God's admonition: "Do not be deceived"
Aug 19, 2022 02:33:11 #
Be not deceived: Be spiritually prepared to overcome Secular Science's obstacles of deception.
Meticulous instruction and discipline are the hallmark qualities of a strong military training program. Well-trained soldiers can think on their feet, adapt to their environment, and make sound choices in order to successfully complete the mission and obstacles they are forced to confront. Much like military soldiers, Christians likewise must spiritually train and become equipped to make sound choices in overcoming spiritual obstacles - namely, deception.
To illustrate this point, on September 26, 1983, Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov of the Soviet Air Defense Forces was on duty at the command center of the Soviet early warning satellites. Petrov’s duties included monitoring the satellite early warning system and informing his chain of command of any nuclear attacks. If the early warning system indicated an attack, the Soviet Union’s response would be an immediate counterattack.
Close to midnight, the early warning system indicated five inbound intercontinental ballistic missiles from the United States. Petrov deemed the detection to be an error since a first-strike nuclear attack by the United States, should one be mounted, was expected to involve hundreds of concurrent missile launches with the intention of incapacitating any counterattack. Petrov ultimately rejected the warning and classified it as a false alarm. It was later determined that the false alarm had been produced by an atypical orientation of sunlight on high-altitude clouds and the orbits of the early warning system’s satellites.
This dramatic example is a reflection of our lives. We’re not merely robots with preprogrammed responses to external stimuli. God gave humankind the capacity and free will to think, decide, and act. However, as in the case of Lieutenant Colonel Petrov, we must make sense of all the data presented to us and “be not deceived” by erroneous information (2 Timothy 3:13).
We accomplish this through Christian instruction (learning the truth of Scripture) and spiritual discipline - adhering to the truth of Scripture - is to follow closely or exactly: to adhere to the rules God has established through the strength, knowledge and wisdom only God can provide.
As is clearly expressed throughout the Bible, deception is a primary tool of the spiritual adversary. The phrase “do not be deceived” or its similar proximity appears in many verses throughout the New Testament. The topics of spiritual deception and the advent of false prophets are discussed in at least 44 passages between Matthew and Revelation, easily traceable through our Bible and index, lexicon or concordance. It’s our responsibility to avoid being deceived, since “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).
The origin of the solar system, Earth, and life are one such area where deception is widespread. Contrary to the conclusions of human-centered evolutionary science, evidence of Earth’s design continuously presents itself. Unfiltered recent discoveries in astrophysics, quantum physics, geology, biology, botany, and chemistry point ever more clearly toward a designer. Hebrews 3:4 confirms this: “For every house is built by some man; but He that built all things is God.”
As Christians, we must understand that we are targets for deception merely by virtue of being in Christ. To meaningfully arm ourselves, we must champion true, unbiased science. This entails believing, holding, and defending the inerrancy of the biblical text.
Fortunately for us, deception can be overcome through the truth provided us by our life-giving, all-knowing God, and this truth has been given in three “editions.” His Word is truth (John 17:17); His Son is the truth (John 14:6); and His Spirit is the truth (1 John 5:6).
With the mind, we learn God’s truth through the Word. With the heart, we love God through His Son. With the will, we yield to the Holy Spirit and live God’s truth day by day. To truly arm ourselves against deception, all three are required to become a thoroughly instructed and disciplined Christian.
Galatians 6:7-10
"Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.
Because the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.
Let us not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those of the family of faith."
Henry Morris Study Bible
https://www.icr.org/article/Be-not-deceived/
Meticulous instruction and discipline are the hallmark qualities of a strong military training program. Well-trained soldiers can think on their feet, adapt to their environment, and make sound choices in order to successfully complete the mission and obstacles they are forced to confront. Much like military soldiers, Christians likewise must spiritually train and become equipped to make sound choices in overcoming spiritual obstacles - namely, deception.
To illustrate this point, on September 26, 1983, Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov of the Soviet Air Defense Forces was on duty at the command center of the Soviet early warning satellites. Petrov’s duties included monitoring the satellite early warning system and informing his chain of command of any nuclear attacks. If the early warning system indicated an attack, the Soviet Union’s response would be an immediate counterattack.
Close to midnight, the early warning system indicated five inbound intercontinental ballistic missiles from the United States. Petrov deemed the detection to be an error since a first-strike nuclear attack by the United States, should one be mounted, was expected to involve hundreds of concurrent missile launches with the intention of incapacitating any counterattack. Petrov ultimately rejected the warning and classified it as a false alarm. It was later determined that the false alarm had been produced by an atypical orientation of sunlight on high-altitude clouds and the orbits of the early warning system’s satellites.
