Your Only Protection From Deception

"...for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ." Acts 18:28 Could you do that? There is nothing as important in life as the Word of God. You will not survive spiritually if you don't feed yourself the Word of God daily. Some say they don't read the Bible because they don't understand it. But see it this way: when you eat a meal you don't worry how the nutrients and proteins are going to nourish you, you just eat. It's the same with the Bible. It is what nourishes your soul. You don't have to worry HOW it's going to nourish you, you just take it in every day and it will. If you don't, the effect will be the same as it would be if you did not nourish your body - you'll be spiritually unhealthy and weak. "...sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you..." 1st Peter 3:15 Could you do that? If someone asked you, could you give a defense for your faith from the Scriptures? "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2nd Timothy 2:15 Put some effort into it. Study God's Word. We are in "the last days," and Jesus said that that time would be characterized by deception and sure enough, deception is RAMPANT. Even people who would call themselves believers are falling for all sorts of deception. How will you not fall if you do not intimately know the Word of God? Satan is clever - he twists Scripture to deceive people. When they see Scripture being spouted they're convinced, and fall they do! By the multitudes. This is the day of the mega-churches which draw people by telling them what they want to hear. They use, actually mis-use, Scripture to preach prosperity, how to be successful, how to build your "self esteem," but they don't preach on sin or hell or picking up your cross daily to follow Jesus Christ. "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:17 Other sects teach “religious” things one can do like walking the labyrinth, lighting candles, purposeful imaginations, “Christian” yoga (there’s no such thing), "religious" practices that satisfy the soulish desire to be "religious" - but simply aren't true. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." 2nd Timothy 4:3-4 Then there is the push toward the coming one-world religion under the banner of "ecumenism" which will be the joining of religions for the sake of "unity," but will be the prophesied false last-days global religion. Already the current pope has had Muslims in the Vatican reciting the Koran in his effort to bring mutual "tolerance" and mutual acceptance between all religions, creating a "unity" that is no more than Satanic heresy. You are NOT to join together with religions worshiping false gods. "DO NOT be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?" 2nd Corinthians 6:14 "You shall NOT go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you..." Deuteronomy 6:14 "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them." Ephesians 5:11 If you don't know the Word of God you are spiritually blind and you will easily fall for any of these. When asked what would be the signs of his coming, the very first sign Jesus gave was deception. "And Jesus answered and said to them: 'Take heed that no one deceives you.'' Matthew 24:4 He put this before all the other signs, the wars, rumors of war, earthquakes, famines and pestilence. As terrible as those things are, he put the danger of deception first. The ONLY way to not be trapped in deception is to know the Word of God so that you can spot heresy when someone twists Scripture to make it say what it doesn't say. If you don't know the Word of God, you will be given over to delusion. "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." 2nd Thessalonians 2:11 When you stand before the Lord, you will be judged on your response to the Word of God which he gave to us, the Holy Scriptures which alone are able to nourish your spirit. Begin now. Start nourishing your spirit with the nourishment God has provided for man - the Bible, the Scriptures, the Word of God he has given us to tell us who he is, who we are, and what's important. And each time you take up that Bible, before you begin, pray for enlightenment, pray for understanding, ask God to REVEAL his Word to you.

