A few days ago I was standing under the skies of Africa and there was a great thunder and lightning over Tanzania. The sky was cloudy, so every time the lightning came, it lit up most of the sky. It was amazing. And I thought: this reminds me of the Coming of Jesus Christ, but it will be even more amazing. 

The only thing which is really important in life is that Jesus gave His life for us, that Jesus loves us and comes to bring us home. That’s all that really matters to me.

I believe that most of us see that Jesus is coming soon. So What does the Bible and Jesus Himself say about the Coming of Jesus Christ? I will speak about three important topics of His Coming from the Bible: 1) discerning the spiritual deception of the last days, 2) staying spiritually awake and ready and 3) holding on to faith, to the promise of glory, deliverance and victory. 

I will start with the spiritual deception of the last days. 

The disciples ask Jesus a specific question in Mathew 24: what will be the sign of Your Coming? The first thing Jesus says is: take heed that no one deceives you! And then Jesus speaks about persecution, earthquakes and rumours of war. But only once. But three times Jesus speaks about spiritual deception, false Christs and false prophets, showing great signs and wonders, so if possible deceive even the elect. But not with one single word, Jesus speaks about a great end time revival before He comes back. 

But Many preachers today speak about it, and a famous American preacher called Bill Johnson from Bethel Church speaks about one billion people saved in a great worldwide end time revival accompanied with miracles, signs, wonders and great spiritual power. 

Ok, that sounds great, but what does the Word of God say? When Jesus speaks about the end times, He doesn’t mention it. Why? Didn’t Jesus know? Or did Jesus just forget? Jesus is God, Jesus knows the future, so I don’t believe that! 

But let’s see what the apostles say!

In 1 Timothy 4 Paul says: “the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.”  And In 2 Thessalonians Paul says: let no one deceive you by any means, for that day, meaning the Coming of Christ, will not come unless the falling away comes first. And then he says that the falling away comes with all power, signs and lying wonders. 

The description Paul gives of the falling away, is almost exactly the same as we heard Bill Johnson saying about the end time revival. Listen now. I believe that maybe the falling away will be mistaken for a great revival. 

And Also the other apostles seem to be totally unaware of this revival. The Bible doesn’t speak about it. 

But then you say: the Bible doesn’t speak about revivals! That’s true, but Jesus gets a direct question about what will happen in the end of time, wouldn’t He also mention A revival with one billion people saved? I believe so. 

Can’t there be revivals now? Of course! There are today many false revivals, especially in the United States since 1995, but also true revivals in for instance China,  Iran and other countries. 

But a worldwide revival with a billion people saved, that I doubt very, very much, based upon the Scriptures and based upon what those who speak about this revival are preaching themselves, a gospel clearly outside and even contrary to the Word of God. No, Jesus and the apostles speak of deception and a falling awaybefore Jesus comes. 

So what is the apostasy. I believe it’s mostly a falling away from two foundations of our faith: 1) that Jesus is God, and came to earth in the flesh, looking as a human being, and 2) that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation and God. This is a very clear truth in the Bible. 

So Who is preaching contrary to this today? 

First of all the liberal theology. Today The pope travels all over the world and preaches that all religions lead to the same God and it’s of course very popular. But it’s not what Jesus said: I am the Truth, the Way and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me. Faith in Jesus Christ is the only Way to God. 

But also in the Protestant church, the born again and spirit filled church, preachers are leaving these two truths behind. 

There is a preaching today called Kingdom or Dominion theology, and it has preachers as Bill Johnson, Rick Joyner, Peter Wagner, Kenneth Copeland, Todd White, Todd Bentley, in the New Apostolic Reformation. 

This theology says that before Jesus comes back, the believers in Christ are to lay the world under their feet, dominate politics, art, entertainment, every aspect of the society, and then Jesus can come back to a prepared table. 

Once again, that sounds good, but what does the Bible say? Jesus said: My Kingdom is not of this world. We belong to an invisible, spiritual Kingdom and we are called to die away from this world and live for Jesus. And Before Jesus comes back, who will rule the world? The Bible says: the Antichrist! And I believe he will come with a message of unity, peace, love and present a one world religion, and put pressure on Christians to abandon the exclusiveness of Christ. 

But it’s better to be ridiculed and persecuted, than accepting another Christ. Jesus is the Lord, God, and Jesus is the only Name under Heaven whereby a man can be saved! We will hold on to Jesus, because we know that only Jesus saves.

When I came to Jesus 2006, some friends and relatives said: Konrad, you used to be a good man, but now with this Jesus I will say goodbye. And I used to feel sad. But then I thought about the Words of Jesus. Blessed are you when they ridicule, persecute you for My Name sake. Rejoice on that day, yes, leap out of joy, because great is your reward in Heaven. So now when they make fun of me, I rejoice and leap with joy in my heart! If we have the perspective of Heaven and Eternity, we can leap and dance with joy, because Jesus has promised us a great reward in Heaven. 

Bill Johnson also teaches that when Jesus walked on earth, He was not the Son of God, He had emptied Himself of His Divinity. Jesus was just a born again man baptized in the Holy Spirit, and did all His signs and wonders as an ordinary man. Bill Johnson is very, very popular today in the West, but the important thing is not if you are popular, but if you preach the Word! 

The Bible says that already the prophets said the Messiah would be God looking as a man, the gospels say that Jesus was the Son of God in Mary’s womb, and when walking in Israel. Peter said: You Are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. And also Jesus says it many times, when Jesus said “I Am”, a Hebrew Name for God. and also the demons said that: we know who You Are, the Holy One of Israel, which is a Name for God. everywhere the Bible says that Jesus is the Son of God, before the world began, walking on earth and today. 

