This guest sermon was written by an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church. All ULC Ministers are invited to contribute their own sermons for consideration/publication. To do this, please email sermons@themonastery.org.
Have you had a brush with the Antichrist? Perhaps you have, but didn't realize it. Although the Antichrist is referenced numerous times in scripture, the Bible doesn't provide a clear description. Thus, there is no clear consensus on what it looks like. However, many believe the Antichrist appears as a false messiah, a leader that promises to fix everyone's problems while secretly using their power for evil. One popular theory holds that Pope Francis is the Antichrist. Some people were convinced it was Ronald Reagan. 13% of Americans think it's Obama.
A Reoccurring Nightmare
This leads into another school of thought, which teaches that the Antichrist is all around us. He takes many different forms, reappearing over and over throughout history. Sometimes the resemblance is obvious, but other times it's much more subtle. For example, your overly-friendly neighbor down the street the one whose smile seems a little fake? He could be a lesser version of the Antichrist.
What if he has infiltrated not just our neighborhoods, but our houses of worship as well? There must be a reason places like the Mormon church do not allow non-members into their temples, even during something so important as a marriage ceremony. Things that happen in the temple, stay in the temple. It is very top secret. Do the Mormons know something that we don't? Do they have inside information? Perhaps they shut their doors to outsiders to avoid accidentally admitting the Antichrist.
Is it Too Late?
What if these religious safeguards are too late? What if the Antichrist is already a member of a congregation somewhere? It would provide the perfect avenue for spreading evil and infiltrating the minds of the masses. Think about the violent cults which have sprung up periodically. The leaders have convinced their followers to commit terrible crimes, including murder, rape, and mass-suicide. These religious leaders took advantage of the members who trusted them, turning them into sheep and commanding the flock to partake in devilish activities. Clearly, if it's happened before, it can happen again.
Steady Infiltration
If the Antichrist is among us, surely his actions would not be sudden. They wouldn't come out of left field. They wouldn't be spur of the moment. He would build trust over a long period of time. His plans would be well thought-out, and everything would appear normal until it wasn't. The root of evil is not control, it's coercion. And history shows anything, it's that the Antichrist is the master of coercion. Not only will he convince you to do something awful, he'll make you believe that it was your idea in the first place.
Food for Thought
The Antichrist plants insane thoughts in your brain, then makes you believe they are entirely normal. That's why some conspiracy theorists think that it was the Antichrist who created all religions Christianity, Islam, Judaism, everything just to exercise control over the human race. If it's true, then the Antichrist has most of the world's population at his fingertips, ready and waiting to be manipulated for evil means.
Did the Antichrist make us all religious just so he could own our minds?
I sincerely hope that Christ really is our savior and we have nothing to worry about. I believe he is on our side. Probably. But just in case, when you are in your pew this Sunday, or wherever you choose to pray, ask yourself: is what you're hearing the word of the Lord? Or is it really the Antichrist disguised in God's cloak? Only time will tell.
76 comments
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Howard Masters
This is a great artical yes hes here and no i say its never too late we must learn to pray harder and watch every move we make the evil one is always trying to undermine us in any way he can pray pray pray we can still overcome the enemy no matter what God bless us all. Paster Ed
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Bob
Howard....it's called a 'period' and it's right above the right 'alt' key.
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vikaschowdare
Ha ha ha ha ! That is so funny !
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JOHN MAHER
YES !!! DONALD J.TRUMP and the RNC/GOP ALL from HELL
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Carol Amina
Wow...that's what I've been thinking too! But I seem to recall that he will be handsome and people will be drawn to him...that he will appears as a Christ like man.... Trump looks like a baboons ass...and most intelligent people are repulsed by him.
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ginnysbreadbasket
Thank you for that witty reply. Love it.
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Rev. Rob
man you really are fried huh?
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Niels Andrews
Drugs are a dangerous thing.
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J. Paul Lanier
The antichrist of 1 John has been conflated with the beast of Revelation. There is no basis for equating the two. Nowhere in the Bible does it state the beast is antichrist. That’s actually a recent interpretation. It’s repeated so often that people believe it’s biblical. But it’s not. From 1 John, it is clear antichrist refers to a class of people. Here are the four passages from 1 John:
Children, it is the last hour! As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. From this we know that it is the last hour (1 John 2:18 NRSV).
Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist! (2 John 1:7 NRSV)
Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. (1 John 2:22 NRSV).
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world (1 John 4:2–3 NRSV).
