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                          A Nation Under Delusion!

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By David Wilkerson
February 15, 1999
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          In a letter to the Christians at Thessalonica, Paul
          speaks of a future event he calls "the day of the
          Lord." He writes:

          "We beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord
          Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
          that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled,
          neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from
          us, as that the day of Christ 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 be revealed, the son of perdition"
          (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).

          Some theologians believe the "day of the Lord" Paul
          refers to here is the final judgment. However, I
          believe with most scholars that Paul is speaking of
          Christs second coming. And Paul states that Jesus
          return will not take place until two things happen:

          1. A great apostasy will occur. Many who once knew God
          will fall away from the truth of the gospel theyve
          known.

          2. The Antichrist, or man of sin, will be "revealed."

          It should be obvious to every lover of Jesus that a
          "falling away" is already taking place. Many believers
          today, as well as Christians throughout the past few
          decades, have grown cold in their love for God. With
          that in mind, Id like to focus on Pauls second point
          - that the day of the Lord wont come until the "man of
          sin is revealed."

          What, exactly, does Paul mean by this phrase? Is he
          saying Jesus wont come back until the Antichrist has
          been enthroned as a world ruler, and we all know his
          identity? I dont think so. Paul knew that Christ could
          return at any moment. Jesus himself says hell come
          when least expected, in the twinkling of an eye.

          I believe we find a key to Pauls meaning in his use of
          the word "revealed." The Greek meaning here is
          "uncovered." I believe Paul is saying, "Jesus wont
          come until the Antichrists full plan and agenda are
          exposed, and the church is made aware of it."

          Of course, the Antichrists plan has already been
          exposed in scripture. Paul declares, "The mystery of
          iniquity doth already work..." (2 Thessalonians 2:7).
          Hes saying that a mysterious form of sin, even now at
          work, will usher in the Antichrist. Apparently, a
          spirit of iniquity will fall upon lost humanity,
          gripping peoples hearts so powerfully that the man of
          sin will ascend to power quickly.

          Yet there is another meaning to this phrase, "mystery
          of iniquity." It comes from a Greek root meaning
          "silent initiation." Paul is talking about a secret
          initiation into the cult of the Antichrist - a subtle,
          demonic influence he saw taking place in his own day.

          Right now, this same mysterious spirit is at full
          seductive power, preparing masses of people to receive
          the man of sin. Thousands daily are being brainwashed,
          silently and in secret, to be initiated into his fold.
          And this satanic work is happening so fast and so
          efficiently, the man of sin could ascend to power in
          the not-too-distant future.

          We dont need to see some physical revelation of the
          Antichrist before Jesus will come back. His satanic
          spirit is already being manifested in thousands of
          brainwashed believers!

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                          Paul Fully Explains the
                          "Mystery of Iniquity."

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          Paul says the mystery is simply this: Satan is going to
          seduce masses into depths of lawlessness! The Greek
          word Paul uses for iniquity in this passage means,
          literally, lawlessness. Therefore, the mystery is one
          of lawlessness - meaning, multitudes are going to act
          without law or restraint.

          Yet, this lawlessness is not simply a rebellion against
          the rule of man. Its not about rebelling against civil
          authority, or about committing robbery, rape or murder.
          These things do provoke Gods wrath. But the mystery of
          lawlessness goes much deeper. It is an outright
          rejection of the truth that is in Christ - a casting
          aside of Gods holy word and commands. It is rebellion
          against the restraints of holy scripture!

          This spirit of lawlessness is rampant in our nation
          today. Its the very force behind the legislation that
          seeks to banish God from our society. This is the same
          spirit that Satan used to deceive Eve. He told her, in
          so many words, "God is easy - he wont punish you for
          disobeying. You can eat the fruit and indulge your
          lust. You wont have to pay for it!"

          That was a deadly lie from hell. And Satan is using the
          same lie on Christians today to advance his mystery of
          lawlessness. Day after day, hes convincing masses of
          believers they can indulge their sins without paying
          any penalty. Its a demonic scheme to pervert Christs
          gospel of grace, turning it into a message of
          licentiousness!

