the [true] sheep did not listen to and obey them" (John 10:8,
Amplified).
Deceivers are everywhere in the Body of Christ today. The Bible
already tells us that deception will naturally be on the rise in the
last days. We cannot stop the emerging and proliferation of spiritual
con men in these last days, neither can we stop them from plying their
trade because it is part of the prophetic package for the End Time.
False prophets doing impressive magic tagged signs and wonders must
arise in their numbers. Demonic teachers with amazing so-called
biblical revelations must emerge, gathering large followership after
themselves. Wolves must come into the fold, all dressed up in sheep's
clothing.
All these things are clearly stated in the Bible, many of them
properly emphasised by the Lord Jesus Himself. But whereas we may not
be able to change the prophetic order of the Last Days, we definitely
can stop these spiritual con men from messing with our own lives. When
we do the needful as individuals, we can fortify ourselves and make
our lives a no-go zone for deceivers.
The first thing to do if a man would not fall into the hands of
deceivers is for that man not to deceive himself. When you are
susceptible to being deceived, it is usually an indication that there
is some level of deception within you, for it would take the deceit
within to attract the one without. In other words, when you fall into
the hands of deceivers, it is because you are probably not telling
yourself the truth in some areas of your life. For example, the
business man who fell into the hands of fraudsters must have first
deceived himself that there is nothing wrong with making quick money
that you did not work for.
In today's scripture verse for our meditation, Jesus said all others
who came before Him were thieves and robbers, "but the [true] sheep
did not listen to and obey them". There are several implications that
can be drawn from this statement, but let us concentrate on one of
them today. From the words of Jesus, it is clear that false sheep will
be susceptible to deception. In other words, if you are not a genuine
child of God, if you are not truly saved, if you are among those
playing church, get ready to be deceived because you are a deceiver
yourself.
If you are serving God for your selfish interest, you give offering
just so that you can get something from God, you attend church that
you may be seen of men, you go to particular services or programmes
just to get a marriage partner or make business contacts, you only go
to church to have men prophesy over you and not to worship and hear
the word of God, then you are a fake Christian (and you know it): it
is only a matter of time before you reap deception.
Where does this lead us? Be a Christian indeed. Worship God with
sincerity of heart and in truth. Allow no deception in your heart. Be
plain, honest and straightforward with the Lord God. Never hide
yourself or your weaknesses from Him like Adam did. Remember that God
sees and knows all things. Never play smart with God. Never play games
with Him because those who do eventually become play things in the
hands of the devil and his messengers - the fake prophets and false
teachers. The belt of truth is an indispensable armour for the true
Christian.
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