The Belt of Truth pt. 5

Fooled

“There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.”

― Soren Kierkegaard

Never Tell a Lie

A preacher was walking down the street when he came upon a group of a few boys about 10 years of age, surrounding a dog. Concerned that the boys were hurting the animal, he went over and asked them what they were doing. One of the boys replied, “This dog is an old neighborhood stray. We take him home with us sometimes, but since only one of us can take him home we’re having a contest: whichever one of us tells the biggest lie can take him home today.” Of course, the preacher was shocked. “You boys shouldn’t be having a contest telling lies!” he exclaimed. He then launched into a 10-minute sermon against lying, beginning, “Don’t you boys know it’s a sin to lie?” and ending with, “Why, when I was your age, I never told a lie.” There was complete silence for about a minute while the boys all looked at each other and lowered their heads. Just as the Reverend began to think he had gotten through to them, the smallest boy gave a deep sigh and handed him the leash. “Alright, reverend,” he said, “You win. You can take him home.”.

The enemy always tells lies!

Jeremiah 7:4 “Do not trust in these lying words”

Lies the enemy would like for you to believe part 1

God is not trustworthy or good

Adam and Eve in the garden. Did God really say?

Fear causes us to rely on ourselves rather than on God.

We often get angry at God because He isn’t working on our schedule or in the way that we would like for Him to!

Why? So you don’t put your trust in Him in order to walk in His blessings and promises!

You are not enough/God can’t use you/you have to be perfect in order for God to love you or bless you

Exodus 3:11-12 “But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.””

Judges 6:12-14 “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?””

Job 9:21 ““I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I despise my life.”

Why? So you don’t understand that you are enough in Jesus! He made you enough with His mercy, righteousness and holiness!

My value (lack of value) is only found in my appearance, job, money, abilities, etc.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

1 Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.””

Why? So that you don’t find your value in Jesus and understand that you are precious to Him!

You are alone and no one understands

Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Genesis 16:13 “Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?””

1 Kings 19:10 “So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.””

Why? He wants you to push people away and isolate. He wants you to feel abandoned by God so you don’t cry out to Him.

The enemy is stronger than you/God in you

1 Samuel 17:24-26 “And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.” Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?””

Why? Because He wants to intimidate you so you don’t use the authority of Jesus against Him! He’s the defeated one!

You will never be free/Things will never change

Ruth 1:20 “But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.”

John 5:6-7 “When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.””

Lies are all about perception. How you see God. How you see others. How you see yourself.

Man who got angry at his wife because she kept giving him sandwiches with the heels of the bread. “Why do always give me the worst part of the bread? You’ve always done this! Do you think I’m not worth the good part? You are just so selfish that you can’t ever eat that part yourself? She looked at him with a hurt look and said. “The heel of the bread is my favorite part, but I always wanted you to have the best so I gave it to you instead of taking it for myself.”

The enemy wants you focused on the wrong thing, but God wants you to know the truth!