Desensitized - Like The Frog In The Kettle

"He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward with me, to give to every one according to his work." Revelation 22:11-12 If you're paying attention to what's happening in the world, you can discern that the end of this age is near. The future doesn't depend on men in office, it depends on the plan and will of God. Men will conduct their agendas oblivious to the oncoming time of the great Tribulation. They will be eating and drinking, carrying on business until their lives are interrupted by the great Tribulation. It's interesting that on the day of the 2022 midterm elections in America, there was a total lunar eclipse. A "blood moon." On the very day. But who's paying attention? “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24:37-39 The ancient prophecies specify the countries that will be the players in the the events of the last days - and they are ALL lined up and ready to go. The ancient prophecies mention "Persia," - the land that was Persia at that time is today called "Iran." They mention the land of Gog and Magog. Historians pinpoint that land as the land known today as Russia. Are Russia and Iran allied now? That wasn't the case not long ago, but it sure is now. They are in the news daily. All that is necessary to begin the events of the prophesied "Great Tribulation" is present and waiting. One man will come to the forefront and will take power over the entire earth. A global leader. Maybe the head of the United Nations - we don't know how it comes to pass but the Scriptures tell us it will. Something will happen, some crisis that will make people willing to not only submit to, but welcome him and give over the power and governance to him. He will be Satan's man of the hour, evil incarnate, known in Scripture as "the Antichrist." Also, the ancient prophecies tell us that in the "last days" it's going to be all about Israel. A hundred years ago there was no Israel. The land was a dry and barren wasteland and the Jews were scattered throughout the world. Today Israel is back in her land and is prospering, but is surrounded on every side with peoples who are determined to destroy her and drive her into the sea. Jesus said that the "last days" will be characterized by wars, rumors of war, earthquakes, famines and pestilence (diseases.) These very things are in our news daily. Scoffers say there have always been wars and earthquakes and famines and diseases. That's right, there have been - every century has had its great war or great earthquake or its great outbreak of a disease. But Jesus said that in the "last days" all those things will be happening concurrently in one generation – making this generation glaringly obvious because that's exactly what we are witnessing. He said it would all increase in frequency and intensity like labor pains of a woman about to give birth. And that's exactly what we see today. Every one of those things has been in the news - RECENTLY. How often do we hear the words "record breaking!" "Unprecedented!" As this age comes to its end, the Scriptures tell us evil is going to increase exponentially. Jesus said the "last days" will be like the days of Noah, and like the days of Lot who lived in Sodom. And so it is. Never before has a generation reached the degree of wickedness that this generation has. And if you follow on in the story of Noah and Lot, you'll learn that the peoples perished. Noah and his family were the only ones who survived the world-wide flood. Lot and his family were the only ones who survived the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah – in fact, that area south of the Dead Sea is still, to this day, covered in ash. In the coming "Great Tribulation" which Jesus spoke of, there will be few survivors. Jesus said of this time that it will be the time of the greatest devastation the world has ever known, or ever will afterwards. Seven years of the judgment of God on a Christ-rejecting world. Seven years of overwhelming pain and destruction as the Lord "Tramples out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored." "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be." Matthew 24:21 Because these things have taken a long time to develop, people have become desensitized to it. It's like the frog in the pot of water that is heated up slowly. The frog is desensitized to it and will not become aware of the threat until it's too late. And so is this generation - desensitized - unaware that it's coming to the boiling point and it will soon be too late. The story is approaching its closing act. The eternal fate of every human being is being set. "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still." Revelation 22:11 There comes a time when it's too late, you'll stay as you are. The door will close. It is not God's will that ANY perish (2nd Peter 3:9). He holds out the opportunity for you to come to him and receive salvation. Do it now. Now, while you can.

GOD Chastens EVERY Son or Daughter – From Love

"Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity; yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood. He made a pit and dug it out, and has fallen into the ditch which he made. His trouble shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown." Psalm 7:14-16 Yes, that is their fate. But in the meantime they prosper while the child of God is chastened. Have you ever wondered why suffering comes upon the good while many of the wicked go on in prosperity? King David said that he almost fell because of that very thing: "But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." Psalm 73:2-3 David was chastened by the Lord, and if you've been chastened by the Lord you know how painful that can be. What some believers don't realize though, is that God's purpose in bringing chastening on a believer is for the person's good. "If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons, for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons." Hebrews 12:7-8 We are all sinners and there is a lot that the Lord needs to cleanse us from. Even the greatest king of all - King David - had to go through it. The Scripture goes on to say that the end result is more than worth it: vs 11: "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." But that's hard to keep in mind when you are in the midst of that chastening. You may feel it will never stop, because pain follows pain. And in that condition, one is tempted to envy the rich of this world who seem to have all go well with them. As King David goes on to say: "They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men. Therefore PRIDE serves as their necklace; Their eyes bulge with abundance; They have more than heart could wish." Psalm 73:5-6 One wearied by suffering can come to wonder whether it's ever going to end, especially as the picture of the prosperity of others is constantly in their face. vs 12-14: "Behold, these are the ungodly who are always at ease; they increase in riches. Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been plagued, And chastened every morning." Such was the state of King David while he was suffering greatly under the hand of the Lord. He cried out to the Lord about this and the Lord answered him. The answer was chilling - but when he understood it, he never again entered into that pity party. vs 16-17: "It was too painful for me ...UNTIL I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood ... THEIR END." Yes, their end will settle it all, won't it! But not so for you. If you are suffering under the chastening of the Lord, just accept it and know that it is meant for your good. It's the process of maturing you. It brings conviction on your priorities. But it WILL end. It WILL be behind you. And in the meantime, you are being brought into the beauty of holiness and righteousness that only suffering can bring about, and when the trial is over, great will be your blessing. "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, THOUGH IT IS TESTED BY FIRE, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ..." 1st Peter 1:6-7 Surrender to the Lord's chastening knowing it is part of his plan for your life. Cooperate with him. Later, you WILL be greatly blessed and you will marvel at how necessary the process was.