Revelation speaks of the beast, but never mentions antichrist. There is no basis for the claim that they are one and the same.
Note the claim that the first or second century (depending on your view of when 1 John was written) was “the last hour.” It never happened. No doubt some will quibble with the term “last hour.” Many will claim “last hour” can refer to 2,000+ years in the future. In any case, “antichrist” refers to an ancient class of believers who denied some early church doctrines. It does not refer to a future charismatic figure.
This being the case, the modern speculation on the antichrist is baseless. It’s just pop Chrisitanity.
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Brian Balke
Paul:
It's not baseless, it's just obscure.
The mind of God is like Wikipedia - every time you formulate a question, you are following a link to the answer. So in recounting his experience in Revelation, John wanders all over the history of life on Earth, and a lot of extraneous material gets thrown in. The Age of Man actually doesn't begin until the seventh trumpet.
But there is an anti-Christ, in the sense that something opposes the manifestation of an era of peace under the guidance of human intelligence. It was the serpent in the Garden, Herod in Canaan, and the dragon in Revelation. The error is to think that it will be focused in a single individual.
I summarize my opinion regarding the dangers of Revelation theology here.
Brian
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Terry Hayes
The last paragraph seems to add a little doubt to every prayer.
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Dr. J Pace
I think Christians have a very skewed idea of what the Antichrist is and what it represents.... if they spent a little time studying schools of thought outside what they have been indoctrinated into....explore what the dark is really about they will come away very much enlightened.... remember, everything began in the dark, return to your beginnings and become stronger through learning both sides of yourself instead of repressing all thats not warm and fuzzy..... we were created on a dynamic spectrum, meant to bring our entire self to its full potential.
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C.p
Interesting...are u saying we should all educate our selves in the dark arts befor deciding if we wish to live in the light.....I am un convinced....my conection with the devine is strong, I lived thru many dark events, and people... There is a danger in to little education, but there is a far greater danger in opening totally to that which is so drk. and all consuming...it is a slow seduction...like a moth to the flame, we all are accutely aware of what happens to the moth.......
Dr.C.P.Min.,M.,H.H.-
angel722
I don't think he is referring to black magic, but more understanding the darkness within, or what we perceive as darkness. We often have thoughts or feelings we would never admit to anyone else and then feel guilty for it so instead of understanding where it comes from, we push away or try to purge it and never gaining any understanding. We all have this side and if we took the time to understand it instead of burying it, only then can we heal it or change it or transform it to it's highest good. This is the cornerstone of freewill. . Anger in the dark could leave to abuse or murder, but anger in light creates freedom and positive change. Pain in the dark leads to dispair but pain in light pushes us to heal. Without pain we would never understand the depths of love and how far it could really go. We would never understand understanding and a deeper level of compassion, understanding and ultimately unconditional love. It's not about moving away from the dark and into the light, it's about balancing the dark and light to fully understand who we are as an individual and as a collective. People often ask why bad things happen to good people, and most responses are tailored to lack of responsibility and placing the weight of everything on something evil or something else. We have more understanding and "enlightenment" then we realize, but most people refuse to go that deep. Because in order to reach those depths, we have to accept the things within that we refuse to accept. We are forced to accept that we are capable of the evils we see, and most people refuse to do that. To deny the darkness within is to deny half of who you are. We can't change or transform if we refuse to accept that it's there :)
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C.p
Personal experance is just that ...it is not ment to be judged or questioned..it is ment to be shared...it is not necessary to write a book to say a door is open or closed ...Unfortunatly that seems to be missed in your rebuttal....do not mistake anothers words of courage or a warning as a lack of knowlage which could be far greater than realised...A persons ability to go deep ?... Is not based totally on awareness or knowalage but rather practical ones. Like time, work, family, Ect. Ect. Such as things of this earthly life...And also a willingness to share..which some find far more difficult then quoting passages of current or obscure novels.. Life contains answers, all one has to do is listen.... Light or dark are general terms which are based on personal experience or knowledge...which are governed once again by ones own life experience....an ability to listen is far more valuable.. there is far to little of that in this current existence... If u really want to know someone or something about their personal experience its simple be still and listen...
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Rev. Rob
the anti Christ is alive and well in the form of Hillary "what does it matter now " Clinton
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Diane Baum
truly, if you see how well she has America believing her many lies. Dig deeper and in the end you will see how what she has said was for the benefit of all actually is only for the benefit of herself. "Let's save the toddlers!" vs "I am all for abortion, even into the last trimester." Her zest for power, control and greed at all costs is what will cost the country gravely. Go back through history and look at what the leaders of the past said and then did, which brought their nations down.
