Counterfeit--The Antichrist

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

The ultimate counterfeit of the last days is the wicked one known as the Antichrist.  However, for the majority of humans he is not an evil ruler but a great savior.  How could anyone venerate a man who destroys the lives of countless millions.  Well if they see him as a god then maybe they will assume that his actions are just.  What is interesting is the teaching of philosophies and religious notions on the deity of each human are growing daily--even in some "Christian" circles.

The prefix "anti-" can be used in a variety of ways.  Most know that it means to be against, and the Antichrist will certainly be against the Lord Jesus Christ.  This modifier also can mean an opposite.  As Jesus is the light of men the Beast is absolute darkness.  However, the word can also represent an alternate or another.  In this sense, Jesus is set aside as an alternative is brought forward.  As the LORD Jesus is completely man and completely God in one, the antichrist will also claim to be god.  It may be this understanding that will allow us to see why he will be so appealing.  He makes us all out to be "gods".  Sound ridiculous?

In the last post, Counterfeit--The True Source, the story of Eve's temptation was examined.  Satan seduced the mother of all humans with the idea that she would be like God.  Here is Genesis 3:5 as proof, "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."   The thought of being a little god was very tempting to Eve.  She was soon eating the forbidden fruit.

The first great heresy that the early church faced was the lie of Gnosticism.  Many of the books of scripture deal with this false doctrine in its earliest forms. It was a combination of false Christianity, Jewish Mysticism, and Eastern Religion.  One of the core tenets is that there is a spark of divinity in us all.  This heresy has been propagated in many contemporary venues such as music, print, and film.  There are scores of movies that have Gnostic overtones such as:  The Matrix, Vanilla Sky, V for Vendetta, Equilibrium, The Da Vinci Code, The Truman Show, and more--many more.  In other words, it seems that our culture is purposefully being indoctrinated by the false notions of this ancient lie.  Add to this top named TV personalities teaching Eastern Religion and one just begins to see the seriousness of the threat.  It seems that the last great heresy the church might face will again be Gnosticism.


There are also many big name "Christian" teachers and preachers who promulgate the notion that we can order reality with our words like we are little gods or something.  If "Christian" leaders are also teaching this lie then one begins to wonder what it is that society is being prepared for?  Many of these Word of Faith teachers are directly influenced by EW Kenyon.  Their doctrines are his doctrines.  However, Kenyon had some seriously flawed influences.  One of those influences was none other than Mary Baker Eddy.  Eddy would found the Christian Science movement that directly teaches a form of Gnostic thought.

It seems that the idea of man as some sort of deity is out there in many forms both subtle and blatant.  Time won't permit to look at its proliferation through humanistic thought.  The point is that there seems to be ample evidence that the world is slowly being brought to understand that a super-savior is needed, one who is showing himself, and the rest of humanity as well, that he is a god.  This age is clearly being programmed to accept the Antichrist.  This is a sign that we are nearing the Day of the LORD!

If you remember the post:  As For This Jesus...,  many universally are even praying for the Antichrist using the UN's Great Invocation.  Yes!  The Day of the LORD is very near--even at the door!

There has only been one man who was and is and always will be God!  "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever (Hebrews 13:8)."  More on this another day.  Keep looking up as He is certainly Soon2Come!  One last reminder, you need to run from anyone telling you to look within for answers to life.  We are to look unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith.  Are you looking unto Jesus?

Counterfeit--The True Source

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;...heresies..."

Galatians 5:19a & 5:20i

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.   And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

1John 2:16-17

Where does all false teaching come from?  Paul shared a wonderful insight to the church in Galatia which was being hammered by legalistic thought.  Heresies are simply works of the flesh.  This is why false teaching is so magnetic; in that, it meets a carnal need or desire all the while maintaining the appearance of being spiritual.  The enemy of all knows this and has used it effectively since the Garden of Eden.   Satan used the weakness of the flesh to lead Eve into his deceptive web.  He still does that today but with several thousand years of experience to perfect his tactics.  Heresy, then, can be categorized into one of the three categories above that the Apostle John mentions, and this is useful to combat error for those who are wary and prayerfully observant.


His first trick was to make the fruit something appealing to Eve's carnality.  Read carefully, "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food...she took of the fruit thereof... (Genesis 3:6)."  Eve saw the forbidden fruit and was sure that it was good for her.  How did she know it was good?  She had never tasted it before.  Surely she was listening to the voice of the enemy over the voice of God in this!  This same temptation is still used effectively today and it still brings a loss of relationship with it as well.  There is no doubt that we are saved by the gracious act of Christ on the cross.  He was mercilessly beaten, ridiculed, mocked, and crucified cruelly for our salvation.  What love!  So then, what should our loving response be from a Savior so devoted to us that He took our suffering and shame?  Shouldn't such love cause us to deeply desire to attempt to please God with His assistance?  Too many, however, listen to men and women who excuse their sin and leave them compromised.  Sin is never "OK"!  God may well forgive the sin--but He does not always forgive the consequences!  Just ask King David.  Add to this those who teach that godlessness and immorality is acceptable and you can begin to see that this is a very effective demonic stratagem.  

What does the Word say on this?  "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:1-2)."  Did you notice what Paul said should be our incentive to offer ourselves wholly devoted?  The tender mercies of God!  In view of such love and grace and mercy we should reasonably give ourselves wholeheartedly to the LORD.  Where is that teaching today?  Repentance is more than a one time thing.  It is a lifestyle lived at the foot of the cross crying, "I need thee every hour."  

