Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
This passage of scripture describes for us the first warning as given by Christ concerning the last days of earth's history, when asked by His disciples. Before going into the details He warns us of being deceived, and it will do us well to find out why His opening statement consists of deception by many false Christs. There is a movement underway, that many in the Christian world may not be aware of, and because it is now taking place so gradually and imperceptibly, many of us are being acclimatized, and mentally conditioned to accept the spurious in place of the Divine.
The reason why Christ opens these prophecies with such a dire warning, is because the many false prophets, armed with a popular theology which appeals to the sin-loving multitudes, are scheduled to take the world by storm, and if we are not very careful, we may be swept away in the overwhelming tide of smooth sounding doctrines and philosophies, which lull the heart into carnal security. Let's read:
(Excerpts from Great Controversy pp. 623 & 624) Fearful sights of a supernatural character will soon be revealed in the heavens, in token of the power of miracle-working demons. The spirits of devils will go forth to the kings of the earth and to the whole world, to fasten them in deception, and urge them on to unite with Satan in his last struggle against the government of Heaven. By these agencies, rulers and subjects will be alike deceived. Persons will arise pretending to be Christ himself, and claiming the title and worship which belong to the world’s Redeemer. They will perform wonderful miracles of healing, and will profess to have revelations from Heaven contradicting the testimony of the Scriptures.
As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air., “Christ has come! Christ has come!” In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed".
Th scriptures caution us of the "Itching ear" syndrome, that will be a hall mark of the last days, and from what is taking place before our eyes we can now conclude that the times thus spoken of are already here. Hence the reason why the true gospel is being replaced with pep talks and positive speeches, which dwell only on grace and blessings, but makes no mention of sin, confession, and repentance, and it is for this reason why The Holy Ghost, through the apostle Paul says that perilous times shall come, for millions who name the name of Christ will be turned away unto fables, because they refuse to accept the plainest teachings of God's word on any and every subject. Let's read:
2nd Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
In our day there are a multitude of smooth-talking televangelists, who are drawing millions in their train, because they have watered down the truth, and most of their theology, sermons and presentations are geared towards palliating the sinner, whilst the moral depravity of our society and the urgent need for reform, is hardly, if ever mentioned. Hence the reason why those who are called to preach the truth in 2nd Timothy, are required to do so "In season" and out of season, and from what we can see today, it seems as if we have now entered a period of being permanently "Out of season".
The health/ wealth gospel being presented by so many prominent pastors in the evangelical world may sound good, but it deprives the listener of a balanced view of the gospel, which promises grace and pardon to the repentant, but wrath and judgment to the impenitent. This one-sided view of the gospel is what has led millions to join the ranks of Christ, for they see in it only blessings of health, wealth, and other social benefits, without the necessary compliance with the laws and institutions God has laid down in His word as being the stated preconditions.
And it's for this reason why we will need the power of The Holy Spirit more than ever, so that we may carry the everlasting gospel to a dying world. It is of the utmost importance then for us to remain rooted and grounded in the truth, and not be led astray by the many false prophets and prophetesses that have now overspread the land, for the Bible predicts that a time will come when the true word of God will become so scarce, that many shall wander from sea to sea in search of it, but it will be nowhere to be found.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which urges us to study the word of God for ourselves, so that we may not be carried away by the popular theology of the day. Let's read:
2nd Timothy 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing".... 15 "That from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!