--- Identifying the Antichrist! ---
Is there an indicator of the
presence of Holy Spirit?
Written: June 2024
Jesus specifically warned against making a test of our creator. (Mat 4:5-7; 1 Cor 10:9; Num 21:5-6) The test he was referring to, however, was being rebellious or disobedient or arrogant. May we never be that! May we always listen to and be submissive to Jesus as the teacher our Father sent. (Mark 9:7; Acts 4:12; John 8:31-32)
While being careful never to make the test of Holy Spirit Jesus condemned, is there a test we can use to identify who has God's spirit? No, there certainly is not! That is Christ's judgment to make, never ours. (1 Cor 4:1-5) [We might possibly judge if "we" do have it.] If we can't judge to identify who does have Holy Spirit, is there any way to identify who does not. While that is still not our "judgment" to make, there is an indicator to help us avoid being misled by the Antichrist; encompassing or comprised of all those not following Christ. John taught in
1 John 2:20-27 GNB,
"But you have had the Holy Spirit poured out on you by Christ, (John 6:63) and so all of you know the truth." [Learning the truth from Jesus is the pouring out of Holy Spirit... Consuming the words of Christ, and then rebuilding ourselves (Eph 4:20-24 of 17-25) by them, is the taking in of Holy Spirit.] (21) "I write you, then, not because you do not know the truth; instead, it is because you do know it, and you also know that no lie ever comes from the truth. (22) Who, then, is the liar? It is those who say that Jesus is not the Messiah. Such people are the Enemy of Christ [the Antichrist]---they reject both the Father and the Son. (23) For those who reject the Son reject also the Father; those who accept the Son have the Father also." (24) Be sure, then, to keep in your hearts the message you heard from the beginning. If you keep that message, (John 8:31-32) then you will always live in union with the Son and the Father. (25) And this is what Christ himself promised to give us---eternal life. (26) I am writing this to you about those who are trying to deceive you. (27) But as for you, Christ has poured out his Spirit on you. (John 6:63) As long as his Spirit remains in you, you do not need anyone to teach you. For his Spirit teaches you about everything, and what he teaches is true, not false. Obey the Spirit's teaching, then, and remain in union with Christ.
Jesus plainly stated the words he spoke to us are "Holy Spirit" and are life.
Those people are easy to identify; right? When someone says Jesus isn't the Christ, that makes them obvious as his enemy. But, are the people who "openly" reject Christ the only individuals that scripture is talking about. What about Jesus's warning that his enemies would be sneaky and try to hide what they are?
Matthew 7:15 CEV
Watch out for false prophets! They dress up like sheep, but inside they are wolves who have come to attack you.
Do you imagine such people would openly say Jesus isn't the Christ? And, what about those he said would believe they "were" his followers when they have allowed themselves to be deceived to follow Satan.
Luke 13:23-28 CEV
Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" Jesus answered: (24) Do all you can to go in by the narrow door! A lot of people will try to get in, but will not be able to. (25) Once the owner of the house gets up and locks the door, you will be left standing outside. You will knock on the door and say, "Sir, open the door for us!" But the owner will answer, "I don't know a thing about you!" (26) Then you will start saying, "We dined with you, and you taught in our streets." (27) But he will say, "I really don't know who you are! Get away from me, you evil people!" (28) Then when you have been thrown outside, you will weep and grit your teeth because you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God's kingdom.
None of the people in either of those groups would "say" Jesus is not the Christ and Savior, or admit to believing he is not... Some may even have been convinced they believe he is! (Luke 13:26-27) Their problem is they haven't actually been listening to Jesus Christ. (John 5:44) So, how do those who are trying to hide what they really are, and those who don't even know they are Christ's enemies, how do they "display," by their "actions," they don't believe Jesus is the Christ? What fruitage do they manifest? It's really pretty simple! They are unable to say by their "activities" that Jesus is our savior, that he is the "only one" we can look to and hope in: They are unable to direct you to Christ, without tacking on your need for their religious sect to guide and direct and approve you. Jesus did explain we can know his enemies by the fruit they produce:
Matthew 7:15-20 CEV
Watch out for false prophets! They dress up like sheep, but inside they are wolves who have come to attack you. (16) You can tell what they are by what they do. No one picks grapes or figs from thornbushes. (17) A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. (18) A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. (19) Every tree that produces bad fruit will be chopped down and burned. (20) You can tell who the false prophets are by their deeds.
