Satans Eden no 18

End Time Deception part 2

November 21, 2021

Brian Kocourek, Pastor

10 Now, let us look now to this great (for a few minutes), this great sinful day that we're now living in. I don't believe there ever was a day that I've ever read in history... There's been greater days of persecution when the children of God was put to death on every hand, but to see the deceitfulness of the enemy, we've never had a day like this we're now living. It's the most cunning, deceitful day. And when I see that, it brings this that the Christian has to be more on his toes today than he ever was in any age.

11 Now, back in the days of the persecution of Rome to the Church, a Christian make a mistake, he went into the arena and was fed to the lions or something like that, when they found him being a Christian for his testimony. But his soul was saved, because he was a purely, unadulterated believer in God and gladly sealed his testimony with his blood as the veins let loose, or holes in his body, and the blood bleed out, he would scream up with real loyal faith, and say, "Receive my spirit, Lord Jesus."

12 But now, the cunningness of the devil now, makes the people believe that they are a Christian when they're not. There's the thing. You don't have to seal... It's a more cunning day than it would be when you had to seal your life away with your testimony. The devil has set every cunning trap that he can to... He's a deceiver. And Jesus told us in Matthew 24 how this day would be that we're living in--the most deceitful day that ever lived; so close that it would deceive the very elected of God if it were possible for him to deceive.

13  Now, let us compare some Scriptures (or prophecies) spoken of in the Bible for today, and compare it with the day that we're now living in. In II Timothy 3 we learned this: That the prophet said that it would come to pass in this days; that men would be heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. Compare that now, just for a moment. We won't... We'll just brief it, because we haven't that much time to go through it all like we should duly take it, but just to highlight it, so that you can see when you get home and study it. Heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, and despisers of those that are good. Now, the Spirit spoke expressingly that these things would be in the latter days. That's these days, the prophecy speaking to it.

14 Now, we read also in Revelations 3:14, (the Laodicean Church Age), that how the church would be in this last day. And it would be... It said it would set as a widow and have need of nothing. It was rich, and increased in goods, and know it not that they were poor, miserable, wretched, blind, and naked, and didn't know it.

15 Now, remember, He's speaking to the church of this age: wretched, blind, naked, and don't know it. That last phrase, that last word is what makes it so striking. They think that they are well filled with the Spirit. They're all ready... The Laodicean Church Age is the Pentecostal church age, 'cause it is the last church age.

16 Luther had his message. Wesley had his message, and Pentecost had their message. Also, it said, "That because you are lukewarm, neither hot or cold," the emotions of the outside, the mental conception of the Gospel... "Because" He said, "you're that way, I will spew you out of My mouth." In other words, it made Him sick to see the church in that condition. And remember, they spew Him out, and He was on the outside of the church trying to get back on the inside in that awful Laodicean Church Age.

17 The god of this world today, the worshipped person of this world today is Satan, and the people are ignorant of worshipping Satan. But it's Satan impersonating himself as the church (See?), as the church. They worship Satan thinking that they are worshipping God through the church, but it's the way Satan has done it. Oh, you say, "But wait a minute; we preach the Word." Look back here at my text tonight. Satan was the one preached the Word to Eve first. "God has said." See? It's that misconstruing that part of the Scripture that applies to the day. He will let you know all that Jesus did was perfectly well. He will let you know all that Moses did was perfectly well. But when you take the promises that they gave for this day; then that was applied to another age. That's just all he has to do (See?) is to get the people to believe it that way, and that's all. For you cannot take one word away from It, or add one word to It, but that's what he does.

