The Holy Spirit is all about exposing the lies that God’s children have come to believe. In this hour, it is imperative, that we ourselves “realize” what is true and what is not, for Satan is a liar and his whole strategy is one of deception.
We do well to acquaint ourselves with the words of Jesus himself, and what He says about himself as compared to the Devil. It is quite the warning!
John 8:42-45
Jesus said unto them,
“If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.”
“Why do you not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word.”
“Ye are of your father, the Devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.”
“When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh on his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
“And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.”
“Which of you convinceth me of sin?”
“And if I say the truth, why do you not believe me?”
“He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.”
Those are powerful words, aren’t they. And we all need take warning…
Who is it, that we are listening to? Who do we belong to?
Do you know why Satan wants to get us with his lies? Because we will become liars ourselves! We tend to repeat the same lies we have received to others, and Revelation 21:8 tells us “that all liars” will be cast into the lake of fire. So we need to be aware of the lies we receive… and the lies we tell.
Might as well look at this verse. I’ll give it in the ESV
“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, AND ALL LIARS, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
We do not want to go there, do we?
Clearly those who will end up there, are “like their father”… and The Holy Spirit is going to take we who have God as our father into victory!
This is what this book, and this chapter are all about! Bringing us into victory!
So, I am going to begin that “victory coming forth” by sharing a song I wrote called, “It is a Lie” which exposes many of the lies God’s people have embraced…and then later in this article, I will take you further into some teaching regarding those lies, sharing scripture… and will give comparisons between the real and the counterfeit, okay?
It is better to get the lies we’ve received “out of us” that are from the enemy! Lest we become as he is, instead of as Christ is. Amen?!
And…now, is the time! So be attentive! …i.e., as you listen, be thinking too!
Here is the link.
It Is a Lie – Elizabeth Ann Smith – Receive From Me
Please take time to listen to this one…Yet for those who have no internet access or sound, I’ve included the lyrics, so that you can read through them. I’ve bolded the lies found within the song… Still, listening, is best! And you can view these same lyrics from the song’s page.
It is a lie…It is a lie…
It is a lie…
It is a lie from the enemy that creates unbelief in me
and keeps me from my destiny in Jesus Christ.
It is a lie…
It is a lie from the enemy
If it is to the contrary of the truth revealed to me
In God’s Word.
It is a lie…
It is a lie from the enemy
If it is perceived to be bigger and more powerful
than my God.
I’ll walk in the truth…
then I’ll Be Free.
It’s the only remedy.
His Word exposes all the lies in me.
So, I can Be Free.
It is a lie…
It is a lie from the enemy
If pretense and deception keep many cares and doubts
and fears deep within.
It is a lie…
It is a lie from the enemy
If you believe it’s liberty to have your own way
instead of … to obey.
It is a lie.
It is a lie from the enemy
To think I’m more righteous than, and more perfect than
the person next to me.
I’ll walk in the truth…
then I’ll Be Free.
It’s the only remedy.
His Word exposes all the lies in me.
So, I can Be Free.
It is a lie…
It is a lie from the enemy
When I think my love for God Is greater and more genuine than
His love for me.
It is a lie..
It is a lie of the enemy
Believing God’s unfair to me…Trusting not his sovereignty
and that He’s good.
I’ll walk in the truth…
then I’ll Be Free.
It’s the only remedy.
His Word exposes all the lies in me.
So, I can Be Free.
I can be free
It is no lie
I can be free…
I like the Complete Jewish Version of the verse Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart;
For it is the source of life’s consequences.
Part of protecting and guarding your heart it to be alert to how it is being “led astray with lies or deceptions”. That is what this lesson is about. We are going to talk about eight widespread lies within the Body of Christ. The song made mention of each of them… and now we will look at The Word in their regard.
(#1) It is a lie…If it creates unbelief in me and keeps me from my destiny in Jesus Christ.
What are you “receiving” that turns your heart toward UNBELIEF… instead of BELIEF?
