Beware The Coming Counterfeit Has Arrived To Deceive If Possible Even The Elect

We could call this message the great apostasy or falling away, the great deception, or how to avoid departing from your Christianity, or as the song lyric goes, "I'm losing my religion" by R.E.M. yes, once you listen to that song you will never forget it. It is sort of deep and haunting at the same time.

How ever it happens it is a very real possibility that we too can lose our religion and it is right in these days that Satan is making his play that this would happen. 

Removing your religion brings him great satisfaction and he will move heaven and earth to do it. 

So how can we avoid the inevitable. Ah we should define inevitable so you understand what I am saying otherwise you can stiffen up and shout not me no way no how, maybe it will be the other guy but not me definitely not! Look up the following scriptures and see if you stand a better chance than Peter did who walked with God as an eyewitness (Matthew 26:33-35, 69-75 Mark 14:29-31, 66-72, Luke 22:33-34, 54-62, John 13:37-38, 18:15-27, and Luke 22:31-32).

Luke 22:31-32 is included because Jesus knew Peter better than Peter knew himself and so Jesus released satan on his life to deal with Peters pride and we know it worked.

Ok so that scripture definitely places all of us in a category whereby we can possibly be deceived and then deny Christ. Oh I know right. I am right now at 1145pm typing up this message as I had already gone to bed hours earlier, but this message disturbed me wide awake and I could do nothing else but get it out of my head.

So how do we distinguish a Counterfeit dollar from the real deal? Study the real so much that when the false shows up you are able to right away distinguish it as the Counterfeit that it is.

How can you tell if you are in the market to buy a classic car or supercar for my car guys and gals, if the product that you are looking at is authentic or a Counterfeit? You must know every detail of the original to be able to distinguish it from a fake. Oh and there are many fakes out there so it's truly like a real thing.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:14

Hello, this is Ken, your podcast preacher. Welcome back to my podcast, Deep Waters. This podcast is brought to you by Applied Strengths Ministry, where we believe working together on our strengths is the effect of working out the will and calling of God in it to our lives. Thanks for joining me. Let's open up in prayer. Blessed be the God and Father of your Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Just as he chose you and him before the foundation of the world, that you should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestined you to adoption as a son or daughter by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, which he purposed in himself, to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he made you accepted in the beloved. In him ye had the redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to abound towards you in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to you the mystery of his will, that in the dispensation and the fullness of the times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth in him. Ask that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, and the knowledge of the mystery of him, and to the deepest knowledge of him that you are willing and able to receive, that the eyes of your understanding would be open wider, and that you would be enlightened to who he is, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in you, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards you who believe, according to the working of his mighty power which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, that he would grant that you would be strengthened with might through his spirit in the inner man, and into your spirit and heart, consistently walking in the spirit so that you would be able to stand against the appetites of your flesh, the corrupted spirit of this world, and the devil and his demons, in and through any and all fleshly desires and temptations. I pray that your love may abound more and more in all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be real about your Christianity, and unoffendable until the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, which are by Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, to the glory and praise of God, ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may look worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good, strengthen with all might, according to his glory, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints, who walked by the Spirit and in your life, afraid of your hearts may be encouraged, being made together with unity, and that you retain to all the riches, all the spirits of understanding, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which has been given to you to my listeners by Christ Jesus, that you are enriched in everything by him, in all utterance and all knowledge, so that you do not come short in obtaining or operating in your calling and purpose, nor in using any spiritual gifts or talents to perform mighty miracle signs and wonders, that we would do the greater works of Jesus as yet to be accomplished, that we would be found eagerly waiting for the continued revelation of our Lord Jesus, who will confirm you to the end, that you would be blameless in the near coming day of our Lord. God is faithful by whom you are called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus. Okay, so now therefore, my sisters and brothers in Christ, when things get tough, think about whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and whatever things are of a good report. If there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things alone. I pray that in these very end of end time days, that you would let your love be without hypocrisy. Show people your faith by your works and service and love, hate and loath what is evil, cling to what is good and righteous, be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent and fully engulfed in spiritual fire, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, walking in the peace of God, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfast in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints that is each