Deceptions

Soldier in combat gear holding a sword and a Bible surrounded by crosses at sunset

“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. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.”
Matthew 24:4-8

The Apostle Peter, in his first letter to those Believers sojourning among the nations, tells us to look forward, despite of trials, to the revelation of Jesus Christ. He writes of the revelation of Jesus several times in the first section of his letter.

Jesus tells us that many substitute saviors will come before Jesus is bodily revealed to us. Luke shows us Jesus ascending into Heaven and the disciples “gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’ ” (Acts 1:10,11)

There used to be a game show on TV, “What’s My Line,” in which contestants question three people on a panel. One was the real person, the other two imposters. At the end of the show, the show’s host would say, “Will the real so and so please stand up!”

Are we going to know Jesus when He comes?

A favorite event of mine is he two disciples walking down an old Roman road to toward their town. A man comes up by them and they talk as they walk. Only when the man is invited to eat with the disciples, only when the man breaks bread, do the disciples realize they were talking to the resurrected Jesus. (Luke 24:13-25)

Apostle Paul helps us in our life as we face trials and potential deceptions. In his letter to the Ephesian Believers, he shows us that we need armor in this battle. Spiritual Armor. GOD’s Armor. (Eph 6) This armor he describes isn’t optional. No soldier would fail to put on his armor. Make no mistake: we are soldier in a spiritual battle. The victory is assured. But the battles have, are, and will continue to rage. Put on the armor.

As Jesus continued his discourse on the Mount of Olives, he said that the deceptions are “to lead [people] astray, if possible, even the elect.” (Matthew 24:24)

In his letter to the Thessalonian Believers, Apostle Paul is also encouraging, for the “coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)

Thank You, Jesus!

LORD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Dishonest scales

Medieval merchant Barnaby using rigged scales to cheat customer Elara in market dispute

Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is His delight. Proverb 11:1.

Scales and weights aren’t generally in use in America these days. The principle King Solomon conveys is that “Integrity in business and humility in spirit safeguard a person, while crookedness and pride invite ruin.” From Berean Bible Commentary.

It’s easy to see that “dishonest scales” applies beyond business affairs. King Solomon warns of dishonesty and deception in all forms of human relations.

Deception!

It’s not a new tactic. I was quite active in The Garden, as related in Genesis.

Joshua was taken it, too. Chapter 9 recounts the Gibeonites who, fearing Israel’s conquest, use deception to secure a treaty with the Israelites. While this chapter highlights the necessity of seeking God’s guidance in decision making and the implications of rash decisions based on human judgement, it also demonstrates just how easy we can be deceived.

And such deception is an abomination to our GOD.

NOTE: Since 2019, the world has been blasted with relentless cycles of deception in various forms. I hope you, reader of this blog, will pray that your eyes see deception before you fall into its trap. I pray that we, who are followers of Jesus Yeshua Messiah, watch with wide eyes, listen always to Spirit, and act resolutely, standing fast in The Faith according the Gospel we have received. AMEIN.

LORD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Something to think about. . .

WHEN THEY ARE DECEIVED
When the shepherd in Scotland was asked if his sheep would
follow the voice of a stranger he replied: “Yes,
when they are sick, but never when they arc well. A sick
sheep will follow anyone, Just so long as a Christian
keeps himself in a healthy condition, in feeding on the Lord’s
Word, and by exercising in his fields of activity, there will be little
danger of his going off after the “faddists” and
false teachers of his age. It is when his ears become diseased-when
he has contracted ear itch-that he becomes
restless and dissatisfied with his Master. The Lookout
The Weekly Evangel November 4, 1916

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Filthy

Filthy is such a, well, filthy word. Even when it’s not associated with dirt, like filthy rich, it still sounds so negative. I like the word feculent. It sounds so upper crust, don’t you know. One could say “Oh, I love your feculent hair,” and one whose vocabulary was normal, would consider it a compliment. Deceptive, isn’t it?

It’s easy to smile at someone and say something that sounds nice but it isn’t really what is meant. I’ve heard a lot of folks talk about people who seem to feel the need to ask questions such as, “How does this blouse look?” What’s a good response: 1) “Oh, very nice, dear.” or 2) “Well, it’ masquerade s a nice blouse, but it looks a bit tight on you today.” There are some people who would handle number two. And then there are some that would be offended and respond curtly, “What? Are you saying I’m fat? I know I’ve gained fifty pounds but I’m stressed and what right do you have to accuse me of being fat?”

Continue reading “Filthy” →

Who will we turn to in times of trouble?