          Tragically, many lukewarm Christians are succumbing to
          this spirit of lawlessness. Some have already been
          initiated into the cult of the Antichrist. Theyre ripe
          to accept the man of sin when he comes on the scene,
          working miracles and solving problems.

          You may think, "I would never be fooled into following
          the Antichrist." But Paul says the Antichrist will rise
          to power because people will be blinded and deceived by
          their own sin: "...after the working of Satan with all
          power and signs and lying wonders, and with all
          deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;
          because they received not the love of the truth, that
          they might be saved" (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).

          Satan will deceive masses of people by convincing them
          of a subtle but powerful lie. What will his lie be?
          Hell convince the world as he convinced Eve: "God
          doesnt punish for sin!"

          Paul says this deception will come "...with all
          deceivableness... because they received not the love of
          the truth, that they might be saved" (verse 10). He
          then adds, "For this cause [reason], God shall send
          them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie"
          (verse 11).

          The apostle is saying, "Those who refuse to obey or
          respect Gods word will fall under a powerful delusion.
          At first theyll wink at their sin. Theyll justify it.
          But soon theyll actively seek out a message of easy
          grace. Theyll invent a grace that is far beyond what
          God intended. His grace never leads to license. It
          always leads to repentance!"

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                          Our Nation Is Right Now
                         Under a Strong Delusion!

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          America today is under the seductive power of a satanic
          lie. Yet, before I say anything more, please know I
          speak here not as a Democrat or a Republican. What I
          have to say has nothing to do with politics - but
          everything to do with spiritual truth. The fact is, our
          nations leaders have cast aside Gods word completely,
          showing no respect for biblical truth. And now the Lord
          had allowed a deception to fall upon us!

          The demonic lie blanketing America today is a false
          peace. Its the idea that we can do whatever we please
          with no fear of consequences. Weve already crossed a
          line in this deception - and now judgment is
          inevitable.

          Paul lays out this divine judgment in Romans 1. He
          speaks of those who once held to biblical truth but
          later tried to retain the truth in unrighteousness. In
          short, they wanted Gods word and their lust at the
          same time. So the Lord turned them over to reprobate
          minds. They wanted to believe a lie - so he sent a
          strong delusion upon them!

          This is the very state our nation is in right now. The
          President told the entire country, "I didnt commit
          this sin," but later he was exposed for committing the
          very act he named. Today, eighty percent of Americans
          have turned a blind eye to both his sin and his lie,
          saying none of it matters. As prophesied, truth is
          fallen in the streets.

          Americans are also gambling on the stock market like
          drunken sailors - and theyre prospering. In addition,
          a survey says sixty-five percent of college students
          cheat and think theres nothing wrong with it. People
          of all ages are treating Gods laws casually, thinking,
          "What Im doing must be okay, because Im getting away
          with it."

          Now this very attitude has crept into the church.
          Multitudes of Christians today watch R-rated videos or
          surf the Internet indulging in pornography. At one time
          their consciences would have tormented them. But now
          they reason, "All of our leaders are getting away with
          it. Everybodys doing it. Why cant I?" Theyve fallen
          under a demonic delusion!

          Its true - we constantly hear lies, cover-ups and
          manipulations from our nations capital. But the strong
          delusion our nation is under isnt simply about the
          sordid mess in Washington, D.C. No, Satans deceiving
          power goes far beyond those treacheries and depravity.
          His big lie is an outpouring from hell against Gods
          people!

          Paul warns, "The time will come when they will not
          endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall
          they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
          and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and
          shall be turned unto fables [lies]" (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

          Who are these deceived masses Paul is talking about?
          Theyre deceived Christians! He wrote this letter to
          the Thessalonian church - to born-again believers! He
          was addressing people who had sat under biblical
          teaching and known Gods truth. Yet they had held onto
          their lusts - and now they sought out heresies that
          would comfort them in their sins!

