By Carol Harper
The Anti-Christ is here.
He is loved and embraced by
millions, all over the world. He speaks many different languages, is an
eloquent, practiced speaker, revered and supported by politicians, lobbyists,
corporate entities, authors and writers, talk show hosts and TV personalities.
He is seen shaking hands with celebrities and noted world leaders. He has
written many books; there are books written about him. He has a degree in
theology, is well-versed in all scripture. He is marketed and produced by the
corporate media, and has gained great wealth, with holdings all over the world.
He has great power, authority and influence over the hearts, minds and souls of
many, many people.
Yes, the Anti-Christ is here…and
his name is Christianity.
You would think that, because of
the good news of Jesus Christ, the world would be a better place. Then why isn’t it? If the commandment of love has ruled
and abounded in the hearts of humankind for 2000 years, the world would be a
better place. Then why isn’t
it? If compassion and
forgiveness were first actions/ reactions, then the world would be a better
place. Then why isn’t it? If the millions who profess to be
Christians really live what they claim to believe, practiced what they
preached, truly served their fellow human beings from the goodness of their
hearts, then wouldn’t the world be a better place?
Then why isn’t it?
In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The
same was in the beginning with God.
All
things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.
In
him was life; and the life was the light of men.
And
the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness
comprehended it not.
He
was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
He
came unto his own, and his own
received him not.
(John
1: 1-5 & 10-12, KJV, underline added)
Jesus was crucified for blasphemy,
for breaking Judaic law and tradition. He was a revolutionary, an activist, a
threat to religious and political authority. They wanted Jesus silenced, even
from birth (Matt. 2). He was crucified, mocked and stripped from any
association or recognition as a King or Deliverer. His followers abandoned him.
He was crucified because he preached the truth, revealed the truth, was andis the truth.
It has taken 2000 years to create
and perfect such an effective Christ-image in the sophisticated, complex
mirrors of religion…an image worthy to be worshipped under the sign of “The
Cross”. For Jesus isstill a
threat to religious and political authorities. He is still mocked and stripped of identity as
King or Deliverer. From the pulpits has “the way, the truth and the life” been
replaced by hypocrisy, with lip service taking form as a Judas kiss, denied
many more times than Peter’s mere three. The “Word made flesh” has been
replaced by an idol called the “Bible”, a book twisted and spun, used and
abused, self-righteously interpreted by those who deem themselves more
Christian than Christ Himself!
Why? Because of one, simple thing: love. Ah, our history
lessons…love has become a threat!
Have we learned nothing in 2000
years! Jewelry and bumper stickers reading: “WWJD”? What has Jesus done? He brandishes picket signs
that read: “God hates fags.” He bombs abortion clinics and murders
doctors. Jesus readily and loosely scoffs and shouts “Sinner!” telling death row inmates to “burn in
hell”. He strings up a gay man on a fence and murders him, hangs a black man
from a tree, massacres and forces entire indigenous tribes from their lands and
homes. Jesus backbites, gossips, destroys the reputations of those he is
jealous of; accuses, hangs, beheads, shoots, maims, dismembers, burns,
drowns…stands by, watches and does nothing, unmercifully consents. Jesus
enslaves and punishes the poor, wines and dines the rich. Jesus rejects what he
thinks is “fat and ugly”, endorses the thin and pretty. Jesus subsidizes
concentration camps, proclaims genocide, stereotypes and judges. He strikes
deals behind closed doors; lies, steals and cheats and justifies, claiming it’s
“for the sake of the greater good, for “the faith of the people” or the “bigger
picture”. He creates a career for himself and calls it a “ministry”, preaches
for profit; pastes a smile on his face, pretends to be humble and submissive to
gain popularity, favors and votes. Jesus passes off his opinions as fact and
truth, insists that sinners are going to hell if they don’t believe in him.
Wow. That’s not my Jesus. The Jesus I know is full of grace and truth.
The Jesus I know steps outside the errant,
religious boundaries to reach the real, broken, downhearted, meek, poor, hungry
and merciful (Matthew 5). The Jesus I know confounds the prideful (Luke 20),
heals the sick, raises the [physically and spiritually] dead, saves those on death row (John 8), hangs out
with whomever He dang well pleases (Matthew 9, John 4), and not only preaches
love as the greatest commandment (Matthew 22: 37-40) , but has proven His love
for me (John 3:16-17).
My Jesus didn’t ask me to believe a book, a preacher, prophet,
denomination, religion or doctrine. My Jesus simply asks me to believe in Him:
“But
as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Which
were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,
but of God.
