Foot-Spa. . .Key to the Book of Revelation

by

Kay Frances Graves

 

What is "Foot-Spa?"

 

This sounds a lot like an Old Testament Hebraic term, but actually it is a new term I made up years ago to describe a natural method of healing I was teaching.  More recently, as I was writing about The Mystery of Fellowship, I realized that Foot-Spa could also be applied to a vital New Testament truth that defines true fellowship and reveals the key to the Book of Revelation.  It is a perfect physical illustration of a spiritual truth which Jesus, Himself, taught to His disciples.

 

The Physical Application of "Foot-Spa"

 

In 2000, I began working with plant oils--also referred to as "essential oils."  The scientific training I received indicated that the body was designed to maintain and heal itself (provided that it was correctly nourished) and I began to get a deeper understanding of the various methods of healing God intended us to use--modalities that actually harmonize with the way the body facilitates healing.

 

One of these methods, similar to reflexology, involves the feet.  What happens to the feet affects the entire body; therefore, a simple foot-soak in a warm tub of water has often been a favorite home remedy, recommended as an effective first response when someone comes down with a cold--because it boosts circulation throughout the body, bringing nourishment to the cells while carrying away toxins.

 

Since many, who suffer with physical afflictions, are not able to lie face down on the clinical table so the necessary essential oils can be applied to their back, I was taught that the same effects can be achieved by applying the oils to the feet, because God designed the feet to draw the oils into the body.

 

This information was very helpful to me because it meant that I did not have to always carry a clinical table into my teaching sessions.  Instead, I decided to introduce certain groups of new students to the oils via a means of application that came to be known as "Foot-Spa Parties," where students could soak their feet in dish pans of warm water and then apply the specific oils they had chosen in order to experience the effects of the oils.

 

Biblical References to Plant Oils

 

David Stewart, Ph.D., author of "Healing Oils of the Bible," has done extensive research on the naturally occurring chemistry of essential oils.  He has discovered hundreds of references to plant oils in the Bible and how they were historically used to effectively maintain and heal the body.

 

The Bible describes how "ointment," or a salve made with essential oils, was applied to the feet of Jesus in Luke, Chapter 7.  Through these biblical examples, we begin to realize that feet were created for more than religious anointing rituals or a means of transporting us down the road from point "A" to point "B."  There is a practical and specific physical, as well as spiritual, purpose behind everything God has created.  Nothing we do should be a boring, robotic, meaningless performance or reduced to a matter of simply "going through the motions."

 

The Spiritual Application of "Foot-Spa"

 

Lack of interest in the Word of God causes the religious to stray from faith, by the Word of God, to trust instead in a religion of works and meaningless rituals.  Those who do not embrace the preeminence of Jesus Christ and His Word are therefore lacking the capacity to understand the symbolism in the illustrations Jesus gave to true believers.

 

Because they have become confused regarding the issue of how "the washing of water by the Word" cleanses believers, they turn this illustration into just another ritual which has been hidden within their own idea of good works and ceremonial practices, instead of seeing it as another reminder given to us by God to honor the preeminence of God's Word and value that Word as the vital "first works" Christ told us to remember if we really want to belong to Him.

 

The Word of God, like water, continues to spiritually wash and cleanse Christ's Body of Believers/True Church of Jesus Christ, sanctifying them first of all from their personal spiritual uncleanness (sin) and secondly for the purpose of maintaining purity in the doctrine of the Church, if the true Church of Jesus Christ is to remain pure and without blemish, because it is His desire that His Bride be purified before He returns.

 

(26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it

with the washing of water by the word,

(27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church,

not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing;

but that it should be holy and without blemish."

Ephesians 5:26-27

 

In the physical realm, washing the feet or applying oil to the feet, affects the whole body.  Jesus therefore, gave us the symbol of washing feet, in John Chapter 13, to illustrate how cleansing by the water of the Word of God should take place spiritually in the Body of Christ.

 

Here is Jesus' physical illustration of that spiritual process:

 

(5) After that he poureth water into a bason,

and began to wash the disciples' feet,

and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

(6) Then cometh he to Simon Peter:

and Peter saith unto him,

Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

(7) Jesus answered and said unto him,

What I do thou knowest not now;

but thou shalt know hereafter.

John 13:5-7

 

Jesus tells Peter that he will not, at the moment, understand the lesson Jesus is teaching, but will ultimately realize the importance of it sometime in the future.  If this was a command to literally wash feet with literal water, there would be no need for Jesus to tell Peter this, because the lesson would be obvious.  Therefore, Jesus had to tell him (and us) that this illustration would require some time to consider. 

 

How much time would it take?  How far into the future would the significance of this symbolic water application go?

 

After Jesus rose from the dead, when the Holy Spirit came to believers, He revealed the truth regarding the power of the Word of God to them at that time.  This lesson continues into the future and is found in the writing of Paul, when he was imprisoned in Rome sometime between 60-64 A.D., at which time he first made this significant connection between water and the Word of God in his letter to the Ephesians (5:26-27--see above).

 

Through Paul's writings, this concept has been brought all the way through history to this present day for our benefit as well.  In other words, the importance of the washing of water by the Word was a prophecy of Jesus pertaining to the Word of God which would one day exist in written form in one completed Book (Holy Bible).

 

(8) Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet.

Jesus answered him,

If I wash thee not, thou has no part with me.

(9) Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only,

but also my hands and my head.

John 13:8-9

 

Here Jesus confirms that if a follower of His is not washed by the water of the Word, he does not really belong to Christ at all.  Think about how this could fit into our idea of "eternal security."

 

Peter, 'the extremist,' replied, "Then don't just wash my feet, but all of me."

 

Peter, as usual, missed the point.  He failed to see the spiritual application of this physical cleansing.  He thought that if a foot bath could guarantee a relationship with Christ, then don't just wash the feet, wash the entire person.

 

Therefore it became necessary for Jesus to expound on this process of spiritual washing:

 

(10) Jesus saith to him,

He that is washed needeth not save [except] to wash his feet,

but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

(11) For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he,

Ye are not all clean.

