The current state of the world …. Deception!

My friend told last time that he bought a mobile phone at the local shop in the city at a very expensive price only to get home to find out that the phone was not working.

I was not entirely surprise as they were so many confident tricksters who do so many crazy things just for survival. This is one of the many stories on the current state of the world.

The only successful people are the best ones that go free deceiving the poor. Indeed, as the Bible says in Hosea 4: 6 that ‘my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you’ emphasizing that the people will surely perish for their lack of knowledge.

Deceptions are acts to propagate beliefs that are not true, or not the whole truth. It can employ distraction, camouflage or concealment to attain a particular purpose. Deception was the means Satan made Eve to eat the fruit of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. By his means of deception, he made Eve commits a mistake that would turn God against man (his image) forever.

Below is a list of the current state of the world;

The End of the World

Over the past few years so many people from all sort of life’s have announce the date for the second coming of Christ thus the End of the World. Interestingly none of the date seems right and yet there are more dates been set. In the world of deception, dates like 11/11/11, 10/10/10, June 30^th, May 21^st, May 27^th, 2020-2037, 2060 etc makes sense but these dates are part of a means to deceive the world. That is not to say that Jesus will not come anytime soon, indeed, Jesus is coming sooner and earlier than we might think.

Definition of success

The world defines success as having a house, car, well-paid job, and number of girlfriends. But must success be defined with materialistic things? This deceptive definition of success has led to rise of criminal activities just to attain worldly success status.  With these criteria, politicians, gamblers, celebrities, and personalities are successful people. Meanwhile, the means of their worth has not been questioned. The Bible explains better that following God and obeying His instructions is the meaning of success. When Solomon became king, he didn’t ask the Lord for wealth and power, but for wisdom and discernment in order to lead God’s people. God was pleased by this request and granted it, giving Solomon a wise and understanding heart, more than any man had ever had before.

The glory of sin

The world has welcome and graciously received sin as the new fashion trend.  Now, sex before marriage is adored, cohabitation is perfect, cheating is okay, insults are friendly, unhealthy relationship is fun. Deception has turn off the moral foundation of the youth to an awkward phenomenon in accepting that doing the wrong things is right. For example, in 1 Timothy 4:1-2, Paul wrote to Timothy,

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron."

Hypocritical liars! People who teach one thing but practice another, or perhaps, people who preach something that they know to be false, and do so because of some agenda that they might have, somehow convincing themselves that God will wink at such behaviour because of their good intention. Whichever, the evidence is that both types are prevalent in Christendom today.

The youth are now engaging in fornication, drugs and other immoral activities because of the devil has deceived them in believing that the trend is the right module in life but  Galatians 6:7-8  says ‘Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life’.

The way OUT!

 There is no other way of pleasing the Lord than obeying his instructions and doing his will. When we please the Lord he delivers us from all forms of deceptions and distractions.

We have to renew our mentality and focus our attention to Christ Romans 12:2 says ‘Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect’.

Another way the Bible teaches us to escape the spirit of deception is Put to death therefore what is earthly in us: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters escape from the world of deception. What might look good to your eyes might be evil in the eyes of God. Watch and Pray

-By: Samuel Mantey
Email: Sammyoo3@yahoo.com
Twitter: SamuelMantey

5 Countries Where Being a Journalist Can Be Dangerous to Your Health

Low pay, long hours, and dwindling job opportunities are professional challenges faced by many journalists.  For some, however, the risks can be considerably steeper.

At least 17 journalists have been killed so far in 2012 and there are currently 179 journalists imprisoned around the world because of their work.

These numbers only begin to describe the risks faced by journalists, bloggers, filmmakers and others who dare bring to light uncomfortable truths that powerful interests would prefer to conceal.  Most of those detained or killed were reporting on human rights failings in their country.

Today on World Press Freedom Day (May 3), here is a brief look at five countries where people risk much in the service of truth:

1. China: The escape from house arrest of blind activist Chen Guangchen put the spotlight on China’s deplorable human rights record this week.  But the list of those jailed in China for calling attention to human rights is a long one.  Journalist Shi Tao continues to serve 10 years in prison for sending an email describing government efforts to censor the media.  Filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen has been imprisoned since 2008 for speaking out about Tibetan human rights through his filmmaking.

2. Ethiopia:  In Ethiopia, news outlets are monitored closely by security agents, and freedom of expression has been criminalized.  Journalists there are prosecuted and sentenced to long prison terms for covering issues that the government finds objectionable.  Increasingly, the government has used anti-terrorism charges against journalists, as it did with imprisoned Woubshet Taye and Reyot Alemu.

3. Honduras: Writers and human rights defenders in Honduras have been threatened, attacked or killed because of their work.  In 2012 alone, numerous journalists in Honduras have received threats, including Dina Meza.  In April, she received text messages and phone calls threatening her with sexual violence.  But Dina Meza refuses to back down saying “I have the obligation to make the truth known.”

4. Sri Lanka: Many people died in Sri Lanka’s long civil war, and journalists covering the war and its aftermath have also fallen victim to killings, imprisonment and enforced disappearance.  Government officials have used state-controlled media to assail the country’s journalists as “traitors.”  Journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda, whose work was critical of the government, went missing after leaving work one day in 2010.  His wife told the BBC that “he was abducted by people who did not like the truth.”

5. Turkmenistan:  Radio Free Europe correspondent Olgusapar Muradova was arrested in Turkmenistan in 2006 for reporting about the country’s human rights record.  Months later, she was dead, apparently the result of injuries she suffered in prison.  Her colleagues Annakurban Amanklychev and Sapardurdy Khadzhiev remain imprisoned, and the government of Turkmenistan continues to clamp down on independent voices.

These are just a few of the countries in which journalists face tremendous risks for carrying out their professional duties.  For information on other countries, see the Committee to Protect Journalist’s new list of the 10 most censored countries, and check out the U.S. State Department’s current focus on endangered journalists.

Those who dare risk so much to speak truth to power deserve our support.  Please take action today through Amnesty’s World Press Freedom action.

By Michael O'Reilly