Devious Doctrines of Diabolic Deception - Part 1 –

By Gene Lawley Researched by Pastor Gary Boyd

When Jude wrote his short epistle, he apparently intended to write about our common salvation but was impressed by the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit to exhort believers on the necessity to hold fast to the principles of faith that were first

delivered to those earliest of the believers by the apostles. In Jude 1:3 he writes this:

"Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."

To "contend for the faith" would mean to withstand forcefully against any kind of deviation from that body of faith that was laid out by Jesus and those earliest of the followers of Christ, meaning the apostles, most certainly. Many Bible students and teachers harken back to the "early church fathers," but I contend that the earliest of the "church fathers" were those writers whose accounts formed the New Testament. And that must be the basis from which we would "contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."

The "once for all" phrase in that verse tells us that the truths were, at the first, laid out without any intent for future changes to be made by further "enlightenment" discovered by new revelations. A definitive phrase that occurs several times in the New Testament is "flesh and blood," as in these examples:

1 Corinthians 15:50 - "...flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God...."

Ephesians 6:12 - "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

Those two quotes tell us that mortal flesh and blood cannot have any part of spiritual matters;

that is, the offspring of Adam have no part in God's plans. Likewise, when man, ruled by the spirit of Adam, deviates from the truth and develops false doctrine, we are fighting against spiritual foes and not flesh and blood people when we "contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints."

When Jesus announced the foundation of His Church based on the Rock of His deity, He made that distinction. Matthew 16:15-18 tells us of that distinction:

"He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'

"Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter,

and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.'"

The implication here, with the two above quotes as backup, is that "flesh and blood" could not have uncovered the truth that was revealed to Peter. Mankind is totally dead in sin and cannot penetrate that wall of separation from spiritual matters. This is confirmed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:11b:

"Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God."

The rock on which Jesus builds His Church is the Rock (petra, or boulder) of Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the deity in human form. Peter, however, is the petros, or pebble, who is to have responsibilities for that Church Jesus has founded.

It is here that many "devious doctrines of diabolic deception" have their beginning.

A "deviant" is one who is devious in his actions and is defined as a person or thing that deviatesor departs markedly from the accepted norm. In this writing I will have in mind that term in regard to those teachings and practices that vary from the Word of God. And in regard to "doctrines," I will think of it in its simplest form, as applying to truth, itself, as presented in the word of God.

The meaning of the word "devious" in this article's title is described as "showing a skillful use of underhanded tactics to achieve goals." Individual words that describe it are "underhanded," "deceitful," "dishonest," dishonorable," to list a few. Motives behind false doctrines likely vary, but it is clear that they all stem from that father of lies, the devil, himself.

Thus it is diabolic deception to undermine the truth of God's Word and the purity of His gospel of salvation, even to mislead a seeker of eternal life instead to an eternal hell.

What are the basic fundamental doctrines that are revealed in that Matthew 16 passage?

· The true church is founded by Jesus Christ without any input by "flesh and blood."

· Mortal man cannot comprehend it.

· Its victory over evil is eventually certain.

· Any deviation from the deity that is identified in its foundation produces a false doctrine.

· Its true enemy is not mankind but Satanic spiritual forces.

It is interesting how falsehoods clamor urgently to be recognized and accepted as true in the public eye. The Mormons long to be known as legitimate Christians, yet their doctrines contradict the Bible's longstanding truths. Any evidence presented to them is rejected as inaccurate interpretations or even laughed off as inconsequential and meaningless. That is the general response when Galatians 1:8-9 is referred to, giving the apostle Paul's position on any "new revelation" from "heaven," as that passage shows:

"But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed."

Hidden down inside their doctrinal details is the teaching that up in heaven, before things began to unfold here on earth, Jesus had a brother named Lucifer. When they, with God, the Father, (who was once a man and rose in rank to become god of this world system, which is among many such world systems having their own god in charge) when they saw the trouble mankind was into here on earth, the two brothers drew straws as to who would come down and provide a means of salvation for man.

Jesus drew the short straw, so to speak, and this is the Jesus they promote as the basis of Christianity, the brother of Lucifer. Problem is, we know who Jesus is and who Lucifer is, and those two are absolutely not brothers! (But this account will not be disclosed at the first few indoctrinating sessions for their new convert. It's much too radical, too non-biblical, too diabolical, too "Luciferian.")

