“For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.” – Mark 13:22-23

The kind of deception that Jesus is warning about is much more subtle than most Christians realize. This isn’t about drawing believers away from church or Christianity. It is about corrupting those things. It isn’t about leading believers to reject God and embrace secular philosophies or systems which obviously aren’t of the Lord. Those things happen, but they aren’t what Jesus is warning about here.

These deceptions will involve people claiming to speak on behalf of Jesus, teach what Jesus taught, or even to be Jesus. These deceptions will sound like music to the ears of un-discerning Christians. They will sound like what you most want to hear. And yet, rather than leading believers closer to Jesus, they will lead them to a false Jesus. An earthly-minded Jesus. One concerned about wealth, power, comfort, or pleasure here. One that’s very friendly with the ways of the world. One which isn’t aligned to the Jesus revealed in the pages of Scripture.

Perhaps that version of Jesus affirms and celebrates sin. Perhaps that version of Jesus cheers on cruelty, corruption, greed, and condescension. Regardless, these deceptions are about building earthly kingdoms, particularly kingdoms that benefit those claiming to speak for Jesus. They promise solutions to the world’s problems or your problems through systems and policies rather than through the person and work of Jesus Christ. These deceptions will be attractive to believers because they sound almost like the truth of Scripture. They’ll be attractive to you.

The only prevention against deception is vigilance. Jesus said to be on guard. Be reading your Bible daily. Know what the real Jesus says, does, and cares about. Don’t be led astray! #FollowJesus

“‘Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?’ They said, ‘Caesar’s.’ He said to them, ‘Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’” – Luke 20:24-25

In a highly politicized time, this is a good reminder of what is ultimate and what isn’t. The enemies of Jesus wanted to trap Him using a question of taxation. They thought they could reduce Jesus to a rebel or a collaborator and thereby end His earthly effectiveness. Instead, Jesus pointed them upward when their minds could only think about the politics, powers, and considerations of the world.

Those things marked with the image of the earthly ruler??? Jesus basically said, “who cares?” Give anything and everything stamped with the image of earthly power to the earthly powers and don’t think any more about them. But as for what’s stamped with the image God??? As for YOU, image bearer??? Give everything of yourself over to the Lord!!!

Whether you’re delighted or destroyed by recent election results, or anything in between, don’t let them define you or destroy you. You belong to God. You carry His image. Render to God what is God’s — that’s you! Don’t grip the things of the earth too tightly. They can go to the powers of the earth, if need be. Devote yourself to the Lord. Give Him everything of yourself. Respond to God’s grace and mercy by making yourself a living sacrifice every single day (Romans 12:1). Resist the temptation to crawl off the altar today. Give yourself fully to God and His Kingdom. In the process, you’ll discover that the earthly things won’t move you nearly so much. #FollowJesus

“And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” – Mark 12:33

There are many good, helpful, and important spiritual and religious practices. These bless believers and deepen their walk with the Lord. However, they are of little value if your heart is in the wrong place. God is far more concerned with your inward heart condition than your outward practice of Christianity. Do you, in fact, love the Lord with all of your being? ALL of it? Do you, in fact, love your neighbor as yourself? ALL of them?

We love to make the teachings of Jesus complicated in order to avoid difficult yet simple truths. Jesus said that heart obedience can be summarized by these two whole-hearted loves. Today, take a few moments to consider your love for the Lord and how it splits time with other loves in your life. Do you genuinely love the Lord more than you love anyone, anything, and everything else? Do you love Jesus with your whole mind? Do you love Jesus with your whole heart? Do the actions and commitments of your body reflect undivided love for Jesus?

Then consider whether you actually love all your neighbors as you love yourself? As you would like to be loved? Your neighbor who doesn’t look or sound like you? Who doesn’t share your background, politics, hobbies, or interests? Do you love them or do you tolerate them? Do you love them or do you avoid them? Do you love them or do you resent them? Do you love them or does your blood boils when you see them? Do you love them to the same extent and in the same manner as you love yourself??? That’s the standard Jesus gave!

The answers to these questions, Jesus says, are more important than all your visible, public displays of faith in the Lord. Consider that very carefully, especially in our confused, angry, selfish, divided world. #FollowJesus

“So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’” – John 12:13

In the United States, today is your last chance to vote if you haven’t already. If you’re eligible, go vote. But never forget that you already have a King! Regardless of which candidates or parties win, King Jesus will remain on the throne of the universe. Never confuse a candidate or party with your true King. They don’t represent Him and they don’t replace Him.

Vote for those people, parties, and policies which you believe best represent your King. Vote for human life and dignity. Vote to love your neighbor. Vote for godly values and godly people. Nonetheless, always remember that these earthly people and policies will still fall far short of your King. Don’t invest too much hope, too much energy, too much emotion, or too much trust in earthly affairs. The Bible has already told us how the story will unfold and Heaven isn’t coming to Earth until King Jesus returns.

Win or lose, nothing can shake your eternal Kingdom. Whatever the outcome of this election and whatever your differences of opinion with other brothers and sisters in Christ, don’t tear up relationships over earthly matters. Don’t divide the body of Christ over flawed leaders. Jesus lived, prayed, died, and poured out the Holy Spirit to unify His followers. Never, ever let earthly power, party, policy, or politics rip apart what matters to Jesus!

If you wake up tomorrow and all your favorites won, give thanks, but know that that isn’t what’s going to usher in Heaven on earth. If you wake up tomorrow and all your favorites lost, know that that isn’t going to cause the forces of Hell to win forever. Jesus is King. Never doubt that. Never get confused about the power or importance of earthly rulers compared to that unchanging truth. Now go vote, if you haven’t already. But worship and praise your King. #FollowJesus

“And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.’” – Luke 19:8

This is what radical repentance looks like when someone becomes a new creation in Christ! Zacchaeus was a senior tax collector in Jericho. He was a hated collaborator with the Roman regime. He was an extortionist, using the power of the Roman army to take far more from people than he should have and keeping the extra for himself. His wealth was entirely built on injustice. He was greedy, thieving, and widely despised.

But when he met Jesus, Zacchaeus’ heart changed completely. When he turned his life over to Christ, the money that dominated his life lost its power. He recognized his many sins and repented. He vowed to right the wrongs he’d committed against others. He replaced greed with charity. That is what a life transformed by Jesus looks like.

We aren’t saved by what we do or promise to do for the Lord. We’re saved as a gift of His grace. However, if we’re saved, then Scripture says we become new creation. Our old sinful self died and we became new, righteous creation in Christ. For every believer, that should look like radical change. That should look like Zacchaeus, acknowledging our many sins, whatever they are, and repenting of them. We should ask God’s forgiveness, seek the forgiveness of people we’ve wronged, and turn away from them completely.

For Zacchaeus that looked like the determination to correct his many financial wrongdoings and use his ill-gotten money for good. What does it look like for you? Have you radically changed from the way you were before Jesus? Have you repented of your past sins and strongly rejected their ongoing influence in your life? Is there still some sinful temptation or indulgence you need to take to the cross of Jesus and leave there? Are you living in joyful freedom like Zacchaeus? Or are you still living more or less like you were before Jesus entered your life? #FollowJesus