“…every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh IS NOT OF GOD. And this is THE SPIRIT OF THE ANTICHRIST, which you have heard was coming, and is NOW already IN THE WORLD. YOU ARE OF GOD, little children, and HAVE OVERCOME THEM, because HE WHO IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN HE WHO IS IN THE WORLD. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world HEARS THEM.” (1 John 4:3-5) How long has this spirit of antichrist been around? Do you remember in the Garden of Edan when the talking serpent, who LIED to Eve and said, “You will not surely die.” (Gen. 3:4) Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Special place God made for them because, “she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” (Gen. 3:6) Directly disobeying God’s command, “…of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil YOU SHALL NOT EAT, for in the day that you eat of it YOU SHALL SURELY DIE.” (Gen. 2:17) Their sin ended their eternal life, separating them from God and plunging the world into the darkness of sin.
King David was up on His roof one night and the spirit of ANTICHRIST tempted him to look down and see Bathsheba taking a bath. Instead of turning around and fleeing temptation, David looked and lusted. Her husband Uriah, was off to war so, David sent for her and made love to her causing her to become pregnant. Then David tried to bring Uriah home to sleep with Bathsheba but he would not so David sent Him into a fierce battle and he was killed. So David prayed: “Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, BLOT OUT MY TRANSGRESSIONS. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. AGAINST YOU, YOU ONLY, HAVE I SINNED, And done this evil in Your sight—That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. Take away ALL OF MY SINS. Wipe away all of the evil things I’ve done. God, CREATE A PURE HEART IN ME. Give me a NEW SPIRIT that is faithful to you. Don’t send me away from you. Don’t take your Holy Spirit away from me.” (Psalms 51:1-4, 9-11) The sincerity of this prayer and David’s faithfulness following caused God to say, “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after MY OWN HEART; he will do everything I want him to do.” (Acts 13:22)
LET’S BE CHRISTIANS AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART…
-Bill Stockhamx