Mislead – Godinterest

Honesty is a character trait every child of God should develop. It is in man’s old, corrupted nature to be deceitful. It is true that you can actually surprise yourself. Jeremiah 17:9 says that one can be deceived by his very own heart. It can be difficult to maintain full awareness of one’s own intentions and motives. However, a person quickened by the Holy Spirit now has the ability to stay aware, for “the Spirit searches all things”. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can make accurate assessments and we can work towards honesty and sincerity.

The Bible share a few things about honesty:

We are to work and do business with honesty.

“Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin.” (Leviticus 19:36)

“You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Deuteronomy 25:15)

In former times, people traded using weights and scales. An unfair yet prevalent business practice was to rig weighing scales so that goods were heavier than they actually were. God did not want His people to participate in that kind of business culture. God desires His people to be honest workers and businessmen. Goods should be presented and priced according to their actual conditions and capacities. Workers should put in honest work hours. Products should arrive as agreed upon.

Let me tell you about Mike. He is a real person. For some years, this God chaser owned and managed a second-hand car sales shop. Prospective buyers came in and were surprised every time. He gave full details of the things that were wrong with the cars they were checking out. He informed people about what was lacking in the cars they took interest in. And you know what? He actually sold all his cars that way. Every unit he ever had, he sold. God does bless honest people.

We are to speak with honesty.

^“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” (Ephesians 4:25)

“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.”

We will not debate about the rightness of white lies and half-truths which people utter for the “greater good” (like when Corrie Ten Boom lied in order to rescue many Jews from the Holocaust in World War 2).

Let’s talk about plain and simple honesty. When we speak with honesty:

We do not mislead someone into believing something that is not true.
We do not prevent someone from accessing helpful or rightful information.
We do not hide or cover up what is wrong.

God wants His people to be honest. Our speech should not be motivated by a desire to pretend or misrepresent something. We should be genuine and sincere. Our speech should not deprive others of justice. When we’ve wronged someone, we must be ready to admit it and make things right.

Honesty may require us to rebuke others of wrongdoing.

Open rebuke is better than secret love. (Proverbs 27:5)

“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.” (Luke 17:3)

“Rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith.” (Titus 1:13)

No good has ever come from suppressing our hurts. You don’t find the resolution you need. No good has ever come from ignoring wrong deeds. The other person does not get better when you stay quiet. Many times, to confront and rebuke is more fruitful. However, we must remember that the right reason for this is love. So, when we speak truth, we are to speak out of love, in love. (Ephesians 4:15) When we correct, we must correct in a spirit of gentleness. When we speak truth to someone, our desire should never be to prove ourselves right or to flaunt our self-righteousness, but always, to restore the erring person to rightness. (Galatians 6:1)

James E Faust said, “Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving.” May God’s people be known for honesty today.

Most of us have grown up with many popular fairy tales told to us as children. The legendary story “Little Red Riding Hood” In most versions (although definitely not all of them) there is one common theme: a wolf attacks a young woman through deception. Like parables, such stories are never intended to convey meaning in every detail. Yet, much of it may draw, even in unsuspecting ways, the reader to precepts or principles pertinent to circumstances behind the story. Such is the following on Little Red Riding Hood.

There is actually a lesson in that theme for God’s people today.

1. The Church. Satan’s wolves do more than disguise themselves as Granny. As Paul warned, they often present themselves as “ministers of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:15). Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

“That’s a lie!” said the wolf. “You won’t die!”

2. The Law. One of the most common deceptions by these types of wolves is the claim that the law was done away with. Using selective sections of the apostle Paul’s writings, these wolves deceive people into crying, “Oh, what freedom you have!”

This was the very same tactic that Satan employed in the Garden of Eden.

3. False prophets. While these people appear to be godly—they come in sheep’s clothing—Christ said that inwardly they were “ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). These are people who claim to be children of God—but who don’t teach and live the word.

Another Fake Jesus Christ was recently arrested and remanded in Uganda on Thursday, November 9th, for belonging and managing an unlawful society by the Magistrate’s court. According to a report by Uganda’s Newspaper, Daily Monitor, the accused claimed not to be under any authority including the police, local council administration or the president of Uganda. The man purporting to be Jesus was arraigned in court alongside his three followers who preferred to be identified with their alias names.

“Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?”

4. The world. Wake up from your Slumber. Frequently in Scripture believers are exhorted to wake up, to be revived, and they are warned of the dangers of spiritual sleep. Christ warned us “Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves” (Luke 10:3). The world is under the sway of Satan.

As a believer in Jesus, we are promised a new life covered under the protection of God in which NOTHING can separate us from His love. Rest knowing that no matter what hardship you face, God is your provider and protector! Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of the wolf, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

5. Wealth. These wolves say, “all this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me.” Christ warned of the “deceitfulness of riches” (Matthew 13:22; Mark 4:19). Your response should be “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“There was something wolfish about them?”

6. Marriage How many times have we heard the story of the little red riding hood (aka Christian Sister or Brother) who fell in love with a big bad Wolf? ‘It wasn’t beauty, it was the beast, she or he says in regret. Being equally yoked is not meant to inhibit our dating lives. Rather, it is a command designed for protection and honor. Being unequally yoked is more dangerous than you think – and waiting for someone with whom you share the same spiritual heritage is far more rewarding than many believe.

Hey, Little Red Riding Hood, where are you going, so alone, so”¦ alone?

7. Relationship. Without Jesus, you can do nothing. An intimate relationship with God is required. That means fellowship with God daily. The big bad wolf was disguised to trick little red riding hood, but the wolf could not mislead her because Little red riding hood knew her grandmother intimately. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. – John 10:27”

“You can huff and puff but I will not worship you!”

8. Worship. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “We don’t need to answer your last question. If our God, whom we honor, can save us from a blazing furnace and from your power, he will, Your Majesty. Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with anger toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face turned red and he ordered that the furnace should be heated seven times hotter than normal. However, God commissions His angels to save His chosen ones from calamity, to guard them against “the pestilence that walketh in darkness” and “the destruction that wasteth at noonday.”

These eight types (or packs, if you will) of “wolves” have plagued Christ’s followers throughout history.

These are just a few of the tricks and deceptions that are used by Satan and his wolves. Some wolves are masters of deception and disguise. They talk like Christians. They use the Bible. They seem like nice people. They are so loving! But they will draw you in to eat you for dinner!

God’s people must learn the lesson of Little Red Riding Hood. Let’s never allow ourselves to fall prey to the Satan’s deceptions.

Tag: Mislead

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