Lies and Truth

What it means to be a New Creation

I’d like to say before becoming a believer, I was one way, and after I was another. The truth is it’s only been very recently that I am becoming another way, when I realized the fallacy of following myself. We can believe in Jesus (as even the demons do) and still follow our own wills and minds. It’s not until we realize what it means to not just believe in Jesus, but to follow him, that we really start to become a new creation.

I used to measure everything by what I thought was right or wrong, morally good or bad. If it didn’t impact my here and now, I didn’t have much of an opinion. If I thought it impacted those around me and their experiences, I’d be of whatever opinion made them happy or caused the least conflict between me and them, whatever positioned me positively in their minds.

I was actually being heavily influenced by spiritual means I was completely unaware of. When I became aware of this, I realized there is an ultimate good and His standards matter more than my own thoughts about my own happiness/complacency or others about theirs.

In becoming a new creation, as all of us can be once we follow Christ, I started to value truth above narratives. Absolutely nothing in pop culture or media is interested in the truth. They are only interested in control, power, dominance, and manipulation. There is one source of truth we can turn to, the Bible. Of course, those spiritual forces behind the culture want to minimize it as much as possible, even to the point of making it evil. The Bible calls this manipulation ‘witchcraft,’ so it is not surprising our culture’s obsession with such things.

We find ourselves in such a season of shaking. It’s important to care about a greater truth, beyond ourselves. Can we impact the White House? I used to say no, but now I realize we do have that power and authority. We can, spiritually, through fasting and prayer. I have seen TOO much with prayer to deny its power. We can by being willing to tell the truth to those in our circles of influence.

I’ve been thinking how much I wish the truth was told, how scarce the truth is to come by. I prayerfully share the below lies I once believed or are being pushed on us, and the truths. Understanding that I’m not that total new creation yet, I’m still discovering truth, but I care about discovering it.

Lie: You must vote Republican or you’re not a true Christian.

Truth: You must use discernment from the Holy Spirit to guide not only your vote, but how you talk about politics, the other side, and Jesus. (To be clear, I do believe there is a side that is more biblically aligned and one the Holy Spirit has pointed me to.)

Lie: The security of the future rests in which presidential candidate you choose and which party is in power.

Truth: Whoever is in power has been given authority by God and will be used for His purposes to accomplish what His Word says it will accomplish.

Lie: God’s in control so we don’t have to have any say or accountability, just sit back and watch it unfold.

Truth: God cares about the posture of our hearts towards His people, Israel, towards our loved ones, and towards our enemies. What we do with our time matters, including what we think about and meditate on.

Lie: (Heard this the other day from a Pastor) The Church is getting too political and shouldn’t be the ultimate authority on matters of policy.

Truth: Politics are getting more theological. The Church must use its voice to convey God’s Word in all aspects of life, which are very affected by politics. Everything we see has a spiritual root.

Lie: Women should have inalienable abortion rights.

Truth: Babies (including future women) should have inalienable rights to live. God values women, men, and life, and we must also.

Lie: My body was created for the sole end of my pleasure.

Truth: My body is a temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells and is not to be used and abused. It has a purpose in the Kingdom of God. The enemy wants to distract me from that purpose and pleasure is a great tool.

Lie: You only live once, might as well do what makes you happy.

Truth: Following just your happiness is destructive for your soul. We live eternally and the choices we make in life impact how we will spend eternity.

Lie: There are so many gods, how could any one be right?

Truth: There is a King and all other false gods will eventually yield to Him. When you learn more about what those other gods stand for, you realize they all have a common theme, the spirit of antichrist which rages against the one true Christ.

Lie: Nothing I do in my own home or with my money or time impacts the future or wellbeing of our country.

Truth: Every second and penny are significant. Every decision and word has impacts beyond what we can comprehend. It matters what we do, what we say, what we consume.

Lie: Israel has nothing to do with us in America.

Truth: Biblical prophecy is unfolding before our eyes and Israel is the dominant player in which God will bring about His purposes. America has an important role in relation to Israel.

Lie: I am not able to be deceived, I have better discernment than to consume lies.

Truth: The enemy is quite clever and will deceive even the elect. The only way to not be deceived is to have an active relationship with God where we hear from Him by the power of His Holy Spirit.

Lie: I should be free from having to hear about the Bible, what it says, God, prayer.

Truth: Religious freedom means I get to hear about the Bible, even read it and access it if I want to.

Lie: Religious freedom means all spiritual experiences have a place in our country.

Truth: Religious freedom has more to do with overall freedoms than we can imagine and some spirits are oppressive and have no place in a free country. We must discern what spirits are behind what agendas. If a spirit of antichrist, we can know the agenda is to, by clear or covert means, silence and oppress followers of Jesus with the underlying desire to control everyone.

Lie: Christians are evil and the Bible is a dangerous weapon to humanity.

Truth: Christians can be used by evil, but more often are the agents of God in the earth. The Holy Spirit dwelling in them is what holds back evil in the world. The Bible is a dangerous weapon against Satan.

Lie: Christianity is oppressive.

Truth: The sin ridden world we live in is oppressive, and following Jesus is the only means by which we become free in eternity.

Lie: People are inherently good and left to our own devices will find a way to all get along.

Truth: Descendants of Adam (all of us) are under a curse of humanity and set apart from God in our free will. (Jesus broke the curse and God desires to save us.) Left to our own devices, we will find a way to manipulate and dominate one another.

Lie: I am who I am. I was born this way. If I feel it, it must be true.

Truth: Our feelings deceive us constantly. Our truth doesn’t trump the truth of God. We are overcomers and can overcome any feeling by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Lie: I’ve lived so long in opposition to God, He would never welcome me and I could never be good enough.

Truth: God and Heaven rejoice when a prodigal returns home. You always have a place in the Kingdom of Heaven and He desires to be in relationship with you now. None of us are good enough, that’s why Jesus came to us in humanity and died the death we deserved on the cross. He took our punishment and our curse upon himself and stands in the gap to petition and pray for us. He died and was resurrected so that we might live eternally with God.

We are stronger together so, of course, the spiritual forces behind the culture are working to isolate us.

Lord, I pray You speak truth to those reading this. Please keep showing me Your truths and guiding me. Help me yield my own will to Yours. Help us to not be deceived. Give us spiritual eyes to see what’s happening and how we are to respond. In Jesus name, amen.