(12) So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments,

and was set down again,

he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

John 13:10-12

 

A believer initially receives cleansing by repenting and being forgiven of his basic (original) sin of rebellion against God.  After that, he only needs to wash his feet--that part of him that comes in contact with the world and picks up spiritual impurities from it, just as feet pick up dirt from the path they walk.

 

Then Jesus revealed that He knew there was one in their midst who had not received this initial washing.  The person He was referring to was Judas--the disciple who would betray Him.  Jesus could see that Judas' heart was unchanged, not submitted to Christ, and still in the initial state of rebellion against God.

 

(13) Ye call me Master and Lord:

and ye say well; for so I am.

(14) If I then your Lord and Master, have washed your feet;

ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

(15) For I have given you an example,

[spiritual illustration - symbol]

that ye should do as I have done to you.

(16) Verily, verily, I say unto you,

The servant is not greater than his lord;

neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

John 13:13-16

 

In this passage, Jesus gives another picture of the type of administrative structure He wants to see in His Church.  This lesson also contradicts man's hierarchal systems of religion by maintaining that:

 

1.  Jesus is the only One who has the right to be called "Master and Lord" (or any other preeminent religious title) because He alone is the Son of God and leader of His Church.

 

2.  Even though Jesus is preeminent in His position, it is His nature to humble Himself before the Father to serve those He has created.  This is also an illustration of His death on the cross.

 

3.  Because Christ humbled Himself, giving up His life so we might be cleansed, we also should follow His example by humbling ourselves before God, giving up our own life and desires, to invest the time it takes to cleanse one another through verbally sharing His Word.

 

However, from the pulpit, this command has often been reduced to a fragmented admonition to humble ourselves before one another, which is really a form of idolatry, since we are commanded to exclusively humble ourselves before God Almighty alone.  If we have humbled ourselves before God, we are certainly already humble enough to carry on a productive relationship with fellow believers and require no further humbling by any man.

 

In certain religious circles today, some professing Christians have even gone so far as to incorporate a literal foot-washing ritual into their official church doctrines, without any understanding of the meaningless, robotic ritual they are performing over and over again.  They do this in obedience to the doctrines of the church and because they think it is going to somehow generate humility and keep people from becoming proud.

 

How is literal, physical foot-washing going to keep people from being proud?  They don't know--but proudly inform us that "if you don't do what we do, you are not humble, you have violated the commandments of God, and you are therefore, not a real Christian at all.  Don't question any doctrines of the church.  Just do what the leaders tell you to do."

 

By engaging in literal, physical works and hoping they will accomplish some spiritual reward, those who profess to know Christ are demonstrating that the blood of Christ is not sufficient (in their opinion).  They are falsely testifying to the world that God requires us to be cleansed from sin through physical foot-washing or that this is the way we will be motivated to remember that no one is better than anyone else (except for the leaders who determine church doctrine).

 

As a result this has become just another meaningless religious ritual lifted from the pages of Scripture and right out of the context of the truth of what Christ was really teaching, thereby exchanging saving faith for worthless works, and proving once again that the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14).

 

If you think that these are harsh words, let me remind you that God is a jealous God.  He and His Word must have preeminence.  There is nothing we can do ourselves to take sin away or inherit eternal life.  Do you remember how Jesus rebuked Peter in the Garden before He died, when Peter dared to tell Christ that He really didn't have to die?

 

Jesus responded by accusing Peter of being the devil's mouth-piece and lashed out against what Peter was saying by telling him, "Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."  (Matthew 16:23)

 

This was an extreme response from Jesus which illustrates His extreme hatred of anything that could minimize the importance of His mission.  He had to go to the cross.  It was the only thing that could be done to save us from the consequences of sin and bring us safely into the presence of God the Father.  At the same time, Jesus was accusing Peter of loving worldly things (doctrines/beliefs) men had created, instead of the things of God.  Here we have another example of the battle for preeminence that exists between man and God.

 

God hates any mention of the possibility that there could be any other way to be cleansed from sin, therefore He hates faithless works.  He calls them "filthy rags," in reference to the graphic illustration of menstrual cloths used in biblical times.  "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses ["good works"] are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6)

 

Seeking any other method of righteousness is a form of idolatry, for anything that tries to take the place of the One True God is idolatry.  He alone has determined specifically how we are to inherit eternal life and the method by which we are to overcome all subsequent evil within and from without that transpires from our exposure to the world.

 

Only those who are initially cleansed by the blood of Christ and forgiven of their basic sinful rebellion against God Almighty will continue to overcome and be forgiven, through the washing of the water by the Word of God.

 

(5) He that overcometh,

the same shall be clothed in white raiment;

and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life,

but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.

(6) He that hath an ear, let him hear

what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 3:5-6

 

Humbly acknowledging the preeminence of Jesus Christ, cleansing by the Word of God, and then sharing that Word for the purpose of helping fellow believers to also be cleansed, provides us with a perfect example of genuine fellowship.

 

But who wants to take advice from someone who is not, himself, submitted to Christ and His Word and does not have enough of the Word to know what he is really talking about?

 

Seems that everyone today wants to hold a position of authority, counsel others, or promote their own opinions and advice, but very few are actually qualified by God's standards to do so--which by the way, does not automatically come wrapped in a diploma from some college or seminary.

 

Today genuine Christians can suffer a lot of persecution for not getting with the church program, before their spiritual desperation drives them into the Word and they finally find their way out the door of their local "Word-less" church.

 

Eternal Ramifications of "Foot-Spa"

 

Are we taking this matter seriously enough?  Jesus tells us that foot-washing is not optional:

 

Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not,

thou hast no part with me.

John 13:8

 

Those who view foot-washing as a necessary physical ritual and mandatory performance of their doctrinal obligations, will robotically carry out this command as just another type of works that they presume will guarantee their ticket to Heaven or favor with God.  But when this command of Jesus is correctly understood to be an illustration of spiritual cleansing, it will be regarded as evidence of having a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ through "washing of the water by the Word."

