Spiritual Deception in the Last Days

It's time to renew your mind , for the time is now . Let's go , boys .

Hey , welcome to Renewed Mindsets where we're transforming our thinking to align with God's truth , especially as we live in the final stretch before Jesus returns . I'm Rick and I'm so glad you're here . Today's episode is urgent . We're talking about something that isn't just affecting the world .

It's infecting the church the topic Deception and false teachings in these end times . Now , this isn't just theology . This is life or death , spiritually speaking . This is about who you listen to , who you follow and whether or not you're being led by truth or being led away from it .

So get ready , get your Bible open and let's jump into what the Word of God says about deception in these last days .

So let's just go ahead and start with the words of Jesus and , honestly , when the Son of God talks about the end times , you need to pay attention . Matthew 24 , 4 and 5 says Don't let anyone mislead you , for many will come in my name claiming I am the Messiah . They will deceive many . But Jesus didn't say few people will be misled , he said many .

That word , many , should stop us in our tracks . That means the majority of people will be deceived . And here's the kicker they won't even know it's happening . Deception isn't loud and obvious . It doesn't announce itself . It's subtle . It sounds good . It doesn't announce itself . It's subtle , it sounds good . It uses pieces of truth . That's why it works .

Jesus was warning us , not about people claiming to be the Messiah , but about false teachers , preachers who would come in my name , come in his name , people who would say they represent him but don't actually follow his word . And today we're seeing that warning come to life right before our eyes .

Now here's what makes deception dangerous . It doesn't show up in red horns with a pitchfork . It walks in with a Bible and a smile . It sounds spiritual , it feels deep . It might even use the name of Jesus , but it doesn't submit to him . It twists his word to fit human desires . Let me give you some examples .

The prosperity gospel says God's main goal is to make you rich and comfortable . That's not biblical . That's idolatry dressed up as faith , the progressive Christianity . It removes sin , repentance and the authority of scripture . It tells you that love means accepting everything , even what God has called evil .

And then there's a rise of so-called Christian influencers , blending New Age ideas with scripture , talking about chakras , crystals , energy healing , and they call it Christian wellness . People , the enemy's goal has never changed . From the beginning in Eden , his strategy was to ask did God really say ? And he's still using that same line today .

Deception doesn't need to create new lies , it just needs to make you question the truth . Now let's jump to Paul's letter to

Timothy . Now let's jump to Paul's letter to Timothy . Now , if this doesn't sound like 2025 , I don't know what does . 2 Timothy 4.3 . For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching . They will follow their own desires and look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear .

This people is where we are right now . People aren't chasing truth anymore . They're chasing comfort . They wanted Jesus who makes them feel good , not one who calls them to pick up their cross . We have churches packed with people who've never been taught repentance , pastors who refuse to preach on hell , messages that sound more like TED Talks than the gospel .

And we're not talking about atheists or cults here . We're talking about churches that once stood for truth , ministries that started well but compromised for popularity . Even entire denominations are being redefined to suit the world . For example , the United Methodist Church has split apart , and the reason is clear .

Many believers are fed up with the push to normalize what God clearly calls sin . Since 2019 , nearly 7,000 congregations that's about a quarter of all the United Methodist Churches in the the United States have walked away . They refuse to compromise on biblical truth just to please the culture .

Now , at the heart of this divide is the church's increasing embrace of the LGBTQ ideology , including the ordination of openly gay clergy and the blessing of same-sex marriages . Traditional Christians are drawing the line and are joining or forming new denominations , like the Global Methodist Church , to stand firm in the faith once delivered to the saints .

But let me say this as plainly as I can If your theology always agrees with culture , you're probably not hearing from God .

Agrees with culture , you're probably not hearing from God . So let's take a deeper look at two major areas of deception salvation and the Holy Spirit . Now , first , there's the teaching of once saved , always saved . Now listen to me Salvation is a gift from God and His grace is powerful .

But there is a dangerous version of this doctrine that says once you pray a prayer , you can live however you want and you're still good with God . That's not biblical . The Bible calls us to endure , to abide , to remain faithful . Jesus said in Matthew 24 , 13, . But the one who endures to the end will be saved .

Salvation isn't about a moment , it's about a life . Faith without works is dead . Grace empowers us to obey , not to stay in sin . Then there's the denial of the Holy Spirit's power . There's a lot of churches , most churches out there , teach that the gifts of the Spirit ceased after the apostles . No more healings , no more tongues , no more miracles .