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Frank Villari
HRC could very well be construed as "The Great Deceiver," if she weren't so bad at it. The thing most transparent about her is her deceit, and the only people being coerced by her are the lemmings who would follow her off the cliff no matter what she does. But, then, what do I know? I'm one of the deplorables she disdains, the 50% of the country she will not represent come hell or high water. You know, the one's she'll order into battle and then leave to die alone in some God forsaken desert half way around the world.
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Brenda Calkins
I am completely with you on what you have said! Thank God for being deplorables!
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C.p
Beware lemmings bite...
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Bob
Please go back to the aptly named 'Yahoo' and post your political rants there, not on this site.
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C.p
Agreed
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Jeanie
I can't believe this is all about politics. Go back to FB and troll, it's not appropriate here.
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Allen Alexander
I agree with you Jeanie, I am tired of folks sitting behind their computer screens spewing hate. What does that have to do with being part of an inclusive society like Universal Life Church? If they really want to make a difference, they need to get out of their chair and in the street. I think everyone has forgotten what Jesus said about "casting the first stone". There is plenty of stones ready to be cast about both candidates, so people need to open their eyes.
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Brenda Calkins
Is God not everywhere, is he not what we think, is he not what we say, is he not what we believe in! If I am cut do I not bleed, I I am hurt do I not cry? Why should we be segregated, for a belief that was put there by god, for a beautiful mind that was grown by god? I think this is exactly where we should be because god brought us here for a reason! Maybe for the close minded to open their mind or forever live in shame!
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Ama Cooke
Brenda, you raise some important points - the most challenging being, in my opinion, does humanity have Free Will? You wrote that we are exactly where we should be because God led us here. My first thought was - God led us to the destruction of ourselves and the planet, to the hatred, fear and hopeless that governs the minds of so many people across the world, particularly the generation of my children (oldest 32, youngest 30) who now attempt to guide our future? Are we only puppets that dangle on strings with no control over our destiny? What future is there for my grandson, only 5 months old, if he too is a puppet going into a war devastated world .. and God led us to this?
And then other thoughts arise -
Humanity suffers from separation because we have chosen to be Free (Will). It was a gift, with consequences. The consequences are that God does not interfere, and that we must be responsible for everything we create. Perhaps, sometimes, angels might try to help, those that are the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, and those who are true and loving human beings .. but even their actions have consequences in our lives. Every action, every thought, every word we speak out loud, has consequences (its in the Bible.) We cannot always see them, because they may not manifest for years after the events, but the power of them can make or break a person, or make and break a faith .. and so we choose (free will again) to place responsibility for our mistakes on God ('he' made me do it, or it was 'his' idea) .. I did this just the other day, because I needed to grumble, but I knew in my heart that God would forgive the momentary wish to not carry a burden I had created, before I picked it up again and decided to make something great out of something challenging. And so I am.
God created "Self", and then created Individuals. God is the "I Am", and so am I. God is within everything, which means he is within every person, every animals, all of nature, and the planet herself. God is the air we breathe that keeps us alive. And the pollution we create with our careless actions, not just toxic fumes, but toxic thoughts and feelings that we pump out of our bodies, through our thoughts and words and actions. But if I can feel that way, I can also Choose to feel, and act, in ways that are more loving and more forgiving, of myself and others. I can look for, and see, the "I AM" within the 'other', and since God binds us together by being part of each of us .. where is separation? Very long topic, so let me move on ...
You wrote ... "is he not what we think" .. is God what we think he/it is? A couple of years ago, before life changed direction, I wrote a blog based on the concept "Is God a monster?" If we focus on the OT, then God certainly seems to be a monster, thoughtless, unkind, destructive, unforgiving .. thankfully the various writers in the NT describes him differently. But it is us who decides what we believe of God, and mostly that is based on descriptions in the bible, on life events that break our hearts, and other people's opinions, because .. that's all there is in the Bible, other people's opinions. And everyone has a different opinion .. so yes, God is probably not what we think he is, because our understanding of an omnipotent being is severely limited by our beliefs and knowledge.
"Is he not what we say" - I certainly hope not. I just wrote God is a monster. I have told people about this theory, based on close reading of the Bible (I studied Theology at University). I don't want him to be the unfeeling, uncaring voyeur that plays games with the lives of humans. I prefer the Being of Unconditional Love, that set us Free to make our own mistakes, and find our own path back to his (its) energy.
