Deception in Christian preaching highlights the danger of falsehoods that mislead others and ultimately entrap the deceiver in their own lies. It often uses images of hidden traps or misinformed victims to warn believers against spiritual ruin and emphasizes the call for truthfulness and vigilance (John 8:44; Proverbs 12:22).
A CROW in great want of food saw a Serpent asleep in a sunny nook,
and flying down, greedily seized him. The Serpent, turning about, bit
the Crow with a mortal wound. In the agony of death, the bird
exclaimed: "O unhappy me! who have found in that which I deemed a
happy windfall the source of my destruction."
Looks can be quite deceiving. Indeed, those who follow the false
pleasures of the world will soon discover its destructiveness!
One of life's great treats is pumpkin pie with some Cool Whip on it. That's what I was after when I went to my son's refrigerator. I had cut my piece of pie - all it was missing was that little white topping of Cool Whip. So I foraged around in the fridge until I saw that familiar plastic container with a picture of what I wanted my pumpkin pie to look like. Somewhat mindlessly, I opened that container, stuck my spoon in, and pulled out the contents. I was just about to decorate my pie with it when I looked at what was on my spoon - not Cool Whip - gravy. Which won't do much for pumpkin pie.
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about “When the Container Lies to You.”
The container promised me one thing - but what was inside was very different. That's an experience every one of us has had - when we reached for something based on what it was supposed to give us, only to be disappointed when we found out what was really inside. That deception is, in fact, the very nature of sin, and it's why we end up with scars and messes we never knew were going to be a part of.
In fact, you may be looking at a temptation right now - or even giving into it - a temptation that looks promising on the outside. But God is sending you a warning right now to let you know the heartache and hurt that's on the inside. Sin conceals its ugliness and it destruction until you've already bitten the apple.
The temptation that looks good to you right now may say “pleasure” on the container - do this because it will feel good. Or maybe the package says “love” - do this and you'll get some love. The promise may be “relief” - a chance to escape from some hurt ... or maybe it says “significance” - do this and you'll get ahead, you'll feel important.
But God believes in “truth-in-packaging.” He clearly reveals what sin really offers in James 1:15, our word for today from the Word of God. “After desire has conceived” - that's the part where the container really looks inviting - “it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” That, of course, is not on the container. First, sin fascinates you - then it assassinates you. It kills your self-respect ... it kills people's trust in you ... it kills your close relationships ... it kills your freedom ... it kills your closeness to God. Short benefit, long consequences. A sinful way to get something you need or want is never worth it and ultimately never delivers.
It's a prison that looks like a penthouse on the outside. You don't know that you're hooked until the cell door slams behind you. The thrill of sin lasts a short time; the bill for sin lasts a long time. There's a little good stuff and a lot of guilt; a rush that's brief and wreckage that can last a lifetime.
Don't fall for those lies on sin's package. Check its real contents, as exposed graphically in the Bible. If you've already opened sin's package, get out while you can. If you're looking at a compromise that God calls sin, run the other way. You haven't got time for the pain, for the scars, for the slavery, for the shame. Do it God's way, even if it's harder, even if it takes longer. Remember, it's the narrow road that leads to life ... it's the wide road that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).
________________
Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. "Practical Answers to Real Life Issues"
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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #6135]
"The best thing about getting older is that you gain sincerity," said Tommy Smothers. "Once you learn to fake that, there's nothing you can't do."
From: "Darrell Broking"
Illustration : He believed the lie.
I will use this as an illustration the next time I preach on the
dangers of denominational doctrines.
Darrell Broking, Preacher
Pike Road Church of Christ
83 Pike Road
Pantego, NC 27860
(252) 935-5310
\webpage{http://www.geocities.com/athens/oracle/9932/index.html}
"Car accident by satellite guidance"
Sunday, 27 December 1998 15:57 (GMT)
(UPI Focus)
CAPUTH, Germany, Dec. 27 (UPI) - German newspapers and television
report on a Christmas day auto accident in Caputh, which has police
shaking their heads in puzzlement.
A German motorist apparently following instructions from his car
dashboard satellite-guided navigation system drove his BMW into the
Havel River plunging vehicle and passengers 13 feet under water.
The news reports today did not name the 57-year-old man, but
described him as oblivious to warnings from passengers, passers-by and
flashing red lights that there was river in front of him.
The driver from Hamburg unhesitatingly continued on his journey,
past a stop sign, down a ferry ramp and then into the Havel.
Germany's ZDF television channel says the BMW sank slowly in about
13 feet of water while driver and passengers were snatched safely from
the river.
However, ship traffic on the river was stopped for two hours while
divers fished out his car.
ZDF television interviewed a coastguardsman who said "You can't
always blindly rely on technology," with unusual Teutonic restraint.
Police say the accident took place when the couple and a friend
wentout for a drive and came to Caputh in eastern Germany, where a ferry
operates across the river.
Police investigating the mishap say a crucial piece of information
was not stored in the satellite-steered navigation system of their
BMW.
The BMW's map showed the presence of a bridge when it should have
indicated a ferry. The satellite accurately indicated the car's
precise position, but signaled it could cross on a bridge.
Police say the driver placed his complete faith on the electronic
system and drove straight into the water.
--
Copyright 1998 by United Press International.
All rights reserved.
Trading fortunes told for a fortune lost, the companies behind Miss Cleo's psychic hot line agreed Thursday to forgive $500 million in customer bills to settle a federal lawsuit alleging they fleeced callers hoping to glimpse the future.
Access Resource Services Inc. and Psychic Readers Network Inc. also agreed to stop selling their alleged soothsaying services over the phone and pay the government a $5 million fine, the Federal Trade Commission said. The two Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based companies - owned by Steven Feder and Peter Stolz - promoted a national network of "psychic readers" on television and the Internet.
A woman identified as a Jamaican mystic named "Miss Cleo" offered supernatural insights into love and money. Miss Cleo's real name is Youree Dell Harris. During a deposition in June, Harris repeatedly invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, refusing to discuss a birth certificate showing she was born in Los Angeles to American parents.
Howard Beales, director of the FTC's consumer protection bureau, said there was no truth in Miss Cleo's prognostications. "I'm no psychic but I can foresee this: If you make deceptive claims, there is an FTC action in your future," he said in announcing the settlement.
The FTC accused the companies of misdeeds including false promises of free psychic readings, tricky billing tactics to squeeze money out of callers and harassing telemarketing calls.
The companies did not admit breaking any law but agreed to stop the phone service and forgive about $500 million in outstanding charges. They also must return all uncashed checks to customers.
Beales said during three years of operation the service charged people about $1 billion and collected half of it. "They're getting out of the business," Beales said. "It won't resume."
Sean Moynihan, an attorney for the companies, said the businesses did nothing illegal and were not given enough opportunity by the FTC to explain their practices before the lawsuit was filed. ...
The FTC lawsuit, prompted by more than 2,000 consumer complaints, said the psychic service promised a free reading, but consumers calling a toll-free number were directed to a 900 number charging $4.99 per minute. The agency said nearly 6 million people made such calls and were charged an average of about $60. The government said operators made the calls last as long as possible by telling callers they would not be charged while on hold. A telephone bill running into the hundreds of dollars was the first sign for many callers that they were being charged.
