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What to believe about Israel? 3 of 3

8/29/2026

Hi all,

Last week we saw the Lord has moved full circle, having wanted a kingdom of priests through which the knowledge of God could be dispersed through the nations, He got it. He now has that nation through all who believe in Jesus, charged with dispersing the knowledge of God to the nations. This was done through Israel even though Israel rejected Jesus. Can we love Israel based on the fact it was that nation that gave us Jesus, who has made us a kingdom of priests to the Father? Isn't that a privilege and grace worth loving?

When I was young...
We had a cottage in northern Michigan on a lake called Burt Lake. I loved that cottage. It was only for summer use as it wasn't winterized, but once school was out we drove the 12 hours from our home in north central Indiana up to Burt Lake for a couple of months. We would take the boat across the lake into the town of Indian River, dock near a bridge and walk to a restaurant for breakfast. It was there when I was about 8 that my dad taught me to sail, and let me sail that little boat all by myself for hours at a time.

But when I was 10 dad sold the cottage. I was hurt, even angry that there had been no family discussion, no asking we kids what we thought, it was just suddenly gone. The summer I had been looking forward to up on the lake never happened. But I still loved my dad. I was hurt and angry he had just up and sold the cottage without any warning, but I still loved my dad.

Similarly, can a Christian love Israel even if they do things we hate or at least don't agree with? Does having a warm feeling for the nation automatically mean blind disregard for Israel's policies and how they are implemented? No, but people who hate Israel are infamous for accusing those who love Israel with turning a blind eye to their policies.

When considering what we think of modern Israel we must consider that historical Israel had and has a divine purpose, one that involves believers in Jesus. My point at the start was that we don't agree with everyone on everything yet remain in fellowship with them - or remain employed by them, or remain friends, or remain at that church, or remain in that marriage, or remain in that family. This is showing how to love spiritual Israel while still being able to not agree with every policy of the modern nation.

Grafted in - Paul's answer to the 'hate Israel' issue in his day: Ephesians 2:11-18
"Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ."

"For He himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit."

So we see that to hate Israel is to hate oneself, for Jesus has made both Jew and Gentile one through His blood. Consider that in Paul's time it was unbelieving Jews who followed him around stirring up riots and trouble. Yet he wrote there is now peace with them through Christ - though they didn't accept that fact because they rejected Jesus.

Love Israel for the remnant
In Romans 11:1-4 Paul details the conflict we are discussing in this space. They killed God's prophets and persecute the church, so how can they be loved? Paul answers in v5: "Even so, at this present time there is a remnant by the election of grace."

He is saying love those Israeli's (Jews) who have come to the Lord, for they are the remnant of believers within Judaism that exist to this day. He restates it another way in v17-20, where he speaks of we non-Jews as a wild olive branch grafted in to the tree of Judaism:

"If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble."

Again, Paul is writing to the church in Rome which was made of Jews and Gentiles, and they needed to be taught how to come together in the love of Christ, and one group should feel about the other. And he provides hope and a promise concerning Israel as a nation in v25-26:

"I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and then all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Israel."

Israel's future includes believing Jesus is their Messiah. We can love that future while not agreeing with all of the current nation's policies, just as Paul instructed in his day.

Furthermore, he writes to the Galatians in 4:21-31, who struggled with just how Jewish a Gentile believer in Jewish Jesus should be, that the heavenly Jerusalem is the mother of us all. He said the current nation of Israel is the Israel of the flesh, which persecuted the son of promise, and those who struggle with modern Israel could rightly say it is of the flesh, for they do not receive Jesus as Messiah. But the heavenly Jerusalem is the place of citizenship for all who believe in Jesus, Jew or Gentile, for He had made both groups one through His blood.

Let us love the remnant of Jewish believers, love the eternal purpose, love the divine plan for the nation, even if there is disagreement over politics. If you struggle with hatred for Israel, consider growing in love, in switching attention from websites that stir up hatred to websites that talk of God's eternal plan for that very flawed nation and people. And love God's plan, love your Jewish Messiah and His plan to return to Israel, to Jerusalem, to rule the world from that nation and capital city.

New subject next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

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What to believe about Israel? 2 of 3

8/22/2026

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Hi all,

Last week we looked at loving Israel for its divine purpose while still being able to disagree with some or all of modern Israeli policies. Some can't separate the two, thinking if you are for Israel you are an idiot, ignoring flawed policies, unsaved or worse, lol. Others wonder how a Christian could hate Israel.

