Truth and Deception

 Truth and Deception

July 22, 2026

1 Timothy 4:1-2 (NKJV) 

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, givingheed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,

How many families today are torn apart by lies and deception. One may be vaccinated and the other not, or one voted republican and the other democrat, or one hurt the other and the other can’t bring themselves to forgive. Both sides believe that they are right. “My truth”, and “your truth”. But they refuse to speak to each other because of the differences. It seems that forgiveness and reconciliation are impossible because neither party will acknowledge any fault of their own. So how do you manage these types of family conflicts when people can’t even agree on what is true? They are like Pilate who famously asked Jesus “What is truth?”, but who didn’t want to know the answer, standing in front of him.

John 18:38 (NKJV) 

Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to theJews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.

Those who believe in Jesus know where to find truth. Jesus said, “I am the truth”.

John 14:6 (NKJV) 

Jesussaid to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

So how do we reach people who refuse to believe in objective truth? Logic fails to convince such a one as even mathematics and logic will not prevail unless one believes that they are based on truth. Being trained in physics, I find this hard to grasp as we were taught to test every hypothesis against experimental fact and objective reality. When a person has abandoned trust in reality it is very difficult to reach them.

It seems then that we need to rely on Jesus and the spirit of truth to war against the spirits of deception. It is a matter of spiritual warfare that cannot be won in the natural, but must be waged in the spiritual. Only when the deceiving spirits are silenced and driven out can a person see truth for what it is and receive Jesus as the way, the truth and the life. So if you have such a conflict in your family or circle of friends, pray to bind the spirits of deception and pray that the spirit of truth will touch their heart and change their mind. Jesus is the way to reach an unreachable person to heal and deliver them.

Walk, Part 2

 Walk - 2

August 19, 2025

Ephesians 4:1-2

1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with allhumility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,

Ephesians 4:17-18 - The Christian’s Walk

17So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;

Ephesians 5:1-2

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offeringand a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

Ephesians 5:15-17

15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do notbe foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Yesterday, we started to consider what it means to walk in a manner worthy of your calling. Watchman Nee discusses this in some length in his little book, Sit, Walk, Stand. He first makes the point that you cannot walk until you first sit. That is, you cannot make progress in the kingdom of God until you acknowledge your place as a son of God, adopted into His family and seated with Him in heavenly places. Only then can you begin to walk as He directs your steps. One interesting analogy that he uses is a picture of a man in an electric wheelchair. He is seated but moves forward, “walks”, but with a power that is not his own. The electric motor and battery are like the power of the Holy Spirit that enables him to make progress, not his own strength. 

Thus, it is only when we realize that we are powerless to do anything in our own power, that we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk. In chapter five, Paul admonishes us to walk in love (agape). This is impossible for our fleshly bodies. Only God can love with agape love, but when we accept His new life, He can use us to love others. His power to love enables us to love others. 

Walking in the Spirit is an activity that involves total surrender. We give up our old life and accept His new life and let Him accomplish His will through us. That is what the Christian walk is all about. So then, walk as wise men and make the most of the time so that we may understand what the will of the Lord is.

Righteousness and Truth

 Righteousness and Truth

July 16, 2025

Proverbs 16:12-13 (NASB95) 

12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, For a throne is established on righteousness. 13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And he who speaks right is loved.

“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”

― George Orwell

We have been talking about interceding for the nation; praying for the world condition. Now it certainly seems that there are plenty of wicked acts by those in power to pray about. But how do we pray? Proverbs 16:13 says that a king delights in righteous lips, but our experience tells us that Orwell is more applicable in these days as telling the truth is often punished. A wicked king doesn’t want to be told the truth. Look what they did to Jeremiah. He told the truth to the king and got thrown into a pit! Still, we need to speak the truth in love and pray for righteousness to shine in the centers of power in our nation. We need to pray that those who are truly righteous will stand up and speak the truth. As Orwell said, this is a time of deceit, so telling the truth is often unpopular. Indeed, there is so much deceit around now, fake news if you will, that it is often difficult to discern the truth. Nations are at war, but which side, if any, is in the right? Some evil treatment of children has been exposed, but what is the whole truth, and who is really involved? Furthermore, if the list of all those involved was released, what would happen? Would they be punished individually, or would the nation as a whole suffer judgement? There are many unanswered questions in the current situation, and it is unclear even how we should pray. The only thing we are left with is to seek the Lord for His wisdom and knowledge, and pray according the the Spirit of revelation. We have seen the Lord act in the affairs of our nation in our history, so we pray that He will be gracious and move once more to restore righteousness and truth to our nation.