The bad fruitage of all who are part of [or joined to] the Antichrist is obvious when you hear them direct you to their chosen sect of men. They "will," of course, say that is directing you to Christ. By directing you to their religion, however, which some apparently do actually imagine is directing you to Christ, what they are actually "saying by their actions" is Jesus is not their Savior: They don't really "believe" you can just pick up a Bible and read the words of Jesus for yourself, without their sect helping you understand, and, of course, approving you. So, since they don't really believe "they" have been helped by Christ; they can't encourage you to it. Their true belief is "their sect" has helped them! Who, then, are they really directing you to? "To Jesus," they will all be quick to assert [and maybe even believe]; but, their actions [fruitage] belie that claim! If they think you can't understand Jesus without their direction and approval, aren't they really directing you to themselves and/or their sect, to the religious group they have chosen to follow [chosen to worship]... Problem for them, and for you if you allow them to mislead you, is this: God didn't assign any sect to lead you to him. He very specifically gave Jesus that task, and told you to listen to Christ. (Mark 9:7; Isa 42:1-9) It's almost comical to talk with some who are Religionists, if it wasn't a matter of life and death. Watching them assert they believe Jesus is God's son, and sent by God to teach us to know his Father; but then be completely unable to steer people directly to Jesus without drawing attention to their chosen sect. They seem literally unable to say those words. It's like they are being blocked; as a sign to identify them maybe?
[Jesus is the theme of the Bible: All it's history, including God using the Jewish Nation to produce the Messiah, rightly serves as a tutor to lead us to Jesus. (Gal 3:23-26) At one time in Jewish history, the tribe of Ephraim arrogantly and maliciously attached some of the other sons of Israel. Jephthah went striking Ephraim down and drove them to the fords of the Jordan. Israel would only allow men to cross over if they could pronounce Shibboleth, but the men of Ephraim could not pronounce Shibboleth, saying Sibboleth instead. Many thousands were put for death for their wickedness, but it was their inability to pronounce Shibboleth that was their judgment to identify them. (Judges 12:1-6) I believe the inability to direct others to Christ, without also telling them they need some sect of men to help, might be similar... Is it a sign of the Antichrist?]
I believe, for anyone to tell another person they will find happiness and contentment and peace, just by picking up a Bible and reading for themselves the words of God's son, (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) they first have to believe that is true for themselves... Else, they just can't direct others to Jesus and to him alone. Any person glorifying Christ in that way, gains for themselves God's Spirit by the act of preaching that simple truth; or, they require Spirit to do so! You don't have to truly believe in a sect of men to direct others to them. I don't understand why, but it seems you have to "truly believe" to be emboldened to direct others to read Jesus's teachings for themselves; and to assure them they can understand because that is יהוה's arrangement for life... (John 18:37; John 17:1-10) It will take some effort to come to know God through Christ's words! (Luke 13:24) Doing so is worth more than my words can convey. (Mat 13:44)
God wouldn't tell you to listen to his son if it was something you couldn't do... (Mat 17:5) Get a Bible and read the Gospel accounts of Jesus's teachings over to familiarity. (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) If יהוה had intended we listen to men he elevated to lead us to Christ, or thought we needed such "special" men to help us understand his son, I'm sure He would have said that. He didn't! He did very specifically warn against that! (Mat 23:1-15) What he told us to do, as his only latter day command, is to listen to Jesus Christ... (Mat 17:5; Mark 9:7) Do that!
This is what I have come to believe the scriptures teach: Guiding people directly to Jesus, thus taking away the glory all these religious humans are trying to take for themselves, and/or to bestow on each other, is an activity that must be accompanied by Holy Spirit. It indicates the person directing to "Christ only" is a "true follower" of Jesus. Such people seem the only true Christians! They are the Israel of God. (Gal 3:26-29; Gal 3:5-9; Gal 6:12-16)
Just understand: Your journey to find יהוה starts with him searching to see if there is anything of value in you. (1 Chron 16:9) If God finds you are one searching for him, He directs you to his son. (John 6:65; John 6:43-47; 2 Thes 2:13 of 9-14; Mat 17:5) Even while יהוה directs you to his son; all Religionists want to get in the way of that, asserting and some even apparently believing you need their sect to lead you to Jesus. God set Jesus prominently in front of your eyes. (Mat 24:14; Rev 14:6-7; Rom 10:16-18; Luke 2:34-35; 1 Pet 2:6-10; 1 Cor 1:22-25) There are probably very few people alive on earth who have not heard about Jesus Christ of Bible fame. God had Jesus's teachings carefully recorded by four different faithful men. (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) God's work assigned to you, then, is to just listen to his son. John 6:28-29; Mark 3:31-35)
John explained it this way:
1 John 4:1-6 MWT
Dear friends, don't believe everyone who claims to have the Spirit of God. Test them all to find out if they really do come from God. Many false prophets have already gone out into the world, (2) and you can know which ones come from God. The person that says that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh [to teach us] originates with God. (3) But when someone doesn't say this about Jesus, you know that person has a spirit that doesn't come from God and is the Anitchrist. You knew that this enemy was coming into the world and now is already here. (4) Children, you belong to God, and you have defeated these enemies. God's Spirit [the words of Christ] is in you and is more powerful than the one that is in the world. (5) These enemies belong to this world, and the world listens to them, because they speak its language. (6) We belong to God, and everyone who knows God will listen to us. (John 18:37; John 10:24-29) But the people who don't know God won't listen to us. That is how we can tell the Spirit that speaks the truth from the one that tells lies.
