Deception, the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid, is rife in our culture and world, even among Christians, and even when, as often happens, it goes unrecognised. Needless to say, it is something we do well to avoid, both as a result of being taken in and our being an instigator of, and is something we do well to be aware of and take measures to avoid.

In the past few years, part of my “watchman on the wall” activities has led me to the view that there are three “Greats” all playing out at the same time: “the Great Reset”, “the Great Awakening” and “the Great Deception” (see here for examples that give meanings of and the rational behind what is takin place throughout the world). Stated simply, the Great Reset is something being pushed by the mainly bad guys to bring about a new world order where a tiny elite impose their nightmare dystopian vision on how we are to live that is in effect how they say we should. The Great Awakening is something being pushed by certain political prophets, new agers and assorted discontents who see through the Great Reset rhetoric and look forward to a new age of enlightenment where the peoples of the earth are set free, including casting off shackles imposed upon us by the Unholy Trinity of politicians, media and the global elite. The former is being orchestrated by Satan acting in his mostly portrayed “Prince of Darkness” mode. The  latter, at least when driven by deception, is being orchestrated by Satan acting in his less portrayed and recognised “Angel of Light” mode. Underlying all this is Satan deceiving the nations, something he has done ever since he tempted Adam and Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden and will do right until the end of the Age, when he is finally judged.  

In his Olivet discourses, which we can read concerning end times events  in Matthew 24 and 25, Mark 13, and Luke 21, Jesus tells of all sorts of catastrophes, some shortly to happen with the destruction of the Temple in AD 70, and some far into the future, and he counsels his followers that they will suffer tribulation and persecution before the ultimate triumph of the Kingdom of God. Some of what Jesus said would happen we are seeing played out, as much as any time in history, although the end is still to happen, and he also included telling his hearers that people, including the very elect of God, would be taken in by deception that would come in many shapes and forms,. That deception can be insidious and all of us could succumb, including me when I am drawn into modes of living which are not in line with the way the Lord wants me to live.

I lament that many of my Christian brothers and sisters are being deceived as they are being drawn in to today’s mish mash of cultural Marxism, hedonism and woke ideology, tolerating what is bad and opposing what is good on the say so of those who control the agenda if we let them, accepting the narratives being pushed by the afore-mentioned Unholy Trinity that encompasses such things as the Corona plan(scam)demic, the Climate change hoax, unchecked immigration, critical race theory, the LBGT and transhuman agendas and who are the good and bad guys on the world stage. Capped onto this is the idea that God is more interested in things like inclusion and diversity and being all loving, overlooking whatever bad stuff we are into and who is less interested in things like sin, righteousness and judgment and old fashioned repentance. Not that those Christians who oppose such notions can escape censure given their uncharitable actions toward others, including fellow Christians who see things differently, ignoring the  two Great Commands that encompass our loving God and our neighbour, whoever he/she may be, failing to address a plethora of social justice issues where a response is called for and cherry picking the sins and errors that need to be condemned and avoided and ignoring the rest.

Often when I blog it is, as in this case, in order to share a burden that I believe God has laid on my heart, ever mindful of the deception trap when people declare something is of the Lord when it isn’t. But as a watchman on the wall and, even if my detractors are right, a self-appointed one, that is what I am required to do, irrespective of who and how many take heed of what it is that I am trying to relate and, mindful of Jesus’ warning, that I may upset many in the process. My biggest concern is for my brothers and sisters in Christ who may, in one way or another, be deceived and missing out on what God is doing and intending. There are many voices giving out contradictory messages, and who is to say which of them are speaking the truth and to what extent those, often unlikely types, who speak truth, are doing so entirely. I would like to think the ancient maxim of “in essentials unity, inessentials liberty, all things charity” is something we all ought to apply, come what may, but then what constitutes essential and charity? God is not into beating us up over every transgression or misdemeanor or whenever we are deceived. But rather, as our loving heavenly Father, He would have us to walk in righteousness and truth. Given from what I see from watching on my wall pertaining to the alarming way in which the world is going, I believe that what I am trying to say is timely.