THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST / PT.3
                                    THE END GAME

JN.10:10  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. NKJV

Before we examine the “end game” of Satan for his final days, for the last chapter in his quest to stop God's plans for all of the human race; let us do a quick review of what Lucifer's modus operendi / MO - has been from the time of his fall to the present. We know from the scriptures, and specifically Jesus teachings on Satan's character and sinister designs for mankind; that his three areas of focus are: 1. Stealing/Robbing 2. Killing / Murder 3. Destroying / Annihilation

One does not need to be an historian, or Bible scholar to know that the our past as human beings here on earth has been filled with wars, disease & plagues, famines, and every kind of instrument of death; with nuclear weapons and biological weapons now topping the list. That things would get worse as time goes on, was clear when Jesus taught his disciples about what the future would hold for those on earth after His ascension.
If we are humble and honest, we will have to admit that only God knows how much of the death, theft, destruction and chaos are the work of Satan; or God's judgment at a particular time in our checkered past – or simply the result of nature unleashing it's powerful and often deadly elements upon us. One thing we can ascertain from the scriptures is that after man's fall in the garden – the door was opened for Lucifer to compete openly with God for the souls of every human being. That is something to think about.

GEN. 3:15  And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” NKJV (emphasis mine)

Most Biblical scholars believe the expression “your seed” and “her seed,” are references to Satan(his fallen angels), and Jesus Christ – the Seed of the woman. (of the House of David) The emnity that is mentioned here between the Satan and the woman(the human race in figure) is evidenced by mankind's ongoing struggle with either “choosing good or evil” or doing what's “right or wrong”; and as we read through the pages of the Bible, and history books it is clear that more often than not – people often succumb to the dark side of those conflicts.*note- (“your seed” could also refer to those who are the children of the Devil, anyone who serves Satan)see – MT.13:38,JN.8:44,1JN.3:10

​After the fall of Adam & Eve, we find the effects of sin are immediately manifested in the relationships within the first family; with Cain deviously luring his brother Abel into the fields where he commits mankind's first murder! We aren't told very much about how the knowledge of sin affected everyone's behavior in the beginning; but we are given enough scriptural evidence to reveal things on earth were becoming very violent, and the hearts of men and women had become so depraved and corrupted that by the time of Noah – God determined mankind would have to be destroyed. That is a sobering thought as we look around at our present state of affairs here on earth.

GEN.4:8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. NKJV
GEN.6:5-8  Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. NKJV

By anyone's standards, Satan was winning his war against God up to this point, if we are to look at things with clear eyes... This epic judgment by God on those alive at the time of Noah is almost hard to comprehend in terms of how harsh and and horrific The Flood was in nearly killing all of humanity but eight souls. The Devil surely was grinning.Make no mistake, killing souls is and always has been Satan's normal operation; but how that is achieved is as varied as the stars in the heavens - lying, deception, temptation, and all the works of the flesh.

Now to have humans kill each other and kill themselves is one thing; but to entice and lead people to become so depraved and wicked that God kills and destroys His own creation – well now – that dear friends, is quite stunning in every respect. There is no doubt in my mind – that Satan thought he had Jesus on his heels. And remember the words: “... He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” Gen.3:15

We aren't told exactly how Satan was carrying out his plans throughtout most of the Bible, in terms of specifics; but we do know that people were doing things that God calls: wickedness, and this went deep into the very heart of people – their hearts and minds. The words: “every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” - paints a very grim and dark picture of what God saw inside of his creation – those made in His very image. That it made God sorry that He had made the earth – should be a wake up call to all who love God.

It is necessary to point out that the engine driving all of the descent into darkness by the human race after the fall – the momentum, is our “free will” to choose between good and evil, right & wrong – the holy or the profane, etc. If God had wanted people, human beings to be mere automatons or robots that simply did exactly whatever God desired or commanded; the spiritual war that has existed since Adam was created would not be!

Not surprisingly, God created human beings with the capacity to choose to obey or not to, and whether they would love Him or not; let's just say that we must admit that voluntarily choosing to obey God, to love God – or to disobey and reject God's overtures to love Him back; changes everything. By giving everyone the ability and right to choose between what is good and evil, right and wrong, etc; the door was left wide open for Satan to entice, deceive, and coax people into going backwards spiritually; or put another way: lead human beings into the darkness through voluntarily disobeying God.

It also means that choosing to obey God, and love God without being coerced, would mean it was truly a choice that God could appreciate and value those decisions, not only for their sincerity and legitimacy; but because in fact – they were done voluntarily! Without giving any examples, I think we all can understand the difference.

Whenever we make choices, decisions - it means that ultimately, no matter how we came to the place where we have disobeyed and rejected God's commandments, or even God himself; we are responsible for those choices and in the end, whether by hook or by crook – we will have to face judgment before God for the individual choices each of us have made in this life. The scriptures make it clear that all of us are sinners, and fall short of the glory – holy standards of God. It is also evident that there will be a day of reckoning and judgment; and everyone will one day give an account of their lives before God.
ROM.3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, PS.14:3, NIV
ROM.14:12 So then every one of us shall give an account of ourselves to God. 2 CO.5:10 N

                                                 KILLING THE SEED

One thing we see in studying the whole of scripture is the realization that Satan and Jesus are the main characters, representing the timeless battle between good and evil, the holy and profane, truth and error. That Jesus is destined, prophesied to be the One who would come and overcome sin and death, the Devil and the powers of darkness and ultimately stop Satan once and for all was not lost on Lucifer. Satan's main focus before Jesus arrived as the Messiah was to prevent that – that from becoming a reality.

Let me say that again another way. Satan, who knew Jesus before He was cast out of heaven, and knows the prophecies better than most Christians today; knew his immediate focus at hand was simply to stop Christ from coming, from fulfilling the myriad of prophetic scriptures that foretold in great detail how Jesus would come to earth. It is true, Satan did not know the exact time, or every possible detail concerning Christ's appearance – but surely he did know – he understood that the promised Messiah would one day come – and restore, save, and rescue fallen mankind as was clearly revealed over and over through the pages of scripture...

Having failed miserably at trying to stop Jesus Christ from arriving, that is from appearing in the flesh as both secular and Biblical history attest.... King Herod's jealousy drove him to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem two years old and younger; but all to no avail. MT.2:16-18  As we know from the scriptures, God – The Holy Spirit was always one step ahead of Satan's devilish schemes to keep Christ – the promised Messiah from fulfilling the scriptures concerning His mission here on earth. Hmm – no let's make that 3 steps ahead !

                         THE BODY OF CHRIST/THE CHURCH IS THE “SEED”

In Parts 1 & 2 of this treatment on The Spirit of Antichrist; I wrote about Satan's desire to keep Christ from fulfilling scriptures, and how just preventing one single prophecy from being fulfilled would be sufficient grounds for Lucifer to charge into heaven and accuse God – Jesus Christ as being frauds – liars, or at the very least insist that if one prophecy failed – the entire Bible – all of it must necessarily be dismissed as unreliable and untrue. If that were the case – Satan would have a legitimate criticism to be sure.

Fortunately, up to this point in time, as far as the prophetic calendar is concerned; all of the prophecies to date have been fulfilled. There are no credible arguments that I am aware of, that can prove that even one of the Old Testament prophecies were not fulfilled! According to J. Barton Payne's Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy there are 1,239 O.T. Prophecies, and 578 N.T. Prophecies; for a total of 1,817 Prophecies. (note – there is not unanimous agreement on the exact number of prophecies)

Without, going into the minutia over which prophecies have been fulfilled, and which have not; which is not the point of this subject, suffice to say that all of the scriptures pertaining to Jesus Christ dying as The Lamb of God to take away our sins, and His being raised from the grave as the Conquering King have all been fulfilled. Satan failed in his unwavering attempts to keep Christ from fulfilling each and every scripture that foretold not only where The Messiah would be borne; but also all the details leading up to Christ's horrific death on the cross. We can thank God for that, amen.

So that leaves us with where are we now? What was Satan's game plan after he was openly defeated by Christ when He hung there on the cross and uttered those final words: It Is Finished ? Satan, suffered a humiliating defeat at Calvary, and has never fully recovered. He is still roaming the earth seeking whom he may devour, torment or seduce into any one of his deadly and hellish schemes; and he has a multitude of them.COL.2:15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. NIV (Paul is speaking of Christ's victory over Satan)

If Satan could not stop The Messiah, The Promised Seed which God spoke of in Genesis 3:15; then it begs the question:What is Satan's game plan – or more accurately – What has Lucifer's “game plan” been since Jesus Christ fulfilled His mission to die on the cross for all of humanity's sins, and then be buried and rise triumphant from the grave. While it is true, Christ is no longer here physically, His Church – The Body of Christ is. From the time of Jesus departure and ascension into heaven, Satan's wrath and hatred for God and Jesus Christ has been directed at the “Seed” - which is now the Church; the whole Body of Christ worldwide.

Paul the apostle, is distinguishing the true “Seed” of God as those who may or may not be descendants of Abraham by bloodline; but rather those that are the true children of God – are those like Abraham, who inherited the promises of God by faith. (read all of Rom.9 to understand fully) This means that once Christ – The Seed of Promise, came and fulfilled His mission to die for our sins, and then rose from the dead for our hope of eternal life: The Devil had to turn his focus and attention on the Children of Promise - “the Seed” - the Church of Jesus Christ in the earth.

From the time of Christ's ascension into heaven, and the birth of the Church on the Day of Pentecost; Satan's fury and hatred were turned directly on Jesus spiritual body – His Body – His Church – The Seed that now represents the hands, feet, mouth, and body of Jesus Christ upon the earth. Satan could not stop Jesus from fulfilling His mission (not from lack of trying), but now his agenda had to change – and adapt to a new battle plan. Opposing, destroying, and attacking the Body of Christ/The Church at large – from within and without has been; and still is the blueprint for Satan's Kingdom of darkness.

So, for the last two thousand plus years Lucifer has focused most of his attacks and stratagems on God's people, The Body of Christ – His Holy Church worldwide. (that would include Christians within the entire spectrum of Christianity throughout the world) The good news is we are promised by Jesus Himself, that His Church would stand, and the gates of hell would not prevail!
MT.16: 18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. KJV (emphasis mine)

                                   FAST FORWARD TO THE PRESENT

If we look at what John the Apostle wrote in Revelation chapter 17, we find a portrait of the Dragon's endless attempts to kill-destroy and thwart God's plan of redemption through the promised Messiah – Jesus Christ. With the benefit of The New Testament scriptures, we can now see clearly what John was conveying with these powerful word pictures. As you read these scriptures keep in mind what the Dragon/The Serpent tried to do in his efforts to prevent Christ from fulfilling His mission to die for all the sins of all the world.

John the Apostle, reveals the ongoing struggle between the “Woman and the Dragon.”; and that he makes war with the “rest of her seed.” REV.12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. KJV (emphasis mine)

That this refers to the “Seed”, or Body of Christ in the earth is evident if you read the context - “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” While we may not know precisely where we are at this time on God's prophetic calendar; we can understand that Satan's fury and hatred for Jesus Christ has not diminished – it is simply directed towards His followers – Christians.
 
                        (A Woman/Child/and Dragon)REV. 12:1-5
1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a (a)woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. (see Gen. 37:9 – a reference to Israel, now the remnant/spiritual Israel – The Church)
3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, (b)fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. 5 She bore a (c)male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.

