Take Heed No Man Deceive You

(NOTE*: This article was updated/edited - added to May 9/17 BP)

Take Heed!

Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.[Mat 24:4, 5]

At the end of December 2016, I had wondered if the Lord had anything to say about the New Year.  With chaos and confusion and tension building in every nation globally, it is natural to wonder what is going to happen or what all the turmoil is leading up to. Yet, no matter what, we have to keep reminding ourselves that the Lord is our safe refuge, our strong tower and always precisely on time.

The Holy Spirit will lead us in the way that we need to go, whether corporately, individually and/or both. God is not a fortune teller, but as the one true God He cautions and warns. He is the true Living God that can safely and wisely direct our steps by His Spirit. None else can.

Only God knows each of us intimately (He is omnipresent, which means that at all times, He is everywhere or ever present).  Only God fully understands where we are at well enough to guide us in His wisdom.  He is omniscient (all-knowing, all-seeing, all-wise).

The Holy Spirit laid upon my heart some of what to expect this year. It has been confirmed prophetically by others in their own words. The Body of Christ receives the same message, but as individual parts, we all have our own personalities, as did the prophets and apostles of old who wrote the Holy Scriptures. These things are not just for a select few to know.

In Joel 2:28, God promised to pour out His Spirit in the last days, and sons and daughters would prophesy; old men would dream dreams and young men would have visions.  The Lord said that He would pour out of His Spirit and His servants and handmaidens would prophesy. Today, from the very young to the old can prophesy as the Spirit gives them utterance.  People who are not prophets can speak forth prophetic words; they can prophesy. This is God’s doing through His precious Holy Spirit.

God pouring out His Spirit upon many people first happened on the day of Pentecost. On that glorious day, tongues of fire fell on about 120 people praying in the Upper Room and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter explained what had happened (in Acts 2:16, 17) when citizens from as far away as Asia, Egypt, Rome, Arabia and other countries heard people speaking in the native tongues of their country.

Baffled and amazed, they wondered what it meant. Not understanding, certain mockers accused those who had been in the Upper Room when the tongues of fire fell, of being full of wine (drunk), but Peter made it all very clear that it was none other than the words of the prophet Joel fulfilled.

Therefore, multitudes today prophesy because of that very promise of God. However, knowing what the end times entailed, Jesus forewarned that we are to try every spirit to see if it is of God because of the vast number of false prophets that would be out in the world today. And it is so…

Miracles and Great Trouble

From the December 2016, here are excerpts from that which the Lord laid on my heart:

“This coming year, there are going to be many miracles, many long-awaited visions, dreams and prophetic words finally coming into fruition.”

(Scriptures were given about the “fear of the Lord”, as well as those who keep His commandments. [Ps 147; Deut 5; Rev 12]

“Yet again, the Lord mentions the “clash of the kingdoms”.

This coming year not only brings blessings, but also a year of great trouble. Stay close to Christ. Seek Him for answers and to lead you. that includes leading you to a prophetic word if that is what He desires to do.

Yet I caution (a gentle reminder) that we are not to chase after people for a prophetic word, but to run to God, who promised to pour out of His Spirit in the last days and sons and daughters will prophesy. [Act 2:17]

Allow Him to confirm a thing to you as HE chooses to do so. Be prepared for a clash of the kingdoms. A year of miracles, but also a year of great troubles! Stay close and hold fast to the Lord.”

(End of excerpts)

Source: Awake, Awake O Sleeper

So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.

Then said Jesus unto him, Except you see signs and wonders, you will not believe. The nobleman said to him, Sir, come down or my child die. Jesus said to him, Go your way; your son lives. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken to him, and he went his way. [Jn 4:46-50]

The story goes that the nobleman’s servants met him to tell him that his son was alive. When he asked his servants the hour he began to recover, and they told him, the father knew that it was the same hour that Jesus had told him to go, and that his son lives. He and his entire household became believers.

We are told in God’s word that in the end times, there will be signs and wonders, both from God and from false prophets. All of us need to be able to discern which is which.  When the Lord said at the very end of last year that great miracles (blessings) were coming, but also great trouble, we must believe Him even if we do not see things immediately.

One such miracle happened quite recently when a category F4 tornado swept through Tulsa, Oklahoma and carried a mobile home, along with five family members inside, for 130 miles before dropping it, mildly damaged yet intact in Kansas. The family was unharmed.

Everyone was amazed at such a miracle. Apparently the five members prayed for slightly over over four long hours, whilst the mobile twisted and turned precariously in the winds. Imagine the adrenaline coursing through their veins for that many hours! A harrowing experience! What a test of faith! And ironically, the woman’s name was Dorothy. What are the odds?

Everyone was talking about it, including me. How amazing! Imagine a mobile home ripped up from its foundation and carried in the volatile winds for over 130 miles! Incredible. Nothing is impossible with God!

What cushioned the landing of the mobile home was a car, which the mobile landed on. The vehicle had no occupants inside at the time of impact. The mobile home suffered little structural damage overall.

