Word@Work Luke308 - Luke 21:7-9
Published: Tue, 03/08/11
Word@Work from BeaconLight
DON'T BE DECEIVED, DON'T FEAR
Luke 21:7-9 "Teacher," they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?" He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away." (NIV)
Jesus had just described how the massive and beautiful temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed. Naturally, the disciples wanted to know when it would happen. But instead of announcing a date or focussing only on the terrors of the city's destruction in AD70, Jesus gave them a series of snapshots of the many hardships the church would need to endure before the end of the age and His return. At the end of this chapter He tells His people to stand firm in the faith until He comes again at the end of the age (Luke 21:36: "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.")
The trainee apostles needed to know that in addition to troubles, deceptions would come. In the middle of a difficult time, Satan usually spreads lies to deceive believers. Some people would even pretend to be Jesus and seduce others to follow them. Jesus said, "Watch out that you are not deceived". If the devil cannot get us off track that way, he will sow lies into our minds telling us of terrible end-points as danger approaches. Terror is easily created: it does not even need any violence to be seen, but the threat of personal insecurity is enough to send many Christians running - but Jesus said, "Do not be frightened"!
Deception and fear are old enemies of God's people. Both are motivated by the Evil One, who gets attractive leaders to draw people away from the real Jesus, and tries to insert private thoughts of disaster into believers' minds in order to stop them fulfilling the Lord's commission. The command to resist such temptations continues to be important. We need to be confident of our identity and security in Christ so that we can expect minor and major disturbances without fear. We also need discernment from the Holy Spirit to distinguish deceivers from God's servants, not being naïve about their disguises. Because fear can become an obsessive habit, we need to build the disciplines of regular prayer and Bible meditation into our daily lives as a reminder that we are truly safe in Christ. That sort of confidence will produce an attractive and peaceful Christian character which others will desire; so we also need to be ready to lead them to Christ (www.crosscheck.org.uk).
Prayer: Almighty God. Thank You that Jesus was quite clear that hard times would come, but that His followers must not be deflected from following Him. Please forgive me when I have been distracted by powerful leaders who promise so much but are empty because they do not come from You. Forgive me also when I accept the lies of Satan and allow fear to flood my horizon so that I stop serving You. Please give me discernment by Your Holy Spirit so that I can identify those who are pulling me and others away from Your path, and help me to be disciplined in my personal devotions so that I will be guarded against the temptation to fear. What I pray for myself, I also pray for my brothers and sisters around the world who daily face the most severe trials. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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Jesus had just described how the massive and beautiful temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed. Naturally, the disciples wanted to know when it would happen. But instead of announcing a date or focussing only on the terrors of the city's destruction in AD70, Jesus gave them a series of snapshots of the many hardships the church would need to endure before the end of the age and His return. At the end of this chapter He tells His people to stand firm in the faith until He comes again at the end of the age (Luke 21:36: "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.")
The trainee apostles needed to know that in addition to troubles, deceptions would come. In the middle of a difficult time, Satan usually spreads lies to deceive believers. Some people would even pretend to be Jesus and seduce others to follow them. Jesus said, "Watch out that you are not deceived". If the devil cannot get us off track that way, he will sow lies into our minds telling us of terrible end-points as danger approaches. Terror is easily created: it does not even need any violence to be seen, but the threat of personal insecurity is enough to send many Christians running - but Jesus said, "Do not be frightened"!
Deception and fear are old enemies of God's people. Both are motivated by the Evil One, who gets attractive leaders to draw people away from the real Jesus, and tries to insert private thoughts of disaster into believers' minds in order to stop them fulfilling the Lord's commission. The command to resist such temptations continues to be important. We need to be confident of our identity and security in Christ so that we can expect minor and major disturbances without fear. We also need discernment from the Holy Spirit to distinguish deceivers from God's servants, not being naïve about their disguises. Because fear can become an obsessive habit, we need to build the disciplines of regular prayer and Bible meditation into our daily lives as a reminder that we are truly safe in Christ. That sort of confidence will produce an attractive and peaceful Christian character which others will desire; so we also need to be ready to lead them to Christ (www.crosscheck.org.uk).
Prayer: Almighty God. Thank You that Jesus was quite clear that hard times would come, but that His followers must not be deflected from following Him. Please forgive me when I have been distracted by powerful leaders who promise so much but are empty because they do not come from You. Forgive me also when I accept the lies of Satan and allow fear to flood my horizon so that I stop serving You. Please give me discernment by Your Holy Spirit so that I can identify those who are pulling me and others away from Your path, and help me to be disciplined in my personal devotions so that I will be guarded against the temptation to fear. What I pray for myself, I also pray for my brothers and sisters around the world who daily face the most severe trials. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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