Deception Illustrated (Part 3)

In my last blog, you read about my Brother, Dr. Charles Fraley, and how he was caught in Satan’s web of deception.  Today you will read the conclusion of his powerful testimony and learn how he was able to overcome his spiritual defeat!  This is the continuation of the testimony of Dr. Charles Fraley…

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.

Deception Illustrated

Deception Illustrated Through The Story of an Eagle – 

 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.