Is the Spirit of the Antichrist Alive in the World Today?

 

What do you imagine when you hear the word "Antichrist?" Do you imagine a man in a red suit, dressed up looking like the devil, red pointy ears, spiked tail, pitchfork in hand? The Antichrist that is coming will look nothing like that, in fact he will be the quintessential perfect politician. He is not Barack Obama, or Joe Biden for that matter. He will be brilliant in every way. A true show man to the world. When God created Lucifer, he was the most perfect of all God's created angels and I firmly believe that will carry over into what we will see in the man who rises up in the End Times during the Tribulation period. He would be someone you would say, that you could listen to all day!

Satan and his workers always show up in opposition to Christ and His ministry. Where do you find Satan at work to destroy? In churches, in Christian ministries, in works that matter, in worship. When problems occur in these places, it is designed to distract you while you are there. To get your mind off of these things in any way he can. You ever have your mind wander in the middle of a prayer or while listening to your pastor's sermon? Satan attacks the works of the church, hates Christians and is out to destroy you, to downplay the significance and importance of church and its ministers.

The coming of the Antichrist will become an evil event because of man's resistance to God.

Revelation 13:6 ~ "He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven."

Satan is not omniscient but he can read the signs and trends. He has a lot of experience. Now ask yourself these questions.

1. Can he damage the God of heaven?
2. Can he defeat Jesus Christ?
3. Can he defile heaven itself?
4. Can he destroy the saved in heaven?

Absolutely NO! Then what is he doing it for? So that man will hate God, Jesus Christ and everything that has to do with them. He's been working really hard at it for more than 2000 plus years. It is not that the Antichrist will say anything new, but it is how he says it that will persuade those who hear him to believe it. He will come into a world that is ripe for him. The Bible says that mankind is a fallen race in need of being converted toward God.

Romans 3:20-23 ~ "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Every human has sinned, but we can have access to heaven by faith. To believe. It's called being saved, being born again, being redeemed. Every humans is born into sin, but a baby isn't held accountable for sin until they have knowledge of the law. They were born into a sinful nature. This is called the age of accountability. No one knows what that age is because it is different for everyone based on their maturity and understanding. If they died, they would go immediately into heaven.

Man is at war with God. It's in our hearts.

Acts 7:51 ~ "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers:You always resist the Holy Spirit!"

You're resisting God and He loves you so much He died for you!!!

Romans 13:2 ~ "Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who so will bring judgment on themselves."

The very thing we need, we are fighting against ourselves. Stop resisting God about your life.

James 4:10 ~ "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

You can try to lift yourself up (pride), and Satan will be happy to play on that.

Romans 5:8-10 ~ "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this" While we were sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!"

We don't really hate ourselves, even though we think that sometimes. We're always thinking about ourselves, we're legends in our own minds. If we hated ourselves, we would be happy we're so miserable. The fact is that you don't.

It's like your grandfather deposited a bunch of money in a bank account for you, you only simply need to go get it.

Matthew 18:11 ~ "The Son of Man came to save that which was lost."

It will become an evil event because of man's hatred toward believers.

Revelation 13:7 ~ "He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation."

This verse does not apply to the church age, but applies to the believers living during the time of the Antichrist, these will be the Tribulation saints.

Daniel 7:21 ~ "As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them,"

Daniel 7:25 ~ "He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and a half a time."

Daniel 12:1 ` "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time, your people - everyone whose name is found written in the book - will be delivered."

Daniel 12:7 ~ "The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and a half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed."

Because of man's rejection of the truth, it will become an evil event.

Revelation 13:8-10 ~ "All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast - all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. He who has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed by the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints."

Persecution is coming to us and it may take on physical forms, but it is easier to live for Jesus Christ than in the coming years ahead.

1 John 2:18 ~ "Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour."

1 John 2:22-23 ~ "Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist - he denies the Father and the Son.  No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also."

1 John 4:3 ~ "but every spirit that does not acknowledge that Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have already heard is coming and even now is already in the world."

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 ~ "For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness."

Is your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life? Can you say it with confidence?

You're here now, able to decide, able to choose, able to receive.

Hebrews 9:27-28 ~ "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of the many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."

Do you believe? Can you say with confidence today, "I'm trusting in Jesus Christ?"

If you call upon Jesus Christ, you will be saved!!!