And
the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld
his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)
full of
grace and truth.
Jesus is “full of grace and truth”.
So then…where in the world is he? If
Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love, then where is this love
found? Where is love being taught, where is it being practiced? In churches,
synagogues, mosques and temples? In
best-seller books sold by talk show hosts, or CD sets sold on late-night TV? Is
Jesus preached by leaders and pastors who can’t readily admit they don’t know
right from left, up from down, forward from backward?
Is Christ divided? (1 Cor. 1:13) Do
the blind still lead the blind? (Luke 6). Do hypocrites still exist? (Matthew
23). Apparently, yes. So…where is the real Jesus? Where is God being worshipped
“in spirit and in truth”? (John 4:24) Because, if there is such a place, I want
to be there! If there are such people, I want to be among them. If there is
joy, forgiveness, mercy, grace and peace and rest to be found in this world
(Matthew 11: 28-30), please…take me by the hand and show me the “Mighty God, the Everlasting
Father, the Prince of Peace” (Isaiah
9:6) because quite frankly…these various brands of “Christianity” just ain’t doing it for me!
Love God. Love your neighbor. Love your enemies, “bless them that curse you, do good
to them that despitefully use you and persecute you…” (Matthew 5: 43-48). We haven’t even
learned how tolove! You can quote scripture until the cows come home,
but where is the love?
Where is the grace? Are
these things so difficult for the human race to grasp that an Anti-Christ must
be created?
“Not every one that saith unto
me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven
but he that
doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many
will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?
and in thy
name have cast out devils? and in thy
name done many wonderful works?
And
then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work
iniquity.”
(Matthew
7:21-23)
We should believe the real Jesus who saves by grace, not an
anti-Christ that “saves” by ultimatums. The real Jesus is the Word [God] made
flesh,”…not an anti-Christ who uses scripture to justify opinions, prejudices,
acts of cruelty and destruction. We should embrace the real Jesus who accepts us for who we are, right where we are…not
some anti-Christ using religious or denominational standards to measure worth
by stereotypes or “sinner” labels. The real Jesus wants us to know that the most important thing we learn in
this life is to LOVE. Oh, that we know this in the very core
of our being! If we have not love, we are NOTHING (1 Cor. 13). Jesus doesn’t command us
to go into battle and conquer. The real Jesus commands us to love…because love is greater!
Dear
friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they
are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
This
is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that
Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
but every
spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.
This
is the spirit of the anti-Christ, which you have heard is coming and even now
is already in the world.
You,
dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in
you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4: 1-4)
I have spoken out and written of
the false Christ of Mormonism. But I’ve recently come to learn that many
so-called “Christians” have proven themselves no better. At least Mormons don’t
actually know they worship a false Christ. Heck, I
would even call them innocent in the world’s religious chaos. But more would I
say that there are too many Christians who proclaim with their lips that they
worship Jesus, yet reflect the exact opposite in their words and actions. Does
this not breathe life into the spirit of anti-Christ? I physically shudder to
think of how many fear, feed, readily worship and give power to such.
I am not saying that there aren’t
those out there who don’t possess a genuine, Christ-like love. There are
believers that do live the teachings of the real Jesus.
What I am saying is that I’m so
very grateful that the Lord
has given me moments in my life to experience religious prisons, the
“denomination abomination”, to observe and discern good fruit from bad, and
recognize hypocrisy when I see it. Call me naïve, but I never expected such to
exist here in the “Bible Belt” of America.
I know that there are believers who
love Jesus and have avoided the crowds (Matthew 7: 13-14). I love you, and pray
with you all. I admit I’ve been a slave to religion, to an “anti-Christ” on
many fronts, but I can promise you this: I will never again sign the dotted
line and compromise my relationship with the real Jesus for a false one, for a religion
or church, for a paycheck (Matthew 6: 24) nor allegiance with the kind of
“Christ” who cares nothing for me or who I am. That might mean death for me,
especially here in the South. But so be it, and may the “Bible Belt” strike me
on the way out. I’ll gladly turn the other cheek.
All I ask for is hope and strength
to be “perfected in Him” (Matthew 5:38-48)…for I know am nothing if I haven’t
mastered the commandment of love.
Love is not a threat. It is the
answer.
Carol
Harper
“The Anti-Christ
is Here” © 2010 by Carol Harper. For permission to publish, e-mail: carolrharper@gmail.com
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