Throughout history, deception has been used to manipulate people to believe lies. Pharaohs in Egypt used it to trick people into believing they were gods. Hitler wrote of it in his manifesto, Mein Kompf, as a “Big Lie” to mislead masses while his Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels allegedly said, “If you tell people a lie long enough, they’ll believe it.” Tobacco companies used to tell us cigarettes “weren’t addictive but healthy!”

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Jesus told us the number 1 sign in last days before His Return was massive deception! He cited it four times in His “last days” discourse, Matthew 24.

The White House just launched the “Media Offender of the Week” to expose deception in our day. “Misleading. Biased. Exposed.” declares the website.

Preparation

Deception is rampant today. What do we do to recognize it and courageously counter it as truth tellers? Prophetic author, George Orwell, said in his classic work, 1984, “During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

• “Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist…”  (Eph. 6:14).
• “Now the Spirit expressly says that in the last days, some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies…” (1Tim. 4:1-2).
• “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away (Greek, apostasy) comes first…” (2 Thess. 2:3).

4 Precautions

1. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit whom Jesus said was “the Spirit of truth who comes and will guide you into all the truth…” (Jn. 16:13). We must learn to discern truth from error, remembering the words of Charles Spurgeon, “Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong, but right and almost right!”
2. Make sure you are faithful and committed in a local church, embracing the authority of sacred Scripture. “We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting…” (Eph.4:14).
3. Cultivate humility and teachability, inviting input and correction. “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (Jam. 4:6). C.S. Lewis cautioned us, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.”
4. Study the scripture consistently and do not compromise with anything or anyone who discredits it and/or deviates from its divine inspiration. “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman not to be ashamed able to rightly divide the word of truth.”

Years ago, I had the distinct honor of having a “divine appointment” with Dr. Billy Graham, one of Christianity’s greatest leaders. I shared with him that during the Jesus Movement there was a gathering of 2000 primarily young people meeting weekly 10 minutes from the White House and asked what one bit of advice would he want me to convey to the gathering?  He pointed to his Bible saying, “Stay in the Book! Stay in the Book!”

So we stay on track and steer clear of today’s tsunami of deception. Let’s seize the safeguard God has provided us.

Sobering Stories

• For the first time in our almost 250-year history an outspoken former rapper who identifies as a “Marxist and Islamist” was elected mayor of a major American city, New York! Imagine our largest and most influential metropolis, home to the Stock Market, United Nations and the New York Times governed by a 34-year-old with no political experience, touting communist policies that brought death and destruction to hundreds of millions in the last century.
• The church we founded in the DC area during the Jesus Movement that birthed churches and ministries now in 47 countries was turned over to a nationally known young leader years ago. He later departed and denounced Christianity, divorced his wife and devastated his children in the wake of his deception.
• An NFL superstar shared about his wonderful Christian experience as a young man, mission trips, and commitment to Christ. Then he pivoted seeing “religion as a crutch” and does not believe in people being saved or in heaven or hell and likes the Dalai Lama.

Here’s the Deal: We live in days of deception. We need to stay close to Jesus and authentic Christians in strong churches committed to “Stay in the Book! Stay in the Book!”

How are you praying about deception? Share your prayers and scriptures below.

Larry Tomczak is a best-selling author of 10 books, cultural commentator of 50 years, Intercessors for America board member and a public policy advisor with Liberty Counsel. Go to www.larrytomczak.com to watch 30 amazing, free, on demand, brief videos done by some of America’s top leaders to confidently address today’s tough issues. Photo Credit: Paul M. Walsh – Billy and Franklin Graham, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4934708.