Forms Of Deception

What would you think if I told you, that loops in handwriting, are indicators of deception, when formed in circle letters, namely a, d, g, o and q?

What if loopy loops are informative? 

I will list forms of deception, and you can check off each one you recognize in yourself, and in those that you interact with regularly. We get to study a bit of human nature together, this day, dear reader. Isn't this exciting?

Let's foray into the art of human deceptiveness: 

1. There is self-deception, as a defence mechanism for the ego; this emotional and psychological protection from the truth can be useful, or hurtful, depending on circumstance.

2. We have us some intentional deception of others, when we want to keep a secret, and perhaps lie to keep people from learning what we do not want them to know.

3. Evasiveness is used by those that are after something, and they tend to evade issues in an attempt to get it. There may be a holding back of truth to get what they want.

4. Deceptive manipulation is a grasping, lying, scheming sort of endeavour, for those in our midst that are willing to trick others, to get what they want.

5. Lastly, there is the cover-up, and this way of being shows itself when someone does not want to be fully responsible and accountable, and will use someone else as a form of cover, for instance, they may state their opinion, but then suggest, that they heard so-and-so say it first: i.e War is terrible, at least, that is what I read in a news article yesterday. This person will not stand on their own convicted opinions. and they seem to need the backup of others. 

The very interesting thing about handwriting that I learned yesterday, from my Graphonanalysis Level 1 textbook, is this, and I quote:

It is when the inclination to deceive becomes a habit that it appears in the writing; a trait is a mental habit. 

Dear reader, let us consider soberly, the implications of the statement above: 

Inclination to deceive

Becomes a habit

Appears in writing

A trait

A mental habit

Geez Louise! Look at us humans, when we give into our inclinations to self-deceive, to be secretive and mislead, to intentionally trick to get our own way, to avoid and evade truth in part or whole, to mislead others to have what we want, to grasp, lie and scheme to defraud others of what we covet, and lastly, our ability to cover our own tracks, by hiding under someone else's stated opinions, in order to escape liability, and distribute responsibility if necessary, so that we are not held solely accountable. 

When we are inclined to deceive and it becomes a habit, it shows up, not only in handwriting, but in conversations, in behind the scenes choices, in upfront and personal decisions that impact ourselves and others. Deception of self and other becomes habitual when indulged! 

Chronic liars habitually lie. Am I the only one that is stunned by this simple truth? Can you feel the gravity of the damage deception causes, as it works its way into all facets of human existence? Is it any wonder Satan is known as the father of lies, given the destruction that matches the crimes of forgoing truth, in favour of trickery of self and others? 

Facing facts, facing the truth, may at times, feel like a threat to existence, an existential threat, and yet it was said by Jesus, And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32). 

It is our thinking that has us behaving and from there, habits are formed. We are known by our behaviour, because while the mouth and body betray deceivers, behaviour is a tattletale tell all informant! Behaviour never lies...

I have been watching The Commish, an old show from the 90's. Here I quote Commissioner Scali, the main character in the series:

The best evidence is the guilty man's fear of being caught ~ Police Commissioner Scali.

Those that live lives of deception, have to work exceptionally hard to cover the evidence of their deviousness; one lie leads to another, and over time, lying becomes a natural tendency, far removed from the initial inclination to trick self or other. This is why we see certain people lie without batting an eye when they speak. Lying becomes them. 

Dear reader, giving up the habit of lying requires conscientious and concerted effort. Liars must self-analyse, and admit why they started lying in the first place, and what they hoped to get out of being deceptive. The lie must be pinned down for questioning, held responsible for its negative effects, and sent to a permanent time out cell, locked away forever, to prevent it from wreaking havoc in relationship. If the truth makes us free, then lies must be imprisoned without parole. 

If lying becomes the deceiver and the deceiver becomes known as a liar, closely related to the father of lies, the Devil, then consider with me, how marvellous, how wonderfully becoming and radiant, truth tellers are, when they are closely associated with the Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ! 

Speak truth to yourself, even if it is painful truth, and God will reward you with a peace in your soul that surpasses all understanding. 

Arrogant Ignorance

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty (2 Corinthians 6: 14-18).

Consider with me, what bad company has done to your potentially good character. Think with me of the corruption of your soul and resultant corrosion, when you have spent time with wrong doers, people that sneak about and play under the cover of darkness; those that toy with the things of this world, that they believe with further them on the path that lays ahead.

