August 27, 2000 Volume 1 Number 35
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Liars
Part
1 "Cretans
are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons” Tit
1:12. Sadly that might be
what other nations will be saying about Americans. I came across some
recent statistics recent statistics that stated that the percentage of
Americans who lie was unbelievably high.
Even the percentage of those who think it’s all right to lie
was high. Truly we have come along way since the inception of this
country which was based on Godly principles. The
apostle Paul mentions the Cretans was well known for the trait and even
one of their own prophets referred to them as such. We also find,
throughout the Bible, among God's people, individuals who lied for a
variety of reasons. The
subject is not a pleasant one, but nonetheless, it is a Bible subject.
Psa 31:18 says, “Let
the lying lips be put to silence, which speak insolent things proudly
and contemptuously against the righteous.” Also
Psa 34:13 states, “Keep
your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.” Origin
of Lies: The
Devil is “the
"father" of lies”
Jn 8:44. Here the Jews were being rebuked for having the same nature and
desire as Satan. Satan is
said to be the father of lies because of His words to Eve. His lies were
found in deceiving Eve in Gen 3:4, 5. He continued his ways with Job by
impugning Job's motives in Job 1:9-10; 2:4-5. We also see an example of
his lies when He expresses doubt of Christ's divinity in Matt 4:3, “Now
when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God,
command that these stones become bread.’” Satan
is certainly the father of lies and he continued to promote that idea
throughout history, and cause many to stumble and fall along the way. Kinds
of Liars: There
are many kinds of liars, we would like to look at some of them.
First of all we could describe some as “common
liars.” Psa
50:19 states,
“You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue frames deceit.”
These
folks lie for the purpose of deceiving, that is, by exaggeration or
manufacture. In the Old Testament book of 1 Kings chapter 13 there is an
account of an old prophet in Bethel. In the beginning of the chapter the
man of God is sent to Bethel to rebuke Jeroboam who built an altar,
which was devised of his own heart 12:33.
The man of God was told not to eat bread nor drink water, not
return by the same way he came. He
obeyed God when Jeroboam asked him to come home with him.
In verses 11:22 we learn that the old prophet manufactured a lie,
as a result the man of God was killed. There
are also “jesting
liars.” In
Prov 26:18-19 it says, “Like
a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, Is the man who
deceives his neighbor, and says, ‘I was only joking!’”
Here we have an individual who jests with the intention of mischief,
with impunity, to hurt his neighbor, or to consume his house or goods.
That person is compared to a madman who throws firebrands,
arrows, and death. And when all is said and done, when all the pain has
been administered, when the neighbor stands in disbelief, the response
is, "I
was only joking."
The language there is a familiar talk (table talk), that is language as
from a friend, but the hurt that comes by this is not so easy to take. There
are also “cowardly
liars:”
In
Isa 57:11, Isaiah writes, "And
of whom have you been afraid, or feared, that you have lied and not
remembered Me, nor taken it to your heart? Is it not because I have held
My peace from of old that you do not fear Me?”
Out of fear these Jews lied. These individuals told lies for fear of
telling the truth. Here are some examples of cowardly liars: The first
is Adam and Eve in evading responsibility Gen 3:10-13. After the
temptation, after Eve and Adam ate of the fruit and realized their
nakedness, they hid when they heard the "sound
of the Lord God walking in the Garden.”
They
hid because they knew they had sinned and did not want to reveal their
mistakes. Abraham is another example, in Gen 20:1-12, by calling his
wife Sarah his sister, for fear of the consequences. Also, the parents
of the blind man in Jn 9:19-23 Their
fear was of being persecuted by the Jews. The persecution would have
consisted of being put out of the synagogue. To be put out of the
synagogue was to be deprived of the privilege of worship, to be excluded
from the fellowship of the congregation and to be regarded as a heathen.
The term of excommunication could be for thirty days or in more severe
cases it would involve an extension of the time, even indefinitely.
But whatever the consequences, they feared it, and consequently
lied. Even Peter lied out of cowardice by denying our Lord in Matt
26:69-74. Cowardly fear motivated Peter to answer as he did. We will continue this next week. Carlos Aguilar Home
and Family: What
kind of son or daughter will I be?
The world says, "You are only young once, so enjoy it in every way you
can." This is easy for most to accept, because they want freedom from
restraints. However, the Bible says, "Remember
now your Creator in the days of your youth." Ecclesiastes
12:1. Young people should be obedient and have consideration for their parents
Ephesians 6:1-3; Proverbs 10:1; 17:50; 25. Parents are not, as some think,
just old fogies trying to keep them from having a good time - but are mature
and experienced in many of life's problems. It is wise for young people to
heed the advice of their parents Proverbs 13:1. What
kind of character shall I develop?
"A
good name is better than precious ointment." Ecclesiastes
7:1. "A
good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than
silver and gold" Proverbs
22:1. It takes no planting, watering, or cultivating to grow weeds, nor does
it take effort to grow worthless character. Careful attention and diligent
effort are required for noble character. Young people, strive to build a good
reputation by purity and godliness, and by being examples of the believers 1
Timothy 4:12. Whom
shall I choose as my associates?
