Category: Last Days

Signs of the Last Days: Identifying the Antichrist Spirit

 

 

 

 

 

Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. 1 John 2:18 (NLT)

Satan hates and opposes God and his rule, and those under his influence do the same.

The more a person abandons himself to the antichrist spirit, the more thorough is the satanic influence. The Bible informs us that an actual spirit of antichrist actively opposes the gospel and the spreading rule of Christ in the world. Over the centuries, certain leaders have embodied this spirit in a clear and dramatic fashion. They are always bloodthirsty men who go after Jews and Christians. Entire nations and cultures can come under this spirit. Eventually an individual will arise, whom Paul called the “man of lawlessness” (2 Timothy 2:3), who will be the ultimate incarnation of evil. What are the characteristics of the antichrist spirit? How can we quickly recognize its activity and ward off its influence?

Denial of the Validity of God’s Word.

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” Genesis 3:1 (NLT)

Denying the truth of the Bible is a primary way to circumvent God’s authority in our lives.

The serpent injected doubt into Eve’s heart, leading her to question and disobey God’s clear command, which brought death and destruction to the entire planet. This spirit is doing the same thing today. We see its activity in the media, our universities and public schools, the halls of congress, and in mainline denominations, where there has been an embrace of clearly anti-biblical positions regarding creation, marriage, sexuality, gender, and abortion, to name a few.

Once the standard of biblical truth is rejected, the door is open for all manner of deception and evil.

Denial of Christ’s Lordship

There can only be one Lord, and Satan desires to have that position in the world, even if its come through the worship of an antichrist figure. Jesus called him the prince of this world (John 12:31). At the cross, Satan tried to eliminate Jesus, the lawful heir to God’s kingdom, only to see our Lord return to life after three days.

The antichrist spirit still vainly attempts to strip Christ of his glory and honor by denying his identity as the risen Lord and persecuting his followers.

And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. 1 John 2:22 (NLT)

Persecution of God’s Elect

Jesus taught that the devil came to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), and that he was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44).

Satan hates and seeks to kill God’s chosen people because they are destined to co-rule with Christ and share the glory of their Redeemer – King.

He tried to usurp that glory for himself, but was put out of heaven for his rebellion. It galls him to see God’s chosen people, all those born of the Spirit, be freely given everything for which he lusted. The devil is the quintessential bully. If he cannot have what he wants, no one else can either.

The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. John 15:19 (NLT)

Massive Deception

Jesus taught us that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) and there is no truth in him. He is a cunning master deceiver who knows how to boldly lie, as well as subtly twist the truth.

The antichrist will be a master of deception and intrigue in order to subjugate the masses (Daniel 8:23-25).

Jesus warned us that the end time deception will be so great that even the chosen of God will stand in danger of being swept away.

Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. 24  For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. 25  See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. 26  “So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it! 27  For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. Matthew 24:23-27 (NLT)

The Muslims believe that Jesus did not actually die, but swooned, was revived, and later was assumed into heaven, where he waits to return in order to join the Mahdi in converting people to Islam under pain of death. If that scenario plays out, we will need to remind ourselves of Jesus’ warning above. Whoever this person may end up being, it cannot be the true Lord Jesus. He does not serve Mohammad or Allah. Those who are not firmly grounded in the Bible and possess a love of the truth will be in grave peril.

Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. 9  This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10  He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11  So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12  Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 (NLT)

Violence

At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. 24  He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people. Daniel 8:23-24 (NLT)

Wherever Satan reigns, violence and chaos are the order of the day.

The antichrist spirit does not flinch from using violence to accomplish its purposes. That is why Jesus will violently destroy the antichrist, consigning him to the lake of fire along with his master, Satan.

Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 (NLT)

How Can We Protect Ourselves?

