Smoke Screens, Deceptions and Perilous Times - Pt. 1

I felt led to write this December '08.  I just felt led to re-read and still feel/sense the exhortation of what Holy Spirit was showing me then, now.  Yesterday, I felt led to write a Part 2 to this and will add that in another post.  Here is Part 1:

Smoke Screens, Deceptions and Perilous Times... in God let us STAND!

A warning and exhortation from the Word of God~


PERILOUS TIMES...

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:


FOR MEN WILL BE LOVERS OF THEMSELVES, LOVERS OF MONEY, BOASTERS, PROUD, BLASPHEMERS, DISOBEDIENT TO PARENTS, UNTHANKFUL, UNHOLY, UNLOVING, UNFORGIVING, SLANDERERS, WITHOUT SELF CONTROL, BRUTAL, DESPISERS OF GOOD, TRAITORS, HEADSTRONG, HAUGHTY, LOVERS OF PLEASURE RATHER THAN GOOD, HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS BUT DENYING ITS POWER.


AND FROM SUCH PEOPLE TURN AWAY!


For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women[and men] loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.


Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.


MAN/WOMAN OF GOD...


BUT YOU- have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra - what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.


Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.


But evil men[and women] and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.


BUT YOU- must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.


ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man [and woman] may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.


PREACH THE WORD/EXHORT THE BODY...


I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:


PREACH THE WORD! BE READY IN SEASON AND OUT OF SEASON! Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.


For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.


BUT YOU- be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."
2 Timothy 3-4:5
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Beloved Brothers and Sisters,


Do you feel the pressing of the times? Do you have eyes to see the schemes, lies, deceptions, smoke screens, hype, and things meant to cause mass hysteria? Do you see the attempts of those serving darkness, and the control they are attempting to instill upon mankind? The notion of recession is but a means to control and instill fear. Look beyond what you see in the natural. God has not been dethroned nor will He ever be. He is and always has been and forever will be in control of all things. But His word implores us to be alert and ever watchful:

“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand therefore before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36


Our Lord Jesus said that these things are to happen yet the elect does not need to fear nor be deceived because we are One in and with Christ. Our Lord Jesus provides the way of deliverance by way of His love letter/book to us.


From time to time I get these warnings/promptings/exhortations fired in my spirit. This past week I felt the stirrings again but it took some time to connect the dots of what God was showing me and speaking to me. I often get visions, messages, words... from God but only see/hear in part much of the time. And, I pray always for the Holy Spirit to show me, teach me and guide me in regards to those things.


Today, I was lead to the above passage and the dots connected to what I was seeing in my spirit and hearing. I want to encourage you (because I am an encourager) to stand strong, united and tightly knit together that we may endure the days to come to fulfill our individual and corporate callings in Christ Jesus. We need each other. We need unity unlike every before. We cannot succeed in building our own kingdoms/selfish ambitions nor will God honor that. These times demand Unity among the body of believers in Christ. These times demand that we stand together, side by side, bearing with one another, building one another up and walking out this walk and calling together with each other united, brothers and sisters in Christ, sharing the same blood line through our Lord, our Savior, our King!

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,…” Romans 15:5

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.


But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says:


‘When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men[and women].’


(Now this, ‘He ascended’ – what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men[and women], in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:1-16

At this point in my writing I am hearing: “pray for the dunamis power of unity”. Pray and meditate upon the revelation of this.
May our eyes be enlightened and ever widened to the times and what God desires to show us. May we be filled with the Spirit of revelation, discernment, wisdom, knowledge and understanding given by way of Holy Spirit. May we not rely on the ways or word of man/women to get us through these times but may we rely on, turn to and trust the very Word of God and hold to His hope and promises. May we be as One in Christ by His dunamis power equipped to carry out the calling in which He has called us. I plead the blood of Jesus upon each person who reads these words. May we be fortified and strengthened to stand. Father God, hear my prayer, receive my prayer in the mighty and saving name of Jesus Christ my Lord. AMEN!


God bless each and every one of you!