Latter Times Deception
Part 2 of 2
God's word warns us very clearly that this would not only come from the outside but also from within.
Jesus said: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." Matthew 7:15
Jesus warned us that the false prophets would look like sheep, but they are truly wolves inside. The only way we know if they are true is stated by Jesus in the next verse:
"You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them." Matthew 7:16-20
I heard this analogy once and it helped me tremendously to understand this scenario, and I hope it does the same for you. Sheep are very vulnerable to attack by predators because they have no real way to protect themselves. Sheep are very docile animals and are prone to attacks. Imagine a wolf in sheep's clothing. To the sheep, the wolf in sheep clothing looks like a sheep. However, a sheep dog is used to gather the sheep, and also to provide an alarm when the sheep are being attacked. If the sheep dog was to use only its eyes, it may be fooled by the wolf in sheep's clothing, but the sheep dog relies on its sense of smell. And when the sheep dog smells the wolf, it sounds an alarm in the form of barking, a warning that something is among the flock that is not a sheep. The sheep dog knows the true nature of the wolf in sheep's clothing.
Now imagine with me many of the leaders of churches across America and the world who have no clue about the wolf in sheep's clothing, because they do not understand the truth about deception. They are completely insensitive to discerning the wolf in sheep's clothing. They cannot tell the fruit of the wolf in sheep's clothing, because they themselves don't know the truth. If the leaders don't know the truth, how can they be the sheep dog and sound the alarm.
I see the sheep dog in this analogy as the shepherd of the flock, who not only should understand the trickery of the devil (deceiving spirits and doctrine of demons), but also teach the sheep about the deception. When Satan sends his wolves in sheep's clothing, the shepherd should sound the alarm and bark very loudly so that the sheep will not be harmed.
The Lord warned us about this in Isaiah:
"His watchmen are blind, they are all ignorant; They are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber." Isaiah 56:10
Jesus knows those who have not taken the time to seek Him for the understanding of these deceptive traps in the last days. He knows those who are not preparing the flock for the wolves that are to come. The Lord views these men (these watchmen):
- as blind - they cannot see what is happening to them or to the sheep (blind leading the blind)
- ignorant - lack of knowledge in the word of God on the deceptive traps that come against the sheep
- dumb dogs - silent and cannot speak the truth (speechless)
- cannot bark - have no capacity to sound the alarm
- sleeping - not awakened to the trouble (dreaming)
- lying down - relaxing instead of seeking the face of the Lord
- loving to slumber - actually enjoy the sleeping and dreaming
This is warning to all who lead sheep in these last days; to wake up and seek the face of the Lord and repent for walking on eggshells and not declaring the whole counsel of God. We cannot allow the sheep to be without understanding and we cannot allow the wolves to destroy them and us.
Paul gave a very startling truth in the book of Acts about the wolves that come from the outside and the inside:
"For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock." Acts 20:27-29
Paul was an Apostle of the Lord who never declared anything less than the whole counsel of God. Paul taught everything he was told by the Holy Spirit to the elders and the saints. The whole counsel that Paul taught included the deception that would come from false prophets and false teachers (wolves in sheep's clothing). Paul then graciously, yet with authority, warns them to take heed (meaning watch closely) over yourselves (the elders) and the flock (the sheep in that Ephesus fellowship) which the Holy Spirit had ordained. This is a very important truth and distinction. These elders, overseers, shepherds were not voted in by a group of saints, did not hold the post of elder in the fellowship with a term. They were chosen by the Lord God, ordained by Paul through the Holy Spirit's guidance, to be the overseers of the saints. If this was properly done today within true fellowships of the Lord Jesus, there would be much less deception. However, when people pick their overseers, they pick ones that meet their needs and fill their ears with what they want to hear. This is why there are so many false teachers across the land. Their ministries are large, have much money, big buildings and businesses, but they were not ordained by the Lord God. Paul spoke of this in 2 Timothy:
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." 2 Timothy 4:3-4
Paul now warns again in Acts 20:
"For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock." Acts 20:29
Paul warned them that the wolves would come from the outside in sheep's clothing and do all they can to destroy the flock. This is why Paul did not shun teaching them the whole counsel of God. So the elders warned the saints and, through the teachings of Paul and the continued teaching from the Holy Spirit (to the elders), they would be able to withstand the attack. Could you imagine Paul leaving them with little or no truth/knowledge of the deception to come, knowing that the wolves would come to cause harm? This is why Paul taught the whole counsel of God. Paul led them to understand the deceptions to come and, via the Holy Spirit, put shepherds in place who would seek the face of God for guidance and the gift of discerning of spirits (1 Corinthians 12) to protect the flock. The shepherd and the sheep could then discern the wolves in sheep's clothing and sound the alarm.
However, even more alarming was the attack from within. Paul goes on to say:
"Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw the disciples after themselves." Acts 20:30
Men will rise up among the flock speaking perverse things. Perverse here means to distort/misinterpret the ways of the Lord in order to draw (turn away) saints from the flock unto themselves. This is a startling truth that cannot be overlooked or underestimated. It is a clear warning. A warning that, when not heeded, has fatal consequences. The spiritual lives of sheep are at stake. Keep in mind that some will depart from the faith. There is nothing we can do about the some who depart because scripture declares it will happen, as mentioned in the beginning of this article.
"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrine of demons." 1 Timothy 4:1-5
At New Life Fellowship, we have experienced this firsthand. Fortunately, the whole counsel of God was given and there was complete unity amongst the saints and elders. With that said, some still departed from the faith. Although this saddened us, we learned that some will follow the deceptions no matter how hard you try to show them the truth. Let me also say from this experience, women as well as men can be a wolf in sheep's clothing, used by Satan to bring heresies, false doctrines and false prophetic utterances to draw away disciples unto themselves.
Regardless of the outcome, we must expose the entire plan of Satan that seduces the saints away from the faith and to doctrine of demons. We must sound the alarm and warn all to be prepared and protected by the truth of God's word. By no means am I promoting the spending of time searching for doctrine of demons or seducing spirits. No, rather let us all spend our time with the Lord in prayer, in knowing the truth in God's word, and the truth will shed light on the deception.