Deception and Discovering the Truth About God
The other night, I had a dream about deception. In the dream, I saw a pile of ancient teachings about God—creeds, doctrines, and affirmations about His nature—lessons about who He is and what He has planned for us. The teachings had been handed down from generation to generation and were regarded as all the truth that could be known about Him.
But there was a problem.
As I looked at the pile of teachings, I could see they had changed over time. I saw what appeared to be layers of hard, translucent, mineral sediment which had been added to them over the centuries. The layers of sediment had the effect of twisting and distorting them so they no longer represented the truth about God.
When I realized what had happened, I took a tool and began chipping away at the layers of sediment. I knew I’d have to remove them if I wanted to know the truth about God. That was the end of the dream.
The dream raises an issue familiar to many of us.
Fear.
Deception and Fear
Fear comes in many forms. A creepy shadow on the wall or a test for cancer. For many, our greatest fear is being deceived.
What if what the things we presently believe aren’t true?
Fear of deception is widespread. Not because we naturally fear being deceived, but because we’ve been trained to fear deception. Some would have us think that deception is the unpardonable sin. But when we understand what deception is, we can see there’s no reason to fear it. Deception is having wrong ideas about something. And we all have wrong ideas now and then.
I was in an ambulance one night with a patient, driving from Knoxville to Nashville, Tennessee. I had driven for a while, confident that I was heading west. It was only after I saw the signs for Chattanooga that I realized I was going the wrong way. I was not on Interstate 40 driving west. I was on Interstate 75, driving south. I was deceived. And I felt stupid about it.
Ever been in love? The kind of love that seems perfect? You have a “knowing” that they’re the one God made for you. You’re certain that marriage is in your future. And then the unexpected happens. That perfect person dumps you for someone else. And you’re heartbroken.
If you’ve ever been lost or in a relationship that ended unexpectedly, you’ve been deceived. Being deceived can be painful and disappointing. But it’s not the end of the world.
When we listen to a sermon or study the Bible, the purpose is to teach us something we don’t know. To impart knowledge where there is ignorance. Or rather—where there is deception. If we’re not presently ignorant of something—if we’re not deceived—there is nothing about it that can be learned. Learning is replacing deception with truth. We’re all deceived. It’s why we study, and it’s why we’re able to grow in our knowledge of the truth.
We like to guard against deception by embracing teaching that’s reliable. Jesus did warn us to avoid deception. But He didn’t tell us to fear it. Fear can make us cling to things that are false and reject things that are true. God doesn’t want us to be deceived, but He doesn’t want us to be fearful, either. He wants us to be full of faith. Brimming with confidence. Able to embrace the truth. Even if it’s a little weird.
Weird?
How many of the disciples do you think expected Jesus to raise the dead? Lazarus coming out of the tomb, still wrapped in grave-clothes was a weird moment for them.
How many expected Him to walk on the sea? More weirdness. If anyone says Jesus wasn’t weird, they haven’t considered these Kodak moments in the proper light.
Just because something is weird, doesn’t mean it isn’t God. Just because something has been taught as truth for generations, doesn’t mean it’s true. Scientific exploration has proven thousands of brilliant men to be liars.
I want to share with you the things I’m learning about God. I want to help you discover who He really is and what He has planned for you. Not what people have said about Him over the centuries, but what He says about Himself and what He says about you.
Some of the things we discover might seem a little weird. They may be contrary to traditional teachings. But as my dream indicated, some of the traditions we’ve been taught aren’t true. Maybe it’s time we replaced dead and twisted traditions with a living reality.
I’m not suggesting you throw away your Bible. I’m not trying to start a cult. I’m just an explorer. A sojourner hoping to experience more of the God who calls us His beloved. If you’re willing to walk with me, and if you’re willing to pray for wisdom and discernment, I think we’ll experience things that will blow your mind.
Thanks for joining me on the journey.
PM, Please read Jeremiah 6:16. God showed it to me yesterday, and I meditated in the meaning of its words. I believe your ancient teachings are the old paths where the good way is. Walk in the old, everlasting, eternal Way and we will have rest for our souls. You have Word to back up your dream. Thank you for sharing. I do join with you.
