Servias Ministries Blog

Behind all deception is pride!

Pride is what opens us up to deception.  When you become proud of your God-given talents, you open yourself up to pride.  Humility cancels out pride.

Wisdom recorded in Proverbs chapter 18:

12 Before disaster the heart of a man is haughty and filled with self-importance (pride), But humility comes before honor.

And in Proverbs chapter 15:

33 The source of revelation-knowledge is found as you fall down in surrender before the Lord. Don’t expect to see Shekinah glory until the Lord sees your sincere humility.

Those of us who are humble will open up the treasury of revelation knowledge given to us through The Holy Spirit to benefit us in our daily walk.

Peter wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st Peter chapter 5:

5 Likewise, you younger men [of lesser rank and experience], be subject to your elders [seek their counsel]; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another [tie on the servant’s apron], for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD [the disdainful, the presumptuous, and He defeats them], BUT HE GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.

True elders have focused on removing pride from their personal lives.  They are not out to prove themselves to the world.  They walk humbly before THE LORD.

They embraced Wisdom when It recorded in Proverbs chapter 22:

4 The reward of humility [that is, having a realistic view of one’s importance] and the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the LORD Is riches, honor, and life.

Would you rather have Heavenly Treasures or earthy treasures?  The world would have us focus on earthly treasures which in turn will puff you up and draw attention to yourself.  Heavenly Treasures, on the other hand, exalts Jesus Christ Who is the only One Who deserves our praise and worship.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Colossians chapter 3:

12 You are always and dearly Loved by God! So robe yourself with virtues of God, since you have been Divinely chosen to be Holy. Be merciful as you endeavor to understand others, and be compassionate, showing kindness toward all. Be gentle and humble, unoffendable in your patience with others.

13 Tolerate the weaknesses of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the same way you have been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ. If you find fault with someone, release this same gift of forgiveness to them.

14 For Love is supreme and must flow through each of these virtues. Love becomes the mark of true maturity.

As we become spiritually mature, we will become humble and walk in Love and patience toward those who are weak in their walk.

One of the attractions of many cults is that if you join them, you will be a member of a supergroup, superior to all others.  They promote the idea that they have some special revelation unknown to most men.  In some cases, they subscribe to replacement theology that redefines what FATHER’S Divine Intent expresses in the Bible.  Their incomplete understanding of Scripture is hidden from those who are not being fully led by The Holy Spirit.  Pride is the root of the problem with such leaders.  They exalt themselves as some special person endowed with superior knowledge.  They infer that if you join them in their elite walk, you too will become special.  Flee from such people who promote a false religion!

Jesus warned us in Matthew chapter 24:

11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray from the Truth.

We are to test the spirits who promote their agenda.  The Beloved Disciple issued this warning when he wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st John chapter 4:

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He Who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.

6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.

When we listen to The Holy Spirit Who is in us, we will discern if Truth is being spoken.  Being led by The Holy Spirit will defend us against pride and walking in error.

Be vigilant!

To be vigilant means: to be carefully observant or attentive; on the lookout for possible danger.

Peter wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st Peter chapter 5:

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

In other Words, take a decisive stand against him and resist his every attack with strong, vigorous faith. For you know that your believing brothers and sisters around the world are experiencing the same kinds of troubles you endure.

If you are not vigilant, you can be deceived.  You must know the Truth and you can test whether or not you have the Truth by three means.  Is what you are being exposed to, true to Jesus?  Is it true to the Bible?  Does it have the witness of The Holy Spirit?

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Corinthians chapter 11:

3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted-you may well put up with it!

Paul is writing to the church known to be baptized in The Holy Spirit with the gifts of The Holy Spirit operating in their midst.  However, they were not exempt from being deceived by the serpent, the devil.

We cannot be tolerant of imposters!

We must be careful of the New Age movement.  This movement will utilize various means to replicate promises given to us in Scripture.  Healing and prosperity are a couple of the areas they use to entice unsuspecting believers of following a different gospel.  Muscle testing, pendulums, etc. are used to validate their “Ouija medicine” which is tied to the occult.  Do not be deceived.