"Is he not what we believe in" .. for some people yes, for others no. Will God punish non-believers by sending them to hell, and what about tiny, unchristened, babies "born into original sin" who take one breath and then let go? Are they on his hit (hate) list too? What I believe God is probably won't suit a lot of other people, but it does lead to some interesting discussions.
And what happens if my mind is actually the one that is closed, to the possibility that God is just a tyrant whom I have cloaked in many different colours?
To tie this all back to the question about my opinion on the anti-christ - we don't need it to visit, we can destroy ourselves by ourselves, without any help in that direction .. but we do need help where Love is concerned, because in this wild drive to protect ourselves, from real and imagined enemies, we are still finding demons in every closet, or out of closets, and we are still demonising our "enemies", instead of looking for the commonalities, those things that make us 'like the other', those things that draw us away from separation and back to "I Am You".
Long-winded, as usual. Utterly fascinating subject. Thank you Brenda.
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Tom B
demons, satan and hell are just concepts thought up by the "executives" of religions to control people...God is peace...we are not capable, in this form, of discerning why we incarnate over and over again, until we return to peace...i have tried for many years to figure out why souls would leave peace for this existence; it can not be figured out...the best we can do is love and be considerate of all people
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Ama Cooke
I agree about being considerate of others, Tom, but cannot agree that demons, satan and hell are only concepts. My person experiences, and the experiences of multitudes of other individuals from all over the world, say otherwise. Every being has a 'home' of some kind, hence hell for demons (humans do not go there), satan is not the correct name for that ancient evil, though its known by that name, among many others, and demons do exist - I wish that they didn't - but even if they had never been created, they would exist by now - because humans were created to create, and we have to have ultimate evil to understand ultimate good. Just look around us, on this planet everything has an opposite - light & darkness, day & night, right & left, male & female .. Christ & and anti-christ - by any other name. Ultimate evil came from some of the angels 'falling' .. and then humanity was created. Another long story. As to why I am here, as a human being, I am curious about everything, I want to experience everything, and so is God curious about itself, and so it created angels and humans to learn from. Hence the 'stand back and watch' attitude.
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Rev, Ragi Burhum
H.Clinton, if she wins, will start the NWO and helps DEVIL to continue killing the real sons of the Lord. Hilary wants to take the weapons away from the people, in order to help her military kill the population without any resistance. In my country, the son of DEVIL killed the son of our Lord and now, they will kill us, as followers of Jesus Christ, who is the KING of PEACE ........SHALOM........SALAM I have the feeling, that Donald loves the peace and I have no option more, than voting for him, but trusting in God !!!
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Steve
Conspiracy Theorize much????
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Bob
Please go back to the aptly named 'Yahoo' and post your political rants there, not on this site.
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Amy Minckler
"In my country, the son of DEVIL killed the son of our Lord" - Ragi Burhum
Really? Could you explain this to me please? I am not being a smart ass here I really do want to understand. I have always been under the impression that it was man, in fear of losing their power over people, that killed the son of the lord. And to be honest, I don't think I have ever heard of the devil having a specific son. It is also my understanding that the lord created angles, and despite being a fallen one, the devil is also a child of the lord. This to me, if applying human standards to the Divine, would make the the son of the lord and the devil brothers in a melded family.
Blaming the devil for everything we feel is bad and giving credit for everything we see as good is blinding oneself to the burdens and joys of freewill. In negative there can be found positive as there can be negative outcomes within the positive. It is called balance. No matter who we are, what we are, what are beliefs are, we as human beings need to find and promote this balance and learn to take responsibility for are choices good and bad. From religion to politics its about Us not about covering our asses so we feel better about ourselves.
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BARJONA
After Jesus finished teaching the Gospel, the anti-Christ came and planted his words so close to Jesus' words that his words can not be removed without uprooting Jesus' words: Theophilus, Luke, and Paul, contaminated the Gospel by changing Mark and Matthew's Gospel then adding their own gentile scriptures.
antichrist originally meant "substitute" or "instead of".
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Melodie Jones
Interesting.The words on the purple cloth that the Pope wears around his neck translates "Substitute of God". I've read nothing in the Bible about God appointing a substitute on earth for himself. I also have to wonder about the Vaticans Holy See and their Lucifer Progect in Arizona atop Mt Graham. A telescope that peers into space above the stars etc. that is constantly searching the Heavens for a "Alien Savior" . I guess they did not read the part about "no one will know the time that I come". In my opinion,thats taking the term "be watchful" to a extreme level, a level the Antichrist might go to. Something to think about. Look it up.
