For the next couple of weeks I want to talk about the secret chambers of our conscience that contains our thoughts, emotions, attitudes, convictions, and basically who we really are. Some will say they wear their feelings on their sleeves and how transparent they are to everyone. I admire these individuals as they seem to have a personality that is open, humble, and honest with nothing to hide. However, just because a person allows themselves to be fearless and honest about what they think, does not mean they have a pure heart, filled with the Holy Spirit, or they are walking in the awareness of God’s presence. Many people are bold and aggressive about speaking their mind, but are just arrogant.
I believe the Lord has always tried to emphasize within the Christian life, that it’s not just about how we act when others are watching, it’s about who we love and serve on the inside. The Pharisees are an example of how humans can be very good actors that can either intentionally pretend to love God, or they can be deceived with a lack of understanding. Jesus confronted and exposed them saying they did not even know the Lord. In John 8:19, we read a conversation Christ had with these religious leaders. “The Pharisees asked him, where is your father? Jesus replied, you don’t know me or my Father. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” So who were they serving and worshiping?
In the same chapter Jesus continues the dialogue, “You are from your father, the devil, and you desire to do what your father wants you to do. He has never been truthful. He doesn’t know what the truth is.” One of the most dangerous truth’s within Christianity is that many individuals are avoiding the truth. Simply put, they would rather serve the devil and their flesh than God. Truth must not be limited to head knowledge but must become a revelation in order for God’s word to change us. James 2:19 says “you believe there is one God and you are correct, but the devils also believe and tremble.” So even the devils have knowledge of the truth, but they have no faith or good works because they do not love or serve God. In John 8:47 Christ declares, “The person who belongs to God understands what God says. You don’t understand because you do not belong to God.”
I want to touch on a phenomenon called the Mandela Effect, and it describes how people can believe and or remember certain things, but in reality they are not true. The term originated in 2009 by Fiona Broome, after she discovered that she, along with a multitude of others, believed that Nelson Mandela had died in the 1980s (when he actually died in 2013). She continued her study, asking questions like does it say Jiffy on peanut butter containers, does Curious George have a tail, Did the original Mickey Mouse wear suspenders, was Alexander Hamilton a president, and did Uncle Pennybags in monopoly wear a monocle? She was astounded how the eye and brain can accept something we are sure of, and it’s difficult to admit we had it wrong. Our memory contains the psychological processes of acquiring, storing, retaining, and later retrieving information, but if information is not properly encoded in the filing cabinets of our conscience, this can cause devastating problems.
One of the Biblical examples of this Mandela Effect is the verse in Isaiah that many people believe says the lion will lie down with the lamb. It does not say this. The actual verse in Isaiah 11:6 says wolf. It’s staggering how many people refuse to accept this, even going as far as saying that Satan has somehow changed it. After reading several articles about this subject, the Lord revealed how we can believe a distorted reality that is not true. For example, if we harbor secret hatred and resentment in our heart for someone, we are deceived to believe that God understands our feelings, and will allow us to embrace enmity because He understands our pain. However, the truth is that in refusing to see ourselves the way God see’s us, we have created our own image of Him as being lenient and sympathetic. The truth is that we are a murderer and will never enter into heaven. I John 2:9, 3:15, 4:20, and Matthew 6:14-15. God will not compromise or make exceptions or deals. His grace does not excuse our rebellious assumptions.
Dr. Holland is an ordained minister, chaplain, teacher, and author. Read more about the Christian life at billyhollandministries.com.
