Satan's primary tactic in opposing God is not to foster atheism but religion; not to prove there is no God but to be worshipped as God.

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. - 2 Corinthians 11:3-4

The Bible clearly warns that in the last days strange doctrines will come forth - introducing another Jesus, another Spirit, another gospel (Matt. 24:4-5; 2 Tim. 3:1-5). New doctrines, new revelations and new gospels are springing up almost daily. And it's going to get much worse. Though few seem to realize it, Satan has been in the "another gospel" business for a long time. His goal, since the glorious good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ burst onto the world scene nearly 2000 years ago, has always been to produce a counterfeit gospel, which would replace the true, and keep men in darkness and spiritual slumber.

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. - 1 Thessalonians 2:9-10

Even a cursory review of what has taken place in the Church during the last 25 years will reveal a fierce underming of the faith. In some respects, believers of Paul's day "had it easy" compared to this generation. In those days the opposition to truth was in the secular world around them - it had not yet infiltrated the Church under the guise of a more enlightened or advanced Christianity. While there were pressing pagan influences as well as some heretical teachings and practices here and there, they weren't subjected to anything like the flood of false beliefs, teachings, and practices surging in on the tidal wave of today's Christian media.

The popular 1990s church pretends to adhere to the truth, yet quietly undermines it. Experience, emotion, and problem-solving are substituted for the Word of God as its basis of faith. Theology is focused on meeting people's needs, on solving one's own problems so one can live more comfortably. There is little focus on Christ's second coming because that would end the pursuit of pleasure and prosperity. Few churches hold to a Christ-centered faith that helps a believer stand in the midst of his trials.

The question is, do you KNOW God in Christ Jesus ... as He has revealed Himself in the Scriptures? Have you read His Book? Have you studied it? How can you be sure you know the real God in Christ Jesus if you have not studied what He has said about Himself?

The average American Christian defines God as Love, a word which is understood from a "feelings" humanistic and temporal viewpoint. This definition does not cause any problems to a sinful lifestyle, for the concept of tolerant love does not include the reality of a HOLY God, a JUST God, and a TRUE God. The Love of God is also Just, which is not concerned with our comfort and feelings, but with what is Right. The Love of God is HOLY, which is destructive to sinful living and the carnal nature and is not tolerant toward rebellion and willful ignorance.

In many ways the Church has turned to the beliefs, teachings and practices of the world and the cults, from the penchant for humanistic psychology among conservative evangelicals to the cultic affinity for godhood and the demonstration of godlike powers among more extreme charismatics. Popular movements and teachers are influencing the Church to take dominion over the earth, to set up the Kingdom as a requirement for Christ to return, to produce signs and wonders, and to solve its problems through unbiblical methods such as self-esteem therapies, 12-step recovery programs, inner-healing rituals, "binding demons" strategies, and "Christian" mysticism. Many professing Christian leaders promote unity by demoting doctrine and encourage ecumenism to include even overt paganism. They also foster the participation of false religious institutions in "Christian" political causes and co-evangelism projects.

All kinds of radical groups claim some affinity to the gospel of Jesus Christ and only serve to confuse the non-churched and borderline Christian. The KKK for example has as one if its rallying cries, "We are Warriors fighting for our great white race, our families and our savior Jesus Christ."

Beware of Satan's Agenda to Deceive You

FRED WEEKS