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Lea Weisenbach
Using the word antichrist is such a way of spreading hate. This word has been used to kill and silence people that are not followers of Christ. Anyone that goes throw life and never question nor allowed to is a person that will have great hardship in their own life plus the ones that love them the most.
When we teach children to look at our world in a good and evil way this alone teaches our children not only in judging others but also judging themselves very harshly. This way of think to me has caused mental illness in our society with the results of drugs. .alcohol. ...and sex additions society. .
The word antichrist is a word that instills fear....This is damaging to young minds that last a life time if they ever learn to understand and find reason and compassion that starts with ourselves. God has no religion. ..Namaste
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Rev. Wolfgang Platzer, DD
It is truly sad to read the above political dialogues filled with hate, misguided beliefs and divisiveness on this religious site that preaches respect, love and peace for all peoples and religions. Clearly current candidates for the presidential office are defective to varying degrees and not our first choices. But remember: You get what you vote for. Unless you are willing to transform the world's longest lasting democracy into a living hell of fascist dictatorship, accept and live with the majority's choices. May your Lord guide you and yours to enduring reconciliation and happiness.
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Ellis
Anti-Christ is the God of Christianity. God is the unity of all or one of many. When the ritual torture and murder of God creates an imagine Heaven of or after Death the other worldly non-existent delusion is against the natural common good of everything that is and the human person who we are. 666 is the crucified Christ.
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Sandy R
And don't forget in the Bible, it says there will be false prophets that will say they come in the name of God and preach false testimonies!
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Arthur Napoles
Bill and "Hellary" Clinton and the Clinton Foundation!! God help us
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Bob
Arthur...please take your medications before posting.
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vikaschowdare
Ha Ha ! Funny !
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Rev, Ragi Burhum
To be happy is easy, just don't hate,,,,,The hater suffers more than the hated!! I am 80 years of age and have rather enough life experience and master many languages. I ave enough contact with different nations and learned to understand the different feelings of nations on earth What I will never accept or understand, how a couple of people can drive the currency of our world by force and those are who represent DEVIL on our earth. Small group of people are causing suffering on our mother EARTH ? Those people are who are spoiling the world, morally..............etc. By chance I am a very happy Christ follower, but I believe that we have some followers of DEVIL on our earth and they are identified by their actions. I wait for the coming power of the Lord.........but soon. Devil attacks the happy and polite people with sweet words, but filled with real poison and real destruction......open your eyes and be prepared to receive the positive POWER of heaven !!! Open your eyes, because some people who leave comments could be infiltrated soldiers of Lucifer........Shaitan..
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Steve
And if you remove the H and the I from Shaitan........................................................
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Bob
And if you remove both a's and the 'n' you get....?
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Dave
No denomination. Not "religious" in the LEAST. Truth is: the "anti-Christ" has ALWAYS been among EVERYONE OF US. Humans have ALWAYS had the capacity to carry out EVIL. The one trait that separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom is: CHOICE. We AND WE ALONE are the creators of our own destinies. Therefore, CHOICE can be summed up simply as: the CORRECT one takes our lives in a POSITIVE direction, while the anti-choice leads us down a BAD PATH. And once the "bad path" has been chosen, the snowball affect takes place. But what people don't realize: it's NOT IMPOSSIBLE to get back on a "good path"; it just takes a little work. STOP BLAMING A FICTIONAL FIGURE, your "upbringing", your [lack of] education, your neighborhood, our political "leaders", your crappy jobs / relationship choices...TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN ACTIONS--INTEGRITY...and simply TRY TO BE THE BEST HUMAN BEING YOU CAN POSSIBLY BE. It really is that simple.
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Ama Cooke
Amen, Dave. I am the creator of my reality. No one else is doing this 'to' me. It's very easy to find a 'villain', someone else to blame for our failings, but in the end it is OUR choices that change our world - for good or other.
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Dave
Thanks for the "shout-out", amacooke!
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Dave
...would it surprise you to know that I am an aspiring motivational speaker? My message: create a LIFESTYLE. my "handle" is: Lyfa Lee Zhure (get it?!)
