Apostasy in the church and false doctrines of men

By Don Koenig

The reason for this article

Most of the major Christian denominations have deviated from biblical Christianity in one way or another.
It is not the purpose of this article to point a finger at any one group, or to tell true Christians to get out of
their denomination or not to fellowship. I understand that this article will not win me any popularity contest
but very few others are talking about the apostasy in the church institutions identified with Christianity and
the false doctrines of men within these church institutions that now deviate from true biblical Christianity.
The one true Church of God is a spiritual body and it is interwoven in all Christian
denominations. I have noticed in my own experiences that there is at least a small core of true believers
in just about every church in every denomination. That certainly does not mean that the doctrine of certain
denominations actually leads people to Christian salvation - many teach a different gospel than what the
Bible teaches. However, some in these denominations do find that salvation comes by God's grace
through faith (trust) in the risen Savior in spite of denominational heresy. I have at one time in my life
been part of all the major groups listed below and I have first hand knowledge of what they practice
(except the Orthodox Catholics).
My purpose is to expose the darkness so that the true light of the gospel of Christ will shine. I do
not believe that true Christians can significantly change the overwhelmingly apostate pseudo Christian
agenda that is now prevails in most of our churches and intuitions'. What we can do however, is not be
deceived by Satan's devices and not support what is not biblical.

Who is a Christian?
There are over 2.2 billion people on the earth who identify themselves as Christians, but there are
significantly fewer that are really part of the body of Christ.
Jesus said you can not enter the kingdom of heaven unless you are born of the Spirit. The new birth from
the Holy Spirit occurs when a person truly believes that Jesus is the son of God and trusts in the finished
work of Jesus on the cross to atone for their own sins and to justify them before God.
The scriptures say you are saved by faith, not by your own works, lest anyone should boast.
We cannot judge if a person who identifies with Christianity is really trusting in Christ or in their religion to
save them. If they are trusting in their religion to save them they are no more part of the body of
Christ than a Jew or Moslem or any other religion.
Christianity is a personal relationship with Jesus because we are one with Him spiritually. This
relationship does not depend on having all correct theology but correct theology will result in more fruitful
Christianity.

Religion is basically satanic.

All religion contains methods, rituals and practices for man to become righteous enough to
ascend or evolve to God. All religion thus believes in the need for one to become self righteous.
True Christianity is the complete opposite. True Christianity believes in God's righteousness.
Because of His righteousness, Jesus the creator, died for our sins and breached the gap between
God and man. True Christianity believes God provides a free gift of eternal life to anyone who

trusts in Him (has faith) that God is graceful and sent His Son to save those who believe in God's
righteousness to save all that trust in His own begotten Savior.
Apostate Christianity (departure from true biblical Christianity) in its final analysis cannot be distinguished
from any other religion in the world in its quest for God. No wonder apostate Christianity will be willing to
join with all the other religions of the world. These pseudo Christians think they are Christian just because
it is part of their culture and because they believe in a higher power. Even demons believe in a higher
power. Apostate Christianity has no evidence of a Holy Spirit changed life because they were never born
of the Spirit.
Some in religious training were taught that Jesus died for their sins and that they are saved or justified,
but in their lives there is no evidence by works of the Spirit. Do they really have Jesus or do they only
have knowledge about Him? Do they have Churchianity or Christianity?
Those that trust in their own good works to save themselves are self deceived and still in their
sins. If there ever was a religion that could allow man to fellowship with God it was Judaism but the
requirement was to keep all of God's law. The laws of Judaism did not achieve salvation because in
man's fallen state he could never keep the whole law. Man's righteousness and good works can never
bring about eternal life with God because man always falls short of the required perfection necessary to
dwell in the presence of a Holy God.Yet Judaism did not fail because through the tribe of Judah a
Savior from God was born.

