In the book of Acts beginning with chapter 6 verse 8 we find a young Christian named Stephen “doing great wonders and miracles among the people.” When he continued to display God’s power and to grow in popularity, leaders of the local synagogue, fearing the loss of control over the people, rose up to challenge him. However, his following continued to grow while theirs continued to shrink. They could neither overcome his wisdom nor affect his rising popularity among the people. Nor could they deny the work of the Holy Spirit in his life. Unable to stop him, they brought him before the synagogue council and the reigning priest where false witnesses accused him of saying things he had not said. When ordered to defend himself, Stephen taught them a history lesson concerning their people and how the Lord had dealt with them in the past.

Operating under the power of the Holy Spirit, Stephen proceeded to tell them what was written in their own Scriptures about their ancestors’ history with God. Beginning with their delivery from Egyptian slavery he led them through Israel’s rejection of God’s Law at Mount Sinai and reminded them of their ancestors’ 40-year wandering in the Sinai Desert as punishment for disobeying the Lord. Stephen then reminded them about King David and his successful rule of the nation under the Law of God. Then the young miracle worker reminded his accusers of the words of God spoken through His prophets in which he called their ancestors a “stiffnecked people” who were “uncircumcised in heart” who “resisted the leadership of God’s Holy Spirit.” Then he accused his accusers of following in the spiritual footsteps of their ancestors. In fact, he added, they had done much worse–THEY HAD KILLED THE SON OF GOD. THEY HAD CRUCIFIED THEIR MESSIAH. Unable to tolerate any more of God’s Truth, they stoned him to death.

Stephen revealed much of Israel’s dark history and God’s reaction to their rejection of Him and His Law. He pointed out that when the recently-freed nation of Israel rejected the Lord and His Law at Mount Sinai, they had added insult to injury by immediately embraces as their god a golden calf to which they “offered sacrifices … and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.” For this reason God turned away from them and “gave them up” to worship whatever they wanted to worship and live however they wanted to live (vs 42). Over time they became as heathen as the nations that surrounded them by embracing their gods, even to the sacrificing of their children to them. Because of their idolatry God told them that He would carry them away “BEYOND BABYLON.” As this series will reveal, God was not referring to the city of Babylon, but rather to the abominable religions of Babylon. The Lord was telling them that their religious descendants (the modern-day church) would surpass even the abominations of the Babylonian mystery religions. Today those descendants are known as Catholics and Protestants and their two-headed, multi-bodied religious organization is known as “Christianity.” Because “the church” has the Holy Bible, her apostasy (falling away from God) is “beyond (more evil than) Babylon” in the eyes of God. A good example of the church’s apostasy, whereas Israel sacrificed thousands of their children by burning them to death, America–the ONE NATION UNDER GOD–has sacrificed over 60,000,000 of their little ones through abortion. Truly, “Unto whom much is given, much is required” (Lk. 12:48).

The Apostle Paul addresses this subject in his letter to the church at Rome. In chapter 1, he warns the church about the spiritual direction in which it was headed. He reminded its Gentile members about their spiritual ancestors–the ancient Israelites–who possessed the Holy Scriptures but chose to reject them, and in so doing, rejected their Author. Beginning with verse 18, Paul warns the people about “the wrath of God … against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men WHO HOLD THE TRUTH OF GOD (His Holy Word–Jn. 17:17) IN UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.” The Israelites knew what to do but refused to do it. In verses 21 through 23 Paul writes about people who KNEW GOD AND POSSESSED THE LIGHT THAT HE OFFEERED, but “became vain in their own minds and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Note that they BECAME vain and their hearts BECAME darkened. This means that THEY HAD KNOWN AND HONORED GOD at one time and that THEIR HEARTS (MINDS) HAD BEEN FILLED WITH HIS LIGHT.

