Truth of the Spirit with Patti Brunner examines deceit and truth by following a court case in scripture to show that even witnesses in court can lie. Deception & Half-Truths in a World Gone Astray reveals the platform of the liars among us in the present darkness. Some among us are paying attention to deceitful spirits and the hypocrisy of liars with branded consciences. What will set us free? Truth of the Spirit shares the solution!
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St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians Chapter 6 “12 For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. 13 Therefore, put on the armor of God that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. 14 So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate”.
Sacred Scripture calls us to surround ourselves with truth. To gird our loins—to bind our passions—to bind our senses that can be deceived. 1 Peter 1:13 “Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Nevertheless, 2 Timothy Chapter 4 warns that, “1 Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the last times some will turn away from the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and demonic instructions 2 through the hypocrisy of liars with branded consciences.”
Welcome to Truth of the Spirit. I’m Patti Brunner. If your eyes are open to current events you are aware that we are living in a time filled with deceitful spirits and the hypocrisy of liars with branded consciences. All around us negative attitudes are colored by deception, half-truths, and a world gone astray. The darkness of the soul shadows the heart with lies. The hearts accept lies when self is served or when pain has broken the bond of love.
The Lord says, “One day soon the hearts shall see and know truth, in my love, with my love. Until that day, I shall continue to send the members of my Body to one another and to the world to show hope and to give healing and peace.” The Lord says, “I shall help you to focus by sending an additional ‘troop’ to camp beside you to war against the deceiver and his cohorts. Continue, child, to seek my face. Continue.”
Then, the generations shall unfold the ancient desire to know God—cleansed of the heaviness of the world’s contamination you shall be free to recognize truth to see truth again without deception. When the desert blooms it is clear that the life giving water has been found.
When the people in the desert were thirsting the Lord, I AM, provided for their needs. Sometimes the only time His people will seek His face is when they are desperate. Allowing the people to suffer so as to bring forth spiritual break-through is only one facet of His loving grace. Some have break through when favor is given—some when a moment in time releases His grace within them. All are not the same; this is why the move of God seems contradictory, but, God is truth, God is Love. These never hide from circumstances but are revealed easily if you but look. As contrition melts the stony heart so do the tears of those in need. God is with you always, to the ends of the earth. There is nothing beyond God.
God taught the people, through Moses, the importance of truth in Exodus 23:1 “You shall not repeat a false report. Do not join your hand with the wicked to be a witness supporting violence.a 2You shall not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When testifying in a lawsuit, you shall not follow the crowd in perverting justice.”
In the same time frame, the book of Deuteronomy Chapter 19 says, “15g One witness alone shall not stand against someone in regard to any crime or any offense that may have been committed; a charge shall stand only on the testimony of two or three witnesses.h” These are ancient rules against lying. They are biblical safeguards to protect the innocent. Yet sometimes deception still takes place.
In Daniel Chapter 13 the story of Susanna reveals that even the two adequate witnesses can collude to get what they want. Susanna was a beautiful married woman. Two elderly men wanted to take advantage of her and she refused. To cover their own immorality they conspired to accuse her instead. They accused her of immorality with a younger man to take the focus off their own actions. Since there were two of them they were getting away with it because the others thought the two men were honorable. Susannah turned her face to God and asked him to rescue her but it looked hopeless. Daniel 13:45 it says, “As she was being led to execution, God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel” This young man, who became a prophet called by God, spoke up and then stepped in to question the old men separately and they were caught in their lies. Susannah was set free and the two liars were punished by death.
The Lord gave us the 8th Commandment “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” The Lord set up the law of ‘adequate witness of two’ to protect us from injustice of liars; even so, it failed Susanna. He sent Daniel to prove the truth and to clear out deceitfulness. Dear Lord, we pray for that same divine guidance in the confusion of deceit in our times.
