The Deception of Deception
Most of us lead lives that are not overly adventurous. We have to mow the yard and do the dishes. Our routine is mundane maybe to the point of being unbearably boring. The ordinary has been a part of our lives for a long, long time unless we are experiencing serious disaster. Sometime the ordinary is a good thing, especially compared to the alternative.
Jesus was talking to His disciples one day about the future destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. The disciples were amazed and asked Jesus, what would be the sign of the end of the age?
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. (Matt 24:4)
Jesus' reply was that the very end of the Age would be characterized by spiritual deception. This was the first thing an end time believer would have to know. This would be to the point of almost deceiving true Christians, certainly deceiving all fake Christians.
Some Christians have taken this warning very seriously. They see a demon behind every bush. No, wait, there's two demons behind that bush! Every pastor with more members than they is demon possessed. Every prominent preacher is a false prophet. Every “Big-Name” with a name bigger than theirs is a liar. Every YouTuber with more hits than they is a deceiver! Every event which cannot be explained naturally is the work of the devil!
Satan has already won the battle in these cases. The devil has seen his enemies destroy themselves without firing a shot. Jesus knew what He was talking about. Deception has already been successful by canceling out the supernatural from our lives. Jesus told us ahead of time that this was coming and yet we still fall into the devil's traps.
God has given His church 2,000 years to walk with the Holy Spirit before the end of the Age. This was supposed to prepare us corporately for the great coming spiritual deception. 500 believers saw Jesus at once at some point after His resurrection. Yet only 120 obeyed His command to wait in Jerusalem for...something. They did not know what. Naturalism gained control from the very beginning.
The prophet Joel tells about a great end time revival occurring in a time of great trouble. The apostle Peter, in Acts 2, says that this particular day of Pentecost was a fulfillment of part of Joel's prophecy. We have never yet seen all the signs of Joel's prophecy. The end times are characterized by great spiritual war. We have seen mighty things since the Day of Pentecost. However, much greater things are promised for the very end of this Age.
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, (Rev 12:7)
The end of the Age is characterized by war in heaven, war in the spirit. God equips His saints to live successfully in the last days. He grants us extra grace (or charis) to walk in the midst of this spiritual battlefield. He grants charisma as never before because of the day we will be walking in.
Therefore...
For this reason (because we will be floating in an ocean of the supernatural), Jesus issues the primary warning, Do not be deceived. He is not saying to stay away from the supernatural. This would be the deception itself. Walk with the Holy Spirit so closely that no other spirit can influence you.
After making this supreme warning, Jesus proceeds to tell His followers about the signs of the end.
Our job for the past 2,000 years has been to walk daily with the Holy Spirit, which includes embracing the Bible's teachings. We have had enough time to learn what is and what is not from the Lord. Now, in the 21st century we, as the Church, are ready to walk in the most significant time of the human race. It is a time of supernatural power, walking in it and being surrounded by it. It is a time of having the Holy Spirit within us and upon us while seeing the world filled with strange and unprecedented supernatural events. We walk through the bizarre supernatural environment untouched by evil because our Friend is forever with us. He will not fail and we cannot fail if we walk with Him.
Apr. 9, 2024