“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word…was God.” (John 1:1) ….and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (14)

“He sent His word to heal them and to deliver them from their destructions…” (Ps. 107:20)

“For God did not send His Son (the Word) into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him… might be saved.” (John 3:17)

“He came to His own…and His own did not receive Him. But as many as who did receive Him (the Word)…to them He gave the right and/or capacity to become…children of God…” (John 1:11-12).

(If you would...go back and read those four passages one more time, just a tad slower...and let them sink in.  His word will do far much more 'in you' than my words ever will.)

It was perhaps, arguably… one of the most tragic ironies to ever unfold in matters related to God’s kingdom, including His plan of redemption for humanity. The fact that the very people who were looking for and anticipating the arrival of God’s chosen Messiah, the very ones who were the most well-versed in God’s word that clearly told of this plan…when He (the Word) finally did arrive…not only did they not recognize Him, but they were instrumental in having Him put to death by order of crucifixion.

Let me ask you: what makes any of us who claim to be ‘of God’….so confident…that the same mistake could not be repeated again today? There is, after all... a lot of folks looking for His return...'any day' now.

Over and over and over again…various writers of the NT, including Jesus Himself…warned the ‘brethren…to be not deceived!’. (Matt. 24:4-5, 24-25; James 1:16)

It happens, far more often than you would care to admit. And how exactly does this deception take place? Well, if you believe what Paul had to say in 2 Cor. 11:3-4…it follows a similar pattern in which Eve was deceived by the serpent back in the garden (Gen. 3:13). She was presented with an ‘alternative’ gospel that basically said just the opposite of what God’s word said. Take a quick moment and compare Gen. 2:17 with Gen. 3:4.

You’ll notice in the preceding verses there of chapter 3 that the serpent, whom we are told was ‘more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made’…began first with a question…wanting to cast doubt on what God had made quite clear to begin with...asking: “Has God really said…?”(Gen. 3:1)

Then spewing more words from his mouth to twist and pervert and confuse Eve in order to ‘carry her away to destruction’ (Rev. 12:15; Heb. 13:9) …he began to appeal to the ‘lust of her flesh, the lust of her eyes, and the pride of life’ (Gen. 3:6). (Did you read yesterday’s message?)

What did Jesus liken the ‘last days’ or the ‘end of the age’ being as, or in comparison to, there in Luke 17:26-27? And what did He say ‘came and destroyed them all’? (Also see Matt. 24:39)

We are told this ‘enemy can come in like a flood’ (Isa. 59:19), and the only power he has over 'believers'  today is the power of the ‘lie’, to ‘deceive’… in order that he can then come in to ‘steal, kill, and destroy’ (John 10:10; 1 John 5:18). Jesus even accused him of being the ‘father of lies’ (John 8:44).

So what is the most sure way of being able to stand firm when this onslaught of deceptive words, or ‘floods …beat against your house’? Well, you might revisit the answer to that question as relayed by Jesus in Matt. 7:24-25. When you ‘hear His sayings (the word)…Do them!”, as opposed to ‘just hearing but not following through’ on what He says. The foolish man who built his house on the sand discovered that after it was too late (26-27).

The quickest path that leads to being deceived is to be a ‘hearer of God’s word, but not a doer of it’ (James 1:22). Can I just remind us all, once again…that God means what He says?. “Whatever He says to you, do it!” (John 2:5; 10:27)

Now this is where it gets even more interesting, if not serious. We can all agree that many of God’s people who did not receive Him the first time He came…clearly were ‘deceived’ (John 1:11; 2 Cor. 4:3-4). We are told in that passage from 2 Cor. 4 that the ‘gospel was veiled to those who were perishing’ (3)…and it was the ‘god of this age who blinded them’ (4). We also know that when the appointed time came, God then sent the gospel to the Gentiles (non-Jews), and what was the purpose for this, as relayed by Jesus to Paul? (Acts 26:18) – go read that now. Do you see a pattern here, and what we’ve been seeing the past few days as to how this ‘spiritual enemy’ successfully gets us to turn away from God and has our hearts go after other things (idols)?

I mentioned yesterday that ‘false doctrines’ or ‘man-made teachings’ can easily become an idol in our life as well. Jesus addressed this in Mark 7…how we can quickly ‘lay aside the commandments of God in order to hold fast to the traditions of men’ (Mark 7:8). Jesus double-downed with those Pharisees, accusing them of ‘rejecting the commandment of God that they might keep their traditions’ (9). And what I personally find astounding is the fact we can actually ‘nullify’ or ‘make of no effect…the word of God…when we hold to those ‘traditions’ that are handed down by our fathers. (13).

Let’s not forget the reason God ‘sent His word’ (Ps. 107:20) To those who ‘receive it, or ‘Him’…we are empowered to ‘become…children of God’ (John 1:12). When Jesus told the Parable of the Sower, He later explained how the ‘seed’ is the ‘word of God’ (Luke 8:11); and who ‘comes immediately to snatch that word/seed from our hearts…lest we believe and are what (12)?

Now hang with me for another moment, if you would. Quickly turn to 1 Thess. 2:13 and make sure that is underlined in your Bible. To those who ‘receive the word of God’…what does Paul say there it will actually ‘do’? [“effectively work in those who believe”]. But if Satan can get you to ‘back off’ from God’s word, and maybe ‘believe another gospel’, then is it possible that you might end up ‘walking in a form of godliness devoid of power…always learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth’? (2 Tim. 3:5-7). Do you know what a ‘doctrine of demons’ is? Paul warned Timothy about them coming in the ‘latter days’ (1 Tim. 4:1). In short, a ‘doctrine of demons’ is any message that is presented to you that counters, or opposes what God’s word has to day. The very first example of this was found in Genesis 3:1-4, which we already looked at earlier.

Care to guess who are most vulnerable and susceptible to falling prey to such lying words? Those who do not ‘have a love for the truth’. We’ll pick up from here tomorrow, Lord willing.