Truth That Sets Free

So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” Even as he spoke, many believed in him. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:28-32 NIV

Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? Galatians 4:16 NIV

My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins. James 5:19,20 NIV

There is truly something to be said about liberating truth. It sets us free--totally unencumbered from fear of being discovered in falsehoods--or as some are calling lies--alternative facts.

A Lie is A Lie
A Prevarication is a lie
A Falsehood is a lie
A Half-truth is a Whole lie
A White Lie Is an Ugly lie
An Alternative Fact is a lie
By any name you choose,
A Lie is A Lie!
Liars do, what prevaricators do—LIE!

There is no escaping the fact that those sitting in the White House at this moment--are liars all and there is no truth in them.

If they lie about the little things that mean nothing, what will say about the things that matter? They will do what they have practiced doing--lie and then try to spin the lie by lying more.

When we see the lies and recognize the liars for what they are--why should we even pretend there is anything honorable about them?

A lack of integrity--being truthful about all matters--leads to doubt and disdain of those promoting lies and when those promoting lies are advising others in leadership--in this case--the illegitimate president of the United States--who has already established himself as a pathological liar--what is the rest of America supposed to do?

We do what we're instructed to do in The Word--we tell the truth--calling out the lies and the liars--no matter who they are and we publicize the truth--by any means necessary--so eventually--the scales will fall from their blinded eyes and they will see--truth as it is before them.

We have seen from the campaign cycle that we cannot count on the media to call out the liars when they're being interviewed--though some are taking a different stance now--we still have to call out the liars--utilizing social media--and pushing the broadcast and print media to do the same.

What we have seen in the past few days is a concerted effort by those in the White House to distort truth because they know they are in the White House--due to the lies and rigged election. Trump is angry because he feels people are trying to delegitimze his presidency when in fact--he is not the legitimate president and he knows it--which is why he is so combative when confronted with the truth.

We have heard the phrase--"he won fair and square" which is a lie by itself. How is a win obtained by promoting false propaganda, lies and interference by Russian hackers a "fair and square" win? It would have been fair and square if Hillary had used the same tactics, but since she didn't--who's the corrupt one now? Trump and team of co-conspirators--including Putin. And if the Republicans are found guilty of collusion, they should all be set free from their collective positions in Congress!

There is something seriously wrong in our nation's capitol--when the toddler-in-chief leads the nation, thinks himself above the laws and policies that have long established for the security of the country and to avoid the appearance of evil--refuses to abide by said policies and no one is checking him! The role of Congress is to maintain a balance of power--and unless Congress steps up and does their job--we now have lopsided government--and no truth shall ever be told by any of them because of their short-sightedness.

However, there is something we--the average American voters can do--we can re-call every elected official that refuses to do their job--making decisions that are best for all and keeping the toddler-in-chief in check. If they're not willing to do their job, they don't need to hold the position--pure and simple truth. And when they're recalled, the people will be set free--to elect those who might employ more integrity and honor than those we see at the moment.

So gear up America--it's time for us to take charge of our fate--by RECALLING EVERY ELECTED OFFICIAL WHO IS NOT DOING THEIR JOB! They are elected to govern according to the needs of the people, not their greed of power and status. IT IS OUR RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITY TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE AND WE SHALL!
 

Know Who To Trust!

Let those who fear the LORD say: “His love endures forever.” When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD; he brought me into a spacious place. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humans. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. Psalm 118:4-8 NIV

For those who truly reverence The Lord and stand in awe of His goodness and mercy, we can say, "His love endures forever." For those who don't know, it's time they understand what it means. "Fear" in this passage does not mean to be scared or afraid of--it means to hold in high esteem--reverence--The Lord. There is no need for anyone to be afraid of God, but there is a need to know and understand how He will allow negative consequences to fall upon us when we choose to ignore Him.

Though there are those who indignantly proclaim that the bible is simply an ancient book of myths, those who believe God--know better. The bible is a blueprint for living.  In it we find records of God's interactions with the people He loves and instructions to keep us from falling into the pits and snares set by the evil one. If people want to believe the bible has no significance, they have every right to believe just that. They also have every right to receive the consequences of their unbelief.