 

On the other hand, the door of Heaven is closed to those who do not see the value of the Word of God but are, instead, dedicated to their own religious works and only presumptuously professing to know Him.

 

(13) Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins;

let them not have dominion over me:

then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent

from the great transgression." 

(14) Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in thy sight,

O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Psalm 19:13-14

 

What is this "great transgression," that has the power to take control over a person?  Isn't it the common sin of "presumption"--presuming that one has a relationship with Christ, when in reality the person's words and thoughts are not really acceptable to God?  How can our words and thoughts be deemed acceptable to God?  Is it not by measuring them up to the Words and thoughts of our Creator?  This is where we really find assurance of salvation.  Doubts vanish when we are thinking and living in harmony with the Word of God.

 

We can wax eloquent with biblical phrases and speak popular "Christian-ese" until the cows come home, but if what we are thinking and saying is not in harmony with the Word of God, we are guilty of misrepresenting Christ and actually propagating another Gospel.

 

Those who engage in the "work" of measuring words and thoughts up to the Word of God are the same ones who have a genuine relationship with Christ.  Followers of Christ will be known by these works.  Their genuine relationship with Christ is the reason they are engaged in this "work."  The "work" is not the means by which they are saved, but is evidence that they are saved.

 

Just as Jesus told Nicodemus that while the wind (like the Holy Spirit) could not be seen, the evidence of it could be seen--cleansing by the water of the Word is also the work of the Holy Spirit.  He is the one who motivates us, gives us a spiritual hunger, and leads us into the Truth of the Word of God.

 

The natural man does not crave the Word of God because this is a supernatural desire that is only given by God to genuine believers.  It is evidence that we belong to Him.  "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."  (1 Corinthians 2:14)

 

Gateway to Understanding the Book of Revelation

 

Because physical signs of the times are becoming obviously visible, many folks, like sci-fi addicts, are now frantically jumping over introductory chapters of the Book of Revelation, looking for something in the symbolism after the third chapter, which they can connect with current events to somehow divine the future.

 

But they may as well forget about ever being able to get a grip on the Book of Revelation or understanding the details of End Times recorded therein, if they have not approached this Book step by step from Chapter 1, verse 1, because the secret to understanding the Book of Revelation unfolds as we follow the steps.

Another thing we need to remember from the prophecy in the Book of Daniel is that he was told to seal up the book until the end of time.  "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased" (Daniel 12:4).

End Time information will be given to us on a "need to know basis only" at the specific time God has ordained.

Nevertheless, this does not mean that we should not pursue as much information as possible at the moment.  There definitely is something we need to be doing in the meantime so we are ready to receive End Time information when God makes it available.  In fact, most professing Christians, because of their presumption, are behind schedule with their spiritual preparations.  They presume that church leaders and "scholars," for the most part, have already correctly identified the players in the Book of Revelation.  So because they are used to going to them for the answers to their questions, they think that all they need to do is give the "scholars" a quick read and they are good to go.

Anyway, who has the time to invest in checking out history, geography, the Old Testament or what Jesus really had to say about End Times?  If everyone we admire as a "spiritual expert" thinks that a European or modern western perspective is the way to go, who are we to doubt that and personally study an historical, mid-eastern perspective or the possibility of a combination of perspectives?  The same goes for "pre-trib," "mid-trib," or "post-trib."

Without understanding the totality of the Word of God, accurate history, and knowledge of current events, the coming of Christ will take many professing christians by surprise, no matter how much belief they put into their presumed eternal security.

Yes, many presumptuous "professors" are seriously behind schedule in building a spiritual foundation for an accurate End Time revelation.  This is exactly what the first three chapters of the Book of Revelation are trying to tell us--if we have "ears to hear what the Spirit is saying."

Jesus tells us this over and over and over again throughout the Book of Revelation, yet very few are checking to see if they really have ears to hear.  For one reason or another they believe they have found some evidence that proves that they have the "Holy Spirit," so they presume that they must have eternal security as well.  But they are really putting the cart before the horse.

They are convinced of it because someone told them once upon a time how they would see evidence of the Spirit manifested in a certain way--through some type of special "experience," so now they think that they are okay and that the "Holy Spirit" will just whisper something in their ear and they will know which way to go.  Oh, really?  Are you sure?  Would you like to bet your eternal life on it?

It's interesting that these are the same folks who are unable to personally expound Scripture.  Everything they learn comes from the pulpit, CDs, books, and seminars.  This is what they feed on instead of the Word of God.

Since it is the Holy Spirit that interprets the Word of God and teaches us everything we need to know through the Word of God, how can we really possess the Spirit of God, if we are unable to understand what He has said in His written Word?--and how do we know if what we are hearing is really the truth?

There is a standard for truth and a way to hear the Voice of God.  It is called, "the Holy Bible"--"the Word of God."  The real Holy Spirit resides in the Word and interprets the Word for us.  Jesus said, "the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63)

Reading or hearing a little Scripture now and then isn't going to give us the foundation we need to discern the powerful End Time deception that is coming and, in fact, is already here.

(4) Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee,

because thou hast left thy first love.

(5) Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen,

and repent, and do the first works;

or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick

out of his place, except thou repent.

Revelation 2:4-5

 

If we don't remember what we have forgotten and accurately identify what we have really lost, we will remain lost--not because we don't have the eternal security Jesus promised, but because we were somehow pulled into that nefarious End Time movement away from the Truth of God, which proved that we really didn't know Him in the first place.

 

You will find this last warning in the first three chapters of the Book of Revelation because it is the door or the gateway to understanding the rest of the Book of Revelation.  If we don't understand enough of the preceding 65 Books of the Bible, how do we think we are ever going to understand the 66th Book?

 

In Chapter 1 of the Book of Revelation, we are first told that this Book has been dictated to John by Jesus Christ, Himself, so readers will be able to understand End Times.  Jesus has chosen John because John values the written Word and testimony of Jesus Christ, the Living Word, enough to have willingly given up his freedom for the cause of Christ.  This is, in fact, the very reason John is being persecuted and why we find him writing this last Book of the Bible, exiled on the Island of Patmos.