*Note – a. the woman here identifies with Gen. 37:9 – (a reference to the nation - Israel, which now is the remnant/the spiritual Israel – The Church) see 1 Pet.2:9-10 , Rom.2:19.
b. fiery dragon – Rev. 9 – reveals the dragon as the serpent/Satan/Devil. (see Daniel 7:25 , Rev. 12:13) c. male child – is Jesus Christ the Messiah. (see Acts 7:56, Rev.12:4, Mk.16:19)

REV.12:10... for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. NKJV (emphasis mine, all 3 scriptures)
REV.12:13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. NKJV
REV.12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. KJV
The scriptural evidence in both the Old and New Testaments point to the simple fact that when Jesus ascended physically to heaven to reign at God's right hand; the Body of Christ became the physical representation of Christ in the earth. That Satan has focused his hatred for God, Jesus Christ – His word, and Christians in particular should come as no surprise; but sadly many Christians today go about their lives seemingly unaware of the spiritual war that is going on all around them. The Church of Jesus Christ, is now “The Seed” that Satan wants to devour.

1 PET. 5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: KJV (emphasis mine)

                                                          A “FALLING AWAY”
2 THESS.2:3
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, NKJV
AMPLIFIED Let no one in any way deceive or entrap you, for that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first [that is, the great rebellion, the abandonment of the faith by professed Christians], and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction [the Antichrist, the one who is destined to be destroyed],

Anyone who has been a Christian for the last 30 to 40 years will tell you that finding Christians passionate and on fire for Jesus Christ is not easy; and reading the Bible and going to church has fallen dramatically. The Antichrist culture in the world(now often referred to as “the woke culture,”) has become so in your face and overtly hostile to anything to do with Christianity; that it's affected almost every facet of life from school, work, music, art, books, and of course the online social media that dominates our lives from morning to the time we lay our heads on a pillow. It is time for Christians to “wake up” to the woke cultural tidal wave that has swept across the world; especially here in the West.

ROM.13:11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. NKJV (emphasis mine)
MT. 7:15 “Beware of the false prophets, [teachers] who come to you dressed as sheep [appearing gentle and innocent], but inwardly are ravenous wolves. AMP
Acts 20:29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. NKJV

The New Testament scriptures give ample warnings to Christians to beware of “wolves in sheep's clothing.” who would infiltrate the Church and bring in doctrines of demons, and heresies; all designed to seduce and mislead Christians and followers of Christ into apostasy and error. While a large segment of The Body of Christ believe it is impossible to “lose one's salvation” or become “unsaved.” The scriptures both in the O.T. & N.T. - clearly warn about the real possibility of being drawn away from God, of being seduced to not only “fall away”; but to also turn from worshiping the One true God – to worshiping other gods... which are in reality demons and in essence Satan himself!

As I've said previously, whether one who has turned away from serving and worshiping God to worshiping and serving other gods has lost his or her faith is not my call – or yours. But I for one do not want to put myself in such a deplorable spiritual condition that such a possibility may seem reasonable – if you follow what I'm saying. Given the choice of being nonchalant and carefree about my salvation, or daily examining myself and living in a way that shows a reverence and fear of The Lord that is evident to all; I choose the latter.
PHIL.2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; NKJV (emphasis mine)

                                             CRUMBLING FOUNDATIONS
Psalm 11:3  If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do? NKJV

                                                             THE FAMILY

The first family – the family of Adam & Eve was indeed a “broken family.” After the temptation, and their descent into a world of both good & evil, it was not long before the dreadful consequences of their decisions to eat from the forbidden tree of good and evil struck at the heart of their family. The happy and tranquil life that had been Adam and Eve's in the garden was shattered! By the time their sons were both young men, we find the Bible's first recorded murder. (Cain murders his brother Abel – Gen.4:8)
​
From that moment on to the present, we can see that once “sin entered the world” things for the family unit would never be right again. Humans would never be without sin and as close to God as it was when man and woman were first created. It is hard to imagine what the first family's lives would have been like, if Adam and Eve had not eaten of the forbidden fruit. We do know they had no knowledge of evil, and they were innocent; before they succumbed to the devil's guile and temptation to eat from the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. One can only wonder what might have been?

We do know that God had a plan already in place in anticipation of the acts of disobedience that would unfold in the Garden of Eden; we see this revealed in the scriptures where it is written: 1 PET.1:18-20  knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you NKJV (my emphasis)

Long before the Church was born, or the nation of Israel, as God's chosen people; there was the family, and make no mistake the family has always been from the very beginning a favorite target of Satan and the Kingdom of Darkness. Why? The family is the very foundation of God's creation on earth in every way. Divorce, which God hates has now become all to common within not only secular society, but even among professing Christians. The divorce rate among Christians is at about 33 %, according to Harvard-trained social researcher and author Shaunti Feldhahn, from her book The Good News About Marriage

“The gloves are off” is an expression often used when the fighting is getting down and dirty; but I think “street fighting” is the term that says it best... The Devil and his army of demons know their time is short; the sun is going down on the time they have left to enact their demonic schemes to enslave everyone and bring them under the tyrannical rule and control of the Antichrist.

Marriage, the sacred union between one man and a woman, and for thousands of years recognized as the framework and foundation of the family and civilization; has been redefined by Supreme Court of the United States. Most Christians(and large numbers of other faiths and traditional values), winced and grimaced over the Supreme Court's 5 to 4 majority decision to change over 2000 years of what marriage is and should be; but that was not the end of the most sacred of God' foundations to be torn down.

Since the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973 that opened the door for millions of unborn babies to be killed (by some estimates over 63,000,000); the lack of respect and reverence for life, actually all living things is evident to all who know what the scriptures have to say about the value of a human life. While the Supreme Court's recent decision to overturn the historic Roe v. Wade decision; will surely save many unborn babies; many liberal states will still pass laws that allow for abortions up to the end of the third trimester. (some even after the baby has been delivered)

The damage from those two attacks on the very foundations of God's original order and design for the family and procreation; can not be quantified in terms of dollars and cents; but we can look around at the coarse and unholy culture we now live in here in the West; and see that our nation, (and much of the world at large) is not living according to the standards and commands that God has given humanity to live by.

These two foundations of God's creation have been assailed for centuries because they strike at the very heart of God, and if altered or changed to be something other than God intended – the results will be a corrupted and perverted mutation or substitute for what God has established as the very foundations for all the human race. When you change what God says a marriage and family is; to what a few people dressed in long black robes say it is – you welcome not only disaster for those who are forced to live under such madness and iniquity; but open the door for even more and more whimsical and bizarre ideas and notions(often under the guise of being “legal court decisions.”)

Once Pandora's Box has been opened, and it has – the demons of old return and do what they always do - steal, lie, murder and cause chaos and mayhem whenever and wherever they can. The next foundation of God, of His creation is of course our sex, or as I like to put it – our biological identity. We are born either male or female. Don't believe me? Go find your birth certificate if you can; and you will find that you were designated upon your birth in one of those two categories. (I understand that there are some hospitals and medical schools now that are reconsidering changing that; but that is for another time to explore more deeply.)

So, now the Devil has focused his disdain and disgust for God's natural order of only two sexes; and has introduced his seductive and not so sexy (yes that was a play on words)scheme to sell the idea that boys can be girls & girls can be boys, and not content with that; hey you can choose from a myriad of various sexual deviations from the norm – and be whatever you can think of. Now you have to admit, that while that is on it's face totally ridiculous and absurd; millions of people all over the world have bought this lie of being a “Trans” person hook line and sinker! (LGBTQ...)

So, let's summarize before going on: Satan has managed to do serious damage to three of the most holy and basic foundations of God's creation.
1. The institution of Marriage & Family/which has for thousands of years been defined as a man and woman & the procreation of offspring – children. (the nuclear family - I've combined the two into one foundation pillar) GEN.2:14, PROV.12:4, ISA.62:5
* The Supreme Court of the U.S. /June 26th, 2015 – The court ruled in a 5-4 decision that same-sex marriage is legal in all 50 states. / effectively telling God “we make the rules now”
2. The sanctity of a human life/every human life from conception to death is from God, and should be protected. JER.1:5, PS.139:13-16, ISA.44:2, EX.21:22-23
* Roe v. Wade Decision, January 22, 1973 - legalized abortions (so called: reproductive rights) throughout the United States; until it was overturned on June 24, 2022. This is not the end – many states are still allowing for the killing of unborn babies. This has forever redefined the meaning of “Thou Shall Not Kill.”
3. There are only two sexes – male & female. This is not only stated clearly in the scriptures, but has been the entire world's belief for thousands of years. The fields of medicine, biology, physiology, and science have always affirmed the fact that there are only two sexes that are natural to the human race. GEN.5:2, GEN.1:27

Now voices/individuals within the secular world have declared there are more than two sexes, (male and female,)and that anyone can choose or decide what sexual orientation they prefer. The proponents of this new view of human biology state our sexuality is subjective and can be constantly evolving. This now involves gender reassignment surgery on children, and in some states without parental consent!(so called: Gender affirming care) One has to question whether this would be happening if no one was making money doing this “sex reassignment surgeries on children?”

Make no mistake, children – innocent and beautiful children are without a doubt the focus of much of what Satan is doing these days by debasing and corrupting our culture through vile and perverted movies/songs and indoctrination in the public schools. It is not surprising that taking God, prayer and The Bible out of almost every American institution from schools, government, and now even some of our churches; has resulted in a society that is now far removed from the godly and holy lives of previous generations.

Undoubtedly, there is a special place in hell for those who abuse children sexually, emotionally, and physically; and Jesus Christ leaves no doubt as to how He feels about anyone who harms those most vulnerable and innocent among us. LK.17:2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. NKJV

This arbitrary rewriting and redefining of long held truths and biblical standards (as well as most major world religions); has created a world where many people no longer know what is good or evil, what is right or wrong, or what is holy or profane. Truly, we are indeed living in bizarre times, and it would seem that the loudest voices often carry the day... For anyone who loves God, The Bible, and what is holy and good; we can no longer be silent. Praying is powerful and righteous, but there is a time to get up from your knees and stand up and fight the flood of insanity and filth being pushed on everyone.

​If you stop and think about it – that those three foundations have been crumbling(though not totally destroyed – thank God!) is truly mind boggling. I can only imagine what God thinks of us, as we systematically dismantle the pillars of His divine and holy creation plans. It must grieve God's heart to know we have bought into Satan's lies; knowing that once these foundations are destroyed; our lives will be ruined and our world turned into darkness and depravity. I don't think we fathom the depth of how evil and wicked these schemes of the Devil are to destroy the very foundations of our lives and civilization as a whole.

Not content to wreck havoc on those three foundations of creation; the devil is really after something much more devilish and devious. The real aim of Satan if about exalting himself for one purpose, but before we examine Satan's real target in all of this; let us not forget to address the Devil's intense hatred for Christians – all Christians, but especially those that pose the greatest threat to his diabolical plans and his never ending goal of taking lost souls to hell with him. While that sounds very harsh and perhaps too much for some Christians today who never talk about judgment/hell, and Satan; the truth is hell is very real, and God does not want anyone to go there.

