{"id":86,"date":"2003-02-01T21:38:22","date_gmt":"2003-02-02T03:38:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=86"},"modified":"2012-04-23T22:11:47","modified_gmt":"2012-04-24T03:11:47","slug":"pro-christ","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=86","title":{"rendered":"Pro-Christ"},"content":{"rendered":"

And they said, \u201cIs not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, \u2018I have come down from heaven\u2019?\u201d John 6:42<\/em><\/p>\n

Fasten your seat belts. This month is my most radical column to date.<\/p>\n

At the risk of shamelessly plugging my novel, I must say I have been surprised and dismayed by the response of some of my brothers and sisters to my dramatization of God\u2019s use of human beings toward His purpose. The book gets a bit gritty in places, too gritty for mainline Christian publishers, but those scenes haven\u2019t raised even one eyebrow among my fellow believers. However, wave that red cape of God\u2019s power resting on a mere mortal, and Katie bar the door! The hackles rise and teeth start a-gnashing.<\/p>\n

Now I\u2019m just using\u00a0the book as an example. I could have written it differently, and the price for expressing my vision of the truth is mine alone to pay. No, I\u2019m more concerned about a much larger issue than one work of fiction by a lesser writer. I\u2019m concerned about the spirit of antichrist in the church.<\/p>\n

Whoa! Back up! You lost me there, sister!<\/p>\n

Give me a few more paragraphs to explain. The sixth chapter of John\u2019s gospel is an interesting read, especially if you chase it with a look at the same apostle\u2019s first epistle. John coined the term \u201cantichrist\u201d, meaning opponent of Christ. Opponent of the Anointed One. Many of the Jews who had been following Jesus couldn\u2019t take the idea that this man\u2014this man who had grown up among them; this man whose lineage had been questioned; this carpenter for Pete\u2019s sake\u2014was anointed with the power of God. How dare him make such a claim? Who did he think he was?<\/p>\n

They became so offended that John 6:66 (an interesting verse with an even more interesting number) records that these disciples withdrew from him. Compare with 1 John 2:19. Why were they offended? Why were they against Christ? I assure you, it wasn\u2019t because he was a nice guy. They weren\u2019t merely against a man. They were against the anointing (the power, the Spirit) of God on a man. They were, in its purest definition, anti-Christ.<\/p>\n

The Bible says that Jesus was the firstborn among many brethren. The Lord himself said the works He did, we would do also, and greater works. Jesus compared himself to a kernel of corn, which bears fruit when it falls to the ground. What kind of fruit does a planted kernel of corn bear? More corn. What kind of fruit does a planted Anointed One bear? More Anointed Ones.<\/p>\n

People don\u2019t mind praying for healing. But God forbid He should minister that healing anointing through the hands of a man. People are happy to receive supernatural answers to prayer. But God forbid supernatural power manifesting through today\u2019s believers as it did through Jesus. That attitude, beloved, is antichrist and we better run like crazy from it. We should purge it from our thinking like leaven from the Passover bread.<\/p>\n

God has ordained to use men and women to carry out His purpose with power in the earth. Get used to it. It\u2019s the only way it\u2019s going to be because it is His will. He will have people, willing people, who are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation. It is the ultimate Power To The People.<\/p>\n

There. I\u2019ve said it. I\u2019m done. Be blessed!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

And they said, \u201cIs not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, \u2018I have come down from heaven\u2019?\u201d John 6:42 Fasten your seat belts. This month is my … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Mo02-1o","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1231,"url":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=1231","url_meta":{"origin":86,"position":0},"title":"What a Mess","author":"lsimonds","date":"April 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"For consider your calling, brothers:\u00a0not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But\u00a0God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise;\u00a0God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2019"","block_context":{"text":"2019","link":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?cat=19"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1096,"url":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=1096","url_meta":{"origin":86,"position":1},"title":"Horn of Plenty","author":"lsimonds","date":"November 25, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Jesus then took the loaves, and\u00a0when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples,\u00a0\u201cGather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.\u201d John 6:11,12 ESV\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2018"","block_context":{"text":"2018","link":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?cat=18"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1324,"url":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=1324","url_meta":{"origin":86,"position":2},"title":"#grateful","author":"lsimonds","date":"November 24, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.\" Hebrews 12:28-29 There's a Thanksgiving tradition I've always loved in which each person around the table tells\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2019"","block_context":{"text":"2019","link":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?cat=19"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":474,"url":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=474","url_meta":{"origin":86,"position":3},"title":"Taking on Debt","author":"lsimonds","date":"July 1, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, \u201cSacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, \u2018Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2015"","block_context":{"text":"2015","link":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?cat=13"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":81,"url":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=81","url_meta":{"origin":86,"position":4},"title":"What Will Be","author":"lsimonds","date":"January 1, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201c\u2026the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,\u2026\u2026which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.\u201d Ephesians 1:18, 23 Some while ago I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2004"","block_context":{"text":"2004","link":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":50,"url":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=50","url_meta":{"origin":86,"position":5},"title":"Anticipation","author":"lsimonds","date":"February 1, 2002","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cBut if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.\u201d Romans 8:25 The Lord convicted me about worrying the other day. I know it was Him. You see, I spend a lot of time\u2014I mean, a really lot\u2014hoping for things I don\u2019t have.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2002"","block_context":{"text":"2002","link":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?cat=1"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=86"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88,"href":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86\/revisions\/88"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=86"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=86"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=86"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}