The world as we know it is about to end. We face devistating geological upheavals, increasing in number and scope. The Pacific Ocean is becoming radioactive, fish are dying. Chickens and turkeys are being killed, millions so far, as they are diagnosed with avian flu. We face and imminent monetary collapse, and not just in Greece. Riots rattle America. Racial tension is at an all-time high, like a pot about to boil over. A spirit of control pervades the world, as liberty is sent packing for a long, lonely holiday. We face tyrannical individuals that have allied themselves against the people of G-d. Islamic terror spreads its ugliness, its lawlessness throughout the world. We face deception from within our own ranks, within the Church. And in these times of trouble, to whom shall we turn? We must remember—we must not forget—how David responded:

Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is the upholder of my life.
He will return the evil to my enemies;
In your faithfulness put an end to them.
— Psalm 54:4

Matthew Henry commented that “If we are for him, he is for us; and if he is for us, we need not fear. Every creature is that to us, and no more, which God makes it to be. The Lord will in due time save his people, and in the mean time he sustains them, and bears them up, so that the spirit he has made shall not fail. There is truth in God’s threatenings, as well as in his promises; sinners that repent not, will find it so to their cost. David’s present deliverance was an earnest of further deliverance. He speaks of the completion of his deliverance as a thing done, though he had as yet many troubles before him; because, having God’s promise for it, he was as sure of it as if it was done already. The Lord would deliver him out of all his troubles. May he help us to bear our cross without repining, and at length bring us to share his victories and glory. Christians never should suffer the voice of praise and thanksgiving to cease in the church of the redeemed.”

Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscopes used to be a big thing for kids, yet I’ve not seen one in a while. As described by Wikipedia, “A kaleidoscope is a cylinder with mirrors containing loose, colored objects such as beads or pebbles and bits of glass. As the viewer looks into one end, light entering the other creates a colorful pattern, due to the reflection off the mirrors. Coined in 1817 by Scottish inventor Sir David Brewster, “kaleidoscope” is derived from the Ancient Greek καλός (kalos), “beautiful, beauty”, εἶδος (eidos), “that which is seen: form, shape” and σκοπέω (skopeō), “to look to, to examine”, hence “observation of beautiful forms.”

The Basic Elements of a kaleidoscope are: Colorful Images; Moving Images; Beautiful Images; Symmetrical Images. And if the technology had been available to Sir Brewster, he might have added soothing music to the collection, music for meditation. But the music isn’t necessary; it’s the bursts of color, constantly changing as the tube is rotated, that satiate the visual sense to such a point that the other senses are less acute, less active, less attention paid. In ways this is what television does to us as we watch. I remember when my parents brought home their first television. The actual viewing screen, the tube, was small, but the cabinet was very big. It was black and white, and we could watch one or two channels. I remember one night when I awoke from a nightmare and stayed up for a while watching the Phil Silvers Show. It was captivating enough that my nightmare fell away quickly into the hole of forgetfulness. And that was in black and white. It wasn’t until many years later that we had our first color television. Now that drew our attention. And for me it still does.

It happens when I’m at peoples homes who are unaccustomed to silence. Entering their homes I’d find a television in centrally located in the main room. In more than one home, I’ve found televisions strategically located throughout the house, even the kitchen. For me, the presence of a television, regardless to which station it is tuned, is a magnet for my attention. Sitting in a living room with several others having a conversation, I’d find myself constantly drawn to the TV, and I noticed so did the others in the room.

And televisions are appearing every where these days. They’re in restaurants. They’re in waiting rooms. They’re on buses and metro trains. I imagine them to line the streets some day. Oh, wait, that’s already happening with moving images on bill boards along highways. This reminds me of the child-care/pre-school up the road. It was only the second business to be opened along the rural road, and started with a small sign. Just this last year, the sign was replaced with an electronic bill board that scrolls various advertisements and slogans in bright lights. Even the schools and churches are putting up these electronic bill boards with bright scrolling advertisements crossing the sign. I wonder how many near-accidents have occurred while drivers tried to read the bill boards.

Maybe the reason there aren’t kaleidoscopes around any longer is that the world has become one big one. Everywhere we go, every where we turn, colorful images, moving images, beautiful images abound. There’s a saying, “can’t see the forest for the trees.” Today, we can not see the forest, we cannot see the trees, for all the images thrust before us, grabbing our attention. Aren’t we missing something through all this? Just like the kaleidoscope, our visual sense is overloaded to the point that our other senses are dulled. What would we feel, what would we hear, if we focused away from the images bombarding us?

