When Yashuah’s disciples asked Him what would be the signs of His coming at the end, His first words in response were, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” As He continued to explain more to them, this warning was echoed repeatedly. Near the end of His exposition He warned, “For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect.” These are words I have had to take seriously in this journey. Clearly there have been, are, and will be deceiving men, doctrines, false Christs, false prophets, signs and wonders to hide or obscure the truth.
Revelation 17 and 18 describe a great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth. The city is depicted as a harlot holding a golden cup in her hand full of her abominations and impurities, and she is given the name Babylon. While I have plenty to say about Babylon and the details of this vision, I’ll deal with those on another page. I just want to point out that it’s written “all nations were deceived by [her] sorcery.” “For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”
This is a vision of the world I was born into – a civilization deceived and nearing its end. As a child I could not identify the deceptions around me, but I knew intuitively that there was something strange about the world around me – the different systems we’re taught to adhere to, the games we play, the traditions we keep, the groups of people we trust, the groups of people we destroy, and so on.
The truth is not for all men, but only for those who seek it. (Ayn Rand)
Truth has been occulted from us, but it cannot be kept from those who seek it. There are more words of Yashuah recorded in Matthew chapter 7 that have long been a guiding light for me:
Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and narrow is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13,14)
One day, these words and the sum of my life experiences caused me to establish and bind myself to my first principle in this journey. It is a very simple principle to remember, but it takes days, weeks, months and years to dutifully apply it.
First Principle:
- If everyone believes something to be good, right or true, assume it is NOT, until you can prove otherwise.
I hope to use this website to properly explain what that means.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:11,12)