Christians & Lying

As a young boy I started doing it without even realizing I was doing it. I guess I did it because I thought it would help me “stay out of trouble.” I would do something wrong, get caught and realize that a spanking was imminent. So I would lie. I didn’t break the lamp. I didn’t eat the cookie. I didn’t steal the toy. I didn’t write on the wall.

I remember as a father myself, noticing one day that my two-year old son was lying. How did he know to do that? My goodness, he wasn’t even old enough to have talked about the concept with anyone! I’d learned at church that we are all born with a sin nature. Frankly seeing my toddler lie for the very first time was a stunning confirmation of that Biblical truth!

As I grew through the years, I don’t guess my lying habit got much better. If anything, it just got more sophisticated. I learned to lie to get what I wanted. I lied to impress people. I lied because I wanted people to like me … and figured the lie was better than the truth. In some respects, the lies I told began to be defense tactics. I didn’t like who I was and assumed everyone else would feel the same way. So I tried to pretend I was someone I wasn’t. By the time I grew to adulthood, it had gotten so that I could hardly tell the lies from the truth. Did I believe my own lies?

Relationships are difficult to sustain with lies. Let me tell you. I vividly remember my mother exclaiming that she could handle just about anything, but emphatically stating that she hated liars. I would hear her words, “I hate liars!” And I would sulk off to my room --- knowing full well that I was a liar --- and concluding then that my mother must hate me. This is not a good conclusion for an insecure teen-ager to draw.

It would be less than honest if I didn’t fess up to continuing to lie. Even in my career I became quite the liar and manipulator. I could get what I wanted, when I wanted. I could step on anyone I needed to in order to make myself look good and get ahead. And often I did. At least until Jesus got hold of me though. When we first adopted our kids and turned to regular church attendance “for the sake of the children,” God started to do a work in me. Frankly He had a lot of work to do!

It wasn’t long before I found myself truly surrendering my heart, my life, and my will to the Lord. And yes, I had to surrender my lies to Him as well. Today I’m not a liar. In fact I don’t recall the last time I told a lie. Somewhere along the line that habit slipped away and was replaced by honesty that sometimes is admittedly a bit brutal. Let’s just say that not everyone is a fan of all of my truth.

But the thing I’ve learned is that lying is an instinctive human behavior. Remember my two-year old son and that sin nature we’re all born with? I’m convinced lying is its foundation. We dress up the lies and call them “white lies.” And our society rationalizes and justifies them to no end. Even in our churches we lie. But you know, the thing I’ve discovered is that my mother was pretty godlike in her view of lying. As it turns out, God hates lying – and His recourse with those who persist in telling lies is not pretty.

I ran across an author recently, Paul Tautges. He’s a pastor in Wisconsin I think. Anyway, he wrote a blog and called it “12 Reasons God Hates Liars.” I read it with intrigue, and took note of the relevant application he made of some tried and true Scriptures on the subject. Let’ take a look.

· God loves truthful speech and honors truth-tellers. [Proverbs 3:3-4 & 12:22]

· Lying reveals a lack of godliness. [Proverbs 12:17 & 13:5]

· Lying is the mark of an unfaithful person. [Proverbs 14:5, 21:6, & 19:22]

· Lying is often motivated by fear (which Christians are not supposed to have). [Genesis 20:9-11 & Isaiah 41:10 & 13]

· Hypocrites are addicted to lying. (They have to have it!) [Hosea 11:12]

· Liars love impure conversation. [Proverbs 17:4]

· Lying is a cause of unanswered prayer! [Isaiah 59:2-3]

· Jesus called Satan the “father of lies,” and Satan leads mankind to join him. [John 8:44 & Acts 5:3]

· Lying often accompanies (or tries to cover) other sin(s). [Hosea 4:1-2]

· Liars will perish. [Psalm 5:6, Proverbs 19:9, & Revelation 21:8]

· Truthful people prevail in the end. [Psalm 63:11 & Proverbs 12:19]

In Colossians 3, the Apostle Paul calls all of us who have been born-again in Christ Jesus to put away the old self and put on the new, clothing ourselves in righteousness (amongst other things). This of course includes lying. Even white lies are not suitable for a Christ-follower, under any circumstances, at any time.

