AND FOR THIS CAUSE GOD SHALL SEND THEM STRONG DELUSION, THAT THEY SHOULD BELIEVE A LIE: (12) THAT THEY ALL MIGHT BE DAMNED WHO BELIEVED NOT THE TRUTH, BUT HAD PLEASURE IN UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.

As we continue our study about tribulation, we’ve looked into why it is going to come to pass. I shared that not one person, simply because of God’s grace, has to face tribulation. Whether you are Jew or Gentile, every person upon the face of this earth can be born-again be caught up in the rapture of the Church and watch from a position of being with Jesus Christ as God creates a new heaven and earth. Of course, we know from scripture that, it will not happen.

The simpliest way I know to see this is found in:

Matthew 7:13-14

ENTER YE IN AT THE STRAIT GATE: FOR WIDE IS THE GATE, AND BROAD IS THE WAY, THAT LEADETH TO DESTRUCTION, AND MANY THERE BE WHICH GO IN THEREAT. (14) BECAUSE STRAIT IS THE GATE, AND NARROW IS THE WAY, WHICH LEADETH UNTO LIFE, AND FEW THERE BE THAT FIND IT.

The absolute greatest burden in my life is seeking to help people find that narrow gate! It doesn’t matter if you’re a Church member or if you’ve never been in a Church, It’s my desire to help you be sure you know about that narrow gate and enter in at some point in your life.

As we look at this phrase (strong delusion) I pray I can show you just what he’s speaking of and, at the same time teach the salvation message. I’d like to share something I believe is a critical point in our world today. So, let’s begin with me. According to the standards of this world, I’m very poorly educated. I barely finished High School. I know very little about using the English language correctly and, I am very limited in the (how to’s) of proper Church etiquette.

However, the will to understand and teach God’s word since 1975 has been a passion of mine. In 1984 I surrendered to God’s call to preach. God already knew my education level and still chose to use me for his glory. Can God use a man like me to reach the masses for his glory? It’s all about (will) (a passion) ( a desire) to do just what God calls you to do.

There’s a Church about forty miles from where I live that I have never visited. However, I know the testimony of the man that started that Church. When he was born-again he could neither read nor write. His passion was so tremendous to bring the gospel to the lost that he took his Bible and cassette tapes of God’s word, listen and learned to read and write because of that passion. That Church today probably seats 500 people.

Now, look at these verses:

Romans 10:13-16

FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED. (14) HOW THEN HOWSHALL THEN SHALL THEY CALL ON HIM IN WHOM THEY HAVE NOT BELIEVED? AND HOW SHALL THEY BELIEVE IN HIM IN WHOM THEY HAVE NOT HEARD? AND HOW SHALL THEY HEAR WITHOUT A PREACHER? (15) AND HOW SHALL THEY PREACH, EXCEPT THEY BE SENT? AS IT IS WRITTEN, HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THEM THAT PREACH THE GOSPEL OF PEACE, AND BRING GLAD TIDINGS OF GOOD THINGS! (16) BUT THEY HAVE NOT ALL OBEYED THE GOSPEL. FOR ESAIAS SAITH, LORD, WHO HATH BELIEVED OUR REPORT?

There’s a lot stated in these verses. However, can you see the importance of, first of all, hearing, then believing? Then, how about a preacher? How many are sent? Do you believe that just because a person is standing behind a pulpit, God called him?

Within these verses, you can hear the passion of the Apostle Paul and, just how important it is that the gospel be preached in truth. I have that same passion! When we see the part of this that says (BUT THEY HAVE NOT ALL OBEYED THE GOSPEL), he’s speaking of people (men and women) that stand behind a pulpit but are not concerned about the truth! So, with that fact being understood, we’ll start with that.

I want you to see this verse, speaking about the Apostle Paul.

