What should I do it a trusted leader turns out to be a fraud?

Growing as a Christian, it can be damaging to your faith to realize that some trusted Christian (even leader) you know turns out to be a fraud. It might make you feel stupid, like you were tricked, and it might also make you think that the leadership was also foolish. 

Satan is all about damaging your faith. Be vigilant, but realize in Matthew 13:24-30, God told you to EXPECT this trick by Satan. In fact, He flat-out warned us that there is a harvest, and the good wheat will have a lookalike weed (called a tare) among it. That weed is sown by Satan himself! So how can you be on the lookout so that you're not so hurt? Simple! "But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also." (v26)

Look at the fruit that people produce. It can be good, bad, or non-existent. But don't be discouraged. That's what Satan wants. 

It's only a struggle if you fight it.

Yes or no: Some people just need to come to their senses! What if you were working for the enemy and didn't even know it? God says that we should be "with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,  and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will." (2 Tim 2:25-26)

That's a scary thing! How can we make sure that we're not Satan's unwitting POWs? God explains 3 verses before by saying, "flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." Embracing unrighteousness—even just by refusing to fight it—can lead to us being held captive by Satan to do his will. 

It's not a struggle with sin if you're not fighting it. Flee it. Fight it. Don't be captured by it. And if you have friends who are captive to Satan, fight for their freedom, but don't let them snare you for Satan. :)

The Swiss Cheese Model of Sin and Catastrophe

WARNING: PG-13. Have you ever heard someone say, "I didn't mean to have sex, it just happened?" If you'd like, replaced "sex" with "I didn't mean to get drunk and then drive," or "I didn't mean to lie and then have to tell a bigger lie to cover it up."  The concept in all of these is the same: something went from OK to disaster in one step. However, that's very rarely the case. 

Look at the attached picture. The Swiss Cheese model of accident causation is a model used in risk analysis and risk management. It shows that we have multiple layers of defenses against accidents, and that multiple failures, when aligned, can spell disaster. This is also true spiritually. 

Usually people don't just instantly fornicate. Instead, they like each other. They talk to each other. Then maybe they kiss, talk about sex, start spending time alone together, start taking off clothes, touching sensually, and THEN it happens. That's why God warns us, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts." (Romans 13:14) Each of those steps toward sleeping with someone is us allowing a provision for sin, but each is a chance for us to stop sin in its tracks. 

James 1 explains it like this: "But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death." (v14-15) Let's use every chance we have to prevent sin! 

A deadly process.

"Wait, you drove to see her while you were drunk? Seriously? That's horrible and dangerous, you could hav—"  "OH SHUT THE **** UP, I should have known you'd judge me. Like you're perfect. Everyone's driven drunk. It wasn't that bad."

That's from a conversation I had with a Christian in my past. This person had a billion good qualities of stunning magnitude, but refused to address this particularly strong fondness for drinking to excess. Satan has a flowchart to deceive us. First, he hooks us with a sin. But he needs us to think that it's normal to sin. To do that, he gives us friends who do the same things, because bad company corrupts good morals. He wants us not only to practice that sin, but to give approval to those who do; to feel more comfortable letting loose with them than being around the saints. (Rom 1:32)  Consider this escalation of thought: 

My friends drink, so I'll try it, too. -> You know, everyone drinks a little. -> Everyone likes to let loose and party with friends. -> Everyone gets drunk. Everyone drives drunk. -> Wow, my friends don't criticize me for this! No wonder I hang out with them. They're compassionate. You're not. Get out of my life.

That escalation can occur with anything. Everyone watches porn, right?  Everyone cusses, right? Everyone sleeps around, right? 

Because we go down that process of thought and are so desensitized toward sin, we fail to have the proper response toward it, whether it is our own sin, or sin in others. We minimize it, justify it, or ignore it and go on our way unaffected by it—or so we think it has no effect. We look at those billion good qualities and feel proud of our spiritual accomplishments and tell ourselves, "This outweighs that sin I'm keeping—that's what grace is for!" 