I've already addressed earlier about how the Gospel is the main target of Satan, and how that simple message of salvation has occupied so much of the Devil's time and resources in trying to prevent it from be preached and published in the earth. Well, that means that those who deliver that message, those who are called and commissioned to go into all the world with the Gospel; are themselves by association on the Devil's hit list. If you are called to share the Gospel(and we all are), you can expect to be attacked, and experience real spiritual resistance and conflict with the powers of darkness simply because you are sharing the Gospel message with people. That is simply a fact.

I could give you a list of many of the things that demons are assigned to do in order to oppose God on every possible front here on earth, especially when it comes to assailing His Church – His children, the Body of Christ, but that is not the purpose of this treatment of Satan's end game. He has many devices in his arsenal of horrors and chaos; but these are all just his everyday ploys and routine schemes to deceive, destroy, and kill whenever the opportunity is present. He is relentless in pursuing everything that is contrary to God, truth and goodness. Let us now turn our attention to what the Devil really desires above all else...

​                                                   THE END GAME
MT.4:8-11
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. NKJV (my emphasis)

It is quite remarkable, that Satan tempts Jesus for the third time with a most unusual proposal. Before we go into this “key” to understanding the Devil's end game; keep in mind the fact that Lucifer (his name from ages past) knew Christ very well. Their relationship goes back thousands of years for sure, and in view of eternity that may be actually millions of years... In any case, of all the temptations, the idea presented to Jesus that all the kingdoms of this world could be His – if only – if only Christ would bow down and worship him! That is very bold you have to admit; but if we examine this temptation closely, we will find what the Devil was after, what he has always wanted and craved.

                                                 Satan wants to be worshiped.

This has always been the real aim of Satan, the true longing of his conceited and pride filled heart. The Devil delights in lying, deceiving, destroying and certainly killing; but let us not miss what he has always desired above all else - being worshiped.-being adored. Once we realize what Satan's true desire is and has always been from the time “iniquity was found in him”, only then can we understand what his “end game” is. Certainly religion – or more accurately; creating religions that compete with God for our worship and devotion, have always been the masterful work of the Devil.

No where is the cunning and deceitful work of Satan more on display, then where we find every kind of religion known to man from the most primitive to the most sophisticated and alluring to human beings. People through the ages have always worshiped something or someone – it's indisputable, and whether it was an object like a stone image, or a person venerated as a god; or any number of gods seen and unseen; the historical evidence is clear – human beings are by their very nature created and drawn to worship.

We can conclude that we as human beings are wired or programmed; or designed as I prefer – to worship God. That may be disputed as anything can, but in examining the religions of the past and present(well in the tens of thousands); it is safe to say religion and our propensity and innate desire to worship is just part of what being a human being is.

                                                  CHOOSE THE RIGHT GOD!

EXODUS 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me.” NKJV (emphasis mine/all 3 scriptures)
PSALM 81:9 “You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not worship any god other than me.”
DEUT.6:14-15  Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;15 (For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

The most important decision anyone will ever make is the God or gods they will choose to worship and serve; the scriptures in both the Old & New Testaments bear this truth out. The number one snare for the Jewish nation throughout their checkered past as God's chosen people ; was their unfaithfulness to Yahweh and His covenant with them. Without going into detail about God's up and down relationship with His chosen people the Jews; let us conclude that the Jewish people, like people today – had a problem with being enticed and drawn away to worship and follow other gods – and not worship the One True God as we are supposed to.

                                                SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE

Why the Jews who had witnessed God do so many wonders and miracles from the parting of the Red Sea, to the heavenly manna appearing each day to satisfy their hunger; could so quickly abandon their worship of Him to bowing down before a golden calf made by their own hands is to many of us a mystery. The truth is, billions of people today are worshiping other gods, and bowing down before them. While Christianity remains the world's largest religion with over 2 billion followers(though their traditions and cultures may differ greatly); the rest of the world's population worship other gods or deities.

And while Judaism is the root from which Christianity was birthed in many respects, it is important to point out that Jesus Christ taught that without coming to Him, without first coming to Christ for salvation; no one can come to The Father. That is a bombshell for all who believe they can go to God without Jesus. Here is Jesus' statement that is unequivocal in it's meaning.
JN.14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

If we are to take Jesus words at face value, and other scriptures concerning “Who we are to worship” and “How we can know and have a relationship with God.”; we have to acknowledge the truth that most religions are false, and cannot take or bring anyone to God. That also means that the gods or deities, whatever names they may have within these religions are in reality Satan, demons, or at best nothing worthy of our devotion or worship. A person may be sincere in their devotion and worship of any number of gods that are named; but Jesus Christ and the scriptures tell us that “sincerity” is not enough.

JN.4:21-24 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Satan is not content to simply entice and draw people away from worshiping the One True God, into vain worship of idols, and any myriad of gods that are named among the religions of the world. That most of the religions of the world are counterfeits – and have doctrines and gods that are contrary to Christianity and the teachings of Jesus Himself; is not sufficient to satisfy Satan's desire to be openly worshiped. While other religions may deceive it's followers to worship idols and false gods; they do so sincerely without knowing it is really a lie, a snare to keep them from knowing and serving/worshiping the God of gods.

That is never enough for the Devil!

The thing Satan desires more than having people worship idols, statues, or any number of false gods, demons, or even themselves – is for people to openly WORSHIP HIM! Let me say that again, what Lucifer has always wanted was to be esteemed as God, as The Supreme Deity... More than we can ever fathom, or comprehend – Satan's lust and craving to be worshiped and venerated openly can not be overstated.

ISAIAH 14:12-14  How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. 14.I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” NIV (emphasis mine)

The phrase “I will” is uttered 5 times by Lucifer in short order... God's will, is no where to be found in the Devil's pompous and outrageous declarations! From the moment Lucifer made his intentions known and revealed the dark and treasonous ambitions that were hidden in his heart; there was no turning back. The inevitable war between good & evil, those who would be faithful and remain loyal and obedient to God; and those who would choose to align with Satan and join in rebellion and opposition to God and all that is good and holy had been set in motion.

Without going into the hellish and horrific works of Satan, from the countless wars through the centuries (often in the name of God & religion)that have killed millions; to the repeated acts of genocide that have been carried out by ruthless despots – suffice to say: Satan is the personification of evil beyond what any of us can imagine. Evil without limitations!
(see GAL. 5:19-21, JN.8:44, 1 JN.3:8)

                                  THE MARK, NUMBER & NAME OF THE BEAST

REV. 13:16-17   He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. NKJV
REV. 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. NKJV

This may be the only message you will ever read dealing with the above scriptures that make reference to the mark/name and number that will be required by everyone; that will not make that the focus of what to look at when attempting to understand what Satan's real aim or goal is. While most people have labored extensively through a multitude of books/articles/videos and documentaries; interpreting what the name/mark & number of the Antichrist is, and every possible scenario that might occur with it's implementation.

We can start with the fact that these scriptures, and other verses in the Bible; clearly state that Satan is the god of this world, and has controlled most of the world for thousands of years. Control is his game, or “power” if you prefer another word; and he has always been a master at getting people to serve him – through any and all means possible. So, that leads anyone paying attention to ask the obvious question: What is so different about this episode of Satan's control?

​What is the Beast/Antichrist after, by requiring everyone to have his name/mark and number physically on them(some suggest it will be implanted in us), in order to do any kind of commerce throughout the entire world? We may conclude it is just “more control,” and while that is true; this calculated mandate by Satan is designed with one thing in mind.

                                                                  WORSHIP!
2 THESS.2: 3-4  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.   ESV (emphasis mine)

REV.13:8  And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. NKJV (emphasis mine)
REV. 13:4 They worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war with him? MEV (emphasis mine)

That everyone on earth will be worshiping Satan directly, and also the Beast/The Antichrist is clearly stated in several scriptures; and the connection to having to have the mark/name or number of the Beast if one is to be allowed to buy or sell cannot be overstated. Where we find people worshiping the Dragon(really Lucifer); and the Antichrist(really the embodiment of Satan) – we find that the price for permission or being allowed to buy or sell in the end times under the Antichrist, will be to give your worship and allegiance to him. Put another way – if you want to be free to live a fairly normal existence under the Antichrist – you will be coerced (though not physically forced) into one of two choices.

                                                                TWO CHOICES

One, you take the mark/number and/or name of the Antichrist; which will mean you will be expected to give back something of value to him, and Lucifer. Namely – your worship and loyalty. Or two, you can choose not to take the mark/name or number of the Beast; and be forced to try to survive outside of society and the world ruled by the Antichrist and those who willingly serve him here on earth. It doesn't take much imagination to see that it will be hard for most people to choose to “not take the mark/number or name of the Antichrist.”

I have to admit, it will take courage, tremendous faith, and a deep passionate love for Jesus Christ to say no to those threatening you or me with being cut off completely from buying the food, clothes, medicine, and things we all need not only to be comfortable; but simple to stay alive. No one will be forced to take the mark/name or number of the Beast; in the end it will be a “free choice” - a voluntary decision that each person will have to live with or die with. We know it has to be a voluntary decision, because the justice of God would not punish anyone “forced against their will” to take it. The Bible is quite clear about the consequences for anyone who takes/receives the mark,name or number of the Antichrist.

REV.14:9-10  Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation.  He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. NIV (emphasis mine)

The word “receives” comes from the Greek word: lambano – it refers to the receiver accepting something. John the Apostle is stating that anyone accepting the mark/name or number will be judged. The verses above are unequivocal in their meaning: Anyone who worships the Antichrist, and takes the mark will be condemned for all eternity.

So, what do we learn from these scriptures, and others that make reference to “taking the mark/name/number of the Antichrist” and the “worshiping of the dragon/beast and image?” While most Christians and people analyzing the possible scenarios that may be coming our way as it pertains to the Antichrist: Who will he be? Where will he come from? What will his rule and reign on the earth look like? Those are questions that I am not going to attempt to address here; but I do want to point out that when the Antichrist does finally appear and take control of everything - “worshiping him and Satan, as well as the image of the Beast – will be involved, and will be required if you want to enjoy the benefits of living under the Antichrist's rule. Most of the world we are told, will in fact worship the Beast.

This connection between receiving the mark/name and number of the Antichrist and worshiping the Dragon and the Antichrist is a key to understanding what to look for when you are attempting to discern the times and seasons that will accompany the appearance and reign of the Antichrist. They will not be done covertly or “behind the curtains.” The call to worship Lucifer and the Antichrist will be out in the open, and everyone will be expected to participate and join in as all the world(except for those Christians who openly refuse) worships freely the Antichrist and Satan; and also the “image” of the Beast.

There will be some who will attempt to hide, or retreat to a safe place; and I do not know what will happen in those cases. What we do know, is that many who refuse to take the mark and worship the Antichrist – will be killed and martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ. Worshiping Satan and the Antichrist will be voluntary, but only if one does not want to be shut out of the world's system of commerce, or be faced with execution. That may seem involuntary on it's face; but the scriptures make clear it will in fact be “voluntary” and a personal decision with eternal consequences. When the mark/name and number of the Beast finally manifests here in the earth; it is important to realize that while controlling people will be a device Lucifer employs; it is really just an means to an end he has always had in mind. Worship me or starve – worship me or die!
REV.13:15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. NIV

                   THOSE WHO REFUSE TO WORSHIP THE BEAST OR TAKE THE MARK...

