Deception is everything opposite the truth. Anything contrary to God's Word is a lie and Satan is the father of all lies. 

Satan uses religion and mankind's desire to be in relationship with the Lord God as a tool to divide as well as to cause mankind to think that by being religious they become closer to God. Notice that I stated “God”, not His Son. Religion keeps people from seeing and comprehending the Kingdom. There are many religious leaders who may be aware of the Kingdom message but are afraid to proclaim it because it will interfere with their financial flow. For them to do so, they would have to admit they were wrong in their teaching.
 
One clear sign that a religious leader/pastor/minister either doesn’t understand the Gospel of the Kingdom as King Jesus taught or is misrepresenting His Kingdom, is if they focus on building “Kingdom Wealth”. King Jesus never taught the multitudes or His disciples how to build Kingdom wealth! God’s Constitution is your measurement for Truth. “Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart [soul desires] will be also. . . No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord]. Therefore I tell you, stop being worried or anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted) about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, as to what you will wear. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing?” Matthew 6:19-21, 24-25 AMP
 
You don’t have to attend a religious institution in order to reach the Father God. Do you recall what the Lord Jesus stated to the religious leader named Nicodemus?  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:13-17
 
First, in our minds, we must separate the Lord God and King Jesus from our religious mindset. Religion does not equal God. Religion is an emotional tool that the evil one uses to control the masses. Look at the religion of Catholicism. They have much hierarchy that their members must follow to be in good standing; but King Jesus made this statement: “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” John 14:15-17
 
Remember, the devil is a spirit—a fallen angel—and those that give themselves to him, through disobedience of the Lord God’s Constitution, will be misled every time. Religion gives one a false sense of eternal security. It can feel like a “get out of jail free” card. Rules are created by the hierarchy; some in line with God’s Constitution, some have nothing to do with it. Now follow these rules “religiously” and you’ll go to heaven. You won’t need to read and study His Word or listen to the Holy Spirit, just follow your leaders.
 
In order to operate in this world as a Kingdom citizen, you must put ALL your faith and trust in Him. You must listen to the guidance of the Governor—the Holy Spirit.  I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20
 
Faith is a lifestyle, not a religious mindset. Many who claim to live by faith, really depend on the world’s assistance for their survival:  doctors, government benefits, and even their earthly family and friends. By the way, I am speaking of those who claim to believe in the Lord Jesus the Christ, not those who are lost in the world. It is the believer who is being so greatly deceived. Too often, they are lulled into a fugue of complacency, by attending weekly services, giving tithes and offerings, believing they are pleasing the Lord God. But remember that it is faith that pleases Him.   But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17
 
Do not become stagnant when it comes to your faith in the King! If you are sick, don’t let your first thought be of doctors and medicine. Pray! Ask the One who created you for healing. If you are in financial need, ask the One who is your Source, not friends or family or for yet another loan. King Jesus’ command to us is to “Have faith in God!” This is a constant, not a momentary, command. So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”  Mark 11:22-24  Those are some strong words from the Lord Jesus, but can you believe them? They are not being spoken by your religion, but by your Lord and He cannot lie!
 
Build your faith. If you consistently study God’s Constitution, your faith in the King will grow every day. No one in the world needs religion to reach the Lord God. They need to embrace His Son, Jesus the Christ. The Lord Jesus, who is the King, made it quite clear in this statement when speaking to His disciple, Thomas:  Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
 
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:5-6  Even though He was speaking to Thomas, it applies to the whole world as we know it.
 
Remember, your faith in the King’s Word is your most valuable asset in His Kingdom.

All scriptures are NKJV unless noted
​
W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
 
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed.  Thank you

Part 3

The problem with deception is that when you are in it you cannot see it. The light of His Word must be shined on it, to be seen from another perspective. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit—our Governor—will give all wisdom and clarity of all deceptions. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. John 16:13
 
All our lives, we have been taught to attend some kind of religious institution. For those who consider themselves Christian, they are told they must attend a church in order to please God. They are told denominational laws to obey to be in right standing with the church. Some have been told if they don’t, they are going to hell. By the way, that statement isn’t anywhere in the Lord God’s Constitution.
 
There are so many religions on this earth that it confuses and deceives millions of people, preventing them from embracing the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Lord Jesus is God’s son and His Father gave Him all authority on earth and in Heaven.  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”  Matthew 28:18-19 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17 It is because of His God-given authority from His Father that He could tell His disciples that they could make disciples of the nations.
 
When He made the statement in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, He was speaking One. King Jesus made this statement when speaking to His Father:  Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. John 17:11 By the way, that prayer is for all of those who accept the Lord Jesus by faith, without having seen Him in person.  “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” John 17:21-23
 
The great deception is this:  That you have to have a religion to have access to God. Note that I stated God, not the Lord Jesus? Remember, there are multiple religions—Islam, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, to name a few—but only one God.
 
