WARNING ABOUT DECEIVERS

“And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you” (Mark 13:5 NKJV).

The disciples had just asked the Lord Jesus about future events. The Lord Jesus began His answer by warning them about being deceived. We still need that warning today, for there are many deceivers in every area of life. Thus, we want to note four ways to test any man or religious movement to discover whether or not they are trustworthy. The tests concern - master, message, morals, and money.

Master – This test concerns what the man or movement does with the Lord Jesus Christ. If they do not honor Him, if they deny such things as His virgin birth, or His Deity, or the fact that He is the only means of salvation, then they are deceivers. The warning is to stay away from such men and movements.

Message – This test concerns the Scriptures and their message. What does the man or movement do with the Scriptures? Do they believe that they are inerrant and uniquely inspired of God as no other book? Do they believe that the Scriptures are the final authority in all matters that it speaks? Do they teach and preach the Scriptures, or do they major on human creeds and thinking such as psychology?

Morals – This test concerns what the man or movement does about morals. Do they condone such things that the Scriptures condemns? Do they lift the standard of morals or lower it? If they do not hold to a high moral standard, we are to have nothing to do with them.

Money – This test concerns money. What does the man or movement do with money? Beware of those who promise great gains if you invest with them. Beware of those who are not interested in giving an accounting of how they use their offerings. These are the habits of deceivers. Investing with them will be a great mistake. Those that fleece our savings will not hesitate to also fleece the soul.

(Adapted from Butler’s Sermon Starters Vol. 2)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Refresh your commitment today to test everything by the Word of God. The surest defense against spiritual deception is knowledge of spiritual truth!”

David Jeremiah (1941 -)

American Evangelical Christian Author, Theologian and Pastor

Word Study

Exodus (departure)

In 2 Peter 1:15 we read, “And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind!" (NASB).

Exodus (departure) is the Greek word éxodos (ἔξοδος = ex'-od-os). It is made up of two words: “ex” which means out, and “hodos” which means way. The word means departure, the close of one’s career, decease. Literally, it means the road out or the way out. The more familiar spelling Exodus is simply a transliteration of the Greek Exodos into English. The word Exodos was used as a euphemism describing one’s departure from among the living, i.e. their death. However, in context, Peter is not “dying” but just departing for home!

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not” (Hag. 2:5 KJV).

Did You Know…

The word “Christian” appears only 3 times in the Bible, all in the New Testament (cf. Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16).

Bible Quiz

In the Parable of the Sower, what happened to the seed that fell by the wayside?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: Why did God choose the Israelite nation to be His people? Because He loved them and made a promise to their ancestors (Deut. 7:7-8).

Names For the Lord Jesus in the Bible

“OFFSPRING OF DAVID”

"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star!” (Rev. 22:16 NKJV).

1. Meaning – OFFSPRING OF DAVID speaks of the Lord Jesus as the descendant of David: “the seed of David according to the flesh” (Rom. 1:3).

2. Insights – As the Creator of all, the Lord existed long before David. As a human, however, the Lord Jesus was one of David’s direct descendants (cf. Isa. 11:1-5; Matt. 1:1-17; Rom. 1:3). Being “the Offspring of David,” means that the Lord Jesus came into this world, born a Jew from David’s line. This “Offspring of David” is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises of God that One would come to occupy David’s throne. It is remarkable that the whole regal family terminated in the Lord Jesus Christ. And since He lives forever, He alone is the true and everlasting King.

Did You Know – Christian History

Francis Nathan Peloubet was December 2, 1831, in New York City, NY. He was an American Pastor and writer of Sunday school literature.

Peloubet was reared in New Jersey. He graduated from William’s College, Massachusetts, taught for a year, and then completed his BD degree from Bangor Theological Seminary, Maine. At that time he was contemplating service in India. In fact, he even studied the Tamil language for several months. However, he changed his mind and decided on pastoring. The mission field then lost a good worker but the Sunday school movement gained a masterful champion when Peloubet decided to become a Congregational minister in the United States rather than a worker in foreign lands.

Peloubet held pulpits over the span of 26 years taking time out only to serve with the Civil War Commission (which aided soldiers on the battlefields). While serving at his first pastorate, he married Mary Abby Thaxter whom he had known in Maine. They had five daughters.

Peloubet grew enthusiastic about the potential of the Sunday school to educate a new generation of Christians. He decided that the most strategic thing he could do as a pastor was to train Sunday School teachers how to teach the Bible to their students well. So he travelled, lectured, wrote articles, and networked inter-denominationally to support the Sunday School movement any way he could. Around 1872, he began to write quarterly Sunday school lessons. In 1875 this resulted in his issuing the first of an annual series of Select Notes on the International Sabbath School Lessons. These enjoyed a circulation of over 150,000 among Protestants, influencing millions of teachers and students. They were popularly known as Peloubet’s Notes.

Peloubet considered Sunday Schools to be the vanguard of Christian work. He said that there was a special delight in shepherding “the lambs of the flock,” and that any attentive pastor would soon find that “by learning how to shepherd the lambs he learns how to shepherd the whole flock.” Speaking personally, he said, “as I now look back over my uneventful life, more and more clearly does the Sunday School Work flow throughout its whole length like a river of light.” Altogether by his death in 1920, he had issued 44 volumes of these Sunday school notes and numerous other books, including a Sunday school hymnal and a revision of William Smith's Bible Dictionary.

A Little Humor

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to “Honor thy father and thy mother,” she asked, ‘Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?’ Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, “Thou shall not kill.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“To deny one’s guilt and reject Christ is the worst kind of insanity!”