“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).

Without knowledge, it’s easy to be deceived. Just because someone has a college degree, it doesn’t mean they have true knowledge. Many “scientists” teach evolution, but they are deceived and deceiving others. Many people have fallen for deceptive words that sound good, but they lead people away from Truth.

For instance, Yoga is something no Christian should participate in. Many Christians participate in it but don’t realize they are practicing something designed to release the kundalini spirit of evil. There is no such thing as “Christian Yoga.” New Age teachings are not Biblical. God’s truth is found in Scripture and never changes. His words, as found in the original languages, will keep us from being deceived.

There are many translations of the Bible, and each one is translated by humans. The original words that the men who held the pen wrote came directly from God.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Personally, I love the King James translation, but there are some outdated and hard-to-understand words. When I come to a verse that I have questions about, I’ll go to my concordance and see what the original word was, then to Vines Expository Dictionary, then compare various Bible translations until I’m very comfortable with what the original verse means. That clears up a lot of questions, and it will make things crystal clear.

An example is when Jesus said, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever” (John 14:16).

That seems pretty clear. When I look up the word “another,” I understand that there are various Greek words translated as “another,” and it makes a difference to the understanding of what He meant. The one used in John 14:16 is “allos,” which means another of the same kind. Jesus said that the Comforter is the same as Him…God. There you have the Trinity; God the Son asked God the Father to send God the Holy Spirit to care for His disciples, and for us. A little study will protect you from deception.

It was Eve who first allowed herself to be deceived and then disobey God. God had given Adam the responsibility of leadership in obeying God’s instructions. God said not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Well, Adam didn’t follow God’s directions, and Eve just followed her own rules. The serpent was there and began talking to Eve.

Here’s an important note to all Christians: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). 

Eve listened to the lies and was deceived to believe that even though God was clear in His instructions, He didn’t really mean what He said; that He was holding them back from being like gods.

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat” (Genesis 3:6). Thanks a lot, you two.

She was deceived because she didn’t hold God’s words in authority and was confused by lies. Adam was there with her and just went along. Sin might look tempting, but it is never healthy. There are many preachers today who are deceiving many people into following the path that Eve chose. Study Scripture and don’t be deceived.

One day, the disciples asked Jesus about the end of the age. “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4).

These words are so important for us today. The ways of deception are very diverse, and as we draw nearer to the end, there are modern means of deception coming from places we couldn’t imagine two or three years ago. There have always been people who try to push erroneous ideas, but if we study God’s word, we will be protected from deception. Even your own pastor may be a nice guy and sound good, but study Scripture and don’t be deceived.

Something that has popped up recently is AI: Artificial Intelligence. Brothers and sisters, this is a very dangerous tool when used by Satan to deceive. It sounds like a good thing and helpful, but it has a strong potential to be very bad.

A private school in Texas teaches the children by using AI. It’s fun, and they are learning a lot, but modern education is bad enough when the government forces teachers to teach Satan-inspired things like evolution, gender choice, and helping your kindergartener to learn about sexual relations and how to do it rather than God’s truth. Now we have AI, which gets its “intelligence” from many sources that aren’t filtered through Scripture, teaching our children.

There’s also a church in Germany that uses AI to write sermons, and an AI-generated “preacher” gives the message. Deception is growing strong. Don’t allow yourself to be deceived.

Adam allowed Eve to stumble into deception because he didn’t use his God-given directive to protect her and himself from the deception of the enemy. Come on, men. Step up to the plate and take a firm Scriptural stand for God.

Many people seem to have no respect for God’s truth. It seems as if, like Eve, we would rather embrace lies and deception. One would think it would have been easier to understand and obey God in the Garden of Eden because they didn’t have years of sin blinding them, but Satan is always working to deceive us.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9). 

Many people followed Jesus when He walked in the Holy Land. There were twelve men chosen as His main disciples, but other people did follow in order to learn from Him. A disciple is simply a learner, and people wanted to learn from Jesus. Like today, they only wanted to pick and choose what they wanted to believe. Too many people today want grace and mercy from God but don’t want to faithfully follow God’s word.

“For 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. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry” (2 Timothy 4:3-5).

Paul wrote these words to a young pastor, and they are very true of today’s “Christians.” People aren’t willing to put effort into understanding God’s truth and don’t want to follow sound doctrine. It’s easy to just plug in AI and be told what to think. Do diligent study and pray for God’s understanding and protection against all deception.

Is AI Satan disguised as an angel of light? It’s being wrapped in a pretty ribbon but is filled with trash inside. One lady said she recorded herself speaking in tongues, which is a real gift of the Holy Spirit, then asked AI to interpret it, which isn’t a gift of the Holy Spirit. She was asked a few questions first, then, according to her, was told exactly what was in her heart. The questions gave the computer a lot of information about her, which it used to tell her what she wanted to hear. Remember, AI is artificial intelligence, but only God is Authentic Intelligence.

