Testing Truth in a Deceived World | June 23rd, 2026

Reading: 

1 John 4:1-6
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Acts 17:10-12
10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.

Devotional: 

The false prophet deceived multitudes through signs and false promises, leading them to worship the Antichrist. Deception contains enough truth to seem believable but enough error to be destructive. Jesus warned that even the elect could be deceived if possible. How do we guard against this? By testing everything through God's Word. The Bereans were commended for examining Scripture daily to verify what they heard. Are you passively absorbing cultural values, or actively filtering them through biblical truth? Don't rely solely on feelings or experiences. Know the Bible deeply enough to recognize counterfeits.

Challenge: Ask the Holy Spirit to be the umpire of your heart, calling out what contradicts God's truth. Take note of what you hear throughout the day and ask "What does the BIBLE say about this?" and look it up later to test it.

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