America was founded on Christian values, and because God often intervened in our nation’s spiritual development, we eventually became the world’s center of Christianity. Satan has always schemed to destroy anything God raises up. In this last generation, two unique things happened in our history: first, we became the greatest superpower in the history of mankind; and second, even though there are now hundreds of thousands of churches in America, thousands of evangelistic outreach ministries and the Bible taught everyday throughout our nation on radio and TV, our moral values have deteriorated more in this last generation than in all of the years combined since the beginning of our country.

Knowing these things, we should at least consider the possibility of America fitting into the Revelation 13 “spiritual warfare” prophecy about the last days. Could our nation be the “beast” or superpower that this chapter says eventually overcomes the testimony of Christians in the last days?

There is a sure way to find out. It is to put this possibility to a sound scriptural test.

Before I do that, I want to lay out some basic guidelines for use when interpreting prophetic Scriptures.

1. There is no higher authority for understanding God’s Word than to refer to other Scriptures where a similar word or phrase is used. This is what Jesus often did. This is the most important guideline, because we are going to the source of that inspiration rather than simply using speculation and conjecture to try to interpret. If an interpretation holds for one passage, it should for another as well. What’s more, the Word of God is absolutely accurate. We may not always understand everything it says, but we should not try to come up with an idea unless it can be documented accurately with Scripture.

2. In order to understand a word or passage, it is often necessary to study the original language in which it was written. The Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew, and the New Testament in Greek. Difficult passages often require learning what that word or phrase meant to the Hebrew or Greek author who wrote it. This is especially true with prophetic words and phrases.

3. Historical evidence either confirms that a prophecy has already been fulfilled or is yet to be. Prophesies are statements about future events. Either they have happened as foretold, or they haven’t. The evidence should be conclusive.

4. Words in prophecy sometimes are used differently than their literal meaning. A word in prophecy may have a symbolic meaning rather than a concrete one. This will become evident as we proceed.

The Revelation 13 depiction of the “beast” is one of the most detailed and exacting descriptions of anything in the Bible. Evidently God did not want any mistake being made as to its identity. There are many theories today on the identity of this “beast,” in Revelation 13, but I couldn’t find any that can say they have run a scriptural test on each word and phrase to confirm their view.

Identifying the Beast of Revelation 13

John prophesies, “And the dragon [Satan] stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name” (Revelation 13:1). Although these words seem difficult, if not impossible to decipher, they are actually a blessing from the Lord to keep us from being misled. A careful reading of this verse reveals six distinct elements we need to test to determine the identity of this “beast” or superpower. If I can demonstrate that since World War II, America began fulfilling all of John’s prophecies about this “beast” in Revelation 13, then the enemy has come up with a most deceptive method to keep Christians in America from fulfilling our mission to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world in these last days.

The six descriptive words and phrases in this verse are: (1) “beast”; (2) “coming out of the sea”; (3) “ten horns”; (4) “seven heads”; (5) “ten crowns on his horns”; and (6) “on each head a blasphemous name.”

Test #1: the “beast.” The actual meaning of “beast” as used in prophecy should be abundantly clear. Remember that God’s inspired Word is the highest authority anyone can use to determine the meaning of a word in Scripture.

Fortunately, the Old Testament prophet Daniel speaks of “beasts” in chapter seven, and he is actually told the meaning by an angel. I suggest reading all of Daniel 7, but here are some highlights that help determine the meaning of this word “beast” in prophecy.

“In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying on his bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. Daniel said: ‘In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea’” (Daniel 7:1-3). “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true meaning of all this. So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth” (Daniel 7:15-17).

According to the interpretation given to Daniel, the word “beast” in prophetic Scripture refers to a kingdom, an empire, or what we would call a superpower. Elsewhere in the Book of Daniel, the four “beasts” he saw are described as the superpowers of Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece (under Alexander the Great) and the Roman Empire. In the first part of chapter seven Daniel also describes three of the “beasts” as wild animals—a lion, bear and leopard. Note that John uses all three of these animals in Revelation 13:2 to describe the “beast” he saw, indicating that the Revelation 13 involves “beast” is the greatest superpower in the history of mankind. This is what America has become in this last generation.

Daniel used the word “beast” to describe the recognized world powers, and John uses this word in the same way when writing about a superpower that will rise up in the era of those who give testimony to Jesus Christ in the last days. America passes the test of being a “beast,” in a prophetic sense, because we have become that world superpower.

Let me pause briefly to explain something. The “beast” in Revelation 13 is often said to refer to a man. Some Bible translations actually refer to this “beast” as a man; other versions call it an entity or superpower. For example, the King James and New International Versions use the masculine pronouns “he,” “his” and “him,” when referring to the “beast,” which suggests the “beast” is a man. The Revised Standard Version, Philips and others use the neuter pronoun “it,” and “its” when referring to the “beast,” which indicates the “beast” is a superpower, not a person.

To properly interpret the word, I contacted a seminary professor with a doctorate in Greek. Were the pronouns “he,” “his,” and “him” correct, or were “it” and “its” correct? The noun translated “beast” in Revelation 13 is the Greek word onpiov.

The Greek word avrov is the pronoun Revelation 13 uses to reference the “beast.” To be grammatically correct, a pronoun must be of the same gender as the noun it refers to. If the original Greek word used for “beast” is masculine gender, then “he,” “his” and “him” are the correct pronouns; if the original Greek word is neuter gender, then “it” and “its” are the proper translation.

The Greek word for “beast” in Revelation 13 is neuter gender, so “it” and “its” are the correct pronouns. This is a grammatical fact. Most publishers agree that to use the masculine gender pronouns “he,” “his,” and “him” when referring to the word “beast” is an inaccurate translation (see Zondervan Publishing House, Greek-English New Testament, Grand Rapids, MI, 1975, p. 751). Let me repeat: The Greek word for “beast” is neuter gender, so the proper rendering of John’s writing is the pronouns “it” and “its.” Thus, like Daniel, John likely used the word “beast” to refer to a superpower, not an individual.

Interpreting John’s use of the prophetic word “beast” to mean a superpower is also consistent with the first guideline, which is to use other Scriptures—in this case, the Book of Daniel. Granted, superpowers have leaders, even as Babylon did in Daniel’s day. But it would be an error to see this passage as first referring to a person instead of a superpower.

My next BLOG will begin with Test #2  from The Beast of Revelation 13 (Part 2); watch for it in December, 2010.

“When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s [Satan’s] reach” (Revelation 12:13-14). In my research I discovered that the phrase “time, times and half a time” was used by Jewish scribes to refer to an unknown troublesome period of time that lingers—and lingers—and lingers.

Recall verse 6: “The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.” 1260 days refers to the same unknown period of time that God would protect the nation of Israel from Satan. The phrase “time, times and half a time” is taken from Daniel 7:25. It, or something similar, appears as well in Daniel 12:7, Revelation 11:2-3, 12:6 and 13:5. According to Jewish history, when John wrote this book, they had no way by their calendar to express an extended period of time.

The Jewish calendar consisted of 12 equal months, each with 30 days corresponding to the approximate cycle of the moon. Therefore, 1260 days would be one year, two years and one half of a year. To align the length of their year with the solar year, a complete cycle of the Earth around the sun, every 2 or 3 years they would add an extension. We do something similar with our leap year every 4th year. 

 Of course we know the dispersion of the Jewish people lasted for more than 1800 years, but as John prophesied God protected them and their national identity. One of the things I found in my research is that in prophecy, numbers are often used symbolically. Therefore, the meaning of the number rather than the actual count of the number is what is important.

The next two verses finish what John began in verses 13-14 about God protecting His people Israel. “Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth” (Revelation 12:15-16). In A.D. 70, the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem, which began the period of “time, times and half a time.” We now can see that it refers to the Diaspora of over 1800 years. Many Jews fled to Italy and Spain, and some as far away as China. Scattered elements settled throughout Europe; however, Spain was the center of Jewish life until 1492. During the Spanish Inquisition, they were expelled after a century of persecution by the then-ruling Catholic Church. From there they settled in Europe in countries like Germany, Poland and even Russia. Usually they lived in city districts or remote territories, which were occupied only by Jewish people. This continued until the Nazi massacres of the 1930s and 1940s, when as many as two-fifths of the world’s Jewish people lost their lives.

