Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 7:21–27, John 11:40–44,
1 Pet. 3:18, 1 Sam. 28:3–25, Eph. 6:10–18.
Memory Text: “And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as
an angel of light. So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise
themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their
deeds” (2 Corinthians 11:14, 15, NRSV).
Our contemporary world has become a melting pot of the super-
natural and the mystical, helped on by Hollywood, which has no
problem making movies with religious and mystical themes in
a hodgepodge of error and deception. The old lie “ ‘You surely will not
die!’ ” (Gen. 3:4, NASB) also has inspired some of the most-read books
and most-watched movies of the past few decades, and many popular
video games, as well. Undeniably, we are exposed to and tempted by
the enchanted ground of Satan, which can appear in myriad forms and
even, in some cases, can come hidden under the veneer of science.
One of the most deceptive phenomena has been what have been
called “near death” experiences (NDEs), where those who had “died”
have come back to life with stories of an afterlife. Many people have
seen these events as proof of an immortal soul!
During this week, we will consider some end-time deceptions, includ-
ing mysticism, near-death experiences, reincarnation, necromancy and
ancestor worship, and others. These are dangerous subjects that we
should be aware of but without exposing ourselves to their influences.