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                       I Believe Deceived Christians
                          Will Be Among Those Who
             Pledge the Greatest Allegiance to the Antichrist!

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          The wicked have always been "destitute" of the truth -
          despising it, trampling it, mocking it with disdain. I
          saw an example of this recently in the New York Post,
          as one writer confidently declared, "Science has now
          replaced faith."

          But Pauls greater concern was always for those whod
          known the way of truth, confessing their faith in
          Christ, yet who flirted with sin. Paul wrote of those
          who attempt to hold the truth in unrighteousness - an
          act that enrages God. "Who changed the truth of God
          into a lie...for this cause God gave them up unto vile
          affections..." (Romans 1:25-26).

          Others, held in bondage by their lustful pleasures,
          turned to false teachers to try to find peace. They
          ended up accepting "... damnable heresies...and many
          shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom
          the way of truth shall be evil spoken of" (2 Peter
          2:1-2).

          All of Pauls messages on apostasy and the Antichrist
          were aimed at such carnal Christians. They werent
          meant for the idolaters of Rome, the heathen of Greece,
          the pagan tribes in unknown places. Pauls message was
          one of great importance to the church - and he wrote it
          to be read in churches, directly to believers!

          You see, Paul was calling Gods people everywhere to
          love the truth - to search it out, study it and obey
          it. He wrote, in essence, "Let the truth be your guide!
          Dont turn aside from it. Ask the Holy Spirit to give
          you eyes to see it, ears to hear it, and a heart to
          love it. Otherwise, youll open yourself to deception -
          and youll end up believing a lie. Satan will be able
          to initiate you into the cult of Antichrist!"

          I witnessed this kind of deception recently as I viewed
          a videotape of a prosperity-gospel convention. I could
          hardly believe what I saw. An evangelist told the
          audience, "Youre all going to get drunk tonight!" -
          meaning, I supposed, drunk on the Spirit. But soon many
          in the congregation were staggering around like literal
          drunks!

          The evangelist himself was held up by two assistants,
          who paraded him in front of the congregation. At times
          this man hissed like a snake. Others in the audience
          crawled on the floor, howled like wild animals or
          doubled up with "holy" laughter.

          At one point, a musician began singing, "Run for the
          money!" The songs lyrics said, in essence, "If you run
          hard and fast enough, youll get rich, rich, rich!"
          Suddenly, people began racing wildly around the
          building, singing, "Run to get rich!"

          Please understand - these people were not ignoramuses.
          They were all well-dressed and seemed intelligent. As I
          watched them I thought, "Who has bewitched these
          people? How could they accept such a foolish,
          unscriptural gospel?"

          I concluded that at one time most of them had sat under
          a true gospel and heard convicting messages. But
          apparently they didnt want to hear that plain, simple
          gospel anymore - and now they had bought a lie. They
          had a lust for money - a spirit of covetousness - and
          so they ended up seeking out this prosperity teacher.
          He would teach them how to serve both God and mammon!

          Im convinced those people could listen to a powerful
          sermon exposing their whole false system of faith - and
          yet they would never hear a word of it. Theyd been
          given over to a strong delusion - and they believed the
          devils lie! Paul called such deluded Christians
          "...men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the
          faith" (2 Timothy 3:8). They knew the truth, but they
          resented it!

          I believe the Antichrist is going to arrive as the
          greatest prosperity preacher of all time. Hell surely
          be a religious personality, someone who promises health
          and wealth. And those who are being brainwashed right
          now by false teachers will end up being his strongest
          supporters. Theyll accept him as a true man of God.

          If you dont believe this, simply recall the
          scriptures. The Bible says that in the days just prior
          to Jesus return, Satan will bring such an overwhelming
          flood of seduction, hell attempt to deceive even the
          elect, if that were possible. It wont matter how long
          a Christian has walked with Jesus; hell face
          temptations hes never had in his life. Even the
          strongest believer will be tempted to doubt Gods
          faithfulness and mistrust his holy word.

