PART 2 The Times and the Seasons
To Steal, Kill and Destroy!
The Jesus of Scripture promised an Abundant life for His faithful followers,
but issued a dire warning to those who would try and ‘take’ it away!
(John10:7-12) In the present day however MANY have received a substitute to this
promise and ‘believe’ it to be the real thing. How has this come about? Jesus
declares it within the text itself!
"The THIEF does not come except to steal, kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly."
Identify the ‘thief’ in this passage and you unravel the truth. He is the one doing all the damage and comes promoting his own design. Thus by taking the place of the ‘Good Shepherd’ he then makes ‘merchandise’ of men’s souls as the hireling he is. The sheep are devoured by the Wolves and destroyed.
The Thief is an embezzler and pilferer. The name, in the original language, is transferred to False Teachers, who do not care to instruct men, but abuse their confidence for their own gain! THIS is the same person spoken of throughout the Scriptures as the:
False Prophet …………. By John in Rev13:11
The Son of Perdition… By Paul in 2Thess2:3
The anti-Christ ……….. By John in 1John4:1
The man of sin……….. By Paul in 2Thess2:3
The Description is complete! The ‘thieves and robbers’ come in with much cunning, promoting their doctrines that ‘steal’ away by stealth, the truth. Resulting in ‘Spiritual death’ (to kill) and concluding in the ultimate ‘destruction’ of their hearers, or to put it in Biblical terms, PERDITION! But clothed in sheep’s skin and founded upon Strong Delusion, these ‘thieves’ or False Prophets are anything but OBVIOUS.
Jesus said they would deceive even the ‘very elect!’ (Matt24:24) John said it would be granted unto them to make war against the Saints of God and OVERCOME them! (Rev13:7) Paul and Peter said they would rise up from among the true Saints of God, teaching destructive doctrines that MOLD their lies into something that sounds like the truth! (Acts20:29-30, 2Pet2:1-3) and MANY will follow their pernicious ways.
In the present day church these ‘thieves’ and false prophets have become astonishingly successful creating an IMAGE of Jesus that nearly everyone clamors to follow, including ‘themselves!’ This IMAGE serves the functions of Christianity so well that FEW are able to discern between the truth and error. What John saw in his heavenly vision of Revelation 13 is the ultimate satanic deception of the Great Dragon to deceive the followers of Christ and offer them a ‘final product’ so cunning and incredibly diabolical that the ‘small and great’ alike would stand little chance against its wiles.
In war understanding the enemies tactics is half the battle. No General in his right mind would go out to face a foe without first trying to determine what he is up against! As Jesus Himself illustrated in Luke 14:26-33, you ‘Count the cost’ FIRST and then decide the best course of action. You would never proceed into battle against a superior or overwhelming force unless you had a well-laid plan of attack to exploit your enemies’ weaknesses and disrupt his plans. This would require a loyal and well-prepared group of insurgents who understand the gravity of the situation, have also ‘counted the cost’ and are fully equipped to engage such an enemy on his OWN turf and beat him at his own game.
Such is the situation in the present day church. Those of us who oppose the False Prophet and his destructive doctrines are in ‘enemy territory’ (behind the lines so to speak and must conduct ourselves accordingly or risk reprisal.) We dare not find ourselves asleep at the wheel or complacent toward the struggle. His greatest advantage is his ability to keep the people wrapped up in the things of the world while they believe God approves of their actions. As a result he holds the high ground from which he can exploit every weakness of the flesh listed in Scripture!
Combine this with the fact that his doctrines have unparalleled appeal in the modern church and you begin to understand the depth of Principality and Power we are facing. Without a through understanding of this enemy and a willingness to confront him, on his own turf, FEW stand a chance of escaping his clutches and becoming merely another clog in the wheel of his massive machine that has rent Christendom asunder
Here the difficulty lies. Pastors and church leaders must face a Paradigm shift in thinking so radical that it will rock the world in which they live! This would be an event not unlike the great earth quake John beheld as the Seventh Bowl Judgment was poured out upon the man in Rev16:18. EVERY foundation would be shaken out of existence and the institutions would be divided into various parts.
The English dictionary defines Paradigm shift as the following:
"a set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them, especially in an intellectual discipline."
Returning to the preaching of the Genuine Gospel of Jesus, not the IMAGE the False Prophet has created would constitute a COMPLETE reversal of practice, concept and values. The church community would have to be persuaded to embrace a Christ who calls them into a life of self-denial and obedience to the truth. Their view of reality would have to change from one of health, wealth and prosperity to a Scriptural base of persecution, scorn and poverty. For the Abundant life Christ offered has NOTHING to do with worldly accolades and success.
