DO YOU KNOW THE ANTI-CHRIST

                                           

How do you really know? this is what we have to ask ourselves every time we sleep and weak. it would be pertinent to let us know the definition of Anti-christ. let me borrow the definition of Wellman (2012), Anti-christ (whether ancient or modern), is any one that opposes, for example, the divinity of Christ. I agree with him. But let me add that, anti-christ is an opposer of the divinity of CHRIST and what Christ's people do with the sole aim of dethroning the Christ Himself at the end. those who hold this view have their end stated clearly in the scripture (John 3:18).

A LOOK AT THIS ANTI-CHRIST

Is a rebellious one who is come to make people act against Christ and lord over them for the sake of leading them to hell for ever and depriving them of redemption (Godwin, 2014). The force behind antichristism is the "Spirit of Antichrist" Hence, as Wellman Stated, "antichrist may not be one particular person but a Spirit of Antichrist (2John 4:3 & 8).

THE FORM OF THE ANTI-CHRIST

The antichrist is spirit and it is this spirit that performs what is the acts of the antichrist. the spirit manifest itself in the form, in humans or any available medium. Although, this may be achieved by the permission of the object in question. And this is seen in the confessions/declarations of the object(s). Hence, the following suffice;

- Antichrist is atheism- those who claim there is no god; sincerely, it takes a force to believe such a tragic lie, that God does not exist consider (2Thes. 2:3 & 8).

- Antichrist is any form of worship (religion and/or religious practices), that draws people away from God and the leader of such group directs worship to himself/herself (2Thes. 2:4). this is why Jesus Christ never came to set up another form of Religion of some sort. For Religion has been an enemy of God over the years.

- Anti-christ is the current sodomy we are experiencing today in the form of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) fricks. This are conscious people who have given them-selves to strong delusion and coming back is almost imposition. Yet the loving hands of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is ever open to receive these ones if and only if they will come back to Him fully (John 3:16-17).

CONCLUSION

Anti-christ is any activity, whether Religion, practices, lifestyle and the like that draw one away from Christ Jesus. Is also a belief pattern like in atheism that tends to take away God in one's dealings. My advice is, to any one in such chains, take out time to reflect on the worth of self. You will be convince that you have to come off such chains. Also, embrace Christ wholly. As you do this; God will give his grace for you to be transformed to one he desires you to be. Amen!

THE OLD MAN

INTRODUCTION

“The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us the desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. Gal.5:17

WHO IS THE OLD MAN?

The old man is that sinful nature of man that does not want to die, due to partial repentance. That is to say, you claim to have been born again but the characteristics of Jesus’ are not complete in your life rather you are still carrying the properties of the devil; the old man’s father. These properties are always contending with the new life because Christ has not occupied the whole body. The old nature of man will always desire to do evil things of the flesh which are contrary to the teachings and character of Jesus’. The old man is the earthly body that cannot be denied the earthly pleasures and wouldn’t want to conform to the will of God. The old man is the old life we were living before Christ came – John the Baptist told us to create space in our heart that Jesus is coming to occupy it, that is, old man give space the new man is coming to stay.

THE AGE OF THE OLD MAN

In this age many have claimed to have accepted Jesus but have refused to put the old man to death, the old man is evident in one’s life through the kind of fruits that is been brought forth. Christ is the only one who came to give us freedom from this sinful nature of man; by inputting his own life into us so that we can become new and bear the kind of fruits he bears. When you follow the desires of the old man the results are very clear; “SEXUAL IMMORALITY such as homosexuality, incest, bestiality, lesbianism, roasting, scanning, and the like, IMPURITY, LUSTFUL PLEASURES, IDOLATRY, SORCERY, HOSTILITY, QUARRELLING, JEALOUSY, OUTBURST OF ANGER, SELFISH AMBITION, DISSENSION, DIVISION, ENVY, DRUNKENNESS, WILD PARTIES AND OTHER SINS LIKE THESE” Gal.5: 19-21. If you still manifest any of the above it means you are still living inside the old man and the newness of Christ is not in you. The propeller of these characteristics is the evil spirit engineered by the devil who is the father of all sinners as he is been referred to by Jesus when he was warning the unbelievers, he said; “For you are the children of your father the devil, and you have to do the evil things that he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him, when he lies it is so consistent with his character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8: 44

DOES THE OLD MAN DIFFER FROM THE NEW MAN?

