Category: lies / deception

Deceptions and Distractions #5

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

“Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law” (Romans 2:17-20 KJV).

May we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to believe a lesson from Israel’s ancient history….

Like the phony pregnant female beggar distracting us from helping people who truly are underprivileged, so the fakers in religion use “sleight of men and cunning craftiness” (Ephesians 4:14) to divert our attention from what is really going on, what actually matters, what in fact is valuable. Counterfeits captivate our concentration.

There are multiplied alleged “aids to worship”—prayer beads, prayer wheels, icons, images, statues, and the like. There are so many “mediators to God”—intercessory saints and angels, a sinless perpetual virgin, and so on. There are multiplied supposed “teachers”—priests, “scholars,” church fathers, professors, and authors. Is it any wonder why the professing church is so greatly disoriented, deceived, and disabled? The primary factor is willful ignorance. We need to quit depending on people and start reading our King James Bible ourselves. We should start rightly dividing the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15) and stop making everything in Scripture the same.

Saints, let us be careful not to merely possess the rightly divided Scriptures, but to study them, and most importantly, believe them in our heart (not just our head). If we truly and consistently walk by faith in Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, we will be right in the center of God’s will. The indwelling Holy Spirit will take those principles of grace and put them on display in our life. It will be the very life of the Lord Jesus Christ. We will be neither deceived nor distracted! 🙂

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1,2).

NOTE: Brethren, this is our final original devotional for 2023, as our classic Christmas studies will now run the rest of the year.

Deceptions and Distractions #4

Monday, November 27, 2023

“Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law” (Romans 2:17-20 KJV).

May we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to believe a lesson from Israel’s ancient history….

Any serious Bible student is aware of the disaster in Genesis chapter 3: “[1] Now the serpent was more subtil [sneaky, crafty] than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? [2] And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: [3] But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. [4] And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: [5] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. [6] And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

Satan convinced Eve to be dissatisfied with the identity that God gave her (and be ungrateful for His words in Genesis 2:16,17). She was led to believe she and her husband could be more than what they were, that “generous” Satan knew and would share the secret to true fulfillment and happiness (what “unfriendly” God had allegedly deprived them of!). Again, such deceptions and distractions are all around us now….

Deceptions and Distractions #3

Sunday, November 26, 2023

“Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law” (Romans 2:17-20 KJV).

May we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to believe a lesson from Israel’s ancient history….

Satan exploited sin and peer pressure from the neighboring Gentiles to lead Israel away from the LORD God (for example, see 2 Kings 17:6-23, Jeremiah 3:1-25, Daniel 9:3-20, and Acts 7:37-43). Instead of learning the lesson of the Law—that they were sinners like everyone else—Israel paid attention to all kinds of foreign, wrong ideas. As opposed to reaching the point where they could share the Word of God with the nations, Israel grew haughty and self-righteous—“We have the Bible but you do not!” True, the Jews possessed the Old Testament Scriptures and knew the will of God. Still, did they esteem and do the will of God? Of course not! Read today’s Scripture, plus the rest of Romans chapter 2.

Regrettably, today’s professing church finds itself in Israel’s spiritual trap. Church members everywhere are at least partly familiar with Scripture—although tending to value religious tradition above the Word of God, waste large amounts of time learning the ways of the world, promote fear and ignorance because of their spiritual immaturity, and countless other tragedies. By means of his evil world system, Satan has been “waving his hand,” and nearly everyone has whiplash from looking from side to side. They are not concentrating on the Word of God rightly divided!

Our minds and hearts are designed to think about and value something. If we fail to ponder what is good, then what is bad will become the center of our attention and affection. Satan knows precisely how to use this to his advantage; he has had thousands of years of practice (!). If we can major on the minors, and minor on the majors, then he has us fighting his battles for him….

Deceptions and Distractions #2

Saturday, November 25, 2023

“Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law” (Romans 2:17-20 KJV).

May we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to believe a lesson from Israel’s ancient history….

Consider Deuteronomy chapter 4: “[5] Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. [6] Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. [7] For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? [8] And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?”

As the Gentiles watched, Israel was to demonstrate the values and life of the one true God (see today’s Scripture). The Jews held the codified record of what the LORD believed and did. If they walked by faith in that Divine revelation, Satan’s policy of evil in the Earth would be limited. Satan is no dummy. While he could not eliminate the Hebrew Bible, he could—and did!—use assorted methods to sidetrack Israel from it.

