lies

DECEITFUL WORDS, NURTURING WORDS

(February 23, 2023) Mama Lava shares draws our attention to…

Hi again! How are you all?

Last month I shared on the importance of everyone exercising kindness.

I highlighted what we all know so well – that the world needs Jesus! And that Paul wrote strongly about God’s kindness leading to salvation that comes through accepting Jesus as our Saviour:  ‘… do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and restraint and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?’(Romans 2:4).

Kindness is defined by Merriam-Webster.com as the quality or state of being kind, treating people with kindness and respect.

In focussing on the need for kindness to be activated by Christians to the world, I draw our attention to linking words, one which hinders while the other enhances… deceit and nurture.

Deceitfulness
Lies, dishonesty, falsehood, fibs, misinformation… there are many ways to label an untruth. Did you know there is a marked difference between deceptive words and deceitful words? They are similar, but the difference is in the intent. Deceptive words are likely misleading, but deceitful words are deliberately so (wikidiff.com). This is what Merriam-Webster.com has to say:

  • Deceitful (adj): marked by, based on, or done by dishonest methods to acquire something of value…
  • Words related to deceitful: fraudulent, misleading, shady, sneaky, sly, tricky…
  • Nearest opposite words of deceitful: candid, open, trustworthy, legitimate, valid…

My deceitful words are motivated by a desire to gain something of value. What might fall into this category? How about…

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GUILTY BY ACCUSATION

(February 17, 2018) Dr Jim McClure, straight shooting theologian, shares a concern…

Joseph had not seen it coming!

His jealous brothers sold him to traders who took him to Egypt where was bought as a slave by Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s palace guard. It was an inauspicious start for the 17-year -old. The future did not look bright – he was a slave in a foreign country.

But Joseph showed a quality of character that Potiphar recognised and eventually he became the captain’s household supervisor.

‘Potiphar was pleased with him and made him his personal servant; so he put him in charge of his house and everything he owned’ (Genesis 39:4 GNB).

The curveball experience!
But no one anticipated the ‘curveball’ that came his way –

‘Joseph was well-built and good-looking, and after a while his master’s wife began to desire Joseph and asked him to go to bed with her.  He refused … Although she asked Joseph day after day, he would not go to bed with her.  But one day when Joseph went into the house to do his work, none of the house servants was there. She caught him by his robe and said, “Come to bed with me.” But he escaped and ran outside, leaving his robe in her hand. (more…)

‘HAPPY HALLOWEEN’? – IT’S NO LAUGHING MATTER!

(October 26, 2017) Stuart Reynolds challenges so-called October 31 ‘fun’ …

Unfortunately me and mine have had the horrendous experience of having our home burgled … and more than once!

The most frightening occurrence was the time I was actually in the house. In anticipation of my wife Helen returning home from a night out, I had left the front door closed but unlocked.

Assuming it was Helen returning I didn’t react and check when I heard the door opening – it was a shock to discover later that some intruders had quickly stolen a mobile phone and snatched some car and house keys with the intention of returning later for more plunder!

Just five minutes prior to the break in, I had taken my two young children to bed – right past that closed but unlocked door! No danger at that moment – but what might have happened had we been there in that spot when the thieves came? Even now I shudder to think.

That incident of leaving the door open – unbolted – was definitely no laughing matter!

Neither are unbolted doors to the occult
Have I got your attention about the danger of ‘closed but unlocked doors’? Good – because I  want you to think about certain other unlocked door dangers… such as occult goings-on, the subtlety of October 31’s Halloween with its apparently harmless ‘Happy Halloween’/’Trick or Treat’/’Dress-up Fun.’ And, for that matter, other happenings that most people including ‘blindsided’ Christians regard as merely laughing matters! (more…)

THE STING!

(August 12, 2017) Stuart Reynolds challenges today’s spiritual deception…

Some of us may remember the classic 1973 film set in 1930s Chicago and starring the strong acting trio of Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Robert Shaw. It tells the story of an elaborate con of a much feared criminal banker in retribution for a murdered friend.

The phrase – The Sting – refers to the moment a ‘play’ is completed, taking a target’s money. If successful, the ‘victim’ of the con does not realise what has happened and who has cheated him, until all are long gone.

Paul wrote about a particular ‘sting’ in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, ‘Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.’

Ground of our deception!
‘Do not be deceived’ – If ever a warning text for our day, this is it! Among others, there is a two-fold implication to this command of counsel:

  1. The possibility that we can be deceived
  2. The protection that we need not be deceived.

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‘DID GOD REALLY SAY?’ – THE BIG LIE, DECEPTION AND THE BRAIN LIZARD

Dr Robert & Maureen (2)(January 16, 2016) Robert and Maureen McQuillan share something old, something new…

No one likes lies and being lied to. Lying indicates trickery and deception. We teach children the value of truth and that one’s word is to be regarded as a person’s bond. We teach them never to lie and as parents we set examples.

Unfortunately because of sin, lying and lies are part of the human nature resulting in broken or unfulfilled promises. Parents have to warn their kids about this too.

Lying is not of God!
Lying is not in God’s character. The Bible is the word of the God who never lies (Psalm 33:4; John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 John 2:27; Hebrews 6:18) and has several warnings and important things to say about lies and lying. For example, the Bible speaks against lying – (more…)

THE VIRAL LIE!

Dr-Robert-&-Maureen-McQuillan_Photo

Robert and Maureen McQuillan write:

Viral…
General meaning: Piece of information circulated rapidly and widely from one Internet user to another.

In other words, something nasty wrongly picked up, misunderstood, quickly accepted and passed on.

These is one of the hazards of unpoliced internet…people ‘find’ a lot of material but neither check the source nor its authenticity and unthinkingly forward it on to many other web surfers. And so, ‘stuff’ – especially untruths – is readily accepted and regarded as ‘gospel truth.’

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