The One thing that I hate THE MOST is people who deceive and draw others away from God for their selfish reasons. Any other kind of deceptions will not cost eternity for anyone. But this kind of deception makes people believe that they are on the way to heaven, only to find out that they weren’t, because they weren’t watchful of the ways of the people that they were following. I get furious when I come across such situations.
Adam and Eve sinned. God promised redemption through Jesus. Jesus, since the time He entered into this world, He had only one purpose – to die for the sins of mankind so that we can be restored from the condemnation of hell. Imagine someone who got a medical report and was given only a small amount of time to live, how would life be for them? Imagine someone who got a death sentence, how would their wait be till the sentence gets executed? Wouldn’t their lives be nothing but misery? Awaiting a miserable death, yet Jesus preached about His Kingdom, He warned the people about the savage wolves that would come in sheep’s clothing to deceive even the chosen ones, healed the sick, and lived a sinless life, in preparation for the Sacrifice that He was meant to be. Jesus did everything that He was supposed to do, obeying His Father, all along while awaiting the Cross of Calvary.
Jesus intends to save us all from hell and keep us eternally with Him in heaven. The devil’s intention, on the other hand, is to keep people from following Jesus and take them to hell and to the lake of fire with him. So, the people who deceive others by showing the signboard as “Follow me to follow Jesus”, do they work for Jesus or the devil? My biggest concern is for the ones who choose to follow Jesus and believe that they are following Jesus and convince themselves that they are on the right path, how would it be if they found out at the point of no return that they had been on the wrong path?
These wolves in sheep’s clothing, as if it is not bad enough to work for the devil, pretend that they work for God. Since I was around 8 years old, as I read the gospels, the things that are engraved so strongly in my mind are the warnings that Jesus gave about the deceptions in the last days. Since then, I have set it in my heart to be alert about deceptions because I cannot let anything cost my eternity with Jesus.
Blasphemy is bringing reproach to God’s name, character, work, or attributes. A man in Leviticus who blasphemed God’s name was stoned to death. Isaiah 36 tells the story of Sennacherib the king of Assyria who blasphemed Jehovah God by comparing Him with the idols of the pagan nations and God put Him to death. Followers of God are responsible for making sure that their behavior doesn’t incite others to blaspheme God. Romans 2:17-24 talks about the ones who boast about following the law and yet breaking it. They say to others, “Do not commit adultery?” and they themselves do it. They claim to abhor idols, but they rob the temples.
This is why I strongly react against false teachers and false teachings. Be it Jesus, or be it Paul and the apostles, they all warned greatly about the savage wolves that would surely be lurking around near the flock of Jesus.
Acts 20:28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. 29. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock, 30. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
How much wrath these wolves are heaping up on them by blaspheming God? There are blind and blinded sheep. Then there are also the ignorant sheep. My concern is for the blind and blinded sheep because I once was that. The ignorant ones choose to sleep keeping the snake on their bed and so they can gladly pay the price for it.
Today I come to the Lord with a bold prayer, out of the burden of my heart. “Strike these wolves, O Lord! Open the eyes of the blind and the blinded sheep just as You opened my eyes? Have mercy on them O Lord! If You give them in to follow what pleases their itching ears, they will be doomed. Have mercy, O Lord! Give them a chance, open their eyes to see Your path, O Lord! The blind ones who forfeit their sight and Your light and choose to trust these wolves, I pray, have mercy one more time, O Lord. Strike the wolves, O Lord. Aren’t You our good Shepherd, O Lord? Please protect Your sheep. In the Name of Jesus, I ask. Amen”.
Now, this is not a prayer for my prosperity and wealth. This is for the perishing ones to find Jesus’ path. So, let’s say – if God in His mercy chooses to grant ‘Amen’ to my prayer and strikes the wolves, Would you be a stricken wolf or a saved sheep? Because the wolf can pretend to be a sheep, but God knows very well who is who.