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APOSTASY AND REVIVAL

By Ron Graff



There are two concurrent movements in the Church in these days: Apostasy ('falling away") by some and Revival ("awakening") by others. "As the darkness gets darker, the light gets brighter."
1A. Background
1B. The two churches of the last days: (Revelation 3)
Philadelphia - The Missionary Church
Unity for Revival - See below:
Laodicea - The Lukewarm Church
Union which destroys orthodox doctrine
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United Religions Formed along United Nations Model
This organization seeks to include all world religions.

2B. Two kinds of "Christians" - Matthew 7:21-27


2A. APOSTASY
1B. Key Scriptures About Apostasy
Isaiah 5:20
Hosea 4:6-9
Matthew 24:12
1 Timothy 4:1-4
2 Timothy 3:1-8
2 Thessalonians 2:3
2 Peter 3:3-7
Revelation 3:14-22

2B. Apostasy in the Church leads to:
1C. Immorality in the nation
1D. Abortion
From Family Research Council- Questions and Answers

"A January 1995 CBS/New York Times poll found that 60 percent believe that abortion should either "not be permitted" or have "stricter limits."

2D. Partial Birth Abortion
This heinous procedure allows a baby to be partially removed from his mother's womb and then destroyed in a most inhumane manner. The American Medical Association admitted that partial birth abortion is "never the only appropriate procedure."
Dr. James Dobson, in his May 1997 newsletter, said that, "One of the abortion movement's own lobbyists, Ron Fitzsimmons, courageously reported having pangs of conscience. He admitted that the justifications for partial-birth abortion were untrue-and that he had 'lied through [his] teeth' to Ted Koppel and the Nightline television crew. 'It is a form of killing. You're ending a life.'"

3D. Homosexuality
There is a vital connection between the prophecied apostasy ("falling away") of the end times and the rise of homosexuality, which is one of the chief symptoms of a society which has departed from the teaching of God's Word.
It is our desire to show love and compassion while being honest about what the Bible says regarding this topic.
"It's Elementary:Talking about Gay and Lesbian Issues in School" - A Big Bomb In The Cultural War
May 20, 1999 - The award winning film by an Oscar winner is masterfully produced, and designed to make children believe that homosexuality is good and normal. Bible-believing Christians are characterized as biggots.

This is especially frightening in the light of a 1992 University of Minnesota study which found that 25.9% of 12 year olds wereunsure of their sexual orientation. At the end of this article the reader is reminded of an early publication of the Homosexual Agenda, which promised the following:

"We shall sodomize your sons, emblems of your feeble masculinity, of your shallow dreams and vulgarities. We shall seduce them in your schools, in your dormitories, in your gymnasiums, in your locker rooms, .... All churches who condemn us will be closed. Our only gods are handsome young men." (Michael Swift `Gay Revolutionary,' printed in the Congressional Record February 15-21, 1987.)
4D. Pornography
In "PORN: Thrills that Deaden", Lou Sheldon states that over 80% of teens of both sexes admit to being exposed to X-rated materials causing 66% of males and 40% of females to want to try the sexual behavior they observed.
In an interview with Dr. Dobson, Dr. Archibald Hart, author of "The Sexual Man," stated that 30-50% of church-goers (primarily men) habitually view porn.
(ibid.)
5D. Promiscuity
Supposedly the new television rating system would help maintain family values, but prime time shows with the TV-PG rating allow profanity, sex outside of marriage and homosexual relationships. In fact, 91% of all sex presented on prime-time programming (TV-PG) on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox is depicted outside of marriage.
6D. STD - Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Excerpts from "AN INTRODUCTION TO SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE"
More than 20 STDs have now been identified, and they affect more than 13 million men and women in this country each year. The annual comprehensive cost of STDs in the United States is estimated to be well in excess of $5 billion.
AIDS was first reported in the United States in 1981. It is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a virus that destroys the body's ability to fight off infection. An estimated 1 million people are currently infected in the U.S., including more than 2000 infants, most of whom contracted the disease from their mothers.

Excerpts from "Sexually Transmitted Diseases - Frequently Asked Questions":
STDs are extraordinarily common. For example, over 40 million people are estimated to have chronic genital herpes, and there are an estimated 4 million new chlamydia cases a year.