The persecution of the Jews provoked many to begin to search for a way to return to their homeland. This culminated with the creation of the State of Israel when the United Nations recognized their new nation on May 14, 1948. Through the many years of dispersion and persecution, God fulfilled His promise to Abraham and preserved his descendants. This second restoration to Palestine was prophesied in Isaiah 11:11-12, Jeremiah 16:14-15 and Ezekiel 11:16-17. Since May 14, 1948 the Jewish people have continued to battle for their homeland. In fact, the small land of Palestine and the nation that occupies it is often front-page news today.

Beginning with the next verse, we see the picture changes. The Jewish people being preserved by God, Satan went off to make war against her offspring, who are Christians.

“Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 12:17). For nearly 2000 years, Satan has attacked Christians through relentless persecution and deception. As we already noted, nearly 70 million Christians have been killed since the church began. More than 43 million of these were killed in the last 100 years. Of course many more have been imprisoned or persecuted in other ways. Spiritual warfare is for real. It is not a game!

The pronouncement  “woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short” and “[the dragon] went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus” has certainly been true regarding the church.

Like His words about the days of Noah and Lot, this too is a word to us from Jesus. Remember that all of the Book of Revelation is a message Jesus Christ gave to John about what was to come to pass. “The message of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show His servants what must soon take place. He  made it known by sending His angel to His servant John who testifies to everything he saw—that is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:1-2).   

 Watch for PART 1 of “The Beast of Revelation 13” on November 22^nd, 2010.

Is the Body of Christ in America repeating history? The fruit of our nation in this last generation reveals that we too are falling away from our calling in these days prior to the Second Coming. As with Israel; it is happening in the part of the world where God’s presence has been the strongest.

Spiritual Attack

My study on this topic began in the spring of 1971. At that time, after my wife and I were obedient to the leading of the Lord to take in six additional children, He began to open my eyes to the tremendous Spiritual warfare the enemy was waging against biblical values in America. Now, almost four decades later, these truths are even more evident than they were back then. Please remember these facts:

One: The spiritual development of America reveals that we have a special calling from God. Other than the nation of Israel, there has never been another country in which God has intervened to the degree He has in the spiritual development of America.

Two: In any endeavor, when things are deteriorating as our fruit reveals, it is always wise to review fundamentals. This principle is true in business, sports, personal relationships, etc., and it is true in our commitment to the basics of Christianity.

Three: It is important to develop an understanding of what is causing the problem. As we saw in the past few chapters, the history of God’s people reveals that Satan has always used either persecution or deception against them. The Bible warns us about his tactics. The way he will deploy his methods will primarily be through the kingdom of the world, or society, and its systems.

Four: Satan is executing his deception against the fundamentals of Christianity in America, and his plan has been incredibly successful in this last generation. Identifying how he is working is key to any corrective action. This is what will free us from the spiritual chains that are binding so many American Christians to the standards of the world’s kingdom.

Spiritual Warfare Not Physical

The warfare in which we are engaged is not a physical one. Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil (see Ephesians 6:10-13). My interest is not just the saving of America as a physical entity in the kingdom of the world, but more about saving the mission of Christianity in America. I am a patriotic person; I love our country and am grateful for the freedom our forefathers secured. However, I fear that what we have enjoyed will not last long once the enemy has deceived the Body of Christ into straying from the path of righteousness.

America In Bible Prophecy

Have you ever wondered why America, the greatest superpower in history and a center of Christianity, is not mentioned in Bible prophecy? The results of my research revealed that America actually does play a major role in the last days. Because my approach is new and somewhat overwhelming, I had some of my interpretation of end-times prophetic Scriptures reviewed by Greek-language scholars. Not one disagreed with what I found, or saw it as unfounded. When you read these words as to what the Greek means, do not reject them until you compare what I say to what the Bible says. These comments are especially important regarding what I will share about Revelation 13. I will give you a meaning for every descriptive word or phrase as it relates to America.

Revelation Chapter 13 is key to understanding spiritual warfare in these last days. Before summarizing Revelation 13, I need to review some important truths in Revelation 12 as it is a lead-in to 13. This BLOG and the next will review Chapter 12, then,  Revelation Chapter 13 will be presented in my November 22nd BLOG titled ” The Beast of Revelation 13.”

My brother’s vision of a “beast” hovering over America and deceiving Christians, knowing America is a great center of Christianity, and knowing Satan has always viciously attacked anything that God raises up, I did diligent research to see if America fit into this end-times prophecy. Revelation 13 involves what in prophetic language is called a “beast.” These thoughts, plus knowing the moral values in our country were deteriorating so rapidly, added to the devotion I gave to closely examining this spiritual warfare chapter.  (See Part 3 of “Deception Illustrated” -the previous blog- to read about my brother’s vision).

No one can be harmed by investigation. Whether it leads to truth or falsehood, the investigator reaps a reward for undertaking the search. If it leads to truth, the investigator would have missed it if he had not made the effort. If it leads to falsehood, the investigator has still been strengthened from the experience. Knowing what we believe and why, always gives us a more sound and sure faith.

If my research seems somewhat overwhelming, this is not an unusual response to Bible prophecy. It has been the experience of God’s people throughout history concerning prophetic Scriptures. Recall the Israelites and their refusal to accept Jesus as Messiah, even though He fulfilled more than 500 Bible prophecies! Unfortunately, their minds were closed! They were looking for a powerful earthly king and kingdom from which they would profit. The message of Jesus was about a spiritual kingdom, so the majority rejected Jesus and His message.       

Introduction to Satan’s End-Times Battle Plan

An obvious theme of the book of Revelation is the ongoing battle between good and evil. Behind the beast in chapter 13 is the dragon, or Satan, whose purpose has always been to frustrate the rule of God.  In chapter 12 John paints a word picture of the warfare that has been going on since the earliest times. Chapter 12 describes that ongoing conflict symbolically. In it is an overview of some of the major events in God’s plan for both the salvation of mankind and to protect Israel after the birth of the Savior.

Revelation’s 12th chapter opens with a great sign in the sky. “A great and wondrous sign appeared in the heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head” (12:1). I understand this woman to be the nation of Israel. The twelve stars are the twelve tribes. The sun and moon are elements of God’s creation that help control various functions on earth.

“She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth” (Revelation 12:2). This verse speaks of the purpose God intended for Israel from the time of Abraham, which was to give birth to His Son (see Galatians 3:16-29), the Christ or the Messiah. The Old Testament chronicles these birth pains, which lasted 2000 years.

“Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads” (Revelation 12:3). Verse 9 tells us that the dragon is Satan. The full meaning of the symbolic language is explained in my discussion of chapter 13; it speaks of an earthly power or authority. Coupling Satan with this earthly power is expected, as the devil’s kingdom is of this world. In this verse The Roman Empire is this earthly power.

“His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born” (Revelation 12:4). God put this picture in John’s prophecy to show the power of Satan’s forces. The second part of the verse informs us that Satan knew Jesus would be born, and stood ready to kill Him at the first opportunity. We are told in the Bible that such an attempt was made when Satan motivated King Herod to give orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem two years old and younger. This was foretold by the prophet Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 31:18), and we are told in Matthew 2:18 that this event fulfilled his prophecy. 

“She [the woman/Israel] gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched [“caught” is a more accurate translation of the Greek] up to God and his throne”  (Revelation 12:5). Of course, Jesus was the male child to whom Israel gave birth. He returned to Heaven after living on Earth for about 33 1/2 years. Notice that John doesn’t just say Jesus returned to Heaven, but to the throne of God, which indicates His deity.