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Ama Cooke
You are welcome, Dave, but there's no need to yell. Also, lots of CAPITALS makes a sentence rather hard to read - our eyes skip the lower-case words so the message might get lost .. if you want to catch people's eyes, while advertising your "Life of Leisure", remember that God speaks to us with the small quiet voice. And we might not hear it if we are too busy listening to the shouting we inspire. Ama Cooke
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terry
it's that simple! no doubt, the imagined invisible boogey spirit, would come in handy when blame is being rationed out! Calm yourself, and just be. In this universe you are the only one you really know. so just work on you, the anti-Christ,alla,budda,confucius,iggypognoose,harveygick, and all the other evil demonic "others", will continue with or without you. Being proves that you are. You only need to convince you.tmills850
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Tom B
Agree...there is no anthropormorphic anti-Christ...what exists is the lack of love and respect of people for one another, which leads to violence, stealing, etc...ascribing these actions to the will of something external is just a cop-out; viz. "the devil made me do it"
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Ama Cooke
It's a pity there isn't a 'like' button for comments like yours Tom. Thank you.
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Tom B
thank you amacooke...i appreciated your writing...i am old enough to have seen the killing of Malcolm X, as he was becoming conciliatory; the killing of Martin Luther King, because his message was resonating too loud, and finally the killing of Bobby Kennedy, because he wanted a real democracy of which we could be proud...sadly, he crossed the Mafia, and paid with his life...isn't is interesting that Jimmy Carter, who everyone decided was too weak to be re-elected, has had the health and stamina to reach the age of 90, and still work for Habitat for Humanity, and preach...i fear for the world our children are growing into...
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Timothy Gartner
Hillary Clinton is the living anti Christ. She has continually lied and demonizes all Christians. Pure evil
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Bob
In my humble observances, Hillery Rodham Clinton is very much like my understanding of the anti Christ. She is able to describe the masses. Comes off as a savior to a weak, immoral people. Promises us a cure to all of humanities ills. And most of all, gets away with crimes regardless of everything. One one hand, she fools the masses with her claims of of caring for children, while on,the other supports late term abortion. Ironic.
It boggles a reasonable mind how she can get away with so much crime, and Coe out like a rock star.
Last time I saw a person like her was some time ago. He was called "the Teflon Don."
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Gwen Thomas
I truly believe that an antichrist...if not the Antichrist..is the current Republican presidential nominee. That one individual can inspire such decisiveness in our day and age while promising mystical solutions..with no real plans, and is also easily tied to the prophesies describing the end times, can lead only to this conclusion. I know Jews. African Americans. Mexicans, Catholics Muslims, Pagans, and even atheists who are terrified of him... and are actually referring to him by that name.
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C.p
Amen Gwen.....in recent days. (after election) I have seen so much fear, turmoil, and anxiety.... The likes of which are not even seen Pryor to a hurricane making land fall.. These things I have found are a healthy reminder.....we need only ask .... For courage in times of FEAR..Ephesians 6:10-18 Hebrews 13:5, 6 For peace in times of TURMOIL Isaiah 26:3, 4 Philippians 4:6, 7 Comfort in times of SORROW 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 Romans 8:26-28 For Relief in times of SUFFERING 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 Hebrews 12:3-13 And of course a favorite, Protection in times of DANGER Psalm 91 Psalm 121 Rember your god (your definition) is always with you , you need but ask.....
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Rev, Ragi Burhum
We know Hilary from her previous criminal actions and her black background, and don't want to support her continue her killing innocent soldiers and innocent children. Trump has constructive plans and not war plans, and this means than his brain is planning PEACE and not WAR !!! I love the Bible, the Book of PEACE...!!!.................I love and respect only PEACE-MAKERS and avoid to mingle with evil people, but I cannot hate them. Honestly................Ragi (one of the sons of Bethlehem)
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vikaschowdare
Trump is a Bully....
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Terry Hayes
There is no doubt that either candidate is of presidential quality. If one or both candidates are the antichrist what about the rest of the world leaders. Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un, or any of the world leaders. Evil is out there. Is the evil in your heart?
