How To Avoid Spiritual Deception

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21

The Bible tells us in John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Emphasis mine)

I do not know how many times I have heard the following:

“God is bigger than His Word”

“We need to stop putting God in a box”.

“Just because something isn’t in the Bible doesn’t mean God isn’t doing it“.

If we do not use the Word of God as the standard to test whether or not something is from God so that we are not deceived, how are we to judge between what is true and false? Are we to follow what our hearts tell us or what we feel is right? Are we to blindly believe and follow everything we are taught? Even when it is told from a pulpit?

Subtle changes have been creeping into the church. As I began to examine, in the light of Scripture, some of the teachings that were being presented in my church, I began to see that something dark and sinister was at work to destroy the very foundation of Bible Christianity not only in my church, but on a massive world wide scale.

Several years ago I began questioning pastoral staff and other church leadership regarding some things that did not appear to line up with Scripture and I was shocked at their responses. Some said I was making a big deal out of nothing. Others said there must be some sort of misunderstanding. Some said I was spending too much time on the internet. Another told me they had been fasting and praying and the Lord had showed them I was bound by a spirit of religion. Still another said they purposely held off meeting with me in regards to my concerns as they wanted me to “hear their heart” in the messages they spoke. One sent me to a psychologist, while another chose to employ their own methods of psychology on me; all in an effort to help me. I was questioned as to why I was not submitting to their authority. They told me I was causing disunity and that if I did not agree with the vision of the church, it was best if I left. It made no difference that I was on staff or that several generations of my family had been part of this congregation since shortly after the founding of this assembly in the late 1950′s.

Now when a church vigorously promotes and staunchly defends ministries that present false doctrines and is reluctant to have their own teachings tested against the Word of God, they are now no longer different from all the other cults and mystery religions in the world.

Stop and consider why all those years were called The Dark Ages. It was because people did not have access to the Scriptures, so they were in darkness. Bibles were in Latin and chained to the pulpits. Only the clergy could tell the people what was in that Book but sadly, they gave their own interpretations of the Bible in order to justify their vain traditions and as a result, people were kept in spiritual darkness and were deceived. Jesus warns us about this very thing in Mark 7:13 “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”

The Great Awakening, or Great Reformation as it is also called, was brought about when certain men were moved by God to read and study the Scriptures and their eyes were opened to the truth. When they realized the clergy were deceiving people, they made it their mission to boldly speak the truth and proceeded to translate the Bible into the people’s common language so that everyone could read and know God’s truth for themselves. For this, the church called them heretics, tortured them horribly, and many were burned at the stake.

A repression of God’s Word is happening again today only now we are without excuse because unlike the people of those days, we all have access to God’s Written Words.

Because of what I have gone through in my former church, I now believe that the greatest persecution against true Bible believing Christians in these last days is going to come from within the church. It has been said that history repeats itself:

Ecclesiastes 1:9
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Following are some of the questions I asked as I searched the Bible for answers and understanding of the changes taking place in my church.

Do we use our hearts to discern truth?
Jeremiah 17:9-10
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Proverbs 28:26
He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

Are we to blindly believe and follow everything we are told?
Jeremiah 17:5
Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
Psalm 118:8
It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

Are we supposed to check things out ourselves?
Acts 17:11
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
1 John 4:1
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Will God ever do something that He has not revealed in His Word?
Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Isaiah 8:20
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Where do we find the truth?
John 17:17
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
John 8:31-32
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Psalm 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Can one be active and sincere in spiritual things yet be sincerely wrong?
Matthew 7:21-23
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 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.

I believe the opening statements shed light on why so many people in churches are being deceived and led astray. I used to be one of them, but by God’s grace and through His Word He rescued my family and I from the dangerous path we were on.

Many people are now seeking to experience God, rather than walking by faith. Is it any wonder so many wolves in sheep clothing, false prophets, teachers, pastors etc. are now in the churches? By us not testing EVERYTHING according to God’s word, we have not only made it easy for them to come in, we have invited them in to tell us what we want to hear!