In the second chapter of the Book of Proverbs (v.2), we are instructed to:

. . . make your ear attentive to wisdom.

The commentary in my Jewish Study Bible describes two lady personifications. One is Wisdom, the other the “strange woman,” that is Lady Folly, the symbol of wicked counsels and a figure for heresy, of foreign wisdom.

Like the television that is magnet for the eyes, images daily inundate our senses–we miss the call of Lady Wisdom and are seduced by the sensual pleasure offered our flesh by Lady Folly. We are being deceived. G-d is being undermined by fast-paced images beconing us toward the abyss.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

namaste

In her letter to the Light House Trails blog, a lady says, “Deception and the wiles of the evil one care not whom they lead astray, as long as His people are hurt by those they love.” She refers to a Christmas greeting she received from the wife of a church elder that concluded in “namaste.” Read the post.

You can also read an article about Oprah and her new age workshop, as one commentator described, ending with a “new age alter call.”

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Brother Extraterrestrial

An article Vatican Astronomers Ramp Up Their Search For “Brother Extraterrestrial,” by Michael Snyder, is a bit disturbing, yet it goes hand-in-hand with United Nations’ thinking when it appointed an ambassador to deal with extraterrestrial beings.

Snyder states that in a presentation at the 2013 Strategic Perspectives Conference, a Dr. Thomas Horn told the audience that they [aliens] are coming here and they’re going to baptize us into their faith and it is going to require us to make changes to our knowledge, to our understanding, of the Gospel. In fact, some of their deepest theologians have said, “Perhaps everything we think we know about the Gospel is going to have to be thrown out.”

Okay. So some one may be reading too much science fiction, and maybe thinking it wasn’t fiction at all. But when an institution such as the Roman Catholic Church begins express the same views, it’s goes from disturbing to just plain weird. Recently, from the Vatican’s extraterrestrial hunt, a prominent Vatican astronomer, Guy Consolmagno, has publicly suggested that aliens could actually be the “saviors of humankind.” That’s right, the Vatican is hunting for extraterrestrials. And the Vatican seems to think those same aliens could be “perfect beings, without sin.” Nervous yet?

In the article by Snyder, he asks: “So what would happen someday if “aliens” showed up and claimed that they seeded life on this planet, guided our evolution and are now here to lead us into a new golden age?

“And what would happen if the Catholic Church gave those aliens their stamp of approval?

“That sounds absolutely bizarre, but there are very important Vatican officials that are apparently thinking very hard about these things.”

At RNN.com, we learn that “Horn, speaking quickly and efficiently, yet making sure to cover all issues on the roster comprehensively, continues on to reveal even more startling themes of the current hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. His research is thorough and transparent (even referencing some hitherto unavailable documents, which he obtained directly from one of Rome’s top astronomers) and quotes the works of select individuals within the Church who perpetuate the idea that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is a descendant of alien life and that Mary’s virgin birth was a direct result of an alien abduction scenario.”

THIS STUFF TELLS ME THAT. . .

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2Timothy 3:12-16

The scene is being set for the prophesies John on Patmos, as recorded in Revelation. In a way, it’s like a mind-boggling movie in which a con artist is setting up the marks. And we are the marks. The con artist has read the Bible. The con artist knows human beings, too. We want a savior to come down and rescue us. Hum. Sounds a bit like the story of the first advent of Messiah, in which a nation of people were waiting for the Messiah to rescue them too.

Oh, I get it, we won’t make the same mistake as we did last time, in which we rejected the Messiah because He didn’t fit our expectations. No, we’ll accept the first guy down from some “heavenly” planet that says, “Hey, I’m back!”

We need to read Revelation! We need to be prepared to weather out a big storm and wait for the Conquering Messiah. You know, the one riding the white horse carrying a sword, with flaming eyes. We need to wait until we hear the trumpet blow. We need to wait until Y’shuaJesus calls our names. He’ll read them from The Book of Life. We’re in there. We need to have patience.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Okay, So I Am A Narrow-Minded Member Of A Culturally Ghettoized Evangelical Subculture

According to the Christian News Network, “Rob Bell, author of the best-selling and controversial book Love Wins, which challenges the Christian teaching of Hell, came out in support of homosexual marriage on Sunday and called “narrow” Christians to repentance.

“According to reports, Bell was speaking at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and delivered a message based on his new book What We Talk About When We Talk About God.

“I think we are witnessing the death of a particular subculture that doesn’t work,” he asserted. “I think there is a very narrow, politically intertwined, culturally ghettoized, evangelical subculture that was told ‘we’re gonna change the thing’ and they haven’t. And they actually have turned away lots of people.”

