Satan shows himself as God to be worshipped and Christians worship him. Satan sits in the places of worship, shows self as Jesus Christ deceives people and worshipped as God.

The creator of everything is the true God.  But people throughout the world custom-make their own gods and worship them.  There is Satan, a created angel called Lucifer, who desires to be worshipped, luring the people, showing himself as god with different names to different people.  God allows this and gives people the option to choose.  Here, we study the Bible to find the maneuvers of Satan.

Christianity is one of the world’s largest religions and it has many denominational factions.   Every denomination accepts the Bible as the inspired word of God, just for the saying.  In reality they do not believe the word of God.  Christians trust their preachers or priests more than they believe the Bible.  The preachers interpret the Bible in order to accommodate their own doctrinal beliefs as well as to attract the crowd.  By doing this, churches stray away from the true doctrine of Jesus Christ.  Even though they are away from Christ, they make a show of worshiping Christ.  Most churches modify and improve the method of worship, in order to attract more people.  They are successful and become famous.  Jesus Christ talks about them in the following verses.  "Matt 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."  God says that they worship in vain.  God does not accept their worship, but the devil does.  "2 Thess 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."  

'God the Word' who created man, himself became a man (flesh).  "John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us," He became less in status than the angels.  "Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death,"  He did not maintain his godly status and power, but became a mere man with no reputation as God.  "Phil 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."  But he knew where he came from and what for did he come. "John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me."  He was in communion with 'God the Most High' always, and called him Father.  He obeyed God always.  "John 8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him."

The Temple at Jerusalem was God’s house. When the people wanted to offer any kind of sacrifices to God; they went to the altar in the temple. There was a laver for the purification of the Priests.  The Holy place and the Most Holy place were in the temple. The Ark of the Covenant was in the Most Holy place. God’s glory has descended on the temple. This temple was the hope of God’s people. The Levites, Priests, Sadducees, Pharisees, Scribes and the High Priest were the servants in the temple.  The temple was their life, in the sense that without the temple, their positions meant nothing. The people came to the temple to worship God. And their God was their strength and their hope.

'God the Word' who was Jehovah became a man.  This man visited the temple.  "John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not."  He said that the house of God, which should be 'the house of prayer', was made into a den of thieves. He accused the temple merchants as thieves and reviled them.  "Matt 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves."  Looking at the life of the Scribes and Pharisees, he pronounced woe to them. "Please read : Matt 23:13-38"  Looking at the city of Jerusalem, he pronounced his displeasure.  "Luke 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! 35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate:"

God’s people were waiting for the coming of Christ for their own redemption. Even though they were regularly reading the Scriptures, they had no understanding of how God would come into the world. So when Christ came, the chief priests, captain of the temple, elders, and the high priest joined together and crucified the Son of man who was the Christ. Of course they did it unknowingly. We like to think that such a mistake will not happen again.

At the first coming of the Messiah, the Jews made a mistake because their teachers were blind men leading the blind.  They did not expect God to become a man who was the Lamb of God.  They were expecting him to come as the Lion of Judah.  Lack of understanding caused eternal death for many people.  Now the same Jesus will come again, but not as a man, but as a Lion of Judah, as the Righteous Judge.  "Rev 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."  His judgment will not be based on whether we are Christians or Jews or Heathens.  God is not a respecter of persons.  His judgment will be strictly on the basis of what we have done in our life according to the commandments of God.  Are we ready to receive him as a Righteous Judge?  Are you a spiritual criminal, who commit sin?  If so, you are not ready.  Will history repeat itself?   

Have we built our houses on the rock of obedience to the sayings of Jesus Christ OR have we built our houses on the sand of Christian clichés which is the rhymes of our mouth and not the obedience to the sayings of Jesus Christ?  "Matt 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:... 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:"

Let us look inside the Church, which should be the body of Christ. The Apostles planted Churches. However, even in the first century, the enemy was beginning to take over the churches. Even the very apostle, who found the church, was not received in the church. "3 John 1:9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not."

The main thrust of evangelism is church growth.  All kinds of workers, including evangelists, are involved in this.  In order to bring more members to the churches, all kinds of messages are preached.  The purpose of evangelism should be to convert the souls and to teach them to follow the life of Jesus Christ, if not we are not doing evangelism.  False workers are turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, to help the people to live the way they desire rather than to help them to live in obedience to the Lord, which is denying the lordship of God, which is actually denying Jesus Christ.  Accepting his lordship is to submit oneself as a servant to him in obedience.  However, people are taught to call him Lord with their lips and to live their own way, in disobedience to God. The Holy Spirit says that these ungodly men are ordained to the condemnation of God.   "Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."

There are false servants who love their monitory profit including pay checks and will not mind to be a part of unrighteousness to earn it. They speak swelling words of vanity and they themselves are servants of sin. Their latter end will be worse than the first. However those who are clean will escape from them.  "2 Peter 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;... 18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage."

The situation of the Church today is the same as the temple at the time of Jesus Christ. Most of the church leaders are the same as the temple leaders of that time. Knowing this Jesus speaks in the following verse.  "Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"

The Holy Spirit has given a principle so that we may identify the true Jesus Christ who is God from the counterfeit Jesus.  The simplicity of Jesus Christ who is God is to accept the chaste virgin for His bride.  Chaste virgin is the one who will keep herself holy for the Lord Jesus Christ.  The counterfeit Jesus says that he will accept any bride who will talk highly about the groom and the counterfeit Jesus will justify saying that nobody can be a chaste virgin.  The counterfeit Jesus is the devil.  He deceives God's people with subtilty.  "2 Cor 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him."

