Understanding the times in which we live

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom," Matt 25:1.

(Preached in Tavistock FPC)

I believe that it is the privilege of God's people to share in a knowledge of God's present purpose on this earth and what He purposes to do in the future.

It may be easily understood that it would suit the devil's cause very well indeed if we can be deceived and deluded with regards God's will. After all, that was the essence of the very first temptation. We are told that "the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty."

It was Paul's concern that the Corinthians might not be likewise beguiled, 2 Corinthians 11:3.

I believe that there is no area of Bible knowledge today about which God's people are more confused and deluded than that of the end times. It may be quite easily understood just how destructive such deception will prove to be.

We think back to the blindness of the people when Christ first came to this world and we can see how it would suit the devil if he could repeat that deception.

"He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not," John 1:10-11.

The words of the Saviour in this parable tells us that to a large measure, that deception will be repeated.