Truth

[0:00] launch into our message for this morning which begins with in November 1863 President Abraham Lincoln concluded his famous Gettysburg Address that commemorated those who died at this battlefield this was the battle between the north and south that is generally regarded as the turning point of the great conflict between the states and here were President Lincoln's closing words we hear highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth freedom a new birth of freedom

[1:15] Americans before and after Lincoln have cherished and held freedom high and so we should and so we must it is built into our national anthem when we sing those songs about whether the star-spangled banner still waves or the land of the free and the home of the brave and add to those endearing words what Emma Lazarus emblazoned at the base of the Statue of Liberty that every immigrant person coming to America would pass as their ship entered the harbor of New York City in America give me your tired your poor your huddled masses yearning to breathe free land of the free and the huddled masses yearning to breathe free all Americans who are at all tuned in to what is taking place in our nation today realizes this thing we call freedom the freedom for which so many have fought and died appears to be in shorter and shorter supply and I will tell you why this is it is because freedom can exist and thrive only when its underpinning is intact and it is the underpinning the foundation of freedom that is becoming shorter and shorter in supply our prayer is that a sufficient number of Americans will come to realize this before it is too late and what is this underpinning this foundation of which we speak it is truth truth truth truth not freedom is our real lack because freedom is the child of truth not the parent truth be gone freedom collapses let truth prevail and freedom is the automatic result you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free truth truth truth be assured be assured if truth is sufficiently devalued freedom will be the first casualty and is it not true that we hear of far more cries and demands for freedom truth then we are hearing for truth but if America thinks she can enjoy freedoms while ignoring truth she is sadly mistaken when this nation was dreaming about the worst way or as he is Hejanda when this nation was birthed in the freedom of 1776 truth was a given its importance was automatically embraced your Jesus Christ and his current nonsense of you have your truth and I have my truth

[5:16] It's complete nonsense. Truth under our founding fathers was a given. Today you're having your truth me having my truth has almost become a mantra of our so-called enlightened society. Truth to these is akin to beauty.

[5:44] It's barely in the eye of the beholder. Our forefathers when they signed that Declaration of Independence and pledged their lives their fortune and their sacred honor they cherished freedom but they fully realized that truth was the parent of that freedom. Where did they get that idea? How did they come by that?

[6:11] They obtained it from the scriptures and it was ingrained into the early American psyche that truth matters to God greatly and that alone is why it should matter to us. Examine worldwide if you will look at all and I do mean all look at all the despotic authoritarian oppressive governments throughout the world and there are many on every continent and you will find what they all have in common all of them. All of them. And that is the absence of truth. Because the only truth that exists in them is what those in charge say it is. And because that is their definition of truth, freedom for them is non-existent.

[7:11] I want you to listen to several passages of scripture from the Old Testament. In fact we might call this the Old Testament establishment of truth.

[7:26] And begin with Proverbs 23 and verse 23. By the truth. By the truth. And sell it not. What a beautiful expression.

[7:40] That simply means that truth is such a valuable commodity. That you need to be willing. To buy it and pay for it.

[7:52] It's costly. You need to be willing to shell out. To obtain truth. But then the rest of it says and sell it not.

[8:03] And that implies. That once you have truth. It isn't for sale. It's for keeping. You pay the price to obtain it.

[8:19] But you're unwilling to give it up. At any cost. It's a beautiful expression. Get wisdom. The verse goes on. Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

[8:32] Now think about this. All of these wisdom, instruction, and understanding. Are all predicated upon the presence and the adoption of truth.

[8:45] In the absence of truth. You can forget about wisdom. Instruction and understanding. Truth is the building block of all of these.

[8:59] And without truth. Wisdom, instruction, and understanding. Are simply unavailable. You cannot have them.

[9:10] Apart from truth. I'd like you to turn, if you would please, to Isaiah chapter 59. And while you were turning there, let me bring you up to speed a little bit as to what was happening.

[9:25] This is approximately 700 years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. And already the Old Testament.

[9:36] Has very well established itself as to the value of truth. And how close it is to the heart of God. This is a wonderful passage. And it is delivered by the prophet Isaiah.