Finding your life in this world is losing it in the next, according to the Jesus of the Bible. The Grain of Wheat planted in the ground and dies either ‘remains as one’ or ‘produces much grain.’ It’s much the same entering into the Kingdom with Christ. Those who seek only to preserve life in its present form ultimately loose everything. (like the planted Grain that dies and returns to dust) But those willing to deny the temporal things of this life will KEEP true life into eternity. (John12:23-26)
Today the False Prophets have created an IMAGE of Jesus that is diametrically opposed to almost EVERYTHING Christ came to teach! The reason it is so spiritually deadly is that it fits so nicely into almost ANY design of human desire. Thus the argument is NOT one of merely sound or incorrect Doctrines, but one of an ENTIRE Foundation constructed on assumptions and pre-conceived notions that lead DIRECTLY down the Broad Road to PERDITION!
We are engaged on a battlefield dissimilar to any before us and in deep peril of false brethren. Unless we learn to distinguish friend from foe (and truth from error, no matter how subtle it is) we are doomed to failure. The present day IMAGE of Jesus, speaks, walks, talks and performs the acts of Christian charity. In nearly every function it serves the needs of those who follow it and CONFORMS to their personal invention! Jesus is ANYTHING you need Him to be in order to fulfill all your desires for happiness and peace in this life. Those who present the IMAGE are also deceived by it and produce only after their ‘kind.’
"When you have changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an IMAGE made like corruptible man," (Rom1:23) Corruptibility begets corruptibility! Thus NOTHING is Pure and undefiled. Grace becomes the common commodity of the church to dispense as it sees fit and to License carnal behavior. In this manner repentance and faith can fit into any MOLD necessary to add converts to the church. This is why the Dragon has been able to cross over all denominational barriers and forgo every orthodoxy and tradition of man with his creation. One Size fits all! The Mold is stamped according to the desires of those who will worship it. Most have made themselves easy prey for his cunning by remaining ignorant of spiritual matters. Nothing is more deceptive than a ‘counterfeit’ Christ!
The people would flee from an IMAGE with fangs, breathing smoke from its mouth. But from a LAMB they fear nothing! Rev13:11-14. Satan’s ultimate deception uncovered by the Apostle John, has been his ability to infiltrate the Christian church with these False Prophets who ‘look like Lambs, but speak the language of the Dragon.’ Through them he has rendered the real Gospel of Christ to no effect and brought millions into destruction. They teach and preach in every church, across all the airwaves, write most of the books and study material, command huge gatherings of people, produce the music, tapes and videos available in every corner of the world, and shape the very existence of Christianity in our society today.
Pulling Down the Strongholds!
How can we combat such a formable foe in our limited capacity? The first thing we have to do is ADMIT that he exists and is indeed dangerous. Then we must recognize the urgency of the hour in which we live and that NOTHING has been left unaffected by the Dragon’s footprints. In many ways we ourselves will require the paradigm shift in thinking and be forced to scrap some our pet doctrines and dispense with the status quo. The process will be painful and difficult, but Judgment must begin with the House of God! Feelings cannot be spared in this process, counting the cost hurts and involves sacrifice. Like Gideon’s Valiant three hundred you must surround yourself with obedient and loyal servants of Christ who ‘fear no one but God and hate nothing but sin!’
Next understand the weaponry. No soldier goes into combat prepared to met the enemy toe to toe without proper instruction and training in the use of his weapons. It’s much the same in the spiritual world, except that ‘the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual for pulling down the Strongholds!’ 2Cor10:4-5. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers of darkness and spiritual hosts of wickedness in high places!’ Eph6:12.
Our foe is cunning, well prepared, vastly experienced and combat hardened. He is NOT to be taken lightly or he will ‘swallow’ you down whole! (1Pet5:8) Without the full armor of God at all times NONE of us stand a moments chance to quench his fiery darts aimed at our hearts. (Eph6:13-18) He is wise as a serpent, a MASTER of deceit and can change his appearance at will! At his disposal he has a vast arsenal of military hardware and a host of non-suspecting servants to implement them. We engage an enemy who has us out numbered, over matched and is well established. He owns the turf and holds the high ground. It’s not enough to merely claim that ‘God is on our side’ and we win in the end. Those words pale in significance when you compare them to the immense daily struggle for souls taking place this very moment under your nose! This battle is about PULLING some OUT of the fire, (Jude23) before it’s too late and NOTHING more! That’s where the urgency lies, NOT in claiming victory at the end. The Ultimate outcome of this cosmic struggle is predetermined yes, BUT NOT ‘individual’ salvation of precious souls being LOST for eternity while the church pretends everything is fine and dandy!
"The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish because they did not receive a LOVE of the TRUTH that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them STRONG DELUSION that they should believe a LIE!" 2Thess2:8-11
What makes this Strong Delusion work so well in the present day church? APATHY! The massive indifference to Truth among the so-called followers of Christ is Satan’s chief advantage. The ‘lawless one’ or FALSE PROPHET (as we have seen so clearly in many other passages) has them LOVING the LIE! They hang on EVERY word he says and his ‘power’ is derived from the VERY IGNORANCE of the Lukewarm. He can REVERSE the meaning of a simple Bible Passage and never hear a whimper of protest from the devoted masses. The ‘unrighteous deception’ caters to their fleshly needs and gives them an excuse to remain in sin.
