The Clock is Ticking

May 11

Read: 1 John 2:18-29

The Clock is Ticking

“Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come…I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.” (v.18,26)

We are living in “the last hour”; also known as “the last days”. Peter affirms this in Acts 2 when he declares: “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh…” (cf. Acts 2:17) The author of Hebrews says the same: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…” (cf. Heb. 1:1-2) John affirms it here when he tells the people of God that they are in “the last hour”. I don’t think anyone expected the “last days” or the “final hour” to stretch as long as it has - but that doesn’t change the biblical truth of the matter. We are nearing the end of this timeline and the beginning of the next!

There are many things that are against Christ. Many people, powers, institutions, and ideas that have been planted in the minds of mankind. These things are anti-Christ. They war against the work of the Lord in this world. Make no mistake, this is a spiritual battle. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (cf. Eph. 6:12) The way that the “spiritual” accomplishes its goals in the physical is through the indwelling of physical beings in the material realm. This is true for us as the “body of Christ”. (cf.1 Cor. 12) God is accomplishing his work in this world primarily through his people. The Holy Spirit, The Son, and The Father dwell in us and accomplish their good work through us. The same can be said for the one who rebels against God - the accuser and deceiver - the fallen angel we call Satan. Satan is the essence of opposing Christ. Satan is the supreme “anti-Christ”. Satan will seek to accomplish his goals in the material realm through the coercion, oppression, and manipulation of people. This includes demon possession. This is not new, it is as old as time.

So John says to us, “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come.Therefore we know that it is the last hour.” (cf. 1 Tim 4:1-2) The last hour is marked by many being deceived and led astray, even from within the church. People that we would think are brothers and sisters in Christ turn against the Lord… they become Anti-Jesus… antichrists. This is a key marker of the final hour. John says as much: “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 it might become plain that they all are not of us.” People who once, literally, walked with Jesus and followed him went out and began twisting the truths of Christ or abandoning Christ all together. The antichrist “deny the Father and the Son.” (v.22) There is an active effort to deceive you these last days! Satan is a deceiver, and the “father of lies”. (cf. John 8:44) The crazy thing is that “…even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.” (2 Cor. 11:14) Satan is trying to deceive the world, and make people think that darkness is light and that light is darkness. What is evil will be cloaked in what APPEARS to be good… and sometimes even be peddled by people who claim to come form the church. The evil will masquerade under the guise of something good and philanthropic - but in the end will be shown to be darkness.

For this reason the “Children” of God need to be aware, sensitive to the Holy Spirit in them and rooted in the word of God. We need not be afraid of these last days, for Jesus declares, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matt. 16:18) There is a lyric from a song that I love; it says “no matter how small the flame, against the darkness, don’t you know the light will win?” (Thad Cockrell) The light will win… the light IS winning. Those things that are anti-Christ stand no chance against the King of Kings! As God’s people, we need to keep our eyes open. The most sinister attacks on the church will appear to come from within. The most destructive schemes of the Devil will be those dressed in “light”. There is an active effort to deceive, mislead, and destroy the people of God. Who knows how long the “last days” will last? We have about 2000 years so far! Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes today. God is working through you - His Spirit dwells within you and this is how the spiritual works in the physical realm. Remember that the people you are most angry with… your battle is not really with them: “we battle not against flesh and blood”. Jesus is the one, true, living GOD and can wake them up and set them FREE. Love you guys. - JDP