There is a lot of scripture quoted in this post. Many do not like to read a lot of scripture, but prefer to read some person's interpretation of scripture written in a few short paragraphs. But the theologies popular now in 2013 do not usually deal with deception as contrasted to truth. The New Testament does deal with deception and truth.
"And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Matthew 24: 3-5
"And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." Matthew 24: 11
"Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away........Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.............But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." II Timothy 3: 4-5, 7-8, 13
"For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
4. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;" Titus 3: 3-5
"And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live." Revelation 13: 14
In Revelation 13: 14 "he" is the second beast whose description runs from Revelation 13: 11 to Revelation 13: 18. Revelation 13: 11-12 give some indication of the identity of the second beast. He looks like a lamb, but speaks as a dragon. He pretends to be a Christian leader, but what he says comes out of the dragon. What the second beast says is deception. He is a deceiver. And he represents the many false prophets of Matthew 24: 11. This second beast causes people to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed. The head of the second beast whose deadly wound was healed is found in Revelation 13: 3. This head of the first beast is a nation, who is part of or allied with the first beast who is said in verse two to be like the leopard, bear and lion empires in Daniel 7: 4-8. The first beast who has the traits of the three empires coming before it is a nation, a superpower.
So, deception comes from the many false prophets running around inside the organized Christian community; the false prophets are the priests and preachers.
"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." John 1: 17
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14: 6
"By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left," II Corinthians 6: 7
"As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia." II Corinthians 11: 10
"And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
"Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." I Timothy 2: 4
II Timothy 3: 7 says "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."
And last James 1: 18 says "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."
Truth comes from Jesus Christ and deception comes from the huge number of false prophets, the priests, preachers and professors in the seminaries.
"And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood." Revelation 12: 15 Note that this flood comes from the mouth of the serpent. The serpent inspires his human minions, the false prophets, to speak false doctrines, which is deception. It is not easy for a Baby Christian to tell the difference between the truth and the false doctrines which are presented by the false prophets as the truth, but are deception. "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God..." I Corinthians 2: 14
The false prophets do not teach truth which would change those in the state of the natural man to a spiritual state in Christ.
In Revelation 9: 17, 18, and 19 the metaphoric army of horsemen who represent the many false prophets do their work by their mouths, by what they say, or write. Again, what the speak with their mouths is deception.
The difference between truth and deception is subtle and many are deceived who do not have a love for the truth and know the truth to some extent. Many people who have gone to church for decades believe they are in the truth, but they are in deception since they follow false doctrines.
"Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." Luke 13:23-24
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:13-14
"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23.And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Matthew 7: 22-23
The preaching of an easy salvation, almost by a procedure of making an Alter Call, being baptized and joining a church leads to congregations who are not transformed from the state of the natural man to being in Christ and led by the Spirit. In the state of the natural man, thinking they are saved, they are vulnerable to deception. Deception is in the churches.
"The difference between truth and deception is subtle and many are deceived who do not have a love for the truth and know the truth to some extent. Many people who have gone to church for decades believe they are in the truth, but they are in deception since they follow false doctrines."
They all believe that this deception is in some other church but not in theirs. I left the entire system many years ago. It is funny (in a very sad way) to watch and listen to all of the church goers from my position outside of the system.
The mega-church movement leverages "crowd psychology" to seduce it's attendees into emotional trances where they can be easily overcome by deception. The power of the crowd has replaced the Power of the Cross.
Deception is definitely in the churches, it's been around a long time, Paul was warning the church about it while he was still alive. It's almost silly to think they we have somehow come out of it now when the bible says it will be getting worse and worse as we near the end.
21For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 23Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25Behold, I have told you before.
SOooo...IWA doesn't attend a church at all...and he believes his Calvinism isn't a Cult ???...:laugh:...Im I getting this right ???...So...What constitutes a church ???...The person that has Christ within and is within Christ ???...What constitutes a Cult ???...Any Organized Group/Gathering that is Exclusive by doctrines that are solely theirs and no others ???...Humm....much to ponder...:rolleyes:...Oh well...Ive ponder enough and Ima get back to read and studying the Word...Yall hava Blessed day... X <>< O
God's born again saints don't need signs and wonders or a pope or Calvin's Insitutes. They just need God's Word and lots of Bible study!!
Jesus commands, "Make disciples of *ALL NATIONS*...teaching them to **OBEY EVERYTHING** I have commanded you." I John 2:3-5: We know we have come to know Him {Jesus} **IF** we obey His commands. The man who says, "I know Him," but does not do what He commands is a liar and the truth is not in him. But **IF** anyone obeys His Word, God's love is truly made complete in him.
THE GREAT COMMISSION: Matthew 28:18-20: Jesus says, �All authority in heaven and on *EARTH has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of *ALL NATIONS*...teaching them to **OBEY EVERYTHING** I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very *END OF THE AGE*!�
Ephesians 4:11-16: It was He {Jesus} who gives some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.... Speakig the Truth in **LOVE**, we will in all things grow up into Him, who is the Head, that is Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament grows and builds itself up in **LOVE**, as each part does its work!
2 Timothy 3:16; 4:2: All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God my be thoroughly equipped for every good work...**PREACH THE WORD**; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.
Acts 17:11: Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and EXAMINED the SCRIPTURES *EVERY DAY*!!
James 1:22: Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. **DO WHAT IT SAYS*...But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, *BUT DOING IT*--he will be blessed in what he does!!
READ GOD'S WORD DAILY AND THEN DO WHAT IT SAYS!!
Psalm 119 has 176 verses praising the Word of God. The Old Testament had 613 laws and the New Covenant of Jesus and His love has about 400 commands of LOVE which Psalm 119 also applies to. Some of my favorite verses is Psalm 119 are:
119:105: Your Word is a Lamp to my feet and a Light for my path.
119:97: Oh how I love your law, I meditate on it all day long.
119:148: My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I meditate on your promises.
119:164: Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.
119:169: Give me understanding according to your Word.
119:2: Blessed are those who keep His statues and seek Him with all your heart.
119:11: I have hidden your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.
Deuteronomy 4:2: God says, "Do not *ADD* to what I command you and do not *SUBTRACT* from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you!!"
Deut 18:17-19: The Lord says, "I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put My words in His mouth, and He will tell them evereything I command Him. If anyone does not listen to My words that the Prophet speaks in My Name, I Myself will call Him to account."
John 14:23,24: Jesus says, "If anyone loves Me, He will obey My teaching. My Father will love Him, and we will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me will not obey My teaching.
Revelation 22:16,18,19: "I, Jesus. have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the Churches.... I warn everyone who hears the words of this prophecy of this Book: If anyone *ADDS* anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this Book {Including **ETERNAL HELL**} And if anyone **TAKES WORDS AWAY** from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the Tree of Life and in the Holy City {The New Jerusalem}, which are described in this book."
I Peter 1:23-25: You have been born again.. through the Living and Enduring Word of God. All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field, the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the **WORD OF THE LORD STANDS FOREVER**. And this is the Word that was preached to you.
