15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7:15 (LSB)
The Church in our time appears huge, but this is only in appearance. It is thousands of miles wide, but only a fraction of an inch deep. Much of what claims to be Christian is not and proves it by what is actually its focus and what (or who) it actually worships. The focus has its foundation in pragmatism and its worship is nothing more than self-aggrandizement. They give lip service to their own version of “Jesus” who bears little if any resemblance to the Jesus we read of in God’s Word. This counterfeit Christianity is the majority while the true Church, which is made up of those saved by grace through faith because of God’s election and effectual calling is the minority….
This should not surprise us because the Word of God tells us that this will be the case as this age comes to a close to make way for the age to come. Over the last several months I have seen countless claims that the time of our Lord’s return would be September 23-25 this year. Some claimed this would be “the beginning of sorrows.” Others even went so far as to say it would be the “End of the World.” I watched a very well done podcast last night in which the speaker claimed that we were already in the Tribulation and that it started in 2020 with the Covid pandemic. People who claim to know things like that on certain dates prove they are false prophets because God’s Word tells us that no one knows these things except the Father. Therefore, do not believe these liars.
1 And coming out from the temple, Jesus was going along, and His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 And He answered and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” 3 Now as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:1-3 (LSB)
Carefully read this passage my brethren. There are three questions asked of our Lord by the disciples in response to his warning of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in v2. However, our Lord’s answer to these questions apparently intertwines prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and His second coming, which will end this age and usher in the age to come. Let us look at our Lord’s answer to these questions which is found in vv4-31 of Matthew 24, however, we will concentrate on vv4-14 in this study. <Continue reading post>