I was totally clueless until…..

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 

Mark 13:5

 

The disciples asked Jesus about the end times and it’s

interesting to me what He said to them.

There is no doubt in my mind that we are living in the end

times. This week in our weekly bible study as a church,

Mark 13 was the main focus. There are a few things that stood

out in that lesson that I would like to share with you.

 

In talking about the end times, Jesus warns us against being

deceived. In the end times the enemy will try and deceive as

many people as he can. Are you deceived?

Before you answer the question I want to ask you another question,

How does one know he or she is deceived???

 

Jesus made it very clear that in the end times the enemy would

try his very best to deceive us. We are in the end times so the

enemy is at work trying to deceive us.

Just last week God uncovered deception in my heart. The thing

about deception is this, it’s subtle. It creeps in like a thief in the

night without a trace. That is what happened to me.

I was deceived about the way I thought about life. I had a way

of looking at life that was wrong but I didn’t even know it!

Who knows how long I was deceived. All I know is that it was

years!!!!

Yep, that long and I didn’t even know I was deceived. Anyway last

week on my off day as I was spending time with God reading

His word, the light came on! It was like scales fell off my eyes

and for the first time I saw clearly. I saw right through the lies

and deception. I couldn’t believe I never saw it.

 

Jesus knew how real the danger was. How many times in that

passage does He warn us to watch and be alert??!!!!

 

“For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform

signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

Mark 13: 22, 23

 

How do you guard yourself against being deceived?

Be in the spirit, be in the word constantly, pray

as much as you can! I wasn’t doing these things that much.

Yes I would pray but not enough.

I would read my word but not enough

 

The word of God will expose deception in our lives.

 

Watch what you listen to and what you see. Left unchecked

you will be deceived.  Let me give you an example:

Things in my country are critical at the moment. People are losing

their jobs, corruption is at an all time high. Things don’t look

good.

The enemy is deceiving people by making them believe the

situation is hopeless. Christians are not tithing because things

are difficult but they have been deceived. God is the One who

provides for us and makes a way and that is why we can tithe

in the most trying of times. He is the God who makes a way in

the wilderness! But see how easy deception comes.

We need to watch and be alert! We can all be deceived. No one

is exempt.

I encourage you to look at your life and ask the Holy Spirit to

reveal any deception that is in your life. Remember what I said

in the beginning. It is hard to detect deception.

Anything that does not line up with the word of God is deception!

As I end I will leave you with this;

 

What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ 

Mark 13:37

 

photo credit: google images

 

Rolain

he is in the dark……!!!!!!

I had a talk with my mentor some time ago about my life and life in general. There was something he said that was triggered today as I went through my journal.
He said, the devil speaks from the dark. He cannot see because he is in the dark.
And after some meditation I see how significant that is. If he is in the dark how can he see clearly? He would like us to believe that he can see clearly but the truth is, he can’t! We don’t have to listen to his lies because that is what they are lies!! The thing is this, the enemy knows he is in the dark but he still speaks and we believe him. I was one of his victims and by God’s grace, I am starting to see the real truth. I believed I was nothing and useless for such a long time. I didn’t think my life would amount to anything. I thought I was done for. I thought I was a loser. But they were all lies!!! Lies, lies, lies……It’s like letting a blind man give you directions. The devil would like us to believe his lies. But understand, he is in the dark. He lives in the dark.

The word says, he walks around LIKE a lion seeking whom to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

Please note, he is like a lion, not a lion! We are children of the light and we need to start listening to the right person, God.
It sounds very easy as you read this but it’s not. The enemy has had time perfecting his lies. He has had time to tweak his show and make it seem as real as can be. I have just come to an understanding of what I am talking to you about. When my mentor shared this with me, it was like my eyes were being opened for the first time. How could I have been so blind? Because he is in the dark I don’t have to believe the lies. The negative things I was brought up believing about myself are false because they came from someone who couldn’t see and still can’t see, and that applies to you as well. He is doomed. His end has been decided and there is nothing he can do to change it. He is defeated.
In your life what are the lies you have believed? Ask for help from the Holy Spirit because without Him you fight in vain. You will not win in your own strength. You need God on your side. The truth is, you will not die. You will not stay down. You have a hope and a future. Your children will be saved. You will be healed from that sickness. You will not be poor. Your life will be significant. You are important.

Please remember, the devil is in the dark. He cannot see anything. He is shooting in the dark hoping you will believe him. Don’t believe the lies. They make look, and feel, and smell like the truth but if it’s from the devil it’s lies. He cannot see how your life will end. He cannot see all the good things God has in store for you. He can only guess. He is in the dark and that makes all the difference.

And that brings me to another truth. Only God knows what is going to happen. He knows the end of your story. Don’t allow people who don’t know you to determine what you are going to be. Don’t let them set the limits in your life. Only God can do that. If God tells you something can’t be done then so be it but don’t let people tell what you can and cannot do. They are not qualified to do that. They did not create you, God did. As far as I am concerned, YOU are not even qualified to come to a conclusion about yourself. You may know yourself better than everybody else but you are still not qualified to say what you can and what you can’t do. You never created yourself, God did. I hope you are starting to see how important it is who you listen to……

Rolain