Jesus Christ has called Judas Iscariot as the son of perdition after Satan has entered him.  Perdition is the state of being in utter damnation of the soul.  The son of perdition is one who is possessed or influenced by Satan to do the work of deception.  This person will have no hope of redemption.  "John 6:70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?  John 13:27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.  John 17:12 --- those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled."

Satan disguises as an angel of God.  His workers also disguised themselves as workers of Jesus Christ in order to deceive people.  Their deception is subtle.  They are placed in the field of God and the field is the Churches.  "2 Cor 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 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."

But the devil also deceives the people showing himself as an angel of light.  Whoever do not have the love for the truth of God, will fall for the deception of the devil.  Satan with his group of people are called in the Bible 'the son of perdition' and 'the man of sin'.  And the devil is seated in the Churches (Temple was the Old Testament name).  "2 Thess 2:3  that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."  Satan shows himself as god, angel of light, in the churches and is worshipped.  If there is no reverence for righteousness, holiness, fear of God, and godliness in a church, then the presence of God will not be there.  Satan gets into those places in the form of an angel of light, even with lying wonders, shows himself as god and receives the worship of those people.  If the people reverence God with fear and godliness in their life, the presence of God will be in their worship.  Satan cannot enter into those places of worship.

If only, those people who followed Satan for lying wonders and signs, would love the truth of God, they could have been saved.  Just because they don’t have the love for the truth, God has sent a strong delusion to them to make them believe a lie.  "2 Thess 2:10 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: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth,"  That is the reason for their worship of Satan in the churches.  These people will have no hope. 

According to the above parable and the following explanation, whenever God plants his people (workers) in his field of work (church) the devil also plants his people along with them. Both groups of people, the wheat and the tares are allowed to grow side by side. Verse 41 says, the children of the devil (the tares) will do iniquity (sin), and will offend the kingdom of God (promote false gospel).  Jesus Christ says that the tares will be thrown into the furnace of fire and those who do righteousness will shine in the Kingdom of God.

Jesus said that the true worshippers must worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth. Unless they have the spirit, how can they worship God in the spirit?  Unless they know the truth, how can they worship in truth?  Whoever worships God without the spirit and without knowing the truth, is not a true worshipper.  "John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."  

Those who are born of the Spirit are mysteriously led of the Holy Spirit.  "John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 1 Cor 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God."  The Holy Spirit will teach them, reveals the things of God to them, will bring the commandments of Jesus Christ into remembrance and will give them spiritual power to fulfill them.  "John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

Jesus Christ says that the only way to know 'the truth' is by continuing in the Word of God.  As the Holy Spirit reveals the word, continue in the word, that is to study and obey his Word which will make them His disciples.  Then only, they will know the truth.  The Holy Spirit will teach and guide the believer with all the truth so that they may obey the whole truth in their life.  They are the true worshipers of God.  "John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.  John 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come."

The Churches are expecting Jesus Christ to come at any moment.  People are ready to be caught up now in the rapture.  Most of the churches proclaim this often to show their religious fervency.  These kinds of statements are nothing more than clichés to kindle just an excitement among the people.  According to the Bible, two definite incidents must happen before the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We can assure Christians that the Lord will not come until these two incidents happen. "2 Thess 2:3 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; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."

1. The first incident will be the falling away, which is the backsliding of the church.  The spiritual church has to become worldly and materialistic.  This has been fulfilled in almost all the churches all over the world.  The churches have learned to talk very religiously for a facade without any godliness in their life.  They have no knowledge of the truth of God.  They read selected portions of the Bible, but study many books in order to know God.  The lives of the Christians are empty without God.  The falling away has happened.

2. The second incident will be that, the man of sin, the devil with his influenced followers, should be exposed (revealed) from their disguise.  The Bible says that Satan is sitting in the churches (temple) and showing himself as God and exalting himself above all that is worshipped.  For some reason God is allowing this deception to happen.  The Scripture context refers the temple to the New Testament Churches and not to the temple at Jerusalem.  Until Satan is exposed out in the open, that day, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the rapture of the church shall not come.  The next great event in the church will be 'the exposing of Satan'.

The very people of God, who were waiting for the coming of Messiah, crucified Him when He came because they did not believe the truth of God.  Things have not changed even today.  Even now, people don’t want to believe the Word of God.  But they do believe whatever they want to believe.  They will not hesitate to go out of the way to refer to commentaries, different translations etc., until they hear what they want to hear.  The natural tendency of the flesh is to believe a lie.  Jesus Christ says that the devil is a liar and the father of it.  People will believe the devil because he is the father of them.  Jesus Christ told the truth and people did not believe him.  God forsook them and they worshipped their father, the devil.  "John 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not."

The truth of God can be understood by his disciples only.  We have to start obeying His word to become his disciples in order to understand his truth.  If we have a divided loyalty between God and mammon, which is the things of this world, we will not understand his truth.  God will send strong delusion to those who do not have the love for the truth so that they may believe a lie.  At this point Satan will blind their minds and will show himself to them as God and deceives them.  They worship Satan thinking that they are worshipping God.  So, love the truth and escape deception.  "2 Thess 2:4 --- he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.    10 --- 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: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth,--  2 Cor 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

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Pastor Isaac Livingston Alleluia Church of God P.O. Box 962 Oak Park, IL 60303,usa