“The woman [people of Israel] fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1260 days” (Revelation 12:6). A major historical event happened to the people of Israel within the generation after the Ascension of Jesus. The Romans dispersed them throughout the world, but they were protected by God and have kept their identity as a race for 2000 years. Now centuries later, the race that descended from Abraham has been re-established in their homeland, Palestine. 1260 days is explained later.

“And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth and his angels with him” (Revelation 12:7-9). After the Resurrection of Jesus there was a war in Heaven between the forces of the archangel Michael and Satan and his legions. Satan and his angels were defeated. They lost their place in Heaven and were hurled to the Earth. I certainly do not understand all that takes place in the spiritual realm beyond what Scripture tells me. I know that in the beginning, Satan was present in the Garden of Eden, and he has been active on Earth throughout history. However, after this war and losing his place in Heaven, history confirms his activity on earth has increased.

“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: ‘Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death’” (Revelation 12:10-11).

The word now in this verse is a key piece of information because it tells us when these things of God took place. Ephesians 1:18-21 reveals exactly when that time was. “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparable great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand [at His throne, as stated earlier in Revelation 12:5] in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:18-21). The salvation of mankind came through the blood of the Lamb on the cross. The power of the Kingdom of God and the authority of Christ came when God raised Jesus from the grave and seated Him at His right hand. It was when Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead that victory was won, and Satan and his angels were hurled down to Earth, and the power and authority of Jesus came into being.

Watch for PART 3 of “Jesus’ Prophecy of Deception in America” on November 8th, 2010.

Jesus warned, “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:26-30).

Notice that there is something missing in this passage! Jesus doesn’t mention the many evils that marked those earlier days, which is what we usually hear about. Nor does He say anything about gross sins in our day. In fact, not one of the items He mentions is a sin. They are the everyday things people do in life: drink, eat, marry, buy, sell, plant and build. It is important to recognize this in order to properly understand the meaning of His prophecy.

The Old Testament states that in the days of Noah and Lot, lawlessness and permissiveness were rampant. It is given as a basic reason God destroyed both places. Yet when comparing our day to those, Jesus doesn’t make a single comment about this. His comparison is with the buying, selling, eating, drinking, marrying, planting and building. He only mentions these everyday affairs of life! WHY?

The answer takes us to the core of the spiritual deception now taking place in our country. It helps explain why our society’s moral values have deteriorated so quickly. Everyone knows about the sins of our land; we hear about them every day. Jesus did not have to mention them. David Wilkerson, Pastor of Times Square Church in New York City stated, “I was listening to a special radio program in a large eastern city, where the people on the street were being interviewed about the moral condition of America. The question was asked, ‘Do you believe America has lost its moral integrity?’ Almost all who were interviewed said basically the same thing. ‘America is going to hell in a hand basket!’ ‘We no longer care if scoundrels run our country, as long as we prosper.’ ‘Anything goes now; we are in the last days of our society—we are modern Rome going into collapse!’ ‘Morality and purity have been sold out to pleasure and prosperity.’ ‘Sodom had no porno, no Internet sex, no abortion, no filthy television polluting that society, so how can America expect to go on without being held accountable?’”

In this warning from God’s Son that compares our day to the days of Noah and Lot, I see the Lord pouring out His love to the majority of the people rather than chastising the minority who are involved in wickedness. We are the Lord’s main concern in this warning. We are those who go about doing the things most people do in the normal way of living—the buying, selling, building, marrying, and so forth.

Why are we Jesus’ main concern in His warning, rather than those who are involved in gross sins? I believe it is because He could foresee our over-commitment to everyday affairs. What we are doing is not a sin in and of itself. The problem is the commitment of our hearts to these self-serving matters over and above a commitment to live by godly standards. Our over-extended routines have become more important to us than seeking to understand and obey God’s will.

This is what happened to my brother, taking him out of God’s will for his life. You and I are the ones who can help prevent our society falling apart at the seams. We are the people who can make a difference. But Jesus knew that people in our day would become so wrapped up in their everyday lives that we would ignore the warning signs.

Our country is on the brink of a great chastening from the hand of God. America has been blessed far beyond most nations throughout history. The Bible says God will hold us accountable for the deterioration of our moral standards. Luke 12:48b reads, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” The Scriptures teach that God disciplines those He has blessed if they become careless in their way of living. It is His way of correcting those He loves. “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?” (Hebrews 12:6-7).

Just as in Noah’s day, people now are doing little to prepare themselves—to build their spiritual arks. What Jesus warned us about was a deception that produces self-centered, self-serving Christians. This condition caused the Lord more concern than the many sins the minority were involved in. He was more troubled about the heart attitude of the majority. The focus of the heart was a problem in Noah’s day, and it is a problem in our day as well. That is why Jesus lists the things that are everyday time-killers, even though not one of them is a sin as such.

We have become so preoccupied that our hearts have grown cold. The worldly media has deceived us and weakened our ability to discern right from wrong regarding our commitments.

Our preoccupation with these basic elements has caused us to lose our discernment in regard to interpreting the signs of the times. Jesus warned that even Christians would be deceived. “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible. So be on guard; I have told you everything ahead of time” (Mark 13:22-23; see also Matthew 24:24).

Permissiveness and lawlessness had deteriorated to the point of being out of control in the days of Noah and Lot. But Jesus says there was a greater concern—the heart attitude of the people who put their priorities above God’s. This caused them to not pay attention to His desires. What they were doing was not sinful in the traditional sense of the word, but the commitment of their hearts was to self-serving rather than to walking according to the standards of God and His will for their lives. This, tragically, prevented them from seeing the signs of the times.

The truth of this prophecy is tough to discuss as I do not want to discount God’s blessings. However, the spirit of the good life has created a commitment to our everyday affairs over and above our commitment to seek His will and it has captured the hearts of all too many Americans. As my brother shared in his testimony, the Lord gave him a vision of a beast over our country, overcoming Christians almost at will, through the deceptive elements of materialism and pleasure.

God chose to put these words from Jesus about Noah’s day in the Bible to warn us about our day. It was important to Him that we be wise to the kind of warfare the enemy would throw at Christians in these end-times. Too many of God’s people have fallen for this deception and become victims of his attacks. The Scriptures certainly caution us about these matters—we have just failed to heed the warnings.

Watch for Part 2 of “Jesus’ Prophecy of Deception in America” on October 25^th, 2010.

A Lesson To Be Learned -

I am going to digress for a moment because there is an important lesson that anyone who claims to be a Christian can learn from my experience. Although God is merciful and long-suffering, there comes a time when He expects us to clean up our lives, and the sooner the better! Otherwise, He will have to do it for us, which may require walking through some deep valleys that we will not like. 

As a physician, I often had to assist Christians, including pastors and religious leaders, with personal problems. These are usually matters they do not want to share with others. Often it is secret sins that trip us up. It takes a humble Christian to admit he has a problem and to seek help. This is partly because many are too proud to admit they have a spiritual problem. When God says we are to come out of the ways of the world and be separate, He means that and for good reason. “What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’ ‘Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.’ ‘I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’ Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1).

Spiritual Defeat

I had been deceived by the enemy and fallen prey to worldly attractions. To deliver me from this, the Lord opened my spiritual eyes. When He did, I realized I had been walking in disobedience since finishing medical school. I was devastated. From my youth I had always had such a strong desire to serve the Lord.

I could not believe I had gotten so far out of the Lord’s will. But it happened! I had been active in church during this time. I had studied the Word of God and spent time in prayer, but my disobedience to a direct command from the Lord allowed the enemy to deceive me. After realizing I had fallen into deception, I began to seek the Lord with all my strength and with a true heart of repentance. I sought the Lord for a new filling of the Holy Spirit and the power to walk with Him according to His will as I had once experienced. I put forth every ounce of my being seeking God for seven months, studying the Word, meditating, praying and worshiping Him in a state of repentance. I also sought the Lord in regard to why so many Christians seemed to be living such defeated lives.