other, and that you would be given to hospitality. May the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like minded towards one another, according to Christ Jesus, that we learn to be of one mind, in one accord, striving to get along no matter what disagreements we may encounter, operating completely and fully in love, always striving for the working out of God's specific will for each of our lives, while working in partnership with each other within the church and the Holy Spirit, as He manifests His miracle signs and wonders through the daily activities of our ministry and kingdom work, and while we also go out preaching the gospel and word and deed. Let us love and serve one another, our enemy, and those who wouldn't expect us to do so, considering each person better than ourselves. Bind up any words or thoughts that are contrary to the love of God, or which would set you back in your Christian walk. Guard your hearts from anything that would hinder the growth of your character. Never forget that you can do all things in Christ, and never forget that this means all things. Ah step out in faith today and walk with God, and with each other, being assured that nothing will separate you from Him as long as you abide in Him. Call those things that don't exist as though they do. Remember the faith of God which we have, created the universe by the Rhema and Logos of the Word, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. All that you need for this life is invisible until you apply your faith to receive it, but make your request to God without fear, doubt, or unbelief. Never forget that he who is in you is greater than he that is in the world. Be more than a conqueror today, submitting to the will of God in everything. Never forget that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you in this very day. Let each of us express uncompromising love towards one another and humility while maintaining a teachable spirit, seeking to grow, no matter how much it challenges our current thinking. I pray that God will give you the revelation within this message that He intends you to receive with the understanding. Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. In Jesus' name we pray amen. The title of this message is Beware, a coming counterfeit has arrived to deceive, if possible, even the elect. We could call this message the great apostasy or falling away, the great deception, or how to avoid departing from your Christianity. Or as a song lyric goes, I'm losing my religion by REM. Yes, once you listen to that song, you will never forget it. It is sort of deep and haunting at the same time. However it happens, it is a very real possibility that we too can lose our religion, and it is right in these days that Satan is making his play that this would happen. Removing your religion brings him great satisfaction, and he will move heaven and earth to do it. So how can we avoid the inevitable? Ah, we should define inevitable so you understand what I am saying. Otherwise you can stiffen up and shout not me, no way, no how. Maybe it will be the other guy, but not me, definitely not. Look up the following scriptures and see if you stand a better chance than Peter did, who walked with God as an eye witness. Matthew twenty six, thirty three through twenty five, verses sixty nine through seventy five, Mark fourteen, twenty nine through thirty one, and verses sixty six through seventy two, Luke twenty two, thirty three through thirty four, and verse fifty four through sixty two. John thirteen, thirty seven through thirty eight, and chapter eighteen, fifteen through twenty seven, and Luke twenty two, thirty one through thirty two. Now Luke twenty two, thirty one through thirty two is included because Jesus knew Peter better than Peter knew himself, and so Jesus released Satan on his life to deal with Peter's pride, and we know that it worked. Okay, so that scripture definitely places all of us in a category whereby we can possibly be deceived and then deny Christ. Oh I know, right? I am right now at eleven forty five PM typing up this message as I had already gone to bed hours earlier, but this message disturbed me wide awake, and I could do nothing else but get it out of my head. So how do we distinguish a counterfeit dollar from the real deal? Study the real so much that when the false shows up, you are able to right away distinguish it as a counterfeit that it is. How can you tell if you are in the market to buy a classic car or supercar for my car guys and gals, if the product that you are looking at is an authentic or a counterfeit? You must know every detail of the original to be able to distinguish it from the fake. Oh, and there are many fakes out there, so it's truly like a real thing. So the question I know that you have been waiting for is how do you and I keep from losing our religion? I mean one way to add a punch to this question is to consider the cost of actually losing our religion. My thought was to describe what hell is actually like. Some who are blind, as they are in darkness because of the darkness of which they live, imagine that they will actually have free will in hell just as they did on earth. They imagine an eternal party where they finally get to live with like minded people. That, by the way, only includes everyone who lived for themselves. It would be like if a murderer or thief was overjoyed that they now get to go to prison where everybody thinks the same way. They would have to somehow blindly believe that those same people would embrace them as one of their own. It doesn't work like that, and it will not work like that in hell. This is important because Jesus preached on hell or an eternal fire more than seventy times in his short three years of ministry. Keep in mind Jesus didn't tell us about hell to scare us, but that we would know that this life is about the choices we make. And if we choose to make the wrong choices, then during the great white throne judgment you will be able to plead your case before God. But now but before you consider the quality of your spiritual resume or your earthly qualifications for how you define what a nice person is, consider these scriptures before you say that I am a good person. Romans three ten through twelve, Mark ten, eighteen, Luke eighteen, nineteen, Psalms fourteen three, and fifty three three. Look at the following