True Christianity
Jesus being born a man but being also God perfectly fulfilled the law. He Himself had no sin but He
obediently paid the price for the curse on man because of sin. Sin brought into the world by Adam's
disobedience was paid for by God's own Lamb sacrifice for all sin. At the cross Jesus took the curse upon
Himself, for it is written "cursed is anyone who hangs on a tree" (Gal 3:13). Death could not hold the
righteous kinsman redeemer of man and Creator of all. He died but rose to begin a new creation and in
doing so condemned the old fallen creation to its eternal destruction. Those who trust Him are born again
into this new new creation of believers called the "Body of Christ". After we are born into this new
creation, God no longer sees us as the sinners that we were but He sees us as the paid for "bride of His
Son in one body with Him". (The scripture says in marriage the two shall become one flesh - Paul used
this as the example of Christ and the Church - Eph 5: 31- 32.)
"True Christianity is then believing that God's promise to provide a Savior was fulfilled in His Son
Jesus." This promise of a Savior and Messiah to restore man's fellowship with God is integrated
throughout all scripture.

What do the large Christian denominations now confess?

Unfortunately, Most of the large Christian denomination leadership has become infiltrated by the
elite of Satan and much of the institutional church has fallen away from the true faith and have followed
doctrines of men. Some have a different Jesus then the Jesus of scripture. After the rapture of the faithful
Christians the apostate church will go on without skipping a beat into the fires of the tribulation. In the
following paragraphs I give my reasons for saying there is now apostasy in the church throughout the
major institutional churches that identify with Christianity.

The Roman Catholic Church.

The membership of this church is more than half of all that are identified as Christianity (over one billion
people) but the majority of Catholics baptized into the denomination do not even regularly practice their

religion. Additionally, many Catholics know little about their own beliefs or they ignore the doctrine.
Many integrate it with native pagan religions.
This denomination teaches that you are saved by grace, faith and works of merit. God's grace is
something you must earn by keeping the church sacraments, traditions and rituals and by doing
good works. The priests of the church are successors of the apostles and have all of Christ's authority
on earth. The priests are grace dispensers and the church is infallible. If you accumulate enough
merit you will go to heaven. Otherwise you will have to go through the fires of purgatory or to hell. The
writings of the church fathers and the traditions of the church have equal weight with the holy scriptures.
The members of this church are in the process of being saved by their works of merit.
Problems:
Many of the church's traditions and practices are contrary to scripture proving that this church is far from
being infallible. Satan with his wolves in sheep's clothing has infiltrated this church and corrupted it. The
Catholic Church has become like the corrupted Judaism that Jesus condemned. It is largely a
church of Pharisees and of blind ritual -- a church of idolatry, rote prayer, and traditions of men. To rid
most of Christianity of apostasy we first would have to go to the root of that apostasy and purge out most
of the doctrines that have infiltrated the Catholic Church.
The seven sacraments
The seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church are rituals for grace. The church believes that the ritual
itself will dispense grace from God. It appears that the church puts the cart before the horse. No spiritual
grace comes from ritual, but power from the Holy Spirit is given to those who listen to God and obey
Him.

The sacrament of the baptism of infants is not scriptural or logical. The ritual of baptism is
for identifying believers with the death and resurrection of Jesus. Babies do not
believe.True baptism is dying with Christ and by faith being born into a new
creation called the "body of Christ".
The sacrament of the Eucharist should be a memorial and remembrance of Christ's
broken body and shed blood for us. There is no place in scripture that says we are to
offer Christ's body on the altar daily or that the bread and the wine actually becomes the
body of Jesus, and by putting these elements in your stomach you will receive Him into
your body and get grace from Him.
The Sacrament of contrition and penance is contrary to scripture. The scriptures say
that Jesus is the only intermediator between God and man. The doctrine that you can
have your sins forgiven by confession to a priest who then intermediates and gives
absolution if you do the penance he dictates, abolishes what Jesus did for us on the
cross for all sin. Who is sinless enough to intermediate for us with God except Jesus, and
which sin did Jesus not pay for?
This church teaches that the sacrament of confirmation is where you get the power of the
Holy Spirit. The scriptures however, teach that you get the Holy Spirit when you
believe and you get power to do His will when you earnestly pray for it.
Marriage is a union between two people. There is no reason given in scripture for it to be
a Church sacrament or for the ceremony to be performed by a priest or clergy -- not that
the practice of getting married by the elder of any church is wrong.
The ordination of a special priesthood is contrary to New Testament scripture. The
scripture teaches that all in Christ are kings and priests.
The sacrament of Extreme Unction indicates that the dying get some special grace by
having a priest say some ritualistic prayers over them. This is a distortion of the true
biblical practices of elders praying over the sick.