[9:49] And we'll see some what some of the other prophets had to say as well. To a nation. That was in moral and spiritual crisis. Is there anything about that that sounds familiar?

[10:04] Isaiah is addressing a nation that was in moral and spiritual crisis. Idolatry had inundated the land.

[10:16] And the prophets that God raised up repeatedly warned the people. That if they did not forsake their idolatrous ways. And returned to him. There would be a severe price to pay.

[10:29] And of course we know by this time. The northern and the southern kingdoms were in existence. Israel had been divided into the north and the south. And both were in serious trouble.

[10:41] Both had divorced themselves from the standards and the values. That were employed when God birthed them as a nation. Reading from Isaiah 59.

[10:53] Behold the Lord's hand is not short so that it cannot save. Neither is his ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God.

[11:10] Now I want to inject something here that I think is really very, very important. Those of you who are familiar with Grace Bible Church know how we feel about progressive revelation.

[11:22] And about the special information and mystery that was delivered under the apostle Paul. That completely changed everything. And as a result we look upon the Old Testament.

[11:35] And including the Gospels. As the base or the foundation. For what God wanted to express to his people for all times. And while we fully agree.

[11:48] And understand that Isaiah is part of the Jewish economy. And that it was content that was delivered by a Jewish prophet.

[11:59] To a Jewish nation. For their benefit. That's the interpretation. And I would not change that one whit. Because even as Romans 15.4 tells us.

[12:13] That whatsoever things were written aforetime. And when Paul wrote Romans. When Paul wrote Romans and said whatsoever things were written aforetime. This is one of the things he had in mind.

[12:26] Isaiah. Jeremiah. Moses. Daniel. And all the rest. He's talking about the Old Testament. Whatsoever things were written aforetime. Were written for our learning.

[12:39] It isn't necessarily to go and do likewise. As some would take it. Because if that were the case. Then of course you've got to sacrifice animals. And keep the Sabbath and all.

[12:50] And we know that's not the way it goes. What I'm saying is. There is the interpretation of scripture. And there is the application of scripture. And in the interpretation is. This is specifically designed for.

[13:03] And intended for. Israel. The nation that was in a covenant relationship with God. However. There are spiritual abiding principles. That are stretched all the way from Genesis to Malachi.

[13:15] And include the four gospels. And all the rest of the Bible. That are absolutely riddled with valid applications. They are truisms that apply to any and all dispensations.

[13:26] At any and all times. And this is one of them. So I am not trying to make Israel here. Be the United States of America. Because it isn't. But it is absolutely critical.

[13:39] That you understand. There are spiritual principles involved. That are fully applicable. By way of an application.

[13:50] Not an interpretation. And the difference is huge. Your iniquities. Your iniquities. Have made a separation between you and your God.

[14:02] Now this was true between God and Israel. By way of application. Let me ask you this. Is there any way that this could be true? Between. By way of principle.

[14:13] Between the United States and God. And God. Hmm. Is there a principle there that is valid? That is as applicable.

[14:24] Not to be interpreted of. But that is as applicable for the USA as it is for Israel. And as applicable for France as it is for Israel.

[14:38] And as applicable for Germany as it is. You get the point. Your sins have hidden his face from you. So that he does not hear. For your hands. Are defiled.

[14:50] With blood. There are few things that God hates more.

[15:04] Than the shedding of innocent blood. Than the shedding of innocent blood. All throughout scripture that is condemned.

[15:15] And here he tells the Israelites. Your hands are defiled with blood. That's one of the main things that separates me from you. That's one of your principal iniquities.

[15:26] The fact that you've engaged in the shedding of blood. Is there any possible application here for the U.S. of A. If it hasn't already occurred to you.

[15:43] I won't take time to mention it. Your hands are defiled with blood. And your fingers. With iniquity.

[15:54] Your lips. Have spoken. Falsehood. Falsehood. As opposite to the truth that you can get.

[16:07] Your tongue. Mutters. Wickedness. No one sues righteously. And no one pleads honestly.