  • Faith. The first thing we need to know is that Jesus has all authority, which includes complete sovereignty over Satan, the antichrist spirit, world governments, and current events. Nothing gets by him. Nothing can touch God’s people without God’s permission, limitations, and oversight. In other words, we can trust the Lord, no matter how crazy things may get.
  • Allegiance. Declare your allegiance to the true Lord, Jesus, the Messiah King, both verbally and through water baptism. Make a firm commitment to worship, serve, and tell others about him. Take a stand on the validity and truthfulness of the Bible.
  • Courage. It will take courage to stand for truth when the spirit of antichrist mocks and threatens us. The Holy Spirit is our source of comfort and strength, who will see us through.
  • Community. God instituted the church to be a strong community of support. If you are not already of member of a community of believers, you must take this seriously. A wolf always goes after the lone sheep.
  • Mission. The best defense is a good offense. Make the Great Commission your personal mission in life. Make God’s glory your priority and his kingdom your focus. Everything else will take care of itself.
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Signs of the Last Days: What to Do When Our Nation Is Under Judgment

 

 

 

 

 

Have you ever known someone whose life appeared to be a series of unfortunate decisions with one calamity following another? Once a person starts down that road, things can go bad very quickly, eventually putting him into such a deep hole that only a miracle can extract him. Why does one person have wisdom to properly sort through life’s options and come up with a good path; while others lack good judgment?

Wisdom is one of life’s great treasures. It gives us the ability to foresee the consequences of our actions, sort through options, and make good life choices, which produces a higher quality of life. Foolishness is wisdom’s opposite. A foolish person habitually opts for destructive and sinful life paths.

Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. 14  For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. 15  Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. 16  She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. 17  She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. 18  Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly. Proverbs 3:13-18 (NLT)

A  Nation Under Judgment

Wisdom is part of God’s character. If a person rejects God, he or she rejects wisdom. When a nation rejects God and his wisdom, it will reap the consequences of its foolishness.

The First Chapter of Paul’s Letter to the Romans explains how this drama plays out. God’s wrath is revealed to all who suppress the truth about God. (Romans 1:18-23) Paul argues that creation plainly reveals the greatness and character of God. Therefore, those who reject this clear revelation and refuse to honor God or be thankful are given over to what Paul calls “futile thinking” and “darkened hearts.” The result is that those under such judgment can no longer operate with wisdom, which inexorably propels them down destructive paths of their own choosing.

In other words, those who reject God bring upon themselves their own judgment.

People imagine that they can have their cake and eat it, too. They believe they can operate with wisdom and judgment while at the same time living independently from God, but this is not possible. Once we reject the source of wisdom, we quickly descend into foolishness and reap the destruction that comes from making increasingly poor judgments and choices. As Paul summarizes: “Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” (Romans 1:22)

Here are some clear signs of people under God’s judgment.

  • People give themselves over to lust and perversion. (Romans 1:24-27) Hollywood presents a world of gratuitous sex without consequences, which is a pure fabrication. There is no such thing. We always reap what we sow. (Galatians 6:7) Our nation’s embrace of pornography and other forms of sexual perversion is a dance with the devil, who is out to steal, kill, and destroy.
  • People reject and despise authority. Sin is basically a rebellion against God’s rule. Those who reject God’s rule find it easy to despise, belittle, and reject human authority, too. In the Bible, God always judged those who rail and rebel against his delegated authority. Stay tuned. You will see that play out before your eyes.
  • Leaders embrace hidden wickedness. The prophets of old called out the hidden wickedness practiced by Israel’s leaders. Today a massive uncovering of hidden wickedness among top echelons of our national leadership is being exposed.
  • Division. Jesus warned that a kingdom divided against itself will not stand. Our nation is extremely divided and vulnerable.
  • Violence. When a people becomes lawless, violence increases.

Conclusion

The United States is clearly under God’s judgment. We do not yet know what else God may pour out on a nation that has had every advantage and such a rich heritage handed to it only to turn its back on God. We can only hope for mercy for the sake of the multitude of citizens who still love and worship God.

So what can we do?

  • Repent. Those of us who love God and his truth must acknowledge our own sinfulness and constantly remind ourselves that, apart from God’s mercy and grace, we would be doing the same things as those who do not serve God. We can also acknowledge and ask forgiveness for the sins of our leaders and our nation, as did many of God’s people in the past.

