2nd Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
2nd Timothy 4: 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
In the study for today, we will not only bring to light the source of all misinformation, and conspiracies, but we will also be guided by the word of God with sound instruction, so as to avoid being sucked into a trend that has more or less become mainstream.
Bible studies should never be done with the sole purpose of pointing out errors, or giving out a lot of information. They should also include the Scriptural instructions, solutions and remedies which will then make the world a better place, if adopted.
Lying has become crystalized and endemic in the U.S to the point where it is almost now a prerequisite, on one’s resume, if persons are desirous of holding any public office. Like the deadly Covid pandemic of recent years many variants and strains of lying have now sprung into life.
Many podcasters, television shows, radio talk shows and many influencers are now totally devoted to the spreading of much misinformation, and conspiracy theories, to the point where it has become difficult to sort out fact from fiction, truth from falsehood. In fact, much energy and time is now being wasted in debunking rumors and lies.
And it has now infected so many millions of people that some individuals have been brought to the point where they will pick and choose, whatsoever they may want to believe, regardless of whether it is truth, or falsehood, instead of seeking out the facts and truth objectively without bias.
This trend is not good at all, for once it has been set in motion, it will not be turned around in a moment, for whenever deliberate choice is employed in doing that which is wrong, that practice becomes deeply embedded in the character, the more it is indulged, and it can take a herculean effort to normalize.
What is particularly disturbing about the current phenomena is that it has not only infected secular folk, but it has invaded Christian circles to a large extent, in so much that erroneous views are being peddled from many pulpits across the land.
In other words, the epidemic of misinformation is not only relegated to the secular or political arenas, it has taken on a life of its own in the doctrines, and teachings coming from much of the clergy, for most congregants are fed weekly on a spiritual diet which includes, mangled truth, and outright errors.
Let none be deceived into thinking that the current order of things could just be uprooted in a moment, for once the deadly seeds have been sown, they will inevitably spring up and bear fruit, for the mind that has become inebriated with lies and falsehoods can become entrenched in permanent darkness, to the point of no return.
This is exactly the plan of the devil, to inundate the masses of people with errors and falsehoods to the point where the condition will become mainstream, and thus, persons, having become weary and utterly desensitized to falsehoods, they would not even bat an eye when lies are being told, since they would’ve become so accustomed to it.
Thus, in order to understand where we are going, we must first understand where we came from, and how we got here, to this point, where there is now an almost irreversible epidemic of lying, for which the only known vaccine is the truth, as is found in God’s word.
Misinformation had its roots up in heaven, where lucifer began to spread false narratives about the Son of God, because he coveted the place of The Most-High.
What is especially troubling about the origins of misinformation is that lucifer was well acquainted with the truth, for he had verifiable facts before him, and in his own person.
Yet, a deliberate choice was made by him to spread unfounded rumors, misinformation, and a plethora of lies about God, thus mangling and distorting the truth, both to himself and his would-be followers. It was a conscious choice to spread misinformation in heaven, which resulted in him becoming the father of lies.
It is stated that if a lie is repeated long, and often enough, the time will come when even intelligent beings could end up believing it, thus, by so doing, one third of the intelligences in heaven, who fell for satan’s errors, eventually did irreversible damage to their own minds as they became deeply entrenched in a vortex of lies, and misinformation.
The root of all sins is covetousness, which, once it is harbored, indulged and cultivated, will spawn every other known sin, including all habitual lying.
Thus, it was, that lucifer coveted the position of The Son of God in heaven, and this morphed into every other evil trait, which then drove him to say things that he knew were unfounded.
As we study the history of all misinformation, as it began in heaven, we will observe that lucifer craved praise, which belongs to God alone.
And whenever any created being, whether angel or men, are known to deal in misinformation, lies and conspiracy theories, you’ll also observe a profound craving for praise, side by side with misinformation.
The two elements are actually two peas in a pod, for wherever coveting of praise abounds in any person, conspiracy theories and misinformation would also abound, for one element feeds off of the other, and vice versa, to produce a never-ending cycle.
Thus, according to the Scriptural renditions on the matters of misinformation, all roads lead right back to satan, who first started the ball a rolling, and who is the invisible leader behind all of the conspiracies, and misinformation we are now witnessing.
Let it be known beyond the shadow of all doubt that misinformation and conspiracy theories could never originate with God, for He deals only in the currency of truth and uprightness. Therefore, the source can only be the prince of darkness who peddles in these destructive elements daily. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 32: 3 Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
Basically, in a nutshell, we’re now witnessing in real time the work and the presence of evil angels, that’s spreading across the land like a wildfire. It’s not the best of news, but it’s the truth. Let’s read:
John 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
This is what took place in heaven with lucifer, and it is what we are now grappling with in our day, where truth and fact have become endangered species and where deliberate misinformation does not bother a person’s conscience anymore, in many cases.
As lucifer saw Christ being included in those private counsels of the Father, he wondered why he himself was being left out, and as he dwelt upon what then seemed to him as an injustice, the deadly seeds of covetousness were sown in his heart.
