They twist and distort our attention and distract us from our proper focus ...
In communication it is called “noise”.
Noise?
Communications experts define the process of communication as the sending and receiving of information.
The process starts off by the sender transmitting a message (information) to the receiver. Along the way the message may encounter various forms of interference, distortion or even amplification.
For the sake of the Gospel message we’ll be focusing on the distortion-part.
Communications experts refer to the negative impact a message may experience, as "noise". Interference or noise has various degrees and angles of corruption and distortion on the original message and this causes a deviation so that at the time of reception, the message may change in various degrees from the original message.
And there we have it! The perfect recipe for a lot of confusion.
It sounds like something the enemy might want to use to his advantage - to distort the Gospel message ...
Mmmm …
Enters the enemy ...
The prophet, Isaiah already in the old covenant, warned the Jews about the noises of those trying to deceive them saying And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? Isa 8:19
Similarly, the situation is not much different today. To corrupt the Good-News-Message seems to be high on the agenda of the devil and those allowing the ploys of his distortions!
We see this right from the very first encounter he had with man, deceiving him into believing that man should be a human-doing instead of a human-being by distorting the words of God concerning the original form and purpose of man.
To be or not to be …
The Goodness of God distorted by the sowing of doubt and unbelief.
His goodness mingled up with our effort
In fact ... the Gospel was always about the Goodness of God, His mercy, His Grace, His Truth, His patience ...
The Gospel is the Good-News-Message of God - the GOOD News only. There was and is no bad news in the Good-News.
The Gospel is the message of our Saviour-God, of how through Jesus the whole world was reconciled with God.
The Gospel is the message of the power of God.
The Gospel is the message of restoration of authority onto man!
The Gospel is the message of Jesus sending us into this world to have dominion.
How to pervert such a message?
If you were the enemy and you were to think strategically, the corruption of the message and word of God in communication would be the perfect place to start!
Paul seriously reprimanded the church of Galatia who listened to the peeps and mutters of those advocating a mixture between law and Grace. He goes as far as to pronounce a curse over those who bring this kind of distortion and noise. Gal 1:8-9
How to perceive distortion?
In 1 Corinthians 15, the chapter considered to be summary of the Gospel, Paul includes a significant verse we should take note of. He says Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 1Co 15:33
Be not deceived.
The peeps and squeaks of the enemy lures you away from the goodness of God!
Rather spend your time pondering His goodness!
To the church of Ephesus he says Neither give place to the devil. Eph 4:27
Allow the Spirit of Truth to resonate (amplify) the Gospel in you
Think and meditate on the Goodness of God only. Watch out what exactly you look and give ear to on TV, the news, magazines, computer games ... and ask yourself whether you should give it time and place in your life?
... and do not sleep with the enemy!
It is a lie in the institutional church today that we should know all the facts and details of the enemy ... that we should do courses and workshops and consult clever people with experience in the works of demons and wizards and all that peeps and mutters!
Where is our focus?
It suffices to know that the devil is the enemy and that it is he who comes to steal, kill and destroy!
Our focus is on the Light, the Truth, the Way, Life - Jesus, what He did right. Not what the enemy can do contrary!
...but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. Rom 16:19
How do you tell the false banknote from the true?
You study the true to discern the false! Not the other way around.
Come on! You don't study the false ...
Any noise that aims at adding or subtracting from God's Grace (God's Truth), Jesus, corrupts the Gospel … may it be accursed!