“When The Leaders Lie”
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: - This week while watching the news the one thing that stood out to me among all the chaos and buffoonery and the blatant ambush on the Military Hero the Ukrainian President Zelensky was when the President of France Emmanuel Macron (whose first name means God with us – that will preach) caught Donald Trump in a blatant lie and corrected him in front of the entire world. Trump just shook his hand and retold the exact same blatant lie again.
Lamentations 2:14 says, “Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment”. God’s people were experiencing judgment! God had removed His blessing from them! They were running into so many problems! The reason was poor leadership.
Today, our world is filled with poor leaders who lie to control us and line their continuously deepening pockets. They gain power, but they aren’t pleasing to God. They may be popular on the world stage, but they aren’t concerned with eternal truths. They have perfected the skill of manipulation and enticement of people to pursue the wrong paths. They ignore God’s standards and the teachings of His Word both in the spiritual and natural aspects.
Their leaders deceive the people with false promises, blatant lies, and pursue foolish goals. As a result, We the people, have been deceived, lied to, and fired. Because we have failed to set a godly standard and live according to God’s Word.
There is a question I heard many years ago from an old golfer – What is the difference between golf and government - in golf you can't improve your lie. This rule in golf prohibits improving the lie, the area intended for making a swing, the line of play or the area in which the ball is to be dropped or placed – simply put you are not allowed to improve your shot ability. If you break this Rule, you are considered to have played from the wrong place, which is a breach that comes with a two-stroke penalty. WATCH THIS there is a penalty for breaking this rule that can cost you the game and disqualify you. Lies by our spiritual leaders will cause people to spend eternity in Hell and they must face God’s judgment. However, lies by our Government Officials violate the Constitution and deprive people of their Rights, dignity, security, safety, jobs, Medicare, Social Security, and cause the entire Economic structure to be affected. Yet all is done is another lie is told.
When we look at what is going on in our world, the lies that are being told by our so-called leaders, the political shifts that are taking place, the total disregard for human, civil, educational rights and freedoms that are being flushed down the proverbial toilet. How Donald Trump is using executive orders like an action movie kill count to get his way with Elon Musk as the ultimate unstoppable Terminator terrorizing everyone that seems to be operating totally outside the Constitution. “We the People” no longer have a voice, we are angry, we protest and boycott, yet our leaders are not listening to our concerns, they tell lie after lie to line their pockets, benefit the billionaires, establish an oligarchy, and become allies with dictators, try to belittle true military and honorable people with disgusting lies, while people die of starvation, children are contracting measles at an epidemic rate, families are ripped apart under the lies of immigration deportation, Medicare and Medicaid is literally obliterated, Federal workers are told they don’t deserve a pay check yet anyone with 5 million dollars is offered a gold card citizenship free pass to become a citizen, while people just looking for a better way of life are victimized and ostracized. The question is so what do we do when our leaders lie.
The Bible serves as both a warning and a guide teaching us the importance of ethical leadership and the need for accountability.
PRAYER
SCRIPTURE: - Exodus 32:1-5 & 24 “And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord. And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf”.
BACKGROUND: - The Children of Israel were in a state of rebellion living and acting contrary toward the Will and Word of God. Our current culture is a lot worse than this right now actually. Aaron who is one of the leaders of Israel directed the people to bring him the gold And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf. When Moses rebuked him for making the golden calf literally lies vs#24 says, “And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf”. Aaron failed to state that he actually made the calf. He lied by not mentioning the fact that he built the idol's altar! Aaron’s lie is a failure that shows when leadership is deprived or rejects the guidance of God and stand on truth and accountability. Moses called for those who were on the Lord’s side to come stand with him Exodus 32:26. The Levites stood with him and were commanded to go through the camp and kill anyone who persisted in the idolatry. Three thousand men were killed that day.
The marks of good leadership are found in Micah 6:8 says, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God”.
When leadership, rather spiritual or governmental, is just honest, has mercy and is truthful its citizens are safe, secure and prosperous. The economy thrives, jobs increase, and the overall disposition of the people is better. However, when (leadership) a government is corrupt, unjust, dishonest and tells lies, its citizens are insecure, afraid, neglected and suffering. When government is wicked ultimately rebellion, anarchy, judgment, and destruction are soon to follow. As we see with the 3000 that were killed after Moses came down from the Mount and found the Golden Calf.
Why would a leader lie? Usually, it is to advance an agenda or support a decision that cannot stand up to scrutiny based on the truth or to promote a personal agenda. Lying is like a contagious virus and spreads like wildfire.
God has a lot to say about leaders, their behavior, their integrity and their resulting impact on the people they rule. The Bible is a warning and a guide concerning corrupt leaders and our response and duty when faced with the likes of such leaders.