18  People, ignorantly worshipping Satan, thinking they are worshipping God. As we're warned by prophecy in II Thessalonians that... Let's just read that: II Thessalonians, the 2nd chapter. Let's just get it a moment, if I can right away. I'd like to read that just a... I believe II Thessalonians. I got the Scripture here and say... Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of the Lord Jesus, and by our gathering together unto him, And see the coming of the Lord and the gathering to Him, as God will gather His people to Him in the last days: the gathering of the people to the Lord, not to the church, to the Lord.
... gathering together unto Him. That ye be not soon shaken in your mind, or troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as... the day of the Lord is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin... (man of sin, watch what he is now) ... man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, (That was Judas. See?)Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God setteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

19 That deceitfulness of the church of today... See, the son of perdition, the devil, the son of perdition, the devil... Then people worshipping Satan in this day, thinking they're worshipping God... But they're worshipping him through a creed, a manmade denominations and creeds that's brought the people right down to the greatest deception that the world has ever knowed of. No matter how much the Word of God promised for this day, is preached and vindicated, they still won't believe It. They won't believe It. Then why? We wonder why. Why doesn't it... Why won't they believe It, when God said He would do a certain thing, and He does it; and still they turn their back from it, and turn away from it? Just as Eve knew that what God said, God would do; but she turned her back on it to listen to what he had to say. Just remember, in other ages, it's always been the same thing. In every age it's always been that Satan tries to pervert that Word to them, making them see some other age.

Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.

Who Is This Melchisedec 65-0221E 52 Now, we find Him at the beginning, His attributes. And now, you were with Him then. Then is when the Book of Life comes into view. Now, we read over here in Revelations the 13th chapter, the 8th verse, that the beast that comes upon the earth in these last days will deceive all those people on the earth whose names were not written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world.

This morning I would like to look at this time of deception, that brother Branham is referring to and as we see in the book of Revelations.

Notice the ones who will fall for the deception are those whose names were not placed in the Lamb's book of Life that was written before the world was framed by the Word of God. Now, this morning I want to look at this deception that is to take place and I want to show how it can deceive all that dwell in the earth with the exception of the Elect. Now we are warned by Jesus Himself that at the last days, it will be a great time of deception.

I read an article this week where the psychological warfare that is being waged on the people in this late hour was discussed. It is called “19th Century Mass Formation”

a French social psychologist named Gustave Le Bon, who was renowned for his study of crowds once said:

“The masses have never thirsted after truth. They turn aside from evidence that is not to their taste, preferring to deify error, if error seduces them. Whoever can supply them with illusions is easily their master; whoever attempts to destroy their illusions is always their victim.”

Those are outstanding words and must be remembered in light of what we are seeing tin this hour becaue the book, “The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind, The author named Gustave Le Bon said, ”1 takes a deep-dive into the characteristics of human crowds and how, when gathered in groups, people tend to relinquish conscious deliberation in favor of unconscious crowd action.”

Amazon Books says of this book, “One of the most influential works of social psychology in history, “The Crowd” was highly instrumental in creating this field of study by analyzing, in detail, mass behavior. The book itself had a profound impact not only on Freud but also on such twentieth-century masters of crowd control as Hitler and Mussolini — both of whom may have used its observations as a guide to stirring up popular passions. In the author's words, "The masses have never thirsted after the truth. Whoever can supply them with illusions is easily their master; whoever attempts to destroy their illusions is always their victim."

He warned that if society didn’t take heed and ward of social isolation and the anti-religious idea that life has no purpose, we would end up in a state where mass formation would become the norm. These psychologically damaged people would take over, which is precisely what happened.

The Book analyzed the difference between Dictators and totalitarian governments. It stated that Totalitarians don’t stop committing atrocities once the opposition is vanquished. It merely expands to new groups. Dr. Matthias Desmet Professor of Psychology at the University of Ghent recounted how Stalin switched from one scapegoat to the next, as he kept running out of groups to blame and had them killed off. Eventually, he ended up murdering half of his Communist Party members, even though most had done nothing wrong and were loyal to him.

That’s something to ponder in our present situation. Right now, “anti-vaxxers” are the opposition the totalitarian regime seeks to destroy. Once there are no more “anti-vaxxers,” say, theoretically, that everyone in the world got the shot, the opposition to be done away with would become some other group.