God says, "And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold." (Mt 24:12) Our love for righteousness grows cold.  We exchange the truth of God for a lie, and become liars seared in our own consciences. We become dead men walking. Don't let that happen to you. Nip it in the bud. 

Self-deception and Denial

None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free. Being deceived, especially by our own selves, is a terrible and scary thing, and thus God said, "But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." (1 Cor 11:3)

Following God is actually simple, but it requires the purity of devotion, and in order to do that, we have to be honest with ourselves first. Can I say that spending my time playing beer pong is really something I could offer as a gift or devotion to God? If I'm honest, nope. Cut away the fluff that Satan uses to confuse us and look at the foundation. If it's beneficial, do it. If not, replace it with something that is.

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Denial is man's worst enemy but often his most constant companion. Sometimes we have to get caught doing something bad before we admit it and fix it. I kind of mentioned yesterday that I can have issues with gentleness (makes it tough to be a gentleman), which reveals something about me. God puts it this way,

"Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness." (Gal 6:1)

When my attitude is, "I'm going to put you in your place," it shows that my focus is worldly and not spiritual. I'm working hard to be gentle at every chance, and to say instead, "Man, Satan's a tough enemy, so let's team up and take him on and beat this! Winners, not sinners!"

Breaking Bad. (Habits, that is.)

I once dated a girl who was a lot like I was: neither of us wanted to break some of our bad habits. Have you ever thought of that? "Breaking bad habits." Often the terms we use really carry a lot of meaning. "Fooling around." Yep, it's foolish. "Getting wasted." Yep, it's a waste.

Unfortunately, we often tell ourselves that bad habits don't need to be broken, are too hard to break, or that we're not ready. Jesus, however, points out, "And he who falls on this stone [Jesus/the Word] will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust." (Mt 21:44)

We only have two options: break the bad habits or be scattered like dust! Let's start breaking the bad habits today, and put fooling around, getting wasted, and all the junk of the flesh in the past!

Your friends make a difference.

Your friends really do make a difference.  "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." (Pro 13:20)

I used to work 911 and was assigned the weekend shift to deal with the wild nights at the bars. It was very easy to witness the harm that people shared among themselves, from lasting sexual diseases to death. Some things don't change, but you can change who your friends are, and what habits you have. 

When you just can't stand someone.

"Man, that stinking witch...well, God requires that I love her, but she should have her sins exposed and man I'd like to punch her face!  If only everyone else knew what I know about her!"—an internal thought from a Christian.

"Oh yeah, well you don't really serve Christ; it's all for show with you [censored], go to HELL!"—a Christian phone call gone nasty.

"Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”—Romans 13:14; God.

The above are a symptom of sickness in the lives of Christians; the symptom of a deadly disease which carries with it a host of other maladies. It is called "bitterness," expressed in Greek as being "pikros," meaning that the entire thing is cutting, sharp.  Have you ever seen that sort of response from a Christian in a relationship? Calculated, incisive, meant to cause damage...here is something better to consider:

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice."—Eph 4:31 

Spiritual Mathematics: The Sin Wave.

BQ:  Have you ever seen a sin/sine wave? It's something in math that looks like the attached picture above.



Notice that there are ups and downs, but the average value is zero.

This can happen in the lives of Christians, too. They cycle between the world and Christ, bouncing back and forth, which results in an average growth of...none at all. Stagnancy.

In order for us to claim that we have a personal struggle with sin, we have to actually be fighting it.  If we don't, there's no struggle involved. How do we begin to get out of this endless wave of horror?

1 John 1:9  helps us begin saying, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

BQ: In order to get out of a stagnant cycle where we're run between Christ and the world seemingly ceaselessly, we first have to confess our sins. This is deeper than just saying, "I have an issue." In fact, it's taking a full-on look at exactly where we are...and also exactly what we're doing to get out of that place.

