Being a truth-teller in a time of great deception

Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John explains, “But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive..." Paul writes that the Father has prepared for us things that our eyes have not seen, nor ears heard, nor even have entered into our hearts, but he has revealed them to us by His Spirit. These revelations are His living water for the sake of others!

This is part 3 of this series. We focus on I Corinthians and Paul's example of dependence on a demonstration of the Spirit's power not on human wisdom. We also will see his guidance as he answers the question, "How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together...?"

John 4:19, “The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.  23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father inspirit and truth…”

Jesus makes an amazing declaration in John 4:23, "A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”  How do we do that? Holy Spirit lead us into all the truth!

It seems ultra significant that Jesus’ first message in Nazarethwas that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him to anoint Him and send Him to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound… Many people around us are broken hearted and held captive. JESUS STILL HEALS AND DELIVERS!

Jesus says in Mark 13:37, “And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” So, let’s consider our times watchfully and seek discernment. As reflect on 2025, we see rampant lawlessness with violence seemly accepted as a means to deal with our differences. We see the great power of AI to benefit lives, but also a powerful tool for deception. And as Islam spreads and increases in influence, what will be the fruit?

As we continue our series on AI, Dr. John Lennox’s last 4chapters in his book 2084 are fascinating. First, he declares that Jesus is the true Homo Deus, then he reminds us that Jesus promises that His return will bring an end to the rebellion against His kingdom, then he discusses Homo Deusin the book of Revelation and closes with thoughts on the time of the end.                

UK Prime Minister Starmer recently announced that, "You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have a Digital ID, it's as simple as that." So, what is Digital ID? How will its implementation affect us?

Why did man fall in the garden? Was it due to a talking snake? This podcast takes a deep look at the Creation, the Garden and the Fall to discern what actually happened? We also examine where does the desire for a Homo Deus, man god come from?

AI elitists have radical goals to upgrade humans through transhumanism and turn man into Homo Deus, a god man. “Genesis, I think, is the crux of it. To abolish and remake human nature is to play God. The chief objection to playing God is that someone else is God already. God as the great creator created man in His image as He intended. Man has no business changing His design.”

Artificial General Intelligence could be defined as the quest for “superintelligence.” With “superintelligence,” computers will develop their own capability to learn, understand, apply logic and reason and adapt to new situations. With this "superintelligence," AGI will upgrade humans into gods and turn Homo Sapiens into Homo deus. What will be the consequences of these goals?

AI is great and has made our lives easier. However, it can also manipulate and control us. How can we use it wisely? Are we dependent on our phones or on Jesus?

Dr. John Lennox observes, ‘we are now firmly in the realm of Artificial General Intelligence,” which put simply is the quest for a superintelligence. A super-intelligent AI will be extremely good at accomplishing its goals, and if those goals aren’t aligned with ours we’re in trouble.” An ultimate goal is “upgrading human beings.” A human would be implanted with technology so that a superintelligent Homo deus is produced. Homo deus is Latin for ‘man god.” These goals call for wisdom and discernment from our true Living God.

Artificial Intelligence is the rage in our modern world. Huge investments of time, energy and money are enhancing its development rapidly. As we live in these digital days, many dwell constantly in the land of AI. AI may markedly multiply the power of deceptive forces in our lives. We will do a series on its dangers!

Paul admonishes us in I Cor 12:1, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant.” The NLT says the gifts are given to us so that we can help one another. This study of the manifestation gifts of I Cor 12 uses Biblical examples to illustrate the gifts in action.

God the Father sent John the Baptist to prepare the wayfor Jesus. In John 1:33, John testifies, “I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” However, Jesus does not baptize others with the Holy Spirit right after His baptism. He waited until after his deathand resurrection. Why? Let’s follow the scriptural sequence of how Jesus came to baptize with the Holy Spirit.

God the Father sent Jesus, to give life abundant and restore what Satan, had stolen, killed and destroyed. Jesus was the light of the world. He said in John 12:4, “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put theirtrust in me will no longer remain in the dark. Inhim was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The lightshines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Jesus of Nazareth came to earth and became fully human then, through His relationship with the Father and baptism by the Holy Spirit, restored the Kingdom of God to earth. Our focus today is on how Jesus built His Kingdom through His relationships with His followers. For instance, Mark and Matthew make it seem the calling of the fishermen, Andrew and Simon, James and John was like a cold call. John and Luke, in huge contrast, show a beautiful building of a relationship before an awesome catch of fish leads to them becoming "fishers of men."