So, if you’re “vaccinated” and up on all your boosters right now and are cheering on the crusade against those who don’t want the shot, know that it’s only a matter of time before it’s your turn to be victimized over something.

All Mass Formation Societies end up in a tragic fall.

The fate of those who succumb to mass formation and embrace totalitarianism is particularly tragic, in a sense, because of another curious thing that occurs. People under its spell often end up agreeing that they deserve to die and willingly go to their death. This, Desmet says, is what happened with many of Stalin’s party members who were given death sentences for no apparent reason.

As noted by Marcus, this is basically menticide, the killing of the mind. The psychological process of menticide so degrades the mental faculties that rational thinking is no longer possible, making you profoundly gullible. In this state, you’ll buy into any narrative without critical thinking.

And that is why we see people so blindly falling for a narrative being given out via the media and governments. A narrative that makes no practical sense, and has thrown out all medical logic, and reason. And the people know this yet so willingly drink from the poisoned coolaid.

The reason is that they have been given over to a reprobate mind concerning the truth, and will be damned by it. Thus they are being manipulated into taking something they normally would not do, but since their minds have no love for the truth, they are turned over By God for the great delusion.

God of this evil age 65-0801M P:33 Making a strong delusion, as the Bible said it would (II Thessalonians), how this man of sin would come into existence and set in the temple of God, showing himself he was God and caused the people to go into strong delusion to believe a lie; and believe it will be damned by it. That's the same thing he did to Eve, give her... Never told her the Word wasn't right, but give her a strong delusion that she believed a lie. The spirit of delusion is of the devil, devils now working in the children of disobedient. Disobedient to what? What's the children of this day disobedient to? Like Eve was at the beginning: the true Word of God. That's right. Now, if you would want to get that, let's turn to it, Ephesians 2, just a minute, 'cause it seems good that we--I stop just a minute if you're in no big hurry and read some of this. Ephesians 2:1 to 2: And you has he quickened, who were once dead in trespasses and sin: Wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (See? Children of disobedience...)

Now, remember that we read from the Wuest Translation of 2 Thessalonians last week and we showed you that God promised to send a strong delusion upon all who loved not the truth and the delusion God sends is said to be “geared to the gullibility of them that are perishing.”

Thus through a psychological process the people become completely gullible and they have been made that way through a process called menticide which is a mental suicide.

And the apostle Paul gives us the reason for their minds to be given over to a reprobate mind in Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

And the word reprobate means a worthless and rejected, and since it is the mind that become reprobate then the mind is given over to worthless and is rejected.

Dr . Dr. Matthias Desmet in speaking of Mass formation said it also “always ends up creating more of the conditions that allowed it to emerge in the first place. So, in the end, people who are under mass formation hypnosis will feel greater social isolation than ever before, less meaning and purpose in life, and more free-floating anxiety and free-floating aggression than before.”

“Mass formation also erases individuality. The group becomes all-important and the individual inconsequential. Hence being told you, your parents or children deserve or need to die for the betterment of society is acceptable and agreeable.”

“Everyone becomes equally stupid, essentially,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how smart or intelligent they were before. They lose all capacity for critical thinking, they lose all individual characteristics.”

“Applied to today, this is shockingly relevant. It helps explain how and why parents are willing to line up their children for an experimental injection that can disable or even kill them.”

“Totalitarianism is a monster that ALWAYS devours its own children,” Desmet says.

Mass Formation in Action

“Another important point is that, typically, only 30% of people in a totalitarian society are actually under the hypnotic spell of mass formation. It seems greater, but they’re actually in a minority.

However, there’s typically another 40% that simply go along with the program, even though they’re unconvinced. They don’t want to stick out by going against the prevailing current. The remaining 30% are not hypnotized and want to wake the others up.”

So how do you end mass formation? Dissenters join together as one large group, thereby giving fence-sitters who are not yet fully hypnotized an alternative to going along with the totalitarians.