Again, the Bible has warned us of this very thing.

2 Timothy 4:3-4
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Isaiah 30:9-10
9 That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:
10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

And contrary to what our hearts may tell us, this path only leads to destruction. It is a set up by the enemy to entice church people into accepting the antichrist and his kingdom!

Remember God’s warning to us in 1 Peter 5:8

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, so this verse is then warning us that the devil is going to appear as Jesus in order to deceive and devour people. There is another Jesus, another spirit and another gospel being presented that is leading countless people away from the One and Only true God as revealed to us in the Bible.

2 Corinthians 11:4
For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Galatians 1:6-8
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Following is just one example of another gospel that is being preached and embraced by multitudes. It is the idea that the church is presently advancing the Kingdom of God on earth and will continue to do so until they have subdued all nations. Only then, they say, will Jesus be allowed to return and they will then hand over the kingdom to Him. But is this what the Bible says?

1 Corinthians 15:50
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Since we are still in our flesh and blood bodies, we have not yet inherited the Kingdom of God, so we cannot be advancing and ruling in it at this time.

Luke 17:20-21
20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

The Kingdom of God is presently within those who are born again. So when we are told that the church is now advancing God’s Kingdom on earth, we are not only getting ahead of God’s timing for these things, those in this movement are now replacing Jesus in the set up and rule of His Kingdom on earth! Can we not see the error with this teaching?

So if God’s Kingdom has not yet been established on earth, whose kingdom are they advancing? The Bible does tell us that a world wide kingdom will be established on earth just before Jesus returns to rule and reign. However, it is the kingdom of the antichrist. Therefore, any kingdom operating and advancing on earth right now is not God’s Kingdom because Jesus has not yet returned.

So now, instead of preaching the true Gospel of repentance in that Jesus died for the sins of mankind and His Kingdom is at hand because He is soon returning, we are now being taught that Jesus died on the cross to gain back the dominion Adam and Eve lost in the Garden of Eden. They say this new breed of elite believers will not make the same mistake as Adam. Rather, they will rise up, take hold of this dominion, bring heaven to earth by restoring Eden, subdue all nations, and rule the earth on God’s behalf!

They say the church now possesses all of God’s authority on earth and that God is unable to act in matters on this earth unless He does so through the church. Can we not see that the enemy is behind this attack on God’s sovereignty? Now with this kind of teaching being accepted as truth in the church, is it any wonder they are now being led into spiritual drunkenness, mystical experiences, and seeking after signs and wonders, just like what is promoted in the New Age Movement and all the other cults and Eastern Religions? The Bible constantly warns us to be on guard regarding false signs and lying wonders as they are earmarks of the end times deception and the great falling away from the faith.

What is most dangerous is that when someone has had these powerful spiritual encounters and experiences, they automatically believe they have seen or heard from God and it is now nearly impossible to convince them they are being led astray because it feels so right to them.

Now, more than ever, we are to be sober, watchful and alert (1 Peter 4:7) as there is indeed a great falling away taking place (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

In conclusion, we are given a very sober warning in the following verses:

Jeremiah 6:16-17
16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.

Will we take heed to this serious warning? Each one of us must choose whether we will walk in God’s ways, as He has revealed to us in His Word, or if we will follow after men and their enticing ways, and be led astray.

Please do not take my word on any of this. Search out all things for yourself in the Bible; being careful to read and interpret passages in the context which they have been written (2 Timothy 2:15). Refrain from using modern Bible translations as much has been added and taken away in those versions (Revelation 2:18-19). A brief study of the history and fruit brought about by modern Bible translations, which began in the late 1800’s, clearly shows that the church began heading back into The Dark Ages at this time. Satan is still using the same tactic as he did in the Garden of Eden when he provided Eve with his own interpretation/translation of God’s Words and enticed her to follow him. (Genesis 3:1)

Above all, ask the Lord Jesus Christ to show you His truth as He is able to do a much better job of it than I ever could.

In Christ Jesus, Coreen

Malachi 3:18
Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

[All Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Bible]