The statement is true, its attribution is not. Abraham Lincoln died over 100 years before the creation of the INTERNET. Since I am told that very little American history in schools these days, there are undoubtedly some who will believe Abraham Lincoln really did say this – out of shear ignorance.
To be fair, this sort of deception is not restricted to the INTERNET. All one has to do is to listen to the current debate over American border security to see the most profound mixture of “truth” and “lies”. Mix a little truth with a big lie and there you have it –POLITICS.
Where does this admixture of truth with lies come from?
Jesus tells us.
Matthew 4 ( World English Bible )
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward. 3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you.’ and,
‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord, your God.’”
8 Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory. 9 He said to him, “I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”
4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you.’ and,
‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord, your God.’”
8 Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory. 9 He said to him, “I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”
Satan is the source of lies. He will look for an opportune moment (In the passage above, Jesus was weak from fasting). He will try to trick you into doing things that seem absolutely necessary (verse 3, above). Or, get you to doubt in God’s love for you bygetting you to “test” God. When all else fails, he will offer you apparent power, wealth or glory; and all you have to do is submit to him as “LORD”.
Now, Matthew chapter four deals with Jesus, but what about us? Are we confrontedwith Satan, Daily?
Yes, for what about:
1. What do we watch on TV?
2. Do we go along with our “friends” when they try to get us to do something we know to wrong?
3. Do we occasionally tell a “white lie”?
4. Do we foolishly believe everything we are told, just because the source seems unimpeachable?
5. Do we have the courage to stand for the truth when everyone around us accepts and endorses a LIE?
If I thought about this long enough, I could probably list a hundred or more questions.
The point of all this is that we must think about what is true and what is not and then act according. How, with the Scriptures as our guide.
Jesus said:
John 17 ( WEB )
Don’t believe what Jesus said; then you might just as well believe that Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus drove a Mercedes Benz.
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