"Lyin' Eyes"

If you grew up in my era (70’s High School) in 1975 the Eagles released a new song that rose up the song charts very fast.  The song title:  Lyin' Eyes.  By now, after some of you have only heard the title, the chorus to this song is playing in your head.  I can remember friends at my High School during breaks between classes in the smoking area, (and yes, my rural NC High School had a smoking area for students) singing this chorus.

You can’t hide your lyin’ eyes

And your smile is a thin disguise

I thought by now you’d realize

There ain’t no way to hide your lyin' eyes

Why bring up this topic?  Well, I’m glad you asked.  As I am writing this article (the day after the 2016 Presidential Debate) I can’t help but see a common theme, “She’s a liar” or “He’s a liar.”  Nothing new, right?  This has been the mode of operation for our election cycle for decades.  That is true, but I’m not sure that it has been so blatant in past cycles as it has been in 2016.  It appears to me that our politicians really don’t mind telling a lie if they feel it will benefit them in someway.  AND, there are only a few that will ever check out whether they have lied or not.  I had someone say to me the other day, “So what, all politicians do it.  We know they do it.  What’s the big deal?”  I said, “It is a big deal for me.  I don’t know about you, but I do not like to be lied to.”  Response, “But these are politicians.  It’s what they do to get ahead.”  My response, “Exactly!  And that is wrong.”

Lying is nothing new.  It started in the Garden of Eden as recorded in Chapter 3 of Genesis.  Since then, lying has been a part of the fabric of the human soul.  It still doesn’t make it right to lie.  But Marty, little white lies are OK, right?  We all have the proclivity to lie.  Let’s say my wife walks out of the bedroom and says, “Honey, how do you like my new dress?”  I say, “It’s look great!”  BUT, in my head I might be thinking, “Oh, Babe, it makes you look like a _______ fill in the blank, a elephant, a zebra, a clown, etc.  I tell the lie to spare her feelings, right?  I’ve heard it said that we would never want an entirely truthful society.  When it comes though to lies that degrade, tear down, or malign a person, some say, that’s where we should draw the line.  What does the Bible say about lying?  Let me just share a few.

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” Exodus 20:16 (the 9^th Commandment)

“He who conceals hatred has lying lips, and he who spreads slander is a fool.” Proverbs 10:18

“A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who tells lies will perish.” Proverbs 19:9

“What is desirable in a man is his kindness, and it is better to be a poor man than a liar.” Proverbs 19:22

“If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” 1 John 1:6

Jesus was talking to the Pharisees about their blindness and not being able to see or speak the truth and says to them: “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him.  Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

Here in lies the problem, without Christ and His indwelling Holy Spirit, the father of all lies speaks.  But there should be a change in the believer.  The Apostle Paul states: “Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices” Colossians 3:9.  When we lay aside our old self and become a new creation in Jesus Christ, our lives, our out look on life, the way we deal with others, respect others should change.  There is no question about it!

In light of the recent chaos in Charlotte NC, one of the NFL players from the Baltimore Ravens had this to say.  “Obama can’t save us.  Mrs. Clinton can’t save us. Mr. Trump can’t save us.  The only one who can change the heart of man is the Lord.”  Benjamin Watson.  Mr. Watson is correct.  The LORD God is the only one that changes out hearts.  

I don’t know if a quote John Calvin said by him centuries ago is in play today or not when he said, “When God wants to judge a nation, He gives them wicked rulers.” But I do believe that now we have become such a lying society, though you can’t hide your “Lyin Eyes,” that many just don’t care.

Believers,  we are to speak the truth, always, and in everything, speak the truth!  Because as the Eagles sing, “There ain’t no way to hide your lyin eyes.  Others that hear you or me lie say, “See, you hypocrite.”  You can’t hide.  When we lie, we hurt our witness.  We hurt the cause of Christ for the Kingdom.  We have fallen into the ways of the world.  We are better than that Believer!  Christ’s Holy Spirit has made us better than that.  Thanks be to God!

