Perspective 

Many study the Bible wondering when the Antichrist will come, but it might surprise most professing Christians to know the spirit of antichrist is already here. It is at work before our eyes each and every day. Most would be shocked to know it is even at work in most Christian churches.

What does antichrist mean? Simply put, by definition, anything which is against Jesus Christ. Jesus warned His disciples that deceivers would come in His name claiming they either represent Him or even falsely proclaiming themselves to be the Messiah (Matthew 24:4-5, 23-24). 

Jesus’ prophesy has been coming to pass the last two thousand years. Most people have been deceived, believing and teaching as doctrine the traditions of men. Mark 7:7 says, “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men.”

This was done by the Jews of the time of Christ, and it continues to be done and practiced by the Jews and the Christian churches of today. However, most are blinded to it (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Most don’t know they are anti-god and antichrist and carnally minded when they reject the laws of God (Romans 8:7).

Many deceivers have gone out into the world

In 2 John 1:7-11, the apostle John wrote: “For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.”

The apostle John said one way we know we are in the last days is when antichrists begin to appear. What he warned the early Church about is truer now than when He wrote it: “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour” (1 John 2:18).

There is a different attitude in the world toward Christianity in general. This is quite evident due to the desire of many to reject Judeo-Christian values and force the acceptance of new definitions of sex, marriage and family. It has been given strength and momentum because of political powers who have accepted these new distorted values to gain political offices. Many have chosen to go along with the Woke movement, and woe to you if you disagree! 

Corporations exhibit anti-Christian attitudes

Many major corporations have bought into this immoral posture by projecting their new morality into their policies and advertising. Shares of Target have plummeted significantly in recent weeks as the company continues to deal with intense backlash over its LGBTQ-friendly clothing collection for children. In the last 10 days alone, the retailer’s stock lost roughly $10 billion in market valuation. Corporations like Budweiser, Disney, Gillette, Pepsi, Nike and others have faced a similar backlash in which its stock and product sales slid downward. Some are saying, “Go Woke, and go broke.”

What are these once great companies doing? Before, they were favorable publicly to Christian values, but now their attitude has changed and they have a different spirit. Now the antichrist spirit and attitude is growing more and more all over the world.

The apostle John wrote: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world” (1 John 4:1-3.)

How to do you test spirits?

What does it mean to test the spirits? Most do not know what test should be administered. Jesus said you will know them by their fruits. The fruits He meant is regarding how the Holy Spirit is changing the individual. If you can discern a right attitude from a wrong one you can test the spirits. Are they hostile or positive in accepting the truth and laws of God (Romans 8:7)? What is their attitude towards the Church of God? Do they have a stubborn independent spirit? Are they self-willed and leaning on their own understanding, or trusting in God? (Proverb 3:5) Is the Bible upon which they base their life? A carnal minded person simply will not submit to either the truth or obey the laws of God, but someone led by God’s spirit will.

There is a spirit or attitude of antichrist building in our time, and we need to discern and recognize it. In John’s time, there was a gnostic heresy deceiving many that he was addressing in his letters, and it was called docetism. It taught that Christ really did not come and suffer in the flesh for us. Docetism is defined as a heresy teaching, “that Christ did not have a real or natural body during his life on earth but only an apparent or phantom one” (Britannica).

What does this anti-Christian mentality rising more in this world portend for the future for Christians who want to hold on to right values? When governments, the media and corporations display more and more the spirit of antichrist, and they cooperate with one another, then persecution will not be far behind. They will eventually utilize this power, and we must discern these times to be prepared (Matthew 16:3).

Jesus said: “But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes” (Matthew 10:17-23).

This is only the beginning. The rising of the Beast—the actual Antichrist—will come next, and he will wreak havoc on the entire world. When the fifth seal of Revelation is opened, then the martyrdom of saints will take place (Revelation 6:12). 

Since God forewarns faithful Christians of the difficult times to come, it behooves us to prepare our hearts and minds by redoubling our efforts to be close to our Father in heaven as we strive earnestly to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. “These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb” (Revelation 14:4).

This is my Perspective and the current edition of the Prophetic Times follows below: 

Prophetic Times

Iran Says It Has Technology to Build Supersonic Cruise Missile

August 10, 2023 voanews.com reported:

Iran said on Wednesday it has the technology to build a supersonic cruise missile, Iranian state media reported, an announcement likely to heighten Western concerns about Tehran’s missile capabilities.

The announcement comes days after reports on the arrival of more than 3,000 U.S. sailors and Marines aboard two U.S. warships in the Red Sea. The U.S. forces are there to deter Iran from seizing and harassing merchant ships traveling through the Gulf’s Strait of Hormuz.

‘The supersonic cruise missile will open a new chapter in Iran’s defense program, as it is extremely difficult to intercept a cruise missile flying at supersonic speeds,’ the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

‘The new cruise missile is currently undergoing its tests,’ it added.

Despite U.S. and European opposition, Iran has said it will further develop its ‘defensive’ missile program. However, Western military analysts say Iran sometimes exaggerates its missile capabilities.

Berlin offers to extend Patriot missile deployment in Poland 

August 9, 2023 spacewar.com reported:

Germany said Tuesday that it had offered to extend the deployment of its Patriot missile defence systems in Poland, likely until the end of the year.

