Don’t be deceived
And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. Revelation 13:14
I remember once when I was in junior high school hearing a teacher talking about being deceived. I don’t even remember the context in which he was talking about it, but I do remember a girl in my class whom I thought of as very smart and very grounded in her faith for her age saying, I hope it never happens to me. I remember thinking, what? Why would you even say that? Then I thought. . . “That will never happen to me.” Exactly, that is what I said in my head and in my heart. I still remember it and that was over 40 years ago. It wasn’t long after I graduated from high school before I fell into a great deception. I had always thought that I knew exactly what I was doing and I should never have gone the direction I went back then or made the decision I made that led me into a deep pit of circumstances. Though, within the last ten years of my life, the holy Spirit revealed to me that I had been deceived and drawn away by my immature way of thinking. When I think back about it all now, I see that I truly was deceived into thinking that I was ok even when I was so far from God’s plan for my life.
It reminds me of a warning that Jesus gave to his followers in Matthew chapter 24. He said “For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” He wasn’t talking about in the tribulation times, He was warning then that even in their time many had risen up to collect a following of people who believed they were going to be delivered from the Roman oppression that they were experiencing. Many had already come and gone before Jesus was even born and many have come and gone since He left this world.
In today’s reading, THE anti-Christ, the devil incarnate comes to power and deceives everyone in the day of his leadership. Even though there are some in the world at that time that do not fall for his devises, they will be forced out of civilization and out of the culture of the day. They will not be able to participate in the “life” that this world leader creates without receiving His mark on them. That mark will identify all those who belong to him. Those with the mark will worship him and the images he builds that represent him.
In the world we live in today, there are deceptions all around us. Hopefully we, as God’s people are wise enough to not be taken in by the enemies tricks and traps. Sadly, many people, even though they are Christians, are lured from standing for God and for good by the distractions and fears that this world offers. Many believers believe more in the enemies power to hurt them, than God’s power to protect.
The solution is to stay close to your heavenly Father, spend time with Him each day and ask Him to keep you in all your ways. Hide His word in your heart so that you will not live your life against His ways. Acknowledge Him in all your ways so that you are not pulled away by material things and pleasures that the people of the world chases after. Lastly, surround yourself with friends and a community that will keep you accountable to stay on track in your faith and daily walk with God.
Today I want to encourage you to not let yourself fall into the deceptions of this life. Be aware of the subtle ways the enemy sets up circumstances to turn your heart away from God’s perfect plan for your life. Whether it is with things or attitudes of the heart, don’t let Satan’s ways be your ways. Press into your Father each day so that when this great deception of the Revelation times comes, you won’t be anywhere around to be drawn in or to run away. You will already be at home with your Father in heaven.
Today’s scripture reading: Revelation 13:11-18
11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.
12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.
14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.
15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,
17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
The Daily Dose 