Bible Lesson: Falling Away-The Great

Bible Lesson: The Great Falling Away- Just One More End-Of-Days Sign.

Recently Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. Released a a survey, “The American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS),” which revealed some interesting facts.

Christianity is declining, while atheism is on an increase.

Christians: (As a group.)
1990 86% of Americans were Christian.
2001 77% of Americans were Christian.
2008 76% of Americans were Christian.

Protestants: (90% of church decline comes from this group-mainline denominations).
2001 17% Christian believers.
2008 12.9% Christian believers.

Catholics:
The Largest religious group with some 57 million people.
Since 1990, they have gained 11 million members.
Since 2008, the church has lost members, which has now become about 25% of Americans.

Atheism: (No religious beliefs.)
1990 8.2% Say they have no religious beliefs.
2001 14% Say they have no religious beliefs.
2008 15% Say they have no religious beliefs.

People in “Nondenominational,” churches grew.
1990 1% Say their church is nondenominational.
2008 8.2% Say their church is nondenominational.

Jews:
1990 1.8% Religious.
2008 1.2% Religious.

Muslims:
2008 0.6% percent say that they are Muslim.

Observations:
Baptists, America's largest Protestant Church, though having gained some, still has declined as a proportion of population.
Muslims, have grown by some .6%, and Jews have declined some 3.1 million in 1990 to 2.7 million 2008.
Atheists on the other hand, have doubled since 2001 to 1.6 million.
Wiccans, and pagans are growing faster today, then in the 90's.

Of the 54,461 people polled, 12% say that they personally believe in a power, but not God.
Of the people polled, 1.2% say they are presently involved with beliefs like, Scientology, Wicca, and Santeria.
Of the thousands polled, 30% said that they did not or would not have a “Christian,” wedding ceremony.
Of the thousands of people polled, 27% said they wanted nothing to do with a so called “Christian,” funeral.


Dear Friend, all these things, our Lord warned us of.

Matthew 24:12 KJV
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

II Thessalonians 2:1-12 KJV
[1] Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him,
[2] That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
[3] Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come,
except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin (the coming Anti-Christ) be revealed, the son of perdition;
[4] Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
[5] Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
[6] And now ye know what (Who) withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
[7] For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only He (God the Holy Spirit) who now letteth* will let, until He be taken out of the way (Change of office, in the world, but no longer a restraining power in the world).
[8] And then shall that Wicked (A.C.) be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming:
[9] Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
[10] And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
[11] And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
[12] That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

* Letteth: Greek: Katecho: To hold down, hold (fast), retain, seize on, stay, withhold.

We see the stage being set, for the arrival of the Anti-Christ, light and darkness cannot exist in the same place.
Christian beliefs, and church attendance, falling, sacraments, being cast aside.
Morals, set aside for “Situation Ethics.”
A hedonistic and immoral people have forgotten the warnings of the Word of God.

Galatians 5:19-21 NLT
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,
21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before,
that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 7l:21 KJV
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.

I Corinthians 6:9,10 NLT
9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality,
10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 19:23,24 KJV
[23] Then said Jesus unto His disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
[24] And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Matthew 6:24 NLT
No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Matthew 5:20 KJV
For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Daniel 8:23 KJV
And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.

I John 2:18 KJV
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

I Peter 4:7 KJV
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

I Peter 5:8,9 KJV
[8] Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
[9] Whom resist stedfast in the faith,...”

I John 5:4,5 KJV
[4] For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
[5] Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

John 14:6 KJV
Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.

See The Bible Prayer Line – Index- Bible Lesson: Salvation Prayer.