Acts 9:13-16

THEN ANANIAS ANSWERED, LORD, I HAVE HEARD BY MANY OF THIS MAN, HOW MUCH EVIL HE HATH DONE TO THY SAINTS AT JERUSALEM: (14) AND HERE HE HATH AUTHORITY FROM THE CHIEF PRIEST TO BIND ALL THAT CALL ON THY NAME. (15) BUT THE LORD SAID UNTO HIM, GO THY WAY: FOR HE IS A CHOSEN VESSEL UNTO ME, TO BEAR MY NAME BEFORE THE GENTILES, AND KINGS, AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: (16) FOR I WILL SHEW HIM HOW GREAT THINGS HE MUST SUFFER FOR MY NAME SAKE.

We see hear that the Apostle Paul had a calling laid on him by the Holy Spirit. Let’s just consider, what if he failed? As we go back and look at what was said in Romans, we see in those verses that the last part was (being sent). So, let’s do it in reverse. How shall they preach except they be sent? How shall they hear without a preacher? How shall they believe in whom they have not heard? How shal they call on him in whom they have not believed?

We’re looking into the phrase ( God will send them strong delusions). When we consider the call of God on the Apostle Paul’s life and the very necessity of that truth coming into the hearts of men that they might understand, then ( he, the man must not fail at his calling! Actually, it’s no different today. How can any person know truth if it’s not revealed to him?

I believe there are a lot of people standing behind pulpits today that fit this phrase: (BUT THEY HAVE NOT ALL OBEYED THE GOSPEL)! If I’m correct, there’s a lot of people that will stand before God with the blood of many souls on their hands. Why? Because they willingly stood in a place that carries tremendous resposibility without being willing to pay the price to share the whols gospel with the people they preach to.

When we see the phase (God shall send them strong delusions) we’re speaking of people that are living when the rapture takes place. Those people have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit has drawn conviction on their hearts, they know they need to be saved but, they rejected the call of God to be saved. My point in writing this about the pastors of Churches is that there are many people that have said they believe in Jesus Christ, been baptized and joined Church but, in reality, they have never truly heard a message that brought great, soul saving conviction on their hearts. Therefore, they haven’t had a chance to reject what they haven’t heard.

God’s grace is always available. This is another difference we see in the Church and the Ark. After the door of the Ark was closed, God’s mercy was gone. When the rapture of the Church occurs, during a period of time after the Church is caught up, people can still be saved. However, the verse we are looking into is saying this. If a person had an opporunity during God’s time of grace to except him but rejected it, God will send that individual (strong delusions the he might believe a lie).

I’d like to share this: I do not believe that any man that has God’s call on his life will purposely deceive anyone. If God’s call is on your life, you will do all you can to find truth and reveal that truth to the people you have the priviledge to share with. The problem is that many men and women today have made pastoring a carrer and have never been called by God!

I’d like to share this with you. We all are (hell deserving sinners) if we ask for justice, we’ll all burn in hell for an eternity. As far as God the Father is concerned, there’s not one thing about our fleshly bodies that deserves salvation. Since here I’m talking about (strong delusions) I want take the time to prove all this but, we can prove this from scripture. God himself, came down to this world in body of flesh. He was born just as we are. His mother in the flesh was a virgin, we call him Jesus Christ. That body, God in flesh live a completely sin free life. He was hated and despised by men. He was placed on a Cross, suffered more than any man, died on that Cross, was buried. On the third day he arose from the grave, victorious over death.

After his resurrection, he was seen by over five hundred people at once. He lived among men for forty days after his resurrection. Not only that,he promised that he would send us the comforter which is (his Spirit) to dwell among us. That Spirit came on the (Day of Pentecost). He will remain with us until the Church is caught up to meet him in the clouds.

What God is saying is this. I done all that. I loved you that much. Yet, you rejected me, you rejected my call for you to be saved. Therefore, don’t expect me to extend my grace to you now! It’s too late! As a matter of fact, I’ll do all I can. I’ll try my best to make you believe a lie!

I wrote extensively about Churches today. The fact that they don’t represent God by allowing God’s Spirit to use them in the messages they preach. I contend this. The members of our Churches today, those that call themselves Christians are among the least educated people about what they say they believe of any group we can mention on this earth. There’s a reason for that. The true Church, the people that are members of the body of Christ are (peculiar people). They cannot be taught by man! While God uses men to teach, those men must be people that will allow God’s Spirit to speak through them.

