Do you know the real thing?

By: Amanda Allums

They say that in order to recognize a counterfeit dollar you must study and know the real thing first. Every detail, every smell, and every layer of paper and ink must be studied in detail. The same is true about God and what it means to be a Christian. There are so many counterfeits that the devil tries to disguise as the real thing, and if we don’t read our Bible, study the life of Jesus, and pray, we too can be deceived. I believe we are living in the end times and the Bible says that in the end times even the elect will be deceived. In Matthew chapter 24, Jesus told His disciples that there would be false prophets that will come and try and deceive them. It goes on to say in verse 24 “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

Here’s a few points that I would like to share regarding the end times and making sure we don’t fall prey to being deceived:

1. Don’t rely on your own strength or knowledge.

I know we would like to think that we wouldn’t be the ones deceived, but that thought is where the deception begins. We cannot rely on our own strength or knowledge without putting Jesus above every thought, every action, and every decision in our life. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says to “take every thought captive”. That means to take that thought, ask yourself if it lines up with the Word of God, and if it does, you can base your decisions off of that thought and move forward, but if it doesn’t, then you need to release that thought and find out what God says about it. How do you know if it lines up with the Word of God? By studying what it says! 

2. Make sure we are not emotionally driven making decisions based on the way we feel in a moment.

Satan loves to stir up confusion and he has put many false teachings in place that are so close to looking and sounding like the real thing that even some Christians think it is biblical. In fact, some of this false teaching comes from pastors behind the pulpit. Their information and teaching is coming from other sources that are not the Bible and that is dangerous ground. Scripture is found from Ai or Google as their trusted source and scripture is taken out of context, and very little of their sermon material is actually from the Bible itself. This is how self reliance can begin. Just because something sounds good or is said with confidence does not mean it’s true. 

3. Do a self-checkup.

The end times are near and if you are a follower of Christ and can recognize the signs, you can see certain things lining up before your very eyes. How can we make sure we don’t fall prey to Satan’s deception? Some questions we can all ask ourselves are:

A. Can I discern between good and evil? 1 John 4:1 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
B. Can I recognize witchcraft if I see it? 1 Samuel 15:23 “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.”
C. Is there anything I need to repent of?
D. What am I doing to grow in Christ?

We are never done growing or learning when it comes to our walk with Jesus. The devil is crafty and the master of deception and it’s our job as Christians to be able to recognize evil when we are confronted with it. Keep in mind that it is not always blatant or obvious. Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Pray that God will remove any scales from your eyes, awaken any slumbering spirit, and remove any distractions that hinder you from reading your Bible, praying, and even going to church. Just like the lion will go after the weakest link in the herd, Satan will go after the straggler too. I encourage you to stay with the herd (the church).

4. Go to church and stay in church!
Hebrews 10:24-25 says “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Jesus tells us specifically to not give up meeting, especially as we see the day of His return approaching. Don’t separate yourself out of fear, worry, or depression. Satan will use those things against you. God can take your obedience and your sacrifice and make it work for His glory and for your good! Romans 8:12-17 sums up the life of a Christian from being on earth to being with Jesus in heaven for eternity perfectly: “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

Let’s do our due diligence to live as true followers of Christ and not be fooled by the enemy. We cannot coast our way into heaven. A life lived for Christ comes with sacrifice, compromise, hard work, and can even come with heartache, pain, and suffering.However, if we stay true to the end, then I can tell you that it will all be worth it!