Christian

How to Recognize and Resist Deception

I’ve been a fan of WW II historical fiction and biographies for decades. It started when I read Corrie ten Boom’s book, The Hiding Place. Since then, I have read more books about the events of the Holocaust than I can count.

Have you ever wondered how Hitler was able to convince people to follow him? How was that possible?

Observing our world today, I better understand how it could have happened. Propaganda is more powerful than people realize. We are all influenced by it in one way or another from grocery shopping to political views. Some people are simply afraid not to go along with the crowd. This is especially true of young minds. It’s called peer pressure or contagion.

Think about this: Someone was able to convince thousands of people to side with Hamas, a barbaric, evil terrorist organization. Thousands protested in the streets around the world. Even in America, students in our finest universities demonstrated against Israel in support of barbaric terrorists who raped women and burned babies alive!

In 2022, a male swimmer, six-foot-four Lia Thomas, claiming to be a transgender woman, left the Penn men’s swim team and began competing in women’s swimming. He was permitted to enter the 2022 Women’s Olympics and won the swimming championship. How were intelligent people persuaded to allow and support allowing men into women’s sports?

We are all vulnerable to deception. However, we can protect ourselves. We don’t have to wonder or guess what is true. Out of His mercy and love, God has given us the way. It isn’t through high-sounding philosophy or turning to the world for answers. It is by turning to God’s Word, the Holy Bible. We can know the truth.

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 NIV

“The law of the Lord is perfect,
    refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.” Psalm 19:7 NIV

All your words are true;
    all your righteous laws are eternal.” Psalm 119:160 NIV

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” John 16:13 NIV

“…speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15 NIV

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” John 4:23 NIV

“These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts…” Zechariah 8:16 NIV

Jesus, speaking to the Pharisees said, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.  John 8:44 NIV

The Bible has warned us that in the last days there will be great deception.

“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:4 NIV

As I grow older, it becomes more and more obvious to me that people believe what they have been influenced to believe, and in some cases, actually brainwashed. For example, did you know that children in Gaza are brainwashed to hate Jews?

If what you believe contradicts God’s Holy Word, the Bible, then you have been misled.

How were your beliefs formed?

We can know the truth.

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

What Is the Real Meaning of Binding and Loosing?

 Jesus told His disciples, “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth]shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:18 NASB

What do you think Jesus is teaching His disciples in this passage? Many people believe He is teaching how to engage in spiritual warfare.

But if you study this verse in context, it will become clear that Jesus is not talking about spiritual warfare or special powers. Jesus is talking about conflict resolution in this passage. Read the verses that precede v. 18 to examine the context:

 Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother.  But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that on the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be confirmed. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, he is to be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:15-18 NASB Read full chapter

In the Jewish tradition, a rabbi would “bind” (meaning forbid) a certain thing. Or they might “loose” (meaning permit) an activity which might be questionable.

Verse 18 means that what is permitted or not permitted is determined in heaven, not on earth.

As you study the context, it will become clear that Jesus was not teaching on spiritual warfare. He was not teaching His disciples that they could speak to spiritual forces of darkness and “bind” them, meaning to tie them up, taking away their power.

I believed this at one time, but as I studied His Word, God corrected me. As we listen to Bible teachers, we must always consider the context. If we don’t, false teaching can deceive us. (False teaching is often dependent on taking verses out of context.) Never underestimate the power of deception. It is no small, inconsequential enemy.

Never underestimate Satan’s power, and never underestimate his ability to deceive us … “

Billy Graham

The Apostle Paul admonishes Timothy, his son in the faith:

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.  For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 2 Timothy 4:2-4 NIV Read full chapter

Jesus said, “Consider carefully what you hear,” Mark 4:24 NIV

This passage emphasizes the importance of discerning truth from falsehood, rather than passively absorbing information. 

The key to spreading deception is to convince the audience that the information being taught comes from Revelation Knowledge, something other churches don’t understand because they have a religious spirit. This is pride.

I know this because I experienced it. But the Lord opened my eyes.

My prayer is that the Church will be wise and discerning by loving the truth, and examining God’s Word daily. I hope that this study on binding and loosing will be helpful as you study God’s Word, the Bible.

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

The Danger of Perverting the Gospel

1-minute read for Tuesday, 4/29/25

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse.”

 “Am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:6-8 and 10 NIV (emphasis mine)

Comments: “False teachers do not look dangerous; they appear enlightened, compassionate, even Christ-like. But their doctrine subtly shifts the focus from Christ to self—your breakthrough, your destiny, your potential. This is a different gospel, and Paul warns that even if an angel preaches it, we are not to receive it.”

Bruce Cooper, from his excellent post, Smoke and Mirrors: Unmasking the Strategy of Deception. You can read it HERE.

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Friday’s Verse, 1/3/25

“I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments…

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” Colossians 2:4,8 NIV Read full chapter

Note: As in Paul’s day, false teachers still knock at the door of the Church seeking to draw Christians away from the Truth of God’s Word.

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Quote of the Week, 12/4/24

When it comes to truth, however, being close isn’t close enough. … Satan is smart. He wants to get people to deviate just enough in their thinking to get them off course, and if there isn’t a course correction, the result will be catastrophic.” Pastor Jack Hibbs, Living In the Daze of Deception

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Quote of the Week, 11/20/24

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Quote of the Week, 11/13/24

“The greatest antidote to deception is truth. Equip yourself now to grow in discernment so that you can protect yourself from error and remain steadfast in your faith.” Pastor Jack Hibbs, Living in the Daze of Deception

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

RealChristianWomen.blog  

 

Christian

Monday’s Verse, 10/7/24

“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception [pseudo-intellectual babble], according to the tradition [and musings] of mere men, following the elementary principles of this world, rather than following [the truth—the teachings of] Christ.” Colossians 2:8 AMP

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Tuesday’s Verse, 9/24/24

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” Genesis 3:1 NASB (emphasis mine) Read full chapter

Comment: Satan is crafty. He will try to make us doubt God’s Word. He is tricky, manipulative, deceitful, deceptive, shrewd, and clever. Don’t fall for his schemes!

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Tuesday’s Verse, 8/13/24

“Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 NIV Read full chapter

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?