Dear reader, the concern isn't what the worldly can do for you and I, the concern is the impact the unrighteous have in their rubbing off abilities - it is what they do to us, when we have been exposed to their wicked ways.

Have you ever been around someone that swears a lot, and not long afterward, you have gutter mouth, with cuss words imposing themselves into your thoughts, and then ushering like a filthy flow of sewer sludge, from your mouth? How about being around someone that smokes (cigarettes or weed, the substance isn't the issue), and drinks copious amounts of alcohol, or coffee, or energy drinks - do you find that you want to do as they do? Or when in company, do you have an overeating tendency, because it feels like a free for all when socializing with certain people? What happened to your discipline, your self-control, your ability to resist and say, No. Where did your resolve go, and how did the slippery slop sliding happen so quickly?

To level the playing field, I assure you, you are not the weakest most self-indulgent link in the chain of humanity. Here is what The Bible warns us as easily tempted humans:

Matthew 26:41

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

While Christians may want to honour, obey, and glorify the Lord Almighty, we live in clay cottages (a phrase I lifted from Matthew Henry), and we are breakable. Our will is fragile and easily fragmented, and for this reason, we are instructed on the ways of safeguarding our well-being. Let us compare and contrast the godly and the worldly. based on God's standards in the scripture above. that started our time together:

Heading 1 Heading 2

Believers Unbelievers

Righteous Unrighteous

Light Darkness

Christ Belial

Believer Infidel

Temple of God Idols

Dear reader, if you call yourself a Christian, you are commanded by God thusly:

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing.

The columns above simplify much for us. We either belong to the God of heaven, or the god of this world. Those that profess Christ while aliens on this plain, are promised by the Lord Almighty:

God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

I will dwell in them and walk in them

I will be their God

They shall be my people

Come out from among them, and be ye separate

Touch not the unclean thing

I will receive you

Be a Father unto you

Ye shall be my sons and daughters

The most powerful question in the scripture we are working from, for me, and perhaps for you too? is:

And what concord hath Christ with Belial?

Christian! How can it be that we mix and mingle with those that hate the Lord and expect that they can do anything good for us, ever? How can it be that we believe it is a small price to pay to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, if they promise us some kind of reward in the flesh? It is not what they can do for us, it is what they potentially can do to us.

I know a sweet little boy, several of them, but this one that I am thinking of, told me he wanted to be the Mayor, but what he really meant, was the Prime Minister of Canada. I told him, You cannot possibly be the Prime Minister because you love the Lord. Politicians lie and cheat, and throw people under the bus, to get and hold those positions. Now I know, my take on politicians is not a popular one. There are many professing Christians that put all their hope in the politicians they believe will save the day: this is not biblically sound in the least. The Jews of Jesus' day wanted him to overthrow the Romans, and cast off from the Israelites, the heavy yoke of taxation and restriction, but that is not why he came as God incarnate. He came to set us free from death, not governmental imposition!

I dare declare, there isn't a politician currently in power that is a Christ follower, and isn't it alarming to know, that many a professing Christian, takes the path carved by unbelievers, the unrighteous, men of darkness; infidels that worship money, prestige, and power, and fall head first at the feet of Belial.

You cannot love the Lord as your God, and the world equally at the very same time. It is an impossibility. You cannot put your faith in God, and believe that humanity will save itself, with the right leaders in place. It is, an impossibility. You cannot read your Bible and believe it as the Word of God, and not realize, if you truly belong to him, that your mission is one of reconciliation, not campaigning for the current big mouth that speaks vile things, cursing people, and committing mass murder before a viewing audience, by ordering war with missiles, and uttering nuclear threats, that wipe out whole populations.

God wants all to be saved. If people die in war without knowing the Lord as their Redeemer, how is it that a person can celebrated as the one that gives orders of violence and killing? How can they be considered men of integrity and decency, when so many are dying, without knowing the God of The Bible?

Can credit be given to men that live far from their victims, for pushing the red button of mass destruction? Is this, Christ like, in the least?

We humans love flexing our muscles. We the people, believe in our own abilities and strengths, and we give credence to the talkers, that have managed to make their way to the top of the devil's totem pole. It is when we are chopped down at the knees, weak and disabled, that we cry out to God to give us strength, and until then, arrogant ignorance fuels us to our own distraction and sometimes destruction.

Here I combine two strips of scripture, a question and an answer:

And what concord hath Christ with Belial?

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing.