7D. Etceteras:
1E. Divorce
2E. Racism
3E. Decline of Work Ethic
4E. Addiction - Drugs, Alcohol,...
5E. Gambling
6E. Euthanasia

2C.. Increase of Lawlessness
1D. Key Scriptures About Lawlessness:
Matthew 24:12
2 Timothy 3:1-8
2 Thessalonians 2:6-7
2D. Cause: Disillusionment
Single Parent families (lack of fathers)
Poverty/ Welfare dependency
Hopelessness (Threat of war, ecological disaster, etc.)
Decrease of Student Achievement Tests
Teen suicide
3D. Examples:
Old Standards: Robbery, Murder, Rape, Drugs
Designer Crimes:
Cyber-theft
Drive-by Shootings
Invasion Robberies
Carjacking
Copy-Cat Arson

3A. REVIVAL
Why would God send revival in the last days? In the Bible, He always gave believers an opportunity to repent, and he often allowed the worst of pagans the opportunity to repent as well (eg. Nineveh).
Is it possible to have apostasy and revival at the same time and place?

1B. Key Scriptures about Revival
2 Chronicles 7:14
Isaiah 57:15-19
Joel 2:28-32
Joel 3:14
Matthew 24:14
Acts 2
2 Peter 3:9, 15
Revelation 5:9
Revelation 14:6-7

2B. Signs of Revival
1C. Growth of Christianity World-wide
1D. AD2000 & Beyond Movement
The Unfinished Task - It Can Be Done
by Luis Bush, International Director
Key points:
In May of 1995 Christian leaders from 186 countries attended the Global Consultation on World Evangelization in Seoul, Korea to commit themselves to a goal of a church for every people and the Gospel for every person by the year 2000.
By 2000:
* 95% of the world's population will have access to some portion of Scripture in their own language
* Technology will make it possible to reach the world
* Billy Graham preached to more people in one day via his 1996 World Television Special, than he had reached in the previous 45 years of ministry!
* Radio broadcasts are expected to cover an estimated 99% of the world's population, and Christian programming will reach 96% of the world.
* The "Jesus" Film - by January, 1996, over 730 million people in 217 countries of the world had seen this film, with 42 million known decisions for Christ. A new translation is being completed every 10 days.
http://www.AD2000.Org/tut0701t.htm

2D. The Caleb Project
Mobilizing Christians to Complete World Evangelization.
http://www.calebproject.org/

2C. Trends in The United States
The Prayer Movement
Fasting and Prayer '- November each year
Bill Bright's leadership The Coming Revival
Spread by Satellite
Houses of Prayer
Houses of Prayer are the common denominator of revival movements in the United States as we approach the new Millennium. They are places where believers pray for their neighbors. Houses of Prayer may be in homes, places of business, work sites, college dorms, apartments, prison cells - any places where believers can gather. They are centers of blessing in which believers ask the Father for blessings on those who live or work near them.

What Are Houses of Prayer? How do I start one?
Start by praying for...
Five neighbors. Five persons or households who live or work near you.
Five minutes. This is enough to start with. It may get longer as time goes by.
Five days a week. It doesn't have to be every day in order to make a powerful difference.
Five weeks. This is a start. At the end of five weeks you decide whether to continue.
Five blessings. Use the acronym BLESS to remind yourself of five important areas to cover when praying for others: Body, Labor, Emotional, Social, Spiritual
http://www.fastingprayer.com/lighthouses.html
Pastors Prayer Summits (International Renewal Ministries)
Concerts of Prayer
National Day of Prayer
Mission America
Our mission statement is, "The whole Church taking the whole Gospel to the whole Nation in this generation - and to the world!" Our goal is to lovingly and appropriately pray for and share the Gospel with every man, woman, young person and child in the United States by December 31, 2000.
Promise Keepers
Climaxing a summer of 19 stadium events all over the country, more than a million men came from every part of the nation to the "Stand In The Gap" event on October 4, 1997 at the Mall in Washington D.C. It was the largest gathering of Christian men in history.
http://www.promisekeepers.org/
Jesus Video Project
"Renewing America One Neighborhood At A Time"
City-reaching ministries can now have a copy of the Jesus Video sent to every home in a given zip code for only $2.50/home!
http://www.jesusfilm.org/
Experiencing God
This is the best-selling discipleship course of all time. Well over a million have been sold. This is a life-transforming experience.
http://www.swcbc.com/exp_god.html
Be assured that there is a great revival already going on in many Third World countries, and be in prayer that the seeds of revival in America will continue to grow!
Last Updated: 8/1/2008
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