In the same light, let us also look at the characteristics of the new  man who is powered by the Holy Spirit through Jesus  Christ “BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT PRODUCES THESE KIND OF FRUITS IN OUR LIVES; LOVE, JOY, PEACE PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF CONTROL Gal.5:22-23.

The above are the works that are evident in the life that carries Jesus Christ. You can’t continue in your sinful nature and expect to produce the true nature of Christ which is the new life. Hear what the scriptures say; “this means that anyone who belong to Christ has become a new person, the old life is gone, a new life has begun.  2Cor. 5:17

Beloved, if you continue to sin, it means the truth of the word of God is not in you, you are merely       professing Christ but you are not manifesting his true nature because everyone who calls the name of the Lord must depart from iniquity. Jesus Christ has no sins recorded against him throughout his stay on Earth, if you believe him where then is the source of your sinful nature? The devil is the sponsor; He has failed from the beginning and he wants people to fail alongside with him, God forbid! Hear what the scripture says again; “Dear children don’t let anyone deceive you about this, when people do what is right , it shows that they are righteous even as Christ is righteous, but when people keep on sinning, it shows they belong to the devil who has been sinning from the beginning. But the son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family don’t make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them, so they can’t keep sinning because they are children of God.1John3:7-9. It is high time; a concrete decision is taken never to yield to the desires of the old man. Make every effort possible to put the old man to death through the help of the Holy Spirit after deciding to kill it.

WAY FORWARD

Freedom has been made available to as many that want to be free from the hand of the wicked old man, but it is pertinent to first acknowledge the works of the old man in your life.

Maybe you are born again but the works of the old life is still evident in your life, perhaps you are still taking instruction from the old man you have to do a root check because the old man has no destination order than to hell fire.

The following are the steps to getting freedom from the hand of the old man:

“Put on your new nature and be renewed, as you have learned to know your Creator and become like him” Col 3:10.

·       You must do a thorough examination to know the foundation upon which you are building your faith.

·       Acknowledge your sinful nature and repent of them all.

·       Ask the Holy Spirit to dominate your entire life

·       Flee from every appearance of evil.

God is always ready to rebuild his temple on the heart of many who are willing to come back to him; he is so merciful and loving. As Christians we should not continue to take instructions from the old man who never wanted to grow and any time you do the desires of the old man it causes you to start all over again and such person is in danger of hell fire. And ensure you learn to take instruction from the Holy Spirit for the scriptures say “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. John 6:63.

Beloved, you don’t need to be worried; God has already promised to strengthen us. God will never leave you alone because He loves you, He will direct your part and show you the way you are to follow. Hear this; “I pray from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit” Eph.3:16.

PRAYER POINT

·       Oh Lord strengthen my inner man in the name of Jesus’

·       Holy Spirit enter into my heart and cleanse every rubbish in my life in the name of Jesus’

·       You the spirit of old man living inside of me, hear the word of the word of the living God, today is your end I put you to death in the name of Jesus’

The Fruitful Christian Ministries; is a ministry dedicated and committed to raising fruitful generation using God’s words to transform lives restoring hope to the hopeless.

For prayer and counseling contact;

The Fruitful Christian Ministries; Ikeja, Lagos – Nigeria.

Tel. 08067267919, 07017984978

Email: fruitfulchristian@yahoo.com

IS THIS THE WAY OF PEACE?

                                                                    

“…to guide our feet into the way of peace” LUKE 1:79c.

The world is gradually turned into a battle ground where lives are wasted without due consideration to the Creator or the Owner of these lives. The world is now a jungle where stronger animals eat up the weaker ones, the rich oppress the poor, the educated feed on the uneducated, the privileged despitefully use the less-privilege; all these negate the principles of God. He is watching, and his anger is kindled, his displeasure is expressed. Man has totally deviated from God’s precepts and teachings about how man should live. The original purposes of man on earth are to do the will of God, and to co-habit peacefully with one another. The Psalmist said, “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” Psalms 34:14.

Beloved, consider all these and let us cease from wasting the good resources God had blessed us with, because I know for sure that the end is so near. Where the devil who is the originator and father of confusion will be disgraced and revealed. And the God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you; Amen! Roman 16:20.

