Lent 2026 - Day 30: “Deceived and Deluded”

        Most people who go to church have no idea they should be testing the spirits. They think, this is the church, we are worshipping with uplifting songs, and someone is talking about Jesus and then repeat week after week. Most are expected to believe everything they are told, without question. But the question what if this is wrong is not asked. Yes, people will leave and go to another church trying to satisfy their own appetites. Some leave because of politics, worship styles or even the person doing the speaking, though the transition does not normally include testing the spirits. 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.” For example, some will leave a Baptist church and go to a Pentecostal church or vice versa. Since most people really have no idea about the denominational distinctives each group believes, the transition is simple until the appetite is no longer satisfied. Since both groups are teaching other gospels and following a different Jesus, this is jumping from one frying pan to another without ever returning to the true Gospel, yet the appetite is temporarily satisfied.

        Each group has their own very distinct beliefs, doctrines and theology, though some overlap. For example, with the Baptists and Pentecostals, their end time beliefs can overlap. We will talk further about the rapture and other false teachings such as the return of Jesus to earth to sit on David’s throne for a thousand years. The fact that there are so many different and opposing teaching on the end times shows that God has turned His face from the church. We were told John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth.” Jesus also said, John 16:12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.” This means there cannot be all these diametrically opposing beliefs, especially about what is yet to come. Again, most do not ask what if we do not follow His commands? Nor do people ask why is there no power? Nor do people ask why are there so many opposing views? By the way, the answer to agree to disagree is ridiculous.

        The Spirit of truth was given to the church and for a short time we saw what the presence of the Holy Spirit meant for the church. Acts 6:3 “Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” Acts 8:5 “Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.” We were told the church would receive the gifts of the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:7 “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” 

        We will talk about the ceasing of the sign gifts later as nowhere in the bible does it say they were supposed to cease. That teaching comes from false teachers teaching doctrines of demons. The church was to continue in this power with all the gifts operating, as well as all the offices of the church even though some even falsely say some of these offices have ceased (prophets and apostles). Ephesians 4:11 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, 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. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” The church is filled with deceitful scheming.
        The verses above is how it is supposed to be, but as Paul said 2 Corinthians 11:3 “I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” Galatians 1:6 “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— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 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! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!” That began to happen during the life of Paul. The church very quickly rebelled against God’s word, which means rebelling against Jesus, and as Daniel and Isaiah said, Daniel 8:12 “Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.” Isaiah 59:15 “Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.” What is being taught in most churches is not truth.

        All throughout scripture we are warned about false prophets and teachers, and for good reason. These were not just warnings from yesteryears but for present day also. 1 Corinthians 10:11 “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” The bible is not a book as so many treat it, but the living word of God. Yesterday we talked about the deception of satan on the whole world, but not only is there deception, there is also delusion brought on by God because of this rebellion. This is in the church we are talking about. Revelation 3:15 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”

        This rebellion is led by false teachers / prophets who have succumbed to satan’s deception. Daniel and Paul both talked about the enemy infiltrating the church because of this rebellion. Daniel 9:4 “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4 “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” That has already happened as the church has been rebelling since the time of Paul. Paul goes on to say, 2 Thessalonians 2:9 “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” Because of rebellion, the church has been decimated both by deception by satan and delusion brought on by God. 

        When you look around the church and see what people have been led to believe as truth, you will see the deception and delusion. Some is just ridiculous, and I wonder if satan ever says I can’t believe they believed that. God said Zephaniah 3:6 “I have destroyed nations; their strongholds are demolished. I have left their streets deserted, with no one passing through. Their cities are laid waste; they are deserted and empty. 7 Of Jerusalem I thought, ‘Surely you will fear me and accept correction!’ Then her place of refuge would not be destroyed, nor all my punishments come upon her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did.” Just as God uses His prophets to speak His word, satan uses those who will listen to speak his word. Jesus was Luke 4:1 “was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.” The devil oddly tried to tempt Jesus with power. Luke 4:5 “The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” Jesus answered correctly, but many have fallen for the desire for power and stopped worshipping God and lifted themselves high, even though they say it is all to the glory of God. If the gurus had answered correctly and not sought power, they would not have written all their how-to-manuals leading those who follow them to turn away from God’s already and complete manual for the church. They act as if God forgot part of the manual and is so grateful to them for pointing it out. 
        What they teach is called doctrines of demons. 1 Timothy 4:1 “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” Combine that with 2 Timothy 4:3 “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. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” This is where the deception lies. People are being deceived by those who are supposed to be leading them and what is taught is never questioned. When questions are asked, most cannot stand on scripture, so they are easily deceived by what is taught to them. Jeremiah 12:10 “Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field; they will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland. 11 It will be made a wasteland, parched and desolate before me; the whole land will be laid waste because there is no one who cares.” The church looks nothing like scripture, so don’t be afraid to ask why? Don’t fall for teaching that explains away what is clearly said in scripture. We were warned all this would happen, so don’t be surprised when you begin to see the desolate wasteland the church has become. Without leaving on that note, there is hope. Ezekiel 36:33 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. 34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. 35 They will say, “This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited.” 36 Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’” 

    View All Lent 2026 - Day 29: “What If?”

    Rock Report by Pastor Paul

    Rock Report by Pastor Paul

    This is a blog that comes from my personal devotions each day. The Blog has replaced the Sermon section. There will also be the occassional food for thought.