Morning by Morning, December 27 - Wise Men Know the Spirit of Christ in Us Always Defeats the Spirit of Antichrist in the World Good morning, Lord Jesus. I’m listening for the leading of Your Spirit to begin my day in communion with You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ... “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’ “When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’” “Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also’” (Matthew 2:1-8). The wise men travelled far with a spirit of worship to worship You as the true King and the true Christ. But Herod was filled with a different spirit -- the spirit of Antichrist. Though he said he wanted to worship You also, he had no intention of worshipping You, but only destroying You and every possibility that You would ever be the King or the Christ (v. 16). Herod was one of many, throughout the millennia, who have been filled with that spirit to destroy You, to replace You, to come against You and oppose the Kingdom of God and Christ the King. As Your Word warns us to be discerning and be prepared so that we’re not deceived: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 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 this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world” (1 John 4:1-3). This is the spirit who will possess and consume the ultimate Antichrist figure at the end of the age: “Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4). But neither Antichrist nor the spirit of Antichrist will ultimately prevail -- despite all the destruction this spirit has done and will do and will attempt to do. As Your Word encourages us: “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). One day You will return in glory for Your glorious, victorious Bride! “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18). “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:29-31). And in the glory of Your coming, as we are caught up the air in the rapture of joy with You, You will destroy the one who sought to destroy You and replace You and oppose You and Your Kingdom: “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. “Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-8) “With the brightness of (Your) coming,” You will destroy him! “With the breath of (Your) mouth,” You will consume him! Therefore, You call us and empower us to “stand fast” in our faith (2 Thessalonians 2:15). “He who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13). And we will endure. We will overcome. Not in our power or wisdom or anything else apart from You, but by the Spirit of Christ in us (Colossians 1:27; Romans 8:9). “Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!” (Romans 8:37) Wise men know the spirit of Antichrist cannot overcome the Spirit of Christ -- not in the days of Your first coming as Baby in Bethlehem under the nose of Herod. Not in the days of Your second coming as the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” in skies for all to see in the face of the Antichrist and his attempt to rule the world (Revelation 19:11-16) And not in any day in between! As they say, “Wise men still seek Him.” And I join my heart with Yours and with all who seek You, to be filled with You and Your Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). This is the Spirit of Christ in us that always overcomes the spirit of Antichrist in the world around us, “that Christ may dwell in (our) hearts through faith,” and that we “may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:14-19). ‘Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen!” (Ephesians 3:20-21) In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, may you be filled with all the fullness of God by the Spirit of Christ in us, the Holy Spirit of the Living God, victorious and overcoming the spirit of Antichrist in this world, in Jesus' name. Merry Christmas! God bless you!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Mailing Address: 412 S. Adams Street #148 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624 Please share this word to encourage a friend! Anyone can sign up for free at: https://messiah-ministries.org | 
