“Preparing for Last Days Deception” Written by Esther Dummer, “The Bedrock of Truth”

Part I (bold emphasis mine)

What I am going to write in the following series may sound “negative” to some – but this is the most “positive” message of the hour – one that build us up in the faith delivered to us by Christ Jesus, Our Lord and Savior!

There is nothing negative about truth! We must all be “defenders of truth,” now more than ever! The day demands it!

God’s assignments are not always easy but truth and obedience are not optional for any of us who follow Christ. I understand I cannot convince anyone of anything by my words, but I do know that Holy Spirit can minister truth to the human heart. It is just mine to obey what God has asked me to do and perhaps God will use me as an avenue on which truth can come forth to a heart in need of deliverance or maybe just stabilizing or to give answer to questions plaguing someone’s mind.

When God speaks to me to write, I truly pray it through and as God leads me forth, I obey to the best of my understanding and the ability God has given me. I spend much time in prayer, waiting on the Holy Spirit to lead me as I earnestly search the Word of God concerning what I am sensing. This current assignment is one that burns deep within my heart like a fire.

I believe I have the leadership of the Holy Spirit on what I am about to undertake, so in obedience to my Master and Savior, Jesus Christ, I am going to step out of the boat…

Jude 1:3

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that you should earnestly contend [fight; labor fervently] for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

4102 pistis- Faith – A deeply held conviction - relating to God: the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ - relating to Christ: a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God

Jude recognized, just as many do today, there is a great need to “exhort Christians to earnestly contend for the faith.” In the arena of faith just about anything can be discovered – apathy and complacency, tolerance, deception and yes – truth.

75 agonizomai – contend - to struggle, fight, labor fervently, strive.

There is a great responsibility resting on Christian leaders to teach people how to “stand in a fixed place” in these days of moral and religious decay. The church must be prepared or there will be unfathomable loss when it’s all said and done.

2 Thessalonians 2:3

And…there is a great responsibility on Christians to dig into the bedrock of truth and establish themselves in obedience to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Jude speaks to this responsibility saying, “…That you should earnestly contend for the faith…”

We must not be a people who ‘go with the flow of the crowd,’ but rather be a people who are willing to stand apart when truth is on ‘the chopping block of deception.’

We must not tolerate an ounce of deception to enter into our lives because that is the leaven that will spoil everything God is working in our lives for His will. We cannot be causal or careless about what we hear and receive into our hearts in this hour. There is safe and stable ground to be found in our troubled times for those willing to seek ‘the Bedrock of Truth,’ found in Jesus Christ.

Matthew 7:24-27

I know many things hang in the balance in this hour and that our hearts and the move of God must be purified of all deception or there will be loss we will not want to give an account for.

One just has to look and listen to see that change has and is occurring all around us and yes, even in the Move of God. There is a real battlefield in this arena as sides are being drawn amongst the revivalists, leaders, churches and ministries. The lines have been drawn and people have stepped into different positions in regards to what God is doing and how He is doing it and through whom He is doing it.

I am not speaking of different gifts and styles of ministry – I am speaking of that which springs from very different foundational doctrines –which in many cases has turned more personal than scriptural.

Cardinal differences have developed as separate rivers have formed with each traveling different courses.

The internal conflict in the hearts, minds and spirits of people can be felt when these streams meet on occasion and human spirits clash rather than bind together.

It is common today to hear the comment, “I am not of that river,” or “We are not in the same river.” For this cause fellowship has been broken as hearts begin to channel into different ‘schools of theology’ about revival. This is deeply troubling because something has divided the body of Christ right in the middle of a move of God. Where is Holy Spirit in all this? I do not believe this is of God.

1 Cor 12:12-14

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

14 For the body is not one member, but many.

God’s church is a unified people, of one heart, mind and spirit, faith and doctrine, forming a body meant to be strong, viable and able to be used by God to further the gospel of the Kingdom – to see souls brought in and discipled; founded and grounded in the Word of God and released in the Holy Spirit.