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           The Believer in the Greatest Danger of Being Deceived
                  Is the One Who Gladly Hears Gods Word -
                            But Wont Obey It!

                      -------------------------------

          Paul writes to the Galatians, "Ye did run well; who did
          hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?"
          (Galatians 5:7). "...who hath bewitched you, that ye
          should not obey the truth?" (3:1). The apostle was
          asking his flock, "What happened to you? You were doing
          so well. But now youve been brainwashed!"

          Throughout scripture, God gives us a clear picture of
          how important it is for us to obey his word. We see one
          such example in the life of King Saul. God gave Saul
          clear, specific commands through the prophet Samuel. He
          instructed Saul, "Go and smite Amalek, and utterly
          destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but
          slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and
          sheep, camel and ass" (1 Samuel 15:3).

          Did Saul obey this command from the Lord? Scripture
          tells us, "Saul smote the Amalekites...and he took Agag
          the king of the Amalekites alive...Saul and the people
          spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the
          oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that
          was good, and would not utterly destroy them..."
          (verses 7-9).

          God had given his word to Saul in crystal-clear terms.
          Yet after Saul went into battle, he obeyed the Lord
          only in part. Rather than destroying everyone and
          everything, he spared king Agag - and he even kept some
          of the spoils of battle.

          Samuel was grief-stricken at this. He told Saul, "The
          Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly
          destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against
          them until they be consumed. Wherefore then didst thou
          not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the
          spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?"
          (verses 18-19).

          At this point, scripture gives us a grievous, chilling
          word: "Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel,
          saying, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be
          king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath
          not performed my commandments...." (verses 10-11).

          Does this describe your life? Has God told you in no
          uncertain terms to deal with a certain lustful habit in
          your life - yet you keep clinging to it, refusing to
          cut it off?

          Right now, his Spirit may be speaking to you in a kind,
          wooing voice, saying, "Your lust stands between us,
          interrupting our communion. I can no longer bless you
          while you persist in it. Trust my Spirit to help you.
          Lay it down now, my child." But soon God may speak to
          you in anger, saying, "If you wont lay down your lust,
          Ill expose it - and it will destroy your life!"

          God rejected Saul for his disobedience. Samuel told
          Saul, "Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and
          stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou
          hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also
          rejected thee from being king" (verse 23).

          Thats when Gods Spirit left Saul. The kings
          halfhearted obedience had opened him up to Satans
          influence. Soon an evil spirit troubled Saul - and he
          ended up seeking counsel from a witch!

          Perhaps as you read the account of Sauls life, you
          wonder, "But Saul tried his best. And he didnt do that
          badly. Why was God so severe on him? Why didnt he
          forgive Saul?"

          God is telling us through this passage that he means
          what he says! Hes saying, "Im showing you how I feel
          about your obedience to me. I want all your heart, all
          your love - not just a halfhearted obedience!"

          Now, if the Lords message to Saul had been foggy or
          unclear, wed be justified in saying he should have
          made an allowance for Saul. But his direction to Saul
          was so clear; there was no doubting what he commanded.
          Likewise today, we have no doubt about what God has
          spoken to us. We know what his commandments are,
          because he has revealed them to us by his word and by
          his Spirit within our hearts.

          You may answer, "But what God did to Saul happened
          under the Old Covenant, under the law. We live in a day
          of grace now. Surely the Lord wont be as severe on us
          when we disobey as he was on Saul."

          Here is Gods word on the matter under the New
          Covenant, a covenant of grace:

          "(God) will render to every man according to his deeds:
          to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek
          for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: but
          unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the
          truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
          tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that
          doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

          "But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that
          worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the
          Gentile: for there is no respect of persons with God"
          (Romans 2:6-11).

          Let me spell out the difference for you between Saul in
          the Old Testament and all believers under the New
          Covenant: whenever a person truly has a desire to obey
          Gods commands - when that person loves and respects
          Gods word - the Holy Ghost supplies him with all power
          and ability to fulfill those commands. That is the
          blessed provision of the New Covenant.

