Yet another title that the Pharisees applied to our Lord. Obviously we know that He is not a deceiver, but they thought of Him in this way. As we step closer to the full expression of what the Lord has for the earth, those on the front end who are forerunning the end-time move of God will find that there is great accusation and persecution ready behind every advancement. The hope that we have is that Jesus showed us how to deal with these accusations, He was dead. Though that seems simple, it is profound and powerful if we apply it. When they accused Him while He was alive, He was already as dead to their words as He was when they accused Him during the three days He was dead. Jesus is our example in all things. Our best option is to imitate Him in all things.
The accusation against the only Man who never told a lie was that He was a deceiver. We, too, will suffer accusation when we advance the Kingdom, some from the world, but mostly from well-meaning but stagnant believers. William Seymour and Frank Bartleman, leaders of the Azusa Street Revival, were told that they were too extreme when in reality their reckless abandonment was what was absolutely necessary in order to bring about the world revival that they were to start. Similarly, if you have heard from the Lord, people will tell you that you haven’t. If you constantly have people telling you to do one thing, but internally you would be in anguish if you did, go for it. Go.
It is neither wise nor safe to betray one’s conscience. Someone I know was told not to take a job for a season, but to stay faithful with what he was clearly directed to do. For months he wrestled with this, especially because wise council had instructed him to get a job multiple times. But internally he knew that he knew that he knew that it was not a season for traditional employment, so he trudged on. One night he felt so overwhelmed by the “wisdom” that others had given him and the lack of funds coming in that he decided to just go and get a job because, in his words, “God was taking too long”. Less two days later someone handed him an envelope with over $1000 in it. He heard God.
The difficult reality of the Kingdom of Heaven is that the logic of the Kingdom doesn’t work in the systems of the world. In order to make the transition from our old, dead kingdom that most of the world is caught up in we must become like children and re-learn the logic of the Kingdom of Heaven. The ways, or logic, of the Kingdom are better, higher ways and work when mixed in faithful trust in the King. The smartest people on the planet will prove to be those who lived in the Kingdom before the Kingdom came. The citizens of the Kingdom are dead to all other lesser kingdoms.
In the world, Jesus said, we will certainly have trouble. But what does He end John 16:33 with? “But take heart, for I have overcome the world.” He has everything in control, either directly or through His people. There is nothing to fear, unless He really is a deceiver. But who are you going to trust, the Guy who had death begging for three days to let go of Him or a bunch of religious leaders who were so gripped by envy that they plotted for years to kill just one Man who had been healing the sick, feeding the poor miraculously, raising the dead and delivering the helpless from demons and disease? Personally, the Radical Redeemer seems to be the best option. If we feel deceived by Him, like Jeremiah did, it is likely not His fault but the fault of our assumptions. The Word and Words of the Lord are best taken at face-value unless He shows otherwise.
*We don’t really know You as the Truth. We would like to, though. Help us, please.*
