Delusional

Lately I have seen on social media people's discussions debating heaven and hell, and other Biblical truths. While the Bible is still the most read Book in the world, we are seeing more and more that people are walking away from its truths, and choosing instead to believe what scripture calls dangerous "delusions". As used in the New Testament, the Greek word for delusion is plane/planos meaning "a wandering, a straying about, one led astray from the right way, that which leads into error, deceit or fraud/corrupter, deceiver, imposter, seducing". However, accepting the deception is a choice: "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (mavet - death, dead, place of death (hades)." (Prov. 14:12, 16:25). Death, as we see above, is not just a condition, but includes the place of death, which is hades or hell. Hell exists. God never intended Hell for people, but for the devil and his angels. God does not send anyone to Hell, but it is a choice made by the individual to reject the gift of salvation in Christ and His everlasting life, and instead choose to remain separated from God. Death and the place of death are the results of separation from God, Who is life. Jesus also taught that this place of death is a place of torment as well. The LORD revealed this to His prophet Ezekiel: "Say unto them, As I live, saith the LORD God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" (Ezek. 33:11), This prophetic Word is being delivered to God's people, telling them to turn away from their ways that lead to death. Second Chronicles 7:14 states the same thing: "If My people...turn from their wicked ways...I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." Sin is defined as "missing the mark", as if an archer were aiming at a target, but misses that target. God swore on His own life (above) in concern for His people and their sins, yet the church accepts wickedness! Paul wrote that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). He also wrote: "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom. 6:22-23). The church is not meant to be the house of sin and death, but of the holiness of God and life. Paul wrote also in Romans when discussing the evil doers of the world, "And such were some of you..." (1 Cor. 6:11). We who are in Christ are no longer to be of that wickedness. Delusions and deceptions will appear as the return of Christ draws nearer. We have already seen cults, false teachers and false messiahs. Paul wrote in order to correct misconceptions, and to lay out the true order of events before the coming of Jesus Christ: "...be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." (2 Thess. 2:1-4). We see now the "falling away" from faith that Paul spoke of above: falling away from truth, changing scripture instead of changing ourselves. Paul wrote above of the son of perdition (as Christ said of Judas the betrayer also), whom we call "the antichrist". The son of perdition's coming "is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish (apollymi - destroy, put to death, to give over to eternal misery in hell); because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a (the) lie: That they all might be damned that believed not in the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (v. 9-12). "Deceivableness" accompanies unrighteousness, and they will believe THE lie (in Greek), which is the lie first told to man in the garden by Satan: "Hath God said...?" Deception which leads to death starts with questioning, doubting and twisting the Word of God, as it did with Adam and Eve. This delusion comes upon them from the Lord because they chose to hate the truth and prefer the lie. The Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming both the son of perdition, who is the antichrist, and those who are deceived into following him (v. 8). Calling out sin and unrighteousness is not being judgmental. It is what God says in His Word. There is pleasure in sin for a season, scripture says, but you will pay with eternity. The world doesn't just want us to be silent about sin, but to celebrate sin. Don't be deceived. As Paul wrote in Colossians: "...lest any man should beguile you with enticing words...As ye have therfore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith." (Col. 2:4-7). Paul warned further: "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." (v. 8). There are many philosophies and traditional knowledge of men, but as they are without Christ, none of them can save anyone from death. Only the understanding, knowledge and wisdom hidden in Christ can do that and with full assurance ( v. 2-3). It is too easy for men to be deceived - wake up! Jesus revealed to religious people the source of their rejection of truth: "You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not...He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." (Jn. 8:44-46). The Book of Hebrews tells us to heed what we have heard: "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him. God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?" (Heb. 2:1-3). Not only did Jesus Himself bring the news of salvation for men, but He was heard by those who gave witness to His words. God confirmed the truth of those words of the witnesses with miracles, signs and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the manifestation of His spiritual gifts. Knowing the truth, do we remain silent to the lies and their delusion? When we speak the truth of the Word of God, and His salvation delivered to man by Jesus, is it judgmentalism or love? I say it is love. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 4/23/23 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook. You can also get a free ebook titled "The Shroud of Turin- A Perfect Summary" at www.TheShroudofTurin.org/freebook.

The Truth vs. The Lie*

 

 

Charles Spurgeon once said, "A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." Lies seem to outdistance truth in our world on a regular basis.

The Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels exalted the power of the lie. He said that if a lie was repeated long enough, it becomes the truth. The lies of the Nazis, as we all know, led to much death and destruction, and finally, to their own destruction.

Our God is the Speaker of truth, and the Judge of the lie. His word is clear on the subject, and has been since the beginning. As Truth, He is unchanging in all things. His Son, our Savior, Jesus, sent in the name of His Father, was Truth made flesh: Truth walking in an "earth suit". Even in the midst of His examination before Pontius Pilate, He maintained His mission of Truth:

"Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice."  Jn. 18:37

Truth not only identifies who God is and who Jesus is, but it also identifies who we are: "of the truth".