Need I say more, Christian?

He Tricked Himself

My son and I met a man in a collar today. Do I dare suggest that you look with suspicion upon a man posing as a priest? Not all men in collars are to be trusted, and fortunately, there are some that love the Lord and his word so deeply, that when they are out and about, the collar let's observers know that the man is open to conversations about faith - the collar is an ice breaker. In the case of the man we met during our walk, he couldn't be counted on as a truth teller, because he lied openly about women and their position/role, within the body of Christ. 

The man called me The Mother Superior... laughable really. Sure thing, I am Queen in my household and my son honours me as his mother, but I was not inclined to accept the fraudulent theology the man espoused shortly after trying to elevate me to the state of majesty as a Christ follower. Lifting my arms skyward, I used the air to create steps, on which I placed Jesus at the highest level as the head, man just below him, and women and children one step below man, giving the collared man a clear picture, a biblical picture, of God's hierarchy. 

Well wouldn't you know it, he believes in the ordination of women! Now I ask you, which Bible is he reading, and where did he get that monstrosity of a thought? Clearly, Paul did not ordain women, and this was his suggestion - I read The Bible, and I have got to tell you, no where in God's Word do women and ordination go together in a sentence, in fact, it is quite the opposite. 

Now that we have a backstory, I will tell you what my son had to say after we left the collared man behind: He tricked himself. I have to laugh at this simple observation - He tricked himself! Dear reader, one of the worst forms of deception, is self-deception, and this man manages to not only lie to himself, but he attempts to propagate lies that are damnable. If Jesus is not the head of the body, Christians are hopelessly lost. If Jesus isn't the Word of God incarnate, without sin, pure and trustworthy - if the Word of God isn't worthy of being believed and heeded - we have nothing onto which we can place our faith, and no one leading the way. 

This meeting with the man in the collar was disturbing on so many levels. He appears to have dedicated his life to God with that white thing around his neck, and yet, he is unsound in his mind, he has misplaced his affections, his soul lacks spiritual manna, and he cannot be trusted as a Christ follower, because he is not, a Christ follower - he is a man of the world, a worldly man that feigns affection for the Sovereign while wearing a costume. True men of the "clothe" speak scripture as though it is honey dripping from their tongue and lips, but this man figuratively grabbed at Jesus' cloak, attempting to yank him from his heavenly abode, demeaning him as Master, making him equal with his creatures, and lower yet, by suggesting that women can be ordained and teach men, when The Bible forbids this very thing. 

This quick chat took minutes before we were off in different directions, the collared man going his way, while my son and I took the pathway that leads home...

The pathway home, dear reader, is not paved with golden stones of equity and equality: the pathway home is blood stained, and the unfairness of Christ having died, as an innocent lamb of God, for your sins and mine, is evident with every crimson droplet. It is a liberty taken, to deny him as the King of kings, Lord of lords, by suggesting that The Bible can be torn and twisted to accommodate weak willed men that self, and other deceive. 

He tricked himself, and in his arrogance, he attempted to trick us too...

This, dear reader, is why you and I must be very familiar with what is in scripture, to ensure that we are confident in our faith, and where we place our trust. The tripe coming from this stranger made me feel like gagging. On the upswing following this exchange, I am grateful for the many Bibles in my home, Matthew Henry's Commentary on The Bible, and truth prevailing in my mind, in my heart, and in my spirit so greatly, that when I consider self-deception, my conscience acts as sandpaper on my soul, keeping me going back into God's Word for regular bouts of course correction when needed, and recalibration to Christ. 

Humans are slippery fish, but when we see Jesus as Saviour, we get pinned down and find it hard to squirm away - besides, we just don't want to - I just don't want to trick myself or be tricked. 

How about you? 

Galatians 2:20

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 

Mark 1:17

And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

Lastly, before you and I go about our business, I must say this: The Spirit of God is not split, one way this moment, and another way the next. For truth to prevail in relationship, there must be agreement on the meaning of God's Word doctrinally. When there is a chasm between two that say they are Christians, The Bible is the place to go to determine who is an infidel. and who is faithful in their devotion to God and his Word; self-trickery becomes evident when a man or woman speaks what is not in The Bible. The man we met today made things up to accommodate a world view that runs counter to God's Word and will. We could not agree, no matter how long we spoke, considering he spewed blatantly lies, and lives a life contrary to God's commands. 

Read your Bible... If this sounds bossy, well, I guess I don't feel too badly, if you actually get out your Bible, and read!

