Book 3 of Musings Outward Appearances

Jesus told us the closing days of the Church Age would be characterized by deception.

Deception occurs when something is not what it appears to be. We must learn to take nothing for granted but to pray about everything. We can hardly be too careful!

It is the art of the magician to cause us to see things differently from what they actually are. This also is the art of those who produce dramas on the television. The characters seem to be on a boat, for example, when they are in a studio in Hollywood.

Satan is a master deceiver. He is able to conceal evil with the appearance of what is righteous and good.

This is why we have been commanded to pray without ceasing. Only by ceaseless prayer do we keep from being deceived.

There used to be a television series called "Mission Impossible." During each episode of the series an individual was placed in an environment structured to give the impression that he was somewhere other than where he actually was. He then was persuaded to take certain actions, or make confessions, that he would not have done had he realized where he actually was situated.

I have come to the conclusion that our life on earth is one long episode of "Mission Impossible." We do not realize how closely we are being watched. We continually are brought into situations contrived to elicit a response from us. Then our responses are studied carefully by personages in the heavens.

Both God and Satan play this game with us. God plays it because He is estimating how we are going to behave when we are given great authority and power in the next life.

Satan plays it in the attempt to get us to sin against God.

Satan continually is attempting to snare us in one manner or another. It reminds us of the attempts made by the enemies of the Jews to confuse Nehemiah so the wall would not be constructed.

Our life is based largely on an illusion. The physical world consists of the properties of molecules. We perceive the properties through the senses we have. We don't actually "see" anything. Stimuli on our optic nerves cause our brain to construct an image.

We are heading toward a real world, the spirit world. The decisions we are making now are deadly serious. They are affecting our eternal destiny.

We simply have to pray without ceasing. We have to read our Bible every day and pray every day. We have to gather with fervent disciples as we have opportunity. We must give, serve, and minister as God leads.

When we live as a disciple, denying ourselves, carrying our cross, the Lord enables us to see through the deceptions. We become full of eyes, as it were.

We are in a struggle for the crown of life and rulership. There are highly placed personages who are determined we will not be successful in our pursuit of the crown of life and rulership. They will deceive us if they possibly can.

One of the errors made by Christians is to believe they cannot be deceived. Believe me when I say you indeed can be deceived. Satan is able to imitate the Lord until it is almost impossible to tell the difference.

We are not able to save ourselves in this respect. God is the only one who can keep us from being deceived. God will open our eyes when a trap is being laid for us, but only if we are serving Him with a pure heart.

Also, we have been commanded to pray: "Lead me not into temptation but deliver me from the evil one." If we do not pray this prayer every day, we may fall into the clutches of Satan.

Things are seldom as they appear. If we are to survive and help others during the age of physical and moral horrors we are approaching, we have to learn to take nothing for granted. Everything must be prayed about. We must, as Paul, exhorts, pray without ceasing if we are going to be able to see past the outward appearance of things and understand the truth.

Much of the American culture is based on illusion. If we possess a certain man or woman we will be happy. If we have a great deal of money we will be happy. If we can retire and lay on the beach all day we will be happy. If we have no responsibilities we will be happy.

There are things in life that are not always what they seem to be. No man or woman can make us lastingly happy. The most attractive of people are no more than intelligent dust until Christ has been formed in them. Money often brings more sorrow than joy. Laying on the beach all day will lead to physical and mental deterioration. Being without responsibilities might be fine for a while, but I suspect it eventually would be boring for most of us.

I think sometimes we picture Heaven as being a place where we will have no responsibilities. What then would we do all day? I don't think we were created in such a manner we would be content if we had no responsibilities.

In any case, the only path that leads to love, joy, and peace is through the Lord Jesus Christ. There are Siren calls, but the shore is strewn with the bones of death. Only continual prayer and cross-carrying obedience can enable us to pierce the façade of the American culture.

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)