Without that, we often slip back into the mindset of, "Well I sinned really, really bad, God's grace is there again."  This is a very true statement, but it lets in the subtle notion that we can sin all the more, and grace will simply increase, which God doesn't want us to have. 

You see, God doesn't want us to say, "This is something that I just can't beat." He doesn't want us to say, "Well for this issue, I'm just always going to need a bucket of grace, because I can't kick it."

NO! God wants us to say, ""No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man, and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." (I Corinthians 10:13).

BQ: You see, God does not want us to have the attitude of someone who has been conquered by some sin that we can't overcome. He doesn't want us to accept a sin wave as the ultimate reality of our existence!  In fact, He wants us to know that such a stagnant thing can kill us, and warns us in James 1:14-15 saying,

"But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death!"

If you let the poison of the world keep coursing through your veins, eventually that sin wave will not even be a wave anymore, but will accomplish death! That's why God not only said verses 14-15, but with 16 warned us, "Do not be deceived, my beloved brethern!" 





BQ: We can't let Satan deceive us into thinking that we've tried our hardest and it wasn't enough. If we've tried hard by ourselves and can't shake some sin, it's time to enlist a brother or sister in helping! Alcoholics Anonymous uses a buddy system, so that when you're struggling, you can call on someone else to help you shake it.

We can't be too proud to do the same! Instead of pushing away those who would help and hiding our sin, we need to not only admit it, as God says, but to pester a brother or sister to help us put distance between that darkness and ourselves! 

DON'T HIDE YOUR PROBLEMS! DON'T TRY TO FIGHT IT ALONE! Ecclesiastes 4:12 begs us, saying, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

If you try to go lone-wolf, the world may overpower you. And if you're already in a sin wave, the fact is, you're already overpowered, because that which is not growing, is ultimately dying. Enlist a brother or sister to help defend against Satan!






BQ: God tells us, "For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."

When we're stuck in a sin wave, that help that God provides comes from multiple places, but much of it is from our brothers and sisters. There is a spiritual war going on, and Satan is a supernatural evil who has only lost once. But that failure was utter and complete, and now God has made us "an exceedingly great army." (Eze 37:10)

To all of my spiritual family, there is a horrible war going on, and we are part of an army of magnitude. But if we decide to run off onto the battlefield alone, without all of that power going with us, Satan will win.

If you are struggling, reach out to your brothers and sisters. Apply the sword of truth to yourself.  Removing cancer is never fun, and often painful, but we have the best physician with the best helper and the best support group. Embrace them. Embrace life. Embrace a trajectory that is ever upward. 


"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) He has overcome, and so can we.

As soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her sons.

With thanks to Rio and Miriam, about something that has been on my mind.

I have personally watched Christian friends slip into the world, committing both spiritual suicide with themselves, and spiritual murder with the things they did with others, and encouraged others to do. And those times have been the most painful of my life, bar none.  And those times have been the most painful of my life, bar none. A lot of that pain comes from the pain of knowing what I've been, and the damage I've caused in the past.

Even if you don't personally like the person that much, the pain is devastating, because there is nothing you can do.  You cannot be the conscience for someone who wants his or her conscience to be seared.  Often, these people will apply a veneer of godliness, so that they can look at their fake reality and call it real, but the poison runs deep and is killing them.

What do you do? Do you delete such a person from your life? Do you utterly abandon them?  

I have often done that. I don't think it's right. It was my selfish way of protecting myself from pain. I once encouraged my mother and sister to abandon someone who caused them great pain and tears. They refused.  Instead of letting the person simply get off easy, they were loving but also truthful.  Their efforts were met seemingly forever with rejection and cruelty.

And yet God says, "Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!" (Psalms 126:5)

Who wants to sow a field with such effort that it causes them to cry? Isn't it easier to just abandon that plot and more on to easier territory? 

