Liar! (Conclusion of a seven-part series)
In John’s short five-chapter book of 1 John,
he describes six types of liars. We’ve already
looked at five. Let’s take a peek at the last one:
#6: People who deny Jesus is the Christ;
the Messiah;
God Incarnate.
“Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ.
Such a person is the antichrist—
denying the Father and the Son”
(1 John 2:22 NIV).
This is the biggest lie of all!
And it’s so prevalent today.
A good example is global religion.
You’ve heard this: “Let’s all believe the same.
We’re all serving the same God, right?
Allah, Buddah, the Light, Jesus.
Don’t all paths go to heaven?
And who goes to heaven?
In the end doesn’t everyone?”
This is false teaching.
It’s a perverted gospel.
There is one way to heaven and one way only:
“I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me
(John 14:6 NIV).
Any other way to heaven actually leads to hell.
And yes, hell actually exists.
Satan doesn’t want you to believe that,
so he has worked overtime to make people think
hell isn’t what the Bible says it is.
We’ve looked at six types of liars the apostle John warns us about.
I don’t want to be a liar.
I don’t think you do, either.
I want to know the Truth, walk in the Truth and live Truth
in every area of my life.
Is that your heart’s desire?
I love this quote: “All the water in the world, no matter how hard
it tries, can never sink a ship unless it gets inside.
All the evil influence of the world, no matter how hard it tries,
can never sink a Christian’s soul unless it gets inside.”
The greatest battle we’ll ever fight is within.
In our mind and in our heart is where the battle is either won or lost:
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he”
(Proverbs 23:7 NKJV).
You may have the lies of the world inside you.
Maybe you’re battling the world’s lies in your mind.
Or perhaps your heart has been struggling with lies.
Let’s commit to absolute Truth.
Let’s live—through the power of the Holy Spirit—as Jesus lived.
Would you commit to living a “no-lies” life?
Would you like to renew your heart to His Truth?
Let’s dedicate ourselves being Truthful warriors of God.
Will you join me in living the Truth?
There’s a really old hymn called “I Would Be True” that says this:
I would be true, for there are those who trust me;
I would be pure, for there are those who care;
I would be strong, for there is much to suffer;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare.
Thoughts?
I’ll be speaking in Torrance, CA this weekend.
Please pray for God to move in a powerful way.
Liar! (Part 6)
In John’s short five-chapter book of 1 John,
he describes six types of liars. We’ve already
looked at four. Let’s take a peek at the next one:
#5: People who say they love God but really love the world.
“Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you,
for when you love these things you show that you
do not really love God”
(1 John 2:15 LB).
This means: Choose not to love this world—
or even the mindset of the world.
Don’t value what the world values.
It’s easy to watch celebrity shows and read
about their lives in magazines and start to
place value on the things they cherish: homes,
jewelry, affluence.
But God doesn’t want us to value the things
of the world. They’re only temporary.
Instead, He wants our focus on Him.
Let’s value the eternal.
There’s only room for one master in our lives.
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one
and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one
and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money”
(Matthew 6:24 NIV).
Let’s ask God to reveal to us anything that has become
more important than it should be. This is how we keep
our priorities in check.
There’s a difference in enjoying our home, our car, and
the things God has blessed us with—and in loving them
to the point that we cherish them more than we should.
If we claim to love God but actually love the things of the world,
the apostle John says we’re lying.
Thoughts?
I’m speaking in Paris, PA this weekend.
Please ask the Holy Spirit to anoint me
in a fresh and powerful way.
Liar! (Part 5)
The apostle John mentions six types of liars in his short five-chapter
book of 1 John.
#1: People who say they’re Christians but actually walk in
darkness.
#2: People who claim they haven’t sinned because they've
redefined sin according to culture’s standards.
#3: People who claim to know Jesus but don’t obey Him.
#4: People who claim to walk in light while hating their brothers.
“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or
sister is still in the darkness” (1 John 2:9 NIV).
If we can’t love Christians from different backgrounds, denominations,
races and cultures, we don’t know Christ.
If we don’t love those who drive us nuts, those who get on our nerves
and even those who ridicule us, we’re lying when we say we love
Christ.
That’s why Christ says:
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.
Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God”
(1 John 4:7 NIV).
Pause for a moment and think about that one person you find it most
difficult to love.
Do you realize that your love for God is measured by how much you
love that person?
“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a
liar” (1 John 4:20 NIV).
Ask God to bring to your mind any bitterness or unforgiving spirit you
be holding against someone. When he brings that person to your
mind, will you release this to Him?
Be willing to pray, “Father, I’m so sorry I haven’t completely forgiven
so-and- so. But right now, I choose to forgive. And in Your power, help
my feelings to match my words.”
You may not immediately FEEL that you have forgiven the one who
has hurt you. But keep praying, “Father, I choose to forgive. Help my
feelings to match my words. I’m consciously choosing to forgive.”
God is faithful!
And eventually He’ll bring your feelings and your words into
alignment.
Thoughts?
Please pray for me as I speak in Kingfisher, OK this weekend.