The FTC also accused the service of violating telemarketing rules by harassing people and making calls to those who asked to be on a "do not call" list. The agency said many consumers received up to 10 calls a day, usually automated messages telling them that "Miss Cleo had a dream about them and they should call back." ...
Florida authorities have a civil case pending against Miss Cleo herself, accusing her of deceptive advertising.
*
In England, nearly 300 years ago, there was a merchant commander named Captain Fudge. This historical figure became famous for his lies and exaggerations about adventures on the high seas. His crew members were so accustomed to his tales that they would call each other "Fudge" when one was straying from the truth. By the mid 1800's, children in America were readily referring to cheating as "Fudging." Today many people still use the term when dealing with deception.
TS--What type of behavior epitomizes you? How will future generations describe you? As a New Year begins, maybe it's time to start changing the legacy that you are leaving.
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Another version by Rev. Stephen Sizer in Kerux sermon #20820:
We live in a society characterized by one word “Fudge”. Do you know where the word comes from? The word ‘fudge’ comes from a certain sea captain Fudge, commander of the Black Eagle. He became notorious for telling all kinds of lies, tall tales and exaggerations about his improbable adventures at sea. His ship was apparently used for transporting Quakers, forcibly transferred from Newgate prison in August 1665. A few months later when 19 of the prisoners and 8 of the crew died of the plague, the crew mutinied and Fudge was arrested for debt. By the mid-1800’s the expression “no fudging” was being used in America by children to dissuade friends from cheating at marbles. We use it today to describe someone misrepresenting or being economical with the truth.
Bill Hybels puts it like this: “Lets face it, at one time or another everyone is tempted to fudge a little. None of us is totally honest all the time. We occasionally exaggerate. We tend to break our commitments from time to time. We can trace this kind of misbehavior all the way back to the opening scenes of the Bible, when Adam fudged by blaming Eve for the way they had violated God’s command. . . . Ever since the earliest days in human history, the world has feasted on fudge. Sadly, we still do.”
====================
fudge (v.)
1674, alteration of M.E. fadge "make suit, fit," of unknown origin. The traditional story (attested from 1791) traces fudge in this sense to a Captain Fudge, "who always brought home his owners a good cargo of lies." It seems there really was a late 17-century Captain Fudge, called "Lying Fudge," and perhaps his name influenced the form of fadge in the sense of "contrive without the necessary materials."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
The Portia spider is a master predator whose chief weapon is deception. To begin with, says Robert R. Jackson in National Geographic, the spider looks like a piece of dried leaf or foliage blown into the web. When it attacks other species of spiders, it uses a variety of methods to lure the host spider into striking range.
Sometimes it crawls onto the web and taps the silken threads in a manner that mimics the vibrations of a mosquito caught in the web. The host spider marches up for dinner and instead becomes a meal itself.
The Portia spider can actually tailor its deception for its prey. With a type of spider that maintains its home inside a rolled-up leaf, the Portia dances on the outside of the leaf, imitating a mating ritual.
Jackson writes, “Portia can find a signal for just about any spider by trial and error. It makes different signals until the victim spider finally responds appropriately -- then keeps making the signal that works.”
Like the Portia spider, Satan's weapon of choice is deception.
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Choice Contemporary Stories & Illustrations For Preachers, Teachers, & Writers, by Craig Brian Larson, Baker Books, p. 63.
Historian Joseph Ellis has won the Pulitzer Prize. He also won the National Book Award in 1997 for "American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson." Even before he became a best-selling author, Ellis was famous for his vivid lectures. In his popular courses at the exclusive Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, he would often enliven classroom discussions by describing his own combat experience in Vietnam.
As Ellis's reputation grew, the history professor began to tell local and national reporters about his memories of war. Last year, after The Boston Globe carried accounts of Ellis's experience as a platoon leader with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam, someone who knew the truth about Ellis dropped a dime. All of it was made up.
Why would such a famous author do a dumb thing like this? One commentator says an experience like war defines a person's character, especially in front of other men. I always read the obituaries that have the little flags. Which war were they in? Did they see combat? If you can be brave in war, you can be brave anywhere. Those who have never been to war might as well fake it.
InfoBeat - June 01, 2001
FBI will not pursue Internet hoax
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - The FBI said Thursday it will not further investigate an Internet hoax in which a 40-year-old woman invented a young woman, began an online diary of her battle with leukemia and then killed her off.
Hundreds of people sent cards and gifts as they followed the fictitious Kaycee Nicole's nearly two-year-long fight with cancer through an online diary dubbed "Living Colours."
The saga of the optimistic high school basketball star ended May 15 when Debbie Swenson of Peabody, Kan., announced Kaycee's death on the Web site: "Thank you for the love, the joy, the laughter and the tears. We shall love you always and forever."
FBI spokesman Jeff Lanza said the bureau would not probe the case further because it doesn't meet the agency's threshold for financial crimes.
For fraud cases, the loss has to be in the thousands of dollars. In this case only a few hundred dollars, at most, were sent to the fictitious woman by people who believed the story, he said.
"Our understanding of the facts is there was no active solicitation," Lanza said. "So at least at a federal level it would be hard to prove a crime occurred."
The hoax started unraveling when several readers noticed irregularities in Kaycee's story and started making calls. Computer experts traced the postings to Swenson's Internet account.
Swenson, a homemaker with two teen-age children, confessed a few days later that she had invented Kaycee's life and death.
The photos purported to be of Kaycee were actually those of an Oklahoma teen-ager who had no idea they were being used until Swenson called her family last week to apologize.
Swenson, who has an unlisted telephone number, could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday on the FBI's decision.
But in Thursday's editions of The New York Times, Swenson said she had not intended to hurt anyone when she created the Kaycee character. She said she was surprised to learn how many people had been reading about Kaycee.
"The whole idea of an online journal is to write what you want to write," she said. "I wanted it to be something positive."
The online postings began nearly two years ago on a site called CollegeClub.com.
The cover of a recent news magazine read in bold print, “The Art of the Hoax.” [1] The pages presented everything from crop circles and television psychics to sinister 9/11 plots. The driving force of the entire storyline was perhaps the question posed in one article: Are we vulnerable to hoaxes even in the information age? Their response was a clear, “Yes!” Their advice for us was equally clear: “Distrust and verify.”
Such advice seems almost unnecessary for an age inundated not only with information but also with skeptical thought. No one wants to be duped. And it is certainly good to think critically and verify truth. But may I pose a question for us to think critically about? Skeptical or not, when you approach an event which seems to defy the laws of nature are you an honest investigator before crying hoax?
I ask because many have deemed the resurrection of Christ a hoax, on the premise alone that miracles are not possible. But in reality this is not being fair-minded. You see, without proof of atheism, which is impossible, it is really unreasonable to exclude supernatural explanations from your list of possible options. You see, if supernatural explanations have been eliminated from the onset of your investigation, what then happens when there is no natural explanation for an event?
Scottish skeptic David Hume is perhaps history's most famous critic of the miraculous. Hume once stated that if historians consistently agreed that the Queen of England died and then reappeared a month later, he would be willing to accept any explanation but a miracle of God. Responding to Hume's thought experiment, philosopher William Lane Craig marks the essential clue in investigating the miraculous. Says Craig, “I would agree that a miracle without context is inherently ambiguous.... The religio-historical context is crucial in understanding miraculous events. That is why... the Queen's return would only perplex us [while] the Resurrection gives us pause.” [2]
Dr. Craig reminds us that Jesus performed miracles in a context brimming with religious significance. His supernatural acts authenticated his divine authority. And his resurrection is the culmination of the unparalleled claims for which he was crucified.
