How can we recognize the spirit of the Antichrist?

We must respond with another question: How did Christ look? I am not referring to His physical appearance, because nobody knows. But Scripture contains ample description of how He really was. For example, Isaiah 53:3 says, "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

I think that most readers would agree that Jesus Christ is not preached today to look like one who was despised, rejected or not esteemed. But this scriptural statement gives the first clue as to the real Jesus, the Christ. Therefore, when you hear Jesus being preached in the church, or sung about on the radio, or depicted in literature as the one who offers you a bunch of earthly benefits, that should be the first alarm that a false Jesus is being presented to you.

We do not deny that Jesus can do anything, even the positive things that we so much desire, such as restoring our health, granting us prosperity, renewing our marriages and giving us joy and peace. But that is only one side of the Gospel. Jesus describes the other side of the Gospel in Matthew 24:9-10: "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another." The true Gospel message is simple: Those who follow Him will do as He says, will take up their cross and will follow Him (Mark 8:34). Paul defines the Gospel message with these words: "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God" (1st Corinthians 1:18).