My sister and mom didn't. They sowed in tears. Eventually, the person they loved changed. Hard times came. Rock bottom was hit. This person was abandoned. And suddenly, the person realized that through everything she had done, despite the evil of it, two people were still compassionate. Compassionate despite the way they'd been treated. And indeed, none of the person's actions had been more than passing pleasure.  And in the end, my mother and sister reaped with joyful shouting.

Compare that with two of my own examples. Both times, I saw someone reverting back to their old friends and old ways, including drinking. Both times, I said, "That hurts me and is repulsive behavior. You're otta' my life."  And both these people, now, are fully surrounded by the world, molded into it as a part of it, horrifically deep.  Attempts by me now to say, "Hey, I care about you," have no weight behind them. Because I gave up. Instead of being loving but correcting, I threw away anything, including hope, no matter how small.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit." 

Are you like that? If you persist in love, will you not remain green? Are you afraid of the pain, and willing to wilt away from hope and caring? There is only one way to bear fruit, and it is through persistence. 

Sometimes, however, when you are persistent, people will reject you. It happens. As my friend Rio once told me as a wake-up call, and this is paraphrased "Sometimes nothing you do can reach people, and you'll be consumed."  You have to know when that point is, but you can also make the conscious decision to not simply and utterly reject them.

The truth with the person struggling is that we do not know if they will be overcome, or shall overcome.  We cannot make the call with their struggles, or with their future.  We cannot condemn their hearts, but can see their difficulties. 

And more importantly, sometimes people have to hit utter rock bottom. They have to be at the lowest, where the sun does not shine, before they decide they don't want to be in the pit. 

God tells us that a struggle is present, and that it shall not come without weeping. For our struggles, for our help, and for the struggles of others, it is often true that much pain must be endured before we conquer. 

In Isaiah 66:8, God confirms this and says, "Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons."

New birth does not come without pain and persistence, but we have to maintain the hope of beautiful things to come. We must have the attitude that we would, "could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." (Romans 9:3)

And if you're sad, hurt, and damaged, remember, "Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD." (Proverbs 16:20)  When you're feeling darkest and down in the dumps, dwell even stronger in the Word.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

Secret Sin: Can You Keep It Hidden?

Food for thought and the stout of stomach:

I have personal reasons to address this heavy topic today, but it is my hope to prick your hearts and dampen the power of evil that has so strong a hold on too many souls in this world. And so I ask:

What dark secrets are you hiding?

How long do you think you have before they will be discovered?

It really doesn't matter how clever you are, how carefully you cover your tracks or how masterfully you might be able to manipulate those around you. No matter how hard we try, we cannot conceal our sin from God, and He has the power to reveal it to anyone, at any time.

"Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops." Luke 12:2-3

Are you ready for that?!?

"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption..." Gal 6:7-8a

Sin reaps corruption! That's a harsh saying and a hard truth, isn't it? Some sin is easy to confess and some sin is so shameful, so utterly vile that we might rather die than to speak it aloud, but even that sin is forgiveable.

What do we do?? For one, we could repent and confess of our sins (which means STOP IT! and FIX IT!) letting Christ wash it away OR continue in our delusion that we are in control and will never be found out.

Choosing the first, we can continue in Galatians to see that:
"...the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." 8a-9

Trade the physical for the Spiritual! Do GOOD, have patience, and be determined never to give up! The reward is beyond any fading lust or pleasure we experience here-- it is eternal life in paradise!

Still don't think you're touchable? Still think what you're doing isn't hurting anyone? What they don't know won't hurt them, isn't that the saying? If you've got the idea you are just fine, consider the warning of Titus:

"To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work." Titus 1:15-16

If you aren't obeying God, if you refuse to fight your sin, beware, lest you go so far down the path of destruction that you develop a defiled conscience that cannot guide you back the right way. If you are unfit for any good work, what are you fit for?

No pity parties! No excuses! Your sin hurts those you love and it is your choice to change that path. . . . 

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER your Savior waits for you with love and open arms, He will forgive you. He's pretty awesome like that. 

Slipping back into bad habits.

