LEARNING DAILY
Matthew 24:11,
Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
In the last page
of the blog, the lesson from Samuel told us that obedience to God’s Word from
our heart was more important than any outward form of worship or personal
sacrifice. The lesson you and I need to take from Saul doing what he thought
was right instead of following what God had said to do is sin. Doing what we
think instead of following God’s Word is going to be at the very center of the
falling away from faith at the end of time.
I asked Jesus
into my life in July of 1976 after reading a book called The Late Great
Planet Earth. It was a book written to explain the end of days and the second
coming of Jesus Christ to set up His kingdom on earth. Since that time, I have
spent a great deal of time reading and studying everything I could on this subject.
I am convinced that as the time of Christ’s return to establish His kingdom,
false teachers and false prophets will be prevalent during this time. You and I
must know the Word of God, know what it teaches and be alert to those who would
perform signs and wonders and teach “new” revelation even though it conflicts
with the written Word of God. Do you understand why I continue to write about
reading, studying, and understanding what God’s Word says? We must be alert and
recognize false teaching.
False teachers,
those who teach and preach a distorted gospel will even gain leadership
positions in church denominations and theological schools that allow them to
deceive many and, sadly, many in the churches. The only way to guard against
false teaching is to be grounded in God’s Word.
Jesus is
admonishing all Believers to be on the alert for professing Christians,
teachers, preachers, who are in reality false. The problem comes when these false
teachers perform miracles, healings, signs and wonders, and appear to have
great success in their ministries. Be alert! At the same time these things are
happening, the truth is being distorted and even rejected. Matthew 7:22-23 is
an interesting statement regarding this. “Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and
done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew
you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Jesus emphatically
tells us, warns us, “that there will be many in the church who will minister in
His name and believe they are His servants, yet in reality He does not
know them” (LSSB). Did you notice? Jesus also made it clear that the gospel may
be proclaimed in His name, miracles be done in His name by those who have no
genuine salvation experience with Him. These things are instead done under the
influence and power of Satan.
How can you keep
from being deceived? You and I must be dedicated to the truth and righteousness
revealed in God’s Word and not look to the “successes” of an individual or
their ministry as the standard to judge their relationship with Christ. Test
the spirit behind all teachers, leaders, and preachers – I will explain how in
the next page of the blog. Love God. Seek Him. Love truth. Read and study His
Word and do what it says.
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