Tag Archives: Deception

Deception Demotes

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Did you ever think someone should get kicked out of your church or has someone ever gotten kicked out of your church? I know some people think that everyone who wants to be at church should be allowed to stay there. They have issues, but at least they came to church to try to get rid of them. Well, some people don’t come to church to get help for their issues; they come to church to start some issues. That is their ONLY reason for being there. And because that is their only reason for being there, they are singularly focused and easily cause deception to sweep through swiftly. What should be done with these people? What if you find yourself to be one of these people?

This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.—1 Timothy 1:18-20

In this passage we see the Apostle Paul teaching the younger minister, Timothy, how to occupy his position in the church and giving him an example of what he did to people walking in deception. He told Timothy to “wage a good warfare,” meaning fight with all his spiritual might by holding on to his faith and following what he knows to be right. For Hymenaeus and Alexander, those who abandoned their faith and spoke bad things (probably about the Christian faith or its leaders), “Paul handed over to Satan.” We know Paul didn’t literally hand these men to the god of all evil spiritual entities, but his metaphor suggests that Paul no longer served as a spiritual guide, a protector, for these men. He cast them away from his arch of safety, allowing Satan to have free reign in their lives. Parents sometimes do this, throwing up their hands to allow wayward kids to go their way. It’s not that the parents don’t love them, but when the kids have gone too far in their deception the only thing that may bring them back where they need to be is the natural consequences of their sin. Paul realized this and simply helped to facilitate that with Hymenaeus and Alexander and so do churches that kick out troublesome members who “have made shipwreck their faith.”

With strong black women historically allowing our own strength, ethnicity and gender to dictate to us how we handle situations, it’s likely that there have been some Alexander and Hymenaeuses among us. My hope is that we put ourselves in check so we aren’t kicked out of a church, a job, a friendship or a position of confidante in a friendship. Let us leave our place of deception to come back and sin no more.

Copyright 2011 by Rhonda J. Smith

Worldly Wisdom

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With age comes wisdom, usually. This is why I love fellowshipping with the aged in my life, in my family, church and neighborhood. I have learned so much about motherhood and men, gardening and grooming, cooking and cleaning and how to seek hard after Christ. But recently when spending time with one of my aged loves, I saw how God’s wisdom can evade when worldly wisdom creeps in its place.

“When people are going through and want you to tell a lie sometimes you have to support them.” I wanted to respond to the woman who has taught me much about intelligence and integrity and who would call women out when they lied to her. I had to just listen, to search for some sort of sense in this.

She went on to tell me that her friend who has suffered several health challenges had to leave her place because she couldn’t pay the rent. Now trying to get a new lease, the woman asked my aged love to pose as her sister and say that the woman lived with her, that she has been paying her rent on time and my friend could vouch for her credit. As the story and my silence went on, the strength of my love’s voice weakened. I then asked, “Can’t you be charged with fraud if found out? Are you willing to experience that?”

    “I don’t know. I don’t know.”
    “Oh, okay.”

We both knew things weren’t okay, that telling a lie was larger than we wanted it to be.

Even among the sage, with friends in desperate need, we can easily rely on our own devices, not thinking about where the lies may take us or where they come from:

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

Sometimes we may suspect that the wisdom of our lies is worldly (earthly) or from old wives’ tales (unspiritual), but I don’t think most of us consciously think our thoughts are demonic. I know my aged love didn’t and wanted me to approve of her selflessness to help a soul in need. I know if I think about well-intentioned lies—those white ones, those little ones, those fibbed and information-omitted ones—as demonic I’ll be less inclined to consider them, and, with hope, you will, too.

Copyright 2011 by Rhonda J. Smith

Inward Truth

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Truth in the inward parts. In the darkness of morning my husband spoke this light to me. This was his meditation before sunrise and mine today ever since he told me. He mentioned being in Ezekiel yesterday, chapter 33 about the duty of the watchman seeing truth and speaking it. These two passages, along with my pastor’s two sermons on the church at Sardis living by reputation and not in reality, have confirmed for me that we must get beyond the deception and into God’s truth.

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.—Psalms 51:6

So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.—Ezekiel 33:7

Destroying deception takes inner work, a deep soul scrubbing to lift the crusts of latent and active lies that cover our core. This is where we learn wisdom, in the parts that others can’t see, that affect the parts that others can see. And with wisdom comes truth, and this brings God joy.

He wants us to know His wisdom. We need it for us; we need it for others, to be watchwomen for suffering souls that believed what seemed good to all the senses. The feels, tastes, smells, sights, and sounds of sin can seductively deceive and have us living in a created reality. But when we hear the truth from God we can heed His warning and shout the same to others.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

I’m counting on this.

Copyright 2011 by Rhonda J. Smith

Deceived from Desperation

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Young, vibrant and healthy, my life took a turn in an instant one night. I was 24 when I was defiled and diseased and suffered depression that most never suspected. Daily I put on my strong black woman face to face the days, but my heart was weak, gasping for new life. These are times of desperation when we take measures that mirror the same. And in the depth of my desperation I turned to a method that I had only read about and seen in movies. I heard that this African root doctor, a Muslim Imam from Senegal, had cured people from AIDS. I figured surely he could help me.

I went and received counsel and concoctions fit for a fantasy mystery novel. The root mixtures—distilled water and various tree bark from the Senegalese bush country, and macrobiotic diet didn’t cleanse my blood from disease, but this dark period did shine light on my poor spiritual and physical health. From witnessing some spiritually spooky practices and eating really good food, I learned I needed a savior and to change my eating habits for good. I may have been deceived about who could help me, but I understood clearly what I needed to do. Immediately organic and other health food store items became staples in my diet and a year and a half later I became saved. Even with the truth of the Gospel I still fumbled in the spirit and fed my flesh junk. And from time to time, I still do.

Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.—1 Corinthians 3:18

Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.—Ephesians 5:6

Sometimes I fumble in spirit and flesh because I have deceived myself. Other times men have deceived me. Either way the onus is on me not to be deceived. The same is true for you, and I want to help. In the next series of posts I will examine deception to build our spirits, minds and bodies. The plan is to continue to lay a foundation this week then set aside Mondays for a lesson to feed our spirits, Wednesdays for a thought to strengthen our minds and Fridays for food and other products to nourish our bodies. I look forward to you journeying with me from the harm of deception to the hope in truth.

Copyright 2011 by Rhonda J. Smith