Tag: deception
Sincere devotion to Christ
Scripture reading for August 10th: Psalm 86-89, 2nd Corinthians 11
Key Scriptures: 2nd Corinthians 11:2-5 “For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the One we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the One you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.”
False teachers were after the Corinthian believers. They came disguised as “apostles of Christ”. They preached ‘Jesus’, but it was not Jesus Christ, Son of God, crucified and raised from the dead. They had a ‘spirit’, but it was not the Holy Spirit of God. They proclaimed a ‘gospel’, but it was not the pure Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul was concerned for their souls and wrote to warn them. Oh that men and women would listen to truth and discern the cunning serpent!
Psalm 85:8-9 “Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace to His people, to His saints; but let them not turn back to folly. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land.”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me discernment to know truth from error. Open my ears to hear You speak and keep me from folly. Amen.
Keep us from deception!
Scripture reading for February 1st: Exodus 31-34, Matthew 25
Key Scriptures: Matthew 24:3-5 “As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in My Name, saying ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.””
Jesus answered the disciples questions concerning His earlier comments about the destruction of the Temple. He prefaced the answer with a warning about deception. Deception would mark the time prior to His return again for His people. This deception would even take in some of God’s people. We can look back in history to see that God’s people were deceived with a golden calf!
Exodus 32:7-8 “And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!””
Prayer: Lord, deliver me from deception and the lure of false ‘gods’. Thank you for your loving warnings in Your Word. Amen
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Watch out for the serpent’s cunning!
Scripture reading for August 11th: 2nd Corinthians 11
Key scriptures for over-comers: 2nd Corinthians 11:2-4, 13-14 “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. . . . .For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”
The apostle Paul was concerned for the church at Corinth. Some fast-talking ‘super-apostles’ had come into the church and were preaching a ‘different gospel’ about a ‘different Jesus’ and ‘different spirit’ than the authentic Gospel of Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior. They were out to deceive the believers and lead them astray and some of the church members were falling for it. Paul was jealous for their souls and sought to expose Satan’s masquerade in these false ‘apostles’! According to Jesus Christ, these ‘false’ apostles will mark the last days! (Matthew 24:4)
Observations for over-comers: Believers must know the true Gospel of salvation by grace through faith and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and be filled with the Holy Spirit to avoid deception. “Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding.” (Proverbs 23:23)
The narrow door!
Scripture reading for March 22nd: Luke 13
Key scriptures for over-comers: Luke 13:23-25 “Someone asked Him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.”
There was concern among those who heard Jesus teach about the need for repentance that only a few people would actually be saved. They asked Jesus this very question. His answer was to encourage them to ‘make every effort to enter through the narrow door.’ We know that Jesus Christ alone is the gate or door to enter the kingdom of God. (John 10:1,7) (John 14:6) Repentance is the necessary heart condition to enter this narrow door. Jesus had just plainly told the people, “Unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Luke 13:5) The key to the ‘door’ is repentance and this requires taking responsibility for our sin and turning to Jesus for forgiveness and grace. Through personal faith in Jesus Christ, we enter the ‘narrow’ Door!
Observations for over-comers: Jesus warned that many would try to enter their own way and be left outside knocking and pleading for admittance. They would be denied access because of no ‘key’! “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12)
The serpent’s cunning deception!
Scripture reading for August 12th: 2nd Corinthians 11
The church in Corinth had been attacked by false teachers that Paul referred to as ‘super apostles’. These teachers were charismatic and used terms familiar to the church that enabled them to pull off their deception. Paul was filled with a ‘godly jealousy’ and set out to expose the ‘serpent’s cunning’ that was operating through these men.
“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super apostles.”” (2nd Corinthians 11:3-5)
These teachers were preaching “Jesus”, but not the same Jesus Christ, Son of God and risen Lord that Paul preached. Their “Jesus” was a counterfeit! They had a spirit that was given through their ministry, but it was not the Holy Spirit, the gift of the Father. They also had a ‘gospel’, but it was not the true gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, a gift of God’s grace! These false teachers used counterfeit in such a way to deceive those in the church and pull them away from true faith!