Psalms 58:1-2 says, “Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth”. This passage is interesting because David directed this Psalm against those who were rulers or judges that aligned themselves with Saul. Not long before this they were praising David talking about what a champion he was because he killed Goliath but now they just flipped. They accepted Saul’s opinion that David was a traitor guilty of treason and needed to be put to death, so they based their decisions aligned to Saul not on truth, their personal experience or convictions, they were more concerned with paying allegiance to Saul than standing for truth and righteousness and David here challenged them and the uprightness of their decisions. He understood that their intention was to work wickedness and weigh violence in the earth – in other words was for no good at all. Spurgeon said - against others; with careful thought and deliberation they gave it out. “As righteous judges ponder the law, balance the evidence, and weigh the case, so the malicious dispense injustice with malice aforethought in cold blood”. They were precise and intentional in utterly destroying, dehumanizing, humiliating, emasculating, scaring, abusing, mistreating him in order to appease Saul that they forsook all righteousness. When our leaders forsake righteousness, outright lie, do things underhanded we need to stand and hold them accountable like David did.
Proverbs 28:15 “As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people”. This describes the wicked ruler and how they treat those of low standing, those they consider beneath them, lower class, immigrants, poor, racially different, with unpredictable, uncontrollable, inhumane ferocity. He is dangerous, misogynistic, and down-right satanic toward them.
Look at how the Lion and the Bear hunt, stalk, frighten their prey then unleash an all-out attack upon them slaughtering them with a ravenous appetite. The wicked lying ruler is the same way, and we have witnessed this: - no sentiments of pity or pleas of compassion softens his heart. No principle of justice regulates his conduct. Complaints and protests only provoke further actions. Helpless and miserable are the people placed under his mis-leadership.
Understanding dealing with lying wicked leaders can be a daunting and overwhelming challenge. At times it will make you question your faith and want to act out of your emotions, but we must realize that throughout history, people have faced leaders who lie and their actions and decisions are unjust, corrupt, or harmful. However, the Bible provides wisdom and guidance on how to navigate these difficult situations.
1 Timothy 2:2 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty”.
We must pray for our leaders and all in authority, not so they will do a certain thing or stop doing something. Not that so we will stay part of NATO or not, not so the oligarchs will cease to be an issue, but that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
We need to pray that our leaders realize that God is in control and understand Daniel 2:20-22 “Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him”.
They must realize that Proverbs 16:12 says, “It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness”. Leaders both spiritual and political their lives must be righteous because it’s the righteous life that invites God’s blessing upon their leadership.
We must hold them accountable for their lies, their actions, their decisions, their crimes. The Bible tells us to speak out against wrongdoing. Ephesians 5:11 says “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather, reprove them”. It is sad to say but true no the less one reason we are in the situation we are in today is because a lot of the so-called people of God did not stand against wrongdoing but joined hand in hand, uplifted the arms of the unfruitful works of darkness like he was Moses, and they were Aaron and Hur.
We must speak up for those whose voice is silent because of the lies and oppression of the leaders determined to destroy them. Proverbs 31:8-9 says, “Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously and plead the cause of the poor and needy”.
We must maintain our integrity even when our leaders are lying, wicked, and have no integrity at all. Proverbs 11:3 says, “The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them”.
We must always rely on the promises of God in times of good, in difficult times, when our leaders lie understanding that God is with us. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee. Be not dismayed; for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea I will uphold thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away”.
CLOSE: - The Bible’s teachings on corrupt leadership serve as both a warning and a guide. We as Children of God regardless of the moral standards of leaders and the consequences of their failing to uphold truth, honesty, justice, integrity, and righteousness, we must maintain a standard of Holiness unto the Lord. We cannot compromise TRUTH for a lie, a temporary delight, or for the appeasement of a certain few. Rather the leaders are spiritual, political, economic, social etc. we must hold them accountable and to a standard of righteousness and they must answer for the things which they say and do.
As we navigate a world where corruption is rampant, apostacy has grabbed hold of many churches, a governmental system that is wicked, corrupt, self-centered and ran by an oligarchy understand that the Word of God reminds us of the importance of ethical leadership and the need for accountability. We must hold those that lead accountable for their actions by standing for righteousness, doing justly, showing mercy, love and walking humbly before the Lord.
By reflecting on Biblical principles, we can develop a deeper understanding of what it means to be a just leader, hold those in power accountable, build a culture and a society that values righteousness over corruption. We must continually pray that our leaders will learn to strive to embody the values laid out in Scripture, ensuring a brighter future for all and not be consumed with selfishness, pride, arrogance. So, when our leaders lie we must stand and be a beacon of truth and accountability.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
