How do you recognize a lie?
Posted by Monica Brand on 12.2.08 at 12:50 pm
You’ve see it before. You’ve read it or heard it spoken.
It’s a lie, false teaching. And you know in your spiritual gut it’s wrong.
Answer me this-
How did you know?
Story forthcoming. Let’s see who is on the same brain wavelength as I.
12.2.08 at 1:01 pm
DJ comments:
Usually I recognize a lie because “methinks thou doth protest too much”
DJs last blog post..For My Son, On His Birthday.
12.2.08 at 1:04 pm
Michelle Pendergrass comments:
It was a feeling in my gut (like you said, the spiritual gut) but I ignored it. So then I had amazingly difficult trials. It got bad. But I still didn’t believe it was false teaching. It came down to a showdown between my former pastor and I. Then I understood God wanted me out of that church.
12.2.08 at 1:06 pm
Monica Brand comments:
DJ, that would be a good guess when a child is lying. I want to know how you know without doubt what you have heard/read/seen is false.
12.2.08 at 1:06 pm
D Rho comments:
This is why communication and dialogue in the midst of an overarching Spirit of love and acceptance of one another and their ideas is so integral to the healthy church.
No one really knows except the Lord God what is truth - and He has chosen to speak it through ALL of us.
12.2.08 at 1:07 pm
Monica Brand comments:
How did you know it was false teaching, Michelle?
12.2.08 at 1:15 pm
DJ comments:
oh ok, if the person is not speaking personally to me, then it’s an unsettled feeling, like something is just off kilter. The way you know what milk smells like just before it’s about to spoil.
DJs last blog post..For My Son, On His Birthday.
12.2.08 at 1:22 pm
Michelle Pendergrass comments:
My husband called me “obsessed” I had the Bible in about 5 different versions, I had commentaries online and from my shelf. I Googled pastors I trust (like Rick Warren, Chuck Swindoll, etc…) to see if they’d preached on what my gut said was wrong.
Finally, I knew I was right. Once I stopped questioning and started accepting that the Holy Spirit was indeed talking to ME, to my heart, and I prayed about it, I had an incredible sense of peace that I hadn’t had in such a long time.
But it was more than just false teaching. It was also me willing to let a pastor and a leadership team dictate what I believed and I did NOT go to God to find out what was right. I took what they because I thought I couldn’t possibly know something they didn’t (or something different.)
Plus, there’s a verse that JUMPED out at me…in 1 John under the Remaining With God heading. 1:27 “The anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie; just as it has taught you, remain in Him.”
Michelle Pendergrasss last blog post..I won? Seriously?
12.2.08 at 1:23 pm
Monica Brand comments:
But how do you know for sure, DJ? You’ve still going on feelings and emotions.
I want to know how you KNOW, without doubt, that a lie is a lie.
How do you recognize the FALSE?
12.2.08 at 1:26 pm
Monica Brand comments:
ah, Michelle, is getting closer…
12.2.08 at 1:31 pm
Michelle Pendergrass comments:
One more thing I forgot to mention, which is important…is that a LOT of people in my life I shared the story with were telling me the church sounded like a cult. I went to several Christians outside of my church, many within the same association, but all came to the same conclusion.
So basically, the Bible, my spirit, God’s people, were all in agreement.
Michelle Pendergrasss last blog post..I won? Seriously?
12.2.08 at 1:45 pm
DJ comments:
You mean, How do you prove it was a lie? Google, research, ask an expert,
play detective, etc.
DJs last blog post..For My Son, On His Birthday.
12.2.08 at 2:18 pm
Monica Brand comments:
No one really knows except the Lord God what is truth
thanks, D Rho, there is the word I’m looking for… TRUTH.
more to come
12.2.08 at 4:28 pm
Casey comments:
Not sure where you’re going with your question, but based on your wording (spiritual gut), I would say that something is a lie if it’s contrary to the word of God. The word of God is the bible, and God never changes, so if something contradicts the bible, it is a lie. Your gut is most likely the Holy Spirit urging you to look further into said statement.
12.2.08 at 4:43 pm
Monica Brand comments:
Yes, I’m going somewhere with all of this. I just wanted to get the conversation going…
12.2.08 at 7:04 pm
Mel comments:
I am not sure what the answer is, for me I generally recognize a lie by its moving parts, usually a lie has some element of truth yet is embellished so if it has too many parts then I know. But sometimes I also don’t know if something is true or false.
Mels last blog post..Quantity Equals Quality?
12.3.08 at 12:44 am
Rick Dawson comments:
Just an observation here - and while we use it in 12 Step groups quite often, it also has applicability in the church as well (sadly):
How do you know if an addict is lying?
Their lips are moving.
Substitute politician, or pastor, or pew mate, and the answer can be the same.
When we speak, we are responsible for knowing what we are talking about. There is something about a couple of commandments I seem to recall…oh yeah, thou shall not lie, give false witness…that’s the ballpark.
I am definitely interested to see where you’re going with this, Monica!
Rick Dawsons last blog post..Dear Prudence…
12.3.08 at 8:26 am
Monica Brand comments:
Can be, Rick. Not all those folks you listed lie every time they open their mouth. You’re tough, man.
12.3.08 at 11:22 am
Rick Dawson comments:
That’s why I said the answer can be the same - as with all generalizations, including our saying, they are not universally true. However, when it comes to new folks in recovery programs? If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, has a beak like a duck, it could be a platypus, but smart money bets on duck every time.
Statements that don’t ring true get held at arm’s length, if they don’t get challenged immediately. We have better things to do…