Harvest Daily - June 14, 2005

June 14

Full Speed Ahead

Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.

Hebrews 3:12

We all know of situations, activities, and places we can go that make it easier for the devil to tempt us.  But now that we have been delivered from his power, we don’t want to put ourselves in a position of vulnerability again.

Why do I bring this up?  Because I believe that we are living in the last days.  And one of the prophetic signs we sometimes forget about is that in the last days, there will be a great apostasy, meaning that people will fall away from the Lord.  According to 1 Timothy 4:1, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.”  This means that in these critical days in which we are living, the devil is walking around like a roaring lion and is looking for people that he can pull down (see 1 Peter 5:8).

But the Book of Hebrews warns about the perils of spiritually turning away.  Hebrews 3:12 tells us, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.”  Notice this verse doesn’t address unbelievers.  Rather, it is a warning to Christians.  The passage continues, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end” (verses 13–14).  Did you catch that?  You will “become partakers of Christ”—if you are faithful to the end.  In other words, you need to cross the finish line.

Copyright © 2005 by Harvest Ministries.  All rights reserved.  Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New King James Version, copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.  Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.