There is no place for the timid in this struggle. Engaged we MUST Cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the Knowledge of Truth. EVERY thought must be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ and ALL disobedience must be punished when your obedience is fulfilled! If you think this can be done without stepping on any toes PLEASE re-read the Scriptures! Jesus warned that during these perilous times of the False Prophet’s dominance MANY would be offended, brother would betray brother! Parents would betray their own children! Friends and relatives will turn against you, they will persecute and cast you off for testifying of the Truth. (Matt24:9-11, Luke21:12-16) Finding loyal and true brethren will be challenging and require a knee sense of discernment.
In war learning to recognize your enemy is half the battle. Wise adversaries know how to make themselves inconspicuous and blend in with the environment. No one is better at doing this than the False Prophet. His camouflage is top notch and can fool the most discerning eyes.
He has the appearance of a Lamb, harmless in demeanor and forth coming in personality. He is ‘easy’ to trust, is a polished speaker and is well acquainted with his turf. People are quickly taken in by his warm and friendly greetings, compassionate smile and nearly trimmed form. He fits the description of modern day clergyman to perfection and represents an IMAGE irresistible to those he captivates.
Casting dispersions on this man and his teaching will NOT win you any points among the people. Settle in your heart before hand what you are getting yourself in for when exposing his lies. Be assured that MANY will misunderstand and even hate you for the things you are saying. But you are not trying to win a popularity contest! Souls are at stake and there’s no time tip toeing around the truth.
How can you tell the spirit of Truth from the spirit of error? The Dragon has NOT made it an easy task in our day. He has had over two thousand years to perfect his deceit and fashion it into an IMAGE that passes for genuine. But it’s this Very IMAGE that makes it vulnerable for detection! Although the IMAGE looks, walks and talks like the real Jesus, it BETREAYS His Doctrine which is according to godliness! Therefore ANY teaching, no matter who it is coming from, that ‘implies’ even in the slightest respect that a True Christian can cater to his carnal appetites or live according to the sinful flesh and not die, is Suspect and MUST be exposed as FALSE.
Unfortunately this is not as easy as it looks. The False Prophets are NOT going to stand in the pulpits and tell people they can sin their way into heaven, at least not in blatant terminology. But by MOLDING their words, trimming verses and twisting the truth (just a little!) they can ‘imply’ the following:
The False Prophets will quote the same scriptures and use the same jargon as the Genuine, BUT NEVER tell you what will happen if you DON’T OBEY GOD or if you KEEP on sinning. They will suggest that sin does have consequences resulting in loss of relationship, rewards or inner peace. BUT they will NEVER WARN you of the ultimate consequence of losing your soul by dying in an unrepentant state. They will strongly imply that Christians often disappoint God by remaining spectators in His Kingdom, with weak faith, spiritually bankrupt and often produce no fruit at all. But the implication is ALWAYS that they will make it in nonetheless because of Grace.
We’ve shown that Satan has ALL the bases covered in this debate. Just because you have a Sound Doctrine based on holiness teaching DOES NOT mean that none of this applies to you! Probably more so by the very fact you KNOW the truth, recognize the present day mess but are failing to take action against it. NO ONE in a position of church leadership can afford to assume that ‘his people’ are not predisposed to all this False teaching. What are they reading, who are they listening to on radio or TV? Can ANY of them testify to a SOUND, Bible based Conversion that involved godly sorrow, repentance and working faith? This is VERY RARE in the modern church, unless you ALSO have been deceived by the False Prophet’s message.
The point of the matter is simple. ANY teaching that is not conducive to the Plucking out of the lustful eye of the flesh and casting it from you is FALSE! If Faith Works by Love, Purifies the heart of sin and produces Victory over the world then the ONLY WAY into the Kingdom is through SINGLESNESS of Purpose and Devotion to Christ and His Doctrine of godliness. EVERYTHING the False Prophet represents accommodates the ‘lustful eye’ of the flesh! His entire IMAGE is arranged to entice the Pride of life. The present day church is his SHINE! It’s all for show with ‘Christian’ trimmings. Getting ‘saved’ today means joining the club of you choice! Time has nearly run out, the Great Apostasy is upon us and Judgement is just around the corner. The question remains, WILL YOU be awaken now to trim your lamp and prepare for the bridegroom or be shaken from your deadly slumber when His Wrath Thunders upon your head?
"And Now you Know!"
The Apostle Paul wanted to make absolutely sure that the church in Thessalonica understood what he was talking about concerning the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. He spoke in no uncertain terms, reminding them that he had covered t his information before. Now they had NO excuse to be caught off guard by the False teachers who would lead them astray by twisting the truth.
