Apostasy at its greatest influx into the Church in 2023

Apostasy at its greatest influx into the Church in 2023.

Looking at Revelation where John reveals the warnings to the seven churches in Asia.  Each one has its pronouncement of condemnation in spite of the pseudo appearances of doing good.  To the church at Ephesus, in spite of all the meritorious activities it has done, the Lord says this;  “You have lost the love you had at first.  Realize how far you have fallen.  Repent, and do the works you did at first.  Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.  (Rv 2: 4 - 5).  

All seven churches received this type of warning from Christ and they are not alone in the type of apostasy that is confronting our modern places of worship, today.  Many will say that they do not need a structure to pray in, since their place with God is now whatever their spirit guides them to adhere to.  I hear that over and over as some relate a lot of mixed reasons for this decision to stay away from their respective parish, and even their lifelong denomination.  

It has become a new approach to find a type of deity that actually does not exist.  The ones they are looking for can only touch their make-believe desires to satisfy sensuous or wealthy types of human behavioral wants.  These only exist within a corrupted mind that cannot see beyond the reach of sexual or grasping for the feel of power beyond any form of morality.

When anyone attends church along with other people the comradery that is felt unites each other in a common approach of worship to God.  It is true God doesn’t need us, but we do need him.  The early disciples of Christ met together creating a collective group of worshipers who needed each other as a worshiping body.  The whole idea of praying as one gave strength to each other and guaranteed the support of an entity that grew in spite of outside adversaries.  

Today, that genuine prospect of common worship no longer exists.  We do have smaller attendance within our churches but the completeness of total Christian worship has disappeared.  Many of those who have decided to find God through ways that leave regular church-goers in a quandary creates a void that is slowly pulling the very dogmas apart and pushes the idea of what worshiping God is about. 

Worship together as a community and see the results of Christ’s shepherding mission.  Staying away can only erase the very meaning of common love with each other and the better understanding of what Christ meant when he said, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”  (Mt 28: 19 - 20).  

A perfect example of how isolation from one another has created a means of taking away the very purpose of a family made up of all God’s children just occurred.  The recent pandemic and the ultimate closing of the schools has done irrevocable damage to the most vulnerable children.  To teach children the value of understanding life comes through association with those their own age, beliefs, and listening to each other speak.  Take these away and the minds that should be growing are now held in limbo

Adult parents that do not want to attend church services have made their minds up to finding their own direction with God.  How do they continue with their own children’s religious education?  Just let them reach the age of adolescence and let them make a decision.  This will be the most exclusive manner of instilling apostasy into their minds.  However, unless they have some understanding of Christian worship, then apostasy will not be on them since they will not have had any connection to Christ or the church.  Leading them away from the God who wants them will be a detriment to you adults.  But then, if you have not ushered these little ones to know God, it is you who will answer to the very God you have ignored.

Ralph B. Hathaway