Artificial intelligence is being presented as something good, but beware. We are warned in Scripture to be wary of false teachers. “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

It’s the Holy Spirit who interprets the gift of tongues, not a computer-generated false apostle. Artificial intelligence is being presented as something wonderful. A simple chip implanted into a blind person will give him vision, or a paraplegic will be able to walk, praise god (notice the small “g” because this isn’t from God Almighty). It sounds wonderful, but so did the serpent in the Garden of Eden. So will the smooth lies of the Anti-Christ.

After the Rapture, the man of evil will make himself known. “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is 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 2:8-10).

Don’t trust a machine or any manmade miracle.

If you read Revelation and study it, you’ll come across the Mark of the Beast. Many people have been curious about this, but until recently it’s been hard to understand. Today, some very sinister and powerful people are conspiring to require everyone to have a chip implanted in them. This chip will communicate with a grid of satellites (Starlink?) and read your thoughts. They also have the ability to change what you think.

To study further, I would encourage you to look up Billy Crone’s ministry, Get A Life Ministry at https://www.getalifemedia.com/. He has done extensive research on this subject. Remember that if this is the Mark of the Beast, and you take it, you cannot be saved. Study Revelation and know that God is always right.

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). Think about it before you are duped by deception.

It’s important that you don’t put life into categories. Don’t separate your life in Christ from living in this fallen world. Remember that our Christian life needs to be directed by the Holy Spirit living in you, not from outside sources that are the voice of Satan hissing his lies. Beware of deception, and put your faith and trust only in Jesus.

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

Don’t be deceived. Follow Jesus and study Scripture in order to avoid destruction of soul and body.

Believe and follow the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).

 

Most of us know that Scripture is filled with prophecy. I’m not talking about the “fortune cookie” type of prophecy or the Nostradamus type of silliness, but real prophecy. When God gives prophecy, you can count on it being fulfilled when God knows the time is right. As I watch the news, it’s very evident that prophecy is being fulfilled quickly.

This can be a bit unnerving, but there are facts that we need to hold fast to. God gave us prophecy in order to give us a heads-up. We can relax and know that God foresaw it all, and He has given us clues to look for. We also have to be clear that there are two big events coming. The first, and the one that concerns Christians, is the Rapture. Many Christians have been deceived into thinking the Rapture is a modern idea not found in Scripture. In fact, it’s a very old truth that dates back prior to the Flood of Noah.

“And Enoch walked with God; and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:24).

This is reiterated in Hebrews. “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5).

Enoch was blessed to be taken prior to God’s judgment. The second event is the Great Tribulation, which Christians won’t be on Earth to experience…thank God. Like Enoch, Christians won’t face God’s judgment.

A misunderstanding of the truth of the Rapture will lead you to misunderstand much of prophecy. Enoch was the first to be taken to Heaven before God’s judgment. Why was Enoch taken Home? Not because of his own perfection, but it was the belief he had in God. He honored God and obeyed Him. The wickedness in the world was great, but Enoch didn’t participate in it.

When Adam sinned, he and Eve were banned from the Garden of Eden; sin separated humans from God. After the fall, wickedness grew strong. The other problem was that fallen angels decided to have sexual relations with human women, which violated God’s plan.

“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose” (Genesis 6:1-2).

This means literal angels (sons of God) and literal human women (daughters of men). This is strictly forbidden, and the result was the corruption of the human genome. Because Enoch chose to walk with God, he was protected. He was rewarded by God for his obedience by being raptured prior to the judgment of the flood. Unfortunately, the trouble that the fallen angels caused corrupted all of creation. Humans were no longer fully human. The offspring of humans and angels were known as Nephilim.

“And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth” (Genesis 6:12).

God sent His judgment. This is an Old Testament “picture” of a New Testament truth. Noah and his family weren’t part of the corruption. They weren’t perfect, but they were fully human. They are a picture of the Jewish people who will be saved through the judgment. Enoch is a picture of Christians who will be taken Home prior to the judgment of the Great Tribulation. The Flood is a picture of the Great Tribulation. The issue here isn’t if you believe the truth of the Rapture or not. The issue is whether or not you have accepted Christ for salvation. Chuck Missler used to say, “It’s OK if you don’t believe in the Rapture. We’ll explain it to you on the way up.”. Faith in Jesus is the key.

When we don’t take Scripture seriously, we can’t find peace. “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

If you only watch the mainstream news, you’ll have no peace, but Scripture brings comfort. The Old Testament is filled with hints and pictures of the New Testament, and we need to learn from those verses.

In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus talked to His disciples about the Tribulation period, not about the Rapture. He told of the things to look for. The Tribulation is about Israel and the necessity of them acknowledging Jesus as their Messiah.

“I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early” (Hosea 5:15).

Jesus has returned to His place in Heaven until the nation of Israel acknowledges their rejection of Him. The Olivet Discourse gives signs to look for, and we are seeing those signs today. His first warning was against deception.

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4).

There’s much deception today, and many false teachers are in the world. There will be wars, civil unrest, famines, pestilence, and earthquakes. I’m sure you’ve noticed all these things happening more often. It’s everywhere, but Jesus said, “All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8).

It will continue to get worse. “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:12).

