FakeNews

During the last few months, we have heard a great deal about "fake news". False news stories are planted on the internet, and are spread from there. Sometimes, these fake news items even end up on mainstream news outlets.
It used to be that the six o'clock news was a "must see" in this country, and we all relied upon, and took for granted, that our newsmen, and eventually newswomen, would bring us the truth about current events. Anchorman Walter Cronkite was known as "the most trusted man in America". These perceptions may or may not have been accurate, but this is what we often thought. If it was on the news, it must be the truth, because reporters were supposed to investigate fully before reporting. Eventually, we became aware that not all reporters and news organizations were unbiased, or careful and thorough.
Now, it seems, for various reasons, people are creating false news stories, and spreading them by whatever means are available to them.. The confusion that these false reports can cause can be devastating. Once the lie is out there, it seems to take on a life of its own.
How can people make wise choices for themselves, and their nation, if they don't know if what they are reading or hearing is the truth or a lie? Will we believe everything, or will we believe nothing? Both options are deadly. We live in a time when we almost expect a lie, even from national leaders, and we have become de-sensitized to it. However, God is aware of the danger of the lie:
"These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look, a lying tongue... a false witness who speaks lies..."   Prov. 6:16-19
Of all evil, why is lying considered especially hateful to God? We will see later.
While lies have always been with us, even from Genesis, it seems that they have a new force and power behind them. Jesus called the devil "the father of lies":
"You are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father, you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar, and the father of it."   Jn. 8:44
Jesus went on to condemn His listeners that day for rejecting what He was telling them, simply because He was telling truth. They preferred the lie. Who were these people that preferred lies, and were of their father, the devil? They were all identified as those who believed in Jesus! (Jn. 8:31).
The Father, and His Son are of Light and Truth, and His Son was manifested to destroy the works of the devil (1 Jn. 3:8), including lies. We, the followers of Christ, should not prefer lies, even if the truth does not please us.
God identified the overtaking power of lies among His people, Israel:
"For her rich men are full of violence,
Her inhabitants have spoken lies,
And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth."     Micah 6:12
God exposed this pervasive climate of lies as an unclean spirit, even in prophets of Israel at the time:
"...I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land. It shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who begot him will say to him, "You shall not live, because you have spoken lies in the name of the LORD..."  
                                                                           Zech. 13:2-3
Idolatry among God's own people opened the door for the unclean lying spirit (v. 2). Additionally, pride and haughtiness in God's people are connected to the lies and deceit that filled the land (Zeph. 3:11-13).
Are we in the Church exempt from this condition? No:
"...who suppress the truth in unrighteousness...although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful,...therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness...who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature, rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever. Amen."   Rom. 1:18, 21-25
Idolatry and an unclean spirit are again connected in the above Scriptures to lies. When we spend more time and money being concerned about, desiring and attaining created things rather than the Creator, we are idolaters.
Idolatry also involves the envy of others, or what others have. Self-seeking (also identified as strife) is also idolatry, and results in an atmosphere where lies pervade:
"But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking (strife) in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there."                                                                      Ja. 3:14-16
If we say we have fellowship with the Father and the Son, but we fellowship and walk instead with darkness, we lie, and do not practice truth (1 Jn. 1:3, 6). If we fellowship with darkness, we fellowship with lies. We are not just telling lies, but we have become a lie.
Why should we, the Church, be especially concerned with the spreading spirit of lies in the world today? Besides its reflection of our own personal sin and flaws, out of this widespread lying spirit arises the antichrist, according to Scripture. Antichrist is birthed out of, and inhabits this spirit (1 Jn. 2:18-22). He comes with unrighteous deception among those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth (2 Thess. 2:10-11). The fact that lies have overtaken us today should be a loud warning siren in our ears.
At this time, under God's eyes, we are called to be part of Zion, a city of light, a sign post, a way marker, a monument, a guiding pillar, pointing to the way of truth, showing for all to see the difference between the truth and the lie.
As John wrote:
"Little children, it is the last hour..."  1 Jn. 2:18

Our Father hates the lying spirit, which has no part of Him.

"The Voice of Truth"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaVg0cWkgAw

"Lead Us to Truth" (flash mob-eastern Europe)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OprsvFGUbrU