When walls develop between those who say they are ‘called by His name’ something very foul is amiss. It’s not just differences; it’s about separation, rending the River of God, as it were, into channels of human thought, ideologies and man’s doctrines.

We are in the most serious of days on every front, such as have never been. Time is running out as the midnight hour is fast approaching.

One of the things Jesus prophesied to His disciples was the deception and division that would come to the world – and if it were possible to infiltrate the hearts of God’s people. Matthew 24:4-5; 11; 24

Jesus was not afraid to address in a quite forthright manner the subject that is rarely talked about today within the walls of the churches.The Apostles hit it head-on as well.

The church overall has entered this time without preparation – and many a revivalist has been so caught up with basking in the glory [by the way, I love the glory of God] that they missed a key part of the message of Jesus – “Take heed that no man deceives you.”

Notice He did not say, “Devil;” He said, “Man.”

Deception and Revival are probably the most difficult and controversial subjects to write on – and especially when they are joined at the hip…

The main reason it is difficult is because deception is the enemy’s greatest work on earth, engineered in his dark heart, specifically to spoil and loot the Kingdom of God – so this is the powerbase you battle against.He has set up a task force that has been assigned to misalign those who stand for truth in the face of error and deception.

I think about the time we live in, just as a nation, and how the spirit of tolerance has silenced the voice of so many who are afraid of being attacked for taking a stand for what they know to be true. As a nation, we know and understand what our founding fathers designed, but as everything we have held to be true is being assaulted, we find that in our defense of our nation, we are also open for assault.

There are national powers that are designed to silence the mouth of those who “contend for what is true.”

It is the same thing in spiritual warfare…Deception is more aggressively defended than Truth – though it should not be so.

The enemy desires to silence every mouth that speaks truth from a scriptural standpoint when error is running rampant.We must remember – The devil hates the Word of God!

Another significant reason it is difficult to speak into the subject of deception and revival is that this demonic scheme involves people who are used to implement deception. There is the ministry of fear and intimidation that is launched when one begins to speak truth into the fog of error.

Living in coastal Oregon along the Columbia River, I know a little bit about driving in the fog. Light does not pierce fog and can actually “sock you in” so severely that you cannot see one foot in front of you. It is futile to turn the beams on bright, so people turn them on low so as to be able to see right in front of their car as they try to cut through the fog. We all wait for the sunlight of the day to “burn off the fog.”

The fog of error and deception is like that – it socks you in and it will take the “Son-Light” to burn it off. We need the holy fire of God’s Spirit and the Light of His Word to burn into the hearts and minds of people in this hour to deliver them of spiritual deception.

Time is of the Essence in this matter because it is only a matter of time until the “Deceived becomes the Deceiver.”

2 Tim 3:13 - But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

This unholy impartation takes root in a person’s life if it is not repented of and cast off as “works of unrighteousness.” What we believe, we impart to another and another and another…which can be deadly if we continue to tolerate any level of deception invading our lives.

Spoken words are the road upon which impartation happens as a life is spoken over and into. The Holy Spirit and the Word must be the filter system through which we listen and receive. Once impartation is received, it enters the mind and heart of the individual, altering the course of their life and ministry – for the good or for the bad.

To stand for truth against the deception of an errant ministry “just doesn’t look good,” and “looks critical.” It is easy to lose sight of the fact that the Kingdom of God has suffered violence by those who are not sold out to Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.

We must take note that names are named in the Word of God as examples for all of us, to help us understand the nature of mankind who are in revolt against the Word of God.

