It’s been a long while since my last podcast (the good-intention road being paved and all), so I dusted off the ol’ Blue Yeti mic and Audacity recording software and sat down with my friend, John Brown, to record a series of episodes both circling and landing on the theme of deception and truth.
In this 38-minute introduction you’ll hear where the contemporary church is falling prey to deception in these last days and why that deception is only going to get worse.
John and I are among a (thankfully) growing number who share a love, burden, and hope for the true Bride of Jesus and sense the urging of His Majesty to “make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (Luke 1:17) And, by the enabling grace of God, we will be…
…if we have ears to hear.
In this episode, John will touch on the following areas of systemic, growing deception – particularly in our current church culture here in America:
1.She (the church) believes she is ‘in faith’ yet there is almost no obedience of faith to what her Lord has commanded. The reality is that most are unaware that faith has two parts to be a living faith: the hearing of faith and the obedience of faith.
Romans 1:5
through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake,
Luke 6:46
Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do what I tell you?
James 2:17
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
2. She believes in a gospel that says that she is saved because she accepts that Jesus died and atoned for her sins…and yet her reality is that she has never truly repented of the Sin of ruling and reigning over her own life.
Matthew 4:17
From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 4:23
Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.
3. She says that she believes (has faith) and claims that she has been born again, and is a new creature in Christ. The reality is that this is too often mere pretense, without any hard evidence. She dare not say to her family and friends that she is no longer of Adam’s race.
Romans 6:4-5
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
4. She says that her old man was buried with Christ and is no longer alive. And yet the reality is that she continues to live as the old man and is “just a sinner saved by grace.”
Romans 6:6-7
6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.
5. She says that she is in love with the Lord and yet there is almost no obedience though our Lord has said, “If you love Me you will keep my commandments.” The reality is that she isn’t even aware that her Lord has left her commandments to be observed.
Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
6. She has an unwillingness to purchase the truth concerning her condition; she believes that there is no cost to her as she travels the road of salvation.
Proverbs 23:23
Buy the truth, and do not sell it,
Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.
I trust you’ll click on this and all the episodes in this series over the coming weeks. I assure you, the discussions will challenge you to go after Christ with the fresh legs of renewed faith – the very faith of the Son of God (Galatians 2:20) – His life living through you; this grace of His will empower us to be a people of Truth, shielded from deception, and made ready when He returns.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More
Thank you.
Thank YOU, beloved sister! Look forward to any feedback you can offer!
I have opened my mouth wide and God is filling it!
Right where I am right now. So glad to hear from two disciples I admire so much. May He find us ready.
I’ll speak for John when I say we count ourselves blessed whenever you’re at the table, in the conversation, alongside, and sharing with us the wonderful Lord Christ who is in you.