America’s hope is bound to the prospect of millions of its people turning their lives over to the Lord Jesus and following his teachings.

In order to do our part to make that happen, we can:

  • Pray for God’s mercy upon our nation.
  • We should pray for others to repent. Repentance is the doorway into God’s blessings. We should pray for God to pour out a gift of repentance upon our leaders and people, enabling us to turn away from sin.
  • Share the Gospel in the hope that the Spirit of God will open the hearts of our hearers and bring them to repentance and faith.
  • Dedicate ourselves to God and his mission. The time is short. The time is over for pursuing the “American Dream” and selfish lifestyles. Instead, let’s pursue God and his kingdom.The kingdom of God will be the only thing left standing after judgment is poured out on the earth.

Jesus is coming back. Let’s spend what time we have left making the wise choice to serve him with all our hearts! Let’s dedicate ourselves to obeying the Great Commission!

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Signs of the Last Days: Arrogance

 

 

 

 

 

What made Hitler and Napoleon attack Russia despite all sound wisdom and advice to the contrary? What was behind Satan’s thinking that he could defeat God? What motivates atheists to deny God’s existence, in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary? One word – arrogance.

"The arrogance of your heart has deceived you... Obadiah 1:3 (NASB)

When we choose to spurn God and his wisdom and try to navigate life independently, God gives us over to darkness and deception, making us incapable of good judgment.

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Romans 1:21 (NLT)

Those who reject God, arrogantly assume that they have the intelligence and ability to guide their own destinies. They desire to control their environment and, ultimately, other people. This is what is behind what some call the Babel principle of ever increasing government control.

Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.” Genesis 11:4 (NLT)

Never for a moment do ungodly people suspect that they are actually being led into a deadly trap by someone who is insane.

Satan is stunningly clever but not wise, and masterfully deceptive, but without good judgment.

The arrogance of evil people relentlessly pushes them to go too far, so that their entire plan collapses.

They never foresee God’s amazing creative wisdom until they have been defeated by it.

Satan tried to displace God and was defeated, and now he wants to drag as many fools (those who say there is no God – Psalm 14:1) with him into the lake of fire as he can.

He is working feverishly to lead the nations into a gigantic revolt against God. The lemmings are preparing to march in lockstep off the cliff as you read this article. God will only put up with this arrogant folly for so long. Finally he will “put his foot down.”

“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. Matthew 25:41 (NLT)

The Antidote

Here is a simple five-step plan to neutralize the poison of toxic arrogance.

  • First, there is only one cure for the deception of arrogance. It is summed up in one word – repentance, which means to change the mind. We must humbly admit that we have been arrogant fools and ask God’s forgiveness.
  • Second, the next very important step is to surrender our lives to Jesus, the only one wise enough to direct our paths.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)
  • Third, ask God for his wisdom, and he will give it to you. (James 1:5)
  • Fourth, pray for a love of the truth that will allow you to navigate the perils of the deception that will come upon humanity in general in the Last Days.
Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9  that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10  and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11  For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12  in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 (NASB)
  • Finally, trust Jesus completely. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6)
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Signs of the Last Days: Disrespect for Authority

 

 

 

 

 

Today we see the normalization of complete disrespect for our president. There is an epidemic of disrespect for all forms authority in our nation, which, is a clear sign that we are living in what the Bible calls “perilous times.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5) How did we get here and can we escape?

The Bible teaches that God is the ultimate authority in the universe by reason of his being the Creator. He deserves to be respected, honored, obeyed, and worshiped.

If we accept that God created us, acknowledging his authority is logical. In order to get around the obvious, Satan injects his lies into our minds. Since Adam and Eve would never be convinced that God does not exist, the devil’s initial deception in the garden was to cast doubt upon the goodness of God in order to justify the repudiation of his authority. Lies always have a goal in mind.

The devil’s strategy has always been to drive a wedge of distrust and bitterness between us and God.

