"Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist." (2 John 1:7)

"Many" deceivers? That's an understatement! Everywhere we turn we find a different gospel being preached and the sad thing is that people will believe it more quickly than they will the Truth. What makes people so resistant to the Truth that they would rather believe the lie than walk in Truth?

The lie says that there are many ways to heaven . . . the Truth says there is only one: "I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh to the Father but by me." (John 14:6)

The lie says that there are no absolute rights or wrongs . . . the Truth says that "if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8)

The lie says that if you believe anything hard enough, you'll be saved . . . the Truth says that "salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

The lie says that man is good and if you live a good life, you'll go to heaven . . . the Truth says "there is none righteous, no, not one". (Rom 3:10)

The lie says that there is no God . . . the Truth says "the fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." (Psalm 14:1)

The lie says that Jesus was a good man and possibly a prophet . . . the Truth says "that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil 2:11)

We could go on all day disproving the lies of deception flooding the earth today and still not cover them all. But for every lie, there is Truth. The Word of God is Truth (John 17:17). The problem becomes ours when we don't know the Truth, when we haven't taken the time to "study to show ourselves approved, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of Truth." (2 Tim 2:15) We depend on all too often on pre-digested manna—basing our belief system on what others teach and preach, depending on them to receive Truth and feed us what they have already "digested." So many fail to understand the Manna from Heaven, Himself, is longing for us to gather from Him daily as the Israelites did every morning as they were in the wilderness—their gathering was personal, it was an individual gathering enough for himself and his household. They couldn't depend on someone to do the gathering for them.

How can we know the deception unless we know the Truth? How can we know the Truth unless we partake of the Truth? How can we partake of the Truth unless we discipline ourselves to study to show ourselves approved? The Word doesn't change us or equip us by osmosis – we have to make a concerted effort – every one of us – on a daily basis. It's more important to us than physical nourishment, more important than anything and everything we find to do that sustains and supports our lifestyles.

Will we know the deceiver when he comes knocking at our door? We need to be prepared. We need to be intimately acquainted with the Truth – the Word of God! There is no other way!

Father, I confess to You that I long to know Your Word and to be fully equipped, to be an unashamed workman who rightly divides your Word of Truth. But I fall short! So often, my time slips away before I realize that I haven't taken the time to collect my daily Manna. Forgive me Lord because my priorities are often out of order. Lord, teach me to arise early to seek You (Luke 21:38). Lord, give me an unquenchable thirst for Your Word, an insatiable hunger for the daily Manna, an undeniable desire to know You more every day – more than the day before. Teach me, Lord, to quickly recognize deception as it compares to the Truth of Your Word! Teach me, Lord; I want to learn from You – I NEED to learn from You! In Jesus' name, by His blood, and for His glory, amen and amen!

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3)

© 2008 Jan Ross
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