ESOCS Devotional 12 December 2024 – Be Not Deceived
MEMORY VERSE: ““And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am [Christ]; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.”Luke 21:8 KJV
TEXT: LUKE 21:5–9
Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, 6 “These things which you see—the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.”
7 So they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?”
8 And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them. 9 But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.”
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The enemy of our soul is the master deceiver. He is the father of lies, and he is good at it. He started his plan of deception in the Garden of Eden and he has not let up ever since. His time is limited, and he knows that; so, his master plan is to deceive as many people as he can into following his ways instead of the plans and purposes of God.
In our text today, Jesus warned His disciples to take heed so that they will not be deceived because a lot of false prophets and teachers will come in His name. Only those who have relationship with the Father and are always listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit will be spared.
The Bible has plenty to say about the dangers of deception. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were repeatedly led astray by false prophets who said the things they wanted to hear rather than proclaiming the true message of God. Jesus warned His disciples to watch out for convincing counterfeits so that they would not be deceived. The apostle Paul implored the churches to beware of people who teach things that are contrary to the gospel and to stay away from people that deceive with their “smooth talk and glowing words” (Romans 16:18). All of these warnings hold true for us today, and even more, as the return of Christ draws near.
In the Book of Revelation, we are told about the ultimate deception of the anti-Christ that will come. He will deceive those who live on the earth because of the signs that he is permitted to perform (Revelation 13:14). Then once he’s got everyone’s attention and they are all amazed and eager to follow him, he will demand worship (Revelation 13:8) and force anyone that wants to buy or sell to receive his mark on their hand or forehead (Revelation 13:17). By this time, God has already marked His chosen people with His seal, and now the enemy will mark the rest with his. And to receive this mark will be to proclaim allegiance with the enemy of God.
Although the end time’s deception will be the ultimate deception, there are false teachers today that are paving the way. Christians need to be aware so that they will not be deceived. With all the information available to us and the abundance of people claiming to teach the message of God, we need to be able to recognize the difference between God’s truth and the devils lies. The only way to do this is to spend time in the Word of God and to ask the Holy Spirit to give us discernment. It is much easier to recognize a counterfeit when you are confidently familiar with the real thing.
Do not be deceived! God has given us the truth in His Word, and He has given us the Holy Spirit so that we can discern between God’s truth and the enemy’s lies.
- What kind of teachings do you listen to? How do you ensure that you are not deceived?
- Father, help me to always study your words and obey them so that I will not be deceived, in Jesus name.
Further Reading: Daniel 7:15–27; Isaiah 5:1-7; I Thessalonians 2:13–end
ESOCS Devotional 12 December 2024
