1 Corinthians 4:10, Fools for Messiah’s sake. 

The Spirit of Antichrist Is Rising Up and Taking Over

Can’t you see it? Can you hear it? The dust clouds and the sound of marching feet from Satan’s foot soldiers who are driven by the spirit of Antichrist intent of conquering the earth. These determined warriors are on a murderous warpath and in the crosshairs of their weapons of mass destruction are the saints of the Most High Elohim. What are the saints supposed to do about this?

The pounding of jackboots of Satan’s fascistic thugs can be heard everywhere as they advance relentless across the face of the earth. They have a thousand faces and numerous front organizations carrying their banner and supporting their nefarious cause. In their wake is death, darkness and the destruction of everything that is good, honorable, decent and righteous: the family, marriage, godliness, law and order, civility, honor and respect for others, love of truth, and the fear of Elohim and his ways. Usurping its place is atheism, secularism, leftism, deprivation of civil liberties, extreme hedonism, lawlessness, licentiousness, anarchy, chaos and death. The driving force behind it all is a rabid hatred of Elohim, Yeshua the Messiah, the Bible and anyone who is remotely associated with these. And no surprise. Yeshua and his apostles prophesied that this would occur in the last days just prior to his return. We can read these prophecies in Matthew chapter 24, the book of Revelation, in John’s first epistle and elsewhere. Moreover, these satanic armies are empowered and financed by the most powerful and seemingly unstoppable forces that control this planet. So is there anything that the true followers of Yeshua can do about this? If so, what should our response be?

In the Face of Evil and Death, What Did the Biblical Saints Do?

The Bible is full of stories of YHVH’s people facing overwhelming odds in the face of their enemies. For example, think of the Israelites against the Pharaoh and his armies, or confronting the Canaanites guarding the Promised Land, or Gideon against the Midianites, Samson against the Philistines, David against Goliath and the list goes on. But let’s be honest. To most of us, the biblical record of the valiant heroism and victories of YHVH’s saints over their enemies are nothing more than wonderful stories from dim antiquity and have little or no relevance to us today in our present situation. However, if we scroll forward in history closer to our time, we might find some biblical scenarios that are more analogous to the times in which we are now living. For example, in the book of Acts, when the Jewish murderers of Yeshua were on a rampage against the disciples of Yeshua, what was the saints’ response? Run and hide cowering in a corner? No. We read,

Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Yeshua.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of Elohim with boldness. (Acts 4:29—31)

Their prayerful plea to heaven wasn’t, “O Lord protect us from our enemies.” Rather, it was, “O Lord, grant us boldness to preach the gospel with signs and wonders following as Yeshua commanded us to do in Mark 16:15–18 and Matthew 28:19–20.”

The “Foolishness” of Preaching the Gospel

Preaching the gospel seems like a bizarre and foolish if not an insane response to those who are intent on depriving us of our God-given or “inalienable rights… [of] life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” to quote the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. This is because:

[T]he natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of Elohim, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor 2:14)

It is also because the ways of Elohim are not the ways of men. 

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says YHVH. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa 55:8–9)

And as Paul stated,

Because the foolishness of Elohim is wiser than men, and the weakness of Elohim is stronger than men. (1 Cor 1:25)

For YHVH has chosen the “foolish” method (in the eyes of the world) of gospel preaching to advance his kingdom and to confuse the world.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of Elohim. For it is written: “I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND BRING TO NOTHING THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRUDENT.” Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not Elohim made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of Elohim, the world through wisdom did not know Elohim, it pleased Elohim through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. (1 Cor 1:18–21)

Moreover, not only has YHVH chosen the seemingly “foolish” method of preaching the gospel to expose the genuine foolishness of this world’s “wisdom,” but he has chosen the “foolish” people (in the world’s eyes) to do the preaching.

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But Elohim has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and Elohim has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised Elohim has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. (1 Cor 1:26–29)

Are You Willing to Be a “Fool” for Yeshua Like Paul?

So are you willing to be a “fool” for Yeshua? Paul, the great apostle who help to turn the world upside down for Yeshua the Messiah (Acts 17:6), considered this label to be a compliment.

We are fools for the Messiah’s sake, but you are wise in the Messiah! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! (1 Cor 4:10)

One verse earlier, Paul declared that in preaching the gospel “we have been made a spectacle [literally, a public spectacle as in a theatrical performance] to the world, both to angels and to men” (1 Cor 4:9).

This is a pretty heavy duty thing for most people to consider doing. You may be thinking,“What will people think if I become a fool for Yeshua like Paul?” Or, “I’m not cut out for this. This isn’t my calling.” Or, “I don’t have the personality for preaching the gospel to others.” Well, frankly, there’s no end to the excuses that people can invent NOT to do what Yeshua has called and commissioned his disciples to do! Go ahead and rip that page out of your Bible and ignore Yeshua’s command to “Go ye therefore into all the world and preach the gospel.” If you do, you do NOT have a Holy Bible, but a Holey Bible, the Swiss Cheese Version—one with holes in it with pages that you have ripped out of it. Moreover, what did Yeshua say? “If you [really] love me, keep my commandments…He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him” (John 14:15, 21). One of his commandments was to preach the gospel to the whole world. The whole world starts just outside your doorstep…

How to Overcome the Evil One

Some of you will stop reading right here, and that’s your choice to dismiss truth that challenges you out of our disobedient and lukewarm complacency. You might be saying, “He has gone too far this time.” Well, your argument is not with me but with the Word of YHVH Elohim and Yeshua the Messiah. He may be your Savior, but his he your Lord and Master? Are you doing what he told you to do, or only those things that suit YOUR fancy? For those of you who are serious about your spiritual walk and about serving Yeshua your Master who bought and paid for you with his blood, read on. Remember, we are discussing how to confront the spirit of this age—the demonic spirit of Antichrist that is sweeping relentlessly across the globe a tsunami. What are you going to do about it? Cower in the corner or run and hide, or occupy until Yeshua until he comes not living your life unto death? Or are you going to confront this evil spirit with the most powerful and life-changing weapon that has the full force and power of the Most High Elohim, the sovereign and all powerful Creator and Ruler of the universe behind it? This is what John wrote of those end time saints who deigned to stand up against Satan and his henchmen:

So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our Elohim, and the power of His Messiah have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our Elohim day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. (Rev 12:9–11, emphasis added)

A major aspect of overcoming the evil one and his minions in the last days involves “the word of our testimony.” A word is something that is spoken to others and involves sharing the gospel message with others including your personal testimony of what Yeshua has done for you. This may mean that you have to put yourself out there past your comfort zone and even do what doesn’t come naturally to you. In this regard, what has YHVH promised to do for those who step out in faith and obedience trusting him as they share the gospel with others?

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. (Ps 81:10)

Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of Elohim. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of Elohim.…Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say. (Luke 12:8–9, 11–12)

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of the Messiah may rest upon me. (1 Cor 12:9)

“This is the word of YHVH to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says YHVH of hosts.…For who has despised the day of small things? (Zech 4:6, 10)