End- Time Deception – Lesson 11

Some of the cunning deceptions perpetrated by Satan in these last days are…

• mysticism, or relying too heavily on our subjective feelings rather than the word of God (Sunday)
• near-death experiences, and how these accounts affect our understanding of the finality of death (Monday)
• reincarnation, a belief held by much of the world’s population (Tuesday)
• necromancy, or summoning the dead to speak to us, and worshipping our ancestors (Wednesday)
• the crowning act of Satan: impersonating Jesus (Thursday)

It’s impossible to miss the many deceptions with which Satan  has flooded the world over the years. Anything to take our attention away from the true character of God and confuse or dismiss the finality of the punishment of the wicked seems to be his goal.

The first lie: “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3 4) continues to be his theme. Movies, television programs, and other forms of information greatly obscure the message of redemption God wants us to understand and embrace.

We must stay away from these dangerous ways of thinking that destroy our faith by arming ourselves with God’s spiritual armor. Knowing God through the study of the Bible, aided by prayer and the Holy Spirit, will be our main defense against these encroaching false doctrines.

 

Just as Satan disguised himself as a serpent when tempting our first parents in the Garden, he continues his masquerades today.  His most effective method of deception has always been to disguise God’s word by combining truth with error. This causes such confusion in our minds that we are temporarily separated from God…just like Adam and Eve.

Memory Text: “And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds” 2 Corinthians 11:14, 15 NSV

SUNDAY: MYSTICISM

The dictionary definition of mysticism tells us a lot about this deception. It is the “belief that union with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or the spiritual apprehension of knowledge inaccessible to the intellect, may be attained through contemplation and self-surrender.” It goes on to tell us that it can be based on occult agencies. This is why mysticism can really get us into trouble.

We find some evidence of mysticism in much of the Christian experience. Although God has called on us many times to meditate on His word, for example (Joshua 1:8), Satan has taken the practice of meditation and mindfulness to a dangerous level. By encouraging us to empty our minds of everything (not the same as self-surrender), he can send false messages to us. Once again, we see truth mixed with error in this deception.

Many New Age religious groups, which focus on their personal experience as a way to interpret Scripture, claim that doctrine is no longer important. Although belief in Christ is still foundational, it does not give us the full means of salvation we desperately need.

The devils also believe, we are told in James 2:19. But our belief should be followed by obedience. Satan is satisfied by keeping us from knowing as little about God’s word as possible, so we won’t actually obey it.

When we see or read reports of near-death experiences, let’s remember that these individuals were NEAR death, not biologically dead, when all our organs have ceased functioning. Being “clinically dead” just means that your heart has stopped and you have stopped breathing. Health professionals have often been able to resuscitate those who are said to be “clinically dead”.

A sizable portion of people who have been clinically dead report having hallucinations of some kind during their near-death experience. Some have even claimed to have talked with dead relatives or some angelic being. It is possible that these hallucinations are  simply a natural, psychochemical effect of their body’s reaction to the trauma, or possibly a manifestation of supernatural, satanic activity. They may even be a combination of these factors.

Numerous, convincing accounts of near-death experiences (called NDEs) have solidified many Christians’ false assumption about death. They appear to verify that our souls do indeed leave our bodies when we die. Therefore, a true knowledge of the state of the dead is needed to protect us from this dangerous deception.