[16:18] They trust in confusion. And speak. Lies. Again I ask you. Is there any possible application here across the board?

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[16:43] No one myths, the Diego. We know who's financial, sustained иногда. Sunday andозможно cancers in Trentonhes, my number of people by the age, Who probably could not hide within⤴ Selway Ad Talent. Surely you could not incorporate Washington, D.C. They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.

[16:59] They hatch adder's eggs and weave the spider's web. The adder is a super poisonous serpent in the Mideast.

[17:10] And when they lay eggs, they lay several dozen eggs and that births a whole bunch of little adders. I understand that it was an adder that took the life of Queen Cleopatra.

[17:25] He who eats of their eggs dies. And from that which is crushed, a snake breaks forth. That is when the egg is open. Their webs will not become clothing, nor will they cover themselves with their works.

[17:40] Their works are works of iniquity, and an act of violence is in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they hasten to shed innocent blood.

[17:58] Their thoughts are the thoughts of iniquity. Devastation and destruction are in their highways. They do not know the way of peace, and there is no justice in their tracks.

[18:16] Anything in particular going on in the United States of America with the storied Department of Justice? With some of the shenanigans that's taken place in the Department of Justice?

[18:37] I'm surprised someone hasn't scaled that office building and in black spray paint letters.

[18:50] Maybe I shouldn't be saying this. Give somebody the idea. Spray paint the words in, I-N, in front of justice.

[19:02] The Department of Injustice. I don't know about you, but growing up as a lad, I considered the Federal Bureau of Investigation as authoritative and honest and upright as God himself.

[19:22] My views of that have changed. Let's move on. They've made their paths crooked. Whoever treads on them does not know peace.

[19:34] Therefore, listen to verse 9. Justice is far from us. And righteousness does not overtake us.

[19:46] We hope for light, but behold darkness. For brightness, but we walk in gloom. We grope along the wall like blind men. We grope like those who have no eyes.

[19:58] We stumble at midday as in the twilight. Among those who are vigorous, we are like dead men. All of us growl like bears and moan sadly like doves.

[20:11] We hope for justice. But there is none. What is justice? Justice is when a penalty that is exacted is suitable to the crime.

[20:28] That's justice. When someone gets what they deserve under the law, we say that justice was done. The text says we hope for justice, but there is none.

[20:41] One of many things that has come out of Washington over the last two or three years is the stark reality that perhaps was only a suspicion before, but now has become ironclad irrefutable evidence, and that is the existence of a horrible, horrible thing called a double standard for justice.

[21:16] It all depends on who is being served justice or injustice. This is not what our forefathers had in mind.

[21:28] It is to be equal justice under the law. And what do we have? But on many occasions, we have a thing called selective enforcement of the law.

[21:44] Selective prosecution of the law. But isn't that against the law? Well, yes, but. And someone else, depending if you are from the wrong side of the tracks, can be prosecuted to hell and back.

[22:02] And it's called justice. And others who may be admittedly guilty of the same crime, well, that's not prosecutable.

[22:15] So it's swept under the rug. I don't know that there is anything that so infuriates the American public as this double standard.

[22:25] And if there is anything that could deserve the lanterns and torches marching on Washington, that's it. Our trespasses are multiplied before thee.

[22:41] And our sins testify against us. For our transgressions are with us. And we know our iniquities. Transgressing and denying the Lord.

[22:54] And turning away from our God. Is there any connection here between those who seek to remove the name of God and the remembrance of God from anything and everything upon which it is placed in this country, including some of those etchings that are emblazoned over the heads of our office buildings throughout Washington, D.C.?

[23:20] References to God. Passages of scripture. This is saying. Our sins testify against us.

[23:32] And we know our iniquities. Transgressing and denying the Lord. And turning away from our God. Speaking oppression and revolt. Conceiving in and uttering from the heart.

[23:45] Lying. Lying. Words. Listen to that. Conceiving in and uttering from the heart. Lying. Words.

[23:57] And justice. Is turned back. And righteousness. Stands far away. For truth. Has stumbled.

[24:08] In the street. That's a curious expression. Truth has. Stumbled industry. What does that mean? Well. Think about it.

[24:20] What is a street? A street is a thoroughfare. Isn't it? I mean a street. A street is an avenue. A path. That you take.

[24:31] To get from here. To there. You. Walk down the street. But the text says. Truth has. Stumbled. In the street. What does that mean?

[24:41] It means. Truth might have started out. But it never did get to where it was supposed to go. It's stumbled in the street.

[24:55] Stumbled in the street. Stumbled in the street. Truth. Charges. Are dropped.

[25:06] Truth. Truth doesn't prevail. And uprightness. Cannot enter. Yes. Truth. Is. Lacking.

[25:16] And when truth is lacking. Nothing. Right. Comes from it. And he who turns aside from evil.

[25:29] Makes himself a prey. Listen to that. He who turns aside from evil. He who walks away from evil. He who turns his back on evil.

[25:40] If you turn your back on evil. You just might have painted a bullseye on your back. That's what it's saying.

[25:52] He who turns aside from evil. Makes himself. A prey. That's P-R-E-Y. A prey. And.

[26:06] Let's come over to. An attendant passage. If we may. To Jeremiah chapter 7. Jeremiah was written. About 200 years.

[26:18] After. Isaiah. Probably in the area. Of about 500 years. Before. Christ was born. And here. In Jeremiah chapter 7.

[26:31] Let's begin with verse. 28. If we may. I'm sorry. Verse 21. Jeremiah 7. Verse 21. Again.

[26:43] The prophet is a Jew. And he's speaking to the Jewish people. Speaking to the nation of Israel. Thus says the Lord of hosts. The God of Israel. Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices.

[26:54] And eat flesh. Now of course he's talking about the Jewish sacrificial system under Judaism. For I did not speak to your fathers or commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt.

[27:06] Concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. And sacrifices. But. God through Jeremiah says. But this. This. This. This. Is what I commanded them saying.

[27:17] Obey my voice. And I will be your God. And you will be my people. And you will walk in all the way which I command you. That.

[27:28] That. It may be well with you. What a priceless thing to say. Listen to that. God is telling his people. Listen to me.

[27:40] Do what I say. Because. The end game is. It will be well with you. In other words. God is. Relating these things to them.

[27:52] Out of love. For their blessing. And for their benefit. But are they regarded as such? Not at all. They're obviously regarded as just. Unwanted restrictions.

[28:04] Well why do we have to do that? Well why can't we? That it may be well with you. Yet. They did not obey or incline their ear.

[28:17] But walked in their own counsels. And in the stubbornness of their evil heart. And went backward. And not forward. Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt.

[28:28] Until this day. I have sent you all my servants the prophets. Daily rising early and sending them. Yet. They did not listen to me.

[28:39] Or incline their ear. But stiffened their neck. They did more evil than their fathers. Curiously in a number of places.

[28:51] The Israelites are regarded as. A disobedient. A stubborn. And a stiff necked people. What is a stiff necked person? Well it's someone who.

[29:04] Who will not. Who will not turn their head. Because. Their neck is stiff. It's fixed. They will not turn. To the right.

[29:15] They insist on. Maintaining the posture they have. With a stiff neck. They did evil. More than their fathers. And you shall speak. All these words to them.

[29:26] But. They will not listen to you. Boy. That slays me every time I read this. I am just absolutely. I don't. I don't know how to handle this.

[29:38] And I only have one possible explanation for it. And. And it isn't a nice one. It isn't pleasant at all. But it's the only one I can come up with.

[29:48] And it's the only one that seems to fit the situation. God is telling Jeremiah. This is the message that you are to deliver to them. But I want to warn you in advance Jeremiah.

[30:02] They're not going to listen to you. They're not going to take it. And it makes you feel like if you were Jeremiah. You'd say. Oh great. What am I going for?

[30:13] What's the point? I mean. What. If it isn't going to do any good. They're not going to listen to me anyway. Why should I even give the message? Why waste my time? And you know. Jeremiah had to pay a terrible price.

[30:25] As one of the prophets. That Israel. Abused and persecuted. Jeremiah along with the others. Paid a terrible price. And he said. For delivering.

[30:37] The truth. Because. When truth is delivered. Where error resides. There is an. Inevitable.

[30:50] Clash. And truth. Is often the loser. Truth is often the one that ends up in prison. Truth is often the one that is ridiculed.

[31:00] Truth is often the one. That is murdered. Allah. Stephen. Act seven. Or an even more significant case.

[31:15] Our Lord Jesus. Our Lord Jesus. You shall speak all these words to them.

[31:26] But they will not listen to you. And you shall call to them. But they will not answer you. And you shall say to them. This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God.

[31:37] Or accept correction. Truth. Truth. Has perished. And has been cut off. From their mouth. Think of that.

[31:48] Truth. Has been cut off. From their mouth. That means. They are unable. To utter. The truth. Wow.

[31:59] What a serious plight to be in. Unable. To utter. The truth. Over a couple of chapters.

[32:10] If you would please. Just chapter nine. Still in Jeremiah. Verse one. Here is a man who is a prophet with a broken heart. He's called the weeping prophet a number of times.

[32:22] Oh. That my head were waters. And my eyes a fountain of tears. That I might weep day and night. For the slain of the daughter of my people.

[32:36] Oh. That I had in the desert a wayfarer's lodging place. That I might leave my people and go from them. For all of them are adulterers. An assembly of treacherous men.

[32:47] They bend their tongue like their bow. Lies and truth. Lies. Not truth. Prevail in the land. For they proceed from evil to evil.

[33:00] And they do not know me. Declares the Lord. Let everyone be on guard against his neighbor. And do not trust any brother. Because every brother deals craftily.

[33:12] This is another way of saying. Boy you don't know who you can trust. Backstabbers are all over the place. Every neighbor goes about as a slanderer. And everyone deceives his neighbor.

[33:23] And does not speak the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak lies. What a curious expression. They have taught their tongue to speak lies.

[33:33] They weary themselves committing iniquity. Your dwelling is in the midst of deceit. Through deceit they refuse to know me.

[33:44] Declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts. Behold I will refine them. And I say them. For what else can I do. Because of the daughter of my people.

[33:56] Their tongue is a deadly arrow. It speaks deceit. With his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor. But inwardly. He sets an ambush for him.

[34:07] Shall I not punish them for these things. Declares the Lord. On a nation such as this. Shall I not avenge myself. And my only question to you is. Is there any way that this can extend to other nations apart from Israel?

[34:27] Is there any possibility that the United States of America. And others. We're not in this alone. I mean France is one of the most secular countries in the world.

[34:39] As well as England. That once was a bastion of missionary activity. And sent out missionaries all over the world. And look at England now. Are they as ripe for this as we are?

[34:53] Shall I not punish them for these things. Declares the Lord. On a nation such as this. Shall I not avenge myself. I do not know. And please don't misunderstand. I am not saying that this coronavirus epidemic.

[35:07] Is judgment from God. I'm not saying that. But brother, sister, you better believe. I'm not prepared to deny it either. I just don't know.

[35:20] But I wouldn't be surprised. I have one more reference before we conclude. And it's in Zechariah. This is a little book that we're dealing with on the men's class. And never did get it finished.

[35:32] It's in Zechariah. Chapter 8. Beginning with verse 14. This is all having to do with nothing more than God's evaluation of truth.

[35:51] And the importance that God places upon truth. And do you think. Do you think, for instance. That truth in the case of America.

[36:02] Somehow means less to God than did truth in the case of Israel. Do you think that God is somehow willing to reduce the complexities.

[36:13] And reduce the difficulty. And reduce everything connecting with truth. For the United States. As opposed to Israel. Zechariah chapter 8.

[36:26] Verse 14. For thus says the Lord of hosts. Just as I propose to do harm to you. When your fathers provoked me to wrath. Says the Lord. And I have not relented.

[36:39] So I have again purposed in these days. To do good to Jerusalem. To the house of Judah. Do not fear. These are the things which you should do. These are the things which you should do.

[36:55] Speak the truth to one another. Judge with truth. And judgment for peace in your gates. And let none of you devise evil in your heart.

[37:05] Against another. And do not love perjury. For all these. Are what I hate. Declares the Lord.

[37:17] Well. If God hates it. Shouldn't we hate it as well. These are. Troubling times in which we're living.

[37:31] And more than anything else. What I lay at the root of this tree. As responsibility. More than anything else. Is the loss and the disregard.

[37:44] For truth. Truth. Is there any place. In this whole wide world. Where truth.

[37:54] Should be absolutely uppermost. And most valued. And most propagated. In any place else in the world. It's right here.

[38:05] In the church. The church. The pillar. And ground. Of the truth. The world.

[38:17] Like us or not. Put up with us or not. Whatever. The world. I think. Unconsciously. Looks. To the truth.

[38:28] Or to those who are supposed to have the truth. To set some kind of an example. And the question. That each of us needs to ask ourselves is. Are we doing that?

[38:40] Is the church doing that? Or has the church succumbed. To partial truth. Or easy truth. Or some other kind of truth.

[38:52] That just doesn't get the job done. I guess we could call this. What shall I call it? I gave it a title. I think. Way back where. The Old Testament.

[39:06] Regard for truth. No. It was truth. Truth established. In the Old Testament. And one week from today. Which will be. Memorial weekend Sunday.

[39:19] There is a. A special message plan. I cannot tell you more about it. Because I don't know for sure. And I cannot confirm this. But. I don't know. We will.

[39:31] We will do our best. To fulfill that. Special kind of situation. That. We'd like to be a. Companion. To what we're talking about. This morning. Now.

[39:42] Is there some way. That we can. Open this up. For a little. Q&A. Terry. What do we have to do? Well. I'm looking at the current. Chat log. And no one. Has.

[39:53] Written a question. So. If you have a question. Please type it into the chat log. Now. We'll give them a minute.

[40:08] To do that. Okay. well I I don't think anybody has so I would I would make this suggestion if you have a question or comment you would like to make just do it by email just email your question or your comment to the church and I'll be glad to address it you'll probably get a better answer that way too.

[40:51] Will that work Terry? Yeah that'll be fine and the church website has the email address on it we'll just do it like that. Okay let me close with a word of prayer. Rebecca now has a question. Oh okay. What is the difference between morality and law? Okay I'm sorry what was it what was the question? The question is what is the difference between morality and law? Well morality and law are inseparable and the reason they are inseparable is because law inevitably deals with moral issues and it has to do with thou shalt and thou shalt not. It has to do with things that are forbidden things that are unacceptable things that are punishable etc and law is made by lawmakers and all lawmakers no matter who they are whether they are devout

[42:03] Christians or whether they are atheists who are committed to their being no God all lawmakers have a moral frame of reference and their morality is inevitably written into their laws laws are nothing more than morals that are codified that are specified that are particularized and we all know how difficult well we don't all know but we hear we hear how difficult it can be sometimes to craft a well-written law because no sooner does the law go into effect than what there are a bevy of lawyers who are trying to find loopholes around the law so it becomes a real a real act of accomplishment to be able to write a law that is concise and definitive that has no loophole possibilities to it I'm not even sure it can be done so in my humble opinion I do not think it is possible to separate law from morality because as I've said before at grace a number of times that all of our laws are written by people who have a viewpoint or a background of morality and they tend to craft their laws in accordance with that and that's how we get the laws that we've got today they were written by people whose opinions are written into those laws okay we have another question in regard to our government and the truth what should we individually do uh would you repeat the question please in regard to our government and the truth what should we individually do well one thing that we can do and should do without fail is to exercise our privilege at the voting booth and if you have someone who is running for office who has a reputation for being untruthful you become complicit if you vote for that individual to put them back in office to continue their their lying it would be a wonderful thing if we could count on people who take the oath of office that they will uphold the constitution and defend the constitution of the united states and that the truth-telling and everything goes along with it but we all know that that often does not happen and there are the the record is replete of people in congress in both houses and in the oval office of having been uh demonstrated to be untruthful in many ways we ought to be people who insist on the truth and we ought to make our lawmakers know that we will hold them accountable for the truth we've got it we've got a case the point which is to me is just i don't know it's just just inconceivable but we have people recently and what party they are makes no difference because what i am going to say now applies equally across the board for republicans for democrats for independents and for anybody else and that is when you go before when you go before an official committee and you are sworn in under oath to answer truthfully their questions and you do so and you do tell the truth and you give the right answer to the questions because if you don't and they discover that you lied to them that's perjury and it is punishable by a

