Yeshua gives us a very real warning about deception. In the gospel of Matthew He is answering His disciples questions about the "signs" of the end of this age and His returning to establish His Kingdom on earth.
“For many shall come in My Name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they shall lead many astray." Matthew 24:5
The traditional translation of this scripture is that "false messiah's " will be arising and leading people astray from the true path but is this the correct translation of His words? Yeshua does warn about "false messiah's" arising a little further along in the discourse (Matthew 24:23-25) but in this particular verse is His warning of a different type?
In this verse could Yeshua actually be saying - "There will be many who will come saying that I (Jesus/Yeshua) am the Messiah, and they will lead many astray".
In other words, is Yeshua giving a warning that many will say they believe in Him and confess Him as Christ but their message will be the wrong message, a message other than what He delivered, and these people (teachers) will lead many people astray from the truth?
Now, I know that we all believe that we have always heard the right message of the kingdom and that we have never followed a "false teaching". Generally, everyone thinks that they have the truth. If Yeshua, being all-knowing, could issue us a warning here about a real deception taking place, (because of a different message going forth in His name), then I think that we should all take heed to the warning about being led astray.
Deception is a powerful thing for if you repeat lies long enough then eventually people will accept them as truth. The traditional Christian Church has been guilty of believing lies for millennial. While they have carried many truths around the world, especially about salvation in Jesus alone, they have also missed the mark in many areas and have believed lies that have been handed down from one generation to another for so long that they now call them "truths". In fact, the prophet Jeremiah predicted just such a thing, "inheriting lies from our forefathers". I have often heard the old saying that, "a half- truth is the worst kind of lie". Many half-truths have come from Christiandom. This is why we have so many denominations.
It is not that "the church" has intentionally tried to propagate lies throughout its history, it is just that lies crept in and then they were repeated and practiced until they are accepted as truth at this point. Much of this happened because of the break in fellowship between two "sects" of first century Judaism: the sect of The Way (Nazarenes) and main stream Judaism headed by the Pharisees.
Much division took place before the destruction of the temple, but even more so after the temple was destroyed in 70 AD. Add to this Constantine and the Roman Catholic Church doctrine and one does not have to wonder any longer how lies could have passed from one generation to another. The early apostles had to deal with similar false teachings that were already being propagated in their time. Much of the writings of the Renewed Covenant (New Testament) deal with such issues.
When we look around our world today we see plenty of people "claiming" to be Christians. However, the message they are spouting does not line up with the word of God. They are now celebrating, within the church, those things which God's holy Word calls abominations. These lies are being propagated to the children and if repeated long enough - they will be accepted by them as truth. Someone MUST STAND in the gap for our future generations and tell them the truth about these lies. Good is now evil, and evil is good. The Bible said this would happen!
The basic tenants of Creation (those things God pronounced as good) are now being manipulated and transformed into an abominable message. Many denominations are accepting and practicing these sins and find no shame. Jonathan Cahn in his book, "The Return of the gods", pretty much sums up what we are seeing and that a door has been opened in America and around the world for this idolatry to spread like lightning.
Romans chapter 1 warns us about times like these and gives a stern warning that people who practice such have reprobate minds (void of judgment) and that not only those who do such things but - "those who take pleasure in them". We cannot compromise the truth regardless of who is committting the sin. It may be our very own children- it doesn't matter! We LOVE the person but hate the sin. We always love the person and must remember that God loves them also but we cannot participate or make excuses for sin.
Are any of us perfect? Of course not! However, there are sins which bring death and sins which do not (the Apostle John mentions this in his writings). We must not commit wilful sins.
In Amos 8:11 we read:
The time is coming," says Adonai Elohim, "when I will send famine over the land, not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of Adonai.
I am afraid that America has entered this time. In Amos we find that the two kingdoms (Judah and Israel) had committed such sin that God was declaring judgment upon them. They would be invaded and carried away and destroyed. In this judgment a famine for His Word would happen (they had His Word in their home land but they had neglected to obey it). Thus, they would find themselves in nations where they were strangers and His Word was no longer predominant.
This is where we are headed in America. Our walls have been breached! The floodgates are open! Our enemies surround us! Our laws of justice and morality have fallen in the streets! The majority of our leaders, on every level, have no moral compass. The Ten Commandments have been removed from our faces! Other religions now have more rights in America than "followers of Jesus"! Persecution is already happening and will continue. The day is coming when the famine of His Word will take over us. His Word will be replaced by the teachings and culture of the likes of all the ancient pagan civilizations of which we have read about in the Bible. Darkness is enveloping the land!
Judgment day is upon us unless we, as a nation, repent before Him while there is still time. It comes down to each individual.
How do we know the correct message of Yeshua? We look at His Words that have been recorded for us. In John 15:10 it states that "if we keep Yeshua's commandments that we do well and that we will abide in His love, even as HE HAS KEPT HIS FATHERS commandments and abides in His love". Yeshua continually tells us that He and His Father are One, that if you have seen one then you have seen the other. Yeshua was the WORD (Torah) made flesh.
What were His Father's WORDS/Commandments? Moses records the "words/commandments" of YHWH. Yeshua stated that He did not come to "abolish the Torah but to fulfill it" (interpret it correctly). He then goes on to say that not one "jot or tittle" will be erased from it as long as heaven and earth stands.
One cannot practice what they do not know! How can anyone practice the commands of the Creator if they don't read the roadmap? The Bible is the roadmap to eternal life! For the most part our churches have become social clubs of "what do you have to offer me and my kids", to "what kind of worship music do you have"? Whether or not a church has a gym or pizza parties every Wednesday night for the kids to eat and play games shouldn't be the questions one is asking. It should be - do you teach the unadulterated Word of God without the cultural bias that is being shoved down our throats? For the most part our modern churches are falling short of teaching the Bible in lieu of "seeker-friendly" congregations that have no idea what holy living means, much less hell, fire, and brimstone messages of bygone errors where people were taught that "God is a God of love but also of justice" and a reckoning day is INDEED coming! Many youth these days don't even know the common stories in the Bible (Creation story, Noah and the ark, Daniel and the lions den, The three Hebrew children, etc) nor can they even quote the basic John 3:16. How can they be expected to stand up under peer pressure when they don't know the Word nor have a relationship with The Word? Parents are no exception- how often do we as parents and grandparents pray and read our Bible? Are we just relying on our preacher to tell us what we need? Just going forward in church for a preacher to pray over you does not give you an intimate knowledge or lasting relationship with God. That choice and commitment comes from within the individual and requires discipline in prayer, fasting, and reading His Word and then practicing its commands and instructions. This is what sets a person apart into a life of holiness or sanctification.
An awakening is soon to occur. Unfortunately, the suffering that the church is going to have to endure in order to receive the awakening, may not be very pleasant.
YHWH is calling His children back to Himself in these last days. We each need to examine ourselves according to His Word and not what the preacher says or church doctrine or the culturally accepted norm. Judgment always begins with those who call themselves by His Name (I Peter 4:17). A great shaking has already arrived! An apostasy is surely here! Are you close enough to Yeshua/Jesus to discern this apostasy? Heed the warning and let's don't be deceived.
The Apostle Peter was warned by Yeshua that "satan desires to sift you as wheat but I have prayed for you that your faith fails not; and when you are converted strengthen the brethren" Luke 22:31.
Yeshua likewise prayed for all of us in John chapter 17 before He was crucified. Just like with Peter, Satan desires to sift us and our friends and loved ones but we must step up and be holy and strengthen the brethren! Read the Word, preach the Word, and LIVE the Word!
Shalom
Leisa
