The Apostasy

by Sergio Valori

he apostasy of the last days is now in full bloom as the false and the counterfeit abounds in every nook and corner of the land. We have not only the Oriental religions, the New Age and the cults, but countless perversions mushrooming within the very ranks of the so-called Christian Church. In fact, the perversions seem to flourish best within the Charismatic-Pentecostal domain. Imagine! The camp of the high and lofty 'spirit-filled' segment of the church falling prey to mass deception and seduction!

Of course this is nothing new, for the Apostle Paul saw it coming even in the early Church. In 2 Corinthians 11, he saw ominous signs that the church, the chaste virgin Bride-to-be, was about to be defiled. Although the world always lurks nearby as a possible invader, in this case the threat was not from the world but from within the ranks. The invasion consisted of 'another Jesus, another spirit and another gospel' and the invaders called themselves apostles, prophets and teachers! And who was leading the troops? None other than satan himself, not with horns and pitchfork, but dressed as an angel of light! No wonder Paul rose up like a mother bear defending her cubs! These believers were in the process of being seduced!

The invaders are again at the doors - no, they are already inside - and those spiritually drunken by their deceptive brews number in the thousands if not millions. What is being served? Concoctions which taste, oh so good to the flesh and soul.

The variety most in demand is labeled 'Super Faith'. Drink of this, they say, and you will be rich. You will be able to enjoy luxury cars, lavish homes and the best of the world's goods. You can wear the finest silks, flash expensive jewelry and lead a $10,000 dog on a leash. The poor, they say, are not a good testimony to the Lord. The new Jesus being presented will satisfy all people's wants as well as their needs. But if you really want this prosperity, it is taught you must first make the pastors rich. I have seen videos of people carpeting platforms with money. All this is spelled A-B-O-M-I-N-A-T-I-O-N.

But one may say, "Are we not to exercise faith in our christian life?" O, yes, for truly the just shall live by faith and Jesus taught that we would receive according to our faith. But the error lies in the unbalanced use of faith in the direction of our natural and physical lives at the expense of the spiritual. An abomination is created when people are being exploited and deceived by money-hungry preachers! Nowhere does God's word encourage believers to seek after natural riches. Jesus said, "It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." He taught us to 'seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (moral character) and that all else would be added'. Only a perverted gospel would encourage a believer to exercise faith to gratify the lusts of his flesh and soul.

Another popular spiritual indulgence is man-made Hype. This is the highly-charged, spectacular and entertaining church service which gives people an alternative to the 'highs' available in the world. Since it is all done in Jesus' name and in a plush church auditorium, it has become a popular alternative to the world's entertainment. Much sweat goes into these productions. Big bands are organized, song leaders trained, cheer leaders carefully selected. This variety arouses the emotions, makes people really feel good and enables them to forget their troubles. It is understood that the message (if there is one) will be short. And no reference will be made to repentance, holiness or carrying a cross.

What you will learn in this realm is that noise is called power and loudness is termed the anointing. Everything here is done in a big way and projections for the future are mouth-watering. (O, how the church has learned from the world's corporations!) There is no negative language. All the terms stagger the imagination: 'glorious meetings', 'powerful anointings', 'mighty miracles', 'cities taken for God', 'world wide revival', etc.

Beloved, the awesome and fearful presence of God is disappearing! The holy environment which once brought conviction of sin and transformed lives has been replaced by a man-made combination of flesh and soul which numbs the conscience and leaves people in their carnal state. Wake up church, you are being taken on an emotional roller-coaster!

Then there's the Prophetic variety. You can recognize this by the labels. My name is Prophet so and so. With so many discouraging headlines such as 9/11 and the stock market plunge, people are wide open to hear good, positive things about themselves and about the future. Why not learn to prophesy to each other? Just say some nice things and attach the name of the Lord. Anyone can become a prophet. People are being taught how to do it. When all become prophets, mighty rivers of life will flow. But I have noticed an unspoken commitment in this realm: You can't talk about repentance, the lukewarm Laodicean church, or false prophets, or judgment, or suggest that anything is wrong with the church. Thus, people are not only taught how to prophesy but also what to say. For a more detailed description of these prophetic movements, we recommend you read Jeremiah 23. What an amazing similarity!

Do we not advocate prophecy? Certainly. We saw it restored to the church more than 50 years ago, but let us keep a few things in mind. It is an awesome responsibility to speak in the first person in the name of the Lord ! We had better be willing to have our prophecies judged. And we had better learn that genuine prophecy consists of edification, exhortation and comfort rather than spectacular predictions of the future. And what about all the titles? What is the purpose? They really only serve to glorify the flesh and bolster man's own self-esteem. Finally, let's remember this: not everyone who prophesies is a prophet. Many may have the gift but very, very few hold the office. O, yes, would to God all were prophets, but not the way man is producing them.

Vying for popularity is a fairly new brand of doctrine called the Apostolic. Its chief ingredient comes from a false rendering of Ephesians 2:20. We are now told that instead of Jesus being the only foundation of the church, apostles and prophets have now replaced Him. The only hope for the restoration of power and glory to the church, they say, is the return of apostles. So, we must now manufacture apostles! Thus the move is on. Men and women alike, regardless of real spiritual credentials, are brought into the ranks of this new Apostolic force.

I am reminded of the folly perpetrated by my own organization over 50 years ago after God had genuinely moved to restore apostles and prophets. After the first generation of real apostolic and prophetic ministries, men were given titles and position without genuine spiritual substance. Oh, how subtle is the drive in religious men to perpetuate a vision even in their own strength! I sense the flesh at work again, oozing with pride and ambition for a name to be established for itself. O, how man craves for titles, position and recognition!

Beloved, we do need genuine apostles, for the maturity of the saints requires the restoration of the five-fold ministry of Ephesians 4:13. But this ministry must be called, anointed and commissioned by the Lord, not by man. I am afraid we are seeing a wave of counterfeit apostles and prophets beginning to flood the land and carrying with it the rotten seeds of deception and unreality.

Well, is there anything that is sane and pure? Is there any hope?

Oh, yes. There's an underground church in the earth. It is generally unknown, unrecognized and unacclaimed. Very few seek it out or desire it when they see it. Like the redeemer described in Isaiah 53, it has 'no form or comeliness...or beauty'. They are not the talented, the charismatic or the professional. They are the church of the 'nobodies', the base things of the world, castoffs from great religious movements. Instead of celebrations, hype and fanfare, one finds prayer, travail and repentance.. Man is not at the center, for the Lord's needs come first. He alone is worshipped and exalted. There are no entertainers and no show, for the prevailing tone is sobriety. A wonderful fragrance of simplicity and purity fills the air. It's no wonder the Lord Himself attends.

I am encouraged, for I have seen this church in the tea sheds of Kenya, the farms of Russia, secluded meeting places in Colombia and in an increasing number of homes in the U.S. and Canada. I cannot totally mourn for Saul, for the Lord is anointing His David.