I was contacted by a well known Jewish believer in Jesus who has his own TV show, to do 2 interviews. Before the invitation was officially extended he asked me: "Do you believe in replacement theology?"

Replacement theology
Replacement theology is the belief the church has completely replaced Israel as God's chosen people, inheriting the covenant and promises given to Israel. It makes modern Israel irrelevant, just like any other nation. It allows Christians to have a reason to hate Israel, agreeing with those who don't want it to exist, or at least be against it.

I do not believe in replacement theory, though I understand intellectually how those who think the church has fully replaced the nation of Israel can believe it. I'm one who can separate an idea from a person, examine their idea and agree or disagree, and still love them, so I'm not offended by differences of opinion on this or any other doctrine.

If you know me you know context is everything when properly understanding passages in the Bible. So we will start at the beginning of Israel as a nation.

The tribe of Levi wasn't God's first choice as the priest family - all first born children were
In Exodus 13:1-2 God claimed the first born of each family member as a priest to Him. "Sanctify (set aside for my use) to me all the firstborn...they are mine."

This was His first choice and it is important to understand the New Testament. He had 'bought' them by providing the blood sacrifice of the Passover lamb, which saved all the firstborn of Israel from dying in the plague of the first born. So they were now His. It was the blood of the lamb that caused them to become born from (among) the dead. "Sanctify to me all the first born...among the children of Israel...they are mine."

He adds to the firstborn: In Exodus 19:5-6 God said this:
"Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

I cannot emphasize this enough: The Father's plan was for the whole nation of Israel to be a kingdom of priests, representing the Laws of Moses to the rest of the nations of the earth. So it would have been all the firstborn from all the tribes would have been priests, AND secondarily the rest of the nation in various functions. They were to have been a nation of priests to God, communicating His ways to the nations of the earth. His plan was through Israel all the non-Jewish nations - Gentiles - would approach God.

Israel rejects their priesthood
That was Exodus 19. But in Exodus 20:18-21 the people rejected their call as a nation of priests, saying Moses and his family should talk to God and tell them what He says:
"They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”

What was the Father to do? The nation as a whole rejected their priesthood, though He still had the firstborn. But the Father changed plans to accommodate their unbelief, as seen in Exodus 32:25-29 at the Golden Calf. The Levites alone among all the tribes, rose up in zeal for the Lord and killed 3,000 of the idolaters. In part:

"Moses...stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him. Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’” The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. Then Moses had said, Today you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, for each one has consecrated in his son and in his brother, that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day."

That was the establishment of the tribe of Levi being the priestly tribe. The Lord made it official in Numbers 3:12:
"Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of all the firstborn that open the womb...therefore the Levites shall be mine."

Look at the Lord's progression: First He bought the firstborn by the blood of the Passover Lamb while they were in Egypt. So the firstborn of all the tribes were to be priests to Him. Then He enlarged that in Exodus 19:6 to the whole nation. When they rejected their national priesthood, He still at least had the firstborn He had bought with the blood of the lamb.

But when the Levites (Moses and Aaron's family) distinguished themselves with zeal for holiness and the things of God at the Golden Calf incident, He decided to release the firstborn from priestly duties and release the other 11 tribes as well, settling on the tribe of Levi as the priests. "I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of all the firstborn...therefore the Levites are mine."

BUT wait, there's more!
The Lord's release of the firstborn and the other 11 tribes from their priestly duties didn't mean He didn't have a larger plan still at work. By compromising with Israel due to their unbelief, it allowed Him to work with the Levites to establish the Mosaic Law. But there was still the matter of the fact He had bought the firstborn by the blood of the Passover lamb. They were released from priesthood duties, but the firstborn had still been purchased and belonged to Him through the blood sacrifice of the lamb. Therefore IF a parent wanted to dedicate their firstborn to temple work they could, or they could buy back their firstborn from the Lord.

Numbers 18:15-16 tells us the Lord allowed parents to buy back their firstborn from Him if they did not want them to become a priest in the temple. This is why for instance centuries later, we have Hannah choosing to give up her firstborn son, Samuel, to serve in the temple rather than buying him back (I Samuel 1). It is also why Joseph and Mary are in the temple in Luke 2:22-24 buying back their firstborn son, Jesus, from service in the temple.