The next thing that the serpent used was the beauty of the fruit.  "And when the woman saw...that it was pleasant to the eyes...she took of the fruit thereof...(Genesis 3:6)."  Eve saw it and just had to have it.  Maybe that is why false teaching that promotes sating yourself with this worlds temporary goods is so popular today.  Don't get me wrong!  God does take care of His children.  However, He has better for us than anything this world has to offer.  What good will a fancy car, a big house, and a fat bank roll do you when your family needs Christ?  Will this world's trinkets survive judgement and end up in eternity with you?  Jesus said to lay up treasure in heaven not build castles here in the sand.  The only treasure you can take to heaven are the family, friends, and loved ones you win to Christ so get busy sharing the Gospel!

The last tool in the satanic arsenal was pride--the very hair of the dog that bit Lucifer, himself.  Eve saw the tree as "...a tree to be desired to make one wise, "  John called this the pride of life.  Maybe that is why so many today are teaching us that we are little gods whose words can alter reality?  That same thought was in the garden as well.  Did not Satan make Eve doubt God as he said, "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:5)."  We may have to revisit this one again seeing it is a tenet of Gnosticism and also many in the Word of Faith movement.  Gnosticism, by the way, was the very teaching that the Apostle John called the spirit of antichrist in 1 John 2 and 4!  Maybe we need to carefully look at the revival of this ancient lie that we all have a spark of divinity a bit closer!  It does make one proud to know they are a "god"!

Since we are looking for deception as a sign of Christ's soon return  we might also need to look for a concept that will also point to the rise of the Antichrist since he comes first.  The key is in the Word!  He thinks he is god!  "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2 Timothy 2:4)."  There is much deception and false teaching out there.  Stay in the Word and keep looking up.  Jesus Christ our Blessed King is certainly Soon2Come!

Counterfeit

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;...heresies..."

Galatians 5:19a & 5:20i

Deception is the single greatest sign of the last days in scripture.  Most who dwell on prophetic events miss this sign while looking for wars, earthquakes, and events in Israel.  Jesus, however, started and finished each of His discourses on His second coming with a warning about the rise of heretical teaching and deceit.  Add to these the  warnings from the Epistles and we should begin to see the seriousness of this great sign.  Yet, most Christians can't seem to detect men's concepts taught as Bible truth.  Why?  Because deception does not effectively work if it is detected easily now does it?  Furthermore, deception works best when it seems to be the very thing one desires. 

For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

Mark 13:22

Most know that the Antichrist will be a master deceiver.  However, most do not consider that there are many in the church sowing false doctrine in an effective campaign to neutralize the truth and conceal Christ.  Deceivers were at work in the early church sowing false doctrine and they caused much grief. Yet, the teaching of false doctrine is happening at an even greater degree today and few clamor against it.  Furthermore, some are actually caught up in the very same heresies that the early church worked so hard to expose. The sad thing is that many will not listen when they are shown that a man or woman is teaching lies in the name of Christ.  Those who do try to uncover the false teachers make themselves a target of ridicule and scorn by the very people they are trying to protect.  Isaiah points out that when truth fails those who would depart from evil often make themselves a target (Isaiah 59:15).  Again, why is heresy not seen for the falseness it is?

Counterfeiters work countless hours perfecting their craft of printing false money.  The more it looks and feels like the real thing, the better the ruse.  The governments of nations worldwide also spend millions of dollars devising means and methods to counter the damage to their economies that comes with counterfeiting.  It is the same with spiritual things.  In order to make them work their damage, they have to appear spiritual though they are not.  The more it looks and sounds like a genuine teaching the better the demonic results will be.  Also, the Holy Spirit worked hundreds of years authoring the Bible so we could discern the truth from fables.  

Hunters don't kill turkeys with a moose call, nor do fishermen catch fish with deer calls.  Hunters kill turkey with calls that mimic a turkey so effectively that the prey thinks that it is a turkey.  Fishermen use lures that flash and act like the food that a fish craves most.  This is why Paul's warning above is so important.  False doctrine--heresy--appeals to the flesh while aping the things of the spirit.  This is the very reason that it is so deadly, subtle, and effective.  Heresy is appealing simply because it is packed with appeal that seems spiritual.

False doctrines are so common today that most cannot detect what is true and what is false anymore.  It is a sure sign that the times Christ and the Apostles warned us about are here. In some circles all one has to do is run and shout and whoop and holler and most think that he is walking in the Spirit.  It doesn't matter what is taught since only the appearance of an "anointing" is all that is needed.  All one has to do is deliver a lie with a tear in the eye and some will believe it is true.  In other circles we just need busyness in the house and God is involved.  Each night is jam packed with events for the whole family.  "Surely God is in this!", they reason.  For some we just need teaching that strengthens them in their lack of humility, commitment, and service.  "Just leave me with a compromised walk and don't speak against the vices (sin) that is in my life preacher," they say.

Who wrote the Bible?  Was it just the priests, prophets, and men of GOD whose names appear on a given book?  Was it not also the Holy Spirit?  True anointing follows the Word because a true anointing comes from the one who authored the Word.  It doesn't matter how passionately the message is delivered if it is not Bible based.  Emotion is great when that emotion is balanced by truth.  When it is not we tend to follow feelings and not walk in faith.  Busyness for the sake of doing something is not the overall mission of the church.  Many of the events that churches are using to keep people in their pews are actually destroying the people by leading them into deception.

The mission of the true Spirit filled church is to be the loving hands and feet of Christ the King reaching out to a lost and dying world.  One who is truly guided by the things of the spirit is working overtime with God guided by the word and is allowing the Holy Spirit to conform them to the image of Christ so that Christ alone is always seen.

Be careful!  We are in the last days and there is a lot that is counterfeit out there.  This is yet another sure sign that Jesus Christ is Soon2Come!!

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

2 Peter 2:1