Despite scientific evidence that refutes their claims of historical truth for the Book of Mormon, it doesn't seem to impact them hardly at all. Lack of archeological evidence of the existence of any of the cities named in the Book of Mormon should speak volumes to anyone with an open mind, but that is the way of deception. The claim that the original native Americans were actually the lost tribes of Israel has been determined false by DNA scientists, who found no link between the two

people-groups. Again, the findings are largely ignored.

Evidently, promoters of deception think it is more spiritually impressive if Old King James Bible language is used in choice of translations or quotations. This is not my attempt to degrade the King James Version translation, but to suggest that the "thees" and "thous" of ancient England are not more spiritual than the simple language of today's conversations in whatever language used. Joseph Smith "translated" his Book of Mormon from those "golden plates" in King James English, perhaps thinking that was the language of the kingdom of God.

The Mormons are not alone in deceptive tactics. The Jehovah's Witnesses have produced their own Bible version that relegates the only begotten Son of God to a son of God, thus attempting to destroy

the proclaimed deity of Jesus, the Christ. Twisting the Scriptures to quote favorable support for their doctrines of deception is a common tactic.

Those who embrace a false doctrine are harder to convince of the truth than changing the mindset of an atheist, as one Bible teacher says he has realized over the years. They are emphatic in their declarations, quoting Scriptures out of context, interpreting them inconsistent with their context and loudly denouncing their opponents.

A major source of deceptive doctrines is found in the doctrines and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church. In Part 2 that establishment will be considered from the standpoint of an outsider telling what he sees that is in contradiction to the Scriptures. And there are other deceptions that need to be addressed as well.

Devious Doctrines of Diabolic Deception - Part 2 - By Gene Lawley -

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Several years ago I heard a Baptist pastor, who had ministered in the Salt Lake region as a church pastor describe the Mormon religion as Satan's greatest counterfeit. And as I have indicated in the first part

on this topic, he had justifiable reason for that identification.

However, Joseph Smith only showed up in the early 1800s, and Satan would not have held back his deceptions for so many centuries just for that so-called "latter-day revelation" of God's failure to initiate a workable plan of salvation for mankind in the beginning.

Like that garden plot you spent so much time getting ready for the spring planting, the first thing that shows up are those devilish weeds that are trying to choke out anything desirable and worthwhile.

In that Matthew 16 passage where Jesus declared the beginning of His Church we find the beginning, also, of a parallel religious body that springs out of a humanistic foundation based on Peter, the pebble

or stone (petras), and not the Rock or boulder (petra) of the deity of Jesus Christ as identified to Peter by the Spirit of God. Here is that passage:

"He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?'

Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'

"Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven'" (Matthew 16:15-19).

It is interesting that the Holy Spirit led Matthew to precede this context with Jesus warning the disciples to beware of the "leaven" of the Pharisees and Sadducees, meaning their doctrine, which basically was the binding legalism of the law. That is, the human efforts, the performance of "flesh and blood" instead of faith as the means of pleasing God.

Then He shows that His deity cannot be known by human effort but only by revelation from God. That distinction is then made between the Rock of His true identification and Peter, a mere human of flesh and blood limitations. Yet, He puts in this mere human the keys to the kingdom of heaven and certain authority along with it. The meaning of this authority deserves a more lengthy discussion at a later time, and I will deal with it again in Part 3 of this series.

Before discussing my observations of doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church and their comparison with the Scriptures, I must say clearly that there are many, many beautiful and wonderful people in the Catholic Church.

The deceptions they are exposed to come from a higher spiritual order, from Satan himself. I mean no harm, no offense to innocent believers in that arena, but my intent is to highlight the Scriptures in comparison with that church's doctrines and traditions that are claimed as equal to the Word of God.

I must also add that I am a layman, not a theologian, and one who is on the outside, looking into an organization that is centuries old. But, I might add, the Scriptures are even older, and I, as an outsider, can make an objective comparison and analysis of the issues.

