when we had one church
I was at a small gathering, and someone brought up the topic of the end of days. Now I am not one who ascribes to pre- and post-tribulation and rapture discussions—I think they are a waste of time. When it happens, you will know it, and you won’t be able to do anything about it. Just like the parable of the ten virgins and their lamps (Matthew 25:1–13), you should always be prepared.
But one person asked about the scripture that speaks about the Antichrist and asked if I thought we would recognize him.
My answer was: he is already here. He isn’t going to come on a black horse and be a menacing, frightening creature—if he did that, everyone would run to Jesus. He is a whisper in your ears, a confusing answer, a seemingly kind word that leads one astray. He is here. I will give you proof.
Now, I am not a holy man. I am a great sinner who has finally come to the conclusion that boasting about my sinful past is probably not going to make me welcome in Heaven—if I do make it there. So, hypocrite that I am, I can recognize hypocrisy and lies. And I will tell you where the Antichrist is growing stronger.
1. The Antichrist Among Us (2 Corinthians 11:14)
It starts with sin—small sin, annoying sin. The sin of members of the Catholic Church. People who were supposed to protect the truth and instead started selling tickets to Heaven. Good people protested. It should have ended with repentance and a return to holiness. But it didn’t. The corruption grew and spread, not in the any one church, but all Christianity. THe reformers, were met with their own reformers, who bread others. All claiming to be Right. Today, if you give your life to Jesus and become a Christian, you will be met with over 14,000 denominations—people who all read the same Bible, pray to the same Lord, but are willing to condemn each other’s Christian beliefs.
You will encounter thousands of preachers, claiming the authority of the Bible, and telling you how other Christians are just on the wrong path and not really Christians. If there is something that whips and beats, something that causes anguish and pain, it is knowing that Jesus died for brothers and sisters who are now squabbling around the table at a feast—fighting with such intensity that they can no longer see Jesus at the head of the table or be grateful for His redemptive love. That is the Antichrist among us.
2. The Tragedy of Division (John 17:21, 1 Corinthians 1:10–13)
My friends, we are wounding our Lord. When I was struck with this realization, I was so filled with sorrow that I wept. How could I participate in an activity, an attitude, a life that was leaving more whip marks on the soul of our Lord? Jesus prayed that we would be one, just as He and the Father are one (John 17:21). Paul begged the early Church to be united in mind and thought (1 Corinthians 1:10). Instead, today’s church is divided, competitive, and prideful.
3. The Way of Christ is Love (Matthew 5:43–48, Romans 13:8–10)
The way of Christ is love—loving your enemies, loving sinners, loving the righteous and the unholy, loving your neighbor as yourself. Christ gives us all gifts. Some He gifts with wealth and power, others with sickness and poverty. They balance each other out. When the wealthy care for the poor, and the poor pray for the wealthy and humbly accept help, giving glory to God, we all participate in God’s salvific plan.
4. Seeking Status in the Church (Mark 10:35–45)
Churches claiming to be closer to God are like the apostles asking to sit at His right and left hand. Jesus offers a front-row seat to persecution—not first in line for the heavenly feast. His ways are not our ways, and His standards are humility, service, and sacrificial love.
5. The Spirit Builds the Church (1 Corinthians 2:1–5, Acts 2:1–4)
We need to work at reconciling and bringing the world to Jesus. The Church was not built by people carrying Bibles—it was built by illiterate people who were touched by the Spirit. The Bible is our guide, but when it begins to draw us away from Jesus rather than toward Him, we must pause and pray that the Spirit gives us the wisdom we need to live as Christians.
6. A Living Example: Hosting an Angel (Matthew 25:40, Hebrews 13:2)
The other day, a woman came into my office with a mentally challenged child. He was disruptive, and she was trying to accomplish something but was struggling. I told her to leave the child with me. She looked surprised and asked, “You really don’t mind?”
I replied, “This child is not capable of sin. He is perfect in the eyes of God. Like an angel.”
Some people imagine angels to be beings of light, and maybe some are. But right now, I had the honor of hosting a sinless creature of God—a brother of Christ. What better way for me to spend my time?
She smiled with doubt and appreciation. An hour later, she returned. He had been disruptive, but I relished every moment. God hung out with me when I was disruptive. He didn’t let me go. It was my turn to be like Him—to show Him I have changed and want to be a better person.
7. The Call to Unity (Ephesians 4:4–6)
I am excited because I have a purpose: bringing together Christians, breaking down walls, and promoting unity. There is only one Christ, one Body, one Spirit, and one God and Father of us all (Ephesians 4:4–6). We are a family—dysfunctional at best. But we need to start bringing the family back together.
If we listen to the Spirit, He will guide us to Jesus, who will introduce us to the Father.
Amen.
The musings of Peter 