Truth is important

Ephesians 4:25 (ESV)

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

Carl had a steady job, and his income was just enough to cover his family’s expenses. He also had a debit card that he loved to use for lots of little things like snacks and drinks. His wife, Becky, who was trying to balance the family budget, would often ask how much he was spending. “I don’t remember; I forgot to get the receipt,” he would answer. His lack of honesty about the money was causing serious friction in their marriage.

In any relationship, there can be no trust without truth. Our society’s legal system cannot function without people being sworn to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” Suspicion and frustration replace peace between people when they tell lies and break promises.

Truth is precious to followers of Jesus Christ. He is the source and substance of truth from God.

The first truth we need to know is that, although God created us to love and glorify him, we are sinful and unable to save ourselves from eternal destruction. The second truth is that God gives forgiveness and everlasting life through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus. The third truth is that once we have believed in Jesus, we must walk in truth, being honest with one another.

Have you ever damaged a relationship by lying? How important is the truth to you?

Dear Lord, we believe that You are the way, the truth, and the life for us. Teach us how to speak the truth in love always. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Standing on the truth

John 8:44 (ESV)

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

It was Sunday, August 23, 2009. A fierce Hurricane, Hurricane Bill, pounded the coast of Mount Desert Island, in the state of Maine. Despite the inclement conditions, tourists came in droves to hear the resounding BOOMS that reverberated from Thunder Hole.

Thunder Cove is a small cove, naturally carved out of rock. At the end of this cove, down at the low tide mark, a small cavern can be found. When waves rush it, the air and water in the cavern are forced out with a loud BOOM, sounding much like the peal of distant thunder. Given the correct weather conditions, the water can spout up from the cavern, sometimes reaching a height of 40 feet.

And Hurricane Bill brought together just the correct conditions for the loudest booms and the highest spouts of water.

Warning signs were posted everywhere, counseling tourists to stay away from Thunder Hole in these conditions. Not everyone was inclined to listen to these warnings however, and many tourists could be found at the lower end of the lookout where you could best see and hear the water clapping through the cavern. And with so many people already down there, it only encouraged more tourists to ignore the warnings. After all, how could all of those people be wrong?

That is what a certain father with his two girls thought. Until he and his two girls were swept over the rail, that is, out into the stormy Atlantic Ocean.

In the icy water, the father and the girls battled for their lives. They were eventually rescued by the courageous Coast Guard, however the seven-year old later died from the trauma.

If only they hadn't followed the crowd! 

Satan is one whose specializes in lies. He carves his lies so cleverly around half-truths that many fall prey to his insinuations. Sadly, most of the world believes his lies rather than the One who is called "the truth"!

We cannot, flirt with lies of the devil without being contaminated by them. It will change our perspective on life, and it will lead us to live a life grounded on untruth.  If we do not stand by the truth, we will find ourselves easily swept in the churning ocean! The apostles warned us about these liars:

We either stand on the truth, or we let ourselves be swept away by deception.

Dear Lord, help us stand in the truth. Help us to daily dive into Your word so that we may know the truth. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

The truth will set you free.

John 8:32 (NIV)

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

September 5, 1755 3 P.M. would remain etched in the minds of hundreds of thousands for centuries. The Acadians, a peaceful group of people of French origin living in the New World, refused to take sides as the British and the French fought for dominionship over what we now call Nova Scotia, Canada.

Once the British claimed victory, the fact that the Acadians had remained neutral was a thorn in their sides, and on September 5, 1755 Great Britain's resolutions towards the Acadians came to fruition. 418 men and boys aged ten years or older were ordered to meet at the parish church, Saint-Charles-des-Mines. There it was declared that all Acadians would be deported.

Forced to leave their homes behind, Acadian families were split up, placed on different ships, and taken to different destinations. Husbands were separated from their wives and children from their parents, and in order to completely discourage the people from ever returning to their homeland, their homes, barns, mills and anything else of value were burned to the ground.

The Acadian deportation of Atlantic Canada took the British 9 years. These unfortunately people, whose only crime was that of remaining neutral throughout a war, were sent to away places like American colonies, Europe, West Indies and even the Falkland islands, and there, they were also received with hostility.

Having no idea where the rest of their families had been deported to, it was impossible for most Acadians to ever locate their spouses and children. They lost absolutely lost everything, even their dignity.

