There is a massive parting of the ways between the two kingdoms at war on a cosmic scale on planet Earth. The Bible makes it plain that you are either in the kingdom of Satan or the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other. You may think you are serving a different God, but it is a deception of Satan. Here's what Jesus said:
Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters (Matthew 12:30)
If you are not walking with the Lord Jesus Christ, you are walking with the enemy, Satan, the arch deceiver, the one whom the apostle Paul called:
…The ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient (Ephesians 2:2).
God does not want you to continue walking in disobedience to the good news of Jesus Christ and His forgiveness of sin. This world is on a downward curve to immorality, violence, greed, murder, etc. Worse still, many of God’s people are compromising their faith and are being led by the ways of this world system onto a path away from true holiness, purity, and simplicity of godliness in Christ. A weak, insipid thing is presented to the world as the church, but this is not the true church. This false church walks in the way of the world system. The true church comprises those who have received new life from Christ and will not compromise their faith, no matter the cost. They are like the three young Hebrews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who would not bow down to the spirit of the age, the false idols set up before us.
16Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:16-18).
An event will take place where there will be a parting of the ways between what the media presents as the church of Christ and the true Church of the Living God. Paul the Apostle calls this event the "Rebellion," or some translations render it the "falling away" or the "apostasy" in yet another translation. Here’s what he wrote:
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 (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
It is hard to say what will cause this, for it is not just a gradual falling away from the faith of Christ because the original Greek language has the definite article, the rebellion, that speaks of an event. What will cause many so-called Christians to fall away? I think it will be the forcing upon the world's population of a "mark" on their foreheads or right hand. Those who will not take this "mark" will not be able to buy or sell. The world is heading toward digital money—no cash will be allowed. All true Christians will not receive this mark and will go in the opposite direction away from this world order that is being set up (Revelation 14:9-12). The passage below gives us more detail about this event that will bring a parting of the ways between the fake church and the true church of Christ:
16It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name (Revelation 13:16-17).
We are living before this event foretold by the Holy Scriptures. I am concerned about those of you walking in tune with the world system. We must walk away from the spirit of the age and live for Christ. My dear friend, your eternity is at stake, give yourself wholeheartedly to Christ, and the Holy Spirit will strengthen you for the days, months, or years ahead, however long we have left before the coming of the Lord.
This meditation is taken from the series The End Times found in All Studies. Click on the study: The Antichrist: How Will We Recognize Him? Keith Thomas
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