At the end of this time, my family and I went on a vacation. I had decided to spend this time fasting and praying—seeking the Lord—still in a spirit of repentance. I was determined not to stop until I knew that the fullness of the Holy Spirit had once again been released in my being. Halfway through the second week of our vacation, I awoke one night and knew the presence of the Lord was in the room with me. I began to have visions similar to the one when the Lord called me to become a doctor.

The first vision was that of a large head of a “beast” hovering over America. It was devouring Christians almost at will. The Spirit of the Lord showed me that this beast represented the power of materialism and pleasure in our country. It was swallowing up Christians by spiritually deceiving and then overcoming them through the influence of the materialistic and pleasure-seeking lifestyles that had developed in our society. Those Christians who were being overcome were hardly aware of what was happening.

I was convicted that this is what the enemy used to tempt, deceive and then conquer me in my spiritual walk. It was why so many had become apathetic toward the deterioration of the biblical standards in our country. This was also why numerous Christian families were experiencing major defeats, with thousands suffering hurt and pain.

I want to make clear that the Lord did not show me that it is wrong to have material things or enjoy wholesome pleasure. Rather, what He revealed to me was how the enemy is using our society to create an abnormal desire for material things and pleasure. He knows that if Christians become over-committed to everyday affairs, we will lose our spiritual discernment. We will no longer function as the salt of the earth and the light of the world, which we are called to be. Many of us fail to see that we are in the middle of a spiritual war that has produced self-centered, self-serving people. The attitude of the heart is the focus of God’s warning through this vision. The commitment of Christians to satisfying their everyday wants has taken precedence over their commitment to obey God’s standards. This is the sin that is taking us out from under the hedge of God’s protection and is diluting the power media—television, movies, press, Internet, etc., something the Christian community has never had to contend with.

That first vision of a beast hovering over America, attacking Christians, was confirmed by the Holy Spirit giving me several other visions of Jesus Christ. The Scriptures tell us the Holy Spirit always testifies of Jesus. In these I was shown how Jesus was willing to pay a tremendous price by going to the cross for the salvation of mankind. He was a disciplined person who would let nothing deter Him from His call. I was also shown the great love Jesus has for mankind, and that He was standing at the door of my heart, knocking, wanting to come in and re-establish the Lord’s will in my life.

All of these visions had a profound impact on me. Through them the Holy Spirit was showing me what had caused my deception, and that Jesus did not deserve the kind of treatment I had given Him. I could now see how I had become neglectful, disobedient and unfaithful. Through deception the enemy had me on a path of falling away from living a biblically based Christian life. 

Since the time of these visions, I have walked with a certain holy fear that has helped me follow His commandments. I consider it a great privilege to do so. It actually resulted in my following through with the Lord’s first directive to serve the people in Africa, which has been very joyful. My wife and I first went to Tanzania for a year and then to Kenya, where we served for 29 years. I recently was required to retire from the mission field as I had reached the age of 70. 

These spiritual teachings about deception that came from the visions the Lord gave me must be taken seriously. If we are not alert and ready— if we have become slothful in our commitment—we could be in for a big surprise as the events of these last days unfold. Not only that, but we may already be caught in the web of deception. The majority of Christians in America are not prepared to stand against the spiritual attacks that are taking place daily to control the hearts and minds of American people. 

There is no greater privilege than to know and serve Jesus. He paid a tremendous price for our salvation and has every right to expect that we would seek to fulfill the directive given to us in Romans 12:1-2. It reads, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God— which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Dr. Fraley’s Ministry 

This concludes my brother’s testimony. Before I move on, I want to add the following about how the Lord used him in Africa after his repentance and restoration. It’s a thrilling follow-up. 

Dr. Charles Fraley, M.D., and his wife, Marlene, R.N., served the Lord on the mission field in Africa for 30 years. He became the medical coordinator & executive director of a large health ministry in Kenya. His list of responsibilities was almost endless. He and his wife shared the love of Christ as he oversaw five hospitals and established more than 50 health centers and dispensaries throughout the country. 

Dr. Fraley delivered supplies, checked on patients and performed surgery. He assisted in administration, teaching of staff and encouraging each facility. His duties required him to spend many days away from home, traveling dirt, rock and sand roads. He also faced risk from African tribes and wild animals, which sometimes posed life-threatening dangers. In addition, when he went into the bush country, he lived as the natives, eating their food, and often sleeping in his vehicle or under the stars. 

He and his wife were involved in building a new hospital and establishing a nursing school on one of the largest mission stations of its kind in the world—the African Inland Mission Station in Kijabe, Kenya. It provides some of the highest-quality healthcare of any mission hospital in East Africa. The quality of training he helped develop at the nursing school is as good as any in Western civilization. All staff members in this health ministry must profess Jesus as Lord and Savior, and maintain high Christian standards. 

Dr. and Mrs. Fraley also assisted and worked with the Kenyan government in obtaining licenses for many of the long-and short-term missionary doctors and nurses entering the country. He participated with missionaries from different missions organizations in Bible study and prayer groups. He was the attending physician for missionaries of all denominations that came into the country, and sat on the Board of Mission for Essential Drugs for 10 years, an organization he helped establish to get medicines at cost for Mission Health Services. He served as board member and vice treasurer of the Christian Health Association of Kenya for 10 years. This organization was developed to serve all of the Protestant Health Services in Kenya, consisting of some 260 units. 

The president of Kenya asked the health ministries that my brother oversaw to take over a major health center in a remote area of the country among the poor. He agreed to do this, not only to meet the desperate needs of these people, but also because it would be a great opportunity to share the love and salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ. All of the 57 health units under his direction minister to the poor and needy in remote areas. 

I have barely scratched the surface of all that happened over the years he spent on the mission field. God blessed them to lead a team of committed Christians to work with in developing these many ministries. Only the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit could have given a man the strength to accomplish everything he did. 

My brother and his wife are among those godly servants who forsook their family ties, material possessions, home and country to follow the call of our Lord Jesus to serve the poor and needy of the world. They labored selflessly, day in and day out, to share the love of Jesus. They stood the test of time in their obedience and faithfulness. 

Restoration and Revival 

Stories illustrating Satan’s use of deception can be counterbalanced by accounts of repentance, restoration and incredibly fruitful lives. This is not only God’s desire for individuals, but for our once-great nation as well. My constant prayer is for another moving of God’s Spirit that will touch the churches of our land, and in turn profoundly affect America for the good. As there were periodic times of revival in Old Testament Israel that saved a generation or even two, I believe this can happen in our day as well. For the sake of our children and grandchildren and countless lost souls who have yet to experience the healing touch of Jesus, I pray for a mighty spiritual reawakening that shakes our country to its core. Such a time of renewal would once again allow God’s people in this land the privilege of being salt and light as our Lord and Savior preached. 

The battle rages. What the outcome will be, I can’t rightfully say. I only know that the enemy is not going to back off in his attacks. Like it or not, we are living in a spiritual war zone. As with my brother, who came to his senses, some of you may find this to be a jarring revelation.

In the next blog, I will be discussing Jesus’ prophecy of deception in America.  These important warnings should be known by all, and especially by all Christians in America.

Watch for Part 1 of “Jesus’ Prophecy of Deception in America” on October 11^th, 2010.

I used the illustration of the eagle to show how easily deception can trap us.  Now, I want to illustrate Satan’s use of deception through the written testimony of my brother, Dr. Charles Fraley, M.D. He had a special calling of God on his life, but even though he was a dedicated Christian, he too was led into deception by the enemy.

Dr. Charles Fraley’s Testimony

I was raised on a small farm near Greenville, Ohio, in a family of 13 children. I was number 12. My parents were godly people, sincerely dedicated to serving the Lord. Precept and example trained their children. Many who knew my mother testify to her exemplary Christian life, much like the outstanding women described in Proverbs 31.

Growing up, I had a strong desire to know the Lord. When I was seven, I joined the church and was baptized in a local creek, thinking this might help me go to Heaven. At age 11, I heard and understood the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the first time. I came under conviction for three days and nights until I finally made the decision to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Upon graduating from high school, I entered the Navy. Our country was in the Korean War, and I was sure I would be drafted. This was a time of testing for me as I felt like one of the few committed Christians in the military.