"Do
not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits" 1
Corinthians 15:33. "Evil
companionships corrupt good morals" 1
Corinthians 15:33 ASV. The counterpart of this is also true: Good
companionships promote good morals. Young people should avoid the crowd that
drinks, dances, tells dirty stories, uses curse words, and laughs and pokes
fun at people who serve God. What
will be my life's occupation?
Much depends on the answer of this question. In far too many instances,
though, too much emphasis is placed on money. "For
what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own
soul?" Matthew
16:26. Furthermore, one must be careful to choose an occupation that is
honorable and legitimate. Dishonest gains and get rich schemes must be
avoided. This may mean a smaller income; however, "Better
is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right" Proverbs16:8. Whom
shall I marry? If
there is ever a place for clear minds and true ideas, it is in marriage. God's
laws must be understood, respected, and heeded Matthew 5:32; 19:9. Marriage is
for life Romans 7:2-3; 1 Corinthians 7:39. The best advice I can give to young
people in choosing a mate is, "Marry
a Christian." Marry
someone who will encourage you in the way of salvation. If that boy or girl
cannot be converted before marriage, they probably never will be, and problems
are only multiplied when children come along. What
shall I do with my life in relation to God?
If you have never obeyed the gospel, you should answer, "I shall become a
Christian." Jesus said, "For
whosoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be
ashamed." Luke
9:26. If you are already a Christian, you should answer, "I shall remain
faithful." Jesus said, "And
because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who
endures to the end shall be saved" Matthew
24:12-13. David J. Riggs In Gospel Power
You
have probably heard the story of the fellow who was out of cheese, so he
baited the mouse trap with a picture of a piece of cheese. The next
morning the trap was sprung, having captured a picture of a mouse! This
reminds me of the efforts made by religious teachers (including some of my
brethren), who try to attract souls to Christ without the real gospel.
Instead, they substitute recreation, entertainment, and other social events in
the hope of drawing large numbers who can then be "trapped" into
becoming Christians. At least two things are wrong with this practice. First
of all, reaching the lost is not some kind of trapping expedition where the
quarry is the unsuspecting sinner, who must be "baited" or
"suckered" into accepting the Gospel.. While it is true that Jesus
wants His disciples to be "fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19), most of
the fishing done in that area had to do with nets, not fancy and deceptive
baits. Jesus said, "Go and preach." He did not authorize us to sneak
up on or entrap sinners. In
the second place, the real, unadulterated gospel is the only means God has
given us to attract sinners. It alone is the "power of God unto
salvation" (Romans 1:16). The knowledge of God is, according to our
Master, sufficient to draw sinners to Christ (John 6:44-45). The use of some
phony, worldly "bait" will, like the story above, result in snaring
phony, worldly converts. We still reap what we sow. Sowing carnality is not
likely to bring forth spirituality. If
we are faithful and diligent in forthrightly proclaiming the gospel to the
lost, those with good and honest hearts will receive the word with gladness
and be saved. Those who reject it cannot be saved by worldly means. This is
God's original, simple, and effective plan for reaching mankind. Who are we to
suggest that we can improve upon the Divine plan by using the world's methods.
We need to be satisfied with God's provisions which are more than adequate to
accomplish His purposes. Bob West in The Milpitas Messenger If No One Invited Me To Their Home What
if no one ever invited me into their home? (I'm thinking especially of
fellow Christians.) What if they never made any attempt to socialize with
me? What if they never included me in their plans for fun and
entertainment? If
this happened, several things would come to mind. First, I know that I
would be missing out on something that is very good. There is a real
source of encouragement that comes from associating closely with other
Christians. Paul spoke of "brotherly love" and urged us to be
"preferring one another" Rom. 12:10. Our own experience
confirms that it is a great help to have close friends who are also our
brethren in Christ. Second,
if my brethren never wanted to socialize with me, I'd begin to wonder about
ME! What is there about ME that makes folks not want to be around
me? I remember that wise Solomon said: "A man that hath friends
must show himself friendly" Proverbs l8:24. Have I failed to
show friendliness to others? Have I been neglecting MY responsibility
toward them? Have I not done my part to try to develop these close
personal ties? Maybe other Christians would be happy to spend time with
me if I showed them that I was interested in this type of relationship.
This is a "two-way" road -- I have to give if I hope to
receive. Don't you see it? Finally,
there is a "bottom line" to these considerations. If no one
ever invited me into their home -- I know I'd be missing something good and,
yes, I would want to take a careful look at myself -- but I could still be a
faithful Christian! After all, my faith and hope is not founded upon a
social relationship with other people. It IS founded upon a spiritual
commitment to my Savior. We've heard of folks who fell away -- became
unfaithful. When asked why they fell away they said, "The people
at that church are unfriendly." That's sad - and we should do
better. But, we also know that such a statement shows that those people
have never established a right relationship with their Lord. Think! by Greg Gwin from www.freebibletracts.com Faithful Sayings We
Must Be Careful To Maintain Good Works (Titus 3:8) We
were redeemed for this purpose (Titus 2:14) Let
God define what a "good work" is (1 Peter 4:11; 2 Peter 1:3) Not
a dead or inactive faith (James 2:17-24) Not
by works of our own righteousness (Eph. 2:8-10) Sentence Sermons Attending church services regularly is like making a path in the forest - The oftener you use it, the less obstruction you'll find in the way. We
hope you find this bulletin useful in your Bible study. 2
Sam 22:31
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