An obvious sign of the end times; Apostasy within the Church and its followers!

An obvious sign of the end times;  Apostasy within the Church and its followers!

Where did this term begin as a rebellion against God and the desire to follow other gods who will suit their corrupted wants?   This word of the Lord came to me:  “Go, cry out this message for Jerusalem to hear!”  I remember the devotion of your youth, how you loved me as a bride, following me in the desert, in a land unsown.  Sacred to the Lord was Israel, the first fruits of his harvest;;  Should anyone presume to partake of them, evil would befall him, says the Lord.”  “Listen to the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob!  All you clans of the house of Israel, thus says the Lord:  What fault did your fathers find in me that they withdrew from me, went after empty idols, and became empty themselves?  They did not ask, where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us through the desert, through a land of wastes and gullies, through a land of drought and darkness, through a land which no one crosses, where no man dwells.? “  When I brought you into the garden land to eat its goodly fruits, you entered and defiled my land, you made my heritage loathsome.  The priests asked not, "Where is the Lord?”  Those who dealt with the law knew me not, the shepherds rebelled against me.  The prophets  prophesied by Baal, and went after useless idols.  “Therefore will I yet accuse you, says the Lord, and even your children’s children I will accuse.”  (Jer 2: 1 - 9).  

This apostasy in all of its attractions is repeating itself in our day, in our churches, and in the hearts of people who have seemingly lost their way.  This loss is partly due to either a false direction from its leaders or a desire to follow an easy way to salvation which does not exist.  Jesus spoke of the only true direction to eternal life with God is not by exclusion of your neighbor but through sacrifice of one’s own time and resilience of love for each other.  

As soon as the Church begins to soften the original rules of God’s word on the tablets of stone, given to Moses, we may find ourselves in a quandary that will infuriate God.  His Word is Law, and that Law is to love but with one exception:  Our love must not compromise the meaning of his original commands of what these rules implied.  The Law given to Moses was not a police type of presence, but for the betterment of mankind between and for each other’s common love and respect.

Apostasy implies a rebellion, as detailed above from Jeremiah, or a falling away from God and all his Son, Jesus Christ, came to save us from.  It is a difficult problem to write about the church I grew up loving and adhering to its dictates, then watch as the sin of destroying them with apostasy in some areas of teaching.

This is not to belittle the Catholic Church, the Magisterium, and the clergy (Of which I am as a deacon).  However, none of us must become puppets and relate what we know is false.  When God’s prophets failed to preach against Baal, they lost their friendship with God.  The Prophets of Baal who were very prominent, from the Old Testament, and lost their heads to Elijah, when attempting to overthrow the worship of the God of Israel.  As I wrote once regarding my preaching against abortion and pro-choice, twice I was told from two priests not to speak on this in their church.  I did and nothing further was heard from them.  Do not be afraid to speak out if something you stand for is needed for the congregation.  Jeremiah’s warning from God to the shepherds was a warning to any one of us that are in Holy Orders is the same scenario.  We won’t be judged on what we say as much as for what we do not speak out against when it is true.  Truth is the final word that even Pilate did not understand.  .  

Truth is the counter-term for apostasy.  Use it all of us, whether clergy or Christians in the pews.  

Ralph B. Hathaway

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