To further investigate, think of the situation the disciples faced following the crucifixion of their leader. Under Jewish law, anyone crucified was literally considered to be under the curse of God. Yet, despite having predispositions to the contrary, the disciples indisputably came to believe that Jesus was the Son of God who was resurrected from the dead. And they were willing to die for that belief.
Dear friends, the historicity of these events is not in doubt. Jesus was crucified. The disciples testified that they were with Jesus after his death. And all of them died proclaiming the resurrection of Christ. The question is, how will you explain them? A reasonable mind cannot be criticized for deducing the miraculous: that God raised Jesus from the dead that first Easter morning. Yes, hoaxes abound. However, I cannot reasonably conclude that the resurrection is one of them. Can you?
____________
1. U.S. News and World Report, Aug. 26, 2002.
2. William Lane Craig quoted in Lee Strobel's "A Case for Faith," page 91.
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Copyright © 2002 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.
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[Original illustration at this number was added to HolwickID #3872]
Once upon a time, a laughing hyena was wandering through the jungle. While looking around he noticed a leopard stalking him with the intention of having him for lunch. The hyena thinks, "Boy, I'm in deep trouble now." But close by he sees bones on the ground and immediately settles down to chew on one of them with his back to the approaching cat. Just as the leopard is about to leap, the hyena chuckles out loud and exclaims, "That was one delicious leopard, I wonder if there are any more around here?"
Hearing this the leopard stops in mid-stride and slinks away into the jungle. "Whew", he says, "that was close."
Meanwhile, a monkey, who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree, figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the leopard. So, he chased after the leopard.
But the hyena saw what he was doing and figured something must be up. The monkey soon caught up with the cat and spilled the beans, striking a good deal for himself. The leopard is furious at being made a fool and says, "Here, hop on my back and watch what's going to happen to that conniving canine."
Now the hyena sees his enemy coming with the monkey on his back and thinks, "What will I do now?" However, instead of running, the wild canine sits down with his back to his attackers pretending he hasn't seen them yet. Just as they get close enough to hear, the hyena says, "Where's that darn monkey? I should never have trusted him. It's been over a half an hour since I sent him to bring me another leopard and he's still not back!"
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I was once invited to lecture at the Lenin Military Academy and to participate in a discussion at the Center for Geopolitical Strategy in Moscow with six Russian generals - all but one, atheists. As we entered this imposing building, I was aware of being in an historic setting, for all of the general secretaries of the USSR had earned their education there. In the welcoming hall were the portraits of Peter the Great and Kutusov. Every facet of the building was pompous and stately, intended not accidentally I am sure, to make the individual feel small and insignificant.
Here, in its inner chambers, our discussion began. As the conversation unfolded from early unease through robust argumentation all the way to our warm conclusion, something incredible happened. One by one, each of these generals conceded that Russia was now in a pathetic state, not just economically but morally. As the men stood to bid us good-bye, the senior-ranking general grasped my hand and said, "Dr. Zacharias, I believe what you have brought us is the truth. But it is so hard to change after seventy years of believing a lie."
How haunting are the general's words! After seventy years of believing a lie, it is so hard to change. What a moment in history when once-Marxist nations admit to a dastardly failed experiment that demonstrates beyond any doubt the dire consequences that are reaped when God is eliminated from the framework of life's choices.
Yet strangely enough, we in the West are now moving toward that same ideological base, unwilling to believe what stares us in the face. I vividly remember after speaking at Cornell University one evening, a young woman, who was a science major, approached me. Her eyes were filled with tears as she confessed to me and her peers, "I cannot tell you how deeply I struggle. I long to believe in God and walk the way of Christ. But everything in my academic pursuit steers me away from God. Science is a religion here and leaves no room for God."
Friend, are you perhaps like the Russian general or the university student, longing to know truth in a world that says there is no God, no soul, and no afterlife? The truth is that the resurrection of Jesus is a reality that cannot be dismissed out of hand without a serious study of the historical record. And in that record - the Gospels - you may, in turn, discover Him who is "the resurrection and the life."
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Copyright © 2002 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.
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The book “Deceived” by Mel White describes for us an American pastor who headed up what was considered a model congregation. Their community outreach was effective as they cared for under privileged kids. They build housing for senior citizens and paid the way for those who couldn't afford the rent. They ran a drug rehab program, a medical facility with outpatient care, and even had an animal shelter.
Walter Mondale said the pastor was “an inspiration to us all.” Our national government commended this pastor for helping people in need, counseling prisoners, starting a job placement center, organizing a vocational trading center, providing free legal aid, and even preaching about God. But the day came when this pastor called his members to meet at the pavilion to hear him speak. He was seated in a large chair and held the microphone in his hand. He spoke about the beauty of death.
A container of FlavorAid laced with cyanide was brought out and the people were told to drink. Most did so without force. First babies and children - 80. Then adults and finally the pastor. For a few minutes everything was calm until the people broke into convulsions and began to scream. In a few minutes 780 people were dead. They were the members of the People's Temple Christian Church under the leadership of Jim Jones.
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In the days that we live in right now, it is essential for Christians to hone their discernment as much as possible. For the Bible clearly states that the Last Days are an age of deception. And the coming Revival can only survive if it is grounded in the wisdom and discernment of God.
What I am about to share with you is one of the most basic keys to discernment in existence. But so many Christians forget about it that we need to remind ourselves that it is there.
Did you know that even an unbeliever can often spot a ‘con-man’ or a snake-oil salesman? They get a kind-of “gut feeling” about such things. And they are often right! In fact, they are often less gullible than the Christians! I believe that God has placed within every human being at least a measure of an inner “warning system” to protect us from being easily deceived – just as He has given us all a conscience. It is something that He has built into every one of us, in His mercy.
But what I have found again and again with people who give themselves over to some form of deception is that they almost always “override” these alarm bells. They go against their ‘better judgement’. They ignore the little voice deep inside them that is telling them that there is something wrong. Christians do this all the time. That is how they get themselves involved in such foolish deceptions.
This may all sound very obvious, but I am telling you, this one basic area alone could wipe out half the deception in the church right now. If only people would listen to these internal ‘alarm bells’ and act with common sense, half of it would be gone overnight.
The Bible is very clear that the Last Days are a time of “seducing spirits” and great deception that would “deceive if possible the very elect”. It also shows that much of this deception must arise from within the church – luring believers with “itching ears”. Do we see evidence of this kind of thing taking place today? Certainly! In fact, from what I have seen recently in the Prophetic movement and sections of the Charismatic movement, the extent of deception is alarming indeed. Some of it is truly shocking. And yet it is all accepted as perfectly “normal” by many Christians.
One of the problems, of course, is that those who bring in these deceptions are ‘trusted’ by the congregation. They have a reputation and they put across some very convincing-sounding arguments and surround the whole thing with Biblical terminology. And thus the deception is harder to spot. (After all, if it were not “deceptive” then it would not be called ‘deception’!) People see spiritual power operating and assume that it “must be God”. But this is a very dangerous assumption to make in these days.
