Don’t fall for ungodly deception!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.
(Mark 13:5 (NIV))

Jesus knew that strange times would come and that people would potentially be deceived by what would be happening. He told His disciples point blank to be on their guard so that they, and we, would not be deceived when situations arise. We must stand firm in our faith and be firmly rooted in God’s Word so that we can recognize false teachings when they are presented to us. It is my prayer that we will be so firmly grounded in God’s Word that we will instantly know the enemy’s attempts to deceive us when we see them. You have to realize that the enemy knows God’s Word and can twist it in ways that are designed to confuse those who are not totally immersed in God’s truth. Consider that the serpent tricked Adam and Eve by twisting the truth in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve walked with God. They knew Him in a way that we can’t possibly know God today. Still, they fell for the deception that the serpent used, and humanity has been paying the price ever since that day!

The enemy uses things out of context, or just a partial quote of scripture. He will twist just enough of God’s Word so that it still sounds right, but with the subtle change, it is now a lie. Consider what happens if he leaves out the last instructions from Jesus to the woman caught in adultery.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
(John 8:9-11 (NIV))

If you twist this passage by removing “Go now and leave your life of sin,” it takes on a whole new meaning. It takes on a meaning completely opposite of what Jesus truly said and meant. Without those eight words, it sounds as if Jesus is telling the woman that whatever she does is okay, when what He is really saying is that she must repent and change her ways. The whole passage, when twisted like this, is now able to be a lie from the mouth of the enemy.

We must not take things at face value. We must know God’s Word. We must search God’s Word for verification and not for our sinful gratification. We must be Bereans!

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
(Acts 17:11 (NIV))

When someone is not educated in certain aspects of life, it is easy for them to be deceived in those areas. With everything that is going on in the world, be very careful with respect to what you embrace as truth. When you are firmly grounded in God’s Word, the Holy Spirit will be in communication with your spirit. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you through the subtle lies of the enemy.

Don’t fall for ungodly deception!

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Do you claim all the power in God’s Word?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.
(Psalms 119:114 (NIV))

I want to ask a very telling question if I may.

In which part of God’s Word do you place you hope? Is it Genesis? Perhaps it is Proverbs or Psalms. Is it Matthew or Mark? Is it Revelation? Perhaps it is a different book where you find your hope is firmly grounded. Perhaps you like to pick and choose exactly what you claim as truth and then discard what you don’t like.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
(Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV))

How can anyone claim that God is their refuge and shield if they don’t accept all of God’s Word as truth and power? It is like someone putting on armor for protection during battle and saying that they don’t like the way the breastplate makes them feel, so they refuse to wear it. It is like someone refusing to put on the helmet because it would mess up their hair. Every page of God’s Word is power. It is life!

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV))

Do you claim all the power in God’s Word?

Copyright 1998 – 2017 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What is your continuity in life?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
(Hebrews 13:8 (NIV))

Do you like continuity in your life?

Is there anything that has been in your life for a long time that is the exact same as it was when it first became a part of your life?

If you are like me, well, actually, if you are like every other person who has ever lived, nothing ever stays the same. You make friends, lose friends, grow up, move on, get married, have children who then proceed to grow up and move on, get married and have children who then . . .

What is it about continuity that we, as human beings, like so much? Is it the reliability that we like? Is it the fact that we like a constant point of reference? Could it be that we like the assurance of knowing that something or someone will always be there no matter what the circumstances may be?

When I read that Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever, I like the assurance that He is my rock. He is my foundation upon which I can build my life. It is this foundation that gives me the freedom to live life without fear and without uncertainty. I am grounded firmly in the promises that God has fulfilled through Jesus! I stand firm on my faith in Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior, and I embrace the destiny that is mine through the gift of God’s grace through Jesus!

Any day is a good day to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Any day is a good day to walk with Jesus. Any day is a good day to repent and return to Jesus. In this new year, I pray that we all examine our lives and assess where we are in our relationship with Jesus. If we find that things are not as they should be, or as they were, keep in mind that it is we who have changed and not Jesus!

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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