Monday Devo - Do Not Be Deceived
Do not be deceived!
This is a very strong command we can see throughout the Word of God and is tied to believing lies or even, at minimum, being desensitized to the lies. What lies am I talking about? The lies of Satan to pull us away from the truth. Please take the time to read the references I have placed below, and like anything any of us put out, be as a Berean (Acts 17).
As Jesus started his Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21), He leads off with “Take heed that no one deceives you.” The Olivet Discourse is the explanation by Jesus Himself of the signs of the times. What times? The end of times. The times that I truly feel we are experiencing and will experience to its fullness before the death of our generation. Why would Jesus lead off with such a stern warning? Read or watch the news every day as it is in our face.
Romans 1 and 2 Timothy 3 both lay out what specific things to keep away from. They also warn what will become of someone if they not only support but are complacent with these forms of unrighteousness. Romans 1 says they will be given over to a reprobate mind. 2 Timothy 3 says they will seek knowledge but not find truth. Both of these judgements push the individual or corporate group (school, church, city, county, state, country) further into wickedness.
Here is a list of a couple things you can see in our daily news that have elements of truth that are wrapped in lies, a tactic by Satan himself:
1) Climate Change: this is earth worship. There is no doubt the climate is changing. Jesus Himself declared the climate would be climactic at the end of days. Climate Change is a way for Satan to keep the focus off the signs of the times. This deception says we as a world have to make drastic changes in order to stop climate change. We can’t stop it as it is determined for this world as it comes to a close. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be good stewards of our world. It just means what they sell to us is a deception and form of control.
2) Love is Love: this is a way to condition for the acceptance of sexuality in any form. This can also encompass LGBTQ as well. Remember, any sexual thought or action outside the Biblical confines of a marriage between a man and woman is wrong. We are being conditioned to accept there are more than two genders, sex has no boundaries, and you are a hateful bigot if you don’t believe this. In essence, if you believe in the Biblical confines of sexuality, you are wrong.
3) Ethnic division: this is blatant in my opinion. There are organizations that blatantly tout this. One in particular is in the news in our country every day. Racism is sin. There is no doubt about that, and it is present, has always been present, and will always be present. The only thing in this life that matters, through the eyes of God Himself, is what a person does with Jesus. It is nothing about your skin color or anything. To try and come to reconciliation without Jesus is a deception by Satan Himself. Remember, part of the Olivet Discourse said, as translated in English, that nation will be against nation. The actual verbiage there means ethnic group against ethnic group. The further divide we see in our world based on ethnicity is only further evidence we are living in truly prophetic times.
4) Women’s Health Rights: this is a cloak of deception in itself. This is now the new coined phrase to replace pro-abortion or pro-choice. Modern time abortion is what child sacrifice was in ancient times. Nothing more needs said there.
These are just a few items that come to mind when I read from Jesus, “do not be deceived.” If this makes you feel uncomfortable, maybe there is sin that needs confessed either from action or complacency with these matters. Remember, sin is sin. There is no hierarchy of sin. Jesus paid for all of this on the cross. Shame does not come from Jesus. We are to freely approach the throne of grace and mercy, and He will forgive us. There is so much out there that is pulling our attention away from both Jesus Himself and the truth that the hour is late. Our King comes soon! We are to have our houses in order. This is just as much of a lesson to me as well. Please know that.
In conclusion, we live in very interesting and what I believe are very prophetically, impactful times. Sin has always been present on this earth, but the amount of deception that is out in the open and claimed as truth is clearly on the rise. Remember what Isaiah (Is. 5:20) said of this matter:
“Woe to them that call evil good and good evil; that put darkness for light and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”
Let us as Believers and CityPoint Church claim truth in love.
- Michael Gentosi