DISCERNING TRUTH IN PERILOUS TIMES OF MANIPULATION
DISCERNING TRUTH IN PERILOUS TIMES OF MANIPULATION
There is so much information available to us everyday that it is increasingly difficult to discern the truth. The big high tech firms are manipulating the news that you see and what you learn from your search results. Politicians, like always, twist the facts to their benefit. Propaganda is probably at an all time high. So how do you discern the truth? How do you make decisions in your life based on good information? What guides you? These are questions that are becoming increasingly important because deception is free and enticing while truth is expensive and fleeting. Fact of the matter is that we are living in an information age where free speech is so abused that lies affect who we are and what we do.
Breitbart News turned up an internal communication at Google admitting that there are huge teams in the organization working to censure information they deem is not appropriate for the public. Breitbart reports: ” The comments came to light in a leaked internal discussion thread, started by a Google employee who noticed that the company had recently changed search results for “abortion” on its YouTube video platform, a change which caused pro-life videos to largely disappear from the top ten results. In addition to the “manual approach,” [Daniel] Aaronson (Google’s “trust and safety” team) explained that Google also trained automated “classifiers” – algorithms or “scalable solutions” that corrects “problems” in search results.
This was just one example. The communication, according to Breitbart, also showed interventions on”search results related to progressive activist David Hogg and Democrat politician Maxine Waters.” A Google spokeswoman, however, insisted to Breitbart that “Google has never manipulated or modified the search results or content in any of its products to promote a particular political ideology.” Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai emphatically testified to Congress that there was no manipulation by Google, but the internal communication “took issue with Pichai’s remarks, stating that it “seems like we are pretty eager to cater our search results to the social and political agenda of left-wing journalists.”
People are influenced by what they read, hear and see. Decisions are made. Beliefs are developed. Powers are using the information superhighway to manipulate politics, shape values, and control decisions. The scale of this manipulation is historic because never before have people been so connected with so few companies controlling the information. So how do you discern the truth? As Christ said in John 16:13,” But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.” Know your values and weigh everything against them. If it doesn’t align, it is likely not true. That inner voice of the Holy Spirit guides us if we so allow it. In society the scales of truth are compromised, but in the Holy Spirit truth is pure.
(Used with permission. By Bill Wilson. Read more at dailyjot.com.)
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Thank the Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ that there is clarity about truth. The Lord said “I am the way, the truth and the life; none comes to the Father except through me.” The scriptures do give guidance for daily living pleasing to God. The Holy Spirit schools us in all truth. Job said he knew his redeemer lives and in the latter days he would know Him, i.e., see Him as He is. Job uttered this about the same times as the exodus, so he did not have the benefit of the Law of Moses. But by praying, obeying and seeking God, the Holy Spirit enlightened him to spiritual truth. With all those resources today we are without excuse for wallowing in deception.
The Truth is eternal, Jesus is the way the Truth and the life, He is the Word of God. Read God’s word, and thank Him for these precious promises SES. Pray for Christians that don’t have bibles.
What is biblical discernment and why is it Important?
In its simplest definition, discernment is nothing more than the ability to decide between truth and error, right and wrong. Discernment is the process of making careful distinctions in our thinking about truth. In other words, the ability to think with discernment is synonymous with an ability to think biblically.
First Thessalonians 5:21-22 teaches that it is the responsibility of every Christian to be discerning: “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.” The apostle John issues a similar warning when he says, “Do not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). According to the New Testament, discernment is not optional for the believer-it is required.
The key to living an uncompromising life lies in one’s ability to exercise discernment in every area of his or her life. For example, failure to distinguish between truth and error leaves the Christian subject to all manner of false teaching. False teaching then leads to an unbiblical mindset, which results in unfruitful and disobedient living-a certain recipe for compromise.
Unfortunately, discernment is an area where most Christians stumble. They exhibit little ability to measure the things they are taught against the infallible standard of God’s Word, and they unwittingly engage in all kinds of unbiblical decision-making and behavior. In short, they are not armed to take a decidedly biblical stand against the onslaught of unbiblical thinking and attitudes that face them throughout their day.
God’s Word provides us with the needed discernment about every issue of life. According to Peter, God “has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3). You see, it is through the “true knowledge of Him,” that we have been given everything we need to live a Christian life in this fallen world. And how else do we have true knowledge of God but through the pages of His Word, the Bible? In fact, Peter goes on to say that such knowledge comes through God’s granting “to us His precious and magnificent promises” (2 Peter 1:4).
Discernment — the ability to think biblically about all areas of life — is indispensable to an uncompromising life. It is incumbent upon the Christian to seize upon the discernment that God has provided for in His precious truth! Without it, Christians are at risk of being “tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14).
AMEN to David Oliver’s comment! the question is…….how to get today’s “Christians” INTO God’s Word? Prov 2:4-5 “If you SEEK wisdom as for silver and SEARCH for skillful and godly wisdom as for HIDDEN treasure…..then….you will understand the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord and FIND the knowledge of our omnipotent God” Col 2:3 : In Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge and enlightenment are stored up AND LIE HIDDEN.” too many distractions….the old hymn TAKE TIME TO BE HOLY THE WORLD RUSHES ON, SPEND MUCH TIME WITH JESUS ALONE. Can you really love Jesus and not love His Word?