#TheTruth: DECEPTION or THE FATHER`S LOVE …..

DECEPTION or THE FATHER`S LOVE ….. Mathew 24 vs 24

The problem with deception is that you are not aware that you are being deceived.  And so, I asked, how then do we do recognize from afar, the signs of deception. Scripture says that, if the time is not cut short EVEN THE VERY ELECT will be taken. 

To understand the severity of these happenings, the every elect are those that were chosen by God himself as custodians of His Truth, those refined by fire and found worthy of His grace. And then I asked, if the very elect are culpable to be drowned by this ocean of deception, what is the hope of those higher percentages of Christians who feel that church attendance is the litmus test for a grown Christian. What is the hope of that Christian who is yet to understand that Christianity is not about ask and receive. Jesus said in John 16vs 2, MSG translation, “I’ve told you these things to prepare you for rough times ahead. They are going to throw you out of the meeting places. There will even come a time when anyone who kills you will think he’s doing God a favor. They will do these things because they never really understood the Father. I’ve told you these things so that when the time comes and they start in on you, you’ll be well-warned and ready for them.    

Carefully studying this scripture shows two types of people. This two categories are `supposed` children of God, `both passionately serving God`, `both attendants of church services`, `both wanting to please God` and many more similarities. Question then remains, what is the line that separates this two.  Reading the letters to the 7 churches always gives me shocks to my spines… the church in Ephesus was one that had a testimony of deeds, they knew the truth so well that they could spot an error, their theology was impeccable, their perseverance was second to none in all of Christendom; that of sardis had a reputation of being alive, the church in Pergamum held on to God despite being in the vicinity of the Devil`s palace and so on, yet were these churches found worthy, cos of one deception or the other they never even knew. Amazing that what they lacked created a huge vacuum that swallowed up what they did. So the solution is not more of what they were doing. Jesus in Mathew 7vs22 said they will say Lord, we used the gifts you gave us for you, but Jesus claimed He didn’t even know them, so it is not about using your gifts better. This period is not a time to just DO MORE for God, not a time to organize MORE programs, or the sort. 

The greatest misfortune that will happen to the child of God is to think He is working for God, and then realize God never accepted his worship. This happened in the days of the Israelites, in Zechariah 7vs 4, God told Zechariah to ask the people `The fasting you did for 70 years was it for me…. `. So for 70 years, God was quiet about a supposed service to Him which they did, yet it was rejected, but why did He stay quiet that long. In verse 11, God said they refused to LISTEN…they would rather go ahead with the traditional means of service which was passed down to them than LISTEN. 

The routine no matter how god eventually withers the LIFE. . That’s the problem; children of God have chosen tradition over Listening. For many have substituted Listening to the father for their smart intellect to get things done, these ones will even ascribe God`s name to these practices. They think they do God a favor! There is nothing the Father desires than you fall on His lap of love and never leave all the rest of your life, that was His desire from the creation of Adam.

Listening to the Father is not a PASSIVE action, it is an ACTIVE disposition. Martha was trying to get things done for Jesus…and many leaders will teach and put you in positions to get things done for the church in the name of working for God, as a substitute for the True Life in Christ. You can get so busy working for Him that you lose sight of Him. When what you do is not inspired by your place of love and real relationship with Jesus, it makes everything worthless and even destructive. Many a time, what activities does is to get you deceived that God is pleased in working, but truth is, what fills that emptiness inside of us is REAL relationship with Jesus, You to live in and through Him.  Christianity is a real life in Christ, a life of being on the lap of the father, He needs you, not your work or money or sacrifice. Jesus needs your time for real talk. A life you can frolic in everyday, one you can feel and touch, that brings smiles to your face.

Many of us have had moments like this in the past, we need to go to the Feet of Christ and pour our hearts to Him for Him again. Stay in that presence until you hear Him. Don’t get so hooked up in work that you lose the Joy of simply loving Jesus. Don’t get caught up in a work driven religious culture that thrives on conformity, guilt that destroys the Love of Jesus in you. Be real with the Father and express all emotions in His presence.

Author: Humphrey Adun