While in the Navy, the Lord gave me a great desire to know Him better through His Word. I had spare time while on ship duty and spent most of those hours learning the Word of God. As a normal practice, I would rise two hours before wakeup call to pray, study the Bible and memorize Scripture. By the time my four-year tour of duty was over, I had memorized more than 800 verses, and would review about 150 of them every day from morning to night. 

It was during my military service that I had a unique, or “supernatural,” experience that led me to commit my life to the Lord’s service. The presence of God surrounded me as I was reading Hebrews 13:5. The Lord spoke this verse to my spirit: “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (KJV). This caused me to commit my life into the Lord’s hands and give up any plans of my own.

After The Military

After military service, I felt led to enter Nyack Bible College in New York, supported by the GI Bill. It was there I met Marlene, the girl I would marry.

A few months into Bible College, I asked God what He wanted me to do with my life. As yet I had not received any clear directive. My prayer was quickly followed by a vision. Before I go on, let me explain that according to the Bible it is not unscriptural for the Lord to direct Christians through a vision or dream; however, to be sure it is of the Lord, any vision must be tested by examining whether it fits all of the principles found in Scripture. In the vision I saw a man standing over the ocean, with one foot in Africa and the other in America. He was dressed in doctor’s clothing and saying, “Come over and help, come over and help.” This call was somewhat similar to the Macedonian call the Apostle Paul experienced. As I sought the Lord for the meaning, the Spirit convicted me that I was to become a doctor and go to Africa to help the needy.

At that time I had never thought about being a doctor. I was not even familiar with medicine or healthcare. Growing up on a small farm in southwestern Ohio, I had never been academically inclined. My career plans were to be a farmer. The Lord blessed me with the faith to step out and transfer to Taylor University, a Christian liberal-arts university, where I entered pre-medical school. In the three years of pre-med, I was blessed with A’s in nearly all of my classes.

I then went to medical school for four years at Ohio State, graduated, and served one year of internship and four years of surgical residency at Saint Elisabeth Hospital in Youngstown, Ohio. I passed the national exams of the American Board of Surgery and became a fully Board Certified General Surgeon. I had spent 13 years preparing myself so I could be obedient to the Lord’s call to go to Africa as a missionary doctor.

However, during this period of preparation I had slipped in my spiritual walk. I had allowed thoughts to enter my mind, such as rationalizing that I could just as well serve the Lord by practicing medicine here in the States. That would allow me, along with my wife and the two children we now had, to enjoy all the benefits available to doctors in this country. Besides, I thought, if I ever did go to Africa, it would be good to have some practical experience beforehand. Several doctor friends and other Christians agreed.

The truth is – I had gradually fallen into deception though I had not realized it. How did that happen? It is hard to say. It seemed to develop subtly over a period of time, and just infiltrated my mind. I justified it with the idea that I would still be willing to go overseas when the Lord showed me that I should. But the fact of the matter was – I had already received a direct leading from God to go to Africa.

Medical Practice

I started a practice in the area where I grew up. Soon I was earning a net income of up to $400,000 per year, and that was in the early 1970s. I had my own airplane and the best Buick you could buy. I bought the 100-acre family farm where most of my brothers and sisters had grown up and fixed it up with tractors, a pick-up truck, animals and horses. I was able to buy everything anyone in my family wanted, and it was all paid for.

My medical practice was successful; however, there was one major thing wrong. I was walking in disobedience to God’s original call, which was to go to the mission field. Without even knowing it, I had fallen prey to the influence of the world.

The worst was yet to come! By being out of the Lord’s will for my life, this opened the door for me to fall into an even greater deception. It happened about four years after I started my medical practice. In consideration of others, I won’t go into the details. But it could have devastated not only me, but destroyed everything I had, including my family. Of course that is what Satan wanted! As Eve was deceived to eat the fruit from the Garden, I can also say: “The enemy deceived me.”

In my next blog, my Brother will complete his testimony.  You will read about the lesson he learned and how he conquered his spiritual defeat! Don’t miss this exciting testimony!

Watch for Part 3 of “Deception Illustrated” on September 27^th, 2010.

 The eagle is an amazing example of God’s creation. This bird is mentioned more than 30 times in Scripture. Eagles are swift, having been clocked at up to 150 miles per hour in flight. Their powerful seven-foot wing span allows them to glide effortlessly at heights up to one-half mile, and the aerodynamics of their wing construction permits flight even in hurricane-force winds. The eagles eye has two fovea (areas of acute vision), from which they can spot prey two miles away. With their amazing depth perception they can dive accurately at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour.

Due to a bony protrusion that extends outward over the eyelid, the eagle’s appearance is decidedly different from that of other birds. This stern expression gives the eagle an air of royalty. Its grandeur and grace have been revered for centuries. It has been the symbol of some of the world’s greatest countries and leaders including America.

Picture this monarch of the sky perched high on a mountain ledge overlooking a valley with a beautiful stream far below. Basking in the morning sun, surveying his domain, the eagle launches himself into the air. He sails over the green valley and swoops down toward the stream, heading for his favorite fishing spot to catch his breakfast.

When he arrives at the stream’s bank, his keen eyes notice something is slightly different. There is a large rock near his fishing spot. He knows this rock has never been there before, so he flies by the area without stopping and perches on the limb of a nearby tree. He wants to determine whether this new object is dangerous. He sits watching for better than an hour, looking up and down the stream. There is no activity whatsoever, so he drops down and lands on the rock.

In the nearby grass is a large fish. He is drawn to it, but he is puzzled. The fish is not near the stream; it is several feet from the shore. The eagle is suspicious. Something isn’t right. He scans the grassy area, the near- by bushes, and the shore of the mountain stream. There seems to be no danger, so he jumps off the rock, clutches the fish in his talons and is about to fly away when he notices another fish close by in the grass. Then another! The wilderness is providing for him in a most unusual way this morning!

Hiding in the thicket on the other side of the stream, a trapper is watching the bird’s every move. This hunter has been promised a large sum of money to capture an eagle alive. And he knows this will require his craftiest skills.

The next day, the eagle returns to his fishing spot. The rock is still there. He again observes the area from the nearby tree—but this time for only a few minutes. More quickly satisfied that no danger exists, he flies to the rock again. Lo and behold, the supply of fish has been miraculously replenished. This is unbelievable! Mother Nature is providing for him in a marvelous way, giving him more time to soar through the heavens, viewing his lovely mountain domain.

Several days pass, and the eagle is becoming conditioned. Now each morning he goes directly to the rock. Each day he finds fish there. He jumps down from the rock, grabs a fish and jumps back on the rock to enjoy his meal. He loves it! This is saving him a lot of time, which can now be used for other activities. The eagle has developed a mind of acceptance. The trapper is ready for his next move.

He makes a strong hoop like a fish net about four feet in diameter. To this he attaches a long handle with a curved bow. The next night he goes to the mountain stream where he first placed the rock and carefully digs into the ground at the base of the rock, positioning the handle of the net in the ground at an angle. This allowed the hoop to hover about three feet above the rock, yet the bow keeps the net fairly level. Then, as he has been doing every night, he places fresh fish in the nearby grass.

The next morning, the eagle perches on his lofty lookout as usual, enjoying the beauty of his surroundings. In about an hour, he lifts off and begins what has become a leisurely flight to his favorite spot. The eagle’s assumption that nature is providing his food is developing in him a somewhat sluggish disposition. As the eagle draws near the rock, he is suddenly troubled. There is an odd structure erected above it. He checks his flight and begins to soar in circles. He flies fairly high, trying to make out this strange object. He can see the fish are there as usual. After 20 minutes of flight, he senses no danger, so he descends and lands on a nearby treetop. There he spends an hour in complete silence, listening intently and watching for any strange movement. There is nothing!

