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by Sandy Shaw
In Luke 21:5, Jesus takes His disciples across the Kidron Valley, and they sit down on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Temple. Jesus has just spoken of the destruction of the Temple, and what the disciples are saying is, "Do you really mean that, and if so then, when?" We would have asked something very similar.
How many people over these last thirty to forty years have become almost over interested in exactly when Jesus Christ will return!
Jesus speaks about two things, and these are, the Destruction of the Temple, and His Coming Again.
It is like two mountain peaks, and we do not know how far there is between the peaks. If we see that clearly, it can save us a lot of trouble.
Have you ever climbed a mountain and you think you are almost at the summit, and then you see there is a dip, and you are not quite at the top yet and it takes you a little while longer to reach it? We do not know precisely how long it is between the first coming of Jesus and His return. Not even Jesus knew that date, and so if anyone tells you that they know the date, you know immediately that it is not true.
Answers begin to flow and we have this teaching from Jesus, and it all began with a comment. 'What a beautiful building'.
Jesus first Word is "Beware". Watch out. Do not allow yourself to be deceived.
There will be many false teachers and false prophets and and false Christs. Such people can deceive many and mislead many. That is why we must be careful not to listen to them and not to pay attention to what they say or teach or prophesy. Do not follow them.
This section can excite some people! It can also cause confusion. Jesus gave it that we might be taught and instructed accurately.
Be discerning. Know what is of God and what is not of God. That is not always easy, but it would be difficult to be clearer. Jesus does not want any one of His disciples to be deceived, or led astray.
Every false sect can be traced to a false prophet. Someone led astray a group of people who allowed themselves to be deceived.
Many will come, wanting to BE CHRIST, rather than wanting to serve Christ.
Many will come wanting to assert themselves, and have followers, rather than just be of service to Jesus Christ, and rather than just making themselves available to God.
People can appear with all the right words and language, and use all the in-phrases.
False prophets do not only mislead the gullible, but they can also upset and disturb the faithful.
One of the tasks within the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ along with the all the believers is to discern what is of God and what is NOT of God, and occasionally at times, to expose openly and publicly what is NOT of God, so that the lambs and sheep are protected from the ravening wolves.
It has been said that many people who go to worship services today could hardly recognise a false prophet if they saw one. We have been brainwashed into false tolerance and not to speak out too strongly against a false prophet.
This is one of the reasons why we have to know what we believe and why we believe it. When something false or just not right appears, we require the wisdom and discernment to know, and the courage to speak out.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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