How to Tell a Counterfeit From The Real One

 

The Book of Revelation addresses more Old Testament passages than any other book of the New Testament and that is why we need to make sure we know our Bible. Satan wants us to worship and bow down to him and that has always been his goal. It is anything, that is not of God. If you don't worship the God of the Bible, than you worship something whether money, education, power, fame, etc. This is the real reason that Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world, when he tempted Him in the desert. It was his to give.

When the Antichrist comes it will be a miraculous event through Satanic deception.

Revelation 13:3 ~ "One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast."

The Antichrist will look as if he had died. He will have an assassination attempt on his life that will look as though it succeeded and he will be well-known throughout the world when it happens. When he is healed, the whole world will be amazed and be deceived.

Zechariah 11:17 ~ "Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded." 

Satanic deception also traffics the world of miraculous healings. Just because someone does a miracle does not mean it came from God. You'd be surprised at how far some people would go and believe just for a miracle. Matthew 7 reminds us that many will come in Jesus name performing miracles. These are not from God, they are used to get you to believe false doctrine and accept anything other than the Jesus of the Bible.

Look at Paul. Three times he attempted to pray to God for healing and all three times he was denied. God told him that His strength would be made perfect in his weakness. Paul accepted that truth and never prayed for healing again.

Don't be a fair-weather Christian. You'll follow Jesus as long as things go your way. As long as you have money, a great job, a home, health, prosperity, love, happiness...you name it. But the minute that is all taken away, you have nothing left and that is where you will find how true your faith in Jesus really is.

This is why when trials and persecution are so healthy. When things are stripped away it defines who we really are and what our true faith looks like.

This miraculous event will bring about a false worship.

Revelation 13:4 ~ "Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?"

Satan appears to Jesus at the beginning of His ministry. He was trying to figure out how to deal with God in human form. Satan wanted to know if Jesus could be tempted in the same way he had and have a desire to be worshiped. It was the same reason he tempted Eve. The doctrine remains the same, to be like God. It is his passion and desire to be worshiped. The human soul craves attention, power, authority, fame and accolades because we now live in a fallen world. Satan will possess the body of a man, the Antichrist. This is the fall out of sin in the world, not acts of God like insurance policies say. This is why bad things happen even though God is still God. This is the twisted thinking of Satan to do things and then watch us blame God when it does.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 9-11 ~ "Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 

The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." 

There can never be true worship without deep love and appreciation. Any attempt to worship anything else will leave you empty. Satan will attempt to show his true agenda (worship).

Matthew 24:15 ~ "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation' spoken of through the prophet Daniel - let the reader understand -"

This miraculous event will come through demonic persuasion.

Revelation 13:5 ~ "The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months."

The Jerusalem Initiative will promote the Antichrist to a global statesman when he is able to broker the 7-year peace treaty that no one has been able to do. There is a satanic agenda at work today.

1 John 2:18 ~ "Dear children, this is the last hour, and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour."

1 John 2:22-23 ~ "Who is the liar? It is the man who denies the Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist - he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also."

1 John 4:3 ~ "but every spirit that does not acknowledge that Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."

Wherever, whenever the Lord is at work, there will be a satanic agenda at work.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 ~ "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 ~ "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Jesus. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve."

Charismatic deception is nothing new. Watch out when you go to church. Wherever miracles were performed in the Bible, there were those who counter-argued that these were not from God. Where do you find counterfeit $100 bills? Alongside real $100 bills.

The Word of God is more true each time we hear it and read it. It builds our faith. The truth is always the truth, we are just catching up to it.

Just Who Are You Following Any Way?

 

Some might say the Book of Revelation is too hard to understand, but I would challenge you to join this study and see if it doesn't make sense and you gain a clarity you didn't have before. I know I have and thus the reason for sharing it with you. Grab a Bible and a notebook and join in the fun in this study.

We have been studying the rise of the Antichrist, both in nature and character. The word Antichrist means impostor Christ or instead of Christ. Jesus provided a warning that deception would be coming just before His return. This Antichrist will become a legend so much in his own mind that he will stand in the temple in Jerusalem and proclaim himself to be god.

If you don't know the Bible, you might already find yourselves being deceived, even though what someone is saying sounds correct. We need to open our Bibles and compare it to what God says in regards to what is being said and forget about what we "feel."

In the teaching and preaching of the ministry of Jesus about what the signs would be before the end times, He provides such clarity.