scriptures and ask yourself what more evidence do I need? God did this because he loves you and desires that everyone chooses salvation in him through his Son Jesus Christ. Timothy two three four. And but before I present the scriptures you should know that this is why Satan has always presented mankind with a false god narrative. It brings great satisfaction to Satan when you choose his demons to worship, as he knows that he has you, and that like him, you will not see the light of day in heaven. Corinthians ten twenty through twenty one, Leviticus seventeen seven, Deuteronomy thirty two seventeen, and Revelation nine twenty. So John fourteen six states, Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. John three sixteen, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. What other evidence do you need? There is no Cliff Notes version of salvation, no shortcuts or workaround. Jesus and the Father are one ten thirty. Look at the option if we choose Jesus as the one and only Savior of which He is John seventeen eleven. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I have come to you. Holy Father, keep through your name those whom you have given me, that they may be one as we are. That they all may be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. The very thing that people want is to be godlike. It's in our spiritual DNA, but we can never be God. Genesis one twenty six through twenty seven, John ten thirty four, Psalms eighty two six, and first John three two. And but because they bought into the deception of Satan, they eventually became Satan like, getting the exact opposite of what they gave themselves to believe. He was already like God, and yet Satan told her she would be like God, and it tripped her up. Genesis three four through five. You are of the Father your devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. And so who was hell created for? Matthew twenty five forty one. Then he will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Hell was never intended for people, but many will use their free will and choose to go there, calling God a liar. But we know this is impossible, and also but who the real liar is. Hebrews six eighteen, it is impossible for God to lie. We who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. Titus one two the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time. Numbers twenty three nineteen. God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. And but what is one of the character attributes of the devil? John eight four four. You are of the Father of the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. I know, we just heard that, but I wanted you to hear the totality of what it is saying. Jesus is declaring to the make believers, fake believers, nonbelievers, those stuck in the valley of indecision, Joel thirteen, fourteen, the false prophets, Jeremiah five thirty one, and chapter fourteen, fourteen, Lamentations two fourteen, Ezekiel twenty two twenty eight, Matthew seven, fifteen, chapter twenty four eleven, and chapter twenty four twenty four, Mark thirteen, twenty two, Luke six, twenty-six, second Peter two, one, first John four, one, false apostles, Second Corinthians eleven, one through six, and second Corinthians eleven thirteen, false Christs, Matthew twenty four, twenty four, and Mark thirteen twenty two, false teachers, Second Peter chapter two, wolves in sheep's clothing, Matthew seven, fifteen, and thieves and robbers, John ten, eight. And this list does not include false religions such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian science, Mormons, Islam, Hinduism, or many other false wide path religions, which, by the way, are all of them other than real Christianity, that the Father and his lying influence is a part of who they are, and no liar gets in heaven. Revelation twenty one eight but the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Ah I know we are getting to the place where we define hell, but one more thing the line for people going to hell is way longer than the line of people who choose on earth to accept Jesus as their Savior and to live like they believed it. Matthew seven thirteen fourteen. Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it, because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Okay, so one more explanation, and then we get to defining. You might be asking why I have spent a considerable amount of time on this topic, or you might be questioning why I would do a message like this for those who might follow this ministry, and the answer is simply that there is a high probability that some of you might fall for the counterfeit narrative that is coming, and God may have given me this message in the night just for you. But so your response to it will indeed determine your destiny. Pride comes before the fall, and please do not think that getting into heaven is a privilege that you deserve based on what you do for God. Matthew seven, twenty one through twenty three. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven, many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you, depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. Ephesians two eight nine for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works, least anyone should boast. If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear? Okay, so this is the definition of hell. In the Bible, hell is primarily depicted as a place of final judgment, eternal separation from God, and conscious torment. It is described using vivid imagery including unquenchable fire, outer darkness, and a lake of fire, with no rest for its inhabitants. I would add no gravity, no relief of any kind, no death, no drugs, no alcohol, prostitution, parties, light, weather, bad or good days. It is actually beyond the imagination of even Hollywood to recreate or imagine such a place, as it was originally created for Satan and his demons, not for humanity. The Bible uses four distinct original words that are translated into hell in modern English. Each provides specific attributes Sheol, Old Testament, often translated as the grave or the realm of the dead. It is depicted as a dark, silent pit beneath the earth, where all the dead go, though it is also portrayed as a place of punishment for the wicked. This would include those who thought that they were good in spite of God's word and what