Today's Gospel reading is the first half of a reading we heard a couple of Sundays ago. In it, Jesus talks about the end times. He says, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' Do not follow them!"
I hope this isn't too weird, but here goes. We recently had the anniversary of the Jonestown massacre. Jim Jones fancied himself the messiah, and forced his hundreds of followers to drink cyanide laced Kool-Aid at gunpoint. I think of David Koresh, another messiah wannabe. He and many of his followers were killed.
My point is this: believing that anyone other than Jesus will save you will not end well. And to take it a step further, there are many today who profess to be preaching the Gospel of Christ, but are wolves in sheep's clothes. Most of them are trying to push a worldly agenda on you. Remember the words of Jesus Himself. "Do not follow them!"
Father, may we follow only Jesus, as there is no other name by which we are saved. Amen.
0 comments