Peace be with you in the Lord, brothers and sisters.The Lord Jesus warned us: “Then if any man shall say to you, See, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (Matthew 24:23-24) By saying so, the Lord meant us to be cautious and discriminating in the matter of His return, and didn’t mean us not to seek Christ as there would arise false Christs in the last days. If we avoid and refuse God’s end-time gospel for fear of being deceived, how can we welcome the Lord’s second coming? If we want to keep ourselves from being deceived by false Christs, we must acquire the power of discernment. He who is Christ has the substance of Christ, while false Christs don’t have such. As long as we grasp the truths about discerning the true Christ from false Christs, we can distinguish true from false regardless of how false Christs impersonate Christ. Then how do we discern the true Christ from false Christs? I really need to solve this problem. If you can reply me, Thanks a lot!
How can we welcome the Lord’s second coming?
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OzSpen
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Hora,Hora.J said:
Welcome to CyB. I'm pleased you've joined us to ask a critical question: How do we discern the true vs the false with regard to Christ? Paul's instruction to Timothy gives a concise answer:
'I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths' (2 Tim 4:1-4 ESV).
While this is Paul's instruction to a pastor, it is just as true for all of us. If Timothy was to 'preach the word' always (when it was convenient or not) and in doing this, Timothy was to reprove, rebuke and exhort - with patience.
Based on this Scripture, there is only one way I know to discern false Christs from the true Christ: Examine the Scriptures to see whether the Christ you hear preached is the One endorsed by the Word.
Remember the Bereans in Acts 17:11 (ESV): 'Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so'.
This is a challenging task as it means that in this day 'when people will not endure sound teaching', it's a constant battle.
There is an added factor that is emphasised by a verse in Proverbs 27:17 (NLT), 'As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend'. We need friends in Christ to help us check out the biblical Jesus vs the false Jesus.
What are some of the false Christs that you see taught today? How do you know they are false? Do you think we are NOW in the time when people will not endure sound doctrine more than ever? My experience over a long time as a believer is that this has always been an issue. It's even more an issue in churches that don't teach doctrine carefully and regularly, e.g. seeker-sensitive services.
Oz
Revelation 13....your question is answered 'Havethe testimony of Jesus and follow God's commandments"..that's how you make Jesus welcome when He returns..it will also provide Salvation for those who do it!
Luke 17:24 - As the lightning flashes across the sky and lights it up from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. When Jesus returns, the sky will be dazzling and maybe the rocks and trees will be singing. You'll know when Jesus returns. Until this happens, anyone claiming to be Jesus is lying to you.
That's a very good statement and I'd like to add that Jesus will return in the same manner which He left, that is, coming with glory and in the clouds, not something very easy to fake.Kym M. said:
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.'' Acts 1:10-11
iakov
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Jesus taught about false christs in reference to His second coming.Hora.J said:
There is only one way that Jesus Christ will come again. It is described in the following verses.
Mat 24:30 the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Mat 25:31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.
If that's not what you see then it's not Him. It's a fraud pretending to be Him. Hold onto your money and run.
Hi Hora.J,Hora.J said:
That Scripture (Matt. 24: 23 - 24) refers to the people of Israel going through the tribulation, as they will be looking for their Messiah (on earth) to save them from the world`s armies. Christ will come in power & great glory to deliver them & every eye will see Him. They are not to be tricked by the last world leader (anti-Christ) who will perform amazing miracles & seemingly bring peace to earth.
Note however the Body of Christ - us, are NOT looking for a Messiah to come to this earth, we are looking to Christ our Head to `catch us away` to Himself. Thus we are NOT looking to any man on this earth, but walking with the Holy Spirit so that we are being continually changed in our spirits to be like Christ. When the Body of Christ comes to the unity of faith by the Holy Spirit, (not outward unity) then Christ will come near & it His great love for us that will draw us to Himself, overcoming even gravity to be connected to Christ our Head.
Good you have a heart to be ready. Marilyn.
Well said Marilyn, because we find nothing in our Pauline letters that fits into what is said to these assemblies.Marilyn C said:
But those readers will be at once be reminded of the various stages of their own past history, and they will find in almost every sentence some allusion to the circumstances in which they will find themselves as described in these letters in the Book of Revelation. They are written to the People supposed to be well-versed in the history of the Old Testament, and well-acquainted with all that had happened to their fathers and had been written for their admonition.
Instructed in the past history of their nation, they will readily understand the relation between the testings and judgments in the past with which they are familiar, and those similar circumstances in which they will find themselves in a yet future day. As we read these letters, the references to the Old Testament in the seven letters correspond with the historical order of the events, so it is with respect to the promises contained in these letters.
While the historical events connected with the rebukes are carried down from Exodus to the period of the Minor Prophets, the promises cover a different period; commencing with the period of Eden, and ending with the period of Solomon. The subjects of the rebukes follow the order of the departure of the People from Yahweh. Their decline and apostasy is traced out in the historical references contained in these letters.
But when we turn to the promises, then all is different. Thy proceed in the opposite direction. The order, instead of descending from Israel’s highest ground of privilege (Exodus) to the lowest stage of destitution (Minor Prophets), the order ascends from tending a garden to sharing his throne. The seven promises are all intensely individual, there is no corporate existence recognized as such.
Each one of the seven promises commences with the same words, “to him that overcomes.” Such phraseology is foreign to the Pauline letters.
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