Antichrist and the Church

By Charles Akujieze

The history of Christendom has caused some to cast serious doubt about Christianity. By Christendom scholars generally refer to the realm of sectarian activity dominated by religions that claim to be Christian. Christianity refers to the original form of worship and access to God taught by Jesus Christ. With her wars, inquisitions, crusades and religious hypocrisy, the history of Christendom has not helped the cause of Christianity. Devout Muslims and others point to the moral corruption and decadence of the Western Christian world as a basis of rejecting Christianity. Having lost their moral rudder, most, if not all Christian nations have suffered shipwreck on the rocks of faithlessness, greed and self-indulgence.

At the inception of Christianity, two ways were available to those espousing what was then an unpopular faith hold to the uncompromising teachings and principles of Christ
and the Scriptures or oscillate towards the wide and easy-going path of compromise with the world at the time. Its history of first 400 years shows that the majority choose the later. And this suggests that the decadence started many years ago but only reached unprecedented level in our contemporary times.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Feb 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481782807

Charles Akujieze

Charles Nnaemeka Akujieze is a freelancer, author, administrator, philosopher, political analyst and erstwhile lecturer in policy and administrative studies. He had his higher education at the University of Calabar, Calabar - Nigeria, and the University of Ibadan, Ibadan – Nigeria. He holds a Diploma, Bachelor of Arts B.A. (Hons), Master of Science M.Sc. (Hons), and he is an Associate Member, Nigeria Institute of Management (AMNIM). He is married to Juliet Akujieze and the marriage is blessed with four children - Shekinah, Shalom, Fortune and David.

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© 2013 by Charles Akujieze. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible—Public Domain.

Scripture quotations taken from the New English Bible, copyright © Cambridge University

Press and Oxford University Press 1961, 1970. All rights reserved.

Published by AuthorHouse 02/04/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-8279-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-8280-7 (e)

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Contents

Acknowledgment

Foreword

Dedication

Preface

Introduction

Part One The Church Of God

(1)Problem Introduction:

(2) The Man Who Changed The World:

(3) Jesus Christ—What Were His Curriculum Vitae?

(4) Jesus Christ: The Reach Of His Message.

* What Jesus Taught About Himself!

* What Jesus Taught About God!

* What Jesus Taught About God’s Kingdom:

(5) Jesus Christ: His Public Ministry

(6) Jesus Christ: His Trial, Death, Resurrection And Ascension Into Heaven:

(8) Living In A Way That Pleases God:

(9) Worship That God Approves:

Selected Reading

Part Two History Of Church Conflict

Problem Introduction:

The Church At Low Ebb

The Causes:

The Effects:

(A) A Divided House

(i) Protests From Within The Church

(ii) Scotland—Presbyterianism (Calvinism):

(iii) France—Huguenotism (Calvinism):

(iv) England—Anglicanism (Lutheranism)

(v) Sweden—Denmark—(Lutheranism), Netherlands (Calvinism)

(b) Christendom’s Major Religions

Selected Reading

Part Three Religion And Christianity

(1) Problem Introduction:

(2) Who Are Genuine Christians?

(3) Source Of Spirituality:

(i) Who Sets The Moral Standard: God, Man, Or Society?

(ii) Erosion Of Moral And Spiritual Values:

(iii) Is Christianity Losing Its Influence

(iv) Spiritual Values: Where Are They Heading?:

(4) The Holy Bible: The Ground-Norm Of Christian Faith

(5) Spirituality And Religiosity:

(6) Religiosity Without Spirituality:

Selected Reading

Part Four Societal Oppressive Structures

(1) Problem Introduction:

(2) Unjust Structures

* Religious And Social Injustices:

* Sexism

* Women In The Bible:

* Economic Injustice

3. Social Mission Of The Church

Selected Reading

Part Five Antichrist In The House Of God

(1) Problem Introduction:

(2) People In The House Of God:

(3) Criminals In The House Of God (The Rise Of False Prophets And Anti-Christ)

(4) How Can True Prophets And False Ones Be Identified?

(5) Anti-Christ:

(6) Apostasy:

(7) Characteristics Of Apostates

(8) Super-Marketing Of Christianity:

Selected Reading

Part Six A Call To Repentance And Holiness

1. Repentance:

Problem Introduction:

(i) Samaria: What Does It Stand For?

* Time For Repentance:

* The Meaning Of Metanoia:

(ii) Abiding In Jesus/ Worshipping In Spirit:

* Who Can Be In Jesus?

* The True Believer:

(iii) Worshiping God In Truth:

(2) Holiness: Does God Ask Too Much Of Us?

A Preliminary Statement:

(i) It Is Very Easy To Be Holy:

(ii) Man’s Vain Efforts To Be Holy:

(iii) Faith Is The Answer:

(iv) Holiness Is Becoming God!