"Do you remember that when I was still with you I TOLD you these things? And NOW YOU KNOW what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time!" 2Thess2:5-6
What is it that ‘WITHHOLDS’ this ‘son of perdition’ from being revealed in his ‘own time’? According to Paul something is ‘now’ restraining the False Prophet, until HE is taken out of the way. Consensus of opinion has it that this means that the ‘believers’ in Christ will be ‘raptured’ out in some ‘unknown’ timeframe and then the ‘anti-Christ’ will show up and do his dirty work. HOWEVER NOTHING could be more off focus or out of context with the Scriptures!
The Word translated in this passage, ‘Withholdeth’ in the KJV, is the same Word Christ used throughout the Gospels, ‘If you LOVE KEEP My Commandments!" Thus what is ‘restraining’ the False Prophet in Paul’s timeframe? SAINTS who KEEP HIS WORD! Those who are Holding Fast, Keeping Secure and Taking Firm Possession of the TRUTH! The FAITHFUL Church who will NOT deny His Name.
What Paul saw afar off, John revealed in Revelation 13. Toward the close of the Age the Great Dragon would consolidate his power among the people of earth by inspiring a sin accommodating clergy to create an IMAGE of Jesus that would render the Gospel of Grace ineffective to save! Man would then willingly bow down to this IMAGE and worship it as their God, whereby Satan would succeed in ‘deceiving’ the entire earth with his creation!
Now the restraining effort is ‘being taken out of the way!’ as Paul predicted and the devastating effects described in 2Thessalonians Chapter 2 are coming to pass. Who can deny these are NOT the predominate features of the present day church?
The present leadership is so wrapped up in the IMAGE of success they are no longer responsive to the prodding of the Spirit. The False Gospel has them ‘imputed’ righteous, immune to sin and exempt from obedience. They peddle it like so much merchandise far and wide and human nature thrives on the ‘soft sell’ approach. "Just believe and receive!" they proclaim, ‘God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life!’ The message cuddles the weak and assures the spiritually bankrupt that Grace has them covered. Worst of all these leaders imagine they are doing the Will of God by avoiding the warnings and eliminating the hard parts. They would rather expose the truth tellers than go after the problem.
Souls are perishing while they keep the people on a diet of pabulum and ‘sour’ milk. Some think that simply by focusing on doctrine that the issues will take care of themselves. Others insist that doctrine is an ‘in-house’ debate and secondary to adding numbers to the church. Many church leaders are caught up in a malaise of activities, meetings, church politics and the status quo. They run two services per Sunday, a couple mid-week, plus all the supers, sales and fundraisers. The average pastor must act as nursemaid and CEO as he manipulates his time between spaghetti dinners and the childish contentions of his flock.
Like a fine oiled machine the modern church churns on grinding out a flesh-pleasing message that attracts the people like Bees to honey. They have a million diverse subtleties to MOLD the Scriptures to fit into their design and sound as though they are preaching the truth. The spiritually inept remain clueless of the entire matter, believing they are being nourished and established in the faith. But to anyone with a truly discerning eye they can see that the Tares are being prepared for the burning that hastens to completion.
What distinguished the early Christians in Thessalonicia was their steadfast adherence to the Pure Doctrine of godliness preached by the Apostles. They knew that compromise with worldly custom would make them enemies of God. Only by the Spirit (putting to death the deeds of the body) could they WALK in righteousness and true holiness before the Lord. In their language there was no such thing as ‘imputed’ righteousness or ‘God doesn’t see you sin’ only OBEDIENCE by faith that Purifies the heart and renews the mind. They recognized that the battle was NOT against their Roman minions in the arena of life, but against a spiritual opponent who would infiltrate their ranks and preach a gospel of the flesh.
The Grace message was under attack because Satan knew that if he could entice man to ‘receive’ the Grace of God in vain that Salvation would be rendered null and void in due time. But the real beauty of his plan was NOT the great swelling words of emptiness and promises of liberty while a slave to corruption, it was his ability to enlist so many willing contributors to do the job! From the very beginning there was no shortage of these teachers to exploit the people with their ‘molded’ words. (2Pet2:3) Although in the early days they had to sneak in among the brethren by stealth to spread their lies.
However in the present day the Doctrine of godliness has been nearly abandon by the professed followers of Christ. This is due to the fact that they actually follow the IMAGE created for them by the False Prophets described throughout the Scriptures. These teachers promote the Dragon’s doctrine and give him the ‘manifestation’ of omnipresence. Since Satan is also a ‘created’ being and cannot occupy more than one place at a time, he would inevitably devise a system by which it ‘appears’ he can do just that! Thus the very ministers that promote his doctrines also warn the people that the devil is out to get them. Stealing away their blessings and fellowship, but NEVER their ‘personal salvation!’ (By this method the roaring lion gets them both! The messenger and the devotee.)