I have to confess that I actually disagree with the author, Paul Tautges. I don’t think there are 12 Reasons Why God Hates Liars. For I don’t believe God hates liars --- any more than I believe my mother hated me. What God hates is lies. And the people who tell them simply cannot be in His presence.

Did you know that? Were you made aware, when you gave your life to Christ, that even the most harmless looking lie separates you from God? And of course lies of any kind separate us from lots of other important relationships in life … such as our spouse, children, parents and siblings. Simply put, there is no place in the Christian life for a lie.

I’ve had to make a continuing effort, and sometimes a valiant effort to turn from my sin of lying. Even today I’ll catch myself in an awkward situation where I might feel as if a lie would be easier. I might even be tempted to rationalize and justify the lie as being more humane, perhaps more socially acceptable or even more polite. But of course, those would be lies that I tell myself. And strangely enough, those of us who've struggled with lying often lied to ourselves more than anyone!

As Christ followers, let us make it a practice to turn from the sin of lying, and develop a core competency in dealing always with the truth. Jesus said that, “the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32) So let’s get with it --- let’s get set free!

On Astrology

The news reports made it into the category called "news of the weird." Scientists have discovered that the zodiac signs modern culture uses are all wrong. Yes, you read that right.

It seems that when astrologers laid things out more than 3,000 years ago (before the birth of Jesus Christ), they were based on certain alignment of planets and stars against the earth. But over the years, the earth apparently wobbled a little on its axis. So now everything is off by about one month. My sign used to be Virgo. But not anymore. It turns out I was never a Virgo. Instead, I am Leo. (See the chart at http://www.abc-7.com/Global/story.asp?S-13828331).

I will confess that my reaction to this was similar to the reaction I had when the Catholic church did away with Purgatory (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article598134.ece). A type of sinister looking holy smirk spread across my face. I'd always known the Catholic theology had holes in it. Finally the pope and I were getting on the same page about that.

I've always loved Catholic people. But as I studied the Word of God, it became clear to me that they, for the most part, are a group of people living under deception. Worse yet, they are ignorant of the deception. They don't even know they are wrong!

And so it is with people who follow their horoscope, pay attention to zodiac signs etc. I've always known that was a farce. But the troubling part of deception like this is that it often feels as if its true. In fact, that's usually how the deception proliferates ... it comes disguised as truth.

I don't know if it's me, but I think I'm noticing a lot more posts on Facebook, for example, from people whom I know profess to be born-again Christians. They are posting their horoscope. They are asking people what their sign is. Is it possible that they aren't conscious of the fact that a horoscope intends to gain (or provide) insight into a person's character and tell the future of that person's life? Or do they just get that entertainment value out of it?

The theology of astrology (if you will) is a basic belief that the planets and the stars have power over what happens in our lives. Those who study this theology become experts. They can tell you things about yourself that perhaps even you didn't know. And they can predict your future. It is against this backdrop that the worst of them purport to give you advice and help you make important decisions in your life.

It's a troubling sign for me, to read these fellow Christians posting about their astrological signs. The Bible expressly forbids divination, sorcery, and hidden arts (Deuteronomy 18:10-14). God's people (that's you and me) are to follow only God for direction in our lives (Deuteronomy 18:15). Any other source of guidance, information or revelation is to be ignored and even rejected (Acts 16:16-18).

You see, the truth of the matter is that astrology opposes biblical teaching in at least two important ways. First, it advocates faith in something other than God, and credits something that God created with divine, supernatural power. Second, it places our attention on something other than God for our source of power and guidance. In fact, it denies God's perfect will for my life and His perfect control over all of my circumstances.

Christ-followers are to be reading our Bibles and praying every day. This is how the character of Christ takes over us. It is also our principal source of knowledge about how to move forward, what decisions to make, etc. There is to be no other source of such influence in our lives.