it has to say about good and evil. Hades New Testament, the Greek equivalent to Sheol, generally representing the temporary holding place or state of the dead after earthly life. It is described as a place of torment and sorrow, as seen in Jesus' parable of the rich man and Lazarus. In the Bible, torment typically refers to severe physical, mental, or spiritual anguish. Rooted in the Greek word basanzio, it originally described the process of testing metals for purity using a touchstone or using torture to exact truth. Throughout scripture, the concept is primarily used in three ways divine judgment used in prophetic texts, like the book of Revelation to describe the consequences of rejecting God's grace or the finality of spiritual death. Demonic and spiritual oppression refers to the physical and mental anguish caused by spiritual forces, as well as the demon's own terror at Christ's power over them. Consequences of sin, used metaphorically for the internal distress, bondage, and punishment that results from unforgiveness, guilt, or living apart from God. There is nothing awesome about choosing to go to a place that is described as tormenting its inhabitants. Other definitions of hell Gienna, New Testament, this term originates from the valley of Hinom, a literal trash dump outside Jerusalem where fires were kept burning to destroy refuge and bodies. Jesus used this to symbolize the reality of eternal judgment and a blazing furnace. Tartarsus, New Testament, used only once in the New Testament. This Greek word refers to a deep spiritual abyss or prison reserved specifically for the punishment of fallen angels or demons. You can read more about that in Genesis chapter six. Key biblical attributes of hell, fire and brimstone. Hell is frequently described as a place of unquenchable, eternal fire and sulfur. Jesus referred to it as a fiery furnace, where people experience deep regret, often described as weeping and gnashing of teeth. That term comes from what children used to do when they were put on the altars of Baal and being burned alive. It gives new meaning to it, doesn't it? Outer darkness. In contrast to the fire, it is also called a place of outer darkness. This illustrates a complete and absolute separation from the light, comfort, and gracious presence of God. Undying torment. Several passages describe a state of relentless, conscious suffering. For example, Mark nine hundred forty eight describes it as a place where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. Your flesh will be under every curse the planet ever did come under, but you can never die or escape. This place tells you clearly by God's mercy and love, for you know that you will live forever. Your old body may die, but depending on whom you put your faith and trust in determines whether you go to heaven and get a new body or hell in this old body. Eternal consequence this is eternal torment. Many Christians interpret their worm as a representation of an agonizing, never ending state of torment and decay. Just as maggots continuously feed on a rotten corpse, the worm symbolizes an inescapable ongoing spiritual anguish for those who reject God. The phrase where their worm does not die translates the Greek word solex, which refers to a maggot or gnawing grub. Mark nine forty eight. The imagery holds a deep historical and theological significance. Complete decomposition. In the natural world, maggots consume dead, decaying flesh. Jesus is quoting Isaiah 66 verse 24, using it as a metaphor for their utter destruction and finality. Unending torment versus annihilation. salvation, the fact that the worm does not die and the fire is never quenched implies a relentless, perpetual process. Gena imagery, Jesus connects this to Gena, the valley of Hinam outside Jerusalem. This valley was known as a literal refuse dump or corpse of outcasts, and garbage was thrown. It was a vivid local illustration of corruption, spiritual death and judgment. The final part of this definition eternal separation, Second Thessalonians one nine describes the ultimate punishment saying Thee shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. I think Jesus talks so much about hell for the believer's advantage, more so than for the unbeliever. I mean think about how he would feel losing someone who at one time was considered a child of God, as opposed to losing someone who lived their whole life rejecting him. Ah and remember we already talked about this one fact which is that God doesn't love everyone, or those who do and live by unrighteous activities Romans nine thirteen, Psalms five in chapter eleven, and Leviticus twenty twenty three. So you see my thinking leads me to believe that it really must pain God to have had at one time a child in his family and then to watch them by way of their weak spiritual habits lose the appetite for all things him. I think this not only tragic, but I cannot imagine how this person will feel knowing that at one time in their life they were destined for heaven and eventually if they stuck with it, they would get to live on a new earth with God every day. And but because they couldn't distinguish the false gods and all that the demons who are destined for hell, who in many cases empowered the false gods, to be deceiving their makers, worshippers and followers, were counterfeiting and lying to them so that they lost their salvation position forever. It is one thing to have lost the thing that you once had, than to have never had it in the first place to lose. This is why I think the levels of suffering in hell will be varied, because for some they never believed in God, but for others there was a time when they did, but then through deception, counterfeiting and even great apostasy they were led astray who do you think will be in more eternal agony and torment The Never people or the almost made at peeps Hebrews three twelve Beware brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. Notice Paul is talking to the believer as he used the term brethren Hebrews six four six for it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God and put him to an open shame. Look, the Bible warns that the counterfeit will look so much like the real deal religion that it will be possible for the A plus Christian to be deceived Matthew twenty four twenty four for false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. The