Humanistic skeptics believe religion to be a coping mechanism—a mechanism of self-comfort to make themselves feel that their life has a higher purpose. While they aren’t necessarily anti-religious, they are skeptical of one religion being valued over another. Not only do skeptics question the authority of religion, they doubt many of the claims people make regarding the religious practices they follow.
 
Another deception is in the atheistic perspective on religion and God: Atheists view religion as an evolutionary adaptation that has made people vulnerable to whatever belief system they choose. They see it as a crutch for those who are mentally and emotionally weak. They insist that religious practices are without reason and unsupported by scientific fact. They do not believe God exists. Because atheists reject the existence of God or any form of a higher power, they claim that most religions are based on superstition. Some even believe religiosity is man’s attempt to make sense of how humans exist in the first place.
 
Keep in mind; these are the views of the skeptics and atheists. But you cannot logically understand the Lord God and His creation. There is no room for religious thinking in the Kingdom of God because there is only one leader and King. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
 
Religious thinking divides and separates. Too many people want to be leaders over a large group of people. That equals success in the church world. Religion has become big business and the evil one—meaning Satan—is feeding their appetite with a multitude of lusts and power. Satan has given them the same offer he gave our King Jesus in the wilderness.  Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Matthew 4:8-9 The problem with that is, the religious leaders have accepted his corrupting offer, but our Lord and King replied to him with His Father’s Word. Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. Matthew 4:10-11

Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever, because  all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever. 1 Peter 1:23-25

All scriptures are NKJV unless noted
​
W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
 
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed.  Thank you

Part 2

The other day, as my wife and I were talking about the Kingdom and the mindset of others, the Governor—the Holy Spirit—reminded me of how religious individuals think. Keep in mind, the way you think is what you learned from those around you, your culture or what you have been taught.
 
When you have a Kingdom mindset, you view the Word, God’s Constitution, from a different perspective. When you have a religious perspective of God’s Constitution—the Bible—your thoughts will be based on religious teachings. Religious teaching becomes so deeply ingrained that God’s Kingdom can only be seen as religious and not the government of Heaven.
 
A Kingdom citizen knows that he is filled with and led by Our Governor of the Kingdom—the Holy Spirit. A Kingdom citizen uses words such as God’s Constitution, government, governor, citizenship and Father. It reinforces the understanding that the Lord Jesus came with the “government on His shoulders” to reintroduce God’s Kingdom here on earth. He gave us access to that Kingdom. Ambassador Paul made it very clear that our citizenship is of a heavenly nature.  Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. Philippians 3:17-20 NLT
 
When you are of a Kingdom mindset, you think of one leader and King, not a bunch of leaders here on the earth. We follow one leader and His Word is law. Keep this scripture in mind that King Jesus spoke while here on earth:  “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Matthew 28:18
 
Remember, as a citizen of His Kingdom, as long as you continue to use religious terms, you will always view yourself as a religious person and not as a part of the Kingdom government. That will hinder you from living an abundant life in God’s Kingdom while here on this earth. Christians of a religious mindset that you interact with should not influence you, but you should influence them. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15. . . Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God. Mark 7:7 NLT
 
Keep in mind, if you call a lion a kitty cat and then kneel down to pet it, you will have a rude awakening. It doesn’t matter how you see the lion, or what you call him, the lion is still a lion and will act out his nature. Knowing who you are keeps you in a Kingdom mindset. I have known Christians who hang their heads in false humility, saying, “I’m just a sinner, saved by grace.” Then that is all they will ever be because that is how they see themselves. But as a citizen of the Kingdom, I am a joint heir with the Lord Jesus, a child of the King! And by faith, I can live an abundant life in the Kingdom of God. All my needs are met and my King protects me and heals me of all my sickness. It is how the Lord God created me to be. I have the authority He has given me and you can say the same thing. Glory! Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:12-14 This is a Kingdom mindset!
 
When you have a Kingdom mindset, you will have the same thought pattern as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. King Jesus made it very clear when He made this statement in His prayer for all believers. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. John 17:20-23  

This is the Kingdom mindset, led by the Holy Spirit. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:13-16
 
Religion and religious people are so divided and confused. Denominations divide over manmade laws. Kingdom citizens embrace God’s Constitution as God’s law---His testaments to His people. They allow themselves to be led and guided by our Governor—the Holy Spirit. Remember, think government, not religion.
 
The Lord Jesus didn’t come to start another religion; He came to bring God’s Kingdom to earth!
 
Remember, your greatest asset in the Kingdom is your faith in the Word of the living God.

W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
 
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed.  Thank you