Truth and Deception

 Truth and Deception

May 25, 2025

Matthew 24:4-5

4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads ^g4105 you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead ^g4105 many.

Matthew 24:24-26

24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead ^g4105 , if possible, even the elect. 25 Behold, I have told you in advance. 26 So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.

2 Timothy 3:13-14

13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving ^g4105 and being deceived ^g4105. 14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them,

1 John 2:26-27

26 These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive^g4105 you. 27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.

Revelation 13:13-14

13 He (the beast) performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. 14 And he deceives^g4105 those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to life.

John 18:38

38 Pilate *said to Him, “What is truth^g0225?”

And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and *said to them, “I find no guilt in Him.

John 14:6

6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth ^g0225, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

g4105. πλανάω planaō ; from 4106; to cause to wander, to wander:--

deceive(3), deceived(9), deceives(3), deceiving(2), go astray(1), gone astray(3), leads...astray(2)

g0225. ἀλήθεια alētheia ; from 227; truth:--

We live in a day when truth is a scarce commodity. The public discourse is full of fake news, miss-information, dis-information and other types of propaganda. So how do we know the truth? Even Pontious Pilot, as corrupt a ruler as he was, had enough wisdom to ask the questions “What is truth?” But then, we don’t know if he wanted a serious answer or was just trying to deflect blame for what he was about to do to Jesus. Our modern day leaders are no different, all proclaiming to want to know the truth, but few who actually tell the truth. So where is our guidepost to show us the truth?

There are many, even in the church, who voted for Obama, thinking he was the answer to racial inequality and injustice. But Obama is not out savior.

There are others in the church who voted for Trump, thinking he was the answer to fighting the great evil of the great reset and the NWO. But Trump is not out savior.

Jesus taught that in the last days, evil men would come to deceive many, even in the church. They might even perform great signs and miracles, but if they don’t proclaim the truth, they are not of God but of the evil one. So how do we discern who is good and who is evil?

First of all, you can not rely only on what people say. Deceivers come to deceive and so tell lies. They can be very convincing and popular, but even if they work wonders, they are liars.

Second of all, you can not look at the amazing things that they do. Even if they perform signs and miracles, if they don’t represent Jesus, they are from the evil one.

In the scriptures, we see that the answer is found in the scriptures. In Timothy we are encourages to “continue in the things you have learned”, and in John we are told to rely on the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the things we have learned to distinguish truth from falsehood. It is not easy to tell the difference in many cases. Politicians and celebrities in particular are trained in the fine art of appearing trustworthy. It is said that President Clinton once said, “Sincerity is the thing. When you can fake sincerity, you can fake anything.” And certainly “Slick Willie” was an expert in telling the smooth lie. So you can’t rely solely  on the things that they say or the way that they say it, but you need to look deeper at the ideas that they represent. Does their message line up with scripture? Do they lift up the name of Jesus? Does the Holy Spirit bear witness that the things they are telling represent the truth? And most of all, are the fruits of their teachings good or evil? Many of the ideas proclaimed by the popular politicians sound good; equity, diversity, inclusion anti-discrimination, etc., but when put into practice they can produce great suffering, so you know that they are not true. By their fruits you shall know them.

You also can’t rely on labels. As Paul said, there are Jews who say they are Jews, but who are not. That applies to christians as well. Just saying so doesn’t make it so. It takes discernment to tell the difference, but their fruit will tell the truth even when their words do not.

So, we live in perilous days, but Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide us, so press into Him and compare every thought to the truth of the scriptures. If someone doesn’t agree that “Jesus is the way and the truth”, then their words should be suspect. So look for those who proclaim Jesus, who depend on prayer and who follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Follow those who follow Him, all others will lead you astray.

High Anxiety

 Anxiety 

April 12, 2025

Proverbs 12:25 (NASB95) 

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad.

Psalm 42:11 (NASB95)

11 Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The helpof my countenance and my God.

Philippians 4:6 (NASB95)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Matthew 6:31-34 (NASB95) 

31 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

“The United States has a chance to do something that should have been done DECADES AGO. Don’t be Weak! Don’t be Stupid! Don’t be a PANICAN (A new party based on Weak and Stupid people!). Be Strong, Courageous, and Patient, and GREATNESS will be the result!”