In other words become “a living epistle read and known of all men.” And that is the problem with mainline Christianity, they hide what light they have under a bushel. They are afraid to speak up, and give their opinion. They want to be liked and loved, and give up their freedom to maintain a nice personality. Which is hogwash, and sadistic. When you do that you are inviting the enemy to control the narrative.

There were some experiments called the “Ash experiments” and they demonstrated clearly that very few people, only 25%, are willing to go against the crowd, no matter how absurd and obviously wrong the crowd’s opinion is. And the finding said that Two-thirds of people are willing to go along with “idiocracy.”

Now, brothers and sisters, when you do that your silence is giving approval to the evil that is being done out there. And since this is Satan’s Eden you by your silence are giving approval to Satan’s plan.

Ecclesiastes 3:7-8 There is a time to be silent but there is also a time to speak out;

Ezekiel 3:18-19 “If I say to the wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him—you don’t speak out to warn him about his wicked way in order to save his life—that wicked person will die for his iniquity. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. But if you warn a wicked person and he does not turn from his wickedness or his wicked way, he will die for his iniquity, but you will have saved your life.

Proverbs 31:9 Speak up, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and oppressed.

Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do what is good. Seek justice. Correct the oppressor.  Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause.

Now, I know they try to shame you from speaking ou against their demonic activities, but if we say nothing, then the devil has no opposition and what kind of a Christian is that who is afraid to stand up for what is truth.

Luke 19:37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; 38  Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. 39  And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. 40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

“Time and again, mass formation events and experiments show us there are three groups of people: those who become spellbound and actually believe that the wrong answer is the right one; those who know the answer is wrong, but dare not tell the truth so they agree with what they know to be false; and those who know the answer is wrong and say so.”

Ephesians 5:11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

James 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Galatians 6:1 Brothers, even if a person is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual should correct that one in a gentle spirit, looking to yourself, so that you also may not be tempted.

Matthew 24:4 ¶ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Notice in verse 10… Matthew 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Notice this is a time when we should draw that much closer together, but because there is so much iniquity, and we are so bombarded on a daily basis, we become exhausted, and because we have such a daily struggle and daily fight with iniquity, we are drained. And our love waxes, or hardens toward one another. Now, let's jump up to verse 21…

Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, (that means for the very purpose of) if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret chambers; believe [it] not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the Parousia of the Son of man be.

How Can I Overcome 63-0825M 44 We see this age that we're living in. It's one of the grandest ages of all ages. This Laodicea church age is the grandest of all the church ages, because it's the ending of time and the blending of eternity. And then, it's the greatest sinful age. There's more sin in this age than there's ever been. And the powers of Satan is many times harder to fight against than it was in any age. See? Here, back there in the early ages a Christian could for his profession of belonging to Christ could be beheaded for it. He could be killed and put out of his misery, and go to meet God quickly. But now, the enemy has come in in the name of the church; and it's so deceiving. This is a great age of deception when... Christ said so, the two spirits would be so close in the last days till it would deceive the very elected if it was possible. See, see? See? And remember, Christ spoke of a elected people for the last day. See? It would deceive the very elected if it were possible, so close.

Marriage and Divorce 65-0221M 20-2 The increase of the beauty of women is showing the time of deception. When did a church look any more prettier than it does today? Everything is featuring great, big, fine buildings and millions of this and millions of that. Don't you see, "she," the deception?

Therefore, the better the church looks the better the deception will be, just like the women, fashioned by Satan to be deceptive. If it wasn't a matter of looks, we would all go for character. Therefore the looks are there to deceive. Its a trap. Don't look for beauty that's skin deep, but look for a character that reflects an eternal life inside.

Marriage and Divorce 65-0221M 22-7 Not pretty, but character, God looks at character. Man looks at natural beauty. It's deceiving. And that's why a woman was given that beauty for deception, to deceive. A beautiful woman, if she don't use it in the right way, it's a curse to her. That'll send her to hell quicker than anything else I know of. If she just--if... She could be pretty, sure; as long as she stays with her husband and does what's right, and that's fine and dandy. But she can take that same thing, and, my, how she can deceive with it, for it was give to her to do so.

