Lying Lips Deliver Only Bitterness

By Brenda Black

The marble floors and granite colonnades, high domed ceilings and cavernous hallways showcased mind-boggling and beautiful architecture as I strolled through the square and round mazes of the Capitol building. They also provided great amplification. A simple clickety-clack of an aide's stiletto heels or the giggles of touring school children sounded like fireworks and chaos when their echoes collided and bounced from one hard surface to another.

Still, the din from daily traffic was no match to the roar from the House floor. Debaters who took their places near microphones competed with constant chatter from the gallery. Hushed conversations escalated in volume as representatives and constituents or fellow law-makers huddled together to attempt intelligible conversations.

In the midst of all the mayhem, somehow the work of law-making continues. And in the middle of that business are men and women who perform one of two ways – honorably or dishonorably. If the walls of Congress could talk, they'd tell the battles of integrity versus immorality, principled decisions in struggle with unethical behavior. It's the human condition and it gets magnified in a magnificent place.

With every scheduled meeting, I felt fairly confident discerning whether I was hearing truth or just getting lip service. Having only met most of these legislators for the first time, the impressions of others who knew them better proved far more valuable in determining their credibility. When their own constituents spoke highly about them, it proved the elected representatives had earned their respect. Some were even applauded for valiant efforts and their long-standing integrity.

Unfortunately a few law makers have a different type of notoriety – a reputation for insincerity. A lack of wisdom and inability to see beyond their own personal agendas has those bad players better known for lying tongues, two-faced performances and narrow-minded opinions.

Which would you trust? Which would you rather be? Whether constituent or Congressman, receptionist or Representative, lobbyist or legislator – honesty and integrity matter.

Scripture speaks clearly about the importance of honesty. “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.” (Proverbs 12:22) The Word of God also declares the benefits of honorable living. “Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:12-14)

Most of us would contend that it is troubling to be on the receiving end of a liar's litany. But what of the snare the liar lays for himself when he refuses to speak the truth. “An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk, but a righteous man escapes trouble.” (Prov. 12:13)

Throughout my day at the Capitol, I heard of the work of honorable men and women. I learned about their passion for justice or their willingness to go to battle for right causes. I listened to colleagues drop their egos and applaud the accomplishments of fellow legislators.

On the flip side, one man's name repeatedly received negative reaction from every rank and file. He had earned the reputation for saying one thing and doing another. He lied, he broke trusts, he refused to listen. In short, the man was despised and disrespected by many. His reputation for insincerity didn't just bounce of the walls, it was proclaimed from the rooftops of this noble building.

His lying lips had rendered only bitterness when truth may have provided sweet bliss. “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.” (Prov. 24:26)

I may not understand all the ins and outs of passing a bill through Congress, but I learned this much from my day at the Capitol, I'd rather walk blameless and seek the favor of the Lord and the respect from others than to walk in such a way as to leave a wake that causes others to despise and disrespect me. If it matters in law, how much more in life?

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ” Galatians 6:7-9

Wise in the Eyes of Others

By Brenda Black

Do people come to you for advice or run from your foolishness? Truly, it does not matter how clever you deem yourself. What matters is how wise you are in the eyes of others, and especially the Lord. Better take a hard listen to what you profess, because whether bright or dim, folks are going to hear about it and God already knows your thought before you ever speak it.

Sometimes word travels farther than we might think and the influence we wield as Christians can make a difference to people we least expect. Even before the era of internet, word of King Solomon's wisdom spread like a virus. It happened to a king; it can happen to us as well.

“When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions...she came to Solomon and talked with him about all she had on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for him to explain to her. When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, as well as the palace he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.

“She said to the king, 'The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever, he has made you king over them, to maintain justice and righteousness.'

“Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.” (2 Chronicles 9:1-9)

What can we learn about wisdom from Solomon's session with Sheba?

One: The litmus test for wisdom is accuracy. When asked hard questions, do you speak the truth? Honest words are honorable. "Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth." (Proverbs 16:13) In the book of Matthew alone, Jesus uses the phrase "I tell you the truth" 30 times! Yes, it seems apparent that the King of Kings considers truthfulness of utmost importance. Since the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the first One we need to consult is His Holy Highness and the teaching of His Word so we're equipped to speak real truth.

Two: Seeing is believing. If you want someone to trust your wisdom, the talk better match the walk. Consistency begets credibility. Queen Sheba saw it with her own eyes before she completely believed the reports of Solomon's great wisdom and wealth. If accuracy is the litmus strip, then consistency is proof positive. Does your life line up hearsay with reality? Wisdom says in order to be respected, remain reliable.

Three: Give credit where credit is due. When Queen Sheba rolled into town with her lavish entourage, she was looking for the greatest of all men. She met the man and praised his God. Solomon's wisdom relinquished the right to claim credit for all his knowledge and blessings. He did not beg for Sheba's compliments nor steal God's deserved thunder, for Solomon surely had learned what God considered worthy. "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8) Wisdom and humility go hand in hand.

If you heed the lesson, then you'll find wisdom has its rewards. A regal queen may not always bring exotic gifts to acknowledge your wise ways. You may not be ranked among Fortune 500's rich and famous. But the premium for wisdom is always abundant and gratifying. One final word from the wisdom of the Word to the wise willing to listen: "Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life." (Prov. 22:4)

Faces of Christmas – Joseph's Dream

Part 3 in a series

By Brenda Black

Are the most vivid dreams reserved only for guys named Joseph whose dads are named Jacob? Visions of honor and power filled the head of Abraham's great grandson. Though thrown into a cistern and later imprisoned, Joseph the Dreamer saw his images fulfilled. Generations later, another Joe experienced profound revelations while he slept. His dreams came true beyond his wildest imagination.

Joseph No. 2 was youthful and brimming with plans for a bright future. His dreams included a pretty little gal named Mary, but he didn't foresee what would happen when she said “yes.”

“This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.'” (Matthew 1:18-21)

Before you write Joseph off as an embittered fiance, look deeper into his heart. Certainly Mary was hand-picked by God for her humility and willing spirit. Could she also have been chosen because of her good taste in the potential father of Jesus? Joseph was a righteous man. He was pledged to Mary. That means he was already in the process of building their dream home.

When a young man of Israel in Jesus' time saw the girl he wanted, he approached her with a marriage contract, giving terms by which he would propose marriage. The most important consideration in the contract was the elaborate price the bridegroom would be willing to pay to marry this particular bride. The “bride price” showed his love in a most tangible way. If the bride and her father agreed to the terms, the engaged couple would drink a cup of wine together, solidifying the groom's willingness to sacrifice in order to have this bride, and her willingness to enter this marriage.

And then he went to work while she became a lady in waiting. The groom built a bridal chamber – a little mansion – in which they would spend their honeymoon. It was a complex undertaking, beautiful and stocked with provisions to last an entire week. The project would ordinarily take the better part of a year.

Meanwhile, Mary would be making herself ready. Whenever she stepped out of her house, she would wear a veil to signal to other young men that she was spoken for and no other contracts would be considered.

Joseph had invested his finances as well as his heart into this glowing bride-to-be. The very thought of divorcing quietly is all about Mary. It is for her protection and it is his total loss.

On the heels of mind-numbing news that Mary is with child, Joseph collapses into bed in exhaustion, resolved to do what he thinks best. But God has other plans and He insists that Joseph is the kind of man He wants raising His Only Begotten Son. God gives Joseph THE dream and the rest is HIStory!

Never discount what God can do with a righteous life, a humble wife, a perfect plan and the miraculous power to transcend time and space. In the stillness of the night, He speaks. If we are listening and obedient, we just might experience living a marvelous dream.

May God bless you with visions of His perfect will this season and always!  

Trust is a Must

By Brenda Black

“In God We Trust” is not just a motto. It's a mindset. It's an action. Over 97% of the House thought voting on a resolution Tuesday reaffirming the statement as the official motto of the United States was important. But unless that motto becomes more than just words engraved on government buildings, their resolution is nothing but worthless lip service to a Holy God that deserves complete obedience and longs for sincere relationship. We better heed the words of God himself, recorded in Numbers 20:12. “But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.'”

Trust is defined as 1. reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence. 2. confident expectation of something; hope. 3. confidence in …

TV host Brian Tracy says “The glue that holds all relationships together - including the relationship between the leader and the led is trust, and trust is based on integrity.”

Lip service or lives of service? Indifference or integrity? What will your motto be? And where will the United States be if we don't rely on the strength, ability and surety of God Almighty? We're toast without His blessing! Said another way, Rep. Trent Franks declared during the 35-minute floor debate over the motto that if the House doesn't believe in God, then “we should just let anarchy prevail because, after all, we are just worm food.”

Indeed we are made of dust and to dust we shall return, but in the mean time, we represent a King here on earth and our duties demand loyalty and love.

“The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates...Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the Lord you God, who is among you, is a jealous god and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. Do not test the Lord your God...Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. Do what is right and good in the Lord's sight, so that it may go well with you...The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.” (Deuteronomy 6 selected)

Though we are but a vapor, God has made us eternal. What we do in our breath of life matters forever. I'd rather go down on the side of the Lord than go down in history as one of His enemies. I don't want to be the generation that invited God's wrath on America! I don't want to be counted among the foolish and impetuous people that thumb their nose at a Holy God and tell Him, “We don't need you anymore; we can do this on our own.”

Praise the Lord, He works through remnants – sometimes they number 395. Sometimes they amount to only one. And I, as one, want to stand with those who will trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding. I will in all my ways acknowledge Him so that He will make my paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6). That's my motto and I'm sticking to it!

I will love the Lord with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my strength and with all my mind (Luke 10:27). That's my mindset and I'm thinking it!

In God I trust! That's my action and I'm living it!