Or that directs your faith toward the wisdom of man… versus the power of God?
If you are receiving anything, doing that… It is a Lie!
When you begin to become alert to this, you will be amazed at how, every day, via the workplace, internet, television, friends, etc. You are being “exposed” to lies. Part of coming into victory, is simply to recognize it. It’s being “exposed today”, Hallelujah!! (smile)
We have gotten to the place in society, that we don’t even question anymore. This is a dangerous place, indeed, for Christians. We just don’t know what to believe, because lies and deceit are everywhere, and the Devil is having his heyday. Friends, this is why we have the Word of God! And the Spirit of God!
Let’s look at what the word says about lies that create unbelief in us:
Romans 14:23b says, “whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
I Corinthians 2:5 says, “your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God.”
Romans 1:17
“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
1 Tim. 1:19
“Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.”
This last verse is a big warning. We must begin to identify the lies influencing us, for we don’t want to shipwreck our faith, do we.
(#2) It is a lie…If it is to the contrary of the truth revealed to me in God’s Word.
Believer, if you are in confusion, you’ve probably received a “lie”. Go to the Word. If you have “a check” in your spirit, it is The Holy Spirit telling you to go to the Word and to verify what you are “receiving”.
Romans 3:4a “Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar.”
As you watch TV, hear music, or are told things through the internet, at work, in college, etc… question it… measure it against the Word of God. If it is to the contrary of the truth revealed in the Word, then refuse it place. It is a lie. And it is from the enemy.
Psalm 33:4 “For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.”
If it doesn’t match up; reject it.
The more lies you allow in, the further from the truth you will live.
(#3) It is a lie…If it is perceived to be bigger and more powerful than your God.
Are you:
Overwhelmed by circumstances?
In need of physical healing?
Experiencing financial hardship?
Having marital problems?
Tormented with guilt from past sins?
Undergoing depression?
It is a LIE…If you believe that any of these is TOO BIG for God to handle if put into his hands. Nothing is greater than God.
What does The Word say?
Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Romans 8:31b If God be for us, who can be against us?
And what is the opposite of a lie?? The truth! So what does the Word say of the truth?
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
The Holy Spirit tells me I don’t have to elaborate here… It’s just time for you to choose what you will believe… Or rather “who” you will believe. As believers in Christ, God is expecting you to begin to “recognize” and “dismiss” lies…for inside yourself, you are aware…for the Spirit makes you aware.
(#4) It is a Lie…If pretense and deception keep many cares and doubts and fears deep within.
First, we must look at these definitions:
Pretense: Living a lie in front of others
Deception: Not knowing you’re living it
If you’re pretending to be someone you’re not, this is the result of cares, doubts, and fears deep within.
The way to be free is to allow God to show you any areas in your life that fall under this LIE.
This will be different with every person, but those that act and sound religious but do not have a personal relationship with Christ fall under this area of LIE. They may be deceived or be living pretense, but those who DO have a relationship with Christ, must be alert and not let pretense and deception in. As I mentioned before, just “exposing this” to the light, can make it no longer have place.
If you are living a lie in front of others, then you are a liar. You’re in pretense. Pretense is a form of lie. What was warned at the beginning of the article, about the ending of “a liar”? Yikes, you want that out of your life, like NOW!! Don’t you? So quit the pretense. Go to God and he will enable you to “get rid of it”! By ridding yourself of the lie you’re living, you will become free, and be as a whole new person.
Deception is a tragic place to dwell in, because the people who have reached this point, aren’t even aware. That’s why it is called deception.
Dwelling in The Truth, who is Christ, is the only way for people to break free of deception. He can draw them to himself, and his word can penetrate their deception… but only He is able to break through it. If you know someone “in deception”, you may have even tried to talk to them about it, but they won’t listen, or change, or realize you speak truth. So, pray for them. Try to lead them to Christ Jesus without even addressing their deception, because He will, once they know him. Scripture says, in His Light we see light. This means, Christ can expose their deception.
