The world is being prepared
1 John 4:3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge 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.
What really made it especially exciting is the fact that I am a Philadelphia Eagles fan. Go Eagles! So needless to say, when the Super bowl finally came on I was really excited. I had just finished my favorite meal of barbecue and Coleslaw and I was prepared for three and a half hours of football-bliss.
But then it happened. One of the first commercials (if not the very first, I don't remember) mocked the Word of God. In this commercial Adam hears roaring thunder and shouts at Eve, "What have you done?!" Eve, still chewing on the forbidden fruit, replies with a smirk, "I may have taken a small bite." Adam suddenly yells in alarm because he discovers he is naked. Suddenly, to save the day a squirrel appears in a tree and says, "Try this. 'Avocados From Mexico.' They make everything better." Then immediately the commercial jumps to present day New York. Everyone is naked and eating "Avocados From Mexico" and life in the world is grand.
If the commercial had ended there it would not have been hard to dismiss it and go on enjoying the Super bowl. After all, the bible says there will be scoffers in the last days and as Christians we are used to seeing the world mock God and His Word. It is an everyday occurrence.
Yet suddenly Satan shows his invisible inspiration behind it all.
At the end of the commercial appears a man in the middle of Times Square, naked except for a sign reading, "The end is NOT near." Wow! Satan's signature.
Maybe I am over reacting but I was greatly disturbed by the commercial. It still bothers me when I see the world so blatantly mock the Word of God. Secondly, it is a reminder that the end is so near but Satan has the world deceived. We are closer to the Tribulation than anyone realizes. As the world is holding up its sign, "The end is NOT near," God's Word says, For when they say, Peace and Safety; then sudden destruction comes upon them (1 Thessalonians 5:3).
Did I turn the Super bowl off? No. I don't blame the Super bowl. You do not find this deception just at the Super bowl, but in everything going on in the world that we live in today. In my mind I pushed the commercial aside and watched as my beloved Eagles lost the game in the 4th quarter.
However, it is now February 13 and my thoughts are troubled again. In my morning devotions I thought about the words I heard a eschatologist say recently. He was talking about the spirit of Antichrist already at work in our world, preparing the world for the Antichrist's coming. He said, "People seem to see the Antichrist as a man that will appear in the future, far off. The Antichrist will arrive on the world stage and win the world to himself then. This is not what the bible teaches. The bible teaches us in multiple passages of scripture that the world is already being prepare for his arrival. The world is already being prepared for his ascension into power. The world is already being prepared for his worship. The world is already being prepared for his mark. There are forces at work today pushing the hearts of men, molding their hearts, preparing them for his arrival."
Tragically, so true. In the hour we live in everything has been invaded by the spirit of Antichrist.
From politics to religion to entertainment, it is all flooded by this spirit whose mission is to make Satan into a cultural popstar.
Probably the biggest influence that so easily fill peoples homes is the entertainment world.
Show after show after show glamorizes the demonic. It is safe to assume many children who grew up on Harry Potter are now old enough to engage in witchcraft in order to satisfy their curiosity (or obsession) brought about by Harry Potter books and movies.
A long deep breath.
It is not my desire to be preachy on the Prophetic Pulpit. It is just today I am deeply troubled in spirit.
I am reminded again just how deceived the world is by the devil and how much we should be warring for their souls. Until the rapture occurs, the Holy Spirit is alive and well in the body of Christ, anointing the gospel to save and change lives. Acts 26:18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God...And even after the rapture, in the midst of the Great Tribulation the Lord will still be warring for souls. The bible tells us there will be 2 witnesses from heaven, 144,000 Jewish evangelists, and 2 angels preaching the gospel all over the earth. Millions upon millions of people will be saved during the Great Tribulation.
This morning I have renewed my commitment to be used by the Lord in whatever way He chooses.
Like every Christian born into this generation, I know I have been placed here for such a time as this.
I am praying that as I continue to make growing in my relationship with Jesus Christ the most important reality in my life, God will fulfill His promise spoken in His Word: Daniel 11:32 The people who know their God will be strong and perform exploits.
This word complements the scripture I read in Esther 4:14- “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Lord, help us see the hour we are in and help us respond as Your light and voice for others to find hope, salvation and light in You. Thank You for this word and gentle reminder to align ourselves with You, Your heart and Your purposes.
ReplyDeleteI am grateful for your comment. I also pray the Lord will help us see the hour we are in. May I graciously say that it seems many Christians have gotten so used to the evil of our generation that we have become desensitized by it. Speaking of the last days Jesus said, "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." So true. "Dear Lord, though we live in a very sinful age, you still call us to separate from what is wicked and pursue godliness. While we love and minister to the lost, in this evil day help us protect our desire for purity."
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