BQ: What do you do if you're around those still captive to Satan and they're busy engaging in things that are evil? It's often tempting for us to think, "Man, I've got this. I won't stoop to that level," but what advice does God give us?

A: "A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, The naive proceed and pay the penalty. (Pro 27:12) 1 Cor 15:33 says the same, "Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."

When we lead ourselves to believe that we're impervious to spiritual danger, we only expose ourselves as being naive. Instead of choosing bad company, choose to hang around with those who will make you stronger!




BQ:  There's a book by Dr. Seuss called, "Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now?"  It has lines like, "The time has come, the time is now, Marvin K. Mooney will you please go now?" God has a similar plea to us throughout the Bible. People always want to delay putting off worldliness, yet God always  asks that we do it soon! Why? Because,

"Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." (James 4:13-14)

Putting off changing assumes that we'll always have time to change in the future, but we don't know which moment will be the last future moment for us. Old, dead sinner, will you please go now? 







BQ:  Sometimes people become Christians and then decide that they can indulge in some bad habits, especially if they're not "too bad," as long as they don't go back into sinning "hardcore."  How does God feel about this? 

A: "But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?" (Gal 4:9)

When we start that downhill slide, it's showing a desire to be enslaved again by Satan, so it's critical to not even step foot on that slippery slope. 






BQ: As a Christian, it's important to not return to worldliness. God's chosen people, the Israelites, repeatedly did this in the Old Testament, leading God to say such things as, "You too have done evil, even more than your forefathers; for behold, you are each one walking according to the stubbornness of his own evil heart, without listening to Me." (Jer 16:12)

Often when we return to worldliness, it's a sign of our own stubbornness, which is a shame, because we could be stubborn for God as opposed to against Him. God always reminds us to avoid evil, and He explains that going back to the world after finding Him is a chancy thing to do.  "For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first."  (2 Pet 2:20) When you play with fire, it's easy to get burned. The "oh duh, Lucas," solution is not to play with fire at all!





BQ:  We've looked at slipping back into worldliness, and 2 Tim 3:13 is actually very much related to this sort of topic. It says, "But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." 

At first glance, this is only talking about evil men and fakes, right? The thing is, when we claim to be Christian, yet act like the world, what exactly does that make us? Yep! Fakes. Impostors. We end up both deceiving and being deceived, instead of edifying others and being edified. God ends up describing this sort of person as one whose "silver has become dross," whose "drink diluted with water." (Is 1:22)  

We all need to be very careful to avoid being cheap imitations of the real thing! 

Who will not inherit the Kingdom?

Who won’t inherit the kingdom?
BQ: Who will not inherit the Kingdom of God?

A: 1 Cor 6:9-10, 1 Pet 4: 1-5, Rom 13:4, Rev 21:27.

Look at all the practices there. Doctors practice medicine. That is, they do it habitually, repeatedly. If we think that we are Christians, yet we still allow ourselves to repeatedly go to drinking parties, or fornicate, or steal, etc., we're not remaining faithful to Christ, and we shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven. Let's not make excuses for practicing unrighteousness, because we don't fool the Spirit, even if we deceive ourselves.
(PN15) 

Self-deception and the seared conscience.

Self-deception, seared consciences.
BQ: How deceitful sin is! In 1 Tim 4:2, it's mentioned that there are people who are "seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron." We're tempted to think that we can pick some little forbidden thing and just keep it around while getting our salvation. It's kind of like saying your steak is on the grill and as long as you don't turn UP the heat from the current setting, it's not going to continue to cook. The thing is, you will indeed sear that steak through unless you pull it off that hot surface!

Question: When is God faithful to forgive our sins? What does repentance cause? Don't be deceived—who won't inherit the kingdom?

A: 1 John 1:9, 2 Cor 7:10-11, 1 Cor 6:9-11.

If we don't confess our sins and get rid of self-deception, we continue searing our consciences in the heat of the world! Let's get off that hot grill! 
(PN4)