 

Then Jesus says a very interesting thing:

 

Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words

of this prophecy,

and keep those things which are written therein:

for the time is at hand.

Revelation 1:3

 

I ask you, "Is being blessed an option?  Is this a suggestion?"

 

"Hummm. . .I think I want to be blessed today.  No, I don't feel like reading or hearing right now.  I think I will wait and be blessed tomorrow."

 

Maybe it would help us make up our mind if we understood what can happen if we are not blessed.  There is a purpose in everything God tells us to do.  In this case, by reading and hearing the words, we will be enabled to do the things that are written because the time to do these things is NOW.

 

So if we do not read and do not hear, we will not be enabled to do the things which are written and we will run out of time to do them.

 

Who else ran out of time when it was getting close to the end and the Groom was about to come for the Bride?  Was it not the five foolish virgins?

 

As we read this account of the ten virgins in Matthew 25, we discover exactly what it means to be "un-blessed."  Five of the virgins failed to do what was necessary to enter in and time ran out before they could go back and prepare for what was scheduled to happen next.  So they were left behind.

 

Do we have the right to presume upon His mercy when we do not listen to His Word?  Because God is so merciful, most people do not realize that a point in time will actually come when it will definitely be too late.

 

(10) And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book:

for the time is at hand.

(11) He that is unjust, let him be unjust still:

and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still:

and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still:

and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

(12) And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me,

to give every man according as his work shall be.

Revelation 22:10-12

 

Importance of the Words

 

The most important thing to consider is the vehicle by which we are to be blessed--the Words.  This is what we must focus on--reading and hearing the Words.  The Words are the key to the blessing.  This is the "key of David."  King David understood the value of the Word of God.  He knew that this is how we are going to know what to do to receive the blessing.

 

When the end comes, it is going to be vital that we have this blessing.  Furthermore, it is the washing of the water by these Words that will help us prepare to endure when most of humanity will come under the chaos and great deception spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2.  The Words that reside in our heart and mind will be used by the Holy Spirit at that time to lead us and enable us to do what needs to be done.

 

If you see what is going on in the world and you still are not really craving the Word of God, then I urge you to doubt  your salvation.  Yes, contrary to what the preachers preach, I urge you to doubt your salvation.

To be sure that your eternal relationship with Christ is secure, scroll up to the top of this page, and click on the gift wrapped in gold on the left side.  Then: 

1.  When you begin to crave the Word of God, start studying the Gospel of John by writing it down verse by verse and passage by passage in a notebook or as a Word document at your computer, asking God to give you something from it. 

2.  When you understand a verse, write down, under the verse, what you have learned.

3.  Then go to Genesis and begin reading that Book.  Continue reading a little through the Old Testament every day, while also taking another portion of the Gospel of John everyday, to study more thoroughly. 

4.  If you discover that something you are reading, outside of the Gospel of John, makes you wonder if you correctly understood what you learned at first, go back to John and highlight it in yellow and write next to it why you now doubt your previous conclusion and pray that God will help you balance that Scripture so you can have peace about what it means. 

5.  Do not take the interpretation of others as absolute fact, regardless how many degrees they may have, it is fine to consider what they write, but always wait for God to verify what you see in His Word. 

 

The Vital Introductory Message of the Book of Revelation

 

In the beginning of this Book, Jesus verifies who He really is, telling John that He has come to give John a message for the seven churches.  The number "seven" is the number of completion, or represents all churches that have ever existed--not just seven literal churches during the time the Book of Revelation was being written.  How do we know this?

 

Regardless how many literal churches or fellowships of genuine believers there are in the world, they really all belong to only one Church--the one Church of Jesus Christ, called "the Bride" or "the Body" of Christ, that is composed of genuine believers who have submitted to the preeminence of Jesus Christ and the Word of God.

 

Jesus then identifies each church (religious body that calls itself by the name of Christ/"Christian") as He outlines the characteristics of these churches, so we can examine their strengths and weaknesses, and accurately compare them with churches today.  Some of these churches are going to endure to the end and others are not--but will fall under the weight of their own corruption as a result of being infiltrated by false doctrines, proving that they did not really know Christ in the first place.

 

Because of this, Jesus again pleads with us, saying:

 

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:

if any man hear my voice, and open the door,

I will come in to him, and will sup [eat] with him,

and he with me.

Revelation 3:20

 

Jesus is standing at the door of our heart and at the gateway to understanding the Book of Revelation and End Times.  Not only is Jesus standing at the door, He is knocking.  He wants us to let Him in so He can tell us something important.  He wants us to hear His Voice that resides in this Word He has dictated to John.

 

If we hear His Voice and let Him in, He will not only come to us but will dwell with us in the power of the Holy Spirit who is committed to leading us into all Truth and thereby protect us from the great End Time deception.  This is a time to "sup" with Him--share a meal--feed on the Word of God with Him and is a picture of genuine fellowship with Jesus Christ.  As He delivers this Word to us through the pen of John, He is giving of Himself and supplying the spiritual nutrition we need to be spiritually nourished and healed so we are able to endure to the end and be saved.

 

Do you crave to be fed with this blessing from His Word?

 

Are you being purified daily and made ready for the return of Christ?

 

Blessed is he that readeth, and they that

hear the words of this prophecy,

and keep those things which are written therein:

for the time is at hand.

Revelation 1:3

 

Hurry. . .There isn't much time left.

Confirm your relationship with Jesus Christ now

so you know that you are eternally saved.

When you start to crave His Word, go to your Bible.

Wash your feet and your brother's feet 

today, and tomorrow, and the next day,

and every day after that until. . .

. . .you see Him coming in the clouds

to take you to the place He has prepared for us

in His Father's house.



 



Love, Lust, and the Antichrist

by

Kay Frances Graves

God is Love

He that loveth not

knoweth not God;

for God is love.

-1 John 4:8

 

The Bible, the Holy Word of God, tells us that "God is love."