Matthew 24:3-5, 11, 15 ~ "As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sing of your coming and of the close of the age?" And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, "I am the Christ and they will lead many astray."  And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),"

Jesus reminds us that the number one thing we need to be wary of is being deceived. Many will be deceived, both in the authority of Jesus and coming to them in His Name, but they are not. Look at the level of deception in the world today by false prophets, cults, false teachers, false gospels and even false Christs. Are there more of these in the world today than say the last 100 years? Absolutely! More than you can count and they are growing every day.

In Matthew 24:15 this is a culminating event for the Antichrist to stand in the temple and declare himself to be god. In order for that to happen, there has to be a temple built and that will happen one day on a vacant plot of land that sits waiting for that to happen.

Matthew 24:32-33 ~ "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates."

We need to understand this parable and learn the truth that is conveys. When spring comes it seems one day the trees are on the verge of budding and then the next day, it bursts forth in color and newness. This means it will be sudden. Some scholars believe that the fig tree represents Israel and that when we see events happening in Israel we should be looking up. Israel became a nation again for the second time in one day on May 14, 1948. The entire future program of God is centered around the nation of Israel and the return of Jesus Christ to that Israel.

Regarding false prophets and false teachers, the apostle Paul warned...

Galatians 1:8-9 ~ "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, 'let him be accursed.' As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, 'let him be accused."

The Antichrist has an agenda of deception. It will be a global event by political means.

Revelation 13:1-10 ~ "And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?" The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast - all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. He who has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints."

Daniel 8:25 ~ "By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy man. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken - but by no human hand."

He engineers a 7 year peace treaty but he will deceive the world through this peace. He will impress the U.N. and the European Union. He will out politic the United States and the world will love him because he will be their man!

He will come by religious mockery.

Luke 21:17 ~ "You will be hated by all for my name's sake."

The moment you mention, Jesus Christ, the Bible or God, you will be hated by those who hear you and this is only going to increase. The global system of mockery of biblical Christianity and the biblical Jesus. The world hates a real Christian and the world hates a real Jesus. If we feed the homeless, the world hates us because they are not the ones doing it and they feel bad. Why is it when you curse, you'll say the name of Jesus or ask God to condemn something or someone. Because there is power in that name. No one even feels better after they do it either because there is a spirit against Jesus in the world today.

You will only hear more and more blasphemous doctrine and speech in the days ahead. Even now you hear of people being shot simply because they confess they are Christians over any other religion or that they believe in Jesus. Why is that? When you probe these people you will find out that deep inside of them, they have been hurt by someone or upset them under the premise of saying that they believe in Jesus like a church leader or teacher.

The question I have is who are you following anyway?

Is the Antichrist Alive Today?

 

This is probably one of the greatest questions most people will ask when discussing End Times events and Bible prophecy, is the Antichrist alive today?  If you were to ask me based on my own personal opinion and looking around at the events I see happening around me every single day with my Bible wide open, I would have to say that Yes! I believe he is. Israel is the main topic of global politics today and remember that the nation of Israel did not exist until May 14, 1948. The world today hates the nation of Israel, the Jewish people and if you notice the city of Jerusalem appears in the news more daily than any other city since 1948.

Yet we have to understand a few things as well. We know that Satan is not omnipotent or omniscient, all knowing and all powerful like God is. He does not know when the End Time events will happen much like we don't. Therefore, he has had to have a man standing by in every generation for when that time does come. Satan doesn't know when that time will come only God does, but he can understand the signs much like we do and he is watching, believing that regardless of how the Bible says it will all turn out in the end, he believes through his pride and arrogance that he will win in the end.

The coming of the Antichrist will be a global event by political means.

Revelation 13:1 ~ "And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name." 

The Antichrist will come on the scene almost insignificant at first. He will come in intrigue, from a leadership role in what used to be the Ancient Roman Empire in the last days. The United States of Europe. It will be a system that will take over the world, much like the euro is overtaking the dollar. A currency will rise in Europe that will overtake the dollar including the British pound and the Chinese Yen.

We know that the Antichrist will usher in a 7 year peace treaty that Daniel 7:26-27 speak of. The world is looking for someone to bring peace to the Middle East. It won't happen in the world til it happens in the Middle East first.