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Ama Cooke
The anti-christ in our midst is the one in our hearts that makes judgment of others, and hatred of others, so easy to do, and the reasons for it so easy to justify. The American Election is a perfect example. Two loud, proven dishonest, candidates yelling at everyone, saying 'look at me' 'see me' 'choose me' in ways that deny their Christ-like nature .. and the ones that watch them, with avid, hungry, demanding, eyes, see exactly what they want to see. I have friends in America who are true believers in both camps. They ascribe nasty labels to the other would-be leader. They believe the rhetoric, even when the facts turn out to be lies right before their eyes. Nor do they actually stop and think about whatever facts might actually be hidden in all that emotional NOISE. They are caught up in the hype. Reality seems to have flown out the window. You want the 'other' to be the devil. First it was Obama, because he was black and has a Muslim parent, now it is Hilary because she is a woman, or Trump because he is a buffoon. Why would the anti-christ interfere in this circus .. it plays right into his/her hands.
Saying that either candidate is the anti-christ makes no sense, if anyone bothers to go and read the Christian bible. The descriptions are clear enough. The anti-christ is the anathema of Jesus. Jesus was kind, honest, good, thoughtful, quiet, slow to anger, not judgemental, not a liar. The anti- christ is a brilliant liar .. so why does anyone who thinks that either of the two candidates are the anti-christ believe one word of what either candidate is saying? Since both of them are consummate liars, how can anyone trust one word that comes out of their mouths? "Hilary says this, Trump says that' .. they are all just words, pie-crust promises (easily made easily broken) and what will all of you do when your next beloved leader reverses all his/her promises and drives America into a war it will never win? Aren't you already in one, within your own country .. isn't the world already in one, against terrorism? People no longer trust the person living next door, the one they've 'known' for years .. and the greatest distraction of all is playing out on the world stage "the American Election", how convenient it is that it draws the eyes of the western world, while the rest of the world, those who aren't starving to death, or dying of horrible diseases, sticks knives in everyone's backs.
Have some quotes from the bible on the subject of the anti-christ:
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”
Are we in the 'falling away' ... it appears so.
Daniel 7:25 “He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.”
Have either candidate cursed God? They both appear to be wanting to change the 'times and the laws', and some of them really need changing. And how long is a 'time and a half', described below as 42 months .. that's all the time we have folks, from November 8. Do we start digging bunkers now? Is it too late to bed God for help?
Revelation 13:3 “And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.”
What are their wounds?
1 John 2:18 “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”
Are these two of them?
1 John 2:22 “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.”
Have either of them done this? Surely that would have hit the news by now.
Revelation 13:5 “And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.”
Great things and blasphemies .. hatred of others is hatred of God. For Jesus said "love one another as I have loved you" and paraphrasing "judge not lest ye be judged"
Daniel 7:24 “The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; he shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings.”
.. something to look forward to? Ok, I am being sarcastic. Who are the ten kings, that the 'other' is now rising?
Some of that could match either candidate, but I think you'll find that, if the anti-christ is a person, which I sincerely doubt, that person, or group of people, is running both candidates .. and by doing so destroying one of the most powerful countries in the world. And you are letting it happen by falling into their hands and "hating the ''other", whomever s/he might be" .. very Psalm 139 19-24.
19-22 "O that you would kill the wicked, O God, and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me - those who speak of you maliciously, and lift themselves up against you for evil. Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies."
23-24 "Search me, o God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me int he way everlasting".
WE all fail.
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Tom B
i feel your summary comments are right on target, even without quoting passages...to have these two candidates, both of whom bought their respective nominations, shows how detached the American people are from what should be OUR government...this is very sad
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Ama Cooke
Also frightening, for those who must live through their reign ('term of office'). I wonder what the world will be like for my grandchildren, my first is only 5 months old. What legacy will I leave him, what trials for my children? I helped create this reality. How can we undo what we have done?
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Tom B
Without an actual revolution, it will take a long time...there is a complete lack of charismatic leaders that actually want a government for the people...without a Congress and State governments that want adequate housing for all, education that teaches children how everyone can live with everyone else by caring (not by violence or economic violence), we are entering an American Dark Ages...for every Habitat for Humanity that helps a small number of people, there is a Monsanto, that poisons millions slowly...for every loving wealthy person, there is the oil cartel, the drug cartels, the terrorists...we have reached the point where our majority is satisfied with simply being able to have any, eat and go to sleep at night...there does not seem to be the will to change...look what happened to Bernie Sanders...he was not perfect, but he tried, until he was intimidated into dropping out, right before he was going to take his challenge for the nomination to the floor of the convention...and the States are not better...here in New Jersey the legislature passed a 23 cent gas tax increase, because they had frittered away all the income from lotteries and gambling, and they did not want to balance the budget...in New York all the major leaders from both parties are at the stages of being indicted or going to jail...the major banks and the major insurance companies are raping us, while the major medical insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies charge us up to six (6) times what is charged in Canada and Western Europe...our media is being swallowed up by the likes of Rupert Murdoch, and altered from news to sensationalism, to sell newspapers and internet news solely for profit...i agree with your concern about your grandchildren...our children are being "educated" by a non-caring technology that tells them that if you can text and chat with 200 others, they are your "friends"...our youngest children are learning "fun" through violent video games and movies, while both parents struggle with low-paying jobs just to pay for rent, food and clothes...none of this will change quickly at the national, State or county level...to me, the best we can do is teach our children, friends and all those with whom we come in contact that we are caring people, and pray that it registers...