    

Look around; see what the Most High God has created for us to enjoy simply because He loves us.  Observe how mothers mirror the love of God through their inherent desire to comfort and care for the children they bring into this world.

    

Study the animal kingdom.  Watch the way animals instinctively nurture their young and protect them.

    

Then take note of how the devil has been hard at work corrupting mankind from the beginning, transforming compassionate love and care into hate.

    

Sometimes bad things do happen to good people and God does not always respond as we would like Him to.  So there are those who sit in judgment of God and try to somehow blame Him when evil exposes itself.  They believe that He should personally control all of the hateful actions of evil people.

    

If we are thinking along these lines could it be that we expect God to produce Heaven on Earth right now, instead of letting our Creator carry out His plan, in His time, to ultimately establish a kingdom that is void of evil, yet blessed with freedom?

    

It is not God's desire to force people to do what is right.  He does not want robots to inhabit His Kingdom.  He wants His Kingdom to freely function according to the laws of love.  Some important things must first happen before this is possible.

    

Nevertheless, there are those who refuse to wait for God's plan to unfold and have given up on God and given up on love as well.  They have decided to just worship any god they believe will provide them with some sort of benefit.

    

It is power they really want--the power and freedom to follow the god of their choice or usurp the position of Almighty God to become their own god--one they believe will have the power to create ultimate riches, physical gratification, and/or a place in some sort of paradise.

    

Or they believe that we are all just animals and that when you are dead, you are dead. . .and that is all there is to it, so better take whatever you can get out of life right now.

    

Nevertheless the Word of God tells us that those who seek any idol or any type of "godhood" are really traveling the broad road that leads to self-destruction and regardless of the number of "good works" they may perform, they will ultimately spend eternity in Hell, because they have rejected the one true God and the only real plan of salvation that exists, which does not depend on anything we do, but on what Jesus Christ has already done for us and our response to that.

    

While some don't care if anyone gets hurt, or even if they have to commit suicide to get the eternal benefits they are after, others may be seeking the preeminent position of "god," believing that it is their duty to redefine love so everyone can find peace and prosperity.  One way or another they are determined to make it happen, whether "for the ultimate good of mankind" or to take over the world in the name of their god--even if it means killing people to do it.

    

The Bible tells us that an attempt at worldly control happened before and it will happen again.  How can anyone foolishly think that God is going to let it happen now, if He did not let it happen then?

    

While an attempt to enslave the entire world may cause chaos and a great upheaval, the Most High, Loving God, Himself, promises that ultimate worldwide control will never happen.  Love will always prevail and ultimately overcome evil, because "God is love" and Jesus Christ holds the keys to life and death and hell (Revelation 1:18).  Furthermore, Jesus Christ is coming back to destroy those who have rejected the love of God and responded to His love with hate and murder.

 

The Love Lie

    

How is it possible that anyone can believe that the end justifies the means and that murder in the name of any god is really a good thing or that something good can come from something that is motivated by hate?

 

While some deny their God-given need for genuine love, there are others that proclaim that love can exist in our heart without having a personal relationship with the One True God.

    

While varying amounts of inherent natural affection are evident throughout the world and commonly misinterpreted as love, it is impossible for the unique, genuine love of God that is without compromise, to exist without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit because:

 

(9) The heart is deceitful above all things,

and desperately wicked:

who can know it?

(10) I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins,

even to give every man according to his ways,

and according to the fruit of his doings.

-Jeremiah 17:9-10

 

Since the One True God is the only source of real love, the enemy must create a counterfeit love, one which will be powerful enough to make people forget the real God and what genuine love actually is.

 

And [Jesus] said, Verily I say unto you,

Except ye be converted, and become as little children,

ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

-Matthew 18:3

 

When we discover the simple difference between genuine love and false love, we will be freed from the devil's deceptive spell, shocked into the real world, and will for the first time, be able to see things as they really are instead of how we have been told they are.  We will become as little children who have not yet been influenced by the high sounding philosophical lies of the world and the devil.

 

Genuine Love

 

Since the Garden of Eden, the devil has been twisting God's Words and trying to rewrite His definition of love.  He knows that when mankind understands the true definition of love, he will be able to see who God really is and will value His preeminence, making it impossible to accept satan as his god.

    

Even though the evil one dwells in the spiritual dimension and "offers" some amazing benefits (i.e. power, earthly prosperity, and ecstatic experiences) the truth is, the devil has nothing of any real eternal value to actually give to anyone.  Because of this, his main mode of operation has always revolved around manipulating our mental and fleshly weaknesses found in the physical dimension of life.

    

Before Jesus came to show us what genuine love looks like, it was almost impossible for anyone to understand the real benefits and dangers of the spiritual realm.

    

Therefore, before Jesus could reveal His mission, He had to help His followers understand the difference between the physical dimension and the spiritual dimension.  Read the Gospel of John again and take note of how many times Jesus uses physical illustrations to teach spiritual lessons that reveal the existence of a spiritual dimension and the preeminent importance of eternal spiritual life over physical life.

    

(More details regarding this can be found at my blog: TheSimpleGospelOfJohn.blogspot.com and other free blog books and articles found at NurturingLife.blogspot.com .)

    

While we are supposed to value and nurture our physical life, the foundational truth Jesus had to first establish was that our eternal life (not our physical life) must be our priority, because this physical world is not all there is.

    

We are going to live forever--somewhere else.

    

Therefore the purpose of Jesus' mission was to provide what was required to help us make the right choice regarding our final destination.  He did this because God Himself is pure, holy, genuine love and it is this supernatural love that motivated Him to send His only Son to be the propitiation for our sins and the sins of anyone who would acknowledge and personally receive Him as the only One worthy to be universally preeminent in their life.

 

Greater love hath no man than this,

that a man lay down his life for his friends.

-John 15:13

 

The greatest evidence of genuine love--God's love--was revealed when Jesus Christ sacrificed His life so that we could have eternal life.

