A little over a year ago (February 2018), Bruce Grubb, a farmer in Scotland, placed a frantic call to the police. He had seen a loose tiger on his property on his way to check on his pregnant cows. “I got the fright of my life,” he said, adding later: “I was worried it was going to eat all my cows before police managed to shoot it.”
Grubbs’ call prompted authorities to send armed officers. They also checked in with a local wildlife agency, who assured them there had been no recent tiger escapes. When the officers arrived at Grubbs’ farm, they engaged in a 45-minute standoff before they realized that the life-size tiger was, in fact, stuffed. They later returned with the tiger in tow, to be used as a workplace mascot.
The farmer endured some teasing on social media, but he took the incident in stride. “I drove up to it with my truck, and that’s when I knew it was a toy,” he said. “I feel a bit silly for calling the police, but I thought it was a real emergency.” (Kristine Phillips, “A frantic call about a loose tiger sent armed police to a Scotland farm. It was a stuffed toy,” The Washington Post, 2-7-18; www.PreachingToday.com)
In times of stress, it’s easy to be fooled, isn’t it? When you’re sick, it’s easy to fall prey to the charlatans, who promise an easy cure for your money. When you’re in debt, it’s easy to fall prey to the “get-rich-quick” schemes, which always leave you further in debt. When you’re in trouble, somebody always seems to have an easy solution, which ends up only getting you into further trouble.
So what do you do in times of distress? What do you do to keep from being fooled? What do you do to find real answers in troubling times? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to 1 John 2, 1 John 2, where the Bible shows us what to do in times of distress.
1 John 2:18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. (ESV)
The “last hour” is a reference to the time just before Jesus comes again. You see, those First Century believers expected Jesus to come at any moment to rescue them from their distress. But Jesus didn’t come in the First Century. Now, it’s the 21st Century, and still Jesus hasn’t come yet. So “the last hour” has come to describe a kind of time more than a duration of time. The “last hour” is a time of crisis, a dangerous time, a time of great risk.
That’s the way it is going to be right before Jesus comes again. The Antichrist will come – a world ruler, who will oppose the reign of Christ and cause a lot of pain. But before he comes, even now, “many antichrists have come,” i.e., many false teachers who oppose Christ and are also causing a lot of pain. So watch out for those people in your times of distress.
STAY AWAY FROM FALSE TEACHERS.
Avoid imposters and frauds. Steer clear of the charlatans and deceivers, who only want to exploit you when you’re afraid.
Sometime ago, people passed around a series of three photos on the internet. In the first photo, a mother duck is walking towards a grate with six small, downy ducklings close behind her.
In the second photo, the mother duck has walked onto the grate. One of the ducklings has followed her there, four others are still on the pavement, but one of the six ducklings is missing.
In the third photo, the mother duck has crossed the grate with one duckling standing beneath her. She has turned around and is peering through the holes in the grate wondering where the other five ducklings went. The caption on the photo read, “Bad Parenting.” (Craig Brian Larson, Arlington Heights, Illinois, www.PreachingToday.com)
That’s the way it is with false teachers, as well. They lead you astray into places you don’t want to go. The question is: How do you recognize these “antichrists? How do you recognize the deceivers and charlatans?
1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. (ESV)
You recognize those who oppose Christ, because they oppose the church; they leave the fellowship of believers.
Warren Wiersbe notes, “If you will investigate the history of the false cults and antichristian religious systems in today’s world, you will find that in most cases their founders started out in a local church! They were ‘with us’ but not ‘of us,’ so they went out ‘from us’ and started their own groups” (Warren Wiersbe, “1 John,” Bible Exposition Commentary). So…
Stay away from those who leave the family. Avoid those who do not remain in the fellowship of believers. Watch out for them, because true believers continue with the church.
Furthermore, stay away from those who leave the faith, as well. Avoid those who do not teach the truth about Jesus Christ.
1 John 2:20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. (ESV)
The false teachers in the 1st Century claimed to have a special anointing, which gave them greater insight into the truth. They claimed to have more of the Spirit and more knowledge than regular believers, but John makes it very clear: the Holy Spirit has anointed every believer, and every believer knows the truth.
My dear friends, if you have trusted Christ with your life, you have God’s Holy Spirit, and you have God’s Holy Word. It’s an unbeatable combination which will get you through any trial, so you don’t need any further insight or revelation.
1 John 2:21-23 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. (ESV)
Those who deny that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, those who deny that Jesus is the Son of God, those who deny that Jesus is Lord are liars. They are false teachers, who have denied God the Father Himself. They have left the faith, and you and I should stay far away from them.