(v) The Secret Of Becoming Like God:

(3) Welcome To The Family Of God!

A Preliminary Statement:

(i) Condition 1: Recognize Your Need For God.

(ii) Condition 2: Repent Of Your Sins.

(iii) Condition 3: Believe In Jesus.

(iv)Condition 4: Receive His Salvation.

(v) Condition 5: Confess Your Faith.

Selected Reading

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

If I am anything at all, I am what I am ONLY by the special grace of God, for promotion comes not from east or west or anywhere else but from God. It is therefore in this important sense that I fully appreciate the pillar that holds my life, the referee that defines and describes my destiny, the Source of my being. My continued existence is evidence that this generation needs something that my life contains. That something is the purpose God created me and gave me breath. I thank God for giving me the privilege and the means to share the innumerable talents and potentials and gifts deposited in me for the benefit of His children.

We are all products of what we have learnt through various channels in life. I therefore want to appreciate and acknowledge all great men and women authors and teachers I have had the privilege to sit under or read from. You have all blessed me and your contributions are hereby appreciated. Since you are too many, space will not permit me to mention your names.

To the ones who touched my life in a special way, late Chief Fredrick Nsoegbunam Akujieze (Urukanachukwu Abagana) and Mrs. Mary Nwakaego Akujieze, the two great personalities God gave the privilege to birth me and crave for me. Their onerous contributions to my life can never be quantified.

To my tender-hearted and courageous son, Fortune Ifechukwu (aka Soludo), and my angelic daughters, Shekinah and Shalom, in whose lives I see great destinies, this is one of the reasons why daddy locks his room while you guys knock and wonder why daddy refuse at times to open for you. And to you, my highly beloved wife, I sincerely appreciate your contributions to give my life a meaning.

To my mother-in-law, Mrs. Justina Okafor, whose continuous prayer support and encouragement have been of great help. Akwuete, you are highly appreciated. Also, my brothers and sisters-in-laws are hereby acknowledged.

To my brothers and sisters who are always there for me in many ways, you are highly appreciated—Mrs. Agatha Nwankwo nee Akujieze and family, Mr. Ikechukwu Akujieze, and his entire family, Nwanneka Akujieze, Onyebuchi Akujieze and his family, Chisolu Akujieze, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Enemuo and family, Mrs. Esther Anamgba and family and Ifeanyichukwu Akujieze and family.

To Bishop Emeka Timothy Frank Onyehara of Heaven of Earth Prayer Ministries International and his entire family, I thank you for your prayer support and encouragement. Also Pastor Onyemaeze Obidiegwu of Redeemed Church of God, Alcorcon, Madrid, I highly appreciate your contributions in making this work a reality.

My appreciation goes to Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka of the famous Adoration Ministries Enugu Nigeria, an off-shoot of a Catholic parish he presides. You are one of the few who have refused to soil their holy garments and your dogged fight against evil and monstrous crimes in our society is hereby appreciated.

I also wish to express my indebtedness to Rev. Fr. Ron who raised vital issues which necessitate certain modifications. I highly appreciate your contributions in making this work of high and balanced standard.

I wish to highly commend the publishers of Vatican II (indeed the entire Catholic Church) and those of Awake!—the two mutually conflicting religious journals and Pastor David C. Park of the Redeemed Church of God, whose evaluations of the Church contributed immensely in my assessment and evaluation.

To my loyal and faithful friend of those old days, Mr. Chris Ndubuisi Anuforo and his entire family, your faithfulness, love and loyalty to me can never be ignored.

Finally, I wish to recognize and appreciate Bishop O.O. Morgan of the Morgan Outreach Ministries who accepted to write foreword to this book. Not only did he bring his intellectual prowess to bear in doing that, he actually offered valuable information which led to some modifications in the structure and title of the book. I benefit from his ocean of knowledge and advice.

FOREWORD

This book Antichrist and the Church by Brother Charles Akujieze is both a social commentary and a pathway to spiritual reawakening for the church and the society. As a social barometer it touches and exposes in lucid details the fundamental ills of our world like never before and the helplessness or accomplice of those institutions that are supposed to bring justice and equality. Instead, however, and bitterly too, these institutions have become strange bed fellows with the architect of unjust social and economic structures. Thereby entrenching the social evils and injustices which they are not only supposed to speak against but be in the vanguard of those who seek to eradicate and eliminate them.

No wonder this author is moved to ask such thought provoking questions: Is Christ still in Christianity? Is Christianity still about Christ? As one ponder on these questions which are a bit puzzling, I cannot but try to find meaning and answer by lifting from page sixty one of this book, the author’s own comment.

Selfish motives can make one so blinded as to become completely ignorant of the motives of one’s own actions.