falsies are here and right now in these very end time days they are setting up a false narrative to catch you off guard. For those of you who are void of a sufficient amount of scripture so that you will be able to distinguish the counterfeit from the real will be in trouble. Project Bluebeam, CERN, which may be a modern day tower of babel, demons being classified as aliens. Let's camp here for a minute as I believe the alien narrative will be used by Satan to explain away the rapture. I asked Google AI how many movies and documentaries about aliens are there? There are thousands of alien movies and documentaries spanning the history of film and television, with over a thousand scripted features and hundreds of documentary projects catalogued across databases like IMDB and Wikipedia. Because new indie films, TV specials and digital documentaries are constantly releasing new numbers, a single number is impossible to pinpoint. So I asked Google AI the same question about Satan and demons, and this is what it came up with. Estimating the exact number of movies and documentaries about Satan and demons is impossible, as thousands of films ranging from silent cinema to modern horror and documentaries feature these figures. The devil and demons are some of the most enduring subjects in cinematic history. That should be bothersome, shouldn't it? Because the themes of the occult, possession, and spiritual warfare have been explored in various cultures and genres, categorizing every project is difficult. However, popular culture divides these films into a few notable categories and themes. Satan has been depicted on screen in countless ways, from a terrifying horned monster to a smooth talking trickster. Some of the most highly regarded and popular films focusing on Lucifer and demons include The Exorcist 1973, often cited with kicking off the modern run of demonic possession movies. The Omen 1976 follows the rise of the Antichrist Rosemary's Baby 1968 explores a secretive coven and the birth of Satan Spawn. The Devil's Advocate 1997 a modern metaphorical take on the devil in the corporate world. Documentaries on the subject usually explore the historical satanic panic of the nineteen eighties and nineties or focus on modern atheistic Satanism. Notable examples include Hail Satan 2019 a documentary following the rapid rise in activism of the Satanic Temple. So that was in 2019 notice people are already leaving God Let the Devil in 2025 a four part series delving into a brutal nineteen eighty eight New Jersey murder that sparked local fears of the occult and satanic panic Realms of Satan 2025 a ritualistic observational documentary exploring the daily lives of contemporary Satanists and I thought just for kicks I would see how many movies and documentaries have been made about God and or Jesus of the Bible. Because God and Jesus are central to the Bible thousands of films and documentaries and television adaptations have been produced globally since the early days of cinema. Hundreds are feature length, spanning silent films to the multi season series The Chosen. There is no single definitive count, as a sheer volume of independent localized and television releases makes a comprehensive tally impossible. We will never be able to say I didn't know once we stand before the Lord in heaven, thousands upon thousands of movies and documentaries have been made about the key figures in all of the world. I still cannot figure out why anybody would watch a movie about Satan and say yes, that's what I want working in my life and but yet the majority of humanity will do just that. Also my point in the movie thing is to show you that in all likelihood, Satan will not expose the world to demons, portraying them as they are, as people have been indoctrinated by Hollywood. No, he will need another point of access which is where the aliens who are demons or some corrupted manifestation of fallen sons of God and flesh, be it other humans or animals, will come in. I have been watching quite a few alien movies to see what message is being portrayed to the public, and it is scary interesting to see that many take the position that aliens are real from another planet and are here to help humanity. It is a trickery and lie of Satan, and his very intent is that you believe this to be true Luke twenty nine nine eleven but when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified, for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately. Then he said to them, Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be great earthquakes in various places and famines and pestilences, and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. Remember God's word is likened to hidden treasure, so when you come across things that warrant more clarification, then you can go back to the original language to get a clearer picture of what is being said. We are going to look at fearful sights and great signs from heaven to see if we can make more sense of this phrase. The phrase fearful sights and great signs from heaven comes from Jesus' Olivet discourse, specifically found in the New Testament, Luke twenty one eleven. It was originally written in ancient Greek. Here is a breakdown of its meaning in the original languages fearful sights translated from the Greek word phobotron, which appears only once in the entire New Testament. It refuses to terror inducing spectacles, monstrous omens or phenomena so terrifying that they literally induce shock. Great signs, from the Greek symon, meaning miracles, tokens or indicators that point to a deeper spiritual reality or divine intervention. I disagree that God will be intervening as his judgments will be being released during the tribulation. From heaven from the Greek word Oranus, which refers to the visible sky, the atmosphere or the celestial realm. Contextual meaning in biblical theology this verse describes apocalyptic or estological which means end times events, preceding the day of the Lord, rather than ordinary celestial occurrences. These are intended to be supernatural cosmic anomalies or celestial disturbances that disrupt the regular course of nature. Throughout prophetic writings such occurrences serve two purposes they act as birth pains, signaling the end of the current age and the return of Christ. The birth pain season is actually when Jesus opens up the seven