The church world that we know, particularly the Charismatic world, is going to be divided, I believe. There will be a despised remnant whom the majority of the churchgoers, as well as the secular population, do not understand. The majority will become the False Prophet mentioned in the Book of Revelation, the beast coming out of the earth. One of the characteristics of the despised remnant will be they are seeking to meet the needs of God rather than the needs of man.

If we were students of Church history we would be aware of the uniqueness of our day. Never before have so many believers been introduced to the workings of the spirit world. Over the last fifty years divine healing, tongues, prophecy, miracles, have come into the possession of an increasing number of God's flock.

We now are at a crossroads. Should we attempt to use our spiritual gifts to improve the condition of the world, or should we turn back to Jesus Christ and allow Him to use us to meet the needs of God? The difference between these two approaches is the difference between the Holy Spirit and the False Prophet, between Jesus Christ and Antichrist.

We are at this fork in the road today. Which way should we go?

And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. (Revelation 13:1—NIV)

Our interpretation is as follows: the dragon is Satan. The sea represents the mass of mankind. The beast coming out of the sea is the great impostor, Antichrist. The ten horns symbolize Antichrist's power in the world. The seven heads speak of perfect wisdom. The ten crowns portray the authority in the world that God has assigned to Antichrist in order that God's great plan may be carried out.

I think Antichrist, as revealed in world government, is the spirit of libertarian democracy, the rule of man as distinguished from the rule of God.

At the beginning of the nation of America two forces were active. One was the Christian force. The other force was that of revolt against the authoritarian governments of Europe. Thus our Declaration of Independence and Constitution were written by men who, although heavily influenced by their Christian heritage from England, were nonetheless seeking human freedom of expression rather than righteousness and obedience to God.

For two hundred or so years there has not been clarity, it seems to me, on the enormous gulf between the pursuit of righteousness and the pursuit of happiness. Up to the present the Christian force has been accepted as somehow part of America, somehow part of democracy.

Now, in these days, the social fabric is ripping. The rights of man are prevailing over the rights of God, as we see in the legalizing of abortion and homosexuality. The Christians are losing ground inch by inch.

Christians are seeing their values despised, trampled under foot.

To be continued.