“Evangelical Christians make the difference. [...] The evangelicals are a phenomenon that can no longer be dismissed or ignored.” Positively—they were affirming their confidence in President Bush and his faithaffirming stand on issues dear to their hearts. Negatively, they were united in their opposition of John Kerry’s positions on such issues as abortion and gay marriage initiatives.

Evangelicals have become the dominant religious force in America in the twenty-first century. They saw theological Liberalism as a compromise with the new forms of rationalism and secularism that were threatening the historical message of the Church at that time.

Most scholars trace the core beliefs of evangelicalism to the five fundamentals:

1. The inspiration, inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture.
2. The deity of Christ’s Person.
3. The substitutionary atonement of Christ’s death.
4. The literal resurrection of Christ from the dead.
5. The return of Christ in His Second Coming.

The details and definitions of these fundamental truths may vary from one group to another, but the essentials remain the same. The deep personal devotion of believers to Jesus Christ drives evangelical Christians to cling to their faith in God beyond all the rational arguments of all the critics and unbelievers of all time. For them to deny the truths which brought them to Christ would be like a scientist denying the formula that proved the results of his experiment. by Ed Hindson

“Mexican official seeks open border—Mexico’s newest border czar wants to begin building additional travel lanes at ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border and to increase the number of border crossings into the United States—the first steps, he hopes, toward an open border with no checkpoints.[...]

‘I would like to see a border similar to the one that Europe has right now.[...]They have a common economy. They have policies that transcend their borders[...].’ Travel across national borders in the European Union is unregulated, and citizens of EU member nations traverse borders as freely and easily as Americans cross state lines.[...]”

Mexican President Vicente Fox “has said he favors open borders across North America and has proposed removing all immigration barriers between Mexico, the United States and Canada, allowing the three nations’ citizens to live and work in the country of their choosing.[...]” Jerry Seper—The Washington Times

“The United States will lose its historic status as a majority-Protestant nation as early as this year.[...] Between 1993 and 2002, the proportion of Americans who said they were Protestants fell from 63 percent to 52 percent after decades of stability.[...] ‘Since Colonial times, the United States has been a Protestant nation. But this year or next, the proportion of all Protestants will fall below 50 percent’ of the total U. S. population for the first time. [...]” Joyce Howard Price—The Washington Times

“More than half the world’s population will be living in cities in three years time, badly straining the urban infrastructure. Already, there are 20 cities of more than 10 million people, which constitute 4 percent of the world’s population. By 2015, there will be 22 mega-cities with 5 percent of the world’s population.” Times of India

“Despite long-held fears of over-population, some experts now say the biggest challenge to future generations may be the opposite—de-population.

‘Never have birth and fertility rates fallen so far, so fast, so low, for so long, in so many places, so surprisingly.’[...]

[...]For the first time since the Black Plague of the 14th century, the world’s population over the next century is expected to drop, peaking at an estimated 9 billion people in 2070 and then gradually sliding downward.” Heather J. Carlson—The Washington Times

The Foul Fruit of Apostasy

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Many people profess to be Christians but reject the Bible as God’s Word; deny the deity of Christ; or repudiate the Incarnation, virgin birth, resurrection, or justification by faith. These doctrines and others are cardinal to Christianity and nonnegotiable for true believers in Christ.

Scripture warns, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Mt. 7:15-16). Following is helpful information on apostasy.

Apostasy. “A deliberate repudiation and abandonment of the faith that one has professed (Heb. 3:12).”¹

The Apostasy of 2 Thessalonians 2:3. “An aggressive and climactic revolt against God that will prepare the way for the appearance of the man of sin.”²

Apostates Are Not True Believers. There is a difference between someone who denies the faith out of fear and then returns to it, as the Apostle Peter did, and someone who categorically rejects it (Dt. 13:13; 1 Jn. 2:19).

Apostates Will Flourish in the Last Days (2 Th. 2:3; 1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:1-5).

Apostates Will Be Punished (2 Pet. 2:17-22).

ENDNOTES

1. L. G. Whitlock, Jr., “Apostasy,” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, ed. Walter A. Elwell (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1984), 70.
2. Charles Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible Expanded Edition NASB (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), 1912 n. 2:3. Israel My Glory