Be not deceived 5/2/21

Be Not Deceived
Introduction:
Faith in God is being challenged like never before.
Without faith we cannot please God.
He is a rewarder of them that seek him.
We must be very intentional.
Commitment is necessary.
Stand fast in the lord.  contend for the faith as you stand firm.   Witness a word of hope to the lost.
Gross darkness Is upon the people
Don’t hide your light!  Let your light so shine
 
Ezekeil 3
Contending for the faith.  The antichrist is trying to discourage and wear out  the saints.
Warn the righteous and the wicked.
Look into the distance and see the coming judgment God brings in the earth and the coming of the Lord.
Pg 2
Ezekiel 3:17  give them warning.    warn the wicked to save his life.  Get saved, stay saved and get somebody else saved!
Exhort one another daily  Hebrews 3   “ beware lest there be found in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God”
 
The deceitfulness of sin.   stand strong. stay focused on faithfulness of God.
God is not willing that any should perish.
2Peter 3: 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
 
The Galatian church began to be more worldly minded.  The wisdom of man rather than God’s wisdom
Understanding the simplicity of the gospel and the word of God

The church began moving into “another gospel”
Let him be accursed
Galatians 1:8 8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, God’s word,  challenges them and lets them know  mixture of the other religions even New Age leachers misinterpreting scripture, enticing, using soul power, mind and intellect
Intellectual reasoning to operate in the soulish realm,  changing the word of God to man’s Power and self-worth, etc.
“You shall be as Gods” Gen 3
The devil and circumstances of life challenge your faith.  “Is this really the right thing to believe?
Holy men of old spoke as moved by the Holy Ghost.  The Holy Spirit wrote the Bible.
2 Peter 1:21 21For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
He is the only one qualified to give understanding
The unregenerate man cannot know except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Without a relationship with God,  having the spirit of God in them 
pg 4  the spirit of science, so called, secular humanism, materialism, etc.
Man’s attempt to be his own God
The desire of unregenerate man seems wise to them but “the ends thereof are the ways of death.” (Prov. 14:12)
 
There is a wide way that seems right, but the ends thereof are the ways of death and destruction and a narrow way that leads to leading to life which few find. 
The word seems like foolishness to man. They cannot  see the kingdom and understand things feely given to us.
Again, Man is trying to make himself God.
2Cor. 11  the blood, the word, the name, salvation, the simplicity of life in the kingdom
Paul was exposing false preachers and proving his apostleship
2 Corinthians 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 
2Cor 11:14 Satan transformed AS AN ANGEL OF LIGHT, his messengers, also….
Satan is very subtle. Has ….. working for him
Pg 5
The ministry of iniquity/lawlessness
Hosea -  people rejected the knowledge of God and turned to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.
The Mystery of Iniquity is the secret behind the scenes activity of evil powers throughout human history, preparing the way for the apostacy and the man of sin (anti-christ).  The process and plan of Satan that entraps unbelievers and prepares many within the church to turn away from true faith to a form of godliness without power.

There is a process and a plan of Satan.  He turns many to a form of godliness with no power.
Slowly but surely eats away to make the foundation weak.
He replaces it with a spirit of tolerance and acceptance.  
But we must let our Faith rest in the power of God.
1 Corinthians 2:5 so that your faith would not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God. so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
Perilous times shall come 
2 Timothy 3:1-3 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
?? check  Recording here:  Matt 24  There is no other way, no other mediator.  We cannot compromise to be liked or pleasing in the eyes of man
(Mattt 24:11)  many false prophets shall arise and deceive many.  Satan’s plan is to tear down faith and destroy the foundation!  We stand on the Word of God.
?? check recording   Causes greater confrontation to the world. 
Judgement must begin at the house of God. (Amos 3:7)
“They that shall live godly shall suffer persecution”  (2Tim 3:12)
“The foundation of the Lord standeth sure”  (2Tim 2:19-21)19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
In the last days iniquity shall abound because love waxes cold.
We must increase our love:  Love for the brethren, love for the Lord, love for the lost.
Like the Ephesians church, We have left our first love 
4Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
(Revelation 2:4,5)
 
Our interest and zeal for God is not where it once was.  It has lost intensity, allowing other things to creep in and begin to feel comfortable to you.  But Love will burn away the enticements of the enemy.
 
see Bruce notes or recording
Keep the fire burning let the flame arise to higher heights.
Wicked, demonic forces begin to creep in
 
Pg7
 
(Matt 24:11)  be not deceived,
false Christs and false prophets shall arise and if possible even the elect will be deceived
(Matthew 24:24-26)
24 For 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.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
 
Take heed When you think you stand  
(1 Corinthians 10:12)   Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall
My thought from scripture: what are we supposed to do to guard against falling?
  (1TIM 4:13)   Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
 
Read the scriptures, exhort one another to love and good works, know the doctrine of Christ, endeavor for the unity of the spirit.
 
Mixture:  _____ Christ with politics    conflicting political views
 
Jesus said, render to God the things that are God’s and to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.  If his kingdom were of this world, then would his disciples fight.
Many think of politics rather than kingdom.
 
Religious racism is on the rise.
God looks at the heart.  Racism looks at skin, not sin.  You can’t legislate morality.
The law of God changes the heart.  It deals with man’s heart.
 
Pg8
1Corinthians 5:17  Therefore If any man be in Christ,  he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold , all things are become new.
(Add this thought here)  19 to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
 
Satan comes to disarm the saints. 
Daniel 7  sent to wear out the saints and change times and laws
 
We must stay on our knees to grow stronger and stronger in the Lord
 
Times are changed.  This is a new day and a new generation
The spirit of antichrist to change the laws of nature, even gender, etc.  People are confused
Sinners will sin – they who name the name of Christ must warn.
Give people chapter and verse, let His word do the warfare.
God can defend himself.
 
Pg 9
The Church Age-
Revelation 3:14  Laodicea the apostate church
Neither cold nor hot, lukewarm, miserable, poor, blind and naked
The church has lost its voice, people can’t see the difference, the word is watered down. My thoughts - warning (Matthew 5:13)Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be” salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men…14Ye are the light of the world…16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
 
 
Apostate Church– “the rule of the people” – no longer submitted to God’s authority
Welcoming church, comfortable, feel good, no judgment or accountability, Prestige, wealth, political power but blind, etc.
 
Jesus says anoint your eyes with eyesalve to see  (look up eyesalve    eye-salve : used as a stimulant to revive a person who is in an unconscious condition, or to cure a person of chronic headache; EYESALVE. i'-sav (kollourion; collyrium; Revelation 3:18 ): A Phrygian powder mentioned by Galen, for which the medical school of Laodicea seems to have been famous (see Ramsay, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia), but the figurative reference is to the restoring of spiritual vision. Copyright Statement. These files are public domain. )
 
 
The church is focused on this world and social justice  the things of this world instead of kingdom
This world is coming to an end.
We are mixing the fire of God with the standards of the world
We need discernment to see and hear by the Spirit
 
Pg 10
(Romans 8:14)  “As many as are led of the Spirit are the sons of God”
Allowing themselves to be led by the spirit
 
Trust in the Lord
As many as I love I rebuke…
 
If any man hear my voice and open the door… Revelation 3:20, KJV: "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
As I overcame and have sat with my Father   Revelation 3:21 KJV
Hear what the spirit says!
 
 
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.   Revelation 2:7
 
Closing thoughts:
 
We have a glorious future
Don’t lose your steadfastness in Christ
 
Proverbs 3:5,6  5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.