As Jesus promised to bring us into His Father's house, to bring us where He is, to the place that He has gone ahead to prepare for us, Jesus assured us that if these things were NOT so, He would have told us. However, because He has spoken Truth, and we have believed Him, we can be sure of these things. When asked how we can know this way to the Father, and be with Christ in such a place, Jesus said as the guarantee, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him."  
                                                                                                Jn. 14:1-7 (excerpt)

There is no way to the Father except by the living person of Truth, Jesus. All other ways, are lies. Because men believe the destroying lies so readily, as they appeal to the sin and rebellion in our hearts, God has made His judgment clear regarding lies and liars:

"And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega (Heb.-"Aleph-Tav"), the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."   Rev. 21:6-8

The Truth brings us into eternal life, having passed through only the valley of the shadow of death, immediately entering the presence of the Lord and His glory, as promised. Liars, and the other abominables face the full horror of never-ending death. Again, the Lord says of the difference in the futures of those who follow the Truth vs. those who chase and believe the lie:

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city (New Jerusalem). For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."     Rev. 22:13--15

In a listing of the six things the LORD hates, even calling seven an abomination, the LORD includes:

"...a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."   Prov. 6:16-19
God hates the lies and liars that send men to their destruction.

Peter revealed that those who prophecy, speak and teach lies have many followers. Because of them, "...the way of truth shall be evil spoken of." (2 Pet. 2:1-2). This is certainly the case today. Peter warned, however, that those involved in this teaching of lies, and those who quickly accept the lies, bring upon themselves swift destruction.

The apostle Paul had to address false teachings in the Church concerning the coming of Christ, and our gathering together unto Him. It was being falsely said that these events had already occurred, greatly upsetting those believers who heard these false teachings..
Paul reminded the Church that a great falling away would occur before the return of Christ, as well as the revealing of the son of perdition, who would oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God. These events would be a confrontation between the Truth, and the lie, and those who believe the lie. This son of perdition "whose coming is after the work of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."   2 Thess. 2:1-12 (excerpt)
Though the above verse refers to "a lie", the language used should be read as "the lie". The lie existed from the beginning of man. It was in the Garden as it challenged Eve saying, "Yea, hath God said...?" (Gen. 3:1). The lie promoted the idea that God did not tell the man and woman the truth. Man is still believing that same original lie. Even the Church has often believed that same lie, failing to teach the truth of His Word, but we have been called by Christ to be "of the truth".

 *The above is based upon the 8/4/19 message to the Church from Dr. Kenneth Stevenson.

To Contact/Submit prayer requests/Support the ministry/Order the book, "NAZAH":

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https://everlastingcovenant.sermon.net/main/main/21320220
 

Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.

 

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Esse Non Videri

The meaning of the Latin words used in the title of this entry is, "To be, not to seem". It was the motto of a US Air Force Academy class. The cadets of that class felt that it was not enough just to have the outward appearance of an officer, but to also exercise the honorable behavior expected in an officer of the US Air Force. The Air force academy embraced this "whole man" concept of an officer, and enforced an honor system of behavior, after noting the behavior of Nazi officers in WWII, who thought their duty began and ended in obeying all orders, even those orders that were evil and immoral.
In the same manner, the LORD, and His living Word, expect us not to have an outward appearance of Christianity only, but the inward reality as well. We read in scripture that in these last days,there will be those who will not be genuine in their faith, those who will teach false doctrine, and those who will be eager to accept that false doctrine. We see this increasingly in the Church now as the return of Christ draws near. More and more, those who call themselves Christians are rejecting the truth of God's word, and embracing those things that God has called unacceptable. Paul warned that the day of Christ's return "shall not come, except there be a falling away (apostasy, defection from truth, repudiation, divorcement, cause to withdraw, incite to revolt) first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition..." (2 Thess. 2:3). Those who had once seemingly embraced the gospel, will abandon it, and incite others to do so also. Paul explained why this would happen:
"And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion (wandering, straying, error, leading into error, wrong opinion), that they should believe a (the) lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."   v. 10-12
These who had seemed to be in the faith will fall away because they do not value the truth, and the lie is more appealing to them. This lie challenges the truth of God's Word, as Satan did originally in Gen. 2. Choosing to believe the lie leads them into continuing in the pleasure they find in unrighteousness. Because of that choice to believe the lie, God will send strong delusion upon them. Isaiah also prophesies of a delusion sent by God:
"I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not."  Isa. 66:4
Our choices determine our destiny in God. Even now, there are those in the Body of Christ who encourage, teach, and celebrate unrighteousness as being acceptable to God. However, we are not called to just seem to be followers of Christ, but to BE followers of Christ and His Word.
Paul exhorts us to be genuine in faith and in righteousness, to stand fast by the Word: "God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."   2 Thess. 2:13-15
Our sanctification is a transforming work, a renewing of the mind, by the Holy Spirit through the Word of Truth, as we offer ourselves sacrificially to the proving of the will of God in our spiritual service and worship (Rom. 12:1-2). It is a continuing process of sanctification resulting in a perfect man, a unity of faith, and the growing into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, speaking the truth in love (Eph. 4:11-13,15). Not only is the individual believer perfected in this spiritual transformation, but the whole Body of Christ is also perfected by its members. Those who refuse this transforming and renewing process by the Holy Spirit and the Word of Truth "walk in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: ...have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ...put off (cast off, lay aside)...the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on (sink into like a garment) the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."  v. 17-24
This process of "being, rather than just seeming" requires us to put away lying and lies, receive truth for ourselves, and speak the truth to others (v. 25). Put on the whole armor of God, which defends every part of our body, soul, and spirit in the truth of God's Word and His salvation, righteousness, and peace, against the spiritual wickedness that would try to cause men to fall away from truth and life to their destruction and damnation (Eph. 6:10-17).
Pray always and diligently, for yourself, and for all the saints of God, especially in these days of lies and strong delusions. It is time to be, and not to seem.

To Contact/Submit Prayer Request/Support the Ministry/To Order the book, "NAZAH":
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Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior:Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.