What exactly does “apostasy” mean? The Greek word “apostasia” broken down describes something that once was standing, established, and settled– gradually moving away. You can think of a giant skyscraper, or even a tree werewith the whole foundation–slowly moving from its original place on the ground, until finally it’s in a completely different location. Now with that idea in your head, we know practices are the very actions of what we believe, and in this article you will see the Christian practices of the apostasy.
First Mention Of Apostasy
The apostasy was first mentioned as a prophecy by the Apostle Paul. This was no ordinary prophecy, but one for a generation of Christians close to the Day when Jesus will return to earth. He explained that there would come a time in the last days, when Christians would follow after doctrines of demons and seducing spirits and become so deluded with deception that God would send strong delusion as consequence for their disobedience to the truth. And because of their disobedience we would see practices of the apostasy.
Tongues
To start, tongues are nothing new under the sun. Even with the dispensation of the Holy Spirit upon the Lord’s ascension. There is much historical evidence that many non-Christian religions would speak in ecstatic unidentified languages. The key difference between the tongues we see in the Scripture and that of pagans was that the Disciples were actually speaking intelligible human languages. Essentially, the “opposite” of what happened at the tower of Babel.
And, when we see the Apostle Paul talking to the church of Corinth about prayer language, mysterious angelic tongues, we simply do not have enough context to understand exactly what this language was like. But, we know that Paul explained to the Corinthians that two or more interpreters were required for the use of tongues. He practically explained that tongues achieve no edification since the mind is unfruitful, unintelligent to what is being spoken, unless someone can interpret what is being said.
But, today we see a completely different approach. Christians are being taught by various denominations and non-denominations to just “speak in tongues.” Much like the Oprah Winfrey car giveaway, preachers are out here telling everybody, “You speak in tongues! You speak in tongues! Everybody speak in tongues!”
This is a doctrine of demons that the unsuspecting Christian eats up. I know, because I ate it up too, despite my suspicions. At a “Power and Love” convention hosted by a notorious evangelical pastor, another person came and started speaking in tongues to me. As he spoke, I heard in my mind, “God loves you.” Then, he told me that what he said was, “God loves you.” Seems like validation for tongues? Wrong.
The Tongues Set Up
The religious demon assigned to me, caused him to believe what he said (which he had no idea what he was saying) was “God loves you” and this demon also transmitted that thought into my mind to set up a cause-and-effect situation to get me to believe in tongues, which it ultimately did, and I went crazy with it!
But, when I would sing, and speak in tongues, I remember the thought would come into my mind, “Worship Satan!” And it felt like I was praising the Devil. When you raise your concerns to the big tongue talkers they tell you, “Oh that’s just the Devil wanting you to stop speaking in tongues.” While ironically it’s the Devil that wants you to keep speaking in tongues…
Mind you, throughout this entire time, I WAS NOT EVEN BORN AGAIN. So, how can a carnal man speak in tongues when he doesn’t even have the Holy Spirit? It is because the Devil and his demons can also speak in tongues, and it’s precisely why they want us to speak in tongues because we utter demonic, blasphemous, accursing things into the spirit realm when we do.
Other Practices of the Apostasy
Now, tongues are not the only practices of the apostasy. Many other gifts of the Spirit, Satan also has a counterfeit.
We see that prophesy, and word of knowledge has become a demonic practice. Not that all prophecy is of the Devil, but the way Christians are being instructed by false teachers is the problem. They are taught that “whatever comes to your mind” is to be accepted as a prophecy. Or, “whatever word comes to your mind” is to be accepted as a word of knowledge. This “whatever attitude” without any trying of the spirits is completely contrary to the Scriptures that say we can’t believe every spirit, since not every spirit comes from God.
This goes back to the point I made earlier, that preachers and teachers are placing more emphasis on what Christians do and practice rather than their salvation experience– the defining moment of every Christian.
So, despite I had “all these gifts” I was deceived into thinking I was saved because I could heal people, speak in tongues, have prophecies, and words of knowledge. And I was only one, but imagine how many other Christians are out there thinking the same thing. This is why we are in the season of major apostasy.
Save Them!
To continue with the practices of the apostasy, we see a full encompassing work with all the counterfeit gifts of the Spirit being used toward the Christian world, and the unsaved world.
The primary reason? Christians believe and are deeply taught that they are responsible for people coming to Christ. That is why they must use the gifts, all in an effort to prove to the unsaved that God is real and Christ is the way, and all you have to do is “accept Him.”
So we see Christians going around with an evangelical frenzy rooted in guilt that if they don’t intervene the sinners in their lives, they will be held responsible for them going to hell. But, unknowingly these Christians are under a curse, because they are preaching a false gospel, and practicing the counterfeit arts of Satan. No wonder why demonic torment has reached an all-time high in our era…
I was one of them, praying in tongues for people, laying my hands on people trying to heal them, trying to prophesy to demonstrate the power of God, trying to win any soul for Christ so that I can feel good about myself that “I” saved someone from hell…
One time I even tried casting out a demon from someone by saying, “Jesus loves you.” Only to find myself in a similar situation to the seven sons of Sceva, the demon full-on attacked me, cursing and throwing objects at me and trying to chase me…
Christianity IS NO GAME Y’ALL!
The entire church-system has removed herself from the simple foundation in Christ: to be born again by the choosing and grace of God. They have made it all about works, and practice.
Jesus KNEW this would happen, and so He said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. On that day MANY will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
“Workers of lawlessness” AKA THOSE WHO DO FALSE PRACTICES.
Simply put, Jesus is not looking for those who do “mighty works.” He is looking for those He knows. And that is what we all need to come into agreement with: do we care more about the works, or being known by the King of kings?
So, let us set-aside the foolish virgin act and become wise. Let us detox and deprogram ourselves from the religious conditioning of the world, because Jesus is coming very soon…
For we are in the times of apostasy.
Spiritual Warfare Library of PSM 