People who constantly look for signs can be easily deceived.  I have known many who were led by signs rather than being led by The Holy Spirit.  The adversary will gladly provide you with a sign to lead you astray.  Yes, there are some signs that FATHER will use as confirmation to The Word HE gave you.  However, the signs are only for confirmation.  Not all signs are relevant to your situation.

Some say that all religions are different roads to the same GOD.  Wrong!  Jesus Christ is the only Way to The Lord God Almighty.

Pride is the door that leads to deception.  Behind all deception is pride and it started with Lucifer.  It was pride that caused his fall.

It is recorded by THE SPIRIT in Isaiah chapter 14:

12 “How you are fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!

13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’

15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.

The pride found in his heart caused his full and complete rejection from Heaven.  Pride is not and will not be tolerated in Heaven.

When our eyes are opened, we will be amazed as it is recorded by Isaiah:

16 “Those who see you will gaze at you, And consider you, saying: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,

17 Who made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, Who did not open the house of his prisoners?’

The adversary has used pride to deceive nations and kingdoms throughout history.  It is critical that we not allow pride to deceive us in any way, shape, or form.  Pride is the most subtle sin to be dealt with.  I have had to repent of pride substantially in my walk.  When I look back, I see how the adversary has used willing vessels to deceive me and lead me astray.  Only by the conviction of The Holy Spirit was I spared from destruction in various areas of my life.  FATHER’S great Love for both you and me will always overcome the consequences of pride as we repent.  We must remain vigilant on a daily basis else we could be led astray by the subtle devices of the adversary.

In the last of the last days, the chosen of GOD will humble themselves just as the early church did!

Peter wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st Peter chapter 5:

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty Hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

The Book of 1^st Samuel is a book of decline, division, and defeat of Israel.  It reminds me of what is happening in America today.  The last Words of this book are enlightening.

It is recorded by THE SPIRIT in 1^st Samuel chapter 31:

13 Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

The Book of 2^nd Samuel is a book of recovery, reunion, and victory.  The turning point was the men of Jabesh Gilead.  Their fasting brought forth the change in Israel.  They abstained from food for seven days for the purpose of humbling themselves before THE LORD, a form of intercession.

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Jonah chapter 1:

1 Now the Word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”

GOD told Jonah to go east, but he went west and suffered.  Jonah was not excited about prophesying to the inhabitants of Nineveh. 

In chapter 3:

1 Now the Word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,

2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.”

3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the Word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent.

4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

How did they respond to GOD’S prophet proclaiming judgment?

5  So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.

6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes.

7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water.

8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.

9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?

10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.

A fast is meant to break man’s soulish ways and FATHER honors such a fast.  As a result, this will enable the person to remove impediments to hearing FATHER’S Voice in specific areas at issue.

To hear GOD’S Voice, we must accept HIS Word to be absolute Truth!

The world would have us believe that the Bible is not totally accurate and true.  They have reached finite, partial, restricted conclusions about an Infinite GOD.  When you think about it, their conclusions are rather ridiculous.  They have a perspective based on their own limited experience, observation, and intellect.  Would I dare base my life on such men?

My first recollection of hearing GOD’S Voice was in 1972.  I was newly married, finishing my college education, and needed a part-time job.  A friend of the family mentioned that the newspaper was hiring part-time help downtown.  I knew very little about our downtown businesses.  I filled out an application but somehow knew I would not get a job there.  When I left the building, FATHER spoke to me and said, “See that tallest building, they have a job for you.”  I had no idea what was in that building.  It was a bank.  They had a job that met my specific needs, and I was hired.  After that experience, I knew GOD’S Voice.