This went on secretly for some time in his mind, but like everything else that is cultivated, it will sooner, or later bubble up to the surface, which it did. Thus, an atmosphere of alienation gradually began to take root in heaven, among the angels.
Prior to this, heaven was a place of love, peace, and tranquility, but now the dark shadows of discontent, alienation, and polarization started to spread like a cloud over its inhabitants. Some way somehow, they just could not agree, or work together, anymore, as they had done previously.
The alienation that we are now witnessing across America, where many fellow citizens are at swords points against each other, is just a microcosm of a greater conflict that has, and is engulfing the entire planet, both on the humanistic level and also on the invisible, spiritual level.
Thus, after covetousness had become entrenched in the mind of lucifer, the inevitable fruits now began to manifest themselves in what he spoke, for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
He began to complain about the government of God by trying to demonstrate that Christ was restricting their freedom, and happiness.
Then he started to spread the unfounded rumors of how bad things will get for the angels if he were not installed as the dear leader in heaven.
Every good thing which God did, was misinterpreted into character assassination of The Most-High, and finally his conspiracies were directed at the judiciary when he erroneously declared that the laws of God were too restrictive.
The following therefore are scriptural references to the origins of all misinformation, and all conspiracy theories, and as we study closely, we will see clearly why we are in our own current predicament. And as we study, let us be honest with ourselves, and ask: is this happening in the here and now. Let’s read:
Ezekiel 28:12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, thus saith the Lord God; you seal up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
The two highlighted phrases in the previous passage must not be overlooked at all, for they reveal a very bizarre truth pertaining to the use of intelligence in persons or beings who may deliberately choose to distort truth. Here are the two phrases juxtaposed to each other:
Full of wisdom/ corrupted thy wisdom.
Look at the two phrases very closely, for they raise the very grim prospect that a mortal man who may follow satan’s lead can become both intelligent and unwise at the same time.
Question: Is it true that there can be persons, living in our day, who have manifested great intelligence, and yet, have said, and done things that fall short of their intelligence quotient, IQ?
In other words, is it possible for you to retain your intelligence, and yet be can found doing and saying stupid things? Remember, that most of what we are now seeing and hearing, as pertains to misinformation is coming from persons who are highly intelligent, and who, for all intents and purposes are well respected.
Can it be that the two phrases are being juxtaposed in persons, and they have not a clue what is taking place in their minds? The scripture seems to suggest that a person with extraordinary intelligence might not necessarily always say, and do things that are wise.
The desire for the highest place is what had driven the covetousness thus indulged, and in every being that is motivated by a desire for praise, there will be seen a disposition to use others as a stepping stone to climb to a higher round, regardless of the cost. Let’s read:
Isaiah 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most-High.
In trying to usurp the position of the Most High God many of his followers would lose their royal estate, and thus be banished into eternal night. But, be that as it may, in lucifer’s mind, the reward will be worth the risk, and if in the process fellow angels become doomed to destruction, then so be it.
The following are a few excerpts, coming from the pen of inspiration which build upon the passages we just read. They contain several examples which are eerily similar to what we are currently experiencing. Let’s read:
[1]
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 40] Rejecting with disdain the arguments and entreaties of the loyal angels, he denounced them as deluded slaves.
[In other words, he severely criticizes all who refuse to join his bandwagon, and he condemns them as being duped, confused, and misguided]
[2]
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 40] The preference shown to Christ he declared an act of injustice both to himself and to all the heavenly host, and announced that he would no longer submit to this invasion of his rights and theirs. He would never again acknowledge the supremacy of Christ.
[In other words, He determines never again to submit to any duly, God-ordained authority.]
[3]
Patriarchs & Prophets pp 40] He had determined to claim the honor which should have been given him, and take command of all who would become his followers.
[In other words, he aspired to become a sort of dear leader to all who subscribed to his cause; a sort of cult following.]
[4]
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 40] He promised those who would enter his ranks a new and better government under which all would enjoy freedom. Great numbers of the angels signified their purpose to accept him as their leader.
[His advances were successful to a great extent, for the Bible tells us that he took 1/3 of the angels with him.] Let’s read:
Revelation 12: 3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
[5]
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 40] He artfully presented his side of the question, employing sophistry and fraud to secure his objects. The only course remaining for him and his followers, he said, was to assert their liberty, and gain by force, the rights which had not been willingly accorded them.
[In other words, if he were not granted the highest office which he was seeking, then he would try to overthrow God’s government by force.] Let’s read:
Revelation 12: 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Now my dear brethren, if the story had ended with the last verses we just read, we could say it was just a mere historical event, and if so, we could chalk it up to just a one-time aberration in the history of the universe.
But there is one more verse in the Scriptures, which is deeply concerning, since lucifer’s modus operandi was apparently transferred from in heaven to earth, and that’s the reason why we are witnessing current events in the here and now. Let’s read:
Revelation 12: 12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time.
Question: Is it true that we are witnessing in our day replicas of what took place in heaven, and if so, how is the Christian in our day to avoid being sucked into the tentacles of rebellion, which had their origins in heaven?
The Bible gives us several answers so that we might chart straight paths for our feet. For starters, we are to renounce the tendency to pick and choose only those facts and truths which we prefer to believe.