Shortly after the Matthew 16 conversations about the identity of Jesus and the establishment of His church, He began to teach the disciples that He was going to Jerusalem where He would be killed and would rise again the third day. Peter did not like that idea and told Him so. Here is that passage:

"From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

"Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, 'Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!'

"But He turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not

mindful of the things of God, but the things of men'" (Matthew 16:21-23).

When man injects his "flesh and blood" opinions and ideas into God's plans and methods, God sees them as directly from Satan. And here, He says so, even as He looked into the face of Peter!

So when Jesus established His Church on the foundation of His deity, Satan also established his greatest counterfeit, based on the man, Peter. But

the apostle Peter was not a party to it. The Roman Catholic Church apparently had no specific beginning date unless it began as the church at Rome, to which Paul wrote his epistle about the year A.D. 58.

If that entity was the roots of the later organization, then it became the Roman Catholic Church about A.D. 310 when Constantine incorporated it into the Roman government as its State Church. He allegedly had the Pope "baptize" the soldiers as they rode out to war by sprinkling them with a leafy branch as they rode under it.

When I walk into a Catholic Church, I see two things that are most prominent. One is a statue of a woman holding a baby, and the other is a cross with a figure of a person hanging in death upon it. It just recently came clear to me the subtle message thus presented: Both are silent witnesses of the

dominance of mankind over deity, the deity of the son of God.

Satan has always wanted to display dominance over God in every way that he can-by displaying Jesus, the Christ child, in the care of a physical being, and Jesus, the man, dead at the hands of mankind. But God knows Satan's time is coming, soon!

Some of the false doctrines and practices of the Roman Church and Scriptures to the contrary:

1. Worship of Mary as Co-redeemer and Deity. In Luke 1:38, after the angel had told Mary of God's plan for her to bear the Holy One, she said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And in her song of joy, beginning at Luke 1:46, she exclaims this: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior." (Mary also needed a savior.)

2. The perpetuity of Mary's virginity. That is, she had no other children. Mark 3:32, however, says this: "And a multitude was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, 'Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.'" Those who deny this to be a family seeking Him, say they were His "brothers in faith."

However, they were distinguished from the multitude around Him. The clincher, though, is the apostle Paul, who called James "the Lord's brother" in Galatians 1:19, where Paul also identified James as an apostle: "But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother."

3. The doctrine of transubstantiation. This was invented by Augustine (A.D. 354-430), who also was the early proponent of the worship of Mary and her continual virginity. The practice maintains that in Communion (the Mass), the wafer mysteriously

turns into the actual body of Christ and the wine into His blood, thus solving the problem found in John 6:54 where Jesus says, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

This statement, for the Catholics, is the basis for the belief that if the wafer and the drink are not taken regularly, the member loses his salvation. Jesus expands on it in the context, and in John 6:63, He says this: "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."

By this clarification from the Lord, Himself, even if the wafer and drink did become the flesh and blood of Christ, it would not transfer any spiritual benefit to the partaker (i.e. "the flesh profits nothing"). The only truly spiritual thing we have, which is also physical, is the inspired Word of God, the living

Word. Augustine again injected "flesh and blood" into God's business and produced a corrupted and false doctrine.

4. Salvation is accomplished by baptism (sprinkled) and joining the Catholic Church, and maintained by regularly partaking of the communion sacrament described above. They maintain that baptism in the church is essential for eternal life. However, for example, when the Philippian jailer cried out, "What must I do to be saved?,"

Paul answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..." (Acts 16:31). He and his family, who also believed, and so, they were baptized. Many other verses and passages make no mention of baptism when discussing the way of salvation. (See John 5:24, John 6:37-38, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 10:9-10, and 1 John 5:11-13.)

5. Purgatory, the doctrine of "half-way house" purging of sins before getting to heaven. Payments to priests for prayers to speed up the purging process have brought millions into the church over the centuries.

However, the sins of true believers have already been purged by the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, followed by His resurrection. This doctrine negates the truth of that one sacrifice. For the unsaved person, Hebrews 9:27 tells us, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment...." No stopping off place there at all! There is a judgment for the believer, but it is not regarding salvation. See 2 Corinthians 5:10 and 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.