“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” (2nd Corinthians 11:13-15) Church beware!
The power of prayer!
Scripture reading for March 5th: Joshua 9-12
Sometimes the days aren’t long enough to get done everything that we would like to. Joshua had just such a day when he responded to the call to help the Gibeonites. Joshua prayed to the Lord and asked God to cause the sun to stand still while the nation of Israel attacked it’s enemies. God listened and performed a great miracle!
The Gibeonites had earlier deceived the Israelites in order to save their own lives. Joshua made a covenant with them and then found out that they had lied to him. (Joshua 9:22-23) As a result, this Canaanite tribe became servants to Joshua and Israel. A lack of prayer and discernment caused this problem. A short time later, five Amorite kings had formed an alliance and were attacking Gibeon. God spoke to Joshua and told him to go and attack and He would give him the victory. (Joshua 10:7-8) Joshua and his troops marched all night long. God helped the Israelites out with a heavy downpour of hailstones, killing more of the enemy than did the Israelites! The fight was going well, but daylight would soon be gone. Joshua prayed for the sun to stand still and God listened causing it to stand still in the sky for nearly a day! (Joshua 10:12-14)
For the sun to stand still in the sky, the earth had to quit rotating! Only God could make this happen! The hail storm that killed the enemy but did not affect the Israelites was also a miracle! (Joshua 10:11) God always works with His people and loves to give them victory over their enemy, Satan!
At the end of this story, Joshua brought the five kings out of the cave and had his men put their feet on the kings’ necks. (Joshua 10:24-25) He instructed them to be strong and courageous! They got a visual picture of victory and where God wants our enemy Satan! (Romans 16:20)
Do you have a difficult request that only God can help with? With God, nothing is impossible! (Luke 1:37) If we ask Him in faith, He is able to deliver the most difficult request. Ask Him and honor Him with the opportunity to defeat your enemy and get glory!
What counts?
Scripture reading for September 21st: Galatians 6:1-18
Even spiritual people get caught in sins. Spiritual people can still make wrong choices and become deceived. Pride is usually the culprit and we fall into the devil’s trap. Paul encouraged the Galatians to carry each others burdens and love others enough to seek to help them be restored. We must stay in the Spirit and not become conceited or prideful ourselves because we can fall into sin ourselves. We must be honestly checking out our own hearts for wrong attitudes and prideful judgments of those who are trapped. (Galatians 6:1-5)
Paul briefly speaks to the Galatians about their giving. They are encouraged to share their resources with those who teach them the word of God. Generosity and blessing God’s workers is the heart of the Spirit too!
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, will from that nature reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7-8) Sowing is always a choice of our free will. We are not victims or creatures caught in our circumstances. We make choices each day to either follow the Spirit or our sinful nature. The easy path naturally is the way of the sinful nature. However, it is in truth the hard path because it always leads to destruction and death. When we choose the way of the Spirit, the trials come and the enemy opposes us. However, this path always leads to eternal life and blessing!
The false teachers were trying to get the Galatians to follow the law. In that way they could boast in their flesh and avoid persecution from the religious Jews. Paul’s word to them was, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.” Our good works, however religious they may be, can never produce righteousness in us before God. Our only hope is faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. This faith brings the Holy Spirit into our life to make us a new creation of God. “Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation.” (2nd Corinthians 5:17)
The End of the Age!
Scripture reading for February 4th: Matthew 24:1-28, Psalm 24, Proverbs 7:1-5
As Jesus was nearing the end of His time on earth, He took time to answer the disciple’s questions concerning events that would take place in the future. One characteristic of our great God is that He knows the end from the beginning. He has perfect knowledge of future events and has even written them down as proof for us that He alone is God. That is the nature of prophesy and Jesus spoke prophetically to His close followers.