Again in the book of Mark 13:3 we see the same seen unfold and the words of Jesus warn us of this time of deception. ¶ And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? 5 ¶ And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any [man] deceive you: 6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am [Christ]; and shall deceive many.

Notice, the main characteristic is not going to be wars or earthquakes, but the main characteristic of this age is deception. And what an hour of deception we are living in.

Thinking Man’s Filter 65-0822E 51 As I stood there looking at it and thinking of how deceitful it was, the question came to me and I stooped back, looked at the pack again, and I could, just seemed like something said to me, "But the slogan is all right: 'A thinking man's filter, a smoking man's taste.'" It came to me that that deceitfulness also in the natural realm there in the tobacco, is something on a order of the churches of today (See?), a deceitfulness. It's come till the whole world has become a great deception of what is really true and what's right. See, even in politics and in social affair, in school, in everything, it becomes a deceitfulness.

Look at the deception in politics, it's never been worse than in this age. Like brother Branham said, it doesn't do any good to vote when they already know whose going in there. And then the media, how it manipulates the minds of the people causing them to think the way they want you to think.

Brother Branham told us the whole world would become insane, and w3e are living in that time.

Invisible union of the bride 65-1125 P:50 But now, look what Hollywood has took the virtuous things from our women. I'm setting here looking at a dear old woman, Sister Schrader. Many of the women here, that and Sister Moore over here, the older women that remembers a few years ago, if their mother or even them, would have walked out on the street the way some of these women walk today (church members), they'd have locked the woman up for being insane. She forgot to put on her skirt. Well, if it was insane then, it's insane now. Well, look, the whole world proves it's insane. Look at the murders and things that's going on now in the world (See?): insanity. The whole thing is coming to fulfill Revelations; we may get to it this week, where those hideous things... Them's not natural; that's spiritual things that makes people scream to the rocks and the mountains and everything else to fall on them.

Knoweth it not 65-0815 P:29 And if this woman... Now, she'd say, "Now, wait just a minute, Mr. Branham. I'll give you to understand, I am no prostitute." My sister, maybe if you'd be took before a Bible, put your hands upon It in the Presence of God and swear an oath that you'd been just as true to your husband as you could be. Your body belongs to your husband, but your soul belongs to God. There is a evil spirit that's anointing you. If you're not, then you're... I can prove that you're totally insane. What would've happened to your grandmother if she'd have walked down the street with them shorts on? They'd have put her in the insane institution; she come out without her dress on. There's something wrong with her mind. If it was so then, it's so now. So it throws the whole world into insanity. The whole thing's insane. And it's so gradually crept in till the people don't know it.

Communion 65-1212 P:2 Now, there's one thing that I'd want to say just before we start the communion, is this; that I believe that we have seen enough in our day that we live in, that we ought to really give every, all of our being to God. We should really serve God. I believe that He has blessed us with the direct answer to Scripture. As Brother Pearry gave it a few moments ago, that we’re at that time. We're not blind; we see that we're here; we've arrived. And we also can look around and see that the way that the human mind is leaving the people. That we can't stay too much longer, we'd be in a complete insane institution; the whole world would be. See? So we're at the end time.

Look at the advertisements, and how deceptive it all is. We know the mainstream media is all polluted and deceptive, and so many think they can go to the internet to finally get the truth and there is so much garbage on it that no man can know the truth outside of what has been vindicated by God Himself.

Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Revelation 13:11 ¶ And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.

Now, let's look at this scripture brother Branham is bringing out here in this quote from Satan's Eden. Notice brother Branham quoted the apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2. so let's read.

