Tag: crucifixion

False Teachers Among Us

Identify and Avoid

“Now I beseech you, Brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine you have learned; and avoid them” (Romans 16:17).

The Apostle Paul is warning the church to watch out for false teachers. He is instructing them, and us, to mark them and avoid them. False teachers must be identified as such before they can do harm to those that are exposed to their teaching. All false doctrine comes from deceiving spirits that use these false teachers to propagate their lies. It is of upmost importance that ee identify and steer clear of these false teachers. However, we are to pray for them that they will repent of their false way (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

False teachers were a problem in the early church and they are a problem today. In the Olivet Discourse, the Lord Jesus warned about not being deceived by imposters that would come in His Name. In fact, when addressing the future, the time after His departure, it was the very first thing he mentioned which tells us of the importance He placed on it. Paul also warned of those that would depart from the faith in the latter times (the time we live in now).

“Now the Spirit speaks expressly that in the later times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1).

We are in those later times that Paul warned about. Our faith must remain fixed in Christ and His sacrificial death on the Cross. He paid the sin debt owed to God and opened the way for fellowship with the Lord. False doctrine always changes the truth of the Gospel in some way. If we do not understand who Jesus is and what He accomplished, we can be easily deceived. The Apostle John instructed us to test the spirits.

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

The Holy Spirit will always points us to Christ and Him crucified. If any doctrine minimizes the Lord’s sacrificial death at Calvary then you can be sure that deceiving spirits are involved. Our Lord came to die on the Cross to deliver us from “this present evil world.” Satan knows that our victory is found in the Cross, and only in the Cross, and will do all he can to either keep us from the Salvation offered there, or offer us false doctrine which us intended to move our faith from the correct object to a false way. The Apostle Peter calls them “damnable heresies.”

“But there were false prophets among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring damnable heresies, even denying the Lord Who bought them, and bringing upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Peter  2:1).

Peter goes on to say that many will follow these false teachers. Why? They will present doctrines that itching ears want to hear and that will result in the fulfillment of evil desires and/ or causing those that follow them to ignore God’s will, or Word. Paul said the following regarding these deceivers:

“For they who are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:18).

There are only two kingdoms – the kingdom of darkness ruled by Satan, and the Kingdom of Light ruled by the Lord. These false teachers are serving the kingdom of darkness to satisfy their earthly needs and fleshly desires. Those that do not know the Word of God are easy marks for these false teachers who appeal to them through flattery. There words are smooth and very tempting to those that have little knowledge of the Lord’s ways and Word.

As Paul mentioned in our introductory verse; he gave us fair warning to mark them, that is, to identify them and to avoid them. Deception is widespread in the church today. The Lord warned against this prior to His departure and we must guard against it today. Our faith must be in the provision the Lord has given us which is Christ  and Him crucified. If our faith remains in His provision, the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth.

Living our lives according to God’s Word is the greatest life. Should we veer off of the truth that His Word brings us then we will pay the price. There are false teachers out there today offering doctrines of devils and tempting their followers to go their pernicious ways. We must guard against these brokers of evil. Just as their father the Devil, they are seeking whom they might devour.

“But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; how that they told you there should be mockery in the last time, who should walk are their own ungodly lusts. But you, Beloved, building up yourselves on your most Holy Faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 17,18,20).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Creators, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2026

The Third Day

I Was There That Week in Jerusalem

A First-Person Fictional Narrative

The Via Dolorosa

“And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve Disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be betrayed unto the Chief Priests and unto the Scribes, and they shall condemn Him to death, and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify Him: and the third day He shall rise again” (Matthew 20:17-19).

I live in Jerusalem and witnessed the crucifixion of the one that some said was the Messiah. I heard that he told his followers that he would be in the grave for three days and three nights and would rise from the grave on the third day. I don’t know if he actually said that, but those that told me about it were sure that he had. Will he really rise from the dead? It seems impossible! He did say many wonderful things while He was here. And all the healings! I wonder if he really was the Messiah? The one everyone has been waiting for. Two more days to see if what He said about himself would come about.

There are many here who think he was an imposter, including the religious leadership. I do wonder about their motives though. No one has ever done what this man has done. All those wonderful works! They witnessed it all yet they had Him crucified. Did they actually believe that he was the long-awaited Messiah? Did they feel threatened by Him? Their hatred for Him seemed to be so wrong and their treatment of Him so evil and unfair. Two more days.

I was there at the crucifixion and have never seen anything as awful as that. The man didn’t even look like a man. They had beaten him so badly that he was unrecognizable. Those standing around the scene at Calvary represented three groups. There were the mockers telling Him to come down from the Cross if God was with him. And there were those that just stared with astonishment at what was happening. They had never seen a crucifixion like this! The man was so physically abused! And so hated by the religious leaders of Israel. It was shocking to observe.

There was a third group present and they represented some of his disciples, his followers, and his mother. I cannot even imagine the sorrow they felt and the feeling of helplessness in being unable to stop what was happening. This good man was being crucified for no crime whatsoever and they stood there aghast at the sight. This group believed that he was the promised Messiah.

It’s now Saturday and groups of people are gathering throughout Jerusalem talking about the terrible events that had taken place. They talked about how they had heard that he promised to rise again on the third day. His disciples were nowhere to be found. As I walked down the Via Dolorosa there was great sadness and sorrow among all those walking along that way. It just seemed to hang in the air. Everyone knew that something quite terrible had taken place in Jerusalem. This was the very way that the soldiers had led the man down to his crucifixion. They spoke of him being so weak from the beatings that he was unable to carry his cross. All those that gathered along the way talked about all the good he had done. One more day.

It’s the third day and there is a rumor spreading throughout Jerusalem that the tomb is empty and that he had indeed risen from the dead. Someone said that they had spoken to some of his followers and they said that the rumor was indeed true. There was an account of a woman, who they said had actually seen him and had spoken with him. Incredible news! Amazing things are happening in Jerusalem on this day. It seems that the sadness that hung over the city for the last three days has lifted. It has been replaced with a sense of great wonder.

I remember times in the past when I had journeyed many miles to hear this man speak. His words were like no other man’s. I was in need of healing and the man touched me and I was healed. Just being in his presence was something you would never forget. I have decided that He was in fact the Messiah and I am on my way to join His followers. It’s the third day and he has risen indeed!

“Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher….and they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher. And they entered in and found not the body of the Lord Jesus……behold two men stood by them in shining garments. And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they (the Angels) said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen…..” (Luke 24:1-6).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2023