When the Church attempts to get help from the world, the Holy Spirit leaves immediately. Money, power, prestige, become the gods of the ministry and the congregation. It is this combination of the world and religion that murdered Christ. It is this combination of the world and religion that will produce the False Prophet. The False Prophet, the spirit of religious delusion, will work hand in hand with Antichrist.

Many of the Lord's people of today would grasp the opportunity if the civic leaders of the community came and offered to help them build their church.

We are not to accept so much as a shoelace from the world.

"Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do."

The world knows nothing whatever about our Lord Jesus Christ. The world, like Herod of old, will murder Christ wherever He appears.

The Christian who seeks the help of the world will find that he is playing with fire. He will be burned. The result will be desolation and corruption. If he is not going to be completely faithful to God, he is wise if he makes friends with worldly people, because the lovers of money will be his only company for eternity.

"Let us build with you." Satan has discovered that the more he persecutes the Christian Church the stronger and more widespread the Church becomes.

Therefore, Antichrist has devised a master strategy for the end-time. He will join with the saints. He will "love" them out of cross-carrying obedience to Christ just as Peter attempted to "love" the Lord Jesus and move Him away from His journey to Golgotha.

Satan will help the Christians build their buildings. He will encourage them in their charitable and social undertakings. He wisely will make them part of his empire.

Antichrist will persecute the Jews and the godly remnant of Christians savagely. The godly remnant of Christians are those who live in the Spirit of God and who therefore are an eternal rebuke to all that Satan and the world is and does.

The strategy of assisting the saints instead of persecuting them is very effective. Multitudes of God's people today are ineffective as witnesses because they are living the "abundant life" of material ease and prosperity. They will not become disciples because that would mean giving up the luxuries to which they and their children have become accustomed.

Daniel warned us twenty-five hundred years ago:

And through his [Antichrist's] policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace [careless security; prosperity] shall destroy [corrupt] many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. (Daniel 8:25)

The greatest possible blessing that God can bring to any nation in which the saints have been accepted and are trusting in material abundance, who have become complacent and at ease in Zion, is an abundance of trouble.

The abundance of trouble and calamity will accomplish two great goods: one, the members of the Body of Christ will turn to the Lord and begin to serve Him as they should; and two, the unsaved will become unsettled. Some of them will turn with fury against the saints, blaming them for the pain that the unsaved are experiencing. Others of the unsaved will call on the name of the Lord and be saved.

To be continued.