Also, in the account of the rich man and Lazarus, in Luke 16:19-31, Jesus said there was a "certain" rich man and a "certain" beggar (named Lazarus),

indicating real people. The rich man died and went directly to a place of torment without hope of deliverance, while the beggar, being pictured as with favor from God, went to the Paradise of "Abraham's bosom." No "half-way houses" here, either!

Remember that the Roman Catholic Church is founded on Peter, the pebble, not Jesus Christ-the Rock, or boulder of truth that "favors the things of God and does not favor the things of men," as Matthew 16:23 tells us.

There are more "devious doctrines" to uncover in this list as well as in other man-made religious practices, and we will continue the process in Part 3.

Devious Doctrines of Diabolic Deception - Part 3 - By Gene Lawley -

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When Jesus looked Peter in the face and abruptly addressed Satan, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men" (Matthew 16:23), He took the confrontation out of the realm

of "flesh and blood" and raised it to the eternal warfare between God and Satan that was going on before time began.

That warfare, however, is being fought, now, in real time, in our time. During the 130 years before Seth was born to replace Abel, who had been murdered by Cain, it would seem very likely that Adam and Eve would have taught Cain and Abel how that first sacrifice that God provided for them was to be continued as the necessary offering for sins they committed.

It is also likely that those two, Cain and Abel, were not mere children but mature young men when Abel's murder took place. Those assumptions, then, mean that Cain's offering was not an innocent mistake but a decided upon contradiction of what he knew to be God's will. It was in the likeness of

Peter's affront to Jesus in that Matthew 16:23 account.

It was Satan's move, that early on, to establish a humanistic alternative to God's plan for a relationship with God. In so many ways we can see that alternative played out in the Roman Catholic Church and to some extent, in other church organizations.

Continuing that listing of deviant doctrines of the Roman Church that began in Part 2, we can start with the one that encompasses the whole of them, for the most part:

6. The Papacy. When the Roman Church reached back and claimed Peter as their first Pope, they apparently assumed, with him, the authorities Jesus issued to Peter in that Matthew 16:19 passage: "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of

heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

I am convinced that in the "putting together" of the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit nothing is out of place or incorrectly included. So then, what does this mean for Peter, given that he really is not the "first Pope" of an organization that is not of God's doing? In Matthew 18:15-20 Jesus again repeats the "binding and loosing" matter in connection with resolving individual relationship difficulties and the power of unifying agreement among believers.

However, the Roman Church claims that authority over the spiritual welfare of mankind. The Pope is proclaimed Vicar of Christ over the affairs of the

world-he is the official representative of Christ here on the earth, so assumed.

But what do the Scriptures say? Look at 1 Timothy 2:5-6 to see the real truth: "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all...." This truth is echoed loudly in the account of Jesus with the woman at the well in John 4:23-24:

"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

7. The role of the priesthood. This one is closely entangled with the Church's overall claim for authority over spiritual matters of mankind.

Confession of sins to a priest of the Church is not necessary, according to Scripture in two aspects:

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

There is no indication of a mediator between the confessor and the God who forgives, here, and secondly:

"To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen" (Revelation 1:5b-6).

Through that one Mediator, Jesus Christ, we have been made priests to God in our own persons. It is an awful truth that many have left their eternal

destiny in the hands of a mortal man just like themselves, who cannot cause one whit of positive eternal consequence in their own authority. Look carefully at John 1:12-13 and see how the new birth comes about which Jesus talked of with Nicodemus in John 3:

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

Control of individuals and shielding them from the truth by keeping these truths hidden in a language not readily available to the common man has left a bloody trail over the early centuries. It is the Word of God that convicts the sinner and brings him to repentance, and the enemy of our souls corrupts the message in any way that he can. A gullible, self-

centered, "flesh and blood" mentality plays well in that deceiver's arena.

8. The title of "Father" designated for priests. Matthew 23:9 clearly contradicts this assertion:

"Do not call anyone on earth your father, for One is your Father, He who is in heaven."

This designation certainly has to do with the broad concept of clerical supremacy and authority over "other mortals of lesser spiritual understanding."

