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Deception, Delusion, Discernment: 2005
By Jan Markell
As a part of my "Understanding the Times 2005" conference
recently I shared a message on delusion in our generation. I am providing some
brief paragraphs on it. Why am I surprised at what is happening? What the Bible
predicts comes to pass whether we like it or not. For the believer it is
temporary bad news heralding the ultimate in good news: The King is
coming.
It is still troubling when we see that up is down, black is
white, right is wrong, evil is good, good is evil, and everyone is doing what is
right in his own eyes. Since the hoofbeats of the "four horsemen of the
apocalypse" spoken of in Revelation can almost be heard, such events that
stretch credulity will increase. Brace yourself.
While I am refraining
from commenting on Catholic theology, I still was not ready for the events
surrounding Pope John Paul's recent death. He brought together almost everyone
in the world. Iranian mullahs greeted their most bitter enemies at the funeral.
Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, "New Agers", Evangelicals, atheists, and more came
together to honor this supposed "man of peace." It was a type and shadow of
Revelation 13 and 17--the coming "one world religion" which will do the same. I
am not suggesting a pope will be the antichrist and I do not believe the Bible
supports that.
But there is something troubling when a few billion people
laud a mere human being as the most influential man in the last one hundred
years with press attention resulting in 35,000 stories and a TV audience of two
billion. I do not think the world would stop and Fox News would air without
commercial interruption if the president of the National Association of
Evangelicals passed away. The delusion set in because of the longing for a "man
of peace." "Peace, peace when there is no peace" as it says in Jeremiah 6. But
the longing for peace is at an obsession level as forty nations equip themselves
with weapons of mass destruction. So grieved was the world that a British paper
called the pope’s death “global Calvary. No one can compare to him. His message
was universal.” A greater “man of peace” waits in the wings.
It is strong
delusion that puts extra pressure on Ariel Sharon and all of Israel because "now
is the time to seize the opportunity for peace" since Arafat has passed and to
remind Israel to "get off the land" no later than 2006. More delusion has
America giving one of the most corrupt administrations on earth--that of
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas--$500 million dollars that will be spent on his
cronies and himself, not his people. Rewarding terror, which is what this is,
flies in the face of the Bush doctrine. It is strong delusion. Don't be
surprised if Abbas gets the Nobel Peace Prize in the future though he has done
nothing to promote peace nor will he ever. And while the Palestinians arm
themselves with mortars and rockets, there is talk that Israel may be pressured
to dismantle her nuclear capability.
Deception reigns when America calls
Saudi Arabia one of our best allies when in reality she is plotting our
overthrow through the spread of Wahhabism in foreign and U.S. mosques. Also when
political correctness allows Muslims to gain high office, even in Homeland
Security as reported by my radio guest Paul Sperry March 19 (hear it on "Radio
Archives" at my Web site, www.olivetreeviews.org. His book: "Infiltration: How
Muslims are Penetrating Washington.")
It is delusion and deception that
prompts America to prop up the United Nations at the cost of $1 billion a year
even when they have just pulled off the biggest scandal in the history of
scandals, the "oil-for-food" debacle.
Stories come into my office daily
about the deception, lack of discernment, and delusion that have come into some
of our churches today. Some are preaching a watered-down gospel with "anything
goes." We don't offend and we don't divide. And we don't warn the sheep who the
wolves are out there to stay away from. For some--but not all--essential
doctrine is an unimportant leftover from days gone by. It's even
destructive.
At the same time, false theologies have gained a new
stronghold. Demonstrating outside my conference were those with a sign saying,
"Replacement Theology is Right!" That teaches that the Church is the new Israel.
He could visit 90% of the churches in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and they
would all embrace that, so let 2,000 people who don't do our thing. The newest
"pop theology" on the block is Preterism which teaches that all Bible prophecy
is history: It happened in 70 AD with the destruction of Jerusalem.
The
World and National Council of Churches are doing everything in their power to
crush Israel, to praise terror groups like Hezbollah, and not say a word against
terror nations committed to destroying Israel and America. Good is called evil,
evil good (Is. 5:20). All discernment has died and delusion taken
over.
Mysticism has come into the front door of our churches, not the
back door. Practices that the Bible calls "divination" are welcomed in pulpits
and are mainstream. Better raise up a "spiritual Better Business Bureau" because
your spiritual health is at risk some places. (I talk about this in my
video/DVD, "Mysticism: An Equal Opportunity Deceiver," available on the Web
site.) We are now "signs and wonders"-oriented and experience focused. No one is
immune from the temptations of these new practices that really aren't new. They
began in the Garden when Eve was tempted with occultic power to see into the
future.
Some Protestants are getting pulled into the Catholic celebration
of Mary according to the March 21 issue of "Time" magazine. I never thought I'd
live long enough to see that, frankly.
For those who still have eyes to
see and ears to hear (and not all do), these are "signs of the times." We should
look up and know our Redemption draws near" (Luke 21:28). We know our King is
coming. When our foundations rock, lean on the "Rock of ages." When everything
from our church, to our nation, to our dollar becomes unstable, remember, "God
is the stability of our times" (Isaiah 33:6). He never changes.
As more
people fall for lies because of the loss of discernment and the rise of
delusion, stand for the truth. Great will be your reward in
Heaven.
Source: olivetreeviews.org