Human beings have a very poor track record when it comes to falling for Satan’s lies. It is even worse in the Last Days because God is turning us over to massive deception by the devil.

He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11  So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12  Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 (NLT)

Thanks to systematic anti-god propaganda in our schools, many do not even believe that God exists, settling for the irrational proposition that all the complexity of life around us arose by chance out of nothing. God is not even part of a great number of people’s world view. He is not acknowledged, honored, feared , or obeyed. This is how we got to where we are today.

They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20  For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. 21  Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22  Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. Romans 1:19-22 (NLT)

The Way to Escape

The gospel addresses our treachery against God and his rule. Jesus came to restore humanity and creation to its proper order of joyful dependence upon the Creator.

The sentence for the crime of treason against God is self-imposed death. Sin is a form of suicide because we cut ourselves off from the Source of Life. Sometimes this death works quickly; other times it is slow and drawn out. Nevertheless. sin always ends in death. (Romans 6:23)

Jesus, the one person who always obeyed his Father in heaven, died in our place, so that we can be reconciled to God and come back under his benevolent rule.

When Jesus rose from the dead, he was elevated to the highest status of Lord of Lords. (Philippians 2:9-11) All we have to do to be saved is humbly admit that we have been wrong in trying to go it alone apart from God and and acknowledge that Jesus alone is Lord of our lives. This makes sense when we consider that man’s original and ongoing basic sin is rejection of God’s right to rule our lives. This is how we escape the horrors of God’s eternal judgment for being rebels. (Acts 2:40)

Showing Respect to Delegated Authority

God shares his authority with humans in order to bring some order to the earth and its inhabitants. Chaos and anarchy are the products of sin, and are never a desired state of affairs. Anarchists who wish to overthrow the existing government use chaos and unrest to usher in the slavery and oppression of totalitarianism.

All human authority derives from God and, for that reason, is to be respected, even if we cannot obey some of its laws for reasons of conscience.

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2  So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. Romans 13:1-2 (NLT)

Submission (obedience) to authority is a fundamental pillar of any society. Without it, things degenerate quickly into lawlessness.

The apostle Paul was under the oppressive dictatorship of Rome; yet, he wrote the above admonition to obey delegated authority. He encouraged respect toward the very government that eventually put him to death for his faith.

The only time we should disobey God’s appointed authority is when and if it directs us to violate our conscience or God’s commands. When and if we find ourselves in a place of conscientious objection, it is never an excuse to become disrespectful.

Once, when Paul had been hauled before the anti-Christ Jewish council, he said something disrespectful toward the high priest without realizing who he was. Here is the account from Acts.

Those standing near Paul said to him, “Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?” 5  “I’m sorry, brothers. I didn’t realize he was the high priest,” Paul replied, “for the Scriptures say, ‘You must not speak evil of any of your rulers.’” Acts 23:4-5 (NLT)

Even though a ruler unlawfully violates the law, we are not released to be disrespectful. Paul quoted Exodus 22:28, which forbids disrespect and speaking evil of rulers.

So where does that leave us today as we read and watch our citizens routinely insult and denigrate the highest office in the land? Like Paul, the apostle Peter wrote that such days would come.

He [God] is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings without so much as trembling. 2 Peter 2:10 (NLT)

God will not be mocked. Eventually those who rail against authority will suffer the consequences of their sins. We can count on that. What is perhaps more important for us is to make sure that we do not join them in their rebellion against God’s order and authority. Why should we choose to bring God’s judgment into our own lives?

In our nation, where every law abiding citizen has the right and duty to participate in the political process, it is incumbent upon us to speak out, but always with respect.

We can be strong in our convictions without crossing the line into rebellion against God’s delegated authorities.

Prayer

God, please forgive me for the times I have spoken against your delegated authorities. I now see that to do so indirectly pits me against you. Teach me how to speak up against injustice, when I see it, without becoming unjust myself. Show me how to conscientiously object to ungodly laws without becoming a rebel. Help me to come under the lordship of Christ in every area of my life and show others how to do the same. Let me bring honor and glory to your name. Amen.

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