The New Testament is laced with warnings which regularly refer back to Old Testament examples of people who “wormed their way into the church” [Jude 1:4] bringing in “damnable heresies,” [2 Peter 2:1-3] that have seduced many away from the truth.[Mark 13:22; I John 2:26]

You read words such as, “bewitched, seduced, another gospel, another Jesus, error, deception, antichrist, false prophets, false teachers, evil people, flatterers, scoffers, mockers, immoral, braggers, unfaithful, apostate, grumblers, complainers, divisive, denying Jesus…”

Very little has been systematically taught to prepare the church to not fall for the level of deception that is here now and coming in even greater waves.Deception is the spirit of the Last Days Antichrist kingdom and will come with lying signs and wonders – and sadly will draw many away from the foundation of truth by “the supernatural appeal” of signs, wonders and miracles.

The supernatural is a deadly pitfall if not established on the Bedrock of Truth. This Rock, Jesus Christ, is the firm foundation we find when in obedience to His Word.

Matthew 7:24-27

24 Therefore whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

26 And every one that hears these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

People talk about the coming earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, terrorist attacks and such, so we all know we are faced with storms of many kinds right now – on every level possible. We are all quick to agree with the saying, “It’s not ‘if’ but ‘when.’”

But do we really understand the nature of a spiritual storm, one that hits on the banks of the Church; one that is strong enough to leave a trail of ruin behind it?

In October 1991, a dying tropical hurricane named Grace, from Bermuda, collided with a cold front from the Great Lakes, resulting in a "perfect storm" of previously unknown destructive impact that resulted in 100-foot waves; tragically, the crew of a fishing boat was lost in the midst of the fearsome storm.

Folks, the perfect storm is brewing over the nations and I am convinced the church is not prepared.

I am stunned at how rapidly our world is changing and even more stunned at how much change has come to the church – and it’s not all good. Some of what has come in the doors of people’s lives has done more damage than has even been estimated as of yet. Lives have been altered in ways that God only knows the measure of what the end for them will be.

After every storm, people go through the carnage and take stock of the toll of the storm, counting the bodies and the loss of property and the condition of those who yet remain alive in the midst of the ruin.

Within every true revival, there have been “movements” that have masked as moves of God that have left a wake of destruction in their path. The toll has not yet been calculated as to the extent of the damage done to human lives. The thing with deception in a spiritual movement is that it appears real because it masked under the banner you are attracted to by fact of your hunger.”

And the warnings do come but, people will oftentimes not listen to the warnings given by discerning people because they have been taken in the snare of deception because of personal hunger and a desire to be filled.

Right now many of you are standing in your ‘safe place’ and have no idea how much damage has been done to the people of God on other shores with false movements masked as revival.

Revival is real.

Awakenings are real.

The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit is real.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are real.

The Anointing is real.

The Signs and Wonders are real.

Healings and Miracles are real.

The Supernatural is real.

I believe in it all!

But, not everything branded under these titles or banners is real. We must remember that the anti-Christ will claim to be the Messiah and many will believe him because of his deceptive and very appealing performance, words and abilities.

He will be the most supernatural person on the face of the earth, apart from Jesus Christ, exhibiting great power and wonders and miracles and oratory powers that will sway millions of people.

But, this power comes in advance of the Antichrist coming in prophetic fulfillment at the end of the world. Jesus warned us that many would appear making great claims - and the mark upon them will be deception.

Look at the 9-11 of the New Testament – a time of great destruction at the hands of the father of lies…

II Thessalonians 2:9-11

9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

We have got to deeply love the truth – above all - more than our experiences, our religious positions – we MUST LOVE THE TRUTH, or we will be deceived.

John 16:13 - Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth…

Where is truth?

John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Yes, this subject is controversial – the broad path taught by some is more appealing to the masses than the narrow path of truth espoused by the “straight and narrow people of the Kingdom.”

Once people take hold of something, they many times will fight to keep what they got – for whatever reason.

God desires an army of people who will know the difference between truth and deception, a people prepared to “Defend the Faith,” as recorded in Jude and countless other places in the Word of God.

It’s okay to admit you have questions about it all. There is no blasphemy, sacrilege or heresy in questions that deserve an answer – a Biblical answer.

I John 4:1 - Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. It doesn’t say, “Test the Word,” but “Test the spirits.”

