It Matters Who You Follow

Matthew 24:23-27 “At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time. “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.  For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

Once upon a time, two teens were leaving the house to drive to school.  They’d recently moved to a different house but were going to finish at the school they attended through the year.  Neither was very good at directions, so when they pulled out of the driveway and saw a school bus, they thought they were golden!  “We’ll just follow the bus!” they thought.  “Because the bus always goes to school, right?”

They wound their way along, past farm fields, houses and barns, neither was worried that they didn’t really know where they were.  They were following the bus and that would lead them to school; they were certain. Imagine their dismay when they pulled into the school lot and it wasn’t their school at all!  They’d followed a bus for a different school district.  It ‘looked’ the same, but it wasn’t going to the same destination.  They were fooled into believing it would because, at first glance, it was just like their school bus.  They didn’t check for evidence, they just followed.

Who you follow matters.  What you pay attention to makes a difference.

Far too often, there are things that ‘look’ like they’re Biblical, or they sound “Christian” enough that we don’t ask questions or dig deeper.  We follow because we hear or see enough to make us comfortable.  Yet, we might find ourselves following after something that isn’t really Biblical and that’s the goal of the Enemy.  Jesus said in Matthew 24, that as the end of days neared, there would be great deception and if possible, even the elect would be deceived.

As parents, we need to pray seriously, specifically and continuously for our sons and daughters that as the days grow darker, they would follow Jesus without wavering.  We need to pray that they would have discretion in who and what they choose to listen to and follow.  We need to pray that they would spot deception.  Pray that they would be sensitive to the Holy Spirit speaking and moving in their lives so that they will heed His warning when they encounter deception.  Pray that they would be uneasy and alert to the present danger and wiles of the devil. 

It matters who they follow and we need to stand in the gap in prayer as they navigate this life and the spiritual dangers around them. Just because they’re adults doesn’t mean they’re ‘golden’, it’s all the more reason to double-down on prayer for their spiritual growth and protection.  This week, make a list of those things you want to pray over.  Maybe put those items on an index card and carry it with you.  Pray daily.  Pray often.  Pray using scripture and pray without ceasing.

Follow the Leader?

1 John 3:7-9 “Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.”

“No one who is born of God will continue to sin.”  That’s a true statement right there.  If one is a believer, their heart has been changed, their motivations are redirected, their heart is attuned to the Savior and their desire is to do His will.   So when someone ‘claims’ to be a Christ-follower, yet continues to sin, that should bring into question the authenticity of their faith.  They may ‘talk the talk’, but if your spirit is unsettled by that person, that’s a good indication that all may not be as it seems.

We MUST be on our guard to avoid being led astray.  Think about that statement ‘led astray’. It indicates that someone is a willing follower. They are ‘escorted’ to a place of sin, deception, danger and destruction. They’re not forced or dragged, they’re led, willingly following. Why would someone willingly follow a deceiver?! Well, because they’re not alert and watchful to the danger. They believe what they hear rather than evaluating the words and actions against Scripture. Friends, just because someone quotes scripture, does not mean they love the Lord, it only means they are able to memorize something.  It doesn’t mean their heart has changed. Just because they carry a Bible does not mean they believe what it says.  Far too often we look for ‘surface-y’ signs of Christianity and we jump on the bandwagon of someone’s message because they say or do something that remotely-reflects godliness. We are gullible and far-too trusting.  We see it all the time - (can you say “politics”?)  But even Satan quoted scripture. Think about that. Imposters are everywhere. Are we alert or are we oblivious. Look, there is no middle ground.  Either you’re a believer or you’re not.  The one who does what is right is righteous.  The one who does what is sinful is of the devil.  Period.  No one who is born of God will continue to sin.   Are we taking the time to truly evaluate who we trust, spiritually?

As the Day of the Lord grows nearer, the deception will grow more intense.  Are we prepared?  Are we alert?  We cannot be complacent.  We cannot be lukewarm.  We need to shine the light of Jesus on everything we see, hear, and experience. We need to filter it through the lens of Scripture.  Is it of the Lord or is it deception?  Friends, it’s time that we step up and address the evil that’s trying to infiltrate and destroy believers.  it’s not going to be a tidal wave, it’s going to be a gentle, unassuming current that begins to slowly move believers from their foundation into the stream of complacency and the river of indifference that will erode their faith.

Let’s pray that our sons and daughters critically analyze and evaluate what they see and hear according to Scripture.  Pray that they would determine who they  listen to and follow based on what the Bible says, not by what their ears hear and our hearts ‘feel’.  

Take time to pray through these things today. Pray over your sons and daughters by name. Spend some time listening to the Lord as well. What is it that He’s calling you to pray over more faithfully?

Pray without ceasing.