The cult of Mary

A large sect in this church teaches that Mary is co-Redeemer and that she was without sin. The scripture
says that there is salvation in no other name than Christ Jesus. The scriptures also say that all have
sinned. That includes Mary. Jesus said that John the Baptist was the greatest of all born of women. Why
did He not say His mother was if she was without sin? When the natural mother of Jesus and His brothers
(yes, Jesus had brothers according to scripture) thought He went crazy and wanted to talk to Him, Jesus
said His mother and brothers are those that do the will of His Father. Mary is not the mother of God, she
is the mother of the natural body that God incarnated. Mary is not the mother of the Church. She had to
believe to be saved and had to receive the Holy Spirit and become a member of the "body of Christ" like
everyone else. How can Mary be the mother of a membership that includes herself?
The idea that Mary is interceding for the Christians and appearing to many and giving statements to
people that are often contrary to the scriptures is an insult to Mary. The bottom line of these apparitions
at the very least is a message of salvation by works which will save no one. Furthermore, many
Catholics are now into witchcraft and things forbidden in the Bible because they believe in these
lies. Much of what is being said by apparitions attributed to Mary parallels pagan new age
teachings and doctrine of demons. Those into Mariology like to reduce the God of the Universe to a
child on Mary's knee but He is a consuming fire and the only intermediator between God and man.
Saying the Rosary with its fifty "Hail Mary's" is rote prayer to someone other than God. This is
idolatry! Jesus said to pray to the Father. If He wanted people to pray to his earthly mother He would
have said so. Furthermore, how in the world could anyone really believe that Mary would want to hear the
same prayer over and over and over again? Do people think that she or they get power from their
chanting? This is witchcraft! Even common sense should tell them that no one wants to hear the same
thing over and over again. I am sure the real Mary of the Bible would tell the people who chant these
prayers to please shut up.
Many times the real reasons for the rote prayer is not even addressed in the prayer service. For example,
when Catholics pray "Hail Mary's" in front of abortion clinics. Their ritualistic chanting leaves the body of
Christ open to much ridicule by unbelievers and all of these rote "prayers" are nothing but a counterfeit
substitution for real prayer to God about the real situation that is needing Christian prayer. The scripture
tells us not to say rote prayers as the heathen do that think they will be heard for their many words. We
are told that God knows what we need before we ask. Our requests should be like a child toward his
Father. Try saying the same thing fifty or more times to your earthly father or mother daily and
note their response to you.
The "queen of heaven" was worshiped in ancient Babylon. She also had a child in her arms. This
was not Mary and Jesus but were demon gods. God did not have anything good to say about the
people who worshiped her (see reference). Obviously some Catholics have used the blessed name
of Mary of scripture to incorporate pagan Babylonian practices and beliefs into the Church.
The doctrine of purgatory
The doctrine of purgatory is an insult to Jesus and the finished work that He did on the cross to pay for
the sins of the whole world. If we sin, He is faithful to forgive us our sins if we confess them to Him.
Scripture says that there is now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. Jesus either paid for all sins
past, present, and future or He paid for none of them.Scripture teaches no other doctrine.
A few of the many other heresies:

