Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3
The spirit of deceit, misinformation, disinformation, and flat-out lies is everywhere. We cannot afford to be vulnerable in the realm of the spirit; even within the church. Sadly, the spirit of deceit runs rampant in the church. The word of God tells us that there will be a falling away.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 2 Thessalonians 2:3
Anyone that undermines the unity of the church, the word of God, their overseer or pastor and/or their brothers and sisters in Christ is
working in the realms of deceit.
God is not talking about the world. The 'world has nothing to fall away from. No, He is talking about His people! The falling away is not the world; it is referring to the transgressors
within the church; the ones who have taken down or turned their backs from that which he was once doing and
now is doing something different:
> no longer participating in financial giving to aid the church
> no longer attending church regularly
> no longer praying and reading the bible regularly
> no longer building up in the holy
spirit
We have to be careful with what is being put out within the
church because the spirit of deceit is in the church and is lurking; waiting for any opportunity to pounce just as in biblical times.
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old
ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into
lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Jude 4
The atmosphere and standards of the world which is under satanic influence has entered the
church. Sex, money and power are trying
to rule the church in the same manner that they rule the world. People want power and positions. Jealousy is running rampant and we who have
been born into the body of Christ have to be careful not to get caught up in
it.
Remember, just because a person
signs the church roster and becomes a member of the church does not mean that
they are born again.
Power struggles exist in the church because of deceit just as in biblical times.
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall
shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall
deceive the very elect. Matthew 24:24
This scripture does not refer to the body of Christ. It is referring to the ‘church’. Anyone can join the church but you have to be
born into the body of Christ.
But of the times and the
seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of
the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction
cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that
that day should overtake you as a thief.
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are
not of the night, nor of darkness.
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be
sober. For they that sleep sleep in the
night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober,
putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of
salvation. For God hath not appointed us
to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us,
that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Therefore comfort yourselves together, and
edify one another, even as also ye do. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-13
The birthing of the church on the day of Pentecost is found
in Acts; all books after that is recorded for the church; to the body of Christ.
No man knows the day nor
the hour that Jesus is returning!
We do not want to become as those whose minds have been blinded. Anytime you fail to believe what is in the bible and instead believe something that is not written in the bible, you are deceived.
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 2 Corinthians 4:4
This is not the time to fall into deceit and disbelief. Apostle Paul said that Jesus’
return will be as a thief in the night.
Jesus said no one, not even the angels know the day of his return.
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of
heaven, but my Father only. Matthew 24:36
We are to watch and be sober. We cannot let the cares, concerns and
pleasures of the world overtake us so that we are overtaken by the deceit of
the world.
We cannot read a lot of commentaries that are not in alignment with the word of God and gather other’s
opinions without having full understanding of the bible.
Understand that God is letting us know that he has not appointed us to wrath; meaning that we, the body of Christ
will not go through the tribulation.
This is the time that we should be building up, edifying, and loving each other because we don’t want to see our brothers and sisters ‘fall
away’.
We are to know those who labor among us and those who are
over us and be prepared to guard our spirits against verbal attacks that will
assault our spirit.
We have to teach people how to handle us, set boundaries so
that we don’t become tainted.
Another sign of falling away is that people no longer want
to submit to those over them; the preacher, pastor, etc. This is seen in people’s words and in their
actions. Biblical reference: Lucifer, full of pride and arrogance who no
longer wanted to submit to God.
If you have issues with your brother or sister, quickly get
it straight.
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one
that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 1 John 4:7-8
Before we think about the trumpet sounding, make sure that
we are rapture ready. When the trumpet
sounds, it will only bear witness to those who are sensitized to the spirit.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall
be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:52
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and
they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of
heaven to the other. Matthew 24:31
Always make sure that you are accountable to someone and you
are accountable for someone. It helps to keep us on the focused.
We esteem those who are over us; our spiritual
covering. We should be at peace with our
brothers and sisters. Get things right
if you are not; correct your offences.
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Hebrews 12:14
Be rapture ready.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not
in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58
Excerpts from Word Enrichment
Overseer Joel C. Lofton
Biblical Studies
10/22/18
07/28/20
08/06/22
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