The third chapter of Second Timothy paints a shockingly accurate picture of society at large today.  As we all know, society changes over time as people go from one trend to another.  For example, the breakdown of morals didn’t just happen in this generation; it has been sneaking up on us for many generations.  Those living in the past probably thought their generation was as morally bankrupt as it was possible to get, and that it couldn’t get any worse. But the next generation came along and proved them wrong.  Again.
   At the heart of every decline in our lives is one common denominator: someone has believed a lie.  Eve allowed herself to listen to the Satan’s lies, along with her husband Adam, and ended up losing the sweetest life any human being ever lived.  They were evicted from the Garden of Eden to live lives as vagabonds in much less than favorable conditions.  And it has all gone downhill from there for everyone.  How dangerous is a lie?  I know of no greater threat to health and safety and happiness than a lie told and believed.
   Allow me to make an example: we will say someone is married, and they start looking at someone outside their marriage as more desirable than their mate.  The devil is all too willing to feed that lie along, and before long, the person who thought they would never in a million years commit adultery finds themselves in the middle of an extramarital affair.  Before long, that affair has ruined a perfectly good marriage, and destroyed a family, or perhaps two of them, all because of a lie was believed and acted upon.
   Most of you know I like to minister about healing.  What could a lie have to do with healing?  Much, if not most of the reason people are sick today is because of lies. I have spoken frequently of this subject, yet, it goes largely unheeded.  How do I know this?  Because of the number of sick people I minister to.  Everyone wants to be well, and many are in favor of God just somehow waving a magic wand and making their sicknesses go away.  But it isn’t that simple.     Suppose I were to tell you that God already DID take care of the sickness problem?  Would that satisfy you?  Not unless you believed.  Yet, people are so quick to believe a blatant lie, it just amazes me.  But it isn’t a new problem; the Lord Jesus dealt with it as well, some 2000 years ago.  How could that be?  Simple, there was a liar around then too, and his name was Satan.  He is the same devil now he was then, up to no good, and he’s looking for a sucker, and right now, you may be looking pretty good to him.  And just like any other thief, he has to deceive people to get them to give up their goods to him, else he steals them when they are not paying attention and guarding them.  The Lord Jesus said in John 10:10; The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
   How do you avoid having the devil steal you blind?  Does insurance help? How about a watch dog or perhaps a big gun?  Not really.  The only way to avoid having him deceive you is to stop believing his lies.  There is indeed an abundant life available through the Lord Jesus, but it doesn’t just happen without any effort on your part.  You have to actively choose to stop listening to the lies of the devil.  You might be saying, Well, if the devil comes to me and talks to me, I just won’t believe anything he tells me.  Oh, is that right?  What about last week when you went to the doctor and he said you have such-and-such disease?  You see, every lie presented to you is not made by an ugly devil with horns on his head, having a tail and a pitchfork.  What about when you gave your life over to Christ Jesus, and His Word said HE forgave all your sins and healed all your diseases?  Who are you believing NOW, hmmmm?  Hello? Anyone home?  I’m helping you here!
   Sometimes a lie comes all wrapped up in a breathtakingly beautiful package, like the good looking woman who tells some hurting husband how his wife doesn’t deserve him, and how she would treat him so much better if he would only leave his wife and move in with her.  Lies come in all kinds of attractive packages as well, not just fearsome ones.  What about that shiny new car the salesman says he can get you into for next to nothing?  Never mind the fact that you can’t afford it.  Oh, but you can make payments for five years or so, as long as you don’t need to buy any food.   New and shiny have a way of deceiving even the most level-headed person, and it’s always been that way.  It probably started with a shiny apple in the Garden of Eden.  It looked good, it smelled good, probably even tasted good, but oh, what a bellyache it turned out to be later!  Never mind the fact the Lord had beforehand told her to leave it alone.  Getting back to Second Timothy chapter three:
2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2Ti 3:6  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
2Ti 3:7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
2Ti 3:8  Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
2Ti 3:9  But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
2Ti 3:10  But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
2Ti 3:11  Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
2Ti 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
2Ti 3:14  But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
2Ti 3:15  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
   Note well, verse 13 says evil men and seducers (liars) shall wax worse and worse, deceiving (lying one to another), and being deceived (themselves).  Is it happening today?  Sure, and the fruit of it is all around us.  Because of lies, nations no longer trust one another, and they tell lies one to another to try to keep ahead of the game.  Everyone is suspicious of everyone else.  What a wonderful life!  There is no profit in a lie for anyone, except the liar.
   Who stands to gain from all these ads on television hawking medicine for whatever they can convince you that ails you?  I can answer that one for you: the pharmaceutical companies and the medical profession!  Now I’m not saying every doctor or pharmacist is bad, not at all.  There are many alive today that are not believers in Christ Jesus who might be dead if not for the medical profession.  And I personally know a fine doctor that has laid his life down to serve and help people, many times at his own expense, so I know there are exceptions.
   But I’m talking about choosing to believe the Word of God over the often lies of man. Do you think they’re really interesting in getting you well so they won’t have a job anymore?  No, rather, they spend time trying to convince you that you have every disease that comes down the road, and of course, they will be happy to sell you the treatments and medicine, for a tidy sum, that is.  Think about this: if they really cared for your health, they’d tend you for free and be glad to do it.  Uh-huh…right, preach it Brother Jerry!  Thank God, the Apostle Paul told us the Lord Jesus would deliver us from the lies of the devil, assuming of course, we BELIEVE the Lord Jesus, not just believing His words, but acting upon them, too.
   The Holy Bible will make you wise to the devil’s ways, only if you read it and believe.  Even back in the days when Jesus walked the earth, people chose to believe a lie, therefore He could not do any mighty works in His own home town, save He laid His hands on a few sick folk and healed them.  It was not that He WOULD not do any mighty works there, but He COULD NOT do any because the people chose to believe a lie instead of the truth.  They said, He’s just the carpenter’s son  We know him, he grew up here, he’s nothing special, look; here are all his brothers and sisters among us.  And they were offended at Him, and the Lord Jesus marveled at their unbelief.  Imagine that: they would rather believe a lie or a half-truth than be healed!!  It seems to me that not much has changed in these two thousand years, sadly.
   Again, the Lord Jesus said in John 10:10, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  If you find what you are living is not the abundant life, then you might want to check what it is you are really believing and acting upon.  The truth of God’s Word is readily available to all who will hear it, believe it, and act upon it, and it will change your life for the better, so why believe a lie?