In much of the third world Catholicism has been integrated with pagan
witchcraft and no major correction is coming from Rome. Yet the Vatican rails
against Christians that teach the truth about such things .
The scapular is worn by some Catholics who believe that salvation or grace can
be earned from something they hang around their neck.
Expecting spiritual power by using holy water, medals, holy pictures, and objects
blessed by a priest is simply belief in the occult. It simply is witchcraft .
Many Catholic churches allow gambling and drinking on the church premises to
raise funds.
The Pope as the vicar of Christ is not scriptural and many Popes have been antiChrist. Peter was not the first Pope. The first real Pope was Leo 1st about 400
years later. Peter was an apostle to the Jews. Paul was the apostle to the
gentiles from which most post first century Christianity descended.
The former Pope called Moslems brothers, kissed the Koran and said that
Moslems are on a path to God. He had a close friendship with the top leader of
Eastern Pagan religion and said they were on the same path. He told Catholics
that salvation of the earth comes through Mary. Further, he warned Catholics
about the dangers of Christian evangelicals that teach the Bible. He welcomed
non believers in Christ as brothers but did not rescind the one hundred
anathema's made by the Catholic Church against all Protestant believers. (In
catholic theology the anathema's mean that all Protestants will go to Hell. The
anathema's came from a infallible papal decree so it can never be rescinded.
Thus, the only hope of salvation for Protestants within the Catholic theology is for
Protestants to return to the Catholic Church). This is not Christian leadership it
is the type of anti-Christ leadership that Paul warned true Christians to
beware of but this church wants to declare this Pope a saint. The latest popes
are apparently no wiser about salvation theology. They seems to think that all
people of good will are saved and many religions like Islam worship the same
God as Christians even though Islam doctrine says that God has no Son. Some
Catholics are now calling the latest pope an anti-pope because some of his views
conflict with the views of other infallible popes. Oh, the joy of blind Religion!
The Catholic Church has a wretched history and continues countless heretical
teachings. Read "The Women Rides the Beast" by Dave Hunt for detailed
information on the history and practices of this church in apostasy.

The bottom line about Roman Catholicism

The Roman Catholic Church as an institution is mostly apostate. Only each individual Catholic can truly
know if they are trusting in Jesus as He is define in the Bible for their salvation or if they are just trusting
in a false hope of following Catholic doctrine to save them. The doctrines of the Catholic Church are
convoluted and their doctrine of salvation is contrary to the clear teaching of New Testament teaching.
The majority that claim to be Catholics do not even practice Catholicism.
Some in this church have found the path to salvation and have been born of the Holy Spirit but many of
these are not producing the fruit that they should. The good works they think they do in many cases are
nothing more than empty rituals and practices contrary to God's will. Many are building on the house of
God with straw. After the rapture of true believers,what is left of the Roman Catholic Church will become
the head of the great harlot religious system (Revelation 17) that will bring in the Antichrist and his false
prophet. The majority of this church (Thyatira in the book of Revelation) will be tried by fire in the great
tribulation (the real purgatory for Catholics).
Commendations:

+ Catholic charities
+ They helped to preserve the scriptures
+ Church discipline
+ Strong community orientation
+ Social Programs
+ Hates abortion
+ Teaches against the faithless practice of birth control
+ They still teach some of the essential doctrines of the faith
+ Strong school system that still teaches moral absolutes
+ Believes scriptures are God inspired

The Orthodox Catholic Churches

These churches have about one hundred fifty million followers.
This church is much the same as the Roman Catholics although some of the Roman Catholic heresies
are not taught. However, they have added heresies of their own. They teach that members are saved by
the teachings and traditions of the church, by the sacraments of the church, and through praying to
icons. The essential doctrine of being saved by faith is not taught. This institutional church is mostly
apostate and the church in general has done few good works on the earth. I doubt if there is a significant
number of true Christians within the Orthodox Catholic Church.
I believe this is Jesus' message to the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Catholic Church.
Rev 2:18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath
his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto burnished brass:
19 I know thy works, and thy love and faith and ministry and patience, and that thy last works are more
than the first.
20 But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess;
and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
21 And I gave her time that she should repent; and she willeth not to repent of her fornication.
22 Behold, I cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they
repent of her works.
23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the
reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to your works.
24 But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, who know not the
deep things of Satan, as they are wont to say; I cast upon you none other burden.
25 Nevertheless that which ye have, hold fast till I come.
26 And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over
the nations:
27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to shivers; as I also
have received of my Father:
28 and I will give him the morning star.
29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
for additional references check my scripture references and see: "all the letters of Paul in the New
Testament"

