Everybody Knows

If you are a Fake or a Phony or a Fraud  --

Everybody knows.

If you are a Pretender, an Actor, a Deceiver, an Imitator, an Impostor.

Everybody knows.

If you are a Counterfeit, a Confederate -- if you are false or not genuine.

Everybody around you -- Everyone that really knows you -- they already know.

You're not fooling anybody. Everybody knows.

You may smile and nod your head, but the people that you dislike know how you feel. They know what you are thinking and they know what you say about them behind their backs.

You may smoozle up to people and adore them with praise, kowtow before them with empty adulation and condescension -- but the people that you despise - the people that you hate - the people who are the subjects of your attempts at deceit actually know the truth about you - in spite of the grand hoax that you are - and that you present.

I know that you will not believe this at all - but the people who live their lives around you are not fooled in the slightest.

Everybody knows.

I began my preaching ministry when I was 14 years old. I took my first Church staff position when I was 16 and accepted my first pastoral position when I was 20.

So, I began working for the Lord - but for and with people.

This may seem like a funny thing to say (it sounds funny to me!), but only a few years into my ministry to people, I began to believe that God had given me a special Spiritual Gift.

I truly thought that He had given me the special ability and insight to be able to "read" people.  I thought that I could judge character and motive, and that I could know what people were really thinking. I was able to look behind every mask and facade - every pretentious face and presentation - to the truth.

And then as I grew and matured - I realized with great chagrin that I was not special at all -- because everybody knows.

God LOVES exposing hypocrites. He is continually shinning light on dark souls that are trying to portray themselves as Bright Angels. He thrills at having counterfeits hoist on their own petard and foiled by their own falseness.

And He does this ALL THE TIME.

Jesus said in Luke 12:2 -
"There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known."

Remember what President Lincoln said?

"You can fool All of the People some of the time . . . 
and Some of the People all of the time . . . 
but you cannot fool All of the People, All of the time."

Yes - there may be a few people whom you are presently bamboozling. But eventually they will find out about you. They will figure you out - or rather, you will give yourself away.

Most people who know you -- already know about you.

Just ask somebody who lives in proximity to you -

"Do you think that I am genuine? Do you think that I am REAL?"

But be careful - you MIGHT have fooled YOURSELF - and you might be in for a terrible disappointment or embarrassment.

Numbers 32:23 says: "Be sure - your sin will find you out."

So - when you are smiling your biggest smile at me, shaking my hand, patting my back, or hugging my neck - I just wanted to let you know -

Everybody knows.