We are not of this world! If you desire to be a teacher in a school, you can be educated by this world to do so. It you desire to be a doctor, you can be educated by this world to do so. Electricians, plumbers, welders, truck drivers, laywers, bookkeepers, bankers, the list can go on forever, While any of these people can be born-again, having God’s Spirit living within them and, still have a profession or trade, if they are trained or educated to be a preacher or teacher then, it must be taught to them by God’s Spirit.

Far too often the only training that pastors and teachers have is (of this world). This fact leaves many Church people ignorant of what it means to be born-again. This means that although they have been in Church or, a building for years, they still have never had a chance to hear God’s Spirit and reject the salvation he offers.

We are individuals before God. Only you as an individual can say where you stand with God! Far too often we like to look at it as simple as Churched and unChurched. However, it goes much deeper in a spiritual light than just that statement. When it comes to (strong delusions) God knows who you are and, how often he has tried to help you see yourself as a sinner.

I know that this is a hard saying but, I believe there are whole Churches that actually don’t have one born-again believer as a member among them. Although they were started by men and women with the very Spirit of God directing them now, they have become (lukewarm) and God spued them out of his mouth.

So, what happened? We see in Noah’s day that (the sons of God) married (the daughters of men). There were people in those days that sought to teach their children righteousness but their children rejected that teaching. As one generation led to another, one day the whole concept of righteousness was gone! I personally believe this. Even while many people are still living, God no longer deals with their hearts. It’s not so much as he will not deal with them but, the whole concept of the Holy Spirit is gone from the place they live their lives, even if it’s within a Church.

In many Churches, we use the name of Jesus Christ in vain and, God the Father knows that! If I call the name of Jesus Christ but refuse to speak the truth about him, what good is his name? Look at this verse:

Philemon 1:6

THAT THE COMMUNICATION OF THY FAITH BECOME EFFECTUAL BY THE ACKNOWLEDGING OF EVERY GOOD THING WHICH IS IN YOU IN CHRIST JESUS.

The communication of the name of Jesus Christ must be tied to the word of God and the truth within that word. The only way it can become effectual is for God’s Spirit to be the one that is acknowledging it. I’m tring to make the point that if you have never been under conviction by God’s Holy Spirit, even if you pastor a Church, are a leader in a Church or just a Church member then, you are no different that any other person that has never experienced the new birth, being unchurched.

However, if you know that God has spoken to you and, you rejected his call for salvation then he will send you strong delusions if you are still here in the Tribulation period. Now, in the Tribulation period if you are able to see your need for salvation then, it won’t be easily obtained like it is during this period of time. As a matter of fact, you will have to seal your faith in Christ with your own blood. That, we can see in our study of Revelation.

Revelation 13:15-16

AND HE HAD POWER TO GIVE LIFE UNTO THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST, THAT THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST SHOULD BOTH SPEAK, AND CAUSE THAT AS MANY AS WOULD NOT WORSHIP THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST SHOULD BE KILLED. (16) AND HE CAUSETH ALL BOTH SMALL AND GREAT, RICH AND POOR, FREE AND BOND, TO RECEIVE A MARK IN THEIR HAND, OR IN THEIR FOREHEADS.

This is what I’m speaking of. We see the word (saints) here. Every person that was born-again has left at the time of the rapture. I’d like for you to consider something. Right now there are people that have never been born-again that have heard about what we call the (Mark of the Beast). That mark has been talked about for years, many are aware of the period of time that we speak of. It’s events that men do such as putting a chip in animals for identification, taking a vaccine and so on that those people will refuse to be a part of because they have heard of that mark and fear that mark. However, they do not understand the born-again experience!