There is also a lot of “peer pressure” involved as well. For if everyone in the church is getting into something, then shouldn’t you just ignore those little ‘alarm bells’ and jump right in? This is what is happening all the time in the church right now. And some preachers are very good at making people feel that they are ‘hindering the Spirit’ if they do not get involved.
So how do you avoid being deceived in this way?
Very simply, you do not go along to these meetings in a “gullible” frame of mind. And you do not allow yourself to be carried along with the crowd. You listen carefully to the preaching and make sure that it truly is Biblical. Then you watch the ministry happening down the front of the meeting and discern whether it really is of God or not. You do not “override” any feelings of unease or any ‘alarm bells’ going off inside you. And you do not allow yourself to be swayed by ‘peer pressure’. Even if the whole church is getting into something, it does not mean that you have to. If you do not feel quite “right” about it then DO NOT GET INVOLVED. If you need to, make some excuse and get out of there! You do not have to get involved in things that do not feel spiritually “right” to you.
A lot of people today will go down the front to get something “imparted” to them by almost every visiting speaker – almost as a matter of course. I tell you, in today’s climate this can be a very dangerous thing to do. In fact, some of this ‘impartation’ business has very flimsy backing in Scripture. Who knows what on earth these preachers are imparting? And who knows where they picked it up? I tell you, there are a lot of preachers out there today whom I would not even allow to impart something into my pet cat, let alone a human being! Deceiving spirits are commonplace, and I believe they are being imparted to Christians on a large scale.
This should not surprise us, for it is exactly what the Scriptures declare will happen in the Last Days. All the way through the New Testament we are warned of these times – over and over again.
One of the problems is that God actually does do ‘strange and unusual’ things Himself. (-Especially in Revivals). So we cannot simply throw out everything “unusual”. Angelic visitations DO HAPPEN. Strange prophetic signs DO OCCUR. And being a strong Charismatic Christian myself, I expect to see believers speaking in tongues and moving in the gifts of the Holy Spirit as well. Now, there is no doubt that many of these things could be termed ‘unusual’ phenomena. So how do we tell the difference?
Well, God never goes against His own holy character. Or against Scripture. And as I often say, we may see Him do ‘unusual’ things but I believe we need to draw the line at “weird” or ugly. Some of the deception that is around right now has a ‘touchy-feely’ New Age sense about it. Remember that the New Age movement majors on “inner healing” and a lot of dangerous teaching on inner healing is infiltrating the Christian church today. I do not believe in ‘guided visualisation’ or anything of that kind. And neither am I very fond of the writings of Catholic mystics or the like.
However, I have personally found it very helpful to immerse myself in the writings of past Revivalists and the accounts of great moves of God. A lot of the men and women involved in these Revivals lived very close to God and knew Him intimately. They knew His holiness, they knew His glory, and they knew His love. And it is enormously helpful to one’s discernment to immerse oneself in these writings, I have found. I would recommend this to all Christians everywhere.
If you have been touched or involved in any way with manifestations or experiences that you think may not have been from God, then I urge you to utterly RENOUNCE (with your mouth, but also from the depths of your heart and soul) any links or involvement with that experience or ‘anointing’. Please do not put this off, my friends. Some of this stuff is extremely dangerous. RENOUNCE IT today.
I hope this article has been of some practical help.
God bless you all!
John Fafinski works in a sales office in the Midwest with a lady named Laura Cooper. One day, Laura received a phone call which she didn’t want to take. She asked John to tell the caller that she wasn’t there. John did that. Later, John went to Laura with these words: “I feel bad for having lied. I confessed my sin to God and I can no longer lie for you.”
At that point, Laura realized that there was something unusual about the character of John’s life. He had a level of integrity that was different. Later, Laura came to appreciate how devoted John was to his wife. These are not dramatic or even unusual qualities. But Laura instinctively knew that in John was the presence of something which was different. John never talked about religion. Yet his example was a factor in Laura’s decision to begin attending a church.
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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #155]
New studies show that cell phones, amidst other technologies with intentions of furthering social structure, are altering social behavior in ways that seem counterintuitive. Friends remain on their phones when they are together. Answering a ringing phone at dinner or in a meeting is less likely to be viewed as an interruption (by the answerer) than it was even 5 years ago. Phones created with the intention of fostering communication now seem to be furthering qualities of poor communication, or in some cases no communication at all.
One major company has recently introduced what it refers to an added “functionality” for their subscribers. A service they are calling “Escape-A-Date” allows users to arrange for their cell phone to ring at a specified time. The call then guides the answerer through an automated “escape script” that allows the individual to talk his or her way out of being with the gullible person across the table any longer. The evening comes to an abrupt end as half of the party is seemingly in need of rushing off to tend to business. If the date is going well, the courtesy call is simply not answered.
This added “functionality” rivals its non-automated partners in crime, “alibi clubs,” in which members enlist one another to create an alibi. Complete strangers call each other's spouses, bosses, or children, explaining the delay, lessening the disappointment, providing an excuse that allows the perpetrator to go free. Even the most ridiculous scenarios need only the compassion of a fellow stranger to keep the lines of communication “open.”
There is a phrase in the psalmist's mouth that leaps out at me as I read of the emerging “functionalities” that come into our lives and wreck havoc on true functionality. The psalmist is referring to the deceptive, to the wicked, to those who work against God's kingdom. Crying out to God he asks that they be like “grass on a rooftop” (129:6).
In the crevices of the flat roofs of Eastern houses grass springs up, seeming almost to boast about its heightened position in rebellious places. Like the tufts of grass that seem to tirelessly fight back to own a place in the cracks of our sidewalks and driveways, grass on the rooftop stubbornly declares its existence and demands our attention.
At first glance it seems an odd request. Why would we ask God to make his enemies like the annoying grass we must unremittingly fight with weed killer each year? The conclusions seem almost disheartening. Will the corruption that endlessly springs forth in the crevices of society ever cease? Will the deception and wickedness that grows like weeds not be stopped?
The psalmist's colorful description reminds us that it will not. But in the image of grass upon a roof the psalmist wisely bids us to see more. In the words of Alexandre Dumas in the mouth of Edmond Dantes, the Count of Monte Cristo, “[U]ntil the day comes when God will deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is contained in these words: Wait and hope!”
The weeds of certain and hazardous corruption will remain, but like grass on a rooftop it will never be grass as it was intended, or even as it might hope. Communication that is spoken through alibi clubs and escape scripts is not communication, and eventually will bear its counterproductive fruit.
Grass on a rooftop cannot fill the reapers' hands, nor can it fill the gatherers' arms. It may boast in its elevated position and rebellious standing, but having shallow roots and nowhere to grow, it cannot remain standing. It bears no fulfillment, nothing to cut or to carry, nothing for the hand to grasp, nothing that will last.
Indeed, may those who work against the kingdom of God and life as He intended be like grass on a rooftop.
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Copyright © 2004 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.
A word to the wise: Be careful who you're telling lies. There's an elite group of people who don't need to see Pinocchio's nose grow, but can pick up on subtle signs that they're not hearing the truth.
While most folks don't notice those flickers of falsehood, psychology professor Maureen O'Sullivan has found a few who can find the fibbers nearly every time.