Acadians never expected such a tragedy. Especially since British Governor, Philipps, gave a verbal promise to them in 1729 that they could remain neutral in future conflicts between France and Great Britain. In fact, it was this verbal promise that led many Acadians to pledge an oath of allegiance to Great Britain. Unfortunately however, the written pledge sent to England did not include Philipps' promise, and as a result, it was never honored.

This reminds us of how the evil one works on our planet. He promises us the moon, but instead delivers us an existence of slavery to addictions and drudgery. All he wants from us is our worship and by following his insinuations ("Try it once, it won't hurt you!"), we find ourselves in hopeless situations, with seemingly no way of return.

"'All this I will give you,' he said, 'if you will bow down and worship me.'" (Matt 4:9 NIV)

The bowing down happens more often than not, but the promises from the evil one are never delivered. Too late we realize that the evil one is also the "father of lies" (See John 8:44 NIV) and according to him, promises are meant to be broken.

Don't expect a check for a million dollars from him, nor a life of utter joy and fulfillment. All he wants is our worship and when we fall prey to his insinuations, we give it to him. Sadly, most of us still tend to believe him, even over the trustworthy words of Jesus. Unlike the Acadians, deliverance IS within our grasp. We just don't realize it. If we only would trust the One who willingly died on a cross on our behalf, we could be freed.

Unlike the evil one, our Maker and Savior is faithful. He always keeps His promises "The Lord is faithful to all his promises." (Ps 145:13 NIV), and He also only promotes truth. "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24 NIV). He can set you free!

The Acadians had no choice but to experience a land of no return, but we have the choice. We can avoid the land of deportation altogether, and even if we make bad choices we can return to our "homeland" in Jesus. It all depends on who we choose to trust!

Dear Lord, thank You that we can be free with You. We pray that You will bring someone into our path today that we can share that freedom with. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

God can be taken at His word.

Hebrews 6:18 (NIV)

God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.

He spread the cell phone bill before her on the table. Earlier, he had perused the calls. He had his suspicions, and as he looked over the calls his misgivings were confirmed. Now came the unpleasant duty of confronting her. On one particular day, an out-of-town location appeared. He remembered the day. She had left early, telling him and the kids she was going to work. They believed her, even though they had reason to doubt her. Sure enough, she had lied once again. It had become her pattern. When questioned, she said, "I was at work." He produced the bill. She held her course. Only after an hour of lawyerly interrogation did she finally admit what he and the children already knew.

God made a promise to Abraham and sealed it with an oath. He would bless and prosper him and give him many descendants. Since God can't lie, the promise was as sure as the son rising the next morning. Abraham lived to see a portion of the promise fulfilled, and I'm witnessing another portion of it presently.

God's promises can be trusted because they are unchanging and trustworthy. They have to be because they reflect his nature. He doesn't change-although it may appear he does, and he never goes back on his word. What he says he will do.

God promises forgiveness and salvation to all who ask. Since he's allowed his Son to pay for humanity's sins, all that remains is for me to reach out for it. When I ask, my sins are removed as far as the east is from the west. They're cast into the bottom of the sea…into God's forgetfulness. He promises abundant life in the present-a quality of life I could never experience otherwise. And even better is the promise of eternal life in heaven. A place that is indescribably beautiful and fulfilling. A place where ultimate healing in all areas of life will be experienced. Have you taken God at his word?

Dear Lord, thank You that we can depend on Your promises. Thank You for being an honest God. We pray today that we would be honest in all that we do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

The Truth

Luke 18:11  (NIV)

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

When the full impact of the potato blight struck Ireland, the general public opinion in Britain was that the Irish brought this disaster upon themselves. Even though Ireland was, by this time, officially part of the United Kingdom, they certainly were not being treated as equals.

There was only one crop that completely failed in Ireland, and that was the one crop they were allowed to keep for themselves: Potatoes. All other crops flourished, and these would have been more than enough to feed the Irish had it not all gone to Great Britain. In 1847, 500,000 Irish, young and old alike, died of starvation. Cholera, dysentery, high deadly fevers, scurvy and typhus rampaged through the Irish population, killing so many people that it wasn't even possible to keep proper records of all the deaths, and there weren't even enough coffins for the burials. As a result, reusable drop coffins became the norm. These contained a trap door at the bottom. They were used to drop a body in its grave, then they were returned to pick up another body!

Meanwhile, 4,000 ships loaded with 17,000,000 pounds of Ireland-produced foods, 10,000 heads of cattle and 4,000 horses and ponies headed for Great Britain and the British enjoyed fine meal and good health.

