Tag: false prophets

Signs

Mark 13 is a chapter of warnings, teachings, and great insight. Typically, I don’t like to think about the end of times or try to figure out what the tribulation means, let alone try to explain it to somebody else. So, I don’t. What I do is try to recognize the signs around me. Know what’s really going on, who people are, who I am.

I’m very careful about who I follow, what I follow, or just joining in with the crowd. When I first came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior one of the very first things I understood was that I need to be alert and know what God’s word says. Know who I am. This is an ever-growing process for me. My morning time with God is assessing how am I doing in my relationship with God, am I following Him, or doing what I want to do, or not doing what I know God wants me to do.

Mark 13 warns us to watch out! Warns us of false Messiah‘s and false prophets. What does a false Messiah or false prophet look like, talk like? Anyone who suggests God‘s word is outdated, not relevant or not true is projecting themselves as a false prophet. They are leading people astray, getting them to think that they can do whatever they want and not listen to God‘s word. When people follow these false prophets, they are in danger of not being ready when Jesus comes again.

Professing Christians today old and young are living out of wedlock, engaging in premarital sex, abusing alcohol, smoking marijuana, involved in same-sex relationships and the list goes on and on. People lead astray others saying that these actions and lifestyles are “OK” If you don’t do anything to hurt someone else, or, if no one knows. This is not what God teaches in his word which we know is as relevant today as it ever has been. It’s our plumbob to measure everything in life with. If it goes against what God says, it is driving us away from God. Church attendance alone does not make us a Christian.

Maybe you struggle with 1 or more of these or other sins yourself, does that mean your out? Watch out who you listen to, some may suggest you are out of heaven because you ____________. Sometimes I can’t believe what I’ve done to the point of getting on my knees and confessing to God, praying Psalm 51, the Psalm David wrote after being confronted by the prophet Nathan about his sin with Bathsheba then having her husband killed. David pours out his heart in repentance to God and is forgiven. YES!!! I am forgiven if I’m repentant, recognize that God’s word is sovereign, relevant today and should be followed.

I need to read the signs correctly.

In the mid 70s there was a popular song called signs, the chorus goes:

Sign, sign
Everywhere a sign
Blockin’ out the scenery
Breakin’ my mind
Do this, don’t do that
Can’t you read the sign?

There are signs everywhere telling us we are wrong if we follow God’s word and are faithful to Him.

Blockin God’s truth,

Breakin minds from following God.

Telling us what to believe, what we can’t believe, what we can do and what we can’t do.

Do you see the signs?

Be On Guard

Last weekend, my husband and I discovered a beautiful trail outside of Nashville, at Percy Warner Park. The trail is called Mossy Ridge Trail, and it lives up to its name, with elevation changes, streams and mini waterfalls, and lots of moss covered limestone.

We followed the map of the 4.5 mile loop, the first day running it counter clockwise and having more of the steep climbs during the ascension. Temperatures were climbing up in the 80s and we were thankful for the forested shade during most of the trail. So much to see as we were running up and down, over and back, across the rocks, logs, and tree roots. It’s easy to get lost in your thoughts and prayers when you’re out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by such natural beauty. We had about 3/4 of a mile left when Tim warns “SNAKE”.

I freeze and see where he is pointing and back up a bit. Wow, he’s a big one! We guessed between 4-5 ft long, but it was hard to tell because he was so curled up. He looked mostly black and of course I asked Tim to dig his phone out and snap some pics of him (her?) so we could later identify him. There were some markings, but not as much as a bull snake usually has… so maybe he is a rat snake. He wasn’t in a hurry to move from the middle of the trail… so with a stick I was able to get him to slither off into the woods so I could pass.

The rest of the run, my eyes were much more wide open, my senses were more alert, and I was definitely looking for the next creature we may encounter. While I don’t have a huge snake phobia, I also don’t love their slithering sneaky creepy ways. Yuck! We live in the country and they are good for mice – I just prefer them to be out of sight in the woods 🙂

The next day we went back for another trail run, and it’s really cool how the opposite direction of the exact same trail can feel different. The climbs are from the opposite direction, the slick downhills are now easier to get up, and while it’s familiar from the day before, it has a newness to it when you experience it from a new vantage point. We are a mile in and I happen to be leading this section (we alternate) and it’s my turn to warn “SNAKE”. Same coloring, but not as big. Again, this guy came out of nowhere and was hard to see at first. He was half in the grassy edge and half on the trail – looking SO SIMILAR to the tree roots around him that were also sprawled across the trail. As soon as he heard me he darted off, and we went on our way.

The next couple of miles I thought about snakes. What makes them creepy, how camouflaged they can be to their surroundings, what they’re good for, why they freak us out, etc. I kept my eyes peeled the rest of the run looking out for more snakes. I was much more alert after seeing this second snake on the second day, than after the first snake on the first day. Every tree root sprawling across the path was the next snake 🙂

If snakes give you the heebie jeebies and freak you out, I am sorry!! I will get us to the scripture (stay with me).  In Mark 13, we find Jesus explaining to his disciples about end times and his return. One thing that really stands out to me is there are five different times that Jesus warns them to stay alert and be on guard (verses 5, 9, 26):

See that no one leads you astray, many will come in my name…And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, But be on guard.

After studying this chapter, I couldn’t help but think about our snake encounter, and how we almost ran right into him the first time, not expecting it. We ARE in the woods. We ARE in this snake’s home. Why was it a surprise? And Day Two? Don’t you think I would have been extra aware? But once again I’m running along, taking in the sights, and this snake looked so much like a dark tree root that I almost missed him. These snakes are no dummies… they know how to get a meal, and it’s not with a big flashing sign saying “SNAKE RIGHT HERE”… they’re trying to creep up on their lunch with the art of surprise. And while I know this about snakes, both times I was caught off guard.

The disciples were asking Jesus for a big sign of when these end days of tribulation will come. But Jesus tells them that no one knows the hour of when, but to stay alert and be on guard. He tells them how they will be persecuted and how to handle it. He tells them how there will be false prophets claiming to be coming in Jesus’ name and to not be fooled.

Who me? Fooled by a false prophet? After Jesus specifically warns me? Surely not!

Hello self, you just ran right into a snake, the day after encountering a snake in the same location. Ummm…

Leading up to this journal entry I’ve been praying for the Holy Spirit to show me false prophets in my life. Specifically, I’ve asked for a spirit of discernment of people, books, pastors, groups, studies, etc, all claiming to be in the name of Christ, but are deceiving and not aligned with the Lord. I need to be more aware, alert, on guard and ready! False prophets aren’t going to be easy to spot, they will be one tiny detail away from truth… or one shade off of white. False prophets will normalize sin, justify the unjust, and try to rationalize the irrational. If they were obvious to see and recognize, Jesus wouldn’t give such a strong warning.

Like I’ve said in many of my posts – I CAN’T WAIT for heaven!! Wonder if there will be snakes there?