Dear Readers in Christ, "Draw near to GOD, and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8).

Tuesday 16 April 2013

Apr 16 - CHECK YOUR SPIRIT

“…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, showing himself that he is God”  (2 Thess 2:3,4).

Although the Antichrist is to be revealed in bodily form only after the Rapture, the spirit of Antichrist already exists and is at work (1 Jn 4:3).

This “son of perdition” or the Antichrist sits in the temple and demands worship. We are the temple of God (1 Cor 3:16). In these last days, we should be very diligent to see that the spirit of the Antichrist does not enter us. How do we know when the Antichrist has entered the temple? Once he comes into the temple he will begin demanding worship and honour. If you are demanding or expecting respect, honour and glory from others, beware, the ANTICHRIST, IS ALREADY IN THE TEMPLE! If we do not immediately repent and return to God, this proud spirit may devastate our Christian life.

          The Bible does not say God resists sinners or backsliders. But He resists the proud. “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (Jms 4:6). If God resists a man, what will his final destiny be! After saying God resists the proud, it says “resist the devil” – as if proud people are like demons! Indeed, the proud are, in one sense, the embodiment of the devil.

We can see this spirit of the Antichrist in operation in many modern preachers, singers, faith healers, etc. How often we see children of God getting embittered and leaving the church just because they were not shown enough respect and honour! By that they further yield to the spirit of the Antichrist that is within them. Eventually, they destroy not only themselves but also many others, by injecting the same foul spirit into them. “Who opposeth and exàlteth himself…” No surprise, such “antichrist-possessed” people are often in the centre of oppositions and contentions – with a view to exalting themselves.

The spirit of Antichrist is a self-exalting spirit but the spirit of Christ is a self-abasing spirit – “I must decrease; He (others) should increase (shine or be more useful than me).” O reader, which spirit is ruling in your life?

– Taken from Morning Manna – Thoughts for Daily Devotion

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