Tuesday (last night, late last night), two people who want your vote to be President in 2025 to 2028 met face to face (for the first time I understand) before an audience of … zero … and a virtual audience of millions. The event was underwhelming. Questions were ignored, or at least answers were sidestepped, to give pithy remarks, fear mongering statements, and self-grandizing statements.
Honestly, wishing ten minutes, I found that going to bed was more appealing, so my bed won the debate.
The following morning (today), I read the Tweets/X Statements … listened to the morning news shows … perused the online news outlets. And what I saw was distorted statements and distorted responses. I also heard deceptions from both sides that were probably made to conjure votes and support. Half truths. Slanted points of views. Hyperbolic exaggerations (yes, that is a redundancy, but too were many of the things said in and about the debate.) Were they intentional deceits? Were they outright lies or just twisted beliefs and point of views.
For those who are hoping for my response to the debate, too bad. I am going another direction.
This is nothing new. Distortions, Deceptions, and Deceits go back to the very beginning. The original pair, Adam and Eve, had one rule, just one thing … don’t eat the apple (or banana … since it was very appealing) or whatever.
Enter the great deceiver … smooth talking … truth twisting … misleading serpent. He took the truth, the Word of God, and he twisted it. Added half truths. And outright lies. His point, to make Eve mess up … and to get Adam to follow suit. And succeed he did. Eve took the bit, Adam took the fruit from her, and he too ate the one thing he was told not to eat.
Distortions, Deceptions, and Deceits.
Satan has continued this strategy through all history, even with the One who is the Truth … Jesus. And the strategy is still around, used on you and used on me. Do what YOU want. Follow YOUR heart. It’s all about what YOU want.
People twist the truth to justify what they want to believe. People manipulate the truth to justify their errant lifestyle. They deny clear teachings to make themselves feel better and to (falsely) believe they are in control and to ignore bad decisions. They augment the inerrant Word with their own reasoning and rationale, to their own detriment.
There are many ways we do this …
- Isolate obscure texts without taking context and the whole council of God’s truth into account (think snake handling)
- Go further than the Text intended (think forcing circumcision for Gentile believers)
- When we focus on tiny things to the ignoring of major things (think strain gnats and swallow camels … tithe spices and ignore honoring parents)
- Mix culture of today with Biblical standards (think modern definition of marriage and divorce)
- We believe truth is man focused and not God focused
- When we outright deny specific teachings (think “we don’t have to be part of the church, I am okay on my own”)
So how do we battle this … How do we defeat any twisting the truth …
- LISTEN to the Word. After Hebrews 1 tells of Jesus, chapter 2 starts with the first command, LISTEN to Him.
- Decide to NOT DRIFT, don’t become lazy (Hebrews 6:12)
When men and women drift away from the Son of God and from the gospel, there is absolutely no place for them to go.
Alister Begg
- Study the Truth (2 Tim 2:15)
- Memorize the Truth to know when it is Truth (Psalm 119:11)
- Respond to Twists with the Truth (think Jesus in His temptations, He responded with the Word)
- Be aware there are consequences when we ignore or twist the truth (Hebrews 10:26)
Where the Bible is black and white (clear on a topic) … we stand firm.
Where the Bible is grey … we pray for wisdom.
Imagine what politicians would be like if they staid true, didn’t twist the truth, and always held truth in high regard.
Imagine.
Muddy Shoes by Todd 
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