Consider this: I mentioned whole Churches that don’t have one born-again believer in them. That means that when the rapture takes place, they will be completely ignorant of the fact it happened. I’m going to say something to simply make a point. Today, we hear a lot about Climate Change. Well, Tribulation period is or will be a great climate change. That doesn’t mean that the people pushing it understands anything about Tribulation. There’s a well known politician that made a statement simular to this. He stated that at some point climate change will make many perople disappear.

Within that statement, Satan will use the rapture to make people believe that climate change caused people to disappear. And God will send strong delusions on them that had an opporunity to be saved and didn’t before the rapture. However, there will be those that will remember somethings about scripture and will refuse to take that mark.

In every peroid of time, God causes the change to be subtle. When Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, it was very little change up until the flood, when God gave Moses the law, it was very little change for most of mankind, when the Church was born in (Acts 2) it was very little change as far as this world was concerned. When the rapture takes place it will be very little change in this world for the first three and a half years. Most people will think that things are as normal. However, when Satan demands for men to worship him, it will open the eyes of some and they will choose death rather than to submit to him!

You can read this in: Revelation 6:9-10. However, let’s read:

Revelation 20:4

AND I SAW THRONES, AND THEY SAT UPON THEM, AND JUDGMENT WAS GIVEN UNTO THEM: AND I SAW THE SOULS OF THEM THAT WERE BEHEADED FOR THE WITNESS OF JESUS, AND FOR THE WORD OF GOD, AND WHICH HAD NOT WORSHIPPED THE BEAST, NEITHER HIS IMAGE, NEITHER HAD RECEIVED HIS MARK UPON THEIR FORHEADS, OR IN THEIR HANDS; AND THEY LIVED AND REIGNED WITH CHRIST A THOUSAND YEARS.

As I show you this, be aware! These people never felt the convicting hand of God while the Holy Spirit was here before the rapture. If they had, God would have sent them strong delusions that they might believe the lie of the antichrist.

We live in a time right now of great apostasy, a time when many are led by the spirit of Satan and know not the truth. I often say this and I’ll close this segment. Satan will always come to any person dressed in Sheep’s clothing to deceive, even now. It’s one thing to be hurt by a known enemy but when we are deceived by those that say they love us, that is truly the worst! Our pastors, parents, friends, we don’t expect to be deceived by those that say they love us. However, you must understand that if you could see the enemy, you wouldn’t listen.

There are those that fall in love with pastors, they pay very little attention to what he says because they are blinded by the fact (he/she says they love them. While all the time they’re being deceived by that very blindness. If that fact is true, even with the fact that we have the presence of God’s Spirit today, what do you think it will be like when that Spirit is gone and plus, God sends strong delusions on top of that.

THe Bible tells us that it not God’s will that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

THE LORD IS NOT SLACK CONCERNING HIS PROMISE, AS SOME MEN COUNT SLACKNESS; BUT IS LONGSUFFERING TO US-WARD, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE.

God the Father done all he could to have people saved! However, if you reject his salvation in the time, be careful; that can be very dangerous as far as eternity is concerned if Jesus returns in the rapture.

In conclusion; God granted the Gentiles, the Jews, whosoever will a period of time to ask Jesus Christ to be their Savior. In the KIng James Bible, in (John 3:16) the word (loved) is used. When God came down in a body of flesh and dwelt among men, we call him Jesus Christ! He done all that was needed for every person to be saved. He even sent his very own Spirit to guide us, help us understand all we can about who he is.

I know that what I’m about to say might be seen as crude. However, it’s true. What God is saying is this: during this time, after I done all, you can either asked Jesus Christ to be your savior or (YOU CAN GO TO HELL)! At that; the same man that could have been your savior will become your judge!

Hell was simply designed for the devil and the angels that followed him. However, if you choose to follow him, then you can go live with him for eternity!

Matthew 25:41

THEN SHALL HE SAY ALSO UNTO THEM ON THE LEFT HAND, DEPART FROM ME, YE CURSED, INTO EVERLASTING FIRE, (PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS.

Marshall Clayton

2 Timothy 1:7

The next segment will be (MORE ABOUT FALLING AWAY FIRST)!