The Protestants
Besides the Roman and Orthodox Catholics there are around 900 million other people living in the world
that say they are Christian. Most of these call themselves Protestants, although a minority of those that
might also be number with the Protestants are cults that deny certain essential doctrines of the Christian
faith. The majority of all Protestants are in old mainline liberal and reformed denominations, or they

identify with Baptists, other evangelical denominations, Pentecostals, Charismatics, or independent Bible
and community churches. The biggest cults of Christianity are the Mormons and the Latter Day Saints.
The overwhelming majority of the people in the liberal Protestant denominations have never had a born
again experience nor do their lives reflect that God is indwelling them.Most of them do not regularly
fellowship with other believers or attend services. Many that do attend services are Sunday
Christians. There is no fellowship with Jesus or each other outside the formal church service.
For the most part their Christianity is cultural and the relationship they have with God is superficial. Many
believe in humanism, socialism, evolution and the basic goodness of man rather than the worldview and
truths that the scriptures teach. Few people in the liberal denominations know the essentials of their
own faith. Many believe that all religions lead to God.
(Within the Protestants there are about five hundred million Evangelical and Pentecostal
Protestants that have for the most part kept the true faith. The things listed in the paragraph below
should not apply to them. I write about their own unique problems in a later paragraph.)
Problems:

Most believe that people are saved into the church through infant baptism, contrary to
scripture
Some believe that people are saved by the ritual of baptism
Many have retained much of the heretical doctrines of the Catholics
Most lord the clergy over the laity
Some do away with the inspiration and infallibility of scripture
Some put men under the authority of women contrary to scriptures
Some condone abortion, all condone birth control
Many have no salvation message and preach only a social gospel
Too many churches put a picture of a Norwegian on their wall and call him Jesus
Many think they are Christians because that is their tradition and culture
Some think that Christianity is just one of many ways to God
Some churches teach humanism instead of the teachings of Christ
Some teach a message of materialism
Some do not believe that Jesus was God
Some think that Christ is a consciousness and Jesus will not return physically (unity)
Some teach that man is a perfect spirit and all we see is an illusion (Christian Science)
Some Christian identity cults make Jesus a lesser God - Mormons and Jehovah
witnesses
Most are amillennial and do not teach the imminent return of Christ
Some teach doctrines of satanic psychology as truth
Some are state supported churches that are spiritually dead
Most churches have no discipline or accountability for their membership
Some teach that the Church has replaced Israel and allegorize or spiritualize prophetic
scripture
Some let flagrant sinners lead the flock

Commendations:
+ Some are community orientated
+ Some have Christian education
+ Many still believe in the infallibility of scripture
+ Most still confess most of the essential doctrines of the faith
+ Some support missionaries
+ Some have good youth and social programs

I believe the message from Jesus to these churches is:

Rev 3:1 And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits
of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead.
2 Be thou watchful, and establish the things that remain, which were ready to die: for I have {1} found no
works of thine perfected before my God. {1) Many ancient authorities read not found thy works}
3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep it, and repent. If therefore thou
shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
4 But thou hast a few names in Sardis that did not defile their garments: and they shall walk with me in
white; for they are worthy.
5 He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of
the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
Rev 3:14 And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and
true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; and knowest
not that thou art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked:
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest become rich; and white garments,
that thou mayest clothe thyself, and that the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and
eyesalve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I reprove and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come
in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat
down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.

The non Pentecostal Evangelicals

Many of the non Pentecostal Evangelicals have had a true born again experience and those that really
believe are part of the one true Church. Some of the following problems may not qualify as true apostasy
from the faith but they deviate from the truths of true biblical Christianity because they add doctrines of
men or legalism.
Problems:

Many Evangelicals place too much emphasis on self reliance instead of relying on the
Holy Spirit
Success seminars are taught on some church properties as if they were biblical doctrine
Many have introduced psychotherapy and its underlying psychologies in their counseling
programs and replaced Godly counsel with satanic theories
Some who call themselves evangelicals still embrace the mainline theology that the
Church fulfills the promises that were given to natural Israel without condition. They say
there is no future Kingdom on earth from Jerusalem contrary to many scripture passages
that say there is a restoration on earth for natural Israel.
Some have little or no church discipline
Some have occult-like inner healing and birthing seminars
Some compromise essentials of the Christian faith for unity among denominations
Many pastors job-shop for materialistic or prestigious positions or run away from
problems and divorce the flock they were called to serve

