TUESDAY, JANUARY 3
MATTHEW 24:10-12
2 TIMOTHY 3:12

"… all that will live godly

in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

FALSE PROPHETS WILL DECEIVE

In Matthew 24:10-12, the Lord Jesus continues His warning about apostasy in the last days. It will really be a test for every believer because of an increase in persecution during that period. Christians will be hated because of the name of their Saviour. Jesus describes this as many "shall hate one another" (Matt 24:10). The intensity of the opposition will be so great that many of those who once profess to be Christians will compromise and deny the faith.

Many in the church will be offended. Many will be stumbled because of the pressures from society as well as from compromising churches. Many churchgoers will give up their faith and conform to the mould of the unbelieving. This leads to betrayal between Christians and churches. Infidelity will be more observable and hatred towards one another will define Christian relationship.

False prophets will flourish. The animosities in the churches will cause these churches to be their easy prey. These prophets will deceive many professing Christians. Since many are compromising, the love between believers will grow cold. Their compassion and care for one another will grow lesser and lesser. Many will be apathetic to one another’s burdens. May the Lord be gracious and merciful to cause us to endure in that trying time. We must be willing to face afflictions and rejections. We must be ready to face and suffer persecutions if we have to live up to the godly life expected of us by our Saviour. We must be thankful that we still have freedom today to share our faith in God’s Word without intense opposition. We must grab this opportunity to reach out to more souls for His kingdom. The time will come when we will not be able to do it anymore.

THOUGHT: My Lord works while it is day. Do I also?
PRAYER: "O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver." (Ps 7:1-2).