Welcome to our weekly message! Every week we seek the Lord for the timely revelation in the Word to be released to you.
This is what the Lord has spoken for this week: "Focus on My calling and plans in your life, not the enemy's plans or conspiracies. Set your mind on the things above, and not on the things of this earth that is passing away. Be anxious not of the works of the antichrist, because I am still the God who is in full control and I have the final victory. Seek Me with all your heart, and I will show you the way forward. There is so much more that I want to show you and do in your life!"
People of God, in times like these, in these last days, it is so important to set your mind on the things of God. There are so many distractions all around us, whether in the social media, in the world around us, or even in the news. But this is the time the Lord wants us to stay focused on Him, on the things above, and not on the things of this earth that is passing away.
Colossians 3:1-2 (NKJV) says, 'If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.'
You know why? Because the things of this earth are temporary. They will all pass away. But the things above, the things of God, are permanent and forever. So stay focused on the Lord. Stay focused on the things above, the things of God, God's calling and God's plans in your life. And that's how you are going to reach your God-given destiny!
Right now, let the Lord release His anointing on you. This anointing of the Holy Spirit destroys every yoke and every bondage, and you are now set free! And you shall receive the Spirit of the Lord that will always lead you and guide you into all truth!
And that's what 1 John 2:20 (NKJV) says, 'But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.' It means the Spirit of the Lord that dwells in you and fills you, will teach you to be wise, especially in these last days.
1 John 4:1-4 (NKJV) says, 'Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.'
Notice the capital letter 'A' here for the Antichrist. There are many antichrists (small letter 'a'), but there is 'the Antichrist' (capital letter 'A'). And this spirit of the Antichrist does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, and does not confess that Jesus Christ is God's Son, the True Light.
1 John 2:18-19 (NKJV) says, 'Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming (capital letter 'A', the Antichrist), even now many antichrists have come (small letter 'a'), by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.'
In Greek, this word 'Antichrist' here is 'Antichristos'. Now, what does 'anti' mean in Greek? It can mean 'opposite, contrast'. In this context, it means 'opposite of Christ' or 'contrast to Christ'. It can also mean 'instead of' (i.e. trying to take the place of the real Christ), or 'substitution' (i.e. trying to be a substitute of the real Christ).
In other words, the spirit of the Antichrist tries to deceive people of this world to turn away from the true Christ! And you know it very well, whether you are in the western world or the eastern world, there are many who have been deceived. That is why you need the anointing of the Holy One! You need the wisdom of God. You need the Spirit of God living in you, so that you will not be deceived by whatever lies or even lying signs and wonders of the enemy!
Notice in the Scripture here, it says there are many antichrists (small letter 'a'), but there is one Antichrist (capital letter 'A'). So now you know many antichrists have come. They have infiltrated all over the world. That's why all the more you must be vigilant and watchful. Do not slumber in your spirit, but be alert in your spirit, because they are like those 'roaring lions seeking whom they may devour'. But they will not be able to devour you if you are watchful and vigilant; and strong, founded in the Word of God. Remember, Word and Spirit. These are the two pillars that you must build and keep building in your life till Jesus returns.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (NKJV) says, 'Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.'
Now, 'the man of sin' or 'the son of perdition' here speaks of the Antichrist (capital letter 'A').
How about 'the falling away'? Has this part started to happen already? I believe so. I believe the falling away of believers has already begun. It means the end is near.
But has 'the man of sin', 'the son of perdition' been revealed yet? The answer at the moment is 'No'. Because you don't see someone who 'sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God' yet, at the time of this writing.
2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 (NKJV) says, 'And now you know what is restraining that he (the Antichrist) may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.'
By the way, who is this who 'restrains'? The Holy Spirit! And when He is taken out of the way, all hell break loose! And that's when the Antichrist will be revealed!
So the question here is "Has the Antichrist (capital letter 'A') been revealed?" From the Scripture here, the answer is "Not yet" (at the time of this writing). But the time is very near. Be ready. Be prepared. Live your life as if Jesus is returning tonight. Yet continue to walk faithfully in His calling and in His plans for your life. Allow the Lord to cleanse you. You are the Bride of Christ, supposedly holy and unblemished. Cleanse yourself. Cleanse, church, cleanse yourself!
How do you get yourself ready? Be strong in the Word and in the Spirit!
Will you still be hungry and thirsty for more of God's Word and God's Spirit (even when many others lose their passion for God)? Blessed are you, if you are! My prayer is you will stay strong, and even stronger and stronger, till the day when you meet Jesus face to face. Amen!
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 (NKJV) says, 'The coming of the lawless one (the Antichrist) is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.'
You see, if you think only God can do signs and wonders, the Bible is clear here that even the Antichrist or the spirit of the Antichrist can do signs and wonders. But their signs and wonders are lies. There's a precedent here. Remember in Moses' days, do you realize that the Pharaoh's magicians initially did what Moses did? Whatever Moses did, they did it as well. Moses turned the rod into a snake, and all these magicians did likewise. Moses turned water into blood, and all these magicians did likewise too. But if you look at Moses' days, all these magicians could only match what God did through Moses to a certain extent, but not in the later plagues. You know there were ten plagues. And they couldn't match all the way. And that's good news for us! Our God is greater!
2 Thessalonians 2:15-17 (The Expanded Bible) says, 'So, brothers and sisters, stand strong [firm] and continue to believe [hold fast to, grasp firmly] the teachings we gave you in our speaking and in our letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and through His grace gave us eternal comfort [encouragement] and a good hope, encourage [comfort] you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.' Amen!
Prayer: "Father God, we thank You for these words that You have released to us today, that we are to focus on our callings and plans that You have given to us. We are to set our minds on the things above and not on the things of this earth that is passing away. We do not want to be anxious of whatever that the enemy throws into this world, because we know You are a God who is in full control and You have the final, ultimate victory. Therefore, we seek You with all our hearts. We receive Your Spirit of truth. You will lead us into all truth. And we want to stand firm in the Word of God. We want to stand firm, founded, rooted, built up in Your Word. And nothing can deceive us, not even signs and lying wonders of the enemies. In Jesus' name. Amen."