False prophets move in a realm of the spirit that is not of God, but cloaked as God’s servant.

Matthew 7:15 - Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

There are specific fruit that marks their lives, so there is no need for anyone who desires truth to ever follow such a person – even when you see the signs and wonders that they perform. They do not know Jesus! ~Matthew 7:21-23~

God wants His people to be discerning and to test and try the spirits, even though you may have been told to not do that, to just accept that it’s God. If someone told you this, it is not scriptural! Don’t allow anyone to make you feel critical because you want to know the truth when questions arise in your heart concerning something or someone you feel “odd” about.

The Holy Spirit will NEVER separate Himself from the Word to do anything!

Eph 6:17 - … and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

He is the Spirit of Truth; His Sword is the Word of God.
He will not lay the Sword down to perform anything for anyone, anywhere, anytime.
He ALWAYS points the way to Jesus Christ!

That is the core problem with some of what is going on in the Move of God – Jesus, though mentioned, is not the chief cornerstone of the movement – the spirit realm has been elevated to a dangerous proportion – and Holy Spirit is grieved by this.

Some may be deciding that I am opposed to what God is doing – so let me qualify that by saying,

“I am opposed to what the devil is doing and getting by with calling it God.”

I am NEVER opposed to what God is doing!

I love the move of God. I desire, as much as anyone, to be used of God the way I know He wants to use His people. I am all for signs, wonders, miracles, prophecy, revival – the works – but not at the expense of truth.

I want the real deal, not something manufactured in some back room by people who are greedy for gain, power or notoriety at the expense of the flock of God.

I am not in line for that which mingles the supernatural with lasciviousness.

The dividing line between truth and error is Jesus and how people view Him. I think Jesus knows when people put Him in second place to the ‘spirit,’ ‘gifts,’ ‘angels’ and the ‘supernatural;’ second place even to “worship and presence and feelings…”

He knows when He is not being fully honored as the Head of the Church.

When statements, teachings, doctrines are made that even remotely suggest that

“Jesus has been overdone, but the supernatural is underdone,” or “Jesus and the Blood are offensive to people so just go out and give words and do miracles,” or “Don’t test the spirits to see what is at work,” or “The Bible doesn’t have the final say on everything,” or “What you do with the body has nothing to do with your spirit man,” or “Repentance, the cross and the blood are finished,” while elevating self and created beings…

Don’t hesitate – run to Jesus, your Rock!

I want to recognize that no matter what I say today, no matter what you say, whether you hear or you forbear the messages shared, no matter how dark the world is around us, no matter how far the church has declined, no matter the sin and compromise of God’s people, no matter how dark it is in our economy or on our political front, no matter whether you are on top of a spiritual mountain or in some low valley, no matter whether you praise the Lord today or not, no matter whether He’s being cursed by the world or denied by the church, no matter whether His blood is honored or trampled upon…Jesus is the Eternal King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Jesus alone reigns in Majesty!

Jesus alone reigns in Glory!

Jesus alone is King!

Jesus alone paid it all!

Jesus alone shed His blood for the sins of the world!

Jesus alone sits to the right hand of the Father, exalted, honored by God, interceding for the saints of God!

Jesus alone is coming for a church that is ready for Him!

Jesus alone is Worthy to receive the Glory, Honor and Praises of the people of God!

Whether we get it right or whether we are wrong – Jesus is neither diminished nor shaken by earth –

His sacrifice is more than enough!
His Blood is more than enough!
His Word is more than enough!
His victory or death, hell, sin and disease is more than enough!

The reality is – Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God and Jesus Christ lives today – with a continual fountain of blood for every soul, with that life-flow still ready over all the earth, to redeem, to wash away the sins of man, to cover him in the day of battle, to draw a line against every demonic scheme, to open the door of salvation to all, to keep reaching for mankind, for His Church…

God Bless the Faithful Watchman on the Walls of the Church!

For the Love of Souls,

Esther Dummer

harvester@charter.net

http://www.gatewayrevival.org

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