Jesus left the temple and was walking away when His disciples came up to Him to call His attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” He asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; EVERYONE WILL BE THROWN DOWN. As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us, “They said, “WHEN will this happen, and WHAT will be the sign of your coming and of the END OF THE AGE?” Notice the answer Jesus gives, Jesus answered: “Watch out that NO ONE DECEIVES YOU.” (Matthew 24:1-4)
Then Jesus says, “For MANY will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and WILL DECEIVE MANY.” (Matthew 24:5) I found a list of many false Messiahs, some of the most recent ones are, Father Divine, Sun Myung Moon, David Koresh, Jim Jones, I watched Jim Jones several times as he deceived many followers. He finally convinced them to drink poisoned cool aid on November 18, 1978. The death toll exceeded 900, including some 300 who were age 17 and under, making the incident one of the largest mass deaths in American history. That’s why Jesus said “WATCH OUT”
- HOW DO WE PROTECT OURSELVES FROM DECEPTION?
- READ THE WORD OF GOD, “TAKE HEED (shamar: to be on guard, to watch out) to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, “Therefore you shall LAY UP THESE WORDS OF MINE IN YOUR HEART and in your soul, (write them down). You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you SIT in your house, when you WALK by the way, when you LIE down, and when you RISE And you shall write them on your cell phones and Facebook. (Deuteronomy 11:16-20).
- MEMORIZE THE WORD OF GOD, “I have hidden your word IN MY HEART that I might not sin against you.” (Psalms 119:11)
- STUDY THE WORD OF GOD OF GOD, “STUDY EARNESTLY to present yourself approved to God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
- PRAY, God has established prayer as the means by which we receive HIS SUPERNATURAL HELP. And without supernatural help, we cannot live a life worthy of the gospel. “Call to Me (pray) and I WILL ANSWER YOU, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)
- ATTEND CHURCH, “…let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, NOT FORSAKING (egkataleipō: to desert) THE ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES TOGETHER, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25) Despite frequently disregarding religious rules, despite being critical of the Temple structure and its leaders, the fact remains that JESUS WAS FREQUENTLY AT THE TEMPLE SERVICES. “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, SO WE, THOUGH MANY, ARE ONE BODY IN CHRIST, and individually members one of another.” (Romans 12:4-5)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham