Live Not By Lies

           I recently read a very insightful book that explains some of the dangers in the current chaos going on in our American culture. Historically, there are few people who take these sorts of warnings seriously, but I pray if you are reading this you may be one of the few.

            The book is called Live Not By Lies by Rod Dreher. Over the last few years, the author has interviewed many older people living in the US who had fled from other countries for their lives and freedoms. Story after story reveals real-life testimonials of the similarities between circumstances in America today with the ways in which totalitarianism took root in their native country. If you care about your family, freedoms, and God-given liberties, there is no time to waste in becoming more aware and taking appropriate action to resist the tyranny being thrust upon us.

             I’ll simply quote the author and let him explain. Part of the Introduction reads,

 

“What is happening here? A progressive—and profoundly anti- Christian militancy—is steadily overtaking society; one described by Pope Benedict XVI as a “worldwide dictatorship of seemingly humanistic ideologies” that pushes dissenters to society’s margins. Benedict called this a manifestation of “the spiritual power of the Antichrist.”2 This spiritual power takes material form in government and private institutions, in corporations, in academia and media, and in the changing practices of everyday American life. It is empowered by unprecedented technological capabilities to sur- veil private life. There is virtually nowhere left to hide.

The old, hard totalitarianism had a vision for the world that required the eradication of Christianity. The new, soft totalitarianism does too, and we are not equipped to resist its sneakier attack.

As we know, communism was militantly atheistic and declared religion to be its mortal enemy. The Soviets and their European allies murdered clergy and cast an uncounted number of believers, both ordained and lay, into prisons and work camps, where many suffered torture.

Today? The Western world has become post-Christian, with large numbers of those born after 1980 rejecting religious faith. This means that they will not only oppose Christians when we stand up for our principles—in particular, in defense of the traditional family, of male and female gender roles, and of the sanctity of human life—but also they will not even understand why they should tolerate dissent based in religious belief.

We cannot hope to resist the coming soft totalitarianism if we do not have our spiritual lives in order. This is the message of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the great anti-communist dissident, Nobel laureate, and Orthodox Christian. He believed the core of the crisis that created and sustained communism was not political but spiritual.

After the publication of his Gulag Archipelago exposed the rottenness of Soviet totalitarianism and made Solzhenitsyn a global hero, Moscow finally expelled him to the West. On the eve of his forced exile, Solzhenitsyn published a final message to the Russian people, titled “Live Not by Lies!” In the essay, Solzhenitsyn challenged the claim that the totalitarian system was so powerful that the ordinary man and woman cannot change it.

Nonsense, he said. The foundation of totalitarianism is an ideology made of lies. The system depends for its existence on a people’s fear of challenging the lies. Said the writer, “Our way must be: Never knowingly support lies!”3 You may not have the strength to stand up in public and say what you really believe, but you can at least refuse to affirm what you do not believe. You may not be able to overthrow totalitarianism, but you can find within yourself and your community the means to live in the dignity of truth. If we must live under the dictatorship of lies, the writer said, then our response must be: “Let their rule hold not through me\”

What does it mean for us today to live not by lies? That is the question this book explores through interviews with and testaments left by Christians (and others) from throughout the Soviet Bloc who lived through totalitarianism, and who share the wisdom they gained through hard experience.

Part one of this book makes the case that despite its superficial permissiveness, liberal democracy is degenerating into something resembling the totalitarianism over which it triumphed in the Cold War. It explores the sources of totalitarianism, revealing the troubling parallels between contemporary society and the ones that gave birth to twentieth-century totalitarianism. It will also examine two particular factors that define the rising soft totalitarianism: the ideology of “social justice,” which dominates academia and other major institutions, and surveillance technology, which has become ubiquitous not from government decree but through the persuasiveness of consumer capitalism. This section ends with a look at the key role intellectuals played in the Bolshevik Revolution and why we cannot afford to laugh off the ideological excesses of our own politically correct intelligentsia.

Part two examines in greater detail forms, methods, and sources of resistance to soft totalitarianism’s lies. Why is religion and the hope it gives at the core of effective resistance? What does the willingness to suffer have to do with living in truth? Why is the family the most important cell of opposition? How does faithful fellowship provide resilience in the face of persecution? How can we learn to recognize totalitarianism’s false messaging and fight its deceit?

How did these oppressed believers get through it? How did they protect themselves and their families? How did they keep their faith, their integrity, even their sanity? Why are they so anxious about the West’s future? Are we capable of hearing them, or will we continue to rest easy in the delusion that it can’t happen here?”

 

            I know many Christians who would explain this away by saying something like, “God is in charge. If he wants America to survive, he will see to it. Meanwhile, I’m called to ‘mind my own business’ and do the best I can with whatever comes my way.” In my opinion, this is a “cop out” and a lie!

            The worst thing about a lie is that there is always some truth in every lie. Of course, God is in charge! Of course, he can make anything happen! Of course, we are not to meddle in others’ affairs, and God delights in our best performance. But as in most lies, it is the omission of truth that makes it a lie. The truth is, throughout history (all through the Bible) God has used people to accomplish his purposes. His plans include his peoples’ cooperation. God’s work is done through his people. We are his people. His work is our work. His business is our business. And God calls us not to tolerate indifferent (see Philippians 2:2). He calls us to resist whatever comes our way that is from the enemy (and doesn’t honor the God we serve (see James 1:7-9). Jesus calls us to be “salt” and “light” (see Matthew 5:13-16). Salt is an active preserving agent. Light dispels darkness.

              

         Yes, there are some times when silence is appropriate, but those times are rare. As the martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer stated in Nazi Germany, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

         We must know the truth, believe the truth, cherish the truth, live the truth, and expose lies that do not line up with the Truth.  And Live Not By Lies!

            God is our Refuge and strength.  Psalm 46 blessings!

 by Ed Hersh, Blue Rock BnB Healing Ministry

Healing A Nation

The first President  of the  USA (232 years ago) and every President until  the 46^th President in 2021, gave an inaugural speech to a live gathering of people.  On January 20, 2021 instead of citizens, there were thousands of soldiers guarding the government from the people.  What is wrong with this picture? The government has slipped away from “by the people, of the people, and for the people” (at the federal level at least).

Our first President, George Washington stated in his inaugural address, “ Since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven, can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained: And since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the Republican model of Government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.”

Basically, what this is saying is that God’s order of creation must be honored and respected by all who call themselves citizens of the great experiment called the United States of America.  God’s sovereign rule is the authority above all nations, forms of government, and policies that dictate the rule of law. Anything short of acknowledging this Truth, will revoke God’s blessing and lead to the downfall of the USA.

The reality is we, as a nation, have turned away from God, and are guilty of the faults our Founders (Washington included) warned us against.  As we disregard the God who made us great, we dismantle our greatness. Turning back to God is our only hope for greatness. Turning back to God is our only hope to solve the problems we face.  Turning back to God is our only hope for unity (by the people, for the people, of the people) to return to being blessed by God. Not that our Founders were perfect in all the ways they themselves acted, but their pursuit of God was leading their way.

Our problems are not chiefly political, although politics is certainly involved. Our problems are a struggle between good and evil. Tyranny is evil. Our Founders fought a battle against tyranny, and won. In recent decades, forces of tyranny have been gaining ground from within our major institutions (especially government, media, and education). Examples are the authoritarian style state Governors using the Covid pandemic for excessive control, the so-called “news” media being hijacked to promote a narrative of fear and mob hysteria, and Big Tech companies using their digital savvy to systematically squash peoples’ opinions they don’t like. Killing unborn children, blurring clear boundaries of male and female biology, and trying to mainstream sodomy by redefining marriage, are abominable ad destructive to civilization. Tyrants are attempting to “cancel” our history and redefine the virtues that made America the greatest nation on earth.  We must fight and resist this tyranny.

Please note, by “fight” I do NOT mean causing physical harm or individuals’ character assassination. The very reason I have to make this qualification is because of tyrants calling evil good, and good evil. The American ideal of civil debate (as a means of fair “fight”) seems to be gone. We must speak up.

The greatest threat to evil tyrants is our good God. Therefore, squeezing God out of our nation’s heritage, culture, institutions, and lifestyles is the tyrants’ greatest aim. Unfortunately, if we are honest with ourselves, those of us who are God-followers must admit we have allowed evil to also invade our own ranks much too deeply. Immorality among  God’s people is rampant, and the Bible as the absolute authority of God is spurned by many who call themselves Christians.

As citizens of the US, at what point do we say, “The tyranny must stop” and engage the evil with resistance? The Germany of the 1930’s waited much too long to resist and paid a high price. Can we learn from history?  Now is the time to fight back the tyranny before it’s too late.The more power a government is given, the more controlling it will become of its people. American ideals hold tolerance in high value. Tyranny is a hypocritical use of tolerance.  We must become intolerant of tyranny within, similar to the way our Founders had to fight tyranny from distant forces.

I believe in America’s right to exist and defend her liberties (“America-first”), as a good political strategy in the global view of things.  However, my primary citizenship is in the Kingdom of God. As Christ-followers we cannot confuse our loyalties. The Church is called to a “Jesus first” strategy. Father God sent his only Son Jesus into the world to save the world from its brokenness (John 3:16-17).

For those of us who are citizens of God’s Kingdom we must first fight tyranny at our own personal heart level. With Christ as Lord our heart is being liberated from the tyranny of the devil’s imprisonment (see Isaiah 61:1). The Bible warns us that the “devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  The book of James says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  Submit therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:6-7).  And resist we must. Distractions and deceptions are more common than ever to cause watering down and numbing of our full devotion to Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:3).  Hebrews says, “Take care, brothers and sisters, that there will not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God (Hebrews 3:12). The Church in America desperately needs revival. A revived Church is the best hope for healing a nation. 

Seeing revival in our land begins with being revival in our hearts. Our personal transformation journeys together can change the course of our nation’s demise. See some of my other articles for what inner transformation looks like. 

          My prayer is that we can make the following often-quoted Bible verses a part of our everyday lives.  God says,

“If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land”   (2 Chronicles 7:13-14).

God’s healing is conditional on our response to him. Seeking his face in prayer Is a huge part of it. God also requires repentance. Everything in our lives that leaves even the slightest hint of an open door for evil to slip through, must go. Resistance starts with giving no assistance, to ungodly thoughts which lead to ungodly actions. Why not get “all in” today? What is there to lose, when Christ is our gain?

And after our hearts are right with God, speak up to make him known in our land. Ask God to heal our land, and proclaim his authority especially to those who deny it. Speak up Church! Speak up?

Note:  I realize some may perceive some statements above as “too strong.” I do not think fighting tyranny and showing the world the compassion of Christ are antithetical. I believe this is not an “either/ or”, but a “both/ and” course of action needed. Sometimes the “loving” thing to do is to take a stand against evil. Jesus himself did just that. We need to distinguish between the promoters of evil and the average person who gets caught up in it. We must also recognize the difference between the “spiritual warfare” behind tyranny; not seeing people as the problem, but their actions stirred up by the common enemy of our souls.  I recommend a book, “Bold and Broken: Becoming a Bridge Between Heaven and Earth” by David & Jason Benham

by Ed Hersh, Blue Rock BnB Healing Ministry

Simplifying 2020

            Few would disagree that year 2020 brought unprecedented physical, psychological, and relational challenges from personal life all the way to the seats of power on a global scale.  I think back to the many “2020 vision” plans many communities initiated almost a decade ago, asking the question, “What do want our community to look like in year 2020?”  Did we imagine anything like our current situation with a pandemic?  I don’t think so.  Now that year 2020 is “in the books,” we can ask, “Where are we, in reality, and where are we going in 2021?”

            Year 2020 has been a year of “vision shakeup.”  Isn’t it ironic that 20/20 is the standard for perfect visual acuity?  Eyesight is measured by how accurate one can distinguish letters on a standard chart from a standard distance.  Without the standards in place there’s no way to get an accurate measure of how well one sees.  Our vision for the future is similar.  Our standards are drawn from our beliefs and what we have experienced to this point in life.  In 2020, so many uncertainties, on so many different levels, in so many areas of life at the same time has created a serious problem of vision loss.  So many of our “standards” are gone.  For many, our world has become a complicated maze in which they find themselves groping in darkness, looking for some sort of new “eyeglasses” to help them make sense of what’s in front of them.   

            For the Christian, how do we navigate the complications?  I would suggest we simplify, and make Jesus our 20/20 bullseye target.  The more complicated our world becomes,  the more simple our devotion to Jesus requires of us.  The Bible records a warning the Apostle Paul gave the church in Corinth.  “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” (2 Corinthians 11:3).  Simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ is our shield against being deceived and dissuaded by the devil. Yes, evil is at work in our world, and its goal is to deceive and distract us from pure devotion to Jesus on a daily basis.

              As I see it, year 2020 brought us an overdose of deception. From a so-called pandemic virus out of China (with coverup on a global scale) to a “fake” Presidential election in America on November 3^rd , craftiness of the common enemy of our soul has deceived the minds of many. Much of the deception hides behind things like “science” and “public opinion.”  But lies are lies, and Satan (“serpent” in verse quoted above) is the master liar (John 8:44). Science cannot deceive God, and public opinion does not define truth. Truth is God’s reality, not man’s. Jesus IS “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6). Devotion to Jesus demands a commitment to truth. Many Proverbs speak of the folly of falsehood. By no means do I claim to have a corner on truth regarding the China virus, nor the extent of lack of integrity in the November elections, but enough evidence is available to warrant deeper investigations if we are genuinely devoted to seeking the truth. As Americans we should be demanding that our leaders uphold truth. As Christians, we should be praying for God’s righteousness and justice to prevail, and taking action accordingly in whatever sphere we are called to serve God and our fellowmen.

            Truth both divides, and unites. Pursuing truth drives out (divides out) falsehood. Falsehood is evil, but Jesus conquered evil. Without Jesus we are enslaved by falsehood. The Way to conquer evil, is to believe in the Truth, that we might have Life (John 14:6). The more devoted we are to Jesus, the more united we are “in Christ.”

            The writer of Hebrews gives us a similar exhortation as Paul wrote in Corinthians.  “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).  This chapter begins with “therefore” because it immediately follows chapter eleven describing the exploits of a whole list of “heroes” of the faith.  It lists some of their “complicated” situations.  When we think WE have it bad, we do well to read and consider the difficulties many before us have faced. But, besides taking encouragement from our predecessors vision in pursuing God, we can follow their example by “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.”     
            Jesus is our standard. Jesus deserves our devotion. He also requires it.  He lived a life devoted to vision set forth by Father God.  All through the book of John we read how Jesus didn’t do anything outside the will of Father.  He was simply devoted to pleasing the Father in everything, and he calls us to the same devotion.  Before he left the earth, he gave us the Holy Spirit for power and companionship to complete the vision (see John 20:19-23).  Jesus calls us to more than acting or pretending devotion.  Jesus calls us to BE devoted.  Jesus doesn’t just call us to part-time purity, but Jesus calls us to full time, all in, no turning back, purity.   

            I think the days ahead are going to require us to pay more attention to our devotion quotient. To increase our devotion will require more simplifying.  We may look back someday and see how year 2020 served us in that way.   

My hope is that the reader could “uncomplicate” his or her life by simplifying to  “lay aside every encumbrance” (as the verse above says).  We do well to ask ourselves some questions and simply ACT to go in the right direction.

What “encumbrances” are in my life?  Examples are addictions, pornography, immorality, ungodly friends, so-called social media, too much food, technology, etc. 

What is my next step in “purifying” myself from these?  Examples might be, telling a co-follower of Jesus and being accountable, finding new friends in church relationships, set time limits or dollar limits and log your progress, write down your commitments and read and follow them every day, talk to God about them and get his help every day, and whatever necessary change looks like for you.    

            Where might confession and repentance be necessary?  Examples might include seeking God’s forgiveness for things you know are wrong like the encumbrances note above, things done to other people like lying and cheating, slandering, or inner life condemning judgments and bitterness.

Who might I need to forgive or reconcile with to be free from an offense? (either as the one offended or as an offender)

What broader changes do I have to make to be “devoted” to Jesus as a lifestyle?   Examples could be regular Bible study, engaging community of believers, career/ type of work, living situation. 

How committed to truth am I in reality? Do I want to know the truth even if it hurts? Where is my voice needed, or what actions might be necessary for me to take, to uphold the truth in my community, organization, political party, family, church group, employment?

            May 2021 be a year of deeper devotion to Jesus and simplicity in obeying the truth of God’s Word.

 by Ed Hersh, Blue Rock BnB Healing Ministry