Such an attitude can be seen in certain denominations and churches. "Praise God that I am nothing like the scum of the earth. I hold the truth! Anything else does not matter!" They are proud of having "the" truth, but unfortunately, their "truth" consists of doctrine. Even though they profess to follow Jesus, their doctrine is put above all else, and these children of God don't even realize that only Jesus can claim to be Truth: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6, NIV)

What happens when such superiority rampages through a church? It gives the congregation a false sense of security, while many of their members starve for spiritual food and are left wanting.

Are you spiritually hungry? Come directly to Jesus. Only He can truly feed you: "He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty." (Luke 1:53, NIV) After all, it's not about us, but about Jesus!

Dear Lord, help our focus be on You and not the church we go to. Thank You that You are the truth and that You can feed us spiritually. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

What is Truth?

Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

As we look around we see that lots of people in the church aren't sure of their salvation. They fail to look for the truth.  God tells us in His word to seek and we shall find.

His promise of "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Matt 7:7-8 NIV) As we seek we find that truth is not a concept or a doctrine, but a Person: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 NIV)

As we let God's Spirit become real to us, and His Word, the Bible, becomes alive. Peace overcame me, and love from the Most High invaded my life. As we continue to study we can learn some things about truth.

Truth says: No one can reach heaven on his own. (Eph 2:8-9)

Truth says: I am not a concept, but a Person who will help you break free from your bondages (John 8:36).

Truth says: It is God who saved us through His Son Jesus. We had no part in it, except to accept His gracious offer and fall on our knees in total gratitude (John 3:16).

Truth says: We have a reliable guide who will lead us in God's truth. Our only job is to rely on Him (John 16:13).

Truth says: It can only be found in God's Word, the Bible. And the way to unlock that Truth is by letting God's Spirit, the author of this fantastic book, guide you (James 1:22-25).

Do you want to know freedom? Would you like to experience Truth?

Then from the bottom of your heart, ask God: "Lord please guide me to Your Truth."

Dear Lord, thank You for loving us. Thank You for Your word that will show us what truth is. Help us follow the truth so that we can liberated from the bondage we are in. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Truthfulness

Mary Poppins was traveling and decided to stop at a hotel. She approached the receptionist and asked for a room for the night.



"Certainly, madam", he replied courteously.


"Is the resturant still open?" inquired Mary.


"Sorry, no," came the reply, "but room service is available all night. Would you care to select something from this menu?"


Mary smiled and took the menu. "Hmm, I would like cauliflower cheese please," said Mary.


"Certainly madam," he replied. "And may I have breakfast in bed?" asked Mary politely.


The receptionist nodded and smiled.


"In that case, I would love a couple of poached eggs please," Mary requested.


After confirming the order, Mary signed in and went up to her room for the night.


The night passed uneventfully and next morning Mary came down early to check out.


The same guy was still on the desk. "Morning madam...sleep well?"


"Yes, thank you," Mary replied.


"Food to your liking?"


"Well, I have to say the cauliflower cheese was exceptional, I don't think I have had better. Shame about the eggs ....they really weren't that nice at all," replied Mary truthfully.


"Oh...well, perhaps you could contribute these thoughts to our Guest Comments Book. We are always looking to improve our service and would value your opinion," said the receptionist.


"Ok I will...thanks!" replied Mary....who then checked out, paused awhile, then scribbled a comment into the book. Waving, she left to continue her journey.


Curious, the receptionist picked up the book to see the comment Mary had written. Here it is.........


"Supercauliflowercheesebuteggswerequiteatrocious!!!!''


It is a great attribute to be truthful. Of course part of being truthful is being able to share in a way that helps build up rather then tare down.






Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.


-2 Timothy 2:15 (New American Standard)






Dear Lord we pray that we will watch what we say. We pray that we will speak the truth in a loving manner. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The truth will set you free

Truth is not something we just know; it is something we live. Jesus reminds us that we must not only know His teaching, but we must also obey it. However, obedience is one of the proofs of our discipleship and a doorway to freedom and truth.

"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
— John 8:31-32

Dear Lord please forgive me for taking obedience to your will so lightly. Sometimes your way seems so hard. However, deep in my heart I do believe that your will is a blessing and not a hindrance. Use me to help others find joy in obeying you, too. In Jesus' name, Amen.