This statement in a way gives insight profoundly to the state of Christianity today and the human over all social and economic situations. In my own answer to the questions above, I want to opine that Christianity is still all about Jesus Christ. However, it is being hijacked thunderously and murderously once again in our time by religious super brats and demagogues. The very cartel who perfected the plot to crucify Jesus Christ on the cross. Christ had a hard time with this sectarian assembly which he calls white washed sepulchers.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchers which indeed appears beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Matthew 23:27-28

And he tasted of their venom. Paul also had a fill of their sting when he dared to change from the status-quo ante. The religious heavy weight tells the blind and shallow minds to prepare for home in paradise while they build mansions and estates all over the world living in opulence. They pontificate on the essence of piety and abstinence while they congregate in agreement with the champions of social and economic injustice across the world. For a show of pretence occupy the air waves and using all available means possible to pride themselves on self accomplishment entangled in superiority complex. The glory that should be the exclusive preserve of the almighty to enjoy is now theirs for the taking and I cannot but lift again from this book on page seventy to buttress this fallacy.

Any religion which professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not concerned about the social conditions that scar the soul is a spiritually moribund religion only waiting for the day to be buried.

Do we need to look for it or wait for the antichrist with so much religious anarchy going on around us and in the churches? The answer of course is no. The antichrist is not just here already but in full swing operation in Christianity. The bible more than over one thousand years ago attest to this reality when Apostle John said the antichrist was already here in those days.

Little children, it is the last time; and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

—1 John 2:18

If they were already here then, today they must have quadrupled. We are now just confronted with social and economic Armageddon before our very eyes the religious time bomb is ticking tucking away. Hence the essence and relevance of this book: Antichrist and the Church, by Brother Charles Akujieze. Before the zero hour there is the voice of one crying in the wilderness. The time to act is now. Suffice it to say and for the purpose of clarity, it is pertinent to see the graphic illustration of these social and religious sectarianism and evil in Jesus parable of the Good Samaritan.

And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

He said unto him, What is written in the law? How readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he answering said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him for dead.

And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he pass by the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him. Take care of him, whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

—Luke 10:25-37

Paul said let the mind that was in Christ be in you Christians. In other words, there is a religious mindset which negates every thing that Godliness and goodness represent. They profess to be more holy than even the author and personification of holiness himself. In this delusion of self perfection and justification they arrogate to themselves the sole privilege of deciding who and whom the almighty will accept or reject; the prayer God will or will not answer. They accord themselves special privileges, seats, and positions in the congregation. If any dare challenges, rebuke or deny them of their earned status or any member of their sectarian cartel within the assembly all hell will be set loose. The Bible calls them: (1) The Pharisees, (2) The Sadducees, (3) The Scribes, (4) The Chief Priest, and (5) The Rulers.

And, said Jesus unto them:

"take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

And they reason among themselves, saying It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

Nether the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?

Then understood they how that he bade the not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."

Matthew 16:6-12

Jesus calls them those who compass the whole earth to make disciples of men but in the end make them candidates more worthy of hell than heaven.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more child of hell than yourselves.

—Matthew 23:15

He calls them those who gather heavy burden upon the head of others but will not as much as touch it with one finger.

For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders: but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

—Matthew 23:4

They not only wear long robes but do it to attract attention and salutation in the public places. In other words, all they care about is to enjoy and attract the praise of men. They are like an artist acting to attract the acceptance, affection and praise of the audience in the theatre and not that they really care about them. It is just a show.

Beware of scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts.

Which devour widows houses, and for a show make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.

—Luke 20:46-47

Those who pride themselves of their achievement and hallow piety and scorn the lesser or those not in their assumed class structure within the assembly.

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

I fast twice in a week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one that exalted himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

—Luke 18:10-14.

In examining some of the mannerism of the religious spirit above a potent question was asked Jesus by the religious mindset lawyer in other to satisfy his claim for self justification comes to mind. The question he asked was: who is my neighbor? Despite all the numerous Christian religious sermons and teaching on the Samaritan parable that same question is still too relevant today begging for answer in practice nor words. To the religious mindset, the only neighbor they and acknowledge are those of the same social and economic pedigree like them. Anyone outside these class structures is not and can never be holy or gain God’s approval. No wonder they found it too bitter a pill to swallow the Lordship of Christ. Instead and derogatorily they opted to call him the son of a mere village carpenter.

What a humiliation they must have felt for a person from such according to their unjust structural division of the society, low and inferior bred having the gut to talking to them and the audacity to challenge their authority, position of dominance and activities in the temple.

And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayers: But ye have made it a den of thieves.

And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him.

And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

—Luke19:45-48

His action was equal to either someone willing to commit suicide or declaring war. Most regrettably, the ways of these religious sects have become the characteristic behavior of