Part 1 - Genesis 20:1-10 - HE'S A FRAUD! HE'S A FRAUD!
Diary entry - "Full circle! Here I am again. Dealing with the same old things over and over in my life. You would think that eventually I would get it - that God wants to fulfill His purposes in my life if only I'd GET OFF THE ROUND-A-BOUT. I reach great heights on the FERRIS WHEEL only to find myself back where I began" - Abraham.
He lay in a bed seat, slightly twisted and looking at me with one eye half open. I was finishing a small Bible study devotional with a group of aged people on a passage from the book of Job in the Bible, telling them that God loves them and still has a purpose for their lives, to look UPWARD NOT INWARD even when things don't always go as they plan.
With a croaky voice filled with the bile of his past and exposed by his dementia he shouted "He's a fraud! He's a fraud! Don't listen to him! Don't listen to him! He only wants your money! He's a fraud!" It was disconcerting to say the least. All of a sudden it was me that was looking inward instead of upward and I needed to be reminded of Jesus' words.
Jesus said "I am the way, the TRUTH and the life..." (John 14:6). He is my Truth. He enables me to live a life of INTEGRITY. With Christ in my life I am able to live how God intends me to live and be GENUINE before Him and others and even myself, WITHOUT HYPROCRISY. NOTHING FRAUDULENT ABOUT THAT!
The Bible says that it is the devil who is a LIAR and a FRAUD! John 8:44 (NLT) "...He has always HATED THE TRUTH, because there is NO TRUTH IN HIM. When he LIES, it is consistent with his character; for he is a LIAR AND THE FATHER OF LIES."
The Bible doesn't hide the rather sobering fact that even a great man like Abraham can get it wrong and start USING THE DEVILS TACTICS. Genesis 20 confirms to me that the habits of a lifetime are difficult to break, but also that God is PATIENT. He says "So let's deal with this again."
Abraham, it seems, lacks complete confidence and trust in God and feels he has to LIE in order to survive. He shows me that I can move to a different part of the country and still find myself in the same place spiritually. I can get a little older and still be just as immature. Maturity has nothing to do with aging. Believe me, I know. ROUND AND AROUND. Abraham's life in Genesis 20:2 is looking like a RE-RUN of an old movie from Genesis 12:13.
The false accusations of an old man crying out "You're a fraud!" hurt me but they also made me realize that I need to stay close to Christ who is the Truth and to His Word, the Bible. 1 Corinthians 10:12 in the Message version says "Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence."
Galatians 6:7 (NLT) says "Don't be misled-you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always HARVEST WHAT YOU PLANT."
Lord, KEEP ME FROM EVIL so that I don't bring disrepute to You or others or to myself. Let me live righteously before you today and in the joy of my salvation. Let me be a blessing to others today and live a life without hypocrisy.
God bless you Church as God replaces the habits of a lifetime with the habits of Holy living and the harvest of a fruitful life in Christ. In Him, you are not a FRAUD but a FORGIVEN, FAULTLESS, FAITH-FILLED FRIEND OF GOD, fru (I mean through) Christ.
Pastor Ross