seals, and we are right now in the second seal, so we are right now in birth pains. That's how close we are to this thing wrapping up. They function as profound warnings to inspire awe, reverence and spiritual alertness rather than panic, at least for the Christian. For the nonbeliever, yep, they're gonna panic. Just to clean this up a bit again, we are currently in birth pangs as we are in the second seal period, with the third to be opened by the Lord end of this year early next year. The seals are thought to represent the birth pangs the Bible talks about, which is why the church has not yet been raptured, and I agree with this analysis. The other thing I want to look at is the two words monstrous omens as to get a clearer picture of what that means. The phrase translated as fearful sights into English is the Greek word phobitra, lexical root it is a plural neuter form of phobitron, which comes from the root word phobi, or to fear or terrifying meaning in classical and biblical Greek, it specifically means a terrifying thing, a cause of fright or a terrific portent. The plural usage implies a multitude of terrifying terrors or horrors The monster connection while some modern commentators interpret phobitra to mean monsters, scholars emphasize that this is a broad and subjective translation. The word broadly describes anything causing extreme fright or panic, akin to an unnatural, fearful vision or bugbear, rather than defining a specific literal creature. Keep in mind the Pharisees, Sodducees, false teachers, scribes and attorneys represented the scholars of their day, so when I hear that the scholars have an opinion about something, I do not right away buy into their interpretation just because they are academically inclined. Corinthians one fifteen thirty least anyone should say that I have baptized in my own name, yes I also baptized the house of Stephanus. Besides I do not know whether I baptized any other, for Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, least the cross of Christ should be made of no effect, for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, that means the unsaved. But to us who are being saved it is the power of God, for it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, I will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent again he's talking about the class of the unsaved. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe for Jews request a sign and Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called both Jews and Greek, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God, because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame things which are mighty, and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence, but of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. The world defines intelligence by the academic credentials a person might carry. This is not how God defines intelligence. If you have an academic background as I do, do not think that the journey was a waste of time, but also do not depend on it to help you to get the revelation of what the Word of God is saying. The wisdom of God which is available to all who seek her is far above the wisdom of the world, which is oftentimes demonic in nature. Okay, back to the fearful sights gig. Contextual meaning The fearful sights phobitra are intrinsically linked to the second half of the phrase and great signs from heaven. A dual event Jesus is not just talking about natural earthly disasters which he already mentioned as earthquakes and plagues. He is describing an ominous visual phenomenon Historical fulfillment historical accounts most notably by the ancient Jewish historian Flavius Joseph document exactly what this meant to the first century audience. Before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD seventy, people reported seeing comets, blazing stars, and celestial events that cause mass terror. Estiological meaning in the broader prophetic context of the end times, it highlights an error marked by supernatural visual disturbances in the sky and the cosmos that will cause immense fear and awe in humanity. Could this be alien in nature? Are we already being indoctrinated by Hollywood to accept the fact that they are much more advanced than we are. In case you weren't aware, when someone invoked the name of Jesus when they saw the strange looking creature, it disappeared. No, but we have over three hundred instances where this happened. We have to get past the lie that aliens are a separate creation from another planet. The alien gig was first seen back in Genesis chapter six. All flesh had corrupted itself meaning that giants were sexting animals and the birthing of whatever they gave birth to was usually a monstrosity. Keep in mind God is not leaving us blind. He said if you seek you will find Matthew seven seven He said if you search for the word and the understanding of it you would find it Proverbs chapter two and chapter eight Faith calls those things from another dimension, right? Romans four seventeen God who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did. Look, darkness, that is Satan, has power Luke twenty two When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize me, but this is your hour and the power of darkness Acts twenty six eighteen to open their eyes in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me. Look again so Moses and Aaron went into Pharaoh and they did so just as the Lord commanded and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants and it became a serpent Exodus seven twelve but Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers, so the magicians of Egypt. They also did in like manner with their enchantments for every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents, but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods two powers, but one is more powerful than the other, and that will never change. So why is this important to know? Second Corinthians eleven three and thirteen through fourteen but I fear least somehow as a serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ and no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Okay, so hopefully this message is grounding you to the fact that God knows everything and has made a way for us to become more than conquerors, but our responsibility in relationship with him is to do our part. Look Jesus was