Is there anyone who stands a chance against Satan’s scheme? Could the everyday professing Christian sit under the subtitles of false teaching and ‘discern’ the truth? The physiological effect of huge crowds is almost irresistible and the bigger the production the greater the gimmick. A massive televised crusade may have thousands of responders and ‘appear’ as a monstrous success but have ABSOLUTLY NO effect on the ills of society due to sin. This can be duplicated many more times all the way down to the local church in your neighborhood and STILL NOTHING is accomplished against the decay of sin in our society. (it just gets worse and abounds.)
From here you can pretend that adding growth to the church in this manner is God’s plan and that He is well pleased with the results. But you are only kidding yourself. Does INIQUITY have to dominate every facet of our globe before you will admit that the church has become a Den of THIEVES!? What’s it going to take to get you dressed and ready for service? Armageddon! Do you REALLY believe that the Lord God fights His battles against armies of flesh? The early Christians marched into the arenas of sacrifice singing praises to the Lamb because they KNEW already that Victory was at hand. They didn’t worship an IMAGE of Jesus accepted by the world, they FOLLOWED the Risen Christ who was rejected of men and despised because He was NOT the Savior that fit into their design.
WHY did the world under Rome hate and crucify the Lord of Glory? For the EXACT SAME reason the Jesus of Scripture is detested today! HE DIDN’T meet their expectations! He didn’t come as the conquering King or the Reigning Monarch, but as a Meek and Lowly Servant in rags with no place to lay his head and nowhere to call home. WHO will Follow this man of sorrows to the Cross of shame?
Not the so-called believers of today. Their Jesus is fun and bestows his grace in great abundance as they clamor for worldly pleasure. He gives them everything their hearts desire and imputes them righteous while they wallow in their lust. He’s the Purpose driven Savior and the formula for all success! His team is always on top and at the forefront of every human need. No stone is left unturned. The IMAGE covers it all. The Cross is merely another idle among the vast array of religious symbols. They worship at the foot reflecting themselves in a glass darkly of shame.
The Words of Scripture cry out, ‘FOR THIS YOU WERE CALLED!’ 1Pet2:21, ‘Because CHRIST also SUFFERED for us, LEAVING US AN EXAMPLE, that you should FOLLOW His Steps!’
The present day church does not know the Jesus of Scripture who calls them into the Fellowship of His sufferings to share His cup. They reject Him outright and despise His cup. The same spirit that sent Him to the Cross in times past, will again stab Him in heart in the house of His friends. The Judas Church ‘knows not’ how late the hour or impending the Judgement.
Come Out of Her!
The Scarlet Woman and the Scarlet Beast of Revelation 17 represents the religious system of man degenerated to the ultimate extreme. All the symbolism of Mystery Babylon the Great exposes the depths to which the so-called church has fallen under Satan’s False Prophets. Bowing to the IMAGE they have committed fornication with their eyes and in their hearts. They are arrayed in purple, (the symbol of human royalty) adorned in gold and precious stones, (rich and increased with goods!) with a Cup FULL of worldly abominations and filthiness! (Rev17:4)
The Pride of life is their Doctrine and they bask with the Kings of earth over the Nations and people unaware that their self-exaltation is really their undoing. Like Egypt of old their glory will become their shame and the gods they now worship will be brought to ruin in the flaming Judgment of the Lamb. But as the Sickle prepares to descend and reap the awful harvest of souls, John records a FINAL Call sent forth from the heavens,
"COME OUT of her, My people, lest you share in her sins and lest you receive her plagues!" Rev18:4
The False Prophets of end time prophecy have the present day church believing that a series of global events are scheduled to take place very soon that will usher in the arrival of an anti-Christ figure. Who will set himself up as ruler over many nations and start the construction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. This will be signaled by what they call the ‘rapture’ of the church, where Jesus will return as a thief and ‘snatch’ away His followers just prior to the Seven-year Tribulation.
However a closer look at the Book of Revelation reveals something entirely different indeed. The common thread that runs throughout the New Testament is embodied in John’s Vision. Christ, the Lord of Glory, is dealing with His ‘Church’ in no uncertain terms. From beginning to end, (Alpha & Omega) Jesus is seen PURGING and CLEANSING OUT His Kingdom, removing the unfaithful, the lukewarm, the immoral, the lazy and double-minded. (who have refused to pluck out the lustful eye of their flesh!) His most severe Judgements are against the fallen church and the IMAGE they have created to worship. The Great Beast System that has fornicated with the world and indulged every sensual pleasure is the focal point of His wrath. Babylon the Great, the Mother of harlots, who merchandised the ‘souls of men’ with her molded lies and deceit, will burn with the smoke of torment as the small and great alike watch their god evaporate into black mist.
