Final Commentary
Whether or not you believe we're living in the shadow of the End Times, we face what every generation of believers faces: Deception from within and without.
Throughout the entire Bible the problem of deception has repeatedly reared its ugly, Satan-inspired head in the form of false shepherds, false teachers, false prophets, and the progressive dilution of believing in the Truth of God's Word. It began in the Garden of Eden with the twisting of God's words to Eve and is the most common warning given concerning the End Times by every prophet, apostle and even Christ Himself. The primary weapon of spiritual attack is to dilute and change our view of the Truth just enough to render us ineffective and open to ever-widening changes in our view of the Truth.
In Ephesians 6:11-12 we're advised,
"Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."
Yes, we need to pray. Yes, we need to have faith. Yes, we need to live a balanced Christian life. But it all begins with our foundation in the Truth to recognize what is of God and what is not.
If you carefully study Jesus' own words expounding the signs of the End Times, you will find that He spends far more time warning us not to be deceived more than any other thing.
In Paul's, Peter's and John's own teachings about the End Times they spend far more time warning us not to be deceived than to obsess over signs and wonders.
Jeremiah, Ezekiel and other prophets experienced and expressed the dismay of providing God's Truth to people who even in the face of the events transpiring before their very eyes chose to believe otherwise.
The Magi visiting at Jesus' birth were given the exact location of the Messiah's predicted birth, yet those providing this information did not actually believe it themselves or they would have joyfully accompanied the Magi.
In Revelation we're told that many will reject Christ even though they personally experience and witness all the signs and wonders predicted in advance. Knowledge in and of itself does not prevent deception. Many times Jesus would make this very point by preaching, "It's not the hearers, but the doers." For believers, it's not a test of knowledge but of faith.
The Truth must be accepted not just in the mind but in the heart. For when it's accepted in the heart, it changes our very character and thoroughly resists deception. It's the working of the seed in the good soil described in the Parable of the Sower:
"But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance."
—Luke 8:15
Yes, the Truth is certainly obtained through the sustained study of the Bible. But it's really more than that. It's the Living Word of God, His very thoughts and instructions made plain to us. It's not about obtaining information from the Bible; it's about hearing God speaking personally as we accept the Word in our heart, hold it fast, and through perseverance show the results.
"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
—Hebrews 4:12
Finally, consider the ultimate reason that deception is the number one weapon of attack. Why does Satan prefer to attack the Word more than any other thing?
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."
—John 1:1-5
The Word (Logos) — the Truth — is Christ Himself. This web site's modest goal is simply to encourage believers to make a reasonable, daily commitment towards allowing the Word of God to take root in their heart and so build an even stronger bond with the Logos Himself, Jesus Christ. Amen.