Awesome, PM. I am speaking tomorrow on the very same subject. In order for us to track with where the Lord wants to move us further along in 2017 we need to know where we are and how we got here.
This was very encouraging for me to read. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
David NY
Thanks, David. Praying for a successful outing tomorrow.
Much thanks, brother… and much needed 🙂 I’ll gladly receive that support.
I love it, I’m in! My heart and mind are open to learn more and discover new things about who God is and what He wants us to know about Him. Thank you!!
We still.have to go to the BIBLE. That is where we will know the truth and the truth shall make us free. John 8:32. Fear destroy FAITH and FAITH destroy fear.
Amen loved to learn new things, Romans 12: 2 , & I believed their is more , specially on healing. Thks for sharing, God bless u more as being a blessed to us….
Great introduction! You have my attention. Will you continue—or do we read your blog ?’ Our view of God’ –written in 2015?
Welcome, Kathy! You might check out the related article. I also have a list of most popular posts at the bottom of the page. You could also scroll through my recent ones on the blog page.
new wine must be put into new wine skins, as they are not stiff and brittle, but expandable…. where the spirit of the Lord s, there is liberty. We just have to make sure it is in the frame of love and truth, then all things are possible, and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving. thank you for venturing out and exploring and most of all for sharing it with us…
I run in the path and way of Your commands, for You have broadened my understanding and enlarged my heart.
I’m all in with you brother PM. Its true the enemy has twisted some gems from the past. Its difficult to find the original unedited book of Kenneth E. Hagin Sr. It contained liberating truth. After time i had noticed a lot of excellent books and other info dissapear from my local bible bookstore to be replaced with wordy nothing. Keep it coming brother the sheep hear His voice. Love it!!
nice i wish i had some of your spiritual experiences.I agree that the building blocks have been adulterated over generations and with the new wine comes the new wine skin,i believe these generational tenets of God are still the foundation from which the new wine skin emerges,if we miss the generational foundation of who God is then the new wine we have will be distorted.Thanks for your truths shared with the Ecclesia
I would love to follow along on this journey. I know it was written years ago, but God bound by space and time.
Welcome, friend!
This is confirmation of many things God has been speaking to me. Chiefly that we must put our expectations and understanding of Who He is and what He is doing on the altar. His first advent confused and angered many because they put their expectations ahead of what God said. I expect His second advent to be no different. If we live in a box our understanding is limited. People like boxes because they feel safe to them, but really it’s fear that keeps them there…probably due to the deception they fear, as you say. Deception isn’t the end of the road. To believe this says God is small and weak. He uses those alternate roads to teach us things that we wouldn’t understand otherwise.
God is doing a “new to us” thing in the earth but really it’s a reorientation to an ancient way. It must begin with an understanding and revelation of His Eternal Purpose, which is His desire to make a home with us. Jesus Christ is the recovery mission—Hallelujah!
So true. As a fear based person, I have missed so
Much, made bad disisions and hurt many people. I found myself on a path into alcohol and delusions. All the time believing I was a science based man of God.
When I finally hit the end of the road only then did I find enough courage to get the help I needed. I’ve been sober for a few short twenty-four hours (15 yrs worth) all one day at a time.
I haven’t totally shaken fear, but I understand it better. Often I have heard that fear and faith can not inhabit the same heart. In my experience it is so true. I find myself at peace even when the world seems to be crashing around us. Of course since life is about progress and not perfection, I still fall back into fear.
Another thing I have learned is that fear is not real! It is often imagined. As a friend once said he had 3000 crisis’s in his life but only 2 of them were real. Buddhists often say that “fear” is an illusion and to walk right through it. When my fear based ego comes back, I know I have to move forward irregardless of the consequences. Sounds heroic, but I admit I am not alway successful. But then I know I need to work on my faith.
Ultimately all fear boils down to fear of death. Again this is the ego based belief that any of us are truly capable of dying. Reality is our bodies die, but we do not. We have immortality as the children of the immortal and One God. We are but expressions of his love made manifest into what we call flesh. Christ reminded us of that when he said nobody come to the father except through him. This was not Jesus the man in the flesh, but Christ the Son of God, God incarnate into flesh. There is truly nothing else in all the Universe and out but God. There can not be any other way to Him except through him. Hinduism says there are 10000 ways to God. More likely there are 7.5 Billion ways to God and f
Growing. The ways maybe individual (creation allows for diversity) but all ways are God’s ways since there is only One True God and God does not discriminate. Is us people who do.