Wrought, Squared, Fashioned & Fitted

All who are designed for heaven hereafter are wrought or prepared for heaven while they are here; the stones of that spiritual building and temple above are squared and fashioned here below. And he that wrought us for this is God, because nothing less than a divine power can make a soul partaker of a divine nature; no hand less than the hand of God can work us for this thing (Matthew Henry's Commentary, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 499). 

1 Peter 2:1-5

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 

Christian, groaning in the flesh, wondering how it can be that the soul soars heavenward when contemplating the glory of God, only to feel the tug of the tether, of this body, held captive by invisible gravity, to this dirtied and blood soaked earth, you are a living stone, being squared, fashioned and fitted for eternity with God via his Son, Jesus Christ! 

Let's break this down to bitesized pieces: 

In this life we learn that acknowledging our inward, wicked inclinations, opens the door to the possibility of banishing them from our being, and from our bodies, meaning that when we are made aware of our sinful nature and repent, we no longer desire engagement with and then indulgence in:

Malice

Guile

Hypocrisies

Envies

Evil speakings

Rather, we taste the Lord's graciousness, as babes that long for the sincere milk of God's word, as our soul satisfying sustenance. Vile and wretched human inclinations transform. Compare the list of five above to the list beneath this sentence: 

Benevolence

Candour

Sincerity

Generosity

Purity of speech

Dead things don't live and breathe, while finding meaning in this life. Dead things do not search for and find God, or the life of the Spirit. Dead is dead, but to be alive, a living stone, squared, fashioned and fitted, for the temple of God, sends the mind, heart and soul, on a mission for meaning, while we walk the earth. 

We are wrought by the divine hand as Christians, to be welcomed into his Kingdom. Jesus is called the corner stone:

Ephesians 2:15-20

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.

We become partakers of the divine nature as we are readied for heavenly citizenship, and while we are on our earthly mission as reconcilers for Christ sake. Jesus came in the flesh of man, and in his sinless state, remained pure, without malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy, or ever speaking evil. Jesus modelled the perfect man for us, and despite temptation and tribulation, he maintained his godliness, and we can too, with his help, of course, take on these holy traits of benevolence, candour, sincerity, generosity, and purity of speech. 

We can transcend this earthly existence and aspire to being temple building living stone material. The spiritual house of God, as priests, offering up spiritual sacrifices: It all sounds so marvellous, until of course, we look closely at the word sacrifice. 

Jesus was rejected and still is, by the majority of mankind. Humans don't like perfect examples; most humans despise sin free creatures, because we are comparative by nature, which is precisely the reason we see so much in the way of malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy and evil speech. These are the icky soul sludge traits that mark and mar humans, that do not know the Lord, or know him vaguely. Christians cannot stand themselves when these ugly traits show up in our own thinking and resultant behaviours, when permitted to lead the way. 

Christians want to be just like Jesus, and join the ranks of the prophets and the apostles; we long for fellowcitizenship with all the saints, in the household of God, in heaven.  

Dear reader, are you a living stone, a human representative of Christ, on earth? 

While you are here below, do you consider the temple of the living God, and you being placed as building material when the earth rolls up like a scroll, and all that is left is glorious eternity with our Maker? 

The Bible paints pictures for us, and true to it's Author, the golden thread of truth is woven throughout, with the images getting brighter, as details compliment and complete, the blueprint designed by his divine hand. I wish I could draw the sentiments I feel, but alas, all I have is a keyboard, a white screen with words typed on top, and my desire for you to see what God has planned, as he reveals his love to you through his Word. 

Living stones, what a concept, dear reader. 

Sacrifice is the willing price Christians pay as we navigate our earthly existence in favour of honouring God now and for eternity. There are many things the flesh wants that are abhorrent to the health of the soul, and dear reader, it is the power of God that gives strength to the weak and tempted, each time we say no to earthly desires. Over time, with the flexing of faith muscles, resistance becomes slightly and then again more each time easier, to say a resounding no to temptation of all sorts. 

If Jesus resisted temptation, and told us we can too, then we can, because Jesus, never lied. I pray we are row partners, dear reader, as living stones in the heavenly haven, the true temple of the living God, in paradise. 

False Advertising

With red hot rage, Buyer addresses cold and matter of fact Beware. Let's listen in on their conversation together. 

Buyer: I want my money back!

