CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH ONCE FOR ALL DELIVERED TO THE SAINTS
1). Jude 1:3
Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
- We are living in a time now where this has truly become reality.
- To contend is a verb…an action.
- To contend must be a state of mind and being in what we believe.
- The “Faith once for all delivered to the saints” is the TRUE, uncompromised and unadulterated Word of God that defines what the Christian faith truly is.
2). Luke 18:8
"I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"
- The literal Greek in this passage reads, “Will He find THE FAITH in the earth?” What kind of faith are we talking about here? Faith to believe? No. We are talking about the true Christian faith…faith in Jesus Christ…the teaching of the Word of God as it was provided to us that defines our faith as Christians.
- There is a battle taking place right now between the forces of Satan as he attempts to oppose the Word of God, and it will increase to try and eradicate the TRUE CHRISTIAN FAITH from the earth. This is happening now and is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy.
3). 1 Timothy 4:1
[ Apostasy ] But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
- Let us examine where we are at today.
- Witchcraft and practice of the occult is at an all time high among the current and upcoming generation and this is why it is so important to reach our youth with the Word of God.
- Many people are becoming more turned off by the Church because of hypocrisy within ministry, among members and because of the workings of Satan, deception and basic ungodliness in this world. They work hand in hand and are all the works of the devil.
- Today there is a major push to allow homosexual ministers in many of our churches…and this is particularly true in some denominations. Included are some Episcopal churches and now there is a move to allow this to take place in some Lutheran churches. Of concern also the the pressure being placed on the U.S. government by liberal and gay special interest groups to pass laws even forbidding the Christian Church as a whole from speaking out against the immoral sin of the gay lifestyle or alternatively be faced with possible prosecution for commiting a "hate crime". Under the guise of political correctness, many are, in fact, falling away from the faith and paying attention to doctrines of demons.
- When we talk about “apostasy”, we are talking about abandonment and falling away, as the scripture we read states. The “falling away” is an abandonment of the true faith and Christian doctrine in exchange for a lie.
- There is a major problem taking place in many churches today and true Christianity is under attack. “Seeker Friendly” churches, many of whom are a part of the growing Emergent Church movement, openly advertise for members in that way and terminology. But what does the term "seekert friendly" really mean? It means that in this day many people are basically “shopping” for a church that believes what they believe…as opposed to the true and uncompromisd Word of God. The Bible tells is this would be a sign of the last days…the end time. We are warned in Holy Scripture that one sign of the return of Chrst would be that people would seek to “have their ears tickled or have itching ears…meaning that they will be seeking to have ministers tell them what they want to hear and not necessarily the truth of God’s Word. We are living in very dangerous times and can see this in the Bible as follows:
2 Timothy 4:3
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4). 2 Thessalonians 2:3
Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (the return of Jesus Christ) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.
In the above scripture, we are talking about the end time and specifically the return of the Lord. For that to happen, certain things must take place and one of them is a great falling away from sound doctrine and true Christianity as defined in the Bible. So lets talk a little more about this “apostasy”.
- We are warned through God’s Word that we would enter into these times referred to above.
- Apostasy means “a great falling away” from the true faith.
- Lets examine what we have seen in just the past 40 to 50 years as follows:
- Prayer has been taken out of public schools
- The Bible and 10 Commandments are being removed from our government courts.
- You cannot wear clothing in most public schools with labels or Christian imprints while anything else with vile imprints can be worn and any other religions can be represented.
- Islam is being taught today, as well as other religions as a curiculem in our schools while Christianity is not taught and is shunned.
- “In God We Trust” is currently being petitioned to be taken off our currency.
- In most city halls and public places in the country, the Nativity Scene or anything Christian has been banned from display during the holidays.
- Companies are increasingly telling their employees that they cannot use the name of Jesus Christ during Christmas and therefore instead of saying “Merry Christmas” one must say “Happy Holidays” in order to be politically correct.
- A country that was founded on Christian principles and freedom of religion (the USA) is now actively seeking to bring the church under the Federal Tax Codes such as the IRS for two purposes; 1). The future possible and very real threat of taxation of churches and 2). State run churches such as 501c3 which, in order to obtain tax exempt status or non-profit status has to agree to adhere to all federal regulations inserted into the tax codes. Any violation can cause a church to loose 501C3 status…non profit status and force either taxation on the church or closure of the church. An example of this is already happening as the federal government can insert in the tax codes that no church under 501C3 is allowed to speak against the government, against a candidate running for office no matter what his or her character may be. Also pending is enforcement through the IRS tax codes of proposed federal law prohibiting Christian ministers from speaking out openly from the pulpit of their church against deviant sex or lifestyles such as the gay lifestyle opr same sex marriage that the Bible states are wrong. To do so could reslt in loss of tax exempt status as well as criminal prosecution under newly proposed "hate crime" l;aws. Many churches are now rejecting 501C3 status as “State Churches” and are exercising their given right to assemble as a tax exempt church, free to exercise its faith under the provisions of separation of church and state and therefore should be allowed to worship free of state interference. In short, the state is attempting to force itself and its will upon the Church today.