A good 200 yards away, however, hidden in the thick bushes, is the clever trapper, patiently watching every move the great bird makes. Eventually the eagle flies down to the shore, landing away from the net. He finds a fish in the grass, eats it and grabs another and flies back to his nest. In the process, it appears that the strange object over the rock is probably harmless.

That afternoon, as the eagle is soaring high above the valley, he can’t erase from his mind that new object over the rock. He has to know if it will interfere with the beautiful way his food is being provided. After circling it several times, he flies back to the rock and lands on the handle of the net. Nothing happens!

There are still a couple of fish near the rock … under the net. He hops down to test this strange structure. He reaches out with his beak and claw clutching one of the fish and then quickly hops back. The net doesn’t move.

For the next few days the eagle proceeds with caution. With each visit he surveys the area closely, making certain there is nothing else new. He moves quickly, devouring one fish and carrying a second to his nest, all the time staying away from the rock. As time passes, he regains his confidence that all is well. Once again he begins to take a fish and perch on the rock, which is directly under the net, to enjoy his banquet.

The trapper is now ready. Before dawn the next morning, he adjusts the arrangement of the net. He ties a strong cord to the rim of the hoop. He runs the cord down to the ground by the rock, under a small root, and into the thick bushes nearby. To test the cord, he pulls on it, bending the rim of the net down until it covers the rock. Finally he baits the trap with the usual fish. All is ready. Then he moves into the nearby thicket to wait in quiet anticipation.

Right on time, the eagle returns the next morning. Though intelligent, he has been deceived into accepting this strange element and free fish as part of the established order. He lands on the sand near the rock, grabs a fish and perches on the stone under the net to enjoy his meal. At that exact moment, the eagle senses a slight movement in the thicket. His muscles tighten! He is ready to spring into the safety of the air, but before he can move, the four-foot hoop with the net attached comes down over him with a swish.

There is an intense battle—the eagle against the net. Beating his wings, tearing at the net with his beak, he fights for his freedom. He strains with every ounce of energy, but eventually the great bird is helpless. The mighty and glorious monarch of the sky has fallen to defeat through deception.

This short story illustrates several principles of deception that we should all be aware of. Most of Satan’s deceptive traps are hidden, but there is usually some sign of their presence. We are warned, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets [teachers] have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). The most reliable way to test the spirits is to search the Scriptures. What we are tempted to accept must be in compliance with the spiritual principles in God’s Word. This should be done with prayer and a time of cautious waiting to make sure our emotions are no longer the determinate part of any decisions we make. Remember, we still have the sinful nature we were born with, which is self-centered. As Jesus used the Word of God to combat the temptations of the enemy (see Matthew 4:111), we are to follow His example and act in the same way.

The eagle ignored his instincts. Adam and Eve were lured into deception by what they saw with their eyes—the lust of the eyes—rather than obeying God’s instruction. The eagle was drawn to the trap through an appeal to one of his basic needs. Satan’s deadly temptations always include an appeal—lust of the flesh—to a basic need or want, such as food, material possessions, security, acceptance, money, power, sex drive or beauty. These things are not inherently wrong, but satisfying these needs outside of God’s plans is.

The eagle had inner warnings of the hidden dangers, but his desires caused him to act against his instincts. God provides us with warnings of spiritual danger. Like Jesus, we must by faith follow His Word instead of our wants and desires. It was the eagle’s pride—the pride of life—that made him believe he had all things under control. Over time he became dull and sluggish, and eventually this cost him his freedom.

It is easy to let our guard down. One of Satan’s most successful deceptions in this last generation has been how he has changed our attitude toward the sacred Scriptures and our failure to take them seriously. This is the exact opposite of the attitude Jesus had. The Bible is our textbook and our authority. We cannot rely solely upon subjective experiences, because there are evil spirits as well as good spirits. The Bible warns there are deceiving spirits that can cause us to have counterfeit experiences. The Scriptures teach that this will especially be true in the last days.

A current example of this is the dangerous way the church is teaching the relationship between law and grace. To say that because we are under grace we have nothing to do with law and can forget it, is definitely not what Scripture teaches, nor was this the attitude of Jesus. The law is not a means for salvation, but we are not to ignore it. We are to use it as our guide in living out our lives on this Earth as members of the Kingdom of God. “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:7-11).

The eagle became conditioned to his surroundings because he wanted to satisfy his desire for food. Though these new conditions were contrary to the laws of nature, the eagle accepted them because they allowed him more time for pleasure. Likewise, God’s Word warns us, Satan will attempt to trick us into changing biblical standards through “self-serving” traps. Throughout history Satan has proven a master at tempting God’s people with the advantages of sin, without revealing the pain they will surely suffer.

In my next blog, I will illustrate Satan’s use of deception through the written testimony of my brother, Dr. Charles Fraley, M.D. He had a special calling of God on his life, but even though he was a dedicated Christian, he too was led into deception by the enemy.

Watch for Part 2 of “Deception Illustrated” on September 13^th,2010.

FRUIT REVEALS DECEPTION

In this past generation, Americans have changed the way we raise our families, teach in our schools, run our government and establish our social order. America’s ‘new’ moral code says, “If you can get away with it, it’s all right.” Personal accountability, respect for authority and self-control have become an antiquated way of thinking. Nothing, it seems, is repugnant or indecent. Very little deserves to be honored and respected as rules and boundaries are fought against. Actions which were “unthinkable” thirty-to-forty years ago have become “commonplace.”

Even our government leaders have passed legislation that has allowed for immoral causes and ungodly standards. Passing out condoms in schools, for example, sanctions promiscuity. School prayer was made illegal.  A law was passed that has allowed the murder of more than 50 million innocent babies through abortion.

A report that covered a recent 30-year period showed the bad fruit our society has produced. Crime increased by 500%, illegitimate births by 400%! Three times the number of children were living in single-parent homes. The teenage suicide rate tripled. The divorce rate doubled. It became OK for schools to teach homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle. The entertainment industry discovered it could display sexual permissiveness and violence with little resistance. Child molestation and incest became a national disaster, with police stating that only 25% of all cases are reported. Our children began to gun down peers and teachers at school. Every day the newspapers are filled with reports of robbery, rape, murder, greed, gang violence and other horrors.

In American society today, the most fundamental means of preserving social order—commitment to family—has been shattered. Unethical conduct and greed have tainted such professions as doctors, bankers, lawyers, politicians, educators, corporate leaders and even spiritual leaders, who historically have been the pillars of our society. Our great American cities, once the principle evidence of a mighty industrial nation, have become a stalking ground for crime, violence, sexual perversion and drugs. The character of many Americans has also transformed through sexual immorality into a lifestyle devoted to self-gratification. By passing laws that actively undermine the truth, our great republic form of government has turned from the scriptural principles that formed the foundation of our country.

Humanistic philosophy has captured public education! Public school textbooks no longer teach the Christian influence in our country’s development. However, nearly every book has the religion of humanism running through its pages. It is a religion that teaches the perfection of human ideas about right verses wrong and the development of culture to be mankind’s guide, not God and His Word. This is definitely one of the reasons why our Christian heritage, which burned brightly for many generations, has been extinguished so quickly. We are seeing what Abraham Lincoln said come true: “The philosophy of the classroom today will be the philosophy of the government tomorrow.”

Let me site just one fruit in our public schools of many that have been produced by this humanistic religion that is being taught throughout our society. A survey completed by Gospel Films reported that in 1940 the major discipline problems in public schools were: Talking in class, chewing gum, making noise, running in the halls, cutting in line, improper clothing and littering. One generation later in 1983 the major discipline problems were: Rape, robbery, assault, burglary, arson, bombing and murder.

Dr. James Dobson, founder and president of Focus on the Family, and Gary L. Bauer, president of the Family Research Council wrote Children at Risk, a book detailing the battle in our society for the hearts and minds of our kids. Every parent and grandparent needs this kind of information and more. Speaking about our culture, they write: “The same twisted philosophy that permits us to kill infants through abortion with impunity is now prevalent throughout the western world. This new way of thinking has produced a society that is extremely dangerous to minds and bodies of children (emphasis added).