We should fear not the examination of truth seekers. In Christ Jesus truth is revealed. In darkness, deceitfulness and sin reigns. Jesus came into the World—Light came into the world. As the Light of Christ shines on the darkness truth will reign.
Our main reason for the Truth of the Spirit podcast is that the speaking of truth in media changes the natural hold the enemy has taken on our airwaves. As we join our voice with the others at this battle-front, lives will be affected and changed. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that truth is made known. By the cooperation of Man with the Body of Christ the world is changed –the Father’s Plan! It is time to set forth truth and Light upon the world—joining “forces” with the heavenly realm to send forth truth and Light into the recesses of darkness upon the earth.
Man is chosen by God to hear his voice, yet suffering and persecution will take place as others reject truth. Paul writes the Church in Ephesians 4:14-16 to “no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming. Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body’s growth and builds itself up in love.”
The Lord says, “Fear not the weaknesses of others—I Am. By my stripes you have been healed. As you step into the desert your footprint shall fill with living water so that a pathway shall be made for others to follow. Fear not. Rest in Me. I shall reveal soon, in time, Rest in Me. Rejoice, for this is a day of the Lord. Proclaim freedom to the captives and joy to the sorrowing.” The Lord says, “I am come to bring Light to those who have stood in darkness—to those who have turned away from my Light, who know nothing of my Truth, my Word, my Love.”
The Lord says, “Fear not. Rest in Me. In Me you shall set captives free from the confines, the shackles, the restraints forged by the enemies’ deception and ignorance. The truth shall set the captives free. Be one with Me. Be one with Me. Be one with Me. –so sayth the Lord, King of Kings, Lord of lords, almighty God and savior of the world.” “All difficulties are overcome as the pathway is cleared of obstacles through the grace of the Lord Almighty. Keep your focus on Me,” the Lord says, “and there will be no problems.”
The Lord says, “My child, the days are not filled with darkness. Peace and joy reigns in your hearts despite the trial you face. As you keep in the Light of Truth you shall have joy.
St. Paul wrote in Romans 12:2 “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.”
As you seek the face of God it is always found. As you seek the kingdom of God, sometimes the delay causes some to lose heart—to give up. A true disciple receives the joy, peace–the signs of the presence of God. Turn away from jealousy and selfishness. As the world is “full” of jealousy and self-centeredness, without Truth, it will indeed seek to destroy those who rub the innate conscious; these will seek to quiet the voice of truth so as not to be challenged to be the ‘servant’, but to remain the ‘served’. When the Lord showers blessings and power, those who stand on the outside covet these things and seek to ‘rob’ them; to obtain them by destroying those who contain them. When a disciple receives these blessings and runs into the opposition, they must turn with love not with vengeance—not with a passion to destroy before destruction takes place for themselves. Do you understand? We can’t fight fire with fire but with love. We can’t fight deceit with lies but with truth.
2 Peter 2:2-3 says, “2 Many will follow their licentious ways, and because of them the way of truth will be reviled.3 In their greed they will exploit you with fabrications, but from of old their condemnation has not been idle and their destruction does not sleep.”
As you look out upon the view from your window you see the world operating in its routine, buying and selling, birthing and dying, educating and drifting, watching TV and learning to dwell together in community. How often do the people look to the Lord? The Lord says, “I am the source of all life. I am the source of all goodness. I am the source of all provision—yet, my people rely on themselves, they rely on the marketers and the sellers, they rely on the deceivers.”
Who is the King of Glory? How shall you call Him? He is Wonderful, Counselor, King of the Universe, Provider, Answerer of all questions. Rely on the God who created you. Call upon the Name of the most high Son of God, Jesus, Christ, anointed over all the earth.
We are given a choice, a choice to turn towards the Lord God and the kingdom, to become a new powerful creation, or we can run down and destroy what is good so that we ‘feel’ powerful. Real power comes from truth and trust in God, “In God we trust”. Help us, Lord, to again trust You.
