“And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
(Matthew 24:11–13, NLT)
The scripture above speaks of the end times, when people will fall away from God. “False prophets will appear” (Matthew 24:11). False prophets will “deceive many people”. The result? “Sin will be rampant everywhere” and “the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). The times will be perilous for the faithful. It will be a struggle. Only “the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 11:13). There will not be many who make it. False leaders in the church, sin, the deceptions of Satan, and the loss of love will cause many to fall away from true faith. Few will worship God in truth and righteousness.
As you look through this dire prediction about the end times, do you notice what is the first sign of the end times in these verses? You might call this the first sign of doom for the church. According to Matthew 24:11, the beginning of the end times will be ushered in with the help of “false prophets”. These false leaders will take over the authority in the church. Knowingly or unknowingly, they will “deceive” church people. This will inevitably lead to sin growing “rampant”.
I find it unsurprising that it will be through false leadership, false prophets, that the end times will be ushered in. When leaders in the church become deluded by evil and sin, all kinds of terrible results appear.
In the 1970’s, preacher Jim Jones led a revolutionary new movement that promised a paradise free from oppression. He founded the Peoples Temple in Guyana and urged the faithful to follow him. After a series of faith-based initiatives and tests, he urged his people to drink Flavor Aid in a communion-type of ritual. However, he had the drink laced with cyanide. 909 people died, including 304 children.
David Koresh loved to study scripture. He was enamored with the book of Revelation. Claiming to be a born-again Christian in the Southern Baptist church, he felt called by God to join the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. He joined a splinter group of that denomination, where he was singled out for leadership. He claimed he had the gift of prophecy. He told others in the church that God spoke to him, called him to lead others, and called him to do a few unusual things, like marry a 12-year-old girl. In April of 1993, he demanded his followers hole up and fight the U.S. Government. During the gunbattle that ensued, 79 people died in a fire, including 21 children.
These two men led their followers to death, citing biblical examples and a connection to God. While their stories have been blown out of proportion by the media, many other types of dangerous leaders in the church have gone unnoticed. Some have even been protected by social media and/or influential groups. There were hundreds of priests convicted of child molestation and abuse in the United States. There are leaders in Christian churches that promote sex change operations, because God and/or society “made mistakes” with people’s sexual identity. There are presently pastors in some churches who believe in pedophilia. There are church leaders who believe divorce is not sinful. Some see open marriage as a viable option for the faithful. In some Christian churches, leaders have replaced the Christian flag with the pride flag. Some pastors do not believe Jesus is the Son of God. Some pastors disavow any belief in the Holy Spirit. I know pastors who are practicing Wiccans, others who practice nature worship. Some church leaders from the 1990’s who gathered at a convocation in Minnesota urged people to adopt Sophia as the name for God, because it is a feminine noun. I could go on and on.
Now, just before you get the wrongful feeling that all pastors are a bunch of crazy, sinful loonies, realize that these beliefs are popular in their respective cultures, seminary teachings, and church member views. Many churches have people in them who believe such garbage, too.
BUT, never forget that there are faithful leaders, faithful pastors, and faithful people out there….more than a few. The Holy Spirit can help to direct you to them!
I have been told that I do not belong as a pastor in today’s world. Why? I believe that the Bible is God’s word. I believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I contend that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe marriage is between a man and woman according to Jesus’ statement in Mark 10. I believe that Jesus was a real man who died on a cross in the first century. I believe Jesus is coming back to judge the living and the dead. I believe the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostle’s Creed are still relevant today. I believe that the Ten Commandments still apply. I believe God’s love applies to all people. Believe it or not, these beliefs are controversial in today’s worldly climate. I have even been told by some that my days as a pastor are numbered because of these beliefs.
As I study the scripture for today, I am reminded that when people (especially leaders) fall away from God’s truth, all manner of sin will break forth. This can happen in the family, the community, and whole nations. Though false prophets have been in the church since the beginning, that problem is growing in modern times. False prophets may be in your church. The influence of false leadership may be even now affecting your life. Please realize that God wants you to live faithfully, free from slavery to sin and evil, growing in faithful love. God does not want you to be deluded by sinful thinking, nor by false prophets. Always be on guard for both.
The scripture for today ends with a hope, a wish: “Those who endure to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13). Keeping faithful to God will not be easy. You will have to endure all kinds of worldly pressures and evil temptations to remain in God’s grace. However, the difficult choices will be worth it. God will protect you in ways you cannot comprehend. The love of God will engender all kinds of benefits to body and soul. The peace of God will fill your heart and mind. Your prayers will bring strength and healing to yourself and others. Lives will be touched. Souls will be saved. Grace will abound. Heaven will be your destiny. Jesus will be waiting and watching for you.