John 1 describes how Jesus was the Word made flesh and the true light that brings light to everyone. His light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Throughout His earthly ministry He faced opposition from Herod killing all the babies, to the people of Nazareth seeking to throw Him off a cliff, to the religious leaders seeking to stone Him. He was the light of the world. In His light we see light. May He equip us to see His Kingdom come in our circles of influence.

There is no Kingdom without the King. Satan stole the dominion of earth from Adam in the garden. However, the Father had a plan. Even before the world was created Jesus was the lamb of God slain for the sin of the world. Jesus was sent as a human being to restore the Kingdom of God to earth. For 30 years Jesus lived in obscurity. How did He go from a nobody from Nazareth to the King of the Kingdom?

The Christian life is not a struggle, but a yielding to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We yield by giving Jesus the "right of way" in our lives and then follow Him. Further, it is not a matter of our effort but a matter of our union with Christ. As we are united with Him in the power of His resurrected life, we will bear much fruit.

Jesus is the same as when He first came to testify to the truth. Therefore, we must abide in Him. If strange, new ideas do not align with the truth in Jesus, then we should not only avoid them but alert others as well. We must stand together against the deceptive spirit of this age. Our strength to stand comes from the grace of God. Hebrews 13:4, “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” We are instructed to “hold marriage in” honor.” The Greek word implies to value it as something very precious. As the church has not honored marriage, the evil one has come in like a flood to steal our values, to kill our children and to destroy our Christian influence on our civilization.     The Church must stand in this evil day and see that marriage is held in honor among all.

We continue our study of Hebrews today with Ch 12. Earlier chapters of Hebrews declare how Jesus gave us a new and living way to relate with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit through the New Covenant. Ch12 instructs us how to live our life of faith. It tells us how to respond to God’s discipline and warns us that a “whole lot of shaking is coming!”

Faith is the substance of things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen! How do we acquire and exercise faith? How did the heroes of faith believe God? How did they believe for unbelievable stuff? How did they respond when the 'stuff" didn't happen?

God’s will is for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ. Through His sacrifice, the blood of Jesus has made a new and life-giving way for us to go right into the presence of God and have fellowship! This gives us hope that is an anchor for our souls. If we receive the knowledge of the truth, then deliberately and willfully continue in sin, there will be certain judgment. Jesus himself has absolute authority to judge. However, if we are faithful to live by faith, with patient endurance, we will receive all that He has promised.

Christ entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. He has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. The blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God.

Jesus is our priest forever in the order of Melchizedek! So, based on God’s oath and His resurrection, Jesus now guarantees the new covenant. This better hope enables us to come boldly before His throne of grace! Jesus’ perfect sacrifice gives Him a “perfect priesthood” which saves us once and for all, to the uttermost!

Hebrews 6 warns us about a hardness that may be unredeemable. But it also assures us that Jesus is our forerunner who has made the way for us to experience "eternal salvation." This offer of "His righteousness" gives us hope that is a firm and secure anchor for our soul!

Jesus through giving His life freely has provided for us eternal salvation. Original sin left man eternally separated from God. But Jesus was the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world. He became sin for us on the cross. His willing sacrifice paid the debt of death that we owed. Death could not hold Him because He had never sinned, so up from the grave He arose! Now He ever lives as our eternal High Priest who is the way to eternal life and restored fellowship with God.

Jesus has called us His friends! He even says that we didn't choose Him, that He chose us! He calls us to abide or stay in relationship with Him and allow His words to abide in us. As we do, He will work through us and we will bear much fruit!

Hebrews 4 declares there remains a rest 4 for the people of God. Today, God is speaking! If we receive His word with faith, there is a special rest for us. Jesus has made the way for us to come into the very throne room of God our Father. We are invited to speak to Him with free, fearless confidence and cheerful courage!

In these last days, God is speaking to us through Jesus. So, as we hear His voice today, we must receive His word with faith. The truth is in Jesus. As we receive His word with faith, we will protect ourselves from deception and enter His rest.

Hebrews 2 we warns us not to neglect this great salvation that Jesus himself proclaimed, the disciples confirmed, and the Father verified by signs, wonders and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Jesus established this great salvation by becoming a man and then by conquering sin and death through his innocent death in our place.

