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Ring of Truth provides 366 daily ‘proofs’ that the Bible is consistent throughout from Genesis to Revelation, and relevant for our lives today!
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2 Thessalonians 2:9-10
“The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the Truth and so be saved.”
That is why it is so important to know the Genuine.
The way to recognise the counterfeit is not by studying other counterfeits – it is by knowing and studying the genuine – whether money or people. We used to remind our radio announcers – ‘always remember this, the listener knows whether you are sincere or not when you say things, they can tell it from your voice.’ Being a pastor, I hear people say all sorts of things to me – many of them just don’t add up.
When I was involved in banking and dealing with cheques, we would sometimes find a cheque, which would say one thing in words, and another in figures, e.g. ‘Two Hundred Dollars’ in words and $280 in figures. We would have to return the cheque marked ‘Words and figures differ’ across the top of it. Before payment could be made, we had to know which the drawer meant. I find some people’s lives like that. They say one thing but live another.
We had a leaders’ meeting this morning and the comment was made, “You only actually believe what you live out – the rest is just hypocrisy.” We may say we believe all sorts of wonderful Scripture but until we live them out, it is all ‘just in the mind’. You may say you have many ‘wonderful’ values and priorities but if you didn’t do them last week, they are merely ‘wishful thinking’. You do what your priorities are (see Matthew 7:24-27).
Many said they believed that the great tightrope walker, Blondin, could wheel them across the Niagara Falls in his wheelbarrow. Only his elderly mother got in.
Satan is described in many ways – Father of Lies and the great Deceiver, to name just two (see Matthew 7:21-23; Revelation 16:13-15 & 19:20).
In our verse for today, Satan empowers the antichrist (the lawless one) to do all kinds of “counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders.” Listen, don’t go chasing after “signs and wonders”. Go after Jesus. When Jesus used signs – as John tells us – it was to help us understand His Divinity (see John 2:11 & 20:30-31). The Holy Spirit continues those signs, wonders and miracles today – but we are to see God through them. Neither they nor the people who ‘perform’ them are to be worshipped – Jesus is.
If we constantly want to be blessed, receive and chase after signs, we are likely to get hoodwinked. The enemy is clever too. But if we love the Truth, we shall not be deceived; we shall be saved and set free. If you know the Truth, share Him with someone else so that they won’t be deceived either (see John 8:32). Notice – they perish only “because they refused to love the Truth and so be saved.”
So keep focused upon Jesus and the Word of God.
Build an intimate relationship with Him. Then you won’t need to fear and will be able to spot the counterfeit.
And what is more – you will be saved.
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