Of 13,000 people tested for the ability to detect deception, “we found 31, who we call wizards, who are usually able to tell whether the person is lying, whether the lie is about an opinion, how someone is feeling or about a theft,” she said.
O'Sullivan, who teaches at the University of San Francisco, discussed her findings Thursday at the American Medical Association's 23rd Annual Science Reporters Conference.
O'Sullivan conducts seminars for police officers and others on how to detect lying, and said observing the wizards helps researchers direct further study.
“We hope that by studying our wizards, we'll learn more about the kinds of behaviors and ways of thinking and talking that can betray a liar to an experienced interviewer,” she said.
Asked whether the wizards could be used in real-life situations, she said that has been suggested but there are no formal programs to use them currently. And she cautioned that even the best of them is not 100 percent accurate.
She explained that there are two categories of clues to a lie: thinking clues and emotional ones.
“Basic emotions are hard to conceal completely,” O'Sullivan said. People may be afraid of being caught or happy that they are putting something over on another person. Either way, some inappropriate emotion may flicker across their face.
O'Sullivan calls these microexpressions - changes that last less than a second - and the people best at catching liars are able to notice them.
The thinking clues occur because it's harder to lie than tell the truth, she said. To lie, people have to make something up. This can lead to hesitations in speech, slips of the tongue, lack of detail in what they are saying.
A group known as “superliars” is aware of those problems, she added, but may overcompensate by talking too fast.
“Anxiety by itself is not a sign of deception,” she added. “There are other things you have to look for ... things that are inconsistent with what they're saying.”
Look for shrugs: “Is someone telling you something very positive and shrugs in the middle?” she said. Watch body posture, hand gestures, eye flutters.
So, who is good at detecting these various clues and sorting out the liars?
Men and women are about equal among the 31 wizards, she said, and they are scattered across the country.
The thing they have in common is “they are motivated and want to get it right,” she said, they practice it, like athletes.
About 20 percent to 30 percent reported some sort of childhood trauma, such as alcoholism in the family or a highly emotional mother, perhaps leading them to screen for emotional clues from childhood. A similar number didn't notice their ability until mid-life and then began working on it, she said.
All of the wizards are intelligent, but their education ranges from high school diplomas to doctorates. The elite group contains a number of attorneys - people sensitive to how people use words - and hunters, who have to be aware of clues in their environment.
O'Sullivan said FBI and CIA agents were only about average in lie-detecting ability, but a strong performing group was Secret Service agents who guard politicians and spend a lot of their time scanning crowds for nonverbal clues.
She does her research by showing subjects videotapes of people being questioned in a variety of situations.
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Sermon in Abraham series, #2. Genesis 12:10-20
ENDING UP IN EGYPT
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I. New Jersey politicians - fine moral examples.
II. An obscure passage, again and again.
A. Genesis contains three episodes with the same scenario.
B. What is the moral issue here?
III. The story unfolds.
A. Abram's situation.
B. Dilemma of a beautiful wife.
C. Abram's deception.
D. God's intervention.
IV. Echoes of the past and future.
A. Sarai provides an echo of the Garden of Eden.
B. Parallels with the future Exodus.
V. Lessons to be learned.
A. Even people of great faith can have great fears.
B. Deception doesn't work.
VI. God will fulfill his promises - maybe in spite of us.
A. If God has made a promise, he will keep it.
B. Fortunately for us, God is gracious in his goodness.
C. One of his greatest promises is found in John 10:28-29:
G. K. Chesterton famously said something to this effect: When people stop believing in God, they don't believe in nothing — they believe in anything. A good example of this is Umberto Eco's novel FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM, in which a group of friends program a computer to “write” a book about secret hidden knowledge. Titled THE PLAN, the book is the result of random links between things like Kabbalah, Rosicrucianism, the Knights Templar, and other crackpot ideas. While THE PLAN was intended as a prank, other people take it seriously, with tragic results.
Well, FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM shows us how gullible unbelieving people are. And this is particularly so in our postmodern age when truth doesn't matter. This phenomenon partly explains the remarkable success of THE DA VINCI CODE. Like Eco's novel, it's about a heretofore hidden knowledge that promises to let us in on the “true” history of Christianity.
Author Dan Brown gives us a Jesus who neither died on the cross nor rose from the dead. Instead, He married Mary Magdalene and had children by her. This “sacred blood line” is the treasure safeguarded by groups like the Knights Templar and the Masons. And the Catholic Church, in a desperate attempt to cover up this secret, murders those who threaten to expose it.
Devotees of THE DA VINCI CODE — like the fictional fans in FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM — have trouble distinguishing fact from fiction. They visit places mentioned in the novel, and “Da Vinci Tours” are a booming business. With the upcoming film, interest in THE DA VINCI CODE will explode. Christians need to seize this teaching opportunity, preparing ourselves to answer questions readers are asking.
The first is: Are the historical events portrayed in Brown's story true? Brown claims to have done extensive historical research and gives his readers no reason to doubt the novel's accuracy. Since the average person knows almost nothing about Christian history, they're vulnerable. For example, when Brown says that Knights Templar were put to death by the Catholic Church because they knew the “true story” about Jesus, people have no basis to question it, never having heard of the Knights Templar. Or when Brown says that at the Council of Nicea, the Vatican consolidated its power, most people are unaware that the Vatican didn't even exist in A.D. 325.
It is our job to expose the falsehoods. We can learn to answer Brown's lies with the truth by reading books like Darrell Bock's BREAKING THE Da Vinci Code and Erwin Lutzer's THE DA VINCI DECEPTION.
People flock to stories like THE DA VINCI CODE in part because all humans are searching for the secret knowledge that answers the mysteries of life. And when THE DA VINCI CODE debuts in May, millions more Americans will get a condensed TOUR DE DISTORTION. Knowing our neighbors will see this film, churches ought to begin to get ready now — preparing to answer questions about it and to tell our neighbors that there is no secret knowledge about God. It's all in the Bible and all true.
The good news is that THE DA VINCI CODE readers and viewers ARE seeking answers to the central questions of life. The challenge is for us to supply the true answers.
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Copyright (c) 2006 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BreakPoint with Chuck Colson" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.
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Neiman Marcus has long drawn publicity by means of its extravagant Christmas catalog. They realize if they list unusual and exotic gifts in the catalogue, then radio, television, newspapers, and magazines will report the catalogue as news. With this in mind they have had such gifts as “his and her” airplanes, miniature submarines, parasols, camels, Chinese junks, and authentic Egyptian mummy cases. These “stunt” pages attract significant publicity and generate increases in the store’s mail order sales.
Not every exotic item has been a success. One memorable failure was an inventory of custom-designed watches with Chinese characters on the faces instead of numerals. As ordered, the Chinese characters on the watches would have referenced an ancient Chinese legend. Instead the characters on the watch read, “We shall take over America by force.”
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[Original illustration at this number was added to HolwickID #20849]
A woman happened to be looking out of the window of her home one day and she was horrified to see her German Shepherd shaking the life out of the neighbor’s rabbit.
Her family had been quarreling with these neighbors for some time and this was only going to make matters worse! So she grabbed a broom and ran outside and pummeled that pooch until he finally dropped the rabbit - which was now covered with dog spit and extremely dead.