The Final Call is sent forth to God’s Holy Remnant, (no rapture here!) to COME OUT of her before it’s too late! Darkness and light cannot abide. In SINGLENESS of Purpose and Devotion the redeemed must FOLLOW the MASTER and escape the plagues poured out on the harlot church. THIS is the message of Revelation, the FINAL WARNING to the Churches!!! The Bride who MADE HERSELF READY will attend the marriage super of the Lamb. Take to heart the parables of our Lord now, faithful reader, for they have EVERYTHNG to do with your eternal abode.
Are you the ‘unforgiving servant’ of Matt18:35? Perhaps the rebellious son who refused to do the will of the Father, Matt21:31. Will you come to the Great Wedding feast WITHOUT the proper garment? Matt22:11-13. Are you among the foolish five Virgins who have no oil for their lamp? Matt25:8. Or did squander away your Talent and have NOTHING to present before the Lord? Matt25:26.
The TARES will be gathered for the burning, Matt13:40, and the only ‘DOCTRINE’ that will matter is DID YOU PLUCK OUT your lustful eye of flesh and CAST it from you as Commanded by the Lord or will you ‘try’ to enter into life with the MARK of the Beast on your forehead or hand?
The Great harlot Church, Babylon the Great is the incarnation of Satan’s Dream come true! Through the False Prophets that permeate the earth he has spread his flesh pleasing doctrines to every nation and tongue. ONLY a SMALL Faithful remnant has refused to Bow down to his IMAGE and take his Mark. They are the persecuted and impoverished, with little Strength, but yet they ENDURE Looking unto Jesus who will avenge the Righteous and Judge the Wicked.
You have OVERCOME Them!
The faithful church will overcome the False Prophet and his message. In our day that means these ‘Christians’ will STAND OUT from the crowd! They will not be part of the status quo or seek to be numbered among the multitude of professing believers who flock into the IMAGE Shines week after week to practice their form. Presently the remnant have been branded as church trouble-makers, runagates, those who have no love are intolerant, Judgmental and critical of everyone. Although they silence the spiritually bankrupt with the Sword of the Word, most pastors would rather they just go away and leave well enough alone. But their burden won’t allow it. The Spirit burns within them and the testimony of Jesus cannot be held back! Rev12:11.
In Sharp contrast does His Spirit and the spirit of the false prophet collide. In Blood will the Truth be established as the Beast Church makes war against the Saints. Those who worship the IMAGE of Jesus will consider it their DUTY to single out the trouble-makers and eliminate them. Great Tribulation is at hand for the true followers of Christ as they Stand fast in His truth and refuse to Deny His Name.
The preview to John’s Cosmic Vision came in the form of warnings as he drafted his letters to the Saints. TEST THE SPIRITS! He proclaimed, 1John4:1, for MANY False Prophets have gone into the world!
What would be the prevailing characteristic of these ‘False Prophets’? How Obvious or ‘not so obvious’ would they be? The false prophets are so slick with scripture that they will use the EXACT same passages contained in the Bible to PROVE the EXACT Opposite of the Truth! This passage is no exception.
The ‘denial’ that Jesus has come in the flesh is applied to the ‘Cults’, thus anyone who accepts His Deity cannot possibly deny that He has come in the flesh. But is this REALLY what John was saying? That the ‘spirit of error’ would be so obvious as to stand before men and deny that Jesus was the Son of God in the flesh? It’s a denial, but NOT what you think. What the False Prophets in the present day church are saying is that Since Jesus was incapable of sinning, then His example is merely ‘imputed’ to the believer as perfect obedience and IMPOSSIBLE to be followed.
Therefore the ‘spirit of error’ John warned about in this passage is the very Doctrine of the False Prophet himself! The SAME ‘error’ Peter warned about when he described the False teachers who promise men liberty in Christ while they remain slaves to their corruption, 2Pet2:18. And again in 2Pet3:17 when he issued his final warning to the Saints to beware of the ‘error’ of the wicked!
This is the STRONG DELUSION (same word!) Paul said was coming as a result of the Great falling away. Thus they were ALL speaking about the SAME Person! The False Prophets who would twist God’s Word to fit their Mold and lead people down the wide road to destruction.
But if you are of God, you have OVERCOME them! 1John4:4. Here again the False Prophet steps in to twist the Truth. Yes, believers will overcome the world according to this passage, BUT that isn’t what the passage is saying! John States that you Overcome THEM that are in the world…..WHO?……THE FALSE PROPHETS!! The people of God will NOT be taken in by the Strong Delusion or the error of the wicked. They Love the Truth and Guard it Securely in their hearts. The spirit of the anti-Christ cannot overcome them, they OVERCOME it!
The people John is speaking of, who ‘overcome them’ TEST the spirits and DISCERN between truth and error. They can recognize the subtitles contained in the False Prophets message that suggest obedience is optional, God doesn’t see you sin and Christ fulfilled your duty to Endure, Fight, Run, Work out and Make sure of your salvation. They also understand WHY the False Prophets WILL NOT preach the Gospel of Deny self and take up your Cross to enter the Kingdom, thus making the Narrow way wide and the wide road well traveled.
