One of the biggest warnings all throughout the Bible is to take heed to ourselves not to be deceived. Deception is one of the biggest stumbling blocks in our lives that will cause us to fall out of the way God would have us go. Paul, John, Peter, even Jesus time and time again warns us of not being deceived. False teachers are coming, be not deceived, yet millions of people daily are deceived by false teachers. To see some of them all you have to do is turn on Christian TV, especially TBN. It is amazing, warning after warning in the Bible tells us of their existence and of their methods yet millions are daily duped and deceived. Did you know every lie has to have an element of truth moving in it? There must be some element of truth in every lie for the lie to be believed. This is how the lie takes root in our lives, hearts, and minds, most often out from our greed. The truth appeals to our spirit, but also the lie appeals more to our flesh. This warning of taking heed is found in the Old Testament, “Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;” (Deuteronomy 11:16) Yet millions were deceived. In the New Testament Paul, Peter, John, and even Jesus said, “Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.” (Luke 21:8) Yet today millions daily are deceived and led astray. Brethren, we are not to be deceived to what is the right and honorable thing to do and to the truth. This is our responsibility (not God’s) in walking in the way of integrity, righteousness, and truth.
I asked Karen who today is responsible for overseeing the integrity and righteousness of the church? And of course she replied God. Now this is true especially when time on earth will be no more and we all stand before a holy judge, but what organization or what group of people today has been charged to ensure the kingdom of God can come down to man and His will is done on earth as it is in heaven? You cannot really say the Holy Spirit, because most denominations and churches do not really believe in the Holy Spirit as represented in the Scriptures. In the past man was more wholesome and honest more Godly in ways, it seems with each passing generation there is less of God in man. I believe the push for greater technology, enlightenment, and desire for greater ease (sadly I can see this in my life at times) pushes God out of our lives corporately and our hearts individually. In the past a man’s word was his bond, no need for a governing board to ensure honesty and righteousness especially in churches, but sadly greater greed and selfishness coupled with a world-wide denominational conquest campaign (cutting the nations up into pieces of smaller religious bastions) has depleted most denominations and churches of honor, integrity, righteousness, a humble spirit, and a heart after God’s will. The watch dog today sadly has become the secular media. Now think back who has exposed “the men of God” for their ungodly and unholy practices, the secular media a very sad indictment on the church. And why? Because the church collectively has been deceived by the god’s of this world and by their own lust. James teaches, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:14-15) Yes, the devil has a part to play here, but by and large the devil is defeated in our lives if we are walking in the things of God as He ordains us to. It is our lust, our ambition, our selfishness, and so much more that draws us away from the narrow way we must walk to be able to walk with the Lord. This deception is really seen today in America as the churches play the harlot with politics.
We (the Body of Christ) have the truth, we (the Believers) have the word of life, and we have the answer to the world’s problems and His name is Jesus Christ, but if we willfully engage in partisan politics; canvassing for promotion, campaigning for people that have an ideological agenda that is contrary to the word of God, giving or raising money for a certain political group (have it be Democratic, Republican, Independent, Green, whomever) then we willfully pull ourselves out of the moral high ground God has placed us. I tell my friends you cannot be a follower of Christ and politics. You cannot be politically active and active in the Spirit of God, especially if you are a member of the Democratic Party. Now I am not political (I do not vote), but if you are a Christian and you vote you MUST vote the Bible, you must take the positions of what the Bible says are truth and righteousness. The Bible says: abortion, same sex marriage, sodomy, lesbianism, all of the social political issues of the day that are near and dear to the Democratic party are ungodly, immoral, and are out and out open rebellion before God. How can you support something that God calls rebellion and call yourself a Christian? You cannot, you have been deceived by the political gods of this world and your lust for greed, power, and your rights being connected to a group of people (other than God’s people) to supply your needs. Politics is subtle and demonic, anti-Christ of what the Bibles teaches, yet the denominations and many churches are running head long faster and faster into it for the earthly power and influence politics can afford. Politics today (unlike in the past with some commons sense and civility) is all about the color of a man’s skin not about what they believe to be the truth and righteousness for the country or what they believe lines up with the word of God. When was the last time you saw a politician pray in public? It is not about our government, denomination, or churches (have they be black or white), but about our integrity, righteousness, and holiness of which without no man shall see God that is now on earth and when we are gathered unto Him through our physical death. Now I have many wonderful black Christian friends and black pastor friends that I have had the great honor and pleasure to teach the word of God in their churches, but sadly today in many black churches (why are there still black and white churches?) there is a heinous cancer that is growing in many of their main-stream denominations called Black Liberation Theology. James Hal Cone, the chief architect of Black Liberation Theology in his book A Black Theology of Liberation (1970) develops black theology as a system. In this new formulation, Christian theology is a theology of liberation, “a rational study of the being of God in the world in light of the existential situation of an oppressed community, relating the forces of liberation to the essence of the gospel, which is Jesus Christ.” Black consciousness and the black experience of oppression orient black liberation theology, one of victimization from white oppression. One of the tasks of black theology is to analyze the nature of the gospel of Jesus Christ in light of the experience of oppressed blacks. NO