If we look at the meaning of the word "sea" from Revelation 13:1 and understand that "sea" in the Middle East, means the Mediterranean Sea. But "sea" in the Bible means Gentile communities around the world. It is where we get the phrase, sea of humanity. Can it mean both and still make sense, absolutely. A beast will come out of the Gentile sea of humanity in the area close to the Mediterranean Sea, or Ancient Rome!

We need to understand the meaning of the 7 heads, which represents 7 leaders that will arise in the global world.

10 horns represents kingship and authority or rule. These represent the 10 kings that will initially arise in the global one world government.

10 crowns represent the kings and their authority over their lands, kingdoms or nations or regions over the earth.

The Bible contains the worlds history past, present and future. In the Book of Daniel, we understand that the Antichrist will dupe the whole world with peace and prosperity. Now there is nothing wrong with wanting peace and prosperity as long as it comes with the right priority first. We are missing justice and equity in the world. There are so many lost that still live in bondage to the darkness. Jesus reminds us,

"What would it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? " ~ Mark 8:36. 

Don't love money or what it promises to give up. Love God and see what He can do with the money.

The Antichrist will make a religious mockery and make light of it. We see that the United States of Europe has removed any reference to God in their constitution because they feel America had gotten it wrong and that is why things are falling apart today.

John 14:6 ~ "Jesus answered, "I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Some might argue that this verse is too narrow in the way we should think about eternity. But if you look at it in the Greek or Hebrew it actually reads, I am THE way, and THE truth and THE life. It narrows it even further to mean there is no other way, no other truth and no other life apart from Jesus to get to heaven. This upsets people but on Sunday morning, the tomb of Jesus was empty. The tombs of all the other religious leaders in the world are still full. You have to deal with the truth of Christ. You either have to deny Him or accept Him. You can't ignore Him.

The Antichrist will lead the world in denial against Jesus. He will offer an alternative that promises you freedom to do whatever you want, worship however and whomever you want all with no consequences and that is just what the itching ears of the world wants to hear. This will be one of the indicators that a global leader and a new age, new world government is on its way. Look around it is happening more and more each day. 

The Way is Being Paved for the End Times

 

If you know your Bible, then you know there is the Holy Trinity, which is comprised of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, but when the Tribulation begins, Satan will also attempt to create an unholy trinity which is comprised of Satan, the Antichrist and the False Prophet. The Antichrist or impostor Christ will rise out of a political theater and will come out of no where. You might say that isn't possible that someone can rise to such a place of prominence without anyone knowing anything about him, but consider our former president in the United States, Barack Obama. No one had heard of him 12 years ago, he has a limited political background and was immediately pushed to the forefront of the presidential campaign while people were still trying to figure out just where he came from and what his background was. This makes the rise of the Antichrist possible and without question it can and will happen in the future.

The False Prophet will be a religious leader that will take charge of the world's religions and combine them in a global one world religion that appeases most everyone except those that hold to the doctrines of the Bible as absolute.

So is the Antichrist alive today? Based on the world events we see happening around us everyday, it wouldn't surprise me if he was. He is not the image of what the world might imagine. He won't be grotesque in appearance or have a red tail or act in a demonic like manner, but quite the contrary will be charismatic, influential, brilliant and he will swoon the world with his words like Hitler did. He will be a great orator to draw people in by what he has to say. It will be deceptive, demonic and spiritual in nature and character and the world will fall for it. He will allow for a global world church. He will establish a cashless system which we have already have begun laying the groundwork for even now, and will establish a way to identify those who follow him and those that don't with the introduction of a mark.

We see how easily that would be to introduce with the rise of terrorism and drugs in the world, simply take away the cash and see how much that would limit what they could do. We have heard about the implementation of a national security card and the possibility of chip implants that would host information about the person that it is implanted in as a way of tracking them, maintaining their medical history and so much more. The world is aching for someone to fix what is rapidly happening in the world from the issues with global downfalls of the economy, the global pandemic of CoVid 19, and the rise of terrorists threats. It is telling us that man can not govern himself and we simply need to establish a global government to solve all of the world's problems in a nut shell.

The Bible has promised that the Antichrist will appear when Israel has troubles with her neighbors and we know that since Israel became a nation for the second time in history on May 14, 1948, that we have been moving forward in that direction but now it seems imperative just how much hatred there is for the nation of Israel, the rise of antisemitism and the persecution and hatred for Christians around the world and it is only growing.

Daniel 9:26 ~ "After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood; War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed."