The cliffs around Cape St George just south of Jervis Bay in Australia were notorious for shipwrecks, so authorities decided to build a lighthouse to warn ship captains to stay away. The year was 1857, and the colonial architect, Alexander Dawson, began looking for a suitable site for the lighthouse. Unfortunately, Dawson was more interested in the ease of construction rather than providing an efficient navigation aid.
When the Pilots Board went to verify the location Dawson chose, they found that the site was not visible from the required approaches. They also found Dawson’s map suffered from “discrepan¬cies so grave that it is impossible to decide whether position(s) marked on the map really exist.” The board also suspected that Dawson chose the site solely because it was situated closer to a quarry from which he planned to get stones.
Most of the board members were not in favor of using Dawson’s site. Yet, for some unknown reason, the chairman of the board approved the site and authorized the construction of the lighthouse. Then for the next four decades, the ill-sited lighthouse was responsible for some two dozen shipwrecks. Eventually in 1899, the lighthouse was replaced by the Point Perpendicular Lighthouse in a much more suitable location.
However, even after its decommissioning, the lighthouse continued to cause navigational problems especially on moonlit nights when the golden sandstone tower glowed in the dark. So near the turn of the century, the tower was reduced to rubble to prevent any further disaster. (Kaushik, “The Lighthouse That Wrecked More Ships Than it Saved,” AmusingPlanet.Com, 10-16-18; www.PreachingToday.com)
That’s the nature of a false teacher. Like a lighthouse in the wrong place, they mislead people into lives of shipwreck and pain. The truth is not important to them, just what’s convenient, so watch out for them.
Check what any teacher, preacher, or blogger says with the Word of God; and if it doesn’t match, stay far away. Stay away from those who leave the family. Stay away from those who leave the faith. In times of distress, stay away from false teachers who will only exploit your pain. And…
STAY CLOSE TO GOD.
Remain with the Lord. Abide in Christ, who will see you through any crisis. It’s the last hour, so…
1 John 2:24-25 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
Let God’s Word remain in you, because it’s the promise of eternal life, and it’s what brings you close to God especially in times of distress. Please, don’t stop reading the Bible in the hard times. Don’t move away from the church where God’s word is preached every Sunday.
Hebrews 10 says, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:23-24).
In times of distress, you need it more than ever! So stay close to God through His Word. Keep reading your Bible. Dwell in this Book so that it dwells in you.
Mike Yaconelli remembers a time when he was stuck at the airport in San Francisco. He had missed his connecting flight, which would have taken him home, and he was angry and upset. He called his son on the phone for some encouragement, telling him, “Man, I’m stuck in the airport; it’s been a horrible day. I’ve been traveling too much.”
His son said, “You know, Dad, if you didn’t travel so much, you wouldn’t have things like this happen.” That ticked Mike off even more, so he told his son, “Let me talk to your son” (Mike’s two-year-old grandson).
Mike forgot that when you’re two you can’t talk, and when you’re 60 you can’t hear. It’s not a good combination. The two-year-old is mumbling on the phone, and Mike is hoping that it’s going to make him feel better, but it’s making him feel worse.
And to make matters even worse, Mike hears the phone drop onto the floor and the kids playing in the background. He is stuck in the airport. He is miserable. He is furious, and he is angry.
Then, all of a sudden, Mike hears crystal clear over the phone, “I love you, Grandpa,” and all his anxiety and anger goes out the window.
Mike Yaconelli says, “There are people who are so busy, they’re at their wits end. If they’d only stop for a minute, they could hear the God of the universe whisper to them, ‘I love you.’” (Mike Yaconelli in an interview with Dick Staub, Christianity Today; www.preachingToday.com)
Please, in your times of distress, take a minute to open God’s Word and hear Him say to you, “I love you.” Then watch as all your anxiety and anger goes out the window, as well. Stay close to God through His Word.
And stay close to God through His Spirit. Listen to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit within, and ket Him guide you through the difficult times.
1 John 2:26-27 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. (ESV)
You don’t need to listen to someone who claims to have more insight than you. Just listen to God’s Holy Spirit. He is “the anointing” John talks about here, so abide (or remain) in Him. In other words, stay close to God’s Spirit, and listen for His still, small voice.
For more than two decades, Muhammad Ali had someone in his corner of the boxing ring that made him float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. His cornerman was Angelo Dundee, who also trained 15 other world boxing champions. Angelo Dundee described his job as a cornerman this way: “When you're working with a fighter, you're a surgeon, an engineer, and a psychologist.” (Mark Batterson, If, Baker Books, 2015, page 249; www.PreachingToday.com)
As a follower of Christ, you too have Someone in your corner, Someone better than a surgeon-engineer-psychologist. You have the Holy Spirit within, who is there for you. Please, don’t ignore Him. Stay close to Him, and let Him guide you to victory in this last hour.
