Mystery of the Evil One

We have been told:

2 Thessalonians 2:9
For the coming of that Evil One is the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all the deceptiveness of iniquity in them that perish because they did not receive the love of the truth by which they might have life. Therefore YHWH will send upon them the strength of a deception that they may believe a lie, and that they all may be condemned who believe not the truth but have pleasure in iniquity.

2 Thessalonians 2:7
For the mystery of the Evil One already begins to be operative and only if that which now hinders will be taken from the midst, then at length will that Evil One be revealed who Master Y'shua will consume by the breath of his mouth and will bring to nothing by the visibility of his coming.

Will this deception build in strength until that time, and what is this strong delusion that befalls those who do not seek the truth?  What is it that hinders this evil mystery from going into full operation?  After that which hinders is taken from the midst, the Evil One will be revealed.  I believe Mr. Evil One is the final world leader who brings a sense of world peace at a critical time, who will be fully revealed 3-1/2 years into the final seven years when Satan possesses Mr. Evil One and he claims to be 'god'.  The deception is building as it is written that it is already in operation.

Folks have been brainwashed from birth (me included) and the time has come for the end times scenario.  Those who search out the truth see this and those who have fallen into one religion or another have been blinded to His Truth.  What was the very first tactic Satan used against Yah's creation?  He caused Eve to Doubt the Word of God.  The example in The Garden is of one doubting the command given by the Creator and causing another to do the same. Would it be fair to apply this same tactic to us? I would say 'Yes' because that exact thing has been going on for years: Christians believe The Law has been nailed to the cross in effect making Torah, Yah's Instructions in Righteousness, null and void and have been teaching others this same false doctrine. They have called into question the truth of our Father and caused people to be uncertain of what is written in Scriptures.

2 Thessalonians begins in regards to the return of Y'shua and our standing strong in our Faith in him, that we should not be uprooted in our mind nor be troubled or deceived. Paul writes that before the Son of Elohim returns, first will come a defection and that man of sin will be revealed; the son of perdition; who is an opponent and exalts himself above all that is called praiseworthy; so that he also sits in the temple of (God) as a deity and displays himself as if he were a deity.

The defection is also called the 'falling away' or the 'great apostasy' which is the fallen state of Churchianity as a whole.  Even in Paul's day there was an all-Gentile church forming which aimed to throw off God's Instructions and reinvent Messiah to put him more in line with Hellenism, polytheism and paganism.  The Defection (which is already in progress) will become most evident when the Final World Leader takes his place.  The Truth of the Matter will be fully evident 3-1/2 years later.

A 'delusion' is something that is falsely believed or propagated. It can be a persistent false psychotic belief regarding the self or persons or objects outside the self that is maintained despite indisputable evidence to the contrary.  It is the act of tricking or deceiving someone. 'Doubt' makes one call into question the truth; to be uncertain and consider something unlikely. If we have been deluded into believing something (lies) while ignoring proof to the contrary (truth) then we have been tricked and deceived which causes us to doubt the truth, becoming uncertain of its reality: if we do not love truth we will be content to accept lies.  That is how Satan, the father of lies, has succeeded and will continue to conquer people right up until the return of Messiah.  I see the first big-time obvious end times result of those who have fallen for the delusion is when they line up to receive the 'mark' in order to continue shopping, buying, selling and all things that require 'money' to complete the transaction.  This will be a strong test for all Set Apart believers; remember, it was money that convinced Judas to betray Y'shua. Remember also that Yahweh removed His hedge of protection from Job so that Satan could test his faith.  Our love of the truth and our faith in our Creator will see us through these coming trials.  (Read Job again to get an idea of the horrible times we will be facing in the future end times scenario)

Here is a list of a few items that I think are some of the building blocks used in that deception, the strong delusion, which grows in one's mind the longer they go without seeking the truth or ignoring it; they become delusional. These same topics have been successful in causing great divisions amongst all who consider themselves believers, making it easier for Satan to continue his plan.

