2 John 7. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
Oh Friends, another beautiful day has dawned with a whole new slew of mercy, grace, blessings, forgiveness and good tidings from our heavenly Father. Wow! What a Deity! And I hope that as I suggested yesterday, as soon as we became conscious of being alive today, we offered up some thanks and praise to heaven, because that early communication with the Father gets us off on the right foot, it sets the tempo for our day. Yes mih people, in this rough, evil, ungodly world of ours, we need to start out fresh and unencumbered every day, dressed in our full battle gear, if we’re going to do a good job for Jesus. Why is that? Our Bit explains it perfectly. ‘For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.’ Oh Friends, our world today, from top to bottom, is packed with more con-artists, charlatans, deceivers and bluffers than ever before. All levels and all walks of our society are currently full of innumerable deceivers. Anyway, in our case, John is speaking specifically of those who deny that Jesus Christ ever came to earth in human form and flesh. In other words, denying the doctrine of Incarnation. But if you deny that, then you deny the whole of Christianity, for Christ, born incarnate, a spiritual embodiment in flesh, is its very basis and foundation. If Christmas didn’t happen, then Christianity couldn’t have come about. For how else would Jesus have accomplished His earthly ministry. Those Gnostics, pseudo Christians preaching this deception were certainly confused, and by spreading their confusion, were doing grievous damage to the early believers, who never had as much groundings as we do today. As John warned in his first epistle, re the very real dangers of the antichrist; those who staunchly oppose God, His plans and His people: ‘Little children, it is the last time (hour): and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time (hour). They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all (none of them were) of us.’ (1 John 2:18-19) Ah Friends, there were so many false teachers in John’s day that he needed to remind the early believers to be very careful of the serious threat posed by those evil doers. However, they were not to be afraid, but to remain diligent and steadfast. Now if John thought there were many false teachers back then, he would go stark raving mad because of the great number that abound today. Thus, we need to be even more careful about whom and what we listen to and read, because once the evil sentiment gets hold of us, it’s very difficult to remove. John thought resistance to the antichrist so important that he speaks of it again in Chapter 4. ‘Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try (test) the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world.’ (1 John 4:1-3) Yes my brethren, we ought to check and double check all that we hear, read or see concerning Christ. And if it doesn’t live up to the test of confessing that Jesus came in human form, then it’s of the antichrist and should be immediately rejected. Don’t play with it! Reject it out of hand, for it’s like playing with fire, you’ll get burned, your thinking will be all confused and messed up. For as John asks? ‘Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.’ (1 John 2:22-23) And isn’t that the gospel truth Friends? Whoever denies Christ is a liar and a fraud, not to be believed. Therefore my people, what ought we to do? ‘Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought (worked for), but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him (give him a greeting) Godspeed. For he that biddeth (greets) him Godspeed is partaker of (shares in) his evil deeds.’ (2 John 8-11) Yes my people, we need to be very careful and not follow teachings that run contrary to God’s Word, because whoever teaches anything different is not of God. And also, if any of these frauds come to us with their false doctrines, we should not entertain them or wish them well, since John declares that to take in those false teachers, or to even wish them a blessing is to endorse their false teachings, and true believers should not actively support false teachers. This stemmed from the practice in the early days of preachers being accommodated in believer’s homes as they made their rounds of the churches. It doesn’t mean we can’t have unsaved people in our homes, unless of course they’re spreading a doctrine contrary to Christ’s. Oh Friends, it’s certainly a rough, evil, deceitful and devious world we live in, but if we keep our eyes, hearts and minds focused on God, diligently read and meditate on His Word, and consistently ask Him for guidance, then we shall do very well. But, like a good soldier, we must always be on guard, for the enemy can attack at anytime, any place. Much LOVE!…a believer needs to truly know Christ…so that he can recognize the antichrist…
Oh Friends, another beautiful day has dawned with a whole new slew of mercy, grace, blessings, forgiveness and good tidings from our heavenly Father. Wow! What a Deity! And I hope that as I suggested yesterday, as soon as we became conscious of being alive today, we offered up some thanks and praise to heaven, because that early communication with the Father gets us off on the right foot, it sets the tempo for our day. Yes mih people, in this rough, evil, ungodly world of ours, we need to start out fresh and unencumbered every day, dressed in our full battle gear, if we’re going to do a good job for Jesus. Why is that? Our Bit explains it perfectly. ‘For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.’ Oh Friends, our world today, from top to bottom, is packed with more con-artists, charlatans, deceivers and bluffers than ever before. All levels and all walks of our society are currently full of innumerable deceivers. Anyway, in our case, John is speaking specifically of those who deny that Jesus Christ ever came to earth in human form and flesh. In other words, denying the doctrine of Incarnation. But if you deny that, then you deny the whole of Christianity, for Christ, born incarnate, a spiritual embodiment in flesh, is its very basis and foundation. If Christmas didn’t happen, then Christianity couldn’t have come about. For how else would Jesus have accomplished His earthly ministry. Those Gnostics, pseudo Christians preaching this deception were certainly confused, and by spreading their confusion, were doing grievous damage to the early believers, who never had as much groundings as we do today. As John warned in his first epistle, re the very real dangers of the antichrist; those who staunchly oppose God, His plans and His people: ‘Little children, it is the last time (hour): and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time (hour). They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all (none of them were) of us.’ (1 John 2:18-19) Ah Friends, there were so many false teachers in John’s day that he needed to remind the early believers to be very careful of the serious threat posed by those evil doers. However, they were not to be afraid, but to remain diligent and steadfast. Now if John thought there were many false teachers back then, he would go stark raving mad because of the great number that abound today. Thus, we need to be even more careful about whom and what we listen to and read, because once the evil sentiment gets hold of us, it’s very difficult to remove. John thought resistance to the antichrist so important that he speaks of it again in Chapter 4. ‘Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try (test) the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world.’ (1 John 4:1-3) Yes my brethren, we ought to check and double check all that we hear, read or see concerning Christ. And if it doesn’t live up to the test of confessing that Jesus came in human form, then it’s of the antichrist and should be immediately rejected. Don’t play with it! Reject it out of hand, for it’s like playing with fire, you’ll get burned, your thinking will be all confused and messed up. For as John asks? ‘Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.’ (1 John 2:22-23) And isn’t that the gospel truth Friends? Whoever denies Christ is a liar and a fraud, not to be believed. Therefore my people, what ought we to do? ‘Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought (worked for), but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him (give him a greeting) Godspeed. For he that biddeth (greets) him Godspeed is partaker of (shares in) his evil deeds.’ (2 John 8-11) Yes my people, we need to be very careful and not follow teachings that run contrary to God’s Word, because whoever teaches anything different is not of God. And also, if any of these frauds come to us with their false doctrines, we should not entertain them or wish them well, since John declares that to take in those false teachers, or to even wish them a blessing is to endorse their false teachings, and true believers should not actively support false teachers. This stemmed from the practice in the early days of preachers being accommodated in believer’s homes as they made their rounds of the churches. It doesn’t mean we can’t have unsaved people in our homes, unless of course they’re spreading a doctrine contrary to Christ’s. Oh Friends, it’s certainly a rough, evil, deceitful and devious world we live in, but if we keep our eyes, hearts and minds focused on God, diligently read and meditate on His Word, and consistently ask Him for guidance, then we shall do very well. But, like a good soldier, we must always be on guard, for the enemy can attack at anytime, any place. Much LOVE!…a believer needs to truly know Christ…so that he can recognize the antichrist…
SCRIP-BITS 