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Tag: lies

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Some people are insensitive. I’d like to believe that they aren’t that way intentionally, but on the other hand, it would be nice if they intentionally tried not to be. Unfortunately, sometimes, because of their own expectations of how things should be, they say hurtful things to people who aren’t meeting their expectations. Now, I’m not talking about reproving someone in love because they have done something unbiblical; I’m talking about things like criticizing people for being single or not having children. Somehow we are all expected to grow up, get a job, get married and have a family, in that order. It doesn’t happen that way for everyone, and so, hurtful, insensitive comments make us think that we’re doing something wrong or that we are in some way not good enough. Satan loves to plant the seed of worthlessness in us and then water and fertilize it to make it grow. This is far from the way God sees us.

Ephesians 1:4 tells us that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, and that His purpose for us is to become holy. The larger context (Ephesians 1:3-14) tells us that in Christ we are blessed with every spiritual blessing. (Ephesians 1:3) We are predestined and adopted according to the pleasure of His will. (Ephesians 1:5) He has freely bestowed His grace on us. (Ephesians 1:6) We have been redeemed and forgiven through Christ’s willing sacrifice for us. (Ephesians 1:7) Because of this we belong to God. (Ephesians 1:11) We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit who gives us the assurance of our redemption and inheritance and will be with us until the time when all of this is completely fulfilled.

There are many other places in scripture that tell us of the value we have in Christ.

We are:
- the salt of the earth and the light of the world. (Matthew 5:13-14)
- more valuable than the birds that God cares for. (Luke 12:24)
- heirs of the prophets and of the covenant. (Acts 3:25)
- called. (Romans 1:6-7)
- co-heirs with Christ. (Romans 8: 17)
- God’s co-workers. (I Corinthians 3:9)
- God’s temple and bought at a price. (I Corinthians 3:16-17, I Corinthians 6:19-20)
- part of the body of Christ. (I Corinthians 12:27)
- a letter from Christ. (II Corinthians 5:20)
- children of God. (Galatians 3:26)
- heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:28-29, Galatians 4:6-7)
- children of promise. (Galatians 4:28)
- members of God’s household. (Ephesians 2:19-20)
- children of light. (Ephesians 5:8-10)
- chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, and we are called out of darkness into His wonderful light. (I Peter 2:9)

Don’t let Satan keep you in the darkness. The next time someone says something hurtful to you, focus on what God thinks of you instead.

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Today's post was written by Kenny Silva.

I’m writing today’s post because pride is the sin I struggle with the most. It lays heavy on my heart. Pride has caused me to stumble numerous times in my life and I fear it will do the same to each and every leader who succumbs to its subtle embrace…

Here’s what pride will tell you:

You’re right. They’re wrong.
You don’t need help.
You’re solely responsible for your own success.
Your better than everyone else.
Your life is more important than everyone else’s.
You don’t need to listen to anybody else.
You are the center of the universe.
Your intellect is superior to scripture.
Your wisdom is better than truth.
You are your own god.
Pride has told me each and every one of these lies at varyious points in my life.

Pride loves to feed us a batch of lies. It’s goal is to boost our fragile ego in a way that is completely illegitimate and false. Pride is the pretty little bow we put on our lives when we want to appear more “together” than we really are. It is the very sin that causes us to conceal our struggles, hide our shortcomings, and alienate friends.

I’m convinced that pride is one of the devil’s sneakiest tricks. It creeps up on us as a subtle sense of accomplishment. Next, we’re patting ourselves on the back after a job well done. Finally, we’re at cocktail parties bragging about the bagillion dollar deal we just put together. We’re on top of the world.

Here’s the problem:

God is supposed to be on top of the world. He IS the world. We accomplish nothing through our own efforts. When we allow pride to sneak in and steal the glory from God, we are essentially setting ourselves up as objects of worship. We become our own little deities. Who needs the one true God when you’ve got your own success to worship?

Flip the coin and imagine yourself with nothing. You just lost your job, your savings are gone, and the bank is about to foreclose on your home. You’ve got family and friends who would step in to help you at the drop of a hat, but you refuse to ask for help. Your pride just couldn’t take that hit…

That same selfish pride has kept you from the authentic community in which God has blessed each and every one of us to take part. It has told you that you need to put on a show; that you need to appear “better” or “more fortunate” than you really are. Your pride has lied to you. The enemy has lied to you.

As James 4:6 says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ In James 4:10, James calls us to humble ourselves before the Lord, that He (God) may exalt us.

Today, I want to challenge each one of us to intentionally take a stand and go to battle against this enemy; to humble ourselves and descend. Praise God in your triumph. Trust him in your defeat. Cast your prideful crown before the throne.

Don’t let your foolish sense of pride continue to lie to you. Stand in truth and be free.

“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” – Romans 11:36
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You can visit Kenny's site at www.kennysilva.net, and see his original post here.

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How do you feel about practical jokes? I don’t like them. I’ve heard of people putting Nair in their boyfriend’s shampoo bottle, or putting glue on their baseball caps, things that can cause real harm and certainly real embarrassment. If each person insists on getting the better of the other, the jokes only escalate. Where do they end? Perhaps only when someone gets severely hurt.

A similar thing can happen with our words. People seem to think that it’s okay to insult, lie to or make fun of each other, as long as afterward they say that they were only kidding. This is such a common practice that in social media circles, all that is needed is "jk". Sometimes the one doing the joking makes the other feel like they are in the wrong, that they are boring and have no sense of humour. Proverbs 26:18-19 says that someone who deceives another, and then says that they are just kidding is like a madman who shoots flaming or deadly arrows. A madman shooting deadly arrows. That’s a pretty serious analogy. So much for just kidding.

Matthew Henry has said, “By lying and slandering in jest men learn themselves, and teach others, to lie and slander in earnest; and a false report, raised in mirth, may be spread in malice; besides, if a man may tell a lie to make himself merry, why not to make himself rich, and so truth quite perishes, and men teach their tongues to tell lies, Jeremiah 9:5. If men would consider that a lie comes from the devil, and brings to hell-fire, surely that would spoil the sport of it; it is casting arrows and death to themselves.” [Emphasis his.]

I think our society has come to the place where we don’t understand the value of truth or the power of our words. According to Proverbs 18:21, death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love its use will eat its fruit. James tells us that our tongue will determine our direction just as a rudder steers a ship (James 3:4-5) and that what comes out of our mouths represents who we really are. (James 3:8-11)

Who are you really? Who do you want to be? Make sure that your tongue is leading you in the right direction.