The Grands Letter

Matthew 24:1-8, “Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His
disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.
2 And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”
3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.
5 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.
8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”

The verses listed above give a clear account of the coming of the end of the age. Christ is warning that we should not be mistaken simply because some think it is otherwise. There have always been those who believe their understanding of the Word is accurate when it is not! Jesus’ warning, “See that no one misleads you,” is a clear acknowledgment that there are those who will intentionally seek to mislead others.

Still, it’s more than a few who are in error, and it is they of whom Christ speaks, that there are others who will attempt to mislead us. Our focus, however, ought never to be on those who are in error, but upon Jesus, who is never in error!

At the same time, it is obvious to those who are watching, that there are more than a few whose preaching and teaching is not according to the sound teaching of Scripture! We must, therefore, be alert to their presence and their intention to mislead as many as possible.

Years ago a pastor was heard to say, “I don’t believe all I hear preached.” Many could say “Amen!” to that statement. That’s why we ourselves ought to be clear in our understanding of the Bible. We should be careful and prayerful to always be aligned with a church that is clear in its teachings from the Bible. A slip here and a slip there will lead many astray.

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America