“At the arrival of adolescence, teenagers are subject to the pressure and wrath of their peers, making them prime targets for brainwashing with the mind-bending process at which television and movies constantly hammer away at moral values and principles. Any form of self-discipline or restraint is usually ridiculed by friends and acquaintances. This develops a lot of pressure for conformity, until finally, many of our youth trade in their freedom for slavery and domination. Their behavior has been warped by the enormous social pressures coming through society. This opens the doors of temptation which carry many names: alcohol, marijuana, hard drugs, pornography, gambling, homosexual experimentation, premarital sex and more.

“It should be clear that one of our jobs as parents must be to keep these temptation doors closed, locked and barred to adolescents. It is frightening today to see that these doors are not only unlocked for many of our youth— they are wide open. It is no wonder that the kids who want to remain chaste are often made to feel like prudes and freaks.

“With the heartache and illness the loose humanistic standards are now causing for the families of our society, one would think responsible adults would be united in a campaign in opposition. But normally the contrary is found to be true.”

Does it concern you that the moral standard by which the American people lived for years has deteriorated more in this last generation than in all of the years combined since we became a nation? It is not pleasant to consider these truths. I would rather hear about the positives than the negatives. But when you are in a battle, you cannot afford to hide your head in the sand or you will soon face defeat. The spiritual foundation of our country is being eroded. Yet the majority of people, including Christians, do not seem all that concerned. They ignore the scoreboard!

FULFILLING OUR MISSION STATEMENT

We need look no further than ourselves to find the real reason behind the corruption and violence in our nation. As the cartoon character Pogo said, “We have met the enemy, and he is us!” It is imperative that Christians see clearly how Satan’s work of deception is bringing this great country to the brink of destruction. The Body of Christ has lost much of its light and the function of being salt. We have allowed society to exchange our commitment to righteousness for a spirit of tolerance toward the ways of the world.

The principle of Jesus’ teaching is that if Christians assimilate anything other than the purity of God’s Word, we will become contaminated and lose our saltiness. Our influence on society is dependent upon our being distinct from the world, not identical to it. Herein lies the problem. This is the reason for the bitter harvest of suffering and defeat. “But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have depended on your own strength” (Hosea 10:13).

When talking about deception I am reminded of the story about a frog. The frog was put into a pan of cold water. The water was then slowly heated so that the frog didn’t notice the water becoming warm. As the water continues to heat to a boil, the frog is gradually overcome and never legitimately tries to escape. He didn’t become alarmed because the change was not sudden. Therefore, he paid little attention to what was happening. The results were he became a casualty to his environment by being overcome by deception.

The fruit of our society compared to the teachings of Jesus Christ is not a pretty picture. However, we cannot blame the people of the world. The people of the world will naturally do what the standards of the society in which they live allow. They are part of the kingdom of the world. They live in darkness! But we know better, and that is why Jesus declared that it is our responsibility to be salt and light. Are you one who has been slowly caught in the web of deception by the changes that have been taking place in our society the past 40-50 years?

Watch for Part 1 of “Deception Illustrated” on August 30^th, 2010.

TWO MAJOR WARFRONTS

Have you ever stopped to consider that America is actually engaged in two major warfronts? You probably remember where you were on the morning of September 11, 2001, when millions of Americans huddled around their TV sets. The impossible happened that day, and we are still faced with threats of future terrorist attacks. Our country has entered into a major war against an enemy that has no conventional military and is of no specific nationality. It is a faceless foe.

But there is another fierce war being waged in our country that every Christian needs to be aware of. It is a life-and-death struggle with our spiritual adversary, Satan. He is out to destroy the spiritual heritage of our nation. The difference between the attacks of 9/11 and this second warfare is that the terrorist attack was obvious and abrupt. Because of this, the country united and took swift action! This second attack has slowly been taking place during the last 40-50 years, and tragically, Christians do not stand united in their response. How many believers do you know who talk about or even understand our country’s second warfront? Both wars have the same objective—to destroy the foundation upon which America was built.

SPIRITUAL ATTACK AGAINST AMERICA

With what the Lord has taught me and I am sharing with you, I can say without hesitation that we are living in a crucial period of time. America is under a vicious attack from God’s great enemy. Prophetic Scriptures warn us that this would happen. Unfortunately, Satan’s success in the last few decades has been overwhelming.

This spiritual warfare began in earnest after World War II—after America became the greatest superpower in the history of mankind. That is when the moral standards that had bound our nation together for generations began to unravel. Deception has been at the root of the enemy’s attacks.

We can readily see the effect of this spiritual encounter on our American society. But Satan’s main opponent is not society at large, but the Body of Christ. The devil is always scheming to dilute our saltiness, to keep us from preserving the good and dim our light in a dark world.

A SPIRITUAL WAR ZONE

It is well-known that for some time America has been a great center of Christianity. This means that if we accept what the Scriptures teach about Satan, a major thrust of his spiritual warfare in these last days will be in our country. Understanding this is key to knowing where Satan’s major spiritual battleground will be in the last days. Satan has always tried to sabotage any work of God by undermining what God is doing.

Therefore, as Satan sees his time growing short, he will try to destroy every good thing with which God has blessed our country, especially our Christian values. It also means that many of the prophetic warnings given in Scripture about the last days apply to America as much as anywhere else, if not more so.

The U.S. has indeed become a major spiritual war zone. We are being hit in every way imaginable to compromise biblical standards. Many Christians readily admit they do not understand the root cause of the rapid breakdown in our society’s moral fiber, or the methods by which the enemy has conducted such a successful campaign. This has obviously taken its toll on the effectiveness of the body of Christ to fulfill our mission to be salt and light. These ‘new moral’ standards have influenced the Christian community much more than we have influenced the world. We have become more tolerant to the sins of the world, while this generation feels free to promote its sins, not only by their lifestyle, but also through the media that is available to everyone. This was not the case throughout most of America’s history.

SATAN’S PAST ATTACKS

God and His people have always had a spiritual enemy, and any work of the Lord involves spiritual battles. The fact that the devil is out to destroy God’s calling for Christians in our land is not unique. He has always worked to sabotage God’s purpose. His tactics are ruthless and deadly. He never calls for a spiritual cease-fire!

In the days of Noah, he caused lawlessness to become so terrible that God had no choice but to cleanse the Earth by a flood. As you read through the Old Testament you discover that the devil was constantly developing a spirit of permissiveness and rebellion in Israel. When God Himself came to Earth in the person of Jesus Christ, Satan had so deceived most of the Israelites, they not only didn’t recognize Him, they crucified Him.

Satan’s warfare against God’s people continued after the church began. In the first 300 years of church history, Satan’s attacks against Christians, worked primarily through the Roman government, were so harsh that an estimated three million Christians were persecuted by every cruel act of torture imaginable. They were thrown to wild animals, torn to pieces, beheaded, burned, buried alive and crucified.

Satan’s attacks on the church continued during the Dark Ages and the Middle Ages. Much of the church operated in secret during these time periods. After Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses on the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517, the Reformation began, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ started to be preached openly. Satan, however, continued his attacks against Christians, and thousands were brutally massacred for their faith. In France in 1557, the Pope called for an extermination of all believers who were not members of the Roman Catholic Church. On August 24, 1572, 70,000 Christians were killed in the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre. The Spanish Inquisition left more than 100,000 people dead and 1,500,000 banished from the country. Between 1566 and 1598, some 100,000 born-again Christians were slaughtered in the Netherlands. In the country of Bohemia, 3,200,000 Christians were exterminated during the Reformation Wars. And persecution of the church continues. Historian David Barrett estimates that more than 45 million Christians were martyred during the 20th century, including 13,300,000 since 1950.