theology is Christian theology unless it arises from oppressed communities and interprets Jesus’ work as that of liberation. Christian theology is understood in terms of systemic and structural relationships between two main groups: victims (the oppressed) and victimizers (oppressors). In Cone’s context, writing in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the great event of Christ’s liberation was freeing African Americans from the centuries-old tyranny of white racism and white oppression. This Marist theology also preaches collective salvation instead of individual salvation, not the salvation of grace the Bible teaches, but salvation whereby black people take or are given the wealth of white people thus purchasing their salvation from God. The sacrifice and work of Christ on the cross is not important, the empty tomb of resurrection and hope in a risen Savior is of no importance, only with the redistribution of wealth (from white people to black people) can a white man be saved. This my friend is an ungodly, anti-Christ message, and it is deceiving most of the black churches and many of the well-meaning, but unspiritual white churches in America. I have attended services and taught in black and white churches and as a general rule of thumb I feel more of the Spirit of God in the black church than I do in a white church, not because of the lively music (we must be careful with music), but because of the humbled history they have endured. God always honors humbleness no matter the color of our skin or the wealth of our pockets. I will even go further; I feel the black church is one of the last hopes for a revival (like in 1903) breaking forth in America. Maybe that is why there is such an attack on her with Black Liberation Theology and Social Justice. My friend I have seen it with my own eyes and felt the devilish spirits of evil, racism, and hatred it projects. Even sadder our leader President Obama sat in a church for over 20 years, had his two daughters baptized, confesses he was saved under the ministry of one of the biggest preachers, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, of Black Liberation Theology and Social Justice; where the Federal Government takes money from the rich and gives it to the poor (another form of wealth redistribution) in the name of good works and God. If this is President Obama’s foundation in God then he has been deceived and the truth of God is not in him. It all is a sham and a lie from the pits of hell and some day President Obama and other politicians (as we all will some day) will stand before God and give an account of their willful deception of the American people. Again it is not about the color of a man’ skin or being political, but about being deceived and not knowing the truth of the word of God whereby we believe a lie. The Black Liberation Theology and Social Justice is just one of the 1,000s of anti-Christ Gospel messages; a message that has been twisted and bastardized for personal and political gain. Paul taught the church at Galatia, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But 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. 9As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-9) Now please understand I pray for President Obama and wish him and his family no harm. We as Christians are to pray for our leaders, but it is not for them become better leaders (that is a selfish, self-seeking prayer) oh no, we are to pray for our leaders so that they all come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and then walk in it as they lead America (as it was in the past) in truth and righteousness. If our leaders have a true conversion in Christ then their policies will be patterned after God’s word and the nation will be blessed. The Bible says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” (Psalms 33:12)
America is off track because she drifted from her past moorings of: integrity, honor, common sense, righteousness, and has stopped sharing (as she did in the past) the wondrous Gospel to the world and why? The Church in America has failed to stand for truth as the word of God teaches and has been deceived by; distractions, politics, social issues, and self-seeking denominational goals and objectives while walking away from the basic elements of the word of God. Do you think God will not judge America? How long do you think God will allow us to thumb our nose in His face? We must get back to the basics of the word of God. The only way we can never be deceived is when we share with our families, neighbors, and the world ONLY the things, “we have which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;” This is why the disciples and the early church was so effective and powerful in God. It was real in their heart, in their spirit, because it was fresh and real in their mind. Some remembered hearing, seeing, looking at, and handling Christ no wonder their words were words of life and not death like most preachers and teachers today. We must get away from telling about the “stories and experiences” someone else had and come to know Christ afresh, bearing true witness, for ourselves handling, seeing, hearing, the Word of life. Either we will tell stories of things we do not really know happened or we will speak from a first hand knowledge. John knew this was critical in sharing the wondrous Gospel message when he said, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” (1 John 1:1-4) Please notice in verse three there is a parenthetical thought or a mental thought within the written thought, “we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life.” As John was writing these verses the Holy Spirit captured his innermost thoughts here, how powerful!
Unless we get back to the basics of the Gospel message we will continue to be deceived again and again. And the more often we are deceived the further and further we will drift from the truth in the word of God. People in America focus on politics trying to bring back America again through blaming the other side of the aisle, cries of racism, and so much more instead of pinning the rose on the real problem, our evil heart condition and the deception it brings to the world. Please do not expect things to get better in America without a change of heart. The Bibles says, “The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted. (Psalm 12:8) For America to get better and be restored to the original place in the world God established America (to spread the wondrous Gospel message to the world and not to spread freedom and democracy) the people in America must get back to the basics of the word of God; confess our sin, repent of our waywardness, and share with the world, “we have which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;” in this is no turning or variance of being deceived.