Berlin sent three Patriot units to eastern Poland in January after a deadly blast struck a Polish village in late 2022, believed to be from a stray Ukrainian air defence missile.

The deployment of the advanced US-made systems was originally meant to be for a maximum of six months, as Berlin seeks to ensure its own weapons stocks are not depleted.

But the defence ministry said in a statement that it had offered to allow Poland to keep the systems ‘over the summer, probably until the end of the year’. The ministry added however that there were no plans to extend the deployment beyond 2023. From 2024, the systems would make an ‘important contribution’ to a NATO rapid response force, the ministry said.

Porsche apologises for removing Jesus statue from car advert

August 9, 2023 christiantoday.com reported:

Porsche has apologised after being accused of airbrushing out a Jesus statue from the background of one of its car adverts. 
An advert celebrating the 60th anniversary of its classic 911 model was filmed in Lisbon, Portugal, where the Christ the King statue is a local landmark. In the advert, a red 911 speeds along the banks of the River Tagus and the statue's plinth can be clearly seen in the background, but the statue itself is missing. 

The omission prompted users of X - formerly known as Twitter - to question why the statue was gone from the advert. 
"Hey, @Porsche, why did you erase the statue of Jesus Christ from your video filmed in Lisbon?" said X user Alex B, alongside a screengrab of the video next to a picture of the statue.

X users accused the luxury car brand of being woke and anti-Christian. 

"Looks like Porsche doesn't want Christians buying their cars," said one. Another said: "Well, guess if Porsche can edit Jesus out of their video 'celebrating' 60-years — we can all edit them out of our memories. Apparently, Porsche doesn't care about Christians."

Another user tweeted: "The lack of self-awareness, a company born in Europe with its Judeo-Christian roots and values, pretending to hold dear its origins while erasing one of its most important symbols. Even I as an atheist find this to be disconcerting."

Porsche has since apologised "for any offence caused" in a comment on its YouTube page, although it has not given any explanation as to why the statue was edited out of the video.

Russia to Launch Lunar Mission Friday, First in Nearly 50 Years

August 8, 2023 voanews.com reported:

Russia said Monday it plans to launch a lunar lander this week after multiple delays, hoping to return to the Moon for the first time in nearly fifty years. Russian space agency Roscosmos said it had scheduled the launch of the Luna-25 lander for the early hours of Friday.

With the lunar mission, Russia’s first since 1976, Moscow is seeking to restart and build on the Soviet Union’s pioneering space program. The launch is the first mission of Moscow’s new lunar project and comes as President Vladimir Putin looks to strengthen cooperation in space with China after ties with the West broke down following the start of Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine last year.

Engineers have assembled a Soyuz rocket at the Vostochny cosmodrome in the Russian Far East for the launch of the lander, Roscosmos said.

‘The Luna-25 will have to practise soft landing, take and analyze soil samples and conduct long-term scientific research,’ Roscosmos said in a statement.

Thousands of US troops arrive in Red Sea amid ratcheting Iran tensions 

August 7, 2023 aljazeera.com reported:

More than 3,000 United States military personnel have arrived in the Red Sea aboard two warships, part of a beefed-up response from Washington after tanker seizures by Iran, the US Navy said Monday.

The deployment adds to a growing US military buildup in tense Gulf waterways vital to the global oil trade and led Tehran on Monday to accuse the US of inflaming regional instability.

The US military says Iran has either seized or attempted to take control of nearly 20 internationally flagged ships in the region over the past two years.

The US sailors and Marines entered the Red Sea on Sunday after transiting through the Suez Canal in a pre-announced deployment, the US Navy's Fifth Fleet said in a statement.

They arrived on board the USS Bataan and USS Carter Hall warships, providing "greater flexibility and maritime capability" to the Fifth Fleet, the statement from the Bahrain-based command added.

The deployment adds to efforts "to deter destabilising activity and de-escalate regional tensions caused by Iran's harassment and seizures of merchant vessels," Fifth Fleet spokesman Commander Tim Hawkins told AFP.

The US military says Iran has either seized or attempted to take control of nearly 20 internationally-flagged ships in the region over the past two years.

They arrived on board the USS Bataan and USS Carter Hall warships, providing “greater flexibility and maritime capability” to the Fifth Fleet, the statement from the Bahrain-based command added. The deployment adds to efforts “to deter destabilising activity and de-escalate regional tensions caused by Iran’s harassment and seizures.

Russia and China Sent Large Naval Patrol Near Alaska

August 7, 2023 wsj.com reports:

A combined Russian and Chinese naval force patrolled near the coast of Alaska last week in what U.S. experts said appeared to be the largest such flotilla to approach American shores.

Eleven Russian and Chinese ships steamed close to the Aleutian Islands, according to U.S. officials. The ships, which never entered U.S. territorial waters and have since left, were shadowed by four U.S. destroyers and P-8 Poseidon aircraft.

‘It is a historical first,’ said Brent Sadler, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation and a retired Navy captain. ‘Given the context of the war in Ukraine and tensions around Taiwan, this move is highly provocative.’

A spokesman for the U.S. Northern Command confirmed that Russia and China had carried out a combined naval patrol near Alaska, but didn’t specify the number of ships or their precise location.

“Air and maritime assets under our commands conducted operations to assure the defense of the United States and Canada. The patrol remained in international waters and was not considered a threat,” the command said.