          Saul didnt have that kind of holy desire. But any
          believer who truly loves the Lord and his word is able
          to mortify all lust, bringing down sins dominion by
          the power of the Holy Spirit within him.

          Paul gives this strong word of warning to the believer:
          "Thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do
          such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape
          the judgment of God?" (Romans 2:3). Hes saying, "Are
          you testifying that youre a Christian, telling
          everyone to obey Gods laws - yet youre in adultery
          yourself?"

          "Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and
          forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the
          goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" (verse 4).
          Paul adds, "God has been merciful to you all this time,
          dealing with you kindly and lovingly. Dont you realize
          all his goodness, mercy and grace are meant to lead you
          to repentance?"

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                             What Is the Point
                             of This Message?

                      -------------------------------

          I want to say this to you above all else: the
          Antichrist is going to come on the scene as the
          greatest prosperity preacher in all of history. And the
          devil is already picking halfhearted believers to be
          initiated into his cult. Soon there will be no more
          restraints on our society, and Christians will be more
          vulnerable than ever to demonic seductions.

          This is just what happened to many German Christians in
          Hitlers day. When Hitler came to power, with a
          charismatic personality and promises of the good life,
          even lukewarm Lutherans and Pentecostals accepted him.
          And later, as he began to work his evil on society,
          they looked the other way, rejecting the truth of Gods
          word.

          Of course, some powerful voices for the gospel rose up
          in those churches. But a shocking number of believers
          ended up following Hitler and even praising him,
          crying, "Heil (or, "Hail!") Hitler!" They bought the
          lie - and God put them under a strong delusion!

          I ask you: Do you sit under strong preaching that
          lovingly exposes your sin? If so, do you allow that
          word to convict you? Or, do you go right back to your
          lust without grieving at all?

          If youre rejecting the warnings of the restraining
          Holy Ghost - if youre disobeying God time after time,
          without any heart-grief - then youre being recruited
          for the cult of Antichrist. The devil is silently
          initiating you into his mystery of iniquity. And when
          the promising, miracle-working Antichrist comes along,
          youll be swept up in his lies and given over to a
          delusion!

          Listen to what Paul says about compromising believers
          who refuse to love and obey Gods holy word: "That they
          all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had
          pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thessalonians 2:12).
          Woe to those who know the truth about their lusts, but
          who dont believe God will judge them!

          Here are the ominous results of not believing and
          acting on Gods truth:

          1. The heart becomes hardened by the deceitfulness of
          sin.

          2. Satan works on the hardened heart to justify itself,
          so that its relieved from all fear of penalty.

          3. When God sees there is no possibility that this
          heart will receive and obey truth, he turns the person
          over to satanic delusion.

          4. The believer becomes blinded by the lie that says
          there are no wages for sin and no judgment day, and
          that he can get away with his lustful pleasure.

          5. The believer falls prey to doctrines of demons,
          thinking evil is good and good is evil.

          6. He eventually drifts so far from Christ and the
          truth, he becomes blinded to who the Antichrist is -
          and he ends up worshiping and serving him as a god.

          7. On judgment day, God will say to such a person,
          "Depart from me, you worker of iniquity!"

          Beloved, it doesnt have to be this way for any of us.
          God has made a covenant promise to remove all delusion
          from us and give us victory over sin, through the power
          of Christs cross. All he asks is that we declare war
          on our sin, saying, "I wont make peace with this
          habit. I refuse to abide it. Deliver me, father, by
          your Spirit!" When he hears this prayer, hell send
          such Holy Ghost power and glory from heaven, the devil
          wont stand a chance!

          Pray right now that God implants in you a great
          reverence for his word. Ask him to help you be
          disciplined in your reading of the scriptures. And ask
          the Spirit to help you take to heart what you read - to
          believe that God means what he says!

          ---
          Used with permission granted by World Challenge, P. O.
          Box 260, Lindale, TX 75771, USA.

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