- Our society is being moved towards a form of “globalism” that discourages Christianity and defines it as unacceptable intolerance, instead opting for no emphasis on Jesus Christ as Lord. Globalistic society is embracing a universalist religion and doctrine that says we are our own gods and all roads lead to heaven and is opening the door for worship and indoctrination of the Anti-Christ and false religion of modern day Babylon…the great harlot.
- Our current President as of 2009 has stated publically that “The United States of America is no longer a Christian country”. This statement was also echoed by at least one othert recent former U.S. President.
- Britain has fallen so far away from the Lord and Christian faith that it is in danger of becoming a Muslin Nation…( See Christian Times article).
- Today Muslin groups are offering 100,000 Qurans (Korans) to American leaders who are accepting them at the encouragement of President Obama when only 200 years ago this country was founded on Christian principles and faith endorsed by most of our founding fathers.
- A new religion has emerged here in the United States, among other countries. It is called “Chrislam”….a mergence of Christianity and Islam, taking the Bible and Quran and bringing the teachings together as one and the person of Jesus Christ as one. The problem is the two religions are diametrically opposed and incompatible in almost every area, including the Person of Jesus Christ…who He is, His deity, end time events and many other things. What is alarming is that some Christian leaders who were once well respected are now under a viel of demonic deception and involved in promoting this.
- Immorality…particularly pornography addiction…is at an all time high among Christian ministers. In a recent conference a private survey was taken of hundreds of ministers attending. Over 60 per cent admitted to being either addicted to or involved in the viewing of pornographic materials CURRENTLY.
5). 1 Timothy 4:16
Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.
- We must watch how we walk in our lives.
- The scriptures tell us that we are to avoid even the appearances of evil.
- We must watch what we say and teach others.
We live in very challenging times. It is a cricial time for the Church. God is drawing a line in the sand and we will find ourselves clearly on one side of it or the other. The Bible tells us that in the last days we are living in, it will become evident who serves the Lord and who does not. We must make sure that our words, our doctrine and our lives reflect the truth of God's Word and not the compromise of the dead religion of an apostate society.
May the Lord bless this word to your hearts.
CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH ONCE FOR ALL DELIVERED TO THE SAINTS
1). Jude 1:3
Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
- We are living in a time now where this has truly become reality.
- To contend is a verb…an action.
- To contend must be a state of mind and being in what we believe.
- The “Faith once for all delivered to the saints” is the TRUE, uncompromised and unadulterated Word of God that defines what the Christian faith truly is.
2). Luke 18:8
"I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"
- The literal Greek in this passage reads, “Will He find THE FAITH in the earth?” What kind of faith are we talking about here? Faith to believe? No. We are talking about the true Christian faith…faith in Jesus Christ…the teaching of the Word of God as it was provided to us that defines our faith as Christians.
- There is a battle taking place right now and it will increase to try and eradicate the TRUE CHRISTIAN FAITH from the earth. This is happening now and is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy.
3). 1 Timothy 4:1
[ Apostasy ] But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
- Lets examine where we are at today.
- Witchcraft and practice of the occult is at an all time high among the current and upcoming generation and this is why it is so important to reach our youth with the Word of God.
- Many people are becoming more turned off by the church because of hypocrisy within ministry, among members and because of the workings of Satan, deception and basic ungodliness in this world. They work hand in hand and are all the works of the devil.
- Today there is a major push to allow homosexual ministers in many of our churches…and this is particularly true in some denominations. Included are some Episcopal churches and now there is a move to allow this to take place in some Lutheran churches. Under the guise of political correctness, many are, in fact, falling away from the faith and paying attention to doctrines of demons.
- When we talk about “apostasy”, we are talking about abandonment and falling away, as the scripture we read states. The “falling away” is an abandonment of the true faith and Christian doctrine in exchange for a lie.