This, again, is not a rendering of judgment against any individual person's faith. This is an attempt to understand my own... If you express faith in Jesus Christ, I applaud you. It would seem, if you do have faith, it is because you have actually been reading and following Christ's teachings from the Bible for your own self; and not allowing yourself to be derailed by any of the religious sects. If you are a Christian, it is not because you are following me; or any other humans. If you are a Christian, it can only be so because God has drawn you to his son (John 6:44-47; John 6:65) and you have listened; and protected yourself from being misled to join sects of men. (Mat 23:1-15; Acts 4:12; John 8:31-32) If you are a Christian, shouldn't "you" be directing other people to read Christ's words for themselves as well. If you are telling them they need to be approved members of one of the many religious sects, what does that really say about you? Is Christ "your" savior, or is the group you believe we must join to find Christ? Seems pretty clear! How hard is it, really, to direct people to read the words of Christ while warning everyone should be leery of any human teachings. If someone has convinced you you needed to build your faith from a religious sect and their writings, instead of the Bible, or even said you need them in addition to the Bible, your beliefs are, or at least might be, in human teachings! As for me, I find it easy to direct you to Christ. It seems very hard for those people who don't really know Christ; hard for the Antichrist... If you are infused with God's Spirit by faith in the words you personally know came from his Christ, your head and heart is filled with the desire to direct other people to Christ, and only to Christ; and, you understand why! With the tribulation escalating and Armageddon looming or here, this world does not need another Catholic or Mormon or Jehovah's Witness or Presbyterian or Baptist or Jew or Calvinist or any of the other sects telling them to come on down and join their church to be saved. Everyone alive needs to hear a real Christian (Acts 11:26) telling them to read and build faith in the words of God's son from the Bible's Gospel accounts, for themselves. (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) We must each one develop a faith to save ourselves. (Mat 18:19-20) Do you really and truly believe Jesus Christ? (Mat 18:19-20) You don't have to attack anyone's faith, just believe. I do know I alienate some people by being so boisterous about this truth. They feel I am attacking their faith. I do hate they feel that way. (Rom 12:17-18) If their faith is in Christ, truth does not attack. Either way, truth is the most important thing in life. When you feel someone is receptive, the Spirit will impel you to share your hope in Christ and in him alone! (Acts 14:8-10) I don't know if anyone can have a true hope in Christ without understanding what the Antichrist means. Jesus is the theme of the Bible... The churches are all trying to hide the simple Bible truth revealed here... The truth exposes them for trying to glorify themselves, by asserting your need for them to lead or direct you to Christ. They hate truth. It exposes them as worthless at best, or, as the Antichrist! We see Religionists to be pedophile child abusers and womanizers and glory hounds seeking wealth and... (Rom 1:16-32)
Join me in this prayer for the Bible's promised future for us; and for them as well:
Malachi 3:16-4:3 MWT
At that time those in fear of יהוה spoke with one another. יהוה kept paying attention and listening, so that a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared him and esteemed his name. (17) "They shall be mine, says יהוה of hosts, in the day when I make up my special property (gather my chosen people), and I will protect them just as a man shows compassion for his own son who serves him. (18) Then you will see the distinction between the righteous one and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
Malachi 4:1-3 MWT "For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be like stubble for the flames. The day that is coming shall set them all ablaze, says יהוה of hosts, so that I will leave them neither present life nor future hope [offspring]. (2) But for you who fear my name, the sun (son) of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. (3) And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act in justice says יהוה of hosts.
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