Consulting your horoscope is a direct and clear violation of God's plan for our lives. That the so-called astrology experts have just discovered a massive error in a so-called theology that is older than Christ Himself just provides further evidence of the futility of such wisdom. Think about it. People who have been following astrology for over 3,000 years have been deceived.

I thought I was a Virgo. I was told who Virgos are, how they function and predictions were given to me all my life. I've been told how to make decisions as a Virgo too. Then all of a sudden, I'm a Leo ... an entirely different person. What exactly does that do to an individual --- to mess with their identity like that?

The definition of who I am was decided on the cross. God knew me before I was even in my mother's womb. He had a perfect plan for my life (Jeremiah 29:11), and has provided me with His Spirit to guide me and help me make right choices and good decisions through out my days. So let us put away the entertainment value that we get out of astrology. It's like a false religion. Sadly, the further it goes, the more false it gets.

Fortunately, I don't have much stock in astrology anyway. I used to. But thanks be to God for revealing the truth to me, and exposing the lies I was believing. The thing is that I'm not rattled by this revelation of the whole shift in our zodiac signs which needs to be made, because it's been wrong forever. But for some of my Christian brothers and sisters, and for some of my non-Christian friends as well, they must be wondering what it's all about. Let's lead them to the truth. And in the process, we'll march right over the lies.

Now, my friend ... what sign are you? "Well, you see, I'm a sign of the cross!"

Test Everything

I'm reading this book right now. I won't name the title because I'm not sure what I think of the book yet. It had a catchy title. So clever was the title that I also purchased another copy of the book for a friend (at the same time I purchased my copy). As I am reading it though, I have thought perhaps I should call him and apologize.

The book is about the watering down of Christianity. It is about how those who profess to follow Jesus Christ in America actually don't. It is about the heresy that's being preached in the name of Jesus.

Typically I'm drawn to controversy and conflict. I always assume that truth will level the playing field in such situations too. This book is no different. Much, if not most, of what it has to say is spot on. Several times as I'm reading I'm tempted to say, "Amen!" There are pages that I've already marked for future reference because the writer's words are so profound.

But then there are those moments. Perhaps you've experienced them. It happens when someone intelligent is saying things you heartily agree with. And then they do it. They spew out something that you absolutely know is not true. In fact, there is no way it could be true. If you even considered the possibility that it would be true you would be undoing everything you believed in. (I often get those moments watching Oprah or reading something she's recommended.) And he did it here.

This author, whose book I have purchased for myself and a friend, was doing great. Until he spewed some nonsense that makes God look like a fool. I got through the first one like a rough patch of turbulence on an airplane flight. It smoothed out and I continued reading with satisfaction and agreement. Until he did it again. And again. I think there are three or four times now he's said something in this book that has made me wince because it was untrue. It's a like that the writer apparently believes to be true.

The Bible tells us to to test everything against the Word of God to be sure it is true. We're not to consume anything without first conducting that test. Said differently, we're not to consider anything or take anything at face value without having first tested it against the Word of God.

I've blogged in the past about false teachers and false teaching. They're not always the same. Sometimes good teachers can be guilty of false teaching. And so I'm reminded as I read this book right now, that even writers who mostly put forth truth can let a lie creep in there somewhere. I think it's why the Bible tells us to test everything that's said --- as opposed to testing everyone who says it.

I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do about this book. I'm pretty sure I'll finish it. There's a sufficient amount of truth in it that I want to finish it. But I have to admit that the lies are distracting the heck out of me. They're spoiling the enjoyment I get from reading it.

A couple of years ago I read the book, A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle. (It as an Oprah Book Club recommendation.) Unfortunately, the book was so full of crap that I was thoroughly disgusted reading it. While there was some truth, most of what Mr. Tolle had to say couldn't pass the testing against God's Word. I was so disgusted, in fact, that I took my copy of the book and threw it in the dumpster. I didn't want to pass it on even to a thrift store for fear that someone else might read it.