And 1 John says: 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 in 2nd John 7 it’s written: I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 

God’s Word says this is the spirit of the Antichrist, that does not confess that Jesus was the Son of God, that came as a man. 

Now you say; stop, kaka Konrad! Are you saying that the spirit of the Antichrist is in the spirit filled church of Christ today, coming in the Name of Jesus Christ? No, that’s what the Word of God clearly says, but I also sense it with the gift of discernment. I feel that it’s another spirit at work. 

But I judge no one! I don’t judge the Pope, not Bill Johnson, but I am telling you what they preach and what the Word of God says. 

In Sweden Some people say: but these preachers must be true, because they call Jesus Lord, they do things in His Name! Yes, but Jesus also said: they will come in My Name! And Jesus said: not everyone who says to Me: Lord Lord shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Antichrist does not only mean against Christ, it can also mean “instead of Christ”, or “another Christ”. And many born again and spirit-filled Christians are already today worshipping another christ, especially in the Western world. I have seen it and felt it myself at work, the spirit of the Antichrist, in people doing miracles and healings, with great spiritual power, in the Name of Jesus, but still I have felt totally sure: no, this is not the Spirit of God. 

How do I know? Jesus said: you shall know them by their fruit. Fruit is not success, great crowds, miracles and wonders. No, it’s the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace. 

But everything we feel, must be proven by the Word, and I have done that today. This is an absolute fact today, what I have said: it’s true. And I am so sad that many, many beloved brothers today embrace, welcome and even exalt these preachers and the “christ” they present. But Jesus said some things must happen, and Paul says the falling away must come first. 

The falling away has not happened yet fully, but it’s on its way. How can we be saved from that? The apostle Paul gives the answer in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2: we love the truth! To love the truth is first of all to love Jesus and the Word of God, but also to be honest, holding on to what is true about myself and others, to receive spiritual warnings and correction. That’s to love the truth! 

This is one thing to remember in the last days: the spiritual deception. Jesus said: Take heed that no one deceives you! 

But rule number two for us who want to hold on to Jesus Christ is the Words spoken by Jesus and the apostles: stay awake! Watch and pray! Be ready! 

So what does it mean to stay awake? 

I believe that it means that we keep praying, and get into the Word of God, that we get to know the Word. Jesus is the Word, so when we know the Word, we know Jesus. The Word of God will give us strength, spiritual vision and discernment, but only if we read ALL of it! With one single verse of the Scripture you can prove almost anything. 

To stay awake is also not being too attached to the things of this world, to material things. To stay awake is to live for Jesus and not this world. 

It’s also to be spiritually watching, asking: is this really Jesus? Is this the Holy Spirit or another spirit? Is this in line with the Bible? 

It’s Also watching myself! Examining my life and walk with Jesus! Am I still walking with Jesus? Do I still love You, Jesus? Is my heart still willing to serve You and zealous for You and Your Kingdom? Is there still a longing, a yearning in my heart for You, Jesus? Is The fruit of the Spirit growing in me? Do I have sin in my life, and if I do, to repent and ask Jesus to forgive me, cleanse me and deliver me.

That’s a few questions that we should ask ourselves now and then, to make sure that we are still awake. 

And finally, we need to hold on to the Hope of glory, of deliverance, of the Coming of Jesus Christ. When the Bridegroom was delayed, many fell asleep, and one way to stay awake is to speak about His coming, to think of it. Jesus, Are You coming today? Tomorrow? 

There will be a rapture, when Jesus will gather us, and I want you to know that there are various opinions about when the rapture comes. Some say before the great Tribulation, others in the middle of it, after three and a half years of testing, others say: no, also the believers in Christ have to stay under the Antichrist and go through all of the Great Tribulation. I have studied their biblical support but personally I think that the strongest support is for going through all of it, but I don’t know for sure. 

But if Jesus comes before the Tribulation, He is coming very soon. The Corona is the beginning, and soon more things will come, especially upon the Western World. So be ready to be raptured any day now. But be prepared also to go through testing, maybe persecution and not to be deceived by the Antichrist. 

And I believe that hope is essential. Someone said: Man can live thirty days without food, three days without water, three minutes without air, but not three seconds without hope. The African slaves in America sang songs about Heaven and the Coming of Jesus Christ, and that gave them hope, and made them strong. The first church talked a lot about Jesus’s coming, and that gave them strength. But as believers in Jesus Christ we don’t only have a hope of His Coming, we have a promise, and that’s even better! 

So how does Jesus come this time? Revelations says: I saw the Heaven opened and behold a white horse, and He who sat on him was called Faithful and True. 

This time Jesus doesn’t come from earth, He comes from Heaven. If a Christ appears without the Heaven first being opened, a clear coming, it’s not Jesus Christ. Jesus said: For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the Coming of the Son of Man be. The first time Jesus came as a simple man, born by a woman, very much in secret. But this time Jesus’s Coming will be so obvious so no one can doubt it. this time Jesus will come with all His Angels and Every eye shall see Him. 

And the first time Jesus came as a Lamb, to be sacrificed, but this time He comes as the Lion of Judah, in Glory, in Power and authority, with the armies of Heaven, in total victory. 

And as believers in Christ, we are also victorious if we hold on and stay true to the end. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Jesus is Coming soon, and we have a glory and a future and a hope that will not put us to shame, and we will rejoice, we will sing, we will have a liberty, a love, a joy and a peace that is indescribable. And if we think and talk about that Day, our hope will be kept alive. 

So watch out for deception, stay awake, stay in the Word and in prayer, and look up into the sky, because our deliverance is drawing near. Jesus is Coming soon, as the King of kings, in glory and power, and we will share His glory, His victory, His Kingdom forever and ever. That is truly a hope to hold on to and rejoice over! Bwana Jesu asifiwe. Amen.