Religion - click here for my study Stumbling Blocks

Death - click here for my study Rest in Peace

Eternal Salvation - click here for my study Always Saved?

Modern Day Israel - click here for my study Who is Israel

The Pope et al - click here for my study Delusion of Religion

The Old Testament - click here for my study Moving Beyond Hebrew Roots

Our Creator is not slow to keep His Word yet is giving everyone time to repent and return to the faith once delivered - the Way it once was.  He does not want anyone to perish but knows only a remnant will be saved at the return of His Son.  He will, some day, remove His hedge of protection and it will seem we will be fending for ourselves, but never forget, it is always true: with Him all things are possible.

To Dance or Not to Dance

Several months ago the topic of dance came up within the Torah Study Group I was attending.  A sister came across a website which went into the pagan origins of what some today refer to as Hebraic Dance, or Davidic Dance, or praise and worship dance = Circle Dance.  I followed up this topic with my own study, both within scripture and via resources on the web.  Bottom line - Acceptable dance, whirling and twirling (dancing) is Spontaneous Reaction to Joy, not something planned, choreographed and taught to others.

Examples of Joyful Dancing in Scriptures:
Exodus 15:20,

1 Samuel 18:6-7. 2 Samuel 6:14-23,

Jeremiah 31:4,
Psalm 30:12, Psalm 149, 150:4,
Judges 11:34 (mixed emotions here)
Judges 21:21-23

 

In a rush to embrace the Hebraic Roots/Messianic movement, some good hearted gentiles are overlooking some facts.  Just as we have learned about the origins of the holidays and have quit partaking in them, learned dance steps have pagan origins, too.  We cannot tolerate what is wrong in an attempt to make things right.  We cannot mimic pagan ways and think we are honoring our Creator as He Himself said we cannot take something unholy and make it holy.

Here are some links that delve into the origins of what is being passed off as praise and worship:

 

Is Dancing Biblical?

What does Scripture Say?

Mayim Mayim
this site (Israeli folk dance) has a pdf showing the particular steps called the 'grapevine'
which is what ties in with paganism...

Grapevine Step
same style as the Hebrew Folk Dance
Spiral-Grapevine-Weaver's Dance defined

 

There is so much deception in our life which is a tool used by Satan to keep us from gaining knowledge, to keep us from YHWH our Elohim.  I am thankful for Jamie who brought this topic to my attention to begin with!  Time to take the blinders off!  Be Set Apart because He Is Set Apart :-)

 

 

Eyes to See and Ears to Hear

Ezekiel 12:1 - Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, you live in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.

There is so much to heed these days that it can seem overwhelming, but we cannot give in lest we become slaves to Satan in one of his many disguises. Remember- he is the father of lies and the master of deception. In smooth talk he deceived Eve and turn her against Yahweh's command- one simple request! Do Not Eat of the Tree in the Center of the Garden! One simple rule to abide by in the Garden of Eden. 

Our president (Obama) was not especially forthcoming about his birth certificate and never did publicly admit where he was born, for example. A little white lie - by not saying anything, he convicted himself. And what if he is a believer in Islam? That does not bode well for our future. He is pretending to get friendly with the middle east muslims which could open the door for them to solidify their infiltration of the USA via Sharia Law (apparently legal) and build more terrorist cells throughout the land so they can force their hand when needed.   (Update 3/13/2017- I am leaving this in here as a reminder of days gone by ~ Candus)

A lot has happened in the world since the days of Adam and Eve, boy howdy!! But I believe, sadly, America has seen her peak and is on the way down. She began backsliding in 1960 when God was removed from the public school system and hasn't stopped since then. I read a comparison of women as shown on TV from the 1950-60's to today. It started with wholesome June Cleaver and ended with degenerate Ellen. How true that the modern day media/art reflects humanity as a whole. How true that without Yahweh we are nothing, yet with Him anything is possible!

Learn to tell the difference between a lie and the truth - stop pretending everything is O.K. and start living by the Instructions given us from our Creator.