Deception is at an all time high today. In my blog yesterday, I addressed the rampant deception that encompassed the world over the last few years. I started with something the Holy Spirit gave me as I was praying this past Monday morning. Here is again:
For in the time to come the lines will be blurred between darkness and light. Those walking in darkness will be doing things that make them look as though they are walking in the light. And those walking in light will be doing things that make it seem as though they are walking in darkness. It will take a discerning heart that comes from Me. It will take the Spirit of God from the Most High to discern between the two. So don’t judge with outward judgment. Allow the Spirit of God to work deeply. And allow Him to bring discernment. And pray that you would be able and worthy to overcome the things that are coming. For the powers of heaven will be shaken in the days to come.
This reminded me of Isaiah 5:20:
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Right now, the spirit of antiChrist is preparing the entire world for a future of global deception. The antiChrist will one day rise to power in the Middle East, and will aid Israel with some kind of treaty. That treaty may be the result of the current conflict. This person, the antiChrist, will be a deceiver par-non! Listen to the scriptures:
He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many without warning. He will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by human power (Daniel 8:25 - NLT).
The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 - NKJV) .
So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also (1 John 2:21-23 - NLT).
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and is already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world, and therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are of God, and whoever knows God listens to us. Whoever is not of God does not listen to us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error (1 John 4:1-6 - Modern English Version).
Here is a list of behaviors that the spirit of antiChrist motivates: lying, abortion, same sex marriage, pornography, living together without marriage, relative values or values that change from person to person and in different situations, socialism, communism, control, atheism, lawlessness, fear, godlessness, amorality, divisiveness, inequality, rioting, violence, racism, borderless nations, compliance without questioning facts, and a one world government.
To remain free from deception and delusion today, there is only one way - listen to and obey the WORD OF GOD. And, TURN OFF THE MEDIA! If we hear the word but do nothing with it, we will remain deceived and deluded, just like most of the world. But if we choose to listen to and obey the WORD and the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we can remain free in this strange day of deception and delusion.
Here are some scriptures to ponder. What are you choosing: deception, delusion, or truth?
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you (John 14:16-18 - NLT).
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me. (John 16:13-15 - NLT).
So this is why we abandon everything morally impure and all forms of wicked conduct. Instead, with a sensitive spirit we absorb God’s Word, which has been implanted within our nature, for the Word of Life has power to continually deliver us.
Don’t just listen to the Word of Truth and not respond to it, for that is the essence of self-deception. So always let his Word become like poetry written and fulfilled by your life! If you listen to the Word and don’t live out the message you hear, you become like the person who looks in the mirror of the Word to discover the reflection of his face in the beginning. You perceive how God sees you in the mirror of the Word, but then you go out and forget your divine origin. But those who set their gaze deeply into the perfecting law of liberty are fascinated by and respond to the truth they hear and are strengthened by it—they experience God’s blessing in all that they do! (James 1:21-25 - Passion Translation).
Everyone who hears my teaching and applies it to his life can be compared to a wise man who built his house on an unshakable foundation. When the rains fell and the flood came, with fierce winds beating upon his house, it stood firm because of its strong foundation. But everyone who hears my teaching and does not apply it to his life can be compared to a foolish man who built his house on sand. When it rained and rained and the flood came, with wind and waves beating upon his house, it collapsed and was swept away (Matthew 7:24-27 - Passion Translation).
For me, I have made an absolute decision to live by the Word of God. It is forever settled in heaven: Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven. (Psalm 119:89). It never changes: For I am the LORD, I do not change (Malachi 3:6).
The Word of God can be solidly believed and trusted to come to pass: My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. (Psalm 89:34).
God’s Word is the ultimate truth, and will always be fulfilled by Him: So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55::11)
The earth and its contents will change ,but God’s Word never changes: Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away (Matthew 24:35).
For the past 47 plus years, I have chosen to base my life direction, beliefs, and decision making on the Word of God. I have emerged from every hard place life has brought me better than I was before. I am choosing to continue this way of living right up until the time that Jesus returns, regardless of what occurs!
Jesus said that the person who bases his life and belief system on God’s Word will stand when the storms of life come. Listen again to what He said in Matthew 7:24-29: Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
As we enter the last quarter of 2023, I urge you to begin to guard closely what you choose to hear and focus on. The world is following a spirit of deception and delusion. I choose to follow The Way, The Truth, and The Life! Come and join me and let’s show people what it looks like to live in freedom!
Comments