BEWARE!

“And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.” Ecclesiastes 7:26

As Jesus foretold, the love of MANY has already waxed cold (Matthew 24:10-13). For many, complete alienation from Christ swiftly approaches. The hour is late and their routine or mere religious formula has not sustained them. They cast off and ignored the alarm to fast, pray, obey, and seek the LORD’s face in His holy fear. They hit the snooze button one too many times and are sleeping to death.  They were once saved and have since fallen away and are now Satan’s children again, and are and will be the chief persecutors of the righteous in this late hour.

“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matthew 24:9-13

The wheat and tares, goat and sheep, are being made manifest for us to see. LOVE for Christ’s people is the key, not just love for the truth – Those who slander and do not walk in the fruit of the Spirit and 1 Corinthians 13 love, are tares, goats, and wolves. Beware!

“We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding (remaining) in him.” 1 John 3:14-15 

On this biblical topic, one servant of Christ appropriately notes:

“Judases Abound: The number of those who drink from the same cup, but who are actually traitors, is multiplying exponentially these days.

These are men among us, caught up in themselves. By pride they have gained and maintained the attention of the same crowds that, for whatever reason, wanted to throng Jesus.  Like Lucifer before the fall, they love being in close proximity to the throne of the jesus that cultural Christianity has created. They stand out in the crowd, running where the Lord has not sent them, raising themselves up above the throne so that all can see.  Like Lucifer, they lead emotionally charged worship and prayer, and even deliver a message (Ezekiel 28:14).  The mesmerized multitudes sway with the spirits of many abominations as they adore the false “jesus” they are comfortable with. Consider re-reading Second Peter, chapter two, prayerfully.  And take care.  One of them may be one of your favorite Christian guides (II Peter 2)!”

The command to “LOVE one another” appears 12 times in the New Testament and is the acid test for who truly is of Christ and who isn’t. Beware saints. There are MANY today who feign to love the truth and spout Scripture and yet are evil hearted, self-righteous wolves who are the very swine Jesus told us not to cast our pearl to (Matthew 7:1-6).

Could anything be any clearer? – “He that loveth not knoweth not God”? (1 John 4:8)

Beloved saints, be keenly aware of divisive people who only have their own self-interest in mind. When they don’t get their way, they attack, slander, and maliciously rail against the righteous because they are of their father the devil and his works they will do (John 8:41, 44). These people, when they can’t control you, they will seek to destroy you. When they can’t out do you, as is their self-serving focus, they will try to discredit you. They are moral cowards who instead of seeking God for themselves, fasting, praying, and dying to self in the daily cross, they attack those who are – the true remnant of Christ.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” 1 Peter 5:8

Edification is a blessing and believers are commanded to “edify one another.” (Romans 14:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:11) Yet, we must beware of those who flatter with their tongue and simultaneously spread a net for your feet to ensnare and rend you.

“A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.” Proverbs 29:5

We see this exact scenario in the ministry of the apostle Paul. The apostle discerned it and derail or blew up this scheme of Satan.

“And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: 17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation (pure flattery). 18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.” Acts 16:16-18 

As was the case in the passage above, those who flatter us are laying down a net to snare our souls and the LORD warned us to not let be taken “advantage” of in this manner. These people are antichrists which simply means they have replaced Christ with self (1 John 2:18; 4:1-3). Jesus told us that this is what swine do – the lay traps and seek to “rend you.” (Matthew 7:6) Make no mistake: These people are in our midst and through their brazen rejection of the daily cross of Christ, they have enlisted themselves in the army of evil with their father the devil (Philippians 3:18-19).

“(For MANY walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction (hell awaits), whose God is their belly (carnal appetites), and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)” Philippians 3:18-19

These enemies of Christ and the daily cross He commanded to be taken up, are Savior-rejecting, self-serving fraudsters.

You see, malicious wolves – male and female – only come into your life in order to find out things about you, to find your weaknesses, to discover sins you may have committed in the past, etc. They are on mission from Satan himself and prey upon the undiscerning and unsuspecting. “They lie in wait to deceive” and we are not to be  (Ephesians 4: 14).   The great apostle, who suffered much at the wicked hands of “FALSE brethren,” warns us: “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” (2 Corinthians 2:11)  Paul warns us that these “grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.” (Acts 20:29) And, what is their mission and goal? – “Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” (Acts 20:30)  They enter into a group or into the life of an individual believer for the very purpose of finding things out about you as they feast with you, and then at some point, “turn again and rend you” using whatever they can and have found out about your life (Matthew 7:6). They take a few facts and stretch them and paint them with a black brush, seeking to mischaracterize you and your life. Our LORD warned and instructed us not to give our time, energy, and attention to these swine who are of an evil disposition while posing as Christ’s:

“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend (tear) you.” Matthew 7:6

Watch how Jude describes these evil workers of Satan:

“These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water (no genuine fruit of the Spirit), carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth (apostate), without fruit, TWICE dead (they were saved then fell away), plucked up by the roots; 13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever (outer darkness in hell).” Jude 1:12-13

Note the insightful warning Jude gives us in the passage above: “They feast with you” or fellowship with you for the specific reason of turning again and rending you.

Every genuine seeks the face of Jesus relentlessly, crying out to Him to grant them the fruit of divine love and all of its attributes. Jesus says that “Ye shall know (discern) them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:16)  So, it’s time to obey Christ by examining the true fruit of those around you (those in your life).

First Century Wolves

Satan uses false leaders to turn the affections of people’s heart away from Christ. Study Colossians 2:18-19 closely saints. We see this with David and his son Absalom where his son “Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.” (2 Samuel 15:6) David was a type of Christ and Absalom is a type of false teachers and the antichrist. Anti means in place of. Absalom sought to put himself in place of his father David – to replace him in order to be esteemed, popular, worshipped (Colossians 2:18-19).

What do you know of the character in the New Testament named Diotrephes? Let’s take a peek.

Nothing has changed. Like so many leaders today, Diotrephes was ruling the roost in the local church gatherings. He’s perhaps the first hireling such as we see today – with men who have a job at the local church, a profession. They run the show and dare anyone to get in their way. These men are pride-filled emulators who refuse to be corrected and teachable. They scatter those who question them and surround themselves with “yes” men as to operate unhindered.

Part of the persecutions all authentic saints receive is the mischievously railings of evil wolves like the first century wolf Diotrephes who railed against the apostle John. John writes:

“I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them (fond of being first), receiveth us not. 10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating (mischievously railing) against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. 11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.” 3 John 1:9-11 (KJB)

“Prating against” means mischievously berating.

As I am warning you here in this message to beware of these vile wolves who seek to prey upon and exploit your life, so the apostle Paul warned those of his day to beware of one such wolf he was attacked by.

“Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: 15 Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.” 2 Timothy 4:14-15 

The Accuser of the Brethren (audios)

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