Watch Out! Don't Be Fooled!

There is a very good reason for such a warning as this. And something of this nature is repeated for us multiple times throughout the New Testament writings which have to do with keeping a watch out for false prophets and teachers and preachers who teach lies, and not the truth, and who are leading many people astray with their lies, including a large number of people who profess faith in Jesus Christ. And it is good that the passage in Mark 8 includes Herod who was a political ruler of the people of that time.

For many Christians (or those who profess faith in Jesus Christ with their lips only) in the USA today are not being guarded in heart and mind, and they are not watching out for the leaven of the charlatans and “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” some of whom are within the gatherings of “the church,” and some of whom are in positions of power as “kings” (rulers) of nations. And so they are giving their undivided loyalties and devotion to people not of God who are not following the Lord, but their own flesh, some of them of “the beast.”

The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were skilled at hypocrisy. Jesus described them as those who do not practice what they preach, who love places of honor and getting lots of attention, who lead people to hell on the promise of heaven, who profess one thing but live the opposite, and who adhere to religious rituals but not to God’s righteousness. They may appear righteous outwardly to some people. Inwardly they are very evil, full of wicked deeds, greed, hypocrisy, and self-indulgence. And they persecute the saints of God.

And this, in truth, describes many people of power, rule, and authority today, both within the gatherings of what are called “churches,” and within our governments. I believe this is especially the case here in the USA, but we live in a day and time where this is all over the world. And I believe very much that “the beast” is rising, and that the beast is taking over one nation at a time, and it is deceiving people all over the world, and is convincing many people to “worship” its image, and is bringing this world under its rule.

And what is this “leaven” that we are being warned against, and that we are to watch out for? It has to do with moral corruption, depravity, impurity, and deception, which is spreading rapidly within the gatherings of “the church” and within nations of people. It is the spreading influence of evil throughout the church and the world which has many people in its traps, giving adherence to its authority and reign and rule in their lives, because they are believing the lies of these “Pharisees,” and not the truth of God’s Word.

And there is a great deception going on in our world and in the church today which is largely being led by television, the internet, the news media, social media, smartphones, internet devices, easy access to the world of evil at one’s fingertips, and charismatic leaders who lure the people with their personalities, their charm, and their lies, both in the political realm and within the gatherings of what are called “churches,” many of which are just businesses being marketed to the people of the world to grow numbers.

Many people, thus, are being led by what they hear or read or see in the media, and they are not testing what they hear or read or see; to make certain it is the truth and not a pack of lies disguised as truth. Especially we have people here in the USA clinging to one particular political party who are just regurgitating what that political party is spilling out as truth, who are not testing what that political party is saying is truth to make sure it is truth and not a pack of lies, which a lot of it is (on both sides – two in one).

So, we have these warnings in the Scriptures for us who profess faith in Jesus Christ that we should be diligent in watching out for these liars and deceivers and tricksters who are getting the people to follow them and their lies and to not pursue or to seek out or to find the truth and then obey it. We need to be on the lookout for the moral corruption going on within “the church”, the world, and our governments and their “kings.” So we need to be students of the Scriptures (in context) who are obeying only our King Jesus.

Testing the spirits: [Matthew 7:15-23; Matthew 24:11-14; John 10:1-15; Romans 16:17-19; 2 Corinthians 11:3,13-15; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 3:2; 2 Peter 2:1-22; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 1 Timothy 6:3-10; 2 Timothy 3:1-9; 1 John 4:1-6; Jude 1:1-25]

My Sheep

Based off John 10:1-30 NIV
An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…

They know my voice, so they follow me.


Watch Out! Don’t Be Fooled!
An Original Work / June 20, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love