PS... to punctuate the times we are in....this is the news for June 12, 2023 from Germany.....
As you look through this dire prediction about the end times, do you notice what is the first sign of the end times in these verses? You might call this the first sign of doom for the church. According to Matthew 24:11, the beginning of the end times will be ushered in with the help of “false prophets”. These false leaders will take over the authority in the church. Knowingly or unknowingly, they will “deceive” church people. This will inevitably lead to sin growing “rampant”.
I find it unsurprising that it will be through false leadership, false prophets, that the end times will be ushered in. When leaders in the church become deluded by evil and sin, all kinds of terrible results appear.
In the 1970’s, preacher Jim Jones led a revolutionary new movement that promised a paradise free from oppression. He founded the Peoples Temple in Guyana and urged the faithful to follow him. After a series of faith-based initiatives and tests, he urged his people to drink Flavor Aid in a communion-type of ritual. However, he had the drink laced with cyanide. 909 people died, including 304 children.
David Koresh loved to study scripture. He was enamored with the book of Revelation. Claiming to be a born-again Christian in the Southern Baptist church, he felt called by God to join the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. He joined a splinter group of that denomination, where he was singled out for leadership. He claimed he had the gift of prophecy. He told others in the church that God spoke to him, called him to lead others, and called him to do a few unusual things, like marry a 12-year-old girl. In April of 1993, he demanded his followers hole up and fight the U.S. Government. During the gunbattle that ensued, 79 people died in a fire, including 21 children.
These two men led their followers to death, citing biblical examples and a connection to God. While their stories have been blown out of proportion by the media, many other types of dangerous leaders in the church have gone unnoticed. Some have even been protected by social media and/or influential groups. There were hundreds of priests convicted of child molestation and abuse in the United States. There are leaders in Christian churches that promote sex change operations, because God and/or society “made mistakes” with people’s sexual identity. There are presently pastors in some churches who believe in pedophilia. There are church leaders who believe divorce is not sinful. Some see open marriage as a viable option for the faithful. In some Christian churches, leaders have replaced the Christian flag with the pride flag. Some pastors do not believe Jesus is the Son of God. Some pastors disavow any belief in the Holy Spirit. I know pastors who are practicing Wiccans, others who practice nature worship. Some church leaders from the 1990’s who gathered at a convocation in Minnesota urged people to adopt Sophia as the name for God, because it is a feminine noun. I could go on and on.
Now, just before you get the wrongful feeling that all pastors are a bunch of crazy, sinful loonies, realize that these beliefs are popular in their respective cultures, seminary teachings, and church member views. Many churches have people in them who believe such garbage, too.
BUT, never forget that there are faithful leaders, faithful pastors, and faithful people out there….more than a few. The Holy Spirit can help to direct you to them!
I have been told that I do not belong as a pastor in today’s world. Why? I believe that the Bible is God’s word. I believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I contend that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe marriage is between a man and woman according to Jesus’ statement in Mark 10. I believe that Jesus was a real man who died on a cross in the first century. I believe Jesus is coming back to judge the living and the dead. I believe the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostle’s Creed are still relevant today. I believe that the Ten Commandments still apply. I believe God’s love applies to all people. Believe it or not, these beliefs are controversial in today’s worldly climate. I have even been told by some that my days as a pastor are numbered because of these beliefs.
As I study the scripture for today, I am reminded that when people (especially leaders) fall away from God’s truth, all manner of sin will break forth. This can happen in the family, the community, and whole nations. Though false prophets have been in the church since the beginning, that problem is growing in modern times. False prophets may be in your church. The influence of false leadership may be even now affecting your life. Please realize that God wants you to live faithfully, free from slavery to sin and evil, growing in faithful love. God does not want you to be deluded by sinful thinking, nor by false prophets. Always be on guard for both.
The scripture for today ends with a hope, a wish: “Those who endure to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13). Keeping faithful to God will not be easy. You will have to endure all kinds of worldly pressures and evil temptations to remain in God’s grace. However, the difficult choices will be worth it. God will protect you in ways you cannot comprehend. The love of God will engender all kinds of benefits to body and soul. The peace of God will fill your heart and mind. Your prayers will bring strength and healing to yourself and others. Lives will be touched. Souls will be saved. Grace will abound. Heaven will be your destiny. Jesus will be waiting and watching for you.
PS... to punctuate the times we are in....this is the news for June 12, 2023 from Germany.....