This dramatic example is a reflection of our lives. We’re not merely robots with preprogrammed responses to external stimuli. God gave humankind the capacity and free will to think, decide, and act. However, as in the case of Lieutenant Colonel Petrov, we must make sense of all the data presented to us and “be not deceived” by erroneous information (2 Timothy 3:13).
We accomplish this through Christian instruction (learning the truth of Scripture) and spiritual discipline - adhering to the truth of Scripture - is to follow closely or exactly: to adhere to the rules God has established through the strength, knowledge and wisdom only God can provide.
As is clearly expressed throughout the Bible, deception is a primary tool of the spiritual adversary. The phrase “do not be deceived” or its similar proximity appears in many verses throughout the New Testament. The topics of spiritual deception and the advent of false prophets are discussed in at least 44 passages between Matthew and Revelation, easily traceable through our Bible and index, lexicon or concordance. It’s our responsibility to avoid being deceived, since “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).
The origin of the solar system, Earth, and life are one such area where deception is widespread. Contrary to the conclusions of human-centered evolutionary science, evidence of Earth’s design continuously presents itself. Unfiltered recent discoveries in astrophysics, quantum physics, geology, biology, botany, and chemistry point ever more clearly toward a designer. Hebrews 3:4 confirms this: “For every house is built by some man; but He that built all things is God.”
As Christians, we must understand that we are targets for deception merely by virtue of being in Christ. To meaningfully arm ourselves, we must champion true, unbiased science. This entails believing, holding, and defending the inerrancy of the biblical text.
Fortunately for us, deception can be overcome through the truth provided us by our life-giving, all-knowing God, and this truth has been given in three “editions.” His Word is truth (John 17:17); His Son is the truth (John 14:6); and His Spirit is the truth (1 John 5:6).
With the mind, we learn God’s truth through the Word. With the heart, we love God through His Son. With the will, we yield to the Holy Spirit and live God’s truth day by day. To truly arm ourselves against deception, all three are required to become a thoroughly instructed and disciplined Christian.
Galatians 6:7-10
"Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.
Because the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.
Let us not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those of the family of faith."
Henry Morris Study Bible
https://www.icr.org/article/Be-not-deceived/
Aug 19, 2022 19:59:54 #
Zemirah wrote:
...Henry Morris Study Bible
https://www.icr.org/article/Be-not-deceived/
https://www.icr.org/article/Be-not-deceived/
This year I am utilizing the Henry Morris' The Defender's Study Bible. Great stuff!
Aug 24, 2022 07:51:12 #
Parky60 wrote:
This year I am utilizing the Henry Morris' The Defender's Study Bible. Great stuff!
Excellent choice, Parky!I have had the Henry Morris KJV Apologetic Study Bible, printed 2012, 2,204 pages, for several years, and it has become one of my favorites... the 1st KJV I had bought in 30 years, since I bought the original Scofield KJV Bible (bought an updated NAS Scofield several years later).
One of Dr. Morris' best books, IMHO, is The Long War Against God: The History and Impact of the Creation/Evolution Conflict, printed in 2000 A.D., 344 pages, written in defense of the book of Genesis. He traces evolutionary thought back to the Tower of Babylon, labeling it as one of Satan's most ancient deceitful attacks against the underpinning of God's Word, the book of Genesis, and showing how the intention of evolution has been to deny the reality of God's existence in the minds of men, as it has simultaneously discredited belief in the supernatural creation of the universe, and God's continuing sovereignty over His creation.
He shows how Satan has led many Christians to give more credibility to the institution of science than to the Bible, by believing that evolution is God's method of creation, which makes a lie of Genesis. Morris defeats this anti-biblical-anti-theistic philosophy by identifying it as an "imagination or high thing exalting itself against the true knowledge of God" (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Dr. Morris exposes how evolution's atheistic belief system mirrors a religion... and has been a key component in the anti-Christian movements of Communism, Nazism, racism, and moral relativism, all of which seek ultimately to eliminate God... acting as a trail of destruction as it has dominated modern thought in every field, leading to political issues that have managed to legalize abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia, causing lethal social disintegration. Christian history is rife with casualties due to Evolutionary theories' long war against God, preventing many from recognizing Him as the Creator of our universe.
As both a professional scientist and theologian, and founder of the Institute for Creation Research (ICR), Dr. Morris has been blessed with spiritual insight enabling his documented research to offer a strong defense for the inerrancy of Scripture as it has documented Christian history, and prepared believers to witness to future generations.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.