Beware of other things that will cause us wander farther and farther away from LORD

False Prophets

Jesus : Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits. [Mt 7:15-20]

Demons disguised as holy angels. Even LORD may test us

There was recorded in the Bible the following incident :

King of Moab once asked Balaam, a prophet of LORD, to come to him and curse the Israelites.

LORD plainly told Balaam "You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed. " [Num 22:12]

The second time King of Moab asked Balaam to come, LORD told Balaam to go this time,

"If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only what I bid you, that shall you do." [Num 22:20] So Balaam rose in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. But GOD's anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as his adversary. ..... And the angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you struck your ass these three times? Behold, I have come forth to withstand you, because your way is perverse before me; and the ass saw me, and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have slain you and let her live." [Num 22:21-33]

In the final Judgement Day, we will have to answer for every action we did. If we have done some illegal things - "What! You sent an angel to me and told me to do that! I just plainly followed your order! " is not an excuse. WE MUST BE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERY ACT WE DO.

Therefore, we must exercise care and judgement all the time, "Is it right in the sight of LORD or not ?" (I have seen quite a number of persons, many are believers, who obey "orders" from spirits whom they believed to be Holy Angels, or even LORD. And throw away "care" and "judgement".)

To exercise care and judgement is not easy, to follow order blindly is easy. But that is not the way LORD wants us to behave.

John commented about Lord Jesus,

"Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw his signs which he did; but Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he know all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for he himself knew what was in man." [John 2:23-25]

Torture and difficulties

Jesus : In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. [John 16:33]

Jesus : If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. [Luke 9:23-26]

In "Letter to the Hebrews", the author said :

Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated - of whom the world was not worthy - wandering over deserts and mountains; and in dens and caves of the earth. [Hebrew 11:35-38]

Brother Enoch also wrote,

... and the spirits of the humble, and of those who have afflicted their bodies, and been recompensed by God; and of those who have been put to shame by wicked men: Who love God and loved neither gold nor silver nor any of the good things which are in the world, but gave over their bodies to torture. Who, since they came into being, longed not after earthly food, but regarded everything as a passing breath, and lived accordingly, and the Lord tried them much, and their spirits were found pure so that they should bless His name. And all the blessings destined for them I have recounted in the books. And he hath assigned them their recompense, because they have been found to be such as loved heaven more than their life in the world, and though they were trodden under foot of wicked men, and experienced abuse and reviling from them and were put to shame, ....

Jesus : this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. [Mt 13:20-21]

cares and riches and pleasures of life

Jesus : they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. [Luke 8:14]

I have seen good and honest people, but because they have to care for their businesses/factories, their fruit do not mature.

The world of MBA, of business success, of costly apparel, of costly ornaments

Remember there are many humble people in this world, who carry on their duties faithfully, e.g. engineers, doctors, nurses, librarians, teachers, social workers, transport-workers, cleaners, ... They are all extremely valuable members of our society. It is not that you must have a MBA (Master of Business Administration), or costly apparel/costly ornaments.

Remember Jesus and his eleven disciples, as well as Luke and Paul, and the numerous missionaries who went to preach in very primitive places.

So, do not be ashamed because you do not have a MBA degree, do not have costly apparel/ornaments.

You have brothers and sisters who love you, you have LORD and Jesus and the angels who care much for you, and who hope you would pass the trials of this world, and return back to heaven after conquering death and temptations.

This world is full of temptations, and various "vanities" that will lure us into treacherous tracks, as well as fiery trials, how can we stand ?

Jesus : Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it.