The Art of Deception

Chuckle: "The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and complications from repeated pokes in the belly.  He was 74."

 

Quote: “All deception in the course of life is indeed nothing else but a lie reduced to practice, and falsehood passing from words into things.” --Robert South

 

THE ART OF DECEPTION

 

    "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles (evil powers) of this world rather than on Christ"  (Colossians 2:8 NIV).

 

Make no mistake, the father of all deception is Satan himself.  To deceive is to "make someone believe what is not true; fool or trick; mislead; or defraud."  We all need to understand that deception is the opposite of that which is true.  There is so much deception in our society today that it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish real from fake, true from false, trustworthy from unreliable.  Many political ads are classic deceptions as half-truths, innuendos, distortions, and outright lies are used to deceive the public about political opponents.

 

Those most susceptible to spiritual deception are not well founded in the truths in God's Word.  If we know what we believe and why we believe it, we are much less likely to be deceived.  Is your Christian faith based on the fact that you were raised by Christian parents or is it based on your own study of the Bible and your personal commitment of your life to Jesus Christ?  If you don't have a firm basis for your faith, you can become prey for the occult and false religions of all kinds.  We see all sorts of "religious sects" with just enough truth in their teachings to appear genuine.

 

Young people who are trying to find answers to life's questions are particularly susceptible to being deceived.  Many are intrigued by the "far out" and most bizarre.  Many cults use clever seduction techniques for luring young people into strange and mystical rituals.  Also, many young people have little or no foundation of truth with which to compare what they are reading and hearing.  That's why it's so important for Christian parents to teach their children and grandchildren the truths of God's Word to help them defend against being deceived.

 

False teachers can also be found in the church, as Paul witnessed in the church at Corinth. "False apostles, deceitful workers, (transform) themselves into apostles of Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:13 NKJV).  Scripture predicts this kind of apostasy will continue to grow until Christ returns.  So. how can we prepare ourselves and our children to avoid being deceived spiritually, politically, or morally?

    1. Be a serious student of God's Word.  Study, meditate, and pray.  2. Know what you believe concerning your faith and why you believe it.  3. Practice your faith by keeping your own life pure and uncompromising.  4. Become knowledgeable of the political issues as you prepare to vote when elections are held.  5. Study the records and listen carefully to the words of the candidates.  For some help, go to http://www.Christianvoterguide.com and click on your state.

 

Love, Jerry & Dotse 

Favoritism is Sinful

Chuckle:  A Sunday School teacher: "Now children, never do anything in private you wouldn't do in public." "Hurrah!" shouted one little boy -- "No more baths!"

 

Quote:  “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”  --Martin Luther King, jr

 

FAVORITISM IS SINFUL

 

    "For God does not show favoritism." (Romans 2:11 NIV).  "My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim that you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people more than others" (James 2:1 NLT).  "But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers" (James 2:9 NIV).

 

Favoritism means to receive or reject someone based on appearance or other imposed standards of acceptability.  We put labels on clothing and we put labels on people and so we have favorites.  However, favoritism defines a person in terms apart from God's grace.  James zeros in on favoritism, partiality, prejudice, snobbery.  These are all attitudes which lead to discrimination against certain people.  We may think we are more important then they and they are not deserving of our love and attention.  Being around them makes us uncomfortable.

 

James reminds us that if we show favoritism to some at the expense of others, we sin.  We know that Jesus loves everyone equally, but gave special attention to the poor, the sick, and the powerless -- the ones we often reject. We should follow His lead. "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right" (Acts 10:34 NIV).

 

So, we can have favorites based on such things as appearance, age, affluence, or ancestry.  If we could only grasp the eternal truth that God made everyone of us and we are all the same in his sight, it would change our whole view of life, and give us the ability to love and accept everyone without reservation.

 

"Mohandas K. (Mahatma) Gandhi was the leader of the Indian nationalist movement against British rule and considered the father of his country. He is internationally esteemed for his doctrine of nonviolence to achieve political and social progress. Gandhi says in his autobiography that in his student days he was truly interested in the Bible. Deeply touched by reading the Gospels, he seriously considered becoming a convert, since Christianity seemed to offer the real solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India. One Sunday, he went to a nearby church to attend services. He decided to see the minister and ask for instruction in the way of salvation and enlightenment on other doctrines. But when he entered the sanctuary, the ushers refused to give him a seat and suggested that he go and worship with his own people. Gandhi left and never came back. 'If Christians have caste differences also,' he said to himself, 'I might as well remain a Hindu.'"  --Illustrations for Biblical Preaching; Edited by Michael P. Green

 

In our main passage, James questions our faith if we favor some over others.  We must have the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5) and welcome everyone into our fellowship equally.  We should say: "Your appearance, race, color, nationality, ethnic background, or social status, does not matter -- you are welcome in this fellowship. We love you and accept you unconditionally."

 

Love, Jerry & Dotse

Family Of God

Chuckle: “A young boy, ready for bed, interrupted a family gathering in the living room. 'I'm going up to say my prayers now. Anybody want anything?'”

 

Quote:  “Acting is just a way to make a living, the family is life.” --Denzel Washington

 

FAMILY OF GOD: (Ephesians 2:11-22)

 

   "So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with God's holy people. You are members of God's family" (Ephesians 2:19 NLT). "Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian (family) brothers and sisters" (Galatians 6:10 NLT)

 

To me, the word "family" is one of the most comforting words in the English language. On your walls, or in albums at home, you likely have pictures of both your immediately family members and those who have passed from the scene. Past or present, they are still family. They are all a part of our very being. They determined who we are; and we inherited our physical characteristics from them.

 

In the same way our spiritual ancestors are a part of us and they formed the basis of who we are today. If you grew up in a Christian home where God's Word was taught and His love was modeled, I don't need to remind you how fortunate and blessed you really are. Just take a moment and reflect on the beautiful memories of that wholesome family experience. If you did not grow up in a Christian environment, but found Christ through the witness of another faithful Christian, you can rejoice because of that spiritual family member who loved you and led you to Christ.

 

As I reflect on the extent of God's love for me, and his adopting me into his eternal family through faith in Christ, a great joy and sense of gratitude wells up within me. Just think, you are an heir and joint-heir with Jesus to all the kingdom of God entails. God loves you and blesses you with His presence within you in the form of the Holy Spirit. You are further blessed to share in His family with all those within the church -- your spiritual brothers and sisters who love you and have your best interests at heart. So, let's think about what it means to be in God's family?

 

    (1) It means we acknowledge that we belong to God. He created us and redeemed us through Jesus Christ. The belonging relationship is established.

    (2) It means that it is God our Father who holds the family together through His Son who is the head of the church. When we recognize that we mutually and equally belong to God, it will bring harmony within His family.

    (3) It means that only in this family can we grow to be what God wants us to be. As the child requires nurture and care in his earthly family, the new Christian needs spiritual nurturing and love to grow into the family member God desires.

     (4) It means we rejoice at the birth of a new member. When we get the news that a baby has been born, we immediately spread the word to every family member. We do so with great joy. Likewise the church, entrusted with the good news of salvation, proclaims with joy the gospel of forgiveness. We rejoice when a new believer is "born again" into God's family and our local church fellowship, and when missionaries tell us of new births into our family in distant lands.

 

Love, Jerry & Dotse