“At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another, and many false prophets will arise and mislead many. Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.…”—Matthew 24:10-12
The Lord has highlighted the word, “counterfeit” to me over the last few days…
And it’s like I’m realizing, in a broader way, and in just how many ways—and within the different areas, how the enemy can take on a “counterfeit” appearance with the intention to deceive and to destroy.
“Counterfeit” is defined as, “made in exact imitation of something valuable or important with the intention to deceive or defraud.”
And it’s causing me to turn to my Heavenly Father and cry out….
“Father! Deception is everywhere, and it’s impossible to see through to the truth without You, without having the wisdom and discernment that You give us! How we so desperately need Jesus, to be able to accurately see and know and realize what is going on beneath what our eyes can see and what our ears can hear. How we so desperately need Jesus to lead us in what is true—”
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”—1 John 4:1
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”—Romans 12:2
“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”—Matthew 15:8
“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”—1 Samuel 16:7
As I realized just how much the deception is happening all around us…. and in the most unsuspecting places…. there is deception that is a “deception of all deceptions” that is happening….
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”—John 14:6
Jesus is the WAY.…. and He is THE only way for us to really see through the deception that is surrounding us in this time!
“For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.”—Matthew 24:24
“…While evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”—2 Timothy 3:13
“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”—Matthew 7:15
And in all of this “broadening realization” …it just led me straight to Jesus…just like a little girl, running to her dear Friend and Companion, the One that she can fully trust.… and I said to Him…
“Jesus? Jesus…. I need You! I so desperately need You to be able to see through to what is true and what is really You in this time. Will You give me the eyes —the wisdom and discernment that I need to be able to know what is of You and what is deception? I’m clinging to You and I’m looking to YOU, and I’m trusting in YOU, that I may not be deceived in this time.”
And in that moment, I also realized that when it comes to this subject of “not wanting to be deceived”…. and asking God for wisdom and the eyes to see through the deception….. there is a point where I can be tempted to go into a place of a “fear of being deceived”— a paranoia, and I can be tempted to attempt to “look to see” in my own strength…
But He does not want us to fear being deceived! We were not created to act in that way! He made plans for us to get to take part in His plans for tearing down the schemes and the webs of the enemy, He wants to USE us in His redemption plans!
He created us to lean on Him, that in Christ, we would not be led astray, we would not be deceived, that in Him, we would be given the eyes to see THROUGH the plans and schemes of the enemy.
And so I realized in that moment, that I cannot let the “fear of deception” lead me into that…
I must simply turn to Jesus, and when I ask Him for the heavenly wisdom, and the discernment I need…. I must choose to trust Him, and rest in the truth that He will give me everything I need. He already has. ☀️
“God, I seek You with all of my heart, and I trust You with all of my heart, and I believe in You with all of my heart! I will not be led into deception when I am clinging closely to You!”
Our Heavenly Father doesn’t want us to be deceived! That’s not His heart for us!
And He promises to give us everything we need to walk this walk, so that we can walk it with Him and take part in His redemption plans that He has in His heart for the world!
And when I ask Him with a heart that believes that He is faithful…
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”—Matthew 7:7
And I remember that I’m leaning on Him to walk me through this life, not my own ability, not my own attempts, not my own strengths…
“And He will delight in the fear of the Lord,
And He will not judge by what His eyes see,
Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;”—Isaiah 11:3
“God, I trust You to give me everything I need to be able to live this life with You!”
But there is a reason He asks us to seek Him, and to keep our eyes on Him…and to KNOW Him…
To know and to realize that He is everything we could ever need.
And from that place…
From simply knowing Him, and seeking Him, and focusing on Him, and trusting Him, and resting in Him…..
He gives us the ability to see through the deception and the schemes of the enemy. ?☀️
And He leads us in the way, the truth, and in life…
“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ…”—Philippians 1:9-11
“I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.”—Jeremiah 24:7
Lord, Your Word says that in this day, there will be much deception, and that many will be deceived. But You make us aware in Your Word, and You remind us to stay alert and awake, but You have not given us a spirit of fear, You have given us one of power, of love, and a sound mind… as we trust, and as we draw close to You, and as we rest in You, we do not need to ever fear being deceived. May we be used to see through the schemes, that we might take part in joining You in the work You want to do in the earth today to redeem Your people and heal the land! Thank You, Jesus, for giving us everything we could ever need to do the work You have for us to do! ☀️
-Heather ?