The Mouth Of A Fool Invites Ruin

Scornful men bring a city into a snare: but wise men turn away wrath.

If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest.

The bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the just seek his soul.

A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.

If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.

                                                         (Prov 29:8-12 KJV)

Rulers (as well as the media) who buy into and promulgate lies destroy communities. They can destroy entire countries. They care not for the people that they destroy. Leaders who keep moving on their chosen path of destruction in attempts to show that they are the leader and can do what they what because they are in charge are risking the very people that they have been called to defend.

No one know for sure how many people died yesterday in the bombings at Kabul.  The media kept reporting twelve or thirteen. I did not see any report nor did I hear any of the national media ask (other than the Wall Street Journal) ask how many of the allies  and their families that assisted our military over the last twenty years were killed. This morning I am finally seeing the reports of over ninety civilians. But, no one seems to have asked yet if there were any Americans among those civilians. Maybe someone asked and I just didn't hear that one instance. For all of the news releases we're hearing; we're not hearing much new. They are not being as transparent as they promised they would be. 

We are hearing that the Taliban is working with us. They will keep Americans and our allies safe until August 31st. I suspect our leaders think we should actually believe this and trust that this will happen. Do you? Are you willing to trust a terrorist organization that just overthrew a government?

It is not always just the words that we need to listen to. As a country we need to learn to watch their body language as they speak; how they respond to stress; and what they actually do.  Their words may convey an amount of compassion for others but their movements; their actions, do not.

May God protect the people who are subject to rulers who rule only for their own interests. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Transparency

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Heb 12:13

Transparency... That word has been used an awful lot lately. The problem is we often apply it to someone else's attempts to cover up their true motivations. It makes me weary spending so much time attempting to discern the truth when people work so hard to hide it. I am of the nature that when I feel I am being lied to, I take the time to confront the lie so we can get to the bottom of it and get on with what we are called to do: live life in Christ. I need the truth to live and Jesus, by the way, is the truth.

We cannot be of any real help to anyone if we don't know what the problem really is. Half-truths (which are lies) just compound any issues that need to be dealt with. "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8

As Christians, we are to be transparent and that goes for politicians who claim to be Christians. The people whom are actions will affect deserve to know the truth. Transparency with the people we are called to serve is a good thing. It is the honest thing. It is the godly thing.

We can hide our real motivations and even think that no one knows. But, God knows. The one to whom we will give account knows all of those secret motivations and actions that we think we've been able to cover up. Not only does God know; but, the actions of those who attempt to hide their evil plans are in reality known by others who have a sincere desire to seek the truth.

May God help us all to be more transparent in what we say and do so that we might be able to serve God and all of His people more faithfully, to the glory of God.

God's Peace - Pr. J