[46:08] hefty fine or even time in jail for lying under oath to a committee and these people who do that are on record as having said one thing which they knew to be true while they were under oath before a committee and they go public in front of television cameras and they say the exact opposite thing how can they do that why can they do that why would they do that they do that because in the first case they know that they could be guilty of perjury of lying to the committee and it would be punishable so they're not going to take the risk of that they're going to tell the truth there but when they go before john q public and address their constituency they tell the exact opposite which they know to be a lie because they know there's no perjury charge there they are not going to be held accountable there so they tell they tell their constituents what they think their constituents want to know and it is a complete opposite of what they told to the committee when they were under oath how can anyone do that the answer is simple it's all politics and so many people come back with this well you know they all do that that's just politics that's just politics they all do that yes they do and that's what must stop that's what has to come to a screeching halt because when you're willing to allow that kind of thing to go on it's only a question of time until the freedoms you hold dear are going to erode right along with it and we'll wake up one morning and won't know where it went i'll tell you where it went it went with truth being exited out the door and the freedom followed okay there's one other question all right we'll take time for one more and then i'll have to well i i guess i don't have to worry about you getting to the restaurants in time do i anyway go ahead uh speak about the difference between god's law and man's law for example it is lawful to have an abortion yes well it is and and one of the favorite mantras of those who are in favor and support the abortion industry say it's legal it's the law of the land well it is and there is no question about that it is and the christian answer the only one that we can give in fact the only one we need is there is a law that transcends that and it is the law of life and the law of liberty and as peter addressed the sanhedrin in acts chapter 4 when they called them on the carpet and said listen you must stop speaking in the name of jesus and the resurrection and we as the ruling council they represented the law in judaism this was the highest law in the land it was their equivalent of the supreme court and it was presided over by the chief priests these were the shakers and movers in israel and they told peter and the apostles you must stop preaching in this man's name and they threatened them and peter said well we hear what you are saying but there is another law and it is a law that transcends your law and it is the law of god himself we must obey god rather than men and you are just men

[50:15] and this by the way becomes the basis for what we would call um what's the term um uh passive resistance or whatever i forget what the what the exact term is but it becomes a basis for for christians demonstrating in ways that might even be against the law and we are simply saying that god has a higher law and we are more obligated to obey god's law than we are man's law so that fits the category in a lot of areas i'm sure in other words but but you see if you are coming from a position if you are coming from a position that many embrace today of either atheism and i make i make a distinction between atheists i think there are what we would call intellectual actual atheists these are people who really honestly do believe there is no god that is their intellectual conviction i call them true atheists and then there are practical atheists and i think our country is loaded to the gills with practical atheists a practical atheist is one who says well yes actually i guess there probably is a god but then they go on and live and conduct their life and have a value system that says there isn't they are practical atheists and we've got a bumper crop of those and they people they they formulate their positions and set their agenda and engage in their activities in accordance with where they're coming from that way and this is what we're dealing with in our nation today and it's taken a long time for us to get there but it started back in the 1960s when we began excising god and the bible the bible is a great example from the public venue and we're paying a price for it today it's becoming more and more intense well i must really let you go i would love to stay here for who knows how long but we cannot i must i must cut you loose so i'm going to do that and let's close in a word of prayer thank you father for truth thank you for being the depository of truth and thank you for having committed your son to be the way and the truth and the life we are so grateful and we recognize that there are so many implications and ramifications that issue forth from what we've been talking about this morning and we look to you for the wisdom and understanding that is necessary to sort these things out and make the best sense of them we can so that we can follow the best and wisest course of action in accordance with your will thank you for each one listening in today in christ's name amen