Christ cries, "Lay down your life for My sake and the Gospel's. Turn away from your own ambitions and desires. Crucify your flesh with its lusts. Take up your cross and follow Me. I died for you, and now you belong to Me. Be faithful to death in the world and I will give you a crown of life when I appear."

Can you see the difference? The first is the voice of Antichrist and it is preaching from Christian pulpits. The second is the voice of the Spirit of God, and only the victorious saints have ears to hear the Spirit's voice.

One could preach both messages to the same group and many of them would say Amen to each. They are not able to discern the difference. They are in a state of spiritual insensibility. They are dull of hearing.

In order to keep from being deceived in an hour of deception the believer in Christ must lay down his life as a whole burnt offering to God. He must pray without ceasing. He must practice the virtues set forth in the Epistles of the Apostles of Christ.

The Christian must come out of the present lukewarm churches, as the Lord leads, and seek a fellowship of fervent disciples. Divine judgment is operating in the house of God. The Lord is separating His true Bride from those whose destiny is to be tormented in the Presence of the Lamb.

The Christians who are wealthy have the feeling of being blessed and in the Lord's will. While they may speak of the need for Christians to seek the Lord with all their heart they are not personally fervent in this regard. People who have an abundance of money tend to trust in the security that money appears to give, whether or not they are Christians. The poor are more apt to cry out to God in sincerity because they are insecure in the present world.

The rich find it extremely difficult to enter the Kingdom of God. They have no idea they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. They walk in the light of the world, supposing they are privileged, fortunate people of great understanding who are clothed appropriately. They are living in delusion. Their money has blinded their eyes.

Material wealth is not a sign of the blessing of God, as far as the Gospel of Christ is concerned. In Old Testament days, material wealth was an indication of the blessing of God. But the treasures of the Christian saint are in the spirit realm. We have left all and followed Christ so when He comes we may be rewarded in the Kingdom of God.

Those who today are seeking to be rich are opening themselves to the deceptions of Antichrist. Unless they repent they never will enter the Kingdom of God. Let us buy the truth and not sell it. If we do not choose the truth, God Himself will send a strong delusion upon us so we will believe a lie (II Thessalonians 2:11).

To be continued.