THE GREATEST DECEPTION
Kay Keith Peebles 11/20/2020 20.44
There is an art to deception. The deceiver is like a magician who keeps someone focused on one thing while he is actually doing something else undetected. Satan is the master deceiver! He distracts his prey with one issue while he’s working to kill, steal or destroy our purpose and well-being. Once the trap is set one may or may not realize they have been deceived and bound.
Whether it’s an individual or a nation, when either drifts from the Lord and His commandments, the deceiver is at work. It is through the love, mercy and grace of God that the Lord withdraws His protection so that trials can come to “wake up” the one who’s deceived before it’s too late! The Old Testament is a history of how the Lord deals with His people when they fall away from their covenant with Him. Before He sent judgment, He ALWAYS sent His prophets to warn the people. This gave them the chance to examine their hearts, attitudes and actions in order to repent and get right with God. Repentance stays the hand of God’s judgment.
2 Chronicles 7:13-14 says, “If I shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or if I command locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence and plague among my people, and My people, who are called by My Name, humble themselves, and pray and seek (crave, require as a necessity) My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear [them] from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.”
We have heard this scripture much in this year of trials but we must not become numb to its message. The scripture continues…”Now (after our repentance) My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer offered in this place. For now I have chosen and sanctified and set apart for My purpose this house that My Name may be here forever, and My eyes and My heart will be here perpetually.” 2 Chronicles 7:15. Emphasis mine.
This was the word the Lord gave to Solomon when he built and dedicated the Temple of God. It is as true and powerful today as it was in Solomon’s day because we who believe in Him are the temple of the Most High God. If we are truly His people then our hearts and homes are also His temple if we invite Him to come and dwell with us. Completely surrendered to the Lord and His ways, we can continually live in His manifest presence. However, if our prayers seem to fall on “deaf” ears, we are either praying amiss or there is some sin that has come between us and God. Either way, 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 is GOOD NEWS!
I grew up in the 1950s and ‘60s. The divorce rate in our nation and sadly within the church began to rise as many ignored God’s commandments regarding sexuality. Purity within the church had eroded while the preaching lacked the affirmation of the Power of God. Influenced by the infidelity in the home and enticed by the movie industry, college age youth rebelled against the church and flaunted their “free love” lifestyle. Many lived in group communes where sex was “free” and open and drugs were welcome. The lie and deception was that “love” (sex) had no constraints and the price for love was free. It wasn’t love at all. Having no commitment, partners were exchanged over and over again degrading the victims.
God’s plan for man and woman began with a marriage covenant that would last until the death of either the husband or the wife. This allowed the offspring to have a stable and loving home with the guidance of both a father and a mother. The balance of the two influences created a family centered on the Word of God. Instead, the Biblical commandments regarding relationships and sexual purity were disregarded. What ensued was a sexual revolution that created thousands of unwanted pregnancies but required no commitment or responsibility toward the partner or the life inside the womb. This opened a Pandora’s box of abortion on demand by 1973. The current count in our nation alone is over 61,000,000 babies killed. Truly, love isn’t free! It also drove the Women’s Movement which demonstrated a hatred of men. Having felt used and abandoned in their time of need, women turned in anger against men. The shout from the women in the mid 1970’s was “Male Chauvinist Pig” in their marches for equal rights.
Soon afterward, the LGBT movement grew from the division between the sexes. As a result, we have men dressing as women and women who look like men. The deceiver has succeeded in stealing the identity of men and women as well as the church! This storm continues to rage all because God’s commandments were rejected. The magnitude of the effects has now impacted our children who are being abducted and enslaved in sex-trafficking or enticed to “change” their God-given gender. Sadly, our society today is attempting to re-define marriage to include marriage between same sexes. Society does not determine what is morally and ethically right or wrong, God does!