Beware: Ain't that too damn bad for you, 'cause we don't do refunds sucker.

Buyer: But this isn't anything like they told me it would be. Hey, who the hell do you think you are, talking to me like that? I want to talk to your manager, NOW.

Beware: They huh? It's always they. They know nothing, and you got scammed. You know the saying, Buyer Beware, right?

Buyer: Ya, but what does that have to do with my situation? This is out and out fraud. I was lied to and tricked. There will be hell to pay once I am through with you and your organization. 

Beware: Hahahahaha, hell to pay! You got that right. Hahahaha, good luck buddy. Final sale, no refunds or paybacks, all interest in your situation evaporated when you agreed to our conditions. 

Buyer: What do you mean, all "interest in your situation"? There has to be recourse; there has to be recompense and some sort of fixing of this problem. I can't live like this. This isn't what I signed up for and put up cash for. You have got to make this right : Someone has to make this right. 

Beware: Ya ya ya, you people always say the same thing once you get here. You think the boss gives a hoot about your complaints? You think he is going to rush down here and hear you out, sympathize and rescue you, like he cares or something? You are nuts, off your rocker, crazy town, an ignoramus, a fool, stupido as the Italians would say. Do you catch my drift, see my point, understand my meaning? Are you picking up what I'm dropping down in simple language? This is it pal. There ain't no way up, or out of here. You managed to sell your way and buy your plan, working the angles every step you took, and you have succeeded, arrived so to speak. Now you want something different? Good luck, and by The Way, there ain't no such thing as luck, loser. 

Panic sets in for Buyer as he tries desperately to ventilate, pulling at the collar of his filthy shirt. His whole body is feverish and with hysteria taking the reins of his being, he searches for relief. Where is that cool river located that he passed on the way here? What happened to the light breeze that tousled his hair and brushed his cheek? The drink, with the ice cubes! It was within reach before the transportation took place. If only! One ice cube, just one on the tongue would feel heavenly. 

Beware: Snap out of it Buyer! What was is no more, and you are where you are. Someone sees you but you made your way without him all your years. What makes you think you have the right to call on him now? after rejecting him over and over again. We got you now, and Nobody has the deed to your soul. My employer is an equal opportunity abuser; he will take anyone that willingly comes his way, and use them for his purposes. 

Buyer's hands are around his throat, his eyes bulging and threatening to explode in utter horror. Buyer is gasping for air but the heat burns and singes with every inhale. Exhaling is excruciating, and Buyer's hot air balloon like lungs feel as though they may collapse permanently when wind is expelled, and yet, he continues the in and the out of painful breathing. Words escape him and thoughts swirl in his mind while playback videos on repeat perform their dastardly deed of forcing recall. 

Beware: Now you are getting the picture. Now you understand. What's a guy to do, huh Buyer? Beware mocks. 

What, dear reader, is a guy or gal to do, once death occurs, and second, third, fourth, and even the hundredth chance at reconciliation with God, is no longer optional? 

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever (Revelation 20:10).

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works (Revelation 20:12).

Satan is an equal opportunity murderer. He isn't in charge of hell, he just entices and tempts, making sin seem harmless and even helpful, for those that want to satisfy their fleshly desires. God gives and takes life; God grants entrance to heaven through his Son, Jesus the Christ, and he sends people to hell when they deny Christ as Saviour. 

If a person does not repent in this lifetime, what gives them the impression that their earthly separation from God will not continue into the afterlife in hell? 

Do you, treat people you love badly, and expect a good outcome, a healthy relationship, a sense of mutual appreciation and respect? Wouldn't this mindset and opposing actions of mistreatment, be ludicrous and anti-theoretical, working against trust and intimacy? 

Somehow people have bought the bull, and believe that they can live disobedient lives and be rewarded with a heavenly abode, once their body has had its candle light snuffed out. Nothing could be further from the truth. 

MAID sells Rest In Peace, but it is biblically clear, that spirits fall to pieces when death steals life, and a soul is staring into the abyss of eternity, rejected once and for all time, by the Maker of mankind. There is no heaven for Christ deniers, but you don't have to take my word for it; read scripture and find out for yourself. 

NOTE: The picture I painted above is no where near frightening in comparison to what is written in the Good Book regarding hell, and what happens to the impenitent. God is pure love and wants none to be lost. He sent his Son as the promised Messiah, but what God cannot and will not do, is force you to love and obey him. 

Love isn't love when it is imposed against the will.