The Antichrist will sign a 7 year peace treaty with the nation of Israel and her neighbors giving them what they have always wanted peace. The ability to worship in their Jewish way and allow them to rebuild their temple. It will only last 3 1/2 years however and then things will go south in a hurry. The Antichrist comes from a political means and with tremendous influences to impact the world on a global scale. The world will all fall under his spell.

Revelation 13:1-10 ~ "And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, an they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?" The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast - all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. He who has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints."

We should not be concerned in trying to figure out just who the Antichrist is, because the church will be long gone before he comes onto the scene and rises up in the world. We learn about Revelation and the End Times because it strengthens our faith as believers and because of what Revelation 1:3 promises.

Revelation 1:3 ~ "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."

This is the only book in the Bible that offers a special blessing on the one who reads it and hears the words. A blessing comes to those who study it and thus the reason we are walking through it verse by verse, chapter by chapter. You can't understand the Book of Revelation however as we have learned without first reading and understanding the Old Testament. As we look into the description of the creature mentioned in this chapter, we have to remember where have we heard these words before and that would be in the book of Daniel. Daniel has described this creature and these events and identifies for us who it is.

We see the creature has animalistic characteristics of a leopard, lion and a bear and we will be breaking down what these means in the nature and character of the Antichrist. He will connive and weave his way into the world much like the serpent did in the Garden of Eden and as we know the whole world will believe it except those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

The way is being paved and the stage is being set, and if you truly know and understand your Bible, you know we have never been closer that we are right now in history. More tomorrow! 

Despite What is Happening in the World, You Can Still Have Hope

 

As we continue through the Book of Revelation, it is really important not to rush through it and realize how it is speaking to us in our own personal relationship with Jesus if we have one today. It should be an ongoing personal checklist to how we're doing in our relationship with Jesus. If you don't have a personal relationship with Him, than how can you say you're a Christian. It's just religion if you are simply going through the motions. The questions we need to be asking ourselves today is:

Is this real in my life?
Am I really a Christian?
How are you doing in this world?
Are you relying on the blood of Jesus Christ and His faithfulness day by day?
Have you placed your entire existence upon the altar of God?
How is your faith?
How is your hope?
How is your love?

Never underestimate man's own ability to justify his own sin. Remember that appearances are everything to the Christian life and how others perceive us. Just because you're living together to save money for your wedding and you aren't sleeping with one another, people who don't know you, believe that you are. How can you justify that as a Christian?

Will you fight temptations so that you can stay strong today?

2 Corinthians 9:8 ~ "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

Ephesians 3:20 ~ "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."

Lamentations 3:32-33 ~ "Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men."

God's not setting out to ruin your day today. 

Hebrews 6:19 ~ "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain."

Have you put all your hope and trust in God? Some might be putting all your trust in money. Realize that it can never buy you great health.

Psalm 42:5 ~ "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. "

You are not hopeless. Your hope is in God, no matter what happens to you. It is the only thing that will get you through to the end. People who are dying want and will cling to the Word of God. Maybe what you're losing or have possessed, isn't what is important for you right now.

Psalm 146:5-6 ~ "Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them - the LORD who remains faithful forever."

Got problems? Give them to the LORD.

1 Peter 1:3-4 ~ "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you."

Our hope is alive, because Jesus rose from the dead! That is the deep assurance and hope of a Christian despite circumstances.

Romans 15:13 ~ "May the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Titus 2:13-14 ~ "while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."

To look for, means to anticipate something. It may look to some like they are fretting or worrying sometimes, like sprinters before a race walking around the track aren't worrying about the race, but anticipating the sound of the gun and finishing the race.

Let each moment we have count, regardless of what is going on around you. Jesus paid for the cost of our sins, past, present and future sins through His death on the cross. That is how He redeems us from all wickedness and purifies us for Himself when we put our faith and trust in Him.

God knows how special you are. He is so in love with you and will be with you always. He will never leave you. He loves us because He is love. It has nothing to do with what we can do for Him. That is not love. God's love for us is unconditional. Eager to do what is good is easy to do when you are a Christian, because we can't wait to do something to give God all the glory, honor and praise. That is what being a Christian is all about.

We will pick up our study into the Book of Revelation 13 tomorrow but through today, consider just how much you are loved by God and how wonderful you are to Him. Be blessed through the love and hope that can be found only in Jesus Christ.