AND THE WARNINGS ABOUT FALSE TEACHERS continues, because they will be with us until the very end. Underscoring this point are these comments concerning the worse threesome to ever walk the face of the earth. "Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, 'Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?' The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander His name and His dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast - all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world." (Revelation 13:5 - 8)
That speaks of Satan and the person known as the Antichrist. The third member of this unholy, false trinity is another beast, known as the false prophet. "Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And he performed great and miraculous signs... " (Revelation 13:11-13) Do you notice here a reference to a false resurrection even? The delusions will be powerful. That is why it is so important, no matter how astounding the signs and wonders, no matter how powerful the rhetoric, to check the walk and the talk with the whole counsel of God. Paul's concern for the Corinthian church is still valid concerning the church today. "I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough." (2 Corinthians 11:3-4)
There are two biblical principles that should show up sooner or later (usually sooner) when the Gospel of the Kingdom is being preached: repentance and suffering. The false teachers seldom if ever mention these things. True repentance involves a change of heart, a change of affection, a change of direction. It is evident by the fruit which is produced, according to the forerunner of Christ, John the Baptist. "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance" (Luke 3:8). Jesus confirmed this principle. "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them" (Matthew 7:15-16). James puts the lid on the issue with this statement. "But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do" (James 2:18).
One of the signs of genuine faith in the Gospel of the Kingdom, is a willingness to suffer. The principle of suffering is so prevalent in the New testament, some have called it the doctrine of sufferology. In the New International Version, the word "suffer" appears 83 times in the New Testament, and the word persecution 14 times. In this post, I am going to mention only 2 or 3. "The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name" (Acts 5:41). "Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory" (Romans 8:17) And so that we might end on a note of encouragement: "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18)
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