Go to a student listening to a teacher. Wave your hand so he or she looks toward your direction. No longer focused on the teacher, the person stares at you, and you exclaim, “Made you look!” This is Satan’s primary tactic: using distractions or counterfeits to get our eyes and minds off God’s words to us. This led to the downfall of Adam and Eve in Genesis chapter 3, the spiritual destruction of Israel, and the debilitation of the Church the Body of Christ….

Deceptions and Distractions #1

Friday, November 24, 2023

“Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law” (Romans 2:17-20 KJV).

May we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to believe a lesson from Israel’s ancient history….

Long ago, a female driver noticed a pregnant lady and a little boy begging at a major intersection. Their sign carried a tragic message, basically describing their extreme financial difficulties. Passersby gave the pregnant lady donations because they felt sorry for her. Later, the driver returned to the scene to see the lady and the boy getting into an exotic car. The male driver of this expensive car was laughing with the pregnant lady as they counted the money. In other words, it was a clever scam! The pregnant woman was not poor at all. By the time the car’s license-plate number was traced, the people had vacated their upscale apartment and disappeared altogether. Sadly, such thieves take resources from truly needy souls.

Would it not be nice if everyone just got along? There would be no war or violent loss of human life. What if everyone told the truth? We could trust everyone without hesitation. Would it not be wonderful if all people actually cared for one another? There would be no malice, greed, poverty, laziness, stealing, adultery, or coveting. Our prisons would be totally empty, our morgues would be less busy, and our cemeteries would be much smaller. It would be like living on another planet, a place completely unrecognizable. Unfortunately, (as you might have noticed!) we do not live in a perfect world. We cannot always believe everything we hear. Everyone does not seek our wellbeing. A person is not necessarily our friend. What appears harmless or good, may, in fact, not be. We have not been promised a problem-free, deception-free, distraction-free earthly life.

Still, like He did with Israel in today’s Scripture, God has prepared us to survive this crazy world….

Wishful Thinking

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation” (Matthew 23:14 KJV).

Beware, there are scammers everywhere!

Desperate to reduce his monthly electric bill, a friend shared with me his intention of purchasing two devices that would allegedly save him money. Their advertisement had convinced him, but I replied quite bluntly: “That sounds like a clever scam, so do not bother with it.” However, refusing to listen to reason, he continued justifying why he would buy them. Though expensive, one celebrity supposedly endorsed it and the online reviews were positive. He stubbornly told me he wished to give the product a try.

Later, after he bought them, and as he awaited the package by mail, he and I conversed again. I cautioned him, urging him to return the items upon arrival, so he could obtain a refund. Yet, in order to test the devices and see if they actually saved him any money, he would have to wait a month for his next electric bill. Unfortunately, the products had to be returned within 30 days for a refund. To make a long story short, he received the parcel, the devices were junk (surprise!), and he ended up being stuck with his same monthly electric bill plus the unreasonable price of the gadgets. After all that disappointment and permanent loss of money, he told me, “It is a scam!” (Of course!)

There is an old saying: “If it is too good to be true, it probably is.” We would save ourselves a great deal of misfortune, money, and harm if we just used this type of simple common sense. Our sinful, cruel world is filled with frauds and thieves—especially in religion. Wishful thinking and desperate souls go hand in hand. In today’s Scripture, the Lord Jesus pronounced harsh condemnation for spiritual leaders who preyed on and robbed widows. These men charged excessive fees with the promise of arduously praying for dead spouses to escape some nonexistent place (a Jewish purgatory, actually!).

Dear friends, we had better believe our King James Bible rightly divided, or wishful thinking will become our thinking.

Not Made Perfect by the Flesh #5

Friday, October 30, 2020

“O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:1-3 KJV).

Can “the flesh” add anything to the Holy Spirit’s work? Nay, it cannot!

“I will be like the most High,” Lucifer boasted (Isaiah 14:14). As he told Christ, he desires worship: “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9). Employing whatever sneaky means necessary, Satan accomplishes his goal. If he can counterfeit God’s actions, then people will be deceived and credit God. By attributing Satan’s work to God, man unwittingly worships Satan. It is an ingenious strategy, one seldom perceived!

Emotions mislead because the human heart is “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). While something may “feel” right, it may not actually be right. Feelings are fickle, changing with our circumstances. Therefore, we cannot use them to gauge truth and error. Adrenaline rushes come and go, so never should we confuse them with the permanent Holy Spirit. If we are externalists or formalists, we run the risk of faking at some point. For instance, if we observe people raising hands or dancing, peer pressure urges us to mimic them. The Holy Spirit is thus quenched and our flesh—namely, the fear of being “left out”—motivates the behavior. Satan smiles. Except for the rare Berean Bible student, no one is able to notice the error.

