Truth or Deception?. B. L. Smith
with criminals; (Zechariah 12:10) Pierced through hands, feet, and side; (Psalm 69:21) Given vinegar and gal; (Psalm 22:18) Soldiers gambled for his coat; (Psalm 34:20) No broken bones; (Isaiah 53:9) Buried with the rich; (Psalm 16:10-11, 49:5) Resurrected from the dead; (Psalm 68:18) Ascended to the right hand of God; (Malachi 3:2-3) His coming glory.
In Luke 24:44 it says, “These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me.” (Emphasis added)
Did you know that you have a user’s manual, or book, just like an automobile, boat, or machinery of any kind? Yes, you do! And if you follow the instructions, your warranty will never expire, it is eternal. There is no other warranty that will match it. These are just a few notes from that manual. It was written with the instruction of the Owner of mankind. The Owner is Jehovah God.
Every living thing has instructions from God. The plants do what they are supposed to do. The animals do what they are supposed to do. Even the fish in the water obey God. For instance, take the mother sea turtle, she lays her eggs in the sand and covers them up and then leaves. When her eggs hatch, the little turtles will make their way toward the water. These little turtles will eat algae, seaweed, crabs, shrimps, sponges, snails, mollusks etc. Now, how do they know what to do or what to eat in this new environment they were born into?
The Simon Fish lays her eggs in freshwater. When her eggs hatch, these newborn, little fish go to the ocean (salty water) and stay and live their lives. After many years, these fish will return to the same place where they were born.
The plant world is full of God’s mysteries. You can plant flowers and trees miles apart from each other, and they will bloom at the same time of the year. Have you ever noticed the beautiful cherry blossoms in different parts of the world? This little seed can be a beautiful flower or it can be a huge tree. From this little seed, you have leaves and you will have limbs, etc.
The insect world, the fowl world and all other creatures on the earth, obey God—all except one. If a creature decided to disobey God’s order, they would become extinct (e.g., if a fish decided to live on land or a bird decided to live in water). They are programmed with what they will need to do since the time of conception. When God created man, He created him in His own image. Man was given free will to obey or disobey his Maker. But there are consequences for disobedience. To obey is called righteousness to disobey is called sin. We have a manual—the Holy Bible.
Before the Bible, God spoke to man directly. Mankind was disobedient. This put a curse on everybody on earth. God then gave mankind commandments, which were written on stone. There were Ten Commandments given by God. These commandments are found in the book of Exodus 20:1 (Old Testament). This is the Law that was given to Moses. In Romans 10: 4, it tells us that Christ is the END of the law for righteousness for everyone who believes.
Mark 12:30-31 provides us with two commandments from Jesus:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy mind and with all thy strength this is the first commandment. And the second is like namely this thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Currently, there are many versions of the Bible. Unfortunately, the true meaning of words was changed in some versions. The King James Version has been under attack for a long time. People were burned at the stake because of the truth included in it. In Ephesians 4:14, Paul said, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” (Please continue reading). Revelation 22:18 tells us if any man shall add unto these things (unto the Bible), God shall add unto him the plagues that are written about in the Bible. Verse 19 says, “If any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city...” Some versions make the Word easier to understand, but if it changes the meaning of the Word, the Bible tells us to let them be cursed.
In Galatians 1:7-8 it says,
“…but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we or angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”
The Devil is trying to deceive God’s people, even with the very Word of God, or any other way possible. The Devil deceived one third of the angels in heaven. So God cast him and those angels out of heaven. He is still on his mission, until God throws him, his angels, and all the people that he is able to deceive into the eternal lake of fire. The Devil will bring about false prophets. They will show great signs and wonders. “In so much, he will deceive the very elects if it were possible” (Matt. 24:24).
The Devil has declared war against God’s Word. The Word is being diluted and thrown out of churches across America and in other places. I visited a church in another country, and some of the same perverted teaching was already in progress there. The Devil’s last stand is to overthrow God’s people. Second Corinthians 11:14-15 says, “…for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light, therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness whose end shall be according to their works.”
In 1 John 5:7 it says, “For there are three that bear record in heaven the father, the word, and the Holy Ghost and these three are one.” If your Bible does not read like this, it came from Satan’s mutilated Alexandrian manuscript. Also, beware of Bible footnotes they often favor the Alexandrian text. There are a lot of verses that have been deleted completely or left out. For example, in the book of Matthew 17:21 it says, “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” This verse has been omitted in many Bible versions. Remember, the Devil does not want you to fast, because when you fast and pray, the flesh becomes weak but the spirit becomes strong. God realizes that you are sincere in your prayer and He will answer your prayer. The Devil does not want you to fast because there is a great benefit in it.
Matthew 18:11 it states, “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” Satan does not want you to know that you are lost. He wants you to think everything is okay and that you are on the right track. If you die, you will find out that everything was not okay. Matthew 23:14 says, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.” The Devil does not want you to know that some spiritual leaders are actually going to hell. He wants you to think that they are just fine. You will be misled if you do not study God’s Word.
Have you heard of “the clergy project”? These are ministers who are atheists. Some of them are still in leadership positions. Some of them have left the church. CNN, NBC, RSN, NPR have held interviews with this organization.
The words in the Bible are being fulfilled. Second Thessalonians 2:3-3 says, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposesth and exalted himself above all that is called God; or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” Please read the rest of this chapter for yourself.
Mark 7:16 says, “If any man have an ear to hear let him hear.” Mark 9:44 says this regarding hell, “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” You see, Satan doesn’t want you to know about hell. Satan—the adversary, the Devil, the deceiver—would like for you to believe that when you die—you are done. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 9:27 that “…it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.”
Mark 11: 26 says this about unforgiveness, “If ye do not forgive neither will your father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” Yet, the Devil wants you to be unforgiving. Why else would this be left out some Bible versions? In the Lord’s Prayer, we are told to forgive those who trespass against us. These words have been deleted in some Bible versions, and this is a really big omission. Do you realize that without forgiveness you are lost? First John 3:15 says, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that