II Thessalonians 2:1 ¶ Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word (notice a false word or false letter, that's deception working here), nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 ¶ Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Now the Wuest translation says this: And then shall the lawless one be disclosed in his true identity. Whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of His mouth and render inoperative by the sudden appearance of His Personal Presence, the coming and presence of whom the man of lawlessness is according to the operation of satan in the sphere of miracles demonstrating power and attesting miracles and miracles of a startling, imposing, amazement-wakening character which deceive, and whose coming and presence is in the sphere of every kind of wicked deception geared to the gullibility of those who are perishing, this gullibility being caused by the fact that they did not accept the love for the Truth to the end that they might be saved. And because of this God sends them a deluding influence resulting in their believing the lie,

(Notice it's the same lie that was told to Eve) in order that they all might be judged, who did not believe the Truth but took delight in wickedness.

Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Now there is a point here I do not want you to miss. And that point is that the deception comes from within. It first comes from the people turning down the truth. Why? Because as Jesus said in

John 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you 38 ¶ I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. 41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, [even] God. 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? [even] because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell [you] the truth, ye believe me not. 46 ¶ Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear [them] not, because ye are not of God.

The fact is that to be deceived, you have first got to turn down or turn away from the Truth, thus you deceive yourself. You don't believe the Lie because you were an innocent bystander who was tricked into believing it. You believe it because you want to believe it.

Mark 7:7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, [as] the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, [It is] Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; [he shall be free]. 12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. 14 And when he had called all the people [unto him], he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one [of you], and understand: 15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. 16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. 17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. 18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, [it] cannot defile him; 19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Hebrews 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. The people leave the word on their own account. Because they have an evil heart God says.

I John 1:8 ¶ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Notice, John tells us that we only deceive ourselves, we're not fooling anyone else, we're not deceiving anyone else

James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

Notice, when you deceive yourself, your religion is in vain.

I Corinthians 3:18 ¶ Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. (in their own false wisdom) .

Therefore people get what they ask for.

Galatians 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden. 6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

Romans 16:17 ¶ Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

Now, these simple could not be in the election, because they are able to be deceived. They are simple minded people who are not out to hurt anyone, but they become deceived by what they hear, but a s I have already shown you, they can only be deceived because they do not have a love for the Truth. So they accept just anything that might sound right, but it isn't.

Notice what Pal says in Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Notice, they have a choice because they have been warned. You see, God always sends warning before judgment, and when the people turn down his warning, all that is left for them is judgment.

II Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned [them];

Notice the ones who are deceiving are deceived themselves, that is why they can be so sincere in their deception.

II Corinthians 4:1 ¶ Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face (presence) of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. 11 And he (God) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ:

II John 1:7 ¶ For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 9 Whosoever transgresseth (goes beyond the limits of true doctrine), and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10 ¶ If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into [your] house, neither bid him God speed:

God Of This Evil Age 65-0801M 56 The two spirits, one of them God's Holy Spirit, the other one the devil's spirit working in deception. The people of the earth are now making their choice. The Holy Spirit is here calling out a Bride for Christ. He's doing it by vindicating His Word of promise to Her for this age, showing that It is Christ. If the finger's supposed to move in this age, the finger will move. If the foot's supposed to move in this age, the foot will move. If the eye is to see in this age, the eye will see. See? The Spirit of God, as It's grown into the full statue of God is... The age that we're now living in, the Holy Spirit is here vindicating the Message of the hour. And the Holy Spirit is doing this, so that the people that believe God will be called out of this chaos. The devil's unholy spirit is here calling his church by the error, as usual, by perversion of the Word of God like he did at the beginning. See it coming right back to that seed time again? From Eden, here it is again.

II Corinthians 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Romans 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat [is] an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps [is] under their lips: 14 Whose mouth [is] full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet [are] swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery [are] in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known:

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

I Thessalonia 2:3 For our exhortation [was] not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: 4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. 5 For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God [is] witness: 6 Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor [yet] of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.

Romans 7:11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew [me].

I Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, [and] hating one another. 4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Let us pray