Throughout history--as recorded in "the history books" that people trust, we see how The Word of God aligns with the events recorded by others. There is no mystery or magic involved with the bible. It simply provides a historical perspective from another view. That's what history is--a record of events as reported from the perspective of those recording it. Historical accounts of anything will vary based upon perspective and the ability to publicize the account. It's like a police officer getting accounts of an event by witnesses who were positioned in various locations of the event. Their account will vary, but the primary tenets of the event will be the same. Although some might say, someone lied; they didn't lie--they simply told what "they saw" from their vantage point.

In spite of all the media attempts to persuade us about--anything--we must learn to trust our relationship with God for--everything. The rescue we need in our society won't come from mere mortals who perpetuate violence and hatred. It will come from The Lord when we decide enough is enough and repent of our evil ways and seek His direction in all things. God is able to provide us with clear insight and direction, but are we willing to trust our relationship with Him to obey?

I am praying and have been praying for the bigotry and hatred to cease, but it won't stop until people are willing to look into their hearts and acknowledge what's there. "For out of the abundance of the heart--the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:24). Is there hatred or love overflowing our hearts? Will we be acquitted by the words we speak or condemned by the words we speak?

Bridle our tongues, Lord that we may only speak what we hear You say!

Quiet Wisdom!

"The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts a ruler of fools." (Ecclesiastes 9:17 NIV)

How loud do we speak to be heard?
How much do we hear when it's quiet?
How loud is the noise of war?
How quiet is the sound of peace?
How powerful is the sound of loud?
How effective is the sound of silence?
Who pays more attention to the loud?
Who actually hears the voice of the quiet?

The media is loud and persistent,
Noisily proclaiming all that is wrong,
Repetitively insisting that we hear,
The power of hate and sin alike,
Venomously, noise spews from their mikes,
Garnering attention of young and old,
Allowing promotion of all that's bold,
Causing many to creep backwards into a past,
Proven wrong and certainly won't last.

Colors blast and blind those willing to look,
Changing meanings of The Word as if it's just a book,
Loudly proclaiming right is wrong and wrong is right,
Doing what pleases flesh, forgetting they're in God's sight,
And when He whispers wisdom into an ear,
Not many, in quietness are willing to hear,
For the noise of the foolish has effectively blocked,
And the enemy's influenced, heard and locked,
Into the minds of those who are weak, not strong,
Following those who are just loud and wrong.

But that is not the end of the story,
There are still some who work to God's glory,
And when He speaks in the quiet of the night,
They will do all they can to do what is right.
Wisdom--the quiet, soothing, comfort we need,
When we listen to it, we won't hear the enemy's pleas,
To turn left when we should turn right,
Living in the light of day, not the dark of night,
Doing all things to please Him who gives,
Power, direction, through the One who lives,
Within and will only tell us what He hears from above,
Wrapped in His wisdom, embracing us with love.

God's wisdom is heard in the silent moments,
We use to study His Word and open our hearts to hear,
All He has to say, directing our steps every day,
Never loud and obnoxious as fools tend to be,
He knows who we are, when we listen and is waiting for us to see,
Him in all His majesty, and glory, ready and willing to obey.
Shutting out the loud, the noisy, the hate and sin,
Hearing only wisdom, seeking a victorious win
Daily, poised, positioned, never giving up the fight,
Listening for the wisdom we know, directing us right,
To The throne, for all eternity, watching Wisdom,
Quietly reigning, for the world to see those who are His,
Receive their rewards for faithfulness, diligence and loyalty.

Speak to our hearts, Lord that we might hear a word of wisdom today in the quiet of the moment, while we're not distracted by the noises of the world, vying for our attention, keeping us distracted in the midst of the storm, hoping we won't hear You, and share You with others. Speak Lord, Your servants will hear and not follow another.

Cultural Ignorance! Part I

The diversity of people should be celebrated instead of being used as a benchmark to divide and segregate. What happens when people are ignorant—have no knowledge of anything—is that we create even greater divides—an ever-widening gap—between people when we should be coming together as one race—the human race. And then we wonder why we can’t get along with one another.