But Scripture never says that . What it does say in Hebrews , chapter 13 , verse 8 , jesus Christ is the same yesterday , today and forever . Forever . People , if Jesus healed , then he heals now . If the Spirit moved , then he moves now . Even worse , some churches don't just deny the gifts , they dismiss the Holy Spirit altogether .

They don't teach on him , they don't invite him in it's father , son and silence . But the early church didn't move without the Holy Spirit . They were led , filled , baptized and empowered by him . And if we want to stand in these end times , we must be too . You can't walk in victory without the power of the Holy Spirit .

You can't live holy , discern deception or overcome temptation without him , and any gospel that removes the Spirit is a gospel that leaves you powerless .

So how do we protect ourselves from deception ? How do we make sure that we're walking in truth ? Well , first you need to know the Word . You have to be in the Bible daily . You need to know the word .

You have to be in the Bible daily , not just devotionals , not just podcasts , but the actual word , because if you don't know what God said , you won't recognize when somebody's twisting it . The next thing is to test every spirit . 1 John 4 , verse 1 says Dear friends , do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit .

You must test them to see if the Spirit that they have comes from God . Just because somebody quotes Scripture doesn't mean they've submitted to God . Always check the fruit of the message . And speaking of fruit , look at the fruit . Jesus said you'll know a tree by its fruit .

If a teacher or a preacher's message never leads to repentance , never brings glory to Jesus and never points to holiness . Something's off , and finally stay in godly community . Isolation is dangerous . We need spirit-filled brothers and sisters who can challenge us , correct us and help us to grow . Pride isolates . Humility surrounds itself with truth-tellers .

Humility surrounds itself with truth-tellers .

So you might be asking , rick , why are you so fired up about this ? Because this isn't just about bad theology , this is about souls . Matthew 7 , 21-23 says Not everyone who calls out to me , lord , lord , will enter the kingdom of heaven . I will reply I never knew you . Get away from me , you who break God's laws .

Jesus said that , and that verse hits me every time . These are people who thought they were saved . They were active , they used his name , or you could say , they went to church on Sunday . They had an emotional experience when they were 16 . They maybe even put some money in the plate , but they didn't know him and he didn't know them .

They were deceived , and deception doesn't care . If you're sincere , you can be sincerely wrong . That's why this message is critical . This is not a time to play church . This is a time to anchor ourselves in truth , no matter the cost , because the return of Jesus is near and only the faithful will endure .

So here's my challenge to you Don't let deception be your story . If you've been chasing personalities over Jesus , it's time to return to the Word . If you've followed messages that made you feel good but never made you change , it's time to repent or turn away and go the other direction . If you've allowed compromise in the name of culture , it's time to stand .

Love is not love . You're loving them and yourself right to hell , where you will burn in the lake of fire for eternity , forever . Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any deception you've believed . Ask him to lead you into all truth .

Let the word of God become your daily bread , not just something that you snack on when you feel like it , because in these last days , the greatest defense that we have is a renewed mind that's grounded in truth . Pray with

me , father . God , I lift up every listener today , in a world full of noise and confusion . Give us clarity . Expose the lies that we've believed . Pull us out of deception and back into your truth . Make us lovers of your word . Give us discernment in this hour . Help us not to be swayed by man's opinion , but anchored in your voice . Keep us ready .

In your voice , keep us ready , keep us holy , and let us be found faithful when you return

In Jesus' precious name . Amen , grace and peace . My friends , that's all for today , but I'll be back with more unfiltered biblical truth and undeniable prophecy . The time to wake up is now . If today's episode challenged you , don't keep it to yourself . Tell someone , please . Text them a link . Share the truth while there's still time .

Visit renewedmindsetscom to stay connected and to listen to past episodes , and check out our merch at RenewedMindsetsstore . Jesus is coming soon . Stay watchful , stay holy , stay renewed Until next week . I'm Rick . Be an encourager , not a discourager . I love you , see ya . The intro and outro music for the Renewed Mindsets podcast is Are you Ready ?

By Floodgate From the album Are you Ready ? By Floodgate From the album Are you Ready ? Copyright 2002 , offbeat Ministries Incorporated . Floodgate can be found on Apple Music and iTunes . Music used with permission .