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All who must see to believe are in deep trouble in these intensifying days of deception. With God´s permission as we wrote in last month´s article, Satan and his demonic hordes will perform supernatural wonders to support their deceitful doctrines in days shortly ahead. Truly, the stage is being set even now as interest in the occult and its dark power increases. Such interest is clear in wildly popular media works such as the Harry Potter book and film series. Add to this the acceptance of occult and New Age groups as serious mainstream religions in the name of tolerance and one can see (if willing) the clever scheme unfolding.
The diabolical scheme is not simply to make the devil cool and the occult acceptable. No, our children are being groomed to believe that evil has an equivalent virtue to good and ultimately, will replace it. This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet spoke against 2,700 years ago by the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 5:20, (NKJV):
Woe to those who call evil good, and
good evil; who put darkness for light,
and light for darkness; who put bitter
for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Slowly, methodically Satan is working to convince the world that the God of the Bible and His Son, Jesus Christ are the bad guys; he and his man soon to be unveiled the good. It is the same scam used on Eve, updated (Genesis 3:1-5). But they will be crushed (Psalm 2:1-6; Revelation 16:12-16, 19:11-20:3, 7-10)!
Those gullible souls that are now easily impressed with and conditioned to accept supernatural wonders caring little of the source, will bite just like Eve into the fruit of disobedience being thoroughly assured the Antichrist is God. Having rejected the Word of truth and a biblical worldview, they will be taken in and deceived by the display of supernatural "power, signs and lying wonders" that attend the coming of the Antichrist when he appears on the scene (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10; Revelation 13: 1-17). As we warned last month and do so again now in love, all that believe "the lie" will be eternally condemned (Revelation 14:9-11).
These days of deception leading to the unveiling of the Antichrist are also days of testing because God tests the hearts of men in and outside of Christ. For those outside of the Lord, the testing involves revealing the totally hardened and depraved hearts of willful sinners even after over 2,000 years of the Gospel and Judeo-Christian morality (Revelation 8:1-9:21, 16:1-11). God is awesomely wise for He proves in these last days His way of faith in Christ and heart regeneration by the Holy Spirit is the only way human beings can potentially be permanently changed for the good!
Christians that are faithful to God and His Word with a biblical worldview of life have nothing to fear of these or coming intensifying days of deception. Our victory is what it has always been, faith in the one, true God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Habakkuk 2:4; John 3:31-36; Romans 1:16-17)! If our salvation as Christians is of faith from beginning to end, it stands to reason we must persevere in it to obtain our hoped for goal (Matthew 24:13). The goal of eternal glory is of such excellent value God has every right to and does regularly test our faith to reveal its authenticity among other reasons (1 Peter 1:3-9).
The Christian test is simple. Do we love and will we cling to our Lord Jesus Christ, the truth of the Gospel and a biblical worldview by faith? Or, will we abandon Him, the Gospel and God´s Word in the ever-intensifying seductive face of deceitful doctrines of demons soon to be supported by supernatural wonders? That God would allow us to be tested by real displays of demonic supernatural power is completely in line with His Word (Deuteronomy 13:1-4; Matthew 24:24-25; Mark 13:22-23). His expectation is that we will love and remain loyal to Him especially since He has warned us well in advance (2 Timothy 2:11-13).
The apostasy of professed Christians foretold, now in progress and escalating is powerful vindication of God´s wisdom in testing our faith. He already knows those that are truly His and with Him (2 Timothy 2:16-21). It is for our sakes that remain faithful to see what is in our own hearts in the fire and to see the Lord expose the imposters, superficial and faithless professors among us (1 John 2:18-23). As in all major prior epochs of His dealings with men, the faithful are once again becoming a remnant in the earth (Genesis 6:5-8, 17-18, 7:1, 18:16-19:29) that will in His perfect timing, be delivered before the Day of His full wrath comes (Luke 17:26-37; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:11).
Christian apostates are as Lot´s wife that love this present world more than God and turn back to destruction even after being severely warned (Genesis 19:16-26; 2 Timothy 4:10a; Hebrews 10:26-39). As the Lord has also forewarned us, His faithful ones will endure even global persecution to the death for His cause. Through it all we must walk not by sight, but by faith. As a result, we are blessed and to be greatly rewarded by the Lord (Matthew 5:10-12, 10:16-39, 24:9-10; Luke 21:12-19; John 15:18-16:4; 2 Corinthians 5:7; Revelation 20:4-6).
Hallelujah, there is a payoff now and forever for those that will stand fast in the faith of Jesus Christ, His Gospel, the Word of our God and a biblical worldview of all of life! The victory of the faithful has been established from eternity and is brought to pass by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in faith as well as the gracious comfort of the Father and Son (2 Thessalonians 2:13-17; 1 John 5:4-5). Let the faithful then, persevere seeing the end by faith.
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