After a moment’s consideration as to what to do, the woman lifted the rabbit with the end of the broom and carried it into the house. She dumped its lifeless body into the bathtub and turned on the shower. When the water running off the rabbit was clean, she rolled him over and rinsed the other side.
Now she had a plan. She found her hairdryer and blew the rabbit dry. Using an old comb, she groomed the rabbit until he looked pretty good. Then, when the neighbor wasn’t looking, she hopped over the fence, snuck across the backyard, and propped him up in his cage. No way was she taking the blame for this thing!
About an hour later, she heard screams coming from the neighbor’s yard. She ran outside pretending she didn’t know what was going on. “What happened?” she hollered, acting innocently.
Her neighbor came running to the fence. All the blood had drained out of her face. “Our rabbit! Our rabbit!” she blubbered. “He died two weeks ago. We buried him - and now he’s back!”
He looked alive! But he wasn’t really alive. He was dead - just a fluffed up dead rabbit. There are a lot of people in this world who are like that. There are a lot of people in churches like that. They look good on the outside - but inside they are dead...just fluffed up on the outside.
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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #11542]
On the campus of Harvard University is a statue with the following inscription: “John Harvard, Founder 1638.” Guides tell visitors that this statue is known as “the statue of the three lies.”
First, the artist commissioned to sculpt the statue could not find a clear picture of John Harvard, so he just chose a picture of a respectable-looking gentleman from the proper era.
Second, John Harvard was not the founder of Harvard University – he just donated a lot of money in its early days.
Third, the date on the base of the statue does not represent John Harvard’s death, as one might suppose, but the year he donated his library and most of his fortune to the college.
To top it off, on the side of the statue is the Harvard emblem, emblazoned with the school’s motto: “Veritas.”
Anthony Armatys, 34, of Palatine, Illinois, accepted a job at the New Jersey-based telecommunications firm Avaya, but decided he didn’t want it after all and never reported for work. The company accidentally put him on its payroll anyway, and he allegedly collected more than $469,000 in salary over the next five years.
The accident was finally discovered when Armatys allegedly tried to get cash out of his company retirement account; the plan administrator thought it was fishy and notified the company. Armatys has been arrested on a charge of theft by deception.
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Newark Star Ledger
I imagine that most people restrict morality to those sex issues that they are not involved in, that are socially dicey. Therefore, the catalogue of moral sins that the Lord condemns are generally not included in our immorality list. Some good examples of what the Lord considers moral sin are:
1. exaggerations
2. pride or vanity
3. incomplete truth (a half truth is a whole lie)
4. deceptive statements
5. desire for anything He has not seen fit to provide (this is Biblical covetousness or idolatry)
6. greed
This article leaves little wiggle room for taking the high ground as “Christian” values.
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OUR PROBLEM IS IMMORALITY
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Walter E. Williams
Most of our nation’s great problems, including our economic problems, have as their root decaying moral values. Whether we have the stomach to own up to it or not, we have become an immoral people left with little more than the pretense of morality. You say, “That’s a pretty heavy charge, Williams. You’d better be prepared to back it up with evidence!” I’ll try with a few questions for you to answer.
Do you believe that it is moral and just for one person to be forcibly used to serve the purposes of another? And, if that person does not peaceably submit to being so used, do you believe that there should be the initiation of some kind of force against him? Neither question is complex and can be answered by either a yes or no. For me the answer is no to both questions but I bet that your average college professor, politician or minister would not give a simple yes or no response. They would be evasive and probably say that it all depends.
In thinking about questions of morality, my initial premise is that I am my private property and you are your private property. That’s simple. What’s complex is what percentage of me belongs to someone else. If we accept the idea of self-ownership, then certain acts are readily revealed as moral or immoral. Acts such as rape and murder are immoral because they violate one’s private property rights. Theft of the physical things that we own, such as cars, jewelry and money, also violates our ownership rights.
The reason why your college professor, politician or minister cannot give a simple yes or no answer to the question of whether one person should be used to serve the purposes of another is because they are sly enough to know that either answer would be troublesome for their agenda. A yes answer would put them firmly in the position of supporting some of mankind’s most horrible injustices such as slavery. After all, what is slavery but the forcible use of one person to serve the purposes of another? A no answer would put them on the spot as well because that would mean they would have to come out against taking the earnings of one American to give to another in the forms of farm and business handouts, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps and thousands of similar programs that account for more than two-thirds of the federal budget. There is neither moral justification nor constitutional authority for what amounts to legalized theft. This is not an argument against paying taxes. We all have a moral obligation to pay our share of the constitutionally mandated and enumerated functions of the federal government.
Unfortunately, there is no way out of our immoral quagmire. The reason is that now that the U.S. Congress has established the principle that one American has a right to live at the expense of another American, it no longer pays to be moral. People who choose to be moral and refuse congressional handouts will find themselves losers. They’ll be paying higher and higher taxes to support increasing numbers of those paying lower and lower taxes. As it stands now, close to 50 percent of income earners have no federal income tax liability and as such, what do they care about rising income taxes? In other words, once legalized theft begins, it becomes too costly to remain moral and self-sufficient. You might as well join in the looting, including the current looting in the name of stimulating the economy.
I am all too afraid that a historian, a hundred years from now, will footnote America as a historical curiosity where people once enjoyed private property rights and limited government but it all returned to mankind’s normal state of affairs -- arbitrary abuse and control by the powerful elite.
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http://townhall.com/columnists/WalterEWilliams/2009/04/01/our_problem_is_immorality
It is now illegal in Colorado to wear aluminum underwear. “This is serious business,” insists State Sen. Stephanie Takis, who sponsored the bill. “We have laws against using crowbars as theft devices, but if you were lining your underwear with aluminum foil, that was not a crime.” It is now. Apparently, shoplifters found such so-called “iron pants” allow them to sneak stolen items past anti-theft scanners at store doors. The law also allows store security officers to detain people who “crackle when they walk,” but provides an exception for aluminum britches worn for “personal amusement.”
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Colorado Springs Gazette, July 2001
Reports of apparent lies by NBC News anchor Brian Williams and President Obama have highlighted the prevalence of dishonesty among Americans as well as the dismissive attitude many have toward it. But the Bible portrays lying as a violation of God’s intended order for the universe -- with consequences as real as those that come from failed attempts to violate the laws of physics or medical science.
Williams is a prime example. He was suspended by NBC for six months after an internal investigation uncovered multiple “instances of exaggeration” in the veteran journalist’s reporting, including the false statement that he was riding on a military helicopter hit by a rocket-propelled grenade during the Iraq war, the Washington Post reported.
Obama made headlines when his former adviser David Axelrod claimed in a book released Feb. 10, 2015, that the president lied about his support for same-sex marriage during the 2008 election cycle. As an Illinois state senate candidate in 1996, Obama stated on a questionnaire, “I favor legalizing same-sex marriages, and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages,” TIME reported. But Obama said during his first presidential campaign that he only supported civil unions and believed marriage “is the union between a man and a woman.”
Axelrod claimed the lie was an attempt not to offend voters in black churches. Obama countered in an interview published Feb. 10 that he did not lie but was “struggling” to balance between “people’s rights” and “religious sensitivities,” Politico reported. Obama officially endorsed gay marriage in 2012.
A 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll released last year suggests Obama and Williams are not alone in their struggle to tell the truth. Only 56 percent of Americans surveyed said a person “should always tell the truth under every circumstance.” The top three areas about which Americans are tempted to lie are their past, their salary and their age, according to the poll.
