A Message for God’s People

“You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness…

“… but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2Pe 3:17-18)

Journal,

This study has to do with expressions of spiritual warfare that God’s people are warned about, a warfare that will be strongest in the final days of the Church age.

The Lord taught that in the final days, that all true believers must be extra vigilant with regard to the influence of spirits that will try to work in the Church.

[Church: The called out, called together people of God. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:27,28)

Is the warning to the Church real? Absolutely! Hear it from the Lord Himself –

“Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him.

“For false Christs [false anointed ones] and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. “Behold, I have told you in advance.” (Mat 24:22-25)

This brings us to…

The Question

And so, the question  – Is it possible for a child of God to go astray for a time? Yes, it is quite possible. In many instances it is simply due to spiritual immaturity. But it can also be because the child has become entangled in some form of spiritism.

(Spiritism: Communication with spiritual powers, human or otherwise, that are not of God, but propose to be from God. More on this in a bit.) 

The point is that no true child of God can continue down a path of darkness because of the Light that is in him. Light always expels the darkness. The Bible tells us that all God’s children have the light of Jesus Christ in them. This is why we are called, ‘the children of light.’ 

Take note of these Scriptures that speak of, ‘will not’ in relationship to Light. –

“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me WILL NOT walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.'” (Joh 8:12)

“When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. (Joh 10:4)

“A stranger they simple WILL NOT follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” (Joh 10:5)

“If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1Jn 1:6-7)  

“… for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.” (Eph 5:8)

Now is where we need to understand …

The Distinction Between Light and Darkness

The terms ‘light’ and ‘darkness’ are opening words of the Bible. They always mean the same thing throughout Scripture. Light and darkness address the contrast between good and evil. Light speaks of the goodness of God, and all that brings glory to God Himself. 

John writes,

“This is the message we have heard from Him [Jesus], and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” (1Jn1:5)

Darkness evokes everything that is anti-God, or anything that takes the place of God.

Darkness symbolizes the works of the flesh and the prideful attitude of life. Darkness is always self-absorbing. It seeks to draw attention to itself.

Darkness can be very subtle because it tries to portray itself as coming from God. 

Listen to this admonition from the apostle Paul –

“But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.

“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

“No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.” (2Co 11:12-15)

Does this sound a bit scary? It should.

Notice that Paul said that in the church itself, certain men can and will disguise themselves as true apostles, and that even Satan sets about to disguise himself as an angel of light

This means that there can and will be demonic angel appearances. 

Now let’s take a closer look at …

End Time Warnings

The Bible lays out very plainly what the ending of the Church age will look like, including the fact that many professing Christians will turn from the true message of the cross.

Paul says it well enough –

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” (1Ti 4:1)

Notice that is says that, ‘some‘ will fall away, but not necessarily all.   

I think it is important to listen once again to what Jesus said –

“Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him.

“For false Christs [false anointed ones] and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. “Behold, I have told you in advance.” (Mat 24:22-25)

Jesus is saying that the very elect of God must be especially vigilant in the last days, because the demonically-inspired happenings will take place in the name of Christ Jesus, and under a false anointing that can be quite powerful.

The word ‘Christ’, of itself, simply means ‘anointed.’

In the last days there will arise among Christians, certain ones who will boast of a special anointing, and will even compare themselves to Christ Jesus. They will self-praise on their special connection with heaven, on appearances with Jesus, and many other such like things.

[This is a form of Gnosticism that the apostles had to deal with. The Gnostics taught that they alone had a divine spark from heaven, and that to hear from God, people needed come to them. Gnosticism is flowing strongly today, especially from the air waves. Keep in mind that the Bible describes Satan as the prince of the air.] 

Here is the caution –

“Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind.” (Col 2:18)

And this is why God’s servants must …

Sound the Trump

Some people may wonder why I am so against certain things that really seem to be of God. Their caution to me is, ‘Stop judging’.

Actually it truly is a matter of making judgments. The Lord instructed us to judge with righteous judgment. So, the reason I give cautions is simple. Not all things that appear to be from God, are of God. But not all of God’s people know this.