But something happened. In 1:24 Paul writes that those light-filled, God-honoring saints had “CHANGED THE TRUTH OF GOD INTO A LIE.” This proves that they had known the Truth of God, rejected it and brought “woe” upon themselves because they “called good evil and evil good” (Isa. 5:20). For this cause God “GAVE THEM UP” first to homosexuality and lesbianism, then to a multitude of other sins. In verse 28 Paul says that God “GAVE THEM OVER” to a reprobate mind-set. From verses 29 through 32 Paul tells how they NOT ONLY SUNK INTO TOTAL GOD-REJECTING SIN, BUT TOOK JOY IN CONVINCING OTHERS TO JOIN THEM, all the while knowing that those who did so were awarding themselves the death sentence. Having the Holy Scriptures, they nevertheless chose to sin–to break His Ten Commandment Law (Gen. 20/1 Jn. 3:4). This should sound familiar, for it perfectly describes the modern-day church whose members have done away with that Law and take pride in their self-awarded authority to declare themselves “sinners saved by grace.” And like their spiritual ancestors, they take joy in luring others to join them in their service to Satan.

Paul went into detail concerning what had happened to the Israelite people who, though having known God and having possessed His Truth in written form, had turned away from Him, causing Him to “GIVE THEM UP to uncleanness THROUGH THE LUSTS OF THEIR OWN HEARTS.” That statement is especially significant for it reveals that, though they knew God and His Truth, they CHOSE to empty their hearts of God’s light and to fill them with Satan’s darkness. This same subject is addressed in Matthew 25 in the parable of the Ten Virgins, five of whom who ran out of oil (the Holy Spirit which empowered them to overcome Satan’s temptations to sin). In order to “run out of” oil they had to have had oil at one time.

Like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, like the entire world during the time of Noah, like the ten tribes of Israel, like the two tribes of Judah (the Jews) suffered greatly for their rejection of God’s Law, modern-day people who are following in their footsteps will suffer terribly during the coming Tribulation Period. Read about this terrible time using the key word–Tribulation. Jesus addressed the subject of church apostasy in Matthew 7:21-23 where He is referring to the Day of Judgement when false prophets (vs. 15) will remind Him that they had preached in His name, had cast out devils and done “many wonderful works in your name.” To them Jesus will say: “I never knew you, depart from Me you who work iniquity” (Lawlessness). The blood of billions of salvation seekers will be on their heads for they will have led them to break His Law by observing Satan’s 1st day (Sunday) sabbath instead of His 7th day (Saturday) Sabbath, thereby making them “workers of iniquity” like themselves. The end-time church has refused to embrace “the sign” by which God identifies His people (Exo. 31:12-18). If you have not done so, read Who and Where is Israel today? Key word–Today in order to understand the connection between ancient Israel and God’s New Testament Church which He calls “the Israel of God” in Galatians 6:16.

In Revelation 17:1-5 Jesus describes the end-time church as “Mystery, Babylon” (Catholicism) and her “harlot daughters” (Protestantism). He is referring to the Catholic/Protestant Religious System (“the church”) that would come into being shortly after His visit with the Apostle John as recorded in the Book of Revelation. The Catholic Church was founded in 33 A.D., just two years after the founding of God’s true church. In the series titled Simon of Samaria: the Legacy and The Ingathering: the Rise of the End-time Church (key words–Simon and Ingathering respectively), I explain how his end-time church system will evolve. I recommend that you also read those two series in conjunction with this series. As I have noted in recent series, Pope Francis is pulling all religions together under “one god” in order to institute an international Sunday Sabbath Law which will be enforced by the world’s governments. THE BOOK OF REVELATION IS BEING MANIFESTED RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES.

The end-time Laodicean church system (“the church”) has rejected God’s Law by which He governs His true children. As did those who came before them, the church has turned its collective heart away from the Lord, prompting Him to “give them up” to their own desires and “give them over” to the darkness that has come to inhabit their “reprobate minds” (Rom. 1:28). Being allowed to go their own way, those in “the church” have strayed far beyond Babylon in their rejection of their Maker and their embrace of His enemy’s counter church doctrine doctrines, beliefs and customs, some of which are listed on the home page of this website. In summary, Stephen characterizes the modern church with his final words to the people of his day: “YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE LAW BUT HAVE NOT KEPT IT” (vs 53). Actually, the modern church has hated it, thereby showing her hatred for God and Christ as Jesus proclaimed in Luke 10:16. Read Christ’s letters to the historical churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. Of special interest is His description of the modern-day Laodicean church in 3:14-22. If you are affiliated with this abominable counterfeit system of cults, obey God’s command found in Second Corinthians 6:14-7:1 immediately. L.J.