In Matthew 24, Jesus and some of His disciples discuss "the end of the age." Lots of people don't want to talk about that, for different reasons. Fear, disbelief, "that's a long way off," etc., but He put it in the Bible. That should tell us that He at least wants us to look at it, but studying it is probably more what He had in mind.
When they asked Him when these things would occur and what would be the sign that He was returning and of the end of the age, the first thing He said to them was: "See to it that no one deceives you." If we think we can't be deceived, we need to read verse 11 where He says, "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many."
Paul lays a foundation for our study in Acts 20:27-31, especially in verse 30 when he says, "and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them." He was in Miletus and sent for the elders of the church in Ephesus to give them this message. That was a 50-mile trip, not easy back then. For him to summon them on a trip like that seems to say that he was concerned and anxious to deliver this message to them.
When they asked Him when these things would occur and what would be the sign that He was returning and of the end of the age, the first thing He said to them was: "See to it that no one deceives you." If we think we can't be deceived, we need to read verse 11 where He says, "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many."
Paul lays a foundation for our study in Acts 20:27-31, especially in verse 30 when he says, "and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them." He was in Miletus and sent for the elders of the church in Ephesus to give them this message. That was a 50-mile trip, not easy back then. For him to summon them on a trip like that seems to say that he was concerned and anxious to deliver this message to them.
The part that jumps out to me in that verse is "from among your own selves." How can that be? How can it be that people in our churches, who identify themselves as Christians, could deceive us? Maybe they don't set out to, but apparently it's possible or Jesus and Paul never would have warned us against their messages. Somewhere along the way a Christian gets off-track and believes something other than what Jesus has taught us and convinces someone else to believe it. It catches fire and spreads from there.
Of course, we know Satan is behind it all. He is the master deceiver right? How does he make a Christian believe something outside of what Jesus has taught? By making it appealing. Pretty. Shiny. Comfortable. Easy to swallow. It happened in the Garden of Eden, right?
This leaves you with some Bible study. The scriptures included in this post speak volumes and are worth your looking at until the next post in a couple of days or so. I'm trying to make these posts short enough to hold your attention, so I'll close for now with this one thought: It's gonna get shocking, folks. Stay tuned!
Of course, we know Satan is behind it all. He is the master deceiver right? How does he make a Christian believe something outside of what Jesus has taught? By making it appealing. Pretty. Shiny. Comfortable. Easy to swallow. It happened in the Garden of Eden, right?
This leaves you with some Bible study. The scriptures included in this post speak volumes and are worth your looking at until the next post in a couple of days or so. I'm trying to make these posts short enough to hold your attention, so I'll close for now with this one thought: It's gonna get shocking, folks. Stay tuned!
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