Friday, June 1, 2012

Bible Study - verse by verse # 67

Matthew 24:3 Jesus was setting on the Mount of Olives, the very place where the prophet Zechariah had predicted that the Messiah would stand when He came to establish His kingdom. It was a fitting place for the disciples to ask Jesus when He would come in power and what they could expect then. Jesus' reply emphasized the events that would take place before the end of the age. He pointed out that His disciples should be less concerned with knowing the exact date and more concerned with being prepared - living God's way consistently so that no matter when Jesus came in glory, He would claim them as His own.
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Matthew 24:4 The disciples asked Jesus for the sign of His coming and the end of the age. Jesus' first response was "Take heed that no one deceives you." The fact is that whenever we look for signs, we become very susceptible to being deceived. There are many "false prophets" around with counterfeit signs of spiritual power and authority. The only sure way to keep from being deceived is to focus on Christ and His Words. Don't look for special signs, and don't spend time looking at other people. Look at Christ.
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Matthew 24:11 The Old Testament frequently mentions false prophets. False prophets claimed to receive messages from God, but they preached a "health and wealth" message. They said what the people wanted to hear, even when the nation was not following God as it should. There were false prophets in Jesus' day, and we have them today. They are the popular leaders who tell people what they want to hear - such as "God wants you to be rich," or "There is no such thing as sin or hell." Jesus said false teachers would come, and He warned His disciples, as He warns us, not to listen to their dangerous words.
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Matthew 24:12 With false teaching and loose morals comes a particularly destructive disease - the loss of true love for God and others. Sin cools your love for God and others by turning your focus on yourself. You cannot truly love if you think only of yourself.

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