For the most part, America has enjoyed freedom from religious persecution, and remains a center of Christian witness for the world. Thus, from what the Scriptures teach and from what history has confirmed, it is easy to see why Satan has launched an all-out spiritual attack against our country. He is doing all he can to change every law based on Christian standards. The American church must be aware of this. There is no doubt that we are living in a time of his attack. Prophetic Scriptures warn us that this will happen.

PERSECUTION AND DECEPTION

The Bible teaches that Satan has always used two distinct methods when attacking God’s people: persecution and deception! Both have the same goal—to keep God’s people from fulfilling their mission of being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Persecution is easy to detect; deception is not. We can clearly see how Satan uses persecution. He uses deception just as much, if not more so, but it is harder to verify.

Persecution is an attack that usually causes physical harm. Satan’s objective is to get us to deny our relationship with Jesus in order to avoid persecution. Look at the lives of the apostles, almost all of whom were martyred for their faith. Consider this thought from someone who recently experienced persecution and was asked why God had allowed it: “Not only would He not kill our enemies for us, but He would empower us to love them while they killed us.”

DECEPTION

Both persecution and deception are dangerous and destructive. However, deception has been the primary method of attack against Christians in America. Deception tempts our sinful nature (using the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life) to disobey God’s Word. This is my definition of deception: Seducing spirits tempt God’s people to exchange the truth of God’s Word for that which is contrary to the Word of God. They attempt to make something wrong seem innocent and irresistible. They try to make the difference between black and white seem like a shade of gray.

If we do not know the Word of God and diligently seek righteousness, and hate every evil way, we will become susceptible to these deceiving spirits. The Apostle Paul writes, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits” (I Timothy 4:1). Deception is insidious and dangerous. It breeds compromise, which leads to disobedience and spiritual defeat! The only way to determine the use of deception is by an examination of the fruit. As we look at the fruit produced by our society in this last generation, keep in mind that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Through persecution, some 70 million Christians have been killed over the last 2000 years (source: World Christian Encyclopedia, Global Diagram 6). But Satan’s use of deception is also ruthless, wicked and severe. It brought down Eve, then Adam, as well as leaders like Samson, Saul, David and Solomon. Today it is destroying the moral standards of American Christians. Many church members and leaders have fallen into sin through deception.

One of the strongest influences the world has had on the Christian community has been to make us self-centered. A fruit of spiritual deception is to serve our self-interests over and above our desire to please God and put His standards first. We may say we are standing against the tide, but in truth, we are simply a few decades behind the world’s acceptance of many of our society’s ‘new moral standards.’ What was permissible twenty or thirty years ago by the world is now acceptable by many Christians. Finding a Christian who has a fear of sinning is rare these days.

Watch for Part 3 of “A Spiritual War Zone” on August 16^th, 2010.

As the account unfolds in Genesis, we notice that at first everything was good. There is no hint of rebellion. “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day” (Genesis 1:31). Here is a picture of perfect fellowship between God and His created beings. God and man walked together in happy communion.

God’s Word to Adam and Eve was short and simple. “‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die’” (Genesis 2:16,17). There was just one command to keep! You’d think it wouldn’t be that hard!

Satan knew if he could cause Adam and Eve to exercise their independence and disobey, it would break the bonds of their fellowship, and God would lose something precious to Him. The enemy cared nothing about all the suffering that would follow.

To accomplish his goal, the devil employed several tactics. His methods remain basically the same to this day. “Now the serpent [Satan] was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, You must not eat from any tree in the Garden?’ The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, You must not eat from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ‘You will not surely die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and was also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it” (Genesis 3:1-6).

Satan’s first attack technique was to plant a seed of doubt, and then outright deny the meaning of God’s Word (Genesis 3:1-4).

We must be careful to stay alert, because it is easy for the enemy to influence us through the many avenues of the world. We are constantly being confronted with spiritual issues that challenge the standards of God as given in Scripture. The enemy will try to raise doubts in our minds about the importance of following God’s Word. Satan will use anything and everything he can to draw us away from the truths of Scripture.

If we are not careful, we too will begin to rationalize situations in our minds. There will always be a temptation to serve our desires rather than remain obedient to what is taught in the Bible. Our subconscious plays tricks on us. This can’t really make that much difference to God. Or, God’s Word doesn’t actually mean this, does it? Satan’s next step is to turn the doubt into outright denial. God understands; He doesn’t mind. He wants me to have what I think is best.

If we ignore God’s Word, as Adam and Eve did, we too break our communion with God, and like them we will suffer spiritual defeat. Not only that, but the next time a similar situation occurs, it will be much easier for Satan to get us to fall again. Before long, our conscience has lost its sensitivity, and we no longer obey that particular standard. Doubt first, then denial. That’s how Satan’s deceptions work.

Please note that I am not talking about the times when we make a mistake and fall; we all make mistakes. And, of course, we all begin our Christian lives as spiritual babies. But God desires that we quickly mature as we grow in the knowledge of His Word and the workings of His Holy Spirit. As this happens, we come under conviction as the Spirit reminds us of the Word. But if the enemy gets us to a point where the Holy Spirit can no longer bring about conviction concerning something addressed in the Bible, we have fallen into deception. This will not necessarily happen immediately; this changing of our thinking can take place gradually.

Satan’s next attack technique was to deceive Adam and Eve into elevating themselves, to be like God, so that they made their own decisions about right and wrong. “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food [lust of the flesh] and pleasing to the eye [lust of the eyes], and also desirable for gaining wisdom [pride of life], she took some and ate it” (Genesis 3:6). Knowing what Eve had done, God said to her, “‘What is this you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate’” (Genesis 3:13).

By tempting her to use human wisdom to decide right and wrong, Satan deceived Eve into rebelling against God’s command. It is no different today. If we don’t follow God’s Word as our standard, by default we will accept the standards of society. However, this should not be true of those who have been reborn spiritually. Members of God’s Kingdom look to Scripture to establish our standards of good and evil. We are no longer members of the kingdom of the world. This means, as 1 Peter 5:8 warns, that we must constantly be on the alert, because Satan will try to deceive us. He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Another point to observe is how freely Satan used the name of God. He didn’t ask Eve to deny God or to quit walking with Him. In fact, he told her that following his advice would make her more like God. He just encouraged her to disregard God’s Word, to doubt that God was serious about the one command He had given them.

When attacking through deception, Satan’s temptations could reference the name of God or something that appears to be godly. But if the inner motivation is to serve the desires of our flesh, be on guard.

SATAN’S TEMPTATION OF JESUS

 In similar fashion, Satan did not lure Jesus with the sensual vices of the world to deceive Him. Nor did he suggest that He deny God. He tempted our Lord with self-serving attractions. He encouraged Jesus to step out on His own, to become independent and make His own decisions rather than following the words of His Father.

It is worthy to note that just as Satan used “the lust of the flesh,” “the lust of the eyes,” and “the pride of life” to deceive Adam and Eve, he used these same three self-serving techniques in his attempt to deceive and cause Jesus to disobey the Word of God. This account is recorded in both Matthew (chapter 4:1-10) and Luke (chapter 4:1-12). Jesus answered all three temptations by what is written in Scripture.

Satan also tempted Jesus through a friend of His. In Matthew 16, Jesus had asked His disciples, “‘Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘…this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven’” (Matthew 16:15-17). Peter had received a revelation from God. But notice what happened immediately following:

“From that time on Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!’ Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men’” (Matthew 16:21-23). Peter’s motivating force was self-preservation for Jesus over and above the will of God.

Learning how Satan attempts to deceive us by using “the lust of the flesh,” “the lust of the eyes,” and “the pride of life” is an important biblical lesson. It is even more so in these last days as the world now has so many ways to tempt us in these three areas.

At various times we have all fallen victim to deception. And when we do, it can cause a multitude of personal problems and require that we understand another important biblical principle—repentance. We must quickly turn from what deceived us, and confess it to the Lord. Without repentance, our position of living in victory through the power of the Holy Spirit is seriously affected.

Watch for Part 2 of “A Spiritual War Zone” on August 2nd, 2010.