The truth versus THE Lie

When the truth becomes a lie and the lie becomes the truth

No one likes being lied to, even liars get offended. The most harmful lies come from those you trust, friends. These can be very damaging not only to a relationship but to ones outlook on life. Unfortunately today what we see in the church, is not much different than what is seen in the world.

We don’t hear the truth from the media, news, from teachers in schools, or universities, even from churches. I'm not saying the truth is not found anywhere but it is more often not presented or out in the open. Only a small portion of people hear it. What is false is far more acceptable than the truth in our day. The majority of people believe in some kind of lie; some have a few, some have many. Some have small lies, others have large lies. You can call it a plague of lies. There are so many lies coming at us from every direction.

Everyone sooner or later gets lied to, even by so called friends. Your friends may betray you but Jesus is a friend like no other, He is by your side and He is the truth.

Since lying is everywhere today, in every facet in life, not just in politics but religion, sometimes for your own safety you need to question the pastors or church’s teachings.

When lies are pervasive, absolutes are dissolved and what is right in one’s own eyes is done, judgement gets turned upside down.

Isa. 5:20-21 “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!”

We are seeing this today and unless it is reversed it will become permanent.

The ancient Prophets were raised up and sent to Israel, to their kings because they went astray. Many of the prophets had confronted the false prophets that became dominant. Jeremiah had such a ministry – Jer. 14:14 And the LORD said to me, "The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.”

In fact the religious system became so corrupted it affected everyone's life.

Jer. 5:31 “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?”

They had an end and as we repeat their mistakes so do we.

In the time of Israel’s division Ahab, who was king of Israel had 400 prophets employed in his service. Jehoshaphat was king of Judah who kept faithful.

 We read in 2 Chron. 18:3-22 So Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?" And he answered him, "I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will be with you in the war." And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Please inquire for the word of the LORD today."

The kings were sometimes a prophet (but never a priest), Ahab was not. So the king of Israel gathered 400 prophets together, and asked "Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" And they said, "Go up, for God will deliver it into the king's hand." V.6 But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?"

 He had some sense and was familiar with genuine prophecy and knew this can’t be right

v.7 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla." And Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say such things!"

Jehoshaphat in his subtle way rebuked the King of the northern tribes for disdaining a true prophet because of how he made him feel. His prophets always spoke success, good things, just like they do today, just as they did in Isaiah’s time. Isa. 30:9-10 “This is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the LORD; Who say to the seers, "Do not see," and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us right things; speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits.”

 Micaiah was asked to be brought to him quickly!

V 9 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, clothed in their robes, sat each on his throne; and they sat at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made horns of iron for himself; and he said, "Thus says the LORD: 'With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed.'" And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, "Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the king's hand." Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, "Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Therefore please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement."

V.13 And Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, whatever my God says, that I will speak." Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" And he said, "Go and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand!" So the king said to him, "How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?"

There was something about the way Micaiah responded and spoke that made the king suspicious, for he knew his track record with him. The king knew he could not agree with all his false prophets. Micaiah then gave him the truth instead of pacifying him as the other prophets did.

Then he said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.'" And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?" Then Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and His left. "And the LORD said, 'Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?' So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner."Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, 'I will persuade him.' The LORD said to him, 'In what way?'" So he said, 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And the LORD said, 'You shall persuade him and also prevail; go out and do so.' "Therefore look! The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you."

The truth does not always soothe, build up or encourage. Especially when one is not walking in the truth of the Lord as Ahab was. God looked for an angelic volunteer to bring his justice to Ahab’s rule. An angel stepped forward with a plan to have himself be used to bring false prophesy to fulfill God’s will of destruction to this wayward king. This is one of the few times we read of an angel speaking through a prophet.

There is a time coming where all the leaders of the nations will be corrupt, not listening to God and his judgment will fall in a similar manner

2 Thess. 2:9-12 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

What some hear and call the truth are actually lies. And these are accepted because they have refused to identify and distinguish what is in fact is a lie. One cannot know what they hear is a lie unless they have the truth to measure it against.

Here is the problem, not receiving God’s love, the love of the truth. Instead, they will accept something that appears right. It will sound very similar, outwardly it will look good, but it (He) will be a counterfeit. The most important and influential counterfeit mankind has ever encountered.

People do not understand commitment or loyalty, especially to the word which is the Truth.

There is coming a time where Satan will hide in plain sight, not like when he told the first lie he told in the garden. Not stealth as he is today. He will be the center of what is called “The lie,” it will draw all the children of Adam to his allegiance. Only the children of Christ (written in the lamb’s book Rev.13:8; 21:27) will be exempt, they will see right through it because they have known and loved the truth.

Understanding how things work, especially in the end it’s not hard to believe that the majority of the world will believe a false Messiah that will temporarily become their benevolent dictator, it will be expected. As they say, “that’s politics.” Just look at our corrupted condition the nations and people are in.

We are being preconditioned on a massive scale for some great shift in our held beliefs, what we accept as the truth (the new agers call it a shift in consciousness, it’s more like a shift in conscience). The world will accept the greatest liar, the inventor of falsehood will come as a truth bearer and become their leader (1 Jn. 3:1;1 Jn. 4:5-6)

Jesus said of those who reject Him, John 5:42-43 "But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.

God’s truth was revealed to all in Jesus. The Life was in him; All the deity was in Christ; He is called the truth. The only way to God (the Father) is through the God/man, Jesus, who said “I am the way, the truth, the life.”

Speaking of the Devil, the head of the fallen angels, He “does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me” (John 8:44-45). the Devil told the very first lie and is still telling lies that will distract people from the truth.

I Jn. 2:21 “I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.”

True believers are to not only to know the truth, but should be able to tell the difference of a lie from the truth. The indwelling Spirit of God is called the Spirit of truth (Jn.14:17; 15:26; 16:13.) He gives them discernment to cut away the chaff from the wheat.

The same ways that are used in advertising are being used to lay the groundwork for this Lie that will unite the world to accept the fake Messiah. The biggest lie from self - help and human potential, new age and heretical teachers is that when you find yourself you find God. Or that you are God, or a god, as it is being taught from the false teachers inside the church. There is only one true God. The only way one can stretch this to be acceptable is to tell everyone we are all part of Him, he is us, thus we are all god!

Today we are lied to going in and going out, that is why it becomes refreshing to hear someone speak the truth. But to others the truth can sound peculiar, one may get offended at first but they must understand that they are hearing something that goes contrary to what they hear -- it will sound strange to them. When you speak the word accurately, speak the truth to help people and they do not listen it means they have a spirit of error (I Jn. 4:6). They resist and reject the truth for a lie. If they do this for what is less and more obvious, how will they fare when they are faced with “THE LIE” from THE LIAR.

Bob Dylan sang “you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing.”

Jesus said, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; "and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. (Matt 16:2-3)

The Weather forecast for today and tomorrow and the next days after are red and threatening. It is the sign of the times.