2 Thessalonians 2:15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

This chapter is, frankly, not one of my favorites. I don’t like to read about the deceptions the devil vomits out. However, it’s no worse than any accurate news feed today! The absurdities that are proclaimed would be totally laughable if so many people weren’t led astray by them. We now have a pope speaking of “blessing” homosexual “unions!” We have “institutions of higher learning” churning out students and graduates who hate God and anything that represents Him. That has been behind antisemitism from the beginning, because the Jews were chosen by God for Him to work with and through, so those who hate God hate Jews automatically. (That’s not to say that Israel’s political decisions are always correct, but that’s a different discussion.) God created the union of a husband and wife to represent His relationship with His people, so the devil has gone all out to distort and pollute everything involved in that. Churches as human institutions are certainly flawed, but the devil has seized on that to make people throw the baby out with the bath water, as the saying goes. And the list goes on and on. Believers are called to stand firm on the words of Scripture, just as Paul says here. We aren’t to hate those who are deceived, but we are to hate the one behind the deception. We are to speak the truth in love always, because human logic is no match for the truth of God or the love of God. Lines are being drawn ever more clearly, and we need to be alert and careful. We don’t want to be among those deceived! In all of the confusion, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) and let His Word and His Spirit guide us, knowing that in Him we have the victory.

This has recently come close to home with a sweet girl coming to this church who has been deceived by teaching that because some of the things about our celebration of the birth of Jesus coincide with various pagan festivals, Christmas is an abomination. I too am saddened by some of the things that are done in the name of Christmas, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Creator sent His Son to be born as a human baby, to share our circumstances and then to die in our place so that we might have life. That is certainly worth celebrating! My ministry is going to be pivoting to more outside events, starting with a small conference in February, and I need to be careful that everything I say and do isn’t useful to the enemy in creating division, but rather draws the Body of Christ together to the unity in Him that He prayed for just before His crucifixion. (John 17) I need to help people be so aware of the truth that lies and deceptions are instantly exposed for what they are, and the Body of Christ built up.

Father, thank You for this reminder and clarification. I pray that I would be an accurate, effective representative for You, speaking Your words in Your love and living those words out, destroying the lies of the devil and bringing people into Your kingdom, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!