Study on Apostasy Page 2 ~ Voice of the Watchman

Revival or Apostasy
A Prophetic Look at the church of the Last Generation before Jesus Returns

Romans 1:15-22 (KJV) “ 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, “

He is not ashamed, and we are not to be either. We are not to fear to proclaim boldly the message of the Kingdom… that we are saved, and that there is power in Jesus Christ to save any who would believe. This is the highest call of any believer, to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ for there is power to save in that gospel! We are not to fear what will happen or fear of the cost, for there is power to save both others and ourselves in this message. God empowers it!

The Life Application Bible says this: Many believers in Christ want to keep their faith a secret, carefully avoiding situations where they might be identified as a Christian. They are afraid of being embarrassed. These feelings are based on real though often exaggerated possibilities. They cause us to be silent when we ought to speak. They cause us to be anonymous Christians in most parts of our life. Shame grows when we think:

· People will openly ridicule our faith.

· Friends might desert us if they know we are Christians.

· Christians have a reputation as poor examples or hypocrites.

· Our faith is something private rather than public.

· Our success or achievement is worth more to us than having others know we are Christians.

—Life Application Bible Commentary

We have to be real about our faith and not have a secret one. The reality is that Jesus had something to say to you if you think that you can just blend in with the world and be some kind of Secret Christian.

Mark 8:38 (KJV) “ Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. “

Matthew 10:32-39 (KJV) “ 32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. “

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL IS:

1. The Power of God unto Salvation – the gospel is POWER and it is the ONLY means by which you can be saved or delivered from sin, Hell, and the Second Death and the bondage that goes with that, when we believe it and walk in that faith.

2. It brings righteousness, or right living… doing the right thing through the power of God. It brings God’s righteousness that comes through us.

3. It is revealed from faith to faith, or begun by faith and continued by faith. It is not just a one-time thing, but a continuing condition of being saved. THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF FAITH !!!

4. WE live by FAITH… and are justified in God’s sight. This is the walk in the Spirit.

5. It is the means by which we are delivered from the wrath of God!

You see, we are to live in the Spirit and the Word, and walk in the gospel and by faith let God make it a part of our lives. We have power to live for God through the fruit of the Spirit. It is by HIS SPIRIT that we can live Christian lives.

Galatians 5:16 (KJV)“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.“

Galatians 5:22-25 (KJV) “ 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. “

THERE IS POWER IN WALKING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE ! There is the power of God to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit, which is the nature of Jesus Christ in the believer. We have it by faith and by submitting to God in prayer… and it becomes a daily walk empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Power is the Greek word dunamis, from which we derive dynamic and dynamo and dynamite. This is not just some person trying to read the Bible and turn over a new leaf. There is power in the gospel when mixed with faith to transform a person and bring abundant life and power to live righteously.

Understand this: the preaching of the gospel (and that is under the unction of the Holy Spirit to bring it alive) has within it the dynamic power to bring the new birth and transform lives and break the bondages of darkness. The preaching of the gospel must be understood to be primary in the ministry of the church and individual. This is where the power of God is released to bring abundant life!

It not only is the revelation of God’s righteousness, but it is the power to bring that righteousness in and through us. The Law of Moses and the Old Covenant revealed the righteousness of God, but gave no power to really live it in power. The gospel of the Kingdom is different, and is under a new and better covenant. There is power from God to live righteously through the preaching of the gospel.

Any bondage that binds us, and any enemy is overcome by the dunamis of the gospel! There is power in this living Word of God when we believe.

Fruit grows! And there is something wrong if there you are not more Christlike now, than you were say… a year ago or even 6 months ago. It is a continuing walk with fruit growing in us, with more and more as we go. If we pray and walk in the Spirit, then we will walk from faith to faith. But if we quench or grieve the Holy Spirit, then we cut off the fruit of the Spirit and our lives grow miserable.

For without the fruit, there is no power to live the abundant life. If you don’t have the joy or the love or the peace that you used to have, then there is something wrong! If the joy of the Lord is gone, you will grow weak. If the love of God has grown cold and things like hatred or bitterness or jealousy has grown… then there is a vacuum of that love for those to rise up. Something is wrong! Even in the worst nightmarish situations, there is the peace of God that passes all understanding when we pray and give it to the Lord… if that is not there, then there is a problem, and we have cut ourselves off from the flow of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:15-23 (KJV) “ 15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. 16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19 Quench not the Spirit. 20 Despise not prophesyings. 21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. “

This is walking in the faith… walking in the power of the gospel with the Holy Spirit producing fruit in us. This is our walk… and it is empowered by God, and comes when we present ourselves a living sacrifice and empty our fleshly nature out, and let the Holy Spirit fill us back up.

· Live right and treat others both in the church and in the world the right way overcoming evil with good and not act like those who do not have Jesus or eternal life. You have a higher calling.

· Rejoice evermore – we were created to worship God; this gives your life meaning – does it have it?

· Pray without ceasing – keep a spirit of prayer – talk and walk with God and listen and be led.

· QUENCH NOT THE SPIRIT – if you fail to do any of these things, then you will throw water on the fires of God in your life. You grieve Him and the power fades in your life and the FRUIT STOPS!

· Despise not prophesyings – live in the Word and be led by the Spirit – it is a supernatural walk.

· Prove all things – don’t just swallow anything, but be led of God and compare it with the Word.

· Abstain from the very appearance of evil. Don’t try to figure out how much worldliness that you can get away with… if you can drink or go here or there – something is wrong in your heart if you are doing that already, and you have replace your first love of Jesus with something in the world already. It destroys your walk with God and your witness to this world… even the appearance of evil.

· WHEN WE WALK THIS WAY, then God empowers us and gives us the fruit of the Spirit !

Romans 12:1-2 (KJV) “ 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. “

You are either praying and submitting to God, or you are walking a fleshly walk and losing your walk with God. You are either presenting yourself a living sacrifice, or you are sacrificing the presence of God in your life. You will reap what you sow and you receive from the one that you follow.

If someone backslides like the Prodigal Son, then they will be chastened by the Lord until they return to the Father. Understand this, God is the perfect parent and if you grieve the Holy Spirit, expect that the things that you do in your flesh to lead to your own pain and problems… this is called chastening.

Plus, the fruit of the Spirit immediately disappears. This is chastening, and the best way to know if what you are going through is a trial of your faith – or an attack of the enemy, or if it is chastening from God. If the fruit has dried up and the love, and goodness, and gentleness, and faith, and hope, and peace, and joy has dried up in you, then God is correcting you and it is time to repent!

The JUST shall live by faith (justified, being seen by God as being innocent and not guilty). You see here the connection to the Word of God concerning the Kingdom (the Gospel) that is blended by faith, not only brings salvation, but continues in bringing a righteous walk that is justified in God’s sight.

As we walk in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed in and through us from faith to faith. As our walk in faith increases, so does the righteousness of God in us. This kind of faith brings a walking or doing of the Word.

James 1:22-23 (KJV) “ 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: “

Romans 10:17 (KJV) “ So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. “

John 4:23-24 (KJV) “ 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. “

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (KJV) “17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. “

The Word of God is preached with the anointing (the Spirit) blended with it, and it brings the power of God to become and walk as the children of God! Faith is increased by the Word, and as that faith is applied to the Word of God, then the works of God comes forth from God out of the believer. This is a growing process… from salvation from faith to faith, from glory to glory into the image of Jesus Christ!

The fruit of the Spirit will grow this way in the believer’s lives. Its starts with the seed of the Word of God, and is sown in others through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.