This study of Hebrews chapter 1 reveals that God the Father so loved the world that He sent Jesus, God the only begotten Son, to reveal His love to us. Jesus' obedience to the Father established a Kingdom where grace abounds and right-standing with God is restored. The glory and wonder of Jesus as God the Son is revealed in this chapter!

Hebrews 1:1-4 tells us that God the Father has spoken to us most clearly in these last days by His Son Jesus. It goes on and magnifies the truth that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life through 7 eternal traits of Jesus. We come away with a glorious understanding of who Jesus truly is as God, the Son, the express image of God.

Scripture says of Israel that God says, "I will bless those who bless you." As Israel has been re-established as its own nation, God has amazing blessed. The tiny nation thrives despite being surrounded by hostile nations. On October 7th Israel was attacked by Hamas, whose stated goal is the total destruction of Israel. They beheaded, raped and burned babies, even. Yet protestors and the media accuse Israel of genocide of the Palestinians. We Christians must stand with Israel and for truth.

As Jesus began His ministry he declared the Kingdom is at hand or within your grasp. The Kingdom advanced as he did the works of the Father. He calls us to do the same works that he did. As the Kingdom advances, the enemy will counter. We resist by following Jesus, listening to the Father, and doing the works He gives us to do.

Jesus began His ministry at age 30 and announced the "time is fulfilled," repent and believe the gospel. Why was the time fulfilled at that point? Scripture clearly teaches that the time was fulfilled because the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon Him empowering Him to do the Father's will!

After the fall man had been oppressed by darkness and death through Satan's reign on earth. Jesus was sent by the Father as the light of the World. His sacrificial death has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.

How, practically speaking, did the Spirit of the Lord enable Jesus to heal the broken hearted and set captives free? Can He do the same thing for us?

Isaiah 59 warns of a time of darkness, and in which truth fails. Is that time upon us? Some who love the truth have been silenced. Some wonder if this attack on truth is ultimately a global movement of spiritual darkness.

Jesus said the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him to set the captives and oppressed free and to heal the broken-hearted. How many people around us are oppressed and broken-hearted? The Ignite Event is designed to equip us to do the works that Jesus did to bring freedom and healing.

As Jesus started His ministry he read Isaiah 61:1, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and has anointed me to bring good news to the humble..." After the Holy Spirit anointed Him He went about doing amazing works to set captives free and heal the broken-hearted. The promise of the Father is that in these last days He will pour out His Spirit on all of us and anoint us. How will this happen and what does it mean?

As Jesus started His ministry in Nazareth, He announced the Spirit of the Lord is upon me for He has anointed me and sent me to preach good news, set captives free, open blind eyes, and give liberty to the oppressed. So, with that anointing He went about doing good and healing those oppressed by the devil. As He sent us to be His witnesses, He promised that the Holy Spirit would also come upon us to empower our witness!

At Christmas we celebrate our love for one another by giving gifts. The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. We receive our gifts from each other at Christmas in faith that good things are inside. As we receive Christ Jesus as our Lord, the gift of God is eternal life!

Jesus says in John 10 and 14, if you can't believe that I am one with God the Father because of what I say, at least believe because of the works of the Father you have seen me do. Hebrews 2:4 says, "God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit..."

Jesus interceded for us by becoming sin for us and being the atoning sacrifice for our sins. But he did not stop there. Now seated at the Father's right hand He ever lives to make intercession for us! Through His Holy Spirit, He works all things together for our good to make us powerful intercessors like Himself.

Scripture has much to say about the power and effectiveness of God's word. It is life giving and actively moving to give us eternal life, cause us to grow, and equip us to live fruitful lives! Send it forth, Lord!

As the Father gave Peter the faith to know and confess that Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus gave him the keys to the Kingdom. Scripture has many promises about how powerful even a mustard seed of faith is. This power comes not from the greatness of our faith, but from who our faith is in! As faith in Jesus gives us "mountain-moving faith," we are to use it to serve His kingdom, not to build our own kingdoms.

Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to empower us to do the same works that He did. How, practically speaking, is that possible? Scripture speaks often about the gifts of the Spirit. They can be the means that enable us to see His Kingdom come. Many, however, are fearful of the gifts of the Spirit. This study teaches their proper use, especially the gift of tongues.