So if most everyone is doing it, is lying really that big of a deal? In short, yes.
Of course, Christian ethicists disagree about whether it is morally acceptable to lie in extreme circumstances. For example, were people in Nazi Germany justified in lying to the Gestapo about hiding Jews in their homes? Was Rahab sinning when she lied about the Israelite spies to the king of Jericho’s messengers (Joshua 2:4-5)? And no one is suggesting a moral obligation to reveal everything we know in every circumstance. But Scripture is clear that the relaying of false information under normal circumstances is a sin with real consequences -- even when it is a “white lie” or one intended to protect the fibber.
Honesty is of primary importance in Scripture, first of all, because truthfulness is an attribute of God. The Old Testament teaches that God is incapable of lying (Numbers 23:19), and Jesus said He is “the truth” (John 14:6). God codified the importance of truth-telling for humans in the ninth commandment (Exodus 20:16) as a way of ordering human interactions to reflect His holy character.
When the Lord disciplines those who lie, it is not an arbitrary hand slap doled out by a capricious deity. It is the attempt of a loving Lord to align His creatures with what is best for them and purge the world of what is objectively evil. Lies have consequences.
In Genesis 3, the serpent’s lie led to the ruin of God’s good creation. Abraham’s lie about Sarah being his sister once led to plagues on the Egyptians (Genesis 12:17) and on another occasion to the near death of Abimelech and his subjects (Genesis 20:7). A similar lie by Isaac about his wife Rebekah threatened to undo Abimelech’s kingdom again a generation later (Genesis 26:6-11).
Jacob’s notorious deception stole his father’s blessing from Esau and led to years of strife between the two brothers as well as their descendants (Genesis 27:1-29). The deception of Joseph’s brothers concerning his death led to prolonged grief in their family (Genesis 37:29-35).
When Israel was established as a nation, God included numerous provisions about honesty in its laws. The nation’s eventual exile from the Promised Land was partly due to its dishonesty (Isaiah 59:4).
In the New Testament, Peter’s dishonesty led to shame (Mark 14:66-72) and that of Ananias and Sapphira to death (Acts 5:1-11). At the end of time, the “father of lies” will be cast into a lake of fire along with the “false prophet” and “all liars” who have refused to repent (Revelation 20:10; 21:8; John 8:44).
While all of us have been liars at some point (Romans 3:13), we don’t have to continue such behavior. There is grace and forgiveness in Christ -- as well as increasing relief from the consequences of lying the longer we practice honesty. Yet persisting in dishonesty yields a painful harvest. Just ask Brian Williams.
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Quran: lying allowed to protect Muslims
Contrary to the Bible’s persistent emphasis on honesty, adherents of Islam believe the Quran permits lying in order to prevent death or injury to Muslims.
Known as “taqiyya,” the practice of lying in the name of Islam is based in part on chapter 16, verse 106 of the Quran: “Anyone who, after accepting faith in Allah, utters unbelief under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in Faith shall be absolved -- but such as open their breast to unbelief -- on them is wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a dreadful penalty.”
Though most often associated with Shiite Muslims, Sunnis have practiced taqiyya as well. Sunnis and Shiites differ over who should be Muhammad’s successor as the caliph, or ruler, of the Islamic community.
“Over time, pro-Shi’i movements used taqiyah [an alternate spelling] to hide revolutionary activities,” according to the Oxford Islamic Studies website. “Taqiyah became a widely accepted practice, and in the 900s, Ibn Babawayh, a prominent Shi’i authority, declared it to be a religious obligation. Some scholars, however, voiced concerns about the danger of following a policy of deceit. They argued that taqiyah permits Shi’is to say anything and make any claim, and therefore, their words are not trustworthy. As a result, Shi’i scholars created rules for the use of taqiyah.”
Taqiyya has been advocated by both medieval and modern Muslims. In the seventh century, Muhammad’s son-in-law Ali temporarily accepted the rule of his rivals following Muhammad’s death even though he believed himself the legitimate heir to Muhammad’s authority. Ali’s pledge of loyalty to his opponents was actually a strategic maneuver to preserve his movement until he saw an opportune moment to seize power. Sunnis view Ali’s action as one basis for taqiyya.
In the 1980s, Islamic writer Afif Tabbarah stated in his book “The Spirit of Islam,” “Lying is not always bad, to be sure; there are times when telling a lie is more profitable and better for the general welfare, and for the settlement of conciliation among people, than telling the truth.”
Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and former Palestinian leader Yasser Afafat all practiced taqiyya in their dealings with the international community, some Islam experts say.
Hussein was known to break promises to U.N. weapons inspectors, and Ahmadinejad said Iran’s uranium enrichment projects were for peaceful purposes although western leaders suspected that was a lie.
In 1994, Afafat said in a Johannesburg mosque, “The jihad will continue, and Jerusalem is not for the Palestinian people. It is for all the Muslim nation.” When questioned by journalists, Arafat said he was merely using the term “jihad” to call Muslims to be more devout in their faith.
Although Muslim scholars have identified situations in which they believe it is acceptable to practice taqiyya, “in general, they advise against its use, whenever possible,” the Oxford Islamic Studies website said.
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David Roach is chief national correspondent for Baptist Press, the Southern Baptist Convention’s news service.
In the middle of scenes of Jesus’ resurrection, the Gospel of Matthew recounts the birth of one of the oldest conspiracy theories.
On Easter morning, while the women are on their way to announce the resurrection of Jesus to the disciples, Matthew 28:11–15 highlights another movement: Some tomb guards report the weekend’s events to the chief priests. These men, in turn, then consult with the elders and decide together to conceal what has happened. At no point do they investigate what happened to Jesus’ body. They know from the start that what they might discover will not please them.
Instead, they invent what would today be called a conspiracy theory, with the “alternative facts” that support it: The disciples came to steal Jesus’ corpse. Never mind that those who had fled in fear after the arrest of their master would have needed to come at night to face a guard of several armed men. Never mind that they would have needed to loosen the seals on the tomb, roll away a massive stone, and remove the body of Jesus — all without waking anyone who could raise the alarm.
This version of the facts is absurd. Not only in and of itself, but because the disciples would later risk their lives to proclaim that Jesus had risen. If they had known it was a lie, where would they have found the courage to face the authorities threatening them? Why preach a knowingly falsified gospel? The audacity of the apostles, their courage, their zeal, their perseverance, and the whole expansion of Christianity is inexplicable without the Resurrection.
But all this, the elders do not yet know. So they try their luck and make a deal with the soldiers. The proposed lie is not without danger for them — the guards obviously weren’t supposed to fall asleep — but there is money involved, and the Jewish leaders assure them of their protection.
Thus, this version of the story, the text says, has spread among the Jews to this present day — the first century of our current era. But it is also our reality today, where theories to eschew the truth of the resurrection of Jesus continue to be propagated.
But it is probably not because of their credibility that these explanations persist. In fact, the explanation of the guards is so implausible that the apostle Matthew takes the liberty of mentioning it in his gospel, knowing full well that anyone who wanted could go and check this account.
When you want to drown out a truth, your lies or half-truths don’t have to be believable or well-founded. It is enough that your version suits what your listeners want to hear or avoids confronting them with a reality that disturbs them.