The ‘not of works’ message of the False Prophets concludes that Salvation was ‘finished’ by Jesus on the Cross and nothing more can be added to it.
Therefore by merely trusting in or ‘believing’ on His single act of sacrifice the recipient is saved forever and not further obligated to God for the outcome of his/her salvation. Rewards and fellowship may be at stake and a life of peace and harmony while on earth, but NEVER is the soul in jeopardy of being lost eternally once the deal is sealed. But like everything the False Prophets teach, this is only PARTY True!
Remember the demons would only deal in outright heresy with someone who has a reprobate mind and is already given over to outrageous doctrines. Such are the Cults and various Satan worshiping lunatics that bask in evil and love darkness. But the Vast Majority of mankind is not so gullible and prefers a FORM of godliness in their religion to ‘appear’ as though they are serving God in truth. Here Satan is happy to oblige and well suited for the job. Attack the VERY message that redeems the soul from sin and RENDER it ineffectual by appealing to the Beast nature of man and persuading him that it’s ‘impossible’ for him to pluck out the lustful eye of his flesh and cast it away. Tell him rather that Jesus DID it for him, (but be VERY subtle in the telling)! and that God understands how weak and wretched he is and has bestowed His Grace as a means to ‘cover’ the sin and not charge it against his account.
Are you beginning to grasp how this ‘not of works,’ ‘only believe’ message has gained such immense popularity in the present day church? Under such a teaching EVERYTHING the Bible says STILL remains True! The believer does Overcome, he shouldn’t walk in sin, he should Obey God and take up his Cross, he is Holy, a New Creation, with the Mind of Christ and a working faith! The ONLY problem is that NONE of these things have ANYTHING to do with final outcome of the believer’s salvation! Therefore every Command and Warning in scripture is automatically made null and void and finally no longer considered.
That’s WHY you will NEVER hear the False Prophets clarify WHO will and WHO will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God Based on their BEHAVIOR! It’s simply not part of their theological make-up, because (remember) THEY are ALSO deceived by the SAME Message they preach! In this manner the ‘spirit of error’ weaves it’s deadly poison throughout the body. ‘A little leaven leavens the WHOLE lump!’ Unless it is purged out by PURE DOCTRINE it will establish a foothold and spread like cancer.
Those will not TEST the spirits and Discern the difference between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error are destined to become victims of the False Prophet.
They are ‘of the world, therefore they speak as the world and the world hears them.’
The False Prophets Preach:
BUT they make it sound like truth! To OVERCOME them YOU MUST KNOW the Difference!
"Here is the Steadfast Endurance of the Saints! Here are those who KEEP the Commandments of God and Faith of Jesus!"
Holding the Truth in Unrighteousness!
Throughout history the religious establishments of man have inevitably ‘SURPRESSED’ the Truth in unrighteousness. When Jesus appeared on the scene in ancient times the religious system opposed Him every step of the way until it brought Him to the Cross of shame. His Apostles met with the same hostility and most of them died violent deaths at the hands of their tormentors. NOTHING has changed over the last two thousand years, ONLY that today the IMAGE of Jesus keeps the people in a mesmerized state of numbness in which they ‘know not’ an Ark is being prepared and the DOOR is about to close!
The Jesus of Scripture never has and NEVER will be popular among the religious. They prefer the IMAGE because it fits into their expectations and design. The IMAGE presents a positive uplifting message of morality, family values and charity. He is non-confrontational and cheerfully accommodating. In the community he provides humanitarian services and has excellent repute with the politics at large. No one can criticize his generosity and compassion, he provides for the needy, upholds the widow and supports the fatherless. His veracity is beyond question and he wants for nothing.
But underneath this thin veneer of well-polished form lies a system mired DEEP in the pit of decadence. Although hidden to the common observer in today’s church the facade preaches an anti-Christ message that has rendered the Saving Power of the Gospel to no effect. The grandest part of this Satanic scheme however is that VERY FEW know that it is taking place right under their very noses! By hiding the Truth in PLAIN VIEW, the Dragon has managed to pull off the greatest swindle in all history.
He has ‘CONVINICED’ a greater part of mankind that they FOLLOW Christ when in reality they serve an IMAGE of Christ that has all the trimmings of Christianity but NONE of the TRUTH. The Dragon has accomplished this by ‘HOLDING’ the truth in unrighteousness just as the scriptures have said.
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness!" Rom1:18
This Passage is speaking of a people well acquainted with God:
Given over to this IMAGE (created after their own likeness) they invented a religious system that would accommodate every vile passion of man, Rom1:28-31, and APPROVE his evil behavior while KNOWING that those who practice such things are worthy of death! Thus preaching, teaching and quoting from the pages of Scripture they HOLD the Truth of God in unrighteousness. They preach in such manner as the Truth does not PRODUCE any Righteousness!
