Does a spirit being named Satan the devil really exist? Or is he just the imagination of artists, sculptors, and fiction writers? My friends, one of the greatest deceptions would be the idea that this deceiver does not really exist. When we review the history of the world, and the deceptions of various religions we find strong evidence that the devil called Satan has been very active in history, but we need to realize that he is very active even now. Have you been deceived?
Your Bible makes this astounding statement, Revelation 12:9... Do you know the Devil's strategies, deceptions, and devices? The Apostle Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 2:11... [Satan's devices] On today's program, we'll be offering you an informative and vital Bible Study Guide, Satan's Counterfeit Christianity. This study guide will reveal Satan's devices and methods of deception. Be sure to write down the contact information to order your free copy! Deceivers are out to deceive us and cheat us.
Liars and con-artists strive to defraud us. But above them all there's a great deceiver whom your Bible calls Satan the Devil. Millions of people dabble in the occult and seek answers from soothsayers and mystics. These dark practices are deceptive. Do you know Satan's schemes and deceptive devices? You need to know the Devil's deadly deceptions. Stay tuned. ♪ Warm greetings to our friends around the world. Millions of con-artists, deceivers, and charlatans are out to deceive you and me.
Some salesmen do their best to defraud senior citizens and rob them of their investments. And yet there are other forms of deception. The Harry Potter books featuring the occult have sold millions. Others look to séances, tarot cards, channeling, and astrology for power and insight. Millions of people dabble in the occult and seek answers from soothsayers and mystics. Others seek selfish short-term physical pleasure, with no thought of morality or consequences.
On today's program, we'll examine seven of the deadliest deceptions offered by Satan the Devil. And we'll be offering you an informative and vital Bible Study Guide, Satan's Counterfeit Christianity. This study guide will reveal Satan's devices and methods of deception. Be sure to write down the contact information to order your free copy! Our Savior, Jesus Christ, warned us to be on guard against the Devil's deadly deceptions. Matthew 24:3...
Yes, many, not just a few, will fall victim to Satan's deceptions. The first deception we'll cover today is lust. Human nature is filled with vanity, jealousy, greed, and lust. Satan can take advantage of that tendency and weakness in all of us. He sends temptation through the media, movies, television, the Internet, magazines, and through carnal and covetous individuals. Teenagers growing into adulthood are very prone to the sexual messages readily available to them on the Internet.
Many married people give in to the seducing temptations of others and commit adultery. The Apostle Paul warned married couples not to deprive one another of sexual relations. Otherwise, Satan could take advantage of our carnal nature. 1 Corinthians 7:5... In our modern age, sexual temptations are all around us. So, the Apostle Paul advised those who might lack self-control... Let's understand, my friends, that lust, greed, and covetousness is sin. The Tenth Commandment states...
The 1987 movie Wall Street featured the corporate investor Gordon Gekko, who made the famous statement: No, my friends, greed leads to idolatry. How many millions around the world make idols of business moguls and entertainers whose wealth they envy? You must not lust for sexual sin, or for the wealth you see other people trying to enjoy. God promises to provide all your needs-but all your godly needs, of course. That promise is in Philippians 4:19.
Let's also understand that covetousness is a form of idolatry. You can desire a person, position, or possession so strongly that it becomes an idol to him. As it states in Colossians 3:5... Instead of being filled with envy and covetousness, be thankful for all the blessings God has given you. Satan's Deception #1 is: Lust. My friends, pray, as Jesus taught us... Deception #2 is: Lying. There's a classic example of lying in the New Testament.
Members of the early Christian church donated property and funds to help fellow Christians. However, one individual named Ananias, committed fraud. He claimed to have given all of the proceeds to the Church, but held back some of the funds. He lied to the Apostle Peter. Let's read the story in Acts 5. Acts 5:1... [Now listen to this.] Sapphira, his wife, came to Peter later. She lied, and she experienced the same judgment as her husband. She died on the spot. Let's understand.
Satan is the father of lies, as it states in John 8:44. My friends, examine yourself. Monitor your communications. Do you shade the truth? or, do you simply lie? Don't let Satan take advantage of you, as he did with Ananias and Sapphira. Remember the ninth commandment states... And let's also realize that you can live a lie. I'm afraid that too many professing Christians are doing just that!
As it states in 1 John 2:4... [That he knows the Lord] My friends, ask God to help you to speak the truth, and live the truth. Deception #2 is: Lying. We'll discuss five more of Satan's deceptions in the next part of our program. But first, my friends, I'd like to offer you this exciting,
Satan's Counterfeit Christianity. This booklet gives more detail than we have time for on this program. This booklet reveals a massive, global deception that has gone on for many centuries, deceiving the poor and the wealthy, the weak and the powerful. Could you have been deceived? You need this information. So, pick up the telephone right now and request your free booklet, Satan's Counterfeit Christianity. You can also order your free booklet on our website at
TWTV.ORG/FALSE, or you can write to us at one of our regional addresses. For today's free offer call... Or go to... This clear and straight-forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible. If you're calling for the first time, you will also receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's World magazine. Ten inspiring issues discussing news, science, and modern culture will help you make sense of your world from a biblical perspective.
Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. Call now! Or go to... We've seen that Satan wants to entice us with lust and lying. The third Satanic deception we'll discuss is pride, vanity, and arrogance. Selfishness and egotism are part and parcel of human nature. We like to feel important. That desire can lead to deception.
The Apostle Paul instructed Timothy concerning the ordination of a bishop, or an overseer. In 1 Timothy 3:6, he wrote that such a candidate should...
[not be a novice]
My friends, do you let pride and vanity guide your thinking and behavior? If so, you can be deceived. You can be snared by the devil. How do you counteract self-centeredness and vanity? The Apostle James wrote... James also gives us this encouragement in verse 7... Remember the biblical examples of those who cultivated pride, and did not give glory to God? King Herod allowed himself to be worshipped as a god. He cultivated vanity and arrogance. And what happened to him? Acts 12:21...
Another king, who had to learn lessons the hard way, was King Nebuchadnezzar. When he neglected to take the prophet Daniel's advice to repent, God took Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom away from him. And King Nebuchadnezzar lived like an animal for seven years, until he learned his lesson. You can read about that in Daniel the fourth chapter. My friends, be on guard against pride. When God blesses you, give Him the glory. As it says in 1 Corinthians 1:31... Deception #3 is: Pride, Vanity, and Arrogance.
Satanic Deception #4 is: False Dreams, Visions, and Miracles. How many times have individuals told me their dreams or visions that were obviously Satan-inspired. Some thought they had seen Jesus. He supposedly appeared to them having the traditional long hair. But the Jesus of the Bible did not have long hair. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:14... Jesus escaped out of crowds on several occasions because he looked like the average Judean man of His day.
That means He did not have long hair. My friends, do not be deceived by dreams, visions, or appealing messages. The Apostle John wrote in 1 John 4:1... The occult appeals to many people. Some try to contact their deceased relatives through mediums. Children read Harry Potter books and become fascinated with the occult. Satanic video games are popular. You need to educate your children on the dangers of the occult, satanic activities, and other demonic influences.
God Almighty condemns witchcraft and sorcery. He tells us in Deuteronomy 18:12... Be sure to read Deuteronomy 18:9-14 and Galatians 5:20. Satan uses dreams, visions, and miracles to deceive people. The book of Revelation describes the great false prophet who will arise soon. Be sure to read this in your own Bible. Revelation 13:11... [ A counterfeit of Christ.] My friends, don't be deceived. Religious leaders will perform great signs and miracles.
Be sure that you test all such leaders with the Bible, the Word of God. That's why we say, don't believe us just because we tell you, check these references in your Bible--believe your Bible. As it says in Isaiah 8:20... Satanic Deception #4 is: False Dreams, Visions, and Miracles. We'll continue with more Satanic deceptions in the next part of the program, but first I'd like to offer you this exciting free study resource that will open your eyes to Satan's devices.
It's called Satan's Counterfeit Christianity. This inspiring free booklet covers much more information than we have time for on this program. Listen to these topics: "'Sincerity' Is Not Enough", "Satan Has a Kingdom", "Satan the 'Counterfeiter'", "The Two Babylons", "Counterfeit Religion Spreads", and "The Da Vinci Code." You need this vital information. Be sure to request your free copy. Call now.
This clear and straight-forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible. Call now! Or go to... Some of the most deadly lies of the devil are in the realm of false doctrine, false religious teaching. Where did you learn about Christianity? Amazingly, Satan has convinced most Christians to believe and do those things that Jesus never taught. Satanic deception 5 is: False Doctrine. Where do we find godly doctrine or teaching?
Jesus said in John 8:32... Truth is revealed in your Bible, but we must also practice the truth. Jesus said in the previous verse, verse 31... But the majority will not practice the truth. The Apostle Paul prophesied that religious people would seek teachers to preach what they want to hear, rather than teachers who would preach the truth of the Bible. Turn in your Bible to 2 Timothy 4:2. The Apostle Paul exhorted the young evangelist Timothy...
My friends, are you willing to be guided and corrected by the Bible? Or will you be turned aside to fables? One of the major errors of professing Christianity is the practice, by some, of pagan traditions. We've documented them on previous programs. Easter eggs are a pagan symbol of fertility; decorated trees, holly wreaths, and mistletoe were pagan traditions; December 25 was celebrated as the birth of Mithras, the sun god. It was never the date of Jesus' birth.