I’m in!! Been on this path for awhile. Love that their are others out there!
Thank you. My journey of discovery began several years ago when I prayed to fall in love with the God of Israel who loves us and gave His Son for us. What I have discovered rocked my long time Christian world and has lit up my heart to a new intimacy of being adopted into His family and learning His ways. It is clear to me that the institutional church is a broken system and that He truly is raising up His Bride to know Him and follow Him afresh. Thank you for helping us see and better understand how, PM.
Hi Dave, I felt God knock on my heart about 3 times in my life before the 4th time when I figured out it was Him, I was a mess at 23 and needed Him to pull me out of the mire, the next day my life had totally changed, I received a large dose of zeal and began to dive into anything I could find that felt like my experience with God, I read and listened to the Bible on cassette and then on to mp3, over and over, all day at work and I would listen to it on my earphones every night before I fell asleep, I couldn’t get enough, I love the truth and read the Bible all the time but in the process I began to discover that some things didn’t add up and the translations were driving me crazy, I thought, how can it be infallible like we have heard it preached? With all the inconsistencies.
We were always told…God is able to keep is word accurate, He would never lead us astray, doesnt a little yeast affect the whole lump?
I think it’s been over 6 years that I have even wanted to read the Bible and have not, I don’t want to.
Lately I have found many people who are saying the same thing, things like we have been given 66 books when there are many many more, like 777 books.
Since then, I don’t feel my relationship with God has suffered not reading the Bible, His daily presents in my life seems free of religion as I run in the opposite direction, I HATE RELIGION it stinks like shit to me, I’m 60 now and have served in most areas in the church but always felt something is really wrong, and as you have stated, it’s tainted, hahaha and as of a couple months ago we felt like attending a local church in our new town here in Oklahoma trying to find some place to meet people and help where we can…and just found out there is a 32nd degree free mason and his son in attendance…yikes, there’s always a God reason we go back.
Anyway, I’m with ya bro, love reading your stuff.
I thank you for your comments and your insights. I believe you have touched on a core truth. Things have become corrupted over time and false traditions have crept in.
God is great and has known of our plight. He knows things have been corrupted and changed over time and I believe he has provided for the truth to be restored once again in it’s purity.
There is an interesting scripture I’d like you to consider. In Ezekiel 37:15-20 it says;
15 ¶ The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,
16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
18 ¶ And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?
19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
20 ¶ And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.”
Anciently the writings of the prophets were written on scrolls that were rolled on 2 opposing sticks. These scrolls or “sticks” were what constituted books. The stick of Judah is the Bible. It was written by the Jews and Jewish prophets and apostles….including Christ’s apostles in the new testament….they were all Jews. So the Bible is the book of Judah. The book of Joseph through Ephraim is a little more mysterious. But this book of Joseph together combined with the book of Judah will bring back the plain and precious truths that have been lost by corruption, tradition and age. “For out of the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses shall every word be established.” So where is this Book of Joseph? Where do we look? The book of Joseph is in the hands of Ephraim so we should look for that clue. Is it possible that God has another book of scripture that is a witness of Christ along with the Bible? That together these 2 books of scripture will put down the falsehoods and deceptions and lies that have crept in? These 2 books are companion witnesses. They both declare Christ and witness of him. If I tell you of this 2nd book…this witness of Christ, I hope you will have your mind open and you will sincerely seek, study, read and pray. If God told you he would send another witness and book would you close your eyes and shut your ears and reject his gift? Or would you embrace it and pray about it….reading every word carefully and gratefully? I hope you will at least consider my words and be open to the beautiful revelation and witness God himself has brought forth. The book I’m talking about is The Book of Mormon.
May you read it, compare it to the Bible, and then combined with the Bible see it as a powerful dual witness of declared truths lost.. Ask God if it’s true and by the power of the Holy Ghost you may know the truth of all things. I pray your heart will seek to discover this incredible treasure and testimony of truth.
In the immortal words of Todd Beamer, “Let’s Roll!”