A Time of Trembling #31
THE DAILY DE-VO
by Pastor Steven episode#31
A Time of Trembling
Today’s reading is from Matthew 24:21-28
One of the things that is both amazing to me and challenging to me is the ability that people will have in the end time to bring about deception. In the end times there will be those who are smart and savvy, but who have great power to deceive others.
The general population of the world is easy prey for deception. Back in 1989 Nikolai Ceausescu was finally ousted as dictator of Romania after 24 years of terror. Ceausescu was as evil as Hitler; he simply lacked the opportunity to work on a grand scale. His evil was confined to Romania.
During the time that he was doing his evil in Romania, he was lauded in the world as “the supreme embodiment of good,” a “hero of heroes,” a “worker of workers,” and “First personage of the world.” Is equally evil wife, Elena, was referred to in the Romanian press as “a model to be followed by all the women in our country,” she was said to be a “legendary mother,” and “the most just woman on the earth.” Talk about delusion! She was more wicked than her husband!
Even the Western world was deceived. Queen Elizabeth knighted Ceausescu. The United States government granted his country “most favored nation” trading status. A former Israeli Prime Minister credited Ceausescu with meditating a historic peace mission to Jerusalem. The whole world was fooled until the actions of this man came to light. The stories began to pour out of Romania – and the world soon learned about the cruel and wicked things this couple accomplished.
Considering recent history, and our current global situation it is wise to remember Jesus's response in Matthew 24:1–14 about signs for the end of this age. Jesus warns us of our potential to be deceived!
Our Lord revealed to the disciples that the end of times would be marked by deception. Keep in mind that the disciples asked Jesus questions concerning a comment he had made while they were leaving the temple Jesus looked up at this great building and told them that not one stone would be left on another and they wanted to know when that was going to happen.
Of course the answer to that immediately was 70 AD, and it happened. What will be the sign of your coming they asked? And what is the sign of the end of the age?
In verses 5–8 we find Christ listing of the events that will lead to the tribulation period. These events, which cast their shadows before them, actually phase–in the Great Tribulation with more and more intensity until the rapture occurs and all the world erupts into what HE called “the beginning of sorrows.”
Within these verses there are 10 signs, which warned the approaching tribulation period. We have looked at these over the course of the past 5 weeks but lets look at a snap shot tonight:
Number 1: A TIME OF DECEPTION. Matthew 24:5
Number 2: A TIME OF DISSENSION. Matthew 24:6–7
Number 3: A TIME OF DEVASTATION. Matthew 24:7
Number 4: A TIME OF DISEASE. Matthew 24:7
Number 5 A TIME OF DISASTERS. Matthew 24:7
Number 6: A TIME OF DEATH. Matthew 24:9
Number 7: A TIME OF DISLOYALTY. Matthew 24:10
Number 8: A TIME OF DELUSION. Matthew 24:11
It is amazing to me that one of the characteristics of the end times will be what Revelation calls: “Sorcery!” Rev. 9:21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
The word in Revelation is Pharmacia – it is where we get our word pharmacy, and it is the reference to an ingestion of drugs. Just as in our day in that day the use of mind-altering drugs will be associated with false religions. The sorceries of the end times will include narcotics and hallucinogens.
Number 9: A TIME OF DEFECTION.
Men and women who are professing Christians will leave their homes, places of employment, and they will move away. But greater still this verse is talking about a defection from the truth.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for [that day will not come] until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
The great rebellion Paul talked about was the defection that Jesus spoke about.
by Pastor Steven episode#31
A Time of Trembling
Today’s reading is from Matthew 24:21-28
One of the things that is both amazing to me and challenging to me is the ability that people will have in the end time to bring about deception. In the end times there will be those who are smart and savvy, but who have great power to deceive others.
The general population of the world is easy prey for deception. Back in 1989 Nikolai Ceausescu was finally ousted as dictator of Romania after 24 years of terror. Ceausescu was as evil as Hitler; he simply lacked the opportunity to work on a grand scale. His evil was confined to Romania.
During the time that he was doing his evil in Romania, he was lauded in the world as “the supreme embodiment of good,” a “hero of heroes,” a “worker of workers,” and “First personage of the world.” Is equally evil wife, Elena, was referred to in the Romanian press as “a model to be followed by all the women in our country,” she was said to be a “legendary mother,” and “the most just woman on the earth.” Talk about delusion! She was more wicked than her husband!
Even the Western world was deceived. Queen Elizabeth knighted Ceausescu. The United States government granted his country “most favored nation” trading status. A former Israeli Prime Minister credited Ceausescu with meditating a historic peace mission to Jerusalem. The whole world was fooled until the actions of this man came to light. The stories began to pour out of Romania – and the world soon learned about the cruel and wicked things this couple accomplished.
Considering recent history, and our current global situation it is wise to remember Jesus's response in Matthew 24:1–14 about signs for the end of this age. Jesus warns us of our potential to be deceived!
Our Lord revealed to the disciples that the end of times would be marked by deception. Keep in mind that the disciples asked Jesus questions concerning a comment he had made while they were leaving the temple Jesus looked up at this great building and told them that not one stone would be left on another and they wanted to know when that was going to happen.
Of course the answer to that immediately was 70 AD, and it happened. What will be the sign of your coming they asked? And what is the sign of the end of the age?
In verses 5–8 we find Christ listing of the events that will lead to the tribulation period. These events, which cast their shadows before them, actually phase–in the Great Tribulation with more and more intensity until the rapture occurs and all the world erupts into what HE called “the beginning of sorrows.”
Within these verses there are 10 signs, which warned the approaching tribulation period. We have looked at these over the course of the past 5 weeks but lets look at a snap shot tonight:
Number 1: A TIME OF DECEPTION. Matthew 24:5
Number 2: A TIME OF DISSENSION. Matthew 24:6–7
Number 3: A TIME OF DEVASTATION. Matthew 24:7
Number 4: A TIME OF DISEASE. Matthew 24:7
Number 5 A TIME OF DISASTERS. Matthew 24:7
Number 6: A TIME OF DEATH. Matthew 24:9
Number 7: A TIME OF DISLOYALTY. Matthew 24:10
Number 8: A TIME OF DELUSION. Matthew 24:11
It is amazing to me that one of the characteristics of the end times will be what Revelation calls: “Sorcery!” Rev. 9:21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
The word in Revelation is Pharmacia – it is where we get our word pharmacy, and it is the reference to an ingestion of drugs. Just as in our day in that day the use of mind-altering drugs will be associated with false religions. The sorceries of the end times will include narcotics and hallucinogens.
Number 9: A TIME OF DEFECTION.
Men and women who are professing Christians will leave their homes, places of employment, and they will move away. But greater still this verse is talking about a defection from the truth.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for [that day will not come] until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
The great rebellion Paul talked about was the defection that Jesus spoke about.
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