Avoid Deceit

When the disciples asked Jesus how to successfully navigate His second coming, He warned them about being deceived by false end-time prophets and teachers. Jesus knew that self-important people in every generation would randomly link common natural and man-made disasters to bible verses and call them signs of His return. Jesus also knew that many unsuspecting Christians would buy into their rhetoric and be deceived. 

For instance, during the decade leading up to the Year 2000 America was inundated with books, sermons, television programs, movies, websites and other mediums claiming that the end was near and Jesus was coming back soon. Their “sky is falling” predictions certainly created a frenzy, and many Christians were deceived into believing them. However, the Year 2000 came and went without a hitch. The European Union didn’t emerge as the revised Roman Empire. “Y2K” didn’t result in a world-wide technological meltdown. The Wormwood meteor either totally missed the earth or never existed at all. None of the suggested candidates for the antichrist rose to that level of power. There was no nuclear holocaust, our satellites weren’t destroyed, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse never showed up, and Jesus didn’t come back! And while some may attempt to pass off these and other prophetic blunders as harmless mistakes, the damages they have brought upon the Christian community are inexcusable: 

1. The Church has lost credibility in the world

2. Christians have become apathetic about the Second Coming

3. False end-time doctrines are now the norm

Clearly, Jesus had good reasons to warn His disciples of every generation about deceit. Therefore, the next time you hear someone claim that a current war, conflict, earthquake, famine, disease, volcano, drought, or other natural or human-made event is a sign of the end, ignore them! Jesus said: 

"Such things must happen, but the end is still to come" - Matthew 24:6

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