    

Giving one's life can be defined as 1) literal death, or 2) it can be a matter of denying self in order to provide what someone else needs, as God specifically leads according to the priorities of His Word.

    

God's genuine love compelled Him to willingly take full responsibility for the eternal lives of others, sacrificing His own physical life in order to provide what is good, perfect, and eternally best for them according to the Word of God.

    

He was the only one qualified to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins, because He had no sin.

    

This makes Yeshua, Jesus Christ, our loving hero and our exalted champion over sin, hate, and all that is evil.  He is the One who has come to be our Messiah and save us from ourselves and all of the devil's wicked schemes designed to destroy us.  He is the One who has demonstrated how love nurtures life and thereby conquers hate, death, and hell.

    

However, to fully appreciate what Christ has done for us, it is just as important to understand the wiles of the devil and his clever substitute for love.

 

Counterfeit/False Love

 

While the devil has been twisting God's Words and trying to rewrite His definition of love since the Garden of Eden, using the physical realm to draw us into his spiritual net, he has also left a clear trail of physical evidence that exposes his wicked scheme.

    

If we care enough about our eternal life to spend the time it takes to review the historical evidence, we can clearly see the devil's wicked plan.  Since the devil likes to boast about what he has done as well as what he intends to do and enjoys building physical monuments to these actions and intensions, we can easily find the same mode of operation being played and replayed throughout history.  The Word of God also clearly identifies where the devil's inroads will be found:

 

(15) Love not the world,

neither the things that are in the world.

If any man love the world,

the love of the Father is not in him.

(16) For all that is in the world,

the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes,

and the pride of life,

is not of the Father, but is of the world.

(17) And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:

but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

-1 John 2:15-17

 

In James, Chapter 4 and many other places in the Scriptures we are warned again that the entire world is at war with God.

    

In 1 John 2 above, God did not bring up the topic of lust to put us into a pit of self-loathing guilt designed to keep us perpetually looking within for hidden sins or to occupy us with something to wallow in, while every bit of spiritual confidence toward God is being drained out of us, but to help us overcome through His forgiveness and to rise up by the power of His Holy Spirit that resides in His unfailing Word, so that we might possess the ability to identify our real enemies, come into fellowship with God and have what it takes to spiritually "occupy," through the power of genuine love, until He returns (Luke 19:12-14).

    

I get it.  We are not to minimize sin.  We are all sinners.  Sin is not okay and we are greatly hindered by sin.  But there is more to the mission of Jesus Christ than realizing we are sinners, which is only the first step.  Jesus died to make us whole.  His intention was to remove our initial burden of sin by washing us with His blood and continuing to wash us by the "water of the Word" (Ephesians 5:26) so that we might be empowered to accomplish the specific assignments He intends to give each one of us.

    

Too many perceived personal conversions begin and end with an "all about ME and Jesus" focus, so they never get to see the bigger picture.  False professors are somehow unable to understand that when we declare Jesus as Lord that means that He and His Word are going to be preeminent in our life.

    

Salvation is not about us, our own personal plan for prosperity, and what good works we are doing for Jesus, it is about Jesus Christ and getting in harmony with Him and His Word so we know what He is doing in the entire world and what specific part we are to play in that plan.

    

In the above passage found in 1 John, God exposes the physical enemy that is committed to destroying genuine love.  God's Word describes this enemy as: 1) "the love of the world," 2) "the love of things that are in the world," 3) "the lust of the flesh," 4) "the lust of the eyes," and finally 5) "the pride of life."

    

Because these sins are antonyms of the genuine love of the Father (v.15 & 16), they expose the opposite/contrary nature and purpose of the devil.  If the defining nature of God is found in love, then the defining nature of the devil has to exist in lust.

    

So let us consider the lust vs. love theory for a moment as it applies to the Antichrist that is coming soon.

    

In order to accurately examine the differences between genuine love and lust, it will be helpful to review what we know about the Antichrist as well.  The identifying characteristics of the Antichrist will first be found in his name, just as names have always revealed character throughout the Word of God. 

    

So is the name, "Antichrist," correctly synonymous with the word, "lust?"

 

"Antichrist" from Strong's definition in the Greek, #G473, defines "Anti" as:

 

     1)  over against

     2)  opposite to

     3)  instead of, in place of

 

The Word of God tells us that many "antichrists" have already come.  Many antichrists have been 1) "against" Christ, but this last Antichrist is going to be a little different.

    

Also today many Christians believe that the Antichrist that is coming is going to usurp the position of Christ and thus qualify himself as being 3) "instead of" Christ--or "in the place of" Christ and it has been historically proven to be true that there have always been those in the world who have desired to possess the title and sit in the seat of "god" on Earth.  So, either of these definitions could fit.

    

Lust can be against Christ and His command to be holy.  Also lust can easily take the place of Christ in a person's life, when that person is lusting after the position of "god" on Earth.

    

However, if we are speaking of Christ and God in the context of His being "love," it becomes obvious (and more fitting) when we remember that "lust" today often calls itself "love" and tries to pass itself off as love.  Therefore, "lust" would uniquely qualify Antichrist as 2) the "opposite to" love and therefore the opposite of God.

    

Can we find a second witness to this fact?  Is there any physical evidence that connects the workings of the devil with anything else that can be seen today or in history that symbolizes lust as the opposite of or a perversion of love?  Here the Word of God gives another valuable clue:

 

Husbands, love your wives,

even as Christ also loved the church,

and gave himself for it;

-Ephesians 5:25

 

Why is the family being redefined today?  Why has the loving top down responsibility in the church and home been gradually transformed into a hierarchical bottom up focus through the false doctrine of "blind faith submission" to human authorities (just because authorities happen to have somehow found their way, or infiltrated, to the top of the hierarchical chain of command)?

    

Does this remind you of the struggle that took place in some churches over obedience to authorities just before WW2?  This transformation also comes with a subtle attack against godly women, demanding that they be silently obedient (among other things that have been taken out of the context of the Word of God by the enemies of Christ who completely ignore the fact that this "silent women command" was specifically written to an out of control rebellious church in Corinth).