Many flocks divorce the elder of their church over petty squabbles
The secondary leadership in the church too often is picked because of their position in
the community or the size of their bank account
Some worship the idol of money and care more about their building programs than
evangelism of the lost
Many churches put a picture of a Norwegian on the wall and call him Jesus
Most large churches have a country club mentality. They have wonderful fellowship and
they have many programs for those in the club but they do little about improving the
community they live in either spiritually or physically
Most have now replaced real Bible study with study of quarterly magazines about Bible
passages and applications for living
Many preach that all who drink any alcoholic beverages are sinning. Some even will not
allow into their membership or will remove from their membership those who profess to
use alcohol. They ignore or spin many scriptures about the use of wine. Some just need
to stop repeating doctrines that they swallowed from legalistic teachers and study the
context of all the passages themselves. Alcohol abuse is a sin but the Church needs to
be truthful and credible and should not unduly put its members on guilt trips. They
should not label people as sinners who in faith are generally practicing something
that in moderation actually could be a benefit to their health
Some have created lists of actions of the flesh that they say are sinful such as drinking,
smoking, dancing, watching movies or TV, or even listening to certain Christian music.
Some do not even allow musical instruments in church but these same churches ignore
actions of the flesh like gluttony, gossip, and judging everyone as sinners who have the
greater faith to believe that God does not abide by their list of man made forbidden
activities
Many, to be all inclusive and to reach non-believers, have made their worship service on
Sunday to be a time to entertainment rather than a time to feed the flock and worship
God
Some apply the tithe system of government for Israel to the Church. They teach that
Christians are required to tithe to their church as if this is New Testament truth. It is not!
There is not a word about tithing in New Testament instruction to the Church but there is
teaching about cheerful free will giving. If pastors still insist on teaching people to tithe as
Israel did, they also should know that Israel had three tithes and following that example
will require your members to give about 23 percent of their increase not 10 percent.
(Good luck!)
Many do not fully understand that the Christians are the temple of God. Their building is a
building, it is not a holy sanctuary. The people who make up the Church are the holy
sanctuary. There is no special grace for those who come to the front of the building to
pray. God's sanctuary is in His people and He is not any more present in the front of any
building or near the preacher. Where is the popular altar call even found in the

Bible?

Many have now bought into the seeker-friendy church growth movement. They knowingly
or unknowingly use paraphrases of the Bible that sometimes twists scripture. They do not
teach a salvation message on Sunday. The leadership in general sees the Church ruling
on earth before the return of Christ and they tell their people that studying future Bible
prophecy is a distraction

Many are embracing the Emergent or Emerging Church movement. This

movement is redefining the Bible and leading many into mysticism.
Some have a few of the same problems as the Pentecostals listed in the
next section.

Commendations:

+ Strong Christian education

+ Some discipleship
+ Some evangelism
+ A good grasp on the doctrine of salvation
+ Most keep the essential doctrines of the faith
+ Strong missionary support
+ Belief in the infallibility of God's word
+ Mostly Bible centered services
+ Some community orientation/home fellowship groups
+ Charity

The Pentecostals
Pentecostals are usually included in the numbers of the Evangelicals but on some doctrines of faith and
practice their are huge differences so I will include them separately here. Most of the Pentecostals and
Charismatics have confessed Jesus as Lord and are born of the Spirit. Pentecostals seem to live out their
faith in the flesh the most, but too often there is a lack of discipline and accountability in their
churches. It has given rise to quite a bit of deviant Christianity. Some of their beliefs and practices
have separated them from other true Christians. Some of it is heretical or cultic such as the Oneness and
Holiness doctrines, Some of it is occult and parallels new age teaching. One problem with Pentecostals
seems to be a lack of biblical knowledge and proper exegesis of certain scriptures that the
Pentecostals like to empathize. However, the main problem is that nobody in these churches will
dare challenge any Pentecostal leader that is over them. They can be very much under bondage to
their leaders. They will blindly follow self-anointed teachers claiming direct messages from God and they
will follow their every new whim of doctrine as if it came from God. They are also taught to believe in
direct revelation from God outside of the scriptures. Thus, so called subjective spiritual experiences leave
them wide open to all sorts of deceptions.
A few decades ago most of the Pentecostals/Charismatics split into four camps. One camp stayed with
true biblical Christianity (i.e., the Calvary Chapels), another camp went on toexperience-based
belief and have gone off into a ever descending spiral of more and more error and even doctrine of
demons (i.e. the Vineyard Movement). The third camp call themselves "Word Churches" they have
"embraced name it and claim it" theology among other New Age concepts. The forth camp is those who
have bought into Kingdom now/Reconstruction/Dominion theology that does away with premillennial
beliefs about Christ's return and replaces it with Dominion Theology where the church rules on earth
before Christ returns (i.e., The New Apostolic Reformation), In some of these churches the camps overlap
and it gets really hard to sort it all out.
Problems:

Most confuse being filled with the Spirit for service, with Spirit baptism and teach
people that they get the Holy Spirit in a separate experience after conversion, as if you
can separate Jesus and the Holy Spirit (there is one God)
Many have back rooms where by emotional effort, peer pressure, and trying to
speak in tongues they try to get you the Holy Ghost
Many say the only initial evidence of being born of the spirit is speaking in tongues and
say other Christians that haven't had this experience are not born of the Spirit. By this
doctrine they divide the body of Christ and by saying that non Pentecostal Evangelical
Christians do not have the Holy Spirit they insult the Holy Spirit that is obviously working
through all born again believers
Many appoint new converts and the unproved to positions of leadership contrary to
scripture and many of these cause great ruin to the Church
In many churches there is little accountability and the leadership often goes astray

Many are ritualistic. Even though most of the members came out of ritualistic churches
like Catholicism and Liberal Protestantism they have incorporated new rituals back
into the Church. Some of these new rituals are praying and singing in tongues during
the service, anointing everything with oil to get rid of evil spirits, raising of hands as the
only correct position of worship, slaying in the spirit, casting out demons, healing lines,
etc
Many have rejected the priesthood of Catholicism but then embraced a new special
priesthood who claim to be God's anointed
Some claim to be prophets and make prophetic statements but their prophecies do not
come true, yet they are still embraced as prophets by the leadership and most members,
contrary to the explicit definition of a true prophet in scripture.
Too many in this movement go to the traveling circus clowns like Benny Hinn to find
phony healing instead of asking for the spiritual elders of the Church to pray for them so
God will do His will in their lives for His glory
Some think you can become a prophet by self appointment and self will. They also think
you can learn how to be a prophet by going to a prophetic school
Too many of the leaders are con artists and buffoons who fleece the sheep and open the
body of Christ to unnecessary ridicule
Too many of the leaders are hypnotists or loud mouth bully control freaks that coerce
the church into altered states of reality and emotionalism
Too many confessed conversions are by coercion, peer pressure, and emotionalism.
Many are pressured to do what the leaders ask and soon fall away because their coerced
conversion was not genuine
Too many of the leaders twist the meanings of scripture to support a pet or even deviant
doctrine
Some teach that emotional experience is just as reliable as scripture
Some teach name it and claim it and positive confession -- "if you believe it you will
receive it"
Some teach that we are now gods and we have God-like power in our words. They
assert that we can speak things into existence
Some teach spiritual laws and that God is subject to them and thus make God someone
to be manipulated by following some set formula designed by men
Some teach that faith is believing in belief. They teach you will receive what you
believe (faith in faith)
Some claim healing that never happened, hoping that this confession will really bring it
about. Others proclaim hearsay about healing from others as gospel truth
Some deny the triune nature of God taught throughout scripture
Some teach that the King James translation is the only inerrant version (errors and
all). They teach that the King James Bible is the only correct translation and that other
honest translations of scripture are Satanic
Some add to "salvation by faith" the false doctrine of "being saved by works of
obedience"
Some say the ritual of water baptism by immersion with a preacher saying the words "I
baptize you into the name of Jesus Christ" is required for salvation and say all those
baptized by sprinkling or baptized into the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are
not saved
Some believe that doctrines taught by their denomination are essential for salvation and
thus rule out all other Christians as even being Christian
Some take an obscure scripture and make it a doctrine (like handling snakes)
Some claim to cast demons out of true Christians
Some allow women to be pastors and to rule over men contrary to scripture
Some make railing accusations against Satan for sins of the flesh and don't take personal
responsibility for sin in their life

