deception
Topic: actually 2001
it's the devil's oldest tool - you know how he did it with eve.... "did God REALLY say that?" - he knows that if he can get our thinking out of whack - then the actions will follow eventually - so, as we're thinkin about thinking this week - what are some areas that God's Word warns us to be wary of deception????

Galatians 6:7-8

do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. a man reaps what he sows. the one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

(ok - this one's a real DUH but we miss it - we get frustrated cause we don't grow and we struggle with sin and yet we don't investigate what we are planting in our lives... think about it and read luke 8 - remember "the seed IS the Word of God")

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

do you know know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor theives nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. and that is what some of you were. but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

(don't let down your moral guard - God's pretty blunt here - definitely NOT politically correct)

1 Corinthians 15:33-34

do not be misled: "bad company corrupts good character." come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God - i say this to your shame.

(is isolation the answer? NO - we ARE called to be "salt" and "light" - but the important thing to keep in mind is that we should be the influencers NOT the ones being influenced - make sure that you have other Christians around you who you can trust to honestly tell you if you are being wrongly influenced...)

James 1:16

don't be deceived, my dear brothers. every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

(pride and selfishness are right out - why should we be giving and generous? nothing is really ours in the first place!!!)

Colossians 2:8

see to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

(am i a principled man? we need to know everything we can about how Christ lived - so that we can follow his example - you have to KHJL if you're gonna WWJD!)

FINALLY

james 1:22

do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. do what it says.

(hopefully you've got some stuff to think about today - if God's shining some light on stuff in you - do something about it!!!)