    

Throughout the Word of God, we are given a very different picture of authority.  We are instructed to obey God rather than man, whenever any authority commands something that is against the Word of God.

    

As the enemy intended, in response to the feminist movement, many churches have now gone to the other extreme by turning godly submission into ungodly control, destroying God's delicate system of checks and balances in the home and church by silencing women and demoting them from their God-given position as loving "joint heirs" in Christ, which when understood correctly, does not really conflict with man's leadership in the home or in the church at all.

    

Man's authority does not depend on where he happens to reside in a hierarchical structure, but on how much responsibility he has been given by God and is willingly taking with an attitude of love and a desire to serve those God has entrusted to his care.  (The same applies to those who hold positions in government and other places of authority.)

    

Jesus confirmed this when He told us "And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:"  (Matthew 20:27)

    

Authority means "responsibility"--not "control"--unless, of course, the man is not really a part of God's family, but actually a part of satan's structure and as a slave of satan, will be carrying out the devil's orders.  In this case, the Bible tells us that we are to resist evil and obey God.

    

In the above verse from Ephesians 5, God gives us a perfect picture of genuine love.  It is the love Christ had for His Church when He laid down His life for it.  In the Word of God, this type of love is being compared to the type of love husbands are supposed to have for their wives.

    

However, this top down type of love in many churches has now been turned upside down and is morphing into a lust for power through an obsessive overemphasis regarding submission, in an attempt to validate ungodly power by applying pressure through fear and guilt on those who are really just looking for someone to love them and lead them.

    

So what is really happening in churches today?

    

Before churches can be taken captive by the spirit of Antichrist, the God-given voice and freedom of women must be destroyed in order to create common ground with the enemies of Christ and welcome in the new law of the land, which has been carefully crafted for the purpose of destroying all of the checks and balances (and we might add, "warmth, Godly love, and natural affection") that the weaker sex is created to provide.

    

By enslaving women under ungodly male domination and lust-driven control, the new man designed by Antichrist will/and already does refuse to "regard the desire of women," which is to be loved the way Christ loves the Church (Daniel 11:37).  Instead, he will only be interested in selfishly taking what he wants from the relationship when he wants it.  For the followers of Antichrist, genuine love ceases to exist on Earth or even in their fabricated version of heaven.

    

If marriage qualifies as a picture of genuine love that gives up its own life and desires; what would the opposite of that look like? . . .Lust?

 

Genuine love cares more about the other person than it cares for its own needs.  On the other hand, lust (i.e. false love) sees people as objects to be used to fulfill its own desires, instead of people to be loved and cared for and often demands this perceived power by its physical position in some type of manmade chain of command.

 

Of course, love is a two-way street in marriage.  However, if the husband is called to lead, then he is the one God is going to hold ultimately responsible to initiate genuine love in the marriage.

 

If the couple is unequally yoked and the wife is a Christian, then she is the only one who has access to genuine love and therefore the responsibility to initiate and demonstrate the genuine love that has been given to her by God in hope that her husband will see the love of God through her and be drawn to Christ also.  However, this does not negate his responsibility.  He is expected to take his responsibility to love his wife by submitting to Christ and receiving the power to do so. 

 

There isn't any provision in God's Word for a wife to suffer "martyrdom by marriage" as so many religious "authorities" are teaching today when they teach blind submission.  If a spouse refuses to comply with the laws of God, the person is free to get a "writ of divorcement" and leave the marriage.  There is a provision for divorce in the Word of God, even though this is not God's first choice.  In any case, it is God's intention that a believer must be in a position to freely worship and obey God as God has specified in His Holy Word, the Bible.  An unbelieving spouse is not allowed to interfere with that.

 

Here are some of the characteristics of genuine love:

truthful - joyful - kind - warm-hearted - serving - empathetic - respectful toward others - caring for the welfare of others - giving - helping - encouraging - nurturing life - building - committed to and focused on the will of God - clean - pure - good - committed to doing what is right - giving freedom to others - grateful - spiritually beautiful

 

Here are some of the characteristics of false love/lust:

deceptive - hate-filled - angry - cold-hearted - lying - lewd - pornographic - hating others - abusive - vulgar - unclean - perverted - sociopathic - psychopathic - self-centered - destroying - murdering - focused on selfish "feelings" - willing to injure or kill others for profit (directly or indirectly) - gaudy - prideful - enslaving - controlling - obsessed with having authority over others - loves/lusts after riches and things of the world - motivated by money and lust for power

 

Words of warning, lest we be deceived:

 

"Unconditional love" is not the same as "unconditional tolerance of evil."  Genuine love does not tolerate evil.

 

The true characteristics of those around us may be carefully hidden and not readily visible.  Jesus warned us about wolves in sheeps' clothing and the deceptive wiles of the devil.  The Word tells us: "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits wheter they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1).

 

Who is a "false prophet?" A false prophet is anyone who assumes a position of authority over others and tries to teach them how to live in a way that is contrary to what God has prescribed in His Word.

 

Testing the Spirit and Characteristics of Antichrist

 

The Word of God tells us that the Antichrist will have all of the opposing characteristics of genuine love, which we are told, in Daniel 11, will hinder his relationship and respect for women.  Therefore, he will carry out his opposition to Christ through blood-thirsty conquests, rejecting the blood of Christ as payment for eternal life and substituting it with the blood of those he wages war against, considering that to be the only works required to enter his counterfeit heaven--which the Most High God really calls "hell."

 

May we dare suggest that this hatred for women will be such a significant characteristic of Antichrist's nature that those who follow him will turn the picture of Christ and His Church upside down in their marriages?

 

Perhaps, they will be known for controlling, beating, and/or verbally abusing their wives and children, instead of endeavoring to harmonize with the godly, loving desires of their wives--and perhaps even denying physical expressions of love to their wives, while in their hearts they are adulterously "saving themselves" for other women that have become a figment of the wicked (even sometimes religious) imaginations of their hearts.  Sounds a lot like a description of pornography, doesn't it?