But what were we told? Jesus us told us to watch and pray. He also exhorted us to try ever spirit to see if it is of God or not because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 

Is it not true that we often believe what we want to believe, especially if a thing seems to bring glory to God? The story was first published by World News Daily Report in 2015 and republished in 2017. The majority must have missed the story the first time around, even me. It is “fake news”, a satirical story published by World News Daily Report. 

Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms were buzzing with the ‘miracle’. And all the while, the staff at WNDR news site, and likely the devil himself, were laughing at the gullible Christians who were praising God for such a miracle. How it quenched the spirit within me when I found out.

It was not until I was preparing to write this article, to share the jubilant news with others of the greatness of our God that I discovered the wool had been pulled over my eyes and I had not even discerned it. How many of us read the words of Jesus, "...IF it were possible, even the elect will be deceived." 

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.  [Mat 24:24, 25]

I was one of the gullible, until it was impressed upon me to check to see what other news sites were saying. Surprise, surprise, they were all silent on the report. Red flag!  Snopes and TruthOrFiction both posted that the miraculous ride through the tornado, with five survivors, including “Dorothy” was FAKE news. The entire story was satire.

Definition of satire:  the use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other issues

Did I feel stupid? Perhaps some, but worse was the realization that my discernment was not as keen as I had thought it was. Perhaps some read the article and knew immediately that it was fake, particularly when they saw the name Dorothy. Others would think the name to be a humorous coincidence. What are the odds?

A reader has to scroll to the very bottom of the page, which carries a news article, a wealth of comments and several other stories, before coming to the DISCLAIMER that World News Daily Report posts. Scroll to the very bottom of the page of the report: Tornado carries mobile home 130 miles

Disclaimer:

“World News Daily Report assumes all responsibility for the satirical nature of its articles and for the fictional nature of their content. All characters appearing in the articles in this website – even those based on real people – are entirely fictional and any resemblance between them and any person, living, dead or undead, is purely a miracle.”        

click to enlarge

Jesus/Yeshua Warns Us

Jesus said to the nobleman that unless he sees signs and wonders he would not believe. And although there will be signs and wonders, it is best that we do not seek after them. The disciples and Jesus were on the Mount of Olives, when they asked him privately what the sign of His coming and the end of the world would be, and when?

The very first words out of the Messiah’s mouth in answering them were: “Take heed that no man deceive you.”

Deception!  The very first thing Christ Jesus warned them (and us) about was deception as the time of His coming approached, and the end of the world. Four times in His speech He cautioned about deception. [Mat 24]

We are in that time now. It grieved me that I fell for the story at first. I put nothing past God; He is the God of the impossible. However, that was not the first test in discernment that I had failed recently. 

My discernment was always keen before and for that I give the Lord glory. But the Lord is showing us all that what worked five or ten years ago does not now. Be on guard because I do believe the Lord is allowing the testing. What tripped me up may not fool you, and vice versa.

The Lord God most often saves the best until last. The adversary [Satan means adversary], who counterfeits and mimics all God does, has also saved the best till last. He is only just now beginning to pull out his heavy artillery. He is bringing out his strongest deceptions now and he is most convincing. 

If mankind can pull the wool over our eyes, how much more can Satan and his legions? Just wait until the False Prophet and the Antichrist are revealed, and most if not all, will not know at first. Satan is king of deception! You don't think that you can be fooled as I was? Be on guard and pray that you will not be.

Not only is the Lord shaking up His people (judgment begins in His own house), and shaking has begun in the world, He is doing more...much more in this hour. The Lord is allowing many tests to try His people right now, and they are more difficult than those in the past.  

We cannot even begin to imagine the powers that exist. We are blown away by technology, the ability to have X-ray vision; night vision; to appear invisible; to remote view; super soldiers; holograms; weather manipulation; chemtrails, to name a few.

There is also cloning (replicating DNA, making identical copies), hybrids (animals and mankind), transhumanism (mankind and machine), and on it goes. I do not need to carry on because the list is incredibly long and grows longer quickly and continuously, one discovery after another...so we "can be as gods". Still the same lie that the serpent told the woman Eve in the Garden of Eden.

We are in dangerous, dark and foreboding days. Not only is our discernment being challenged, but the Lord is also shaking things. It is not a heavy shaking...yet, but it will get to that. It now is clear to us that the Lord God has spoken through many about "shaking" and He is doing it now! 

The Lord has been warning about a "shaking" for a long time. Not only in His written word, but warning through His people. I do know He mentioned it a few years back to me and I posted it, but where is it on this blog, I have no idea.

That matters not, I am but one voice. Amongst seven billion people, my voice is but a peep.  Yet when one voice is mingled with thousands upon millions of other voices, a roar sounds and the message is heard, whether accepted or not, it is most definitely heard.

The Lord God has repeatedly and graciously spoken this warning through a multitude of other vessels. He is good beyond measure!  A sister in Christ named Amanda Hagerman was one of the voices the Lord chose to speak through back in December of 2012 about the coming shaking. 

The Shaking of the Nations – Amanda Hagerman

No one can say the Lord does not give fair warning. He first warned us through the Holy Scriptures.

