False Witness

There is a frightening trend in our society where folks accuse or make up stories about others. In this era of the 24 hour news cycle and social media people are not just implicated of something, they are indicted before all the evidence is in. I know that some think the Ten Commandments are just suggestions but God hates false witness or slander. Words have consequences and the innocent have their lives ruined by lying tongues. In our polarized culture infected with “tribalism” one side is always trying to get “one up” on the other in hopes to “win points” for their constituency. The sad thing is that lives and reputation are destroyed in the process. Ephesians 4:25 says, “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” False witness is a sin because it destroys, the reason the 8th Commandment says, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Followers of Jesus are called to speak the truth in love, building one another up. My grandmother hated when people were talking about someone else and would reply, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Lord, in this age of falsehood, may I speak words of encouragement and truth to my neighbor. When we are tempted to share “news” without facts help us to put our tongues in neutral and stay silent. May we all be careful with our Social Media posts. Starting lies about someone or spreading them is bearing false witness, a terrible offense in the sight of a Holy God.

The Conductor of the Universe

Dr. Don DeYoung, recently retired professor from Grace College and President of the Creation Research Society has a passion for sharing God through Science. Years ago I was working on a degree program and needed some science credit. I decided to take an Astronomy class at Grace where I first met Don. I was amazed at how he could take complex ideas and make them understandable. We learned about stars, planets, comets, our sun and other celestial objects as the classes progressed. One of the requirements was to observe the stars at night together. It was winter and the evening “the Prof” picked for us was frigid with crystal clear skies. We stood huddled together listening as he took us on a tour of the universe from our vantage point in Winona Lake. He said something I will never forget, “See the orchestra? All of the pieces of the symphony of the stars and planets are directed by God. The conductor is the Creator of the music of the heavens and keeps everthing in place..” Who can’t look into the night sky and not at least wonder? The Psalmist once wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” This past January 20th I stepped out into the cold to view the wonder of a Super Blood Wolf Moon. The satellite slipped into the Earth’s shadow turning it a beautiful red when the eclipse was full. The Conductor reached a crescendo with His solar and lunar sections complimenting one another just as I had been taught. Thanks Don for teaching me and hundreds over the years that God has everything under control!