If we took the time—and it will take time—to review history and to cultivate our knowledge of each other and the ills of the past in order to keep them from resurfacing, then and only then will we understand the need to stop blaming one group of people for the demise of things and get ourselves together to build instead of tearing down. When we think that the world’s ills are because of one group of people, we deceive ourselves. The problems of our world are not problems caused by White people, Black people, Red people, Brown people or Yellow people. The problems in our world are caused by greedy, needy, and lazy people. And many of the greedy, needy, and lazy use religious banners to justify what they do—in error—or they use what they think is their superiority over others.

Here’s a newsflash—there is no superior race or religion—there are simply people who have chosen to think they are superior by the very nature of their birth or affiliation with others who think they are superior. And while there is no superior group of people, there is also no inferior group of people. We are all in the same boat—living on planet earth—an environment that desperately needs to be overhauled so this planet—the only one in which know has life—can continue to support life for future generations.

Instead of hating one another because of skin color or religious beliefs or nonbelief, why can’t we take the time to get to know one another, share what we know and help one another to grow—increasing awareness of need and perspective based upon how we all view life through the lenses that have been a part of our growth?

For the most part—many Black people do not understand how to amass wealth because we are too busy spending money rather than investing money—in our children and in our futures. We’d rather spend two hundred dollars for a pair of gym shoes than ten dollars for a book. We’d rather look good—spending tons of money beyond our means—than in reading and expanding our knowledge on how the world really works. We’d rather complain about minimum wage jobs than to continue our education in order to obtain the skills we need to live the lives we want. We know nothing about volunteerism because we think we should be paid for every little thing we do. We have our children grow up thinking that someone owes them something, when the reality is no one other than their parents owe them anything, but the parents haven’t figured that out yet and we know this by those who still think, everything they want—should be handed to them.

We complain about White people and how they do things, but we don’t understand that it’s not about how White people do things to accomplish goals, but about people understanding that without goals and purposes and work to accomplish them, nothing ever happens or changes. A quality education makes a huge difference in the perspectives people have in life—knowing that nothing worthwhile is ever simply handed to anyone, but must be earned.

On the other hand—many White people think that Black people are lazy, good-for-nothing, trouble-makers. There are just as many white people who are lazy and good-for-nothing trouble makers as any other group of people. The problem is the perception of any group of people is colored by media coverage—the news, the movies, and the music. If we bothered to take the time to get to know one another, we might discover that underneath the surface lies the same color blood, bone, tissue, marrow, and muscle. Our hearts have the same rhythm (for the most part) and the blood flows in the same direction, carrying oxygen to our brains—allowing us to “think” before we act.  We simply choose to have differing opinions and likes and dislikes which should be respected, not abhorred or demeaned. If God had wanted clones—He could have managed that, but He chose to create us uniquely, wonderful, individuals with a purpose designed by Him, not people.

Turning Back to God!

"Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the LORD; Let us lift our hearts and hands To God in heaven." (Lamentations 3:40,41 NKJV)

When are we going to see the error of our ways? Why must we have to be threatened by anyone regarding anything to own up to the things we do? Are we so blinded with our self-importance that we cannot see how what we say or do--creates chaos and confusion, sometimes leading to hatred and certainly makes our bigotry--crystal clear?

Before we do or say anything--we must examine our motives and seek His wisdom--and then we would have no need to "retract" what we've said or apologize for our inability to consider the consequences of our actions.

This nation--as a whole--including all the people in it--must reach a decision and examine themselves--dare to put themselves under a microscope to see who they really are. When a person dares to "see self" as they really are, then and only then will there be any lasting change in people that helps to move everyone forward, without attempting to crush them.

After we have examined ourselves, we need to "turn back to allowing God to influence" what we do, rather than allowing emotions and personal bigotry to guide us--especially when we know--the enemy is the influence--determining to kill, steal, and destroy others through vicious attacks--by whatever venue we use.

Lord Jesus, help us to see ourselves and then create in us a desire to please You and not be seduced by public opinion to berate others. We are mindful of the state of this nation and the world, and we submit to Your guidance in all things so we will not make a mockery of who You are by the things we do. Thank You for hearing and responding to this prayer, Amen!