In 1972, I was a very immature believer and had hardly any teaching of GOD’S Word.  In late 1971, I had received the Baptism of The Holy Spirit based on two or three verses quoted to me.  I had no foundation of The Word at the time.  In HIS great grace and mercy, FATHER directed my steps.  The point of sharing this is that I had no qualifications or performance to deserve HIS rhḗma Word any more than anyone else.  I simply believed and acted on HIS rhḗma Word when I finally heard it.  HE will do the same for you.

The following prayer may be appropriate for someone who is reading this blog:

Dear Father, my struggle has not been easy, but I praise You for who you are…Abba, The Counselor, My Provider, and my Only Hope. I come to you humbly, and ask You for a Rhema Word for my situation. I understand that You, and You alone, are the Perfector of my Faith, and the One Who has ordered the Universe. I, alone, can do nothing, apart from You. I lay down my wants and desires, to please You, Father. I align my heart with Your Word. I will Praise You during the sunny days and on the darkest nights. You, Lord, are the One I seek first each day and seek to please above all else. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen

Wisdom wrote in Proverbs chapter 30:

5 Every Word of GOD is pure and proves to be true; HE is a shield to those who put their trust in HIM.

6 Do not add to His Words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

7 GOD, there are two things I’m asking You for before I die, only two:

8 Empty out of my heart everything that is false—every lie, and every crooked thing. And give me neither undue poverty nor undue wealth—but rather, feed my soul with the measure of prosperity that pleases You.

9 May my satisfaction be found in You. Don’t let me be so rich that I don’t need you or so poor that I have to resort to dishonesty just to make ends meet. Then my life will never detract from bringing glory to Your Name.

Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 4:

4  But Jesus answered the adversary, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every rhḗma (uttered or spoken) Word of God.‘”

FATHER speaks, we hear, our faith grows, and we act.  It is that simple.

The best way to develop your hearing is to remove distractions and noise generated by the world.

It is recorded by THE SPIRIT in 1^st Kings chapter 19:

11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake;

12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small Voice.

13 So it was, when Elijah heard It, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a Voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Elijah had to wait for the noise to pass so that he could hear the still small Voice.  When we hear the Truth from Heaven, we will know it.  Think about it!

Hearing GOD’S Voice requires us to be diligent!

Peter wrote by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Peter chapter 1:

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,

3 as His Divine power has given to us all things that pertain to Life and Godliness, through the knowledge of Him Who called us by glory and virtue,

We have all been called but few have accepted His call wholeheartedly.  His Grace was freely given but He expects us to take steps toward full maturity in Christ.  Our salvation was just the beginning.

4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

We have been given the ability to be partakers of the Divine Nature here on earth.  What is a partaker?  It is one, by his own volition, takes part in something.  You and I must decide to take part in the Divine Nature and it requires us to diligently seek It.

5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,

6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,

7 to Godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness Love.

8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We will be rewarded from our diligence in hearing and responding to GOD’S Voice and will be abundantly fruitful in all areas.  Then Peter warns us:

9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Don’t be shortsighted… be “longsighted”.

10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;

It is up to each of us to make our call and election sure.  It is vital that we be diligent on a daily basis to become mature in our walk with The Lord so that we don’t stumble.

11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

What a great promise!

12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present Truth.

13 Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent (body), to stir you up by reminding you,

I too have been called to remind you of these Truths!  I remind myself as well and I am grateful for such an opportunity to grow in THE LORD.

And in 2^nd Peter chapter 3:

14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;

15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation-as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the Wisdom given to him, has written to you,

16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

Untaught and unstable people will insert their own soulish opinions to what the Scriptures say.  Beware of men’s opinions!  Their opinions will cause you to go into a ditch.  They can be convincing in their arguments and will often tickle your ears to entice you to accept such error.  This is why it is critical to hear GOD’S Voice!

17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;

18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Diligence is an active noun.  We are to be active, not passive, in pursuing a mature walk where we consistently hear GOD’S Voice.  We must not allow ourselves to become lazy and attempt to coast through life.

As Paul reminds us by The Holy Spirit in Romans chapter 12:

9 Let Love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly Love, in honor giving preference to one another;

11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;