Do not be deceived.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:16-17

Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.  Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Galatians 6:6-8

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 1 Corinthians 5:33

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

We are living in a time where the ‘voices’ surrounding us are more than has been in thousands of years. With the rise of technology, we are CONSTANTLY bombarded with hundreds and hundreds of ‘voices’ per day. True solitude is a VERY rare thing these days. With this much information being thrown at us each day through music, news, social media, internet use, and other forms of media consumed – the likelihood of being deceived at some point every day is VERY high.

So …what should we do?

The biblical discipline of fasting comes immediately to mind. Have you ever fasted media? Have you ever put your phone away and not looked at it for hours or a day at a time? Have you ever fasted TV or tablets, or social media? Does the still small Voice of the Holy Spirit even have a chance within your mind and heart? Are you so focused on Him that you immediately recognize Him when He speaks to you? Can you purposely block out all the other voices so that you CAN hear Him? Can you purposely limit what you listen to so that you can hear Him with better clarity? Have you become addicted to having ‘noise’ or voices around you at all times? Why did Jesus go off alone to pray so much? Why should we?

Where have you agreed with the enemies of God? Have you ever asked the Holy Spirit that question? Have you ever asked Him where and with what you have been deceived? Are you able to hear His answers to those kinds of questions? Or is your pride stopping you from listening to Him on those issues?

So many in the institutional Church have accepted the lies from the enemy and become greatly deceived in MANY other areas. Once the enemy has a foothold in your life, they will use it to corrupt EVERY area within you that you let them. They are deceivers and liars. The reason I make the claim that much of the institutional Church is deceived is because of the very issues listed in the last scripture I posted above. Sexual immorality of ALL types is SO rampant now. Porn??? Greed of money which leads to deep corruption and hidden works like what the Lord would call stealing. The sins of omission by the “leaders” by not being totally transparent with the members of the ekklesia is rampant in the institutional religious model of the Church, which leads to a corrupted sense and desire of ‘control’ over the other members.

Without real discernment the sheep will be led by wolves, and hirelings.

Jesus LOVES His Body … which IS YOU… if you love Him … and obey Him. That’s why Jesus had complete self-control when He brought the whip to the temple. (John 2:15) Jesus is passionate about you being HOLY and staying HOLY. Do you have that same desire? What is He asking you to do – to grow in that area?

The Light is the best thing to dispel deception. Drag the thing into the Light, and the Light will expose it for what it is.

Is the Holy Spirit full of Light in your life? Do you allow Him to shed His Light on your inner life?

Do NOT be deceived.