Iniquity is a condition without law. It seems that God’s laws have been forgotten, and sin and wickedness reign. Jesus also likened the end times to the days of Lot. “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they  planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed” (Luke 17:28-30).

Lot is another “picture” of the Rapture. Sodom was filled with homosexuality and wickedness, but judgment couldn’t come until Lot was taken out. In looking at all the clues God has given to us, the Rapture is drawing near. What a blessed hope we have; a true blessing from God!

When we read Scripture, it seems as if the events move very quickly, but we forget that many years may have passed between events. For instance, we know that it took God six literal days to create the world and all that’s in it, but we don’t know how much time passed between creation and the fall. The next major event was the Flood. We know that many generations passed and how long each patriarch lived, so we can come close to knowing the time lapse between the Fall and the Flood. By adding the life spans of people named, we see that 1,656 years passed between the fall and Noah’s Flood.

The point is, a few chapters in Scripture may cover many years. It’s important to remember that no matter how long it takes, we can always trust that when God says something will happen, it will happen. God exists outside of time and knows the future.

“Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9-10).

God knows the future, and we can trust Him to be completely correct. Even if His timing doesn’t fit our timing, don’t get discouraged. Prophecy will be fulfilled, just as God says. Never forget that Israel is at the heart of prophecy, and they have never been replaced in God’s heart. The ekklesia (Christians) will be Raptured prior to the Tribulation, which will cause Israel to acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah. As Christians, we already acknowledge that fact and won’t face His wrath.

“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

Jesus took our sins upon Himself, and our punishment, so He is our Righteousness.

Those of us who study prophecy can see that time is getting short. On October 7, 2023, Israel was viciously attacked by Hamas. Nearly 2,000 men, women, and children were murdered, and many hostages were taken. Yet, the world condemns Israel.

“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about; when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.” Zechariah 12:2.

The world always blames Israel. Israel launched Operation Rising Lion and targeted the leaders of Iran and their nuclear facilities. Civilians aren’t targeted by Israel, and in fact, they are warned to leave prior to a bombing. The leaders of evil hide in hospitals and schools and blame Israel for attacking these facilities, but prior to attacks, Israel warns the civilians to leave. Civilians aren’t the target, just the evil leaders.

President Trump stepped up and sent some well-trained pilots to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities. Thank God! This won’t stop the attacks against Israel. Prophecy will be fulfilled.

The return of Israel as a nation is a miracle but also fulfillment of prophecy. Ezekiel was shown a valley full of bones. “And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord, GOD, thou knowest” (Ezekiel 37:3).

It’s always wise to defer to God’s greater knowledge when you don’t have an answer. The dry bones represented Israel having been dispersed, seemingly dead, and no longer a nation. Things aren’t always what they seem. The Lord told Ezekiel to prophesy upon the bones “…and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD” (Ezekiel 37:4b).

The dry bones of Israel did begin to come to life when the Jewish people from around the world returned to their God-given land. “Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts” (Ezekiel 37:11).

The Jewish people had just seen the Satanic evil of the Holocaust. Those who survived were weary and had little hope. Just as God said, these wonderful people began to return to their homeland.

When prophecy is fulfilled, miracles happen. It is a miracle that Israel is once again a nation. They have the hope of rebuilding their temple, and I’ve seen reports that there are many who are turning to God and also coming to faith in Jesus. What a blessing for them and for the world! Anybody who is blind to the fact that God still loves His chosen people hasn’t read Scripture.

“Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore” (Ezekiel 37:26-28).

There are many tough times ahead for the entire world. Prophecy is clear about wars that are looming, and when prophecy is fulfilled, we can take comfort that God knew what would happen and is there for us. Isaiah 17 tells us that Damascus will be totally destroyed.

“The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap” (Isaiah 17:1).

When Isaiah spoke these words, nobody could understand how that could happen. How could soldiers riding on horseback using swords and spears totally destroy Damascus? Today, it’s easy to understand. God is never wrong. There’s a war spoken of in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, and it’s on the minds of all prophecy buffs. The nations mentioned are all coming together and forming alliances.

“Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal and prophesy against him” (Ezekiel 38:2).

The nations named are called by their ancient names, so it can be confusing. Suffice it to say that Russia, Turkey, and Iran are among those named as the invaders. The hatred against Israel will grow, but as Christians, we must pray for Israel.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee, Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good” (Psalm 122:6-9).

God has promised that Israel will be brought back into their God-given land a second time and will not be uprooted.

We cannot overlook the spiritual battle we all face in this world. The battle isn’t with flesh and blood but with demonic entities full of hatred and evil. We need spiritual weapons for this battle. The Apostle Paul urges us to “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

Only spiritual armor will prevail in a spiritual battle. Learn to use each piece of the armor and don’t take it off. Study Scripture, including prophecy. In that way, fear won’t weaken you in battle. Hold tight to God’s promises; He will win the final battle. Christians will see many evils happening in the world, but we have the blessed hope that God has not appointed us to wrath, and we will be taken Home prior to Daniel’s 70^th week.

Prophecy is being fulfilled rapidly, and we need to use it to witness to those who are living in fear. When prophecy is fulfilled, Jesus is the only answer.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).