I don't think I feel so strongly about this book I'm reading now. But I've already decided I'm never going to recommend it, especially to someone who is young and perhaps less able to discern the lies amidst the truths.

Perhaps the question is whether book authors (and their publishers) know that no matter how good they are, how religious they've been or what they write ... it still needs to be tested against God's Word.

Dear Abby Heresy

And there it was, staring straight at me from the morning paper. The Dear Abby column. Today's letter was heart-breaking. But Abby's answer was so outrageous I almost choked on my tea!

The letter from the 15-year old teen girl said that she is bisexual and suicidal. She described hurting herself regularly. Dear Abby's response? She started with, "As you already know, your sexual orientation isn't something you chose. It is something you were born with ..." Can you imagine a more insane thing to say to a teen-ager? It's such a lie!

I have to confess to having been a regular reader of both Dear Abby and Ann Landers. Advice columns intrigue me. (I think they interest most people for some bizarre reason.) And something unusual has happened to my love affair with these two columns. As I've grown older and matured, I've realized how irrelevant they are. I've come to discern how lame their advice is. Occasionally, I see them dispensing advice that is not only lame and wrong, but downright dangerous. Such is the case with today's advice.

Abby referred this poor teen-age girl to several organizations that will help her embrace her perverted sexuality. The child is believing lies about herself, about God, and about sexuality. Abby did nothing to put her on the right path. Instead, she told her it's normal (i.e., the lie isn't a lie at all) and that she can embrace it.

Now as a Christian, I've considered that perhaps my differences with Dear Abby and Dear Ann Landers (sister columnists) stemmed from the fact that they're both Jewish. But I don't think that's the case here. You see, no one who reads the Torah or the Old Testament or any other part of the Bible couldn't be this deluded.

There is no way that homosexuality, bisexuality, trans-sexuality or other perversions of godly sexuality are endorsed in the Torah (the Jewish holy book ... which also serves as the Christian Old Testament). Simply put, it's immoral, ungodly, sinful, evil and just plain wrong.

I'd like to tell this teen-ager that there is hope. She doesn't have to feel this way. She is being deceived by her feelings and defined by her temptations. I'd like to show her the way out of this mess. Unfortunately, I don't have the influence. It has been given to Dear Abby ... who has squandered it by dispensing heresy.

Dear Abby is written by Jeanne Phillips, the daughter of Pauline Phillips, who took over the column under the name Abigail Van Buren. The Bible says that those who mislead others will be harshly judged. I suspect Ms. Phillips is going to have a very shocking encounter with our Maker one of these days. But the rest of us won't be shocked. We can see it coming in today's column!

Woe to Ms. Jeanne Phillips for intentionally misleading teen-agers by encouraging them to not only believe but embrace lies. Let us pray for the readers of her column who are being fed a pack of lies.

Real Meaning of Christmas

Now that the Christmas season is drawing to a close, I can breath a long sigh of relief. What am I relieved about? The end (finally) of all the sappy crap about the "real meaning of Christmas." It seems that just after Thanksgiving the television and radio started blasting my home with songs and TV shows & movies purporting to give me the "real meaning of Christmas."

I thought for a while that the absolute epitome of nauseating garbage was that song "Christmas Shoes" by Bob Carlisle. The radio station I listen to most often (KLTY) played it incessantly until I was ready to puke. To make matters worse, people would call in to request it. A friend came to my house and heard it. She remarked about how much she liked it. (I cringed.)

But then KLTY did something worse. They host a holiday "wish list" program, where they show up at fast food restaurants with Christmas wishes that you can stop by to browse through. You pick out a wish to grant. Then they call the wisher on the phone and tell them they're going to grant the wish. The pathetic individual who is desperate for food or rent money often sobs with relief.