9. Celibacy. Priests and nuns are not allowed to marry. The writer of Hebrews tells us that "marriage is honorable among all" (Hebrews 13:4), and Paul writes of some "forbidding to marry" as part of their deceptive doctrine:

"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth" (1 Timothy 4:1-3).

The Catholic's "first Pope," Peter, did not set that example-he had a wife, as shown in Matthew 8:14-15 and 1 Corinthians 9:5. (Note also Paul's identification, in the Timothy epistle, of other issues that have shown up in the Catholic Church even that early.)

10. Conferring sainthood upon worthy members. This one is so entwined into our cultures that we do not think of common man as a saint. Yet, the New Testament clearly labels everyone who is a born again believer a saint. Paul addresses his letters to "the saints at...." At your family get-to-gather, announce that you are now a saint since you have become a Christian.

The response, however, generally won't be pleasant. The Catholic Church has shrouded this issue in mystery, much like their choosing of a new pope, elevating that identification above the

common believer. The person so selected must have been one who has performed a miracle. Popularity runs a strong test on that issue, no doubt. And don't forget, Catholic saints are prayed to just like deity.

11. The doctrine of "replacement theology." The widespread belief is that the rejection of Jesus Christ as their Messiah by the Jews resulted in God's cancellation of His promises to them for the land that was promised to Abraham and his descendants. The Spanish Inquisition of 1492 was a notable display of the Roman Catholic antagonism toward Jews. That doctrine dates back to the earliest church fathers in the third century when allegorical interpretations of Scripture were formulated to explain misunderstood passages in the Bible. It is not Bible truth for it makes God a liar.

12. Appearing to be religious, but denying the power thereof. Man's idea of religion is mystery, pomp and ceremony, and unreachable as he looks upon it from the outside. Inside, it is of elegance, clerical superiority, as well as pomp and ceremony. Thus, we have seen burning at the stake for delivering the Scriptures in a common language and keeping their liturgy and the Scriptures in Latin. Now, think of an animal feeding trough in a stable and a Babe lying there, who would later say, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head" (Matthew 8:20).

We have only touched on a few of the intricacies of the Catholic doctrines and traditions. What about the allusions to that organization in Revelation-that city on seven hills, the woman who rides the beast, and that other beast of two horns like a lamb?

Let's not forget that deceptive tactics are the prime tool of that great deceiver, the father of all lies, the Lucifer of old. We have more to cover of deceptions other than Catholic in Part 4, next.

Devious Doctrines of Diabolic Deception - Part 4 - By Gene Lawley -

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The clear and simple history of how the Holy Bible came together should be enough to convince anyone of its authenticity and divine origin-unless, of course, one has a preconceived idea or theory or personal agenda that takes precedent. And that can and does happen because the deceiver of all time and eternity has three well-worn tools in his arsenal that can play upon mankind's weaknesses.

They are the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Probably that last one leads the list for those who claim they have received a vision from God or an angel to correct the faults of well-established truths found in that Holy Bible of old.

That Bible was written by many different writers over several centuries, by men of different cultures, nations and languages, and in many cases, unknown to the others. Sixty-six different books that are consistent in their flow of content and central message that mankind is lost and God was intent in sending a Redeemer to resolve the problem of eternal justice by offering Himself as the only qualified replacement for their deserved judgment. And how could that be, you must be thinking. Peter, that rough old fisherman, disclosed that to us:

"For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' And we

heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:16-21).

It is so very comforting to have the words of one who was there and saw it all first hand. And as well, we have the confirmation by others that his observations are true.

John writes, very meaningfully, this about their personal contact and fellowship with Jesus, the Christ, in this manner:

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us" (1 John 1:1-2).

Further, in 1 John 4:1-3, he writes this, perhaps even more meaningful, in light of the thrust of this article series:

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And

this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world."

When the Scripture talks about Jesus Christ coming in the flesh, it is not just the historical Christ who is referenced but also the eternal Christ, all in One Person. There are many who would say, "Oh yes, Jesus was here in the flesh," but they deny that He is the eternal Christ who came from eternity.

On the other hand, we have seen a barrage of single-handed promoters of visions and visits by angels with a new message that contradicts in whole or in part that ancient and enduring testimony of so many who have witnessed those truths in their own lives and their prophetic fulfillments in real time.