Those who follow the Lord are marked by Baptism. Christians, as “Marked Men” are targets for those who do not accept the truth. Thus true disciples are ‘tested’ by the unbelievers—the rejecters of the Kingdom. When you walk in the Way of the Lord: Serving, healing, with humility and justice, you might face hardship and trial but you will always receive the final recompense—eternal life within the Kingdom of God. Those who torment you have already been judged and condemned.
Duplicity leads to destruction. The Lord God grants Mercy to all who seek him with all their hearts. Those who seek only material gain and ‘status’ are turned away. Come to the Lord with the simplicity of a child. Rest in Him. He is the Way, the Truth, the Life.
The time to set your mind and heart on the Word of the Lord is come. The Wisdom of the Spirit bids you to Understanding. That which was hidden in plain view is now revealed. The depths of self is now turned inside out to allow a refreshing. That which was kept—past mistakes, past denials, past acts of selfishness, past failings are now exposed to the Light of Christ and so the darkness disintegrates. Only goodness and light remain as you breathe the Holy Spirit within your hearts.
Truth is truth and does not contradict. The Church teaches truth—the opinions of Man have kept the fullness of truth from those who seek the face of God and have brought confusion. The Lord says, “Seek my face and banish all “opinion” that is contrary to truth. I reveal to my prophets, I reveal to my Church, I reveal in scripture, I reveal in the hearts of man. When eyes are opened you shall see clearly My Truth.”
What truth is revealed to the Church? There is so much! As we recite the Creed, we recognize the truth that has been discerned for those who had doubted. Unlike our Declaration of Independence, these truthful beliefs are NOT self-evident. They have been revealed to us by God. All Christians hold these truths: One faith, one baptism. We are on a journey of faith. It shall last for a long time—until the kingdom of God reveals all truths to all. Believing and professing a creed is important for the community of believers—thus explaining a part of the need for Church rather than a single believer.
As a Christian we share common beliefs in faith. Although there are many statements of belief in Holy Scripture, it is the Church who has defined the specifics of our common creed.
CCC 187 Professions of faith are called creeds from their first words in Latin: ‘Credo’ means ‘I believe’.
CCC 180 “ ‘Believing’ is a human act, conscious and free, corresponding with the dignity of the human person.”
CCC 181 “’Believing’ is an ecclesial (church) act. The Church’s faith precedes, engenders, supports, and nourishes one faith. The Church is the Mother of all believers.”
Even with these creeds, sometimes man acting alone gets off track and depends on rationalization instead of faith in the truth and steps away. We see that in the splintering of the Church by the number of Christians who cannot believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist but see it only as a symbol. Many who leave the Church just do not know the truth professed in our Creed. That is why it is important. We teach our children and those who are joining the Church as they seek truth: The passion, death, resurrection, ascension of Jesus, Pentecost and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; Triune God—complete attributes of God—all in all; True Body and Blood in the Eucharist. The Creed helps us in applying these truths in the “everyday” life of the Christian. The Spirit dwells among you, among mankind due to the salvation of the One who sacrificed his life for love of the Father and to bring those who were set apart back to the One. One in flesh, One in Spirit, the communion of man and God made possible through the coming of a Messiah as foretold through the ages. Truth has come to set us free.
You’ve been listening to our episode, “Deception, Half-Truths and a World Gone Astray.” We end with a quote from the Gospel of John 8:31-32, “Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
This is Truth of the Spirit and I’m Patti Brunner. We remind you that words in this episode identified as from the Lord are in the category of personal, private revelation and so we invite you to listen with a discerning heart and mind. This has been episode 146; we invite you watch all of our past episodes. They are available on our free YouTube channel. They are timely and timeless in God’s wisdom. Please subscribe, click like, share with a friend and leave us a comment, then come back for more. With the Holy Spirit there’s always more! Amen.
Scripture quotes are taken from the NAB.
Also see 130 Truth vs Fake News