This would all be good --- if KLTY didn't then replay the same episode over and over again (we're talking dozens of times). I thought it was degrading and disrespectful to the poor people who were actually being helped. But they do. After hearing the same sob story dozens of times, I wanted to scream, "Who is going to pay these people's rent next month and the month after that!" Frank, the announcer on the radio, acts as if they've actually changed someones life. For heaven's sake, they paid this month's rent and gave them some money for food and Christmas presents. What will happen next month? These are not solutions, folks. They are temporary hand-outs that mostly benefit the giver by making them feel good, and KLTY by making them look good!

My wife told me to be quiet. She doesn't want anyone to know how cynical I've become about the alleged "real meaning of Christmas." So while I sat and stewed about it all month, I turned on the TV. Dear heavens, do you know how many sappy shows there are about Christmas? There must be some Christmas movie factory in China that just pumps these babies out. It seemed there were several to choose from each day. The most insane? Whoopee Goldberg as Santa Claus!

I remember as a child enjoying a few good Christmas shows ... the classics like Rudolf and Frosty the Snowman. They were wonderful and I even enjoy them today. Some of the more modern Christmas movies are destined to be classics too. One of my favorites is the original Home Alone movie. But folks, we don't need four different sappy Christmas movies every single day to watch. Magic reindeer, Christmas shoes, angels unaware, Eartha Kitt, Whoopee Goldberg, and all --- still couldn't make these movies worthwhile. Most of them had some sappy, crappy happy ending that had no resemblance of reality.

So why did I get so moved by this garbage? Because, folks, it is HERESY. The "real meaning of Christmas," as depicted by the modern media, is a fallacy. It is not true. It is not even close to true. Jesus told us to love others as we would like to be loved. He said it is the second most important commandment. We are to do so all year round - not just at Christmas.

The real meaning of Christmas is that God Himself came down to earth to drag our wretched, sinful selves from the fiery pit of hell. We are grateful for that gift and celebrate it on Christmas. I am a filthy sinner, unable to fully repent or turn from my sinful ways on my own. So God, in His miraculous love, sent a Savior to rescue me. That, my friends, is the real meaning of Christmas. When will Bob Carlisle write a song about that? When will KLTY sponsor a program that helps people understand that? When will Fox or Family Channel host 47 different movies that tell that amazing, incredible story?

Like I said, I'm breathing a sigh of relief. The season of heresy is finally coming to a close. God bless us all, as we browse through the discounted Christmas stuff at Wal-Mart (and pick up some Valentine candy that's already on sale).

Oprah on God

Recently one of my daughters talked about what her pastor was saying about Oprah. She said he was warning the congregation to be wary of Oprah and not be deceived by the evil that she is championing. (I knew that Oprah was a champion of Barack Obama, but didn't think he would be the evil my daugter's pastor had in mind.) So I decided to check it out.

We don't watch Oprah's show, read her magazines or take much stock in her book recommendations. I know she's influential in our culture and many people look at her. Perhaps I became a bit jaded when I was doing counseling and having to explain to people that whatever they saw on Oprah wasn't necessarily how life works! At any rate, I tuned into one episode of the Oprah show - and immediately got what I was looking for.

It seems that among the books Oprah has recommended are some that Christians would consider quite sinister. But she's gone farther. Now Oprah is hosting web-based classes for millions. The classes are on spirituality and religion. They purport to help people understand who God really is and how we should relate to them.

I don't think I've seen such blatant heresy in a very long time. It is chilling. What Oprah is evangelizing is clearly not Biblical. Here is a link to a YouTube video I found that explains the problem with what Oprah is doing. (When you're there, notice the other related videos on this subject.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkQROc5prZE

Finally, here is the link to the web site to which Oprah has hitched her wagon. It is the site of the global "church" she seems to be building.

http://www.neverthirsty.org/pp/monthlynews/200804/n.html

If you are grounded in Christ, you will be chilled by the implications. If you are not, you may very well be deceived.

I am reminded of the proverb, "Let us not be ignorant about the war we are fighting."

God help us all to stand against the influence of an ignorant Oprah who choses to believe what she wants instead of what is actually true. Perhaps more importantly, God help all of those who follow an ignorant leader like Oprah.