The disclosures and warnings are not slack in the New Testament, that there are opposing factions in

the shadows of our society who are waiting and watching for the chance to overcome the weak and the unwary. Following are some of those alerts that seem to have been written only yesterday:

"I marvel not that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:6-9).

"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms

himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works" (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

"...yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me" (John 16:2b-3).

"Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:19).

These are some of the self-proclaimed messengers of new visions claimed to be from on high:

Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910), who founded the Christian Science denomination was one who maintained that proper interpretation of the Scriptures hinged on her particular understanding and interpretation. Some have described her beliefs as neither Christian nor science.

Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916), founded the Watchtower Society and Jehovah's Witnesses. He did not see visions or angels to get his proclamations but merely made his own

interpretations. Claiming to be a Christian, he denied many key Christian doctrines including eternal judgment, the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the existence of the HolySpirit and the existence of hell.

He was notable in predicting the time when the end of the world would happen, which had to be changed, repeatedly, of course. And his claim that the 144,000 Jewish evangelists told of in Revelation 7 would all be his followers. Of course, over the years his followers have increased well beyond that number to the alarm that some followers wound not go into eternal glory. So it was "back to the drawing board and a new interpretation," typical of all "devious doctrines of diabolic deception."

Joseph Smith (1805-1844) - Latter Day Saints/Mormons. Earlier in this series I dealt with some of the Mormon doctrines. Smith claimed that he was visited by an angel named Moroni, who gave him golden plates inscribed with the Book of Mormon. This happened in the early 1800s, thus the "latter day saints" label for a theology that claims to be Christian but denies all of the basic Christian doctrines that were, as Jude writes, "once delivered to the saints" in those early days of Christianity and which linked inseparably to the foundations of the Old Testament. Mormon

doctrines and rituals are heavily influenced by Masonic rituals, by which Joseph Smith was influenced. There are also similar tenants found in those of Islam.

Mohammed (570-632 A.D.) - Islam/Muslims. Another one visited by an angel with a new message that presumably negates the teachings of both the Old and New Testaments. Space for this article does not allow for details of their beliefs, which, in short, seem to be quite strict and unyielding with disobedience punishable by death. Jesus quite adequately contrasts His theology with that of Islam in John 10:10:

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

Ellen G. White (1827-1915) - Seventh Day Adventist Church. The one very visible doctrine is the adherence to observing the Sabbath on Saturday, the fourth of the Ten Commandments. As with any doctrine that requires the obedience of mankind to keep the law, this one results in no possibility for an assurance of salvation.

Why? Because it depends on the performance of the individual, not the grace and gift of God, to obtain salvation. The Scriptures are clear that by the law is the knowledge of sin, but salvation comes by a gift from God. Here are some pertinent references that speak directly to the issue of keeping the law to obtain righteousness before God:

"For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10).

"And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27-28).

"So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ" (Colossians 2:16-17).

"I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain" (Galatians 2:21).

"For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who

do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:3-4).

In all references the context should be considered for broader understanding of the truths targeted.

In the banking industry it has been a method of training tellers to recognize counterfeit currency by constant consideration of all the features of the true bills they encounter. Having a perfect knowledge of the true doctrines of God according to His Word is the surest way of rightly dividing the Word of Truth and separating truth from fiction.

No one has ever seen a counterfeit three-dollar bill, for there is no such thing. And is it not interesting how so many of these deceptive doctrines try their best to appear Christian and acknowledge Christ in roles that deny His deity.

I could name at least four others who have hammered on me their particular twist of the Scriptures that depart from the consistency of God's unchanging character and the Bible, itself. Isaiah 42:8 tells us:

"I am the Lord, that is My name, and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images."

When man takes that self-appointed, self-righteous position of declaring a "new gospel" that contradicts that which was "once delivered to the saints," they become as carved images having no hope and no promise of eternal life.

Holding fast to the integrity of God's character, that He does not lie nor change and knows all things are front-line ingredients for searching the Scriptures to find the truths that counter false doctrines. And as Luke wrote of the Bereans in Acts 17:11:

"They were more noble than the Thessalonians in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily to see if what they were told was true."

A person must find his truths in the whole counsel of God as revealed in the Word of God.