- There is a major problem taking place in many churches today and true Christianity is under attack. “Seeker Friendly” churches openly advertise for members in that way and terminology. But what does the term mean? It means that in this day many people are basically “shopping” for a church that believes what they believe…as opposed to the true and uncompromisd Word of God. The Bible tells is this would be a sign of the last days…the end time. That people would seek to “have their ears tickled or have itching ears…meaning that they will be seeking to have ministers tell them what they want to hear and not necessarily the truth of God’s Word. We are living in very dangerous times and can see this in the Bible as follows:
2 Timothy 4:3
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4). 2 Thessalonians 2:3
Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.
In the above scripture, we are talking about the end time and specifically the return of the Lord. For that to happen, certain things must take place and one of them is a great falling away from sound doctrine and true Christianity as defined in the Bible. So lets talk a little more about this “apostasy”.
- We are warned through God’s Word that these times would happen.
- Apostasy means “a great falling away” from the true faith.
- Lets examine what we have seen in just the past 40 to 50 years as follows:
- Prayer has been taken out of public schools
- The Bible and 10 Commandments are being removed from our government courts.
- You cannot wear clothing in most public schools with labels or Christian imprints while anything else with vile imprints can be worn and any other religions can be represented.
- Islam is being taught today, as well as other religions as a topic in our schools while Christianity is not taught and is shunned.
- “In God We Trust” is right now being petitioned to be taken off our currency.
- In most city halls and public places in the country, the Nativity Scene or anything Christian has been banned from display during the holidays.
- Companies are increasingly telling their employees that they cannot use the name of Jesus Christ during Christmas and therefore instead of saying “Merry Christmas” one must say “Happy Holidays” in order to be politically correct.
- A country that was founded on Christian principles and freedom of religion (the USA) is now actively seeking to bring the church under the Federal Tax Codes such as the IRS for two purposes; 1). The future possible and very real threat of taxation of churches and 2). State run churches such as 501c3 which, in order to obtain tax exempt status or non-profit status has to agree to adhere to all federal regulations inserted into the tax codes. Any violation can cause a church to loose 501C3 status…non profit status and force either taxation on the church or closure of the church. An example of this is already happening as the federal government can insert in the tax codes that no church under 501C3 is allowed to speak against the government, against a candidate running for office no matter what his or her character may be nor can they speak out openly against deviant sex or lifestyles that the Bible states are wrong. Many churches are now rejecting 501C3 status as “State Churches” and are exercising their given right to assemble as a tax exempt church, free to exercise its faith under the provisions of separation of church and state and therefore should be allowed to worship free of state interference. In short, the state is attempting to force itself and will upon the church today.
- Our society is being moved towards a form of “globalism” that discourages Christianity and defines it as unacceptable intolerance, instead opting for no emphasis on Jesus Christ as Lord. Globalistic society is embracing a universalist religion and doctrine that says we are our own gods and all roads lead to heaven and is opening the door for worship and indoctrination of the Anti-Christ and false religion of modern day Babylon…the great harlot.
- Our current President as of 2009 has stated publically that “The United States of America is no longer a Christian country”. This statement was also echoed by at least one othert recent former U.S. President.
- Britain has fallen so far away from the Lord and Christian faith that it is in danger of becoming a Muslin Nation…( See Christian Times article).
- Today Muslin groups are offering 100,000 Qurans to American leaders who are accepting them at the encouragement of Obama when only 200 years ago this country was founded on Christian principles and faith endorsed by most of our founding fathers.
- A new religion has emerged here in the United States, among other countries. It is called “Chrislam”….a mergence of Christianity and Islam, taking the Bible and Quran and bringing the teachings together as one and the person of Jesus Christ as one. The problem is the two religions are incompatible in almost every area, including the Person of Jesus Christ…who He is, His deity, end time events and many other things. What is alarming is that some Christian leaders who were once well respected are involved in promoting this.
- Immorality…particularly pornography addiction…is at an all time high among Christian ministers. In a recent conference a private survey was taken of hundreds of ministers attending. Over 60 per cent admitted to being either addicted to or involved in the viewing of pornographic materials CURRENTLY.
5). 1 Timothy 4:16
Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.
- We must watch how we walk in our lives.
- The scriptures tell us that we are to avoid even the appearances of evil.
- We must watch what we say and teach others
In these last days we must not be those who compromise the Word of God but rather those who adhere to it and continue to bring both salt and light to the earth today.
May God bless this word to your hearts.
By Evangelist Mischa Safdie’
Mischa Safdie’ Ministries
136 N. Grand Ave., Ste. 278
W. Covina, CA 91791
(951) 796-3936
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