Today, I’m starting a new series on the End Times. I believe you will be greatly blessed. I’ll talk about the Return of Jesus, the Great tribulation, the Rapture, the Marriage of the Lamb, and events of the last days. However, I’ll begin with Jesus’ most important warning about the end times: Watch out that no one deceives you!
Let’s read one of the most comprehensive passages about the end times, Matthew 24.
“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?’ Jesus answered: ‘Watch out that no one deceives you.’” — Matthew 24:3-4 (NIV)
The disciples came to Jesus and asked: When will it happen? What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?
Jesus clearly answers: Watch out that no one deceives you!
This is the most crucial warning for the end times. Do not be deceived, for false prophets will come. This warning is repeated four times in Matthew 24. All New Testament writers, except James, warn us about false leaders and deception.
Jesus warns us to be careful not to be deceived! If Jesus gave this warning, it’s because you, yes you, that are listening to me, can be deceived!
Let’s read what the Apostle Paul said about deception:
“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” — Acts 20:28-31 (NIV)
For three years, the Apostle Paul warned with tears about the false leaders who would come after him and deceive the elect of God.
You might say, “We don’t have this problem here, Pastor, because only you are teaching us, and we are protected!” But this thinking is wrong. Today, there are pastors and leaders (who are not your pastors!) inside your home, teaching through the internet.
Paul said: Men will arise and distort the truth to draw disciples away from the truth. Today, false prophets do not need to enter churches; they have access to your mind and home through the internet and will deceive many.
The problem with deception is that the deceived person believes wholeheartedly that they are right when they are, in fact, wrong.
This is truly frightening. In other words, they are self-deceived.
Increased Deceptions in the Last Days
Let’s read some verses that show the increase in deception in the last days:
“And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” — Matthew 24:11-13, 42 (NIV)
We are living in the last days. Without a doubt, we are nearing the end times. Surely the return of Christ is imminent. In the end times, many people will be deceived.
Let’s see what Apostle Paul said about deception:
“I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to One Husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” — 2 Corinthians 11:2-4 (NIV)
Paul, who founded the church in Corinth, said: I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God. I have prepared you to be presented as a pure virgin to Christ.
One of the messages in this series will be the “Marriage of the Lamb”, which will occur after the rapture of the Church.
You have a commitment to Jesus Christ as Saviour and Bridegroom, and soon He will come to take His bride.
Revelation 19:7-8 contains the precious image of the marriage celebration!
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the Wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)” — Revelation 19:7-8 (NIV)
On that day, Jesus will take His bride home, and all of heaven will be excited, glad, and rejoicing. But for now, we are still only engaged. The marriage supper has not yet come.
Paul further explains how Christians can be corrupted from their original commitment to Jesus.
Verse 3 says: “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 11:3 (NIV)
I fear that your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity and purity that is in Christ. The process leading to unfaithfulness is the corruption of believers’ minds.
Be careful, you who always listen to different preachers on the internet and other leaders, because what happened to Eve can happen to you too.
There are many false teachings that have entered the churches.
– For example, a teaching that sounds beautiful is Calvinism. This doctrine removes human responsibility because it suggests the choice is God’s. If God chose you, you’ll be saved, and those who weren’t saved were not chosen, destined for hell.
How can God hold humans accountable for their sin if He is the one who destined them to hell?
I believe God has predestined everyone towards salvation and genuinely desires for all people to be saved. This perspective is strongly supported by scripture, particularly 1 Timothy 2, which explicitly states that.
“God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
I Timothy 2:4 NKJV
– Another doctrine is “Once saved, always saved!” This is a terrible lie! Those who stand firm to the end will be saved because their pure devotion to Christ could not be corrupted.
These doctrines and others are what you hear every day through internet pastors and leaders.
There are many “versions of Jesus” being preached worldwide, and somehow these teachings are infiltrating the church.
– The New Age movement has its own version of Jesus. Liberation Theology teaches that the task of Christians is to solve the problems of the poor, social justice, eliminate wealth, and establish a new political order.
Jesus never did this. He had great compassion for the poor but never asked to institute another social order by force. He said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” The process of trying to bring in God’s kingdom by force is a denial of Jesus’ teachings.
– Another doctrine is the Gospel of Permissive Grace, “Hyper-Grace”, which is grace that enables us to sin. Today, many preachers say that “God loves you unconditionally”. God does love you, but there are conditions to follow Jesus.
Jesus calls you to come as you are, but you cannot stay as you are!
You need to repent of your sins; you need to abandon your sins. Unconditional love is interpreted as unconditional acceptance of someone’s lifestyle.
Let’s see a picture of the last days in 2 Timothy 3:1-5:
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” — 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV)
He begins by saying: “But mark this” – in other words, “be very certain of this fact”.
In the last days, the period before the closure of the age, terrible times will come!
The root problem is the degeneration of human character and conduct. Paul lists eighteen aspects of human behaviour that people will showcase when the closure of the ages approaches.
There are eighteen moral or ethical defects. The main issue is what people love most. It begins with love of self and love of money and ends with love of pleasure.
Look at European culture today; these are three main elements that direct people: love of self, love of money, and love of pleasure.
You might think, “these aspects sound like people outside the church!” But no, they are not. In verse 5, Paul said: “having a form of godliness but denying its power.” There are people in churches today who profess to be Christians, but their characters are deteriorating. They profess faith but deny the power to change people.
There are people in the church who profess to be Christians but are selfish, full of self-love, love of money, and love of pleasure. Listen: You might not drink, smoke, or use drugs, but if you’re living for yourself, your life denies the power of the gospel.
Paul advises: have nothing to do with such people. In other words, do not waste your time with them. Do not spend too much time with selfish, self-centred people. The more time you give them, the more self-centred they become.
How Can One Avoid Falling into Deceit?
Jesus said: “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it.”
Be connected with the Church of Jesus. I was saved, set free, and taught through the church of Jesus.
Remember that the church is not a building; the church is the people. The church is God’s family. It is a spiritual family and a place to belong. The church is a group of baptised people committed to a local church. Many come to church, but they do not belong to the Church. The church is not a religion; the church is the Body of Christ, and being connected brings us spiritual protection.
Everyone needs to be fully connected to their local church and listen to their leaders. Remember, in the Bible, there are no online pastors or churches, but physical pastors and local churches where you can truly become disciples.
Who is covering your life? Do you have a pastor or leader, or are you a sheep without a shepherd? To whom are you accountable? Be open, sincere, and truthful with your leaders. Do not lose contact with other church members and take an active part in church meetings. Do not miss any service or cell meeting. The first step towards deception is to stop going to church and listening to your leaders.
Seek intimacy with God in constant prayer and meditate on the Word of God. Study the Word of God, and ask the Holy Spirit for revelation and discernment. Recognise that deception exists and that we must guard ourselves against it. You might be deceived, so listen to your leaders and pastors. If you make a mistake, be humble, ask for forgiveness, and acknowledge your error!
Example: Judas and Peter both failed. Judas betrayed Jesus, and Peter denied Him. Judas did not believe in the possibility of restoration and hanged himself. Peter denied Christ, but he clung to the hope of being forgiven, wept bitterly for his sin, and was restored.
Perhaps you have been selfish, you’ve been money obsessed, loving pleasure and disrespecting your leaders; please, repent.
There is restoration for all of us, God loves us, but He wants us restored to live victorious lives so we can spend eternity with Jesus Christ.
God bless you,