One of my great griefs as a minister of the gospel, is to see so many of God’s people unable to distinguish the things of God from the things of the flesh, and in some cases, even things that could speak of sorcery.

I wonder if this is gross immaturity with some believers. Or is it something else?

Let me share a couple of considerations from the Bible.

First, WHERE it happened.

Do you remember where Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers, and drove the merchants out? It happened in the temple, the very house of God.

For a deception to find a working place among God’s people, it has to take place where Christians can be assembled.

Second, WORKING the flesh.

A second consideration is where the Bible provides us with an example of the working of the flesh by demonic power. It is found in the story of Simon the Sorcerer.

Follow this story closely to see if there is anything at work today that can be of this nature –

“Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, ‘This man is what is called the Great Power of God.’

“And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts.” (Act 8:9-11)

Keep in mind that these are Samaritans, who accepted the writings of Moses in their worship. Notice what the people are saying,

‘This man is what is called the Great Power of God.’

Most people would pass this by without realizing what the people were actually saying. The literal is, ‘This is the God-power called great.’

The Samaritans believed that the power emanating from Simon was the divine ‘Logos‘ power of God. But in reality, the people had come under a powerful spirit of sorcery.

If you are not getting the message yet, my point is simple …

Don’t Discount Sorcery

If you discount sorcery as being unable to have a place among Christians, you are seriously mistaken. Sorcery is a powerful medium through which people can become fascinated and hypnotized and bewitched, and where a lie takes on the appearance of a truth.

The spirit of sorcery can even channel itself in the feelings of euphoria as of a flowing river. This is why a person should not lean on experiences or even trust in their own feelings. The discerning of the Holy Spirit works much deeper than in a person’s feelings. Any spiritual operation that runs contrary to the Scriptures, cannot be of God.

Keep in mind that Satan also has a river (demonic anointing) by which he seeks to mimic God.

Pay special attention to this quote from a noted sorcery teacher:

With the help of strong will we can channel this ‘magic energy’, by channeling it we can bend the reality and help the river to flow, every time a mage casts a spell helps the river to beat resistance. The thing is, if a lot of people start to practice this, the river will flow easier, making it easier for everyone else to channel magic.”

My advice to all Christians is simple, ‘If you sense in your spirit that something is wrong, always go with your sensing.’ This ‘sensing‘ is a deeper working of the Holy Spirit.

The apostle John said it this way;

“These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” (1Jn 2:26-27)

The term, ‘no need for ANYONE to teach you’, speaks of a certain someone. It carries the idea of a guru. [The Greek word is ’tis’, which literally means, ‘a certain one’.] People who follow after so-called prophets are the most susceptible to being deceived.

Now let’s talk about…

The Last Days Deluding Influences

One of the last days prophecies has to do with a deluding influence the Lord is going to send on the earth for the purpose of separating His true believers from those who do not have a love for truth. Listen to what the apostle had to say – [box title=”A Strong Delusion” color=”#dd7e7e”]“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.

“Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

“For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

“But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” (2Th 2:7-13)[/box]

This strong delusion will only add to the restlessness of a heart that is not founded in a true relationship with Jesus Christ. Two important words need to be noted, ‘deluding‘ and ‘influence.’

The Greed word for ‘deluding‘ is ‘plane‘. This word speaks of a wandering about, that is, of one who is led astray from the right way. Metaphorically it has to do with the person who is unable to find a place to settle down.

The only settling down place that the Father gives us, is our settling down in Christ Jesus. 

The Greek word for ‘influence’ is ‘energeia’. In the New Testament this word always has to do with superhuman power, whether of God or the Devil.

There is so much more I would like to share, but for now, my prayer is that something I have shared in this short study will be a blessing to my readers. The Lord will give you understanding. It is not about fear. If you are a child of Light, then you have nothing to fear. 

Just remember this adage, ‘ To be forewarned is to be forearmed.’ 

Please take time for this video. I want to leave with my readers a message of encouragement. It is found in this video, titled, ‘Guidance from God.’ [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgRtBr5fDBQ[/youtube]

Always in Christ, [signoff]

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