Fast forward to the risen and ascended Lord Jesus. He brought the plan full circle, as the final and true Passover Lamb, saving as many who believe in Him from their own 'Egypt', to become a kingdom of priests as He wanted in Exodus 19:6. This why John and Peter wrote:

"And He has made us unto our God a kingdom of priests and we shall reign on the earth." "And has made us kings and priests to God His Father..." "And you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a treasured people that you will show the praises of God who has called you out of darkness into light. Who before were not a people, but now you are the people of God." Revelation 5:10; 1:6 and I Peter 2:9-10

The Father got His way - He now has a kingdom of priests, more than that, royalty as Peter wrote, a royal kingdom of priests who will reign in the earth one day. But the fact we Gentile believers have been included through faith in Jesus as part of the family of priests with believing Israel, does not nullify God's purpose for the modern nation of Israel.

Next week what became of the firstborn, what will eventually happen to Israel, and more. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

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What to believe about Israel? 1 of 3

8/15/2026

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Hi all,

What should Christians believe about the modern nation of Israel?

We must make a distinction between legitimate criticism of Israel, and hatred for the nation because it is Jewish.

There are some who call themselves Christians who hate the modern nation of Israel. But loving Israel for its spiritual value does not mean one cannot disagree with the modern nation's policies.

It is the same thinking in the political realm that if someone disagrees with a policy of an official who is a minority race they are accused of being racist. Some have difficulty understanding one can be against a policy without being against the person supporting the policy. Their hypocrisy and immaturity are revealed in that they don't agree with their boss, coworkers, or company policy on everything, yet continue to work there. They don't agree with their spouse on everything, yet stay married. They don't agree with everyone in their extended family, yet they still have a relationship with them all. They don't agree with governmental policy of the nation they are citizens of and/or live in, yet they stay there.

But when it comes to Israel, they hate Israel and if you disagree with them they cut you off, unfriend you, etc. So let's examine scripture. For in Paul's day Israel was persecuting the church, and he had to answer the same questions then that we have today about how to reconcile Israel's flawed self with the fact Jesus is Jewish, returns to Jerusalem, and will rule the world from the city of Jerusalem.

And I will add this from experience; There are often spirits attached to a person who has an illogical and vehement hatred for Israel - not just disagreeing with modern Israeli policy, but hatred. When hatred goes beyond logic and cannot love the spiritual and higher purpose for the nation, that person usually has a demon attached enticing them to hatred.

Beyond love or hate, agree or disagree, step back to respect and honor for the things of God for the Father has determined Israel will continue to exist as a nation, Jeremiah 31:31-36:
31 Behold, the days come, said the LORD, in which I will make a new covenant with the house of Jacob and with the house of Judah:
32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt because they invalidated my covenant although I was a husband unto them, said the LORD;
33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, said the LORD, I will give my law in their souls and write it in their hearts and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall no longer teach every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD, for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, said the LORD, for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
35 Thus has the LORD said, who gives the sun for light by day, and the laws of the moon and of the stars for light by night, who divides the sea and the waves thereof roar; The LORD of the hosts is his name;
36 If these laws depart from before me, said the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.

Let us also remember that according to Daniel 12:1, Michael, the archangel, is in charge of the nation of Israel. So if one does not like the modern nation's policies, they should at least respect the Father's eternal purpose for the nation, and the fact the most powerful angel of all is in charge of guarding the nation. To disregard honor and respect for the things of God puts one on the same side as the unjust judge of Luke 18:1-8 who feared neither God nor man.

If one loves the Father and our Lord, as our Life flows from the Father, there must also be within us a love for the Father's eternal purpose for Israel, even if one might disagree with policies of the modern nation. His eternal plan is still in place and at work through the flaws and frailty of man, and we can love that.

There are several things to consider when Christians discuss Israel and Judaism

Ethnic Israel - God's covenant with Abraham secured their place as a unique people, especially from Genesis 32 onward when Jacob's name was changed to Israel, or 'one who wrestles with God'. If one doesn't accept Abraham's covenant with God, then Genesis 32:24-29 is proof, for from that point on they were a people, the children of Israel.

Israel became a nation just out of Egypt - In Exodus 19:6 God specified they were to be a nation of priests unto Him, showing the nations of the earth His ways.

Israel in the Promised Land - In Genesis 12:1-7, where the Lord appeared (again) to Abraham when he had reached the land, saying it was given to him and his descendants by God. In Genesis 15:7 God again specifically said the land in which Abraham settled was for them. Repeated in Deuteronomy 29:13. (Acts 7:2/Gen 12:1,7)

Israel created with divine purpose - In Genesis 12:1-3 and chapter 15 God tells Abraham, father of the Jewish people, that in him all nations will be blessed. Israel was created to be a blessing to all people, and that purpose is not dependent upon every single Jewish person walking with God.