REV.14:12  Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. NASB
These will be horrific times for Christians, and other people of religious faiths; who refuse to worship the Antichrist and his image. It will not be just Christians being persecuted at this time for their faith, but we can be certain that Christians will hold a special place in Devil's hatred and assault on God, The Bible and Christians in particular. The scriptures reveal a season where God allows the Antichrist to prevail over the Christians resisting him in the earth.
REV.13:7-8   It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. NKJV (emphasis mine)

For those who believe Christians will not be here when this time of war and suffering is going on because they have been “raptured away”; it is obvious that large numbers of Christians will be here on earth and will be overcome for a period of time. That is not to say there is no rapture (there are 4 teachings on the “harpazo” or rapture/1 Thess.4:17); but it is to say that anyone who believes Christians alive in the end times will not go through trials and tribulations – are not reading their Bibles.

REV.20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. NKJV (emphasis mine)

That Christians in the last days will be faced with extremely hard choices is plain for all who open their Bibles and read the scriptures. When will these things actually happen, and where are we now at this time on God's prophetic calendar? I honestly don't know. What I do know is that when we are at the point where we are given the choice to take the mark/name or number of the Antichrist or be cut out of the existing system for buying and selling; it will be “decision time!”

That won't happen in a vacuum, and it will be accompanied by the directive/mandate – that will really be a choice to worship Satan and the Antichrist – or not. Again, receiving the mark of the Beast and worshiping him will be connected, and the important thing to remember when and if you are alive to see and experience these things is: Do not take the mark/number/name of the Antichrist, and refuse to worship Lucifer/the Antichrist and the image, that all the world will be participating in. These decisions will be a matter of life in eternity with God, or in hell with the Devil!

The way things will unfold or overlap each other, and the timing with regards to being told to take the mark or be cut out of the system, or to worship the Beast or die is not completely clear. But we can ascertain that the Antichrist's rule will involve both receiving the mark and worshiping him. They are both joined together in the scriptures as acts so treacherous and abhorrent to God, that once a person has voluntarily succumbed to those two things, he or she will be damned for all eternity. That should give us all fair warning.

                     DO NOT TAKE THE MARK, NAME OR NUMBER OF THE BEAST!
                      DO NOT WORSHIP THE DRAGON/THE BEAST OR THE IMAGE !

                                                        SOME FINAL THOUGHTS
I hope this message on “The Spirit of Antichrist” added to your understanding of what the Bible has to say about the Antichrist, and what his real agenda is when all is said and done. That we are called to worship only the one true God and Jesus Christ – the son of God, is evident in the scriptures; but most of the world is blinded by the god of this world. We are all called to share the Gospel with people, and point them to Jesus Christ as the only one who can save them; the Savior, Lord, Messiah, and King of kings – and Redeemer of all the world.

​If you are not a Christian now, if you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord; and would like to know that if you died, you would be in heaven with God - I invite you to pray this simple prayer to God.

                                                   A PRAYER FOR SALVATION
God, I come to you now asking You to forgive me for all my sins. I believe Jesus Christ, your son died on the cross to take away my sins, and that He rose from the grave on the 3rd day. I ask You to cleanse me God, and wash me in Your blood Jesus. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, and help me to live for you all the days of my life. In Jesus name I pray – amen.
                                                                   
                                                                    1 CO.15:1-4
...I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, NKJV (emphasis mine)
                                                                       1 JN.1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. NKJV
                                                                    ROM.10:13
                      For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” NKJV

                                          THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST PT.1
        https://www.lightinthedarkministries.com/my-blog--scribe4god/archives/03-2020

                                                 THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST PT.2
        https://www.lightinthedarkministries.com/my-blog--scribe4god/archives/04-2024

           You may find my books at most online bookstores... just click the links.

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                        THE CHRISTIAN FAITH - https://books2read.com/u/mdYMZR



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  1 John 2:18  Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.

                          THE LAST HOUR...

The apostle John, writes that it "is the last hour"...  Knowing that all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and can be trusted as reliable and credible; it begs the question: WHAT HOUR IS IT NOW? I venture to say, that we are in the final minutes of the end times. Where exactly is not for us to know, but one thing is certain - if John was living in the last hour, we most certainly are nearer than some of us might imagine. My mantra is this: "WATCH AND PRAY".  

John reveals that there are many "antichrists" that had already come (notice the small "a" - denoting these are not the Antichrist to come); and even to this day there have been many antichrists who have come through the last 2000 years that have opposed God, Jesus Christ, and His church here in the earth.  But there is another hour that Jesus spoke of that correlates with John's use of the word "hour", which we know was not literal but an allegory. 

Jesus, warned of an hour to come, that would catch most people by surprise, even those who claim to be His followers. It's important to know about these two hours that John and Jesus spoke of because they are related. John warns us of an "hour" where Satan, or the "Spirit of Antichrist" would be opposing God, His son - Jesus Christ; and now of course the Holy Spirit who has been poured out upon all flesh in these last days... all of this is leading to the "last hour" that Christ spoke of, and which we are admonished to be ready for. There is a lot of "mystery" involved in these scriptures to be sure...

​Hey, Jesus even went on to say that "only His Father knows the actual hour" when the Son of man will return like a thief in the night! Ours is not to know the exact hour our day, but to "watch and pray" and be about our Father's business while we await the return of our Lord. 
                                                                                                              
                                              No One Knows the Day or Hour
MT.13:36-44
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man     NKJV

I'm going to make a very obvious statement to anyone who reads the Bible: THE DEVIL DOESN'T WANT ANYONE TO BE READY FOR THE HOUR OF JESUS' RETURN!  The devil doesn't want you or I to be watching and praying. NO.  Anything but that. The Lord is preparing the earth for His coming. The Lord is preparing His church for the wedding of His most beloved bride. 

The Devil has two tasks before him: One, keeping people from the truth, from coming to Jesus Christ for salvation and deliverance from their sins and all that is evil. Secondly, Lucifer is focused on lulling those who have come to Christ into a stupor, into a love affair with this world. You see, once a person is saved, and truly born again it is far from over... the devil knows that Christians can be deceived, they can be drawn away from God through a myriad of temptations and snares that he has been using effectively for centuries. 

1JN.2:15 -    Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the  world, the love of the Father is not in him

A lazy, in-love-with-the-world Christian is the hallmark of  what the devil is after. If the devil isn't successful keeping someone from coming to Jesus, he will attempt to render them useless and ineffective for the kingdom of God.  Many Christians are like the "show car" in the rich man's garage, that only comes out once in a great while to parade before the world... that dear friends is "religious piety" in it's worst form. Beautiful, yes - but not in God's eyes where it counts...

                                               THE "SPIRIT OF LAWLESSNESS"

  If there is one thing, one characteristic of the "Antichrist" that we all should be aware of  it is this: "LAWLESSNESS".  The devil has no regard for God's commands, laws, ordinances or holy edicts, not hardly: HE HATES THEM!   For that matter, he despises all rules, laws, and ordinances of man as well. Rules are there to break, to bend, to twist, and to do whatever is expedient to accomplish his immediate ends at hand.

That God hates this "spirit of lawlessness" is all to clear to anyone familiar with the scriptures. Jesus, will one day expose and cast out of His presence all who practice "lawlessness". The Spirit of Antichrist is synonymous with the "spirit of lawlessness" - they are one and the same.

Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,...

Matthew 7:21-23    “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Matthew 24:12
And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

The words of Jesus above(Mt.24:12) reveal an important truth. When lawlessness and mass disobedience becomes widespread in the last days - the effects will be catastrophic! Many people within and without of the church will become cold and unloving!  Real agape, unconditional - compassionate love for God, others, and the things of God will become scarce. That is what we now see happening all around us.  The only question we have to ask is: How bad will it get before Christ returns?

We find that the Antichrist is referred to as being lawless - this will be his main characteristic besides being bloated with immeasurable pride and arrogance. This will be the spirit of the last hour, the spirit that will fill the earth, it will be the very spirit of Antichrist  that has no regard or reverence for the laws of God or man. Because of this perverse and unholy iniquity- lying, cheating, deception, and every other wicked work imaginable is being manifested both within and without the church... 

(*yes, I did say within the church as well) It is obvious that we are living in a day when keeping God's laws, man's laws is not in vogue - "lawlessness rules in the earth". Be on guard against a heart of compromise or a mindset that "winks at sin" - be aware that that to practice lawlessness, is to condemn oneself as a rebel against God and His Holy Kingdom... 

                                                    THE "MYSTERY of LAWLESSNESS" 
                                                              (the Mystery  of Iniquity)

2 Thessalonians 2:7  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.

Thessalonians 2:8-9  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,

Many theologians believe that "He who now restrains" in 2 Thess.2:7 is referring to the Roman Empire/emperors; who for numerous reasons were holding back the eventual appearance of the Antichrist. With over two millennium since the apostle Paul penned these words to the Thessalonians; we may anticipate the manifestation of the "Man of Sin" - the Antichrist - may be sooner than we think. 

For all who are wondering who the Antichrist will be, or how will we know he is here on earth, and be sure he is in fact the real Antichrist? The scriptures are clear that he will not make his entrance upon the world stage quietly or in secret... No, The Antichrist will be the world's greatest showman with regard to his charisma and manifestation to all. He may come out of the shadows, but make now mistake he will make his presence known and his true intentions clear in short order!

At some point in time on God's prophetic calendar, which I confess I do not know clearly; "The Beast" (the 1st beast from the sea), who is in fact - The Antichrist - will  appear and take his throne given to him by Satan(The Dragon) The Antichrist will announce himself to the world with a dazzling display of supernatural signs, deceitful wonders, and "all power."  Other than Christ Himself, there will never be anyone like The Antichrist in terms of his overall ability to mesmerize and captivate his audience - the entire world. What Jesus did in 3 1/2 years of His earthly ministry - The Antichrist will himself replicate in 3 1/2 years....

Rev.13: 5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to [continue for forty-two months.  (emphasis mine)

REV.13:1-2
13  1.Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. (emphasis mine)

                                            ALL THE WORLD WILL WORSHIP HIM
REV.13:4
4  So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
REV.13:7-8
7. ...  And authority was given him over every [d]tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (emphasis mine)

While most people today are aware of discussions about the number 666, and the "mark & number" of The Beast; which is perhaps the most talked about aspect of the Book of Revelation; relatively few are aware of the fact that the real goal and aim of Satan is to "be worshiped!"  I will write more extensively in PT.3/The End Game; but suffice to say: What Satan wants more than control over our money & lives is our devotion to him and him alone. When all is said and done - he wants you to worship him!

We will clearly know we are in the final chapter of Satan's diabolical scheme to overthrow God's creation here on earth - when we witness the implementation of a worldwide allegiance and willingness to worship Satan, The Antichrist openly.  How this will be accomplished will be tied/connected to the "number, mark, & name" that will be required by everyone; before they can buy or sell in the world's economy - wherever they may live.

That part of the Devil's plan is already being introduced and enacted around the world; though it hasn't been fully brought into a cohesive network that will allow for all of mankind to be monitored and controlled. The internet will allow for that; but there are at this time too many barriers for implementing a global system of that magnitude; but it's not far off in my estimation.