President Donald J. Trump, April 7, 2025 on Truth Social

There has been a lot of anxiety in the land this week. President Trump even invented a new word, “Panican”, to describe it. But the Bible says a lot about anxiety and despair. Jesus made it a command, “Do not worry”. Now this command is not in the sense of Alfred E. Newman, “What me worry?” Of Mad Magazine many years ago, who was just oblivious to everything going on around him. No, Jesus told us not to worry because we hope in God and trust in Him for all we need. Our current world looks at things more in the light of Mel Brooke’s movie “High Anxiety”. We are anxious about everything and are in a panic about the future. The president’s words are wise in this context. “Don’t be a panican… Be Strong, Courageous, and Patient…” 

As always, the Proverbs offer wise advice for every situation. In Proverbs 12, we read “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad.” This surely is a word for our time. Lots of people are going around with a heavy heart, worried about all sorts of things. But wisdom says to take heart, be glad, be thankful, and make your requests known to God. There is great power in prayer and supplication. Our Heavenly Father knows what we need and is faithful to provide for us, so don’t be a “panican”, but trust in the Lord, even in uncertain times. Strength, courage and patents will see us through when we seek first the Kingdom of God and have faith is His love and provision for us.

The Measure of a Man

 The Measure of a Man

January 12, 2025

Proverbs 11:5 (ESV) The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.

Proverbs 12:28 (ESV) In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.

Romans 12:9-21 (ESV) Marks of the True Christian

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another inshowing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Things my father taught me about carpentry: Measure twice and cut once. If you mark the second board from the first, and the third from the second, etc., you will end up with longer and longer boards. So always measure with the same, original standard measuring device.

So it is with the Christian life. If you are going to live a righteous life, from time to time you need to return to the original standard to see how you measure up. That’s the only way to keep your way straight, as the Proverbs say. And the Proverbs continue to say that a straight, righteous life is the way of life. So let us measure our life once, and then twice, to see how straight we are walking.

Paul, in the twelfe chapter of Romans, lays our a concise standard for measure the Christian life. Love, honor, service, prayer, blessing, giving, harmony, peace, these are all measurable standards that you can use to check your walk. If you don’t measure up to these standards, “Straighten up!” As my father used to say. He also taught me how to plow a straight furrow by looking at a marker at the far end of the field. I would tend to look down, and to the left or right, and start to drift off of the straight line, so he would remind me to “straighten up” and keep one distant fence post in view so I could keep on line. That’s what we are doing in Romans 12. We don’t want to naval gaze and keep looking inward, but we want to keep a vision of the perfect in mind so we can head straight in that direction. Therefore, if you don’t quite measure up today, take heart, and keep you eyes on the standard in Romans 12, and begin to straighten up and head directly for the goal. A straight, righteous life will lead to life, and not death, as the write of the Proverb says. So be encouraged. It’s possible to live right if you just keep you eye on the Lord and let His Spirit guide you directly to the goal.

Test the Spirits

 Test the Spirits 

1 John 4:1-6 (ESV) 

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

If there every was a time to test the spirits, it is now. We have misinformation, malinformation and disinformation. And many of the spirits that are calling out lies are themselves lying. It is most often the “fact checkers”, that are labeling things as misinformation, that are themselves the ones that are miss-informing people. How do you tell who is telling the truth?

The Apostle John says to test the spirits. But how do you do that? He says the first test is whether or not they acknowledge Jesus Christ. These days, most dark spirits are too savvy to outright say anything agains Jesus directly, but if you look at their lifestyle and all of their messaging, it becomes apparent which side of the light/dark divide they represent. If they tell you they love the children, but support killing those unborn ones that are “inconvenient” or don’t say a thing about the thousands of children being trafficked into the sex trade, then they may be representing darkness. If they are continually calling for war by someone else’s children on someone else’s land, then they may represent the forces of darkness. If they say they are for helping the poor, but the cities they run are full of homeless people with no hope, then they may be on the side of darkness. By their fruits you shall know them…

Are you upset that you don’t have a huge number of followers on social media and that your posts have low engagement? John says not to be surprised when the world does not listen to you. He tells us that the world listens to their own. Find those who will listen to you and bring the message of hope and peace to them. There are those out there who are hurting and lost and are just waiting for someone to tell them the good news. They need to hear the truth.

In this day, many ridicule the truth and even deny that there is any truth. They talk about “my truth” and “your truth”. You need to not be afraid to tell them “The truth” and be strong enough to insist that their is objective truth, despite what the world says. You will be reviled for it, but that is nothing new. That’s how the Apostle John got himself exiled to the Isle of Patmos! Even so, he kept writing letters proclaiming the truth, and we benefit from those letters to this day.

So be like John. Speak the truth and test the spirits to know which ones are true and which ones are false. Don’t be distracted by the glitz and glitter of the world’s message, but listen to the Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth and spend time with those who know and love God. “By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”