Through the centuries many Jewish people have not been faithful to walk with God, yet His higher purpose for the nation and that people has been at work.

This is important to understand - God's faithfulness to His promise to Israel is not dependent upon their faithfulness to Him. The time we call 'The Tribulation' is all about unfaithful Israel coming to believe in Jesus as their Messiah. From the 2 witnesses who can stop rain and turn water to blood, Elijah for the prophets and Moses for the Law, to the 144,000 Jewish evangelists traveling the land, to Jesus' return on the Mount of Olives, the last years of this age are about Israel recognizing Jesus as Messiah. At His return Zechariah 13: 6 says some will ask Him: "What are those wounds in your hands?" And He will answer: "Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends."

Isn't this the same faithfulness He demonstrates to us? Hasn't He been faithful to us when we have been unfaithful to Him? Hasn't He been better to you than you've been to. yourself? It is the same with the covenant made with Abraham and his descendants as measured by the flesh - He has been faithful to them through the centuries. Their call and purpose as a nation is not changed nor negated by their unfaithfulness.

So among the reasons a Christian should love Israel are that they were chosen by God, established by God, given the land they occupy part of by God, and have a larger divine purpose. Also the fact Jesus is Jewish and returns to Israel are reasons to love Israel.

Next week:The remnant within Israel, 2 made one, and more. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

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Controlling Emotions and feelings with logic. 3 of 3 Looking both ways

8/8/2026

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Hi all,

I was 15 with a learner's permit for driving. Mom was in the passenger seat coaching me as I drove along. Coming to an intersection I stopped, and she said:"Look both ways, then look again, then as you pull out look both ways again." She explained that sometimes an oncoming car is blocked by part of the car frame, so you look once, then look again, then when pulling out you look yet again.

Emotional reasoning doesn't look both ways. It looks only 1 way. It seeks others to support that 1 way, making it truth to them, though others can see they aren't looking both ways.

Let's see how to understand scripture balancing emotion and logic, which provides a foundation for how to handle a life-decision to be made.
The issue is whether emotion follows truth or does emotion replace careful examination of truth?

Healthy Christian teaching engages both the heart and the mind. As Jesus said, the greatest commandment includes loving God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind (Mark 12:30). Biblical discernment doesn't suppress emotion; it seeks to ensure that emotions are shaped by God's truth rather than by persuasive personalities or online content. Emotions are not the enemy. Learning to balance thought and emotion is the key.

But first know that no one can do it for you. There is no other way around it. No one can pray for you to give you that breakthrough where you won't struggle anymore. No vision of Jesus or heaven will change it. The Bible is very clear that we must each renew the mind, leave our old ways and thoughts and come up to His higher ways and thoughts. There is no 1 great and mystical spiritual key that if learned, all things heavenly will be unlocked for you. We are disciples, students, learners, all our lives long. It is work to make emotions captive to what we know in Christ. But it can be done. It is Christianity 101, yet many people are just now beginning to learn how to take imaginations and thoughts captive in obedience to Christ. Obedience means you must make your thoughts agree with Jesus. Obedience means you tell your self what you will feel and what you will think. You do this by supporting the reasoning with common sense, and chapter and verse, founded on the fact you know Him. Not just believe, but know Him.

Let's identify some emotional triggers:

Urgency:"You must believe this now or you'll miss what God is doing."
Fear:"If you question this teaching, you're opposing God."
Anger:Constantly portraying other Christians, churches, or leaders as enemies.
Pride/ego:"Only the truly spiritual understand this secret."
Spiritual island:Encouraging followers to distrust all other pastors, churches, or scholars.
They are right all others are wrong:Making bold claims while rarely explaining themselves or scripture in context.
Personality-centered:The teacher's experiences or revelations become more important than the biblical text.

The above are symptoms of feeling based theology, which is a false faith. Some ministries use fear and manipulation to keep people coming back. Telling people if they leave their church they are opening themselves to the devil. If they miss the next service they are opening the door to the devil. If they don't give to this or that project or tithe each week Satan will get their finances. Much of Christian culture uses fear to keep congregations or viewers in line and coming back, which leads to self-image issues, insecurity about their walk with God, and even sins like I mentioned above.