They had two questions following His statement that the temple in Jerusalem would be torn down, with not one stone left upon another. They wanted to know when this would happen and what would be the signs leading up to this event and the end of the age. “Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, bu the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. These are the beginnings of birth pains.” (Matthew 24:4-8)
Jesus answered these questions with a straight-forward warning against deception. Deception would be a sign of the coming end of the age. There would be religious deception coming from people who came in His name, but were really not His. These people would be working to deceive many people. This would require watchfulness and discernment. The disciples must know what was real and be able to spot these deceivers. They would need to exercise caution and stay close to the Lord Himself.
There would also be turmoil in the world among the nations and peoples. Wars and rumors of wars would abound and earthquakes and famines would bring destruction and pain to many people. These would be just the beginning of this time of the end. It would be like labor pains in a woman ready to give birth. The time would be near and those who had spiritual eyes could see and know what it would be like. Do you see signs of the end of the age? Are you ready for Jesus’ return?
The Remedy for Snake-bite!
Scripture reading for February 17th: Numbers 21-25
Complaining can be deadly! The Bible teaches that there is power in our words and what comes out of our mouth has roots in our heart. (Matthew 12:34-35) Faith is something that we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth. The object of true biblical faith must be God and His word, not our fears or a lie. The Israelites had a lot to learn.
“They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”” (Numbers 21:4-5)
Sin is deeply ingrained in our hearts. Even this group of people who had seen many miracles and daily experienced the miraculous supply of manna still had sin in their hearts. The cloud of Glory and Fire of God at night did not keep them from complaining. The earth opening and swallowing some who complained alive did not seem to have an effect. They wanted what they wanted, when they wanted it, and would not be happy until they got it!
God did answer their complaints about Him and Moses by sending some poisonous snakes to bite them. When the complainers began to die because of the bites, they cried out to Moses for help. It is interesting that leaders are blamed for perceived troubles, but when the consequences of sin do begin to come, then the same complainers want prayer and begin to confess sin. (Numbers 21:6-7)
Moses was given a strange remedy for the snake bites by God. (Numbers 21:8-9) He was to make a bronze snake and put it on top of a pole for the people to look at. Anyone who was bitten could look with faith and live! Jesus Christ used this verse from Scripture to describe His own death on the cross for the whole world. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:14-16)
Sunday rest and reflection: wise living!
Dear Friends, Greetings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus Christ, the only wise God! What a day to be alive and learning to know and love God! The signs are everywhere of the last days and God’s Word tells us to live wisely and make the most of our time as we see the Day of Christ approaching. (Ephesians 5:15-16) Those who are righteous will become more righteous and live by the Spirit, following Christ more closely. Those who are wicked will become more wicked, following their own flesh and the evil spirits of this world more closely. (Revelation 22:10-11)
As we begin a study of Proverbs in our daily reading, we are exposed to wisdom for successful daily living in this world. The proverbs were wise sayings and nuggets of God’s truth that would help to discern the right path. These truths were particularly helpful to youth and children who were beginning their walk through life. Parents were to teach their children wise living. They taught by impressing truth on the hearts of the young during daily meals, Sabbath day church gatherings, work, and sharing at bedtime around the fire.
Wise living always centered on loving God and obeying His commandments. This wisdom has it’s beginning in a deep respect for God as Creator and giver of life! The term used in Scripture is the ‘fear of the Lord’. Parents teach the ‘fear of the Lord’ by their attitude towards God and God’s house. Regular church attendance and worship is a good indication of a desire to live wisely. Daily study of the Word of God and prayer are spiritual disciplines that indicate a desire to know God’s will in order to submit to it and obey it. Wise living honors God’s Word as the rule of faith and practice. We treat it with respect and believe it is truth–all of it! When we cut out parts of the Bible because it doesn’t line up with what ‘science’ teaches or with what we want to believe, then we have lost our fear of the Lord and our ability to know truth. This is a dangerous place to be!
In the last days, men will refuse a love of the truth, believe a lie, and end up in damnation. (2nd Thessalonians 2:9-12) When we have no fear of God or His Word, a delusion of deception blinds us even further. We lose our ability to discern right from wrong. We end up delighting in wickedness and going to our destruction. Now is the time to press on to know the Lord and live wisely in obedience and faith. Jesus is coming soon! (Revelation 22:20)