asked a great question by someone who was in the crowd following him, and perhaps out of nothing more than to watch him do the miracle signs and wonders or maybe he was also listening to what Jesus was saying, thinking to himself as he heard him speaking who then can be saved? Maybe he thought his requirements are out of reach for any one of us. Luke thirteen twenty three twenty five Then one said to him, Lord are there few who are saved? And he said to them, Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able when once the master of the house has risen up and shut the door and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door saying, Lord, Lord open up for us and he will answer and say to you I do not know you where you are from this scripture applies to those who actually believe in God. But maybe they don't believe in Jesus or maybe they're one of the five virgins who had oil in their lamps so they were doing all the religious stuff but they didn't have extra oil when God had delayed. Look the make believers, fake believers, nonbelievers, those stuck in a valley of indecision, the false prophets, apostles, Christ teachers, wolves in sheep's clothing, and thieves and robbers, as well as false religions, are not necessarily seeking the narrow gate, as much as an alternative path altogether. I believe Jesus is talking about us believers Matthew seven thirteen. And so he asked him if many would be saved. Now think about this focus for a minute. I think this man was really assessing whether or not he would be able to stay with this new religion once he was in. I mean there was a lot of pressure to stay in the false religions of the day. The threat of death for defecting was a very real and present danger Matthew nineteen twenty five. Okay, so but now look at our situation today and we can see that more Christians are being murdered for their faith than at any other time in history. But wait a minute, podcast preacher, not in America everything is steady as she goes. Ah yes but it won't remain this way and that's why this message is important. Jerusalem was told by Jesus that they would be scattered and the city destroyed completely and few, oh so few heeded the warning and more than a million back in the days when a million people was a lot of people died, and many others entered a life of slavery and all kinds of other force things that war always brings with it Matthew twenty four two, Luke nineteen forty one through forty four, and Luke twenty one twenty through twenty four. The Bible warns of a great falling away or to use its word apostasy. Is Jesus wrong when he tells you and me that we should pay attention and to watch because I don't want you to be deceived? Let's look closer at the path many believers will take. The concept of great apostasy or falling away in the end times, that is these days is primarily detailed by the apostle Paul rather than Jesus. However Paul's writings on the subject build directly upon Jesus' own prophecies about the last days in the gospels. The specific Bible verses to reference include that is where Paul specifically mentions it Second Thessalonians two three Paul directly warns the church that the day of the Lord will not come unless the rebellion comes first. The original Greek word used here is apostasia translated as falling away or rebellion in different Bible versions, from which we get the word apostasy Timothy four one Paul further describes this in time departure from the faith, keep in mind we are Indian times, noting that in latter times, that is these very days, some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. What will they be teaching those who remain after the rapture? They have to explain the event away and using aliens is the out that they will use in one form or another they meaning the Antichrist The whole goal is to turn people away from the one and only gospel by somehow discrediting it. These things are happening right now where Jesus prophesies the event leading up to it. While Jesus did not use the exact word apostasy he foretold this exact spiritual decline in the Olivet discourse Matthew twenty four four ten through twelve. Jesus states at that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other. So hatred and murder is a spirit that people who once knew God, the God of love, will adopt. And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people because of their increase of wickedness. The love of most will grow cold. Remember, those who don't love God don't operate in love. So he's talking about Christians. The rapture sounds good right about now, right? Religious people tend to be the most violent, especially after they reject the one true God. History proves this to be true. I know it doesn't sound promising, does it? But I tell you that we have been warned and instructed on how we in time saints can avoid being deceived and spiritually tripped up. Yes Jesus said all things are possible with God and that we are more than conquerors. And but he left us an example that we should follow in his ways and that if we did we would be counterfeit resistant. Yes, if if if we do do do, then we won't be caught off guard in these very right now end time days. Now don't get a big head and think that this message isn't for you. The A plus Christian can be deceived. The one who has attended church, fasted, prayed, did miracle signs and wonders, tithed and offered yes this very person can be losing their religion if knowing Jesus and doing what he says is not at the top of their list Matthew seven twenty two through twenty three and second Thessalonians one eight So how do we position ourselves for these very days? Ah the threat of your religion is already being set in place. Islam is the only military that is already in place no seas to cross, no mountains to hike, no deserts to tread. They, because of the condition of the lukewarm church and the fact that God's timeline is that we are right now in the end of the end times, they are the enemy that is already here. They have given their intent away as Satan can't help himself. Once he gets discovered he goes from stealthy quiet to very loud. We see this when Jesus was casting out the legion of demons. But so now what? We haven't been given a spirit of fear, Second seven, and but we have been called anointed and appointed for just such a time as this God chose you