DECEPTION

DECEPTIVE TEACHINGS

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.
Matthew 24:3-5

Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
Matthew 24:11-13

Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
Matthew 24:23-28

Deception is defined as an untrue falsehood, or is the act of lying to or tricking someone. 

 

It is subtle: The theme of the message or conference is the bait. It attracts the targeted audience. It sounds very spiritual, pure and inspiring!

The lie is wrapped with many things that are true.

There is a subtle promotion of the very things that hinder our intimacy with GOD!

That is the true bait, hidden within the bait that draws true believers to 'come and hear'.

Money Matters

Exodus 13:13 (NKJV)

13 But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.

Numbers 3:44-51 (NKJV)

44 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

45 "Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. The Levites shall be Mine: I am the LORD.

46 And for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, who are more than the number of the Levites,

47 you shall take five shekels for each one individually; you shall take them in the currency of the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs.

48 And you shall give the money, with which the excess number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and his sons."

49 So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites.

50 From the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

51 And Moses gave their redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Matthew 21:12-14 (NKJV)

12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

13 And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "

14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.

Mark 6:37 (NKJV)

37 But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"

Luke 10:1-9 (NKJV)

1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.

2 Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.

4 Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.

5 But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'

6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.

7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.

8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.

9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'

Revelation 18:9-18 (NKJV)

9 "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning,

10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'

11 And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore:

12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;

13 and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men.

14 The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all.

15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

16 and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!

17 For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.' Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance

18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What is like this great city?'

Proverbs 20:14 (NKJV)

14 "It is good for nothing," cries the buyer; But when he has gone his way, then he boasts.

Matthew 13:44 (NKJV)

44 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Luke 22:35-38 (NKJV)

35 And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?" So they said, "Nothing."

36 Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.

37 For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: 'And He was numbered with the transgressors.' For the things concerning Me have an end."

38 So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords." And He said to them, "It is enough."

I was bought / redeemed with the precious Blood of the LORD JESUS, not with money.

I should not sell myself for money.

The best things in life are not bought with money but by giving of my time and worldly pleasures.

I am fed by the Bread of Life by abiding in CHRIST.

My thirst is quenched as I drink of the Holy Spirit.

I am nourished by the Milk of GOD’S word.

I enjoy the Wine of Blessing when I seek the face and the favor of GOD.

Money is the raw material which can be changed into riches and vice versa. 

The Word of GOD (raw material) can be changed into a rich spiritual life in us.

The Holy Spirit (raw material) can bring forth the fruit of the Spirit and the Power of GOD in and through us.

Time (raw material) can be redeemed to be eternally profitable.

Riches will be a blessing if received with gratitude to GOD and to the givers and when used wisely to bless others.

Riches will be a curse if hoarded with selfish motives and if they spoil our relationship with GOD and with others. Eg Judas Iscariot. 

GOD is able to meet all our needs, especially when we serve Him. He gives it to us in coins or in kind!  Matt 6:25-33, Luke 22:35, Mark 6:37

What riches can do to us

Spiritually

• Make it hard for us to enter the Kingdom of GOD.

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." - Mark 10:23-27 

• Fills our heart with the love of the world so that we cannot receive the love of GOD. 

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. - 1 John 2:15-17 

• Can spoil our faith in GOD and lead us to perdition.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. - 1 Timothy 6:10 

• Draws our trust to itself from GOD.  Mark 10:17-27

• Competes with GOD to be our master. 

            When we serve GOD mammon (riches) will serve us.

 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. - Matthew 6:24 

• Makes decisions for us apart from GOD.

A feast is made for laughter, And wine makes merry; But money answers everything. Ecclesiastes 10:19 

• Blinds us to our spiritual condition.

16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

17 Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-- Revelation 3:16-19 

To our soul

• It can tempt us to give a bribe that can blind the eyes even of the wise and can twist the words even of the righteous.

19 You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. Deuteronomy 16:19 

• It can make us haughty.

• It can make us oppress the poor.

But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? - James 2:6  

6 That we may buy the poor for silver, And the needy for a pair of sandals-- Even sell the bad wheat?" Amos 8:6 

• It can cause us to worship the mark of the beast.  The principle of the kingdom of darkness is buying and selling. GOD’S Kingdom principle is giving and receiving.

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. Revelations 13:16-18

To our bodies

Fancy foods can cause gluttony.

Food fads.

The danger of being preoccupied with the body: Beautifying, maintaining a youthful appearance. Exercising to keep fit.

Clothing: Preoccupied with shopping for clothing.

materially

Riches make us carnal in our minds and make us greedy. Pursuing material things can be a snare, drawing us away from the LORD and His word.

What riches cannot give us

• It cannot redeem our soul. 

For thus says the LORD: "You have sold yourselves for nothing, And you shall be redeemed without money." - Isaiah 52:3  

knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. - 1 Peter 1:18-19 

"So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." ' "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." - Luke 12:18-21 

• Is not esteemed highly in the eyes of the LORD.

"The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when you give an offering to the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves. - Exodus 30:15 

And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." - Luke 12:15 

 And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

Luke 16:15

• Things bought with money do not satisfy the soul.

"Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. - Isaiah 55:1-2 

And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. Also Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king's merchants bought them in Keveh at the current price. Now a chariot that was imported from Egypt cost six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse one hundred and fifty; and thus, through their agents, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria. But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites-- from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, "You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love. -  1 Kings 10:26-11:2 

• Makes you self- sufficient. No debt and no Jubilee.

Jubilee is a celebration for the poor and the indebted.

Leviticus 25 - The poor sold their fields, property or themselves to the rich for money.

                     If they couldn’t redeem what they sold, a rich relative could help them.

                      If not, they were set free from all debt and all restored in the year of Jubilee!

How should we handle riches (money))

• Be content with what you have.

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. - 1 Timothy 6:6-9

• When you are treated unfairly, regarding money or riches, do not strive with people. Do not cause an offence. Relationships are more important.

Let go of money to hold onto relationships.

He said, "Yes." And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?" Peter said to Him, "From strangers." Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free. "Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you." - Matthew 17:25-27 

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them. ... "And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves." - Exodus 30:11-12, 16 

Interestingly, JESUS is the Son of GOD and He is the Ransom for all of mankind. Yet (Nevertheless, lest we offend), He paid the Temple Tax which was the ransom money for each person.

"Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? "Show Me the tax money." So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They said to Him, "Caesar's." And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." - Matthew 22:17-21 

Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." - Luke 12:13-15 

"If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. - Matthew 5:40 

• With humility, trusting GOD, doing good, giving and sharing.

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. - 1 Timothy 6:17-19 

'If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. 'Take no usury or interest from him; but fear your God, that your brother may live with you. 'You shall not lend him your money for usury, nor lend him your food at a profit. 'I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. - Leviticus 25:35-38 

The rich man and Lazarus  Luke 16:19-31

• Buy the truth and do not sell it.

 Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding. 

Proverbs 23:23