This particular tendency, which has now gone viral, when indulged in the secular and in political realms, will eventually seep into the way we study the Bible, for there will be truths in God’s word that persons may not want to hear.
Thus, when the habit of selecting preferrable facts or truths is established in the character, the word of God on some points would be readily rejected if the truth does not jive with our biases, and preferences.
In fact, the disposition to pick, and choose only the truths and facts we prefer is symptomatic of the last days of earth’s history, when, as the Bible declares a worldwide epidemic of itching ears, is scheduled to envelop the earth in gross darkness. Let’s read:
2nd Timothy 4: 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Isaiah 30: 9 This is a rebellious people lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord.
10 Which say to the seers, see not; and to the prophets, prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.
Again, we saw in the history of misinformation, that lucifer decided to take by force, the office which he was not duly accorded, and for this reason he tried to overthrow the government of God.
There’s a great and pertinent lesson for all who will be guided by the principles, instructions, and laws in the Bible. The Christian, living in our day, might not necessarily like the government God allows to take the reins of control.
There may be serious disagreements with what God might permit, yet, because we acknowledge the fact that The Most-High rules in the affairs of men, folks should be willing to follow where God leads the way for God has not primarily called folks to agree with Him in all things, but rather to obey Him.
This counsel, given clearly in the Scriptures is to be of great and real value, as we observe the kingdoms of men becoming more antichrist in nature. These things must come to pass, as the Bible predicts, but the Christian is not to become riled up or unhinged, to the point where he or she is not willing to let God lead. Let’s read:
Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resists the power, resists the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
To put it plainly, if God sees it fit to put back Donald Trump in the seat of power, then so be it. And if He sees fit to pass the baton to Kamala Harris, then so be it. Christians are never to rush ahead of God, and take matters into their own hands, just because they might not agree with what God is permitting. Let’s read:
Daniel 4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the Most-High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whosoever he will, and sets up over it the basest of men.
Psalms 75: 5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.
6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
7 But God is the judge: he puts down one, and sets up another.
Last but not least, is the tendency to prefer science above the Bible, for whenever this is done, persons will ultimately choose the sayings, and philosophies of men, over the Sacred writ.
In an age, where misinformation, and conspiracies abound, we will discover that the only safe reliable sources in many instances will be the unadulterated word of God, and the spirit of prophecy.
For instance, when most news anchors speak about floods of Biblical proportions, or when they speak of apocalyptic scenes of destruction, they never, ever explain what they mean by that.
The clear word of God in prophecy is bypassed, and no link is ever made between what is transpiring on the earth, with what the prophets of the Bible have predicted, as pertaining to the final days of earth’s history.
Here are a few examples from the horse’s mouth, of what we are referring to:
CNN “We have had biblical proportions of rain over the night and into the day,” Halifax Mayor Mike Savage said Saturday. Sun July 23, 2023.
ABC News: Rain of 'biblical proportions': Fort Lauderdale residents stranded in homes, cars. April 14, 2023, 11:59 AM
CBS News: Here's how Hurricane Helene brought "biblical devastation" to western North Carolina in a near "worst-case scenario" October 1, 2024.
Newsweek: Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer described the devastation as a "post-apocalyptic scene" during an interview on CNN. Sep 30, 2024.
You will observe that no direct link is being made to the prophecies of the Bible, for the references are in a vague format, leaving listeners to draw their own conclusions.
Just to be clear, the word of God links these things to the 2nd coming of Christ, as they are predicted to increase in frequency and severity, and it also tells us that we are to expect increasing devastation from natural disasters, the closer we get to the coming of The Lord.
The disasters are not happening in a vacuum, they are a serious wake up call, being permitted to call earth’s inhabitants to the urgency of the moment.
If it’s not the blood-letting in the middle east, or the never-ending wars and rumors of war, or hurricanes which are beginning to show up in areas where they do not normally belong, all roads lead back to the Biblical prophecies, portending Christ’s soon return. Let the reliable source speak for itself. Let’s read:
Revelation 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3 Saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
Luke 21: 25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
1st Thessalonians 5: 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
Travail upon a woman with child is a reference to the labor pains that come upon a woman who has begun the process of childbirth. Those pains begin mildly, and at longer intervals, but, as the expected time of delivery draws near, the pains become more frequent and severe.
These sacred utterances are not fake news, they are the real deal, telling us that the end of all things is at hand and they are encouraging one and all to live in readiness.
Thus, if folks desire to steer clear of misinformation and conspiracy theories, the unadulterated word of God must be consulted, for it ties the here and now to the prophecies, which predicted these things in the first place.
Let us then refuse to be caught up in a web of lies, let us seek the clear word of God, which is able to make us wise unto salvation, and most importantly, let us seek to be found in Christ, the Only One who can solve this world’s problems and shield us from the delusions that will be coming upon the earth in short order.
In harmony with this sentiment, we’ll end the study with a passage of Scripture that will enable us to be insulated from misinformation, conspiracy theories, and every type of delusion or deception that is now engulfing the world. Let’s read:
Revelation 3: 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
God Bless!