Some now follow teaching that every disaster in the US is linked to Israel. As if God
allows tit-for-tat disasters to come on the US for every dealing with unbelieving Israel.
Even in the ancient history of Israel when God brought judgment on the enemies of Israel
it was first spoken of by the prophets and the judgments came in God's own timing. If
one follows this thinking to its logical conclusion, all the disasters in the world are
related to Israel and current events and not to a fallen world. Otherwise, why single
out the US who really is Israel's best friend? These teachers search long and hard after
every disaster and can always find some obscure link to a dealing the US had with the
state of Israel. They are especially busy in the fall when it is hurricane season. This
teaching is not credible and it opens Christian Zionism up to much ridicule
Some Pentecostals still follow the teachings of those who claim that there are hidden
equal distance codes in the Bible even after this theory has been disproved. Some of
these are even using their perceived hidden codes as a crystal ball to predict the future
Some embrace Kingdom now/Reconstruction/Dominion theology, which does away with
the restoration of natural Israel and the literal reading of unfulfilled prophetic scripture and
replaces it with a strange doctrine that is not taught in the Bible. They say the Church will
rule on earth before Jesus can return.
Some are continually claiming new biblical revelation or prophecy. The book stores are
full of Pentecostal conjectures that never come true.
Most Pentecostals also have many of the same man-made and legalistic problems listed
under the non Pentecostal Evangelicals

Commendations:
+ Enthusiastic worship
+ Strong desire to live out the Christian life
+ Strong Evangelism
+ Many still expect the literal fulfillment of prophetic scriptures
+ Missionary support
+ Some Christian education
+ Some discipleship
+ All believe that original scripture is without error
+ Most keep the essential doctrines of the faith+
+ Some home fellowships
+ Charity
Having said the good the bad and the ugly there are many fruitful Christians in the Evangelical
and Pentecostal Churches. Here is what I believe is the Lord's message to these people:
Rev 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These things saith he that is holy, he that is
true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and none shall shut, and that shutteth and none
openeth:
8 I know thy works (behold, I have {1} set before thee a door opened, which none can shut), that thou
hast a little power, and didst keep my word, and didst not deny my name. {1) Gr given}
9 Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but do lie;
behold, I will make them to come and {1} worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. {1)
The Greek word denotes an act of reverence, whether paid to a creature, or to the Creator.}
10 Because thou didst keep the word of my {1} patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of {2}
trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole {3} world, to {4} try them that dwell upon the
earth. {1) Or stedfastness 2) Or temptation 3) Gr inhabited earth 4) Or tempt}
11 I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.
12 He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the {1} temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no
more: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new
Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name. {1) Or sanctuary}
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.

12 He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the {1} temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no
more: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new
Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name. {1) Or sanctuary}
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.

Conclusion on apostasy in the Church

The scripture says that there will be a great falling away from the true faith in the last days. It says
men will not endure sound doctrine but will have itching ears and will heap to themselves teachers that
will fulfill their own lusts. We are in those days where many in the church are following doctrines of men
rather than the Bible. There are about two billion people who identify with Christianity on the earth today
but how many are truly the bride of Christ? Jesus asked, when He returns will He find faith on the
earth? The answer for most of the world is no. For those who identify with Christianity it is yes and no.
Many calling themselves Christians today have only empty religion and not real faith in the Savior.
My best guess is a tithe (ten percent) of those who identify with Christianity are actually born of the Spirit
and will go at the time of the rapture (It could be more -- only God knows). If my guess is correct the
ninety percent of psudeo Christians that stay will hardly miss them. Those that stay will remain in the
apostate harlot church (Rev 17) and experience the great tribulation where they will have a choice
to follow Jesus and lose their lives or follow Satan and lose their soul.
Selected References:
Back to apostasy in the church and cult index

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