Balancing emotions with reasoning:The Bereans
In Acts 17:1-12 we have an emotionally charged situation. In verses 1-5 we are told Paul arrives in Thessalonica (Thessaloniki) and shared 3 Saturdays in a row in the synagogue about Jesus. Paul always referred to scripture to teach how Jesus fulfilled the types, shadows and prophecies of the Old Testament and was in fact, the Messiah. We are told many of the Greeks believed, but then unbelieving Jews 'moved with envy' went to the market place, found evil men hanging around, and stirred them into an angry mob.

The Greek word translated 'moved with envy' or 'aroused to jealousy' in other translations, is the Greek word 'zeloo'. In 1st century Greek it is a type of word used for hot, bubbling, boiling water. These unbelieving Jews were an emotional pot of bubbling, boiling water.

More than jealous, more than envious, they were boiling over hot and got men who had nothing better to do stirred up and they assaulted the house of Jason, where the (house) church was based. Friends got Paul and Silas out of town, down the road to Berea, some 44 miles away (71km). There again, Paul went into the synagogue and taught the same things about Jesus. But the Bereans it says; "...searched the scriptures daily to see if these things were true, therefore many of them believed..."

They could have gotten caught up in the emotions of the riot of Thessalonica from which Paul had just come, but they didn't. They chose to study what Paul said, and therefore many of them believed. They compared chapter and verse against the claims of Paul, and therefore believed the truth. Their believing in Jesus was not based on emotion, but logic, reasoning, verifying Paul's teaching with chapter and verse. Therefore, they believed.

Biblical principles for discernment - The Bible consistently encourages believers to think carefully, not just react emotionally.
Acts 17:11:The Bereans listened eagerly and examined the Scriptures daily to verify what they heard.
1 Thessalonians 5:21:"Test everything; hold fast what is good."
1 John 4:1:"Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits."
James 1:19:Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.
Ephesians 4:14–15:Grow in maturity so you are not "tossed to and fro" by every new teaching.

Practical questions to ask
Before accepting or sharing an online teaching, ask:
What passage is this based on? Is the teacher explaining the passage in its context, or just quoting isolated verses?
Could I explain this from the Bible alone? Or am I relying mostly on the speaker's charisma or personal stories?
What emotion is this trying to produce? Fear? Anger? Excitement? Pride? Guilt?

Is the emotion leading me toward Christ or toward impulsive reactions? Does it promote fear, does it make me confused, is it promoted as 'higher knowledge'?
Would mature Christians from different backgrounds recognize this as faithful biblical teaching?

Healthy online habits
Read the whole chapter, not just the quoted verse. Compare several trusted teachers rather than relying on one influencer. Stay connected to a local church where Scripture can be discussed in community. Pray for wisdom before forming conclusions. Wait before sharing emotionally charged posts. Balance is the key. Be aware what is out there but don't give yourself to anything that you don't know that you know to be the truth.

Learn to look both ways at a teaching, at your own self image, at any doubts or fears you may have about your standing in Christ. Read the scripture that focuses on new creation realities - you believe so you have Christ in you, the hope of glory. Rest in that, seek verses that support that fact, that Christ is in you. Rest in that peace. Peace in your spirit is the Father's communication to your spirit that all is well between you and Him. Choose to believe new testament truth. Train your emotions to obey the Word and the Living Word Himself.

New subject next week. Blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

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Controlling emotions and thoughts with logic: A lie before a sin 2 of 3

8/1/2026

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Controlling emotions and thoughts with logic:A lie before a sin 2 of 3

Hi all,

Before Adam and Eve sinned they believed a lie:"You will not die." (Genesis 3:4, Satan rejecting Eve's claim God said if they ate of that tree they would die.)

Every sin traces back to a lie that person believed, no matter how distant in the past that person believed the lie. A child may be mol*ested and believe the lie it was their fault or they deserved it or they made it happen - all lies - but it often forms a person's relationships all their lives. I've never found a sin yet that didn't have a root lie - I suppose it is because the first sin in the earth was rooted in believing a lie, so all later sins can be traced to that root lie.

In my generation long before the Internet there were 'girly magazines'. Many boys and girls were taught s*xuality by them and the pop culture of the day of how men and women relate to one another - which are lies and not how God designed men and women to interact in life, love, s*x and marriage. They believed a lie. Girls grow into women who hate their bodies because they believed the lie they should have a certain body type or look.

I've known several women who after many years of marriage and having kids, decided they were l*sbian and left their husbands for another woman. In the cases I know personally, their husbands didn't connect with their wives emotionally, being on the very logical side of things, so the wife believed the lie they could connect emotionally with another woman in that l*sbian way.

