Revelation 2:8-9 UR, Falling Away Mark

Revelation 2:8

 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:

The great falling away has begun; it may have started with the invention of cyberspace. Attending fellowship worship at a local church was where Christians heard a message from God’s word once a week, maybe twice for those who have Wednesday services. For those who didn’t go for whatever reason, they listened to their radio or watched television. Now, it is either by Zoom, YouTube, or Facebook. Many believe in God, but will not go to church before and make poor excuses like the church is full of sinners, the pastor is greedy and only wants your money, or the church teaches lies. Church attendance was already declining before the COVID-19 pandemic, but now the great falling away is at full speed, and the house of God is hardly a desirable place for those who believe in Christ to gather anymore. I was witnessing on social media back when MySpace began. As I witness much on Facebook, I notice that Christians who believe they’re pastors, prophets, prophetesses, or preachers sound like they are hosting a television game show giving away a lot of luxurious wealth to make them feel like a king or queen on earth. Many condemn the church, the pastors, and even the Christians within those churches. Do they offer them prayer? No, they post or share teachings saying relationship over religion, or we, the people, are the church. The church is not a building. John the disciple of Jesus, also called John the apostle, John the revelator, was in the Spirit of the Lord on the Sabbath when he saw a vision of the Lord. Jesus told John to send seven scrolls to seven different churches, and the angels of those churches would read those scrolls. (Revelation 1:10-17). 

Ephesians 4:11 And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; 

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are Christ’s body and individually parts of it. 28 and God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing helps administrations, and various kinds of tongues. 29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they?

 The angels between Revelation 1:20 to Revelation 3:14 are the churches’ pastors’ like prophets who were messengers of the Lord. Not all people are given the spiritual gift to preach, but like keyboard warriors, a computer monitor, cellphone, or tablet will make someone feel like a pastor. When someone delivered these letters written on scrolls to the churches, the members of those churches were excited to receive a message from the apostle John because he was the last remaining disciple of Jesus who walked, talked, and saw Jesus face to face. If they forsake church for any reason, they did not hear that message that day. Thankfully, a clerk of that church, maybe the pastor, copied those letters and passed them to other churches throughout the region, eventually going all over the world—the New Testament is a collection of different scrolls that were delivered to numerous churches. Sadly, technology has made Christians who used to be devout at going to church fall away, and they are now way more slothful at worship, and it is declining more daily. It will continue to do so until the Bridegroom Jesus calls and takes His Bride to the church, to the wedding banquet. Only those who forsake the assembly with their poor excuses, even those who say they believe in God with their lips but disobey Him with their meaningless works and actions, will miss the heavenly wedding banquet. God bless you all; the soon-coming Bridegroom Jesus loves you, and so do I, His loyal bondservant Samuel Jerry Head. 

2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.