REV.13: 15-16   15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
(emphasis mine)

Just remember, Satan is really after our devotion - our worship of him and him alone! We as Christians and those who worship The One True God - Yahweh, Elohim, Adonai, I AM, Yeshua - can never worship anyone else - period. That is a line we cannot cross as followers of Christ.

​                                                         DOCTRINES OF DEMONS 

1 TIM.3:1  Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, (emphasis mine)

The early Christian church wrestled with false doctrines and heresies; and this is evident by Paul's epistles, specifically in his letter to the church in Galatia. Here we find a church that had succumbed to "legalism" and had abandoned the Gospel that they had heard and been founded on. That Christians can be and are sometimes "deceived and seduced" by false teachings and doctrines of demons is indisputable to anyone who studies the New Testament.

As you examine these scriptures, keep in mind that these Christians did not leave the church, or stop practicing their faith as believers; no - they were seduced and deceived so subtlety, that they had no idea they were no longer walking by faith - no longer walking in the truth - in the Spirit. Such is the power of "false doctrines" and lying spirits...  Believers beware!

Paul describes the church in Galatia as being "bewitched."  That should give us all pause when we consider what is now being taught in many churches today.

​GAL.3:1 -   O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you [a]that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed [b]among you as crucified?

Paul points out that the deception or spell they were under - resulted in them not "obeying the truth!"  False doctrine, no matter how appealing it may be to the mind and flesh - will always lead a person to walk in error, in opposition to the truth.  Here, the problem was "legalistic brethren" had crept into their church and taught that to be righteous before God, they would have to be circumcised...  In plain terms this simply meant they were putting themselves back under the Law.  

GAL.3:10-14 - 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” 11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

This is but one example of how lethal and deadly false doctrines can be to Christians who without knowing it - may be led astray by teachings and doctrines that are contrary to the truth. There are many truths within Christianity that are the targets of Satan and his vast horde of demons; the cross, the blood of Jesus, the name of Jesus Christ, the Word of God; but one thing above all is the main focus of Satan's evil and wicked schemes.  THE GOSPEL.

                                                 ANOTHER GOSPEL

GAL.1:6 - 6   I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert[a] the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

Only a few times in scripture do we find anyone repeating more than once anything - be it an admonition, command or otherwise.  Here we find the Apostle Paul clearly emphasizing that anyone preaching "another gospel" other than the gospel message that saved them, that saves everyone - is accursed! In other words - THEY ARE DAMNED!  Now that is where we draw the line people. He states this twice! The Galatians surely knew what this meant!

That begs the question: What is in truth - in fact the legitimate gospel? All we have to do is turn to Paul's letter to the Corinthians; found in:

1 CO.15:1-4 - 15 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, (emphasis mine)

So we find that of all the things that Satan hates, that he desires to twist, to destroy, and defile; the Gospel of Jesus Christ is at the very top of his "hit list."
I mentioned this in volume one of this 3 part teaching on "The Spirit of Antichrist." - but it is well worth mentioning again. Make no mistake, though the Gospel message is actually quite simple (most children can understand the concepts/truths contained in it;)it is in reality the very thing God has ordained to save us - to save all human beings. That is something to contemplate indeed.

Keep in mind that there are specific things that cannot be perverted, or changed within the Bible - within The New Covenant that has been given to us by God, and sealed by the blood of Jesus Christ. It is possible for Christians to be deceived, to be seduced and led astray... I do not believe you can lose your salvation; but I do believe you can lose your faith. Where one goes when that happens - we will let God have the last word on that.

  FINAL THOUGHTS...  God hates lawlessness, Satan loves it. God hates evil, Satan loves it and embodies it. Whatever God is, Satan isn't. Whatever God loves, Lucifer hates and despises. This isn't that complicated, but we make it so. We learn what God loves by studying the Bible, and by meditating on His words to us. One of the first things the Holy Spirit does is to convict a person of their "lawlessness", and will bring conviction of sin and offenses to the point that an individual will want to "repent" of their lawless deeds, and turn from their wicked ways... 

This has always been the case, but now under the New Covenant it is much more thorough because God's Holy Spirit has been given, poured out and released in the earth.  If you are a Christian, if you've been saved, and are truly born again - you will have a tender conscience towards God, and want to obey His commands and the laws of man as well.  

If you have cavalier attitude, or a ho-hum disposition towards the commands of Jesus(yes, the New Covenant has commands even though we're no longer under the "law" of the Old Covenant), you are in grave danger. I remind you to look again at what Jesus had to say about those who would stand before Him on the Day of Judgment and be surprised to hear our Lord say,  ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Mt.7:23) 

Examine yourself, and see if there is any remnant of the "old man" left in you, anything that might be keeping you from being holy and pure before our Lord? The Spirit of Antichrist, will be one of "lawlessness", and it will be in the church as well as in the world... say it ain't so - ah, but it is. God knows who is and who isn't walking in love, and He will judge all that later; but for now our task is to examine our own lives and confess anything that the Holy Spirit brings to light... 1 JN.1:9/2 CO.13:5

                                      THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST PT.1
        https://www.lightinthedarkministries.com/my-blog--scribe4god/archives/03-2020

                                                 THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST PT.3
       https://www.lightinthedarkministries.com/my-blog--scribe4god/archives/07-2024

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TO ALL WHO LOVE THE TRUTH,


THE WORKS OF THE FLESH
Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
 
Today, I ministered to a group of homeless men in Flint, Michigan at Carriage Town Ministries. After sharing my testimony briefly, and praying with them I taught them about what God hates, what God says will prevent people from going to heaven... they were listening very intently. I told them that they might not hear these words in most churches, and it was my responsibility to share this teaching from God's word so they would be forewarned and without excuse when they stood before God. My many years in the modern church has taught me many things, some good and some bad; but one thing is certain in my experience listening to thousands of preachers and pastors: THEY AVOID MENTIONING THESE VERSES OF SCRIPTURE LIKE THEY WERE AVOIDING THE BUBONIC PLAQUE!  Sad, yes - but nonetheless true... when is the last time you heard any teacher/pastor/evangelist teach or preach on these things that God hates - and says will keep people out of heaven? Hmmm, just following these verses are the "fruit of the spirit" listed which I'm sure you've heard more than once... (I'm being sarcastic of course) The question is why? Why do so many pastors and churches avoid these verses?

                WHAT GRACE TEACHES US...

Titus 2:1-14 11   For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

The above passage from Paul's letter to Titus, reveals in summation, what the whole intent of God was in sending His' son to die for us. He came to not only "redeem" us from our sins, but to purify us and create a "special class of royal citizens" who are zealous, or in other words, outrageous in their display of godly works to the world around them... (my take on that verse)  This verse needs to be read over and over again to sink in, as it has that much truth in it - it is dynamite just waiting to explode in our hearts and minds. We are to "deny ungodliness and worldly lusts" ... and live godly lives in this present age. We are partners with God in this process, and though we cannot avoid or conquer sin or iniquity in our own strength - we can allow God to work in and through us to overcome evil and the flesh, and all the powers of darkness by agreeing with God and submitting/obeying His' commands to us.

2 Timothy 4:3 
 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;

FINAL THOUGHTS -  I knew a Christian who was involved in evangelism outside of the church he was in, and the subject of  "fornication" came up and I was surprised to find out that he not only didn't know what the word meant(it signifies all unlawful sexual relations), but he was engaging in acts of fornication and was not aware that it was condemned in the scriptures, and not something a Christian should be doing! I asked him had he ever heard a sermon in his' church or teaching on the subject of sins God hates, or sins that we are not to be doing?

His' answer was that he had not heard any messages or sermons against premarital sex, and many other sins we spoke of in our discussion. My eyes were opened that day to the fact that many persons going to church Sunday after Sunday, week after week have never really been taught or warned about the "works of the flesh", and the things God says will send them to hell... you be the judge of whether your' church is preaching the whole counsel of God? I hope so...

In the last days, many pastors will refrain from speaking the truth of God word in it's entirety; deliberately picking and choosing what they want to in order to "build their churches up" - not in the faith, but in terms of membership and tithes and offerings. For many pastors it is better to "tickle the ears", than risk offending people with the truth! In the end, all of us will be held to account, and there will be no excuses that will  prevail in God's court.  Let us all not play God for the fool, or make a pretense of being a Christian - let us rid ourselves of anything and everything that God says is evil and that will keep us out of heaven.
 
                                              A man obsessed with the truth,

                                                                scribe4god

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             You may find my books at most online bookstores... just click the links.

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                        THE CHRISTIAN FAITH - https://books2read.com/u/mdYMZR

   1 John 4:2-3 (NKJV)                                                          By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.(emphasis mine)

First, let me begin by stating this is not a message on "who" the Antichrist is, or might be? That, is for others with much more spiritual savvy than I possess to elaborate on. This short admonition, is really a simple reminder to anyone who is familiar with the scriptures, of what "spirit" or manner of operation Lucifer uses to carry out his diabolical schemes within and without the church of Jesus Christ in the earth. Yes, you heard me correctly, I did say "within" and without the church. Sadly, much of what Satan does to oppose God and the kingdom of His son, Jesus Christ - goes on right within the confines of the very church that Jesus Christ has established...
2 Co.11:14-15
14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us [a]diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
                                                 
                                          THE GENERAL BLUEPRINT OF THE DEVIL

Gen.3:15  And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

Jn.10:10  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Before we examine the "acid test" that the apostle John gives us as a way(though not the only way), of knowing whether a spirit/person is or isn't of God, let us first acknowledge that before Jesus Christ came in the flesh, Satan had already been opposing God on all fronts, both in heaven and earth; and was aware that "Christ", or the "Anointed One/The Messiah" was to come...

Rev.12:7-9  Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.   Isa.14:12   
 
 The exact specifics of how, when, Christ would appear were not clear to Lucifer(though he was aware of the prophecies Jesus would be borne in Bethlehem of Judea - Micah 5:2). One thing is certain - Lucifer wanted to kill Jesus even before He was conceived in Mary's womb. We can thank God that Jesus was able to "finish the works" He was sent to accomplish, and one by one Christ fulfilled every single Old Testament prophecy necessary to secure our deliverance from sin, and our eternal redemption through His shed blood. (though there are still prophecies Christ has yet to fulfill, none are remaining that would prevent anyone from being saved from their sins)
2 Pet.1:3 , Jn.19:30 

What was clear however, was that at the predetermined time - God's beloved son, Jesus was born (Gal.4:4) , and this son, Jesus - was coming to save His people, and establish a kingdom without end. (Isa.9:7) From the time of Adam's fall in the garden, up to the time of Jesus birth - Lucifer has been trying to thwart God's plan of redemption for mankind, and even now he is on a ruthless campaign of terror to oppose and stop God's plan for mankind from being fulfilled.  I honestly believe, the Devil thinks he can eventually win if he just doesn't give up... Pride will do that. 
 Rev.12:9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

                                             STOPPING SCRIPTURES FROM BEING "FULFILLED"

Lk.24:44  Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." (my emphasis)
​Mt.1:22   Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
                                             see also - Mt.4:14, Lk.21:22, Jn.19:36 

The principle of Jesus coming so "scripture would be fulfilled" could not be lost on Satan, so it's easy to see Satan's game is to keep scripture from being fulfilled. Thankfully, we know that is not going to happen; but that isn't stopping the devil from trying. He knows if only one prophetic scripture is kept from being fulfilled - the entire "house of cards" figuratively speaking will come crashing to the ground. Because the word of God is true, and cannot be nullified, we know all of the scriptures in the Bible will in fact be fulfilled.    Mt.1:22, Mk.14:49, Lk.21:22 

