²²Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

 ²³But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.

 ²⁴Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

 ²⁵Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

 ²⁶For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.

 ¹⁷They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.

 ¹⁸For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?

 ¹⁹Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked.

We are instructed of Jesus as to how evil operates:

Matthew12:29
Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

One must first bind the “strong man” before spoiling his goods, including his liberty.

Samson had a covenant with God, and enjoyed the Spirit of God; but he also failed to walk uprightly and keep his covenant; so he gave in to the tempter who took him captive. His enemy subjected him to torture and humiliation.  His eyes were blinded during the torture, so that he had to be led around by another.  As a result, this once great warrior, who the enemy had feared, was bound and reduced to grinding in the enemy’s mill.  The strong man was then manageable by reason of his blindness.

In this country today, the populace is blinded to the facts of their heritage, due to their own failure to love the truth (…thy Word is truth.-John 17:17). As a result they, who were once strong in liberty and freedom, are now led around by those who are really their enemy.

The token of Samson’s covenant with God, his hair, began to grow; and finally God remembered Samson one last time. Will He remember us “one last time”?

Ecclesiastes 9:12

For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

Luke 21:34-35 

 34And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

 35For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

The question is posed, “How do we know that we have the Spirit of God abiding within us”? Can we know for sure?

“Bear witness” is defined as “providing evidence for…”

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bear%20witness 

So the Spirit itself is to be our evidence.  But how do we know if the Spirit is abiding within us?

 Romans 8:

 9But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

 10And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

 11But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 

We all have an “inner voice” that most often is referred to as our “conscience”.  It is this “conscience” that would guide all men in their actions. Some men do what they consider to be right and proper; others do what they think they can get away with.  Some don’t even know the difference!  In those that are dead in sin, this voice says to live after the flesh, doing the things of the flesh, or whatever our heart desires.  In Christians, this voice speaks to us in relation to the Word of God, telling us that our actions must conform to God’s standard of conduct as found in the Word.

It is the work of the Spirit by the blood of Christ to purge this conscience from dead works to serve the Living God (Heb 9:14).  When the Christian is converted, he is granted fellowship with the Spirit of God by the blood of Christ and the Comforter is come to lead and guide into all truth. 

John14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Isaiah30:21
And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

In the OT, God referred to the renewing of our conscience as the two “hearts”:

Ezekiel 36:

 26A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

 27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

God promised us that he would remove the “stony heart” and give us a heart of “flesh” or one that is tender to the voice of His Spirit, causing us to “walk” in His “statutes”.

Sinners don’t have this fellowship of the Spirit of God due to their “stony” heart, thus they seek not the truth and naturally do the works of the flesh. 

 John 14:17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Rom 8:13For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

 The Christian on the other hand, manifests the works of the Spirit for in the Spirit he is “alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord”.  Romans 6:11

Gal 5:

 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

 24And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

 25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

 The sinner manifests the works of the flesh.

Galatians 5:

 17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

 18But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law

 19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

 20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

 21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Finally, to make certain it is the Spirit bearing witness with our conscience; we are admonished to study the Word:

2Timothy2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

If our conscience and our actions bear witness with the Word, we can rest assured:

John 14: 

23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

 24He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

 1 John 2:

 5But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 

Notice the title reference to “True Believer”? Jesus said that the “true” worshippers must worship in “spirit” and in “truth”. (John 4:24)

How is it possible that one can read the same Word I read, and come to a different conclusion? At least one of us must be in error.

 “Well, “some would say, “that’s only your interpretation”.  I say there is only ONE interpretation of the Word and that would be a correct one. Peter says that the Word is divinely inspired, and “of no private interpretation”. (2 Pet 1:20,21). That indicates to everyone, that it means what it was meant to. Not something different, allowing for anyone to read whatever they wanted to into it. The natural man cannot understand the things of God, because they are foolishness unto him. (1 Cor 2:14).

How then can we understand?   

Is it not abundantly clear that to understand the Word of Life, we must KNOW the Author? We must walk in the Spirit, and the Spirit will reveal the deep things of God. (1 Cor 2:10)

But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. (Is 28:13.)

Who was the writer talking about? The legalist may say “in context” some of Israel, but surely he was indicating who He would allow to learn doctrine (Is 28:9.) and who He wouldn’t.

Paul related his conversion to the Galatians, and was eager to point out that his doctrine was not received from man, but “by revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal 1:12). Fine for Paul, some say, but we are not Paul. Who was Paul, but a minister by whom we believed (1 Cor 3:5)? A great Apostle, no doubt, but did the evidence of the Spirit stop with Paul or his generation? Why would it? This promise is to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord will call (Acts 2:38,39). 