See that you refuse not him that speaks. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaks from heaven: Whose voice shook the earth: but now He has promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 

And this word, Yet once more, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. [Heb 12:25-27]

Whatever He reveals, we must work with Him by repenting and being cleansed. The Bride shall be without spot or blemish. Are you without these things (spot or blemish)? I am not yet perfected (and will not be in this corrupted, fallen flesh), and oh, how I pray for increased discernment!

No one is pointing fingers. If we are being corrected, it means that we belong to the Lord, that we are His children. Let us strive to walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh. Let us pay very close attention to all that is being told to us by the Holy Spirit and Jesus, and no matter what, learn and LEARN QUICKLY, (with the help of the Lord), when we learn to take all things to God.

If we believe our discernment is keen, we may well fail because despite our experience and intellect, things are not as they once were. Most of us have been deceived (fooled) at some point and at least once in our lives, if we have lived long enough. We believed someone or something because we trusted.  

Yet it must be said that if it was not gravely possible that even the wisest can be deceived, Jesus would not have begun his very speech about the last days with: Take heed that no man deceive you. [Mat 24:4]  Did He say, "take heed, you blind and foolish ones?"

Absolutely not. He was speaking to each and every one of us. Did I check out the story when a Christian friend read it to me from her cell phone? When I first looked it up, did I scroll down to the bottom of the page on my own and see the disclaimer? Did I pray about it?

The answer is no. Not at first. I only checked further and deeper when I decided to write about the "miracle".  Then the prophetic word God gave me would be established by this "truth", this "sign".

O how we can be like Jonah at times. God wants people to repent, even today. Jonah knew that if he prophesied about coming judgment and punishment that Nineveh would repent and that God would be merciful and relent. He did not want to appear as a false prophet.  Jonah was not happy when Nineveh repented.

If we are brutally honest, those who publish prophetic words or messages from the Lord, are we not like Jonah? Do we hope that our prophecy or prophetic words will come to pass so that we are PROVEN to be true and hearing from God? Will we run far as Jonah did at the idea that people just might repent?

Well, I know that I know that those who speak forth messages from the Lord most certainly do hope their words come to pass. Yet one thing I was shown long ago is that if we have a dream or vision or receive a prophetic word about coming judgment, after warning people, we are to pray for God's mercy. 

We are to pray that people repent and turn their hearts back to God. We are not to hope the judgment comes so we can prove to be "true ones". That is the wrong heart attitude and believe me, the Lord God WILL deal with it, in His time and in His way. 

The very thought makes me tremble. Do we fear the Lord, truly fear Him, or have we gotten comfortable in our relationship with Him because He speaks with us...because Jesus paved a way for us to communicate with God. He has been teaching me very clearly to forget SELF...stay humble before our God.

He has shown you o man what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. [Micah 6:8]

Despite the constant rhetoric about "fake news" since the days of Trump's campaigning, I accepted the story because to me such a "miracle" glorified God (the true, living God). I believed it because I wanted to and because I know God is the God of the impossible. I do not doubt that He can do anything.

I once wrote that Solomon was considered the wisest man who ever lived. Even to this day, reference is made to Solomon and his wisdom. Yet, in all his wisdom, he still fell away from obeying Almighty God because of his lust for women and the love he felt for his foreign wives.

The Lord God warned him not to marry foreign women or they would sway him towards worshipping their idols, their false gods, and that is exactly what happened. In the end, Solomon was deceived into disobeying God because of a weakness he had in his flesh.

His weakness may not be ours; my weakness may not be yours and your weakness may not be mine, but we ALL have weaknesses. Satan will target those weaknesses in order to deceive us and to make us fall.

We think we are so much wiser than Adam and Eve, and Saul, and Peter, and all those in the Bible who were also very confident in their standing with God, and yet each failed in one way or another.

Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore (for what reason) let him that thinks he stands take heed (beware) lest he fall.  [1Cor 10:12]

It seemed such a simple matter, an amazing news story that I did not see any need to take it to the Lord or pray about it. However, I have been praying about increased discernment.

I do believe that Father God (Abba), in His goodness and wisdom, allowed me the embarrassment of such a trivial thing, in order to "shake me" into realizing the lateness of the hour - the foreboding and deceptive times we are in, but also to drive home the fact that without Jesus (without taking all things to Him in these evil days), then we can be (and likely will be) deceived.

Dear reader, it is only going to get increasingly worse and very quickly! This cannot be sugarcoated or played down. Yes, I realize that everyone is weary of hearing about the "end of the world" and the "return of the Lord", only to see things continue on the same.

And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all thins continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. [2Pet 3:4]

This is the doing of the enemy, Satan and his legions. Jesus warned of it. Daniel warned about one who would "wear down of the saints". [Dan 7:25] This is only the precursor to the real wearing down. The worst is yet to come.

I must remind myself as well. Take every thing (no matter how trivial it seems) to the Lord. It is best to err now and be corrected than to err later where it could mean our death, or worse, it could mean leading others astray. God forbid!

Be careful (anxious) for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. [Phil 4:6]

for His glory

Bonita                           dovesofthevalleys4@gmail.com

(Note*:  Edited/updated/added to on May 9/17 - BP/2017)