It is not presumptuous to think that once a prophecy has been "fulfilled", or successfully accomplished - the Devil would begin to devise his malicious schemes towards stopping any future prophecies from being fulfilled.  In a more general sense, Jesus tells us that Satan's three areas of malevolent and evil works are: stealing, killing, and destroying. As we can see from the atrocities and crimes against humanity that fill history's pages, the Devil has not been wasting a moment in his never ending onslaught against God and His creation.  Oh - and did I almost forget to mention he is also called the "Father of lies."  Jn.8:44

That Satan was trying to kill Christ all during his life here on earth is evident in the scriptures, and we can be sure that while he didn't know all of the plans of God for His son Jesus; he did know that Christ's main objective was to fulfill prophetic scriptures. Which we now know - Christ did, one by one until He uttered the three words that Satan can still hear echoing over and over in his wretched mind: IT IS FINISHED!  Jn.19:30  So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.  (my emphasis)

​So we can conclude Lucifer's main objective is preventing scriptures from being fulfilled, especially those pertaining to Jesus Christ mission to be the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world; the plan of salvation that the Godhead had planned before the earth was even formed. Eph.1:4  just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love , (*note - accordingtothescriptures.org estimates that 356 prophecies have already been fulfilled in Jesus Christ)

Much of the death, and destruction through the centuries has been what may best described as "collateral damage," such as when Herod slaughtered all the babies in and around Bethlehem in his attempt to kill the Christ child. Mt.2:16  That the "Seed" who is Jesus Christ could not be prevented from finishing His works and divine mission; has not deterred Satan from continuing his furious attacks on the "Seed of Abraham" which is now the Body of Christ.  Gal.3:29 (NIV) If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. 

So from the time of Jesus ascension into heaven, until the time of His reappearing; Satan's wrath and hatred of God - of Jesus - have been directed at all who are members of the Body of Christ. If you are a Christian, and follow the commandments of Jesus, you are on his "hit list."  Seriously, the Devil hates all human beings created in God's image, that's part of his corrupted DNA; but his hatred and loathing of all who love Jesus and live to please God - is immeasurable. We cannot begin to comprehend the degree of hatred the Devil has towards all who call themselves Christians.  Satan hates the "Christ who lives in us."  Gal.2:20, Rom.8:10

So we can see from the scriptures that the "spirit of Antichrist" is specifically directed at the "Seed" - who is Jesus Christ the Messiah; but now that Christ has left the earth physically - the "Seed" are all who are "in Christ."  That is to say, the schemes and devices of Satan are directed now at all who are part of the Body of Christ - or the Church of God in the earth.  Since Christians are "the body of Jesus" here on earth, it is no surprise to find that Christians are persecuted, martyred, and maligned in every possible manner by the "spirit of Antichrist" that now works through much of the world today. 

This hostile opposition to God, the Bible, Christians, and all that is holy and godly; can be seen in all areas of human endeavor - education, government, all media - whether print or digitally disseminated, the arts and music in particular, and in literature of all kinds, sports, and in every facet of modern culture. The unfortunate truth is that love of God, the scriptures, and everything once considered sacred is crumbling under the relentless attacks by the powers of darkness and the "god" of this age. 2 Co.4:4, 2 Co.11:3 

  As much as Satan hates Jesus and Christians, there is one thing that the all the hosts of Satan's kingdom have a laser like focus on - something that poses the greatest threat to the kingdom of darkness, and is the key to understanding how to discern what is and what isn't "the spirit of Antichrist."  
​                                                     

                                       

  
                                  SATAN'S MAIN TARGET  

2 Co.4:3-4    But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. (my emphasis)

If we were to list all the things Satan is opposed to or against - we would have a lengthy list indeed. Prayer, praise and worship, Bible study, the preaching and ministry of the word of God, Christian fellowship, Gospel music,witnessing, regular church attendance, and these are just some of the things that Satan and the demons of darkness hate. But, at the heart - at the very center of what poses the greatest threat to the kingdom of darkness is the very thing that he will do anything to stop, and I mean anything.

                                                  ANYTHING TO STOP THE GOSPEL !

1 Co.15:1-4  Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ...  (my emphasis)

Rom.1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  (my emphasis)

The Devil can tolerate many things here on earth that he does in fact hate, but out of the myriad of things he is opposed to - nothing is more disturbing and threatening to Satan, then the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel is the very thing - the centerpiece of God's plan to save mankind.  For it is the story of Jesus dying on the cross, the shedding of His blood for the remission of our sins; and the message of Christ's burial and resurrection from the grave! All in fulfillment of the prophetic scriptures that Jesus fulfilled one by one. Amen 

​                                                              THE "ACID TEST" 

  1 John 4:2-3 (NKJV)  By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.   (my emphasis)  

At first glance, this sounds like John is simply saying: Ask someone if Jesus has come in the flesh, and if they say "no" - You'll know that they are not of God, that they are of the "spirit of Antichrist". I know today, many Christians use this as  a way of testing to see if a person is "demon possessed" or not. That is not a reliable test, I know because I've used it when casting out demons myself, and this is what I've discovered: DEMONS CAN LIE TO YOU!  Yes, they can say Jesus has come in the flesh to your face.   

They(the evil spirits we were attempting to cast out) did that to me, and I learned that just stating "Jesus has come in the flesh" is not what John had in mind as the "Acid Test" for determining if a person/spirit is or isn't of Christ. John had more in mind than just having someone quote or say a few words. Demons will lie to you, they will quote scriptures to you all day long, hey- they reminded me that they knew Jesus long before I did, and know the bible better than most Christians will ever know it... One thing I learned in trying to "test whether a person/spirit" is or isn't of Christ - is this:

Don't enter into a conversation, or dialogue with the devil, demons or those under his influence unless you are "being led of the Holy Spirit". The less you say to someone "possessed" or severely oppressed of the devil, the better. You may find to your surprise, that the devil can quote scriptures back to you, and very well I might add(though he is prone to twist them out of context)                                      
The "test" John alludes to in 1 JN. 4:3 is a summation or decree that in essence states this: Anyone who denies that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah - the Son of God - the One who came to fulfill the prophecies concerning his life, death, and resurrection - is "antichrist."  In essence - this was another way of saying anyone who was against the Gospel being preached by the Apostles was "not of God."  Strong words certainly, but when we consider that denying who Christ is, and what He did - is really to reject the truth.  I can assure you Christians at that time knew exactly what John was saying, and there could be no room for compromise when it came to preserving the facts concerning who Christ is, and what He had accomplished.  2 Jn.1:9

To reject Jesus as the Messiah meant a person would "die in their sins", and that would prevent them from going to heaven - being present with God after this life.  Jn.8:24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

Gal.1:9  As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.   (Paul the apostle speaking...)

                                            WHAT IF NO ONE SHARED THE GOSPEL?

That Jesus Christ would sacrifice Himself for the sins of the world, and be raised from the dead - only to have that message never told would certainly be the greatest of all  failures and tragedies of all time.  The Devil knows that keeping that message from people is his number one priority - and if that fails, his next ploy is to try to twist the Gospel message into something perverted or legalistic, or worse yet - void of any mention of the cross or resurrection at all. Yes indeed - we can be certain that since the time of Jesus ascension into heaven - Lucifer has been furiously working to stop the Gospel message from being preached or shared in the earth.  2 Co.4:4, 11:14   

The problem lies in the fact that while Lucifer is defeated - that's an absolute indisputable truth of scripture;(Col..1:13,2:15) he knows that many people are ignorant of what really happened when Jesus died on that cross, when He rose triumphant from the grave. That dear friends, is why the Good News - or the account of what happened over 2000 years ago must be told, not once - but over and over again. This is why Jesus told us that before He would return the gospel would have to be published to the ends of the earth:   Mk.13:10  And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. (Jesus speaking...)

Someone - somewhere shared the gospel message with you - or with me, or someone else; and they were then faced with the choice of believing or disbelieving, agreeing with or disagreeing with the message of the cross and resurrection. So simple - yes; but in the end profound in that what a person does with the Gospel will determine their eternal destiny. Now that's mind boggling to say the least.   2 Thess. 1:7-8 "and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ"

In summary, we can state that while Jesus' life, atoning death, and resurrection are for Christians - historical facts that we believe and trust as the basis for our individual faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and as the Son of God...  The reality is that unless those facts about Christ's life, death, burial, and resurrections are shared with people they will die in their sins. When Jesus told his disciples to take the Gospel into all the world - it wasn't just a suggestion or good advice; it was a command!  Don't be quiet or shy about sharing the Gospel, ask God to help you and He will.

to be continued...   ( Pt.2 will be about "the spirit of Antichrist" in the church)
 
                                               THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST PT.2
          https://www.lightinthedarkministries.com/my-blog--scribe4god/archives/04-2024

                                                 THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST PT.3
           https://www.lightinthedarkministries.com/my-blog--scribe4god/archives/07-2024

           You may find my books at most online bookstores... just click the links.

                        OUT OF THE DARKNESS - https://books2read.com/u/br9oLz
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                        THE CHRISTIAN FAITH - https://books2read.com/u/mdYMZR



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                       THE "NICE CHURCH"


I recently asked a powerful man of God, Apostle Roy Castro, what he thought of the modern church? What his opinion is of where he thinks we are today? He mentioned the church of Laodicea in the Book of Revelations....

If you recall, this is the same church that Jesus rebuked, for being LUKEWARM!  This man is in his seventies and has started numerous churches, still travels extensively preaching the gospel, and has an anointing that brings healing and deliverance to those in attendance. So, his' opinion carries a lot of weight with me, as it should to anyone else who knows this man's ministry and integrity.

I received a message from God a while back, that came to me as more of a "conversation with Jesus" than that of a vision or dream... I share it with you in the hope that it may stir you to examine your own walk with God, and also to see if the church you are in is hot, cold, or lukewarm? That is a question, that all of us should ask ourselves if we want to be where God wants us to grow.

                                     REV. 3:18-19   To the Church in Laodicea  18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.  (emphasis mine)

14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, "THE NICE CHURCH"

One day, I was conversing with God... I don't remember what sparked the topic that came up, but I think God initiated it and here is what I remember of that discussion, with me mostly listening to God as He shared these things with me. It went something like this:

Michael? Yes Lord. I want to talk to you about this "Nice Thing". What do You mean by Nice Thing? I mean this obsession, this preoccupation by so many in my church who are really into this "nice thing". People today, want to live in a nice country, and have a nice job, they want to live in a nice neighborhood, in a nice home. And, they want to go to a nice church, and have nice pastor, who preaches nice sermons. They want to have a nice time in church, and when they are finished with having a nice time there, than it's off to enjoy a nice meal, and have a nice day... Michael, what people are after is a "nice life".

