End Times Part 1Beware of Deception
Devotion in Motion
Midweek Meditation
Mark 13:3-5
“Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?” And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.
In 1947, shortly after World War II, a group of scientists led by Albert Einstein established, “The Doomsday Clock.” Its purpose is to tell us how close we are to catastrophic destruction – extinguishing the human race – a figurative midnight. Over the last 40 years the clock has been as close as 2 minutes to midnight – that occurred in 1953 after the US successfully tested the first hydrogen bomb. The furthest from midnight the clock has been set is 11:43 PM – 17 minutes – that moment of euphoria was reached in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union. The most recent change occurred last year. We’re now at 1:58:20 sec PM. With 26,000 armed nuclear weapons, North Korea and Iran’s quest for nuclear arms, Russia and China flexixing their military and economic might and natural disasters sweeping our planet… we’re now at 100 seconds to midnight.
And as I read the Bible I’m drawn to a similar conclusion. Our world is in its final days – what the Bible calls “the last days.” But here’s where I disagree… the Earth is headed for annihilation. Before we destroy ourselves though Jesus will intervene. God has plans for Earth and man. Jesus has promised to return to the fallen planet and establish His kingdom. This is what Jesus talks about with His disciples in Mark 13 and in Matthew 24-25. Here Jesus’ answer is the longest He gave to any question ever asked Him. Since He’s on the Mount of Olives what follows is called The Olivet Discourse. “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives…” It’s interesting that the Mount of Olives not only figured prominently into Jesus’ first coming to earth, but it will also be at the center of His second coming…
In Zechariah 14:4 we’re told when Jesus returns to punish His enemies and establish His kingdom He’ll set His foot on the top of the Mount of Olives. I have never been to Israel but if you ever get a chance One of the best things about it is the experience of walking where Jesus once walked… But not only that but to stand on top of the Mount of Olives would be even more exciting – there you’re standing on the spot where Jesus will one day return. Here Jesus is sitting where one day He’ll stand – and He teaches His disciples about the end times.
Vs 3 says Now as (He sat) on the Mount of Olives ” I want to emphasize (He sat) , That’s important because whenever a Jewish rabbi sat down to teach it was the indication that what he was about to say was of the utmost importance. You were to have your antenna up and ears open.
Jesus is about to give them signs of His second coming and the end of the age… Jesus knew the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD would only be the first of many military campaigns against the holy city throughout history. In fact, in Revelation 19, when He returns to earth during a battle over Jerusalem. And the Temple’s destruction in 70 AD stirred Jesus thinking about the end times…And so Mark tells us that 4 of the disciples came to him alone.
After what Jesus had just told them about the destruction of the Temple which to them symbolized the foundation of their faith. They were shaken, they were uneasy and so they needed some quiet time with the Lord.
And when we are uneasy, when our world is shaken, we need to do what these guys did also, they went to Jesus. You see the world says i have the answers for you when your world is rocked, the world says come and submerge yourself in reality shows, it says come and entangle yourselves in a relationship who is not your spouse, the world says i have an answer–how about a pseudo peace that comes from drugs or alcohol. The world says I have the answers but it doesn’t and never will. There is only one who can calm the soul and bring water to a thirsty soul. And that is Jesus. Come unto me all you are burdened and heavy laden and i will give you rest he says. Come to me because out of me flows rivers of living water. Come and be refreshed. Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away.
The disciples knew the only place to get those answers and that was from having some quiet time with Jesus alone. How long has it been since you opened up your bible and had some quiet time with the only one who can bring peace to your soul? Maybe the time is now. And so they ask Jesus and he begins to answer them.
“And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.”
The 1st thing he warns the disciples about is spiritual deception.
Before Jesus’ first coming, there was this great Messianic expectancy – yet there were no pretenders. It’s interesting that There were no counterfeit Messiahs before Jesus, for the same reason there’s no such thing as a counterfeit $200 bill. You can’t counterfeit something that never existed. The real thing has to come, before you can copy it…But after Jesus came, there’s been a long train of false Christs. Historians say that in the century after Jesus, no less than 64 men claimed to be the Messiah.
Even in our day, there’ve been many false Messiahs. Here Jesus warns us to expect counterfeit Christs. So we know that one will come on the scene known as the AntiChrist and we will talk about him later but what Jesus specifically tells the disciple’s is that many will come on the scene saying that they are the Messiah, the anointed one.John wrote in 1st John 4:3 “and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world” John calls this (The spirit of AntiChrist) And what that is,is anything that puts itself in place of Jesus in your life. it could be a person, place or thing.
Oh no–Is there anyone you value more than the person of Jesus.. a spouse, mother, father, child, gramps, gramms, boyfriend, girlfriend. Is there a place you go instead of church or bible study to listen and hear the Lord on sunday, is there something in your life that you value more than spending time with Jesus, job, promotion, maybe your body.
All this can be an antichrist in the here and now and not only should you be watching for those coming on the scene who say they are the Messiah, but we must also be looking out for the spirit of Antichrist that is already here.
“Once, when a stubborn disputer seemed unconvinced, Lincoln said, “Well, let’s see how many legs has a cow?” “Four, of course,” came the reply disgustedly. “That’s right,” agreed Lincoln. “Now suppose you call the cow’s tail a leg; how many legs would the cow have?” “Why, five, of course,” was the confident reply. “Now, that’s where you’re wrong,” said Lincoln. “Calling a cow’s tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg.”
Look! take time to know the real Jesus so that you will not be deceived by a false Jesus!!
Amen
Victor Tafoya
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