Something to think about my friends.

Blessings,

Pastor Marty

Worship, Grow, & Serve                      

You Can Make A Difference

“And He (Jesus) said to them, ‘Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.’” Luke 20: 25

This is a familiar passage to most Christians. They have heard this text recited many times most likely. The context of the verses is this, the Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus once again so they asked Him, “Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” (Luke 20:22) Jesus knew they were trying to trick Him so He asked for a coin. “Show Me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have? They said, Caesar’s.” (Luke 20:24) Jesus then responded with the verse above.
These verses have been taken many ways. One is, yes, pay your taxes called for by the government so not to disturb the officials, but also give to God what He has called us to do in His Word. Others have said it means that Jesus was only saying obey the laws of the land. I believe He was saying to obey the laws of the land but also reminding the Pharisees, and all believers, that God has an expectation of our gifts, offerings, tithes. We are aliens in this world, but also where we live. We are to be faithful to His call in all things and have a duty to live in this world in such a way as to express holiness in the our daily decisions we make.

So how do we reconcile some of the predicaments we find ourselves in as Christians, even Evangelical Christians, when we desire to contribute to the process of electing leaders in the world we live in? Good question!

I try not to get political in my articles in the HOPE Connection, but because of the current atmosphere in society and with the label “Evangelicals” being used everyday in the media to make pronouncements, I do want to speak to the matter today. We who live in North Carolina will have the opportunity to exercise our right to vote this coming Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Will you exercise that right to vote given to you by the US government? And if so, what determines the way you vote?

The first question is, will you vote? I had someone, “that is in the know,” tell me that only half of the Evangelical Christians in America are registered to vote and of those registered only 25% will vote. If we have 100 Evangelicals, of which only 50 are registered to vote, then with the current statistics, only 12.5 Evangelicals will actually vote. Only 12.5 out of 100 will vote. How sad! But we hear in the media that such and such candidate received 50% of the Evangelical vote in that state
and the others received 30% making sound like a large number. When in reality, when you look at the numbers of actual voters who claim to be Evangelical Christians, it is a very small number that actually voted. Using percentages makes it sound larger.

For those of you who are not registered to vote, it is too late now for March 15th, but not for the General Election in November. I encourage you as an Evangelical to vote.

The second question is what will determine your vote? As an Evangelical Christian, I research the candidates and make my decision on their stances as they relate to God’s Word and what I believe are positive position for our country. I’ll give you an example. All of you know that I DO NOT support abortion. I believe it is killing a life created by God. It baffles me how the same courts that uphold a law stating a baby is not a life before birth can uphold a law stating that if a woman that is murdered while pregnant, the person charged can be charged for a double murder. How can you have it both ways?

I research the candidates on their stances and see if they pass the “smell test” for me as an Evangelical. If so, I will consider voting for them. If not, then they will not get my vote. I do this across the board. You may say, “But Marty, I don’t have time to do that and besides my vote won’t count.” You are right thinking that your vote won’t count... unless you vote. And as far as taking the time to research, I believe that is one reason we are in the mess we are in now. Evangelical Christians have given up and said, “The heck with this” and have quit. It certainly plays out in the numbers in the end. I refuse to give up. I will exercise my right as an American citizen to cast my vote for the man/woman who aligns with my Evangelical views. Otherwise, they don’t get my vote.

I believe we can make a difference in this world we live in. Our witness and testimony in how we live in this world, how we treat others on a daily basis, and why we support and vote for certain candidates can make a difference in others lives. Folks, carrying out the right we have to vote is not contrary to scripture, as some would have you believe. As Evangelicals, at least be part of the 12.5 of each 100 that will vote this year. My prayer is that the LORD our God will bless this nation once again! Let it be so Lord! Let it be so!

Blessings my friends,
Pastor Marty.

Worship, Grow, Serve.