Wow! Those weren't the exact words, but they are very close to what I heard God speak to my spirit... it shook me to the core of my being. I mean on it's face, having a nice anything, isn't really bad - is it? Wanting a nice sermon, a nice church service, and - well, the idea of "nice" being a bad thing, that never entered my mind. But, spoken to me as it was - from the soft voice of the Holy Spirit to my inner man, now - that's a different thing entirely. So, I asked the Lord for clarification, and He spoke to me these words, at least as best as I can recall them:

Michael, I did not come to give people a "nice life", I did not die and raise from the dead to make things "nice" for those following me. This attitude, and mindset are not of me - it is fleshly, and borne of a earthly and carnal/sensual mind... This "nice thing" has swept through much of my church, and is like a veil over the spiritual eyes of my people. It has many people in a stupor, and living lives that are not dead to sin, or dead to this fallen world.

In a word, being comfortable, cozy, and blessed has come to be more important than "taking up one's cross, denying oneself, and following me". Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
That was the basically the point of this short, yet piercing message God gave to me for this generation. I share it with you knowing that it may shake some of us from being lethargic and spiritually asleep.

Jesus does not leave the Laodicean church without a prescription for remedying/curing this spiritual sickness of "being lukewarm"; he commands them, and us if the shoe fits - TO REPENT. Jesus longs to be the fire in our hearts, the passion of our lives...

                                                                  REPENT!
19                                             REPENT/MERRIAM/WEBSTER DICT: 
intransitive verb
1: to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life
2 a: to feel regret or contrition  b: to change one's mind
transitive verb
1: to cause to feel regret or contrition
2: to feel sorrow, regret, or contrition forhose whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and

FINAL THOUGHTS: I believe that many of the churches today are spiritually in a deep, deep slumber. Little or no passion for God, the Bible, or the things of Jesus Christ that He loves, namely "lost souls". When our lives and our churches become more like "country clubs" for pampered and spoiled Christians looking for their next "blessing" - WE ARE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE!!!

​It is not for me to say who or who isn't on fire for God, or what person or church is "lukewarm", but I do know we should at the very least, examine ourselves regularly, in light of God's word to see if we are "burning brightly" for Jesus? I pray, you - me, all of us who name the name of Jesus, who claim to be Christians and followers of Christ - look closely to see what our spiritual temperature is.

Here are few things that will give you an idea of where you are in that regard. Do I pray? Do I fellowship regularly with God's people? Do I give my time and money to God, and to His' work - to those who labor for Him? Do I spend time in regular bible study? Do I have a set time of devotion to and with God? Do I witness my faith in Christ to other when I have opportunity?

These are just a few of the basic things that should be "earmarks" of a passionate and fired up disciple of Jesus. Let's go out and let the fire and passion of Jesus in our lives, homes, and churches/families be evident to all near and far.

                                                A man obsessed with the truth,

                                                                scribe4god

           You may find my books at most online bookstores... just click the links.

                        OUT OF THE DARKNESS - https://books2read.com/u/br9oLz
                        PEARLS of WISDOM - https://books2read.com/u/bw9odv
                        THE CHRISTIAN FAITH - https://books2read.com/u/mdYMZR

​

  WHY GOD GAVE MANKIND THE NEW COVENANT

                        IT'S MORE HIM, THAN US...

It is surprising to learn just "why" God gave mankind the New Covenant... I say this only because most Christians, and the lost for that matter think it was pure altruism or sympathy on God's part as the basis for "why" we now live under a New Covenant, or a New Testament as it may also be called. Yes, John 3:16 reminds all of us that it is God's love for us that sent Jesus to die for our sins - that is a fact. Ah, but that is only part of the narrative of this beautiful love song of our God. We find that while it was love that sent Jesus to die for all of us, it was something else that moved God to commission what we now call the: NEW COVENANT. This may come as a surprise to many people today, Christians and non -Christians alike. The New Covenant was really not centered on us (though we've been led to think that); but rather it's God's way of ensuring that His name would be honored and glorified in all of heaven and earth. By stopping the vicious power of evil through sin, Jesus Christ secured the right, the privilege, and ability for all of us to truly "honor" God's name.

                                                       HALLOWED BE THE NAME...

Matthew 6:9    In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven,  Hallowed be Your name.
 
As we shall see, this being first and foremost in Jesus instructions on how we are to pray, is not to be taken lightly... it is the key to understanding why we were given the New Covenant.  It's worth noting that Jesus our Lord began this prayer with clear instructions to: Reverence and honor our Heavenly Father's name! That dear friends, was intentional, and by design for us to take note of... as we dig deeper and deeper into God's holy word; we find that "honoring God's name" is at the heart of all Jesus did, and all we are to do as well.

hal·lowed  adj  \ˈha-(ˌ)lōd, ˈha-ləd, in the Lord's Prayer often ˈha-lə-wəd\

Definition of  HALLOWED
 1: holy, consecrated <the church stands on hallowed ground> 
 2: sacred, revered <the university's hallowed halls> <hallowed customs> 
     See hallowed defined for English-language learners »

                                                GOD'S NAME IS PROFANED...
​
If you are impatient or in a hurry this is not for you... but if you really want to understand why you and I were given this wonderful New Covenant/Testament by God - take a few precious minutes, and discover how important God views "honoring" His' name. IT IS A BIG DEAL! 

Ezekiel 36:16-21  (NKJV)
16 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 17 “Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds; to Me their way was like the uncleanness of a woman in her customary impurity. 18 Therefore I poured out My fury on them for the blood they had shed on the land, and for their idols with which they had defiled it. 19 So I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged them according to their ways and their deeds. 20 When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My holy name—when they said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, and yet they have gone out of His land.’ 21 But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went.   (my emphasis)

         A "NEW HEART & A NEW SPIRIT"

Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

We find that God states emphatically, 3 times - that He is going to put an end to this trampling of His' holy name by His' people among the nations where they were scattered... and the solution will be drastic and thorough - from the inside out: A NEW COVENANT! And here is the kicker: IT WON'T BE FOR OUR SAKES, IT WILL BE FOR HIS' HOLY NAME SAKE!!  I repeat, God gave us the New Covenant so His' holy name would be HONORED/HALLOWED. The Lord is quick to point out that it is not for "our sakes", but for His holy name's sake - that He has given a New Covenant to His people... read it for yourself.

Ezekiel 36:22-27   Amplified Bible (AMP)
22. Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: I do not do this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations to which you went.    (emphasis mine)

 23And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name and separate it for its holy purpose from all that defiles it--My name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them--and the nations will know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service], when I shall be set apart by you and My holiness vindicated in you before their eyes and yours. 

 24. For I will [a]take you from among the nations and gather you out of all countries and bring you into your own land. 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness; and from all your idols will I cleanse you. 26.A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall heed My ordinances and do them. 

                                                         A "HEAVENLY ASSIST"

What the law/Old Covenant could not do, never do - was enable us to consistently honor and glorify God's name in the earth. That dear friends was all about to end. Jesus was coming to establish a better covenant, based upon "better promises"... Now we would all be rendered "excuse less" - we now have been given everything we need to "do the will of God" - to walk in holiness and revere and honor God's holy name as He intended from the beginning.

Let us realize that while it was love that sent Jesus to the cross to die for our sins, it was anger, yes I said anger that moved God to initiate and establish what we now call: THE NEW COVENANT. God does not take lightly those who claim to be His' people and then live unholy and ungodly lives before others... NO SMALL MATTER FRIENDS. It was God's holy fury that drove Him to expel the people of Israel throughout the nations - and it was God' righteous anger that drove Him to provide the "heavenly assist" they would need if they were to truly live holy lives... Thank God this was for us as well.

2 Timothy 2:19
Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

The Lord knows those who "honor" His' holy name by godly lives, and those who are mere pretenders or hypocrites... we show we are Christians truly when our lives and conduct bring honor to God's holy name... Let us all honor Jesus by living holy lives that show forth His' love and holy character...

Final Thoughts... yes God so loved the world that He gave Jesus for all of us, to die for us. But, as the scriptures declare "honoring His' name" is at the very heart of "why" we have been given the New Covenant. Without it we would be trampling God's holy name in the mud, and taking ourselves to hell in the process.

You see, by saving us, God not only "saves His' name from being disgraced and dishonored; but God also allows us to honor His' name through what Christ has done for us. Now we can glorify God's name in all the earth and "hallow" God's name as Jesus taught us... Let us live to bring "honor" to God, to His' holy name, and to the name of His' son, Jesus Christ.

                                                 A man obsessed with the truth,

                                                                scribe4god

p.s. This short article is part of THE CHRISTIAN FAITH/Now & Then - which can be found on our website to read/download for free: https://www.lightinthedarkministries.com/the-christian-faith.html   

​           You may find my books at most online bookstores... just click the links.

                        OUT OF THE DARKNESS - https://books2read.com/u/br9oLz
                        PEARLS of WISDOM - https://books2read.com/u/bw9odv
                        THE CHRISTIAN FAITH - https://books2read.com/u/mdYMZR

Mt. 16:26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and Have you ever wondered what a soul is worth? Not to you, or anyone down here on our planet, not the devil, but God? I do, it is something that I've thought about off and on quite a bit... I hope the above scripture from the bible, which are the words of Jesus Christ answers this question, or at least sheds some light on how much we are worth to God. Before we examine what God has to say about our “souls” worth; let us first look at what our body is worth in and of itself...

Ask me, and I'll give you a price that only a few people could afford to pay me for my body, really! Bill Gates comes to mind, or the world renown investment tycoon, Warren Buffet – they just might be able to pay me what I think I'm worth... lol. But, getting serious, if we are to truly be objective; let us look at what experts in these kind of things have to say about what a human body is worth in today's economy.

* When we total the monetary value of the elements in our bodies and the value of the average person's skin, we arrive at a net worth of $4.50!
This value is, however, subject to change, due to stock market fluctuations. Since the studies leading to this conclusion were conducted by the U.S. and by Japan respectively, it might be wise to consult the New York Stock Exchange and the Nikkei Index before deciding when to sell!
The U.S. Bureau of Chemistry and Soils invested many a hard-earned tax dollar in calculating the chemical and mineral composition of the human body, which breaks down as follows: 65% Oxygen , 8% Carbon , 10% Hydrogen , 3% Nitrogen , 1.5% Calcium, 1% Phosphorous, 0.35% Potassium , 0.25% Sulfur , 0.15% Sodium, Additionally, it was discovered that our bodies contain trace quantities of fluorine, silicon, manganese, zinc, copper, aluminum, and arsenic. Together, all of the above amounts to less than one dollar!

Our most valuable asset is our skin, which the Japanese invested their time and money in measuring. The method the Imperial State Institute for Nutrition at Tokyo developed for measuring the amount of a person's skin is to take a naked person, and to apply a strong, thin paper to every surface of his body. After the paper dries, they carefully remove it, cut it into small pieces, and painstakingly total the person's measurements. Cut and dried, the average person is the proud owner of fourteen to eighteen square feet of skin, with the variables in this figure being height, weight, and breast size. Basing the skin's value on the selling price of cowhide, which is approximately $.25 per square foot, the value of an average person's skin is about $3.50.

To be perfectly honest, only God really knows the answer to that... really. But, having said that, there are some clear indica- tions from the scriptures as to what a "soul" is worth. We know that as a collective, that meaning as the entire human race is concerned, God thought we (at least as a whole), were worth sending His' beloved son, Jesus to die for us. And, not just die, we are talking about the most horrific and gruesome of deaths imaginable to be sure. That is quite clear from to many scriptures for me to list in this short email. Perhaps the most quoted and beloved of all the bible is this familiar passage which reminds us all of what we are worth in God's estimation:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Rom.8:31-32 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32.He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Also, we find in the Old Testament that God derives no pleasure in the death of the wicked - He has done everything in His' power to prevent the lost from going to hell...