to be right where you are and but so we must eliminate any and all excuses that may be keeping us from being fully equipped for these very days. Without a doubt our preparation for what is coming is now limited. Our days are numbered so when those time stealing excuses come upon you you must stick to your spiritual priorities. Reading your Bible and understanding it is your hedge of protection and it is a sure way that as you get into it you will be able to identify the counterfeit when it comes and come at will. Satan has been setting up these days all of his existence and but pay attention to the days of Noah and the purpose of the Tower of Babel and you will see that revelation has connected itself to Genesis and we are about to see a repeat performance Matthew twenty four thirty seven thirty nine but as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of man be, for as in the days of Noah before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the Ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away so also will the coming of the Son of man be. Let me explain what I have been sharing with you over this last several months and but also let me be very clear if anything I shared sounds so way over the top to you I know that you haven't been listening to my messages which would have really prepared you for what's already here. Remember many of the Pharisees, Sadducees, teachers, attorneys and scribes went to hell because what Jesus was teaching was too way over the top and they couldn't bend their minds around this one fact which is that no one was doing what Jesus was doing and no one was saying what Jesus was saying. That alone should have convinced them. Their own scrolls that they have read the entire time of their life in fact many of them had memorized the scripture that talked of the day that a virgin would give birth to the Son of God Isaiah seven fourteen and that he would be born in Bethlehem Micah two and that he stood out like a cactus in a rose garden but it wasn't enough proof for the Pharisees and all of the other falsies as well as the non believers to change their position. His word even told him that he would suffer at the hands of man and that he would die on the cross a killing mechanism that didn't exist when the prophecy was declared Isaiah fifty three three eight, Psalms twenty two, Daniel nine twenty six and Zechariah twelve ten. This is the value of your Bible, which is that we can see what tripped up those people when it came to Jesus, and so in learning from their mistakes we can better be prepared to identify the counterfeit that Jesus has warned us is coming. Will we make the same mistake that they did decide a salvation? Yes, many of us will according to the Bible but like in the days when he walked on earth it will be by personal choice. There will be a time and I believe it is already here that the new believer or those who are right now trying to ramp up their spiritual habits, that they will have much time to get up to speed. The closer we get to the rapture, the less preparatory time they will have. What I am saying is that these days we must no longer be sitting on our hands. We can no longer afford to rely on our heartfelt religion somehow believing that our mediocre efforts will keep us from taking the counterfeit bait. We have been warned for two thousand years that these days would be happening. And all I know just like many before you thought you might live your life and die before these things fall upon humanity but you would be mistaken to continue in that thought, especially if you were still alive You are alive and born to thrive spiritually in these very days. Change whatever has to change in your life in order to restructure your life so that you are in time ready. Like the ship captain told his crew start throwing things off the ship to lighten it so that they could increase their odds of surviving during this storm. Acts 27. Get rid of things that will place your salvation in jeopardy when the storm comes and come they will. Kill any and all things that hinder your religion. More than likely it will sent your way to hinder you in the first place. Don't think just kill the stinking thinking that you have time to contemplate whether this message is for you or not. The only way to keep from being deceived is to absolutely be consumed with knowing Jesus and knowing what he has assigned you to do and then doing it. Find your lane, your calling God's purpose for choosing you and be an end time saint and get busy with that very thing in the midst of your lives. Let's close in prayer. May the Lord make you increase and abandon in love to one another and to all so that he may establish your heart blameless in holiness before your God and Father at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Now may the God of peace the one of whom we call wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, the Prince of peace, may he himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus. To our Lord of Lords and our King of Kings to our high and lifted up great high priest who has once and for all paid the price that you might see and hear God, may he hear and respond to our prayers. To our God we stand in praise he too always lives to make intercession for you while seated at the right hand of the Father. May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you what is well pleasing in his sight. Through Jesus Christ to whom we glory forever and ever now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise. Be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen in Jesus' name we pray. Well that's it for today. Remember it's not what you find wrong or disagree with regarding these messages, but what you can take away from it. Together we can do more to impact the kingdom than if we work alone. Let's flip the script and kill still and destroy the works of the enemy and create space for the light of life to shine through into people's lives. Plan is to even click on the like and subscribe button. Repost on your social media platforms and help us make this title link this message out or teach from it in your Bible study your life is so good in your Steve and in your church you can be sure to come to teach the dominct the word of God you use to test everything I say let's build this ministry together and see you next time we do follow