A boy may have been abused or is by nature softer than some men, and maybe they get bulled because of that, and believe a lie that safe love can be found with other men, seeking that emotional connection and love - having believed a lie. There are women who are very feminine and some that have more masculine traits, and men who are more feminine and some who are all masculinity - Satan speaks lies and gets people off into sin.

There are also lies told about God the Father, and when people believe them they often relate to Jesus but not to the Father, fearing Him as a Great Unknown. Jesus' statement in John 14:9:'If you've seen me you've seen the Father', doesn't make sense to them. When lies about God are taught Christians may doubt their salvation, doubt they are 'good enough', or think they have committed the unpardonable sin even though they believe in and love Jesus.

A person may be overweight because somewhere in their past they believed food brought them comfort - they believed a lie. A person may think the next sale or the next promotion or more money will bring them happiness - they believed a lie. Knowing the Father and His love - the love of Christ - is the cure for all lies.

Jesus taught in the Parable of the Sower of Mark 4:17 that because a person who 'has no root in themselves', they can't endure affliction (pressure of circumstances) or persecution (a person's opinion about them) and stumble. Ephesians 4:17 reveals that rooting and grounding is found in the (agape') love of Christ that is known in our spirit for it is beyond head knowledge. IF a person can get to know the Father's love - Christ's love - unconditional love perhaps for the first time in their life, they can more easily un-believe the root lie.

Satan is on the outside looking in
Jesus said in John 8:44 when Satan speaks a lie he does so by himself. In other words, he has no one to agree with him. He is on the outside looking in we could say. He is in the realm of darkness, in that kingdom prepared for him completely lacking anything of God because that is what he wanted - but he wants to enlarge his kingdom and its influence. He speaks a lie, seeing who will believe him.

Amos 3:3 is when God is contending with idolatrous Israel, asking:"Can two walk together except they be in agreement?"

When a person believes one of Satan's lies, they come into agreement with that lie, and to them it becomes truth. Think of Eve standing there with that fruit. We won't die? Okay, I'll try it....she agreed with the lie and to her it became a truth, 'her truth', and she acted on it. Today, when a person believes a lie it is 'their truth', and they can become angry at anyone who doesn't also believe 'their truth'. But they are telling the truth - to them that lie has become true.

So if a person doesn't feel saved, to them it is truth. Their friends know they love God, have had Him communicate to them, has shown Himself faithful to them, but if they don't feel saved then to them, it is true. They have believed a lie. In the examples above they believed a lie and to them it becomes truth, as reflected in their relationships, perhaps living arrangements, and overall lifestyle.

Lies always seek confirmation they are actually the truth. That is why a person having believed a lie, like though they love God they fear He may reject them on judgement day, seeks scripture to support the lie they will be rejected. They ignore all the verses that confirm believers are citizens of heaven in favor of seeking verses that support the lie they have believed.

The process of getting a person to make an emotional decision/belief is an act of seduction
Believing a lie is an emotional decision. Genesis 3:6 reveals Eve's emotional thinking:"When she saw the tree was good for food, and pleasant to the eyes, and could make one wise, she took the fruit from the tree and ate, and gave to her husband...."

The 3 underlined words are more clear in the Hebrew. The word 'good' is literally 'beautiful', and is the same word used of each day of creation when God said:It is good (beautiful). The next word, 'pleasant' is 'desirable' or 'desire', as in Psalm 38:9:"O Lord, my desire is laid open before you, my sighing is not hidden from you." This speaks deeply of emotional longing, for we see it in the sentence of Eve:"...and beautiful (desire/longing) to the eyes..."

The last word, 'to make one wise' compliments the emotional reasoning Eve was using as she believed the lie. It is more of a seduction process, for this phrase in Hebrew is the word 'sakal', meaning 'to be prudent, to be successful, expert and to be considered.' She combined the emotional elements of it sounded good, looked good, and she calculated the effect in her mind as she considered the lie presented. Paul agrees with the fact Eve was seduced and thus deceived, as stated in I Timothy 2:14:"Adam was not deceived in the transgression, but the woman having been deceived..." The Greek word Paul used translated 'deceived' is 'exapateo', or 'seduce by deception.' Eve was seduced into making an emotional decision.

This is the process a person goes through when reasoning by emotion, when making an emotion based decision. The lie comes first, and it is strongly considered. It sounds right, looks beautiful maybe it is a teaching from God, and it is considered and confirmed by seeking others who say the same thing.

Next week we'll close with very practical steps to take by which to measure if you are being emotionally manipulated, and how to balance reasoning with emotions.
Until then, blessings,

John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

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