The ineffective, powerless church offered no solution. Instead, many pointed a finger in self-righteous judgment while it condoned divorce, then abortion and now the LGBT lifestyle. The Lord loves those who have been deceived and caught up in sinful lifestyles. It is and has always been God’s heart to heal and restore the broken-hearted and to set the captives of Satan’s deception free. This is the very purpose for which He came. His love and passion was poured out when blood was shed so that we could all be forgiven of our sin, breaking the strongholds of shame, guilt and condemnation forever whether inside or outside of the church! Sin steals our true identity in Christ. Jesus came to redeem us and free us so that we could discover who God created us to be.
Jesus passionately loves His church! He died for her; she is His bride. He wants to restore the glory and splendor of His body, and set her on fire again. He’s coming back for a spotless BRIDE! He is calling us to buy gold refined by fire which is the purification of our faith, hearts, motives, actions and thoughts. When all darkness has been purged from our souls, we will shine the pure light of Jesus before the world and they will become hungry to know Him and willing to hear the Gospel of His kingdom. If My people…
“Or do you have no regard for the wealth of His kindness and tolerance and patience [in withholding His wrath]? Are you [actually] unaware or ignorant [of the fact] that God’s kindness leads you to repentance, that is to change your inner self, your old way of thinking—seek His purpose for your life? Romans 2:4. The Light of Christ dimmed while the devil celebrated. His deception and betrayal may have prospered for a time, but the Lord always has a faithful remnant, a church without compromise.
Today, we are experiencing the shaking of God to call back His church to repentance and a warning to both the church and society that the God of the Bible is still on His throne! We are entering into the “end times” and the Lord is stirring up His people to awaken, arise and repent! Many have lost their fervency for the Lord and too many only call upon Him only when they have a need. Faith is impotent while fear is rampant but there is GOOD NEWS. If My people…
Salvation is much more than saying a simple prayer believing in Jesus. Jesus called us to become His disciples. That doesn’t mean everyone is to become a preacher or a missionary but it does mean we are all to become fishers of men. Every man, woman and child that believes in Jesus as Savior and has surrendered their lives to His Lordship can be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us to heal the sick, raise the dead and set the spiritual captives free! Our lives are not our own. We have been bought with a price; the costly and precious blood of Jesus redeemed us from destruction but scripture is clear He expects a return on His investment!
Living by the Spirit of God directs us to a higher standard of living than the commandments of the Old Testament. Jesus said lust is adultery and we are to not only love our neighbors; we are to love our enemies! We are called to lay down our lives for the sake of spreading His Gospel to others. We are to be lights in the darkness, not curse the darkness. What is the evidence we are walking in the Spirit of God? The fruit of the Holy Spirit is our proof.
Love: true agape love for all, including the vilest sinner is His love. Love extends grace and mercy to others. God’s love is selfless. See 1 Corinthians 13. Joy: even when we are persecuted or face trials, our joy exudes faith in Him and a good outcome. Peace: the absence of fear and chaos. It demonstrates our complete trust in the Lord. Patience: the bedrock that holds us in trying times. Knowing God works all things together for our good we stand no matter what comes our way. Kindness: thinking of others before ourselves. It demonstrates compassion for others. Goodness: the essence of being morally good, virtuous. It is a higher level of living, uprightness of heart. Gentleness: humility in action. Not viewing ourselves more important than others. Faithfulness: one who is trustworthy and loyal. One who remains faithful to God and His Word and faithful in their actions with mankind. Self-Control: able to bridle one’s emotions, actions, and words in order to act responsibly according to God’s Word.
I think any of us reading these definitions of Christ-likeness can affirm we’re not fully there yet. There is room for improvement. If we all walked in these spiritual virtues, there would be no racism, arguments, divorces, immorality or any other works of darkness. The Lord is calling His church to come up higher. He is calling us to make Him LORD of all. Our potential is much greater than we have believed and practiced. While we will not be truly perfect until we see Him as He is, He has called us to lay aside frivolous things so that we can fully surrender to Him in order to do His will.
The Bible is clear there will be those who are left behind. May we choose to stop, re-evaluate our lives and our actions according to His Word and repent if we find ourselves in sin. The window of opportunity will soon close. When we put all our trust in Him and live being led by the Holy Spirit, we will not easily be deceived. There is absolutely nothing worth missing our eternity with Him.
