compassionate and due to His promise to David, there will be a remnant of survivors who will be true disciples of Jesus Christ. They will be true because they will follow His word and not turn from it. Because God is gracious there is still hope for the church. Zechariah 1:3 “Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.” King Hezekiah first said to the Levites, 2 Chronicles 29:5 “Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary. 6 Our parents were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the Lord our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the Lord’s dwelling place and turned their backs on him. 7 They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel. 8 Therefore, the anger of the Lord has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of dread and horror and scorn, as you can see with your own eyes. 9 This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity. 10 Now I intend to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us.” The he said to the people 2 Chronicles 30:6 “People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your parents and your fellow Israelites, who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. 8 Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the Lord. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. 9 If you return to the Lord, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.” The church must do the same. Matthew 9:35 “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 24:13 “the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