My people, to say the truth, there is only one man through which love and peace can be obtained and sustained and that man is Jesus Christ. If you have not met Him, there is no way you can enjoy His gift of peace to the fullest. This is so because; He is the owner of meaningful positive peace. Kindly say this sincerely and mean it: “Lord Jesus, I come unto you, I know I am a sinner; have mercy upon me and forgive all my sins, I confess you as my Lord and Personal Savior, henceforth, I renounce the works of the devil and I have decided to follow you forever; Amen! (If you have done this, very good; congratulation. Begin to read your Bible with an open heart and pray to Jesus Christ always. Also, locate a Christian group to fellowship with).

“…Seek peace and pursue it” As people who understand the precept of God, peace is to be sought after and encouraged among brethren and extended to the society at large. God wants the love He gave from the beginning to be shared with everyone. Hatred, jealousy, evil imagination and the like are the root of crises in the world today. Inordinate desire for meaningless worldly things, inability to delay gratification and above all, lack of fear of God, is the bane of our world today. How sweet would the world be if we understand that it is expected of us to move in one direction and to have respect for one another’s opinions and ideas. God understood that we cannot live in isolation that is why he encouraged us to live in unity of Faith. If this is understood by men that we have one Father, the world would have been better place. That is why the preacher said: “there is one body and one spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, one Faith and baptism, one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all” Ephesians 4:4-6.

The royal road to peaceful living is to go back to the first love; Revelation 2:4-5. It is high time we revisit the laws of God and discover where we have got it wrong and amend our ways otherwise the anger of God will not tarry anymore. The only way to coexist peacefully, irrespective of our religion, ethnic, socio-economic differences is to understand that the Creator {God} is not the man that makes mistakes; he created everything beautiful in His time.

Regards: Friday Ofem. (drop comments)

Article submitted by Moses Ohiomo

(ohiomo.moses@yahoo.com)

PEACE AND 2015 ELECTION

Let me begin with this story: there was a woman in the suburb of a certain city (name withheld). Her disposition was the kind that allowed no room for children to come into her house, whether to play or take shade. Whenever the children around the neighborhood dare this; she is always at alert to fiercely drive them away heaping abusive statements on them, extending same to their parents respectively. This went on for long. At a point the children grew and she was old. Unable to work with her original two legs – but she had to improvise.

On a fateful day, she was coming back from the house of those owing her. Staggering about the foot path, unknowing to her; behold the boys she once molested and abused without reservation. Its payback time one of the boys muttered; yes! Replied another. She must be paid back in the same coin, yet another echoed. At this point she can hardly see clearly. Her walking stick was snatched from her. Leaving her helplessly crawling on the ground in misery (wicked right?). She asked what have I done to deserve these? One of the boys told her: you are the architect of what you re receiving now. Remember how you use to abuse and pursue us away from your house and insult our respective parents.

We came to make PEACE with you at that time but you rejected us and made us your enemies. Now we advise you to take this in good fate. And whenever such event happen to you, say to the people doing it to you “I forgive you all” otherwise we would make the rest of your days a living hell. Do you understand, yes she responded.

Now, lets come home, PEACE is what both the electorate and party aspirants should seek in the forth-coming election (2015). If the aspirants reject the electorate, shun, and disrespect them, they (aspirants), would become as the old woman in the story – who must learn by force or have her misery increased. And so, if you are an aspirant in any of the registered political party I charge you to do what the scripture says: keep your tongue from (speaking) evil and your lips from telling lies (Psalms 34verse13). If you set a thing to do, do it and fulfill all your electioneering promises.

Above all, the electorate and political party aspirants must make effort to live in PEACE with everyone in the neighborhood called Nigeria. And to be holy (Hebrew 12vs14).

In conclusion, as individuals and members of various groups in the larger society. We must give and receive PEACE. PEACE is not just the absence of commotion. But the presence of godliness in the lives we live, the things we think and do and the mindset we have toward others.

Take out time to say these words (Psalms 122 vs.6), I shall be PEACEable, giving PEACE and receiving PEACE at all times (say them seven times daily).

“Mercy has a human heart,

Pity a human face,

And love, the human form divine,

And PEACE, the human dress”

                                -William Black-

Regards: FRIDAY OFEM (ofemclark@gmail.com), add your comments.