Ezekiel 33:11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’

The above passages from the scriptures, reveal an obvious truth: We were worth having the Father send His' own son, Jesus – to die the most horrible and cruel death imaginable. And if there were any other way of atoning for our sins, for paying the price to redeem mankind – other than Jesus having to go to the cross – it would have happened. MT.26: 39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

                                           JESUS - REVEALS OUR WORTH...

Matthew 16:25-26   For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (emphasis mine)

Here lies the "key" to understanding what Jesus considers our soul to be worth, or at least a good idea for us to grasp. Jesus is talking about "saving our soul" - or in His' words "finding it". Interesting way of putting it, is it not? Have you ever found yourself in trouble? Or in a bad way? Or have you found yourself in need of a Savior? That is what He is talking about here friends...
Now, Jesus goes on to tell us further in explaining what our "life" or soul is worth, that even if we were to gain the entire world(that is beyond our human capacity to fathom), what would it really matter if in the end you were to find yourself in hell - and without God or hope of any kind for all eternity?

He goes on to tell ask us this simple yet profound question that really reveals the true worth of our "soul" or life in the eyes of God: WHAT WILL A PERSON GIVE IN EXCHANGE FOR THEIR' SOUL? Put in a way we can all understand, Jesus is asking this question, "What will a person be able to give God to keep them out of hell?" or put still another way: WHAT CAN WE POSSIBLY GIVE GOD THAT WILL CONVINCE HIM TO LET US INTO HEAVEN WITHOUT JESUS? the answer: NOTHING!

FINAL THOUGHTS... The devil thinks a soul is worth fighting for. He will do almost anything to take one soul to hell... that is his' game. God thinks a soul is worth enough to send His' very own son to die for us - you and me. That is beyond anything I can understand , but I believe it is so. What do you think a soul is worth? That person you work next to everyday? That person you despise because they rub you the wrong way? Remember, every soul is precious to God, and when you look at a human being created in God's image, just remember how valuable he or she is to God. That will serve you well in all your' relationships. I close with the following story:

                                                       GOD'S GLORY REVEALED

A man died and went to heaven. He was escorted through the corridors of heaven, and was shown the glory and splendor of heaven and was speechless. He finally turned to the angel showing him around and said, "Will you show me the glory of God?" The angel smiled, and said, "Surely, follow me". As they walked along, the man saw the heavenly city and the mansions and the streets of gold, and he turned to the angel and asked, "Is this God's glory". The angel just smiled and continued on. The man then saw thousands upon thousands of angels singing and praising God with shouts of joy and loud hallelujahs. Again, the man asked the angel, "Is this God's glory?". The angel seemed to ignore the man, and just walked on. Finally, after a short journey, they stopped - There in front of the man was a sea of people, men and women, boys and girls all dressed in white robes as far as the eye could see... He could see smiling faces filled with joy, and he saw them singing and with hands raised singing: Blessing, and honor, and glory and power be to Him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb Who was slain before the foundation of the earth. (Rev. 5:13)

The angel stopped, and looked at the man, who was now staring in utter amazement and wonder at the sight of this sea of humanity before him, and said, “Dear soul, this you see before you, THIS IS THE GLORY OF GOD.”

Of all God's riches, possessions - His' glory - nothing is more valuable to him than you and I. That should cause you and me to stop, and thank God for the unspeakable gift of His son, Jesus to all of us.

EPH. 1: 11-12 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.


                                            THE END

This short story, is just one of many stories God allowed me to share with readers in my first book, PEARLS of WISDOM.   I hope you enjoyed the small pearl of wisdom contained in this amusing, yet inspiring story.

You may read more of these stories, and other things God gave me to write about by simply going to Amazon.com. The book is available in paperback or in a Kindle format...

                                                   A man obsessed with the truth,

                                                                scribe4god

             You may find my books at most online bookstores... just click the links.

                        OUT OF THE DARKNESS - https://books2read.com/u/br9oLz
                        PEARLS of WISDOM - https://books2read.com/u/bw9odv
                        THE CHRISTIAN FAITH - https://books2read.com/u/mdYMZR

 Through the centuries, many renown artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo DaVinci, and Rembrandt, just to name a few have attempted to paint how Jesus might have looked... soft features and long flowing hair, often with delicate features, others depicting Jesus as a rough, rugged carpenter from the town of Nazareth.

Every culture has a picture or image that seems to shape and conform "their image" of Jesus to their race, culture, and ethnic background - a black Jesus, a white Jesus, Chinese, Indian, Hispanic; almost every conceivable portrait or image of Jesus imaginable. It is only fitting and reasonable to understand how everyone wants to "paint Jesus" through the lens of their own culture, race, background, as well as their own preferences and interpretation of how Jesus probably looked.

I say probably, because as any bible scholar well knows, the bible has very little to say about "how Jesus really looked"; at least not in terms that an artist or sculptor could use as a blue- print or schematic for drawing or painting Jesus with any degree of accuracy or certainty. What color were Jesus' eyes? Hair? Was He a big man, or was He thin and of sleight build? These questions, and thousands of others like it are not found in the pages of scripture; in fact; the silence is deafening!

The glaring absence of detail concerning the outward appear- ance of Jesus Christ throughout the bible should cause any serious student of the bible, any Christian for that matter to ask the obvious question: Why is the bible silent on the details of how Jesus looked? Why did the apostles, Peter, James, and John; who knew Christ so intimately not mention the way Jesus looked? Why is the bible silent on such an obvious matter as to "how Jesus looked"?
There may be more than one reason(there usually is), but if we believe the bible is the "inspired word of God"; than we may rightly conclude that whatever the reason - it was by design, and no accident.

Could it be that our Heavenly Father in His' sublime wisdom knew that it was in our best interests, to keep the details and specifics surrounding Jesus' outward appearance out of the Bible? Knowing that God is the true author of the Holy Bible, we may answer in the affirmative; but that still doesn't answer the real question of "why God deliberately chose to leave Christ's physical appearance as a mystery and enigma for those of us who would eventually read and study the works and life of Christ through the pages of the Bible.

Adding to this riddle concerning Jesus appearance is the fact that no secular or historical records exist which would shed light on how Christ really looked... mere coincidence? I think not. How is it that the most influential and written about person of all time could leave so little evidence or clues as to what He looked like? Surely, if God had desired, we would know exactly how Jesus looked, in minute detail - down to His' height, weight, and shoe size.

Clearly, God thought such particulars were not necessary for us to be privy to; and again we must ask ourselves the obvious Why did God leave the details of “what Jesus looked like” out of the scriptures - out of the archives and pages of recorded history?
I offer you the reader, the following explanation as to "why" God would leave us to wonder and try to "imagine" what Jesus looked like... keep in mind, this is only my opinion; but I think it makes sense - and will let you the reader decide.

Simply stated, I believe that had God left us with a vivid, description of how Jesus really looked; from His' classic Jewish features(the nose, olive skin, etc), to His' hair color and length; along with a myriad of other human characteristics; the inevitable would follow:
As surely as day follows night: the rush to "look like" Jesus would sweep through the Church faster than you can say, " I want to be like Jesus".

Yes, dear friends we are that carnal, that quick to take the path of least resistance... hey, "looking like Jesus" has got to be easier than "acting like Jesus"... right? And while many denominations and churches today have tried to figure out "how" Jesus would dress and look today(man's idea of holiness); the results are just another example of "modern day Pharisism". As silly as it may sound, if we knew what Jesus looked like, many of us would do anything and everything to look just like Him!

Can't you just see thousands, no - millions of Christians running to and fro like clones or mirror images of the King... Yes, looking like Jesus would replace the goal of "being and acting like Jesus"!

Most would agree that acting like Christ, being gentle, kind, loving, compassionate,etc; is far more important than trying to look like Jesus, even if we did know what He really looked like (which we don't). So it is no small wonder that God in His' loving providence saw fit to spare us the problems we humans would be faced with if given the choice between looking like Jesus, or acting like Him.

God chose to give us a picture of Himself through the person of Christ that demonstrated His holy divine attributes and char- acter... but, disallowed the details of how He looked while here as a man among men. God's deliberate portrayal of Jesus in terms of His' divine nature and holy character, while leaving us few clues as to how He looked after the flesh was for our own good.

                           The way Jesus acted was the picture God left us with...

God wants us to act holy, and to be holy, to be like Him in every way... to be conformed to His very image. Looking like God is an impossibility, a foolish and unobtainable thing for any of us to achieve; ah - but acting or being like Him, well God has made that possible. We may never truly know this side of Heaven what God actually looks like, until we see Jesus face to face in glory, but we can "see" God through the eyes of faith, and see Him in our brothers and sisters in Christ! Hallelujah... Amen. The greatest compliment you can pay another Christian is to tell them that you "see Jesus in them". Let us remember the words of Paul the apostle to the   

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27

Something to consider...

One day while I was driving in my truck, I noticed a bumper sticker on the vehicle directly in front of me; I pulled up close so I could read the message - it had these words: I don't have a problem with Christianity, it's Christians I can't stand!

It hit me like a ton of bricks... I had to admit that there was a lot of truth to that simple, yet biting message about Christians. I have often said that, "A bad testimony is worse than no testimony!" The painful truth is that many of us who claim to be Christians, really shouldn't be carrying that Jesus banner so high, if our walk is so low... we're not talking about perfection here friends - I'm just saying Christians should "walk the talk", and live our lives above reproach.
There is another bumper sticker that reads: I'm not perfect, just forgiven! I agree wholeheartedly... but, that is no excuse for those who refuse to live holy lives, who live "like the devil", and yet claim to be Christians. There is something wrong with that picture friends, and there isn't a bumper sticker or slogan in the world that can justify or defend such ungodly behavior.

As Christians we are called to follow Christ, to be Christlike; and while we may stumble and even fall at times in our journey, we are always to be striving and pressing toward the mark - that is to be like Jesus in every way. Perhaps the greatest compliment we can ever receive, is simply having someone tell us, "I see Jesus in you"...

For the world "looking like Christ" is not about how we look on the outside, our hair length, or what Bible translation we may use(the Church debates these issues); but rather how we act towards them, our love, compassion, kindness - in a word: our "character". In the end, the most important question we as Christians should be asking is not " Do I look like Jesus”, but rather this: “Do people see Jesus in me?”

When the world looks at the Church, at Christians - they should see Jesus, which only makes sense when you think about it... after all, we are His' body.

                                                              THE END

This short story, is just one of many stories God allowed me to share with readers in my first book, PEARLS of WISDOM.   I hope you enjoyed the small pearl of wisdom contained in this amusing, yet inspiring story. You may read more of these stories, and other things God gave me to write about by simply going to:   https://books2read.com/u/bw9odv​
 Blessings to all / scribe4god                                                  

                                               A man obsessed with the truth,

                                                                scribe4god

             You may find my books at most online bookstores... just click the links.

                        OUT OF THE DARKNESS - https://books2read.com/u/br9oLz
                        PEARLS of WISDOM - https://books2read.com/u/bw9odv
                        THE CHRISTIAN FAITH - https://books2read.com/u/mdYMZR