- It’s not my job to protect myself (that kind of thinking comes from an orphan mindset). The Lord is my shepherd and He is committed to protecting His sheep. My responsibility is to follow Him, listen for and trust His voice, etc., not anxiously make sure I am not deceived. I am to focus on Him, not what the enemy is up to.
- If I stay humble and in community with other healthy believers, I won’t be deceived. John 10:2-5 (NIV) 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice.”
When I made the FB post, I promised to write more about this here on my blog, so I will write a few thoughts here and also post links to earlier blogs on this subject.
The point of my original statement is that fears about being deceived or fearful fascination with conspiracies, etc., are unnecessary and even harmful for believers. Fear itself can be a doorway to deception! That doesn't mean, however that we are to live in la-la land! I gave hints as to how we can stay safe in the original post: humility, community, intimacy with Jesus, etc. When I first started hearing God's voice clearly and moving in the supernatural, I asked Him how I could be sure I wouldn't be deceived by these "subjective experiences." Here's what He said to me:
- Humility: His first answer was "Humility." It's proud people who are vulnerable to deception, not humble ones. Pride is what caused, the devil, our adversary to be deceived into thinking he could be equal to God. Pride is now one of our enemy's favorite landing zones. :-) But God gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5-6) and that grace keeps us deep within His shalom and shelter.
- Community: God's second answer to my question (after humility) was community. People who allow mature and trustworthy others to speak into their lives won't be deceived. I have heard more than one wise leader say, "The way to be sure you aren't deceived is to trust someone more than you trust yourself." We need to be wise in whom we trust, but having community around us is essential. Isolation is often a first step down the path of deception.
- Scripture: The third thing Papa mentioned was, of course, His Word. Why is it listed third? Not because it's not the most important, but because it needs to be interpreted in community from a place of humility. And when I speak of Scripture I am speaking of the whole of Scripture and especially of the nature and character of God as revealed in Scripture. Psalm 119:104 is one of many passages that remind us of this: "From your precepts I gain understanding; this is why I hate every false way." (CJB 2016)
- Intimacy: God's fourth answer to me was, "Stay close to me, remain intimate with me." After many years of living close to Him, I know a bit more about what He meant. I have learned that I can trust Holy Spirit to give me little nudges when I start to wander from living aware of Papa's presence. I have learned that He will also alert me to the temptation to pride, to any tendency to rationalize, etc. When we pray, "Lead us not into temptation" we are affirming that God will for sure lead us, dear ones! And our surrendered hearts that follow Him wherever He leads and our sensitivity to any movement away from Him will keep us secure and safe in the midst of His love and protection.
- Authenticity: God added this one to my list just recently. I have come to realize that most people who wander off track choose, at some point, to stop being honest with God, themselves and others. Community won't help us if we hide, and intimacy with God isn't possible if we are not fully honest with Him and with ourselves. Being alert to the slightest movement towards rationalization or compromise will help to keep us far from the big D.
- I could write more, of course, but perhaps my other blog entries will cover most of that! The links are at the bottom.
But what about conspiracies? I am sure there are some conspiracies out there, but I know I can trust God to alert me to anything I need to know, especially if I live as described above. The same goes for "The Mark of the Beast" and anything else that may come my way. The point of my original post on FB is to live focused on God and pay attention to what He is doing, trusting Him and others who know Him well (as evidenced by the fruit of their lives) to guide you and protect you as you live intimately with Him and join Him in advancing His Kingdom.
Here are the links to earlier thoughts:
Stay lost in His love, safe in His arms,
Tom, one of Abba's sons
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