So-called “Christian revivals” are being held where protests, riots, lootings, and shootings have occurred. It is claimed, “The Devil is active, but God is moving!” Online videos show musicians hosting “Christian rock” concerts. Crowds—mainly young adults—raise their hands, jump, run, sing, sob, and pray. Supposedly, they are “coming to Jesus;” yet, a clear Gospel message is absent. When we compare their activities with the Scriptures, what is allegedly “God’s work” turns out to be a mockery of Jesus Christ. Remember, we are not made perfect by the flesh!

Bible Q&As #779 and #780: “Should Christians observe All Saints’ Day?” and “Should Christians observe All Souls’ Day?”

Not Made Perfect by the Flesh #4

Thursday, October 29, 2020

“O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:1-3 KJV).

Can “the flesh” add anything to the Holy Spirit’s work? Nay, it cannot!

The Galatians were preoccupied with the Law of Moses (cf. Galatians 4:21). Religious rules and regulations captivated them. They were deceived into believing their performance—their “flesh”—could somehow enhance their Christian life (cf. today’s Scripture). Did the Holy Spirit come to indwell these saints because of their religious works? No! Would He need their pious deeds to continue living in and through them? No! Sadly, today’s professing church is equally “foolish.” Nearly 20 centuries later, it still refuses to recognize rites, rituals, and ceremonies are incompatible with God’s grace! Like the Galatians not thinking clearly, we lack even basic spiritual common sense. We too have not let the Message of Grace renew our mind.

Philosophy and other vain speculations of lost (pagan!) people distracted the Corinthian believers. The first three chapters of 1 Corinthians are the Holy Spirit’s instructions to straighten out their confusion. Selfishness abounded in Corinth because spiritual ignorance flourished there. Whereas the Galatians were quite “strict” with their legalism, the Corinthians were quite “loose” with their sensuality. The Corinthians acted like spiritual babies because they also thought like spiritual babies. This too describes today’s professing church. Actually, the conundrums in 1 Corinthians parallel the chaos and confusion of modern “praise and worship.” Recall 1 Corinthians 14:40!

Instead of being thankful for the Message of God’s Grace—what the Holy Spirit has revealed in Pauline doctrine, Romans through Philemon—we unwisely believe we can improve the Christian life. Whether from Galatia or Corinth, we must learn the lesson: neither formalism (strict rules and regulations) nor fanaticism (no rules or regulations whatsoever) will ever replace the Holy Spirit’s work in grace believer’s heart. Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Why did Jesus offer Himself to Israel if He knew they would reject Him?”

Not Made Perfect by the Flesh #3

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

“O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:1-3 KJV).

Can “the flesh” add anything to the Holy Spirit’s work? Nay, it cannot!

When we hear of people “filled with the Holy Ghost” and “praising Jesus,” we should not automatically assume the Lord Jesus Christ is being honored. Lies are everywhere. We discern truth and error by considering Bible verses—especially Scripture “rightly divided” (2 Timothy 2:15). If anyone claims individuals “going wild” is a sign of praising the Lord, or masses acting ridiculous is evidence of the Holy Spirit being “poured out,” these are simply false claims. The Bible establishes the standard for Christian behavior. Yea, the Pauline Epistles, Romans through Philemon, show us what God the Holy Spirit is doing today.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17). “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:20,21). In the Scriptures, we read of what the Holy Spirit is doing and not doing. He Himself is speaking through the Holy Bible.

If the Holy Spirit is working in a particular area, or He is operating in a specific person, this rule is always true: “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40). A lack of modesty and discipline means it is not the Holy Spirit! Again, Galatians chapter 5: “[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” The Holy Spirit produces “temperance,” self-control. If there is no restraint, it is man’s flesh and not God’s Spirit….

An Anchor of the Soul #9

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

“Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec” (Hebrews 6:17-20 KJV).

What can we say about this “anchor of the soul?”

Satan’s evil world system will reach its pinnacle when the Antichrist rises to power. This cold-blooded politician will slaughter the Jewish followers of Jesus Christ. Such genocide will make it appear hopeless. How will Israel endure to become God’s kingdom of priests in the Earth? They are to prepare for that devastation, spiritually fortified by trusting in the certain (firm, stable, unfaltering, unwavering, constant) words of Almighty God to them. The Book of 1 Peter is designed to edify these circumcision believers during their terrible sufferings of Daniel’s 70th Week. It is a treatise of hope: they will survive until Christ’s return.

Chapter 1 reads: “[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, [5] Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. [6] Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: [7] That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:… [13] Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;….”

Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

Bible Q&A #775: “What does ‘bruit’ mean?”