admincritically examine and analyse this postulation to validate these assertions.
Deception implies using a lie to herald or promote something that is not of esteem or value, in other words lying to puff up things of no value.
The dictionary defines it as a practice of deceit or a display of false impressions. Deception hides its power in the source and content that is hidden from us.
The devil does not want his victims to know when they obey him. His ability is in the power to hide as he knows and understands that not many would openly and willingly bow down to him.
No wonder without a written word, many do the very things that please the devil. As a result, the issue of sorcery and divinations are being “Christianised” to resemble a holy outlook.
As long as the devil can conceal his strategies in darkness and convince many to unknowingly follow him, he will indeed be exhilarated and be eternally grateful to the deceived.
Lack of knowledge and understanding that one is obeying Satan’s deceptions doesn’t change the fact that you are his servant. Those who are truly and earnestly saved do not read the Bible to get information but to get instruction.
Many get biblical revelations only from the pulpit and not taking heed of the Amos 8 v 11-12: “Behold, the days’ are coming, says the Lord God; That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wonder from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it.”
I see many wondering from Zimbabwe to Ghana from Ghana to Nigeria still not receiving the truth of God’s word.
It is common occurrence to hear prophetic messages on witchcraft between two brethren being done in public, which is nothing short of criminal. The prophet’s name is raised at the expense of the destruction of entire households and surely at this point one should smell a rat. True prophets of God have enough maturity and humility to differentiate between private and public issues.
When we walk in truth (light) we don’t see ourselves, we don’t see our life we see that of Jesus Christ. However, the opposite is true when we walk in Satan’s lie, we don’t see Satan, we see ourselves, John 5 v 30: “He must increase, but l must decrease.”
This explains the flamboyance of prosperity preachers. The desire for expensive mansions, cars and they crave to do the supernatural for self-exaltation like desiring to walking on water. Our pride, our insatiable desires, lusts are the instruments Satan hides behind to deceive us.
Pride is the virtue of modern preachers as the devil always point to you, while the Holy Spirit always points to Jesus. Despite the fact that these preachers claim to be spirit filled they don’t seem to display the spirit of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit would never engage in acts of self- protection and self-publicity as witnessed today. The writings and adverts by bogus miracle workers are merely to spruce their image not that of Christ. The world calls it keeping up appearances.
There is an insatiable desire to be like the world unlike the likes of Peter and Paul. The power of ego, self-exaltation will either lift you up in pride or sink one into the pools of depression and frustration.
The Church is being continuously enticed to pursue democratic ideals yet the Bible advocates for a theocracy. We are influenced to fall into the enemy’s trap that we should not force our beliefs upon other people. While this appears very civilised it simply is not the truth of the Word.
Christians are supposed to make a pronounced stand against the evil-doers. These writings are not meant to fight other Christian brethren but to fight the spirit that is behind them and the spirit inhabiting them.
Psalm 94 v 16: “Who will rise up for me against the evil doers;” Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?” Here God is calling his servants who will not pay an ear to the cover-ups and critiques of the children of deception but those who are willing to carry the cross.
Those who will speak truth, despite hate and attack messages by workers of iniquity and their deceived followers. It is a fact that the devil does not care about what you believe so long you keep it to yourself which is in great contrast to the great commission which advocates disciples to observe all things that Jesus Christ commanded.
It becomes clear, therefore, that if you are not experiencing persecution in this apostate world, then you may not be living godly in Christ Jesus. The early church was rocking the boat and made people angry by preaching the truth. This earmarked the persecution of the early church. Ephesians 5 v11: “And have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” These fraudsters need to be exposed.
Modern pseudo-prophets employ lying techniques simply because they don’t trust the truth to get them what they want. The major or underlying problem is greed and telling people what they want to hear stimulates them into surrendering themselves to the “possessor” of the promises. They simply lie to gain that which would not likely occur if the Church relied on being honest, forthright and humble.
Due to the desire for personal value and worth based on the perception of others and the sort of achievement that wins applause and approval of society at large, many of the modern preachers seek any means possible and available to anoint them for higher powers. However, if identity was totally wrapped in Christ such carnal desires would be undesirable.
The other influencing energy behind lying is pride. Truth exposes one’s weaknesses and sinfulness and failures. False workers are so terrified that if those whose respect and acceptance they can’t live without were to see them exposed the embarrassment would be too unbearable to stomach.
They, however, continue in their line of lies and deceits. It is only the enslaving satanic rituals that keep their audience closed up and unable to see the truth of their deceptions. It is the blinding mystical spirits that bewitch their large followings.
As a result, the Church finds itself interwoven in the creation of deceptive value systems in which the perception of competence, right standing and being favoured by leadership and above all being “anointed” is hailed more than humility, brokenness and service. In this light truth retards advancement. The charms administered by their godfathers or spiritual fathers close the eyes of their followers and the ministries bloom despite the fraudulent deceptions which the Bible is at pains to warn the rest of Christendom.
The world is slowly advancing into the era were Christians believe their preachers more than they trust the Bible. Even if they are not measuring up to the Word they put up a show as if they are worshipping Christ. A group of youths with towels and ritualised water bottles who claim to profess Christ without having a clue as to how the currency of faith works.
Matthew 15 v 8: “These people draw nearer to me with their mouth, and honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” Imagine the shame of redemption offering, bowing down to man, adopting ways which no longer holds in the New Testament church.
These ministries are rising up at a time when everyone can see and testify that we are in the last days. The word of God has warned and thrown caution to all believers to observe and test every spirit and some pastors with a burden for lost souls are doing likewise. It’s a pity that such messages fall on deaf ears.
The false workers are turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, helping people live the way they desire rather than lead them to obedience. These men of unrighteousness are so much preoccupied with their monetary profit to the extent of not minding to be part of unrighteousness to earn it, Jude 1:4: “For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our god into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
If gospel preachers have divided loyalty between God and Mammon, which are the things of this world we will not understand the truth. Babylon will always counterfeit the things of New Jerusalem, and many emerging “churches” offer something which appears to be body life, Col 2 v 8: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and employ deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” Their gospel is a gospel of Mammon. It is one of the devil’s crafts, mastery in deception especially to those who bother not to meditate on the Word of God.
The repackaged lies of Satan concentrate on various ways which the modern man is obsessed with such as “self” which breed the numerous techniques of “Christianised” sorcery and divinations.
The devil is not only the “father of lies” but also the “author of confusion” His prophets with sophistry and clandestine occult ritualistic skills have made it harder and harder to differentiate between neo-paganism and liberal church or between liberal church and evangelical Christianity. As a result the message and priorities of the church are becoming indistinguishable from the world.
The fashion shows in the church, the dressing of the Hollywood-type preachers, their fancy automobiles to name a few. Whilst these things may not necessarily be evil in themselves, it is the obsession or preoccupation with them among the modern preacher that is disturbing, to say the least.
David Manyere is a pastor at Kingdom Mysteries Church
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