“And I think that when you’re in a part of a subculture that is dying, you make a lot more noise because it’s very painful. You sort of die or you adapt,” Bell continued. “And if you adapt, it means you have to come face to face with some of the ways we’ve talked about God, which don’t actually shape people into more loving, compassionate people. And we have supported policies and ways of viewing the world that are actually destructive. And we’ve done it in the name of God and we need to repent.”

And to this I have to say, “Yes, okay, so I am a narrow-minded member of a culturally ghettoized evangelical subculture.” But, guess what? Many are called to holiness, to be born again into the Kingdom of Y’shuaJesus, but few are chosen. And I, according to my faith, am chosen. I am chosen according to the Promise of The Father, The Son, The Spirit. I Am Chosen. Oh, and as for repentance. Well, perhaps Mr. Bell will come to repentance for being deceived, and for deceiving. May G-d bring Mr. Bell to his knees.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Some New Thing

Recently, in a devotional, Pastor Cornelius Fon in Cameroon wrote:

“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Act 2:41-47 KJV)

“Oh God have mercy upon us the preachers who have turn Your church to something that even You can not recognize. How we have gone very very far from the Church that You ordained. Materialism, egotism, selfish tendencies, worldliness, compromise, and what can I add or leave out… The Church a Body of Love has been transformed to something else. No doubt no power in the church today until preacher go to the devil for powers to do the work of God. What a shame and an insult to You, Most High. Have mercy O God, let your cleansing broom sweep pass making obvious all who are truly Yours and the hirelings. Heavenly Father, we need a renewal and revival in the lives of the preachers so that church now can be The Church.

“Please, fellow preachers and saints of God, we all need to mourn and wail for the misrepresentation we are doing. You in particular may not be involved but search deep in your heart, what have you done about those doing it. Have you cried out like Elijah? We need to mourn for the present day church, repent and allow Jesus to be Lord over His Church. We have to preach against sin, preach holiness and righteousness, preach the grace, in fact we have to preach the Kingdom of God and nothing else. May God help us to be God pleasers and not man pleasers.”

Pastor Cornelius’s devotional brings to mind what I was told of the origins of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, California. Pastor Chuck Smith pastored a Four Square Church in the 1960s. The Church’s district office was running a campaign to increase Church membership, to fill the pews, so to speak. Sounds all to familiar, doesn’t it. Now this bothered Pastor Smith, and he sought the Lord Y’shuaJesus about it. He was directed to this same scripture, Act 2:41-47, Pastor Cornelius has directed us to. Particularly, Pastor Smith read verse 47:

And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Acts 2:47

Well, Pastor Smith believe G-d, and his small church began to swell to the point that the denomination’s office noticed and questioned him. I understand the office was not pleased to hear from Pastor Smith that he didn’t do anything, just trusted that G-d’s word was as good then as it is now. Insubordination for some such heresy. Pastor Smith left the denomination not long afterward.

Now, as then, when the people of G-d begin to trust in the Word of the Lord, things happen, and resistance is met.

Reading Pastor Cornelius’s devotion also brought to mind this passage from Acts:

For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear, some new thing.

Acts 17:21

It seems always the same. People want to be entertained. In the Church Realm these days, people move from church to church looking for better worship, more “meaningful” preaching, and, yes, something they haven’t heard before, some new thing. We have “Big Box” churches in America gather in seekers to have their ears tickled. Too many of these churches have long, elaborate worship services and never once mention the Name of Jesus. The preaching tells us more about how we can feel good about ourselves than how we must feel about our relationship with Messiah, like that we ought REPENT while we have the opportunity! We need to hear how we can grow and live as Messiah in our modern world, not how we can transform our modern world into our corrupt, fallen image of what it should be.

No longer do I wonder why most Americans don’t seek to be saved; they’ve learned they don’t need salvation, that they’re perfect, god-like already. The only thing I wonder at is why we would bother trying to evangelize a stiff-necked, fallen people living in cities saying they’re building a better world, building a “Purpose Filled” P.E.A.C.E. The city dwellers are like the people of Sodom in the days of Abraham and Lot. It doesn’t surprise me at all that so many American’s are fleeing to what is now known as the “Redoubt” states, comprised of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and a few more. They are fleeing the coming wrath that will be poured out upon all flesh for arrogance in the face of the Almighty G-d. If not for the few, humble servants of the Lord, who live as strangers among the heathen, this wrath would surely have already come upon the Earth.

May the Lord rightly bless His People.