Should Christians observe Valentine's Day? In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius I established the Feast of St. Valentine on February 14. Previously, since the days of ancient Rome, young lovers had often observed the Lupercalia--the feast of Lupercus, a fertility god--on February 15. Even in ancient Greece, mid-February was associated with love and fertility; the Greek month of Gamelion, ending in mid-February, was associated with the marriage of the gods Zeus and Hera.
What other pagan traditions have crept into some forms of professing Christianity? Our free booklet, Satan's Counterfeit Christianity, will give you the answers. Be sure to request your free copy. The historian Will Durant gave this analysis in his book, The Story of Civilization: My friends, are you practicing pagan traditions in the name of Christianity? Remember Jesus' warning to the Pharisees and scribes concerning certain religious customs. He warned them in Mark 7:9...
The world is full of false religions, false traditions, and false doctrines. My friends, be on guard against the deceptions of Satan. Deception #5 is: False Doctrine. Satanic Deception #6 is: Lack of Faith. The patriarch Job was attacked by Satan. Job remained faithful to God and learned vital spiritual lessons. At one point Job said... In our modern language, we might call this a self-fulfilling prophecy. We must face our fears and pray for God's protection and intervention.
We must exercise faith. When we study the Bible and believe God's promises, He gives us faith. At it states in Romans 10:17... Lack of faith opens us to Satanic deceptions. The book of Hebrews recounts the faithlessness of ancient Israel. They lacked trust and faith in God. We need to learn from their hardness of heart. Hebrews 3:12... Those who lack faith in Christ, and who persist in trusting Satan, will ultimately be destroyed as it tells us in Revelation 21:8...
But the good news is emphasized in verse 7... Our seventh Satanic deception is a frightening one that, if you fall victim to it, will make impossible for you to avoid all the others. We'll discuss that dangerous deception in the final part of our program. But first I'd like to offer you an important free booklet that will help you go deeper into this topic than we have time for on this program. It's titled Satan's Counterfeit Christianity.
It will show you how the Devil has corrupted most of the world's professing Christian churches, and it will show you how you can avoid the Devil's deceptions. So call right now, and request your free copy of Satan's Counterfeit Christianity. For today's free offer call... Or go to... This clear and straight-forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible.
If you're calling for the first time, you will also receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's World magazine. Ten inspiring issues discussing news, science, and modern culture will help you make sense of your world from a biblical perspective. Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. Call now! Or go to...
We've discussed six Satanic deceptions that promise great pleasure or success, but which lead to pain and defeat. When we fail or hurt, it can be easy to become bitter about what has happened. Our hurt can turn to a grudge, or to a desire for revenge. If we nurse those feelings, they can turn to hate, and then hate can turn into bitterness. Our seventh Satanic deception is: Bitterness. My friends, you must identify and overcome any feelings of hate and bitterness.
Notice this instruction in Hebrews 12:14... Such bitterness can even lead to the unpardonable sin. How do you counteract those feelings? Simply by following Jesus' instructions. As He said in Matthew 5:44... My friends, pray for your enemies. Bless those who curse you. That's the Christian way. That's the way that will overcome Satan's infectious attitude of hate and bitterness. Avoid Satanic Deception #7: Bitterness.
My friends, God wants you to be His trusting and faithful son or daughter through Jesus Christ our Lord. He will give you His faith, if you turn to Him with your whole heart. If you feel God is calling you, and you desire to follow His command to repent, and be baptized, we have representatives around the world who will be happy to counsel you and help you understand the baptismal commitment.
Just phone the number on your screen, or contact our Regional Office nearest you, which you can find on our website at TomorrowsWorld.org. With God's help, and the indwelling Holy Spirit, you can resist Satan's deadly deceptions. In the meantime, arm yourself with spiritual knowledge. Do not allow yourself to be deceived by yourself, by the world, or by Satan.
As the Apostle Paul emphasized... [Satan's] Bible prophecy predicts that a great future false religious system will deceive and influence billions of people all over the earth. Don't you be deceived! Be sure to request our vital free booklet titled, Satan's Counterfeit Christianity. We invite you to join us every week on Tomorrow's World, or watch us on-line at any time. As our world continues to unravel and decline, you need the encouragement, faith, and truth that come from your Bible.
Gerald Weston, Wallace Smith, Rod McNair, and I will continue to share with you the revelation of Jesus Christ, the gospel of the good news of the coming Kingdom of God, and the exciting end-time prophecies and their meaning. So, be sure to join us again next week, right here, at this same time. For today's free offer call... Or go to... Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times.
♪ The preceding program is produced by the Living Church of God.