MIND OF CHRIST MINISTRIES, INC.
PASTOR THOMAS E. OGLESBY
P.O. BOX 85
NUTLEY, NEW JERSEY 07110
website: mindofchristministries.net
Phone: 973-818-2750
e-mail: mindofchrist@verizon.net
April 2024
“Truth”
Dear Believer (s):
Lying is deeply rooted in human society. As it has often been said: “Tell a lie often enough And the people will believe it.” Many politicians appear to agree with this, and in the minds of many, politics is closely associated with lying.
People tell lies for all kinds of reasons. A sincere Christian who had been out of work for some time applied to a commercial firm for a job. But the manager warned him: “To sell my products, you must be able to lie better than the next man!” The Christian refused the job.
Even religious people, if not holding to godly standards, resort to lying. Do you remember the reaction of the Jewish religious leaders on hearing that they executed Jesus of Nazareth that He had been resurrected? They bribed the soldiers guarding Jesus’s tomb to say: “His disciples came in the night and stole him while we were sleeping.” (Matthew 28:12-15)
Who told the first lie? Jesus Christ identified the first liar, and he showed that it was not a human. He said: “When he {Satan} speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie.” (John 8:44) the first liar was Satan the devil. When did he start telling lies? According to the Bible, it was shortly after the beginning of the history of the human race.
The event is recorded in the Bible book of Genesis, and the lie was a matter of life and death for Mankind. God indicated to the first man, Adam, that his continued life Depended on obedience. He gave Adam a simple law to keep and said that if he failed to keep that law, he would positively die. But Satan maliciously lied and said: “You positively will not die.” That was the first of the billions of lies that have been heard on this planet Earth. (Genesis 2:17; 3:4)
Many today do not believe that account in the Bible. But Jesus, the most truthful man who ever lived, confirmed that the record in Genesis is not myth but true history. (Matthew 19:4,5) certainly, the results of that lie are still with us. It spelled disaster for the human race.
Who told a lie in the Bible? Cain lied to God in Genesis 4:9. Sarah lied to God in Genesis 18:15. Many others told lies, including the three lies Peter told, insisting he did not know Jesus.
Who is the first man to lie in the Bible? Let’s look at the story of Ananias in Acts the Fifth Chapter. “Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11” Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
Who is the fathers of all lies? The expression “Father of Lies” is an expression used in the New Testament to designate the Devil. (“Liar and father of lies”)
What does the Bible say about telling lies? One of the seven deadly sins God hates is a lying tongue. (Proverbs 6:16-17). Here is why God hates lying. A person who lies hates the individual they are lying to. (Proverbs 26:28). And if you hate another human being, God views the hater as a murderer (1 John 3:15; 1 John 4:20).
Psalm 101:7 “No deceitful person will dwell in my house. And no liar will stand in my presence.”
The Ninth of the Ten commandments is “You shall not give false witness against your neighbor.” This means two things: “Do not lie when testifying in court.” And, “Do not lie.” Period.
What did Jesus say about lying? Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth (Jesus is truth) and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.” (John 8:42-45) (Those of the devil do not believe truth. They do not believe in all Truth, the total truth or The One who is Truth). The people of the devil do not believe in God.
What God says about liars and cheaters. The doom of liars is spoken of in Revelations 21:8. The liar will forever be separated from the loving and holy God. The liar will have all eternity to regret the deception they refused to renounce as they hear their lies echoed in their memory.
Let’s look at this scripture in detail according to Revelation 21:8 (AMP.) “But as for the cowards and unbelieving and abominable [who are devoid of character and personal integrity and practice or tolerate immorality], and murderers, and sorcerers [with intoxicating drugs], and idolaters and occultists [who practice and teach false religions], and all the liars [who knowingly deceive and twist truth], their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Unlike human beings, the Bible makes it clear that God is always truthful. Titus 1:2 (AMP) says,
“[Resting] in the hope of eternal life, [life] which the ever truthful God Who cannot deceive promised before the world or the ages of time began.” Hebrews 6:18 says, “so that by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge would have strong encouragement and indwelling strength to hold tightly to the hope set before us.” These scriptures say that God cannot lie. In fact, it is impossible for God to lie! That’s how strong the language is. This means that everything He says can be trusted because God guarantees the truth of everything He tells us because God represents Things as they are. God doesn’t gloss over ugly details, and He doesn’t overemphasize the good ones.
So what does that mean for us? Well, as with so many aspects of God’s nature, this is one we are called to emulate. Humans are called to be honest, or to not bear false witness, at all times. And this call is rooted in the complete truthfulness of our Creator. Telling the truth is one of the ways we bear the image of God, whose son “ is the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)
Let’s look at two other scriptures that say that God cannot lie, and in fact it’s impossible for God to lie. Numbers 23:19 (AMP), “God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He has promised]. Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken and shall He not make it good?
Also the Splendor and Glory and Eminence of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.” (1 Samuel 15:29)
God does not want us to emulate the world, the people who serve the devil or the devil. God wants us as His Children to let His Spirit lead us. God is the Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit in us is Truth. Let’s be led by the Spirit of Truth. The way of the world is based upon lies. The lies of the devil. Jesus has told us that the devil is a liar and the father of all lies.
Every day we are lied to by the News media, by social media, by politicians, by the business community, and all those who are not governed by the Truth of God. It is time that we live totally by the Truth of God and His Word. This is why it is so important to know the Word of God. God has given us His Spirit to live by and not by the lies of satan.
The devil is able to steal, kill, and destroy us because of his lies. God wants us to know the Truth and live by it.
Let’s us not believe the lies of man, or the lies of the devil. But let the Spirit of God in us, lead us to God’s Truth. How do we know the Truth? Jesus is real Truth. God is the Father of Truth. Let us believe His Word and let the Holy Spirit teach us the Truth of God.
Let us pray, “Father God, let Your Truth always come from our mouths. May our love for You be the reason we emulate truth, and righteousness. Let the Holy Spirit guide us in all that we say and do. We pray that Your Truth in us will lead others to be truthful. We pray in the name of the Fathe, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen!”
We depend on your regular giving in order to spread the Truth of the Gospel. Pray as to whether you should financially support this ministry. Be obedient to what the Lord tells you to do.
Truthfully Yours,
Thomas Oglesby
Pastor Thomas E. Oglesby
Come Worship With Us At:
Saint Paul’s Congregational Church
10 Saint Paul’s Place
Nutley, New Jersey
Come Expecting To Be Blessed & Experience The Power of God!
The Service Dates & Times Are Listed Below:
Sunday April 7, 2024, at 12:30 P.M.
Sunday April 14, 2024, at 12:30 P.M.
Sunday April 21, 2024, at 12:30 P.M.
Weekly Cable Television Service Schedule
Thursday: 10:00 a.m. Cable Television Channel TV21, Charlotte. NC
Sunday 10:30 a.m. Comcast Cable, Channel 96
Sunday: 7:00 p.m. Cablevision of Newark, NJ Channel 19
Sunday: 7:00 p.m. Cablevision Oakland, NJ (Nutley area) Channel 76
Sunday: 7:00 p.m. Cablevision Bergen, NJ Channel 77
Sunday: 7:00 p.m. Cablevision Morris, NJ Channel 21
Please Join Us in our TV Services Listed Above.
You can also visit our Website and view our Video Taped services:
Our Website address is: mindofchristministries.net
Please send your e-mails for prayer and additional information to:
mindofchrist@verizon.net or call (973-661-9415)