An ominous light
One might be surprised at the response of the Jewish leaders. The one announced to be the Messiah had just come back to life. An extraordinary miracle! A staggering truth! But instead of euphoria, they react with anger.
There is a certain irony in the text: After warning Pontius Pilate on Saturday that the disciples might steal the body, the chief priests and Pharisees themselves demand a seal be placed on the stone and that guards watch the tomb (Matt. 27:62–66). These precautions that they are responsible for end up confronting them with evidence they do not want to see.
Perhaps their doubt might be justified without these measures. But now they face an unsettling conclusion regarding Jesus’ body — and yet are refusing to entertain anything that might challenge their worldview.
What this attitude reveals about human hearts is terrifying, but perhaps not so surprising. Twenty-five years ago, German theologian Wolfhart Pannenberg told the magazine Prism:
The evidence for Jesus’ resurrection is so strong that nobody would question it except for two things: First, it is a very unusual event. And second, if you believe it happened, you have to change the way you live.
All of this is deeply disturbing. Imagine the discomfort of the leaders who passed as religious in front of everyone but rejected the one who now turned out to be the Messiah. Accepting this new reality would irredeemably upset their position and influence. Accepting this as true would mark the end of the life they have built for themselves. Believing in Jesus would be their death.
So they try to have it another way. The elders deny the truth and drag others into their denial. They prefer to stay in their way of thinking than to know the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
We humans often prefer the darkness that does not disturb us to the light that could set us free. The apostle John tells us:
Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. (John 3:19–21)
Even as we may judge the religious leaders, we also ought to be able to see ourselves in them. Our actions are motivated by fears of losing relationships, status, livelihoods, communities, dignity, and control. When these feel threatened, we become incentivized to find a different, more comforting narrative that allows us to maintain our status quo. The issue, then, is not so much the search for facts as the protection of a self-justifying narrative.
In order not to see the fragility or the deceptive nature of what we have clung to, we sometimes try at all costs to hold together the pieces of a puzzle that is falling apart. No one wants to see their world collapse.
Christians vulnerable to misinformation?
Matthew’s account also offers a reason why Christians might be inclined to embrace conspiracy theories: Since Easter morning, certain forces at work in the world have attempted to obscure the most basic truth of the gospel. From the beginning, the world has been developing an alternate history in which Christ is not resurrected.
Consequently, our Christian identity has accustomed us to the idea that the truth is something not everyone will accept or follow. We become habituated to a disconnect between what we accept as the truth and what the world at large accepts as such.
For Christians, then, there may be a smaller step than for others to embrace alternative explanations on different topics. Also, for some decades now we have been living in a period of the decline of Christendom in the West, a time in which Christian culture has been increasingly pushed to the margins. Many Christians find themselves at odds with the prevailing discourse on gender, creation, or pluralism in public education or the media, often feeling these institutions are leading us astray. In these circumstances, it may be tempting to be less careful about, for instance, supposed facts supporting the idea that all Western elites are corrupt or praising the greatness of some leader presented as the protector of “Christian values.”
It can be flattering to believe we know something that others do not. However, the knowledge we have received from Jesus Christ is grace from God. It does not come from any moral or intellectual superiority that we have over our fellow humans, nor does it entitle us to believe that we know better in all things.
Further, we must not assume that our knowledge of the Bible inherently keeps us safe from deception. As the attitude of many religious leaders at the time of Jesus shows, knowledge of the Scriptures does not guarantee the acceptance of the truth.
We are told that few people will accept God’s truth. But while these words may encourage us in our faith journey when facing opposition, they can also be applied out of context to a range of beliefs that have little to do with any claims about Christ.
Taking the first step
How then can we walk with fellow Christians who we believe have lied to themselves? We are all convinced that some people live in illusion, and some people think the same of us. One thing we all share is that we live in a world where the truth is not always easy to access. And we have all, at some point, been lied to. Today, the Russian government’s propaganda impresses with its cynicism. But throughout history, even some of the most respected governments, institutions, and leaders have lied to cover their actions.
The world is complex. In Matthew’s account, the elders and guards aren’t on equal playing fields. Some know the truth fully and have a responsibility to it. The others, while willing to lie for money, are less scripturally literate and likely don’t have the same knowledge of the issues. And what about those in Jerusalem trying to make up their own mind according to the various things they’ve heard?
If we want to continue to understand each other, we also need a way to recover from our mistakes when we come to acknowledge the truth. We need cultural scripts that allow us to confess our errors, change our paths, and receive grace.
It is not up to us to change the other. However, we can model a world where our belief in the resurrection of Christ offers us the confidence to consider not only what reinforces our points of view or our status, but also what nuances them, or even challenges them.
The first followers of Jesus who received the news of the Resurrection continued to have their reality shaken. As Jews, they too had their worldview and status challenged by the integration of non-Jews into the people of God. Peter, for instance, needed to hear the same message three times in a row (Acts 10:9–16). The way is not always easy, but in their footsteps, we continue to learn how, in Jesus, we are no longer prisoners of the fear of death (Heb. 2:15).
It may seem difficult to hope that people trapped in the lies they have fabricated or promoted will come to light. The blindness of the priests denying the Resurrection is striking. How could they have walked away from the lies they had spread? If Matthew knew of this conspiracy between the leaders of the people, one has to imagine that one of the guards — not the religious leaders — tipped him off to the story.
A few years after this episode in Matthew’s gospel, a very religious Jew and fierce persecutor of the church saw his life transformed by an encounter with the risen Christ. In giving up his religious status, his privileges, and his old worldview, the apostle Paul faced many “deaths” in Christ, but he witnessed unto the end the power of the Resurrection.
In God’s hands, there is still hope that those who lead the world astray will change. Perhaps even those who cling to conspiracy theories may one day become the boldest defenders of truth.
As for us, let’s live out our Resurrection convictions in such a way that others see our lives as evidence of what lies beyond death.
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Léo Lehmann is publications director for the Network of Evangelical Missiology for French-speaking Europe (REMEEF) as well as CT’s French language coordinator. He lives in Brussels, Belgium.
This article was originally a sermon Lehmann preached on April 4, 2021.
George Santos was the Republican congressman for the wealthiest district in New York. He got very little attention from the media until the election was over, but then the floodgates opened. You might say he “fudged” on his resume to win his election:
He claimed his grandparents survived the Holocaust.
- he is not Jewish, but Catholic.
He claimed his mother had died as a result of 9-11.
- she was in Brazil on the day of the attack.
He claimed to have made a fortune on Wall Street.
- he never worked there.
Santos lied about his high school, where he went to college, about almost every job he ever had, and on and on. He has also been accused of defrauding charities, disabled veterans, and stealing $3,000 meant for a sick dog.
Several articles have tried to rank his lies in order of severity, usually listing 13 or more.
The biggest issue in my mind is that he has refused to take the blame for any of this, or to resign from his seat. He is utterly shameless.
And he is not the first, of course. The lack of shame among our leaders has been noted since the 1990s. One commentator has even suggested that shamelessness is a new Superpower.
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Among the internet sources used for this illustration:
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/01/george-santos-worst-lies
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/22/1150136390/george-santos-dog-gofundme-anthony-devolder
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/15/1157049312/george-santos-politics-of-shame
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