Before He left this world, Jesus promised every believer, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth…” (John 14:16-17).
The word for “Helper” in the original Greek is paraclete, and it was a difficult word for Bible translators in equatorial Africa. They were working in the Karre language, and they could find no corresponding word.
Then the translators came across a group of porters going off into the bush, carrying bundles on their heads. They noticed that in the line of porters, there was always one who didn’t carry anything. The translators assumed that one was the boss, there to make sure the others did their work. However, the translators soon discovered he wasn’t the boss at all. He was there should anyone fall over with exhaustion. That’s when he would come and pick up the man’s load and carry it for him. Those who spoke the Karre language called him, “the one who falls down beside us.” And so the translators had their word for paraclete (or helper).
The Holy Spirit is the One who falls down beside you. He’s there to pick up your load and carry it for you – your Helper! Please, don’t neglect Him. Instead, cast your care upon Him, because He cares for you.
Stay close to the Lord through His Spirit and His Word. It’s an unbeatable combination, and both are absolutely necessary!
Don Lyon put it well when he said: If you have the Spirit without the Word, you blow up. If you have the Word without the Spirit, you dry up. If you have both the Word and the Spirit, you grow up (Don Lyon, Leadership, Vol.5, no.1).
In times of distress, stay away from false teachers and stay close to God. Then…
BE CONFIDENT.
Be bold. Be cheerfully courageous in this last hour before Jesus comes.
1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. (ESV)
Those who continue in Christ, find confidence in the end. They not only survive; they thrive! They come out on the other side of the crisis better, stronger people.
Isaiah 40 says, “They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
In his book, Life in the Presence of God, Kenneth Boa talks about soaring eagles and those who depend on the Lord. He says:
“God seems to like eagles. 33 Bible verses mention them! Eagles are true flying birds, meaning they get off the ground by flapping, but they soar by thermals. Eagles begin flight training around four months old. But even before that, at about two months, they stand up in the nest and spread their wings when they feel gusts of wind. They're training to know the thermals! Thermals are the columns of air formed as heat rises from the ground. Because heat rises, these air columns push up and up, displacing the cold air around them. By staying in the warmth of the thermal, the birds continue to soar. Eagles become experts in this.
“In this magnificent aerodynamic action, gravity isn't deactivated—it's still at work—but the higher principle overcomes gravity. Eagles drop down when they step off a branch. Then, they start flapping like crazy. Once they're in the air, though, their wings don't have to work very hard, and while soaring, they use a small fraction of the effort required to rise. They're almost at rest and can just enjoy the pleasure of flight.
“When we first begin following Christ, we're like eagles spreading our wings. Once we start flapping, though, we lift up. Maybe after a few tries we're back down on the ground… We flap and flap, but eventually we catch the current of air, and we soar. This is how the Holy Spirit works [in our lives]. He's not only our coach; he's the power behind everything we do. (Kenneth Boa, Life in the Presence of God, InterVarsity Press 2017, pages 129-130; www.PreachingToday.com)
So stay close to Him and soar! In your times of distress, stay away from false teachers and stay close to the Lord.
During Superbowl 37 in 2003, FedEx ran a commercial that spoofed the movie Castaway. In the movie, Tom Hanks plays a FedEx worker whose company plane went down, leaving him stranded on a desert island for years. The FedEx commercial shows a bedraggled Hanks returning to his old job. Take a look (show FedEx Castaway Commercial)
He goes up to the door of a suburban home, package in hand, and rings the doorbell. When the lady comes to the door, he explains that he survived five years on a deserted island, and during that whole time he kept this package in order to deliver it to her. She gives a simple, “Thank you.”
But he is curious about what is in the package that he has been protecting for years. He says, “If I may ask, what was in that package after all?”
She opens it and shows him the contents, saying, “Oh, nothing really. Just a satellite telephone, a global positioning device, a compass, a water purifier, and some seeds. Just silly stuff. Thank you again. You keep up the good work.” (www.youtube.com/watch?v=B26jM1gjoNo)
Just think. He could have used all that stuff on the deserted island. In the same way, you, as a believer in Christ, have resources that can benefit you in your times of crisis. You have the Word of God and the Spirit of God. Just open the package and use them. Open this Book and ask God’s Holy Spirit to make it work in your life.
