Deception!

I came to the revelation last night while watching one of my favorite news reporting and commentary shows on the Fox News Network, that I was either laughing or getting upset throughout the majority of the program!  This behavior would ensue whenever they reported on something that a spokesperson from the party that lost our recent Presidential Campaign would say regarding why they thought they lost the election or made a comment on the new President-Elect.

What keeps coming to mind is the amount of deception that they are spewing forth.  I am amazed at how they continually can turn the truth around to fit their purposes without any sense of shame or concern to the damage that their words are doing.  I found myself on multiple occasions throughout the show turning to my wife and saying “They’re doing it again… and they still just don’t get it!”  It is almost like they are talking out of both sides of their mouths at the same time!  

Then when the frustration begins to set in and I want to shake my head in defeat, I am continually reminded of 2 Corinthians 4:4 where Paul told Christians that “the god of this world hath blinded the eyes of them which believe not…” (KJV) and I am brought back around to the understanding that it is simply the work of the deceiver, Satan, whom Jesus showed the Apostle John in the midst of the revelation He gave to him while in exile on the isle of Patmos, to be “the deceiver of the whole world…” (KJV)  

I am not sure if I am just more aware of what is happening around us at this juncture in my life or if things are really getting worse and more pronounced, but I don’t recall a time in my life where the deception of the devil has been more evident, more bold and more accepted by society than it is in today’s world.  I can recall back in the late 1980’s and early ‘90’s when the meaning of certain words got turned around and declaring something bad meant it was good!  But now, practices that were always deemed inappropriate according to society’s standards (much less God’s standards) are now widely accepted as the norm and those of us who still stand in the truth of God’s Word are labeled as bigots and racist!

Suddenly our President –Elect who doesn’t agree with the turned-about worldly standards is seen as someone to be afraid of and people in major cities across the country are protesting in the streets as they blindly follow a lie that was preached during the campaign… while those responsible utter a few half-hearted words espousing unity and then disappear off the national stage.

So what do we do?  We do the best and most powerful thing we can do!  We continue to live for Christ, walk in love and turn the world on its ear through diligent, faith-filled prayer!  2 Corinthians 2:11 tells us that as Christians “we are not ignorant of his (the Deceiver’s) devices.” (KJV)  The Apostle of Love, John, wrote to the church and told them that “Nothing makes me happier than to hear that my children are living according to the truth” (3 John 1:4 God’s Word ©).  Jesus defined that truth as God’s Word in John 17:17.

So, we continue to make Papa God happy by living in His truth!  Prior to explaining that God’s Word was the truth, Jesus asked the Father just hours before He would go to the cross to “Sanctify them (us Believers) in Thy truth…”  In other words, Jesus knew what was ahead for us and for our protection and power, He asked the Father to separate His family of Believers from the deceit of the world and encase them in the love, the wisdom, the deliverance, the healing, the provision and the overcoming power of His Word!

So, I had to stop and make a decision last night while I was preparing dinner and watching the news… whether I was going to get angry from the fear of what was being reported from across the globe, or laugh as I was trusting in and very expectant of the Word of the all-powerful God working in my behalf.  Guess What?  I’m still laughing this morning!

You know…it really doesn’t matter how bad or twisted things get… what should matter most to us is what the truth of God’s Word says about it!  So that’s the truth I am continuing to live… no matter what others say or do!  What about you?  

Have a great weekend.  I’m gonna celebrate… for after living for 2 weeks with a refrigerator that isn’t keeping things cold or frozen, the appliance repair man is in our kitchen as I write this post replacing some parts and we get to go shopping this afternoon and fill it up again!  Yea!… Ice for my soft drinks and frozen ice-cream again!

So… enjoy your weekend no matter what you hear on the news and keep asking yourself… “What TRUTH am I expecting to live today?”