Inviting those in deception to church, is a good first step…and it’s a good place for you to be too… because the “preaching” of the Word is able to penetrate through deception… And the combined worship and anointing found in Believers of One Accord gives an atmosphere wherein the Holy Spirit is able to break through deception in even the hardest of hearts. So give up on them! And rely on the Spirit and go to God’s word regularly, yourself, that the Spirit can expose any deception within yourself.
(#5) It is a Lie…If you believe it’s liberty to have your own way instead of … to obey.
We can see quickly from these verses that there is no “freedom” involved in disobedience:
1 Samuel 12:15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers.
1 John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
(#6) It is a Lie…To think I’m more righteous than, and more perfect than the person next to me.
Never compare yourself to another person, or even measure by yourself. Each of us is a “unique” creation of God…His workmanship.
2 Cor. 10:12b …but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
Our righteousness is only in the Lord Jesus.
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Self-righteousness is a cancer within the body. If not recognized within ourselves, we will miss out on “receiving from others” that which Christ has to give us through them.
There is only one perfect, and that is Christ Jesus.
Read Luke 18:9-14 below, for this is THIS LIE exposed…the thinking we are more righteous than the person next to us:
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
(#7) It is a Lie – When I think my love for God Is greater and more genuine than His love for me.
There may be times when God is silent, and we fall under this lie:That we love Him more than He loves us.
Yet God gave us his only Son. And it is also clear that Christ’s laying down his life was enough “proof” of his love; and we love because of His love given us first.
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
John 15:12-13 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
(#8) It is a Lie…Believing God’s unfair to me…Trusting not his sovereignty
and that He’s good.
Here is a big lie! Ready to be exposed! That God is somehow unfair to you! That He is not good! It was the same lie Adam and Eve succumbed to in the garden of Eden…that God was holding back something good from them. Satan isn’t very imaginative. He’s been using the same lie and deception all these years…trying to get people to question God’s goodness!
Let me give you some verses to help you counter that one!
Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 27:13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Psalm 31:19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
Psalm 33:5 He loves righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
I personally also find it also helpful to remember that little ditty Christians say to each other:
God is good (all the time)
And all the time (God is good)
I think this has become “popular” because The Holy Spirit wants us to all believe it, not just speak it. But maybe if we speak it enough, we will believe it! (smile)
———————–
Now that we’ve been specific about the lies addressed by the song, I encourage you to go back and listen to the song once again… so that the truth can be sealed upon your heart! You’ll be amazed, that it is God’s way, to give you something, then to elaborate, and then when given again, it is understood and penetrates. And when you come back from listening a second time, I will give you even more revelation, okay?
Exposing Lies – The Real vs The Counterfeit
Money changers and bank tellers say that the best way to identify a counterfeit bill is to fully know the REAL THING.
The same is true in identifying the “counterfeit” spiritually…the difference between what we are offered in Christ and what we are “offered” through lies of this world, Satan, or our carnal nature.
As I was writing this devotional, I saw that a chart was coming together based on the revelation in this song given by the Holy Spirit.
It’s a summary I’m including, so you may put it into your memory banks to draw on when needed to compare the Real to the Counterfeit.
I’m sure this a “review” for most of you, but it is time to “establish our very foundations” to make them firmer than ever in the Real Thing.
It’s also not by any means complete. It’s just what I’m being given to share today.
This is a serious chapter on a serious topic. So, let’s respond, shall we?
Can I give you a little assignment, in Jesus’ name?
Take a tablet or journal and write out each lie. There are 8 of them. Then next to each one, write down anything the Holy Spirit reveals to you as far as “personal” application… i.e., where you may have been believing a lie in a certain area. The Spirit is ready to give “clarity” to each of us…and desires to help you!
So, take your time… and meditate on what He reveals to you. If you’re reading this in a printed book, you may be able to just use the white space next to the lyrics or at the end of this chapter to write down your thoughts so it’s all in one place for reviewing.