 

Could this be the route the Antichrist is taking, inviting men into the "good old boys club" to destroy the picture and function of Christ and His Church, bringing lukewarm professors under the control of the Antichrist, destroying the foundation of love which supports and sustains the Church, the family, and the country as it removes the Most High God who IS LOVE?

 

Could this be the mode of operation the devil is using to remold society by replacing the genuine loving eternal care demonstrated in the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a different foundation based on physical feelings and self-centered urges?  If not, then why has the topic of "feelings" become so important over the past few years, while at the same time bullying has increased?

 

Is it because when "feelings" are elevated, hate and anger are also elevated--because hate and anger also qualify as feelings?  Everyone has feelings and hateful, angry feelings are all about "ME, MINE, and WHAT I WANT. 

 

Isn't this lust?

 

However, when the love of God is manifested in a person's life, it brings forth a different type of feeling which generates care and concern for others.  So when we have the love of God, we are going to try not to hurt others in any way, so "feelings" are not going to even become an issue.

 

It is only when "feelings" are taken out of the context of God's genuine love that everyone suddenly becomes overly concerned about their feelings and demands "the right" to express their feelings--whatever those feelings may be.  Because of this, "freedom" has also been redefined to mean "the right to reject the laws of genuine love and do whatever we want in order to gratify self."

 

The antichrist system devised by the devil, has been busy building a worldly empire with lies and deception ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God.  Its nature is expressing itself even now in murder, control, slavery, and worldwide human trafficking.  The spirit of Antichrist has always worked to destroy anyone who represents genuine love or follows the Most High God, who is love.  Throughout history its symbols have represented murder, sexual lust, and hatred for God (i.e. phallic, whichcraft, occult, satanism, idolatry, etc.)

 

"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."  (Revelation 20:4). 

 

How the Antichrist Seduces the World with False Love/Lust

 

The devil would not be very subtle, if he showed us his extreme murderous nature in the beginning when he really, at the initial stage, just wants to gain our good favor and trust.  With his forked tongue and slick lies he plays the part of "the humble non-threatening moderate," being careful not to reveal his true intentions as long as he does not yet possess the power and "authority" to enslave.

 

This is why the true agenda of the Antichrist system will remain hidden until sufficient power is given to it.  However, through the power of self-serving lust, much ground has already been taken in America.

 

The issue of "feelings" has lost its balance and has successfully been elevated above truth, causing ignorant Americans to willingly tolerate anything, while they fearfully tremble at the thought of failing to be politically correct.

 

Once humans become myopically obsessed with their own feelings, they have started down the broad path to eternal destruction and it doesn't take long to graduate from obsession with feelings to addiction to lust, since lust is the evolved, matured version of selfish feelings.

 

Feelings that are "all about ME" ultimately lead to "whatever I desire at any cost."  Worldlings do not realize that at the end of the road awaits physical, real-time slavery and death, when even the basic requirements needed to sustain life will be denied.

 

Also over the course of time, many professing Christians have willingly departed from the truth of the Word of God to pursue ecstatic feelings and supernatural experiences.  When self-centeredness evolves, it morphs into lust and when lust matures it destroys empathy and natural affection, producing what the world calls, a "sociopath" or "psychopath"--someone who is unable to empathize, have any normal feelings, or normal desire to care about others.  This is how the devil builds liars and murderers.  It takes one to build one.

 

Why are lasciviousness, pornography, adultery, and murder on the rise in the world?  This is the devil's agenda.  He has been diligently engaged in engineering his army of psychopathic servants and will continue to do so until they become sufficiently void of human compassion, empathy, and concern for the welfare of others.

 

Currently citizens are not aware that they are gradually being enslaved through their lustful, ungodly appetities--they think that they are just partying and having a good time.  But one day they will find themselves in literal chains burning in the literal fires of hell, while the devil enjoys eternally tormenting them with their lewd biographies, bragging forever about how stupid they were and how he cleverly snagged them in his net of deception and pulled them into the pit of hell, first by their warm fuzzy "feelings," tolerance of evil, and then by their overwhelming obsessive compulsive self-centered lust for hate, physical gratification, and the things of this world.

 

The devil will sing a similar song in the ears of the false professors found in lukewarm churches, reminding them of their religious fantasies that created a false sense of eternal security as they tried to work their way to Heaven carrying meals in oven proof dishes to those who could not make it to their religious indoctrination centers, instead of searching the Word of God and lovingly protecting and caring for the needs of their own families as He intended to specifically lead them according to His Word.

 

In the end, the cries of their own neglected children and elderly parents will ring throughout eternity in their ears along with those they betrayed because of their fear and cold-hearted lack of natural affection.

 

History will be repeated.  It happened before and it will happen again.  When God's definition of love is reinterpreted until it becomes lust and the preeminence of Christ and His Word are disregarded, the opposite of love will emerge and come into power.  His name is "Lust."  His name is Antichrist.  Through deception, murder, and death, the satanic system he represents is building a world void of genuine love, and creating hell on Earth.

 

"And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.  And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth." (Revelation 6:8).

 

"For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (Luke 21:35-36).

 

Pray now, while there is still time.  Be sure that you have repented of your sin and the idolatry of trying to be your own god; that you have put your trust in Jesus Christ as the preeminent Son of God, that you have received the gift of eternal life, and are dedicated to daily washing by the water of the Word and are sharing Christ's warning to turn from going your own way and receive His sacrifice for your sin.

 

Because the One True God is love and love is the opposite of lust and hate, Jesus Christ is the only One who can provide the power to overcome evil, in all of its forms, through our dedication to the truth of God's Word and His genuine love.

 

Share this message wherever you go.  We have been given the command to spiritually occupy until He comes. . .and he is coming very soon.

 

(36) Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

(37) Jesus said unto him,

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all they heart,

and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,

(38) This is the first and great commandment.

(39) And the second is like unto it,

Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

(40) On these two commandments

hang all the law and the prophets.

-Matthew 22:36-40

 

Jesus said:

"If ye love me, keep my commandments."

-John 14:15