"For the Righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, The Just shall live by faith!" Rom1:17
God has chosen to ‘reveal’ His own Righteousness in a PARTICAL manner in those who have FAITH in Jesus. Consequently He can redeem man from his sin and then REFORM his inner character into an IMAGE of the Divine. But the False Prophets have reversed the process! By never getting to the heart of the issue (the corruption inside) they dance around the Truth and appease the shallow. Like the Pharisees before them, they teach from the Scriptures, hold to the traditions, enforce the rules, but remain DEAD inside. For until a person is cleansed from his inner corruption and evil eye he is not fit for the Kingdom.
"For without holiness NO ONE will see the Lord!" Heb12:14
This Holiness is NOT merely imputed from Christ to the believer while the inner man remains corrupt. BUT a REAL and GENIUNE holiness in heart and life that adorns the behavior and reforms the conduct. That’s why Peter said, "Be HOLY in ALL YOUR CONDUCT!" You cannot remain a slave to your inner corruption and enter the Kingdom. ‘He who commits sin is a SLAVE to sin!’ Rom6:16. You cannot receive His Grace apart of His Godliness. Grace teaches GODLY Behavior! Titus2:11
The ‘Unrighteous’ Deception of the False Prophets HINDERS the Progress of the Truth. He teaches:
The average professing Christian under this teaching believes in living a good life, working hard, providing for his family and being a good citizen in the community. The positive message of morality is conducive for creating a prosperous society BUSY with the things of life and involved public outreach. HOWEVER it WILL NOT Get you into the Kingdom because it FAILES to deal with the CORE of the ISSUE……the corrupted nature of man!
"By which have been GIVEN to us exceedingly Great and Precious Promises that through these you may be partakers of the Divine Nature, having ESCAPED the corruption that is in the world through lust!" 2Pet1:4
The False Prophets will not preach Steadfast endurance, perfecting holiness, or putting to death the deeds of the body because they have no bearing on the OUTCOME of salvation. To them you remain a ‘sinner’ saved by Grace. Unrighteousness is normal and NOTHING in your Behavior will Disqualify you from entering the Kingdom! Is it any wonder WHY the vast majority of professing Christians today are wrapped up in worldly affairs, self-centered and generally filled with evil thoughts. They have no understanding whatsoever that God has ordained that by FAITH ‘WORKING TOGETHER’ with Him through Love, the soul is redeemed and then saved from the corrupting nature of sin. The WORK He has Commanded MUST be DONE through this Faith by the Power of His Grace or the soul WILL be lost eternally in sin.
Nothing of this Process Robs God of His Glory by you ‘working together’ with Him for your own salvation. Righteousness then ABORNS your behavior and GLORIFIES Him because it is done through a heart motivated by Love. He STILL does ALL the WORK in you, but unless you OBEY, YIELD and SUBMIT to Him the Work will be left undone for eternity.
The Jesus of Scripture calls you into the Fellowship of the Cross. He demands self-denial of t he flesh, He says love your enemies and pray for those who despise you. Conflict and persecution await anyone who follows His Narrow Way. Many who have gone before have left behind loved ones and friends and given up their most treasured possessions on earth. They have Stood the test, counted the cost and fought the good fight of faith. Their blood and sacrifice testify to a world ‘unworthy’ to call them friend. In the
Judge not, Nobody is perfect, sinning religion of the present day church they are outcasts and strangers, standing the gap against the many ‘Winds of Doctrine’ blowing at gale force with the spirit of error.
According to Paul the False Prophets: Rom1:18-32, 2:1-16
"WHO exchanged the Truth of God for THE LIE and worshiped and served the creature (IMAGE) rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen!" Rom1:25
Summary
The False Prophets appear in Scripture throughout the New Testament under a
variety of titles, including the following:
They can be known by the ‘fruits’ of their teaching:
The New Testament writers were NOT warning us about some off the wall Cult leaders who were denying that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and we should follow the devil instead. They warned us with CERTAINITY that these False Teachers would rise up AMONG us and DESTROY the faith of those
who follow them!
The ‘spirit of error’ operates inside the Present Day Churches where it can do the most damage. The ONLY way Satan could have mass appeal to send forth his mass delusion, is create a message that SOUNDS like the Truth but Contains enough error to KEEP man OUT of the Kingdom of God!
John’s Vision of Revelation 13 Revealed the Diabolical Conspiracy in full bloom:
The Present day False Prophets occupy the Pulpits, Sunday schools classes and Seminaries. They are your youth directors, choir leaders, board members, Deacons, Church elders and assistant pastors. They preside over some of the largest and most successful ministries in the world and their influence reaches into the remotest corners of the globe. To allow their message to go forth unopposed is Criminal Neglect and THOSE of you who recognize the problems BUT REFUSE to DO anything about it are QUILTY of the blood of millions! WHO among you will STAND THE GAP with us and prepare the MEET the LORD?
The CHOICE Remains, DO you Follow the IMAGE or Serve the MASTER!