John references this Spirit that will be given to us as an unction (1 John 2:20) from the Holy One, and an anointing that teaches us all things, and is no lie (1 John 2:27). Unction can be defined as “the shedding of a divine or spiritual influence upon a person.” This would clearly be a reference to the Spirit of Truth, sent to guide us into all Truth.

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:21.)

But still we have division, every man coming to a different conclusion. Paul says, “For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.” (1 Cor 11:18,19). 

There you have it. Heresies. Paul also referred to “divisions” in the First and Third chapter of the Book. He maintained that to achieve a “division” from the Truth, one must be carnal and walk as men, in the flesh (1 Cor 3:3), at enmity against God (Rom 8:7). This is clearly the opposite of walking in the Spirit, led by the Spirit of God (Rom 8:14).

Paul again tells us in Romans that if we have not the Spirit of God, we are none of His (Rom 8:9), and that this Spirit will “bear witness” with our spirit that we are the children of God (Rom 8:16). Add to this the example of the natural man receiving not the things of God (1 Cor 2:14), “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” ( 1 Cor 2:13) 

Jesus says that He will not leave us comfortless, but will send the Comforter (John 16:7), the Spirit of Truth. He said that this Spirit would guide us into all truth, because He doesn’t speak of Himself but what He hears, that shall He speak (John 16:13). Jesus was telling us that we could expect unity from God. We would get no difference, between God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They all are at one with the body (Eph 4) and Jesus prayed to the Father that we who would believe would also would be one with them (John 17:20,21). He also told us in John that “my sheep hear my voice and another they will not follow (John 10:4,5).  Jesus even appears to the eleven and “…opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,” (Luke 24:45).  But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.(Job 32:8.)

James writes that to obtain wisdom, all we have to do is ask God for it. But, we are to ask in faith, nothing wavering; otherwise we will receive nothing because we are “unstable”. (James 1:5-8; Is 28:9)

Lastly, written for our learning, were the examples of OT Israel: 

In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. (Judges 21:25.)

We of the faith of Abraham are  according to the Word, “spiritual Jews” (Rom 2:29). When we call ourselves Christian, (and hence “spiritual Jew”), but have not the King reigning in our heart, we WILL do that which is right IN OUR OWN EYES.

The last days are upon us, if you’ll look around, and take notice spiritually, you’ll have no doubt of this fact. I’ll not say that I know the day, nor the hour, but the fig trees are putting on leaves because summer is nigh. (Matt 24:32) To deny this obvious fact, is to illustrate a lack of spiritual sight and knowledge of the Word (1 Cor 2:14); to hope it is not true is to illustrate a carnal nature, which places one at enmity against God (Rom 8:7).

And Jesus answered and said unto them, “Take heed that no man deceive you”. Matt 24:4

How can we avoid deception in this last day and always? There are many “Christians” in the Church today who are deceived. How can I say this? How do I know this? Simply put, Christians are supposed to be children of the Most High God, Christlike, the ambassadors of Christ, the light of the world, the salt of the earth. But many of those who profess a “born again” relationship with Christ simply do not know Him. It is not Christ that liveth in them (Gal 2:20), because many still do the works of the flesh, which are manifest:

Galatians 5:

 19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

 20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

 21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

…and walk not in the Spirit:

Well, they say, no one is perfect. But Jesus said:

John 8:

 38I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.

 39They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

 40But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

 41Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

 42Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

 43Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

“If God were your Father, ye would love me…” Jesus said in the passage above. Those who walk in the flesh do not love Him for He said:

As previously stated, the Deceived do not love Him because they do the works of the flesh, and therefore keep not His commandments. This is the recipe for deception, as stated:

2 Thess 2:

 10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

So how to avoid deception? Simply love the Truth. Jesus is the “Way, the Truth, and the Life”, “the Word [of God] made flesh”. (John 14:6, John 1:14). 

When we are saved, or born again, all is made new; all is fresh, we know we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren (1 John 3:14). We feel changed, cleansed, and thankful. There is joy and peace in our soul, peace “which passeth all understanding” (Phil 4:7), because of the presence of God and Jesus Christ in our life (John 14:23). If we then cultivate this presence by “crucifying the flesh daily” (1 Cor 9:27) and renewing our mind (Rom 12:2) through our prayer life, we grow in grace and in God (2 Pet 3:18). If we succumb to temptation, for it will come, and fail to really repent (renewing the peace and joy we had before), this feeling of joy and peace gradually leaves us, and we open ourselves up to deception, because through the indulgence of temptations, we have denied, and not loved, the Truth.

John 10:

 26But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

 27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

 30I and my Father are one.

It is impossible to be deceived, when listening to, and following the Good Shepherd.

John 10:

5And a stranger will they not follow…