Counterfeit
The word counterfeit means: made in exact imitation of something valuable or important with the intention to deceive or defraud.
There is a beautiful weed in our garden that has a white flower that is called Queens Anne’s lace.
Queen Anne’s lace earned its common name from a legend that tells of Queen Anne of England (1665-1714) pricking her finger and a drop of blood landed on white lace she was sewing. Belonging to the carrot family, Queen Anne’s lace is a biennial that is also known as wild carrot. Early Europeans cultivated Queen Anne’s lace, and the Romans ate it as a vegetable. American colonists boiled the taproots, sometimes in wine as a treat. Interestingly, Queen Anne’s lace is high in sugar (second only to the beet among root vegetables) and sometimes it was used among the Irish, Hindus and Jews to sweeten puddings and other foods.
The Queen Anne's lace flower resembles lace, and oftentimes the flower has a solitary purple dot in the center. In addition the root smells like carrots!
Queen Anne’s lace flowers have a flat-topped white umbel, sometimes with a solitary purple flower in the center. These flowers bloom from late spring until mid-fall. Each flower cluster is made up of numerous tiny white flowers. The flower cluster start out curled up and opens to allow pollination. The cluster then rolls itself shut again, like a reverse umbrella when it goes to seed at the end of the season.
Feathery leaves resemble those of the domestic carrot. The bases of leafstalks are broad and flat. Queen Anne’s lace leaves also closely resemble the leaves of the poison hemlock, fool’s parsley and water hemlocks, all poisonous cousins of Queen Anne’s lace.
Queen Anne’s lace is found in fields, meadows, waste areas, roadsides and disturbed habitats. They are very hardy and thrive in a dry environment.
Queen’s Anne lace is edible. Using first year Queen Anne’s lace plants are recommended. Roots are long, pale, woody, and are finger-thin and are used in soups, stews and in making tea. First year leaves can be chopped and tossed into a salad. Flower clusters can be ‘french-fried’ or fresh flowers can be tossed into a salad. The aromatic seed is used as a flavoring in stews and soups.
Other name for the Queen’s Anne lace is Wild Carrot. - Wikipedia
However this delicate flower has a counterfeit called Poison Hemlock or Fool's Parsley.
Similar to Queen Anne's Lace, Poison Hemlock has large white flowers. One major difference is that the Queen Anne's Lace flowers occur much tighter together. Also, Queen Anne's Lace flowers often have a solitary purple flower in the center. The best way to distinguish the two is to smell the root of the plant, since Queen Anne's Lace root smells like carrots.
For every truth that God has Satan has a counterfeit. He has a lie which is so close to the truth that unless you examine it carefully you will be deceived. He uses “religion” to spread these lies. For example, the Bible clearly says (in many of places) that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. However, in many churches which have been infiltrated by “religious” human view point rather than the true Gospel Divine viewpoint teaches only through grace. Whenever God has spoken through His communication system, counterfeits soon followed. Satan is unceasing in his skill to follow through the door that truth opens. His messages are always appealing and believable because he knows how to appeal to the religiously inclined yet unconverted heart. He mixes truth with error, always in a way that appeals to human feeling and human authority rather than to a plain “Thus saith the Lord.” What is wrong with that? It is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is Satan’s counterfeit gospel. There is not a single scripture that tells us just to repent of our sins and invite us to know the Savor, to invite Jesus into our hearts. This false gospel leaves out faith and love entirely. Faith is believing.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Heb.11:6.
When we repent we are changing our unbelieving mind to a believing mind. Satan wants to disguise what he really is and muddy the waters about the things of God.
Just about everything that we can see in this world is corrupt and evil. Evil is anything that omits God and draws attention away from Gods word. Satan’s forces are working overtime in the world today.
Don’t let yourself get caught up in Satan’s lies. He will make you doubt the existence of God, the plan of God, the deity of Jesus Christ, the validity of the Bible, the existence of Heaven. How can you avoid these lies? Consistent study of God’s word produces a greater faith and love. Faith and love in the Father God and His Son Jesus Christ is what it’s all about. Faith pleases God. It is his plan for man to believe in Jesus Christ despite the deceit of Satan.
No matter what Satan throws at us, no matter what obstacles we must encounter we must never let go of our faith and love. Faith and love is our salvation, it is our spiritual walk through life, and it is our victory over Satan.
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:1-2)
Satan is a liar (Jn 8:44), and a deceiver (Rom 12:9)(Rev 20:7-8,10). One of the main ways he tries to carry out his evil plans is to counterfeit the good things of God so that people are fooled into thinking it is God and not Satan.
What does Satan counterfeit?
God has sent prophets to proclaim His word, and Satan sends false prophets (1 Jn 4:1)(Mt 24:11,24)(Mt 7:15-16).
God gives us teachers to teach His word and Satan sends false teachers (2 Pet 2:1-3)(1 Tim 4:1-3)(2 Jn 1:9-11)(Mal 2:8-9)(Gal 1:6-9).
Jesus is the "light" of the world (Jn 1:7-9)(Jn 8:12)(Lk 2:32)(Jn 12:35-36), and Satan appears as an "angel of light" (1 Pet 5:8).
God is a triune being (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), and Satan will form an "unholy trinity" at Armageddon (Rev 16:13).Satan takes God's word and twists its meaning to serve his purposes (Mt 4:1-11).
Satan takes God's spiritual gifts (i.e. tongues and prophecy), and causes them to be misused to create confusion.
Jesus is called the "lion of Judah" (Rev 5:5), and Satan is compared to a "roaring lion" (1 Pet 5:8).
Jesus instituted "communion," and Satan falsifies it (1 Cor 10:16-22).
These are just some examples. So how do we know what is of God and what is counterfeit? We must diligently read and study God's word, and know it so well, that when we hear or see something that doesn't line up with the Bible, we will know it instantly. If we don't spend time becoming familiar with God's word, as well as spending time with God in prayer, we are likely to fall prey to Satan's deceptions.
It is said that when a bank teller is learning about a counterfeit bill they study the real bill. They know every line and curve. So when they see a counterfeit bill they know it right away, because they are so in tuned with the real bill the counterfeit bill stands out.
Just like the Queen’s Anne lace you must study what the real flower looks like so you are not deceived. So you must study the word of God to Know The Savior.
