1/13/09 24:24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Matt 24:24)

Do triple 24s get your attention? Matthew 24:24 says that in the last days that even the very elect will be deceived if that were possible. I can’t identify the elect, the non-elect and all those in between, but I think certainly a majority of people is deceived in these days. Deception allows our enemies to get a foothold.

My favorite TV shows is 24. It is, as my wife says, very violent, and therefore she does not watch the show. I agree that it is violent, but we must remember that hell too will be violent for those who remain separated from God. I like 24 because it shows the trouble the good guy gets into, the fact he has to fight to get the job done, and ultimately the good guys win. I have become disgusted with most TV news, Hollywood films, school curriculum and a host of other things in our culture including liberal churches where wickedness is taken so lightly. Political correctness is killing us. However the star of the TV show Jack Baurer, does not live life by the political correctness code. He goes against the grain of the PC crowd. Instead he battles the enemy toe to toe in order to get the job done without the PC handcuffs. Go Jack go!

The 911 tragedy propagated by Muslims bent on inflicting death to innocent people was a real life example as to how some in this world are intent on killing Christians and Jews. This is not debatable, yet media types, public schools, politicians and advocates for radical Islam try to convince the world that Islam is a religion of peace and Jews and Christians are enemies of all other people in the world. If you check the web site www.thereligionofpeace.com you will find a tally of the number of Islamic terrorist attacks since September 11, 2001. As of this date, less than eight years later, that number is in excess of 12,500, and that is the number of separate attacks.

The point of this piece is to emphasize the power and prevalence of deception, not the statistics about terrorists’ attacks. Only sleeping, ignorant people can believe much of what is passed off as truth in our society. More importantly is the fact that our public school children are being fed lies by the bucket loads about everything from religion to encouraging sex between children of the same sex. Such nonsense is silly, sick, and sinful.

Go along to get along is almost standard behavior anymore. I get tired of hearing about tolerance, unity, and social justice. These are lies told mainly to children to deceive them and shape their thinking into ungodly worldviews. Sadly, many adults who were not exposed to this type teaching when they were school children nevertheless have adopted these harmful ideologies as adults by sitting in front of a television absorbing the lies that emanate from those who write the scripts. They are deceived. How are adults so easily deceived? Of course the Bible does say even the elect may be deceived.

And what about manmade global warming and your sinful carbon footprint? This stuff is so asinine it is embarrassing. I won’t even bother detailing evidence to the contrary, because anyone who has read this far already knows that the global warming scare is a hoax.

Here is the real point to remember, Christians need to fight the lies with truth, the only way to do so. Jesus described the wickedness in the last days before His return (read the entire chapter of Matthew 24), and a few chapters later he gave directions as to how we occupy the time; “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt. 28:19-20)

Christians can’t easily get the message of the Gospel out while being steamrolled by deceptive lies. To lie down and submit to liberal ideology is not an option for Christians. Here is a suggestion; commit to memory Matt 24:24 in order to remain humble knowing even the elect may be deceived. Just as we see in the TV show 24, your commitment will likely require a fight. Remember too that Jesus said you will be persecuted (Matt 24:9) because of your belief in Him.