Proverbs 26:2

As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

Notice the curse Causeless shall not come.

Now let me stress this at the start.

Jesus became the curse for all of mankind when He hung upon the tree.

So hear me now: the curse has been defeated once and for all - for all who will accept it.

You and I are not going to be redeemed from the curse; we have been redeemed from the curse written in the law.

That is a fact!

So I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that this is true, but why do I see so many Born Again, redeemed from the curse believers suffering what appears to be the fruit of the curse?

Satan can do very little in a believer’s life since his defeat by Jesus. All he can do is use the one weapon he has had from the beginning – deception.

That small thing – deception – creates an opening.

There are certain actions we do and attitudes we maintain that open our minds to deception.

When you understand this Satan will drastically have less access in your thought life and also in you actions.

Most Christians never recognize deception until they begin to experience the results of it. In Acts 4:23 Peter and John are released from their captors, it says they went to their own company.

In verse 31 it says the place was shaken – with GREAT power!

That is the power of unity.

Unity in the spirit will literally move the natural.  1Cor. 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

Do not be deceived - there is a specific place for you.

The key to a powerful church is unity and lack of division.  Anything that would move you from your place in the body has its roots in deception.

Ephesians chapter four gives us the gifts God gave to his church.

Eph. 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Eph. 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Eph. 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Eph. 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

We are to be fitly joined in the body.

Look at this passage

Rom. 16:17 ¶ Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

Rom. 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

This is one of my primary jobs as a pastor – to recognize this in a church and warn you of it.

The doorway to deception for a local church begins with the pastor.

If God places you in His body (and He does), why would you remove yourself?

This is the first of several paths for deception to enter your life - once you recognize it the enemy is defeated.

This is a small portion of a complete teaching you can view.  I encourage you to do so in order to have the proper context of what is said here.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Pastor Greg Stephens