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Tom B
there is no moderation
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Tom B
please publish my entire writing...do not moderate it...thank you
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Tom B
Amen to the quiet voice over style
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Tom B
Again; Amen to the words of Ama Cooke
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Ama Cooke
:-)
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Rev. JASON Durden
Will we be sure if and when the antichrist comes? I doubt it, he will be very slick, but all I know for sure is our hearts need to be in the right place. That's the only thing we can do that's in our control.
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Tom B
Ama...i understand and respect how you feel...but i disagree...opposites are strictly a construction of ego...God/peace is eternal, and has no "opposite"...the ego tries to maintain its existence by making us think we can intellectualize life...real peace is a meditative state where there is no intellectualization; only quiet, total peace...i wish this for you....Tom
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Ama Cooke
Dear Tom, this could end up as a wonderful debate :-) , but instead I wish the peace for you that you are seeking. I also wish it for every person who cannot find it, because of ego-constructs that existed before humans were created. LOL Real peace comes when we return to God, touch Source and release the illusion of 'self' and never incarnate again, as this individual or any other. Until then .. I will still be a Spiritual Warrior, at peace with that role, because I am of service. Thank you. :-)
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Tom B
Ama...thank you...i feel we are very close in beliefs...i agree with what you said about real peace...i will assume that what you call "service" is love, with which i agree...you must be of real comfort to those with whom you come in contact...the last thing we lose when we return to God is the concept of time (which deletes the concepts of opposites)...feel good...Tom
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angel722
I don't believe the anti-christ is one person, but will come in the form of a one world government. I also believe this government (UN) is in place now, but is still in it's infancy. The recruitment process does/will promise of freedom to exsisting governments that will be overseen by the one government. There will be rewards for joining in the form of money,trades, protection, and other benefits under the guise of peace. For those who choose not to join will eventually be overthrown and brought in through government officials of their choosing or government officials who will follow in the footsteps. The more that join, the more they have. Eventually, things will change and currency will eventually be one currency instead of several. Other things will also change, because the more control they gain, the more power they will hold. Eventually this wealth and power will lead to corruption and ultimately loss of freewill. The governments will get richer and the people will get poorer, uneducated and will turn into slaves. Military will turn into law enforcement and rebels will be killed. This will lead to fear which will eventually lead to supression until the common citizen is stripped of all hope. However, as history repeats, this suppression and loss of hope, people must find that hope through the ashes and will eventually wager a war against them. I believe that mankind will lead to it's own demise and the world will reset itself once again, or blow the planet up and fight until there is nothing left or some will be able to migrate off the planet. Maybe. Depending on how quickly we advance compared to how quickly they are able to gain control. This is where many "leader's" such as Hitler have failed. Their pride was their donwfall and wanted all the "glory" to go to themselves, but it can't be done with one person alone. Many will probebly disagree with this analogy, but with what I have researched, what Obama and Hilary have been trying to do, there is a pattern of behavior that leads straight down this path. It's funny because alot of people call Trump the anti-christ, but I think he is the intervention that will slow down the "end of the world" process. In order for this to happen, they will have to get enough countries to unite. And though we are already united with them, merging Mexico, USA and Canada won't happen in the next 4 years, at least. I also feel that this "merging" of countries will be a huge catalyste to the end result. I believe alot of the prophesies in the bible are symbolic, as most visions are, so I do believe that there could be intervention at different periods before it get's to that point. But all of it really rests on freewill. It will be this freewill that will allow divine intervention to shine through. This will all be essential in order for mankind to grow as people and as souls. But, this is my opinion and I don't expect anyone to agree.
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Tom B
you are right...it is always better to listen than to speak...there is no light or dark; only karmic experience
Think about it. Yahweh killed the entire population of the planet twice over using biological weapons and weapons of mass destruction. Does this sound like a benign god?